Målet med denna uppsats var att undersöka de nomadiska folkets användning av trä i norra Fennoskandien, samt möjliga analytiska metoder att studera arkeologiskt trämaterial. Detta möjliggjordes genom relevanta etnografiska, historiska och arkeologiska studier och en genomgång av analytiska metoder. De nomadiska folken använde trämaterial i en stor del av deras vardag så som mat i form av den näringsrika inner barken, ved för eldning, till både temporära och permanenta kåtor, förvarning samt jakt. De analytiska metoder som presenteras var träidentifikation, dendrokronologi och 14C-metoden. Träidentifikation möjliggör de två senare metoderna som kan förse tillförlitlig datering beroende på trämaterialets struktur samt tafonomiska processer / The aim of this thesis was to investigate the nomadic people’s wood usage in northern Fennoscandia, as well as possible analytical methods of investigating wooden remains. This was achieved through relevant ethnographic, historical and archaeological studies and a review of analytical methods. Wooden material played a big role in the life of the nomadic people in the shape of food, firewood, storage, construction material for both temporary and permanent huts, and for hunting. The analytical methods presented are species identification, dendrochronology and 14C-method. Species identification enables the latter methods of which provides reliable dating of wood, depending on the structure and taphonomic processes.

abstract: This dissertation uncovers the negative aspects of aesthetics by examining when and how enhanced product and payment aesthetics can backfire and lead to unfavorable consumer responses. The first essay examines the downstream effects of nondurable product aesthetics on usage behavior and consumption enjoyment. Across a series of field and lab experiments, I document an inhibiting effect of aesthetics on consumption. I find that highly aesthetic products elicit greater inferences of effort in their creation, and that people have an intrinsic appreciation for such effort. Because the consumption process indirectly destroys the effort originally invested to make the product beautiful, people reduce consumption of such products because usage would involve destroying something they naturally appreciate. Further, I show that in cases where individuals do consume a beautiful product, they exhibit lower consumption enjoyment. These negative post-consumption outcomes are driven in parallel by concerns over having actually destroyed the effort that made the product beautiful as well as the decrements in beauty that become visible when aesthetic products are made less attractive through consumption. The second essay investigates how the aesthetics and design of a payment (e.g., beautiful gift card packaging) can influence the purchase experience. Three field and lab experiments reveal the negative impact of beautified payments on spending and purchase satisfaction, particularly in situations where usage involves compromising its aesthetic appeal. Specifically, when consumers must damage a payment’s appearance before using it (e.g., ripping gift card packaging), they are less likely to use that payment, and experience lower purchase satisfaction when they do, an effect driven by the pain of payment. In doing so, I identify aesthetics as a novel antecedent to the pain of payment that carries important consequences for spending behavior, purchase satisfaction, and the overall customer experience. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2018

Le Sahel est une zone aride aujourd’hui menacée par les changements climatiques qui entrainent une grande vulnérabilité sociale et environnementale. L’agriculture des pays sahéliens doit faire face à cette évolution pour assurer la sécurité alimentaire de leurs populations croissantes. L’utilisation d’espèces végétales de grande plasticité phénologique comme le palmier dattier (Phoenix dactylifera L.,), fait partie des réponses face à des conditions pédoclimatiques difficiles auxquelles peu de plantes sont adaptées. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’améliorer nos connaissances sur les pratiques culturales, les savoirs locaux autour du palmier dattier et la diversité génétique et morphologique de cette espèce afin de promouvoir le développement durable de l’agriculture oasienne au Sahel. Ainsi, nous avons conduit une enquête socio-économique auprès de 30 producteurs de palmier dattier dans 14 villages du Sud-Est du Niger. Parallèlement à cette enquête nous avons collecté 113 échantillons de jeunes folioles, prélevées sur 31 mâles et 82 femelles de palmier dattier dans 19 cuvettes oasiennes. Notre étude a permis d’identifier 19 variétés-populations de palmier dattier distinguées sur la base de la couleur du fruit. Le palmier dattier présente une particularité de double floraison associée à deux saisons de productions de dattes dans le Sahel. La période février-juillet est la plus productive mais l’arrivée précoce des pluies limite la qualité des fruits. L’évaluation des connaissances locales associées à la phœniciculture a permis d’établir que même si les pratiques culturales sont moins développées que dans le Nord du pays ou dans le Maghreb, les profits dégagés par la culture des dattes contribuent considérablement à la survie des ménages. Par ailleurs, l’analyse génétique des palmiers dattiers du Sud-est du Niger a montré qu’ils constituent un groupe original avec une grande diversité génétique. De plus, cette ressource appartient au pool génétique occidental et est l’une des moins introgressée par des contributions génétiques orientales. L'analyse génétique globale révèle un nouveau groupe au Sud-est Niger différent de celui d'Afrique du Nord et soulève la question de son origine. Enfin, nous avons mis en évidence l’existence de traits architecturaux discriminant les palmiers dattiers du Sahel. Nous avons ainsi élaboré un modèle architectural permettant le calcul de l’interception lumineuse et des espacements nécessaires pour une bonne cohabitation des palmiers et des cultures sous-jacentes afin d’optimiser la production agricole. Notre étude a montré que la culture du palmier dattier constitue un élément clé pour l’amélioration des conditions de vie des populations, la lutte contre la malnutrition et l’équilibre agro-écologique dans le Sahel. Elle constitue un préalable indispensable à la conservation, la valorisation et l’amélioration du patrimoine phoenicicole. Enfin, le modèle architectural fonctionnel permettra de mettre à disposition un outil opérationnel pour la gestion durable des cultures du palmier dattier au Sahel. / The Sahel is an arid area threatened by climate change that causes great social and environmental vulnerability. Agriculture in Sahel is facing this change to ensure food security for growing populations. The use of plant species with phenological plasticity such as the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), is one of the responses to hard soil and climate conditions to which few plants are adapted. The objective of this thesis is to improve our knowledge on cultural practices, local knowledge around the date palm and genetic and morphological diversity of this species in order to promote sustainable development of oasis agriculture in the Sahel. Thus, we conducted a socioeconomic survey of 30 date palm farmers in 14 villages in Southeastern Niger. Alongside this survey, we collected 113 samples of young leaflets taken from 31 males and 82 females in 19 date palm oasis basins. Our study identified 19 date palm population varieties distinguished on the basis of the fruit color. Date palm has a special double flowering associated with two fruit production seasons in the Sahel. The February-July period is the most productive but early rains limit fruit quality. The evaluation of local knowledge associated with date palm has shown that even if cultural practices are less developed than in the North of the country or in the Maghreb, the profits from the date cultivation significantly contribute to household survival. Furthermore, genetic analysis of date palms in Southeast of Niger has shown that they are a unique group with high genetic diversity. In addition, this germplasm belongs to the Western gene pool and is one of the least introgressed by oriental genetic contributions. The overall genetic analysis revealed a new group in Southern Niger different from that of North Africa and raises the question of its origin. Finally, we have demonstrated the existence of discriminating architectural features in Sahelian date palms. We have developed an architectural model for the calculation of the light interception and spaces necessary for good cohabitation between date palms and crops to optimize agricultural production. Our study showed that the date palm cultivation plays a key role in improving living conditions of the population, fight against hunger and agro-ecological balance in the Sahel. It is a prerequisite to the preservation, valorization and improvement of date palm genetic resources. Finally, the functional architectural model will enable to provide an operational tool for the sustainable management of date palm cultivation in the Sahel.

Inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University / Rhodes University Libraries (Digitisation)

Denna studie undersöker en eventuell påverkan av webbeventloggningsverktyg förautomatiserade användbarhetstestning av användarnas interaktion. I ett experiment mätssvarstider då inspelad interaktion av testpersonerna återuppspelas på den webbapplikationsom testas av webbeventloggningsverktygen med olika datainsamlingsmetoder.Experimentet är uppbyggt av fyra grupper som består av 3 loggningsverktyg somimplementerades utefter de delmålen som sattes upp. Webbeventloggningsverktygensimplementation inspireras av studiens förstudie och i deras numrering loggas allt merinteraktion av användaren som leder till en ökande mängd loggning i bytes. Studiens resultatmötte hypotesen att svarstiden för webbapplikationen när en användare interagerar på sidanökade inte märkbart och det var inte heller en statistiskt signifikant skillnad när loggningenutfördes jämfört mot den nuvarande webbplatsen.

Acompanha a obra 1 CD-ROM / Orientador: Margarete Cristiane de Costa Trindade Amorim / Banca: Encarnita Salas Martin. / Banca: João Osvaldo Rodrigues Nunes / Banca: Hélio Silveira / Banca: Yuri Tavares Rocha / Resumo: A manutenção das áreas verdes urbanas sempre foi justificada pelo seu potencial em proporcionar qualidade ambiental à população. Essas áreas interferem diretamente na qualidade de vida por meio das funções ecológico-ambiental, estética, paisagística, climática, psicológica e também recreativa que elas exercem para amenização das consequências negativas da urbanização. Neste sentido, a presente pesquisa tem por objetivo caracterizar e analisar as áreas verdes urbanas de Maringá/PR, destacando seus aspectos paisagísticos e sua infraestrutura a fim de compreender a qualidade ambiental desses espaços públicos e propor medidas que auxiliem no seu planejamento e gerenciamento. Para tanto, foram realizadas análises investigativas das 104 praças existentes em Maringá, de 09 parques urbanos e de 01 cemitério parque. Para a análise realizou-se trabalho de campo com base em dois formulários. O primeiro deles visava à avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa da vegetação e se constituiu dos seguintes itens: nome da área verde, sua localização, sua altitude, a vegetação nela existente, o porte e a densidade da vegetação, a cobertura do solo, as condições de relevo, aspectos físicos e sanitários da vegetação, tipo de ocupação das proximidades e qualidade paisagísticas das praças, dos parques e do cemitério parque. O segundo formulário teve como objetivo fazer o levantamento dos aspectos quantitativos e qualitativos dos equipamentos e estruturas existentes em cada logradouro... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The maintenance of urban green areas has always been justified by its potential to provide quality environment for people. These areas directly affect the quality of life through ecological functions, environmental, aesthetic, landscape, climate, psychological and recreational they have for alleviating the negative consequences of urbanization. Accordingly, this research aims to characterize and analyze the areas of urban green Maringá / PR, highlighting the landscape aspects and its infrastructure in order to understand the quality of the environmental public spaces and propose measures to assist in their planning and management. This way, it was investigated for analysis of existing in Maringá, 104 squares,09 parks and 01 cemetery. For the analysis it was carried out the fieldwork in two forms. The first one aimed at qualitative and quantitative assessment of vegetation and consisted of the following: name of the green area, its location, its altitude, the vegetation in that area, the size and density of vegetation, soil cover, the conditions for relief , physical and health of vegetation, type of occupation of the nearby landscape and quality of parks, the parks and the cemetery park. The second form aimed to make the lifting of quantitative and qualitative aspects of equipment and structures in each street addresses. Accordding to the results found the lack of infrastructure and lack of criteria adopted in the spatial distribution of the squares, and the neglect of the public, about the replacement of equipment and facilities to be located in squares, whichever the greater investment in the central part and in the absence periphery. As the squares of the predominant vegetation and tree trick in 49.03%, then, the squares formed by the vegetation... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Orientador: Encarnita Salas Martin / Banca: Margarete Cristiane de Costa Trindade Amorim / Banca: Yuri Tavares Rocha / Resumo: A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo a construção do conceito de áreas verdes públicas que servisse de subsídio à análise geográfica do espaço urbano, considerando os tipos de uso e ocupação do solo, índice áreas verdes públicas (IAVP) e a qualidade destes espaços. A pesquisa foi realizada a partir das seguintes etapas: discussão teórica sobre o conceito, características e importância das áreas verdes; construção de um conceito de áreas verdes públicas; na análise da evolução urbana da cidade de Tupã, considerando os loteamentos aprovados e implantados entre o período de 1929 a 2007; na identificação, quantificação e qualificação das áreas verdes públicas; na análise comparativa do índice de áreas verdes públicas (IAVP); no desenvolvimento metodológico para quantificar e avaliar as áreas verdes públicas da cidade de Tupã. Para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa qualitativa, foram adotados procedimentos metodológicos que tiveram como base lógica de investigação dividida em três fases: aberta ou exploratória, coleta de dados e análise e interpretação sistemática dos dados. A pesquisa teve os seguintes resultados: a cidade de Tupã deveria apresentar um IAVP dos loteamentos aprovado de 28,00 m²/h, entretanto, durante o processo de urbanização houve uma perda real de 16,02 m²/h desses espaços por conjunturas políticas da administração municipal; o IAVP atual da cidade é de 11,98 m²/h, todavia deste valor somente 1,75 m²/h foram urbanizados e compõem o patrimônio paisagístico da cidade com 34 jardins públicos distribuídos em 20 loteamentos; a avaliação qualitativa destas 34 áreas verdes públicas demonstrou que 60% destes espaços tiveram resultados positivos, contra 25% que foram classificados como ruins; e, no tocante ao conforto ambiental... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The objective of the present research has been the concept formation of the public green areas which can be used to analyze the urban space geographically, considering the kinds of usage and occupancy of the land, public green areas rate (IAVP - Índice de Areas Verdes Publicas) as well as their quality. The research was done following these steps: a theoretical discussion about the concept; the features and the importance of the green areas; the formation of a concept of the public green areas; the analyzes of the urban development in the city of Tupã, considering the approved and implemented lots between 1929 and 2007; the identification, quantification and qualification of the public green areas; the comparative analyzes of the public green areas rate; the methodological method to quantify and to evaluate the public green areas in the city of Tupã. In order to have this qualitative research done, methodological procedures were adopted which were based in a logic investigation divided in three phases: the open or exploratory, the data collection and their systematic interpretation. The final results of this research were: the city of Tupã should present a public green area rate of the approved lot of 28,00 m²/h; however, there was a real loss of 16,02 m²/h within these areas during the urbanization process, due to the political concurrence of city management; the actual public green area rate is 11,98 m²/h, although only 1,75 m²/h of this total were urbanized and are part of the city landscape heritage, which has 34 public parks distributed among 20 lots; the qualitative evaluation of these 34 public green areas has shown that 60% of this space had a positive result, on the other hand, 25% were classified as bad ones; and, it was verified that, related to... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Usability of single poplar clones like fast growing energy crops for growth effect on soil humidity, wind retardation, noise absorption and soil sanitation effect of various old growth was studied in 2007 in South of Bohemia. Plantations consisted of {\clqq}Japan poplar`` {--} Jap 104*049 ( P. nigra L. x P. maximowiczii Henry {\clqq}Maxvier``), Jap 105*050 049 ( P. nigra L. x P. maximowiczii Henry {\clqq}Maxfünf``). The results are focused on evaluation of soil moisture in different months and at different lenght of sunlight and precipitation. Next, influence of wind absorbing and noise retardation in different distance from plantation, sanitation effect of fast growing energy crops in and outside growth in non-cultivate part and influence of growth on soil compaction in 4-year and newly planted growth and on permanent grass undergrowth were evaluated. Experiments showed that plantations of fast growing trees can be used also for non-energetic purpose.

The thesis is dealing with the comparison of different approaches to the language culture in the Czech republic and France. The opening chapter introduces the development of the conception norms and legalisation in both countries from a historical point of view. It is focusing on the theory of the Prague linguistic group at it's classical and postwar period in the Czech republic. It is also defining the term ?bon usage? and dealing with the role of the French academy and it's influence on the character of the written language. It is also analising the current trends in language culture in both countries especially concentrating on the issues of the limitations of written language, dealing with language issues in schools and introducing some solutions which should improve the situation of the current language culture. The final chapter is defining the substantial equivalences and differences towards language culture in both countries and showing it's direction in the future.

Introduction This paper focuses on the Internet and more specifically on how non-profit organizations can use the Internet to enhance their online presence. Our choice of research object is Automation Region (AR), a non-profit cluster organization, whose purpose is to strengthen and make the cluster of companies within industrial automation in Mälardalen visible. This cluster consists of business-to-business companies in the automation industry and AR was formed to increase the productivity, growth and profitability of these companies. The organization has two goals set up, which include: (1) increased exposure for the automation industry as well as the region wherein AR operates and (2) attracting the best competence as well as getting youths and children interested in automation. AR currently has a website (www.automationregion.com) and the overall purpose for it is to support AR's goals. However, we have a difficulty seeing how this website, as it looks and functions today, is to achieve the goals and objectives of the cluster organization and we also find it difficult to see how AR should do in order to expose its website and its brand to its target audience. The two research questions then becomes: How is Automation Region's website being used today? How can Automation Region utilize the Internet to achieve its goals? Purpose The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how cluster organizations like Automation Region may use the Internet to achieve its goals, and by doing this also be able to give recommendations on how Automation Region can benefit from the use of the Internet as their primary channel for goal achievement. Method - An Action Research based study This paper is based on an action research approach, which contains a real world problem, a framework of ideas, and a set of methodologies. The different means of collecting data used in this paper can be categorized in four separate categories: interviews, internet analysis tool, benchmarking, and other empirical data collected. Framework of ideas Our framework of ideas consists of an introduction to the term clusters, which then explains the different actors on the cluster stage. Then the benefits of clusters are discussed, leading to a further discussion on how non-profit cluster organizations can utilize the possible benefits of a cluster. This leads to a presentation of different ways to improve an organizations online presence. Analysis The analysis is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the results of the website analysis, where different reports from the web analysis program are analyzed. This will show how the website currently is being used and should lead to conclusions on how this usage can be improved. The second part focuses on the available Internet tools and how AR can utilize these to reach their explicit goals for the cluster organization. Conclusions The so called internal visitors are plentiful on AR's website site and we can conclude that the site is being used in an Intranet like way. Another conclusion is that AR should be able to increase the probability of achieving their goals by further enhancing the use of the Internet tools they currently have (website and e-mail), and also by expanding their online presence with the use of several other potential Internet tools.