The sun rises in the East - A comparative case study of India, Pakistan and China’s increased nuclear stockpiles in the Second Nuclear Age

The world has entered the Second Nuclear Age. New structures and dynamics are argued to be present within the context of nuclear weapons. The states India, Pakistan and China are three cases where the nuclear stockpiles are increasing and becoming more technological advanced. The hypothesis of this paper is that the increase of nuclear stockpiles in the cases is due to a dynamic characteristic of an arms race, the logic of deterrence and the action reaction model. This paper conducts a comparative case study through structured and focused comparison. The study uses Barry Buzan’s theoretical framework of the action-reaction model in order to examine the states action in regard to the dynamics of an arms race. Indicators, stemming from the action-reaction model, is used to examine the three cases, beginning with the Indian nuclear testing in 1998 and ending in 2014. The results indicate that that India and Pakistan’s actions adhere to the logic and dynamic of a nuclear arms race, while the case of China could not be significantly determined to be part of the arms race

Neutron wavelength estimation on crystal monochromator beamlines

The world wide shortage of helium-3 is forcing the development of new detectors for neutron spectroscopy. A candidate for new detector design that consists of multiple detection volumes in depth, in contrast to the traditional single volume helium-3 detector, is being developed at ESS in Lund. One advantage of the new design is the possibility of utilising the additional depth dimension to extract information about the beams used in neutron spectroscopy, more exactly their wavelength compositions. The work done in this thesis aim to describe the beamline compound with a prarametric probabilistic model. Parameter estimates are obtained using a non-linear least squares regression approach on both experimental and simulated data. The distributions and condence intervals for the estimated parameters are constructed using the parametric bootstrap.

From Bullets to Ballots - A comparative case study of the political transition of ANC and Hamas

In this paper the authors performs a comparative case study between the political groups ANC and Hamas. Using the theoretical framework of Mimmi Söderberg-Kovacs as well as Anniseh Van Engeland and Rachel M. Rudolph the authors has constructed a set of variables to determine what allows a terrorist group to transition to a political party. The dependent variable is constructed as the sucessful transition to a political party. The independent variables consist of friends, factions and followers. These independent variables are operationalized through indicator-question constructed by Söderberg-Kovacs theory regarding rebel-groups. The two cases are presented on the basis of the independent variables and the indicator-questions. The paper continues with a within-case analysis as well as a between case analysis and concludes that the cases differed in regards to the independent variables. The variables friends and factions do not seem to be essential in the transition from terrorist-group to a political party

Job rotation in forestry machine teams

Att arbeta i skogen kan vara väldigt enformigt, speciellt i en skogsmaskin. Samma repetitiva rörelser, tunga lyft och samma muskler som arbetar utan någon typ av variation i vardagen kan vara fysiskt skadligt då det kan resultera i muskelspänningar, dålig blodcirkulation och belastningsskador medan den begränsade möjligheten till social kontakt och högra krav kan leda till psykiska besvär. Flera forskare är överens om att arbetsväxling kan vara en tänkbar lösning på dessa problem. Som examensarbete på skogsmästarprogrammet har en studie angående arbetsväxling genomförts på uppdrag av Sveaskog. Huvudsyftet med studien var att undersöka om deras maskinförare vill växla mellan maskinerna i sitt arbetslag, främst då mellan skördare och skotare. Vidare intervjuades även ett antal avverkningsledare för att få deras syn på arbetsväxling. Totalt 140 stycken enkäter skickades ut till maskinförare på Sveaskog. Området som undersöktes begränsades till MO Syd och RO Bergslagen på Sveaskog. Utfallet visar att 77 procent av maskinförarna helst hade ”sin” egen maskin att åka till varje dag. Anledningen var främst att de tror att maskinen kommer att bli dåligt omhändertagen om de är fler maskinförare som delar på ansvaret. Det fanns dock självklart även positiva åsikter om arbetsväxling. På den positiva sidan nämndes att de skulle få mer omväxling, en bredare kunskap och mer förståelse för sina lagkamraters arbetsuppgifter. Med tanke på det höga antalet äldre förare kunde man lätt tänka sig att utfallet skulle bero på att många hamnar i samma gamla hjulspår och inte vill tänka i nya banor. Det stämde dock inte då de yngre maskinförarna också var tveksamma till arbetsväxling. Avverkningsledarna på Sveaskog var både positiva och negativa till arbetsväxling. De flesta ansåg att det kunde resultera i en nedsatt produktion men det påpekades att detta inte alltid var negativt då vissa ville växla för att kunna styra skogslagret. En respondent påpekade att alla inte passar för att arbetsväxla och att det därför är viktigt att hela laget är med på noterna. En av respondenterna från avverkningsledarna nämnde en idé om att Sveaskog borde bilda en vikariepool med några maskinförare som kan hantera skotare, skördare och diverse markjobb som kan hoppa in vid frånvaro eller när det behövs extra personal. Är arbetsväxling intressant kan vissa rekommendationer ges; tvinga inte på maskinförare arbetssättet, alla känner sig inte bekväma med det. Om det införs se då till att alla är med på det och växla mellan arbetsuppgifterna relativt ofta så inte vanan för någon av maskinerna försvinner. Vidare bör man ha en bra kommunikation i laget och ge alla ett huvudansvar och för att undvika misskötta maskiner och osämja i laget. Slutsatsen blir alltså att arbetsväxling inte är så tilltalande för majoriteten av förarna men att många ändå kan se fördelar med det.Working in the forest can be very monotonous, especially in a forest machine. The same repetitive movements, heavy lifting and the same muscles that work without any kind of variation can be physically harmful as it can result in muscle tension, poor blood circulation and stress injuries while the limited opportunity for social contact and high demands can lead to mental problems. Several researchers agree that job rotation is a possible solution to the problems. A study has been conducted regarding job rotation. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether their machine operators want to switch between the machines in their work team, mainly between harvesters and forwarders. Furthermore, a number of felling managers were also interviewed to get their views on job change. A total of 140 questionnaires were sent out to machine operators at Sveaskog. The investigated area was limited to MO Syd and RO Bergslagen at Sveaskog. The outcome shows that 77 percent of machine operators preferred to have "their" own machine to go to every day. The main reason was that they think that the machine will be poorly cared for if there are more drivers who share the responsibility. Of course, there were also positive opinions about job rotation. On the positive side, it was mentioned that they would get more variety, a broader knowledge and more understanding of their teammates' tasks. Given the high number of older drivers, it was easy to imagine that the outcome would be due to many ending up in the same old ruts and not wanting to think in new lanes. However, this was not the case as the younger drivers were also hesitant about changing jobs. The felling managers at Sveaskog were both positive and negative about job change. Most believed that it could result in reduced production, but it was pointed out that this was not always negative as some wanted to switch to be able to control the forest stock. One respondent pointed out that not everyone is suitable for changing jobs and that it is therefore important that the whole team is on the notes. One of the respondents from the felling leaders mentioned an idea that Sveaskog should form a substitute pool with some machine operators who can handle forwarders, harvesters and various ground jobs that can work during absence or when extra staff is needed. If job change is interesting, some recommendations can be given; do not force a driver to swift, not everyone feels comfortable with it. If it is introduced, make sure that everyone is involved and switch between the tasks relatively often so that the habit of one of the machines does not disappear. Furthermore, you should have good communication in the team and give everyone a main responsibility to avoid mismanaged machines and discord in the team. The conclusion is that a job rotation is not so appealing to the majority of drivers, but that many can still see the benefits of it

Jämförelse av vertikala krafter mellan hov och underlag vid nedsittning och lättridning i trav hos häst

Equestrian sports and the interest in horses have existed for hundreds of years. It is only in the last thirty years the technological development have enabled closer studies of equine locomotion. The production of both soft- and hardware that manages to capture and analyze the fast movement of the horse has resulted in a large increase in locomotion research. Even though the interest in horses and the different disciplines they compete in is great, there is a small understanding in how the rider influences the movement of the horse in different types of training. There are several studies available where horses moving freely without the influence of a rider have been studied. What happens with locomotion and ground reaction forces when a rider and equipment are added is not well studied. The objective of this study was to investigate if there are any differences in the ground reaction forces between sitting and rising trot. The study contained seven horses. Six Grand Prix dressage horses and one dressage horse competing at intermediate level. All the horses passed a clinical examination by a veterinarian before being included in the study. The horses where ridden in both sitting and rising trot on a treadmill with their usual riders and equipment. The horses where ridden in six different head and neck positions (HNP) in several different velocities. In this study only two of the HNPs where studied. The treadmill was instrumented with a force measuring system which made it possible to measure the vertical ground force parameters of each limb. The force data where processed in excel for statistic evaluation. Both impulse and the maximal force where studied, in both sitting and rising trot in the two HNPs. The impulse and the maximal force where devided with the horses weight to receive a result that could be compared between different individuals. The difference and the quota for several different parameters where calculated. Difference and quota between rising trot on the two diagonals, between fore- and hind limbs, sitting and rising trot. The difference between observations was tested by a paired t-test. The level of significance was chosen to be p<0, 05. The result showed that several of the horses were asymmetrical. There were a statistically significant difference in impulse and maximal force between the left and the right side of the horses in rising trot. The difference could only be seen in the fore limbs. There were a difference between the two diagonal pairs of limbs in rising trot; there were a higher value in the limbs the rider was sitting down on. This could be seen at the impulse and at the maximal force. In one of the HNPs there was a difference in force between the two diagonals in sitting trot. The asymmetry might be a effect of the rider because the most asymmetries between the horses left and right sides are seen in the highest HNP were the rider controls the horse most. The most differences in impulse was also seen in the highest HNP, this is probably because an high HNP results in a shorter stance duration and a faster built up of the force. The reason why the differences are not seen in the hind limbs is because the rider is sitting closely, almost over the fore limbs. The diagonal the rider is sitting down on in rising trot is subject for a higher force and impulse, the difference between the diagonals are smaller when the horse is ridden in a free unrestrained position and is less influenced by the rider. This is why it is important that the rider regularly change legs in rising trot. The differences between the diagonals in sitting trot at he high HNP shows that the rider can influence how the limbs are loaded. This mean that an increased collection sets higher demands on the rider to make sure that the horse is working symmetrically. It seems as if an unrestrained horse has less differences between the left and right sides

En vetospelares guide till status quo - FN:s säkerhetsråd och vetospelarteorin

In this qualitative study the author examines the United Nations security council and its possibilities to reform, with help of George Tsebelis theory regarding veto players. The application of the veto player theory gives the ability to measure the policystability, the extent of ability to change policy, when adding more players to a political institution. The study is based on the United Nations security procedures while applying the veto player theory. The analysis is based on three reformproposals regarding the council. These three proposals are de-constructed and made into four theoretic proposals, isolationg the tre categories of membership, which represents the reformproposals. The vetoplayer theory is applied to these theoretic proposals to examine what the outcome will be if adding non-permanent, permanent (without vetopower) and permanent (with vetopowers) members. The fourh theoretic proposals includes the proposal of reforming the vetopower. The study concludes that inceasing the council with members without vetopower doesnt effect the policy stability in any higher capacity. Increasing the number of members with vetopower will increase the policystability. Reforms regarding the vetopower will not be possible according to the veto player theory

Overgangen til en virtuell organisasjon : hvilke krav stilles til struktur, ledelse og de ansattes kapabiliteter ved innføring av virtuell kommunikasjon

Hensikten med denne masteroppgaven er å finne ut hva som kreves av en organisasjon når man skal innføre virtuelle team. Oppgaven skal sette ledelse, struktur og de ansattes kapabiliteter i søkelyset og vurdere hvordan de ulike elementene bør påvirkes for å fungere optimalt i et virtuelt miljø. Når kommunikasjonen ikke lenger skjer ansikt-tilansikt som man tradisjonelt sett er vant til, og teamet som jobber sammen sitter spredd ut over hele verden, vil man møte utfordringer i forhold til bl.a. kommunikasjonsverktøy, tillit, lederstiler og arbeidsrytme. For å finne ut hvordan man skal møte disse utfordringene må vi se på teamarbeid og hvordan det endres når man skal arbeide sammen virtuelt. Hvis man tar i bruk dagens verktøy vil man få en virtuell organisasjon som er mer fleksibel og kan lettere tilpasse seg endringer i omgivelsene. Omgivelsene blir stadig mer komplekse og man må tenke nytt. Funnene er gjort på bakgrunn av kvalitative intervjuer med ansatte i Aker Solutions. De ble bl.a. stilt spørsmål om bruken av virtuelle verktøy, deres leders og deres egen rolle i det virtuelle teamet og hvordan de finner flyt og rytme i arbeidet. Jeg har brukt ”grounded theory” til å gjennomføre undersøkelsen. I tillegg til å sammenligne funnene med eksisterende teori, har jeg sammenlignet med funn Knudsen og Mydland (2010) har gjort i Statoil som også jobber virtuelt. Funnene fra Aker Solutions viser viktigheten av en klar visjon og klare retningslinjer for bruk av virtuelle verktøy, samt at noen følger dette opp. Det er nødvendig med både ledelse og ”management”. Brown og Eisenhardts (1997) forskning fant ut at de bedriftene som hadde størst suksess balanserte mekanistisk og organisk struktur og de kalte dette for semistruktur. Under ledelse vil vi se at lederen må kunne vise engasjement og nærhet til sine ansatte og kunne legge til rette for kunnskapsoverføring mellom medarbeiderne. ”Delt kunnskap er fordoblet kunnskap” (Riise,1999). Til slutt skal vi se at det kan være vanskelig å oppnå flyt i individuelt arbeid når man føler man stadig blir forstyrret. I tillegg kan det se ut til at de virtuelle verktøyene har en forsterkende effekt på dette

Ett ifrågasatt offer? : En kvalitativ studie om socionomers uppfattningar kring hedersvåldsutsatta män och socialtjänstens arbete

The aim of the study is to understand how social workers perceive causes and consequences of men who have been subjects of honor violence. Furthermore, the study aims to outline the inputs that the clients receive from the social services. The investigation was a series of semi structured interviews with social workers currently operating in the field of domestic violence. The output of the interviews was processed through the theoretical frameworks provided by R.W Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity, Johan Asplunds notion of social fabrics, and Nils Christies theory of idealized victims, to see how these theories play in their conception of honor violence. The debate of honor violence has been developing for the past twenty years. This prompted the Swedish state to generate a structured approach to preventing and intercepting honor related violence. The problem is that the perspective is biased by the notion that honor violence is "men’s violence against women". Alternative groups of victims have therefore been excluded. The study concludes that social workers believe that men are also a targeted group. Homosexual men or men who suffer from disabilities are often subjects of honor violence according to them. They also think that men assume a binary role in which they suffer honor related violence and inflict it upon others simultaneously. These findings reveal the limitations of the social services to deal with honor violence towards men and how the consequences could be mitigated if they would receive similar inputs to that given to women

Overgangen til en virtuell organisasjon : hvilke krav stilles til struktur, ledelse og de ansattes kapabiliteter ved innføring av virtuell kommunikasjon

Masteroppgave i økonomi og administrasjon - Universitetet i Agder 2011Hensikten med denne masteroppgaven er å finne ut hva som kreves av en organisasjon når man skal innføre virtuelle team. Oppgaven skal sette ledelse, struktur og de ansattes kapabiliteter i søkelyset og vurdere hvordan de ulike elementene bør påvirkes for å fungere optimalt i et virtuelt miljø. Når kommunikasjonen ikke lenger skjer ansikt-tilansikt som man tradisjonelt sett er vant til, og teamet som jobber sammen sitter spredd ut over hele verden, vil man møte utfordringer i forhold til bl.a. kommunikasjonsverktøy, tillit, lederstiler og arbeidsrytme. For å finne ut hvordan man skal møte disse utfordringene må vi se på teamarbeid og hvordan det endres når man skal arbeide sammen virtuelt. Hvis man tar i bruk dagens verktøy vil man få en virtuell organisasjon som er mer fleksibel og kan lettere tilpasse seg endringer i omgivelsene. Omgivelsene blir stadig mer komplekse og man må tenke nytt. Funnene er gjort på bakgrunn av kvalitative intervjuer med ansatte i Aker Solutions. De ble bl.a. stilt spørsmål om bruken av virtuelle verktøy, deres leders og deres egen rolle i det virtuelle teamet og hvordan de finner flyt og rytme i arbeidet. Jeg har brukt ”grounded theory” til å gjennomføre undersøkelsen. I tillegg til å sammenligne funnene med eksisterende teori, har jeg sammenlignet med funn Knudsen og Mydland (2010) har gjort i Statoil som også jobber virtuelt. Funnene fra Aker Solutions viser viktigheten av en klar visjon og klare retningslinjer for bruk av virtuelle verktøy, samt at noen følger dette opp. Det er nødvendig med både ledelse og ”management”. Brown og Eisenhardts (1997) forskning fant ut at de bedriftene som hadde størst suksess balanserte mekanistisk og organisk struktur og de kalte dette for semistruktur. Under ledelse vil vi se at lederen må kunne vise engasjement og nærhet til sine ansatte og kunne legge til rette for kunnskapsoverføring mellom medarbeiderne. ”Delt kunnskap er fordoblet kunnskap” (Riise,1999). Til slutt skal vi se at det kan være vanskelig å oppnå flyt i individuelt arbeid når man føler man stadig blir forstyrret. I tillegg kan det se ut til at de virtuelle verktøyene har en forsterkende effekt på dette