Problem background: This thesis in building technology at Mälardalen University examines the noise level of the constructions on Öster Mälarstrand. The area Öster Mälarstrand is in the eastern part of Västerås next to the water area Mälaren. This district began to build in the end of the 20th century, and the area went from an industrial field to become as described, one of the best places in Västerås to live at. The district is now an area with a large extent of residentials and other necessities such as banking, gym, cafes, restaurants, shops and a large marina. Öster Mälarstrand is still under constant construction of new buildings. The purpose of the survey is to investigate the noise level on Öster Mälarstrand, and if the construction sites are customised to the guidelines that exist regarding noise and noise levels outside in a residential area. The work is summarized and ends by giving examples of measures to reduce noise and noise levels in the area. The method is based on own noise measurements, calculations and interviews. The noise measurements carried out at three specific locations on Öster Mälarstrand during four working days when constructions were underway. Interviews have also been conducted with 50 people who live in the area. The calculations of the noise measurments showed several varying values, but one thing that is clear is that the noise calculations that was executed, exceeds the guideline values set for noise-levels in Öster Mälarstrand. The interviews that were conducted presents that a majority of the interviewees thought that the noise level of the constructions on Öster Mälarstrand was disturbing, especially now during the pandemic of Covid-19, when several people started working from home. The conclusion in this thesis is that noise levels exceeds the guideline values ​​that exist according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The interviews in the area show that the majority of the participants experience the noise from the construction site as a disturbance.

<p> The Ontario shoreline of Lake Huron is one of the most populated areas, with reference to recreational purposes, in Ontario. However, with the rising water levels of the Great Lakes during 1972 and again in 1973, serious problems of beach erosion have resulted, particularly in the area of Grand Bend and Port Franks. This loss of sand has threatened cottages built on the dunes in addition to destroying breakwalls, steps, and boat launching ramps along the beach. It was with the idea of learning more about the beach, and possibly suggesting some methods of beach protection, that the research for this thesis was initiated. During the course of study, the author also became interested in the Ausable River and the associated flooding and erosion problems, with reference to past, present, and future attempts to solve or at least alleviate these difficulties. Thus, one section of the thesis is concerned with the Ausable River alone. </p> <p> The beach studied is actually the culmination of a series of raised beaches, formed during higher post-glacial lake stages. These raised beaches formed a bar separating the now non-existent Ausable Bay from Lake Huron, forming a lagoon eastward of the beach. This bar extends from Grand Bend, in a southwest direction, and culminates at Kettle Point. However, for the purposes of this thesis, that section between Grand Bend and Port Franks received the greatest amount of concentrated study. Over the years, the lagoon, formed by the growth of the bar has silted up, and is now drained for agricultural purposes. </p> <p> The modern beach was observed during the summer of 1972. This involved, profiling of a portion of the shore and offshore topography, procuring beach samples for later analysis, the use of sequential air photographs for observing changes over time, and the analysis of wind and wave data, along with many conversations with local residents and personal observations. </p> <p> The subsequent study of the above factors revealed several major conclusions regarding the beach. First, that it has good natural protection against erosion due to the abundance of sand s tored by the dunes. Second, the beach appears to be in an equilibrium state, however as lake levels fluctuate, so must the beach level, thus destroying the equilibrium for a period of time. With the lowering of the water level, the beach will become wider, exposing sand to the onshore winds, which will in turn rebuild the dunes with the blowing sand. Finally, because of the prximity of man-made structures to the beach, on the unstable dunes, some method of stabilizing the beach is necessary. That suggested is a groin system, designed and constructed by the local authorities. This would help prevent erosion and would eliminate the often vain and possibly dangerous, (to the natural environment), attempts by individuals to halt erosion. </p> <p> This is by no means a complete study of the area and its problems. Further consideration should be given to proposals which have been presented to the local conservation authority, and which were designed to alleviate some of these problems, particularly at Port Franks. The suggestions made here should also be given further thought. In addition to these practical problems, the actual growth of the original bar would provide an interesting subject for study. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Scattered x-radiation levels associated with various diagnostic procedures were measured with ionization chamber instruments in the small and large animal radiology facilities at the Ontario Veterinary College of the University of Guelph. The occupational radiation exposures incurred by veterinary radiography personnel were monitored using McMaster University's Panasonic UD-702E TLD system. The stray radiation levels and the dosimetric information are compared and discussed. An optimum protocol for radiological health protection surveillance is described. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

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Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 S99 / Master of Arts

Investors make investment decisions based on their risk appetite. Furthermore, when such investors consider shares as part of their investment portfolio, these investors will consider the risk profile of the company it is interested in. By taking on a certain level of risk, shareholders expect to be commensurately compensated. Shareholders of companies with relatively higher debt levels in their capital structure and therefore higher financial risk, require a relatively higher return on their investment in order to compensate for such additional risk taken. Shareholders expect return in the form of dividend pay-outs, and capital growth in the share price. A positive correlation is therefore expected between the debt levels of a company and the total return to their shareholders, i.e. the sum of the dividend pay-outs and the capital growth in the share price, also referred to as total shareholder return (TSR). The focus of this study is on the platinum industry in South Africa, as this industry is vital to the South African economy in terms of job creation and earner of foreign exchange as South Africa dominates the world production of platinum. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a correlation between the debt levels and the total shareholder return (TSR) of platinum companies listed on the JSE Ltd. Quantitative research techniques were used to address the research problem, making use of secondary data and rank correlation-based research. Firstly, the debt-to-equity ratio for each company was calculated based on book values. Secondly, the TSR of each company was calculated considering the dividends received and capital growth in share price. The correlation between the TSR and the debt-to-equity ratio was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The results were inconclusive, i.e. no, negative and positive relationships where the relationship is for the first 12 years not significant and for the last two years significant. Therefore the final conclusion is that this study is inconclusive to support or to reject the conceptual scope of the study in that risk is concomitant to return, i.e. returns compensate for risks, therefore higher debt levels require higher total shareholder returns (and vice versa). This study contributes to the literature on capital structure decisions from a South African platinum company perspective. The core audience will be the management of South African platinum companies considering changes in their capital structure as well as investors considering investing into a listed platinum company. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Investors make investment decisions based on their risk appetite. Furthermore, when such investors consider shares as part of their investment portfolio, these investors will consider the risk profile of the company it is interested in. By taking on a certain level of risk, shareholders expect to be commensurately compensated. Shareholders of companies with relatively higher debt levels in their capital structure and therefore higher financial risk, require a relatively higher return on their investment in order to compensate for such additional risk taken. Shareholders expect return in the form of dividend pay-outs, and capital growth in the share price. A positive correlation is therefore expected between the debt levels of a company and the total return to their shareholders, i.e. the sum of the dividend pay-outs and the capital growth in the share price, also referred to as total shareholder return (TSR). The focus of this study is on the platinum industry in South Africa, as this industry is vital to the South African economy in terms of job creation and earner of foreign exchange as South Africa dominates the world production of platinum. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a correlation between the debt levels and the total shareholder return (TSR) of platinum companies listed on the JSE Ltd. Quantitative research techniques were used to address the research problem, making use of secondary data and rank correlation-based research. Firstly, the debt-to-equity ratio for each company was calculated based on book values. Secondly, the TSR of each company was calculated considering the dividends received and capital growth in share price. The correlation between the TSR and the debt-to-equity ratio was determined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The results were inconclusive, i.e. no, negative and positive relationships where the relationship is for the first 12 years not significant and for the last two years significant. Therefore the final conclusion is that this study is inconclusive to support or to reject the conceptual scope of the study in that risk is concomitant to return, i.e. returns compensate for risks, therefore higher debt levels require higher total shareholder returns (and vice versa). This study contributes to the literature on capital structure decisions from a South African platinum company perspective. The core audience will be the management of South African platinum companies considering changes in their capital structure as well as investors considering investing into a listed platinum company. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Published Article / The development of tolerance to low pH levels and the existence of cross-resistance may promote survival of bacteria in acidic foodstuff and in acidic environments such as the human stomach, in so doing escalating the probability of food poisoning. Similar to antimicrobial resistance developing, there is growing concern that effectiveness of organic acids may decrease as a result of the emergence of acid-tolerant food-borne pathogens. The objectives of this study were to determine the development of acid tolerance in selected food-borne pathogenic bacteria and to explore the activity of organic acids against acid tolerant pathogens. Bacterial strains were screened for acid-tolerance and susceptible strains were induced through exposure to increasing concentrations of an inorganic acid, as well as acidic foodstuffs. Susceptibility to six organic acids at various pH levels was assessed in order to evaluate the possible relationship between altered antimicrobial activity and acid tolerance. Salmonella enterica sv. Enteritidis ATCC 13076 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 were found to rapidly develop acid tolerance, while intrinsic acid tolerance was noted in Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium ATCC 14028. Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 demonstrated intermediate intrinsic acid tolerance. As expected, pH played a significant role in inhibitory activity of the organic acids as these compounds exhibit optimum antimicrobial activity at a lower pH (pH ≤5). It is, however, necessary to further elucidate the two-way role of pH in foodstuff concomitant to the addition of an organic acid.

ITC/USA 2005 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-First Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2005 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper will present techniques for accurately measuring the power flux density (PFD) of interfering signals at telemetry receiving stations. The solar power flux density is measured daily by radio astronomers and will be used as a calibration signal. The electromagnetic spectrum is being used more intensely as time marches on so being familiar with interference measurement techniques is becoming more important because more interfering signals are present.

Intellectual stimulation of young children is crucial, because it helps to break the cycle of poverty by giving each child the skills needed to reach his or her maximum potential. There is a growing need for more extensive early childhood development programmes in South Africa. Several studies in early childhood development have been shown to directly draw a parallel with enhanced student achievement at school and in life (Ackerman, 2005; Bueno, Darling-Hammond, & Gonzales 2010; Frede, Jung, Barnett, & Figueras, 2009). This study therefore explored the effects of an intervention programme introducing numbers, shapes and colours to infants between the ages of three months and 12 months. The sample consisted of 63 infants, with a control group of 34 and an experimental group of 29. The participants were selected from the middle-income group and consisted of infants from three different ethnic groups (black, white and coloured). Nine participants from the experimental group formed part of the focus group, which met every two weeks to give feedback and discuss the development of the infants and experiences of the parents involved in the intervention programme. In this study quantitative and qualitative data was collected. This data was assessed and analysed in order to achieve the four aims of the research study. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (III) was used to assess three areas of development, namely cognitive ability, language skills and motor skills for the quantitative part of the study. The adaptive behaviour and social-emotional functioning of the infants was also assessed using the BSID (III), and this data was used in conjunction with the focus group feedback and problem-solving scenarios for the qualitative part of the study. Gender and the two age categories (3–7 and 8–12 months) for both the experimental and the control groups were examined and excluded from possible explanations for any significant findings. It was also determined that the control and experimental groups were well matched at the start of the intervention programme. The findings for aim A, the pre-test and post- test results showed that an average of 60 days involved in intervention programme had a statistically significant effect (z = -4.32, p < 0.001) on the cognitive ability of the infants. The findings for aim B, for the comparison between the control and experimental groups after the intervention programme, indicated significant results for the cognitive subscale (U = 732, p < 0.01, r = 0.42). Although the language and motor scores showed an increase in the descriptive statistics for the experimental group after the intervention, the Mann-Whitney U test did not show a significant difference. The findings for the qualitative study for aim C revealed that there was no effect on the adaptive behaviour of the infants. The findings for the social-emotional scales descriptive statistics for the qualitative study in aim D showed that there was a fairly large increase in the composite score means of the experimental group in comparison with the control group. The large increase in results complements the social-emotional functioning theme that emerged from the focus group. Three main themes emerged from the focus group, namely the cognitive ability, communication skills and social-emotional functioning of the infants.The increase in the social-emotional scale for the intervention group and the increase in the cognitive scale as mentioned in aim B were interrelated. These early social-emotional experiences are linked to long-term positive outcomes in both the social and cognitive areas of development (Landry, Smith, Swank, & Miller-Loncar, 2000). The parents all reported the ability to interpret the communication from their infants when participating in the flashcard sessions. This communication forms a foundation for establishing language development. Relationships between an infant’s nonverbal communication skills and subsequent language development have been reported (Brooks & Meltzoff, 2005). The problem-solving scenarios that were assessed during the second assessment showed that the infants who participated in the intervention programme were able to correctly identify a flashcard 73% of the time in comparison with the control group who were only able to identify a flashcard 1.4% correctly. The results of the study show that an early intervention programme has the potential to increase an infant’s cognitive ability and enhance his or her social-emotional functioning. However, the long-term impact of these findings would have to be explored in a longitudinal study. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)