Studien undersöker hur fyra stora, skandinaviska, serieförvärvande företag som är verksamma på den svenska marknaden ser på förvärvsuppföljning, hur förvärvsuppföljning ter sig samt vad företagen gör med information som utvinns genom uppföljning. En kvalitativ metod användes och studien baseras på intervjuer med de undersökta företagen. Studiens slutsats är att, även om företagen anser att förvärvsuppföljning är viktig, så genomförs inte uppföljning av förvärvsprojekt i samtliga företag på så vis som tidigare forskning föreslår. I de studerade företagen följs de finansiella målen oftast upp, medan uppföljning av icke-finansiella mått sker genom en mer löpande och ad hoc avstämning. Vidare finner studien indikationer på att erfarenhet spelar roll vid förvärvsprocessen och att integration är av betydelse gällande förvärvsuppföljning.

O papel do complemento na modulação da resposta de células dendríticas não é bem entendido. Neste trabalho observamos que estas células produzirem proteínas do complemento e que o componente C3 regula positivamente a expressão de DC-SIGN, HLA-DR, CD1a, CD80 e CD86 e a produção de IL-6 e IL-12 por células dendríticas humanas. Também observamos, em modelo murino, menor expressão de MHC-II em células dendríticas C5aR-/-, a qual está associada com menor expressão do transativador de MHC-II; menor expressão de moléculas coestimuladoras nas células C3aR-/-, C5aR-/- e C5L2-/- e menor produção de IL-12p40, IL-12p70 e IL-6 em resposta a ligantes de TLR2 pelas células C3aR-/- e C5aR-/-. Conseqüentemente, a ausência de sinal pelos C3aR e C5aR, regula negativamente a habilidade destas células na indução da resposta de linfócitos T CD4+, modificando os níveis de proliferação e citocinas produzidas. De maneira conjunta, observamos participação do complemento na diferenciação e maturação de células dendríticas e no desenvolvimento da resposta imune adaptativa. / The role of complement in the modulation of dendritic cells functions remains elusive. Here we show that these cells are able to produce complement proteins and that complement C3 upregulates the expression of DC-SIGN, HLA-DR, CD1a, CD80 and CD86 and the production of IL-6 e IL-12 by human dendritic cells. We also observed, in a mouse model, lower expression of MHC-II in C5aR-/- dendritic cells, which is correlated to lower expression of MHC-II transactivator; lower expression of costimmulatory molecules in C3aR-/-, C5aR-/- and C5L2-/- cells and lower production of IL-12p40, IL-12p70 and IL-6 by C3aR-/- and C5aR-/- cells in response to TLR2 stimulation. In consequence to the absence of C3aR and/or C5aR signaling we observed that these cells have lower ability to induce CD4+ T cells proliferation and production of Th1 cytokines. Together our data show a participation of complement in dendritic cell differentiation and maturation and in the polarization of adaptative immune responses.

"The goal of this thesis is to extend the theory and practice of matrix completion algorithms, and how they can be utilized, improved, and scaled up to handle large data sets. Matrix completion involves predicting missing entries in real-world data matrices using the modeling assumption that the fully observed matrix is low-rank. Low-rank matrices appear across a broad selection of domains, and such a modeling assumption is similar in spirit to Principal Component Analysis. Our focus is on large scale problems, where the matrices have millions of rows and columns. In this thesis we provide new analysis for the convergence rates of matrix completion techniques using convex nuclear norm relaxation. In addition, we validate these results on both synthetic data and data from two real-world domains (recommender systems and Internet tomography). The results we obtain show that with an empirical, data-inspired understanding of various parameters in the algorithm, this matrix completion problem can be solved more efficiently than some previous theory suggests, and therefore can be extended to much larger problems with greater ease. "

PURPOSE: To understand why adolescents who initiate the HPV vaccine series fail to complete all three shots. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were performed with parents/guardians of 11-17 year old daughters and pediatric primary care providers in one inner-city public clinic and three private practices to determine why girls who received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine did or did not complete the series. The number of shots received was confirmed by electronic medical record review. Content analysis was used to identify themes related to series completion. RESULTS: 65 parents/guardians participated: 37 whose daughters received 1 or 2 doses of HPV vaccine and 28 whose daughters completed 3 doses. Most (n=24, 65%) parents/guardians failed to complete the series because they thought the clinics would remind them of subsequent doses. 9 (24%) cited logistical barriers. 4 (11%) decided to stop the vaccine series. 33 providers participated: 24 physicians, 3 nurse practitioners, and 6 registered nurses. 52% of providers told parents to schedule appointments, 41% scheduled the second dose at the time the first dose was given, and 7% tried to immunize patients when they returned for other appointments; providers confirmed that few parents chose to stop the series. No practice had a system in place to ensure series completion. CONCLUSIONS: Most failure to complete the HPV vaccine series occurred because providers expected parents to make appointments while parents expected to be reminded. Increased use of reminder/recall systems and clear communication of expectations regarding appointment scheduling could improve completion rates.

The purpose of this study was to identify course sequencing associated with Industrial Technology Associate of Applied Science students who persisted to graduation at Northeast State Community College (NSCC) in Blountville, TN. The participants in this study were first-time full-time freshman Advanced Technology students whose 3-year program of study at NSCC happened during the years of 2009-2012, 2010-2013, and 2011-2014. Participants were divided into 2 groups, students who graduated (completers) and students who did not graduate (noncompleters). The researcher examined student persistence to graduation. Data for this study were obtained from the college’s information database. The predictive variables used included whether a required learning support reading course was taken during semester 1, whether a required learning support writing course was taken during semester 1, the percentage of technical courses taken during semester 1, the percentage of technical courses taken during semester 2, the percentage of general-education courses taken during semester 1, and the percentage of general-education courses taken during semester 2. This study was conducted using quantitative methods to determine course sequencing and relationships among course scheduling characteristics that may affect student retention and persistence to graduation. Data were analyzed using Chi Square tests of independence (2-way contingency tables) to determine whether there was a significant association among variables. The study data were used to analyze the relationship between the ratios of courses taken in either career-focused or general-education courses during the first 2 semesters of attendance. The hours taken value in each category was divided by the total hours attempted during the semester value. The data were coded as nominal data into 5 categories, 0%-20%, 21%-40%, 41%-60%, 61%-80%, and 81%-100%. A Chi Square test of independence was used for the analysis of all questions to determine significance. All questions were analyzed at the .05 level of significance. The analysis indicated that students requiring at least 1 learning support course experienced a negative effect and were less likely to graduate from the program in 3 years. The percent of career-focused courses taken during the second semester were significantly related to graduation in 3 years. There was a negative effect on graduation in 3 years for students who enrolled in 40% or less career-focused courses and a positive effect for students who enrolled in 60% or more career-focused courses during the second semester.

For the past century the federal government has been an active partner with state and local agencies to develop water supplies in the arid West. The last of the large-scale federal reclamation projects to be completed is the Central Utah Project or CUP. The CUP has generated considerable controversy throughout its history. The projects opponents have criticized its expense in terms of both dollars and environmental damage while others have worried about its impact on their water rights. Because of its cost and complexity, planning and construction have spanned decades. This has allowed individuals, organizations, and government agencies opportunity to attempt to influence the plans for the project to address their concerns. During six different periods—the initial congressional debate, project planning, the drafting of environmental impact statement in response to the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act, a lawsuit challenging that document, President Jimmy Carter's reevaluation of the project as a part of the so called "hit list," local reauthorization of the projects repayment contract—these groups worked to alter the Bureau's plans to reduce the environmental, social, and fiscal impacts of the project. Despite multiple attempts, they failed to significantly alter the Bureau's, increase environmental mitigation, or decrease environmental impacts. However, the project's opponents had been given a seventh opportunity. In the late 1980s, after a half century of planning and more than 20 years of construction—the Bureau knew that it could not finish the project without increasing the congressionally authorized spending limits. At a time of waning federal support for such projects, the Democratic leaders of both the House and Senate committees controlling Bureau projects, Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ) and Congressman George Miller (D-CA), blocked the bill until the Utah delegation addressed the environmental concerns and objections of the project's critics. Determined to keep the project alive, Utah's sole Democrat in Congress, Wayne Owens, acted as a mediator and began to negotiate a compromise. A determined five year effort resulted in a seventy-five page compromise bill that allowed the project to move forward while addressing the major concerns of the project's opponents. Congress passed the Central Utah Project Completion Act in October 1992. The Completion Act cut some of the projects irrigation features, increased the amount of local cost share, shifted planning and oversight for the remaining features from the Bureau to the local water District, and mandated increased environmental mitigation overseen by a new independent federal agency. This thesis identifies the primary concerns of the CUP's critics and traces their attempts to alter the Bureau's plans to address these concerns. Further, it provides a more detailed account of the arduous, but ultimately successful attempt to alter the project during the Congressional debates that created and authorized the Central Utah Project Completion Act. Finally, it assesses the success of the legislation to meet it stated goals during the first decade of implementation.

The present study examined the responses of 332 Kainai students ranging in age from 6 to 16 years to the Information, Arithmetic, and Picture Completion subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) in order to determine the validity of these subtests as a measure of their intelligence. Two indices of validity were assessed: (a) subtest unidimensionality, and (b) order of item difficulty. With regard to the assumption of unidimensionality, examination of the data indicated low item-factor loadings on the Information, Arithmetic, and Picture Completion subtests. Examination of difficulty parameters revealed a nonlinear item difficulty order on all three subtests. These results support the conclusion of previous research that the WISC-R does not adequately assess the intelligence of Native children. Possible bases for the invalidity of the WISC-R for this population are discussed and recommendations for future research are presented.

Postsecondary English language education is a growing industry in the United States. While there has been considerable research on international student mobility in higher education, there is limited research on the population’s participation in U.S. English language programs (ELPs). The purpose of the study was to apply existing theories and data analysis to understand postsecondary English language program participation and create a foundation for future studies. This exploratory study examined the characteristics of international students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary ELPs. The researcher investigated the relationship between ELP enrollment with U.S. higher education enrollment as well as the relationship between ELP enrollment by destination location, ELP provider type, gender and country of origin. Finally, the researcher analyzed the completion rate of international students in U.S. postsecondary ELPs by gender and country of origin. Data from 2004-2014 were collected from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report. Data analysis was conducted through quantitative methods. Findings of this study may help educators reflect on the form and function of current English language programs to improve the quality of future ELPs.

Research about retention of nursing students has focused on either specific student characteristics or on nursing students at the university level. A problem experienced by a community college nursing program in Maryland is low completion rates, which can affect the institution and the nursing profession. This qualitative case study explored faculty-related factors leading to success of students in the nursing program at this school, so the low completion rate can be addressed. The conceptual foundations for this study were Tinto's theory of student retention and Jeffreys' nursing undergraduate retention and success model. The research questions addressed how faculty-related factors affected students' success in the nursing program. The study was conducted with 9 second year nursing students and 7 nursing faculty providing information through face to face interviews at a community college in central Maryland. Data analysis was conducted using inductive processes to code, identify, and analyze the themes. The findings of this case study suggested that students can benefit from improving their critical thinking abilities. The findings of this case study also suggested that faculty affect students' critical thinking abilities when faculty are approachable, provide a nurturing environment, and are helpful to students. A professional development workshop for nursing faculty and staff was developed based on the findings from these study results. This workshop will provide guidance to faculty and staff on strategies to assist student with improving critical thinking abilities. Implications for positive social change include addressing the nursing shortage by increasing the number of qualified nursing students from this program, understanding the perspectives of nursing students, and helping to meet the needs of nursing students.

Retaining adult education students has been a growing concern. The new GED requirements have generated low completion rates for a free GED program in a 3-year period, in a non-profit agency in a Southeastern state. Instructors are concerned about this problem and need to understand the factors that are inhibiting adult learners from successfully attaining their GED. This qualitative research design was the most appropriate to answer the research questions to determine the experiences that caused the adult learners to not complete the program and identify potential educational strategies needed to improve retention. Sticht's functional context theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Fourteen adult learners previously enrolled in the free GED program participated in in-depth, individual interviews. Thematic analysis, NVivo and open coding were used to identify, describe, and interpret data. The findings indicated that lack of computer and typing skills, the conversion from paper and pencil to computerized testing, and the onset of temporary and personal and family obstacles were factors that contributed to learners not successfully completing the program. Reinstatement of tutors and mentors and providing the participants with a well-defined curriculum for the GED courses were potential solutions to improve retention. The overwhelming evidence from the participants also suggested that a curriculum for a professional development training for instructors facilitating the online courses is an educational strategy for a potential solution to the local problem. This project has the probability to produce social change because it provides GED instructors researched-based instruction to facilitate online courses effectively to improve retention.