University of Stellenbosch Business School / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examined the relationship between economic structure and energy intensity in selected developed and developing countries of the world. A methodological and systematic approach was adopted to select the thirty-one countries explored in the study. Therefore, to answer the research questions posed in the study, the Granger Causality Technique and the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) method were used. This study discovered that the variables examined in the study showed variations. The variations emerged because of differences in methodologies and analytical frameworks adopted. Errorcorrection models were estimated and used to test for the direction of Granger causality. In the model, a high R2 was observed among the six variables (i.e. energy efficiency, per capita income, manufacturing, average energy prices, energy imports, technological developments), which invariably account for 60.8 percent of the variance in the energy intensity. Based on this, the unidirectional Granger causality runs from efficiency, per capita income and manufacturing to energy intensity. Hence, the price effects are relatively less significant in the causal chain. The result is at variance with the hypothesis that the structure of the economy does not determine its energy intensity. Nevertheless, a unidirectional Granger causality running from economic structure to energy intensity indicates that improvement in the economic structure would encourage a decline in energy intensity.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-44). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.) --University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at San Antonio, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This study measures Facebook use intensity in residents of Saudi Arabia, and distinguishes between Saudi citizens and non-Saudi residents. This is achieved through an analysis of the antecedents and the consequences of Facebook use intensity. The sample used consists of 135 Saudi and 66 non-Saudi participants, all of whom were Facebook users aged 18 or older. The “snowball” technique was used in this study. Data was collected through a face-to-face questionnaire, and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results show that there were significant relationships between the antecedents and the consequences of Facebook use intensity. Non-Saudi residents are shown to use Facebook to keep in touch with their families and friends more than Saudi do, while Saudi citizens use Facebook to search for products more than non-Saudi. The two groups are also quite different in terms of their online shopping behavior, including the sources of information and recommendations they prefer when researching a product. This study shows that there is a relationship between participants’ Facebook usage, and their demographics, personality, motivations, and values. The major limitation of this study is that it was conducted in only one city: Riyadh. Therefore, additional research should be carried out in other cities with larger samples. This thesis makes a special contribution to the literature, as it is the first to consider both the antecedents and the consequences of Facebook use intensity in a single study. It is also the first study to analyze the relationship between the Six Dimensional Achievement Motivation Scale (Jackson, Ahmed, and Heapy, 1976), the Rokeach Value System (1973), and Facebook use intensity in the world in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular.

With general advancements in computer technology and development ofdirect geo-referencing technology, such as GPS, airborne laser scanningsystems came into widespread use especially after 2002. In spite of relativelyhigh cost of purchase, the systems proved to be cost effective, providing fastand in large volumes 3D geospatial data acquisition with unprecedentedaccuracy and relatively modest processing complexity. Country-widecollection of laser scanning data, mainly due to DTM derivation, is becomingan attractive possibility for mapping. Since 2009, Swedish Government hasapproved and financed the project of developing the New National ElevationModel (NNH) for the country of Sweden, with aspects of monitoring climatechanges and other environmental impacts. The National Land Survey ofSweden, which is commissioned to carry out the project, is offering this highlyaccurate scanned data less expensive to secondary users, such as companiesspecialized in forestry applications, etc. Beside the geospatial data (X, Y, Z),laser systems additionally record the received signal intensity for eachmeasurement. So far, intensity values were just an additional variable, notused extensively, but in recent years many efforts have been made tounderstand and interpret these values. The wider use of intensity data ismissing due to the lack of techniques to calibrate them, so that theyrepresent values proportional to the scattering characteristics of the target. Inthe scope of this thesis it was examined which properties influence intensityvalues and to what degree. Already proposed methods for calibration weresummarized and the most suitable one was implemented based on the datafrom the NNH project and instruments used for it. The results proved to begood both empirically and visually, with reduced intensity variations over thesame targets. The potentials of using this corrected data are presented, suchas surface classification, automatic object recognition, multi-temporalanalysis, and more.

No description available.

Traditionally civil infrastructure designs were rendered using rainfall data from dated historical records. However, recent studies have shown that the magnitude and intensity of historical precipitation events do not exhibit the extreme nature of precipitation events that are projected to occur in the future. Increasing extreme rainfall trends have already been documented in Canada. Therefore there are growing concerns that the aging infrastructure in southern Ontario will be unable to function effectively and as a result the frequency of floods is expected to increase. Updating intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves to account for extreme precipitation events is vital to ensure that the consequences of floods are mitigated. This study first reviewed the most robust techniques for updating IDF curves, and applied a select set of approaches to create IDF curves for stations within southern Ontario. Three robust techniques – the at-site method, the regional frequency analysis method, and a future IDF curve development technique – were compared with one another to determine which technique was most suitable for updating IDF curves in southern Ontario. Results showed that the difference between the at-site method and the regional frequency analysis method was marginal for short return periods, however for larger return periods larger differences were observed. Future IDF statistic results showed that for the 2050s there were minor differences in the increases in rainfall intensities when comparing with the at-site and the regional frequency analysis method. For the 2100s there were larger increases in rainfall intensities compared to the at-site and the regional frequency analysis method, especially for larger return periods. These results suggest that it is worthwhile for regions within southern Ontario to update their IDF curves using the future IDF curve technique, however it is recommended that additional climate models, emission scenarios and downscaling techniques involved in future IDF curve construction are explored. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

A study of nocturnal inversions in the Central Plains of the United States was conducted using 15 National Weather Service stations. Radiosonde data from 1960 to 2007 were analyzed in order to assess any regional trends in inversion characteristics. Previous research suggests that the urban heat effect counteracts the inversion effect and, therefore, a change in inversion characteristics was expected. Yearly, seasonal, and monthly statistical analyses revealed few trends in inversion frequency, intensity, and depth. Using statistical and graphical analyses, no overarching changes in nocturnal inversions were observable over the Central Plains during this time. While not explicitly the intention of this study, one consistent result was displayed through the average soundings: an overall atmospheric warming (from near surface to 500 mb) existed at thirteen of the fifteen sites.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2004. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-95). Also available on the World Wide Web.