Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Access to clean and adequate water is a universal and basic human right that feeds into the 6th of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This goal aims at ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Clean water is referred to as potable water, which is safe for human consumption and offer low risk of immediate or long term harm. Raw water undergoes rigorous processing which consists of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection and storage, to produce potable water. Each module or stage consumes chemicals and energy resources and thus incurs costs. To achieve the aim of the study, which was to synthesize an optimised potable water treatment network and a water usage analysis model, the Umzinto Water Treatment Plant (UWTP) and its distribution system was used as the study area. This treatment plant is located within Umdoni, a local municipality of the Ugu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. This study’s objectives were fourfold and the first objective was to identify and quantify key raw water quality parameters affecting treatment at the UWTP. The second objective was to design a genetic algorithm for the potable water treatment process control. The third objective was to evaluate the Umzinto Water Distribution System’s Non-Revenue Water (NRW) while the fourth objective was to develop a model for water usage analysis. For the first objective, data for water quality parameters for the water treatment from July 2006 to June 2013 were statistically analysed. This data were collected from the UWTP’s historical records. To improve the data’s integrity it was pre-processed using cubic hermite interpolation. After the pre-processing trend lines and box plots were used to determine the parameters’ significance compared to the standard values stipulated in the South African National Standard (SANS 241). The trend lines were used to analyse the frequency of observations that were higher than the standard values according to SANS 241. The box plots were used to determine the minimum, median, maximum and mean of the data sets. The mean values for each parameter were compared to the SANS 241 value to determine their significance. The raw water quality parameters were then correlated to the chemical dosages for lime, polymer, potassium permanganate and chlorine. The key parameters selected from the correlation analysis were algal count, manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), Escherichia coli, total coliforms, colour, odour, conductivity, turbidity, suspended solids (SS), pH, temperature, total organic carbon (TOC,) and Hardness. A number of methods can be used to achieve such optimisation, including artificial neural networks, dynamic programming, linear and non-linear programming, and this study utilised a genetic algorithm as an optimisation tool to achieve the second objective of optimising water treatment at the UWTP. For the model development, data from the correlations obtained for objective 1 were used. The model was aimed at reducing the cost of chemical dosage and four chemical dosage prediction models were developed using genetic algorithms and these were then used to produce a combined chemical dosage cost prediction model. The programming interface utilised for these models was Matlab. In developing these models, the data were first pre-processed to remove outliers and fill in the blanks using a Microsoft Excel Add-in that was developed for this particular purpose. The next step involved a curve fitting exercise in Microsoft Excel 2013. Matlab was then used to code the genetic algorithm that combined and optimised the solutions obtained from the curve fittings. The results showed that genetic algorithms can be reliably used to predict the chemical dosages and hence reduce water treatment costs. After treatment, water is pumped into the distribution system for consumption. It is therefore important to ensure that all the pumped out treated water reaches the consumer. The third objective therefore assessed the NRW for the Umzinto Water Distribution System for the period between July 2013 and June 2014. The data used for this objective was provided by the Ugu District Municipality. The method used combined the top-down approach and the component-based approach. This combined approach was modified to enable the calculation of all the components that are required in a standard South African Water Balance. The results showed that the distribution system had a high value of NRW, which was 27.9% of the System Input Volume. The major component of NRW was Real Losses, that is, losses that can be mitigated by improving maintenance. The fourth objective was to develop a model for water usage analysis that would reduce the time taken to evaluate NRW and also improve the analysis of the NRW components using Microsoft Visual Basics 2012 and Microsoft SQL Server 2012 development interfaces. The Visual Basics enabled the development of a graphic user interface that was user-friendly and minimised the time taken to learn the software. The software platform developed was able to import the data required to construct a standard International Water Asssociation (IWA) Water Balance, calculate all the components of NRW, store historical data for the water distribution systems and report on a rolling year basis. A model for water usage analysis was developed and made available for usage by practitioners in Ugu District. The model was developed for the specific study area and further studies would be required in order to validate it in a different setting. The results obtained for the first objective led to the conclusion that, there was very high pollution emanating from communities and activities close to the raw water sources, especially the EJ Smith Dam. The results from the first objective were also used to determine parameters for the models developed in the second objective. From objective two it was concluded that genetic algorithms can be reliably used to predict chemical dosages and hence reduce water treatment costs. The third objective’s results showed that 27.9% of treated water pumped into the distribution system is NRW. Which is a concern because 65% of this are real losses which have maintenance related problems. The fourth objective’s results showed the practicality of designing model that could be used determine all the important components of NRW that would take time to evaluate manually. It would also store historical data for the water distribution system and report on a rolling year basis. Implementation of this software would help minimise the errors associated with manual calculation of NRW and improve the availability of data for research and analysis. From the research findings, it is recommended that the treatment plant should change the way it is dosing chemicals in the balancing tank. The method currently being used is prone to error. The analysis of NRW showed that Real Losses were a major challenge in the Umzinto Distribution System. There is need to develop a maintenance program to cater for leakage. Communities also need to be educated on the importance of reporting leakage in the network. / M

The forest floors of three biogeocoenoses, from northern Vancouver Island, were stratified into LF and H horizons, sampled by use of a stratified random sampling procedure, and analyzed for a number of chemical properties. The biogeocoenoses represent Xeric, Mesic, and Hygric sites. The objectives of the study included: characterization of the forest floors in terms of chemical properties, estimation of property variation and sample requirements, selection of properties best suited for distinguishing the forest floors and organic horizons of each site, and examination of nutrient relationships within the forest floors. To assess variability of chemical parameters, 28 properties were used. The values for total nitrogen, iron, manganese, and exchangeable aluminum were found to increase from Xeric to Hygric sites. Increased leaching losses of potassium and calcium and accumulations of iron, aluminum, and manganese occur as the forest floor materials decompose. The least variable horizon in terms of overall sample requirements was the Mesic LF, while the most variable was the Hygric H. The LF horizons on all three sites tended to be less variable than the corresponding H horizons. The chemical properties found to have the least variability were considered to have the best potential for classifying forest floors. These were pH(H₂0), water content of an oven-dried sample, pH (0.01 M CaCl₂), loss on ignition, total carbon, pH (1 N NaCl), and cation exchange capacity measured at pH 7. Least value for prediction of variability and thus for classification were properties such as total manganese, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, thickness, exchangeable calcium and magnesium displaced by 1 N NaCl and 1 N NH₄OAc. The second phase of the study selected properties that were best suited for separating the organic horizons and forest floors of the three sites. The properties examined included those measured in the variability study as well as 12 derived or calculated parameters. Two-way analysis of variance in combination with the Student-Newman-Keuls range test was utilized to determine which parameters would best distinguish the forest floors of sites, the LF and H horizons overall, and the horizons of individual sites. The best properties found to separate Xeric, Mesic, and Hygric forest floors were total potassium, exchangeable sodium measured at pH 7, and the ratio of loss on ignition to total carbon. The best parameters for separating LF and H horizons were total potassium, total zinc, exchangeable calcium displaced by 1 N NH₄OAc, exchangeable potassium displaced by 1 N NH₄OAc and 1 N NaCl, pH measured in water and 0.01 M CaCl₂, loss on ignition, base saturation at pH 7, the ratio of total calcium to total magnesium, and the ratio of total calcium to total potassium. The horizons of the individual sites could not all be separated by any individual parameter. The univariate analysis indicated that the order of increasing difficulty of characterization was the LF and H horizons overall, the forest floors of sites, and the horizons of individual sites. A multivariate analysis was performed to find the combination of variables which best distinguishes the horizons of individual sites. Stepwise discriminant analyses using nine, five, and two variables correctly classified 94%, 81%, and 71%, respectively, of the cases examined. The best approach for using multivariate characterization would be to use a minimum number of variables and to include the parameters total nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, the ratio of loss on ignition to total carbon, and cation exchange capacity measured at pH 4. The final phase of the study examined nutrient relationships in the forest floor horizons as well as the impact of decaying wood and fine roots on forest floor properties. A correlation matrix was produced for the LF and H horizons. The correlation matrices indicated that certain groups of properties were highly correlated and that only one form of the nutrients calcium, magnesium, and potassium need to be measured. The iron, aluminum, and manganese values were highly correlated, which shows that these elements are involved in similar processes, such as biocycling and podzol formation. Several other highly significant correlations indicate that the nutrients calcium, magnesium, and potassium are predominantly in exchangeable forms and that calcium is the dominant cation in these forest floor systems. .Time available for decomposition is the main factor distinguishing LF from H horizons. A final relationship to be examined was the pH-dependent cation exchange capacity. The values for this property increased significantly downslope and significantly greater values were found in the H horizons of each site - a result of increased functional groups associated with the formation of humus. The total nutrient concentrations of decaying wood were measured and compared to the concentrations found in the corresponding LF and H horizons. The decaying wood was found to be a nutrient-deficient material that is distinct from both LF and H horizons. Bulk density measurements demonstrated that the forest floor and decaying wood materials are not significantly different, although the latter material is more variable. .Therefore, decaying wood represents a substantial input of nutrient-deficient biomass to the forest floor. The nutrient concentrations of fine (<2mm) roots were compared with the values obtained for the associated decomposing organic matter. The fine roots were found to be relatively deficient in nitrogen in comparison to the forest floor. Elements such as iron, aluminum, magnesium, and sodium were found to be concentrated in or near fine roots. Thus, decomposing fine roots yield a significant input of nitrogen deficient biomass, cause an increase in the concentration and variability of certain elements, and play an important role in processes such as biocycling and pedogenesis. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Terrorist naval mines/underwater improvised explosive devices (M/UWIEDs) are a threat to U.S. maritime ports, and could cause economic damage, panic, and mass casualties. The purpose of this case study was to examine this threat and propose reforms that improve port security management. The study aligned with the mission area analysis objective of identifying and assessing potential terrorist threats in order to preempt and prevent attacks. Von Bertalanffy's general systems theory was the framework for research questions, which focused on improvements in port security management to mitigate the threat of terrorist M/UWIEDs. Data collection included a document content analysis of open source/nonclassified crime reports, government threat assessments, and legislation; physical artifacts (port infrastructure) information; policy papers; maps, satellite imagery, and navigational charts; peer-reviewed academic literature; and direct observation of 2 California-based maritime ports and an inspection of their physical artifacts. Data were organized by general themes; coded axially and selectively; and analyzed by phrases, topics, and words associated with minelaying, mine countermeasures, and port security. Key findings were that, since 9/11, overall port security has improved, although there has been little progress in countering the threat presented by M/UWIEDs. Further, vulnerabilities exist that terrorists who seek to commit an M/UWIED attack or campaign could misuse. The findings from this study contribute to positive social change by providing data to key stakeholders responsible for counterterrorism, mine warfare, and port security, thereby contributing to overall U.S. homeland security.

No description available.

No description available.

O fenômeno da globalização provocou maior integração entre as nações influenciando o fluxo de comércio e de capitais de forma a intensificá-los. Nesse contexto, os portos figuram como importantes elementos de desenvolvimento econômico do país por serem as principais portas de entrada e saída do fluxo do comércio internacional, tornando-se estratégicos para o crescimento econômico local. Dessa forma, torna-se importante para o setor que os portos sejam eficientes e competitivos, seja nos aspectos das operações portuárias como nos custos das operações. Isso porque as tarifas portuárias, juntamente com outros fatores operacionais e geográficos, são fundamentais no processo de escolha do porto pelos seus clientes. Apesar disso, pouco se tem pesquisado acerca do desempenho econômico-financeiro dos portos e seus impactos no custo das operações portuárias, levando a processos de tomada de decisão sem boas bases de informação a respeito da economicidade das operações, como por exemplo, as decisões de formação das tarifas portuárias. Adicionalmente, isso dificulta a tomada de decisões sobre os processos e melhoria contínua como forma de melhorar o posicionamento competitivo. Este trabalho apresenta a proposição de um modelo de gestão econômico-financeira para portos, apoiado nas estruturas conceituais existentes na literatura e aplicado em uma Autoridade Portuária. O modelo é composto de quatro fases com base no conceito do ciclo PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act): i) planejamento (Plan) – onde acontece o alinhamento dos objetivos com o Plano Mestre do porto; ii) desenvolvimento (Do) – onde é realizada a estratificação do porto em processos que são analisados e avaliados em sua economicidade pela implementação de um modelo de custeio baseado em atividades (Activity-Based Costing); iii) controle (Check) – onde são construídos indicadores para controle e avaliação dos processos e; iv) avaliação (Act) – onde as informações geradas são avaliadas para tomada de decisão e possibilitam a revista ao modelo para uma revisão se necessário. Esse modelo foi aplicado parcialmente em uma Autoridade Portuária, sendo implementadas a primeira e a segunda fase, em função do tempo disponível e necessidades específicas da organização. Durante a aplicação foi possível analisar e avaliar os processos portuários do porto em estudo, identificando as potenciais oportunidades de melhoria capazes de reduzir os custos das operações e a possibilidade de implementar processos mais eficazes, contribuindo assim, no posicionamento competitivo do porto. / The globalization phenomenon boosted to greater integration among nations and intensified flow of trade and capitals. In this context, ports appear as country’s important economic development elements because they are main gateways for international trade flow, becoming strategic for local economic growth. Thus, it is important for the sector that ports be efficient and competitive, both in the aspects of port operations and the operations costs. That is because the ports tariffs, along with other operational and geographic features, are fundamental to clients in the process of choosing a port. Despite this, there is little research about the ports’ economic-financial performance and its impact in port operation costs, leading to decisions-making without information about operation cost-benefit ratio, for example, the establishment port tariffs. Additionally, this makes decision-making difficult considering the process and the continuous improvement as ways to competitiveness improve. This research shows an economic-financial management model proposition to the ports, based on the literature conceptual structures and applied a Port Authority. The model is composed of four phases according to the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act): i) planning (Plan) — where the goals are aligned to the Port Master Plan; ii) development — where the processes are stratified, analyzed and assessed of cost-benefit ratio by an Activity-Based Costing model; iii) control (Check) — where indicators to control and to assess of the processes are created and; iv) assess (Act) — where the information is assessed to decision-making enabling us to review the model. The model was partially applied a Port Authority and had the first and second phases implemented, given the time availability and the organization specific needs. During the application, it was possible to analyze and evaluate the port processes identifying potential opportunities for improvement capable of reducing the costs of operations and the possibility of implementing more efficient processes in the competitive positioning of the port.

This study investigates the changing role of the organ within the Anglican Church of Port Elizabeth. In this study, the term The Church of England is used to refer to both the Anglican Church in England and the Anglican Church (Church of the Province) of Southern Africa. The organ has over many centuries evolved and risen to a place of dominance within the church. Many factors such as political influence, the increase in technology and the use of the organ within the liturgy of the church have contributed to this situation. Equally evident in practices in modern churches and societies is the diminished role of the organ. Again, many factors such as a change in church liturgy, a lack of organists and a negative bias towards the organ have influenced the decrease in the popularity and use of the instrument. In order to prove the rise and fall of the organ a quantitative study in the form of a literature review was employed to trace the organ‟s claim to power as well as the status it gained and to outline the reasons for its decline in power. To investigate this phenomenon, research was conducted in nine selected Anglican churches in Port Elizabeth, that have pipe organs and which were established by the British settlers, along the traditional lines of Anglican churches. The results are discussed and the narratives of the respondents recorded. Findings from the study show that the organ has lost its authoritative voice in the church. The organ is no longer the preferred and only instrument utilized for music and accompaniment within the average Anglican parish service. An urgent and careful response is needed to promote the organ in church services and in the music life of society.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-01-31T09:45:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Cassia Bömer Galvão.pdf: 8353898 bytes, checksum: ced0a2f7fdc3fb06ba859ef5487ffd5e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-31T09:45:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cassia Bömer Galvão.pdf: 8353898 bytes, checksum: ced0a2f7fdc3fb06ba859ef5487ffd5e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-12 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objective of this research was to identify how the Brazilian port development did took place in the 1993-2013 period. Thus, the research aimed to characterize the changes in the Brazilian port development policy during the FHC, Lula and Dilma governments. In the context of the world economy, there were evidences of increasing volume and speed of seaborne trade of merchandise goods. In the case of Brazil, during the analyzed period, it was identified, that besides the significant increase in the volume of merchandise, there were institutional and regulatory changes that took place under the process of “port reform”. Thus, based on a multimethod analysis, the Brazilian port policy was approached in three dimensions. First, the economic dimension has studied the relations between economic and port development. The second, dealt with the strategic dimension, having as parameters of analysis the key variables in the strategic determination of the ports, such as planning and the investments. Finally, the third dimension was devoted to the political aspects, seeking the identification of actors and interest groups, as well as their correlations of political forces that resulted in the organizational and regulatory changes of the sector in two different moments that were verifiable in the passing of Law 8630 in 1993 and Law12815 in 2013. The results of the analysis showed that the Brazilian port policy was directly influenced by the changes of political economy context characterized by the State performance and its bloc in power. The analysis presented here is critic as it deals with port development as a result of the interaction of the economic, strategic and political dimensions and not as a natural evolution of free market forces / Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo identificar como se deu o desenvolvimento dos portos na no Brasil no período de 1993 a 2013. Para tanto, buscou-se caracterizar as mudanças na política de desenvolvimento portuário brasileiro ocorridas durante os governos FHC, Lula e Dilma. No contexto da economia mundializada, observou-se como evidência a aceleração das trocas comerciais e de aumento do volume de comércio de mercadorias pela via marítima. No caso do Brasil, ao longo do período analisado identificou-se, além do significativo incremento no volume de mercadorias, alterações institucionais e regulatórias, cujo processo ficou conhecido como “reforma portuária”. Por meio de aplicação de multimétodos, a política portuária brasileira foi abordada em três dimensões. Primeiro, a econômica, na qual verificou-se as relações entre o desenvolvimento econômico e o portuário. A segunda, tratou da dimensão estratégica, tendo como parâmetros de análise as variáveis-chave na determinação estratégica dos portos, isto é, o planejamento e o investimento em portos. Por fim, a terceira dedicou-se à dimensão política procurando a identificação de atores e grupos de interesses, bem como suas correlações de forças políticas que resultaram nas modificações organizacionais e regulatórias do setor em dois momentos verificáveis na aprovação da Lei 8630 de 1993 e 12815 de 2013. Os resultados da análise demonstraram que a política portuária brasileira foi diretamente influenciada pela mudança de contexto da economia política caracterizada pela atuação do Estado e do bloco no poder. A análise aqui apresentada se coloca como crítica à medida que trata o desenvolvimento portuário como resultado da interação das dimensões econômica, estratégica e política e não como evolução natural das forças do livre mercado

L'objet de cette thèse est l'édition critique des relations de captivité des religieuses de port-royal, enlevées de leur monastère le 26 août 1664 par les autorités et détenues des couvents hostiles au jansénisme. disséminées dans divers manuscrits, ces relations demeurent méconnues, car leur corpus n'a pas encore été établi même si certaines d'entre elles furent éditées en 1724. il convient donc, après avoir établi leur corpus, de procéder à leur édition critique d'après leurs copies manuscrites qui trouvent à la bibliothèque de port-royal et à la bibliothèque nationale de France. nous présenterons une typologie de ces relations, une brève biographie de leurs auteurs, ainsi qu'une étude qui mettra en lumière les fondements politiques et théologiques du combat des religieuses contre le roi et l'Eglise, tel qu'il apparaît dans ces relations. nous analyserons également la place privilégiée qu'occupent ces relations dans l'importante production littéraire de port-royal /... / From Port-Royal to Jansenism through the captivity accounts’ (the ‘Relations de Captivité’) analyses the revolt of the Port-Royal nuns. Supported by the Grand Arnauld and the port-royalist network they refused to sign the formulary which condemned Jansenius’ augustinian theology. They dared oppose Louis XIV and the Pope, who relied on the Jesuits. The nuns describe their revolt in their ‘Relations de Captivité’, prison memoirs, which are both private and collective reports. We present here the first critical edition of those accounts. Our thesis examines the various episodes of the formulary case and the grounds for the nuns’ resistance – which served the Jansenists’ interest in the XVIIIth century (the abbé d’Etemare among others) when fighting against the Bull Unigenitus. The Jansenists devised an important historiography, as did Racine, the first historian of the nuns. They set up the nuns as myth and martyrs to their cause. The ‘Relations de Captivité’ herald the XVIIIth century Jansenism, the arguments of which can be noted in the nuns’ reports. Later on the nuns’ revolt aroused the interest of historians and writers, in France as well as abroad. Sainte-Beuve, Reuchlin, and Charles Beard devoted extensive studies to the subject. Montherlant, Julien Green, Charles Bobin were touched by the poetic streak of the accounts. There is another innovative element to it : the Port-Royal nuns are a landmark in the history of women in so far as they dared assert and justify themselves by writing their own story.

L’étude développe une approche globale de l’histoire d’un haut lieu de mémoire, Port-Royal des Champs, à partir du prisme du jardin et du paysage, comme clé heuristique de relecture de l’histoire de Port-Royal et du jansénisme, mais aussi des enjeux de la modernité classique aux XVIIème et XVIIIème siècles. La méthodologie croise les approches de l’histoire culturelle et de l’histoire environnementale, avec une ouverture pluridisciplinaire à partir de la notion de « rosace de Port-Royal ». Il s’agit d’abord d’observer le niveau de lecture religieux, depuis les acculturations bibliques, monastiques et augustiniennes, jusqu’au renouveau tridentin du premier XVIIème siècle, et leurs oscillations, allant du désert ascétique au jardin paradisiaque. Viennent ensuite les lectures esthétiques, poétiques et picturales, avec leurs primitivismes et tentations naturalistes, par la recherche des traces d’une nature originelle, sans oublier leurs traductions techniques dans des savoirs horticoles, botaniques et agronomiques. Apparaissent enfin les dimensions paysagères et territoriales, qui offrent l’expression d’un contre-modèle versaillais incarné dans l’espace. Ce mythe paysager traversa les siècles, depuis les réseaux de la République des Lettres des XVIIème et XVIIIème siècles, jusqu’aux diverses vagues interprétatives de la période révolutionnaire, de l’âge romantique, jusqu’au milieu du XXème siècle. Il s’agit in fine de proposer une étude globale d’une « figure paysagère de la Nation », de ses principes fondateurs, de ses flux et reflux mémoriels, et de ses processus sur la longue durée de (dé)sacralisation et de patrimonialisation. / The study develops a global approach to the history of a Chief place of memory, Port-Royal des Champs, using the lens of the garden and the landscape as a heuristic key to re-read the history of Port-Royal and Jansenism, but also the stakes of classical modernity in the 17th and 18th centuries. The methodology crosses approaches in cultural history and environmental history, with a multidisciplinary approach of the notion of "Port-Royal Rosette". It first consists in observing the levels of religious interpretation, from biblical, monastic and Augustinian acculturations, to the Tridentine revival of the first 17th century, and their oscillations between the ascetic desert and the garden of paradise. Aesthetic, poetic and pictorial approaches are then deployed, with their primitivisms and naturalist temptations, through the search for traces of an original nature, without forgetting their technical translations into horticultural, botanical and agronomic knowledge. Finally, there are landscape and territorial dimensions, which mark the expression of a Versaillian counter-model incarnated in space. This landscape myth crossed the centuries, from the networks of the Republic of Letters of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to the interpretive waves of the Revolutionary period, the Romantic age until the middle of the twentieth century. The aim is to propose a global study of a "landscape figure of the Nation", its founding principles, its memory flows and ebb, and its long term processes of (de)sacralization and patrimonialization.