This paper explores the effect of internet market and merchant characterics. Product retail price is not only a major revenue-driven factor for the seller, but also a key decision factor for the buyer. This research investigates how online retailing prices are affected by maket types and merchant characteristics. A dataset of 3,811 retail price quotes collected from 245 product items at 14 categoris from 880 onlline shopping or auction merchants is collected and analyzed. Major findings are below: 1. The average prices in the B2C market are significant higher than that in the C2C markets. No significant price difference is found between C2C markets that charge fees and free C2C markets. These implies that the auction market reduces product prices but whether the market maker charge service fees has no effect on product pricing. 2. Competitive intensity of a market is found to have significant positive effect on the price dispersion rate. This is consistent with prior research findings but is in conflict with the signle price theory in economics. This is because some vendors may intentionally lower their prices to attract customers, which results in a higher dispersion rate. 3. The reputation of a merchant has significant positive effects on its price dispersion in the B2C market. In auction markets, reputation has positive effect on price dispersion in the higher range, but has negative effect in the lower range. In both markets, merchant size has a positive effect on price dispersion in both markets. 4. Finally, price dispersion and effect of market types and product characteristics vary for different product categories.

This thesis deals with electrical and optical characterization  of p+i–n+ nanowire-based photodetectors/solar  cells. I have investigated their I-V performance and found that all of them exhibit a clear rectifying behavior with an ideality factor around 2.2 at 300K.  used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to extract their optical properties. From the spectrally resolved photocurrent data, I conclude that the main photocurrent is generated in the i-segment of the nanowire (NW) p-i-n junctions, with negligible  contribution from the substrate.   I also used a C-V technique to investigate the impurity/doping profiles of the NW p+-i-n+ junction.  The technique has been widely used for investigations of doping profiles in planar p-n junctions, in particular with one terminal (n or p) highly doped. To verify the accuracy of the technique, I also used a planar Schottky  sample with an already known doping profile for a test  experiment. The result is very similar to the actual data. When we used the technique to investigate the doping level in the NWs photodetectors grown on InP substrates, the results show a very high capacitance above 800pF which most likely is due to the influence of the parasitic capacitance from the insulating layer of SiO2. Thus,  a new sample design is required to investigate the  doping profiles of NWs.

In today's tough economic environment, companies are forced to work more efficiently and effectively with the resources they have at their disposal. At the same time companies are struggling to attract and retain good people with the necessary attributes and skills in order for them to remain competitive. The challenge today is not just retaining talented people, but fully engaging them, capturing their minds and hearts at each stage of their work lives. Employee engagement has emerged as a critical driver of business success in today's competitive marketplace. Further, employee engagement can be a deciding factor in organisational success. Not only does engagement have the potential to significantly affect employee retention, productivity and loyalty, it is also a key link to customer satisfaction, company reputation and overall stakeholder value. The purpose of this study is to determine whether job and organisational characteristics have an impact on work engagement. Weak correlation was found between the four aspects of Job and organisational characteristics namely: the Position the company holds in the industry, Own and company objectives, Environmental factors and Commitment or social responsibility position the company takes and the three aspects of Engagement namely Vigour, Dedication and practically significant correlation coefficients of large effect between Vigour on the one hand and Dedication and Absorption on the other hand. Practically significant correlation coefficients of large effect between Dedication on the one hand and Absorption on the other hand. Practically significant correlation coefficients of medium effect between Absorption on the one hand and Own and company objectives was found. After controlling for work engagement at baseline, only four of the dimensions tested between Job and organisational characteristics and Engagement were statistically significant. No positive association could be found between Job and organisational characteristics and Work Engagement. The findings are noteworthy in that all the aspects of Job and organisational characteristics do not lead to Engagement thus no evidence was found that Job and organisational characteristics could stimulate Work Engagement. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

In today's tough economic environment, companies are forced to work more efficiently and effectively with the resources they have at their disposal. At the same time companies are struggling to attract and retain good people with the necessary attributes and skills in order for them to remain competitive. The challenge today is not just retaining talented people, but fully engaging them, capturing their minds and hearts at each stage of their work lives. Employee engagement has emerged as a critical driver of business success in today's competitive marketplace. Further, employee engagement can be a deciding factor in organisational success. Not only does engagement have the potential to significantly affect employee retention, productivity and loyalty, it is also a key link to customer satisfaction, company reputation and overall stakeholder value. The purpose of this study is to determine whether job and organisational characteristics have an impact on work engagement. Weak correlation was found between the four aspects of Job and organisational characteristics namely: the Position the company holds in the industry, Own and company objectives, Environmental factors and Commitment or social responsibility position the company takes and the three aspects of Engagement namely Vigour, Dedication and practically significant correlation coefficients of large effect between Vigour on the one hand and Dedication and Absorption on the other hand. Practically significant correlation coefficients of large effect between Dedication on the one hand and Absorption on the other hand. Practically significant correlation coefficients of medium effect between Absorption on the one hand and Own and company objectives was found. After controlling for work engagement at baseline, only four of the dimensions tested between Job and organisational characteristics and Engagement were statistically significant. No positive association could be found between Job and organisational characteristics and Work Engagement. The findings are noteworthy in that all the aspects of Job and organisational characteristics do not lead to Engagement thus no evidence was found that Job and organisational characteristics could stimulate Work Engagement. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Serologically related arenaviruses have been isolated from West Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Central African Republic. Human disease is only associated with the West African isolates. The virulence of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Central African Republic isolates in humans is not known. This Thesis is an account of work carried out by the author to compare the biological characteristics of isolates from West Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It describes the successful isolation and identification of the aetiological agents, their physicochemical and antigenic characteristics and describes in vivo studies using mice, guinea pigs and Rhesus monkeys. A direct comparison was made with a patient diagnosed as having Lassa fever. The disease in man and monkeys following infection with Lassa virus was similar. The Rhesus monkey and guinea pig proved suitable experimental models in which to study and compare the pathogenic responses and also to evaluate various aspects of protection. These animal models when immunised with the viruses from Mozambique and Zimbabwe were protected when subsequently challenged with Lassa virus. The Mozambique and Zimbabwe isolates proved to have morphological and physicochemical characteristics not dissimilar from West African Lassa viruses and those members of the arenavirus family from South America. Serological and immunochemical investigations suggest the existence of both common and unique antigenic determinants on the viruses from Mozambique, -Zimbabwe and West Africa. This grouping also coincides with the geographic separation of the viruses, i.e. Lassa - West Africa and Mopeia -southeast Africa. Similar differences in host susceptibility have also been demonstrated. Lassa virus produces a fatal haemorrhagic disease while Mopeia isolates produce only an asymptomatic infection. The combined data suggests the possibility of two virus groups within the 'Old World' arenavirus classification. The proposed name, 'Mopeia', forms one group and includes the viruses from Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The Lassa strains from West Africa form the second group. It is suggested that the Mopeia viruses are minor antigenic variants of Lassa and should be included within the arenavirus family.

Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Theses (Dept. of Sociology/Anthropology) / Simon Fraser University.

Habilitationsschrift--Mainz, 1975. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 252-260) and index.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Yale University, 2008. / Adviser: Bruce Russett. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Supervisor: Adam Zachary Newton. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This is a descriptive study of functional specialization in cities and its relation to certain social, economic and demographic variables.