Through the GDPR, the member states of the EU and the EEA countries ensure equivalent protection for personal data which is why personal data within this area can be transferred freely. Transfers of personal data to a country outside the EU/EEA area, such as the U.S., are only permitted under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) under cer­tain conditions, including if the EU Commission has decided that the country in ques­tion en­sures an adequate level of protection. The EU Commission has previously adopted two such decisions for the U.S., based on Safe Harbour and Privacy Shield. Those decisions were, how­ever, struck down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Schrems I and II since the CJEU did not consider that the U.S. could ensure an adequate level of protection for per­sonal data that was transferred from the EU to the U.S. In July 2023, the EU Commission announced that it had once again adopted an adequacy decision for the U.S. meaning that personal data can now flow freely from the EU to companies and organ­izations in the U.S. certified under the EU-US Data Protection Framework (EU-US DPF). The adequacy decision followed a presidential order signed by U.S. President Biden in October 2022, which introduced new security measures intended to remedy the problems iden­tified by the CJEU in Schrems I and II. On the one hand, the US intelli­gence agencies’ access to personal data is limited to what is proportionate. On the other hand, a data protection court is established.  The purpose of this essay is to examine whether the changes that the presidential order has given rise to has changed the legal situation after Schrems II in such a way that the U.S. can now be considered to ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data that is being transferred from the EU to the U.S. By analyzing the EU-US DPF against the background of the jurisprudence of the CJEU and the European Court of Justice, I find that this is not the case. The U.S. intelligence agencies’ use of and access to EU citizens’ personal data is still not lim­ited to what is proportionate and EU citizens whose personal data is processed still do not have access to an effective remedy to challenge surveillance measures. Thus, the new adequacy decision for the U.S. is likely to be struck down by the CJEU in the coming years. The conse­quences of such an invalidation are examined to some extent in this essay, particularly in rela­tion to other transfer mechanisms in Chapter V of the GDPR, namely standard contractual clauses and binding corporate rules.

Two flash lidars, integrated from a number of cutting-edge components from industry and NASA, are lab characterized and flight tested under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) project (in its fourth development and field test cycle) which is seeking to develop a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) and sensing system based on lidar technology capable of enabling safe, precise human-crewed or robotic landings in challenging terrain on planetary bodies under any ambient lighting conditions. The flash lidars incorporate pioneering 3-D imaging cameras based on Indium-Gallium-Arsenide Avalanche Photo Diode (InGaAs APD) and novel micro-electronic technology for a 128 x 128 pixel array operating at 30 Hz, high pulse-energy 1.06 ?m Nd:YAG lasers, and high performance transmitter and receiver fixed and zoom optics. The two flash lidars are characterized on the NASA-Langley Research Center (LaRC) Sensor Test Range, integrated with other portions of the ALHAT GNC system from around the country into an instrument pod at NASA-JPL, integrated onto an Erickson Aircrane Helicopter at NASA-Dryden, and flight tested at the Edwards AFB Rogers dry lakebed over a field of human-made geometric hazards. Results show that the maximum operational range goal of 1000m is met and exceeded up to a value of 1200m, that the range precision goal of 8 cm is marginally met, and that the transmitter zoom optics divergence needs to be extended another eight degrees to meet the zoom goal 6° to 24°. Several hazards are imaged at medium ranges to provide three-dimensional Digital Elevation Map (DEM) information. / Master of Science

Objectif: Explorer les perspectives des fournisseurs de soins sur les besoins des familles migrantes en matière de développement du langage et les stratégies qui sont utilisées ou qui pourraient être utilisées pour promouvoir le développement du langage d'une manière culturellement sécuritaire. Méthodes : L'étude s'est déroulée à La Maison Bleue (LMB), un centre offrant des services sociaux et de périnatalité aux familles vulnérables à Montréal pendant la grossesse et jusqu'à l'âge de cinq ans de l'enfant. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais d'entretiens semi-structurés avec 8 membres du personnel et analysées thématiquement. Résultats: Les problèmes de langage sont une préoccupation à LMB, et les facteurs liés à la migration (l’isolement, la santé mentale, le manque d’accès aux ressources) sont considérés comme pouvant contribuer à ces problèmes. La compréhension qu’ont les parents du développement du langage de l’enfant ajoute parfois à ce contexte difficile. Des interventions ciblées ainsi que des stratégies plus globales axées sur le renforcement de la confiance et de la réceptivité des familles aux soins en général, sont utilisées pour favoriser le développement du langage. Les participants ont recommandé d'accorder plus de temps individuel aux familles pour améliorer leur compréhension du développement de l'enfant et pour favoriser leur implication dans des activités visant à stimuler le développement langagier. Ils ont également suggéré d’avoir accès à des spécialistes sur place et plus de ressources communautaires pour mieux soutenir le développement précoce du langage dans les familles migrantes. Conclusion: À LMB, une approche interdisciplinaire et holistique, qui tient compte du contexte de migration/vulnérabilité, est utilisée pour promouvoir le développement du langage d'une manière culturellement sécuritaire. Une mise en oeuvre plus large de cette approche dans différents contextes de soins primaires pourrait être bénéfique pour aider davantage des familles migrantes ayant besoin d'un soutien au développement précoce du langage. / Objective: To explore care-providers’ perspectives on the needs of migrant families regarding early language development and the strategies that are used, or that could be used, to promote language development in a culturally safe manner among this population. Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study conducted at La Maison Bleue (LMB). Data were collected via semi-structured interviews from eight LMB care providers and support/administrative staff and thematically analyzed. Results: Language development problems among children in migrant families are of concern at LMB, and factors related to the migration context (isolation, mental health, lack of access to resources) are believed to contribute to these problems. Parents’ understanding about children’s language development sometimes add to this challenging context. Targeted interventions as well as more global strategies that focus on building trust and increasing the family’s overall receptivity to care, are used to promote language development. Participants recommended more individual time with families to enhance understanding of child development, and to further promote parents’ engagement in language stimulating activities. On site access to specialists and more resources in the community were also suggested to further support early language development among migrant families. Conclusion: At LMB, an interdisciplinary, holistic approach, that considers the migration/vulnerability context, is used to promote early-language development in migrant families in a culturally safe manner. Broader application of this approach across different primary care settings may be beneficial for helping more migrant families in need of early-language development support.

Denna uppsats undersöker unga individers perspektiv på brottsförebyggande kampanjer mot bedrägerier, med fokus på Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap- och Polismyndighetens kampanj Tänk Säkert. Undersökningen inspirerades av polisområde Malmö och syftar till att identifiera kunskapsbrister hos unga om onlinebedrägerier samt att utvärdera effektiva metoder och kanaler för att sprida kampanjens budskap. En digital enkät användes för datainsamling. Resultaten visar att de flesta respondenter har viss kunskap om varningssignaler och tillvägagångssätt för bedrägeri. Tidigare bedrägerioffer har dock lägre självförtroende när det gäller att känna igen varningssignaler och tillvägagångssätt för bedrägeri, vilket påverkar deras kunskapsnivå negativt. Den individuella faktorn boendemiljön visar sig ha minst påverkan på deras kunskapsnivå. Utifrån resultatet går det inte att uttala sig om kampanjen Tänk Säkert är en effektiv brottsförebyggande åtgärd, enbart att den nått ut till få individer. För framtida kampanjer rekommenderas det att öka räckvidden, särskilt eftersom unga är en sårbar grupp för onlinebedrägerier och uppvisar kunskapsbrister inom området. / This thesis examines young individuals’ perspectives on crime prevention campaigns against fraud, focusing on the Think Safe campaign by The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and The Swedish Police Authority. The study, inspired by the Malmö Police District, aims to identify knowledge gaps among young people regarding online fraud and evaluate effective methods and channels for disseminating the campaign’s message. A digital survey was used for data collection. The results show that most respondents have some knowledge of fraud warning signs and methods. However, previous fraud victims have lower confidence in recognizing warning signs and methods of fraud, which negatively affects their knowledge levels. The individual factor ‘the living environment’ appears to have the least impact on their level of knowledge. Based on the results, it is not possible to conclude whether the Think Safe campaign is an effective crime prevention measure, only that it has reached very few individuals. For future campaigns, it is recommended to increase the campaign’s reach, especially since young people are a vulnerable group for online fraud and exhibit knowledge gaps in this area.

ABSTRACT The Lateral Double-Diffused Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (LDMOSFET or LDMOS) has made an enormous impact in the field of power electronics. Its integration, low cost, and power performance have made it the popular choice for power system on chips (SoC's). Over the years, much research has gone into ways of optimizing this crucial power device. Particularly, the safe operating area (SOA) has become a focus of research in order to allow a wide range of various bias schemes. More so, device ruggedness is an important factor in the usability of these devices as there are many circuits in which high current and voltage are present in a device. In this study, a conventional LDMOS is simulated using a 2-D device simulator. Two specific device enhancement techniques are implemented and analyzed, including a p+ bottom layer and an n-adaptive layer. The parasitic BJT of the LDMOS and its effect on SOA is investigated by using meaningful and in depth device cross-section analysis. The ruggedness of these devices are then considered and analyzed by means of an undamped inductive switching test (UIS). The purpose is to realize the relationship and the possible trade-offs between safe operating area enhancement and device ruggedness.

Idag används många metoder och tillvägagångssätt inom projektledning och bland dessa har agila metoder blivit en av de mest populära. Dessa metoder är ofta anpassade till små eller medelstora organisationer, vilket kan skapa svårigheter för större företag som vill implementera agilt arbetssätt. Ett av de utformade ramverken för att arbeta agilt inom stora organisationer är The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).  Denna studie syftar därför till att undersöka en stor statlig organisation som nyligen övergått från traditionell projektledning till agil och tillämpat SAFe. Studien fokuserade på att identifiera de utmaningar organisationen mötte vid implementering av SAFe, samt undersökte hur de förändringar som stod till följd av den agila transformationen påverkade medarbetar-och ledarskapsrollerna. Mer specifikt fokuserar studien på att undersöka påverkan av förändringar i de anställdas ansvarsområden, kommunikation och koordinering. En kvalitativ liten N-studie genomfördes på IT-avdelningen i organisationen där resultatet visade att övergången till agilt arbetssätt skapade flera utmaningar såsom budgetrestriktioner, anställdas motstånd mot förändring som ledde till en kontinuitet i arbetet med traditionella metoder, bristande medvetenhet och kunskap om agila metoder samt problem med kortsiktig planering. Ytterligare utmaningar identifierades som specifikt relaterar till ramverket SAFe såsom att ramverket upplevs som komplext vilket gör det svårt att förstå och tillämpa, att en strikt applicering av ramverket inte fungerade effektivt i praktiken, samt att SAFe gav bristande flexibilitet i organisationen i vissa fall.  Studien visar att den agila förändringen påverkade de anställda genom utökade ansvarsområden och arbetsuppgifter, samt att linjechefernas kontroll skapar svårigheter för medarbetare. Dessa förändringar har skapat frustration och till viss del minskad produktivitet. Å andra sidan har transformationen också gett positiv påverkan och har bidragit till bättre kommunikation och ökad transparens vilket har lett till en ökad motivation och nöjdhet hos de anställda. / Today, many methods and approaches are used in project management, among which agile methods have become one of the most popular. These methods are often tailored to small or medium-sized organizations, which can create difficulties for larger companies that want to implement an agile work approach. One of the frameworks designed to implement agile within large organizations is The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Therefore, this study aims to examine a large governmental organization that has recently transitioned from traditional project management to agile and applied SAFe. The study focused on identifying the challenges the organization faced during the implementation of SAFe and investigated how the changes resulting from the agile transformation affected employee and leadership roles. More specifically, the study focuses on investigating the impact of changes in employees' responsibilities, communication, and coordination. A qualitative small N-study was conducted in the IT department of the organization, where the result showed that the transition to an agile project management created several challenges such as budget restrictions, employees' resistance to change leading to a continuity in working with traditional methods, lack of awareness and knowledge about agile methods, and problems with short-term planning. Additional challenges were identified that specifically related to the SAFe framework, such as the framework being perceived as complex which makes it difficult to understand and apply, that a strict adherence to the framework did not work effectively in practice, and SAFe lead to a lack of flexibility in the organization in some cases. The study shows that the agile transformation affected employees through increased responsibilities and tasks, and that line managers' control creates difficulties for employees. These changes have created frustration and partially reduced productivity. On the other hand, the transformation has also had a positive impact and has contributed to better communication and increased transparency, which has led to increased motivation and satisfaction among employees.

The purpose of this study was to explore the promotion of safe schools in the Eastern Cape according to a Whole School Development Approach. A literature study investigated the factors contributing to violence in schools in the Eastern Cape as well as South Africa, the strategies that can be used to involve all stakeholders in education to combat school violence and the strategies to promote safe schools through Whole School Development Approach. An empirical investigation following a qualitative approach was used to explore the views of learners, educators, principals and teachers of two secondary schools in the Eastern Cape. Data was gathered by observation, interviews, analysis of written documents and analysis was according to qualitative procedures. Findings showed a prevalence of violence in the schools as a result of non-application of the Whole School Development Approach. The implications of the findings of both literature and the empirical investigation are discussed and certain guidelines are provided to assist all stakeholders in education on the promotion of safe schools through the Whole School Development Approach. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

This thesis explores the impact of two behavioural finance concepts, social psychology and psychology, on household financial decisions. Under social psychology, I investigate whether the variety and intensity of social engagement enhances stock market participation. With regard to psychology, I examine two behavioural biases. First, I investigate whether mental accounting influences portfolio choice in three asset classes and whether financial advice and housing tenure increase (decrease) the effects of mental accounts on portfolio choice. Second, I examine whether households’ self-reported housing wealth are anchored on published house price indices and whether anchoring bias is mediated by market information, mortgage refinancing decisions and social factors. The main contributions and findings in the three studies are as follows. First, although there is an elaborate body of research concerning the relationship between social engagement mechanisms and portfolio choice, most studies investigate specific mechanisms in isolation. Using three waves in the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), I bring together five social engagement measures in one model and show that socially engaged individuals are more likely to participate in the stock market. Consistent with Granovetter’s (1973) theory of social networks I find that a weak tie (measured by social group involvement) has a positive effect on stock market participation whereas a strong tie (measured by talking to neighbours) has no effect. More trusting individuals are more likely to participate in the stock market, as are those who identify with a political party. In contrast, the degree to which religion is important appears to have little impact. These results are robust using different specifications. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the likelihood of stock market participation increases with the variety and intensity of social engagement. Second, despite the established theoretical underpinnings of mental accounting in behavioural portfolio theory (BPT) and recent extensions, not much is known about their implications in real life situations. I use a recent UK household survey, the Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS), which has comprehensive information about financial assets to investigate whether there are differences in the ownership and portfolio share of three asset classes among individuals who exhibit no mental account, a single mental account and multiple mental accounts, and the conditional influences of financial advice, housing, cognitive ability, time preference and risk tolerance. Overall I find that mental accounting together with financial advice and housing tenure explain variations in both the probability of ownership and portfolio share in the three asset classes. Households that exhibit a single mental account have low share of investments in, and are less likely to own, a risky asset when compared to those that exhibit no mental account or exhibit multiple mental accounts. I also find that, when compared to having no mental account, exhibiting a single mental account or multiple mental accounts increases both the probability and investment share in a fairly safe asset but decreases portfolio share in safe assets. In addition, among those that exhibit a single mental or multiple mental accounts, financial advice decreases portfolio share in risky assets and fairly safe assets and increases portfolio share in safe assets. Housing tenure increases both the probability and portfolio share in risky assets, decreases portfolio share in fairly safe assets and increases portfolio share in safe assets. These results are consistent using multi-equation regressions, sub-samples, reparametrised variables and poisson regressions. Finally, as little is known about how households derive the self-reported house prices estimates that are commonly used to determine housing wealth, the third study examines whether households are anchored on published house price indices. The key conjecture is that, while assessing the values of their homes, homeowners place more weight on house price news at the expense of property characteristics and other market information. I find support for this hypothesis using sixteen waves of the BHPS, multiple methods, and both regional and national house price indices. I conclude that changes in self-reported housing wealth are anchored on changes in published house price indices. Specifically, ownership through a mortgage and greater financial expectations increase anchoring effects while mortgage refinancing decreases the effects. Moreover, use of money raised from refinancing for home investment, as opposed to other consumption purposes, has a positive association with change in self-reported house value and both uses reduce anchoring bias. In addition, I find that computer use increases anchoring bias and, among social engagement mechanisms, religiosity reduces anchoring while other measures have no effect. These results are robust to internal instrumental variables, national aggregate house prices, alternative indices and sub-samples.

Cette étude s’intéresse à l’amélioration des performances du laser solide Er3+:YAG, dont la longueur d’onde de 1,64 µm est dite « eye-safe ». L’une des solutions est le remplacement des monocristaux actuellement utilisés comme milieu amplificateur par des céramiques polycristallines Er:YAG transparentes, dont les propriétés thermomécaniques remarquables permettent une meilleure cohérence du faisceau de sortie et de ce fait, une augmentation des performances du laser. Cependant, la réunion des différents critères requis pour obtenir la transparence reste un réel challenge dans l’élaboration de ces céramiques. L’utilisation de poudres commerciales issues de deux voies de synthèse différentes a permis de souligner le rôle primordial des caractéristiques physiques de la poudre sur le comportement à la compaction et au frittage, effectué par Spark Plasma Sintering, tandis que la composition phasique et la pureté chimique conditionnent la qualité optique finale. Il ressort également que la coloration de la céramique observée lors du frittage résulte, non pas d’une contamination au carbone, mais de la formation de lacunes d’oxygène. Enfin, l’analyse et la compréhension du mode d’action du LiF utilisé comme aide au frittage ont permis d’établir des mécanismes réactionnels permettant d’optimiser le cycle de frittage. Cette démarche a conduit à l’obtention de céramiques polycristallines transparentes (Ø = 30 mm, e = 3 mm) à qualité optique élevée avec des valeurs de transmission de 80 % à 400 nm et 84 % à 1100 nm. Sur la base de ces résultats et de la simulation numérique, un changement d’échelle des céramiques (Ø = 50 mm, e = 5 mm) a été effectué dans le but de les évaluer en cavité laser. / This work focus on the improvement of the solid state Er3+:YAG laser performances presenting an "eye-safe" wavelength at 1.64 µm. One way is the replacement of single crystals currently used as gain media by polycrystalline ceramics as they present improved thermo-mechanical properties allowing a longer use of the laser. However, the meeting of different criteria requested to get transparency remains a challenge in the development of these ceramics. The use of commercial powders produced by two different synthesis ways allowed to highlight the essential role of the physico-chemical characteristics of the powder on compaction and sintering behaviors, performed by Spark Plasma Sintering, Phase composition and chemical purity have an influence of the final optical quality. It was also figured out that the gray coloration of the ceramic observed after sintering is caused by the formation of oxygen vacancies, rather than a carbon contamination. Finally, the mode of action of LiF, used as sintering aid to increase optical transmittance, was studied in order to establish reaction mechanisms allowing an optimization of the SPS cycle. This approach helps to reach Er3+:YAG transparent polycrystalline ceramics (Ø = 30 mm, thk = 3 mm) with an optical transmittance of 80 at 400 nm and 84 % at 1100 nm. On the basis of these results and with the help of numerical simulation, an up-scaling of ceramics (Ø = 50 mm, thk = 5 mm) was undertaken in order to evaluate their laser performances through laser cavity tests.

The purpose of this study was to explore the promotion of safe schools in the Eastern Cape according to a Whole School Development Approach. A literature study investigated the factors contributing to violence in schools in the Eastern Cape as well as South Africa, the strategies that can be used to involve all stakeholders in education to combat school violence and the strategies to promote safe schools through Whole School Development Approach. An empirical investigation following a qualitative approach was used to explore the views of learners, educators, principals and teachers of two secondary schools in the Eastern Cape. Data was gathered by observation, interviews, analysis of written documents and analysis was according to qualitative procedures. Findings showed a prevalence of violence in the schools as a result of non-application of the Whole School Development Approach. The implications of the findings of both literature and the empirical investigation are discussed and certain guidelines are provided to assist all stakeholders in education on the promotion of safe schools through the Whole School Development Approach. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)