One major acknowledged challenge in daily precipitation is the inability to model extreme events in the spectrum of events. These extreme events are rare but may cause large losses. How to realistically simulate extreme behavior of daily precipitation is necessary and important. To that end, a hybrid probability distribution is developed. The logic of this distribution is to simulate the low to moderate values by an exponential distribution and extremes by a generalized Pareto distribution. Compared with alternatives, the developed hybrid distribution is capable of simulating the entire range of precipitation amount and is much easier to use. The hybrid distribution is then used to construct a bivariate discrete-continuous mixed distribution, which is used for building a daily precipitation generator. The developed generator can successfully reproduce extreme events. Compared with other widely used generators, the most important advantage of the developed generator is that it is apt at extrapolating values significantly beyond the upper range of observed data. The major challenge in monthly streamflow simulation is referred to the underrepresentation of inter-annual variability. The inter-annual variability is often related with sustained droughts or periods of high flows. Preserving inter-annual variability is thus of particular importance for the long-term management of water resources systems. To that end, variables conveying such inter-annual signals should be used as covariates. This requires models that must be flexible at incorporating as many covariates as necessary. Keeping this point in mind, a joint conditional density estimation network is developed. Therein, the joint distribution of streamflows of two adjacent months is assumed to follow a specific parametric family. Parameters of the distribution are estimated by an artificial neural network. Due to the seasonal concentration of precipitation or the joint effect of rainfall and snowmelt, monthly streamflow distribution sometimes may exhibit a bimodal shape. To reproduce bimodality, nonparametric models are often preferred. However, the simulated sequences from existing nonparametric models represent too close a resemblance to historical record. To address this issue, while retaining typical merits of nonparametric models, a multi-model regression-sampling algorithm with a few weak assumptions is developed. Collecting hydrometric data is the first step for building hydrologic models, and for planning, design, operation, and management of water resource systems. In this dissertation, an entropy-theory-based criterion, termed maximum information minimum redundancy, is proposed for hydrometric monitoring network evaluation and design. Compared with existing similar approaches, the criterion is apt at finding stations with high information content, and locating independent stations.

Community identity is a concept involving a web of relationships whereby a committed group of people emotionally identify with a shared set of values, norms, meanings and history. When municipalities co-operate, concerns among stakeholders can arise that potentially lead to a sense that interdependence among municipal partners can threaten a community’s independence and correspondingly community identity. The main goal of this study was to understand how the development of an inter-municipal partnership associated with the provision of a centralized multi-use recreation facility affected community identity among partnering communities. This goal was accomplished by exploring the case of Pictou County. Municipal leaders, members of the public, and local persons of influence were interviewed to gather their impression of the implications of an inter-municipal partnership for community identity. An interpretivist viewpoint guided this case study. One-on-one interviews were transcribed, analyzed, and broken down into different themes to capture the impact this case had on community identity. Findings were organized into three sections: (1) concerns about the partnership, (2) anticipated benefits, and (3) the overall implications for community identity. The findings of this case study revealed a shift in identity within the region in which the partnership took place. Although residents in each neighbouring municipality had a strong sense of community identity, the case illustrated a general shift toward a regional identity that was beginning to emerge. Study participants understood why some members of their communities were threatened by the inter-municipal partnership under investigation, but explained how the partnership created benefits that outweighed the negative impacts of co-operation. In particular, stakeholders believed the economic benefits of the partnership overshadowed any concerns about transparency or public input. This has allowed a shift in the tradition ways recreation services have traditional been offered in the county. Now instead of each municipality working as independent services providers they are now starting to work more interdependently to provide services for the municipalities. This case helps add to the body of literature involving inter-municipal partnerships and provide the opportunity for future research to be conducted on topics such as geographic identity and interscetionality. As well, the case provides insight to future practitioners when they are conducting research to understand that citizen participation is important in a project like this but it may be less significant than if the primary interest, such as economic interests, of the community members if initially managed. Addressing these interests should help lessen the chance of resistance forming later in the project.

Radio resource management (RRM) is an important component of a mobile wireless network that efficiently utilizes the limited radio resources such as spectrum, transmission power, and network infrastructure. Unfortunately, current RRM schemes do not support cooperative multiple point (CoMP), a promising technology that extends coverage, increases capacity, and improves the spectral efficiency of the next generation broadband network, i.e., 4G network. Specifically, to coordinate with CoMP, a RRM scheme should be aware of three main properties of CoMP - cooperative transmitting information, coordinated scheduling transmission, and single interference noise ratio (SINR) improvement. However, few of the existing RRM schemes consider these properties, since they were designed based on the conventional mobile data networks without CoMP technology. In this dissertation, I present a series of new CoMP aware RRM schemes for ensuring users' throughput and maximizing network capacity in an integrated PON-OFDM network, which is a norm of the 4G network and can best implement the CoMP technology. I call the PON-OFDM network with CoMP a CoMP Network (CoMPNet). I provide two classes of RRM schemes for two practical CoMP technologies, cooperative transmission (CT) and coordinated scheduling (CoS), respectively. In the first class, I propose two groups of RRM schemes using the CT technology. In the first group, three OFDM-TDMA based RRM schemes are designed for three different users' moving speeds. The objective of these schemes is to minimize time slot consumption. The RRM schemes in the third group are contrived for an OFDM-FDMA based CoMPNet. I provide four linear programming (LP) based optimal schemes, one for minimizing bandwidth usage, one for minimizing transmission power consumption, and two for balancing resource costs. An optimized resource allocation solution can be obtained by flexibly choosing one of the schemes according to network load. In the second class, I present a sub-optimal RRM scheme for an OFDM-FDMA based CoMPNet. The CoS technology is applied for ICI mitigation. I formulate the system optimal task into constrained optimization problems for maximizing network capacity. To improve the computation efficiency, fast yet effective heuristic schemes are introduced for divide-and-conquer. The proposed heuristic schemes are featured by CoS based timeslots/subcarriers assignment mechanisms, which are further incorporated with intelligent power control schemes. Through simulations, I study the proposed RRM schemes performances and discuss the effect of the CoMP technology. The performance benefits of CoMP on bandwidth saving and capacity increasing are shown by comparing the new schemes with the conventional schemes without CoMP.

主催：JST/CREST，Vrije University, ALTERRA, IBPC

The centrality of the thesis is the impact upon the individual Greek migrant who chose to leave his place of birth by emigrating, repatriating, and subsequently re-emigrating, and how the surreptitious nature of acculturation alters perceptions and thoughts. The causes of such migratory translocations will be analyzed within the sociocultural and historicoeconomic conditions that appertained at the time the decisions were taken to deracinate oneself. The study will provide an analysis of diachronic Hellenic migration and Australian immigration policies (since its inception as a federated state). There will also be an analysis of Australia�s diachronic and dedicated immigration control mechanisms since federation, its various post-immigration integration policies of immigrants, the mass immigration program activated in the post-WWII period, and the adoption and incorporation of multiculturalism as the guiding force in migrant selection and integration. Australia�s history, its cultural inheritance, its socioeconomic development, and its attraction as a receiving country of immigrants are analyzed, as are Australia�s xenophobia and racism at its inception, and how these twin social factors influenced its immigration program. The study examines limitations placed upon social intercourse, employment opportunities, and other hindrances to Greek (and other non-British migrants) immigrants because of Australia�s adoption of restrictive, racially-based immigration policies. The study focuses upon the under-development of Hellas in the first half of the twentieth century, its high unemployment and under-employment rates, and the multiple other reasons, aside form unemployment, which forced thousands of Hellenes to seek an alternative (for a better life) through internal or external migration. Particular emphasis will be placed upon historic occasions in Greece�s history and the influence of foreign powers upon internal Greek politics. The motivations for each distinct stage of translocation, in the lives of the respondents, will be examined within the ambit of social, cultural, economic, and historical context, which will place emphasis on the socioeconomic development of Hellas, the development of Hellenic Diaspora, Australia�s development as a receiving immigrant country, and the effects of acculturation and nostalgia upon first-generation Greek-Australians. Given that the thesis is based upon personal recollections and detailed information that span decades of the respondents� lives, the thesis is divided into four parts for greater clarity and comprehension: the first examines respondents� lives in region of birth, their families� economic, educational, and social environment, scholastic achievements by respondents, employment status, future prospects, religiosity, hopes and aspirations, and reasons for seeking to migrate. The second part examines respondents� lives in Australia, within the contextuality of accommodation, employment, family creation, social adaptation, language acquisition, attitude towards unionism and religion, expectations about Australia, and reasons for repatriating. The third part analyzes repatriation and life in Greece through resettlement, accommodation, children�s schooling and adaptation, relatives� and friends� attitude, disappointments, and longing for things Australian, while it also examines re-emigratory causes and the disillusionment suffered through repatriation. The final part assesses resettlement in Australia, and all associated social, economic, and environmental aspects, as well as respondents� children�s readaptation to different lifestyle and educational system. The thesis concludes with recommendations for possible further studies associated with the thesis� nature.

PhD / HIV-1 is the cause of the majority of global HIV infections. Not only being more virulent, and relatively easily transmitted than HIV-2, HIV-1 is also more extensively studied. HIV-1 is known for its highly recombinogenic nature, together with an extreme genetic variety, both attributable to an error-prone reverse transcriptase which gives rise to heterozygous virion. Sequence diversity of HIV-1 has resulted in identification of 9 subtypes of HIV-1 M group, as well as 43 circulating and a number of other unique recombinant forms of HIV-1. The extensive heterogeneity of HIV-1 has become the main consideration in vaccine development, mainly due to the inherent variability of HIV-1 and the frequent generation of new recombinant forms, which subsequently makes the effort to control the HIV-1 pandemic more challenging. The inter-subtype recombination event is a common phenomenon observed in Malaysia whereby there is a co-circulation of multiple HIV-1 subtypes; CRF01_AE and subtype B. Therefore, it becomes crucial to widen the knowledge of currently emerging CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinants, in order to assist the future regional vaccine design and also to prevent wider spread of these strains. Concurrently, with a better understanding on the characteristics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B recombinant forms, further diversification of these strains can possibly be thwarted. The objectives of this study included, firstly to study the molecular epidemiology pattern of different HIV-1 strains, as well as to observe their frequency and distribution. Our second aim was to identify possible derivative from CRF33_01B, and also other new CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant forms in Malaysia. Thirdly, we aimed to identify possible biological advantages of the CRF33_01B isolates over its parental strains; CRF01_AE and subtype B. Currently, the HIV-1 epidemic in Malaysia is in a concentrated phase with evidence of predominance of both CRF01_AE and subtype B found among heterosexuals and injecting drug users, respectively. There is urgent necessity to apply a more detailed and continuous molecular characterization and epidemiological monitoring of these recombinant forms in Malaysia. We obtained plasma samples from 115 HIV-1-infected patients who attended HIV clinic at the University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The HIV-1 PR-RT, gp120-env and gp41-env genes were amplified and sequenced from 50 samples, while the remaining 65 samples were successfully studied at either one or two HIV-1 specific genomic regions. Cloning, phylogenetic analyses, together with bootscanning methods were employed to assign subtypes and to identify inter-subtype recombination based on all three genomic regions. From the plasma-derived sequences of 50 patients, 46% were found to harbour CRF01_AE, 10% and 6% had subtype B and B’, and a total of 18% of the patients were infected with CRF33_01B, while the remaining 18% of patients was found to have unique recombinant forms. As for the other 65 patients, majority of them harboured CRF01_AE and subtype B. This study shows that co-circulation of multiple HIV-1 subtypes and their recombinant strains are frequent in the Malaysian population, while capable of spreading to different HIV-1 risk groups. Possible recombination hotspots in CRF01_AE/B recombinants are suggested to be within the HIV-1 PR-RT gene region. Further, this study highlights the need to characterize and monitor the molecular epidemiology of these recombinant forms. The ideal environment for the inter-subtype recombination event to take place is created by the co-circulation and dual infections of both CRF01_AE and subtype B. With more HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B recombinant forms emerging and shaping the nature of HIV epidemic in Malaysia, certainly it will complicate the timely diagnosis of these molecularly altered HIV-1 forms. The recent identification of the novel CRF33_01B suggests the emergence of other new CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant forms in Malaysia, as preliminarily demonstrated in some HIV-1 patients identified in the first part of this study. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of these HIV-1 patients were co-cultured with those of healthy donors, which we then isolated the proviral genomic DNA. The nested long-range PCR was performed to obtain seven overlapping viral genome fragments that made up the whole viral genome. The detailed phylogenetic, as well as bootscan analyses confirmed the mosaic compositions and recombinant structures of the newly emerging CRF01_AE/B recombinant forms derived from CRF01_AE and subtype B. One of them in particular; HIV-1 isolate 06MYKLD46 is structurally similar to CRF33_01B, except for an extra subtype B fragment within the env region. It also has close phylogenetic relationship and similar breakpoints with CRF33_01B, mainly at the PR-RT region. Furthermore, the other three distinct HIV-1 recombinants; isolates 07MYKLD47, 07MYKLD48 and 07MYKLD49 also display near full-length genomes composed of the backbone of CRF01_AE, with insertions of subtype B fragments at different gene regions. These results indicate the high possibility of second generation of minor recombinant forms derived from CRF33_01B, as well as the continuous evolution and rapid dispersal of CRF01_AE/B recombinants in Malaysia. The high prevalence of newly emerging CRF33_01B (CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant) may cause a possible epidemiologic shift, attributable to its altered virologic characteristics and possible transmission advantages compared to its parental strains. Two major determinants; the viral factor and host factor have influenced the progress of a productive HIV-1 infection upon virus entry into the host cells. We have assessed the two main viral factors; the in vitro viral replication capacity and the viral fitness of the circulating HIV-1 strains in Malaysia. We have determined that CRF33_01B primary isolate (07MYKLVik) replicates better in activated whole PBMCs and CD4+ T-lymphocytes and is ‘fitter’ than one of its parental strain; CRF01_AE (07MYKLNBL) but not subtype B (07MYKLAfik). Subtype B has more advanced ability to produce a progressive infection in all cell types, including MDMs, and has a comparable viral fitness to that of CRF33_01B. We also investigated the role of host factors in a productive HIV-1 infection, by determining the viral effect on the host cell morphological features. We found that CRF33_01B (07MYKLVik) culture displayed more large syncytia (multinucleated giant cells) with multiple nuclei compared to subtype B (07MYKLAfik) culture, while no snycytia was observed in CRF01_AE (07MYKLNBL) culture. Generally, the cells within CRF33_01B and subtype B cultures appeared to be morphologically distinct from CRF01_AE cultures. This may indicate a more productive HIV-1 infection of CRF33_01B and subtype B, similar to our finding from the in vitro viral replicative capacity and viral fitness assays of these HIV-1 strains. We also studied the effect of different HIV-1 strain infections on host differential gene expression profiles, by using the PCR Array, which detects a total of 84 genes known to be involved in the host response to HIV-1 infection. It was observed that the in vitro infection with CRF33_01B isolates resulted in a more damaging effect on host cells and caused more apoptotic death within the infected cultures, compared to the isolates of its parental subtypes. Moreover, subtype B isolates resulted in a poorer cell response upon viral infection, compared to CRF01_AE/B isolate. Concurrently, it also gave less productive spread of viral infection within the infected cultures, in comparison to CRF01_AE/B isolate. We speculate that if the same scenario is reflected in vivo, CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant including CRF33_01B would have a better survival rate within the host upon their infection, in comparison to their parental strains. This again strengthens our presumption that CRF33_01B has potential ability to disseminate widely in the Malaysian population and gives a progressive change of the current molecular epidemiological trend by gradually replacing the current predominance of CRF01_AE in the country.

PhD / HIV-1 is the cause of the majority of global HIV infections. Not only being more virulent, and relatively easily transmitted than HIV-2, HIV-1 is also more extensively studied. HIV-1 is known for its highly recombinogenic nature, together with an extreme genetic variety, both attributable to an error-prone reverse transcriptase which gives rise to heterozygous virion. Sequence diversity of HIV-1 has resulted in identification of 9 subtypes of HIV-1 M group, as well as 43 circulating and a number of other unique recombinant forms of HIV-1. The extensive heterogeneity of HIV-1 has become the main consideration in vaccine development, mainly due to the inherent variability of HIV-1 and the frequent generation of new recombinant forms, which subsequently makes the effort to control the HIV-1 pandemic more challenging. The inter-subtype recombination event is a common phenomenon observed in Malaysia whereby there is a co-circulation of multiple HIV-1 subtypes; CRF01_AE and subtype B. Therefore, it becomes crucial to widen the knowledge of currently emerging CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinants, in order to assist the future regional vaccine design and also to prevent wider spread of these strains. Concurrently, with a better understanding on the characteristics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B recombinant forms, further diversification of these strains can possibly be thwarted. The objectives of this study included, firstly to study the molecular epidemiology pattern of different HIV-1 strains, as well as to observe their frequency and distribution. Our second aim was to identify possible derivative from CRF33_01B, and also other new CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant forms in Malaysia. Thirdly, we aimed to identify possible biological advantages of the CRF33_01B isolates over its parental strains; CRF01_AE and subtype B. Currently, the HIV-1 epidemic in Malaysia is in a concentrated phase with evidence of predominance of both CRF01_AE and subtype B found among heterosexuals and injecting drug users, respectively. There is urgent necessity to apply a more detailed and continuous molecular characterization and epidemiological monitoring of these recombinant forms in Malaysia. We obtained plasma samples from 115 HIV-1-infected patients who attended HIV clinic at the University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The HIV-1 PR-RT, gp120-env and gp41-env genes were amplified and sequenced from 50 samples, while the remaining 65 samples were successfully studied at either one or two HIV-1 specific genomic regions. Cloning, phylogenetic analyses, together with bootscanning methods were employed to assign subtypes and to identify inter-subtype recombination based on all three genomic regions. From the plasma-derived sequences of 50 patients, 46% were found to harbour CRF01_AE, 10% and 6% had subtype B and B’, and a total of 18% of the patients were infected with CRF33_01B, while the remaining 18% of patients was found to have unique recombinant forms. As for the other 65 patients, majority of them harboured CRF01_AE and subtype B. This study shows that co-circulation of multiple HIV-1 subtypes and their recombinant strains are frequent in the Malaysian population, while capable of spreading to different HIV-1 risk groups. Possible recombination hotspots in CRF01_AE/B recombinants are suggested to be within the HIV-1 PR-RT gene region. Further, this study highlights the need to characterize and monitor the molecular epidemiology of these recombinant forms. The ideal environment for the inter-subtype recombination event to take place is created by the co-circulation and dual infections of both CRF01_AE and subtype B. With more HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B recombinant forms emerging and shaping the nature of HIV epidemic in Malaysia, certainly it will complicate the timely diagnosis of these molecularly altered HIV-1 forms. The recent identification of the novel CRF33_01B suggests the emergence of other new CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant forms in Malaysia, as preliminarily demonstrated in some HIV-1 patients identified in the first part of this study. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of these HIV-1 patients were co-cultured with those of healthy donors, which we then isolated the proviral genomic DNA. The nested long-range PCR was performed to obtain seven overlapping viral genome fragments that made up the whole viral genome. The detailed phylogenetic, as well as bootscan analyses confirmed the mosaic compositions and recombinant structures of the newly emerging CRF01_AE/B recombinant forms derived from CRF01_AE and subtype B. One of them in particular; HIV-1 isolate 06MYKLD46 is structurally similar to CRF33_01B, except for an extra subtype B fragment within the env region. It also has close phylogenetic relationship and similar breakpoints with CRF33_01B, mainly at the PR-RT region. Furthermore, the other three distinct HIV-1 recombinants; isolates 07MYKLD47, 07MYKLD48 and 07MYKLD49 also display near full-length genomes composed of the backbone of CRF01_AE, with insertions of subtype B fragments at different gene regions. These results indicate the high possibility of second generation of minor recombinant forms derived from CRF33_01B, as well as the continuous evolution and rapid dispersal of CRF01_AE/B recombinants in Malaysia. The high prevalence of newly emerging CRF33_01B (CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant) may cause a possible epidemiologic shift, attributable to its altered virologic characteristics and possible transmission advantages compared to its parental strains. Two major determinants; the viral factor and host factor have influenced the progress of a productive HIV-1 infection upon virus entry into the host cells. We have assessed the two main viral factors; the in vitro viral replication capacity and the viral fitness of the circulating HIV-1 strains in Malaysia. We have determined that CRF33_01B primary isolate (07MYKLVik) replicates better in activated whole PBMCs and CD4+ T-lymphocytes and is ‘fitter’ than one of its parental strain; CRF01_AE (07MYKLNBL) but not subtype B (07MYKLAfik). Subtype B has more advanced ability to produce a progressive infection in all cell types, including MDMs, and has a comparable viral fitness to that of CRF33_01B. We also investigated the role of host factors in a productive HIV-1 infection, by determining the viral effect on the host cell morphological features. We found that CRF33_01B (07MYKLVik) culture displayed more large syncytia (multinucleated giant cells) with multiple nuclei compared to subtype B (07MYKLAfik) culture, while no snycytia was observed in CRF01_AE (07MYKLNBL) culture. Generally, the cells within CRF33_01B and subtype B cultures appeared to be morphologically distinct from CRF01_AE cultures. This may indicate a more productive HIV-1 infection of CRF33_01B and subtype B, similar to our finding from the in vitro viral replicative capacity and viral fitness assays of these HIV-1 strains. We also studied the effect of different HIV-1 strain infections on host differential gene expression profiles, by using the PCR Array, which detects a total of 84 genes known to be involved in the host response to HIV-1 infection. It was observed that the in vitro infection with CRF33_01B isolates resulted in a more damaging effect on host cells and caused more apoptotic death within the infected cultures, compared to the isolates of its parental subtypes. Moreover, subtype B isolates resulted in a poorer cell response upon viral infection, compared to CRF01_AE/B isolate. Concurrently, it also gave less productive spread of viral infection within the infected cultures, in comparison to CRF01_AE/B isolate. We speculate that if the same scenario is reflected in vivo, CRF01_AE/B inter-subtype recombinant including CRF33_01B would have a better survival rate within the host upon their infection, in comparison to their parental strains. This again strengthens our presumption that CRF33_01B has potential ability to disseminate widely in the Malaysian population and gives a progressive change of the current molecular epidemiological trend by gradually replacing the current predominance of CRF01_AE in the country.

Thesis (M.A. (Human Rights))--Mahidol University, 2006. / LICL has E-Thesis 0018 ; please contact computer services.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, 1995. / Added thesis t.p. "Stellingen" sheet laid in. Includes bibliographical references (p. 675-835) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, 1995. / Added thesis t.p. "Stellingen" sheet laid in. Includes bibliographical references (p. 675-835) and index.