Thesis advisor: Hong Ding / Thesis advisor: Vidya Madhavan / High temperature superconductivity has been one of the most challenging problems in condensed matter physics since its discovery. This dissertation presents systematic studies on the single layer high temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2-xLaxCuO6+delta by scanning tunneling microscopy. The STM results have been compared to Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data. Using STM spectroscopy and ARPES we observed two distinct gaps that coexist both in real space and in the antinodal region of momentum space, below the superconducting transition temperature. By looking at the energy scale of these two gaps along with the temperature dependence data, we fnd that the small gap is associated with superconductivity. The large gap persists above Tc, and seems linked to observed charge ordering. We also find a strong correlation between the large and small gaps suggesting that they are affected by similar physical processes. This is the first time that two coexisting and competing energy scales have been directly observed in STM spectroscopy. Combining this with ARPES data, we show that the pseudogap may be a diffferent order parameter from the superconducting phase. This provides support to the recently proposed "two gaps scenario" and should lead to more experimental discovery and theoretical discussions. In this dissertation we also discuss the spatial properties of the scanning tunneling microscopy conductance maps, as well as the charge ordering pattern at high energies. We observe interesting periodic patterns at low energies which can not be explained by a simple charge density wave picture. We also fnd the surprising bias dependence in terms of the contrast reversal. We propose a model of STM measuring effect to explain these phenomena. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Physics.

No description available.

The aim of this thesis was to analyse coexisting disadvantages in the older Swedish population. Coexisting disadvantages are those that occur simultaneously in various life domains. A person who simultaneously experiences several disadvantages may be particularly vulnerable and less well-equipped to manage daily life and may also need support from several different welfare service providers. Concerted actions may be needed for older people who experience not only physical health problems and functional limitations, but also other problems. Research that encompasses a wide range of living conditions provides a basis for setting political priorities and making political decisions. The studies in this thesis used data from two Swedish nationally representative surveys: the Level of Living Survey, which includes people aged 18 through 75, and the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old, which includes people aged 77 and older. Study I showed that the probability of experiencing coexisting disadvantages was higher in people 77 and older than in those aged 18 through 76. These age differences were partly driven by a high prevalence of physical health problems in older people. In all age groups, coexisting disadvantages were more common in women than men. The longitudinal analyses in Study II indicated that coexisting disadvantages in old age persist in some people but are temporary in others. Moreover, the results suggested a pattern of accumulating disadvantages: reporting one disadvantage in young old age (in particular, psychological health problems) increased the probability of reporting coexisting disadvantages in late old age.   Study III showed that physical health problems were a central component of coexisting disadvantages. The results also showed that being older; female; previously employed as a manual labourer; and divorced/separated, widowed or never married were associated with an increased probability of experiencing coexisting disadvantages. However, the experience of coexisting disadvantages differed: the groups associated with coexisting disadvantages tended to report different combinations of disadvantage. Study IV showed that the prevalence of coexisting disadvantages in those 77 and older increased slightly between 1992 and 2011. Physical health problems became more common over time, whereas limited ability to manage daily activities (ADL limitations), limited financial resources and limited political resources became less common. Associations between different disadvantages were found in all survey years, but certain associations changed over time. The results suggest that in general, the composition of coexisting disadvantages in the older population may have altered over time. In sum, results showed that coexisting disadvantages were associated with specific demographic and socio-economic groups. Physical health problems and psychological health problems were of particular importance to the accumulation and coexistence of disadvantages in old age. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p><p> </p>

A simple asset pricing model with two types of adaptively learning traders, fundamentalists and technical analysts, is studied. Fractions of these trader types, which are both boundedly rational, change over time according to evolutionary learning, with technical analysts conditioning their forecasting rule upon deviations from a benchmark fundamental. Volatility clustering arises endogenously in this model. Two mechanisms are proposed as an explanation. The first is coexistence of a stable steady state and a stable limit cycle, which arise as a consequence of a so-called Chenciner bifurcation of the system. The second is intermittency and associated bifurcation routes to strange attractors. Both phenomena are persistent and occur generically in nonlinear multi-agent evolutionary systems. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-04T20:04:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 29 / Nenhuma / Esta dissertação, que teve como foco de investigação o Emocionar em mundos digitais virtuais em 3 dimensões – MDV3D, consiste no estudo teórico embasado, principalmente, na Teoria da Biologia do Conhecer de autoria de Humberto Maturana e Francisco Varela, articulada à interação dos adolescentes no Metaverso Second Life. Por um período de 5 semanas, com seis encontros, totalizando 20 horas, adolescentes do PEI – Projeto Esporte Integrado – da Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos – UNISINOS, viveram e conviveram no Second Life com a proposta de conhecer e explorar MDV3D. O objetivo central desta investigação consistiu em compreender como os adolescentes representam o Emocionar, ao interagir nos MDV3D-SL, e como este se constitui enquanto ambiente provocador de aprendizagens, para a partir dessa análise buscar elementos de forma a propiciar o desenvolvimento de práticas pedagógicas inovadoras. A pesquisa é de natureza exploratória qualitativa cuja metodologia adotada, foi a estudo de caso. Os instrumentos / This dissertation, which focuses on Emotions in three-dimensional virtual digital worlds (3DVDW), consists of a theoretical study mainly based on the ideas presented by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, in their Biology of Knowledge, articulated to adolescents’ interactions within the Second Life Metaverse (SL). During a period of 5 weeks, totallizing 6 meetings and 20 hours, adolescents who participate in the ISP - Integrated Sports Project - implemented by Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, lived and interacted within Second Life with the aim of getting to know and explore this 3DVDW. The main objective of this investigation was to understand how these adolescents represented Emotions, while interacting in the 3DVDW, and how this world acted as a learning-provoking environment. During such an analysis, elements to develop innovative pedagogic practices were sought. The investigation has a qualitative exploratory nature and consisted of a case-study. Data collection instruments were: que

Uppsatsens övergripande syfte är att undersöka om, och i så fall hur, unga vuxnas erfarenheter av separation och vårdnadstvist mellan föräldrarna under barndomen inverkat när det gäller inställning till samlevnadsfrågor. Mer konkret är avsikten att söka svar på frågor som beaktar principen om barnets bästa, attityder gentemot relationer, separationer och giftermål liksom dagens relation till föräldrarna. Tolkningsramen som användes för att tolka och förstå uppsatsens empiriska material baseras på de inledande bestämmelserna enligt 6 kap. föräldrabalken, några risker med socialarbetarens förhållningssätt, barnets känsla av ansvar, lojalitet och hemlighållande, barnets överlevnadsstrategier och kognitiv dissonansteori. Dessa tolkningsredskap var effektiva för att belysa unga vuxnas erfarenheter från barndomen och deras attityder till samlevnadsfrågor. En kvalitativ metodansats tillämpades för att inhämta det empiriska materialet och fem kvinnliga respondenter intervjuades med hjälp av en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Uppsatsens slutsatser indikerar att principen om barnets bästa inte alltid beaktades för de unga vuxna under barndomen. Deras attityder gentemot relationer, separationer och giftermål präglas av en öppen inställning till olika familjekonstellationer med goda kvalitéer, positiva respektive negativa följder av föräldrarnas separation och uppfattningen om att vilja gifta sig i framtiden. Dagens relation till den ena föräldern har visat sig vara fortsatt god medan relationen till den andra föräldern varierar. / The purpose of the essay is to examine whether, and if so how, young adults' experiences of separation and contested custody between parents during childhood influenced their attitudes to coexistence issues. Further, the intention is to seek answers to questions regarding: the best interests of the child, attitudes towards relationships, separation and marriage, as well as the current relationship to the parents. The interpretative framework adopted to interpret and understand the empirical material is based on the initial provisions under chapter 6, some risks with the social workers' approach, the children's sense of responsibility, loyalty and concealment, the child’s survival strategies as well as cognitive dissonance theory.  These are considered effective to highlight young adults' experiences in childhood and their attitudes to coexistence issues. A qualitative method was applied to obtain the empirical material. Five female respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The essay’s findings indicate that the principle of the child’s best interests is not always applicable for the young adults during childhood. Their attitude towards relationships, separation and marriage is characterized by an open attitude to different family constellations with good qualities, positive and negative consequences of their parents' separation and a desire to get married in the future. The relationship today remains good with one parent, while the relationship with the other parent differs.

Valet av vilka produkter som ska finnas tillgängliga på marknaden fungerar som ettkonkurrensmedel för företag. Att prioritera redan existerande, lansera nya eller avveckla föråldrade produkter är viktiga beslut för ett företags prestanda. För att minimera olika typer av risk kan in- och utfasningsstrategier användas. Dessa kan bestämmas med hjälp av olikatyper av nyckeltal som kan delas upp i olika kategorier, så kallade riskfaktorer. Studiens mål är att bestämma dessa nyckeltal samt vilken strategi som passar för respektive produkt vid in och utfasning. Studien bygger på intervjuer som genomförts med fyra nyckelpersoner på verkstadsföretaget Seco Tools. Intervjuerna undersöker företagets in- och utfasningsprocess. Detta innefattar viktiga nyckeltal samt hur de i sin tur påverkar risk- vid in och utfasning. Studien resulterar i en modell med fyra riskdimensioner samt de riskfaktorer och nyckeltal som tillhör respektive dimension. Modellen ger en fingervisning vilken typ av in- och utfasningsmetod som är lämplig att använda. Studiens resultat visar på att företagets arbetsprocess och nyckeltal delvis stämmer överens med vald teori, men att det också är stor skillnad på hur en in- och utfasning går till i praktiken jämfört med det optimala utfallet i teorin.

[pt] Desdobramento de convívio de design, uma ação disciplinar em Valparaíso-Chile é uma tese que abre a questão de como o designer pode ser parte de sua própria realidade e também é capaz de exercer uma ação direta sobre a comunidade, participando da dignidade da vida pessoas e considerando as condições de cultura material contemporânea. Para isso, a disciplina literatura focada em traçar o perfil do design com ênfase no conceito de valor é revisto, caminhos conceituais que apontam a crítica teórica do industrialismo são estudados e sua influência sobre a construção de uma visão social hegemônica e disciplina. Em seguida, a tese se desenrola nas próprias noções de design, a fim de esclarecer os elementos disciplinares universais que nos permitem fazer leituras desprovidos de preconceitos. Para integrar-se nessa proposta e participar desse papel docente da escola de Arquitetura e Design da Universidade Católica de Valparaíso, e[ad]. Assim, com estes elementos, constrói-se um marco teórico crítico que irá dar origem à pesquisa sobre Aconcagua FabLab (laboratório de fabricação), como o caso de uma ação direta sobre o território local, desatrelado de uma situação de aula que promove a coparticipação entre o conhecimento da universidade e o saber da comunidade. Conclui-se com a proposta para navegar em direção a um Design Convivencial, para conseguir chaves de identificação que nos permitem encontrar ua via alternativa disciplina para o desenvolvimento industrialista. / [en] Deployment of Convivial Design, a disciplinary action in Valparaíso, Chile, is a thesis that opens the question of how the designer can participate in his own reality and is also able to exercise direct action on the community, participating in the dignity of people s life and considering the conditions of the contemporary material culture. For this, we review the disciplinary literature focused on design profiling with emphasis on the concept of value. We study the conceptual paths that are linked to the theoretical critiques about industrialism, as well as the influence of this in the construction of a social hegemonic and disciplinary vision. Then the thesis runs on the notions proper to design in order to clear the most universal disciplinary elements that allow us to make readings devoid of preconceptions. With the exposition of the location from where this thesis is carried out, a reflection is made on the institutional, theoretical and teaching place of the author in the School of Architecture and Design of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. With these elements, a theoretical-critical referential is built that allows the implementation of the Aconcagua FabLab project (mobile digital manufacturing laboratory), as a case of direct university action on the local territory, the classroom deployment. It concludes with the proposal to navigate towards a Convivial Design identifying keys that allow us to find a disciplinary path as an alternative to industrialist development. / [es] Despliegue Convivencial del Diseño, una acción disciplinar en Valparaíso-Chile es una tesis que abre la pregunta por cómo el diseñador puede ser partícipe de su propia realidad y es capaz también de ejercer una acción directa sobre la comunidad, participando en la dignificación de la vida de las personas y considerando las condicionantes de la cultura material contemporánea. Para esto, se revisa la literatura disciplinar enfocada al perfilamiento del diseño con acento en el concepto de valor, se estudian los caminos conceptuales que se vinculan a las críticas teóricas sobre el industrialismo, así la influencia de éste en la construcción de una visión hegemónica social y disciplinar. Luego la tesis discurre en las nociones propias del diseño, con el objeto de despejar los elementos disciplinares más universales que nos permitan hacer lecturas desprovistas de preconceptos. Con la exposición de la ubicación desde donde se realiza esta tesis, se elabora una reflexión acerca del lugar institucional, teórico y docente del autor en la Escuela de Arquitectura y Diseño de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, e[ad]. Con estos elementos, se construye un referencial teórico-crítico que da pie a poner en práctica el proyecto Aconcagua FabLab (laboratorio de fabricación digital móvil), como un caso de acción universitaria directa sobre el territorio local, el despliegue del aula. Se concluye con la propuesta de navegar hacia un Diseño Convivencial identificando claves que nos permitan encontrar un camino disciplinar como alternativa al desarrollo industrialista.