The purpose of this essay is to identify functional shifts and semantic changes in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Lord of the Rings Online. The focus is on new uses of established terms in Standard English and the intent is to see how the word formation processes work in an online gaming environment, and identify the possible reasons behind them. Due to the lack of previous studies of language in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, the aim is to provide some insight into some of the language developments that occur in such an environment. A quantitative method has been utilised in order to distinguish patterns, and the material, in the form of chat logs, has been gathered from Lord of the Rings Online. The chat logs have then been used to create a corpus, and, from this point, a qualitative method has been employed. The corpus has been thoroughly analysed for the words which have undergone functional shifts and/or semantic changes, and a selection of these words are presented and discussed based on word formation process. The findings in this study seem to confirm that language changes in a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game follow the same patterns as in other environments.

The bulk of Zimbabwe’s groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) crop is grown on sandy soils in the smallholder sector where sustainable production is hindered by acid soil infertility. The study goal was thus to examine the effects of soil acidity amelioration by four Ca-containing materials on nutrient composition, vegetative and reproductive growth, and quality of groundnut to formulate ameliorative strategies to improve productivity on acid soils. The effectiveness of calcitic lime (CL), dolomitic lime (DL), gypsum (G) and single superphosphate (SSP) in ameliorating soil acidity was determined in field experiments conducted for three seasons at two Research Stations in Zimbabwe, and in greenhouse experiments conducted for two seasons at Harare Research Station. In both experiments the lime application rates were from 0 to 4000 kg ha-1, while G application rates were from 0 to 3450 kg ha-1, and those of SSP were from 0 to 250 kg ha-1. Calcitic or dolomitic lime applied at 2000 or 4000 kg ha-1 increased soil pH and Ca and Mg contents in the pod and root zones, and in the plant material. Gypsum and SSP applications at 200 and 250 kg ha-1 respectively, had no significant effects on pH, Ca and Mg levels, but when applied in equivalent amounts of Ca as lime, gypsum improved soil Ca status. Effects of the four ameliorants on the N, P and K levels in the soils and in plant material were generally neither significant nor consistent. The direct and residual benefits of application of CL or DL were manifested in improved plant stands, better growth, nodulation, productivity and quality of groundnut. Gypsum applied at equal Ca rates as CL or DL was the superior Ca-source in improving pod and kernel quality. By the end of the third season, the increases in cumulative kernel yields due to application of 4000 kg ha-1 lime over non-application were up to 319%. The major growth-limiting factors on the studied acid soils were identified as deficiencies of Ca and Mg, and low pH per se. In a field experiment conducted to evaluate the tolerance of 15 groundnut genotypes to soil acidity, significant differences in yield and nutrient utilization efficiency of the genotypes were observed, implying that productivity on acid soils can be increased by growing genotypes efficient in uptake and utilization of nutrients. Results from greenhouse and growth chamber studies conducted to examine the effects of pH (3.0 - 7.0) and its interactions with Ca (0 - 2000 µM Ca) on early seedling growth and reproductive growth of groundnut indicated that low pH per se has a major detrimental impact on seedling survival, growth, pod formation, yield and quality of groundnut, but not on germination. The adverse effects of low pH were more pronounced in the absence of Ca, and became progressively less as the solution Ca concentrations increased. Further experiments showed that it is feasible to mitigate the adverse effects of soil acidity on groundnut germination and seedling survival by pelleting seeds with small amounts of CaCO3, or priming with CaSO4. / Dissertation (PhD (Plant Production: Agronomy))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

The thesis explores the subject of purgatory and its relative value for modern people. It summarises: 1. The manner in which biblical texts used to underpin the doctrine; 2. The history of the doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church and the reaction to it during the Reformation and beyond; and 3. Contemporary formulations of purgatory and purgatory-like ideas. The thesis argues, from several perspectives, that a modern formulation of the doctrine is: 1. Reasonable; 2. Biblically consistent; 3. Meets the criteria of an established Tradition at practice within the Church; and 4. Is capable of assisting people in understanding and appreciating the existential questions of death and the after life. The thesis is approached from the angle of a Legal Counsel presenting an argument for acceptance of the thesis. / SYS THEOLOGY & THEOL ETHICS / MTH (SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY)

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-25T19:29:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maik Rodrighero.pdf: 828244 bytes, checksum: b17d81b60eaad6eff20ad64666064e48 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / To control soil acidity in no-till systems, lime is broadcast on the surface without incorporation. In order to test the hypothesis that the source and particle size of the corrective influence the soil reaction and crop response to lime on the surface in no-till system, two experiments were conducted in Tibagi (PR), one in clayey Oxisol and another in sandy Litholic Neosol. A randomized complete block design was used in a factorial 2 × 2 × 4 with three replications, in each experiment. The treatments consisted of four rates of lime on the surface, estimated to raise the base saturation of the topsoil (0-20 cm), at 50, 70 and 90%; two sources of lime were used, calcitic and dolomitic,and two ranges of lime material effective calcium carbonate equivalent (ECCE), range B (ECCE 60-75%) and range D (ECCE > 90%). In both experiments, the lime was applied on the soil surface in August 2010. During the spring-summer season in 2010- 11 and 2011-12, corn and soybean were grown on the clayey soil, and soybean and corn on the sandy soil, respectively. After 12 months of liming, soil chemical analyses were performed in samples taken at the 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm depths. Leaf samples of corn and soybean were taken during crop flowering, in the second year of cultivation, for foliar diagnosis. Grain yields of corn and soybean, in both experiments,were evaluated in two years, after the physiological maturity, and grain moisture was corrected to 130 g kg-1. Surface application of lime in both soils, after 12 months, promoted amelioration of soil acidity mainly in the 0-5 cm layer and, to a lesser extent in the 5-10 cm, regardless of the source and range of lime ECCE. Calcitic lime showed a stronger reaction than dolomitic lime in the soil surface layers. The extraction with cation exchange resin overestimated the exchangeable Ca and Mg content in relation to the 0.1 mol L-1 KCl solution when coarser grain size lime was applied on the surface. Surface liming increased the Ca-leaf content, especially with the use of calcitic lime, and Mg-leaf content mainly with the use of dolomitic limestone, and reduced Mn and Zn contents in the leaves, regardless of the source of lime, in the corn and soybean crops. Grain yields of corn and soybean in clayey Oxisol and corn in sandy Litholic Neosol were increased with the lime rates, but were not affected by sources and ECCE ranges of material lime. Surface application of lime in soils under no-till was proved of fundamental importance to maximize crop grain yield, regardless of the lime source being calcitic or dolomitic, or the ECCE range, B or D of the material lime. / No sistema plantio direto, a correção da acidez é feita por meio da aplicação de calcário na superfície sem incorporação. Com a hipótese de que a fonte e a granulometria dos corretivos interferem na reação do solo e na resposta das culturas à calagem superficial em plantio direto, foram realizados dois experimentos em Tibagi (PR), sendo um em Latossolo Vermelho argiloso e outro em Neossolo Litólico arenoso, no período de 2010 a 2012. O delineamento empregado, em cada experimento, foi o de blocos completos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2 × 2 × 4, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de quatro doses de calcário na superfície, estimadas para elevar a saturação por bases do solo (0–20 cm), a 50, 70 e 90%; duas fontes de calcário, calcítico e dolomítico; e duas faixas de poder relativo de neutralização total (PRNT), faixa B (PRNT de 60 a 75%) e faixa D (PRNT > 90%). Nos dois experimentos, o calcário foi aplicado a lanço sobre a superfície do solo em agosto de 2010. Realizaram-se dois cultivos em 2010–11 e 2011–12, com milho e soja no solo argiloso, e soja e milho no solo arenoso. Após 12 meses da aplicação, análises químicas de solo foram realizadas em amostras coletadas nas camadas de 0–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–40 e 40–60 cm de profundidade. Amostras de folhas de milho e soja foram coletadas por ocasião do florescimento das culturas, no segundo ano de cultivo, para fins de diagnose foliar. A produtividade de grãos de milho e soja, nos dois experimentos, foi avaliada, nos dois anos, após a maturação fisiológica, corrigindo-se a umidade dos grãos para 130 g kg-1 de água. A aplicação superficial de calcário nos dois solos, após 12 meses, promoveu correção da acidez principalmente na camada de 0-5 cm e, em menor grau, na de 5-10 cm, independentemente da fonte e da faixa de PRNT dos corretivos. O calcário calcítico apresentou maior reação do que o calcário dolomítico nas camadas superficiais do solo. A extração com a resina de troca catiônica superestimou os teores de Ca e Mg trocáveis em relação à solução de KCl 1 mol L-1 quando houve aplicação superficial de calcário com granulometria mais grossa. A calagem superficial aumentou as concentrações de Ca-foliar, principalmente com a utilização de calcário calcítico, e de Mg-foliar,especialmente com o uso de calcário dolomítico, e reduziu os teores foliares de Mn e Zn, independentemente da fonte de calcário, nas culturas de milho e soja. As produtividades de milho e soja, no Latossolo argiloso, e de milho, no Neossolo arenoso,foram aumentadas com as doses de calcário, mas não foram influenciadas pelas fontes e faixas de PRNT dos corretivos. A calagem superficial em solos sob plantio direto se mostrou de fundamental importância para maximizar a produtividade de grãos das culturas, independentemente da fonte de calcário, calcítico ou dolomítico, e da faixa, B ou D, de PRNT dos corretivos.

Le projet vise à développer une nouvelle approche méthodologique dans le but d'améliorer l'utilisation combinée de plusieurs techniques de microscopies infrarouge et X lors de l'analyse de fragments de peintures. Historiquement et ordinairement, les fragments de peintures sont préparés en coupes épaisses polies et les analyses sont réalisées à la surface de ces dernières. Bien que cette préparation d'échantillon facilite sa manipulation ainsi que son orientation lors des analyses, elle limite aussi l'efficacité et la faisabilité de certaines techniques de microscopie. Par conséquent, ce travail propose d'explorer une nouvelle stratégie analytique : la préparation et l'analyse de coupes fines. Ces deux étapes ont été optimisées et validées dans le cadre d'analyses par µFTIR, µXRD, µXRF et µXANES. En parallèle, de nouvelles possibilités analytiques ont été testées dans le cadre de l'analyse des peintures, basées sur la technique XANES plein champ. Les échantillons de peintures se sont révélés être d'excellents candidats pour évaluer les avantages et inconvénients de cette technique pour les matériaux du Patrimoine Culturel en général. / This project aims at developing a new methodological approach, providing a more efficient and synergetic use of FTIR and X-ray microscopies, for the analysis of painting fragments. Usually, painting fragments are prepared as polished sections and analyses are carried out on the cross-section surface. This sample preparation is easy to handle, however ends into critical constraints regarding feasibility and efficiency of micro-analyses. We propose to explore a different strategy: preparation and analysis of thin sections. These preparation procedures were first optimized and validated with µFTIR, µXRF, µXRD and µXANES. Besides, new methodological capabilities based on full-field/µXANES were assessed. Paintings were ideal candidates for estimating pros and cons of this new strategy for CH materials in general.

Insulin resistance is an early marker of Type II diabetes. Excessive lipid accumulation in muscle and liver leads to insulin resistance, and lowering tissue lipids causes an enhancement of insulin action. The enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated when cellular energy levels are compromised, such as during exercise; this enhances fuel oxidation and inhibits energy consuming processes. The hypothesis in this thesis was that activating AMPK in a lipid-induced insulin resistant state leads to tissue lipid reduction and improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistant high-fat fed (HF-) rats were administered 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-??-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR), a specific AMPK activator. During an euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp performed 24h later, HF-rats showed increased whole body, muscle and liver insulin action, independent of changes in PKB-phosphorylation. The liver had reduced triglycerides, malonyl-CoA and increased IkB-a content. A lowering of muscle malonyl-CoA was consistent with conditions favouring increased lipid utilisation. Normal, chow-fed rats also showed improved insulin action post-AICAR. Further studies showed that basal glucose uptake was not increased 24h after AICAR, suggesting that AMPK activation had caused an increase in insulin sensitivity. Diacylglycerols and triglycerides, but not ceramides, were reduced in the liver of AICAR treated HF-rats, suggesting lipid reduction as a likely mediator of enhanced liver insulin action. These lipid species were not reduced in muscle. AICAR administration to HF-rats lowered plasma glucose and fatty acids (FA) acutely, probably due to increased muscle glucose uptake and FA oxidation. Glycogen was reduced in liver and increased in muscle, suggesting glucose mobilisation from liver to muscle. Adrenergic blockade excluded the sympathetic nervous system in the acute AICAR effects. AMPK was activated in white muscle and liver of HF-rats immediately after AICAR, the same tissues that exhibited later improved insulin sensitivity. Tracer technologies used to investigate glucose and lipid fluxes showed that AMPK activation in white muscle simultaneously increased both glucose and FA uptake and their metabolism, with glucose also being stored as glycogen. The liver showed lower lipid synthesis, consistent with reduced liver lipid accumulation observed 24h post-AICAR. In conclusion, these results suggest that activation of AMPK leads to selective tissue lipid reduction and improved insulin action, and is a potential target for the treatment of insulin resistance and type II diabetes.

Insulin resistance is an early marker of Type II diabetes. Excessive lipid accumulation in muscle and liver leads to insulin resistance, and lowering tissue lipids causes an enhancement of insulin action. The enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated when cellular energy levels are compromised, such as during exercise; this enhances fuel oxidation and inhibits energy consuming processes. The hypothesis in this thesis was that activating AMPK in a lipid-induced insulin resistant state leads to tissue lipid reduction and improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistant high-fat fed (HF-) rats were administered 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-??-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR), a specific AMPK activator. During an euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp performed 24h later, HF-rats showed increased whole body, muscle and liver insulin action, independent of changes in PKB-phosphorylation. The liver had reduced triglycerides, malonyl-CoA and increased IkB-a content. A lowering of muscle malonyl-CoA was consistent with conditions favouring increased lipid utilisation. Normal, chow-fed rats also showed improved insulin action post-AICAR. Further studies showed that basal glucose uptake was not increased 24h after AICAR, suggesting that AMPK activation had caused an increase in insulin sensitivity. Diacylglycerols and triglycerides, but not ceramides, were reduced in the liver of AICAR treated HF-rats, suggesting lipid reduction as a likely mediator of enhanced liver insulin action. These lipid species were not reduced in muscle. AICAR administration to HF-rats lowered plasma glucose and fatty acids (FA) acutely, probably due to increased muscle glucose uptake and FA oxidation. Glycogen was reduced in liver and increased in muscle, suggesting glucose mobilisation from liver to muscle. Adrenergic blockade excluded the sympathetic nervous system in the acute AICAR effects. AMPK was activated in white muscle and liver of HF-rats immediately after AICAR, the same tissues that exhibited later improved insulin sensitivity. Tracer technologies used to investigate glucose and lipid fluxes showed that AMPK activation in white muscle simultaneously increased both glucose and FA uptake and their metabolism, with glucose also being stored as glycogen. The liver showed lower lipid synthesis, consistent with reduced liver lipid accumulation observed 24h post-AICAR. In conclusion, these results suggest that activation of AMPK leads to selective tissue lipid reduction and improved insulin action, and is a potential target for the treatment of insulin resistance and type II diabetes.

The thesis explores the subject of purgatory and its relative value for modern people. It summarises: 1. The manner in which biblical texts used to underpin the doctrine; 2. The history of the doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church and the reaction to it during the Reformation and beyond; and 3. Contemporary formulations of purgatory and purgatory-like ideas. The thesis argues, from several perspectives, that a modern formulation of the doctrine is: 1. Reasonable; 2. Biblically consistent; 3. Meets the criteria of an established Tradition at practice within the Church; and 4. Is capable of assisting people in understanding and appreciating the existential questions of death and the after life. The thesis is approached from the angle of a Legal Counsel presenting an argument for acceptance of the thesis. / SYS THEOLOGY and THEOL ETHICS / MTH (SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY)

The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the attributive noun classes, as well as their suffixal counterparts, firstly in Bantu, and secondly in Zulu. The investigation will be done with reference to aspects such as the following: the general distribution, meaning and function of the attributive noun class prefixes in Bantu. This study will also investigate the distinction between those prefixes which are exclusively used to categorise size and shape deviations, namely those belonging to classes 12/13, 19, 20, 21 and 22; and those class prefixes which have a secondary function of indicating such deviations, namely the prefixes of classes 5/6, 7/8 and 11. The main concern is the way in which these prefixes are often associated with positive or negative emotive perceptions regarding size and shape, and are therefore often used to express amelioration and derogation. In languages such as Zulu and Northern Sotho the existence of possible frozen remnants of such attributive noun class prefixes will be investigated. Some Bantu languages such as Venda that express variations in size and shape as well as the emotive perception by means of suffixes, or by a combination of prefixes and suffixes will be investigated. The possible semantic overlap between the meanings expressed by attributive class prefixes, and/or between the meanings expressed by attributive class prefixes and so-called ‘attributive suffixes’ will also be scrutinized. Apart from the aspects mentioned above, the relationship between augmentative and diminutive suffixes and the notion [+ feminine] in languages such as Zulu and Northern Sotho will be scrutinized. The occurrence of the Zulu suffix -azana/-azane, which is apparently a combination of the diminutive and augmentative suffixes, will also be investigated. This study will firstly provide a typological overview of the various strategies employed in Bantu in order to express variations in shape and size, as well as of the emotive perceptions that accompany such variations. Secondly, this study will provide an insight into the way in which shape and size variations, amelioration and derogation are expressed in Zulu through the utilisation of diminutive and augmentative suffixes. An indication will also be given of the possible diachronic development of attributive categories in this language. This study will make a significant contribution not only to the field of diachronic and comparative Bantu linguistics, but also to Zulu linguistics. This research will furthermore lead to a deeper understanding of the strategies employed in Zulu to express the semantic nuances of amelioration and derogation. / Dissertation (MA (African Languages))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / African Languages / unrestricted

Thesis (M.Sc. Agriculture. (Soil Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The constant growth experienced by the coffee industry has led to the high-volume production of coffee waste worldwide. One of the main coffee wastes is spent coffee ground (SCG), a residue obtained after the ground coffee beans are treated under pressure. The present study was aimed to investigate the utilization of SCG to amend soil physicochemical properties. This study was conducted at Greenhouse Biotechnologies Research Centre of Excellence, University of Limpopo, South Africa, where the effect of various rates of SCG concentration in volume percentage (vol%) was tested for a period of nine months. The spent coffee ground residue was collected from four restaurants at Haenertsburg, and the application rates were 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 vol%. To evaluate the change in soil physicochemical properties overtime, the incubation period was divided into four test periods namely T1 was after a month, T3 after 3 months, T6 after 6 months, and T9 after 9 months. Physicochemical properties including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), total organic carbon (TOC), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), C:N ratio, large macroaggregates (LM), small macroaggregates (sM), microaggregates (m), unaggregated silt and clay (s+c), mean weight diameter (MWD) and soil moisture content (SMC) were quantified at the end of each test period. Results revealed that the interaction between incubation periods and various SCG application rates significantly (p<0.05) increased pHw, EC, MWD, LM, base cations and significantly decreased TOC, heavy metals, SMC, m, and sM. Spent coffee ground increased pHw and EC of the soil at all application rates and reached a maximum of 7.8 units at T6 in treatment SCG-5 and 202.30 S/cm at T9 in treatment SCG-50 above the control respectively. Total organic carbon increased by 548% above control in the highest treatment (SCG-50) at T1, but, however, started declining from T3 in all treatments across the incubation period. SCG’s highest application rates (SCG-20 to SCG-50) reduced the soil Cd toxicity (threshold of >2 mg/kg), but however, also reduced the availability of micronutrients (Cu and Zn) during the incubation period. At T9, Mg, Ca, K, and P increased from mean values of 55.9 to 77.9, 40.9 to 62.2, 77.4 to 112, and 22.0 to 30.0 mg/Kg above control in treatments with high application rates. LM increased whilst sM, and m decreased across the incubation period in all treatments. MWD increased by 46% at T1 and reached its maximum of 56% at T6 in treatment SCG-50 above control. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between LM and MWD. Soil moisture content however increased to 60.26% at T1 in treatment SCG-50 and decreased from T3 across the incubation period. Spent coffee ground has the potential to be used as a liming material, a chelating agent, and for water management in semi-arid areas. It retains and cycles nutrients and improves soil structure through aggregation. However, research should be done in field conditions to access the effectiveness of this residue. / NRF