Desert wetlands, in particular those slow moving bodies of water known as cienegas, are important sites for biodiversity in arid landscapes and serve as indicators of hydrological functioning on the landscape-level. One of the most extensive systems of cienegas, historical or extant, in southeastern Arizona lies along Cienega Creek, located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Satellite imagery analysis is heavily utilized to determine landscape-level trends, but cienegas present a challenge to traditional analysis methods. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the classic measure of vegetation greenness, reacts counter-intuitively to open water and is affected by open ground, both common occurrences in cienega habitats. Additional remote sensing indices have been developed that balance sensitivity to these environmental elements. This research explores these remote sensing indices at Cienega Creek applying one topographic index to current elevation data and five spectral indices to Thematic Mapper imagery from 1984 to 2011. Temporal trends were identified for all spectral indices and all indices were compared for suitability in cienega habitats. Temporal trends were analyzed for spatial clustering and spatial trends identified. The Normalized Difference Infrared Index utilizing Landsat Thematic Mapper band 5 outperformed other indices at differentiating between cienega, riparian, and upland habitats and is more suitable than NDVI for analyzing cienega habitats in such circumstances.

Subject of research – pure and mixed forest stands of IV group on Nc type of soil. Objective of research – to analyze various financial indices of different forest stands growing on Nc type of soil. Methodology – using standwise forest database, stands of IV group of forest growing on Nc type of soil were selected and grouped by species composition. Average reforestation expenses by tree species as well as average expenditures for stand protection and supervision were used. Volume of mature stands at cutting age were calculated using growth models by dr. A. Tebėra. Faustman’soil expectation value was calculated using two alternative interest rates, 1 % and 2 %. Results of research – it was defined that birch and spruce mixed forest stands reaches the highest Faustman’s soil expectation value using both 1 % and 2 % interest rate. The same stands provide highest forest rent. The lowesr values using all the three indices reach adler stands.

Work object – Vyžuona river, which has 26 km lenght, is left affluent of Šventoji river, belongs to subbasin of Šventoji river and runs from northeast to southwest of Lithuania. Work aim – identify water quality and bounded with it live organisms of Vyžuona river. Work tasks – analyse physical-chemical water parameters of Vyžuona river, identify varietal composition of organisms, define and evaluate contamination of river objects. Work results – After the reasearch was made there was defined that Vyžuona river in Utena town (1 km from Krašuona river and Vieša river junction) belongs to average contaminated rivers category measuring by parameters of water quality: common nitrogen quantity 1.9 times exceeds permissible quotas, 68.6 % of common nitrogen is composed of nitrate nitrogen, BDS7 quantity 2,7 times exceeds the LDK, concentration of phosphates 2.3 times exceeded permissible quotas. Krašuona river and Vieša river runs trough private houses section, which has no central sewer and that is the reason why mentioned rivers are bearing domestic contaminants into Vyžuona river. According to 2004-2006 data below the outlet from drain mechanism of UAB „Utenos vandenys“ refinement system there was found concentration of phosphorus which averagely 1,75 times, common nitrogen 1,1 times and BDS7 1,7 times less in comparison with river part in centre of Utena town above UAB „Utenos vandenys“. That may be explained by UAB „Utenos vandeys“ affect, which drains large amount of enough... [to full text]

Nepriklausomybės atgavimas ir pasitraukimas iš planinės ekonomikos, sąlygojo ir permainų būtinumą. Lietuvoje buvo pradėtos svarbios ūkinės reformos, kuriomis buvo siekiama sukurti laisvos rinkos ūkį, gamintojų konkurenciją, skatinti paklausą turinčios produkcijos gamybą, užmegzti tiesioginius ekonominius ryšius su užsienio šalimis, pakelti žmonių gyvenimo lygį. Visa tai atsispindėjo šalies pagrindinių makroekonominių rodiklių raidoje, kurios nagrinėjimui ir skirtas šis magistro baigiamasis darbas. Baigiamąjį darbą sudaro 3 dalys. Pirmoji dalis skirta pagrindinių makroekonominių rodiklių teoriniam vertinimui. Ją sudaro 4 skyriai: Bendrasis vidaus produktas; Investicijos; Nedarbas; Infliacija. / The theme of the Master’s Thesis is Changes in the Main Macroeconomic Indices of Lithuania after the Restoration of Independence. The Thesis is composed of 67 pages, 4 tables and 15 images. Restoration of independence and abandoning of the central planning economy determined the necessity for changes. Important economic reforms were launched in Lithuania with the aim of establishing a free-market economy, competitiveness of producers, enhancing the manufacture of marketable products, contracting direct economic ties with foreign countries, boosting the standard of living. All these factors reflected in the macroeconomic indices and their changes, which are the subject matter of this Master’s Thesis.

Tyrimų tikslas – ištirti diferencijuotą ir kompleksinį aplinkos veiksnių poveikį skirtingų genotipų sėjamojo žirnio (Pisum sativum L.) fiziologinei reakcijai bei nustatyti šių veiksnių tarpusavio sąveikos įtaką fiziologiniams rodikliams. Tyrimų uždaviniai: Nustatyti skirtingos substrato drėgmės ir UV-B spinduliuotės diferencijuotą ir kompleksinį poveikį įvairių genotipų sėjamajam žirniui: 1.Esant dabartiniams klimato veiksnių parametrams. 2.Padidėjusios anglies dioksido koncentracijos sąlygomis. 3.Pakilusios temperatūros sąlygomis. 4.Prognozuojamų klimato veiksnių parametrų sąlygomis (padidėjus CO2 koncentracijai ir temperatūrai). / The aim of research – to investigate the differential and complex effect of environmental factors on the physiological responses of different genotypes of sowing pea (Pisum sativum L.) and to evaluate the impact of factor interaction among factors on physiological indices. The tasks of research: To identify the differentiated and integrated effect of different substrate moisture and UV-B radiation on different genotypes of sowing pea: 1.Under the current parameters of climatic factors; 2.Under the increased CO2 concentrations; 3.Under increased temperature; 4.Under predicted climatic factors conditions (increased CO2 concentration and temperature).

<p><font face="F59" size="3"><font face="F59" size="3"> <p align="left">This study examines the relationship between stock returns and market segmentation. Monthly returns of stocks listed on the JSE from 1997-2007 are analysed using mostly the analytic factor and cluster analysis techniques. Evidence supporting the use of multi-index models in explaining the return generating process on the JSE is found. The results provide additional support for Van Rensburg (1997)'s hypothesis on market segmentation on the JSE.</p> </font></font></p>

La présente thèse décrit des travaux de recherche effectués dans le domaine des systèmes tutoriels intelligents (STI). Plus particulièrement, elle s'intéresse aux tuteurs par traçage de modèle (MTT). Les MTTs ont montré leur efficacité pour le tutorat de la résolution de tâches bien définies. Par contre, les interventions pédagogiques qu'ils produisent doivent être incluses, par l'auteur du tuteur, dans le modèle de la tâche enseignée. La recherche effectuée répond à cette limite en proposant des méthodes et algorithmes permettant la génération automatique d'interventions pédagogiques. Une méthode a été développée afin de permettre à la plateforme Astus de générer des indices par rapport à la prochaine étape en examinant le contenu du modèle de la tâche enseignée. De plus, un algorithme a été conçu afin de diagnostiquer les erreurs des apprenants en fonction des actions hors trace qu'ils commettent. Ce diagnostic permet à Astus d'offrir une rétroaction par rapport aux erreurs sans que l'auteur du tuteur ait à explicitement modéliser les erreurs. Cinq expérimentations ont été effectuées lors de cours enseignés au département d'informatique de l'Université de Sherbrooke afin de valider de façon empirique les interventions générées par Astus. Le résultat de ces expérimentations montre que 1) il est possible de générer des indices par rapport à la prochaine étape qui sont aussi efficaces et aussi appréciés que ceux conçus par un enseignant et que 2) la plateforme Astus est en mesure de diagnostiquer un grand nombre d'actions hors trace des apprenants afin de fournir une rétroaction par rapport aux erreurs.

We investigate empirically the usefulness of price-cap and quality regulation in terms of allocative efficiency and welfare. An analytical framework allows us to determine sufficient conditions for an increase in welfare. We propose Malmquist productivity indices and their decomposition to check the conditions and to see whether it was a better-solved trade off between quality and costs that caused the welfare increase. The application of this method to a representative sample of Norwegian distribution system operators yields strong evidence for a positive effect of quality regulation on welfare. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers / Research Institute for Regulatory Economics

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the heavy metal pollution on microbial diversity along the gradient from a platinum mine tailings dam using culture-dependent (plating methods) and molecular methods. Tailings and soil samples were collected from seven sites (6 samples per site) at increasing distances from the tailings dam. Samples were collected over a two year period and included two rainy and two dry periods. Concentrations of various heavy metals were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results demonstrated that seasonal variations in metal concentrations occurred and also that concentrations were significantly different'(P < 0.05) between the experimental sites for each metal. The relative relationship between metals was in the following order: Al > Ni > Cu > Cr. Since soil metal concentration benchmarks for South Africa are lacking, the concentrations were compared to the Canadian microbial benchmarks (MB) and Netherlands maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). Concentrations of most of the heavy metals exceeded the MB and MPC. Levels and diversity of culturable fungi and bacteria at each site were determined using plate count methods. Results indicated that levels of bacteria and fungi were not suppressed by high concentrations of heavy metals. Significantly higher levels (P < 0.05) of fungi were found at the sites on the tailings dam (higher concentrations of heavy metals), compared to sites more than 300 m away. A commonly used soil health index (Shannon-Weaver diversity index) was used to compare microbial community diversity at each site and to evaluate whether or not the heavy metal contamination impacted negatively on these soil bacterial and fungal communities. Shannon-Weaver diversity indices were higher at sites on and close to the tailings dam than sites more than 300 m away. However, ratio of fungal to bacterial levels as determined by plate counts was inconsistent. Representatives of bacterial species that were grouped using colony morphology and whole cell protein profiles were identified by 16S rDNA sequences as Bacillus barbaricus (B. barbaricus) and -Paenibacillus lautus {P. Lautus). Restriction enzyme digest, SDS-PAGE and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses provided supporting evidence that representatives were correctly grouped. Cluster analysis results demonstrated that the RAPD profiles of the metal tolerant P. lautus representatives were sufficiently dissimilar to discriminate between individuals from the spatially separated sites. The spatially separated sites also represented sites with high and low heavy metal concentrations. Observed genetic variability was thus also associated with varying levels of heavy metals. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the potential of using RAPD analysis as biomarkers for genotoxic effects of heavy metals on bacterial genomes. / Masters / Thesis (M.Sc. (Microbiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

In a semi-arid country like South Africa, the availability and quality of water has always played an important part in determining not only where people can live, but also their quality of life. The supply of water is also becoming a restriction to the socio-economic development of the country, in terms of both the quality and quantity of what is available. Thus different monitoring techniques should be put in place to help inform the process of conserving this precious commodity and to improve the quality of what is already available. Water quality monitoring has traditionally been by the means of physico-chemical analysis; this has more recently been augmented with the use of biomonitoring techniques. However, since the biota commonly used to indicate aquatic conditions are not always present in wetlands; this study tested the use of diatoms as bio-indicators in wetlands. Diatom samples were collected from thirteen wetlands in the Western Cape Province, and cells from these communities were enumerated and diatom ?based indices were calculated using version 3.1 of OMNIDIA. These indices were useful for indicating water quality conditions when compared to the measured physico-chemical parameters. In addition, most diatom species found were common to those found in riverine environments, making the transfer of ecological optima possible. The objective of the study was to provide a preliminary diatom-based index for wetlands, however, given the relatively small study area and the strong bias towards coastal wetlands it was deemed inadvisable to construct such an index, instead several indices are recommended for interim use until further research that more comprehensively covers wetlands in South Africa has been conducted. It is thus the recommendation of this study that more data is collected for comparison to other wetlands and that in the interim, indices such as SPI be applied for routine biomonitoring of these environments. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Botany))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.