Thesis (PhD (Consumer Science. Clothing and Textiles))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The current apparel retail environment is marked by intense competitive activity. The key to survival is the implementation of effective differentiation strategies. Corporate and retail branding provides retailers with a powerful tool to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and store image is a vital component of this branding strategy. This exploratory study set out to investigate the underlying theoretical structure of store image. A store image scale was developed for the measurement of the perceived importance of store image. The study adopted a five phase methodology, namely (1) construct definition and domain specification, (2) generation and judging of measurement items, (3) purification of the store image scale, (4) assessing the reliability and validity of the store image scale, and (5) assessing the perceived importance of the dimensions of store image in selected discount and specialty stores through practical implementation of the store image scale. The first two phases of the study resulted in a Model of Store Image delineating the underlying structure of store image which formed the basis for a store image definition, as well as a 232-item store image scale with established content and face validity. Phase 3 comprised two pilot studies that served to purify the store image scale. The first pilot study concluded in a 214-item scale that was deemed too lengthy for practical implementation in the apparel retail environment. The second pilot study resulted in a 55-item store image scale that was deemed acceptable for practical implementation. Correlation analysis provided support for the shortened version of the store image scale. The scale was not representative of all the sub dimensions associated with store image. This was reflected in the Revised Model of Store Image. Phase 4 employed a mall-intercept research method. The sample population (n=534) consisted of apparel consumers, both male and female, between the ages of 20 and 60. They belonged to the black, coloured or white population groups who patronised specific apparel retail outlets. Trained fieldworkers gathered the data at selected discount and specialty apparel stores. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the data and results provided support for the reliability of the store image scale. The Atmosphere, Convenience, Institutional, and Promotion dimensions exhibited good model fit. The Facilities and Sales personnel dimensions, as well as the Revised Model of Store Image showed evidence of acceptable model fit. The Merchandise and Service dimensions demonstrated poor fit. Only the Sales personnel dimension showed convergent validity. Support was found for marginal convergent validity of the Atmosphere, Convenience, Facilities, Promotion, and Service dimensions, as well as the Revised Model of Store Image. The Institutional and Merchandise dimensions did not exhibit convergent validity. Apart from the Convenience and Service dimensions, discriminant validity for all dimensions was established. Item analysis identified seven scale items for deletion which could potentially result in better model fit of the individual dimensions as well as the Revised Model of Store Image. The deletion of these items could contribute to increased convergent and discriminant validity. For purposes of Phase 5 the data gathered during Phase 4 was submitted to statistical analysis. Results indicated that discount and specialty apparel store consumers ranked the Atmosphere, Promotion, Merchandise, Institutional, and Sales personnel dimensions similarly in perceived importance. Discount apparel store consumers ranked the Facilities and Convenience dimensions higher, whilst specialty consumers ranked the Service dimension higher. However, the differences in ranking for all dimensions remained relatively small for both store types. Statistical differences in the perceived importance of only two dimensions, namely the Institutional and Service dimensions were found. The study culminated in revised 48-item store image scale. A Final Model of Store Image and definition of store image were proposed as point of departure for future research.. The main implications for retailers were formulated as: 􀂍 The Final Model of Store Image identified the dimensions and sub dimensions of store image. Retailers should manipulate the tangible and intangible store attributes associated with these dimensions and sub dimensions to build a favourable store image. Due to the gestalt nature of store image it is imperative that all store image dimensions are presented in a cohesive and consistent manner. 􀂍 The store image scale will enable retailers to ascertain which dimensions are salient to their target consumers. These dimensions should be incorporated in the retail strategy.

行銷業者對負面口碑的負面影響已有所共識，它可能直接影響消費者對其產品或服務的知覺價值判斷，進而影響產品評價及購買行為。過往研究將負面口碑區分為理由型和情感型兩類，同時，負面口碑中所包含的訊息可能為產品或服務的主要或次要因素，因而在重要程度上存在差異。此外，考慮到消費者決策情境的不同，本研究以為自己或他人做選擇的方式喚起個體的短期自我構念，探討個體特徵在負面口碑對消費者態度與行為傾向影響過程中的調節效果。另，消費者在處理負面口碑時，可能會對其產生原因進行歸納推理，且存在歸因於產品或服務和口碑產製者兩種認知路徑，不同的歸因模式進而又會影響消費者的產品評價、購買意願等面向。因此，本研究旨在探討負面口碑訊息類型如何影響消費者的態度與行為傾向，並考量負面口碑重要程度和自我構念的調節作用，以及在此過程中歸因模式的可能中介效果。 本研究通過內容分析法在實務場域觀察負面口碑訊息類型，初步探討負面口碑訊息類型與產品評價之間的關係。其後，以兩個實驗設計驗證研究假設，實驗一為2（負面口碑訊息類型：理由型vs.情感型）×2（負面口碑重要程度：主要因素vs.次要因素）的二因子受試者間設計，實驗二則為2（負面口碑訊息類型：理由型vs.情感型）×2（負面口碑重要程度：主要因素vs.次要因素）×2（自我構念：獨立型vs.互依型）的三因子組間設計。研究發現：（一）相較於情感型負面口碑，理由型負面口碑對消費者態度與行為傾向的影響更為顯著。（二）負面口碑重要程度具顯著干擾作用，亦即，當負面口碑重要程度為主要因素時，理由型評論所產生的訊息可信度顯著高於情感型評論。（三）在負面口碑訊息類型、負面口碑重要程度對訊息可信度的影響過程中，歸因模式具有顯著的中介效果。（四）自我構念與負面口碑訊息類型具有交互作用，並連同負面口碑重要程度存在三階交互效果。本研究期望通過負面口碑影響機制理論模型的提出與驗證，對負面口碑傳播效果研究有所貢獻，同時，在實務上為行銷業者管理負面口碑提供參考。

本論文共一冊，約五萬字，分為五章十五節。 第一章緒論： 一、研究動機：重要性之準則建立，忽視了會計師之重要性決策負有風險，欲對會計 師之風險態度，規模大小及職位高低，對判斷決策之影響做一研究。 二、研究目的：研究個人間、事務所間之重要性鄰斷的一致性，且對風險態度加以衡 量及分析事務所間之一致性，驗證Deangelo之理論，以經濟觀點檢查審計判斷行為。 三、研究方法：以問卷為測試工具，以會計師務所之審計人員為對象。 四、研究限制：效用理論下最大化效用值之假設。問題限於假設性的有價證券，或有 事項。 五、定義名詞：風險追求者，風險中立者，風險迴避者，重要性。效用為個人偏好程 度之衡量。 六、假設：規模大小、職位高低，風險態度均會影響重要性及揭露判斷之行為。 第二章理論與假設： 一、理論：分為重要性之實證研究。專業性之判斷及規模大小，職位高低和風險態度 對重要性判斷方面之研究。 二、假設：同前一章第六節。 第三章研究方法： 一、受試者，將事務所分為大、中、小三層，將事務所之會計人員分為高、低兩層， 大事務抽出六家，按職位兩層各抽出六人，其化中、小事務所抽出十二家，各層次職 位均抽出十二人，總共之受試者有六十人。 二、風險態度之衡量：以效用理論之觀點來衡量，設計競局方式來衡量風險態度。 第四章研究結果： 分析重要程度與揭露間之相關，分析規模、職位、風險態度二項自變數是否顯著，分 析淨利百分比，絕對金額顯著否。 第五章結論與建議： 訂定審計政策準則、訓練人員、執行同業覆核。

Light transport simulation is used in realistic image synthesis to create physically plausible images of virtual scenes. Important components of the scenes are participating media (e.g. air, water, skin etc.). Efficient computation of light transport in participating media robust to their large diversity is still an open problem. We implemented the UPBP algorithm recently developed by Křivánek et al. It addresses the problem by combining several complementary previous methods using multiple importance sampling, and excels at rendering scenes where the previous methods alone fail. The implementation is available online, we focused on its thorough description to facilitate and support further research in this field. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

This thesis is a report about the research study; it aims to map students' views of the future, importance of goals, learning instrumentality, attribution of choice goals and conceptions of learning by students. This text also deals with the relations of these variables. The research was conducted with 106 students of the same age from a grammar school. These students attended first class of the four-year study programme and fifth class of the eight-year study programme. The variables were compared between boys and girls and between students of four and eight year study programmes. The research study used quantitative and qualitative methods. A modified version of the Inventory of motivational goals importance and learning instrumentality (De Volder, Lens, 1982) was used. It was supplemented by questions about the attributional tendencies. Another method was essays, its subject was "one day in students' future". This method was supplemented by some questions. The qualitative analysis of the data was centred upon content and time analysis and aspects such as satisfaction, realism, elaborateness and alternativeness. The conceptions of learning were analysed by students' answers to the following question: "What do you actually mean by learning?". The categories of conceptions of learning were obtained...

Path tracing is a basic, statistically unbiased method for calculating the global illumination in 3D scenes. For practical purposes, the algorithm is too slow, so it is used mainly for theoretical purposes or as a base for more advanced algorithms. This thesis explores the possibility of improving this algorithm by augmenting the sampling part, which computes outgoing directions during ray traversal through the scene. This optimization is accomplished by creating a special data structure in a preprocess step, which describes approximate light distribution in the scene and which then aids the sampling process. The presented algorithm is implemented in the PBRT library.

The presented thesis deals with the issue of tourism in the European Union with emphasis on its economic importance, deployment and current trends that can be identified in this sector. Its aim is to assess the issue of tourism in the EU from a different perspective than it is usual in the literature devoted to this topic, and try to find answers to several questions, including whether the economic importance of tourism is really as great within the EU as it is often attributed to this sector, or how tourism is deployed in the EU. The basis for answering these and other questions is the analysis of a number of indicators over the last two decades. In terms of current trends in tourism, attention is paid to trends in demand and supply and the issue of sustainable tourism development.

The purpose of this thesis was to research what factors determines the teachers choice in using outdoor educational activities in their mathematics teaching as well as when and where the outdoors mathematics teaching is being used. The research that lies behind the study shows that there is a knowledge gap in the research on outdoor mathematics, since most of the research conducted today is focusing on a more general use of outdoor pedagogical activities irrespective of which subject content it`s applied on. The relevance of the study therefore becomes an important source of knowledge for teachers and students in teaching education. The survey was conveyed by a questionnaire as a research method with the purpose of being able to examine how the use of outdoor mathematics occurs today, in correlation to factors such as professional experience, education or which grade the teacher mostly teaches. The result of the survey showed that many teachers today use outdoor educational activities in their mathematics teaching. The purpose of the use of outdoor mathematics was primarily to vary their teaching and to concretise the subject content. The result also shows that the forest was the place that is best suited for outdoor mathematics according to the teachers. The teachers, however, shed light on the lack of time when planning and implementing lessons, class sizes and human resources as obstacles for outdoor educational activities. / Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka möjliga faktorer som påverkar lärares val att använda sig av utomhuspedagogiska aktiviteter i matematikundervisningen samt när och var matematikundervisning utomhus används. Tidigare forskning som ligger till grund för studien visar att det finns ett kunskapsglapp om utomhusmatematik i undervisningen då merparten av forskning behandlar en mer generell användning av utomhuspedagogiska aktiviteter oberoende vilket ämnesinnehåll som tillämpas. Studiens relevans blir då en viktig kunskapskälla för verksamma lärare och studenter vid lärarutbildningen.  Undersökningen genomfördes med enkät som datainsamlingsinstrument med syfte att undersöka hur användningen av utomhusmatematik ser ut idag, i relation till faktorer såsom yrkeserfarenhet, utbildning eller vilken årskurs läraren till störst del undervisar i. Resultatet av undersökningen visade att många lärare använder sig av utomhuspedagogiska aktiviteter i sin matematikundervisning. Syftet med utomhusmatematik anser lärare framförallt är att variera sin undervisning och för att konkretisera ämnesinnehållet. Resultatet visar även att skogen är den plats som lämpade sig bäst för utomhusmatematik. Lärare belyser dock tidsbrist vid planering och genomförande av lektioner, klasstorlek och personalresurser som hinder.

[pt] Esta dissertação discute o modelo de Volatilidade Estocástica (SV) estimado via metodologia Durbin & Koopman, chamada Verossimilhança de Monte Carlo( MCL). Comparou-se a cobertura condicional do valor em risco (VaR), deste modelo, com as do modelo GARCH(1,1) e SV estimado via Quasi Máxima Verossimilhança (QML). Os modelos foram estendindos a distúrbios Gaussiano e t-Student na equação da média. O desempenho dos modelos foi avaliado fora da amostra para retornos diários dos índices Ibovespa, S&P500, Nasdaq e Dow Jones. Para o critério de avaliação foi utilizado o teste de Christoffersen. Foram econtradas evidências empíricas de que o modelo SV estimado via MCL é tão eficiente quanto o modelo GARCH(1,1), em termos da cobertura condicional do VaR. / [en] This dissertation discusses the estimation of the Stochastic Volatility (SV)model using a Durbin and Koopman methodology called Monte Carlo Like-lihood (MCL). The conditional coverage of value at risk (VaR) of SV via MCL model was compared to the GARCH (1,1) model and to the SV model via Quasi Maximum Likelihood (QML) estimation. The models were extended to Gaussian and Student-t isturbances in the mean equation. The performances of the models were evaluated out-of-sample for daily returns on the Ibovespa, S&P500, Nasdaq and Dow Jones indexes. Christoffersen test were applied for the evaluation criteria. In terms of the VaR conditional coverage, empirical evidences indicate that the SV model via MCL estimation is as efficient as the GARCH (1,1) model.

Objetivo: Realizou-se um estudo, no período de 2002 a 2009, com a finalidade de verificar se as mudanças nas classes de cobertura da terra e no uso do solo podem exercer influência na ocorrência da raiva, nos municípios de Jacareí e de Santa Branca, situados na Região do Vale do Paraíba, no Estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil. Métodos: A ferramenta utilizada para avaliar estas alterações foi o sensoriamento remoto, através de imagens de satélite Land-sat. Para pesquisar a presença do vírus da raiva (RABV) foram coletados animais silvestres atropelados nas rodovias, morcegos encontrados na área urbana em atitude suspeita, morcegos hematófagos da espécie Desmodus rotundus e animais de interesse econômico (ADIE) que vieram a óbito por enfermidade com sintomatologia nervosa. O material coletado, sistema nervoso central (SNC), desses animais foi encaminhado para o laboratório de referência nacional, o Instituto Pasteur de São Paulo (IP-SP) e para o Laboratório de Sanidade Animal da Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA)- Pólo Regional do Vale Paraíba (PRDTA/VP) - Pindamonhangaba-SP. A determinação da presença do antígeno viral foi feita através da prova de imunofluorescência direta (IFD) e o isolamento do vírus através da inoculação intracerebral em camundongos (IC). Os inóculos das amostras foram submetidos à prova de reação em cadeia pela polimerase transcriptase reversa (RT-PCR) para verificar a presença do vírus da raiva. Resultados: No período de estudo tivemos a ocorrência de dez casos da doença, sendo três em morcegos insetívoros na zona urbana de Jacareí, e sete em ADIE, sendo dois, em Jacareí e cinco, em Santa Branca. Todos os animais silvestres terrestres examinados foram negativos para a presença do vírus da raiva em todas as provas realizadas (IFD, IC, RT-PCR). O material proveniente dos morcegos foi negativo para as provas de IFD e IC, porém três amostras, oriundas de morcegos insetívoros, resultaram positivas para a prova de RTPCR. As amostras de ADIE examinadas resultaram positivas para todas as provas realizadas. O sequenciamento genético utilizou amplificações referentes à glicoproteína viral das 8 amostras positivas para rt-pcr, obtendo para os cinco isolados de ADIE linhagem de desmodus rotundus e para os três isolados de morcegos linhagens de nyctinomops laticaudatus e tadarida brasiliensis. Quando foi estudada a cobertura do solo e seu uso, considerando os municípios, constatou-se que não haviam ocorrido mudanças significativas entre 2002 e 2009. Optou-se por fazer buffers de raio de 3 km tendo como centro de cada buffer as coordenadas geográficas de casos positivos para raiva. Como em duas situações houve sobreposição entre áreas de buffers, resolveu-se considerar a área da união dos mesmos. Foi interessante que, mesmo nestes buffers não houve mudanças significativas, apesar da ocorrência da doença. Conclusão: Na escala utilizada, considerada micro, a enfermidade aconteceu, mesmo sem mudanças aparentes na região. Provavelmente, em uma escala macro outros resultados poderiam ser obtidos / Objective: This study was carried out during the period of 2002-2009, with the purpose to verify whether the changes in types of land cover and in land use can influence the occurrence of rabies in Jacareí and Santa Branca, situated in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo, southeastern brazil. Methods: The tool used to evaluate these alterations was the remote sensing through images of satellite land-sat. In order to search for the presence of rabies virus, brain materials were collected from wild animals roadkilled in highways, bats found in the urban area in suspicious attitude, desmodus rotundus hematophagous bats captured in rural areas and farm animals of economic importance (aei) dead with suspect of rabies. For rabies diagnosis, specimens of central nervous system (cns) of these animals were sent to the Pasteur Institute of São Paulo (IP-SP) - national reference laboratory and to the laboratory of animal Paulista Agency for Agribusiness Technology (APTA) - Polo Valley Regional of Paraíba (PRDTA / VP), in Pindamonhangaba, state of SP. The presence of viral antigen was determined by the direct fluorescent antibody technique (D-FAT) and the isolation of the virus by means of intracerebal mouse inoculation test (MIT). The brain suspensions were submitted to reverse transcriptase. Polymerase chain reaction to check the presence of rabies virus. Results: In the period of study, 10 positive cases were detected, being 3 in insectivorous bats in the urbane zone of jacareí, and 7 in aei, being 2 in jacareí and 5 in santa branca. All the terrestrial wild animals examined were negative for the presence of rabies virus in all tests performed (d-fat, mit, and rt-pcr). The materials from bats were found negative for the d-fat and mit, however, three samples originating from insectivorous bats turned out to be positive for rt-pcr. The positive samples from aei were positive for all tests carried out. The genetic sequencing of the g gene of eight rt-pcr positive rabies virus isolates derived from aie, five corresponded to the desmodus rotundus lineage and the three bat isolates were related to lineages of nyctinomops laticaudatus and tadarida brasiliensis. When land coverage and its use were analyzed, considering the municipalities, it was found that no significant changes occurred between 2002 and 2009. Then buffers of 3 km in radius were chosen taking as the center of each buffer the geographical coordinates of positive rabies cases. Since in two situations there was superposition between areas of buffers, it was resolved to consider the junction area of the buffers. Even in these buffers there was no significant change, despite the occurrence of the disease. Conclusion: it was concluded that the disease has occurred even without any apparent changes in the region, due to the (micro) scale used in this study. Probably, in a macro scale, other results might be obtained