This thesis falls into a field of user interface design. It focuses on tangible user interfaces which utilize a camera and projector to augment physical objects with a digital information. It also includes description of calibration of those devices. The primary object of this thesis is the implementation of an augmented user interface for application windows management. The system consists of a stationary camera, overhead projector and movable tangible objects - boards. The boards are equipped with fiducial markers, in order to be tracked in a camera image. The projector displays the conventional desktop onto the table and the tangible objects. For example, application windows can be projected onto some boards, while the windows move and rotate simultaneously with the boards.

The diploma thesis focuses on comparison of demands for making financial statements complying with Czech Accounting Legislation and International Financial Reporting Standards. Furthermore you will also find definitions for types of business performance indicators and how the values for financial statement transformation change.

El Centro histórico de Ayacucho presenta un eje cultural (Av. 9 de diciembre – Av. 28 de Julio - Alameda Valdelirios), teniendo como límite el distrito de Carmen Alto, la ubicación del proyecto que funciona como remate final de lo que es el CHA. Esta zona actualmente es un foco de vulnerabilidad, se dispuso a crear focos de intervención de espacio colectivos y de integración que permiten un entorno que se conecta que se integrar a sus bordes urbanos y naturales del lugar, creando un entorno seguro y una zona reactivada. Se propone un centro de investigación en técnicas de restauración de patrimonio mueble y arte popular, ya que el entorno responde a este uso, estando dentro del centro histórico, en un barrio con alto índice cultural y a su vez un barrio netamente artesanal. Con el fin de que las técnicas artesanales ancestrales que ahora son consideradas patrimonio material de Ayacucho sean investigadas y contrastadas para un mejor manejo del patrimonio local, partir de un conocimiento cosmogónico ancestral de los artesanos y llegar a un conocimiento técnico e investigado de restauración. El proyecto al plantearse como un Centro de investigación de restauración y conservación de técnicas ancestrales, se prioriza como énfasis la cosmovisión andina. Está regido en 3 grandes zonas: Pública (HURIN PLAZA), Semipública (KAI PLAZA), Privada (HANAN PLAZA). Partiendo desde el conocimiento alto andino de los 3 pilares de la cosmovisión reinterpretada a conocimientos, como los de los APUS (visuales y conexiones de los 3 miradores de la zona con el del proyecto), YAQU (Trabajos de riego interno, sostenibilidad del proyecto), ALLPA (trabajos con la tierra y diferentes aportes técnicos (TAPIAL Y BTC)), conectados, por PACARINAS, siendo la conexión entre los diferentes conceptos de mundos infratierra - terrenales y ancestrales / The historic center of Ayacucho presents a cultural axis (Av. 9 de Julio – Av. 28 de Julio - Alameda Valdelirios), having as its limit the district of Carmen Alto, the location of the project that functions as a final finish of what is the CHA. This area is currently a focus of vulnerability, it set out to create pockets of collective space intervention and integration that allow an environment that connects that integrates to its urban and natural edges of the place, creating a safe environment and an area Reactivated. A research center is proposed in techniques of restoration of furniture heritage and popular art, since the environment responds to this use, being within the historic center, in a neighborhood with a high cultural index and in turn a purely artisanal neighborhood. In order that the ancestral artisanal techniques that are now considered Ayacucho’s material heritage are investigated and tested for better management of the local heritage, starting from an ancestral cosmogonic knowledge of the artisans and reaching a technical and researched knowledge of restoration. The project, considering as a Research Center for the Restoration and Conservation of Ancient Techniques, is prioritized as an emphasis on the Andean worldview. It is governed in 3 large areas: Public (HURIN PLAZA), Semipublic (KAI PLAZA), Private (HANAN PLAZA). Starting from the high Andean knowledge of the 3 pillars of the reinterpreted worldview to knowledge, such as those of The APUS (visuals and connections of the 3 viewpoints of the area with that of the project), YAQU (Internal Irrigation Works, Project Sustainability), ALLPA (Land Works and Different Technical Contributions (TAPIAL and BTC)), connected, by PACARINAS, being the connection between the different concepts of underland worlds - terrestrial and ancestral. / Tesis

This thesis aims to find opportunities to support communication between new mothers to foster a sense of connectedness, during a pandemic where social interactions such as parent groups are unavailable. The project is based on research that shows that new parents have a great need for social support. Due to physical distancing, there was room for interaction design to intervene by exploring tangible solutions to develop innovative custom design. Through a user-centered design process, including findings from theory, interviews and design workshops with the target group, the study resulted in a co-created design proposal of a communication device in the form of a wearable wristband. The proposal showed positive indications in meeting the needs and desires of mothers found during a co-design workshop.

In less than a century, programming languages have assumed many forms in adapting to system’s needs and capacities, of which our cognitive systems are a part. One variation, tailored specifically for the cognitive processes in children’s education of computational concepts, and nowadays successful among novice adult learners too, is that of visual block based programming. From the pool of available block based programming environments, Scratch is the most popular for users, and therefore becomes a good topic for researchers interested in contemporary educational discussions, including that of coding as a curricular activity in schools. Although inspired by the educational philosophy of using abstract physical blocks in foundational learning, the mainly visual interface of Scratch is made for keyboard and mouse mediated interaction with the digital content on-screen, producing audio-visual feedback. This research is a case study of Scratch, where the shortcomings found in interactions with its environment motivate the investigation of a potential hybrid technology – tangible and visual – for enhanced learning of foundational concepts in block based programming. The investigation is characterized by progressive cycles of conceptual design, supported by prototyping and testing. The results from its design process present the benefits and challenges of this hybrid concept to inform and inspire the development of new technologies for learning, as well as it should inspire designers of Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) for learning and the educational community of computing to challenge the current ways of learning. The work here presented is concerned with acknowledging and building onto strengths of existing technologies, rather than substituting them with disruptive ideas.

A rational long-horizon stock investment decision is a complex process due to uncertainty in supply and demand, competitive advantage, macroeconomic parameters and various perspectives of investors. Today, the '€˜non-tangible assets'€™ (NTA) that include goodwill and intangible assets are a significant part of corporate assets, but their role in stock performance has not well studied. The purpose of this research is to empirically analyze the implications of NTA and of gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States on the stock price. According to the efficient market hypothesis, stock price reflects all relevant information. The research question focused on the extent to which NTA and the GDP reflected in the stock price. To determine the extent to which NTA and GDP reflected on the stock price, regression analysis and other statistical tests were used. The sample for the empirical study was 56 corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (NASDAQ). The required data from October 2007 to September 2018 were collected from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the United States Bureau of Economics (BEA). The key findings of the study are: the NTA and stock price of 45 corporations have a statistically significant correlation as opposed to 11 corporations. The combined NTA of these 11 corporations for the third quarter of 2018 was $531.64 billion. Furthermore, the GDP and stock price of 53 corporations have a statistically significant correlation, but no evidence for three corporations was found. The significance for positive social change is knowledge from this research about the implications of NTA and GDP on stock performance that the investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders could use for preserving the limited resources and creating wealth.

La relation entre droit international des investissements et patrimoine culturel a fait l’objet de rares études et réflexions, et ce uniquement de manière récente. D’une part, le droit international des investissements a connu une croissance et un développement considérables uniquement dans les dernières trois décennies. D’autre part, comme certains auteurs l’ont souligné, le patrimoine culturel a un statut quelque peu ‘incertain’ en droit international. À la lumière des rares études sur ce sujet, qui généralement mettent en évidence les rapports conflictuels et ambigus entre droit international des investissements et patrimoine culturel, la thèse s’est proposée d’analyser la relation existant entre la réglementation internationale des investissements étrangers et le patrimoine culturel dans se multiples expressions, et cela aussi bien sur le plan des règles substantielles que du contentieux et de la résolution des différends d’investissements concernant la culture. L’idée que la relation entre les investissements étrangers et le patrimoine, réglés par le droit international de manière et amplitude différentes, puisse apporter des avantages mutuels a servi de prémisse générale pour toutes les études menées dans le cadre de la thèse. Parmi les investissements, les investissements étrangers revêtent une grande importance dans les périodes de crise économique et de difficulté à rassembler les ressources nécessaires à préserver le patrimoine. Les investissements sont donc vitaux pour la culture. Cela ne contredit pas l’idée qu’il existe des situations de ‘conflit’, quand les activités économiques peuvent potentiellement causer des dommages et/ou représenter un danger pour le patrimoine. Les recherches et les analyses effectuées ont montré que les traités en matière d’investissements contiennent souvent plusieurs dispositions concernant la culture et le patrimoine culturel. En matière de litiges, les différends d’investissement ont impliqué ou touché aux formes et expressions les plus variées de la culture : des sites UNESCO patrimoine de l’humanité aux industries culturelles, aux lieux de mémoire et au patrimoine des communautés indigènes. En outre, d’une façon quelque peu surprenante et inattendue mais significative, les règles qui protègent les investisseurs internationaux ont été invoquées par des investisseurs qui avaient réalisé des investissements dans les biens et ‘ressources’ culturelles ainsi que pour défendre les activités économiques relatives au « capital culturel » des communautés indigènes. Les diverses études conduites dans le cadre de la présente thèse ont permis de montrer plusieurs aspects et facettes de la relation entre investissements étrangers et patrimoine et de tirer diverses conclusions. Les recherches effectuées ont montré la nécessité d’investissements étrangers pour la protection, sauvegarde, conservation et valorisation de chaque expression culturelle, et les avantages d’une interaction entre régulation internationale des investissements et patrimoine culturel : la relation symbiotique entre droit international des investissements et patrimoine culturel a été démontrée. Cette première réflexion conclusive « soulève » un deuxième élément : il existe, dans le droit international de la culture et du patrimoine, un espace légitime et ample réservé au droit international des investissements. Symétriquement, l’arbitrage d’investissements peut représenter un instrument valide de résolution des différends en matière de patrimoine. Enfin, on peut soutenir que l’intersection des règles internationales en matière d’investissements étrangers avec les règles internationales en matière culturelle peut être déterminante dans la création, ou soutenir la présence, d’un système qui tienne compte – à travers des standards précis de transparence, légalité et légitimité – de l’ensemble des intérêts impliqués. / The relationship between international investment law and cultural heritage has commanded little attention and only recently. Certainly, international investment law has become one of the most prominent branches of international law. Its development has been strictly connected to the soaring growth of bilateral treaties on the promotion and protection of foreign investment and free trade agreements with foreign investment chapters. n turn, the status and place of cultural heritage under international law has grown, significantly progressing from some provisions included in international humanitarian conventions on the protection of heritage during armed conflicts. In light of the few studies existing on the subject of this thesis, which have in general concluded that conflictual and ambiguous relations exist between international investment law and cultural heritage, this thesis proposes to analyze this relation from both the substantive and dispute settlement standpoints. The idea that the relation between foreign investment and cultural heritage, regulated in different ways and ‘intensities’ by international law, could be positive was a general premise for all the research. Indeed, among investments, foreign investments have a great importance in a moment of economic crisis and difficulty in finding appropriate resources to safeguard heritage. Investments are hence vital for culture. The researches and analyses carried out for the thesis have shown that investment treaties often contain a number of provisions concerning culture and cultural heritage. With regard to international disputes, investment disputes have involved or touched upon different cultural forms and expressions: from UNESCO sites to cultural industries, to lieux de mémoire and indigenous communities’ heritage. Further, quite surprisingly, the international rules protecting foreign investors have sometimes been invoked, or resorted to, by subjects that had invested specifically in cultural ‘resources’ or to protect economic activities based on indigenous communities’ culture. The studies and researches carried out for this thesis have made it possible to reach and demonstrate a number of conclusions. First, the researches carried out have demonstrated that foreign investments are necessary to protect, safeguard, preserve and promote any form of cultural expression, and a strong interaction exists between the international regulation of foreign investments and cultural heritage. It has thus been shown that there exists a symbiotic relationship between international investment law and cultural heritage. Second, it has been possible to prove that, within international culture and cultural heritage law, there exists a ‘legitimate space’ for international investment law. Symmetrically, international investment arbitration can represent a valid cultural dispute settlement mechanism. Lastly, it is possible to assert that merging international rules on foreign investments and international rules on culture or cultural heritage can lead to create, or support the existence of, a more transparent, legitimate and rule-of-law-based system. In the light of all these considerations, the research, analysis and reflection carried out for the thesis has demonstrated how positive the relation between international investment law and cultural heritage can be fro states and the society. This, without denying any potentially negative effect. One might hope that the results obtained allow to adapt any practice in the field of culture. The protection of cultural heritage can indeed be strongly enhanced through the regulation of foreign investment.

Media designed to elicit Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) has been used for years for relaxation and improved sleep. Recent research has shown that experiencing ASMR lowers markers for stress, and can induce a relaxed mood. In this thesis, the use of ASMR in a somaesthetic design process was used to define experiential qualities of relaxation. Somaesthetic sensitivity training, ASMR exploration, a material exploration, and a workshop produced several themes relevant to relaxation. Out of these, the themes with the most promise for this project were selected and further examined through the formation of the artifact The Rice Walker, a walking-based artifact for ASMR-inspired relaxation. Using a thematic analysis, the foundations for three experiential qualities of relaxation were identified: Allowing for Anticipation, Softness, Gentleness, and Gradual Transitions, and Control Without Demands. These qualities can be used to expand the soma design space, or could be used in the development of relaxing human-computer interactions. / Media designad för att framkalla ASMR har använts i flera år för avslappning och bättre sömn. Ny forskning har visat att upplevd ASMR sänker stressmarkörer, och kan leda till ett avslappnat tillstånd. I detta examensarbete utforskades användandet av ASMR i en somaestetisk designprocess för att definera experientiella kvalitéer av avslappning. Somaestetisk träning, utforskning av ASMR, en förstapersons material utforskning, samt en workshop resulterade i flera teman relevanta för avslappning. Av dessa valdes de teman med bäst möjlighet till utveckling ut, och dessa teman utvärderades mer utförligt i skapandet av artifakten The Rice Walker som använder gång för att ge känslan av ASMR-inspirerad avslappning. Tre kvalitéer identifierades genom en tematisk analys: Allowing for Anticipation, Softness, Gentleness, and Gradual Transitions, och Control Without Demands. Dessa kvalitéer kan utöka soma design-området, och kan användas i utvecklingen av avslapppnande människo-dator interaktioner.

Firstly, this research is a collaboration with Granny’s Dancing on the Table, a transmedia film project in which the public has the chance to affect a film script through different social media channels. Before the actual film release there will be different game-episodes released in connection to the film. I have mainly been in contact with the game company Ozma, a part of the ‘Granny team’ working on cross-media games for the project. This thesis is a side-project with the aim of exploring a more “hidden universe”, which can later be applied to the design process.Secondly, the research provides a broad picture of the dilemmas faced when applying cryptic design strategies in an urban environment. I explore a few design qualities, how they can enhance user experience and make the user curious about hidden artefacts found on the street or in a public environment. I approached the problem by placing experiments linked to one of Granny’s Dancing on the Tables’ social media channels, in the streets and institutions of the Möllan neighbourhood in Malmö, Sweden. I collected information from both field studies and the interaction design world, regarding the application of design qualities to an artefact. Moreover, I based the research on street art, human behaviour, the psychology of curiosity and visual perception within the field of (transmedia) experience design. Based on my findings from these experiments and interviews I have come up with a set of guidelines to use when applying “hiddenness” to an artefact or design concept.

This dissertation presents three article manuscripts investigating contemporary human resource management issues in the United States (US) federal government. Drawing on the behavioral public administration approach, the three articles hypothesize and test theoretical models using data from the US Office of Personnel Management's employee surveys. Chapter 1 introduces the motivation of this dissertation, theoretical backgrounds, and a summary of the three research studies conducted. Chapter 2 presents the first article manuscript, looking at the generational difference issue and its implications for theories and practices. Drawing on generational theories, this study empirically compares affective commitment of federal Millennials and Generation Xers. This study uses time-lag data from the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and the 2004 Federal Human Capital Survey (FHCS). The results show no statistically significant differences between the two generations in terms of their affective commitment levels and how several work experiences influence the two generations' attitude. As such, this study provides evidence to reduce generational stereotypes in the public sector. Chapter 3 draws on conservation of resources theory to address perceptions of workload in the public workplace. Using structural equation modeling method with data from the 2019 FEVS, this study finds that supervisor support can sequentially help enhance coworker support, perceived reasonable workload, and job satisfaction, while tangible job resources moderate the above relationship. This study deepens scholarly understandings and points to appropriate practical strategies to enhance employees' perceptions of reasonable workload and job satisfaction in public workplaces. Chapter 4 looks at the issue of trust in different levels of management and its effects on employees, building on the trickle effects models and job demands-resources model. Analysis of 2019 FEVS data finds that employee trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors are positively related to as well as interact with each other to influence public employees. This research also finds trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors indirectly affects extra-role behavior through psychological well-being, and that workload moderates these effects. Chapter 5 concludes this dissertation with summaries of research findings, theoretical and practical implications, research limitations, and future research directions. The quantitative empirical methods used in this dissertation contribute to a community of inquiry using diverse data and methods. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation investigates issues related to managing people in the US federal government. Chapter 1 introduces the motivation of the study, lays out the theoretical background, and presents a brief summary of the three research studies conducted. Chapter 2 examines whether federal employees belonging to the Millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 1999) differ from those of the Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1981) in their affective commitment and how job experiences influence the attitude of these generations. The findings show no substantial differences between the two generations, providing evidence to reduce generational stereotypes in the public sector. Chapter 3 investigates the ways to help employees feel their workload as more reasonable and enhance their job satisfaction. It found that supervisor support can sequentially help enhance coworker support, perceived reasonable workload, and job satisfaction, while tangible job resources moderate the above relationship. As such, this study suggests appropriate management strategies to enhance employees' perceptions of reasonable workload and job satisfaction in public workplaces. Chapter 4 looks at the issue of trust in different levels of management and its effects on employees. It found that employee trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors can influence as well as enhance the effect of each other on employees. Also, trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors indirectly affects extra-role behavior through psychological well-being. Meanwhile, reasonable workload enhances the effect of trust in senior leaders on employees but decreases the effect of trust in supervisors on employees. Chapter 5 concludes this dissertation with summaries of research findings, the contributions of this dissertation, research limitations, and future research directions.