Background The debate regarding the lower age limit for mammography service screening is old and lively; a product in part of the lower breast cancer risk in younger ages as well as the limited data available for studies of the younger age group. Recently the idea of inviting only high risk groups has gained momentum, however high risk might not be equivalent to greater benefit from screening. Therefore, there is a need for information on effectiveness of screening as it relates to young women and to specific risk groups. To this end, this thesis evaluates mammography screening for the age group – 40 to 49 year old women – in terms of breast cancer mortality reduction in total and in subgroups based on breast cancer risk factors. Overdiagnosis of mammography screening is also evaluated for women 40 to 49 years old. In addition, this thesis presents a statistical method to estimate this effectiveness and to test for differences in effectiveness between subgroups adjusted for non-compliance and contamination. Methods The studies of this thesis are based on data from the Screening of Young Women (SCRY) database. The SCRY database consists of detailed information on diagnosis, death, screening exposure and risk factors for breast cancer cases and population size by year (between 1986 and 2005) and municipality for women in Sweden between 40 and 49 years old. The material was divided into a study group consisting of the counties that invited women in the age group 40-49 years to mammography screening, and a contemporaneous control group consisting of the counties that did not. Effectiveness was estimated in terms of rate ratios for two different exposures (invitation to and participation in screening), and overdiagnosis for subsequent screening was estimated adjusting for lead time bias. Defining a reference period enabled adjustment for possible underlying differences in breast cancer mortality and incidence. A statistical model for adjusting for non-compliance and contamination in randomised controlled trials was further developed to allow for adjustment in cohort studies using a Poisson model with log-linear structure for exposure and background risk. Results During the study period (1986-2005), there were 619 and 1205 breast cancer deaths and 6047 and 7790 breast cancer cases in the study group and the control groups, respectively. For women between 40 and 49 years old, the breast cancer mortality reduction was estimated at 26% [95% CI, 17 to 34%] for invited to screening and 29% [95% CI, 20 to 38%] for attending screening. The RR estimates for the high-risk groups based on the risk factors parity, age at birth of first child, and socio-economic status were equal to or higher than that of the low risk groups. The new statistical method showed that the decrease in effectiveness with parity was not a statistically significant trend. The overdiagnosis from subsequent screening for 40 to 49 year old women was estimated at 1% [95 % CI, -6 to 8 %] (i.e., not statistically significant). Conclusion Subgroup specific effectiveness was also estimated. The relative effectiveness of screening for breast cancer with mammography for women age 40 to 49 years appears to be comparable to that for older women. These findings and the fact that there was no statistically significant overdiagnosis from subsequent screening speak for inviting women 40 to 49 years old to screening. High-risk screening for nulliparous women aged 40 to 49 years, for example, might be an alternative in countries where population-based screening for all women between 40 and 49 years old is not possible. However, the matter of risk factors and the effect of their combinations is complex and risk group screening presents ethical and practical difficulties. The new statistical model is a useful tool for analysing cohorts with exposed and non-exposed populations where non-compliance and contamination is a potential source of bias.

Bakgrund: Globalisering har skapat ett ökat behov för företag att förbli konkurrenskraftiga. Att hantera kostnader effektivt blir allt viktigare i organisationer. Medutgångspunkt i ett fallföretag så har problem kring mätning och jämförbarhetmellan hanteringen av lagerkostnader i geografiskt spridda lager identifierats. I nuläget finns det ingen metod som jämför hur väl hanteringen av lagerkostnader görs i olika länder. De landspecifika egenskaperna skapar olikheter och för att åstadkomma en jämförbarhet så krävs anpassad ekonomistyrning. Syfte: Syftet är att utveckla en kalkylmodell som möjliggör en homogen mätning för olika länders hantering av lagerkostnader. Detta ska kunna skapa en jämförbarhet mellan geografiskt spridda lager. Studien ska utveckla ett komplement till rådande beslutsunderlag som avser stödja en organisations beslutsprocess för lageroptimering. Metod: Här motiveras vilka metodologiska val som gjorts under studiens gång. För att studien ska uppnå sitt syfte så har vi först utvärderat det befintliga styrmedlet för att sen genomföra modellutvecklingen i förhållande till uppställda kriterier för innehålls- och processegenskaper. Materialet för studien har samlats in via det multinationella företaget och genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre respondenter inom företaget. Avsnittet motiverar valet av teori och empiri som används och huruvida utvecklingen av modellen i analysdelen ska leda till studiens slutsats. Slutsats: Organisationer har sedan tidigare använt prestationsmätningar för att genom ekonomistyrning kontrollera sina lagerkostnader. Den ökade globalisering har försvårat jämförbarheten givet landsspecifika variabler som påverkar kostnaderna. Genom en kalkylmodellering har ett lagerkostnadsindex utvecklats vilket representerar en standardiserad varukorg. Kapitalstrukturerna neutraliseras och en intern benchmarking möjliggör på så vis att samtliga lagerlokaler kan introduceras att hantera sina lagerkostnader på bästa sätt. / Background: Globalization has created a growing need for companies to remain competitive. It’s becoming more important to manage costs effectively in organizations. Based on a case company problems regarding measurement and comparability of management in warehouse costs between geographically dispersed countries has been identified. Currently there’s no method available for comparison of cost-efficiency of warehouse costs in different countries. The country-specific characteristics create differences. In order to achieve comparability adapted financial control is needed. Purpose: The purpose is to develop a model that enables a homogeneous measurement for management of warehouse costs in different countries. With the intention to make possible comparability between geographically dispersed warehouses. The case study will develop a complement to the existing decision-making. With the aim to support the organization’s decision-making process for warehouse optimization. Method: A motivation for methodological choices made during the study will be presented here. We have first evaluated the existing instrument and then implemented the model in relation to criteria for content- and process characteristics, in order to achieve the aims of the study. Material for the study was collected through the multinational company and by semi-structured interviews with three employees from the company. The section justifies the choice of theory and empirical content used. In the analysis a justification for whether the development of the model leads to the study’s conclusion. Conclusion: Organizations have previously used performance measurements for their financial control of warehouse costs. The increased globalization has complicated the comparability due to country-specific variables that affect costs. Warehouse cost indexes have been developed through a model that takes into account a standardized basket of goods that are relatable to warehouse costs. The capital structure becomes neutralized and internal benchmarking enables such that all warehouse costs can be compared in order to how cost-efficient each and every are.

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are a class of easily decodable error-correcting codes. Published parallel LDPC decoders demonstrate high throughput and low energy-per-bit but require a lot of silicon area. Decoders based on digit-online arithmetic (processing several bits per fundamental operation) process messages in a digit-serial fashion, reducing the area requirements, and can process multiple frames in frame-interlaced fashion. Implementations on Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) are usually power- and area-hungry, but provide flexibility compared with application-specific integrated circuit implementations. With the penetration of mobile devices in the electronics industry the power considerations have become increasingly important. The power consumption of a digit-online decoder depends on various factors, like input log-likelihood ratio (LLR) bit precision, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and maximum number of iterations. The design is implemented on an Altera Stratix IV GX EP4SGX230 FPGA, which comes on an Altera DE4 Development and Education Board. In this work, both parallel and digit-online block LDPC decoder implementations on FPGAs for WiMAX 576-bit, rate-3/4 codes are studied, and power measurements from the DE4 board are reported. Various components of the system include a random-data generator, WiMAX Encoder, shift-out register, additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) generator, channel LLR buffer, WiMAX Decoder and bit-error rate (BER) Calculator. The random-data generator outputs pseudo-random bit patterns through an implemented linear-feedback shift register (LFSR). Digit-online decoders with input LLR precisions ranging from 6 to 13 bits and parallel decoders with input LLR precisions ranging from 3 to 6 bits are synthesized in a Stratix IV FPGA. The digit-online decoders can be clocked at higher frequency for higher LLR precisions. A digit-online decoder can be used to decode two frames simultaneously in frame-interlaced mode. For the 6-bit implementation of digit-online decoder in single-frame mode, the minimum throughput achieved is 740 Mb/s at low SNRs. For the case of 11-bit LLR digit-online decoder in frame-interlaced mode, the minimum throughput achieved is 1363 Mb/s. Detailed analysis such as effect of SNR and LLR precision on decoder power is presented. Also, the effect of changing LLR precision on max clock frequency and logic utilization on the parallel and the digit-online decoders is studied. Alongside, power per iteration for a 6-bit LLR input digit-online decoder is also reported.

This study aims to investigate currency substitution and financial dollarization in Turkey. The extend of dollarization in Turkey appears to be very high according to both the conventional currency substitution and the recently developed financial dollarization measures. This has serious policy implications as a source of financial fragility through currency/maturity mismatches and balance sheet effects. The empirical part of this study contained an investigation of the long run relationships between the variables in a system containing currency substitution ratio, expected exchange rate change and rates of return on domestic and foreign currency denominated assets. The results of the Johansen cointegration analysis based on quarterly data for the 1987-2004 period appeared not to be strongly supporting the General Portfolio Balance Model (GPBM). The theoretical part of this study suggests that the GPBM can be reduced to the Sequential Portfolio Balance Model (SPBM) under the uncovered interest parity (UIP) hypothesis. Consequently, the GPBM may be misleading under UIP. The Johansen cointegration results suggested the validity of the UIP for the Turkish data. The estimation of the SPBM suggested that there is a long-run relationship between currency substitution and expected exchange rate change in Turkey. The elasticity of currency substitution appeared to be high but consistent with those estimated for other high inflation developing countries. The results further supported the presence of a ratchet/hysteresis effect proxied by a trend variable. All these results are consistent with the argument that currency substitution and financial dollarization are important especially in high inflation countries.

-Exchange Rate Dynamics under Financial Market FrictionsThis paper extends Dornbusch's overshooting model by proposing "generalized interest parity condition", which assumes sluggish adjustment on the asset market. The exchange rate model under the generalized interest parity condition is able to reproduce the delayed overshooting of nominal exchange rates and the hump-shaped response to monetary shocks of both nominal and real exchange rates.-Electoral Cycle of Exchange Rate in KoreaThis paper empirically investigates the real exchange rate behavior around elections in Korea. We find that the real exchange rate depreciates more before the elections but there is no clear pattern found after the elections. Interestingly, this result is the opposite of the electoral cycle found in Latin American countries. To explain this results we should consider the difference between economic backgrounds of Korea and Latin American countries.-Exchange Rate Regime, Capital Market Openness and Monetary Policy; The Trilemma in KoreaThis paper tests the trilemma proposition by performing an empirical study of Korea. Korea has distinct periods of all combinations of exchange rate regime and capital market openness in trilemma: pegged exchange rate regime under capital controls, pegged exchange rate regime under free capital mobility, and floating exchange rate regime under free capital mobility. We check whether monetary autonomy exists in each of the three different combinations. We find that monetary autonomy existed over the periods with capital controls and the periods with floating exchange rate regime. For the periods with the pegged exchange rate regime and free capital mobility, monetary autonomy was limited. In addition, we identify that just before the financial crisis the government pursued autonomic monetary policy under pegged exchange rate regime and free capital mobility, thereby defying the trilemma.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fault detection and isolation (FDI) is an important aspect of effective fault tolerant control architectures. The Electronic System Laboratory at Stellenbosch University identified the need to study viable methods of FDI. In this research two FDI methods for actuator failures on the Meraka Modular UAV are investigated. The Meraka Modular UAV is an unmanned aircraft that was developed by the CSIR. A simple six degree of freedom non-linear mathematical model is developed that presents a platform on which the two FDI methods are formulated. The theoretical model is used in a simulation environment to extensively test and compare the performance of the proposed FDI methods in different types of flight conditions. The first method investigated is a multiple model adaptive estimator (MMAE), which incorporates a bank of Kalman filters. Each Kalman filter in the MMAE is conditioned for each expected actuator fault scenario. The limitations of using linear Kalman filters are explained and they are replaced by extended Kalman filters, whose associated advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Each filter in the bank of Kalman filters produces a residual vector and residual covariance matrix. This information is subjected to a Bayes classifier to determine the fault scenario which will have the highest likelihood of being active. The second method that is studied incorporates the parity space approach for FDI. The parity space consists of the parity relations that quantify all the analytical redundancies available between the sensors’ outputs and actuator inputs of a system. A transformation matrix is then optimised to transform these parity relations into residuals that are specially sensitive to specific actuator faults. Actuator faults cause the parity space residuals’ variance to increase. A cumulative summation procedure is used to determine when the residuals’ variance has changed sufficiently to indicate an actuator fault. A pseudoinverse actuator estimation scheme is used to extract the actuator deflections from the parity relations. The FDI performance is tested by deliberately failing specific actuators of the Meraka Modular UAV in-flight. The flight test data is then used to analyse and compare the performance of the two FDI methods investigated in the research. It is found that, for the specific Meraka Modular UAV, the FDI performs as expected with disturbance effects and actuator excitation influencing the FDI effectiveness. The research shows that the bank of Kalman filters creates less false alarms whereas the parity space FDI is more sensitive to faults. It is illustrated that FDI can be improved with active actuator excitation and process noise estimation techniques, delivering promising results. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Fout-deteksie en -isolasie (FDI) is belangrik vir ’n stelsel se beheerder om foute te kan hanteer. Die Elektroniese Stelsellabaratorium (ESL) by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het die behoefte geïdentifiseer om te gaan kyk na moontlike FDI-stelsels wat gebruik kan word op hul onbemande vliegtuie (OV). In hierdie navorsing is daar na twee FDI-metodes gekyk wat op die Meraka Modulêre OV toegepas kan word. Die Meraka Modulêre OV is ’n vliegtuig wat deur die WNNR ontwikkel is. ’n Eenvoudige sesgrade- van-vryheid, nie-liniêre wiskundige model van die Meraka Modulêre OV is ontwikkel, en die FDI-metodes is rondom hierdie model geformuleer. Die teoretiese model is gebruik in ’n simulasie-omgewing en die werkverrigting van die twee FDI-metodes is in verskillende vlug-omstandighede getoets en vergelyk. Die eerste metode waarna gekyk is, was ’n multi-model aanpasbare afskatter (MMAA), wat ’n bank van Kalman-filters gebruik. Elke Kalman-filter in die MMAA is gekondisioneer vir elke denkbare aktueerder-fout. Die beperkinge rondom liniêre Kalman-filters is uitgelig en vergelyk met uitgebreide Kalman-filters, waarvan die voor- en nadele bespreek is. Elke filter in die MMAA produseer ’n residu-vektor en residu-kovariansiematriks. Hierdie informasie is na ’n Bayes-klassifiseerder gestuur om te bepaal watter fout-senario die grootste waarskynlikheid het om aktief te wees. Die tweede metode waarna gekyk is, het die pariteitsruimte vir FDI gebruik. Die pariteitsruimte is uit al die pariteitsverwantskappe opgebou wat die verhoudings tussen al die insette en uitsette van ’n sisteem kwantifiseer. ’n Transformasie-matriks is geoptimaliseer om hierdie pariteitsverwantskappe te transformeer na residue wat elkeen sensitief is tot ’n spesikiefe aktueerderfout. ’n Spesifieke aktueerderfout veroorsaak dat ’n spesifieke residu se variansie verhoog. ’n Kummulatiewe sommeringsproses is dan gebruik om te bepaal of die variansie genoegsaam toegeneem het. Sodoende kon daar bepaal word of ’n fout ontstaan het. ’n Pseudo-inversaktueerder-afskattingstegniek is gebruik om die afgeskatte aktueerderdefleksie uit die pariteitsverwantskappe te onttrek. Die FDI-werkverrigtinge van die twee metodes is getoets deur sekere aktueerders met opset te laat faal gedurende vlugtoetse. Die vlugtoetsdata is gebruik om die werkverrigting van die FDI-metodes te analiseer en met mekaar te vergelyk. Met die spesifieke Meraka Modulêre OV is, soos te wagte, bevind dat versteurings en aktueerderopwekking ’n groot invloed op die FDI’s se werkverrigtinge toon.

Submitted by Joana Vieira (joana_cvieira@hotmail.com) on 2015-10-13T12:58:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 FINAL REPORT JOANA VEIRA FGV.pdf: 3927213 bytes, checksum: a8f998809220a76b7f10b84fa630e2b0 (MD5) / Rejected by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br), reason: Joana, o numero das paginas deve contar a partir da capa, está certo mas só deve aparecer o numero a partir da introdução. fico a disposição. Ana Luiza Holme 3799-3492 on 2015-10-13T16:24:51Z (GMT) / Submitted by Joana Vieira (joana_cvieira@hotmail.com) on 2015-10-13T17:42:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 FINAL REPORT JOANA VEIRA FGV.pdf: 3951971 bytes, checksum: 667456b57a07dda99ac9aeb852a0c8ee (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br) on 2015-10-13T17:44:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 FINAL REPORT JOANA VEIRA FGV.pdf: 3951971 bytes, checksum: 667456b57a07dda99ac9aeb852a0c8ee (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-13T17:49:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FINAL REPORT JOANA VEIRA FGV.pdf: 3951971 bytes, checksum: 667456b57a07dda99ac9aeb852a0c8ee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-25 / Taking into account previous research we could assume to be beneficial to diversify investments in emerging economies. We investigate in the paper International Portfolio Diversification: evidence from Emerging Markets if it still holds true, given the assumption of larger world markets integration. Our results suggest a wide spread positive time-varying correlations of emerging and developed markets. However, pair-wise cross-country correlations gave evidence that emerging markets have low integration with developed markets. Consequently, we evaluate out-of-sample performance of a portfolio with emerging equity countries, confirming the initial statement that it has a better a risk-adjusted performance over a purely developed markets portfolio.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:54:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2002-09-16T00:00:00Z / The aim of this paper is to test whether the correction of the interest parity conditions by market expectancy (uncovered parity) and by risk premium (covered and uncovered parity) results in a (close) econometric validation of the non-arbitrage relationship. In order to accomplish this goal, we combined domestic and non-domestic fixed rate instruments and applied time series econometrics. To start with, we tested the traditional interest parity condition (covered and uncovered). In the next step, we tested again but with risk premium incorporated. In the case of UIP (uncovered interest parity), we didn't obtain satisfactory results, even adjusting for risk premium. This adjustment led to correct coefficient signals, but the magnitude of the exchange devaluation coefficient got too high. Even though we had obtained CIP (covered interest parity) validity, this result was not expected, as this would imply that the country risk premium was null along this period. After adjusting the CIP for default risk premium, the series don't cointegrate any longer, i.e., the default risk premium would have a behavior independent from future premium and interest differential. The possible reasons for the non-expected results are: sample intervalless than 3 years, data measurement error or simuItaneous control of exchange rate and interest rate by monetary policy authorities. / O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar se o ajustamento das condições de paridade de juros por expectativa do mercado (paridade descoberta) e por prêmios de risco (paridades coberta e descoberta) leva à validação da relação de não-arbitragem subjacente, ou pelo menos a resultados econométricos mais próximos de sua validação. Para isso, combinamos taxas de retornos de instrumentos de renda fixa domésticos e norte-americanos e aplicamos o arcabouço econométrico de séries de tempo. Como primeiro passo de investigação, aplicamos a paridade de juros (descoberta e coberta) na sua forma tradicional. No passo seguinte aplicamos os testes econométricos às condições de paridade ajustadas por um prêmio de risco. No caso da PDJ, não obtivemos resultados satisfatórios, mesmo ajustando pelos prêmios de risco. Esse ajuste propiciou uma mudança nos sinais dos coeficientes na direção correta, mas a magnitude do coeficiente da desvalorização cambial efetiva passou a destoar bastante da magnitude das outras séries. Apesar de termos obtido a validade da PCJ na forma tradicional, não esperaríamos este resultado, pois isso implicaria que o prêmio de risco país seria nulo para este período. Ajustando a PCJ pelo prêmio de risco de não-pagamento passa-se a não obter co integração entre as séries, ou seja, o prêmio de risco de não-pagamento teria um comportamento independente do prêmio futuro e do diferencial de juros. As possíveis causas para a não obtenção dos resultados esperados são: intervalo amostraI menor que 3 anos, erro de medida dos dados de survey ou tentativa do Banco Central de controlar a taxa de câmbio nominal e as taxas de juros domésticas simultaneamente.

xv, 215 p. : ill. (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / In this dissertation, several new methods for the measurement and control of transverse photonic degrees of freedom are developed. We demonstrate a mode sorter for two-dimensional (2-D) parity of transverse spatial states of light based on an out-of-plane Sagnac interferometer. The first experimental 2-D parity sorting measurements of Hermite-Gauss transverse spatial modes are presented. Due to the inherent phase stability of this type of interferometer, it provides a promising tool for the manipulation of higher order transverse spatial modes for the purposes of quantum information processing. We propose two such applications: the production of both spatial-mode entangled Bell states and heralded single photons, tailored to cover the entire Poincaré sphere of first-order transverse modes. In addition to the aforementioned transverse spatial manipulation based on free-space parity sorting, we introduce several more such techniques involving photons propagating in optical fibers. We show that when a photon propagates in a cylindrically symmetric waveguide, its spin angular momentum and its orbital angular momentum (OAM) interact. This spin-orbit interaction (SOI) leads to the prediction of several novel rotational effects: the spatial or time evolution of the photonic polarization vector is controlled by its OAM quantum number or, conversely, its spatial wave function is controlled by its spin. We demonstrate how these phenomena can be used to reversibly transfer entanglement between the spin and OAM degrees of freedom of two-particle states. In order to provide a deeper insight into the cause of the SOI for photons, we also investigate an analogous interaction for electrons in a cylindrical waveguide and find that each of the SOI effects mentioned above remain manifest for the electron case. We show that the SOI dynamics are quantitatively described by a single expression applying to both electrons and photons and explain their common origin in terms of a universal geometric phase associated with the interplay between either particle's spin and OAM. This implies that these SOI-based effects occur for any particle with spin and thereby exist independently of whether or not the particle has mass, charge, or magnetic moment. / Committee in charge: Daniel Steck, Chairperson, Physics; Michael Raymer, Member, Physics; Jens Noeckel, Member, Physics; Steven van Enk, Member, Physics; Andrew Marcus, Outside Member, Chemistry