Magister Legum - LLM / This paper analyses how the Zimbabwean economic history has led to the perception and attitude of the population towards the financial industry. It has been blighted by extremes to the extent that in 2008 the Zimbabwe economy had one of the highest hyperinflation rate in the world.1 Pettinger sums up the hyperinflation journey of Zimbabwe as having begun in the 1990s shortly after the disastrous land reform.2 This is where private farms were grabbed from landowners and re-allocated to mostly peasant farmers who had no technical know-how in farming. It was also a time when the country was involved in an unbudgeted and unsolicited second Congo civil war necessitating that the Government increase salaries to cater for soldiers and other officials assigned to the Congo.3 Earlier on the government had buckled under pressure from former war liberators (war veterans) and paid out unbudgeted bonuses.4

The purpose of the study is find out what understanding the children at the age of 3 and 5 have of the physical phenomenon float and sink and to investigate whether a practical activity contributes to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Children at two departments at two different preschools participated in the study. Piaget’s stage theory was used to study how the children of different ages acted and expressed themselves during the activity. The investigations started with an initial discussion about the concepts of float and sink, which then turned into a practical exercise where the children had to make hypotheses and investigate the buoyancy of different objects. The activity ended with a discussion about what they had experienced through the pracitical activity. Sound recordings and field notes from the four groups’ implementation of the activity were complied and analyzed qualitatively. The results show that the practical activity contributed to the children creating a better understanding of the concepts of float and sink and that they began to use concepts relating to density. The practical activity helped to create curiosity and good communication, where the children themselves got to try it out practically. The three-year-olds created an understanding of where an artifact is in the water when it floats or sinks during the practical activity. The children began to use some concepts related to density, such as size, shape and weight. The survey showed that the 5-year-olds had an understanding of floating and sinking, but the practical activity contributed to them also them also starting to use concepts related to density concepts, and to a greater extent that the 3-year-olds. / Syftet med studien är att ta reda på vilken förståelse barnen i 3-årsåldern respektive 5-årsåldern har för det fysikaliska fenomenet flyta och sjunka samt att undersöka om ett praktiskt inslag bidrar till en fördjupad förståelse för fenomenet. I studien deltog barn från två avdelningar på två olika förskolor. Piagets stadieteori användes, för att studera hur barnen i de olika åldrarna agerade och uttryckte sig under aktiviteten. Undersökningarna startade med en inledande diskussion kring begreppen flyta och sjunka, som därefter övergick till en praktisk övning där barnen fick ställa hypoteser och undersöka olika föremåls flytförmåga. Aktiviteten avslutades med en diskussion om vad de har upplevt genom det praktiska inslaget. Ljudupptagning och fältanteckningar från de fyra gruppernas genomförande av aktiviteten sammanställdes och analyserades kvalitativt. Resultatet visar på att det praktiska inslaget bidrog till att barnen skapade en bättre förståelse för begreppen flyta och sjunka samt att de började använda sig av begrepp relaterade till densitet. Den praktiska aktiviteten bidrog till att skapa nyfikenhet och en god kommunikation, där barnen själva fick testa praktiskt. Treåringarna skapade en förståelse för var en artefakt befinner sig i vattnet när den flyter eller sjunker och under den praktiska aktiviteten började barnen använda några begrepp som relaterar till densitet som storlek, form och tyngd. Undersökningen visade att 5-åringarna hade en förståelse för flyta och sjunka men den praktiska aktiviteten bidrog till att de också började använda sig av densitets-begrepp, så även i högre grad än 3-åringarna.

Linear repetitive projects, which are resource-driven in nature, are characterized by a series of repetitive activities in which the resources share the same space either in sequential or parallel manner. The frequent movement of resources over limited shared space needs to be well-planned to avoid potential issues during the execution of linear projects. As such, schedules developed for these projects needs not only to take into account all the logical, project-dependent and precedence constraints of activities but also to incorporate the space and time constraints that co-exist for the movement of thei8r resources. Negligence in incorporating spatial and temporal constraints in developing and improving schedules of linear projects increases the risk of delays and workspace congestions that can substantially hinder the performance of the activity resources. The study presented here proposes and develops an uncertainty-aware scheduling and control framework for linear projects to address the needs mentioned above. For this purpose, first, a new type of float was introduced as the Space-Time Float. The Space-Time Float is an envelope for all possible movement patterns that a linear activity or its associated resources can take considering the time and space constraints of that activity. The next endeavor in the development of the uncertainty-aware linear scheduling and control framework was to augment the current linear scheduling methods by presenting an uncertainty-aware optimization method to optimize the duration of linear projects while minimizing their potential congestions. A constraint satisfaction approach was used for the two-tier optimization of duration and congestion, and a fuzzy inference system was incorporated to assess the inherent uncertainty in linear activities. A new type of buffer, Uncertainty-Aware Productivity Buffer is also introduced to account for the uncertainties inherent in project activities. Spatial progress of activities needs not only to be considered in the planning phase but also to be closely monitored during construction. The framework presented in this study also applies to the monitoring and control of linear projects. While most of the current methods still do not accommodate real-time bi-directional control of linear projects, this framework is based on the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) architecture and bi-directional communication of data. To this end, a CPS-based application for Earned Value (EV) monitoring and control of road and highway projects is presented. Different steps of the generated framework are validated through various literature and field-based case studies. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method in planning and control of unforeseen variations from the planned schedules of linear projects. As such, the present study contributes and adds to the current body of knowledge of linear projects by presenting an efficient scheduling and control framework that takes into account logical, spatio-temporal and project-based constraints of linear activities. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om hur ett stöttande arbetssätt utvecklar barns ämneskunskaper i undervisning om flyta och sjunka som fenomen. I studien deltog förskolebarn i åldrarna två till fem år, som gick på en åldersblandad avdelning i en förskola i Mellansverige. Studien omfattade en undervisningsdesign av lärandeobjektet flyta/sjunka där barnen delades in i två olika grupper. Barnen undersökte fenomenet i ett praktiskt experiment genom att använda sig utav genomskinliga petflaskor fyllda med fyra olika innehåll. Tre av barnen fick ett stöttande arbetssätt i ett systematiskt undersökande, medan de andra tre barnen fick utforska fenomenet på egen hand. Det empiriska datamaterialet bestod av videoupptagningar som sammanställdes och analyserades kvalitativt. Det teoretiska ramverket som användes var den sociokulturella teorin, för att tolka hur barnen uttryckte sin förståelse för det fysikaliska fenomenet. Vi utförde en tematisk analys av vår empiri. Resultatet visade att förskollärarnas förhållningssätt under undervisningen hade påverkan på barnens naturvetenskapliga ämneskunskap. Barnen som fick ett stöttande arbetssätt visade sin förståelse för fenomenet genom att uttrycka de naturvetenskapliga begreppen. Barnen som utforskade på egen hand visade att de hade tidigare erfarenheter av fenomenet, men utvecklade ingen ny ämneskunskap. I tillägg visade sig förskollärarnas förhållningssätt även påverka barnens möjligheter att kunna arbeta med systematiska undersökningar, i form av att barnen ställde hypoteser och diskuterade resultatet. / The purpose of the study is to contribute to our knowledge about how a supportive teaching approach helps develop children's scientific understanding and scientific competence during a hands-on activity about floating and sinking. The study involved two-to five-year-old preschool children in an age-mixed preschool in central Sweden. The children were divided into two separate groups. For this study we designed a lesson on the physical phenomenon of floating and sinking that included a hands-on activity. In this activity, children investigated the phenomenon in a practical experiment using transparent pet bottles filled with four different contents. Three of the children had a supportive teaching approach in a systematic investigation, while the other three children were allowed to explore the phenomenon on their own. The empirical data material consisted of video recordings which were analysed qualitatively. The theoretical framework, the sociocultural theory was used to interpret how the children expressed their understanding of the physical phenomenon. We performed a thematic analysis of our empirical data. The results show that the preschool teachers' approach during teaching had an impact on the children's scientific subject knowledge. The children who had a supportive teaching approach showed that they had knowledge about the phenomena by expressing the scientific concepts. The children who investigated on their own showed that they had experience of the phenomena, but they didn’t develop any new knowledge. In addition, the preschool teachers' attitudes also proved to affect the children's opportunities to work with systematic investigations, by using hypotheses and discuss the results.

Are the threshold experiences encountered between waking and sleeping similar to the liminal space between life and death? The sights, sounds, and bodily sensations experienced in the unconscious void blur the lines between the unknown and our conscious existence. Using the figure, I portray how the body might exist in these transitional moments. Through my investigations into sleep paralysis, dream states, and notions of an afterlife and the soul, I explore how we perceive the self in these altered states of consciousness.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:22:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aroldo Jose Washington.pdf: 1111071 bytes, checksum: c3dfa89dda56622c055d24ca9a39911a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-20 / This work will be examined in the light of the Theory of Legal Argumentation , the weighting of constitutional principles relating to the Social Security Law . The goal will be to demonstrate that the rural worker flywheel , also called " float - cold ," Social Security is insured , and will seek classification as held Social Security therefore has the worker entitled to Social Security , despite there is no express legal provision , because it does not fit the definition of employee in the definition given by the Labor Law , as it is possible worker . In everyday practice , the employee steering wheel does not collect social security contributions , and consequently face this fact would not be insured framed as Social Security . Will demonstrate that this task is the assignment of borrower services , and therefore fits the employee steering wheel, as insured , with foundations of constitutional principles and rules governing the matter in understanding complied with the administrative and judicial . The research method is worked in a descriptive way , and will be developed with the research of labor and social security doctrines , organized with dogmatic and even search the Jurisprudence of the Courts dealing with this matter, which will bring clarity to the legal loophole which governs the matter / O presente trabalho será analisado à luz da Teoria da Argumentação Jurídica, da ponderação de princípios constitucionais, atinentes ao Direito Previdenciário. O objetivo será demonstrar que o trabalhador rural volante, denominado também de bóia fria , é segurado da Previdência Social; buscar-se-á sua classificação como segurado da Previdência Social: consequentemente, tem o trabalhador, direito ao Seguro Social, apesar de não haver expressa previsão legal, pois o mesmo não se enquadra na definição de empregado, na definição dada pelo Direito do Trabalho, por se tratar de trabalhador eventual. Na prática cotidiana, o trabalhador volante não recolhe a contribuição previdenciária; diante dessa realidade, não estaria enquadrado como segurado da Previdência Social. Demonstrar-se-á que este encargo é de atribuição do tomador de serviços; portanto, enquadra-se o trabalhador volante, como segurado, com fundamentos de princípios e regras constitucionais que regem a matéria entendimento acatado em âmbito administrativo e judicial. O método de investigação é trabalhado de maneira descritiva, e será desenvolvido com a pesquisa das doutrinas trabalhista e previdenciária, com visão dogmática organizada, e ainda pesquisa da Jurisprudência dos Tribunais que tratam desta matéria, pretendendo trazer clareza à lacuna legislativa que rege a matéria

The current Peruvian exchange regime is neither pegged nor free-floating. The Peruvian Central Bank sails against the wind in the exchange market, tending to buy dollars when the exchange rate falls, and tending to sell when the exchange rate rises. It is a dirty float regime.  In this paper we present a simple macroeconomic model where the central bank fixes the interest rate and maintains a dirty floating exchange rate regime, assuming a small, open, and partiallydollarized economy that exports raw materials, faces imperfect capital mobility, and has a structural fiscal deficit limit as a rule for its fiscal policy. The predictions of the model are consistent with the rule of foreign exchange intervention by the Central Bank and the main stylized facts of the Peruvian economy since the decline in the international price of raw materials in late 2011: drastic fall in private investment, decline of GDP growth, rising nominal exchange rate and reduction of international reserves. / El régimen de tipo de cambio en el Perú no es fijo ni flotante. El Banco Central de Reserva del Perú (BCRP) rema en contra de la corriente en el mercado cambiario. Tiende a comprar dólares cuando el tipo de cambio baja, y tiende a vender cuando el tipo de cambio sube. Es un esquema de flotación sucia. En este artículo se presenta un modelo macroeconómico sencillo donde el banco central fija la tasa de interés y mantiene un régimen cambiario de flotación sucia, en el contexto de una economía pequeña, abierta, parcialmente dolarizada, exportadora de materias primas, con movilidad imperfecta de capitales y una política fiscal que opera con un límite al déficit fiscal estructural. Las predicciones del modelo son consistentes con la regla de intervención del BCRP y los principales hechos estilizados de la economía peruana desde el inicio del descenso del precio internacional de las materias primas a fines de 2011: caída drástica de la inversión privada, descenso del crecimiento del PBI, alza del tipo de cambio nominal y reducción de las reservas internacionales.

Syftet med studien är att ta reda på hur femåriga barn i förskolan förklarar och kommer på lösningar kring ett problemlösande experiment kring det fysikaliska fenomenet flyta-sjunka. Metoden som valts att använda var videoobservation. Studien baseras på en videoobservation under ca 25 minuter med fyra barn i femårsåldern. Aktiviteten delades in i två olika delar, där första delen fokuserar på hypoteser kring om olika föremål skulle antingen flyta eller sjunka och den andra delen fokuserar på ett problemlösande, där barnen skulle få något som tidigare sjönk att kunna flyta. Resultatet i studien visar på att barnen har fokus på tyngd, form och storlek utifrån om ett föremål ska flyta eller sjunka. Barnen visar också stort intresse och initiativtagande till att lösa den problematiserande uppgiften de fick i början av aktiviteten, de konstruerar och formar olika material och de lyckas forma en aluminiumbåt som bär en kotte och tre stenar. / The purpose of the study is to find out how five-year-old children explain and find solutions in relation to a problem-solving experiment around the physical phenomenon float-sink. The method that was opted to use was video observation. The study is based on a video observation that lasted for 25 minutes with four children who were around five years old. The activity was divided into two different parts, the first part focused on hypotheses around the outcome of different objects in water, if they would either float or sink. The other part focused on problem solving, where the children should get something that earlier sank to float. The result of the study shows that the children focused on weight, form and size of the objects, in predicting whether they would sink or float. The children also show a big interest and take initiative to solve the problem that they were given in the beginning of the activity. They construct and shape the different materials and they succeed by creating an aluminium boat that could carry a pinecone and three stones.

The goal of theoretical part of the thesis is to sumarise basic procedures and algorithms for robotic workspace monitoring. The first chapter is focused on those procedures. Another important topic of thesis is problematics of floating point error in calculations accuracy. Representations of cones and conical surfaces are discussed in the last theoretical chapter. The practical part of the thesis is focused on implementation of cone AND truncated cone workspace monitoring algorithm in C++.

The aim of this Master's thesis is to design a local flood warning system. The system consists of two basic types of units. The first unit is placed in the field usingsensors and evaluates the presence of water in an otherwise dry area. In the event of flooding sends a warning message using wireless technology. The second unit evaluates the warning messages and informs the personabout the situation via text messaging. Outdoor equipment is fullyautonomous and permanently placed in an outdoor environment. The system is designed based 8-bit microcontrollers. The main parametersinclude low power devices, mechanical durability and reliability.