Based on data of US-listed companies a relationship between potential indicators and company performance is to be found. To determine which variables are included in the final model, a selection process ("from general to specific") is started using the Akaike Information Criterion. A panel data analysis with fixed effect models yields the coefficients using ordinary least squares techniques. In addition, a specification test is conducted to decide whether a random effect or fixed effect model is used. Finally a binary logit model is introduced in order to predict whether each measure of firm performance will beat the average value for the firms in the market. In order to conduct statistical analysis financial data of 9,854 companies for the time period from 1986 to 2004 is obtained from the Compustat (S&P) database and hereof 1,672 audited companies are kept in the sample. Summarizing, the results indicate that companies with a low book-to-market ratio, an efficient working capital management, a small portion of liquidity, more equity and less debt, and high retained earnings for reinvesting purposes will have a better profitability performance measured by the return on investment. Further on companies with an unqualified auditor's opinion, less equity and more debt, few assets, and no retained earnings will have a better cash flow performance measured by cash dividends. Finally, companies with a low book-to-market ratio, efficient working capital, more equity and less debt, negative stock rating, few assets, high EBIT margin and high profitability will have a better market performance measured by the stock price. The results indicate that there exists a relationship between company performance and financial indicators as it was assumed in the hypothesis. Although some effects seem contrary and unreasonable (compared to previous studies) at least some of the indicators are explaining a company's performance quite well. (author's abstract)

A comprehensive understanding of urban development is critical for moving towards the goal of sustainability. Despite a collection of urban sustainability indicator (USI) conceptual frameworks proposed and explored in practical urban sustainability assessment, establishing an integrated, well-quantified, spatially characterized USI model is still a challenging task. Therefore, based on a manuscript-style format this thesis develops a subjectively weighted integrated USI model and then applies it to the city of Saskatoon, SK, Canada, as a case study, based on quantifying a hierarchical index system. In addition, urban environmental sustainability is spatiotemporally investigated for an improved understanding of Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Results show that the proposed integrated USI model improved urban sustainability measurement by overcoming the shortages in existing USI models. Geospatial statistics demonstrated disparity in urban sustainability across residential neighbourhoods for Saskatoon in 2006 based on the significant clusters and outliers. It also found that population increases can possibly improve intellectual and economic well-being and promote urbanization, but may cause environmental degradation and lead to a decline in overall urban sustainability. This research also demonstrates that satellite imagery can be used to study environmental sustainability at different spatiotemporal scales. This research reveals that both urban water and green spaces had significant cooling effects on the surrounding urban LST within specific ranges. Urban surface temperature can be estimated based on a multiple linear regression model with sustainable traveling mode index and land use information as input variables. The overall significance of this research has three folds. First, it lays a preliminary theoretical foundation for a comprehensive understanding of urban sustainability based on a well-quantified integrated USI model. Second, it is relatively original with respect to improving urban sustainability measurements through the incorporation of subjective information into objective data. Third, this research has explored spatiotemporal analysis to detect urban sustainability patterns based on compiling multiple data sources using geospatial techniques. The proposed USI model is highly suitable for comparison analysis at different spatial scales as well as continuously tracking the dynamic changes. Therefore, this research can be a good practice of applying the spatiotemporal philosophy to urban geographical problems.

Volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits have a characteristic geochemical suite of enriched metals, mineralization and related hydrothermal alteration minerals; however, very little research has been carried out to determine which of these minerals may be useful for exploration in glaciated terrains and there are very few case studies in the public realm that document down-ice dispersal of these from known volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits. In response to these needs and to refine and optimize surficial exploration methods in northern Canada, this study was conducted to examine the mineralogical signature of the Izok Lake Zn-Cu-Pb-Ag VMS deposit, Nunavut and its glacial till dispersal. Glacial sediments were deposited in the Izok Lake region by the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Detailed ice flow mapping indicates four stages of ice flow (oldest to youngest): 1) southwest (255 ̊); 2) weak flow to the northwest (315 ̊); a dominant ice flow and landform trend to the west-northwest (292 ̊), and 4) northwest (318 ̊) that was only observed east of the Iznogoudh Lake area (Hicken et al., 2011). The till geochemical signature (aqua regia digestion ICP-MS analysis) for the <0.063 mm fraction of the till matrix is defined by elevated (above the 95th percentile) contents of Zn, Cu, Pb, Fe, Ag, Cd, Bi, Hg, Se, In and Tl. These element signatures in till can be detected up to 8 km down-ice from the deposit. Till geochemical data is used to evaluate which till samples are metal-rich and may contain indicator minerals. Indicator minerals for the amphibolite metamorphic grade Izok Lake VMS deposit includes: gahnite, staurolite, axinite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and pyrite. Sulphide minerals are present at lower abundances than gahnite and staurolite as they are not physically and chemically as robust/resistant during postglacial weathering. Gahnite is the most useful VMS indicator mineral in the postglaciated Izok Lake area, as it was readily identified in till heavy mineral concentrates, it is abundant (100 of grains), its chemically stable in the surficial weathering environment, and can be detected up to 40 km down-ice. This study is one of the first to document indicator minerals down-ice from a VMS deposit in a postglaciated terrain. / Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-01-31 18:24:19.909

Darbo struktūra. Darbas sudarytas iš keturių skyrių. Pirmasis skyrius yra teorinis, kuriame pateikiama techninės analizės samprata, jos indikatorių pagrindinės grupės bei populiariausių indikatorių aprašymai, tiriami jau sukurti programiniai paketai Antrajame skyriuje pateikiami siūlymai kaip reikėtų vertinti techninės analizės indikatorių signalo stiprumą, kaip standartizuoti internetu gaunamus duomenis ir kodėl reikėtų atkreipti dėmesį į jų tikslumą. Pateikiamas konceptualus sistemos modelis. Trečiojoje dalyje analizuojami atliktų eksperimentų rezultatai, daromos apibendrinamosios išvados. Ketvirtojoje dalyje pateikiamas sukurtos informacinės sistemos aprašymas. Darbo pabaigoje pateikiamos konkrečios išvados ir pasiūlymai. Svarbiausia literatūra. Atliekant darbą buvo analizuojama Lietuvos ir užsienio mokslininkų literatūra techninės analizės temomis. Teorinį pagrindą sudaro moksliniai straipsniai, internetiniai šaltiniai apie techninės analizės indikatorius, bei jų panaudojimą prekyboje. Tyrimo metodai. Teorinės dalies rengimui buvo naudojamas mokslinės literatūros apibendrinimo bei analizės metodas. Jau sukurtos programinės įrangos analizei naudotas palyginimo metodas. Formuluojant darbo bei eksperimento išvadas buvo naudojamas sisteminės analizės metodas. Apibendrinimo - bendrų logistinių modelių savybių ir požymių nusakymui. Gautų rezultatų trumpa apžvalga, reikšmingumas. Atliekant techninės analizės indikatorių testavimus, būtina atsižvelgti į duomenų vientisumą bei... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The theme of the final master‘s degree paper is: „ Information system for testing technical anglysis indicators in financial markets “. The main objective of this work was to create historical stock data maintenance system that could allow users to use it in back testing portfolios. Work consists of four major parts: theoretical, analysis, experimental and technical. In theoretical part we introduce stock markets and how technical analysis indicators are used. Technical analysis indicators are analyzed in analysis part. Also software that is already available on the market is discussed. In experimental part we analyze three chosen indicators and try to use them in portfolio back-testing on system that is being created. The results are discussed and some interesting conclusions are made. The last fourth part describes the information system that was created, technical specifications and such. The work consists of 73 pages. 30 sources of literature were used. To visualize work and analysis results, 38 pictures are included with 14 tables.

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Facilities management is emerging rapidly as a distinct and critical field of study and professional practice for all sectors of the economy. In the past it has tended to be regarded as a service function and subsumed within other areas such as engineering, the built environment and business management. The health sector is an important part of the overall FM industry because it represents a driver of capital works that is both extensive and expensive. The health sector building requirements are growing, demand regular maintenance and upgrading, and are critical to core business. An extensive literature review revealed that there has been minimal published research into the development and implementation of a central feature of effective FM, namely, performance management. Performance management provides the primary evaluation and planning tool for FM, in that it identifies the performance indicators that are meaningful to FM and core business, provides measures for those indicators and enables projective planning and benchmarking to be undertaken. This research study assesses the possibility of developing a comprehensive performance measurement system for FM in the healthcare sector. The research has two main aims: - To identify the knowledge gaps in current FM performance measurement systems in general, and for the healthcare sector in particular. - To investigate the possibility of benchmarking FM performance across the healthcare sector using a weighted assessment across all categories of performance. In order to meet the research purpose and data collection requirements from the relatively limited number of FM experts who specialise in the health sector, the research methodology employs a combination of a case study approach as an exploratory tool, and a phenomenological approach as the main qualitative design. In achieving the aims and objectives, this research helps in improving FM practice in the healthcare sector through: - Providing facility managers with a comprehensive study which highlights the achievements and knowledge gaps in FM and its performance measurement - Providing top management with a study for the effectiveness of developing decision support strategy to make effective and efficient changes to their facility management practices - Facilitate the implementation of benchmarking techniques in the health sector, in order to improve the performance of the healthcare sector FM over time. The study concludes that developing aggregate/collective KPIs for each performance measurement category of possible measure (social/quality, financial, environmental, functional, and technical) is feasible. However, before being able to develop and implement that approach an improvement to the current FM practices is required. The improvement can be achieved via either a voluntarily or compulsory commitment from top management towards FM in the organizations. This commitment should be implemented with an appropriate hierarchy from the bottom to the top. The key components include: establishing the contribution of FM to the success of the overall business in financial terms; setting agreed FM objectives; deriving meaningful general KPIs; defining the data required for each KPI; establishing the system for collecting, analyzing and interpreting the data; and conducting the benchmarking process for continual improvement.

Under the background of worldwide transition towards sustainability, Chinese government has begun to advocate nationwide sustainable-industrialization through initiating Eco-industrial Parks (EIPs) since last decade. While EIP projects are widely carried out by both central and local governments, the standards for EIP planning and management promulgated in China are considered to be inefficient and incomprehensive in this study. Due to the challenge of economy-environment conflict China confronts and the consequent narrow definition of China's EIPs which focuses mainly on environmental performance, a main limitation of the standards is the unbalanced considerations between the three basic foundations of sustainable development (SD) concept - economic growth, social development, and environmental protection and restoration. By reviewing several leading assessment tools being used internationally, as well as analyzing the specific issues existing during industrial development in China, this research intends to develop a synthetic and advanced indicator system, to evaluate China’s EIP performance. This system comprises 34 indicators that integrate four broad aspects of 'economic development', 'social development', 'environmental management', and 'administration'. For each indicator, detailed measurement and criterion are proposed for evaluation and implementation. Additionally, a case study of Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), a certificated EIP, is conducted to illustrate the application of this assessment system. The proposed indicator system is supposed to fill in the gap in EIP performance evaluation in China, from a view of the internationally perceived understandings of EIP and SD concepts. Although future studies are still needed to test and improve its feasibility and accuracy in terms of both indicator selection and criteria setting, this system provides a generic framework for EIP assessment work in China and is expected to drive China's EIP movement towards a more sustainable approach.

Thesis (M.A.P.S.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-65).

Thesis (M.A.P.S.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-65).

Thesis (M.A.P.S.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2007. / Vita. Description based on Microfiche version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-65).