The study is concerned with the topic of nuclear liability. One might think this is a topic of the last century, but it is not. In the last few years the demand and development of nuclear power plants were enhanced due to several reasons. Especially in South Africa, the further development of nuclear power plants is planned by the government. However, nuclear energy is an ultra-hazardous energy resource which could cause huge damage to people, their property and the environment. Therefore, a comprehensive legal framework for cases of nuclear damage is needed to balance the interests of victims and the nuclear industry. A legal framework regulating the case of nuclear damage can be found in international law, as well as in most domestic legal systems of countries producing nuclear energy. Due to the fact that South Africa wants to develop its nuclear energy programme, it is interesting to examine its nuclear liability provisions closer. The study assesses the South African nuclear liability regime by comparing it with the international legal framework for nuclear liability and the German nuclear liability regime. Therefore, the study will firstly outline principles of nuclear liability, secondly analyse the most important international conventions and finally examine the crucial nuclear liability provisions in the domestic legal systems of Germany and South Africa.

The risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops is assumed to be a benign regulatory tool, due to its perceived objectivity and freedom from the morals and values that pervade society. Yet, against the backdrop of growing environmental pressures, social tensions and political instability, problems that cannot be accommodated in the current regulatory framework in South Africa are consistently emerging. This calls for a reformation of regulatory procedures to account for problems neglected by the current science-based risk approach to the assessment of GM crops. To achieve this, the research methodologies adopt a feminist- pragmatist approach that allows for the use of mixed methods and emphasises reflexivity to allow new perspectives to appear. The research aims to (1) study current risk assessment procedures for GM crops and their historical evolution; (2) address concerns that have arisen from this approach; and (3) investigate the suitability of a Feminist Ethics of Care as an alternative lens through which to view the assessment of GM crops in South Africa. Using themes derived from feminist literature such as relationships, particularity and context, power and vulnerability, narrative and voice, emotions and new conceptualisations of the public/private dichotomy, new 'ways of seeing’ risk emerge and illuminate salient issues that are so often neglected by the current science-based risk approach. An articulation of this alternative is explored in order to provide critical and practical policy recommendations. The thesis concludes by expressing the limitations of a Feminist Ethics of Care in the context of South Africa and reveals how a postdevelopment paradigm may help to formulate a more appropriate framework for GM crop assessment.

This research investigates a quantitative methodology for the inclusion of fatigue, induced by sleep deprivation, in human reliability analysis (HRA). A statistical approach is developed for the use of empirical data in deriving performance shaping factor (PSF) coefficients that could be used in quantitative HRA methods. PSFs are used in human reliability analysis to modify general human error probabilities to situation specific conditions. Current HRA methods mostly rely on expert opinion to select PSF coefficients; the use of empirical data will reduce this reliance on expert opinion and help develop an improved technical basis for HRA. A review of existing HRA methods revealed that fatigue or sleep deprivation was not explicitly included. Literature on sleep deprivation effects on performance (e.g., reaction time) was reviewed. Data were extracted from the identified studies according to the meta-analysis research synthesis method and used to analyze the effect of sleep deprivation on performance. The data were used to estimate effect sizes, performance trends, and error probabilities. The error probabilities under sleep deprived and control conditions were compared, and the resulting probability ratios are suggested for use in informing the selection of PSF coefficients in HRA methods.

This dissertation reports on economic studies of Texas Interbasin Water Transfers (IBT) as a way to lessen expected water shortages, Texas minimum freshwater inflows requirements (FWIB) to protect environmental flows and the general policy setup when generators of environmental commodities might be able to sell credits in multiple markets. The Texas-based studies address economic, hydrological and environmental impacts, focusing on welfare gain, water demand, environmental flows and complementary relationship of environmental commodities. Conduct of the two Texas studies required development of a Texas surface water model. The developed model incorporates: (a) uncertain weather patterns and supply of water; (b) river flows in most of the Texas river basins - twenty-one basins excluding only the Rio Grande; (c) demand for water by agricultural, municipal and industrial/ mining water; (d) IBT possibilities; (e) evaporation losses; and (e) return flows across the modeled basins. In studying the interbasin water transfers, three IBT projects where chosen as economically justified relocating water largely for municipal and industrial/mining uses. These IBT projects had the effect of increasing water use and instream flows in the IBT destination basins, but decreasing those in the source basins. In studying the freshwater inflows the study revealed that the suggested inflow constraints were met on average and that the inflow levels for two basins had to be lowered for the constraints to be feasible. This suggests that the contemplated limits are too high and that either multiple basin or flow dependent limits need to be developed. The results also showed that under the average FWIB constraints and IBT implementation, welfare loss from the FWIB constraints was greatly reduced due to the IBT projects which were simultaneously implemented. In the study of multiple environmental commodity markets, the results indicate that generated credits should be sold in multiple markets only when market caps are set up close to socially efficient (so called first-best) caps: this implies that marginal benefit curves are very steep. However, restricting selling into just single market achieved the same net benefits as multiple markets did when market caps were set up at levels less than the first-best caps.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oklahoma State University, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oklahoma State University, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oklahoma State University, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oklahoma State University, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Silicon (Si) fertilization has gained attention in rice (Oryza sativa) production. However, the common soil-applied sources are amended at high rates, whereas the efficacy of foliar Si application is yet to be proven. A series of pot experiments were conducted to (1) elucidate the effects of different Si sources on grain yield and Si accumulation of rice supplied with varying P rates, and 2) evaluate Si absorption and uptake by rice via foliar- and soil-application of Si fertilizers. First, three phosphorus (P) rates (0, 112, and 224 kg P ha-1) and three Si sources: two soil-applied (wollastonite and silicate slag) and a liquid Si formulation applied as foliar spray at rates of 20, 40, and 80 mg Si L-1 were set as treatments. Silicon applied to soil (wollastonite and silicate slag) and leaves (Si solution) did not result in significant increase in rice P content and uptake in straw and grain. However, a corresponding increase in soil P content was observed with wollastonite application. Across all rice stages, wollastonite application consistently increased biomass Si content (P<0.05), but no significant increase in rice yield was observed with Si fertilization. For the second objective, two greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine if Si in solution can be absorbed through leaf surface and translocated within the plant. Three application rates of Si solution (20, 40, and 80 mg Si L-1) were sprayed to either whole rice plants or leaves of the primary third tiller of each plant, whereas for the second experiment, Si solution (80 mg Si L-1) was strictly applied to adaxial side of rice leaves, including two soil-sources and a check. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with at least four replications. There was no significant effect observed on rice growth and yield with Si fertilization. Foliar application of Si solution did not increase Si content of leaves, whereas wollastonite-treated rice attained the highest Si content (P<0.01). The outcomes of this series of greenhouse studies suggest that Si absorption on leaf surface did not take place as well as the translocation of Si within the plant.

Two line hybrid rice breeding is widely used in Asia and involves the use of environmentally-sensitive male sterile lines to achieve high grain yields compared to pure line varieties. Currently, there is limited information concerning the performance and inheritance of two indica male sterile lines 2008S and 2009S under U.S. field conditions. The first objective of the research herein was to characterize genetic male sterility of lines 2009S and 2008S under controlled environment conditions. Results showed that 2009S exhibited a thermosensitive response whereas little or no response was observed with changes in daylength. Furthermore, high pollen fertility was achieved at the proper developmental stage (flag leaf not fully exposed) under low temperature treatment for 10 days. On the other hand, 2008S showed partial fertility when subjected to short daylength and high temperature conditions. Both lines were completely male sterile at high temperature and long daylength under Louisiana field conditions. The second objective was two-fold: to investigate the inheritance of photoperiod, thermosensitive genetic male sterility (PTGMS) under field conditions and to evaluate SNP-based markers for male sterility. A three-year study of 2008S F2 and BC1F2 populations from 2012 to 2014 revealed a two-locus segregation model indicating two recessive genes acting on male sterility. Inheritance of 2009S in a two-year study from 2013 and 2014 displayed single locus segregation using F2 and BC1F2 populations demonstrating that male sterility was controlled by a single recessive gene. SNP markers at LOC_Os07g12130 and LOC_Os12g36030 in the 2008S background showed significant interactions with up to 65% variance explained in one population, while a SNP marker at LOC_Os02g12290 identified 90-100% of male sterile lines segregating in F2 and BC1F2 populations derived from 2009S. The third objective was to conduct QTL mapping for male sterility in populations derived from 2008S using a selective genotyping approach. A total of five major QTLs including those previously identified in LOC_Os07g12130 and LOC_Os12g36030 and eight new minor QTLs were detected using single marker analysis. Four QTL intervals were detected with a LOD score of greater than 3.0 using inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM). QTLs identified will be useful in future studies to fine-map additional markers associated with male sterility and increase prediction accuracy for marker assisted selection. The fourth objective was to investigate the effect of the S5n wide compatibility gene on grain yield and spikelet fertility in hybrids derived from the SB5 RIL mapping population. Results from this study revealed that heterozygous S5n S5j hybrids produced significantly higher spikelet fertility and yield versus the hybrids carrying S5i S5j genotypes. Indel and SNP markers developed for the S5 locus successfully differentiated the three unique genotypes (S5n, S5i and S5j). Overall results from this study demonstrated that male sterile lines 2008S and 2009S were useful for two-line hybrid rice breeding under Louisiana conditions. New QTLs discovered and markers developed for male sterility and wide compatibility will help facilitate marker assisted breeding in developing male sterile lines for the LSU hybrid rice breeding program.