Many professionally trained immigrant applicants receive high marks in the selection process for their perceived value to the host Canadian society and economy. Upon arrival, however, many new immigrants find that employers and industry-regulated accreditation boards do not recognize their foreign degrees and work experience. In this thesis, I interview 25 underemployed or unemployed foreign-trained engineers in Vancouver to investigate the diversity of their experiences in the labour market. I focus on how they perceive the obstacles they are facing and how they are responding to these barriers in seeking employment. This thesis is situated in a growing body of literature that considers labour markets as complex, place-contingent, socially and institutionally embedded constructs. Using a "socio-institutionalist" approach, which refutes conventional neoclassical economics' theories of labour markets as free, self-equilibrating, and uninterrupted markets, enables me to compose, then put to work, a multilogical theoretical model that examines the ways in which various institutions control, shape, and govern access to professional engineering jobs in Vancouver. In particular, I draw upon theories of regulatory, social and cultural institutions in the labour market. I find that regulatory institutions, such as the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC), create licensing obstacles that are indeed profound for new immigrants. In addition, many recent immigrants are excluded from local social networks that diffuse information about professional job availabilities; assistance is provided through inclusive immigrant and ethnic networks, but this rarely leads to professional employment. Lastly, many newcomers perceive their cultural institutional affiliation to be wanting, and so pursue Canadian academic credentials in an attempt to gain entrance into the market. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

The raising of immigration standards for entry into Canada in recent years has resulted in many Chinese immigrant women from Hong Kong being admitted as "independent applicants", on the strength of their academic standing, official language proficiency, and professional training. However, many of them are not able to access jobs for which they would seem to have the appropriate credentials. No studies have yet systematically examined the barriers these women face in the job market in Vancouver. A literature review shows two main approaches to the problems of immigrants adapting to life in their new country. The cultural approach concentrates on the effects of the immigrants' own culture on the adaptation process, and the cultural conflicts between the mainstream culture and the culture immigrants bring with them. The structural approach emphasizes the impact of the social structure of the host country on immigrants, and examines structural barriers which bar immigrants from moving upward in the labour market. The first approach concentrates on immigrants and their culture while the second focuses on the structural constraints experienced by immigrants. The present research argues that examining employment issues of immigrants from only one of these two approaches is inadequate. Both perspectives are important. other informal barriers which could not be categorized under these two approaches should not be ignored. This is a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with 20 Chinese immigrant women from Hong Kong. The research problem is limited to the employment experiences, as well as to the meanings of events and processes, described by these women. The central questions are: (1) What do Chinese immigrant women who come as "independent applicants" experience in the workplace in Vancouver? (2) What does their work in Vancouver mean to them? And (3) What are the factors, in terms of cultural barriers, structural barriers or other elements, that affect these women in the process of job transferability? Suggestions to eliminate barriers are proposed, and recommendations for further studies are presented. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Orientador: George John Shepherd / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T20:50:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Morbiolo_SergioRodrigues_M.pdf: 2368807 bytes, checksum: 47541963ceac1776da4ed3c27c6b3085 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: A taxonomia de Lantana camara tem sido alvo de discussão de estudiosos em todo o mundo. A variabilidade morfológica, ecológica e química da espécie é extremamente grande. Alguns autores consideram que L. camara seja um complexo de espécie ao invés de um táxon monotípico, algumas vezes descrito como composto por até 150 táxons diferentes. Neste trabalho, a variabilidade de L. camara é colocada a prova através de dois métodos: a morfometria geométrica e a modelagem matemática. Os métodos morfométricos são utilizados para analisar a variabilidade morfológica do corpo vegetativo dos indivíduos da espécie no Brasil, país que faz parte da região original de distribuição da espécie, a América tropical. A análise dos dados é feita por métodos multivariados a fim de verificar se existe uma unidade taxonômica nas amostras brasileiras da espécie ou não. É verificado que não existe qualquer ponto confiável em que se possa reconhecer táxons específicos ou subespecíficos em todo o território; apesar da grande discrepância entre os extremos, as medidas formam um contínuo. No segundo capítulo, um algoritmo genético (GARP) é utilizado para traçar um mapa de distribuição potencial da espécie sobre o mundo, baseado em pontos de ocorrência da espécie em áreas nativas da América tropical. Verifica-se uma grande área potencial de distribuição no Novo Mundo e em outros continentes; porém, não houve previsão de ocorrência potencial na Austrália e na África do Sul. Estes dois países estão entre os que mais investem em programas de erradicação da espécie, com populações muito bem estabelecidas em áreas naturais e cultivadas. Como o algoritmo não previu possibilidade de ocupação desses países por L. camara, infere-se, então, que as linhagens ocorrentes nesses países sejam relativamente distantes taxonomicamente da espécie típica, podendo ser oriundas de hibridização e manipulação horticultural. Aparentemente, é necessária uma revisão da espécie em nível mundial / Abstract: The taxonomy of Lantana camara has been the target of discussion by taxonomists all over the world. The morphological, ecological and chemical plasticity observed is very extensive. Some autors consider that L. camara is a species complex instead of a monotypic taxon, composed of up to 150 different taxa. In this sudy, the variability of L. camara is studied using two methods: geometric morphology and mathmatical modelling. Morphological methods are used to analyze the morphological variability of the vegetative parts of brazilian populations. Brazil is within the native distribution for the species, which occurs over a large part of the Neotropics. The data analysis is made using multivariate methods to verify if there is any obvious morphological discontinuity within brazilian samples which would allow specific or insfraspecific taxa to be recognized. It does not appear to be possible to define reliable subdivisions within this taxon; in spite of the huge discrepancy among the more extreme samples, the measures are continuous. In the second chapter, a genetic algorithm (GARP) is used to draw a potential distribution map of the species over the world, based on occurrence points of Lantana camara in areas of the Neotropics where it is native. In spite of having an extremely widespread distribution in the Americas and other continents, no potencial occurrence is predicted for Australia and South Africa, two of the countries with the most active erradication programs for this species. It is inferred that the variants found in these countries may be taxonomically distant from the typical species, possibly resulting from horticultural hybridization and manipulation. A comprehensive review of the species at world level is necessary / Mestrado / Biologia Vegetal / Mestre em Biologia Vegetal

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The occurrence and spread of Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) is a threat to global water resources and natural ecosystems due to high water use rates. With the current climate change projections and their ability to survive extreme environmental conditions, these species pose a huge threat to grazing resources, water availability and ecosystems in general. Routine monitoring and understanding their distribution and potential vulnerable areas is fundamental as it provides the requisite baseline information to guide clearing efforts and other related management and rehabilitation initiatives.

The alien encounter has long been a defining and popular subject of science fiction cinema. However, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972) are interrogative, complex, and distinct artistic accomplishments that stand apart from and above the conventional science fiction film. 2001 and Solaris not only represent but complicate the alien/human dichotomy; in the end, they destabilize the dichotomy and even suggest a radical synthesis of the dichotomous elements. 2001 and Solaris further emphasize epistemological and specifically anthropocentric limitations when it comes to understanding the alien or attempting to make sense of the alien encounter. Chapter 1 introduces the alien/human dichotomy in two representative science fiction films of the period, This Island Earth (1955) and Planet of Storms (1962). Chapter 1 provides some contextual and contrapuntal basis for the originality of 2001 and Solaris. Chapter 2 reviews critical literature directly and indirectly addressing alien and human identity, interpretations of symbolic forms such as the monolith in 2001 and "guests" in Solaris, and both films' ambiguous, multivalent endings. Chapter 3 (on 2001) and Chapter 4 (on Solaris) examine the alien/human dichotomy in specific scenes where an alien, non-human presence appears to be present or where an alien encounter significantly occurs. The two chapters analyze techniques such as the significance of the establishing shot and other shots or cinematographic effects, settings, point of view, and non-diegetic music. By way of conclusion, Chapter 5 compares 2001 and Solaris and makes the argument for the differences between-and departures from-the two film masterpieces and conventional science fiction films. Chapter 5 ends with further considerations of the argument and a broadening of the context. This dissertation should be of interest not only to science fiction scholarship in general but to film studies in particular. It aims to provide a sophisticated reading of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris supported by recent criticism in an effort to join in the ongoing scholarly discussion and critical legitimatization of science fiction cinema.

The work is focused on current available options and efforts to make education of pupils from different socio-cultural environment accessible. It contains recommendations for educators who come into daily contact with these pupils. The pitfalls and obstacles encountered by teachers, pupils and their parents are also described, who often face a language and communication gap in communication with school facilities themselves. KEY WORDS Alien, pupil, educational system, Czech Republic, Czech language

Cotula coronopifolia is a short-lived plant that originates from South Africa and Namibia. It has been present in Europe since the 18th century. This study includes a monitoring inventory of two C. coronopifolia populations on Öland, Sweden, which has taken place continuously four consecutive years (2018-2021). It also includes a climate suitability model projected over Europe.  The monitoring inventory gives a picture of the population’s yearly dynamic in terms of spread, expansion and densities. The population density has decreased during these four years and the expansion speed has shifted from over 370 m/year between 2018 and 2019 to a contraction of -20 m/year thereafter. The decreasing densities seem to be due to lower grazing intensities in the last two years. It is also possible that C. coronopifolia have occupied most of the possible habitat available at these two locations.  The model was made to visualize the potential geographic range of C. coronopifolia based on contemporary climate variables such as temperature and precipitation. Predicted suitable habitat was extensive in the coastal regions of western Europe but surprisingly low in the eastern parts of Europe. The most important variable in the model turned out to be “the annual range between maximum temperature and minimum temperature” and that range is generally smaller in coastal climates. That, together with the fact that most of the occurrence records comes from the western parts of Europe (which may reflect the introduction history of the species rather than the climate and/or a geographic reporting bias), should be considered as alternative explanations for the difference in suitability between eastern and western Europe. However, the model seems to give a plausible picture over the contemporary potential distribution range in Sweden where the reporting effort is generally high. This study shows that C. coronopifolia is a species suitable for modelling. Future, refined models should include dispersal mechanisms, propagule pressure and future climate scenarios to predict plausible population spread.

Alien invasive plants are of concern in the world because of their potential to spread into the natural environment. Invasion patterns observed in plant species can be attributed among other things to favourable environmental conditions. Understanding invasion dynamics of alien invasive plants can help in timely intervention initiatives. In Mpumalanga, Lilium formosanum (Liliaceae) appears to be an emerging plant invader and is spreading in the natural environment. The study investigated the invasion extent and predictor variables which could explain abundance patterns of L. formosanum in the invasive range in Mpumalanga province in South Africa and further predict regions of the world that could be climatically suitable. Lilium formosanum was surveyed along 11 major routes leading into the towns of Sabie and Graskop in Mpumalanga from a slow moving vehicle. A total of 241 kilometres was surveyed. Lilium formosanum was found to be invasive from the towns of Sabie and Graskop. Climatically suitable areas were predicted using DIVA-GIS and climate data was obtained from WORLDCLIM database while occurrence records were obtained from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas, Australia’s virtual herbarium and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. In conclusion, distance, altitude and route were found to have an influence on the abundance of L. formosanum in Mpumalanga Province. Climatically suitable areas included the eastern coastal belt, northern provinces and the interior parts of South Africa including major parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Plant Production and Soil Science / MSc / Unrestricted

© 2019 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2019 New Phytologist Trust The role of pollination in the success of invasive plants needs to be understood because invasives have substantial effects on species interactions and ecosystem functions. Previous research has shown both that reproduction of invasive plants is often pollen limited and that invasive plants can have high seed production, motivating the questions: How do invasive populations maintain reproductive success in spite of pollen limitation? What species traits moderate pollen limitation for invaders? We conducted a phylogenetic meta-analysis with 68 invasive, 50 introduced noninvasive and 1931 native plant populations, across 1249 species. We found that invasive populations with generalist pollination or pollinator dependence were less pollen limited than natives, but invasives and introduced noninvasives did not differ. Invasive species produced 3× fewer ovules/flower and >250× more flowers per plant, compared with their native relatives. While these traits were negatively correlated, consistent with a tradeoff, this did not differ with invasion status. Invasive plants that produce many flowers and have floral generalisation are able to compensate for or avoid pollen limitation, potentially helping to explain the invaders’ reproductive successes.

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