Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Objective: To determine ifself-rated health modifies the effect ofbaseline walking limitation on 5- and 10-year mortality in older women with early stage breast cancer Design: Secondary analysis of a multicenter 10-year prospective study of older women with early stage breast cancer Setting: Sixty-two clinical centers in four geographic areas Participants: 585 women aged 65 years or older with Stage I to IIIa breast cancer who were followed by annual telephone calls for up to 10 years. Measurements: Baseline self-rated health, ability to walk several blocks, age, race, marital status, financial status, social support, comorbid conditions, body mass index, tumor stage, estrogen receptor (ER) status, initial therapy, and emotional health. The main outcome was all-cause mortality at 5 and 10 years as determined by National Death Index and Social Security Death Index. Results: Subjects at baseline were 17% age 80+, 48% stage II-IIIa, 25% ER negative, 42% with ≤1 comorbid condition. At the time of breast cancer diagnosis, 39% of women reported low self-rated health, and 28% reported limitations in walking several blocks. Those with low self-rated health and walking limitation had higher mortality rates than those with high self-rated health and without walking limitation (28.1% vs. 12.7% at 5 years, p = 0.0002; 67.8% vs. 34.9% at 10 years, p < 0.0001). In the adjusted regression model, risk of dying from any cause by 10 years was higher for women aged 80+ (HR 3.87, 95% CI 2.45, 6.11); age 70-79 (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.06, 2.24); with inadequate finances (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.13, 2.65); and with the combination of low self-rated health and walking limitation at baseline (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.02, 2.15). Conclusion: In this study of older women with breast cancer, the combination of low self-rated health and limitation in walking several blocks at diagnosis was a predictor of all-cause mortality at 10 years of follow-up; this finding was independent of age, comorbidity, tumor characteristics, and treatment. These self-report measures can be easily assessed in clinical practice and may represent an effective strategy to improve treatment decision-making in older adults with cancer.

O contrato de trabalho é expressão da autonomia privada individual dos sujeitos da relação de emprego. Como poder de autorregulamentar os próprios interesses, referida autonomia submete-se às disposições do ordenamento jurídico desde a formação, até a extinção da relação contratual. Na prática, tais disposições impõem muitas limitações ao poder de livre estipulação das partes, pois resultam da conjugação de inúmeros fatores, especialmente de ordem econômica e social, os quais demonstraram a precariedade dos dogmas do liberalismo, levando-o ao seu naufrágio. A partir de então, com o objetivo de realizar a função social dos contratos, o Estado interveio nas relações entre os particulares, moldando amplamente o conteúdo dos pactos laborais por meio da lei. Há quem afirme, nesse sentido, que, no âmbito das relações de trabalho, o Estado tudo pretendeu regular, uma vez que limites à autonomia privada estariam evidentes no ordenamento jurídico. Destaque-se que não apenas a lei, em sentido estrito, é considerada fonte de limitação, sendo esse papel desempenhado por todas as normas, positivadas ou não; autônomas ou heterônomas, que integram o ordenamento jurídico e estão relacionadas à ordem pública. Mais além, no âmbito das relações de trabalho, os avanços tecnológicos, científicos e econômicos revelaram situações nas quais é completa a omissão do legislador, desaparecendo a evidência dos limites a serem observados. Nessas hipóteses, incumbe ao operador do direito investigar eventual (in)existência de restrições à livre pactuação no ordenamento jurídico como um todo. / The employment contract reflects the individual private autonomy of each party in a laboral relationship. As a power of self-regulate their own interests, the individual private autonomy submits itself to the legal provisions since the formation until the end of the contract. In practice, these provisions impose many limitations on the power of free stipulation of the parties. Limitations came from many factors, especially economic and social order, what demonstrated the precariousness of liberalism and led to the sinking of this doctrine dogmas. Thereafter, the State, in order to perform the social function of contracts, intervened in relations between individuals, largely shaping the content of employment agreements by law. Some say that the State intended, by this gesture, to regulate everything in employment relationships because the limits of individual private autonomy would be evident in the legal system. It is noteworthy that not only the law, strictly speaking, is considered a source of limitation, once this role is played by all rules - positive or not, autonomous or heteronomous that belong to the legal system and are related to public order. Further, in the context of labor relations, technological, scientific and economic advances revealed situations in which is the complete omission of the legislator, disappearing evidence of limits to be observed; in these cases, the operator is responsible for the investigation about the existence or lack of restrictions on power of self-regulation in entire legal system.

nÃo hà / O estudo teve como objetivo construir e validar uma tecnologia educativa para a promoÃÃo da saÃde em pessoas com mobilidade fÃsica prejudicada. Trata-se de uma pesquisa metodolÃgica do tipo desenvolvimento, realizada em um hospital de emergÃncia na cidade de Fortaleza-CE. O estudo compreendeu trÃs momentos: construÃÃo do Manual, validaÃÃo de conteÃdo e testagem clÃnica. No primeiro momento foram realizados estudos que subsidiaram a construÃÃo do Manual; no segundo, para validaÃÃo de conteÃdo foi utilizado um questionÃrio tipo Escala de Likert com os indicadores para avaliaÃÃo da qualidade, de forma a determinar o nÃvel de concordÃncia entre os juÃzes; e no terceiro, para testagem clÃnica aplicou-se o Manual a cuidadores de pacientes com dÃficits na mobilidade fÃsica e dependÃncia total ou parcial de cuidados. A amostra para validaÃÃo de conteÃdo foi constituÃda por sete juÃzas, experts nas Ãreas de educaÃÃo e neurologia, e a amostra para testagem clÃnica foi de 30 cuidadores selecionados mediante critÃrios de inclusÃo e exclusÃo. Esta pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comità de Ãtica em Pesquisa do Hospital Instituto Dr. Josà Frota, sob o protocolo N 110.316/09. No processo de construÃÃo do Manual primeiramente foram realizados estudos que subsidiaram a seleÃÃo do tema e do conteÃdo, em seguida o editor de arte confeccionou o Manual, que teve um formato de histÃria com desenhos representando os personagens e descrevendo os procedimentos de forma detalhada e simples. Os pareceres das juÃzas quanto ao Manual teve como base os itens abordados e apresentaram uma variaÃÃo do percentual de concordÃncia (concordo plenamente/concordo) de 42,9% a 100%. Entre as que se mantiveram neutras a variaÃÃo foi de 14,3% a 57,1%, e entre as discordantes (discordo plenamente/discordo) a variaÃÃo foi de 14,3% a 42,9%. Os itens 3, 6, 10, 13 e 14 apresentaram concordÃncia entre as juÃzas inferior a 70% e necessitaram de revisÃo e reestruturaÃÃo para o alcance dos objetivos propostos neste estudo. Na testagem clÃnica os pareceres dos cuidadores quanto aos itens abordados apresentaram uma variaÃÃo do percentual de concordÃncia (concordo plenamente/concordo) de 90,0% a 100%. Entre os que se mantiveram neutros ou discordantes nÃo foram identificadas variaÃÃes, mantendo-se ambas as categorias, respectivamente, entre 6,7% e 3,3%. O valor estabelecido para tornar um indicador vÃlido foi igual ou superior a 70%, e nesta etapa todos foram considerados vÃlidos. Dentre as sugestÃes das juÃzas destacam-se: diminuiÃÃo de alguns textos, reformulaÃÃo de termos tÃcnicos nÃo acessÃveis a leigos, melhor clareza em algumas ilustraÃÃes e alteraÃÃes na sequÃncia das orientaÃÃes. Os cuidadores sugeriram o uso contÃnuo do Manual no hospital, iniciando sua utilizaÃÃo logo apÃs a admissÃo, para, assim, contribuir no processo de recuperaÃÃo do seu familiar. Eles afirmaram que apÃs as orientaÃÃes conseguiram se sentir mais seguros e que as informaÃÃes seriam importantes para quando estivessem no domicÃlio. As anÃlises realizadas reforÃam a relevÃncia de serem elaboradas novas tecnologias voltadas à prÃtica educativa dentro do ambiente hospitalar, alÃm da necessidade de preparo dos profissionais por meio da capacitaÃÃo contÃnua em serviÃo para que o cuidado se desenvolva de forma adequada e com seguranÃa. / This study aimed to construct and validate educative technology for health promotion in people with impaired physical mobility. This methodological development study was carried out at an emergency hospital in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. The study involved three phases: construction of the manual, content validation and clinical testing. First, studies were accomplished to support the construction of the manual. Second, for content validation purposes, a Likert-style questionnaire was used, including the quality assessment indicators, so as to determine the inter-rater agreement level. Third, for clinical testing, the manual was applied to caregivers of patients with impaired physical mobility and full or partial dependence for care. The content validation sample consisted of seven judges who were experts in education and neurology, while the clinical test sample comprised 30 caregivers, selected through inclusion and exclusion criteria. Approval for this research was obtained from the Institutional Review Board at Hospital Instituto Dr. Josà Frota, under protocol No 110.316/09. In the construction process of the manual, first, studies were accomplished to support the selection of the theme and contents. Next, the art editor was contacted to elaborate the manual, in the form of a history with drawings, representing the characters and describing the procedures in a detailed and simple way. The expertsâ opinions on the manual were based on the addressed items and the variation in agreement percentages (fully agree/agree) ranged from 42.9% to 100%. The variation in neutral answers went from 14.3% to 57.1% and, among disagreements (fully disagree/disagree), from 14.3% to 42.9%. Inter-rater agreement levels for items 3, 6, 10, 13 and 14 were lower than 70%, demanding review and restructuring to achieve the goals proposed in this study. In clinical testing, agreement levels (fully agree/agree) among the caregiversâ opinions on the addressed items ranged from 90.0% to 100%. No variations were identified among caregivers who stayed neutral or disagreed, with both categories corresponding to 6.7% and 3.3%, respectively. The level set to validate an indicator was 70% or more and, in this phase, all indicators were considered valid. Among the expertsâ suggestions, the following stand out: reduce some texts, reformulate technical terms not accessible to lay people, clarify some illustrations and alter the sequence of orientations. The caregiversâ suggested the continuous use of the Manual at the hospital, starting its use soon after admission, so as to contribute to the recovery process of their relative. They affirmed that, after the orientations, they managed to feel safer and that the information would be important when they would be at home. The analyses reinforce the relevance of elaborating new technologies for educative practice in the hospital environment, besides the need to prepare the professionals through continuous in-service training, so that care is developed adequately and safely.

La Seine est un écosystème profondément affecté par les activités humaines. Il a subi des changements améliorant le traitement des eaux usées parisiennes et les apports diffus de l'agriculture. Des campagnes de prélèvements en profils longitudinaux ont été menées à l'amont et à l'aval de la station d'épuration Seine-Aval (step SAV) pour décrire la dynamique de l'azote et des activités des micro-organismes nitrifiants et la comparer aux observations disponibles antérieures à l'implémentation d'un traitement de l'azote. Les résultats prouvent que la step SAV rejette moins d'ammonium et plus d'organismes nitrifiants mais avec un développement plus lent et moins important qui disparaissent en aval améliorant le déficit en oxygène en Seine. De plus, le bilan et le rôle du phosphore ont été démontrés avec des apports au milieu fluvial diminués d'un facteur 2.7 depuis le début des années 2000. La mesure expérimentale des paramètres de l'adsorption du phosphore sur la matière en suspension a permis d'affirmer que ceux-ci sont influencés par les rejets des stations d'épuration mettant en oeuvre un traitement du phosphore. Nous montrons, par modélisation, que la dynamique de développement des algues est sensible au processus d'adsorption du phosphore. Les changements apparus dans la fréquence et l'intensité des blooms algaux en Seine peuvent s'expliquer par la réduction de la charge ponctuelle en phosphore. Avec des concentrations en orthophosphates proches de la limitation dans les secteurs amont, une modélisation précise de l'apparition du phytoplancton à l'échelle du bassin versant reste cependant encore difficile avec les outils mécanistiques actuels que nous avons développés. / The Seine river system is an ecosystem deeply affected by human activities. The new water quality requirements have led to significant changes. We provided an overview of nitrogen transfers in the Seine basin. We conducted sampling campaigns in order to describe the dynamics of nitrogen and nitrification. Furthermore, we compared our results with the observations before the implementation of nitrogen treatment at the wastewater treatment plant Seine Aval (WWTP SAV). The results proved that the WWTP discharges less ammonium and more nitrifiers but with a slower development than before. These communities disappear downstream, without causing low oxygen concentrations in the lower Seine and its estuary, as they did before... A simplified modelling of nitrogen concentrations and nitrification before and after the implementation of nitrogen treatment helped to reproduce the past and the present trends.Moreover, the assessment of the fluxes and the analysis of the role of phosphorus were realized. The inputs to the river system have been reduced almost three times in the early year 2000. The experimental measurement of phosphorus sorption characteristics onto suspended solids has shown that particles could be affected by the discharges coming from the WWTP SAV after the introduction of an advanced treatment. We show also by modelling, that the algal growth is very sensitive to adsorption process. The changes in frequency and amplitude of algal blooms observed in the Seine can be explained by the reduction of point phosphorus loadings. The modelling of algal blooms throughout the entire basin remains difficult with the currently available mechanistic tools.

80% of energy usage in the word comes from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and among the fossil fuels, oil is the most consumed energy source especially in transportation. However, due to concerns about energy demand and energy sustainability, global warming and dependency on foreign oil, generation of renewable fuels is crucial for transportation. Biomass to Liquid (BTL) is a promising process available to produce renewable liquid fuels. BTL fuels have great potential to meet the growing demand for liquid fuels, mitigating climate change, and providing value to rural areas. However, there are two major challenges with biofuels produced from BTL. One of the major challenge is the H2:CO ratio of biomass gasification product is insufficient for production of hydrocarbon fuels due to formation of methane and tars. The steam reforming of hydrocarbons, to improve the H2:CO ratio, is generally conducted as part of the gas conditioning. However, tars cause the catalysts to deactivate rapidly. Secondly, for fuels produced from the gasification route regardless of feedstock source, there is an economy-of-scale issue. Therefore, it is desirable to seek ways of process intensification to allow small scale plants to be more economical. Zeolites can be used to solve these challenges since they have reactant selectivity property. To achieve a catalyst capable of reforming methane without potential for deactivation by tars, the encapsulation of a core reforming catalyst with porous zeolite shell is examined in this dissertation. After detailed introduction in the first chapter, a composite H-β zeolite membrane encapsulated 1.6wt%Ni/1.2wt%Mg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 steam reforming catalyst was prepared by a physical coating method in the second chapter of the study. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analyses indicated that H-β zeolite was coated successfully on the core reforming catalyst. The pore size of H-β zeolite shell was between 0.43 and 0.57 nm, as measured by the HK method. Steam reforming of CH4 and C7H8 (as a tar model) were conducted with the composite H-β zeolite coated reforming catalyst, the two components individually, and physical mixtures of the two components as a function of temperature (780–840°C). CH4 conversion was enhanced by a factor of 2–3 (depending on temperature) for the composite catalyst as compared to the core reforming catalyst individually even though the zeolite did not have any activity alone. Possible reasons for the enhanced CH4 conversion include confined reaction effects (increase residence time within pores) of the catalyst containing the zeolite coating and/or Al3+ promotion of the active sites. Alternatively, due to molecular-size selectivity, the composite H-β zeolite coated reforming catalyst demonstrated a decrease in C7H8 conversion when compared to the uncoated reforming catalyst. The results validate the use of size selective catalysts to control molecular traffic and enhance the reforming reactant selectivity. A composite catalyst consisting of an outer layer of zeolite membrane encapsulating an inner reforming catalyst core was synthesized by a double physical coating method to investigate reactant selectivity (ratio of methane/toluene conversion rate) in steam reforming of methane (CH4) and toluene (C7H8). A double encapsulation (51 wt % H-β zeolite) of a 1.6 wt % Ni−1.2 wt % Mg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 steam reforming catalyst was compared to a singly coated composite catalyst (34.3 wt % H-β zeolite) to investigate zeolite thickness effects on the conversion of different sized hydrocarbons. The increase in the zeolite content from 34.3 to 51 wt % decreased both CH4 and C7H8 conversions (by up to 14% depending upon the temperature) as a result of the increase in diffusional limitations. Weisz−Prater criteria and Thiele moduli calculations confirmed that the reactions were performed under internal diffusion limitations. The C7H8 conversion of the 51 wt % composite (SR@β51%) catalyst was similar to the zeolite alone, indicating negligible contribution from the protected catalyst core. The reactant selectivity increased by up to 1.5 times on SR@β51% in comparison to the SR@β34.3% composite. Combined reforming at 800 °C on the SR@β51% catalyst indicated that the catalyst was stable during the 10 h time on stream. Continuing this work, a non-acidic Silicalite-1 zeolite membrane encapsulated 1.6wt%Ni-1.2wt%Mg/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 steam reforming composite catalyst, synthesized by a physical coating method, was used to investigate effect of encapsulation on size selective steam reforming, using methane (CH4) and toluene (C7H8) as representative species. Weisz-Prater Criteria and Thiele moduli calculations indicated internal diffusion limitations. Combined reforming of CH4 and C7H8 at 800°C on the composite catalyst demonstrated stability during the 10 h time on stream while uncoated SR catalyst deactivated. The non-acidic Silicalite-1 encapsulated catalyst showed decreases (~2-7%) in both CH4 and C7H8 conversions compared to acidic H-β zeolite confirming that shell acidity did contribute to conversion and suggesting that shell defects/grain boundaries were responsible for the C7H8 conversion. Finally, low temperature 0.16wt%Pt–1.34wt%Ni–1.00wt%Mg/(Ce0.6Zr0.4)O2 reforming catalyst was triple coated with H-β zeolite (60 wt% of zeolite) to be utilized synthesis of combination steam reforming catalyst (SR) and Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) catalyst (CRAFT) for a single-step conversion of methane to liquid fuels. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis result demonstrated that H-β zeolite was successfully encapsulated onto the low temperature reforming catalyst. The catalyst was tested in steam reforming of methane (CH4) and toluene (C7H8) and the results was compared with 51 wt%. While CH4 conversions are very similar on the 60wt% composite catalyst with 51wt% composite catalyst, no C7H8 conversion was seen on the 60 wt% composite catalyst. Thus, it is concluded that the 60 wt% composite catalyst can be utilized to synthesis CRAFT catalyst.

Nanofiltration and seawater reverse osmosis desalination are still considered energy-intensive processes. Seawater desalination can be 25 times more energy-intensive compared to conventional water treatment processes. Biofouling is a significant problem in achieving sustainable desalination, as it increases the energy demands and the overall water cost. Limiting the biodegradable substrate concentration in the feed water is proposed as a suitable approach to control biofouling in desalination membranes. Until now, nutrient manipulation studies have not fully elucidated to which extent this technique affects biofilm morphology and if the manipulated biofilms are easier to control and remove with a chemical-free approach. The main objective of this Ph.D. study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effect of nutrient manipulation on the physical properties of the developed biofilm to decrease the impact of biofouling on system performance and enhance the cleanability of biofilms in membrane systems. The aspects of the study included biofilm development and related system performance under varying feed water biodegradable carbon and phosphorous concentrations and the impact of permeation. The results of this study indicate that lowering the assimilable organic carbon and phosphorus concentration in the feed water controls biofilm formation and prolongs membrane system performance. A strategy of enhancing the hydraulic cleanability of biofilms in RO systems could involve avoiding the increase of the phosphorus concentration by eliminating the use of phosphonate-based antiscalants. The higher detachment for biofilms grown at a lower phosphorus concentration was explained by more soluble polymers in the EPS, resulting in a lower biofilm cohesive and adhesive strength. We demonstrated that the phosphorus concentration in the feed water affected the microbial and EPS composition. A homogenous bacterial community composition was found over the biofilm height. Permeation played a role in shaping biofilm localization, and therefore, the observed impact on the system performance parameters. This Ph.D. dissertation represents an exciting advance towards greener desalination by controlling and enhancing the cleanability of biofilms through feed water nutrient manipulation.

Mountains play an important role in providing water resources from snow and ice to downstream urban population centers. In Utah, USA, nearly 86% of the state's population resides in the rapidly growing urban corridor along the Wasatch Front. Water along the Wasatch Front is stored in several deep reservoirs in the Provo River Watershed. Additions of nutrients, into these reservoirs, may stimulate the growth of primary producers (e.g., total phytoplankton and cyanobacteria) potentially attenuating water quality. To determine the influence of nutrients on primary producers in the Provo River's reservoirs, identify whether cyanobacteria are transported downstream, and quantify nutrient thresholds that regulate phytoplankton responses, we monitored and experimentally manipulated total phytoplankton and cyanobacteria in rivers and reservoirs. We found that total phytoplankton biomass (measured as chlorophyll a concentrations) was correlated with the total phosphorus (TP) in the Jordanelle Reservoir and the outflow from the Jordanelle Reservoir. Cyanobacteria biomass (measured as phycocyanin concentration) was correlated with dissolved inorganic N (DIN):SRP in the Deer Creek Reservoir and river sites below the Deer Creek Reservoir. Based on next generation sequencing 16S rDNA of all waters evaluated, the relative abundance of cyanobacteria within bacterial communities was extremely low, with the highest relative abundance of cyanobacteria present in the reservoirs being 10.7% for Deer Creek and 5.5% in Jordanelle during the late summer. Of the 25 genera of cyanobacteria that were found across all waters, five species have the ability to produce cyanotoxin: Microcystaceae; Aphanizomenon MDT14a; Aphanizominon NIES81; and Planktothrix NIVA-CYA. Season determined bacterial community composition in the river and reservoir over the almost two years of sampling with bacterial communities being distinct between the limnetic location in Deer Creek Reservoir to the outflow into the river immediately below the dam. We found no difference between the bacterial communities in the limnetic zone in Jordanelle and the river site directly below Jordanelle Dam. In the nutrient starvation bioassays, cyanobacteria and total phytoplankton responded to the nutrient additions, but there were no specific nutrient thresholds where pigment concentrations leveled out even as nutrient concentration increased. However, when P was added as SRP treatments both total phytoplankton and cyanobacteria concentrations increased, especially in the highest SRP treatment (0.08 mg/L) without any N addition. The addition of N alone did not influence total phytoplankton until there was at least 0.2 mg/L of P added. Further, cyanobacteria required at least 0.2 mg/L of SRP before responding to N levels above 0.8 mg/L. Thus, a nutrient threshold to maintain the reservoir at its current state would be 0.2 mg/L P and between 0.3 and 0.8 mg/L DIN. Our results identify that the water within the reservoirs and rivers are extremely clean and is in no immediate risk of extensive total phytoplankton or cyanobacterial blooms with P being the dominant driver of primary producer activity.

Enacted after a protracted review process characterised by many false starts, tensions and at times violence, the Constitution of Kenya 2010 envisions a radical break from a politically repressive past. It envisages extensive political transformation; a momentous shift in the political configuration of the polity in terms of its governance structures and the equilibrium of power among its institutions. It also entails a change in the normative arrangements, culture, attitudes and practices that surround politics and the exercise of public power. Crucially, as part of the transformation project, the Constitution has made a resolute commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms. Key among these is the right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression enjoys protection in democratic constitutions around the world and in international law, albeit in different formulations. The right has repeatedly received affirmation in apex courts, including in Kenya, as the ?bedrock of democratic governance,? and similar praises. Except for jitters raised by the recent enactment of a plethora of expression-restricting laws and increased controversial prosecutions, there has been a general assumption that the protection of the right in Kenya is solid. This study aims, in part, at evaluating and deconstructing that assumption. In particular, the thesis answers the following research questions: (a) what is the nature and scope of the right to freedom of expression and its limitations in Kenya? (b) what are the transformative goals of Kenya?s 2010 Constitution? (c) what is the role of the right to freedom of expression in Kenya?s project of transformation?, and (d) do the limitations of freedom of expression under Kenyan law meet the standards of the 2010 Constitution? The thesis concludes that the transformation envisaged in the Constitution cannot be complete without fundamental changes in the law, practice and attitudes that surround freedom of expression. This is because, as the thesis shows, freedom of expression has the role of legitimating, facilitating, and defending the envisioned change. While the Constitution has created a framework with the potential to support transformation, freedom of expression restrictions contained in statutes, English common law and judicial precedents undercut the protection of the right. In other words, while some of these restrictions serve legitimate purposes, the constitutional validity of others is suspect. This situation, in turn, undermines the transformative aspirations of the 2010 Constitution. / Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Centre for Human Rights / LLD / Unrestricted

Excess nutrients from human activity trigger toxic cyanobacterial and algal blooms, creating expansive hypoxic dead zones in lakes, damaging ecosystems, hurting local economies, undermining food and water security, and directly harming human health. To identify when and where nutrients limit phytoplankton and cyanobacterial growth, and cyanotoxin concentrations across Utah Lake, USA we conducted four in-situ bioassay studies (563 cubitainers or experimental units) that experimentally added N, P or N+P over the spring, early summer, summer, late summer, and fall in lake water from the top 20 cm of the water column. For our purpose, we defined total phytoplankton as all prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms containing chlorophyll-a. We evaluated changes in chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin concentrations; the abundance of cyanobacterial species and total phytoplankton species or divisions; cyanotoxin concentrations of the microcystin, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin; DIN, SRP, TP, and TN concentrations; and other water chemistry parameters. We found that the nutrient limitation of cyanobacteria, and to a lesser extent phytoplankton, was influenced by season and space. Cyanobacteria were often co-limited in the spring or early summer, limited by a single nutrient in the summer, and not limited by N or P in the late summer and fall. Alternatively, phytoplankton were co-limited from the summer into the fall in the main body of the lake and either N limited or co-limited continually in Provo Bay. Microcystis, Aphanocapsa, Dolichospermum, Merismopedia, and Aphanizomenon spp., and Aulacoseira and Desmodesmus spp. and two taxonomical categories of algae (i.e., unicellular and colonial green algae) were primarily associated with cyanobacteria and phytoplankton nutrient limitations. Concentrations of the three cyanotoxins demonstrated a seasonal signal and loosely followed the growth of specific cyanobacteria but was not dependent on total cyanobacterial cell density. The DIN and SRP were biologically available in all water and nutrient treatments with nutrient concentrations declining over the incubation period, suggesting that nutrient levels were not oversaturated. Our results offer insights into specific nutrient targets, species, and, and cyanotoxins to consider in the future to manage Utah Lake.

The study was conducted to examine the importance of forage resources in limiting peak population density of black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus). The research design combined field studies of jackrabbit diet and vegetation impact with computer simulation of herbivore nutrition and population dynamics. The relationships between available forage, dietary intake, energy and protein balance and population changes were compared for high and low population density. Hypotheses tested were : (1) Dietary composition is unaffected by availability above 10 kg/ha; (2) Jackrabbits do not require more forage than is available at high population densities; (3) Dietary composition is not significantly different at high and low densities; (4) Dietary composition is not significantly different between sexes; (5) Nutritional balance of lactating females is not significantly altered at high density; and (6) Nutritional balance of females entering the breeding season is not significantly altered at high density. The field studies were designed to measure dietary preference by the jackrabbits, the availability of herbage, and utilization of selected plant species. Jackrabbits ate nearly all forage types available but primarily consumed dominant shrubs in fall and winter, suffrute scents in fall and winter, grasses in spring and summer, and forbs in summer. There was no significant difference between dietary composition or preference rating among density periods or sexes. Dietary percentage of preferred forage species was directly related to availability above 10 kg/ha. Jackrabbits removed an average of 30 to 40 percent of individual plants of Kochia americana, but only browsed on 5 toll percent of all available plants. Total removal of Kochiastanding crop averaged only 3.7 percent. The model used in the simulation studies incorporated relationships involving existence, activity and production (growth, gestation and lactation) requirements to estimate forage requirements. Intake and requirements affect energy and protein balance which are related to body weight changes and production. Model mortality rates are modified by nutritional deficiency as a fraction of the requirements. The following conclusions resulted from model simulations. Forage requirements are less than 1 percent of available forage, even at high population density. Nutritional balance of lactating females was unaffected by observed diets or population density. Nutritional balance of females entering the breeding season is unaffected by diet but may be affected by early breeding date or large litter sfze. Individual nutritional response and its interaction with food does not cause significant change in population mortality rates. Nutritional deficiency may contribute to mortality, particularly during lactation or winter periods, but these effects are independent of population density.