Social responsibility (SR) is a business management concept that originated in the early 1930s after the Wall Street crash of 1929 exposed corporate irresponsibility in large organizations. Whilst the initial interpretation of SR has been modified and refined since it was first used, the significance of this multidimensional concept for the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector has continued to be overshadowed by its application to large and multinational organizations. The knowledge of social activities in the SME sector, particularly in South Africa, has remained unexplored due to relatively little attention being given until recent years. In cognizance of the above mentioned, this study wishes to expand the body of knowledge in respect of the social responsibility of small businesses. This study presented a qualitative content analysis of annual reports from 2008 to 2012 of companies listed on the JSE ALT exchange to explore small business social responsibility practices using NVIVO to analyze data. Findings from this study support the view that small businesses are not always profit driven and that they are therefore fundamentally distinct from large organizations. South African small businesses are however not yet strategic about SR. Creating and maintaining their reputation as good corporate citizens through relationships with stakeholders is their primary motivation for participating in social activities. The study results show that SR in small businesses is still evolving and that year after year there is an increase in involvement and interest in SR issues. The findings of this study, and confirmation of the new knowledge gained will assist policy makers and practitioners in designing plans and policies that will increase socially responsible behaviour of small businesses and develop a comprehensive theory of SR in small businesses in South Africa. This can potentially enhance inclusive economic growth while simultaneously dealing with the country’s socio economic problems. Future studies can be extended to include other SMEs in South Africa, specifically micro enterprises and comparisons formed by a larger population may demonstrate and explain trends more clearly. The results of this study can also be compared with large companies listed on the JSE and to other African economies. A longitudinal study investigating SMEs’ participation in SR in different economic conditions could test the fact that a change has occurred in the attitudes of small businesses from 2008 to 2012 towards social responsibility / Business Management / D.B.L

In this thesis, we analyze the electromagnetic wave propagation in waveguidestructuresexhibiting periodical geometry, including glide symmetry. The analysisis performed using a mode matching technique which correlates the different modecoefficients from separate but, connected regions in the structure. This technique isused to obtain the dispersion diagrams for two one-dimensional periodic structures:a glide-symmetric corrugated metasurface and a coaxial line loaded with periodicholes. The mode matching formulation is presented in Cartesian and cylindricalcoordinate system for the former and the later, respectively. The mode matchingresults are compared to simulated results obtained from the Eigenmode Solver inCST Microwave Studio and are found to agree very well. / I detta examensarbete, analyseras elektromagnetisk v°agutbredning i periodiskav°agledarstrukturer som uppvisar glid symmetri. Analysen genomf¨ordes genom enmod matchnings-teknik som korrelerar de olika mod-koefficienterna fr°an separeraderegioner i strukturen med varandra. Denna teknik anv¨ands f¨or att ta framdispersionsrelationen f¨or tv°a endimensionella periodiska strukturer: en glid symmetriskkorrugerad meta-yta och en koaxial ledare belagd med periodiskt urgr¨opdah°aligheter. Mod matchnings-formuleringen presenteras i Kartesiska och cylindriskakoordinatsystem respektive f¨or de ovan n¨amnda fallen. Mod matchnings-resultatenj¨amf¨ors med data-simulerade resultat erh°allna fr°an CST Microwave Studio och de¨overenst¨ammer v¨al med varandra.

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Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This thesis presents Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for two specific automated language translation (ALT) devices, the P2 Phraselator and the Voice Response Translator (VRT). The CONOPS for each device are written as Appendix A and Appendix B respectively. The body of the thesis presents a broad introduction to the present state of ALT technology for the reader who is new to the general subject. It pursues this goal by introducing the human language translation problem followed by nine characteristic descriptors of ALT technology devices to provide a basic comparison framework of existing technologies. The premise is that ALT technology is presently in a state where it is tackled incrementally with various approaches. Two tables are provided that illustrate six commercially available devices using the descriptors. A scenario is then described in which the author observed the two subject ALT devices (depicted in the CONOPS in the Appendices) being employed within an international military exercise. Some unique human observations associated with the use of these devices in the exercise are discussed. A summary is provided of the Department of Defense (DOD) process that is exploring ALT technology devices, specifically the Language and Speech Exploitation Resources (LASER) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration ACTD. / Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy

Conflictes socioterritorials i participació pública en la gestió de l'aigua de la conca del riu Muga (Alt Empordà) és un treball que incideix sobre la conflictivitat en la gestió dels rius mediterranis i prospecta en la participació pública -activa i vinculant- per a la resolució de conflictes i la planificació i gestió dels recursos hídrics. En concret, s'ha intentat donar resposta a cinc objectius:Objectius del marc teòric- Comprovar l'existència de dos discursos antagònics (radicalment oposats) en l'esfera social, científica i de gestió dels rius que generen conflicte i que són insostenibles per a una gestió integral dels recursos fluvials: el discurs antropocèntric i el discurs ecocèntric.Matèria d'estudi: L'excepcionalisme humà i l'ecologia profunda en la societat; Les disciplines de la regulació de l'aigua i de l'ecologia fluvial en la ciència; El contracte antropocèntric i el balanç ecocèntric en la gestió; El discurs ambiental (el riu antròpic i ecosistemàtic).- Valorar si les estratègies de participació pública (que involucren als agents socials) gaudeixen -respecte els processos de decisió unilaterals (siguin autoritàries o arbitràries)- de més garanties per corregir i prevenir conflictes desconstructius relacionats amb l'aigua i els recursos fluvials.Matèria d'estudi: Definició de conflicte en positiu; L'estratègia de cooperació i consens en la Resolució Alternativa de Disputes (Alternative Dispute Resolution) i 13 casos resolts de conflictes per l'aigua a l'Oest dels Estats Units; Bases d'un pla de gestió integral, adaptatiu i participatiu i el cas del San Joaquin River Management Plan (Califòrnia, Estats Units).Objectius del marc pràctic. Conca del riu Muga (Alt Empordà)- Contextualitzar la diversificació i intensificació dels usos de l'aigua dins un procés de canvi dels usos del sòl, particularment accelerat a partir de la dècada de 1960 i objecte de problemàtiques socioterritorials d'ençà de la dècada de 1980. Cartografia i matriu de canvi dels usos del sòl de la conca anys 1993 i 1957.Matèria d'estudi: Cartografia i estadística dels usos del sòl de la conca del riu Muga (49 municipis altempordanesos, 1.050 km2), anys 1957 i 1993. Retrospectiva dels espais forestals, d'aigua, conreats i urbanitzats.- Identificar i descriure les tensions i conflictes en l'ús de l'aigua, així com les característiques de les solucions adoptades en el període 1980-2000. Constatar si determinades solucions estructurals han esdevingut problemàtiques a mig o llarg termini, i estimar la probabilitat de conflictes futurs.Matèria d'estudi: 50 incidents problemàtics en abastament d'aigua (26 tensions i 24 conflictes) i 53 mesures per fer-hi front (12 d'adaptació de la demanda i 41 d'adaptació de l'oferta d'aigua) entre els anys 1980 i 2000, i diferenciant dues unitats territorials de la conca (la Muga interior i la plana de la Muga).- Caracteritzar quins són els temes en matèria d'aigua que no disposen de consens entre els agents socioeconòmics, tècnics i polítics locals reunits en les sessions de discussió del projecte MUGA. Determinar si les estratègies participatives poden prosperar perquè són factibles i idònies.Matèria d'estudi: Projecte MUGA: Gestión del recurso agua con participación de agentes. Estudio para la cuenca del río Muga (Girona), 2000-2003 - UAB i UdG; La dissensió d'opinions dels 30 participants a les 4 sessions de discussió entorn l'ús i gestió de l'aigua de la conca de la Muga; 6 temes de conflicte, 14 subtemes i 31 punts de discussió, 9 dels quals punts calents de conflicte (destructius i indicadors de punts de disfunció en la gestió de l'aigua de la conca). / Social territorial conflicts and public participation in water management in the Muga river basin (Alt Empordà) focuses on conflicts generated by the management of Mediterranean rivers and examines the role of active and legally binding public participation in resolving conflicts and managing water resources. Specifically, the study set out to achieve five aims:Theoretical aims- To demonstrate that there are two antagonistic (radically opposed) positions - anthropocentrism and ecocentrism - in the social, scientific, and management spheres that generate conflict and impede a sustainable integrated management of river resources. Study material: human exceptionalism and deep ecology in society; water regulatory and river ecology disciplines in science; the anthropocentric contract and ecocentric balance in management; environmental discourse (the anthropic and ecosystemic river).- To determine whether public participation strategies (involving social agents) provide greater guarantees than unilateral decision-making processes (whether arbitrary or authoritarian) of resolving and preventing destructive conflicts in the area of water and river resources. Study material: definition of positive conflict; cooperation and consensus building in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and 13 case studies of water conflicts that were resolved in western United States; conditions for an integrated, adaptive, and participative management plan, and the San Joaquin River Management Plan (California, United States).Practical aims. Muga River Basin (Alt Empordà)- To contextualise the diversification and intensification of the use of water against a background of changing land uses, a process which rapidly gained ground from the 1960s onwards and became a source of social territorial conflict in the 1980s.Study material: land-use maps and statistics from 1957 and 1993 for the Muga river basin (49 municipalities in the Alt Empordà region and a total surface area of 1,050 km2). Retrospective analysis of forested, water-covered, cultivated, and developed areas.- To identify and describe tensions and conflicts over water use and the different solutions adopted between 1980 and 2000. To determine if certain structural solutions have become a source of confrontation in the medium or long term, and to assess the likelihood of future conflicts. Study material: 50 water supply incidents (26 tensions and 24 conflicts) and 53 measures adopted to resolve these incidents between 1980 and 2000 (12 demand-management measures and 41 supply-management actions); differentiation between two areas of the Muga river basin (interior and plain).- To discern which water issues are the source of discord among the different socio-economic, technical, and political agents participating in the MUGA project's focus group sessions. To determine if new participative strategies in the near future are necessary and likely to succeed.Study material: The MUGA project: management of Muga water resources with agent participation. Muga river basin study (Girona), 2000/03 - Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and University of Girona (UdG); conflicting opinions among the 30 participants in the four focus-group sessions held on water use and management in the Muga river basin; 6 conflictive issues, 14 sub-issues, and 31 points of dispute, 9 of which were sources of intense conflict (destructive and indicative of inappropriate river basin management).

The work’s development is made by scientific method stages: aims statement, hypothesis establishment and work method to check hypothesis. Conclusions are given at the end. It is supported by: a) Bibliographical review, summary about knowledge evolution in work bridges building and associated historical facts. b) To know about used materials. c) Referred geographical and historical frameworks definition. d) The morphological knowledge about medieval work bridges. The work presents 111 unpublished plans. Research is divided up in nine stages. The first stage starts with the previous researching on the census of work bridges in the basins of the three most important northeaster slope Peninsula Iberian rivers that were built according to tradition in medieval period. Being censed 153 bridges we have chosen a representative sample of 20 bridges: 10 for Ter River, 7 for Fluvià River and 3 for Muga River. In second stage are highlighted: a) Field works to find, photograph and measure bridges. b) Works in Record Offices and Public Libraries to find technical and historical information. In this stage are included works made in Record Offices of General Administration, History of Councils, Culture and Environmental Departments of Generalitat of Catalunya, private organizations as soon as interviews to people related to significant historical facts about the research topic. c) Works made in Universities Libraries and CICCP nets. Taking in account the whole information coming from the field works, it has been made, in the third stage, three format A3 plans for every one of 20 bridges. They are referred to measurements, parameters composition and focusing angles joining 6 bridge pictures. In fourth stage we analyse structural elements, we classify every vault according Sejourné viewpoints stated in his work “Grandes voûtes” (1913) and other aspects helped by engineering parameters. Twelve ancient empiric rules to size bridge measures are taken in account and is tried to identify their influence in bridges design. In fifth stage software ARCs is used to settle bridge stability in base the pressure lines for every arch. The result allows knowing axial thrusts and eccentricities to hold up the pressure lines in the right values. Simulations are made with the own structure weight under punctual loads of 360KN at ½ and ¼ gap. Structure safety coefficients are settled according punctual load to road wideness and loads carried by available transport means in this past period. Analytical study is made to calculate vertical and axial thrusts to determine specific load on pillar’s foundation. Results got by both ways are compared. Results are shown on two plans for every bridge. Hypothesis about possible layouts or sittings of four bridges that could have originally been built are shown in sixth stage. Photographs and plans are joined. In seventh stage every bridge description is connected with the territory and river zone characteristics. Driving slope for seven hundred length upriver and downriver for every bridge are worked out. Bridge filling percentage for several depth of water is assessed. With this information and those that are collected from river agents and the sings of levels reached in historical floods, the possible flooded ground zone is assessed. Relationship between the basin surface, average upriver rain gauged and bridge drainage surface is established. This information is related to the flooded zones before mentioned. The consequential hydraulic effects are shown in a plan. Eighth stage. Three family groups are made among the studied bridges and those which have been built in Spain and France. The main constructive characteristics and their evolution through years are analysed. Ninth stage. Relevant historical facts referred to the bridge are synthesized. / El trabajo se desarrolla basándose en las etapas del método científico: enunciado de los objetivos, planeamiento de hipótesis, método de trabajo llevado a termino para el contrates de las hipótesis y conclusiones a las que se llegan. Se apoya en: a) En la revisión bibliográfica sobre la evolución del estado del conocimiento de la construcción de los puentes de obra de fábrica y en los hechos históricos asociados a los puentes estudiados. b) En el conocimiento de los materiales empleados. c) En la definición de los marcos geográficos e históricos de referencia con el trabajo. d) En la morfológica de los puente de obra de fabrica de le época Medieval. El trabajo aporta 111 planos inéditos. La investigación la dividimos en nueve fases. Primera fase: Preinvestigación sobre censo de puentes de obra de fábrica en las cuencas de los tres ríos más importantes de la vertiente nororiental de la península ibérica que según la tradición popular datan de la época medieval. De153 censados, elegimos una muestra representativa de 20 puentes: 10 en la cuenca del río Ter, siete en la del río Fluviá y tres en la del río Muga. Segunda fase: a) Trabajos de campo: localizar los puentes, fotografiarlos y medirlos. b) Trabajos en archivos y bibliotecas. El alcance de esta fase engloba los realizados en los archivos: General de la Administración, históricos de Ayuntamientos, Diputaciones, Departamentos de Cultura y Medio Ambiente de la Generalitat de Cataluña, Red de Bibliotecas de Universidades, en la del CICCP, entidades privadas, c) Entrevistas. Tercera fase: Partiendo de la información recopilada en los trabajos de campo, realizamos tres planos en formato A3 para cada de los 20 puentes a estudiar: el de medidas, el de composición de los paramentos y el de ángulos de enfoque con 6 fotografías del puente. Cuarta fase: Análisis de los elementos estructurales de los puentes. Clasificación de bóvedas según Séjourné en su obra “grandes voûtes”(1913) y otras de carácter ingenieril. Se desarrollan 12 reglas empíricas empleadas para dimensionar puentes con las que se intenta identificar su influencia en el diseño de los puentes estudiados. Quinta fase: Se utiliza el programa ARCs, se estudia estabilidad del puente partiendo de la localización de la línea de empuje Los resultados permiten conocer los empujes axiales y las excentricidades que mantienen la línea de empujes dentro de los márgenes adecuados. Se simulan resultados para el peso propio de la estructura y también para cargas puntuales de 360KN a ½ y ¼ del vano. Se determinan los coeficientes de seguridad adaptando la carga puntual a valores adecuados a la amplitud de la calzada y a las cargas a transportar. Se complementa el cálculo de los empujes verticales y axiales para conocer el valor de la carga específica sobre los cimientos de cada pila. Se comparan los resultados por ambos métodos. Los resultados se exponen de dos planos por puente. Sexta fase: Planteamiento sobre planos y/o fotografías de hipótesis sobre los trazados y/o localizaciones que podrían haber tenido originalmente cuatro de los puentes. Séptima fase: Relaciones entre río y puente. Calculo de la pendiente motriz para los diferentes tramos de ríos y de porcentaje de obturación que presenta el puente para diferentes niveles de calado. Estimación de la zona inundable. Relaciones entre las superficies de las cuencas y las de desagüe del puente. En un plano se engloban los resultados de estos efectos hidráulicos. Octava fase: formamos tres familias de puentes según la zona geográfica donde se localiza: Francia, España y los estudiados. Analizamos las variaciones entre las principales relaciones constructivas, las tendencias de su evolucionado a lo largo de los años. Novena fase: Se citan los hechos históricos asociados a la existencia del puente.

L’objectif général de cette thèse est de développer une plateforme d’immobilisation d’enzymes efficace pour application en biopile. Grâce à la microencapsulation ainsi qu’au choix judicieux des matériaux polymériques pour la fabrication de la plateforme d’immobilisation, l’efficacité du transfert électronique entre l’enzyme encapsulée et l’électrode serait amélioré. Du même coup, les biopiles employant cette plateforme d’immobilisation d’enzymes pourrait voir leur puissance délivrée être grandement augmentée et atteindre les niveaux nécessaires à l’alimentation d’implants artificiels pouvant remplacer des organes telque le pancréas, les reins, le sphincter urinaire et le coeur. Dans un premier temps, le p-phénylènediamine a été employé comme substrat pour la caractérisation de la laccase encapsulée dans des microcapsules de poly(éthylèneimine). La diffusion de ce substrat à travers les microcapsules a été étudiée sous diverses conditions par l’entremise de son oxidation électrochimique et enzymatique afin d’en évaluer sa réversibilité et sa stabilité. La voltampérométrie cyclique, l’électrode à disque tournante (rotating disk electrode - RDE) et l’électrode à O2 ont été les techniques employées pour cette étude. Par la suite, la famille des poly(aminocarbazoles) et leurs dérivés a été identifée pour remplacer le poly(éthylèneimine) dans la conception de microcapsules. Ces polymères possèdent sur leurs unités de répétition (mono- ou diamino) des amines primaires qui seraient disponibles lors de la polymérisation interfaciale avec un agent réticulant tel qu’un chlorure de diacide. De plus, le 1,8-diaminocarbazole (unité de répétition) possède, une fois polymérisé, les propriétés électrochimiques recherchées pour un transfert d’électrons efficace entre l’enzyme et l’électrode. Il a toutefois été nécessaire de développer une route de synthèse afin d’obtenir le 1,8-diaminocarbazole puisque le protocole de synthèse disponible dans la littérature a été jugé non viable pour être utilisé à grande échelle. De plus, aucun protocole de synthèse pour obtenir du poly(1,8-diaminocarbazole) directement n’a été trouvé. Ainsi, deux isomères de structure (1,6 et 1,8-diaminocarbazole) ont pu être synthétisés en deux étapes. La première étape consistait en une substitution électrophile du 3,6-dibromocarbazole en positions 1,8 et/ou 1,6 par des groupements nitro. Par la suite, une réaction de déhalogénation réductive à été réalisée en utilisant le Et3N et 10% Pd/C comme catalyseur dans le méthanol sous atmosphère d’hydrogène. De plus, lors de la première étape de synthèse, le composé 3,6-dibromo-1-nitro-carbazole a été obtenu; un monomère clé pour la synthèse du copolymère conducteur employé. Finalement, la fabrication de microcapsules conductrices a été réalisée en incorporant le copolymère poly[(9H-octylcarbazol-3,6-diyl)-alt-co-(2-amino-9H-carbazol-3,6-diyl)] au PEI. Ce copolymère a pu être synthétisé en grande quantité pour en permettre son utilisation lors de la fabrication de microcapsules. Son comportement électrochimique s’apparentait à celui du poly(1,8-diaminocarbazole). Ces microcapsules, avec laccase encapsulée, sont suffisamment perméables au PPD pour permettre une activité enzymatique détectable par électrode à O2. Par la suite, la modification de la surface d’une électrode de platine a pu être réalisée en utilisant ces microcapsules pour l’obtention d’une bioélectrode. Ainsi, la validité de cette plateforme d’immobilisation d’enzymes développée, au cours de cette thèse, a été démontrée par le biais de l’augmentation de l’efficacité du transfert électronique entre l’enzyme encapsulée et l’électrode. / The main objective of this thesis is the development of a conductive enzyme immobilisation template for laccase through microencapsulation allowing an efficient electron transfer between the enzyme and the electrode for application in biofuel cells. First, p-phenylenediamine was used as substrate for the characterisation of the microencapsulated laccase. The diffusion of this substrate through the microcapsules was studied under various conditions by means of its electrochemical and enzymatic oxidation processes in order to assess its reversibility and stability. Cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk electrode and Clark electrode were the techniques used in this study. Moreover, poly(aminocarbazole) compounds and their derivatives were identified to replace poly(ethyleneimine) in the fabrication of the microcapsules. These polymers exhibit primary amines (mono- or di-amino) that could be available for an interfacial polymerisation using a cross-linker agent. Also, the monomer 1,8-diaminocarbazole presents the desired electrochemical propreties for an efficient electron transfer between the enzyme and the electrode. Therefore, a synthetic pathway was developed in order to synthesise this monomer since the available literature protocol was considered inappropriate for large scale synthesis. As for the direct synthesis of the poly(1,8-diaminocarbazole), to our knowledge, there is no protocol currently available. Two structural isomers (1,6 and 1,8-diaminocarbazole) were thus synthesised in two steps. The first step consists in the electrophilic substitution of 3,6-dibromocarbazole in 1,8 and/or 1,6 positions by nitro groups. This step was followed by a dehydrodehalogenation reaction that comes along with reduction of nitro to amino functions using Et3N and 10% Pd/C as the catalyst in methanol under H2 flux. During the first step, the 3,6-dibromo-1-nitro-carbazole was also obtained and appeared to be an efficient monomer in the synthesis of the desired conductive copolymer. Finally, the fabrication of the conductive microcapsules was realised by adding the copolymer poly[(9H-octylcarbazol-3,6-diyl)-alt-co-(2-amino-9H-carbazol-3,6-diyl)] to the PEI. This copolymer was synthesised in large quantities, which allowed its use in the design of microcapsules. Its electrochemical behaviour was similar in many ways to the one of poly(1,8-diaminocarbazole). These conductive microcapsules were then used to modify the surface of a platinum electrode to fabricate the bioelectrode. The main objective of this project was achieved through this final step.

Consider life testing of J-component series systems that are subjected to stress levels that are steeper than that at normal usage condition. The objective of performing such life tests, commonly known as Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) in the literature, is to collect observations on system failure times within a limited time frame. The accelerated observations are then used to infer on the component and system reliability metrics at usage stress. In this thesis, the existing literature is first extended by considering the general case of K stress variables, as opposed to the usual consideration of a single stress variable. Next, a general model assuming that the component log-lifetimes belong to an arbitrary location-scale family of distributions, is formulated. The location parameters are assumed to depend on the stress variables through a general stress translation function, while the scale parameters are assumed to be independent of the stress variables. This formulation covers the standard lifetime distributions as well as well-known stress translation functions as special cases. Bayesian methodologies are then developed for four special cases of the proposed general model, viz., exponentials, Weibulls with equal shape parameter, Weibulls with distinct shape parameters and log-normals with distinct scale parameters. For exponential and Weibull models, the priors on lifetime parameters are assumed to be log-concave and independent of each other. The resulting univariate conditional posterior of each lifetime parameter given the rest, is shown to be log-concave. This facilitates Gibbs sampling from the joint posterior of lifetime parameters. Propriety of the joint posteriors with Laplacian uniform priors on stress coefficients are also proved under a suitable set of sufficient conditions. For the log-normal model, the observed data is first augmented with log-lifetimes of un-failed components to form complete data. A Gibbs sampling scheme is then developed to generate observations from the joint posterior of lifetime parameters, through the augmented data and a conjugate prior for the complete data. In all four cases, Bayesian predictive inference techniques are used to study component and system reliability metrics at usage stress. Though this thesis mainly deals with Bayesian inference of accelerated data of series systems, maximum likelihood analysis for the log-normal component lifetimes is also performed via an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and bootstrap, which are not available in the literature. The last part of this thesis deals with construction of optimal Bayesian designs for accelerated life tests of J-component series systems under Type-I censoring scheme. Optimal ALT plans for a single stress variable are obtained using two different Bayesian D-optimality criteria for exponentially distributed component lives. A detailed sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the effect of different planning inputs on the optimal designs as well.

This thesis asks what conditions elevated the Cambridge Analytica (CA) conflict into a sustained and global political issue? Was this a privacy conflict and if so, how was it framed as such? This work demonstrates that the public outcry to CA formed out of three underlying structural conditions: The rise of the alt-right as an ideology, surveillance capitalism, and a growing and unregulated voter analytics industry. A network of actors seized the momentum of this conflict to drive the message that voter surveillance is a threat to democratic elections. These actors humanized the CA conflict and created a catalyst for a large scale public outrage to these previously ignored structures. Their focus on democratic threat also allowed this conflict to transcend the typical contours of a privacy conflict and demonstrate that the consequences of CA are societal, rather than personal. Despite the democratic threat of voter surveillance, Canada and the United States have yet to address the wider implications of voter surveillance adequately. Thus, how these systems are used will be a question of central importance in upcoming elections. / Graduate

Bei der Wiederverwertung von Alt- und Abfallgummi stehen Industrie und Forschung im Gegensatz zu den rein thermoplastischen Kunststoffen wie Polypropylen und Polyäthylen immer noch am Anfang. Große Mengen der roh- und werkstofflich wertvollen (Technischen und Sonstigen Elastomerartikel, sogen. TSE-Gummiab- fälle (ca. 400 T Jahrestonnen) werden gegenwärtig noch in Zementöfen und E-Werken verbrannt (thermisch entsorgt). Die werkstoffliche Aufbereitung, d.h. das Mahlen zu Gummigranulat bzw. -mehl ermöglicht es, inbesondere verstärkungsmittelfreies Gummimehl sehr kleiner Partikelgrößen (<0,4 mm) in einem speziellen reaktiven Mischverfahren mit Kunststoffen zu Kompositwerkstoffen (Blends und Elastomerlegierungen) zu verarbeiten. In den Elastomerlegierungen ist das Gummimehl chemisch und physikalisch mit der Kunststoffmarix gekoppelt. Deshalb kommen diese Kompositwerkstoffe in ihren Eigenschaften den der TPE (Thermoplastische Elastomere) sehr nahe. Das Projekt untersucht Einflüsse verschiedener Mahl- prozesse auf die Qualität des Gummimehls und versucht das Mischverhältnis der Ausgangskomponenten und den Mischprozeß zu optimieren. Als Qualitätskriterien für diese experimentellen und theoretischen Arbeiten gelten verschiedene mechanisch-physikalische Eigenschaften von Formteilen, die nach unterschiedlichen Verarbeitungs- methoden (Extrudieren, Formpressen, Spritzgießen) aus den Kompositwerkstoffen hergestellt wurden. Die Arbeitsgruppe um Dr. Michael von der TU Chemnitz prüft die Eignung der Gummimehle, die nach dem noch weitgehend unbekannten und von dem polnischen Projekt- partner entwickelten Mahlverfahren, der sogen. SSSP- Methode (Solid-State Shear Pulverisation) hergestellt wurden, betreffs ihres Einsatzes als Hauptrezepturkomponente in Elastomerlegierungen und speziellen Blends. Im SSSP-Zerkleinerungsprozeß werden die Gummiwerkstoffe höchsten Scherkräften ausgesetzt. Die dadurch ent- stehenden inneren Spannungen führen zur Zerkleinerung des Gummis in feinste Partikel (0,1 …0,3mm) jedoch mit sehr großen Oberflächen. Sowohl die TU Chemnitz als auch die ATL Bydgoszcz sind in der TPE-Forschung, ein Markt mit wachsender Nachfrage, seit Jahren sehr erfolgreich. Ziel des Projektes ist es, zusammen mit dem Fraunhofer Institut UMSICHT Oberhausen, der Greiner RUBBERTEC GmbH Nürtingen und weiteren Firmen der Gummiindustrie Kompetenzen zusammenzuführen und somit neue Erkenntnisse auf dem Gebiet des Kunststoff- und Gummirecyclings zu gewinnen, die kurzfristig in die Praxis umgesetzt werden können. Das Projekt wird als Auftakt gemeinsamer Forschungs- kooperationen verstanden und wird im Rahmen einer gemeinsamen Ausschreibung des Auswärtigen Amtes und des BMBF zum Deutsch-Polnischen Jahr 2005/2006 mit Mitteln des BMBF gefördert.