This master thesis studies how much the cycle time, i.e. the time it takes for an industrial robot to perform a given task, can be reduced if an extra degree of freedom (DOF) is added to the robot system. The extra DOF consists of a linear track, which is supposed to be used in an optimal way. The problem has been studied using simulations in the robot simulation tool RobotStudio. To be able to run an optimization in Matlab, with the RobotStudio simulation cycle time as the object function, communication between Matlab and RobotStudio has been set up with an interface written in Visual Basic.

Syftet med detta examensarbete var att utveckla en utrustning för test av larmsystem uppbyggda med CareTech?s Smart Call-produkter. Testutrustningen ska kunna upptäcka problem i kommunikationen mellan dessa enheter. Den ska också kunna mäta matningsspänningen till enheterna under en viss tid och visa om spänningen har varit lägre eller högre än tillåtna värden..

Inom disciplinen kognitiv ho?rselvetenskap tilla?mpas en integrerad ansats da?r taluppfattning beskrivs ur ba?de ett auditivt bottom-up-perspektiv och ett kognitivt top-down-perspektiv. Studien underso?kte hur taluppfattning varierar med, respektive utan top-down-sto?d och vad de kognitiva fo?rma?gorna uppma?rksamhet, minne och inhiberingsfo?rma?ga hade fo?r inverkan. Taluppfattningsfo?rma?ga utva?rderades med hja?lp av ett Speech-In-Noise-test (SIN-test) som bestod av tre deltest da?r enstaviga ord presenterades i en ofo?rdelaktig miljo? besta?ende av ro?ster som talande i mun pa? varandra.

The problem area was identified due to the fact that research within internal audit is fragmented and insufficient, simultaneously to internal audit becoming more common in the public debate. Crises and scandals in companies such as Enron in the US and Skandia in Sweden have resulted in new regulations regarding how companies should be governed. These regulations have been established in Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) in the US, and in Sweden the Swedish code for corporate governance will be implemented in 2005. The regulations imply that companies must provide sound internal control and to accomplish that, companies should have an auditing and consulting internal audit function. The Swedish code for corporate governance denotes that companies can decide to comply or explain why the code is not complied.

SammanfattningSyfte och frågeställningarSyftet med studien var att i ett test-retest utvärdera tillförlitligheten i den nyutvecklade kraftmätaren ISOP vad gäller isometrisk muskelkraft i handledens tre rörelseplan. Den frågeställning som låg till grund för studien var följande:Föreligger det någon signifikant skillnad i uppmätta värden vid upprepade mätningar av handledskraft vid två separata testtillfällen (s.k. ?test-retest?)?MetodEtt test-retest utfördes på 20 stycken testpersoner (tio kvinnor/tio män, ålder 28-48 år, medelvärde 38,6 år), utan tidigare hand- eller handledsskada. Åtta mätningar utfördes i sex olika handledsriktningar: flexion, extension, radialdeviation, ulnardeviation, pronation och supination av dominant hand samt flexion och extension av icke-dominant hand.

AbstractThe aim of the studie was to investigate if the Pediatric Early Warning Score system, PEWS, is an useful instrument on a children's inpatient ward, regarding the detecting of deterioration in children's vital signs. For this, a quantitative descriptive design with qualitative elements was used. Method: Study specific questionnaires were distributed to 86 persons (helpnurses, nurses and doctors). Of these, 36 answered and sent back the surveys. Results: Of 36 responses 25 felt experienced a faster detection of deterioration of vital signs in the child.

One of the most important components of a harvester is the crane. Most harvester cranes are only possible to pivot (or horizontally rotate) at the crane pillar. Cranab in Vindeln, Sweden, has developed a new type of harvester crane which has an extra pivot point on the outer boom. This makes it possible to reach around residual trees, easing thinning work in dense stands. The aim of the study was to analyze if the use of a pivoting outer boom (POB) crane gave an increase in thinning production and if there were any differences in time consumption between the work elements for the POB crane and a conventional crane. A Valmet 911.3 equipped with a POB crane was used in the study.

This paper replicates a test performed by Burgstahler and Dichev (1997), which identifies a kink in the frequency distribution of earnings for companies listed on American stock exchanges. Their claim, that the kink is evidence of earnings management, has however been dismissed as a methodical consequence. To address this concern, this paper not only replicates the test in general, but also performs tests on a split sample, where founding family-owned companies are separated from the others, since earlier research has shown that founding family ownership is correlated with less earnings management. The results are in line with the findings of Burgstahler and Dichev, with a significant kink in the frequency distribution in the general test. The findings also show that the significance of the kink increases in the non-family-owned sample, while it disappears in the family-owned sample.

The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate what the users/visitors do at the Filipstads Bergslags Library when they are there. The questions we asked were "What do the visitors do when they are at the library?" and "How do the visitors give priority to the librarys services?" From these two questions we asked a third "How do the visitors view the library and its functions and what function do they see as the most important to them?" The method we used was a user study and we did this at the request of the management at the library. A questionnaire was constructed and handed out in a pilot study. We made some changes in the questionnaire before we started to hand it out at the library.

Syfte och frågeställningar: Syftet i den här studien har varit att undersöka hur fysiologiska och upplevelsebaserade variabler skiljer sig vid känd, okänd och oväntad arbetstid samt i förhållande till mentala färdigheter. För att uppnå syftet undersöktes följande frågor. Hur påverkas fysiologiska och upplevelsebaserade variabler vid känd, okänd och oväntad arbetstid? Vilket samband finns det mellan mentala färdigheter och de fysiologiska respektive upplevelsebaserade variablerna?Metod: Avsikten är att upprepa tidigare studier men med nya parametrar. Testpersonerna var uthållighetstränade (57,1 ml/kg/min ±3,7SD) män med en medelålder på 37 år (±3,8SD).

This report discusses developing a software log tool for analysis of industrial processes. The target was to develop software that can help electro Engineers for monitor and fault finding in industrial processes. The tool is called PLS (Process log server), and is developed in Visual Studio.NET Framework 2005. PLS works as a client with Beijer Electronics OPC Server. The program is able to read data from PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), trough the OPC Server.

The response to many on-going or emerging conflicts since the beginning of the 21st century has been different forms of multinational complex peace operations. Civil-military relations are a commonly studied field that traditionally has its focus on nations. This study intends, in the context of organisations, to test the correlation between a civil-military approach and outcome in complex peace operations. A hypothesis has been deduced from researcher Robert Egnell?s theory on complex peace operations, that states that: UN peace operations with an integrated civil-military approach are more successful in achieving their goals than peace operations with a divided approach.

Idrottsrörelsen är den största och mest livskraftiga folkrörelsen i Sverige. Prestationsförmågan och kraven har ökat inom idrotten och det pågår en ständig jakt efter nya talanger. Många, oavsett idrott, tränar väldigt mycket och på ett likartat sätt, men får sällan någon feedback på träningseffekten. Fysprofilen kan hjälpa till att optimera och styra träningen rätt genom att identifiera varje individs fysiska förmåga. Löp- och snabbhetskraven i lagsporter karaktäriseras mer av riktningsförändringar än av löpning rakt fram.

This master?s thesis investigates the contextualized relation between a reader and a text, in a non classroom-oriented situation. I am studying the questions of (a) in what way a persons education, personal experiences and opinions, and (b) how the text; its design (language) and message, holds a function in ? and forms ? the reader-text relation. At the same time I am testing the theoretical framework of Louise Rosenblatt, for the purpose of finding an adequate method to analyze this relation.

This thesis explore women?s needs when reentering society after having served a sentence at the female prison Färingsö, outside Stockholm and whether those needs are being met in the reentry strategies that are being provided. Parallel to this the thesis also examines if there, based on nonconformity and gender theories, is a socially constructed representation of women maintained in the rehabilitation work.The method of this thesis applied semi-structured interviews and used snowball sampling to expand the network of informants to obtain the data necessary. Totally five interviews were carried out. Previous research has shown that women in prison have much more complex problems than men and that there is a need for reentry strategies that take gender in account.The results showed that in terms of being able to reenter back in society, women needed help to structure a previously chaotic life.