Controversy exists over the validity of child Openness to Experience (OE), which is typically considered a major trait in adult personality models. In an effort to establish construct validity for child OE, data were collected for 346 children (51% girls) approximately 9–10 years of age (M = 9.92, SD = 0.83). Parents completed questionnaires about their children’s personality, temperament, and behavioral problems and competencies. Factor analyses of relevant personality and temperament facets revealed a robust and measurable OE factor made up of three facets: Intellect, Imagination, and Sensitivity. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity was established via associations with other higher-order personality traits, behavioral problems, and behavioral competencies. The results underscore the importance of drawing from both temperament and personality literatures in attempts to establish construct validity for child trait domains as well as of moving beyond the higher-order domain and examining facet-level associations between OE and child behavior.

The first essay titled “Fundamental Sources of Long-run Labour Productivity Improvements in Canada” examines the importance of Research and Development activities, as well as the stock of public infrastructure, and economic openness as sources of growth in labour productivity in the Canadian economy within the last four decades. The second paper titled “R&D Spillovers, Innovation, and Entry” extends a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of R&D spillovers on entry and the resulting equilibrium market structure. It is shown that the degree of spillovers plays a fundamental role on the number of firms entering the market, their R&D activities, and social welfare. The third paper titled “The Search for New Drugs: A Theory of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry” uses a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities studies the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.

Syftet med denna uppsats och enkätundersökning var att undersöka vilka attityder som råder till hypnos bland ett brett urval av människor. De variabler som förväntades kunna predicera attityden var: egen erfarenhet av hypnos, motivation att göra en förändring, kännedom om alternativa behandlingsmetoder, personlighetsdimensionen Openness, andlighet/transcendens, och där kön togs med som kontrollvariabel. Regressionsanalysen visade på en signifikant modell som förklarade variansen med ca 30%. Två variabler var signifikanta: egen erfarenhet av hypnos och kännedom om alternativa metoder. Motivation visade på en trend till signifikans. Trots att endast ca 13% hade egen erfarenhet av hypnos var denna variabel drivande i modellen. Resultatet visade sammanfattningsvis på en generellt mer positiv attityd till och intresse för hypnos, än en negativ attityd och rädsla. Urvalet bestod av en övervägande andel kvinnor vilket påverkar resultatets generaliserbarhet. En fråga för framtida forskning är vilka variabler som bidrar till att man inledningsvis använder sig av hypnos.

This thesis examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on Vietnamese economy based on Partial Adjustment Model and time series data from 1976 to 2004. FDI is shown to have not only short run but also long run effect on gross domestic product (GDP) of Vietnam. However, elasticity of GDP with respect to FDI is small and it will take many years to fully manifest itself. The impact of trade openness on GDP has also been examined and it is shown to be stronger than that of FDI. The paper offers a number of explanations and discusses briefly suggestions in order to increase the contribution of FDI to Vietnam’s economic development.

With respect to art, we mainly discuss the issue of 'space', and we generally believe that there exists the so-called 'art-space'. However, Heidegger considers art in a very different way which is phenomenological. With phenomenological reduction, he reinterprets how the art-space exists, and he also endows art with a brand new meaning, that is, ¡§opening¡¨ , which is the way one expresses oneself. Nonetheless, Heidegger explains art in a dialectical way, that is to say, the negative way. However, that is the reason for Chinese landscape painting to be painted. In this essay, I try to yield further evidence for Heidegger 's theory, by investigating into Chinese landscape painting. The 'art-space' is hidden by the 'blank' spot of the landscape painting, so it is not emptiness, but gathering 'space', 'space itself', and 'light' into a whole; at the same time, it shows truth, which is lived truth. The 'art-space' does not come from imitating, but from a 'text-space' between likeness and unlikeness.

Over the last sixty years, China has gone from Soviet¡¦s centrally planned economy in the Mao Era to Deng Xiao Ping¡¦s economic reform. It has evolved from extreme poverty to rapid economic growth, from equality to inequality and from life improvement to social instability. There might be cause and effect which underlie the process. This study adopts historical research approach and systematic research method to explore the cause and effect which underlie the overall development of the major economic policy-making in the four eras: Planned economy by Mao Ze Dong, reform and openness by Deng Xiao Ping, macroeconomic control by Jiang Ze Min and rural reconstruction by Hu Jin Tao. The results of this study include the following findings: Firstly, from Mao Ze Dong to Hu Jin Tao era there might be cause and effect which exist among the making of China¡¦s major economic policies. Due to the internal revolt and foreign invasion Mao Ze Dong adopted planned economy which resulted in China¡¦s extreme economic poverty. Deng Xiao Ping¡¦s reform and openness for economic development caused severe inflation. Jiang Ze Min¡¦s macroeconomic control was intended to contain the inflation. Subsequently, Jiang¡¦s policy brought about the withering away of the countryside which in turn led to Hu Jin Tao¡¦s rural reconstruction. Secondly, the logic of Chinese leaders¡¦ thinking and personalities have had significant influence on their economic policy-making, however, the effect of ideology has diminished over time. Without the leaderships of strongmen like Mao and Deng, China is forced to systemize its major economic decisions. Hu is now dealing with the problems of reform and openness which have arisen over the last thirty years. Whether he can succeed in dealing with the issues concerning agriculture, countryside, farmers and inflation still remains to be seen. The fifth generation leaderships in the future will be in a position where ¡§the revolution has not yet succeeded and comrades must continue to strife.¡¨ Thirdly, China¡¦s economic policies are influenced by the political environment that its leaders face both back home and abroad. This thesis investigates and grasps the overall system from a causationism perspective which analyzes the political and economic relations behind China¡¦s major economic policy-making. This study has significant reference value for the academia to explore the process of China¡¦s local economic policy-making.

I have conducted a survey of journal articles that have examined the relationship between free trade and economic growth. In particular, I have carefully selected six empirical studies that were published over a ten-year period and critically reviewed, and evaluated these studies in depth. I have also extensively presented and discussed the issues as well as the controversies that are related to the various measures of openness. In a number of the trade-growth empirical studies researchers have made major attempt to identify the relationship between free trade and economic growth. Most of the trade-growth studies show that there is a positive relationship between free trade and economic growth. However, some of these influential studies have been subject to strong criticism, mainly due to a number of methodological shortcomings. As for the million-dollar question: Does free trade advance economic growth? My conclusion is that this question is not yet resolved, because although researchers have devoted considerable efforts to show a positive trade-growth relationship, nevertheless, the methodologies and the measurements applied in these studies have been fragile to the scrutiny of critics.

ABSTRACT Purpose - This thesis analyses, firstly, how the environment affects the use of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in firms. Secondly, the connections between IPRs and firm's openness with regards to partner, phase, and content variety; and lastly, how firm's environment modifies IPRS-firm's openness relationship. Methodology - Based on a survey for R&D managers or similar job positions in 415 Swedish, Finish and Italian manufacturing firms, after obtaining the raw data, the results will be evaluated and discussed in reference to the theoretical framework. Results - The paper displays the correlation between formal IP mechanisms and firm's environment. In this way, the study exposes the common use of this kind of protection, on one hand, to deal with rising development technology costs and shortening product life cycles, and, on the other hand, in a technological environment. In addition, the work exhibits the value of IPRs in early phases and commercialization in the innovation process, regarding the need to acquire knowledge in creation, and safeguard R&D to take profit from it. Finally, the paper establishes a linear correlation that shows as higher environmental dynamism that leads to lower use of IPRs under OI regime. Limitations - This thesis is focused on formal IP protection mechanisms, firm's environment, and firm's openness, without pay attention to informal IP protection ways, which for sure are linked. This analysis is, however a subject for further research. Keywords: Intellectual property Rights, Firm's openness, Firm's environment, Survey.

The first essay titled “Fundamental Sources of Long-run Labour Productivity Improvements in Canada” examines the importance of Research and Development activities, as well as the stock of public infrastructure, and economic openness as sources of growth in labour productivity in the Canadian economy within the last four decades. The second paper titled “R&D Spillovers, Innovation, and Entry” extends a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of R&D spillovers on entry and the resulting equilibrium market structure. It is shown that the degree of spillovers plays a fundamental role on the number of firms entering the market, their R&D activities, and social welfare. The third paper titled “The Search for New Drugs: A Theory of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry” uses a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities studies the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.

Le principe d’ouverture, mentionné au premier article du Traité sur l’Union européenne sert de fondement à une recherche globale d’interaction entre la prise de décision et les citoyens européens. Cette démarche est motivée par une volonté d’améliorer la légitimité des politiques européennes. Cependant, elle doit être distinguée du principe démocratique en droit de l’Union, en ce qu’elle ne cherche pas à renforcer le statut des citoyens européens au sein du régime politique européen, mais seulement à leur offrir des possibilités d’influence sur le fond des décisions. Ces possibilités d’influence sont constamment approfondies, par la reconnaissance de principes tels que la transparence et la participation, et par la mise en place de mécanismes de dialogue tels que les consultations, le droit de pétition, le droit de recours au Médiateur ou encore l’initiative citoyenne. L’étude se propose de mesurer le degré d’influence des citoyens européens sur la prise de décision, et de le comparer aux objectifs du principe d’ouverture. / The principle of openness, mentioned in the first article of the Treaty on the European Union acts as a foundation of a global research into the interaction between taking decisions and the citizens of Europe. This approach is motivated by a willingness to improve the legitimacy of European policy. However, it should be distinguished from the democratic principal of law within the Union, in that it does not attempt to reinforce the status of European citizens within the European political regime, but attempts only to offer them possibilities of influencing the core of such decisions. The possibilities of influence are constantly looked at in depth, through reorganizing such principles as transparency and participation, and by the installation of mechanisms of dialogue through consultation, the right to petitions, the right to use a mediator or even create citizens initiatives. The study tries to measure the degree of influence that European citizens have on decision making, and to compare them to the objectives of the principle of openness