Overbrowsing by ungulates decimates plant populations and reduces diversity in a variety of ecosystems, but the mechanisms by which changes to plant community composition influence other trophic levels are poorly understood. In addition to removal of avian nesting habitat, browsing is hypothesized to reduce bird density and diversity through reduction of insect prey on browse-tolerant hosts left behind by deer. In this study, we excluded birds from branches of six tree species to quantify differences in songbird prey removal across trees that vary in deer browse preference. Early in the breeding season, birds preyed on caterpillars at levels proportional to their abundance on each host. Combining these data with tree species composition data from stands exposed to experimentally controlled deer densities over 30 years ago, we tested whether overbrowsing by white-tailed deer reduces prey biomass long after deer densities are reduced. Our analysis predicts total prey availability in the canopy of regenerating forests is fairly robust to historic exposure to high deer densities, though distribution of prey available from host species changes dramatically. This predicted compensatory effect was unexpected and is driven by high prey abundance on a single host tree species avoided by browsing deer, Prunus serotina. Thus, while we confirm that prey abundance on host trees can act as a reliable predictor for relative prey availability, this study shows that quantifying prey abundance across host trees is essential to understanding how changes in tree species composition interact with ungulate browse preference to determine prey availability for songbirds.

The Kribi-Campo sub-basin is the northernmost of a series of Aptian basins along the coast of West Africa. These extensional basins developed as a result of the northward progressive rifting of South America from West Africa, initiated c. 130 Ma ago. Post-rift sediments of the Kribi-Campo sub -basin contain several regional unconformities and changes in basin-fill architecture that record regional tectonic events. The tectono-stratigraphic evolution and plumbing system has been investigated using a high-quality 3D seismic reflection dataset acquired to image the deep-water Cretaceous-to-Present-day post-rift sediments. The study area is located c. 40 km offshore Cameroon in 600 to 2000 m present-day water depth, with full 3D seismic coverage of 1500 km2, extending down to 6.5 seconds Two-Way Travel time. In the late Cretaceous the basin developed as a result of tectonism related to movement of the Kribi Fracture Zone (KFZ), which reactivated in the late Albian and early Senonian. This led to inversion of the early syn-rift section overlying the KFZ to the southeast. Two main fault-sets - N30 and N120 - developed in the center and south of the basin. These normal faults propagated from the syn-rift sequences: the N120 faults die out in the early post-rift sequence (Albian time) whilst N30 faults tend to be associated with the development of a number of fault-related folds in the late Cretaceous post-rift sequence, and have a significant control on later deposition. The basin is filled by Upper Cretaceous to Recent sediments that onlap the margin. Seismic facies analysis and correlation to analogue sections suggest the fill is predominantly fine-grained sediments. The interval also contains discrete large scale channels and fans whose location and geometry were controlled by the KFZ and fault-related folds. These are interpreted to contain coarser clastics. Subsequently, during the Cenozoic, the basin experienced several tectonic events caused by reactivation of the KFZ. During the Cenozoic, deposition was characterized by Mass Transport Complexes (MTCs), polygonal faulting, channels, fans and fan-lobes, and aggradational gullies. The main sediment feeder systems were, at various times, from the east, southeast and northeast. The plumbing system shows the effects of an interplay of stratigraphic and structural elements that control fluid flow in the subsurface. Evidence for effective fluid migration includes the occurrence of widespread gas-hydrate-related Bottom Simulating Reflections (BSRs) 104 - 250 m below the seabed (covering an area of c. 350 km2, in water depths of 940 m - 1750 m), pipes and pockmarks. Focused fluid flow pathways have been mapped and observed to root from two fan-lobe systems in the Mid-Miocene and Pliocene stratigraphic intervals. They terminate near, or on, the modern seafloor. It is interpreted that overpressure occurred following hydrocarbon generation, either sourced from biogenic degradation of shallow organic rich mudstone, or from effective migration from a thermally mature source rock at depth. This latter supports the possibility also of hydrocarbon charged reservoirs at depth. Theoretical thermal and pressure conditions for gas hydrate stability provide an opportunity to estimate the shallow geothermal gradient. Variations in the BSR indicate an active plumbing system and local thermal gradient anomalies are detected within gullies and along vertically stacked channels or pipes. The shallow subsurface thermal gradient is calculated to be 0.052 oC m-1. With future drilling planned in the basin, this study also documents potential drilling hazards in the form of shallow gas and possible remobilised sands linked with interconnected and steeply dipping sand bodies.

In 2003 the Swedish Land Management Program (LAMP) initiated the Village Legal Workers (VLW) Training in the Babati District aiming at empowering local communities through raising awareness of legal rights among the villagers. A VLW is trained in legal rights and will then share his/her knowledge with other villagers through meetings and seminars. The aim of this thesis is to examine the effectiveness of Swedish aid on empowerment of local communities and empowerment of women. To meet these aims of the paper three questions were formulated: to what extent have the goals (empowering local communities) of LAMPs VLWs Training been achieved in Dareda Kati and Haysam, to what extent has the project used a Bottom-up approach and has LAMPs VLWs Training contributed to empowerment of women? To answer these questions a qualitative method was used through semistructured interviews with VLWs and participants of the education by VLWs. Bottom-up approach has been chosen to describe the methods for achieving empowerment and Gender theory has been chosen to describe the procedure of empowerment of women, which consider the social constructions of men and women. The results of this study indicate that VLWs and participants of the education thought that raising awareness of legal rights is of great importance. The expectations and the goals of the project have not quite been fulfilled due to lack of financial resources and support from the Babati District Council (BDC) and the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC).

This research project investigates the requirements or factors that will influence mcommerce adoption in low-income markets. The framework incorporated awareness, availability, convenience, affordability and acceptability as variables for m-commerce adoption in low-income markets. Mobile commerce is the next step in the evolution of networked computing and is the utilisation of mobile communication for financial gain. In South Africa, the fast rate of mobile technology adoption has created an access footprint for mcommerce across the country. Businesses are adopting m-commerce into their business strategies to tap into these new markets. Recently the potential commercial benefit in low-income markets is being explored by business. In South Africa the low-income market has been characterised by the foundation tier of the economic pyramid. Although this market is seen as extremely price sensitive and has little to no disposable income, the collective potential of it is considerable. The research found that certain aspects of the framework were applicable. Awareness, knowledge and acceptability were seen to have the highest association with m-commerce adoption in the low-income market. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This thesis is a research about how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be integrated within Small to medium sized enterprises (SME) inside the fashion industry. It examines the drivers for fashion companies to take social and environmental responsibility and what difficulties and opportunities that they might face in their work towards a more sustainable supply chain. There is no doubt about that the fashion industry needs to re-think their strategies in order to be ethical and environmentally friendly, however focus usually lies on the large chains and their impact. In this report, focus lies on fashion companies that belongs to the category “SME”. SME plays a significant role to the economy and have a great impact on the society yet there is little research and empirical findings on how SME can contribute in a profitable way to a sustainable future. A literature review was made to find the current status of how small companies work with CSR together with relevant theories on how to apply it in reality. Three companies chose to participate in an interview in order to get empirical findings and to connect the literature review with reality. The main barrier for SMEs within the fashion industry to involve in CSR is the financial aspect however there is many advantages such as improved stakeholder relationships as well as improved brand reputation that will generate profit in the long run. This study tries to motivate fashion companies to engage in CSR in order to build a stable business.

Do companies that are involved in ventures at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) achieve both profit and an increase in the welfare of the poor as proposed by Prahalad and Hart (2002), or is there is a trade-off between profit and welfare as argued by critics of this proposition such as Karnani (2005). Research is lacking in the field, something that this investigation seeks to fill through qualitative research thereon. A central finding of this research was that the paradigms that the companies followed, impacted their views on welfare, profit and the trade-off. The findings reflect that companies have poor indicators of welfare and that there is very little evidence of companies measuring welfare. The findings in respect of a trade-off between profit and welfare is inconclusive, indicating that for some companies there is a trade-off but for others not. The trade-off may be explained by the view that capital should be patient and that the required profit will be achieved in the future. An alternative model of social entrepreneurship is suggested as a bridge between profit and welfare. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Orientador: Antonia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T03:18:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_CamilaFernandada_M.pdf: 2054287 bytes, checksum: 3eb2bbba7d82fc1653b87868f315280a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Os bancos de mitilídeos consistem de uma matriz física de indivíduos vivos e mortos e fragmentos de concha, interconectados por um emaranhado de filamentos do bisso. O estudo da caracterização estrutural de dois bancos de mitilídeos (Mytella charruana) foi realizado entre abril de 2006 e fevereiro de 2007, nas praias Camaroeiro e Cidade (costa norte do Estado de São Paulo). Amostras mensais foram obtidas com o auxílio de um delimitador de 0,04 m2 de área, até 20 cm de profundidade, em três níveis do banco (inferior médio e superior). Foi analisada a densidade de M. charruana, bem como os parâmetros perfil praial, salinidade da água intersticial, temperaturas do ar e do sedimento, conteúdo de calcário e matéria orgânica do sedimento e granulometria. A densidade média mensal de M. charruana do banco Camaroeiro variou de 13,66 inds/0,04 m2 (dp = 12,09) a 46 inds/0,04 m2 (dp = 11,53), e a do banco Cidade, de 57,33 inds/0,04 m2 (dp = 54) a 156 inds/0,04 m2 (dp = 43,31). O perfil da Praia do Camaroeiro permitiu classificá-la como dissipativa e, o da Cidade, como intermediária do tipo terraço de baixamar. A salinidade média da água intersticial do Camaroeiro variou de 26,33 (dp = 4,04) a 33,33 (dp = 1,15) e a da Cidade, de 27,5 (dp = 3,53) a 33,33 (dp = 1,15). A temperatura média do ar variou de 17ºC (dp =0) a 30,5ºC (dp =0) e a do sedimento, de 18ºC (dp =0) a 29ºC (dp = 0), em ambos os bancos. O conteúdo médio de calcário e matéria orgânica oscilou entre 6,73% (dp = 2,58) e 10,59% (dp = 1,53) e entre 2,17% (dp = 1,26) e 6,07% (dp = 2,07), respectivamente, no Camaroeiro e entre 8,39% (dp = 2,53) e 12,13% (dp = 1,91) e entre 3,56% (dp = 0,22) e 6,11% (dp = 0,48) na Cidade. A fração do sedimento predominante em ambos os bancos foi a de areia muito fina, com algumas variações ao longo do ano, e classificada principalmente como pobre a moderadamente selecionada. Ao final do período de estudo, os bancos de mitilídeos desapareceram, mas devem surgir novamente ao longo do tempo. Esse fato ocorre devido à dinâmica populacional e/ou reprodutiva de Mytella charruana, organismo estruturador dos bancos, e também à morfodinâmica praial dessa região / Abstract: Mussel beds are aggregations of live and dead mussels, shell fragments and byssus thread. The structural characterization of two soft-bottom mussel beds of Mytella charruana was studied between April 2006 and February 2007 at Camaroeiro and Cidade beaches (northern coast of São Paulo State). Mensal samples were taken with a 0,04 m2 corer, until a depth of 20 cm, in the lower, middle and upper levels of the beds and analyzed the density of M. charruana, beach slope, interstitial salinity, sediment and air temperatures, calcareous and organic matter content of the sediment and granulometry. The mean density of M. charruana ranged between 13,66 inds/0,04 m2 (sd = 12,09) and 46 inds/0,04 m2 (sd = 11,53) at Camaroeiro, and between 57,33 inds/0,04 m2 (sd = 54) and 156 inds/0,04 m2 (sd = 43,31) at Cidade. The Camaroeiro beach slope enabled the classification of the beach as a dissipative state while the Cidade beach slope, as a low-tide terrace. The mean Camaroeiro interstitial salinity ranged between 26,33 (sd = 4,04) and 33,33 (sd = 1,15); and the mean Cidade interstitial salinity ranged between 27,5 (sd = 3,53) and 33,33 (sd = 1,15). Mean air temperature ranged between 17ºC (sd = 0) and 30,5ºC (sd = 0) and mean sediment temperature, between 18ºC (sd = 0) and 29ºC (sd = 0), in both mussel beds. Mean calcareous and organic matter contents ranged, respectively, from 6,73% (sd = 2,58) to 10,59% (sd = 1,53) and from 2,17% (sd = 1,26) to 6,07% (sd = 2,07) at Camaroeiro and ranged, respectively, from 8,39% (sd = 2,53) to 12,13% (sd = 1,91) and from 3,56% (sd = 0,22) to 6,11% (sd = 0,48) at Cidade. The granulometric composition of both mussel beds was very similar, with a predominance of moderate and poorly-sorted fine sand. At the end of the study period, the mussel beds disappeared, but must appear again with time. This can happen due to the population and/or reproductive dynamic of Mytella charruana, the organism who structures the mussel beds, and also due to the beach morphodynamic of the area / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestra em Ecologia

Investment in low income markets is increasing so too is a sense of controversy regarding poor markets. With BOP investment becoming many a firms’ strategy towards achieving growth, it is not clear to what extent managers’ attitudes to poor customers differ towards their attitudes towards middle-class customers. It is, however, well described that attitudes to poor people in a social context is negative and in some cases less favourable. It is postulated that business' mindset may be a barrier towards engaging with BOP markets despite the incentives and benefits that literature puts forward for marketing to the poor. Whether this attitude is negative, neutral, less favourable or similar is not well understood. The findings of this research project, can with a high level of confidence, report that the attitudes of a sample of managers do display a less favourable attitude towards a poor customer than is the case with a similar sample that is exposed to a wealthier customer. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Small businesses are significant contributors to a nation’s job creation and employment. These enterprises face many challenges that often lead to failure within 5 years. Some small business owners fail because they lack the necessary strategies for maintaining a sustainable business operation. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to analyze how to overcome the high failure rate of small businesses in Accra, Ghana. The conceptual framework for this study was institutional and planned behavior theories. The research questions sought participant’s experiences with small business survival that may have led to sustainable businesses. Data were collected from 20 participants using semistructured telephone interviews in Accra, Ghana. Participants were small business owners in the consumer products industry. Eligibility required full-time self-employed persons aged 26-65 years who must have been in business beyond 5 years. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. After data analysis, member checking was used to establish the trustworthiness of the outcomes. The main result of the study was that small businesses that had identified viable business opportunities in sustaining the needs and challenges of potential customers reported gains in sales and customer retention. The findings were significant for improving sustainable small business efforts, improving self-employment, reducing poverty through inclusive business models, and creating positive social change. Small business owners and policymakers might benefit from this research by reducing redundancies in their operations. This effort should promote an environment that enhances wealth creation and the quality of life of small business owners in Accra, Ghana.

Please read the abstract in the dissertation. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Civil Engineering / Unrestricted