Nota-se que cada vez mais a sobrevivência e o crescimento das empresas industriais estão relacionadas com a possibilidade de se oferecer produtos e serviços em conformidade com as mais recentes normas internacionais. Em tal contexto, o domínio das funções tecnológicas da Tecnologia Industrial Básica TIB (metrologia, normalização e avaliação da conformidade) não é somente um requisito para a competitividade de uma empresa, mas também a base para a efetiva acumulação de capacidades tecnológicas, as quais são necessárias para a inovação bem como para o melhoramento contínuo da qualidade dos produtos e serviços. Na literatura especializada, raros são os estudos que analisam a função da TIB no processo de aprendizagem tecnológica de uma empresa. Este trabalho teve a intenção de preencher essa lacuna ao propor um modelo para avaliar e projetar as relações dinâmicas entre TIB e capacidade tecnológica. O objetivo geral deste estudo foi o de analisar a relação entre a TIB e a formação e acumulação das capacidades tecnológicas nas empresas. O estudo foi realizado através de um survey, cujo instrumento de pesquisa foi um questionário aplicado em uma amostra de 103 empresas de diferentes níveis de capacidade tecnológica do setor metalmecânico. Concluiu-se que a TIB contribui com a formação e acumulação das capacidades tecnológicas em todos os níveis e os resultados mostraram que existem associações significativas entre: (i) certificações ISO 9001/TS 16949 com as atividades de engenharia reversa; (ii) certificações ISO 17025 e de produtos com as inovações incrementais em sua linha de produtos; (iii) certificação ambiental ISO 14001 com as inovações radicais em processos/produtos, práticas de just-in-time, Kaizen, TQC/TQM e uso de sistemas integrados de informação; e (iv) sistemas inovadores de medição com as práticas de P&D e relacionamentos com instituições de C&T. / Increasingly, the survival of industrial firms is related to the possibility of offering products and services in conformity with the most recent international standards. However, the mastery of Infrastructural Technologies IfT (metrology, standardization and conformity assessment) is not only a requirement for the international competitiveness of a firm but it is also the basis for the effective accumulation of Technological Capabilities (TC) which are needed for innovation as well as the continuous improvement of the quality of products and services. In the existing literature, rare are the studies that analyze the role of IfT in the technological learning process of a firm. This work intended to fill that gap by proposing a model to assess and project the dynamic interplay between IfT and TC. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between IfT and the effective accumulation of TC in the firms. The study was carried out through a survey, whose instrument of research was a questionnaire applied in a sample of 103 firms of different levels of TC in metal-mechanics industry. It can be concluded that the IfT contributes with the effective accumulation of TC in all levels and the results showed that there are significant associations between: (i) accreditations ISO 9001/TS 16949 with the reversal engineering activities; (ii) accreditations ISO 17025 and of certified products in their production lines with incremental innovations in their products; (iii) ambiental accreditation by ISO 14001 with radical innovations in products/processes, activities of JIT, Kaizen, TQC/TQM and the use of information integrated systems; and (iv) innovatory systems of measurement with P&D practices and relationships with C&T institutions.

This research employs a framework of social power, as coined by Michael Mann (1986; 1993), to understand the processes of state formation and development in Uganda. Using historical knowledge to understand the extent of social power relations in Ugandan society, the thesis assesses how these relations have shaped Ugandan state formation from the mid-1850s through to the present day. The research aims to bridge a gap between the discussions from African political theorists and historians and those of historical sociologists. It posits that state formation is a useful subject of study within the field of Development Studies, especially when it engages with historical empiricism. However, rather than providing a historically descriptive account of how the state formed, the research employs the theoretical framework of social power to guide the investigation of Ugandan state formation. Four units of analysis - ideological, political, military and economic sources of power form the basis of the approach. A historically and sociologically grounded analysis of the formation of the Ugandan state provides a contextually thick framework through which state development can be understood. By employing Mann's macro-historical sociological framework, this research aims to respond to calls not only for greater macro-theorisation, but also for history to be taken into account in development discourse. Unfortunately, the study of history and the use of historians' work is an investment of time which many development scholars struggle to afford There is an emerging critique that Development Studies scholars should not only acknowledge the historical processes underlying and framing their research, but that they should also actively engage with history to inform theoretical approaches to development. This thesis aims to demonstrate, from a historical sociology perspective, that history does matter for development and should, therefore, secure itself a place within the discipline, ensuring that Development Studies does include the study of social change in societies over long periods of time. Consequently, the analysis of this thesis argues that Mann's model of social power can cast light on development trajectories and specifically for the purpose of this study, on processes of state formation in Uganda.

This research is an investigation into the phrase 'landscape as infrastructure' and questions the influence of this notion in the design of new housing developments along the Maribyrnong River, Melbourne. The phrase lends itself to a systems based agenda because the word 'infrastructure' implies that it performs some kind of function. It is through this functioning that we can understand the way landscape acts as a stage for activities to occur, not just background to the object. The main question within the research is how landscape can precede housing development and set the parameters for its location, density, and relationship to the river. This is tested through four overriding themes which summarise the key ideas and methodologies for designing with landscape as infrastructure. The themes 'Catalyst', 'Time', 'Cause and Effect' and 'Experience' are tested on four different sites along the Maribyrnong River responding to different site conditions and the influence of geology and topography. The four sites have been named to reflect the primary function they perform within the overall strategy. To establish a framework for this discourse the research has been filtered through seven principals, originally developed by Stan Allen as a series of propositions for infrastructure. These principals question issues of force, process, typology, scale, invisible form, structure, function and change and visible form and set up a mechanism enabling me to challenge the notion of landscape as infrastructure. If the landscape is infrastructure then Allen's principals will also apply for the design of housing developments. This Appropriate Visual Record (AVR) is a selection of research material and design solutions developed over the last three years as part of the Research Masters Degree at RMIT.

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This thesis examines the formal and programmatic expansion of one of the most efficient generic spaces, the international airport hub, by serving the specific needs of an increasingly common mobile citizen, the medical tourist. International airport hubs are comprised of a network of interlinked corridors where large transient populations are received, held and then dispersed again. The medical tourist is a product of the rapidly increasing cost and specialization associated with medical treatment procedures. Recognizing that the density of airport hubs now rivals that of contemporary city centers, this project expands the capacity of the international airport hub, thus enabling the airport to compete for citizens in a manner similar to cities. As one iteration of a potential airport expansion system that could serve multiple mobile citizen types, this project exploits the security requirements of an existing airport and an innovative program to hypothesize a new type of airport terminal.

Nota-se que cada vez mais a sobrevivência e o crescimento das empresas industriais estão relacionadas com a possibilidade de se oferecer produtos e serviços em conformidade com as mais recentes normas internacionais. Em tal contexto, o domínio das funções tecnológicas da Tecnologia Industrial Básica TIB (metrologia, normalização e avaliação da conformidade) não é somente um requisito para a competitividade de uma empresa, mas também a base para a efetiva acumulação de capacidades tecnológicas, as quais são necessárias para a inovação bem como para o melhoramento contínuo da qualidade dos produtos e serviços. Na literatura especializada, raros são os estudos que analisam a função da TIB no processo de aprendizagem tecnológica de uma empresa. Este trabalho teve a intenção de preencher essa lacuna ao propor um modelo para avaliar e projetar as relações dinâmicas entre TIB e capacidade tecnológica. O objetivo geral deste estudo foi o de analisar a relação entre a TIB e a formação e acumulação das capacidades tecnológicas nas empresas. O estudo foi realizado através de um survey, cujo instrumento de pesquisa foi um questionário aplicado em uma amostra de 103 empresas de diferentes níveis de capacidade tecnológica do setor metalmecânico. Concluiu-se que a TIB contribui com a formação e acumulação das capacidades tecnológicas em todos os níveis e os resultados mostraram que existem associações significativas entre: (i) certificações ISO 9001/TS 16949 com as atividades de engenharia reversa; (ii) certificações ISO 17025 e de produtos com as inovações incrementais em sua linha de produtos; (iii) certificação ambiental ISO 14001 com as inovações radicais em processos/produtos, práticas de just-in-time, Kaizen, TQC/TQM e uso de sistemas integrados de informação; e (iv) sistemas inovadores de medição com as práticas de P&D e relacionamentos com instituições de C&T. / Increasingly, the survival of industrial firms is related to the possibility of offering products and services in conformity with the most recent international standards. However, the mastery of Infrastructural Technologies IfT (metrology, standardization and conformity assessment) is not only a requirement for the international competitiveness of a firm but it is also the basis for the effective accumulation of Technological Capabilities (TC) which are needed for innovation as well as the continuous improvement of the quality of products and services. In the existing literature, rare are the studies that analyze the role of IfT in the technological learning process of a firm. This work intended to fill that gap by proposing a model to assess and project the dynamic interplay between IfT and TC. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between IfT and the effective accumulation of TC in the firms. The study was carried out through a survey, whose instrument of research was a questionnaire applied in a sample of 103 firms of different levels of TC in metal-mechanics industry. It can be concluded that the IfT contributes with the effective accumulation of TC in all levels and the results showed that there are significant associations between: (i) accreditations ISO 9001/TS 16949 with the reversal engineering activities; (ii) accreditations ISO 17025 and of certified products in their production lines with incremental innovations in their products; (iii) ambiental accreditation by ISO 14001 with radical innovations in products/processes, activities of JIT, Kaizen, TQC/TQM and the use of information integrated systems; and (iv) innovatory systems of measurement with P&D practices and relationships with C&T institutions.

The main topic of my diploma thesis is dedicated to the issue of wireless networks mostly aimed at IEEE 802.11 standard. Theoretical part of the thesis is divided into three main chapters. It deals with basic overview of standards, architecture, utilization of radio spectrum and modulating techniques in signal processing. Further, it describes basic security measures and quality of service requirements in WLAN networks. The thesis is complemented by two separate laboratory assignments focused on procedure related to the chosen problematic. The first assignment handles common steps to break ciphered protocols WEP and WPA in WLAN’s. Linux software called Back Track 5 was used to provide complete package of tools for WLAN security tests. The second one is aimed at practical options on video streaming in converged wireless networks and also at remote access of mobile users to wireless IP camera video stream.

Thesis (M.Sc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Cattle herd productivity in the smallholder sector is generally low in South Africa (Mapiye et al., 2009) with cattle off-take rates being as low as 15% per annum (ARC, 2016). Among the leading causes of reduced productivity in smallholder herds is cattle mortality caused by diseases and parasites, especially ticks (Hesterberg et al., 2007). Ticks and the diseases they transmit have been identified as the major cause of widespread morbidity and mortality in cattle kept by smallholder farmers in the semi-arid areas of South Africa (Dold and Cocks, 2001; Mapiye et al., 2009) which results in poor animal welfare. Access to animal health infrastructure and technology can help reduce the problem of cattle diseases. The study was conducted to examine the impact of ARC’s Infrastructural Facility Scheme on the profitability of cattle farming and perceptions of smallholder cattle farmers. The study had four objectives; (i) to identify and describe the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder cattle farmers in Fetakgomo Municipality and Makhuduthamaga Municipality; (ii) to assess the perception of smallholder cattle farmers on the facilities provided by ARC in the study area; (iii) to determine and analyse the profitability of smallholder cattle farmers in the study area and (iv) to assess the effect of cattle farmers’ socio-economic characteristics on cattle farming profitability in the area. A total of 224 smallholder cattle farmers were interviewed, of which 124 farmers were beneficiaries and 100 were non-beneficiaries. The Purposive Sampling procedure was employed to determine the desired sample size in both the two Municipalities. The results showed that 55% of the smallholder cattle farmers were beneficiaries and 45% of the smallholder cattle farmers were non-beneficiaries out of the sample size. There were more male-headed households of the beneficiaries and more female-headed households of the non-beneficiaries. An analysis of the farmers’ socio-economic characteristics further showed that the majority of the smallholder cattle farmers prefer using family labourers or household labourers in their cattle farming. The results depict that beneficiaries of the Animal Health Wise Project used 76.2% of the family labour and 23.8% of hired labourers for beneficiaries whereas for the non-beneficiaries, it was v 68.7% of the family labour and 31.3% of hired labour. Using family labour helped in minimising costs of labour. Farmers were asked a set of Likert type scale questions about their perceptions on the project. The perception index score revealed that the smallholder cattle farmers had a negative perception of it as the index score was skewed to the left with the value being 0.428. Profitability was measured through Gross Margin Analysis. The Gross Margin Analysis revealed that the mean value of the total revenue and gross margin for the beneficiaries were bigger than non-participants. This was because beneficiaries tend to sell their cattle at a higher price compared to the non-participants. Furthermore, smallholder cattle farmers that are beneficiaries tend to use the infrastructure and through that, their cattle productivity is higher resulting in higher gross margin and total revenue compared to the non-participants. The Multiple Linear Regression Model was used to assess the effect of cattle farmers’ socio-economic characteristic on the gross margin of the farmers in the study area. The results revealed that only 3 variables were significant. The total herd size, project participation and access to the market were significant at 1% and all had a positive effect towards the gross margin. The study suggested that there should be more infrastructural facilities that are built in other municipalities. By so doing, smallholder cattle farmers will use the facilities to improve their herd productivity and also improve their cattle’s health status. It was also recommended that there should be some training based on the use of the cattle infrastructural facilities scheme so that farmers can use the facilities effectively. Key words: Smallholder Cattle Farmers, Perception, Animal Health Wise Project, Infrastructural Facilities. / Center of Collaboration on “Economics of Agricultural Research and Development”

This thesis has studied urban to rural migration, often referred to as counterurbanisation. The study has adapted a mixed method where quantitative statistical data has been complemented with a qualitative interview study. The quantitative results have established to what extent counterurbanization movements flow in Uppsala County. The quantitative results show small flows of migrants, which the qualitative results verify. The study has also investigated people's motivations for the move to more rural areas to determine aligned motives. The results show that the motives are more or less the same as in previous studies and can be summarized in the motivational factors, economy, structure, and behavior. Furthermore, the study has also identified enabling factors that facilitate people's possibility to move to rural areas. The results show that the last decades fast digital and infrastructural development has had an impact on this possibility, where commuting, road network, growing rural communities, internet and remote work are the most crucial enabling factors.