The origin of fault scarps & fissures on moorland plateaux & in the vicinity of landslides, in the South Wales Coalfield, UK

Fault scarps and fissures occur on moorland plateaux and in the vicinity of deep-seated landslides in the South Wales Coalfield, UK. These scarps may reach about 4 m in height and 3-4 km in length. The ages of the fault scarps and fissures are difficult to determine. Their relatively fresh and unweathered appearance would seem to suggest they were generated during subsidence as a result of coal mining which has taken place for some 150 years. However, their large magnitude, which make them dramatic features of the landscape, sets them apart from the much lesser features generated during coal mining subsidence in other UK coalfields. Some fault scarps seem to pre-date Ordnance Survey and British Geological Survey maps from the late 1800s-early 1900s. As total extraction (longwall) methods associated with fault reactivation had yet to develop widely at that time it is probable that mining subsidence alone could not have generated such distinct topographic features. The paper reviews the evidence of analogous non-mining fault steps and fissuring, mine abandonment plans and recent fissure treatment works to cast new light on the origin and development of these features. A conceptual model to demonstrate the causative mechanisms and evolution of fissures is also presented. The paper concludes that some fault steps and fissures developed in response to stress relief caused by deglaciation and periglacial activity and have subsequently undergone a later phase of development as a consequence of differential mining subsidence

An eye for an eye - Anthony Trollope's gothic novel?

This article examines Anthony Trollope's novel An Eye for an Eye in the context of the author's complex relationship with Ireland. It looks in particular at how Trollope both deploys and disrupts stock features of the Gothic to recommend a not just the continuance but the reinforcement of the Union between Britain and Ireland in the nineteenth century

Capital or revenue : a critical analysis of the treatment of realisation companies and the judgment of Lewis JA

The treatment of realisation companies is not directly dealt with by South Africa legislation and the jurisprudence focused thereon has developed in accordance with the needs of commercial entities to dispose of property. The relevant terms of our governing legislation has, in response to this solution, enveloped the idea of a realisation company through the results of the judicial system. In this paper the general income tax principles that relate to realisation companies will be evaluated. A synopsis will be provided, beginning with the locus classicus set out in the case of Berea West, thereafter the most recent case, Founders Hill, the effect thereof, and the general principles and cases exhibiting these principles, relating to the treatment of realisation companies by South African Court

Active share, fund style and performance

Includes bibliographical references.The South African unit trust industry was found to display low levels of Active Share compared to international levels. A sample of unit trusts, representing approximately 58.2% of assets under management in the South African general equity fund industry, was selected based on the availability of the information necessary to perform this analysis. The average Active Share demonstrated by the sample of unit trusts has decreased from 60.85% in June 2007 to 55.65% in June 2013. A fund flow analysis confirmed that fund managers' portfolio decisions are highly affected by the risk of outflows and possibility of inflows. Managers faced with a high risk of outflows and low possibility of inflows adjusted their Active Share by approximately double that of managers with a moderate risk of outflows and inflows. A similar result was found when comparing managers experiencing a low risk of outflows and a high possibility of inflows, to managers experiencing a moderate risk of outflows and inflows. Under varying market conditions, unit trusts exhibiting the highest Active Share and tracking error (concentrated stock picker) earned a significantly higher alpha than unit trusts exhibiting the lowest Active Share and tracking error (closet indexer). During the financial crisis and in the subsequent bull market to previous highs, concentrated stock pickers earned a significantly higher alpha than closet indexers. In bull markets breaking through previous highs, concentrated stock pickers earned the lowest alpha. The alpha earned by unit trusts exhibiting the highest level of Active Share was significantly higher than the alpha earned by unit trusts exhibiting the lowest level of Active Share. The benefit of distinguishing between truly active (concentrated stock picker) unit trusts and closet indexer unit trusts is clear

The international collision regulations in the context of international law and the municipal law of the United Kingdom and of South Africa: a critical analysis

The object of this paper is to examine one aspect of safety at sea, namely, the prevention of collisions, and to consider in this regard the role of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. our concern is primarily with the regulatory and preventative aspects of the law (in both the, international and municipal spheres) and not so much with private law aspects, in so far as the latter are concerned with the determination of rights and liabilities as between individuals. This is not to say that private law is irrelevant for our purposes: in the first place, the Collision Regulations are usually considered by the courts in the context of delictual actions in private law, and these cases therefore constitute the most important source of judicial interpretation of the Regulations; secondly, since the Collision Regulations do play a part in the determination of civil liability, the role of private law as an indirect means of enforcement of the Regulations cannot be ignored. The Collision Regulations are of interest from a number of points of view. Firstly, they are of interest in the context of public international law: they are intended to regulate navigation at an international level, and being the product of agreement between states; also, the regulations give rise to questions of state jurisdiction. Secondly, the regulations are important in the context of municipal law; here we are concerned with the manner in which the regulations are enforced. Two states have been singled out for consideration in this regard: the Republic of South Africa, and the United Kingdom, on account of the historical role played by it in collision prevention, and also on account of the close links between the relevant law of that state and of South Africa. The experience and practice of the United Kingdom provides a useful guide and model for South Africa, and is relevant also for comparative purposes. Thirdly, the Regulations are, of course, of vital importance to the mariner. Finally, in a peripheral fashion, the Regulations are of interest to the legal historian, as they represent the legal response to a set of circumstances as they changed over the centuries

Share repurchases in South Africa : reasons and returns

Includes bibliographical references.Share repurchases have long been permitted in the United States of America, but it is only relatively recently that they have become a frequently-used means of returning funds to shareholders in that country. In other countries, it was also only relatively recently that share repurchases were even permitted, and in South Africa, repurchases have been permitted only since 1999, when the Companies Act was amended to allow for them. Repurchases in South Africa are fairly closely regulated, not only by statute, but also, in the case of listed shares, by regulations contained in the Listing Requirements of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. In essence, the regulations, read with the legislation, allow for three types of repurchase, namely, a specific repurchase incorporating a pro-rata offer; a specific purchase incorporating a specific offer, and a general repurchase. Specific repurchases have more demanding requirements than general repurchases as far analysis in the context of the "signalling hypothesis," and for that reason, the focus of this study is on specific repurchases. Studies in the USA and elsewhere have shown that repurchases may be carried out for any of a number of reasons. Most studies in the USA have also shown that repurchases are associated with significant positive abnormal returns on the share prices; the increase in prices is usually attributed to the signalling hypothesis, which holds that managers use repurchases as a means of signalling to the market that they believe that the shares are underpriced. The objectives of the present study are twofold: - To identify the reasons for South African companies carrying out repurchases; and - To determine whether such repurchases create shareholder value

Untapped Talent: Finding Ways to Educate America’s Low-Income High-Achieving Students

It is well established that many students enter the classroom unprepared for the academic requirements awaiting them and spend most of their school years attempting to catch up to grade-level standards. According to a report by the National Assessment of Education Progress, almost two-thirds of the nation’s fourth- and eighth-graders score below grade-level in both math and reading assessments. As a result, education policy often focuses on program development geared towards augmenting the performance levels of these under-achieving students. While these statistics are staggering and the United States’ education system must strive to alleviate poor performance, it must also allow not lose sight of the other one-third. School systems must promote equal progression of students at every level. Unfortunately, despite the saliency of the challenges facing low-income high-achieving students, this population has remained largely unaddressed on the national and local scene. In order to insure the success of low-income students and use their talent to its utmost potential, public schools across the nation need to implement programs specifically designed to fit the needs of these individuals. In essence, the government needs to work to close the achievement gap between low- and high-income high-achieving students

Patterns of rural settlement in Sierra Leone: methods of geographical analysis in a tropical environment

The debate between classical empiricists and those who favour deductive and theoretical research methods is a feature of modern geography. This thesis aims to show that these approaches are complementary rather than mutually exclusive. It also hopes to demonstrate new methods and applications of location analysis in an underdeveloped area where base line information is uneven in quality. The dissertation is divided into four main parts. In the first, a model settlement pattern for Sierra Leone is devised. This model is based on a stylised subsistence village and the arguments of central place theory. The second part deals with the uses made of aerial photographs, topographical maps, pilot surveys and random sampling procedures in constructing an accurate base map of rural settlement distribution for the whole country, the first of its kind for any West African state. The third part of the work uses purely qualitative and empirical methods, A system of settlement regions is devised and described, and the settlement model is compared with the actual pattern, and with overall changes in settlement structures between 1927 and 1964. An account of rural settlement evolution using historical sources and comparative mapping is also presented. In the fourth part, a range of parametric and nonparametric tests and techniques of location analysis (e. g. set theory and nearest-neighbour analysis) is used to establish indices of settlement density and nucleation and to test the hypotheses presented in earlier sections of the work

METAL-CATALYSED CROSS-COUPLING REACTIONS OF NITROGEN HETEROCYCLES

Described herein are copper-catalysed N-C heteroarylations of benzimidazole, 1-methylbenzimidazolone, imidazole and pyrrole. The products of these reactions then undergo palladium-catalysed C-C cross-couplings with aryl or heteroarylboronic acids under Suzuki-Miyaura conditions to provide a rapid entry to tris(hetero)aryl scaffolds comprising two or three N-heterocyclic rings. The sequential N-C and C-C couplings can be performed in a one-pot process. 1,5-Di(hetero)arylated-pyridin-2(1H)-one derivatives have been synthesised in good yields starting from (2-fluoro-5-pyridyl)boronic acid. The sequence comprises three steps: (i) palladium-catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura reaction; (ii) basic hydrolysis; (iii) copper-catalysed C-N coupling. X-ray crystal structures are reported for selected pyridin-2(1H)-one derivatives. These compounds are of interest as new scaffolds for drug discovery. A one-pot synthesis of 2-chloro-3,4-diiodopyridine from 2-chloropyridine is described via a Directed ortho Metallation (DoM)/Halogen Dance (HD) mechanism in 26-28% yields. By performing sequential iterative Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings using a variety of functionalised heteroaryl and arylboronic acids, a series of novel 2,3,4-triheteroarylpyridine scaffolds have been accessed in synthetically viable yields, including sterically hindered derivatives. An iterative two-fold Sonogashira/Suzuki-Miyaura reaction sequence gave access to 5-[3,4-bis(2-phenylethynyl)pyridine-2-yl]-2-fluoropyridine in 48% overall yield. Disclosed is a novel route towards benzimidazolo[1,2-f]phenanthridines starting from 4-tert-butyl-N-(2-iodophenyl)benzamide via a intermolecular palladium-catalysed N-C bond formation and dehydration to form 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1-(2-bromophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole. Performing an intramolecular C-H activation reaction on this provided 6-tert-butylbenzimidazolo[1,2-f]phenanthridine. This compound could be of interest to materials science or as a new scaffold for drug discovery. Synthesis of novel soluble, shielding auxiliary ligand 4-(4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)pyridine-2-carboxylic acid (G1pic) has been achieved via a five step synthesis from commercially available starting materials utilising the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction on demanding substrates. A route towards a more shielded auxiliary ligand have been explored eventually providing 3-(4-pyridyl)-1,5-bis(4-(2-ethylhexyloxy)phenyl)-2,4-dimethylbenzene as an intermediate for future work. Ir(III) complexes have been synthesised with G1pic and picolinic acid

Decentralisation in South African local government : a critical evaluation

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 231-245).The South African local government model is considered to be decentralised in character, incorporating various constitutional, policy and statutory instruments to enable local government to achieve its constitutionally mandated developmental objectives. Yet local government is widely viewed as being in a state of crisis. Many municipalities are seen as dysfunctional and incapable of performing their duties. The hypothesis underlying this study is that the effective application of the principles of decentralisation, to the extent that they have been incorporated in the constitutional, policy and regulatory framework of local government in South Africa, is endangered by a lack of commitment to the concept of decentralisation by central government and by the failure by municipalities to implement at local level those rules, systems, mechanisms, powers and functions which are intended to reflect the principles of decentralisation; and that the achievement of the constitutional objectives of local government is thereby in turn endangered