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This dissertation consists of three different essays evaluating solutions to postharvest challenges faced by farmers in Kenya and Tanzania. In the first essay we see that demand for a new storage technology the Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags in Western Kenya, a completely new technology for almost the entire sample, was highly elastic and that a small proportion of the population would buy at the current market price. In the second essay we find evidence that farmers, who are primarily growing for maize consumption are more concerned about food safety in maize than traders, who are willing to pay less to keep the maize safer. In the third essay in Tanzania, we find that liquidity concerns at harvest prevent farmers from optimizing maize storage and sales decisions.

Despite the elaborate intervention strategies and huge emphasis on AIDS and orphan hood, there is a looming danger that might create a lost generation of young people who are growing up without role models, parental guidance, warmth, love and proper care. Young people in these times of AIDS are charged with the responsibility of caring for their infected parents until they die; and thereafter to care for their siblings. Despite playing these important roles coupled with their complex developmental issues young people face as they negotiate their independence towards adulthood, there is generally a lack of concern as far as the psychosocial issues experienced by youth who are orphaned due to AIDS is concerned as evidence by paucity of published literature. This research therefore, focused on the psychosocial issues of youth orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Western Kenya. This comparative study compared youth who have lost their parent(s) to AIDS, to those who have lost parent(s) through other causes and youth from intact families. The study explored the daily hassles and uplifts as experienced by these three categories. Their psychological well-being was studied in a bid to understand how this phenomenon has impacted on the orphaned young people emotional well-being. The extend to which self-efficacy (resilience), perceived social support and good coping strategies buffer young people from HIV/AIDS impact were studied. Data was obtained from 156 students at the Moi University. One way ANOVA test used to test the mean hassles and mean uplifts scores revealed there were not significantly different across the participants’ status. Investigations to determine whether the mean scores for anxiety, self esteem, and depression depend on participants’ status; a further one way ANOVA was carried out, which revealed based on overall F-test the mean self esteem and depression scores are significantly different at 5% level of significant. A pair- wise Pearson correlation was performed to investigate whether anxiety, depression and self esteem scores depend on the coping skills, self-efficacy and perceived social support. Results indicate depression significantly associated with social support, while self esteem is significantly associated with self-efficacy. The qualitative data further validated these findings by revealing that orphaned youth by AIDS were depressed and had poor self-esteem.

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<p>Vi har valt att undersöka hur nyemissioner påverkar aktiekursen. Detta eftersom det den senaste tiden genomförts ett antal nyemissioner på stockholmsbörsen. Undersökningen genomfördes genom en kvantitativ eventstudie av ett antal nyemissioner genomförda på stockholmsbörsen mellan åren 2000-2007. I undersökningen delades de identifierade bolagen upp efter storlek och bransch för att därigenom försöka finna eventuella mönster. För att kunna dra konkreta slutsatser beräknades, med hjälp av ett t-test, konfidensintervall för de olika kategorierna fram. Slutsatsen av undersökningen är att en investerare bör försöka investera då nyemissioner genomförs i stora (Large Cap) bolag och undvika att delta vid nyemissioner i mindre bolag (Small Cap). Vidare bör en investerare speciellt undvika att delta vid nyemissioner inom sällanköpsbranschen.</p> / <p>We have chosen to study whether a new share issue affecting the stock price. This, because of a recently implemented number of new share issues on the Stockholm OMX Exchange. The survey was carried out by a quantitative event study of a number of new share issues on the Stockholm Stock Exchange between the years 2000-2007. The study divided the identified companies down by size and sector in order to try to find any patterns. In order to draw concrete conclusions we´ve calculated, by using a t-test, confidence intervals for the various categories presented. The conclusion of the study is that an investor should invest when new issues are carried out in larger (Large Cap) companies and avoid participating in new issues in smaller companies (Small Cap). In addition, investors also should avoid to participating in new issues in the durable sector.</p>

Vi har valt att undersöka hur nyemissioner påverkar aktiekursen. Detta eftersom det den senaste tiden genomförts ett antal nyemissioner på stockholmsbörsen. Undersökningen genomfördes genom en kvantitativ eventstudie av ett antal nyemissioner genomförda på stockholmsbörsen mellan åren 2000-2007. I undersökningen delades de identifierade bolagen upp efter storlek och bransch för att därigenom försöka finna eventuella mönster. För att kunna dra konkreta slutsatser beräknades, med hjälp av ett t-test, konfidensintervall för de olika kategorierna fram. Slutsatsen av undersökningen är att en investerare bör försöka investera då nyemissioner genomförs i stora (Large Cap) bolag och undvika att delta vid nyemissioner i mindre bolag (Small Cap). Vidare bör en investerare speciellt undvika att delta vid nyemissioner inom sällanköpsbranschen. / We have chosen to study whether a new share issue affecting the stock price. This, because of a recently implemented number of new share issues on the Stockholm OMX Exchange. The survey was carried out by a quantitative event study of a number of new share issues on the Stockholm Stock Exchange between the years 2000-2007. The study divided the identified companies down by size and sector in order to try to find any patterns. In order to draw concrete conclusions we´ve calculated, by using a t-test, confidence intervals for the various categories presented. The conclusion of the study is that an investor should invest when new issues are carried out in larger (Large Cap) companies and avoid participating in new issues in smaller companies (Small Cap). In addition, investors also should avoid to participating in new issues in the durable sector.

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The purpose of this study was to identify reasons why Chinese graduate students chose one Canadian university in which to study and to examine the transitional issues they encountered. Based on post-positivistic epistemology as the philosophical foundation, Creswells (2002) triangulation design in mixed methods research was employed. Fifty-one Chinese graduate students registered in master or doctoral programs at the university responded to an online survey that collected quantitative and qualitative data. Excel and SPSS (18.0) were employed to analyze the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) were utilized to examine the participants transitional issues. Qualitative data were analyzed to develop major themes in relation to the participants reasons for choosing this university in which to study and the transitional issues. Trustworthiness of the study was discussed from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The findings showed that the participants came to study at this university in Canada because of academic reasons, such as high-quality academic programs, research focus, competent faculty members, appropriate admission requirements, world-recognized degrees, and the opportunity to practice English. When studying in their academic programs, they encountered difficulties with listening, speaking, and academic writing in English. They also encountered difficulties in understanding academic readings, seeking advice, course work, and lack of resources. In their daily lives, the students encountered loneliness, isolation, lack of communication due to different cultures, financial issues, and accommodation problems.

The purpose of this study was to identify reasons why Chinese graduate students chose one Canadian university in which to study and to examine the transitional issues they encountered. Based on post-positivistic epistemology as the philosophical foundation, Creswells (2002) triangulation design in mixed methods research was employed. Fifty-one Chinese graduate students registered in master or doctoral programs at the university responded to an online survey that collected quantitative and qualitative data. Excel and SPSS (18.0) were employed to analyze the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) were utilized to examine the participants transitional issues. Qualitative data were analyzed to develop major themes in relation to the participants reasons for choosing this university in which to study and the transitional issues. Trustworthiness of the study was discussed from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The findings showed that the participants came to study at this university in Canada because of academic reasons, such as high-quality academic programs, research focus, competent faculty members, appropriate admission requirements, world-recognized degrees, and the opportunity to practice English. When studying in their academic programs, they encountered difficulties with listening, speaking, and academic writing in English. They also encountered difficulties in understanding academic readings, seeking advice, course work, and lack of resources. In their daily lives, the students encountered loneliness, isolation, lack of communication due to different cultures, financial issues, and accommodation problems.