The bison industry has limited resources for increasing market share. Exploring how consumers react to information about bison and discovering what people know about bison is important to determine the most efficient way to increase market share and ensure the sustainability of the bison industry. <p> This thesis examines the impact of three different information treatments on willingness-to-pay for bison. The three treatments are a nutritional comparison chart of negatively-perceived nutrients, a bison taste testimonial from a chef and a statement concerning the absence of growth hormones and antibiotics in the processed bison product used in the research. The hypothesis tested is that nutritional information about bison would elicit the greatest increase in willingness-to-pay for the processed bison product. <p> A random nth-price auction was conducted in December 2002 in Guelph, Ontario with 57 participants to elicit willingness-to-pay values for the processed bison product. Participants initial bids for the processed bison product were elicited without being given any information and a second round of bidding was conducted once participants had reviewed an information treatment. The mean difference in the bids between round two and round one are $0.221 for the nutritional comparison treatment, $0.210 for the taste testimonial treatment and $0.185 for the natural aspects treatment. ANOVA results indicate no statistically significant difference between the mean difference in bids between the three treatments. Further analysis with a regression model using the difference in bids as the dependent variable, dummy variables representing treatment types and survey data for the other relevant independent variables, shows that the coefficient for the nutritional comparison treatment is not significantly different from zero. Therefore, the hypothesis that nutritional information about bison would elicit the greatest increase in willingness-to-pay for the processed bison product has been rejected. The other independent variables examined in the regression are not significant. <p> This thesis does not clearly indicate which information treatment would be the most effective for the bison industry to utilize in a bison information campaign. However, each information treatment did increase the group mean willingness-to-pay so any information relevant to consumers about bison may be beneficial in increasing market share for bison products. Industry participants may need to work together to simultaneously increase awareness, distribution and consumption of bison products to ensure the sustainability of the bison industry.

The bison industry has limited resources for increasing market share. Exploring how consumers react to information about bison and discovering what people know about bison is important to determine the most efficient way to increase market share and ensure the sustainability of the bison industry. <p> This thesis examines the impact of three different information treatments on willingness-to-pay for bison. The three treatments are a nutritional comparison chart of negatively-perceived nutrients, a bison taste testimonial from a chef and a statement concerning the absence of growth hormones and antibiotics in the processed bison product used in the research. The hypothesis tested is that nutritional information about bison would elicit the greatest increase in willingness-to-pay for the processed bison product. <p> A random nth-price auction was conducted in December 2002 in Guelph, Ontario with 57 participants to elicit willingness-to-pay values for the processed bison product. Participants initial bids for the processed bison product were elicited without being given any information and a second round of bidding was conducted once participants had reviewed an information treatment. The mean difference in the bids between round two and round one are $0.221 for the nutritional comparison treatment, $0.210 for the taste testimonial treatment and $0.185 for the natural aspects treatment. ANOVA results indicate no statistically significant difference between the mean difference in bids between the three treatments. Further analysis with a regression model using the difference in bids as the dependent variable, dummy variables representing treatment types and survey data for the other relevant independent variables, shows that the coefficient for the nutritional comparison treatment is not significantly different from zero. Therefore, the hypothesis that nutritional information about bison would elicit the greatest increase in willingness-to-pay for the processed bison product has been rejected. The other independent variables examined in the regression are not significant. <p> This thesis does not clearly indicate which information treatment would be the most effective for the bison industry to utilize in a bison information campaign. However, each information treatment did increase the group mean willingness-to-pay so any information relevant to consumers about bison may be beneficial in increasing market share for bison products. Industry participants may need to work together to simultaneously increase awareness, distribution and consumption of bison products to ensure the sustainability of the bison industry.

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about their foods and more particularly, the origin of their foods and the ingredients they contain. In light of the demand for additional origin information, the 100% Canadian milk branding initiative was launched in 2009 as a means of informing consumers about the origin of milk in their dairy products. The information is indicated by the presence of the 100% Canadian milk symbol on dairy products and can be characterized a form of co-branding. The literature on co-branding stipulates that co-branding can result in changed product perceptions either negatively or positively. In addition, the willingness to pay (WTP) literature stipulates that WTP is determined by product attributes and individuals’ characteristics. This thesis therefore seeks to ascertain the factors affecting consumers’ preferences and WTP for products with the 100% Canadian milk symbol. Specifically, the effects of individual characteristics such as health consciousness, patriotic values and risk perceptions on preferences for dairy products with the symbol are evaluated. Concurrently, the study explores the relationship between respondents’ knowledge of the Canadian dairy industry and WTP for the symbol. Data were gathered from a total of 1012 milk and ice cream consumers using two nationwide internet surveys. Estimations are carried out using the Multinomial Logit (MNL) and the Random Parameter Logit models (RPL). The results suggest that consumers in general have positive perceptions of milk and ice cream with the 100% Canadian milk symbol but negatively perceive store brand and organic labels. However, in some cases, combining a store brand label or organic label with the 100% Canadian milk symbol, are shown to alter consumers’ perceptions of the product. Some socio-demographic variables and individual characteristics were also found to be influential in intended purchase behaviours and WTP for milk and ice cream. The findings from this study provide information on consumers’ perceptions and attribute preferences and are expected therefore to contribute to the marketing strategies of the Canadian dairy industry as a whole.

The Research on Revaluing the Development of Taiwan in Feng Shang Reservoir in Kaohsiung Abstract Since weekend holidays were carried out, the government has emphasized the tourist recreation and advocated making state-run enterprises with special scenic spots open to the public for promoting use value of their resources. With a trend of economic liberalization, government businesses such as TSC, TPC, and TSIC need operating in diversification and start investing in the tourist industry, each of which is owned based on the government¡¦s initiating plans for increasing the number of tourists. The protective areas of water resource that belong to TWSC are abundant in the ecological environment; however, forbidding people to go there has led to an obvious phenomenon against the unique sources shared by the masses. On one hand, this research, by opening Feng Shang Reservoir in Kaohsiung, can make people closed to water, realize the processing water, understand the importance of water resources to construct a society concerning about water. On the other hand, by using the natural resources there well and multiplying services to attract tourists, it not only has the educational function implied in entertainment but also augments income. But running the protective area of water resources as a tourist site will cause some negative effects of environment and water pollution as well as the anxiety about scaring migratory birds. Therefore, the protection and management of water resources must be under the cautious control. Making use of CVM, this research regards Feng Shang Reservoir as a fictitious market, and the visitors there as research objects of the investigation questionnaire. Besides analyzing the topics like the Development Market Potential, Future Use Benefits, Non-User Benefits¡Ketc, the aims of the research include inspecting the attitudes of customers toward the willingness to participate in and to pay according to the interviewees¡¦ different attitudes of social experiences, different preferences of outside recreations, different identifications of the nature¡Ketc. The results are the followings: 1. Feng Shang Reservoir possesses the market potential. 2. Future use Benefits estimated between $NT30,000,000 and $NT50,000,000 every year are high. 3. Non-User Benefits estimated between $NT160,000,000 and $NT220,000,000 every year are quite high. 4. For the attitudes of customers, labors, government employees, staffs of public school, and people of middle and old age who recognize more about the nature have high willingness to participate in; the common people who recognize less about the nature need to inspire their willingness through educational advocacy. Judging from the above results, this research advises that after appropriately developing Feng Shang Reservoir to the masses, the educational functions of water resources and the social benefits of environment are shared by all the society, which are equal to the return for society and even to TWSC¡¦s positive performance. Keywords¡GCVM(Contingent Valuation Method), WTP(Willingness To Pay), Tourism, Revalue, Feng Shang Reservoir.

This research aimed to apply the theory of environmental benefits valuation to assess the plan of reformation in Zhongtun and Jiangmei village¡¦s wetland. Environmental change affects economy. Therefore, through people¡¦s feedback and tourists¡¦ participation of ecotourism, this paper discussed the economic benefits in transforming Zhongtun and Jiangmei village¡¦s wetland into an eco-garden. Thus, the research adopted the Payment-card method of the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), categorized under the Non-market Valuation Techniques (NVT), analyzing the economic benefits of eco-tourism¡¦s virtual market at Zhongtun and Jiangmei village. That is, the amount of people¡¦s Willingness to Pay (WTP) was analyzed to discover the project¡¦s multiple values. Further more, by comparing and contrasting people¡¦s background information, people¡¦s data and differences among other facets were discovered. Finally, in responding to the urgent need in tourism development, this paper integrated tourists and residents¡¦ data to discover the amount of WTP. Such research mode provided a tourism benefits assessment of Zhongtun and Jiangmei village¡¦s eco-garden project, and its conclusion supplied some suggestions to government control and also future plans of the eco-garden. There are 236 respondents (including 162 residents and 74 tourists) willing to take the questionnaire survey assuming the correspondence among people¡¦s background information (resident or tourist), attitude and other variables and WTP. After analysis, the result demonstrates that sex and age have little effect on many variables. On the other hand, people¡¦s background (resident or tourist), education level, average income do have obvious influence. However, the both results are valid, showing the principle this research applied is reliable. The CVM results included: 1. People shows positive attitude toward the ten facets of Zhongtun and Jiangmei¡¦s eco-garden tour. 2. The average accommodation rates for visitors willing to pay for Zhongtun and Jiangmei¡¦s eco-tour is 4000 NT dollars. And each year, about 127000000NT/year dollars 3200NT/year dollars donation per person can be expected in total. 3. The average amount of willingness to pay for people to join in an eco-tour is: 400NT dollars for eco-tour; 400NT dollars for fishing village experience; 400NT dollars for farm life experience, 1200NT dollars in total. 4. The potential tourism benefits of Zhongtun and Jiangmei¡¦s eco-garden are about: 79000000NT/24000000NT year for tourists and 55000000NT/9940000NT year for residents,and 7370000NT/1840000NT year for compensation. In the end, this research hoped to tribute some advices to Zhongtun and Jiangmei¡¦s eco-garden¡¦s management, turning ecological resources into financial sources, for Penghu County to be an ecotourism paradise.

以往對於消費者對基因改造食品偏好及願付價格估計之研究，如 Moon (2001)、Chern et al. (2002)和Fu (2004)，都是將兩個研究目的 分開個別處理，因此就統計的觀點來說，這樣的分析方式是比較缺乏 效率的。 本研究中提出一個整合式的分析方式，來分析台灣消費者對於基 因改造食品的偏好以及願付溢價。本方法除了增進統計效率外，也同 時納入願付價格分析中可能遇到因為受訪者對該財貨有強烈偏好，對 於該財貨有再高價格都願意支付的傾向，因此預期本方法將可提供更 高的準確度。 為了研究台灣民眾對基因改造鮭魚的認知行為，中央研究院調查 研究專題中心在2003 年進行了全台的電話訪問。而本研究發現台灣消 費者願意多付目前平均市價之12%來購買非基因改造飼料餵食之鮭 魚。此外，消費者本身對於基因改造科技的看法、對基因改造科技的 了解、以及消費者的年齡將扮演影響消費偏好以及願付溢價的高低之 重要因素。 / Previous researchers, such as Moon (2001), Chern et al. (2002), and Fu et al. (2004), attempted to analyze consumer preference toward genetically modi¯ed pro- duces and to estimate a willingness to pay for them. These two objectives, however, have been conducted separately and therefore are de¯cient in statistically e±ciency. An integrated technique is introduced to understand how consumers in Taiwan perceive genetically modi¯ed produce as well as how much they are willing to pay a premium simultaneously. Apart from improving statistical e±ciency, this newly proposed method also considers the possibility that consumers might be willing to any price if he/she strongly prefer this goods. Higher precision is expected under this scenario. To investigate how public perceive genetically modi¯ed salmon, Center for Sur- vey Research, Academia Sinica, conducted a telephone survey to Taiwanese con- sumers in 2003. Our study indicates that consumers are willing to pay a premium, about 12% of the average market price, for non-GM-fed salmon rather than GM-fed counter part. Moreover, the way consumers think of the risk regarding GM food, how much they know about GM food, and their age will all in°uence their consump- tion tendency and willingness to pay.

Syftet med denna studie är att analysera vad det är som påverkar bostadspriserna på Uppsalas bostadsmarknad. Det är spekulanternas önskemål och krav, det vill säga deras betalningsvilja som påverkar priset. Det kan skilja sig mellan olika spekulanter men för det mesta ses ett tydligt mönster. Spekulanter värdesätter t.ex. områden som ligger nära centrum. Detta kan bero på att Uppsala är en studentstad där det är många studenter som rör sig från och till staden varje år. Bekvämlighet och närhet till bland annat universitet väger in mycket. Studiens statistik kommer från en av Uppsalas största mäklarbyråer Widerlöv &amp; Co. Möjligheten att bolla tankar och idéer med några av deras mäklare som har varit aktiva i branschen länge har varit värdefull. / The purpose of this study is to get an overview of what it is that affects housing prices at Uppsala's housing market. My conclusion is that speculator´s willingness to pay is effected by their wishes and demands. Speculator´s appreciate the areas close to the city center. This may be due to Uppsala is a university town where there are many students who are moving from and to the city every year. For example convenience and proximity to university is often a high wish. I had access to statistics from one of the Uppsala´s largest real estate agency Widerlöv &amp; Co. I also had the opportunity to discuss ideas with some of their brokers who have been active in the industry for a long time.

Analysts, investors and entrepreneurs have recognized the value of personal data for Internet economics. Personal data is viewed as the "oil" of the digital economy. Yet, ordinary people are barely aware of this. Marketers collect personal data at minimal cost in exchange for free services. But will this be possible in the long term, especially in the face of privacy concerns? Little is known about how users really value their personal data. In this paper, we build a user-centered value theory for personal data. On the basis of a survey experiment with 1269 Facebook users, we identify core constructs that drive the value of volunteered personal data. We find that privacy concerns are less influential than expected and influence data value mainly when people become aware of data markets. In fact, the consciousness of data being a tradable asset is the single most influential factor driving willingness-to-pay for data. Furthermore, we find that people build a sense of psychological ownership for their data and hence value it more. Finally, our value theory helps to unveil market design mechanisms that will influence how personal data markets thrive: First, we observe a majority of users become reactant if they are consciously deprived of control over their personal data; many drop out of the market. We therefore advice companies to consider user-centered data control tools to have them participate in personal data markets. Second, we find that in order to create scarcity in the market, centralized IT architectures (reducing multiple data copies) may be beneficial.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-12-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:56:01Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 lombardi_r_me_jabo.pdf: 915586 bytes, checksum: 30a4ef39c259d9c6fdbfdf4057c6086d (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Nas estações de tratamento de água (ETA), as impurezas retiradas da água juntamente com os produtos hidrolisados dos coagulantes dão origem aos resíduos dos decantadores e das águas de lavagem dos filtros, denominados lodo de ETA. Neste experimento, foi avaliado a disposição de lodo de ETA em reatores anaeróbios de fluxo ascendente com manta de lodo (UASB), com volume de 18 L e 38 L, visando o tratamento para destinação adequada do efluente e do lodo excedente dos reatores. Tal experimento foi dividido em quatro ensaios, com tempo de detenção hidráulica de 24 h nos reatores UASB, previamente inoculados com lodo granulado e floculento. Foram observadas condições em que foram aplicadas ao reator UASB, lodo de ETA, com DQOtotal de 161 mg/L e ST de 1.948 mg/L, e misturas de lodo de ETA com esgoto sanitário nas seguintes proporções, em volume, de 1:1 (lodo de ETA : esgoto sanitário) com DQOtotal de 458 mg/L e ST de 3.039 mg/L; 1:3, com DQOtotal de 519 mg/L e ST de 1.562 mg/L e 1:7, com DQOtotal de 1.174 mg/L e ST de 3.502 mg/L. Os valores médios de eficiência de remoção da DQOtotal foram de 75 a 83% e de ST de 73 a 87%. A maior remoção de P foi de 90% e de N de 41%. As eficiências de remoção de Ca, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cr e Zn foram superiores a 70%, confirmando a alta capacidade de bioadsorção de metais do lodo anaeróbio. As concentrações de N-am, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr e Zn atenderam aos padrões de lançamento de efluentes da legislação federal. Ocorreram remoções de E. coli acima de 90%, resultando contagens do efluente de 1,5x10 UFC/100 mL, apresentando qualidade microbiológica correspondente à água doce de classe 1, conforme os padrões estabelecidos na Resolução CONAMA 357/2005 . O lodo do reator UASB apresentou valores de relação SV/ST e E. coli que permitiram o seu uso na agricultura. / In water treatment plants (WTP), impurities removed from water mixed with coagulative hydrolytic product create waste of decanters and launderings water filters residues called WTP sludge. In this experiment the WTP sludge disposal in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASB) were evaluated, with a volume of 18 L and 38 L, aiming treatment for appropriate disposal of effluent and excess sludge reactors. Such experiment was divided into four assays, with hydraulic detention time of 24 h in UASB reactors by being inoculated previously with flocculent and granular sludge. It was observed conditions in wich it was added to the UASB reactor WTP sludge with CODtotal of 161 mg/L and TS of 1,948 mg/L, and mixtures of WTP sludge and wastewater in the following amounts, in volume, 1:1 (WTP sludge : wastewater) with CODtotal of 458 mg/L and TS of 3,039 mg/L; 1:3 with CODtotal of 519 mg/L and TS of 3,382 mg/L and 1:7 with CODtotal of 1,174 mg/L and TS 3,501 mg/L. The average values of removal efficiency of CODtotal were 75 the 83% and TS 73 the 87%. The highest P removal was 90% and the highest one of N was 41%. Removal efficiencies of Ca, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cr and Zn were higher than 70% wich confirmed the high capacity of biosorption and bioaccumulation of metals from anaerobic sludge. Concentrations of Nam, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Zn fit the quality standards of effluent discharge required by federal legislation. There were removals of E. coli higher than 90% which resulted in counts for effluent of 1.5x10 CFU/100 mL and it showed microbiological quality corresponding to freshwater class 1, according to the standards established in CONAMA Resolution 357/2005. Sludge from the reactor showed ratios of VS /TS and E. coli which allows agricultural use.

Submitted by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2017-07-19T13:51:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2295083 bytes, checksum: e20fa5c46199252b1023df7551ab39d9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-19T13:51:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2295083 bytes, checksum: e20fa5c46199252b1023df7551ab39d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-18 / The water treatment process creates a high amount of sludge. Because of that, sludge disposal alternatives should be studied based on technical, economic, environmental, social and political aspects. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of water treatment plant sludge in the composition of substrates for production of seedlings from typical plants of the Caatinga vegetation. Experiments composed of angico, aroiera and sabiá seedling production were carried out at the Experimental Farm of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Paraiba (IFPB) - Sousa campus, state of Paraíba, Brazil, between February and May 2015. For each plant species, an experiment using randomized block design was performed. Each experiment consisted of 5 substrates (S1: 70% soil + 30% bovine manure + 0% WTP sludge; S2: 65% soil + 25% bovine manure + 10 % WTP sludge; S3: 60% soil + 20% bovine manure + 20% WTP sludge; S4: 55% soil + 15% bovine manure + 30% WTP sludge and S5: 50% soil + 10% bovine manure + 40% WTP sludge) and 4 repetitions. The evaluated characteristics were: germination (G), stem diameter (SD), shoot height (H), length of the main root (LMR), dry weight of shoot (DWS), dry mass of roots (DMR) total dry matter (TDM), ratio between shoot height and stem diameter (H/SD), ratio between dry weight of shoot and dry mass of roots (DWS/DMR) and Quality Dickson Index (QDI). For the angico seedlings, it was found high values of SD, H, DWS, TDM and H/SD when the substrates 2, 3, 4 and 5 were used. For the other variables, similar results were observed. The aroeira seedlings presented high values of SD when substrates 3, 4 and 5 were used, which is similar to the other studied characteristics. With regard to the sabiá seedlings, there was not substrate influence over the variables. The studied water treatment plant sludge can be used as part of substrates for angico, aroeira and sabiá seedlings production, composing up to 40%. / O processo de tratamento de água gera elevada quantidade de lodo, cuja disposição deve ser estudada em função de aspectos técnicos, econômicos, ambientais, sociais e políticos. Objetivou-se avaliar a utilização do lodo de Estação de Tratamento de Água na composição de substratos para produção de mudas de plantas da Caatinga. Na Fazenda Experimental do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia da Paraíba - Campus Sousa (6° 50‟ 33” S e 38° 17‟ 54” W, 264 m de altitude), no período de fevereiro a maio de 2015, realizou-se experimentos consistindo da produção de mudas de angico (Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Benth) Brenan), aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão) e sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth). Foi realizado para cada uma dessas espécies, um experimento em Delineamento de Blocos Casualizados, constituído por 5 substratos (S1: 70% solo + 30% esterco bovino + 0% lodo de ETA; S2: 65% solo + 25% esterco bovino + 10% lodo de ETA; S3: 60% solo + 20% esterco bovino + 20% lodo de ETA; S4: 55% solo + 15% esterco bovino + 30% lodo de ETA e S5: 50% solo + 10% esterco bovino + 40% lodo de ETA) e 4 repetições. As características avaliadas foram: Emergência (E), Diâmetro do Coleto (DC), Altura da Parte Aérea (H), Comprimento da Raiz Principal (CRP), Massa Seca da Parte Aérea (MSPA), Massa Seca das Raízes (MSR), Massa Seca Total (MST), Relação Altura da Parte Aérea/Diâmetro do Coleto (H/DC), Relação Massa Seca da Parte Aérea/Massa Seca das Raízes (MSPA/MSR) e Índice de Qualidade de Dickson (IQD). Constatou-se para mudas de angico, resultados superiores de DC, H, MSPA, MST e H/DC, quando utilizou-se os substratos 2, 3, 4 e 5, enquanto nas demais variáveis observou-se resultados semelhantes. Nas mudas de aroeira, verificou-se resultados superiores de DC ao utilizar os substratos 3, 4 e 5, sendo semelhante as demais características estudadas. Já em relação às mudas de sabiá, não houve influência dos substratos em nenhuma variável. O lodo da Estação de Tratamento de Água estudado pode ser utilizado na composição do substrato, compondo até 40%, para produção de mudas de angico, aroeira e sabiá.