Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. / The purpose of this dissertation is to trace the development of the Southern Illinois Conference of The Methodist Church. The primary sources for the study were The Minutes of the Annual Conferences, The Minutes of the Illinois Conference, and the Journal of the Southern Illinois Conference. Secondary sources had to be used for much of the early history. Methodism began in England and was brought to America by Wesley's preachers. Francis Asbury supervised the spread of Methodism from the Eastern seaboard into the Ohio River Valley [TRUNCATED]

The object of this analysis of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was to examine the interaction between the states which comprise the organisation in terms of regional and international factors which either facilitated or constrained the pursuit of the organisation's economic goals. To this end a theoretical orientation which would place the organisation in context of regional and international political and economic interaction was necessary. International regime theory was used to place the organisation in an international context, and at the same time provided a theoretical dimension which could be used to analyse empirical evidence on the SADCC organisation's functioning. The application of regime theory clearly highlighted the fact that SADCC's economic goals are constrained by the degree to which all of the SADCC states are integrated on the economic level with western market economy and furthermore , by the fact that these links are reinforced for seven of the nine SADCC states by their economic dependence on South Africa. The above conclusion showed that in terms of the perpetuation of the SADCC organisation as an economic regime, according to the regime theory outlined in Chapter One, the goals of SADCC did not create a firm basis for economic cooperation in the long term. The future of the SADCC organisation in it's present form will depend on how long the racial policies of South Africa continue, for the analysis makes clear that the organisation has much more political than economic coherency. The use of a regime framework showed that in terms of the SADCC states individual economic positions, the historical and structural links between South Africa, the majority of the SADCC states and the West will continue indefinitely due to the strength of the structural economic links between the Southern African region and the western market economy. Thus the analysis proves, within the parameters of international regime theory, the lack of economic coherency within the SADCC organisation's goals, and the strength of the economic ties between the Southern African region and the West.

Yes / Feedback from parallel sessions during the GENOVATE conference. / FP7

Yes / Response to GENOVATE output with Professor Jackie Ford at the GENOVATE conference. / FP7

Illustrative matter of Music Educators National Conference, mounted on leaves, Appendix A-G. Abstract: p. 1-6. Autobiography: 1 p. at end. Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. Bibliography: p. 254-264.

This study examines the tone of management disclosures and their impact on capital markets. In particular, I examine the positive and negative tone, as defined by the Harvard IV-4 Dictionary, during conference calls and the impact on analyst accuracy, dispersion of analysts' estimates, cumulative abnormal returns, abnormal trading volumes, and the number of days after the end of the quarter. Results indicate that pessimism is significantly related to decreased analyst accuracy. A one percent increase in the pessimism of a conference call results in a decrease in analyst accuracy by approximately 10%. In addition, an increase in pessimism is associated with an increase in the dispersion of analysts' estimates. Pessimism is related to negative abnormal returns in the 30 days after the end of the conference call and also to increased trading volume in the three days after the conference call. A one percent increase in the pessimism of a conference call is related to a negative abnormal return of approximately .4%. These findings are consistent with the theory that the positive and negative tone of a conference call provides incremental information to the capital markets. I am unable to find significant results for an increase in the number of days between the end of the quarter and the conference call date. These results are robust to using a more financially oriented dictionary created by Loughran and McDonald (2011) / Ph. D.

Conference interpreting in general and simultaneous interpreting in particular are practice-based activities. In training future interpreters, conference interpreter trainers rely heavily on practical exercises that enable students to apply the skills they previously learnt and acquired in class in interpreting situations. For various reasons, the latter, however, may not be as realistic as a simulated conference, thereby preventing students from fully experiencing the atmosphere of real-life conference interpreting. This study begins with the hypothesis that mock conferences such as Model United Nations (MUN) conferences are effective in the training of postgraduate student interpreters in simultaneous interpreting. To examine this hypothesis, and present an alternative view if possible, the researcher observes postgraduate students in the MA Applied Language Studies (option: Translation and Interpreting) at the University of Pretoria performing in the simultaneous interpreting mode during a Model United Nations conference organised by the University‘s United Nations Association. Using a setting such as this, which simulates United Nations General Assembly or Security Council conferences, the researcher observes the students‘ performances and the delegates‘ reactions and analyses trainees‘ perceptions regarding the opportunity to use their skills set in a more realistic environment. / Mini-dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Modern European Languages / MA / Unrestricted

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The thesis explores in depth the negotiations to create the United Nations Organization through which Stalin sought to enhance the USSRs power and prestige via traditional, military-oriented means. Although the Kremlin was relatively successful at maximizing Soviet power within the structure of the UNO, its inflexibility on issues such as Poland, Latin American membership, and other issues antagonized its wartime allies, the USA and Britain. This developing fracture seriously undermined cooperation among the victorious great powers both within the new organization and more broadly. As a result, the process of founding the UNO proved to be both a significant cause and reflection of the degeneration of the wartime Grand Alliance into the Cold War. / History

This study assesses tourism policy and service quality management in business and conference tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), examining the capacity of KSA to become an international business conference tourism destination. It considers the factors that could favour or hinder the expansion of the conference industry in (KSA), Research was conducted through mixed methods, the fact that qualitative and quantitative designs complement each other - each covering for the weakness of the other including original data drawn from interviews and questionnaires. The target respondents are officials from the Saudi Exhibition and Convention Bureau, which is the government organisation responsible for conferences, drawn from the public sector, and staff and managers of tourism companies drawn from the private sector. Understanding these factors is vital to enable stakeholders to address the opportunities and challenges that may emerge. Substantial analysis of the interviews and questionnaires brings out both important recurring themes and specific detail. The personal views of the participants reflect optimism for the sector's current performance and its prospects in the future. The participants also noted that the continuous increase of the sector's performance in KSA has been secured mostly due to the government's support. It demonstrated that there are several positive factors about KSA that may promote a thriving conference tourism sector. This is contrary to the expectations that global issues such as terrorism, and the negative images they have painted of the Arab world from the Western perspective, which have increased safety concerns for delegates visiting KSA. A further objective was to analyse the quality of service and its effects on business conference tourism in (KSA). This facilitates the rating of the current condition of facilities used in conference tourism, as well as the status of supporting industries such as hospitality. Respondents in this context include external delegates who use these services and can give a first-hand account of their experiences. From these responses, it was established that that a large percentage of external delegates preferred staying in 4- and 5-star hotels. The fact that these hotels were available for these delegates meant that the hospitality industry in KSA is large enough to accommodate conferences and also that the level of customer satisfaction that they offer is relatively high. A further objective was to explore the social and political feasibility of KSA developing as a business conference tourism destination. This objective was addressed using the responses of internal conference delegates to evaluate how the social and political characteristics and perceptions of KSA may influence the future conditions of conference tourism in the country. The data gathered shows that there is a close relationship between social and political factors, and the performance of business and conference tourism in KSA. Several elements of the social and political environment have a bearing, not only tourism but also on other sectors in the country One of these is infrastructure; with appropriate infrastructure, which can only be attained with responsible political planning, the running of many industries will be smooth. This study has established that KSA has the infrastructural capability for hosting international conferences, and its organizational capabilities are good. The themes uncovered have pointed out that the Saudi tradition is significant in the development of Saudi Arabia as a business and conference tourism destination. Culture has been shown to be significant determinant of the sector. It is thus important to consider the cultural attributes that act as obstacles to KSA gaining a position as a business and conference tourism destination, while also noting that the themes have pointed out that several socio-political challenges surround the development of Saudi Arabia as a business and conference tourism destination.