This thesis centers its scope on the macroeconomic implications of two contemporary issues affecting welfare: the arrival of smart technologies and global control policies as sanctions. The key element that integrates these topics into the thesis is the intergenerational perspective. The thesis employs overlapping generations (OLG) models to study how smart technologies could modify long-term economic conditions and how fiscal policies are to be thought as a global matter rather than isolated decisions. The first chapter addresses the circumstances under which smart technologies may drive people out of well-compensated work. The Chapter uses a two-period OLG model comprising two type of workers, high and low-tech, and two goods –a capital intensive one and a labor intensive one. Automation, characterized as legacy code, combines with capital to give birth to a smart machine: a robot. In turn, as automation capacity grows these robots leave future workers– both high and low-tech– worse off. The lower code relative to capital increases the high-tech worker’s compensation, savings, and capital formation. However, as code accumulates, demand for high-tech labor falls, limiting younger generations’ savings and investments. Similarly, the second chapter seeks to answer whether robots raise or lower economic well-being. The setup is once again a two-period OLG. However, in this economy two goods are produced and consumed, but only one is fully automatable. Robots may be harmful except when robotic productivity is high enough that induces a virtuous circle of rising wages, savings, and output, producing the open-ended constant growth of an AK model. Additionally, a government transfer can turn an increase in robotic productivity into a long-term welfare improvement for future generations. Finally, the third chapter develops a large-scale multi-country OLG model to address the fiscal implications of global sanctions to a country –namely Russia. The model is uniquely suited to understanding the long-term effect of different trade and fiscal regimes. The sanctioned country responds either by seizing foreign assets, or imposing capital controls, policies that might hurt the sanctioning countries. In all scenarios, except for the most benign, all generations alive at the time are made worse off in the sanctioned country.

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact the Financial Services Modernization Act (FSMA) of 1999 has on the consolidation of the banking industry. The FSMA allows banks to simultaneously offer commercial banking, investment, and insurance services. I find a strong positive market response to the announcement of bank acquisition of brokerage firms (10.2 percent) and insurance companies (9.3 percent), but no significant response to bank acquisitions. I also find support for two complimentary hypotheses that explain the long-run returns to the acquiring banks. The "product-market spillover hypothesis" states that the post-consolidation returns of the acquirer are directly related to the banks' ability to cross market their products and services to a more diverse client base, while the efficiency hypothesis states that banks acquire financial services companies to realize efficiency gains resulting from exploiting economies of scale. Finally, I show that the premiums paid in the post-FSMA acquisitions increases with the diversity of the transaction. In addition, this study is the first to link managerial turnover to mutual fund managerial structure in a manner that indicates the strong presence of a conflict of interests between investors and fund sponsors in an area of fund governance where we have been led to believe there are strong and well-functioning mechanisms to guard against the exploitation of investors. I utilize the unique characteristics of mutual funds where managers sometimes manage multiple "firms" simultaneously, something not generally observed in industrial firms. I test the governance mechanisms using the mutual fund complexes management structure; unitary and multiple fund management (UFM and MFM). This study shows that UFMs tend to have higher asset growth rates and higher fees than MFMs, suggesting that sponsors can benefit more from keeping them intact. I find that changing managers under the UFM is more costly to sponsors making them more reluctant to fire poor performers. I document that underperforming UFM are -2.77 percent less likely to be replaced than their underperforming MFM counterparts. In addition, the conflict of interests affect the replacement decision, as high expense ratio fund managers have a lower probability of replacement for a given level of underperformance.

Hip simulators are designed to reproduce the forces and motion patterns of normal walking. In vivo demands on total hip replacements, however, are varied and often more severe than normal walking conditions. It is these severe conditions that often lead to implant failure. This is clinically based research aimed at understanding some of the more severe conditions in hips and the effect that these have on the performance of the total hip replacement. The polyethylene liner can act as a pump in an acetabular component, forcing fluid and wear particles through the holes to the retroacetabular bone causing osteolysis. Ten patients were studied at revision surgery. Pressures were measured in retroacetabular osteolytic lesions while performing pumping manouvers with the hip. Two laboratory experiments were then designed to study pumping mechanisms in vitro. In patients with contained osteolytic lesions, fluid pressure fluctuations could be measured in the lesion in association with the pumping action. Patients with uncontained osteolytic lesions showed no such pressure fluctuations. In the laboratory we identified 3 distinct mechanisms whereby fluid can be pumped from the hip joint to the retroacetabular bone. These pumping effects could be mitigated by improved implant design. Loading of the femoral head against the edge of the acetabular component produces dramatically increased contact pressures particularly in hard-on-hard bearings. In an analysis of 16 retrieved ceramic-on-ceramic bearings we were able to characterise the mechanism of edge loading based on the pattern of edge loading wear on the bearing surface. Finally in a radiographic study of patients with squeaking ceramic-on-ceramic hips. Squeaking was found to be associated with acetabular component malposition. It seems that edge loading or impingement may be an associated factor in these cases.

Rural-urban differentials in fertility behaviour are neither new nor surprising, but a difference of over four children per woman as observed between rural Ethiopia and the country's national capital, Addis Ababa, in 1990 is rare, possibly unique. Reported fertility in Addis Ababa in 1990 was about 2.6 children per woman. By the mid-1990s, it declined further to 1.8 children per woman. This study investigates the dimensions, components and causes of this remarkable reproductive change. ¶ The study specifically asks and seeks to answer the following questions. Is the decline real, or is it merely an illusion created by faulty reporting? If it is real, how has it come about? Did it result from a change in the onset of reproduction or a decline in the proportion of women reaching high parities or both? And in what context has such a fundamental, even revolutionary, change taken place in a country and a continent that are mostly yet to join the global transition to a small family-size norm. ¶ Data for the study were drawn from two national population censuses, undertaken in 1984 and 1994, two fertility surveys, conducted in 1990 and 1995, and a number of supplementary sources, including a qualitative study conducted by the investigator. Results from the study confirm that the trend of declining fertility and the recent fall to below-replacement-level are indeed real. As the analysis shows the decline was largely driven by changes in the marriage pattern, and supplemented by the increased propensity of fertility control observed across all birth orders and age groups. All socio-economic groups in the city have had a decline in cohort fertility and this was brought about both by shifts in population composition (a composition effect) and increased intensity of fertility control within each group (a rate effect). The institutional and cultural factors that are believed to have prompted these changes are discussed in the thesis in some detail.

How fast and how far China’s fertility declined in the 1990s has long been a matter of considerable debate, despite very low fertility consistently being reported in a number of statistical investigations over time. Most demographers interpreted this as a result of serious underreporting of births in population statistics, due to the family planning program, especially the program strengthening after 1991. Consequently, they suggested that fertility fell only moderately below-replacement level, around 1.8 children per woman from the early 1990s. But some demographers argued that surveys and census may have reflected a real decline of fertility even allowing for some underreporting of births, given the consistency between data sources and over time. They believed that fertility declined substantially in the 1990s, very likely in the range between 1.5 and 1.6 by the year 2000.¶ The controversy over fertility is primarily related to the problem of underreporting of births, in particular the different estimations of the extent of underreporting. However, a correct interpretation of fertility data goes far beyond the pure numbers, which calls for a thorough understanding of different data sources, the programmatic and societal changes that occurred in the 1990s, and their effects on both fertility changes and data collection efforts. This thesis aims to address the question whether the reported far-below-replacement level fertility was a reality of substantial fertility decline or just an illusion arising from underreporting of births. Given the nature of the controversy, it devotes most efforts in assessing data quality, through examining the patterns, causes and extent of underreporting of births in each data source; reconstructing the decline of fertility in the 1990s; and searching corroborating evidence for the decline.¶ After reviewing programmatic changes in the 1990s, this thesis suggests that the program efforts were greatly strengthened, which would help to bring fertility down, but the birth control policy and program target were not tightened as generally believed. The program does affect individual reporting of births, but the completeness of births in each data source is greatly dependent on who collects fertility data and how the data are collected. The thesis then carefully examines the data collection operations and underreporting of births in five sets of fertility data: the hukou statistics, the family planning statistics, population census, annual survey and retrospective survey. The analysis does not find convincing evidence that fertility data deteriorated more seriously in the 1990s than the preceding decade. Rather, it finds that surveys and censuses have a far more complete reporting of births than the registration-based statistics, because they directly obtain information from respondents, largely avoiding intermediate interference from local program workers. In addition, the detailed examination suggests that less than 10 percent births may have been unreported in surveys and censuses. The annual surveys, which included many higher-order our-of-plan births being misreported as first-order births, have more complete reporting of births than censuses, which were affected by the increasing population mobility and field enumeration difficulties, and retrospective surveys, which suffered from underreporting of higher-order births.¶ Using the unadjusted data of annual surveys from 1991 to 1999, 1995 sample census and 2000 census, this research shows that fertility first dropped from 2.3 to 1.7 in the first half of the 1990s, and further declined to a lower level around 1.5-1.6 in the second half of the decade. The comparison with other independent sources corroborates the reliability of this estimation. Putting China’s fertility decline in international perspective, comparison with the experiences of Thailand and Korea also supports such a rapid decline. Subsequently, the thesis reveals an increasingly narrow gap between state demands and popular fertility preferences, and great contributions from delayed marriage and nearly universal contraception. It is concluded that the fertility declined substantially over the course of the 1990s and dropped to a very low level by the end of last century. It is very likely that the combination of a government-enforced birth control program and rapid societal changes quickly moved China into the group of very low-fertility countries earlier than that might have been anticipated, as almost all the others are developed countries.

This is a study of a generation of women who are about to enter the climacteric period of their life, the menopause. Born between the years 1946 and 1956 they have been the object of continuous scrutiny by various interest groups. Because they are seen to be unique, many acronyms and titles, the most noted being the 'Baby Boomers' have been attached to them. The women of this generation have been classed as a Very active' generation, leaving a clear mark on society and the re-emerging women's movement. As they near menopause they are approaching a stage that could be seen as their last reproductive transition. For many women there is no cultural ritual, nor a single story to guide them through this period They are however not without advice. The 'big voices' of the drug companies, the medical system and the media, all tender their guidance as the dominant voice. These women have been told what to do by experts throughout their whole lives. It seems 'expert advice' on their reproductive phases have been penned mostly by men in the interests of treating, controlling and saving them. Control of their body remains a key struggle, both physically and linguistically. The purpose of the research was to study the expectations of this post-war, Baby Boom generation of menopause. The study shows that some women have made decisions to embrace non-medical help and accept menopause as an inevitable transition, while others are willing to consider medical help to enhance their 'quality of life '. Believing it is time to look after themselves, it seems many women will take a pragmatic view and accept medical opinion that the menopause is a deficiency disease, even if this requires them to become part of the consumer driven/drug company push for a 'symptom free' menopause. They wish to remain untroubled and express a willingness to do whatever they need to fulfil this. Their fervent hope is that the menopause will not upset their career, family or 'life'. Consequently a large majority of these women will think about or actively pursue hormone replacement therapy.

The main aim of this thesis is to develop a framework that allows an equipment manufacturer to forecast the demand of its aftermarket user-replaceable parts and prepare the challenges it may face from third party manufacturers. Some business practices ensuring the performance against third party part manufacturers are suggested in this thesis as a reference for a manufacturer to retain its customer and optimize its performance in aftermarket. The first part of this thesis focuses on the framework of a forecasting model for an equipment manufacturer which needs to provide aftermarket consumers to end users through the service or sales channels of the manufacturer. The forecasting model is carried out using the data from annual sales quantity of one model of equipments(known as install base) during the product life cycle. Each year during the product life cycle would have a different Rate of Replacement. The forecasting model aggregates the data from the install base and the rate of replacement to come up with an annual demand of the aftermarket replacement parts needed for the equipment. The second part of this thesis focuses on some practical business practices for the manufacture to ensure its performance in aftermarket. The designs of the products, logistics arrangement and selection of channels are also curial to its performance.

<p> </p><p> </p><p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></p><p><p>The thesis will provide a description of the previous Swedish NRT marketing mix, a description of the present plans of Swedish NRT marketers for the marketing mix of their products, and the present marketing mix of the previously deregulated pharmacy markets in Finland and Norway. The purpose is to develop conclusions on how marketers of NRT products could change their marketing mix in response to the deregulation of the Swedish pharmacy market. </p><p> </p><p>This thesis relies on a descriptive method. Interviews are used as the source of primary data. This is because some of the information sought after is not readily available and cannot be found through secondary data.</p></p><p>Markets are mature only in the minds of the actors on the market. Due to the deregulation the market seems to be a window of opportunity for any innovative, aggressive marketing entrepreneur who wants to radically change his or her position in the market. NRT marketers could attempt to design a new, more aggressive strategy and work with the remaining Ps to unhinge what seems to be regarded a mature market. NRT marketers should work more actively to create an effective market feedback loop. NRT marketers should consider using the Internet to sell their products to consumers, thus opening a new channel.</p>

<p>I dagens samhälle ökar våldsbrotten bland ungdomar och våld, hot, mobbning och vandalism är vanligt förekommande. Vi har valt att titta på aggressioner hos ungdomar ur olika perspektiv, främst inlärningsteori och kognitiv teori. Samhället behöver ge ungdomar verktyg för att kunna agera annorlunda än med aggression i olika situationer, ett sätt är behandlingsmetoden ART. ART (Aggression Replacement Training) är en behandlingsmodell som syftar till att ge personer sociala alternativ till ilska och aggressioner. Genom ett antal kvalitativa intervjuer på två SIS-institutioner, där ungdomar med tung social problematik är placerade genom LVU och LSU, har vi försökt komma underfund med vad ungdomarna som genomgått behandlingen har för åsikter om den och om de själva tror sig kunna ha nytta av behandlingen även i framtiden. Vi har också undersökt behandlarens roll, och vad ungdomarna tyckte om behandlarna. Resultatet av intervjuerna är mycket positivt, ungdomarna var i allmänhet mycket positiva till metoden och kom även med förslag på hur den skulle kunna göras bättre. Efter att ha gjort halvstrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer användes en manifest innehållsanalys för att analysera de svar vi fått under intervjuerna.</p>

The tropical cyclone (TC) and environmental interaction is not fully understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that this interaction affects intensity change. The studies found that intensification is favored in low shear, moist environments, with high sea surface temperatures (SST). However, little precise quantification was provided, especially in terms of the impact of environmental water vapor on TC intensity change. This work addresses the TC interaction with the environmental water vapor. Results from a comprehensive statistical study show that TC intensification is more likely to occur in an anomalously moist environment than a dry environment. However, only a small amount of the total variance is explained. When assessing the effect of vertical wind shear along with environmental water vapor, more of the variance is explained. Water vapor not only affects TC intensity. Prior modeling studies have demonstrated impacts from environmental water vapor on TC structure. These impacts can also affect intensity change. Specifically, enhanced water vapor content within the TC enhances the rainbands, which can lead to an eyewall replacement cycle, causing a temporary weakening, followed by re-intensification. This thesis evaluates observational and high resolution MM5 model output from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita from the Hurricane Rainband and Intensity Experiment (RAINEX) to evaluate the effects of varying water vapor distributions on TC structure. While the two hurricanes were of similar intensity, they had different water vapor distributions and structures. Rita underwent an eyewall replacement cycle while under RAINEX surveillance while Katrina did not. Rita was also located within a dry environment and had a strong horizontal moisture gradient, while Katrina was in a moist environment and had a weak moisture gradient. Results suggest that a strong horizontal water vapor gradient, with a moist TC and dry outer environment may confine the hurricanes into a pattern that causes them to have high circularity, promoting the formation of a secondary eyewall. The dry outer environment had strong atmospheric stability and was less favorable for deep convection far from the center in the Rita case. The moist environment in the Katrina case was more unstable. This may have allowed for the rainbands to be farther from the center in a less circular pattern than Rita. The results presented in this thesis suggest that this pattern is less favorable for an eyewall replacement cycle.