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This thesis is a study of the constitution making processes in Nigeria from the colonial inception to the 1989 Constitution which is scheduled to usher in a putative third republic. Although apparently covering a wide scope, its boundary is limited by its perspective. Constitution making in any polity is essentially a political process where all the major, relevant and active interests seek to protect and advance themselves. Consequently, the focus of the research is on determining these competing interests, their interactions, compromises, winners and losers, etc. Attempts were made to provide the criteria for class identification in Nigeria to serve as a guide for determining class based action. The value of the work is threefold. First, it makes a modest but important contribution to an ongoing debate on whether or not Nigeria's post independence constitutional processes in particular were grounded in class interest, in the tradition of Charles Beard's interpretation of the constitution of the U.S.A. Second, it disputes and in large measure seeks to contradict some of the earlier widely held assumptions and assertions regarding the making of some of the constitutions, especially the Macpherson Constitution, 1951.Finally, it attempts to provide a complete and realistic account of the constitutional evolution of Nigeria less the military rule, from its inception as a country up to 1989. The method of investigation was largely analytical using official records, official reports, communications of key officials, biographical data, etc. Theoretical guidance was significantly drawn from political economy writings in politics, history and law. Eventually, the analysis revealed the existence and interplay of important interest configurations, reducing class to a subtle rather than an obvious phenomenon in the constitutional process. But overwhelmingly, the entire process was elitist and self serving with the mainstream of the population left in the margin in the composition of the constitutional bodies, the setting of agenda and the institutions and mechanisms established for governing the country. Finally, it found that there was a great deal of continuity of the values and institutions established for colonial ends with little or no will manifested in the constitutional process to break with the past. Rather what transpired was an expansion of institutions and creation of formulae in the constitution to accommodate a new breed of elites who were able to manipulate potential cleavages in the society to serve personal ends.

In the aftermath of a wave of land law reforms across Africa, this thesis seeks to reorientate current debates on women's land rights towards a focus on the law in action. Since the 1970s Tanzania has been at the forefront of African countries giving statutory recognition to women's property rights and ‘equal rights' to land. Equally, ‘customary law' incorporating gender discriminatory social practices is recognised as a source of law in Tanzania's plural legal system. Centring on disputes involving women litigants in Tanzania's specialist system of land courts, this study considers the extent to which women are realising their interests in land through legal processes of dispute resolution. The starting-point for the analysis is the legal claims to land which women bring and defend themselves against in practice. The study draws upon a year of ethnographic fieldwork, including courtroom observation, archival research and interviews conducted between January 2009 and January 2010, with particular focus on two districts of Arusha region. The thesis is structured to reflect the progression of women's claims to land, from their social origins through processes of dispute resolution to judgment. The thesis explores three central issues. Firstly, it considers the nature of women's legal claims to land in family contexts, how and to what extent the issues raised are addressed by Tanzania's contemporary statutory legal framework. Secondly, it examines how agency and power relations between actors engaged in the ‘semiautonomous social field' of land courts affect women's access to justice and the progression of claims. Thirdly, it evaluates the process of doing justice and the way in which women's claims are judged by land courts in practice. Particular attention is paid to how customary practices and judicial attitudes to female land-holding are evolving with contemporary Tanzanian discourses of justice and equal rights.

This is a socio-legal study of widowhood among the Baganda of Uganda. The thesis explores widowhood as it affects women within their local cultural context to determine the extent to which they pursue their rights in property and other family relationships. The thesis takes the position that to see them as ‘passive victims’ is to deny them a ‘voice.’ It homogenises them denying them their individuality. To this end the thesis explores the activities individual women undertake to pursue their interests. The study examines their perceptions of their situations as narrated through their own voices and what they have done or are doing about the situation. Widowhood flows from death in a marriage relationship. Consequently, the thesis begins with a woman entering into marriage, exploring how she is conceptualised through the giving of marriage gifts/bridewealth and the consequences that flow from that in a marriage relationship and its implications for widowhood. The study argues that there is need to understand the local cultural context in which women live and that within this context there are several regulatory regimes/semi autonomous social fields that regulate the society. This includes customs and cultural practices, the imported western law and in recent years the Resistance Councils which were created by the State to encourage democratic participation and popular justice beginning at grassroots. None of these regimes are autonomous from the other although each seeks to exert its own power. This has far reaching consequences for the extent to which a woman can assert herself. Within this the ‘family council’ or clan to which every person in that society belongs emerges as the strongest regulatory regime. The study reveals that the choice of regimes allows a woman to pick and choose where to assert her rights depending on her interests, location and resource position. Within these set of circumstances her self perception as an individual with rights is the strongest tool in driving her to pursue her interests. The study also reveals that in some cases the written imported law supports cultural practices but because it is perceived as foreign, there has not been openess nor understanding of the substance of the law thus resulting in conflicts with customary practices. This is most evident in rural societies where cultural practices find their strongest means of expression. However there is room for harmony where the law does not seek to impose itself on other regulatory regimes but recognizes the need for sharing of powers and working in cooperation with these other regimes. In this respect the creation of the RC system which encourages local informal dispute resolution and which has the capacity to respond to social factors and changing attitudes within the community and the wider legal system can be an effective tool for legal innovation and draw the women as a whole into decision making.

Juvenile hormone (JH) plays pivotal roles in the development and reproduction of insects. Efforts to characterize the mechanisms of JH regulation are complicated due to JH pathways often being intertwined with those of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Upon adult emergence, female Aedes aegypti enter a period of development during which they gain competence for mating, bloodfeeding, and egg production. JH levels rise dramatically and peak during the first 2-3 days post-emergence and remain relatively high until a bloodmeal is consumed, while 20E titers remain very low throughout the entire stage. Thus, post-emergence development offers a unique opportunity to study the effects of JH in the absence of 20E. In this study, four potential JH response genes were identified in newly emerged females. One such gene, AaKr-h1, is a homologue of Kr-h1, a zinc-finger transcription factor which has been characterized in Manduca sexta, Drosophila melanogaster, Tribolium castaneum, and Apis mellifera, and is involved in a diverse range of JH-regulated pathways. AaKr-h1 demonstrated a dose-dependent transcriptional response to JHIII as well as two JH mimics in abdominal ligation assays. The findings of this study indicate that Kr-h1 may be regulated by JH independently of any 20E regulation and suggests a fundamental, conserved role for Kr-h1 in JH-regulated pathways. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

O processo de aquisição de habilidades motoras está mais fortemente associado às fases iniciais da vida, mas é fundamental em todas as etapas do ciclo vital. Ao longo dos últimos 60 anos, os estudiosos da aprendizagem motora têm se dedicado à investigação dos fatores que afetam a aquisição de uma habilidade motora com especial destaque ao efeito do conhecimento de resultados (CR), porém, poucos estudos referentes ao processo de envelhecimento e CR têm sido encontrados. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar o efeito da freqüência de CR (100%, 66% e 33%) na aquisição de uma habilidade motora de preensão manual com posicionamento linear em indivíduos em diferentes etapas do processo de envelhecimento. Cento e vinte idosos (homens e mulheres) foram alocados em dois grupos: JOVEM, 60 indivíduos de 60 a 64 anos de idade e IDOSO, 60 indivíduos de 75 a 79 anos de idade, e subdivididos em 6 grupos experimentais de 20 indivíduos, combinando as duas faixas etárias e os três regimes de freqüência de CR. A meta da tarefa foi atingir um valor de preensão manual de 20% da força máxima com o deslocamento de 35 cm. As tentativas foram executadas com o membro superior não dominante e com oclusão visual. Os resultados mostraram que ocorreu uma melhora no desempenho durante a fase de aquisição, mediante a redução do nível de erro. Porém, na fase de retenção não houve a manutenção de desempenho adquirida na aquisição da tarefa para ambos os grupos (JOV e IDO). Os resultados também mostraram diferença entre as freqüências de CR, indicando que 100% foi melhor aproveitado pelo grupo idoso, sendo que este obteve desempenho inferior comparado com os jovens / The process of acquisition of motor skills is more strongly associated with the early stages of life, but it is essential in all stages of the life cycle, even in aging. Over the last 60 years, motor learning researchers have been devoted to examine factors that can affect the acquisition of a motor skill with special emphasis on the effect of KR, but few studies concerning the process of aging have been found. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of frequency of knowledge of results (KR) (100%, 66% and 33%) in the acquisition of a linear positioning combined with manual force control motor task in individuals at different stages of the process of aging. One hundred and twenty elderly (men and women) were allocated into two groups: JOVEM, 60 individuals from 60 to 64 years old and, IDOSO, 60 individuals from 75 to 79 years old, divided into 6 experimental groups of 20 individuals, combining two age groups and three frequencies of KR. The task goal was to reach a value of the 20% of the maximum strength in manual force with 35 cm of displacement. The subjects performed blindfolded and with non-dominant hand. Results showed that there was an improvement in performance during acquisition phase by reducing the level of errors, but in the retention phase, both groups (JOV and IDO) did not keep the same performance level of acquisition. Results also indicated that 100% of KR was best used by the IDO group, which demonstrated lower performance compared to the JOV group

O processo de aquisição de habilidades motoras está mais fortemente associado às fases iniciais da vida, mas é fundamental em todas as etapas do ciclo vital. Ao longo dos últimos 60 anos, os estudiosos da aprendizagem motora têm se dedicado à investigação dos fatores que afetam a aquisição de uma habilidade motora com especial destaque ao efeito do conhecimento de resultados (CR), porém, poucos estudos referentes ao processo de envelhecimento e CR têm sido encontrados. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar o efeito da freqüência de CR (100%, 66% e 33%) na aquisição de uma habilidade motora de preensão manual com posicionamento linear em indivíduos em diferentes etapas do processo de envelhecimento. Cento e vinte idosos (homens e mulheres) foram alocados em dois grupos: JOVEM, 60 indivíduos de 60 a 64 anos de idade e IDOSO, 60 indivíduos de 75 a 79 anos de idade, e subdivididos em 6 grupos experimentais de 20 indivíduos, combinando as duas faixas etárias e os três regimes de freqüência de CR. A meta da tarefa foi atingir um valor de preensão manual de 20% da força máxima com o deslocamento de 35 cm. As tentativas foram executadas com o membro superior não dominante e com oclusão visual. Os resultados mostraram que ocorreu uma melhora no desempenho durante a fase de aquisição, mediante a redução do nível de erro. Porém, na fase de retenção não houve a manutenção de desempenho adquirida na aquisição da tarefa para ambos os grupos (JOV e IDO). Os resultados também mostraram diferença entre as freqüências de CR, indicando que 100% foi melhor aproveitado pelo grupo idoso, sendo que este obteve desempenho inferior comparado com os jovens / The process of acquisition of motor skills is more strongly associated with the early stages of life, but it is essential in all stages of the life cycle, even in aging. Over the last 60 years, motor learning researchers have been devoted to examine factors that can affect the acquisition of a motor skill with special emphasis on the effect of KR, but few studies concerning the process of aging have been found. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of frequency of knowledge of results (KR) (100%, 66% and 33%) in the acquisition of a linear positioning combined with manual force control motor task in individuals at different stages of the process of aging. One hundred and twenty elderly (men and women) were allocated into two groups: JOVEM, 60 individuals from 60 to 64 years old and, IDOSO, 60 individuals from 75 to 79 years old, divided into 6 experimental groups of 20 individuals, combining two age groups and three frequencies of KR. The task goal was to reach a value of the 20% of the maximum strength in manual force with 35 cm of displacement. The subjects performed blindfolded and with non-dominant hand. Results showed that there was an improvement in performance during acquisition phase by reducing the level of errors, but in the retention phase, both groups (JOV and IDO) did not keep the same performance level of acquisition. Results also indicated that 100% of KR was best used by the IDO group, which demonstrated lower performance compared to the JOV group

This thesis deals with the design of a software library for PLC Siemens S7-1200 usable in programming of robotic cell. The theoretical part explains the principle of PLC programming and the configuration of an industrial robot. The practical part presents the design of the software library and then the individual blocks of the library are described. The library contains blocks for PLC and is also supplemented by blocks for HMI. Using the proposed library reduces the time required for programming. The software library allows the creation of a unified structure of control programs within the company. The result of the diploma thesis is a tested software library usable in the field.

The level structures of some single closed shell nuclei (⁸⁷₃₇Rb₅₀ and ⁸⁸₃₈Sr₅₀) and nearly closed shell nuclei (⁸⁷₃₈Sr₄₉ and ⁸⁸₃₇Rb₅₁) have been determined by means of beta decay processes of ⁸⁷Kr, ⁸⁸Kr and ⁸⁸Rb to final states ⁸⁷Rb, ⁸⁸Rb and ⁸⁸Sr respectively, and by means of the thermal neutron capture reaction on strontium (⁸⁶Sr(n,ɣ)⁸⁷Sr and ⁸⁷Sr(n,ɣ)⁸⁸Sr). The gamma radiation was studied using a Ge(Li) spectrometer and a Ge(Li)-NaI(Tl) coincidence spectrometer. Beta groups were identified using a plastic scintillator and a plastic-NaI(Tl) coincidence spectrometer. Spins and parities were determined for some of the levels from the deduced decay schemes. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Denna uppsats analyserar och tolkar Kerstin Thorvalls roman Det mest förbjudna (1976) komparativt i ljuset av begrepp från Epikuros (341 f. Kr. - c:a 270 f. Kr.) hedonistiska och materialistiska filosofi framställd i dess mest betydande kvarstående källa, Lucretius (c:a 95 f. Kr. - c:a 55 f. Kr.) lärodikt De rerum natura. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka om/hur motiv ur Epikuros etik förekommer i Thorvalls roman; och att utforska om hedonism medverkar/motverkar feminism i romanen. Metoden är en tvärvetenskaplig komparativ analys och tolkning mellan Thorvalls roman och Epikuros filosofi i Lucretius dikt. Metoden inspireras av Pierre Machereys i boken À quoi pense la littérature (1990). Undersökningsresultat struktureras tematiskt efter några av de jämförda verkens motiv: religionens ondo, behovet av att avlägsna rädslan för döden, njutningen som det högsta goda, kritiken av tvåsamma kärleken, synen på kunskap. Min teoretiska utgångspunkt är Epikuros och Lucretius hedonistiska filosofi; och, i mindre utsträckning, ett intersektionellt perspektiv (med fokus på kategorierna kön, genus och sexualitet). Resultatet visar huvudsakligen att trots skillnader gällande begärens begränsning, kan slutsatsen dras att Thorvall gör en feministisk omtolkning av hedonistiska motiv och vägleder läsaren mot ett feministiskt och hedonistiskt etiskt mål.