The relationship between politics and ontology has long been a troubled one for geography. More recently, the emergence of affect theory has complicated things even further by introducing a new set of frequently vague concepts into the already cluttered theoretical field of critical geography. This dissertation collects six articles that endeavor to develop the groundwork for establishing a continuum between affect, politics, and ontology. Specifically, it argues that not only is affect a politically rich area for approaching ontology, but, further, it is particularly well suited for addressing difference and radical politics. It proceeds by developing a series of concepts that animate a politically driven ontology of difference, namely: A) becoming and bordering in the context of border studies; B) a flat ontology as a fix for the debilitating transcendence of scale theory; C) an animation of a Nollywood as a 'site' based upon the flat ontological critique of scale; D) a politics of confusion that isolates the workings of affect in relation to the State and in direct action; E) a psycho-pragmatism that checks studies of affect and nonrepresentational theory against the analytic determinism that attends their developing methodologies; and F) the notions of fidelity and affinity as they get articulated through to the State and political subjectivity.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe analizuojama prilydomos stogo dangos susiklijavimo kokybė atsižvelgiant į tai, kiek laiko buvo kaitinama danga. Bandymams atlikti buvo naudojama UAB „Gargždų Mida“ danga. Iš dangos rulono buvo išpjauti bandiniai kurių ilgis ir plotis 15 ir 10 cm. Buvo numatyta, kad eksperimento metu bandiniai bus kaitinami nuo 1 sekundės iki 15, tačiau pasiekus 9 sekundžių kaitinimo ribą bandinys vos nesuirdavo, todėl daugiau laiko kaitinti buvo atsisakyta. Darbe išanalizuotos sutapdintų stogų rūšys, įvertinti kiekvienos rūšies privalumai ir trūkumai. Išnagrinėtos jų technologijos bei išryškinti veiksniai, labiausiai darantys įtaką būsimojo stogo sandarumui. Išanalizuoti sutapdintų stogų defektai, jų atsiradimo priežastys. Išnagrinėjus sutapdintų stogų technologijas ir pratekėjimo vietų nustatymo metodus, pateikiamos baigiamojo darbo išvados. Darbą sudaro 8 dalys: įvadas, darbo tikslas, terminai ir apibrėžimai, stogų būklės analizė, sutapdintų stogų plokštumos sandarumo būklės analizė, ritininių stogo dangų įrengimas, ypatumai bei reikalavimai, prilydomosios stogo dangos klijavimo ypatumai, dangos prijungimo prie parapetų ir skardos paviršių ilgalaikis tyrimas, dangos prisiklijavimo ploto tyrimas atsižvelgiant į kaitinimo laiką, išvados, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 60 p. teksto, 39 pav., 10 lent., 55 bibliografiniai šaltiniai. / This job contains an analysis of welded roof covering joints and joints between wooden, metal, and cemented surfaces. All tested samples was made from roof covering material of “Gargždu Mida“ and „Ico Pal“. During experiments was investigated glued intersection among two roof coverings and among cover-base surface. It was showed that the quality of welded intersection depend on the time of heating the roof cover bottom layer. Optimal heating time is about 9 seconds, because in this time period we can reach maximum welded intersection without damaging the covering material inner structure. There is done the analysis of technology for flat roofs, the main factors are selected, which influence tightness of roofs. The analysis of shortcomings of roofs and its reasons is presented. The conclusions are presented, after analysis of technologies of flat roofs and method to determine the glued section of coverings. Structure: introduction, the objective, main concepts, flat roofs, , analysis of state of flat roofs, analysis of flat of roofs, ,created new method to determine the glued section, conclusions, references. Thesis consists of: 56p. text, 40 pictures, 10 tables, 55 bibliographical entries. Keywords: flat roof, effusion places, method analysis, flat tightness, roofing defects.

One goal of music theory is to describe the resources of a pitch system. Traditionally, the study of pitch intervals was done using frequency ratios of the powers of small integers. Modern mathematical music theory offers an independent way of understanding the pitch system by considering intervals as transformations. This thesis takes advantage of the historical emergence of algebraic structures in musicology and, in the spirit of transformational theory, treats operations that form mathematical groups. Aspects of Neo-Riemannian theory are explored and developed, in particular the T/I and PLR groups as dual. Pitch class spaces, such as 12, can also be defined as torsors. In addition to surveying the group theoretical tools for music analysis, this thesis provides detailed proofs of many claims that are proposed but seldom supported.

The use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as an alternate to steel has proved to be an effective solution to the corrosion problem. However, FRP bars have low axial and transverse stiffness compared to steel bars which results in a lower shear capacity of FRP reinforced concrete (RC) elements compared to steel-RC elements. Flat plate systems are commonly used to take advantages of the absence of beams. They, however, are susceptible to punching shear failure where the column suddenly punches through the slab. An experimental program was conducted to investigate the punching shear behaviour of slab-column edge connections. Nine isolated full-scale slab-column edge connections were constructed and tested to failure. One connection was reinforced with steel flexural reinforcement, six with GFRP flexural reinforcement and two with GFRP flexural and shear reinforcement. The parameters investigated were the flexural reinforcement type and ratio, the moment-to-shear ratio and the shear reinforcement spacing.

This work develops a one dimensional, slab geometry, multigroup collision probability code named Oklo which solves both criticality calculations and fixed source problems. The code uses the classical collision probabilities approach where the first flight collision probabilities are calculated analytically for void, reflected and periodic boundary conditions. The code has been verified against analytical criticality benchmark test sets from Los Alamos National Laboratory, which have been used to verify MCNP amongst other codes. The results from the code show a good agreement with the benchmark test sets for the critical systems presented in this report. The results from the code also match the infinite multiplication factors k and average scalar flux ratios for infinite multiplicative systems from the benchmark test sets. The criticality results and the fixed source results from the Oklo code have been compared with criticality results and fixed source results from a discrete ordinates code and the results for both types of problems show a good agreement with the results from the discrete ordinates code as we increase the N for the discreet ordinates code. / Thesis (M.Sc. Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The genotoxicity of energetic compounds (i.e., explosives) that are known to be present in contaminated soils at military training sites has not been extensively investigated. Thus, the Salmonella mutagenicity and Muta(TM)Mouse assays were employed as in vitro assays to examine the mutagenic activity of twelve explosive compounds, as well as three soil samples from Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. Salmonella analyses employed strains TA98 (frameshift mutations) and TA100 (base-pair substitution mutations), as well as the metabolically-enhanced YG1041 (TA98 background) and YG1042 (TA100 background), with and without exogenous metabolic activation (S9). For Salmonella analyses, the results indicate that ten of the explosive compounds were mutagenic, and consistently elicited direct-acting, base-pair substitution activity. All three soil samples were also observed to be mutagenic, eliciting direct-acting, frameshift activity. Mutagenic potencies were significantly higher on the metabolically-enhanced strains for all compounds and soil samples. For Muta(TM)Mouse analyses on FE1 cells, the results indicate that the majority of explosive compounds did not exhibit mutagenic activity. All three soil samples elicited significant positive responses (PET 1 and PET 3 without S9, and PET 2 with S9), and although there is some evidence of a concentration-related trend, the responses were weak. Correspondence of the mutagenic activity observed with the two assay systems, for both the explosive compounds and soil samples, was negligible. The differential response is likely due to differences in metabolic capacity between the two assay systems. Furthermore, it is likely that there are unidentified compounds present in these soil samples that are, at least in part, responsible for the observed mutagenic activity. Additional testing of other explosive compounds, as well as soil samples from other military training sites, using a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays, is warranted in order to reliably estimate mutagenic hazard and subsequently assess risk to human health.

This work develops a one dimensional, slab geometry, multigroup collision probability code named Oklo which solves both criticality calculations and fixed source problems. The code uses the classical collision probabilities approach where the first flight collision probabilities are calculated analytically for void, reflected and periodic boundary conditions. The code has been verified against analytical criticality benchmark test sets from Los Alamos National Laboratory, which have been used to verify MCNP amongst other codes. The results from the code show a good agreement with the benchmark test sets for the critical systems presented in this report. The results from the code also match the infinite multiplication factors k and average scalar flux ratios for infinite multiplicative systems from the benchmark test sets. The criticality results and the fixed source results from the Oklo code have been compared with criticality results and fixed source results from a discrete ordinates code and the results for both types of problems show a good agreement with the results from the discrete ordinates code as we increase the N for the discreet ordinates code. / Thesis (M.Sc. Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Virtual knot theory, introduced by Kauffman, is a generalization of classical knot theory of interest because its finite-type invariant theory is potentially a topological interpretation of Etingof and Kazhdan's theory of quantization of Lie bi-algebras. Classical knots inject into virtual knots}, and flat virtual knots is the quotient of virtual knots which equates the real positive and negative crossings, and in this sense is complementary to classical knot theory within virtual knot theory. We classify flat virtual tangles with no closed components and give bases for its ``infinitesimal'' algebras. The classification of the former can be used as an invariant on virtual tangles with no closed components and virtual braids. In a subsequent paper, we will show that the infinitesimal algebras are the target spaces of any universal finite-type invariants on the respective variants of the flat virtual tangles.

Solar assisted single-stage absorption heat pump (AHP) was used to supply energy to a floor-heating system by using the exergy methods. An existing duplex-house,in Ankara, with a heating load of 25.5 kW was analysed. Heating loads of the spaces in the building were calculated and a floor heating panel was modelled for each space leading to the capacity of the AHP before it was designed. Solar energy was delivered to the evaporator and high temperature heat input delivered to the genarator are met by auxiliary units operating with natural gas.The solar energy gained by flat-plate collectors was circulated through AHP.The anaysis performed according to the storage tank temperature reference value if the water temperature leaving the storage tank exceeds a predetermined value it is directly circulated through the floor heating system. Exergue analysis were carried out with Mathcad program. Exergy analysis showed that irreversibility have an impact on absorption system performance.This study indicated which components in the system need to be improved thermally.A design procedure has been applied to a water-lithium-bromide absorption heat pump cycle and an optimisation procedure that consists of determinig the enthalpy, entropy ,exergy, temperature, mass flow rate in each component and coeficient of performance and exergetic coefficient of performance has been performed and tabulated.

Machine downtime, whether planned or unplanned, is intuitively costly to manufacturing organisations, but is often very difficult to quantify. The available literature showed that costing processes are rarely undertaken within manufacturing organisations. Where cost analyses have been undertaken, they generally have only valued a small proportion of the affected costs, leading to an overly conservative estimate. This thesis aimed to develop a cost of downtime model, with particular emphasis on the application of the model to Australia Post’s Flat Mail Optical Character Reader (FMOCR). The costing analysis determined a cost of downtime of $5,700,000 per annum, or an average cost of $138 per operational hour. The second section of this work focused on the use of the cost of downtime to objectively determine areas of opportunity for cost reduction on the FMOCR. This was the first time within Post that maintenance costs were considered along side of downtime for determining machine performance. Because of this, the results of the analysis revealed areas which have historically not been targeted for cost reduction. Further exploratory work was undertaken on the Flats Lift Module (FLM) and Auto Induction Station (AIS) Deceleration Belts through the comparison of the results against two additional FMOCR analysis programs. This research has demonstrated the development of a methodical and quantifiable cost of downtime for the FMOCR. This has been the first time that Post has endeavoured to examine the cost of downtime. It is also one of the very few methodologies for valuing downtime costs that has been proposed in literature. The work undertaken has also demonstrated how the cost of downtime can be incorporated into machine performance analysis with specific application to identifying high costs modules. The outcome of this report has both been the methodology for costing downtime, as well as a list of areas for cost reduction. In doing so, this thesis has outlined the two key deliverables presented at the outset of the research.