Great loads occur on human body in traffic accidents. Children body have less resistance to these loads. Child Restraint Systems (CRS) are the safety elements used in vehicles for children. In this study, the overturning and the dynamic test setups for CRS, have been designed and analysed according to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No 44 (ECE R44). After manufacturing of the test setups, four different types of CRSs sold in Turkish market have been selected to evaluate their performance according to ECE R44. Each seat has been used once for the tests. The tests have been performed and evaluated according to the performances of CRSs for the dynamic test head displacement limit criterion, the acceleration limit criterion, the abdominal penetration criterion and the overturning head displacement limit criterion. 11 overturning tests and 8 dynamic tests at the sled test facility available in METU-BILTIR Center Vehicle Safety Unit have been conducted. In the tests, P-series 3 years, 6 years and 10 years old child test dummies have been used. During the dynamic tests, 3-axial accelerometer, high-g high speed camera and data acquisition system are also used to gather the test data. 8 more dynamic test with unlocked vehicle safety belt which is improper usage and commonly encountered in real life. As the result of the tests, none of the CRSs succeed in the tests for child seats which are supposed to be used by 3-6 years old children according to ECE R 44 Group II.

I denna uppsats undersöker vi huruvida invandrare diskrimineras på den svenska arbetsmarknaden. Vi undersöker även om förhållandet skiljer sig när vi endast tittar på gruppen kvinnor, och gör en jämförelse mellan svenskfödda kvinnor och invandrarkvinnor. Vi använder oss av två modeller för att estimera löneskillnader, dummyvariabel modellen och Blinder-Oaxaca modellen. Våra resultat ger tydliga indikationer på lönediskriminering gentemot invandrare, kvinnor och en ännu tydligare lönediskriminering gentemot invandrarkvinnor. Vi anser att invandrarkvinnor drabbas av en så kallad dubbel diskriminering, där den övriga populationen i genomsnitt ges 28,4% högre lön än invandrarkvinnor. / In this thesis we investigate whether immigrant are being discriminated on the Swedish labor market. We also examine if this differentiates itself when we put our focus on the women as a group and thereafter make comparison between Swedish born women and women born outside Sweden. We have employed two models in order to determine wage differences, the dummy variable model and the Blinder-Oaxaca model. Our results show a distinct indication of wage discrimination against immigrants, women and even a more comprehensive discrimination towards immigrant women. Immigrant women have in general 28,4% lower wage than the average population. According to our findings therefore, foreign women are subjects to double discrimination.

Mäklarbranschen har varit omskriven i media de senaste åren och förra året presenterades det nya lagförslaget på en ny fastighetsmäklarlag. I dag finns det ingen lag som reglerar mäklarens skyldighet att uppvisa budgivningslista efter avslutad budgivning. Dock säger det nya lagförslaget: ”En fastighetsmäklare ska vara skyldig att dokumentera budgivningsprocessen och att överlämna dokumentationen till köparen och säljaren när överlåtelseavtalet är slutet, den ska också syfta till att hindra mäklaren att presentera luftbud och därigenom pressa upp priset.” Syftet med uppsatsen är att ta reda på om lagförslaget kommer att resultera i tryggare budgivningar. Vi vill även ta reda på hur mäklarna ställer sig till budgivningsförfarandet i den nya lagen samt om deras förtroende kommer att stiga hos presumtiva köpare. Avslutningsvis vill vi även ta reda på om köparnas syn på budgivningar kommer att förändras med den nya lagen. Vi har arbetet med artiklar, studerat lagtext, utredningar, remissvar, mailkontakter samt genomfört djupintervjuer med fastighetsmäklare, köpare och en jurist. Mottagandet av den nya mäklarlagen är positivt från nästan alla håll. Man tror på ökat förtroende och en tryggare budgivning i samband med denna lagändring. Vår åsikt är att köparnas syn på budgivningar i framtiden kommer att förändras när de känner en ökad säkerhet med kommande lagstiftning. / The real estate industry have been well publicized in the media the recent years and last year a new draft law of the new real estate agent law were presented. Today there is now law governing the broker’s obligation to present the bidding list upon completion of bidding. However, the new draft law says: ”The broker should be obligated to document the bidding process and when the agreement is met, give the information to the seller and buyer, it should also aim to prevent the broker to present fake bids and thereby push up the price.” The purpose with this essay is to find out if the new law will result in safer auctions. We also want to find out how the real estate agents’ attitude to the bidding procedure in the new and if their trust will rise in potential buyers. Finally, we also want to find out whether the new law will change the buyers’ view on the bidding process. We have been working with articles, studied the text, inquiries, responses, email contacts, and conducted interviews with real estate agents, buyers and a lawyer. The reception of the new law is positive from almost all quarters. Due to the legislative change the, belief is that the trust will rise. The buyers’ view of the bidding process in the future will change when they feel greater safety in future legislation.

As a new pediatric dummy family, the Q-family, is suggested for the European childsafety regulations (R44) and the updated EuroNCAP, it needed to be tested andcompared to the older pediatric dummy family, Hybrid III, used in testing at Autolivtoday.In this study, tests were performed with the Q6 and the Hybrid III 6-year-old. Bothdummies were subjected to eight sled tests using a EuroNCAP acceleration pulse. The sled represented the interior of a Volvo V70, with integrated booster cushions mounted onto the car body through a rigid fixture. Standard belt were used for all tests, except one where pretensioning was used. Static tests investigated how the chest deflection on Q6 was affected by the shoulder belt geometry. Large difference in belt interaction was observed between the dummies. The beltslipped off the Hybrid III’s shoulder for all tests except one, while the belt on the Qdummy’swas hard to provoke off the shoulder. The overall kinematic behavior, beforethe belt slipped off the Hybrid III’s shoulder, were similar for both dummies. Differences in chest deflection on the Q6, depending on the belt geometry, were observed in both the dynamic and the static tests; a shoulder belt geometry closer to theneck resulted in minor displacement than a mid-shoulder belt geometry. After testing, five different damages were observed on the Q6. / Då en ny familj av barnkrockdockor, Q-familjen, är föreslagen för det europeiskalagkravet som reglerar barnsäkerhet (R44), uppstod ett behov av att testa och jämföradessa mot den äldre familjen av barnkrockdockor som används vid testning på Autoliv idag, Hybrid III. I den här studien utfördes tester på Q6 och Hybrid III 6 år. Båda dockorna utsattes föråtta stycken slädtest i en accelerationspuls enligt EuroNCAP. Släden representerade enVolvo V70 med integrerade barnkuddar som monterats i riggen via en stel fixtur. I alla test utom ett användes standardbälten (i undantagsfallet användes försträckare). Statiska tester gjordes för att undersöka hur Q6 påverkades av olika geometrier på axelbältet. Stora skillnader observerades mellan dockornas bältesinteraktion. Bältet gled av HybridIII:s axel i alla test förutom ett, medan det istället var svårt att provocera av bältet från Q-dockans axel. Innan Hybrid III gled ur bältet var dockornas kinematik liknande. I både statiska och dynamiska tester observerades skillnader i bröstintryckning på Q6, beroende på bältesgeometrin; en geometri där axelbältet var placerat nära nackenresulterade i en mindre intryckning än då axelbältet var placerat mitt på axeln. Efte ravslutad testning upptäcktes fem skador på Q6.

This thesis investigates the impact of fragmentation in the ownership of complementary patents or patent thickets on firms' market value. This question is motivated by the increase in the patent ownership fragmentation following the pro-patent shifts in the US since 1982. The first chapter uses panel data on patenting US manufacturing firms from 1979 to 1996, and estimates the impact of patent thickets on firms' market value. I find that patent thickets lower firms' market value, and firms with a large patent portfolio size experience a smaller negative effect from their thickets. Moreover, no systematic difference exists in the impact of patent thickets on firms' market value over time. The second chapter extends this analysis to account for the indirect impacts of patent thickets on firms' market value. These indirect effects arise through the effects of patent thickets on firms' R\&D and patenting activities. Using panel data on US manufacturing firms from 1979 to 1996, I estimate the impact of patent thickets on market value, R\&D, and patenting as well as the impacts of R\&D and patenting on market value. Employing these estimates, I determine the direct, indirect, and total impacts of patent thickets on market value. I find that patent thickets decrease firms' market value, while I hold the firms’ R\&D and patenting activities constant. I find no evidence of a change in R\&D due to patent thickets. However, there is evidence of defensive patenting (an increase in patenting attributed to thickets), which helps to reduce the direct negative impact of patent thickets on market value. The data sets used in Chapters 1 and 2 have a number of missing observations on regressors. The commonly used methods to manage missing observations are the listwise deletion (complete case) and the indicator methods. Studies on the statistical properties of these methods suggest a smaller bias using the listwise deletion method. Employing Monte Carlo simulations, Chapter 3 examines the properties of these methods, and finds that in some cases the listwise deletion estimates have larger biases than indicator estimates. This finding suggests that interpreting estimates arrived at with either approach requires caution.

No description available.

This thesis investigates the impact of fragmentation in the ownership of complementary patents or patent thickets on firms' market value. This question is motivated by the increase in the patent ownership fragmentation following the pro-patent shifts in the US since 1982. The first chapter uses panel data on patenting US manufacturing firms from 1979 to 1996, and estimates the impact of patent thickets on firms' market value. I find that patent thickets lower firms' market value, and firms with a large patent portfolio size experience a smaller negative effect from their thickets. Moreover, no systematic difference exists in the impact of patent thickets on firms' market value over time. The second chapter extends this analysis to account for the indirect impacts of patent thickets on firms' market value. These indirect effects arise through the effects of patent thickets on firms' R\&D and patenting activities. Using panel data on US manufacturing firms from 1979 to 1996, I estimate the impact of patent thickets on market value, R\&D, and patenting as well as the impacts of R\&D and patenting on market value. Employing these estimates, I determine the direct, indirect, and total impacts of patent thickets on market value. I find that patent thickets decrease firms' market value, while I hold the firms’ R\&D and patenting activities constant. I find no evidence of a change in R\&D due to patent thickets. However, there is evidence of defensive patenting (an increase in patenting attributed to thickets), which helps to reduce the direct negative impact of patent thickets on market value. The data sets used in Chapters 1 and 2 have a number of missing observations on regressors. The commonly used methods to manage missing observations are the listwise deletion (complete case) and the indicator methods. Studies on the statistical properties of these methods suggest a smaller bias using the listwise deletion method. Employing Monte Carlo simulations, Chapter 3 examines the properties of these methods, and finds that in some cases the listwise deletion estimates have larger biases than indicator estimates. This finding suggests that interpreting estimates arrived at with either approach requires caution.

This study investigates two questions about anti-predator behaviour of the red-backed shrike. 1) Is the red-backed shrike able to assess the differing dangers represented by various types or species of predators? 2) How does the red-backed shrike recognize the predator? We found, that the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) adjusts its anti-predator behaviour by assessing the potential threat to themselves from different predator species and by assessing the chance of a successful attack. Further, we found that the presence of general raptor salient features is absolutely necessary for proper categorisation of the intruder as a predator, whereas the natural species-specific colouration in itself is an insufficient cue.

Submitted by Gustavo Rodrigues Macedo (rmgustavo@gmail.com) on 2016-08-30T12:23:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Estimando a retração recente no preço de minério de ferro.pdf: 1558651 bytes, checksum: ae2442fd7ce1f72ff8de6b972a7972e0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by GILSON ROCHA MIRANDA (gilson.miranda@fgv.br) on 2016-09-08T19:05:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Estimando a retração recente no preço de minério de ferro.pdf: 1558651 bytes, checksum: ae2442fd7ce1f72ff8de6b972a7972e0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by GILSON ROCHA MIRANDA (gilson.miranda@fgv.br) on 2016-09-21T14:11:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Estimando a retração recente no preço de minério de ferro.pdf: 1558651 bytes, checksum: ae2442fd7ce1f72ff8de6b972a7972e0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-26T12:06:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Estimando a retração recente no preço de minério de ferro.pdf: 1558651 bytes, checksum: ae2442fd7ce1f72ff8de6b972a7972e0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-28 / This study presents an analysis about the sharp fall in the price of iron ore observed during the year of 2014, using econometric methods to assess the impact of the strong increase in the volumes supplied to the seaborne market combined with a slowdown in some steel-intensive sectors in China. The study briefly presents the industry and the recent developments of the iron ore seaborne market, and then uses regression models to estimate determinant factors for iron ore price. The results indicate that a significant part of the price decline observed in 2014 cannot be explained by usual factors, suggesting that the atypical conditions observed during the year determined the market equilibrium. / Este trabalho apresenta uma análise sobre a retração no preço do minério de ferro observada no ano de 2014, com o objetivo de avaliar o impacto do choque positivo na oferta aliado à desaceleração de setores demandantes de aço na China. O estudo faz uma breve apresentação da indústria e do mercado transoceânico de minério de ferro e, em seguida, estima com métodos econométricos fatores determinantes do preço. Os resultados indicam que uma parcela significativa da queda do preço do minério em 2014 não pode ser explicada por fatores usuais, sugerindo que as condições atípicas observadas naquele ano determinaram o equilíbrio no mercado de minério de ferro.

Submitted by GABRIEL DA SILVA CARDOSO (gabrielbezogne@gmail.com) on 2017-07-24T23:49:23Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Download File (1).pdf: 6978159 bytes, checksum: 0247fd59965882c58bcb06e81086f6ad (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by GILSON ROCHA MIRANDA (gilson.miranda@fgv.br) on 2017-07-25T15:15:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Download File (1).pdf: 6978159 bytes, checksum: 0247fd59965882c58bcb06e81086f6ad (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-27T12:40:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Download File (1).pdf: 6978159 bytes, checksum: 0247fd59965882c58bcb06e81086f6ad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-29 / Este trabalho estima por MQO a função de reação do tipo 'Taylor' para os Estados Unidos, utilizando uma amostra que se inicia em 1954 até 2016, incluindo os subperíodos deste intervalo. As taxas de juros estimadas respondem, como esperado, aos desvios da inflação, desvios do produto, da taxa de juros defasada, e também, às variáveis dummies, que capturam ciclos de elevação de juros e períodos de zero lower bound. Os resultados obtidos são comparáveis aos encontrados na literatura (subperíodos); no entanto, estimativas relativas aos últimos 63 anos e às janelas móveis, sugerem um FED menos preocupado com a inflação nos últimos anos. Uma possível explicação foi a mudança de foco do FED, valorizando através da sua política monetária, a manutenção do emprego e crescimento do PIB.