Abstract This research examines the lower edge of arable land in cultivating littoral land and its effects on spring sowing Central Ostrobothnia and in the southern areas of Northern Ostrobothnia. This doctoral thesis develops methods to raise the lower edge of arable land in low littoral land. The methods are based on contribution margin, the gross profil of yield, the relocation of dry margin and the realigning of littoral land's area descriptor. In addition, outdated littoral land profil and loss evaluation criteria are renewed. The objective of the research is to decrease environmental damages and to improve cultivation. Another objective in raising the lower edge of arable land is to enhance the forming of protective noncultivated belts. Ten lakes from the hydrologic areas of the rivers Perhonjoki, Kalajoki and Pyhäjoki were chosen for the research, one half of them were in their natural state and the other half were regulated. The research consisted of comparing the sowing dates and patch yields (moisture content 14%) of the sample parcels (104 observations) chosen from littoral land around the lakes to the corresponding figures of sample parcels selected from outside the areas influenced by water level variation. The findings are from 1985–1991 and 1996–1998. The cultivated plants were barley, oats and hay. The sample area research was completed with interviews. Furthermore, the research examined the dependence of air pore space of the soil cultivation layer on the dry margin. The research result indicate that the lower edge of arable land has to be raised, for lakes in their natural state the rise would be on average 35 ± 4 cm (67 observations) and for regulated lakes on average 39 ± 4 cm (61 observations). The minimum dry margins required by soil cultivation and sowing will be 69 ± 5 cm (67 observations) and 78 ± 5 cm (61 observations). Thus, the lowest part of the waterfront will not be cultivated anymore. The contribution margin of the field is not changed. Sowing can be done earlier and air pore space and viability increase. The condensation detriment of the soil cultivation layer, the workload needed for cultivation and the nutrient load in hydrologic areas will be decreased. Measuring and locating protective non-cultivated belts becomes easier. The state of environment is improved. The evaluation of profit and loss is modernized. / Tiivistelmä Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan rantamaiden viljelyksessä pellon alarajaa ja sen vaikutuksia kevätkylvöihin Keski-Pohjanmaalla ja Pohjois-Pohjanmaan eteläisellä osalla. Työssä kehitetään katetuottoon, sadon bruttotuottoon, kuivavaran siirtoon ja rantamaan pinta-alan kuvaajan oikaisuun perustuvat menetelmät pellon alarajan määrittämiseksi alavilla rantamailla. Samoin pyritään nykyaikaistamaan rantamaiden hyödyn- ja vahingonarviointia. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on vähentää viljelyn aiheuttamia ympäristöhaittoja sekä parantaa samalla itse viljelyä. Pellon alarajan määrittämisen yhteydessä on tavoitteena edistää myös suojavyöhykkeiden perustamista. Kohdejärvinä oli Perhonjoen, Kalajoen ja Pyhäjoen vesistöjen kymmenen järveä, joista puolet oli luonnontilaisia ja puolet säännösteltyjä. Järvien rantatiloilta valittujen koelohkojen (104 kpl) kylvöaikoja ja ruutusatoja (kosteuspitoisuus 14 %) verrattiin vedenkorkeuksien vaihteluista riippumattomien vertailulohkojen vastaaviin arvoihin. Havaintovuodet olivat 1985–1991 sekä 1996–1998. Viljelykasveja olivat ohra ja kaura sekä heinä. Koealuetutkimuksia täydennettiin haastatteluina. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin muokkauskerroksen ilmahuokostilan riippuvuutta kuivavarasta määritettynä järven vedenkorkeudesta. Tutkimustulosten mukaan pellon alarajaa on korotettava nykyisestään luonnontilaisilla järvillä keskimäärin 35 ± 4 cm (n = 67) ja säännöstellyillä järvillä keskimäärin 39 ± 4 cm (n = 61). Kylvön vaatimat kuivavarat määritettyinä järvien vedenkorkeuksista tulevat olemaan vastaavasti 69 ± 5 cm (n = 67) ja 78 ± 5 cm (n = 61). Tällöin rantalohkon alavimmalta osalta viljely poistuu. Pellon katetuotto ei muutu. Kylvö aikaistuu, ilmahuokostila kasvaa ja kulkukelpoisuus paranee. Muokkauskerroksen tiivistymishaitta ja viljelyn työnmenekki sekä vesistöön kohdistuva ravinnekuormitus vähenevät. Suojavyöhykkeiden mitoitus ja sijoitus helpottuvat. Ympäristön tila paranee. Hyödyn ja vahingon arviointi nykyaikaistuu.

This work presents the interaction and contribution to business development supported by ITSM Incubator Company and Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) to businessmen from small companies of technological base incubated at ITSM Incubator Company. Through a case study of the ITSM and its companies incubated and graduated, we studied what ITSM Incubator Company and UFSM supported and helped about management knowledge to businessmen and their companies. We decided to study that because people at universities and in companies have discussed a lot about enterprise and innovation in recent years. The university has been seen as a good alternative to solve social and economical problems and a source of innovation and competitiveness by the society, specially the business one. The technological incubator is used so that the university and ITSM Incubator Company can increase and qualify their interaction in order to contribute to the creation and maintenance of competitive companies on the market. Through questionnaires and interviews to businessmen and the manager of ITSM and teachers from UFSM, we could notice that ITSM has been succeeded in the development os small business but the University is still limited in relation on the relationship and real contribution to the companies. In order to create more competitive companies at ITSM Company it is necessary to correct some aspects such as the lack of a project of regional development, the strong dependence of ITSM in relation to UFSM and the low interaction of ITSM Incubator Company with its own companies graduated. / O trabalho apresenta a interação e a contribuição ao desenvolvimento empresarial proporcionado pela Incubadora ITSM e pela UFSM aos empresários das pequenas empresas de base tecnológica incubados da referida incubadora. Através de um estudo de caso envolvendo a ITSM e suas empresas incubadas e graduadas, procurou-se verificar o que a Incubadora e a Universidade proporcionaram em termos de ganhos de apoio e conhecimentos gerenciais aos empresários e suas empresas. Tal temática provém do fato de a questão do empreendedorismo e da inovação terem assumido espaço destacado nas discussões nos meios acadêmico e empresarial nos últimos anos. A universidade passou a ser vista pela sociedade, especialmente a empresarial, como uma alternativa na busca de soluções para problemas sociais e econômicos e como fonte de inovação e competitividade. Para que as duas entidades possam aumentar e qualificar sua interação surge a figura da incubadora tecnológica, que visa, entre outros aspectos, contribuir para a criação e manutenção de empresas competitivas no mercado. Através de questionários e entrevistas aos empresários e gerente da ITSM, além de professores da UFSM, chegou-se à conclusão que a ITSM está sendo bem sucedida no desenvolvimento de pequenas empresas, ao contrário da UFSM, que ainda apresenta limitações quanto à interação e contribuição efetiva às empresas. Questões como a falta de um projeto de desenvolvimento regional, a forte dependência da ITSM em relação à UFSM e a baixa interação da Incubadora com suas empresas graduadas também foram aspectos observados e que precisam ser corrigidos, para a criação de empresas mais competitivas na ITSM.

In the recent years, crowdfunding (a phenomenon where individuals collectively contribute money to back different goals and projects through the internet) has been gaining a lot of attention especially for its socio-economic impact. This dissertation explores this phenomenon in three distinct but related essays. The first essay explores the nature and dynamics of backers’ contributions and uses the insights generated to develop a forecasting model that can predict crowdfunding campaign outcomes. The second essay investigates how creators’ crowdfunding campaign design decisions impact their funding and post-funding outcomes. Interestingly, the essay highlights that certain crowdfunding campaign design decisions have differential effects on both funding and post-funding phases and this has implications for creators, backers, and crowdfunding platform owners. Finally, the third essay investigates whether creators’ post-funding relations-building efforts with backers matter and how such relations-building efforts might impact the performance of their subsequent crowdfunding campaign. In general, this dissertation not only increases our understanding of the crowdfunding phenomenon across the funding and post-funding phases, it also provides insights and tools that can help stakeholders maximize the benefits accruable to them when they engage in crowdfunding.

La recherche intervention d’orientation qualitative se déroule au cœur de l’une des transformations majeures des années 2000 dans le réseau de la santé et des services sociaux, soit la consolidation des centres de santé et de services sociaux (CSSS). La recherche explore la problématique liée à la mise en œuvre d’une recommandation émise suite aux résultats d’un sondage dans un CSSS et vise explicitement l’expérimentation d’un nouvel outil d’évaluation de la contribution des employés dans ce contexte. Malgré plusieurs décennies de pratiques et de recherches menées pour améliorer l’évaluation de la contribution, force est de constater que les outils et processus d’évaluation visant à favoriser la mobilisation des employés ne sont pas très efficaces. Les données de la littérature démontrent que les évaluations réalisées dans un cadre collaboratif inspirées d’une approche appréciative pourraient produire des résultats intéressants. C’est à partir de ces perspectives qu’est réalisée la recherche intervention. La recherche répond à deux questions : 1) Quelle est la valeur ajoutée pour des employés d’un nouvel outil d’évaluation de la contribution inspiré de l’approche appréciative? et 2) Quelle est la valeur ajoutée du nouvel outil d’évaluation de la contribution des employés selon la perspective des gestionnaires? Un outil d’évaluation de la contribution est d’abord coconstruit avec trois gestionnaires et ensuite expérimenté auprès des employés participants de leur service. Des entretiens semi-dirigés traités à partir de l’analyse thématique sont réalisés auprès de trois gestionnaires et des employés participants. Les résultats mettent de l’avant le regard des employés et celui des gestionnaires. Le regard des employés est traduit par deux thèmes : une expérience de réflexion plus qu’une entrevue d’évaluation de la contribution (réflexions associées aux comportements au travail, appréciation mutuelle, révélations de soi) et les constats concernant les relations existantes (communications distantes, manifestations timides de considération, absence d’autonomie et une organisation parallèle). Trois thèmes traduisent le regard des gestionnaires : des réactions spécifiques (effet boomerang, brèche dans le contrôle, attitude témoin), des constats tangibles (impacts immédiats, contresens à l’absence des gestionnaires) et la reconnaissance de retombées potentielles (effets anticipés, conditions à respecter). Les résultats démontrent que l’expérimentation d’un nouvel outil d’évaluation de la contribution inspiré de l’approche appréciative a eu un effet sur des employés et des gestionnaires. Tous les participants ont vécu une expérience très agréable. La discussion explore la perception de la valeur ajoutée du nouvel outil selon les employés à la lumière de quatre dimensions mesurant le climat de travail (tâche, leadership, travail d’équipe et organisation). La valeur ajoutée de cet outil selon la perspective des gestionnaires est ensuite décrite selon cinq aspects : l’étendue restreinte de la démarche, les pratiques de gestion dans l’établissement, les caractéristiques distinctives des gestionnaires, la notion du temps et la contribution circonstancielle de l’outil. Les retombées pratiques, les forces et les limites et les recherches futures sont soulignées.

Abstract Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a modern rapidly developing technique for non-invasive imaging of the internal structure of optically non-uniform objects based on the principles of low-coherent interferometry. However, multiple scattering of light in the objects under study brings distortions to the images obtained by OCT. The analysis of formation of the OCT signals is required for understanding the role of multiple scattering in this formation and providing recommendations for optimal configuration of a measuring setup. In the present thesis formation of the OCT signals and images is analyzed implementing Monte Carlo simulations of light propagation in scattering media. Blood, intralipid solution, human skin and paper samples are chosen as the objects under study due to the interest in the diagnostics of these objects in biomedicine and paper industry. Multilayer models of skin phantoms, skin and paper were developed in the frames of the present study for simulation of OCT signals and two-dimensional OCT images of these objects. The contribution of different scattering orders as well as different fractions of photons (least and multiply scattered, diffusive and non-diffusive) to these images was found allowing to evaluate the maximal depth of non-distorted imaging in each particular case. The simulated OCT images were compared to the experimental ones demonstrating qualitative similarity. This fact allowed the author to analyze qualitatively the influence of parameters of the OCT setup on the images which have also been acquired in this work. The formation of the OCT images of paper samples with various refractive index matching liquids was also studied.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) is as relevant to us today, as it was in the time of the early church. We, too, are sent by Jesus Christ to make disciples of every nation, and to teach them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us. ENM has taken this command very seriously, and in the past decades numerous missionaries were dispatched to nations across the globe. Twenty years ago ENM workers reached Africa, and have been working in many communities on the continent – also in South Africa. The time has come to study and evaluate the work that has been accomplished by the ENM missionaries in Africa. There is a second reason for undertaking the above mentioned research. It is a well-established fact that the Korean churches, in the latter half of the 20th century, have played a major role in evangelizing to the world. Korea has been hailed as the second largest mission sending country in the world. But, sadly, in recent times the missionary enthusiasm, in many churches, has waned (Park 2012: 62). Churches and para-church organizations - including ENM - are all battling with the problem in Korea. However, in Africa the need to hear the Gospel of Jesus and to make disciples of Him, for the establishing and equipping of young churches, is as urgent as ever. Korean missionaries have a great obligation to the continent, an obligation that ENM takes seriously. But in order to function at its best, ENM has to evaluate the work that has been accomplished to date. In order to learn from both the opportunities, and mistakes in a number of African settings over the past twenty years, African Christians and their Korean colleagues need to join hands, in order to face the challenges of the future. This will not only benefit the African churches, but the Korean churches as well. Ideally, African and Korean Christians needed to learn from one another. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science of Religion and Missiology / Unrestricted

This study explores the possible contribution of art, specifically of classical music as high art, to the constitutional ideal of creating a society based on freedom and dignity. Although the government publically exhibits a keen interest in the arts there seems to be no constitutional right to art or duty to financially support it in any way. This results in a lack of urgency from government’s side to make good on undertakings to fund and financially assist the arts and consequently forces most western art forms into financial adversity. Art and entertainment differ inherently from each other and require different financial contributions from government. Hannah Arendt proposes a two-fold test to ascertain what constitutes high art and what amounts to ‘vulgamusik’ as suggested by Theodore Adorno. Where low art wallows in the ‘mundaneness’ of everyday life, high art offers a promise of longevity and of transformation with every encounter. Traditionally government support for high art is justified as contributing to an overall ‘upliftment’ of the general community, but as South Africa is already in the compromised position of not providing in the basic needs of its citizens funding for the arts needs to be re-visited. When exploring the nature of the fundamental rights to freedom and dignity it becomes apparent that the system of rights constitutes, similar to high art, a complex system and that exposure to complex systems will develop the imagination and a level of creativity when attempting to understand something of their intricate nature. In order to improve our perspective on what constitutes a better future an enhanced imagination is needed. The notion of complex systems and developing the imagination comes from an article by Mark Antaki and Paul Celliers and links with Arendt’s notion of understanding also the other with an ‘enlarged mentality’. It is through Drucilla Cornell’s concept of the imaginary domain as a space wherein one is constantly conceptualizing the ‘becoming’ of a better self, a better world and better future that the right to freedom and dignity can be realized. The encounter with high art makes it possible to integrate and ‘dream up’ that which seemed impossible into becoming a reality. F / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Jurisprudence / unrestricted

Ph.D. (Finance) / The majority of private pension plans offered by employers are defined contribution plans where the risk is borne by the member. In a member-directed pension plan, the individual members need to make decisions regarding the investment of their contributions. The board of trustees usually provide them with a number of options to choose from. This research answers the question: which factors influence the investment decisions of members of member-directed defined contribution pension plans? The study makes a unique contribution to the field of retirement finance by determining the impact of financial risk tolerance, demographics, behavioural factors, and pension plan design and presentation factors on the investment decisions of members of a member-directed defined contribution pension plan. The results of the study inform a number of role players in the pension value chain to ultimately aid the pension plan member to effect a more optimal investment choice. A survey approach was followed to collect primary data to analyse together with secondary data within a quantitative research paradigm. A census was conducted on individuals who were members of the member-directed defined contribution pension plan of a South African higher education institution on 31 March 2008. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on members’ demographics, financial risk tolerance, behavioural factors, and pension plan design and presentation factors. Secondary data consisted of additional demographic factors, which were available on the employers’ information system and data on member investment decisions obtained from the administrators of the pension plan. Of the 879 survey instruments distributed, 620 were returned at least partially completed and could be used in the study.

Economic development is a relatively new field of economics that started only thirty years ago. Many of the measurements applied in measuring the effectiveness of small businesses in South Africa are based on measuring growth, which is not always related to development. Using capital generation as one of the measurable parameters in economic development, a model was designed to measure the contribution of small business towards capital generation and, subsequently, development. The model considered the contribution of small businesses towards capital generation by measuring growth in assets, owners. incomes, employees. incomes and taxes paid. For these parameters to contribute to growth, additional capital needs to be generated by businesses. Job creation was also measured as an important parameter used to calculate employees. and owners. incomes. The model was tested with actual data gathered through personal interviews with businesses and analyses of the financial information of the businesses. The data were collected to cover a five-year operational period. The model contributed to an understanding of the ability of small businesses to support development in South Africa. The model was used to test the capital contributions of businesses of different age groups and sizes as well as within different manufacturing environments and locations in Gauteng and North West. Reducing the high failure rate of small businesses will play an important role in any future developmental interventions to increase the contributions of these small businesses. If the high failure rate is ignored and if only successful businesses are considered, it is seen that small businesses contribute to job creation. Small businesses, in general, increased employment below the total employment growth rate for the areas of the study, although the businesses which employed fewer than ten people outperformed the industry average. The data suggest that small businesses generally do contribute to capital generation. Small businesses, which employed fewer than 20 people, contributed positively to all aspects of capital contribution, compared to businesses which employed more than 20 people. These businesses performed positively only in tax contribution. It is positive that small businesses invest in, and increase, assets, but it is concerning that tax contribution growth outperforms all other capital generation parameters. Employees. incomes, and especially owners. incomes, showed a negative growth contribution to capital generation. There were definite trends in the data that businesses which employ the most assets, with large salary bills, large owners. payments and large tax contributions showed slower growth than did businesses employing smaller total capital contributions in these parameters. The motor industry, which showed phenomenal growth over the past few years, did not manage to increase the capital it used taking into account the effect of the consumer price index, excluding interest rates on mortgage bonds. This was also clear in the different regions which support the industry. The industry data can be used to study the different industries in more detail. Although more businesses contributed to growth in the four parameters, the net contributions in certain instances, or parameters, were negative. The results show that small business contributes both to economic development and to growth. It is also clear that the model can be used to analyse business contributions to development. It is unclear whether small business is the best way of stimulating development based on growth in capital contributions. The results and the analyses show that the model can be used as a successful management tool to stimulate development-related initiatives. / Thesis (Doctor of Business Administration)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Graduate School of Management / unrestricted

The issue of increasing unfunded pension liabilities of state and local governments has drawn increasing attentions in the last few years, especially after the 2008 stock market downturn. To maintain sustainability many state and local governments have put public pension reform at the top of their priority list. Previous research and practices provide two strategies to reform the current pension systems: Incremental changes to amend the existing defined benefit plans (DB plans), and the pension model switch from the DB model to defined contribution plans (DC plans). This study aims to uncover reform strategies to cope for public pension systems. It first examined the appropriateness of the incremental reform strategies by identifying the determinants of the financial solvency of DB plans, utilizing the existing panel data of 151 local DB plans in Florida municipalities. Second, it gathered the primary data through the surveys and interviews with the Finance and HR directors in Florida local governments to analyze their perceptions of public pension reform and reveal their readiness to conduct the public pension paradigm switch. These approaches revealed the critical interperiod equity issue along with the impact of the two-tier benefit structure during the recent pension reform. The results suggest that incremental reform strategies that reduce benefits and increase contributions are not effective in improving the financial solvency of public DB plans. The alternative reform approach—the DB-to-DC transition—is attractive to local governments because it will relieve the employer of the pension cost burden and transfer the investment risk to employees themselves. The transition is also politically palatable because the taxpayer sentiment is not supportive of what are perceived to be generous retirement benefit of public employees. Meanwhile, local governments are hesitant to implement the paradigm switch due to prohibitive transition costs, political pressure, and perhaps more importantly, the potential negative impacts to public recruitment and retention. Local officials do not perceive a reduction of morale with the two-tier benefit structure at the present time; they believe this issue will solve itself along the retirement of senior employees.