This Masters thesis work describes a comparison between two different methods for estimation of the down channel (base station to mobile subscriber) in Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). The first estimation method, Optimal Feed-forward Channel Estimation (OFCE), is a conventional method that bases the estimates on data that is known to both sender and receiver, so called pilots. The second method, Decision Directed Channel Estimation (DDCE), is an elaboration of OFCE. It also uses user data for estimation. Simulations show that DDCE, in comparison to OFCE, does not attain an improvement in signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) for high bit error rates (BER).

Female growth, number of eggs and egg growth of Daphnia pulex were studied at four temperatures, 12, 16, 18 and 20°C. I hypothesized that female growth and number of eggs would be lower and the size of the eggs larger in the presence of a predator (kairomones) than in its absence. This effect was expected to be more evident at lower temperatures. I could not find any effect of kairomones on female growth, number of eggs or egg size, although there was a weak tendency for an effect on number of eggs. There was, however, an effect of temperature, regardless of predator treatment (i.

Germany has experienced low birth rates ever since the 1970s when they fell below the replacement levels of 2,1 children per woman. Since then, their birth rate has been around 1,5 children per woman, which has caused an overall aging population. The consequences of the declining birth rates is that the previous generations are becoming larger than the younger generations. This demographic shift raises concern about how its potential implications might affect different aspects of the country and its economy overall. The aim of this paper is to try to discern the dynamic between the share of the labor force in relation to total population, with the share of pensioners in relation to the total population.

There is a new beverage container on the market, a bottle made out of pure aluminum as a replacement for the traditional container made out of glass. This new container has the potential to reduce both cost and pollution during transportation, the lighter and stronger construction has every advantage compared to the old one in glass. The new container has every possibility to make it on the market. Some of the biggest brands within the soft drink market already use these bottles in countries without any recycling demands like: Coca-Cola, Heineken and Pepsi. The only thing stopping these brands from the Swedish market is the lack of a functional return system, there is only one company that uses the bottle in Sweden today and they take care of their own used bottles.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine whether hedge funds generate higher risk-adjusted returns than traditional managed funds in Sweden.Methodology: This study was based on quantitative data about the funds historical returns. The funds historical returns were taken from the database Morningstar and the risk-free rate from the Swedish central bank. Random samples of 36 funds have been divided into three portfolios in the form of a hedge fund portfolio, stock portfolio and mix fund portfolio.Result & Conclusion: The study concluded that the stock portfolio has shown the highest average yield for the study period where all portfolios below market index. Hedge fund portfolio has achieved the highest risk-adjusted return calculated by the portfolios Sharpe Ratio. Of all hedge strategies, arbitrage had the highest average return and risk-adjusted returns..

The thesis demonstrates a low-cost, low-bandwidth and low-resolution Analog-to- Digital Converter(ADC) in 0.35 um CMOS Process. A second-order Sigma-Delta modulator is used as the basis of the A/D Converter. A Semi-Uniform quantizer is used with the modulator to take advantage of input distributions that are dominated by smaller-amplitude signals e.g. Audio, Voice and Image-sensor signals. A Single-bit feedback topology is used with a multi-bit quantizer in the modulator.

This Masters thesis work describes a comparison between two different methods for estimation of the down channel (base station to mobile subscriber) in Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). The first estimation method, Optimal Feed-forward Channel Estimation (OFCE), is a conventional method that bases the estimates on data that is known to both sender and receiver, so called pilots. The second method, Decision Directed Channel Estimation (DDCE), is an elaboration of OFCE. It also uses user data for estimation. Simulations show that DDCE, in comparison to OFCE, does not attain an improvement in signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) for high bit error rates (BER). An improvement is only seen when the BER becomes much lower than what is common in real situations. In conclusion DDCE is complicated, involves many mathematical operations and gives insignificant improvement of SNR when BER takes common values. It is legitimate to question if it is possible to use the method in a real mobile phone system..

During the past year it has been made possible to buy back a company?s outstanding stock. This is done in order to change the capital structure towards a situation with less equity. A change in capital structure means a change in the cost of capital for a company and by that a change in the value for the stockholder. This Master Thesis studies the relation between capital structure and business risk.

Background: Oil is the most dominating source of energy of today, it constitutes for more than 40 per cent of the worlds total energy consumption. This together with the fact that stock in oil companies has soared on the stock exchanges around the world makes oil a very interesting topic to write within. In order to gain knowledge in how to value oil companies, the authors will collect information from theory and through a questionnaire. By applying the information gathered to three companies listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange the authors will reach an objective picture of valuation of oil companies.Purpose: To investigate how shares of stock are valuated in the oil exploring and producing industry, and what specific measures and metrics that are used in the valuation of stocks in Exploring and Producing (E&P) companies.Method: By using a qualitative approach for this thesis, the authors will investigate how the valuation of oil companies works and what measures that should be applied. The authors will use a part descriptive and part explorative study.

The motivation for this thesis lies in the knowledge that there is a crucial information need amongst LGBTQ-persons wanting to read fiction related to LGBTQ in order to strengthen their own identity. This particular information need regarding identification has been said to be more central within LGBTQ-communities than within other user groups, largely because they represent a marginalized group in society. Critical feminists, such as Hope A. Olson, have proved that knowledge organization based on systems of subject representation in fact may lead to further marginalization and exclusion of already marginalized groups. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to compare subject representation and social tagging as methods of organizing LGBTQ-fiction.

This is a qualitative study aiming to examine peoples? experiences when retiring. In that purpose a criteria based sample has been used, participants have been asked in that they fulfilled the criteria?s to be a retiree within the age of 65 to 71 years of age. The reason of the age criteria was that the experiences should not be so far away in time.

The surface finishing technique called black oxidation is currently being used on thetool holders made of low alloyed tool steel produced by Sandvik Coromant. Blackoxidation isn?t considered a sufficient technique because it doesn?t make the toolholders look like the quality products that they actually are. The reasoning behind thisis that the tool holders can show signs of corrosion after prolonged storing times orin countries with high humidity and temperature. The corrosion doesn?t decrease thetool holders performance, but the customers might believe otherwise.

Med företagets kapitalstruktur avses den mix av eget kapital och skulder som används för att finansiera företagets tillgångar. En faktor som anses påverka valet av kapitalstruktur är den typ av tillgångar som företaget har. En hög andel immateriella tillgångar är förknippade med en lägre skuldsättningsgrad. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan andelen bokförda immateriella tillgångar och skuldsättningsgraden hos svenska börsnoterade företag i IT-branschen. Ett delsyfte är undersöka om det finns något samband mellan affärsrisken samt företagens storlek och skuldsättningsgraden.

The society of today can?t manage without transportation. We need transports to getfood, to go to work and to create new products. The transportation ofgood is thus an important part in the function of the society and they?ll increase, bothin number and in amount.

The purpose of this paper is to examine and analyze past development of mutual funds in large and small mutual fund companies and see if there are any differences between these two segments. Limitations on the number of funds have been made by choosing Nordic mutual fund companies that invest in emerging markets over an 11-year period. The study is made on 66 mutual funds managed by 13 mutual fund companies in which the segment of small fund companies includes seven fund companies with assets under management less than 100 billion SEK and the segment of large mutual fund companies includes six fund companies with assets under management more than 400 billion SEK. In the comparison of the segments the Sharpe ratio has been used to calculate the risk-adjusted return. The study shows small differences of the risk-adjusted return between the segments.