We study four measures of problem instance behavior that might account for the observed differences in interior-point method (IPM) iterations when these methods are used to solve semidefinite programming (SDP) problem instances: (i) an aggregate geometry measure related to the primal and dual feasible regions (aspect ratios) and norms of the optimal solutions, (ii) the (Renegar-) condition measure C(d) of the data instance, (iii) a measure of the near-absence of strict complementarity of the optimal solution, and (iv) the level of degeneracy of the optimal solution. We compute these measures for the SDPLIB suite problem instances and measure the correlation between these measures and IPM iteration counts (solved using the software SDPT3) when the measures have finite values. Our conclusions are roughly as follows: the aggregate geometry measure is highly correlated with IPM iterations (CORR = 0.896), and is a very good predictor of IPM iterations, particularly for problem instances with solutions of small norm and aspect ratio. The condition measure C(d) is also correlated with IPM iterations, but less so than the aggregate geometry measure (CORR = 0.630). The near-absence of strict complementarity is weakly correlated with IPM iterations (CORR = 0.423). The level of degeneracy of the optimal solution is essentially uncorrelated with IPM iterations.

Abstract – “Aggregate complaints in banks MIS” Date:                       June 8th 2012 Level:                      Master thesis in Business Administration, 15 ECTS Institution:                School of Sustainable development of society and technology, Mälardalen University Authors:                  Abdulla Ahmed Ibrahim         Alexis Andersson Title:                       Aggregate complaints in MIS – A case study of Nordea Bank Tutor:                      Carl G Thunman Keywords:               Aggregate, complaint, dissatisfaction, content analysis, Nordea, MIS. Purpose:                  The paper aims to develop a model of how Nordea Bank can monitor customer dissatisfaction through aggregated dissatisfaction analysis. Furthermore, the study aims to identify improvement proposals in Nordea based on the developed model and conducted interviews. Method:                  This thesis consists of qualitative interviews. Personnel at the local office in Västerås has been interviewed as well as Nordea’s customer ombudsmen, former office employee at Nordea, data analyst, head of customer inquiries, Professor of database technology and also a researcher in language technology. A proprietary model was built based on the literature review constructed on variables that were expected to influence the monitoring process. The proprietary model was based on theory and formed the interview guide. The method that was used on the empirical data where “cut and paste”. The method was used to be able to place the interviews under each appropriate heading. The analysis then compared the empirical data with theories from the literature review, to be able to conduct a revised model and come up with a number of suggestions for improvement. Conclusion:            The model assumes wrongly that complaint and other grievances information can be integrated in the same process. There are several aggravating factors in Nordea's case; discontent information is in the current situation anonymous, it may be too small in scope for it to be profitable integrated or delivered in pre-packaged aggregate form. In this thesis, it became also clear that overall understanding should be based on a results-oriented attitude in which the results of the analysis provide employees with new insights to shape the monitoring process. Even at the central level, Nordea more often tends to follow up individual cases instead of analyzing them systematically in aggregate form, which the model does not take into account. / Sammanfattning – ”Aggregerade kundmissnöjen i informationssystem” Datum:                    8 juni, 2012 Nivå:                        Magisteruppsats i företagsekonomi, 15 ECTS Institution:             Akademin för hållbar samhälls- och teknikutveckling, HST,                                  Mälardalens Högskola Författare:              Abdulla Ahmed Ibrahim         Alexis Andersson Titel:                       Aggregerade kundmissnöjen i informationssystem – En fallstudie av      Nordea Bank. Handledare:           Carl G Thunman Nyckelord:              Aggregering, informationssystem, klagomål, missnöje, innehållsanalys, Nordea Bank, MIS. Syfte:                      Syftet med denna studie är att utveckla en modell för hur Nordea Bank kan arbeta med uppföljning av kunders missnöje genom aggregerad missnöjesanalys. Vidare ämnar studien att utifrån modellen samt intervjuer identifiera förbättringsmöjligheter i Nordeas uppföljning av kundmissnöje. Metod:                               I studien utfördes kvalitativa intervjuer. Personal vid lokalkontoret i Västerås har intervjuats, samt Nordeas kundombudsman, Nordeas regionkontorschef i Västmanland, en f.d. kontorsanställd på Nordea, dataanalytiker, Finansinspektionens enhetschef på kundfrågor, en professor i databasteknik och en forskare inom språkteknologi. Ur litteraturundersökningen utformades en modell som bygger på variabler som förväntades påverka uppföljningsprocessen. Modellen ligger till grund för teori och intervjufrågor. I empirin användes ”klippa och klistra”-metoden för att placera intervjuerna under lämplig rubrik. I analysen jämfördes sedan empiri och teori från litteraturstudien för att utveckla modellen och ett antal förbättringsförslag. Slutsats:                  Modellen antar felaktigt att klagomål och annan missnöjesinformation kan integreras i samma process. Det finns flera försvårande faktorer i Nordeas fall; annan missnöjesinformationen är i dagsläget anonym och i vissa fall liten i omfattning för att det ska vara lönsamt att göra en aggregerad analys. Under uppsatsens gång blev det också klart att övergripande insikter bör utgå från ett resultatinriktat förhållningsätt där resultatet av analysen ger medarbetarna nya insikter för att utforma framtida uppföljningsprocesser. Även på central nivå arbetar Nordea oftare med att följa upp enskilda ärenden än att analysera dem systematiskt i aggregerad form, något som modellen inte tar hänsyn till.

Small and medium-sized enterprise is most advanced and vigorous in economic development. It is the main power of GDP growth, which can expand employment, promote technological innovation and strengthen the economic structure non-governmentally. But SMEs have great difficulties accessing finance all over the world. In this dissertation, we aim to compare the foreign trade SMEs betweenSwedenandChina, find the differences between SME financing inSwedenandChina, and try to find solutions to the financing problems inChinafrom the Swedish experience. We takeSwedenandChinaas cases, interview two companies and a bank to collect data and analyze the empirical findings with the Modigiliani-Miller Theorem, trade-off Theory, Packing order Theory, Financing gap, Transaction Cost Theory and Institution economics. Through making a comparison withSweden, we have found that the Aggregate Capital Trust for SMEs is one of the more innovative financial forms inChina, and Chinese SMEs still survive through people-to-people credit.

This multi-scale investigation aimed to provide new knowledge and understanding of creep and shrinkage of high performance lightweight concrete (HPLC) by assessing prestress losses in HPLC prestressed members in a large-scale study; by quantifying the effect of the constituent materials and external conditions on creep and shrinkage in a medium-scale study; and by improving the fundamental understanding of creep and shrinkage in a small-scale study. Creep plus shrinkage prestress losses were between two and eight times lower than those estimated for the design standards and approximately 50% of those measured in similar strength normal weight high performance concrete girders. The lower creep and shrinkage exhibited by HPLC was found to be caused by a synergy between the pre-soaked lightweight aggregate and the low water-to-cementitious material ratio matrix. That is, the water contained in the lightweight aggregate contributes to enhance hydration by providing an internal moist curing. The water in the aggregate also contributes to maintain a high internal relative humidity which reduces or eliminates autogenous shrinkage. This higher internal relative humidity also reduces creep by preventing load-induced water migration. Finally, lightweight aggregate exhibits a better elastic compatibility with the paste than normal weight aggregate. This improved elastic matching and the enhanced hydration are believed to reduce peak deformations at the ITZ which further decreases creep and shrinkage.

Fatigue cracking and moisture damage are two important modes of distresses in asphalt pavements. Recently, the Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) was used to characterize fatigue cracking and evaluate the effects of moisture damage on the Fine Aggregate Matrix (FAM) portion of asphalt mixtures. The FAM specimens should be properly fabricated to represent the composition and structure of the fine portion of the mixture. The objective of the first phase of this study was to develop a standard test procedure for preparing FAM specimens such that it is representative of the mixture. The method consists of preparing loose full asphalt mixtures and sieving through different sizes. Then, the ignition oven was used to determine the binder content associated with the small size materials (passing on sieve #16). Sieve #16 is used to separate fine aggregates from the coarse aggregates. The applicability of this new method will be evaluated using a number of asphalt mixtures. The objective of the second phase of this study was to develop software to analyze the data from DMA test. Such software will enable engineers and researchers to perform the complex analysis in very short time. This is Microsoft Windows ® based software, executable in any hardware configuration under this operational system.

ABSTRACT PREPARATION OF CROSS-LINKED TYROSINASE AGGREGATES Aytar, Burcu Selin M.S., Department of Chemical Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ufuk Bakir June 2006, 82 pages The aim of this study was to prepare cross-linked enzyme aggregate (CLEA) from crude mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) extract. However, the optimization of CLEA production was performed by using pure tyrosinase. Important parameters were determined as protein, ammonium sulfate and glutaraldehyde concentrations, CLEA particle size, and cross-linking temperature and period. On the other hand, the order of ammonium sulfate and glutaraldehyde addition did not affect the yield of CLEA. Optimum CLEA preparation conditions were 60 % ammonium sulfate saturation, 2 % (v/v) glutaraldehyde, and 3 hour cross-linking reaction at room temperature. Particle size of the CLEAs should be reduced by mechanical stirring to eliminate mass transfer limitations. Under these circumstances, 100 % recovery was obtained from both pure and crude tyrosinases. Optimum temperature and the activation energy for catechol oxidation were determined as 34 oC and 16.9 kcal/mol for CLEAs, whereas, 32 oC and 12.5 kcal/mol for the free enzyme. Furthermore, the thermostability of CLEAs was significantly higher than the free enzyme. CLEAs, prepared from crude mushroom extract, retained 72 % of its maximum activity in eight months storage at 4 oC. Moreover, changing the storage temperature from 4 oC to room temperature did not decrease CLEAs stabilities.

Structural lightweight aggregate concrete is an important and versatile material, which offers a range of technical, economic and environmental-enhancing and preserving advantages and is designed to become a dominant material in the new millennium. For structural application of lightweight concrete, the density is often more important than the strength. A decreased density for the same strength level reduces the self-weight, foundation size and construction costs. Structural lightweight aggregate concrete generally used to reduce dead weight of structure as well as to reduce the risk of earthquake damages to a structure because the earthquake forces that will influence the civil engineering structures are proportional to the mass of those structures. In this study, structural lightweight aggregate concrete was designed with the use of natural perlite aggregate that will provide an advantage of reducing dead weight of structure and to obtain a more economical structural lightweight concrete by the use of perlite powder as a replacement of the cement. Six mixes were produced with different cement content and with or without perlite powder. Six mixes divided into two groups according to their cement content. First group had a cement content of 300 kg/m3 and second group had cement content of 500 kg/m3 / also the water/cement ratios of groups were 0.49 and 0.35 respectively. Moreover, each group had three sub-mixes with 0%, 20% and 35% of perlite powder as cement replacement. According to results of experimental study, it was concluded that natural perlite aggregate can be used in the production of structural lightweight aggregate concrete. Based on the strength and density results of experimental work, it is possible to produce lightweight concrete with 20 MPa-40 MPa cylindrical compressive strength by using natural perlite aggregate. Also, the use of perlite powder, which will provide economy, can reduce dead weight further and increase performance.

In this study, relationships between aggregate shape parameters and compressive strength of concrete were investigated using digital image processing and analysis methods. The study was conducted based on three mix design parameters, gradation type, aggregate type and maximum aggregate size, at two levels. A total of 40 cubic concrete specimens were prepared at a constant water-cement ratio. After the compressive strength tests were performed, each specimen was cut into 4 equal pieces in order to obtain the digital images of cross sections using a digital flatbed scanner. A number of aggregate shape parameters were then determined from the digital image of the cross sections to investigate their relationships with the compressive strength. The results indicted that even though the aggregate type was found to give strong correlation with the compressive strength, weak correlations, however, exist between the compressive strength and the aggregate shape parameters. The study suggested that the analyses of relationships should be further investigated by including the effects of aggregate distribution within the specimen cross sections.

The main object of the presented study was investigation of the use of cross-linked enzyme (tyrosinase) aggregates (CLTA) obtained from crude mushroom extract for a rapid phenolic content analysis in wines. In addition, a comparison of phenolic characteristics of Turkish red wines was performed. Reproducible and reliable results in total phenolic measurement were obtained with CLTAs similar to pure tyrosinase and tyrosinase obtained from crude mushroom extract. Measurement of total phenolic content is possible both in standard solutions and in complex matrices, such as wine. In a very short time period, 10 seconds, phenolics content in red and white wines produced from grapes of Turkey were investigated by using CLTAs. Results were consistent when compared to a well known phenolic measurement method, Folin-Ciocalteau. CLTAs exhibited very high operational stability and retained more than 90% of its activity after 30th use. Moreover, it showed good shelf-life stability for about 2 months storage by maintaining 90% of its maximum activity. So, use of CLTAs prepared from crude mushroom extract is an effective, fast and cheap alternative in total phenolics measurements in wines. Moreover, a novel catalase phenoloxidase (CATPO) produced by a fungal microorganism, Scytalidium thermophilum, was studied to check its capabilities in phenolics measurements. This novel catalase phenol oxidase showed similarly good results, exhibiting widesubstrate selectivity.

ABSTRACT Structural evolution and its effect on optical absorption/emission behavior of derivative of PPVs upon isothermal heat treatment at elevated temperatures were studied by means of a combination of polarized light microscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The main physical picture drawn from results of this study over a series of PPVs with flexible side-chains may be summarized as the following: (1) They are generally liquid-crystalline in nature, typically biaxially nematic in optical texture but morphologically characterized as of lamellar or hexagonal columnar structure. This is consistent with the nematogenic nature one would expect from the rigid backbone as well as the smectogenic nature one would expect from the aliphatic side-chains. (2) The aggregates formed in solutions and the supramolecular assemblies formed in the bulk state are structurally similar (in terms of the similar level of conjugation), and hence possibly of the same thermodynamic origin. This surfactant-like self-ordering behavior is consistent with the tendency towards segregation between the aromatic, rigid backbone and the aliphatic, flexible side-chains. (3) The collapse of these conjugated polymers with flexible side-chains into aggregates appears to be a general phenomenon upon slow to moderate solvent removal and not limited to the present case of poor solvency power. This is consistent with the strong tendency toward phase separation in rigid rod solutions delineated by Flory some 30 years ago. (4) All the above observations may be explained in terms of lyotropic or thermotropic self-assembly of hairy-rod chains into coiled helical conformation with ellipsoidal cross section for the conjugated backbone as shown schematically in Figure 4-42 and 4-43. The flexible side-chains generally tend to fill the space within the ellipsoidal cylindrical structure. As the side-chain length is increased, the increased Van der Waals attraction among side-chains results in more extended period of helical twist or more straighten backbone conformation, rendering preference of lamellar structure over hexagonal helical structure. (5) As a consequence, supramolecular aggregation is basically enhanced by increased side-chain length or backbone rigidity. This in turn results in more extended conjugation length or more fully developed