This research study provides a view of the relationship between organizational leaders and relationship executives of financial institutions and their exchange partners. It does so by analyzing data on the networking efforts of 20 executive directors in qualitative interviews and 124 relationship executives in research questionnaires. Network marketing within the financial services sector is becoming increasingly important. We proposed a model that seeks to offer an explanation of Executive network marketing in financial institutions in LDCs where the market system is underdeveloped. The proposed model identified four categories being: firm characteristics, Executives’ personal contact groups, Executives’ business contact groups and issues of commitment and trust in exchange relationships. Multiple factor analysis established the regression model as significant in establishing a formal relationship between the dependent variable (network marketing) and the independent variables (firm characteristics, business contact, personal contact and commitment and trust). It was confirmed that there are differences in Executives’ level of network marketing among the different age groups. Also there were significant differences in the network marketing of the Executives with regard to their level of education. It was observed that there were significant differences in the network marketing of the Executives with respect of their fields of study. Finally it was observed that owner managers were more involved in network marketing than the professional managers and those in partnerships. Not only did the study confirm the research model, but it also revealed that, to a considerable extent, network marketing is practiced by the Executives in the financial services sector in Ghana. The study concluded that business contact networks are the most effective of the Executives’ network marketing in financial services sector in Ghana. It is therefore important that state policies are directed towards enhancing the business environment within the financial services sector. Government should desist from being a regulator and a player in the same market.

The lack of interoperability between Pay‐TV service providers and a horizontally integrated business transaction model have compromised the competition in the Pay‐TV market. In addition, the lack of interactivity with customers has resulted in high churn rate and improper security measures have contributed into considerable business loss. These issues are the main cause of high operational costs and subscription fees in the Pay‐TV systems. This paper presents a novel end‐to‐end system architecture for Pay‐TV systems cooperating mobile and broadcasting technologies. It provides a cost‐effective, scalable, dynamic and secure access control mechanism supporting converged services and new business opportunities in Pay‐TV systems. It enhances interactivity, security and potentially reduces customer attrition and operational cost. In this platform, service providers can effectively interact with their customers, personalise their services and adopt appropriate security measures. It breaks up the rigid relationship between a viewer and set‐top box as imposed by traditional conditional access systems, thus, a viewer can fully enjoy his entitlements via an arbitrary set‐top box. Having thoroughly considered state‐of‐the‐art technologies currently being used across the world, the thesis highlights novel use cases and presents the full design and implementation aspects of the system. The design section is enriched by providing possible security structures supported thereby. A business collaboration structure is proposed, followed by a reference model for implementing the system. Finally, the security architectures are analysed to propose the best architecture on the basis of security, complexity and set‐top box production cost criteria.

The widespread use of wireless technologies has led to a tremendous development in wireless communication systems. Currently, an individual mobile user may carry multiple personal devices with multiple wireless interfaces, which can interconnect with each other to form a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) which moves with this user. These devices exist in a heterogeneous environment which is composed of various wireless networks with differing coverage and access technologies and also the topology, device conditions and wireless connections in the WPAN may be dynamically changing. Such individual mobile users require ubiquitous communications anytime, anywhere, with any device and wish content to be efficiently and continuously transferred across the various wireless networks both outside and inside WPANs, wherever they move. This thesis presents research carried out into how to implement ubiquitous communications for WPANs in such an environment. Two main issues are considered. The first is how to initiate content transfer and keep it continuous, no matter which wireless network is used as a user moves or how the WPAN changes dynamically. The second is how to implement this transfer in the most efficient way: selecting the most suitable transfer mode for a WPAN according to the user’s and application’s requirements. User-centric (personal-area-centric) and contentcentric mechanisms are proposed in this thesis to address these issues. A scheme based on a Personal Distributed Environment (PDE) concept and designed as a logical user-based management entity is presented. This is based on three mechanisms which are proposed to overcome the technical problems in practical scenarios, which cannot be solved by existing approaches. A novel mechanism is proposed to combine local direct and global mobile communications, in order to implement ubiquitous communications in both infrastructure-less and infrastructurebased networks. This enables an individual user’s ubiquitous communications to be initiated in an infrastructure-less network environment and kept continuous when they move across infrastructure-based networks. Its advantages are evaluated by a performance analysis model and compared to existing solutions and verified by experiments. A cooperation and management scheme is also proposed for dynamic changes of multiple mobile routers and flexible switching of personal device roles in a WPAN while keeping ongoing ubiquitous communications continuous. This adopts a novel view of WPANs which solves the addressing problems caused by changes of mobile routers and makes these transparent to personal devices in the WPAN and external content sources. It provides an efficient method for changing the mobile router of a single WPAN or a WPAN merging with another moving network. Its benefits are demonstrated through performance analysis models. Finally, a novel user-centric and contentcentric mechanism for decision making, to select the most appropriate mobile router in a dynamically changing WPAN environment is proposed. This selects the most suitable content transfer mode for the WPAN to fulfil an individual user’s various requirements. It has different strategies to suit various types of applications. Selection results are demonstrated to verify the proposed mechanism in multiple scenarios of changing user requirements, applications and WPAN conditions.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Title The effect of wearing high heel shoes on pelvis motion Aim of the thesis The main aim of this thesis is the verification of the influence of wearing high heel shoes on pelvis motion in the sagittal plane, while walking on high heel shoes and walking on heel less shoes. After then, we want to monitori the impact of walking in these shoes on the trajectory of pelvis motion. Methods Objectification method was 3D record of human gait (= kinematic analysis), which was performed using the Qualisys Track Manager. In our thesis we used the method of comparison. The aim of the study is the comparison of parameters measured in different types of shoes (high heeled shoes, high heeled less shoes with barefoot gait) and the influence on pelvis motion in the sagittal plane. Measurements were carried out in the gym at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at ten probands. Results Pelvis tilt to retroversion was more significant when walking on heel less shoes compared with high heel shoes and barefooted walking, also an angle of the trunk and pelvis were most significantly diminished when walking on heel less shoes compared to barefooted walking and high heel shoes. Objectively, a larger deflection of pelvis trajectory while walking on high heel shoes was not confirmed compared to walking on heel less...

Packaging is a topic under debate and scrutiny intoday’s society, due to its obvious environmentaldetriment – but also the business opportunities – tied tominimizing or even eliminating packaging.therefore, in this thesis, the aim is to introduce Chinesetea culture to the Swedish through packaging design,By tea culture studies and surveys of the Swedishmarket, with less is more, and minimalism designtheory to design elegant and Sustainable package. Withthis design, convey the Chinese tea ceremony cultureand Zen philosophy.Through the study of Chinese tea culture, then analysiscurrent tea packaging on Chinese and Swedish markets,from the structure, color, material...every aspects ofpackaging design to show the Chinese tea culture in theSwedish market.4According to our respondents and theory, packaging isa big component in a brand's marketing strategy and tocommunicate the brand’s message and values.Marketing information can be designed into visualelements that are used on the package to communicatea message which could speak out the consumers'emotions. But packaging is a topic under debate andscrutiny in today’s society, due to its obviousenvironmental detriment – but also the businessopportunities.So, how to balance the commercial and environmentalthose two aspects and how to express sustainabledesign in my project, is the major issues I have to figureout.Key words: Chinese tea culture, less is more,sustainable packaging design, graphic design, Zen andtea ceremony, tea business marketing

L’objectif de cette étude e est de comprendre le processus de déalliage de l’acier inoxydable austénitique 304L avec l’intention de transcrire ce raisonnement aux aciers duplex. Des essais ont été réalisés au sein d’une solution aqueuse désaérée d’hydroxyde de sodium à 50%, portés à une température de 80°C sous pression atmosphérique et à potentiel libre. - L’alliage 304L se dissout en formant une couche nanoporeuse riche en nickel métallique sur sa surface. - L’alliage 2202 se dissout et présente deux comportements différents : o la ferrite s’appauvrit en nickel o l’austénite se recouvre d’une couche nanoporeuse constituée de nickel métallique. o les deux phases ont des vitesses de dissolution distinctes, l’austénite se dissolvant plus rapidement que la ferrite. Les cinétiques de dissolution des deux alliages sont différentes : l’alliage 2202 présente une meilleure résistance à la corrosion que l’alliage 304L. Cependant l’austénite de l’alliage 2202 se comporte de manière identique à l’alliage 304L et présente les mêmes caractéristiques. La ferrite semble conférer à l’alliage duplex une protection contre la corrosion caustique au détriment de l’austénite.La mise en évidence de la couche du nickel métallique presque pur est confrontée avec des modèles existants de déalliage. Des expériences complémentaires ont prouvées la simultanéité des étapes de dissolution de l'alliage, de la redéposition des atomes de Ni et de leur réarrangement sur la surface. / The aim of this study is to understand the process of dealloying of austenitic stainless steel 304L with the intention to put this reasoning to the duplex steels. Tests were conducted in a deaerated aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at 50%, heated to a temperature of 80°C at atmospheric pressure and free potential. • The alloy 304L is dissolved to form a nanoporous layer rich in nickel metal on its surface. • The alloy 2202 is dissolved and has two different behaviors: o Ferritic phase is depleted in nickel o Austenite is covered by a nanoporous layer consists of metallic nickelo The two phases have different dissolution rates: austenite dissolves faster than ferrite. Kinetic dissolution of two alloys is different: alloy 2202 has better corrosion resistance than alloy 304L. However, the behavior of the austenite of the alloy 2202 is identical to the alloy 304L and has the same characteristics. The ferrite appears to give the duplex alloy corrosion protection against caustic at the expense of austenite. The identification of the layer of almost pure metallic nickel is confronted with existing models of dealloying. Additional experiments proved the simultaneous steps of dissolution of the alloy, redeposition of Ni atoms and their rearrangement on the surface.

Os fitoplasmas são organismos procariotos sem parede celular, que habitam as células do floema das plantas e são transmitidos, principalmente, por cigarrinhas sugadoras de floema. Este patógeno é responsável por causar doenças em diversas espécies vegetais, provocando a expressão de diversos sintomas, entre os quais podem ser destacados a redução do tamanho foliar, amarelecimento das folhas, superbrotamento de ramos e enfezamento da planta hospedeira. Entre os anos de 2013 e 2014, plantas de três espécies vegetais com sintomas característicos de infecção causada por fitoplasmas foram observadas no estado de São Paulo. O DNA total foi extraído a partir de plantas de couve-flor com sintomas de nanismo, malformação da inflorescência e necrose dos vasos do floema; de plantas da ornamental conhecida por árvore-da-felicidade com sintomas amarelecimento e redução do limbo foliar; e de plantas de Alho-poró com sintomas de enfezamento. Por meio do teste de PCR conduzido em sua maioria com os primers P1A/16S-SR foi possível detectar fitoplasmas nas três espécies vegetais testadas. Os fragmentos genômicos correspondentes ao 16S rRNA dos fitoplasmas foram sequenciados e identificados. Nas plantas de couve-flor e da árvore-da-felicidade foram identificados fitoplasmas afilados ao grupo 16SrVII-B, através da análise virtual de RFLP, cálculo do coeficientes de similaridade (F) e análise filogenética. Para ambas as espécies, este é o primeiro relato da ocorrência de representantes deste grupo, nas condições brasileiras. Nas plantas de Alho-poró foram identificados fitoplasmas afiliados ao subgrupo 16SrIII-J e ao grupo 16SrXIII, com base na análise dos genes 16S rRNA, SecY e proteína ribossomal, conduzidas através de análise virtual de RFLP, valores de coeficientes de similaridade e análise filogenética. Para o fitoplasma membro do grupo 16SrXIII foram identificadas quatro estirpes, uma delas afiliada ao subgrupo 16SrXIII-E e as demais como prováveis representantes de novos subgrupos. O presente estudo se constitui em uma contribuição ao conhecimento de novos patossistemas envolvendo fitoplasmas, bem como à caracterização molecular de fitoplasmas baseadas em diferentes genes marcadores, atualmente usados para a classificação de representantes deste grupo emergente de agentes causais de doenças de plantas. / The phytoplasmas are prokaryotic organisms without cell walls, which inhabit the phloem cells of plants and are transmitted mainly by leafhoppers sucking the phloem. This pathogen is responsible for causing diseases in various plant species, leading to expression of many symptoms, among which can be highlighted the reduction of leaf size, leaf yellowing, shoots proliferation and stunting of the plant host. Between the years 2013 and 2014, three plant species with characteristic symptoms of infection caused by phytoplasma were observed in São Paulo. Total DNA was extracted from cauliflower plants with symptoms of stunting, malformation of the inflorescence and necrosis of the phloem; ornamental plants known for Ming Aralia with symptoms yellowing and little leaves; and leek plants with symptoms of stunting. Through the PCR test conducted mostly with the primers P1A/16S-SR was possible to detect phytoplasmas in the three species of plants. The genomic fragments corresponding of 16S rRNA gene of the phytoplasma were sequenced and identified. In plants of cauliflower and Ming Aralia were identified phytoplasmas belonging to 16SrVII-B group through virtual RFLP analysis, calculation of similarity coefficients (F) and phylogenetic analysis. For both species, this is the first report of the occurrence of representatives of this group, in Brazilian conditions. In leek plants were identified phytoplasmas affiliated with 16SrIII-J subgroup, and the 16SrXIII group, based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA, SecY and ribosomal protein genes, conducted through virtual analysis of RFLP, similarity coefficient values and phylogenetic analysis. For the phytoplasma member of group 16SrXIII were identified four strains, one affiliated with 16SrXIII-E subgroup and the others as probable representatives of new subgroups. This study constitutes a contribution to knowledge of new pathosystems involving phytoplasmas and the molecular characterization of phytoplasma based on different marker genes, currently used for the classification of representatives of this emerging group of plant pathogens.

Esta pesquisa trata do projeto de redes de distribuição de carga parcelada. Mais especificamente são tratados dois tipos de problemas que são comuns no planejamento desse tipo de sistema. O primeiro deles corresponde ao problema estratégico de configuração de redes do tipo hub-and-spoke, consistindo na definição simultânea da quantidade e localização de terminais para consolidação de carga (ou hubs), e na definição da alocação dos terminais aos hubs localizados. Uma vez determinada a configuração da rede, o segundo problema, no nível de decisão tático, corresponde na definição do caminho que cada carga parcelada deve percorrer desde sua origem até alcançar seu terminal de destino, a um mínimo custo, tendo a rede hub-and-spoke como um dado de entrada do problema. Um novo modelo matemático é proposto para representar o problema estratégico de configuração de uma rede hub-and-spoke, possuindo uma menor quantidade de variáveis e restrições, ao se comparar com outros modelos matemáticos comumente utilizados para representar o problema. Esse novo modelo matemático permitiu a obtenção de soluções ótimas para problemas em redes com até 100 terminais, sendo apresentada pela primeira vez a solução ótima para problemas utilizados como benchmark na literatura. Dado que problemas de grande porte ainda continuam muito difíceis de serem resolvidos, são propostas três variantes de uma heurística simples e eficiente utilizando técnicas de multi-início e busca tabu, bem como uma heurística integrada em dois estágios baseada em busca tabu para solução. Experimentos computacionais utilizando dados tradicionalmente utilizados na literatura para solução de problemas de configuração de redes hub-and-spoke (conjuntos de dados CAB e AP), bem como instâncias novas e modificadas, mostraram que a abordagem utilizada para solução do problema possibilitou a obtenção da solução ótima, ou a melhor solução conhecida, para esses problemas em um tempo de processamento muito curto, permitindo assim resolver de forma eficiente problemas de grande porte, nunca antes resolvidos em pesquisas anteriores. O segundo problema foi motivado por uma aplicação prática de uma empresa de transporte rodoviário de cargas parceladas no Brasil. O problema diz respeito ao planejamento de carregamentos a serem realizados em cada terminal, levando-se em consideração cada carga parcelada que precisa ser transportada, definindo o percurso que cada carga deve percorrer até chegar ao seu destino. É proposto um modelo matemático e, dada a dificuldade para se resolver problemas de tamanho como o encontrado na prática, é proposto também um método de solução utilizando metaheurística busca tabu. Experimentos computacionais realizados mostraram que a heurística proposta pôde efetivamente resolver problemas de tamanho como o encontrado na prática. / This research deals with problems related to distribution networks for less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation. More specifically, we deal with two relevant problems that arise. The first corresponds to the strategic problem of designing and configuring hub-and-spoke networks in terms of simultaneously determining the optimal number of consolidation terminals (hub) nodes, their locations and the allocation of the other terminals (spokes) to the hubs. . Once the network configuration is determined, the second problem, in the tactical level of decision, corresponds to defining the path that each LTL individual freight needs to follow from its origin to reach its destination terminal, at a minimum cost, having a hub-and-spoke network topology as a data entry to the problem. A new mathematical model is proposed to represent the strategic problem of designing a hub-and-spoke network, with fewer variables and constraints than previous formulations found in the literature This model allowed us to obtain optimal solutions for problems in transportation networks with up to 100 terminals, reporting for the first time the optimal solutions of benchmark problems in the literature. Since this problems still remains too hard to solve for larger instances, we propose we propose three variants of a simple and efficient multi-start tabu search heuristic as well as a two-stage integrated tabu search heuristic to solve it. Computational experiments using typical benchmark problems (CAB and AP data sets) as well as new and modified instances show that our approaches consistently return the optimal or best-known results in very short CPU times, thus allowing the possibility of efficiently solving larger instances of the USAHLP than those found in the literature. The second problem is motivated by a practical application of a LTL transportation company in Brazil. It deals with the planning of loads to be done at each terminal, taking into account each LTL freight that needs to be transported, defining the path that each good needs to follow to reach its destination. A new mathematical model is proposed, and, since real world problems are very hard to solve, a heuristic based on tabu search is also developed. Computational experiments show that our heuristic can effectively solve real-world instances from a trucking company in Brazil.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-07-17T18:14:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LucasSilva.pdf: 598087 bytes, checksum: 7c5f43a60960f7c95e65f8d4fba7408a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-17T18:14:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LucasSilva.pdf: 598087 bytes, checksum: 7c5f43a60960f7c95e65f8d4fba7408a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-14 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (FAPEMA) / The objective of this study was to characterize the feeding system and to evaluate the nutritional status and financial efficiency of dairy cows belonging to dairy herds of the Maranhão east mesoregion, according to two periods of the year (water and dry) and two production strata L / day and Greater, ≥150 L / day). They were selected 19 Units with Milk Production (UPL) that received a visit during the period of the waters and a visit during the dry period. Data were collected by conference and samples of the ingredients supplied (quantities and prices), milk (total production, price, and milk samples). It was possible to identify that the UPL presented pasture feeding and concentrated food use in both periods of the year. There were no differences between water and dry matter for the daily availability of DM per animal (P = 0.85), total forage DM intake per day (P = 0.66) and neither with respect to live weight (P = 0, (P = 0.90) and CP consumption (P = 0.16), which allowed the absence of a difference in NDF consumption from forage (P = 0.90). Between the periods there was a difference between the price of milk traded between the UPLs, leaving the dry period with the highest value (P <0.05). The item revenue less cost with feed (RMCA) per liter of milk produced, presented better result during the dry period when compared to that obtained during the period of the waters. Feeding of the herds belonging to the UPL of the eastern Maranhão mesoregion is predominantly pasture, with food supplementation concentrated throughout the year and higher in the dry season. The higher supply of nitrogenous concentrated ingredients in the waters increased the NUL concentrations and reduced the lactose concentration. The price of milk undergoes oscillation within the year, being higher during the dry period, a fact that influenced the increase of gross income and the RMCA in this period. However, the financial assessment, considering the original production costs and the standardization of a single milk price, eliminated differences in RMCA between the periods. / Objetivou-se caracterizar o sistema de alimentação e avaliar o estado nutricional e a eficiência financeira de vacas em lactação pertencentes aos rebanhos leiteiros da mesorregião Leste maranhense, segundo dois períodos do ano (águas e seco) e dois estratos de produção (Menor, <150 L/dia e Maior, ≥150 L/dia). Foram selecioandas 19 Unidades com Produção de Leite (UPL) que receberam uma visita durante o período das águas e uma visita durante o período seco. A coleta dos dados foi realizada por conferência e amostras dos ingredientes fornecidos (quantidades e preços), leite (produção total, preço, e amostras de leite). Foi possível identificar que as UPL apresentavam utilização de alimentação a pasto e alimentos concentrados nos dois períodos do ano. Não houveram diferenças entre águas e seca para as disponibilidades de MS diária por animal (P=0,85), consumo de MS total de forragem por dia (P=0,66) e nem em relação ao peso vivo (P=0,33), o que permitiu ausência de diferença também no consumo de FDN oriunda da forragem (P=0,90) e sobre o consumo de PB (P=0,16). Entre os períodos houve diferença entre o preço de leite comercializado entre as UPL, ficando o período seco com o maior valor (P<0,05). O item receita menos custo com alimentação (RMCA) por litro de leite produzido, apresentou melhor resultado durante o período seco quando comparado ao obtido durante o período das águas. A alimentação dos rebanhos pertencentes às UPL da mesorregião Leste maranhense é predominatemente a pasto, com suplementação de alimentos concentrados durante todo o ano e em maior quantidade no período seco. A maior oferta de ingredientes concentrados nitrogenados nas aguas elevou as concentrações de NUL e reduziu a de lactose. O preço do leite sofre oscilação dentro do ano, sendo maior durante o período seco, fato que influenciou o aumento da renda bruta e do RMCA nesse período. Todavia, a avaliação financeira considerando os custos de produção originais e a padronização de um só preço do leite, eliminou diferenças na RMCA entre os períodos.