3 pp. / Originally published: 2001

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Randall K. Phebus / Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative bacterium that can cause tularemia in humans. The disease can be acquired through several routes, one of which is the ingestion of contaminated food and water. The pathogen has the potential to be used as a biological weapon, and its intentional introduction in the food supply is a possible way to cause public harm. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth and/or survival of F. tularensis in food matrices under various storage conditions. Cystine Heart Agar enriched with 2% hemoglobin and supplemented with antibiotics was used to aid the enumeration of the target organism by suppressing the levels of indigenous microflora in foods. During the first portion of the study, the growth/survival of highly virulent F. tularensis subsp. tularensis SCHU S4 strain was investigated in prepared bagged iceberg lettuce stored at two temperatures. F. tularensis counts were significantly different (p≤0.05) among temperature levels for days 1-3, but not day 4. After the first 24 h of incubation, the mean estimates of F. tularensis counts were 1.00 log cfu g⁻¹ lower in lettuce stored at 23±1°C compared to lettuce stored at 6±1°C. Lower recovery rates at higher temperatures are likely due to the more rapid proliferation of naturally present bacteria which can inhibit the growth of F. tularensis. After 48 and 72 h, differences in F. tularensis counts between temperatures were 0.55 log cfu g⁻¹ and 0.3 log cfu g⁻¹, respectively. For the second portion of the experiment, the ability of F. tularensis to grow or survive was evaluated in nine food matrices with variable compositional content (red delicious apples, green bell pepper, shredded iceberg lettuce, strawberries, whole liquid eggs, boneless ham steak, beef hot dogs, 80-20 ground beef, and 2% UHT milk) at 4, 21, and 37°C. F. tularensis grew well in pasteurized whole liquid eggs stored at 21 and 37°C. With the exception of ham, liquid whole eggs, and bell pepper, the pathogen was detected infrequently throughout the duration of the study. Very low recovery rates were obtained for shredded lettuce, hot dogs, and ground beef.

This thesis is a study of the development of investigatory select committees of the House of Commons during the twentieth century, with a particular emphasis on the period between 1960 and 1990. Synthesising existing analysis as well as presenting new evidence, it describes the early origins of such committees as an integral part of the work of the House, and then considers the House’s apparent loss of interest in select committees between 1920 and 1960. The thesis next discusses the reasons behind the introduction of new select committees in the mid-1960s, and traces further changes to committees during the 1970s. These developments are set in the political context of the period, and in particular the growth of backbench dissent in both major parties during the 1970s. The thesis then analyses the process by which departmentally-related select committees came to be established in 1979. Finally it assesses the quantitative and qualitative evidence about the activity and impact of the new departmental select committees in their first decade up to 1990, relating them closely to the political environment created by the government of Margaret Thatcher.

This research investigates how to improve legacy queries. Legacy queries are queries that programmers have coded and are used in applications. A database application typically has tens to hundreds of such queries. One way to improve legacy queries is to add new, interesting queries that are similar to or based on the set of queries. We propose Query AutoAwesome, a tool to generate new queries from legacy queries. The Query AutoAwesome philosophy is taken from Google’s AutoAwesomizer tool for photos, which automatically improves a photo uploaded to Google by animating the photo or adding special effects. In a similar vein, Query AutoAwesome automatically enhances a query by ingesting a database and the query. Query AutoAwesome produces a set of enhanced queries that a user can then choose to use or discard. A key problem that we solve is that the space of potential enhancements is large, so we introduce objective functions to narrow the search space to a tractable space. We describe our plans for implementing Query AutoAwesome and discuss our ideas for future work.

Precision forestry uses information collecting techniques to detect within stand variability and inform sub-stand management treatments, such as stand thinning guidelines. This study uses LiDAR to assess individual-tree stem volumes in Pinus taeda L. plantations in the southeast US. Currently, starting rows in commercial row thinning operations are arbitrarily selected, but the study used LiDAR collected stem volume data to inform starting row selection. Three study sites were measured to provide evidence of between-row volume variability. The primary study site was set up in an alternative treatment design. Two treatments were tested: a fourth row removal scenario which removed the most volume of the four possible scenarios versus a fourth row removal which targeted the least amount of volume removed. Between-row volume variability was shown in all study sites and LiDAR data accurately assessed volume in the primary study site. The primary site saw the two blocks homogenized by their thinning treatments, demonstrating the ability to increase or decrease residual volumes using targeted row selection . Targeted row removal retained more volume and larger trees and may lead to higher harvest yields and shorter rotations. Timber managers across the globe are increasingly using remote sensing to inventory stands, thus LiDAR-informed volume acquisition may be an additional application to increase the efficiency and productivity of forests. / Master of Science / Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is the most important commercial timber species in the southeastern US. Commonly grown in plantations and planted in rows, these forest tracts often receive at least one "commercial thinning" (i.e. profit yielding thinning) between planting and harvesting. This thinning typically removes every fourth row as well as undesirable individuals in residual rows, thus providing residual trees more space and resources to grow. Due to the high costs of manually inventorying these stands, row removal selection is arbitrary and may fail to fully address stem volume variability among rows. LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is a technology that creates 3D models from sent and returned light signals. This technology was aerially employed to inventory a P. taeda plantation in the Virginia Piedmont and models were developed to measure stem volumes from collected data. These stem volumes were consolidated into row volumes and were used to inform row selection during commercial row thinning operations. Targeted volume removal showed the ability of LiDAR application to alter residual stand volumes. Through low volume removal, residual volumes were increased. Additionally, more large trees were retained. Large trees are especially important as they have a competitive advantage in growth response post-thinning. These results have the potential to increase harvest yields and therefore pine plantation productivity and efficiency.

CHDS State/Local / Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The concept of biosecurity as it pertains to Biological Select Agents and Toxins in American biomedical research institutions is explored in some depth. Posing the research question "How can specific public biomedical research universities securely use and store biological select agents?" the thesis outlines the dynamics of the select agent and toxin list, the relevant history of the control of biological agents both in the international and domestic settings, including federal regulations pertaining to biosecurity (42CFR73). Two specific case studies are presented in the thesis. The biosecurity strategies and tactics at these two distinct biomedical research are compared. An answer to the research question is proposed and additional areas for research are outlined. / Captain, the University of Texas at Houston Police Department

According to ACNeilsen survey, the consumers in Taiwan have more brand awareness toward private label of retailers. In 2005, there had 87% consumers who went shopping in supermarkets or hypermarkets knew private label. Moreover, according to ITIS research which revealed the total amount of food private brand are 1,088 in Taiwan, and the average amount in hypermarket are 363, and second are convenience stores and supermarkets. However there is still huge gap between hypermarkets and convenience stores. Thus this situation reveals the potential market for private label of convenience stores. In 2008, 7-11 launched its own private brand 7-SELECT, and to differentiate from other low price position, 7-SELECT provide best price for the value. And it had great performance when it first time to market. Therefore this research will investigate the key success factor of 7-SELECT, and through four dimensions which are price, product and design, store image and promote and the intervening variable brand equity to explore purchase intention. According to data analysis, it is obvious that price, product and design, store image and promote affected purchase intention. This means a customer bought 7-SELECT may base on these factors. However brand equity did not have effect on purchase intention, the reasons could be it is still a new brand for one year, and its new product did not promote intensively, and the 7-SELECT layout can not attract customers¡¦ attention. Otherwise, the analysis outcome reveals there is not strong linkage between brand equity and 7-SELECT, and this result can provide the reference to retailers who develop their own private label.

Because of the community difference of Internet user, the new media can spend the most economgic advertising expenses to contact with target customer. But according to the IAB¡]Internet Advertising Bureau¡^report, 72% IA (Internet advertising) revenue was hold by the top ten America web site, the twenty-five and fifty gain 84% and 87% I.A revenue. The inadequate resources may cause the big web site become biger and the small web site die in the Internet, over a long period of time, it will affect the development of new media of Internet. The apperence of the Ad network solve the inadequate resources of I.A. The Ad network intergrated different content and classification web sites make the traffic close to the portal site increase the choices of advertiser/agent media selection. But as a result of unripe I.A market, the Ad networks provided different service, charge standard, the type of advertising deliver, and statistic forms have made advertiser/agent perplexeed. The objective of this research is to explore the criteria for advertiser/agent select the Ad network, and the satisfaction of the Ad network, then provides a consist principle to improve the Ad networks. The research uses media plan, the characteristi of I.A, the characteristi of Ad network four dimension to establish the questionnare, through the interview with Ad networks to modify the questionnare. Send the questionnares to advertiser/agent who ever spent I.A buget in Ad network. The research found that advertising/agent select the Ad network emphasize on the characterstic of Ad network and the personnel of advertising service. Through the factor analysis, the criteria of advertising/agent for Ad network selection can descripe as personnel service factor, the characterstic of Ad network factor, additional service factor, advertising design factor, marketing effect factor general web site attribute factor, advertising price and cost factor, the reputation of Ad network factor. In the aspect of satisfaction of the Ad network, advertising/agent had high satisfaction on providing on-line form monitor, analysis and the attitude and cordial of service personnel. Through the factor analysis, the satisfaction can divide to five index¡Xservice personnel, adstional service, marketing effect, the function of advertising monitor and analysis, and advertising effect. The research also found that the five index had poi tive correlation with the whole satisfaction, the whole satisfaction had positive corrlation with repurchase willingness and recommendation willingness.

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