This paper provides a cost-efficient business mix and principles of regulation for the Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau. The authors use a multi-product model that represents port operations with three variables: mooring, stevedoring, and warehousing. A Fourier cost function is used to calculate several cost indicators. The sample covers monthly data in 1997-2001. By analyzing the cost indicators obtained, it is found that both individual operations and all of the operations together as a whole exhibit significant economies of scale and scope. Moreover, the presence of excess capacity in stevedoring and warehousing have been detected, as well as a presence of cost complement between mooring and stevedoring. Port operations cannot improve economic efficiency with perfect competition. On the contrary, the government should design economically reasonable regulations. Because port operations can not improve economic efficiency by market mechanism, port operations should be regulated by a proper authority in order to effectuate maximum social welfare.

ABSTRACT After join the World Trade Organization (W.T.O.) this year, the domestic enterprises shall be situated in a free-trade environment to face more stronger international competitors, severer environments protection regulations and the more requirements of new technologies. Under this condition, most of the enterprises usually scale up themselves and shift their management mode to group development to face the new competitive environments. China steel corporation group endeavored to run multilaterally. Since the privatization of 1984. This research try to analyze how the CSC group decide the direction for investments according to their core resource and competence on new business scope, and how try transfer or build up the core resource and competence to their daughter companies, and during the multilateral managements process, how they reutilize it to produce new resource and management efficiency to feed back in time to the resource suppliers for their development and make the CSC group to be competitive for ever.

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Right-of-Way (R/W) acquisition is a critical function in the project development process (PDP). Improving this acquisition process requires both a good collaboration among the functions of the PDP and a good understanding of the factors affecting R/W acquisition. This research has two phases. Phase I aims at developing a systematic method for risk and scope management using scope elements that cover the work of all functions of the entire PDP. Phase II aims at studying the inherent factors that might have significant impact on the R/W acquisition schedule. As a result, the Advance Planning Risk Analysis (APRA) was successfully developed. It contains 59 scope elements with descriptions and a mechanism to assess the project’s level of definition. The APRA can provide a platform for project participants to cooperate and coordinate project activities and responsibilities. The method provides a high level approach to improving the effective of the PDP and its functions, including R/W acquisition. In studying the R/W acquisition inherent factors in phase II, the research was able to draw conclusions on the impact of the identified inherent factors on R/W acquisition durations based on statistical analyses. The research was also successful in developing a statistically significant model for predicting the total R/W acquisition duration, from R/W Release to Possession, using inherent factors. This research provides a number of significant contributions toward the better understanding and improvement of the PDP process in general and the R/W acquisition process in particular. Further research in this area and direction was recommended and believed to be promising, productive, and highly valuable. / text

Antarctic fish from the Perciform suborder Notothenioidei inhabit arguably the most thermally stable ocean environment on earth. In order to populate the subzero environment Antarctic fish have evolved numerous adaptations. However, specialisation to -1.9°C has incurred a trade off, thermal flexibility is lost likely due to modifications to the cold and as a result Notothenioidei are extremely stenothermic. Climate change mediated warming is predicted to increase the ocean temperature surrounding the Antarctic continent by 2°C within the next century. This increase is projected to affect individuals, populations and the community structures of those inhabiting the area and therefore the physiological study of the acclimation ability and thermal limitations of Antarctic fish is an area scientific interest. The present study is a series of discrete experiments relating to one species, Trematomus bernacchii, a circumpolar benthic Notothenioidei found in nearly all inshore waters surrounding the Antarctic coastline. These studies included investigation of the response of this species to both chronic and acute temperature exposure prior to and following a feeding event, a reduction in environmental oxygen and an exhaustive exercise event, as well as examination of T. bernacchii ability to recovery from these challenges. T. bernacchii demonstrated variable success when acclimated to +3°C. Failure appeared to be determined by the recovery period following capture and aquarium housing, 7 days housing following capture resulted in 100% mortality, conversly 3 months resulted in 100% survival. Following successful acclimation T. bernacchii showed physiological adjustment as acclimated resting metabolic rate mirrored that of T. bernacchii tested at environmental temperature, 20.63 ± 1.3 compared to 22.38 ± 1.02 mg. O₂. kg⁻¹. h⁻¹. The previously undefined specific dynamic action response (SDA), in T. bernacchii was characteristic of polar species. At environmental temperatures SDA scope was small 14.52 ± 3.52 mg O₂. kg⁻¹. h⁻¹, and lengthy ,72 hours; SDA duration was reduced to 9 hours in acclimated fish. Resting metabolic rate was elevated following acute exposure to +3°C, 34.27 ± 2.35 mg O₂. kg⁻¹. h⁻¹, masking the SDA response and associated parameters. T. bernacchii were relatively sensitive to hypoxia, Pcrit over four acute temperature exposures, ranged between 69 and 102mmHg, higher than the average range for teleosts (40 – 60 mmHg). Above -1°C Pcrit increased, rising with acute temperature exposure. Ventilation rate was temperature dependent and completely absent at +4 and +6°C. A bradycardia (beginning at 60 and 70mmHg) was observed at all temperature exposures, this response was consistent as all heart rates reduced by 25%. Recovery from both hypoxia and acute temperature exposure was rapid. Following an exhaustive exercise event aerobic Scope of T. bernacchii was constrained over an acute temperature increase, reducing from 38.58 ± 5.64 to 24.41 ± 4.92 mg.O₂. kg⁻¹.h⁻¹ over a 7°C temperature increase, respiratory scope too was reduced such that at +4 and +6°C scope was absent. Heart rate of T. bernacchii was highly constrained at -1°C, increasing by 2.54 ± 0.9 bpm following exercise. Acute temperature increase resulted in an increase in cardiac scope, maximum 6.29 ± 1.2 bpm at +2°C, due likely to a thermally mediated loss of cholinergic tonus following exhaustive exercise. Recovery of all parameters was temperature dependent and rapid upon return to -1°C. The present study is the first to quantify and assess the effect of acute and chronic temperature exposure on the SDA response of T. bernacchii. Furthermore, it supplements the current literature on acclimation ability, acute temperature exposure, aerobic scope and hypoxia tolerance for this species. This work will be of use in future investigations of the effects of rapid climate change on Antarctic notothenioid fish and the interconnected ecosystem.

No description available.

abstract: Constructive voice, the sharing of ideas or concerns that improve organizational functioning, is an important workplace behavior. Recent narrative reviews of constructive voice have highlighted the importance of accounting for different types of voice. Initial efforts to explain the type of constructive voice have focused on voice function, and distinguished constructive voice as promotive or prohibitive in nature. Yet, research findings regarding relationships between promotive and prohibitive voice and antecedents of constructive voice reveal inconsistencies that suggest that our theoretical understanding is incomplete. In this dissertation, I argue that in addition to distinguishing constructive voice as to its function (i.e., promotive voice and prohibitive voice), it is also important to distinguish constructive voice as to its scope (i.e., the number of different issues expressed by employees). By accounting for the function and scope of voice, I develop four specific types of constructive voice (i.e., championing, initiating, alarming, and patrolling) and conduct two studies wherein I establish construct validity and test differences in antecedent and outcome relationships with the specific types of voice. I first focus on scale development: generating items and assessing content validity. In Study 1, I test the factor structure of championing, initiating, alarming, and patrolling, and the nomological network of the measures. My second study is a field study of 251 employees in an insurance company and manufacturing facility. In Study 2 I test the criterion-related validity of the measures and explore the implications of voice scope. The research reported in my dissertation contributes to our understanding of constructive voice, and following from this, facilitates further theoretical and practical advances as to when employees who voice may be heard and when they may be tuned out. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Business Administration 2018

Thesis (MSc (Health and Wellness Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018 / Biomedical Laboratory Technologists play a fundamental role in the diagnosis of disease in patients. Their role in South Africa is currently undergoing profound changes with an emphasis placed on a four-year professional degree that will replace the National Diploma in Biomedical Technology at most Universities of Technology and Comprehensive Universities (UJ and NMU) by 2020. Training and competency programs, along with the retention of experienced staff, remain key in providing accurate laboratory results. It is therefore imperative to investigate this field in factors related to training, work experience and job satisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians with regards to salary, interpersonal relationship, continuing professional development (CPD), work ethic and scope of practice within the profession. A mixed methods study was conducted to evaluate salary, career choice happiness and CPD compliance of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians, as well as their perceptions around interpersonal relationships, work ethic and scope of practice. In sampling, a convenience sample was identified, after which a snowballing method was used. A link to a web-based survey was distributed to a group of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians who attended the Society of Medical Laboratory Technology of South Africa (SMLTSA) Medical Laboratory Professionals congress. This congress was held in 2015 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A sample of 144 Medical Technicians and Medical Technologists was obtained, of which 98.6% were registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Only 54.2% were active members of the Society of Medical Laboratory Technologist of South Africa. Age (r = 0.674, p < 0.05) and years worked at current employer (r = 0.533, p < 0.05) proved to have stronger relationships with salary than education (r = 0.195, p < 0.05). Those employed in the public sector earned significantly lower salaries than those in any other sector (p < 0.05), with the exception of those working in independent practice. Both Medical Technologists (44.2%) and Medical Technicians (34.4%) perceived that they did not receive the respect they deserved from Pathologists in their working relationship. In addition, 31.3% of Medical Technicians perceived that their roles were regarded as of lesser value, and that their knowledge, training and attained qualifications were not recognised by the Pathologists. Despite this, this study concluded respondents were generally happy with their career choice, as 71.9% of respondents reported. Findings of this study serve as a strong foundation for additional research on the topic of career happiness versus job satisfaction and retention of staff in medical diagnostic laboratories.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / In recent years, project management in consulting firms has grown due to greater demands for goods and services. However, this growth has meant that due to inefficiencies in the management, delays in project delivery times are generated. In addition, the same situation occurs for performance of personnel’s competences, as well as in defining the scope of the project. Therefore, this article proposes a model for the application of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) based on knowledge management, which consists of the following areas: stakeholder management, risk management, cost management, time management, human resources management, quality management, integration management, and scope management. To show the ease of use of this model, a case study was conducted in an engineering consulting firm. The results of the application of the model were successful: the delay in project delivery times was reduced by 70% and the risks that may exist during execution were reduced by 67%. In addition, the company highlighted the success of the application of knowledge management because it improved the interaction and skills of staff by facilitating the implementation of the model.

Under the initiative of Department of Transportation (DOT) a safety-critical, dual redundant, open source traffic signal control application is currently being developed. The system named SCOPE, for Signal Control Program Environment, currently implements standard 8-phase NEMA logic and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 3-66 preemption logic. SCOPE is designed to be part of the Advanced Traffic Controller (ATC), making use of API standard 2.06b to integrate with the hardware. Safety-critical status is achieved through redundancy of application logic that constantly compares expected signal phase information. From baseline requirements, engineers independently program application code, one using Ada95 and the other using C++. The Traffic EXperimental Analytical Simulation Model, a microscopic single-intersection vehicular simulation, was used for initial validation and testing of the functionality of the system. The second demonstration of the SCOPE, used actuated detector data collected from a recording of a live intersection. Actuator calls were placed on SCOPE at the same times the vehicles triggered the detectors in the video (assuming the vehicles were not in-queue). Using SCOPE the real-world traffic was not only right-of-way safely yielded, but the traffic flow state time average time in-queue reduced. The final phase of testing will occur when the DOT performs Formal Qualification Testing, which is scheduled for 2013. Upon validation and subsequent release to the open source community SCOPE will provide users the ability to replace the proprietary application software residing in ATC cabinets. Transparency will be provided into another aspect of the traffic control signal thus taking the initiative of ATC one step further.