Börsföretagen kritiseras idag för inte fokusera tillräckligt mycket på strategiska frågor då detta skulle ge en större avkastning för aktieägarna. Frågan om vilken kapitalstruktur företagen bör ha, nu när konjunkturen går upp och företagen blir allt mer överkapitaliserade, blir viktig. Börsanalytiker hävdar att företagen inte har en optimal kapitalstruktur, det vill säga en optimal fördelning mellan skulder och eget kapital. De anser att en ökad skuldsättning för börsföretagen vore bra för lönsamheten, givet dagens låga räntor, då det skulle ge ett ökat företagsvärde. Denna finansieringspolitik bygger på teoretiska modeller och har sitt ursprung i Modigliani och Millers (MM) propositioner från 1958. Detta kom att utgöra startpunkten för diskussionen om problematiken kring kapitalstrukturen. MM menade att företag genom att öka sina skulder kan öka sitt företagsvärde samt att de kunde visa ett positivt samband mellan skuldsättning och förväntad avkastning under förutsättningar för en perfekt marknad. Dessa antaganden är accepterade i teorin men frågan är hur detta fungerar i verkligheten och om det fungerar som en finansieringsstrategi? Detta valde vi att undersöka utifrån två problemfrågor: 1. Finns det ett samband mellan skuldsättning och lönsamhet i verkligheten? 2. Finns det ett samband mellan skuldsättning och ett företags värde i verkligheten? För att kunna se ett samband valde vi olika nyckeltal som fick representera dessa variabler. För skuldsättning valdes skuldsättningsgrad och för lönsamhet valdes räntabilitet på totalt kapital och för företagsvärde valdes P/BV-talet. Sambandet prövades på svenska börsföretag som är noterade på A-listan mest omsatta och O-listan attract40. Detta för att vi ansåg att dessa företag troligtvis hanterat problematiken kring valet av kapitalstruktur vilket kom att utgöra ett bra underlag för vår undersökning. Investmentföretag och banker valdes bort då de av naturliga skäl generellt har en högre skuldsättningsgrad än andra storföretag. De relevanta nyckeltalen beräknades utifrån årsredovisningar samt hämtades från tidskriften Veckans Affärer och användes sedan för att pröva sambandet genom statistiska metoder. De slutsatser som vi kunde dra av undersökningen var att det inte fanns några samband mellan valet av skuldsättningsgrad och lönsamhet eller skuldsättningsgrad och företagsvärde. Dock visades ett väldigt svagt samband mellan skuldsättning och företagsvärde för företag på A-listan. Det var den grupp där företagen var mest likartade och hade mest gemensamt med varandra. Därför kan det för framtida forskning vara intressant att titta på en mer homogen grupp och se om andra faktorer kan ha en påverkan på ett eventuellt samband.

Uppsats behandlar företags kapitalstruktur d v s fördelning mellan främmande och eget kapital. Det finns teorier kring ämnet som menar att ett företags värde påverkas av sammansättningen mellan skulder och eget kapital. Detta föranledde vår problemformulering om att närbesläktade verksamheter uppvisar en likartad skuldsättning. Syftet var att jämföra skuldsätt-ningsgraden mellan kapitalintensiva branscher och kapitaltunna branscher. Utifrån detta ställdes vår hypotes upp om att kapitalkrävande branscherna fastighet och tunga maskiner har en högre skuldsättningsgrad än branscherna läkemedel och tjänster. Vår studie omfattar 52 företag noterade på Stockholmsbörsen. Vi har utgått från en kvantitativ ansats och empirin är hämtad från företagens årsredovisningar samt en enkätundersökning. Med hjälp av teorier som Modigliani och Millers berömda proposition MMI och MMII, Trade Off och Pecking order har vi försökt finna orsakerna till företagens skuldsättningsgrad. Resultaten i vår under-sökning kunde inte stärka vår hypotes, varpå den förkastades. Vidare kunde inget mönster urskiljas i skuldsättningen för de valda branscherna.

The aim and goal of this work has been to design and implement a voltage reference network for a 12-bit PSAADC, Parallell Successive Analog to Digital Converter. A chip containing the design has been sent away for fabrication. Because of the long processing time, no measurement data are presented. The main specifications for the voltage reference generator is to generate stable reference voltages with low noise and a good PSRR. Efforts has also been made to minimize the power consumption.

This thesis work investigates the effects of crosstalk on on-chip interconnects. We use optimal repeater insertion as a reference and derive analytical expressions for signal latency, maximum data-rate and power consumption. Through calculations and simulations we show that despite large uncertainties in arrival time of a signal that is subject to crosstalk, we are able to make predictions about the maximum data-rate on a bus. We also show that data-rates can exceed the classical limit of the latency inverted by using wave pipelining. To increase the data-rate, we can increase the number of repeaters to a limit, at the cost of additional latency and power. Savings in power consumption can be achieved by using fewer repeaters, paying in latency and data-rate. Through fewer repeaters, the top metal layer shows better performance in all investigated aspects.

Skuldsättningsgraden ökar värdet på ett företags aktier genom skatteskölden, samtidigt som den ökar sannolikheten för finansiella problem och dess kostnader. För att uppnå en optimal kapitalstruktur måste skatteskölden balanseras mot de potentiella kostnaderna för finansiella problem. Det finns ingen matematiskt formel som förklarar hur denna optimering bör ske, det finns dock fyra viktiga faktorer som ledningen på ett företag bör ta hänsyn till när de bestämmer skuldsättningsgraden –företagets lönsamhet, storlek, tillgångsstruktur och affärsrisk. Syftet med denna studie är att testa vilka oberoende variabler som påverkar skuldsättningsgraden hos de största svenska börsnoterade företagen och genom detta kunna dra slutsatser om huruvida de tillämpar en optimal kapitalstruktur enligt Trade off teorin. Korrelation-samt den multipla regressionsanalysen visar att det inte finns något samband mellan skuldsättningsgraden och de oberoende variablerna. Vi kan därmed dra slutsatsen att företagen i populationen inte har en optimal kapitalstruktur.

The purpose of this thesis was to study how journalism is represented in graphic novels, what roles are represented and if journalism in graphic novels is good or evil. The goal was also to see if there were any similarities or differences over a period of time. This was done with a qualitative analysis of two graphic novels written and drawn by Frank Miller. When we did the analysis we focused on pictures and texts that directly had a connection to the journalistic role. We used a semiotic approach to analyze the two graphic novels were our main focus where on what connotation, what denotation and what stereotypes could be found. This study establishes that stereotypes are used to represent journalism in a negative way. Journalists are also the cause of more harm than good. When you put journalism into the narrative technique of good versus evil they are clearly evil and use their power to undermine the heroes of the story. The journalists are put into stereotypical roles such as the female news reporter who is all looks and no brain, or the overzealous male reporter who tries to tell the truth but no one will listen to him. It is also clear that journalism is represented in a way that describes it as a phenomenon that spreads panic because the journalists in many cases come to their own conclusions without having all the facts. The study also shows that over a period of fifteen years the role of the journalist is the same but the way they are represented is very different.  Because of the larger rivalry from other news sources the media is forced to find new ways to attract an audience. Therefore the newer graphic novel portrays a sexualisation of the journalistic role.

Virtue is the way to conduct oneself and is the develop guidance and the behavioral principle that lead the people of the past, present, and future to fulfill morals. Decency, well-being, and happiness are the ultimate goals that people seek and are the standards for people to discuss and define behaviors. Therefore, the reason that the becoming of moral people through fulfilling decency is that decency is itself the truth and the highest value among all existences. Decency itself is the concept for all concepts described by Plato, and is spiritual in the rational world. Mankind should avoid being blinded by physical or material values when pursuing values, and should position such pursuing within the spiritual life and metal happiness. Aristotle, however, believes that while a natural person transforms to a moral person, individual¡¦s utmost decency should be dominated by group¡¦s utmost decency. After modern liberalism has prevailed, Hobbes sees human ethics are based on jungle justice, and the evil among interpersonal relationship requires organizing a strong and powerful society to protect oneself and development. Organizing of such society shall break the traditional ethics to establish modern ethics. Despite Locke sees ethics and decency are social customs and compliance of laws, but social customs and laws are not the base, which should be interests and natural rights because interests and natural rights are the foundation, on which the developments of social customs and laws are based. These fundamental base for moral principles is established under free will, and because of mankind¡¦s freedom, ethical behaviors, social responsibilities, and public welfare are developed. Kant, however, believes that virtue comes from primarily good will and sets its position on utmost decency and all values are under utmost decency. Moral principles are, on the other side, unparalleled order, which is absolute, pervasive, and unconditional. Constant says that despite there is difference between freedom of the people of the past and the freedom of the people of present time, but the freedom of the people of the past may not be denied entirely or yearned for because the era now is an open society. Freedom of the past and freedom of present time are equally important. Miller believes that there is not just quantitative difference in happiness, but also qualitative difference. That is, spiritual happiness if far beyond physical happiness. Spiritual happiness is difficult to satisfy and physical happiness is easier to satisfy. Therefore, people who seek for spiritual happiness have stronger pride and do not wish for perish. Hayek says social order is a self-initiated and volunteer order, rather than constructed organized order. Therefore, every person should obey rules for common and righteous behaviors. Such system rules are formed naturally while people interact with each other. Rawls sees justice as the priority decency for social system and is the guiding principle for a society. If ethic does not match with truth, then it must be abandoned or revised. Principles of justice must be constructed from pure procedural justice. Thus it can be seen that the moral and decency of the philosophers listed herein can be concluded that there will be no moral if there is no freedom.

This thesis proposes a modified inductively degenerated common-emitter low-noise amplifier. To add a series-shunt feedback capacitance in series to the base of the cascode transistor for increasing the load impedance of the common-emitter transistor and enhancing the Miller effect, it is applied to improve the circuit¡¦s performance. By thoroughly studying the Miller effect for the input matching, noise, and linearity analysis and derivation of the modified structure, the theoretical analysis and experiments demonstrate the improved linearity and well noise performance. In addition, the proposed method is presented with the good figure of merit. The proposed method is presented in a hybrid circuit with the NEC 2S5010 NPN transistor for 900 MHz applications. It demonstrates that this method improves the linearity and the figure of merit has been increased by 50 to 70 percent. Moreover, the novel low noise amplifier is designed with a 0.35£gm SiGe BiCMOS process supported by the TSMC for 5.7 GHz WLAN band applications. It is found that the circuit has the characteristic of IM3 nonlinearity cancellation because the cascode transistor eliminates the third-order intermodulation genaerated by the common-emitter transistor. This thesis establishes a realizable method for high-linearity low-noise amplifier.

<p>The aim and goal of this work has been to design and implement a voltage reference network for a 12-bit PSAADC, Parallell Successive Analog to Digital Converter. A chip containing the design has been sent away for fabrication. Because of the long processing time, no measurement data are presented. The main specifications for the voltage reference generator is to generate stable reference voltages with low noise and a good PSRR. Efforts has also been made to minimize the power consumption.</p>

My thesis examines the early and middle periods of Neil M. Gunn’s writing career in the context of contemporaneous debates and discourses emergent in Scottish political and cultural nationalism. I locate my thesis within a new, broad development in Scottish Studies which is adopting more rigorously analytical, interdisciplinary and theorised models of interpretation. The first chapter examines Gunn’s own nationalism in the light of other contemporaneous Scottish nationalisms and assert that it is moderate in tone but radical, being based on a model of cultural repression / resistance. I examine current theoretical approaches to the study of nationalism and adopt the analytical methods of Anthony D. Smith’s ethno-symbolism. The second chapter examines Gunn’s used of racial figures of speech and concludes that he carefully constructs a politicised account of Scotland’s early history. This account is predicated on a theory of racial essentialism communicated through the visual clue of race. The third chapter examines Gunn’s racial tropes alongside those of D. H. Lawrence and fellow Scottish novelist James Leslie Mitchell (Lewis Grassic Gibbon). I demonstrate how they share an interest in aesthetic primitivism. All three writers adopt radical political positions based on the rejection of ‘whiteness’ and modernity. The last chapter examines Gunn from the perspective of current landscape theory, and analyses how his use of what Denis E, Cosgrove calls ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ positions is figured in his novels, and in his contribution to the Highland Hydro-Electric debates of the 1930s and 1940s. I conclude that Gunn is a profoundly political writer and urge a reassessment of his oeuvre in this light.