The use of accounts in the four major Swedish banks’ accounting narratives – an impression management tool used as a response to negative media attention?

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis has been to examine whether accounts have been given by the four major Swedish banks - Swedbank, Handelsbanken, Nordea and SEB - in their accounting narratives as a response to negative media attention in the time period 2009 to 2014, and whether those accounts could be seen as an impression management tool. Methodology: We have carried out a qualitative study on articles published in Swedish web-based media in the time period 2009 to 2014. We have also carried out a qualitative content analysis of the four major Swedish banks’ accounting narratives to identify accounts in the same time period. Theoretical perspective: The theoretical framework of this study is based on theories on media as a powerful stakeholder, Legitimacy theory, Impression Management and Accounts. Empirical foundation: The empirical data includes 139 web-based articles published by six different Swedish media actors in the time period 2009 to 2014. Those articles express criticism raised against the four major Swedish banks’ mortgage margins, dividends, reduced manual cash handling and high levels of remuneration. The empirical data also includes 27 accounts identified in the four major Swedish banks’ accounting narratives in the same time period related to the banks’ mortgage margins, dividends, reduced manual cash handling and high levels of remuneration. We have studied accounting narratives in corporate annual reports, interim reports, sustainability reports and press releases. Conclusion: We have been able to demonstrate that accounts have been given by the four major Swedish banks in their accounting narratives to respond to negative media attention in the time period 2009 to 2014. In Swedbank, we have been able to prove a definite connection between some identified accounts and media attention, and further have found indications that other identified accounts in the other three banks likely are related to negative media attention as well. Overall, Swedbank is highly overrepresented in number of accounts. Most of the identified accounts have been justification accounts. Our findings show that accounts could be seen as an impression management tool the banks can use to handle negative media attention, having the ability to affect accounting narrative readers’ perceptions and neutralize a negative picture given by media. This is one possible way for the banks to reduce or close potential legitimacy gaps arisen due to negative media attention. Further, our findings indicate that media is a powerful stakeholder important for the banks to be able to manage

Attractive aerobic access to the α,β-unsaturated acyl azolium intermediate: oxidative NHC catalysis via multistep electron transfer

To replace high molecular weight oxidants with air (O2) we introduce multistep electron transfer NHC catalysis. The method provides a general and selective oxidation of the α,β-unsaturated aldehyde derived homoenolate to the synthetically useful α,β-unsaturated acyl azolium intermediate. Several independent oxidative NHC-catalyzed reactions are viable with this strategy and the products can be isolated in high to excellent yields

Ionic Liquids as Carbene Catalyst Precursors in the One-Pot Four-Component Assembly of Oxo Triphenylhexanoates (OTHOs)

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a convenient and inexpensive source of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). In this study, dialkyl imidazolium-based ILs are used as carbene precursors in a four-component synthesis of oxo triphenylhexanoates (OTHOs), where it was found that IL outperformed commonly used NHC precatalysts in terms of reaction efficiency. The reaction is highly stereoselective, delivering the anti-diastereomer (20:1 dr), and the OTHOs can be obtained in high-to-excellent yields. By virtue of the four-component reaction-setup, facile construction of the OTHO scaffold with a diverse set of functional groups (21 examples) can be achieved. In the context of sustainability, the IL can be recovered and reused several times without affecting selectivity or yield. Moreover, most compounds can be isolated by precipitation and filtration, mitigating the use of solvent-demanding chromatograph

Asymmetric aerobic oxidative NHC-catalysed synthesis of dihydropyranones utilising a system of electron transfer mediators

In the context of green chemistry, the replacement of high molecular weight stoichiometric oxidants with O2 is most desirable but difficult. Here, we report the asymmetric aerobic oxidative synthesis of dihydropyranones. The oxidation is aided by a system of electron transfer mediators and is selective toward the homoenolate. The dihydropyranones can be isolated in high to excellent yields, with high ee (up to 95%)

The use of dual-wavelength airborne laser scanning for estimating tree species composition and species-specific stem volumes in a boreal forest

The estimation of species composition and species-specific stem volumes are critical components of many forest inventories. The use of airborne laser scanning with multiple spectral channels may prove instrumental for the cost-efficient retrieval of these forest variables. In this study, we scanned a boreal forest using two channels: 532 nm (green) and 1064 nm (near infrared). The data was used in a two-step methodology to (1) classify species, and (2) estimate species-specific stem volume at the level of individual tree crowns. The classification of pines, spruces and broadleaves involved linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and resulted in an overall accuracy of 91.1 % at the level of individual trees. For the estimation of stem volume, we employed species-specific k-nearest neighbors models and evaluated the performance at the plot level for 256 field plots located in central Sweden. This resulted in root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of 36 m3/ha (16 %) for total volume, 40 m3/ha (27 %) for pine volume, 32 m3/ha (48 %) for spruce volume, and 13 m3/ha (87 %) for broadleaf volume. We also simulated the use of a monospectral near infrared (NIR) scanner by excluding features based on the green channel. This resulted in lower overall accuracy for the species classification (86.8 %) and an RMSE of 41 m3/ha (18 %) for the estimation of total stem volume. The largest difference when only the NIR channel was used was the difficulty to accurately identify broadleaves and estimate broadleaf stem volume. When excluding the green channel, RMSE for broadleaved volume increased from 13 to 26 m3/ha. The study thus demonstrates the added benefit of the green channel for the estimation of both species composition and species-specific stem volumes. In addition, we investigated how tree height influences the results where shorter trees were found to be more difficult to classify correctly

DBU-Catalyzed Ring-Opening and Retro-Claisen Fragmentation of Dihydropyranones

We present a general protocol for the formal Michael addition of acetone to alpha,beta-unsaturated esters and amides, a transformation difficult to perform using current methods. The protocol comprises of an amidine catalyzed relay ring-opening and fragmentation of 3,4-dihydropyranones. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions, has a broad substrate scope and the products can be isolated in good to excellent yields. The method can be applied to homochiral substrates with total preservation of chiral information, generating products in high optical purity. Kinetic experiments supported by quantum chemical modeling indicate a mechanism in which the catalyst takes a bifunctional role, acting both as a Bronsted base and as a hydrogen-bond donor

Influence of Adhesion at Steel/Mortar Interface on Corrosion Characteristics of Reinforcing Steel

The mechanism of corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is discussed based on electrochemical and electron microscopy observations. The importance of calcium hydroxide precipitation on the steel surf ace in the steel/mortar interface is evaluated by placing filter paper around reinforcing steel bar specimens prior to casting in mortar, thus preventing direct contact between steel and mortar. The voids created presumably prevent calcium hydroxide crystals from forming on the steel surface. Specimens with filter paper are compared to specimens with good steel/mortar adhesion using rapid macrocell and corrosion potential tests and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The study included 21 macrocell and 16 corrosion potential tests run for periods of 25 to 89 days. Seven specimens were subjected to SEM/EDS analysis. Electrochemical results are mixed due to the influence of crevice corrosion. but it is generally shown that better protection is provided for steel with good steel/mortar adhesion than with filter paper. The filter paper, indeed, prevents calcium hydroxide crystals from forming on the steel surface. Corrosion products on active specimens with good mortar cover are shown to grow preferentially in voids created by air bubbles trapped in the mortar. The protective mechanism of calcium hydroxide crystals is proposed to be due to pH buffering by the hydroxyl ions released when the crystals are dissolved, a fact that cannot be proven easily, since many other factors may contribute to the protection of steel in concrete. This report is based on research by Henrik J. Axelsson in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the M.Sc. degree in Engineering Physics at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg. Sweden. The research was sponsored by the Department of Civil and Envirorunental Engineering at the University of Kansas and by Structural Metals, Inc

Ionic Liquids as Carbene Catalyst Precursors in the One-Pot Four-Component Assembly of Oxo Triphenylhexanoates (OTHOs)

Abstract: Ionic liquids (ILs) are a convenient and inexpensive source of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). In this study, dialkyl imidazolium-based ILs are used as carbene precursors in a four-component synthesis of oxo triphenylhexanoates (OTHOs), where it was found that IL outperformed commonly used NHC precatalysts in terms of reaction efficiency. The reaction is highly stereoselective, delivering the anti-diastereomer (20:1 dr), and the OTHOs can be obtained in high-to-excellent yields. By virtue of the four-component reaction-setup, facile construction of the OTHO scaffold with a diverse set of functional groups (21 examples) can be achieved. In the context of sustainability, the IL can be recovered and reused several times without affecting selectivity or yield. Moreover, most compounds can be isolated by precipitation and filtration, mitigating the use of solvent-demanding chromatography

Hållbarhetsarbete som verktyg för ökad ekonomisk lönsamhet i konfektionsbranschen

Title: Sustainability as a tool for obtaining increased profitability in the business of ready-made clothing Seminar date: 2013-06-05 Course: Business Administration: Bachelor Degree Project in Financial and Management Accounting at the Undergraduate Level, 15 ECTS Authors: Johan Axelsson, Jacob Brodowsky, Henrik Ohlsson Advisor: Rolf Larsson Five key words: The Boomerang Effect, sustainability, the Clothing Industry, profitability, Triple Bottom Line Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to analyze if, and in that case how, a company dealing with ready-made clothing can use sustainability as a means of increasing profitability. Methodology: The authors have carried out a qualitative case study on Boomerang, a company dealing with ready-made clothing. This was based on a single case design with predominantly an inductive approach. The study is based on semi-structured interviews, as well as printed sources. Theoretical perspectives: The theoretical underframe of this study is based on theories on Corporate Responsibility, namely sustainability, CSR and Triple Bottom Line. Empirical foundation: The empirical foundation is based on semi-standardized interviews with key persons at Boomerang, a company dealing with ready-made clothing. In addition, documents regarding the company’s sustainability concept, the Boomerang Effect, have been utilized as complements to the interview responses. Conclusions: By using their sustainability concept the Boomerang Effect, Boomerang has shown that a company dealing with ready-made clothing can utilize sustainability to achieve profitability. Boomerang has proven this by taking care of used clothes as well as fabric wastage and in this way creating and selling products with a financial value, and which at the same time make for a sustainable development. By working with the Boomerang Effect, Boomerang fulfills the criteria for sustainability by heeding financial, social and environmental aspects

Neurofilament light, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and tau in a regional epilepsy cohort: High plasma levels are rare but related to seizures

OBJECTIVE: Higher levels of biochemical blood markers of brain injury have been described immediately after tonic-clonic seizures and in drug-resistant epilepsy, but the levels of such markers in epilepsy in general have not been well characterized. We analyzed neurofilament light (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and tau in a regional hospital-based epilepsy cohort and investigated what proportion of patients have levels suggesting brain injury, and whether certain epilepsy features are associated with high levels. METHODS: Biomarker levels were measured in 204 patients with an epilepsy diagnosis participating in a prospective regional biobank study, with age and sex distribution correlating closely to that of all patients seen for epilepsy in the health care region. Absolute biomarker levels were assessed between two patient groups: patients reporting seizures within the 2 months preceding inclusion and patients who did not have seizures for more than 1 year. We also assessed the proportion of patients with above-normal levels of NfL. RESULTS: NfL and GFAP, but not tau, increased with age. Twenty-seven patients had abnormally high levels of NfL. Factors associated with such levels were recent seizures (p = .010) and epileptogenic lesion on radiology (p = .001). Levels of NfL (p = .006) and GFAP (p = .032) were significantly higher in young patients (1 year. NfL and GFAP correlated weakly with the number of days since last seizure (NfL: rs  = -.228, p = .007; GFAP: rs  = -.167, p = .048) in young patients. NfL also correlated weakly with seizure frequency in the last 2 months (rs  = .162, p = .047). SIGNIFICANCE: Most patients with epilepsy do not have biochemical evidence of brain injury. The association with seizures merits further study; future studies should aim for longitudinal sampling and examine whether individual variations in NfL or GFAP levels could reflect seizure activity