This essay tries, in different levels, to explain and create a deeper understanding for the phenomena ?private security companies?. By using Mary Kaldors theory about new wars, I will come to the conclusion that the insecurity that these wars create is an important part in understanding the emergence of a security need that these private security companies can provide. Later I investigate and explain howthe neoliberal privatization policy that is spreading through the world today has laid ground for development of the private security industry. When I have answered these questions I analyze how the private security companies can affect the state, war and peace both positively and negatively.

In music performers and music-making are oftenused different distortion effects to give the desiredcharacter on the individual sound sources andinstruments. These have different names (fuzz,distortion, overdrive) depending on the character. Tocarry out this work, an extensive literature study ofthe circuit diagrams of a large number of the classicdistortion circuits implemented. In this work, adistortion effect of the character fuzz was createdfrom several other existing effects. MeasurementsFFT, frequency response have been conducted tovalidate the desired results along the given problem.The finished effect was named Instant Carlos and aprototype was manufactured.

The aim is to develop a new decision-making model for credit-loans. The model will be specific for credit applicants of the OKQ8 bank, becauseit is based on data of earlier applicants of credit from the client (the bank). The final model is, in effect, functional enough to use informationabout a new applicant as input, and predict the outcome to either the good risk group or the bad risk group based on the applicant?s properties.The prediction may then lay the foundation for the decision to grant or deny credit loan.Because of the skewed distribution in the response variable, different sampling techniques are evaluated. These include oversampling with SMOTE, random undersampling and pure oversampling in the form of scalar weighting of the minority class.

Bakgrund och Problem: Aktiemarknaden påverkas både av inhemska och utländska faktorer. Därför är det av intresse att se vilka makroekonomiska variabler som påverkar den svenska aktiemarknaden. Anledningen till att Sverige har valts som den geografiska punkten är att det är av intresse att se hur ett litet land som Sverige, som har en öppen ekonomi påverkas av de utvalda makroekonomiska variablerna.Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att med hjälp av information samt analys, studera hur de olika makroekonomiska variablerna påverkar den inhemska aktiemarknaden. Olika faktorer som påverkar aktiemarknaden kommer att lyftas fram för att i sin tur även se till de olika branscherna.Metod: Då data enbart består av hämtning av tidigare information fokuseras det enbart på sekundärdata i form av historiska siffror samt historiska undersökningar. De statistiska tester som tillämpas är Granger Causality test, Johansens Cointegration test, Impulse Response Function test, ADF test, KPSS test, Mulitpel regression.Slutsats: Med de resultat som presenterades i denna studie, skulle vi nog inte kunna säga att vi har ett svar över vilka aktier en investerare ska införskaffa.

This project report describes a supplement for character creation in a tabletop role-playing game ?Dragons and Demons." The purpose of this project is to improve the character creation for the players? trough the narrative elements such as character?s background story. The applied qualitative methods such as a test panel and a questionnaire were conducted for the evaluation of theories used during character creation and to get feedback on the supplement?s creative value for the players. The aim of the questionnaire was to see how the method for the character creation differs from the regular way of making a character for a tabletop role-playing game and if this idea improves user experience during the tabletop role-playing game.The results of the evaluation are based on answers from novice and experienced players, and conclude that the additional background story creates an insight into the character's past, which makes it easier for novice players to get quick started with character creation.

Background: Today, the environment of a company is characterized by quick changes like leaps of technology and market shifts. The problem is how this turbulent environment and an uncertain future affect how a company creates strategies and how its structure is adapted. Can a certain choice of strategies or a certain structure be a way of dealing with an changing environment? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore if and how Banverket Telenät, as an example of a company in a turbulent business like the Swedish telecom industry, tries to deal with an uncertain future through strategy and structure. Procedure: We have carried through a qualitative case study with interviews and gathering of additional information concerning the business.

External forces have significant impact on organisations. This study analyzes the implications of one type of external forces in aid-focused NGOs through two qualitative case studies where it is investigated if Sida?s reporting requirements have the intended effects: learning and control using a theoretical framework where it is recognised that the requirements may also result in dysfunctional behaviour: decoupling and colonisation. The study shows that when the demands are the result of institutional pressure rather than an ambition to generate learning and control, the demands tend to be unrealistic and the NGOs therefore decouple the formal fulfilment of the demands from the actual activities. It is argued that a partnership, which incorporates trust and dialogue, is a prerequisite, not only for learning, but also control.

External forces have significant impact on organisations. This study analyzes the implications of one type of external forces in aid-focused NGOs through two qualitative case studies where it is investigated if Sida?s reporting requirements have the intended effects: learning and control using a theoretical framework where it is recognised that the requirements may also result in dysfunctional behaviour: decoupling and colonisation. The study shows that when the demands are the result of institutional pressure rather than an ambition to generate learning and control, the demands tend to be unrealistic and the NGOs therefore decouple the formal fulfilment of the demands from the actual activities. It is argued that a partnership, which incorporates trust and dialogue, is a prerequisite, not only for learning, but also control.

The state of our society is frequently changing. Due to various factors, the pressure of creating a changeable city is high and necessary to adequately supply the needs for its inhabitants. But making these changes and adapt to the fast shifting state of the city is not always physical possible. Young adults and students is a group that often seeks to move to intensely growing city regions. The reason for this is a more promising job market and more attractive educations, but coincidentally the shortage of housing is extremely high in these areas.

Cuttings of Lonicera xylosteum L. were treated with willow extract to study the response in rooting capacity. The extracts were prepared by mixing chopped pieces of Salix x smithiana Willd. with water in a warring blender. The investigation comprised 2 types of salix extracts based on differences and dynamics between twigs in winter dormancy and twigs with new shoots. To explore the rooting response, three tests were made.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka om den grundläggande synen på identiteter USA:s ledande politikers besitter går att utläsa i strategiskt viktiga tal med koppling till USA:s insats i Afghanistan. Syftet är också att undersöka vad dessa synsätt haft för inverkan på konfliktrelationerna i detta fall. Den besvarar därför vilken grundläggande syn George W. Bush och Barack Obama uppvisat gällande identiteter. Den berör också vilken påverkan dessa identitetssyner haft för USA:s konfliktinställning och hur det förklarar konfliktutvecklingen.För att besvara dessa frågeställningar presenteras ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av Carol Bacchis teori om problemformuleringens betydelse samt de essentialistiska och konstruktivistiska perspektiven.

Bakgrund: Det senaste decenniet har allt fler stormarknader och lågprisbutiker öppnat vilket har lett till att de mindre livsmedelsbutikerna blivit utsatta för större konkurrens. Parallellt med att stormarknaderna tagit marknadsandelar i dagligvarubranschen har även större fokus riktats mot ökat samarbete och informationsdelning i försörjningskedjan, så kallat Supply Chain Management (SCM). Inom dagligvarubranschen har Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) utvecklas ur samma idéer som SCM men med fokus på livsmedel och dess försörjningskedjor. I grund och botten handlar ECR om företagens gemensamma arbete för att integrera verksamheter, minska kostnader samt producera största möjliga nytta för slutkonsumenten. Med tanke på den ökade konkurrensen i dagligvaruhandeln samt det faktum att det finns ont om tidigare forskning om små och medelstora företag (SME:s) relaterat till SCM/ECR, är det intressant att undersöka hur dessa företag påverkas av samarbetet.

The aim of this thesis is to identify and analyse the antagonism between conservation and development which occurs in historical towns.The base of the study is theories in destination development and cultural heritage tourism in historical towns as well as the consequences expressed in these theories concerning conservation and development. The standpoint was that an empiric study needed to complement the theory. This filed study took place in Dubrovnik in Croatia. The thesis identifies the antagonism between conservation and development based on the theoretical research. Moreover the study adds a perspective to the research through the identification of further dimensions of this antagonism.

This degree project aims to investigate the potential and possibilities for conceptual energyanalyses in the early stages of the design process. Many key decisions are made in theearly stages of a project regarding the shape and orientation of the building. Conceptualenergy analyses can provide the architects with insight regarding different design option?srelative energy performance.As the demands for more sustainable buildings increases, so does the need for earlyenergy analyses. Performing analyses in the early stage requires many assumptions andguesswork which could lead to a large margin of error.The offering from Autodesk is a module in Revit Architecture/MEP and the stand aloneprogram Project Vasari (under development).

Vår uppgift bestod av att utveckla en produkt för att underlätta hanteringen av ett värmeväxlarbatteri från dess ytterhölje. Målet var att den skulle vara användarvänlig och enkelt uppbyggd med främst egentillverkade moduler. Beslutet om modulerna kom till för att framtida kunder skulle kunna anpassa produkten till sin egen typ av värmeväxlarmodell. Eftersom värmeväxlarna finns i många olika längder och diametrar har flexibiliteten varit ett riktmärke i vår produkts formgivning. Vi anser att den konstruktionslösning som framtagits gott och väl uppfyller de krav och önskemål uppdragsgivaren har.