In this dissertation the three poems Lehu, Polokong written by Ratlabala and Matsoba by Lentsoane, are compared. Thematically they deal with life that triumphs over death, while the topics that are addressed, vary, namely death, at a funeral, and flowers respectively. In a literary sense the poems are compared in respect of (a) content, (b) composition, and (c) stylistic finish, which means that an adapted narratological model of description is used for this purpose. Additionally the three poems are described according to their metric composition. The content of the poems differs altogether. In Lehu death is described as having no respect for human beings, but rather deprives them of life in a cruel way. In Polokong the death of a beloved old farmer is described, while Lentsoane talks about the beauty of flowers in Matsoba. Structurally these three poems are composed in exactly the same manner, and each one consists of an image and an application, which consequently assimilates them with the sonnet. In this way the author emphasises the message or theme by means of which he reports satirically about the powerlessness of death over human. Stylistically the finishing of Lehu and Matsoba agrees with the newspaper report in which the author reports impersonally and abstractly about the respective topics and the surrounding issues. Polokong, on the other hand, is strongly loaded emotionally, and the author is successful in winning the reader over to share in his sadness caused by the death of the old farmer. From this determines its success. Between these three poems Polokong is therefore the only work which is a convincing literary work. According to verse technique, Lehu and Matsoba are free verses, while metrically the composition of Polokong is more rigid. These metrical characteristics have also been taken into consideration regarding the stylistic interpretation of the poems, and have therefore been applied as a stylisticum. The concepts which have been used in this investigation, as well as the method of investigation and the model of description that is used, are described in detail. Each argument is concluded with a relevant summary so that the argumentation is clear and fully comprehensible. The most important findings are summarised concisely and are highlighted in the final chapter. / Dissertation (MA (Sepedi))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / African Languages / unrestricted

The ore and rock specimens which form the material for this study are a collection sent by Mr. T. D. Guernsey, geologist for the Rhokana Corporation, Northern Rhodesia, to Dr. H. C. Gunning of this University under whose direction the present work was done. Owing to the lack of previous detailed work a microscopic investigation is undertaken with no particular problem in view, but with the hope that the accumulation of factual evidence may aid in clarifying the geological problems which have led to a diversity of opinion regarding the origin of these deposits. An historical sketch and a brief description of the geological setting of the Rhodesian copper deposits is given. This information has all been gathered from the available literature on the subject. The character and mineralogy of the ore deposits and relations to their northward extensions in Katanga, Belgian Congo are summarized. Descriptive notes, with interpretative remarks, of the lithology and ore mineralogy of the NKana 'Ore Horizon' as determined by a study of the 38 specimens and over 30 thin sections, constitute a major portion of the paper. General theories of ore genesis and supporting geological evidences are summarized for the purpose of clarifying the issues involved and to help in the erection of a theory for the Rhodesian copper deposits. Extant theories regarding these deposits are outlined and an analysis and synthesis of the evidence gathered in this investigation is presented. The framework of an epigenetic theory is constructed but mention is made that a meta-syngenetic (metamorphic-sedimentary) origin for these deposits is a possibility. Suggestions for further research both in the field and in the laboratory are given in the hope that they may in some way lend direction to subsequent investigations. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

Alternatives are required to replace the dominant paradigm of modernization if the residents and communities of Canada's Northwest Territories are to benefit fully from northern development activities. One such alternative is a bottom-up, community-based development process wherein communities engage in active planning to control and manage the resources of their regions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the implications of staple theory, a model of economic growth based on the export of primary resources, and community development approaches for development in the Northwest Territories. The thesis is that an Anarchist formulation of staple theory provides a theoretical foundation for an alternative, community-based approach to northern regional development. The study describes the contexts of development theory, Canadian regional development, and the dependent nature of northern development. Staple theory, in a basic descriptive form, is then introduced. The prescriptive interpretations of staple theory posited by W.A. Mackintosh, H.A. Innis, and W.L. Gordon and M.H. Watkins are discussed. The study then compares staple theory's prescriptions with those indicated by the Anarchist approach to regional development and community development literature. The combined prescriptions are placed within the context of northern development. The study concludes by outlining the implications of staple theory and community development approaches for regional planning theory and practice in the Northwest Territories. In the context of northern development, the study recommends the adoption of a community-based development policy and a reconnection of regions to their resources as suggested by both the staple theory and community development approaches. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

The Permafrost Map of Canada shows the region of Labrador in northeast Canada as spanning conditions from continuous permafrost in the north to isolated patches in the south. However, few studies have documented this and the most detailed field information comes from research in the 1960s and 1970s, with contemporary permafrost distribution largely unexamined. An extensive investigation of contemporary permafrost conditions throughout Labrador and portions of northeastern Québec was undertaken between 2013 and 2017 to fill this knowledge gap. A multi-scale approach to analyzing permafrost distribution was employed, including collection of detailed field information at selected sites, establishment of climate and ground monitoring apparatus at more than 35 different locations and spatial numerical permafrost modelling of permafrost conditions across the region. Spatio-temporal infilling was used with thin plate spline interpolation to generate temporally-consistent climate grids for 1948-2016 at a monthly resolution for all of Labrador-Ungava. Evaluation of derived air temperature grids against meteorological observations and remote field monitoring stations showed an overall accuracy of 0.8 ± 0.3 °C on a monthly timescale. The grids were used to generate freezing and thawing degree-days maps to facilitate permafrost modelling. Field investigations in the coastal barrens of southeastern Labrador (51.5°N to 54°N) used geophysics (DC electrical resistivity tomography), standard field methods and ground temperature monitoring to characterize very isolated patches of permafrost observed to be up to 8 m thick beneath palsas and peat plateaus. Permafrost was inferred to be absent in wetland, forested and forest-tundra areas inland, notwithstanding average air temperatures lower than at the coast. However, field investigations undertaken farther north in the coastal community of Nain, NL (56.3°N) showed permafrost to be present at numerous sites within the community in tundra, forested and disturbed settings. Boreholes and geophysics showed permafrost less than 20 m thick at several locations including beneath existing and proposed building locations. These investigations of permafrost along a latitudinal gradient highlight the contrasting permafrost environments found in coastal regions of Labrador. Field data from monitoring stations across Labrador (n=83) were used to analyze the interrelationships of key variables in permafrost modelling. Snow depth, not mean annual air temperature, was the strongest single determinant of mean temperatures at the ground surface and at ~1 m depth. Ground temperature variability was most related to land cover class with a critical late-winter snow depth of 70 cm or less inferred to be sufficient to prevent the formation of permafrost at the monitoring sites. Testing of several different land cover datasets for permafrost model parameterization gave errors in ground surface temperature ranging from ±0.9 to ±2.1°C. A new estimate of the distribution of permafrost at high resolution (250 m x 250 m) was generated for all of Labrador-Ungava using a modified version of the temperature at the top of permafrost model. Predicted ground temperatures for long-term climate normal ranged regionally from -9°C (for high elevations in northern Québec) to +5°C (for southeastern Labrador-Québec). Modelling of permafrost for specific temporal windows (1948-1962; 1982-1996; 2000-2014) suggested that permafrost area increased from the middle of the 20th Century to a potential peak extent (36% of the total land area) in the 1990s. Subsequent warming is predicted to have caused a decrease in permafrost extent of one-quarter (95 000 km2) even if air temperatures rise no further, providing air and ground temperatures equilibrate. The field observations in this thesis validated research conducted in the interior of Labrador during 1970s which directly linked permafrost presence or absence to snow thickness. Permafrost was more widespread than would be expected in coastal areas based on the region’s mean annual air temperatures which suggests that specific geomorphologic and meteorological settings may allow permafrost to persist in otherwise unsuitable regions. Land cover type, through its influence on snow distribution, was shown to be a key variable whose changes must be considered when examining future permafrost conditions in the region.

M.A. (African Languages) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The systematic status and geographic distribution of spiny mice of the genus Acomys I. Geoffroy, 1838 in northern Tanzania is uncertain. This study assesses the systematic and geographic distribution of Acomys from northern Tanzania using a multidisciplinary approach that includes molecular, cytogenetic, traditional and geometric morphometric analyses, and classical morphology of the same individuals. The molecular analysis was based on 1140 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 1297 bp of the nuclear interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) gene sequences. These data were subjected to phylogenetic analyses using Maximum likelihood, Bayesian, Maximum parsimony, and Minimum evolution analyses. The cytogenetic analysis included G-banding of metaphase chromosomes. The morphometric analyses included univariate and multivariate analyses of traditional morphometric measurements of the cranium and mandible, and of geometric morphometric two-dimensional landmarks of the dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of the cranium, and lateral view of mandible that included thin-plate spline (TPS) analysis. The classical morphology included examination of external, cranial and mandibular morphology. Results of all these multidisciplinary analyses were congruent and provide evidence for the occurrence of two sympatric species of Acomys in northern Tanzania, namely, the previously recorded A. wilsoni (2n = 62) and a newly recorded A. cf. percivali (2n = 58). These results that also represent the first reported mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear IRBP gene sequences and karyotype for A. cf. percivali, increases the number of species known to occur in Tanzania from four to five. However, the mitochondrial cytochrome b data that included GenBank sequences from the type locality in Kenya suggest that A. wilsoni may not be monophyletic. Ecologically, the two species seem to partition their niches with A. cf. percivali being found in well-covered habitats with thorn bushes, rocky and mountainous areas, and A. wilsoni being found in open semi-arid grasslands as well as in rice fields. The two species appear to be isolated by complex natural barriers formed by the Great East African Rift Valley whose geological features have generally been associated with active rodent speciation. However, the present results need further multidisciplinary investigation involving extensive sampling and examination of topotypical material. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

No description available.

Increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are global consequences of climate change, which are amplified in northern environments. Cold environments are particularly sensitive to warming due to the importance of sub-zero temperatures, which influence frozen ground status and precipitation type. The objective of this research is to evaluate the controls on the timing, rate, and volume of the major hydrological fluxes within the Wolf Creek Research Basin (WCRB), Yukon Territory and to identify any long-term changes. WCRB is a long-term hydrological observatory established in 1993 to evaluate cold region hydrological processes. Within WCRB, three long-term meteorological stations at different elevations with total precipitation measurements and several stream gauges allow a long-term (26 year) evaluation of water balance components. Increases in temperature and precipitation magnitude are consistent with climate models including CIMP6 models. There has also been a significant increase in the number of high intensity precipitation days (primarily in June, July, and August). Fall and winter discharge increased and there was an increase in mean annual baseflows. The proportion of discharge output during freshet (April 1st – July 1st) has not changed, but the timing of peak flow has shifted from late-May to mid-June. This research provides a unique opportunity to study long-term change while recognizing short-term natural variability in hydrologic data. Understanding the mechanisms within catchments will allow for a stronger interpretation of the response of catchments to changing climate regimes which can have diverse impacts on local ecosystems and prevailing geohazards in northern environments. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are global consequences of climate change, which are amplified in northern environments. This research looks at a long-term hydrologic dataset of the Wolf Creek Research Basin (WCRB), located near Whitehorse, Yukon. Three hydrologic variables were evaluated: air temperature, precipitation, and discharge. Each variable plays a critical role in a watershed’s response to climate change. From 1993 to 2019, there was a significant increase in winter precipitation across the basin. Mean annual temperature also increased at the two lower elevation sites at a rate comparable to the rest of Yukon. Mean annual discharge has also increased, most notably in fall and winter which is reflective of an increase in groundwater contributions to the stream. This research increases our understanding of the relationships and drivers behind hydrometric changes which allows for a stronger interpretation of the response of catchments to climate change.

This thesis film is an examination of my evolving perspectives and understanding of my Irish heritage as I travel to the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Through the course of a year and a half, I traveled to Belfast to explore the modern state of the sectarian conflicts between the Catholic and Protestant communities. Through the use of personal reflection, historical research, interviews with local residents, and on-location experiential learning, I began to learn not only about the modern state of Belfast and its economic and social climate, but also about the complexities of personal cultural identification and the concept of “truth” and “mutual guilt” when associated with acts of violence. With the use of the short documentary as the medium of choice, I am able to relay to audiences not only my own personal reflection of identity and history, but then allow them to reflect on their own perspectives as well, helping to create sincere moments of personal thought and reflections.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 253-266). Also available on the World Wide Web.