This thesis explores the application of Markowitz' Modern Portfolio Theory onto 220 years of financial returns for 13 metals and 21 poly-metallic ore types. The interdisciplinary research shows that poly-metallic ores can be described as naturally occurring portfolios that were diversified by natural geological processes. Safest and optimal portfolios for metals and ores can be computed for different time horizons using portfolio optimization algorithms. Results for optimized ore portfolios are thereby subject to geological constraints. The study revealed that commodity cycles last between six and twenty years and exhibit clockwise and counterclockwise motions in the risk-return framework. The cycle length differences for clockwise cycles are statistically significant and thus specific to all investigated metals and ores. By incorporating novel cycle parameters into decision making tools it is suggested that current industry decisions for resource development can be improved. Insights into the performance of metals and ores through the industrial cycles, as well as into the frequency of profitable super cycles can assist Metals & Mining executives in strategic planning and investment.:Introduction 1 Data 3 Metals & ore types studied 5 2.1 Metals.......................................... 5 2.2 Ore types ........................................ 5 2.3 Prices .......................................... 10 2.4 Summary ........................................ 12 II Analysis 13 3 Modern Portfolio Theory 15 3.1 Overview ........................................ 15 3.2 Definitions........................................ 15 3.3 Assumptions ...................................... 17 3.4 Discussion & Conclusion................................ 18 4 Poly-metallic ores as natural portfolios 19 4.1 Objectives........................................ 19 4.2 Results.......................................... 19 4.3 Summary & Discussion................................. 24 4.4 Conclusion ....................................... 25 5 Static portfolio optimization 27 5.1 Objectives........................................ 27 5.2 Assumptions ...................................... 27 5.3 Results.......................................... 27 5.4 Summary & Discussion................................. 31 5.5 Conclusion ....................................... 32 6 Dynamic portfolio optimization 33 6.1 Assumptions ...................................... 33 6.2 Results.......................................... 34 6.3 Summary & Discussion................................. 44 6.4 Conclusion ....................................... 45 7 Commodity cycles & metal assets 47 7.1 Commodity cycles ................................... 47 7.2 Commodity cycle observations ............................ 54 7.3 Summary ........................................ 76 7.4 Discussion........................................ 77 7.5 Conclusion ....................................... 78 III Application 81 8 Commodity cycles & resource development strategies 83 8.1 The timing of mine development and mining start-up................ 83 8.2 Lead times from discovery to operation........................ 88 8.3 Exploration....................................... 89 8.4 Project valuation considerations............................ 91 8.5 Summary & Discussion................................. 92 8.6 Conclusion ....................................... 93 9 Industrial cycles & modern history 95 9.1 The Metal Markets Indicator-MMI ......................... 95 9.2 The Metal Markets Indicator & the economy .................... 97 9.3 The MMI & military conflict ............................. 105 9.4 MMI cyclicality..................................... 115 9.5 Summary & Discussion................................. 122 9.6 Conclusion ....................................... 123 10 Industrial cycles & metal performance 125 10.1 Methodology ...................................... 125 10.2 Metal performance during technological epochs ................ 126 10.3 Discussion........................................ 133 10.4 Conclusion ....................................... 137 11 Industrial cycles & ore type preferences 139 11.1 Coal Age ........................................ 139 11.2 Oil Age ......................................... 142 11.3 Atomic Age....................................... 144 11.4 Discussion........................................ 146 11.5 Conclusion ....................................... 150 12 Industrial cycles & ore provinces 151 12.1 Ore genetic models and industrial cycles....................... 151 12.2 Ore geology and geography .............................. 154 12.3 Ore provenances and mining technology ....................... 156 12.4 Discussion........................................ 157 12.5 Conclusion ....................................... 157 13 The state and future of the M&M Industry 159 13.1 The current state.................................... 159 13.2 The dawn of a new Industrial Age .......................... 163 13.3 The future........................................ 164 13.4 Summary & Discussion................................. 167 13.5 Conclusion ....................................... 168 14 Summary 169 15 Conclusion 171 IV Appendix 173 Bibliography 233 Index 245

The fact that there is a housing shortage in Stockholm is discussed regularly in the media today. Stockholm municipality owns about 70 percent of all land in the municipality and in the role as landowner, the municipality has the opportunity to influence where and what, within the municipality, there is to be built. In this paper, we have looked at the Norra Djurgårdsstaden project, Norra 2 and discovered that there are significant differences in how the city provides land for condominiums and tenancy apartments. We have in particular looked at how the land allocation and the pricing of the land have been made. In Stockholm municipality's land allocation policy from 2015 the municipality specifies four ways to grant land through land allocation. This policy also specifies the city that the tenancy apartments to have granted on leasehold. In this study we have looked at the differences and problems that can occur when tenancy apartments are granted the leasehold in a central location as Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Further on this paper discuss Stockholm municipality's new proposals on ground rents and what potential consequences for the construction of rental apartments in central Stockholm this proposal could have. We also discuss whether it is appropriate to grant leasehold rights for tenancy apartments in this kind of location in the city with the current rent setting system. Finally the paper brings up options for future applications that could allow different forms of tenure to compete for land in a more market oriented way. / Faktumet att det råder bostadsbrist i Stockholm diskuteras med jämna mellanrum i media idag. Stockholms stad äger cirka 70 procent av all mark inom kommunen och i rollen som markägare har staden möjlighet att påverka vad och var inom kommunen det ska byggas. I denna uppsats har vi tittat på projektet Norra Djurgårdsstaden, Norra 2 och upptäckt att det finns väsentliga skillnader i hur staden upplåter mark för bostadsrättslägenheter respektive hyresrättslägenheter. Vi har framförallt tittat på själva markanvisningen och hur prissättningen av marken har gått till. I Stockholms stads markanvisningspolicy från 2015 anger staden fyra olika sätt att upplåta mark genom markanvisning. I denna policy anger också staden att hyresrättslägenheter ska få upplåtas på tomträtt. I den här undersökningen har vi tittat på de skillnader och problem som kan uppstå när hyresrätter upplåts på tomträtt i ett central läge som Norra Djurgårdsstaden. Vidare i arbetet behandlas även Stockholms stads nya förslag om tomträttsavgälder och vad detta förslag kan få för eventuella konsekvenser för byggandet av hyresrättslägenheter i centrala Stockholm. Vi diskuterar också om det är lämpligt att upplåta tomträtter för hyresrättslägenheter i denna typ av läge i staden med det nuvarande hyressättningssytemet. Slutligen tar arbetet upp alternativ till framtida tillämpningar som skulle kunna möjliggöra olika upplåtelseformer att konkurrera om mark på ett mera marknadsmässigt sätt.

Denna studie är ett examensarbete i kursen självständigt arbete i förskollärarutbildningen. Problemområdet som studien utgår ifrån är problematiken som kan uppstå i arbetet för att skapa likvärdig utbildning för barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar (NPF). Studiens syfte var att bidra med kunskap om förskolepedagoger anser att de har tillräckligt med kunskap och personalresurser för att kunna skapa likvärdiga utbildning för dessa barn i förskolan. Studien utgick ifrån en kvantitativ forskningsmetod där enkätfrågor skickades ut via mejl till förskolepedagoger i Skåne och Småland. Resultatet visade att förskolepedagogerna inte ansåg sig ha tillräckligt med kunskaper för att kunna möta barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar, detta trots att majoriteten av respondenterna angav att de både hade erfarenhetsbaserad och teoretisk kunskap inom området. Mer än hälften angav även att de har fått kompetensutveckling om neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar. Resultatet visade även att förskolepedagogerna ansåg att det fanns brist på personal i förskolans verksamhet i arbetet barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar. Styrdokument och andra riktlinjer, som till exempel värdegrunden, utgår från en relationell ansats, inte minst när det kommer till alla barn i förskolans rätt till en likvärdig utbildning. Då förskolepedagogernas kunskaper visade sig vara bristfälliga, samt att det inte fanns tillräckligt med personalresurser i förskolorna för att möta alla barn, innebär det att risken för att förskolepedagogerna tvingas inta ett mer kategoriskt förhållande till barn i behov av särskilt stöd ökar. / This study is a degree project in the course independent work in preschool teacher education. The problem area on which the study is based is the problems that may arise in the work to create equivalent education for children with neuropsychiatric disabilities (NPF). The purpose of the study was to contribute with knowledge about preschool educators believe that they have sufficient knowledge and staff resources to be able to create equivalent education for these children in preschool. The study was based on a quantitative research method where questionnaires were sent out via email to preschool educators in Skåne and Småland. The results showed that the preschool educators did not consider themselves to have sufficient knowledge to be able to meet children with neuropsychiatric disabilities, despite the fact that the majority of the respondents stated that they had both experience-based and theoretical knowledge in the field. More than half also stated that they have received competence development on neuropsychiatric disabilities. The results also showed that the preschool educators considered that there was a shortage of staff in the preschool's activities at work children with neuropsychiatric disabilities. Governing documents and other guidelines, such as the values, are based on a relational approach, not least when it comes to all children in preschool's right to an equal education. As the preschool teachers' knowledge proved to be deficient, and the fact that there were not enough staff resources in the preschools to meet all children, this means that the risk of the preschool teachers being forced to take a more categorical relationship with children in need of special support increases.

Undersökningens syfte är att synliggöra förskollärares upplevelser gällande att kunna tillgodose varje enskilt barns behov i förskolan samt att problematisera de faktorer som påverkar huruvida förskollärare kan tillgodose dessa. Datainsamlingen gjordes genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex olika förskollärare där fokuset var att synliggöra aktörernas upplevelser och vad som ansågs var viktigt  för att kunna tillgodose varje enskilt barns behov. Eftersom de pedagogiska relationerna mellan förskollärare och barn är centrala när det gäller förskollärares arbete med barnens behov, inramas studien teoretiskt med den relationella pedagogiken. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ ansats och analysen följde en abduktiv logik där datamaterialet analyserades på ett systematiskt sätt utifrån det teoretiska ramverket. Det resultat som presenteras i studien synliggör förskollärares syn på begreppet “varje enskilt barns behov” samt de faktorer studiedeltagarana anser ligger till grund för och skapar förutsättningar  för att de ska kunna tillgodose varje enskilt barns behov. Den påverkansfaktor som de förskollärare som intervjuats främst syftade på som en bidragande orsak var personalbristen, både sjukfrånvaro samt förskolans grundbemanning. Detta kan ibland upplevas leda till tidsbrist som i sin tur gör det svårt att skapa och upprätthålla relationer till vart och ett av barnen och därmed också påverka i vilken utsträckning varje enskilt barns behov kan tillgodoses. Att inte kunna bidra till varken relationsskapandet eller att tillgodose varje enskilt barns behov i önskad omfattning framställs av de förskollärare som intervjuats som påfrestande och upplevs som ett misslyckande.

School adulthood diagnostics Abstract: This thesis is devoted to the topic school adulthood and its diagnostics by the children in the pre-school age. In the theoretic part there are included basic information about the ontogeny of a child in the pre-school age and contemporary conception of pre-school aducation. There are explained the expressions school adulthood, school preparedness, postponement of obligatory shool attandance, partial functions and shortages of these functions here as well. There are also described the possibilities how to diagnose the functions that are neccessary for the sucessfull acquirement of school skills. You can find the information about the enrolment of a child to the basic school too. The aim for the empiric part is to find out if it is possible to contribute to the improvement of the choosen partial functions by the aid of their regular stimulation by the pre-school children and in this way to increase a change for the successful acquirement of school skills. I had made my exploration through four diagnostic tests focused on the choosen partial functions in two kindergartens in Prague.

Approved for public release; distribution in unlimited. / This thesis represents a cross Systems Command (NAVSEA/NAVAIR) developed product. The product - the Sunset Supply Base (SSB) system - provides a complete system for addressing the risks and supportability issues involved with Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products in Navy combat and support systems. The SSB system was implemented on three Navy combat weapon systems at various phases of the product development life cycle. The main body provides to the Program Management Offices (PMO) and other decision makers, a high level summary of performance expectations. Appendix A - The Sunset Supply Base Architecture - identifies at a high level of abstraction a collaborative architecture providing a roadmap for design and development of the SSB system. Appendix B - The Systems Engineering Development and Implementation (SEDI) plan - is a prescriptive or "How to" manual describing activities that have been used to successfully implement the SSB system. Appendix C - Business Case Analysis (BCA) - presents the data collected as a result of SEDI plan implementation then addresses the business/programmatic attributes showing the viability and value proposition possible through the SSB system. Appendix D - The Marketing Plan for the SSB system - defines methods and practices necessary to establish the SSB system as the alternative of choice. / Chemical Engineer, United States Navy / Systems Engineer, United States Navy

The vision of New Zealand as a 'knowledge society' is a mantra that has opened the twenty-first century. Underpinning any 'knowledge society', however; are people who turn resources into concrete products and who build, maintain and service the technological and social infrastructure essential to society. This thesis examines the skilled trades and, in particular, how people are trained for those trades. Industry training is a crucial component of the wealth-generating capabilities of New Zealand. It is also an essential part of the way that many young people make the transition from school to work and from adolescence to adulthood. The means of training tradespeople has moved over the years from the rigid and prescriptive apprenticeship system, to the more voluntaristic, industry-led 'industry training' strategy, introduced following the Industry Training Act 1992. Regardless of the system used to organise training, however, there have been long-standing problems in New Zealand with achieving the optimum number of skilled workers, possessing the correct 'mix' of skills required. In this research, based upon semi-structured interviews with industry training stakeholders four industry case studies, policy content analysis and an in-depth examination of the Modem Apprenticeships scheme, I ask three key questions. First, what are the things that, as a country, we could or should reasonably expect a 'good' industry training system to contribute to? These may be things like: an adequate supply of appropriately skilled workers, the ability to upskill or reskill these workers as needed, clear transition routes for young people, lifelong learning opportunities, equity goals and foundation skills. Second, I ask how the current system performs against these criteria. The short answer is that the performance is 'patchy'. There are dire skill shortages in many areas. While opportunities for workplace upskilling, reskilling or 'lifelong learning' are available, I argue that they are not yet cemented into a 'training culture'. Workplace-based learning is an important transition route for a small percentage of our young people but the favoured route is some form of tertiary education, which may be an expensive and not necessarily relevant option. Third, I ask why the performance of New Zealand's industry training system is often less than desirable. My argument is that the problems and solutions thereof, of skill formation in New Zealand have been understood largely in terms of the supply-side. That is, we have either critiqued, or looked to reform, whatever system has been in place to train skilled workers. The inadequacy of this approach is evident from weaknesses in the ability of either the prescriptive apprenticeship system or the voluntaristic industry training strategy to deliver an appropriately skilled workforce. Thus, I also examine the demand side of skill formation: the wider influences that impact on employers' training decisions. Training decisions made by individual employers, the aggregation of which represent the level and quality of training for New Zealand as a whole, are influenced by a plethora of factors. At the micro level of the employer or firm, I explore barriers to training and some of the constraints to the demand for skills. I then examine broader influences, such as the changing shape of the workforce, labour market regulation and wider economic factors, all of which impact on training levels.

What makes a community sustainable? Is it the effective management of local environmental resources? Or meeting the social, economic and health needs of its population? For the five UBC researchers in the following pages, the answer is unequivocally both. From tackling water scarcity to environmental health and planning, these researchers are individually working to ensure local communities are equipped with the necessary knowledge to remain sustainable for generations to come.

Thesis (Master of Strategic Studies) -- Army War College, 2006. / Title from title screen (viewed , 2008). "March 8, 2006". "ADA448999"--URL.. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in paper format.

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