In recent years, the moments of L-functions has been a topic of growing interest in the field of analytic number theory. New techniques, including applications of Random Matrix Theory and multiple Dirichlet series, have lead to many well-posed theorems and conjectures for the moments of various L-functions. In this thesis, we theoretically and numerically examine the integral moments of quadratic Dirichlet $L$-functions. In particular, we exhibit and discuss the conjectures for the moments which result from the applications of Random Matrix Theory, number theoretic heuristics, and the theory of multiple Dirichlet series. In the case of the cubic moment, we further numerically investigate the possible existence of additional lower order main terms.

In recent years, the moments of L-functions has been a topic of growing interest in the field of analytic number theory. New techniques, including applications of Random Matrix Theory and multiple Dirichlet series, have lead to many well-posed theorems and conjectures for the moments of various L-functions. In this thesis, we theoretically and numerically examine the integral moments of quadratic Dirichlet $L$-functions. In particular, we exhibit and discuss the conjectures for the moments which result from the applications of Random Matrix Theory, number theoretic heuristics, and the theory of multiple Dirichlet series. In the case of the cubic moment, we further numerically investigate the possible existence of additional lower order main terms.

Childhood obesity is a major public health issue. Canada has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the world. Food advertising and marketing have contributed to the rapid rise in childhood obesity. High energy and low nutrient foods have been promoted directly to children through attractive imagery on packages, including the use of popular cartoon characters. Children’s food packaging also features a range of nutrition information targeted at parents, including nutrition claims; however, there is relatively little research on the impact of these nutrition claims and the extent to which they may interact with child-friendly imagery to influence parents’ perception of food quality. The current study used a 2 x 2 experimental design to examine the effect of four front-of-package (FOP) nutrition information and four cartoon characters on parental perceptions of children’s food products. Participants consisted of 897 parents recruited across Canada through GMI, a market research company. Participants were over 18, had at least one child between ages 4-10 and the primary shopper of their household. Participants completed an online survey in July 2011. Participants were shown images of food products with or without cartoon characters and with or without FOP nutrition information and were asked to rate the food product on appeal, nutritional quality, intention to buy and willingness to pay. Participants were also asked to rate the FOP nutrition information on believability, ease of understanding and perceived effectiveness. Linear mixed modelling examined the influence of cartoon characters, FOP nutrition information and socio-demographic factors on these outcomes. Results indicated that cartoon characters increased product appeal and FOP nutrition information increased the perceived nutritional quality of food products with low nutritional value. No significant differences were observed for intention to buy or willingness to pay. There was no consistent pattern between socio-demographic factors and product rating outcomes. For FOP nutrition information ratings, Health Check and Source of Fibre were rated more believable, easier to understand and more effective overall than Sensible Solution and Given the Thumbs Up by Kids. Overall, the findings indicate that cartoon characters can increase the perceived appeal and FOP nutrition information can increase the perceived nutritional quality of food products with low nutritional value.

Jane Austens <i>Mansfield Park</i> has earned a reputation as a difficult text for its politically-charged negotiations of ethics and unsatisfactory heroine. Since Edward Said presented the novel as an example of British literature that contributed to an expanding imperialist venture (95), scholarly attention has shifted to focus on the extent to which the novel critically engages with macrocosmic power structures and hegemonic discourse. That is, how does Mansfield Parks description of power dynamics at home reflect slave-related issues in the foreign atmosphere? Austens interest in and familial connections to slave-related issues, contemporary cultural awareness of abolitionist sentiment, and textual allusions to the slave trade all contribute to the novels counterpoint between domestic and foreign spaces: the Bertram family is economically dependent on a slave plantation in Antigua. A microcosm of plantation life, Mansfield Park represents the dilemmas of marginalized women who are presented with choices to rebel against or submit to patriarchal authority. In order to preserve her own physical, emotional, and psychological safety, Fanny Price bids for patriarchal favour. While others are punished severely for their rebellion, Fanny is rewarded for her submissive choices and enjoys an elevated social status. However, she inspires no reformation and remains an unsatisfactory heroine. Like the grateful Negro of contemporary plantation tales, Fanny functions to stabilize the status quo through her gratitude and loyalty, reinforcing societys tightly-controlled boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Mansfield Parks revelatory strength is that it exposes the mechanisms by which power is produced and maintained in domestic and imperial spaces.

Small and Medium Business Credit Guarantee Fund (SMEG) is the sole non-profit credit guarantee providing organization in Taiwan. The mission of the fund is to help small and medium enterprises in need of capital obtain bank loans, and, hopefully, to promote the domestic economy as well as create the empolyment opportunities. In essence the fund facilitates the implementation of public policy. As the business environment is completely changed, the goals of handling fund were shifted from a financial perspective to a business perspective. The demand for the credit guarantee of the bank loan has substantially increased. In order to meet the growing demand, the effective risk management becomes an important issue. This study examines the overdue ratio and the effect of the risk management from the perspectives of enterprises, banks and the macroeconomics. Findings include the following:(a)some certain affiliated trades and some scales of loans are associated with high overdue ratio; (b) lowering the rate of guarantee can reduce the overdue ratio; (c) there is a significant difference between the characters of the bank and the overdue ratio of SMEG; (d) in macroeconomics, the overdue rate of the SMEG are highly related to the economic indicators such as economic growth rate, money supply, heavy discount rate and unemployment rate. The previous indicators can be the reference indicator of the risk management of SMEG.

In this study, 248 university students completed questionnaires measuring their perceptions of and responses to their favorite and least desired characters in their favorite TV serial. Firstly, the respondents named their favorite serial character and then rated their favorite character on several attributes (physical attractiveness, positive social behavior, strength and humor) and indicated their level of agreement to the items of the parasocial interaction scale. Secondly, the participants named the character they desired the least in their favorite TV serial, rated that character on several attributes (physical repulsiveness, negative social behavior, weakness) and responded to the items of the negative parasocial interaction scale. Regression analyses predicting the sub-dimensions of parasocial interaction, namely companionship, empathic involvement and interest, and negative parasocial interaction, namely, boredom, anger, disturbance and amazement were performed. Different attributes of the characters were found to be important in predicting different dimensions of parasocial and negative parasocial interaction. The predictors of the sub-dimensions of parasocial interaction were determined. Significant predictors of companionship sub-scale were found as the positive social behavior, humor and strength of the character. In terms of empathic involvement, the perceived attributes of positive social behavior, physical attractiveness, strength and humor were found as significant predictors. For the interest sub-scale, the significant predictors were found as humor, strength and physical attractiveness. The newly-formed scale named as Negative Parasocial Interaction Scale was factor analyzed and interpretable factors were determined. The predictors of these factors were also examined. Significant predictors of boredom sub-scale were found to be the perceived weakness and physical repulsiveness of the character. Negative social behavior of the character was found to be a significant negative predictor of boredom sub-scale. In terms of anger sub-scale, only negative social behavior was found to be a significant predictor. For the disturbance sub-scale, significant predictors were found as negative social behavior, physical repulsiveness and weakness. Finally, the amazement sub-scale was significantly predicted only by the physical repulsiveness of the character. The implications of the findings, the strengths and weaknesses of the study are discussed.

Abstract After the Mainland China¡¦s opening policy, more and more enterprises invested in this giant business market, which is full of adventures and opportunities . In earlier days, only few people wanted to be assigned for working in Mainland China. Nowadays, much more people volunteer to develop their careers in Mainland China for a longer period. The thesis is trying to study the expartiate¡¦s personal characters, career orientations, expatriate motivation and expatriate adjustment, and further understanding the impacts of these four facters on the intention to stay in Mainland China. The results of this study indicate that: 1.The more voluntary expatriate have to work in Mainland China, the higher intention expatriate have to stay in Mainland China. 2.The expatriates who live with their families will have higher intention to stay in Mainland China. 3.People whose career orientation indicates ¡§getting ahead¡¨ have positive correlation with the expatriate motivations, which indicate self-fulfilling, self-esteem and security. The ¡§getting secure¡¨ people have negative correlation with the self- fulfilling motivation. 4.People whose personal characters indicate high ¡§interpersonal skills¡¨ will positively affect the expatriates¡¦ ¡§getting high¡¨ and ¡§getting ahead¡¨ career orientations, but negatively affect¡§getting balance¡¨ career orientation. Expatriates¡¦ high ¡§ability of conflict solving¡¨ will negaitively influent the ¡§getting ahead¡¨ career orientation. Furthermore obvious, their highly ¡§optimistic tendency¡¨ will negaitively influent the ¡§getting secure¡¨ career orientation. 5.People whose personal characters indicate high ¡§interpersonal skills¡¨, ¡¨ability of culture adjustment and ¡§optimistic tendency¡¨ will positively influent the expatriate whose expatriate motivation indicates ¡§self-actualization¡¨.Their high ¡§ability of conflict solvingl¡¨ will negaitively affect the ¡§secure¡¨ expatriate motivation. Expatriates¡¦ high ¡§ambiguous tolerance¡¨ will negaitively influent their ¡§social¡¨ expatriate motivation 6.People whose career orientation indicates ¡§getting free¡¨ have negaitive impact on their intention to stay in Mainland China. 7.People whose expatriate motivation are showing ¡§self- actualization¡¨ and ¡§social¡¨ have positively influence to their intention to stay in Mainland China. 8. People whose personal characters are showing high ¡¨ability of culture adjustment and interpersonal skills¡¨ positively influenceing their intention to stay in Mainland China. The expatriate¡¦ adjustment is a mediating factor between personal characters and the intention to stay in Mainland China.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on December 23, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-63).

Thesis--Paris, 1972. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 528-545) and index.

Thèse complémentaire--Université de Paris. / "Bibliographie": p. [159]-166.