In Hong Kong, the responsibility for building management falls on property owners. To assist in building management, most property owners would appoint a property management company. Fulfilling relevant statutory requirements is mandatory for property management companies; however, it is debatable if meeting the basic statutory requirements is equivalent to providing quality property management services for property owners. In fact, property owners usually have more requests than minimum statutory requirements and it is therefore a multi-factor evaluation system for quality of residential property management services is proposed in this research project. To develop the assessment system, quality property management services criteria, including dimensions and performance items, are identified through desk research and focus group interviews with owners’ representatives and property management practitioners. Interval score and ranking are then assigned to the identified assessment criteria by distributing questionnaires with pilot test to owners’ representatives, property management practitioners and building management team of Home Affairs Department of HKSAR. Data collected from the questionnaire are analyzed with weight assessment method: Reliability Interval Method (RIM) in which importance weightings of the criteria can be developed and statistical analysis is allowed. “Repair and Maintenance (excluding clubhouse facilities, if applicable)” and “Effectiveness of emergency repair and maintenance services”, which are not statutory requirements for managing residential properties, are respectively weighted as the most important dimension and performance item. As far as application of the developed quality assessment system is concerned, services quality provided by major property management companies are measured and compared with questionnaires to students pursuing Housing Management in University of Hong Kong. The correlation between quality of property management services and numbers of properties managed by the company is not statistically significant; however, this is likely due to a small samples size, as the visual display of data suggests a relationship. One interesting finding in this research is the high factor weight of assessment criteria which are not statutory requirements for managing residential properties. Such a result implies that meeting basic statutory requirements is not equivalent to providing quality property management services in the eyes of property owners. Besides, this research provides a framework for future development of a classification system to indicate how good a property is for meeting specific overall grading. This research is important because quality of property management services in residential properties can be quantified and closely monitored with the developed quality assessment system in a performance-based, simple and standard way from the perspective of property owners. As far as the benefits of property management companies, which sell services in keen market, are concerned, it is expected that the system could keep supervising and thus improving the quality of services; delivery of high quality services is a profitable way to differentiate ones from the competitors. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Paper presented at the 15th IUGSA Conference, 12-14 November 2012, Bloemfontein

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Αρκετές έρευνες, παλαιές και πιο πρόσφατες, έχουν ασχοληθεί με την αξιολόγηση της ποιότητας της εικόνας των απεικονιστικών συστημάτων πυλαίας απεικόνισης (EPID). Έχουν επίσης, δημοσιεύσει αποτελέσματα ποιοτικών μετρήσεων όπως MTF, DQE, CNR και SNR. Ωστόσο, σε αυτές τις μελέτες η επίδραση των διαφόρων ενεργειών δεν αξιολογήθηκε συστηματικά[G.Jarry and F.Verhaegen, 2005]. Επιπλέον, ελάχιστες εργασίες έχουν χρησιμοποιήσει το ομοίωμα QC-3 για τις αντίστοιχες μελέτες ποιοτικής αξιολόγησης[Filipe Martins Garcia de Moura, 2008, Poonam Yadav et al, 2010]. Το προαναφερθέν ομοίωμα χρησιμοποιείται επί το πλείστον, κλινικά, για τον προσδιορισμό θέσης του ασθενούς[U. Ramm et al, 2013]. Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία αφορά την πειραματική αξιολόγηση της ποιότητας της εικόνας των συστημάτων πυλαίας απεικόνισης (Portal Imaging). Η αξιολόγηση πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη χρήση ποιοτικών δεικτών όπως είναι, η Συνάρτηση μεταφοράς διαμόρφωσης (MTF), Φάσμα ισχύος θορύβου (NPS), Κανονικοποιημένο φάσμα ισχύος του θορύβου (NNPS), Σχετική Ανιχνευτική κβαντική αποδοτικότητα (R-DQE), Λόγος αντίθεσης προς θόρυβο (CNR), Λόγος σήματος προς θόρυβο (SNR), Δείκτης Ποιότητας Εικόνας (FIQ). To MTF υπολογίστηκε με χρήση του Συνάρτηση τετραγωνικής απόκρισης (SWRF), το NPS υπολογίστηκε μέσω του μετασχηματισμού Fourrier στην περιοχή ενδιαφέροντος της ακτινοβολούμενης εικόνας, το R-DQE υπολογίστηκε χρησιμοποιώντας το MTF και το κανονικοποιημένο NPS, το SNR υπολογίστηκε από το κλάσμα, με αριθμητή τη τιμή του κάθε εικονοστοιχείου του σημείου ενδιαφέροντος της εικόνας και παρανομαστή την τυπική απόκλιση της αντίστοιχης περιοχής ενδιαφέροντος, το CNR υπολογίστηκε από την διαίρεση της αντίθεσης της περιοχής ενδιαφέροντος με τον στατιστικό θόρυβο, το FIQ υπολογίστηκε από το MTF της κάθε χωρικής συχνότητας διαιρούμενη με τον συντελεστή μεταβλητότητας (Coefficient of Variation (CV)). Οι προαναφερθέντες ποιοτικοί δείκτες χρησιμοποιήθηκαν σε ψηφιακές εικόνες DICOM χρησιμοποιώντας το εξειδικευμένο QC-3 test phantom. Πραγματοποιήθηκαν 48 απεικονίσεις, σε συνθήκες Ακτινοθεραπείας (20x20cm2, SSD=100cm), του εν λόγω φάντομ για έναν αριθμό από Monitor Units (MUs), για διάφορους Ρυθμούς δόσης (DR) και χρησιμοποιώντας 4 διαφορετικές ενέργειες. Συμπερασματικά διαπιστώθηκε ότι η ποιότητα της εικόνας βελτιώνεται όσο αυξάνουν τα MUs και τα DR, αλλά παρατηρήθηκε μία μικρή υποβάθμιση της εικόνας στις χαμηλές χωρικές συχνότητες. Για το ίδιο απεικονιστικό σύστημα, στα 6MV, με χαμηλές τιμές DR το CNR και το SNR είναι αυξημένο. Ενώ, συγκρίνοντας την ενέργεια δέσμης 6MV με 18MV, παρατηρήθηκε ότι το SNR και το CNR είναι υψηλότερα στα 6MV. Για τέσσερις διαφορετικές ενέργειες δέσμης φωτονίων παρατηρήθηκε παρόμοια συμπεριφορά του R-DQE στις τρεις ενέργειες(10MV, 15MV, 18MV), στα 6MV το R-DQE είχε φθίνουσα πορεία. Στα γραφήματα R-DQE για ίδιο DR υπήρξε μία μικρή διαφοροποίηση, αυξήθηκαν σε μικρό ποσοστό οι τιμές του R-DQE για τα 6MV και 18MV. / Several studies, older and more recent, have dealt with the evaluation of image quality of portal imaging systems (EPID). They also publish qualitative measurements such as MTF, DQE, CNR and SNR. However, in these studies the effect of different actions was not evaluated systematically [G.Jarry and F.Verhaegen, 2005]. Moreover, few works have used the QC-3 phantom for the respective quality evaluation studies [Filipe Martins Garcia de Moura, 2008, Poonam Yadav et al, 2010]. The phantom is used mostly clinically, for positioning the patient [U. Ramm et al, 2013]. This thesis concerns the experimental evaluation of the image quality of portal imaging systems (Portal Imaging). The evaluation was conducted using qualitative indicators such as the modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), Normalized power spectrum of noise (NNPS), Relative detective quantum efficiency (R-DQE), contrast to noise ratio (CNR), Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Image Quality Index (FIQ). The MTF was calculated using the square wave response function (SWRF), the NPS was calculated via Fourrier transform the region of interest of the image radiated, the R-DQE was calculated using the MTF and the normalized NPS, the SNR calculated from the fraction with the numerator value of each pixel point of interest of the image and the denominator as the standard deviation of the corresponding region of interest, the CNR was calculated by dividing the contrast of the region of interest with the statistical noise, FIQ was calculated from the MTF of each spatial frequency divided by the coefficient of variation (Coefficient of Variation (CV)). The quality indicators were used in digital DICOM images using the specialized QC-3 test phantom. There were 48 displays, under Radiotherapy conditions (20x20cm2, SSD = 100cm), of that phantom for a variety of Monitor Units (MUs), for various dose rate (DR) and using 4 different energies. In conclusion, it was found that the image quality is improved by increasing the MUs and DR, but a small deterioration in the image was observed in low spatial frequencies. At the same imaging system at 6MV, low DR values the CNR and SNR were increased. While comparing the energy beam 6MV to 18MV, it was observed that the SNR and CNR were higher at 6MV. For four different photon energy beams were observed a similar behavior of R-DQE at three energy beams (10MV, 15MV, 18MV), at 6MV the R-DQE was declining. In the R-DQE graphs at the same DR there was a slight differentiation. The R-DQE was increased at small percentage rates for 6MV and 18MV.

Heat transfer to canned particulate laden Newtonian fluids was studied during free axial agitation thermal processing in a pilot STOCK retort which was modified to simulate the can motion in continuous turbo cookers. Evaluation of heat transfer coefficients (overall, U and fluid to particle, hfp) associated with canned liquid/particle mixtures, while they are subjected to free axial motion is difficult because of the problems involved with attaching temperature measuring devices to liquid and particles without affecting their normal motion. A new methodology was developed to evaluate U and hfp in Newtonian liquids. The methodology involved first correlating U and hfp as a function of input variables for cans in fixed axial mode of rotation in which both particle and fluid temperatures were measured using thin wire thermocouples. Subsequently, only liquid temperatures were measured in cans using wireless sensors in the free axial mode, and hfp values were empirically computed from the developed correlations and the measured temperatures. An L-16 orthogonal experimental design of experiment was carried out to select system and product parameters that significantly influence hfp and U for particles in the Newtonian liquid. With significant parameters selected, a response surface methodology and two full factorial experimental designs were used to relate U and hfp to process variables in each mode of rotation (fixed and free axial modes). / Dimensionless correlations were then developed using the evaluated data for heat transfer coefficients (U and hfp), in canned high viscosity Newtonian liquids (with and without particles) using stepwise multiple non-linear-regressions of significant dimensionless groups. In free axial mode, combining the natural and forced convection, Nu = A 1(GrxPr)A2+ A3(Re) A4 (Pr)A5 FrA 6 (rhop/rhop1)A 7 (e/100-e)A8 (dp/Dc) A9 (Kp/K1)A10 yielded a higher R2 (0.93) than using a pure forced convection model when particles were present in the can. Even in the absence of particles, and with the end-over-end mode of agitation where forced convection dominates, introducing natural convection term (GrxPr), improvedR2 from 0.81 to 0.97. Artificial neural network (ANN) models were also developed for heat transfer coefficient predictions and the trained models gave better predictions than dimensionless correlations. All ANN models developed could be implemented easily in a spreadsheet as either matrices or a set of equations.

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The presence as well as the nature of the relationship between customer perceptions of service customization and reliability is investigated in the first of three studies of the dissertation by applying an exploratory analytical approach---"probabilistic scaling analysis." Results suggest the existence of a positive and ordinal relationship between customer perceptions of customization and reliable quality. The second study of the dissertation applies a more confirmatory, 'contingency theory' approach to validate, and further develop the findings of the first study. Results are consistent in that a positive and ordinal relationship is observed between customer perceptions of service customization and reliability. Further, findings suggest that customization quality moderates the affect of reliable quality on overall service evaluations. Some support is also found for the moderating role of reliable quality. Together, these findings help unravel the relationship between customer perceptions of service customization and reliability, and demonstrate how each of them affects the marketplace efficacy of the other. / Overall, results of the probabilistic scaling analysis, as well as contingency theory demonstrate that among customers at the lower end of the latent scale, it is primarily the 'things gone wrong,' i.e. lack of reliability that governs the unfavorability of their overall perceptions. Among customers on the higher end, it is 'things gone right,' i.e. favorable customization quality perceptions that govern the favorability of their overall perceptions. Together, these results suggest that a service provider must minimize 'things gone wrong' and then focus on 'things gone right' to elicit favorable overall evaluations. / In a service environment however, 'doing things right' requires an immediate understanding of individual needs that a customer brings forth during every service transaction, and that must be met to create value for the customer. Qualitative data are analyzed using a conceptual framework to provide a systematic understanding of these issues. Such understanding also provides diagnostic information towards exploring key segment level differences observed in the second study of the dissertation. Overall, the analyses of the third study extend current subject understanding by providing a contextual development of value-creating individual customer needs as they relate to service customization and reliability, and their implications on service design. / Overall, the dissertation develops current subject understanding of service customization and reliability, and therefore of service quality in general. Customers evaluate service offerings on both elements of quality---customization and reliability, and thus one of them cannot be studied without understanding its affects on the other component of quality. The research, we believe, would develop the understanding of the subject, and would also aid service providers in more scientific service design as well as decision-making.