The thesis describes several unknown aspects of the spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus (L.), and the double-spined bark beetle, Ips duplicatus (Sahlberg.), life-cycles and ecophysiology. The first study focuses on I. typographus and its dispersal under epidemic conditions in the National park Šumava and introduces a novel method of fluorescent marking and detection of captured specimens. The second study is focused on ability of I. typographus to establish so-called sister-broods, i.e. re-emergence of females that are capable to continue egg laying without a need to mate again. The importance of sister-broods becomes apparent mainly in recent hot and dry vegetation seasons, which is demonstrated by a comparison of recent and historical data. The third study focuses on temperature-dependent development of I. duplicatus under laboratory conditions by the means of sandwich method. Altogether, the studies underline practical importance of ecophysiological studies on bark beetles as one of the tools for their effective management.

This dissertation investigates second language (L2) development in the domains of morphosyntax and semantics. Specifically, it examines the acquisition of definiteness and specificity in Russian within the Feature Re-assembly framework (Lardiere, 2009), according to which the hardest L2 learning task is not to reset parameters but to reconfigure, or remap features from the way they are assembled in the L1 into new formal configurations in the L2. Within the Feature Re-assembly approach, it has been argued that re-assembling features that are represented overtly in the L1 and mapping them onto those that are encoded covertly by context in the L2 will present a greater difficulty than re-assembling features in the opposite direction (Slabakova, 2009). This dissertation examines the acquisition of four linguistic properties (types of modifiers, word order, indefinite determiners and case marking) that encode definiteness and specificity overtly or covertly in L2 Russian by English and Korean speakers. The native languages of the learners were chosen specifically in order to test various overt-covert mappings. The data obtained from two experimental tasks (grammaticality and felicity judgments) completed by 56 Russian native speaker controls, 51 English- and 53 Korean-speaking learners support Slabakova's prediction that overt-to-covert realization of the feature is more challenging than covert-to-overt realization. In addition, the findings uncovered other important factors facilitating or impeding acquisition, such as the nature of the form-to-meaning mapping (one-to-one or one-to-many) and the availability of clear, unambiguous evidence for a certain mapping in the input available to learners. Results also reveal that the presence or absence of the L1 transfer depends on the overt/covert status of the feature in the L2. That is, when the feature is marked overtly in both the L1 and L2, L1 transfer has facilitative effect on the acquisition of the feature. On the contrary, when the feature is marked covertly in both the L1 and L2, L1 transfer has no or negative effects. These findings provide new insights into the effects of the native language on L2 learnability and enable us to come to a more precise and fine-grained understanding of grammatical meaning acquisition in the second language.

Health information technology (HIT), which includes electronic health record (EHR) systems and clinical data analytics, has become a major component of all health care delivery and care management. The adoption of HIT by physicians, hospitals, post-acute care organizations, pharmacies and other health care providers has been accepted as a necessary (and recently, a government required) step toward improved quality, care coordination and reduced costs: “Better coordination of care provides a path to improving communication, improving quality of care, and reducing unnecessary emergency room use and hospital readmissions. LTPAC providers play a critical role in achieving these goals” (HealthIT.gov, 2013). Though some of the impacts of evolving HIT and EHRs have been studied in acute care hospitals and physician office settings, a dearth of information exists about the deployment and effectiveness of HIT and EHRs in long-term and post-acute care facilities, places where they are becoming more essential. This dissertation examines how and to what extent health information technology and electronic health record implementation and use affects certain measurable outcomes in long term and post-acute care facilities. Monthly data were obtained for the period beginning January 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, a total of 18 months. The level of EHR adoption was found to positively impact hospital readmission rates, employee engagement, complaint deficiencies, failed revisit surveys, staff overtime (partial EHR), staff turnover rate (full EHR) and United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Five Star Quality score. The level of EHR adoption was found to negatively impact CMS Five Star Total score, staff retention rate (full EHR) and staff overtime (full EHR group higher than partial EHR).

A new model of the erosion by water of cohesive soils is developed using physical principles. The theoretical framework which is developed recognises the changing nature of the eroding surface of a soil. Raindrop impact and overland flow are considered to act upon a soil surface so removing soil from the cohesive original (or parent) soil. Once this soil enters the overland flow, either as aggregates or primary particles, it is considered to return to the soil bed, from which it may be re-removed. The development of a deposited layer makes it necessary to distinguish between processes removing sediment from the original soil and those processes removing the deposited layer. This layer, being formed by the relatively gentle action of deposition during the current erosion event, is presumed cohesionless. The physical properties of the original soil and the deposited layer are considered to be very different. The development of two experimental apparatus, a rainfall/runoff simulator and a settling tube for the measurement of aggregate settling velocities, is first described. Experimental investigations, using these apparatus, and field observations to inform the description of the erosion and deposition processes, are then presented. The processes by which rainfall impact removes sediment from the original soil and the deposited layer are termed rainfall detachment and rainfall re-detachment respectively. Initially, descriptions of these processes in the presence of deposition, are combined in a model describing net rainfall detachment when removal of sediment from the flow bed by overland flow is not occurring. The developriient of the deposited layer is considered both quantitatively and qualitatively. The solution of the equation describing mass conservation is then given for the equilibrium situation when the mass of the deposited layer, and therefore the sediment concentration, is constant with respect to time. The processes by which overland flow removes sediment from the original soil and the deposited layer are termed entrainment and re-entrainment. The work done by the process of entrainment is considered to be done wholly against the cohesive strength of the original soil. In contrast to the process of entrainment, the work done in re-entraining sediment from the deposited layer is considered only to be done against gravity. The resulting description of these processes is then combined with the previous descriptions of rainfall detachment, rainfall re-detachment and deposition and with the equation describing the conservation of mass of sediment within any arbitary number of size (or settling velocity) classes. A plane geometry model Is developed in which the surface water flow is considered to be uniformily distributed across a plane slope on which all processes act. When the mass of the deposited layer is steady, two possible forms of equilibrium are shown to exist. When the coverage of the original soil by deposited layer is partial, the sediment concentration is limited by the removal of the cohesive original soil by entrainment and rainfall detachment, in the presence of deposition. This situation is termed 'source limiting' and is shown to provide a lower limit to sediment concentration. When the coverage of the deposited layer is complete so that entrainment and rainfall detachment of the original soil are considered not to occur, then the ability of the erosive agents to re-entrain and re-detach sediment in the presence of deposition limits sediment concentration. This situation, termed 'transport limiting', is shown to provide a practical upper limit to sediment concentration. This plane geometry flow model is followed by a revised model in which all processes are considered to occur but the flow of water on a plane surface is modified by the formation of rills. In this 'detailed geometry model' the spatial distribution of the erosive agents is shown to have a marked influence on the resulting processes and sediment concentrations. A potential description of the sediment transport across a change in land slope is also developed. Finally, a discussion of this new modelling approach is presented in which the conceptual developments of this thesis are considered and future developments are suggested. This discussion also includes a comparison of the outcomes of this new work with similar erosion models.

<p>Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att undersöka framgångsfaktorer vid införandet av ERP-system i olika företag. Både kundernas och leverantörens syn på framgångsfaktorer vid införandet har klargjorts. </p><p>Min empiriska undersökning har utförts på fem olika företag och jag har intervjuat totalt fem personer som samtliga haft mycket centrala roller vid ERP-införandena. Vid intervjuerna har jag använt mig av kvalitativ ansats där informanterna har fått berätta relativt fritt om vad de uppfattat kunna påverka framgången med införandet av ERP-systemen. Jag analyserade det insamlade materialet med hjälp av empirinär kvalitativ bearbetning, i form av innehållsanalys. </p><p>Undersökningens resultat visar att kunderna och leverantören inte ser helt lika på vilka faktorer som bidrar till framgång. Det finns dock några tydliga samband mellan leverantörens och kundens syn på framgångsfaktorer. Samsyn ligger i att kunden ska göra en dokumenterad processmappning av verksamhetens före och efterläge vilket leder till att leverantörens arbete underlättas och implementeringen av systemet kommer igång snabbare. Vidare samsyn finns kring det faktum att kunden ska förbereda sig på den kommande förändringen genom att utbilda personalen i handhavandet av systemet samt ge personalen ökad förståelse kring förändringsproblematiken. Detta leder till större engagemang hos kunden och snabbare acceptans av systemet i företaget.</p> / <p>The purpose of this report has been to investigate successfactors when implementing ERP-systems in different companies. The opinion of both the supplier and the customer’s point of view about the successfactors has been explained. </p><p>The empiricalstudy has included five different companies and a total of five persons. I have used a qualitative approach during the different interviews. The material from the interviews was analysed with the qualitative method content analysis. </p><p>The study shows the supplier and the customers both have and have not the same opinion about which successfactors to consider when implementing. There are a few obvious connections between the supplier and the customer’s point of view. They agree about the importance of linking business processes and information to the system in the feasibility study. This will lead to an easier and more rapid implementation phase. They also agree about the importance of educating the personal, both in practical skills of the system and also information of the reactions of change in the organisation. This will lead to a greater engagement from the customer and quicker system acceptance.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of leadership on co-workers during a re-organization. Our framing of the problem is based on a book written by Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal (2007) <em>“Reframing organizations – artistry, choice and leadership” </em>and their four perspectives on leadership. The questions that our study is based on are:</p><ul type="disc"><li>What leadership perspective was characteristic for the chief of staff during the re-organization? </li><li>How did the employees experience the leadership of the chiefs during the re-organization?</li><li>In what way do the chiefs of staff feel that their leadership affected the employees during the re-organization?</li></ul><p> </p><p>To get a deeper understanding in this subject we conducted interviews with the two chiefs of staff and their employees in a small suburb to Stockholm, Sweden. In our background we described the history of the suburb and why this re-organization is taking place. Thereafter we account for research in this area of expertise. In chapter five we account for the four perspectives and organization culture. We analyzed our interviewed material from these four perspectives and organization culture. Thereafter we conducted a conclusion based on the analyzed material. We concluded that both chiefs of staff were influenced by all four perspectives and this influence had different impacts on their employees. One chief were influenced by a Human Resource-perspective and a perspective focusing on structure. The second chief was also influenced by a perspective focusing on structure but also the perspective that focuses on politics.</p>

<p><strong>Objectives</strong></p><p>The aim of this study was to compare left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) results derived from gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using Cedars-Sinai quantitative gated SPECT (QGS) processing software with results from 2D echocardiography, both obtained in routine clinical diagnostic use.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Methods</strong></p><p>Data from previously performed tests were obtained from 73 patients who had undergone both 2D echocardiography and gated SPECT within a time span of 6 months and had not had significant events that could influence LVEF. LVEF from 2D echocardiography was reassessed to obtain discrete values and then the data was compared using Bland-Altman analysis.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Results</strong></p><p>The correlation between the tests was shown to be good, but precision lacked. Bland-Altman analysis showed a bias of -0.8 percentage points when gated SPECT compared to mean values and 2 standard deviations (SD) ranged from -20.2 to 18.6.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong></p><p>LVEF values from the two methods can differ quite a bit and comparisons between them should be done with great caution.</p> / <p><strong>Syfte</strong></p><p>Syftet med studien var att jämföra hur bra ultraljud av hjärta och isotopundersökning av hjärta stämmer överens när det gäller att visa hjärtats pumpförmåga.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Metod</strong></p><p>Data från tidigare utförda undersökningar av 73 patienter jämfördes. Patienter som hade gjort båda undersökningarna inom 6 månader och under perioden mellan undersökningarna inte hade haft hjärtinfarkt eller någon annan händelse som kan påverka hjärtats pumpförmåga valdes till studien.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Resultat</strong></p><p>Utslaget över hela studiepopulationen stämde resultaten från de båda undersökningarna bra överens. Jämförde man däremot resultaten från de båda undersökningarna med varandra patient för patient förekom mycket stora variationer.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Slutsats</strong></p><p>Resultaten angående hjärtats pumpförmåga kan skilja sig mycket från varandra. Jämförelser av värden från dessa två metoder bör därför göras med väldigt stor försiktighet.</p>

<p>In the context of democratisation in the early 1990s, the governments in Central and East Europe (CEE) had to decide how to deal with property that had been confiscated under state socialism. Nationalised housing and collectivised land were to a varying extent returned to former owners and their heirs by means of restitution, as well as being distributed to other citizens who were in possession of the users’ rights to such properties.</p><p>This thesis examines the spatial impacts, in terms of ownership patterns, of the way the redistribution of nationalised housing and collectivised land has been dealt with politically and at the local level in post-socialist Romania. It also locates the Romanian property reforms in relation to those of the rest of CEE. The impact of political directives on the property redistribution is analysed in relation to both structural influences, such as democratisation and antecedent property regimes, and implementation patterns in varied place-contexts. The thesis demonstrates that restitution was stifled due to disagreements between leftist and rightist political blocs, with the latter arguing for restitution whilst their opponents wrote the first restitution laws. A re-privatisation law allowed for the public sale of nationalised housing to tenants and thereby blocked the implementation of a restitution law, thus constituting a dilemma for constitutional democracy. In liberal place-contexts in West Romania, these obstacles to housing restitution were in part avoided. By contrast, land restitution was most widespread in the east, a stronghold of the left. This was because the legislation gives priority to restitution in areas of this kind, where smaller land-holdings dominated prior to 1945. The left-wing government pursued an electoral strategy of distributing small properties to a large number of citizens, and to current users in particular. This resulted in a fragmentation of historical property. </p>

L'��tude des marches al ��atoires fait appara��tre des connexions entre leurs propri��t��s alg ebriques, g ��om ��triques ou encore combinatoires et leurs propri��t��s stochastiques. Le premier exemple de telles connexions est donn �� par le th ��or��me de P olya concernant les marches al��atoires aux plus proches voisins sur le groupe Z^N. Si les marches al��atoires sur les groupes - ou sur des espaces homog��nes - fournissent beaucoup d'exemples, il serait appr��ciable d'obtenir de tels r��sultats de rigidit �� sur des structures alg��briques plus faibles telles celles de semi-groupo��de ou de groupo��de. Dans cette th��se il est consid��r�� un exemple de semi-groupo��de et un exemple de groupo��de, tous les deux sont d��fi nis �� partir de sous-graphes contraints du graphe de Cayley d'un groupe - le premier graphe est dirig�� alors que le second ne l'est pas. Pour ce premier exemple, on pr��cise un r��sultat de Campanino et Petritis - ils ont montr�� que la marche al��atoire simple etait transiente pour cet exemple de graphe dirig�� - en d ��terminant la fronti��re de Martin associ ��e �� cette marche et ��tablissant sa trivialit��. Dans le second exemple apparaissant dans ce manuscrit, on consid��re des pavages quasi-p��riodiques de l'espace euclidien obtenus �� l'aide de la m��thode de coupe et projection. Nous consid��rons la marche al��atoire simple le long des ar��tes des polytopes constituant le pavage, et nous r epondons a la question du type de celle-ci, c'est-��-dire nous d��terminons si elle est r��currente ou transiente. Nous montrons ce r esultat en etablissant des in egalit es isop erim etriques. Cette strat egie permet d'obtenir des estim��es de la vitesse de d ecroissance du noyau de la chaleur, ce que n'aurait pas permis l'utilisation d'un crit��re de type Nash-Williams.

A method is presented for stably grasping 2 dimensional polygonal objects with a dextrous hand when object models are not avaiable. Basic constraints on object vertex angles are found for feasible grasping with two fingers. Local tactile information can be used to determine the finger motion that will reach feasible grasping locations. With an appropriate choice of finger stiffness, a hand can automatically grasp these objects with two fingers. The bounded slip of a part in a hand is shown to be valuable for adapting the fingers and object to a stable situation. Examples are given to show the ability of this grasping method to accomodate disturbance forces and to perform simple part reorientations and regrasping operations.