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Third generation sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of genomics, and enabled the in-depth discovery of complex plant genomes. In this project I aimed to assemble and annotate the genome of Z. spina-christi, a native plant to Saudi Arabia, as part of the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Native Genome Project established at the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST. Initially, a voucher plant was selected from the Al Lith region of Western Saudi Arabia. Fresh leaf tissue was collected for high-molecular weight (HMW) DNA extraction, as well as seed for greenhouse propagation. After HMW DNA extraction, library construction and PacBio HiFi sequencing, I generated a de novo assembly of the Z. spina-christi genome using the Hifiasm assembler, which yielded a 1.9 Gbp long assembly with high levels of duplication. The assembled contigs were scaffolded using an in-house script based on the software RagTag, that yielded a 406 Mbp long scaffold with 331 gaps (85.45% of estimated genome size). A preliminary analysis of the assembly for transposable elements revealed a TE content of 32.36%, with Long Terminal Repeats retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) being the major contributor to the total TE content. Basline annotation was completed using Omicsbox revealing 18,330 functional genes. This work describes the first genomic resource for the desert plant Z. spina-christi. To improve the assembly, I suggest the use of scaffolding using optical mapping, long Nanopore reads and Hi-C data to capture the spatial organization of the genome. Further experimental, genetic and TEs analysis is needed to explore the plant’s resilience to abiotic stresses in extreme environments.

Broadband mobile communication based on both broadband Internet and the third generation mobile communication system (3G) is going to play the role as a major channel for customers to obtain various services. It takes advantages of acquiring services with time saving, and any-time and any-place access in the near future. It is very obvious that eventually all companies offer real-customized broadband mobile services at the right time in the right place with the right price, so-called mobile commerce, due to customers' requirements and technology advancements e.g., data mining, global roaming, GPS, mobile location services, mobile IP and IPV6, etc. Syndication and alliance will be shaped and concreted within and between companies for mobile commerce under the information infrastructure of both 3G and broadband Internet. New business opportunities are emerging considerably. However, companies are facing many more difficult challenges of losing customers easily due to quick and cheap switch from one company to another. Therefore, it is one of the most important topics now for companies to attract customers, satisfy customers, and win their loyalty through appropriate customer relationship management (CRM). In this research, we survey the development ofCRM, its conceptual architecture, function, and advantage to both customers and companies. We study and compare four popular CRM systems - 12, Siebel, NCR, and BroadVision, which are currently available in the global market. And, we examine the current advancements of related information and communication technologies for CRM and figure out new trends of CRM for broadband mobile commerce based on the 3G and broadband Internet. Furthermore, we address the management and marketing strategies ofCRM for the coming challenges in the broadband mobile commerce era.

High oil price causing high cost of chemical industry, therefore the companies must pay attention to recycle of petrochemical sources, especially the reusing of wasted plastics which speeded global innovation of related techniques and formulas. The cost competition impact forced the plastic companies to raise effective strategy to avoid being expelled from the market. The research aims at three points: firstly, discussion of the facts of plastic recycles between Taiwan and China; secondly, discussion of the strategies of plastic recycles between Taiwan and China and the third, setting up the disruptive innovation strategy module of plastic recycles. The discussion of the theme focuses on organizational strategy, key success factors analysis, the third generation R&D and disruptive innovation. Through the analysis and discussion of some companies as well as the testing of plastic recycles disruptive innovation strategy module, it turns out to be the conclusion and suggestion for plastic recycles disruptive innovation strategy module.

By employing a low-cost loop antenna of simple structure, a novel antenna design to efficiently make use of the system ground plane of a PDA (personal digital assistant) is proposed. Owing to a small distance of 3 mm between the antenna and the ground plane, the propose antenna has a very low profile. By selecting a proper loop¡¦s length-to-width ratio, two resonant modes close to each other can be excited, which lead to an impedance bandwidth of 17%. In addition, because of the same direction of the surface currents on the radiating metal plate, the antenna peak gain reaches about 4.5 dBi, which is attractive for application in PDAs.

The medicare system within the Taiwanese government has been cutting public hospitals' purchasing budget on antibiotic drugs year after year, making antibiotic suppliers less profitable. This essay takes a close look at how the medicare is minimizing aitibiotic supplier's profit, and the right sales strategies needed for suppliers to survive in this hostile environment.

The mobile operators face the problem that the users how to transfer from 2G to 3G as well as telecommunication policy has been opened by government¡F mobile number protablility¡Bthe new 3G competitor¡¦s entry as to result in unexpected revenue in Taiwan. However, the new 3G competitor¡As entry with the great impact on TWM, then the actual utility is lower of TWM. The study is exploring for ¡yThe effect on subscribers diffusion 3G mobile optrator dynamic decision effect on¡z, because the property of problem is high order¡Bnonlinear¡Btime delay, the traditional approach lacking of quantifying basis such as Case Study which cannot simulate the consequence of feasible policy. It cannot estimate what becomes of the solution, thus apt to making wrong decision. Others mathematics approachs cannot explain the dynamic essence of the practical problem. All these approaches are linear and static as linear programing¡BQueuing Theory¡B Monte Carlo Simulation that cannot solve the high order¡Bdynamic problem. These approaches are no usefulness in solving practical management problem. However, System Dynamics is able to solve the dynamic complexity problem that trough the steps of problem description¡B boundary definition¡Bsystem model constructing¡B model testing and simulation to understand the structure and behavior of problem, moreover, to do policy design and evaluation. This study is as system dynamics approach on the foundation of BASS diffusion model and constructing model upon the 3G adoption critical factor in the viewpoint of Theory of Planed Behavior. The objective of study is to construct the diffusion model of TWM subscribers upon system dynamics, then to seek the leading loop and high leverage of behavior through scenario analysis for consultation in policy design. The conclusion of study as following¡]1¡^if the operators take high allowance of GSM handset bundling contract sales, will trun up¡yThe self-limit to growing¡z. When the price competition between operators in the market, the policy will cause that TWM 3G actual subscribers are lower. The best revenue policy is to shorten GSM contract duration by handset price or ceasing GSM bundling contract sales schedule to be advanced.¡]2¡^If all the operators do not do the competition in price aggressively in oligopoly, the relationship between competitors will result in¡yThe rich more rich and the poor more poor¡z. The best revenue policy for operator is the tariff shall be divided into different stages to co-operate with network load and to acquire high data usage subscribers for the goal. It shall reduce the threshold of customer entry for the sake of increasing subscribers in the middle stage. There is an obvious discrenpancy between the best policy in simulation and operator taking. ¡]3¡^If the operators attempt to shorten the timetable of subscribers from GSM transfer to 3G as to shorten GSM contract duration, the network constructing policy should do dynamic policy co-operation with the leading indicator of subscribers diffusion. The scenario simulation upon system dynamics that the counter-intuitive phenomenon often contrasts to the operator¡¦s preconception, avoiding to the confined thinking in policy design.

In the traditional mobile communication networks, the bandwidth of wireless links is too small and the bandwidth difference between wireless links and wireline links is too large. This leads to limiting the application of mobile communication networks to transmit multimedia data and other high-bit rate services, and the problem of lacking bandwidth often occurs to wireless links. But the new generation mobile communication networks, called the third generation mobile communication systems (3G systems), will change this condition. Because the 3G systems will quickly enhance the transmission rate of the wireless links (up to 2Mbps) and provide better quality of transmission, the transmission of multimedia data and other high-bit rate services in the mobile communication networks can be achieved. The 3G systems can support many new services that are never supported before, and these new services always need support the point-to-multipoint transmission. In this thesis, we will discuss the problems of supporting these new services, and then we propose new multimedia multicasting architecture to overcome these problems.

The mobile communication market in Taiwan is blooming developing, and the number of mobilephone users is growing up. Nowadays, over 90% of having-a-mobilephone users in Taiwan, even this number are tending toward saturation at present. Therefore, the telecommunication providers expect mobile value-added service can increase the revenue by taking advantage of 3G high-speed transfer rate. But lacking of the ¡§Killer App¡¨, this service doesn¡¦t attract people to use. The ARPU (average revenue per user) doesn¡¦t improve much as we anticipated. The purposes of this study are to realize present situation of mobile value-added service¡¦s development and to develop acceptable content that can be implemented. The study collected literatures and documents to analyze progress of mobile communication system¡¦s development and present situation of mobile value-added service¡¦s development, furthermore, make the development strategy of mobile value-added service according to the new product development procedure, then test user acceptance by TAM. The study proposes ¡§User-generated Content¡¨ as the new mobile value-added service. This service has 6 characters: ¡§highly personalized¡¨, ¡§timely¡¨, ¡§ease of use¡¨, ¡§rich information¡¨, ¡§highly integrated¡¨, ¡§cross platform¡¨. The result of TAM questionnaire proves that ¡§perceived usefulness¡¨ is positive influenced by ¡§timely¡¨, ¡§mobility¡¨, ¡§personalization¡¨, ¡§perceived ease of use¡¨, and ¡§attitude toward using¡¨ is positive influenced by ¡§perceived usefulness¡¨, ¡§perceived ease of use¡¨, ¡§relatives and friends¡¦ influence¡¨, ¡§price¡¨.

Abstract Competitive Strategies from 2G to 3G ¡V A case of Taiwan Mobile Group In trend with WTO, globalization and government policy, the domestic telecommunication market has gradually moved from monopoly to free market. Suddenly, the liberalization of telecommunication resulted in fierce competitions in the market, each fighting for customers and market share, staging a battle scene in the telecommunication industry. Although 2G has excelled, it could not lead the fixed network out of its distress. Business enterprises were still stuck in the swamp of the last mile. On the other hand, 3G was launched with a thunderbolt posture, but its expensive license fee has deeply scarred business enterprises once again. Competitors tried their best in both hard selling and lucrative promotions, only to find very few customers have been touched. Money has been spent, but the future seems dim. Faced with a chaotic market, fierce competition and a hazy future of 3G market, how the telecommunication business enterprises innovate new business models, provide attractive service content to consumers, so as to avoid fierce price competition and establish new competitive advantage, the business mindset, strategic positioning are crux of the matter. In Porter¡¦s Competitive Strategies, the objective of competitive strategy is to be different. In other words, when a business manager establishes a different set of business activities, provides a unique set of values to customers, can it thus have a unique competitive advantage. Taiwan Mobile Group is one of the three largest domestic telecommunications company. Its scope of business includes fixed network, cellular network, 2G and 3G mobile telecommunication, customer service and all other telecommunication businesses since the liberalization of the industry. The business team ¡V Fubon Financial - is one of the top business group in Taiwan. Is its factor of success in 2G one of internal advantage or one of external opportunity? What is its competitive strategy from 2G to 3G? Can its success in 2G ensure similar success in a competitive advantageous position in the 3G and future market? Faced with a slow development of 3G market, lack of competitiveness in the service function, as well as the impact of 4G WiMAX V technology, what kind of strategic posture should it take? This thesis investigates the development of Taiwan Mobile Group from 2G to 3G, its strategic positioning, internal competitiveness and how it should innovate a new business model, establish a different set of business activities, or provide unique service value, so as to create an unique competitive advantage, to reap greater market opportunities and continually create competitive advantage. Six conclusions are made for the case study company: (1) The success of 2G is the strength and foundation for Taiwan Mobile Group in the 3G market. (2) The development of Triple Play digital bus cross-industry system integration aids in the competitive advantage of 3G. (3) Merger strategy and resource integration strategy may not achieve synergy. (4) Corporate governance has poor results, unclear vision does not aid the long term development of the business. (5) Concern for employee should take a higher priority than focus on customers. (6) Dependence on external technology and lack of R&D capability do not facilitate development of continuous competitive advantage. Eight recommendations to the case study company: (1) Research and develop a killer ¡§integrated mobile digital service platform¡¨ to dominate the 3G and markets of the future. (2) Cultivate senior management with skills in innovation and integration. (3) Institute a forward-looking ¡§vision¡¨ to lead its employees, inspire passion and seize the future. (4) Build up a corporate culture of ¡§customer is paramount¡¨, ¡§employee first¡¨, and ¡§continued business operation¡¨. (5) Decentralize the organization, humanistic management, simplify process, rationalized costs. (6) Construct a ¡§business resource integration platform¡¨ to integrate all internal resources and build up a strong competitive force. (7) Cultivate the ¡§corporate client¡¨ market. (8) Plans moves in China with a global vision. Further studies: (1) Study of the competition and cooperation strategies between 3G and WiMAX. (2) How does Taiwan innovate an ¡§integrated mobile digital service platform¡¨. Keyword: Competitive Strategy, Competitive Advantage, Second Generation Mobile Telephony (2G), Third Generation Mobile Telephony (3G)