Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Cyanobacterial blooms are currently one of the most important issues faced by environmental agencies, water authorities and public health organizations. Remote sensing provides an advanced approach to monitor cyanobacteria by detecting and quantifying chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and phycocaynin (PC). In this thesis, an analytical bio-optical model, more typically applied to ocean waters, was modified to accommodate the complexity of inland waters. The newly developed models work well to estimate inherent optical properties, including absorption and backscattering coefficients, in eight different study sites distributed around the globe. Based on derived absorption coefficients, Chl-a and PC concentrations were accurately retrieved for data sets collected annually from 2006 to 2010, and the estimation accuracy exceeded that of currently used algorithms. An important advantage of the model is that low concentrations of Chl-a and PC can be predicted more accurately, enabling early warning of cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, the results also indicated good spatial and temporal transferability of the algorithms, since no specific calibration procedures were required for data sets collected in a different sites and seasons. The compatibility of the newly developed algorithm with MERIS spectra provides the possibility for routine surveillance of cyanobacterial growth in inland waters.

Since the transportation sector still relies mostly on fossil fuels, the emissions and overall environmental impacts of the transportation sector are particularly relevant to the mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change. Sustainable transportation therefore plays a vital role in the ongoing discussion on how to promote energy insecurity and address future energy requirements. One of the most promising ways to increase energy security and reduce emissions from the transportation sector is to support alternative fuel technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs). As vehicles become electrified, the transportation fleet will rely on the electric grid as well as traditional transportation fuels for energy. The life cycle cost and environmental impacts of EVs are still very uncertain, but are nonetheless extremely important for making policy decisions. Moreover, the use of EVs will help to diversify the fuel mix and thereby reduce dependence on petroleum. In this respect, the United States has set a goal of a 20% share of EVs on U.S. roadways by 2030. However, there is also a considerable amount of uncertainty in the market share of EVs that must be taken into account. This dissertation aims to address these inherent uncertainties by presenting two new models: the Electric Vehicles Regional Optimizer (EVRO), and Electric Vehicle Regional Market Penetration (EVReMP). Using these two models, decision makers can predict the optimal combination of drivetrains and the market penetration of the EVs in different regions of the United States for the year 2030. First, the life cycle cost and life cycle environmental emissions of internal combustion engine vehicles, gasoline hybrid electric vehicles, and three different EV types (gasoline plug-in hybrid EVs, gasoline extended-range EVs, and all-electric EVs) are evaluated with their inherent uncertainties duly considered. Then, the environmental damage costs and water footprints of the studied drivetrains are estimated. Additionally, using an Exploratory Modeling and Analysis method, the uncertainties related to the life cycle costs, environmental damage costs, and water footprints of the studied vehicle types are modeled for different U.S. electricity grid regions. Next, an optimization model is used in conjunction with this Exploratory Modeling and Analysis method to find the ideal combination of different vehicle types in each U.S. region for the year 2030. Finally, an agent-based model is developed to identify the optimal market shares of the studied vehicles in each of 22 electric regions in the United States. The findings of this research will help policy makers and transportation planners to prepare our nation*s transportation system for the future influx of EVs. The findings of this research indicate that the decision maker*s point of view plays a vital role in selecting the optimal fleet array. While internal combustion engine vehicles have the lowest life cycle cost, the highest environmental damage cost, and a relatively low water footprint, they will not be a good choice in the future. On the other hand, although all-electric vehicles have a relatively low life cycle cost and the lowest environmental damage cost of the evaluated vehicle options, they also have the highest water footprint, so relying solely on all-electric vehicles is not an ideal choice either. Rather, the best fleet mix in 2030 will be an electrified fleet that relies on both electricity and gasoline. From the agent-based model results, a deviation is evident between the ideal fleet mix and that resulting from consumer behavior, in which EV shares increase dramatically by the year 2030 but only dominate 30 percent of the market. Therefore, government subsidies and the word-of-mouth effect will play a vital role in the future adoption of EVs.

Knowledge management (KM) has been cited as a strategic asset and a source of competitive advantage for organisations. While the issues of KM have been widely discussed by many researchers, there is a paucity of studies pertaining to the role of KM in enhancing organisational performance, especially in the banking sector. The focus of this research was to investigate the role of KM in enhancing organisational performance in selected banks of South Africa. The objective was to find out how knowledge was identified, captured, organised and retained in order to enhance performance of the banks. There is uncertainty about whether the use of KM could partly solve the banks‟ approaches to improving their quality of service to their communities in the modern information environment. Though KM has been implemented in commercial and business environments towards operational advantages and financial gains, KM survival principles and tools might help South African banks improve performance and fulfil their mandate. Knowledge, when properly managed, can significantly enhance an organisation‟s performance. The research design that was used in this study was an embedded case study design. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of middle level managers with the aid of a survey whilst interviews and document analysis were used to collect qualitative data. The findings of this study indicated that KM concepts were not universally understood at selected banks. The findings showed that collaboration between banks and the communities in creating a meaningful and relevant knowledge environment was essential for the survival of organisations. The banking industry practices were not deliberately based on KM but the study established that they were amenable to KM practices. The recommendation was to perform a knowledge inventory which could help develop appropriate institution-wide policies and practices for proper and well-organised methods of integrating work processes, collaborating and sharing (including the efficient use of knowledge technology platforms), and developing an enabling institutional culture. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Consulting Psychology)

The principal goal of this research study was to critically evaluate the current accounting treatment of purchased goodwill in terms of a theoretical framework established, including an evaluation of the true nature of goodwill. The main conclusion of this study is that goodwill is an intangible asset representing various intangible factors contributing to the enterprise's earning capacity and providing returns in excess of a normal return on assets employed for which an acquiring enterprise is willing to pay an amount in excess of the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired. The cost of purchased goodwill is measured as the difference between the total purchase price and the fair value of the net assets acquired after ensuring that all assets, tangible and intangible, had been properly identified. Purchased goodwill should be amortised over the estimated period that the enterprise is expected to benefit from the acquisition of the goodwill. / Financial Accounting / M. Com. (Accounting Science (Applied Accountancy))

Le travail présenté dans ce mémoire a pour objectif d'aboutir à une meilleure caractérisation expérimentale du comportement non drainé du sable d'Hostun à l'échelle locale, en relation avec les différentes méthodes de reconstitution utilisées. On vise en particulier à mettre en évidence la façon dont la microstructure influence les propriétés des sols granulaires, notamment vis-à-vis de l'instabilité de liquéfaction. Le point clé de ce travail consiste en l'utilisation de capteurs piézoélectriques pour mesurer les vitesses d'onde de cisaillement au sein d'éprouvettes triaxiales reconstituées par trois techniques différentes à savoir le damage humide, la pluviation à sec et la pluviation sous eau. Les résultats obtenus mettent en évidence l'influence considérable du mode de fabrication sur le comportement mécanique du sable. Ils montrent que pour une même densité initiale, et à même pression de confinement, le comportement mécanique observé est très différent selon les trois modes de préparation. Les valeurs de vitesses d'onde de cisaillement enregistrées sont différentes d'un mode de déposition à un autre. Concernant l'anisotropie, le matériau préparé par damage humide présente un certain degré d'anisotropie inhérente, qui est toutefois minimal. En revanche, la pluviation à sec et la pluviation sous eau induisent des structures initiales plus isotropes. / This work aims to achieve a better experimental characterization of the undrained behavior of the Hostun HN31 sand at the local scale, depending on the different procedures used for sample reconstitution. We particularly highlight the influence of the microstructure on the mechanical behavior of sand especially in relation to liquefaction instability. The key point of this work consists of the use of piezoelectric transducers to measure shear wave velocities within triaxial sand specimens. These specimens have been prepared by different methods, namely: moist tamping, dry pluviation and water pluviation. The obtained results highlight the considerable influence of the deposition mode on the mechanical behavior of sand. They show that for the same initial density, and at the same confining pressure, the mechanical behavior is very different from the three preparation methods. Furthermore, the values of shear wave velocity are different from one deposition mode to another. Concerning the anisotropy, the material prepared by moist tamping presents an inherent degree of anisotropy, which it is however minimal. On the other hand, dry pluviation and water pluviation induce more isotropic initial structures. Moreover, the initial anisotropy is less important than the anisotropy induced by loading. These experimental results indicate that the initial state of a granular medium can not be described by only couple of scalar variables of initial density and confining pressure: a variable that can reflect the initial microstructure and an evolution law of this variable are necessary to model the experimental observations.

Knowledge management (KM) has been cited as a strategic asset and a source of competitive advantage for organisations. While the issues of KM have been widely discussed by many researchers, there is a paucity of studies pertaining to the role of KM in enhancing organisational performance, especially in the banking sector. The focus of this research was to investigate the role of KM in enhancing organisational performance in selected banks of South Africa. The objective was to find out how knowledge was identified, captured, organised and retained in order to enhance performance of the banks. There is uncertainty about whether the use of KM could partly solve the banks‟ approaches to improving their quality of service to their communities in the modern information environment. Though KM has been implemented in commercial and business environments towards operational advantages and financial gains, KM survival principles and tools might help South African banks improve performance and fulfil their mandate. Knowledge, when properly managed, can significantly enhance an organisation‟s performance. The research design that was used in this study was an embedded case study design. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of middle level managers with the aid of a survey whilst interviews and document analysis were used to collect qualitative data. The findings of this study indicated that KM concepts were not universally understood at selected banks. The findings showed that collaboration between banks and the communities in creating a meaningful and relevant knowledge environment was essential for the survival of organisations. The banking industry practices were not deliberately based on KM but the study established that they were amenable to KM practices. The recommendation was to perform a knowledge inventory which could help develop appropriate institution-wide policies and practices for proper and well-organised methods of integrating work processes, collaborating and sharing (including the efficient use of knowledge technology platforms), and developing an enabling institutional culture. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Consulting Psychology)

A presente dissertação examina a cessão fiduciária do direito do acionista aos dividendos, bem como a titularidade fiduciária (garantia real) dela resultante. A razão para a análise desses institutos deve-se ao aumento no uso desta forma de garantia em operações financeiras complexas realizadas no mercado nacional. Primeiramente, é feita uma análise das diversas acepções (perfis) que o direito do acionista ao dividendo pode assumir no contexto do ordenamento jurídico nacional, para daí concluir que tal direito é passível de cessão tanto em sua condição de crédito, presente ou futuro (a depender, justamente, da existência ou não de lucros sociais já deliberados), quanto em sua condição de direito expectativo. Isto é, de direito que o acionista detém, a partir do momento em que se torna titular de ações, de vir a adquirir direitos de créditos de dividendos a serem distribuídos pela companhia de tempos em tempos. Em razão da necessidade da imediata constituição da garantia real, especialmente diante de uma eventual falência ou recuperação judicial do devedor, este trabalho conclui que a titularidade fiduciária deve recair sobre o direito expectativo aos dividendos, visto ser ele um direito já existente e que permite ao seu respectivo titular se tornar, direta e imediatamente, proprietário dos créditos de dividendos que vierem a ser futuramente distribuídos pela companhia, desde que estes estejam limitados a certos valores e/ou períodos previamente acordados entre o credor/financiador e o devedor/acionista. Ademais, apesar de ser um direito inerente à participação social, o destaque e a cessão autônoma do direito expectativo aos dividendos não conflita com o disposto no art. 28 da LSA. O presente estudo argumenta também que o credor fiduciário pode, nos termos do art. 113 da LSA, exercer certos direitos de voto na companhia, desde que (1) o objeto da garantia seja o direito expectativo aos dividendos e (2) a sua influência nas deliberações sociais restrinja-se a estabelecer a forma como o lucro social será apurado e distribuído pela sociedade. Por fim, é argumentado também que, por ser uma garantia que recai sobre direitos patrimoniais pagos em dinheiro, duas consequências imediatas revelam- se aplicáveis: (i) durante o período em que não existe qualquer inadimplemento ou vencimento regular da dívida garantida, os dividendos que vierem a ser pagos pela companhia deverão ser destinados ao acionista devedor, podendo o credor deles se beneficiar apenas quando existir o efetivo vencimento ou inadimplemento da dívida; e (ii) durante o período de inadimplemento ou na data de vencimento regular da dívida, o credor pode reter os recursos necessários à satisfação de seu crédito, desde que restitua o eventual excedente ao acionista devedor, não havendo, por isso, razão que justifique o enquadramento da excussão da garantia como sendo uma violação à proibição do pacto comissório, conforme prevista no Direito brasileiro. / This dissertation examines the fiduciary assignment of shareholders rights to dividends, as well as the fiduciary ownership (security interest) resulting from it. The reason for the analysis of these legal institutes comes from the increasing use of this type of security interest in complex financial transactions carried out in the local markets. Firstly, this works conducts the analysis of the various meanings (perspectives) which shareholders\' rights to dividends may have in different contexts of the Brazilian legal system, concluding that this right may be transferred either as a credit right, existing in the present or in the future (depending precisely on the existence of corporate profits already distributed or not), or as an expectance right. By this last one, we mean the right held by the shareholder as soon as he/she/it becomes the owner of the shares issued by a certain company that enables him/her/it to become the owner of the dividends distributed by the company from time to time. Due to the importance of the immediate granting of the security interest, especially in light of a possible bankruptcy or judicial reorganization process involving the debtor, this paper concludes that the fiduciary ownership should have the expectance right to dividends as its underlying asset. This is so because such right is already an existing right that allows the shareholder to become, directly and immediately, the owner of the dividends to be distributed by the company in the future, as long as those dividends are limited to certain amounts or periods previously agreed between the creditor/financier and the debtor/shareholder. Furthermore, despite being an inherent right to the equity stake, the detach of the expectance right to dividends from the shares which comes from, following by its assignment to other parties, does not conflict with the provision set forth in Section 28 of the Brazilian Corporation Act. This study also argues that the secured creditor may exercise certain voting rights in the company responsible for the payment of the dividends, pursuant to Section 113 of the Brazilian Corporation Act, provided that: (1) the underlying asset of the security interest is the expectance right to dividends; and (2) his/her/its influence in the companys decisions is limited to the manner according to which the corporate profits will be accounted and distributed by the company. Finally, it is also argued that, for being a security interest that has receivables as its underlying assets, two consequences turn out to be applicable. (i) Over the period in which there is no default or regular maturity of the secured debt, dividends paid by the company shall be allocated in favor of the shareholder/debtor. The creditor will be able to receive them in the maturity date or upon the occurrence of a default only. (ii) Over a default period or on the regular maturity date, the creditor may retain the necessary amount of dividends to satisfy his/her/its credit, provided that any excess cash shall be transferred to the shareholder/debtor, reason for which there are reasonable grounds to sustain that this foreclosure mechanism does not violate the non-retention of collateral assets convention rule (pacto comissório) provided under Brazilian law.

Ocean optical studies have been conducted extensively in open ocean waters but less so in coastal waters where the influence of human population is increasing dramatically. The waters of the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, are very important to the rearing of young salmon and herring, and to the fishing industry of British Columbia overall. The oceanography and plankton communities of the Strait have been researched extensively, however the forces behind the frequent occurrence of phytoplankton blooms in these waters still causes debate among researchers. In order to shed some light onto this topic and increase our knowledge of the characteristics of the waters of the Strait of Georgia, optical and bio-physical data were measured in the euphotic waters of the Strait in late spring and early summer of 2006. Hyperspectral optical data were measured for the first time in these waters using in situ optical profilers to collect inherent optical properties and radiometric quantities that were later used to derive apparent optical properties. The inherent optical properties included absorption coefficient, spectral beam attenuation coefficient, chromophoric dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient, particulate absorption coefficient, and particulate scattering coefficient. In situ irradiances and radiances were used to derive various diffuse attenuation coefficients. Water masses in the euphotic zone of the Strait of Georgia were then classified into three optical water masses according to their inherent optical properties using a clustering algorithm. OM1 waters were characterized by high and spectrally-invariant particulate scattering due to inorganic particles carried by the Fraser River plume. Absorption and scattering showed some spectral dependence in OM2 waters, with particles and chromophoric dissolved organic matter contributing equally to light absorption. The deepest waters, OM3, were the least influenced by the Fraser River, and the contribution of chromophoric dissolved organic matter to absorption was greater than in OM1 and OM2. A radiative transfer model, Hydrolight, was used to model some of the optical properties that were not collected in situ and then used to assess the magnitude of light available to phytoplankton in the Strait. Based on the minimum light requirements for photosynthesis of two of the main phytoplankton species in the Strait, the analysis presented here showed that there was enough light available for photosynthesis in the photosynthetically-available radiation range for the two phytoplankton species in all three optical water masses.

This dissertation aims to develop an ethical system that can properly frame such questions as the morality of large-scale efforts to transform inanimate parts of nature, for example, proposals to terraform Mars. Such an ethics diverges from traditional approaches to ethics because it expands the class of entities regarded as morally considerable to include inanimate entities. I approach the task by building on the environmental ethical theory of Paul W. Taylor, as developed in his 1986 book Respect for Nature: A Theory of Environmental Ethics. I discuss various criticisms of Taylor and propose two extensions to his theory: an expansion of the scope of moral considerability to include all concrete material objects and the introduction of the concept of variable moral significance (the notion that all entities have inherent worth but some have more than others). Using Taylor’s modified and extended theory as a foundation, I develop something I call universal ethics. This is an ethical framework whose key elements are a fundamental ethical attitude of respect for the world and a principle of minimal harm. Universal ethics regards all concrete material entities, whether living or not, and whether natural or artefactual, as inherently valuable, and therefore as entitled to the respect of moral agents. I offer a defence of this ethical framework and discuss a number of practical applications, including criticism of proposals for the terraforming of Mars. I conclude that terraforming Mars or any other celestial body at this point in our history would be morally wrong. I also suggest that universal ethics provides an ethical foundation for efforts to protect Antarctica, and that it has implications for our relations to other inanimate parts of our world, including artefacts.

This dissertation aims to develop an ethical system that can properly frame such questions as the morality of large-scale efforts to transform inanimate parts of nature, for example, proposals to terraform Mars. Such an ethics diverges from traditional approaches to ethics because it expands the class of entities regarded as morally considerable to include inanimate entities. I approach the task by building on the environmental ethical theory of Paul W. Taylor, as developed in his 1986 book Respect for Nature: A Theory of Environmental Ethics. I discuss various criticisms of Taylor and propose two extensions to his theory: an expansion of the scope of moral considerability to include all concrete material objects and the introduction of the concept of variable moral significance (the notion that all entities have inherent worth but some have more than others). Using Taylor’s modified and extended theory as a foundation, I develop something I call universal ethics. This is an ethical framework whose key elements are a fundamental ethical attitude of respect for the world and a principle of minimal harm. Universal ethics regards all concrete material entities, whether living or not, and whether natural or artefactual, as inherently valuable, and therefore as entitled to the respect of moral agents. I offer a defence of this ethical framework and discuss a number of practical applications, including criticism of proposals for the terraforming of Mars. I conclude that terraforming Mars or any other celestial body at this point in our history would be morally wrong. I also suggest that universal ethics provides an ethical foundation for efforts to protect Antarctica, and that it has implications for our relations to other inanimate parts of our world, including artefacts.