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Bakgrund och problem: Investeringar i företag och samhälle bidrar till en ökad BNPtillväxt därför är det av betydande vikt att identifiera investeringsbegreppet. Investeringar är även avgörande för ett företags framtida överlevnad därav är det viktigt att förstå investeringsprocessen och vilka faktorer som påverkar den. Framförallt är det viktigt att definiera detta i kommunägda bostadsbolag eftersom nya investeringar påverkar nyttan för kommuninvånarna. Trots detta faktum är tidigare forskning kring investeringsprocessens kontext genomförd i aktiebolag. Hur ser då investeringsprocessen ut i kommunägda bostadsbolag och vilka är de främsta faktorerna som påverkar investeringsprocessen? Syfte: Uppsatsens syfte är att skapa en fördjupad förståelse för hur olika faktorer påverkar investeringsprocessen i svenska kommunägda bostadsbolag. Vidare är syftet att belysa ett ämnesområde som inte tidigare har undersökts och därför göra ett bidrag inom ämnet. Metod: Studien har följt en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi och genomfört en komparativ fallstudie som forskningsdesign. Vidare var utgångspunkten för insamling av empiriskt material semistrukturerade intervjuer. Slutsats: Investeringsprocessen i kommunägda bostadsbolag är komplexa eftersom flera intressen och mål ska tillgodoses längs hela investeringsprocessen samtidigt som processen ska utformas i enlighet med offentlighetsprincipen. Faktorer som påverkar investeringsprocessen har identifierats som; Företagsspecifika, Marknadsförutsättningar, Ekonomisk påverkan, Allmännytta och samhällsansvar samt Kommunens intresse. Faktorerna påverkar investeringsprocessen gällande vilka investeringsmöjligheter som finns samt beslutsfattande om hur, vart och vilka investeringar som ska genomföras. / Background and problem: Investments in companies and the community creates a higher GDP growth, therefore, it is important to identify the investment concept. Investments are crucial to the future survival of a company hence it is important to understand the investment process and which factors that affect it. This is especially important in municipal-housing companies, as new investments affect the local residents. Despite this fact, research about the investment process has been done in private companies. However, regarding municipal-housing companies how is the investment process and which are the main factors that affect the investment process? Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to create an understanding of how different factors affect the investment process in Swedish municipal-housing companies. Furthermore, is the purpose to lighten a subject that is not previously investigated in. Method: The thesis is based on a qualitative research strategy and comparative multiple case study as a survey design. Furthermore, the collection of empirical material has been semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: The investment process in municipal-housing companies is complex because it has to meet several interests and goals along the whole process, as well as it must follow the principle of public access to official records. Factors that influence the investment process are: Company specific, Market conditions, Economic impact, Public good and the Municipality´s interest. The factors are affecting the investment process regarding the investment opportunities and also the decision making of how, where and which investment project that should be implemented.

This thesis addresses one of the major challenges facing education systems in developing countries: that of how to include all children, particularly those from relatively disadvantaged communities. It looks, in particular, at the example in Nepal of children from the Dalit communities, a group known to be disadvantaged and often marginalized within the formal education system. In particular, the study attempts to investigate the barriers that prevent the educational access, participation and progress of these students at the secondary level. This theme was investigated using an ethnographic approach, which examined people's life experiences and culture in natural settings (within schools and in their communities) using data collected through a series of interviews, and observations. It also involved an analysis of the relevant literature and policy documents. What was found is that the reasons for children from the Dalit community being disadvantaged are many and complex. Broadly, they can be summarized as being, first of all, about the difficulties of implementing national policies, particularly in terms of making resources available and providing effective monitoring, even though these policies are very positive about the inclusion of these children. Secondly, it is about the expectations and attitudes amongst the various Dalit communities as to what they want for their children and young people, which are to do with tradition and culture, life styles and economic circumstances. Thirdly, these two sets of factors together put pressure on the schools, which have to find a way of dealing with the challenge of diversity and various expectations. In this way, this research provides some new understanding of the issues that bear on the education of Dalit children. The knowledge gained through this research has practical implications for stakeholders: policy makers, teachers, and Dalit community members and social workers. It is argued that this would help to foster the improvement of policy initiatives and their effective implementation. It could also help to bring changes in the existing attitudes of teachers and Dalit communities that may have a positive impact on Dalit children's integration into education. Most importantly, it has brought a new way of looking at these issues that can be used to inform public debate. The study illustrates the use of a methodology that might usefully be adopted by researchers carrying out research around similar themes in other developing countries. It might also be the case that the barriers that have been identified in Nepal would represent useful starting points for such research.

Introduction: The use of high frequency oscillatory ventilation is increasing in treatment ofacute respiratory distress syndrome over the past decade. The technique of HFOV of ventilatingthe lungs at volumes less than the anatomical dead space calms the clinical concerns surroundingventilating stiff ARDS lungs with high pressures and volumes. This largely reduces theprobability of barotraumas and/or atelectrauma. Purpose: The study was on an in vitro bench model that answered the following researchquestions: 1. The effect of three inline closed suction adapters on delivered tidal volume duringHFOV with varying lung compliance 2. The effect of varying compliance on the amplitudedelivered by HFOV; and 3. The effect of compliance on tidal volume delivered by HFOV. Method: An in vitro bench model using high fidelity breathing simulator (ASL 5000, IngMarMedical) simulating an adult patient with ARDS was set up with 3100B SensorMedic highfrequency ventilator. The simulation included varying the compliance for each lung at 50, 40, 30and 20cmH2O while maintaining fixed resistance of 15 cmH2O/L/sec. The ventilator was set tothe following parameters: power of 6, frequency (f) of 5, inspiratory time (Ti) of 33%, bias flow(BF) of 30 LPM and oxygen concentration of 50%. The breathing simulator was connected withthe high frequency ventilator using a standard HFOV circuit and a size 8.0mm of endotrachealtube. Fourteen French Kimberly Clark suction catheters (with T and Elbow adapters) and Air-Life suction catheters (Y adapter) were placed in-line with the circuit successively to carry outthe study. Each run lasted for 1 minute after achieving stable state conditions. Thisapproximated to 300 breaths. The data was collected from the stimulator and stored by the hostcomputer. Data Analysis: The data was analyzed using SPSS v.11 to determine the statistical significance.A probability value (P value) of ≤ 0.001 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The data analysis showed that Air-Life Y-adapter suction catheters caused the least lostin tidal volume when placed in line with HFOV and hence proved to be the most efficient. Thestudy also showed a direct relationship between amplitude and lung compliance i.e. an increasein lung compliance caused an associated increase in amplitude (power setting remainingunaltered). Lastly, the study did not show a statistically significant change in tidal volume withchanges in lung compliance. Future studies may be required to further evaluate the clinicalsignificance of the same. Conclusion:1. Many factors affect delivery of tidal volume during high frequency ventilation and thus it isnot constant. Choice of in-line suction system to be placed in line is one of the determinants ofthe same.2. Lung compliance changes lead to associated changes in amplitude delivery by HFOV. Thisshould be adjusted as patient condition improves by altering the power settings to ensure optimalventilation and to avoid trauma to the lungs.

The duration of construction of a project depends on many factors, such as: cost, location, site characteristics, procurement methods, area of construction, footprint of the building and its height, etc. It is very important to be able to predict these durations accurately in order to successfully complete a project on time. Various construction duration estimation tools have been developed to make accurate predictions, as &ldquo / time is money.&rdquo / The main objective of this study was to develop a model that can be used to predict the construction duration of a project in a reliable and practical way. Contractors can thus use a project&#039 / s characteristics, as given in the tender documents, to estimate the actual amount time it would take them to complete the construction works. In this study, factors affecting the duration of a construction project and models for estimating construction durations were investigated. Within this framework, duration estimation models such as / Bromilow&rsquo / s Time-Cost (BTC) Model and Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) Model were used while Simple Linear Regression (SLR) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analyses were conducted on data related to seven case study buildings that are situated at the Middle East Technical University (METU) campus in Ankara. This data was obtained from the Department of Construction and Technical Works (DCTW) at METU. The closeness in estimation of the regression analyses was investigated and finally an MLR model was obtained which was based on two parameters / the area of the building and the area of its fa&ccedil / ade. On the other hand, as opposed to studies reported in literature, the effect of cost on duration was not seen to be significant.

This study investigates the impact of CALL training on in-service language teachers&rsquo / use of CALL-based activities in their classrooms and what factors influence their use of these activities in their classroom. The participants included 35 pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who took an undergraduate-level elective CALL course (FLE318) offered during the 2008-2009 academic year in the Department of Foreign Language Education at Middle East Technical University and 25 of these participants who started teaching English during the Fall semester in the academic year 2009-2010 at several private and state institutions. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied. The journals kept by the participants during and after the training, the lesson plans of micro and macro teaching, the questionnaires given to the participants to determine their perceived computer knowledge, the interview sessions held with the participants&rsquo / on their practices showed that the training provided to the participants helped them infuse a variety of CALL-based materials and tools into their classroom practices. The analyses also indicated that the most paramount factors or issues that affect the infusion of CALL-based materials in language teaching and learning are the school environment, curriculum, and the national exams.

Visi piliečiai, nepriklausomai nuo jų socialinės padėties, gyvenamosios vietos ar amžiaus, turi galimybę mokytis jiems patogioje aplinkoje: švietimo institucijose, darbe, namuose. Toks pagrindinis Mokymosi visą gyvenimą strategijos siekis, kur švietimas įvardijamas kaip neatskiriamas žmogaus palydovas nuo jo gimimo iki gilios senatvės. Svarbiausi per paskutinius 10 metų atlikti tyrimai liudija apie didelį šalies visuomenės bei mokslininkų dėmesį vaikų išsilavinimui ir jį įtakojantiems vidiniams bei išoriniams veiksniams. Jau nuo XX amžiaus Lietuvos bei kitų šalių sociologai nuolat akcentavo, kad būtent tėvų išsilavinimo (ir bendras sociologinis-kultūrinis) lygis dažniausiai lemia jų norą bei pasirengimą suteikti vaikams aukštąjį išsilavinimą. Darbas reikšmingas teoriškai ir praktiškai, nes tėvų išsilavinimo, kaip vieno svarbiausių veiksnių, lemiančių mokinių mokymąsi, įtaka ( svarba, reikšmė?) Vilniaus miesto Užupio gimnazijoje netyrinėta. / All citizens independently from their social status, residential area or age have a possibility to study in comfortable surroundings: educational institution, work, home. This is the main objective of life-long learning where education must go along with a person from his/her birth to old age. The most important research done in ten years time shows our society and scientists’ great attention to children education and inner and outer factors which affect it. Since the 20th century Lithuanian and foreign sociologists have emphasized that parents’ education (and general socio-cultural) level often affects their wish and readiness to give their children higher education. The work is significant both theoretically and practically because the influence of the factors has not been studied in Vilnius Užupis high school.

Baigiamajame bakalauro darbe nagrinėjamos Šiaulių miesto daugiabučių namų šilumos kainų kitimo priežastys ir galimi būdai kaip jas sumažinti. Šilumos tiekimas yra viešąjį interesą atitinkanti paslauga, kuria naudojasi daugelis miesto gyventojų. Kylančios centralizuotai tiekiamos šilumos sektoriaus paslaugų kainos kelia nepasitenkinimą tarp šilumos vartotojų, kurie tų kainų svyravimus pajaučia gaudami didesnes sąskaitas už šildymą. Aptarus šilumos energijos sektoriaus ypatumus, šilumos kainą lemiančius veiksnius, nustatymo metodiką bei institucijas, reguliuojančias šilumos ūkį, buvo išnagrinėti pagrindiniai veiksniai, turintys įtakos šilumos kainų pokyčiams. Atlikta šilumos kainos struktūrinė analizė. Įvertinta Šiaulių termofikacinės elektrinės teikiama nauda gyventojams. Atliktas šilumos kainos tarifo ir alternatyvaus kuro šildymui vidutinių kainų tyrimas. Pateikta mokėjimų už šilumą analizė, nagrinėjant atskiras pastatų grupes, daugiabučių pasiskirstymą pagal bendrijas ir renovuotus bei nerenovuotus namus. Vertinant šilumos kainą lemiančius veiksnius atlikta daugialypė regresinė analizė. Išnagrinėjus teorinius ir praktinius daugiabučių namų šilumos kainų aspektus, pateikiamos baigiamojos darbo išvados ir siūlymai kaip sumažinti šilumos kainas. Darbą sudaro 6 dalys: įvadas, du skyriai, išvados ir rekomendacijos, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 69 p. teksto be priedų, 7 lent., 16 pav., 43 šaltiniai. / The final bachelor‘s paper deals with reasons of the heat price changes and the posibilities of reducing them in Siauliai city. The heat supply is a service of the public interest, which is used by many population of the city. The rising prices of district heating sector services, raises the dissatisfaction among users of the heat fluctuations in the consciousness of those receiving the higher heating bills. After dealing with the thermal energy sector, the heat price determinants, detection methods and institutions to regulate the heating system, the major factors affecting the heat price changes were explored. Structural analysis of the rates of heat was accomplished. The benefit for people of the thermal power plant in Siauliai was assessed. Also the heat price tariff and alternative fuel for heating medium-price test was accomplished. Presented payments for heat analysis, examining the separate groups of buildings, multi-distribution of communities and renovated houses. In assessing the determinants of the price of heat conducted multiple regression analysis. The examination of the theoretical and practical aspects of the apartment home prices, the conclusions of the work and proposals on how to reduce the heat are presented in the final work. The paper consist of the followings 6 parts: introduction, two sections, conclusions and recommendations, list of references. Amount of paper – 69 pages of text without annexes, 7 tables, 16 illustrations, 43 sources.

In this study, factors that affect students&#039 / science achievement were modeled based on the data which was obtained from Study for Determination of Student Achievement &ndash / 2002 (Ogrenci Basarisinin Belirlenmesi Calismasi &ndash / OBBS). First, using principle components analysis tecnique, dimensions of the student questionnaires and science achievement tests were found out. Using these dimensions for student questionnaires, latent variables socioeconomic status, student-centered activities, teacher-centered activities, private tutoring, experiments/technological material usage, and perception of interest and success were selected to be included in this study. Then, a reference model was proposed for factors affecting students&#039 / science achievement. Lastly, this reference model was tested across three grade levels (6th, 7th, and 8th) and three school types (state, boarding, and private) and comparisons among them were made. As a result of modeling which was conducted by structural equation modeling technique (SEM) using LISREL 8.30, the study yielded the followings: Socioeconomic status has a strong effect on science achievement for all grade levels investigated. While teacher-centered activities generally affect students&#039 / science achievement in a positive way, student-centered activities show a negative effect. Teacher-centered activities affect perception of interest and success as much as nearly they do for science achievement. Direct effect of teacher-centered activities is not significant for state and boarding schools, but their indirect effects strengthen the effect of teacher-centered activities on science achievement. Effect of experiments and technological material on perception of interest and success is negative for all grade levels and school types, except state schools in which it is positive.