No description available.

Syfte: Syftet är att skapa förståelse för den påverkan som implementering av lean har på arbetsmiljön ur ett medarbetarperspektiv. Metod: Studien genomförs som en kvalitativ fallstudie enligt hermeneutiskt tolkningsperspektiv där primärdata samlas in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sekundärdata har huvudsakligen samlats in genom vetenskapliga artiklar och litteratur på området. Resultat & slutsats: Studien visar att implementering av lean påverkar medarbetarnas arbetsmiljö och att faktorer som delaktighet, kommunikation, utbildning och inte minst ledarskapet är viktiga faktorer för en god arbetsmiljö. En initial motvilja har efterhand som konceptet inarbetats bytts ut mot en positiv inställning och ett nytt sätt att arbeta. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien bidrar till att skapa förståelse för hur implementering av lean påverkar arbetsmiljön. Genom förståelse för hur externa strukturer påverkar interna strukturer och därigenom medarbetarnas agerande vill vi belysa vilka faktorer som företag bör rikta fokus mot för att bibehålla en god arbetsmiljö under implementering av lean. Studiens resultat kan inte direkt generaliseras till andra arbetsplatser, men erbjuder en möjlighet att testa samma metod för att se hur arbetsmiljön påverkas. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Studien är relativt liten och medarbetarna har arbetat tillsammans under lång tid, därför kan framtida studier med fördel utföras på företag med större personalomsättning, annat företag i servicebranschen eller som en jämförande studie mellan två olika företag för att se påverkan på arbetsmiljön. / Aim: The aim of the study is to create understanding of the implications of lean implementation on the work environment seen from the coworker perspective Method: Qualitative case study with primary data collected by interviews of managers and employees at ICA Maxi Special in two different cities. Secondary data was collected from scientific articles and relevant literature regarding previous research in the field. Result & Conclusions: The study reveals that implementation of lean affects the coworkers' perceived work environment and that factors such as participation, meaningfulness, autonomy, communication and education are important factors for a good work environment. The initial reluctance experienced by coworkers when implementing the concept was later exchanged for a positive attitude and a new way of work, which consequently led to a better working environment in general. Contribution of the thesis: The findings of this study contribute to research by understanding and highlighting the factors that influence the employees work environment. By understanding the effect of external structures, such as lean and how it affects internal structures, and such as the actions and reactions of coworkers, companies can mitigate the impact on the work environment when implementing lean. Suggestions for future research: The study is rather small and conducted at a workplace where most of the employees have worked together for several years. Therefore, we suggest that future studies can be conducted at companies with a larger employee turnover, or at a different type of company in the service industry, or as a comparative study between

The main object of this thesis is to obtain numerous applications of fractional derivative operator concerning analytic and -valent (or multivalent) functions in the open unit disk by introducing new classes and deriving new properties. Our finding will provide interesting new results and indicate extensions of a number of known results. In this thesis we investigate a wide class of problems. First, by making use of certain fractional derivative operator, we define various new classes of -valent functions with negative coefficients in the open unit disk such as classes of -valent starlike functions involving results of (Owa, 1985a), classes of -valent starlike and convex functions involving the Hadamard product (or convolution) and classes of -uniformly -valent starlike and convex functions, in obtaining, coefficient estimates, distortion properties, extreme points, closure theorems, modified Hadmard products and inclusion properties. Also, we obtain radii of convexity, starlikeness and close-to-convexity for functions belonging to those classes. Moreover, we derive several new sufficient conditions for starlikeness and convexity of the fractional derivative operator by using certain results of (Owa, 1985a), convolution, Jack¿s lemma and Nunokakawa¿ Lemma. In addition, we obtain coefficient bounds for the functional of functions belonging to certain classes of -valent functions of complex order which generalized the concepts of starlike, Bazilevi¿ and non-Bazilevi¿ functions. We use the method of differential subordination and superordination for analytic functions in the open unit disk in order to derive various new subordination, superordination and sandwich results involving the fractional derivative operator. Finally, we obtain some new strong differential subordination, superordination, sandwich results for -valent functions associated with the fractional derivative operator by investigating appropriate classes of admissible functions. First order linear strong differential subordination properties are studied. Further results including strong differential subordination and superordination based on the fact that the coefficients of the functions associated with the fractional derivative operator are not constants but complex-valued functions are also studied.

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Physics / Brett D. Esry / In the last 20 years, advancements in laser technology have allowed for the production of intense laser pulses with durations in the femtosecond (10⁻¹⁵ second) regime, giving scientists the ability to probe nuclear dynamics on their natural time scale. Study of the dissociated fragments created by these intense fields can be used to learn about the molecular structure and dynamics. The work presented in this thesis focuses on controlling this light–molecule interaction in such a way that we can preferentially dissociate the molecule to a desired final product. The hydrogen molecular ion, HD⁺, as well as LiF serve as simple systems that can be studied theoretically for a broad range of laser parameters. Our goal in using these relatively simple systems is to capture the essential physics of the light–molecule interaction and develop general methods to describe these interactions in more complex systems.

Master of Science / Physics / Vinod Kumarappan / This report includes the experimental details and results of two experiments. The first experiment addresses carrier envelope phase (CEP) effects in higher order harmonic generation (HHG), and the second experiment is a pump-probe experiment on CO₂ molecules using ultrashort laser pulses. Ultrashort laser pulses that are only a few optical cycles long are of interest for studying different atomic and molecular processes. The CEP of such a pulse is an important parameter that can affect the experimental results. Because the laser pulses we used in the HHG experiment have random CEP, we tagged a given harmonic spectrum with the CEP of the fundamental laser pulse that generated it by measuring both shot-by-shot. The first chapter of this report is about the experimental details and the results we got from our CEP-tagged HHG experiment that enabled us to observe the interference of different quantum pathways. In the second experiment, discussed in the second chapter of this report, we tried to study the structure of the CO₂⁺ ion created by strong field ionization in a pump-probe experiment. For this experiment, we used an ultrashort laser pulse to ionize CO₂ molecules, and after various time delays we probed the ionic wave packet by ionizing CO₂⁺ with another ultrashort laser pulse. By performing Fourier analysis on the delay-dependent CO₂⁺⁺ yield, we were able to identify the populated states of CO₂⁺.

Accomplishing desired benefits from investments in planned change is problematical for organizations, their leaders and the change agents charged with delivery. This is despite a well-developed literature, replete with advice on how change should be achieved. Examination of this literature shows the primary focus on change agents and their practices. This research widens the focus by observing the influence of change agents, change recipients and line managers on organizational routines undergoing planned change. It examines the interplay between stability and change in organizational routines, adopting a social practice perspective, and the routine intended to change as the unit of analysis (Feldman and Pentland, 2003, 2005). The research builds on claims that to understand the patterns of action within routines requires the internal dynamics – the claimed duality between ostensive (in principle) and performative (in practice) aspects - to be examined. A research method to operationalize the study of this claimed duality was devised following the principles of Strong Structuration (Stones, 2005). This method enabled a unique conceptualization of the study of routine dynamics, focused on planned change from the perspective of multiple, interdependent actors. Two cases of change agents following the advice in the planned change literature were explored. In one case, stability of the routine persisted when change was intended. In the other, change was relatively easy to achieve irrespective of change agent actions. The primary contribution is the demonstration of how the attitudes to change of change recipients, line managers and change agents influence the internal dynamics of routines undergoing planned change. Other contributions pertain to the method of ‘unpacking’ organizational routines and its potential for shaping future practice. This research does not offer new ‘normative’ advice but instead sensitizes planned change practitioners to the level of analysis they need to carry out to ensure that their interventions are suitably designed.

In the 4d transition metal oxides, the extension of the 4d orbitals leads to comparable and thus competitive kinetic and coulomb energies. As a result, small perturbations can induce significant changes in their physical properties, giving rise to a class of exotic phenomena that are rarely found in other materials. The ruthenates materials with readily tunable parameters open an avenue to study the strong electronic correlation in the rarely explored territory: the 4d transition metal oxides. The bilayered system, Ca3Ru2O7, belongs to the Ruddlesden-Popper series in which the physical properties are intimately linked to the lattice degrees of freedom. Ca3Ru2O7, with its quasi-2D and severe structure distortion, is believed to be placed in a unique position at which the role of orbital degrees of freedom is highlighted. The system displays strikingly different behaviors when the field is applied along different crystalline axes. A ferromagnetic (FM) state with full spin polarization is achieved for B||a-axis, but colossal magnetoresistance is realized only for B||b-axis by avoiding the ferromagnetic state. In addition, for B rotating within the ac-plane, slow and strong SdH oscillations periodic in 1/B are observed for T.1.5 K in the presence of metamagnetism. For B|| [110], oscillations are also observed but periodic in B (rather than 1/B) and persist up to 15 K. These properties together with highly unusual spin-charge-lattice coupling near the Mott transition (48 K) are driven by the orbital degrees of freedom. Complex thermodynamic properties are also observed in the other ruthenates system such as Sr4Ru3O10 and Pr3RuO7. The Sr4Ru3O10 is a triple-layered system that shows a dedicate balance between fluctuations and order. Besides the anomaly at TC=102K, anomalous behavior at low temperatures are also observed in the thermal study, indicative of an unusual magnetic order in this material. The Pr3RuO7 shows one-dimensional structure with zig-zag chain of corner sharing RuO6 octahedra running in parallel with the rows of edge-shared PrO8 pseudo-cubes. Magnetic and thermal properties studies on its single crystals indicate that the exchange interaction is strongly anisotropic. A Schottky-type anomaly at low temperature suggests that the gorderedh chain Pr ions are still sensitive to a crystal field.

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Title: Teenagers and their perception of fashion brands (Ungdomar och deras uppfattningar om modevarumärken)</p><p>Number of pages: 42</p><p>Author: Louise Kindblom</p><p>Tutor: Göran Svensson</p><p>Course: Media and communication studies C</p><p>Period: Autumn term 2007</p><p>University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala university</p><p>Purpose/Aim: To achieve a deeper level of knowledge and a better understanding of high school teenager`s perception of the three fashion brands Gucci. H&M and Canada Goose and too distinguish potential gender related differences in their perceptions.</p><p>Material/Method: A questionnaire about fashion brands delivered to three schools in the Stockholm area.</p><p>Main results: Teenagers perceptions of the three fashion brands Gucci, H&M and Canada Goose are more different than similar. This differences in teenagers perceptions are discernible in a comparison between the most usual and unusual associations that are related to each of the brands. Gucci is associated with success, wealth, excitement and uniqueness. H&M is for example seen as earth-bound and has in a comparison with the other brands reached the highest level of positive associations. Canada Goose is seen as dishonest, and has the highest level of negative associations. Gucci and H&M are the strongest brands. They are strong regarding different aspects. Canada Goose is the least strong fashion mark. There are differences in perceptions of gender but they are quite seldom very big even if there are exceptions from this rule. The differences are more subtle.</p><p>Keywords: fashion brands, teenagers, perceptions, strong brands, associations, image, Kellers pyramid</p>

This thesis examines the construction of forensic medical evidence in penetrative sexual assault cases and the procedures that Forensic Medical Examiners (FMEs) employ in order to ensure the authority of that evidence. Drawing upon interviews and on the texts and artefacts that FMEs use in their work, the thesis employs the concept of “meaning finitism” to analyse how FMEs perform forensic examinations for evidential purposes. The thesis starts with an exploration of how medical practitioners are taught to identify and classify injuries of medico-legal significance, culminating in their being judged “safe” to provide expert testimony by other members of the clinical forensic medical community. The thesis next addresses the construction of what I call the “morphological account”: a set of judgements about the nature of a case based upon a combination of the observed injuries, the FME’s training and their previous experience of cases. While there is considerable agreement amongst practitioners about how to interpret injuries (a result of their training), because the morphological account involves personal judgement, there is also scope for differences of opinion. The thesis therefore explores the methods that FMEs employ to limit the risk of being seen to disagree with one another during trials. The thesis also examines the role that guidelines play in the forensic medical examination. The thesis argues that standardised medical kits and associated guidance documents were originally introduced in the early 1980s in response to sustained criticism of FMEs’ practices, and further developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the rise of Evidence-Based Medicine. Kits and guidance documents provide a means for FMEs to legitimate and explain their work to others, particularly during trials: they codify collective practice and provide FMEs with an aide memoire of the requisite procedures, without overly determining or constraining practice. Finally, I will argue that FMEs’ concern to ensure the authority of their evidence may sometimes limit the value of that evidence. Caution over drawing inferences that might be challenged in court, and a concern not to be seen as “prosecution-minded”, commonly leads FME to compose so-called “Neutral Reports” which neither confirm nor deny the complainer’s allegations. As Scottish Procedural Law makes provision for non-contentious evidence to be removed from trial, such neutral reports are likely to be dismissed from consideration.