Thesis advisor: Vladimir Bandera / The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the balance-of-payments problems of a particular debtor country by focusing on the effects of rapid external debt accumulation and of expanding debt servicing obligations on external balance. Brazil from 1948 to 1963 Is a logical choice for a study of this type since severe debt servicing problems were experienced throughout this period, particularly between 1955 and 1963. The Intention is not to portray Brazil as a typical debtor country since its problems were more intense and more immediate than related problems in most other debtor countries in the process of development. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 1967. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-117)

The future of space development has been examined in the context of the infrastructure necessary support it. It is concluded that the selection of propulsion systems for in-orbit transportation requires the development of general computer codes capable of simulating the use of a wide range of propulsion systems on near-Earth missions. It is also concluded that, even if limited infrastructural development occurs, polar orbiting spacecraft will be an important feature of future space activities. Replacing current single-use polar spacecraft with extended-life serviceable platforms is attractive. However, the very limited manned access polar orbits in the mid-term future suggests that such platforms will only be possible if remote telerobotic/autonomous servicing can be carried out. To this extent polar platforms are considered to provide a useful driver and first testbed for the development of technologies designed to extend human capability in those regimes where direct mediation is not possible. Options for such remote servicing are examined, the concept of performing nodal transfers by enhanced differential nodal drift is introduced and the application of electric propulsion to this discussed. Low-thrust orbital manoeuvres are analyzed in this context and the conditions for optimum nodal transfer defined. Particular service vehicle configurations are then defined against a projected infrastructure and baseline polar platform constellation. A model for the service vehicle is defined and its performance investigated using a number of electric propulsion systems. Simulations of transfer manoeuvres; have been carried out and the effects and relative importance of the various orbit perturbations identified. It is concluded that a service vehicle propelled by a Xenon ion system offers the capability required and two final configurations are identified characterising different servicing mission upload schemes.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

We develop a bivariate binomial model to price Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSRs). Our model is an improvement over previous MSR pricing models by explicitly incorporating the realistic assumptions that there are additional costs involved in servicing delinquent loans. In addition to the Hilliard et al. mortgage-pricing tree, we extend additional sub-branches to model the borrower's decision of prepayment, cure, and foreclosure after a loan becomes delinquent. We then investigate how the value of the Mortgage Servicing Right varies with interest rate volatility, house price volatility, delinquency options, deficiency judgments, default penalties, forbearance periods, and speed of adjustments factors.

Access to space is becoming less expensive, which is allowing smaller companies with big ideas, such as on-orbit servicing and repair, to enter into the space industry. On-orbit servicing and repair provides capabilities, such as towing, refueling, inspections, and physical repair, to add additional life to on-orbit satellites by resolving life-limiting issues. On-orbit servicing and repair is technically possible, but there is still one major issue that continues to stifle the on-orbit servicing and repair market -- “satellites are not built with servicing in mind” (Parker, 2015).The on-orbit servicing and repair industry is stagnate due to a challenging conundrum. Potential satellite customers are unwilling to pay for on-orbit servicing or repair until the capability is successfully demonstrated on-orbit. Unfortunately, it is difficult for the industry to prove the capability without customers willing to take a little risk. This “chicken and egg” scenario leaves several satellite manufacturers unwilling to change their satellite architectures and designs to accommodate on-orbit servicing and repair. This paper attempts to show the “how” and the “why” the space industry should change their architectures and designs to enable on-orbit servicing and repair.There are many satellite bus components/consumables, including software, that could fail and shorten a satellite’s life. However, the bus components/consumables that fail the most, batteries, solar arrays, propellant, reaction wheels, and power distribution components, are best suited for on-orbit servicing and repair. These five bus components/consumables, in addition to the satellite as a whole, will require several design changes specific to each bus component, which will drive new or updated requirements for each. Additionally, to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of on-orbit servicing and repair, satellite architectures will require changes, such as an on-orbit depot, on-orbit warehouse, and on-orbit gas tank.The consequence of changing satellite design will affect satellite ground testing. The on-orbit servicing and repair processes, such as rendezvous, docking, and EMI/EMC will require testing between the on-orbit servicer and its customer satellite. The on-orbit servicing and repair capability provides the satellite manufacturer the ability to reduce qualification testing, run-time testing, and burn-in testing. This capability increases the probability that redundancy for these five bus components/consumables is no longer required, which reduces the hardware cost and testing schedule for each satellite. On-orbit servicing and repair creates seven new risks -- do no harm, debris and contamination, on-orbit servicer reliability, politics, cyber security, liability, and unintended consequences -- that must be mitigated.Two simple business cases demonstrate the possible value of this new capability. The business case for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) does not provide a return on investment, because on-orbit servicing and repair in LEO is too difficult and too expensive to justify an investment. On the other hand, the business case for Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), in two distinct scenarios, does provide a return on investment. Those two scenarios are a beginning of life anomaly, and an extension of life.

The impact of external debt on economic growth is a debatable issue between scholars since the onset of the debt crisis in 1980’s. This thesis examines whether external debt affects the economic growth of selected heavily indebted poor African countries through the debt overhang and debt crowding out effect. This is carried out by using data for eight heavily indebted poor African countries between 1991 to 2010.The result from estimation shows that external debt affects economic growth by the debt crowding out effect rather than debt overhang. Moreover, in an attempt to mark out debt servicing history, the thesis found the selected countries are not paying (servicing) more than 95% of their accumulated debt.

This thesis considers the role of union full time officers in union organising strategies. Two decades of promoting union organising influenced by models developed by the AFL-CIO, has failed to arrest the decline of UK trade unions let alone produce evidence of renewal. Focusing mainly on one region in the UKs largest public sector trade union, Unison, the research provides for a detailed account of how organising strategies affect union work, presenting thick and deep data from full time officers (Regional Organisers), Regional Management, Senior National Officials, other Unison staff and lay representatives. The research focuses on the previously neglected role of full time officers in union organising strategies and considers how such strategies can change both the role of the full time officer and relations with other union constituencies. The research contributes to the ongoing study of trade union attempts to renew in the cold climate of globalisation and neo-liberalism. In doing so it also considers the much ignored area of the role of union bureaucracy in union organising strategies and the potential distortion or opposition it may present. Consequently the research also synthesises literature on union organising with classical theories of trade unions. Unison embraced the TUC’s promotion of grassroots organising and, it has been claimed, has been transformed into an organising union. The research questions this judgement by revealing a disconnection between organising strategies from workplace realities, resulting in an increasing managerialism and attempts to extend control over full time officers. A key consequence of these developments is the deterioration in the ability of Unison to represent members, both collectively and individually, leading to a potential crisis in representational capacity and ability providing the prospect for further union decline.

by Chow Ho Wai. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-51). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF EXHIBITS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / PREFACE --- p.vii / CHAPTERS / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Definition of Syndicated Loans --- p.1 / Definition of Pricing --- p.2 / Project Objectives --- p.2 / Project Scope --- p.3 / Chapter II. --- KEY ELEMENTS OF SYNDICATED LOAN MARKET --- p.4 / Benefits to Borrowers --- p.4 / Benefits to Lenders --- p.6 / Types of Syndicated Facilities --- p.11 / Titles and Roles --- p.12 / Principal Terms and Conditions --- p.14 / Hong Kong Market Characteristics --- p.16 / Chapter III. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.22 / Literature Review --- p.22 / Model --- p.24 / Sample Data --- p.27 / Analytical Methods --- p.29 / Chapter IV. --- EMPIRICAL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS --- p.32 / Significant Independent Variables --- p.32 / Loan Pricing Model --- p.34 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.35 / APPENDICES --- p.39 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.50

O mundo do petróleo envolve investimentos de bilhões de dólares por ano, sendo que falhas e acidentes com sondas de perfuração/produção de poços de petróleo podem resultar em severas conseqüências econômicas e judiciais as empresas responsáveis pela operação destes equipamentos. Atualmente no Brasil a maior parte das sondas de produção terrestre está em operação há mais de três décadas e não há um levantamento ou acompanhamento estatístico dos acidentes operacionais ocorridos durante a atividade de intervenção em poços de petróleo ou gás com sondas de produção terrestres. Entretanto, acidentes com estes equipamentos são freqüentes em campos brasileiros, porém devido à falta de uma fiscalização rígida, muitos destes acidentes são negligenciados. Este estudo visa à elaboração de um modelo pelo método de elementos finitos para avaliação dos limites operacionais de estruturas de mastros de sondas de produção terrestres. O trabalho foi elaborado a partir dos requisitos e recomendações técnicas da Norma API Spec 4F - 3ª edição: 2008. O estudo apresentou o comportamento estrutural do mastro da sonda de produção terrestre após alguns anos em operação, a partir de um estudo de engenharia reversa em campo. Foi realizado um levantamento das características geométricas, dimensionais e tipos de materiais utilizados na fabricação da estrutura. Após o levantamento em campo, foram analisados todos os requisitos e requerimentos técnicos da norma API 4F aplicáveis à realidade da operação destes equipamentos em campos brasileiros. Através do modelo de elementos finitos foram apresentados em forma de gráficos os limites operacionais de carregamentos simples e combinados que a estrutura da sonda pode ser submetida. Também é apresentado um estudo comparativo entre a carga de içamento estático especificada originalmente pelo fabricante e o valor atual que a estrutura pode ser submetida, bem como as regiões mais críticas do mastro. / The world oil involves investiments of billions dollars per year, however, failures and accidents with drilling rigs / well servicing rigs mast of oil Wells can result in severe consequences economics and legals to companies responsibles by operation this equipments. Currently in Brazil most onshore rigs are in operation more than three decades and there isn´t survey or statistics monitoring of the operational accidents ocurred during well servicing activity in well oil or gas with onshore rigs masts. However accidents with this equipments are frequents in Brazilian fields, but due absence of a rigid inspection, many of these accidents are ignored. This study aimed at developing a model by the Finite Element Method to evaluate the structural operational limits of onshore well servicing rigs masts. The dissertation was drafted from the technical requirements and recommendations of API Spec 4F - 3rd 2008 Edition Standard. The study showed the structural behavior of onshore well servicing probe mast structure after a few years in operation, from a reverse engineering study in the field. A survey of geometric features, dimensions and types of materials used in the structure manufacturing was conducted. After the field survey, all the API 4F Standard technical requirements, applicable to this equipment operational reality in Brazilian fields were analyzed. By the Finite Element Model, the operational limits of single and combined loads that the probe structure can be subjected were presented in graph form. A comparative study between static hoisting load originally specified by the manufacturer and the current value that the structure can be submitted was also presented, as well as the most critical regions of the mast.