Effective risk communication is based on appropriate risk characterization. A reevaluation of the 1987 US EPA radon risk categorization of Unicoi County Tennessee was conducted using in-home radon concentrations, determined in a long-term monitoring study. Radon concentrations were measured in 69 homes using Electret Passive Environmental Radon Monitors (E-PERM’s), following standard methods. Radon concentrations determined in this study (avg. 4.03 ± 3.04) were significantly higher than those measured in the USEPA study (avg. 1.96 ± 1.08). Using this study’s data, the risk categorization was recalculated with the US EPA Radon Index Matrix Model. The model re-categorized Unicoi County from a moderate to a high risk zone classification. These results suggest that the health risks associated with in-home radon concentrations are inaccurately categorized and communicated to the citizens of Unicoi County, Tennessee.

Species have complex and contextual relationships with their environment; both the relative contributions of life-history stages to population growth and the effect of environmental factors on each stage can be different among co-existing species. Timing and extent of reproduction, survival, and mortality determine population growth, species distributions, and assemblage patterns. I evaluate the role of habitat (intact, degraded) and microsite (shrub, leaf litter, bare sand) on population dynamics of Florida scrub herbs. Isolated overgrown shrubs and extensive bare sand areas in degraded scrub were expected to decrease seed predation, reduce competition of herbs with shrubs, and provide larger habitat for recruitment. I provide evidence that habitat and microsite variation influenced demography of five endemic and two common native species through effects on seed removal, emergence, and establishment. Habitat and species affected seed removal: endemic species with large seeds were removed in higher frequency in degraded habitat, likely by vertebrates, while species with small seeds were removed in higher frequency in intact habitat, by invertebrates. There was no evidence of differences in individual seed production between habitats for the two common species, C. fasciculata and B. angustifolia. Invertebrates were primarily responsible for seed removal of both species, although peak season of removal and microsite varied with species. Removal of seeds, emergence, and establishment increased with seed density. Matrix modeling indicated that population growth of C. fasciculata was greater in degraded habitat and greatest in litter microsites, and population growth of B. angustifolia was similar between habitats and greatest in bare sand. Contrasting responses among species to environmental factors in intact and degraded scrub indicated that natural disturbances are not ecologically equivalent to anthropogenic iv disturbances. Idiosyncratic species dynamics in common environments suggest that understanding relationships between life-history traits and environmental conditions will be required to facilitate restoration

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第24168号 / 理博第4859号 / 新制||理||1695(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻 / (主査)准教授 笹倉 直樹, 准教授 髙山 史宏, 教授 橋本 幸士 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

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<p><strong>Aim:</strong></p><p>The purpose was to perform a pre-study to marketing planning for a local squash club in Sweden that had difficulties with membership growth and development. This pre-study would provide the squash club with valuable information and a starting point when creating its first marketing plan.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong></p><p>The chosen research approach included theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected by triangulation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview and two surveys using on-line questionnaires were conducted, analyzed and presented. The discussed theory including key definitions, models and concepts was related to the empirical data findings and reflected on.</p><p><strong>Results & Conclusions: </strong></p><p>A small non-profit squash club with scarce resources and slim organization has to implement a customer centered mindset and work smarter instead of harder.It is important for the club to carefully match market opportunities with its objectives and capabilities.Engaging in marketing planning and the development of a marketing plan will enable the club to find new creative ways to offer a unique squash experience that will result in a positive membership development.</p><p><strong>Recommendations:</strong></p><p>The squash club should strive to develop key strategic partnerships that can compliment its strengths and help reduce its weaknesses.An own club website would improve internal and external communication significantly and decrease the club management’s administrative workload.It would be advisable for the club to perform annual online customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and measure own performance and detect key changes in the marketplace.</p><p><strong>Contribution:</strong></p><p>This pre-study could be a good opportunity for the squash club’s management team to engage in marketing planning and develop its first marketing plan. Perhaps this study could also benefit other small sports clubs with similar challenges and give them ideas and new tools for future development, such as using on-line surveys.</p><p><strong>Suggested future research:</strong></p><p>It would be interesting to perform a comparison among the four racket sports: tennis, badminton, table-tennis and squash and the reasons behind young people choosing to play one sport over the others.The result would help racket clubs to better understand how they should position themselves in the market place to attract young people to their particular sport.</p>

Aim: The purpose was to perform a pre-study to marketing planning for a local squash club in Sweden that had difficulties with membership growth and development. This pre-study would provide the squash club with valuable information and a starting point when creating its first marketing plan. Method: The chosen research approach included theoretical and empirical studies. Empirical data was collected by triangulation, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview and two surveys using on-line questionnaires were conducted, analyzed and presented. The discussed theory including key definitions, models and concepts was related to the empirical data findings and reflected on. Results &amp; Conclusions: A small non-profit squash club with scarce resources and slim organization has to implement a customer centered mindset and work smarter instead of harder.It is important for the club to carefully match market opportunities with its objectives and capabilities.Engaging in marketing planning and the development of a marketing plan will enable the club to find new creative ways to offer a unique squash experience that will result in a positive membership development. Recommendations: The squash club should strive to develop key strategic partnerships that can compliment its strengths and help reduce its weaknesses.An own club website would improve internal and external communication significantly and decrease the club management’s administrative workload.It would be advisable for the club to perform annual online customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and measure own performance and detect key changes in the marketplace. Contribution: This pre-study could be a good opportunity for the squash club’s management team to engage in marketing planning and develop its first marketing plan. Perhaps this study could also benefit other small sports clubs with similar challenges and give them ideas and new tools for future development, such as using on-line surveys. Suggested future research: It would be interesting to perform a comparison among the four racket sports: tennis, badminton, table-tennis and squash and the reasons behind young people choosing to play one sport over the others.The result would help racket clubs to better understand how they should position themselves in the market place to attract young people to their particular sport.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / A estacionalidade e a estocasticidade pluviomÃtrica sÃo os principais reguladores da estrutura e da dinÃmica das populaÃÃes em vegetaÃÃes tropicais sazonais secas. Essa estocasticidade, no entanto, pode resultar em ambientes heterogÃneos tanto em relaÃÃo à disponibilidade hÃdrica como em relaÃÃo à disponibilidade vertical e horizontal de luz. Na vegetaÃÃo decÃdua espinhosa do semiÃrido brasileiro (caatinga), uma das espÃcies lenhosas mais abundantes à Cordia oncocalyx, Ãrvore endÃmica e explorada por extrativismo devido ao valor madeireiro, energÃtico, forrageiro, medicinal e paisagÃstico. Para entender como Ãrvores da caatinga respondem à sazonalidade e estocasticidade pluviomÃtrica foram analisados, ao longo de dois anos, a estrutura e a dinÃmica populacional de C. oncocalyx na RPPN Serra das Almas, CrateÃs-CearÃ. Foram determinados: i) estÃdios ontogenÃticos, modelo arquitetural e relaÃÃo altura-diÃmetro; ii) fenodinÃmica; iii) padrÃo espacial; iv) taxas de natalidade, mortalidade, recrutamento e crescimento biomÃtrico. ParÃmetros de estrutura e de dinÃmica foram correlacionados com precipitaÃÃo, umidade do solo, temperatura e disponibilidade vertical e horizontal de luz. A estrutura de C. oncocalyx se assemelha a das espÃcies tolerantes à sombra de florestas pluviais por concentrar a maior densidade nos estÃdios iniciais, mas difere porque forma banco de infantes ao invÃs de banco de plÃntulas. A disponibiliade vertical de luz, com apenas 4.7% atingindo o solo, e a arquitetura PrÃvost indicam a luz como fator limitante para os estÃdios iniciais. Contudo, o coeficiente alomÃtrico diferiu dos modelos de similaridade geomÃtrica, similaridade elÃstica e estresse constante. O crescimento contÃnuo em diÃmetro, mesmo apÃs os indivÃduos atingirem altura mÃxima, aponta a baixa densidade de Ãrvores e as restriÃÃes hÃdricas como as principais forÃas impulsionadoras da alometria, as quais podem limitar o crescimento em altura mas nÃo em diÃmetro. As fenofases vegetativas e reprodutivas respondem similarmente aos pulsos de chuva, com ajustes na Ãpoca, duraÃÃo e intensidade, correlacionadas com variaÃÃes na precipitaÃÃo e umidade do solo, excluÃdo o fotoperÃodo como gatilho. Menor sincronia, separaÃÃo temporal de fenofases e estoque de frutos no banco do solo, foram estratÃgias de distribuiÃÃo de risco apresentadas pela populaÃÃo. A modificaÃÃo da agregaÃÃo em semente e plÃntula para aleatoriedade em infante, e a dissociaÃÃo dos reprodutivos e sementes em relaÃÃo aos estÃdios juvenil e imaturo, indicam que a mortalidade dependente de densidade atua na estruturaÃÃo espacial da populaÃÃo. Entretanto, a retomada da agregaÃÃo nos estÃdios juvenil, virgem e reprodutivo indica que a estocasticidade pluviomÃtrica pode gerar a distribuiÃÃo agregada desses estÃdios. A natalidade e o recrutamento ocorrem na estaÃÃo chuvosa, mas a mortalidade registrada apenas em plÃntula e infante se dà ao longo do ano com pico nos meses secos. O crescimento em altura e diÃmetro mostrou decrÃscimo ou estagnaÃÃo na seca e acrÃscimo na chuva. Juvenil apresentou maior crescimento em altura em Ãreas com dossel mais aberto (rs=0.24). A taxa de incremento populacional (&#654;) foi de 1,0336 e a maior sensibilidade foi na transiÃÃo de infante para juvenil. DominÃncia local e tendÃncia de aumento populacional sÃo explicadas pela formaÃÃo de dois bancos, sementes e infantes, os quais garantem um estoque para recomposiÃÃo populacional mesmo em anos de seca. / The rainfall seasonality and stochasticity are the main regulators of structure and population dynamics in seasonally dry tropical vegetations. This stochasticity, however, can result in heterogeneous environments both in relation to water availability as in the availability of vertical and horizontal light. In deciduous thorny woodland vegetation of semiarid northeastern Brazil (caatinga), one of the most abundant woody species is Cordia oncocalyx, endemic tree and explored through extractivism due to its timber, energetic, foraging, medicinal, and scenic value. To understand how the caatinga trees respond to rainfall seasonality and stochasticity were analyzed, over two years, the structure and population dynamics of C. oncocalyx in Serra das Almas RPPN, CrateÃs-CearÃ. Were determined: i) ontogenetic stages, architectural model and height-diameter relationship, ii) phenodynamics, iii) spatial pattern, iv) birth, mortality, recruitment and growth biometric rates. Parameters of structure and dynamics were correlated with rainfall, soil humidity, temperature and vertical and horizontal light availability. The structure of C. oncocalyx resembles that of shade-tolerant species of tropical rainforest to concentrate the highest density in the early stages, but differs because it forms the bank of infant rather than a seedling bank. The availability of vertical light, with only 4.7% reaching the ground, and PrÃvost architecture indicate light as a limiting factor in the early stages. Nevertheless, the allometric coefficient differ from geometric similarity, elastic similarity and constant stress models. The uninterrupted growth in diameter, even after individuals reach the maximum height, indicates the low density of trees and water restrictions as the main driving strenght of allometry, which may limit the growth in height, but not in diameter. Both the vegetative and reproductive phenophases respond similarly to variations in rain pulses, with adjustments in time, duration, and intensity, which were correlated with variations in rainfall and soil humidity, excluding photoperiod as a trigger. Lower synchrony, temporal separation of phenophases, and storage of fruits on the ground were risk-spreading strategies used by the population in the dry year. The change of aggregation in seeds and seedlings for randomness in the infant, and the decoupling of reproductive and seeds in relation to juvenile and immature stages, may indicate that the density-dependent mortality operates in the spatial structure of the population. However, the resumption of aggregation in juvenile, virginile and reproductive stages indicates that rainfall stochasticity creates the aggregate distribution of these stages. The dynamics of birth and recruitment occur in the rainy season, but recorded mortality only in seedling and infant occurs throughout the year with a peak in the dry months. The height and diameter growth showed decline or stagnation in the drought and increase in the rainfall. Juveniles showed greater growth in height in areas with more open canopy (rs = 0.24). The rate of population increase (&#654;) was 1.0336 and the highest sensitivity was in the transition from infant to juvenile. Local dominance and population growth tendency are explained by the formation of two banks, seeds and infants, which ensure a stock for recomposition even in drought years.

Qualitative research was conducted in order to explore the generation of social and musical capital through music therapy sessions and musical activities with youths attending the Redefine Community Music Project in the Western Cape. This study was conducted from the perspective of Wood‟s Matrix Model (2006) of music therapy where different interlinking musical activities in a range of contexts are shown to extend the benefits of individual music therapy. Data were gathered through conducting a case study with one of the ensemble groups in the Redefine Community Music Project. This group attended music therapy sessions, and the members of the group took part in ensemble rehearsals in preparation for the bi-annual public performance. Data were analysed through using Ansdell and Pavlicevic‟s (2001) method of qualitative content analysis, as well as the analytic technique of open coding proposed by Gibbs (2007). The findings suggest that the multi-faceted format of the Matrix Model of music therapy (Wood, 2006), as reflected in the socio-musical networks of the Redefine Community Music Project, offered participants enhanced opportunities to generate social and musical capital. By facilitating diverse opportunities for musicing in various contexts, participants were enabled to accrue a broad range of social and musical capital with which to create valuable relationships to the self and with others. It is suggested that music therapists and community musicians wishing to facilitate the generation of social capital through music flexibly adapt their practices to the socio-musical needs of the communities in which they work and offer diverse formats of musicing in which social and musical capital may be generated. In this manner individuals and communities may be empowered to cultivate relationships of diverse value in a creative way. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Music / unrestricted

We reinvestigate the validity of mapping the problem of two onsite interacting particles in a random potential onto an effective random matrix model. To this end we first study numerically how the non-interacting basis is coupled by the interaction. Our results indicate that the typical coupling matrix element decreases significantly faster with increasing single-particle localization length than is assumed in the random matrix model. We further show that even for models where the dependency of the coupling matrix element on the single-particle localization length is correctly described by the corresponding random matrix model its predictions for the localization length can be qualitatively incorrect. These results indicate that the mapping of an interacting random system onto an effective random matrix model is potentially dangerous. We also discuss how Imry's block-scaling picture for two interacting particles is influenced by the above arguments.