<p>This thesis work aimed at increasing the knowledge regarding phenomena occurring when gas is injected using a top-blown lance on to a bath. All results are based on physical modeling studies carried out both using low and high gas flow rates and nozzle diameters ranging from 0.8 mm to 3.0 mm. At the low gas flow rates, the penetration depth in the bath was studied. The experiments focused on studying the effect of nozzle diameter, lance height and gas flow rate on the penetration depth. It was found that the penetration depth increases with decreasing nozzle diameter, decreasing lance height and with increasing gas flow rate. The results were also compared with previous work. More specifically, it was studied how the previous published empirical relationships fitted the current experimental data. It was found that the relationships of Banks [1], Davenport [2], Chatterjee [3] and Qian [4] agreed well with the experimental data of this investigation for nozzle diameters of 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm. However, for smaller nozzle diameters there were considerable deviations. Therefore, a new correlation heuristically derived from energy conservation consideration was suggested and showed better agreement for small nozzle diameters.</p><p>The experiments carried out at higher gas flow rates focused on the study of swirl motion. The effects of nozzle diameter, lance height, gas flow rate and aspect ratio on the swirl motion were investigated. The amplitude and period of the swirl as well as the starting time and the damping time of the swirl were determined. The amplitude was found to increase with an increased nozzle diameter and gas flow rate, while the period had a constant value of about 0.5 s for all nozzle diameters, gas flow rates and lance heights. The starting time for the swirl motion was found to decrease with an increased gas flow, while the damping time was found to be independent of gas flow rate, nozzle diameter, lance height and ratio of depth to diameter.</p>

<p>A set top box is an embedded device, much like a computer with limited capabilities. Its main purpose is to decode a video signal and output it to a TV. The set top box market is constantly growing and to be competitive in it, a set top box has to be able to do more than only TV. One way to make an attractive product is to give it an appealing user interface. This thesis is a part of a larger work at the company to find new ways to create graphical user interfaces. Its goal is to investigate what SVG implementations that exits, which one that is most suitable for an integration attempt and then perform the integration.</p><p>Several SVG engines were investigated and one provided by the company was selected for integration. Three ways to integrate the SVG engine were identified. One of these alternatives was to extend the callback interface be- tween the engine and the underlying platform. Because of the good fit with the current architecture this alternative was chosen and implemented. As a part of this investigation a demo application suite of SVG content was also constructed.</p><p>This investigation resulted in a working integration of the chosen SVG engine on the platform. It has also showed that SVG is a suitable language to build graphical user interfaces on set top boxes.</p>

Ce mémoire présente une synthèse des travaux que j'ai effectués depuis 9 ans pour la préparation de l'expérience ATLAS, devant fonctionner auprès du futur grand collisionneur de hadrons du CERN, le LHC, qui entrera en service en 2008.

<p>Abstrakt</p><p>Färdigheter utvecklas gradvis vid träning och fördelarna som erhålls är många. Utförandet går snabbare, blir mer korrekt och den kognitiva belastningen tros minska. Utvecklandet av färdigheter kan dock påverkas av individens personlighet och faktorer som setts kunna bidra till stress och prestation. Denna studie undersökte betydelsen av upplevda krav, kontroll och socialt stöd enligt en teoretisk modell framtagen av Karasek och Theorell som reviderats av Perski samt personlighet (Eysenck, EPQ-R: extraversion, neuroticism) avseende resultaten på teoretisk respektive praktisk prestation efter olika mängd träning. Prestation mättes med svenska klätterförbundets praktiska och teoretiska standardprov som används vid uppklättring för topprepskort. Antalet deltagare var 60 personer (27 kvinnor, 33 män). Deltagarna var uppdelade på två grupper, varav ena gruppen hade tränat i två timmar och den andra hade tränat i fyra timmar. Resultaten visade inte på några signifikanta skillnader mellan de båda grupperna avseende de undersökta variablerna förutom att de som gått den kortare kursen rapporterade ett starkare socialt stöd än de som gått den längre kursen. De undersökta variablerna krav, kontroll och socialt stöd samt de två personlighetsvariablerna visade sig inte ha någon relation till resultatet på det teoretiska provet. Ju högre krav försökspersonerna rapporterade desto bättre resultat uppvisades dock på det praktiska provet. Tidigare forskning har entydigt visat att dessa variabler har signifikanta relationer till prestation. Avseende studiedesign finns dock vissa metodologiska skillnader relativt denna studie. För att utröna vilka relationer som finns mellan träning gällande klättring, prestation, upplevda krav, kontroll, socialt stöd och extraversion respektive neuroticism skulle det vara önskvärt med en mer omfattande studie.</p><p>Nyckelord: Träning, Stress, Personlighet, Prestation, Topprepsklättring</p> / <p>Abstract</p><p>While training, skills are developed gradually and the received advantages are numerous. The performance increases, gets more correct, and the cognitive burden is believed to decrease. Development of the skill can be affected by the individual´s personality as well as factors known to be related to stress and performance. This study examines the relation between experienced demand, control and social support according to a theoretical model developed by Karasek and Theorell and revised by Perski and personality (Eysenck, EPQ-R: extraversion, neuroticism) regarding results of theoretical and practical performance, respectively, after various amount of training. Performance was measured by the Swedish climbing society’s practical and theoretical standard test used at examinations for top rope certificate. There where 60 participants in the study (27 women and 33 men). The participants where divided into two groups, of which one group practiced for two hours and the other group practiced for four hours. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups regarding the observed variables, with an exception for reports of a stronger social support among the participants of the shorter course. The observed variables; demands, control, social support, and the two personality variables showed no correlation with the result of the theoretical exam. Although, participants reporting higher demands scored higher on the practical exam. Earlier research has unambiguously shown that these variables have significant correlations with performance. However, there are some methodological differences with respect to the research design relatively to this study. To investigate the relations between training in climbing and the studied variables, it would be desirable to conduct a more extensive study.</p><p>Key words: Training, Stress, Personality, Performance, Top rope climbing</p>

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 185 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This study explored the impact of an imposed standards movement on attitudes and behaviors of a team of line leaders. A case method was employed to describe, to explain, and to draw conclusions about results of standards imposition. Standards were designed and implemented by an executive leadership team frustrated with lack of effective leadership practices of a line leaders team under their supervision. The investigation took an historical perspective, chronicling the story of the company, emerging leadership challenges, and executive leadership responses leading up to the research. The line or team leaders of an educational software company served as participants. Data were archival, gathered through consultation via focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, and fieldwork journal notes. Verbatim responses to protocols were used as evidence of leadership practices. / ABSTRACT: The structure of leading in professional communities espoused by Senge, Greenleaf, Bennis, Kouzes, Posner, and others informed data analysis of team leaders' responses to imposed standards. Results revealed six themes: Positive Attitude toward Learning; Positive Attitude toward Peer Learning Groups; Increased Skill, Performance, Satisfaction, and Confidence resulting from imposed standards; Shift from Negative Attitude toward Change; team leaders' Commitment to Imposed Goals as a work requirement; and Loss of Advantages Gained from Standards Imposition over time due to removal of the learning requirement. This research adds to the literature available for leaders in relation to designing responses to emergent resistance toward accomplishing imposed standards. Team leaders identified the learner ethic as a leadership attribute crystallized by the standards imposition movement. / ABSTRACT: Although leaders believed in learning, they developed heightened awareness regarding the importance of learning as a survival tactic for themselves and the company. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This study explored the impact of an imposed standards movement on attitudes and behaviors of a team of line leaders. A case method was employed to describe, to explain, and to draw conclusions about results of standards imposition. Standards were designed and implemented by an executive leadership team frustrated with lack of effective leadership practices of a line leaders team under their supervision. The investigation took an historical perspective, chronicling the story of the company, emerging leadership challenges, and executive leadership responses leading up to the research. The line or team leaders of an educational software company served as participants. Data were archival, gathered through consultation via focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, and fieldwork journal notes. Verbatim responses to protocols were used as evidence of leadership practices. The structure of leading in professional communities espoused by Senge, Greenleaf, Bennis, Kouzes, Posner, and others informed data analysis of team leaders' responses to imposed standards. Results revealed six themes: Positive Attitude toward Learning; Positive Attitude toward Peer Learning Groups; Increased Skill, Performance, Satisfaction, and Confidence resulting from imposed standards; Shift from Negative Attitude toward Change; team leaders' Commitment to Imposed Goals as a work requirement; and Loss of Advantages Gained from Standards Imposition over time due to removal of the learning requirement. This research adds to the literature available for leaders in relation to designing responses to emergent resistance toward accomplishing imposed standards. Team leaders identified the learner ethic as a leadership attribute crystallized by the standards imposition movement.

Family firms play a significant role in the U.S. economy, making up about 35 percent of S&P 500 or Fortune 500 companies and contributing about 65 percent to the U.S. GDP. This research explores differences in strategic behavior and firm performance between family firms and non-family firms, and further explores whether family firms such as Dell Inc. that use their founding family’s name as part of their firm name (termed family-named firms, or FN firms) behave and perform any differently versus family firms such as Gap Inc. whose firm name does not include their family’s name (termed non-family-named firms, or NFN firms). The first study which is based on a multi-industry sample of 130 publicly listed U.S. family firms over a five-year period (2002–2006), reveals that compared to NFN firms, FN firms have significantly higher levels of corporate citizenship and representation of their customers' voice (i.e., presence of a chief marketing officer) in the top management team. FN firms also have a higher strategic emphasis (i.e., a greater emphasis on value appropriation relative to value creation) compared to NFN firms. Furthermore, FN firms perform better (i.e., have a higher ROA) than NFN firms, and their superior performance is partially mediated by their higher corporate citizenship levels and strategic emphasis. In the second study — an event study of 1294 product introduction announcements of 107 publicly listed U.S. family firms from 2005-2007 — I find that relative to NFN firms, FN firms are rewarded more by the stock market for introducing new products. Superior returns to FN firms’ new product introductions are partially mediated by these firms’ history of trustworthy product-related behavior: FN firms, particularly those with corporate branding, and those wherein a founding family member holds the CEO or Chairman position, are more likely to exhibit a history of avoiding such product-related controversies as product safety issues, and deceptive advertising. The third study explores differences in strategic behavior and firm performance between family firms and non-family firms in the context of 7 U.S. economic recessions between the years 1970 and 2008. Findings based on a sample of 428 U.S. publicly listed firms reveal that family firms consistently outperform non-family firms during economic recessions. This superior performance is partially driven by family firms’ unique strategic behavior: during recessions, family firms maintain higher levels of advertising intensity, exhibit lower financial leverage, and get involved in fewer social and employee-related unethical actions than non-family firms. The three studies taken together have important implications for family firm, branding, CSR, firm valuation, and innovation-related theory and practice. I highlight these implications in my dissertation. / text

The utility of 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) and negative electron transfer dissociation (NETD) for the characterization of peptide anions was systematically evaluated. UVPD outperformed NETD in nearly all metrics; however, both methods provided complementary information to traditional collision induced dissociation (CID) of peptide cations in high throughput analyses. In order to enhance the performance of NETD, activated ion negative electron transfer dissociation (AI-NETD) methods were developed and characterized. The use of low-level infrared photoactivation or collisional activation during the NETD reaction period significantly improved peptide anion sequencing capabilities compared to NETD alone. Tyrosine deprotonation was shown to yield preferential electron detachment upon NETD or UVPD, resulting in N - C[alpha] bond cleavage N-terminal to the tyrosine residue. LC-MS/MS analysis of a tryptic digest of BSA demonstrated that these cleavages were regularly observed under high pH conditions. Transmission mode desorption electrospray ionization (TM-DESI) was coupled with 193 nm UVPD and CID for the rapid analysis and identification of protein digests. Comparative results are presented for TM-DESI-MS/CID and TM-DESI-MS/UVPD analyses of five proteolyzed model proteins. In some cases TM-DESI/UVPD outperformed TM-DESI-MS/CID due to the production of an extensive array of sequence ions and the ability to detect low m/z product ions. 193 nm UVPD was implemented in an Orbitrap mass spectrometer for characterization of intact proteins. Near-complete fragmentation of proteins up to 29 kDa was achieved. The high-energy activation afforded by UVPD exhibited far less precursor ion charge state dependence than conventional methods, and the viability of 193 nm UVPD for high throughput top-down proteomics analyses was demonstrated for the less 30 kDa protein from a fractionated yeast cell lysate. The use of helium instead of nitrogen as the C-trap and HCD cell bath gas and trapping ions in the HCD cell prior to high resolution mass analysis significantly reduced the signal decay rate for large protein ions. As a result, monoclonal IgG1 antibody was isotopically resolved and mass accurately determined. A new high mass record for which accurate mass and isotopic resolution has been achieved (148,706.3391 Da ± 3.1 ppm) was established. / text

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze how managerial discretion is influenced by the environment and, thereby, increase the theoretical knowledge of the concept. Hambrick and Finkelstein (1987) introduced environment as a level affecting managerial discretion. However, the authors only discussed it in an industry context. Moreover, in this dissertation we developed the environmental level by adding two more contexts. Thereby, a theoretical input –and output model were created. These include three environmental sublevels: Industry characteristics, public sector and transition economy. The analysis is under a strategic perspective, which defines top managers’ discretion as the latitude of strategic actions. Hence, managerial discretion varies in the scope of available actions influenced by environmental factors. To fulfill the purpose of this dissertation, the methodical approach is a case-study. Thus, the data consists of interviews, observations and public documents collected in a governmental organization. The findings have shown that a dynamic environment, such as a country undergoing a transition, provides context-specific factors affecting the degree of managerial discretion. Context-specific factors, such as powerful outside forces and quasi-legal constraints can increase and/or decrease the degree of top managers’ degree of discretion. The conclusion summarizesthe findings of how the different factors within each sublevel, affect the degree of managerial discretion. Moreover, the conclusion also contains the contributions of this dissertation. Firstly, the study contributes to the theory of managerial discretion, by introducing context specific factors within the public sector and a transition economy. Secondly, the study enhances the empirical knowledge about the concept, by providing new empirical evidence of managerial discretion. Finally, the results of this dissertation can help policy makers as guidelines when implementing policies. Recommendations for future research include adding the governance perspective, and/or conducting a comparison research with different organizations/contexts.

Problem: Då omvärlden är under ständig förändring behöver organisationer anpassa sig med nya strategier, mål och styrningsmetoder för att överleva. FranklinCovey har nyligen tagit fram ett, enligt dem, nytt och revolutionerande styrningsverktyg som kommer styra team och organisationer framåt. Kan detta vara nästa stora teori inom ekonomistyrning? Syfte: Uppsatsen syfte är att kritiskt och empiriskt redogöra för samt analysera ”The 4 Disciplines of Execution” som styrningsverktyg i organisationer. Vidare ämnar studien undersöka om metoden är ett värdeskapande instrument eller enbart ett likvärdigt substitut till existerande och mer etablerade styrningsteorier. Metod: Studien är en kvalitativ enfallsstudie av deskriptiv och explorativ karaktär. Undersökningen har präglats av en induktiv ansats där semi-strukturerade intervjuer på Atea AB stått till grund för studiens resultat. Vidare analyserades resultatet med hjälp av Otleys ramverk för utvärdering av management control systems. Resultat: Studien visar att ”The 4 Discplines of Execution inte är något revolutionerande men likväl ett värdefullt komplement till ekonomistyrning. Då verktyget fokuserar på förändringsprocessen i beteendet hos medarbetare och involverar hela organisationen från företagsledning till individnivå, är det användbart i dagens miljö som ständigt förändras.