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The European Neighbourhood policy is the union’s joint foreign policy framework for themajority of the nations in the Caucasus, Eastern European, Middle eastern and North african regions, which are divided into an eastern, and a southern region. One of the main goals of the policy is to foster democratic progress in the regions involved. This task has, however, proven to be a complex and difficult one which has seen mixed results. This study uses a frameworkbased on the theory of soft power to examine what strategy the union utilizes to achieve democratization in these regions. The use of a comparative approach allows the drawing of conclusions about the subject matter based on differences in the approach between the regions. The study found that a top-down strategy of democratization was utilized in the eastern region, while a grassroot, bottom-up approach was more prevalent in the southern.This study is thus a useful addition to the plentiful research regarding the Neighbourhood policy as its findings offer opportunities for further comparative study by highlighting that there are indeed relevant differences in the relationship of the EU to the two regions.

This study examines small entrepreneurial firms and factors that influence their level of knowledge management and knowledge creation. The dissertation investigates the effect of top management team as a resource in small entrepreneurial firms. Stepping outside of the internal resources of a firm, this paper also delves into the effect of outside sources of capital and knowledge of firm knowledge creation. The paper enriches research on the factors that increase knowledge creation and knowledge management of small entrepreneurial firms. First, in response to evidence that Top Management Team (TMT) characteristics affect performance of high technology firms, this examined TMT average age, education and founder presence effect on the research and development (R&D) intensity, in a cross-sectional sample of software and pharmaceutical firms, with IPOs between the years 2002 and 2004. Average education is positively associated with R&D intensity. The interaction of TMT education and TMT average age negatively affects R&D intensity. TMT education in founders is positively associated with R&D intensity. The first set of results enriches extant research on TMT characteristics’ effect on R&D intensity, which ultimately affects firm performance. Continuing, extant research posits that the research and development (R&D) intensity of firms is highly correlated with knowledge creation as measured by patent citation. This paper argues that there are unexplained variables that moderate the effectiveness of research and development knowledge creation. Using the resource-based view, the top management team (TMT), is examined as an intangible asset. Hypotheses are developed on how high-technology firms’ creation of knowledge, operationalized as their patent citations output, is affected by the TMT characteristics of average age, education level, education background, founder presence, and TMT industry experience. The findings show that TMT education background and TMT industry experience are significant influences on firm patent citation. When controlling for the TMT variables, R&D intensity was not significantly related to patent citation. Finally, research on research and development intensity demonstrates a strong association with patents. At the same time, there is an unexplained gap in the move from research and development to patents in explaining innovation. Prior research assumes that internal resources are preeminent, ignoring the role of external factors. This paper reviews outside resources to assess their effect on patent citation and patent rates. It was found that partnerships with universities and firm geographic location improve innovative activity, whilst grants from the government and partnerships with large firms are not significantly associated with innovative activity. The Board of directors (BOD) has no significant impact on innovative activity. In terms of interaction effect, BOD has a negative interaction effect with geographic clusters. This paper enriches research on the outside resources that increase innovative activity. / Business Administration

This monograph will serve as a guide to musicians for the preparation and performance of three new works by three living composers: Trumpet Sonata (2010) by Anthony Plog, Running at the Top of the World (2012) by Martin Rokeach, and Sonata - for trumpet and piano (2007) by Charles Reskin. Included will be sections or chapters on the history and background of each work, biographical information about each composer, detailed theoretical analysis and exclusive interviews with the composers. Each individual interview will provide insight into the music, including information on personal inspiration and imagery, a strong focus on timbre, tips and pointers on putting everything together with piano, thematic elements, and theoretical insights. The detailed analysis included in this dissertation will examine these three works further for their idiomatic use of instrumentation, phrasing, articulation, muting, tempi, and dynamics. Suggestions are given for each of these topics viz. interpretation and performance. With regard to my theoretical approach in this monograph, I will be using a variety of methods developed by important theorists including Hugo Riemann and Paul Hindemith. The work of the latter will be expanded upon substantially because Charles Reskin pays special homage to Hindemith in the third movement of his sonata. In my three analytical studies, I will argue that each composer chooses specific chords for a particular structural or semiotic reason. I will also draw important connections between various types of motivic material and discuss other techniques that each composer uses to provide cohesion among movements. / Music Performance

The top management team is important to understand as the executives within the top management team would have long-term implications for a firm's investment, operating and financing decisions which would affect the firm value. As these executives may have pre-existing connections outside the current firm, they are likely to be affected by these connections within the top management team. In this dissertation, I draw upon the literature in sociology that discusses different mechanisms of connections; 1) better information transfer, 2) cohesion and better coordination, and 3) favorable treatment to see how the connections within the top management team affects different decisions for the firm using data from 1999 to 2013. First, I find that the executives with connections to the CEO are less likely to be forced out and those with social connections to the CEO enjoy less sensitivity of involuntary turnover to performance. Notably, I find that this is consistent with CEOs favorably treating the connected executives rather than CEOs keeping connected executives for the benefits. Second, I find that firms with greater percentage of executives with connections to the CEO have greater accruals earnings management and lower likelihood of detection of accounting manipulations. I also show that the connections have an effect only when the joint tenure between the CEO and the executives are short. Finally, I document that firms with more closely connected top management team issue management earnings forecasts in a more precise form and issue more frequent and accurate forecasts. I show that this matters more when the top management team’s external network size is small. / Business Administration/Accounting

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(経済学) / 甲第23446号 / 経博第644号 / 新制||経||299(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院経済学研究科経済学専攻 / (主査)教授 澤邉 紀生, 教授 草野 真樹 講師 鈴木 寛之 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Economics / Kyoto University / DGAM

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence an increase in strand strength and the effect the as-cast vertical location had on transfer length, development length, and flexural strength and to resolve the discrepancies regarding the definition of the top-bar/strand effect. Two types of test specimens were fabricated and tested investigating each respective item. The increase in strand strength was found to influence transfer length, development length, and flexural strength, while the as-cast vertical location was only found to influence transfer length, and in turn development length. Contrary to the historical definition, the top-bar/strand effect was found to be more dependent on the amount of concrete cast above the strand than the amount below it, with transfer lengths showing a steady increase with a decrease in the amount of concrete cast above the strand. As a result of the findings of this study, a new transfer length equation was proposed and a previously proposed flexural bond length equation was recommended for use in lieu of the current code provisions. The current equations for flexural strength were found to give adequate estimates for flexural strength, although a decrease in ductility was noted. / Ph. D.

No / Modelling played an important role in simulation, optimisation, and control of multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination processes. Top brine temperature (TBT) is one of the many important parameters that affect optimal design and operation of MSF processes. Within the MSF process model, calculation of TBT is therefore important. For a given pressure, TBT is a function of boiling point temperature (BPT) at zero salinity and temperature elevation (TE) due to salinity. In this work, we develop several neural network (NN) based correlations for predicting TE. It is found that the NN based correlations can predict the experimental TE very closely. Also predictions by the NN based correlations were good when TE values, obtained using existing correlations from the literature are compared. Due to advancement of the microcomputer, plant automation becomes reliable means of plant maintenance. NN based correlations (models) can be updated in terms of new sets of weights and biases for the same architecture or for a new architecture reliably with new plant data.

Sveriges toppdomän, .se, drivs av Internetstiftelsen som också främjar användningen av DNSSEC, vilket är ett tillägg till protokollet DNS (Domännamnsystemet) som ger ett säkerhetsskydd till DNS-poster. Internetstiftelsen har god kunskap om antalet DNSSEC-säkrade domäner under .se, men ingen kunskap om dessa är uppsatta i enlighet med rekommendationerna för DNSSEC. I detta arbete görs en kartläggning av DNSSEC-kvaliteten hos underdomäner till .se-domänen, som är utpekade som DNSSEC-signerade. Slutsatsen i studien blev att majoriteten av de undersökta domänerna har implementerat DNSSEC i enlighet med DNS-standarder och rekommendationer. Däremot finns ett litet antal domäner som visar brister när det gäller DNSSEC. Denna kartläggning visar alltså att majoriteten av .se-domänerna har en god DNSSEC-kvalitet, men att det finns utrymme för förbättringar för att säkerställa en högre säkerhetsnivå för samtliga domäner. / Sweden's top-level domain, .se, is operated by Internetstiftelsen (The Swedish Internet Foundation), which also promotes the use of DNSSEC, an extension to the DNS (Domain Name System) protocol that provides security protection to DNS records. Internetstiftelsen has good knowledge of the number of DNSSEC-secured domains, but no knowledge of whether they are set up in accordance with DNSSEC recommendations. This study maps the DNSSEC quality of subdomains to the .se domain, which are designated as DNSSEC-signed by the .se domain. The conclusion of the study is that the majority of the examined domains have implemented DNSSEC in accordance with DNS standards and recommendations. However, there are a small number of domains that show deficiencies in DNSSEC. This mapping thus shows that the majority of .se domains have good DNSSEC quality, but that there is room for improvement to ensure a higher level of security for all domains.

The examination of the application and accuracy of optical sensors for the purpose of determining rail lubricity of top-of-rail friction modifier is investigated in this research. A literature review of optical sensors as they relate to detecting thin layers is presented, as well as a literature review of the significant aspect of surface roughness on optical signature. Both commercially available optical sensors and optical devices, such as independent lasers and detectors, are examined in a comprehensive parametric study to determine the most suitable configuration for a prototype with adequate third-body detection. A prototype is constructed considering parameters such as sunlight contamination, vibrations, and angle of detection. The prototype is evaluated in a series of laboratory tests with known lubricity conditions for its accuracy of measurements and susceptibility to environmental conditions, in preparation for field testing. Upon field testing the prototype, the data indicates that it is capable of providing subjective measurements that can help with determining whether a rail is highly lubricated or unlubricated, or it is moderately lubricated. It is anticipated that the device could be used to provide a rail lubricity index. The investigation of the optical response of a rail in various conditions, including top-of-rail friction modifier presence and underlying surface roughness, reveals the behavior of friction modifying material on rail/wheel interactions. It is determined that surface roughness is imperative for distinguishing between scattering due to surface condition and scattering due to third-body layers. Additionally it is revealed that friction modifying materials become entrapped within the surface roughness of the rail, effectively causing a "seasoning" effect instead of a simple third body layer. This provides some explanation on the inadequacy of determining lubricity conditions using contacting methods since they cannot detect the entrapped material that are revealed only when the top of rail undergoes a micro deformation due to a passing wheel. Furthermore, the fluorescent signature of flange grease can be utilized to detect any flange grease contamination on top of rail. The results of the study indicate that it is possible to have practical optical sensors for top-of-rail third body layer detection and any contamination that may exist, initially through spot checking the rail and eventually through in-motion surveying. / Master of Science / Top-of-rail friction modifiers are used in the railway industry for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, reduction in wear and fuel savings; although their use has been widely accepted, methods of detection of such materials have not been adequately developed. Presently, methods of measurement of physical aspects of a rail are used in order to deduce the presence or lack of friction modifier on top-of-rail. However, no direct method of measurement exists in the published literature today. This study examines the use of optical sensors for the purpose of determining rail lubricity conditions. The literature is reviewed in this study for all applicable topics pertaining to the optical detection of top-of-rail friction modifier, including the optical theory used and the importance of surface roughness on an optical signature. Different characteristics of optical sensors are examined and a configuration is determined for the construction of a prototype device. This device utilizes laser reflective detectors and a fluorescence sensor in order to distinguish friction modifier presence or other third-body layers. This prototype was tested and evaluated in a series of laboratory tests with known lubricity conditions in preparation for field testing. Additionally, metrics were developed using optical theory in order to quantify the differences between different lubricity conditions. It was seen that this prototype was able to determine the presence of friction modifier by its laser reflective properties, and the presence of flange grease contamination through its fluorescence signature. Field testing with this prototype confirmed the prototype’s ability to distinguish adequate lubricity conditions using these metrics. It is anticipated that the device could be used to provide a rail lubricity index that is able to aid railway professionals in maintenance practices regarding rail lubricity.