The goal of the thesis is to extend the kernel methods to matrix factorization(MF) for collaborative ltering(CF). In current literature, MF methods usually assume that the correlated data is distributed on a linear hyperplane, which is not always the case. The best known member of kernel methods is support vector machine (SVM) on linearly non-separable data. In this thesis, we apply kernel methods on MF, embedding the data into a possibly higher dimensional space and conduct factorization in that space. To improve kernelized matrix factorization, we apply multi-kernel learning methods to select optimal kernel functions from the candidates and introduce L2-norm regularization on the weight learning process. In our empirical study, we conduct experiments on three real-world datasets. The results suggest that the proposed method can improve the accuracy of the prediction surpassing state-of-art CF methods.

En kvantitativ enkätundersökning bland 72 kvinnor och 31 män från två studieinriktningar på Högskolan i Borås, utfördes i syfte att undersöka förhållandet mellan alkoholkonsumtion och upplevda alkoholnormer. Utöver skillnader mellan kön undersöktes även hur förhållandet påverkades av individuell fallenhet för anpassning till den sociala omgivningen, som mättes genom en översatt version av attention to social comparison information scale (ASCI, Lennox & Wolfe, 1984). Deltagarna angav sin genomsnittliga alkoholkonsumtion under ett typiskt tillfälle och uppskattade motsvarande deskriptiva normer (genomsnittlig alkoholkonsumtion) och preskriptiva normer (socialt accepterad konsumtionsnivå) hos två referensgrupper: vänner och andra studenter, i jämförbar ålder av samma kön som respondenten. Uppskattad alkoholkonsumtion hos både den proximala gruppen vänner och den distala gruppen andra studenter tenderade att vara högre än den egna alkoholkonsumtionen. Det fanns även signifikanta positiva samband mellan alkoholkonsumtion och upplevda normer, vilka var starkast med den proximala gruppen. ASCI hade en positivt modererande effekt på sambandet mellan alkoholkonsumtion och deskriptiv norm hos båda referensgrupperna, samt preskriptiv norm hos gruppen vänner. Manliga högkonsumenter upplevde i förhållande till kvinnliga en högre acceptans för alkoholkonsumtion bland vänner. I motsats till vad som var förväntat återfanns inga andra skillnader mellan könen. Resultaten diskuteras utifrån social norm- och social jämförelseteori och kognitiv heuristik. / A quantitative study was conducted through a survey among 72 women and 31 men from two different fields of study at the University of Borås, with the purpose to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and perceived drinking norms. In addition to investigating gender differences, individual tendencies to pay attention and conform to social norms was measured through the attention to social comparison subscale (ASCI, Lennox & Wolfe, 1984) and further tested as a moderating variable on the relationship between consumption and perceived norms. Participants reported the number of drinks they typically consumed during one sitting. They further estimated this descriptive norm (typical alcohol consumption) and injunctive norm (socially appropriate limit of consumption) attributed to two reference groups of peers of same gender and of comparable age: “friends” and the “typical student”. As expected, descriptive norms were estimated significantly higher among both proximal and distal peers, compared to the participants’ alcohol consumption. Findings also revealed a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, where norms attributed to the proximal group were found to be the strongest predictors of alcohol consumption. ASCI showed a positive moderating effect on the relation between consumption and perceived proximal descriptive and injunctive norms and perceived distal descriptive norms. Compared to female high consumers, male high consumers perceived the limit of socially accepted alcohol consumption to be higher among their friends. Contrary to the expected results, no other differences were found between males and females. The results are discussed in theoretical perspectives of social norms, social comparison and cognitive heuristics.

For companies and organizations there's an ongoing battle to maintain reputation, by actively taking a stance in the public debate companies and organizations maintain their position on the market. SJ, Statens Järnvägar, is a Swedish train operating company owned by the Swedish state. In 2017 SJ released the first commercial from their advertising campaign ‘Vem du än är, vart du än ska’ that portray norm-breaking people on their rail travel. The purpose of this essay is to analyze, on the basis of three commercials that are part of SJ's advertising campaign ‘Vem du än är, vart du än ska’ how norms are maintained and challenged through the campaign. The study also aims to investigate how the commercials are being received among younger (22-25 years) and older (58-72 years) age groups, with particular focus on the group's perception of the campaign in relation to norms and corporate responsibility in society. Using tools based in the multimodal analysis we analyzed the commercials and through focus group interviews we gathered thoughts about the commercials from the older and the younger age groups. The theoretical framework based on representation, stereotypes, myths, norms and Corporate Social Responsibility has helped us analyze the commercials and distinguish the respondents thoughts about norms and corporate responsibility. The analysis showed that the respondents understood the message that everyone is welcome to travel with SJ, but they thought the shape of the commercials were weak. Although SJ wants to break norms and stereotypes, we could see that they consolidate certain stereotypes. The respondents stated that they saw a ‘designation’ and meant that by allowing a person to represent a whole group, others within the group may feel designated. The two age groups had similar opinions and we could not determine any major difference based on age. The two age groups did however differ in which subject they discussed most. All respondents expressed how important it was that everyone got a place in the media and that companies have a great responsibility over our social development.

The purpose of this examination is to examine from a feminist perspective how men and women have been represented in five civic textbooks for Swedish Upper Secondary School. The examination has a time perspective from the 1970´s until today, during this time Swedish Upper Secondary School´s value has all along been equality between men and women. To reach the results both quantitative and a qualitative method has been used. The results give indications that men´s and women’s representation have been changed over time, in the early textbooks women was described as just women and were linked to their bodies while men were presented as people with names and careers. In the latest textbook sex and gender where no longer discussed but men where over- represented in both text and pictures. This give indications that civic textbooks have change the way they wright about men and women. In the early textbooks the authors wrote about men and women which gave a clearly picture of the differences that was presented, and which readers can question. In the latest textbook the authors no longer wrote about sexes but choose more quietly to over- represent men in both text and pictures. These civic textbooks showed a transformation over time in the representation of men and women, the early ones showed a representation that we could see clearly and question, while the newest showed a representation which more silent choose to give men more space. All the textbooks that has been examined, in different ways didn´t reach the School value of equality between men and women.

The aim for this study was to investigate how hetero- and homosexuality were treated in textbooks for upper secondary education, focusing on representation in both numbers and quality. The empirical content consists of four textbooks, and more specifically, the written language in those said textbooks. All written language in the books have been analyzed, including extracts of fiction, poems, instructions and excerpts from real-life texts etc. Discourse analysis was then used to analyze the material. The research questions were ‘How are heterosexuality and heterosexual people described and represented in the textbooks?’, ‘How are bi- and homosexuality and bi- and homosexual people described and represented in the textbooks?’ and ‘What differences are there between the description and representation of those two groups?’. The result was that heterosexuality was far more represented in the textbooks, with many examples of a heterosexual lifestyle, whereas bi- and homosexuality almost weren’t mentioned, and only once was a homosexual relationship depicted. The analysis suggests that whereas there are several formal instances against discrimination on behalf of sexuality, bi- and homosexual people aren’t represented in a just way in the textbooks. The image of bi- and homosexuality given in the textbooks confirm solidified ideas of what and how bi- and homosexuality is, rather than challenging them and providing a more nuanced image.

I denna vetenskapliga essä har jag som blivande pedagog på fritidshem undersökt huruvida mitt agerande i ett dilemma kunde gjorts annorlunda eller om mitt agerande var rätt utifrån ett antal teorier och perspektiv. Dilemmat utgår från att jag lyfter två frågor på ett arbetslagsmöte, dels om eleverna verkligen behöver vara tysta i fem minuter när de ska äta mat för att sedan prata, dels om eleverna måste ta av sig kepsen inomhus då det uppkommer heta diskussioner mellan lärare och elever om kepsen vara eller inte vara inomhus. Dessa två frågor ställde mig i en situation som jag inte kunde ana, framförallt beroende på reaktionerna från lärarnas sida. Efter en lång diskussion så accepterar personalen på skolan att prova ta bort de fem tysta minuterna. Men när jag lyfte frågan om att låta elever bära keps på sig inomhus så tystades jag ner, snabbt och högt, utan diskussion eller åtanke om vad eleverna önskar. Ställer jag mig på elevernas sida så får jag lärarna emot mig då det verkar som om det är de som bestämmer i skolan av tradition. Jag använder mig av ett antal etablerade akademikers skrifter, bland annat av Björn Haglund och Inge Johansson för att reda ut hur makten mellan fritidshemmet och skolans personalgrupper ser ut. Vidare så behandlar jag dilemmat utifrån perspektiven om elevers delaktighet och inflytande beaktat skolan demokratiska uppdrag som stadgas i skolans läroplan. I den sista delen av litteraturdiskussionen har jag valt att se dilemmat ur ett etiskt perspektiv med hjälp av framförallt filosoferna Jan-Olov Henriksens och Arne Johan Vetlesens bok Etik i arbete med människor. I slutordet visar jag på att mitt dilemma inte har ett givet svar. Beroende på ur vilken synvinkel jag ser på dilemmat så blir resultatet olika.

Este trabalho, inserido no âmbito da Historiografia Linguística, visa a investigar as manifestações do prescritivismo na produção metalinguística de Gladstone Chaves de Melo. O corpus analisado abrange de A atual decadência da língua literária, ensaio com que Melo inicia sua produção científica, a Na ponta da língua, coletânea de artigos em que o filólogo e outros autores elucidam questões gramaticais e ortográficas. O método utilizado é aquele proposto por Swiggers (1990), para quem há dois tipos de procedimento historiográfico, os quais não se excluem: a focalização do contexto e a investigação do conteúdo. A fundamentação teórica tem como base a noção de horizonte de retrospecção, estabelecida por Auroux (2006), e, sempre que o material de estudo o permite, faz-se uso das proposições de Bakhtin (1999) e de Benveniste (1995). Comprova-se que, na produção metalinguística do autor, o prescritivismo manifesta-se em quatro fases: 1) Traços prescritivistas na descrição dialetológica, estágio em que o pesquisador realiza uma síntese das características dialetais brasileiras; 2) O estabelecimento da gramatização, fase em que o filólogo elabora uma gramática, formalmente constituída; 3) Os contornos prescritivos do novo semblante científico, etapa em que o autor se dedica à produção de um manual de Estilística; 4) A prescrição ululante, estágio em que o discurso prescritivista do pesquisador culmina, ao se enquadrar no gênero artigo jornalístico. Conclui-se que, em todos os tipos de estudo linguístico aos quais se dedicou, Melo empenhou-se em defender uma norma: a língua dos clássicos luso-brasileiros. / The aim of this work, inserted in the field of Linguistic Historiography, is to investigate the manifestations of prescriptivism in Gladstone Chaves de Melos metalinguistic production. The corpus at issue here ranges from A atual decadência da língua literária, the article with which Melo initiated his scientific production, to Na ponta da língua, a collection of articles in which the philologist and other authors elucidate grammatical and orthographical issues. The methodology is based on the theoretical studies by Swiggers (1990), who proposes two types of historiographical analysis that do not exclude each-other: focusing on context and content investigation. The theoretical part of this thesis is based on the retrospective horizon as established by Auroux (2006) and, whenever the material on focus allows, Bakhtins (1999) and Benvenistes (1995) propositions are also approached. The research comes to the conclusion that in the authors metalinguistic production prescriptivism manifests itself in four phases: 1) Traces of prescriptivism in the dialectological description, in which the author synthesizes the Brazilian dialectal characteristics; 2) The establishment of grammatization, in which the philologist proposes a formally constituted grammar; 3) The prescriptive contours of the new scientific appearance, in which the author aims at the production of a manual of Stylistics; 4) The obvious prescription, in which the authors ultimate prescreptivist discourse fits the journalistic article genre. It is the conclusion of this work that, in all kinds of linguistic studies made by Melo, he dedicated himself to defend one norm: the language of the Luso-Brazilian classics.

Team norms are one of the most frequently used explanations of how teams as a collective entity can influence individual member’s behaviors (Hackman & Walton, 1986; Bettenhausen & Murnighan, 1991; Feldman, 1984). Despite such importance, current theoretical and empirical development of team norms is relatively inadequate. In this dissertation, I view norm strength and norm enforcement as two central pillars of team norms, and specifically examine team norm enforcement from a social network perspective. I first develop a typology based on the existing literature and specify the behavior content of three types of norm enforcement mechanisms: sanction, recognition and learning. Second, I examine the impact of the structural and configural properties on team performance. This model was tested on 799 employees nested in 101 work teams from China. Results from the data analysis have offered partial support that the structural characteristics of norm enforcement network had impacts on team performance above and beyond norm strength.

As unconventional drilling has emerged as a major industry in the US and around the world, many environmental health and pollution risks have surfaced. One emerging concern is the risk of environmental contamination arising from unconventional wastes that are enriched in naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Although NORM has been a well-documented contaminant of oil and gas wastes for decades, there are new challenges associated with unconventional drilling. This thesis discusses several of these challenges, focusing on NORM from black shale formations. Chapter 1 provides background information on environmental radioactivity and unconventional drilling. Chapter 2 describes the potential for NORM to migrate into groundwater around unconventional drilling operations. Chapters 3 and 4 describe radiochemical methods developed for the analysis of Marcellus Shale unconventional drilling wastes. Chapter 5 describes environmental partitioning of Marcellus Shale unconventional drilling wastes. Collectively, this thesis attempts to broaden the scientific understanding of NORM in unconventional drilling wastes so that potential environmental impacts may be mitigated.

Brand crisis could threaten a company with declining public trust and decreased brand reputation (Greyser, 2009). When confronting with a crisis, the organization should respond immediately and properly so that the crisis can be stopped from escalate into a catastrophe (Davies and Walters, 1998). Crisis type can be divided into the victim, the accident or the intentional clusters according to perceived responsibilities the company should shoulder. Based on these factors, the company should select the most appropriate response strategy or a combination of different response strategies to address the crisis situation. In other words, a match between crisis type and response strategy is effective for companies to survive crisis situations (Cheong and Morrison, 2008). Food-related crisis tend to become rampant in recent years and require more in-depth studies. In the face of a food-related crisis, the affected company are compelled to communicate with both internal and external stakeholders, including employees, stockholders, retailers, suppliers and consumers to manage and survive the crisis (Massey, 2001). There are four options for companies in a product-harm crisis to choose from: denying the defect, involuntary recall, voluntary recall and improvement campaign (Souiden and Pons, 2009). This study took the issue of Blue Bell ice cream recalls as an example of product-harm crisis for case analysis and proposed three different kinds of strategies or hypotheses based on the Image Repair Theory (Benoit and Pang, 2008) covering the denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing offensiveness of events, corrective action and mortification aspects.