Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Development studies'

The overarching purpose of this study is to examine the role of the corporation as it expresses itself in a public-private partnership in development cooperation. The research purpose is expressed in the overarching research question: How does the role of the corporation express itself in a PPP in development cooperation? A further purpose of this essay is also to define the characteristics of a successful public-private partnership. Due to limited time and resources the study will be based on the empirical material from a case study on the Growing Sustainable Business initiative of UNDP. Three Swedish corporations participated in this program: ABB, Tetra Pak, and Ericsson. Through studies of ABB and Tetra Pak the essay sets out to answer the empirical research questions: (1) What is considered to be a successful PPP from the Swedish experience? And (2) How does the Swedish experience match the model (of a PPP) presented in the theoretical literature?

Stakeholder theory and the theory of corporate social responsibility will be used to explain the role of corporations in public-private partnerships in the context of development cooperation. Public-private partnerships in their theoretical conceptualization are hybrid organization between the state, the market and in some cases also civil society. In order to evaluate the success of such constellations this study draws on an article of Faranak Miraftab, in which not only the effectiveness but also the equity of a PPP is discussed. The material for this study was based on primary sources in the form of interviews conducted with ABB, Tetra Pak, and Sida.

Theoretically, the study shows that an increased legitimate power for the corporation comes with a PPP. However, in order for the PPP to be successful for all partners there is a need for increased governmental regulation. The success of a PPP also depends on the behavior of the corporation, and what its interests are. The conclusions drawn from the empirical study is that the role of the corporation changes from the traditional role of shareholder interest to a wider responsibility towards stakeholders. The study can be seen as an initial study for further research in the field of PPPs and development cooperation, but also for studies relating to the responsibilities of corporations as they gain greater political influence.

Most cells within multicellular organisms contain the same genetic information, yet the appropriate tissue-specific expression of genes is required for the proper formation of adult tissues. Genes can either be “turned on” or “turned off” from the initial zygotic state and maintained during subsequent cell divisions. Maintaining the correct expression profiles during cell divisions is accomplished by a number of different nuclear factors. One of the key families of proteins that maintains the repression of target genes during development is the Polycomb group (PcG) of proteins. PcG proteins form a number of different multi-subunit protein complexes that interact with specific regions of chromatin and direct the repression of nearby genes by reducing transcription. One PcG complex, Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), inhibits transcription and nucleosome remodeling as well as compacts chromatin, both in vivo and in vitro. The in vitro repressive activities map mainly to one subunit of Drosophila PRC1—the Posterior sex combs (PSC) protein. The PRC1 complex is conserved in many other organisms including mammals. To better understand the mechanisms involved in PcG mediated repression we undertook a biochemical structure/function analysis of mouse PRC1. In chapter one, I review the current understanding of PcG biology and a rationale for the dissertation is provided. In chapter two, data are presented that argues that a mouse PRC1 protein, M33/Cbx2, which is non-homologous to PSC, is responsible for chromatin compaction and repression of nucleosome remodeling. Data are presented that suggests these activities are localized to a basic, natively unfolded region of M33/Cbx2. In chapter three, we extend the findings from chapter two in an attempt to predict whether homologous PcG proteins from other species besides fly and mouse have biochemical activity. In agreement with predictions, a panel of recombinant PcG proteins was generated and data are presented that shows the predicted active PcG proteins are capable of both inhibition of nucleosome remodeling and compaction of chromatin. Finally, in chapter four, the implications of the data presented are discussed, and directions for further inquiry are explored.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point.
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, College of Natural Resources. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-152).

Thesis (Ph.D. in Geophysics)--S.M.U., 2007.
Title from PDF title page (viewed Mar. 18, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-04, Section: B, page: 2204. Adviser: Eugene T. Herrin. Includes bibliographical references.

Model organism studies have been fundamental in understanding evolutionary and developmental biology. However, non-model organisms present opportunities to study unique characteristics and as comparisons to model organisms, leading us toward broader and more relevant perspectives on diversity. The Euphilomedes genus of ostracods is an example of a non-model group with potential for evolutionary and developmental studies. Ostracoda is an ancient, basally branching lineage of Crustaceans with a complete and prodigious fossil record. Despite the group’s promise for evolutionary studies, much remains unknown about the basic biology of this clade. There are a limited number of embryogenesis studies in Ostracoda; here, I study development in Euphilomedes. In Chapter 1, I study the main events in Euphilomedes’ embryology, focusing on cleavage and cell migration. I describe the general embryology of Euphilomedes, and devise a visual staging scheme for their development. Using fluorescent nuclear staining and microscopy, I visualize nuclei in cleavage throughout development of nuclear divisions and migrations during development. The meroblastic cleavage observed in Euphilomedes resembles that of another Myodocopid ostracod, Vargula hilgendorfii. Finally, immunostaining for acetylated-alpha tubulin and phalloidin staining are used to visualize the general anatomy of the embryonic brain. This provides new protocols for visualizing the nervous system, enabling more detailed nervous system studies in the future. In Chapter 2, I explore differential gene expression patterns in the developing eyes of juvenile Euphilomedes. Euphilomedes have sexually dimorphic eye types – males have lateral compound eyes, while females instead have eye rudiments. Previous studies in E. carcharodonta show that genes in the retinal determination and phototransduction gene networks have differential expression in males and females during eye development. In this thesis, we attempt to compare these patterns to expression in a sister species, E. morini.

This thesis represents a qualitative study of the Information Systems Development (ISD) process and puts forward the argument that IS development leads to Organisation Development (OD). The thesis argues that an OD perspective should be incorporated into the main ISD paradigm and provide the basis for transformation in the field which is plagued by failure. The thesis reviews both the IS development and Organisation Development literature and makes connections between the two fields, as in practice they are both comparable activities. With the qualitative framework, Grounded Theory Methodology was used to guide research and analytical activities. We conducted research in 6 large and largemedium sized consultancy firms and in 5 large organisations that utilised non-traditional approaches to ISD. Fieldwork and analysis resulted in the emergence of an ISD process theory that explains how information systems are developed within the organisational context. The theory provided the basis from which we could more rigorously understand the true nature of IS development and determine the nature of a suitable OD contribution. In this thesis, the superiority of an OD-informed solution is argued in detail and contrasted to other proposals from the ISD field. The OD contribution is distinguished in: a) formulating an OD-informed ISD approach, we have termed the Total Systems Development Approach (TSD), b) defining a diagnostic model of ISD practice, c) and providing an extensive collection of OD improvement programmes and techniques that have direct application to ISD. The contribution the thesis makes is also multi-level. At one level we have contributed in rectifying the lack of research in the area of "process" in IS development. In doing so we have provided the basis from which the aspects of the ISD process can be explored in detail. The emergent ISD process theory itself confirms arguments that ISD is a complex socio-technical and organisational process. It highlights aspects of development that have been traditionally outside the ISD paradigm. Our theory helps readdress and challenge a number of elements in the ISD process. The notion of approach emerges as much more suitable for solving ISD problems than methodology. The role of the ISD consultant also emerges as requiring a range of appropriate consultation modes to deal with intervention complexity. Our results also show that the role of the client is much more involving and demanding than previously assumed. Another area of contribution is the formulation of the TSD approach which focuses on the development of the total system: the organisation, through IS or system development activities. It is holistic, iterative, it allows flexible problem-solving, collaboration and focuses on change, intervention and reflection. A final area of contribution is in establishing a link between OD content and IS development. With the advent of new types of development, OD "interventions" have an increasing applicability to ISD situations. The diagnostic model of ISD practice also utilizes an OD-perspective to facilitate diagnosis of organisational failure that leads to IS failure.

Globally, urban sustainability is shifting its focus from individual building to sustainability at precinct, neighbourhood and community levels. This dissertation aims to determine whether the South African urban development industry has a need for the introduction and incorporation of a precinct level urban sustainability rating tool. This dissertation employs a literature review and single case study approach to define precinct level urban sustainability, to explore existing sustainability initiatives and to investigate the expected impacts of a South African precinct level urban sustainability rating tool. The research finds that while there ha been interest in precinct level sustainability from the private sector and some leading municipalities, precinct level sustainability runs the risks of becoming nothing more than a political catch-phrase and of becoming stuck in an ongoing cycle of planning, especially from a national regulatory point of view. It is expected that the introduction of a South African precinct level sustainability rating tool will mitigate this situation by providing motivation for the adoption of, and a clear guideline for the physical implementation of, wider sustainability principles and objectives.

Includes bibliographical references.
This study set out to establish statistical relationships between matters relating to governance and changes in Zambia’s socioeconomic development. With the aid of survey data compiled by the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators, and perceptions of governance amongst Zambian citizens obtained from Round 5 of the Afrobarometer survey, this study used quantitative research methods to investigate the performance of indicators of governance in Zambia between 1996 and 2012 and the perceptions that Zambians had toward matters relating to governance. The indicators and perceptions of governance were based on measures of Control of Corruption, Government Effectiveness, Rule of Law and Voice and Accountability. The study further addressed the changes in Zambia’s socioeconomic development by investigating trends in Zambia’s Human Development Index between 1996 and 2012. The study also established the extent of lived poverty in Zambia by addressing how Zambians rated their living conditions based on how much access they had to essential commodities such as food, cooking fuel, water and cash income.

The objective behind this research was to identify major criteria that could be used to measure the stage of purchasing development reached within an organisation. A literature review identified eighteen major dependent variables, measurements of which were indicative of purchasing development. These dependent variables were subsequently refined and developed using two pilot studies and a five point profiling matrix was developed for each of the measurement criteria concerned. The research methodology was essentially qualitative and used a grounded approach. Being exploratory in nature the intention of the methodology was to identify major criteria affecting the purchasing development process rather than identifying cause and effect, amongst the measurement criteria. The research sample involved two pilot studies and the main research sample, which consisted of six organisations, each with different sales turnovers, drawn from both the Public and Private sectors. These six organisat ional case studies were explored in depth, using a qualitative research approach. Again a grounded approach was used to analyse the data collected. The results further helped to refine and develop a purchasing profile framework and suggested the relationships between these dependent variables. Considerable evidence was also collected in terms of major independent variables likely to affect purchasing development. The research results will enable future practitioners and researchers to classify stages of purchasing development. Five stages have been identified: infant, awakening, development, mature and advanced. From the research results, interviewees believed that a more advanced proactive purchasing activity would lead to a more effective profitable organisation. These research findings offer a useful analytical tool for establishing the stage of purchasing development reached, and highlights deficiencies in a development profile. Finally, the research suggests alternative ways of developing the activity and likely time periods involved, in the development of the dependent criteria identified.

Can the Corporate Social Investment initiatives of small businesses contribute to development? Corporate Social Investment (CSI) and its counterpart Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are the terms used for the external and internal initiatives undertaken by companies to contribute to the upliftment of their stakeholders and communities. This research paper attempts to establish whether the CSI initiatives of small, local (Cape Town) companies have the potential to contribute to this upliftment or development. The literature review conducted on the relevant topic discovered three major arguments surrounding this debate. Firstly there are those authors that believe that CSI / CSR cannot contribute to development; secondly those authors that believe that CSI / CSR can contribute to development; and finally those authors that believe that more research on this topic is required before any such statements can be made. The outcome of the literature will reveal some issues surrounding this argument. They are: motivations, compatibility, implementation, business advantage, business and NGOs and community focus and research and sustainability. Following the establishment of the technical issues the paper will then propose that Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom theory be used to further investigate the development potential of CSI initiatives. Along with the technical suggestions, Sen's five 2 freedoms will be used to analyse whether any potential development successes can be observed from seven case studies. The freedoms are: political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees and protective security. Each of these can contribute to development. The case studies are CSI initiatives selected from local small businesses and the required information was extracted by means of an openended qualitative questionnaire. These case studies will be analysed against the freedoms and the discoveries from the literature review. The conclusions drawn show that some potential does exist for CSI initiatives. It also shows that Sen's Development as Freedom can be effectively applied to small scale projects at the micro level.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1998.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-54).
The availability of large desirable urban development sites continues to diminish. Air rights development is an innovative way for real estate entrepreneurs to create space for developing large-scale projects. Because a portion of these projects are constructed on air, one would expect the deal structure for an air rights developments to be dramatically different from those used for traditional land developments. This paper examines the how the general development issues - ownership, financing and taxation - are structured for air rights developments. Generic air rights development issues and resolution are identified. These finding are then used as the base for in-depth analysis of three existing air rights developments completed in the Boston area. Each development contains unique components as a result of the different individual characteristics of every real estate project, however, the ownership, financing and taxation components of these deals were structured similarly. This study supported the conclusion that air rights development has little affect on the deal structuring of large-scale real estate developments.
by Sean P. Clancy.
S.M.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1985.
MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH.
Bibliography: leaves 114-117.
by Janice Minna Weber.
M.C.P.

Micro- and nano- electromechanical devices such as microcantilevers have paved the way for a large variety of new possibilities, such as the rapid diagnosis of diseases and a high throughput platform for drug discovery. Conventional cell assay methods rely on the addition of reagents, disrupting the measurement, therefore providing only the endpoint data of the cell growth experiment. In addition, these methods are typically slow to provide results and time and cost consuming. Therefore, microcantilever sensors are a great platform to conduct cell culturing experiments for cell culture, viability, proliferation, and cytotoxicity monitoring, providing advantages such as being able to monitor cell kinetics in real time without requiring external reagents, in addition to being low cost and fast, which conventional cell assay methods are unable to provide. This work aims to develop and test different types of microcantilever biosensors for the detection and monitoring of cell proliferation. This approach will overcome many of the current challenges facing microcantilever biosensors, including but not limited to achieving characteristics such as being low cost, rapid, easy to use, highly sensitive, label-free, multiplexed arrays, etc. Microcantilever sensor platforms utilizing both a single and scanning optical beam detection methods were developed and incorporated aspects such as temperature control, calibration, and readout schemes. Arrays of up to 16 or 32 microcantilever sensors can be simultaneously measured with integrated microfluidic channels. The effectiveness of these cantilever platforms are demonstrated through multiple studies, including examples of growth induced bending of polyimide cantilevers for simple real-time yeast cell measurements and a microcantilever array for rapid, sensitive, and real-time measurement of nanomaterial toxicity on the C3A human liver cell line. In addition, other techniques for microcantilever arrays and microfluidics will be presented along with demonstrations for the ability for stem cell growth monitoring and pathogen detection.

The overall objective this work is to contribute to the understanding of how the precise structure of the corneal stroma is achieved during development, and to apply this knowledge to the latest attempts at engineering effective stromal constructs for use in transplantation. The cornea is the major refractive element of the human eye, accounting for two-thirds of total focusing power. Representing around 85% of corneal thickness, the stroma possesses the mechanical strength needed to protect intraocular tissues, whilst still achieving the high level of transparency necessary for light transmission. This is chiefly due to the small, uniform diameter collagen fibrils arranged into a precisely ordered series of orthogonal lamellae. Proteoglycans in the stroma are thought to regulate the arrangement and diameter of the collagen fibrils, although the mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood. The deceptively complex organisation of the stroma may be responsible for the relatively little progress that has been made in engineering constructs that can reproduce the structural and functional characteristics of the cornea. Further study into the embryonic development of the cornea may aid attempts to recapitulate in vivo mechanisms for corneal construction. Of particular relevance would be the method of collagen organisation and deposition in the developing avian corneal stroma and the interactions that occur within the collagen fibril bundles as development progresses. Initially, en face sections were used to study the organisation and arrangement of collagen fibrils in the developing stroma. It is hypothesized that in tendon, the formation of parallel arrays of collagen fibrils occurs via fibroblast surface recesses and invaginations. It was evident through transmission electron microscopy that this process also occurs in the developing corneal stroma via surface recesses on stromal keratocytes. Analysis of the interactions between the collagen and proteoglycans within fibril bundles demonstrated that the developing cornea is less well structured than often considered and is possibly a much more fluid and dynamic system than originally thought. Proteoglycan size and orientation show a degree of variety and disorder and appear to follow no set organisation or positioning. The data suggests that proteoglycans were seen forming aggregates that were capable of bridging the gap between more distant neighbouring fibrils. Following the study of the developing corneal stroma, collagen gel based constructs were engineered and their structural and functional characteristics were analysed to assess their potential as stromal equivalents for use in tissue engineering. Manipulating the assembly of collagen fibrils by varying the pH and cross-linker concentration had a dramatic effect on the structure and functionality of the final gel construct. A range of collagen gels were then implanted into intra-stromal pockets to determine their biocompatibility and in vivo properties.

The development of the concentration modulated absorption spectroscopy (C.O.M.A.S.) is detailed from 1986-1989. The theory has been developed which allows excited state lifetimes to be measured in the range 50ps to 100ns, using dye lasers mode locked at 82 MHz. Lifetimes in the range 10ns to 10ms can be measured using the C.O.M.A.S. technique and continuous wave (c.w.) lasers. A boule of synthetic Ruby has been analysed, using the C.O.M.A.S. technique. The lifetime of the ²E state has been measured, and the concentration of the Chromium ions within the matrix determined. Both values were found to be in agreement with literature values. The study of solutions of transition metal complexes (Iron and Chromium), was complicated by the effects of sample diffusion. The C.O.M.A.S. theory (for c.w. lasers) has been extended to include these effects. Comparison of the theoretical and experimental results is made. Both pulsed and c.w. lasers have been used to investigate the d.c. discharge generated by an Iron Neon hollow cathode lamp. The lifetimes of a number of excited states within Neon have been measured. The concentration of the excited states has been determined with good spatial resolution. The concentration measurements have allowed excitation and de excitation rates for the discharge to be evaluated.

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by infection with the obligate intracellular parasite of the genus Leishmania. Leishmaniasis is a public health problem; it is estimated that approximately 12-15 million people worldwide are infected. An estimated 1.5-2 million new cases occur each year, 350 million people are at risk of infection, and it causes 70000 deaths per year. Therefore, development of a vaccine to prevent infection is required. The overall aim of this study was to develop a vaccine to protect against Leishmania infection using live nonpathogenic L. tarentolae transfected with gamma glutamylcysteine synthetase (γGCS) from three different species (L. donovani, L. mexicana and L. major). Previous studies for expressing recombinant γGCS using E. coli as an expression system have shown that it was not possible to produce pure full-length recombinant γGCS protein. Therefore, in this project, using an expression vector that is phylogenically more like Leishmania. L. tarentolae has been used as an expression system for eukayotic recombinant proteins. Studies of the expression of L. donovani, L. mexicana and L. major γGCS recombinant proteins showed that parasites integrated with a green fluorescent protein γGCS-His gene gave stable expression of the fusion protein for six months without the requirement for antibiotics to maintain expression of the gene insert. Supplementing the culture medium with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased proliferation of parasites in cell culture. The addition of a 12 μM of H2O2 supplement increased the number of the parasites in cell culture, which can conclude that expression of the GFP-γGCS-His recombinant protein has been increased. Expression of the recombinant GFP-γGCS-His protein produced full-length protein and truncated protein, but after isolation from an affinity column, it was impossible to produce pure full-length protein for all three transfected parasites. Therefore, this purification method failed to remove non-specific protein contamination. The live non-pathogenic lizard parasite, L. tarentolae, expressing elected Leishmania antigens has recently provided a promising new approach as a safe and effective live vaccine candidate to prevent Leishmaniasis. Here, this study evaluated the immunoprotective potential of a live vaccine against L. major infection in BALB/c mice, using L. tarentolae transfected with the GFP-γGCS-His sequence gene from one of three different species (L. donovani, L. major or L. mexicana) or a ‘triple vaccine’ using a 1:1:1 mixture of L. tarentolae transfected with the GFP-γGCS-His sequence gene of the three pathogenic species. Vaccination with transfected L. tarentolae with GFP-γGCS-His gene from L. donovani, L. major and L. mexicana (triple vaccine) induced significant parasite specific Th1 immune responses based on antibody titres and cytokine production in vitro in stimulated splenocytes and popliteal lymph nodes from immunised mice. Vaccination by subcutaneous injection with the triple vaccine caused the highest percentage reduction in parasite burdens compared to controls ± SE, was 94% ± 0.01 in L. major infected mice. Vaccination with L.t L. maj GFP-γGCS-His, L. mex GFP-γGCS-His and L. don GFP-γGCS-His parasites failed to give significant protection against L. major infection, but vaccination with L. t L. maj GFP-γGCSHis resulted in an 86% ± 0.01 suppression in parasite burden compared to controls. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that vaccination with transfected L. tarentolae parasites against L. major infection enhanced the protective efficacy and that the triple vaccine is a potential vaccine candidate.

The experiments reported in this thesis were undertaken to study two aspects of the biology of mammalian preimplantation embryos. The first of these dealt with the utilization of the energy substrate, glucose, by the sheep embryo up to and including day 19 of pregnancy. The second dealt with the utilization of glutamine by mammalian embryos and the reciprocal effects of glutamine and glucose on each others metabolism. This latter study was prompted by the recent reports of the beneficial effects of medium containing glutamine, but excluding glucose, on the ability of mouse zygotes to undergo full preimplantation development in vivo . Prior to undertaking the metabolic studies with glutamine a series of experiments were undertaken to study the capacity of the mouse zygotes of different genetic background to develop in vitro and the constituents of the medium that may influence this development. Initial experiments were carried out to examine the effects of reducing oxygen concentration upon the catabolic and anabolic utilization of glucose by the preimplantation sheep conceptus as it develops and differentiates from the cleaving stage to the 19th day of pregnancy. The results of this study demonstrated that lowering O2 to 5% substantially altered both the catabolic and anabolic metabolism of glucose but the pattern of response depended on the stage at which the conceptus was explanted. Next the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway was estimated in both cleaving embryos and the advanced conceptus. There was a substantial utilization of glucose through this pathway and the activity of the pathway changed with development and differentiation. As it has been proposed that trophoblastic vesicles formed by in vitro culture of fresh trophoblast may be used as a model system for studying the biochemistry and physiology of the preimplantation embryos, a study was undertaken to examine glucose metabolism by sheep trophoblastic vesicles formed from day 13 trophoblast and cultured for 6 days. By assessing catabolic and anabolic metabolism of glucose, it was shown that these vesicles were active in the utilization of glucose but the pattern of metabolism did not mimic that seen with fresh tissue samples. The second major aspect dealt with the role of glutamine in the biology and metabolism of the embryo during preimplantation development. The first experiment investigated the development of mouse zygotes of different genotype through the "2-cell block" and the effect of medium components including glutamine, glucose and EDTA upon this development. The results showed that the glutamine containing medium, (CZB medium), significantly improved the development of embryos with more than 50% of zygotes from blocking strains (randombred) reaching the blastocyst stage. By using reciprocal crosses between blocking and non-blocking strains it was shown that the maternal genome is mainly responsible for the "2-cell block". As regards media constituents it was found that EDTA was essential for the 1-cell embryo to pass the 2-cell block. Glutamine, in general, did not exert a major effect upon development of mouse zygotes but appeared to benefit development at early stages. Glucose was necessary for successful development of embryos at least from the post-block stages and had no detrimental effects when added from the commencement of culture. Subsequent studies were undertaken to investigate the metabolism of glutamine and glucose by in vivo and in vitro derived mouse embryos. The data showed that glutamine can be utilized catabolically as an energy source by oxidation to CO2. Embryos from the blocking strain metabolised significantly less glutamine than did those from the non-blocking strain but glucose metabolism was similar between the embryos from the two strains, suggesting that strain differences in embryonic development in vitro may be related to the metabolism of glutamine rather than glucose. Finally, a study of glutamine utilization and its reciprocal relationship with glucose by the sheep conceptus was undertaken. These experiments showed that, as found in the mouse, glutamine can be substantially utilized by the conceptus via oxidation to CO2 through the TCA cycle. However, there was increasing preferential utilization of glucose for energy metabolism with development from the cleaving embryo through to the day 19 conceptus.

Educational travel forms the basis for novel learning experiences that enhance adolescent development by enabling students to make choices about their own survival in an unfamiliar setting. This biological adaptation is driven by stimulation of the midbrain which produces high levels of dopamine, the chemical associated with learning. The elements of educational travel that promote sustained adolescent learning are: clear communication, commitment and action, communal trust and respect, maturity developed through assigned responsibilities and exposure to varied life circumstances, flexibility, and transition back to traditional school environments.

Nowadays, corporate responsibility is not only an issue for large international corporations but also for small- medium sized enterprise (SMEs) with limited resources and less market power. However sustainable development is not a compulsory lesson for SMEs to take, but it is one of the market approaches for a company to thrive and survive. As Donckels represented (1997) that entrepreneurship of SMEs do all their strength to be on its way to the next millennium. The purpose of this thesis is to describe and understand how sustainable business approaches can influence and enhance SMEs development despite of their barriers and limitations which are associated with their day to day management. For that reason, researchers are aiming to analyze closely and get pragmatic insight into the three dimensions of sustainable development (social, environmental, economic) and how the interaction among these three dimensions will benefit SMEs as a whole.

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1988.
Title as it appeared in M.I.T. Graduate List, June 1988: The Fan Piers/Pier Four Development.
Includes bibliographical references.
by Laura Cristina Mugnani.
M.C.P.

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the value of leadership development programs from the perspectives of leaders in a First Nation, located in Canada. The goal of the study was to explore the perceptions of tribal leaders on the cultural appropriateness and perceived benefits of leadership development programs. A purposeful sampling criterion was used to select seven participants for the study. Multiple sources were used for evidence collection: in-depth interviews, observations, Council meeting minutes, and an annual audit report. Analyzing the data involved comparison and cross-case analysis techniques to synthesize the findings and identify recurring themes. The findings and conclusions showed rich descriptions of 17 sub-themes divided into three themes: seven sub-themes address the value and meaning of leadership, four sub-themes deal with the adequacy of leadership development programs, and six sub-themes focus on the cultural appropriateness of leadership development programs. The importance of retaining and preserving the cultural values and beliefs in leadership roles among the leaders of this First Nation was evident. This study may contribute to the cultural-appropriateness of leadership development programs focusing on the cultural traditions and ways of life of First Nation people.

Multiracial individuals undergo challenging life experiences as they develop their identity. The existing research on multiracial individuals primarily focused on specific periods of life or sampled particular multiracial mixtures. Instead, this thesis attempts to consolidate the preceding research to provide a comprehensive and encompassing analysis of identity development for multiracial individuals in reference to life stages: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. By compiling research to address multiracial individuals’ identity formation, mixed-race individuals can learn about the benefits of identifying with multiple races as well as the dangers posed by society and its perceptions of racial classifications. This thesis also acted as a personal memoir analyzing significant life experiences of an Asian /White individual growing up in the United States.

Includes abstract.
Includes bibliographical references.
This project was concerned at looking at philanthropy with regards to poverty alleviation and development. This was achieved by looking at the literature around philanthropy and fieldwork. The literature helped in providing an understanding of philanthropy and the politics around it. Most of the literature that was used was internationally based and this did not look at South Africa. This was a problem because the South African situation is different to what is happening internationally. But the literature with the South African context in mind helped in providing a context specific understanding. I used post-development theory to understand philanthropy within development. The reason for choosing post?development was because it best explained how philanthropists go about doing development. The project used the case study methodological approach in order to get a deep insight into the how philanthropists operate in South Africa. This approach helped to understand who the philanthropists were. This was important in trying to establish how philanthropy works within the South African context.

Aquesta tesi ofereix nous coneixements sobre el camp de les tècniques d'especiació basats en mesures de concentracions d'ions lliures. Les dues contribucions principals són: (i) la detecció de nous elements i (ii) la millora de les tècniques. La primera part es centra en la determinació electroquímica de dos elements trivalents com són l'In i el Sb. Darrerament, aquest dos elements han rebut molta atenció, a causa de les seves aplicacions creixents i dels possibles efectes en el medi ambient. Per tant, és necessari tenir tècniques analítiques adequades i fiables, per a tots dos elements. Per a l'anàlisi d'In, es van mesurar concentracions en In total i lliures en solució mitjançant dues tècniques electroanalítiques complementàries, SCP (Stripping chronopotentiometry) i AGNES (Absence of gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping), totes dues implementades amb el TMF/RDE (Thin mercury film/rotating disk electrode). Amb ambdues tècniques es van assolir límits de detecció nanomolars. AGNES va ser emprada per a l'estudi de la dissolució de nanopartícules In2O3, donat el seu ampli ús tecnológic. El pH i l'efecte dels lligands làbils en solució afectaven significativament la seva quantificació. També es van estudiar els avantatges d'utilitzar el TMF/RDE davant de l'HMDE (Hanging mercury drop electrode), aconseguint temps experimentals més curts fins i tot quan es determinen concentracions lliures petites. Les mesures presentades d'Sb representen la primera aplicació d'AGNES per detectar una espècie particular d'Sb(III) en una solució aquosa. L'Sb com a ió lliure és pràcticament inexistent, a causa de la seva extensa hidròlisi. Així doncs, la seva detecció es va basar en seguir les concentracions de Sb(OH)3(aq). Dues variants diferents d'AGNES es van emprar per a l'anàlisi d'Sb i van ser comparades. Mitjançant la variant AGNES-Q es van obtenir resultats acceptables, però els temps d'stripping que necessitava eren llargs. D'altra banda, AGNES-SCP resulta ser la tècnica més avantatjosa ja que va demostrar ser més ràpida i reproduïble. Aquesta prometedora metodologia obre camí per fer front a l'especiació d'Sb amb AGNES en altres sistemes i medis. La segona part d'aquesta tesi se centra en millorar l'aplicabilitat i l'eficiència de la tècnica DMT (Donnan membrane technique). Això es va dur a terme estudiant diversos canvis en la metodologia emprada, agrupades de la següent manera: variables experimentals, modificacions instrumentals i composició de l'acceptor. El primer conjunt va millorar l'eficàcia i la robustesa de la tècnica, descartant qualsevol efecte potencial de l'agitació de la mostra (donor), la temperatura del sistema i el mostreig de l'acceptor. Per la seva banda, la modificació instrumental es va basar en l'optimització de la relació superfície-volum, variacions en les dimensions de la cel·la de camp i utilitzar hollow fibres. Aquestes modificacions representen una manera simple i eficaç d'escurçar els temps experimentals. L'últim conjunt d'experiments es va basar en l'ajust de la composició de l'acceptor i es van aportar noves estratègies per superar els principals inconvenients de la tècnica DMT. Emprar concentracions d'electròlit suport més petites a l'acceptor que en la solució donor, van resultar en una reducció significativa dels temps experimentals. També es va veure pel cas contrati, on hi ha una major concentració d'electròlit de suport a l'acceptor que en el donor, és possible mesurar mostres més diluïdes.
Esta tesis ofrece nuevos conocimientos sobre el campo de las técnicas de especiación basados en medidas de concentraciones de iones libres. Las dos contribuciones principales son: (i) la detección de nuevos elementos y (ii) la mejora de las técnicas. La primera parte se centra en la determinación electroquímica de dos elementos trivalentes como son el In y el Sb. Últimamente, estos dos elementos han recibido mucha atención, debido a sus aplicaciones crecientes y los posibles efectos en el medio ambiente. Por lo tanto, es necesario tener técnicas analíticas adecuadas y fiables, para ambos elementos. Para el análisis de In, se midieron concentraciones de In total y libre en solución mediante dos técnicas electroanalíticas complementarias, SCP (Stripping chronopotentiometry) y AGNES (Absence of gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping), ambas implementadas con el TMF/RDE (Thin mercury film/rotating disk electrodes). Con ambas técnicas se alcanzaron límites de detección nanomolares. AGNES fue empleada para el estudio de la disolución de nanopartículas In2O3, dado su amplio uso tecnológico. El pH y el efecto de los ligandos lábiles en solución afectaban signicativamente su cuantificación. También se estudiaron las ventajas de utilizar el TMF/RDE ante el HMDE (Hanging mercury drop electrode), consiguiendo tiempos experimentales más cortos incluso cuando se determinan concentraciones libres pequeñas. Las medidas presentadas de Sb representan la primera aplicación de AGNES para detectar una especie particular de Sb(III) en una solución acuosa. El Sb como ion libre es prácticamente inexistente, debido a su extensa hidrólisis. Así pues, su detección se basó en seguir las concentraciones de Sb(OH)3(aq). Dos variantes diferentes de AGNES se emplearon para el análisis de Sb y fueron comparadas. Mediante la variante AGNES-Q se obtuvieron resultados aceptables, pero los tiempos de stripping que necesitaba eran largos. Por otra parte, AGNES-SCP resulta ser la técnica mas ventajosa, ya que demostró ser mas rápida y reproducible. Esta prometedora metodología abre camino para hacer frente a la especiación de Sb con AGNES en otros sistemas y medios. La segunda parte de esta tesis se centra en mejorar la aplicabilidad y la eficiencia de la técnica DMT (Donnan membrane technique). Esto se llevó a cabo estudiando varios cambios en la metodología empleada, agrupadas de la siguiente manera: variables experimentales, modificaciones instrumentales y composición del acceptor. El primer conjunto mejoró la eficacia y la robustez de la técnica, descartando cualquier efecto potencial de la agitación de la muestra (donor), la temperatura del sistema y el muestreo del acceptor. Por su parte, la modificación instrumental se basó en la optimización de la relación superficie-volumen, variaciones en las dimensiones de la celda de campo y la utilización de hollow fibres. Estas modificaciones representan una manera simple y eficaz de acortar los tiempos experimentales. El último conjunto de experimentos se basó en el ajuste de la composición del acceptor y se aportaron nuevas estrategias para superar los principales inconvenientes de la técnica DMT. Utilizar concentraciones de electrolito soporte más pequeñnas en el acceptor que en la solución donor, resultó en una reducción significativa de los tiempos experimentales. También se vio, por el contrario, que cuando hay una mayor concentración de electrolito de soporte en el acceptor que en el donor, es posible medir muestras más diluidas.
This thesis offers new insights for the speciation techniques field, based on the measurement of free ions concentrations. Two main contributions are: (i) the detection of novel different elements for the discipline and (ii) the improvement of the techniques. The first part focuses on the electrochemical determination of two trivalent elements such as In and Sb. Lately, both elements have received attention, because of their increasing applications and possible effects on the environment. So, appropriate and reliable analytical techniques, for both elements, are necessary. For the analysis of In, we measured total and free In concentrations in a solution using two complementary electroanalytical techniques, SCP (Stripping chronopotentiometry) and AGNES (Absence of gradients and Nernstian equilibrium stripping), both implemented with the TMF/RDE (Thin mercury film/rotating disk electrode). We achieved nanomolar limits of detection for both techniques. Also, AGNES was employed to study the dissolution of In2O3 nanoparticles, given its wide technological use. pH and the effect of the labile ligands in solution affected significantly free In quantification. We also studied the advantages of using the TMF/RDE in front of the HMDE (Hanging mercury drop electrode), achieving shorter experimental times even when determining extremely low free In concentrations. Sb measurements represent the first application of AGNES to detect one particular specie of Sb(III) in an aqueous solution. Since Sb as a free ion is practically non-existent, because of the extensive hydrolysis of the element, the detection methodology was based on following Sb(OH)3(aq) concentrations. Two different AGNES variants were studied for Sb analysis and were compared. The variant AGNES-Q yielded acceptable results but needed very long stripping times. On the other hand, a clear advantage was presented by AGNES-SCP, which demonstrated to be faster and more reproducible. This promising methodology opens the way to tackle Sb speciation with AGNES in other systems and media. The second part of this thesis focuses on improving DMT's (Donnan membrane technique) applicability and efficiency. It was performed studying a variety of modifications, based on the following sets of concepts: experimental variables, instrumental modifications, and acceptor composition. The first set improved the efficiency and robustness of the technique, ruling out any potential effect from the sample (donor) stirring, the temperature of the system, and the sampling of the acceptor. Conversely, the instrumental modification is based on optimizing the surface-to-volume ratio, modifying the dimensions of the field cell as well as employing hollow fibres. Such modifications represented to be an effective and simple way to shorten the experimental time. The last set of experiments is based on the tuning of acceptor's composition and it revealed new strategies to overcome significantly major drawbacks of the DMT technique. Lower supporting electrolyte concentrations in the acceptor than in the donor solution presented a significant reduction of the experimental times. On the other hand, higher supporting electrolyte concentrations in the acceptor than in the donor, allows to measure more diluted samples.

The aim of this thesis work was to develop magnetoelectric (ME) composites consisting of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive components. The piezoelectric constituent was selected as a PZT ceramic modified by strontium, bismuth and manganese. The magnetostrictive phase was nickel ferrite (NF) ceramic doped by cobalt, copper and manganese. The properties of component phases were optimized in order to enhance the ME effect in the composite. In the first part of the thesis, effects of sintering temperature on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT and on the electrical and magnetic properties of NF ceramics were investigated in the temperature range covered from 1150 to 1250 °
C. The best piezoelectric properties in PZT were attained at 1250 °
C. At this sintering temperature, values of piezoelectric strain coefficient, dielectric constant, and electromechanical coupling coefficient were 434 pC/N, 1320 and 0.48, respectively. NF ceramics showed poor densification
80 %TD was attained at 1250 °
C. In order to obtain higher densities in ferrites, Bi2O3 was used as a sintering aid. Addition of Bi2O3 enhanced densification up to 97 %TD, and improved electrical and magnetic properties of ferrites. Highest DC-resistivity of 1.15*10^8 ohm-cm and highest magnetostriction of ~26 ppm were attained in NF ceramics doped with 1 wt% Bi2O3. In the second part of the thesis, ME composites were manufactured either as bulk composites or as laminated composites. The efficiency of different composite types was evaluated in terms of voltage output in response to the applied magnetic field. Higher outputs were observed in laminated composites.

This dissertation deals with the development of mathematical concepts from a historical and didactical perspective. In particular, the development of concepts in mathematical analysis during the 19th century is considered. The thesis consists of a summary and three papers. In the first paper we investigate the Swedish mathematician E.G. Björling's contribution to uniform convergence in connection with Cauchy's sum theorem from 1821. In connection to Björling's convergence theory we discuss some modern interpretations of Cauchy's expression x=1/n. We also consider Björling's convergence conditions in view of Grattan-Guinness distinction between history and heritage. In the second paper we study visualizations in mathematics from historical and didactical perspectives. We consider some historical debates regarding the role of intuition and visual thinking in mathematics. We also consider the problem of what a visualization in mathematics can achieve in learning situations. In an empirical study we investigate what mathematical conclusions university students made on the basis of a visualization. In the third paper we consider Cauchy's theorem on power series expansions of complex valued functions on the basis of a paper written by E.G. Björling in 1852. We discuss Björling's, Lamarle's and Cauchy's different conditions for expanding a complex valued function in a power seris. In the third paper we also discuss the problem of the ambiguites of fundamental concpets that existed during the mid-19th century. We argue that Cauchy's and Lamarle's proofs of Cauchy's theorem on power series expansions of complex valued functions are correct on the basis of their own definitions of the fundamental concepts involved.