<p align="justify">Many different active control techniques can be used to control the vibrations of a mechanical structure: they however require at least a sensitive signal amplifier (for the sensor), a power amplifier (for the actuator) and an analog or digital filter (for the controller). The use of all these electronic devices may be impractical in many applications and has motivated the use of the so-called shunt circuits, in which an electrical circuit is directly connected to a transducer embedded in the structure. The transducer acts as an energy converter: it transforms mechanical (vibrational) energy into electrical energy, which is in turn dissipated in the shunt circuit. No separate sensor is required, and only one, generally simple electronic circuit is used. The stability of the shunted structure is guaranteed if the electric circuit is passive, i.e., if it is made of passive components such as resistors and inductors.</p> <p align="justify">This thesis compares the performances of the electric shunt circuits with those of classical active control systems. It successively considers the use of piezoelectric transducers and that of electromagnetic (moving-coil) transducers.</p> <p align="justify">In a first part, the different damping techniques are applied on a benchmark truss structure equipped with a piezoelectric stack transducer. A unified formulation is found and experimentally verified for an active control law, the Integral Force Feedback (IFF), and for various passive shunt circuits (resistive and resistive-inductive). The use of an active shunt, namely the negative capacitance, is also investigated in detail. Two different implementations are discussed: they are shown to have very different stability limits and performances.</p> <p align="justify">In a second part, vibration isolation with electromagnetic (moving-coil) transducers is introduced. The effects of an inductive-resistive shunt circuit are studied in detail; an equivalent mechanical representation is found. The performances are compared with that of resonant shunts and with that of active isolation with IFF. Next, the construction of a six-axis isolator based on a Stewart Platform is presented: the key parameters and the main limitations of the system are highlighted.</p>

The thesis examines the relationship between Martha Stewart's rendition of domesticity and a broader cultural trend of the late 1990s U.S. domestic retreatism. It argues that the mode of construction and representation of the "domestic dream" in Stewart's programs cannot be examined outside of such concepts as class and ethnicity, whose understanding depends on the cultural, social, and political context of a given era, a context, in which they become transparent as aspects of the Western (white, patriarchal) status quo. Performing a deconstructive reading of these categories as employed by Stewart in the process of creation of her media persona, the thesis examines what the negative as well as positive reactions to "Martha Stewart" convey about the condition of American society of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Inbreeding depression is one of the factors that can increase the risk of extinction of small populations, and therefore understanding its effects is currently an important issue in conservation biology. Until recently, few studies on inbreeding depression were carried out in wild populations. These recent studies have highlighted the variability in detecting inbreeding depression among natural populations and the multitude of factors that can influence its expression. Many of the factors affecting inbreeding depression in wild populations remain largely unexplored and most of the recent studies in this area have tended to focus on incidents of inbreeding in populations with a history of large population size. The aim of this study is to investigate the relative importance inbreeding depression has had on individual fitness parameters in a population of New Zealand's Stewart Island robins Petroica australis rakiura introduced to Ulva Island. This island population has historically gone through several population bottlenecks. Four main factors that potentially influence the rate of inbreeding and the extent of inbreeding depression, were investigated: environmental variability, life history stage, genetic load and dispersal. Generalized Linear Mixed Modelling was first used to determine how weather affected nest survival. Weather effects were then incorporated into models containing demographic factors to control for environmental variability, and finally parental, maternal and paternal inbreeding co-efficients (=f) were added to models to determine the relative importance of inbreeding depression. Interactions between inbreeding depression and environmental factors were explored. Three different life history stages were compared to determine the differences in inbreeding depression at each stage as well as cumulative effects over time. The genetic load of the population was estimated using lethal equivalents allowing for standardised comparison of inbreeding depression with other species. The likelihood of inbreeding in the population was also explored by investigating the factors affecting dispersal patterns and evaluating evidence for inbreeding avoidance. Inbreeding depression was found to be mild in the robin population. Weather did not have strong effects on nest survival or interactions with inbreeding. Female age was the only factor interacting with inbreeding, with younger inbred females experiencing significantly reduced offspring juvenile survival. Parental and paternal f did not significantly affect brood survival at any life history stage, however, maternal f showed significant effects on nest juvenile survival with the strongest effect occurring when survival was examined cumulatively over all life history stages. The Stewart Island robin had a relatively low lethal equivalent value compared to the closely related North Island robin and other avian species. This difference was associated with the Stewart Island robin having a low genetic load, most likely due to historical genetic purging during periods of population bottleneck. The Ulva Island robin population did not appear to be avoiding inbreeding through dispersal. Dispersal distance was most strongly influenced by the location of the natal nest of the dispersing offspring. In conclusion, the genetic history of the population was likely to have had the strongest impact on the severity of inbreeding depression in the Ulva Island robin population. The results of the thesis highlight the need to examine a number of factors to be able to explain variability in inbreeding depression among populations.

I analyze comedian Stephen Colbert's performances as the bloviating "fake" pundit, "Stephen Colbert." Colbert's work reflects the progression of personality-driven media and performance-driven society. His frequent shifts and blending of characters – from actor and entertainer to pundit and politician – call attention to the similarly character-driven nature of "real" figures in politics and media. Using Kenneth Burke's theory of tragic and comic frames of acceptance, I analyze three sets of Colbert's performances – hosting The Colbert Report, speaking at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, and running for president – as well as the conventional situations and discourses he complicates. I argue that Colbert's comic critique provides perspective by incongruity about the processes of production, mediation, and persuasion in the business of news punditry – and the literal staging of politics performed as entertainment.

This thesis examines and re-evaluates the political career and reputation of James Stewart, Earl of Moray, who acted as Regent of Scotland for the young King James VI from 1567-1570, after the deposition of Mary, Queen of Scots. Drawing upon a rich and varied body of evidence located in both the English and Scottish archives of state papers, together with contemporary propaganda, memoirs and histories, this work constructs a much needed political narrative of the period, investigating the often highly complex politics which lay behind the outbreak and the initial stages of the Marian Civil War. It questions Maurice Lee's image of Moray as the 'gude regent', an image which was first present in Buchanan's History, and which depicts Moray as a highly successful regent, and an altruistic Protestant reformer. Dispelling Lee's view of Moray as a 'reluctant regent', it shows instead that the Earl was determined to gain, and then maintain, his position of power. It incorporates a discussion of the constitutionality of the actual regency itself, together with the theories of election which were drawn up to justify both it and the deposition of a monarch. In addition, the thesis sheds light upon the dynamics of Scottish political alignment during the period, emphasising the great fluidity which was to be found, and showing how issues of internal government, and attitudes towards England, affected men's allegiances as much as, if not more than, the ostensible issue of monarchy itself. This study also builds upon recent work by Tudor historians such as John Guy and Stephen Alford, and sets Moray's regency within an Anglo-Scottish context, demonstrating the importance of the interconnections between events in England, such as the Norfolk plot, and Scottish politics. It investigates the English attitudes towards Mary, and towards the two rival parties within Scotland, taking into account the sometimes conflicting objectives of Elizabeth I and her leading ministers, such as William Cecil, yet showing how they consistently sought to gain dominance over Scotland. Moray's regency was cut short by his assassination, and this thesis concludes by considering both his murder and its aftermath. It explores how his death impacted upon the political situation, together with the way in which his reputation was shaped in the immediate period after his death. Finally, it investigates the opportunity that both Moray's assassination and the Northern Rising of late 1569 had given England to intervene in Scottish affairs, and further pursue policies to that country's own advantage.

E. Mervyn Taylor (1906-1964) was a pakeha artist whose prints drew influence from Maori culture and motif. He was one of a small number of artists who developed interest in Maori culture during the 1940s and 1950s. He expanded interest into detailed study of Maori culture, and interaction with Maori, and produced a significant body of prints on this subject during his career. Taylor's prints were acclaimed during his lifetime, but in the decades after his death, his reputation faded to the extent that he became relatively obscure. This persisted until the late 1980s, when art historical reassessment of his work began. This thesis forms a part of this continued re-evaluation. It focuses on Taylor's prints on Maori subjects, an area not sufficiently scrutinised in an academic context. It aims to reach deeper understanding of his prints through historical analysis of the factors that influenced him to choose Maori, and their culture as subjects for his artwork. The thesis also examines why Taylor's reputation was so emphatically based on his New Zealand heritage, as well as the quality of his craftsmanship, his beliefs about which formed the foundation of his philosophy. Nationalist and regionalist notions also figured in his aesthetic ideals. His prints are also placed in relation to the modern debate over cultural appropriation in art. Greater recognition and understanding of Taylor's oeuvre may be achieved by establishing why he chose Maori subjects, and what specific features they contributed to the character of his work.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the literature on organisational learning and specifically the concept of a learning organisation, an integrated approach towards the learning organisation appears to be lacking. The thesis is an effort to correct this by integrating the organisational aspects namely strategy, structure and processes into a coherent model of the learning organisation. For this purpose, the thesis is divided into two parts. The first part is a theoretical evaluation of Peter Senge’s concept of the learning organisation, and Nonaka and Takeuchi’s model of the Knowledge Creating Company. These models were evaluated to determine the degree to which these models incorporate strategy, structure and processes. In an effort to make sense of the learning organisation concept within the framework of the knowledge era, other influences such as Peter Drucker on the Post-Capitalist Society and Thomas A Stewart on how to manage Intellectual Capital in the new economy, were incorporated. In addition, the basic building blocks of existing theories of the learning organisation were considered in order to develop appreciation for their contribution and influence towards a model of the learning organisation. The second part of this thesis endeavoured to build a notional model for the learning organisation. This notional model is considered necessary in order to develop an appreciation for how matters such as structure, strategy and processes can interact and cooperate towards an integrated model of the learning organisation. In conclusion, a number of factors of organisation were identified as probable principles of organisation in the knowledge economy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die literatuur rondom organisasie leer, en meer spesifiek die konsep van die lerende organisasie, blyk daar ‘n behoefte aan ‘n geïntegreerde benadering tot die lerende organisasie te wees. Die tesis is ‘n poging om die invloede van strategie, struktuur en prosesse te integreer in ‘n geïntegreerde model van die lerende organisasie konsep te verkry. Vir hierdie doel is die tesis in twee dele verdeel. Die eerste deel sentreer rondom Peter Senge se siening van die lerende organisasie, asook Nonaka & Takeuchi se model van kennisskepping. Die evaluasie bepaal tot watter mate die implikasies van struktuur, strategie en prosesse in hierdie modelle geïnkorporeer is. In 'n poging om sin te maak van die begrip van die lerende organisasie in die konteks van die kennis era, is Peter Drucker se teorie van die post-kapitalistiese era, asook Thomas Stewart rondom die bestuur van intellektuele kapitaal in die kennis ekonomie, in ag geneem. Vervolgens is die basiese boublokke van die bestaande teorieë van die lerende organisasie besoek om waardering te ontwikkel vir hul bydrae en invloede op ‘n model van die lerende organisasie. Die tweede helfte van die tesis is gebasseer op kennis en insigte ontwikkel in die eerste helfte en stel ‘n spekulatiewe model van die lerende organisasie. Hierdie spekulatiewe model is nodig om waardering te kry vir die verwantskap tussen organisasie struktuur, strategie en prosesse, en wyses waarop hierdie komponente geïntegreer kan word ter wille van ‘n geïntegreerde model van die lerende organisasie. Ter afsluiting word ‘n aantal aspekte van organisering geïdentifiseer as waarskynlike beginsels van organisering in die kennis ekonomie.

The diploma thesis delay with H. S. Chamberlain's thinking as a representative of biological determinism and racism, which id presented in the context of modern progress of secular thinking. Thesis further describes eugenics as the outcome of this way of thinking, which is presented in it's theory and the practice of Nazi "racial hygiene", but also at present, where eugenics practice in a certain measure still persists, under other names only.

Orientador: Fernando Augusto de Almeida Hashimoto / Anexo I. Áudios originais dos trechos transcritos: CD 1 e CD 2 - Anexo II. Áudios originais na íntegra: CD1 e CD 2 - Bill Stewart, CD 3 - Max Roach, CD 4 - Elvin Jones, CD 5 - Tony Williams, CD 6 Roy Haynes - Anexo III. Material complementoar em vídeo - reprodução das frases vocabulário musical de Bill Stewart pelo autor: DVD 1, DVD 2 e DVD 3 - Anexo IV. Gravação do Recital de Mestrado: DVD 4 / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T09:52:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Goncalves_RaphaelMarcondesdaSilva_M.pdf: 4737749 bytes, checksum: 60f9779e58eb20d9f3e6eab401b1dd9a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: A presente dissertação tem como objetivo investigar a performance musical do baterista norte-americano Bill Stewart, detentor de uma maneira de tocar única e um dos músicos predominantes do jazz atualmente. Dando continuidade à pesquisa "A linguagem singular de Bill Stewart na bateria", que determinou alguns dos elementos definidores de sua performance no instrumento, o intuito desta dissertação é identificar se esses traços característicos possuem semelhança com a abordagem de outros bateristas, presentes nas décadas de 1950 e 1960, como Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams e Roy Haynes. A metodologia deste trabalho consiste na delimitação do repertório, na transcrição de músicas selecionadas, e o posterior estudo comparativo. As entrevistas com Stewart serviram para cruzar informações e confirmar algumas das conclusões dessa análise. A pesquisa nos permitiu organizar um material comparativo, o qual coloca em discussão se as semelhanças encontradas entre a abordagem de Stewart e a dos bateristas de décadas anteriores a ele caracterizam-se como suas possíveis influências musicais no instrumento / Abstract: This dissertation has as goal to investigate the musical performance of the American drummer Bill Stewart, detainer of a peculiar way of playing and one of the predominant jazz musicians nowadays. Continuing the research "The peculiar language of Bill Stewart on drumset", which determinate some defining elements of his performance on the instrument, this dissertation aims to identify whether those characteristic traits are similar to the approach of other drummers, which acted in the decades of 1950 and 1960, such as Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams and Roy Haynes. The methodology utilized in this research consists of definition of the repertory, transcription of selected works, and a further comparative study. The interviews with Stewart served to cross check the information and to confirm some of the outputs of this analysis. This study allowed us to organize a comparative material that discuss if the similarities founded between the Stewart's approach and the musical language of the drummers of the preceding decades to him could be considered as his musical influences on drumset / Mestrado / Praticas Interpretativas / Mestre em Música

The thesis deals with design magnetorheological strut of vibration isolation adapter for cosmonautics. For its optimization is necessary to create several virtual models. The dynamic model of the mechanism - the Stewart platform, rheological model for determining the damping force of MR damper and model of the magnetic circuit to guarantee the required intensity in the gap. These models, along with controls models that are primarily concerned with strength calculations, will help with design. Designing using virtual models requires constant monitoring and verification. It is a rather broad topic including eliminate vibration also kinematics, dynamics, hydraulics, pneumatics and last but not least electronics and magnetism. It is necessary to communicate with experts in their field and use their knowledge and experience to create, but also to control of the individual models. The thesis was created in cooperation with Honeywell Aerospace Division (ESA).