Electricity availability and stability have a great contributory share of industrialization growth rate, poverty statistics, unemployment, foreign investors' participation, medium and small scale encouragement, crime and mortality rates recorded in any country. Nigeria as a country has been challenged with unstable and unreliable power supply. There are many problems associated with electricity production in Nigeria. Such problems are recorded in the generation, transmission and distribution facets of electricity production. With a multi-faceted problem, this document has been developed to deal with the economic aspect of power generation in Nigeria. Out of numerous technologies that are used in power generation, Nigerian predominantly sources its electricity supply from gas power plants and hydropower systems located within the country. Unfortunately, the Nigeria hydropower has been challenged with hydrological shortfalls. The gas power plant which is now conventional is being challenged with the developing gas technology around the globe. This development has adversely affected the cost of gas and subsequently the cost of power production using gas power plants. As a result of hydrological limitations on Nigerian hydropower dams, effect of gas price on cost of energy produced and diversifying gas technology, harnessing electric energy from Inga falls of River Congo was considered as an economic choice of power production in Nigeria. The choice of power production adopted in this document was made from an economic viability studies carried out between Nigerian gas power plants and hydropower production from the River Congo. The choice of technology employed for harnessing electric energy is largely dependent on the economic factors that go with the development. While some of these technologies go with large initial capital investment some are challenged with geometric increase of running cost. As applied in this work, the Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Levelized Cost of Energy and Cash Flow Trend Analysis are suitable tools to determine choice of power plant. These tools were integrated and developed as an NILC model. In the analysis presented in this dissertation, the economic viability of the two power plants selected was determined with the use of the Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Levelized Cost of Energy and Cash Flow Trend Analysis (NILC) model. The model was used to measure the economic viability quantities of the two power plants selected for economic comparison. After the completion of economic comparative analysis, hydropower production from the River Congo was concluded to be a better choice of power production compared to the conventional gas power plant option in Nigeria. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

自「金融控股公司法」通過後，台灣共出現了14家金融控股公司。為了因應未來市場之劇烈競爭與組織規模之擴大，各家金控公司這幾年來除了透過購併與重組等活動以擴大金控之資產規模及業務範圍、禮聘外商銀行或國內金控之高階經理人以迅速提昇其競爭優勢外，也開始仿效外商銀行行之有年之儲備主管制度，自行招募並培養自己的儲備幹部。 本研究運用質化研究中之個案研究方法，以花旗集團、中國信託金控、台新金控、中華開發金控及建華金控等旗下子銀行已經實施儲備幹部制度達一年以上之金融機構為研究之個案，並以在2004年進入該金融機構服務之儲備幹部為該個案之受訪者，進行實際訪談，以瞭解儲備幹部在各家金融機構中之定位、其儲備幹部制度之設計內容、實行執行之方式、各家制度之差異，以及該制度可以成功執行之關鍵與可能潛藏之問題。 本研究結果發現，從公司之規劃及儲備幹部之實際運作中，可以歸納出幾項儲備幹部就組織而言所應具有之意義與價值為：培育組織內未來之中、高階經理人，培養迅速適應不同專業之彈性與能力，強化網絡關係之橫向聯繫，及激勵組織鬥志。而儲備幹部制度能在組織中順利推動之關鍵因素則包括有：公司對於儲備幹部之角色需有明確之定位、組織文化之認同、主管之認知與重視程度、公平的競爭環境與薪資福利、人數之控制、儲備幹部本身之正確認知。此外，以目前金融機構執行儲備幹部制度之情形，其所可能潛藏之問題則有：儲備幹部之流動率容易因同業之挖腳而提高、儲備幹部之「陣亡率」容易較一般新進行員為高、儲備幹部之整體素質將因人數與家數的增多而被稀釋、組織高層不易有長期推動儲備幹部制度之決心、儲備幹部制度內容未能隨著組織之變化而進行適當之調整，以及組織在後續的培訓上未能正確的以人才發展之角度進行。

Univ., Diss.--Marburg, 2004.

Univ., Diss.--St. Gallen, 2005.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universiẗat Marburg, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-243).

Au cours des dernières quarante années un grand nombre d'études ont analysé les comportements de possession et utilisation des véhicules. Cependant, la plupart de ces études traitent le problème d'un point de vue statique, en omettant les dynamiques qui vraisemblablement guident ces décisions. Le caractère durable des véhicules suggère l'importance de ne pas ignorer l'aspect dynamique des problèmes d'achat, possession et utilisation automobile. Ce travail utilise une approche désagrégée structurelle, basée sur des choix. Le document est composé de trois parties. La première propose une description du problème, par l'analyse de la littérature existante. La seconde présente les opérations préliminaires effectuées sur la base "Parc Auto" pour pouvoir l'utiliser comme panel de véhicules. La dernière partie a pour objectif d'introduire les quatre applications réalisées au cours de ma thèse de doctorat. Une première application propose une approche hédoniste des prix des véhicules. Le deuxième chapitre de cette dernière partie estime un modèle de Rust pour des ménages mono-équipés (c'est à dire une seule voiture à disposition par année) les décisions concernant leur voiture. Un modèle dynamique discret\continu des choix de la durée de possession et d'utilisation des véhicules pour des agents tant myopes que prévoyants. Le dernier chapitre présente un programme dynamique tourné vers le futur pour le problème de la planification des achats. Dans les trois applications, un facteur d'actualisation est utilisé pour tester différents hypothèses de comportement dynamique. Mes résultats indiquent que la préférence temporelle d'un ménage est un élément crucial dans étude de ces décisions. / During the last fort Y years, a large number of studies have analyzed the behaviors related to car holding and use. However, the majority of these studies consider the subject from a static point of view, ignoring the household dynamics and the driver's needs, which are very likely to drive such decisions. The durable character of a vehicle suggests however that such a dynamic cannot be ignored in the study of the vehicle purchase, holding and use decisions. This work employs a disaggregated, structural approach based on real choice to address these dynamics. The document is composed of three parts. In the first part a description of the problem is provided through an analysis of the available literature. The second part includes the description of the operations which are performed on "Parc Auto". This database needs in fact some preliminary treatment if one wants to use it as a vehicle's Panel. In the last part the four applications considered are presented. A first application proposes a hedonic approach to the vehicles' prices. The second chapter of this last part estimates the Rust model for mono-equipped (Le. only one car owned each year) households' decisions concerning their car. A dynamic discrete\continuous choice model of car holding duration and use for both myopic and forward-Iooking agents follow. ln the last chapter a dynamic forward-Iooking program for the purchase planning problem is presented. ln the three dynamic applications, a discount factor tests different effects of dynamic behavior. My findings indicate that a household's time preference is a crucial element in studying these decisions.

La prise en compte du phénomène des groupes de sociétés par le droit est, depuis longtemps, un sujet qui divise la doctrine et qui ne trouve pas de réponse uniforme au niveau des diverses législations. L'idée d'instituer un droit des groupes, initié dans l'Allemagne des années 1960, continue à faire débat, aujourd'hui même, dans plusieurs pays. En Tunisie, précisément, la question a été tranchée sans grands débats et de manière circonstancielle par l'adoption d'une réglementation d'ensemble. La présente thèse a pour objet d'analyser la manière dont le Droit tunisien a appréhendé et organisé le phénomène des groupes de sociétés avec pour objectif principal d'assurer la protection des intérêts en présence. A cet effet, l'analyse a porté sur l'émergence de la notion en droit tunisien et le régime spécifique des groupes. Menée à la lueur du droit français, elle a permis de donner à l'étude un éclairage particulièrement utile. / The legal framework of the groups companies has long been a subject which divides the doctrine keeping in mind that is not resolved in a uniform manner by legislators. The idea of establishing a special group law was initiated in Gemrany in the 1960s, and continues .to be a subject to debate even today in several countries. ln Tunisia, specifically, the issue was resolved without major debates and in a circumstantial manner through the introduction of an appropriate regulatory framework. In this context, his thesis aims to analyze the ways in which the Tunisian lav,I was able to organize the phenomenon of groups of companies and protect the stakeholder's interests. This research was backed up by the analysis of the emergence of the concept of groups in Tunisian law, as well as its legal framework in the light of French law to allow deepen knowledge an understanding of it.

Introdução: O teste de apneia respiratória tem sido testado e demonstrou ser de utilidade clínica. Objetivos: Determinar o tempo de apneia voluntária máxima em pacientes com distúrbios ventilatórios obstrutivos (DVO) e em indivíduos normais e correlacionar os tempos de apneia com os testes de função pulmonar. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo caso-controle incluindo pacientes com DVO (casos) e um grupo controle, composto por voluntários com espirometria normal, recrutados no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). A espirometria foi realizada com espirômetro computadorizado e o teste de apneia respiratória utilizando-se um sistema eletrônico microprocessado e um pneumotacógrafo ((Hans Rudolph ® – Kansas OH, EUA)– Kansas OH, EUA) como transdutor de fluxo. As curvas de fluxo respiratório foram exibidas em tempo real em um computador portátil e os tempos máximos de apneia voluntária inspiratória e expiratória (TAVIM e TAVEM) foram determinados a partir do sinal adquirido. Resultados: Um total de 35 pacientes com DVO (casos) e 16 controles foram incluídos no estudo. O TAVIM foi significativamente menor nos casos (22,3 ± 11,8 s) do que no grupo controle (31,5 ± 15,7 s) com p = 0,025. O TAVEM também foi significativamente menor nos casos (16,9 ± 6,6 s) do que no grupo controle (22,1 ± 7,9 s) com p = 0,017. Foram encontradas correlações positivas moderadas entre TAVIM e CVF (r = 0,476, p = 0,004) e entre TAVIM e VEF1 (r = 0,383, p = 0,023). Conclusões: As medidas de TAVIM e TAVEM foram significativamente menores nos casos do que nos controles, e o TAVIM teve correlação moderada com a CVF e VEF1. Estes resultados fornecem uma evidência adicional da utilidade clínica do tempo de apneia como teste de função pulmonar. / Introduction: Breath-holding test has been tested in some clinical scenarios and has proved to be of clinical utility. Objectives: To determine the maximum voluntary breath-holding time in patients with obstructive ventilator defects and in normal subjects and to correlate the breathholding times with pulmonary function tests. Methods: We conducted a case-control study including patients with obstructive ventilator defects and a control group consisted of volunteers recruited in the same hospital, with normal spirometry. Spirometry was performed using a computerized spirometer. The Breath-holding test was conducted using an electronic microprocessor and a (Hans Rudolph ® – Kansas OH, EUA)pneumotachograph and flow transducer. Respiratory flow curves were displayed in real time on a portable computer. The maximal voluntary apnea inspiratory and expiratory times (MVAIT and MVAET) were determined from the acquired signal. Results: A total of 35 patients with obstructive ventilatory defects and 16 controls met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The MVAIT was lower in cases (22.3 ± 11.8 seconds) than in controls (31.5 ± 15.7 seconds) (p=0.025). MVAET was also lower in cases than in controls (16.9 ± 6.6 vs. 22.1 ± 7.9; p=0.017). We found positive and significant correlations between MVAIT and FVC (L) (r=0.476; p=0.004) and between MVAIT and FEV1 (L) (r=0.383; p=0.023). Conclusions: MVAIT and MVAET were significant lower in patients with obstructive ventilatory defects than in controls, and that MVAIT was correlated positively with FVC and FEV1 in cases. Our results provide additional evidence of usefulness of MVAIT as a pulmonary function test.

Introdução: O teste de apneia respiratória tem sido testado e demonstrou ser de utilidade clínica. Objetivos: Determinar o tempo de apneia voluntária máxima em pacientes com distúrbios ventilatórios obstrutivos (DVO) e em indivíduos normais e correlacionar os tempos de apneia com os testes de função pulmonar. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo caso-controle incluindo pacientes com DVO (casos) e um grupo controle, composto por voluntários com espirometria normal, recrutados no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). A espirometria foi realizada com espirômetro computadorizado e o teste de apneia respiratória utilizando-se um sistema eletrônico microprocessado e um pneumotacógrafo ((Hans Rudolph ® – Kansas OH, EUA)– Kansas OH, EUA) como transdutor de fluxo. As curvas de fluxo respiratório foram exibidas em tempo real em um computador portátil e os tempos máximos de apneia voluntária inspiratória e expiratória (TAVIM e TAVEM) foram determinados a partir do sinal adquirido. Resultados: Um total de 35 pacientes com DVO (casos) e 16 controles foram incluídos no estudo. O TAVIM foi significativamente menor nos casos (22,3 ± 11,8 s) do que no grupo controle (31,5 ± 15,7 s) com p = 0,025. O TAVEM também foi significativamente menor nos casos (16,9 ± 6,6 s) do que no grupo controle (22,1 ± 7,9 s) com p = 0,017. Foram encontradas correlações positivas moderadas entre TAVIM e CVF (r = 0,476, p = 0,004) e entre TAVIM e VEF1 (r = 0,383, p = 0,023). Conclusões: As medidas de TAVIM e TAVEM foram significativamente menores nos casos do que nos controles, e o TAVIM teve correlação moderada com a CVF e VEF1. Estes resultados fornecem uma evidência adicional da utilidade clínica do tempo de apneia como teste de função pulmonar. / Introduction: Breath-holding test has been tested in some clinical scenarios and has proved to be of clinical utility. Objectives: To determine the maximum voluntary breath-holding time in patients with obstructive ventilator defects and in normal subjects and to correlate the breathholding times with pulmonary function tests. Methods: We conducted a case-control study including patients with obstructive ventilator defects and a control group consisted of volunteers recruited in the same hospital, with normal spirometry. Spirometry was performed using a computerized spirometer. The Breath-holding test was conducted using an electronic microprocessor and a (Hans Rudolph ® – Kansas OH, EUA)pneumotachograph and flow transducer. Respiratory flow curves were displayed in real time on a portable computer. The maximal voluntary apnea inspiratory and expiratory times (MVAIT and MVAET) were determined from the acquired signal. Results: A total of 35 patients with obstructive ventilatory defects and 16 controls met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The MVAIT was lower in cases (22.3 ± 11.8 seconds) than in controls (31.5 ± 15.7 seconds) (p=0.025). MVAET was also lower in cases than in controls (16.9 ± 6.6 vs. 22.1 ± 7.9; p=0.017). We found positive and significant correlations between MVAIT and FVC (L) (r=0.476; p=0.004) and between MVAIT and FEV1 (L) (r=0.383; p=0.023). Conclusions: MVAIT and MVAET were significant lower in patients with obstructive ventilatory defects than in controls, and that MVAIT was correlated positively with FVC and FEV1 in cases. Our results provide additional evidence of usefulness of MVAIT as a pulmonary function test.

The vegetation supported by the Witteberg and Dwyka Groups south of Worcester is a diverse mosaic of fynbos-, renosterveld- and succulent karoo vegetation units sustained by a winter-rainfall pattern. Elytropappus rhinocerotis (renosterbos) dominated plant communities are found on finer grained soils derived from the various mudrock-dominated formations of the Witteberg Group, a Passerina truncata (gonnabos) dominated shrubland with large Protea shrubs and / or small Protea trees where the substrate is largely influenced by the sandstone-dominated formations of the Witteberg Group, a grass dominated Capeochloa arundinacea (Olifantgras) shrubland where both mudrock-dominated and sandstone-dominated formations influence the substrate as a result of folding, a karoo Hirpicium integrifolium (Haarbossie) dominated shrubland where succulents are in abundance on the Dwyka tillite, and a distinct Thamnochortus bachmannii restio-dominated sandveld in areas where deep aeolian sand had accumulated. The differences in vegetation communities are mainly based on geology with consequent soil characters and degree of rockiness, as well as topography, moisture availability and the water holding capacity of the soil. Although slope, aspect and elevation can sometimes be associated with specific plant communities, geology, soil pH and rock cover are the principal elements responsible for shaping the vegetation mosaic. Rather than a broad ecotone, the vegetation of the study area is understood as a complex mosaic mountain vegetation entity. / Environmental Sciences / Ph. D. (Environmental Sciences)