Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-81). Also available in print.

Le développement de puissantes compagnies aériennes bénéficiant d’un soutien évident d’acteurs politiques qui ont (re)lancé leurs activités vient poser d’importants défis pour le secteur aérien international. De fait, de nombreuses entités politiques perçoivent le transport aérien comme un outil indispensable afin de promouvoir leurs intérêts et s’imposer davantage sur la scène internationale. Les cas des émirats de Dubaï, d’Abu Dhabi et du Qatar, ainsi que de la Turquie illustrent pleinement la façon dont des acteurs politiques utilisent le développement d’une compagnie aérienne localement basée en fonction d’objectifs qui leur sont propres. La croissance inédite d’Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways et Turkish Airlines vient toutefois bouleverser l’évolution de la connectivité aérienne mondiale, tandis que les nombreux acteurs de l’aérien peinent à s’accorder sur la mise en œuvre d’un cadre de portée internationale censé garantir l’existence d’une « concurrence loyale » entre les transporteurs, sur fond d’intérêts divergents. Le contrôle de la connectivité constitue en effet un instrument de soft power qui vient renforcer la position des acteurs qui l’utilisent, tout en créant des liens de/d’(inter)dépendance croissants. Les autorités politiques adoptent toutefois des approches différenciées afin de développer leur soft power, tandis que l’Union européenne s’avère être, pour l’heure, en retrait d’une telle dynamique. / The growth of strong airlines benefiting from a large support of political stakeholders who have (re)launched their activities is leading to important challenges for the international air transport sector. Numerous political entities perceive aviation as an essential tool to promote their interests and to gain more international recognition. The cases of the emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, but also Turkey are fully showing how political stakeholders use the development of a locally based airline according to their own goals. The large growth of Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines is disrupting the air connectivity evolution at a worldwide scale, while numerous aviation stakeholders do not reach to agree on an international framework aiming to safeguard a “fair competition” between air carriers, in a context of differing interests. Thus, the control of air connectivity forms a soft power instrument strengthening the position of stakeholders who are using it while creating in the meantime growing (inter)dependence links. Political authorities adopt however differentiated approaches in order to expand their soft power, whereas the European Union is, for now, staying away of such a dynamic.

by Ko Wai Kwan Vivian. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-116). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / The Aviation Industry - The Target Customers --- p.1 / Major Functions of Airline Advertisements --- p.7 / Purpose of Study --- p.9 / Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.10 / Chapter III. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.15 / Content Analysis of Airline Advertisements --- p.16 / In-depth Interviews with Advertisers --- p.18 / Survey of Audiences' Perceptions --- p.18 / Chapter IV. --- FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.25 / Content Analysis of Airline Advertisements --- p.25 / In-depth Interviews with Advertisers --- p.30 / Survey of Audiences' Perceptions --- p.38 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.105 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.114 / APPENDIX --- p.117 / Chapter 1. --- An Outline of the Questions for the Personal Interviews / Chapter 2. --- Survey Questionnaire / Chapter 3. --- Instructions for the Questionnaire Survey / Chapter 4. --- Ten Advertisements Used in Part I of the Survey / Chapter 5. --- British Airways Advertisements Used in the Survey / Chapter 6. --- Cathay Pacific Advertisements Used in the Survey / Chapter 7. --- Korean Air Advertisements Used in the Survey / Chapter 8. --- British Airways Advertisements Collected for the Content Analysis / Chapter 9. --- Cathay Pacific Advertisements Collected for the Content Analysis / Chapter 10. --- Korean Air Advertisements Collected for the Content Analysis / Chapter 11. --- Examples of Other Airline Advertisements

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease. Diagnosis relies on symptom evaluation and lung function tests using spirometry. Symptoms can be vague. Spirometry is effort-dependent and does not reliably evaluate small airways. Allergic asthma in preschool children is not easily separated from episodic wheeze. Exhaled NO (FeNO) is a marker of allergic Th2-cytokine-driven airway inflammation. However, FeNO is not feasible in preschoolers with current devices and algorithms. Alveolar NO is an estimate of small airway involvement. Forced oscillometry (FOT) is an effort-independent lung function test assessing both large and small airways. Aims: To study clinical and methodological aspects of FeNO, alveolar NO and lung function indices by FOT. Methods: Asthmatic children and young adults and healthy controls, were included in the studies. FeNO at 50 mL/s was performed in all studies (in study III with an adapted single-breath method with age-adjusted exhalation times). FeNO at multiple exhalation flow rates were performed in studies I, II and IV to calculate alveolar NO, as was spirometry. FOT indices were assessed in study IV. Results: The exhalation time needed to reach steady-state NO was < 4 s in subjects aged 3-4 years, and was related to subject height. FeNO was higher in ICS-naïve asthmatic children than in controls. ICS-naïve asthmatic preschool children had FeNO < 20 ppb. The oral contribution to FeNO was similar in asthmatic and healthy youths. Multiple flow rates and modelling of alveolar NO were feasible in children aged 10-18 years. Alveolar NO correlated to asthma characteristics, though not when axial diffusion correction was applied. FOT resistance measures were associated with asthma diagnosis, and small airway FOT measures were associated with asthma control, in adolescents. Conclusion: An adapted FeNO method is feasible from 4 years, and exhalation time is related to child height. Our findings emphasise the need to refine clinical cut-offs for FeNO in younger children. FOT variables discriminate between asthmatics and controls, much like spirometry. The information provided by FOT is additive to that from spirometry. Further studies of exhaled NO dynamics and FOT indices of small airways are warranted to evaluate new treatment options and possibly improve asthma control.

La Fibrose Kystique, causée par des mutations du canal CFTR, mène à la dysfonction du transport des fluides et des ions causant la déshydratation du liquide de surface des voies aériennes et ainsi une défaillance de la clairance mucocilliaire. Ce défaut entraine l’accumulation et l’épaississement du mucus au niveau des bronches qui devient alors un environnement idéal pour le développement d’infections chroniques et d’inflammation qui sont associées à la destruction progressive de l’épithélium chez les patients Fibrose Kystique. Même si leur rôle dans les processus lésionnels est très bien connu, l’impact de médiateurs inflammatoires sur la capacité de réparation ne l’est cependant pas. L’objectif de ma maitrise était donc d’étudier la régulation des mécanismes de réparation de l’épithélium bronchique sain et Fibrose Kystique par le facteur de nécrose tumoral (TNF)-alpha, une cytokine pro-inflammatoire cruciale dans l’initiation et la propagation de la réponse inflammatoire chez les patients FK. À l’aide d’un modèle de plaies mécaniques, nous avons montré que le TNF-alpha stimule la réparation de l’épithélium bronchique sain (NuLi-1) et Fibrose Kystique (CuFi-1). De façon surprenante, l’exposition chronique au TNF-alpha augmente cette stimulation tout comme le taux de migration cellulaire pendant la réparation. Cette augmentation de réparation semble être médiée par l’activation de la métalloprotéinase MMP-9, la relâche d’EGF par les cellules épithéliales et ainsi l’activation de la voie d’EGFR. De plus, l’activation de la réparation par le TNF-alpha semble aussi impliquer l’activation des canaux K+, dont nous avons démontré le rôle important dans la réparation. Contrairement à son effet sur la migration cellulaire et sur la réparation, le TNF-alpha diminue la prolifération cellulaire. En somme, en plus de son rôle dans les processus lésionnels, le TNF-alpha semble avoir un rôle complexe dans les processus de réparation puisqu’il stimule la migration et ralentit la prolifération cellulaire. / Cystic fibrosis (CF) pathology, caused by mutations of cftr gene, leads to ion and fluid transport dysfunction that results in mucus thickening and accumulation in the airways. This mucus accumulation promotes bacterial infection and airway inflammation associated with progressive airway epithelial damage in CF patients, unfortunately leading to respiratory failure. However, the effect of inflammatory products on the repair capacity of respiratory epithelia is unclear. Thus, the objective of my project was to study the regulation of normal and CF bronchial epithelial repair mechanisms by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF)-alpha, a major component of inflammation initiation and propagation in CF. With a wound healing model, we observed that TNF-alpha stimulated the non-CF (NuLi-1) and CF (CuFi-1) bronchial wound healing rate. Surprisingly, chronic exposure to TNF-alpha enhanced this stimulation as well as the migration rate during repair. This wound healing rate stimulation by TNF-alpha seems to be due to metalloproteinase MMP-9 activation, EGF shedding by epithelial cells and subsequent EGFR transactivation. Furthermore, we recently reported a crucial relationship between the EGF response and K+ channel function, both controlling bronchial repair. We now show that TNF-alpha wound healing stimulation also implicated KvLQT1 and KATP currents activation. In contrast to its effect on cell migration, TNF-alpha downregulate cell proliferation. Thus, in addition to its recognized role in the inflammatory response leading to epithelial injury, TNF-a could exert complex actions on repair mechanisms of CF airway epithelia by upregulating cell migration while downregulating proliferation.

Schnarchgeräusche treten als Symptom bei schlafbezogenen Atemstörungen auf. Hierbei wird vermutet, dass bei unterschiedlichen Atemstörungen verschiedenartige Schnarchgeräusche entstehen. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen Schnarchgeräuschen und klinischen, HNO-ärztlichen Untersuchungsbefunden wird ebenso diskutiert. Ziel der Arbeit war es, klinische und polysomnographische Befunde mit den analysierten Schnarchgeräuschen zu korrelieren, um Aussagen über die Schwere einer schlafbezo-genen Atemstörung und über die pathologischen Befunde des oberen Respirations-traktes auf Grund einer Frequenzanalyse der Schnarchgeräusche machen zu können. An der Studie nahmen 58 Patienten mit Verdacht auf schlafbezogene Atemstörung teil (8 weibliche und 50 männliche Patienten). Diese Patienten wurden im Rahmen einer HNO-ärztlichen Untersuchung auf anatomische und pathologische Verhältnisse der oberen Luft- und Speisewege untersucht. Hierbei wurden im speziellen die Tonsillen, die Uvula, das Velum, die Nasenmuscheln und die Pharynxlängsfalten auf Hyperplasien untersucht. Zudem wurde das Septum und die Zunge zur mandibulären Okklusions-ebene, klassifiziert durch den Malampatti-Index, auf Fehlstellungen in Augenschein genommen. Die Inspektion der oberen Luft- und Speisewege am wachen Patienten ist als eine statische Untersuchung zu werten. Die Patienten wurden im Schlaflabor polysomnographisch untersucht und die Schnarch-geräusche simultan aufgezeichnet. Durch die Fast-Fourier Analyse wurden die Frequenz-intensitätsmaxima der Schnarchgeräusche ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse der klinischen Untersuchung wurden mit den Intensitätsmaxima der einzelnen Schnarchgeräuschen der jeweiligen Patienten korreliert. Zudem wurden die polysomnographischen Untersuchungsergebnisse mit den Frequenzen der beiden Intensitätsmaxima in einer statistischen Auswertung miteinander verglichen. In der vorliegenden Studie zeigt sich, dass keine Korrelation zwischen den einzelnen klinischen Untersuchungsergebnissen und der Schnarchfrequenz der einzelnen Patienten besteht. Mit Hilfe der Frequenzanalyse in Zusammenhang mit der polysomnographischen Untersuchung konnten Rückschlüsse auf die Schwere der schlafbezogenen Atemstörungen gezogen werden. Es zeigte sich, dass ein Zusammenhang zwischen den Intensitätsmaxima der Frequenzanalyse und dem AHI der Patienten besteht. Je höher die Frequenz der Intensitätsmaxima war, desto höher war der Anstieg des AHI. Von diesem Ergebnis ausgehend wird gezeigt, dass bei Patienten mit OSAS bei einem AHI>15 die Schnarchfrequenz zwischen 2000 und 5000 Hz liegt. Je größer die schlafbezogene Atemstörung ist, desto hochfrequenter sind die Schnarchgeräusche. Zudem konnten auch schlafbezogene Atemstörungen bei Patienten, bei denen der AHI<15 und die Schnarchfrequenz größer als 1000 Hz war, mit Hilfe der Frequenz-analyse einem potentiellen UARS zugeschrieben werden. Patienten mit tieffrequenten Schnarchgeräuschen und einem niedrigen AHI werden in die Kategorie primäres Schnarchen eingeordnet. Das Ausmaß einer schlafbezogenen Atemstörung kann mit Hilfe der Frequenzanalyse der Schnarchgeräusche bestimmt werden. Die Frequenzanalyse von Schnarchgeräuschen stellt eine leicht durchzuführende, nicht-invasive Methode zur Topodiagnostik von Schnarchen dar und könnte im diagnostischen Procedere bei schlafbezogenen Atmenstörungen möglicherweise in Zukunft einen festen Platz einnehmen.

A associação da obesidade e asma atópica está bem descrita. Embora reconhecidamente uma patologia mediada por eosinófilos, à asma apresenta fenótipos distintos onde os neutrófilos exercem relevante papel na inflamação pulmonar e manutenção da inflamação. Existem dados de que mulheres obesas asmáticas são mais propensas a desenvolver a asma mediada por neutrófilos, cuja característica é ser de difícil controle, e ainda refrataria a corticoterapia. Ainda não existem modelos experimentais de asma neutrofílica, que visem a ligar os mecanismos associados à resistência aos corticoides em mulheres com asma neutrofílica. Neste estudo caracterizamos um modelo experimental de asma neutrofilica em camundongos fêmeas e apresentamos dados do papel da obesidade na inflamação pulmonar. Nossos dados permitem sugerir que o modelo de asma neutrofílica está, sob ponto de vista inflamatório caracterizado, e que o recrutamento de neutrófilos independe da obesidade. Nosso estudo pode contribuir para a compreensão dos mecanismos que regulam a asma de neutrofilica em mulheres obesas. / The association of obesity and atopic asthma is well described. Although admittedly an eosinophil-mediated pathology, asthma presents distinct phenotypes where neutrophils exert a relevant role in lung inflammation and maintenance of inflammation. There are data that obese asthmatic women are more likely to develop neutrophil-mediated asthma, which is difficult to control and still refractory to corticosteroids. There are as yet no experimental models of neutrophilic asthma to link mechanisms associated with resistance to corticosteroids in women with neutrophilic asthma. In this study we characterized an experimental model of neutrophilic asthma in female mice and presented data on the role of obesity in pulmonary inflammation. Our data allow us to suggest that the neutrophilic asthma model is, under a characterized inflammatory point of view, and that neutrophil recruitment is independent of obesity. Our study may contribute to understanding the mechanisms that regulate neutrophilic asthma in obese women.

by Melwani Cheng Ngar Man Angela, Tang Wai Shan. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-113). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.vi / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background --- p.1 / Method --- p.2 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.4 / The Emergence of Relationship Marketing --- p.4 / Definition of Relationship Marketing --- p.5 / Segmentation --- p.9 / Niche Marketing --- p.9 / Database Marketing --- p.11 / Frequency Marketing --- p.13 / Acceleration of the Evolution of Relationship Marketing --- p.14 / New behaviour: the challenges to brands --- p.16 / New media: the challenge to advertising --- p.18 / New technology: the challenge to distribution --- p.21 / Relationship Marketing in Industrial and Service Marketing --- p.23 / Relationship marketing in industrial markets --- p.24 / Relationship marketing in the service industry --- p.25 / Relationship Marketing in the Consumer Goods/Retailing Industry --- p.28 / Relationship Marketing vs Traditional Marketing (4 Ps) --- p.31 / Benefits of Relationship Marketing --- p.40 / Implementation of Relationship Marketing --- p.42 / Database --- p.52 / Loyalty Marketing Programmes --- p.52 / Relationship marketing involves everyone in the company --- p.61 / Dissolution of a Relationship --- p.62 / A Truly Caring Relationship --- p.67 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- RELATIONSHIP MARKETING IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY --- p.71 / Cathay Pacific Airways --- p.73 / Customer Loyalty --- p.74 / Dissolution of relationship --- p.79 / Evaluation and Recommendation --- p.81 / Evaluation of the Current Loyalty Marketing Programmes --- p.81 / Success Criteria --- p.82 / Evaluation of Relationship Marketing Efforts --- p.84 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- CONCLUSION --- p.96 / APPENDICES --- p.98 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.106 / REFERENCE --- p.108

by Chu Chong-Kit, George, To Kwong-Hiu, Bernard. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91). / ABSTRACT --- p.I / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.II / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.IV / LIST OF TABLES --- p.V / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.6 / External and Industry Environments --- p.6 / Strategic Actions and Response --- p.10 / External Environment and Strategic Responses --- p.13 / Summary --- p.15 / Chapter III. --- CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS AND AVIATION INDUSTRY --- p.19 / Corporate Background --- p.19 / The Global Aviation Industry --- p.21 / The Hong Kong Aviation Industry --- p.23 / Chapter IV. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.26 / Performance Measurement --- p.27 / Environmental Variations and Competitive Responses --- p.32 / Chapter V. --- RESULTS --- p.34 / Quantitative Analysis: Operational Performance --- p.34 / Qualitative Analysis : Environmental Variations and Strategic Responses --- p.38 / Legal and Political Environment --- p.38 / Event One : Plan for New Airport at Chek Lap Kok --- p.39 / Event Two : Delay of New Airport Opening --- p.40 / Event Three : Political Uncertainty of 1997 --- p.40 / Rivalry Intensity --- p.42 / "Event One : Hong Kong Dragon Airlines (""Dragonair"")" --- p.42 / Event Two : Virgin Atlantic Airways --- p.42 / Event Three : Air Hong Kong --- p.43 / Event Four: China National Aviation Corporation --- p.44 / Industry Growth --- p.44 / Event One : Slowdown of Global Aviation Industry --- p.44 / Event Two : Worldwide Excess of Capacity and Continuation of Warfare --- p.45 / Internal Factor Costs --- p.47 / Chapter VI. --- DISCUSSION --- p.49 / Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSION --- p.53 / APPENDIX --- p.57 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.89

Orientador: Regina Helena Garcia Martins / Banca: Noeme de Souza Rocha / Banca: Alceu Sérgio Trindade Júnior / Resumo: O cigarro e o álcool contêm em suas composições substâncias tóxicas e carcinogênicas que se potencializam com a associação dos hábitos. O câncer da cabeça e pescoço contribui com 4 a 5 % do total de neoplasias malignas do organismo, das quais 30 a 40% situam-se na boca, 25% na laringe e 15% na faringe. Os homens são os mais afetados e o tipo histológico predominante é o carcinoma espinocelular, podendo ser precedido de lesões pré-neoplásicas. Pesquisas experimentais permitem a exposição de cada fator agressor separadamente, possibilitando avaliar os efeitos nocivos de cada um ou de sua associação. Estudar, em ratos, os efeitos da exposição crônica à fumaça de cigarro e à ingestão de etanol sobre as mucosas da língua e da faringe, por meio de análise histopatológica. Foram alojados em gaiolas durante 260 dias 40 ratos adultos Wistar subdivididos em quatro grupos de 10 animais: GI (Controle), ração e água ad libitum; GII (Etilismo), submetidos à ingestão de etanol a 30GL diluído em água destilada e ração ad libitum; GIII (Tabagismo) expostos à inalação de fumaça de 10 cigarros/dia, sete dias/semana durante 30 min. em câmara fechada contendo "aparelho de fumar"; GIV (Etilismo e Tabagismo) submetidos à ingestão de etanol a 30GL e à inalação de fumaça de cigarro, ração e água ad libitum. Após 260 dias os animais foram sacrificados, sendo removido em bloco o segmento de língua e faringe. Biopsias foram realizadas nesses sítios e fixadas em formalina 10% para estudo histopatológico. Nas análises deste utilizou-se escore semi-quantitativo de 0 a 3. Nas biópsias de língua, apenas dois animais de GI (controle) apresentaram aumento de número de vasos na lâmina própria. Nos animais de GII (Etilismo), GIII (Tabagismo), ou GIV (Etilismo e Tabagismo) os parâmetros mais pontuados foram: hiperplasia de células apicais... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Cigarettes and alcohol contain toxic and carcinogenic substances whose effect is potentiated when cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking are associated. Head and neck cancers account for 4-5 % of all malignant tumors, and are located in the mouth, larynx and pharynx in 30-40%, 25%, and 15% of the cases, respectively. Males are the most affected, and spinocellular carcinoma is the most common histological type that may be preceded by preneoplastic lesions. Experimental studies allow evaluating the adverse effects of exposure to different aggression agents both separately and in association. To study in rats, the effects of chronic exposure to cigarette smoke and the ingestion of ethanol on the mucosa of the tongue and pharynx by means of histopathology. Forty adult Wistar rats, kept in cages for 260 days, were allocated into four groups of 10 animals each: GI (Control), fed chow and water "ad libitum"; GII (Alcohol drinking), submitted to the ingestion of 30gl ethanol diluted in distilled water, and receiving chow "ad libitum"; GIII (Smoking) exposed to the smoke of 10 cigarettes/day, seven days/week for 30 min. in a closed chamber housing a "smoking machine"; G4 (Alcohol drinking and smoking) submitted to the ingestion of 30gl ethanol and cigarette smoke exposure, receiving food and water "ad libitum". After 260 days, the animals were sacrificed, and the tongue/pharynx segment was removed by block dissection. Biopsy specimens were fixed in 10% formalin for histopathological analysis using a 0-3 semiquantitative score system. Tongue biopsies showed an increased number of vessels in the lamina propria in only two GI (control) animals. In GII (Alcohol drinking), GIII (Smoking), or GIV (Alcohol drinking and smoking) the parameters receiving the highest scores were: apical cell hyperplasia (GII-60%, GIII-30%,GIV-20%) and basal cell hyperplasia (GII-60%, GIII-40%)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre