Analysis of the department and evaluation of present condition was elaborated at the request of the hotel manager. From the analysis comes the main aim - proposition of a new marketing concept. The structure of the thesis is divided into theoretical part concerning accommodation and gastronomic service and marketing. Practical part is then focused on the characteristic of the hotel in general, where the main emphasis is on competitor hotels and restaurants analysis. Following chapter addresses to food and beverage department description. After this part comes evaluation of the present condition and proposition of the new concept. Supposed contribution is using in the praxis of the specific hotel.

Accurate knowledge of heat transfer to materials in recombining plasmas is needed to improve heat shield designs. A lack of understanding of the chemical component of surface heating motivates the use of conservative assumptions with regards to surface catalysis in the design of thermal protection systems (TPS) that detrimentally impact payload capability. Chemical heating is the release of potential energy from recombining reactive species on the surface to form molecules. For a stable surface interacting with partially-dissociated air, the chemical heating component is due to surface-catalyzed recombination reactions of atomic O and N to produce molecular O2, N2, and NO. Unfortunately, heat flux measurements provide no fundamental information about the surface recombination pathways involved, or how the energy reaches the surface. Rather, they give a total heating rate. This work has taken steps to advance the current poor understanding about the chemical energy transport to and from material surfaces in high-temperature, recombining plasmas. A combination of spatially resolved laser-based diagnostics and emission spectroscopy was used to measure the number densities and gradients of the reactants (N, O), the products (NO, N2) and the energy distribution of recombined molecules (NO, N2) in the boundary layer adjacent to a plasma heated material. Laser excitation can probe individual species by electronic state (atoms) and by electronic, vibrational and rotational states (molecules). Emission can probe the radiative emission for a range of species and electronic, vibrational and rotational states of both atoms and molecules. These measurements of spatial variations in species concentrations through the boundary layer are directly related to near-surface gas-phase chemistry and energy exchange and have provided experimental information that was not currently available. Results provide the initial steps to determine recombination rates and the energy deposited on the surface due to surface catalyzed recombination of atomic nitrogen and oxygen in air plasma.

Mainstream evolutionary biology lacks a mature theory of phenotype. Following from the Modern Synthesis, researchers tend to assume an unrealistically simple mapping of genotype to phenotype, or else trust that the complexities of developmental architecture can be adequately captured by measuring trait variances and covariances. In contrast, the growing field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) explicitly examines the relationship between developmental architecture and evolutionary change, but lacks a rigorous quantitative and predictive framework. In my dissertation, I strive to integrate quantitative genetics and evo-devo, using both theoretical and empirical studies of plasticity. My first paper explores the effect of realistic development on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity when there is migration between two discrete environments. The model I use reveals that nonadditive developmental interactions can constrain the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in the presence of stabilizing selection. In my second paper, I examine the manner in which the genetically controlled responsiveness of traits to each other is shaped by selection and can in turn shape the phenotypic response to selection. Here, results indicate that developmental entanglement through plasticity can facilitate rapid multivariate adaptation in response to a novel selective pressure. In my final paper, I examine patterns of gene expression underlying ancestral plasticity and adaptive loss of melanin in Daphnia melanica. My results indicate that the developmental mechanism underlying ancestral plasticity has been co-opted to facilitate rapid adaptation to an introduced predator.

This thesis explores the influence of the Australian Labor Party's (ALP's) national factions on Party policy. The specific emphasis is on policy development during Labor's 1996-2004 period in opposition. Through a total of 88 interviews, predominantly with members of Caucus including Kim Beazley, Simon Crean and Mark Latham, this thesis has been able to examine not only the formal policy development processes but, significantly, also the informal processes within the Party. The thesis begins with an overview of the national factions' organisation and operations in relation to policy development in both the organisational and parliamentary wings. It concentrates on exploring how the informal processes of the faction system dominate the formal Party structures, and demonstrates how the factional elite control these decision-making forums. The thesis then concentrates on analysing in-depth the factional influences on policies developed within the Immigration, Trade and Family and Community Services portfolios. These case studies were selected because they provoked debate, to varying degrees, in the Party. An understanding of how consensus was reached among the diverse perspectives, particularly between the factions, within the Party is critical to exploring the relationship between the national factions and policy development. The case studies cover a range of policy development modes, and therefore provide ample opportunity to explore factional dynamics in relation to policy formulation under different circumstances throughout the 1996-2004 period. This thesis utilises Arend Lijphart's theory of the Politics of Accommodation, which was originally developed to explain inter-party negotiations within the Dutch coalition government during the twentieth century. This theory is relevant to the study of the ALP's modern factions because, similar to the Dutch political system, the faction system operates on the power-sharing principle of proportional representation (PR). By applying Lijphart's theoretical framework, this thesis provides a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of the ALP's factional dynamics in relation to policy. It gives an in-depth analysis of the elite control of the faction system in the domain of policy development. It demonstrates that faction leaders resolve contentious policy issues by negotiating in a 'spirit of accommodation' and when the factions adopt a policy position, the unwritten rules of the 'factional game' are applied to ensure the national factions reach a consensus on Party policy. Given that the national factions compete for power and sometimes pursue a different set of policy objectives, this 'spirit of accommodation' appears to be paradoxical; this palliative application of factional power is arguably in contrast to the general perception of faction politics. Through the presentation and analysis of original primary data this thesis makes a valuable contribution to the study of the ALP and factions in general, significantly advancing existing knowledge.

This thesis is about the customer experience in hotels. The thesis evaluates the customer experience in relation to the antecedents of behavioural loyalty. Behavioural loyalty is evaluated in relation to customer satisfaction, brand trust and brand attitude. Customer satisfaction is also evaluated in relation to the antecedents of hotel performance, service quality and perceived value. The broad research underpinning this research is: How do consumers perceive and relate to luxury and first class hotel brands? The hotel industry is a large and highly diverse industry that includes a wide range of property styles, uses and qualities (Chon & Sparrowe, 2000; Go & Pine, 1995; Olsen, 1996; Powers & Barrows, 1999). The industry covers the spectrum of small, medium and large enterprises (Brotherton, 2003; Jones, 2002) and makes a significant contribution to national and international economies. The research incorporated data collection in three stages. The first stage was a qualitative study of consumers who self selected as first class or luxury consumers. The data from the focus groups were used to develop items for inclusion in a survey instrument. The focus groups data, together with information gathered from a literature review, were used to develop scales across a number of hotel performance dimensions. In addition scales were included in the survey instrument on customer satisfaction, perceived value, brand trust, brand attitude and behavioural loyalty. The second stage of the research was a pilot study with the survey instrument being distributed to a convenience sample. The data collected at this stage were used to purify and refine the survey instrument. The final stage was data collected from consumers in a number of Australian hotels. The resultant data set comprised 693 completed and useable responses. The data were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to confirm the hotel performance and other dimensions. The resultant dimensions showed good psychometric properties. A number of hypotheses were proposed in the thesis and examined using structural equation modelling. Although two hypotheses were rejected the resultant structural model showed strong relationships between the dimensions included. The research identified that service quality is a strong contributor to behavioural loyalty. The stronger pathway from service quality to behavioural loyalty was through customer satisfaction ( = 0.63) although the pathway through brand attitude ( = 0.22) was also significant. Both customer satisfaction and service quality had a significant effect on brand trust and service quality also influenced brand attitude. A number of recommendations for further research were made. These included the replication of this study in different geographic and industry contexts.

The goal of this project was to develop techniques and instrumentation to measure the elastic properties of the lens and lens capsule in situ and their changes with age using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The studies include the construction, characterization, and calibration of laboratory-based Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) to measure mechanical properties of ophthalmic tissues. Atomic Force Microscopy is a nanoscale imaging technique that has been applied to mechanical property measurement through nanoindentation. Young's modulus of elasticity is determined by monitoring the cantilever deflections when it contacts the sample. The studies also include the development of tissue preparation techniques to enable measurement of the lens elasticity using AFM. This study found that lens capsule elasticity decreases with age, outer lens cortex elasticity remains constant with age, and the inner lens cortex is stiffer than the outer lens cortex. The effect of the changing biometry and mechanical properties with age was investigated by developing a mathematical model of accommodation. These changes will be the limiting factor to accommodative amplitude. Changes in lens capsule mechanical properties will affect the maximal accommodative amplitude in older eyes.

The goal of this project is to obtain quantitative images of the lens and the ciliary body to validate EVAS-II (Second generation Ex Vivo Accommodation Simulator). To accomplish this goal it was necessary to develop methods, instrumentation and image processing techniques to acquire 3D images in EVAS-II, using UBM (Ultrasound Bio Microscope), and to apply these techniques to non-human primate eyes. The lens studies included measurement of speed of sound in the lens to reconstruct accurate images of the lens, development of instrumentation to measure the un-distorted lens shape and development of a mathematical model to quantify the whole lens shape. Speed measurements showed that the speed of sound exhibits a gradient profile in the equatorial plane, similar to refractive index and protein distributions in the lens. Lens shape measurements showed that the UBM can be used to accurately measure thickness, diameter, cross-sectional area, volume and surface area of the lens. The ciliary body studies included development of instrumentation and algorithms to obtain 3-D images of tissue in EVAS-II and development of methodology to quantify ciliary body movement during stretching. Studies showed that the accommodation process in young baboon eyes in EVAS-II is comparable to the in vivo process in rhesus monkeys. The UBM can be used to obtain reliable quantitative information about the lens and the ciliary body. 3-D UBM enables monitoring of ciliary body motion of the entire accommodative apparatus.

El Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), un pèptid derivat del processament del proglucagó en les cè_lules L del jejúnum i del colon, inhibeix la secreció àcida gàstrica i el buidament gàstric, a més de reduir la capacitat d'ingesta. Els mecanismes d'acció del GLP-1 no estan clars. Hi ha dades que suggereixen que la inhibició de les funcions gàstriques per part del GLP-1 estan mitjançades pel nervi vagus.L'acomodació o relaxació gàstrica en resposta a la ingesta és un reflex mitjançat pel vagus que dóna lloc a un increment del volum o capacitat gàstrica que impedeix l'increment de la pressió intragàstrica quan mengem, evitant així l'aparició de símptomes. La primera hipòtesi que vàrem plantejar va ser que el GLP-1 inhibeix el reflex d'acomodació gàstrica i que això explicaria en part la reducció de la capacitat d'ingesta que s'observa en administrar el GLP-1. Per provar aquesta hipòtesi vàrem comparar els efectes d'una infusió endovenosa de GLP-1 i placebo, en voluntaris sans, sobre l'acomodació gàstrica postprandial (mesurada amb la tècnica SPECT), l'increment postprandial del polipèptid pancreàtic (marcador de funció vagal abdominal) i el volum d'un nutrient líquid (Ensure®) ingerit fins atansar la sacietat màxima. Els resultats del primer estudi van demostrar que el GLP-1 no inhibeix l'acomodació gàstrica postprandial; al contrari, va augmentar el volum gàstric en dejú i després del menjar. Això es va acompanyar per una marcada inhibició de la secreció de polipèptid pancreàtic, la qual està sota control vagal colinèrgic. Degut a que el to gàstric està mantingut per influència colinèrgica vagal, els resultats obtinguts són compatibles amb la hipòtesi de que el GLP-1 indueix relaxació gàstrica (augment de volum gàstric) per inhibició de les vies colinèrgiques vagals. Si aquesta hipòtesi fos certa, en cas de disfunció vagal o vagotomia, el GLP-1 no produiria relaxació gàstrica (augment de volum gàstric). Per provar aquesta segona hipòtesi, vàrem estudiar l'efecte de la mateixa infusió endovenosa de GLP-1, comparada amb placebo, en els volums gàstrics de subjectes amb neuropatia vagal diabètica. Vàrem comparar també els volums gàstrics dels malalts diabètics que rebien placebo amb els dels subjectes sans estudiats en el primer estudi presentat en aquesta tesi. Al contrari del que vàrem observar en subjectes sans, el GLP-1 no va augmentar el volum gàstric en malalts diabètics amb neuropatia vagal. Això suggereix que l'efecte del GLP-1 sobre el volum gàstric està mitjançat pel nervi vagus.Els malalts diabètics avaluats presentaven volums gàstrics, tan en dejú com després del menjar, similars als dels subjectes sans. El nervi vagus participa en el control del to o volum gàstric, però hi ha altres mecanismes que també hi participen. Es més, hi ha evidència de que el to gàstric pot ser controlat adequadament en absència de innervació vagal extrínseca. De manera que la troballa de la existència de volums gàstrics normals en malalts amb neuropatia vagal s'afegeix a la evidència de que, en cas d'alteració del reflex principal vago-vagal, es produeix un mecanisme adaptatiu per preservar la resposta de relaxació gàstrica postprandial. / Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a peptide derived from the processing of the proglucagon molecule in L cells of the jejunum and colon, inhibits gastric acid secretion and gastric emptying rate and it also decreases food consumption. It is still not clear how these effects of GLP-1 are mediated. There are data that suggest that GLP-1 inhibition of upper gastrointestinal functions is mediated through the vagus nerve.The accommodation or relaxation of the stomach in response to meal ingestion is a vagally-mediated reflex that increases gastric volume. This prevents the increase in intragastric pressure when food and fluid enter in the stomach, avoiding the development of symptoms. We hypothesized that GLP-1 inhibits the gastric accommodation reflex and that this effect could partly explain the reduced food consumption with GLP-1. To test this hypothesis, we compared, in healthy volunteers, the effects of intravenous infusion of GLP-1 and placebo, on postprandial gastric accommodation (as measured by the SPECT technique), postprandial response of plasma human pancreatic polypeptide (a surrogate marker of vagal abdominal function) and the volume of a nutrient liquid meal (Ensure_) ingested at maximum satiation. The results of the first study showed that GLP-1 does not inhibit postprandial gastric accommodation; on the contrary, it increased fasting and postprandial gastric volumes. This was accompanied by a marked inhibition of the pancreatic polypeptide release, which is under vagal cholinergic control. Since gastric tone is maintained by vagal cholinergic input, the results observed in our first study suggested that GLP-1 could induce gastric relaxation (increase gastric volume) by inhibition of vagal cholinergic pathways. If this hypothesis were true, one would predict that in the presence of vagal dysfunction or vagotomy, GLP-1 would not induce gastric relaxation (increase gastric volume). To test this second hypothesis we studied the effect of the same intravenous infusion of GLP-1, compared to placebo, on gastric volumes in a sample of subjects with diabetes affected with vagal neuropathy. We also compared gastric volumes in diabetic patients on placebo to those in the healthy subjects who participated in the first study presented in this thesis. In contrast to effects in health, GLP-1 did not increase gastric volume in diabetics with vagal neuropathy. This suggests that the effect of GLP-1 on gastric volume is dependent on vagal function. The diabetic patients evaluated had gastric volumes similar to those of healthy controls. The vagus nerve participates in the control of gastric volume or tone; however, there are other mechanisms involved. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that gastric tone may be adequately controlled in the absence of extrinsic vagal innervation. Thus, we believe that the normal gastric volume response to a meal observed in the presence of vagal neuropathy adds to the growing evidence of the existence of an adaptive response preserving postprandial gastric relaxation when the main vago-vagal reflex is impaired.

Since the tourism industry is thriving and robust recently in Taiwan, it encourages the demand of domestic tourism a lot. Moreover, the internet surfers and e-commerce is keeping increasing, so that we do the study regarding the On-Line Accommodation Reservation as our case study. In order to obtain the data and samples for this study, we choose the EasyTravel as our casey, and do the individual survey via qualitative interview. EasyTravel established in 1988 and the major business is offering the On-Line Accommodation Reservation service. They started doing the Internet Marketing planning and designing as they understand the acceptance level of Hotel industry for the Online-Promotion is the highest one. For now, owing to keep ploughing and weeding the On-Line Marketing, EasyTravel always occupies on the first page of search result when doing the searching. We hope we could obtain the influence of Internet activity and communicating for the On-Line Accommodation Reservation through understanding its history, the key factors of EasyTravel, and it will be the topic of this study. We found if we long for to build efficiency Internet Marketing activity for On-Line Accommodation Reservation and then prompt the business, we must consider four factors as below: (1).Multiple Integrated Marketing¡GTo run the On-Line Accommodation Reservation more efficiency and increasing the sales, setting the SEO (Search Engine Optimization), implement topical or diversified long term Internet promotion, Blogs Marketing, Community-based social management, and Mobile Service are five main schemes for achieving the goal. (2).Community marketing¡GAs the community-orientated network is being well developed, if we could utilize community tools and its influence effectively, it would be reached yield twice the result with half the effort. (3).To Customize and develop innovative service¡GBefore establishing the innovative service, industry characteristics, customer needs, main stream, and ICT tool should be all considered. Hence, it will not only create the uniqueness and the non-substitutable capabilities but also high up the barriers to entry level for other rivals. (4).Concentrating on core business with a continuous investment.¡GEasyTravel starts earning the profit since 2008, nevertheless they still ought to input more resource in original sales continuously. It is much more vital than step into new business at a profit.

Knowledge of the mechanics of the lens capsule is crucial for improving cataract surgery as well as understanding better the physiological role of the lens capsule in the process of accommodation. Previous research on the mechanical properties of the lens capsule contains many gaps and contradictions due to experimental limitations and inappropriate assumptions. Thus, the goal of this work is to quantify fully the regional, multiaxial mechanical behavior of the lens capsule and to calculate the change in stress and strain fields as a result of cataract surgery. Determining in situ the multiaxial mechanical behavior of the lens capsule required the design and construction of an experimental device capable of altering stresses in the capsule while measuring localized surface deformations. Tests performed on this device reveal that the meridional and circumferential strains align with the principal directions and are equivalent through most of the anterior lens capsule, except close to the equator where the meridional strain is greater. Furthermore, preconditioning effects were also found to be significant. Most importantly, however, these tests provide the data necessary for calculating material properties. This experimental system is advantageous in that it allows reconstruction of 3D geometry of the lens capsule and thereby quantification of curvature changes, as well as measurement of surface deformations that result from various surgical interventions. For instance, a continuous circular capsulorhexis (CCC) is commonly used during cataract surgery to create a hole in the anterior lens capsule (typically with a diameter of 5 mm). After the introduction of a CCC, strain was found to redistribute evenly from the meridional direction (retractional strain) to the circumferential direction (extensional strain), where both directional components of strain reached magnitudes up to 20% near the edge of the CCC. Furthermore, the curvature was found to increase at the edge of the CCC and remain the same near the equator, indicating that the mere introduction of a hole in the lens capsule will alter the focal characteristics of the lens and must therefore be considered in the design of an accommodative intraocular lens.