Waterloo Region (population 470,000) is the eleventh largest urban region in Canada (2006 Census tract). Within this region, in 2007, 2,831 homeless people defined as commonly living or sleeping in indoor or outdoor spaces not intended for inhabitation used emergency shelters (Homelessness and Housing Group, 2008; Regional Municipality of Waterloo Region, 2007). It is expected that individuals who have inadequate or no permanent housing are particularly exposed and sensitive to environmental conditions such as extreme heat, cold events and poor air quality. Under climate change, it can be expected that the frequency of extreme events and days when air quality fails to meet healthy guidelines may increase. A wide survey of literature from environmental issues related to homelessness in first world countries has demonstrated that there is a research gap in understanding how urban citizens experiencing or facing homelessness adapt to environmental change. Therefore, this research addresses this gap by using both the vulnerability approach to local climate change assessments, and participatory action research to better understand the specificities of adaptation, the available services and future institutional strategies that could enhance the lives of this vulnerable population in relation to local environmental change. The conclusion is that people experiencing homelessness in Waterloo Region have a low vulnerability to climate related events as the social service system which they use is well developed and the climate related events are not severe. However, the vulnerability may increase in the future if service provision changes or if there is an increase in the duration, intensity and frequency of precipitation (rain) or extreme heat days.

Accommodation and vergence are two interacting ocular motor systems that function to maintain clear and single vision across a wide range of distances. Sustained fixation results in the adaptation of these ocular motor systems and has been widely investigated in adults but not in children. Moreover, limited reports have measured adaptation to disparities induced by ophthalmic lenses. This thesis used near addition lenses as a means to investigate binocular adaptation in children. The specific aims of this thesis were three-fold. First, the thesis aimed to gain insight into the mechanism of changes to accommodation and vergence during binocular adaptation in children. The second objective was to determine the role of vergence-bias category (eso/exo/normals) on adaptation. Lastly, this thesis evaluated the influence of myopia on binocular adaptation. Thirty- eight myopic and 38 emmetropic children between 7-14 years of age were examined for the purpose of this thesis. A series of studies were performed to evaluate adaptation using varying demands for accommodation and vergence, stimulated by binocular fixation at near (33 cm), through the addition of +2D and -2D over corrective lenses (closed loop accommodation) and using 10 base-out prisms (open-loop accommodation at 4M). In each closed-loop condition, measures of binocular and monocular accommodation (PowerRefractor, Multichannel systems) and near phoria (modified Thorington technique) were recorded at frequent intervals when children binocularly fixated a high contrast near target (33 cm) for 20 min. For the open-loop condition (obtained using 0.5 mm pinhole pupils), binocular accommodation and tonic vergence (distance heterophoria through pinhole pupils) were determined at frequent intervals when binocular fixation was sustained at 4M for 20 min. For all conditions, tonic accommodation was measured before and after the near task to measure accommodative adaptation. The results of this thesis make three major contributions to the literature. First, it outlines that the addition of +2D and -2D lenses alters both accommodation and near phoria during sustained binocular fixation, which can be explained based on the models of accommodation and vergence. Second, it shows that the direction of phoria influences the pattern of binocular vs. monocular accommodation in closed-loop conditions and alters the degree of vergence adaptation in both closed and open-loop accommodation. These changes have been primarily attributed to the varying demands on fusional vergence. Lastly, this thesis demonstrates that myopic children show reduced vergence adaptation when fusional convergence was initiated through plus adds or base-out prisms but not when fusional divergence was initiated through minus addition lenses. Further, myopic children also showed variations in other ocular motor parameters such as higher accommodative lags, greater variability of accommodative response, larger accommodative after-effects, and higher AV/A ratios compared to emmetropes. Consistent with the models of accommodation and vergence, the thesis highlights that it is necessary to measure changes to both accommodation and vergence when evaluating the response of the ocular motor system. The direction of phoria and type of refractive error play a significant role in determining binocular adaptation in children. Future studies should differentiate these parameters when evaluating adaptation of the ocular motor system.

In recent decades, rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic complications have reached epidemic proportions among Canadian Aboriginal people. Evidence in several populations suggests that abnormal birth weight, particularly low birth weight (LBW) and possibly high birth weight (HBW) may be linked to the development of T2DM. LBW often reflects poor maternal health/ nutritional status which may interfere with normal pancreatic development. HBW is a frequent complication of diabetic pregnancies which are associated with obesity and carbohydrate intolerance in adulthood. Since Saskatchewan Aboriginal newborns historically had higher rates of LBW, and more recently have experienced higher HBW rates, it follows that sub-optimal maternal/ fetal health may be important in the epidemic of T2DM in this population.<p> This thesis describes a case-control study that used Saskatchewan Health databases to determine the relationship between birth weight and T2DM. A sample of 846 adult diabetic Registered Indians (RI) were age and sex matched to three control groups: 1) non-diabetic RI, 2) diabetic general population (GP) subjects, and 3) non-diabetic GP subjects. RI subjects were identified as such by the provincial Health Insurance Registration File.<p> The results of this study show a significant association between HBW (> 4000 grams) and T2DM for RI people [odds ratio (OR) 1.63; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 2.24]. This association increased in strength from the middle to the latter part of this century and was found to be stronger for RI females than RI males. The comparison of birth weights within the four study groups revealed that diabetic RI (16.2%) were significantly more likely (p<0.05) than controls (10.7%,10.0%, 7.5% respectively) to have HBW. An association between LBW and T2DM (< 2500 grams) was not evident within either RI or GP sample populations.<p> The findings of this study support the hypothesis that HBW and its causes may be risk factors for T2DM among RI people. Programs to prevent gestational diabetes, and to diagnose and optimally manage diabetes during pregnancy could help to reduce rates of diabetes in future generations of Aboriginal peoples.

This dissertation studies the relationship of product adaptation and buyer behavior. By standardizing products, it was possible for organizations to produce in large scale and make them accessible for many different markets. Nevertheless, these different markets also have particularities which cannot be ignored and therefore, product adaptation is necessary to some extent; even for standardized products. Organizations should then optimize their product adaptation police in order to reach an assertive marketing strategy. In this regard, this study develops a model which predicts product adaptation from the understanding of buyer behavior. The understanding of buyer behavior, from the seller organization perspective, can provide organizations with a wide range of information to predict product adaptation.  It was concluded, by using the case of Volvo, that organizations can optimize their marketing strategy by predicting product adaptation from observing and understanding their buyer´s behavior looking at the following variables: environmental influences focusing as well on the industry and segment, organizational factors, motivational factors and the nature of decision-making. Besides these variables, the data coming from after-sale processes and trend reports also help to predict product adaptation.

Companies marketing their products and/or services overseas are faced with the decision of whether to standardize or adapt their product offerings. This decision concerns firms commencing to market their products in foreign countries as well as those already operating internationally and is considering expanding into further markets. The standardization of products across cultures is increasingly becoming an important issue that the managers of global firms are today facing. As international marketing in the 21st century receives significant research attention, it seems the cost benefits and administration of standardization strategies has simplified the international marketing approach as well as being an attractive choice for many firms. On the other hand, product adaptation strategies are also being considered as perhaps the most influential aspect for Multinational Corporations (MNCs). Seeing that past research has established that standardization enhances performance outcomes, more recent theories suggests that this may not always be the case. In today's globalized world, the choices of standardization versus adaptation of international products are no longer being seen as an inflexible choice. Instead, combinations of the two options are being regarded, given the dependent factors at a given time on a given market. However, with the emergence of homogeneous (identical) markets worldwide, it is still a question of whether MNCs will or will not intermix both the standardization strategies and adaptation product strategies. To that effect it would perhaps be more interesting to look beyond the dichotomy of standardization and adaptation as product strategies, that is not necessarily comparing which is the better option of these two comparisons. Through a single case study of a multinational fast food retailer McDonalds Company, a research agenda was placed on investigating the level of adapting or standardizing of products by Multinational Corporations (MNCs). Based on the illustrations and findings of the research, it was concluded that the choice of either complete standardization or adaptation is not an all-or nothing proposition, but a matter of degree. Hence MNCs should strive to incorporate ingredients of both approaches based on a clear understanding of the dynamics of the served markets respectively.

Following the global warming and climate change in the last twenty years, one of key actions on maintaining biodiversity is to save critical endangered species with aspect of intergrated management. Our study aims to explore integrated mechanism inside the case of Chinese White Dolphin conservation in Taiwan throught a qualitative research approach. The integrated mechanism was also understood under a concept of social-ecological system and analysed with a framework that was modified mitigation-adaptation model used to apply on climate change study. The capacity of management measures including of mitigation and adaptation was explored on three levels, i.e. animals, habitat, and society. Differences of the capacity in these three levels were compared between the cases in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The study also tried to point out possible responders who should conduct these conservation measures from a questionnaire survey. The statistical analysis revealed none of top measures must be under the responsibility of government in these three levels. The analysis showed that there is no correlation between the implementation of measures and the governmental responsibility. In addition, the top-six measures were mainly in the marine environment level and four of the measures had been implemented. In the analysis about governmental responsibility top-seven measures, should be under the responsibility of developers, instead of the government. Some suggestions were given at the end for integrated management of Chinese White Dolphin conservation in Taiwan.

Body shape affects the capacity and efficiency of swimming in fishes, and places constraints on foraging and reproductive performance. Hence, fitness components, such as aerobic swimming capacity and efficiency, can be determined from analysis of swimming energetics using active respirometry. In particular, body shape adaptations, such as streamlining, aim at reducing hydrodynamic drag (resistance), thereby increasing swimming efficiency in the presence of water flow, which is a principal contributor to resistance for fish inhabiting rivers. For two populations of bluegill sunfish, one from the Brazos River and the other from Moelman’s Slough (a Brazos River oxbow lake), the metabolic transport rate (MTR) was determined to evaluate differences in swimming efficiency. The standard cost of swimming (SCOS) was also determined to evaluate differences in swimming capacity, which represents the overall capacity of the skeletal muscles to generate mechanical power to overcome hydrodynamic resistance. The MTR and the SCOS describe holistic swimming performance, where the MTR specifies the hydrodynamic response due to swimming, and the SCOS specifies the physiologic response due to swimming. The differences in swimming performance are mainly attributed to factors affecting hydrodynamic resistance and could be predicted by morphology; because body shape, like water flow, is also a principal contributor to resistance. Multivariate body shape, from generalized Procrustes analysis, was used to assess the influence of multiple shape traits on swimming costs. This measure of shape related to swimming performance using partial least-squares analysis showed the two bluegill populations to be significantly different. The results were as follows: the shallow-bodied condition in bluegills was highly correlated with efficient swimming and low swimming capacities; whereas, deep-bodied bluegills were highly correlated with inefficient swimming and high swimming capacities. This is an empirical case of divergent natural selection. For convergence, however, the position of the caudal peduncle is consistent with optimal swimming speed (Um), which depends on standard metabolic rate (SMR), or metabolic maintenance. Bluegills with erect caudal peduncles have a high range of swimming speeds without suffering much cost of swimming ability compared to bluegills with prone caudal peduncles. The adaptive physiological response to high Um is due to a low SCOS because swimming efficiency is low and metabolic maintenance is high. In other words, bluegills that are inefficient swimmers and require a high energy intake cannot survive unless they gain the ability to increase their foraging capacity by thrust or metabolic power reduction. This is perhaps one of the most remarkable adaptive physiological responses due to the joint effects of shape and SMR.

As our society heads into aging society, along with more double-career family, economic pressure for young couples, and the increase of women employment rate, it becomes inevitable for the government to import alien nursing workers to meet domestic needs. Nowadays, we see these workers cross the border and fly over the ocean to Taiwan ¡V their promised land. Indeed, how much do we know about them? The current research, instead of studying on how these workers influence our society as most of other related literature, focuses on the situations of these alien nursing workers in the hospital, treat them as individuals with emotions and selves not just economic values to Taiwanese. In this thesis, the role that the alien nursing workers play in the medical system and the ways that they interact with other people are discussed. As ¡§role" and "interaction" are both abstract and complicated facets of social life, the research adopts qualitative methods of in-depth interviews and field observation. Six alien nursing workers, three nursing workers, three nurses, a service user, and two government section members are interviewed.

Industries are facing more and more challenges with shorter product life span, shorter cycle time demand from customers, diverse product features, adopting advanced processes, global marketing, time demanding manufacturing and management, uncertainty of forecast, and pressure of price cut, etc. To manage all the aspects, industries are requires to re-engineer their companies to improve competitiveness. Therefore, in recent years. CIM, which emphasize on integrating in-house resources,is getting higher attentions from semiconductor companies. The main motive to introduce CIM is to reduce manpower, improve product quality, shorten cycle time, lower inventory, increase efficiency, react to fast changing market and enhance production flexibility. Especially on semi-conductor assembly and test sub-contacting business, due to strong request from IDM customers to manage their supply chain, companies are introducing CIM systems to fulfill the customer requirement and enhance competitiveness, meanwhile elevate the entry barrier as well. How to benefit from CIM are the new challenges to the companies who bring in such system. Thus, this research applies Leonard-Barton¡¦s perspective as the reference Structure and adopts case study methodology to investigate how the three dimensions (Technical, delivery system and organizational performance) could be related to the four Chosen companies of IC Assembly and testing manufacture. The data was collected mainly Through semi-structured interviews. By doing the above, this research would like to explore the relationship between CIM implementation and organizational adaptation. The research results indicated that manufacture flow module in these four cases was conducted according to the built-in system flows modeling of the CIM package adopted, then through by the system and flow integration of CIM and ERP to make the information flow and internal organization more close. The system integrity and the paradigm of built-in flow are the main benefits derived from CIM implementation from the technology perspective. Guided by the built-in flow, the company can adapt itself through learning and obtain potential synergy. However, by so doing, the company is exposed to the risk of system function inadequacy and the deleterious impact brought by BPR, which is conducted without active participation of the user organization. In summary, the potential hazard of technology dimension comes from system function inadequacy and system transplant without conducting proper BPR. This in turn will increase the risk of software project and incur potential costs such as compromise and system tuning. Lastly, we found three key factors to the successful adaptation between CIM system and organization. 1. Integration between CIM and ERP. 2. Specification and compatibility of CIM and usage of build-in flow modeling tools. 3. Internal flow adaptation including internal change management, coordination among associated information departments, and KU educational trainings. The mentioned three points are keys to minimize the problems of organization adaptation and help to smoothen the manufacturing flow integration and improve the overall performance when CIM system implement in the industries.

In the past the manpower supplies were bigger than the demand, under the talented person using rate high environment, the enterprise because value enterprise pay attention to loyal concepts of staff, when needing to recruit the staff, easy to is it produce fresh people of the society just to accept. But because of in recent years because of social structure, manpower supply and demand out of turn, the industrial environment change quickly and science and technology gradually progress next, enlist the novice of fit organization, is already each subject that the organization extremely values, consequently, quit employee again hire to hire and then became many enterprises to make use of of enlist a method. This research with have already quitted employee and is rehire for research object, adhere to rehire before of quit factor's being voluntarily avoidable separation and voluntarily unavoidable separation and involuntary avoidable separation and involuntary unavoidable separation etc.4 types, and adopt the way of interview would like to rehire to to quit the reason of the employee and hire to hire the orientation situation of to investigating influence organization. Suggest as a result that organize to a little bit easily accept to rehire type as a result for voluntarily unavoidable separation and involuntary unavoidable separation because don¡¦t involve a loyalty problem. And the employee avoid for voluntarily avoidable separation, organization will because the job lack fluxion rate and Vicariousness is low, don't easily find out a suitable personnel, and would like to adjust to the loyalty and would like to accept then rehire them . As for involuntary avoidable separation can avoid of quit employee, because is belong to function quit employee, so the organization will not rehire for them. For rehire the orientation situation of to say, return to original section of then the orientation situation rehire will compare to return to different section of rehire a personnel an orientation like, in addition to return not to return to original section will influence adaptation condition as well as because rehire the active for hiring but influence organization to rehire the impressions of, and influence rehire the adaptation situation of, but mostly say all of adaptation conditions is than novice good.