This study concerns the design and implementation of an instructional model that was intended to explicate students' alternate conceptions of dynamics and transform them into a conceptual set which more closely approximates Newtonian conceptions of dynamics. The design of this instructional model has employed Frame Theory as the basis for the development of an analytical clue structure that was used to describe students' alternate conceptions of dynamics and track any changes to these conceptions as the lesson sequence progressed. In addition, this instructional model has attempted to utilize discordant event demonstrations as the catalyst required to initiate transformations of the alternate conceptions of dynamics held by students. Data for this study have been collected within an operational science classroom by video taping a series of lessons that dealt with the dynamics of linear acceleration and deceleration, and uniform motion. These data were subsequently reduced to lesson transcripts which were then analyzed, using the clue structure, for student conceptual data. These data were then reconstructed into conceptual frames that represented individual and collective student interpretations of force/motion events both before and after the demonstration of the discordant events. 'Before and after' comparisons were then made of these frames in order to determine if any conceptual transformation had occurred. Results from this study have indicated that a majority of students that took an active role in these classes explained the motion of objects, both before and after instruction, using a 'motion implies a force' set of conceptions. This study also found that the explication and representation of student conceptions of dynamics could be successfully accomplished by using the analytical clue structure to reconstruct transcript data into student interpretational frames of motion. Comparisons of the interpretational frames that students were employing before the demonstration of specific, discordant events with those frames that were being employed after these events indicated that use of discordant events to initiate conceptual transformation was only minimally successful. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

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Introduction: The prevalence of bad perceived health status and depression, their sociodemographic determinants (education level, employment status, relative household income, race, age and gender) and the modifying effect of depression on PHS have been investigated among a cohort of young adults using data from the South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) waves 1-5. South Africa is a middle-income country, with very high levels of socioeconomic inequality and a history of apartheid. Both depression and PHS tend to be affected by socio-demographic and environmental factors. Methods: Depression was measured using the CES-D-10 scale and PHS was measured on a 5- point likert scale ranging from excellent to poor. A binary version of PHS was generated which groups the categories excellent, very good and good into good and the categories poor and fair into bad PHS. Descriptive analysis and Mixed Effects Regression analysis were conducted. MER is appropriate for unbalanced panels as this method is robust to irregularly spaced measurements. Results: A high prevalence of depression was found in the study with about 13%-20% of the cohort being depressed at each wave. Surprisingly, a low level of bad PHS has been found in the cohort with less than 5% of the young adults having bad PHS at all waves. Completion of secondary and tertiary education and being employed have been found to significantly lower the odds of being depressed and increase the chances of having good PHS. Africans were significantly more likely to be depressed, as compared to other racial groups. Finally, being depressed was found to reduce the likelihood of good PHS. Discussion: Education level completed and being employed have been found to significantly protect individuals from being depressed and to increase the likelihood of good PHS. In post-apartheid South Africa, the effects of inequalities arising from apartheid social and economic policies are still present with Africans being found more likely to be depressed.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate and describe components of pricing system which influence the dynamic performance of a price leader manufacturing firm in an oligopoly capital intensive industry producing an identical intermediate product (s). The synthetic fibre industry is chosen as an illustrative case upon which the discussion is built. However, this work could generally be applied to a wide variety of organizations and situations. After discussing the suitability of system dynamics to the formulation of long-run pricing strategy, a model of the pricing system is constructed by using this technique. The behaviour of this system is examined in terms of feedback loops. That is to illustrate how the characteristics of these loops and the interaction among them affect the dynamic behaviour of the system, and how this behaviour can be improved via changing the components of these loops and/or their structures. The improved system is simulated under different external disturbances, certain parameter changes, and different pricing control policies. The simulation shows that the design of a set of robust pricing policies makes the system insensitive to external disturbance and error in parameters. It also shows that the ability of the firm to attain its growth and profitability objectives is affected by the chosen control pricing policies. Some potential applications of the model, particularly, as planning and training tools are highlighted. It is concluded that System Dynamics is an appropriate approach to the formulation of the long-run pricing strategies.

Magister Commercii - MCom / There have been many studies focussing on informal sector in South Africa in the last 25 years. This paper adds to the wealth of research that has been conducted in this field. It examines the linkages between the formal sector and informal sector, and how they interact with each other. The study uses probit models and fixed effects models to investigate how variables such as age, education and skill level affect employability and income in the labour market. This paper uses two data sets: wave 1 to wave 5 panel data of the 2008-2016 National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) to investigate the nature of the formal sector and the informal sector in South Africa. To study the linkages between the firms in the formal and informal sector, it uses the eThekwini Large and Medium Manufacturing Firm Survey dataset collected in 2013/2014.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate and describe components of pricing system which influence the dynamic performance of a price leader manufacturing firm in an oligopoly capital intensive industry producing an identical intermediate product (s). The synthetic fibre industry is chosen as an illustrative case upon which the discussion is built. However, this work could generally be applied to a wide variety of organizations and situations. After discussing the suitability of system dynamics to the formulation of long-run pricing strategy, a model of the pricing system is constructed by using this technique. The behaviour of this system is examined in terms of feedback loops. That is to illustrate how the characteristics of these loops and the interaction among them affect the dynamic behaviour of the system, and how this behaviour can be improved via changing the components of these loops and/or their structures. The improved system is simulated under different external disturbances, certain parameter changes, and different pricing control policies. The simulation shows that the design of a set of robust pricing policies makes the system insensitive to external disturbance and error in parameters. It also shows that the ability of the firm to attain its growth and profitability objectives is affected by the chosen control pricing policies. Some potential applications of the model, particularly, as planning and training tools are highlighted. It is concluded that System Dynamics is an appropriate approach to the formulation of the long-run pricing strategies.

Thesis focuses on designing concert hall in the city of Brno in a district called Brno-město. The main space is the concert hall with 540 seats. The aim was to design a representative building which fulfills all requirements for this typographic public building and where the linkage of beauty and functionality is undeniable a part of the proposal.The proposal is trying to connect architecture with music together. This was achieved by designing dynamic façade with segments which are rhythmically in a movement. The character of the concert hall is stressed by artwork by Alexander Caldera at the main entrance. The emphasis has been put on preserving conceptual idea in the final design since the beginning.

L’élucidation des interactions non-covalentes des complexes biologiques revêt d’une importance majeure dans la compréhension du fonctionnement cellulaire. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est d’approfondir les développements de la spectrométrie de masse (MS) pour l’étude de ces complexes, que ce soit par MALDI-MS (la désorption-ionisation laser assistée par matrice) ou par ESI-MS (l’ionisation électrospray). Ce travail s’est articulé autour de trois axes : i) étude de la stœchiométrie et de la topologie du complexe SAGA HAT (Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acétyltransferase, module Histone Acétyl Transferase) par pontage chimique couplé à la MS ; ii) suivi de la dimérisation des complexes formés par RAR-RXR (récepteur de l’acide rétinoïque - récepteur X des rétinoïdes) avec différents ADNs ; iii) mesure de la constante de dissociation des complexes RXR-ligand. Les méthodologies développées ont permis de repousser le potentiel de la MS et d’obtenir des informations structurales des complexes biologiques. / Elucidation of non-covalent interactions of biological complexes takes on great importance for the understanding of cellular function. The purpose of this thesis is a further development of mass spectrometry (MS) for the study of these complexes, either by MALDI-MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization) or by ESI-MS (electrospray ionization). This work was focused on three main lines: i) study of the stoichiometry and the topology of SAGA HAT (Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase, Histone Acetyl Transferase module) complex by chemical cross-linking coupled to MS; ii) monitoring the dimerization of the complexes formed by RAR-RXR (retinoic acid receptor - retinoid X receptor) with different DNAs; iii) measuring the dissociation constant of RXR-ligand complexes. The developed methodologies made it possible to expand the potential of MS and get insight into structure of biological complexes.