The main purpose of this study is to determine the problems of thermal tourism as a kind of alternative tourism in Turkey investigating within the context of legislative-organizational aspects and planning dimensions. The study is also submitting some suggestions about solutions. After the announcement of the conceptual framework related with thermal tourism, the research provides general information about the countries important for thermal tourism sector in the global world. The study examines the planning process and the organizational structure related to thermal tourism sector showing two different tendencies in Heviz in Hungary and Peninsula Hot Springs in Australia in order to investigate different aspects of the development of thermal tourism in detail. Then / the thesis handles the development of thermal tourism in Turkey and it also describes the reasons of the underdevelopment of thermal tourism in respect of legislative-organizational aspects and planning dimensions in Turkey. Finally, in the last chapter / assessments carried out by examining the current situation in Nevsehir Kozakli Thermal Tourism Center and suggestions for solving the problems in practice are offered. In conclusion, this study offers some suggestions about the improvement of thermal tourism in Turkey in legislative-organizational and spatial aspects.

Previous studies have indicated that the creation of outstanding consumer value was for spa hotels to achieve sustainable financial and market success. In this study we identified the key factors that affected consumers¡¦ behavior or purchasing decisions, and the process how consumers chose a particular hotel for spa service, which was appropriate for themselves under such intensely competition among spa hotels in Taiwan. The study aims to assess a relational perspective on the value perception relationships, and to examine the main effects and the processes linking perceived value, its antecedents and willingness to buy in Taiwan spa hotel industry. The economical deduction was adopted to provide the constructs positioning and adequate rationality of the conceptual model. The analysis of Pearson correlation indicated that the recent downsizing economy might be the source that affected the attitude of ¡§leisure service consumption¡¨ in more conservative way because of the weakly significant relationship between perceived value and willingness-to-buy. The hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) was used to assess the main effects and the processes. The HMR analyses revealed that customers separately considered perceived quality and perceived price, the immediate situational factors of benefits and sacrifices, particularly when purchasing a spa service product, which will lead to changes in behavior. Perceived quality totally mediated the price-value relationship, and perceived value partially mediated the quality-willingness and price-willingness relationship. Sex and living location moderated the quality-value relationship. Marriage status and consumptive times moderated the value-willingness relationship. The finding indicated that the perception of customer value was very much dependent upon quality and much less dependent upon risk and price in Taiwan spa hotel industry; management and advertising objective should focus on increasing customer value by improving the customer perceptions of overall product and service quality. The moderation of demographic variables provides managers directions to offer proper packages to potential customers.

Abstract As the society and economy changed over time, people¡¦s quality of living has been imporving. The demands of beauty business, health industry and leisure products is therefore increasing. This trend not only promots rapid development of service industry, but also encourages people to purchase SPA products to release from pressure and follow the fashion. Besides, with the increase of female customers¡¦ consuming power and their consumption demands in beauty products, the scale of SPA business has been expanding. Female customers therefore have more choices when purchasing leisure products and service. This study takes the perspective of femal customers, aiming at exploring consum motivation, cosuming power and cosuming desire. The study also to predict the SPA trends of linking chiness medicatoin with SPA service, testing if female customers¡¦ consuming behavior would correspond to the combination of health, leisure and medicine. It is hope to propose some strategies to SPA business and leisure markets. After surveying 197 female customers, it is found that the determinants of purchasing SPA producst in Chinese medication clinic are few. Only the facts of belief in Chinese medication and previous experiences in purchasing SPA goods and services have significant relationship with consum motivation in buying SPA service. Other variables such as demographics, SPA service, SPA facilities and so on have no significant relationship with female customers¡¦ consum motivation in SPA goods. Keywords : female customer, Spa, beauty business, Chinese medication, leisure business, management strategy.

Staphylococcus aureus has long been recognized as a leading cause of nosocomial infection. However, several recent publications have demonstrated this pathogen as the cause of community-acquired severe wound infections and necrotizing pneumonia in otherwise healthy individuals. These highly virulent endemic clones have been reported in several locations in the United States and Canada. The rapid spread of the organism, the ability of certain clones to cause serious infection, and the antibiotic resistance of the endemic clones, illustrates the importance of infection control measures. In this study we examined three S. aureus typing techniques; pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and Staphylococcal protein A (spa) sequencing for subspeciation of community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA). It is hypothesized that PFGE will result in a higher level of discrimination among the strains, while MLST and spa typing will result in highly portable data that lacks the discriminatory power of PFGE. Thirty CA-MRSA isolates that were obtained from Florida and Washington State were characterized by molecular typing methods. Whole genome restriction analysis was performed by PFGE using the SmaI enzyme. Sequence-based typing analyses, MLST and spa typing, were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequencing. PFGE data was analyzed using the BioNumerics® software package and sequence-based data was analyzed using DNAstar®. MLST Alleles were assigned using the online MLST database (www.mlst.net) and spa types were assigned using the Ridom SpaServer (www.ridom.de/spaserver). Molecular characterization of the 30 isolates resulted in 21 pulsotypes, four MLST sequence types (STs), and six spa types. Combining data from both MLST and spa typing resulted in only seven strain categories, many of which grouped isolates that are not epidemiologically linked. These data demonstrate that techniques such as MLST and spa typing are not well suited for tracking isolates with limited evolutionary diversity such as the CA-MRSA epidemic clones.

Valstybinės švietimo strategijos 2003–2012 metų nuostatose, patvirtintose Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo 2003 m. liepos 4 d. nutarimu Nr. IX-1700 (Žin., 2003, Nr.71-3216), nurodoma, kad siekiant užtikrinti švietimo plėtotės prieinamumą, tęstinumą ir socialinį teisingumą, turi būti užtikrinamos socialiai teisingos mokymosi ir studijų sąlygos, sukuriamos galimybės veiksmingai ugdyti įvairių gebėjimų ir poreikių vaikus. Atlikus mokslinės literatūros analizę, galima pastebėti, kad apie specialiųjų poreikių asmenų integraciją visuomenėje yra rašę nemažai autorių: A. Galkienė, V. Rajeckas, G. Varoneckas, D. Žemaitytė, M. Barkauskaitė, J. Ambrukaitis, V. Gudonis ir kiti. Tačiau nepavyko aptikti duomenų apie integruoto ugdymo strateginį aspektą. Todėl moksliniame darbe norėta tai išsiaiškinti. Šiame kontekste formuluojama magistrinio darbo tyrimo hipotezė: Jei galima identifikuoti specialiųjų poreikių vaikų integruoto ugdymo tendencijas ir problemas, tai galima parengti jų jų ugdymo bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose strategines gaires. Tyrimo objektas: specialiųjų poreikių vaikų integruotas ugdymas bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose strateginiu aspektu. Tyrimo tikslas: sumodeliuoti specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdymo bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose strategines gaires. Tyrimo uždaviniai: aptarti specialiųjų poreikių vaikų ugdymo Lietuvoje tendencijas; išryškinti specialiųjų poreikių vaikų integruoto ugdymo bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose problemas; empiriškai ištirti specialiųjų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In the 2003–2012 years regulations of national educational strategy which are confirmed by Seimas of the republic of Lithuania decision Number IX-1700 (Žin., 2003, Nr.71-3216) in 2003 July 4, it is stated that if you want to vouch accessibility, succession and social justice of educational development you must confirm the socially just learning conditions, create an effective opportunity to develop children who have different abilities and needs. According to analysis of nonfiction, it is possible to state that there are many authors who have written about integration of people who have special needs. They are A. Galkienė, V. Rajeckas, G. Varoneckas, D. Žemaitytė, M. Barkauskaitė, J. Ambrukaitis, V. Gudonis and the others. However, it was unsuccessful to find information about strategic aspect of integrated education. So it was tried to solve this in the work. The hypothesis of this postgraduate studies work is: if it is possible to identify integrated educational tendency and problems of children who have special needs, so it is possible to prepare strategic guideline of their development in comprehensive schools. An object of this research is integrated education of children who have special needs in comprehensive schools. The aim of research is to design the strategic guideline of children development that has special needs in comprehensive schools. The goals of this research are to discuss the tendencies of children, who have special needs, development in Lithuania; to... [to full text]

An adjustable systemic-pulmonary artery (SPA) shunt is being developed that consists of apolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft with a screw plunger mechanism. This device would allowfull control of flow through SPA shunts used to augment pulmonary blood flow in neonates bornwith single ventricle physiology. The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes this mechanismhas on flow fields for a 4 mm and 5 mm adjustable SPA shunt. Two in vitro models wereexamined; an idealized model with an axisymmetric constriction and a model developed from 3-Dreconstruction of the actual shunt under asymmetric constriction. These models were used to measurethe instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) underboth steady and pulsatile flow conditions. Recirculation regions and maximum values of velocity,vorticity, and shear stress are compared between the 4 mm and 5 mm models. The results indicatethat for the idealized model of both shunts, separation regions are much smaller, persistingfor approximately 0-1.75 diameters downstream of the constriction, while for the realistic modelsseparation regions of 2.5 diameters downstream were observed. Additional models of a 4 mm and5 mm shunt were tested under pulsatile conditions matching Re of 1061 and 849 and a Womersleynumber of 4.09 and 5.12, respectively, as seen in vivo. The maximum shear rates observed in bothshunts are within an allowable range without inducing platelet aggregation or hemolysis. However,regions of reverse flow exist distal to the throat, leading to possible concerns of plaque formation.Further in vivo testing will be needed to address this concern. This work is part of an extensiveeffort in developing a completely implantable adjustable systemic-pulmonary artery shunt.

The Virtual Network (VN) protocol is a communications protocol software compatible with the Space Plug-and-play Architecture (SPA). This Master Thesis defines a protocol that extends the Virtual Network protocol to cover communication over the Controller Area Network (CAN). The Virtual Network for the Controller Area Network (VN-CAN) is defined, modelled and verified using UPPAAL as well as implemented and tested while running on actual hardware. The VN-CAN protocol enables components on the CAN network to communicate with other components both inside and outside of the CAN network, which together with the modularity of both the protocol and the implementation enables application level software to be agnostic of their physical position in the network. The implementation enables components to automatically discover routes to other components on the VN network without the need for any prior knowledge about the network topology. A method for direct addressing, i.e. that two components on the CAN network can communicate directly without sending messages via a central router, has been added to the VN-CAN protocol in order to reduce traffic on the CAN network. UPPAAL modelling and verification of the VN-CAN protocol has been done to give a high level of confidence in the correctness of the protocol. Testing on actual hardware has shown that the protocol achieves the goals of address resolution, self addressing and transfer of VN messages over CAN.

Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Ingeniero Agrónomo / Botrytis cinerea Pers. causa niveles importantes de pudrición, los que pueden superar el 10% en peras de exportación en Chile, principalmente en la variedad Packham’s Triumph. La enfermedad postcosecha más importante producida por B. cinerea en peras almacenadas en frío corresponde a la pudrición calicinal, cuyo control se realiza en floración, período en que el hongo produce infecciones latentes que se manifiestan en pudrición tras la madurez de la fruta. En años con primaveras húmedas se ha observado un aumento de la incidencia de la enfermedad, lo cual ha generado cuestionamientos acerca de los tratamientos de control e incertidumbre sobre la capacidad del patógeno de infectar los frutos durante su crecimiento. Los objetivos del presente estudio fueron determinar la ocurrencia de infecciones en campo durante el período de crecimiento de frutos bajo condiciones artificiales de alta humedad con y sin inoculación del patógeno, y determinar el nivel de infección en precosecha para evaluar la efectividad de las medidas de control realizadas por los productores en dos huertos comerciales de la zona central de Chile. En uno de los huertos estudiados se determinó que las inoculaciones lograron generar infecciones en el período de crecimiento de frutos, lo que permite concluir que el patógeno efectivamente puede infectar peras cv. Packham’s Triumph durante el crecimiento de los frutos. Por otro lado, el patógeno fue recuperado desde la cavidad calicinal de fruta no inoculada en crecimiento en ambos huertos, observándose también pudrición calicinal en postcosecha, lo que sería consecuencia de la inefectividad de las aplicaciones de fungicidas realizadas en floración por los productores. Este trabajo establece una base para la realización de estudios en campo en pudrición calicinal de perales en Chile. / Botrytis cinerea Pers. causes significant levels of postharvest decay that may be over 10% in pear fruit in Chile, especially in the cultivar Packham's Triumph. Calyx-end rot is the most important postharvest disease caused by B. cinerea in stored pears, and its control is achieved in the flowering period, when the fungus produces latent infections that manifest in fruit decay after ripening. It has been observed that there is an increased incidence of the disease in years with humid and rainy conditions during spring and summer, which has raised questions about control treatments and pathogen's ability to infect fruit during its growth under these conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine the occurrence of infections in the orchard during fruit growth under artificial high humidity conditions with and without pathogen inoculation, and to determine the level of preharvest infection in order to evaluate the efficacy of control measures taken by the growers in two commercial orchards of central Chile. In one of the studied orchards, inoculations resulted in infections during fruit growth, leading to the conclusion that the pathogen can effectively infect Packham's Triumph pears during this period. Moreover, the pathogen was isolated from the calyx cavity of non-inoculated fruit during the growth period, and postharvest calyx-end decay was also observed, which would indicate the inefficacy of fungicide applications performed by the growers. This work provides basic information for further field studies on calyx-end rot of pears in Chile.

Esta dissertação inscreve-se nos campos dos Estudos de Gênero e Culturais, em uma aproximação com a perspectiva pós-estruturalista de análise; investiga as posições de sujeito usuário/a de substâncias psicoativas e os atravessamentos de gênero (re)produzidos no âmbito da Política de Redução de Danos. A Política de RD está preocupada em reconhecer as escolhas dos/as usuários/as de substâncias psicoativas (SPA) que demandam algum tipo de cuidado e, desse modo, alcançar a esfera do direito à saúde, à cidadania e aos direitos humanos. O material empírico é composto pelos documentos normativos da política e seus desdobramentos. Para o exame do corpus de investigação, foi utilizada a análise cultural, em combinação com a pesquisa documental, operando com os conceitos de posição de sujeito, norma, poder e gênero. Os documentos da política e seus desdobramentos foram tomados como artefatos culturais e pedagógicos que (re)produzem e veiculam discursos biomédicos, psicológicos, morais e jurídicos implicados com a produção de sujeitos e de práticas de cuidado no campo da saúde mental voltada para o uso de SPA. A análise permitiu descrever, discutir e problematizar os sentidos de termos como usuário, dependente, droga, substância, autonomia, dentre outros utilizados de forma naturalizada na política; com esse movimento analítico, foi possível explorar sua multiplicidade, conflitualidade e historicidade. As análises empreendidas contribuem para que sejam desnaturalizadas determinadas noções tão presentes nas formulações de propostas para o cuidado desses usuários/as. A (in)definição de termos discutidos permitiu visualizar a aparente sobreposição de sentidos de alguns termos como usuário/dependente para explorar distinções entre eles; também algumas relações lineares, como uso/consumo = dependência, que podem levar o indivíduo a evitar a aproximação com serviços de saúde como o CAPS mesmo quando deles precisa, com receio de ser nomeado como um/uma dependente, uma vez que essa nomeação produz diferentes efeitos em sua vida. Do ponto de vista do gênero, parece haver algumas pistas na (in)definição desses termos, mostrando que, em alguma medida, não se contemplam distinções produzidas pelo gênero, talvez porque haja ainda uma dificuldade em associar a mulher ao uso/abuso de SPA, embora os estudos mostrem o uso crescente destas entre as mulheres. Assim, um olhar sensível às abordagens de gênero na política permitiu ir "encontrando" pistas em relação à naturalização da relação entre uso de SPA e masculinidade e de uma feminilidade que não se droga. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa intentou desnaturalizar e mostrar alguns silenciamentos nas representações de feminino/masculino ainda ativas na cultura que contribuem para dificultar o dimensionamento de uma demanda de cuidado. / This dissertation is inserted in the field of Gender and Cultural Studies, approaching the poststructuralist perspective of analysis. It investigates the places of the subject/user of psychoactive substances and gender crossings (re)produced under the National Policy of Harm Reduction, a public policy concerned in recognizing the choices of the users of psychoactive substances (PAS) who require some sort of care, so reaching the boundaries of health protection and social citizenship and social rights. The empirical material consists of normative documents of the policy and its consequences. Cultural analysis, in combination with documentary research, was used for data analysis, considering the concepts of subject position, rule, power and gender. The policy documents and its consequences were taken as cultural and educational artifacts that (re)produce and convey biomedical, psychological, moral and juridical discourses involved in the production of subjects and care practices in the field of mental health addressed to the use of PAS. The analysis allowed to describe, debate and discuss the meanings of terms such as user, addicted, drug, substance, autonomy, among others used in a naturalized way in the policy, whose multiplicity, conflictuality and historicity was explored from this analytical movement. The undertaken analyses contribute to denaturalize certain notions usually used in the texts of the care proposals for those users. The (in)definition of discussed terms allowed to perceive the apparent meaning overlaps of some terms such as user/addicted to explore distinctions between them; it was also possible observe some linear relations, such as use/consumption = addiction, which can lead the individual to avoid looking for healthcare services, such as the Centers of Psychosocial Care (CAPS), even when he/she needs those services, fearing being named as addicted, since this nomination causes different effects in his/her life. From the gender point of view, there seem to be some clues in the (in)definition of these terms, showing that, to some extent, distinctions produced by the genre are not considered, perhaps because there are still some difficulties in associating the woman to the use/abuse of PAS, although some studies show increasing use among women. Thus, a sensitive reading to gender approaches in the policy allowed to go "finding" clues regarding the naturalization of the relationship between the use of PAS and masculinity, and regarding a femininity that is not addicted. In this sense, this research intended denaturalize this relationship and show some silences regarding the female/male representations still active in the culture that contribute to hinder the design of a care demand.

The aim of this work is to find out the effectiveness of comprehensive spa treatment therapy focused on the musculoskeletal system. I tried to map out the influence of medical methodologies used in spa facilities, specifically in Berta Spa Třeboň, and patients´ return to work. In the past few years spa treatment is a frequently discussed topic not only because of the recent change in the list of indications. At present there are 35 spas in the Czech Republic which have to fulfill strict requirements to ensure maximum beneficial effect in rehabilitation, resocialization, prevention and supportive treatment. Lately many people are seeking spa facilities rather only for relaxation and so the spas are losing the primary purpose. Spas have mainly curative effect and are used as a prevention as well as a treatment. Spa treatment is or should also be the last treatment before the end of incapacity. Incapacity is a significant topic in the current health and social issues. The average incapacity/sick leave then becomes also an important economic factor.