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American policy makers primarily embrace a deterrent-based policing agenda to curb illicit drug trafficking and use that relies on the principles of the economic price elasticity of demand (Boynum & Reuter, 2005). This counter-drug platform includes three fundamental programs: arresting offenders, seizing illicit drugs, and eradicating horticultural sources of illicit drugs (U.S. DEA, 2015). One of the main goals of these programs is to deter illegal trafficking and use by increasing the price of illicit substances so they are no longer attractive to consumers. The United States has weathered various drug use epidemics during its history, and currently it is facing a heroin and opioid epidemic (Dean, 2017). The present multi-dimensional study is guided by three broad goals: to assess the dynamics of illicit drug pricing and the economic price elasticity of demand perspective; to evaluate whether drug trafficking organizations respond to theoretically deterrence based counter-drug law enforcement efforts; and to assess why law enforcement activities are (or are not) effective in controlling illegal drug markets. To accomplish these three broad goals, four separate yet linked focal points comprised of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods evaluations of official data are examined. The findings in the study call into question the current American counter-drug law enforcement agenda being used to address the ongoing heroin epidemic. Furthermore, the results shine light on various shortcomings in overall U.S. counter-drug policy. Finally, the study calls for a new approach to address illicit drug trafficking and use in the U.S.

Introduction: Guinea worm disease (GWD) is a painful, disabling disease caused by the parasite dracunculus medinensis. The implementation of the global GWD eradication campaign resulted in a decrease of global burden of disease and several countries have been proclaimed free of the disease. Though, Ethiopia has implemented the GWD eradication programme since 1992 the disease remains endemic in the Gambella region. Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of the community of Gambella region on Guinea worm disease (GWD) eradication interventions. Methodology: A qualitative study paradigm with a phenomenological research design was employed to collect data using focus group discussions, in-depth individual interviews, document reviews, and observations. The study participants were determined by purposive sampling. Qualitative data analysis involved transcription, data entry, and management of verbal information followed by coding, categorizing into themes. Interpretation of the data was done using triangulation methodology with appropriate mechanisms for validity and trustworthiness. Result: The study found that there are gaps in the perceptions and understanding of the community and programme implementers about the achievement and application of the various interventions on the eradication of Guinea worm disease. Health education programme was not fine-tuned to the eradication of GWD by community participation. Community perception was not at the required level for the eradication of GWD due to the low success of the educational intervention. Conclusion: continuous health education targeting the community with clear objectives of helping to eradicate GWD was found to be limited in its coverage. In addition, provision of water filters necessary for GWD eradication was inadequate. Moreover, the community did not have clear understanding of the causes of GWD and its eradication strategy. It is hoped that the findings of this study would contribute significantly to the GWEP in Gambella region, as well as elsewhere where GWD may be endemic / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

In view of the high levels of poverty in most under-developed and developing countries, poverty reduction has become an international phenomenon. South Africa (SA) is a country faced with the challenge of poverty as a result of the high rates of unemployment fifteen (15) years after the introduction of the new democratic dispensation. Poverty reduction has been placed at the centre of global development objectives to improve people‟s lives through expanding their choices, their freedom, and their dignity. Numerous countries have developed poverty-reduction strategies, which are over-arching macro-strategies implemented by different social and economic sectors in collaboration with the private sector. South Africa, however, does not have an over-arching poverty reduction strategy, which is the key national governmental priority, although many poverty-reduction programmes exist. The existing poverty reduction initiatives in South Africa, such as Income Generating Projects (IGPs), are either established by Government or the Civil Society structures with the aim to assist in changing the standard of living of poor people so that they can at least meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter and clothing. This study focuses on the IGPs that operate in Atteridgeville, Tshwane, with the view to explore and describe the experiences of individuals who participate in these IGPs. A qualitative research approach was selected for the study and three IGPs were selected from the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) that affiliate to the Phelindaba Forum. This Forum coordinates social development activities in Atteridgeville, Saulsville and Mshengoville. The findings of the study indicated that although IGPs are established to benefit participants financially, there are other factors that motivate people to join and remain in the projects, such as moral support amongst members. Furthermore, some NGOs claim to facilitate IGPs, but in some instances, these IGPs are left to operate on their own without much needed assistance. The recommendation for future studies is that participants need to be engaged with in order to get a true reflection of how the IGPs operate. The assistance and support of NGOs are crucial for the sustainability of such projects. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Bakgrund: Infektion med Helicobacter pylori är vanligt förekommande världen över. Forskning pekar på att låg socioekonomisk status, trångboddhet och dålig hygien tycks gynna smitta med Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter pylori infekterar magsäckens och/eller tolvfingertarmens slemhinna, vilket kan resultera i magsår och gastrit. Därmed bör behandling sättas in efter påvisad infektion med Helicobacter pylori, för att förebygga risken att magsäckscancer utvecklas. Behandling vid infektion orsakad av Helicobacter pylori innefattar oftast trippelterapibehandling bestående av protonpumpshämmare samt två olika antibiotikum. Forskning pekar på att probiotika har positiva effekter i behandling mot Helicobacter pylori. Syfte: Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka och redogöra för om trippelterapibehandling i kombination med probiotika är en effektivare behandling hos patienter infekterade med Helicobacter pylori, än enbart trippelterapibehandling. Metod: Studien är designad som en litteraturstudie. I studien granskades sex stycken vetenskapliga, randomiserade, kliniskt prövade originalartiklar. Litteratursökningen genomfördes i databasen PubMed. Resultat: Fyra av studierna visade en signifikant skillnad mellan interventionsgruppen som tilldelats probiotika + trippelterapibehandling, och kontrollgruppen som enbart tilldelats trippelterapibehandling. Slutsats: Slutsatsen är att probiotika kombinerat med trippelterapibehandling är något effektivare än enbart trippelterapibehandling. För- och efterbehandling med probiotika i samband med en trippelterapibehandling gav störst effekt. Ytterligare studier krävs för att säkerställa effekten av probiotika vid en trippelterapibehandling. / Background: Being infected by Helicobacter pylori is very common all around the world. Research indicates that low socioeconomic status, overcrowding and bad hygiene most likely increases the risk of being infected by Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter pylori infects the stomach and/or duodenal mucosa, which can result in a gastric ulcer and gastritis. Therefore, treatment should be instituted directly after Helicobacter pylori has been detected, to reduce the risk of developing gastric cancer. Treatment for a infection caused by Helicobacter pylori often involves a triple therapy treatment consisting of a proton-pump inhibitor and two different types of antibiotics. Research indicates that probiotics could have positive effects regarding treatment against Helicobacter pylori. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine if triple therapy treatment in combination with probiotics is a more effective treatment for patients infected by Helicobacter pylori, than with triple therapy treatment alone. Method: This study is designed as a literature study. Six different scientific, randomized, clinically tested original articles were examined. The literature search was conducted in the database PubMed. Result: There was a significant difference in four studies between the intervention group, which was assigned probiotics + triple therapy, and the control group, which was assigned only triple therapy treatment. Conclusion: The conclusion is that probiotics combined with triple therapy treatment is somewhat more effective than triple therapy treatment alone. A treatment with probiotics before and after a treatment with triple therapy treatment gave the largest effect. Further studies are needed to ensure the effect of probiotics with a triple therapy treatment.

Os impactos negativos que as espécies invasoras causam aos ecossistemas naturais ou seminaturais são noticiados há pelo menos seis décadas em diferentes partes do mundo. Diversos estudos têm sido realizados visando diagnosticar o processo de invasão, conhecer a ecologia das espécies invasoras e gerar subsídios para o manejo, controle ou erradicação daquelas que causam problemas. No Brasil, a invasão de ecossistemas naturais começou a ser estudada recentemente e muito conhecimento ainda precisa ser gerado para basear a tomada de decisões sobre o problema. Este estudo teve por objetivo descrever o processo de invasão do Cerrado por Pinus elliottii e buscar técnicas de manejo viáveis ecológica e economicamente para o controle da invasora. O estudo foi realizado na Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara, no munícipio de Águas de Santa Bárbara, São Paulo, em duas frentes de pesquisa: uma para estudar a ecologia da espécie invasora, e a outra para verificar qual seria a técnica de controle mais vantajosa ecológica e economicamente. O estudo de ecologia baseou-se na amostragem de cinco blocos de 10 parcelas, cada uma com área de 10 x 10 m, para o estudo de plantas nativas com altura a partir de 50 cm e, dentro de cada parcela, cinco subparcelas de 1 x 1 m para o estudo de plantas com altura inferior a 50 cm. Em cada bloco as parcelas foram instaladas de forma que todo o gradiente de invasão por P. elliottii (desde 0 até 100% invadido) fosse contemplado. A densidade e a riqueza de espécies vegetais, agrupadas quanto à forma de vida, foram analisadas como variáveis resposta ao processo de invasão. Nessas parcelas foram caracterizadas, como variáveis explanatórias, a área basal da espécie invasora, a profundidade da camada de acículas e a abertura de dossel, que poderiam explicar as perdas de diversidade. O experimento de manejo foi realizado em uma área de 70 x 50 m, subdividida em 35 parcelas de 10 x 10 m. Sete tratamentos de erradicação (com cinco réplicas) foram testados, correspondendo a diferentes técnicas de manejo, que foram aplicadas isoladas ou combinadas. As técnicas de controle incluíram o corte raso com motosserra, a injeção de herbicida nos troncos e a aplicação de queimada prescrita. Após a aplicação dos tratamentos, a vegetação espontânea de cerrado foi monitorada por dois anos e comparados os tratamentos, utilizando-se a densidade e a riqueza de plantas nativas em regeneração como indicadores ecológicos de sucesso das técnicas. A viabilidade econômica foi analisada com base em todos os custos envolvidos em cada técnica, discutidos mediante a estimativa do custo do controle precoce da invasão. A pesquisa como um todo possibilitou a descrição, em detalhes, do processo de invasão, assim como a quantificação das perdas de diversidade e identificação dos filtros ecológicos envolvidos no processo. O estudo ecológico mostrou que a espessa camada de acículas depositada pela árvores invasoras quando a invasão se adensa é o principal fator responsável pelo desaparecimento de gramíneas, ciperáceas e indivíduos herbáceos, ou seja, quanto mais acículas depositadas no solo, maior a perda dessas formas de vida. Já o fechamento do dossel provocado pela entrada das árvores invasoras no ambiente savânico prejudicou especialmente os arbustos, fazendo com que desaparecessem em ambientes mais sombreados. Não foi notada nenhuma influência das variáveis estudadas sobre espécies arbóreas em regeneração na comunidade invadida. No experimento de manejo, diversos tratamentos foram economicamente viáveis, especialmente quando se prevê a comercialização da lenha das árvores invasoras. Isto porque a receita gerada com a venda da madeira pode cobrir os custos de manejo. Além da viabilidade econômica, ao longo dos dois anos de acompanhamento, o tratamento que combinou corte raso com queima das acículas foi o mais indicado, pois cobriu os custos de erradicação e, dentre os tratamentos testados, foi o que apresentou a melhor regeneração natural da vegetação nativa de cerrado. No entanto, a restauração passiva (regeneração natural) do ecossistema densamente invadido após a erradicação é um processo extremamente lento, de modo que os dois anos de estudo levam a crer que intervenções de restauração por meio de plantio serão necessárias para acelerar o processo. Com esta pesquisa, portanto, foi possível compreender os fatores e processos que levam à perda de biodiversidade decorrente da invasão por Pinus elliottii e, também, assegurar que é possível a erradicação da espécie invasora. Mas a restauração das áreas densamente invadidas ainda é um obstáculo a ser vencido. Os custos ecológicos e econômicos envolvidos na solução do problema são elevados, mas podem ser minimizados caso seja realizado o controle precoce da invasão. / Damages caused by invasive species in natural or semi-natural environments have been noticed for at least six decades in different parts of the world. Meanwhile around the world several studies aim to diagnose the invasion process, the ecology of invasive species and to generate knowledge about management, control, or eradication of these species. In Brazil, the studies about invasive species started recently and a lot of research is still needed to support the decision-making, and consequently strengthen the connections between scientists and decision makers. This work aims to describe the invasion process of slash pine in the Cerrado and seek for management solutions to deal with the invasion problem. The study took place at the Santa Bárbara Ecological Station, a reserve located at Águas de Santa Barbara municipality, São Paulo state. Two distinct types of research were performed: the first one focused on the study of the invasion ecology of slash pine, and the second aiming to seek for the ecologically and economically most viable management technique to remove the invasive species from this ecosystem. The ecological study was based on sampling of native plants taller than 50 cm, taken from five blocks of 10 plots (plot area = 10 x 10 m). To study the plants smaller than 50 cm height, samples were taken from five 1 x 1 m subplots placed inside each plot. In each block, the plots were placed with the aim of contemplating the whole range of invasion gradient (0% to 100% of invaded area) by P. elliottii. Native plant species were grouped according to their life form, and their density and richness were considered as response variables to the invasion process. In this plots, the basal area of the invasive species, pine needles depth and canopy openness were considered as the explanatory variables, as the oscillations of these variables could justify biodiversity losses. The management experiment was performed in a 70 x 50 m area, divided in 35 plots (10 x 10 m). Seven eradication treatments (with five replicates) were established according to different management techniques applied together or isolated. The control techniques included clear-cut with chainsaw, herbicide injection inside the trunks and prescribed burning. After the application of the treatments, the spontaneous recovery of the grassland vegetation was monitored, and the density and richness of native species were used as indicators of the ecological success of the management techniques. The economical viability was analyzed based on all the costs related to each one of the techniques and compared to an initial invasion control. In general, this work described in details the invasion process at the Cerrado vegetation, quantified biodiversity losses and identified the ecological filters in the invasion process. The increase of the pine needle layer thickness is the main driver of the disappearance of grasses, sedges and forbs. The canopy closure caused by the invasive trees in the open savanna environment was responsible for the decrease of shrubs. None of the explanatory variables influenced the native tree species under regeneration. The management experiment pointed several treatments as economically viable, especially when the timber of the invasive species can be commercialized and, thus, the profits obtained from the sold timber can cover the costs regarding the eradication procedure. In addition to the economical viability, over two years of monitoring the native vegetation, the best treatment was the one that combined clearcut and prescribed fire. Under this combination of treatments, the spontaneous regeneration of native vegetation had the best performance, and the eradication costs could be covered.. Meanwhile, the passive restoration (natural regeneration) from a densely invaded ecosystem is an extremely slow process. Therefore, after two years of research, it seems reasonable to assume that interfering in the restoration process through plantation is necessary in order to speed up the vegetation recovery. In this work, thus, it was possible to understand the factors and process that cause biodiversity losses promoted by slash pine (Pinus elliottii) invasion in the Cerrado, and also to ensure that the eradication of this invasive species is possible in this type of ecosystem. Nevertheless, the restoration of heavily invaded areas is still an issue. The ecological and economic costs related to this problem are high but can be reduced when the early control of the invasion is performed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:22:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jimena Alejandra Vega.pdf: 11387367 bytes, checksum: e8b97232a2e5431bad6f21327531f495 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-18 / This work aims to analyze the successive urban policies adopted in Buenos Aires and, in particular, urban planning and interventions in urban space during the last Argentine dictatorship period. It seeks to contextualize these interventions in the urban thinking timeline of this city along the twentieth century, in order to understand the historical factors behind these urban policies and the developments that led to the structural changes that today characterize the contemporary city. By analyzing the successive urban policies adopted in Buenos Aires and, in particular, planning and interventions in urban space of the last Argentine dictator ship period, the study focuses on the one hand, the housing policies in the Federal Capital, understood as a vector backbone for modeling Buenos Aires urban space, and secondly, the road system designed for particular vehicular high-speed transport, understood within a plan of urban modernization. The research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the actions of the state represented by the last military government in the field of socio-spatial policies, in order to understand how far the urban intervention strategies contributed to a greater fragmentation of the sociopolitical-spacial tissue, and to the reproduction processes of the capitalist dynamics in the city of Buenos Aires, whose features can still be seen today in the production of its urban space. / Esse trabalho objetiva estudar as interven??es urbanas em Buenos Aires e, em especial, as estrat?gias e pr?ticas espaciais do ?ltimo per?odo ditatorial argentino. Procura-se contextualizar tais interven??es a partir da an?lise do pensamento urbano ao longo do s?culo XX sobre a capital portenha, com o intuito de entender que fatores determinaram a ado??o dessas pol?ticas urbanas, seus desdobramentos e as transforma??es estruturais que at? hoje marcam o tecido urbano da cidade. Ao analisar as sucessivas pol?ticas urbanas adotadas em Buenos Aires e, em especial, o planejamento e as interven??es no espa?o urbano do ?ltimo per?odo ditatorial argentino, o estudo privilegia, por um lado, as pol?ticas habitacionais na Capital Federal, entendidas como vetor estruturante na modelagem do espa?o urbano portenho, e por outro, o sistema vi?rio projetado para o transporte veicular particular de alta velocidade, compreendido dentro de um plano de moderniza??o urbana. A pesquisa pretende contribuir para uma maior compreens?o das a??es do Estado autorit?rio no campo das pol?ticas urbanas, buscando entender at? que ponto as interven??es realizadas, ou mesmo apenas projetadas, contribu?ram para a amplia??o da fragmenta??o do tecido sociopol?tico-espacial, e como fator favor?vel aos processos de reprodu??o da din?mica capitalista na cidade de Buenos Aires.

La bactérie Helicobacter pylori est responsable de l’infection la plus répandue dans la population mondiale. Cette bactérie est considérée comme le principal agent étiologique de la gastrite chronique, de l’ulcère duodénal et du cancer gastrique non-héréditaire. La thérapeutique prescrite pour l’éradication de cette infection est inefficace pour un nombre de plus en plus élevé de patients, dû à l’induction constante de souches résistantes aux antibiotiques habituellement prescrits.H. pylori a aussi d’autres façons d’assurer sa survie dans le milieu gastrique que l’induction de résistances aux antibiotiques. En particulier en intéragissant avec le cholestérol des cellules épithéliales gastriques. De ce fait, l’utilisation de molécules inhibitrices de la croissance de H. pylori, autres que les antibiotiques classiques, est une stratégie importante pour combattre cette infection.L’objectif majeur de ce travail a été de mettre en évidence de nouvelles molécules inhibitrices de la croissance et de la viabilité de H. pylori, permettant ainsi le développement de solutions alternatives à la thérapeutique classiquement utilisée. Les acides gras polyinsaturés et l’acide docosahexaenoic (DHA) se mettre en lumière pour réunir incontestable propriété anti-inflammatoires et anti-tumoral. Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que le DHA influence la survie de H. pylori, et peut moduler la disponibilité des acides gras et du cholestérol cellulaires.Nos résultats montrent que le DHA inhibe la croissance de H. pylori in vitro et affecte sa capacité à coloniser la muqueuse gastrique dans le modèle souris. Dans ces conditions, le DHA diminue la réponse inflammatoire gastrique induite par l’infection. Au niveau des cellules épithéliales gastriques, des modifications du profil des acides gras et du cholestérol avec des conséquences sur le métabolisme et la signalisation cellulaire sont observées. De plus, un traitement antibiotique classique combiné à une administration de DHA aux souris infectées diminue de façon drastique la récidive de l’infection. En conclusion, cette étude démontre un effet inhibiteur du DHA sur l’infection par H. pylori et sa récidive. Ces résultats justifient la proposition du DHA comme coadjuvant thérapeutique, constituant ainsi une stratégie prophylactique alternative de l’éradication de l’infection par H. pylori. / H. pylori infection is extremely common worldwide and is recognized as a major etiological factor in chronic active gastritis, gastric duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer development. H. pylori eradication treatment has not changed to a large extent in the last decades and can raise some concern mainly due to recurrence of infection, and most importantly, acquired resistance to classically used antibiotics. In this context, the use of compounds other than antibiotics that could decrease H. pylori infection in a safe way could provide an alternative to tackle this problem. It is known that H. pylori extracts cholesterol from host cell-membrane rafts, modifies it into an α-glycosylated form, and uses this mechanism to increase its survival. The main aim of this thesis work was to explore the role of different non-antibiotic molecules in inhibiting H. pylori growth. Among molecules known to affect in vitro H. pylori growth and viability are certain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Within the many molecules available, we concentrated our efforts on the study of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). We also pursued the hypothesis that DHA affects survival of H. pylori by modulating the host epithelial cell levels of fatty acids and cholesterol availability.Our results show that DHA inhibits H. pylori growth both in vitro and in vivo, and attenuates the host inflammatory response. Additionally, we demonstrate that DHA induces morphological and cell wall protein composition changes that altogether decrease bacteria-gastric epithelial cell adherence, inflammation and survival. Also, we demonstrated that DHA alters cholesterol levels in epithelial cells, thereby influencing H. pylori ability to uptake and use epithelial cholesterol. This will ultimately impair H. pylori survival. Importantly, the combination of DHA and antibiotic standard treatment decreased the recurrence of H. pylori infection in a mouse model. Our results have gathered important evidence to pave the way for DHA use in the clinical setting and in prophylactic/preventive strategies against H. pylori infection.

Orientador: Victor Hugo de Almeida / Resumo: Apesar do esforço das normativas internacionais, da Constituição Federal e da legislação brasileira para a erradicação do trabalho infantil, há, ainda, 1,714 milhões de crianças e adolescentes trabalhando em situação irregular nos setores mais diversos da atividade econômica nacional. Crianças e adolescentes têm obtido autorizações judiciais para trabalhar antes da idade permitida por lei e, desse modo, o Estado-Juiz, detentor do dever constitucional de conferir proteção integral à infância e adolescência e a zelar prioritariamente pelo seu bem-estar, tem chancelado que sejam submetidos a condições degradantes de vida e de trabalho, em prejuízo de seus desenvolvimentos físico, psicológico, educacional e social, perdendo o direito de viver a fase imprescindível da infância, na qual se deve preocupar-se apenas com o brincar e o estudar, restando comprometidas as chances de uma vida adulta saudável e capaz de assegurar a competitividade do mercado de trabalho. Dessa forma, o ciclo vicioso da pobreza se perpetua, a mão de obra infantil se torna uma constante e o trabalho não traz dignidade às pessoas por não conseguir emancipá-las. Portanto, o objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar as motivações dos requerimentos de autorização judicial para o trabalho infantil, bem como os argumentos para sua concessão, além da competência, atuação e políticas públicas de enfrentamento desta forma proibida de trabalho, desenvolvidas no âmbito dos Juizados Especiais da Infância e Adolescência da Just... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Despite the efforts made by international regulations, the Federal Constitution, and Brazilian legislation to eradicate child labor, there are still 1.714 million children and adolescents working illegally in the most diverse sectors of national economic activity. Children and adolescents have been granted court permits to work before the age allowed by law, and thus the Judge-State, which has the constitutional duty to provide full protection to children and adolescents and to give priority to their well-being, has allowed that they have been subjected to degrading conditions of life and work, to the detriment of their physical, psychological, educational and social development, losing the right to live the indispensable phase of childhood, in which one should only be concerned with playing and studying, to loosing the chances of a healthy adult life capable of ensuring the competitiveness of the labour market. In this way, the vicious cycle of poverty is perpetuated, child labor becomes a constant, and work does not bring dignity to people because it cannot emancipate them. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze the motivations of the requests for judicial authorization for child labor, as well as the arguments for granting it, as well as the competence, performance and public policies to deal with this prohibited form of work, developed within the Special Courts of Childhood and Adolescence of Labour Justice, in order to understand the reasons why child la... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Fruit flies (Tephritidae) can enter and establish in new territories due to the movement of fruit from one area to another through trade or tourism, which can negatively impact on fruit production and market access. An invader fruit fly species (Bactrocera invadens) has established on the African continent and has spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa. This newly described polyphagous fruit fly species is a successful invader species which continues to distribute and establish in new habitats. The introduction and establishment of B. invadens in South Africa may have serious market access consequences with regard to fruit exports due to its absence in the territories of many trading partners. The Musina area was considered as the study area as it is the first entry point from Zimbabwe. The national highway (N1) which runs through the area is a major route from several B. invadens infested countries in the Southern Africa region. A species initiated pest risk assessment was conveyed to determine the risk potential of this pest. The pest risk assessment (PRA) identified several pathways with a high risk to the Musina area, that B. invadens can follow. A detection survey was carried out to determine the status of B. invadens in the Musina area as support to the PRA. The detection survey continued over three years and by the second year B. invadens was detected for the first time in the study area. The detection survey was followed by a delimiting survey and the pest was eradicated in the area. After several months of no detection, it was however detected again in the area. Risk management options were suggested for regulatory control as an outcome of the pest risk assessment. These measures can be utilised by the National Plant Protection Organisation of South Africa for the commercial importation of host material of B. invadens, control of fruit imported by travellers, informal traders and national control in the event of pest incursions in the area. Corrective actions as well as quarantine actions should be implemented in an integrated approach in the affected areas. / Thesis (Master of Environmental Sciences)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.