Software effort estimation still remains a challenging and debatable research area. Most of the software effort estimation models take software size as the base input. Among the others, Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO II) is a widely known effort estimation model. It uses Source Lines of Code (SLOC) as the software size to estimate effort. However, many problems arise while using SLOC as a size measure due to its late availability in the software life cycle. Therefore, a lot of research has been going on to identify the nature of relationship between software functional size and effort since functional size can be measured very early when the functional user requirements are available. There are many other project related factors that were found to be affecting the effort estimation based on software size. Application Type, Programming Language, Development Type are some of them. This thesis aims to investigate the nature of relationship between software size and development effort. It explains known effort estimation models and gives an understanding about the Function Point and Functional Size Measurement (FSM) method. Factors, affecting relationship between software size and development effort, are also identified. In the end, an effort estimation model is developed after statistical analyses. We present the results of an empirical study which we conducted to investigate the significance of different project related factors on the relationship between functional size and effort. We used the projects data in the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) dataset. We selected the projects which were measured by utilizing the Common Software Measurement International Consortium (COSMIC) Function Points. For statistical analyses, we performed step wise Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Analysis of Co-Variance (ANCOVA) techniques to build the multi variable models. We also performed Multiple Regression Analysis to formalize the relation. / Software effort estimation still remains a challenging and debatable research area. Most of the software effort estimation models take software size as the base input. Among the others, Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO II) is a widely known effort estimation model. It uses Source Lines of Code (SLOC) as the software size to estimate effort. However, many problems arise while using SLOC as a size measure due to its late availability in the software life cycle. Therefore, a lot of research has been going on to identify the nature of relationship between software functional size and effort since functional size can be measured very early when the functional user requirements are available. There are many other project related factors that were found to be affecting the effort estimation based on software size. Application Type, Programming Language, Development Type are some of them. This thesis aims to investigate the nature of relationship between software size and development effort. It explains known effort estimation models and gives an understanding about the Function Point and Functional Size Measurement (FSM) method. Factors, affecting relationship between software size and development effort, are also identified. In the end, an effort estimation model is developed after statistical analyses. We present the results of an empirical study which we conducted to investigate the significance of different project related factors on the relationship between functional size and effort. We used the projects data in the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group (ISBSG) dataset. We selected the projects which were measured by utilizing the Common Software Measurement International Consortium (COSMIC) Function Points. For statistical analyses, we performed step wise Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Analysis of Co-Variance (ANCOVA) techniques to build the multi variable models. We also performed Multiple Regression Analysis to formalize the relation. / +46-(0)-739763245

The increase in right wing populist parties in Europe combined with the sudden influx of asylum applicants has given rise to the debate regarding immigration both politically and within research. This paper sets out to examine the relation between asylum seeker group size and people’s attitudes towards immigration. Based on group threat theory and ethnic competition theory we hypothesize that countries´ increases in asylum seekers is correlated with decreases in attitudinal support for immigration. We test this hypothesis using cross- national time series survey data from the Eurobarometer from 2014 to 2017 and conducting a multilevel analysis. Despite the extensive theoretical arguments that strengthen the hypothesis, we find no evidence that the group size of asylum seekers is related to attitudes towards immigration from outside EU.

This thesis examines asset pricing and capital structure of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in three essays. Firm finance and asset pricing are areas of voluminous research in the literature. Most of this research observes firms trading on public stock exchanges. In my thesis, I examine privately-owned SMEs where relatively little research has been done. I use a proprietary database of over 16,000 SMEs that sold from 1990 to 2010, reporting market valuations and accounting information. My findings contribute to the literature on asset pricing and capital structure of private firms that benefits researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and analysts. The first essay examines whether the size effect in returns found in traded stocks is present in SMEs. The size-effect literature generally observes listed firms and finds that smaller firms tend to have higher returns. Using the SME database, I document the size effect in private firms using market valuations. I also find the size premium is concentrated in smaller SMEs. In firms smaller than $2.5 million in market value, the size effect is nearly 13 times stronger compared to larger firms. The second essay explores the effects of investor sentiment and marketwide liquidity in SME returns. Prior studies find these factors have effects in returns of listed firms. I find that SME returns are negatively related to sentiment and liquidity. As sentiment or liquidity rise, SME returns tend to fall. This study also finds that the effects of sentiment and liquidity are concentrated in smaller firms and weaken or disappear in larger SMEs. Apparently investors in smaller SMEs are more influenced by sentiment and liquidity. I also find that sentiment and liquidity have conditional effects on the magnitude of the size premium. The third and final essay examines SME capital structure. Firm capital structure has been one of the most contentious issues in finance theory for over 50 years. Relatively little research examines private firm finance and no previous studies to my knowledge have examined SME capital structure using market-based leverage ratios. I examine relations between leverage and capital structure determinants suggested by theory using market-based and book-value leverage ratios. I find support for both the trade-off and pecking-order theories. This study also finds that SMEs tend to use short-term debt much more than long-term debt and firms appear to practice maturity matching where managers tend to match borrowing terms with asset life. Evidence also suggests that capital structure determinants suggested by theory have greater explanatory power for market-based leverage ratios than for ratios based on book values.

Die Charakterisierung von Nanopartikeln erfordert eine Messung des Dispersitätszustandes bei allen Schritten der Herstellung - von der Synthese bis zum fertigen Produkt. Dafür ist eine leistungsfähige Partikelmesstechnik notwendig, deren Methoden bei der Beschreibung des komplexen Materialverhaltens helfen können. Die Ultraschalldämpfungsspektroskopie ist eine Messmethode, die zur prozessbegleitenden Charakterisierung hochdisperser Pulver und Suspensionen geeignet ist. Mit Vergleichen von Messungen und Modellrechungen wurde festgestellt, dass für die Ultraschalldämpfungs-Modellierung in Dispersionen homogener Partikel ein auf dem Phänomen der elastischen Streuung basierendes Modell praktisch relevant ist. Dies betrifft sowohl die Anwendung zur Messung in Suspensionen als auch in Emulsionen homogener Partikel. Bei einem Vergleich von Modellrechungen und Messungen für ein System poröser Partikel bzw. Aggregate wurde das Modell der Streuung an poroelastischen Kugeln als geeignet zur Beschreibung der Dämpfung disperser Systeme identifiziert. Bei Vorhandensein grober Partikel in Suspensionen nanoskaliger Systeme ist somit eine korrekte Auswertung der Partikelgröße möglich; der bislang übliche Messbereich wurde erweitert. Sekundärer Schwerpunkt der Arbeit ist die Diskussion der numerischen Modellanwendung. Es werden weiterhin Lösungsmöglichkeiten zur Dämpfungsberechnung und zur Berechnung der Größenverteilungen beschrieben. Des Weiteren wurden Anregungen für Entwickler von Ultraschallspektrometern abgeleitet.

Denna studie görs i samarbete med ett svenskt modeföretag som har upplevt problem med passformen av deras sport-bh:ar i storlekarna L-XL. Problemet som uppstår är att de större storlekarna inte ger tillräckligt med täckning över bysten. Graderingen på sport-bh:arna behövs därför studeras och en fungerande gradering tas fram för att uppnå önskad passform på sport-bh:arna över bysten. Två graderingsmetoder granskas och appliceras på ett mönster från företaget. Prototyper i storlek L och XL sys upp enligt dessa metoder för avprovning och de två resultaten jämförs sedan. Metoden som uppnådde bäst passform utvecklas därefter vidare och en plaggmåttlista med de olika skillnadsmåtten tas därefter fram. Resultatet visade att Johnsons metod uppnådde en bättre passform men att en justering vid axelbanden behövdes göras innan måttlistan kunde sammanställas. / This study was done in collaboration with a Swedish fashion company that has experienced problems with the fit of their sports bra in the sizes L-XL. The problem that arises is that the larger sizes do not provide enough coverage over the bust. The grading on the sports bra is therefore needed to be studied and a functional grading system needs to be produced to achieve the desired fit on the sports bra over the bust. Two grading methods are reviewed and applied to a pattern from the company. Prototypes in size L and XL are sewn according to these methods for fitting and the two results are then compared. The method that achieved the best fit is then developed further and a garment measurement list with the difference measurements is then manufactured. The result showed that Johnson's method achieved a better fit but that an adjustment to the shoulder straps was needed before the measurement list could be compiled.

6 Abstract Due to its effect on fitness and many biological processes is body size one of the most important attribute of organisms. Body size is positively correlated with fecundity in insects and other ectotherms. Growth, which determine body size, is therefore crucial feature of animals. Study of growth can elucidate some aspects of body size evolution. Unfortunatelly, many insects life-history studies do not consider its complexity, especially the existence of distinct larval instars. Inaccurate record of growth trajectory may result also in biased differences in growth between sexually dimorphic sexes. Aim of this thesis is to record growth trajectories of two flower beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). These growth trajectories enable to define proximate mechanisms of growth with regard to individual instars. Determination of developmental mechanisms of sexual size dimorphism is another goal of this study. The growth is clearly divided in three distinct periods. In each individual period (i.e. instar) is described by asymptotic curve. The instars are not independent on each other - the growth in following instar is influenced by growth in previous. There are no differences in growth characteristics between sexes. Sexual size dimorphism is caused by differences in growth rate between...

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A simple capillary flow porometer (CFP) was assembled for pore structure characterization of monolithic capillary liquid chromatography columns based on ASTM standard F316-86. Determination of differential pressures and flow rates through dry and wet samples provided the necessary information to determine the through-pore throat diameter, bubble point pore diameter, mean flow pore diameter, and pore distribution. Unlike measurements in bulk using traditional techniques to provide indirect information about the pore properties of monolithic columns, monoliths can be characterized in their original chromatographic forms with this system. The performance of the new CFP was first evaluated by characterizing the pore size distributions of capillary columns packed with 3, 5, and 7 µm spherical silica particles. The mean through-pore diameters of the three packed columns were measured to be 0.5, 1.0 and 1.4 µm, which are all smaller than the pore diameters calculated from a close-packed arrangement (i.e., 0.7, 1.1 and 1.6 µm), with distributions ranging from 0.1 - 0.7, 0.3 - 1.1 and 0.4 - 2.6 µm, respectively. This is reasonable, since visual inspection of SEM images of the particles showed relatively large fractions of smaller than specified particles in the samples. Typical silica monoliths were fabricated via phase separation by polymerization of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The mean pore diameter and pore size distribution measured using the CFP system verified that a greater number of pores with small throat diameters were prepared in columns with higher PEG content in the prepolymer mixture. SEM images also showed that the pore diameters of monoliths fabricated in bulk were found to be smaller than those in monoliths synthesized by the same procedure, but confined in capillary tubes. The CFP system was also used to study the effects of column inner diameter and length on pore properties of polymeric monoliths. Typical monoliths based on butyl methacrylate (BMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) in capillary columns with different inner diameters (i.e., 50 to 250 µm) and lengths (i.e., 1.5 to 3.0 cm) were characterized. The mean pore diameters and the pore size distributions indicated that varying the inner diameter and/or the length of the column affected little the pore properties. The latter finding is especially important to substantiate the use of CFP for determination of monolithic pore structures in capillaries. The results indicate that the through-pores are highly interconnected and, therefore, pore structure determinations by CFP are independent of capillary length. A negatively charged polymer monolith based on BMA, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) and 2-acryloylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid monomer (AMPS), was successfully prepared in silica sacrificial layer, planar (SLP) microchannels. Extraction of FITC (fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate) labeled phenylalanine and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) of FITC labeled glycine using this monolithic stationary phase were demonstrated.

Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 1975 / Includes bibliographical references. / M.S. / M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering