Shamwari Game Reserve was the first enclosed conservation area in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to reintroduce free ranging lions, cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs back into their historic range. At that time (2000 – 2001), little information was available on the ecology and behaviour of these predators in the habitats of the Eastern Cape, and management decisions were based on assumptions and unfounded comparisons with extant populations but from quite different habitats. The aim of this study was therefore to obtain a better understanding of the feeding ecology and space use of the predator guild, and the carrying capacity of Shamwari Game Reserve to enable more informed management decisions. In addition, the reserve is a photographic based tourism venture and understanding both the ecological and financial sustainability of the predator guild was important. The diets of the predators were similar to those reported in other studies; larger predators killed a greater range of prey species than did smaller predators and a small number of prey species made up the majority of the kills. The larger predators had a higher mean kill mass than the smaller species and prey selection was influenced by prey size, prey abundance and prey habitat preference, and risk associated with hunting the species. Diet was flexible and responded to natural and management induced changes in prey abundance. There was a considerable overlap in space use by the lions, cheetahs and leopards with their core areas being centred on and around the Bushmans River. Space use was driven by resource distribution and landscape attributes, and by the presence of other predators of the same or different species. The long term viability of wild dog within the reserve was explored and the results confirmed that there was neither the required space nor the ecological processes and the wild dogs were removed from the reserve. A carrying capacity of the reserve for the predator guild was determined using the Maximum Sustainable Yield method to assess the potential prey species off take and a resultant density of 3.3 to 6.6 lion female equivalent units per 10 000 ha was established. The natural carrying capacity of the reserve with respect to predators will not sustain the tourism objectives and consequently prey supplementation was necessary to maintain predator density at levels high enough to sustain tourism. Under these conditions the large predator guild is still sustainable financially although careful, responsible management is needed to provide ecological sustainability.

Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy (HBOT) has a successive history for treating very specific groups of physical conditions. Research by Neubauer and colleagues states that HBOT's ability to increase cerebral metabolism in the brain regenerates dormant neural tissue (Neubauer, Gottlieb, & Pevsner 1994). According to this research, the increase of cerebral metabolism levels restores mental capacity from the neurological insult. Despite promise, uncertainty exists as to whether this is a viable treatment option for people suffering from neural damage. The research results for this experiment will examine the effect of HBOT on cerebral metabolism levels in adults and pediatrics with chronic neurological problems. Fifty individuals diagnosed as having a neurological impairment whom met criteria for the study were analyzed from an archival data set. Criterion required chronic impairment, baseline SPECT, followed by HBOT exposures, and a post SPECT scan. Statistical analyses consisted of a Pearson correlation that examined pre-metabolism rates with total change, a Pearson correlation that examined total change and number of treatments, and a one way ANOVA analysis that examined cerebral metabolism change in patients under 18 and over 18. Results indicated change

The purpose of this thesis is to present the results of a study of the impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program, Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, on the economies of small communities located in Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla Counties in Oregon. These counties are representative of many rural counties which are extremely dependent on agriculture for their economic well-being. The main objectives of this study are to determine: 1) the economic impacts of an agricultural policy, in this case the CRP, on rural communities; and 2) who may benefit and who may be adversely affected by the policy. As the structure of agriculture continues to change, communities as well as individual farmers, will experience this change in varying degrees. In general, the outlook for rural communities which are so dependent on agriculture is somewhat bleak. The focus of this thesis, therefore, is to attempt to assess the impact of the Conservation Reserve Program on such communities. / Graduation date: 1988

KZN Nature Conservation Services budgetary cuts for the KrantzkloofNature Reserve (KNR) has led to economic shortfalls in important areas like facilities maintenance and invader plant control. The study has found that the benefits of maintaining KNR, determined from the estimated Total Economic Value (TEV), are huge and far outweigh the budget shortfall. The shortfall has been closed by user charging, the timing of which has prevented any deterioration in the facilities and ecology ofKNR due to budget cuts. Facilities maintenance needs to be prioritized to protect the user charge funding base and alien invader control needs to be prioritized due to escalating costs and the magnitude of the problem. The study has found that subcatchment stakeholder groups in the developing Emolweni forum, within which KNR is strategically placed, are strongly associated with local conservancies which will essentially provide the backbone for the envisaged forum. In order for stakeholder groups to be more representative, however, it is important for local conservancies to fmd a way to draw in community groups not normally involved in conservation work. The forum should provide networking and support for projects like environmental education, income generation and rehabilitation that will allow these community groups to participate in conservation work in a meaningful way. Delivery should occur through strategically placed community institutions like schools and clinics and should target young people and the unemployed. Nature reserves have largely untapped resources and a quasi- option value project is explored that combines alien vegetation control with the development of an indigenous nursery in an ecological and economic sustainable manner. It is envisaged that income derived from the sale of horticultural plants may substitute the income derived from medicinal plants and thus reduce the pressure applied on KNR's threatened resources by the unemployed. The study recommends that the subcatchment be divided into manageable units, based on a situational analysis, out of which particular criteria and objectives can be developed. Surveys, inventories, mapping and research activities should be carried out, with reports on the state or use of soil, water and biota submitted to the forum, which can then provide management solutions. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

The use of statutory reserve requirement as a monetary policy tool has arguably diminished in recent years. Moreover, the money multiplier, a fundamental macroeconomic theory, which deals with the relationship between the monetary base, required reserves and the money supply, has been a target for some heavy critique.  The money multiplier theory encompasses a required reserve ratio, excess reserve ratio and currency ratio to explain the changes in the money multiplier. The multiplier, which in itself is the ratio of the broad money and the monetary base, is described as a decreasing function of the ratios. In this paper, we calculate the respective ratios and employ a linear regression model based on the multiplier theory to examine the relationships between the ratios. The effects are estimated individually in USA, Eurozone, Japan and in a panel data analysis combining all three currency areas.   We find that the reserve requirement ratios do not significantly explain the changes in the money multiplier in the USA or in the Eurozone. However, the reserve requirement ratios are found to have a significant effect in Japan and in the pooled data analysis. Further, in all of the cases, except in the Eurozone, the empirical model of the multiplier is found to explain significantly the variation in the multiplier, albeit with poor explanatory power in the pooled model.  The varying explanatory power of the model and the altering significance of the reserve requirements suggests that the multiplier theory does not hold exactly.  This implies that the effectiveness of the reserve requirements as a tool of monetary policy should not be taken as granted in contemporary economies.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / This work describes the coastal grasslands of Mkambati Game Reserve and their suitability for the present large herbivore complement. The initial description makes use of both field survey and quantitative sampling and multivariate analysis which facilitated the production of soil and vegetation maps at tre scale of 1: 10 000. Suitability of these grasslands for herbivores is assessed in terms of both quantity and quality of food available and the present herbivore impact. Local variation in soil type was considerable. Eight standard soil forms were distinguished as well as severaI others previously undescribed. Most of the soils were dystrophic although nutrient 'hot-spots' were common. This determined floristic composition of the various communities to some extent. Three grassland communities and four subcommunities were recognized which contributed 81, 5% to the total area of the reserve. The remaining area comprised forest. wetlands. exposed rock and accommodation camps. Each grassland community was associated with particular ranges of the measured environmental variables. The standing crop of the three communities was high relative to other areas of Southern Africa. Absolute amounts varied seasonally being highest in summer and lowest in winter Partitioning between the phytomass, necromass and litter components also varied seasonally. Total standing crop increased with increasing interval since the last fire. Litter breakdown rates differed between communities and species. Forage quality was poor being lowest in autumn and winter and declining with age. This was probably a result of the dystrophic soils. Crude protein and phosphorus were limiting for several months of the year. Total forage quantity was in excess of the present herbivore needs although availability declined with age and during the non-growing season. However, the poor quality reduced the amount available such that present herbivore impact was low, at all times being less than 9%.. Removal by herbivores was highest several months after a fire when absolute amounts of various nutrients were at a maxinum per unit area. Thereafter it declined to less than 1% with aging of the sward. The implications of the results for management are discussed and future research needs identified. / AC 2018

Um dos desafios fundamentais para a pesquisa gerontológica é como manter e promover o funcionamento cognitivo preservado na velhice. O presente estudo está dividido em dois artigos. O primeiro artigo tem como objetivo verificar diferentes perfis de ganho cognitivo em idosos para a reserva cognitiva. Apresenta dados de uma scoping review sobre reserva cognitiva e os diferentes efeitos das intervenções realizadas. Foi realizado um levantamento de estudos publicados entre janeiro de 2008 até agosto de 2018, nas bases de dados PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Lilacs, SciELO, PsycInfo, PsycNet e AgeLine usando as seguintes palavras-chave \"reserva cognitiva\" e {envelhecimento ou \"velhice\" ou \"pessoas velhas\" ou \"adultos idosos\"} e, os termos em inglês \"cognitive reserve\" AND {aging OR \"old age\" OR \"old people\" OR \"old adults\"}. Foram identificados 2295 estudos, 51 foram elegíveis para a scoping review. Dentro os 51 estudos selecionados, foram encontrados 9 perfis diferentes para manutenção cognitiva, sendo que 5 estudos não especificaram o perfil. Os perfis encontrados representam relevância para a teoria de reserva cognitiva e fornece esclarecimentos de como fatores individuais e de vida diária podem fazer o cérebro mais resiliente no envelhecimento e na velhice, porém, como os fatores individuais contribuem para o desenvolvimento da RC e manutenção da cognição, é uma questão ainda não explicada pela literatura. O segundo artigo dedicado à exposição do delineamento de uma pesquisa empírica, avalia a associação entre cognição e atividades avançadas de vida diária em uma amostra de idosos brasileiros residentes na comunidade, como forma de contribuir para o entendimento destes perfis para as melhoras em suas capacidades cognitivas. Tratou-se de uma análise transversal de 271 idosos, com 80 anos ou mais, participantes de uma fase de acompanhamento (2016-2017) de um estudo de base comunitária denominado FIBRA. A primeira onda de coleta de dados ocorreu entre 2008 e 2009. No estudo de acompanhamento, os domicílios dos participantes de dois locais, Campinas e Ermelino Matarazzo, foram revisitados e novos dados foram coletados daqueles que aceitaram participar dessa fase. Os participantes completaram um bloco de medidas que incluiu informações sociodemográficas, testes cognitivos Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e Mini Exame Cognitivo de Addenbrooke (M-ACE). Os participantes obtiveram um bom desempenho na avaliação global da cognição pelo MEEM, com média de 24,9 (±2,89). Observando-se a média (24,91 ± 2,89) do MEEM, nota-se que os participantes apresentam bom desempenho cognitivo, de acordo com a avaliação global da cognição. Os resultados apontam ainda que estudar 9 anos ou mais, ter mais de 50 livros na infância, participar de eventos culturais, dirigir, realizar trabalho voluntário, participar de diretorias, ler, acessar o e-mail e a internet foram significativamente associadas ao bom desempenho cognitivo. Conclui-se que o MEEM se associou com participação em eventos culturais, dirigir, realizar trabalho voluntário, participar de diretorias e ler após ajuste com variáveis gênero, faixa etária e escolaridade / One of the challenges for gerontological research front of cognitive reserve is how to maintain and promote cognitive functioning preserved in old age. Currently, studies on cognition, aging and old age have progressed significantly. The first article with the objective of verifying different profiles of cognitive gain in the elderly for the cognitive reserve presents data from a scoping review in order to evaluate the cognitive reserve and the different effects of the interventions performed. A study was carried out between January 2008 and August 2018 in the PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Lilacs, SciELO, PsycInfo, PsycNet and AgeLine databases using the following keywords \"cognitive reserve\" and {aging or \"old age\" or \"old people\" or \"elderly adults\"} and the terms \"cognitive reserve\" AND {aging OR \"old age\" OR \"old people\" OR \"old adults\"}. We identified 2295 studies, 51 were eligible for scoping review. Within the 51 selected studies, 9 different profiles were found for cognitive maintenance, and 5 studies did not specify the profile. The profiles found represent relevance to the theory of cognitive reserve and provides insights into how individual and daily life factors can make the brain more resilient in aging and old age, but how individual factors contribute to the development of CR and maintenance of cognition, is an issue not yet explained in the literature. The second article on the design of an empirical research evaluates the association between cognition and advanced activities of daily living in a sample of Brazilian elderly people living in the community as a way to contribute to the understanding of these profiles for improvements in their cognitive abilities. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 271 elderly people, aged 80 years and over, who participated in a follow-up phase (2016-2017) of a community-based study called FIBRA. The first phase of data collection occurred between 2008 and 2009. In the follow-up study, the households of participants from two sites, Campinas and Ermelino Matarazzo, were revisited and new data were collected from those who agreed to participate in this phase. Participants completed a block of measures that included sociodemographic information, cognitive tests Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Addenbrooke\'s Mini Cognitive Examination (M-ACE). Participants performed well in the overall evaluation of cognition by the MMSE, with an average of 24.9 (± 2.89). Observing the mean (24.91 ± 2.89) of the MMSE, it is observed that the participants present good cognitive performance, according to the global assessment of cognition. The results also point out that studying 9 years or more, having more than 50 books in childhood, participating in cultural events, directing, volunteering, attending boardrooms, reading, accessing e-mail and the Internet were significantly associated with good performance cognitive. It was concluded that the MMSE was associated with participation in cultural events, direct, volunteer work, participate in boards and read after adjustment with variables gender, age group and schooling

In Norrland, forests make up the biggest area of land, where different activities and actors exist in the same locations. Conflicts arise when different actors and agendas clash, making it hard to have a sustainable co-existence in the forest. Through forest research and other initiatives, new methods and strategies are being explored to make co-existence possible. Currently there is a gap between the research and its end user, as well as a dislocation of research facilities where most are located along the coast instead of the inland and the forest. Can architecture be a tool to raise awareness about nature and forests, making it a common concern? The proposal is to create a forest research center in the forest in the inland, where actors work and activities take place. The building combines the different users, creating a space where researchers and forest owners can share knowledge and experiences, and work towards a sustainable management without conflicts. Through the program of the building, the public get access to knowledge and become involved in the politics and management of the forest. The design explores and exposes the possibilities of wood, where incremental design showcases the impact of nature. / I Norrland utgörs den största andelen land av skog, där olika aktiviteter och aktörer verkar i samma områden. När aktörer med olika agendor ska samsas på samma plats uppstår ofta konflikter som leder till en ohållbar miljö. Genom att ha en överblick över alla aktiviteter utforskar svensk skogsforskning och andra initiativ nya metoder och strategier som kan möjliggöra en hållbar samexistens i skogen. Än finns dock ett glapp mellan forskare, skogsägare och andra aktörer, som inte förbättras av att forskningsanläggningarna är belägna längs kusten istället för inlandet och skogen. Kan arkitektur vara ett verktyg för att öka allmänhetens medvetenheten och intresse för naturen och skogen? Mitt förslag är ett center för skogsforskning i Västerbottens inland, där aktörerna arbetar och bedriver sina verksamheter. Byggnaden kombinerar de olika användarna och skapar en plats där forskare och skogsägare kan utbyta kunskap och erfarenheter, och samarbeta för en hållbar skogshållning som minimerar konflikter. Genom byggnadens program får allmänheten tillgång till kunskap om skogspolitik och skötsel, vilket kan leda till starkare engagemang och medvetenhet. Designen utforskar och visar trä som byggnadsmaterial, där uppbyggnaden över tid förstärker naturens påverkan.

Introdução: A avaliação da reserva ovariana em reprodução assistida (RA) busca identificar mulheres em que a exaustão folicular determine as dificuldades reprodutivas. Além da idade, a presença de causas outras de subfertilidade, como a endometriose (EDT), implica interferências negativas potenciais sobre a resposta ovariana. Objetivo: Avaliar a reserva folicular ovariana de mulheres subférteis portadoras de endometriose e determinar o melhor preditor de má resposta em RA. Métodos: Foram analisados 87 ciclos de RA em mulheres com idade inferior a 40 anos, ciclos menstruais regulares, sem patologias endócrinas e com ambos os ovários, sendo 30 ciclos em portadoras de EDT (casos) e 57 ciclos em mulheres subférteis por fator masculino exclusivo (controles). A reserva ovariana foi inferida pelas dosagens basais dos hormônios anti-mülleriano (AMH) e folículo estimulante (FSH), a contagem de folículos antrais pequenos (CFA) e a medida do volume ovariano médio (VOM). Curvas Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC AUC) foram traçadas para avaliação da capacidade discriminatória de cada teste em identificar má resposta. Resultados: Pacientes com EDT apresentaram FSH basal significativamente maior em relação aos controles (9,13 ± 5,09 mUI/mL vs. 6,28 ± 2,45 mUI/mL; p < 0,05), sem diferenças para AMH, CFA e VOM. O número total de oócitos aspirados foi menor na EDT em relação aos controles (5,33 ± 3,43 vs. 8,28 ± 5,8; p < 0,05) e correlacionou-se significativamente com o AMH em ambos os grupos (EDT: r = 0,61; Controles: r = 0,58; p<0,0001). O FSH basal apresentou correlação significativa com o total de oócitos aspirados apenas na EDT (r = -0,48; p<0,01); também na EDT, o AMH basal foi o marcador individual com melhor potencial discriminatório para má resposta (AUC = 0,875), seguido de FSH basal (AUC = 0,682) e VOM (AUC = 0,665), enquanto no grupo controle, o AMH foi o melhor marcador (AUC = 0,8372), seguido do VOM (AUC = 0,709) e da CFA (AUC = 0,686). Conclusões: O FSH basal está significativamente maior nas pacientes subférteis com EDT e correlaciona-se com a resposta em RA apenas nas portadoras da doença. Já o AMH basal, é o marcador com o melhor potencial discriminatório de má resposta, independentemente da presença da endometriose. CFA e VOM não se apresentaram como bons preditores de má resposta. Sendo assim, a associação entre endometriose e subfertilidade deve estar vinculada a alterações do crescimento/desenvolvimento do folículo ovariano e não a prejuízos sobre a reserva folicular gonadal propriamente dita. / Introduction: Ovarian reserve evaluation in assisted reproduction (AR) aims to identify women in whom follicular exhaustion determines reproductive difficulties. More than age, the presence of other subfertility factors, such as endometriosis (EDT), implies potential negative interference on ovarian response. Objective: To evaluate follicular ovarian reserve in subfertile patients with endometriosis and determine the best predictor of poor response in AR. Methods: We evaluated 87 AR cycles of women presenting with less than 40 years of age, regular menses, no endocrine diseases and with both ovaries, divided in 30 EDT cycles (cases) and 57 cycles in women with subfertility associated to male factor (controls). Ovarian reserve was determined based on basal levels of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH), small antral follicle count (AFC) and medium ovarian volume (MOV). Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC AUC) were obtained for evaluation of discriminatory capacity of each test in identifying poor response. Results: EDT patients presented significantly higher basal FSH levels when compared to controls (9,13 ± 5,09 mUI/mL vs. 6,28 ± 2,45 mUI/mL; p < 0,05) and there were no differences in AMH, AFC and MOV between groups. The total number of oocytes retrieved was lower in endometriosis when compared to controls (5,33 ± 3,43 vs. 8,28 ± 5,8; p < 0,05) and significantly correlated with AMH in both groups (EDT: r = 0,61; Control: r = 0,58; p<0,0001). Basal FSH presented significant correlation with the number of oocytes retrieved only among EDT patients (r = - 0,48; p<0,01); in EDT patients, either, basal AMH was the individual marker with the best discriminatory potential for poor responders identification (AUC = 0,875), followed by basal FSH (AUC = 0,682) and MOV (AUC = 0,665), whereas among controls, AMH was the best marker (AUC = 0,8372), followed by MOV (AUC = 0,709) and AFC (AUC = 0,686). Conclusions: Basal FSH is significantly higher in subfertile patients with endometriosis and correlates with ovarian response in AR among these patients. Basal AMH, by the way, is the individual marker with the best discriminatory potential in determining poor response, which is not dependent on endometriosis presence. AFC and MOV did not presented as good predictors of poor response. The association between endometriosis and subfertility, therefore, may be linked to prejudice to growth/development of the ovarian follicle, but not to damage to the real ovarian follicular reserve.

No description available.