Thesis (M.A.). / Written for the Dept. of Geography. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/08/04). Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-07-20T13:34:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 3767378 bytes, checksum: 598686f374f85925255b0f31d9d07347 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-20T13:34:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 3767378 bytes, checksum: 598686f374f85925255b0f31d9d07347 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-05-20 / Cette recherche examinera la relation entre la compréhension de la lecture et des troubles cognitifs, et la capacité des sujets atteints de la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA) comprendre l’humour. Notre objectif est de confirmer que les sujets atteints de MA prennent plus de temps à comprendre le changement de frame dans les phrases avec humour que dans des phrases sans humour. À cette fin, nous appliquons une expérience dans laquelle les informateurs ont été exposés à une série de phrases humoristiques et non humoristique, dont nous mesurons le temps de réponse et la précision dans la compréhension des phrases. À l’égard de Linguistique Cognitive, notre base théorique comporte les hypothèses de la théorie d’intégration conceptuelle (FAUCONNIER et TURNER, 2002), et la notion de frame-shifting de Coulson (1998, 2001) et Coulson et Kutas (2001); à l’égard de MA, notre base théorique comporte les articles de Smith (1999) et Barbosa Caramelli (2002) Charchat-Fichman et al. (2005), Jack Jr. et al. (2011), Albert et al. (2011). Nos résultats ont confirmé beaucoup plus de temps à la compréhension de l’humour par rapport à la non humour, dans le groupe expérimental, et aussi une différence significative dans les temps de réponse des phrases avec humour entre le groupe experimental et le groupe de contrôle. De cela, nous préconisons d’autres études qui cherchent à comprendre comment la difficulté de l’opération de processus mentaux, tels que le changement de frame ou l’intégration conceptuel, peut signaler la possibilité de trouver des indices dans la langue pour l’identification des troubles cognitifs. / Esta pesquisa mostrará a relação entre humor doença de Alzheimer (DA) em estágio inicial. Nosso objetivo foi confirmar se sujeitos com DA demoram mais para compreender a mudança de frame semântico em sentenças com humor do que em sentenças sem humor. Aplicamos um experimento no qual os informantes, três com DA e dezesseis sem doença neurológica diagnosticada, foram expostos a uma série de sentenças humorísticas e não humorísticas, a partir do qual medimos o tempo para resposta e o acerto na compreensão das sentenças. No âmbito da Linguística Cognitiva, baseamos nosso trabalho nos pressupostos da Teoria da Mesclagem Conceptual (FAUCONNIER e TURNER, 2002), e no conceito de mudança de frame de Coulson (1998, 2001), e Coulson e Kutas, (2001); no que se refere à DA, nossa base teórica envolve os artigos de Smith (1999), Caramelli e Barbosa (2002), Charchat-Fichman et al. (2005), Jack Jr. et al (2011), Albert et al. (2011). Nossos resultados confirmaram um tempo significativamente maior para a compreensão de humor em relação ao não humor, no grupo experimental, assim como uma diferença também significativa nos tempos de resposta para sentenças com humor entre os grupos experimental e de controle. A partir disso, defendemos mais estudos que busquem compreender como a dificuldade na operação de processos mentais, como mudança de frame ou mesclagem conceptual, pode sinalizar para a possibilidade de se encontrarem, na linguagem, pistas para a identificação de impedimentos cognitivos.

O presente estudo buscou identificar indícios da prática de income shifting por meio da manipulação dos preços de transferência por empresas abertas brasileiras, antes e após as alterações nas normas fiscais instituídas pela Lei nº 12.715/12 e pela IN RFB nº 1.312/12. A teoria econômica infere que as firmas multinacionais possuem incentivos a manipular os preços nas transações com suas partes relacionadas, de modo a transferir resultados a localidades com menores cargas fiscais, com o objetivo final de reduzir a carga tributária sobre o lucro total do grupo econômico. Com base na análise de dados em painel de 52 empresas abertas brasileiras que realizaram transações internacionais com partes relacionadas no período de 2010 a 2013, os resultados revelam que as empresas analisadas cujas controladas têm maior volume de transações com partes relacionadas internacionais apresentam menor tributação no grupo consolidado, e que firmas com maiores incentivos ao income shifting possuem maiores indicativos de transferência de resultados entre a controladora e o grupo total. Os resultados indicam que tais relações não sofreram modificações no período de vigência das novas normas tributárias no Brasil. As constatações levantadas representam robustos indícios de que as empresas brasileiras utilizam os preços de transferência para o alcance do income shifting, e que as alterações na legislação fiscal não foram capazes de coibir essa prática no seu primeiro ano em vigor. Os resultados representam uma contribuição importante para a literatura atual, porque trazem evidências inéditas obtidas em empresas sujeitas a regras tributárias domésticas, as quais não foram objeto de estudo empírico até então. / This study investigated evidences of income shifting practice via transfer prices manipulation by Brazilian listed companies, before and after the new fiscal rules promoted by Law nº 12.715/12 and Normative Instruction RFB nº 1.312/12. The economic theory infers that multinational firms have incentives to manipulate prices on intra-group transactions, in order to transfer profits to low-tax locations, aiming to reduce the global tax burden. Based on panel data analysis of 52 Brazilian listed companies with international transactions with related parties in the period from 2010 to 2013, the results reveal that companies whose controlling company has higher volume of transactions with related parties have lower global income tax burden in the consolidated group, and that companies with greater income shifting incentives have greater signs of profit transfers between the controlling company and the consolidated group. Results indicate that there were no changes in these relations in the period when the new tax rules became valid in Brazil. The outcomes represent robust evidences that Brazilian companies make use of transfer prices with aims to achieve income shifting, and the tax rules modifications were not capable to restrain this practice in the first valid year. The results represent a relevant contribution to the current literature, because they bear original and unknown evidences obtained by the exam of firms subjected to domestic tax rules not empirically studied up to now.

Language influences not only the world-view but also the self-perceived personality of its users. One explanation for this is that the language used functions as a cue activating different sets of cultural frames within its users – a phenomenon known as Cultural Frame Shifting (CFS). Limited previous research on language and personality warrants exploring this topic further. The current study employed a qualitative design and semi-structured interviews to explore the views and experiences of 12 Swedish-English bilinguals. Results showed self-perceived changes in personality and extraversion, but also the sentiment of emotions being easier to express in English than in Swedish. Possible practical applications could include therapeutic work and treatment of social anxiety and public speaking anxiety. / Språk påverkar inte bara världsbilden utan också den självupplevda personligheten hos dess användare. En förklaring till detta är att det språk som används fungerar som en signal som aktiverar olika uppsättningar av kulturella ramverk – ett fenomen känt som Cultural Frame Shifting (CFS). Begränsad tidigare forskning om språk och personlighet gör att detta ämne bör utforskas vidare. För den aktuella studien användes en kvalitativ design och halvstrukturerade intervjuer för att utforska resonemangen och upplevelserna hos 12 svensk-engelska tvåspråkiga individer. Resultaten visade på självupplevda förändringar i personlighet och extraversion, men också upplevelsen att känslor är lättare att uttrycka på engelska än på svenska. Potentiella praktiska tillämpningar skulle kunna inkludera terapeutiskt arbete och behandling av social fobi och talängslan.

This thesis deals with the development of the user interface for the application of the method Phase shifting profilometry. First deals with the theoretical approach of this method, and describes the process of image segmentation and data processing using morphological operations. In the practical part of the user interface is designed for acquiring and processing data received in Matlab.

This project seeks opportunities to dissolve identity boundaries between the human and nonhuman by speculating into alternative scenarios of a ‘Border Creature’s life in a human-fabricated world. I took advantage of my newly acquired nonhuman identity, the Novel Coronavirus (SARS-COV2-19), which is known for causing a global pandemic (Covid-19) in the year 2020, and ‘transferred’ myself into a Border Creature. Via designed tangible facial devices and speculative scenarios built by photography and ‘dairy’ writing, the project is to highlight the shared identity a human has with Coronavirus in Växjö city, Sweden, and to confront the inhuman status Border Creature is undertaking due to social stigmatization in order to raise questions and reflections around our prefigured definition of what is human.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1998 / Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / This paper analyzes the pseudo-random characteristic of m-sequence and proposes a spread spectrum communication scheme in which the phase-shifting sequences of msequence can be used as the spread spectrum code under given condition. Therefore, the available spread spectrum code set is expanded. It is theoretically proved that there are some advantages in using phase-shifting sequences instead of the conventional msequences or GOLD-sequences in spread spectrum communication system.

Bakgrund: Hälso- och sjukvårdens svårigheter att erbjuda hög tillgänglighet till läkare uppmuntrar till överföring av arbetsuppgifter från läkare till sjuksköterskor. Tidigare studier visar att kvalitet, leverans och effektivitet använts för utvärdering av sjuksköterskemottagning. Utvärderingen ges ett mer balanserat perspektiv om även arbetsmiljön följs upp. För att förbättra tillgänglighet och arbetsmiljö införde Hudkliniken i Östergötland sjuksköterskemottagningar för olika diagnosgrupper.   Syfte: Syftet med förbättringsarbetet var att införa sjuksköterskemottagningar för att öka tillgängligheten och samtidigt förbättra kvaliteten, leveransen, effektiviteten och arbetsmiljön. Syftet med studien var att ta tillvara erfarenheter av förändringsarbetet.   Metod: Arbetsgrupper utvecklade och testade sjuksköterskemottagningar i liten skala. Etablerad förbättringsmetodik användes som metodstöd. Mått på kvalitet, leverans, effektivitet och arbetsmiljö definierades. En fallstudie genomfördes för att studera förbättringsarbetet. Individuella intervjuer och fokusgruppsintervjuer genomfördes. Data analyserades via kvalitativ innehållsanalys.   Resultat: Tillgängligheten till återbesök förbättrades delvis. Kvaliteten och effektiviteten förbättrades. Patienterna kunde delvis erbjudas besök när behovet var aktuellt. Sjuksköterskornas ökade kontakt med patienterna förbättrade arbetsmiljön samtidigt som det ökade antalet arbetsuppgifter ökade stressen. Utveckling av flera parallella sjuksköterskemottagningar gav effekt på verksamheten i sin helhet.   Slutsats: Sjuksköterskemottagning kan förbättra tillgängligheten. Erfarenheterna av förändringsarbetet föranleder ytterligare förändring av arbetsinnehållet och arbetsorganisationen. Kvalitet, leverans, effektivitet och arbetsmiljö var värdefulla mått för uppföljning av resultatet. / “Our wishes and their needs” Nurse-led clinics to increase access to healthcare A study of implementing nurse-led clinics at a Dermatology Department   Background: The demand for timely access to healthcare service encourage task shifting from physicians to nurses. Previous studies of task-shifting evaluated quality, delivery and efficiency. Including the work environment in the evaluation can make it more balanced. In order to improve access and the working environment, the Department of Dermatology in Östergötland Region introduced nurse-led clinics for some groups of patients.   Purpose: The purpose of the improvement work was to introduce nurse-led clinics to increase access and improve quality, delivery, efficiency and working environment. The purpose of the study of the improvement work was to identify the experience of the change process.   Methods: Working groups developed and tested nurse-led clinics on a small scale, using common improvement methodology. Measures of quality, delivery, efficiency and the working environment were defined. A case study of the improvement work was conducted. Interviews, individual and focus group, were used to gather data. The data was analyzed via qualitative content analysis.   Results: Access to return visits was partly improved and patients were partly offered appointments right when they needed them. The increased contact between nurses and patients was seen as an improvement to the work environment although the number of tasks also increased nurses stress levels. The simultaneous implementation of several nurse-led clinics affected the clinic as a whole.   Conclusion: Nurse-led clinics can improve patient access. As a result of the improvement work, the tasks and organization within the clinic require additional review. Measures of quality, delivery, efficiency and working environment were useful for performance evaluation.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the impact and feasibility of implementing large scale energy storage systems for the purpose of energy shifting at grid connected solar parks in Namibia. The country, which receives a large amount of solar irradiance, is ideal for the construction of solar parks. However, as solar parks are an intermittent energy source, energy storage systems are becoming an increasingly attractive option in order to decrease losses and secure the supply of electricity. For this purpose, a model in Matlab was created to simulate different storage types. The input data was simulated with site-specific information for Windhoek in PVsyst and then evaluated in an economic analysis where electricity tariff pricing, battery investment costs and exchange rates were the main variables. This report is structured through starting with an introduction where the background of the Namibian electricity market and essential terms are presented. This is followed by a detailed description of the Matlab model construction and a literature review of battery types and storage systems. The simulation models and results are then evaluated both from an economical and technical perspective and the main findings are presented. Through this project, it was concluded that energy storage is not feasible today with current market conditions. Even with favorable electricity tariffs and Namibian exchange rates, storage technologies are currently too expensive today in order for it to be economically defensible. The forecast is however promising, where decreasing investment prices and an increased of R&D in the technology is expected. From the constructed model, it was however concluded that sodium-sulfur is by far the best option today. The reason for this is the low initial cost and relatively high round-trip efficiency of the technology. The model also proved the potential of increased electricity security from using energy shifting. With energy storage, the delivered energy from solar parks now coincide better with the demand since the intermittency is decreased. However, for future studies a detailed analysis of energy storage effects on the grid is recommended.

"The intent of this Thesis is to study the potential of distributed resources to increase the efficacy of the electric system without decreasing the efficiency of the system. Distributed resources (DR) are technologies that provide an increase in power or a decrease in load on the distribution system. An example of DR is a storage device that uses electricity during low use periods to store energy and then converts the stored energy to power during high use periods. The energy storage being studied is for the purpose of peak shaving or the ability to shift small amounts of load to a more optimum time. In particular the concept of load curve leveling is explored. DR options are studied to determine how size, location, and storage losses impact the overall system efficacy and efficiency. This includes impacts on system losses, capacity utilization, and energy costs."