The main contribution of this thesis is the LA mechanism - an intelligent, locationaware data aggregation mechanism for real-time observation, estimation and efficient dissemination of messages in VANETs. The proposed mechanism is based on a generic modelling approach which makes it applicable to any type of VANET applications. The data aggregation mechanism proposed in this thesis introduces location awareness technique which provides dynamic segmentation of the roads enabling efficient spatiotemporal database indexing. It further provides the location context to the messages without the use of advanced positioning systems like satellite navigation and digital maps. The mechanism ensures that the network load is significantly reduced by using the passive clustering and adaptive broadcasting to minimise the number of exchanged messages. The incoming messages are fused by Kalman filter providing the optimal estimation particularly useful in urban environment where incoming measurements are very frequent and can cause the vehicle to interpret them as noisy measurements. The scheme allows the comparison of aggregates and single observations which enables their merging and better overall accuracy. Old information in aggregates is removed by realtime database refreshing leaving only newer relevant information for a driver to make real-time decisions in traffic. The LA mechanism is evaluated by extensive simulations to show efficiency and accuracy.

Although the impact of IT-enabled information on firm performance has been well documented in the business value of IT literature, our understanding of how adopting GPS can transform operational decision-making and foster differential firm performance is limited. Moreover, price and service quality have been highlighted as key determinants of industrial customer satisfaction, yet there is little understanding of how IT-enabled information utilisation influences these relationships. In response, I employ two-phase research. In the first phase, I conduct an exploratory comparative case study of three transport firms that have implemented GPS in their operations. The results show that increased use of GPS-enabled information enhances information quality and makes operational decision-making more fact-based and collaborative. I also find that such transformations in operational decision-making can have differential performance impacts. However, I warn scholars and practitioners that a firm’s information management capability and organisational factors can facilitate the effective use of GPS-enabled information in operational decision-making and, thus, moderate the differential performance benefits of adopting GPS. In the second phase, I carry out a quantitative study with transport firms’ customers. The findings make two contributions. First, I find that the more an industrial firm utilises IT-enabled information in the service process, the less emphasis its customers place on prices when it comes to determining their satisfaction. Drawing on equity theory, I theorise that information utilisation in the service process may mobilise perceptions of fairness and transparency, thereby suppressing the relative impact of price on the formation of industrial customer satisfaction. Second, I find that industrial customers view the utilisation of IT-enabled information in the service process as a value-adding capability that boosts their service quality perceptions. Interestingly, although I had expected that the utilisation of IT-enabled information would also increase the importance of service quality in forming customer satisfaction, the results suggested that this was not the case.

In this thesis, a new framework has been proposed, designed and developed for creating efficient and cost effective logistics chains for long items within the building industry. The building industry handles many long items such as pipes, profiles and so on. The handling of these long items is quite complicated and difficult because they are bulky, unstable and heavy. So it is not cost effective and efficient to handle them manually. Existing planning frameworks ignore these special requirements of such goods and are not planned for handling these goods. That leads to that many additional manual handling steps are currently required to handle long items. Therefore, it is very important to develop a new framework for creating the efficient and cost-effective logistics chain for long items. To propose such a new framework, the expert interviews were conducted to gain the fully understanding about the customer requirements. The experts from all stages of the building industry supply chain were interviewed. The data collected from the expert interviews has been analysed and the meaningful findings about the customer requirements have been applied as the valuable inputs for the proposition of the new framework. To have fully knowledge about current practices, all existing planning frameworks have been analysed and evaluated using SWOT analysis. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the current planning frameworks have been comparatively analysed and evaluated. The findings from SWOT analysis have been used for proposing, designing and developing the new framework. The great efforts have been made during the implementation stage. The six different key parameters for a successful implementation have been identified. They are: • Improvement Process with Employees • Control of the Improvements • Gifts/Money for the Improvements and Additional Work • KAIZEN Workshops • Motivation of the Employees for Improvements • Presentation of the Results Among these six parameters, it has been found that KAIZEN workshops is a very effective way for creating an efficient and cost-effective logistics chain for long items. It is believed that the new framework can be theoretically used for the planning of logistics that handle long items and commercial goods. This framework can also be used to plan all kinds of in-house logistics processes from the incoming goods, storage, picking, delivery combination areas and through to the outgoing goods area. The achievements of this project are as follows (1) the new framework for creating efficient and cost-effective logistics chains for long items, (2) the data collection and the data evaluation at the preliminary planning, (3) the decision for one planning variant already at the end of the structure planning, (4) the analysis and evaluation of customer requirements, (5) the consideration and implementation of the customer requirements in the new framework, (6) the creation of figures and tables as planning guideline, (7) the research and further development of Minomi with regards to long items, (8) the research on the information flow, (9) the classification of the improvements and the improvement handling at the implementation, (10) the identification of key parameters for a successful implementation of the planning framework. This framework has been evaluated both theoretically and through a case study of a logistics system planning for handling long items and commercial goods. It has been found that the new framework is theoretically sound and practically valuable. It can be applied to creating the logistics system for long items, especially for building industry.

This thesis investigates the degree to which our everyday conceptions of 'place' have changed in contemporary society, especially in relation to the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs). The empirical evidence is a case study of 20 low-income families who live in Santiago, Chile. These families had just moved to a new social housing estate from the shantytowns and/or situations of extreme overcrowding. The first section of the thesis examines how their conceptions of 'place' have changed as a result of the move. On the one hand, it is difficult for them to perceive the housing estate as a 'place' with the same characteristics as their former home environments (close social networks, common history, etc.) due to a difficult and still incomplete adaptation. On the other hand, their social exclusion, especially demonstrated in terms of their limited spatial mobility, means that their everyday life still unfolds in a limited and relatively static number of places. In these circumstances they develop a minimal concept of place based not on an emotional attachment to a space, but rather on particular practices located in certain time and space. This concept of place is labelled here as 'localities of practices'. The second part of the thesis examines how these 'localities of practices' are becoming increasingly 'mediated,' or the increasing degree to which the use of ICTs permeates the conceptions of place of the members of these families through an analysis of practices related to the use of three particular technologies. The first study shows how the home is a project that has to be constructed in a constant competitive interplay with the place created by television use. The second analyses how the noise produced by hi-fi technologies at very high volumes is used to redefine the spaces of the housing estate against the background of their quite limited material surroundings. The third shows how the use of mobile phones, and the 'media space' created by them, reconstitutes and gives a new meaning to the limitations that these families face when moving through the urban environment of Santiago. As a result of these continual processes of mediation the thesis concludes that along with the physical environment of the housing estate, the spatial environments created by the use of media technologies are key to the construction of 'place' to such a degree that is almost impossible to consider one without the other. They, together, are their "machines for living in"; the setting in which their everyday lives unfold.

Recent years have witnessed a continuing growth of developments in knowledge management systems to capture the information flows within organisations and tum them into exploitable management databases. Examples to this are such as the Total Quality Management and the Business Process Reengineedng models. There is no doubt, that during the last few years there has been a broad interest of exploiting knowledge. However, traditional Knowledge Management (KM) systems and frameworks do not necessarily take into account the specific nature of the telecommunication industry, particularly those related to capturing, sharing and exploiting unconventional data flows that occur between the personnel on the move such as technicians and engineers. Thus, a large amount of these data is lost and will never be able to benefit the organisation or its employees in any way. Therefore, this research addresses the development of a new KM framework to fill in this gap and provide the telecommunication organisations in general and the General Post and Telecommunication Company(GPITC) in Ubya in particular with a solid base where bulk and rough data will become exploitable and manageable in a concise and intelligent way. The main questions being posed by this research are as follow: Could the Existing Knowledge Management Systems help the GPTC in Libya in particular and the telecommunication industry in general to better manage their data flows and turn them into an exploitable knowledge base? and How a strategic Knowledge Management Framework (KMF) could contribute to establishing adequate guidelines and policies in such telecommunicatioenn vironment? In this regard, the investigations in this research will stress on the Identification of the broad range of issues that are preventing the adoption of KM systems within the GPTC or any given telecommunication organisation rather than trying to focus on a specific and unique question about the exploitation of KM. This approach is justified by the fact that no specific KMS appear to be developed for such Industry. Furthermore, the various parameters are described under this common framework which is expected to benefit the telecommunication sector as a whole.

Maritime historians have not followed the trend set by other disciplines towards regional studies which has become an established practice over the past ten years. Some excellent work has been done on individual ports but no one has attempted to establish the relationship between the sea trade and the land based economy on a regional basis. This thesis corrects the omission for the region of the North West of England. A study of the coastwise trade and the trade with Ireland in the late eighteenth century, it provides evidence which argues for the existence of an integrated maritime economy in the Irish Sea region in the period 1750-1810. Altogether, it demonstrates that a complex regional trade existed alongside increasing overseas trade. The sources to identify coastal trading activity in this period are scarce. With few exceptions, records of the King’s Remembrancer Exchequer Port Books are no longer available, while the run of records of the Customs Bills of Entry has not started. One of the challenges, therefore, was to identify alternative sources from which the necessary information could be drawn. Shipping lists published in local newspapers were the principal source used. Other key sources included trade directories, trade reports and business papers. The study of ownership uses the shipping registers from 1786 and examines ownership and relationships with the local economies in greater detail than has been undertaken previously. Research into local sources assisted in identifying the specific business interests of owners, particularly those designated as ‘merchant’ and ‘gentleman’ in the registers. A key finding is that a complex shipping investment pattern existed within the region related to the characteristics of the local economies. Case studies based on surviving business records give insight into the business practices underpinning regional maritime commerce, particularly the use of information networks, methods of payment and the roles of the merchants. The importance of the trust in business relationships is the most prominent characteristic to emerge from these case studies.

ABSTRACT The following thesis documents the costume design process and execution for the staged production of Mark Twain’s Is He Dead? as adapted by David Ives. It was produced at the University of New Orleans as part of the Film, Theatre, and Communication Arts Department 2011-2012 season in collaboration with New Orleans theatre company, The NOLA Project. In conjunction with the director and the design team, it is the role of the costume designer to support the overall concept of the production. The documentation of this process begins with the textual, historical, and visual research pertaining to the design concept. The various aspects of the costume design process are presented leading up to the execution of the final designs and successful realization of the play, concluding with a final analysis of the work. Supporting visual documentation and sources used to illustrate the phases of design are contained within the subsequent appendices. Costume Design, Mark Twain, Is He Dead?, Theater Design

Átomos alcalinos são boas sondas para compreender as propriedades do He líquido. Considerável atenção experimental tem sido empregada para analisar as mudanças da posição e da largura da linha do espectro de absorção de átomos alcalinos imersos em um ambiente de He líquido. No lado teórico, vários estudos têm usado modelos simplificados como o modelo de bolhas e o modelo de agregado. Considerações de modelos mais realista agora são oportunas e relevantes. Neste trabalho, nós usamos a combinação da simulação de Monte Carlo (MC) e cálculos ab-initio de mecânica quântica (MQ). As configurações do líquido foram geradas para cálculos posteriores de MQ.Umimportante aspecto é a complexa interação interatômica do par He-He. Usando potenciais parametrizados, as simulações clássicas de MC foram efetuadas para sistemas alcalinos (Na, Rb, Cs e Na2) em He líquido e as condições foram T = 3 K e p = 1 atm. Estruturas estatisticamente descorrelacionadas formadas por um elemento alcalino central, envolvido pela primeira camada de solvatação completa, são amostradas e submetidas em um cálculo do espectro com DFT dependente do tempo usando diferentes funcionais híbridos e conjuntos de bases. Usando os funcionais PBE1PBE e O3LYP com conjuntos de bases extensos obtemos o deslocamento espectral em excelente concordância com os resultados experimentais para os sistemas de um único átomo alcalino. Para comparação, também usamos um modelo de agregado com 14 átomos de He em volta do átomo alcalino obtendo excelentes resultados também. O raio do modelo de agregado convergiu para perto do máximo da primeira camada de solvatação da função de distribuição radial. Um ponto adicional a ser considerado é o cálculo da largura da linha obtido com a simulação em He líquido que é discutida neste trabalho. Para o átomo de Rb, a energia de excitação em He líquido é em torno de -18,9 nm. Com a simulação em ambiente de He líquido obtivemos os melhores resultados entre -16,3 nm e -23,3 nm. O valor do deslocamento espectral usando o modelo de agregado ficou entre os -17,3 nm e - 22,3 nm. Os dois modelos apresentam o mesmo raio da bolha, por volta de 6-7Å. Para outros sistemas, como Na e Cs, encontramos a mesma convergência entre o modelo de agregado, a simulação do He líquido e os resultados experimentais. Para o sistema contendo Na2, os valores obtidos ficaram em boa concordância com os valores experimentais. / Alkali atoms are good probes for the understanding of liquid He properties. As such considerable experimental attention has been devoted to the analysis of the changes of line position and widths of the absorption spectra of alkali atoms in liquid He environment. On the theoretical side, several studies have used simplified models such as bubble and cluster models. Considerations of more realistic models are now timely and relevant. In this work, we use a combination of Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and ab initio quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. Liquid configurations are generated for subsequent QM calculations. One important aspect is the consideration of the complex interatomic interaction of the He-He pair. Using parametrized potentials, classical MC simulations are made for the alkali systems (Na, Rb, Cs and Na2) in liquid He. The conditions were T=3K and p=1 atm. Statistically uncorrelated configurations composed of a central alkaline element, surrounded by the full first solvation shell, are sampled and submitted to time-dependent DFT calculations of the spectrum using dierent hybrids functionals and dierents basis sets. Using the PBE1PBE and O3LYP functionals with large basis sets we obtained a spectral shift in excellent agreement with experiment for the systems of single alkaline atom. For comparison, we also used a cluster model and obtained 14 He atoms around the alkali atom with excellent results too. The radius of the cluster model converged to a value close to the maximum of the first solvation shell in radial distribution function. An additional point considered is the calculation of the spectral line width using the liquid simulation also discussed in this work. For Rb atom, the excitation energy in liquid He is about -18.9 nm. With the liquid He environment simulation we obtained the best results between -16.3 nm and -23.3 nm. The values of the spectral shift using the cluster model were between -17.3 nm and 22.3 nm. The two models show the same bubble radius, about 6-7Å. For the others system, like Na and Cs, we found the same convergence between the cluster model, the simulation of the He liquid and the experimental results. For Na2, the values obtained were in good agreement to the experimental values.

麥中成. / Manuscript (cops. 2 & 3 複印本). / Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學硏究院語文學部. / Manuscript (cops. 2 & 3 fu yin ben). / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 26-35 (3d group)). / Mai Zhongcheng. / Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue yan jiu yuan yu wen xue bu. / 引言 / Chapter 1 --- 何其芳散文的外在研究 / Chapter 1.1 --- 何其芳的生平及其思想 / Chapter 1.11 --- 孤獨拘謹的童年生活 / Chapter 1.12 --- 中學時期沉溺於個人主義 / Chapter 1.13 --- 北大四年，創作大量頹思想作品 / Chapter 1.14 --- 教學三年，思想頓變 / Chapter 1.15 --- 參加抗日，遠走延安 --- p.34 / Chapter 1.16 --- 從事文學批評的文藝官 / Chapter 1.2 --- 社會環境與何其芳的散文風格　　　　　　　　　 --- p.42 / Chapter 1.21 --- 三十年代的白話文風 / Chapter 1.22 --- 翻譯文學作品的文學語言 / Chapter 1.23 --- 社會環境對何其芳散文風格的影響 / Chapter 2 --- 何其芳散文的內在研究　　　　　　　　　　　　　 --- p.70 / Chapter 2.1 --- 語法問題 / Chapter 2.11 --- 句法 / Chapter 2.111 --- 語序問題 / Chapter 2.112 --- 複合句成份的配搭及照應問題 / Chapter 2.12 --- 詞法 / Chapter 2.121 --- 累贅的詞法 / Chapter 2.1211 --- 濫用無定冠詞 / Chapter 2.1212 --- 主語、代詞的過分重複 / Chapter 2.1213 --- 「是…的」句和「是」字 / Chapter 2.122 --- 助詞運用的問題 / Chapter 2.123 --- 詞性的轉換 / Chapter 2.124 --- 虛詞的運用 / Chapter 2.125 --- 造詞 / Chapter 2.2 --- 修辭問題 / Chapter 2.21 --- 積極修辭：譬喻的運用 / Chapter 2.22 --- 消極修辭：形容詞和動詞的運用 / Chapter 2.23 --- 夾雜音譯詞及英文的句子 / Chapter 3 --- 結語 / 附註釋及參考書目

Inter-organisational cost management and control (IOCM and control) is generally defined as a means whereby independent organisations protect their interests and coordinate resources to create value from their inter-organisational relationships (IORs). While research in IOCM and control has been informed by a variety of theoretical perspectives, there is little which has employed structuration theory (examples are Free, 2008; Seal et al., 2004; Sydow & Windeler, 1998). Here, it is argued that Rob Stones’ recent work is a development of the theory which shows good promise for research in this area. A field study at a Greek shipping organisation reveals the processes and dynamics of IOCM and control in practice. Despite public proclamations of long-term relationships with suppliers and buyers, the research uncovered a network of asymmetrically dependent relationships, which produced and reproduced predominantly arm’s-length practices. Distrust and paternalism within the organisation spilled over to the management of its inter-organisational domain, while the structural influences of environmental institutions reinforced organisational agents’ perspectives of IOCM and control and limited consideration of alternatives. Finally, this study argues that the notion of multiple and overlapping social systems as well as of learning and change can emphasise a role for certain theoretical constructs to implicate the skilful deployment of resources, which is central to economic phenomena. Such constructs refer to dialectics of control, path dependency, isomorphism, contradiction and praxis. It is proposed that future research in IOCM and control employing Stones’ version of structuration, would benefit from explicit use of these constructs.