Achieving and maintaining sustainability in irrigated agriculture production in the era of rapidly increasing stress on our natural resources require, among other essential actions, optimum control and management of the applied water. Thus, a significant upgrade of the currently available soil water monitoring technologies is needed. The primary goal of this work was to reduce the uncertainties of spatially variable soil water in the field. Two approaches are suggested: 1) The Bayesian decision model that implicitly accounts for spatial variability at minimal cost based on limited field data, and 2) The Actively Heated Fiber Optic (AHFO) method that explicitly accounts for spatial variability with high sampling density at relatively low cost per measurement point. The Bayesian decision model uses an algorithm to integrate information embodied in independent estimates of soil water depletion to derive a posterior estimation of soil water status that has the potential to reduce the risk of costly errors in irrigation scheduling decisions. The sources of information are obtained from an ET based water balance model, soil water measurements, and expert opinion. The algorithm was tested in a numerical example based on a field experiment where soil water depletion measurements were made at 43 sites in an agricultural field under center pivot irrigation. The results showed that the estimates of the average soil water depletion in the field obtained from the posterior distributions of soil water depletion proved to outperform simple averaging of n soil water depletion measurements, up to n = 35 measurements. For n< 3, the model also provided a 39% average reduction in risk of error derived from non-representative measurements. The AHFO method observes the heating and cooling of a buried fiber optic (FO) cable through the course of a pulse application of energy as monitored by a distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system to reveal soil water content simultaneously at sub-meter scale along the FO cable that can potentially exceeds kilometers in length. A new and simple interpretation of heat data that takes advantage of the characteristics of FO temperature measurements is presented. The results demonstrate the feasibility of AHFO method application to obtain <0.05 m³m⁻³ error distributed measurements of soil water content under laboratory controlled conditions. The AHFO method was then tested under field conditions using 750 m of FO cables buried at 30, 60, and 90 cm depths in agricultural field. The calibration curve relating soil water content to the thermal response of the soil to a heat pulse was developed in the lab. It was successively applied to the 30 and 60 cm depths cables, while the 90 cm depth cable illustrated the challenges of soil heterogeneity for this technique. The method was used to map with high spatial (1m) and temporal (1hr) resolution the spatial variability of soil water content and fluxes induced by the non-uniformity of water application at the surface. / Graduation date: 2012

Valet mellan aktiv respektive passiv fondförvaltning har sedan länge varit en omdiskuterad fråga inom privata fondsparandet. På senare tid har frågan kommit att återaktualiserat efter att de aktivt förvaltade storfonderna Allemansfond komplett och Kapitalinvest anklagats för vilseledande marknadsföring, då de inte har generat en högre avkastning än den generella marknaden. Inom den akademiska världen har erkända forskare och sedermera pristagare av Sveriges Riksbanks pris i ekonomisk vetenskap till Alfred Nobels minne, påvisat att aktivt förvaltade fonder inte kan generera en högre avkastning med hänsyn till förvaltningsavgifterna. Utifrån förvaltningsavgifterna påvisade betydelse har vi valt att studera effekten av de rabatterade förvaltningsavgifterna, inom Premiepensionssystemet. Studiens syfte är således att under tidsperioden, 1 januari 2004 till 31 december 2013, analysera om aktiv förvaltade fonder har genererat en högre riskjusterad avkastning än passivt förvaltade fonder, då hänsyn tagits till de rabatterade förvaltningsavgifterna. Studien baserades på dagliga marknadsnoteringar av 174 aktivt förvaltade premiepensionsfonder och årliga förvaltningsavgifter.  Vidare använde vi oss av ett globalt aktiemarknadsindex, MSCI World, som utifrån definitionen av passivt förvaltade fonder var synonymt med studiens jämförelseindex. I enlighet med studiens syfte använde vi oss av det riskjusterade avkastningsmåttet Sharpekvot för att kunna besvara studiens frågeställning.  Resultatet av studien påvisade att aktivt förvaltade fonder har genererat en högre avkastning än passivt förvaltade fonder då hänsyn tagits till förvaltningsavgifter. Då även fondernas risktagande togs i anspråk blev resultatet det motsatta och vi kan därigenom konstatera att aktivt förvaltade fonder har generat en lägre riskjusterad avkastning är passivt förvaltade fonder. Vidare har vi även kunnat konstatera att aktivt förvaltade fonder med låga förvaltningsavgifter har generat en högre såväl avkastning som riskjusterad avkastning än aktivt förvaltade fonder med höga förvaltningsavgifter. / The choice between active and passive fund management has long been a contentious issue within the private mutual fund investments. Lately, the issue has been widely discussed since the actively managed funds Allemansfond komplett and Kapitalinvest was accused of misleading marketing, since their performance has not overachieved the return of the general market. In the academic world, recognized scholars and later Laureate of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, has demonstrated that actively managed funds cannot generate a higher return with regard to management fees. Based on the importance of the management fees, we have chosen to study the effect of the discount management fees, within the Premiepensionssystemet. Therefore the study's objective is to analyse whether active managed funds have generated higher risk-adjusted returns than passively managed funds, reduced for the discounted management fees. The study will be limited to analyse the period between the 1st January 2004 to 31th December 20103 The study was based on daily market quotations of 174 actively managed Premiepensionsfonder and annual management fees. Furthermore, we used a global stock market index, MSCI World, by the definition of passively managed funds that was synonymous with the study's benchmark. In accordance with the study’s purpose, we used the risk-adjusted performance measure Sharpe ratio in order to answer the research question. The results of this study demonstrated that actively managed funds have generated higher returns than passively managed funds, reduced for the discounted management fees. When the funds' risk taking was committed, the result is the opposite, and we can thus conclude that actively managed funds have yield a lower risk-adjusted returns than passively managed funds. Furthermore, we also noted that actively managed funds with low management fees has generated higher returns as well as risk-adjusted returns than actively managed funds with high management fees.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:38:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_Lucia Akemi Miyazato Saito.pdf: 7872621 bytes, checksum: 4898bb89f5642047c4e878b18fc4f31a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-01 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / We investigated the mechanisms responsible for pulse formation and evolution in Erbium-doped fiber lasers with cavity lengths varying from 16.4 m to 100.8 km that were actively mode-locked at repetition rate of 1 GHz. The variation of pulse widths and the peak powers in these lasers defined three regimes of propagation inside the cavities and we identified the mechanisms responsible for the pulse formation and evolution in each one of these regimes depending on the ratio between the cavity length (Lcav) and the dispersion length (LD) and nonlinear length (LNL). When Lcav is shorter than LD and LNL, there is neither dispersive nor nonlinear effect during pulse evolution (pulse has a duration of approximately 30 ps). In this regime, its final duration is determined by the standard theory of active modelocking. For Lcav shorter than LD but ~ LNL, the pulse evolution is in the nonlinearity-dominant regime where the self-phase modulation leads to spectral broadening. In addition, for cavities longer than 12.6 km, Lcav ~ LD and also longer then LNL. The pulse evolution is in the dispersion-dominant regime with its duration depending on the accumulated dispersion. In this regime the soliton effect takes place and the final pulse duration depends on the cavity length. Also, we present a comparison between an in-field and in-laboratory 50 km ultralong Erbium fiber lasers actively mode-locked with repetition rate varying from 1 to 10 GHz generating pulses from 35.2 to 68.7 ps. The pulse widths generated at higher frequencies are in agreement with Kuizenga-Siegman theory. However, for lower frequencies the pulses have higher intracavity peak power which allows the soliton effect to take place. Depending on the pump power level, the repetition rate and the cavity length, both lasers can operate in active mode-locking or under the influence of the soliton regime that locks the pulse duration according to the dispersion and cavity length. Due to the soliton robustness, this condition eliminates most of the environmental influence in the in-field mode-locking regime and makes both lasers very similar. / O laser de fibra dopada com Érbio é apresentado nesta tese numa nova configuração: cavidade ultralonga, com dimensão da ordem de dezenas de quilômetros. Foram investigados os mecanismos responsáveis pela formação e evolução do pulso em cavidades com comprimentos de 16,4 m a 100,8 km operando em regime de acoplamento de modos ativo na taxa de repetição de 1 GHz. A variação da largura dos pulsos e da potência de pico nestes lasers definem três regimes de propagação no interior das cavidades sendo possível identificar os mecanismos responsáveis pela formação e evolução em cada um destes regimes, dependendo da relação entre o comprimento da cavidade (Lcav) e o comprimento de dispersão (LD) e também em relação ao comprimento não-linear (LNL). Quando Lcav é menor que LD e LNL, não há efeito dispersivo e não-linearidades apreciáveis na evolução do pulso, obtendo-se aproximadamente 30 ps. Neste regime, a duração final é determinada pela teoria de acoplamento de modos ativo. Para Lcav menor que LD mas ~LNL, a evolução do pulso é dominado pela não-linearidade onde a automodulação de fase resulta em alargamento espectral. Além disso, para cavidades mais longas que 12,6 km, Lcav ~ LD e Lcav mais longo que LNL, a duração do pulso na saída aumenta proporcionalmente com a dispersão acumulada e ocorre a propagação de pulsos sob efeito solitônico. Complementando o estudo, o laser na configuração em laboratório é comparado com o laser montado em campo, sendo utilizado em ambos 50 km de fibra padrão. O laser à fibra dopada com Érbio é modulado ativamente com taxa de repetição variando entre 1 e 10 GHz gerando pulsos de 35,2 a 68,7 ps. A duração dos pulsos gerados em frequências altas está de acordo com a teoria de Kuizenga-Siegman. No entanto, em baixas frequências os pulsos têm potência de pico intracavidade alta o que permite que haja a formação de pulsos solitônicos na propagação. Dependendo do nível da potência de bombeamento, da taxa de repetição e do comprimento da cavidade, os dois lasers podem operar em acoplamento de modos ativo ou sob a influência do regime solitônico que trava a duração do pulso de acordo com a dispersão e comprimento da cavidade. Devido à robustez do sóliton, esta condição elimina a maior parte da influência do ambiente no acoplamento de modos do laser na configuração em campo, tornando os dois lasers muito similares.

The field of behavioural finance remains to be a major criticizer to the efficient market hypothesis, claiming all humans of being rational. Some argues for the lack of behavioural aspects of investors being a main cause to the financial crisis of 2008, due to tendencies of them following same investment paths. Understanding investors’ sights and approaches is important as behavioural differences can contribute to further enhancements in the financial markets. This study examines the approaches towards the financial markets of managers of actively managed mutual funds in Sweden. By interviewing six managers of actively managed mutual funds, representative conclusions could be drawn, although, not statistically significant as for the lack of supporting numbers of significance. Representatively for the participants in this thesis, the overall estimation of the markets is considered to be efficient to some extent, but do occasionally indicate for having flaws, of which the managers are taken advantage of. Behaving rationally was found to be representative when deciding what and when to invest. Confidence have been proven to be a common attribute among the managers influencing their decisions and investments. You obtain less without confidence than you would have with it. Although, too much confidence can be damageable. There is no point of thinking of hindsight as afterthoughts does not change your past decision. / Beteendefinansiering som ämne är än idag en stor del av kritiken mot den effektiva marknadshypotesen som antar att alla människor är rationella i sitt beteende. Vissa påstår att de bristande beteendemässiga aspekterna är nästintill en huvudanledning till varför finanskrisen 2008 blev som det blev på grund av tendensen av att flertalet investerare följer samma spår. Att förstå hur investerare ser och angriper finansiella marknader är viktigt då det vidare kan möjliggöra för förbättringar på dem marknaderna. Denna studie undersöker förvaltares angreppssätt mot marknader för aktivt förvaltade fonder i Sverige. Genom att intervjua sex förvaltare för aktivt förvaltade fonder har representativa slutsatser kunnat dras, dock inte signifikanta, då metodologin brister i signifikanta siffror som stöd. Respondenternas syn på marknaden antas vara effektiv överlag, men som emellanåt indikerar för ineffektivitet. Att bete sig rationellt resulterade även det för att vara representativt gällande i vad och när man ska investera. Självförtroende i det man som förvaltare sysslar med på en daglig basis är viktigt att ha och är bevisat, dock inte med signifikant stöd av siffror, vara ett gemensamt attribut bland förvaltarna. Har man inte självförtroende som fondförvaltare kan det leda till brister, likt om man har för gott sådant. Det är heller ingen idé att tänka på vad man borde göra i efterhand då sådana eftersläpande tankar inte kan påverka dåtida beslut.

“You just say ‘yes!’ Say something more!” A study of pupils participation, active involvement, motivation and development through student discussion of factual texts about the concepts of climate and sustainable development.  The purpose of this study is to investigate whether student-led text conversations about concepts in the subject of geography, with the help of support structures, can be designed in a way that promotes discussion between pupils. The further aim is to investigate how support structures for increased participation affect the dialogue in text conversations for pupils in upper primary school. The research questions in this study were: How is pupils' participation in text conversations affected by different support structures? How are pupils' participation in text conversations affected by different support structures? How is pupils' dialogue in text conversations affected by different support structures? How do pupils experience structured text conversations as a form of work? As this is a practical study based on the model of a lesson study, where the aim is to increase participation and promote dialogue between a group of pupils, a hermeneutic approach is used in the analysis. Hermeneutics is about interpreting meaning and actions by subjectively trying to put yourself in the place of a text author or participant. This is done by moving in the analysis between partial perspectives and holistic perspectives. In this study, conversation analysis has been used as an analysis tool. It focuses on detailed transcriptions of conversations and studies various aspects of the interaction, including overlaps, turn-taking and conversational structure. By analysing these elements, one can identify social norms, conventions and strategies used by participants to create meaningful interactions. The result of the study can be interpreted as that with a high level of participation and active involvement from the pupils, the dialogue between the pupils was convulsive and bordering on monologic, however, in a dialogically well-functioning text conversation, instead, the participation and active involvement were low.

Geller’s Actively Caring Survey (ACS) was theorized to measure person states deemed necessary to “Actively Care” or act altruistically toward others. Empirical research of the ACS has been limited, and this researcher sought to evaluate its reliability, validity, and factorial consistency. Undergraduate students (n = 1,095) completed the measure online. Hypotheses were partially supported. Unrotated primary component analysis found the ACS to be a unitary measure with 73.3% of the items loading onto the first factor. The ACS showed excellent internal consistency. Convergent and divergent validity with existing measures (i.e., the Big 5 Personality, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Barratt Impulsiveness, and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Venturesomeness scales) was found in 88.9% of the predicted relationships; the ACS was negatively correlated with social desirability. An abbreviated ACS revision produced similar findings. Future studies should evaluate the measure in nonstudent populations, use clinical and industrial settings, and explore predictive validity.

The success or failure of implementing affirmative action lies with the management of enterprises. This research - based on a literature study, questionnaires completed by 200 respondents and the researcher's model for the implementation of affirmative action - focuses on management's views on aspects of importance for affirmative action to succeed in the enterprise. From the views of management it is clear that • the more closely affirmative action impinges on the career expectations of the current incumbents, the more resistance and non ownership can be expected • the affirmative action message must be communicated sincerely and positively • diversity management must change drastically to focus on educating persons to understand not only themselves, but also others of different backgrounds, race, gender, skills, persuasion and experience • the enterprise needs to accelerate the process to identify potential, training and development processes as well as performance coaching of disadvantaged groups Meeting the above challenges, will require mutual trust, respect and communication. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die bestuur van ondernemings bepaal die sukses of mislukking by die implementering van regstellende optrede. Die navorsing - gebaseer op 'n literatuurstudie, vraelyste ingevul deur 200 respondente en die navorser se model vir die implementering van regstellende optrede - fokus op bestuur se menings aangaande aspekte van belang vir die sukses van regstellende optrede in die onderneming. Vanuit bestuur se menings is dit duidelik dat • hoe grooter inbreuk regstellende optrede maak op die beroepsverwagtinge van die huidige bekleers, hoe sterker weerstand en nie-eienaarskap kan van hulle verwag word • die regstellende optrede boodskap moet eerlik en positief gekommunikeer word • die bestuur van diversiteit se fokus drasties moet verander om individue te leer om nie net hulself nie, maar ook ander van verskillende agtergrond, bevolkingsgroep, geslag, vaardighede, oortuigings en ondervinding te verstaan • die onderneming die prosesse moet versnel wat betrekking het op die identifisering van potensiaal, opleiding en ontwikkeling asook prestasierigleiding van die benadeelde groepe Ten einde aan bogenoemde uitdagings te voldoen, sal wedersydse vertroue, respek en kommunikasie vereis / Economics and Management Sciences / M.Com. (Business Management)

The success or failure of implementing affirmative action lies with the management of enterprises. This research - based on a literature study, questionnaires completed by 200 respondents and the researcher's model for the implementation of affirmative action - focuses on management's views on aspects of importance for affirmative action to succeed in the enterprise. From the views of management it is clear that • the more closely affirmative action impinges on the career expectations of the current incumbents, the more resistance and non ownership can be expected • the affirmative action message must be communicated sincerely and positively • diversity management must change drastically to focus on educating persons to understand not only themselves, but also others of different backgrounds, race, gender, skills, persuasion and experience • the enterprise needs to accelerate the process to identify potential, training and development processes as well as performance coaching of disadvantaged groups Meeting the above challenges, will require mutual trust, respect and communication. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die bestuur van ondernemings bepaal die sukses of mislukking by die implementering van regstellende optrede. Die navorsing - gebaseer op 'n literatuurstudie, vraelyste ingevul deur 200 respondente en die navorser se model vir die implementering van regstellende optrede - fokus op bestuur se menings aangaande aspekte van belang vir die sukses van regstellende optrede in die onderneming. Vanuit bestuur se menings is dit duidelik dat • hoe grooter inbreuk regstellende optrede maak op die beroepsverwagtinge van die huidige bekleers, hoe sterker weerstand en nie-eienaarskap kan van hulle verwag word • die regstellende optrede boodskap moet eerlik en positief gekommunikeer word • die bestuur van diversiteit se fokus drasties moet verander om individue te leer om nie net hulself nie, maar ook ander van verskillende agtergrond, bevolkingsgroep, geslag, vaardighede, oortuigings en ondervinding te verstaan • die onderneming die prosesse moet versnel wat betrekking het op die identifisering van potensiaal, opleiding en ontwikkeling asook prestasierigleiding van die benadeelde groepe Ten einde aan bogenoemde uitdagings te voldoen, sal wedersydse vertroue, respek en kommunikasie vereis / Economics and Management Sciences / M.Com. (Business Management)

The aim of this diploma thesis is to find out the influence of methods and techniques of active teaching on the level of essay-writing in the basic school. The theoretical part describes chosen methods and techniques of active teaching within the context of the educational process. An experiment was carried out in the practical part and it verified the influence of these methods on the development of essay-writing potential of the pupils. The popularity of the chosen methods and techniques of active teaching was being researched by a questionnaire survey. The methods of active teaching were discovered to facilitate the success rate of the essay-writing and a statistically significant increase in the number of sentences and syntactic pairs was found in the experimental group.

There is an identified problem with patients receiving suboptimal pain management at a hospice agency in the northwestern United States. At this agency, undertreatment of pain is prevalent. Evidence indicates that this may be a result of a lack of guidelines, education, and knowledge of appropriate prescribing. Known barriers to the correct prescription and administration of potent opioids in the hospice setting include prevailing beliefs, knowledge, skills, and attitudes, all of which can impact care negatively. Contextually, hospice principles mandate patient comfort and caregiver involvement in continuous quality improvement, which includes adequate and informed pain management. Moreover, hospice metrics demand requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes for optimal care, including pain management at the end of life. The Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice (ACE) star model was used to guide the development of an evidence-based, guideline-supported educational program that will improve pain management at the hospice agency when implemented. The purpose of this project was to use transdisciplinary expertise and team collaboration to develop the program and then to conduct a formative and summative evaluation utilizing experts to prepare the guidelines and process for implementation. Ten experts reviewed the guideline, the educational materials, the process, and the evaluation plan and conducted reviews using the AGREE II tool. The panel of experts agreed within the 6 AGREE domains. Future implementation of this guideline, translation process, and evaluation tool will impact social change through the empowerment of the clinical staff, patients, and caregivers to provide the best pain control and comfort at end of life, a vulnerable time for all patients.