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This post-fire study was conducted to characterize and observe fire induced changes in physical habitat parameters, water-quality conditions and macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Little Creek watershed, a tributary to Scotts Creek located in Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, California. Pre-fire data was collected by a Cal Poly student, John Hardy, for his 2017 thesis. Post-burn bioassessment surveys for this study were repeated at four of the same study sites used by Hardy to provide comparisons to the California Stream Condition Index via a modified version of the State of California’s Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program protocol. Macroinvertebrates were taxonomically identified to the family level. Commonly used bioassessment indices were utilized in conjunction with Stepwise regression and Analysis of Variance on both pre- and post-fire datasets to illustrate how physical habitat and water quality parameters changed after the fire and to determine the significance of collected environmental variables (stream shading, cross sectional area, and median particle size) as predictors of macroinvertebrate community structure. Despite most of Little Creek having moderate and high burn severities, it was found that physical habitat, water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate populations were not greatly disturbed by the 2020 CZU lighting complex fire. Proportions of highly disturbance/pollution sensitive taxa and increased following the wildfire and there was a dramatic shift from collector-gatherer to predator organisms. Comparison of pre- and post-fire data in this study showed fire having a minimal effect on the studied watershed. Difference in study goals and associated protocols used in the pre- and post-fire studies and the low water year following the wildfire, complicates statistical comparisons and poses threat to the validity of results. However, there is opportunity for further investigation about the ability of an ecosystem to successfully recover from natural disasters and disturbances, specifically when there is little human impact (or influence) on the ecosystem.

The main purpose of this thesis is the systematic, experimental investigation of how a soft interlayer affects the impact response and energy dissipation mechanisms of all-polymer multi-laminates. An instrumented, intermediate impact velocity experimental setup with strain rates on the order of 100 s-1, is used to assess the impact mechanics of three-layered samples consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) front, polymer interlayer or adhesive, and polycarbonate (PC) back layer. Instrumentation of the gas gun is achieved with a shock accelerometer measuring contact force and optical displacement sensors recording deflection. Previous impact research utilizing instrumented gas guns by Levy and Goldsmith, and Delfosse et al. have measured contact force, but did not record simultaneous out-of-plane displacement. Signals acquired are temporally aligned allowing for insight into the response of the multi-laminate during impact, which is inaccessible with typical gas guns. Impact testing is completed on bonded and unbonded sample configurations, with two thermoplastic polyurethane and four polyacrylate interlayers. Quantitative metrics from force and displacement signals, along with post-impact damage observations, are used to compare impact performance between configurations and impact velocities (12 and 22 m/s). In general, the presence and bonding of an interlayer increases impact resistance by mitigating and localizing the impact load. The interlayers are characterized at various strain rates in tension, compression, and shear adhesion. In tension, all interlayers display rate dependence, non-linearity, and hysteretic behavior showing varying degrees of increasing energy dissipation with strain rate. Several trends between sample fracture and energy absorption mechanisms, quasi-static and low rate interlayer response, and metric results are established and discussed. / Master of Science

We use the three-dimensional finite element code DYNA3D to analyze two problems: (a) the normal impact of a cylindrical monolithic or composite rod against a smooth flat rigid target, (commonly known as the Taylor impact test), and (b) the penetration of composite and monolithic steel cylindrical rods into reinforced concrete targets. The composite rod is made of either a steel or copper shell enclosing a ceramic. The ceramic and the steel are assumed to fail at a critical value of the effective plastic strain, whereas no failure is considered in the copper. The thermoviscoplastic response of steel and copper is modeled by the Johnson-Cook relation and the ceramic and concrete are assumed to be elastic-plastic. Values of material parameters in the constitutive relation for the reinforced concrete (RC) are derived by the rule of mixtures. Failure of a material is simulated by the element erosion technique for ceramic and steel, and element erosion along with stiffness reduction for the RC. The effect of the angle of obliquity of impact on the damage induced in the target is ascertained. For the solid cylindrical copper rod impacting a smooth flat rigid target, the time history of the deformed length and the axial variation of the final diameter are found to match well with the experimental findings. For the composite rod, the diameter of the deformed impacted surface, the shape and size of the mushroomed region and the volume fraction of the failed ceramic material strongly depend upon the impact speed, the shell wall thickness and the thickness of the solid copper rod at the front end. Some composite cylindrical rods impacting at normal incidence RC targets were found to buckle during the penetration process in the sense that their outer diameter at a cross-section close to the impacted end increased by at least 20%. For steel penetrators, the damage experienced increased as the nose shape got blunter and the angle of obliquity became larger whereas the damage induced to the target only increased with penetrator bluntness. / Master of Science

This study is within the field of impact investments. Impact investors relates to a twofold requirement of both financial return and positive impact from investments. The purpose of this study is to investigate how impact investors assess impact in their investment evaluation processes and how impact is aligned with the requirement on financial return. Literature have addressed the problem of assessing and quantifying impact, but it fails to tell us how impact is incorporated in the pre-investment evaluation of different investment opportunities. The field of impact investments is increasing in popularity among investors and through a qualitative study based on eight semi-structured interviews with impact investors in Sweden, we try to gain insight in how they address the twofold incentive of both financial return and impact.Our findings show that impact investors apply similar evaluation processes as mainstream venture capitalists with the additional assessment of social impact. We find that investors approach the impact assessment in different ways and that there are split views on the ability of measuring impact in the pre-investment phase. The task of combining the financial measurements with impact is found to be challenging due to the contradicting characteristics of the two, as well as the difficulty of measuring social impact. Often the impact aspect is integrated as a pre-investment evaluation “gate”, where a subjective assessment is central. We contribute to literature by addressing the identified research gap and we aim to contribute to social entrepreneurs’ understanding of how investors relate to impact in their investment decision making processes.

Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst / Esta dissertaÃÃo se propÃe analisar a Efetividade dos Estudos de Impacto Ambiental - EIA na Carcinicultura dentro da perspectiva do estudo de caso de um EIA elaborado para a expansÃo de um projeto carcinÃcola localizado as margens do rio Jaguaribe no MunicÃpio de Aracati. De acordo com Bolea (1984) apud La Rovere (2001, p.11), a AIA pode ser definida como: âestudos realizados para identificar, prever e interpretar assim como prevenir, as conseqÃÃncias ou efeitos ambientais que determinadas aÃÃes, planos, programas ou projetos podem causar à saÃde, ao bem estar humano e ao entornoâ. Ainda segundo o autor, esses estudos englobam alternativas a projetos passÃveis de licenciamento e ainda induzem o engajamento e a participaÃÃo da sociedade, representando nÃo um instrumento de decisÃo em si, mas um instrumento de conhecimento a serviÃo da populaÃÃo em geral. Dessa maneira, esta dissertaÃÃo discute, de modo qualitativo, a efetividade desse estudo como expediente sÃrio de ajuda na tomada de decisÃo e na gestÃo e monitoramento ambiental, assim como verificar se o mesmo, nos dias atuais, nÃo està sendo utilizado apenas como um mero entrave burocrÃtico para o licenciamento de empreendimentos. Para que os objetivos fossem atingidos, foram estabelecidos, em metodologia prÃpria, alguns critÃrios de anÃlise, que sÃo: anÃlise das alternativas locacionais, Ãrea de influÃncia direta e indireta, coerÃncia e relevÃncia do diagnÃstico ambiental, avaliaÃÃo dos impactos ambientais, efetividade das medidas mitigadoras, monitoramento ambiental e participaÃÃo das comunidades envolvidas. AlÃm dessas caracterÃsticas, tambÃm foi analisado o RelatÃrio de Impacto Ambiental â RIMA como parte integrante do Estudo de Impacto Ambiental, aspectos que foram discutidos e analisados, tÃpico por tÃpico, sempre os comparando com a legislaÃÃo competente, em especial, a ResoluÃÃo CONAMA 001/86 e outras ResoluÃÃes especÃficas, tais como: CONAMA312/02, CONAMA 237/92, CONAMA 09/87. AlÃm disso, esses conceitos tambÃm foram discutidos à luz de autores que jà abordam esse tema na perspectiva de sua efetividade. Para isso, as ferramentas teÃricas que nortearam esta pesquisa foram constituÃdas por SÃnchez (2006), Agra Filho (1993), IBAMA (1995), que esclareceram os conceitos iniciais sobre AvaliaÃÃo de Impacto Ambiental, e IBAMA (2005), no DiagnÃstico da Carcinicultura Cearense, que apresenta os dados referentes à carcinicultura no MunicÃpio de Aracati e os aspectos teÃricos inerentes a esse tema. Os resultados esperados nÃo se mostraram muito diferentes do que inicialmente se havia pensando, e, dos aspectos analisados, poucos foram os que apresentaram informaÃÃes sÃrias e comprometidas com a real funÃÃo deste estudo. Dessa maneira, pode-se afirmar, depois da anÃlise de todos os tÃpicos inicialmente propostos, que o EIA referente ao projeto de carcinicultura examinado nÃo se mostrou ativamente efetivo por nÃo se apresentar como instrumento consistente de consulta pÃblica, ajuda na tomada de decisÃo, na gestÃo e no monitoramento ambiental. / This dissertation proposes to examine the effectiveness of the Environmental Impact Assessment - EIA in the creation of captive shrimp from the perspective of the case study of an EIA prepared for the expansion of a shrimp project located on the Jaguaribe river in the city of Aracati. According to Bolea (1984) apud La Rovere (2001, p.11), the AIA can be defined as "studies to identify, predict and interpret, and prevent the consequences or environmental effects that certain actions, plans, programs or projects may cause to our health, to the human welfare and the environment." According to the author, these studies include alternatives to projects subject to licensing and further induce the engagement and participation of the society, representing not a tool of decision in itself but an instrument of knowledge at the service of the general population. Thus, this essay discusses, so qualitatively, the effectiveness of this study as a serious aid tool in decision making and management and environmental monitoring, and verify if it, nowadays, is not being used only as a mere bureaucratic obstacle for the licensing of projects. In order to achieve the objectives, were established in the methodology, some criteria for analysis, which are: analysis of alternative locations, area of direct and indirect influence, coherence and relevance of environmental diagnosis, assessment of environmental impacts, effectiveness of mitigating measures, environmental monitoring and participation of the communities involved. Besides these features, the Environmental Impact Report - RIMA was also considered as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment, which were discussed and analyzed, topic by topic, always comparing them with the due legislation, in particular, the CONAMA Resolution 001 / 86 and other specific resolutions, such as: CONAMA312/02, CONAMA 237/92, CONAMA 09/87. Moreover, these concepts were also discussed in the light of authors who have addressed this issue in the view of its effectiveness. For this, the theoretical tools that have guided this research were made by SÃnchez (2006), Agra Son (1993), IBAMA (1995), which explained the initial concepts on Environmental Impact Assessment, and IBAMA (2005) in the Diagnosis of the Cearense shrimp, which presents data for the creation of captive shrimp in the city of Aracati and the theoretical aspects related to this topic. The expected results were not much different from what was originally thought and from the analyzed aspects, very little presented serious and committed information with the real function of this study. Thus, one can say, after reviewing all topics initially proposed, that the EIA regarding the shrimp project examined was not actively effective for not presenting itself as a consistent tool for public consultation, help in decision making, in management and in environmental monitoring.

Ce mémoire porte sur les effets économiques des immigrants temporaires qui participent au Programme canadien des travailleurs agricoles saisonniers sur le secteur consacré à la production de fruits et de légumes en champs ainsi qu'en pépinières et en serres. À notre connaissance, cette étude est la première qui s'intéresse à l'impact qu'ont les travailleurs agricoles saisonniers sur l'industrie qui les emploie. Nous partons de l'hypothèse que la présence de ces travailleurs ne provoque aucun effet négatif sur les salaires, le taux horaire composite de rémunération, les heures et les semaines travaillées pendant la période de 1994 à 2003. Cela nous conduit donc à la formulation de l'hypothèse suivante: la présence des travailleurs saisonniers immigrants a des répercussions positives sur l'économie du secteur agricole qui les emploie. En prenant le modèle proposé par Borjas, Freeman et Katz (1996) nous élaborons deux équations linéaires à estimer par la méthode de moindres carrés ordinaires (MCO) pour deux périodes différentes. La première de 1993 à 2004, et la deuxième de 1997 à 2004. Nous adaptons ces équations dans le but de prouver notre deuxième hypothèse et nous les estimons seulement pour la deuxième période. Nos résultats montrent dans tous les cas que les travailleurs agricoles saisonniers ne provoquent aucun effet négatif sur les indicateurs analyses. En ce qui concerne les effets positifs, nous n'obtenons pas de résultats stables. Nous expliquons ce dernier résultat par certaines caractéristiques de la principale base de données utilisée pour l'étude. Nous encourageons l'application du Programme des travailleurs agricoles saisonniers. Nous réalisons que ce programme permet à une partie du secteur agricole de continuer sa production et de rester compétitif devant une économie de plus en plus mondialisée. La présence régulée de travailleurs immigrants temporaires offre l'avantage de pouvoir compter sur une main-d'oeuvre qualifiée pour le travail en milieu rural. De plus, nous avons démontré qu'elle n'affecte pas de façon négative le marché du travail. Ces deux éléments semblent constituer une combinaison assez avantageuse pour tous les participants du programme. Ce qui nous amène à affirmer qu'il serait pertinent de poursuivre dans cette voie. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Immigration temporaire, Effets économiques, Secteur agricole.

Bakgrund: Impact investment är en ny finansieringsform, som med sitt ursprung och framväxt i både USA och Europa nu spridits till Sverige. Fenomenet beskrivs inom populärvetenskapen som investeringar med avsikten att generera en mätbar samhällsmässig och/eller miljömässig avkastning tillsammans med en finansiell avkastning. I Sverige har impact investment sedan bara några år tillbaka uppmärksammats av svenska aktörer som har börjat arbeta med investeringsformen. Fenomenet kan ses som en idé som överförts till ett nytt sammanhang, därden har uppmärksammats och blivit till verksamhetsaktiviteter. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för fenomenet impact investment i Sverige och att analysera på vilket sätt impact investment har formats av sitt sammanhang. Metod: Studien har en hermeneutisk forskningsansats och har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod. En intervjustudie har utförts med totalt sju nyckelpersoner inom det svenska organisationsfältet för impact investment. Internationella rapporter om fenomenet har även använts för att kartlägga de aktiviteter som genomförts i de länder som ingår i studien. Slutsats: Studien visar att impact investment har flera olika innebörder i Sverige. Impact investment har formats av sitt sammanhang vilket har resulterat i att impact investment har översatts av nya hybridorganisationer i samhället. / Background: Impact investment is a new funding that has its origin and growth in both the USA and Europe. It is now emerging to Sweden. The phenomenon is described in the popular science literature as investments with the intention to generate measurable social and/or environmental impact along with a financial return. In Sweden impact investment has been observed for only a few years. Swedish operators have started to use the funding and the phenomenon can be understood as an idea that has moved to a new context, where it has been noticed and used in operational activities. Aim: The aim of the study is to create an understanding of the phenomenon impact investment in Sweden and to analyse in what way impact investment has been formed by its context. Methodology: The study has a hermeneutic research approach and has been conducted with a qualitative approach. The study has been realized with a total of seven key figures in the Swedish organizational field of impact investment. International reports of the phenomenon have been used to track the activities conducted in the countries included in the study. Conclusion: The study shows that impact investment has many different meanings in Sweden. Impact investment has been formed by its context and has been translated by new hybrid organisations in the society.

Organizations make large investments in Information Systems (IS) expecting positive impacts to the organisation and its functions. Yet, there exists much controversy surrounding the 'potential' impacts of these systems, with some studies reporting broadly positive impacts of IS across organizations (Barua, Kriebel and Mukhopadhyay 1995; Barua and Lee 1997; Brynjolfsson and Hitt 1996; Lehr and Lichtenberg 1999; Mukherjee, Ray and Miller 2001), while others have shown nil or detrimental impacts (Attewell and Rule 1984; Brynjolfsson and Yang 1996; Cameron and Quinn 1988; Wilson 1993). Various authors have suggested that these conflicting results may be due to poor measurement - E.g. incomplete or inappropriate measures of success (DeLone and McLean 1992; Gable 1996; Melone 1990), lack of theoretical grounding and hence agreement on appropriate measures of success (Bonner 1995; Myers, Kappelman and Prybutok 1998), myopic focus on financial performance indicators (Ballantine, Bonner, Levy, Martin, Munro and Powell 1996; Kaplan and Norton 1996), weaknesses in survey instruments employed (Gable, Sedera and Chan 2003) (e.g., constructs lacking in validity), or (5) inappropriate data collection approach (Seddon, Staples, Patnayakuni and Bowtell 1999; Sedera and Gable 2004) (e.g., asking the wrong people, unrepresentative sample). Enterprise Systems (ES) have over the past decade emerged to be one of the most important developments in the corporate use of information technology. Anecdotal evidence reveals discontent with these large application software packages. Yet Enterprise System investments are seldom systematically evaluated post-implementation; the review process and measures typically being idiosyncratic and lacking credibility. Impacts resulting from 'Enterprise Systems' are particularly difficult to measure, with an Enterprise System entailing many users ranging from top executives to data entry operators; many applications that span the organization; and a diversity of capabilities and functionality. Despite the substantial investments made by organizations and the anecdotal evidence of discontent, systematic attempts to measure their success have been few. The primary objective of this research is to develop and test a standardized instrument for measuring ES-Success. Other related objectives of this research include: (1) to identify the dimensions and measures of ES-Success, (2) to validate a maximally generalizable measurement model and survey instrument for gauging ES-Success; (3) to develop an understanding of the state of Enterprise Systems using descriptive/comparative statistics, and (4) to identify and test an antecedent of ES-Success. With the above objectives, and in attention to the weaknesses identified in past IS-success research, this study follows and extends the 'research cycle' guidelines of Mackenzie and House (1979) and McGrath (1979). The research cycle entails two main phases: (1) an exploratory phase to develop the hypothesized measurement model, and (2) a confirmatory phase, to test the hypothesized measurement model against new data. The two surveys (termed as identification-survey and specification-survey) conducted in the exploratory phase of this research go beyond the activities recommended by Mackenzie and House (1979) and McGrath (1979). A third "confirmation-survey" was completed in the confirmatory phase of the research cycle. The three surveys gathered and analyzed data from six hundred (600) respondents. The purpose of the identification-survey was to discover the salient ES-Success dimensions and measures to include in an a-priori ES-Success model. Data from 137 respondents representing 27 Australian State Government Agencies that had implemented SAP R/3 in the late 1990s were analyzed. The analysis of identification-survey data yielded an a-priori model with 41 measures of 5 dimensions of ES-Success that provide a holistic view across the organization from strategic to operational levels. The specification-survey was employed to validate the a-priori ES-Success measurement model derived in the preceding identification-survey. Employing 310 responses from the same 27 public sector organizations, exploratory data analysis validated 27 measures of success pertaining to the 4 dimensions: information quality, system quality, individual impact and organizational impact. Data for testing the influence of an antecedent of ES-Success was simultaneously gathered during the specification-survey. This analysis, based on the Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST), investigated the influence of Knowledge Management Structures Adequacy (KMSA) on ES-Success. Preliminary results indicate a strong relationship between the Knowledge Management Structures Adequacy and ES-Success. The purpose of the confirmation-survey was to further validate the dimensions and measures of the ES-Success model, using new data, employing confirmatory statistical techniques. Data was gathered from 153 respondents across a large University that had implemented the Oracle Enterprise System, which facilitated further construct validity of the ES-Success measurement instrument was further established using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / "1998"--Cover. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 395-414).