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Semi-aquatic predators such as mink are exposed to anthropogenic contaminants directly through the water and through bioaccumulation in the food chain. The biological impact of dietary bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKME) on mink (Mustela vison) was investigated. In a pilot study and two subchronic studies of 8 and 7 month duration, mink were fed diets containing 75% (year 1) and 45% (year 2) fish caught downstream of a BKME discharge point, and drinking water contained 25% BKME. In year two, the 45% fish diet had 15% soft-wood run BKME incorporated into the feed. The investigation was tiered. In the pilot study, behavioural, clinical, biochemical, hematological, and pathological effects were investigated. Repeating these variables, reproductive factors were added in Year one, while in Year two, hepatic enzyme (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD)) induction, cell mediated and humoral immune function, and hepatic vitamin A levels were evaluated. In vivo and in vitro immunotoxicity assays were developed for mink. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation was measured in response to mitogens in vitro. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody detection was developed for mink. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) tests and antibody production responses were used to measure cell-mediated and humoral immunity in vivo in the experimental mink. No adverse effects were found on behavioural, gross pathological, histopathological, hematological or biochemical variables, on gestation, kit birth weight, kit survival, libido, estrus, sperm quality or hormone levels. In the Year two subchronic study, the relative liver size was increased in BKME-exposed males. Hepatic EROD activity was 1.8 times greater in exposed females (p = 0.0001) and 2.0 times greater in exposed males (p = 0.0004) relative to control mink. No difference in PBMC proliferation was seen between the control and exposed mink with any of the mitogens used. The DTH response was impaired (p = 0.014), while the antibody response was enhanced (p = 0.029) in the BKME-exposed mink. Hepatic vitamin A levels were not different in the females (mid-lactation), but were significantly decreased in the BKME-exposed males (post-breeding) (p = 0.0002). These changes represent a primary effect of bleached pulp mill effluent on the immune system, hepatic vitamin A stores, and hepatic detoxification enzyme system in exposed mink. Hepatic EROD activity provides a useful indicator for evidence of exposure to environmental toxicants in mink. The change in the immune response is occurring at the level of T lymphocyte differentiation, and therefore, affects the relative proportions of T lymphocyte subpopulations which are dedicated to cell mediated, or, T lymphocyte dependent, antibody mediated immunity. Immune deviation seen in the female mink is not associated with changes in hepatic vitamin A stores, while the decreased vitamin A in the males has an unknown effect on their immune response. The biological impact of bleached kraft pulp mill effluent does not cause dramatic or subclinical signs of toxicity in exposed mink. However, the interference with hepatic vitamin A storage, and changes to the immune response, present concerns regarding long term effects on health, reproduction and longevity in exposed mink.

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American and Canadian Indian policy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries generally focused on "civilizing" Indian peoples. In other words, the government wanted a more sedentary, less dispersed Indian population who would likewise require less land for traditional hunting and gathering activities and might be more easily assimilated when time and circumstance required. Such policy, however, was best suited to agricultural regions. In forested regions or other areas which were not suitable for commercial cultivation, conflict arose as Aboriginal groups tried to maintain their traditional practices while other interest groups sought to access the same resources. Increasing use of these non-agricultural areas by sport hunters, commercial fishing industries, logging enterprises, tourists, and in some cases prospectors and land speculators, grew in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These interests not only competed for the same resources from which the Indian population secured its subsistence, but they also influenced the governments of the United States, Canada, Wisconsin, and Saskatchewan to regulate traditional Indian hunting and gathering activity. Conservation commissions in both the United States and Canada went about the business of re-shaping the public perception of the acceptable use of fish and game. Traditional subsistence activity had little, if any place in these new fish and game management strategies. This was the case even though Indians in both northern Saskatchewan and Wisconsin negotiated treaties which they believed upheld their access to vital resources. The conflict over resources became acute in the early twentieth century when governments in both places actively interfered with traditional activities. Such interference had the most dire consequences for the Indian people in both areas. The case studies presented here illustrate the historical antecedents of conflicts which still exist today. The Indian concern for continued access to natural resources has rarely been heard in its historical context. This study places the historic confrontation between Indian subsistence resource users and government resource-managing agencies in the context of the early twentieth century conservation movement. The two areas studied here have striking similarities. The governments refused to uphold treaty promises and rarely listened to the Indians' demands for continued access to natural resources. This study explains how governments managed resources in their own interest and relates not only the struggle for access to resources, but also how Indians responded to government interference in their way of life. It is important to move beyond a comparative analysis of two similar tribal populations in a cross-border analysis. By examining two disparate tribal groups who negotiated similar treaties in two different eras but in distant geographic locations, a better understanding of governmental conservation motives and actions, as well as the impact of such governmental activity on Indian people, may be achieved. This study is a unique look at the impact of the early conservation movement on the subsistence needs of Indian peoples in North American non-agricultural regions.

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This thesis sought to advance understanding of the politics of workplace reform, explaining the respective roles of management and employees and how they relate. The literature on workplace reform usually argues that reform is predicated on greater workforce participation in managerial decisions. More specifically, different approaches to workplace reform can be aligned to different forms of participation. Thus quality management can be associated with direct forms of participation, institutional workplace reform may depend on representative forms, and best practice may require a combination of both. This thesis uses empirical evidence to explore this alignment between the different approaches to workplace reform and forms of participation. The period chosen for empirical study is approximately 1985-1992 - an era of rapid innovation in workplace reform for Australian manufacturing. Three workplaces were chosen for intensive study from automotive component manufacturers because that industry was itself a laboratory for workplace reform and also because these firms exemplified different approaches to competitiveness and reform. Three approaches to workplace reform - quality management, institutional workplace reform, and best practice - were distinguished to capture the range of Australian practice at that time. Similarly two approaches to workplace participation were distinguished - direct and representative - to reflect the range of observable practices at that time and to represent competing philosophies. Direct participation illustrated an approach founded in managerial context of the political status quo, whilst representative forms were considered to permit a pluralist shift of power to enable employees to manage in place of management. The three case studies depict companies sharing the competitive crisis of their industry. From this stems the impetus for workplace reform. At this point the firms diverged in their choice of competitive strategies for workplace reform. The case studies reveal, at the superficial level, a match between the chosen approaches to workplace reform and forms of participation. Basically, quality management is associated with direct employee participation, institutional workplace reform with collective bargaining and representative consultative committees, and best practice with both. However when the implementation of reform and participation are examined this match becomes less significant. One firm, Auto Air, achieved highly effective outcomes in both reform and participation. Another firm, Auto Electrical, failed in both. The thesis concluded that the relationship between forms of participation and reform is less significant than the effective implementation of policy. Unitarist or pluralist approaches to power distribution count less than managerial capacity to integrate successive reform initiatives and their commitment to workforce participation hi change.

The boom of the internet economy and the smartphone explosion currently experienced in South Africa is making it increasingly more convenient for South African residents to purchase electronically supplied goods and services from suppliers located all across the globe with the mere click of a button. The increasing number of purchases online is making it almost impossible for the South African Revenue Service to collect the Value-Added Tax on specifically electronically supplied services purchased from foreign suppliers. It is further placing South African suppliers of similar goods and services in a disadvantaged position in respect of pricing when compared to foreign suppliers. In the 2013 budget speech, the Minister of Finance indicated that the Value-Added Tax implications of the supply of digitised products by foreign suppliers are an area of concern. By July 2013 proposals were contained in the Draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill to address this very problem. The aim of this study is to critically evaluate the proposed methods to collect Value-Added Tax on electronically supplied services, as contained in the Draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill through a detailed literature review and critical evaluation. The literature review focuses on sections 7(1)(c) and 14 of the Value-Added Tax Act, the sections of the Value-Added Tax Act which currently regulates the collection of Value-Added Tax on electronically supplied services, as well as the methods used in the European Union and New Zealand to collect Value-Added Tax and Goods and Services Tax on electronically supplied services. The critical evaluation of the proposals identifies shortcomings and provides recommendations to overcome the shortcomings to ensure that the proposed changes will address the concerns and align South African legislation with global practices. The study concludes that, although the proposed changes to the method to collect Value-Added Tax on electronically supplied services are a step in the right direction, there is still work to be done by legislators on the details of the proposals to ensure successful implementation in a South African environment. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / am2014 / Taxation / unrestricted

A recuperação de dados armazenados em Bancos de Dado em geral é feita utilizando estruturas de indexação, que permitem fazer a recuperação dos dados muito mais rapidamente do que se a busca fosse feita sequencialmente. No entanto, as estruturas de indexação que podem ser utilizadas dependem das propriedades dos domínios de dados indexados e do tipo de consultas que devem ser respondidas. Tradicionalmente, os gerenciadores de bancos de dados suportam bem dados de domínios que possuem a propriedade de relação de ordem total, tais como números e textos com a relação de ordem lexicográfica permitindo consultas por igualdade e consultas envolvendo relações de ordem tais como >, < ou =, >, < ou = etc. Além disso, as estruturas de indexação comumente utilizadas em sistemas gerenciadores de bases de dados são construídas para serem armazenadas em disco, particionando o conjunto de dados em registros de tamanho fixo. O exemplo mais comum desse arranjo é o das árvores de indexação, quando os registros são então chamados \"nós\". Aplicações mais sofisticadas frequentemente apresentam dados em outros domínios, com outros tipos de consulta. Quando as aplicações lidam com dados em domínio métrico, além dos próprios elementos de dados, é definida uma função de similaridade (ou de distância) entre pares de elementos, e essa função é a única maneira de comparação entre dois elementos de dados do conjunto. Existem diversas estruturas de indexação criadas para dados em domínios métricos . Entretanto essas estruturas ou são estáticas (impedindo que novos elementos sejam acrescentados depois que a estrutura foi criada), ou são para armazenamento em disco. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma nova estrutura métrica dinâmica para dados métricos totalmente armazenada em memória principal. Uma outra propriedade interessante dessa estrutura é que a execução de uma consulta por existência (point query) percorre um único caminho de busca. Essa característica é muito interessante, pois todas as outras árvores dinâmicas existentes requerem que a navegação seja feita não apenas em profundidade, mas também em largura. A estrutura proposta permite a navegação apenas em profundidade para a consulta por existência. / The stored data recovery in Data bases, in general is made using indexation structures, that allow to much more quickly make the data recovery of that if the search was made sequentially. However, the indexation structures that can be used depend on the domains properties of the of indexing data and the type of queries that must be answered. Traditionally, the data bases management systems support well domains dataset that possess the property of relation of total order, such as numbers and texts with the lexicographical relation order allowing to queries for equality and queries involving order relations such as >, < or =, > and < or =. Moreover, the commonly indexing structures used in data bases management systems are constructed to be stored in record, partitioning the data set in registers of so great fixture. The example most common of this arrangement is of the indexing trees, when the registers then are called \"nodes\". Sophisticated applications more frequently present datasets in other domains, with other types of quey. When the applications deal with data in metric domain, beyond the proper data elements, a similarity function (or distance) between pairs of elements is defined, and this function is the only way of comparison enters two elements of data of the set. There are diverse metric domain data indexing structures created. However these structures are static (hindering that new elements are added later that the structure was created), or are for record storage. In this work a new dynamic metric structure for metric data total stored in principal memory e was developed. One another interesting property of this structure is that the execution of a quey for existence (point query) covers an only way of search. This characteristic is very interesting, therefore ali the other existing dynamic trees require that the navigation is made not only in depth, but also in width. The structure proposal allows the navigation only in depth for the quey for existence.

A recuperação de dados armazenados em Bancos de Dado em geral é feita utilizando estruturas de indexação, que permitem fazer a recuperação dos dados muito mais rapidamente do que se a busca fosse feita sequencialmente. No entanto, as estruturas de indexação que podem ser utilizadas dependem das propriedades dos domínios de dados indexados e do tipo de consultas que devem ser respondidas. Tradicionalmente, os gerenciadores de bancos de dados suportam bem dados de domínios que possuem a propriedade de relação de ordem total, tais como números e textos com a relação de ordem lexicográfica permitindo consultas por igualdade e consultas envolvendo relações de ordem tais como >, < ou =, >, < ou = etc. Além disso, as estruturas de indexação comumente utilizadas em sistemas gerenciadores de bases de dados são construídas para serem armazenadas em disco, particionando o conjunto de dados em registros de tamanho fixo. O exemplo mais comum desse arranjo é o das árvores de indexação, quando os registros são então chamados \"nós\". Aplicações mais sofisticadas frequentemente apresentam dados em outros domínios, com outros tipos de consulta. Quando as aplicações lidam com dados em domínio métrico, além dos próprios elementos de dados, é definida uma função de similaridade (ou de distância) entre pares de elementos, e essa função é a única maneira de comparação entre dois elementos de dados do conjunto. Existem diversas estruturas de indexação criadas para dados em domínios métricos . Entretanto essas estruturas ou são estáticas (impedindo que novos elementos sejam acrescentados depois que a estrutura foi criada), ou são para armazenamento em disco. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma nova estrutura métrica dinâmica para dados métricos totalmente armazenada em memória principal. Uma outra propriedade interessante dessa estrutura é que a execução de uma consulta por existência (point query) percorre um único caminho de busca. Essa característica é muito interessante, pois todas as outras árvores dinâmicas existentes requerem que a navegação seja feita não apenas em profundidade, mas também em largura. A estrutura proposta permite a navegação apenas em profundidade para a consulta por existência. / The stored data recovery in Data bases, in general is made using indexation structures, that allow to much more quickly make the data recovery of that if the search was made sequentially. However, the indexation structures that can be used depend on the domains properties of the of indexing data and the type of queries that must be answered. Traditionally, the data bases management systems support well domains dataset that possess the property of relation of total order, such as numbers and texts with the lexicographical relation order allowing to queries for equality and queries involving order relations such as >, < or =, > and < or =. Moreover, the commonly indexing structures used in data bases management systems are constructed to be stored in record, partitioning the data set in registers of so great fixture. The example most common of this arrangement is of the indexing trees, when the registers then are called \"nodes\". Sophisticated applications more frequently present datasets in other domains, with other types of quey. When the applications deal with data in metric domain, beyond the proper data elements, a similarity function (or distance) between pairs of elements is defined, and this function is the only way of comparison enters two elements of data of the set. There are diverse metric domain data indexing structures created. However these structures are static (hindering that new elements are added later that the structure was created), or are for record storage. In this work a new dynamic metric structure for metric data total stored in principal memory e was developed. One another interesting property of this structure is that the execution of a quey for existence (point query) covers an only way of search. This characteristic is very interesting, therefore ali the other existing dynamic trees require that the navigation is made not only in depth, but also in width. The structure proposal allows the navigation only in depth for the quey for existence.

No / An isolated micro-grid network with limited generating capacity would most likely, end up having operational challenge either due to increasing number of customers, or introduction of new loads onto the network. This is in view of an observed scenario especially in developing countries whereby as load demand increases, installed PV capacity often do not receive commensurate expansion. So, in order to prevent network failure, each user can be allocated certain amount of limited power supply which should not be exceeded. These allotments are dynamic, and they vary at regular time intervals every day depending on their historic load profile data. This work is therefore based on managing power supply from a PV-source operating as an isolated micro-grid with storage capabilities. A power supply scheduling mechanism is introduced which allocates maximum power capacity for every user. Hence communities detached from the grid can enjoy electricity despite shortfalls in power supply capacity. The obtained results evaluated under three scenarios show that allocating energy limits to each user depends on the current capacity of the battery as well as the forecast load demand. This allotment is enforced using variable circuit breakers whose cut-off point is varied based on the prevailing energy demand and supply requirements.