In order to find information before an e-commerce purchase, Swedish young adults almost exclusively uses the Google search engine. Previous research contains quantitative data, which showcases how the users utilize search engines as online tools. However, qualitative data regarding the user behaviour on generic search engines were lacking and a gap in the literature was found. In order to collect empirical data to try to fill the gap, six participants were interviewed about their behaviour when using Google. The interviews aimed to discover how the user chooses one result over another at the search engine result page and why. The empirical data showed that the users used the search engine in order to obtain quick and accurate information, in the most convenient process possible. Two major factors were shown to highly contribute to the choice of a user’s perception of the search engine result page. Previous experience and the trustworthiness of a result, strongly affected if a user would choose to click on that result. As a support to both these factors, the user used the technical components: title, URL and snippet. We believe that our findings will contribute to a deeper understanding within search engine user behaviour. / För att hitta information inför ett köp av produkter över Internet, används sökmotorn Google av merparten av svenska unga vuxna. Tidigare forskning inom området innehåller uteslutande ett kvantitativt undersökningsperspektiv, som belyser hur användarna utnyttjar sökmotorerna som ett verktyg. Dock saknas det kvalitativ forskning som utförligt beskriver användarbeteendet. Med målet att hitta empirisk data för att fylla tomrummet, intervjuades sex deltagare om deras beteende och användning av sökmotorn Google. Intervjuerna syftade till att undersöka hur och varför användaren väljer ett resultat framför ett annat. Den empiriska undersökningen visade att användarna nyttjade sökmotorn för att få snabb och korrekt information, på ett så bekvämt sätt som möjligt. Framförallt två faktorer visade sig vara starkt bidragande till varför användarna väljer ett resultat på sökresultat sidan. Tidigare erfarenhet och tillförlitligheten av ett resultat, var båda starkt bidragande orsaker till om användaren skulle välja ett specifikt resultat. Som ett stöd till båda dessa faktorer, använde sig användaren av tekniska funktioner såsom resultats titel, URL och beskrivningen, för att bilda sig en egen uppfattning. Vi tror att vårt resultat kommer att bidra till en djupare förståelse för användarbeteendet inom sökmotorer.

This paper investigates whether CEO supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs) are associated with firm risk. Sundaram and Yermack (2007) show that CEOs manage their firms more conservatively as their debt incentives increase. Using new executive compensation disclosures mandated by the SEC, I find a negative association between CEO SERPs and firm risk but only for unsheltered SERPs. I find that when a CEO SERP is protected by a lump sum payment or by a trust (i.e. sheltered), the negative association between SERPs and firm risk is greatly diminished and even eliminated in some models. Furthermore, I show that having a greater proportion of outside CEOs on a compensation committee when a new CEO is hired is associated with a higher likelihood of the new CEO having a SERP. These findings have implications for the method in which executives are compensated with retirement pay and address the SEC’s growing concern about the link between compensation and firm risk management practices.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the way to improve the visibility of a website on thesearch engine result page (SERP). If the website is not on the first three result, then it will bemissing most of the traffic that could be generated. This report will go into detail on how towork with SEO and how to get a website to rank high. Both On-page, how to work with codeand content, and Off-page, how to get more links, methods will be discussed, with a higherfocus on On-page.This paper strives to find what methods and techniques to use with the results gathered fromscientific databases, interviews and three websites with different levels of SEOimplementation. How to structure the code, where and how to use keywords, domain name,links and much more will be discussed in this paper.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the technique of improving Web sites visibility in search engines. Since the algorithms that search engines are based on become more intelligent each day, there is a constant urge for new knowledge. In collaboration with RankTrail, new research for discovering insights about SEO has been conducted. Hypotheses around alleged ranking factors have been created based on qualitative interviews. Through a quantitative case study these hypotheses have been analyzed. The first part of the analysis consisted of calculating the Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation. Secondly, these correlations has been visualised using histograms. Additional statistical tests have been performed. Number of images, use of HTTPS and use of a custom meta-description stand out amongst all factors analyzed. All three have a higher mean, but also a higher effect size calculated from Cohen’s d. However, the results of this study show that none of the factors indicate a strong impact on SEO.

This thesis deals with the decline in decrease of traffic to the website at their redesign or significant intervention into their content, in terms of optimizing websites for search engines. This issue is known acronym for SEO - Search Engine Optimization. The search part focuses on the functioning of the search engine algorithms, factors affecting traffic to sites and their success in the search results. It also describes the appropriate procedures for the planned redesign, a significant interference with the content of sites that always leads to a decrease traffic from organic search. These procedures should eliminate a decrease in traffic to a minimum. The practical part shows the functionality of the procedures described in the theoretical part of the work on real cases of websites of various sectors and the difficulties of those sites that have ignored these recommendations or not incorporated them correctly.

Background: The Internet has developed the world of advertising by giving advertisers the possibility to track specific patterns among their consumers, which shows how consumers are clicking on online advertisements and what translates into sales for the brand. Lately, companies have actively starting to make use of search engines marketing (SEM). The paid advertising on search engines is one option to make a brand’s website visible to its consumers. The attitudes towards advertisements have previously been examined in traditional media and in other online settings, but the research in the context of search engines is limited. Therefore, it calls for deeper insights and knowledge in how consumers hold attitudes towards a brand and its paid advertising on search engines such as Google. Purpose: The purpose is to describe how users’ attitudes towards brands are influenced by the fact that brands have paid for advertising on search engine result pages. This is done through the ABC-model of attitudes. The question asked in this study was: How does paid advertising displayed on search engines affect the attitudes held towards a brand? Methodology: This thesis project used a qualitative approach and was of descriptive nature. The data was gathered through seven unstructured in-depths interviews based on a quota sample considering three criteria: age group, in this case, 18-29-year-olds, and the variable of regular e-commerce buyers, as well as the participants being users of the search engine Google. The researchers verified data saturation at seven interviews. Conclusion: The main finding in this study is that the level of familiarity influences the participants attitudes towards the brand. Previous experience and knowledge with a brand was an affecting factor of how they interpreted the brand’s advertising on Google’s search engine result pages. Knowledge and a positive experience with a brand generated a more positive attitude towards the brand when an unknown brand generated a neutral or more negative attitude towards the brand. Related factors that also influenced the study were the clicking pattern, the landing page, the choices of wording and the intended target groups by the brands. The study also presents a range of recommendations for future research, as well as theoretical and managerial implications.

Research questions: 1. In what ways do SMEs embrace sökmotormarknadsföring that digital development has made possible? 2. What are the obstacles for SMEs to adopt sökmotormarknadsföring? Purpose: The purpose of the study is to find out how small to medium-sized companies adopt sökmotormarknadsföring to their marketing strategy. This also creates a better understanding of the obstacles that are experienced in connection with sökmotormarknadsföring. This is to identify the obstacles and help companies with knowledge to get past them. The study also aims to create an understanding of why companies choose not to work with this, despite the fact that it has been proven that it helps companies to be seen and increases brand awareness. Method: The essay is based on a qualitative study with interviews. A deductive approach is also applied. The target group is based on the selected respondents who through interviews lead to the purpose of the study. Conclusion: There are several similarities between how companies work with SEM and what obstacles there are to absorbing it. The prominent answer is that the companies would hire an external service that would handle the work for them, or have a combination of internal and external work, but get help with the expertise on the subject. Companies must be open to SEM in order to benefit from it and see the benefits of the strategy compared to a normal traditional marketing. The two most common factors why SMFs do not currently work with SEM are a lack of competence and financial resources. / Forskningsfrågor: 1. På vilka sätt tar SMF:s till sig sökmotormarknadsföringsom den digitala utvecklingenmöjliggjort? 2. Vad finns det för hinder för SMF:s att ta tillsig sökmotormarknadsföring? Syfte:Syftet med studien är att ta reda på vilkasätt som små- och medelstora företag tar tillsig sökmotormarknadsföring som den digitala utvecklingenmöjliggör. På så sätt skapas ävenbättre förståelse för vilka hinder som upplevs i sambandmed sökmotormarknadsföring. Dettaför att identifiera hinder samt hjälpa företag medkunskap för att ta sig förbi dem. Studienämnar även att skapa en förståelse för varför företagväljer att inte arbeta med detta, trots attdet är bevisat att det hjälper företag att synas samtökar varumärkeskännedomen. Metod:Uppsatsen grundas på en kvalitativ studie medintervjuer. Det tillämpas även endeduktiv ansats. Målgruppen baseras på de valda respondenternasom genom intervjuer lederfram till studiens syfte. Slutsats:Det finns flera likheter mellan hur företagenarbetar med SEM och vilka hinder somfinns för att ta till sig det. Det framträdande svaretär att företaget vill anlita en extern tjänstsom sköter arbetet åt dem eller ha en kombinationav internt och externt arbete. Slutligen gårdet att konstatera att företag måste vara öppna förta till sig SEM för att få nytta av det och sefördelarna med strategin jämfört med en vanlig traditionellmarknadsföring. Det tvåvanligaste faktorerna till att SMF:s inte arbetarmed SEM i dagsläget beror på bristen avkompetens och finansiella resurser.

grainy head (grh) genes encode a family of transcription factors conserved from fly to human. Drosophila grh is the founding member of this gene family and has multiple functions, including tracheal tube size control, epidermal barrier formation and reconstruction after wounding. To understand the underlying molecular mechanism of grh functions, we tried to isolate its direct targets and analyze their function. We identified ten grh targets by combining bioinformatics and genetics. Grh directly controls the expression of stitcher (stit), which encodes a Ret family receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), during both development and wound healing. Stit promotes actin cable assembly and induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation around the wound edges upon injury. Stit also activates barrier repair genes and its own expression at the wound sites in a Grh-dependent manner. This positive feedback loop ensures efficient epidermal wound repair. In addition, Grh regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in chitin biosynthesis or modification. Most of the genes are required for tracheal tube size control. Two of them, verm and serp, encode related putative luminal chitin deacetylases. The functional analysis of verm and serp identifies an important role of luminal chitin matrix modification in limiting tracheal tube elongation. Therefore, it is very likely that Grh controls tracheal tube size through regulating multiple targets involved in the assembly or modification of luminal chitin matrix. Grh also directly activates the epidermal expression of Peptidoglycan recognition protein LC (PGRP-LC) gene that is required for the induction of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) upon infection. Furthermore, ectopically expressing Grh is sufficient to induce AMP Cecropin A lacZ reporter (CecA-LacZ) in the embryonic epidermis. These results suggest a new function of Grh in the local immune responses in Drosophila barrier epithelia. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript.

Conversion of natural gas and other light hydrocarbons via steam reforming is currently the major process for hydrogen production. However, conventional hydrogen production technologies are not cost effective and therefore, cost is the biggest impediment to use hydrogen in fuel cell applications. In order to optimize and overcome cost problems in hydrogen production, sorption and membrane enhanced reaction processes are the two novel technologies for in situ operation of reforming and removal of carbon dioxide. Adsorption of carbon dioxide onto activated hydrotalcite and activated soda, obtained from either trona or NaHCO3, had been studied using a stainless steel packed bed tubular reactor as a function of temperature. Adsorption of CO2 in the presence and absence of steam onto activated hydrotalcite was conducted in the temperature range of 400-527 oC, whereas sorption studies with activated soda were performed for 80 to 152 oC in the presence of steam. Also, two-parameter deactivation model was developed to justify the experimental data and predictions of the breakthrough curves by deactivation model indicated a good agreement with the experimental results. In order to obtain physical properties of the sorbents, untreated and calcined sorbents were characterized by using TGA, B.E.T (N2 adsorption), and Hg porosimetry techniques. When hydrotalcite was used as the sorbent, total adsorption capacity of the material reduced from 1.18 mol/kg to 0.66 mol/kg as the temperature was increased from 400 oC to 527 oC. On the other hand, activated soda exhibited a total adsorption capacity 1.15 to 0.68 mol/kg for a temperature change from 80 to 152 oC. For high temperature removal of CO2, hydrotalcite and its promoted forms (using K2CO3 or Na2CO3) are pretty good sorbents to be used in single step hydrogen production processes, such as SERP. On the other hand, activated soda could also be used for CO2 abatement of the effluent gas from the reformer only when the temperature is lowered enough to obtain efficient adsorption capacity within the multi-bed adsorbers.

Orientador: Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes / Resumo: As fosfolipases A2 (PLA2s) são um dos maiores constituintes protéicos do veneno botrópico e um dos responsáveis pela necrose muscular, consequência esta não eficazmente neutralizada pela administração do soro antiofídico. Estas proteínas são tóxicas através do rompimento ou perturbação da membrana celular em um mecanismo catalítico dependente de cálcio e outro independente, sendo este último não totalmente elucidado. Usualmente, estas toxinas são obtidas diretamente do veneno das serpentes, sendo sua purificação um desafio pela co-existência de diferentes isoformas. O objetivo desta tese foi compreender o mecanismo miotóxico independente de cálcio através de estudos estruturais e propor nova metodologia que trate de dados cristalográficos de toxinas provenientes de amostras impuras, chamada SEQUENCE SLIDER. Para tanto, cristalografia e outras técnicas biofísicas, como espalhamento de raios X a baixo ângulo, serão utilizados para estudar três miotoxinas ofídicas em estado nativo e complexado com produtos naturais e inibidores. Nós propusemos medidas locais e globais para caracterizar e relacionar a estrutura dessas toxinas a função. Com o SEQUENCE SLIDER, pudemos elucidar as estruturas de toxinas inéditas cuja sequência era parcialmente conhecida. Esta nova metodologia proposta consiste em avaliar diferentes cadeias laterais contra o coeficiente de correlação em espaço real calculado a partir dos dados cristalográficos. Em paralelo, desenvolvemos o SEQUENCE SLIDER no âmbito do... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor