Juniper (Juniperus spp.) encroachment into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and bunchgrass communities has reduced understory plant cover and allowed juniper trees to dominate millions of hectares of semiarid rangelands. Trees are mechanically masticated or shredded to decrease wildfire potential and increase desirable understory plant cover. When trees are masticated after a major increase in tree population density and associated decrease in perennial understory cover, there is a risk that invasive annual grasses will dominate because they are highly responsive to the increased resource availability that commonly follows removal of the main resource user. To determine if tree mastication increases resource availability and subsequently favors invasive annual or perennial grasses, we compared soil temperature, water, and nutrient microenvironmental conditions and seedling establishment and growth. We used the major rangeland weed, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), to represent invasive annual grasses and Anatone bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) A. Löve), a natural accession of native bluebunch wheatgrass, to represent the perennial grasses of the sagebrush-bunchgrass plant community. These comparisons were made between and within paired-adjacent masticated and untreated areas at three locations in Utah dominated by Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma (Torr.) Little). Juniper tree mastication generally increased resource availability with masticated areas having greater soil temperature, soil water availability, and soil N supply rates than untreated areas. Prior to juniper tree mastication litter mounds were not found to be resource islands probably because juniper trees themselves were using subcanopy soil water and nutrients. After juniper tree mastication and elimination of these predominant resource users, litter mounds served as resource islands with greater soil water availability and N supply rates than bare interspaces during the critical time for seedling establishment in spring. Plant growth followed in line with greater resource availability after tree mastication with masticated areas having more productive although fewer invasive-annual and perennial grass seedlings than untreated areas. These results suggest that increases in resource availability and warmer spring temperatures associated with mastication will not necessarily favor invasive annual over perennial grass seedling establishment. Resilience of the sagebrush-bunchgrass community to return to dominance after juniper control will likely be greatly influenced by how much of the sagebrush-bunchgrass community remains following tree control and the intensity of propagule pressure by invasive species. If only invasive annuals remain when the trees are treated then invasive annuals would be expected to dominate the post-treatment plant community especially with their ability to establish inside litter mounds unless they were also controlled and perennial grasses planted at the time of treatment.

The purpose of this thesis is to understand the way in which religion and politics played a role in the formulation of a cyclical ethos of conflict, focusing in the last and most important civil war of nineteenth-century Colombia: The War of the Thousand Days (1899-1902). A historiographical review was used to understand the interactions between these two structures, and it pointed at a main problem centered in the political use of religion, as well as the transformation of political debate into a matter of political faith. In conclusion, the War of the Thousand days strengthened narratives of vengeance, worsened the situation of the country, and solidified an ethos of conflict in which the State used the Church to legitimize itself against the threats to the status quo of systemic inequality.

<p>I uppsatsen som följer har jag använt mig av David Galulas COIN teori. Jag har sedan använt den teorin och analyserat kriget mellan Israel och Libanon 2006. Kriget blev känt som ett misslyckande ur israelisk synpunkt, då de inte lyckades att besegra Hezbollah eller stoppa deras raketskjutningar in i Israel. Detta trots att de har den mest högteknologiska armen i mellanöstern och hade luftoperativkontroll. I denna uppsats så har jag fört ett resonemang för att svara på frågeställningen: Går Galulas teorier att använda mot en organiserad motståndare som Hezbollah? Efter att ha skrivit denna uppsats så har jag inte kommit fram till ett absolut svar, men är personligen övertygad om att det går. I fallet Hezbollah är det väldigt problematiskt i och med att de var så väl förberedda på att det skulle bli krig. Det faktum att Israel dessutom hade skurit ner på sitt försvar och inte hade utbildat sina soldater och chefer inför denna typ av krig gjorde att de inte kunde strida på ett effektivt sätt. För att Israel skulle ha lyckats vinna, tror jag att en större markoperation hade varit nödvändig då Hezbollah var så väl förberedda. Detta är i linje med det första steget i Galulas COIN teori där man med truppnärvaro strävar efter att separera befolkningen från insurgenterna i detta fall Hezbollah.</p> / <p>In the essay that follows I have used David Galulas COIN theory. I have then used Galulas theory and analyzed the war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. The war from the Israeli point of view was a failure, as they failed to defeat Hezbollah and stop their rockets from firing into Israel. Despite the facts that the Israel had the most technologically advanced army in the Middle East and that they had air superiority in the area. In this essay I have discussed the following question: Are Galulas theories usable against an opponent like Hezbollah? After having written this essay, I have not beenable to conclude a definite answer, however I am convinced that it is possible. The reason for the Israeli failure was the fact that the Hezbollah were so well prepared for war. Whereas the Israeli forces were ill-prepared because of a substantial decrease in numbers compared to earlier years, and because the Israeli soldiers and officers were not trained for this type of war. In my opinion, the Israeli forces would have needed to focus much more on ground operations because the Hezbollah were so well prepared. This is exactly what stage one in Galulas COIN theory advises, where through military presence, separate the civilian population from the insurgents.</p>

I uppsatsen som följer har jag använt mig av David Galulas COIN teori. Jag har sedan använt den teorin och analyserat kriget mellan Israel och Libanon 2006. Kriget blev känt som ett misslyckande ur israelisk synpunkt, då de inte lyckades att besegra Hezbollah eller stoppa deras raketskjutningar in i Israel. Detta trots att de har den mest högteknologiska armen i mellanöstern och hade luftoperativkontroll. I denna uppsats så har jag fört ett resonemang för att svara på frågeställningen: Går Galulas teorier att använda mot en organiserad motståndare som Hezbollah? Efter att ha skrivit denna uppsats så har jag inte kommit fram till ett absolut svar, men är personligen övertygad om att det går. I fallet Hezbollah är det väldigt problematiskt i och med att de var så väl förberedda på att det skulle bli krig. Det faktum att Israel dessutom hade skurit ner på sitt försvar och inte hade utbildat sina soldater och chefer inför denna typ av krig gjorde att de inte kunde strida på ett effektivt sätt. För att Israel skulle ha lyckats vinna, tror jag att en större markoperation hade varit nödvändig då Hezbollah var så väl förberedda. Detta är i linje med det första steget i Galulas COIN teori där man med truppnärvaro strävar efter att separera befolkningen från insurgenterna i detta fall Hezbollah. / In the essay that follows I have used David Galulas COIN theory. I have then used Galulas theory and analyzed the war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006. The war from the Israeli point of view was a failure, as they failed to defeat Hezbollah and stop their rockets from firing into Israel. Despite the facts that the Israel had the most technologically advanced army in the Middle East and that they had air superiority in the area. In this essay I have discussed the following question: Are Galulas theories usable against an opponent like Hezbollah? After having written this essay, I have not beenable to conclude a definite answer, however I am convinced that it is possible. The reason for the Israeli failure was the fact that the Hezbollah were so well prepared for war. Whereas the Israeli forces were ill-prepared because of a substantial decrease in numbers compared to earlier years, and because the Israeli soldiers and officers were not trained for this type of war. In my opinion, the Israeli forces would have needed to focus much more on ground operations because the Hezbollah were so well prepared. This is exactly what stage one in Galulas COIN theory advises, where through military presence, separate the civilian population from the insurgents.

Following wildfires, plant materials are direct-seeded to limit erosion and annual weed invasion. Seedlings often fail to establish because selected plant materials are not always well adapted to local soil moisture and temperature conditions. In an effort to help improve plant materials selection and to evaluate sites potential revegetation, we have worked toward developing methodology to predict germination and root growth based on site specific soil moisture and temperature conditions. First, we characterized the seedbed environment of 24 sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe sites throughout the Intermountain West to determine the wet-thermal time of five temperature ranges relevant to germination response and thermal-time model accuracy (Chapter 1). Second, we predicted potential germination for 31 plant materials at those same sites (Chapter 2). Third, in preparation to predict root growth at multiple sites, we characterized the drying patterns and the associated plant-available water for in the seedling root zone across nine woodland (Juniperus spp. and Piñus spp.) sites (Chapter 3). For all of these studies, we determined the effects of tree reduction and tree infilling phase at time of tree reduction. Our key findings are that seedbeds generally sum most wet-thermal time at temperature ranges where the germination rates fit thermal accumulation models quite well (R2 ≥ 0.7). The majority of plant materials summed enough wet-thermal time for a potential germination at most sites during the fall, early spring, and late spring. Soil drying primarily occurs from the soil surface downward. Drying rates and Plant available water associated with the first drying event increased with increasing soil depth. Root zone (1-30 cm) plant-available water increased before and decreased after the first spring drying event with increasing soil depth. Tree removal with increasing pretreatment tree infilling phase generally added progress toward germination, plant available water, and wet-thermal time in the seedbed and root zones of the sagebrush steppe in the Great Basin. Because soil moisture and temperature does not appear to be limiting for potential germination, combining germination and root growth models to create a more comprehensive model may allow for a more robust prediction for seedling survival. For either root growth or combined germination and root growth models, plant available water and wet-thermal time before the first spring drying period hold the most potential for successfully predicting seedling survival.

Two measures of air temperature trends across southern Yukon and northern British Columbia were modelled based on measurements from 83 monitoring sites across seven areas, operating for up to 14 years. Both mean monthly air temperature (MMAT) and freezing and thawing degree days (FDD and TDD, respectively) were modelled across this area (59 °N to 64.5 °N) at elevations ranging from 330-1480 m asl. Lapse rates in this region show inversions in the winter months (November - March) varying in inversion strength and length in relation to degree of continentality. The spatial and elevation range of these sites allowed for regional lapse rate modelling at the monthly scale for MMAT and at the annual scale for FDD and TDD. Lapse rates below treeline were found to be correlated (p < 0.1) with degree of continentality in the colder months (November - April) and August. In these months, lapse rates were modelled using kriging trend surfaces. In months where degree of continentality was not found to have a significant impact on lapse rates (p > 0.1) (May - October, excluding August), an average lapse rate calculated from the seven study regions was used across the study region. A combination of lapse rate trend surfaces, elevation, and temperatures at sea level were used to model MMAT and F/TDD below treeline. A treeline trend surface was created using a 4th order polynomial, allowing for temperatures at treeline to be determined. MMAT and F/TDD above treeline were calculated using a constant lapse rate of -6 °C/km, elevation, and temperature at treeline. The above and below treeline models were combined to create continuous models of MMAT and F/TDD. Modelled MMAT showed a high degree of homogeneity across the study region in warmer months. Inversions in lapse rates are evident in the colder months, especially December through February, when colder temperatures are easily identified in valley bottoms, increasing to treeline, and decreasing above treeline. Modelled MMAT values were validated using 20 sites across the study region, using both Environment and Climate Change Canada and University of Ottawa sites. The RMSE between modelled and observed MMAT was highest in January (4.4 °C) and lowest in June (0.7 °C). Sites below treeline showed a stronger relationship between modelled and observed values than sites above treeline. Edge effects of the model were evident in the northeast of the study region as well as in the ice fields in the southwest along the Alaska border. The new MMAT maps can be used to help understand species range change, underlying permafrost conditions, and climate patterns over time. FDD values were found to be highly influenced by both degree of continentality as well as latitude, whereas TDD values were mainly dependent on elevation, with degree of continentality and latitude being lesser influences. FDD and TDD were validated using the same 20 sites across the study region, with FDD showing a larger RMSE (368 degree days) between modelled and observed values than TDD (150 degree days). TDD modelling performed better on average, with a lower average absolute difference (254 degree days) between modelled and observed values at the validation sites than FDD modelling (947 degree days). The models of FDD and TDD represent a component of temperature at top of permafrost (TTOP) modelling for future studies. Two mean annual air temperature (MAAT) maps were created, one calculated from the MMAT models, and the other from the F/TDD models. Most of the study region showed negative MAAT, mainly between -6 °C and 0 °C for both methods. The average MAAT calculated from FDD and TDD values was -2.4 ºC, whereas the average MAAT calculated from MMAT values was -2.8 ºC. Models of MAAT were found to be slightly warmer than in previous studies, potentially indicating warming temperature trends.

L'apparente pérennité de la figure du zombie, sa résurrection périodique à des moments charnières de l'histoire et son évolution suggère qu'elle pourrait jouer un rôle symbolique au sein de la société où elle prend forme. Le mandat de cette étude consiste donc d'abord à dresser un portrait du zombie contemporain en clarifiant la provenance ainsi que les origines du mythe et en prenant bien soin de définir les caractéristiques récurrentes du monstre à travers les époques et nations. Ensuite, il tient à étudier trois différents films provenant de trois différentes époques soient : White Zombie (1932) de Victor Halperin, Dawn of the Dead (1978) de George A. Romero et 28 Days Later (2002) de Danny Boyle et Alex Garland. Ces films sont analysés en fonction de l'attitude du zombie, de ses caractéristiques, des motivations apparentes, de son pouvoir et impact sur la population. En somme, l'objectif vise ici à établir un portrait de la figure du zombie au cinéma, à donner un aperçu de son évolution, et à déterminer la nature du rôle, qu'il semble exercer sur la société représentée où il sévit.

The title of this essay is ”A place forgotten by the world – the image of the Other and the Elsewhere in Forty Days Without Shadow by Oliver Truc”. Olivier Truc is a French-born journalist living in Stockholm, where he works as a correspondent for Le Monde and Le Point. He has also produced TV documentaries and non-fiction books. Forty Days Without Shadow is his first fictional work, a crime novel published in 2012. The story is settled in the Norwegian and Swedish parts of Lapland, and Sami people are in focus. In this essay, a postcolonial reading is used to interpret the novel, based mainly on the fact that the Sami are or were victims of Scandinavian colonization. The aim of the essay is therefore to examine whether the novel comprises colonialist or anti-colonialist attitudes, or perhaps both, and whether it contains exoticism and othering of the Sami. In particular it is examined how Lapland as a geographical place is described, and how Sami people are depicted compared to people of other origins in the novel. Another fact that is discussed, is how stereotypical characterisation is a common trait of crime novels, an aggravating circumstance for the analysis. The conclusion is that the novel has a strong anti-colonialist perspective, seen mainly in the treating of themes like the colonization of Lapland and its effects on some of the characters. At the same time, the physics of the Sami are described in recurring terms such as “high cheekbones”, whereas the faces of the normative Norwegian and Swedish characters are not described in the same way. In certain places in the novel there is a colonialist focalization which contributes to exoticism and othering of Sami people.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) was recently introduced to the Canadian prairies, a region which has a short growing season in which crop maturation often occurs under cool and wet conditions. To improve the yield of chickpea, crop duration must closely match the available growing season. The objectives of this study were to: i) examine the days to flowering of diverse chickpea accessions grown in either long or short-days; ii) examine the days to flowering of selected chickpea accessions grown in a range of thermal regimes combined with either long or short days and to examine the interaction between photoperiod and day and night temperatures on crop duration; iii) determine the timing and duration of the photoperiod-sensitive phase in selected chickpea accessions, and vi) determine the genetic basis of the association between flowering time and reaction to ascochyta blight in chickpea. A wide variation was observed in chickpea accessions for their response to flowering under long (16/8 hours day /night) and short days (10/14 hours day/night). Earlier flowering was observed under long photoperiod regimes compared with the short photoperiod regimes. Variability was detected among chickpea accessions for their flowering responses when different temperatures were combined with different photoperiods. Earlier flowering was observed under long days (16/8 hours day/night) coupled with high to moderate temperature regimes (24/16 ºC and 20/12 ºC, day and night respectively) compared to short-days (10/14 hours day and night) and moderate to low temperature regimes (20/12 ºC and 16/8 ºC day and night, respectively). Those chickpea accessions such as ICC 6821 and ICCV 96029 which originated from the lower latitudes of Ethiopia and India, respectively, flowered earlier compared to accessions such as CDC Corinne and CDC Frontier which originated from the higher latitudes and cooler temperate environments of western Canada. Photoperiod sensitivity phases were detected in chickpea accessions adapted to the cold environments of western Canada, whereas no photoperiod sensitivity phase was identified in the extra-early flowering cultivar ICCV 96029. The duration of the photoperiod sensitive phase in the chickpea accessions was longer under short days compared to long days. Field and growth chamber evaluation of a chickpea RIL population (CP-RIL-1) revealed the presence of variability among the lines and the two parents for their days to flowering and level of resistance to ascochyta blight. Broad sense heritability across different site-years for days to flower 0.45 to 0.78, plant height 0.48 to 0.78, ascochyta blight resistance 0.14 to 0.68, days to maturity 0.26, photoperiod sensitivity 0.83 and nodes number of first flowering 0.37 to 0.75 were estimated. Days to flower and photoperiod sensitivity were significantly r = -0.21 to -0.58 (P ≤ 0.05 to 0.001) and -0.28 to -0.41 (P ≤ 0.01 to 0.001), respectively and negatively correlated with ascochyta blight resistance in the CP-RIL-1 population. A genetic linkage map consisting of eight linkage groups was developed using 349 SNP markers. Seven QTLs were identified for days to flowering under growth chamber and field conditions on chromosomes 3, 5, 6 and 8 each and 3 QTLs on chromosome 4. The total phenotypic variation explained by QTLs for days to flowering ranged from 7 to 44%. Two QTLs for days to maturity were identified on chromosomes 3 and 8. Three QTLs, one each on chromosomes 3, 4 and 5 were identified for photoperiod sensitivity. The total phenotypic variation explained by each QTL for photoperiod sensitivity ranged from 7 to 41%. A total of three QTL for node of first flowering, one on chromosomes 3 and 8 each, and two on chromosome 4 were identified. The two QTL on chromosome 4 explained total phenotypic variations of 11 and 32%, respectively. Ten QTLs distributed across all chromosomes, except chromosomes 2 and 5, were identified for ascochyta blight resistance. The phenotypic variability explained by each QTL for ascochyta blight resistance ranged from 7 to 17%. The molecular markers associated with these QTLs have potential for use in chickpea breeding.

Background: Tailings dam workers are exposed to tailings dust that has a potential health risk due to the element contents in the dust. The extent of exposure of tailings dam workers is unknown. Consequently, the elements, level of exposure, the potential adverse effects to health, compliance to legislative requirements and the efficiency of the current control measures were investigated. Design and Method: During the trials, 69 personal dust samples were collected during three full production shifts from tailings dam workers in three different tailings dam environments. The field filters were weighed to calculate the total dust concentrations. Bulk samples and field filters were analysed using the 32-element and particle size distribution scans. The between-dam, between-days and between-group variances were determined to assess the changes in exposure levels. Results: The tailings dam workers were not overexposed to tailings dust. Mean exposures were below the OEL for PNOC, measuring 0,124 mg/m3 (TD 1) 0,366 mg/m3 (TD 2) and 2,956 mg/m3 (TD 3). Three outliers in the data were present in TD 3 and exceeded the action level for PNOC. A major part of the particle size distribution consisted of inhalable sizes (>I0 μm). Cyclone tailings dams have smaller particle sizes than spigot tailings dams, though 85% of the particles in all tailings dams were larger than 10 μm. Some elements identified in the dust have potential respiratory health effects. No significant differences existed between the three tailings dams regarding tailings dust concentrations (p=0,527 on 5% significant level and p=0,292 on 10% significant level). There was, however, a significant difference on a 5% significant level between the days (p=0,003 and p=0,006). The workers on the cyclone tailings dams had smaller exposures than workers on the spigot tailings dams, and the pipeline labourers were more exposed than the mudguards. The tailings dams did comply with legislative control measures. However, washing facilities for the cleaning of overalls due to elements in the dust, such as nickel, chromium and manganese need to be considered. Workers need to be educated in work practices and procedures, personal hygiene and symptoms that can be experienced after exposure. Engineering control measures such as water sprayers covering the entire tailings dam, the use of fixed or temporary windscreens in the area where work is done and covering of the roads on the tailings dam with gravel or water spray can be considered as dust suppressant controls. Conclusion: The study met the issues set out in chapter 1, hypotheses were rejected and accepted and future studies were suggested. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Occupational Hygiene))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.