Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Industrial and Systems Engineering." Includes bibliographical references (p. 391-401).

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The purpose of this study is to analyse how the Straits Times reported Singapore's communication news between May 1992 and October 1995, with a focus on Singapore's communication regionalisation. This study is a modest attempt to depart from some of the approaches taken by recent communication related studies of the Singapore experience. They tend to focus on the domestic side of state-press relationship and the issue of Singaporean press freedom, without sustained consideration of external forces, such as globalisation. This analysis provides a synthesis of secondary sources and a qualitative content analysis of communication news in the Straits Times. The results suggest there has been a convergence between the stories in the Straits Times and official views about two themes - business regionalisation and 'Asian' media standards. Results suggest the government has an extensive influence over Singapore's communication, especially with regard to media content. Also, the analysis shows Singapore's identification with Asia, despite bilateral and regional tensions in business and culture, and suggests an uneasy relationship between Singapore and the West, in particular, with the US. That is, while Singapore's business relations with the US are good, its cultural relations are not, especially when Singapore's practice of media standards does not accept the American interpretation, but one based on its national interests. This study provides a glimpse of global communication forces which are influencing Singapore's communication development, as interpreted in the stories from the Straits Times. Although there remains uncertainties about Singapore's communication future, this study may provide an insight as to whether Singapore has taken the right direction in becoming a leading country in advocating an 'Asian voice'.

This thesis addresses the utility of deep-water coral geochemistry and its potential to reconstruct oceanographic conditions in the Straits of Florida. Through stable isotope and elemental analyses of the carbonate skeletons and use of available geochemical proxy calibration equations, present and past environmental parameters were determined. Over the last several years, scientific expeditions to the bottom of the Straits of Florida have revealed hundreds of deep-water coral mounds and led to the collection of extensive oceanographic data, sediment samples, and deep-water coral specimens. In 2005-2006, an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was used to map the coral mound fields at five sites with the use of geophysical imaging technology, and the manned Johnson-Sea-Link II submersible was deployed for further exploration and sample collection. The AUV and the submersible CTD also measured numerous environmental parameters, including temperature and salinity. With the goal of reconstructing environmental parameters across the Straits of Florida, Scleractinian and gorgonian deep-water coral specimens were selected from three sites spanning the Straits. Each coral was sampled at the highest resolution possible and analyzed for stable isotopes and elemental concentrations. Resulting geochemical data, specifically d18O, d13C, Sr/Ca, and Mg/Ca, was then used with previously published and newly developed calibration equations to calculate temperature, salinity, and seawater density. Kinetic and vital effects were also examined and taken into account while reconstructing environmental parameters using the coral geochemistry. Additional reconstructions using stable isotopic values from benthic foraminifera corroborated the geochemical reconstructions, and analyses of pteropods and surface sediment samples provided further insight into the oceanographic conditions at the bottom of the Straits of Florida. Results from geochemical reconstructions agreed with in situ data, indicating that slightly warmer bottom temperatures exist on the eastern side of the Straits and salinity variability among the three sites is minimal. This suggests that the deep-water coral skeletons are sensitive recorders of the environmental conditions in which they lived. Ultimately, in situ measurements and reconstructed parameters showed that there is little variability across the bottom of the Straits and that Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is the only apparent water mass in the area at that depth. Moreover, comparison of the coral habitat from this study with others from around the world demonstrated that certain conditions are required for deep-water coral growth, and that these same parameters are common to deep-water reef systems throughout the globe. Further sampling and geochemical analyses of deep-water corals in the region may be used to gain additional insight into the oceanographic conditions surrounding the coral mounds both presently and in the past. As with other previously studied deep-water coral systems, this highlights the potential for the reconstruction of paleo environmental records from deep-water corals in the Straits of Florida.

Fujian is the closest province between Taiwan and China. Fujian is also the important area that Taiwan¡¦s businesses invested in China. The economical development and industrial structure in Taiwan and Fujian is very closely. Fujian is the key area that for the Taiwan ¡¥s businesses entering to China. It is necessary to understand the trade relation and history between Taiwan and Fujian, the economical position in Fujian, the plan of the west side of the Straits and the compare with other economical area. The study researched and analysed the history of Fujian, Xizmen economical zone, the Quanzhou pattern and the plan of the west side of the Straits to know the regional economical development between Fujian and Taiwan.

Group insurance could be regarded as a part of employee¡¦s welfare, typically in the study objectives, cross straits have the same culture and race; and a vast of Taiwanese businessmen over there in the recent years, will this fashion transfer from Taiwan and affect with Mainland China--this is one of the study motives. The study objectives are as follows: 1. Using the questionnaires investigation, it examines the affecting factors of management analyses for the group insurance and the demographic variables effects of group insurance purchasing and renewal. 2. Using interview approach, it links with cross straits of managers engaging on group insurance in the practical management frequently meeting difficulties and their related of cooping strategies. 3. Combining the research conclusions and results, it offers the management systems in the application as the suggestions in the cross straits of group insurance industries. The research results are as follows: 1. For the reliability, Taiwan and China¡¦s group insurance of purchasing and renewal consideration factors are more than 0.78. 2. For the validity, the questionnaires refer Huang (2006) and Kuo (2007) or similar contents and aim at the research case company¡¦s characters and modifications so as to fits the content validity. 3. For the correlations, all aspects between cross straits of group insurance purchasing and renewal factors are attained 99% significantly and positively levels. 4. For the differences of group insurance purchasing and renewal, the genders have no significantly different. The monthly incomes exhibit significantly different. The numbers of employees show very significantly different. As for the company¡¦s capital amounts, Taiwan is very significantly different, but China is significantly different.

This research is based on marketing theory by utilizing content analysis. By the indepth interview and questionnaire in two dimensions of international hostel managers and dwellers in cross straits, using qualitied and quantified statistical tools, trying to comprehend the tendency of development of international youth hostels and predicting the future developments and directions. Besides, the measured standard of quality service and 8P of marketing mix examine nowadays managing situations of international youth hostels between cross straits, trying to find the diverseness of development as the basis of a comparision of cross straits, building informational cross-platform to reach bright future. The results of this research are not only beneficial to the managers of international youth hostels in Taiwan to understand the lack of management skills in developing international hostels in China, but helpful to investors from Taiwan. Furthermore, by analyzing the data of this research, the future development and service of the international youth hostels between cross straits pursue for high-quality management strategy. Facing to the economic hotels put premium on the competitive advantages of service quality, it is bound to improve the service quality. And by the pricing strategy, all the managers of international youth hostels of cross straits desire to attract customers by low pricing. This research provides those managers in the budding stage industries, and developes directions to achieve the vision of international hostels between cross straits.

Analysis of the Social Aspect of the Strategy for Cooperation between Penghu and China's Economic Zone on the Western Side of the Taiwan Strait Abstract In this study, we (Wen-Chang Hsu, Chen-yu Wu and myself) analyzed possible strategies for cooperation between Penghu and China¡¦s Economic Zone on the Western Side of the Taiwan Strait (SWZ) within the aspects of economy, government and society. The study is based on the public affairs management (PAM) framework. Applying the interactive management (IM) method used from PAM policy analysis, as well as the nominal group technique (NGT) method and the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method used for project analysis, interactive management seminars were held with participants from industries, government, academic fields, people¡¦s representatives and media representatives. The participants were engaged in sessions for idea generation, opinion writing and recording onto panel papers on the wall. The sessions also included in-sequence description and discussion to clear up problems, categorization of problems according to fields, key problem voting, problem sorting by votes and fields, and problem selection according to scores. The ISM method was then used to build and interpret problematic structure, overlap problem areas, and generate an enforcement structural diagram, which was reviewed and revised to come up with the strategic analysis in the social aspect of ¡§cooperation between Penghu and China¡¦s Economic Zone on the Western Side of the Taiwan Strait¡¨. Through clearing up the enforcement relationship between each item, an enforced structural relationship diagram was created to identify the priority and enhancement sequence of each policy in its implementation, as well as the objectives and directions. Twelve strategies have been identified as follows in our strategic analysis in the social aspect of ¡§cooperation between Penghu and China¡¦s Economic Zone on the Western Side of the Taiwan Strait¡¨. They are: 1.Establishment of communication between the two sides and a mechanism for handling disputes over civil and commercial matters, as well as fishing disputes, arising after intensive cross-strait exchanges, in order to achieve the purpose of rapid processing; a civil communication mechanism and civil or arbitration system can be relied on to rapidly deal with the issues in a professional manner before a general-purpose processing mechanism is established; 2.With consensual support of the majority of county people, effort should be spent in getting the central government¡¦s consent for setting Penghu as the sole gaming district and in formulating a concrete plan for improving the competitiveness of Penghu; 3.The local government should extensively accept the views of non-governmental organizations to develop viable and effective business strategy, and to proactively win the central government¡¦s recognition in placing emphasis upon further development of infrastructure to enhance the people's livelihood and to improve on the competitive business environment in Penghu; 4.Combine local characteristics with related industries such as the featured villas, aragonites, and seafood and cultural landscapes, in order to leverage favorable resources through an established certification mechanism; also strengthen promotion and advocation in the quality of the tourism environment provided; 5.Both sides should set up reasonable, equally treated and mutually trusted counterparts in interaction units to resolve any uncertain issues such as inspection of animals, plants and goods, as well as health care and education, that may occur at any time during cross-strait cooperation. 6.The media and channel of both sides should be leveraged to devise a theme-based marketing plan in order to address the unique history of cultural assets, as well as the unique natural landscape of local resources and humanistic care, environmental protection and green buildings; 7. Investments and exchanges should be planned for the cooperation of cross-strait agricultural and fishery businesses, as well as the tourism industry, on a complementary ground to boost interaction among cross-strait fishing groups and academic communities in order to enhance competitive advantage, technology, management and marketing capacity; 8.Marketing programs should be developed to leverage favorable factors of Penghu in terms of hardware (e.g., natural resources and historic buildings) and software (e.g., human resources, service quality and tourism image), and be effectively managed; 9.Severe punishment on fishing with electricity, toxics and banned gears should be implemented for the protection of cross-strait fishery assets and marine ecology; incentives should be provided for reporting on such misconducts; 10. Passenger cruises and regular chartered flights should be provided within the limit of allowed airway and seaway transportation, in order to enhance the competitive advantage of Penghu; 11.Urge the Government to set up a supervision unit in support of renewable marine resources, for sustainable development of such renewable natural resources; 12.To address cross-strait exchange issues, the government agencies should build a strong planning and leading team for devising comprehensive supportive packages and set-up a unified window for advising on planning matters,. The well-established community forum and neighborhood general assembly have long been a channel for the public sector to voice opinions on governmental order or to seek people¡¦s support on specific policy or construction, despite the participation of some people who merely express their opinions without much interactive discussion and mutual communication, and therefore are not very effective in the implementation of public affairs. By examining the results of this interactive management seminar, it is recognized that the public would be enthusiastic to participate in public affairs, to help in getting the public policies implemented and to boost the administration quality, if the public sector can adopt the approach of a public forum for participants to fully express their views, discuss objectively, study and analyze the issues mutually, and formulate feasible solutions. Keywords: Penghu County, Economic Zone on the West Coast of Taiwan Straits ,interactive management (IM), nominal group technique (NGT), interpretive structural modeling (ISM)

Univ., Diss.--Augsburg, 2001. / Zsfassung in dt. und engl. Sprache. - Literaturverz. S. 449 - 491.

Thesis (M. S.)--Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Jean Lynch-Stieglitz; Committee Co-Chair: Emanuele Di Lorenzo; Committee Member: Annalisa Bracco; Committee Member: Robert Black