Cast-in-place concrete in composite with steel sections is commonly used in bridge deck constructions. The shear transfer between the concrete and steel section is achieved by shear connectors and the strength calculation of conventional shear connectors, i.e. shear studs, is provided in various design codes in North America. Due to the fact that the strength equation is largely based on experimental results, the applicability of the equation is only warranted where the design matches the experimental configuration of the test specimens. Thus, the codes specify detailing requirement for the stud height and the elevation of the reinforcement mesh in relation to the stud height. However, these requirements, in particular, the elevation of the reinforcement mesh, may be difficult to meet accurately in construction practice. The implications of not meeting the mesh requirement to the strength of the shear stud and the remedy solutions are examined in this study. An experimental program involving the test of thirty-three push-out specimens was designed and conducted with a focus on the shear studs' performance. Testing parameters included reinforcement mesh position, shear stud height, presence of stud head, shear stud spacing, and steel flange surface treatment. In addition, the performance of a new type of shear studs, referred to as adjustable studs, was also studied experimentally. The ultimate load and load vs. slip curves were presented and discussed in the forms of tables and graphs. The failure modes were noted and the relationship between the failure modes and the ultimate capacity was discussed. Ultimate loads obtained from specimens were then used to assess the efficacy of code suggested values. Results showed that depending on the elevation of reinforcement mesh, three failure modes were observed including concrete related failure, combined concrete failure and bent studs and stud shear-off from the steel flange. The elevation of the reinforcement mesh had a significant effect on the ultimate load of the specimen. As the mesh elevation increased from intercepting the stud to being in flush with the top of the stud to above the stud, the ultimate load decreased. Specimens with unheaded shear studs had lower ultimate load than specimens with headed shear studs. Flange treatment had an impact on the ultimate load, where the coating on flanges resulted in a decrease in the ultimate load. Test results also showed that the close placement of the shear studs result in a reduction on the ultimate load when the other parameters were kept the same. In the comparison between conventional and adjustable shear studs, specimens with adjustable studs shared similar failure mode to those with conventional studs, but attained on average lower load capacity. The comparison with the code suggested values showed that the code suggested value is only ensured when double-layer reinforcement mesh is used and placed at code specified elevation. A single layer mesh intercepting the studs resulted in the ultimate load slightly lower than the code value. The code values for adjustable studs are markedly higher than the experimental value, which raises the question whether the code equation for conventional studs is directly transferrable to adjustable studs.

This thesis takes the reader on an exploratory journey into the development of impulse purchasing behaviour stemming from the increased usage of web-connected smartphones. At an unprecedented rate, consumers are able to access businesses online, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, at their own convenience, without restrictions other than a connection to the World Wide Web. This mobile phenomenon has effectively pushed the commercial market to new boundaries and simultaneously created new possibilities for retailers to reach out to consumers by providing seamless and innovative marketing solutions on portable devices to a fast-growing market segment. This emergent technology and the trends it brings with it, demands special attention to the analysis of consumer behaviourism. As of date, academia has put relatively little emphasis on the evolution of impulse purchasing behaviour as a product of smartphone usage. In this paper, the authors investigate the attitude of local consumers towards so-called ‘push notifications’, whose purpose is to stimulate an impulsive behaviour in the smartphone user. The results of this study show that multiple factors in relation to push notifications on smartphones play an important part in shaping the attitude of consumers and furthermore can elicit impulse buying behaviour. These factors often bridge each other and are at times mutually dependent.

In the latest time, the US has had an easy Monetary Policy. Because of the increasing link among the countries through interconnections on international trade, financial, and labor markets, such policy has not only had effects in the US economy, but also in the rest of the world. So many countries, especially emerging and developing countries, have suggested that such a policy has been causing an excessive flow of funds out of the US which are disrupting the exchange rate and competitiveness of those countries. An innovation of the analysis is that capital flows are divided in "Firm related" (direct investment and equity flows) and "Debt" (debt instruments and private loans obtained from foreign financial institutions). Another innovation is related to the measure of the external factors considering the US alone and a compound of Advanced Countries (AC) that includes: the US, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan. The performed analysis indicates that the US Monetary Policy has been having a role on the determination of the capital flows to the Latin America Countries (LAC). However, these external "push factors" have been less important than the "pull factors" from Latin America. In the model, the "push factors" reflected to have had influence on the total capital flows, especially through the global liquidity proxies measured by the growth of the monetary stock in the AC. Holding all other things constant, one percent increase in the monetary stock in the US will generate capital flows to the LAC for an amount between 0.47 to 1.71 percentages of GDP. This effect is bigger when using the proxy constructed with the US alone than when using the compound of AC. The long term interest rate registered significance only on the "Firm related" type of capital flows and only when using the compound of AC. The performed analysis also indicates that there is preeminence of the "pull" (domestic) over the "push" (external) factors. This means that the LAC have been pursuing actions such as political stability, sound and consistent economic policies, and more market oriented policies that are attracting capital flows by themselves.

Denna studie är en del i projektet Framtida kompetensförsörjning och arbetslivets längd inom Västerbottens läns landsting. Studien har syftet att kvalitativt utforska resonemang rörande pensionsintentioner hos äldre medarbetare inom landstinget, med ett specifikt fokus på påverkande faktorer inom arbetslivet. Sju semistrukturerade intervjuer har utförts med respondenter från olika yrkeskategorier. Vid analysen av intervjuerna framkom likheter i respondenternas pensionsresonemang, trots deras skilda livssituationer och tänkta pensionsåldrar. Den mest framträdande likheten var den funna kärnkategorin: möjligheten att göra ett bra arbete. Den framställdes av respondenterna som en avgörande del i hur arbetssituationen påverkade deras pensionsintentioner. Att uppleva det som möjligt att fortsätta utföra sina arbetsuppgifter på ett för en själv fullgott vis verkade vara mycket viktigt för deras fortsatta arbetsdeltagande. Faktorer i arbetet som försvårar det verkar också kunna bidra med tidigare pensionsintentioner. Samtidigt som faktorer vilka underlättar för att fortsätta göra ett bra arbete verkar bidra med senare pensionsintentioner. Kärnkategorin kan också knytas till den tänkta pensionstidpunkten. För respondenterna vekar det vara mycket viktigt att inte göra en svag arbetsinsats, varpå de överlag resonerar att arbetslivet bör avslutas innan en tänkt oförmåga manifesteras.

本文嘗試以 Bug Push 模型解釋英國工業革命成功之原因，首先分析英國工業革命前的歷史背景，再說明英國產生工業革命的條件因素，同時敘述工業革命對英國帶來的正面與負面影響，進而闡述中國可以產生工業革命的有利條件與阻礙條件。 由於宋代是中國歷史上最有可能發生工業化的朝代，本文嘗試剖析宋朝的政治經濟社會背景情況，解析宋朝不能工業化的原因，進而論述在現代的經濟體系下，一個國家可以產生工業化的條件。

This Master thesis examines the impact of the individual driving forces of young highly educated talents from Italy and Lithuania to apply for a job abroad after the graduation. By investigating the motivations and influences during this decision-making process, we clarify the role of different impulses on the individual’s decision to become part of the phenomenon known as the global talent flow. Within this study, we obtain the actor’s view, while we use an inductive approach to put the construction of meaning of the participants in the center of our study. This aim of our qualitative study is further strengthened by the use of semi-structured interviews and the usage of the phenomenology approach. The data is analyzed and interpreted according to the emerged themes and linked back to the existing theory on‘migration’, the ‘Push-Pull-Mooring’ paradigm, the ‘gravity’ model, and the knowledge flow according to ‘brain gain’, 'brain drain’, and ‘brain circulation’. This study highlights the variety of facets which are of importance to the individuals within the decision-making process of the non-rational phenomenon of the global talent flow. Although the main motivation - the opportunity to grow - is shared among all participants, a clear distinction can be made between the ‘professional’ and the ‘personal’ growth. Furthermore, our study reveals the direct influence of initiatives taken by the European Union (EU), such as the ERASMUS+ Programme on the mobility of young talents and the impact of possible unforeseen side effects such as the ‘brain drain’ in some of the member countries of the EU. Our findings contribute another layer to the understanding of the driving forces of tomorrow’s mobile workforce to apply for a job abroad. This comprehension is fundamental to policymakers, companies, the society at larger, and the young talents themselves, as it becomes crucial to attract this ‘brain’ to secure long-term development of all stakeholders of the global talent flow within the EU.

Orientador: Milton Carlos kuga / Resumo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do álcool isopropílico, soro fisiológico, ácido citríco 10% e ácido peracético 1% como soluções de irrigação intermediária entre o hipoclorito de sódio 2,5% (NaOCl) e o digluconato de clorexidina 2% (CHX) sobre a dentina de canais radiculares. Inicialmente cento e vinte caninos humanos extraídos foram preparados até o instrumento F5 e irrigados com NaOCl a 2,5% e EDTA 17%. Sessenta dentes foram divididos em 6 grupos (n = 10), de acordo com o protocolo de irrigação intermediária: G1 (controle negativo, EDTA 17% e NaOCl 2,5%); G2 (controle positivo, CHX); G3 (soro fisiológico); G4 (álcool isopropílico); G5 (ácido cítrico); G6 (ácido peracético) . Em seguida, os espécimes foram clivados e a dentina do canal radicular analisada através de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), nos segmentos cervical-médio e médio-apical, a fim de detectar a presença de debris e smear layer. Em seguida foi realizada análise de EDS para detectar a quantidade de Cl, Ca, P e O. Outros 60 dentes foram tratados igualmente ao estudo anterior, obturados adicionando rodamina ao cimento obturador para posterior análise de confocal, a fim de analisar a penetrabilidade do cimento endodôntico na dentina radicular, e então submetidos ao teste de push out, nos terços cervical, médio e apical radicular. Os espécimes foram avaliados utilizando uma máquina universal de ensaios mecânicos. Análises estatística foram submetidas aos testes de Kruskal –Wallis, Du... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor

In diesel-electric powertrains, the wheels are mechanically decoupled from the internal combustion engine (ICE). The conventional control approach for such a powertrain is to let the driver control the traction motor while the ICE realizes speed control, causing power to be pulled through the powertrain. An alternative approach is to push power forward by letting the driver control the ICE instead. In this thesis, a conceptual simulation model of a diesel-electric powertrain is compiled and the charcteristics of this novel approach investigated. It is concluded that the new approach makes full ICE power utilization possible even with engine performance reductions present, and also that it handles load prioritization in a natural way. However, takeoff from standstill and low-speed driving become difficult due to the effective gear ratio growing towards infinity for decreasing vehicle speed, causing high traction torques at low speed.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / A possible effect of quantitative easing (QE) undertaken by the United States of America (USA) Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) may have been an increase in capital flowing into emerging market economies (EMEs). The 2008 global financial crisis created an environment in which traditional monetary policies – cutting policy rates – became ineffective in stimulating growth. Faced with this policy environment, several high-income countries including the USA resorted to unconventional monetary policies notably QE, to grow their economies. While QE was effective in lowering interest rates in high-income countries, some argued that investors switched to higher yielding assets, mostly EME assets. Therefore, QE is perceived to have increased capital flows into EMEs. Using a dynamic panel data model with fixed effects this mini-thesis investigates empirically whether QE worked through unobservable channels to increase gross private capital inflows to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) in the period 2000-2015. The study finds evidence in support of the view that QE increased capital inflows to EMEs. The results reveal that gross private capital inflows to the BRICS increased during the QE intervention period and that the increase was higher in the first period of QE than in subsequent QE periods. The empirical results also reveal differences in the way types of capital flows responded to QE; portfolio flows, and in particular equity flows were the most responsive to QE. / 2018-12-14

O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de clorexidina após o condicionamento ácido na preservação da camada híbrida, avaliando a resistência de união imediata e a longo prazo de pinos de fibra de vidro cimentados à dentina radicular. Setenta e dois dentes unirradiculares superiores humanos foram selecionados. Os canais radiculares foram alargados para receberem os pinos de fibra de vidro e aleatoriamente divididos em três grupos (n=24). No Grupo Controle (Gcontrol), o pino de fibra de vidro foi cimentado de acordo com as instruções do fabricante, utilizando um sistema adesivo convencional de três passos e um cimento resinoso dual. Os grupos tratados com digluconato clorexidina GCHX0.2 e GCHX2 receberam a aplicação de solução de clorexidina 0,2% e 2%, respectivamente, após o condicionamento com ácido fosfórico e os pinos foram cimentados utilizando o mesmo sistema adesivo e cimento utilizados no Gcontrol. As raízes foram seccionadas transversalmente ao longo eixo do dente, em fatias de 0,68 (± 0,09) mm. Metade dos dentes foi submetida ao ensaio de push-out após 24 horas e a outra metade, após seis meses de armazenamento em água destilada, a 37°C. Os valores foram analisados com ANOVA de duas vias e teste de comparações múltiplas de Tukey, com nível de significância de 5%. A aplicação de clorexidina não influenciou a resistência de união quando os dentes foram avaliados no mesmo período de armazenagem (p>0,05). O tempo de armazenamento diminuiu significativamente a resistência de união de 24 horas para 6 meses, em todos os grupos (p<0,05). A aplicação de clorexidina não preveniu significativamente a degradação da resistência de união de pinos de fibra cimentados em raízes de dentes humanos, após seis meses de armazenamento. / Introduction: This study evaluated the effect of chlorhexidine applied after dentin phosphoric acid etching on hybrid layer preservation, analyzing the immediate and long-term bond strength of a fiber post cemented to root dentin. Methods: Seventy-two single-rooted, human upper teeth were selected for analysis. Root canals were enlarged for fiber post cementation and were randomly divided into three groups (n= 24). After phosphoric acid etching, each group received a different dentin treatment. In the Control Group (Gcontrol), the fiber post was cemented according to the manufacture’s instruction, using a three-step etch-and-rinse adhesive and a dual-cured resin cement. The Chlorhexidine 0.2% Group (GCHX 0.2) and the Chlorhexidine 2% Group (GCHX 2) received an application of a chlorexidine digluconate solution of 0.2% and 2%, respectively, after phosphoric acid etching, and the post was cemented using the same adhesive and cement that was used in the Gcontrol. Teeth were sectioned transversally in slices of 0.68 (± 0.09) mm. Half of the teeth were submitted to push-out bond strength after 24 hours and the other half were submitted after six months of distilled water storage at 37°C. Data were analyzed by using the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a post hoc tests using the Tukey multiple comparison test at α = 0.05. Results: Chlorhexidine application had no influence on bond strength when teeth were stored for the same period of time (p>0.05). The storage time significantly decreased the bond strength values of 24 hours to six months, in all groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: After six months, chlorhexidine application did not effectively arrest bond strength degradation of fiber post cemented in human roots.