A practical and versatile feedback seismograph station has been constructed. Using feedback techniques developed by R.D. Meldrum, the relative low frequency response and the damping ratio of a Willmore Mk. I seismometer have been significantly increased for use in a broadband, low frequency bandpass seismograph station. Within limits imposed by a very high ambient ground noise level at the University of British Columbia site, circuit noise and instrument amplifier characteristics, it is possible to vary the damping ratio and resonant period through modification of the feedback loop transfer function. The seismograph has been continuously operating since November 1965 and has recorded over 40 local tremors and distant earthquakes from as far away as the mid Indian Ocean. It has shown that it is a useful demonstration and research instrument. A pilot analysis of the Long Shot nuclear explosion data received by the Canadian seismic stations indicates a consistent compressional first arrival as expected from an impulsive explosion source. Significant travel time discrepancies are observed in the commencement of the P arrival which arrived up to 6 seconds early at all stations with the largest residuals at the most distant sites. A comparison earthquake in the Rat Islands area indicates a similar bias trend. The P arrival amplitudes appear to be anomalously low in the central B.C. area and high in eastern Canada. The effect is also evident in the unified magnitude determinations which are based on these amplitudes. The causes of the variations of magnitudes and the anomalously low amplitudes have not been explained. The average magnitude and standard deviation for all Canadian stations is shown to be 6.01 ±0.40 which agrees well with the world-wide average determination of 5.99 ± 0.52. Spectral investigations demonstrate that there are both common and individual characteristics among the ground amplitude spectra of the different stations. These characteristics have not been correlated to the explosion source mechanism or to geological structure although some causative suggestions have been made. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

Researchers have difficulty modeling the influence of retailing attributes on consumer choice. The literature of retailing that has dealt with this issue has conventionally used experimental data for estimating the influence of retailing attributes on consumer behavior. The present research applies hedonic analysis to the measurement of the value of retailing attributes. This is accomplished by applying hedonic specifications to supply and demand models for the retail sales of unleaded gasoline for the purpose of estimating the influence of specified retailing attributes on retail prices. Four retailing attributes-accessibility, convenience, service, and competition-were expected to have a determinable value that was measurable through hedonic specifications. Spatial competition was expected to influence retail prices by lowering them. The value of retailing attributes was expected to be variable relative to household income. It was found that the value of the specified retailing attributes could be isolated and determined. The application of hedonic analysis to the supply and demand of unleaded gasoline provided a relatively precise and consistent market value, which was represented by the "ask" and "bid" implicit prices of these retailing attributes. Spatial competition was seen to exert an important influence on retailing, tending to lower retail prices. The value of retailing attributes was found to be variable relative to household income. The relative consistency and precision of hedonic analysis in the measurement of the value of retailing attribute was reinforced insofar as the findings were consistent with generally accepted notions of retail marketing and consumer behavior as represented in the literature in the field.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis made openly available per email from author, 3-31-2016.

Suppose we are confronted with an environment which consists of large common costs and uncertain supplies. Furthermore, suppose the resources in this environment are being supplied by a public enterprise monopoly which is interested in maintaining economic efficiency while recovering costs incurred by the project. Then the above problem becomes one of institutional design. Even if conditions existed in which traditional marginal cost pricing provided the proper signals for efficiency, additional charges will be necessary to recover costs due to the large common costs in this environment. Ideas and suggestions about decentralized methods of covering common costs lead naturally to questions about decentralized methods for solving the public goods provision problem. This paper reports in part on an experimental investigation of four methods for allocating public goods. The two basic processes studied are direct contribution and a public goods auction process. Both of these processes are studied with and without an additional unanimity feature. The results suggest that the auction process outperforms direct contribution. The effect of unanimity is to decrease the efficiency of both processes. Strategic aspects of the voting rule (unanimity) are evident in the results. To assist in the contingency planning for environments with uncertain supplies, different contract forms are considered. In particular, priority and contingent contracting are investigated along with specific mechanisms to allocate such contracts. An experimental environment is developed to investigate the various contract forms and mechanisms. The experiment considers two contract forms (contingent and priority) and four allocation mechanisms (Random, English auction, English auction with queue, and Iterative Groves). The experimental results show that bidding for priority results in higher efficiency than pre-assignments. Furthermore, allowing individuals to signal coalitional bids has a positive effect on efficiency and revenue generated.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 M44 / Master of Arts / Journalism and Mass Communications

Ip Wai Ho, Cliff. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2009-2010, design report." / "May 2010." / Includes bibliographical references. / Text in English with some Chinese. / Chapter 0.0 --- Foundamental / Chapter 1.0 --- Analogy / Chapter 2.0 --- Urban Study / Chapter 3.0 --- Cases Study / Chapter 4.0 --- Site Analysis / Chapter 5.0 --- Urban Scheme / Chapter 6.0 --- Design Development / Chapter 7.0 --- Special Study / Chapter 8.0 --- Final Design / Chapter 9.0 --- Final Model