Examining the complex relationship between innovation and regulation through a survey of wastewater utility managers

Despite pressures to increase performance and decrease costs, innovation has been slow to emerge in the municipal wastewater sector. The relationship between regulation and innovation in this sector is a particularly interesting aspect of this conundrum, given the degree to which public utility decision-making is influenced by regulation. Using a national survey, this paper examines US wastewater utility managers’ perceptions of how regulation influences the adoption of new technologies. Recognizing that the relationship between innovation and regulation is complex, we develop the concept of regulation as multifaceted and examine three interrelated aspects of regulation: (1) regulatory requirements, (2) regulators and relationships, and (3) the broader regulatory environment. Specifically, we seek to understand whether and in what ways wastewater utility managers perceive these aspects of regulation as hindering or encouraging the adoption of new technologies. We find that, although stringent effluent limitations are perceived to be a moderate barrier to innovation, most survey respondents did not identify weakening them as a way to encourage innovation. Instead, respondents generally identified factors related to regulatory relationships and factors related to the broader regulatory environment as barriers to innovation, and indicated that addressing these aspects of regulation would encourage innovation. We conclude that loosening or tightening regulatory requirements is not the most effective way to promote innovation in the municipal wastewater sector. Rather, those parties with an interest in innovation can focus on helping utilities and regulators build relationships and better navigate the processes that influence decisions about new technologies

The use of storytelling in therapy with children

This study was a qualitative study that asked clinicians from any discipline to describe how they use storytelling in their clinical practices. Two primary research questions were addressed; the first being to ascertain whether or not clinicians are using storytelling and the second question was to learn how they are using this technique in practice. 13 subjects responded to an on-line electronic survey that was distributed using a snowball method of sampling. Several themes emerged through the narratives of the participants regarding how they use storytelling in their practices. These themes were: Conceptualization of storytelling; Choices of implementation; Content of stories; Importance of narrative; Population choices. The findings of the research revealed that all 13 clinicians believed there are benefits to using storytelling in therapy with children, however there was significant variation in the conceptualization and application of therapeutic storytelling reported among the study participants, as well population choices deemed appropriate to receive a therapeutic storytelling technique. Participants reported benefits and obstacles to using storytelling in therapy with children. The research indicates social work graduate curricula should include information on the effective uses of storytelling in therapy, and evidence-based treatment research into storytelling would benefit the field of social work, as clinicians would be better informed as to the techniques they choose to employ

Quadruped Gait Learning Using Cyclic Genetic Algorithms

Generating walking gaits for legged robots is a challenging task. Gait generation with proper leg coordination involves a series of actions that are continually repeated to create sustained movement. In this paper we present the use of a Cyclic Genetic Algorithm (CGA) to learn gaits for a quadruped servo robot with three degrees of movement per leg. An actual robot was used to generate a simulation model of the movement and states of the robot. The CGA used the robot\u27s unique features and capabilities to develop gaits specific for that particular robot. Tests done in simulation show the success of the CGA in evolving a reasonable control program and preliminary tests on the robot show that the resultant control program produces a suitable gait

Sports and Real Estate Development As Tools for Changing Patterns of Regional Economic Activity: Managing the Effects of Teams and Venues on Local Communities.

While the ways in which fans interact and consume sports has evolved in response to new and broadcast media, the most profound change for cities from sports is its linkage to real estate development. This emerging dimension to the ability of sports to redistribute regional economic activity creates critical public policy, business, and urban planning outcomes and potential. This dissertation identifies the ways in which the sports business has changed and illustrates the ways in which these effects can be channeled to benefit cities. For desired outcomes to occur, however, management and administrative systems have to be created that permit cities to realize the possible advantages. It is also possible that the ways in which sports projects are explained and presented to voters also needs to be changed. These understandings are vital because the positive outcomes for cities from sports and real estate development cannot occur without new decision-making presentations and management systems. This dissertation contributes to a greater understanding of these new requirements and the relationship between sports and real estate development (and its effects on cities) through three separate studies centered on the issues of decision-making, urban planning, and economic and neighborhood development. The research is fashioned to examine processes, designs, and approaches that increase the probability of gains for both teams and the public sector in their development partnerships. The research efforts are interconnected in that they contribute to and expand upon an innovative, developing thread of scholarship in the spatial effects of sports for local economies. Each study covers an important segment of the sports and urban development process that frames this new approach to sport management. The studies focus on (a) voter preferences and reactions to public subsidies for sports facility construction, (b) planned and unforeseen outcomes of a master planned neighborhood anchored by a new ballpark, and (c) the formation of the needed organizational structures to ensure outcomes from a linkage of sports to real estate development can be facilitated to produce desired local effects.PhDKinesiologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108767/1/michcant_1.pd

A Structure–Conduct–Performance Perspective of How Strategic Supply Chain Integration Affects Firm Performance

There are several factors that affect a firm\u27s ability to successfully integrate internally and externally for organizational improvement. This study seeks to understand the relationship between a firm\u27s strategy, its supply chain integration efforts, and firm performance. Leveraging the theoretical lens of structure–conduct–performance from the industrial organization economics literature, and utilizing both archival and survey data, we describe how firms may align their internal and external supply chain integration strategies with customers and suppliers. In doing so, these internal and external integration strategies affect the firm\u27s ability to respond to customer demand, which then impacts operational and financial performance. Our work provides theoretical and empirical evidence of these relationships and thus extends prior strategic supply chain integration literature

Dust aerosol, clouds, and the atmospheric optical depth record over 5 Mars years of the Mars Exploration Rover mission

Dust aerosol plays a fundamental role in the behavior and evolution of the Martian atmosphere. The first five Mars years of Mars Exploration Rover data provide an unprecedented record of the dust load at two sites. This record is useful for characterization of the atmosphere at the sites and as ground truth for orbital observations. Atmospheric extinction optical depths have been derived from solar images after calibration and correction for time-varying dust that has accumulated on the camera windows. The record includes local, regional, and globally extensive dust storms. Comparison with contemporaneous thermal infrared data suggests significant variation in the size of the dust aerosols, with a 1 {\mu}m effective radius during northern summer and a 2 {\mu}m effective radius at the onset of a dust lifting event. The solar longitude (LS) 20-136{\deg} period is also characterized by the presence of cirriform clouds at the Opportunity site, especially near LS=50 and 115{\deg}. In addition to water ice clouds, a water ice haze may also be present, and carbon dioxide clouds may be present early in the season. Variations in dust opacity are important to the energy balance of each site, and work with seasonal variations in insolation to control dust devil frequency at the Spirit site.Comment: 60 pages, 12 figures, to be published in Icaru

Promised incentives on a random digit dial survey

Die Verfasser legen die Ergebnisse von zwei Experimenten vor, mit denen die Wirkung von versprochenen Belohnungen bei einer Random-Digit-Dial-Untersuchung im Stadium der Gesprächseröffnung sowie im Stadium der Aufgabe einer anfänglichen Verweigerungshaltung untersucht werden sollte. In beiden Fällen zeigte sich kein Effekt. Dieses Ergebnis steht im Widerspruch zu mindestens einem weiteren Experiment aus jüngster Zeit sowie auch zum Einsatz versprochener Belohnungen zur Reduktion von Antwortverweigerung bei mehreren Meinungsforschungsinstituten. Die Verfasser diskutieren mögliche Ursachen für das Ausbleiben eines Effekts. (ICEÜbers)"This paper presents the results of two experiments carried out to test the effectiveness of promised incentives for a random digit dial survey (RDD) at the initial household contact (introduction) and at the stage of refusal conversion. The results of the experiments find no effect of at either stage of the survey process. These results are contrary to those found by at least one other recent experiment, as well as the use of promised incentives used routinely to convert reluctant respondents by several survey organizations. The possible reasons for not finding an effect are discussed." (author's abstract