It has been ten years since the 26-year-old fruit seller set himself on fire to protest corruption in Tunisia. The street vendor created a wave of protests in the Arab world, a campaign for civil resistance, better known as the "Arab Spring". The protests led to the removal of long-standing authoritarian regimes in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya. The civil resistance was a result of an economic crisis, high unemployment and corruption. The citizens of the arab world were demanding freedom of expression and greater civil rights. Tunisia became a successful example, where the country today is a complete democracy. In Egypt, the revolution also led to democratization, but for a short period of time. Egypt became more authoritarian after a coup led by the military. The other states failed and the consequences have been devastating with results of civil wars in Libya and Yemen. The main purpose of this essay was to sort out and understand why Tunisia succeeded to become a democracy after the arab spring 2010, while Egypt failed. A qualitative analysis with a comparative democratization study, composed of a most different system-design. The theoretical framework is based on Samuel Huntington (1991) “third wave democratization” and the author’s criteria on democracy, which includes regime legitimacy, economical modernization, and religious change.

This thesis is focused on design of parabolic spring for a truck. Characteristics of the spring are designed with respect to loads during heavy braking. Thesis contains a brief summary of current truck suspension, the spring design and suggestion for testing methodology for longitudinal load.

The Diploma thesis deals with geometry calculation and design tools for the functional parts to eliminate the spring-back of the irregular shaped sheet metal. In this thesis there is shown one of the possible ways for 3D modelling in the recent engineering company.

The goal of this thesis is integration of a new data source into SmartPEF system. SmartPEF is the application of the concept of smart cities to the Faculty of Business and Economics of the Mendel University in Brno. As a new data source, a user activity monitoring system is being developed and implemented in order to collect statistical data about the traffic and utilization of university computers.

This thesis deals with design and implementation of personal data and consents to the processing of personal data management portal with multitenancy support. The work deals with theoretical basis for the portal design in the field of personal data protection and cloud software development. The final design is implemented and deployed in production environment.

Geothermal research in the southern Canadian Cordillera has typically focused on hot spring systems and predicting maximum temperatures at depth, estimating fluid circulation depths, and investigating the distribution of hot spring systems and their relation to major geological features that often control thermal fluid flow. Detailed fieldwork to develop local and regional conceptual models of these systems has rarely been conducted and to our best knowledge, never in partnership with a First Nations. The scope of this project was to work collaboratively with the local First Nation to conduct detailed structural, hydrologic and hydrogeologic fieldwork to develop local and regional conceptual models of Sloquet Hot Springs, on unceded St'at'imc territory. To motivate our research and provide a successful example of geoscience research in the era of reconciliation and Indigenous resurgence, we review how resource regulation, research, reconciliation, and resurgence interact in British Columbia and detail our approach to community engagement. Detailed studies resulted in the development of a working conceptual model for the hydrogeothermal system at Sloquet Hot Springs. The conceptual model synthesizes local and regional groundwater flow, observed geothermal gradients, advective and conductive heat flow, as well as permeability contrasts in the subsurface to understand thermal fluid flow at the study site. Well monitoring, development, and pumping tests revealed numerous soft zones in the subsurface as well as bulk values for high transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity. Findings from subsurface investigations suggest bedrock in the area has significant permeability and that groundwater flow is controlled by steep hydraulic gradients caused by rugged topography in the region. The annual spring flux was calculated for Sloquet Hot Springs and used to approximate the recharge area that is required to drive the system. Although the study did not identify the primary fault that conveys high-temperature fluids, the potential locations of buried fault structures are hypothesized based on zones with observably high temperatures and flow along Sloquet Creek. / Graduate

Gymnastics tumbling has occurred on large spring floor apparatuses for several decades. The spring floors have used a variety of elastic materials and designs to provide an increased take-off velocity and a forgiving landing surface. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a standard cylindrical spring (10.7 cm x 5 cm diameter, 9 coils) and a modified spring (10.7 cm, 5 cm widening to 6.7 cm diameter, 9 coils) in tumbling take-offs. Specifically, take-off foot contact durations and center of mass (COM) velocities from female gymnasts (14.8±2.8 y, 159.0±7.2 cm, 49.3±7.1 kg) were measured. Gymnasts performed two trials each of a round off, flic flac, to a layout rearward somersault on each spring-type attached to a tumbling strip (12.19m x 2.41m). Data were acquired via a ViconTM kinematic system using 43 markers and 10 cameras at 200 Hz. Data were found to be reliable across trials. Analysis consisted of two, 2x3 repeated measures ANOVAs. The results showed no statistical differences between spring-types in terms of contact durations or COM component velocities. Spring-type design differences may lead to disparate spring constant and frequency effects, however, these effects of may be overwhelmed by the influences of gymnast skill, matting, carpet, and the wood and fiberglass laminate panels.

This thesis is dedicated to developing a concept that allows for predicting the magnitude of political instability periods. To that end existing literature is consulted to explore the most appropriate definitions and explanatory models for creating a elaborated approach to political instability. On the basis of this refined concept, that defines political instability as a latent condition rather than an occurrence, hypotheses are devised. These hypotheses are tested by employing a exploratory correlation analysis on a limited sample, which yields results that encourage confidence in the predictive potential of the developed concept. As suggested in the explanatory framework the analysis finds that the magnitude of conflict, resulting from political instability, is positively correlated with social fragmentation and individual deprivation, while being negatively correlated to military professionalism. A fourth explanatory component - viable alternatives to conflict - was not found to have any effect.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of climatic variations upon the daily activities of grazing cattle. The activities of individual cows on a partially seeded salt desert shrub range were observed and recorded during three grazing periods. Two of the periods were during consecutive winters and the other during the spring. Climatic variations during the second winter period were quantified and compared to changes in the daily activity patterns of the cattle. Distinctly different daily routines of cattle activities were evident for the winter and spring seasons. In the spring, the cattle grazed, traveled, and drank more each day than they did during the winter months. The increase in these activities was attributed to the more temperate climatic conditions and the higher energy demands of lactation. Air temperature, changes in barometric pressure, windspeed, precipitation, snow depth, and radiation all influenced cattle activities in the winter. Decreasing air temperature and rapid fluctuations in barometric pressure both correlated significantly with increased grazing time. Increasing windspeed and greater snow depth caused the cattle to travel less distance daily. The cattle ceased grazing during snowstorms. They oriented themselves at right angles to the sun while standing and lying. The modifications which occurred in daily activity patterns were shown to be apparently directed toward the conservation of energy during periods of climatic stress.

Results of past studies on the spring-fed salt marshes of Utah indicated that waterfowl production on these areas was much lower than on Utah's river-fed marshes. Waterfowl production on the newly-established Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, a spring-fed marsh, increased considerably, however, after its waters were impounded. It was believed that by determining what caused this increased production at Fish Springs it would be possible to obtain greater waterfowl production a t other spring-fed marshes. Consequently waterfowl populations and factors affecting waterfowl production on this marsh were studied during the summers of 1966, 1967, and 1968. Populations of breeding ducks averaged approximately 900 pairs a year in 1967 and 1968. Mallards, cinnamon teal, and redheads comprised about 80 percent of these birds. Nesting densities, on plots representing available habitat, averaged about one nest per acre during these two years. In 1967 and 1968 a total of 312 duck nests representing 10 species were studied and their fates determined. Overall nest success was 63 percent, and predators, principally coyotes and striped skunks, destroyed 25 percent of all nests. Calculated duckling mortality rates during 1967 and 1968, respectively, were 19 and 16 percent. Duck production at Fish Springs averaged about 3,000 birds or about 430 ducks per square mile of marsh habitat a year during this period. At present the sparsity of adequate nesting cover for gadwalls appears to be an important limitation to breeding by this species at Fish Springs. Nesting cover apparently has not limited the use of this marsh by other waterfowl species, however, as evidenced by a high incidence (76 percent) of nesting on dry ground by redheads and ruddy ducks. Aquatic insect sampling in waters inundating portions of the original Fish Springs marsh indicated that these waters produced large quantities of proteinaceous foods for ducklings. Populations of aquatic insects in the original marsh were probably low except in recently disturbed areas. It appears that limitations of brood-rearing habitat were primarily responsible for low waterfowl production in the past. Newly-created impoundments, rich in animal food, were probably the key to the increase in waterfowl production on this marsh.