Diet selection and its variation due to difference in forages nutritive value are central processes in plant-herbivore interactions. An incorporating of these parameters may allow predicting diet selection patterns which are a basic underpin for sustainable vegetation management and profitable animal production. To achieve these issues many studies were done two of which were run to study the browse-browser interactions in a sub-humid subtropical savannah, a herd of goats was used as a model browser in natural pasture. Other studies evaluated the nutritive value of five plant species which were the most selected by goats. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the seasonal patterns of diet selection of goats on woody species and their nutritive value and (ii) to predict the diet selection. The secondary objectivrs were to (i) investigate how plant characteristics such as plant morphology (spinescence, and broad vs. fine leaves), phenology (evergreen vs. deciduous species) and plant chemistry (nitrogen, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, acid detergent lignin, condensed tannin, cellulose and hemicellulose) are relate to the diet selection patterns and to (ii) evaluate the nutritive value of the most plant species selected by goats during the different seasons. Two experiments were conducted at Owen Sitole College of Agriculture, KwaZulu-Natal, to determine diet selection of goats grazing/browsing in Zululand Thornveld. The first experiment was done in the early wet season (November 2007) and late wet season (March/April 2008) while the second experiment was conducted in the dry season (June/July 2008), early wet season (November/December 2008) and late wet season (February/March 2009). The relative abundance of browse species in the veld was determined and used to estimate the selection index. In the first part, diet selection was estimated using (i) direct observation of animals (account bouts) by observing every one minute two goats while they were foraging with others for 3 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours in the afternoon on alternate days for a total of six days and (ii) an indirect plant-based method by observing at regular intervals 40 marked branches on ten plants of each browse species every two days for a total of six days. The browse species observed were: Gymnosporia senegalensis, Acacia nilotica, Acacia karroo (Acacia natalitia), Scutia myrtina and Dichrostachys cinerea. In both seasons, the three most selected species according to the plant-based observations were S. myrtina, A. karroo and D. cinerea. Consistently, A. nilotica experienced moderate defoliation and G. senegalensis the least. However, on the basis of the selection index, the species followed the order: A. nilotica > D. cinerea > A. karroo > S. myrtina > G. senegalensis in the early wet season and A. nilotica > S. myrtina > D. cinerea > A. karroo > G. senegalensis in the late wet season. Both methods did not rank species in the same order. The selection index was negatively (P<0.05) correlated to neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL). In the second part, observations were taken on feeding time of two goats, randomly selected per day for 7-8 days. Observations were made during active foraging periods for 2 hrs in the morning and 1.5 hrs in the afternoon. The duration of each feeding bout and the species of woody plant from which bites were cropped at each feeding station were recorded. Season and plant species affected diet selection and preference. The five main species selected (utilized) by goats in decreasing order were S. myrtina, A. nilotica, D. cinerea, Acacia natalitia and Chromolaena odorata. Scutia myrtina was the most preferred (highest utilisation relative to availability) in the dry season while D. cinerea comprised the greatest proportion in the early and late wet seasons. Scutia myrtina was most preferred in the dry and early wet seasons while A. nilotica was most preferred in the late wet season. Spinescent species were generally selected more than non-spinescent species in all seasons, while fine-leaf and deciduous species were selected more than broad-leaf and evergreen ones in the wet seasons. However, preference for broad-leaf and evergreen species increased in the early wet season. Although plant chemistry varied across seasons, it did not explain the preference of goats for various plant species in this study. Instead, effects of chemistry were species- specific. The nutritive value of the five main species selected by goats was evaluated by chemical composition, in vitro gas production, in vitro degradability and in sacco degradability. Two experiments were conducted for the in vitro studies, the first experiment was to test the effect of season and species, while the second experiment tested the biological effect of tannins using polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG). The PEG treatment was applied to samples of the early and late wet seasons only. The parameters were maximum gas production (GP), degradation rate (C), lag time (lt), maximum rate of GP at the point of inflection (μ), half time to the maximum gas volume(T1/2), gas produced from fermentation of soluble and slowly degradable fractions (A and B, respectively), their degradation rates (c1 and c2, respectively), apparent (ApDeg) and true degradability (TrDeg), microbial yield (MY), partitioning factor (PF), degradation efficiency factor (DEF) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA). There were wide variations among seasons and species in crude protein (CP), NDF, ADF and condensed tannins. Season and species affected kinetics of gas production, GP, TrDeg, MY, PF and SCFA. Chromolaena odorata had the highest CP (185.8-226.4 g kgˉ¹), GP (87.3-104.1 ml gˉ¹ DM), gas produce from soluble (47.6-50.9 ml gˉ¹ DM) and insoluble (39.8-50.9 ml gˉ¹ DM) fractions during the three seasons compared to other browse species. The TrDeg ranged from 634 to 856 g kgˉ¹ DM. The total SCFA varied between seasons and among species. The addition of PEG decreased TrDeg and PF, and increased GP and total SCFA. The GP, its degradation rate (C) and gas from the soluble fraction were positively correlated to CP without and with PEG. Gas from the soluble fraction was negatively correlated to NDF, ADL and CT; and GP to CT without PEG. In the in sacco study, the parameters of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) degradability were soluble (a) and slowly (b) degradable degradability, the degradation rate (c), potential degradable (PD), effective degradability (ED) and lag time (lt). Season affected PD of DM degradability and ED of both DM and CP. Browse species and its interaction with season affected all parameters except b fraction of CP and interaction did not affected PD of CP. Chromolaena odorata had the highest estimated parameters of degradation during the three seasons compared to other browse species. Based on PD and ED, the plant species followed this decreasing order: C. odorata, A. nilotica, A. natalitia, S. myrtina and D. cinerea. All parameters were positively correlated to CP except the a and b fractions of DM and CP, respectively, and lt of both DM and CP. All parameters were negatively correlated to NDF, ADF and ADL except the b fraction and rate of degradation. Condensed tannins (CT) were negatively correlated with all parameters except the b fraction and PD of DM and CP, and lt of DM degradation. Cellulose was negatively correlated with a of DM and lt of CP degradation. The broad objective of this study was to assess whether plant characteristics, in sacco degradability, in vitro gas production, digestibility or chemical composition (NDF, ADF, ADL, CT and CP) could predict the selection of browse species. The parameters were selection index, plant characteristics (spinescence, or leaves phenology), chemical composition, in vitro gas production, in vitro degradability and in sacco degradability parameters. Most of these parameters were poor for predicting selection by goats of browse species. Spinescence (spn), leaves phenology (phen), NDF, CP and CT accounted for 86% of the variation in selection index (y) = -5.91 - 0.01CT - 0.002NDF + 0.02CP + 6.18spn + 2.43phen; (R2=0.86; n=20; RMSE=0.406; P<0.001; for phen, 1 = evergreen, 0 = deciduous; for spn, 1 = spinescent, 0 = spineless). It was concluded that in vitro gas production, in vitro degradability and in sacco degradability were poor predictors of selection index of browse species used by goats. Spinescence, leaf phenology, condensed tannins, CP and NDF were predictors of diet selection index and suggested that these plant species have potential to be used as feed supplements. Chromolaena odorata has the highest potential as feed protein source in goats. The addition of PEG (tannin binding agent) emphasizes that the inhibitory effect of tannins on rumen microbes was great in tannin-rich feeds. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Diet selection and foraging efficiency are primary driving behavioural processes in mammalian herbivore plant interaction. They determine the quality of production and also impact on vegetation, necessitating managerial inputs that will sustain productivity and conserve or improve on its plant species composition. In view of a better understanding of browse/browser interaction in subtropical arid savannah, Nguni goats were adopted as our model browser considering their socioeconomic importance to local, regional and global economy. The primary objective of this research was to determine the seasonal and plant species trend of diet selection indexed by intake and foraging efficiency indexed by intake rate. The secondary objective was to investigate how plant morphological variables such as spinescence, shoot morphology such as long shoots as opposed to short shoots, and broad as against fine leaves, phenological variables such as evergreen versus deciduous species, and plant chemical components including: crude protein, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, acid detergent lignin and condensed tannins relate and possibly explain the observed patterns. Six browse plants, Acacia nilotica, Acacia robusta, Ehretia rigida, Euclea crispa, Rhus lancea and Ziziphus mucronata were used in the first experiment to determine short term intake during the dry and rainy seasons. In the second experiment, 10 browse plants: Acacia nilotica, Acacia robusta, Combretum epiculatum, Dicrostachys cinerea, Ehretia rigida, Euclea crispa, Gymnosporia buxifolia, Rhus lancea and Ziziphus mucronata were used to determine short term intake rate in the dry, early rainy and late rainy seasons. Diet selection was significantly affected by species (F5,60= 31.87 ; p< 0.05) and the interaction between seasons and species (F,60= 2.52; p= 0.039). Intake was not significantly higher in the rainy relative to the dry season, 3.94 ± 0.42a gDM compared to 3.57 ± 0.42a gDM. Rhus lancea and A. robusta were the most preferred species in both seasons, while Z. mucronata was more preferred in the dry season than E. crispa but in the rainy season it was the opposite. Dichrostachys cinerea and A. nilotica were the least preferred in both seasons, but with improved intake of D. cinerea in the rainy season, whereas that of A. nilotica declined significantly. Intake of plant species with long shoots, which were also broad leafed, was significantly higher than that of old short shoot species (t= -3.99; df= 65.80; p= 0.0002). Similarly, intake of evergreen species was significantly higher than that of deciduous species (t= 5.22; df= 34.02; p< 0.0001). Cellulose in the rainy season positively correlated with intake (r= 0.85; n= 6; p= 0.031), bite number cropped (r= 0.98; n= 6; p= 0.001) and browsing time (r= 0.93; n= 6; p= 0.007). In the dry season there was no correlation of any plant chemical components with intake except cellulose that correlated with the intake variable of bite size (r= 0.87; n= 6; p= 0.023). The following regression equation was generated from the correlation to model intake: Intake= 0.68 + BS (3.07), (R2= 0.71; p< 0.05), where BS= bite size. Intake rate varied amongst species (p< 0.05), as well as seasons (p< 0.05). Instantaneous intake rate in the dry season were highest for A. caffra and G. buxifolia, followed by C. apiculatum, R. lancea, E. crispa, A. robusta and Z. mucronata. The bottom tier comprised of E. rigida, D. cinerea and A. nilotica. At the onset of the rainy season, A. robusta, A. caffra and R. lancea had the highest instantaneous intake rate, followed by C. apiculatum, E. crispa and Z. mucronata. The lowest instantaneous intake rates were derived from D. cinerea, E. rigida, G. buxifolia and A. nilotica. At late rainy season, A. robusta, A. caffra, C. apiculatum, E. crispa and R. lancea yielded the highest intake rate, followed by D. cinerea, G. buxifolia and Z. mucronata in the middle tier, and the least were derived from E. rigida and A. nilotica. Acacia caffra, A. robusta, R. lancea, C. apiculatum and E. crispa featured amongst species with the higest intake rate in all three seasons, whereas G. buxifolia from which one of the highest intake rates was derived in the dry season declined to amongst those with the least in both early and late rainy seasons. Ehretia rigida, D. cinerae and A. nilotica were consistent in all three seasons as the least efficiently foraged Browses with long shoots were more efficiently foraged upon than those with short shoots (t= -3.2; df= 284.64; p< 0.002). Evergreen plant species yielded higher instantaneous intake rate relative to deciduous species (t= 2.02; df= 278.01; p< 0.044). Intake rate of spinescent relative to spineless species was not significantly different but more bites were cropped from spinescent relative to spineless species (t= 2.80; df= 256.77; p= 0.006). Bite sizes were smaller for spinescent relative to spineless species (t= -3.30; df= 227.4; p= 0.001). There were significant positive correlations of cellulose with intake rate (r= 0.7; n= 10; p= 0.023), and with condensed tannins (r= 0.7; n= 10; p= 0.022) in the dry season. Additionally, cellulose also had a positive correlation with bite size in the same season (r= 0.7; n= 10; p= 0.016). At early rainy season, there was no correlation of intake with any of the plant chemical components, whereas, NDF (r= 0.6; n= 10; p= 0.044), hemicellulose (r= 0.8; n= 10; p= 0.012) and condensed tannins (r= 0.7; n= 10; p= 0.032) all correlated positively with browsing time at early rainy season. The following regression equations were derived to model intake rate and some intake rate related variables: (1) intake rate= 0.433 + BSDM (0.081), R2= 0.68, p< 0.05 and BSDM= bite size dry matter; (2) Bite rate= 0.503 –BSDM (0.147), R2= 0.597, p< 0.05 and BSDM= bite size dry matter; (3) Bite size dry matter= 1.713 – BR (4.210), R2= 0.597 ,p< 0.05 and BR= bite rate, and (4) Intake dry matter= 3.804 + BSDM (0.865), R2= 0.607, p< 0.05 and BSDM= bite size dry matter. Diet selection and foraging efficiency were both influenced more by shoot and leaf morphology than by spinescence. Plant chemistry on the other hand had diverse and inconsistent effect on diet selection and foraging efficiency trends. The results therefore have important and far reaching implications for Nguni goat and goat production as a whole in the bush veld of Gauteng and related ecological zones. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Pharmaceutical product claim and help-seeking advertisements have prompted the types and purposes of medical dermatology service(s) that patients have used in the United States. Indeed, researchers have demonstrated that 94% of working nurse practitioners affirmed receiving from their patients a request for a cancer drug advertised. However, adult dermatology patients members of Saint Nicholas Catholic Church or/and patients at MedStar Clinic in Houston, Texas, have not been of interest for any study so far. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between product claim, help-seeking, types, and purposes of medical dermatology services used amongst males and females aged at least 18 years. Prospect theory (PT) was the theoretical framework used to analyze the purpose of this study. A cross-sectional survey approach permitted to collect primary data from 120 participants who were members of Saint Nicholas Catholic Church or/and patients at MedStar Clinic. The results, based on a forced entry multiple regression analysis at 95% confidence interval, indicated that product claim and help-seeking significantly explained (p -?¤ .05) the variances of certain types and purposes of medical dermatology services used. Thus, product claim and help-seeking predicted the types and purposes of medical services used by the study population. Pharmaceutical announcers may benefit from the results of this study by using the study results to create new direct-to-consumers advertisements for the dermatology health promotion. The study population may benefit healthy skin, hairs, and nails by using medical dermatology services after exposure to the new pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertisements.

The image of employees as an internal source of knowledge has grown as a result of the increasingly competitive business climate. An increased interest in employee ideas has led to more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)engaging in idea management to promote innovation. Despite extensive research, many SMEs still struggle to structure and manage idea management in a successful way. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to identify which challenges cause this struggle and to propose recommendations on how these can be solved. With access to employees at all levels of a manufacturing SME, a total of 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed to understand prevailing circumstances. The result shows the main challenges inidea management for manufacturing SMEs, which involve organizational factors, undeveloped processes, and the inability to communicate. The findings indicate and present three different recommendations to overcome the identified challenges to improve idea management and promote innovation. Itis recommended that manufacturing SMEs takes these challenges and recommendations in consideration to foster idea management. / Bilden av anställda som en intern kunskapskälla har växt till följd av det allt merkonkurrensfyllda affärsklimatet. Ett ökat intresse för anställdas idéer har medfört att fler små och medelstora företag (SMEs) engagerar sig i idéhantering för att främja innovation. Trots omfattande forskning har många SMEsfortfarande svårigheter med att strukturera upp och hantera idéhanteringen på ett framgångsrikt sätt. Därför är syftet med studien att identifiera vilka utmaningar som ligger bakom detta, och föreslå lösningar på hur dessa kan överkommas. Med tillgång till anställda på alla nivåer inom ett tillverkande SME,genomfördes och analyserades sammanlagt 16 semistrukturerade intervjuer för att förstå rådande omständigheter. Resultatet visar de främsta utmaningar med idéhantering för tillverkande SMEs, vilket involverar organisatoriska faktor, outvecklade processer och oförmågan att kommunicera. Slutsatsen indikerar och presenterar tre olika rekommendationer för att övervinna de identifierade utmaningarna för att förbättra idéhantering och främja innovation. Det rekommenderas att tillverkande SMEs överväger dessa utmaningar och rekommendationer för att främja idéhanteringen.

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Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Anatomy and Physiology / Thomas J. Barstow / The physiological mechanisms determining the tolerable duration of exercise dictate human physical accomplishments across all spectrums of life. Despite extensive study, these specific mechanisms, and their dependence on oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization, remain, a certain extent, undefined. The purpose of this dissertation was to test the overarching hypothesis that muscle contraction characteristics (i.e., intensity of contraction, muscle contraction-relaxation duty cycle, etc.) alter oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization, which directly influence the power-duration relationship and fatigue development, and therefore, exercise tolerance. To accomplish this, specific interventions of altered muscle contraction-relaxation duty cycle and blood flow occlusion were utilized. In the first investigation (Chapter 2), we utilized low and high muscle contraction-relaxation duty cycles to alter blood flow to the active skeletal muscle, demonstrating that critical power (CP) was reduced with the high muscle contraction-relaxation duty cycle due to a reduction in blood flow, while the curvature constant (W’) was not altered. The second investigation (Chapter 3) utilized blood flow occlusion to show that CP was reduced and W’ increased for blood flow occlusion exercise conditions compared to control blood flow exercise conditions. The final investigation (Chapter 4) utilized periods of blood flow occlusion during and post-exercise to reveal greater magnitudes of peripheral and central fatigue development during blood flow occlusion exercise compared to control blood flow exercise. Moreover, this investigation demonstrated that W’ was significantly related to the magnitude of fatigue development. Collectively, alterations in oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization via muscle contraction characteristics and blood flow occlusion directly influence CP and the magnitude of fatigue development. However, W’ does not appear to be influenced by manipulations in oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization, per se. Rather, W’ may be determined by the magnitude of fatigue accrued during exercise, which is dependent upon oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization. The novel findings of the investigations presented in this dissertation highlight important physiological mechanisms that determine exercise tolerance and demonstrate the need for interventions that improve oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization in specific populations, such as those with chronic heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to improve exercise tolerance.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / Children’s play is partially satisfied through provision of public playgrounds with manufactured playground equipment in urban settings in the U.S., however, manufactured playground equipment is often criticized for its monotonous play equipment and is considered to be the primary cause of low playground utilization and dissatisfaction by many researchers (Hart, 2002; Beckwith, 2000; Cunningham & Jones, 1999; Davies, 1996; Masters, 2011). This study selected an urban park playground, a community playground, and a neighborhood park playground with manufactured equipment in the city of Manhattan as study sites. The purpose of this study is to examine utilization of the current playground areas and equipment—specifically by examining playground satisfaction levels and utilization frequency, and playground equipment satisfaction and utilization frequency to reveal playground utilization issues. A playground field audit and an on-site visitor survey were used to collect data. This study found (a) study playgrounds are underutilized among 6-to-10 and 11-to-15 age groups, (b) correlations exist between play equipment utilization frequencies and satisfaction ratings for most play equipment, and (c) no correlation exists between playground utilization frequency and playground satisfaction ratings. Results also revealed that (d) rare and occasional playground visitors are more likely to be attracted to play equipment with moving parts, higher physical challenges, and creative designs. Playground utilization rates are at current levels partially due to the rigid demand for playground use and play equipment. Although this study showed that 57% of survey participants were satisfied with the manufactured play equipment overall, play equipment should still be carefully selected and installed in consideration of different age groups, and visitors’ needs and characteristics; and more creative and cutting-edge play equipment should be considered for future playground improvements.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries