Road safety is a complicated issue that affects most world economies due to its negative socioeconomic impact. Road safety programs include different programs that cover different areas for minimizing the effects of these impacts. One of these programs focuses road safety against invasion of wildlife into traffic roads. Most economies that heavily include these particular programs, such as Sweden, rely on specific machinery and techniques for clearing road shoulders that allows driver to foresee any possible danger or road invasion in good time. The most common piece of machinery used for covering this type of activity is known as a boom mower. Boom mowers can be pictured as giant lawnmowers that are attached into a long boom crane from wheel loaders or excavators, so they can clear invading vegetation from the road shoulders. Boom mowers suffer from heavy wear due to their dimensions, weight and operating speed which it requires companies to pay extra attention to their construction and choice of materials. Cranab Slagkraft is a Swedish company that has been specialized for providing high quality boom mowers for the last 30 yearsfor clearing vegetation on the Swedish roads. But, despite their higher quality products, these boo mowers are often expensive and complicated to manufacture. For this reason, Cranab has requested a study to minimize the manufacturing burden in order to simplify its production and diminish cost. This research study focuses on the latest components addition into the boom mower construction to assess their performance. For this research, the researcher will put to test the reinforcements of the boom mower’s model SH150 and see what their performance against harmonic vibrations and structural strength against local stresses are. The research follows two complementary analysis. First, a modal analysis on the boom mower’s main structure for evaluating resonance levels at an operating frequency. Second, a structural analysis with idealized conditions at operating speed to determine construction stress resilience. The results in this research reveals that the modal analysis rejects the viability of one group of reinforcements and confirms the implications of the other one. Also, the results reveal that the complicated geometry requires advanced software for providing more conclusive results. In addition, the boom mower’s own geometry and choice of material might play a role in adjusting the harmonic resonance and adjusting the boom mower’s mechanical properties. The latter conclusion should be considered as a theme of study for future research in this same field. / Trafiksäkerhet är ett komplicerat ärende som påverkar de flesta världsekonomier på grund av dess negativa socioekonomiska inverkan. I trafiksäkerhetsprogrammen ingår olika program som täcker olika områden för att minimera de socioekonomiska effekterna. Ett av dessa program koncentrerar sig på trafiksäkerhet mot invasion av vilda djur på motorbanor. De flesta världsekonomiers system som omfattar dessa trafiksäkerhetsprogram, till exempel Sverige, är beroende av specifika maskiner och tekniker för röjning av vägarna som gör det möjligt för föraren att i god tid ska kunna förutse eventuell fara eller vilt som kommer in på vägen. Den vanligaste maskinen som används för röjning av vägar kallas kättingröjare. Kättingröjaren kan liknas vid gigantiska gräsklippare som är fastsatta på en grävmaskin, hjullastare och/eller väghyvel så att de kan rensa bort gräs från vägkanten. Kättingröjare lider av kraftigt slitage på grund av deras dimensioner, vikt och driftshastighet. Det kräver att tillverkaren uppmärksammar konstruktionen och materialvalet till kättingröjaren. Cranab Slagkraft är ett svenskt företag som under de senaste 30 åren har specialiserat sig på att leverera högkvalitativa kättingröjare. Kättingröjarna är ofta dyra och komplicerade att tillverka. Av den anledningen har Cranab begärt en studie för att förenkla produktionen och minska tillverkningskostnaderna. Den här studien koncentrerar sig på det senaste komponenttillägget i kättingröjarens konstruktion för att bedöma deras prestanda. I den här studien testas flera förstärkningar i kättingröjarens modell SH150 för att undersöka deras prestanda mot harmonisk vibration och strukturell hållfasthet mot lokala spänningar. I studien ingår två kompletterande analyser. Först görs en modalanalys på kättingröjarens huvudstruktur för utvärdering av resonansnivåer vid driftsfrekvensen. Sedan görs en strukturell analys med idealiserat tillstånd vid driftshastigheten för att bestämma spänningsmotståndet. I resultatet beskrivs en grupp av förstärkningar som inte har någon påverkan för kättingröjarens harmoniska vibration och spänningsmotstånd och en andra grupp som visar påverkan. Även resultaten visar att den komplicerade geometrin kräver avancerad mjukvara för att ge mer avgörande resultat. Dessutom kan kättingröjarens egen geometri och materialval ha påverkan vid justering av dess harmoniska resonans och mekaniska egenskaper. Den senare slutsatsen bör betraktas som ett begrepp för framtida studier inom samma område.

abstract: This research aims to develop a narration theory based on Argentinian writer Juan José Saer’s (1937-2005) four collections of essays: El río sin orillas (The River Without Banks) (1991) —which is thought by critics to be the Facundo of the 20th century—, El concepto de ficción (The Concept of Fiction) (1995), La narración-objeto (The Narrative Object) (1999) and Trabajos (Works) (2005). His essays examine the Latin American novel from 1960 to 2000, in other words, from the founding of the modern novel during the Latin American boom to its establishment as the most commercial genre upon the arrival of neoliberalism in Latin America in the 1990’s. Saer not only questions the novel in literary terms, but also contextually: from its relationship to politics and the Cuban Revolution and the years of literary compromise à la Sarte and the historical novel’s insurgency as the favored genre that settled the region’s past and present in the 1980’s to the conception of the genre as a commodity as large transnational entertainment consortia purchased all publishers. Within this context, Saer simultaneously critiques and formulates a theory on narration to oppose the novel. He presents narration as a continuation of a wasted and formulaic genre such as the historical novel. He juxtaposes the “real” to realism, ponders the impossibility of the historical novel, defends and rehabilitates the French noveau roman, which was much vilified by authors of the boom, demystifies Borges’ reading of the Argentinian tradition and at the same time confronts it with Witold Gombrowicz. He removes literature from the bonds of nationalism and Latin Americanism and contrasts Sartre’s ideas with German philosopher Theodore W. Adorno’s proposals about the novel during the cultural industry era. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Spanish 2015

The dissertation research will comprise three essays on the topic of the resource curse hypothesis and its mechanisms. The phenomenon of low economic growth in resource-rich regions is recognized as the “resource curse”. These essays will contribute to an understanding of the regional resource-growth relation within a nation. Essay one tests the resource curse hypothesis at the U.S. state level. With a system of equations model, I decompose the overall resource effect to account for the two leading explanations — crowding-out and institution effects, thus investigate whether the institutions mediate the crowding-out effects. I did not find evidence of an overall negative effect on growth by resource wealth. Both the crowding-out and institution appear present, but they offset: the resource boom crowds out industrial investments, but good institutions mitigate the overall effect. Resources do reduce growth in states with low-quality institutions, including Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Essay two compares the effects of resource revenues on the economic growth and growth-related factors across Chinese provinces and American states, using panel data from 1990 to 2015. With the Instrumental Variable (IV) strategy, I show that regions with higher resource revenues grow faster than other regions in both China and the U.S. The positive resource effect is larger and more statistically significant in the U.S. Further testing impacts of three resource-related policies in China, e.g. the market price reform, the fiscal reform, and the Western Development Strategy, I show that the market price reform together with the privatization process on coal resources contribute the positive resource effect in China. Though strong and positive resource – growth relations appear in both countries, evidence also suggests consistent negative resource effects on certain growth-related factors in both countries, such as educational attainments and R&D activities. Essay three explores the schooling response to the oil and gas boom, taking advantage of timing and spatial variation in oil and gas well drilling activities. Development of cost-reducing technologies at the time of higher crude oil and natural gas prices in the early 2000s has accelerated shale oil and gas extraction in the United States. I show that intensive drilling activities have decreased grade 11 and 12 enrollment over the 14 year study window − approximately 36 fewer students per county on average and overall, 41,760 fewer students across the 15 states enrolled considered in the analysis. On average, with one additional oil or gas well drilled per thousand initial laborers, grade 11 and 12 enrollment would decrease 0.24 percent at the county level, all else equal. I investigate heterogeneous effects and show that the implied effect of the boom is larger in states with a younger compulsory schooling age requirement (16 years of age instead of 17 or 18), lower state-level effective tax rate on oil and gas productions, traditional mining, non-metro, and persistent poverty counties.

Pas de résumé / Propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in inhomogeneous media is an important problem inmany research domains of modern theoretical and applied acoustics. For example, studies onpropagation of high amplitude N-waves in turbulent atmosphere are relevant to the sonic boomproblem which involves high interest due to development of new civil supersonic aircrafts. Inrelation to sonic boom problem, many studies on spark-generated N-wave propagation through aturbulent layer were carried out in model laboratory-scale experiments which are more controlledand reproducible than field measurements. Propagation of high intensity focused ultrasound intissue (HIFU) is intensively studied for medical applications. HIFU is a basis of new surgicaldevices for noninvasive thermal and mechanical ablation of tumors.In this thesis, the problem of characterization of high amplitude N-waves generated in air byan electric spark was studied using combined acoustical and optical methods. The fine structureof shocks was deduced from the shadowgraphy images with a resolution that cannot be obtainedusing condenser microphones. It was shown that the combination of optical and acoustical methodsallows complete characterization of the N-waves.N-wave propagation through a layer of thermal turbulence was further studied in a laboratoryexperiment. The evolution of statistical distributions and average values of the most importantN-wave parameters was investigated at different propagation distances. Experimental results werecompared to data obtained in another experiment known in literature, where N-wave was propagatedthrough kinematic turbulence. It was shown that in the case of almost the same widths ofthe turbulent layers, values of the characteristic scales and rms of refractive index fluctuations, thekinematic turbulence leads to stronger distortions of the peak pressure and the shock rise time ofthe N-wave and to 2-3 greater probabilities to observe intense focusing in caustics.Effects of nonlinear propagation and random focusing on the statistics of N-wave amplitudewere studied theoretically using the KZK equation and the phase screen model. The phase screenwas characterized by the correlation length and the refraction length – the distance where firstcaustics occur. Probability distributions, mean values and standard deviations of the N-wave peakpressure were obtained from the numerical solutions and were presented as functions of the propagationdistance and the nonlinear length. Statistical results from the KZK model were comparedwith analytical predictions of the nonlinear geometrical acoustics approach (NGA). It was shown,that NGA approach is valid only up to the distance of one third of refraction length of the screen.Strong nonlinear effects were shown to suppress amplitude fluctuations. The effect of the scale ofinhomogeneities on amplitude statistics was also investigated.The problem of focusing of ultrasound beam through inhomogeneous medium is importantfor medical diagnostics and nondestructive testing problems. The inhomogeneities of biologicaltissue or of industrial materials can destroy beam focusing. In the thesis, distortions of a weaklynonlinear diagnostic beam focused through a phase layer of special configuration were consideredexperimentally and theoretically. Feasibility of selective destruction of focusing of differentharmonics in the beam was predicted in the modeling and confirmed in experiment.The most modern HIFU devices rely on using two-dimensional multi-element phased arrayswith elements randomly distributed over a segment of a spherical surface. Numerical experimentis an important tool to characterize pressure fields created by HIFU radiators. Intensity levels atthe focus of HIFU radiators can reach several tens of thousands of W/cm2, causing nonlinearpropagation effects and formation of shocks [...]

M.Phil. / Although a great deal of research has been conducted on diversity management in South Africa, very little of this research has focused on age diversity within interactive information societies such as libraries in South Africa. This study will focus specifically on academic libraries. It is also clear that most of the research regarding age diversity within Academic Information Services (AIS) has focused on managing the difference in ages between library patrons and library staff members. Very little of the research is devoted to age diversity between co-workers, and even less research has been conducted regarding Cuspers as a generational cohort within the library environment. This study is aimed at investigating age diversity within AIS in South Africa in relation to its effect on work, work performance and co-worker relationships. It is also aimed at encouraging organisations, and specifically AIS, to take cognisance of the current age demographic of their libraries and to develop and implement not only succession planning policies, but also relevant recruitment and retention policies in order to avoid employee and leadership vacuums. The research findings of this study are relevant as they give organisations in general, and specifically AIS within higher education institutions (HEI), a point of reference to guide the formulation of recruitment and employment policies that would appeal to the values and preferences of younger generational cohorts currently under-represented in these organisations. In addition, this study is of value with regard to the formulation of succession policies focused on the planning and training of new middle and top management staff members in order to improve current succession policies and plans.

The diploma thesis deals with the design of a mobile crane for working in a manufacturing environment. The crane has load capacity 600 kg, length of radius 3 m and load-lifting height 3m. It is equipped with the electric chain hoist with electric trolley, rotation by held by hand of burden. The diploma thesis contains crane design and control and design calculations of important components. Technical drawings are also part of the thesis.

This diploma thesis deals with the construction design of revolving column crane which is used for manipulation with metal plates for metal shears and bending bench. The aim is to set main proportions and basic parameters for the designed steel construction via design calculation. Then the thesis deals with checking of strength analysis done by programme I-DEAS NX 11. Suggestion of disposal placement of the crane, choice of hoist, travelling system, auxiliary device and drawing documentation are also parts of the design.

Field studies were conducted to test three application methods for applying antagonistic herbicide combinations: 1) tank mix (TMX), 2) mix-in-line (MIL), and 3) separate boom (SPB). Sethoxydim applied with bentazon, glyphosate applied with dicamba or 2,4-D, and clethodim applied with dicamba or 2,4-D had higher efficacy when applied using the SPB method. Antagonism of all the herbicide combinations above was observed when applied using the TMX and MIL methods. In some cases, antagonism was avoided when using the SPB method. Three application methods tested in greenhouse studies were 1) TMX, 2) synthetic auxin applied first (AAF), and 3) synthetic auxin applied second (AAS). The AAS application method resulted in higher weed control than the TMX and AAF methods. Analysis done through liquid chromatography mass spectrometry supported the greenhouse results with higher rates of glyphosate detected with the AAS method.

The care of the elderly is a growing problem. Existing services are inadequate for the needs of an aging population. In order to suggest new services to deal with the care of the elderly, this report examined four areas: the demographic characteristics of our aging society, the nature of services in general, services provided to the elderly population, and the application of role theory to the caregiver/care recipient dyad. Role theory identified conflicts felt by both the caregiver and care recipient. These conflicts were explored in three sets of focus group interviews: women 65 years old and older, women familiar with the experience of primary caregiver, and women between the ages of 23 and 42 (the age range representative of the Baby Boom cohort). Information from these interviews was used to understand both current and future perceptions of the elderly and of the role of caregivers in this society and what services they perceive are necessary for the elderly to function independently in this society. / Master of Science

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