Com o intuito de reduzir a incidência de acidentes no trânsito, em 19 de junho de 2008 foi promulgada a Lei n 11.705, que enrijece as penalidades aplicadas às pessoas que dirigem sob efeito de bebidas alcoólicas. O presente trabalho trata do impacto sobre a demanda por cervejas subsequente à aprovação da referida lei, cujas punições nela declaradas representam uma internalização de custos que o indivíduo infrator impõe à sociedade. Nesse sentido, buscando inibir o comportamento nocivo à sociedade, a lei gerou incentivos para a queda na demanda por cervejas - bebida alcoólica mais consumida entre os brasileiros. O impacto sobre a compra desses produtos é mostrado neste trabalho, também são estimadas uma função de demanda e elasticidades a partir de um modelo Nested com o objetivo de obter-se um imposto que produziria efeitos equivalentes sobre a queda na quantidade vendida. / In order to reduce the incidence of traffic accidents, the Law No. 11,705 was enacted in June 19, 2008, hardening the penalties applied to people who drive under influence of alcohol. This paper deals with the impact on the demand for beers subsequent to the approval of that law, which stablished punishments in due to internalization of costs that the offender individual imposes on society. In this sense, seeking to inhibit the harmful behavior to society, the law created incentives for the drop in demand for beer - the most consumed alcohol drinking in Brazil . The impact on the purchase of these products is shown in this paper, the demand elasticities estimated from a nested model in order to obtain a tax that would produce the equivalent effect of the fall in the quantity demanded.

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Lei, Tian. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-97). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.v / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background and Motivation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Objectives and Contribution --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Thesis Organization --- p.6 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.8 / Chapter 3 --- Mathematical Model --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1 --- Stock-out Based Substitution --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Customer Response to Stock-out --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Patterns of Substitution --- p.17 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Demand Models under Substitution --- p.18 / Chapter 3.2 --- Model Description and Formulation --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Model Description --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Customer Demand Model --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Substitution Model Formulation --- p.27 / Chapter 3.3 --- Information Availability --- p.29 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary and Discussion --- p.32 / Chapter 4 --- Parameter Estimation --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Preliminaries --- p.36 / Chapter 4.2 --- Estimation of Initial Probabilities --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3 --- Estimation of Substitution Probabilities --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Case I: Only One Product Unavailable --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Case II: Two Products Unavailable --- p.44 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Case III: More than Two Products Unavailable --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summary --- p.51 / Chapter 5 --- Numerical Examples --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1 --- Examples Based on Simulated Data --- p.54 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Preliminary Numerical Example --- p.54 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Performance under Different Substitution Forms --- p.63 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Effects of Service Level --- p.67 / Chapter 5.1.4 --- Effects of Data Volume --- p.70 / Chapter 5.2 --- Real Case from Retail Industry --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Data --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Estimation Results and Further Discussion .. --- p.74 / Chapter 6 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.79 / Chapter Appendix A --- Data Sets for the Retail Market Example --- p.83 / Chapter Appendix B --- Conference Presentations --- p.90 / References --- p.91

Each year many new families enter the recreational boating force. Boat ownership throughout the nation has increased over the past few years until it no longer appears to be a status symbol, but merely a very popular means of increasing family enjoyment of the great out-of-doors.

The determination of the level of student registration fees at colleges and universities in many cases appears to be made without adequate consideration given to probable enrollment responses and to the associated implications for tuition revenues. This study was aimed at reducing this information gap at Utah State University and focused specifically on past sensitivities of students from neighboring western states to changes in the nonresident charges at USU. The analytical framework employed in this investigation specified a causal link between the proportion of the college-attending populations from these states choosing to enroll at USU and comparative tuition levels. The empirical findings showed considerable variation among students from different states with regard to their adjustments to changes in the USU fee. These differences in sensitivities were interpreted as a reflection of the desire and ability of students to make substitutions between USU and alternative colleges in the face of these relative tuition changes. While it was expected a priori that students at different stages of their academic careers would exhibit some disparity in their responses to fee level adjustments- the study results offered no evidence that a consistent discrepancy was present. When data from the various states under consideration were aggregated and used in the estimation of enrollment response functions, the demand for admission at USU was shown to be relatively inelastic with respect to the nonresident registration charge. The empirical results suggest that while increases in nonresident tuition levels at USU may produce greater tuition revenues due to the inelastic demand, tuition policy does represent an important determinant of aggregate enrollment patterns. Furthermore, the data show marked variations among students from different states regarding their demand elasticities, suggesting that adjustments in nonresident charges could also be expected to produce a compositional change in the USU student body. The weight given to these considerations in determining the policy for nonresident tuition at USU must reflect the mangement objectives of the school governing board.

Each of the seven investigations described in this thesis relate to the dental workforce in New Zealand (NZ). A variety of approaches were used to identify key trends in the NZ dental workforce, with a particular emphasis on comparing dental therapists, dental hygienists and dentists, and determining differences among dentists according to gender and immigrant status. Nation-wide postal surveys of dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists were undertaken to determine the working practices and career satisfaction of each type of oral health professional. A longitudinal analysis of the dentist workforce was then undertaken to describe changes in the NZ dentist workforce over time. An investigation of the job stressors and coping strategies of New Zealand dentists followed. This led to a qualitative study of the experiences of immigrant dentists in NZ, which sought further detail regarding the concerns raised by the Stress Study. The final investigation was a survey of the self-reported occupational health of NZ dentists, which built on from the results of the preceding studies. There were substantial differences in the working practices of male and female dentists. A greater proportion of female dentists had taken a career break of six weeks or more, usually to care for children. Larger proportions of women worked as employees or practice associates, and worked part-time. Women also planned to retire earlier than male respondents. Men were more active in continuing professional education and had higher career satisfaction. The career satisfaction of dental therapists and dental hygienists was similar, but dental therapists were much less satisfied with their income, and few felt a valued part of the dental community. Although many dental hygienists had taken substantial career breaks for childrearing, they were shorter than those taken by dental therapists. More therapists than hygienists planed to retire within the next 10 years. Over the nine-year period from 1997 to 2005, there was a significant increase in the number of women and overseas-trained dentists in the workforce. The proportion of dentists working in small towns decreased, and the percentage working part-time increased. The involvement of dentists in continuing professional development increased during that time. There was considerable variation in the number of stressors experienced by dentists, with overseas-qualified practitioners reported experiencing more stressors more frequently than did those trained in NZ. There were differences in the strategies used by male and female dentists to manage stress. Most immigrant dentists had found the dental registration examination process to be difficult and stressful. Uncertainty about the content of the examination and the high costs involved were key factors. Contact with practicing dentists during this time was found to be helpful. Overall, most dentists had good general health, but physical fitness levels were not ideal. The prevalence of hand dermatoses and musculoskeletal problems was high, with around 60% of dentists experiencing pain or discomfort. Workplace bullying was reported by 20% of dentists, and over 25% had experienced a violent or abusive incident. There is a need for ongoing monitoring of the workforce, particularly as the gender distribution (and societal trends and expectations) continues to change. Further support systems for immigrant dentists would be beneficial. Female and rural dentists also have unique circumstances and increased risk of professional isolation. Researchers and the professions will watch with interest the changes over the next decade as dual-qualified auxiliaries enter the dental workforce and public dental services are redeveloped.

The research problem that formed the basis of the investigation reported upon in this thesis relates to the challenges and opportunities that arise from the retention of World English Speaking (WES) student-teachers as they seek to gain entry into the teaching profession in Australia. Two key questions guided the exploration of this problem. How do the curriculum, teaching and assessment practices in teacher education assist and/or hinder WES student-teachers’ retention? What problems, if any, do they have in becoming Australian teachers? These are examined from the perspective of the WES student-teachers themselves, their teacher educators and the WES school teachers involved in supervising them during their practicum. Facing acute teacher shortage in some subjects and some areas in Australia, this research project investigated issues affecting retention of WES student-teachers to meet the requirements of Australia’s ethnically diversified school communities. Methodologically, this study used an evidence-driven, conceptually informed, valuerational approach to education research. A case study design provided the basis for a cross-sectional, retrospective, non-experimental plan which was used to collect and analyse data. The subjects, teacher educators and WES student-teachers were contacted via the university teacher education program; while WES school supervising teachers were selected from schools where WES student-teachers did their practicum. Theoretically it explores the power and limitations of current theorisation of teacher shortages in terms of global cultural flows, specifically the trans-national mobility of knowledge workers. This thesis situates their experiences in the context of current and projected teacher shortages as well as testing current theorisation about global cultural flows of people in terms of the trans-national mobility of knowledge workers. This thesis argues that while teacher-educators recognise the difficulties in engaging educationally with WES student-teachers, and WES student teachers and their supervising teachers are aware of and able to identify other difficulties they confront becoming “Australian teachers”, the possibilities for making productive responses is constrained by cultural as much as economic factors. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Chinese tourists market has become the 4th largest inbound market for New Zealand in 2007; it also ranks 6th in terms of expenditure. Chinese visitors spent a total of NZ $352 million to the year December 2006, an average of NZ $3,340 per person (Ministry of Tourism, 2006). The latest statistics released from New Zealand Tourism Research Council show that 122,045 Chinese visited New Zealand by the year ended January 2008. These crucial statistics – market size, length of stay and average spend – indicate the necessity for the New Zealand tourism industry to understand and provide for Chinese expectations and requirements. Auckland is New Zealand's key gateway, and it is vital that Auckland provides a first good impression for the rest of country. Chinese travellers visit New Zealand with great desire and expectations of experiencing an exotic land. They expect Auckland, as the biggest city in New Zealand, to provide them with a memorable city experience in a developed country. The purpose of this research is to study Chinese tourists' expectations and travel experiences, with a particular focus on investigating whether Auckland can provide suitable services and experiences which match their requirements and expectations. The research will build on the study by Bull (1991) and Ryan (1995), which looked at supply demand relationships and at the tourism industry attempts to balance the supply with the actual demands. It will also build on work by Zhao (2006) and Qu (2006) which explored the dimensions of Chinese demand and distribution channel factors at both origin and destination. The goal is to establish which factors are adequate or inadequate. A synthesis of the demand supply situation will enable the development of recommendations. It is envisage that these recommendations could be adopted by local government and the tourism industry, either as actions or as improvements to policy. With regards to the purpose of this research, a qualitative method was decided as the most relevant approach. Qualitative methods are useful for revealing and understanding what lies are behind any phenomenon about which little is known. Grounded theory is a qualitative research method that was developed for the purpose of studying a social phenomenon, and to generate a theory relating to a particular situation (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). The historical bases of the grounded theory approach matches the aim of this research, namely to reveal the relationships between tourists and the tourism industry and to gain a better understanding of Chinese tourists' expectation and satisfaction, and the level of the service which the Auckland tourism industry provides to Chinese travellers needs to match the Chinese market and requirements of travellers. The interviews were conducted with both Chinese travellers and the Auckland tourism industry, including hotel managers, restaurant managers, gift/souvenirs shop assistants, tour guides, and so on. The research shows Auckland is not ready for Chinese market yet. This result comes from three aspects: firstly, most Chinese tourists do not have clear requirements or expectations of Auckland before they come to New Zealand. This is mainly because of the limited promotional materials available in China about Auckland. Secondly, Chinese tourists do not have many opportunities to get to know Auckland's attractions and activities after they arrive in Auckland. Auckland city is New Zealand's most popular urban tourism destination in terms of population and gateway function provides tourism facilities and services to Chinese tourists. However, the findings highlighted most Chinese tourists found Auckland's tourism attractions to be unattractive to them due to the language barrier and itinerary issues. Thirdly, the research also found Chinese tourists have been driven away due to lack of hotel accommodations in Auckland, especially in the shoulder or high seasons. Auckland's accommodation facilities are facing a challenge. The increasing domestic and international visitors' numbers and insufficient hotel accommodations will be the major problem for Auckland for the next decade. Most of the Chinese tourists who were interviewed expressed their hope of knowing more about Auckland, however, these hopes will go unrealised until the city provides better attractions and more services for them.

A novel rapid method for the determination of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) has been developed. By replacing oxygen, the terminal electron acceptor in the microbial oxidation of organic substrate, with the ferricyanide ion, a significant increase in the rate of the biochemical reaction could be achieved. This arises from the high solubility of the ferricyanide ion (compared to oxygen); therefore allowing for elevated microbial populations without rapid depletion of the electron acceptor. Therefore, the BOD of a sample can be determined within 1-3 hours compared to 5-days with the standard BOD5 assay. A range of microorganisms were shown to be able to use the ferricyanide ion as an alternative electron acceptor for the biodegradation of a range of organic compounds in the ferricyanide mediated BOD (FM-BOD) assay. The most suitable biocatalyst in the FM-BOD method, however, was shown to be a mixture of microorganisms that was capable of degrading large amounts and types of compounds. These mixed consortia of microorganisms included a synthetic mixture prepared in our laboratory and two commercially available consortia, BODseedTM and Bi-ChemTM. When these seed materials were employed in the FM-BOD assay, the method was shown to closely estimate the BOD5 values of real wastewater samples. The linear dynamic working range of the FM-BOD method was also greatly extended compared to the standard BOD5 assay (nearly 50 times greater) and other oxygen based BOD biosensors. The immobilisation of the microbial consortia by both gel entrapment and freeze-drying methods was shown to greatly reduce the preparation and handling time of the mixed consortia for use in the FM-BOD method. Immobilisation of the mixed microbial consortium in LentiKats®, a PVA hydrogel, resulted in a marked increase in the stability of the biocatalyst. Diffusion limitations resulting from the gel matrix, however, reduced the rate and extent of the bioreaction as well as the linear dynamic working range of the method. Freeze-drying techniques were shown to circumvent some of the limitations identified with gel entrapment for the immobilisation of the mixed consortia. The freeze-dried consortia could be used off-the-shelf and demonstrated reduced diffusional restrictions. A marked decrease in the viability of the microorganisms was observed directly following the freeze-drying process and in subsequent storage. Carrageenan, however, was shown to afford a significant degree a protection to the cells during the freeze-drying process.

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