Thesis (MTech (Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / This study explores the possibilities of using design interventions in mitigating crime. The study employs the Design Against Crime (DAC) philosophy in dealing with crime, which provides a holistic perspective regarding crimeand related issues.High crime levels in South Africa necessitate alternative approaches to dealing with crime, as it is becoming evident that the old strategies that have been utilised are not providing the desired effects.The focus is on the emergence of crime amongst youth at risk, living in communities-in-tension and more specifically,the Bridgetown community near Cape Town. Communities which constitute the lower socio-economic income level, usually suffer the most with regards to crime. The effects of crime negatively influence the development of the community, allowing the cycle of poverty and crime to continue. If the cycle of crime can be broken in these communities, development may take place which will strengthen them in a number of ways, including their standing in society. In order to gain a better understanding of the crime situation in South Africa, the study investigates the country‘s crime history and its widespread effects on society today. The research also looks at other factors such as personal and environmental settings that inform an individual‘s decision to commit crime. Delinquency and its results are also explored. The theoretical lens used in the study is that of Socially Responsible Design (SRD), with DAC as a subsection.SRDlooks at providing solutions to societal problems from a holistic point of view. The study uses a qualitative approach which focuses on people in real life situations,allowing the researcher to gain insight into what motivates people in their specific circumstances. The participants involved in the study are members of the Bridgetown community, youth from that community and theReconstructed Living Labs (RLabs) team, who were previously involved in crime. The researcher sought the views of experts in the field with regards to crime alleviation in communities such as Bridgetown. This research study concludes that opportunities exist forholistic and multi-faceted deployment of DAC strategies in that community to ameliorate crime, when these strategies targetyouth at risk.

A relação entre transferência de lipídeos, idade e aterogênese são complexas e ainda não estão claras. É possível que a troca de lipídeos esteja alterada com a avançar da idade e relacionada com a Doença Arterial Coronariana (DAC). O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a hipótese se em indivíduos mais jovens a habilidade da HDL de receber lipídeos é diferente de indivíduos mais velhos com e sem a evidência clínica da DAC. Dentro desses aspectos, foram determinados o diâmetro da partícula desta lipoproteína, a atividade da Paraoxonase (PON1) e sua capacidade de receber lipídeos. Para tanto, foram estudados 86 indivíduos divididos em quatro grupos: adulto jovem (25±4), meia-idade (42±8), idosos sem evidência clínica de DAC (75±6) e idosos com DAC (74±5). Uma nanoemulsão artificial rica em colesterol (LDE) marcada com 3H-TG e 14C-CL ou 3H-CE e 14C-FL foi incubada com plasma. Após a precipitação de outras lipoproteínas, o sobrenadante contendo HDL foi separado e em seguida, medida a radioatividade. O diâmetro da HDL foi medido por laser scattering (nm). Foram constatadas diferenças significativas entre as taxas de transferência de 3H-éster de colesterol (CE) entre os grupos: adulto jovem (3.7±1.0%); meia idade (4.1 ±0.7%) e idosos (5.3±1.8%);p= 0.024. Também ocorreu diferença entre as taxas de transferência do 14C-fosfolipídeo (FL): adulto jovem (18.7±4.6%), meia idade (18.3 ±4.0%) e idosos (20.6±5.3); p=0.0368. Com relação ao tamanho das partículas de HDL, foi encontrada diferença entre os grupos: os grupos adulto jovem (8.9± 0.3nm) e meia idade (8.9± 0.3nm) apresentaram menores diâmetros de HDL quando comparados ao do grupo de idosos sem evidência clínica da DAC (9.7± 1.6);p= 0,0444. As transferências de lipídeos foram expressas em % de radioatividade. A idade correlacionou-se positivamente com a taxa de transferência do 3H- éster de colesterol (r=0.3365; p=0.0036), com a concentração de colesterol total (r=0.4965; p=0.0001) e com a concentração de HDL colesterol (r=0.3559; p=0.0023). Também houve correlação positiva com o tamanho de HDL (r=0.3695; p=0.0013). Em princípio, os indivíduos idosos sem evidência clínica da DAC, aparentemente têm alguma proteção contra a mesma. Desse modo, com o intuito de saber se os resultados encontrados no presente trabalho sustentam a afirmação acima, foi realizada a comparação desse grupo com um grupo de idosos que apresentavam a DAC. O grupo com DAC apresentou menor tamanho de partícula de HDL (8,7±0,7). As taxas de transferência de 3H-CE e de 14C-FL também foram menores neste grupo (3H-CE=3,1 ±2,3 e 3H-TG= 5,1 ±1 ,6). Devido ao importante papel antiaterogênico da HDL, esses resultados podem ser relevantes para estabelecer novos mecanismos existentes entre os aspectos qualitativos dessa lipoproteína, o avanço da idade e a presença da DAC. / The relationship between transfer of lipids, age and atherogenesis are complex and yet unclear and is possible that the shift of lipids to HDL may be altered by the aging process and related with coronary artery disease (CAD). We tested the hypothesis whether in younger patients the ability of HDL to receive lipids is different from that of elderly patients with or without CAD. Inside of these aspects, the HDL size, the activity of Paraoxonase (PON1) and its capacity to receive lipids was determined. It was studied, 25 younger, 25 middle age, 36 elderly patients with a coronariography and/or a perfusion scintilography on the last 6 months (11 with CAD, 74±5 yo; and 25 patients without proved CAD, 75±6 yo). An artificial cholesterol-rich nanoemulsion labeled with 3H-TG and 14C-FC or H-CE and 14C-PL was incubated, per 1 hour, with plasma. After chemical precipitation of apoB-containing lipoproteins and the nanoemulsion, the supernatant containing HDL was counted for radioactivity. The HDL diameter was measured by laser-light-scattering. Transfer of CE and PL to HDL was smaller in young patients than in the elderly patients without CAD, but the transfer of the other lipids are equal (CE: young= 3.7±1.0%; middle age= 4.1 ±0.7%; elderly without CAD= 5.3±1.8%; p= 0.024 and PL: young= 18.7±4.6%; middle age= 18.3 ±4.0%; elderly without CAD= 20.6±5.3; p=0.0368). The HDL size was greater in elderly group without CAD (9.7± 1.6nm) than in younger (8.9± 0.3nm) and middle age patients (8.9± 0.3nm); p=0,0444. Transfer of lipids to HDL was expressed as % of total incubated radioactivity. The age positively correlated with the transfer of CE (r=0.3365; p=0.0036), with the total cholesterol concentration (r=0.4965; p=0.0001) and with the HDL concentration cholesterol (r=0.3559; p=0.0023). Also had positive correlation with the size of HDL (; p=0.0013). In principle, the aged patients without CAD, have some protection against the same one. In this aspect, with intention to know if the results found in the present work support the affirmation above, was compared this group with a group of aged that presented the CAD. Comparing elderly patients without CAD with elderly patients with CAD, the transfer of CE and FL as well as HDL size was smaller in the CAD group (CE=3.1±2.3 and TG= 5.1±1.6; 8.7±0.7nm). Due to HDL important antiatherogenic roles, this result can be relevant to establish new mechanisms and risk factors in aging and in CAD.

This work deals with the automatic testing of an ultrasonic gas leak detector, which has to be tested during normal changes in the development phase. The reader will be acquainted with the basic principles of gas detection, design of the test product, software architecture its implementation. The following is a presentation of the application and instructions for writing tests. In this work, the Beaglebone Black development board with the Debian operating system is used as the core of the entire test product.

This project deals with possibilities of using the software defined radio conception for radio amateur use in a short wave band and its subsequent implementation into properly designed hardware. The aim of this work is to design a transceiver that would be capable of working in AM, FM, SSB, and CW modes. Within a theoretical part of the project the architectures of software defined radios and their components are discussed. This part was focused mainly on analog parts of the chain, such as amplifiers, filters and converters. Signal processing algorithms for both receiver and transmitter working in desired modes are studied subsequently and their computer models are built. Designed algorithms are implemented into FPGA structure (Virtex -5).

Master’s thesis is focused on design of digitally controllable power-supply for generating current pulses with nominal level (few amperes), adjustable rising slope and time of duration. Device uses voltage controlled current source. Control voltage is generated by digital to analog converter. Computer simulations are accomplished for designed electronic circuit and measurement of prototype is done as well.

New Public Management has been the prevailing governance model in public sector administration since the late 1980s. In 2005, OECD-DAC member states adopted the resultsbased management model ‘Paris Agenda for Aid Effectiveness’, building on new public management theory and values. The aim was to achieve more effective aid by coordinatingand harmonising donor efforts, aligning development interventions and funding, supporting national ownership and propelling a result- and accountability culture by demonstrating achievements.Despite its worthy ambitions the Aid Effectiveness Agenda has paradoxically failed todeliver on its own outcomes. The results-based management framework underpinning theagenda has proven to be highly complex in methodology, interpretation and application. The framework is laborious and burdensome, diverting time from ‘ordinary’ work and risking a bureaucratization of the development aid sector. The ‘measurement fever’ has grippeddonors and agencies alike, and is now mainly driven by donors’ domestic accountability concerns, rather than the real needs of developing countries. More alarmingly, it has not onlyhad numerous unintended consequences but also outright adverse effects. This in turnen dangers long-term human development.This study sets out to explore to what extent the results-based management framework, based on new public management theory, has been a suitable management model to achieve aid effectiveness in the development aid sector. It departs from the governance theories of Denhardt and Denhardt (2000) and assesses whether New Public Service couldbe a fitting alternative governance model. The study utilizes the realist review methodology,specifically the CMO-configuration, in order to explore how context and mechanisms interact and how this affects the outcome. This study has through its aggregative and configurativeambition explored 26 scholarly articles in the time frame of 2011 to 2021 in order to draw conclusions.The review has found that the results-based management framework does not support the underlying theory of change that is imperative to achieve the Aid Effectiveness Agenda.Contextual factors are found to impede implementation, although due to being under research edit is difficult to determine to what extent. Further, none of the five mechanisms ofthe Paris Declaration can neither fully nor partially be said to contribute to ‘aid effectiveness’as defined in the Aid Effectiveness Agenda. Rather, the review has found that the literatureall point to numerous adverse effects of its implementation.This study concludes that the New Public Service governance model, at least intheory, could prove to be a more suitable management model for the development aidsector. Since the sector is neither linear nor predictable as the business sector for whichthe framework was developed, it is not surprising that adverse effects abound. Especiallysince the development aid sector is highly complex with a multitude of actors, politicalincentives and not least challenging implementational environments. In contrast, New Public Service places the citizen at the centre and aspire at buildingdemocratic citizenship and community through citizen participation and dialogue. Such analternative governance model built on democratic theory and participative epistemologyhas the potential to democratize governance practices by replacing the vertical top-downprincipal-agent dynamics of new public management with more horizontal forms of citizeninvolvement, co-determination and mutual accountability. New Public Service stresses the‘serving not steering’ aspect of governance, which would open up for a more authenticdiscourse of recipients owning development in their own society and setting the direction.No systematic review has previously been carried out to assess governance models inrelation to achieving the Aid Effectiveness Agenda. In fact, there is very little research onwhat has worked or not regarding the agenda. This thesis sets out to fill this gap and tocontribute to the discussion of governance models on a theoretical level. It is also anempirical contribution to applied development management regarding insights about whatcontexts and mechanisms affect aid effectiveness.

Wireless communication technologies continue to evolve to meet the demand for increased data throughput. To achieve higher data throughput one approach is to increase the bandwidth. One problem related to very large bandwidths is the implementation of digital-to-analog converters with sampling rates roughly in the 5 to 20 GHz range. Traditionally, current-steering data converters have been the go-to choice but their linearity suffers at higher frequencies. An alternative to the current-steering digital-to-analog converter is the voltage-mode digital-to-analog converter, which is an attractive option for integration into digital intensive application-specific integrated circuits due to its digital-in-nature architecture. In this thesis, a resistive voltage-mode digital-to-analog converter with an integrated low-dropout voltage regulator is proposed for a sampling rate of 16 GSps. The proposed resistive voltage-mode digital-to-analog converter with an output impedance matched to a 100 Ω load, achieves a spurious-free dynamic range of 64 dBc and intermodulation distortion of 66 dBc for output frequencies up to 5.5 GHz in the worst process corner.

High-speed digital-to-analog converters are critical components in many radiofrequency (RF) applications. The resistive DAC (RDAC) architecture is suitable for high-speed implementation in extremely scaled digital circuit nodes. An RDAC core can be implemented as a resistance network and a digital block, consisting of inverters as drivers to the resistive network. One disadvantage of the architecture is the input code-dependent supply current. Combined with a non-zero supply network impedance, the code-dependent current will introduce non-linearity in the output voltage. One way to circumvent the problem is to use a high-performance voltage regulator, which counteracts the voltage variation in the impedance in the RDAC supply network. In this thesis work, two alternative solutions are investigated; Compensation with another signal-dependent impedance in parallel with the RDAC core to reduce the impedance variations and a digital predistorter (DPD) which corrects the non-linearities of RDAC output voltage. The investigated techniques can be used for improving the linearity of an RDAC in certain cases. The current compensation technique works best at low frequencies, while the DPD can be used for all frequencies to relax requirements on routing resistance or voltage regulation design.

Czech foreign development cooperation represents important part of the Czech foreign policy. It also demonstrates adoption of its own part of responsibility for resolution of current global problems. Together with becoming part of organisations such as European Union or Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development importance of Czech foreign development cooperation is growing. Next to the main goal which is reduction of poverty in third-world countries, development cooperation has also another goals: it is also contributing to construction of good relations with developing countries and it helps ensure economic, security and environmental interests of the Czech republic. Current system of the Czech foreign development cooperation has grown up from the foundations, which have been lawn before 1989. From that time Czech Republic has made a great effort to improve its system of development cooperation and become an effective and responsible donor. As a key step in the direction of desired changes can be considered process of transformation of the Czech foreign development cooperation, initiated in 2007. Transformation was officially crowned when the Fundamentals documents were adopted. These documents present the Conception of the Czech foreign development cooperation and the Law (Act) of the...

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