The purpose of this research project was to explore the experiences of mature women students in juggling the multiplicity of roles they faced during the adulthood stage of life. The lack of literature, particularly on the African woman’s experiences of being a student while also dealing with the roles of being a mother, wife and employee, inspired this research. I explored the women’s experiences using a qualitative approach and semi-structured individual interviews, and did a thematic analysis of the textual data. The average age of the women who participated in this project was 36.8, and except for two of the 10 interviewees, all women were enrolled for a postgraduate studies. The majority of women enrolled for further studies because they wanted to increase their opportunities in the work environment, while one woman did so because of a career change. The stories of the ten mature women students that I interviewed revealed five major themes. In describing their experiences of juggling multiple roles, the mature women students mentioned that they studied while also maintaining a job because of the financial obligations and the lifestyle of their age group. They experienced role strain from the many roles that required an equal share of their time, but managed to cope because they had personal goals to achieve and would not relinquish those. Both congruent and incongruent experiences emerged between work and study, particularly when they could not attribute equal time to work and study. Although they were encouraged and supported by their partners and children, and sometimes also their families and the community, they still had to deal with the lack of support from the institutions where they were enrolled. Extreme tiredness and guilt because of conflicting role demands were found to be most common among all ten women. For the most part the women had to deal with an increase in their role responsibilities and experienced different emotions regarding the influence of studying on family life. By managing their time well they were able to cope and had thus far been successful in balancing their different roles. Above all the mature women student were able to cope with the multiplicity of roles because they had determination, were focused and committed, and wanted to achieve success in their educational goals. Perseverance and dedication to their goals emerged as mature women students’ most powerful tool for coping with multiple roles. / Dissertation (MA (Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

Les matériaux carbonés présentent de nombreux avantages pour les domaines des nanotechnologies et de l'environnement.La mixité de chiralité des nanotubes de carbone limite leur application dans les appareils électroniques et le nano-confinement. Dans une première partie, ce travail de thèse s'est concentré sur la séparation en chiralité de nanotubes de carbone de type CoMoCAT, afin d'élaborer de nouveaux nano-conteneurs.Après sélection en chiralité, nous avons évalué les propriétés sous hautes pressions des fagots de nanotubes sélectionnés, et leur interaction avec l'eau. Les résultats ont montré que les fagots supportent des pressions jusqu'à 17 GPa, avant de subir un effondrement radial réversible, permettant de les utiliser en tant que nano-enclumes.L'élaboration d'une éponge de carbone (super)hydrophobe pour le traitement des eaux après pollution aux hydrocarbures a été décrite dans une seconde partie. La pyrolyse de mousses polymères a permis de conserver la très grande porosité de la mousse (> 99%), tout en lui conférant des propriétés proches de la superhydrophobie et de grandes capacités d'absorption de pétrole et solvants organiques (85-200 g/g). L'élasticité du matériau permet sa régénération par simple compression mécanique : récupération du polluant et réutilisation de l'absorbant. De plus, cette caractéristique reste valable même après une centaine de cycles de compression-décompression, en conservant 81% de sa capacité d'absorption dans le cas du pétrole brut / Carbon materials present many advantages for the nanotechnology and environment fields. The chirality mixity of carbon nanotubes limits their application in electronic devices and the nano-confinement. In the first part, this thesis has focused on the chirality separation of CoMoCAT carbon nanotubes, in order to elaborate new nano-containers.After the chirality selection, the properties of selected nanotubes bundles under high pressure were evaluated, as well as their interaction with water. The results show that the bundles support pressures until 17 GPa, before to undergo a reversible collapse, allowing their application as nano-anvils.The (super)hydrophobic carbon sponge elaboration for the clean-up of water polluted by oils was described in the second part. The polymeric foams pyrolysis allows to keep the very high foam porosity (> 99%), to give properties next to the superhydrophobicity and large absorption capacities in oils and organic solvents (85-200 g/g). The material elasticity allows its regeneration by simple mechanical compression : recovery of pollutant and re-use of the absorbant. Moreover, this feature remains valid after a hundred compression-decompression cycles, with 81% of the initial crude oil absorption capacity

The role of economic theory in the preservation of nature in Kazakhstan is very current, because mining industry in this country is quite large and it is a considerable burden for the environment. This burden is obvious mostly in extraction and processing of crude oil. The main aim of this thesis is the analysis of state environmental policy with the focus on prevention of oil spills in the Caspian Sea in accordance with "State concept of ecological safety in Kazakhstan in 2004-2015" and also methods of oil spills removal as tools for environment protection including factual techniques and firm based costs linked to the removal of oil spills. Thesis will also include the comparison of effectiveness of existing models for oil spills removal used by companies in Kazakhstan. The first part of work is methodologically based on analysis of secondary sources: scientific articles and literature, ecology bulletins, official data of Ministry of environment in Kazakhstan, firm based data and "State concept of ecological safety".

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) released about 4.4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), making it one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history. Additionally, the depth of the spill (i.e., 1500 meters) created a unique research opportunity because most oil spills occur at the surface and affect coastal rather than deepwater habitats. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most toxic components of oil, and are often the focus of oil exposure studies. PAHs are quickly metabolized by vertebrates; therefore, indicators of biological responses to PAH exposure (PAH “biomarkers”) such as the levels of PAH detoxification enzymes and the resulting metabolites are commonly used to examine oil exposure. This study measured multiple PAH biomarkers including hepatic activity of the PAH detoxification enzymes cytochrome P4501a1 (CYP1A) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), as well as biliary PAH metabolites in deep sea sharks and bony fishes from areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Samples were collected from 2011-2013 from seven species of sharks, with special focus on the four most abundant deep sea species: Centrophorus niakang, Centrophorus cf granulosus, Squalus cubensis and Squalus cf mitsikurii. Overall enzyme activity was low in these sharks, yet it was higher in oiled sites compared to reference locations. Additionally some species showed declining CYP1A activity since the time of the oil spill, suggesting exposure to CYP-inducing compounds during the beginning of the survey period. Last, PAHs of a petrogenic nature were more abundant in oiled sites compared to reference locations. Overall, this project provides the much need biomarker data for sharks as well as insight on exposure and metabolism of PAHs in deep sea sharks after the DWH.

Tato práce se zabývá studií Simplex a SR verze původní trysky používané ve spalovací komoře malého proudového motoru. Pro lepší porozumění procesu rozprašování byl vyroben transparentní model obou trysek v měřítku 10:1. Tvorba spreje u tlakové vířivé trysky je komplexní proces dvoufázového proudění. Vnitřní a vnější proudění bylo zkoumáno pomocí Laserového Dopplerovského Anemometru a vysokorychlostní kamery při vstupních tlacích p = 0.5, 1.0 a 1.5 MPa s použitím kerosinu a p-Cymenu. Z hlediska vnitřního proudění byla provedena charakteristika vzdušného jádra a zkoumán vliv různých SFR hodnot na délku a průměr jádra. Dále byly objasněny rychlostní profily společně s jejich fluktuačními složkami vzhledem k Reynoldsovu číslu a použité kapalině. Také jednoduchý numerický model byl vyvinut k odhadu vnitřního proudění pomocí trackování částic. V případě vnějšího proudění byl zkoumán vliv vstupního tlaku na rozpadovou vzdálenost spreje a úhel kužele spreje.

Tlakové vířivé trysky (TVT) jsou používané v mnoha aplikacích, kde je potřebná velká plocha kapek nebo kde povrch musí být nanesen kapalinou, např. spalování, sprejové chlazení nebo nanášení barev. Parametry spreje z TVT jsou úzce spojené s jejich vnitřním prouděním. Obtokové trysky vylepšují koncepci klasických TVT přítomností otvoru, skrz který může kapalina odtékat zpět do nádrže. Díky této koncepci je možné regulovat vstřikovací množství kapaliny změnou průtoku tímto otvorem, zatímco se ve vířivé komůrce udržuje vysoký tlak, který zaručí dobrou kvalitu spreje. Obtokové trysky byly historicky málo prozkoumány a jejich vnitřní proudění nebylo studováno téměř vůbec. V této práci je popsáno vnitřní proudění několika obtokových trysek jak experimentálně, tak numericky. Tato data jsou následně korelována s měřenými vlastnostmi spreje. Výsledky ukazují, že přidání obtokového otvoru silně ovlivní vnitřní proudění i v případech, kdy obtokem neproudí žádná kapalina. V některých případech se vůbec nezformuje vzdušné jádro a tím se destabilizuje výtok z trysky, čímž vznikne nestabilní sprej. Mimoosé obtokové otvory generují a stabilizují vzdušné jádro, což pomáhá formovat kapalinovou stěnu a vysoce kvalitní sprej. Nicméně některé konfigurace změnily charakter rozpadu kapalinové stěny, což se projevilo i na kvalitě spreje. Navíc regulační schopnost a stabilita spreje závisí na vzdálenosti obtokových otvorů od osy vířivé komůrky. Na závěr byla upravena neviskózní teorie, která analyticky popisuje vnitřní proudění v TVT, tak aby byla aplikovatelná i na obtokové trysky. Pomocí tohoto přístupu byla odvozena teoretická predikce výtokového součinitele a velikosti vzdušného jádra v závislosti na obtokovém poměru (SFR). Zároveň byly pro obtokové trysky upraveny empirické korelace původně odvozené pro TVT. Tato práce přináší nový vhled k porozumění vnitřního proudění obtokových trysek a její výsledky najdou uplatnění při jejich návrhu.

Diplomová práce se zabývá experimentální studií vlastností spreje z několika malých tlakových vířivých trysek používaných ve spalovacích komorách proudových motorů. Po desetiletí byla snaha zlepšit jejich rozprašovací charakteristiky a stále jsou možnosti, které nebyly téměř prozkoumány. Výzkum byl proveden za použití různých geometrií jednotlivých dílů trysky za účelem zjištění jejich vlivu na sprej. Byl použit různý počet vstupních portů (2, 3 a 4), různé vířivé komůrky (kulová, kuželová, konvexní, nízká kuželová) a rozdílné návrhy obtokového otvoru (osové, mimosové). Důraz byl kladen na posouzení stability spreje, kde pulzující sprej negativně ovlivňuje provozní charakteristiky spalovací komory. Vlastnosti spreje byly proměřeny fázovým dopplerovským analyzátorem, cirkulární homogenita byla hodnocena mechanickým paternátorem a rozpad kapaliny byl vizualizován pomocí jednoduchého laserového stínografu.

Proposer l’adoption de la procédure de phytoremédiation des sites de déversement d’hydrocarbures au Cameroun nécessite des arguments scientifiques vérifiés. L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de (i) faire une étude floristique des sites de déversement anarchique de produits pétroliers au Cameroun, (ii) tester les potentialités de phytoremédiation de quelques espèces végétales sur des sols contaminés au fioul domestique, (iii) évaluer l’effet de différentes concentrations d’hydrocarbures sur la morpho-anatomie et la physiologie des plantes, (iv) modéliser le transfert sol-plante des HAP. Les prospections floristiques des sites de déversement d’hydrocarbures menées dans 4 villes du Cameroun ont permis d’identifier 106 espèces appartenant à 76 genres et 30 familles ; dont seules 15 espèces sont qualifiées de polluo-tolérantes. Les expérimentations ont permis de montrer que toutes les 3 espèces (C. dactylon, E. indica et A. sessilis) sont impliquées dans les processus de rhizodégradation des HCT et HAP ; E. indica and C. dactylon ayant favorisé une meilleure phytoextraction de quelques HAP comparé à A. sessilis. La modélisation mécaniste du transfert sol-plante des HAP a confirmé ces observations. La tolérance aux HAP est plus accrue chez E. indica et C. dactylon par rapport à A. sessilis. La culture mixte de E. indica et C. dactylon est très impactée par les HAP. En culture seule, le ralentissement des processus physiologiques de C. dactylon dans les sols pollués n’a pas d’impacts majeurs sur ses capacités phytoremédiatrices. Ceci permet donc de recommander C. dactylon pour la gestion durable des sols pollués par les hydrocarbures dans le monde entier en général, et au Cameroun en particulier ; pour des pollutions de sols n’excédant pas 33500 ppm. / To propose the implementation of phytoremediation process to clean up oil spill sites in Cameroon requires verified scientific arguments. The main objective of this thesis is to (i) carry out a floristic study of anarchic oil spill sites in Cameroon, (ii) test the phytoremediation potential of some plant species in soils contaminated with fuel oil, (iii) evaluate the effect of different hydrocarbon concentrations on morpho-anatomy and plant physiology, (iv) modelling the soil-plant transfer of PAHs. Floristic surveys of oil spill sites carried out in 4 Cameroonian cities have identified 106 species belonging to 76 genera and 30 families; amoung which 15 species are qualified as polluo-tolerant. Experiments have shown that the (C. dactylon, E. indica and A. sessilis) are involved into rhizodegradation of TPHs and PAHs; E. indica and C. dactylon having promoted a better phytoextraction of some PAHs compared to A. sessilis. Mechanistic modelling of the soil-plant transfer of PAHs confirmed these observations. Tolerance to PAHs is higher for both E. indica and C. dactylon than A. sessilis. The mixed cropping of E. indica and C. dactylon is highly impacted by PAHs. Cropping alone, the slowing down of C. dactylon's physiological processes in polluted soils does not have a significant impact on its phytoremediation potentialities. This makes it possible to recommend C. dactylon in the sustainable management of hydrocarbon-polluted soils worldwide in general, and particularly in Cameroon; for soil pollution not exceeding 33500 ppm.

In this thesis we address the problem of integrated software pipelining for clustered VLIW architectures. The phases that are integrated and solved as one combined problem are: cluster assignment, instruction selection, scheduling, register allocation and spilling. As a first step we describe two methods for integrated code generation of basic blocks. The first method is optimal and based on integer linear programming. The second method is a heuristic based on genetic algorithms. We then extend the integer linear programming model to modulo scheduling. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time anybody has optimally solved the modulo scheduling problem for clustered architectures with instruction selection and cluster assignment integrated. We also show that optimal spilling is closely related to optimal register allocation when the register files are clustered. In fact, optimal spilling is as simple as adding an additional virtual register file representing the memory and have transfer instructions to and from this register file corresponding to stores and loads. Our algorithm for modulo scheduling iteratively considers schedules with increasing number of schedule slots. A problem with such an iterative method is that if the initiation interval is not equal to the lower bound there is no way to determine whether the found solution is optimal or not. We have proven that for a class of architectures that we call transfer free, we can set an upper bound on the schedule length. I.e., we can prove when a found modulo schedule with initiation interval larger than the lower bound is optimal. Experiments have been conducted to show the usefulness and limitations of our optimal methods. For the basic block case we compare the optimal method to the heuristic based on genetic algorithms. This work has been supported by The Swedish national graduate school in computer science (CUGS) and Vetenskapsrådet (VR).

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social media on crisis communication. To evaluate this impact, a case study method was utilized examining the crisis communication response of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on April 20, 2010. This study focused on the response of the responsible party, British Petroleum, and the general public over three social media: Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Through extensive analysis of both the company's and public response to the Gulf spill, nine implications were identified regarding social media's influence on crisis communication. These implications highlighted the potential for organizations to build interpersonal relationships with its publics. These relationships were found to be crucial in times of crises. The implications of this study also pointed to interactivity, using a "human voice," trust, and credibility as crucial factors in building these relationships and leading an effective crisis response across social media. This study also noted the new stress for organization's to respond quickly to crises as a result of instant news brought by social media. Implications of this study also highlighted social media's influence on individuals becoming contributing members of a crisis response. While social media has influenced the practice of crisis communication in many ways, this study found that the principles and ethics of the field have remained the same. In conclusion, analysis suggests that BP neglected using social media in its crisis response, a channel which has entered the mainstream of crisis communication. As a result, this study recommends the use of social media before, during, and after a crisis to ensure the welfare of a company and its relationship with its publics.