The following study was conducted at an upper secondary school in Sweden and attempts to explore the question of what influences male pupils’ reading habits. Many quantitative international studies, including PISA, PIRLS and IEA Reading Literacy, have sought to answer this question, but only partially succeeded due to the limitations of their methods. Therefore, this study seeks to explore this question in more depth using qualitative methods, including interviews and classroom observations, but also minor tests. Two facts which the previously mentioned international studies have found is that boys and particularly immigrant boys tend to have worse reading results than their counterparts. It is therefore the aim of this study to study four male students in upper secondary school; of which two are native Swedes and the other two are unaccompanied refugee children; one from Afghanistan and the other from Morocco. The findings of this study are as follows. Firstly, necessity was found to be the single most important factor for the reading habits of these four pupils; especially the two refugees. Both refugees learnt to read under harsh circumstances in madrassas in their respective home countries. Moreover, the Moroccan pupil learnt to speak and read Spanish fluently during his seven years as a homeless child. Furthermore, in the absence of necessity, interest was found to be decisive in determining the pupils’ reading habits. In addition to this, the study theorizes that an interest in reading generally arises before the ability to read and not vice versa. However, teachers can in fact affect their pupils’ reading habits even in upper secondary school.

鑒於近年全球海外可轉換公司債發行檔數大增，然而以此商品為研究主題的文獻並不多，於是決定以此為研究目標。 　　影響海外可轉換公司債的價格因素包括股票價格、匯率、國內利率、國外利率和發行公司的違約機率，因此可買回、可賣回海外可轉換公司債是一個複雜的商品，而評價也較為困難。本文採用三維度二項樹和最小平方蒙地卡羅法建立評價海外可轉債的數值模型。為了更貼近真實世界，本文考量各變數間相關性和動態信用風險；另外，為了使評價更為精準，於股價過程中加入跳躍過程。 　　本文將模型運用至兩檔台灣公司所發行的海外可轉債，發現理論價格傾向於高估，但是理論價格與市價極為接近，尤其當以最小平方蒙地卡羅法評價時。另外本文也針對發行條件和模型中各個變數作敏感度分析，其中重要的是發現股票波動度、股票與匯率間相關係數在海外可轉債評價中扮演重要的角色。 / The number of Euro-convertible bonds issued has highly increased in the early 2010s. However, the related literature is barely found. This paper studies the pricing models of this investment product. Euro-convertible bonds are complex instruments affected by the credit risk of the issuers, the dynamic process of stock prices, the term structure of the interest rate and the movement of the exchange rate in the same time. Accordingly, building the ECB pricing model is a hard work. This paper presents a model considering the dynamic credit risk and jump in stock price process to make valuation more precise. Another advantage of models in this paper is use of stochastic interest rates for both local and foreign so as to make the model more staying with the real world. The other advantage is taking the correlation between each random variables into account. For pricing the Euro-convertible bonds, the numerical methodologies used in this paper are three-dimension binomial tree and least squares Monte Carlo approach. For purpose of assessing the performance of the model, two Euro-convertible bonds issued by Taiwan companies are chosen as samples and the difference between the theoretical price and market price during its issue period are provided. The results demonstrate that in spite of pretty slight overestimation, the least squares Monte Carlo simulation does a better job. In addition, this paper performs several kinds of sensitivity analysis to have in-depth understanding about the models. The consequence shows that the volatility of a stock return and the correlation between stock and exchange rate play a central role in ECB valuations.

This dissertation describes the credibility judgment process using social psychological theories of dual-processing, which state that information processing outcomes are the result of an interaction “between a fast, associative information- processing mode based on low-effort heuristics, and a slow, rule-based information processing mode based on high-effort systematic reasoning” (Chaiken & Trope, 1999, p. ix). Further, this interaction is illustrated by describing credibility judgments as a choice between examining easily identified peripheral cues (the messenger) and content (the message), leading to different evaluations in different settings. The focus here is on the domain of the Web, where ambiguous authorship, peer- produced content, and the lack of gatekeepers create an environment where credibility judgments are a necessary routine in triaging information. It reviews the relevant literature on existing credibility frameworks and the component factors that affect credibility judgments. The online encyclopedia (instantiated as Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica) is then proposed as a canonical form to examine the credibility judgment process. The two main claims advanced here are (1) that information sources are composed of both message (the content) and messenger (the way the message is delivered), and that the messenger impacts perceived credibility; and (2) that perceived credibility is tempered by information need (individual engagement). These claims were framed by the models proposed by Wathen & Burkell (2002) and Chaiken (1980) to forward a composite dual process theory of credibility judgments, which was tested by two experimental studies. The independent variables of interest were: media format (print or electronic); reputation of source (Wikipedia or Britannica); and the participant’s individual involvement in the research task (high or low). The results of these studies encourage a more nuanced understanding of the credibility judgment process by framing it as a dual-process model, and showing that certain mediating variables can affect the relative use of low-effort evaluation and high- effort reasoning when forming a perception of credibility. Finally, the results support the importance of messenger effects on perceived credibility, implying that credibility judgments, especially in the online environment, and especially in cases of low individual engagement, are based on peripheral cues rather than an informed evaluation of content. / text

資本資產定價模型 (CAPM) 由Sharp (1964)、Lintner (1965)及Black (1972)發展出後，近年來已被廣泛的應用於衡量證券之預期報酬率與風險間之關係。一般而言，衡量結果之估計有兩個階段，首先由時間序列分析估計出貝它(beta)係數，然後再檢定廠商或投資組合之平均報酬率與貝它係數之關係。 Fama與MacBeth (1973)利用最小平方法估計貝它係數，再將由橫斷面迴歸方法所得出之斜率係數加以平均後，以統計t-test檢定之。然而以最小平方法估計係數，其估計值很容易受離群值之影響，因此本研究考慮以穩健估計 (robust estimator)來避免此一問題。另外，本研究亦將長期資料分析 (longitudinal data analysis) 引入CAPM裡，期望能檢定貝它係數是否能確實有效地衡量出系統性風險。 論文中以台灣股票市場電子業之實證分析來比較上述不同方法對CAPM的結果，資料蒐集期間為1998年9月至2001年12月之月資料。研究結果顯示出，穩健估計相對於最小平方法就CAPM有較佳的解釋力。而長期資料分析模型更用來衡量債券之超額報酬部分，是否會依上、中、下游或公司之不同而不同。 / The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) of Sharp (1964), Lintner (1965) and Black (1972) has been widely used in measuring the relationship between the expected return on a security and its risk in the recent years. It consists of two stages to estimate the relationship between risk and expected return. The first one is that betas are estimated from time series regressions, and the second is that the relationship between mean returns and betas is tested across firms or portfolios. Fama and MacBeth (1973) first used ordinary least squares (OLS) to estimate beta and took time series averages of the slope coefficients from monthly cross-sectional regressions in such studies. However it is well known that OLS is sensitive to outliers. Therefore, robust estimators are employed to avoid the problems. Furthermore, the longitudinal data analysis is applied to examine whether betas over time and securities are the valid measure of risk in the CAPM. An empirical study is carried out to present the different approaches. We use the data about the Information and Electronic industry in Taiwan stock market during the period from September 1998 to December 2001. For the time series regression analysis, the robust methods lead to more explanatory power than the OLS results. The linear mixed-effect model is used to examine the effects of different streams and companies for the security excess returns in these data.

影響海外可轉換公司債的因素有許多，包括股價、國內利率、國外利率、匯率，若將時間變數也加入計算，其變動因子高達5階，這種「高維度」的問題已非有限差分法或樹狀方法能處理；且海外可轉債常附有平均式條款、回顧式條款等「路徑相依」性質的選擇權，更是格狀結構數值法(Lattice)難以處理的問題。若使用蒙地卡羅模擬，雖然可以處理高維度及路徑相依的問題，但遇到美式契約時，則會有無法判斷轉換時點的問題，更遑論還必須處理的重設條款或界限型契約。 本論文研究海外可轉換公司債的評價，特點是可以處理其契約中各種可能的複雜條款，本文所使用的最小平方蒙地卡羅模擬，由Longstaff and Schwartz [2000]提出，對於美式契約、路徑相依及高維度問題皆可處理。本文並以Hull and White利率三元樹配適公司債利率符合市場利率期間結構。此外本研究加入海外可轉換公司債評價中最重要的信用風險因素，過去可轉債文獻理論價格大都高於實際市價，這是由於忽略了公司的信用風險溢酬，本文所使用的信用風險模型是由Lando [1998]所提出，特點是不以信用等級作為考量，探討公司特性與所屬產業，並考慮總體因素對違約機率的影響，從市場價格中估計違約密度參數，進而求得信用價差。 本研究對仁寶電腦在2002年所發的ECB做實證研究，比較LSM理論價格與實際市價之誤差，及對Takahashi[2001]所提出之歐式模型做比較，發現本文提出模型之評價結果相當不錯，誤差僅有0.83%；此外並對建華金控2002所發之ECB，探討各種複雜新奇條款對ECB價格的影響，發現市場上嚴重低估了重設條款所提高的價值，而實際市價卻十分接近僅含賣回條款的理論價格。

歐式信用違約交換選擇權通常都以短天期較富流動信，造成這樣情形的原因很可能是因為長天期的信用違約交換選擇權必須承擔標的公司的倒閉風險。美式信用違約交換選擇權讓持有者可以在選擇權到期以前履約，這使得持有者可以只注意信用違約交換溢酬的變動，而不必擔心標的公司的倒閉風險。在這篇論文當中，我們結合最小平方法以及單期信用違約溢酬模型評價美式信用違約交換選擇權，其中單期信用違約溢酬模型是由布瑞格在2004年所發表的模型。本篇論文評價方法的最大優點在於此方法類似於利率理論的市場模型，因此我們可以利用類似的想法評價任何與信用違約交換合約相關的信用衍生性商品。 / The most liquid European CDS options are usually of short maturities. This may result from that options with longer maturity have to bear more default risk of the reference company. American CDS options allow the holders to exercise options before option matures so that they can focus on spread movements without worrying about default risk. In this paper, we price American CDS options with one-period CDS spread model presented by Brigo (2004). The primary advantage of this model is that it is similar to LIBOR market model in interest rate theory. Therefore, path-dependent CDS-related products can be easily priced with familiar ideas.

在過去二到三年之中，能源、金屬、軟性商品等原物料價格漲勢強勁，成為市場上最炙手可熱的商品。然而，原物料價格漲升為全球帶來了通膨隱憂，世界各國紛紛採用各種貨幣政策和財政政策試圖緩解通膨壓力。其中，利率政策即是相當重要的一環。在這樣的背景之下，是否對於能源、貴金屬和利率衍生性商品的設計和定價上產生影響，值得進一步檢視。因此，本論文選擇以中國大陸的原油與黃金連結複合式選擇權，以及利率（HIBOR）連結可贖回每日區間計息等兩種結構性存款作為研究個案，以財務工程的理論模型為中國銀行的金融創新產品作評價與分析。 在原油與黃金連結複合式選擇權部分，分別假設金價和油價服從幾何布朗運動（Geometric Brownian Motion）推導出封閉解，以及Schwartz的一因子均數回歸模型，採蒙地卡羅模擬法模擬標的資產之價格路徑並以之估算商品理論價值和發行機構利潤，之後則就避險參數和商品預期收益率作分析。在利率連結可贖回每日區間計息結構性存款部分，由於具有發行機構可提前贖回的特性，本論文採用LIBOR市場模型（BGM Model）為評價基礎，先利用市場報價資訊計算期初遠期利率及進行參數校準，再以蒙地卡羅模擬法模擬遠期利率路徑，最後以Longstaff and Schwartz（2001）提出的最小平方蒙地卡羅法（LSM）計算商品理論價值和發行機構利潤。 除估算商品理論價值以檢視中國銀行的商品定價合理性之外，本文也針對中國大陸的外匯和利率政策對金融機構在商品設計方面的影響作分析，最後則分別就財務工程與金融創新以及總體政策與金融市場兩方面提出結論與建議，以供各界參酌。 / The prices of physical commodities have risen a lot and led to pressure of inflation for several years. Many countries over the world have tried hard to tackle inflation threat with monetary and fiscal policies. Under this circumstance, the design and pricing of structured products should be affected. Therefore, the oil and gold-linked and interest rate-linked structured deposits launched by Bank of China are selected to be the case study in this thesis. Prices of the underlying assets are assumed to follow Geometric Brownian Motion, and the close-form solution of the oil and gold-linked structured deposit embedded with compound options is derived. Moreover, Schwartz’s One-Factor Mean Reversion Model is adopted to derive the fair value by simulation. In addition to the fair value and issuer’s profit, the expected rate of return, hedge parameters (Greeks) and model difference are presented in this thesis. As for the interest rate-linked Callable Daily Range Accrual Deposit, the thesis presents the steps of pricing by simulation. LIBOR Market Model (BGM Model) is adopted to derive the fair value of Callable Range Deposit with Least Squares Monte Carlo approach. Besides, the design and pricing of structured products are actually influenced by those policies in relation to interest rates and currencies adopted by government of Mainland China. The influence is discussed in the thesis as well. Eventually, the conclusions and suggestions are made with respect to macroeconomic policy and financial market as well as financial innovation.

本文針對躉繳保費的附保證變額壽險進行評價，保單形式為生死合險，假設投保人可將期初的投資金額連結到兩種投資標的：股價指數及債券型基金，並以BGM模型描述利率的動態過程，然後分別計算不含解約權及含解約權的附保證變額壽險躉繳保費，進而求算出隱含在保單中的保證價值和解約權價值。針對含解約權的附保證變額壽險，以Longstaff and Schwartz(2001)提出的最小平方蒙地卡羅法處理解約的問題。最後，我們求算不同年齡下的男性保費，並且在投資比例、起始最低保證、最低保證給付成長率、針對解約的保證給付成長率和第一個允許的解約時點變動下，分別討論對於保證價值和解約權價值的影響。 結果顯示：(1)當起始最低保證給付等於期初投資金額時，投資在股票的比例越大，越能凸顯保證價值和解約權價值佔保費的比重。以30歲男性為例，保證價值佔不含解約權之附保證變額壽險的比例，由全部投資在債券型基金的0.03%，成長到全部投資在股票的13.86%；而解約權價值佔含解約權之附保證變額壽險的比例，由全部投資在債券型基金的0.05%，成長到全部投資在股票的9.12%。(2)投資比例、起始最低保證給付和最低保證給付成長率越大，保證價值越高。(3)起始最低保證給付和針對解約的保證給付成長率越大，解約權價值越大；而最低保證給付成長率和第一個允許的解約時點越大，解約權價值越小。(4)投資比例隨著最低保證給付不同對解約權價值有不同的影響。 關鍵字：附保證變額壽險、BGM利率模型、解約選擇權、最小平方蒙地卡羅法 / This study emphasizes on the pricing of variable life insurance with minimum guarantees. As an endowment policy in a single premium form, in this paper, it is assumed that the insured can distribute the initial investment amount into two underlying assets: the stock index fund and bond fund. Simulating the interest rate under a BGM model, computational procedures are performed for the single premium of the variable life insurance policy without surrender option and embedding a surrender option, and further, the guarantee value and surrender value embedded in the insurance policy. For the variable life insurance policy embedding a surrender option, the Least Square Monte-Carlo method proposed by Longstaff and Schwartz (2001) is applied to solve the surrender conditions. Finally, we calculate the premium for a male at different ages, and respectively analyze the variations of the guarantee value and surrender value under the influence of the investment portfolio, the initial minimum guaranteed amount, the growth rate of the minimum guarantee, the growth rate of the minimum guarantee for surrender and the first permitted surrender time. The results show that: (1) when the initial minimum guaranteed amount equals the initial investment amount, higher proportion invested in stock will result in larger percentage of the guarantee value and surrender value to total premium. Take a 30-year old male as an example: the percentage of guarantee value to the premium of variable life insurance with minimum guarantee and without a surrender option, which is 0.03% when the initial investment amount thoroughly goes to bond fund, rises up to 13.86% with the entire amount invested in stock index fund. Likewise, the percentage of surrender value to the premium of variable life insurance with minimum guarantee and surrender option is 0.05% with total amount invested in bond fund, while it is 9.12% with the entire amount invested in stock index fund. (2) The higher proportion invested in stock, the initial minimum guaranteed amount and the growth rate of minimum guaranteed amount, the larger guarantee value. (3) Larger initial minimum guaranteed amount and the growth rate of the minimum guaranteed amount for surrender would contribute to a higher surrender value. The higher growth rate of the minimum guaranteed amount and the first permitted surrender time, the lower surrender value. (4) The influence of the investment portfolio to surrender value depends on the initial minimum guaranteed amount. Key words: Variable life insurance with minimum guaranteed amount, BGM interest rate model, surrender option, least squares Monte Carlo approach.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / The purpose of this thesis is threefold. Firstly, to attempt to provide validity for the two-sided matching process; secondly, analyze FITREP attributes to determine their suitability for a weighted criteria evaluation system and; thirdly, compare the USMC promotion and assignment process with contemporary human resource management practices. Using data from the USMC Officer Accession Career file (MCCOAC), a logit model is used to estimate the effects of TBS preference and other officer characteristics on retention to the seven year mark. Findings indicate that there was little difference in the probability of retention throughout most preference levels except for the bottom sixth. Using USMC FITREP data, an ordinary least squares model is used to estimate the effects of rank and MOS on FITREP scores across all attributes. Multiple comparison tests demonstrated that there are statistical differences at the 0.05 level between the means of the MOSs. Additionally, reporting creep is continuing across all attributes. Surveys were also conducted. The first survey indicated that USMC officers believe the FITREP attributes were not all equally important within, and across each MOS - although the USMC assesses them as such. The second survey indicated that the USMC promotion and assignment process can be strengthened through a clearly defined HRM plan that extends beyond 'faces' and 'places', and provides very clear links to the organizational strategy. Based on the findings it is recommended that the USMC review its HRM processes and conduct further analyses on the FITREP data for: (1) correlation, (2) longitudinal analysis as a predictor for success and, (3) relevance and relationship to MOS characteristics, position descriptions, and organizational strategy. / Major, Royal Australian Infantry Corps / Major, United States Marine Corps

L’objectif de cette thèse était d’appliquer des méthodes d’analyse multivariées au traitement des données provenant de la spectroscopie de plasma induit par laser (LIBS) et de la spectroscopie térahertz (THz) dans le but d’accroître les performances analytiques de ces techniques.Les spectres LIBS provenaient de campagnes de mesures directes sur différents sites géologiques. Une approche univariée n’a pas été envisageable à cause d’importants effets de matrices et c’est pour cela qu’on a analysé les données provenant des spectres LIBS par réseaux de neurones artificiels (ANN). Cela a permis de quantifier plusieurs éléments mineurs et majeurs dans les échantillons de sol avec un écart relatif de prédiction inférieur à 20% par rapport aux valeurs de référence, jugé acceptable pour des analyses sur site. Dans certains cas, il a cependant été nécessaire de prendre en compte plusieurs modèles ANN, d’une part pour classer les échantillons de sol en fonction d’un seuil de concentration et de la nature de leur matrice, et d’autre part pour prédire la concentration d’un analyte. Cette approche globale a été démontrée avec succès dans le cas particulier de l’analyse du plomb pour un échantillon de sol inconnu. Enfin, le développement d’un outil de traitement par ANN a fait l’objet d’un transfert industriel.Dans un second temps, nous avons traité des spectres d’absorbance terahertz. Ce spectres provenaient de mesures d’absorbance sur des mélanges ternaires de Fructose-Lactose-acide citrique liés par du polyéthylène et préparés sous forme de pastilles. Une analyse semi-quantitative a été réalisée avec succès par analyse en composantes principales (ACP). Puis les méthodes quantitatives de régression par moindres carrés partiels (PLS) et de réseaux de neurons artificiels (ANN) ont permis de prédire les concentrations de chaque constituant de l’échantillon avec une valeur d’erreur quadratique moyenne inférieure à 0.95 %. Pour chaque méthode de traitement, le choix des données d’entrée et la validation de la méthode ont été discutés en détail. / The aim of this work was the application of multivariate methods to analyze spectral data from laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and terahertz (THz) spectroscopy to improve the analytical ability of these techniques.In this work, the LIBS data were derived from on-site measurements of soil samples. The common univariate approach was not efficient enough for accurate quantitative analysis and consequently artificial neural networks (ANN) were applied. This allowed quantifying several major and minor elements into soil samples with relative error of prediction lower than 20% compared to reference values. In specific cases, a single ANN model didn’t allow to successfully achieving the quantitative analysis and it was necessary to exploit a series of ANN models, either for classification purpose against a concentration threshold or a matrix type, or for quantification. This complete approach based on a series of ANN models was efficiently applied to the quantitative analysis of unknown soil samples. Based on this work, a module of data treatment by ANN was included into the software Analibs of the IVEA company. The second part of this work was focused on the data treatment of absorbance spectra in the terahertz range. The samples were pressed pellets of mixtures of three products, namely fructose, lactose and citric acid with polyethylene as binder. A very efficient semi-quantitative analysis was conducted by using principal component analysis (PCA). Then, quantitative analyses based on partial least squares regression (PLS) and ANN allowed quantifying the concentrations of each product with a root mean square error (RMSE) lower than 0.95 %. All along this work on data processing, both the selection of input data and the evaluation of each model have been studied in details.