Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasing in popularity and play an important role in decarbonizing the transport sector. However, a growing EV fleet can cause problems for power grids as the grids are not initially designed for EV charging. The potential of a power grid to accommodate EV loads can be assessed through hosting capacity (HC) analysis. The HC is grid specific and varies, therefore it is necessary to conduct analysis that reflects local conditions and covers uncertainties and correlations over time. This theses aims to investigate the HC for EVs in existing residential power grids, and to gain a better understanding of how it varies based on how the EVs are implemented and charged. The work is in collaboration with a distribution system operator (DSO) and is based on two case studies using real-life data reflecting conditions in Swedish grids. Combinations of different HC assessment methods have been used and the HC is evaluated based on cable loading, transformer loading and voltage deviation. Additionally, the study investigated three distinct charging strategies: charging on arrival, evenly spread charging over whole connection period, and charging at the lowest spot price.  The results show that decisions on acceptable voltage deviation limit can have a large influence on the HC as well as the charging strategy used. A charging strategy based on energy prices resulted in the lowest HC, as numerous EVs charging simultaneously caused high power peaks during low spot price periods. Charging on arrival was the second worst strategy, as the peak power coincided with household demand. The best strategy was to evenly spread out the charging, resulting in fewer violations for 100% EV implementation compared to the other two strategies for 25% EV implementation.  The findings underscore the necessity for coordinated charging controls for EV fleets or diversified power tariffs to balance power on a large scale in order to use the grids efficiently.

This dissertation delves into the security of free content websites, a crucial internet component that presents significant security challenges due to their susceptibility to exploitation by malicious actors. While prior research has highlighted the security disparities between free and premium content websites, it has not delved into the underlying causes. This study aims to address this gap by examining the security infrastructure of free content websites. The research commences with an analysis of the content management systems (CMSs) employed by these websites and their role. Data from 1,562 websites encompassing free and premium categories is collected to identify CMS usage and its association with malicious activities. Various metrics are employed, including unpatched vulnerabilities, total vulnerabilities, malicious counts, and percentiles. The findings reveal widespread CMS usage, even among websites with custom code, underscoring the potential for a small number of unpatched vulnerabilities in popular CMSs to lead to significant maliciousness. The study further explores the global distribution of free content websites, considering factors such as hosting network scale, cloud service provider utilization, and country-level distribution. Notably, free and premium content websites are predominantly hosted in medium-scale networks, known for their high concentration of malicious websites. Moreover, the research delves into the geographical distribution of these websites and their presence in different countries. It examines the occurrence of malicious websites and their correlation with the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), a measure of a country's cybersecurity maturity. The United States emerges as the primary host for most investigated websites, with countries exhibiting higher rates of malicious websites tending to have lower NCSI scores, primarily due to weaker privacy policy development. In conclusion, this dissertation uncovers correlations in the infrastructure, distribution, and geographical aspects of free content websites, offering valuable insights for mitigating their associated threats.

This thesis adopts critical feminist theory, which is a combination of both critical theory and feminist theory, to explore the nature and experiences of Omani women involved in tourism entrepreneurship with particular regard to empowerment. Several studies have identified the potential role of tourism entrepreneurship to empower women due to the many benefits that it provides. However, this potential, and the extent that it empowers women, has been questioned. A review of the literature on women in tourism entrepreneurship reveals that there are several issues that have theoretical and practical implications for women's empowerment through this activity. Furthermore, a review of the development studies literature indicates that there are many prevailing issues and debates surrounding the concept of women's empowerment thatmerit further investigation. The fieldwork for this research took place in Oman during 2013-­‐2014 and included an examination of a hosting group, sewing group and a number of women tourism entrepreneurs. Participant observations and semi-structured/unstructured interviews were conducted to collect information about these women. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected information and to develop three ethnographic case studies. The findings of this research reveal that tourism entrepreneurship does not inevitably bring about empowerment for Omani women. It is far from being an activity for women's individual and collective empowerment, given that the scope for such remains dependent on the embedded environment and is influenced by the nature of tourism enterprise work. An empirically informed conceptual framework was developed from the data to present this phenomenon. A grounded conceptualization was also developed from the data to conceptualize the process of women's empowerment for Omani women in tourism entrepreneurship. Theoretical implications of the findings areidentified in relation to the appropriate use of the concept of women's empowerment in tourism research. Practical implications of the findings are also identified in relation to local and international tourism organisations that utilises tourism entrepreneurship opportunities for women's empowerment purposes.

The second international m-Libraries conference schedule & guidebook features the conference program; pre-conference workshops; and, local/UBC tours, events and attractions. A listing of the various conference committees and sponsors including the names of the organizing committee chair members, the graphic artist, the conference staff, and the consultant are shown on pages 27 and 28.

Attached is the list of 15 session abstracts and proposals from the second international m-Libraries Conference, held and sponsored on 23 & 24 June 2009, by the University of British Columbia in conjunction with Athabasca University, The Open University and Thompson Rivers University.

Software applications are of great importance in organisations, and performance of an organisation depends on how hosting of software applications are organised. This thesis deals with the question: Why and how organisations decide on specific sourcing options for software applications hosting. The thesis describes and explains sourcing decision-making processes made in the Swedish Post (MeLo) and Jönköpings Kommun (the municipality). MeLo’s sourcing decision resulted in outsourcing of hosting, and the municipality’s sourcing decision resulted in internal sourcing of hosting. Both organisations were distinguished by a decentralised structure to a great extent and showed a huge diversity in software applications used. The sourcing decisions resulted in a change to a more centralised hosting of software applications. The thesis is a retrospective case study based on semi-structured interviews and documents analysis. Concepts from the resource-based view and factors described in sourcing literature are used to analyse these sourcing decisions. From nine theoretical initial propositions 28 propositions are developed about why and how sourcing decisions are made. From these propositions, relations are described and some conclusions are presented about why and how sourcing decisions are made. The main conclusion is that maturity level regarding software applications usage seems to influences the start, the process as such, and the outcome of a sourcing decision-making process. This is explained as the more mature the organisation is regarding usage of software applications the more proactive decision-makers are in the sourcing decision. It is also identified that involved factors can be either influencing or justifying, and it is found that control of software applications usage influences the start of a sourcing decision to a high extent. The findings suggest that a sourcing decision-making process can be described as an irrational decision process that aims at increasing commitment on an already made decision. The study suggests that the less mature and more decentralised the organisation is the more reactive and the stronger influence the need to increase control over software applications have in a sourcing decision-making process. / Information och kommunikations teknik (IKT) och hur organisationer väljer att organisera driften av mjukvaruapplikationer spelar en allt större roll för organisationers framgång. Forskningsfrågan i avhandlingen är: Varför samt hur organisationer beslutar när de väljer ett specifikt lokaliseringsalternativ för driften av mjukvaruapplikationer. Avhandlingen beskriver och förklarar lokaliseringsbeslut i Posten AB och Jönköpings Kommun från ett resursbaserat perspektiv. Båda organisationerna uppvisade en spretig och decentraliserad struktur av mjukvaruapplikationer. Postens lokaliseringbeslut resulterade i utlokalisering. Kommunens lokaliseringsbeslut resulterade i en intern omlokalisering. Besluten resulterade i båda fallen i en mer centraliserad drift av mjukvaruapplikationer. Avhandlingen är en retrospektiv fallstudie baserad på analys av semistrukturerade intervjuer och dokument. Begrepp från resursbaserad teori och litteratur om lokalisering används för att beskriva och förklara lokaliseringsbesluten. Från nio teoretiska initiala propositioner utvecklas 28 propositioner vilka tydligare redogör för varför samt hur lokaliseringbeslut genomförs. Utifrån dessa propositioner diskuteras kring relationer mellan varför och hur faktorer är involverade i lokaliseringsbeslut. Den främst dragna slutsatsen är att organisationers mognad vad gäller användningen av mjukvaruapplikationer kan beskrivas som influerande för såväl starten, beslutsprocessen som sådan, samt det slutliga resultatet av beslutsprocessen vid ett lokaliseringsbeslut rörande drift av mjukvaruapplikationer. Detta kan förklaras som att ju mer mogen organisationen är vad gäller användning av mjukvaruapplikationer desto mer proaktiv är beslutsfattare i beslutsprocessen. Involverade faktorer kan också förklaras som antingen påverkande eller försvarande. Kontroll av användning kan beskrivas ha den största påverkan på starten av beslutsprocessen. Analysen föreslår att beslutsprocessen kan ses som en irrationell beslutsprocess som genomförs med inriktning på att förankra ett redan fattat beslut, och att ju mer omogen och decentraliserad desto större inverkan har önskemålet om en ökad kontroll över mjukvaruapplikationer i ett lokaliseringsbeslut.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:51:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LorenaKSR_DISSERT.pdf: 1168365 bytes, checksum: 84c65d52d5a6558ac4b662d2f0f40ddb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-27 / Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte / The study aims to analyze the perception of managers on intangible assets as strategic and competitive resources in small hotels in Natal/RN, through the theory of the Resource Based View (RBV). This is a qualitative study of exploratory and descriptive, conducted with managers of the means of hosting small the capital of Rio Grande do Norte through semi-structured interviews, which was applied later, the technique content analysis based on the results of the information obtained in the interviews. Thus, research has shown that managers of small hotels visited (A, B, C) are not sufficient and satisfactory knowledge to set as their unique intangible assets of the company and makes use of them, on an occasional basis, without understanding or in essence understand its true value as a resource that can be used strategically for sustainable competitive advantage in the hotel market in Natal/RN. This means that managers do not know how to create new attributes and use them strategically. And they need to expand their partnerships with stakeholders. Given the importance of the subject of the present research, the information achieved by this analysis may contribute to the provision of information to establish a current situation with regard to the attributed to the knowledge and use of resources (intangible assets) importance as a strategic source and competitive for the internal management of the company by managers and thus, enabling a differential and greater economic profit over time in this segment / O estudo tem como objetivo analisar a percep??o dos gestores sobre os ativos intang?veis como recursos estrat?gicos e competitivos em hot?is de pequeno porte em Natal/RN, atrav?s da teoria da Vis?o Baseada em Recursos (RBV). Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo explorat?ria e descritiva, realizada com os gestores (gerentes e propriet?rios) dos meios de hospedagem de pequeno porte da capital do Rio Grande do Norte por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, onde foi aplicada, posteriormente, a t?cnica da an?lise de conte?do com base nos resultados das informa??es obtidas nas entrevistas. Assim, a pesquisa mostrou que os gestores dos hot?is de pequeno porte visitados (A, B e C) n?o possuem conhecimento suficiente e satisfat?rio para definir os seus ativos intang?veis como sendo exclusivos da empresa e faz uso deles, de maneira ocasional, sem compreender ou entender em ess?ncia o seu verdadeiro valor quanto um recurso que pode ser utilizado de forma estrat?gica para obter vantagem competitiva sustent?vel no mercado hoteleiro de Natal/RN. Isso significa que os gestores n?o sabem como criar novos atributos e utiliz?-los estrategicamente. E precisam ampliar suas parcerias com os Stakeholders. Haja vista a import?ncia do tema da pesquisa em pauta, as informa??es alcan?adas por esta an?lise poder?o contribuir com o fornecimento de informa??es para estabelecer um panorama atual no que diz respeito ? import?ncia atribu?da ao conhecimento e uso de recursos (ativos intang?veis) como fonte estrat?gica e competitiva para a gest?o interna da empresa pelos gestores e com isso, possibilitar um diferencial e maior lucro econ?mico ao longo do tempo neste segmento

Dans cette thèse, les mesures de tension fournies par l'infrastructure de comptage avancé (Advanced Metering Infrastructure, AMI) sont utilisées pour contrôler un régleur en charge situé à la sous station HTA/BT. La thèse présente une méthode simple permettant de sélectionner les clients basse tension pour lesquels les mesures de tension sont utilisées comme une entrée au contrôleur du régleur en charge. Le procédé mis au point tient compte de la charge et de la topologie du réseau. En outre, une méthode simple pour créer des courbes réalistes et statistiquement correctes pour les études de réseaux est présenté. Les méthodes créées ont été testées en utilisant des données réelles de réseaux basse tension sur un logiciel très utilisé dans le secteur de la distribution d'électricité ont conduit à des résultats encourageants; quelques clients par réseau basse tension doivent être surveillés afin d’estimer avec une grande précision où se situe les extremums de tension sur le réseau.Cette méthodologie est également utilisée pour estimer la capacité d'accueil de génération d'énergie photovoltaïque dans un réseau à basse tension donné.Dans la première partie, l'évolution de la capacité d'accueil en utilisant trois types de contrôle de tension différents; un régleur en charge de cinq et neuf positions et le contrôle de la tension à travers les générateurs photovoltaïques, sont étudiés. L'étude considère deux cas différents pour le placement et le dimensionnement des générateurs photovoltaïques dans un réseau basse tension. Les résultats sur 38 réseaux basse tension sont fournis.Dans la deuxième partie, les capacités d'accueil de 631 réseaux basse tension, situés dans une région métropolitaine française, sont analysés en utilisant un régleur en charge de cinq et neuf positions.Le travail a été réalisé en collaboration avec Électricité Réseau Distribution France (ERDF), le principal opérateur du réseau de distribution français. Toutes les études présentées dans la thèse reposent sur les données réelles de fonctionnement normal. En outre, toutes les études sont mises en œuvre sur un logiciel largement utilisé dans l'industrie de la distribution d'énergie.Comme une partie introductive aux réseaux basse tension, la thèse fournit une vue générale sur le système électrique français. De plus, la thèse présente un certain nombre de technologies sélectionnés en tenant compte des réseaux basse-tension qui semblent prometteurs pour le futur. / In this thesis, voltage measurements provided by the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) are used to control an on-load tap changer located at the secondary substation. The thesis presents a practical and a straightforward method of selecting the low voltage customers whose voltage measurements are used as an input to the controller of the on-load tap changer. The developed method takes into account the load and the topology of the network. Furthermore, a simple method of creating synthetic and statistically correct load curves for networks studies is presented. The created methods have been tested by using real data of low voltage networks on a common platform in the power distribution industry leading to encouraging results; a few customers per low voltage network should be monitored in order to achieve accurate voltage measurements.This methodology is further applied to estimate the hosting capacity of photovoltaic power generation in a given low voltage network.In the first part, the evolution of the hosting capacity by using three different types of voltage control; an on-load tap changer of five and nine tap positions and voltage control through photovoltaic power generators, is studied. The study considers two different cases for placing and sizing the photovoltaic generators in a low voltage network. The results of 38 low voltage networks are provided.In the second part, the hosting capacities of 631 low voltage networks, located in a French metropolitan area, are analysed by using an on-load tap changer of five and an on-load tap changer of nine tap positions.The work has been together with Électricité Réseau Distribution France (ERDF), the major French distribution system operator. All studies presented in the thesis are based on the real operational data of the company. Moreover, all studies are implemented on a platform that is widely used in the power distribution industry.As an introductory part to low voltage networks, the thesis provides a general view about the French power system. In addition, the thesis presents a number of selected technologies considering low voltage networks that seem promising in the future.

Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Sport mega-events are a powerful tool for branding nations. There has been a significant shift in countries that bid for and win the rights to host sport mega-events. Historically, Western countries used to be leaders in winning rights to host such events; however a new emerging trend has seen developing countries winning the rights ahead of developed ones, for example, South Africa, Brazil and Russia winning the rights to host the FIFA World CupTM. South Africa faced a serious branding challenge leading up to the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. Therefore, one of the primary objectives of hosting this tournament was to change international tourists’ perceptions of South Africa. There has been limited research on the brand legacies of the 2010 FIFA World CupTM, hence this research examined the brand image legacies of the tournament in the long run. It is believed that the football fans who attended the 2016 UEFA European Championship either visited South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World CupTM or watched the tournament on television (TV) at home, therefore they have certain perceptions of South Africa as a sport tourism destination. A quantitative methodology was employed to survey football tourists at fan parks and stadium precincts in five metropolitan cities in France during the 2016 UEFA European Championship, using a spatially based systematic sampling technique. In total 391 football tourist questionnaires were completed. The key findings reveal that prior to the 2010 FIFA World CupTM, football tourists’ perceptions of South Africa as a sport tourism destination were generally positive; however they indicated that they were very concerned about safety and security, as well as segregation issues, prior to the tournament. It can be argued that the tournament had a significant impact on reinforcing the positive perceptions of the destination as well as reducing the negative perceptions of the destination. The findings reveal statistically significant differences in most aspects between tourists’ perceptions prior to, and six years after, the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. Tourists’ perceptions on most aspects changed positively six years after the event, including those that were major concerns prior to the tournament. The findings also show that there has been very little repeat visitation to South Africa since South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA Word CupTM. However, an overwhelming majority of respondents indicated that they were willing to travel to South Africa should it host another sport mega-event in the near future. The key findings of this study have a wider applicability to sport mega-events legacy research and body of knowledge. These key findings can assist destination marketers in managing the destination image and foster a greater understanding of brand image legacies of past mega-events in order to inform the bidding and hosting of future sport mega-events.

La recherche porte sur l’hébergement interpersonnel, défini comme l’accueil informel, non professionnalisé et durable, par un hébergeur, au sein de son domicile, d’un parent, d’un ami ou d’un proche, démuni de logement. Elle est menée à partir d’une position de praticien-chercheur et se veut à la fois qualitative, compréhensive et inductive. Le terrain géographique d’investigation est la ville de Paris. Les données ont été recueillies dans cinq arrondissements auprès de quinze hébergés et douze hébergeurs et auprès de neuf travailleurs sociaux exerçant au sein du Conseil général de Paris en service spécialisé RSA (Revenu de Solidarité Active) ou dans le cadre de la polyvalence de secteur. L’hébergement interpersonnel est analysé en tant que fait social, avec ses caractéristiques et ses spécificités, puis en tant que pratique sociale signifiante pour ses acteurs, avec sa dynamique propre, régie par l’économie du don, productrice d’effets personnels et sociaux inclusifs, dans une dimension de « suppléance sociale », ou excluants pour les hébergés, parfois pour les hébergeurs. Les modalités d’intervention sociale sont étudiées, dans une perspective d’analyse des pratiques professionnelles, à partir du positionnement du service social en tant que tiers social, tiers symbolique et tiers médiateur, accompagnant les acteurs de l’hébergement dans la résolution de leurs problématiques (soutien aux fonctions et places tenues par les actants, étayage et médiation favorisant le maintien de l’hébergement, actions de type procédurales de recherche de solutions alternatives à l’hébergement). / The research analyses lodging people, described as an informal enduring and non professional greeting, by an host, in his house, about homeless related to him, homeless friend or homeless next of kin. It is led from practitioner - researcher's position and aims to be at the same time qualitative, comprehensive and inductive. The geographical ground of investigation is the city of Paris. Data were collected in five districts with fifteen guests and twelve hosts and with nine social workers practicing within the General Council of Paris in specialized service Active Solidarity Revenue or the framework of the versatility of sector. The interpersonal accommodation is analyzed as a social situation, with its characteristics and specificities, then as significant social practice for his actors, with his appropriate dynamics, governed by the economy of the gif, producer of including personal and social effects, in a dimension of “social substitution", or excluding for the accommodated, sometimes for the hosts. Social intervention methods are studied through an analysis of the professional practices, from the positioning of the social services department as mediation symbolic and third social, party, accompanying the actors of the hosting in the resolution of their problems (support for the functions and the places held by agents, propping up and mediation favoring the preservation of the hosting, the procedural actions of type of search for alternative solutions the hosting).