Research and development (R&D) play an increasingly important role in the economy of the United States. Total expenditures for R&D during the decade of the 1950's were greater than in the entire history of the United States previous to that time. As a percent of gross national product, R&D has grown from 0.2 percent in 1921, to 0.4 to 0.6 percent in the 1930's and 1940's, and is now more than 3 percent.1 Much has been said of the impact that the growth of R&D has on the general economy. R&D had also had a significant economic and sociocultural impact on the local areas of R&D concentration--an aspect of R&D which is difficult to measure and frequently ignored. Although a general view of R&D in the United States as whole is given, the present study is mainly concerned with the economic impact of R&D on a local area. Although not exhaustive, this study represents and attempt to gain information in a vitally important area of the economy which has generally been ignored.

This research was developed to investigate the potential environmental impacts of poor air quality in Perth. This involved improving existing vegetation maps (through satellite image analysis techniques) for biogenic or forest emissions as a precursor to smog in Perth. Further, to visualise potential environmental impacts associated with poor air quality, a four- dimensional (volumetric over time) animation was created which clearly shows the path and extent of smog in Perth throughout an entire day.Computer mapping of vegetation using Landsat TM data was performed to create an updated inventory of forest types in Perth as input into a photochemical smog model. By improving the inventory of forest cover, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in Perth can calculate up to date biogenic emission estimates for the photochemical smog model.Outputs from the DEP's photochemical smog model were integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) and subsequently visualised to show plume movement and potential environmental impact. Two datasets (nitrogen oxides and ozone) were provided to investigate the volumetric and dynamic temporal movement of photochemical smog in Perth on one day, March 16, 1994.Nitrogen oxide sources can range from industry and petroleum refining to motor vehicle exhaust emissions, and are a major precursor to photochemical smog (ozone) formation in Perth. Natural emission sources (forest or biogenic emissions) can also be an important contributing factor to the photochemical smog mix in Perth. Biogenic emissions are comprised of Reactive Organic Chemicals (ROC) or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) which act as a catalyst to aid the nitrogen oxide conversion to ozone.Three-dimensional and four-dimensional GIS techniques were used to highlight both plume movement and environmental impact. These two sets of visualisations have differing ++ / chemical levels (higher and lower, respectively) to show movement and interaction effectively. Visualisation of the chemicals allows for a greater understanding of the mostly invisible chemical movement over the course of a day and its potential impact to humans and vegetation.The spatial and temporal interaction of the plumes was investigated by creating a series of animations that can be viewed over the Internet. By using multimedia capabilities, these results can be easily distributed to a wide range of decision makers and people generally interested in smog in Perth.

This thesis project explores, through art practice that is informed by sociological and theoretical considerations, a transition taking place on Waiheke Island, in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The project focuses on, and investigates change. The research examines the heightened public profile, which has impacted upon the development of the Island. The study explores states of human occupancy, in particular how we view and inhabit the land.As a photographer, it is my intent to consider how modern properties experience place, via the constructed aperture of the window.This is a creative production1 project, that utilises the medium of photography, to explore the notion of change through a representation of images. The exhibition of outcomes is divided into three distinct sections. I am employing analogue and digital technologies to contrast old and new Waiheke. The link between past and present, indicated by the movement of people to and from the Island, is delineated through a journey through the space of the installation. This passage, provides a metaphor for the transition.

There is concern that canyoning, which has grown in popularity in recent years, may not be environmentally sustainable within the Blue Mountains National Park. Sociomanagerial research was undertaken, using an initial focus group discussion and subsequent surveys. Canyoners were found to participate in their sport predominantly in small groups in relatively few canyons, were generally experienced, did not feel crowded by other people encountered, and displayed little evidence of displacement behaviour from popular locations. No specific biophysical impacts were perceived as serious. Canyoners generally supported management action to control visitation to canyons if overuse could be demonstrated, with education and/or restrictive actions as preferred management strategies. Biophysical research was undertaken to test a potential rapid assessment bioindicator for measuring and monitoring potential visitor impacts. Macroinvertebrate data were analysed and no significant difference in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition or water quality was found between high and low visitation streams. Macroinvertebrate fauna were found to be highly resilient to trampling. Current visitation levels within the canyons appeared to be within ecologiocally sustainable levels. The implications of the findings are discussed for visitor impact management policymaking. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>COURSE:</p><p>Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration 15 ECTS</p><p>AUTHORS: Ossai Uche, (21st March 1980), Västerås.</p><p>Prosper Akpabli Hanyabui, (17th March 1980), Västerås.</p><p>PROBLEM STATEMENT</p><p>How can Labadi Beach Hotel improve on customer care activities in order to create a positive customer experiences in the hotel?</p><p>PURPOSE:</p><p>The purpose of this study is to describe what Labadi Beach Hotel is doing and what they could do to improve customer care. Furthermore we shall also find out the problems or complaints encountered by customers in the course of service delivery and make necessary recommendations.</p><p>METHODOLOGY:</p><p>This thesis shall be based on a qualitative method of study with information gotten from Labadi Beach Hotel. This is due to the fact that in order to fulfil the purpose, it would require an in-depth research in the form of a qualitative study. The main sources of data comprises of primary and secondary data. Primary sources of data were gotten through telephone interview with employees of the hotel as well as designed questionnaire from the hotel guest. Secondary data were gotten from articles, journals, books, websites etc.</p><p>CONCLUSION:</p><p>We observed that customer care is being implemented at Labadi Beach Hotel in order to create a positive customer experiences. This is done through the recruitment of qualified employees and conduction of training programs. In addition, Labadi Beach Hotel has developed a service oriented internal process through the use of procedures. Moreover new recruits are retained upon successfully passing an appraisal report. This has actually resulted in friendly and courteous attitudes of its employees towards hotel guest. Furthermore, Labadi Beach Hotel has internal complaint system to check service failures.</p><p>Lastly, customer complaints received were embodied around Availability, Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, and Empathy. It must however be noted that despite the guest complaints received, the aspect of positive customer experience in each of the dimensions above outnumbers the complaints. In spite of what Labadi Beach Hotel is doing to improve customer care, suggested measures were recommended to help them further improve upon customer care.</p>

<p>The Collaborative Synchronization Management Tool (CSMT) is an analysis tool that enables morphological and statistical analysis of plans. Input to the CSMT consists of a Cross Impact Matrix (CIM) where the relationships between the different activities of a plan are reflected as its values. This thesis proposes Modeling and Simulation as an alternative method of generating the CIM-values. The usage of this method will hopefully increase traceability and limit subjectivity, and it will also be less time-consuming. Determining the level of detail of the models was shown to be a challenge, as well as finding a suitable case scenario to validate the generation method more thoroughly. The results have provided positive indicators to the usefulness of the generation method of input to the CSMT but the evaluation remains somewhat inconclusive.</p>

Even though the elastic deformations that occur during the impact of colliding bodies may be small in comparison to their actual dimensions, they play an important role in mechanical collisions. During the time the bodies are in contact, elastic, friction, and inertia properties combine to produce a complex variation of sliding and sticking throughout the contact surface. Detailed analysis of this interaction is quite tedious, but would seem to be necessary for accurately predicting the impulse and velocity changes that occur during contact. However, a considerably-simplified model captures the essential characteristics of the elastic-friction interaction during contact, leading to predictions of impulse and velocity changes that agree well with those of more detailed analyses of a number of different collisions. The model's simplicity enables an examination of parameters that affect a general class of collisions. For planar collisions, the model contains five dimensionless parameters; the effects of four of these on the rebound velocity are examined here. In addition, comparisons are made with a previously-used, somewhat simpler model, which neglects the tangential compliance in the region of contact. / Graduation date: 1993

Based on the underlying structure of fabric materials, a three-scale model is constructed to describe the mechanical behavior of fabric materials. The current model assumes that fabric materials take on an overall behavior of anisotropic membranes, so membrane scale is taken as the macroscopic or continuum scale of the model. Following the membrane scale, yarn scale is introduced, in which yarns and their weaving structure are accounted for explicitly and the yarns are modeled as extensible elasticae. A unit cell consisting of two overlapping yarns is used to formulate the weaving patterns of yarns, which governs the constitutive nonlinear behavior of fabric materials. The third scale, named fibril scale, zooms to the fibrils inside a yarn and incorporates its material properties. Via a coupling process between these three scales, the overall behavior and performance of the complex fabric products become predictable by knowing the material properties of a single fibril and the weaving structure of the fabrics. In addition, potential damage during deformation is also captured in the current model through tracking the deformation of yarns in fibril scale. Based on the multi-scale model, both static and dynamic simulations were implemented. Comparison between the static simulations and experiment demonstrates the model abilities as desired. Through the dynamic simulations, parameter research was conducted and indicates the ballistic performance and mechanical behavior of the fabric materials are determined by a combination of various factors and conditions rather than the material properties alone. Factors such as boundary conditions, material orientation and projectile shapes etc. affect the damage patterns and energy absorption of the fabric. / Mechanical Engieering

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Bibliography: leaves 315-326.