The purpose of this study is to try to answer these questions: By what standards may application letters for teaching positions be judged? How well does the average teacher meet these standards in his own application letters? What changes should teachers make in their application letters to make them stronger?

The first part of the thesis deals with a description of legal relationships in the international trade and explains the term "international element." Further there is a short description of private international law and international trade law. The second part of the thesis is focused on securing of contractual obligations in the international trade. The third part concerns with explanation of the basic forms of legal relationships in the international trade regulation with regard to securing of contractual obligations. The final part of the thesis deals with a description of securing instruments used in the international trade. At the end of this part there are listed factors which influence the choice of a suitable securing instrument.

Les parallélismes entre Jude et 2-Pierre esquissent une trame presque parfaite, en réponse au problème posé par ceux qui « renient le Maître ». Une étude synoptique systématique la met en évidence ; pour autant, chaque lettre possède sa propre architecture ; confronter ces deux démarches, moyennant une méthodologie spécifique, permet d’établir que 2-Pierre dépend de Jude. D’une lettre à l’autre, un autre problème s’est fait jour : quid de la (seconde) parousie de Christ ? « Pierre » opère un puissant travail de réécriture et, conjointement, élabore une théologie originale de l’inspiration. Si les deux textes ont choisi la forme épistolaire « catholique », et testamentaire pour 2-Pierre, Jude suit un modèle oraculaire, quand 2-Pierre adopte le genre « disputation speech ». La mise en intrigue des rapports entre les deux lettres permet d’esquisser des trajectoires théologiques. En réponse au second problème, 2-Pierre propose des principes herméneutiques originaux ; c’est sans doute un écrit à visée anti-millénariste, un témoin privilégié et un acteur important du processus de proto-canonisation en cours. Pour cela, il s’appuie sur une « christologie haute ». / Parallelisms between Jude and 2-Peter outline an almost perfect framework, to reply to the problem of those who “deny the Master”. A framework seen through a systematical synoptic study ; however, each epistle possesses its own architecture ; confronting these two steps allows to establish that 2-Peter depends on Jude. From one letter to the other, a second problem appears : what can be said of the (second) Parousia of Christ ? “Peter” demonstrates a great deal of rewriting, and, jointly, elaborates an original theology of inspiration. If the two texts chose the “catholic” epistolary form, and 2-Peter a testamentary one, Jude follows an oracular pattern, while 2-Peter assume the “disputation speech” genre. The plotting of the relation between the two letters alows us to sketch theological trajectories. In particular, in response to the second problem, 2-Peter puts forward original hermeneutical principles ; it is probably an anti-millenarist work, a privileged testimony and an important actor of the current proto-canonisation process. For that very reason, 2-Peter leans on a “high christology”.

Redovisningsstandarden IFRS 16 trädde i kraft för redovisningsperioder från den 1:a januari 2019 efter det att intressenter getts möjlighet att uttrycka sina åsikter på ett reviderat utkast. Att låta intressenter uttrycka sina åsikter inför implementering av standarder är en central del av IASB:s normbildningsprocess som gör att de bibehåller sin legitimitet och neutralitet. IASB:s oberoende har dock länge kritiserats för att inte tillgodose det allmänna intresset efter ett flertal incidenter som påvisat att IASB har låtit sig influeras av särskilda intressentgrupper. Uppsatsen behandlar därför IASB:s neutralitet genom normbildningsprocessen med hänsyn till intressentgruppers åsikter uttryckt genom comment letters på det reviderade utkastet ED/2013/6 - Leases. Genom en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med kvantitativa inslag undersöks 340 stycken comment letters. Studiens grundar sig vidare på teorier som capture theory och legitimitetsteorin vilka är teorier som förklarar relationen mellan allmänheten, organisationer och reglerande organ. Resultatet antyder att ingen intressentgrupp tagits i större beaktande än andra och därmed kan IASB:s legitimitet och oberoende inte ifrågasättas på någon starkare grund vad gäller normbildningsprocessen för IFRS 16. Studien bidrar därmed till de skiljaktiga meningar som finns i existerande forskning om huruvida IASB tagit någon intressentgrupp i större beaktande än andra vid framtagandet av en ny redovisningsstandard. / The accounting standard IFRS 16 came to be effective for accounting periods starting 1st of January 2019, after a due process where stakeholders were given the opportunity to express their opinions on an exposure draft. Giving stakeholders the opportunity to express their opinions before implementing a new accounting standard is a key part of IASB:s due process which enables them to maintain their legitimacy and neutrality. IASB:s independency has been widely criticized for not maintaining the interest of the public after numerous incidents which shows that IASB had been influenced by certain stakeholder groups. Therefore, this study examines IASB:s neutrality during the due process in regards to the opinions of stakeholder groups expressed in the comment letters submitted as a response to the exposure draft ED/2013/6 - Leases. Using a qualitative study method with quantitative elements, 340 comment letters were examined. This study is based on theories such as capture theory and legitimacy theory which are theories that explain the relationship between the public, organizations and the regulators. The results indicate that no stakeholder group has had a higher influence and therefore the legitimacy and neutrality of IASB can not be questioned in regards to the due process of IFRS 16. Therefore, this study contributes to the differing opinions in existing research whether IASB has taken any certain stakeholder group into higher consideration in the due process of a new accounting standard.

In recent years many institutions holding papyri have put images of their collections online, while transcriptions previously published in print are now hosted in the Digital Corpus of Literary Papyri. Anagnosis aims to provide an intuitive and easy-to-use web interface between those images and related digitized texts. The main goal lies in automatic data processing and text-recognition accuracy: Through a dedicated OCR algorithm, letters on the image are identified with single boxes and thus linked to the transcription. A coordinates system of the glyphs on the image can then be transferred and applied to each new image uploaded for the same text section. Once all character boxes are generated, Anagnosis can extract a sample alphabet that users may rearrange to virtually restore lost parts of text directly on the image.

Denna uppsats går igenom skapandet av ett konstruktionsförslag av en postlåda för montage på säkerhetsdörrar. Projektet genomfördes i samarbete med ett företag som tillverkar säkerhetsdörrar i stål. Syftet med arbetet har varit att på uppdrag av företaget utarbeta ett designförslag för en postlåda med ett flertal nya funktioner samt med en innovativ estetisk formgivning. Designen får inte kompromissa med gällande säkerhetskrav samt bör inkludera en bredare målgrupp. Enligt Frenchs modell har en metod använts där användarstudier, tester och fokusgrupper gett viktig information. Designprinciperna inclusive design, pleasure design och gamification har varit ledstjärnor i designprocessen. En funktionsanalys gjordes på en vanlig postlåda som visade vilka funktioner som kan förbättras. Denna analys utgjorde grunden för den efterföljande konceptgenereringsfasen där olika designalternativ utforskades. Konceptgenereringen utmynnade i postlådan Droppen, där redan existerande funktioner har vidareutvecklats. Droppen-konceptet utmanar genom att exempelvis introducera LED-lampor som kommunicerar med användaren samt har ett tidningsställ, som är starkt nog att kunna bära tunga matkassar. Den har också en mjuk droppform som tilltalar många och som gör det lätt att ta upp posten. Postlådan är gjord i zinklegerat stål, vilket gör den tung men hållbar. Möjligheten till individuell anpassning av produkten ökar kundvärdet samt minskar indirekt dess miljöpåverkan / This thesis is about the process of creating a design proposal of a letterbox for mounting on security doors. The project was developed in cooperation with a manufacturer of security doors made of steel. The purpose of this work has been to develop a concept for a mailbox with several new functions and an innovative aesthetic design, at the request of the company. This new design has to be in line with existing security demands and should also include a wide group of users. According to French’s model, a method has been used where user studies, tests and focus groups provides essential information. The three design principles inclusive design, pleasure design and gamification has been the guiding star throughout the process. A function diagram was used on a regular letterbox to find functions with potential for improvements. The focus of the concept development was based on the findings from this diagram. The concept generation resulted in the letter box Droppen, containing innovative functions that have been developed from the existing ones. This letterbox is challenging by expanding old functionalities such as LED lamps as a mean of communication or using the magazine holder as a form of unloading zone. The distinguished and soft form of a drop is a design that appeals to many people and at the same time makes it easy to pick up the mail. The box is made from zinc alloyed steel, which makes it heavy but durable. The many options for individual design not only increase the customer value but also indirectly reduce the impact on the environment.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation aims to trace a Christian letter tradition, i.e. the pastoral letter type, during the first five centuries of this era. With this in mind I outlined the problem statements, goals, theoretical points of departure, research questions, hypotheses, methodologies and structures in Chapter I of the dissertation. I surveyed the history of modern studies on Greco-Roman epistolography in Chapter II. There I looked at how the study of Christian letters was related to Greco-Roman epistolography and what it contributed to the history of modern study on Greco-Roman epistolography. In the process I also focused on the study of the Christian letter tradition that flourished especially during the middle of the twentieth century. I pointed out some weaknesses in the preceding studies, such as limiting the analysis of letters to certain periods, failure to consider generic features and lack of attention to psychagogical intention. At the end of the chapter I concluded by pointing out what still remains to be done, such as considering a broader range of sources and periods, and paying more attention to how the pastoral letter continued to function during the first five centuries of our era. On the basis of the preceding survey I then focused in Chapter III on the generic features of Greco- Roman hortatory letters and their psychagogical functions to provide the background of a broader hortatory tradition for explaining the generic features and functions of the earliest Christian letters, i.e. the letters in the NT. From this research I concluded that Greco-Roman hortatory letters followed the pattern of common Greco-Roman letters in terms of structural and formal features. However, they not only focused on the guidance or education of the recipients in terms of function, but for effective persuasion the authors also employed various rhetorical devices which are often found in the other genres of hortatory works. In Chapter IV I analysed the letters in the NT in order to show that these letters resonate with the hortatory letters that were composed for psychagogy (viz. pastoral care). Firstly, I focused on the analysis of Paul’s first letter, i.e. 1 Thessalonians, to show that the author of the first Christian letter was as pastor above all concerned with pastoral care, and for effective pastoral care he borrowed from the Greco-Roman hortatory letter tradition. From this analysis I concluded that 1 Thessalonians can be located in the hortatory letter tradition, but has its own distinct character differing from common hortatory letters. These features must have resulted from Paul’s efforts to take care of his believers in the Christian faith. In the remainder of this chapter I analysed the rest of the letters in the NT, considering the outcome of the analysis of 1 Thessalonians together with the broader hortatory tradition. I found that the rest of the letters in the NT could be classed as hortatory letters for the purpose of psychagogy, i.e. pastoral letters, in terms of both their structural and formal features, and of their composition, purpose and function. In Chapter V I analysed a number of selected pastoral letters from early Christian authors. Firstly, I surveyed the history of Christian letters and their authors to provide a general background for this chapter. From these authors and their letters, I chose sixteen pastoral letters from fifteen Christian leaders based on stated criteria, and analysed them, considering both the earliest Christian pastoral letters (viz. the letters in the NT) and the broader Greco-Roman hortatory letter tradition. As a result of this analysis I found that these selected letters had features in common with the earliest Christian pastoral letters, especially in terms of their purpose and function, as well as distinctly Christian characteristics. I then compared the outcome of this analysis with selected letters from non-pastoral Christian letter types (viz. the festal or paschal letter type, the synodic letter type, the papal letter type and the “essay in letter form”). I found that, though the selected pastoral letters and nonpastoral letters had some literary features in common, such as structure and form, and employed rhetorical devices, they nevertheless differed in terms of purposes and function. In the last chapter, Chapter VI, I briefly summarised the entire dissertation / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif het ten doel om die bestaan van ’n Christelike brieftradisie, nl. die pastorale brieftipe, in die eerste vyf eeue van hierdie era na te spoor. Vir hierdie doel het ek die probleem- en doelstellings, teoretiese uitgangspunte, navorsingsvraagstukke, hipoteses, metodologieë en strukture van die proefskrif in Hoofstuk I uiteengesit. In Hoofstuk II het ek ’n oorsig gegee van moderne studie oor die Grieks-Romeinse epistolografie. Ek het ook nagevors hoe die studie van Christelike briewe aansluiting vind by die Grieks-Romeinse epistolografie, en watter bydrae hierdie studie tot die ontwikkeling van moderne studie oor die Grieks-Romeinse epistolografie gemaak het. Bykomend hiertoe het ek gefokus op die studie van ’n Christelike brieftradisie wat veral gedurende die middel van die twintigste eeu gefloreer het, en het sekere leemtes in hierdie vooraafgaande studies uitgewys, nl. die feit dat die analise van briewe tot slegs sekere periodes beperk is, en die versuim om generiese eienskappe en pastorale oogmerke in aanmerking te neem. Daarna het ek aan die einde van die hoofstuk aangedui wat nog gedoen behoort te word, soos om ’n breër spektrum van bronne en tydperke te benut, en om aandag te gee aan volgehoue tendense in die teorie en praktyk van psigagogiese briewe gedurende die eerste vyf eeue van hierdie era. In die lig van bogenoemde oorsig het ek in Hoofstuk III gefokus op die generiese eienskappe van Grieks-Romeinse hortatiewe briewe en hulle psigagogiese funksies, om die agtergrond te skets waarteen die generiese eienskappe en funksies van die vroegste Christelike briewe, nl. die briewe in die NT, teen ’n breër hortatiewe tradisie bestudeer kan word. Na aanleiding van hierdie ondersoek het ek tot die slotsom gekom dat Grieks-Romeinse hortatiewe briewe die algemene patroon van Grieks-Romeinse lettere met betrekking tot strukturele en formele eienskappe gevolg het. Nietemin was die funksie daarvan nie net gemik op die voorligting of onderrig van die ontvangers nie, maar die skrywers het ook vir die doel van oorreding verskeie retoriese middels ingespan wat dikwels in ander genres van hortatiewe werke gebruik is. In Hoofstuk IV het ek die briewe in die NT ontleed om aan te toon dat hierdie briewe behoort tot die hortatiewe briewe wat opgestel is vir die doeleindes van psigagogie, d.w.s. pastorale sorg. Eerstens het ek gefokus op die analise van Paulus se eerste sendbrief, nl. 1 Tessalonisense, om uit te wys dat hierdie eerste Christelike skrywer as pastor boweal gemoeid was met pastorale sorg, en vir die doeleindes van effektiewe pasorale sorg deels gesteun het op die Grieks-Romeinse hortatiewe brieftradisie. Uit hierdie analise kon ek aflei at 1 Tessalonisense geskaar kan word by die hortatiewe brieftradisie, maar tog die eiesoortigheid behou waardeur dit verskil van algemene hortatiewe briewe. Hierdie eienskappe moes voortgespruit het uit Paulus se bemoeienis om te sorg vir sy volgelinge in die Christelike geloof. In die daaropvolgende deel van hierdie hoofstuk ontleed ek die ander sendbriewe in die NT teen die agtergrond van die resultate van die analise van 1 Tessalonisense asook die breër hortatiewe tradisie, en geraak tot die gevolgtrekking dat die ander sendbriewe in die NT ook geklassifiseer kan word as hortatiewe briewe vir psigagogie, d.w.s. pastorale briewe, beide wat hulle strukturele en formele eienskappe aanbetref, en die doel van hulle samestelling en funksie. In Hoofstuk V het ek probeer om ’n aantal geselekteerde pastorale briewe van vroeë Christelike skrywers te ontleed. Eerstens het ek die geskiedenis van Christelike briewe en hulle skrywers as algemene agtergrond vir hierdie hoofstuk uitgelig. Uit hierdie skrywers en hulle briewe het ek sestien pastorale briewe van vyftien Christelike skrywers, leiers van mede-Christene, gekies, gebaseer op bepaalde kriteria. Dié het ek geanaliseer teen die agtergrond van die vroegste Christelike pastorale briewe, nl. die briewe in die NT, asook die breër Grieks-Romeinse hortatiewe lettere tradisie. Deur hierdie analise kon ek vasstel dat hierde geselekteerde briewe behalwe hulle Christelike eienskappe ook ooreenkomste met die vroegste Christelike pastorale briewe toon, veral met betrekking tot hulle doel en funksie,. Daarna het ek die resultate van hierdie analise vergelyk met geselekteerde briewe van nie-pastorale Christelike brieftipes, nl. die feesbrief, die sinodale brief, die pouslike brief en die essay in briefformaat. Alhoewel die geselekteerde pastorale briewe en die nie-pastorale briewe ooreenkomste getoon het wat literêre eienskappe soos struktuur, formaat en retoriese gebruike aanbetref, verskil hulle van mekaar in terme van doel en funksie. In die laaste hoofstuk, Hoofstuk VI, word die proefskrif kortliks opgesom

Visual acuity is reduced when optotypes are viewed in the presence of surrounding contours. This reduction in acuity is known as the crowding effect and is thought to be caused by a varying combination of contour interaction, gaze instability and attention. Traditional studies have used single optotypes surrounded by flanking bars to investigate crowding. Such targets may not realistically replicate the crowding effect inherent in clinical vision charts. The aim of this thesis was to systematically investigate the effect of crowding on visual thresholds in subjects with normal vision and in subjects with amblyopia, using specially designed charts. In the 1st and 2nd experiment, contour interaction was assessed using a high (80 %) and low contrast (5.8%) Sheridan Gardiner repeat letter (SGRL) chart in subjects with normal vision. The effect of contour interaction was investigated by varying the inter-letter separation in the SGRL chart. Significant contour interaction was obtained at the abutting condition for both the contrast conditions. In the 3rd experiment the same protocol was repeated but in amblyopes. Significant contour interaction was obtained at 0.2 letter separation and the abutting condition for both the contrast conditions. The effect of contour interaction appears to be less for low contrast than for high contrast letters in normal, non-amblyopic and amblyopic eyes. Finally, in the 4th experiment a Sheridan Gardiner Complex Interaction (SGCI) chart that requires imposed gaze fixations was constructed to measure visual acuity in normal’s and amblyopes. The effect of any gaze instability on crowding was investigated by comparing SGRL thresholds to SGCI thresholds. The SGCI thresholds were higher than the SGRL thresholds at all the separations measured, suggesting an important effect of gaze instability on crowding. In conclusion, this research has shown that gaze instability is an important component of the crowding effect for letter chart acuity measurements. Visual acuity especially when screening for amblyopia should be measured using a whole optotype chart that requires optotype to optotype fixation.

Ninety-nine African-American undergraduates, at a historically Black college, completed the African American Acculturation Scale to compare fraternity/sorority members with independents' participation in Black cultural traditions versus dominant White society. Greek members were hypothesized to be more traditional, because these organizations represent ethnic enclaves, have duplicate institutions, and communicate ethnic socialization; findings did not support this, but reasons for joining did. They were more superstitious in their beliefs than nonmembers, likely related to pledgeship and initiation rituals. Validity data on the new measure were provided. Why participants join fraternities, why they like/dislike them, and what purposes they serve was also examined.

This study shows similarities in the attitudes of and literary influences upon Maurice Maeterlinck and Nathaniel Hawthorne, especially in Maeterlinck's drama Pelleas et Melisande and Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter. Circumstantial evidence indicates Maeterlinck's familiarity with Hawthorne's novel. Since no previous comparative study of Pelleas et Melisande and The Scarlet Letter exists, the works themselves are the major sources of information.