The thesis generally analyzes functions and content of retail web sites. Author uses his experience from his current employment, where he administers web site of one of the main retail chains in the Czech Republic. Importance of this subject is seen in its recency, when the usage of internet rises in many human activities and shopping is one of them. The aim of this document is to find characteristics of today's market and based on these it tries to predict trends that will influence the shape of commerce on internet in near future.

Forest road building and timber harvesting operations have been recognized as principal causes of forest soil degradation. These activities can result in accelerated soil erosion, excessive scarification, and/or increased soil density, which may adversely affect site productivity. A study of landing areas emphasize the deficiencies in current rehabilitation guidelines Increased soil density on both summer and winter landings was still evident at 30 cm and the soil nutrient quality was poor. Two field tests of a green fallow system on subsoil materials exposed by erosion and landing construction proved successful in building site nutrient capital to acceptable levels. Seedling growth response to green fallow crop establishment in the coastal study verified these findings. A benefit-cost analysis of several forest soil rehabilitation scenarios demonstrated the importance of including secondary and intangible factors. From a pecuniary standpoint, based on primary benefits and costs, rehabilitation was economically feasible only when a low social discount rate (2%) and an optimistic stumpage increase projection (3% per year), were used. A discussion of some secondary and intangible benefits (i.e., harvesting rates, employment, government revenues, erosion control, and industry image) stresses the need for effective forest soil rehabilitation. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

No description available.

The purpose of this thesis was to study the students’ perspective on their use of Facebook to further their studies. There were three research questions: (1) To what extent do students use Facebook to further their studies? (2) In what ways do students use Facebook to further their studies? (3) What do students believe are the ways that Facebook can be used by colleges and universities to help students with their studies? There were three major themes relating to usage of Facebook: non-academic usage, curricular, and co-curricular. Most of the students indicated they used Facebook to stay in touch with people they already knew. With regard to academic usage, the answers given related mostly to professors’ offers of support, collaborations with projects and assignments, and cheating on exams. There were mixed responses about whether students wanted professors to make use of Facebook in classes and how, with many indicating that they wanted to keep Facebook separate from their curricular activities. Students that were in the education fields were more than willing to use Facebook to help them in their studies than students in other majors.

[EN] Counter-sites. Artistic heterotopias from the light and spaciality The expansion of spatialized devices of the exhibition -galleries, art centres, museums- analysed by Rosalind Krauss in 1979, has supposed an inadequacy between a model of absolute space, without fissures, and some particular artistic practices. The collision of the two aspects which José Luis Brea shows as critic legacies of the denial of the art institution, the site-specificity as long as the dematerialization of the artistic object, admits, from our point of view, one of the possible strategies for the real contestation of the space we inhabit, of the irreducible sites which define it. Together with this hypothetical collision we may add the light as constructive (in)material, as an element which is able to blur the physical and intangible boundaries of the space which is arranged in abstract, rigorously and steadily, where the context is redefined from the light and spaciality. On March 14, 1967 Michel Foucault addresses the conference "Des spaces autres". There he proposes a new spacial analysis called heterotopology, origin of the present research. The contestation of the contemporary space is explained by the heterotopic spaciality, real counter-sites, opposite to the utopic spaciality, spaces "without a real site". The utopic spaciality crisis, developed as much by the "futuristic utopias" as by the "self-contained building", was evidenced on March 16, 1972 when Minoru Yamasaki's Pruitt Igoe residential complex project started being demolished, where the utopia turned into distopia. The contestation through the heterotopic spaciality, as well as its genuine chance, place us in the artistic practices developed since the site-specifity and the dematerialization of the artistic object during the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. The display and systematic approach to the practices have been taken under consideration by means of a timeline. These artistic practices, regarded as effective heterotopic counter-sites, allow, in the words of Deleuze and Guattari, the opening of "smooth" spaces formed by events in the urban space, the most "striated" space of all. For that reason, we have intended to question the light and spaciality in suggested artistic interventions as elements which enable the production of space-time experiences "others". These allow tactics of resistance, suspension or/and contestation of the hidden presence of the sacred contemporary space. Nowadays some of the analysed artistic interventions, such as "City Slivers" (1976) or "Untitled Cutting-Claraboya" (1971) by Gordon Matta-Clark, have become negative deterritorializations, heterotopic counter-sites of compensation, effective reterritorializations defenders of "lost territories", for the reason that, such as Deleuze and Guattari warned us, never believe that a smooth space will suffice to save us. / [ES] Contraemplazamientos. Heterotopías artísticas desde la luz y la espacialidad La expansión de los dispositivos espaciales de exposición -galerías, centros de arte, museos-, analizada por Rosalind Krauss en 1979, ha supuesto una inadecuación entre un modelo de espacio absoluto, sin fisuras, y ciertas prácticas artísticas. Las dos vertientes que señala José Luis Brea como herencias críticas de la negación de la institución arte, la especificidad de ubicación y la desmaterialización del objeto artístico, su colisión admite, desde nuestro punto de vista, una de las estrategias posibles para la impugnación real del espacio que habitamos, de la irreductibilidad de emplazamientos que lo define. Junto a esta hipotética colisión cabe añadir la luz como (in)material constructivo, como elemento capaz de desdibujar los límites físicos e intangibles del espacio que lo organizan de forma abstracta, rígida y estable, donde el contexto queda redefinido desde la luz y la espacialidad. El 14 de marzo de 1967 Michel Foucault pronuncia la conferencia "Des espaces autres". En ella propuso un nuevo análisis espacial el cual denominó "heterotopología", génesis de la presente investigación. La impugnación del espacio contemporáneo se ha articulado desde la espacialidad heterotópica, contraemplazamientos reales, frente a la espacialidad utópica, espacios "sin lugar real". La crisis de la espacialidad utópica, desarrollada tanto por las "utopías porveniristas" como por el "edificio autosuficiente", quedó evidenciada el 16 de marzo de 1972 mediante el inicio de la demolición del complejo residencial de Pruitt Igoe proyectado por Minoru Yamasaki, donde la utopía se convirtió en distopía. La impugnación a través de la espacialidad heterotópica, así como sus condiciones de posibilidad, nos sitúan en las prácticas artísticas desarrolladas desde la especificidad de la ubicación y la desmaterialización del objeto artístico en la segunda mitad del siglo XX e inicios del siglo XXI. La visualización y sistematización de las prácticas estudiadas se ha llevado a cabo mediante un timeline. Dichas prácticas artísticas, entendidas como efectivos contraemplazamientos heterotópicos, permiten, en palabras de Deleuze y Guattari, la apertura de espacios "lisos" formados por acontecimientos en el espacio de la urbe, espacio "estriado" por excelencia. Por ello, hemos pretendido cuestionar la luz y la espacialidad en propuestas de intervenciones artísticas como elementos posibilitadores de generar experiencias espacio-temporales "otras" que permiten tácticas de resistencia, suspensión y/o impugnación de la sorda sacralización del espacio contemporáneo. En la actualidad, algunas de las intervenciones artísticas analizadas, como "City Slivers" (1976) o "Untitled Cutting-Claraboya" (1971) de Gordon Matta-Clark, han devenido desterritorializaciones negativas, contraemplazamientos heterotópicos de compensación, efectivas reterritorializaciones valedoras de "territorios perdidos", ya que, como bien nos advirtieron Deleuze y Guattari, nunca hay que pensar que para salvarnos basta con un espacio liso. / [CAT] Contraemplaçaments. Heterotopies artístiques des de la llum i l'espacialitat L'expansió dels dispositius espacials d'exposició -galeries, centres d'art, museus-, analitzada per Rosalind Krauss en 1979, ha suposat una inadequació entre un model d'espai absolut, sense fissures, i certes pràctiques artístiques. Els dos vessants que assenyala José Luis Brea com a herències crítiques de la negació de la institució art, l'especificitat d'ubicació i la desmaterialització de l'objecte artístic, la seua col¿lisió admet, des del nostre punt de vista, una de les estratègies possibles per a la impugnació real de l'espai que habitem, de la irreductibilitat d'emplaçaments que ho defineix. Al costat d'aquesta hipotètica col¿lisió cal afegir la llum com (in)material constructiu, com a element capaç de desdibuixar els límits físics i intangibles de l'espai que ho organitzen de forma abstracta, rígida i estable, on el context queda redefinit des de la llum i l'espacialitat. El 14 de març de 1967 Michel Foucault pronuncia la conferència "Des espaces autres". En ella va proposar una nova anàlisi espacial la qual va denominar "heterotopologia", gènesi de la present investigació. La impugnació de l'espai contemporani s'ha articulat des de l'espacialitat heterotòpica, contraemplaçaments reals, enfront de l'espacialitat utòpica, espais "sense lloc real". La crisi de l'espacialitat utòpica, desenvolupada tant per les "utopies esdevenidores" com per el "edifici autosuficient", va quedar evidenciada el 16 de març de 1972 mitjançant l'inici de la demolició del complex residencial de Pruitt Igoe projectat per Minoru Yamasaki, on la utopia es va convertir en distopia. La impugnació a través de l'espacialitat heterotòpica, així com les seues condicions de possibilitat, ens situen en les pràctiques artístiques desenvolupades des de l'especificitat de la ubicació i la desmaterialització de l'objecte artístic en la segona meitat del segle XX i inicis del segle XXI. La visualització i sistematització de les pràctiques estudiades s'ha dut a terme mitjançant un timeline. Aquestes pràctiques artístiques, enteses com a efectius contraemplaçaments heterotòpics, permeten, en paraules de Deleuze i Guattari, l'obertura d'espais "llisos" formats per esdeveniments en l'espai de la urbs, espai "estriat" per excel¿lència. Per això, hem pretès qüestionar la llum i l'espacialitat en propostes d'intervencions artístiques com a elements possibilitadors de generar experiències espai-temporals "altres" que permeten tàctiques de resistència, suspensió i/o impugnació de la sorda sacralització de l'espai contemporani. En l'actualitat, algunes de les intervencions artístiques analitzades, com "City Slivers" (1976) o "Untitled Cutting-Claraboya" (1971) de Gordon Matta-Clark, han esdevingut desterritorialitzacions negatives, contraemplaçaments heterotòpics de compensació, efectives reterritorialitzacions valedores de "territoris perduts", ja que, com bé ens van advertir Deleuze i Guattari, mai cal pensar que per a salvar-nos n'hi ha suficient amb un espai llis. / Guillén Guillamón, LM. (2015). Contraemplazamientos. Heterotopías artísticas desde la luz y la espacialidad [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/59249 / TESIS

The Gray Fossil Site (GFS) is one of the richest Cenozoic terrestrial localities in the eastern United States. This study describes the first talpid specimens recovered from the GFS. Using measurements and comparisons of dental and humerus morphology, I identify 4 talpids (Parascalops nov. sp., Quyania cf. Q. europaea, Mioscalops (= Scalopoides) sp., and an unidentified stem desman) occurring at the GFS. Humeral morphology has been used to diagnose talpid species and study relationships. A geometric morphometric analysis showed that humerus shape is highly reflective of locomotor ecology in extant talpids and allows ecological inferences for fossil talpids. Hierarchical cluster analysis using morphometric data allowed examination of similarity among taxa and helped to secondarily verify taxonomic designations for the GFS taxa. The resulting phenogram showed strong similarity to the most up-to-date molecular cladogram and actually matched phylogenetic relationships substantially better than any morphological cladistic analyses to date.

When we consider global sanitation from within the framework of sustainable development, we are both failing to meet the needs of the present and are jeopardizing the capacity of future generations to do so. The primary function of sanitation and waste treatment is the protection of public health, but it is urgent that we also consider the long-term sustainability of sanitation and waste treatment systems. Our choice of sanitation and waste treatment systems is intimately connected to the greatest equity and sustainability challenges of our time, and we need something better than the Porcelain Dream (i.e. flush toilets, sewerage, and centralized conventional wastewater treatment). This thesis explores the design of sustainable sanitation systems from three different but complementary perspectives: 1. In a material flow analysis (MFA), I evaluate the positive impact of ecological sanitation (or the reuse of nutrients in excreta for agriculture) as an intervention to mitigate nitrogen pollution and improve stewardship of the global nitrogen cycle. I find that ecological sanitation can substitute 51% of nitrogenous fertilizer use, reduce discharge of nitrogen to waterways by 71%, decrease nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 34%, and improve the circularity of the agricultural-sanitation nitrogen cycle by 22%. 2. Through environmental engineering research, I derive fundamental drying characteristics of fresh faeces to support the development of ecological and sustainable sanitation. Based on this characterization, I propose the use of the Guggenheim, Anderson, and de Boer (GAB) model for predicting the relationship between water activity (aw) and equilibrium moisture content, calculating the heat of sorption, and estimating the corresponding energy requirements for drying of fresh faeces. Given an anticipated range of initial moisture contents of 63 to 86%, I estimate an energy requirement of 0.05 to 0.4 kJ/mol to inactivate pathogens in fresh faeces. 3. Via an evaluation of the composting toilet project at the University of Victoria (UVic), I explore factors critical to promoting a paradigm shift from the conventional to more ecological and sustainable systems. I identify the following as factors that facilitated implementation in the Exploration and Adoption/Preparation phases: supportive and self-reinforcing research and outcomes, favorable adopter characteristics, and the technology’s beneficial features. The overall objective of the research is to communicate that the design of sustainable sanitation systems is urgent, with implications both locally and globally, and to provide information to support a shift towards more sustainable sanitation systems. / Graduate / 2020-12-11

A detailed morphological description of a proboscidean manus from the Gray Fossil Site (GFS), Gray, Tennessee is provided. Manus elements from an American mastodon (Mammut americanum), a Britt’s shovel-tusker (Amebelodon britti), an undescribed small gomphothere species, and a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) are used for comparisons. Linear measurements indicate proportional differences between the GFS mastodon and other proboscidean taxa ranging from the Hemphillian to Rancholabrean land mammal ages. Possible pathologies are also described. The purpose of this study is to determine how the GFS mastodon differs in manus morphology and locomotion from different proboscidean taxa, including size, environmental, evolutionary, and taxonomic factors. Morphological differences are more pronounced in carpals and metacarpals in regard to shape, size, and orientation of articular surfaces but are not statistically compared due to the small sample size.

No description available.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an important tool for the characterization of materials as it can provide clear understanding of the relationship between structure, property and composition of nanomaterials. For this, the in-situ TEM analysis is performed and requires specially manufactured sample holders. In particular, those designed to carry out electrical biasing can be used to understand not just the I-V characteristics but also the failure mechanism, structure-property relationship, Joule heating dynamics, electromigration, field emission properties, etc. at the nanoscale. The platforms holding the sample in most modern in-situ TEM holders rely on an insulating ceramic membrane which needs to be (almost) transparent to the imaging electron beam. Electrodes are defined through lithography and patterned on this membrane. Unfortunately, the presence of this membranes introduces several limitations such as electrostatic charging, reduction of image contrast and poor mechanical stability. To circumvent this issue it is necessary to fabricate a novel type of sample platform which does not rely on the presence of a membrane. In this work, novel membraneless sample-holding platforms were designed and manufactured using advanced microfabrication methods and tools. Besides fitting into an array of analytical tools, the novel platforms (or “chips”) can be subjected to thermal and/or chemical processing without compromising their function or structure. To test these, the electrical response of one-, two- and zero-dimensional nanoparticles were studied. Firstly, we investigated current-induced modifications in silver nanowires and expandable graphite flakes and studied various phenomenon involved. Along with these, corresponding ex-situ studies were also performed. Next, graphene oxide was explored as an alternative support platform for in-situ TEM. We successfully achieved temperature as high as 2000o C by Joule heating of graphene oxide. Furthermore, this graphene oxide platform was used as a heater and chemical processing substrate for investigating thermal stability and synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles, respectively.