Mapping spatial behavioural risk in Port Campbell National Park

Humans are inherently drawn to places of naural scenic beauty. Alone in Australia's national parks; the demand on these locations is increasing because of increased population plus increasing regional domestic travel. It is important to understand how tourists are utilising nature-based tourism resources to ensure that tourist attractions, facilities and services provided in parks are not exposed to loss events. Environmental and human losses, when combined with their likelihood of occurrence, will constitute risk. Heavy use of popular sites in particular times of the year, beyond the carrying capacity, may result in an irreparable environmental loss. Besides, human risks in terms of becoming lost in the wilderness or falling down from the cliff are significant factors that park managers are considering. It is becoming utmost important to investigate how these visitors are interacting with the natural environment, in what ways at highly vunerable sites. Park managers are now required to understand the needs, demands, preferences and motivation of visitors to vist the parks. A proactive planning to manage potential risk particularly in relatively more fragile and vulnerable environments is needed. This thesis documents a study of visitors to Loch Ard Gorge Site within the Port Campbell National Park, Victoria. Visitors were monitored for their spatial behaviour using the GPS receivers. Visitor's attitude, interests, opinions and motives to travel to the study location is surveyed using onsite self-administrated questionnaire. Total 102 individuals were surveyed to determine their preferences and to obtain their socio-demographical profiles.These were latter coupled with their GPS track movements in order to derive their elicited spatial behaviour. It is well-established fact that visitors' attitude, preferences, and socio-demographical profiles are important factors to identify risk taking spatial behaviour. Hence, this research underpins the exhibited spatial behaviour of tourist to deliver their associated spatial behavioural risk typologies. Statistical classifications of visitors, based on survey responses were categorised using K-means Cluster Analysis. As a result, six different tourist types were obtained. They are; • Mid-Allocentics possibly Risk Takers. • Allocentrics and confirmed Risk Takers. • Mid-Psychocentrics and Risk Averters. • Allocentrics and Dependent Risk Takers. • Psychocentrics and confirming Risk Averters. • Psychocentrics and Risk Averters Mass Tourists. The mean values of all clusters (cluster centroids) are interpreted to understand tourist's risk taking and/or risk averting preferences. Visitors' actual spatial behavioural were spatially analysed using movement pattern maps. The typologies subsequently were verified using Discriminant Function Analysis and in this process tests of equality of group means (Significance of F-test), ANOVA classification are discussed. The final part of Discriminant Function Analysis is to determine the linear regression equations for prediction of group membership of data points in future using classification Function Matrix (Fisher's Linear Disceriminant Function). The developed tourist typologies may help park managers to regulate and mitigate human risk prior to its occurrence by understanding the visitors personality and preferences and their risk taking probabilities

Enterprise search and discovery capability: the factors and generative mechanisms for user satisfaction.

Many organizations are re-creating the 'Google-like' experience behind their firewall to exploit their information. However, surveys show dissatisfaction with enterprise search is commonplace. No prior study has investigated unsolicited user feedback from an enterprise search user interface to understand the underlying reasons for dissatisfaction. A mixed methods longitudinal study was undertaken analysing feedback from over 1,000 users and interviewing search service staff in a multinational corporation. Results show that 62% of dissatisfaction events were due to human (information & search literacy) rather than technology factors. Cognitive biases and the 'Google Habitus' influence expectations and information behaviour, and are postulated as deep underlying generative mechanisms. The current literature focuses on 'structure' (technology and information quality) as the reason for enterprise search satisfaction, agency (search literacy) appears downplayed. Organizations which emphasise 'systems thinking' and bimodal approaches towards search strategy and information behaviour may improve capabilities

China : area, administration and spatial integration.

by Lai Shing Kau.Thesis (M. Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1980.Bibliography: l. 143-153

The expected impact of the payment services directive 2 in Portugal, at three levels: consumers, traditional banking and fintechs

The banking industry is significantly changing due to the shifting customers’ expectations, technology-driven innovations and crucial regulatory changes such as the revised Payments Services Directive (PSD2). As a result of PSD2, European banks need to share account information and payment initiations information with third-party providers, in order to increase integration, effectivity and competition on the European payment market. The purpose of this dissertation is to assess the expected impact of this regulatory change, at three different levels: consumers, banks and fintechs. Due to their distinct characteristics, each level was analysed in a different way: the consumers’ level through a quantitative analysis, with the use of questionnaires; the other two through a qualitative analysis, by conducting semi-structured interviews. Regarding consumers, it became clear that banks are highly trusted and that, although they are still unsure about the new services, the willingness to try them is considerably higher if the player is a financial institution. Banks believe that the trust consumers have in them is their major strength to cope with this change, and they are willing to go beyond the required compliance strategy and head towards an open banking approach. When compared to other European countries, they also highlighted that compliance is assured in an atypical way, due to SIBS’ intervention. Both banks and fintechs confirmed that, in order to achieve new business opportunities and overcome weaknesses, they are open to establish partnerships, reason why it is possible to state that there is a cooperation trend in the Portuguese market.A indústria bancária está a mudar significativamente devido a alterações nas expectativas dos clientes, à inovação inerente à tecnologia e a nova legislação, como a Diretiva dos Serviços de Pagamento revista (DSP2). Como resultado desta diretiva e com o objetivo de aumentar a integração, a eficiência e a competição no mercado europeu de pagamentos, os bancos passaram a ter que partilhar informação sobre contas e iniciação de pagamento com terceiros. Esta dissertação visa avaliar o impacto esperado desta diretiva a três níveis diferentes: consumidores, bancos e fintechs. Devido às suas características distintas, cada nível foi analisado de maneira diferente, nomeadamente: o nível do consumidor através de uma análise quantitativa, com questionários; os outros dois através de uma análise qualitativa, com entrevistas semiestruturadas. Em relação aos consumidores, ficou claro que existe uma grande confiança nos bancos e que, embora ainda estejam apreensivos em relação aos novos serviços, a recetividade em experimentá-los é consideravelmente maior se estes forem fornecidos por uma instituição financeira. Os bancos consideram que a confiança dos consumidores é o seu principal ponto forte para lidar com esta mudança e admitem ir além da estratégia de conformidade exigida. Comparativamente a outros países europeus, eles também destacaram que esta conformidade foi garantida de maneira atípica, devido à intervenção da SIBS. Tanto os bancos como as fintechs confirmaram que, para alcançar as oportunidades de negócios promovidas pela DSP2 e superar fragilidades atuais, estão abertos a estabelecer parcerias. Nesse sentido, é possível afirmar que há um clima de cooperação no mercado português

Model driven development implementation of a control systems user interfaces specification tool

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informátic

The cluster approach: a strategy toward development

Tesis doctoral inédita. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Departamento de Análisis Económico. Fecha de lectura : 17-10-0

Human-robot interaction in the industry

Nowadays the industry needs to face more changes in production and needs to be more competitive. Therefore a new kind of robot has been making its way into many companies. These androids perform independently and learn both how to respond to the world and how the world responds to actions they undertake. Called ‘Collaborative Robots’, they are characterized for being safe, easy to use and affordable. The aim of this thesis is to carry out a research in the new world of collaborative robots and, in particular, in how they work in the industry side by side with humans. On one hand the goal is to know the main features like safety as it is one of the main differences against the classical robots and the reason they are able to work alongside humans. On the other hand, the target is to study the way they work in order to analyze the human-robot interaction putting forward a possible paradigm and a specific organization in the workshop so that every company can face the changing flow production in the assembly line finding an easy way for the worker to adapt the robot in every different task.Outgoin

Gateway to a city: a transport interchange in Vereeniging

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional) to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017This research report is an exploration of the public arena of a transport interchange in Vereeniging’s urban centre, and the opportunities created within a zone where many people of different backgrounds converge and interact. Therefore the document looks at various forms of transport converging on a single node and how best to integrate these into a single zone where all can feed off one another and enhance the experience within the public transport realm itself. The divisions of race, class & income cannot be wished away in Vereeniging, therefore the urban context of the inner city needs to be addressed (this indirectly affects the mindsets of the city’s inhabitants). The local informal economy, mini-bus taxi industry, bus services and rail have each appropriated responses to overcome the obstacles of segregation. The entrenched presence of the local informal economy and mini-bus taxi industry and its legal conflict with formal urban systems further fuels their independence. This still young newly found independence can mature in an urban intervention in which new rules of engagement are charted and a new tradition in the built environment begins. Therefore a gateway is a metaphor for the integration of public transport modes into a point of convergence at an urban movement node. It is also here at the threshold of this gateway, in and out of the city, that trade is best exploited and social engagements have the highest potential. It is not about erasing but rather reassembling a viable urban future, through learning from and working within the given conditionsXL201

A Model for improving interoperability of healthcare systems in a distributed environment

Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) at Strathmore UniversityAccess to patient health record for a patient from one healthcare institution to another has had its fair share of challenges. The two healthcare institutions under study have got their own distributed healthcare systems but none of these institutions can access or share their patient health records across. This has hugely been down to the complexity of the healthcare domain, standardization challenges, legacy systems, legal challenges, resistance to change, privacy and security. The study developed an interoperability model for improving patient health records access and sharing across distributed healthcare systems. The modelled application allows two or more distributed healthcare systems to access and share patients’ health records. This model tries to work around the challenges identified above making the system an open system such that any healthcare system can be plugged into it and facilitate data sharing and access. The study applied agile software methodology as it allows for faster iterations and frequent release while factoring in user feedback. The modelling of interoperable distributed healthcare systems is of great importance as it allows for ease of access, portability of data, data confidentiality, integrity and security, capture of data in different formats, file sharing, reduction of costs both to the patients and healthcare institutions and makes the systems robust and scalable

Characterization of LRRTM and NGR gene families : Expression and functions

Some leucine-rich repeat (LRR) -containing membrane proteins are known regulators of neuronal growth and synapse formation. In this work I characterize two gene families encoding neuronal LRR membrane proteins, namely the LRRTM (leucine-rich repeat, transmembrane neuronal) and NGR (Nogo-66 receptor) families. I studied LRRTM and NGR family member's mRNA tissue distribution by RT-PCR and by in situ hybridization. Subcellular localization of LRRTM1 protein was studied in neurons and in non-neuronal cells. I discovered that LRRTM and NGR family mRNAs are predominantly expressed in the nervous system, and that each gene possesses a specific expression pattern. I also established that LRRTM and NGR family mRNAs are expressed by neurons, and not by glial cells. Within neurons, LRRTM1 protein is not transported to the plasma membrane; rather it localizes to endoplasmic reticulum. Nogo-A (RTN4), MAG, and OMgp are myelin-associated proteins that bind to NgR1 to limit axonal regeneration after central nervous system injury. To better understand the functions of NgR2 and NgR3, and to explore the possible redundancy in the signaling of myelin inhibitors of neurite growth, I mapped the interactions between NgR family and the known and candidate NgR1 ligands. I identified high-affinity interactions between RTN2-66, RTN3-66 and NgR1. I also demonstrate that Rtn3 mRNA is expressed in the same glial cell population of mouse spinal cord white matter as Nogo-A mRNA, and thus it could have a role in myelin inhibition of axonal growth. To understand how NgR1 interacts with multiple structurally divergent ligands, I aimed first to map in more detail the nature of Nogo-A:NgR1 interactions, and then to systematically map the binding sites of multiple myelin ligands in NgR1 by using a library of NgR1 expression constructs encoding proteins with one or multiple surface residues mutated to alanine. My analysis of the Nogo-A:NgR1 -interactions revealed a novel interaction site between the proteins, suggesting a trivalent Nogo-A:NgR1-interaction. Our analysis also defined a central binding region on the concave side of NgR1's LRR domain that is required for the binding of all known ligands, and a surrounding region critical for binding MAG and OMgp. To better understand the biological role of LRRTMs, I generated Lrrtm1 and Lrrtm3 knock out mice. I show here that reporter genes expressed from the targeted loci can be used for maping the neuronal connections of Lrrtm1 and Lrrtm3 expressing neurons in finer detail. With regard to LRRTM1's role in humans, we found a strong association between a 70 kb-spanning haplotype in the proposed promoter region of LRRTM1 gene and two possibly related phenotypes: left-handedness and schizophrenia. Interestingly, the responsible haplotype was linked to phenotypic variability only when paternally inherited. In summary, I identified two families of neuronal receptor-like proteins, and mapped their expression and certain protein-protein interactions. The identification of a central binding region in NgR1 shared by multiple ligands may facilitate the design and development of small molecule therapeutics blocking binding of all NgR1 ligands. Additionally, the genetic association data suggests that allelic variation upstream of LRRTM1 may play a role in the development of left-right brain asymmetry in humans. Lrrtm1 and Lrrtm3 knock out mice developed as a part of this study will likely be useful for schizophrenia and Alzheimer s disease research.Ihmisen perimässä on noin 23 000 geeniä. Useimpien geenien tehtävät ovat vielä selvittämättä. Neurotieteen alaan kuuluvassa väitöskirjatyössäni kuvaan kaksi ennestään tuntematonta geeniperhettä, jotka yhteensä käsittävät kuusi geeniä. Lisäksi tutkin näiden geenien tehtäviä aivojen kehityksessä ja toiminnassa. Eräänä keskeisenä väitöskirjatyöni tuloksena selvitimme yhteistyössä tri Clyde Francksin (Oxfordin yliopisto, Iso-Britannia) kanssa, että tietty muoto löytämästämme LRRTM1-nimisestä geenistä altistaa vasenkätisyydelle. Tämä löytö on ensimmäinen tunnistettu vasenkätisyyteen liittyvä geenimuutos. Havaitsin myös, että LRRTM1-geeni toimii aktiivisesti niin hiiren kuin ihmisenkin aivoissa jo sikiökaudella. Oletamme, että LRRTM1-geeni ohjaa osaltaan vasemman ja oikean aivopuoliskon kehittymistä toisistaan eroaviksi. Toinen työni päämäärä oli selvittää NGR1-geenin ja kahden tunnistamani NGR1:n kaltaisen geenin tehtäviä. NGR-geeniperhettä koskevat tutkimukseni antavat entistä tarkemman kuvan niistä mekanismeista, jotka rajoittavat hermosäikeiden uudiskasvua esimerkiksi selkäydinvamman tai aivoinfarktin jälkeen. Tiedetään, että hermosolujen pinnalla sijaitsevaan NGR1-reseptoriin sitoutuu useita myeliiniperäisiä hermosolujen kasvua estäviä ligandeja, jotka näin ilmeisesti rajoittavat aivo- ja selkäydinvammoista toipumista. Väitöskirjatyössäni kartoitin systemaattisesti eri ligandien sitoutumista NGR1-reseptoriin. Analyysini osoitti, että NGR1-reseptorin keskiosa on kriittinen kaikkien ligandien sitoutumiselle, ja että sen ympäristössä olevat aminohapot ovat tarpeen vain yksittäisten ligandien sitoutumiselle. Tunnistin myös RTN4-ligandista kolme eri kohtaa, jotka sitoutuvat NGR1:een. Lisäksi osoitin, että RTN2- ja RTN3-proteiinit sitoutuvat NGR1-reseptoriin ja että RTN3-geeni on aktiivinen selkäytimen myeliiniä tuottavissa soluissa; RTN3:n voidaan täten olettaa osallistuvan hermosäikeiden uudiskasvun säätelyyn. Tutkimukseni myös osoittaa, että NGR1:n tavoin NGR2- ja NGR3-geenit ovat erityisen aktiivisia keskushermostossa, mutta kuitenkin niin, että kukin geeni toimii osittain eri aivoalueilla. Osana väitöskirjatyötäni tein kaksi hiirilinjaa, joista toisesta oli poistettu LRRTM1-geeni ja toisesta LRRTM3-geeni. Aiempiin soluviljelmätöihin perustuvat tulokset viittaavat siihen, että LRRTM3-geenillä on keskeinen rooli Alzheimerin tautia aiheuttavan beta-amyloidin tuotannossa. LRRTM3-poistogeeniset hiiret mahdollistavat tämän asian tarkemman tutkimisen. LRRTM1-poistogeenisten hiirten avulla puolestaan voidaan selvittää mekanismeja, jotka johtavat vasemman ja oikean aivopuoliskon välisten erojen kehittymiseen