Development of a social media communication strategy for the marine conservation NGO Sea Shepherd Portugal focused on awareness and donation increase

The oceans are the most important ecosystem to make human life on earth possible, as well as it provides substantial income for billions of people. Many NGOs fight for the protection of the oceans and marine wildlife. Sea Shepherd, a marine conservation organisation, fights on the front line for the survival of marine life and the rehabilitation of the seven seas. This project was conducted in cooperation with the fairly new subsidiary of the NGO in Portugal. Since Sea Shepherd Portugal is solely dependent on donations to run operations, this incompany project aims to develop a social media strategy focused on Facebook and Instagram to increase awareness and donations for Sea Shepherd Portugal. To develop a social media strategy to increase awareness and donations, primary and secondary data was collected. Examining the data and relating it to an in-depth literature review, patterns and correlations were observed that lead the achievement of the empirical project. The project provides Sea Shepherd Portugal with (potential) donor insights regarding social media communications. The research revealed that the NGO has to focus on six major objectives in social media communications: transparency, professionality, credibility, emotional attachment, trust and finally long-lasting relationships with their follower base. To achieve those key findings, social media content focused was developed that presents tools which will increase awareness and donations for Sea Shepherd.Os oceanos são o ecossistema mais importante para tornar possível a vida humana na Terra, bem como proporciona um rendimento substancial para milhares de milhões de pessoas. Muitas ONG lutam pela protecção dos oceanos e da vida selvagem marinha. A Sea Shepherd, uma organização de conservação marinha, luta na linha da frente pela sobrevivência da vida marinha e pela reabilitação dos sete mares. Este projecto foi levado a cabo em cooperação com a relativamente nova filial da ONG em Portugal. Uma vez que a Sea Shepherd Portugal está exclusivamente dependente de donativos para gerir as operações, este projecto in company visa desenvolver uma estratégia de comunicação social centrada no Facebook e Instagram para aumentar a sensibilização e os donativos para a Sea Shepherd Portugal. Para desenvolver uma estratégia de comunicação social para aumentar a sensibilização e os donativos, foram recolhidos dados primários e secundários. Examinando os dados e relacionando-os com uma revisão aprofundada da literatura, foram observados padrões e correlações que conduzem à realização do projecto empírico. O projecto fornece à Sea Shepherd Portugal (potenciais) percepções dos doadores relativamente às comunicações nos meios de comunicação social. A investigação revelou que a ONG tem de se concentrar em seis grandes objectivos na comunicação social: transparência, profissionalismo, credibilidade, apego emocional, confiança e finalmente relações duradouras com a sua base de seguidores. Para alcançar estas conclusões-chave, foi desenvolvido um conteúdo de meios de comunicação social centrado que apresenta ferramentas que aumentarão a sensibilização e as doações para a Sea Shepherd

Role Of Phosphoylation Of The Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Proteasome In Oxidative Stress Response And Regulation Of Homoserine Kinase (thrb) In Corynebacterium Glutamicum

Part 1: One-third of the world\u27s population is infected with the latent form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis must be able to control this latent even in response to nitrosative and oxidative stress conferred by the host. It is not well known how M. tuberculosis controls this state. One possibility for this control is through its eleven eukaryotic-like serine/threonine protein kinases. Our lab has focused research on two eukaryotic-like ser/thr protein kinases, PknA and PknB. It has been found that PknA expression may affect the stability or the assembly of the proteasome complex, which is essential for M. tuberculosis to persist in mice. This work shows that PknA phosphorylates the α subunit and the unprocessed Β subunit of the M. tuberculosis proteasome, and that this direct effect arrests the proteasome assembly at the half- proteasome stage. Furthermore this effect confers resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis to oxidative stress. The significance of this research is that it potentially elucidates one way that M. tuberculosis is able to persist in host cells, because it shows an effect of PknA on a protein complex that is necessary for resistance to nitrosative stress, and whose lack confers resistance to oxidative stress. Part 2: L-threonine is the second-most deficient amino acid in livestock, and its addition to livestock feed will create healthier animals and a cleaner environment. Corynebacterium glutamicum is a Grade-A food-safe microorganism that is used for the industrial production of amino acids, which makes it ideal for creating an over-producing strain of threonine. A key enzyme in the pathway for threonine production in C. glutamicum is homoserine kinase (thrB). Homoserine kinase is competitively inhibited at the active site by threonine, which makes it difficult to relieve feedback inhibition through mutation. This work shows that at the entry of the active site of homoserine kinase there is a conserved alanine residue. We propose that mutation of this residue could relieve feedback inhibition. The significance of this research is that it provides a novel approach for relief of feedback inhibition, since we attempted to genetically separate the catalytic activity and feedback inhibition in the active site of homoserine kinase. This approach may be applied later to other amino acid production in C. glutamicum and other amino acid over-producing organisms

BIOMECHANICS AND FUNCTION OF THE FEMALE RAT URETHRA IN STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE INDUCED BY BIRTH TRAUMA

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common in women after vaginal delivery (VD) in childbirth or pelvic trauma, and may be associated with altered biomechanical or functional properties of the urethra. The goal of this dissertation was to identify biomechanical and functional changes in the urethra in a rat model of VD, as well as to understand the role of longitudinal smooth muscle in the healthy urethra. Female rat urethras were isolated in a rat model of SUI induced by VD. Controls were urethras isolated from normal rats. Our established ex vivo urethral testing system was utilized for biomechanical and pharmacological assessments. In this system, outer diameter was measured via a laser micrometer, and recorded along with applied intraluminal pressure to a computer. Urethral thickness was assessed histologically.Biomechancial properties of the urethra were markedly altered by VD for the baseline, passive (via calcium chelation), and active (stimulation via adrenergic and muscarinic receptors) states, most notably in the proximal urethra. Additionally, contractile responses to phenylephrine and bethanechol increased in the proximal urethra in VD rats compared to controls. There were also changes in the VD mid urethral segment. Functional and biomechanical parameters indicated that basal activity was increased for VD compared to controls in the middle segment, as well as adrenergic active biomechanical properties at low strains. VD impaired the basal tone distally compared to controls, but this was the only difference observed. VD urethras had evidence of altered collagen and elastin. Additionally, there was a lack of PGP 9.5, tyrosine hydroxylase, and vesicular acetylcholine transferase in the urethras of the VD group. This suggests that VD has mechanically damaging effects on urethral innervation.Finally, the role of the longitudinal smooth muscle in the urethra was further clarified via a modified urethral testing system. Circumferential and longitudinal testing of baseline, active, and passive urethral properties and function supported the idea that the role of longitudinally-oriented components of the urethra was to lengthen or shorten to enable the circumferential muscle to fully contract and shorten as required. In summary, this dissertation has provided evidence of damaged muscular, neural, and matrix components of the urethra associated with VD. The combination of these changes may contribute to SUI induced by VD

Measuring Dynamic Transfer Functions of Cavitating Pumps

A water-flow test facility has been built to enable measurement of dynamic transfer functions (DTFs) of cavitating pumps and of inducers in such pumps. Originally, the facility was intended for use in an investigation of the effects of cavitation in a rocket-engine low-pressure oxygen turbopump. The facility can also be used to measure DTFs of cavitating pumps in genera

Investigating Dynamics of Eccentricity in Turbomachines

A methodology (and hardware and software to implement the methodology) has been developed as a means of investigating coupling between certain rotordynamic and hydrodynamic phenomena in turbomachines. Originally, the methodology was intended for application in an investigation of coupled rotordynamic and hydrodynamic effects postulated to have caused high synchronous vibration in the space shuttle s high-pressure oxygen turbopump (HPOTP). The methodology can also be applied in investigating (for the purpose of developing means of suppressing) undesired hydrodynamic rotor/stator interactions in turbomachines in general. The methodology and the types of phenomena that can be investigated by use of the methodology are best summarized by citing the original application as an example. In that application, in consideration of the high synchronous vibration in the space-shuttle main engine (SSME) HPOTP, it was determined to be necessary to perform tests to investigate the influence of inducer eccentricity and/or synchronous whirl motion on inducer hydrodynamic forces under prescribed flow and cavitation conditions. It was believed that manufacturing tolerances of the turbopump resulted in some induced runout of the pump rotor. Such runout, if oriented with an inducer blade, would cause that blade to run with tip clearance smaller than the tip clearances of the other inducer blades. It was hypothesized that the resulting hydraulic asymmetry, coupled with alternating blade cavitation, could give rise to the observed high synchronous vibration. In tests performed to investigate this hypothesis, prescribed rotor whirl motions have been imposed on a 1/3-scale water-rig version of the SSME LPOTP inducer (which is also a 4-biased inducer having similar cavitation dynamics as the HPOTP) in a magnetic-bearing test facility. The particular magnetic-bearing test facility, through active vibration control, affords a capability to impose, on the rotor, whirl orbits having shapes and whirl rates prescribed by the user, and to simultaneously measure the resulting hydrodynamic forces generated by the impeller. Active control also made it possible to modulate the inducer-blade running tip clearance and consequently effect alternating blade cavitation. The measured hydraulic forces have been compared and correlated with shroud dynamic-pressure measurements

Konflik Pemerintah Daerah dan Masyarakat Adat Helong dalam Kebijakan Pembangunan Bendungan Kolhua 2010-2022

Studi ini membahas tentang konflik yang terjadi antara pemerintah daerah (Pemerintah Kota Kupang dan Pemerintah Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur) dan masyarakat adat Helong dalamkebijakan pembangunan Bendungan Kolhua di Kota Kupang yang terjadi dari tahun 2010-2022. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengeksplorasi akar konflik yang menjadi penyebab dari konflik yang berkepanjangan ini. Studi ini dilakukan di wilayah perencanaan pembangunan Bendungan Kolhua, Kelurahan Kolhua, Kota Kupang, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur dengan menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengan desain eksplanatif. Proses pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara mendalam. Analisis data menggunakan teori konflik A.H.J. Dorcey diperkuat dengan teori konflik Simon Fisher. Hasil penelitian dan analisis data ini menemukan bahwa konflik yang terjadi antara pemerintah daerah dan masyarakat adat Helong ini terjadi antara lain; Pertama, adanya perbedaan pemahaman dan pengetahuan, pemerintah daerah menilai wilayah ini cocok digunakan untuk pembangunan bendungan namun masyarakat adat Helong menilai bahwa lahan ini tidak cocok dan berpotensi mengancam kelangsungan hidup masyarakat adat Helong. Kedua, perbedaaan nilai, bendungan yang bagi pemerintah bernilai dan berpotensi mengembangkan ekonomi masyarakat setempat dan bermanfaat bagi kepentingan masyarakat Kota Kupang, namun bagi masyarakat adat bernilai historis bagi sejarah kesukuan Helong sehingga apabila bendungan dibangun maka akan menghilangkan tanah adat mereka dari Kota Kupang. Ketiga, perbedaan kepentingan, pemerintah berpendapat bahwa dengan dibangunnya bendungan maka akan memberikan keuntungan dan manfaat besar bagi masyarakat dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan air, peningkatan perekonomian dan terbukanya potensi lapangan kerja baru bagi masyarakat sekitar khususnya serta juga masyarakat Kota Kupang pada umumnya. Selain itu dapat menambah aset pariwisata Kota Kupang yang berpotensi terhadap peningkatanpendapatan daerah. Sedangkan masyarakat adat Helong merasa dirugikan dengan dibangunnya bendungan karena lahan pertanian dan perkebunannya akan ditenggelamkan, selain itu kampung adat leluhur dan pekuburan leluhur di dalam lahan perencanaan bendungan juga akan hilang tenggelam. Keempat, Persoalan Pribadi atau Latar Belakang Sejarah, pemerintah menilai bahwa konflik terjadi karena adanya ketersinggungan warga Kolhua terkait peristiwa masa lalu ketika anggaran pembangunan bendungan  Kolhua dialihkan ke pembangunan Bendungan Tilong di Kabupaten Kupang. Serta ketersinggungan masyarakat Kolhua terkait penggunaan media massa oleh pemerintah dalam memberitakan perencanaan pembangunan bendungan Kolhua yang memprovokasi warga Kolhua dan warga Kota Kupang secara keseluruhan yang memberitakan aksi penolakan masyarakat adat Helong di Kolhua. Pemerintah juga menilai bahwa dengan adanya penolakan yang terus menerus ini dari waktu ke waktu membuat masyarakat adat Helong dan Kolhua pada umumnya tidak lagi dapat bekerjasama sehingga pemerintah sendiri pada akhirnya memilih mendiamkan permasalahan ini untuk sementara waktu dan saling menunggu kepastian pembangunan bendungan ini. Sedangkan masyarakat adat menilai pemerintah telah menggunakan media massa dengan sewenang-wenang tanpa adanya klarifikasi dan persetujuan warga dalam pemberitaan perencanaan Bendungan Kolhua seolah-olah warga menyetujui dan sudah final keputusannya padahal warga masyarakat adat menolak.Masyarakat juga menilai komunikasi pemerintah daerah dan masyarakat yang tidak terbuka dan ada indikasi ketidakjujuran pemerintah terkait proses perencanaan pembangunan. Masyarakat adat juga mencontohkan beberapa pengalaman buruk masyarakat di daerah lain di Nusa Tenggara Timuryang memberikan lahan bendungan mereka yang tidak dapat menikmati hasil pembangunan bendungan sesuai janji yang disampaikan pemerintah sebelum membangun. Hal ini kemudian menjadi pengalaman yang kurang menyenangkan yang membuat trauma dan ketakutan masyarakat untuk menyerahkan lahannya untuk pembangunan bendungan