This thesis is a summary of enclosure and microcosm experiments that aimed to study the impact of allochtonous subsidies on food web dynamics in a heterogeneous food web. In the enclosure studies, a three trophic level littoral food web was used. The food web consisted of two growth forms of primary producers: phytoplankton and periphyton and their associated herbivores: scraping and filtering herbivores. The predator used, YOY perch, affects both pathways in the food web. Manipulation of the openness for the different trophic levels showed that the inflow of phytoplankton and cross-habitat foraging by the herbivore level reinforced the compensatory response between the two growth forms of primary producers In the microcosm experiment, the response of an herbivore food web and a microbial community to inflow of resources and food web configuration was studied, using a model food web. The model food web consisted of two forms of primary producers, i.e. phytoplankton and periphyton, and two herbivores, i.e. Daphnia pulex feeding on phytoplankton, and Chydorus sphaericus feeding on both periphyton and phytoplankton. Three different food web configurations, all having the phytoplankton and periphyton, but either one of the herbivores, or both, were set up. The flow regimes consisted of an open treatment receiving a constant supply of phytoplankton, and a closed treatment with an initial resource pool. The effect of the inflow of phytoplankton was affected by the food web configuration. In the presence of D. pulex, the inflow of phytoplankton was made accessible to periphyton, and indirectly to C. sphaericus, which increased to such high densities that D. pulex was negatively affected. The inflow of phytoplankton had an indirect negative effect on the microbial community, since the biomass of herbivores increased, which imposed a higher grazing pressure on all parts of the microbial community.

Studien syftar till att undersöka hur kuratorerna som verkställer vård inom socialtjänsten ser på denna påföljd och på sin roll i verkställandet av densamma, samt hur ungdomar som genomfört vård inom socialtjänsten upplever samma påföljd. Syftet avgränsas genom följande frågeställningar: (i) Hur ser kuratorerna på Ungdoms- och familjeteamet i Örebro kommun på vård inom socialtjänsten och på sin egen roll i verkställandet av denna påföljd utifrån den lagstiftning som reglerar vård inom socialtjänsten, samt den lagstiftning som reglerar socialtjänstens insatser för unga? (ii) Hur har ungdomar som genomfört vård inom socialtjänsten på Ungdoms- och familjeteamet i Örebro upplevt påföljden utifrån samma lagstiftning, och finns det någon skillnad i upplevelsen före och efter genomförandet av denna? En vidare angränsning är att jag har valt att fokusera studien på ungdomar som har blivit dömda för misshandel. För att besvara uppsatsens syfte och frågeställningar har jag genomfört kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer med personalen på Ungdoms- och familjeteamet, samt med ungdomar som har genomfört vård inom socialtjänsten där. Intervjuerna gjordes utifrån på förhand sammanställda intervjuguider och utgick ifrån uppsatsens syfte, frågeställningar samt den lagstiftning som utgör uppsatsens teoriavsnitt. Resultatet visar att kuratorerna inte ser någon konflikt i verkställandet av påföljden vård inom socialtjänsten, främst beroende på arbetsfördelningen mellan dem och socialkontoren. Vidare upplevde inte ungdomarna, i stort, påföljden som ett straff. De skillnader som ändå fanns mellan upplevelsen före och efter påföljden, tycks i mycket handla om en dålig information i samband med rättegången. Slutligen upplevde de flesta ungdomar i studien att påföljden hade gjort skillnad; ett fåtal menade att rättegången och böter hade haft en avskräckande effekt, men de flesta pekade på vårdprogrammet som det som hade gjort skillnad. / The purpose of this paper is to examine how the social welfare officers, who enforce the sentence Treatment within the Social Services, look at this form of sentence and their own role when it comes to enforcing the sentence, and how juveniles who have carried out this penalty look at the same. The purpose is defined by the following questions: (i) How do the social welfare officers at the Youth and Family Team in Örebro look at Treatment within the Social Services and their own role in enforcing this sentence, regulated by law within the social services treatment and within the social services programme for juveniles? (ii) How do the juveniles who have carried out the sentence Treatment within the Social Services at the Youth and Family Team in Örebro experience the treatment, and do they feel that it has made a difference? Another definition I have made is a choice to focus my study on juveniles sentenced for assault and battery. In order to answer the purpose and questions I have performed qualitative research interviews with social welfare officers at the Youth and Family Team and juveniles who had carried out Treatment within the Social Services with them. The interviews were performed according to guides based on the purpose and questions, and the legislation presented in the theoretical section of this paper. The result shows that the social welfare officers notice no conflict within enforcing the sentence Treatment within the Social Services, mainly due to the division of labour between them and the social services offices. Further, most of the juveniles did not find the sentence a punishment. Nevertheless, the difference in the experiences before and after serving the sentence seems to be lack of information about the meaning of the sentence by the time of the legal proceedings. Finally, most of the juveniles in the study find that the sentence has mad a difference; a few of them find that the trial and fine had an intimidating effect, but most om them point out the treatment programme as the factor that has made the difference.

The purpose of the research is to assess if the franchising conceptual model is an applicable model for the HWP international market expansion in China.  The assessment will be carried out through the extensive investigations into SSAB/HWP internal and external forces including transfer of knowledge in the MNC, position building in business networks, products positioning and sales situation on the Chinese market to define the risk and opportunity.  As well as the theories of the internationalization, marketing strategy and models will be referred to evaluate the franchising model, which can be adopted in China. The research questions are how can the franchising concept be adopted as an applicable model for the Hardox Wearparts international market expansion in China?  What are the appropriate suggestions for the improvements to the further implementation of the model? By adopting four research methods of qualitative research strategy, a multidimensional purpose of the research has been conducted in order to gather first-hand data, study a specific case and investigate the multidimensional environments for the implementation of the HWP international market expansion model.  The main research methods include 1) questionnaire & survey, 2) qualitative interviewing, 3) observation, and 4) collection and qualitative analysis of texts, document, e- research materials and data. The conclusion of the research is that there are several internal- and external factors, which have affected the HWP´s market expansion in China negatively during the year.  It is a sensible decision to emphasize China as a single largest market for the HWP business development. The market seeking strategy by the infusion of the franchising concept is an appropriate decision for the HWP market expansion in China.  The conceptual franchising model by SSAB is appropriate to both the theoretical model and Chinese regulation on the franchises.  However, to implement this franchising model in China, it requires several significant improvements on those four key components/success factors which are 1) internationalization entry model, 2) transfer of knowledge within the MNC, 3) learning in the foreign market network, and 4) position-building in the business networks.   Together with the improvements on four key components/success factors, the franchising concept will be an applicable model for the HWP international market expansion in China.

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This dissertation explores public school superintendent self-efficacy influences on instructional and student achievement within three Texas public school districts. The purpose of this research study is to investigate superintendent self-efficacy and it’s perceived influence on instructional leadership in districts with persistent student achievement inequities for economically disadvantaged and students of color. This study specifically focused on three White male public school superintendents with varying numbers of student populations that have large percentages of economically disadvantaged students and students of color. Two research questions guided the inquiry process: 1. How do superintendents in school districts in which children of color and children from low-income homes persistently under-perform perceive their effectiveness in the area of instructional leadership? 2.What are superintendents’ perceptions about how their instructional leadership beliefs are influenced by the context of federal and state accountability in which they work? This study employed a qualitative method of investigation utilizing a case-study approach to examine the perceptions, beliefs, and views of participating superintendents. Two in-depth interviews with each school superintendent served as primary data collection sources, while field notes, personal observations, email, and phone conversations served as secondary and clarifying sources. Data were interpreted using a critical interpretivist lens. This inquiry contributes to the body of superintendent practice and limited research scholarship by assisting in the understanding of perceived superintendent self-efficacy influences on instructional leadership and student achievement. These understandings have additional implications for the intersection of power, privilege, and emancipatory critical constructs for superintendents with populations of economically disadvantaged students and students of color. Findings from this study serve to highlight needed calls to action and reforms in superintendent preparatory programs, research scholarship, professional organizations, and regional educational service centers.

<p>“ if you only read the book … you get the knowledge into your head once. If you talk about it, you get a more distinct memory of it, I think” (Emma, 11)</p><p>This thesis shows how a novel by Maj Bylock, Drakskeppet, was used in education within thematic work, the Viking Age, among ten-year-olds and eleven-year-olds for five weeks. The aim of the project was to investigate if and how pupils create or develop an historical consciousness when they had written and talked about the text in a novel. The study examines and analyses how three pupils in particular look upon history and ‘time’ in this process and if identification with characters in the novel takes place.</p><p>In the theoretical framework, which focuses on Judith Langer and her theories on ‘envisionment building’, that is on how children create text worlds , a general survey presents research findings about how children (10-12 years) interpret fiction. Furthermore the very complex construct of ‘historical consciousness’ is discussed.</p><p>In the second part, the study is described and its results are discussed: When these children form their personal historical consciousness their focus on the past and the present is apparent, while they have few links to the future. From the way characters’ lives are presented in Drakskeppet these young readers notice social differences in this fictional society of the past. Even though they also see parallels with the time they live in, they often conclude that ”things were worse” in the past. Another result is that an historical consciousness is generally developed when children can emotionally connect to their own lives.</p><p>A second conclusion drawn in the analysis of this project is that children should read fiction to learn about and understand History. In thematic work of this kind, pupils are offered opportunities to develop their reading and interpreting capacities even though the purpose of the work is the emergence of the pupils’ historical consciousness. It should be understood from this investigation, though, that reading without talking about the texts seems to have very little effect on how children develop their understanding of texts or an historical consciousness.</p>

Affective intra-individual variability (IIV) and affective psychological flexibility (PF) are both types of within-person variability. Affective IIV is defined as the range of emotions experienced by an individual assessed at multiple time points. PF is defined as the ability to vary one’s responses in a contextually dependent manner in order to appropriately meet situational demands. Currently, there are no comparisons between affective IIV and PF demonstrating how these constructs might be uniquely different from each other. The current study proposed to examine affective IIV and PF in order to establish discriminant and convergent validity, and stability data for each construct. The National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE) waves 1 and 2, an 8-day daily diary portion of the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS I) and MIDUS II surveys was used for this study (n =793 adults completed both waves of the NSDE). Affective IIV was related to higher mean NA and neuroticism, and lower perceived control. Affective PF was related to lower mean NA, neuroticism, and higher mean PA and perceived control. Higher affective IIV was associated with more psychological distress when assessed concurrently at both waves and predicted more psychological distress and physical ill-health 10 years later. Higher affective PF was related to less psychological distress and physical ill-health when assessed concurrently at wave 1 and less psychological distress and physical ill-health 10 years later. When situational context is included in the calculation of emotional variability, changes in emotional response may represent emotional complexity and increased control rather than emotional lability and are related to better psychological and physical outcomes.

This work explores various methods teachers can use to promote high quality second language oral production. It consists of a review of empirical research and pedagogical implications related to the following factors: 1) Pre-task planning, 2) within-task planning, 3) task repetition, 4) task design, 5) formulaic sequences, 6) learner strategies, 7) form instruction, and 8) error correction. The work concludes with a consideration of issues within the literature and a brief summary of pedagogical implications. / text

This M.A. thesis makes use of the concept and methodology of vulnerability, ‘state capacity’ theory, and Robert Wade’s ‘Wheels Within Wheels’ argument to assess the role of China within the modern global economy. The thesis draws upon the repeated identification of China as a possible global systemic risk by the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Network as a starting point, with the goal of determining why and how China would be identified in such a way, what elements support such an identification, and to what extent China’s economy might indeed represent a source of vulnerability in the global economic system. The thesis analyzes two key Chinese economic sectors: currency and reserve policy, and the domestic banking sector. Six broad vulnerability vectors are ultimately identified. The thesis concludes that, while China may represent a source of vulnerability in the global economy, it also represents a potentially strong source of resilience due to its unique economic system that emphasizes the role of the state.

This paper explores a Master of Social Work (MSW) student's experiences in engagement with structural social work during an advanced practicum with a perinatal mental health project in Northeastern Ontario. The goals of the advanced practicum were to: (a) improve reflexive practice, (b) improve understanding of structural social work, specific to social justice, and (c) improve understanding of the role of structural social workers within inter-organizational collaborations. Deconstruction of the engagement with each of the goals and the challenges in facilitation of the objectives are reviewed. Though there are issues and dilemmas facing those who wish to engage in structural social work, this advanced practicum experience was successful in improving the student's engagement with structural social work praxis.