Essay I: In January, 2005, the EU launched the first international emissions trading system (EU ETS), aimed at reducing carbon emissions in a cost-effective way by means of a market-based instrument. In this paper, we use the treatment/control, before/after design of the natural experiment approach to investigate the treatment effect of the EU ETS on the profitability of a sample of Swedish energy firms in 2005 and 2006. We also investigate whether under-cap and over-cap firms respond differently to the EU ETS. The estimation results in general suggest no significant impact in 2005 and a negative significant impact in 2006. The sub-sample analysis suggests that profitability of under-cap and over-cap firms were affected differently by the EU ETS in 2005, but not in 2006. Essay II: The paper empirically explores the possible causes behind electricity price jumps in the Nordic electricity market, Nord Pool. A time-series model (a mixed GARCH-EARJI jump model) capturing the common statistical features of electricity prices is used to identify price jumps. By the model, a categorical variable is defined distinguishing no, positive and negative jumps. The causes for the jumps are then explored through the use of ordered probit models in a second stage. The empirical results indicate that the structure of the market plays an important role in whether shocks in the demand and supply for electricity translate into price jumps. Essay III: Scientific evidence indicates that human development faces multiple and interacting regime-switching environmental thresholds such as climate change, ocean acidification and biodiversity loss. And crossing one or more such thresholds would trigger rapid and large changes in our life-support system with widespread consequences. This paper attempts to study the effects of such thresholds on human well-being in a growth theoretical framework. We derive the accounting prices of pollution stocks such as the concentration of greenhouse gases for the risk of triggering catastrophic events, which are needed for conducting a dynamic cost-benefit analysis. We first analyze a simple model with a single threshold and then extend it to a planar system with correlated double thresholds with a joint probability distribution. the results can be applied for analyzing global climate change and ocean acidification risks, which are highlighted in a Nature article by Rockström et al. (2009). Essay IV: Lump-sum transfers as a means of tackling climate change are mainly perceived as a theoretical construct to achieve the first best Pareto optimum. The previous literature on lump-sum transfers normally focuses on the two polar cases: the absence of lump-sum transfers and perfect or unconstrained lump-sum transfers, leaving the middle way aside. In this paper, we attempt to explore the unmarked part by developing a model where transfer costs are explicitly taken into account. We show that whether the Pareto optimum characterized by the equalization of marginal abatement costs is attainable depends on the formation of transfer costs. When the marginal transfer cost is zero, the separability of equity and efficiency under perfect lump-sum transfers is kept. However, when the marginal transfer cost is positive, the optimum with equalization of marginal abatement costs is neither attainable, nor desirable. We also simulate a policy experiment in China to review the optimal abatement and transfer patterns between China's provinces within a framework of imperfect lump-sum transfers. The highlighted welfare gains is supportive of considering lump-sum transfers as a national climate change policy.

After a year 1989 opened new possibilities for sport fishing. The biggest change in this direction is the possibility of fishing in private fishing grounds. Fishing firms and the other private subjects started to derive benefit from this kind of fishing. This phenomenon is caused by increasing of the fishing pressure on wild waters and higher buying power of the population and its willingnes to spend more money for quality leisure time.Because most of these fishing grounds belong to commercial producers of market fish and sport fishing is realized as a form of economic mining fish on rod as a payed service. This fact causes different way of organisation and different rules of sport fishing.

The subject of this thesis is to assess the status of the supplementary pension scheme in the Czech Republic. The work deals with issues of return pension schemes. Examines aspects that affect profitability, in particular the taxation of pension schemes and the investment of pension funds. On the basis of the knowledge generated through analysis of the comparison is made of benefits to be paid at the end of the period -- annuities and lump sum compensation. The analysis performed provides information about which of these benefits is for the client to the pension fund more profitable option. The first part of the work deals with the characteristics of the supplementary pension scheme in the Czech Republic, describes its emergence, evolution, status in the pensions system. In the second chapter are discussed the main aspects that affect its profitability, taxation, and return on pension funds. The third chapter contains the comparsion annuities and lump sum compensation.

El Trabajo de Investigación presenta el caso de la construcción de una clínica en el norte del país, que empezó como un proyecto con un alcance definido y con un contrato a suma alzada, pero que durante la ejecución y por iniciativa del propietario se dieron tantos cambios que lo convirtieron en la práctica en un proyecto fast track con un contrato a suma alzada. Esta situación originó una serie de impactos en costo y plazo que derivaron en reclamos planteados por el contratista del orden del 10% de la venta, incluyendo los costos derivados de un posible arbitraje. Teniendo en cuenta esta experiencia, se plantea como alternativa un proceso de gestión de cambios robusto en donde se enfatiza el pleno conocimiento del alcance del proyecto y del contrato como medida de prevención que busca que el cambio planteado esté formulado de una manera clara sobre la base de los documentos del proyecto. Asimismo, para aquellos casos en los que el reclamo es inevitable se plantea también el proceso de gestión de prevención de reclamos, en donde se establecen pautas para la negociación tratando de evitar llegar a la última instancia que sería el litigio por la vía judicial. / This Research Paper presents the case of the construction of a clinic in the north of the country that began as a project with a defined scope and with a lump sum contract, but during the execution and at the initiative of the owner there were so many changes which effectively turned it into a fast track project with a lump sum contract. This situation originated a series of cost and time impacts that resulted in claims raised by the contractor of the order of 10% of the sale including the costs derived from a possible arbitration. Taking into account this experience, a robust change management process is proposed as an alternative where full knowledge of the project scope and contract are emphasized as a preventive measure that seeks the proposed change may be formulated in a clear way on the basis of the project documents. Likewise, for those cases in which the claim is unavoidable, the claims management process is also proposed, where guidelines for negotiation are established, trying to avoid reaching the last instance, which would be litigation through the courts. / Tesis

Since the beginning of the early 20th century bed rugs have been interesting research objects, but only in passing researchers have paid attention to rugs woven with rags. Noone has taken a closer look upon the reasons why people have woven these rugs. What does the materials of the rag – like recycled garments and interior textiles in the form of clothing rags – have to tell about the times when these rugs were woven? Did the rag rugs have any specific function or were the materials available and therefore used? The main sources of information are 21 rag rugs from Roslagen in Uppland, with a varied amount of rags. They were woven during the latter half of 19th century, and estate inventories from Väddö- and Häverö Ship District have altogether given some answers to the primary question of this paper: in wich way can the examined bed rugs bear witness to the use and value of recycled textile materials and the view of these in the context of the community where they were manufactured and used? This research doesn´t give an answer to whether these rugs have any particular function or not. Instead these rag rugs can be looked upon as representing a general development of the society towards an increasing amount of textiles surplus material. This being due an increasing consumption of factory-made clothing and textiles, manufactured in factories, as well as the paper mills development from producing paper made of cellulose rather than textile waste. To this we can add a principle lingering on from the 19th century, of domestic production and a thrift of resources. This resulted in an obvious recycling of discarded textiles. The home weaving of interior textiles was still strong by the end of the 19th century, and in Rosagen there was also a long tradition of weaving and of using rugs in the beds. At the same time there was, in the coastal regions of Roslagen, a local need for warming covers in boats and boat houses. This demand was related to the shooting of seals and other hunting in the coastal areas, as well as in the fishing- and maritime trades.

La réduction de l’usage des dispositifs de sortie anticipée et l’augmentation de la durée de vie à l’emploi se sont imposées comme de réels objectifs. Plusieurs réformes – implémentés, notamment, de façon non coercitive au niveau Européen – sont venues quantifier de tels objectifs. L’augmentation du taux d’emploi des travailleurs âgés de plus de 55 ans et l’augmentation de l’âge effectif moyen de la retraite sont tant d’outils quantitatifs qui servent une même finalité :l’augmentation de la participation au marché du travail des travailleurs âgés. L’une des résultantes de ces réformes est le développement, notamment en Belgique, de mécanismes de sortie partielle de l’activitié. En conséquence, les fins d’activité professionnelles prennent désormais des formes plus complexes, faites d’imbrications de différents statuts dans et en dehors du marché du travail. La thèse – qui croise une analyse des évolutions sociales de l’emploi des travailleurs âgés et une analyse longitudinale des parcours professionnels – est divisée en trois chapitres qui ont trait successivement aux indicateurs utilisés pour quantifier la sortie anticipée de l’emploi, au développement des instruments de réduction du temps de travail en fin de carrière et à l’impact des réductions du temps de travail en fin de carrière sur l’emploi des jeunes. Le premier chapitre prend appui sur une analyse macrosociologique des dynamiques du marché du travail. En mettant l’accent sur la sortie anticipée de l’activité professionnelle en tant que problème social, nous interrogeons, d’une part, l’écart temporel qui existe entre l’âge de la sortie de l’activité professionnelle et l’âge de la retraite et, d’autre part, les différents mécanismes qui sont utilisés en Europe pour sortir prématurément du marché du travail. La première partie repose principalement sur une analyse détaillée de l’indicateur « âge effectif moyen de la retraite » fourni par l’OCDE. Une analyse longitudinale (report de statut d’une année à l’autre) est également réalisée. La seconde partie, quant à elle, utilise une classification hiérarchique et évalue l’évolution des résultats des politiques publiques en matière d’usage de statuts entre 2000 et 2010. Le second chapitre analyse les politiques de réduction du temps de travail destinées aux travailleurs âgés. Plusieurs aspects sont étudiés. La première partie prolonge l’analyse comparative qui a été développée dans le premier chapitre en comparant l’évolution des politiques publiques en matière de transitions des individus d’un statut vers un autre (emploi, chômage et inactivité). La seconde partie met l’accent sur le développement récent de « statuts composites » – terme que nous utilisons ici pour décrire la combinaison d’une position sur le marché de l’emploi et de prestations sociales. Enfin, les troisième et quatrième parties s’intéressent à l’évolution législative et empirique de deux dispositifs :le crédit-temps (en Belgique) et le cumul emploi-retraite (en France et en Belgique). Enfin, le troisième chapitre propose une analyse de la notion de partage d’emploi entre générations. Une première partie étudie l’impact des variations économiques sur l’emploi des jeunes générations et des travailleurs âgés dans les pays européens. L’analyse, descriptive, prend appui sur trois notions (synchronie, hystérèse et dyschronie) qui décrivent les impacts différenciés des variations économiques sur les transitions professionnelles. La seconde partie analyse, pour le cas de la Belgique, le phénomène de partage d’emploi entre générations et la notion de « lump of labour fallacy ». Sur base des données issues du Datawarehouse Marché du Travail et Protection Sociale, deux régressions logistiques sont réalisées afin d’évaluer l’impact de l’usage des différents statuts composites utilisés par les travailleurs âgés sur l’emploi des jeunes. / The reduction in the use of early retirement schemes, and, consequently, the increase in the duration of the working life have emerged as real targets. Several non-coercive measuring instruments have been implemented by European public policy for quantifying these targets. For instance, the increase in the employment rate of workers aged over 55 years old and the increase of the average effective age of retirement are quantitative tools used of achieving the same purpose: increasing the participation in the labour market of the older workers. One of the effects of these reforms has been the development of part-time early retirement arrangements, particularly in Belgium. Consequently, ends of professional careers take more complex forms characterized by interconnections of different statuses within and outside the labour market. The thesis – crossing an analysis of the evolution of the employment participation of older workers and a longitudinal analysis of professional careers – is divided into three chapters relating successively to indicators used for quantifying early withdrawals, the development of instruments aiming at reducing working time at the end of the career and the impact of working time arrangements at the end of the career on youth employment. The first chapter is based on a macro-sociological analysis of the dynamics of the labour market. First, by focusing on the early withdrawal of the older workers as a social problem, the thesis analyses the time gap between the withdrawal age and the compulsory retirement age. Second, the large set of arrangement used in Europe for leaving prematurely the labour market is examined. The first part is mainly based on a detailed analysis of the "average effective retirement age" indicator provided by the OECD. A longitudinal analysis (report of statuses from one year to the next) is also performed. The second part uses a hierarchical classification (clustering) and evaluates the evolution of the public policies effects between 2000 and 2010.The second chapter focuses on the working time reduction policies dedicated to older workers. Several aspects are reviewed. The first part extends the analysis developed in the first chapter by comparing the evolution of public policies on individual’s transitions from one status to another. The second part focuses on the recent development of "composite statutes" – a notion used to describe the combination of a position on the labour market and social benefits. Finally, the third and fourth parts focus on the legislative and the empirical evolution of two specific arrangements: the time credit (Belgium) and the combination of work and employment (France and Belgium).The third chapter provides an analysis of social rapports between generations on the labour market. The first part examines the impact of economic changes on the employment of younger generations and older workers in European countries. The analysis is based on three economic concepts – synchrony, hysteresis and dyschrony – describing the differentiated impact of economic changes on employment transitions. The second part, focusing on Belgium, examines the phenomenon of job sharing between generations and the concept of "lump of labour fallacy". Based on data derived from the Datawarehouse Labour Market and Social Protection, two logistic regressions are performed in order to evaluate the impact of the different composite statutes dedicated to older workers on the youth employment rate. / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Dissertation deals with the design of appropriate procedures for modeling of construction costs in accordance with contractors bid, considering possible risks of construction project with focus on one type of FIDIC contract conditions, the so-called Red Book. The description of the potential risk and cost impacts on the construction contract in the pre-production stage of the bid preparation and in the implementation phase.

In the construction industry of today, many projects are getting bigger, higher and more complicated than ever before. The most important material in these projects is concrete and the process of casting has developed a lot during the last century. One specific casting procedure, the slipforming technique, is a well established method throughout the world and it is profitable when there are high demands on the aesthetics, the given time period is short, the structures are high and big or when a large number of standardized structures are to be cast. Slipforming is performed around the clock and due to the generally high work phase of today, slipforming is suitable because it can keep a steady phase without stopping. The material concrete is a subject that is constantly evolving and often new prescriptions, grades and types appear on the market. Experiments about for example alternative binders and different recipes have resulted in concrete being more flexible now than ever before. In general, one cannot find much information about how the concrete mix specifically should be when slipforming. Therefore, there is a need for investigating this further. This master thesis examines important properties and features that a concrete mix should possess to be suitable for slipforming. The choice of material composition and other affecting parameters are put forward to get a clear picture of how to accomplish an eminent slipform process. The study includes thorough investigations regarding both concrete and slipforms which formed an adequate foundation for the further research. Also, an examination on literature of how the two components work together, i.e. how the concrete behaves in a slipform, was carried out to the greatest possible extent. As expected, there was not much information written down about this subject which supported the alleged gap in the current literature. Subsequently, to obtain a deeper understanding of the matter, fifteen interviews were performed. The interviews formed a qualitative research process and the interviewees were consultants specialized in slipforming, project contractors and employees at concrete manufacturers. From the results, it can be concluded that there is no specific concrete mix advocated for slipforming. Important parameters such as stickiness, workability and hardening procedure are key aspects that need to be considered to create an adequate concrete mix. The basic things to keep in mind are that the amount of fine material should be small to avoid a sticky concrete, if crushed gravel is used it should be washed, the alternative binder should be adapted to the CEM I and the recommended alternative binders are PFA and GGBS. Further, the concrete mix is dependent on various other parameters that can be difficult to predict, such as weather and temperature at site, transport distance to site from the concrete factory and how well the site can keep a constant workflow around the clock. Accordingly, there is no standard recipe that is guaranteed to work in every project, but the most appropriate method is to perform tests on the possible mixes to be able to foresee how they will behave in the slipform. / Idag är byggprojekten större, högre och mer komplicerade än någonsin tidigare. Det viktigaste materialet i dessa projekt är betong och själva gjutningsprocessen har utvecklats väldigt mycket under det senaste århundradet. Glidformsgjutning är en väletablerad metod över hela världen och den är lönsam att använda när det ställs höga krav på estetiken, den angivna tidsperioden är kort, konstruktionerna är höga och stora eller när ett stort antal standardiserade konstruktioner ska gjutas. Glidformsgjutning utförs dygnet runt och på grund av den idag generellt höga arbetstakten är glidformsgjutning lämplig eftersom den kan hålla ett stadigt tempo utan att arbetet behöver stanna upp. Betong är ett material som ständigt utvecklas och det är inte sällan som det dyker upp nya recept, kvaliteter och typer på marknaden. Experiment med exempelvis alternativa bindemedel och olika recept har resulterat i att betongen nu är mer flexibel än någonsin tidigare. Generellt finns inte mycket nedskriven information om hur en betongblandning som specifikt lämpar sig för glidformsgjutning ska vara, därför finns det ett behov av att undersöka och sammanställa detta. Detta examensarbete utreder viktiga variabler, egenskaper och funktioner som en betongblandning bör ha för att lämpa sig för glidformsgjutning. Materialkomposition och andra parametrar som påverkar tas fram för att få en tydlig bild av hur man bäst åstadkommer en lyckad glidformsprocess. Studien omfattar en grundlig undersökning av både betong och glidformar som senare kom att verka som en grund för den vidare utredningen. Därtill genomfördes en litteraturstudie om hur de två komponenterna fungerar tillsammans, dvs. hur betongen beter sig i en glidform. Som förväntat fanns det inte mycket information om detta ämne vilket styrker det påstådda glappet i litteraturen. Därefter genomfördes 15 intervjuer med sakkunniga personer i branschen för att få en djupare förståelse av ämnet. Dessa intervjuer la grunden till den kvalitativa forskningsprocess som genomförts och de intervjuvade personerna var konsulter specialiserade på glidformsgjutning, projektentrepenörer och anställda hos betongtillverkare. Av resultatet att döma kan en slutsats dras om att det inte finns en enda, specifik betongblandning som lämpar sig för glidformsgjutning. Viktiga parametrar som klibbighet, arbetbarhet och härdningstid är nyckelaspekter som sätter grunden för att en lämplig betongmix kan tas fram. De grundläggande delarna att ha med sig är att mängden finmaterial ska vara liten för att undvika en klibbig betong, om krossgrus används ska det tvättas, det alternativa bindemedlet ska anpassas till cementet och de rekommenderade alternativa bindemedlen är masugnsslagg och flygaska. Vidare beror betongmixen också av ytterligare parametrar som kan vara svåra att förutse, som exempelvis väder och temperatur, transportsträcka till arbetsplatsen från betongfabriken samt huruvida arbetsplatsen kan hålla öppet dygnet runt eller inte. Således finns inget standardrecept som garanterat fungerar till samtliga projekt, utan det är lämpligast att göra tester för att kunna förutse hur betongmixen kommer att agera i glidformen och på så sätt prova sig fram.

According to the 1 991 Annual Report of the Department of Health and Social Services of former Bophuthatswana, there were 364 reported malignant conditions found in women with cancer of the breast and cervix being the most prevalent. What causes great concern is t.he fact that patients present for the first time at health facilities during advanced stages of these diseases thus making the prognosis poor. Black patients in this study were found to present with cancer of the breast at an earlier age than their white counterparts. In addition to the above named problems, no facility exists for the treatment of cancer in the area of study and patients have to be referred to other areas. It was on the strength of the above observations that the researcher embarked upon this study to establish the effects of the diagnosis cancer and mastectomy on the victims. The aims of the study therefore were: to explore and describe the psycho-social effects of the diagnosis and treatment on Black women; develop guidelines for oncology nurses and doctors to assist with the adaptation of these patients to the diagnosis and treatment; and provide information that could lead to better training of oncology personnel as well as develop a proper support system to facilitate adjustment of the mastectomised patient to the disease and its treatment. Data were collected using the qualitative and quantitative approaches with individual in-depth interviews forming the main strategy. The findings revealed that the diagnosis cancer of the breast was equated with death among all respondents. The mastectomy added more stress for the patient, which was further compounded by chemo- and radiotherapy. The latter was described as causing more pain than the tumour itself. Problems experienced by the patients were reported to include: financial difficulties; general weakness; fear of recurrence and metastasis; concern for dependent children and fear of unemployment. All respondents in this study expressed the need for the formation of a voluntary care group, which could assist them with adaptation to the disease and its treatment. / Advanced Nursing Sciences / D. Lit. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

This thesis overviews my experience during graduate school making tangible,object oriented sculpture. I have been working formally to compose space in a way that develops a narrative between parts. The work is also a bridge between the fields of painting and sculpture, in terms of drawing with form and both painted and local, material color. My palette has mostly consisted of bronze casting, steel fabrication, fiberglass and epoxy resin, paint, the found object, woodworking, and mold making. This work is also conceptually based in showing the hand worked qualities of the materials, the transfer of meaning through casting, and my emotional relationship with the various parts of the sculptures. The three major themes of the work are: divine love and the complex of the apocalypse, the complexities and psychology concerning the relationship between a man and a woman, and the intrigue, potential energy, and beauty of the systems mankind hasinvented to harness the atom. The major artistic influences for this body of work have been: Jasper Johns, Marcel Duchamp, Constantine Brancusi, Alberto Giacommetti, Reg Butler, Henry Moore, Lynn Chadwick, Kenneth Armitage, Jeff Koons, Terry Winters, William DeKooning, Richard Diebenkorn, David Smith and Charles Long. I retain a strongrelationship with the movements of Dada, Surrealism, Futurism, and Assemblage, and amalso currently involved in solidifying the Manifesto of Raubeaux with a small group ofesteemed colleagues.