The application of composite action ushered a new era in the use of double-layer spaceframes as efficient floor systems in addition to their competitiveness as roof coveringstructural systems. Earlier research on space frames demonstrated large improvementsin their static behaviour caused by the introduction of composite action. Theseimprovements included an increase in ductility to avoid progressive collapse, a largeincrease in load-carrying capacity and a considerable reduction in materialconsumption.In this work, the effect of introducing composite action in changing the dynamiccharacteristics of space frames, in particular the natural frequencies and damping ratioswas presented. The study was expanded to determine the effect of composite action inchanging the response to dynamic excitations. The measured responses included thelateral displacements and changes in the internal member force distribution undershaking table vibrations.Three aluminium space frame models of the square on square (SOS) configuration weremanufactured. The first model was non-composite, while composite action was appliedto the other two models with a top aluminium deck and a timber deck, respectively.Two common cases of support conditions were used in connecting the models to theloading frame, which was the platform of the shaking table.Initial displacement method (snap test) was used to determine the frequency of vibrationand the damping ratio of test models in the vertical and horizontal directions usinglogarithmic decrement method. All models were then exposed to shaking tablevibrations to determine the changes in dynamic responses between different models.These tests were repeated for the three models after the successive removal of panelsfrom one direction to identify the changes to their characteristics and behaviour withdifferent aspect ratios.The second part of the study was carried out numerically by using the finite elementpackage ABAQUS. It started by selecting a valid finite element model from nineproposed models using experimental test results on physical structures. A parametricstudy was conducted using the validated finite element model to expand the study toinclude two common space frame configurations; the square on large square (SOLS)and square on diagonal (SOD), and two other cases of support configurations, namely,fully edge-supported and supports at corners and middle edges of models.Based on the work done in this study, it can be concluded that composite actionchanged the dynamic characteristics of space frames, which was clear in the increase oftheir vibration frequencies in all directions as a result of the increase in stiffness.Furthermore, the increase in stiffness resulted in a general reduction in the dampingratio of space frames covered with aluminium deck, while the high friction with topjoints and the nature of timber as a good energy absorbent material resulted in a variableeffect on the damping ratio associated with the increase in aspect ratio.The effect of composite action was clear in reducing the lateral displacement ofcomposite models by more than 50% compared to the non-composite case. Moreover,composite action resulted in changing the distribution of internal forces in diagonal andlower chord members such that forces became more concentrated at corners and edgesparallel to the direction of vibrations in both cases of corner and edge-supportedmodels.

To ensure the robustness of an integrated circuit design, its power distribution network (PDN) must be validated beforehand against any voltage drop on VDD nets. However, due to the increasing size of PDNs, it is becoming difficult to verify them in a reasonable amount of time. Lately, much work has been done to develop Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques to reduce the size of power grids but their focus is more on simulation. In verification, we are concerned about the safety of nodes, including the ones which have been eliminated in the reduction process. This work proposes a novel approach to systematically reduce the power grid and accurately compute an upper bound on the voltage drops at power grid nodes which are retained. Furthermore, a criterion for the safety of nodes which are removed is established based on the safety of other nearby nodes and a user specified margin.

To ensure the robustness of an integrated circuit design, its power distribution network (PDN) must be validated beforehand against any voltage drop on VDD nets. However, due to the increasing size of PDNs, it is becoming difficult to verify them in a reasonable amount of time. Lately, much work has been done to develop Model Order Reduction (MOR) techniques to reduce the size of power grids but their focus is more on simulation. In verification, we are concerned about the safety of nodes, including the ones which have been eliminated in the reduction process. This work proposes a novel approach to systematically reduce the power grid and accurately compute an upper bound on the voltage drops at power grid nodes which are retained. Furthermore, a criterion for the safety of nodes which are removed is established based on the safety of other nearby nodes and a user specified margin.

In der aktuellen Performance-Management-Forschung wurden bereits eine Vielzahl von Einflussfaktoren untersucht, die eine zielgerichtete Verwendung von Kennzahlen beeinflussen. Verwaltungskultur spielte hierbei nur eine nachgeordnete Rolle. Die vorliegende Untersuchung verwendet die Daten einer Umfrage in allen kreisfreien Städten Deutschlands, um den Zusammenhang zwischen verschiedenen Kulturtypen und der Verwendung von Kennzahlen zu untersuchen. Als Analyseschema für Verwaltungskultur wird die Grid/Group-Analysis verwendet. Die Ergebnisse sind zum Teil überraschend. Individualistische Kulturen scheinen einen negativen, hierarchistische Kulturen einen positiven Einfluss zu haben. Dennoch wird das Fehlen eines geeigneten Operationalisierungsschemas bemängelt. / The current research on performance management considered several factors influencing the purposeful usage of performance data. Administrative culture is a rather neglected one. This work uses the data from a German-wide survey of all cities with county-status to show the relation between different groups of culture and the usage of performance data. Therefore, the Grid/Group-Analysis is used to categorize administrative culture. The results are partly surprising as individual culture is negatively and hierarchical culture is positively related to the dependent variable. Nevertheless, the missing of a useful operationalization scheme is criticized.

Asperger syndrome is a relatively recent diagnostic classification. Several factors, including a high prevalence of mental illness, mean receiving a diagnosis in adulthood is a very unique experience but remarkably there is little literature about the impact on individuals. Instead the dominance of the medical/psychiatric paradigm pervades and limits understanding and possibilities. The main implication is a lack of clarity about what support services are needed and effective, and as such the needs of this population are often overlooked. This is the first study to explore the sense of self among a sample of males and females diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in adulthood using social constructionist and constructivist ideas. It was interested in whether personal construal of the self before diagnosis and self after diagnosis were differentiated. Given the importance in the development of self-concept of discriminations between the self and others, the research also sought to explore how people diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in adulthood construe other people with and without Asperger syndrome. Using the repertory grid and other techniques from Personal Construct Psychology (Kelly, 1955) in combination with a semi-structured interview, this study presents a novel exploration of idiosyncrasies and commonalities across a demographically diverse sample of eight participants. An extended analysis of a unique subsample of women diagnosed aged 50 years and over was undertaken. Both cognitively complex and simple construct systems were found across the sample. Findings indicated the self before diagnosis was construed critically and was more elaborated than the self after diagnosis. Several participants had a reduced sense of self following diagnosis. The diagnosis offered an explanation of symptoms but for some participants these symptoms were a way of life and accommodating the new label with the existing view of self posed challenges. An overarching and striking theme was the sense of difference felt by participants before and after diagnosis. This study offers a fresh insight into a virtually unexplored population which, through dissemination, may influence the way clinical psychologists and other practitioners work to support adults diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Recommendations for clinical practice included approaches that target the need for individuality, commonality and sociality, and should be gender-specific where possible. Such approaches might elaborate multiple aspects of self, the diagnosis and related dilemmas. They should support people to widen their perceptual field to alternative ways of construing and explore change. The mixed method approach was assessed to be a strength of the study and a number of recommendations for future research are presented.

Les organisations hospitalières ont engagé des processus relationnels structurants depuis 1970, sous la pression croissante des réformes qui se sont succédées dans ce secteur. Ces rapprochements ont donné lieu à une diversité de formes relationnelles identifiable par des habillages juridiques très variés. Ces processus relationnels nous informent aussi sur le statut de la relation : stable, instable, transitoire, etc. L’analyse des processus relationnels dans le champ hospitalier n’a suscité que peu d’études, contrairement au secteur industriel où les accords de coopération ont fait l’objet de nombreux écrits. L’objet de notre recherche est d’identifier et d’expliquer les structures et les fonctionnements des processus relationnels qui sont mis en oeuvre dans le secteur hospitalier et d’analyser le passage d’une forme relationnelle à une autre. Notre application empirique a concerné 83 formes relationnelles (formelles et informelles) qui se sont nouées, entre 1977 et 2012, au sein du système hospitalier français avec au moins un des protagonistes appartenant à la sphère publique. La mise en oeuvre de plusieurs analyses dont une taxonomie ont permis de dégager des résultats originaux et stimulants pour le développement d’un champ de recherche en émergence. Les processus relationnels dans le secteur hospitalier et les accords de coopération dans le secteur industriel présentent des caractéristiques contrastées. Par ailleurs, l’élaboration d’une grille d’analyse des processus relationnels a permis de classer les formes relationnelles à l’aide de seulement trois critères. Ce travail, basé sur une analyse statistique approfondie, donne une dimension explicative et prospective à notre recherche sur les rapprochements dans le secteur hospitalier. / Hospital organizations undertook relational processes structuring since the years 1970, under the increasing pressure of the reforms which followed one another in this sector. These connections caused a diversity of relational forms identifiable by very varied legal status. These relational processes also inform us on the statute of the relation: stable, unstable, transitory, etc. The analysis of the relational processes in the hospital field caused only few studies, contrary to the industrial sector where the cooperation agreements were the object of many written papers. The object of our research is to identify and explain the structures and the way of functioning of the relational processes which are implemented in the hospital sector and to analyze the passage of a relational form to another. Our empirical application concerned 83 relational forms (formal and unformal) which were established within the French hospital system between 1977 and 2012 with at least one of the protagonists belonging to the public sphere. The implementation of several analyses whose taxonomy made it possible to bring out original and stimulative results for the development of a research area in emergence. The relational processes in the hospital sector and the cooperation agreements of the industrial sector indeed show contrasted characteristics. Moreover, the elaboration of a grid of analysis of the relational processes made it possible to classify the relational forms using only three criteria. This work, based on a thoroughly statistical analysis, gives an explanatory and prospective dimension to our research on the connections in the hospital sector.

<p>This dissertation addresses party-culture in political parties represented in the Swedish parliament. Party-culture is investigated by studying collective self-images and norms in Swedish parliamentary party-groups (PPG). The aim of this investigation is to contribute to understanding of the conditions under which parliamentary work is carried out. In order to expand our understanding of these conditions this dissertation looks beyond the formal processes by which party-groups deliver their political message and make decisions, and instead highlights the cultural aspects of these party organizations in the parliament.</p><p>The method of analysis is qualitative and the material for the study consists of 53 interviews with members of parliament from all represented parties. The parties studied are thus the Social Democratic, Moderate, Liberal, Christian Democrats, Left, Centre, and Green. In addition, some participant observation for the 1998-2002 mandate period in used. </p><p>The empirical investigation shows that party-culture is revealed via four basic themes: political ability, feelings of political responsibility, the importance social fellowship, and the party’s strength in relation to individual party members. </p><p>The party’s culture based on the four themes noted above provides a theoretical structure for interpretation that combines an Aristotelian idea about basic knowledge types, <i>sophia</i> and <i>phronesis</i>, with cultural theorists Mary Douglas’ grid-group-analysis. Based on this interpretation method it is shown that party-cultures distinguish themselves from each other in a way that diverges from the left-right spectrum that dominates Swedish politics. At the same time as the parties demonstrate differences in party-culture, there are also some similarities between the parties, and these similarities suggest that the parties have adjusted themselves to a more general culture within the parliament, most visibly the focus on factual knowledge and a certain requirement for modesty from party members.</p>

This dissertation addresses party-culture in political parties represented in the Swedish parliament. Party-culture is investigated by studying collective self-images and norms in Swedish parliamentary party-groups (PPG). The aim of this investigation is to contribute to understanding of the conditions under which parliamentary work is carried out. In order to expand our understanding of these conditions this dissertation looks beyond the formal processes by which party-groups deliver their political message and make decisions, and instead highlights the cultural aspects of these party organizations in the parliament. The method of analysis is qualitative and the material for the study consists of 53 interviews with members of parliament from all represented parties. The parties studied are thus the Social Democratic, Moderate, Liberal, Christian Democrats, Left, Centre, and Green. In addition, some participant observation for the 1998-2002 mandate period in used. The empirical investigation shows that party-culture is revealed via four basic themes: political ability, feelings of political responsibility, the importance social fellowship, and the party’s strength in relation to individual party members. The party’s culture based on the four themes noted above provides a theoretical structure for interpretation that combines an Aristotelian idea about basic knowledge types, sophia and phronesis, with cultural theorists Mary Douglas’ grid-group-analysis. Based on this interpretation method it is shown that party-cultures distinguish themselves from each other in a way that diverges from the left-right spectrum that dominates Swedish politics. At the same time as the parties demonstrate differences in party-culture, there are also some similarities between the parties, and these similarities suggest that the parties have adjusted themselves to a more general culture within the parliament, most visibly the focus on factual knowledge and a certain requirement for modesty from party members.

The Swedish transport sector will need to undergo a major restructuring to achieve the established climate and environmental goals. The biggest change is that fossil fuels will be phased out and a larger part of the vehicle fleet will be electrified. This study deals with the electrification of heavy-duty trucks and how high-power charging stations affect the local electricity grid. Charging of heavy-duty trucks depends largely on the logistics of the transport system, which reduces the demand flexibility of power. High-power charging entails a risk of increased power peaks, which can affect the bus-voltage profiles, losses and loads on grid components. This thesis has been conducted as general study based on the case with the high-power charging station at Vädermotet in the area Hisingen of Gothenburg. The purpose was to build a generic model of the electricity grid at Hisingen and then investigate the consequences of high-power charging for the grid for two charging scenarios: the first scenario with four ABB Terra 360 chargers, and the second scenario with six ABB Terra 360 chargers and one MCS. The electricity network model and simulations were performed in PSS®SINCAL. The two charging scenarios, as well as the scenario before chargers were installed, were then simulated for three different system-load cases: maximum, average, and low load. The results showed that high-power charging of trucks had the biggest impacts for the voltage profiles during the case of low load. For the medium load and maximum load cases, the effect of the high-power charge decreased. Furthermore, electricity network losses increased for the low load case, but decreased slightly for the average and maximum load case. The reason was a more even load balance between the bus that connected the charging station to the grid and the rest of the network for the average and maximum load cases. In summary, the study indicated that grid implementation of a high-power charging station will have consequences for the local power system. However, the magnitude of the effects is not validated and can therefore only be regarded as indications. The outcome can be partly explained by the assumptions and simplifications of the model compared to the real system.

The joint European electricity production in 2022 was 2.9 PWh where 34.3% of the electricity came from sources of natural gas and coal. However, to be able to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 and thus call for a rapid decarbonatization. For this, using less energy originating from fossil sources and increasing the use of renewable energy is crucial. One way to decentralize and implement renewable energy is using energy communities. This is also a way for actors to participate in energy trading and to enable collective ownership of local production and storage technology. However, since the electricity grid in Sweden is largely outdated, this poses as a problem for continued electrification. To evaluate if decentralisation of the electricity distribution and production can minimise the load on the national grid, The research institute of Sweden (RISE) has initiated pilot studies to assess the possibility and impact of introducing energy communities in Sweden with the help of KTH for simulations. As part of such a pilot study this thesis focuses on a district in Örebro named Tamarinden, where it is planned to implement a local DC-network to allow sharing of locally PV produced electricity. Through using the Python package Panda Power as well as quantitative analyses in Excel, the thesis aim was to propose a configuration of the standard local distribution grid and analyse the impact from PVs, battery storage as well as the DC-network focusing on grid stability and solar penetration. In addition, an economic feasibility analysis was made. The results showed that an energy community greatly impact the solar penetration and that grid stability improvements could not be determined. This could be due to the choice of production technology, solar PV, as these have peak production during low demand season. Furthermore, a proposition for the local grid configuration was constructed. Nevertheless, the economic feasibility showed that even though the impact on PV penetration is great, the cost of the technology is too high in comparison to savings made in terms of lowered electricity demand. In conclusion, the implementation of such an energy community in Sweden is currently unbeneficial from an economic point of view. / Den europeiska elproduktionen var år 2022 2.9 PWh var av 34.3% härstammade från kol och naturgas. För att uppnå målen i Parisavtalet måste växthusgasutsläppen sluta öka senast 2025 därför krävs snabb avkarbonisering. För att åstadkomma detta måste användandet av fossila energikällor minska och användandet av förnyelsebar energi öka. Ett sätt att möjliggöra denna omställning är genom energigemenskaper. Detta är även ett sätt för aktörer att delta i energimarknaden samt att möjliggöra kollektivt ägarskap av lokal produktions och lagrings teknologier. Då elnätet i Sverige till stora delar är utdaterat skapar detta problematik, för en fortsatt elektrifiering. För att utvärdera huruvida decentralisering av eldistributionen och elproduktionen kan minska belastningen på det nationella distributionsnätet, driver Research institute of Sweden (RISE) tillsammans med KTH pilotstudier för att undersöka möjligheterna och påverkan av att introducera energigemenskaper i Sverige. Som en del av en av pilotstudierna fokuserar denna uppsats på en stadsdel i Örebro som heter Tamarinden, där det är planerat att implementera ett lokalt DC-nätverk för att möjliggöra delning av lokalt producerad el. Genom modellering i Pythons paket Panda Power och kvantitativa analyser i Excel, var uppsatsens mål att presentera en möjlig konfiguration av lokalnätet samt att analysera påverkan från solceller, batteri lagring samt DC-nätverket på nätstabiliteten och solpenetrationen. Ytterligare gjordes en ekonomisk genomförbarhetsanalys. Resultaten visade att en energigemenskap kraftigt påverkar solpenetrationen och att förbättringar av nätstabiliteten inte kunde fastställas. Detta kan bero på valet av produktionsteknik, solceller, eftersom dessa har topproduktion under lågsäsong. Dessutom konstruerades ett förslag för den lokala nätkonfigurationen. Den ekonomiska genomförbarheten visade dock att även om effekten på solcellspenetrationen är stor är kostnaden för tekniken för hög i jämförelse med besparingar i form av sänkt efterfrågan på el. Sammanfattningsvis är genomförandet av en sådan energigemenskap i Sverige för närvarande ofördelaktigt ur ekonomisk synvinkel.