Le passage de l'Afrique du Sud d'un système politique répressif à un système démocratique a ouvert un nouvel espace de parole aux exclus, notamment aux femmes noires à travers les Commissions pour la Vérité. La parole féminine noire libérée suite à la transition politique du pays se reflète aussi dans le développement d'une production littéraire féminine, donnant lieu à l'émergence de nouvelles formes d'écriture romanesque, étudiées dans ce travail qui porte sur dix romans publiés par huit auteures entre 1998 et 2011 : S. Magona, K.L. Molope, K. Matlwa, A.N. Sithebe, A. Makholwa, H.J. Gololai, Z. Wanner et C. Jele. Nous étudions dans un premier temps comment les écrivaines s'approprient le genre romanesque durant la période transitionnelle, s'éloignant d'une écriture réaliste politiquement engagée, courante durant l'apartheid, pour se tourner vers une écriture de l'intime qui met en lumière les traumatismes d'un passé national qui hante le présent. Puis, nous étudions dans les trois parties suivantes comment les auteures émergeant durant la période post-transitionnelle explorent des genres jusqu’ici peu utilisés par les femmes noires sud-africaines : le Bildungsroman, le roman policier et la chick lit, mettant en mots les peurs et les angoisses de la nouvelle Afrique du Sud. Revisitant des genres européens, pour certains populaires, à travers une perspective féminine noire nouvelle, ces auteures continuent d'innover tant dans les thématiques abordées que dans une écriture fondée sur le mélange. Le roman devient un moyen subversif pour critiquer une société patriarcale fortement occidentalisée, qui ne doit pas renier son passé afin de faire face aux nouveaux défis à venir. / The South African political transition from a repressive system to a democratic one opened new spaces to a marginalized part of the population among whom the black woman to express themselves, such as the Truth and Reconciliation hearings. This black feminine voice, made free by the political transition is reflected through the development of a literary female production. It gave way to the emergence of new novelistic forms, analysed in our study through ten novels written by eight different female writers between 1998 and 2011: S. Magona, K.L. Molope, K. Matlwa, A.N. Sithebe, A. Makholwa, H.J. Gololai, Z. Wanner and C. Jele. In a first part, we analyse the way these authors rewrite the novel during the transitional period, moving away from a realistic writing, deeply involved in politics and largely used during the apartheid era, towards a more intimate way of writing which reflect the traumas of a national past haunting the present. Then, we examine in three parts how the writers emerging during the post-transitional period explore new genres, rarely used by black South African women until then, namely the Bildungsroman, detective fiction and chick lit, which reflect their fears in the new South Africa. These authors rewrite these European genres, among which popular ones, through a new feminine perspective, thus innovating the themes they deal with and creating a literature made of mixtures. The European novel becomes a subversive tool to criticise a patriarchal and Europeanised society, which, according to these authors, should not deny the past in order to solve the new challenges coming.

This thesis explores the relationship between literature and politics through a study of novels published by Diamela Eltit (1949-) and Alberto Fuguet (1964-) in the Chilean post-transition to democracy period (i.e.: after the year 2000). It attempts to demonstrate that Chilean post-transition to democracy literature foregrounds the socio-cultural legacies inherited from the dictatorship (1973-1990), which have been to a great extent endorsed by the Chilean neoliberal transition to democracy. This thesis considers the more recent narrative fiction published by these authors as representative of Chilean post-transition to democracy literature, that is, a literature that shares a politico-historical legacy inherited from the Chilean dictatorship, and highlights a social imaginary permeated by the contemporary neoliberal politico-cultural project imposed by the military and to a great extent endorsed by the transition to democracy. In doing so, this work focuses on questions related to the portrayal of contemporary Chilean society and the political status of women. Commitment in literature does not necessarily come from the author's subjectivity or intention, but from his or her study of society and the way in which s/he presents it. Literary commitment, whether overt or not, remains fundamental in the case of contemporary Chilean writers, who have inherited a neoliberal socio-cultural context imposed by a dictatorship, and who may deploy strategies to either disseminate, perpetuate or resist such a cultural model, creating new ones. Therefore, the values to which literature commits can be traced in the case of both the overtly politically committed author and the apparently apolitical one. This methodology allows us to reveal the way in which Eltit and FuguetÊ1⁄4s writing projects represent different but implicitly related views of Chilean society as well as two semi-canonical standpoints which are prominently representative of the twenty-first century Chilean literary sphere.

L'oxydation thermique est souvent étudiée par les méthodes classiques : mesure thermogravimétrie et observations MEB. L'utilisation de l'EA n'a pas encore été largement développée dans le domaine de l'oxydation thermique. Le présent travail vise à utiliser l'EA pour suivre in-situ l'oxydation et détecter les phénomènes physiques se produisant à haute température. Il porte sur deux groupes de matériaux : sensibles à l'oxydation catastrophique (Ti, Zy-4) et passifs (Cr, Ni). Ce travail présente tout d'abord l'oxydation du Ti pur à 900°C sous 150 mbar d'O2, en tant que matériau modèle. Il aborde également l'influence de la température, de l'atmosphère et de l'état de surface sur le comportement d'EA. L'oxydation du Zy-4, du Cr pur et du Ni pur sous oxygène et/ou sous vapeur d'eau est ensuite étudiée. Les ondes élastiques issues de l'oxydation sont converties en signaux d'EA via un capteur, lequel est collé au côté froid d'un guide d'onde en alumine. Une corrélation entre les mesures d'EA et les résultats classiques a été mise en évidence. La technique d'EA est capable de détecter l'oxydation catastrophique et d'identifier le mode de rupture de l'oxyde. Au-delà des paramètres discriminants d'EA, nous observons deux populations distinctes : la population dite normale est attribuée au bruit de fond et aux relaxations des contraintes dans l'oxyde associées à des phénomènes de fluage micro-mécanique, probablement situé aux joints de grains. La vitesse d'EA peut alors dépendre du niveau de ces contraintes et/ou de leurs relaxations. La population post-transitoire est associée à l'endommagement de l'oxyde conduisant à l'oxydation catastrophique. Selon le niveau d'énergie de transition, le mode de rupture de l'oxyde pourra être identifié. En revanche, l'EA n'a pas donné de résultats probants sur les matériaux passifs. Des signaux enregistrés ont pour principale origine le bruit de fond.

L'oxydation thermique est souvent étudiée par les méthodes classiques : mesure thermogravimétrie et observations MEB. L'utilisation de l'EA n'a pas encore été largement développée dans le domaine de l'oxydation thermique. Le présent travail vise à utiliser l'EA pour suivre in-situ l'oxydation et détecter les phénomènes physiques se produisant à haute température. Il porte sur deux groupes de matériaux : sensibles à l'oxydation catastrophique (Ti, Zy-4) et passifs (Cr, Ni). Ce travail présente tout d'abord l'oxydation du Ti pur à 900°C sous 150 mbar d'O2, en tant que matériau modèle. Il aborde également l'influence de la température, de l'atmosphère et de l'état de surface sur le comportement d'EA. L'oxydation du Zy-4, du Cr pur et du Ni pur sous oxygène et/ou sous vapeur d'eau est ensuite étudiée. Les ondes élastiques issues de l'oxydation sont converties en signaux d'EA via un capteur, lequel est collé au côté froid d'un guide d'onde en alumine. Une corrélation entre les mesures d'EA et les résultats classiques a été mise en évidence. La technique d'EA est capable de détecter l'oxydation catastrophique et d'identifier le mode de rupture de l'oxyde. Au-delà des paramètres discriminants d'EA, nous observons deux populations distinctes : la population dite normale est attribuée au bruit de fond et aux relaxations des contraintes dans l'oxyde associées à des phénomènes de fluage micro-mécanique, probablement situé aux joints de grains. La vitesse d'EA peut alors dépendre du niveau de ces contraintes et/ou de leurs relaxations. La population post-transitoire est associée à l'endommagement de l'oxyde conduisant à l'oxydation catastrophique. Selon le niveau d'énergie de transition, le mode de rupture de l'oxyde pourra être identifié. En revanche, l'EA n'a pas donné de résultats probants sur les matériaux passifs. Des signaux enregistrés ont pour principale origine le bruit de fond. / Thermal oxidation was often studied by conventional methods: thermogravimetric measurement and SEM observations. The use of AE has not yet been widely developed in the field of thermal oxidation. The present work aims to use AE to monitor on-line oxidation and detect physical phenomena occurring at high temperature. It focuses on two groups of materials: susceptible to catastrophic oxidation (Ti, Zy-4) and passive (Cr, Ni). This work first presents the oxidation of pure Ti at 900°C under 150 mbar of O2, as a model material. It also discusses the influence of temperature, atmosphere and surface condition on acoustic behaviour. Oxidation of Zy-4, pure Cr and Ni in pure oxygen and/or under water vapour is then studied. Elastic waves from oxidation are converted into AE signals via a sensor, which is placed outside the furnace by an alumina wave guide. A correlation between AE measures and classical results was highlighted. AE technique was able to detect catastrophic oxidation and identify failure modes of the oxide. Beyond the AE discriminated parameters, we observed two distinct populations: the so-called normal population is attributed to background noise and relaxation of stresses in the oxide associated with micro-mechanic creep, probably located at grain boundaries. AE velocity may then depend on stress level and/or their relaxation. Post-transition population is associated to oxide failure leading to breakaway oxidation. According to the transition energy level, the oxide failure modes could be identified. However, AE did not give conclusive results on passive materials. Recorded signals are mainly caused by background noise.

Thesis (MSc (Chemistry and Polymer Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The competitive transport, extraction, and coordination chemistry for a series of N- (thio)phosphorylated (thio)amide and N-(thio)phosphorylated (thio)urea ligands were investigated with the seven transition and post-transition metal ions Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ag(I), Cd(II) and Pb(II). Three N-benzylated derivatives of 1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) were synthesized and a similar study carried out with the same metal ions and the deprotonated precursors. The ligands were all potential specific carriers (ionophores) in the organic phase. The seven metal ions had equal concentrations in the source phase. The experimental arrangement for the transport studies employed a set-up involving three phases: a source phase and a receiving phase (both aqueous), separated by a chloroform membrane (organic phase). Competitive metal ion solvent extraction involved two phases: an aqueous phase and an organic phase. Similar conditions were used in transport and extraction studies. The metal ion concentrations in the aqueous phases were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The transport results of deprotonated N-(thio)phosphorylated (thio)amides and N- (thio)phosphoryated (thio)ureas showed that PhC(S)NPO(OPri)2 (L1), BrPhC(S)NPO-(OPri)2 (L11) and PriNHC(S)NPO(OPri)2 (L16) transported Ag(I) into the receiving phase. Under these experimental conditions, L1 had the highest Ag(I) transport efficiency, at 36.3%, while L11 only transported one metal ion, viz. Ag(I). With NH2C(S)NP(S)(OPri)2 (L4), 94.6% of Ag(I) remained in the membrane phase. Thus L4 appeared to have the highest formation constant with Ag(I). A small amount of Cu(II) was also transported by L1, NH2C(S)NP(O)(OPri)2 (L9), L16 and ButNHC(S)-NPO(OPri)2 (L20). L20 had the highest selectivity for Cu(II). Results of competitive metal ion extraction studies revealed that most ligands extracted up to 100% Ag(I), except L1 and morpholine substituted ligands (L7, L17) . The formation constant of L1 effects a subtle balance between metal uptake and metal loss into and out of the respective membrane phase. HL7 and HL17 had low solubility in chloroform. L4 extracted the highest percentage of Cu(II) (49%). Two neutral ligands, PhCONHPO(OPri)2 (1) and BrPhCONHPO(OPri)2 (2) were isolated and their molecular structure determined. They had monoclinic unit cells in the space groups C2/c and P21/n, respectively. An unprecedented octanuclear [Ag(I)(L4-S,N)]8 (3) complex was also crystallized. The extended structure showed three different cavities alternating with two unique 16-membered rings, creating a novel AgS2N2 cage. Two polynuclear Cu(I) chelates with deprotonated L4 and L6 (tBuNHC(S)NP(S)(OPri)2) were isolated by the same crystallization method. The complex [Cu(I)(L4–S,S)]9 (4) consisted of a hexagonal-prismatic hexamer, which exhibited an unusual and unprecedented supramolecular “honeycomb” packing. The trinuclear [Cu(I)(L6–S,S)]3 (5) consisted of a 6-membered Cu3S3 ring attached to a hydroxy tetrahydrofuran molecule. Di-, tri- and tetra-benzyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) was synthesized, and characterized. None of these compounds was effective in metal transport under these experimental conditions. Nevertheless, Tetra-benzyl cyclen showed the highest extraction efficiency for Ag(I), at 100%, and the highest selectivity for Ag(I) extraction, compared to Cu(II). An intermediate of dibenzyl cyclen compound dibenzylated dioxocyclen (6) was crystallized and found a host THF molecule in the lattice. The crystal and molecular structure confirmed the cis-configuration. The X-ray structure of the Cu(II) complex with dibenzylated cyclen (7) was determined for the first time. It was found to have an ideal square pyramidal coordination geometry around the central metal ion. A serendipitous organic compound of isopropylammonium(isopropylamino)- oxoacetate mono-hydrate (8) was crystallized. The crystal was held together by inter-molecular hydrogen bonds, which lead to two-dimensional layers with hydrophobic interactions.

abstract: Over the past two decades, substantial research has documented the increase of students with disabilities enrolling in post-secondary education. The purpose of the study was to examine factors identified as significant in preparing individuals who fall on the autism spectrum for post-secondary experiences. The study was exploratory in nature and designed to identify perceived critical program elements needed to design successful post-secondary transition programs for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study used archival research and grounded theory to look at expectations of parents with young adults with an ASD and young adults with an ASD on post-secondary transition and to discern whether expectations impact the successful post transition of young adults. More than likely, due to an overall increase in the prevalence of ASDs, many more students with an ASD will be attending a post-secondary educational setting in the near future. Understanding expectations and particular challenges faced by students with an ASD will be necessary for colleges to meet the unique needs of this population. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011

The dissertation consists of three empirical papers in institutional microeconomics. The first paper examines the role of institutional quality in international trade, the second paper focuses on unintended consequences of intellectual property rights for social welfare, and the last one addresses the impact of banking on corporate financing and investment. An introductory chapter puts these three papers into perspective. In the first paper I analyze the role of institutions in price dispersion among cities in the European region in the 1996-2009 period. Using a number of institutional quality measures I find that the better the institutions, the lower the predicted dispersion. The result is robust to different specifications of the regression model and is consistent with a hypothesis that arbitrage, as an entrepreneurial activity and the main power behind the law of one price, is influenced by institutional quality. In the second paper I use a large data set of U.S. patents applied for between 1980 and 2007 by 22 large technology companies to study development of strategic patenting over time and across industries. Using two complementary methods I reveal strong evidence against the hypothesis of more strategic patenting after 1995. Contrary to the expectations, aerospace patents appear to be on average...