This study investigates seismic response of the Moment-Resisting-Steel Frames (MRSF) with the architectural setbacks. The main objective of the study is to understand the variation of the elastic and inelastic, static and dynamic behavior with changes in the geometric dimensions of the tower portion. A second objective of the study is to determine the adequacy of the analysis procedures of various rigors, specified in current seismic design provision, in predicting those behaviors for MRSF with various size of setback. The analytical study is conducted using a regular and 16 irregular models to capture all possible combinations of configuration of setback in five-story, five-bay MRSFs. An irregular model is developed by gradually changing the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the tower portion of the regular base 2D frame-model. All models were designed for (a) equal global displacement and uniform distribution of inter-story drift under First-Mode (FM) lateral force distribution pattern at first significant yield, and (b) equal period of vibration at the first mode, using Nonlinear Static Seismic analysis procedure. Among the conclusions derived from the research is that the variation of (a) the elastic and inelastic inter-story drift, the ductility demand for the top three stories, and (b) the elastic and inelastic global displacement exhibited a pattern similar to the variation of the FM participation factor at the roof, PF1Φr,1. The square-root-of-sum-of-square (SRSS) distribution provided accurate estimates of elastic story shear and inter-story drift demand as well as the story yield strength and drift.

The aim of the main work in the thesis is to investigate Incremental Evolution methods for designing a suitable behavior arbitration mechanism for behavior-based (BB) robot controllers for autonomous mobile robots performing tasks of higher complexity. The challenge of designing effective controllers for autonomous mobile robots has been intensely studied for few decades. Control Theory studies the fundamental control principles of robotic systems. However, the technological progress allows, and the needs of advanced manufacturing, service, entertainment, educational, and mission tasks require features beyond the scope of the standard functionality and basic control. Artificial Intelligence has traditionally looked upon the problem of designing robotics systems from the high-level and top-down perspective: given a working robotic device, how can it be equipped with an intelligent controller. Later approaches advocated for better robustness, modifiability, and control due to a bottom-up layered incremental controller and robot building (Behavior-Based Robotics, BBR). Still, the complexity of programming such system often requires manual work of engineers. Automatic methods might lead to systems that perform task on demand without the need of expert robot programmer. In addition, a robot programmer cannot predict all the possible situations in the robotic applications. Automatic programming methods may provide flexibility and adaptability of the robotic products with respect to the task performed. One possible approach to automatic design of robot controllers is Evolutionary Robotics (ER). Most of the experiments performed in the field of ER have achieved successful learning of target task, while the tasks were of limited complexity. This work is a marriage of incremental idea from the BBR and automatic programming of controllers using ER. Incremental Evolution allows automatic programming of robots for more complex tasks by providing a gentle and easy-to understand support by expertknowledge — division of the target task into sub-tasks. We analyze different types of incrementality, devise new controller architecture, implement an original simulator compatible with hardware, and test it with various incremental evolution tasks for real robots. We build up our experimental field through studies of experimental and educational robotics systems, evolutionary design, distributed computation that provides the required processing power, and robotics applications. University research is tightly coupled with education. Combining the robotics research with educational applications is both a useful consequence as well as a way of satisfying the necessary condition of the need of underlying application domain where the research work can both reflect and base itself.

Takeovers have become a frequent feature of business. Due to their frequency and size, they have potentially considerable implications for the companies involved and their stakeholders.This thesis focuses on valuation problems in relation to takeovers. It comprises an empirical study of a number of Swedish corporate acquisitions, and a comprehensive survey of previous research on the outcome of takeovers.In the empirical study, the capital budgeting approach serves as the frame of reference for valuation. The cash flow consequences of seven takeovers are studied over a maximum period of five postmerger years. Special attention is given to the characteristics of incremental cash flows, the prospect of separating them from cash flows arising from other decisions taken by the merging companies, and the temporal relation between incremental cash flows and incremental accounting income.The comprehensive survey consists of a thorough description of previous research attempting to answer the questions: ‘Are corporate acquisitions successful?’ and ‘Which takeovers are successful and which are failures?’. While the main focus is on studies using financial accounting data, studies relying on stock market and interview data are also discussed.This thesis carries implications for the way takeovers are evaluated and accounted for, and contributes to the existing body of knowledge regarding the outcome of corporate acquisitions. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

In this thesis, an actuation system is developed for a Two-Axis Gyroscopic (TAG) adapter. This adapter is a fixture with two auxiliary axes which is used for the Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) technique to enhance a three-axis mill to have five-axis capabilities. With five-axis mill capabilities, variable angles between line segments of the toolpath and the tool can be obtained. To achieve specialized angles between a line segment and the SPIF tool, the sheet is rotated. Inverse kinematic equations for the TAG adapter are derived to calculate the required rotations for the TAG adapter’s auxiliary axes for a line segment of a toolpath. If the next line segment requires a different orientation of the sheet, the sheet is rotated while the tool follows the rotation of the sheet to maintain its position at the connecting point of the line segments of the toolpath. Five equations of motions are derived to calculate the three translations of the mill and two rotations of the TAG adapter’s frames, during forming. A toolpath execution algorithm is implemented in MATLAB which uses the five equations of motion to execute a toolpath. The algorithm generates an array of data points that can be used by a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine to follow a desired path. A visual representation for the execution of the toolapth is implemented in MATLAB and is used to illustrate the successful completion of a toolpath. A computer controlled motor system is selected and tested in this thesis which will ultimately be integrated with a worm gear system and a CNC machine to develop a full CNC actuation system. / UOIT

A class of migrant workers in China that have left their official rural residence in search of work and wealth in the more developed coastal cities have created a new process of urbanization. The ‘floating population’ numbering 150 million has created immense demand for low-cost housing. Village enterprises within the city region of expanding metropolises have self-organized to supply affordable housing. However, economic incentives and ownership constraints on rural land deter long-term considerations and favour rapid development. The building (and destruction) of a country cannot be recklessly left to coincidental solutions of profit opportunities in remnant policies. An understanding of the systemic political, economic and social properties that generate the built fabric of today and of traditional villages can allow us to manipulate the current process of development. The village of Zhangpeng in Dongguan city of the Pearl River Delta region is on the brink of explosive growth. Major infrastructural developments have been constructed and planned on its expropriated lands. Without proper guidance, the status quo process of urbanization will destroy the village overnight. The proposed alternative is to manipulate market-demand through village-led investment in its public space network in order to spur private development of village properties. The method is through strategic and incremental investment on village public space and property and monitoring the catalytic effect of these changes on private redevelopment. Adjustments in land development is made to steer the built fabric into a form between what the village wants it to become and what it has the propensity to be. The aim is to create a system of land development that will preserve, adapt and extend traditional village fabric and its way of life.

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Problembakgrund: Men hänsyn till världens utveckling anses det av både forskare samt av ledare att förändring har en stor betydelse för organisationerna. Det gäller att ständigt kunna anpassa sig och följa omvärldens utveckling. Denna studie avser att studera transformellt ledarskap i samband med inkrementella förändringar då dessa anses ha en koppling till varandra.   Syfte: Syftet med studien är att utforska hur ledare med hjälp av det transformella ledarskapet kan påverka en inkrementell förändring i kommunala och privata bolag för att finna eventuella likheter och skillnader mellan bolagsformerna.   Problemformulering: Hur kan det transformella ledarskapet påverka inkrementella förändringar i kommunala och privata bolag?   Teori: Teorin i denna studie behandlar tranformellt ledarskap tillsammans med inkrementella förändringar i kommunala och privata bolag. Det transformella ledarskapet består av fyra delar, intellektuell stimulans, inspirerande motivation, individuellt hänsynstagande samt idealt inflytande. Den inkrementella förändringen är en förändring där en organisation hanterar ett problem samt ett mål i taget dvs. en steg för steg-förändring som är ständigt pågående som berör organisationens operativa processer.   Metod: Detta är en kvalitativ fallstudie som jämför hur det transformellt ledarskap kan påverka inkrementella förändringar i två olika bolagsformer. Den kvalitativa ansatsen har genomförts med hjälp av intervjuer. Studien har en deduktiv ansats.   Empiri: Respondenterna är ledare från fyra olika bolag, två privata och två kommunala. Vi har intervjuat två verkställande direktörer, en förvaltningschef, en områdeschef samt en produktions- och logistik ansvarig. De har alla ledande befattningar samt har erfarenhet av inkrementell förändring.   Analys och slutsats: Vi har inte kunnat tyda på några stora tydliga mönster för transformellt ledarskap under inkrementell förändring för var och en av bolagsformerna. Det vi kommit fram till i studien är främst att ledarna på de kommunala bolagen måste ständig anpassa sitt transformella ledarskap i den inkrementella förändringen utifrån kommunens särskilda mål, vilket inte alltid betyder det bästa för bolaget i sig. Ledarna på de privata bolagen har en större frihet i sitt transformella ledarskap och kan se till bolagets bästa när det kommer till att leda inkrementella förändringar. Likheterna och skillnaderna är lika stora mellan t ex två ledare på kommunala bolag som två ledare på privata bolag. Bolagsformerna har viss men inte någon större inverkan på ledarens transformella ledarskap, ledarens personlig har en större inverkan. / Background: It’s considered by both researchers and leaders that changes in organizations have a significant impact in the organizations well being. The organizations constantly need to adapt to the developing context. This study intends to study transformational leadership in the context of incremental change because these seem to be linked to each other.   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how leaders using the transformational leaderships can affect an incremental change in both municipal- and private companies in order to identify possible similarities and differences between the two types of companies.   Problem statement: How can the transformational leadership influence incremental changes in municipal- and private companies?   Theory: The theory in this study deals with transformational leadership in incremental changes in municipal and private companies. The transformational leadership consists of four parts, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, individual consideration and idealized influence. The incremental change is a change where an organization handles one problem and one objective at a time, ie. a step-by-step change that is ongoing concerning the organization's operational processes.   Method: This is a case study where we have conducted a qualitative and deductive approach. We have collected the empirical data by interviewing our respondents.   Empirical: The respondents are five leaders on four different companies. There are two respondents from the same company. The companies are two municipal- and two private companies. We have interviewed two managing directors, one manager of administration, one manager of a field and one manager of production and logistics. They all have a leading position in the organization and they all have experience of an incremental change.   Analysis and conclusions: Primarily we concluded that the leaders in the municipal companies constantly must adapt their transformational leadership in the incremental change according to the specific municipality objectives, which does not always mean the best for the company itself. The leaders in the private companies have more independence in their transformational leadership and can focus on the company's best when it comes to leading incremental changes. The similarities and differences are equal between for example two leaders in municipal companies as two leaders in private companies. The company types does not have as much impact on the leaders transformational leadership as the impact that the personality has.

Changing artifacts is intrinsic to the development and maintenance of software projects. The changes made to one artifact, however, do not come about in isolation. Software models are often vastly entangled. As such, a minuscule modification in one ripples in- consistency through several others. The primary goal of the this thesis is to investigate techniques and processes for the synchronization of artifacts in model driven development environments in which projects comprise manifold interdependent models, each being a live document that is continuously altered and evolved. The co-evolution of these artifacts demands an efficient mechanism to keep them consistent in such dynamic environments. To achieve this consistency, we intend to explore methods and algorithms for impact anal- ysis and the propagation of modifications across heterogenous interdependent models. In particular, we consider large scale models that are generated from other models by complex artifact generators. After creation, both the generated artifacts, and also the ones they are generated from, are subject to evolutionary changes throughout which their mutual consistency should be maintained. In such situations, the model transformation is the pri- mary benchmark of consistency rules between source and target models. But the rules are often implanted inside the implementation of artifact generators and hence unavailable. Trivially, the artifacts can be synchronized by regeneration. More often than not however, regeneration of such artifacts from scratch tends to be unwieldy due to their massive size. This thesis is a summary of research on effective change management methodologies in the context of model driven development. In particular, it presents two methods of in- crementally synchronizing software models related by existing model transformations, so that the synchronization time is proportional to the magnitude of change and not to the size of models. The first approach treats model transformations as black-boxes and adds to it incremental synchronization by a technique called conceptualization. The black-box is distinguished from other undertakings in that it does not require the extraction, re- engineering and re-implementation of consistency rules embedded inside transformations. The second approach is a white-box approach that uses static analysis to automatically transform the source code of the transformation into an incremental one. In particular it uses partial evaluation to derive a specialized, incremental transformation from the exist- ing one. These two approaches are complementary and together support a comprehensive range of model transformations.

Online algorithms are characterized by operating on an input sequence revealed over time versus a single static input. Instead of generating a single solution, they produce a sequence of incremental solutions corresponding to the input seen so far. An online algorithm's ignorance of future inputs limits its ability to produce optimal solutions. The incremental nature of its solutions is also an obstacle. The two factors can be differentiated by examining the corresponding incremental algorithm, which has knowledge of future inputs, but must still provide a competitive solution at each step. In this thesis, the lower bound of the incremental constraint of k-server is shown to be to 2.