The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of Ontario’s Nutrient Management Act (NMA) on farm level profitability of dairy sector. NMA came into force in 2003 and sets standards for the storage and handling of nutrients for regulating farms that fit certain criteria to reduce the risk of nutrients entering surface water or groundwater, especially for farms with herd size that can produce Nutrient Units above a certain level (i.e. 300 Nutrient Units). While the Act may affect its regulated farms by incorporating additional compliance costs, it may not have the same effect on unregulated farms. Increase in the weighted-average production costs of all farms may lead to elevated milk price within a national cost of production (COP) pricing formula for dairy industry. A theoretical framework that describes the pathway by which farms’ economic performance can be affected by NMA is developed in this study. To empirically test whether NMA has effect on farm level profitability, a RE model is estimated by using the unbalanced panel data from Ontario Dairy Farm Accounting Project (ODFAP) from year 2000 to 2010. The empirical results of this study indicate that NMA may not have statistically significant effect on the profitability of regulated farms with no less than 300 Nutrient Units (NUs). A discussion is further developed to take into consideration factors that may affect this empirical results. / OMAFRA funding code: 200222

Terrorism is a complex ancient problem. The attacks of September 2001 in U.S soil prompted a new strategic approach to its control. This thesis focuses on that new approach, the targeting of terror’s financial basis. This research considers the international dimensions of terrorism as well as Canadian terrorism. It discusses the ties between money and terror, and the Canadian regulation, the Anti-Terrorism Act, which seeks to sever those ties. Against this background, it offers an analysis of the effectiveness of the regulation of the financial aspects of terrorism in preventing new terror activities.

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Terrorism is a complex ancient problem. The attacks of September 2001 in U.S soil prompted a new strategic approach to its control. This thesis focuses on that new approach, the targeting of terror’s financial basis. This research considers the international dimensions of terrorism as well as Canadian terrorism. It discusses the ties between money and terror, and the Canadian regulation, the Anti-Terrorism Act, which seeks to sever those ties. Against this background, it offers an analysis of the effectiveness of the regulation of the financial aspects of terrorism in preventing new terror activities.

This thesis explores the impact of the new Children’s Act, Act 38 of 2005 on the acquisition by unmarried fathers of parental responsibilities and rights. The research has shown that the Children’s Act has fundamentally transformed the way in which parental responsibilities and rights are acquired. Parental responsibilities and rights can now be automatically acquired by a committed unmarried father. Although the Act has undergone major changes, unmarried fathers must still satisfy many more requirements than mothers, and thus it is asserted that the Act is deemed not to have been progressive enough. Granting full parental responsibilities and rights to both parents, based on their biological link to the child, would meet the constitutional demands of sex and gender equality. This would also place the focus on the child, and the best interests of the child. The importance in securing these best interests that the presence of both parents has in the life of the child is emphasised. / Thesis (LL.M. (Comparative Child Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

Under de senaste åren har fetma ökat, 14% beräknas lida av fetma i dagens svenska samhälle. Många har gjort ett flertal viktminskningsförsök utan bestående resultat. Bariatrisk kirurgi är det som enligt forskning ger bäst viktminskningsresultat. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) har tidigare visat sig vara effektiv i jämförelse med treatment as usual. Den här studien utforskar graden av terapeutstöd av ACT-baserad internetbehandling efter bariatrisk kirurgi vid en två-årsuppföljning. I förmätningen ingick 31 deltagare men svarsfrekvensen i denna uppföljning var endast 19 stycken deltagare. Deltagarna randomiserades in i två betingelser. En grupp fick både internetbehandling och terapeutstöd medan den andra enbart fick internetbehandling. Uppföljningen har gjorts genom att undersöka beroendemåtten kroppsuppfattning, att leva i värderad riktning, ätstörningsrelaterade beteenden, psykologisk flexibilitet samt livskvalitet. Inga signifikanta interaktionseffekter uppmättes på något av beroendemåtten. Signifikanta huvudeffekter av tid uppmättes enbart på delskalan ”Restraint” (restriktivt ätande) på ”Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire” (EDE-Q). Deltagarna har även skattat upplevelsen av Behandlingen som helhet. Studiens resultat visar att det i huvudsak inte finns några signifikanta skillnader mellan grupperna. I förhållande till studiens från början ringa storlek är bortfallet stort, något som försvårar tolkningen av resultaten.

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This thesis represents an attempt to show how recent research in pragmatic theory can contribute to our understanding of humour. Two inferential theories have been selected: speech act theory and relevance theory. In addition, I have looked at the modification of the speech act model proposed by Leech. An exposition of each theory is followed by an account of how these theories can be applied to humour. Some research into humour has already been carried out using the speech act model. This is described and evaluated. For Leech's extension of that model, and for the relevance-theoretic model, there is virtually no existing research on which to draw. Consequently, both the application of these theories to humour, and their evaluation thereof, are my own. Speech act accounts of humour are based on the notion that humorous utterances are unconventional and unpredictable. One way of exploiting our expectations, and thereby creating a condo effect, it is argued, is to violate the norms of conversation (that is to say, Grice's maxims and Searle's conditions). This analysis is found to be insufficient, on its own, to distinguish between the humorous and the non-humorous utterance. I will show how the unpredictable, unconventional remark can be used to create a number of different effects, some humorous, some nonhumorous. Maxim violation is thus seen to be inadequate, both as a descriptive and as an explanatory tool. Relevance theory constitutes a radical departure from the whole maxim-based framework. Adopting this approach to the analysis of verbal humour, I will try to find out exactly what is going on in our minds when we interpret humorously intended utterances. I will identify the various processes which I believe are employed in the appreciation of verbal jokes, and will conclude that these processes are not unique to humour. In spite of this, I will claim that there is a sense in which verbal humour can be said to be unique.

This thesis concerns the ability of individuals to engage in transformative use of copyright expression without the permission of the copyright owner. Transformative use refers to the use of existing expression as an input into the creative process, resulting in the creation of new expression that, while still embodying elements of the original work, is original in its own right. This type of creativity is beneficial for society and should be encouraged. Individuals should have the ability to express themselves, and participate in the interpretation of their culture. My enquiry has shown that Australian law does not facilitate transformative use. Many forms of transformative expression are not currently permissible without the express permission of the copyright owner. Copyright theory, however, is not in accordance with such a prohibition on transformative use. I will suggest some legislative and judicial reforms to Australian copyright law that can have the effect of encouraging transformative expression, while at the same time providing an economic incentive to invest in creative expression and protecting the legitimate interests of creators in their works. The primary modification I suggest is that the definition of 'substantial part' in the Coypright Act 1968 (Cth) should be read, in accordance with the interests served by copyright, to allow a consideration of the context in which copyright material is taken. The seeds of such an approach are present in modern judicial interpretations; the discussion that follows attempts to show how such an approach accords with copyright theory, and why it should be preferred by the judiciary. Firstly, with respect to the economic rights, transformative uses of copyright material which are not substitutable for the original expression should not be found to reproduce a substantial part of the original. Secondly, questions of substantiality in the moral rights should be interpreted to protect authors from unreasonable commodification of their works. To the extent to which it is unclear how the right of integrity applies to the context in which a work is used, as opposed to the modification of the work itself, I submit that it should be interpreted such that authors have a right to object to the commercial association of their work with a position, product, or service against their will. Alternatively, I submit that legislative reform to include an open ended defence to copyright infringement could provide much needed flexibility in the Australian system. Such a defence could draw primarily on the US 'fair use' defence, but certain limitations of the US defence could be overcome in an Australian context. Again, as the theory shows, the primary consideration for infringement of the economic rights in transformative uses should be the degree to which the transformative use is substitutable for the original. Finally, I submit that the reasonableness defence to infringement of the moral right of integrity should be read in such a way as to ensure that the personal interests of authors does not interfere with the legitimate self-expression of future authors. I will show that the theory does not support moral rights to the exclusion of either the ability of future authors to self-actualise. The operation of the reasonableness defence should be clarified to ensure that the legitimate interests of both past and future creators are recognised.