Denna studie är utformad med syfte att med hjälp av teorier som orientalism, identitet och föreställd gemenskap undersöka hur andra generationens invandrare med ursprung från mellanöstern använder sig av humorsketcher publicerade på sociala medier i relation till deras identitet. Frågeställningen grundar i hur intervjupersonerna förhåller sig till humorsketcher som driver med situationen att tillhöra två/flera olika kulturer samt hur intervjupersonerna upplever sin identitet relaterat till innehållet. Frågeställningen besvarades med kvalitativa intervjuer och resultatet visade att intervjupersonerna fann humorsketcherna betydelsefulla och fungerade som hanteringsform mot kulturkrockar. Trots olika länder som bakgrund var deras resonemang slående likt och visade att med hjälp av humorsketcher fann de en förstärkt gemenskap till andra som upplever sig vara i mellanförskap. / This study was conducted with the purpose to investigate how second-generation immigrants with origins from the Middle East use humor sketches published on social media in relation to their identity. The study is analyzed based on postcolonial perspectives and theories such as orientalism, identity and imagined community. The aim is based on how the interviewees experience their identity related to the content shown is the sketches. The method used was qualitative interviews where the results showed that the interviewees found the humor sketches important and meaningful as they functioned as a form of defense mechanism against cultural clashes. Their reasoning was strikingly similar and showed that with the help of the humorsketches, they found a strengthened community and a connection to others who feel as if they are in an ”in-betweenness” as well.

In network analysis, it is useful to identify important vertices in a network. Based on the varying notions of importance of vertices, a number of centrality measures are defined and studied in the literature. Some popular centrality measures, such as betweenness centrality, are computationally prohibitive for large-scale networks. In this thesis, we propose a new centrality measure called k-path centrality and experimentally compare this measure with betweenness centrality. We present a polynomial-time randomized algorithm for distinguishing high k-path centrality vertices from low k-path centrality vertices in any given (unweighted or weighted) graph. Specifically, for any graph G = (V, E) with n vertices and for every choice of parameters α ∈ (0, 1), ε ∈ (0, 1/2), and integer k ∈ [1, n], with probability at least 1 − 1/n2 our randomized algorithm distinguishes all vertices v ∈ V that have k-path centrality Ck(v) more than nα(1 + 2ε) from all vertices v ∈ V that have k-path centrality Ck(v) less than nα(1 − 2ε). The running time of the algorithm is O(k2ε −2n1−α ln n). Theoretically and experimentally, our algorithms are (for suitable choices of parameters) significantly faster than the best known deterministic algorithm for computing exact betweenness centrality values (Brandes’ algorithm). Through experimentations on both real and randomly generated networks, we demonstrate that vertices that have high betweenness centrality values also have high k-path centrality values.

El 54% de la población mundial vive ya en torno a núcleos de población que llamamos ciudades, por lo que su estudio nos enseña la forma en que piensa y se desarrolla el propio ser humano. Un análisis de las relaciones espaciales que se producen en entornos urbanos reales requieren un procesamiento de dichas relaciones en paralelo. Con el fin de representar y analizar estas relaciones espaciales complejas, los especialistas en urbanismo han empezado a utilizar modelos basados en redes complejas. Las redes emergen como un nuevo modelo más acorde con el problema de la complejidad organizada que es una ciudad. Otro aspecto esencial unido a las ciudades es que se han convertido en unas entidades productoras y creadoras de datos, tanto físicos como virtuales. Un estudio serio de la ciudad significa, por tanto, un estudio de los datos que en ella se generan o se encuentran. Dentro de la moderna teoría de redes, un concepto fundamental y muy estudiado en la bibliografía en las últimas décadas es el de la centralidad de la red. La centralidad consiste en determinar cuantitativamente la importancia de cada nodo dentro de la red, dependiendo del criterio que se adopte en cuanto a lo que consideramos por “importante”. Existen unas medidas clásicas de centralidad en redes complejas, como son la centralidad de grado, de cercanía, de intermediación y basadas en el vector propio. Todas estas medidas solo tienen en cuenta la topología de la red para determinar un valor y una clasificación de los nodos en orden de importancia. Cuando aplicamos estas centralidades a las redes urbanas nos encontramos con el problema de la densidad de grado uniforme que tienen estas redes, lo que hace que no sean adecuadas para la realidad que representan las ciudades. En esta memoria, se han implementado un conjunto de medidas de centralidad para redes urbanas, con la principal característica que tienen en cuenta no solo la topología de la red sino la influencia de la cuantía de los datos presentes en la misma. De esta forma, cuando estudiamos la centralidad de una red urbana, tenemos en cuenta de forma determinante qué datos analizamos y su influencia en la red. Más concretamente, se han implementado tres medidas de centralidad basadas en el concepto de PageRank, introducido por Page y Brin en el conocido buscador Google, que clasifican los nodos de una red urbana en orden de importancia, tanto atendiendo a su conectividad como a los datos asociados a cada nodo. Se ha implementado una medida de centralidad basada en la clásica medida current-flow betweenness, un tipo concreto de medida de intermediación que estudia la distribución de flujos por una red. Por último, se ha implementado una medida de centralidad para redes urbanas basad en el concepto de centralidad basada en el vector propio, donde la idea básica es que un nodo es importante si sus conexiones o vecinos son importantes. Al final de la memoria se establece una pequeña comparativa entre las medidas basadas en el vector PageRank y vector propio, ya que todas se basan en el cálculo de un vector propio del valor propio dominante de una cierta matriz que resume tanto la conectividad de la red como sus datos.

<p>The cyber-attacks have increased, and with everything going digital, data theft has become a significant issue. This raises an alarm on the security of the source code. Sometimes, to release products early, the security of the code is compromised. Static analysis tools can help in finding possible security issues. Identifying and fixing the security issues may overwhelm the software developers. This process of "fixing" the errors or securing the code may take a lot of time, and the product may be released before all the errors are fixed. But these vulnerabilities in the source code may cost millions of dollars in case of a data breach. It is important to fix the security issues in the source code before releasing the product. This leads to the question of how to fix errors quickly so products can be rolled out with fewer security issues? A possible solution is to use temporal networks to find the influencer nodes in the source code. If these influencer variables are fixed, the connected security issues depending on the influencer in the community (functions) will also get fixed. The research question of the study: Can we identify the influencer node of the buggy site in the source code using temporal networks (K-tool) if the buggy sites present in the source code are identified using static analysis? The study also aims to know if it is faster to find the influencer node using the K-tool than the betweenness centrality algorithm. This research is an "Applied research" and will target the code written in C programming language. Possible vulnerabilities that can be fixed include "Integer Overflow", "Out of bounds", and "Buffer overflow." In the future, we plan to extend to other errors such as "Improper input validation." In this research, we will discuss how we can find the influencer node of the vulnerability (buggy site) in the source code after running the static analysis. Fixing this influencer node will fix the remaining errors pointed out by the static analysis. This will help in reducing the number of fixes to be done in the source code so that the product can be rolled out faster with less security issues.</p> <p><br></p>

Centrality measures in network analysis have become a popular measurement tool for identifying coherent nodes within a network. In the context of stock markets, the centrality measure helps to identify key performing ele- ments and strengths for specific stocks and determine their impact on disrupting market value and performance. Multiple studies presented practical implementations of centrality measures for determining trends and perform- ance of a particular market. However, fewer studies applied centrality measures to predict trends in the stock market.

In this analysis, the aim is to investigate the embodiment and transmission of identity among Swedish female converts to Islam. The examination centers on the position these women occupy in both Swedish society and the Muslim community, and whether they experience a state of “in-betweenness” due to identity conflicts. The focus is also on how Swedish female converts, who are ethnically Swedish, can become perceived as “the Other” within their own society, rooted in concepts of “Swedishness”. Assessing the position of Muslim female converts in Sweden is crucial as they frequently confront prejudiced attitudes and discrimination from both Swedish society and the Muslim community. Simultaneously, they may be considered “traitors” by Swedish society due to their conversion to Islam, resulting in a complex identity conflict where these women find themselves situated between cultures and societies. Hence, finding themselves in a position of “in-betweenness”. This essay endeavors to shed light on the difficulties and opportunities that Swedish Muslim female converts encounter, as well as to examine how they navigate their identity in a Swedish context and how they undergo a transformation from being “part of the majority” to “the Other”.

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This study aims to deepen the understanding of in-betweenness among individuals belonging to the second generation of immigrants and analyze how this phenomenon influences their identity development and workplace integration. By focusing on the specific population of second-generation immigrants, the paper examines the unique challenges and opportunities these individuals face as they navigate between their heritage culture and the society in which they live. The research approach adopted is abductive. To obtain our findings, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 6 individuals aged 25-40, all belonging to the second generation of immigrants, selected through snowball sampling. The results reveal six overarching themes: background, experience of in-betweenness, challenges in a multicultural environment, workplace policies, adaptation strategies, and future perspectives. The theoretical perspectives highlighted include Social Identity Theory, social constructivism, and acculturation. The findings indicate that interviewees consciously adapt to fit in, and their identity evolves depending on the context. The study also underscores the importance of diversity and inclusion in addressing the sense of in-betweenness, particularly in an environment lacking individuals who resemble oneself or come from a background different from the Swedish norm.

This dissertation comprises of three problems in the area of Political Economy and Industrial Organization. The first chapter concerns how ideologically-opposite media firms report a particular event to maximize their payoffs from advocating their ideology and strengthen reader trust which increases if the report is proximate to their beliefs. I use these facts to develop a Hotelling's linear city model of competition where the two media firms choose their respective locations which signify the impression they want to impart to its readers. I find partisan media provides accurate information while covering topics favorable to its ideology. However, for unfavourable topics, the media never provides an indifferent report, but either defends its own ideology or delivers a partially accurate report. For unfavourable issues, imparting an indifferent impression rewards a media with lowest equilibrium payoffs. I identify sufficiency conditions where readers give better assessment to news of a media located farther away from their ideology than one which is nearer. Increasing competition by the entry of a third firm does not necessarily alleviate the level of bias in the news economy. The second paper studies the pricing schedule of a monopolist while it sells a non-durable product over two time periods. The consumer's experience with the product is correlated with two possible states — good (bad) experience is more probable under a high (low) state. Given this, I study the monopolist's pricing scheme in the two periods when consumers are wishful — overly optimistic about the high state even after a bad experience. I provide a comparative study of prices in each periods when the monopolist announces prices with and without commitment when consumers are either naive or sophisticated. The final chapter provides an understanding of the efficacy of two types of trade sanctions (import and export) using a directed network model. Sanctions are common punitive measures taken by a sender player to discipline a target player. Empirical evidences in the realm of international trade show differences in the effectiveness between import and export sanctions. This paper shows that such differences can be explained by one specific centrality feature of the underlying trading network — betweenness-centrality. This measure lends insights to the trade spill-overs following sanctions underscoring why sanctions are ineffective. I highlight when a higher value of this centrality acts as a sufficient condition towards effective sanction. Based on this analysis, one can conclude whether import or export sanction will be more effective for a given trade network. / Doctor of Philosophy / Three essays spanning across topics of political economy and Industrial Organization has been studied. The first essay `Media bias in the best and worst of times' studies how ideology-motivated (partisan) media firms try to create impressions to its audience about a particular issue to increase its payoffs from either of the two sources — reader trust and advocating its ideology. This trade-off depends on the type of issue at hand which either aggravates or moderates a media's wish to generate bias in its news. I investigate not only the degree of bias for any given event, but also study how profits of media are impacted from doing so. The second chapter `Monopoly pricing under wishful thinking' investigates the pricing strategies of a seller when he sells a non-durable product to a wishful buyer twice, over two time periods. Under two possible states of the world — textit{high} and textit{low} — the buyer can derives either a good or bad experience. It is assumed that a good experience is more likely than a bad one under textit{high} state. Would the buyer re-purchase the product after having a bad experience in the first period? A wishful buyer is overly optimistic about a good experience in the future even after a bad experience in the current period. Such optimism paves the way for pricing strategies in favor of the seller under certain conditions. My aim has been to highlight these conditions and draw comparison with a pricing model with non-wishful buyers. The third chapter investigates the effectiveness of trade sanctions. Such sanctions are imposed by a sender country against a target country when the latter has taken an action which the sender disapproves — initiating domestic war, building nuclear arsenals, etc. The sanctions are enforced until the target. However, only 30% sanctions are effective in disciplining the target. This paper studies if any feature of the trade network can explain why sanctions fail and what type of trade sanction — import or export — will be optimal in any given trade network.

Organisms relevant for nature conservation dont follow administrative borders. Because of this there is a need for a landscape perspective within conservation and planning, and a need for the species of interest to have legal protection. Network analysis adapted for ecological purposes has grown to become a powerful tool for studying and communicating the relationships between species dispersion and access to habitat. In this study the following question is posed: How is the Osmoderma eremita and the Pernis apivorus dispersal possibilities in the small scale cultivated landscape of Borås affected by exploitation in respect to a) dispersal ability, b) habitat quality, c) position of habitat patches in a network? The analysis were based on municipal and regional nature conservation data, which in due to confidentiality is not accounted for in the report by maps, coordinates, etc. Several networks were established for both species to indicate how habitat patches are distributed today and how the species dispersal changes depending on which patches are excluded – this was done to imitate how exploitation can affect the species future survival and dispersion. The results showed that the O.e. is mainly inhibited by its poor dispersal abilities, followed by patch position, while the P.a. is the most affected by degrading habitat quality. The most important conclusions of the study were that the O.e. natural dispersal may be restricted but can be improved by linking small network components together and by maintaining the largest components. As for the P.a. it was concluded that a different type of analysis, focusing on its behaviour and need for different patches for different purposes, would generate more interesting results. / Eftersom skyddsvärda organismer inte följer administrativa gränser behövs ett landskapsperspektiv i naturvårds- och planarbete, och de arter som studeras behöver ha juridiska belägg för att skyddas. Nätverksanalyser anpassade för ekologi har vuxit fram som ett kraftfullt verktyg för att studera och kommunicera sambanden mellan arters spridning över större områden. I denna rapport ställs därför frågan: hur läderbaggens (Osmoderma eremita) respektive bivråkens (Pernis apivorus) spridningsmöjligheter i odlingslandskapet i Borås kommun påverkas vid exploatering, med avseende på a)spridningsförmåga, b) habitatkvalitet c) habitatpatchers position i ett nätverk? Analyserna baserades på kommunal och regional naturvårdsdata, som p.g.a. sekretess inte redovisas med kartmaterial, koordinater eller liknande. Flera nätverk etablerades för varje art för att indikera hur nätverken av patcher ser ut idag och hur arternas spridning förändras beroende på vilka patcher som utesluts – detta för att imitera hur exploatering kan påverka arternas fortsatta överlevnad och spridning. Resultaten visade att läderbaggens största begränsning är dess dåliga spridningsförmåga, tätt följd av patchernas position, medan bivråken påverkas mer av habitatkvalitet. De viktigaste slutsatserna som kunde dras var att läderbaggens naturliga spridning må vara begränsad men kan förbättras genom att länka samman små nätverkskomponenter och fortsätta sköta de som är störst idag. För bivråkens del skulle en annan typ av analys med mer fokus på artens beteende och behov av olika patcher för olika aktiviteter ge ett bättre underlag.