Recent advances in methods to increase network utilization have lead to the introduction of a relatively new method called Network Coding. Network Coding is a method that can reduce local congestion in a network by combining information sent over the network. It is commonly researched in the information theory field after it was first introduced by Ahlswede et al in 2000. Network Coding was proven in 2003, by Koetter & Medard to be the only way to achieve the throughput capacity defined by the Min cut Max flow theorem of Shannon. It was applied deterministically in wired networks and randomly in wireless networks. Random Network Coding however requires a lot of overhead and may cause possible delays in the network. We found that there is an open question as to determine where in a wireless network, Network Coding can be implemented. In this thesis we propose to find opportunities for the implementation of Network Coding, by searching for known deterministic Network Coding topologies in larger Networks. Because a known topology is used, we will then also know how Network Coding should be implemented. This method of finding opportunities for the implementation of Network Coding using topology can be combined with a routing algorithm to improve the utilization of a wireless network. We implemented our method on three different topologies and searched 1000 random networks for the presence of these topologies. We found that these topologies occurred frequently enough to make our method a viable method of finding opportunities for the implementation of Network Coding. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Computer and Electronical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Institutional Capacity has been a hidden factor that has not been given much attention in the service delivery protests that have seen many residents of the townships taking to the streets. The year 2005 saw the beginning of these protests right up to 2010. South Africa`s Constitution of 1996, has empowered municipalities through the developmental goals set out in chapter 7as well as the Bill of Rights. The Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and the Municipal Finance Management Act of 2003 empowered all the municipalities to embark on a developmental agenda that is guided by the Integrated Development Planning (IDP). The IDP process has ensured that the needs of the communities are prioritised and are budgeted for. Hence the approval of the budget is tied to the IDP. Once the IDP is approved by the Council, outcomes and impact must be seen on the ground and this is not happening in most municipalities especially at Emfuleni Local Municipality. The completion of the IDP process is as a result of planning by all departments within a municipality. Once this is done, it is then that the budget is approved. In most cases implementation is the next step that should follow and this is not the case at Emfuleni Local Municipality. Programmes and projects do not reach the completion stage hence service delivery protests. The issue of capacity becomes a critical factor in that municipalities must be able to implement what was planned in the IDP. Currently it seems there are challenges that are caused by capacity problems and political interference in the administrative duties of the administrators. Much as it is admissible that South Africa has undergone political transformation, at the same time it is not excusable to fail when it comes to implementing projects that are planned for. It would seem that capacity challenges are not given proper attention as to whether managers and employees understand what needs to be implemented and how that should be done. Skills and qualifications are the most critical factors that need to be given serious attention when it comes to implementation of programmes and projects. By appointing incompetent people in critical position or politically connected people, the end product or the outcomes thereof are likely to be disastrous as this is revealed by service delivery protests. Project management and financial management skills are very critical when it comes to implementation of any projects. Hence the hypothesis of this study was formulated that due to lack of institutional capacity, Emfuleni Local Municipality was unable to implement the IDP to the satisfactory of the communities that they serve. In support of the empirical research, institutional capacity issues and problems were analysed. The research analysis and outcomes indicate that a majority of the employees used in the sample admit to the fact that lack of skills and political interference as well as misalignment of functions within departments result in the municipality not being able to function to its full capacity. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Institutional Capacity has been a hidden factor that has not been given much attention in the service delivery protests that have seen many residents of the townships taking to the streets. The year 2005 saw the beginning of these protests right up to 2010. South Africa`s Constitution of 1996, has empowered municipalities through the developmental goals set out in chapter 7as well as the Bill of Rights. The Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and the Municipal Finance Management Act of 2003 empowered all the municipalities to embark on a developmental agenda that is guided by the Integrated Development Planning (IDP). The IDP process has ensured that the needs of the communities are prioritised and are budgeted for. Hence the approval of the budget is tied to the IDP. Once the IDP is approved by the Council, outcomes and impact must be seen on the ground and this is not happening in most municipalities especially at Emfuleni Local Municipality. The completion of the IDP process is as a result of planning by all departments within a municipality. Once this is done, it is then that the budget is approved. In most cases implementation is the next step that should follow and this is not the case at Emfuleni Local Municipality. Programmes and projects do not reach the completion stage hence service delivery protests. The issue of capacity becomes a critical factor in that municipalities must be able to implement what was planned in the IDP. Currently it seems there are challenges that are caused by capacity problems and political interference in the administrative duties of the administrators. Much as it is admissible that South Africa has undergone political transformation, at the same time it is not excusable to fail when it comes to implementing projects that are planned for. It would seem that capacity challenges are not given proper attention as to whether managers and employees understand what needs to be implemented and how that should be done. Skills and qualifications are the most critical factors that need to be given serious attention when it comes to implementation of programmes and projects. By appointing incompetent people in critical position or politically connected people, the end product or the outcomes thereof are likely to be disastrous as this is revealed by service delivery protests. Project management and financial management skills are very critical when it comes to implementation of any projects. Hence the hypothesis of this study was formulated that due to lack of institutional capacity, Emfuleni Local Municipality was unable to implement the IDP to the satisfactory of the communities that they serve. In support of the empirical research, institutional capacity issues and problems were analysed. The research analysis and outcomes indicate that a majority of the employees used in the sample admit to the fact that lack of skills and political interference as well as misalignment of functions within departments result in the municipality not being able to function to its full capacity. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Heat exposure causes several physiological and metabolic alterations. Although lipids are vital in sustaining energy production, heat-induced alterations in lipid metabolism have not been clearly established. CHAPTER 1 reviews the known metabolic alterations resulting from heat stress, with a specific focus on changes in whole-body lipid utilization and plasma lipids. CHAPTER 1also outlines the physiological changes caused by heat stress, and their role in reducing exercise performance. The study presented in CHAPTER 2 has shown that, compared to thermoneutral conditions, NEFA concentrations were 37% higher following passive heating and 34% higher following exercise in the heat, without significant changes in whole-body lipid utilization. In addition, the level of hyperthermia attained during passive pre-heating and exercise in the heat resulted in a 13% decrease in total external work and a significantly higher rate of perceived exertion. CHAPTER 3 summarizes the study results and presents the limitations and applications of the study.

The design of pile foundations in conventional geotechnical engineering practice is based on the soil mechanics principles for saturated soils. These approaches are also extended to pile foundations that are placed totally or partially above the ground water table (i.e., vadose zone), where the soil is typically in a state of unsaturated condition. Such approaches lead to unrealistic estimations of the load carrying capacity and the settlement behavior of pile foundations. Some studies were undertaken in recent years to understand the influence of the matric suction towards the bearing capacity of model pile foundations placed in unsaturated fine-grained and coarse-grained soils. The conventional   and methods were modified to interpret the contribution of shaft carrying capacity of single piles in fine-grained soils (e.g., Vanapalli and Taylan 2011, Vanapalli and Taylan 2012). Also, the conventional method has been used to understand the contribution of matric suction towards the shaft resistance in unsaturated sands (Vanapalli et al. 2010). One of the key objectives of the present research study is directed to determine the contribution of matric suction towards the bearing capacity and settlement behavior of model single pile foundations in unsaturated sands. A series of single model pile load tests were performed in a laboratory environment to study the contribution of the matric suction towards the total, shaft, and base bearing capacity of the model piles with three different diameters (i.e., 38.30, 31.75, and 19.25 mm) in two unsaturated sands (i.e., a clean commercial sand and a super fine sand). Hanging column method (i.e., plexi glass water container) was used to control the matric suction values in the compacted sands in the test tank by varying the water table. The results of the testing programs indicate the significant contribution of the matric suction towards the bearing capacity of single model piles (i.e., 2 to 2.5 times of base bearing capacity and 5 times of shaft bearing capacity under unsaturated conditions in comparison with saturated condition). The test results were interpreted successfully by modifying the conventional methods for estimating the pile shaft bearing capacity (i.e., β method) and base bearing capacity (i.e., Terzaghi 1943, Hansen 1970 and Janbu 1976). In addition, semi-empirical methods were proposed for predicting the bearing capacity of single model piles using the effective shear strength parameters (i.e., c' and ϕ') and the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC). There is a good agreement between the measured and the predicted bearing capacity of single model piles using the semi-empirical models proposed in this study. In addition, numerical investigations were undertaken using the commercial finite element analysis program SIGMA/W (Geostudio 2007) to simulate the load-displacement (i.e., p-δ) behavior of the single model piles for the two sands (i.e., clean commercial sand and super fine sand) under saturated and unsaturated conditions. An elastic-perfectly plastic Mohr-Coulomb model that takes into account the influence of the matric suction was used to simulate the load-displacement (i.e., p-δ) behavior. The numerical approach proposed in this thesis is simple and only requires the information of the effective shear strength parameters (i.e., c' and ϕ'), the elastic modulus (i.e., Esat) under saturated conditions, the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC), and the distribution of the matric suction with respect to depth. The approaches proposed in this thesis can be extended to determine the in-situ load carrying capacity of single piles and also simulate the load-displacement (i.e., p-δ) behavior. The studies presented in this thesis are promising and encouraging to study their validity in-situ conditions. Such studies will be valuable to implement the mechanics of unsaturated soils into geotechnical engineering practice.

There is a close relationship between the susceptibility to disease and nutritional state, in the sense that an adequate diet enhances resistance to disease. There is an increasing interest in this beneficial relationship among scientists, food manufacturers and consumers. The trend is moving towards functional foods and their specific health benefits. The results of numerous epidemiological studies and recent clinical trials provide consistent evidence that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. These protective effects are mediated through multiple groups of beneficial nutrients contained in the fruits and vegetables, one of these being polyphenol antioxidants. The intake of the polyphenols plays an important role in the reduction and prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease and cancer, as a consequence of their associated antioxidant properties. Fruits contain an array of polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. Polyphenols may be classified in two broad groups namely: flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Flavonoid subgroups in fruits are further grouped as catechins, anthocyanins, procyanidins and flavonol among others. Phenolic acids occur as hydroxylated derivatives of benzoic acid and cinnarnic acid, and are classified as non-flavonoids. Polyphenols have redox properties allowing them to act as reducing agents, hydrogen donators and singlet oxygen quenchers, and thus contribute to the antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. Because of the numerous beneficial effects attributed to these antioxidants, there is renewed interest in finding vegetal species with high phenolic content and relevant biological activities. In view of the importance of these substances towards health and food chemistry, this study will focus on the polyphenol and Vitamin C characterisation and quantification of an indigenous South African fruit, the Kei-apple (Dovyalis cafra), thought to have antioxidant properties. Due to the fact that polyphenol content influences the colour, taste and possible health benefits of the fruit / processed food product, this study will supply valuable information to industry in choosing the best fruit processing methods to attain the desired end product. The exploitation of indigenous South African fruits (Marula and Kei-apple) is receiving increasing prominence, not only due to their health benefits, but also the opportunities these present to rural based economics. Furthermore, this research will serve as a platform for further research on the Kei-apple and other indigenous South African fruits with possible health benefits. Aims: The overall aim of this study is the quantification and characterisation of various nutritionally important antioxidants (polyphenols and ascorbate) in the Kei-apple fruit in its entirety, as well as in its individual fruit components (peel, flesh and seeds). In addition, the total antioxidant capacity of the entire fruit and the various fruit components will be determined in the unfractionated and fractionated fruit extracts. Gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) characterisation of the individual polyphenol components will also be analyzed in order to speculate on possible specific health benefits which the Kei-apple may possess. Methods: The study was designed to ensure that a representative fruit sample was collected. Approximately 100 kg Kei-apples were picked in the month of November 2004 from the Bloemhof area in South Africa. A sample of 50 fruits was rinsed and separated into the various components (peel, flesh and seeds). An additional 50 fruits were randomly selected, cleaned and used in their entirety for data representative of the entire fruit. The sample extracts were prepared, after being grounded and lyophilized, by a method described by Eihkonen et al. (1999) using 70% aqueous acetone. The C18-fractionation on the fruit and separated fruit components resulted in four fractions containing (1) phenolic acids; (2) procyanidins, catechins and anthocyanin monomers; (3) flavonols and (4) anthocyanin polymers. The total polyphenol content of the fruit and fruit components as well as the above mentioned C18-fractions were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu's method (Singleton & Rossi, 1965). Both free and total ascorbate concentrations in these samples were determined as described by Beutler (1984), in addition to total sugar content of these via standard methods. Apart from their nutritional interest, both these measurements are necessary for the correction of the total polyphenol concentrations. The total antioxidant capacity of the entire fruit and various fruit components was determined by measuring the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the unfractionated and fractionated extracts. Using GC-MS analysis, the various individual polyhenol compounds contributing to the total polyphenol content of the Kei-apple was separated, identified and quantified. This quantitative data was captured and statistically analysed. The analysis of variation was performed using the Tukey Honest Significant Difference test for post-hoc comparison. ORAC, FRAP and polyphenol Pearson correlation analyses were performed using Statistics (Statsoft Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA) with significance set at P ≤ 0.05. Results and discussion: This study determined the presence of various nutritionally important antioxidants (polyphenols and ascorbate), the total antioxidant capacity in the entire fruit as well as in the individual fruit components (peel, flesh and seeds) and their polyphenol sub group fractions. Total phenol content: The Kei-apple, in its entirety, has a polyphenol concentration of 943 ± 20.3 mg GAE/100g dry weight. Comparison of the individual fruit components showed the seeds to have the highest total polyphenol concentration with 1990 ± 31.3 mg GAE/100g dry weight, followed by that of the peel, 1126 ± 45.8 mg GAE/100g dry weight and then that of the flesh, 521 ± 1.01 mg GAE/100g dry weight. Total, L-ascorbic (ASC) and L-dehydroascobic (DHA) concentration: The total ascorbate of Kei-apple fruit is 517 ± 0.92 mg/100g dry weight. In contrast to the polyphenol content, the flesh of the Kei-apple had significantly the highest concentration of total ascorbate 778 ± 1.20 mg/100g dry weight, Gascorbic 241 ± 21.0 mg/100g dry weight, as well as Gdehydroascobic 537 ± 22.2 mg/100g dry weight. The ratio of Lascorbic acidltotal ascorbate for the flesh, entire fruit, peel and seed is 0.31,0.43,0.49,0.95, respectively, indicating the seeds are the most stable source of biologically active Vitamin C, with 95% of the total ascorbate occurring as G ascorbate. This is also in line with the total polyphenol content of these components, confirming a polyphenol sparing effect on ascorbate. C18-fractionation extracts: Solid phase (C18) fractionation of the Kei-apple fruit and fruit components showed that the fruit, peels and seeds consist predominantly of phenolic acids, followed by procyanidin, catechin and anthocyanin monomers and thereafter varying amounts of anthocyanin polymers and flavonols. Antioxidant capacity: The antioxidant capacity of the entire fruit and individual fruit components as determined by ORAC, (r=0.76) and FRAP, (r=0.95) significantly correlated with the total polyphenol content, as well as to each other (r=0.88), indicating both to be good predictors of antioxidant capacity. GC-MS polyphenol characterisation of the Kei-apple: Caffeic acid and hydro-p-coumaric acid were seen to be the phenolic acids occurring in the highest concentrations in the Kei-apple fruit. The majority of these are concentrated in the flesh and in the case of caffeic acid, also in the peel. The order of predominance of other major non-flavonoid components in the whole fruit analysis are m-hydroxybenzoic acid > p-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid > 3-methoxy-4- hydroxyphenylpropionic acid > p-coumaric acid. The peel of the Kei-apple, apart from caffeic acid, has exceptionally high concentrations of ferulic acid and also serves as a source of protocatechuic acid. Syringic acid was most prominent in the seeds. Although the total flavonoid concentration in the Kei-apple was low, taxifolin and catechin were identified and the seeds almost entirely accounting for these. Conclusion: From this study it was concluded the Kei-apple is a rich source of antioxidant compounds (polyphenols and ascorbate), with a strong antioxidant capacity, and hence may be associated with health promotion properties, particularly in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration. Additionally, due to the increased scientific and commercial interest in this fruit, it is essential to take into consideration the various factors (agronomic, genomic, pre- and post harvest condition and processing) and tissues. This might affect the chemical composition of the final marketed product, which may play a significant role in determining the polyphenol and ascorbate composition and bioactivity of these compounds during food processing procedures. Hence, the polyphenol composition of the various fruit components should be taken into consideration when selecting a method of fruit processing into the desired end product. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Recent advances in methods to increase network utilization have lead to the introduction of a relatively new method called Network Coding. Network Coding is a method that can reduce local congestion in a network by combining information sent over the network. It is commonly researched in the information theory field after it was first introduced by Ahlswede et al in 2000. Network Coding was proven in 2003, by Koetter & Medard to be the only way to achieve the throughput capacity defined by the Min cut Max flow theorem of Shannon. It was applied deterministically in wired networks and randomly in wireless networks. Random Network Coding however requires a lot of overhead and may cause possible delays in the network. We found that there is an open question as to determine where in a wireless network, Network Coding can be implemented. In this thesis we propose to find opportunities for the implementation of Network Coding, by searching for known deterministic Network Coding topologies in larger Networks. Because a known topology is used, we will then also know how Network Coding should be implemented. This method of finding opportunities for the implementation of Network Coding using topology can be combined with a routing algorithm to improve the utilization of a wireless network. We implemented our method on three different topologies and searched 1000 random networks for the presence of these topologies. We found that these topologies occurred frequently enough to make our method a viable method of finding opportunities for the implementation of Network Coding. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Computer and Electronical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This thesis explores the relationship between international war crimes tribunals and peacebuilding in post-conflict societies. The aim of the present study was to examine how the role and function of international tribunals has changed since the establishment of the Nuremberg tribunal in the early years after World War II. Due to the evolving nature of international law and the international criminal legal system, international tribunals have become increasingly recognized as an integral component of peacebuilding processes in the aftermath of conflict. As the first international tribunal mandated to restore international peace and security, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) set a new precedent for international tribunals. Beginning with its establishment, there appeared to be a new trend of using international judicial mechanisms to promote peace and reconciliation in the aftermath of conflict. One important element of change was the increased tendency of international tribunals to engage in public outreach and help build the capacity of national justice sector institutions. As the first international tribunal to succeed the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals and the first UN tribunal of its kind, the ICTY has shown the extent to which international tribunals facilitate societal reconciliation is, and will be, understood within the context of the legacies they leave behind. Institutions such as the ICTY will not be judged solely on the merits of the ideals on which they were established, but instead on their concrete successes in the domestic arena and their ability to fortify domestic judicial capacity.

Sweeping public sector reforms have occurred globally in recent decades. One of the more high profile and contentious strategies pursued in jurisdictions such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and more recently Canada is the radical shift to public-private infrastructure partnerships - commonly referred to in Canada as ‘P3s’. The Government of British Columbia (BC) has emerged as the leading proponent of the P3 model in Canada. The strategic shift in BC to the P3 model was introduced in 2002 by the governing Liberal party. The Liberals created Partnerships BC to spearhead the P3 program, and singled out the healthcare sector to move forward the P3 agenda. The dynamics of delivering a complex and unfamiliar business model like P3s through this new public agency, combined with the unique ecology of the healthcare system, added to the complexity of delivering a central government mandated strategic policy priority like a P3-first agenda, making for a robust case study. Focusing on the issue of public sector capacity to implement policy, this study examines how BC has transitioned from traditional procurement and operation of public infrastructure such as hospitals to the wide-spread use of P3s. The study asks questions about three independent variables of capacity related to implementation of P3 and other cross-cutting programs: governance and oversight; human resources; and, inter-agency collaboration within the public sector. Drawn from an extensive review of scholarly studies and literature, and government and consultant reports examining actual infrastructure P3 experiences and exemplary practices, these variables formed the basis of the study’s analytical model. The study employed the following multi-method (triangulation) research and data collection approach: i) an archival review of text-based government documents; ii) interviews with key public employees either directly or indirectly involved in P3 program implementation; and, iii) field observations of the principal researcher based on first-hand experiences as a senior manager in the BC government during this period. Based on the analytical model developed, the study reveals a capacity deficit in BC to adequately plan and implement a comprehensive P3 program. Based on the literature, the model establishes that central agencies play a critical role in an effective P3 policy program. So what is most noteworthy is the lack of resources and attention given to developing central agency capacity to: advance sound P3 policies; ensure ongoing program oversight and accountability; and, provide necessary guidance and support to agencies tasked with implementing very complex P3 arrangements in a multi-agency domain. For practitioners, the study validates key elements of capacity to be considered when planning and implementing major shifts in public policy. The literature review and the study’s findings also have relevance for the public administration profession through the development of the analytical framework and its application to an important contemporary public policy area. As a contribution to scholarly and academic research, this paper tests the validity and reliability of the analytical model developed and the overall methodology used, and identifies significant areas that merit further study related to the broader phenomenon of P3s and public sector capacity. / Graduate / 0617 Public Administration / mauricer@uvic.ca

CHDS State/Local / This thesis addresses the role of the emergency department in planning for mass casualties during an emergency. The demand on hospital emergency departments has stretched the capacity for normal operations beyond their original design. Hospital surge capacity is not only complex, but affects every hospital emergency department in the country. Factors, such as hospital bed capacity, surge levels, staffing and the use of volunteers in time of emergency, all play a critical role in the ability and accessibility of the hospital to react during times of need. The recommendations provided are based on the analysis of county, state and federal plans along with case studies that provide a varied approach to emergency preparedness and the role of the hospital, focus on some of the facets of preparedness and the immediate need for emergency planning, training/exercising and communication in hospitals across America, and specifically, in hospitals in South Carolina.