As constraints on public funding become more prevalent and public policy devolves funding responsibility to the agency level in part, public organizations seek additional revenue streams. One identified private resource is philanthropy, which has seen a growth in importance over the past decade as individuals with vast sums of wealth commit a portion of their fortunes to aid society. The literature on philanthropy primarily seeks to understand donor motivations in order to aid organizational pursuit of these funds, with some scholars finding that giving is often undemocratic and can give private donors power relative to other stakeholders. What is far less understood are the effects donations have on organizational priorities. This becomes an important question for public administration as philanthropic donations to public agencies seeking additional funding. To better understand the effects of this phenomenon, this research undertook two replicative case studies in public higher education, an area where public organizations that have a long history of fundraising as well as decreased public funding. Through the lens of quasi-autonomous governmental organizations, rather than privatization, this study triangulates archival, historical, and interview data to study changes in salience of university priorities after a mega-gift is made. In the two cases studied, mega-gifts were found to have some limited effects on salience of priorities. Three different interpretations can be drawn from the findings. First, as loosely-coupled structures, higher education institutions guard against change. Second, control is a negotiated proposition and thus the potential for gifts to create change may be limited. Third, mega-gifts enable structural change, which allows some organizational actors to work with private donor to set agendas for otherwise public functions. These findings are particularly important for public policy makers, administrators, and citizens to understand and scholars to build upon as increasing numbers of public organizations seek to raise private monies. / Ph. D.

Sweden has ambitious climate goals, such as the overarching goal, the 2045 goal. The goal is for Sweden to have zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045 at the latest. In order to achieve the overall climate goal and the interim targets, electrification of society is an important component. The industrial sector and the transport sector each account for about a third of Sweden’s emissions, where the conversion to electricity is an important solution. The electrification of passenger cars and buses has meant that emissions from domestic transport have decreased every year, and in order to achieve the interim target of 70 percent lower emissions of greenhouse gases in 2030 compared to 2010, the electrification of heavy duty trucks is one of the key components. However, there are long-term challenges with the power grid and already today grid owners have capacity challenges. Regional grid owners cannot increase their power subscription, while local grid owners cannot grant new connections. Regarding the electrification of long-haul transportation, there are challenges in terms of charging infrastructure. Truck drivers operate on a strict schedule, and minimizing down time is crucial to keep costs down. By law, truck drivers must take a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving time, which means that during this break it is desirable to recharge the vehicle before departure. This means that high power demands are placed on the charging infrastructure that exists to be able to transmit the desired energy.   A new standard, the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), which meets the high power requirements has been developed and is included in pilot projects. The maximum power that the charging standard can deliver is 3.75 MW. The results of the thesis show that these high-power chargers place high demands on thepower grid. When connecting a charging station with MCS charging points to the grid, it may require local upgrading of lines and transformers, but also upgrading in otherparts of the network. Examples of such upgrades are reactive power compensation to be able to support the network locally at peak loads to obtain voltage levels within stable voltage ranges, but also upgrades of lines and transformers to be able to deliver the desired power. Integration of a battery storage in connection with a charging station relieves the powergrid and its components. However, it is important to highlight that since the battery needs to be recharged, this means that a more even power requirement is needed. However, the  maximum load on both transformers and lines is reduced, which can be a desirable effect when a charging station of the same nature is put into operation.

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<p>Why do municipalities bid for mega-events? Simply bidding for these events, such as the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games or a World Expo, can run into the millions of dollars. The cost of hosting such a large-scale international event now runs into the billions of dollars. It would appear to be an economic risk, yet cities, and their respective countries, around the world continue to choose this public policy path. Using urban regime theory, and focusing on the work of Stone, Stoker and Mossberger, this research investigates the actors and their motivations surrounding the Commonwealth Games bids by Melbourne, Australia for 2006, Halifax, Nova Scotia for 2014, and Hamilton, Ontario for 1994, 2010 and 2014. Civic pride, economic development, tourism growth and infrastructure improvements are all motivating factors and a mega-event is seen as a short-cut to achieving these public policy goals. We conclude that strong cooperation between the public and private sectors is necessary, as well as comparable cooperation between the upper levels of government and the host city, for a seriously competitive bid in a Western democracy, and that the weaker the cooperation, the less resolve and likelihood there is to host an expensive event at any cost. This research not only furthers political science knowledge in the sports public policy field, but also confirms the use of urban regime theory as a useful framework in comparative urban analysis as it allows us to categorize actors and motivations as we compare across municipalities.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

yes / This article highlights and analyses a hitherto largely neglected dimension to the growing agency of large developing countries in global affairs: their hosting of international sports mega-events. Why are large developing countries hosting sports mega-events and what does this contemporary phenomenon tell us about the significance of, for example, the Olympics and the World Cup in global affairs? We explore these questions through brief examination of the cases of the three most active sports mega-event hosting states in recent times: Brazil, China and South Africa. The 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and the upcoming 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil provide interesting examples with which to explore developing country agency in the international system and in particular the discursive basis of that agency. We see the hosting of sports mega-events as the practice of public diplomacy by states to both demonstrate existing soft power capability as well as pursue its further enhancement.

This thesis confronts the ultimate limits of perceiving the constructed world and the limits of our ability to experience architecture. The imperative of architecture is poetic: to and project encounters between matter and energy that shape the existing and bring forth the as yet unimagined to form a continuing human world. This is explored through the imagining of a habitat and vessel that projects the human endeavor of architecture into the formless depth of space. In drawing the physical from the void, the page becomes a way to move architecture from non-existence into the real by means of the imagination. An imagined wold is drawn from the void in search of the center for a universal and humanist architecture. The thesis is conceived as a vehicle for drawing the limits of perception when we attempt to imagine that which is greater than ourselves. / Master of Architecture

This Project demonstrates a constructive approach in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where the building would be a symbol of luxury. The auto mall gives a common platform to different car makers to display their cars and address their competition under one roof which would be convenient for customers to compare cars. The building has twelve show room units. Each unit has a display area, offices, and a service area. The roof structure system facilitates a large open span beneath it. A series of concrete arches is the most significant element of design in the building since it not only holds the roof structure but also brings its individuality and defines the character of the building. With a free column plan beneath it, customers will have a better view of cars presented in show rooms. The structural system in lower floors is separated from the roof to facilitate a different structure system. This project is designed to attract tourists as well as local residents to address the growth and the new social life of the Middle East's wealthiest city. / Master of Architecture

The City of Stockholm has undergone a curious process of considering whether to launch a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. That Stockholm has contemplated launching a bid is not surprising from a regional perspective—the Olympic Games have not been held in a Scandinavian country since Lillehammer, Norway played host in 1994 and Sweden has never hosted the Winter Olympics. A potential bid from Stockholm would also be consistent with Sweden's self-identification and embracement of being a 'sportive nation'. Failed applications by the Swedish cities of Gothenburg, Falun, and Östersund to host the Winter Olympic Games confirm the long-standing interest of the Swedish Olympic Committee to secure the Games, although it should be noted that the Swedish Olympic Committee did not submit a bid for the 2006, 2010, 2014 or 2018 Winter Olympic Games competitions. Although recent reports indicate that Stockholm will not vie for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the notion that the city was even considering the option remains surprising. Stockholm had withdrawn its bid from the 2022 bidding competition citing a variety of concerns including a lack of government and public support, financial uncertainty, as well as the post-event viability of purpose-built infrastructure. Stockholm's withdrawal from the 2022 competition resonates with the growing apprehension by potential bid cities (especially those emerging from democratic countries) towards the Olympic Games. This thesis seeks to illustrate that Stockholm's Olympic hopes have book-ended a transformative period in the Olympic bidding process and to expose the struggle that bid cities have in adjusting to the demands of the IOC's bidding process. / Master of Science / The City of Stockholm’s recent Olympic hosting ambition has gone through a tumultuous and curious process in recent years. This ambition is especially visible during the 2026 Winter Olympic bidding process in which the Swedish Olympic Committee considered the feasibility to bid for the Games. While smaller Swedish cities including Gothenburg, Falun and Östersund have all failed in materializing a competitive bid for the Winter Olympics, the ambition still lingers. Although media reports state that Stockholm will not consider a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the notion that Stockholm was even considering the option to bid remains surprising recognizing that the Swedish capital withdrew its 2022 Winter Olympic bid due to lack of support from both the public and the city government. The issues behind Stockholm’s withdrawal of their 2022 bid falls in line with comparable complications that the International Olympic Committee has witnessed regarding other, similar social democratic countries withdrawing bids at a higher rate than normal. These issues include a variety of concerns ranging from lack of political and public support, financial uncertainty, and the usage of purpose-built Winter Olympic venues after the conclusion of the Games. This thesis investigates the transformative period of the Swedish Olympic Committees ambitions for the Olympic Games, while also highlighting issues that can arise during the bidding process, including difficulties and adjustments required by the International Olympic Committee.

Interação genótipo × ambiente (GEI) é uma questão extremamente importante no melhoramento genético de plantas e produção. A seleção e recomendação de genótipos superiores são dificultadas devido à ocorrência de GEI e representa um grande desafio para os pesquisadores. Nesse contexto, as análises biplot têm sido cada vez mais utilizadas na análise de dados agronômicos, em que os dados são representados por uma tabela de dupla entradas de médias de GEI. Entretanto, as particularidades existentes no gráfico biplot dificultam sua interpretação, podendo induzir o pesquisador a erros. Existem vários modelos na literatura para análise de DGE (dados de GEI), entre eles, os mais utilizados são os modelos AMMI (Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction) e GGE biplot (Genotype main effects + Genotype environment interaction). O modelo AMMI é um método estatístico para compreender a estrutura de interações entre genótipos e ambientes, que combina a análise de variância e a análise de componentes principais, para ajustar, respectivamente, os efeitos principais (G e E) e os efeitos da GEI. O GGE Biplot agrupa o efeito aditivo de genótipo com o efeito multiplicativo da GEI, e submete estes à análise de componentes principais. Existem dois problemas na utilização destes modelos: i) só pode ser utilizado para analisar dados MET (multi-ambientes), que tenha uma única característica e ii) cujos ambientes são heterogêneos. O presente trabalho tem como objetivos propor novos modelos W-GGE biplot (Weighted Genotype main effects + Genotype environment interaction) e AMMI-ponderado para análise de dados multi-ambientes, além de fazer uma comparação entre os modelos existentes como AMMI e GGE biplot; análise de mega-ambiente; avaliação de genótipos, ambiente de teste dentro de cada mega-ambiente e compreender as causas da GEI. / Genotype × environment interaction (GEI) is an extremely important issue in plant breeding and production. The selection and recommendation of superior genotypes are hampered due to the occurrence of GEI and represents a major challenge for researchers. In this context, biplot analyzes have been increasingly used in analyzing agronomic data, in which data are represented by a table of two entries of means of GEI. However, the particularities in the biplot graphic hamper its interpretation, and could lead the researcher to errors. There are several models in the literature for DGE analysis (GEI data), among them, the most used are the AMMI model (Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction Models) and GGE biplot (Genotype main effects + Genotype environment interaction). The AMMI model is a statistical method to understand the structure of interactions between genotypes and environments, combining the analysis of variance and principal component analysis, to adjust, respectively, the main effects (G and E) and the effects of GEI. The GGE Biplot groups genotype of additive effect with multiplicative effect of GEI, and submit these to the principal component analysis. There are two problems in using these models: i) can only be used to analyze MET data (multi-environments), which has a unique feature and ii) whose environments are heterogeneous. This paper aims to propose new W-GGE biplot models (Weighted Genotype main efffects + Genotype environment interaction) and AMMI-weighted multi-environments for data analysis, and make a comparison between the existing models as AMMI and GGE biplot; mega-environment analysis; genotype evaluation, test environment within each mega-environment and understand the causes of GEI.