A Literature Review of Ecotourism Carrying Capacity Measurements: Initial Findings

The most challenging aspect of carrying capacity is measuring the concept in terms of realistic indicators that will capture the complexity of any given system. In lieu of numerical upper limits to visitors at tourism destinations as earlier defined, thresholds and management tools to operationalize carrying capacity in each relevant state (e.g., land use) of a defined system have evolved. These frameworks allow multiple data sourcing and methodologies and participatory planning. Their practicality and flexibility are invaluable to sustainable tourism planning. However, some data for certain states may not be available and substituting these with approximate values may entail some subjectivity. In the interest of operational significance, proxy indicators may be developed and must be validated carefully and periodically assessed for comparability and replicability. The development of a composite outcome-based and resource-specific approach with a corresponding set of indicators will be useful in facilitating effective tourism management

Correlation of Admission Metrics with Eventual Success in Mathematics Academic Performance of Freshmen in AMAIUB’s Business Curricula

This is a correlational study research design, which aimed to determine the correlation of admission metrics with eventual success in mathematics academic performance of the admitted 177 first year students of Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics and 59 first year students of Bachelor of Science in International Studies. Using Pearson’s product-moment correlation, results showed that there is a significant moderate positive linear relationship between the programmatic admission test scores and Mathematics academic performance of the students in both programmes. The results of the study established the validity of the method for the existing AMAIUB programmatic admission test conceptualized, prepared and implemented by the University. Thus, Programmatic admission metrics tend to predict the eventual success in Mathematics academic performance of freshmen in AMAIUB’s Business Curricula. Keywords: admission test scores, mathematics academic performance, business curricula

Cultural evolution and small-scale farming

Small-scale farmers are defined under United States Department of Agriculture guidelines as those whose gross farm sales are less than $40,000. They are typically contrasted with mid-scale farmers whose gross sales are less than$100,000, and with large-scale farmers whose sales are more than $100,000. Arguments from cultural and historical sources are cited to show that in fact only two cultural traditions may be distinguished: family farmers and industrial farmers. Furthermore, these two traditions represent contemporary examples of specific and general trends in cultural evolution. The small-scale or family farm tradition is examined at length, based on results from the 1978 Small Farm Project interviews in Polk County, Oregon, and on the author's subsequent survey in 1985, as well as other published sources. The salient features of the small-scale farming lifeway, including its perceived strengths and weaknesses, is presented and recommendations are advanced for ways in which small farm communities may be helped to survive or even thrive in the presence of apparent dominance by large-scale, industrial farms

RESEARCH CAPABILITY OF TEACHING AND NON-TEACHING PERSONNEL OF UNIVERSIDAD DE MANILA FOR RESEARCH MANAGEMENT COURSE CERTIFICATE PLAN

The paper aims to investigate the research capability of teaching and non-teaching personnel of Universidad De Manila. A descriptive survey research design is utilized in the study to quantify and measure the research capability of teaching and non-teaching personnel for the research management course plan. Likewise, purposive sampling is employed in selecting the sample size of the population. The study comprised One Hundred (100) respondents only. Results show that teaching personnel are capable and can do the task independently in identifying or recognizing researchable problems, preparing the rationale of the study and finding related literature on the research topic, show that non-teaching personnel are capable and can do the task independently in identifying or recognizing researchable problems, gathering of data according to the nature of the study. Findings show that there is no significant difference between the teaching and non-teaching personnel when it comes to research capability as observed by the respondents.  Article visualizations

Big Domains Are Novel Ca2+-Binding Modules: Evidences from Big Domains of Leptospira Immunoglobulin-Like (Lig) Proteins

binds to a Big domains, which would provide a novel functional role of the proteins containing Big fold. with dissociation constants of 2–4 µM. Lig A9 and Lig A10 domains fold well with moderate thermal stability, have β-sheet conformation and form homodimers. Fluorescence spectra of Big domains show a specific doublet (at 317 and 330 nm), probably due to Trp interaction with a Phe residue. Equilibrium unfolding of selected Big domains is similar and follows a two-state model, suggesting the similarity in their fold. binding

An integrative action research (IAR) on a value co-creation story: Developing a branding strategy through agency-client relationship between Solstitium Management Consultancy Firm and Seed Zone

The point of concentration of this action research pivotally centers on the processes of branding and marketing strategy development that marketing agencies contribute. Such contribution leads to agencies refusing the tag of “advertising agencies” and instead repositioning themselves as strategic partners for clients. They aim to place themselves as ideas companies or solution providers (Keegan et al., 2017). I establish in this action research the synergy of Solstitium Management Consultancy Firm (SMCF), the agency, and Seed Zone, the client, in developing a branding strategy that propels the client to direct the brand of Seed Zone to be a more sustainable player among SMEs in the fast-changing market environment. The narrative of this synergy illustrates the processes by which SMCF poses a strategic partnership with Seed Zone as SMCF develops a branding strategy that contributes to the growth of the client’s enterprise. We present SMCF as not a hub of ideas that simply addresses the needs of the client for his branding and marketing communications, but as a partner ready to provide solutions to achieve meaningful outcomes. In the aspect of the partnership between SMCF and Seed Zone, I present in this action-research paper its significant inclination to the agency-client relationship (ACR), and within that, the process of value co-creation (VCC). The active participation of SMCF and Seed Zone is in the arena of ACR where their cooperation facilitates the agreement on a vision, and the execution of the action plan. The branding strategy of Seed Zone developed together by both parties is the co-created value. I examine and integrate the service-dominant (S-D) logic in the VCC process while contextualizing it in ACR as SMCF offers services rather than tangible goods. The primordial premise of S-D logic points out that customers are co-creators of value, and the process of VCC accentuates the importance of interaction and dialogue in the customer-supplier relationship (Payne et al., 2008). In the setting of this action research, Seed Zone and SMCF are the customer and supplier respectively, and frequent conversations are the main means of interaction where the process of value co-creation transpires. The lean startup (TLS) approach of SMCF and Seed Zone, on the other hand, values the involvement of the customer in business development. Both the VCC process and the co-created value itself in the ACR of SMCF and Seed Zone are vital in each of their business development directions as the inflow of learnings, data, knowledge, and the capture of value to and from the two parties advance their organizational innovations (Frederiksen & Brem, 2017). Throughout the ACR between SMCF and Seed Zone in the process of VCC, SMCF applies a productive style of project management while demonstrating a stance of proactivity and service quality in delivering results. Seed Zone displays trust in the agency at the full length of the relationship, and satisfaction with the agency’s overall performance. The narrative of this action research is an observation of how relationship quality in ACR forms. The concluding part of the action research summarizes the interlinks of S-D logic in the process of VCC throughout the ACR of SMCF and Seed Zone as lean startups. The interplay of these concepts contributes to the broad knowledge and practice of marketing

On numerics and inverse problems

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2015In this thesis, two projects in inverse problems are described. The first concerns a simple mathematical model of synthetic aperture radar with undirected beam, modeled as a 2D circular Radon transform with centers restricted to a plane curve \gamma. From the work of Stefanov and Uhlmann (2013), it is known that this operator is microlocally non-injective locally, but microlocally injective globally if \gamma is closed. The problem for non-closed \gamma is examined; it is shown that the Radon transform R_\gamma is microlocally non-injective to leading order if a certain geometric condition is satisfied. Known examples where this condition holds are given. Numerical simulations demonstrate R_\gamma's microlocal non-injectivity for a single curve, and for a four-curve setup satisfying the geometric condition. The second project involves the implementation of an algorithm by de Hoop, Uhlmann, Vasy, and Wendt (2013), with refinements, for computing generic Fourier integral operators (FIOs) associated with canonical graphs, possibly involving caustics. The algorithm can be divided into two parts: a local component that approximately evaluates an FIO A: C^\infty_0(X)\to \mathcal D'(Y) expressed in the oscillatory integral form Af(y)=\int e^{i\phi(y,\xi)} a(y,\xi)\,\hat f(\xi)\,d\xi, modulo an error operator of order 1/2 less than the order of A, and a global component that expresses an arbitrary FIO associated with a canonical graph as a finite sum of these local oscillatory integrals composed with appropriate coordinate changes. A numerical implementation of their algorithm is demonstrated and successfully applied to a variety of FIOs associated with canonical graphs. This algorithm is designed to be easy-to-use for future researchers and the code is freely available from the author