The digital transformation is affecting every dimension of every business while the retailindustry is no exception. The changing expectations from the customer of today set increasedrequirements on distribution. Correspondingly, it seems that distribution is an area within whichdigital technologies can have major impact for retail companies. However, there is a lack ofpractical cases that demonstrate this impact in the Swedish market. As many retailers havestarted to integrate digital tools within their supply chains, different players have achieveddifferent levels of digital maturity in their distribution.The purpose of this research is to investigate the digital maturity level of retail companies withindistribution as well as their perception of digitalization alongside its impact on distributionprocesses. The method for data gathering consisted of qualitative interviews in combinationwith a questionnaire. The collected data in combination with theoretical research was used tofulfill the research purpose.The analysis revealed the digital maturity level within distribution for ten of Sweden’s largestretailers operating in different branches. All ten case companies were categorized as eitherAdopters or Collaborators. With respect to what literature have mentioned as benefits of digitaldistribution, the analysis further revealed the benefits that case companies have gained bydigital tools. Cost efficiency, traceability, delivery accuracy, improved lead time, shelfavailability, and increased free time in stores were the major benefits gained by digital tools, asdescribed by case companies.

<p> The age at which a juvenile female reaches sexual maturity can be modulated by a variety of environmental and social factors. Experiments described in this thesis were designed to enhance the current understanding of the relationships among three variables that influence the onset of sexual maturation in female mice (Mus musculus), including: [1] exposure to dietary phytoestrogens during development, [2] variations in prenatal androgens, and [3] the presence or absence of genetically-unrelated males after weaning. For the first time, age at onset of male-induced female puberty was investigated using non-invasive behavioural and fertility measures. Through enzyme immunoassay procedures, daily output of urinary creatinine, 17P-estradiol, and progesterone was profiled in developing females that were either isolated or exposed to adult males. Uterine and ovarian tissue was also measured in such females, and male exposure was observed to increase reproductive tissue mass and was influenced by prior androgen exposure in interaction with diet and male presence. Male-exposed females fed a diet containing phytoestrogens immediately became sexually receptive when housed directly with males, and they conceived earlier than females in other conditions. Females with longer anogenital distance, which reflects higher in utero androgen exposure, displayed more escape attempts and aggressive posturing in the direct presence of males, especially when they had been housed near males and fed the phytoestrogen-containing diet. Urinary 17P-estradiol was substantially reduced in females raised on the phytoestrogenfree diet. Urinary output of progesterone was not strongly influenced by diet. Maleexposed females ' output of progesterone and 17P-estradiol was more dynamic in comparison to that of isolated females. The size of this effect depended on diet, prior androgen exposure, and whether urinary steroid measures were adjusted by urinary creatinine. Urinary creatinine was elevated by the low phytoestrogen diet and reduced by male exposure. These data suggest that dietary phytoestrogens and in utero androgen exposure interact with presence or absence of males in determining the age at onset of sexual maturity in developing females. </p> <p> A final experiment was designed to examine two components of adult male urine, preputial gland emissions and unconjugated estrogens, that have been posited to act on females to advance reproductive maturation. Intact and preputialectomized males were compared in their output of urinary creatinine, 17~-estradiol, and testosterone, and in their influence on reproductive tissue in juvenile females. Lack of preputial glands did not hinder the capacity of males to induce uterine and ovarian growth in females. Male urinary creatinine was reduced by exposure to juvenile females. Creatinine-adjusted 17~estradiol and testosterone were greater in female-exposed males, regardless of whether the preputial glands were present. Based on these findings and those reported elsewhere, it is probable that male excreted urinary steroids are important in regulating reproductive changes in developing females exposed to males. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

No description available.

As the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges, there is an urgent need for largescale investments in green infrastructure and technologies. If we are going to achieve carbon neutrality, significant investments are necessary, and therefore must the entire financial system unite and endorse sustainable investment activities in a market-oriented manner.   A green bond is a relatively new type of bond. It was first introduced in 2007 by the European Investment Bank (EIB). This was followed up by a collaboration between Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) and the World Bank, a group of Swedish investors, pension funds, and SRI-focused investors. They issued their first green bond in 2008 intending to attract more investors. However, this attempt to increase the interest did not work, green bonds were almost nonexistent until 2013. One explanation for the slow development of the green bond market was the financial crisis in 2008. Further, the reason for the low interest in green bonds during this period was that traditional investors deemed these risky and non-profitable.  Using a deductive approach, this thesis investigates how green bonds perform compared to conventional bonds and stocks from the issuing company. The authors sampled green and conventional bonds from 33 companies that matured from 2018 to 2023. The sample data set contains bonds from Asia, Europe, South America, North America, and Australia. The data was tested using multiple hypotheses.  This thesis sets out to answer the research question: How do green bonds perform compared to conventional bonds and stocks?   The results indicated there is a significant difference between the three asset types. First, the stocks yield higher returns and higher standard deviations than green and conventional bonds. Second, the authors found no evidence for a difference in return thus a significant difference in standard deviation. The results also suggest there is a difference in modified duration, convexity, maturity, and yield to maturity. These findings indicate that green bonds performed better than conventional bonds, especially regarding risk and volatility. Therefore, could green bonds be useful when diversifying a portfolio.  The findings suggested that a portfolio composition that combines the three assets could be in line with both shareholder theory and stakeholder theory. The portfolio theory also provides interesting insights into the potential portfolio optimizations since there are differences between green and conventional bonds. Since no difference in the return was found for green and conventional bonds the authors find no reason to support the idea of herding behavior in the trading of green bonds.  However, the difference in standard deviation is interesting from a behavioral perspective, a lower standard deviation indicates that the green bond experiences lower volatility compared to conventional bonds.

no abstract available / Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Organizations are seen as custodians of portfolio of projects and are increasingly delivering their businesses through multiple complex programs. To be successful in delivering their businesses, these organizations are required to build a project management capability within their structures. Projects today have become far more than solving of technical problems; they have become more of venues for mastering business and change. Project maturity is used as an indication of or a measurement of the organisation’s ability to use projects for different purposes. An organisational Project Management Maturity Assessment is an effective method for establishing a baseline and provides an impetus for organisational change. Project Management Maturity Models are regarded as effective tools for benchmarking and implementing improvements in organisational performance. In this Dissertation, a study in applying project management maturity model to review, assess, and analyze the degree of organizational project management maturity of one of the Professional Soccer clubs participating in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa is presented. The project management practices and capabilities of the PSL Soccer clubs are reflected. The purpose of this paper is to not only demonstrate the methodology and results of the assessment, but to also report on the outcome of the study and propose the necessary recommendations for improvement. The research was strictly focused on those Professional Soccer clubs which are participating in the South African PSL. For confidentiality purposes, the club in this dissertation is referred to as “The Club”. There has been no similar study that has been carried out in this field before. Therefore, this study aims to break new grounds in conducting a research of this kind in this specific sports field. The main research question posed in this study is: What is the level of organizational project management maturity of the South African PSL Soccer clubs? This research question is supported by five other sub-questions which are answered in a research chapter dealing with the synthesis and analysis of the research results. These research questions were motivated by the following reasons: Organizations are changing drastically in their fundamental ways of conducting business. This change is happening within a short period of time and at an accelerated pace. This change occurs both structurally, operationally, and culturally in response to factors such as globalization, new technology, competition, and the world economy that is various challenges in the marketplace. Organizations are also under pressure to improve on their performance in order to maintain high levels of competitiveness and continue to be successful in the global marketplace and therefore, consistent improvement on their projects or program delivery is required in order to attain competitive advantage and sustained growth. Therefore, considering the reasons presented above, the researcher found it necessary to evaluate the current levels of project management maturity in the PSL Soccer clubs. In order to achieve the study objectives two models were used as tools to assess the degree of The Club’s project management maturity and further highlighted a recommended path for improvement. Firstly, Organisational Project Management Maturity (OPM3) model, which is a standard developed under the stewardship of Project Management Institute (PMI), was used as the main model. Secondly, the Integrated Management Systems Incorporated’s (IMSI) project management assessment model was also used as a supporting model.

Background: The administrators, managers, and leaders of criminal justice organizations experience a plethora of processes that impact the strategic, tactical, and operational facets of their respective organizations. Sound processes are central to effectively and efficiently managing criminal justice organizations and for facilitating the optimal operations of the organization. Such management characteristics are necessary to render public services towards the goals of deterring crime and maintaining societal order. Administrating and managing criminal justice organizations involves paradigms that favor process improvement and quality of processes. Existing methods include the Compstat paradigm Total Quality Management, business process management, business process improvement, business process reengineering, standards, legislation, policy, and Six Sigma. However, such paradigms not approach process improvement from the unique perspective of process maturity as a foundational basis. Additionally, no solitary foundational basis exists that uniquely addresses organizational process improvement issues, regarding criminal justice entities, from the perspective of evolutionary process maturation through time. This research examines the potential of adapting the Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMi) as a foundational process improvement framework among criminal justice organizations. Within the CMMi framework, process improvement begins from a state of random, ad hoc processes and culminates in a state of highly optimized processes. Through time, process maturation occurs through five primary stages sequentially: 1) random, 2) managed, 3) defined/specific, 4) quantitatively managed, and 5) optimized. This research explores the potential of leveraging the CMMi paradigm as a form of organizational process improvement within the criminal justice domain. Scope of the Study: This research investigated the potential for adapting the Capability Maturity Model (Integrated) (CMMi) within the criminal justice domain. A derivative maturity model framework, the Criminal Justice Maturity Model (CJMM), was crafted using the CMMi concept as its foundational premise. A Likert scale survey was implemented to investigate the perceptions of personnel regarding process improvement initiatives and their work settings. This study was constrained to the criminal justice domains of the states of Alabama and Mississippi. Data processing encompassed demographic descriptions of the survey instrument and the received responses, ANOVA, Chi-Square analysis, and the Cronbach Method. Stratifications involved separating the survey responses into classifications of Alabama versus Mississippi entities, urban versus rural entities, and management versus non-management entities. Findings and Conclusions: The conclusions of this research failed to show that all five levels of the maturity model framework appear to be separately perceived among the respondents. Therefore, per each individual stage of the maturity model framework, this research failed to show conclusively that the complete maturity model framework is adaptable among administrative settings in the criminal justice domain and that process maturity issues among respondent settings are addressed via a process maturity framework. Because this research failed to show the perceived characteristics of all five maturity levels of the maturity model framework separately, it is concluded that the criminal justice administrative settings of the respondents do not conform completely to the tenets of the CMMi paradigm. Future studies were recommended to pursue additional approaches of this research project. This study represents an initial starting point from which several future endeavors may be initiated. / Criminology and Security Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Police Science)

ITC/USA 2007 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Third Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2007 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / High speed digital recorders have revolutionized the way Major Range and Test Facility Bases collect instrumentation data. One challenge facing these organizations is the need for a validated process for the separation of specific data channels and/or data from multiplexed recordings. Several organizations within Eglin Air Force Base have joined forces to establish the requirements and validate a software process compliant with the IRIG-106 Chapter 10 Digital Recording Standard (which defines allowable media access, data packetization, and error controls mechanics). This paper describes a roadmap to standardizing the process to produce this software process, Data Overwriting and Filtering Application (DOFA).

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 23-26, 2000 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) developed by the Software Engineering Institute is widely promoted as a method to help decrease the volume of error riddled and late software projects. Because of the projected benefits, the 96th Communications Group/SC (SC) at Eglin Air Force Base began an intensive software process improvement effort in late 1997. This effort was rewarded in September 1999 when the group achieved a CMM Level 2 software rating on its first attempt. As of December 1999, 68% of assessed organizations remained at Level 1 on their first or second assessment. The SC success was not only obtained on its first attempt, but also 11 months ahead of the industry standard. The Level 2 rating was accomplished in the volatile environment needed to support the test and evaluation mission. This environment includes frequent requirement changes, short notice modifications, and externally driven schedules. One reason this milestone was possible is close and direct involvement by management. This paper will present additional factors to implementing a successful software process improvement effort.

As a critical public safety-related structure, the long-term integrity of post-tensioned concrete containment buildings (PCCs) is necessary for continued operation of the reactors they house. In 2009, during preparations for a steam generator replacement, extensive subsurface laminar cracking was identified in a portion of the Crystal River 3 (CR3) PCC in Florida, and the plant was permanently shut down in 2013. This study investigates potential contributing factors to the identified cracking with particular focus on the effects of high early-age temperatures on the cracking risk of the concrete, on the development of the concrete properties, and on the late-age structural behavior of the concrete. Two planar, full-scale mock-ups of a portion of the CR3 PCC were constructed and instrumented with temperature and strain gauges to monitor the thermal and mechanical behavior during representative concrete curing and post-tensioning loading. Standard- and match-cured concrete specimens were tested for determination of the time- and temperature-dependent development of thermal and mechanical concrete properties, and hydration parameters were determined for the mock-up cement paste for modeling the heat generation in the concrete. These properties and parameters were utilized in 3D finite element analysis of the mock-ups in COMSOL Multiphysics and compared with experimental results. Non-destructive evaluation via shear wave tomography was conducted on the mock-ups to identify flaws and determine the effectiveness of the methods for identifying delaminations between post-tensioning ducts approximately 10 inches beneath the concrete surface. Though early-age thermal stresses were determined not to have caused cracking in the mock-ups, the high early-age concrete temperatures resulted in decreased late-age mechanical properties that were shown to contribute to greater concrete cracking risk when the mock-up was post-tensioned. Tensile stresses exceeding the tensile strength of the concrete were identified along the post-tensioning ducts when biaxial post-tensioning loads were applied in finite element analysis, but the stresses decreased rapidly with increased distance from the ducts. Through parametric modeling, increasing the tensile strength of the concrete was identified as an effective means of reducing the cracking risk in PCCs. Additionally, relationships between the mechanical properties for the standard- and match-cured specimens were identified that could enable prediction of in-place or match-cured concrete properties based only on the results of tests on fog-cured specimens.