In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood indirectly exposes frightening and undemocratic traits in societies of our time when she applies them to a fictive future in which these factors have caused horrible consequences. A group of men has formed a new state, “Gilead”, in which they ruthlessly control the population. This essay studies how this dictating power gains and, essentially, maintains power in the fictive society. The essay argues, and comes to the conclusion, that by surveilling the population and by restricting its means of communication the dictatorship is able to control the people and keep them docile.

Covering the Northern part of the Province, Ontario’s low-volume roads provide a link from remote resource areas to markets. Thus, preserving this transportation asset from the two main sources of pavement deterioration, namely traffic loading and the environment is extremely critical to the movement of goods and to the economy. In particular, Northern Ontario’s secondary highways are challenged by a combination of heavy, low frequency traffic loading and a high number of freeze-thaw cycles for which most of these highways have not been structurally designed. Therefore they experience environmental damage and premature traffic-induced deterioration. To cope with this issue, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation places Spring Load Restrictions (SLR) every year during spring-thaw. For economic reasons, the duration of SLRs is usually fixed in advance and is not applied proactively or according to conditions in a particular year. This rigidity in the schedule needs to be addressed, as it can translate into economic losses either when the payload is unnecessarily restricted or when pavement deterioration occurs. While the traditional approaches are usually qualitative and rely on visual observations, engineering judgment and historical records to make SLR decisions, the latest approaches resort to climatic and deflection data to better assess the bearing capacity of the roadway. The main intent of this research was to examine how the use of a predictor for frost formation and thawing could improve the scheduling of load restrictions by tracking the frost-strengthening and thaw-weakening of the pavement structure. Based on field data captured in Northern Ontario, and on a preliminary analysis that found good correlation between frost thickness in the roadway and Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) variables, more advanced frost and thaw predictors were developed as part of this research and are presented herein. The report outlines how the model was developed, details the calculation algorithms, and proposes an empirical methodology for a systematic site-specific calibration. This research also involved several experimental and numerical tools, including the use of a Portable Falling Weight Deflectometer (PFWD) to estimate pavement strength during spring thaw, and the use of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) software to simulate the impact of SLR on the performance of typical Northern Ontario low volume roads.

ABSTRACT A DEA-BASED APPROACH TO RANKING MULTI-CRITERIA ALTERNATIVES Tuncer, Ceren M.Sc., Department of Industrial Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Murat K&ouml / ksalan August 2006, 88 pages This thesis addresses the problem of ranking multi-criteria alternatives. A Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)-based approach, the Method of the Area of the Efficiency Score Graph (AES) is proposed. Rather than assessing the alternatives with respect to the fixed original alternative set as done in the existing DEA-based ranking methods, AES considers the change in the efficiency scores of the alternatives while reducing the size of the alternative set. Producing a final score for each alternative that accounts for the progress of its efficiency score, AES favors alternatives that manage to improve quickly and maintain high levels of efficiency. The preferences of the Decision Maker (DM) are incorporated into the analysis in the form of weight restrictions. The utilization of the AES scores of the alternatives in an incremental clustering algorithm is also proposed. The AES Method is applied to rank MBA programs worldwide, sorting of the programs is also performed using their AES scores. Results are compared to another DEA-based ranking method. Keywords: Ranking, data envelopment analysis, weight restrictions.

In this project we studied the effect of different parameters on heat transfer in two-dimensional microchannels, microtubes and also tube-in-block heat exchangers for various engineering applications. These included the use of flow restrictions to enhance local heat or mass transfer rate, enhancement of conjugate heat transfer with discrete heating and magnetic coolers (or heaters) associated with magnetic refrigeration system. The results of this research will help in designing the heating or cooling systems and selection of their appropriate geometrical dimensions and materials for specific applications. Types of problems studied in this project are: steady state analysis of forced convection around a restricted flow passage in a micro channel, effect of protrusions in a microtube or microchannel for conjugate heat transfer with uniform or discrete heating and transient analysis of heat transfer in trapezoidal microchannels under time varying heat source. For each of these problems a numerical simulation model was developed. The mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations were solved in the fluid region and energy conservation in the sold region to arrive at the velocity and the temperature distributions. Detailed parametric study was carried out for each problem. The parameters were shape and size of the restriction/protrusion, number of restrictions/protrusions, wall thickness, Reynolds number, solid materials and working fluids. The results showed that in microtubes the local value of Nusselt number increases at the restriction/protrusion and the global value for the whole tube is somewhat lower. For a two-dimensional microchannel, both the local Nusselt number at the restriction/protrusion as well as the global Nusselt number for the entire channel is higher. In the trapezoidal channels the results showed that with the increase in Reynolds number, the outlet temperature decreased and the average heat transfer coefficient increased. With an increase in magnetic field there was an increase in the solid fluid interface temperature and in turn the average heat transfer coefficient increased. With a decrease in the channel height and width there was an increase in the average Nusselt number in the channel.

There are four chapters in my dissertation. Chapter one gives a brief introduction of the three essays. Chapter two empirically analyzes the interaction among conventional monetary policy, foreign exchange intervention and the exchange rate in a unifying model for Japan. I have several findings. First, the results lend support to the leaning-against-the-wind hypothesis. Second, conventional monetary policy has as great influence on the exchange rate as foreign exchange intervention in Japan. Third, intervention in Japan is ineffective or may be counter-effective, so escaping liquidity trap by intervention alone may not be a feasible way. Chapter three empirically identifies the sources of exchange rate movements of Japan vis--vis the US, and investigates the role of the exchange rate in the macro economy adjustment. It finds that real shocks dominate nominal shocks in explaining the exchange rate movements, with relative real demand shocks as the major contributor. And the exchange rate market does not create many shocks. The overall result supports that the bilateral exchange rate in Japan is a shock-absorber rather than a source of shock. Chapter four provides cross-country and time-series evidence on the extent of exchange rate pass-through at different stages of distribution - import prices, producer prices and consumer prices - for eight major industrial countries: United States, Japan, Canada, Italy, UK, Finland, Sweden and Spain. I find exchange rate pass-through incomplete in many horizons, though complete pass-through is observed occasionally. The degree of pass-through declines and time needed for complete pass-through lengthens along the distribution chain. Furthermore, I find that a greater pass-through coefficient is associated with an economy that is smaller in size with higher import shares, more persistent and less volatile exchange rate shocks, more volatile monetary shocks, higher inflation rate, and less volatile GDP.

This dissertation consists of three essays on investments. The first essay examines the incidence, determinants, and consequences of hedge fund share restriction changes. This paper finds that nearly one in five hedge funds change their share restrictions (e.g., lockup) over the period of 2007-2012. Share restriction changes are not random. Fund’s asset illiquidity, liquidity risk, and performance are related to share restriction changes. A hazard model indicates that funds who actively manage liquidity concerns live longer by adjusting share restrictions. The paper examines whether changes in share restrictions create an endogeneity bias in the share illiquidity premium (Aragon, 2007) and find that 18% of the premium can be explained by the dynamic nature of contract changes. The second essay examines why mutual funds appear to underperform hedge funds. Utilizing a unique panel of mutual fund contracts changes, this paper explores several possible channels, including: alternative investment practices (e.g., short sales and leverage), performance-based compensation, and the ability to restrict the funding risk of fund flows. This paper documents that over our sample period, mutual funds were more likely to shift their contracting environment closer to that of hedge funds. However, this shift provided no benefit to mutual funds and the paper finds no causal link between these contract changes and improvements in performance. Rather, this paper casts doubt on the binding nature of investment restrictions in the mutual fund industry. The third essay examines whether the 52-week high effect (George and Hwang, 2004) can be explained by risk factors. The paper finds that it is more consistent with investor underreaction caused by anchoring bias: the presumably more sophisticated institutional investors suffer less from this bias and buy (sell) stocks close to (far from) their 52-week highs. Further, the effect is mainly driven by investor underreaction to industry instead of firm-specific information. The 52-week high strategy works best among stocks whose values are more affected by industry factors. The 52-week high strategy based on industry measurement is more profitable than the one based on idiosyncratic measurement.

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This thesis explores 5C dietary-restricted college students’ reiteration of a “lack of [food] options” in the dining hall and at on-campus, institutionally-sponsored events of particularly Scripps College. Given that Scripps specifically has in the past responded to dietary-restricted student needs, and that it offers an admittedly broad variety of foods for a college dining hall, dietary-restricted students’ dissatisfaction with “food options” presents an interesting problem. Situated within broader Claremont College community discussions, this ethnographic work hopes to better understand not just what students want, but what they need to socially and culturally sustain themselves while dwelling in the residential 5C community. I argue that when my dietary- and non-dietary-restricted interlocutors narrate their desire for, request, and provide food options, they are engaging in efforts to facilitate access to membership and participation in all aspects of the “residential college experience.” In the spirit of interlocutors’ enduring determination to exist in a space of possibility with regard to their identities and the necessary food options that could exist, this thesis also contains Scripps-specific suggestions to better include those with dietary restrictions in the Scripps College residential community.

By using the children's own thoughts and stories this theses aim to investigate and illustrate the phenomenon of rough and tumble play and its existence among five year olds in preschool.     The formulations of the questions are: What do children consider as rough and tumble play? - and what characterise that? From without a perspective of rough and tumble play, which kinds of rough and tumble play do the children play in preschool? - and how do those characterise? What makes rough and tumble play possible and accepted for the children to play in preschool? In this thesis I have investigated the questions above by interviewing 11 five years olds about how they consider rough and tumble play in preschool. From without Birgitta Knutsdotter Olofsson's and Torben Hangaard Rasmussen's view about play and rough and tumble play I created a perspective of rough and tumble play, which I used for analyzing the empirics. With rough and tumble play I mean games or plays that includes wrestling, hitting, kicking, pushing, chasing, running or/and the use of weapons against other human beings or other visualized beings or/and human beings. The conclusions are that children has many different opinions of what rough and tumble play is. Depends on who you are asking you will get a different perspective. The conclusions also shows that rough and tumble play can exist, not just by its self, but also in interplay with other kinds of games and plays. The children are using different strategies to make the rough and tumble play fit the restrictions put on by the educators in the preschool.

This thesis explores the conditions of painting artists in the former GDR. The conclusion after studying rather many artists excepted paintings is, that they had a very personal style within the figuration, considering the official prescription of Social realism. The main objective for the study is common motives and changes over time. It showed a development against greater freedom in expression. A closer analyse of one painter´s work (Susanne Kandt-Horn) and of the exhibitions in Rostock Art Museum during the 80´s illustrates the circumstances under which the artists lived.