The focus of this thesis is to explore the influence of market power possessed by seed input companies on rent distribution in an identity preserved production and marketing system. This thesis develops a theoretical model to estimate rent distribution between participants in an identity preserved production and marketing system under constrained production and the elicitation of a premium from market development activities in the presence of a range of seed ownership structures. The thesis employs an empirical model to examine rent distribution of two varieties involved in the Canadian Wheat Boards Identity Preserved Contract Program.<p> The theoretical model demonstrates that market development activities for an identity preserved production and marketing program had a diminished impact on farmers when the seed industry possessed a large degree of market power. The finding of the theoretical model were consistent with that of the empirical model, where the price of certified seed for varieties involved in the identity preserved production and marketing program were priced higher than conventional varieties. The difference in price was found to be greater than the premiums offered by the Identity Preserved Contract Program marketing and/or production contracts for Saskatchewan farmers that received average yields and average prices of grain.

Ovarian stimulation in assisted reproduction often leads to the production of a high number of oocytes. After fertilization of these oocytes, the resulting embryos can be cryopreserved for later use. Vitrification is a recently introduced method for cryostoring embryos, showing high survival rates for both cleavage stage embryos and blastocysts. Characteristic of vitrification are high concentrations of cryoprotectants and ultra fast freezing which makes the material glassily. A major concern with vitrification has been the direct contact of the cryo-solutions with liquid nitrogen. Therefore, sealed containers have been developed and one of these is the Rapid-i™ made by Vitrolife Sweden AB. We evaluated this new device using embryos not suitable for embryo transfer or cryopreservation for clinical purposes. Embryos at cleavage stages were first vitrified and then warmed. Outcome parameters were cryosurvival and development to the blastocyst stage. Blastocysts were randomised between the established VitroLOOP™ and the Rapid-i™ as carriers. Outcome parameters were cryosurvival and further development. Our results show that Rapid-i™ gives good survival rates in vitrification for cleavage stage embryos and blastocysts.

The use of a wireless sensor network (WSN) to monitor an historic structure under rehabilitation is the focus of this research. To thoroughly investigate the issue, two main objectives are addressed: the development of a reliable WSN tailored for use in historic structures, and the implementation of the monitoring system in the field to test the feasibility of the WSN and its applicability for structural health monitoring (SHM). Three field studies are undertaken in this research. The Frankford Church, an historic wooden church which required foundation replacement, is the first field study. Sensors monitor tilt of the church’s walls throughout construction. During the construction process, the entire floor of the church is removed and the tree stump foundations are replaced by concrete masonry unit (CMU) blocks and steel pedestals. The tilt in the walls is correlated to the construction process. St. Paul Lutheran, an historic masonry church with timber-framed roof, constitutes the second field study. In this structure, the foundations along the exterior walls are underpinned and the floors are removed and replaced with a floating concrete slab. Detected movements are also correlated to the construction efforts. The Johanniskirche, an historic masonry church with moisture problems, is the final field study case. Real-time and past measured WSN climate data is used to determine the most appropriate solution for the humid climate and resulting condensation problems in this structure. From these results, a moisture migration risk analysis protocol is created for use with a WSN to address condensation issues. The results of the tilt monitoring indicate that the approach is realistic to monitor tilt in the walls of historic structures. For future research, it is recommended to implement motes with higher tilt sensitivity. Also, further development of energy saving algorithms and energy harvesting methods will improve the WSN’s performance. Climate monitoring results show it is feasible to monitor climate conditions of historic structures. The moisture migration protocol provides a basis for further improvement. Implementation of this tool will help predict condensation events and prevent future damage to the historic structure.

Thesis (M.S.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008 / Directed by Jo Leimenstoll; submitted to the Dept. of Interior Architecture. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan. 28, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-62).

The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Mogao Caves or the Thousand Buddhas Caves, is located at the southeast of Dunhuang, northwestern China. It is a very important cultural heritage site on the Silk Road and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Mogao Grottoes is a Buddhist shrine with 45,000 square meters of wall paintings and 3,000 sculptures within 492 cave temples from the 4th to 14th centuries; it is also known as the world’s largest existing cave temple with the richest content of Buddhist art. In 1900, the Library Cave was discovered, in which more than 50,000 well-preserved manuscripts, silk paintings, and other relics of important academic research value were. With its long history and profound culture, Mogao Grottoes became a hot tourist destination in China. A growing numbers of visitors, especially in recent years, bring great challenges for heritage preservation and tourism at Mogao. Dunhuang Academy developed a preservation and utilization project in order to cope with this conflict between preservation and tourism, ensure the heritage is well, and develop sustainable tourism. This paper analyzes the current visitor management methods and the risks from visitors and evaluates the proposals for cave carrying capacity, visitor capacity management, visitor flow management, and a visitor center, including the good points of each and the potential problems associated with the caves preservation, site security, and visitors’ experiences. Finally, the paper discusses the overall project and proposes a recommendation for visitor management and developing sustainable tourism at Mogao Grottoes. / text

For my Master’s Design Study, I worked on adaptive reuse and a new addition for the Littlefield Home, a late-nineteenthcentury- Victorian-style residence, on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Like other historic buildings in briskly changing urban environments, this historic site needs some help to become a more useful campus property with no damage on its architectural character. The biggest challenge of this project was how a contemporary addition could be “compatible” but “differentiated” with the older buildings and site, following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. This design topic has often been controversial, and architects have frequently been confused about their responsibility. My project shows advanced criteria for architects who work on architectural heritages and is closely associated with a topic of contemporary historic preservation: balancing change, preservation, and development. The Littlefield Home and new addition will create a better working environment for the UT Development Office and ensure the long-term preservation of the historic property. My Littlefield Home project will show a technical and aesthetical collaboration of contemporary architecture with historic properties. / text

One of the most notably successful historic preservation tools is the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach™, which focuses on using design, economic restructuring, promotion, and organization to achieve its goals of preservation-based economic revitalization in cities across America. The Main Street Program’s approach has been broadly designed to accommodate the unique combination of factors that differ from city to city. Three of Texas’s twenty recertified Main Street cities were studied in order to answer the question: In recertified Main Street cities, what are the impacts within a historic downtown district after a community leaves the program and what factors encourage their return? This study examines the effects participation in the program has had on the downtown historic districts of Brenham, Gainesville, and Kilgore. The act of joining, leaving, and rejoining the program provides an opportunity for internal comparisons within these communities over time. Interviews and archival research were used to determine the reasons each selected recertified city left and returned to the program, and identified current problems that could threaten the program’s continued success. Despite some differing circumstances, these case studies suggest that the basic reasons both for leaving the program and later returning were strikingly similar: economic hardships in the cities eliminated support for the projects, causing them to end participation, while continued struggles with downtown vacancy rates and high business turnover sparked interest in rejoining. These communities realized the worth of the Main Street program’s structure and network in the success of revitalizing their downtown historic districts. The flexibility of the program’s framework allows for each participating city to tailor the approach to meet their specific needs and highlight their unique character. While the methods of implementation differ, many of the ongoing problems are the same. Recertified cities represent only a quarter of the cities currently participating in the Texas Main Street Program, but the lessons learned are potentially valuable to all Main Street communities as they face challenges in revitalizing their downtown districts and encourage the longevity of their own programs. / text

Increasing concern with the amount of energy required to maintain static indoor conditions in hot-humid climates is encouraging designers to again contemplate passive methods of indoor environmental control. Yet prevailing cultural perceptions of acceptable comfort levels make building occupants wary of any suggestions to reduce the mechanical control of building interiors. The rapid deployment of air-conditioning in the building sector over the past fifty years and its consequent pervasiveness nearly guarantees that most Americans have had little conscious experience with non-conditioned space. This thesis considers the potential for historic sites in Texas to interpret pre-air-conditioned indoor environmental conditions and to demonstrate historical approaches to climate mitigation. Within the context of preservation practice and theory, this study examines the historical context for these sites, particularly the professional and cultural constraints on architectural design in the nineteenth-century American South and architects’ strategies for managing environmental conditions within the limits of prevailing stylistic modes. Three case study sites are explored as potential venues for discovery and interpretation of traditional or transitional methods of cooling and ventilation: Historic Texas (Goliad and Comal county) courthouses, Galveston Historical Foundation’s Gresham House (Bishop’s Palace), and the University of Texas at Austin’s Battle Hall. Issues of historical interpretation are discussed and strategies that could be deployed in an indoor-climate interpretive program are proposed. With the rest of the world poised to follow America’s lead into a fully air-conditioned existence, it is critical to understand the modes and methods building designers used in the past in order to imagine alternate futures. Historic buildings and sites are well positioned to be the interpreters of those conditions and activities that made life in a hot-humid climate manageable. However, the ways in which preservationists value and evaluate historic buildings may have to change in order to participate meaningfully in this discussion. / text

This report proposes to create an historic preservation plan for the rehabilitation of 1108 Olive Street, a National Register Eligible Building, to remain a residence. The plan calls for rehabilitating the house while maintaining its architectural integrity in an economical manner. In addition to revealing the architectural importance of the house, 1108 Olive’s evaluation serves as a guideline for maintaining its architectural significance and historic fabric by informing the development of the rehabilitation plan. This plan assesses the building’s condition and includes recommendations for maintenance and repair of the existing structure based on the criteria found in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Divided into two primary sections, the first part of the project provides cultural context, documentation, and an outline of current conditions for 1108 Olive, while the second section presents the rehabilitation plan. Findings are presented through both written and visual aids, including photographs, measured drawings, and maps. A condition assessment and rehabilitation plan based on the research are presented through written documentation. / text

The original design of Paseo de Diego, inaugurated in 1981 as the first full pedestrian mall in Puerto Rico, vanished with the consent of the agencies in charge of historic preservation in the island. Lack of maintenance and other management issues, rather than the architecture itself, led to a revitalization project that erased a vibrant and distinctive example of modernist urban design by a notable Puerto Rican architect in the barrio of Río Piedras, which is currently being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. The story of Paseo de Diego recounts the mall's development and recent replacement with a redesign that raises serious questions about age, preservation of rich urban layering, and the policies and regulations protecting significant historic urban fabric.