Submitted by Izabel Franco (izabel-franco@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-04T13:58:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMB.pdf: 10290776 bytes, checksum: 9424739f0a0e6ff2368e95b21ecbefc3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T19:15:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMB.pdf: 10290776 bytes, checksum: 9424739f0a0e6ff2368e95b21ecbefc3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T19:16:04Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMB.pdf: 10290776 bytes, checksum: 9424739f0a0e6ff2368e95b21ecbefc3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-20T19:16:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMB.pdf: 10290776 bytes, checksum: 9424739f0a0e6ff2368e95b21ecbefc3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-27 / Não recebi financiamento / The Minha Casa Minha Vida Programme (My House My Life) was launched in April 2009 with anti-cyclical objectives, in order to counteract the effects of the crisis triggered by the bursting of the housing bubble in the United States in 2008 (the subprime crisis), which caused consequences for the global economy. The PMCMV, however, reduced attention to the objectives of PlanHab - National Housing Plan, calling for the urgent need to maintain the level of economic activity. After five years of operation, the program is intimately linked to the National Housing Policy, to the point that, in practice, it has replaced it. The amount of produced houses is impressive. The Caixa Econômica Federal, a public bank, as the founding manager of the Housing policies and the PMCMV, attached to the Ministry of Finance, apparently gives priority to economic and financial issues for the approval of projects, to the detriment of the priorities with the quality of the urban environment and housing production. These issues are delegated to small and larger towns, where the PMCMV is realized. Such towns do have the power to make demands of adjustments on the projects, according to their master plans and local regulations. What is found, however, in several towns of São Paulo, is that the projects are usually built in very contradiction to what is expected of a master plan or a democratic urban and housing management, as recommended by the Federal Housing Policies and Plans (PlanHab). This study aims to investigate it, through a case in Araraquara. As we go through a whole process of three PMCMV assemblies for low-income people, we will be able to verify the compliance with the laws and municipal urban guidelines, as well as the urban and social impacts, both for the town and for the population served by the MCMV Programme. / O Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida foi lançado em abril de 2009 supostamente com objetivos anticíclicos, com a finalidade de combater os efeitos da crise deflagrada pelo estouro da bolha imobiliária nos Estados Unidos em 2008 (crise dos subprimes), que causou consequências na economia global (FIX, 2009). O PMCMV, no entanto, relegou a segundo plano os objetivos do PlanHab – Plano Nacional da Habitação, utilizando como argumento um discurso de urgência em manter o nível da atividade econômica. Após cinco anos de atuação, o programa se confunde com a própria Política Nacional de Habitação, apresentando números de produção de moradias impressionantes. A Caixa Econômica Federal – CEF, como gestora do Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço – FGTS, do Fundo de Arrendamento Residencial – FAR e do PMCMV, sendo um banco estatal, ligado ao Ministério da Fazenda, aparentemente prioriza as questões econômicas e financeiras na aprovação dos empreendimentos, em detrimento das preocupações com a qualidade do ambiente urbano e das moradias produzidas. Essas questões são delegadas aos municípios, que recebem os empreendimentos do PMCMV, e teriam o poder de fazer exigências de adequações nos projetos em função de seus planos e legislação locais. O que se verifica, no entanto, em diversas cidades do interior paulista, é que os empreendimentos são construídos em franca contradição ao que se espera de um plano diretor ou de uma gestão urbana e habitacional democrática e participativa, como preconizado pela PNH e pelo PlanHab. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho é investigar, por meio de um estudo de caso em Araraquara, como ocorreu o processo de implantação de três conjuntos do PMCMV para a faixa 1, no sentido de verificar o atendimento às leis e diretrizes urbanas municipais, bom como os decorrentes impactos urbanos e sociais, tanto para a cidade, como para a população atendida pelo programa.

Submitted by Morgana Silva (morgana_linhares@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-09-13T16:13:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1200984 bytes, checksum: 52de414bfb9dda6384a873008beb76c2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-13T16:13:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1200984 bytes, checksum: 52de414bfb9dda6384a873008beb76c2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / objectives authorizing state intervention on economic domain, linked to the Growth Acceleration Plan (PAC) 1 and 2, was editing more often tax rules hit the construction sector. In this vein, this dissertation analyzes the interventionist aspect of the state of the construction sector in order to discuss whether the edited tax rules have the power to induce the behavior of economic agents subsector of residential buildings and what their socioeconomic consequences. The work we used the inductive approach and adopted methodological procedures based on bibliographic research and collection of secondary information, making use of direct documentation of research technique, analyzing the contents of documents made available by autonomous entities and federal agencies. After tracing the theoretical framework, defining concepts and evaluate the economic and social principles that guided the current National Housing Policy (NHP), leaning to the study of the tax rule of law, its classification and identifying elements of an inducer tax law, in order to provide the reader with greater mastery of the subject, the work critically assessed whether the tax rules created in the midst of PNH induce the behavior of economic agents and served as aid instruments in the promotion of social rights, especially the right to housing. And we came to the conclusion that the tax rules introduced amid the current PNH induced behavior of the sub-sector economic agents construction of residential buildings, helping to generate jobs, wealth distribution and promotion of the right to housing, maximizing socioeconomic effects of the current PNH. / Desde o início da crise mundial de 2008 que o Brasil, no bojo dos objetivos constitucionais que autorizam a intervenção do Estado sobre o domínio econômico, atrelado aos Planos de Aceleração do Crescimento (PACs) 1 e 2, vinha editando com mais frequência normas tributárias que atingem o setor da construção civil. Nesta senda, a presente dissertação analisa o aspecto intervencionista do Estado sobre o setor da construção civil, a fim de discutir se as normas tributárias editadas tiveram o condão de induzir o comportamento dos agentes econômicos do subsetor de edificações residenciais e quais seus reflexos socioeconômicos. O trabalho utilizou-se do método indutivo de abordagem e adotou procedimentos metodológicos com base em pesquisas bibliográficas e levantamento de informações secundárias, fazendo uso da técnica de pesquisa de documentação direta, analisando o conteúdo de documentos disponibilizados por entidades autônomas e órgãos públicos federais. Após traçar o marco teórico, delimitar conceitos e avaliar os princípios econômicos e sociais que direcionaram a atual Política Nacional de Habitação (PNH), debruçando-se com o estudo da norma jurídica tributária, sua classificação e os elementos identificadores de uma norma tributária indutora, o trabalho avaliou criticamente se as normas tributárias criadas em meio ao PNH induziram o comportamento dos agentes econômicos e serviram de instrumentos de auxílio na promoção de direitos sociais, especialmente do direito à moradia. E chegou à conclusão de que as normas tributárias exonerativas introduzidas em meio à atual PNH induziram o comportamento dos agentes econômicos do subsetor da construção civil de edificações residenciais, ajudando na geração de empregos, na distribuição de riqueza e na promoção do direito à moradia, maximizando os efeitos socioeconômicos da atual PNH.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:34:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JohnatanRSB_DISSERT.pdf: 3910794 bytes, checksum: 43d57ca72250e58dc10b9d5c0f6f4a53 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-12-06 / The Brazilian tax structure has specific characteristics and the performance level of government. The autonomy given to municipalities to manage their activities after the 1988 Constitution, made them highly dependent on intergovernmental transfers of resources, revealing the fragility of the administrative capacity of these entities. The vertical gap revealed by the constitutional structure of the Brazilian fiscal federalism model contributes to the formation of this specific feature that you are eroding the tax base and the ability of municipal own revenues. Although there was a better regulation of these transfers after the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Law, it is observed that the amount of resources transferred to the municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte is very high and is the main source of revenue of municipalities. In light of the theory of federalism and fiscal decentralization, in particular, the theories related to intergovernmental transfers, we seek to diagnose the transfers from the systematization of information on the origin, destination and value. We used the econometric model of System Dynamic Panel GMM in making the diagnosis and verification of the impact of transfers on public finances of the municipalities of the newborn, associated with a review in light of the theory of fiscal federalism and intergovernmental transfers. The paper presents some proposals for the transfer system and the composition of spending in order to contribute to greater tax efficiency / A estrutura fiscal brasileira apresenta caracter?sticas espec?ficas quanto ? atua??o das esferas de governo. A autonomia dada aos munic?pios para a gest?o de suas atividades, ap?s a constitui??o de 1988, os tornou altamente dependentes das transfer?ncias intergovernamentais de recursos, revelando a fragilidade da capacidade administrativa destes entes. A brecha vertical revelada pela estrutura constitucional do modelo de federalismo fiscal brasileiro contribui para a forma??o dessa caracter?stica espec?fica que acaba minando a base tribut?ria municipal e a capacidade de arrecada??o pr?pria. Embora tenha havido uma melhor regulamenta??o dessas transfer?ncias ap?s a promulga??o da Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal, observa-se que a quantidade de recursos transferidos aos munic?pios do Rio Grande do Norte ? bastante elevada e constitui a principal fonte de receita desses munic?pios. ? luz da teoria do federalismo e descentraliza??o fiscal e, em particular, nas teorias relacionadas com as transfer?ncias intergovernamentais, busca-se diagnosticar as transfer?ncias a partir da sistematiza??o das informa??es quanto ? origem, o valor e o destino. Utilizou-se o modelo econom?trico de Painel Din?mico System GMM na elabora??o do diagn?stico e na verifica??o do impacto dessas transfer?ncias nas finan?as p?blicas dos munic?pios do RN, associado a uma an?lise ? luz da teoria de federalismo fiscal e das transfer?ncias intergovernamentais. O trabalho apresenta algumas proposi??es para o sistema de transfer?ncias e na composi??o dos gastos a fim de contribuir com uma maior efici?ncia fiscal

Orientador: Edgard Antonio Pereira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T06:22:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Laplane_Marcelo_D.pdf: 1088131 bytes, checksum: 6b8eb4bbde7af969af761b57d5b2debc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Na presente dissertação o setor elétrico é utilizado como mote para discutir e caracterizar o conceito de ¿custo regulatório¿. Ademais, realiza-se aqui uma tentativa de medi-lo através da avaliação da comparação entre a rentabilidade das distribuidoras de energia elétrica e o custo de oportunidade de seus investimentos. Para contextualizar o problema é feita uma descrição das características da indústria elétrica, dos mecanismos de regulação de monopólios e de seus limites. Os resultados encontrados mostram que o conceito convencional de ¿custo regulatório¿ deve ser relativizado e que um mercado bem regulado pode funcionar melhor do que um desregulado / Abstract: Not informed. / Doutorado / Mestre em Ciências Econômicas

Orientadores: Sergio Luiz Monteiro Salles Filho, Sergio Medeiros Paulino de Carvalho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T06:18:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Yamamura_Simone_M.pdf: 871039 bytes, checksum: b6d95e812c725ab95233dd7bc308c971 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: A produção e a comercialização de plantas transgênicas encontram-se atualmente circundadas por uma série de discussões e debates, pois envolvem a utilização da: engenharia genética para a promoção de inovações no campo científico e tecnológico e para a criação de valor econômico. Os organismos geneticamente modificados ensejam questionamentos nas áreas as mais diversas, como a ambiental, a política, a econômica, a jurídica, a social, a ética, a religiosa e a filosófica; tratá-las conjuntamente e de modo harmônico é tarefa das mais difíceis. Um dos temas que dizem respeito às plantas transgêniéas, especialmente devido à sua intrínseca relação com a pesquisa e o comércio; é o da propriedade intelectual. Os marcos regulatórios internacionais e nacionais que tratam de direitos de propriedade intelectual associados' às plantas transgênicas, bem como os marcos regulatórios que se relacionam ao seu desenvolvimento e comercialização, formam um quadro jurídico complexo e imbricado, que influencia a pesquisa e geração de negócios com transgênicos. Neste trabalho são analisados, em nível internacional, os acordos da Organização Mundial do Comércio referentes à propriedade intelectual, às ,medidas sanitárias e fitossanitárias e às barreiras técnicas ao comércio; as convenções para a proteção de obtenções vegetais; a Convenção da Diversidade Biológica; e o Protocolo, de Cartagena. Em nível nacional, são analisadas a Lei de Propriedade Industrial, a Lei de Proteção de Cultivares, a Lei de Biossegurança e a Medida Provisória de acesso ao patrimônio genético brasileiro. A partir dessas análises, são apontadas tendências para o futuro do aparato regulatório e para a pesquisa, desenvolvimento e geração de negócios com plantas transgênicas. Uma melhor compreensão de tais marcos regulatórios e.de suas implicações contribui para o aproveitamento do potencial brasileiro - o qual passa pela definição de um quadro regulatório claro e coeso, que atenda às prescrições internacionais e às necessidades nacionais, aliado a políticas de incentivo a outros elementos impulsionadores da inovação local / Abstract: Nowadays, the production and marketing of transgenic plants are involved in a series of discussions and debates, as they concern the use of genetic engineering for the promotion of innovations in the fields of science and technology and for the creation of economic value. Genetically modified organisms bring questions in various areas, such as environrnent, politics, economy, law, soc~ety, ethics, religion and philosophy; dealing with them joint1y and harmoniously is such a difficult task. One of the subjects which refer to transgenic plants, especially due to its intrinsec relation to research and commerce, is intellectual property. The international and national regulatory frameworks which tackle intellectual property rights associated to transgenic plants, as well as regulatory frameworks related to their development and.marketing, form a complex and overlapping legal scenario, which influences research and business with transgenic products. This work analyses, at international level, the agreements from the World Trade Organisation regarding intellectual property, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade; the conventions for the protection of new varieties of plants; the Convention on Biological Diversity; and the Cartagena Protocol. At national levei, the Industrial Property Law, the Varieties' Protection Law, the Biosecurity Law and the Provisional Measure for the access to Brazilian genetic resources are analysed. From these analyses, tendencies are indicated concerning the future of regulatory frameworks: and research, development and business with transgenic plants. A better comprehension of such regulatory frameworks and of their implications contributes to the use of Brazilian potential - it encompasses the definition of a clear and coherent legal scenario, which keeps up with international prescriptions and national necessities, along with policies for the incentive of other elements essential to local innovation / Mestrado / Mestre em Política Científica e Tecnológica

Ireland is facing a great challenge in meeting renewable energy requirements, where due to past circumstances and decisions, the nation state is now heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels. Given the contribution of these imported fossil fuels to global climate change, price instability and supply insecurity, Ireland is under a pressing need to face up to the dilemma of an unsustainably fueled economy. This thesis explores how the EU policy process is helping Ireland to achieve the goals it has set with the EU and how these are being incorporated into the drivers of wind power development in Ireland. This research sought to uncover the dynamic of this relationship - the goodness of fit - through an assessment of three mechanisms of change, namely: Discourses, Directives and Finances, which were drawn on from the theoretical approach of Europeanisation. By doing a combined assessment of these three channels and their influence, this thesis provides a greater understanding of the ways in which the development of wind power in Ireland is influenced by the EU level. The thesis finishes with a concluding discussion on the importance of the national level in this process, as well as the importance of social and community engagement, which despite being previously seen as important, has to date largely manifested as a tokenistic gesture in Ireland. This thesis reasserts it as a common and crucial thread of the renewable energy transition that continuously arose as being pre-eminent during this study.

The development of new innovations in explosives was an important part of the industrialization process from the mid-nineteenth century. The establishment of the world´s first nitroglycerin factory – Nitroglycerin Aktiebolaget (NA) in Stockholm in 1864 started a process replacing gunpowder with nitroglycerin and from 1868 by the safer invention dynamite. This affected both the long-term relationships between the mining industry and the powder mills and the demand from new industries for efficient and safe explosives. Even though the explosives industry was a small industry, it was of great importance for many other industries and for economic transformation. With dynamite and its successors, society also faced new risks. As a result, an extensive legislation was developed at an early stage which was supplemented with further supervision from a government authority in various organizations from 1895. The aim of the thesis is to investigate and analyze the major decision-making processes of the Swedish civilian explosives industry during the period 1858-1950. The purpose of the work is to contribute to gaining knowledge about how the society´s regulation of different industries has evolved and how state and private actors have acted in the development of new regulations. The work is structured around three main questions. The first question is about how the Swedish explosives industry developed during the period. How did the technological development of the industry and the explosives look like and had this any impact on the questions the actors within the industry drove? The second question is about how the dynamite industry was regulated. What did the regulations contain and how was the control organized? How did rights and obligations look like and how was the industry affected by this? The third question concerns the regulatory process itself. How and why did the regulations change and which actors were involved in the various changes? How did the Government and the actors act and can we see shifts over time between their different roles and interests? The study concludes that NA was the actor that, by using different methods, managed to gain the greatest influence over the regulatory process. Although the traditional established powder mill industry competed with NA at an early stage, it was nevertheless the initial, high-tech company that was involved in creating new national regulations in negotiation with the regulating authorities. This was a process of regulatory capture where NA, by combining both direct and indirect capture methods, managed to gain influence over regulations in the long run. A parallel but slightly different characteristic of this regulatory capture process is risk minimization for the public. Despite the occurrence of regulatory capture the regulations developed in a kind of a co-regulation system where the regulators became dependent on NA to provide the technical and practical expertise needed to build the necessary regulatory framework.

Les cellules cancéreuses sont capables de réactiver la transition Epithélio-Mésenchymateuse (EMT), mécanisme embryonnaire, pour acquérir une mobilité et une capacité de dédifférenciation. L'EMT conduit à une reprogrammation génétique avec la réactivation d'inducteurs de l'EMT, qui sont en majorité des facteurs de transcription (EMT-TF), et conduit à l'inhibition de miARN. Par ailleurs des stress oncogéniques sont essentiels à la progression tumorale. Le but de mon projet de thèse était de comprendre comment les événements de reprogrammation génétique survenant au cours de l'EMT coopèrent avec des stress oncogéniques dans la transformation tumorale mammaire.Premièrement, un criblage basé sur la coopération oncogénique en soft agar assay, entre les EMT-TFs et les stress oncogénique a été réalisé. Suite à une analyse bioinformatique, différentes signatures d'EMT-TF associés à un stress oncogénique ont été identifiées. Ainsi, par exemple, l'expression de l'EMT-TF Zeb1 et l'EMT-TF GSC sont associés à la délétion du gène suppresseur de tumeur PTEN pour transformer des cellules mammaires immortalisées. Une analyse en immuno-histochimie sur un set de 558 tumeurs du sein triple négatives a validé in vivo la présence d'une corrélation entre l'expression de GSC et l'expression de PTEN. Cependant cette association semble être plus complexe. En effet, l'expression de GSC est négativement associée à l'expression nucléaire de PTEN tandis qu'elle est positivement associée à l'expression de PTEN cytoplasmique. Enfin une analyse sur des métadonnées publiques de cancers telles que le TCGA ou le METABRIC est en cours pour valider ces signatures in vitro et plus largement pour déterminer comment l'EMT ou les signatures associées aux EMT-TF se corrèlent avec les voies oncogéniques classiques. Deuxièmement, une analyse in silico à partir d'algorithmes prédictifs de cibles de miARN, a été réalisée pour sélectionner les miARN capables d'inhiber l'expression de plusieurs EMT-TF. Deux miARN (miR-495 et 590-3p) ont été identifiés ciblant plusieurs membres des 4 principales familles d'EMT-TF (FoxC, Snail, bHLH et ZEB). Des tests in vitro ont été réalisés pour valider ces régulations identifiant Slug comme une cible de miR-590-3p. De plus, l'expression de ces miARN dans des lignées cellulaires mammaires est négativement associée à l'expression des EMT-TF et des marqueurs de l'EMT. Un traitement au TGF, inducteur de l'EMT, diminue leur expression, signifiant potentiellement que ces miARN peuvent négativement réguler l'EMT. En parallèle, plusieurs EMT-TF sont capables de réprimer l'expression de miR-590-3p, agissant directement sur son promoteur, créant ainsi des boucles de régulation. Des études fonctionnelles utilisant des vecteurs d'expression stable de miR-590-3p sembleraient montrer un rôle secondaire de ce miARN dans la régulation de l'EMT car mir-590-3p dérégule des marqueurs secondaires de l'EMT comme la N-cadhérine. Des études de restauration de fonctions sont envisagées pour déterminer quelle est l'importance de ces boucles de régulation dans la progression tumorale mammaire. Plus largement, l'expression des miARN identifiés va être corrélée avec les signatures associées aux EMT-TF et aux voies oncogéniques classiques pour déterminer le lien entre ces trois composants dans la tumorigenèse mammaire. Mes travaux de thèse ont montré qu'il existait un intéractome entre des inducteurs de l'EMT, des stress oncogéniques et des miARNs au cours de la transformation mammaire humaine / Cancer cells are able to reactivate the Epithelio-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), an embryonic mechanism, to acquire mobility and dedifferentiation capacities. EMT leads to a genetic reprogramming with the reactivation of EMT inductors, mainly transcription factors (EMT-TF) and the inhibition of miRNA. Otherwise, oncogenic stresses are essentials to tumor progression. The aim of my thesis project was to have a better understanding about the cooperation between events of genetic reprogramming occurring during EMT and oncogenic stresses during mammary tumor transformation. First, a screening based on oncogenic cooperation in soft agar assay, between EMT-TFs and oncogenic stresses was performed. Following a bioinformatics analysis, different EMT-TFs signatures associated with an oncogenic stress were identified. Thus, for example, the expression of EMT-TF ZEB1 and GSC were associated with the deletion of tumor suppressor gene PTEN to transform immortalized mammary epithelial cells. An immunohistochemistry analysis on a set of 558 triple negative breast cancers validated in vivo the presence of a correlation between the expressions of GSC and PTEN. However, this association seems to be more complex. Indeed, the expression of GSC is negatively associated with the nuclear expression of PTEN while it’s positively associated with the cytoplasmic expression of PTEN. Finally, an analysis of public metadata on cancer samples as TCGA or METABRIC is ongoing to validate these in vitro signatures and wider to determine how EMT or EMT-TFs associated signatures correlate with classical oncogenic pathways.Secondly, an in silico analysis, from predictive algorithms of miRNA targets, was performed to select miRNA able to inhibit the expression of several EMT-TFs. Two miRNA (miR-495 and miR-590-3p) were identified targeting several members of four principal’s families of EMT-TFs (FOXC, Snail, bHLH and ZEB). In vitro tests were realized to validate these regulations identifying Slug as a target of miR-590-3p. Moreover, these miRNAs expression in mammary cell lines is negatively correlated with EMT-TFs expression and EMT markers. A treatment with TGF-, a major EMT inductor, decreases their expression, potentially meaning that these miRNA can negatively regulate EMT. In parallel, several EMT-TFs are able to repress the expression of miR-590-3p, acting directly on its promotor, thus creating feedback loops. Functional studies using stable expression vector of miR-590-3p suggest a secondary role of this miRNA in the regulation of EMT because miR-590-3p deregulates EMT secondary markers as N-Cadherin. Functions restauration studies are planned to determine how important these feedback loops in mammary tumor progression are. To open the project, expression of these identified miRNA will be correlated with EMT-TF associated signatures and with classical oncogenic pathways to determine the link between these three components in mammary tumorigenesis. My thesis works are shown that there is an interactome between EMT inductors, oncogenic stresses and miRNA during human mammary transformation

Magister Curationis - MCur / Background: Health care workers who sustain needle stick injuries are at risk of contracting blood-borne pathogens, e.g. Human Immunodeficiency Virus,Hepatitis B virus or Hepatitis C virus. Needle stick injuries are viewed as occupational hazards that can lead to health care workers developing acute or chronic diseases, which may lead to disability or death. Due to these healthrelated risks, health care workers are encouraged to adhere to universal precautions and standard operating procedures. In South Africa, the Occupational Health and Safety Act promulgated in 1993 required institutions draw up protocols in line with the regulations of the Act. However, if the health care workers do not comply with the protocols they may not be compensated for contracting a disease, e.g. Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection, following needle stick injuries. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the health care workers’ perceptions of the needle stick injury protocol at a level 2 hospital in Cape Town. Research design: A qualitative approach was used to make sense of health care workers’ compliance to the protocols when sustaining a needle stick injury. An exploratory descriptive, contextual design was used to carry out an in-depth investigation of the phenomenon. Sample: The study was done at Mowbray Maternity Hospital, a level 2 obstetric hospital in Cape Town. The researcher made use of convenience, purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the research data. Data collection: During the data collection phase, ethical considerations towards participants were ensured to include, among others, anonymity, autonomy and confidentiality of information. Data analysis: It included the following steps: reading and rereading,coding, displaying, reducing and interpreting the data. Findings: Some health care workers do not view sustaining a needle stick injury as risky enough to report the injury or even go for follow-up testing. This risky behaviour can have detrimental effects on their health. There is also a lack of knowledge about the institutional needle stick injury protocol. Recommendations: It is recommended to have educational and training sessions for all health care workers and new employees to familiarise them with the needle stick injury protocol and policies of the institution; to provide adequate management support 7 following work related injuries and to make health care workers aware of the consequences of non-compliance to institutional protocol.

The study investigates two aspects that arise when an application is made for building plan approval to the Building Control Officer (BCO) in the Department of Building Control at a local authority (LA). Firstly, the uniform application of the minimum requirements for building plan approval is studied. Secondly, while keeping the original goal of the National Building Regulations (NBR) in mind, the inclusion of passive design requirements is considered as part of the minimum requirements. In the Republic of South Africa (South Africa), the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977 (Act 103 of 1977) determines the minimum requirements of any building. Although the NBR are in the process of being rewritten, the amended 1990 version is still being used. On 15 June 2010, the South African National Standard (SANS) 10400-XA: The Application of the National Building Regulations Part X: Environmental Sustainability Section A: Energy Usage in Buildings, was published for public comment. However, the current version of the NBR does not address sustainability. Therefore, it is argued that the planning and erection of structures within the South African built environment do not currently conform to any minimum sustainability requirements. A series of ‘Deemed-to-Satisfy Rules’ constitutes an integral part of the NBR. Should a development in the built environment comply with these prerequisites, it is observing the statutory requirements of Act 103 of 1977. The regulations are implemented by the Department of Building Control of the different LAs (or municipalities). Act 103 of 1977 also prescribes the appointment, qualifications and functions of the BCO who should head the department. However, it is the LA’s responsibility to appoint the BCO. An LA’s Department of Building Control uses guidelines (as determined by Act 103 of 1977) to approve applications for new buildings and alterations to existing ones. A series of prescribed inspections should be conducted during the construction phase of a building. Before a building can be used for its intended purpose, the BCO has to sign a Certificate of Occupancy. Although the NBR provide prescriptions, the requirements are implemented in different ways by the various LAs. After determining the origin and examining the goals and implementation methods of Act 103 of 1977 and its Regulations (together with the Code of Application (SANS 10400:1990)), this study demonstrates that the current edition of the NBR is not uniformly implemented in the Republic of South Africa. Additionally, the study links the original goal of the NBR to limit inflationary tendencies with current practice to use passive design principles to combat building operation costs. Lastly, a pro forma application form is included as an addendum (although it is not officially part of the study). This proposed pro forma could assist in the uniform implementation of NBR, while at the same time promoting sustainability. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Architecture / unrestricted