The purpose of writing this essay has been to find out what shape yoga has been given in Stockholm, as social processes have left their mark. With a mixed method we've performed a qualitative research to figure out how people reason regarding the subject and how the discourse forms by the active community. We have interviewed people who either teach yoga or performs yoga on a daily basis. We have also analyzed webpages belonging to yoga studios which are active in Stockholm. The central theories have been Durkheim’s theory about the holy and profane, also his theory about the ritual which has been reworked by Collins who added the theory about the symbol. McLeod’s theory about postcolonialism and Said’s theories about orientalism, exotification and the positioned superiority, has together with Askegaard and Eckhardt’s theory about the shapes of yoga also been important in this thesis. We have discovered that yoga has been shaped into two forms; a holiness which the yoga performers finds within themselves and the second form: a product of consumption which modifies to fit the market. / Syftet med att skriva denna uppsats är att ta reda på vad yoga har fått för form i Stockholm allteftersom sociala processer satt sin prägel. Vi har med blandad kvalitativ metod utfört en undersökning för att ta reda på hur centrala aktörer själva resonerar samt hur diskursen formas av aktörer. Vi har utfört intervjuer med personer som är aktiva som yogalärare alternativt utövar yoga på daglig basis. Vi har även utfört analyser av hemsidor tillhörande yogastudios som är verksamma i Stockholm. De teorier som varit centrala i arbetet är Durkheims teori om det heliga och det profana, samt hans teori om ritualen vilken utarbetats av Collins som även adderat teorin om symboler. Ytterligare teorier som varit centrala är McLeods beskrivning av den postkoloniala värld vi lever i, tillsammans med Saids teori om orientalism, exotifiering och den västerländska positionerade överlägsenheten. Slutligen har vi använt Askegaard och Eckhardts teorier om yogans skepnader. Vår studie resulterade i att vi identifierat två former yoga fått i Stockholm, ena formen är yoga som helighet utövare upplever inom sig och den andra formen är yoga som konsumtionsprodukt med exotiska inslag vilken anpassar sig efter marknaden.

Estudos que comprovem a superioridade de um fármaco em relação a outros já existentes no mercado são de grande interesse na prática clínica. Através deles a Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) concede registro a novos produtos, que podem curar mais rápido ou aumentar a probabilidade de cura dos pacientes, em comparação ao tratamento padrão. É de suma importância que os testes de hipóteses controlem a probabilidade do erro tipo I, ou seja, controlem a probabilidade de que um tratamento não superior seja aprovado para uso; e também atinja o poder de teste regulamentado com o menor número de indivíduos possível. Os testes de hipóteses existentes para esta finalidade ou desconsideram o tempo até que o evento de interesse ocorra (reação alérgica, efeito positivo, etc) ou são baseados no modelo de riscos proporcionais. No entanto, na prática, a hipótese de riscos proporcionais pode nem sempre ser satisfeita, como é o caso de ensaios cujos riscos dos diferentes grupos em estudo se igualam com o passar do tempo. Nesta situação, o modelo de chances proporcionais é mais adequado para o ajuste dos dados. Neste trabalho desenvolvemos e investigamos dois testes de hipóteses para ensaios clínicos de superioridade, baseados na comparação de curvas de sobrevivência sob a suposição de que os dados seguem o modelo de chances de sobrevivências proporcionais, um sem a incorporação da fração de cura e outro com esta incorporação. Vários estudos de simulação são conduzidos para analisar a capacidade de controle da probabilidade do erro tipo I e do valor do poder dos testes quando os dados satisfazem ou não a suposição do teste para diversos tamanhos amostrais e dois métodos de estimação das quantidades de interesse. Concluímos que a probabilidade do erro tipo I é subestimada quando os dados não satisfazem a suposição do teste e é controlada quando satisfazem, como esperado. De forma geral, concluímos que é imprescindível satisfazer as suposições dos testes de superioridade. / Studies that prove the superiority of a drug in relation to others already existing in the market are of great interest in clinical practice. Based on them the Brazilian National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) grants superiority drugs registers which can cure faster or increase the probability of cure of patients, compared to standard treatment. It is of the utmost importance that hypothesis tests control the probability of type I error, that is, they control the probability that a non-superior treatment is approved for use; and also achieve the test power regulated with as few individuals as possible. Tests of hypotheses existing for this purpose or disregard the time until the event of interest occurrence (allergic reaction, positive effect, etc.) or are based on the proportional hazards model. However, in practice, the hypothesis of proportional hazards may not always be satisfied, as is the case of trials whose risks of the different study groups become equal over time. In this situation, the proportional odds survival model is more adequate for the adjustment of the data. In this work we developed and investigated two hypothesis tests for clinical trials of superiority, based on the comparison of survival curves under the assumption that the data follow the proportional survival odds model, one without the incorporation of cure fraction and another considering cure fraction. Several simulation studies are conducted to analyze the ability to control the probability of type I error and the value of the power of the tests when the data satisfy or not the assumption of the test for different sample sizes and two estimation methods of the quantities of interest. We conclude that the probability of type I error is underestimated when the data do not satisfy the assumption of the test and it is controlled when they satisfy, as expected. In general, we conclude that it is indispensable to satisfy the assumptions of superiority tests.

The future is uncertain. We therefore make predictions and forecasts of the future in order to be able to plan and react to future events. For this purpose, financial analysts are argued to have a responsibility towards investors and the market, in helping to keep the market efficient. Given that financial analysts act in a rational way we argue that analysts should strive to maximize forecast accuracy. The purpose of this study is to investigate how accurate financial analysts’ forecasts of Swedish firms’ future values are, and what information that analysts use that significantly affect the analysts’ forecast accuracy. To investigate this we first examine whether financial analysts contribute with value to investors by comparing their forecast precision against a simple time-series model. Our findings show that financial analysts produce significantly more accurate forecasts than a time-series model in the short term. Furthermore, given that rational analysts act in their own best interest while making accurate forecasts, we argue that analysts will incorporate and use the information that is available to them for the purpose of maximizing forecast accuracy. We investigate this by testing if the analysts’ forecast accuracy is affected by; the forecast horizon, the number of analysts following a firm, the firm size, the corporate visibility, the predictability of earnings, and trading volume. We find that the forecast accuracy is better when the amount of analysts following a firm is high, the firm size is larger, the forecasted company’s corporate visibility in the news is more frequent, and the predictability of earnings is higher. The trading volume does not have a significant effect on analysts’ forecast accuracy. To conclude, we question the value of financial analysts’ forecasts for longer forecast horizons.

Behandlar den rådande klasstrukturen i Jane Austens Emma och hur de personliga egenskaperna hos ett urval av karaktärerna i romanen ställs mot varandra i en sådan kontext. Argumentet är att trots det faktum att Jane Austen respekterar och bevarar ramarna för klass i detta verk så finns det möjlighet att frångå dessa om det finns tillräckligt med goda personliga egenskaper som väger upp avsaknad av en viss klassbakgrund.

Throughout the nineteenth and into the twentieth century, theories of race contributed to the justification and authorization of global European imperialism and the colonization of indigenous people. In Canada, racial theories influenced perceptions of each citizen as either superior or inferior. Although European and American theorists constructed hundreds of ideas about race, there are several key ideas that continue to linger in the minds of Canadians. This thesis examines the socio-ideological context of racial theories and provides an historical account of the construction of race. The historical account highlights four prominent ideas: white superiority, non-white inferiority (marked by low intelligence levels), the belief in inherent racial characteristics, and racial purity and contamination. In Saskatchewan, these ideas continue to surface in discourse about Aboriginal people and relations between the non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal population. Although constructed ideas about race are scientifically unsound and grounded in the belief in white superiority, these ideas are often normalized as common sense and not easily recognized as constructed. Discourse and practices that appear to be emancipatory for Aboriginal people but rely on constructed ideas about race need to be re-examined. This thesis provides several examples of where these ideas surface in Saskatchewan discourse and recommends anti-racist education as an alternative.

Throughout the nineteenth and into the twentieth century, theories of race contributed to the justification and authorization of global European imperialism and the colonization of indigenous people. In Canada, racial theories influenced perceptions of each citizen as either superior or inferior. Although European and American theorists constructed hundreds of ideas about race, there are several key ideas that continue to linger in the minds of Canadians. This thesis examines the socio-ideological context of racial theories and provides an historical account of the construction of race. The historical account highlights four prominent ideas: white superiority, non-white inferiority (marked by low intelligence levels), the belief in inherent racial characteristics, and racial purity and contamination. In Saskatchewan, these ideas continue to surface in discourse about Aboriginal people and relations between the non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal population. Although constructed ideas about race are scientifically unsound and grounded in the belief in white superiority, these ideas are often normalized as common sense and not easily recognized as constructed. Discourse and practices that appear to be emancipatory for Aboriginal people but rely on constructed ideas about race need to be re-examined. This thesis provides several examples of where these ideas surface in Saskatchewan discourse and recommends anti-racist education as an alternative.

Estudos que comprovem a superioridade de um fármaco em relação a outros já existentes no mercado são de grande interesse na prática clínica. Através deles a Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) concede registro a novos produtos, que podem curar mais rápido ou aumentar a probabilidade de cura dos pacientes, em comparação ao tratamento padrão. É de suma importância que os testes de hipóteses controlem a probabilidade do erro tipo I, ou seja, controlem a probabilidade de que um tratamento não superior seja aprovado para uso; e também atinja o poder de teste regulamentado com o menor número de indivíduos possível. Os testes de hipóteses existentes para esta finalidade ou desconsideram o tempo até que o evento de interesse ocorra (reação alérgica, efeito positivo, etc) ou são baseados no modelo de riscos proporcionais. No entanto, na prática, a hipótese de riscos proporcionais pode nem sempre ser satisfeita, como é o caso de ensaios cujos riscos dos diferentes grupos em estudo se igualam com o passar do tempo. Nesta situação, o modelo de chances proporcionais é mais adequado para o ajuste dos dados. Neste trabalho desenvolvemos e investigamos dois testes de hipóteses para ensaios clínicos de superioridade, baseados na comparação de curvas de sobrevivência sob a suposição de que os dados seguem o modelo de chances de sobrevivências proporcionais, um sem a incorporação da fração de cura e outro com esta incorporação. Vários estudos de simulação são conduzidos para analisar a capacidade de controle da probabilidade do erro tipo I e do valor do poder dos testes quando os dados satisfazem ou não a suposição do teste para diversos tamanhos amostrais e dois métodos de estimação das quantidades de interesse. Concluímos que a probabilidade do erro tipo I é subestimada quando os dados não satisfazem a suposição do teste e é controlada quando satisfazem, como esperado. De forma geral, concluímos que é imprescindível satisfazer as suposições dos testes de superioridade. / Studies that prove the superiority of a drug in relation to others already existing in the market are of great interest in clinical practice. Based on them the Brazilian National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) grants superiority drugs registers which can cure faster or increase the probability of cure of patients, compared to standard treatment. It is of the utmost importance that hypothesis tests control the probability of type I error, that is, they control the probability that a non-superior treatment is approved for use; and also achieve the test power regulated with as few individuals as possible. Tests of hypotheses existing for this purpose or disregard the time until the event of interest occurrence (allergic reaction, positive effect, etc.) or are based on the proportional hazards model. However, in practice, the hypothesis of proportional hazards may not always be satisfied, as is the case of trials whose risks of the different study groups become equal over time. In this situation, the proportional odds survival model is more adequate for the adjustment of the data. In this work we developed and investigated two hypothesis tests for clinical trials of superiority, based on the comparison of survival curves under the assumption that the data follow the proportional survival odds model, one without the incorporation of cure fraction and another considering cure fraction. Several simulation studies are conducted to analyze the ability to control the probability of type I error and the value of the power of the tests when the data satisfy or not the assumption of the test for different sample sizes and two estimation methods of the quantities of interest. We conclude that the probability of type I error is underestimated when the data do not satisfy the assumption of the test and it is controlled when they satisfy, as expected. In general, we conclude that it is indispensable to satisfy the assumptions of superiority tests.

Since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report in 2015, there has been a political and societal focus on the atrocities that occurred in residential schools. The abuse, sexual abuse, murder, and genocide of Indigenous children through the residential school system has become the main focus for many settlers in Canada. However, focusing our attention on the most heinous acts alone can obfuscate manifestations of Indigenous regulation and oppression that are subtler or more covert. This project takes a genealogical approach to allow for the exposure of naturalized settler colonial logics, while also placing residential schools within a continuum of Indigenous regulation and oppression. This project uses Foucault’s concepts of power (disciplinary power, biopower, governmentality) and contemporary colonial concepts of recognition and accommodation to uncover the governmental technologies used within the residential school system and the Correctional Service of Canada’s approach to Indigenous corrections. This project challenges the progression fallacy which states our current epoch is more ethical than any other that came before by arguing the political rationalities of Western superiority and settler colonial benevolence that justified the creation of residential schools still exist today. This project examines the Correctional Service of Canada’s approach to Indigenous corrections as a contemporary illustration of how the political rationalities of Western superiority and settler colonial benevolence not only serve as justifications for harmful policies, programs, and initiatives, but also aid in the production of new Indigenous subjects and populations. Although the manifestations of Indigenous oppression have changed throughout time, the political rationalities that underpin them have stayed the same.

No description available.

Superiority clinical trials are often designed with a planned interim analysis for the purpose of sample size re-estimation (SSR) when limited information is available at the start of the trial to estimate the required sample size. Typically these trials are designed with a two-arm internal pilot where subjects are enrolled to both treatment arms prior to the interim analysis. Circumstances may sometimes call for a trial with a single-arm internal pilot (enroll only in the control group). For a dichotomous outcome, Herson and Wittes proposed a SSR method (HW-SSR) that can be applied to single-arm internal pilot trials using an unblinded estimate of the control group outcome rate. Previous evaluations of the HW-SSR method reported conflicting results regarding the impact of the method on the two-sided Type I error rate and power of the final hypothesis test. In this research we evaluate the HW-SSR method under the null and alternative hypothesis in various scenarios to investigate the one-sided Type I error rate and power of trials with a two-arm internal pilot. We find that the one-sided Type I error rate is sometimes inflated and that the power is sometimes reduced. We propose a new method, the Critical Value and Power Adjusted Sample Size Re-estimation (CVPA-SSR) algorithm to adjust the critical value cutoff used in the final Z-test and the power critical value used in the interim SSR formula to preserve the nominal Type I error rate and the desired power. We conduct simulations for trials with single-arm and two-arm internal pilots to confirm that the CVPA-SSR algorithm does preserve the nominal Type I error rate and the desired power. We investigate the robustness of the CVPA-SSR algorithm for trials with single-arm and two-arm internal pilots when the assumptions used in designing the trial are incorrect. No Type I error inflation is observed but significant over- or under-powering of the trial occurs when the treatment effect used to design the trial is misspecified.