The objectives of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (hereafter: MLC 2006) have long been familiar to many states, but for some it has brought with it increased expectations in improving working conditions for seafarers. This study aims to analyse the early figures provided by Paris Memorandum of Understanding’s (hereafter: Paris MoU) on the number of deficiencies and detentions in before and after the implementation of the MLC 2006, as well as the ILO Committee of Experts 2014 Report, which marks the first full year of MLC 2006 compliance in the first ratifying states. The purpose was to provide an early report on the progress of the MLC 2006 to date as well as how it has adapted to concerns expressed by experts in maritime law prior to its implementation. Even if it has not been long enough since the entry into force to properly identify a trend, it is interesting to see a positive start to the MLC 2006, which has received rapidly increasing attention, and that awareness of labour rights has increased in the maritime industry. Figures also revealed that the early result is at least not a decrease in the number of reported deficiencies. In addition, the fact that a number of detentions have been issued is worthy of note, as they were very rare in the labour context before the MLC 2006.

Marine tourism has been growing over the years to a diverse and large industry providing for a variety of markets. Across the world tourists enjoy activities of different types including kayaking, scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing and travelling to beaches for leisure reasons. Travelling to coastal towns with the purpose of visiting a beach has always been a great attraction for people across the world. Not only resulting in beaches becoming one of the tourism industry’s biggest markets but also a great contributor to local economies. In 200,1 South Africa adopted the Blue Flag Programme, a beach award which focuses on clean bathing water and pollution free environments. The programme was first established on the French coastline in Europe by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Since then 244 beaches and 208 marinas across 10 countries now boast with a Blue Flag award. The award requires beaches to adhere to four sets of criteria. These are water quality, environmental management, environmental education and information and safety and security. The programme also has specific periods allocated to beaches in which the beach has to meet all the stipulated standards.  Previous research has stated that the programme has great drawing power for tourists.  In contrast, other studies revealed that it has no benefits for the tourism industry, whatsoever.  Some studies have stated that it is a symbol of quality recognised by all across the world. The literature review conducted for this study revealed that the programme holds great benefits for conservation of the environment. Seen from a tourism point of view, however, it is still unclear whether the programme benefits the tourism industry or has any impact on it whatsoever. The primary goal of this dissertation is to determine the influence of Blue Flag status on the decision-making process of beach visitors when they select a beach, thereby determining whether or not the Blue Flag programme adds any value to the tourism industry. A literature review was conducted on important aspects concerning this study, namely the Blue Flag Programme, the tourist decision-making process, travel behaviour of tourists and tourist behaviour, to gain insight into the type of research. Thereafter an empirical study was conducted on six beaches in KwaZulu-Natal which involved the distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. The sampling method used for the study was quantitative, probability sampling with systematic sampling which involved the fieldworkers to approach every second person/group of people on the beach. The survey took place from 28 March to 4 April 2013. A total of 572 usable questionnaires was collected from a sample of 600 beach visitors. The data was captured using Microsoft™ Excel™ 2010 and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21). Exploratory factor analyses were performed as well as a linear mixed-effect model analysis to analyse the impact of the Blue Flag Programme on tourism. To achieve the goal set for this study, two articles were produced. The aim of chapter 3 (article 1) was to determine the push and pull motives of beach visitors. The results revealed the profile of respondents to be female, married with an average age of 39 years and originating from Gauteng. They have a diploma or degree from a tertiary institute and like to visit the beach for an average of eight nights at a time. To identify the push and pull motives of beach visitors, the travel motives were first identified by means of a principal axis factoring analysis, with Oblimin and Kaiser Normalisation. The aspects yielded three factors, familiarity, family relaxation and escape and beach characteristics. The most important factor was determined to be familiarity. The analysis further revealed two push and two pull motives. The push factors are escape and relaxation (most important push motive) and familiarity. The pull motives are beach attributes (most important pull motive) and cognizance. This article showed that the familiarity of a beach plays an important role as to the motives of beach visitors as well as the fact that visitors to these beaches want to escape and relax away from everyday life. The aim of the chapter 4 (article 2) was to identify the influence of Blue Flag status on visitors’ decision-making when selecting a beach as well as to determine whether any statistically significant differences exist between the visitors to Blue Flag beaches and visitors to non-Blue Flag beaches. A principal axis factoring analysis was conducted to determine the decision-making aspects of beach visitors. This analysis yielded five actors, environmental education, safety and access, cleanliness, landscape and popularity. The most important factor was identified as cleanliness with a mean value of 4.37. Furthermore, a linear mixed-effect model analysis was conducted which identified one statistically significant difference with the factor popularity, which has a p-value of 0.002. No other differences were identified. This study thus found that Blue Flag status does not influence visitors’ decision in selecting a beach. What was interesting was the fact that the aspects which are of importance to beach visitors (such as cleanliness) form part of the criteria on which the programme is based (environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and security and water quality). Thus having Blue Flag status does impact positively on tourism. Since this was the first study of its kind in South Africa, it can benefit all beach destinations in the country. From the findings it is clear that marketing needs to be conducted regarding the Blue Flag programme and the benefits that could be reaped for both the local community and beach visitors. Furthermore, beach management can make use of the motives identified in chapter 3 as well as the decision-making aspects identified in chapter 4 to increase visitor numbers to the beach and gain competitive advantage. Tailor-made marketing strategies can be implemented which will improve the efforts of beach managers and municipalities as well as managers of the Blue Flag Programme to market the programme and raise awareness. Recommendations are made regarding further study on the Blue Flag programme to identify ways in which awareness of the programme amongst the public can be raised. Similar research can also be conducted on other environmental and tourism award systems, such as the Seaside award. This research contributes to the literature on marine tourism, seeing as this was the first time such a study was conducted in a South African setting. / MCom (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

<p>Haematology instruments using optical and fluorescence techniques have improved the platelet count in domestic animals. There are still some difficulties present, especially when counting cat thrombocytes due to their ability to aggregate and the occurrence of large platelets.</p><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the platelet count, mean platelet volume and platelet crit in dogs, horses and cats on Advia 2120 and Sysmex XT-2000iV.</p><p>Fresh blood samples from 64 dogs, 40 horses and 39 cats with various medical conditions were analysed on both instruments. Manual blood smears of all feline samples were scrutiniously analysed to evaluate the aggregation warning flag from Advia.</p><p>There was good agreement between the instruments for the optical platelet count in dogs and cats. Slightly higher values were reported from Advia. Samples from horses presented poor correlations for all studied parameters. Platelet clumps appeared in 70% of the 37 scrutinized feline blood smears, while 46% of the samples generated aggregation warning flags from the Advia instrument.</p><p>Advia and Sysmex showed good agreement for platelet counts in blood from dogs and cats. Mean platelet volume and platelet crit need further evaluation before conclusions can be made concerning their clinical relevance. The sensitivity of the platelet aggregation warning flag from the Advia instument needs further elevation.</p>

Syftet med min undersökning var att ta reda på hur pedagoger tillsammans med barnen på förskolor med Grön Flagg certifikat arbetar med nedskräpningsfrågor och källsortering. Jag använde mig av semistrukturerade intervjuer och sex pedagoger som arbetar på Grön Flagg förskolor. Av resultaten framgår att man på Grön Flagg förskolor arbetar relativt kontinuerligt med nedskräpningsfrågor och källsortering tillsammans med barnen. Pedagogerna anser att det är två bra sätt att arbeta med miljö då det är konkret och något som kan väcka intresse för miljöfrågor hos barnen. Resultatet visar också vikten av att låta barnen vara delaktiga och ha inflytande över arbetet med nedskräpningsfrågor och källsortering. Något som också framkommer av undersökningen är att barnen har blivit mer intresserade och medvetna om miljön tack vare deras arbete med miljöcertifieringen Grön Flagg. / The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-school teachers at pre-schools with Green Flag certification work together with the children concerning questions about littering issues and recycling. I used semi-structured interviews and six teachers were interviewed, all working at pre-schools with Green Flag certificate. The results show that they work relatively constantly with littering issues and source separation with the children. Pre-school teachers believe that these are two good activities because they are tangible and something that can spark interest in environmental issues among children. The results also show the importance of allowing children to be involved and have a say in the work of littering issues and recycling. What also emerges from the survey is that children have become more interested and aware of the environment through their work with Green Flag.

Free radical-mediated DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are induced either directly by ionizing radiation or by certain chemicals like bleomycin. These breaks are terminated by 3'-PG (PO4CH2COOˉ) or 3'-phosphate groups formed as a result of fragmentation of deoxyribose. To study the nature of repair of these 3'-blocked breaks, we constructed substrates mimicking free-radical induced DSBs. Human and yeast tyrosyl DNA-phosphodiesterase (Tdpl) efficiently processed substrates with 3'-PGs, in either the presence or absence of magnesium, to give a 3'-phosphate. Gel filtration chromatography and western blotting codmed that the putative enzyme in human extracts that efficiently processed PG was indeed tyrosyl DNA-phosphodiesterase. When recombinant hTdpl was purified using HiTrap nickel chelating columns and its PG processing activity compared to that of partially purified native enzyme (from lymphoblastoid whole-cell extracts using Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration columns), we found that the recombinant enzyme had lesser 3'-PG removal activity than the partially purified native enzyme. On cloning recombinant FLAG-tagged hTdpl into human expression vectors, we observed that the FLAG epitope tag did not show any evidence of affecting the specificity of the enzyme. Due to the many differences between bacterial and human cells, we cloned recombinant FLAG-tagged hTdpl into U-87 cells (adenovirus infected glioma cell) and this recombinant enzyme showed the same specificity toward PG substrates as when prepared from bacteria. End-processing assays using the NHEJ proteins- Ku, DNA-PK and XRCC4/Ligase IV-alone or in combination showed an inhibition of hTdpl activity on 3'- overhangs. In nuclear extracts, hTdp1 association with XRCC1, a single-strand repair protein, showed to increase the PG-processing activity of Tdpl up to 4 times. Whole-cell extracts containing mutant Tdpl derived from patients suffering from spinocerebellar axonal neuropathy (SCAN1) were found to be deficient in PG-processing. Addition of JRLl whole-cell extract (SCAN1 extract containing mutant Tdpl) to purified FLAG-tagged hTdpl showed to decrease the phosphotyrosyl processing and increase the PG-processing of FLAG-tagged hTdpl suggesting that there must be other factors in the extract that affect the enzyme activity. Experiments carried out to check for the presence of Tdpl in mitochondrial extracts obtained from GM1310 normal human fibroblasts as well as in SCANl (JRL) mitochondrial extracts, showed that mitochondrial extracts contained Tdpl at a concentration comparable to whole-cell extracts. Our results also showed that mitochondrial extracts from the SCANl cell-line, JRL3 (containing mutant Tdpl), lacked detectable Tdpl activity suggesting that all PG-processing activity in mitochondria may be attributable to Tdpl.

We give an overview of recent progress in the research of hypergraph jumps -- a problem from extremal combinatorics. The number $\alpha \in [0, 1)$ is a jump for $r$ if for any $\epsilon > 0$ and any integer $m \ge r$ any $r$-graph with $N > N(\epsilon, m)$ vertices and at least $(\alpha + \epsilon) {N \choose r}$ edges contains a subgraph with $m$ vertices and at least $(\alpha + c) {m \choose r}$ edges, where $c := c(\alpha)$ does depend only on $\alpha$. Baber and Talbot \cite{Baber} recently gave first examples of jumps for $r = 3$ in the interval $[2/9, 1)$. Their result uses the framework of flag algebras \cite{Raz07} and involves solving a semidefinite optimization problem. A software implementation of their method is a part of this work.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of History / Donald J. Mrozek / This dissertation examines how changes in training after Vietnam altered the Air Force’s way of war. Specifically, the rise of realistic training exercises in the U.S. Air Force, particularly in the Tactical Air Command, after the end of the Vietnam conflict in 1975 ushered in a drastic increase in the use of tactical fighter aircraft to accomplish Air Force missions. Many scholars, including Benjamin Lambeth and Richard Hallion, have emphasized the primacy of technological developments in the renaissance of air power between Vietnam and the Gulf War. This neglects the importance of developments in training in the Tactical Air Command during the same period. This dissertation demonstrates that throughout the 1970s and 1980s Air Force leaders reconsidered some of their long-held assumptions about air power’s proper use and re-cast older ideas in ways that they considered more realistic and better justified by past experience. Realistic training exercises led to better tactics and doctrines and, when combined with technological advancement, changed the way the Air Force waged war. Tactical assets became the weapons of preference for Air Force planners for several reasons including their ability to precisely deliver munitions onto targets and their ability to penetrate and survive in high-threat environments. Tactical assets could accomplish these missions precisely because of the changes that occurred in training. At the same time, the rise of tactical assets to equality with strategic assets directly led to the demise of both Tactical Air Command and Strategic Air Command and the creation of the single Air Combat Command. The conventional view that a massive technological revolution in military affairs took place in the 1980s and led to success in Desert Storm is conceptually too limiting. That interpretation places too much emphasis on the technological advancements used to prosecute war and slights the experiences of the airmen themselves in the development of the training exercises that helped change how the U.S. Air Force waged war.

Nesta tese estudamos dois problemas em digrafos: um problema de empacotamento e um problema de contagem. Estudamos o problema de empacotamento máximo de arborescências no digrafo aleatório D(n,p), onde cada possvel arco é inserido aleatoriamente ao acaso com probabilidade p = p(n). Denote por (D(n,p)) o maior inteiro possvel 0 tal que, para todo 0 l , temos ^(l-1)_i=0 (l-i)|{v in d^in(v) = i}| Provamos que a quantidade máxima de arborescências em D(n,p) é (D(n,p)) assintoticamente quase certamente. Nós também mostramos estimativas justas para (D(n, p)) para todo p [0, 1]. As principais ferramentas que utilizamos são relacionadas a propriedades de expansão do D(n, p), o comportamento do grau de entrada do digrafo aleatório e um resultado clássico de Frank que serve como ligação entre subpartições em digrafos e a quantidade de arborescências. Para o problema de contagem, estudamos a densidade de subtorneios fortemente conexos com 5 vértices em torneios grandes. Determinamos a densidade assintótica máxima para 5 torneios bem como as famlias assintóticas extremais de cada torneios. Como subproduto deste trabalho caracterizamos torneios que são blow-ups recursivos de um circuito orientado com 3 vértices como torneios que probem torneios especficos de tamanho 5. Como principal ferramenta para esse problema utilizados a teoria de álgebra de flags e configurações combinatórias obtidas através do método semidefinido. / In this thesis we study two problems dealing with digraphs: a packing problem and a counting problem. We study the problem of packing the maximum number of arborescences in the random digraph D(n,p), where each possible arc is included uniformly at random with probability p = p(n). Let (D(n,p)) denote the largest integer 0 such that, for all 0 l , we have ^(l-1)_i=0 (l-i)|{v in d^in(v) = i}|. We show that the maximum number of arc-disjoint arborescences in D(n, p) is (D(n, p)) asymptotically almost surely. We also give tight estimates for (D(n, p)) for every p [0, 1]. The main tools that we used were expansion properties of random digraphs, the behavior of in-degree of random digraphs and a classic result by Frank relating subpartitions and number of arborescences. For the counting problem, we study the density of fixed strongly connected subtournaments on 5 vertices in large tournaments. We determine the maximum density asymptotically for five tournaments as well as unique extremal sequences for each tournament. As a byproduct of this study we also characterize tournaments that are recursive blow-ups of a 3-cycle as tournaments that avoid three specific tournaments of size 5. We use the theory of flag algebras as a main tool for this problem and combinatorial settings obtained from semidefinite method.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Physiology)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / Water is an essential and yet scarce resource, which has a vital role for human use and also serve as a habitat for numerous organisms in aquatic environments. Despite its scarcity there have been many reports indicating that it is continually polluted by domestic, agricultural, mining and other anthropogenic activities; subsequently affecting the health of organisms residing in such water bodies. Fish have been selected as the bio-monitoring species due to its direct interaction with the environment; thereby making it an appropriate model to monitor and evaluate the health status of the environment. The feral population of the alien species, Hypopthalmichtys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) commonly known as the silver carp in Flag Boshielo Dam has been considered a healthy population. However, this perception changed considerably after reports of lethargic, dying fish were first noted in 2011. Currently the sporadic deaths amongst mature specimens (>0.7m) persist; and the reason(s) for their demise remains unclear. Therefore, the aim was to employ a seasonal study design to investigate the health status of selected fish species such as H. molitrix in Flag Boshielo Dam by evaluating haematological parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers and bio-accumulation levels of particular transition metals. Seasonal surveys were carried out from February 2012 to January 2013 at Flag Boshielo Dam, Olifants River System, Limpopo Province. The locality surrounding the dam is known to be in an agriculture and mining catchment. Hypopthalmichtys molitrix and Labeo rosae (Steindachner, 1894) commonly known as the rednose labeo were collected with the use of scoop nets, conventional angling gear and gill nets. Following collection, morphometric measurements were taken and blood was collected. The blood samples required for further analysis at the Medical Science Department, University of Limpopo were kept on ice (4˚C). After the collection of all blood samples the specific fish was sacrificed and muscle samples were collected for bio-accumulation analysis and gills and liver samples were collected for the measurement of oxidative stress biomarkers. These tissue samples were rapidly frozen and kept frozen (-85˚C) until further analysis. Haematological parameters from the study reflected a variation amongst comparison of the inter- and intra-species. It was observed that mature H. molitrix suffered from anaemia. The response of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was relatively constant throughout all seasons when the young (<0.5m) and mature H. molitrix (0.6 – 0.90m) specimens were compared. However, the catalase (CAT) response of mature H. molitrix was dramatically impaired. This would increase their vulnerability to oxidative stress. Bioaccumulation levels of the eleven selected transition elements exhibited various trends. Metals such as Molybdenum (Mo), Vanadium (V), (Chromium) Cr, Cobalt (Co), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) exhibited seasonal bio-accumulation levels that were in support of the various feeding behaviours of the fish species in this study. On the other hand, metals such as Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) also illustrated the potential to be contributing factors in the death of the mature specimens. In conclusion, the findings from this study illustrate the complex nature of metabolic disturbances resulting in the death of mature H. molitrix specimens. It is clear that no single aspect investigated in this study could be solely implicated as the major cause of death. This multifactorial presentation necessitates further haematological assessment focussing on blood cell morphology and pathology, as well as investigations into other oxidative stress biomarkers in liver and gill tissue. In addition, identifying the most appropriate tissue type for future bio-accumulation measurements of transition metals in this feral population is necessitated. It is further suggested that neuro-muscular assessments, focussing on neurotransmitters such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (Ach), form part of the investigation into the lethargic behaviour of the mature fish.

<p>The aim with my work is to get a deeper knowledge about the preschool's views of environmental work. I also want to examine how the preschool teachers along with the children work with the project Green Flag in the preschool. I have used structured interview with two teachers in a preschool that works with Green Flag. Green Flag is an environment certification and is an evidence on that one works daily with a document aimed environmental work along with the children. I have found out that each year they work with different themes within Green Flag. They have among other thing worked with water, the forest, the cycle in nature and now they works with lifestyle and health. Each week they also have different types of duties that will be done. They throw debris to the compost, the soil from the compost is then used in order to cultivate vegetables and flowers. They do waste sorting; for example papers, plastics and glass and then they go and throw everything at the recycling central. They often go to the forest, and are outdoors much every day. To achive the goals for Green Flag, it is required it that all personnel in the preschool are equally involved in the work and think that it is funny and interesting with environmental work.</p> / <p>Syftet med mitt arbete är att få fördjupande kunskaper om förskolans syn på miljöarbete. Jag vill även ta reda på hur pedagogerna tillsammans med barnen arbetar med projektet Grön Flagg på förskolan. Jag har använt mig av strukturerad intervju med två stycken pedagoger på en förskola som arbetar med Grön Flagg. Grön Flagg är en miljöcertifiering och är ett bevis på att man jobbar dagligen med ett handlingsinriktat miljöarbete tillsammans med barnen. Jag har kommit fram till att varje år arbetar de med olika teman inom Grön Flagg. De har bland annat arbetat med vatten, skogen, kretsloppet och nu arbetar de med livsstil och hälsa. Varje vecka har de även olika sorters göromål som ska göras. De slänger skräp till komposten, kompostjorden använder de sedan för att odla grönsaker och blommor. De källsorterar papper, plast, glas med mera som de sedan går och slänger på återvinningscentralen. De går ofta till skogen, och är ute mycket varje dag. För att förskolan ska nå sina Grön Flagg mål så krävs det att all personal är lika mycket inblandade i arbetet och tycker att det är roligt och intressant med miljöarbete.</p>