This dissertation studies the problem of increasing battery life-time and reducing CPU heat dissipation without degrading system performance in commodity-OS-based general-purpose (GP) mobile computers using the dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) function of modern CPUs. The dissertation especially focuses on the impact of task scheduling on the effectiveness of DVS in achieving this goal. The task scheduling mechanism used in most contemporary general-purpose operating systems (GPOS) prioritizes tasks based only on their CPU occupancies irrespective of their deadlines. In currently available autonomous DVS schemes for GP mobile systems, the impact of this GPOS task scheduling is ignored and a DVS scheme merely predicts and enforces the lowest CPU speed that can meet tasks' deadlines without meddling with task scheduling. This research, however, shows that it is impossible to take full advantage of DVS in balancing energy/power and performance in the current DVS paradigm due to the mismatch between the urgency (i.e., having a nearer deadline) and priority of tasks under the GPOS task scheduling. This research also shows that, consequently, a new DVS paradigm is necessary, where a "DVS-friendly" task scheduling assigns higher priorities to more urgent tasks. The dissertation begins by showing how the mismatch between the urgency and priority of tasks limits the effectiveness of DVS and why conventional real-time (RT) task scheduling, which is intrinsically DVS-friendly cannot be used in GP systems. Then, the dissertation describes the requirements for "DVS-friendly GP" task scheduling as follows. Unlike the existing GPOS task scheduling, it should prioritize tasks by their deadline. But, at the same time, it must be able to do so without a priori knowledge of the deadlines and be able to handle the various tasks running in today's GP systems, unlike conventional RT task scheduling. The various tasks include sporadic tasks such as user-interactive tasks and tasks having dependencies on each other such as a family of threads and user-interface server/clients tasks. Therefore, the first major result of this research is to propose a new DVS paradigm for commodity-OS-based GP mobile systems in which DVS is performed under a DVS-friendly GP task scheduling that meets these requirements. The dissertation then proposes GPSched, a DVS-friendly GP task scheduling mechanism for commodity-Linux-based GP mobile systems, as the second major result. GPSched autonomously prioritizes tasks by their deadlines using the type of services that each task is involved with as the indicator of the deadline. At the same time, GPSched properly handles a family of threads and user-interface server/clients tasks by distinguishing and scheduling them as a group, and user-interactive tasks by incorporating a feature of current GPOS task scheduling — raising the priority of a task that is idle most of the time — which is desirable to quickly respond to user input events in its prioritization mechanism. The final major result is GPScheDVS, the integration of GPSched and a task-based DVS scheme customized for GPSched called GPSDVS. GPScheDVS provides two alternative modes: (1) the system-energy-centric (SE) mode aiming at a longer battery life-time by reducing system energy consumption and (2) the CPU-power-centric (CP) mode focusing on limiting CPU heat dissipation by reducing CPU power consumption. Experiments conducted under a set of real-life usage scenarios on a laptop show that the best, worst, and average reductions of system energy consumption by the SE mode GPScheDVS were 24%, -1%, and 17%, respectively, over the no-DVS case and 11%, -1%, and 5%, respectively, over the state-of-the-art task-based DVS scheme in the current DVS paradigm. The experiments also show that the best, worst, and average reductions of CPU energy consumption by the SE mode GPScheDVS were 69%, 0%, and 43% over the no-DVS case and 26%, -1%, and 13% over the state-of-the-art task-based DVS scheme in the current DVS paradigm. Considering that no power management was performed on non-CPU components for the experiments, these results imply that the system energy savings achievable by GPScheDVS will be increased if the non-CPU components' power is properly managed. On the other hand, the best, worst, and average reductions of average CPU power by the CP mode GPScheDVS were 69%, 49%, and 60% over the no-DVS case and 63%, 0%, and 30% over the existing task-based DVS scheme. Furthermore, oscilloscope measurements show that the best, worst, and average reduction of peak system power by the CP mode GPScheDVS were 29%, 10%, and 23% over the no-DVS case and 28%, 6%, and 22% over the existing task-based DVS scheme signifying that GPScheDVS is effective also in restraining the peak CPU power. On the top of these advantages in energy and power, the experimental results show that GPScheDVS even improves system performance in either mode due to its deadline-based task scheduling property. For example, the deadline meet ratio on continuous videos by GPScheDVS was at least 91.2%, whereas the ratios by the no-DVS case and the existing task-based DVS scheme were down to 71.3% and 71.0%, respectively. / Ph. D.

Today's high-performance computing (HPC) clusters are seeing an increase in the adoption of accelerators like GPUs, FPGAs and co-processors, leading to heterogeneity in the computation and memory subsystems. To program such systems, application developers typically employ a hybrid programming model of MPI across the compute nodes in the cluster and an accelerator-specific library (e.g.; CUDA, OpenCL, OpenMP, OpenACC) across the accelerator devices within each compute node. Such explicit management of disjointed computation and memory resources leads to reduced productivity and performance. This dissertation focuses on designing, implementing and evaluating a runtime system for HPC clusters with heterogeneous computing devices. This work also explores extending existing programming models to make use of our runtime system for easier code modernization of existing applications. Specifically, we present MPI-ACC, an extension to the popular MPI programming model and runtime system for efficient data movement and automatic task mapping across the CPUs and accelerators within a cluster, and discuss the lessons learned. MPI-ACC's task-mapping runtime subsystem performs fast and automatic device selection for a given task. MPI-ACC's data-movement subsystem includes careful optimizations for end-to-end communication among CPUs and accelerators, which are seamlessly leveraged by the application developers. MPI-ACC provides a familiar, flexible and natural interface for programmers to choose the right computation or communication targets, while its runtime system achieves efficient cluster utilization. / Ph. D.

Yes

Yes / The National Health Service (NHS) Five Year Forward View in 2014 issued a grave warning that if healthcare demand in the UK continued to grow as its current rate, and efficiency or funding changes were not instigated there could be a mismatch between the service (in terms of resource provision) and patients of up to £30 billion a year by 2020/21. The report asserted that in order to “sustain a comprehensive high-quality NHS; action will be needed on all three fronts – demand, efficiency and funding” (2014:5). Based on this escalating issue, and with a focus on the expanded and value-added role of Community Pharmacists, this study chooses to focus on this service operation in light of the pressures as highlighted above by examining what Sustainability means and how it is applied in Community Pharmacy as a service provider in the NHS (UK).

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo a análise da ressocialização na execução penal, com especial destaque ao ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Partindo de uma concepção legitimadora do sistema penal, é feito o estudo das posições fundamentais sobre a finalidade da pena desenvolvidas pelas doutrinas filosófica e penal, com ênfase à finalidade de ressocialização. Seguindo o estudo, são expostos diversos argumentos contra a idéia de ressocialização como única finalidade da pena e também contra sua viabilidade como finalidade da pena no âmbito da execução penal. Por fim, analisa-se o ideal ressocializador nos institutos da Lei de Execução Penal brasileira. São estudados os institutos da execução penal tradicionalmente ligados à idéia de ressocialização e também aqueles cujo enfoque de aplicação muda quando desprezamos tal idéia. Conclui-se o trabalho sustentando-se, em suma, que o ideal ressocializador da execução penal é incompatível com qualquer ordenamento jurídico democrático. / This study\'s goal is to analyze resocialization in corrections, with special emphasis on the Brazilian legal system. Beginning with a legitimating concept of the criminal system, a survey is conducted on the ground theories concerning the purpose of punishment as developed by the philosophical and criminal doctrines, with emphasis on the purpose of resocialization. Thereafter, a number of arguments are exposed that are against the idea of resocialization as the sole finality of punishment and also against its viability as one of the goals of punishment in corrections. Last, the resocialization ideal presented by the Brazilian corrections law is appraised. This appraisal encompasses correctional concepts traditionally related to the idea of resocialization as well as concepts whose application focus changes when one dismisses that notion. The conclusion argues, in short, that the correctional ideal of resocialization is incompatible with any democratic legal system.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo a análise da ressocialização na execução penal, com especial destaque ao ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Partindo de uma concepção legitimadora do sistema penal, é feito o estudo das posições fundamentais sobre a finalidade da pena desenvolvidas pelas doutrinas filosófica e penal, com ênfase à finalidade de ressocialização. Seguindo o estudo, são expostos diversos argumentos contra a idéia de ressocialização como única finalidade da pena e também contra sua viabilidade como finalidade da pena no âmbito da execução penal. Por fim, analisa-se o ideal ressocializador nos institutos da Lei de Execução Penal brasileira. São estudados os institutos da execução penal tradicionalmente ligados à idéia de ressocialização e também aqueles cujo enfoque de aplicação muda quando desprezamos tal idéia. Conclui-se o trabalho sustentando-se, em suma, que o ideal ressocializador da execução penal é incompatível com qualquer ordenamento jurídico democrático. / This study\'s goal is to analyze resocialization in corrections, with special emphasis on the Brazilian legal system. Beginning with a legitimating concept of the criminal system, a survey is conducted on the ground theories concerning the purpose of punishment as developed by the philosophical and criminal doctrines, with emphasis on the purpose of resocialization. Thereafter, a number of arguments are exposed that are against the idea of resocialization as the sole finality of punishment and also against its viability as one of the goals of punishment in corrections. Last, the resocialization ideal presented by the Brazilian corrections law is appraised. This appraisal encompasses correctional concepts traditionally related to the idea of resocialization as well as concepts whose application focus changes when one dismisses that notion. The conclusion argues, in short, that the correctional ideal of resocialization is incompatible with any democratic legal system.

The central topic of the present dissertation is the interrelation between Financial and Tax Law through the perspective of the social contributions, considered as autonomous tax operations according to the ends specified in the Federal Constitution of 1988. The present study maintains that the use of the revenues from the contributions is not only relevant to the Financial Law, but also to the Tax Law, once the contributions were created under the present Constitution as taxes to be used by the state in social areas, to check the economic power and to protect professional and economic categories (article 149 of Federal Constitution of 1988). In this context, we propose a concept of tax and a classification of different taxes in order to help identify the applicable judicial regime for the contributions. The study analyses the composition of the tax competence of the contributions, as well as the basic rule of incidence and the financial rule, both norms supported by the constitutional competence. A broader scope in the study analyses the contributions as an instrument to assure human rights, which require material resources for their fulfillment. In short, the study deals with the problem of the misuse of purpose in the normative and phatic plans, including its consequences, showing the posicion of the Supreme Court on the subject. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta dissertação tem como tema central a inter-relação entre o Direito Tributário e o Direito Financeiro sob a perspectiva das contribuições sociais, considerada espécie tributária autônoma caracterizada pela vinculação a fins especificados pela Constituição Federal de 1988. O estudo parte do pressuposto de que a destinação dada à receita das contribuições é relevante não só para o Direito Financeiro, assim como para o Direito Tributário, uma vez que as contribuições foram concebidas pela atual Constituição como tributo vinculado à atuação estatal nas áreas social, de intervenção no domínio econômico e de interesse de categoria profissional e econômica (art. 149 da CF/88). Nesse contexto, propõe-se um conceito de tributo e uma classificação para as espécies tributárias, com o objetivo de identificar o regime jurídico aplicável às contribuições. Analisa-se a composição da norma de competência tributária das contribuições, bem como, a da regra-matriz de incidência e a da regra financeira, ambas normas de comportamento que têm seu fundamento de validade na norma constitucional de competência. Sob um enfoque mais amplo, estudam-se as contribuições como instrumento de efetivação dos direitos sociais, os quais em sua maioria requerem recursos materiais para a sua satisfação. Por fim, trata-se do problema do desvio de finalidade no plano normativo e no plano fático, e de suas conseqüências, demonstrando qual a posição do Supremo Tribunal Federal sobre o assunto.

The purpose of this thesis is to provide advice to potential applicants for consumer credit on how to navigate in a wide range of loans on the financial market. A potential candidate for a loan was identified as well as an appropriate methodology to be used for comparison of non-purpose loans and then I analyzed the offers of five selected institutions (3 banking and 2 non-banking). The next purpose of this thesis was to design qualifying questionnaire survey focused on consumer loans and confirm the hypothesis that there is no difference between the candidates with lower or higher income with which institutions they apply for a credit.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) are public shell entities uniquely constructed to acquire one or more privately held businesses. The transaction's structural characteristics put significant pressure on the management team's capabilities to find a suitable company to acquire within the predetermined time frame. This thesis investigates whether management team characteristics, such as operating experience and gender diversity, increases the likelihood of success in identifying the target company and conducting the merger. Although not statistically significant, the results indicate that SPACs led by “C-suite” operators do not have a higher likelihood of successfully consummating a business combination. Furthermore, our data indicates gender diversity to have a positive impact on acquisition likelihood. / Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) är publika skalbolag konstruerade enkom i syfte att förvärva ett eller flera privata bolag. Transaktionen lägger stor vikt på ledningens förmåga att identifiera och förvärva en eller flera verksamheter inom en förbestämd tidsram. Studien undersöker huruvida relevanta karaktärsdrag i ledningsgruppen, såsom operationell erfarenhet och skillnader i kön, ökar sannolikheten att identifiera och förvärva dessa bolag. Resultatet av studien påvisar inget samband mellan operationell erfarenhet och ökad sannolikhet för förvärv, men däremot visar sig skillnader i kön inom ledningsgruppen ha en positiv inverkan på sannolikheten för förvärv. Sammantaget är resultaten dock inte statistiskt signifikanta.

Communities sometimes hold private property rights in or adjacent to a protected area. Section 25 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 (the Constitution) protects a person's private property in that the state may not unfairly deprive or expropriate such private property. The interest in the environment are protected by section 24 of the Constitution which entails that every person has the right to an environment that is not harmful to one's health or well-being and also that the environment has to be preserved for present and future generations. National parks are the most valuable natural resource in terms of nature conservation that South Africa has, as these parks harvest natural resources to be preserved for present and future generations. The question that arises is which restrictions are placed on owners in respect of nature conservation, and what the constitutionality of such restrictions is. The answer this question is somewhat difficult as both the right to property and the right to a safe and clean environment are both fundamental rights in the Constitution, and these rights deserve protection. That being said, it is important to understand that no right in the Bill of Rights is an absolute right and all rights are subject to limitations. Such limitations should adhere to the requirements set out in section 36 of the Constitution. A limitation of any constitutional right will be accepted if it is proportional. Section 36(1) of the Constitution amounts to a general proportionality test to ensure that any right contained in the Bill of Rights is only limited by a law of general application and if such limitation is reasonable and justifiable. The National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) as well as the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003 (NEMPA) can be seen as laws of general application. NEMPA especially implies that private property holders may be deprived of their property, if it is situated in or adjacent to a protected area in order to conserve the environment, and this will also not be arbitrary as the private property holders are still allowed to reside on the land in question. NEMA as well as NEMPA makes provision that property may be expropriated for environmental purposes subject to compensation and the provisions of the Expropriation Act 63 of 1975. Limitation of property rights in order to protect and conserve the environment can thus not be seen as unconstitutional or unfair. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015