Text in Afrikaans / Talle Christelike kerke in Suid- Afrika, onder meer die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika, verkeer tans in 'n krisis. Die lidmaattalle toon 'n drasties dalende tendens, minder kinders word gedoop en minder Iidmate le belydenis van geloof af Hierdie krisis, asook die invloed van die postmodernisme op die hedendaagse mens, word aan die hand van die handelingswetenskaplike benadering ondersoek. Die gemeenteboumodel van Kenon L Callahan word gebruik, en daar word gevra tot watter mate hierdie model op die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika toegepas kan word. Wat sal die prakties- teologiese implikasies daarvan op die gemeenskap van gelowiges in die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika wees? Die resultaat van die studie is dat die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika wel met vrug gebruik kan maak van Callahan se model, met inagneming van die kerk se bestaande struktuur, tradisie en geskiedenis. In die toepassing van die model sal daar nuwe, ongekende eise aan die kerk gestel word. / Numerous christian churches in South Africa, including the Dutch Reformed Church of Africa is currently experiencing a crisis. Membership is declining, less children are baptised While new and unknown demands will be made on the church, new and exciting opportunities will also be met each year, and less members are confirmed. This crisis, together with the influence of the post- modernism, is explored using an operational science approach, and a possible solution to this problem is sought. The church growth model ofK.L. Callahan is used to facilitate this research. The applicability of this model to the Dutch Reformed Church of Africa is explored, together with the practical theological implications thereof on the holy community. The result of the study is that the Dutch Reformed Church of Africa can apply Callahan' s model to great affect, while cognisance should be taken of the church's own structure, tradition and history. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. M. (Practical Theology)

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise da ligação pilar-fundação por meio de cálice em estruturas de concreto pré-moldado, focando os esforços nas paredes transversais do colarinho. No programa experimental foram ensaiados dois protótipos submetidos à flexão com grande excentricidade: um com interface pilar-colarinho lisa e o outro com interface rugosa por meio de chaves de cisalhamento. Foi adotado um detalhamento diferenciado para as armaduras verticais principais concentrando as mesmas próximas aos cantos, bem como foi adotada, para o colarinho, uma espessura inferior à recomendada pela literatura técnica. Com os resultados experimentais foi possível analisar a resistência dos protótipos, as deformações das armaduras e os deslocamentos das paredes. Foi realizada uma análise dos resultados experimentais com um modelo de cálculo da literatura técnica, no que diz respeito às forças resultantes nas armaduras verticais principais e nas armaduras horizontais principais situadas nas paredes transversais do colarinho, considerando duas situações distintas de comportamento para as paredes transversais: flexo-tração e tração. Em função dos resultados foi verificado que as armaduras verticais situadas próximo aos cantos contribuíram efetivamente para a resistência do protótipo com interface lisa. Comprovou-se que as paredes transversais foram submetidas a uma flexo-tração e que o modelo teórico aplicado considerando 15% de flexão e 85% de tração apresenta os melhores resultados, se comparados com os valores obtidos experimentalmente. / This research presents an analysis of socket base connections of precast concrete structures, with emphasis on the e orts of transverse walls. In the experimental program were tested two prototypes subjected to bending with great eccentricity: one with smooth interface, and other with rough interface through shear keys. It adopted a different detail for main vertical reiforcement, concentrating them around the corner, and was adopted for the socket, a thickness less than that recommended by the technical literature. Based on experimental results were performed the analysis of the strenght of prototypes, the deformations of the reinforcement, and the deflection of the walls. It was performed an analysis of experimental results with a design model of the technical literature regarding to the forces resulting in main vertical and horizontal reinforcement located on the transverse walls of socket, considering two different situations of behavior to transverse walls: bending-tension and tension. Analyzing the results, it was verified that the vertical reinforcement located near the corners effectively contributed to the strength of the prototype with smooth interface. It has been proved that the walls were subjected to a bending tension and that the theoretical model applied with 15% of bending and 85% of tension gives the best results, when compared with the values obtained experimentally.

Este trabalho consiste na análise experimental da ligação pilar-fundação por meio de cálice em estruturas de concreto pré-moldado, com profundidade de embutimento reduzida em relação a recomendada pela NBR 9062:(1985). No programa experimental, foram ensaiados dois protótipos sob ação de força com grande excentricidade, variando-se o tipo e condição de interface: um com interface lisa e outro com interface rugosa. Em ambos os modelos, procurou-se eliminar a adesão na interface da ligação para representar a situação mais adequada de projeto. Com os resultados experimentais, foi possível analisar o comportamento da cada modelo no que diz respeito as deformações nas armaduras, os deslocamentos no cálice, a configuração das fissuras ocorridas durante o ensaio e a resistência última alcançada por cada modelo. Foi apresentada também uma análise comparativa entre estes modelos e os analisados em trabalho anterior sobre o mesmo tema, sendo que nestes os cálices possuíam profundidades de embutimento recomendados pela norma brasileira. Aplicou-se também os principais modelos de projeto encontrados na literatura com o objetivo de verificar a eficácia de cada um no que diz respeito a capacidade resistente da ligação, comparando-a aos obtidos experimentalmente. Com base em todas estas análises, pôde-se concluir que com a redução da profundidade de embutimento a capacidade resistente do protótipo também diminuiu e os modelos de projeto que melhor representaram os protótipos com comprimento de embutimento maior, não forneceram bons resultados para os cálices com profundidade reduzida / This research is an experimental analysis of column-foundation connection through socket of precast concrete structures, with the reduced depth of the socket comparing to that recommended by the NBR 9062:(1985). The experimental program included two models submitted to normal load with large eccentricity, changing the type and the condition interface: one model had smooth interface and other had rough interface. At both models, it was tried to eliminate the bond on the interface to represent the more appropriate situation of design. With the experimental results, it was possible to analyze each model behavior concerning reinforcements deformation, the socket displacement, cracks configuration during the tests and the maximum strength reached by each model. A comparative analysis was made of these models with those studied at a previous research, that had a depth of the socket recommended by the brazilian normalization. The main design models found at the technical literature were also applied to verify the efficiency of each one for strength capacity of the connection, comparing the results with those obtained experimentally. Based on all analysis, it was possible to conclude that with the depth reduction of the socket, the strength capacity also reduced and the design models that better represented the sockets with the recommended depth no more represented the reduced one

Over the last 40 years, the Caribbean has lost half of its live coral cover, mostly in the form of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata, due to disease, bleaching from rising water temperatures, and other stressors. To help restore these corals to reefs in Florida, the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) created nearshore nurseries and transplanted over 30,000 acroporid colonies across the Florida Keys. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate the growth, survivorship, and condition of nursery-raised A. cervicornis colonies that were part of two transplant projects: 1) photographic analyses of 17 past CRF transplant projects over the last seven years; and 2) a transplant experiment at Little Conch Reef to additionally assess the effects of depth, colony density, and the genetic composition of transplants. The photographic analyses included 2,428 individual colonies, 38 genotypes, and six reefs from 2007 to 2013. Results from the photographs were combined with one in situ monitoring effort that used SCUBA in 2014. In the Little Conch Reef experiment, 1,288 colonies from 14 genotypes were transplanted in October and November, 2013 at two depths (5m and 12m) in either cluster or thicket configurations. At each depth, clusters comprised 14 colonies, each placed within in 1m diameter radius, with ten monogenetic and six multigenetic structures. Thickets were 3.5m by 1.5m in size, with 10 colonies from each genotype forming its own subunit within the larger configuration. In June 2014, 963 additional colonies were added to the shallow site by stacking them on top of six existing clusters and one thicket to evaluate whether larger three-dimensional structures affected growth or survival. The Little Conch Reef experiment was monitored through January 2015. Results from the photographic analyses were: 1) maximum size of A. cervicornis transplants was approximately 40cm in diameter; 2) mortality increased after approximately two years; 3) despite high mortality, some colonies survived the duration of each project; and 4) frequent and long-term monitoring is required to assess factors that affect survival and condition. Results from the Little Conch Reef experiment suggest: 1) maximum skeletal diameter was unaffected by any of the treatments; 2) percent survival and percent live tissue were higher at the shallow site compared to the deep site, and similarly, the clusters outperformed the thickets, and multigenetic clusters outperformed their monogenetic counterparts; 3) location within the shallow site had an impact on survival and condition, with clusters doing better on the south side than on the north; and 4) stacking did not positively impact growth, survival, or condition. In general, the sizes and condition of natural populations of A. cervicornis throughout the Florida Keys are similar to results from both experiments and with other transplant projects conducted in the Caribbean. Remarkably, despite high mortality in nearly all of the projects, small numbers of colonies transplanted for most projects, a few colonies survived to 2014/2015. These colonies have the potential to act as a “seed population” that might produce sexually dispersed larvae better adapted at surviving mortality events and asexual fragments that may be better acclimated to the stressors related to their location. Evidence of persistence in this species and expansion northward in Florida suggest that it is too early to consider coral reefs a lost cause, and that coral restoration holds promise for enhancing recovery of A. cervicornis.

Over the last few decades coral reefs have faced unprecedented declines in health due to natural and anthropogenic sources. Until recently few studies have examined genotypic variation of growth and thermal stress resistance in Acropora cervicornis. This study aims to assess the potential for energy trade-offs between growth and thermal stress resistance by following 120 coral fragments from 12 genotypes of Acropora cervicornis over the course of 15 months to determine average growth rates for each genotype. Following the completion of the growth observation a bleaching event occurred in the lower Florida Keys providing the opportunity for examining thermal stress resistance. We found that the coral genotype had a significant effect on growth and survival; however no significant correlation was observed between growth under normal conditions and thermal stress resistance. This result shows that there is not a trade-off between growth and thermal stress resistance and that a genotype’s ability to resist thermal stress cannot be predicted from growth under normal conditions. The lack of a trade-off facilitates intraspecific competition. For genotypes with similar thermal stress tolerances but different growth characteristics, the increase in frequency of disturbances could result in the increased abundance of faster growing genotypes relative to the slow growing genotypes. These results emphasize the importance of maintaining coral nurseries as gene banks to protect the genetic diversity of the reef area in which it is located. Through protecting a wide variety of genotypes, the likelihood of preserving those that have a high thermal tolerance, disease resistance, or faster growth rates is increased.

Located 100 km west of Key West, Florida, Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO) is a largely untouched subtropical marine ecosystem that serves as an important developmental habitat, nesting ground, and foraging area for several species of sea turtles, including green turtles. The Park supports a recovering population of green turtles comprised of resident juveniles, subadults, and adults of both sexes; nesting females include residents and migrating females that only return to nest. Stable isotope analysis has been applied widely to describe the trophic ecology of green turtles, from urbanized bays with significant anthropogenic input, to relatively pristine ecosystems with healthy populations at carrying capacity. However, there is a paucity of published literature about the trophic ecology of green turtles in DRTO. This study describes the trophic ecology occupied by two distinct size groups (61 green turtles < 60 cm (SCL) and 98 green turtles > 60 cm (SCL)). Flipper tissue and plasma were analyzed for stable isotopic composition of C and N. Flipper tissue values for δ15N (3.41‰ to 9.69‰) and δ13C (-22.43‰ to -5.38‰) fall within literature values for green turtles, and the wide range of values indicated they could potentially feed at multiple trophic levels. Understanding the trophic ecology of this population of green sea turtles is instrumental to effective management and habitat preservation strategies in DRTO.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This study aimed to assess employee’s responses with regard to the implementation of a new workplace improvement programme. The purpose of this research was to focus on the understanding that could be gained about employee’s responses to organisational change using qualitative research

For scientific or socio-economic reasons it is often necessary or desirable that biological material be identified. Given that there are an estimated 10 million living organisms on Earth, the identification of biological material can be problematic. Consequently the services of taxonomist specialists are often required. However, if such expertise is not readily available it is necessary to attempt an identification using an alternative method. Some of these alternative methods are unsatisfactory or can lead to a wrong identification. One of the most common problems encountered when identifying specimens is that important diagnostic features are often not easily observed, or may even be completely absent. A number of techniques can be used to try to overcome this problem, one of which, the Self Organizing Map (or SOM), is a particularly appealing technique because of its ability to handle missing data. This thesis explores the use of SOMs as a technique for the identification of indigenous trees of the Acacia species in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The ability of the SOM technique to perform exploratory data analysis through data clustering is utilized and assessed, as is its usefulness for visualizing the results of the analysis of numerical, multivariate botanical data sets. The SOM’s ability to investigate, discover and interpret relationships within these data sets is examined, and the technique’s ability to identify tree species successfully is tested. These data sets are also tested using the C5 and CN2 classification techniques. Results from both these techniques are compared with the results obtained by using a SOM commercial package. These results indicate that the application of the SOM to the problem of biological identification could provide the start of the long-awaited breakthrough in computerized identification that biologists have eagerly been seeking. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Computer Science / unrestricted

The aim of this diploma thesis is to regionalize the final consumption expenditure of households, general government and also non-profit organisations serving households. It is necessary to search for suitable regionalisation keys (weights) for each of consumption expenditure of all three sectors mentioned above. With these keys it is then possible to divide the national value (taken from national accounts) into the regions. The national values are regionalised to NUTS 3 level (14 regions called "kraj" in the Czech Republic). In the thesis obtained results are also assessed from the regional point of view. Further, the potential alternative indicators are being discussed, that are not possible to use now, but could be a good aim for further research in this topic.

Confidential information such as passwords, cryptographic keys, certificates, etc. are used every day on various places. Mobile phone can be a good storage for such informations, but is necessary to ensure data security. Main goal of this project is to create a program for Windows Mobile phones which will keep all the informations in one place protected by password. Designed program lets user to store passwords, cryptographic keys, various files, important contacts, credit card numbers, etc. Some of the stored informations can be downloaded from remote server via FTP protocol or from smart card. It is also possible that two clients will synchronize their informations via Network and other usefull functions.