This essay discusses and evaluates the international currency market in regards to efficiency. To prove the theory that, the difference between expected and actual exchange rates is explained by the difference in expected and actual interest rates and the difference in expected and actual inflation between countries, a model was developed. This model was inspired by the paper of Sebastian Edwards (1982), and is based on three theories; UIP, IS/LM and the Efficient Markets Hypothesis. The model uses 16 regressions estimated from three pairs of curriencies: $/SEK, £/SEK and ?/SEK.

Internet and digital technology has changed the way we live our lives. As individuals we've found new ways to communicate, educate and experience. But what's the effect on B2B marketing? Previous research presents transactional benefits such as lower costs and easier access to information, but there is limited research done on more complex and long term relationships as well as on modern digital tools. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether a deeper long term B2B relationship can be created and nurtured using digital tools for communication, and if so, how these tools and processes can be described and understood.

Genom litteraturstudier samt praktiskt arbete med förbättringar av programvaran File Secure har ett antal lämpliga designmönster för konfigurationshantering i Java identifierats och applicerats. Den typ av konfigurationshantering som här avses innefattar inläsning från en databas till en objektrepresentation, samt ett grafiskt gränssnitt som låter användaren modifiera datat. Det antas att mängden data är förhållandevis liten, vilket har gett upphov till vissa förenklingar. Resultatet av arbetet presenteras i form av ett mönsterspråk för konfigurationshantering, innefattande designmönstren Domain Model, Active Record och det befintliga mönsterspråket Model - View - Controller. Detta kan appliceras i många olika sorters system..

The determination of the optical properties of biological tissue is an important issue in laser medicine. The optical properties define the tissue´s absorption and scattering behaviour, and can be expressed by quantities such as the albedo, the optical thickness and the anisotropy coefficient. During this project, a measurement system for the determination of the optical properties was built up. The system consists of a double integrating sphere set-up to perform the necessary reflection and transmission measurements, and a computer algorithm to calculate the optical properties from the measured data. This algorithm is called Inverse Adding Doubling method, and is based on a one-dimensional transport model.

Value-at-Risk (VaR) is among financial institutions a commonly used tool for measuring market risk. Several methods to calculate VaR exists and different implementations often results in different VaR forecasts. An interesting implementation is historical simulation, and the purpose of this thesis is to examine whether historical simulation with dynamic volatility updating is useful as a model to calculate VaR and how this differs in regard to type of asset or instrument. To carry out the investigation six different models are implemented, which then are tested for statistical accuracy through Christoffersens test. We find that incorporation of volatility updating into the historical simulation method in many cases improves the model.

In this thesis, a computer program that in a simple way can calculate the performance of control loops at the refinery Preemraff Lysekil has been created. The computer program has been adapted to the environment at Preemraff Lysekil. Theories for evaluation has been studied in aspect of reliability and of automatic implementation. The evaluation has been carried out from data collected directly from control loops at the refinery and from simulated control loops with implemented errors. Among the studied methods are Harris index and Stattin´s oscillation index.

Due to the forest industry downsizing, many communities in rural forest regions in Canada and Sweden are facing problems to survive. In order to create community sustainability, resilience and well-being in remote forest regions, the view on the forest resources has shifted towards multiple use, through the concept of sustainable forest management (SFM). Beside the economic and ecological elements of sustainability, the social forest values are needed, contributing to the human well-being, local participation, stakeholder collaboration, human rights and cultural connection. In this thesis the embodiment of the social component of SFM within Prince Albert Model Forest (Canada), and Vilhelmina Model Forest (Sweden) will be examined. Being partners and facing similar challenges as rural boreal forest regions, the two model forests are compared through analysis of projects and activities, conducted interviews and organization documents. Looking at projects mentioned as successful by the interviewees, they all have elements from the social values of SFM. The direction can be explained by the introduction of the Forest Communities Program in Canada, demanding the Model Forests to work towards community stability and resilience, the Model Forest organization concept itself and the way global focus are increasing around social forest values. In the future, it may be important that the role of the MFs enable some kind of political authorization and legitimacy in order to improve conflict solving and indigenous rights equality.

Making accurate predictions of private consumption expenditures is a difficult task. This thesis examines if consumer confidence can be used to forecast consumption. Using regression analysis, the link between consumer confidence and private consumption expenditures is analyzed for Sweden between the years 1994 and 2005. Two different models are estimated. In the first model consumption is regressed only on consumer confidence, while model two is extended to contain more variables.

During the past few years a vast amount of research has been done to increase the understanding of the complex ecosystem of the Baltic Sea. Modelling and simulations are important tools to increase knowledge of the system. A suitable model must be simple to use and the parameters and variables needed in the model must be easy to access.In this paper a dynamical mass-balance model, CoastMab, which is validated for smaller coastal areas, has been used to predict concentrations and transports of phosphorus in three large coastal areas - the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Gdansk and the Gulf of Riga. CoastMab uses ordinary differential equations to regulate inflow, outflow and internal flows. To reflect seasonal variations in temperature and different types of flows the model has a temporal resolution of a month.

SAMMANFATTNINGTitel: Belöningssystem - hjälpande eller stjälpande? En fallstudie om karriärreformen förstelärare på en gymnasieskola i Gävle.Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomiFörfattare: Alice Viklund & Erika LundströmHandledare: Monika Wallmon & Lars EkstrandDatum: 2015 ? januariSyfte: Syftet med studien är att med avseende på prestation och motivation skapa förståelse för hur de anställda upplever implementeringen av performance management i form av monetära incitament.Metod: Syftet med uppsatsen var att skapa förståelse för det rådande belöningssystemet och studien har utförts genom en kvalitativ metod. Data har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio lärare på en gymnasieskola i Gävle. Därefter har vi genom tematisk analys presenterat materialet och resultaten i en slutsats.Resultat & slutsats: Slutsatsen vi kom fram till i vår studie var att karriärsreformen på kort sikt har skapat en något försämrad kollegial atmosfär och en känsla av orättvisa. Detta tror vi är mycket på grund av att belöningssystemet fortfarande är i en initieringsfas och att dessa reaktioner kommer att avta.

The school is under constant change and school reform on the conveyor belt. In 2009 the Swedish government introduced new directives for the elementaryschool, including multi-national sample, written testimonials from grade one and grade with several grades rose from grade six. The purpose of this study is to examine currently active primary teacher perceptions of the pupils' learning and development might be affected by those earlier and clearer knowledge assessments, and how teachers perceive this reform on the basis of the Swedish school's motto "a school for all". The study was carried out with a phenomenological approach where the method has been depth interviews with five active primary teachers from grades one to six in a school. The results show that teachers perceive that the earlier and clearer assessments will affect students differently according to student performance and knowledge.

The ISO standard ISO/IEC 17799/SS-627799-2 is a guidance for organizations to realize their information security goals. In spite of this standard, studies show flaws regarding information security in organizations. In particular flaws regarding overall view, knowledge and clear roles and responsibilities have been observed. The ISIT (Information Security Integrated Three level) model and its guidelines, developed in this thesis, help organizations to identify the required processes and procedures as well as the logical process flow. The thesis is based on theoretical studies and a case study within a multinational company.

The aim of this study is to investigate oral peer review on argumentative speech and to study the attitudes towards this peer review. The investigation was performed in an up-per secondary school class, and it focused on the different types of oral responses students give each other. In addition, the study investigated in what way the students experience this type of peer review. The results show that students reflect on form and performance as well as content, but they place more emphasis on form and performance than content. Students are positive about peer review and its importance for their progress.

My point of origin concerning this thesis was an interest for how school may develop students? reading comprehension. International surveys show that the results for Swedish students? performance regarding reading comprehension have declined and the current curriculum, Lgr-11, emphasizes the importance of incorporating this into all school subjects. The special teacher education programme has raised the awareness concerning the importance of including the students and that learning is achieved in an interactive setting.

This thesis project focuses on the need for better tools for analyzing competition for forest fuels in Sweden, in particular how policy measures may influence the market and involved actors in different regions of Sweden. Raw materials from the forest have for long constituted important inputs in the Swedish forest industry. Today some of these raw materials are increasingly used as inputs also in bioenergy production, largely driven by bioenergy promoting policies, and there are signs of increased competition for forest fuels which may have various and uncertain effects on the industries in question. The thesis project explores the possibilities to adapt previously used forest sector equilibrium models into a new model suitable for analysis of Swedish forest fuel markets, called the Swedish Forest Sector Trade Model (SFSTM). The approach takes into account regional differences in supply and demand for 23 types of products produced and/or used by eight types of producers, plus consumers, in five different regions (four Swedish and one international).