There are situations in the framework of quasi-Monte Carlo integration where nonuniform low-discrepancy sequences are required. Using the inversion method for this task usually results in the best performance in terms of the integration errors. However, this method requires a fast algorithm for evaluating the inverse of the cumulative distribution function which is often not available. Then a smoothed version of transformed density rejection is a good alternative as it is a fast method and its speed hardly depends on the distribution. It can easily be adjusted such that it is almost as good as the inversion method. For importance sampling it is even better to use the hat distribution as importance distribution directly. Then the resulting algorithm is as good as using the inversion method for the original importance distribution but its generation time is much shorter. / Series: Preprint Series / Department of Applied Statistics and Data Processing

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:37:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 864310 bytes, checksum: 5681c5c23525796c1b07e3912abf4732 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-20 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / During coevolution, plant viruses have developed the ability to modulate the expression of several host genes, or to alter the function of cognate protein to succeed in their multiplication and perpetuation. These virus-induced changes might lead to a high level of dependency, creating an indissoluble link between virus and host. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of a DnaJ of Nicotiana benthamiana (homologous of the tomato protein) and of the TCTP protein from tomato during PepYMV infection. These two genes were identified as differentially expressed in a cDNA library constructed from tomato plants infected by PepYMV. Kinetic studies of DnaJ expression in PepYMV-infected N. benthamiana demonstrated that the induction occurs at both 72 hours post-inoculation (hpi) and 14 days post-inoculation (dpi). Plants of N. benthamiana silenced for DnaJ by means of VIGS and tomato plants cv. Moneymaker silenced by transgenesis for TCTP were obtained and mechanically inoculated with PepYMV. Viral infection was confirmed by ELISA and viral load determined by qRT-PCR. Silencing of the DnaJ gene in N. benthamiana interfered with the early stages of viral infection (72 hpi) but its effect on established infections (14dpi) was inconclusive. Non-transformed tomato plants showed severe symptoms of the disease, while TCTP-silenced transgenic plants showed greatly attenuated symptoms or remained asymptomatic. Viral load was dramatically reduced in silenced plants. The subcellular localization of a TCTP-GFP fusion protein in healthy or PepYMV-infected N. benthamiana plants was analyzed by confocal microscopy. In healthy plants TCTP was nuclear and cytoplasmic, while in infected plants at 14 dpi, its subcellular localization was exclusively cytoplasmic. Together, these results suggest that both TCTP and DnaJ are proteins which positively regulate the infection cycle of PepYMV, being required for disease development in the case of TCTP or for the rapid establishment of viral infection in the case of DnaJ. Further studies should be conducted in order to unravel the mechanisms by which these host factors are used to benefit the viral infection. / Durante a coevolução, os vírus de plantas desenvolveram a capacidade de modular a expressão de alguns genes do hospedeiro, ou alterar a função cognata de proteínas para obter sucesso em sua multiplicação e perpetuação. Essas alterações induzidas pelos vírus podem culminar em elevados níveis de especialização, tornando o vínculo com seus hospedeiros indissociável. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a contribuição de uma DnaJ de Nicotiana benthamiana homóloga de tomateiro e da proteína TCTP de tomateiro durante a infecção pelo potyvírus PepYMV. Esses dois genes foram identificados como diferencialmente expressos em uma biblioteca de cDNA construída a partir de tomateiro infectado pelo PepYMV. Estudos de cinética de expressão do gene DnaJ em N. benthamiana infectadas pelo PepYMV demonstraram que a indução do gene ocorre 72 horas pós-inoculação (hpi) e aos 14 dias pós-inoculação (dpi). Plantas de N. benthamiana silenciadas para DnaJ por meio de VIGS e de tomateiro cv. Moneymaker silenciadas por transgenia para o gene TCTP foram obtidas e inoculadas mecanicamente com o PepYMV. A infecção viral foi confirmada por ELISA e a carga viral determinada por qRT-PCR. O silenciamento do gene DnaJ em N. benthamiana interferiu nos estágios iniciais da infecção viral (72 hpi), porém seu efeito em infecções já estabelecidas (14dpi) foi inconclusivo. Plantas não-transformadas de tomateiro exibiram sintomas severos da doença, enquanto as plantas transgênicas silenciadas para o gene TCTP apresentaram sintomas muito atenuados ou permaneceram assintomáticas. Nas plantas silenciadas a carga viral foi drasticamente reduzida. A localização subcelular de TCTP fusionada à proteína GFP em plantas de N. benthamiana sadias ou infectadas pelo PepYMV foi analisada por microscopia confocal. Em plantas sadias a localização de TCTP foi nuclear e citoplasmática, porém em plantas infectadas aos 14dpi, a localização de TCTP foi exclusivamente citoplasmática. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que tanto TCTP quanto DnaJ são proteínas que regulam positivamente o ciclo de infecção do PepYMV, sendo necessárias para o desenvolvimento da doença no caso de TCTP, ou para o rápido estabelecimento da infecção no caso de DnaJ. Estudos posteriores devem ser conduzidos afim de descobrir o mecanismo pelo qual esses fatores do hospedeiro são utilizados em benefício da infecção viral.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:58:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoaoAAB_DISSERT.pdf: 2621016 bytes, checksum: 39aa654f0df748b1db86062c61ed8f35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-16 / Emerald mining is an important area of the economy in Brazil, country which is in second place among the exporting nations of this gem. Due to the process of extraction, a great amount of reject is generated. Since there is no appropriate destination, the reject is abandoned around the mining industries, contributing to environment degradation. Nowadays, some of the most relevant things to an industry in general are: energy conservation, cost reduction, quality and productivity enhancement. The production of isolating, transformed refractory materials achieves the sustainability dimension when protection of the environment is incorporated to such process. This work investigates the use of emerald mining rejects in the ceramic body of refractory materials, aiming at obtaining a product whose characteristics are compatible with commercial products and, at the same time, allow the use of such rejects to solve the environmental issue caused by its disposal in nature. X-ray fluorescence analysis show that the emerald reject obtained after the flotation to extract molybdenum and mica has 70% of silica and alumina (SiO2+Al2O3) and 21% of a basic oxides and alkaline metals and earthy alkaline mixture (Na2O, K2O, CaO e MgO). Because of the significant amount of silica and alumina present in the reject, four refractory ceramic bodies were prepared. Samples with a rectangular shape and dimensions 100x50x10 mm were pressed in a steel mold at 27,5 MPa and sintered at 1200?C for 40 min. under environment atmosphere in a resistive oven. The sintered samples were characterized in relation to the chemical composition (FRX), mineralogical composition (DRX), microstructure (MEV) and physical and mechanical properties. The results indicate that the mixture with 45% of reject, 45% of alumina and 10% of kaolin presents a refractory quality of 1420?C, dimensional linear variation below 2.00%, apparent specific mass of 1,56 g/cm3 and porosity of 46,68%, which demonstrates the potential use of the reject as raw material for the industry of isolating transformed refractory materials / A minera??o de esmeraldas ? uma importante ?rea da atividade econ?mica do Brasil, pa?s que ocupa o segundo lugar entre as na??es exportadoras dessa gema. Em virtude do processo de extra??o, uma grande quantidade de rejeito ? gerada. Como n?o h? uma destina??o apropriada, o rejeito ? abandonado ao redor das mineradoras, contribuindo, assim, para a degrada??o do meio ambiente. Atualmente, alguns dos pontos de maior relev?ncia para a ind?stria em geral s?o: conserva??o de energia, redu??o de custos, melhoria de qualidade e produtividade. A produ??o de refrat?rios conformados isolantes ganha a dimens?o de sustentabilidade quando a prote??o ao meio ambiente ? incorporada a tal processo. Este trabalho investiga o uso de rejeitos da minera??o de esmeraldas na massa cer?mica de materiais refrat?rios, com intuito de obter um produto com caracter?sticas compat?veis aos produtos comerciais e, ao mesmo tempo, viabilizar a utiliza??o de tais rejeitos para solucionar o problema ambiental gerado por seu descarte na natureza. An?lises de fluoresc?ncia de raios x mostram que o rejeito de esmeraldas obtido ap?s a flota??o para retirada de molibd?nio e mica possui 70% de s?lica e alumina (SiO2+Al2O3) e 21% de uma mistura de ?xidos b?sicos de metais alcalinos e alcalinos terrosos (Na2O, K2O, CaO e MgO). Em fun??o dos significativos teores de s?lica e de alumina presentes no rejeito, quatro massas cer?micas refrat?rias foram preparadas. Corpos de prova com forma retangular e dimens?es 100x50x10 mm foram prensados em uma matriz de a?o a 27,5 MPa e sinterizados a 1200?C por 40 min. sob atmosfera ambiente em forno resistivo. Os corpos de prova sinterizados foram caracterizados com rela??o ? composi??o qu?mica (FRX), composi??o mineral?gica (DRX), microestrutura (MEV) e propriedades f?sicas e mec?nicas. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a mistura com 45% de rejeito, 45% de alumina e 10% de caulim apresenta uma refratariedade de 1420?C, varia??o linear dimensional inferior a 2,00%, densidade de massa aparente de 1,56 g/cm3 e porosidade total de 46,68%. Isto demonstra que o rejeito possui um potencial como mat?ria-prima para aplica??o na ind?stria de materiais refrat?rios conformados isolante

Submitted by (ana.araujo@ufrpe.br) on 2016-08-03T15:09:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiz Medeiros de Araujo Lima Filho.pdf: 529199 bytes, checksum: 06cae9ad9a02975b786cf55a000dbc5b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T15:09:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luiz Medeiros de Araujo Lima Filho.pdf: 529199 bytes, checksum: 06cae9ad9a02975b786cf55a000dbc5b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-13 / Historically, the wood of the eucalyptus is used for the most varied applications, such as; firewood, charcoal, cellulose, railway sleepers, posts for electrification, bark to tan leather, essential oils, civil construction, etc. The Gypsum Pole of Araripe in Pernambuco is a great firewood consumer for the gypsum production. Due to great need to find economical and environmental alternatives for the area, the sustainable production of eucalyptus that is a fast growth tree with great versatility has an important role. In the planning of the sustainable forest management there is a variable of extreme importance: the growth. To model the growth is fundamental in the prognosis of the productivity, site quality and dynamics of populations. Usually, the growth curves are fitted through nonlinear models developed empirically to relate, for instance, height and age. The Chapman-Richards model is a nonlinear model frequently used to model forest growth. In studies of this type, in general, it is assumed that the errors follow approximately the normal distribution. However, to model the growth assuming that the errors have a normal distribution is quite sensitive to atypical values that can happen, and generate bad estimates of the parameters. To correct that problem a new class of transformed symmetrical models was developed considering for the errors symmetrical continuous distributions with heavier tails than the normal distribution and allowing a possible nonlinear structure for the mean. With the expectation of obtaining better estimates of eucalyptus growth, it was applied to the Chapman-Richards model the following distributions of the errors: normal, t of Student, Cauchy, exponential potency, logistics I and logistics II. The t distribution of Student with 2 degrees of freedom was the most efficient to estimate height and circumference growth of eucalyptus in the Gypsum Pole of Pernambuco. / Historicamente, a madeira do Eucalyptus é usada para os mais variados fins, tais como; lenha, carvão vegetal, celulose, dormentes ferroviários, postes para eletrificação, casca para curtir couro, óleos essenciais, construção civil, etc. O Pólo Gesseiro do Araripe em Pernambuco é um grande consumidor de madeira para produção de gesso. Devido à grande necessidade de se buscar uma alternativa econômica e ambiental para a região é de interesse obter uma produção sustentável para o Eucalyptus, uma vez que esta é uma árvore de rápido crescimento e grande versatilidade. No planejamento do manejo florestal sustentado uma variável é de extrema importância: o crescimento. Sua modelagem é fundamental na prognose da produtividade, qualidade do local e dinâmica de populações. Geralmente, as curvas de crescimento são estudadas por meio de modelos não-lineares desenvolvidos empiricamente para relacionar, por exemplo, altura e idade. Um modelo não-linear bastante utilizado na prática para modelar curvas de crescimento é o modelo de Chapman-Richards. Em estudos deste tipo, em geral, assume-se que os erros seguem distribuição normal. Contudo, a modelagem sob a suposição de erros com distribuição normal é bastante sensível a valores atípicos que por ventura possam ocorrer, podendo distorcer as estimativas dos parâmetros. Para corrigir esse problema Cordeiro et al. (2009) desenvolveram uma nova classe de modelos simétricos transformados considerando para os erros distribuições contínuas simétricas com caudas mais pesadas do que a distribuição normal e permitindo uma possível estrutura não-linear para a média. Dessa forma, com a expectativa de obter melhores estimativas de crescimento de Eucalyptus, aplicaram-se ao modelo de Chapman-Richards as seguintes distribuições dos erros: normal, t de Student, Cauchy, exponencial potência, logística I e logística II que apresentou a distribuição t de Student com 2 graus de liberdade com melhores estimativas de crescimento em altura e circunferência de Eucalyptus no Pólo Gesseiro de Pernambuco.

Generalized autoregressive moving average (GARMA) models are a class of models that was developed for extending the univariate Gaussian ARMA time series model to a flexible observation-driven model for non-Gaussian time series data. This work presents the GARMA model with discrete distributions and application of resampling techniques to this class of models. We also proposed The Bayesian approach on GARMA models. The TGARMA (Transformed Generalized Autoregressive Moving Average) models was proposed, using the Box-Cox power transformation. Last but not least we proposed the Bayesian approach for the TGARMA (Transformed Generalized Autoregressive Moving Average). / Modelos Autoregressivos e de médias móveis generalizados (GARMA) são uma classe de modelos que foi desenvolvida para extender os conhecidos modelos ARMA com distribuição Gaussiana para um cenário de series temporais não Gaussianas. Este trabalho apresenta os modelos GARMA aplicados a distribuições discretas, e alguns métodos de reamostragem aplicados neste contexto. É proposto neste trabalho uma abordagem Bayesiana para os modelos GARMA. O trabalho da continuidade apresentando os modelos GARMA transformados, utilizando a transformação de Box-Cox. E por último porém não menos importante uma abordagem Bayesiana para os modelos GARMA transformados.

Summer monsoon current (SMC) in the north Indian Ocean (NIO) is an open ocean current that flows eastward and enter into Bay of Bengal (BoB) during southwest monsoon (June–September). South of Sri Lanka, the SMC turns north-eastward instead of following eastward course and feeds into the BoB. Understanding the dynamics of SMC is crucial to understanding the interaction between Arabian sea (AS) and BoB. In the year 2009, the current moved north-eastward, meandered and then finally terminated into the southeast BoB. The northward bend of the current southeast of Sri Lanka has been attributed to the interaction of the eastward SMC with Rossby waves radiated from eastern boundary. An anticyclonic vortex formed right of the north-eastward meandering current which was associated with significantly high speeds. Reasons behind the unusually high speeds of SMC in this region remain unknown. Processes involved in the interaction of eddies with eastward SMC, the meandering of the current and its ultimate termination in southeast BoB are also not understood. Our study investigates the evolution, intensfication and meandering of SMC around Sri Lanka using an Indian Ocean general circulation model (MOM4p1) simulation for the year 2009. The model simulation, when compared with observational data OSCAR, showed good agreement. The study also explores the role of local and remote forcing in modulating the dynamics of SMC in the region. An eddy kinetic energy budget analysis for the region was performed which indicates the region to be a zone of significant eddy activity. Both barotropic, baroclinic instabilities were found to be the dominant mechanisms behind the generation of eddies. Based on eddy energetic analysis, the evolution of SMC was classified into stages i ii of onset, intensification, anticyclonic bend, anticyclonic vortices formation and meandering. Effect of eddies on mean flow were studied with the help of a transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) approach under quasi-geostrophic approximation. Eddy potential vorticity fluxes appearing in the TEM momentum equation and eddy enstrophy decay, divergence of eddy enstrophy advection from eddy enstrophy equation, helped to un-derstand when, where and how the eddies tended to drive the mean flow. Rossby waves and other westward propagating eddies arriving from the east, energise the SMC in June and induce an acceleration tendency on the mean flow through regions associated with upgradient eddy potential vorticity flux. In addition to the eddies, local winds also play a crucial role in driving the mean flow. Wind power, surface mean ocean kinetic energy and available potential energy (APE) were computed, integrated over the region of interest and compared to each other. The effect of local winds appear to be predominant in driving the mean flows as it not only increases the surface mean kinetic energy of the SMC but also raises the isopycnals and builds up large amount of APE in the ocean. Baroclinic instability takes place in late July and early August associated with the release of APE which flattens the isopycnals and thus weakens the SMC. Consequently the SMC meanders in course of time and flows into southeast BoB.

Dans l’industrie, les traitements mécaniques de surface métalliques permettent d’améliorer les conditions de service des pièces mécaniques. Les effets de contact de ces types de procédés engendrent une forte déformation plastique du matériau et par conséquent une transformation microstructurale en sous-surface. Cette transformation se manifeste dans le raffinement progressif de la microstructure dans une couche de quelques dizaines de micromètres. Celle-ci est souvent dénommé "surface tribologiquement transformée" (en anglais : Tribologically Transformed Surface - TTS). Une telle transformation microstructurale conduit à une augmentation des propriétés mécaniques en extrême surface et rend le matériau plus résistant aux conditions de frottement, usure et fatigue.Dans le cadre de cette étude, deux procédures de transformation microstructurale ont été employées sur un matériau modèle : le fer-α. Pour la première technique (grenaillage), la surface est impactée de façon répétitive avec des billes métalliques projetées à grande vitesse. Concernant la deuxième méthode (micro-percussion), la surface est impactée répétitivement à un endroit précis avec un indenteur conique rigide.L’objet de ce projet se centre sur trois aspects principaux : (i) déterminer les gradients mécaniques et microstructuraux induits sur les deux types de surfaces transformées (grenaillage et micro-percussion), (ii) établir un lien quantitatif entre les mesures faites par deux types d’essais micromécaniques (nano-indentation et micro-compression de piliers) et (iii) mettre en évidence les effets microstructuraux impliqués (taille de grain, densité de dislocations, etc...) dans l’augmentation des propriétés mécaniques par hyper-déformation de surfaces. / The mechanical surface treatments confer better local mechanical properties against wear or fatigue service conditions. In the case of impact-based treatments, the material is exposed to repeated mechanical loadings, producing a severe plastic deformation in the near-surface. It leads to a local and progressive refinement of the microstructure into the affected zone, commonly known as Tribologically Transformed Surface (TTS). For this project, two mechanical surface treatments are used in a model material (pure α-iron): (i) shot-peening and (ii) micro-percussion.The resulting surfaces are characterized by a mechanical property gradient in-depth as a consequence of the microstructural transformation over a few tens of microns. Nowadays, it is well-known that this rise of local mechanical properties could improve the service lifetime of materials. However, a simple micro-hardness test is not quite enough to quantify precisely the engendered variation of mechanical properties and understand the influence of several microstructural effects. For this purpose, two micro-mechanical tests are considered: (i) nano-indentation and (ii) in situ micro-pillar compression.The main issue of this work is to characterize the mechanically-induced transformed surfaces and correlate the mechanical properties gradients with the local microstructural evolutions. Indeed, three main goals are considered: (i) quantify the mechanical and microstructural gradients induced by the surface treatments (shot-peening and micro-percussion), (ii) correlate the results obtained by the means of both mechanical tests (nano-indentation and micro-pillar compression) and finally (iii) investigate the influence of several microstructural effects related with the graded strengthening of hyper-deformed surfaces.

Dans ce travail, nous nous intéressons à l’étude des propriétés structurales et magnétiques de films déposés sur des substrats de silicium et de verre, qui sont : Fe85Pd15, Fe80Pd20, Fe64Pd36 et Fe56Pd44, ainsi qu’aux corrélations qui peuvent être déduites de ces propriétés. Ces films minces sont élaborés par la technique d’évaporation thermique par effet Joule. Par ailleurs, ces films ont été analysés par plusieurs techniques, à savoir: la diffraction des rayons X (DRX), la microscopie électronique à balayage (MBE), la microscopie à force atomique (AFM), la spectrométrie Mössbauer, la magnétométrie SQUID, la magnétométrie à gradient de champ alternatif (AGFM) et la microscopie à force magnétique (MFM). L’analyse de DRX a révélé que les échantillons Fe80Pd20, Fe64Pd36 sont bi-phasiques et constitués d’une phase (Fe,Pd)-α cubique centrée (cc) et d’une phase FePd cubique à faces centrées (cfc). Par ailleurs, les échantillons Fe85Pd15 et Fe56Pd44 se sont avérés monophasiques et formés de la phase (Fe, Pd)-α, et de la phase FePd respectivement. Concernant les alliages, Fe85Pd15, Fe80Pd20et Fe64Pd36, nous avons trouvé, que la phase (Fe, Pd)-α se saturait à 20 % de Pd; et la phase ‘FePd’ apparaissait à ce même pourcentage. Ensuite, l’alliage Fe56Pd44 déposé sur le silicium a subit un recuit isotherme, à 550°C à différents temps de maintien, dans le but d’induire une transformation de la phase FePd désordonnée en la phase L10FePd ordonnée. La variation, en fonction du temps, de la fraction transformée de la phase ordonnée, révélée par la DRX et le SQUID, s’est avérée obéir à la loi d’Avrami. Concernant les propriétés magnétiques, nous avons trouvé que l’alliage Fe64Pd36, était également le siège de la transformation de la phase FePd désordonnée en la phase L10FePd ordonnée. Cette transformation est marquée par l’existence d’un couplage d’échange entre la phase douce (Fe, Pd)-α et la phase dure L10FePd. Ce phénomène a été mis en évidence par plusieurs techniques révélant, par exemple, la forme du cycle d’hystérésis caractérisée par un champ coercitif élevé et une aimantation à saturation élevée. / In this work, we are interested in the study of the structural and magnetic properties of thin films deposited on silicon and glass substrates which are: Fe85Pd15, Fe80Pd20, Fe64Pd36 and Fe56Pd44, as well as in the correlations which can be deduced from these properties. These thin films are prepared using the thermal evaporation technique by Joule effect. Moreover, these films have been analyzed by several techniques, namely: X-rays diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Mössbauer spectrometry, SQUID magnetometer, alternating field gradient magnetometer (AFGM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The XRD analysis revealed that the Fe80Pd20 and Fe64Pd36 samples are biphasic, and present a body centered cubic (bcc) α-(Fe, Pd) and a face centered cubic (fcc) FePd structure respectively. Furthermore, the samples Fe85Pd15 and Fe56Pd44 were observed to be monophasic and formed of a body centered cubic α-(Fe, Pd) phase and a face centered cubic FePd phase respectively. Concerning the Fe85Pd15, Fe80Pd20 and Fe64Pd36 alloys, we found that the α-(Fe, Pd) phase saturated at 20% of Pd and that the FePd phase appeared at this same concentration. Then, the Fe56Pd44 alloy deposited on silicon substrates was subjected to isothermal annealing, at 550 ° C for different holding times, in order to induce a transformation of the disordered FePd phase into the ordered L10FePd phase. The variation, as a function of time, of the transformed fraction of the ordered phase, revealed by XRD and SQUID, was found to obey to Avrami's law. Concerning the magnetic properties, we have found that the Fe64Pd36 alloy was also observed to present a transformation of the disordered FePd phase into the ordered L10FePd phase. This transformation is marked by the existence of an exchange coupling between the soft α-(Fe, Pd) phase and the hard L10FePd phase. This phenomenon has been confirmed by several techniques revealing, for instance, the shape of the hysteresis cycle characterized by a high coercive field and a high saturation magnetization.

No description available.

The release of ex-president Nelson Mandela on 10 February 1990, introduced transformation in South Africa. The road to transformation, in a post apartheid era, placed pressure and demands on the social work profession and the professionals. Change was inevitable (Lesnik 1997:164) while the inequities and the disparities of the past had to be eliminated and replaced with transformed services. This study explores the transformational challenges experienced in contemporary social work practice at The Department of Social Development, Johannesburg, South Africa. A non-probability sample was selected (Babbie and Mouton 2004:166). A combination of the qualitative and the quantitative approaches, with more emphasis on the quantitative approach was utilized. Questionnaires were used for data collection and analysis was done according to the framework as described by Tesch in De Vos et al., (1998:343). The transformational challenges were identified and guidelines are drafted to assist in addressing the identified challenges. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)