In South Africa, Science and Technology Education faces many problems. Insufficient numbers of Science and Technology teachers, inadequate in–service training, large classes, instruction with the aim of narrowly orienting students towards examination passes an insufficient integration of technology in the curriculum, and insufficient physical infrastructure dominates the list. The Department of Education envisages the use of ICT as a tool for learning and teaching. ICT has the potential to improve the quality of education and training. If adequate resources are available, and teachers have confidence in the usefulness of ICTs, then the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) may improve the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science. A review of the literature indicated that the deployment of ICT resources alone will not bring about desirable pedagogical practices in the classroom. There exists a need for interventions that will enhance ICT pedagogical practices in South Africa. The following main research questions were formulated: What are the ICT pedagogic practices used by grade 8 Mathematics and Science teachers in South African classrooms? How do the barriers that grade 8 Mathematics and Science teachers encounter, as well as the support they receive, influence their pedagogical practices? What is the Principal’s role in promoting the emerging pedagogic practices using ICT in South African classrooms? This research comprises a secondary data analysis of the SITES 2006 South African data base. The population and sample for this study was based on the South African grade 8 Mathematics and Natural science teachers. In SITES 2006, the samples comprised more than 504 schools. Due to the fact that ICT is only significantly implemented in two out of nine provinces in South Africa, 25 strata were created to secure fair representation of the population with 666 Mathematics teachers and 622 Natural Science teachers. Bromfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Engeström’s Activity Theory was used to investigate Natural Science and Mathematics teachers’ progress in their ICT pedagogical practices through the time–frame 2004 to 2013, as stipulated in the South Africa’s White paper on e–Education policy. Statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to address the research and sub–questions. The study found that South African Mathematics and Natural Science teachers’ level of ICT use is small; when they do use ICT, it is enhanced 21st century pedagogic practices. This is in accordance with findings from the international literature study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

In South Africa, Science and Technology Education faces many problems. Insufficient numbers of Science and Technology teachers, inadequate in–service training, large classes, instruction with the aim of narrowly orienting students towards examination passes an insufficient integration of technology in the curriculum, and insufficient physical infrastructure dominates the list. The Department of Education envisages the use of ICT as a tool for learning and teaching. ICT has the potential to improve the quality of education and training. If adequate resources are available, and teachers have confidence in the usefulness of ICTs, then the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) may improve the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Science. A review of the literature indicated that the deployment of ICT resources alone will not bring about desirable pedagogical practices in the classroom. There exists a need for interventions that will enhance ICT pedagogical practices in South Africa. The following main research questions were formulated: What are the ICT pedagogic practices used by grade 8 Mathematics and Science teachers in South African classrooms? How do the barriers that grade 8 Mathematics and Science teachers encounter, as well as the support they receive, influence their pedagogical practices? What is the Principal’s role in promoting the emerging pedagogic practices using ICT in South African classrooms? This research comprises a secondary data analysis of the SITES 2006 South African data base. The population and sample for this study was based on the South African grade 8 Mathematics and Natural science teachers. In SITES 2006, the samples comprised more than 504 schools. Due to the fact that ICT is only significantly implemented in two out of nine provinces in South Africa, 25 strata were created to secure fair representation of the population with 666 Mathematics teachers and 622 Natural Science teachers. Bromfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Engeström’s Activity Theory was used to investigate Natural Science and Mathematics teachers’ progress in their ICT pedagogical practices through the time–frame 2004 to 2013, as stipulated in the South Africa’s White paper on e–Education policy. Statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to address the research and sub–questions. The study found that South African Mathematics and Natural Science teachers’ level of ICT use is small; when they do use ICT, it is enhanced 21st century pedagogic practices. This is in accordance with findings from the international literature study. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Genes and environment interact to determine an individual’s vulnerability or resilience to several psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol use is often initiated during adolescence and early onset drinking is associated with increased risk for later AUD. Childhood and adolescence are periods of extensive brain maturation, which makes young individuals more susceptible to environmental influence. However, little is known about early environmental influence on reward pathways and behaviors involved in the development of AUD. Changes in the endogenous opioid and dopamine systems, as well as individual differences in risk behaviors are all believed to play important roles in the increased vulnerability seen after adverse early life events and early onset drinking. The overall aim of the thesis was therefore to investigate the influence of early environmental factors on adolescent alcohol intake, endogenous opioids, dopamine dynamics and alcohol-induced effects in rats to increase our knowledge of neurobiological factors underlying vulnerability to AUD. Furthermore, individual behavioral differences and their correlation to basal and drug-induced neurobiological responses in rats were also investigated. Animal models of different early environments, e.g. maternal separation and social vs. single housing, and adolescent alcohol consumption have been used to study effects on behavior, endogenous opioid peptides and dopamine dynamics. The results identified the amygdala and dorsal striatum as interesting brain regions in which endogenous opioids and dopamine, respectively, are impacted by early environmental factors. The amygdala and the dorsal striatum are both hypothesized to be involved in the shift from initial drug use to compulsive use and changes in these areas may be underlying environmentally increased vulnerability to AUD. Furthermore, behavioral phenotypes in relation to individual neurobiological responses were identified. High risk-taking behavior was associated with a more pronounced response to amphetamine, but the inherent dopamine response was instead associated with risk-assessment behavior. In conclusion, several brain regions of interest for future research were identified. Furthermore, the results contribute to increased understanding of factors involved in the development of vulnerability for AUD in adolescents and young adults.

[pt] A superposição de um escoamento circular de Couette e um fluxo com gradiente de pressão axial, através de um espaço anular ocorre em muitas aplicações práticas, tais como: reatores químicos catalíticos, filtros, extratores líquido- líquido, mancais e o fluxo de retorno de lamas de perfuração entre a coluna de perfuração rotatória e a formação rochosa na perfuração de poços produtores de petróleo e gás. As linhas de corrente curvadas do fluxo circular de Couette podem causar uma instabilidade centrífuga que produz vórtices toroidais, conhecidos como vórtices de Taylor. A presença destes vórtices muda as características hidrodinâmicas e a transferência de calor no processo. Em conseqüência, é muito importante ser capaz de prever o aparecimento da instabilidade. A maioria das análises numéricas e experimentais disponíveis na literatura são para fluidos Newtonianos e viscoelásticos (soluções polimericas). Neste trabalho, o efeito das propriedades viscoplásticas de suspensões de altas concentrações neste tipo de escoamento e nas condições críticas para o aparecimento de vórtices são determinadas teoricamente através da solução das equações de conservação. As equações diferenciais foram integradas pelo método de elementos finitos-Galerkin e o sistema de equações algébricas não lineares resultante foi resolvido pelo método de Newton. / [en] The superposition of a circular Couette flow and a pressure- driven axial flow in an annulus occurs in many practical applications, such as catalytic chemical reactors, filtration devices, liquid-liquid extractors, journal bearings, and the return flow of drilling mud between the rotating drill string and the stationary wall in oil and gas well drilling. The curved streamlines of the circular Couette flow can cause a centrifugal instability leading to toroidal vortices, well known as Taylor vortices. The presence of these vortices changes the hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of the process. Therefore, it is very important to be able to predict the onset of instability. Most of the available theoretical and experimental analyses are for Newtonian and viscoelastic (polymeric solutions) liquids. In this work, the effect of the viscoplastic properties of high concentration suspensions on the onset of the Taylor vortices are determined theoretically by solving the conservation equations and searching the critical conditions. The differential equations were solved by the Galerkin / finite element method and the resulting set of non-linear algebraic equations, by Newtons method.

Orientador: Tsunao Matsumoto / Resumo: O tratamento de efluentes oriundos de águas residuárias possui importância significativa para diminuir os impactos ambientais provocados pela ação do homem em determinado meio. Atualmente, existem parâmetros legais que normatizam os processos de tratamento de esgoto doméstico para que o efluente gerado seja processado antes de seu despejo em recursos hídricos com o intuito de diminuir a ação de agentes biológicos e substâncias/compostos químicos nocivos à saúde do homem e do meio ambiente. A investigação de mestrado proposta objetivou analisar a eficiência da remoção de nutrientes, proveniente de esgoto doméstico, por intermédio da utilização de um Reator Granular em Tubo Concêntrico com Circulação, a partir da administração de carvão ativado de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar (CABC) como material de suporte. O reator foi fixado em uma Estação Elevatória de Esgoto do município de Ilha Solteira - SP. Para avaliar a eficácia do tratamento proposto, as variáveis: temperatura, pH, alcalinidade, DQO, sólidos sedimentáveis, sólidos suspensos, sólidos totais, nitrogênio total e fósforo total do efluente submetido ao reator foram monitoradas em consonância com o Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. O estudo foi desenvolvido em duas fases: de partida (desenvolvimento do biofilme no material de suporte) e operacional (aumento dos ciclos operacionais no reator e menor tempo de sedimentação), sendo esta última subdividida em Fase A (análises da DQO, temperatura e pH) e ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Treatment of effluents from wastewater has significant importance to reduce the environmental impacts caused by human action. Currently, there are legal standards that regulate the domestic wastewater treatment processes for the effluent to be processed before eliminating on water resources in order to reduce the action of biological agents and harmful chemical substances to human health and the environment. The research proposal aimed to analyze the efficiency of removal of nutrients from sewage, through the use of a Reactor Granular in Concentric pipe with circulation from the activated carbon of sugarcane bagasse (CABC) as a support material. The reactor was set at a pumping station sewage in Ilha Solteira - SP. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed treatment variables: temperature, pH, alkalinity, total COD, solids sedimented, suspended solids, total solids, total nitrogen and phosphorus from the reactor was monitored in accordance with the Standard Methods of Examination of Water and Wastewater. The study was conducted in two phases: starting (development of biofilm on the support material) and operational (increased cycle times in the reactor and reduced settling time), the operational phase was subdivided into Phase A (analysis of COD, pH and temperature) and Phase B (evaluation of the removal of carbonaceous matter, nitrogen and phosphorus matter). The investigation also showed viability for removal of carbonaceous organic load at 65% and 78% in phase A and B,... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

De nouvelles modalités de réentrainement sont nécessaires pour les patients présentant une sévère limitation à l’exercice tels que les patients souffrant de broncho-pneumopathie chronique obstructive (BPCO). Le pédalage « excentrique », caractérisé par une meilleure efficience, pourrait permettre à ces patients de se réentrainer plus efficacement. Toutefois, les modalités de prescription et les effets du pédalage excentrique méritent d’être étudiés.Chez le sujet sain, nos résultats ont montré un retard de réactivation parasympathique au décours du pédalage excentrique par rapport au concentrique réalisés à même puissance mécanique, avec une influence de la fréquence de pédalage sur les réponses cardio-respiratoires et autonomes. À même puissance métabolique, le pédalage excentrique se caractérise par un stress cardio-vasculaire et respiratoire plus important que lors du pédalage concentrique, et des réponses neuro-végétatives en faveur d’une activité sympathique plus élevée. La fonction vasculaire est altérée à l’issue du pédalage excentrique. Chez le patient atteint de BPCO, comme chez le sujet sain, le pédalage excentrique a un effet tachypnéisant.Nous pensons que la tension musculaire accrue nécessaire en pédalage excentrique à l’atteinte d’une puissance métabolique équivalente à l’exercice concentrique serait à l’origine d’une plus grande activité sympathique et d’une contrainte hémodynamique périphérique, expliquant l’augmentation de la contrainte cardio-vasculaire en pédalage excentrique. / New exercise modalities are required for patients severely limited during exercise such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients (COPD). Eccentric “cycling”, characterized by better efficiency, could allow COPD patients to train more effectively. Nonetheless, prescription modalities and effects of eccentric cycling deserve to be more studied.In healthy subjects, our results showed a delayed parasympathetic reactivation after eccentric compared to concentric cycling matched for mechanical power, together with an influence of pedalling frequency on autonomic and cardiorespiratory responses. At similar metabolic power, eccentric cycling is characterized by a greater cardiovascular and respiratory stress than during concentric cycling, and altered autonomic nervous systems responses in favour to greater sympathetic activity. Vascular function is altered after eccentric cycling. In COPD patients, as in healthy subjects, eccentric cycling impose tachypneic breathing pattern.We believe that the higher muscle tension during eccentric cycling necessary to reach metabolic power similar to concentric leads to greater sympathetic activity and peripheral hemodynamic constraint, likely explaining the increased constraints on cardiovascular system during eccentric cycling.

Submitted by Danilo Santiago Gomes Lucio (lucio.dsg@gmail.com) on 2018-03-29T16:12:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação.pdf: 2575733 bytes, checksum: fd6e8f3765866027ea686275654e5998 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Cristina Alexandra de Godoy null (cristina@adm.feis.unesp.br) on 2018-03-29T16:41:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 lucio_dsg_me_ilha.pdf: 2575733 bytes, checksum: fd6e8f3765866027ea686275654e5998 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-29T16:41:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 lucio_dsg_me_ilha.pdf: 2575733 bytes, checksum: fd6e8f3765866027ea686275654e5998 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-01 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O tratamento de efluentes oriundos de águas residuárias possui importância significativa para diminuir os impactos ambientais provocados pela ação do homem em determinado meio. Atualmente, existem parâmetros legais que normatizam os processos de tratamento de esgoto doméstico para que o efluente gerado seja processado antes de seu despejo em recursos hídricos com o intuito de diminuir a ação de agentes biológicos e substâncias/compostos químicos nocivos à saúde do homem e do meio ambiente. A investigação de mestrado proposta objetivou analisar a eficiência da remoção de nutrientes, proveniente de esgoto doméstico, por intermédio da utilização de um Reator Granular em Tubo Concêntrico com Circulação, a partir da administração de carvão ativado de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar (CABC) como material de suporte. O reator foi fixado em uma Estação Elevatória de Esgoto do município de Ilha Solteira - SP. Para avaliar a eficácia do tratamento proposto, as variáveis: temperatura, pH, alcalinidade, DQO, sólidos sedimentáveis, sólidos suspensos, sólidos totais, nitrogênio total e fósforo total do efluente submetido ao reator foram monitoradas em consonância com o Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. O estudo foi desenvolvido em duas fases: de partida (desenvolvimento do biofilme no material de suporte) e operacional (aumento dos ciclos operacionais no reator e menor tempo de sedimentação), sendo esta última subdividida em Fase A (análises da DQO, temperatura e pH) e Fase B (avaliação da remoção da matéria carbonáceas, matéria nitrogenada e fósforo). Os resultados demonstram que o os grânulos aeróbios podem ser cultivados em reatores granulares em tubos concêntricos com circulação. A investigação também apresentou viabilidade para a remoção da carga orgânica carbonácea em 65% e 78% nas Fases A e B, respectivamente, quando o sistema foi operado em menores tempos de ciclos e de sedimentação. A remoção da matéria nitrogenada e do fósforo total foram, em média, de 51% e 37%, respectivamente. A diminuição do tempo de operação dos ciclos, bem como do tempo de sedimentação favoreceram a eficácia do sistema. / Treatment of effluents from wastewater has significant importance to reduce the environmental impacts caused by human action. Currently, there are legal standards that regulate the domestic wastewater treatment processes for the effluent to be processed before eliminating on water resources in order to reduce the action of biological agents and harmful chemical substances to human health and the environment. The research proposal aimed to analyze the efficiency of removal of nutrients from sewage, through the use of a Reactor Granular in Concentric pipe with circulation from the activated carbon of sugarcane bagasse (CABC) as a support material. The reactor was set at a pumping station sewage in Ilha Solteira - SP. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed treatment variables: temperature, pH, alkalinity, total COD, solids sedimented, suspended solids, total solids, total nitrogen and phosphorus from the reactor was monitored in accordance with the Standard Methods of Examination of Water and Wastewater. The study was conducted in two phases: starting (development of biofilm on the support material) and operational (increased cycle times in the reactor and reduced settling time), the operational phase was subdivided into Phase A (analysis of COD, pH and temperature) and Phase B (evaluation of the removal of carbonaceous matter, nitrogen and phosphorus matter). The investigation also showed viability for removal of carbonaceous organic load at 65% and 78% in phase A and B, respectively, when the system was operated at lower cycle times and sedimentation. The removal of nitrogenous matter and total phosphorus were on average 51% and 37%, respectively. The reduction of the operation cycle time and the settling time favoring the system's effectiveness.

Целью диссертационного исследования является разработка концептуальной платформы повышения конкурентоспособности производственного предприятия на основе совместного применения принципов Бережливого производства и стратегии концентрической диверсификации с использованием методологии проектного управления. Объектом исследования является рыночная деятельность промышленного предприятия ОАО «Северский гранитный карьер». Предметом исследования является система организационно-экономических отношений, возникающих в процессе перехода промышленного предприятия к стратегии концентрической диверсификации. Научная новизна диссертационного исследования заключается в разработке теоретико-методического обеспечения повышения конкурентоспособности промышленного предприятия, направленного на успешную и эффективную концентрическую диверсификацию деятельности хозяйствующего субъекта на основе интеграции концепции Бережливого производства с использованием методологии проектного управления. / The purpose of the dissertation research is the development of a conceptual platform for increasing the competitiveness of a production enterprise on the basis of the joint application of Lean Manufacturing Principles and the strategy of concentric diversification using the methodology of project management. The object of research is the market activity of an industrial enterprise. The subject of the study is the system of organizational and economic relations that arise during the transition of an industrial enterprise to the strategy of concentric diversification. The scientific novelty of the dissertation research is to develop a theoretical and methodological support for increasing the competitiveness of an industrial enterprise aimed at successful and effective concentric diversification of the business entity's activities based on the integration of the Lean Manufacturing concept using the project management methodology.

This study investigates the application of the world Englishes (WE) paradigm to English language teaching (ELT) in the higher education context of Japan, as well as the possible application of competing paradigms that also work within a pluricentric view of English: English as an International Language (EIL) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). The Chukyo University Department of World Englishes (DWE), within the College of World Englishes, serves as the primary site of inquiry. A main focus of the study is to explore the development of a broader concept of World Englishes for educational contexts. A literature review of work in the three fields of WE, EIL, and ELF was conducted, as well as a literature review of leading work in the field of English language curriculum design. The literature reviews establish a baseline of what is currently known in these fields. To provide additional answers to the research questions for this study, three sets of qualitative data were obtained and analyzed: a survey of graduates of the DWE since 2006, a survey of teachers in the DWE, and a series of observations of actual classes within the DWE. A coding scheme was designed for each of the two survey instruments to facilitate their analysis, which was used to report on and analyze the survey data, as well as incorporating actual excerpts from the raw data, to better illustrate and support particular trends or commonalities expressed in the data. The classroom observations were written up in the form of ‘vignettes’ from which further analysis could be made and triangulated with the data from the two surveys. These results were then interpreted to report the findings of the study, and a series of themes were identified that showed potential areas to focus on for curriculum enhancements. These include: the overcoming of shyness in Japanese students, the insufficiency of communicative language teaching (CLT) within a 4-skills curriculum, the applicability of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in Japanese higher education, the need for more academic and business/professional education, the concept of world mindedness, the overall relevance of the WE/EIL/ELF paradigms, and the concept of ‘Educated English’ (Kachru 2003, Bamgbose 1982), as an objective for the Expanding Circle. The concept of Educated English in particular, has heretofore been underexplored in Expanding Circle WE research. The study concludes that based on the needs of students in the DWE, and more widely in Japan and across other Expanding Circle contexts, a broader concept of WE is necessary to better inform ELT curricular and pedagogical practices. The goal of working towards educated Japanese English as an outcome is more realistic for higher proficiency, highly motivated students, and the study concludes that ELT pedagogy to realize this goal is better suited to creation of an honors track, and general track, in the DWE and other institutions. Ultimately, the thesis contributes new insights into creating a broader concept of WE, drawing on research from competing paradigms, and posits a more suitable model of English pedagogy for Expanding Circle users of English.

This study investigates the application of the world Englishes (WE) paradigm to English language teaching (ELT) in the higher education context of Japan, as well as the possible application of competing paradigms that also work within a pluricentric view of English: English as an International Language (EIL) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). The Chukyo University Department of World Englishes (DWE), within the College of World Englishes, serves as the primary site of inquiry. A main focus of the study is to explore the development of a broader concept of World Englishes for educational contexts. A literature review of work in the three fields of WE, EIL, and ELF was conducted, as well as a literature review of leading work in the field of English language curriculum design. The literature reviews establish a baseline of what is currently known in these fields. To provide additional answers to the research questions for this study, three sets of qualitative data were obtained and analyzed: a survey of graduates of the DWE since 2006, a survey of teachers in the DWE, and a series of observations of actual classes within the DWE. A coding scheme was designed for each of the two survey instruments to facilitate their analysis, which was used to report on and analyze the survey data, as well as incorporating actual excerpts from the raw data, to better illustrate and support particular trends or commonalities expressed in the data. The classroom observations were written up in the form of ‘vignettes’ from which further analysis could be made and triangulated with the data from the two surveys. These results were then interpreted to report the findings of the study, and a series of themes were identified that showed potential areas to focus on for curriculum enhancements. These include: the overcoming of shyness in Japanese students, the insufficiency of communicative language teaching (CLT) within a 4-skills curriculum, the applicability of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in Japanese higher education, the need for more academic and business/professional education, the concept of world mindedness, the overall relevance of the WE/EIL/ELF paradigms, and the concept of ‘Educated English’ (Kachru 2003, Bamgbose 1982), as an objective for the Expanding Circle. The concept of Educated English in particular, has heretofore been underexplored in Expanding Circle WE research. The study concludes that based on the needs of students in the DWE, and more widely in Japan and across other Expanding Circle contexts, a broader concept of WE is necessary to better inform ELT curricular and pedagogical practices. The goal of working towards educated Japanese English as an outcome is more realistic for higher proficiency, highly motivated students, and the study concludes that ELT pedagogy to realize this goal is better suited to creation of an honors track, and general track, in the DWE and other institutions. Ultimately, the thesis contributes new insights into creating a broader concept of WE, drawing on research from competing paradigms, and posits a more suitable model of English pedagogy for Expanding Circle users of English.