No description available.

This work addresses the following question: How has the prominent scholarly literature on the Cayman Islands promoted a discourse that serves to undermine the acknowledgment of African contributions as well as African self-identification in the country? Utilizing an Afrocentric inquiry, the method of content analysis was employed to interrogate selected texts using location theory. It was found that the majority of literature on the Cayman Islands, as well as the dominant ideology within the Caribbean has indeed undermined the acknowledgement of African contributions as well as African self-identification in the country. More scholarship is needed that examines the experiences of African descended people living in the Caribbean from their own perspective, and critically engages dislocated texts. / African American Studies

La géodynamique du domaine Caraïbe, sa déformation et son évolution sont analysés à partir des données de géologie et de géophysique marine, telles que la bathymétrie, la sismique réflexion et réfraction, la gravimétrie et le magnétisme. Ce travail commence par une étude bibliographique du domaine Caraïbe établissant un état des recherches au début de notre étude. L'instrument géophysique majeur utilisé est la sismique multitrace, et notamment les données de la campagne Casis qui ont été traitées classiquement et plus spécifiquement par migration avant sommation (Leroy et al, 1996). Notre travail s'est divisé en deux parties, la première concerne le domaine Nord Caraïbe et plus particulièrement le fossé Cayman, et la deuxième examine, en détail, la Grande Province Volcanique Caraïbe, sa déformation et sa structure crustale. Dans le fossé Cayman, les deux marges conjuguées sont asymétriques, la marge du Belize est abrupte tandis que la marge Jamaïcaine est large et peu sédimentée. L'ensemble des données a permis de définir les blocs basculés de la croûte continentale, non enfouis sous les sédiments, une transition Continent-Océan constituée par un mont arrondi et par une importante dépression syn-rift, et le domaine océanique où les blocs océaniques sont basculés vers la dorsale. Des failles de détachements et les réflexions du Moho sont imagées grâce à la sismique de haute qualité. Les bordures Nord et Sud du fossé sont formées par des fosses profondes qui constituent des marges transformantes entre les croûtes Jamaïcaine et Cubaine épaisses et la croûte continentale amincie ou océanique. Dans le domaine océanique, une discontinuité majeure a été identifiée à l'axe d'expansion. L'identification des anomalies magnétiques sur l'ensemble du fossé conduit à la datation de la Transition Continent Océan (Lutétien inférieur; 49 Ma), à refermer le bassin et à proposer un modèle d'évolution de la zone Nord Caraïbe par le fonctionnement successif (du Nord au Sud) de failles transformantes senestres qui accommodent le mouvement de la plaque vers l'Est. La dorsale océanique s'est propagée vers le Sud entre les anomalies 6 et 8. A la même époque, au Néogène, la trace fossile de la faille transformante Swan a été réactivée entraînant la formation de structures compressives jusqu'à Hispaniola à l'Est. Une déformation Miocène compressive est observée sur la plaque Caraïbe, formée en majeure partie par un plateau volcanique d'âge Crétacé, et divisée en deux bassins (Colombien à l'Ouest, et Vénézuélien à l'Est). La compression augmente du Sud vers le Nord et les structures compressives sont décalées de manière dextre par des accidents orientés NE-SW. La partie centrale et occidentale de la ride de Beata est formée par des hauts topographiques orientés NS décalés de façon dextre. Le point culminant est situé au Nord, se reliant au massif montagneux de Hispaniola (Bahoruco). La tectonique compressive s'effectue sous une contrainte orientée E-W à NE-SW. Son maximum est situé dans la presqu'île Sud d'Haïti et se traduit par une collision avec le bâti Nord d'Hispaniola. On peut évaluer le raccourcissement à 170 km. Le bassin Caraïbe apparaît formé de deux microplaques et la microplaque Colombienne se déplace plus rapidement vers l'Est que la microplaque Vénézuélienne. Ce mouvement différentiel peut être la conséquence d'un mouvement de convergence plus important à l'Ouest qu'à l'Est des plaques Amériques et d'une influence de la rapide convergence de la plaque Cocos. La Grande Province Magmatique Caraïbe atteint 800 000 km2, dont une partie est accrétée sur le continent par obduction et/ou collision. La taille de la province magmatique est de 2500 km de diamètre. On distingue des petits plateaux séparés par des bassins. L'âge des formations volcaniques s'échelonne depuis l'Albien (110 Ma) jusqu'au Campanien (80 Ma), avec un épisode important à 88 Ma (Coniacien) qui affecte l'ensemble de la province magmatique et nous concluons que le volcanisme n'est pas instantané. Nous avons compilé les données de sismique réfraction et différencié une couche 2 (4.6 et 6 km/s) et une couche 3 (plus de 6 km/s). L'épaississement de la croûte s'effectue au niveau de la couche 3, comme sur le plateau des Kerguelen, par sous-placage. En effet, la couche 2 reste mince aussi bien sur les plateaux (4 km) que dans les bassins (2 km); cette disposition explique les affleurements de gabbros (couche 3) le long de l'escarpement Ouest de la ride de Beata. Nous optons pour une origine Pacifique de la plaque Caraïbe et on note de nombreuses analogies avec les Grandes Provinces Magmatiques du Pacifique Ouest (bassin de Nauru, Ontong Java et bassin de Pigafetta), mais nous rejetons l'hypothèse du panache géant situé dans le Pacifique, et nous rattachons la Grande Province Caraïbe au point chaud des Galápagos.

The goal of this master thesis is to perform valuation of the company Cayman Pharma s. r. o. and examine company's future on the date of evaluation August 29, 2012. The theoretical part of the thesis is based on specialized literature written mainly by professionals who work for the University of Economics, Prague. The theory describes in a logical order all necessary methods for company valuation -- strategic and financial analysis and a list of different methods of company valuation. In the second part of the thesis the theory is applied on the relevant environment of Cayman Pharma s. r. o. and on the specific values acquired from publicly known sources. Finally the company is valuated based on an estimation of the financial plan of Cayman Pharma s. r. o. using the methods of discounted free cash flows.

No description available.

A construção de reservatórios modifica drasticamente a paisagem transformando um ambiente lótico em lêntico e criando uma nova linha de margem com características muitas vezes diferentes. Estes novos habitats são passíveis a utilização e colonização por diversas espécies. Com relação aos crocodilianos existem registros de ocorrência para três espécies nesta região Caiman crocodilus, Paleosuchus palpebrosus e Melanosuchus niger. O presente estudo verificou abundância, densidade, taxa entre os sexos e o uso de habitat para as espécies C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus, encontradas no reservatório em um período de dez meses de monitoramento pós-represamento. Para efetuar as observações e capturas de indivíduos, focagens noturnas em barco a motor foram realizadas ao longo de cinco campanhas bimestrais. Foram visualizados 659 jacarés sendo 259 C. crocodilus, 102 P. palpebrosus e 298 indeterminados. Nenhum exemplar da espécie M. niger foi observado. O número de crocodilianos por campanha não variou de forma significativa, sendo C. crocodilus mais freqüente. Foram efetuadas 75 capturas, sendo 43 C. crocodilus (21 ♀ e 22 ♂ ) e 32 P. palpebrosus (10 ♀ e 22 ♂). A eficiência de captura foi de 16,60% para C. crocodilus, 31,37% para P. palpebrosus e 11,38% para ambas as espécies considerando também os indeterminados. A captura de exemplares de P. palpebrosus foi mais eficiente se comparada a de C. crocodilus. Foram capturados 29 filhotes entre o final da estação chuvosa e o pico da estação seca, nas três últimas campanhas, evidenciando reprodução pós-represamento, sendo 26 C. crocodilus e 3 P. palpebrosus. Os filhotes de C. crocodilus foram observados agrupados em três regiões diferentes sendo que um destes agrupamentos se manteve no mesmo local pelas três últimas campanhas apresentando redução paulatina do número de filhotes. Os três filhotes agrupados de P. palpebrosus só foram observados na quinta campanha. A classificação não-supervisionada de imagens LANDSAT – TM, resultou em oito classes (manchas de habitats) representando 93% da área. Tais manchas foram caracterizadas a partir de anotações de campo e interpretação da imagem. A macha 1, caracterizada como um buritizal alagado próximo ao aeroporto, foi a que apresentou as maiores densidades 60 e 110 ind/km2 para C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus respectivamente, explicada pela reduzida área ocupada por este habitat. A mancha 2 foi caracterizada como água com sedimento apresentando os maiores valores para área total e amostrada e conseqüentemente baixas densidades. A mancha 3 caracterizada como margem rasa apresentou a maior abundância para C. crocodilus. A mancha 5 caracterizada como solo arenoso não se destacou por elevadas densidades sendo porém a mais abundante para P. palpebrosus. As manchas 6, 7 e 8 se agrupadas mediante a caracterização como habitats de vegetação seca apresentam a segunda maior densidade com 27,55 ind/km2. A mancha 9 foi caracterizada como um habitat onde ocorria a presença de gramíneas (pasto e cerrado campo limpo) sendo C. crocodilus a espécie predominante neste habitat. Conclui-se com este trabalho que C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus são as espécies de crocodilianos encontradas na região do reservatório e não se mostram relativamente vulneráveis, em um primeiro momento, devido ao represamento do rio. C. crocodilus é mais abundante do que P. palpebrosus no reservatório. C. crocodilus é mais seletivo quanto ao uso das manchas de habitats definidos A observação de grupos de filhotes corrobora para o fato destas espécies se adequarem ao novo ambiente. / The construction of river dams modifies drastically the local landscape, changing a lotic environment into a lentic one and, therefore, originating a new river edge, generally with quite different features. These new habitats could be used and occupied by a plenty of species. There are many projects, constructions and dams in most of its main rivers. Regarding the crocodilians, there are three species recorded in this region: Caiman crocodilus, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, and Melanosuchus niger. The present study verified the abundance, density, sex ratio, and habitat use of Caiman crocodilus and Paleosuchus palpebrosus. These species were found in the dam during a monitoring period of ten months carried out after flooding. Observations and captures were performed during nocturnal surveys using a motorboat. The surveys occurred in five campaigns with intervals of two months. 659 crocodilians, 259 C. crocodilus, 102 P. palpebrosus and 298 undetermined were visualized considering all campaigns. None specimens of M. niger were observed. The number of crocodilians by campaign did not show significant variation and C. crocodilus was the most frequent species. We captured 75 specimens, 43 C. crocodilus (21 ♀ and 22 ♂), and 32 P. palpebrosus (10 ♀ and 22 ♂). Capture effectiveness was 16.60% for C. crocodilus, 31.37% for P. palpebrosus, and 11.38% for both species considering the undetermined specimens. Capture of specimens of P. palpebrosus was more effective compared to C. crocodilus. Twenty nine hatchlings (26 C. crocodilus and 3 P. palpebrosus) were captured between the end of rainy season and the peak of dry season (during the last three campaigns), suggesting reproductive activity after flooding. Hatchlings of C. crocodilus were observed in groups in three different areas. One of these groupings was in the same place during the last three campaigns, showing a slight decrease in number of hatchlings. The three hatchlings of P. palpebrosus were observed only in the last campaign. The unsupervised classification of the LANDSAT – TM images, resulted in eight classes (habitat patches) which represented 93% of the dam. The patches were characterized based on field notes and image interpretation. Patch 1, characterized as a flooded “buritizal" near the airport, showed the highest density (60 and 110 individuals/km2 of the C. crocodilus and P. palpebrosus, respectively). Patch 2 was characterized by water with sediments, representing a great percentage of the sampled and total area and, consequently, showed the lowest density of crocodiles. Patch 3 represents shallow edges and showed the largest abundance of C. crocodilus. Patch 5 represents sandy grounds and, even though this habitat showed no high densities, P. palpebrosus was more abundant in this habitat. Patches 6, 7 and 8 were considered as dry vegetation, showing the second major density (27.55 individuals/km2). Patch 9 was characterized by the presence of grass (pasture and “cerrado campo limpo") and C. crocodilus was the predominant species in this habitat. It can be concluded that C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus are the species that occur in the dam and, apparently, they are not vulnerable due to the river modifications. C. crocodilus is more abundant than P. palpebrosus in the study area. C. crocodilus is more selective than P. palpebrosus in function of habitat patches. The presence of hatchlings corroborate to the species adaptation to the new habitats.

A construção de reservatórios modifica drasticamente a paisagem transformando um ambiente lótico em lêntico e criando uma nova linha de margem com características muitas vezes diferentes. Estes novos habitats são passíveis a utilização e colonização por diversas espécies. Com relação aos crocodilianos existem registros de ocorrência para três espécies nesta região Caiman crocodilus, Paleosuchus palpebrosus e Melanosuchus niger. O presente estudo verificou abundância, densidade, taxa entre os sexos e o uso de habitat para as espécies C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus, encontradas no reservatório em um período de dez meses de monitoramento pós-represamento. Para efetuar as observações e capturas de indivíduos, focagens noturnas em barco a motor foram realizadas ao longo de cinco campanhas bimestrais. Foram visualizados 659 jacarés sendo 259 C. crocodilus, 102 P. palpebrosus e 298 indeterminados. Nenhum exemplar da espécie M. niger foi observado. O número de crocodilianos por campanha não variou de forma significativa, sendo C. crocodilus mais freqüente. Foram efetuadas 75 capturas, sendo 43 C. crocodilus (21 ♀ e 22 ♂ ) e 32 P. palpebrosus (10 ♀ e 22 ♂). A eficiência de captura foi de 16,60% para C. crocodilus, 31,37% para P. palpebrosus e 11,38% para ambas as espécies considerando também os indeterminados. A captura de exemplares de P. palpebrosus foi mais eficiente se comparada a de C. crocodilus. Foram capturados 29 filhotes entre o final da estação chuvosa e o pico da estação seca, nas três últimas campanhas, evidenciando reprodução pós-represamento, sendo 26 C. crocodilus e 3 P. palpebrosus. Os filhotes de C. crocodilus foram observados agrupados em três regiões diferentes sendo que um destes agrupamentos se manteve no mesmo local pelas três últimas campanhas apresentando redução paulatina do número de filhotes. Os três filhotes agrupados de P. palpebrosus só foram observados na quinta campanha. A classificação não-supervisionada de imagens LANDSAT – TM, resultou em oito classes (manchas de habitats) representando 93% da área. Tais manchas foram caracterizadas a partir de anotações de campo e interpretação da imagem. A macha 1, caracterizada como um buritizal alagado próximo ao aeroporto, foi a que apresentou as maiores densidades 60 e 110 ind/km2 para C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus respectivamente, explicada pela reduzida área ocupada por este habitat. A mancha 2 foi caracterizada como água com sedimento apresentando os maiores valores para área total e amostrada e conseqüentemente baixas densidades. A mancha 3 caracterizada como margem rasa apresentou a maior abundância para C. crocodilus. A mancha 5 caracterizada como solo arenoso não se destacou por elevadas densidades sendo porém a mais abundante para P. palpebrosus. As manchas 6, 7 e 8 se agrupadas mediante a caracterização como habitats de vegetação seca apresentam a segunda maior densidade com 27,55 ind/km2. A mancha 9 foi caracterizada como um habitat onde ocorria a presença de gramíneas (pasto e cerrado campo limpo) sendo C. crocodilus a espécie predominante neste habitat. Conclui-se com este trabalho que C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus são as espécies de crocodilianos encontradas na região do reservatório e não se mostram relativamente vulneráveis, em um primeiro momento, devido ao represamento do rio. C. crocodilus é mais abundante do que P. palpebrosus no reservatório. C. crocodilus é mais seletivo quanto ao uso das manchas de habitats definidos A observação de grupos de filhotes corrobora para o fato destas espécies se adequarem ao novo ambiente. / The construction of river dams modifies drastically the local landscape, changing a lotic environment into a lentic one and, therefore, originating a new river edge, generally with quite different features. These new habitats could be used and occupied by a plenty of species. There are many projects, constructions and dams in most of its main rivers. Regarding the crocodilians, there are three species recorded in this region: Caiman crocodilus, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, and Melanosuchus niger. The present study verified the abundance, density, sex ratio, and habitat use of Caiman crocodilus and Paleosuchus palpebrosus. These species were found in the dam during a monitoring period of ten months carried out after flooding. Observations and captures were performed during nocturnal surveys using a motorboat. The surveys occurred in five campaigns with intervals of two months. 659 crocodilians, 259 C. crocodilus, 102 P. palpebrosus and 298 undetermined were visualized considering all campaigns. None specimens of M. niger were observed. The number of crocodilians by campaign did not show significant variation and C. crocodilus was the most frequent species. We captured 75 specimens, 43 C. crocodilus (21 ♀ and 22 ♂), and 32 P. palpebrosus (10 ♀ and 22 ♂). Capture effectiveness was 16.60% for C. crocodilus, 31.37% for P. palpebrosus, and 11.38% for both species considering the undetermined specimens. Capture of specimens of P. palpebrosus was more effective compared to C. crocodilus. Twenty nine hatchlings (26 C. crocodilus and 3 P. palpebrosus) were captured between the end of rainy season and the peak of dry season (during the last three campaigns), suggesting reproductive activity after flooding. Hatchlings of C. crocodilus were observed in groups in three different areas. One of these groupings was in the same place during the last three campaigns, showing a slight decrease in number of hatchlings. The three hatchlings of P. palpebrosus were observed only in the last campaign. The unsupervised classification of the LANDSAT – TM images, resulted in eight classes (habitat patches) which represented 93% of the dam. The patches were characterized based on field notes and image interpretation. Patch 1, characterized as a flooded “buritizal” near the airport, showed the highest density (60 and 110 individuals/km2 of the C. crocodilus and P. palpebrosus, respectively). Patch 2 was characterized by water with sediments, representing a great percentage of the sampled and total area and, consequently, showed the lowest density of crocodiles. Patch 3 represents shallow edges and showed the largest abundance of C. crocodilus. Patch 5 represents sandy grounds and, even though this habitat showed no high densities, P. palpebrosus was more abundant in this habitat. Patches 6, 7 and 8 were considered as dry vegetation, showing the second major density (27.55 individuals/km2). Patch 9 was characterized by the presence of grass (pasture and “cerrado campo limpo”) and C. crocodilus was the predominant species in this habitat. It can be concluded that C. crocodilus e P. palpebrosus are the species that occur in the dam and, apparently, they are not vulnerable due to the river modifications. C. crocodilus is more abundant than P. palpebrosus in the study area. C. crocodilus is more selective than P. palpebrosus in function of habitat patches. The presence of hatchlings corroborate to the species adaptation to the new habitats.

Insular fauna face disproportionate risks of extinction owing to direct human perturbation and intrinsic factors that are enhanced at small population sizes. Currently, our understanding of the processes that promote long-term persistence of naturally small populations and the cryptic processes that may contribute to accelerating their decline is limited by lack of empirical investigations across the range of natural conditions. Implementing effective protections for rare and understudied taxa requires the identification and examination of factors that limit recruitment at critical life stages. Predicting population health outcomes of future perturbations further necessitates an understanding a taxon’s behavioral ecology. Finally, cryptic threats to viability, such as inbreeding depression, must be investigated with an appreciation for taxon-specific life history, as these attributes can alter the context in which severe fitness reductions are expressed. In this project I enlist integrative and cross-disciplinary approaches to study the behavioral ecology and conservation genetics of a critically endangered West Indian Rock Iguana, Cyclura nubila caymanensis, on Little Cayman Island. I demonstrate how coastal communal nesting areas, a critical limiting resource on the island, serve a diverse population demographic and contribute to significantly enhanced nesting outcomes. These data emphasize the importance of expanding protections for major sites, as aggregative nesting appears to be perpetuated by both habitat suitability and adaptive fitness benefits. I next evaluate the possibility of evolved inbreeding avoidance strategies, including natal dispersal, non-assortative mate choice, and genetic bet-hedging. I conclude that the contribution of pre-reproductive dispersal to inbreeding avoidance likely outweighs that of active mate choice. Importantly, observed patterns of siring success imply constrained female choice and sexual conflict over genetic mating outcomes – a pattern that may extend to many territorial, male-driven mating systems and therefore should be an important consideration in genetic management. Finally, I investigate age-dependent inbreeding effects and the degree to which inbreeding depression may limit recruitment to the breeding population. I fail to reveal significant correlations of multi-locus heterozygosity with hatchling fitness; however, negative effects of parental inbreeding on fecundity and hatching success imply fitness consequences of inbreeding depression could be felt at other life stages.

At public high schools in Cayman, teachers need to improve their productivity and efficiency by using technologies that are simple and portable like their personal devices. Studies about bring your own device (BYOD) initiatives have revealed conflicting outcomes, and are lacking in the Caribbean and especially in Cayman. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the main factors related to teachers' willingness to adopt BYOD in public high schools in Cayman. The theoretical framework was the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). This study employed a cross-sectional survey design using a modified UTAUT instrument, which captured quantitative data from 82 participants. The use of hierarchical multiple regression to analyze the data revealed that teachers' BYOD adoption could expand by increasing facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and decreasing perceived risk. This study reduces the gap in the literature about the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and BYOD in the Caribbean and the Cayman Islands. It also provides evidence that perceived risk can increase its explanatory power of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. The study also contributes to a positive social change by revealing critical issues that administrators should address when devising BYOD policies and planning educational technology integration.

The regulation of hedge funds has been at the centre of a global policy debate for much of the past decade. Several factors feature in this debate including the magnitude of current global investments in hedge funds and the potential of hedge funds to both generate wealth and destabilise financial markets. The first part of the thesis describes the nature of hedge funds and locates the work in relation to four elements in existing theory including regulatory competition theory, the concept of differential mobility as identified by Musgrave, Kane’s concept of the regulatory dialectic between regulators and regulatees, and the concept of unique sets of trust and confidence factors that individual jurisdictions convey to the market. It also identifies a series of questions that de-limit the scope of the present work. These include whether there is evidence that regulatory competition occurs in the context of the provision of domicile for hedge funds, what are the factors which account for the current global distribution of hedge fund domicile, what latitude for regulatory competition is available to jurisdictions competing to provide the domicile for hedge funds, how is such latitude shaped by factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the competing jurisdictions, and why do the more powerful onshore jurisdictions competing to provide the domicile for hedge funds not shut down their smaller and weaker competitors? The second part of the thesis examines the regulatory environment for hedge funds in three so-called offshore jurisdictions, specifically the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands, as well as two onshore jurisdictions, specifically the United Kingdom and the United States. The final section presents a series of conclusions and their implications for both regulatory competition theory and policy.