Compliance monitoring is a continuous process used to ensure that conditions stipulated in an environmental authorisation are adhered to. Compliance monitoring is a key component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and EIA follow-up. The aim of this research was to critically assess EIA follow-up conditions formulated for Environmental Authorisations in Mpumalanga Province. The practicability of conditions set out in the authorisation for EIA follow-up are of particular concern. Forty-two (42) environmental authorisations (EAs) issued under the 2010 NEMA EIA regulations were reviewed and assessed to analyse information relating to follow-up practice. In order to synthesise the data effectively and create a comprehensive analysis, the EAs were divided into project type categories rather than listed activity categories. The assessment results on the strengths and weaknesses related to compliance monitoring and enforcement of the authorisation conditions revealed that the EIA follow-up conditions in Mpumalanga do make provision of EIA follow-up. The EAs fulfils the requirements of regulation 37 of the NEMA EIA regulations 2010 by promoting compliance monitoring of impacts. However, some conditions raises difficulty in monitoring due to their impracticability. Another weakness is that conditions focus mainly on the construction phase and very little attention is paid to operational and decommissioning impacts. The analyses results show that the practicability of the authorised conditions for environmental compliance monitoring had the following challenges: conditions intended to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts are generic and do not apply to specific projects or activities being authorised and there are no clearly defined timeframes for conditions requiring repetitive monitoring. Moreover, the study revealed gaps in monitoring of the authorised conditions that included poor clarity of roles of environmental control officers (ECOs) and auditors and a lack of reference to sections to be complied with pertaining to other relevant legislation. The critical assessment of the EIA follow-up conditions formulated for Environmental Authorisations in Mpumalanga Province indicate that the formulation of conditions have implications in ensuring that compliance is effectively implemented. Clearly defined conditions will ensure proper interpretation and correct implementation for compliance purposes. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Compliance monitoring is a continuous process used to ensure that conditions stipulated in an environmental authorisation are adhered to. Compliance monitoring is a key component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and EIA follow-up. The aim of this research was to critically assess EIA follow-up conditions formulated for Environmental Authorisations in Mpumalanga Province. The practicability of conditions set out in the authorisation for EIA follow-up are of particular concern. Forty-two (42) environmental authorisations (EAs) issued under the 2010 NEMA EIA regulations were reviewed and assessed to analyse information relating to follow-up practice. In order to synthesise the data effectively and create a comprehensive analysis, the EAs were divided into project type categories rather than listed activity categories. The assessment results on the strengths and weaknesses related to compliance monitoring and enforcement of the authorisation conditions revealed that the EIA follow-up conditions in Mpumalanga do make provision of EIA follow-up. The EAs fulfils the requirements of regulation 37 of the NEMA EIA regulations 2010 by promoting compliance monitoring of impacts. However, some conditions raises difficulty in monitoring due to their impracticability. Another weakness is that conditions focus mainly on the construction phase and very little attention is paid to operational and decommissioning impacts. The analyses results show that the practicability of the authorised conditions for environmental compliance monitoring had the following challenges: conditions intended to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts are generic and do not apply to specific projects or activities being authorised and there are no clearly defined timeframes for conditions requiring repetitive monitoring. Moreover, the study revealed gaps in monitoring of the authorised conditions that included poor clarity of roles of environmental control officers (ECOs) and auditors and a lack of reference to sections to be complied with pertaining to other relevant legislation. The critical assessment of the EIA follow-up conditions formulated for Environmental Authorisations in Mpumalanga Province indicate that the formulation of conditions have implications in ensuring that compliance is effectively implemented. Clearly defined conditions will ensure proper interpretation and correct implementation for compliance purposes. / M (Environmental Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In the current study a variable speed pump controlled hydrostatic circuit where an underlapped shuttle valve is utilized to compensate the unequal flow rate of a single rod actuator is analyzed. Parameters of the shuttle valve are included in the system analysis, rather than treating it as an ideal switching element as handled in literature. A linearized model of the system is obtained. An inverse kinematic model, which calculates the required pump drive speed for a desired actuator speed and given pilot pressure input, is formed. A numerical stability analysis program is developed, and the stability of all possible shuttle valve spool positons is determined. The theoretical findings are validated by non-linear simulation model responses.

This study aims to improve the modeling of partial SCRAM in the BISON plant model for the Forsmark 2 nuclear reactor after power uprate. Validation of the BISON model against tests performed from March to May in 2013 have shown that this is one of the areas in which there is room for improvement. After partial SCRAM is performed, the model underestimates the reactor power, recirculation flow and steam flow when compared to the measurement data. In BISON the partial SCRAM is modeled using a relative control rod effect vector (ASC vector). The aim is to replace the old values in this vector to improve the model. The new model was shown to give an improved result for the reactor power, recirculation flow and steam flow. The study gives recommendations on how to apply the new model and what values of the relative control rod effect vector that can be used in the future.

During the synthesis of well arrayed nano/micro structures through wet chemical methods, plenty of parameters are usually involved. Consequently, it is extremely time- and cost-consuming to find out the optimized synthesis conditions by using the conventional "changing one separate factor at a time" (COST) strategy. Instead, the "statistical experimental design" method has been proven in a few works to be an efficient method for experiments involving many parameters.  With this method, the responses could be optimized efficiently by using only a few experiments. Besides, several responses can be optimized simultaneously. Also, models could be built up and the changing tendency can be plotted to predict the required experimental settings for specific tasks. Two types of well arrayed structures including monolayer arrays of silica spheres and vertically aligned ZnO rod arrays were investigated in this work. Monolayer arrays of silica spheres were synthesized by using a dual-speed spin coating method. With assistance of statistical experimental design, the accelerating rate, the second rotation speed and time of the dual-speed spin coating system were found as non-significant parameters to the ordering degree of the obtained monolayer, and thus they can be fixed. This finding could remarkably increase the feasibility of optimizing the practical process. On the other hand, the relative humidity, the first rotation speed and the suspension concentration are identified as the significant parameters to the structures of the monolayer. Moreover, the optimal values for these three parameters were identified: 23% for the relative humidity, 1000 rpm for the first rotation speed and 30 wt.% for the suspension concentration. With these optimized parameters, the area of the obtained silica sphere monolayers reached over 1 cm2 and the defect-free domain size reached over 4000 μm2. These values are considerably higher compared to the previously reported values. Vertically aligned ZnO rod arrays were fabricated by chemical bath deposition. Parameters including precursor concentration, pH value, reaction temperature, reaction time and addition of capping agent were optimized by using statistical experimental design to improve and optimize the growth quality of ZnO rod arrays. Through several stages of optimization, the growth quality of the obtained structures was remarkably enhanced from sparse or clustered ZnO rods to upright and dense ZnO rods. The boundary conditions to achieve vertically aligned ZnO rods, such as a neutral solution and a precursor concentration over 0.02M, were determined. The changing tendency of the texture coefficient and aspect ratio with the factors was also plotted to predict the required experimental settings for specific requests. The points or regions to achieve the optimal properties were identified as well. For instance, the concentration should be as close as to 0.1 M, while the reaction temperature should be limited to 80-90 ◦C, to achieve the ideal preferential growth. With the optimized parameters, the texture coefficient reached almost the perfect value 1, and the aspect ratio was elevated to 21. Moreover, to obtain a dense ZnO thin film, tri-sodium citrate was added to the reaction system. The diameter was systematically controlled through varying the parameters. When both the diameter and the texture coefficient reached the optimal values, the rods were merged together to form a dense ZnO thin film. Furthermore, comments on the statistical experimental method are proposed, and both the advantages and disadvantages are presented according to the present thesis work. This might help the researchers to avoid the disadvantages and thus to employ this method more efficiently in the future. / <p>QC 20150903</p>

Truffles are economically important fungi that are naturally present in the territory of the Czech Republic. Their geographical distribution is traditionally documented by the field incidence of fruitbodies. Advanced detection methods, however, enabled us to detect the presence of Tuber spp. at localities without a need for finding the underground fruitbodies. In this work, a molecular genetic detection method based on the polymerase chain reaction with specific primers was used. It enables us to determine the occurrence of members of the genus Tuber including Tuber aestivum in the studied samples. Members of the genus Tuber were detected in 67 cases out of a total of 190 samples. Highly probably, Tuber borchii, Tuber foetidum, Tuber rufum, Tuber dryophilum, Tuber umbilicatum, Tuber huidongense, Tuber oligospermum and Tuber aestivum have been detected. Since the sequence similarity with the closest species is relatively low in some cases, some of the obtained sequences might belong to hitherto unknown truffle species. Environmental factors analyzed explain only a small portion of the variability, acted weakly and cannot be taken as decisive for the presence or the absence of a species in a sample. The occurrence of truffles in the slopes of the study area was noted and it seems to be still more...

This work deals with the assignment of grammatical gender of nouns in Italian. Work will try to fully describe the category of grammatical gender in Italian with the comparative excursion to these issues in Czech and establish rules for the attribution of new or borrowed words. The part of this work is also analysis of selected words from the linguistic corpus and examination of validity of the rules of assignment and determination of the developmental trends in field of gender assignment.

This diploma thesis Family (von) Hardmuth focuses on the life of a business family from České Budějovice since the end of the 18th century until the end of the World War II. The goal of the thesis is not only a biographical study, but it also takes into consideration the process of the dynasty's social growth, initiated by a Liechtensteiner noble architect Joseph Hardtmuth, and the establishment among the city's and new aristocratic elites. This is why the study also deals with the marriage policy and public activities of the family. Therefore, in every generation we can observe a gradual avoiding the lower status society, the owners trying to symbolize fathers of the workers (parallel to the posititon of the emperor in relation to the nation), the adaptation to the aristocratic way of life, but also the national tension both in České Budějovice and the whole monarchy. The thesis also concentrates on the establishment of pencil factories and national advertising campaigns since the turn of the 19th and 20th century until the end of the World War II. The aim of the study is to contribute to the research of the German city's and new aristocratic elites, whose lives, compared to their Czech companions, have not been examined sufficiently until now.

Detta arbete beskriver förarbete och konstruktion av en stegmatare som sorterar och orienterar vevstakar för en takttid på tio sekunder. Industrier är ofta beroende av materialhanteringsutrustning där olika processer säkerställer någon form av sortering eller orientering, vilket styrker arbetets relevans. Detta har skett genom att dela in maskinen i två huvudfunktioner; trappfunktionen, som försorterar och transporterar vevstakarna vidare till andra huvudfunktionen; orienteringsfunktionen, där orienteringen sker. Genom att tillämpa metoder inom; konstruktion &amp; tillverkning, feleffektsanalys och programvaror för materialdatabashantering, datastödd design, samt numerisk hållfasthetsanalys kunde en konstruktion utformas som speglar de aspekter som kännetecknar en genomtänkt produkt. Sju olika designmetoder användes för att generera och utvärdera idéer i flera itererande steg. Tio undersökande experiment utfördes som ytterligare utvärdering av koncept samt underlag för vidare beräkningar och slutsatser. Utformningen av stegmataren resulterade i en enkelverkande lutande trapp med två rörliga trappsteg och ett statiskt mellan dem för överföring. En enkelmatning efter trappen i form av ett “skovelhjul” säkerställer att vevstakarna levereras en-och-en till orienteringsfunktionen samtidigt som den garanterar takttiden. En orienteringsfunktion bestående av ett “rullband” som med hjälp av friktion och tyngdpunktsförskjutning orienterar vevstakarna med vevänden först. Slutligen studerades tre kritiska områden i konstruktionen för vidare analys med finita element-metoden med godkända resultat. Samtliga mål för projektet uppnåddes, exempelvis har stegmataren färre unika komponenter än befintliga lösningar. Ambitionen var att utforma stegmataren med en låg grad av komplexitet och utan sensorer har genomsyrat hela projektet, vilket även har uppnåtts. / This work describes the preparatory work and construction of a step feeder that sorts and orients connecting rods in a cycle time of ten seconds. Industries are often dependent of different material handling operations which assures a specific material orientation, which validates the importance of this work. This has been done by dividing the machine into two main functions; Stair case-function, which pre-sorts and transports the connecting rods further to the second function, the orientation- function where the orientation is performed. By using methods such as; design for manufacture &amp; assembly, failure mode &amp; effects analysis and softwares for material database handling, computer aided design and numerical strength analysis a construction could be formulated which reflects the aspects that characterize a well-planned product. Seven different design-methods were used in order to generate and evaluate ideas in several iterated steps. Ten investigative experiments were conducted as an additional evaluation of concepts and as a basis for further calculations and conclusions. The formulation of the step feeder resulted in a single-acting stair with two moving stairs and a static between them for transfer. A single-feeder after the staircase in the shape of a “paddle wheel” ensures that the connection rods are delivered one-by-one to the orientation-function while also ensuring the cycle time. An orientation-function consisting of a “conveyor“ that with the aid of friction and an offset of the center of gravity orients the connecting rods with the crankshaft-end first. Lastly were three critical areas in the construction further examined with finite element method with passing results. All objectives for the project were achieved, the step feeder have for instance fewer unique components than existing solutions. The ambition was to design the step feeder with a low grade of complexity and without sensors have permeated throughout the entire project, which also was achieved.

O sistema visual lida com mudanças significativas na quantidade absoluta de fótons no meio ambiente, que varia 10 a 12 unidades logarítmicas ao longo de um dia. Parte desta versatilidade decorre da existência de fotorreceptores, bastonetes e cones, ativos em luminosidades médias diferentes, e outra parte é consequência de mecanismos de controle de ganho pós-receptorais, que ajustam a faixa dinâmica da retina à luminosidade média. Já na primeira sinapse visual, a atividade de muitos fotorreceptores converge para as células bipolares (BCs), neurônios de segunda ordem. Em mamíferos, supõe-se que o número de neurônios convergentes mantém-se relativamente fixo durante a vida adulta do organismo, embora a árvore dendrítica das BCs aumente de tamanho. No caso de peixes teleósteos, o grau de convergência neuronal para as BCs aumenta com a idade em função de neurogênese e sinaptogênese constantes. Como a relação entre a estrutura celular e o grau de convergência sináptica influencia a integração somática de sinais, estudamos os efeitos do crescimento celular acompanhado de variações na convergência sináptica no caso específico da BC ligada a bastonetes. Para tanto, desenvolvemos um modelo computacional deste tipo celular e dos bastonetes a ela conectados utilizando o ambiente de simulação NEURON, com base em dados de literatura e obtidos por nosso grupo de pesquisa a respeito de sua geometria, conectividade e biofísica, e simulamos diversos tipos de estimulação. Para mimetizar níveis escotópicos de luminosidade, estimulamos apenas um dos bastonetes convergindo para a BC modelo; para mimetizar níveis mesópicos, todos os bastonetes foram estimulados concomitantemente. Estas simulações foram realizadas primeiramente com um modelo de BC contendo apenas condutâncias sinápticas e passivas, para investigar o impacto da geometria celular na integração de sinais. A seguir, o modelo passou a incorporar condutâncias dependentes de voltagem permeáveis a potássio (K+) modeladas a partir de dados da literatura e do nosso grupo de pesquisa, para investigar o papel das mesmas no controle de ganho da sinapse entre BCs e bastonetes durante o crescimento celular. Os resultados destas simulações indicam que o aumento da árvore dendrítica da BC com o crescimento hiperpolariza seu potencial de repouso e aumenta as amplitudes de resposta, devido ao aumento da área de superfície de membrana contendo canais passivos com potencial de reversão negativo. Já o aumento da convergência de bastonetes para a BC despolariza seu potencial de repouso e diminui as amplitudes resposta, o que equivaleria a uma diminuição da sensibilidade 3 em células reais. Mais ainda, o aumento no grau de convergência contribui para a diminuição das latências de resposta da BC, ao passo que o crescimento celular aumenta as latências linearmente. A inserção de canais dependentes de voltagem nos terminais dendríticos da BC aproxima as amplitudes e diminui as latências de resposta de BCs com diferentes graus de convergência. Além disso, tais canais reduzem os efeitos decorrentes do crescimento celular descritos anteriormente, tornando a amplitude e latência de resposta independentes do tamanho da árvore dendrítica. Desse modo, canais de K+ dependentes de voltagem dendríticos estabilizam as amplitudes e latências de resposta da BC ao longo do crescimento, contribuindo para a coerência da mensagem passada para as outras camadas da retina e, posteriormente, para o cérebro. Estes resultados sugerem que correntes ativas são fundamentais não apenas para controlar o ganho das sinapses entre bastonetes e BCs em um mesmo estado de adaptação, mas também para estabilizar o potencial de repouso e velocidade e amplitudes de resposta dos neurônios ao longo do crescimento / The visual system deals with significant changes in the absolute quantity of photons in the environment, which vary 10 to 12 log units throughout a single day. Part of this versatility is due to the existence of different photoreceptors, rods and cones, which function at different mean light intensities, and due to post-receptor gain control mechanisms, which adjust the dynamic range of the retina to the mean luminosity. At the first visual synapse, the activity of many photoreceptors converges onto bipolar cells (BCs), second order neurons of the retina. In mammals, the degree of convergence is supposed to be constant throughout adult life, despite evidence of morphological changes in the dendritic structure of BCs. In teleost fish, however, the convergence of rods to BCs increases with age due to constant retinal neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. Since cellular structure and synaptic convergence influence somatic signal integration, we investigated the effects of cellular growth and synaptic convergence in the responses of the rod bipolar cell. We developed a computational model of a BC-rod circuitry within the NEURON simulation environment, based on literature data and on data collected by our own research group regarding the geometry, connectivity and biophysics of BCs. To simulate scotopic light levels, only one of the rods converging to the model BC was stimulated. Mesopic light levels were simulated by concomitantly stimulating all rods. We initially investigated the impact of cell geometry in somatic signal integration, by studying a model BC containing only passive and synaptic conductances. We subsequently inserted a voltage-gated potassium (K+) conductance in the dendritic tips of the model in order to investigate its role in controlling the gain of the rod-BC synapse during growth. Our results indicate that increasing the dendritic tree leads to hyperpolarization of the BC resting potential, due to the larger membrane surface containing the passive conductance, which has a negative reversal potential. Increasing rod convergence, on the other hand, depolarizes the BC resting potential and decreases response amplitudes, which would be equivalent to a decrease in sensitivity in a real cell. In addition, increases in convergence reduce response latencies, whereas cellular growth increases latencies linearly. The insertion of voltage-gated K+ conductances in the dendritic tips of the BC, in turn, aproximates the response amplitudes and decreases response latencies of BCs with different synaptic convergences. Moreover, voltage-gated conductances reduce the consequences of cellular growth, rendering response amplitudes and latencies independent of dendritic 5 tree size. These active conductances therefore contribute to signal consistency. Our results suggest that active currents not only control the gain of the rod-BC synapse in a given adaptive state, but also stabilize the BC resting potential, as well as response amplitude and latency during growth