Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 136-147).

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.

Objectives: Optical and technical characteristics usually do not allow objective endoscopic distance measurements. So far no standardized method for endoscopic distance measurement is available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of transoral airway measurements with a multipoint-laser endoscope. Methods: The semirigid endoscope includes a multipoint laser measurement system that projects 49 laser points (wavelength 639 nm, power < 5mW) into the optical axis of the endoscopic view. Distances, areas, and depths can be measured in real-time. Transoral endoscopic airway measurements were performed on nine human cadavers, which were correlated with CT measurements. Results: The preliminary experiment showed an optimum distance between the endoscope tip and the object of 5 to 6 cm. There was a mean measurement error of 3.26% ± 2.53%. A Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.95 (

Hyperthermia can occur in lungs and airways during both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. A previous study carried out in our laboratory showed that hyperthermia activates and sensitizes vagal bronchopulmonary Cfiber afferents, whether this effect is through a direct action of hyperthermia on sensory nerves is not known. This dissertation study was aimed to investigate the thermal-sensitivity of pulmonary sensory neurons, and the roles of thermalsensitive transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of neurons isolated from nodose/jugular ganglia were applied in the study. Results of this study showed that hyperthermia directly activates pulmonary sensory neurons, and this effect is partially mediated through the TRPV subtype 1 (TRPV1) channel as well as other thermal-sensitive TRPV (2–4) channels. In addition, hyperthermia exerts potentiating effects on responses of pulmonary sensory neurons to TRPV1 activators, but not to non- TRPV1 activators. Furthermore, results obtained in the study of TRPV1-null mice revealed that TRPV1 plays a dominant role in mediating the potentiating effect of hyperthermia on pulmonary sensory neurons, but is only partially involved in the direct activation of these sensory neurons by increasing temperature. These results suggested that the thermal-sensitivity of pulmonary sensory neurons is dependent upon the function of the TRPV1 channel, and TRPV1-mediated sensitization of these sensory neurons may contribute to airway hyperreactivity and augmented reflex responses under hyperthermic conditions.

In recent years, attempts to find solutions to business and social problems of developing nations have dominated the interest of developmental researchers. This study, in effect, has taken the same approach to finding the problems and solutions to the case of Nigeria Airways Corporation. The study is significant because it analyzed the organizational structure and operation of Nigeria Airways Corporation, with the view of developing a model for implementing TQM. In addition, some specific variables were investigated. The variables were: (1) management commitment, (2) employee involvement in the decision-making process, (3) customer input, (4) continuous improvement, and (5) organizational effectiveness. With the variables of choice, the study was designed and questionnaires were administered to random samples selected from top-level management, middle-level management, lower-level management, and the general public. After collecting the responses, statistical tests such as statistical percentage frequencies, mean analysis, an analysis of variance (ANOVA}, and Scheffe tests which compare the level of significance as specified in the hypotheses, with .05 level of significance were performed. The findings showed statistical differences among the different levels of management, the non-management employees, as well as the general public. The differences were in the organizational structure and operation, decision-making process, and provisions for customer inputs in Nigeria Airways Corporation. The study showed that the adapted model of Total Quality Management is a relevant tool that might remedy the poor performance of the airline. The study recommends the total reorganization of the structure and operation of the airline with a total view of implementing an adapted TQM.

Regulatory T cells (Treg) are critical to the maintenance of immune tolerance, partly by controlling the unwanted activation of effector T cells (Teff) and thereby enhancing the resolution of autoimmune and allergic inflammation. Recent data suggest that Treg can specialize to better control different types of inflammation by using transcriptional machinery which controls differentiation and function of Teff. This thesis addresses questions related to the efficacious use of Treg, notably their ability to adopt distinct phenotypic profiles under different inflammatory contexts and their need to recognize antigen in the inflamed organ. Two differentially mediated mouse disease models were used in this project, namely Th1/Th17-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a model of multiple sclerosis and Th2-mediated allergic airways inflammation (AAI) as a model of asthma. A new model of rMOG-induced AAI was developed to specifically answer the questions on the importance of cell phenotype versus antigen-reactivity for the effective Treg-mediated suppression. It was demonstrated that Treg from the inflamed CNS in EAE had an upregulated expression of Th1 master regulator T-bet and Th1-associated chemokine receptor CXCR3, whereas Treg derived from the inflamed lung in AAI had an increased expression of Th2 master regulator GATA-3, lacked expression of T-bet and displayed decreased levels of CXCR3. This specialized and activated phenotype was restricted to tissue-derived Treg. The importance of appropriate Treg phenotype for effective suppression was suggested by the observed inability of CNS-derived Treg to inhibit AAI. A different Treg subset, TGF-β-induced Treg (iTreg), was shown to express high levels of T-bet and CXCR3, but not GATA-3 upon induction in vitro. iTreg effectively suppressed both Th1 and Th2 types of inflammation and the antigenreactivity was key to this. This thesis demonstrates that Treg are capable of acquiring a distinct phenotype corresponding with a CD4+ T cell response driving inflammatory disease and identifies antigen-reactivity as key to the efficacious suppression of inflammation. It also highlights substantial phenotypic differences between iTreg and naturally-occurring Treg which could be associated with different modes of suppression.

The spread of the pulmonary disease among humans is a very rapid process and it stands as the third highest killer in the United States of America. Computed Tomography (CT) scanning allows us to obtain detailed images of the pulmonary anatomy including the airways. The complexity of the tree makes the process of manual segmentation tedious, time-consuming, and variant across individuals. The resultant airway segmentation, whether arrived at manually or through the aid of computers, can then be used to measure airway geometry, study airway reactivity, and guide surgical interventions. The thesis addresses these problems and suggests a fully automated technique for segmenting the airway tree in three-dimensional (3-D) micro-CT images of the thorax of an ex-vivo mouse. This novel technique is a several step approach consisting of: 1. The feature calculation of individual voxels of the micro-CT image, 2. Selection of the best features for classification (obtained from 1), 3. KNN-classification of voxels by the best selected features (from 2) and 4. Region growing segmentation of the KNN classified probability image. KNN classification algorithm has been used for the classification of the voxels of the image (into airway and non-airway voxels) based on the image features, the results of which have then been processed using the region growing segmentation algorithm to obtain the final set of results for segmentation. The segmented airway of the ex-vivo mouse lung volume can be analyzed using a commercial software package to obtain the measurements.

The financial crisis in 2008, effected companies around the globe and forced them to change their operational strategies, in order to survive. Companies with international links needed to consider external effects and due to that adapt their strategies on a global level. Demands for goods and service were decreasing and companies could only manage the cost during a recession to not face bankruptcy. Organisations need to reconsider their optimal strategy as this will determine their future outcome when managing a crisis as the one in 2008. British Airways - Air Cargo is a global company with an international network which serves about 80 countries, with about 200 destinations. As a part of an international network, the organization is characterized by external dependence, which is something that needs to be considered when a crisis occurs. There is several ways of managing the financial operational strategy due to the different markets. We identified a strategy model based on previous theory which we linked to the operational strategy of British Airways – World Cargo during the financial crisis in 2008. We found that the major strategy was the management of the costs. A qualitative case study has been performed in order to describe how a global Air Cargo company´s operational strategy, export and import were affected when the financial crisis in 2008 occurred. The results from the analysis indicated that the World Cargo department used the strategy of cost constraints in terms of investment, supply and personnel. In terms of export and import, the major impact was the decrease in consumer demands which consequently it affected the demand for the service World Cargo offered.     Key words: Financial crisis, Import, Export, Global Company, Air Cargo and Financial operational strategy. / Den finansiella krisen 2008, påverkade företag över hela världen som därmed tvingades ändra sina operationsstrategiska strategier för att klara sig. Efterfrågan på varor och tjänster sjönk, marknaden mötte en konjunkturnedgång och företag kunde bara hantera sina kostnader för att inte gå i konkurs. Organisationer måste se över sina finansiella strategier då det kommer att avgöra det framtida utfallet. Organisationer med internationell anknytning kräver en stor fokus kring de externa effekterna och på grund av det anpassa sina strategier på en global nivå. British Airways - Air Cargo är ett globalt företag med ett internationellt nätverk som arbetar inom 80 länder med cirka 200 destinationer. Som en del av ett internationellt nätverk är organisationen beroende av externa faktorer, vilket är något som måste övervägas när en kris inträffar. Det finns flera sätt att hantera de finansiella operationsstrategerna på,i beroende på vilken marknad du arbetar inom. Vi kommer att presentera en åtgärdsmodell baserad på tidigare teorier som vi kopplat till British Airways - World Cargos operationsstrategi under den finansiella krisen 2008. Vi fann att den huvudsakliga strategin var förvaltning av kostnader. Studien är baserad på en kvalitativ studie och har utförts i syfte att bidra med en helhetsförståelse kring hur ett globalt flygfraktsföretags operationsstrategi, export samt import påverkades under finanskrisen 2008. Resultaten från analysen visade att World Cargo-avdelningen primärt använde sig av en kostnadsstrategi samt nedskärningar i form av investering, utbud och personal. Export och import möttes med minskningen i konsument efterfrågan som påverkade den tjänst World Cargo erbjuder negativt.     Nyckelord: Finansiell kris, import, export, globalt företag, Flygfrakt och Finansiella operationsstrategier.

¡iAbstract¡j Vagal sensory neurons play an important role in the neural control of airway and other visceral organs. Regional distribution of vagal sensory neurons in the vagal ganglia that correspond to different viscera is uncertain. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied to the right thoracic vagus nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerve to be retrogradely transported to the neurons in vagal nodose and jugular ganglia. Labeling of neuronal cell bodies was visualized with diaminobenzidine reaction. Ricinus communis agglutinin-60 (RCA-60) was injected into the right thoracic vagus nerve and transported retrogradely to cause destruction of the ribosome in the vagal ganglia neuron cell bodies. The magnitude of neurogenic plasma extravasation induced by capsaicin was measured by the area density of the India ink-labeled leaky blood vessels in the trachea and bronchi. The present study demonstrated that there was no distinct localization of HRP- labeled neurons, except at the level of pharyngeal nerve that was connected to the middle of the nodose ganglion. There were approximately 42.2 % of labeled neurons in the nodose ganglion and 30.5 % in the jugular ganglion 3 days after application of HRP in the thoracic vagus nerve. After application of HRP to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, 13.3 % of labeled neurons was found in the nodose ganglion and 8.3 % in the jugular ganglion. One to two weeks after RCA injection into the thoracic vagus nerve, many cell bodies of neurons had a striking degenerative alteration and the cytoplasmic density was markedly reduced. Nissl¡¦s bodies obviously disappeared and vacuoles were the usual feature. Application of RCA-60 also inhibited the neurogenic plasma extravasation in the right bronchial tree that were reduced by 71- 89 %. It is suggested that RCA- 60 selectively destroyed the vagal sensory neurons that innervated the ipsilateral branchial tree. It is concluded that vagal nodose and jugular ganglia supplied different number of sensory neurons to the vagal branches and regulated the physiological function of the visceral organs.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes special study report entitled: Movement analysis with respect to site circulation & interior circulation. Includes bibliographical references.