In the modern era, it is widely acknowledged that information and communication technologies have become foundational to every aspect of human endeavor and well-being. The policies of private and public sector organizations, and more so of governments of sovereign states, emphasize the deployment and utilization of information and communication technologies in virtually all forms of business activities. Comparatively, there is consensus that economic and social development of countries can be highly dependent on small and medium enterprises. A broader question arises as to how information and communication technologies can be combined with small and medium enterprises to accelerate sustainable development, especially in nations classified as least developing countries. This research provides some empirical evidence on the extent of the triangular correlation between the transfer of information and communication technologies, capacity building of small and medium enterprises for sustainable development in the least developed country context. The study provides useful insights for policy making with regards to leveraging small and medium enterprises plus information and communication technologies towards stimulating and accelerating sustainable development of least developed countries. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / PhD / Unrestricted

Experiments were initiated to determine whether exogenous estradiol-17beta (E2) and oxytocin (OT) can be used to dilate the cervix and improve transcervical embryo transfer (ET) procedures for sheep. However, there was concern that the E2-OT treatment may alter luteal function and that embryo quality would decrease as the superovulatory response to FSH increased. In Exp. 1, 32 ewes were assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial array of treatments. On d 7, ewes received an i.v. injection of either 100 micrograms of E2 in 5 mL of 1:1 ethanol:saline or 5 mL of 1:1 ethanol:saline; 12 h later, ewes received i.v. injection of either 400 USP units of OT or saline. Jugular blood was collected on d 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18. Progesterone concentrations were unaffected by the treatments. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine the dose of pFSH needed to induce approximately six corpora lutea (CL). Ten-day Norgestomet implants inserted between d 8-12 of the estrous cycle were used to synchronize estrus in Hampshire and Hampshire x Dorset ewes (n = 23). Ewes received a total of either 0, 18, 27, or 36 mg of pFSH, which was injected i.m. at -24, -12, 0, 12, 24, and 36 h relative to implant removal. The dose at each respective time was 19.4, 19.4, 16.7, 16.7, 13.9, and 13.9% of the total. Ewes received 400 IU of PMSG i.m. at -24 h. The CL were counted laparoscopically on d 6 (d 0 = estrus). Number of CL increased linearly (P < .01) with dose of pFSH; there were 1.8, 3.6, 6.3, and 11.2 CL/ewe, respectively. Experiment 3 was conducted to determine the effect of the E2-OT treatment, mode of transfer or the interaction of E2-OT treatment x mode of transfer on embryo survival and development. Experiment 3 was conducted over two breeding seasons and across two trials. In the first trial ewes were assigned to one of three randomized treatments. Procedural limitations that were later overcome prevented a true 2 x 2 factorial design; therefore, transcervical transfer without hormonal treatment was excluded in the first trial. In the second trial, ewes were assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial array of treatments. On d 6 of pregnancy, embryos rating a fair or better were transferred into recipients either transcervically or laparoscopically. Recipients were administered either an E2 (d 6) - OT (d 7) treatment or an ethanol:saline-saline treatment following the same protocol as in Exp. 1. Embryos were recovered on d 12 in Trial 1 and d 14 in Trial 2. Embryos were evaluated morphologically for development and ranked on a scale of one to four; one represented no development and four represented development to the morphological stages associated with the day of collection. The treatments did not affect the percentage of embryos recovered after transfer or the percentage of embryos that showed some developed. However, there was an effect of mode of transfer on mean rank of embryo development; embryos transferred laporscopically developed further than embryos transferred transcervically (P < .01). This may have been an artifact of a technician effect between trials. There was an effect of E2-OT treatment on transcervical transfer (P < .01), indicating that it may be detrimental to transfer embryos transcervically without dilating the cervix. In conclusion, the E2-OT treatment did not affect luteal function, and the E2-OT treatment can be used to dilate the cervix and enhance success of transcervical transfer of embryos. A 400 IU priming dose of PMSG and a total dose of 27 mg of pFSH can be used to induce the target number of six CL. / Master of Science

This dissertation examined the relationship between the three year academic success of transfer students and the variables of race, gender, age, number of transfer credit hours, and place of residence. The study was conducted at Midwestern State University, a public, regional four-year institution and followed the incoming transfer classes of the fall 2005 (N = 292), 2006 (N = 323), and 2007 (N = 286) semesters. The subjects included in this study were all new transfer students who met the university.s requirement to live on campus. The dependent variable, three year academic success, was defined as whether or not the student was still persisting or had graduated within three years from the date of initial enrollment. The independent variables were housing status during the first semester after transfer, age at time of transfer, gender, race, and the number of credit hours at the time of transfer. The first research question aimed to determine if housing status impacted the three year academic success in the population. Chi-square analysis found that there were no significant distributions of the students who lived on-campus and the students who lived off-campus during their first semester after transfer. The second research question aimed to determine if the variables of age at the time of transfer, credit hours at the time of transfer, gender, race, and campus housing status impacted three year success. Logistic Regression showed that only gender (.003) was significant at ? = .05. The Exp(B) value for gender (1.514), showed that females were 1.514 times more likely to be successful than males when all other variables were controlled. The effect size of .019 indicated that the model only accounted for 1.9% of the variance, indicating that the model may not be a great predictor of student academic success. The results of this study, conducted at a regional, public, four-year institution, show that transfer students who lived in campus housing during their first semester after transfer did not achieve three year academic success at a significantly different rate than those students who lived off-campus. However, the study did find that females were 1.514 more time likely to be successful than their male counterparts.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty Of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / Disability and poverty can no longer be denied as being some of the major factors that affect a number of people across South Africa and other developing, or even developed countries. Yet, disability and poverty are still ill-defined and under researched. South Africa has developed an income system aimed at helping people with disabilities: The Disability Cash Transfer (DCT). Physical and mental conditions of people with disabilities vary from one person to another, which means that the type of care they require as they grow older is also different. Therefore, people with disabilities constantly require financial care and societal acceptance. This is why the South African government provides DCT for people with disabilities who cannot perform any formal work as a way to generate income for themselves. This study seeks to evaluate if the DCT has an effect on people’s lives, with regards to poverty reduction, within Nqutu Local Municipality. Based on the Nqutu Local Municipality Integrated Development Plan First review (2013/2014:6), the estimated dependency ratio on social grants is 90.60%. The Disability Cash Transfer is within that estimated percentage. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative data was obtained using questionnaires and interview schedules. The research instruments that were employed in this study to collect data from beneficiaries of DCT were questionnaires, and to gather information from SASSA officials, interview schedules were used. The study target population were the beneficiaries of DCT as well as SASSA officials of Nqutu Local Municipality. To sample DCT beneficiaries, convenience sampling was used, and to select SASSA officials, simple random sampling was employed. This researcher managed to get 73 DCT beneficiaries and 8 SASSA officials. Content analysis was used to analyse interview schedules, in which all SASSA officials expressed that DCT does have an effect on poverty reduction. To analyse questionnaires descriptive analysis and the statistics program (SPSS) was used. The findings of the study reveal that although the DCT may be satisfactory, there is a necessity for implementers to re-evaluate current operations to avoid the exclusion and inclusion errors that exist in the DCT distribution. Therefore, it is prudent for the government, community members, and SASSA to work concurrently into introducing new strategies that will strip off distribution errors and mitigate poverty. Findings, further exhibited that 91.78% respondents believe that the DCT has effects at Nqutu Local Municipality because beneficiaries are able to provide essential needs for their families. A high number of respondents 57.53% mentioned that there are challenges in the DCT distribution. These challenges were found to be the result of the imperfection of the system as it appeared the DCT beneficiaries would sometimes not receive full amount of their grant. It is recommended that the Department of Social Development working together with SASSA revisit the distribution procedure to avoid fraudulent activities that the DCT beneficiaries experience. To reduce poverty people with disabilities should also be given employment opportunities equal to people with no disabilities as a way to reduce a dependency ratio to social grants. / National Research Foundation Of South Africa

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At long last, the first step in a long chain of scientific endeavors is completed. I am excited. I believe that I have been trained well. And so, I would like to thank everyone that has made this possible. But how does my training facilitate acknowledging all of those who have had a major impact on my behavior? First, it gives me a historical perspective. From this perspective I remember the warmth and love that was provided by my parents John and June and the love and competition provided by my brothers, Jack, Mike and Tim. Second, my training provides me with a social, environmental perspective. From this I recall the consistent, immediate support supplied by my friends. Especially, I thank Karen. Third, my training has provided me with a professional perspective. From late night planning, scheming and scamming with Kent Johnson to Tuesday organizing with Beth Sulzer-Azarof f , I have been fortunate to experience the best in behavioral training. Of course, all these categories overlap. There is no simple way to separate the historical from the social or the social from the professional. All that one can do is key in on certain ways that others have been of assistance. Therefore, the last perspective that my training has provided is to be able to isolate the key factors in this specific project. From this, I know to thank each of my committee members, John Donatioe, J.M. Royer and Arnold well, a superb typist, Carol Vreeland, and especially, again, my advisors and friends, Kent Johnson and Beth Sulzer-Azarof

Broadening participation in engineering has been a pressing goal for decades, yet progress has been slow. The National Academy of Engineering recommends building transfer pathways from community colleges to universities to meet this goal. Much research has focused broadly on curriculum alignment, articulation policies, and academic advising to ease the transfer pathway in efforts to reduce credit loss, which can significantly impact transfer students enrolled in highly sequential degrees, such as engineering. However, minimal scholarship quantifies and visualizes credit loss or explains in detail how and why it occurs—my dissertation explores credit loss for engineering transfer students to understand how and why these students accumulate excess credit. The first phase explores credit loss at a highly intensive research university using institutional data to compare across student characteristics, transfer type, engineering discipline, and state community college institutions. The second phase quantifies and visualizes credit loss for vertical engineering transfer students using data from both the sending and receiving institutions. The results of this study revealed that nearly all engineering transfer students experienced some form of credit loss. The amount of credit loss differs across engineering disciplines, the types of sending institutions, and between community colleges within the same state system. Additionally, this study found that credit loss occurs throughout the entire degree pathway, from high school dual enrollment and AP credits to community college and even post-transfer. Findings can be used to inform advisors, faculty, administrators, and policymakers about the role of credit loss in the engineering transfer process. This work has implications for informing degree pathways, articulation agreements, and policies that promote successful transfer and degree completion, which ultimately has the potential to enhance college affordability. / Doctor of Philosophy / Broadening participation in engineering has been a pressing goal for decades, yet progress has been slow. The National Academy of Engineering recommends building transfer pathways from community colleges to universities to meet this goal. Established to improve access to higher education for a broad population, beginning a postsecondary degree community college has the potential to be a more cost-effective higher education option for students that can serve as a gateway for upward social mobility. Much of the previous research on transfer students has focused broadly on curriculum alignment, articulation policies, and academic advising to ease the transfer pathway in efforts to reduce credit loss. Credit loss occurs when a student takes a course or accumulates college credits that are not used to meet requirements for their bachelor's degree. Credit loss can significantly impact transfer students enrolled in highly sequential degrees, such as engineering, and result in unnecessary time and costs for students. Minimal research quantifies and visualizes credit loss or explains in detail how and why it occurs—my dissertation explores credit loss for engineering transfer students to understand how and why transfer students accumulate excess credit. The first phase explores credit loss at a highly intensive research university using institutional data to compare across student characteristics, transfer type, engineering discipline, and state community college institutions. The second phase quantifies and visualizes credit loss for engineering transfer students from in-state community colleges using data from both the sending and receiving institutions. The results of this study revealed that nearly all engineering transfer students experienced some form of credit loss. The amount of credit loss differs across engineering disciplines, the types of sending institutions, and even between community colleges within the same state system. Additionally, this study found that credit loss can occurs throughout the entire degree pathway, from high school dual enrollment and AP credits to community college and even post-transfer. Findings can be used to inform advisors, faculty, administrators, and policymakers about the role of credit loss in the engineering transfer process. This work has implications for informing degree pathways, articulation agreements, and policies that promote successful transfer and degree completion, which ultimately has the potential to enhance college affordability.

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