[pt] As técnicas de Controle Hierarquizado vem sendo aplicadas a contextos cada vez mais gerais, chegando agora, por exemplo, a sistemas a parâmetros distribuídos. Apresenta-se uma formalização axiomática do problema de controle ótimo que elas resolvem, buscando maior clareza neste processo. Desenvolve-se a aplicação do Controle Hierarquizado a sistemas compostos com sub-sistemas regidos por equações diferenciais parciais, através de uma definição formal, e chegando a alguns teoremas de aplicabilidade. Escreve-se as equações de dois exemplos, um dos quais representa o problema de controle ótimo de um forno de aquecimento de material transportado por uma esteira rolante. / [fr] Depuis quelques annés, les techniques do Commande Hierarchisée ont nu leur champ d’application s’ elargir, atteignant, par exemple, les systèmes à parametres repartis. Ce travail presente une formalisation axiomatique du problème de commande optimale complexe em vue d’une simplification de l’ètude de ces processus. Nous developpons l’application de la Commande Hierarchisée dans de systèmes composés avec sous-systèmes Regis par des equations diferentielles partielles, par une definition formelle. Nous arrivons à des théorèmes sur l’applicabilité de la mèthode. Nous écrivons les equations de resolution d’un problème de commande optimale d’um four de chauffage de material transporté par um tapis roulant.

[pt] Esta dissertação tem como objetivo produzir uma análise de três principais obras de Marc Bloch – Os Reis Taumaturgos, A Sociedade Feudal e Apologia da História – afim de compreender as contribuições desse autor e de suas obras para o tempo da história. Com apresentação dos pontos centrais de cada livro, a discussão produzida trata do desenvolvimento da Escola dos Annales, da produção historiográfica de Bloch, a criação de sua metodologia de pesquisa e busca demonstrar como essa produção esteve permeada por uma concepção de tempo a partir de uma nova relação passado-presente. / [fr] Cette thèse a pour objectif produire une analyse de trois oeuvres de Marc Bloch – Les Rois Taumaturges, La Société Féodale et Apologie d Histoire – afin de comprendre les contributions de cet auteur et ses oeuvres pour le temps de historie. Avec la présentation des points centraux de chaque livre, la discussion produite traite du dévelopment de l École des Annales, de la prodution historiographique de Bloch, de la création de sa méthodologie de recherche et cherche à démontrer comment cette prodution a été imprégnée par une conception qui relie le temps passé-present.

En tant que syntagmes sémantiquement non-compositionnels, les locutions sont des unités lexicales à part entière, qui doivent avoir leur propre entrée dans un modèle du lexique. Elles doivent donc recevoir une définition lexicographique, ainsi qu’une description de leurscaractéristiques grammaticales. De plus, en vertu de leur signifiant syntagmatique, les locutionstémoignent – à des degrés divers – d’une flexibilité formelle (passivation, insertion de modificateurs, substitution de certains constituants, etc.).Notre thèse défend l’idée selon laquelle une description des locutions combinant à la fois l’identification des unités lexicales qui les composent et l’identification des relations de dépendance syntaxique qui unissent les unités constituantes, permettra de prédire leurs différents emplois possibles dans la phrase. Une telle description n’est possible que dans un modèle du lexique décrivant précisément la combinatoire des lexies. Notre recherche, basée sur les principes de la Lexicologie Explicative et Combinatoire, exploite et enrichit les données du Réseau Lexical du Français (RL-fr), ressource en cours de développement à l’ATILF.La thèse a deux principaux apports. Le premier est le développement d’un modèle de description lexico-syntaxique relativement fine des locutions du français. Le second est l’identification et l’étude de différentes variations structurales, syntaxiques et lexicales liées à la flexibilité formelle des locutions. Les variations des locutions sont mises en corrélation avec leurs structures lexico-syntaxiques, mais également avec leurs définitions lexicographiques. Ceci nous conduit à introduire la notion de projection structurale, centrale dans le continuum de la flexibilité formelle des locutions / As semantically non-compositional phrases, idioms are lexical units. Consequently, they must have their own entries in a lexical resource, with a lexicographic definition and grammatical characteristics. Furthermore, because of their phrasal signifier, idioms show – to varying degrees – a formal flexibility (passivization, attachment of modifiers, substitution of components,etc.)Our thesis defends the view that a description of idioms that combine identification of their lexical components and identification of dependency links between these components will permit to predict their formal variations. Such a description is possible only in a model of lexicon that describes precisely combinatorial proprieties of lexical units. Our thesis, based on the Explanatory Combinatorial Lexicology’s framework, exploits and enhances the data of the French Lexical Network (fr-LN). This resource is being developed at the laboratory ATILF (Nancy, France).The thesis makes two principal contributions to the study of phraseology. The first contribution is the development of a precise description of idioms’ lexico-syntactic structures. The second contribution is the indentification and the study of structural, syntactic and lexical variations linked to idioms’ formal flexibility. Idioms’ formal variations are correlated with their lexico-syntactic structures, but also with their lexicographic definitions. This work leads us to introduce the notion of structural projection, that plays a central role in the continuum of idiom’s formal flexibility

In der vorliegenden experimentell durchgeführten Dissertation wurden neue Mutationen im FOLR1-Gen molekular charakterisiert. Die untersuchten Mutationen führten zu Veränderungen im Folatrezeptor α, einem von Zellen des Plexus choroideus exprimierten Protein, welches den Haupttransporter von  5-MTHF über die Blut-Liquor-Schranke darstellt. Mutationen im FOLR1-Gen sind kürzlich als Ursache einer zerebralen Folattransport-Defizienz identifiziert worden. Diese Erkrankung gehört zu einer Gruppe neurologischer Störungen, die sich durch isoliert niedrige Liquorfolatwerte  auszeichnen und zusammenfassend als zerebrale Folatdefizienz bezeichnet werden. Die zerebrale Folattransportdefizienz manifestiert sich typischerweise im frühen Kleinkindesalter und äußert sich klinisch in Form einer chronisch-progredienten psychomotorischen Regression mit zerebralen Krampfanfällen und einer durch MRT nachweisbaren Myelinisierungsstörung. Eine Substitution mit  5‘-Formyltetrahydrofolat konnte bei der Mehrzahl der identifizierten Patienten eine partielle Remission der Symptome bewirken.  Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden vier Mutationen im FOLR1-Gen hinsichtlich ihrer molekularen Auswirkungen auf die Proteinxpression, die Funktionalität bzw. Rezeptor-Bindungsfähigkeit und die Lokalisation des Proteins untersucht. Bei den Mutationen handelt es sich um zwei neue, aus Patienten-DNS identifizierte Punktmutationen, p.C169Y und p.N222S, sowie die bereits beschriebenen FRα-Mutanten p.C105R und FRα p.K44_P49dup.  Die heterologe Expression der mutanten Folatrezeptoren zeigte in Westernblot-Analysen keine signifikanten Veränderungen der Protein-Expressionsrate, verglichen mit dem Wildtyp-Protein. Allerdings bestand eine stark verminderte Rezeptor-Folsäurebindung in radioaktiven Bindungsassays. Ein funktioneller Unterschied zwischen den einzelnen Mutanten konnte im Verlauf der Experimente identifiziert werden. Die FRα-Proteinmutanten p.N222S und p.K44_P49dup zeigten verglichen mit den anderen Mutanten eine höhere Folsäure-Restbindung von ca. 20 % des Wildtypproteins. Im Rahmen von Immunfluoreszenzmikroskopien konnte gezeigt werden, dass die FRα-Mutante p.K44_P49dup partiell zellmembranständig, entsprechend dem FRα-Wildtyp, exprimiert wurde. Die übrigen untersuchten Proteinmutanten zeigten in intrazellulären Kompartimenten zumindest teilweise eine Kolokalisation mit dem Marker des endoplasmatischen Retikulums. Alle Untersuchungen wurden mit transfizierten CHO-K1-Zellen durchgeführt und konnten in zwei polaren Zelllinien, immortalisierten Epithelzellen des Plexus choroideus (Z310) und humanen Leberzellkarzinomzellen (HepG2) bestätigt werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Dissertation sind Bestandteil einer kürzlich in BRAIN veröffentlichten Arbeit (Grapp et al. 2012) und tragen zum besseren Verständnis der molekularen Grundlagen der zerebralen Folattransport-Defizienz, einer neuerkannten, behandelbaren neuropädiatrischen Erkrankung, bei. Die  Pathogenität der untersuchten FOLR1-Mutationen wird auf molekularer Ebene belegt. Die Bedeutung dieser molekulargenetischen Untersuchungen besteht darin, dass eine frühzeitige Folat-Behandlung erkrankter Kinder zu einer deutlichen Verbesserung der Symptome führt.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / No ano de 1606 era fundado na cidade Goa o primeiro mosteiro feminino no Impérioportuguês do Oriente. O Convento de Santa Mônica de Goa foi instituído pelo então arcebispode Goa e governador da Índia, D. Frei Aleixo de Menezes sob a proteção da Ordem de SantoAgostinho. Criado com o intuito de proteger a honra das mulheres no Estado da Índia e de seruma alternativa de vida para as filhas da nobreza e fidalguia local que não conseguiam casar,o convento foi a principal fundação feminina de frei Aleixo, por ser território perfeito para ocultivo de modelos de santidade e virtudes. Juntamente com os recolhimentos de NossaSenhora da Serra e de Santa Maria Madalena, o convento formava uma tríade de instituiçõescaracterizadas pela assistência e pela caridade à mulher - grande incentivo do Concílio deTrento e da Reforma católica. A presente dissertação procura discutir como os discursos dosfreis agostinianos de exaltação das virtudes e perfeição religiosa das mônicas refletiram noprocesso de fundação e reconhecimento régio e papal do convento. / The was the first nunnery in the East PortugueseConvento de Santa Mônica de GoaEmpire. It was founded in the year of 1606 by , archbishop of GoaD. Frei Aleixo de Menezesand governor of India, and under the protection of the Augustinians. The nunnery was createdwith the purpose of to protect the honor of women and to be an alternativeEstado da Índialive for the daugthers of the local nobility that couldn?t marry. It was also the brotherAleixo?s principal female foundation, because was perfect place to create models of holinessand virtues and to provide the religious perfection. With the Recolhimentos de Nossa Senhora e de , the nunnery formed a triad of institutions characterizedda SerraSanta Maria Madalenaby the charity and assistance to women - big incentive of Council of Trent and the CatholicReformation. The objective of this dissertation is to analyze how Augustinians? discoursereflected in the process of the foundation.

Flamskyddsmedel har visat sig ha en stor påverkan på både miljö och hälsa. Den grupp flamskyddsmedel som i stor utsträckning har använts sedan slutet på 70-talet till början av 00-talet för textilier är polybromerade difenyletrar (PBDE). De är halogenerade ämnen som är svårnedbrytbara, persistenta, i vissa fall även bioackumulerande och toxcistiska. Studier har visat att dessa ämnen upptäckts i både miljö och i människokroppen. Människan exponeras av dessa ämnen, framförallt genom damm och livsmedel. I synnerhet feta fiskar eftersom PBDE drar sig till organismer och fettvävnader. I takt med att brandkraven i många länder ökar är behovet av ett substitut för bromerade flamskyddsmedel stort. Flera typer av PBDE är idag förbjudna i Europa men problemet kvarstår då det fortfarande existerar i importerade produkter. För att komma ifrån flamskyddsmedel i lös inredning, exempelvis soffor och madrasser skulle ett barriärmaterial innehållande naturligt flamskyddade material vara ett bra substitut.   För lös inredning är det viktigt med komfort, det fanns i studien ett intresse av att se hur naturligt flamskyddat material tillsammans med ull betedde sig vid en flamspridning. Ull i sig har en hög komfort och har ett naturligt flamskydd på grund av sitt höga LOI. För att uppnå ett resultat på vilken FR-fiber som skulle studeras vidare tillsammans med ull, har flamtester på Kevlar, Nomex, Protex och Flamestop utförts. De är uppbyggda med olika typer av naturligt flamskydd i form av aramider, modakryl och fosfor behandlad viskos.   Med resultatet från flamtesterna utfördes vidare tester och analyser på tre kombinationer av Flamestop/Ull, innehållande tre olika procentsatser. Testmetoder i form av antändning och flamspridning har utförts på de olika kombinationerna, för att göra det möjligt att analysera om hur de flamskyddade materialet uppförde sig tillsammans med ull. Samt om det gjorde någon skillnad vilken procentandel Flamestop kombinationen innehöll.   Resultatet av testmetod för antändning på tre spridda procentandelar Flamestop/Ull som erhölls, var att en högre procentandel Flamestop gentemot ull gjorde det möjligt för materialet av självslockna i ett tidigt stadie. I flamspridningstestet visade det sig att procentandelarna inte gjorde någon skillnad för spridningens framfart. Det gick att utläsa av testerna att proverna med flamskydd i vinkelrät riktning mot flammans riktning bildade ett skyddande skikt av förkolnad fosfor från Flamestop. Flamman och Flamestop i längsgående riktning resulterade i större skada på materialet. För att göra det möjligt att undersöka mer om riktningen på det flamskyddade materialet hade det varit intressant att studera flamspridningen med materialet i både väft och varp. / Flame-retardants have a great impact on the environment and health. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are the group of flame-retardants that mainly has been used since its entrance in the late 70s until the early 00s. PBDEs consist of Organobromine compounds, different types of halogenated compounds, which are highly resistant to degradation, persistent and in some cases even bioaccumulative and toxic. It has been ensured in previously studies that PBDEs has been found in the human body and in the environment. Humans are exposed every day to these pollutants through dust, food and especially from fatty fishes, as living organisms and fatty tissues are easily attracted to PBDE. A lot of the existing PBDE are forbidden in Europe; however, the issue still exist as imported products can contain PBDE. As the fire safety regulations in many countries increases, it is necessary to find a substitute for flame-retardants. To lessen or completely remove flame-retardants in loose interiors, as couches and mattresses a barrier-material could be a good substitute.   Comfort is an important component for loose interiors; in this study there was an interest to see how a material with inherent natural flame resistance behaved with wool. Wool, that has a good comfort and a natural resistance of flame, due to its high LOI. To decide which FR-fibre that will be looked into and analysed in this essay an ignition test on Kevlar, Nomex, Protex and Flamestop were made. These materials have different structures of flame resistance, in form of aramids, modacrylic and phosphorus viscose.   Three different percentages of Flamestop/Wool were created from the results of the previous mentioned ignition test. These three percentages were weaved into a plain weave, tested and analysed. Ignition and flame spread were tested on the weaves, analysed to see how the natural flame resistant material behaved together with wool and if there were any differences when comparing the different test specimens.   The result of the ignition and flame spread tests showed that the percentages of Flamestop played a role in the ignition test; the ability to extinguish was greater with a higher percentage of Flamestop in the weave. It was not possible to see a difference in the test of flame spreading. The test specimens with the FR-fibre perpendicular to the flames direction showed a better result than the test specimens with the FR-fibre in a longitudinal direction to the flame. It would be of interest to study weaves with FR-fibres in both directions of warp and weft.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / No ano de 1606 era fundado na cidade Goa o primeiro mosteiro feminino no Impérioportuguês do Oriente. O Convento de Santa Mônica de Goa foi instituído pelo então arcebispode Goa e governador da Índia, D. Frei Aleixo de Menezes sob a proteção da Ordem de SantoAgostinho. Criado com o intuito de proteger a honra das mulheres no Estado da Índia e de seruma alternativa de vida para as filhas da nobreza e fidalguia local que não conseguiam casar,o convento foi a principal fundação feminina de frei Aleixo, por ser território perfeito para ocultivo de modelos de santidade e virtudes. Juntamente com os recolhimentos de NossaSenhora da Serra e de Santa Maria Madalena, o convento formava uma tríade de instituiçõescaracterizadas pela assistência e pela caridade à mulher - grande incentivo do Concílio deTrento e da Reforma católica. A presente dissertação procura discutir como os discursos dosfreis agostinianos de exaltação das virtudes e perfeição religiosa das mônicas refletiram noprocesso de fundação e reconhecimento régio e papal do convento. / The was the first nunnery in the East PortugueseConvento de Santa Mônica de GoaEmpire. It was founded in the year of 1606 by , archbishop of GoaD. Frei Aleixo de Menezesand governor of India, and under the protection of the Augustinians. The nunnery was createdwith the purpose of to protect the honor of women and to be an alternativeEstado da Índialive for the daugthers of the local nobility that couldn?t marry. It was also the brotherAleixo?s principal female foundation, because was perfect place to create models of holinessand virtues and to provide the religious perfection. With the Recolhimentos de Nossa Senhora e de , the nunnery formed a triad of institutions characterizedda SerraSanta Maria Madalenaby the charity and assistance to women - big incentive of Council of Trent and the CatholicReformation. The objective of this dissertation is to analyze how Augustinians? discoursereflected in the process of the foundation.

[pt] A pesquisa O ensino de línguas estrangeiras como um fator de inclusão social: o desafio da francofonia no Rio de Janeiro tem por objetivo analisar o efeito das políticas lingüísticas para o ensino de línguas estrangeiras no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, partindo de um pressuposto básico da sociolingüística que é aquele que propõe estabelecer uma relação entre língua e sociedade. Esta análise considera dados provenientes do contexto histórico, econômico e cultural de alguns municípios do Estado selecionados para este estudo. Consideramos a inserção sócio-econômica dos cidadãos nas regiões estudadas como um dos critérios para julgar a eficácia das políticas lingüística adotadas. Para tanto, consideramos as políticas lingüísticas no domínio das línguas estrangeiras levando primeiramente em conta as medidas legalmente explicitadas através de leis e decretos, assim como procuramos mostrar de que modo uma parcela da sociedade resolve as lacunas relacionadas à oferta de ensino de línguas no sistema educacional. / [en] This study analyzes the effect of language policies for the teaching of foreign languages in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, based on the basic postulate of sociolinguistics - that of establishing a relation between language and society. Our analysis takes into account a set of data derived from the historical, economic and social context of a few selected municipalities of the State. We consider the socioeconomic insertion of citizens in the regions under investigation as one of the criteria to evaluate the efficiency of the language policies adopted. Thus, we consider the language policies as reflected in the teaching of foreign languages, taking into account, first of all, the legal means and measures, as expressed in laws and decrees. We also attempt to show how a part of the society fills the gaps related to foreign language teaching-or the lack thereof- in the educational system. / [fr] Ce travail a pour but d analyser l effet des politiques linguistiques sur l enseignement des langues étrangères à l tat de Rio de Janeiro, prenant par principe l un des concepts de bases de la sociolinguitsique qui propose d établir un lien entre langue et société. Cette analyse prend en compte des données issues du contexte historique, économique et culturel de quelques municipalités de l État . Nous avons consideré l insertion sócio-économique des citoyens des régions étudiées comme l nun des critères d évaluation de l efficacité des politiques linguistiques adoptées. Notre point de départ ont été les politiques des langues étrangères explicitées à travers des lois et des décrets pour ensuite vérifier comment la société agit face aux lacunes concernant l offre de l enseignement des langues dans le système éducationnel. / [es] Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar el efecto de las políticas lingüísticas para enseñar lenguas extranjeras en el Estado de Rio de Janeiro, partiendo del principio básico de la sociolingüística que es aquel que propone establecer una relación entre lengua y sociedad. Este análisis considera datos provenientes del contexto histórico, económico y cultural de algunos municipios del Estado. Consideramos la inserción socio-económica de los ciudadanos en las regiones estudiadas como uno de los criterios para juzgar la eficacia de las políticas lingüísticas adoptadas. Para tal efecto, consideramos las medidas legalmente explicitadas a través de leyes y decretos y posteriormente, si tales políticas corresponden a los perfiles de los municipios. / [de] Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, ausgehend von der grundlegenden Annahme der Soziolinguistik, die eine Beziehung zwischen Sprache und Gesellschaft herstellt, die Auswirkungen der sprachpolitischen Maßnahmen auf den Fremdsprachenunterricht im Bundesstaat von Rio de Janeiro zu analysieren. Die vorliegende Analyse stützt sich auf Daten des historischen, wirtschaftlichen und kulturellen Kontexts einiger Regierungsbezirke des Bundesstaats, die für diese Studie ausgewählt wurden. Die sozioökonomische Integration der Bürger in die untersuchten Regionen wird als eines der Kriterien benutzt, um die Effizienz der sprachpolitischen Maßnahmen zu beurteilen. Dafür wird die Sprachpolitik bezüglich der Fremdsprachenbeherrschung berücksichtigt, v.a. solche Maßnahmen, die rechtsgültig durch Gesetze und Dekrete ausgedrückt werden und darauf folgend wird untersucht, ob diese den Anforderungen der Bezirkskreise entsprechen.

[pt] Em meados do século passado, tratados de direitos humanos e normas éticas de regulação da pesquisa não foram suficientes para impedir, na prática, violações à dignidade da pessoa humana em experiências médicas praticadas em minorias sociais. Hodiernamente, há um complexo de normas que objetivam não só proteger voluntários como lhes garantir equitativo acesso aos resultados das pesquisas. Contradições e interpretações equivocadas dessas normas, entretanto, limitam a plena efetivação dessas garantias, essenciais em relação às minorias sociais, diante da sua falta de representação política na sociedade. Neste sentido, um estudo exploratório-descritivo foi realizado através de revisão da literatura e aplicação de questionário elaborado para comparar as respostas apresentadas pelos comitês de revisão ética do Brasil e da França. Concluiu-se que é imprescindível que o preceito da repartição de benefícios seja aplicado, na prática, de forma ampla, em todas as pesquisas, inclusive naquelas que utilizam dados pessoais e amostras corporais, especialmente com relação às minorias sociais, para que as pesquisas oportunizem a todos a percepção do progresso científico-tecnológico. / [en] In the middle of the last century, treaties of human rights and the setting of ethical principles regarding human experimentation were not enough to prevent, in practice, violations of the dignity of the human person in medical experiments practiced in social minorities. Nowadays, there is a complex set of rules that aim not only to protect volunteers but also to ensure equitable access to research results. Contradictions and misinterpretations of these norms, however, limit the full realization of these guarantees, essential in relation to social minorities, in face of their lack of political representation in society. In this sense, an exploratory-descriptive study was carried out by reviewing the literature and applying a questionnaire designed to compare the responses presented by independent ethics committees from Brazil and France. It was concluded that it is imperative that the benefit-sharing be broadly applied in all research, including those that use personal data and body samples, especially with regard to social minorities in order to make progress increasingly accessible to all. / [fr] Au milieu du siècle dernier, les traités relatifs aux droits de l homme et les normes éthiques de la réglementation de la recherche n ont pas suffi à prévenir les violations de la dignité de la personne humaine dans les expériences médicales pratiquées contre les minorités sociales. Il existe, aujourd hui, un ensemble complexe de règles qui visent non seulement à protéger les volontaires, mais aussi à garantir un accès équitable aux résultats de la recherche. Les contradictions et les interprétations erronées de ces normes limitent toutefois la pleine réalisation de ces garanties, essentielles par rapport aux minorités sociales, face à leur manque de représentation politique dans la société. Dans ce sens, une étude exploratoire-descriptive a été réalisée en passant en revue la littérature et en appliquant un questionnaire destiné à comparer les réponses présentées par les comités d éthique du Brésil et de la France. Il a été conclu qu il est impératif que le principe du partage des avantages soit largement appliqué dans toutes les recherches, y compris celles qui utilisent des données personnelles et des échantillons corporels, notamment en ce qui concerne les minorités sociales, afin que les progrès scientifiques soient accessibles à tous.

The objective of this study investigated the successful prediction of business failure of JSE listed companies using financial ratio analysis. During the research, financial statement data of failed and non-failed JSE listed companies during 2007-2012 financial periods were analysed, compared and interpreted. The interpretation of the trends and comparisons is of a quantitative nature, together with a qualitative genre which examines the tables, figures and equations in order to get the entire picture of the company’s performance for a five year period. The combination of literature on various failure predictor models and experience of these models resulted in the development of a modified model. The conclusion from the study indicated that financial ratio analysis successfully predicts failure and non-failure of the 16 companies that were investigated. These companies were grouped into eight delisted (failed) and eight listed (non-failed) JSE companies, which were paired in accordance to industry, fiscal period and closest asset size. The adoption of the traditional ratio analysis methods and EMS model yielded some interesting findings. The traditional ratio analysis methods (trend and comparative ratio analysis) were used with the Emerging Market Score (EMS) Model. The outcomes indicated the traditional methods are viable company failure prediction tools and the EMS model points out companies at a score of 2.60 and above as being financially stable. Between 2.60 and 1.10 the results are not very dependable because it is known that the company is in distress, yet uncertain whether the company has financially failed and below 1.10 the company has failed. It was concluded that a combination of the various prediction models enhances the accuracy of failure prediction. Therefore further research is required to assist stakeholders of South African companies to predict business failure by developing an adjusted model in a South African context. / MCom (Accountancy)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015