Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Voluntad de potencia'

Este trabalho analisa a produção de Álvaro de Campos – heterônimo de Fernando Pessoa – em relação a duas linhas de força: a poesia de Walt Whitman e a filosofia de Friedrich Nietzsche. Busca comprovar que os poemas da segunda fase, a eufórica, em virtude do prolífico diálogo com o bardo norte-americano e o filósofo, estão investidos de uma vontade de potência, a qual se manifesta, especialmente, no ímpeto sensacionista de experimentar tudo e na analogia entre o poeta e Deus. Herdeiro do Decadentismo, Campos não consegue manter o discurso vitalista e dinamista e, frequentemente, um tom depressivo invade os textos. Nessas ocasiões, o eu lírico, em vez de estar marcado pela vontade de potência, assume uma feição decadente, que predominará na fase posterior. Pretendemos demonstrar que, apesar do cansaço, do tédio, da letargia e da lucidez, há, no Campos disfórico, uma vontade de potência. A fim de examinarmos os poemas do poeta eufórico, nos apoiaremos no conceito de intertextualidade, recorrendo aos estudos de Kristeva, Bakhtin, Laurent Jenny, Gerárd Genette, Leyla Perrone-Moisés e Tiphaine Samoyault. Com vistas à percepção do modo como o heterônimo ressignifica o legado de Whitman e Nietzsche, seguiremos, na análise, a metodologia comparatista de busca das analogias e das diferenças. Serão de grande valia as formulações de George Steiner, Eduardo Lourenço e Octavio Paz, entre outros. Na mesma proporção, serão importantes, para a compreensão do Campos disfórico, as colocações de Nietzsche acerca do niilismo e os argumentos de Steiner a respeito da tristeza inerente ao pensamento. Urdida com os influxos de Nietzsche e Whitman, a vontade de potência leva Campos, tal como os antecessores, a considerar-se divino. Entretanto, por ser demasiado consciente, Campos não pode persistir na embriaguez do Sensacionismo. Resta-lhe, então, manifestar a vontade de potência através da ideia de permanência da obra.
This paper analyzes the production of Álvaro de Campos - heteronym of Fernando Pessoa - in relation to two strong lines: the poetry of Walt Whitman and the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. It seeks to prove that the poems of the second phase, the euphoric, are invested with a power to will which is manifested especially in the sensationist impetus to try everything and in the analogy between the American bard and the philosopher. Heir to the Decadentism, Campos cannot keep the vitalist and dynamistic discourse and often a depressing tone pervades his texts. On these occasions, the lyrical, rather than being marked by the will to power, assumes a decadent feature, which will predominate in the later stage. We intend to show that, despite the fatigue, boredom, lethargy and lucidity, there is in the dysphoric Campos a power to will. In order to examine the poems of the euphoric poet we will seek support in the concept of intertextuality, using the studies of Kristeva, Bakhtin, Laurent Jenny, Gérard Genette, Leyla Perrone-Moisés and Tiphaine Samoyault. With the objective of perceiving how the heteronym gives new meaning to legacy of Whitman and Nietzsche, we will follow in the analysis, the comparative methodology of search of analogies and differences. Of great value will be the approaches of George Steiner, Eduardo Lourenço and Octavio Paz, among others. In the same proportion, will be important for the understanding of the dysphoric Campos, the collocations of Nietzsche on nihilism and Steiner's arguments about the inherent sadness in thought. Warped with inflows of Nietzsche and Whitman, the will to power leads Campos, like his predecessors, to consider himself divine. However, because he is too conscious Campos cannot persist in the intoxication of Sensationism. Then, he left with expressing the will to power through the idea of the permanence of the work.
Este trabajo analiza la producción de Álvaro de Campos – heterónimo de Fernando Pessoa – en relación a dos líneas de fuerza: la poesía de Walt Whitman y la filosofía de Friedrich Nietzsche. Busca comprobar que los poemas de la segunda fase, la eufórica, a causa del prolífico diálogo con el bardo norte-americano y el filósofo, están investidos de una voluntad de potencia, la cual se manifiesta, especialmente, en el ímpetu sensacionista de probarlo todo y en la analogía entre el poeta y Dios. Heredero del Decadentismo, Campos no consigue mantener el discurso vitalista y dinamista y, frecuentemente, un tono depresivo invade los textos. En esas ocasiones, el yo lírico, en lugar de presentar voluntad de potencia, manifiesta rasgos decadentes, que dominarán en la fase siguiente. Pretendemos mostrar que, no obstante el cansancio, el hastío, el abatimiento y la lucidez, hay, en el Campos depresivo, una voluntad de potencia. A fin de examinar los poemas del poeta eufórico, nos basaremos en el concepto de intertextualidad, recurriendo a los estudios de Kristeva, Bakhtin, Laurent Jenny, Gerárd Genette, Leyla Perrone-Moisés y Tiphaine Samoyault. Con el objetivo de percibir el modo como el poeta resignifica la herencia de Whitman y Nietzsche, adoptaremos, en el análisis, la metodología comparatista de la búsqueda de las analogías y de las diferencias. Serán muy valiosos los aportes de George Steiner, Eduardo Lourenço y Octavio Paz, entre otros. Del mismo modo, serán importantes, en el abordaje del Campos depresivo, las aserciones de Nietzsche con respecto al nihilismo y los argumentos de Steiner en relación a la tristeza inherente al pensamiento. Entretejida con los influjos de Whitman y Nietzsche, la voluntad de potencia conduce Campos, a ejemplo de los antecesores, a considerarse divino. Sin embargo, demasiado consciente, Campos no puede seguir en la ebriedad del Sensacionismo. Quédale, pues, manifestar la voluntad de potencia a través de la idea de permanencia de la obra.

«Allanar la voluntad. Delimitación de la intimidación como medio coactivo en los delitos sexuales» es una investigación tendiente a precisar un concepto al que frecuentemente recurren los legisladores penales para describir conductas coactivas. Si bien la investigación se desarrolla en torno al concepto de intimidación en los delitos sexuales una de las conclusiones del trabajo es que las propuestas que en él se formulan permiten una interpretación transversal a todos los tipos donde se recurre a dicho medio coactivo. La propuesta desarrollada en este trabajo consiste en recurrir a institutos de la parte general y más precisamente de la teoría de la imputación jurídico penal como herramientas de interpretación de la intimidación en la parte especial. En definitiva, se propone usufructuar el profundo desarrollo dogmático de la teoría del delito -autoría mediata, imputación objetiva y situaciones de necesidad- para determinar un elemento del tipo objetivo de varios delitos de la parte especial.
«To overcome will. Definition of intimidation as a means of coercion on sexual offenses» is the result of a research aimed to specify the concept of intimidation, which is frequently used by legislators on criminal law to describe coercive conducts. Although the research is developed in relation to the concept of intimidation on sexual offenses, one of the reached conclusions is that the drawn proposals regarding those offenses are, at the same time, applicable to all criminal offenses that resort to that element as a means of coercion. The developed proposal consists of resorting to the general principles of criminal law doctrine, more precisely to the theory of criminal imputation, as resources for the interpretation of intimidation as a common element of the different criminal offenses that include such means of causation. In one word, the main proposal of this research is to use the profound dogmatic development of the theory of crime -the indirect or mediate perpetrator doctrine, the objective imputation or causation doctrine and the doctrines of necessity- to specify the concept of intimidation as a means of causation included in the statutory text of different criminal offenses.

Le présent travail de thèse se place à l’intérieur du débat historiographique concernant le manuscrit VII C 52 de la Bibliothèque Nationale de Naples: il s’agit d’un codex unique et autographe, du maître Augustin Jacques de Viterbe, qui garde une oeuvre connue sous le titre de Abbreviatio in I Sententiarum Aegidii Romani. La recherche, qui a été conduite directement sur le manuscrit, a permis d’identifier l’oeuvre du manuscrit napolitain avec les brouillons dont Jacques s’est servi pour tenir son cours de Lectura super primum Sententiarum, à Paris (1287-1288). Un tel résultat (chapitre 1), conjontement avec la transcription (appendix) et l’analyse doctrinale des distinctions 35-48 sur les attributs divins de science, puissance et volonté divines (chapitres 2-4), éclaire aussi la formation et la première activité didactique de Jacques, que la première phase d’organisation du studium des Augustins à Paris, avant qu’ils eussent un studium generale autonome dans la ville. Les nombreuses citations de textes de Thomas d’Aquin et l’évidente préference pour ses doctrines confirment la valeur accordée par la ‘jeune’ schola eremitana à l’autorité de Thomas, surtout grâce à la mediation de Gilles, premier maître et docteur officiel de l’Ordre; au même temps, cela oriente à placer la formation du Viterbien à l’intérieur du studium dominicain ou, au moins, d’un milieu proche de celui-là, plutôt que chez Henri de Gand. Enfin, la manière dont les materiaux thomasiens sont ultilisés dans la Lectura révèle une attention toute particulière à l’arrière-plan néoplatonisant et dionysien de la pensée de Thomas: c’est pour ça que le successif retournement doctrinal de Jacques vers des positions plus strictement ‘augustiniennes’ ne se présente pas comme une rupture avec les positions de la jeunesse, desquelles au contraire il représente le développement naturel
The present dissertation is placed within the historical debate on the manuscript VII C 52 of the National Library of Naples: it is an autograph and only extant codex of the Augustinian master James of Viterbo and it preserves a work known as Abbreviatio in I Sententiarum Aegidii Romani. The research, carried out directly on the manuscript, has allowed to identify the work contained in the Neapolitan manuscript with the notes of which James availed himself to ‘read’ the Sentences in Paris, during the academic year 1287-1288. Such a result (chapter 1), together with the transcription (appendix) and the doctrinal examination of the distinctions 35-48 on the divine attributes of science, power and will (chapters 2-4), sheds light both on the formation and the first teaching of James and on the first organizing stage of the studium of the Augustinians in Paris, at a time when the Order did not have an independent studium generale in the city. The quotations from Thomas Aquinas (the main source of the Lecture) and the clear preference for his doctrines confirm the value granted by the ‘young’ Hermits school the authority of Aquinas, thanks to the mediation of Giles of Rome, the Augustinians’ first regent master in theology in Paris and the official doctor of the Augustinian order; at the same time, it suggests that James has studied at the Dominican studium or at least at a studium very close to the Dominican milieu, rather than under Henry of Ghent. Finally, the way James uses Thomas’ texts within the Lectura reveals a particular attention to the neoplatonic and dionysian background of Aquinas’ reflection: consequently, later doctrinal slippage of James to more properly ‘augustinian’ positions cannot be interpreted in term of rupture with early positions: rather, it represents their natural development

Die vorliegende Arbeit beruht auf der Beobachtung, dass in der Geflüchtetenarbeit (GA) vor allem Frauen aktiv sind und stellt die Frage, welche Rolle Geschlecht in der GA spielt und wie die weiblichen Ehrenamtlichen ihre Arbeit mit den Geflüchteten erfahren. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Wahrnehmung von Unterschiedlichkeit und Gemeinsamkeit. Ein dritter Schwerpunkt liegt auf den Strategien, die weibliche Ehrenamtliche einsetzen, um Differenz in der Arbeit mit Geflüchteten zu überwinden. Das erste Paper analysiert zwei quantitative Studien mit deutschen Ehrenamtlichen in der Geflüchtetenhilfe. Es zeigt, dass GA als eine Form von „Care Work“ verstanden werden kann, die von Care-Ethik beeinflusst ist. An zweiter Stelle ergab die Analyse, dass vor allem weibliche Freiwillige ihr Engagement auch als gesellschaftspolitischen Einsatz gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit und Rassismus sahen. Somit argumentiert das Paper, dass GA entgegen traditionellen Annahmen in der Forschungsliteratur eine Form von politischer Partizipation von Frauen darstellt. Das zweite Paper konzentriert sich auf die direkte Beziehung mit Geflüchteten und basiert auf 22 qualitativen Interviews mit weiblichen Ehrenamtlichen. Sozialpsychologischen Annahmen folgend, dass eine gemeinsame Identität zur Verringerung von Vorurteilen beiträgt, zeigt es auf, wie die Studienteilnehmerinnen Verbundenheit mit Geflüchteten herstellten. Demgegenüber betonen poststrukturalistische, postkoloniale und feministische Theorieansätze die Bedeutung von Differenz, die Konstruktionen von Gemeinsamkeit immer wieder durchschneidet. Schließlich führt das dritte Paper den politischen Care-Ansatz und die Herausforderung durch Differenz zusammen und legt dar, wie weibliche Ehrenamtliche in der GA Differenz mithilfe care-ethischer Grundsätze zu Integration aushandeln. Das Paper bezieht sich auf Care-Ethik, die auf Beziehungen und Verantwortung als zentralen ethischen Maximen beruht und entwickelt die Idee einer ‚caring integration‘.
In German refugee support work (RSW), women comprise the majority of the volunteers. Therefore, this PhD project focuses on the experiences, motivations and attitudes of female volunteers in RSW from three angles. Apart from investigating the role of gender in RSW, it studies constructions of sameness and difference and how the female volunteers resolve the latter in their daily work. The first paper analyses two quantitative studies on German volunteers in RSW. It first establishes that RSW can be conceptualised as a form of care work influenced by care ethics, which potentially forms one motive for women to be drawn to volunteering. Secondly, female volunteers also interpret their voluntary care work politically and employ it as a tool to speak out against racism and right-wing mobilisation. The paper thus demonstrates that contrary to traditional assumptions in the literature, RSW constitutes a form of political participation for women and argues that care and politics are not mutually exclusive. The second paper takes a closer look at the actual experience of female volunteers in RSW based on 22 qualitative interviews. Following social-psychological ideas of a common identity facilitating prejudice reduction, the paper first illustrates how the volunteers form bonds with refugees. However, in a second step it employs poststructural, feminist and postcolonial theory to demonstrate how difference continually intersects and disrupts these constructions of sameness. Finally, the third paper argues that female volunteers in RSW negotiate difference by following a care-ethical approach to integration. Based on the feminist ethics of care which centres on relationships and responsibility, the paper develops the theme of a ‘caring integration’. In addition, it investigates to what extent this notion can be found in the actual practice of female volunteers in refugee support work relying both on the quantitative and qualitative data.

Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are proposed as a reliable test to supplement the current vestibular test battery by providing diagnostic information about saccular and/or inferior vestibular nerve function. VEMPs are short-latency electromyograms (EMGs) evoked by high-level acoustic stimuli and recorded from surface electrodes over the tonically contracted sternocleidomastoid muscle. VEMP amplitude is influenced by the EMG level, which must be controlled. This study examined the ability of subjects to achieve the EMG target levels over a range of target levels typically used during VEMP recordings. In addition, the influence of target EMG level on the latency and amplitude of the click- and tone-evoked VEMP was examined. The VEMP amplitude increased as a function of EMG target level, and the latency remained constant. EMG target levels ranging from 30 microV to 50 microV are suggested for clinical application of the VEMP.

A execução de movimentos voluntários é precedida por processos preparatórios que manifestam-se eletrofisiologicamente como um potencial elétrico lento denominado Bereitschaftspotential. As investigações sobre o significado fisiológico desses potenciais mostram-se muitas vezes inconclusivas devido à dificuldade de isolamento dos fatores ambientais e endógenos que os influenciam. Dentre essas variáveis, a expressão consciente do ato motor tem sido negligenciada por grande parte dos pesquisadores. O presente trabalho consiste em uma série de estudos eletrofisiológicos que visam demonstrar a influência do controle consciente sobre os processos preparatórios motores. Parte-se do desenvolvimento de protocolos comportamentais que modulam o envolvimento consciente sobre processos motores. Desse modo, verificamos que grande parte do Bereitschaftspotential comumente observado durante a geração de movimentos espontâneos estão associados com a escolha deliberada de agir. Em seguida, são investigadas como a variável em questão pode afetar os processos relacionados com a livre escolha de movimentos. Nossos resultados indicam que processos relacionados ao controle consciente afetam nitidamente a expressão de livre escolha sobre os potenciais preparatórios motores. Por fim, nós demonstramos como a influência do controle consciente nos processos motores pode estar afetada em pacientes com transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo
The execution of voluntary movements is preceded by preparatory processes that electrophysiologically are manifested as a slow electric potential called Bereitschaftspotential. Investigations on the physiological significance of these potentials are often inconclusive due to the difficulty of isolating the environmental or endogenous factors that influence them. Among these factors, the conscious expression of the motor act has been neglected by most researchers. The present work consists of a series of electrophysiological studies aimed at demonstrating the influence of conscious control on preparatory motor processes. Firstly, behavioral protocols that modulate the conscious involvement in motor control are proposed. Using these methods, we found that great part of the Bereitschaftspotential commonly observed during the generation of spontaneous movements is associated with the deliberate choice to act. Next, we investigated how this factor variable affects the processes related to the free mode of movement selection. Our results indicate that processes related to conscious control clearly affect the manifestations of free choice in preparatory motor potentials. Finally, we here demonstrated how the influence of conscious control on the motor processes can be affected in the obsessive-compulsive disorder

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle wasting disease affecting 1 in every 3500 boys. The disease is characterized by the absence of the dystrophin protein from the sarcolemma of muscle cells. Muscle cells lacking dystrophin go through cycles of degeneration and regeneration and are considered susceptible to contraction-induced injury 144. Eventually, the satellite cell proliferative capacity is exhausted and the muscle fibers are replaced by connective and adipose tissue that yields a progressive loss of force generating capability. DMD patients typically die by their early 20's, primarily due to respiratory or cardiac failure. The precise role of dystrophin is not presently known. However, its absence suggests that it may play a role in both cellular calcium regulation and oxidative stress 152. Recent studies suggest increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) may precede the initial wave of wasting that marks disease onset 49. Therefore, it is possible oxidative stress may contribute as a pathogenic mechanism of DMD. Strategies to reduce the deleterious effects of oxidative stress could be an effective therapeutic approach. Regular exercise is known to increase antioxidant capacity in humans and mice 146. Green tea extract (GTE) is a powerful antioxidant that is easily supplemented in the diet 83.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that (1) voluntary endurance exercise alone, (2) a diet supplemented with 0.05% (wt/wt) GTE alone, or exercise and GTE combined will blunt the effects of ROS and improve muscle strength and endurance in young mdx mice. Male mdx mice at age 21-days were randomly divided into one of 4 treatment groups: Run Normal diet (RunNorm; n=8), Sedentary Normal diet (SedNorm; n=8), Run GTE diet (RunGTE; n=10), and Sedentary GTE diet (SedGTE; n=8). RunNorm and RunGTE mice were given free access to a running wheel for 3 weeks while SedNorm and SedGTE mice were restricted to normal cage movement. At the end of 3 weeks, mice in each treatment group were sacrificed and assessed for daily and weekly running distances, content of actin and myosin proteins and fiber type distribution (tibialis anterior), contractile/mechanical and fatigue properties (extensor digitorum longus), creatine kinase levels and antioxidant capacity (serum), lipid peroxidation (gastrocnemius), and citrate synthase and beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities (quadriceps and soleus).

The key findings of this study were: In normal diet running mice (RunNorm), average daily distance run was increased 300% (from 0.5 to 2.1 km/d, P<0.05) from week 1 to week 3. In GTE diet (RunGTE) compared to RunNorm mice, total distance over the 3 weeks was markedly improved 128% (61.2 vs. 26.8 km, P<0.0001). Running, independent of diet increased EDL muscle tetanic stress (18%), serum antioxidant capacity (22%), citrate synthase activity (35%), and beta-oxidation (37%; all P<0.05). GTE, independent of running decreased lipid peroxidation (gastrocnemius:-64%; heart: -29%) and serum creatine kinase (-36%), and increased citrate synthase activity (59%; all P<0.05).

These findings in dystrophic mice suggest that voluntary endurance exercise with or without GTE supplementation blunted the deleterious effects of ROS. If similar positive effects are evident in human DMD patients, then these approaches may be beneficial therapies either alone or in combination.

Master of Science

After several decades of rapid urbanisation, population growth and industrialisation, most developing countries have now become home to the rapidly increasing informal sector’s polluting activities. With marked failures in their use of traditional Command and Control (CAC) legislation, limited technical and fiscal environmental protection resources coupled with weak environmental protection, complimentary judicial and legislative institutions, it has become necessary for these countries to look somewhere else for environment regulation policy. This study evaluates potential contributions of public-led voluntary agreements programs in the control of informal sector pollution in Lusaka’s Soweto and City markets in Zambia. The study employs Binary Logistic Models to establish factors critical to the successful implementation of environmental management voluntary agreements in the two markets. It also uses the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to assess and estimate traders’ Willingness to pay (WTP) for proposed improvements to cleanliness in the markets. The main empirical data for the study was collected by means of a questionnaire survey of 93 traders in the two markets and supplemented by semi-structured interviews. The study finds that indeed voluntary agreements have a potential to control informal sector pollution in developing countries like Zambia. The study also finds that while the informal sector significantly contributes to urban pollution, they are hamstrung by lack of capacity to control their own pollution. The absence of adequate regulatory enforcement and appropriate incentives in terms of waste bins and cleaners in these markets seriously militate against the sector’s limited efforts in implementing positive environmental management in these markets. The traders’ mean willingness to pay (WTP) for the proposed improvement to cleanliness in the two market is K483,384 per trader per year while the total WTP of all the traders in the two markets is K1,208,460,000 or K1.2 billion per year. As a proportion of the traders’ average annual income, the mean WTP amounts to 0.8%. The study concludes that deliberate interventions with the aim of enhancing their capacity are necessary. In this regard specific recommendations have been made for policy intervention in specific key areas, namely; the provision of appropriate incentives in form of increasing the number of waste bins and cleaners in the markets together with supporting organisational structure and efficient services in terms of frequent removal of waste from the markets by the local authority; the expansion and strengthening of the physical presence of regulatory and enforcement agents in these markets and finally; the building of a shared understanding among the traders of the need for maintaining a clean and environmentally conducive market area through continued sensitisation programs in these markets Copyright
Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
unrestricted

The overall purpose of this master essay is to investigate whether there is an interest among people near retirement to contribute with their knowledge and experience after they reach the defined retirement age. Furthermore, I would like to investigate if they want to continue with their old jobs, full time/part time or to do something else, which is beneficial to the society. I also want to find out how the older people view themselves to continuing to work. Also which types of social and structural barriers that might exist for them and why. The aim is also to investigate what types of knowledge and experience they believe could be used in the future community. For that purpose I have structured interview questions and conducted eight individual interviews. Below is a brief summary of the main results. The study shows that there is a general interest in working after retirement. Most people prefer to work only part-time. Participation and influence is meaningful to the individuals. It is seen as having a positive impact on individuals, groups and societal perspectives. At the individual level, the relationship between the possibility to choose both type of work and working hours and the desire to continue working, is very strong. The choice contributes to the feeling that life is meaningful. That proved to be of great motivation to participate in the working life. The study shows the importance of paying attention to flexible working hours adapted at individual level. The results also show that the elderly are often pictured as competent, knowledgeable and skilled people, which resources can be utilized in the society. It also appeared that older people are carriers of knowledge and experiences, which can be taken care of and transferred on to the younger generations instead of being lost. The study pointed out that there is manual work situations particularly risky for older people. It also revealed negative factors such as competition for the jobs between younger and older people, which can create an opinion in society against letting older people work. The results also indicate that the mixture of older and younger people creates a knowledge and experience transfer which creates new approaches to working tasks. It also emerged a number of factors that influence an individual's choice to attend to work; Important to take an individual approach, assess the participant’s interests and abilities for the particular job, his desired working hours and the need of upgrading or retraining.

Bumble bees and other wild pollinators are crucial to the support of both natural and agricultural ecosystems. However, unprecedented declines of pollinator populations have been observed all over the world, raising concerns of a looming threat to both the human food supply, as well as sustainability of the biodiversity in local ecological niches. Though declines are well described, the cause behind these still evades scientists. Proposed contributors include anthropogenic-mediated environmental stress, including application of xenobiotics for pest control, and increase of pathogen diversity and abundance due to the shipment of infection human-managed colonies. This research examined these theories and attempted to quantify the threats they may pose. Through development of a chronic, oral toxicity experiment, susceptibility of all Bombus impatiens castes to clothianidin exposure was examined. This exposed a substantial increase in vulnerability of male bumble bees to realistic concentrations of neonicotinoid pesticides, highlighting the crucial need to examine all members of wild bumble bee life cycles before determining pesticide regulations. Additionally, sublethal effects on fitness-related foraging behaviors in Bombus impatiens were examined through development of a voluntary task switching assay. The results of this experiment suggest humoral immune stimulation, through pathogenic infection, leads to significant impairment of cognitive flexibility. Taken together, this data suggests that pesticides and pathogens are capable of causing severe detrimental effects, both lethally and sublethally, in wild bumble bees. I hope this data will eventually contribute to reassessment of environmental regulations and establishment of effective conservation strategies in order to sustain the critical populations of wild bumble bees.

Aims: This study has three aims: 1) to measure the impact of the Vietnamese Voluntary Health Insurance (VHI) programme on out-of-pocket (OOP) costs of health care after correcting for care-seeking and insurance-seeking self-selection biases; 2) to measure the effect of the VHI programme on socioeconomic-related inequality in out-of-pocket costs; and 3) to measure the role of VHI in preventing catastrophic health care costs. Data: This study is based on cross-sectional household survey data collected from three provinces of Vietnam: Hai Phong, Ninh Binh and Dong Thap. A total of 1,650 adults and 1,101 children were randomly selected and interviewed during the year 1999. Individual level data were available on the cost of health care in the last three months, the insurance status, personal and socioeconomic variables, health status and health care utilisation. In the sample, 1,192 individuals felt sick at least once in the last three months, and 985 of them sought care. Methods: The standard regression approach of measuring the average impact of VHI does not correct simultaneously for care-seeking and insurance-seeking biases. Also, the standard approach of measuring vertical equity in financing fails to account for the unmet need for care. This thesis proposes an improved approach, based on Heckman’s selection model, to estimate the impact of insurance on the cost of health care, after correcting for self-selection biases. To measure socioeconomic-related inequality in health care costs, a need standardised concentration index was proposed. This approach standardises for differences in the level of need between individuals, in turn controlling for the unmet need for care. Progressivity analysis was carried out using Kakwani’s index of progressivity. Finally, the incidence of catastrophic health care costs was modelled using probit equations that accounted for self-selection biases. Result: Analysis shows that insurance is negatively associated with expected cost of care, and this effect becomes more pronounced after correcting for selection biases. Need-standardised concentration indices demonstrate that insurance makes the distribution of health care costs more pro-poor. Kakwani indices suggest that insurance reduces the regressivity of financing. Finally, the study finds that VHI is associated with a lower probability of financial catastrophe. Conclusion: Membership in the Vietnamese VHI appears to have a protective effect on health care costs; this effect is augmented after controlling for selection biases due to unobserved characteristics. Insurance membership also appears to reduce the regressivity of health financing and the incidence and intensity of catastrophic health care costs.

碩士
國立交通大學
管理學院運輸物流學程
103
Well implementation of the fatigue management has become the important trend of flight safety improvement in the aviation industry. Experts and scholars have completed numerous of researches related to fatigue management of cockpit flight crewmembers. However, the data sources of their researches are questionnaires, interviews and records of physiological monitoring equipment mostly. Besides, the data has more subjective elements for those sample providers knowing that they are being part of the research. In this research, data source is the database of flight crewmembers’ voluntary reports of sample airlines with 2010-2014, 5 years period of time. Those data are more objective as the reports are voluntary and gratuitous. Furthermore, the reporters are never known that their reports will be the future research data. Regarding the research methods, this study applies the knowledge discovery in database processes and decision tree algorithm modules. Eventually explored twelve classification rules of potential fatigue causes in all fleets type flight patterns of sample airlines and recommend six management significations accordingly. The results of this study enables sample airlines could reduce or eliminate occurrence rate of fatigue when design future flight duty patterns.

The challenge of the twenty first century is to enable economic growth and increase both the environmental quality and social inclusiveness, while mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The need for a transition to more sustainable consumption and production patterns is undeniable, and sustainable economic growth must be placed at the heart of future development for all citizens – private and public. The South African private sector is under enormous pressure to remain competitive within the context of the global financial crisis while balancing the interests of society, the environment and its shareholders. It has been suggested that there are discrepancies between what companies say and what they actually do, as they are challenged to move from policy to action. This study aimed to research the role and utilisation of voluntary climate change mitigation mechanisms within the South African private sector, to gain insights into the potential market barriers impeding the large-scale uptake of such mechanisms. The study was guided by three research objectives:

• To identify thematic clusters of market barriers for voluntary climate change mitigation in the South African private sector.
• To identify potential market barriers for voluntary climate change mitigation in the South African private sector.
• To provide recommendations to increase the implementation of climate change mitigation by the corporate sector in South Africa.

This research process involved exploring market barriers in the climate change mitigation market through a literature review, and developing a questionnaire with experts in the climate change sector. Thereafter, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Sustainability Reporting Investment (SRI) Index 2010 companies were surveyed using the questionnaire, followed by semi-structured interviews to provide further depth to the findings. The research findings suggest that the South African private sector has adopted a “take position, wait and see approach”. This approach places them in a position to take advantage of, and influence, the opportunities and risks associated with climate change without having a negative impact on the bottom line. The primary barrier to voluntary climate change action concerns the lack of local and international policy frameworks. Additionally, the different rules and resultant uncertainty around local and international frameworks seems to impede consistent and meaningful action. While this uncertainty does not prevent the private sector from taking voluntary action, it does appear to negatively affect the overall scale and type of climate change mitigation efforts. Furthermore, companies are continually improving the quality of sustainability reporting and public disclosure, the challenge still lies in translating these strategies into daily operations and sustainable practice beyond ad hoc actions.
Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
Business Management
unrestricted

Spatial prioritizations and gap analyses are increasingly undertaken to allocate conservation resources. Most spatial prioritizations are conducted without specifying the conservation instruments to be implemented and gap analyses typically assess formally protected areas but increasingly include private land conservation instruments. We examine conservancies to see if these voluntary instruments contribute towards achieving goals of South African conservation planning initiatives. We conducted a nationwide survey and interviews with conservancy members in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. Conservancies have potential for assisting South Africa to achieve conservation planning goals at national and local scales but their inclusion in spatial prioritizations and gap analyses predicates improved protection for nature, operational refinement and increased support. We sound a warning to conservation planning initiatives that incorporate voluntary instruments on private land, and present recommendations for strengthening such instruments to make them more effective. Our findings may assist conservation planners elsewhere to design more effective conservation planning initiatives focused on private land.