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There have been very few measurements of the total cross section for n-p scattering below 500 keV. In order to differentiate among NN potential models, improved cross section data between 20 and 600 keV are required. We measured the n-p and n-C total cross sections in this energy region by transmission; a collimated neutron beam was passed through CH2 and C samples and transmitted neutrons were detected by a BC-501A deuterated liquid scintillator. Cross sections were obtained by taking the ratios of normalized neutron yields with the samples in the beam and with no sample in the beam. Both better precision and larger range between 90 keV and 1.8 MeV results are presented. The parameters resulting from fitting effective range theory to the data for n-p scattering are in good agreement with parameters determined from previous fits.

This paper examines the development of income in the tourist generating coun-tries, the relative prices controlled for the exchange rate, and the distance in kilo-meters between the capital in the origin countries and Athens as determinants of international tourism demand for Greece. By the deployment of an OLS log-linear regression model coupled with annual cross-section data for the period between 1998 and 2007, the desired effects could be captured. The results from this study indicates that after 2004, both the importance of income in the tourist generating countries and distance between the countries of origin and Athens have expe-rienced a quantum drop in importance as determinants of international tourism demand for Greece. Furthermore, the elasticities of these factors remained at the new level throughout the remaining period studied. This suggests that the respec-tive elasticities have reached a new plateau after 2004 where the impact on inter-national tourism demand is less sensitive to changes in these specific factors. Final-ly, the investments made in infrastructure supporting the Olympic Games have the possibility to benefit the T&T sector in Greece for an extended period of time going forward.

With the ever growing application requirements for wireless power transmission in recent years, use of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band via passive RFID technology escalates quickly. However, limited read range and outdoor interference has always been a great obstacle for various RFID applications. Escalating power transmission at the tag to identify and amplify received power under flawless conditions of electromagnetic theory do not provide estimates of read-rates, which bring major limitations to RFID system performance. Therefore, discovering the reason behind these problems and assessing the performance of backscatter power to improve the system performance remains as a crying need.   Implying radar cross section (RCS) mechanism into RFID can enhance the system performance at a larger extent, as passive RFID works same as radar at far field range by detecting backscatter signal from target object. Antenna radiation pattern and co located interference effect are vital considerations for RFID propagation mechanism and tag read range optimization. Consequently, the robust performance of transmitting and receiving antenna will provide a better RCS value when we get them in good agreement with experimental results.   This thesis provides analytical framework for backscatter performance modeling and suggest techniques to enhance the efficiency of reader to tag to reader performance. It explores uncertainties associated with certain parameters like antenna far field radiation property, antenna spacing, optimal backscatter power and communication range, which implies scattering efficiency of the tag and establish a relationship between the measured and predicted values of tag read-rate probabilities. Comparing measurement patterns in both outdoor and in an-echoic chamber, finally it determines method to increase efficiency at power transmission and reception end. Obtained results will encourage the future researchers to design, analyze and enhance the backscattered passive RFID systems at a larger scenario.

This study explores the differences (and similarities) between sentencing reform and the legal practices of criminal defence lawyers. This research specifically focuses on Section 718.2 (e) of the Criminal Code, which is aimed at reducing the use of imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders and the application of the section in the Supreme Court’s 1999 decision R .v. Gladue. It investigates whether or not the section and/or Gladue has affected the legal practices of criminal defence lawyers and if so, how. The practice of lawyers, in this study, is conceptualized as structured action. The agency of lawyers is thus constrained and enabled by both macro and micro processes. These include traditional legal ideology, managerial/organizational ideology, presuppositions surrounding Aboriginality as well as the broader socio-political context of neo-liberalism and neo-conservativism. How the practices of defence lawyers either reflect or contradict the section and Gladue is examined through the oral narratives of lawyers—obtained through in-depth semi-structured interviews with twelve defence lawyers. The findings of this analysis show that the vast majority of lawyers were not integrating the section or Gladue in their defence strategies. This suggests that efforts to remedy the issue of Aboriginal over-incarceration need to be aware of the complexity of criminal justice processes, the agency of lawyers and the broader social and political context.

Nuclear reactions induced by neutrons, protons and alpha particles on copper isotopes are being studied in an effort to understand the nucleosynthesis of elements in stars, specifically, the p-process. The p-process occurs toward the end of a star's life and produces those elements which have a high proton to neutron ratio, which are heavier than iron. Little is known about the nature of the p-process-inside stars. Isotopes of copper are studied since they are close in mass number to iron, which has the highest nuclear binding energy. Nuclear cross sections will be calculated for copper, as well as S-factors, which are important from an astrophysical point of view. These values are needed to calculate reaction rates which are the main ingredients for understanding nucleosynthesis. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

This thesis addresses the problem of representing few group, homogenised neutron cross sections as a function of state parameters (e.g. burn-up, fuel and moderator temperature, etc.) that describe the conditions in the reactor. The problem is multi-dimensional and the cross section samples, required for building the representation, are the result of expensive transport calculations. At the same time, practical applications require high accuracy. The representation method must therefore be efficient in terms of the number of samples needed for constructing the representation, storage requirements and cross section reconstruction time. Sparse grid methods are proposed for constructing such an efficient representation. Approximation through quasi-regression as well as polynomial interpolation, both based on sparse grids, were investigated. These methods have built-in error estimation capabilities and methods for optimising the representation, and scale well with the number of state parameters. An anisotropic sparse grid integrator based on Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature was implemented, verified and coupled to a pre-existing cross section representation system. Some ways to improve the integrator’s performance were also explored. The sparse grid methods were used to construct cross section representations for various Light Water Reactor fuel assemblies. These reactors have different operating conditions, enrichments and state parameters and therefore pose different challenges to a representation method. Additionally, an example where the cross sections have a different group structure, and were calculated using a different transport code, was used to test the representation method. The built-in error measures were tested on independent, uniformly distributed, quasi-random sample points. In all the cases studied, interpolation proved to be more accurate than approximation for the same number of samples. The primary source of error was found to be the Xenon transient at the beginning of an element’s life (BOL). To address this, the domain was split along the burn-up dimension into “start-up” and “operating” representations. As an alternative, the Xenon concentration was set to its equilibrium value for the whole burn-up range. The representations were also improved by applying anisotropic sampling. It was concluded that interpolation on a sparse grid shows promise as a method for building a cross section representation of sufficient accuracy to be used for practical reactor calculations with a reasonable number of samples. / Thesis (MSc Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The right to be entitled to compensation for injuries sustained in the course of employment has always been an essential component of basic social security rights. Provision is made in the international sphere by the International Labour Organization and the United Nations. In the regional sphere there are standards that apply within the Southern African Development Community, and on a national level the rights are provided in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, 103 of 1993 (COIDA). COIDA provides for a system of no fault compensation for employees who have sustained injuries or contracted occupational diseases during the course of their employment. “No fault compensation” provides that an employee does not have to prove fault with the employer or any other party in to be entitled to claim compensation. COIDA’s main purpose is to provide for compensation for disablement caused by occupational injuries or diseases sustained or contracted by defined employees in the course of their employment. Section 49 of COIDA provides for compensation for permanent disablements. In terms of section 49, the Commissioner must assess the permanent disablement of the employee by applying Schedule 2 of COIDA, which stipulates percentages of disablement for different injuries or mutilations. By “matching” the injury or mutilation from which the employee is suffering to the corresponding injury or mutilation provided for in Schedule 2, the Commissioner is then able to determine the degree of permanent disablement. Discretions are also granted to the Commissioner in terms of which he is allowed to determine the degree of disablement suffered by an employee under certain circumstances. The nature and amount of compensation awarded depend on the degree of disablement that the employee is afflicted with. Compensation for permanent disablement may be paid either in a lump sum or a monthly pension depending on the degree of disablement determined. Problems arise with the application of both these approaches of determining the permanent disablement of an employee. The guidelines in Schedule 2 have been previously described to be applied “mechanically” with no consideration being given to the individual circumstances of the employee. In practice the discretion granted to the Commissioner in terms of section 49 is often not applied judicially, which has led to numerous objections being lodged against the initial amount of compensation granted. The lack of medical expertise at the initial assessment of the disablement, and the “mechanical application” of Schedule 2, often lead to the incorrect determination of the degree of permanent disablement from which the employee is actually suffering. The determination of the degree of disablement is often not consistent with Schedule 2 of COIDA and results in an unjustifiable amount of compensation granted to the employee which holds no relation to the impairment suffered. The core question that needs to be considered is whether and to what extent the employee is still useful for the labour market in the line of his or her employment, and the disablement should be assessed in the light thereof. / Thesis (LLM (Labour Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This thesis addresses the problem of representing few group, homogenised neutron cross sections as a function of state parameters (e.g. burn-up, fuel and moderator temperature, etc.) that describe the conditions in the reactor. The problem is multi-dimensional and the cross section samples, required for building the representation, are the result of expensive transport calculations. At the same time, practical applications require high accuracy. The representation method must therefore be efficient in terms of the number of samples needed for constructing the representation, storage requirements and cross section reconstruction time. Sparse grid methods are proposed for constructing such an efficient representation. Approximation through quasi-regression as well as polynomial interpolation, both based on sparse grids, were investigated. These methods have built-in error estimation capabilities and methods for optimising the representation, and scale well with the number of state parameters. An anisotropic sparse grid integrator based on Clenshaw-Curtis quadrature was implemented, verified and coupled to a pre-existing cross section representation system. Some ways to improve the integrator’s performance were also explored. The sparse grid methods were used to construct cross section representations for various Light Water Reactor fuel assemblies. These reactors have different operating conditions, enrichments and state parameters and therefore pose different challenges to a representation method. Additionally, an example where the cross sections have a different group structure, and were calculated using a different transport code, was used to test the representation method. The built-in error measures were tested on independent, uniformly distributed, quasi-random sample points. In all the cases studied, interpolation proved to be more accurate than approximation for the same number of samples. The primary source of error was found to be the Xenon transient at the beginning of an element’s life (BOL). To address this, the domain was split along the burn-up dimension into “start-up” and “operating” representations. As an alternative, the Xenon concentration was set to its equilibrium value for the whole burn-up range. The representations were also improved by applying anisotropic sampling. It was concluded that interpolation on a sparse grid shows promise as a method for building a cross section representation of sufficient accuracy to be used for practical reactor calculations with a reasonable number of samples. / Thesis (MSc Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The right to be entitled to compensation for injuries sustained in the course of employment has always been an essential component of basic social security rights. Provision is made in the international sphere by the International Labour Organization and the United Nations. In the regional sphere there are standards that apply within the Southern African Development Community, and on a national level the rights are provided in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, 103 of 1993 (COIDA). COIDA provides for a system of no fault compensation for employees who have sustained injuries or contracted occupational diseases during the course of their employment. “No fault compensation” provides that an employee does not have to prove fault with the employer or any other party in to be entitled to claim compensation. COIDA’s main purpose is to provide for compensation for disablement caused by occupational injuries or diseases sustained or contracted by defined employees in the course of their employment. Section 49 of COIDA provides for compensation for permanent disablements. In terms of section 49, the Commissioner must assess the permanent disablement of the employee by applying Schedule 2 of COIDA, which stipulates percentages of disablement for different injuries or mutilations. By “matching” the injury or mutilation from which the employee is suffering to the corresponding injury or mutilation provided for in Schedule 2, the Commissioner is then able to determine the degree of permanent disablement. Discretions are also granted to the Commissioner in terms of which he is allowed to determine the degree of disablement suffered by an employee under certain circumstances. The nature and amount of compensation awarded depend on the degree of disablement that the employee is afflicted with. Compensation for permanent disablement may be paid either in a lump sum or a monthly pension depending on the degree of disablement determined. Problems arise with the application of both these approaches of determining the permanent disablement of an employee. The guidelines in Schedule 2 have been previously described to be applied “mechanically” with no consideration being given to the individual circumstances of the employee. In practice the discretion granted to the Commissioner in terms of section 49 is often not applied judicially, which has led to numerous objections being lodged against the initial amount of compensation granted. The lack of medical expertise at the initial assessment of the disablement, and the “mechanical application” of Schedule 2, often lead to the incorrect determination of the degree of permanent disablement from which the employee is actually suffering. The determination of the degree of disablement is often not consistent with Schedule 2 of COIDA and results in an unjustifiable amount of compensation granted to the employee which holds no relation to the impairment suffered. The core question that needs to be considered is whether and to what extent the employee is still useful for the labour market in the line of his or her employment, and the disablement should be assessed in the light thereof. / Thesis (LLM (Labour Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.