My dissertation primarily focuses on the fabrication of materials for solid phase microextraction (SPME) and separation devices. In my first project, I used direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) to prepare sputtered silicon coatings on fused silica fibers. These fibers were then subjected to the chemical vapor deposition of 6-phenyhexylsilane (6-PH) as a stationary phase. Six different types of fibers were made using two different throw distances (4 cm and 20 cm) and three different silicon thicknesses (0.5, 1.8, and 2.8 µm). These coatings were characterized by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and contact angle goniometry. These SPME fibers were evaluated using gas chromatography (GC). The extraction efficiencies of sputtered, 6-PH-coated fibers were compared to that of a commercial fiber (7 µm PDMS) for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Our 2.8 µm thick sputtered silicon coatings showed competitive extraction of low molecular weight PAHs and ca. 3 times the extraction efficiency for higher molecular weight PAHs. In addition, it outperformed the commercial fiber by showing better linearity, repeatability, and detection limits. A method for analyzing polyaromatic hydrocarbons in baby formula was developed, which showed very good linearity (0.5-125 ppb), repeatability (2-26%), detection limits (0.12-0.81 ppb), and recoveries (103-135%). In my second project, I focused on preparing sputtered carbon SPME fibers using DCMS sputtering. These fibers were tested with and without PDMS coatings on top by SPME-GC-MS. In addition, a new SPME evaluation mix was developed for testing the newly developed SPME fibers. The evaluation mix included analytes with diverse functionalities and properties. Our best carbon fiber showed very competitive extraction capabilities on a per volume basis when compared with a commercial 95 µm carbon-based fiber. In a third project, I built an ALD system to deposit thin films inside GC capillary columns. This system has a unique design that also allows for ALD on witness silicon samples before and after the capillary column. This system yields very promising results with ALD of alumina inside 5 and 12 m long capillary columns. The ALD coatings deposited inside the columns were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The thicknesses of the coatings on witness shards were almost identical to the thicknesses of the coatings in the capillaries. My fourth project focused on characterizing a liquid polymer (diphenyl siloxane dimethyl siloxane (DPS-DMS)) via SE. This material was a potential stationary phase for our SPME fibers. Transmission measurements were obtained via a dual cuvette approach that eliminated the effects of the cuvettes and their interfaces. The optical function of this material was modeled with a Sellmeier function in its transparent region.

Canada is in the process of implementing a Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) to dispose of used nuclear waste. Adsorption behaviour of both Se(-II) and Tc(IV) onto granite, shale, limestone, illite, and MX-80 bentonite has been elucidated. Se(-II) adsorption onto granite and MX-80 bentonite displays a decrease in Rd with an increase in solution pH. Se(-II) adsorption onto granite decreases with an increase in solution ionic strength. Se(-II) adsorption onto MX-80 bentonite does not return evidence which supports an apparent effect due to the ionic strength. Tc(IV) adsorption onto shale, limestone, illite, and MX-80 bentonite remains constant as the solution pH increases. Ionic strength does not affect the magnitude of Tc(IV) adsorption across the adsorbents, however an increase in ionic strength accelerates Tc(IV) adsorption. Se(-II) surface complexation models are best simulated with the following surface complexes: ≡Feldspar_sSe-, ≡Biotite_sOH2HSe, ≡Albite_sSe-, ≡Montmorillonite_sSe-, and ≡Montmorillonite_sOH2HSe. Tc(IV) adsorption is best simulated with: ≡Biotite_sOTcO(OH), ≡Quartz_sOTcO(OH), (≡Feldspar_sOH)2TcO(OH)-, ≡Montmorillonite_sOTcO(OH), (≡Albite_sOH)2TcO(OH)-, ≡Illite_sOTcO(OH), and ≡Chlorite_sOTcO(OH). Se(-II) adsorption onto granite and MX-80 bentonite in CR-10 solution returns Rd values of (1.80 ± 0.10) m3∙kg-1 and (0.47 ± 0.38) m3∙kg-1, respectively. Tc(IV) adsorption onto granite and MX-80 bentonite in CR-10 solution returned Rd values of (1.47 ± 0.25) m3∙kg-1 and (2.19 ± 0.33) m3∙kg-1, respectively. Tc(IV) adsorption onto shale, limestone, illite, and MX-80 bentonite in SR-270-PW solution returned Rd values of (0.16 ± 0.10) m3∙kg-1, (0.44 ± 0.21) m3∙kg-1, (1.86 ± 0.44) m3∙kg-1, and (0.23 ± 0.10) m3∙kg-1, respectively. This thesis will further deepen the understanding of Se(-II) and Tc(IV) adsorption. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Determining the adsorption of Se(-II) and Tc(IV) onto granite, shale, limestone, illite, and MX-80 bentonite is beneficial to choosing a location within Canada to locate a used nuclear fuel repository. This thesis aims to quantify the adsorption behaviour of Se(-II) and Tc(IV) in Ca-Na-Cl and Na-Ca-Cl solutions with respect to a varying solution ionic strength and pH. Quantification of the adsorption was accomplished with adsorption experiments used in conjunction with geochemical simulations. New simulated surfaces specific to granite, shale, and MX-80 bentonite have been developed to complete these simulations. A final achievement was quantifying the adsorption of Se(-II) and Tc(IV) in groundwater representative solutions specific to locations considered for the used nuclear fuel repository.

Cette thèse analyse l’oubli et les verbes de même famille sur les plans physique et psychologique au sein du corpus aristotélicien, analyse qui à notre connaissance n’a encore jamais été menée. Cette étude apporte aussi un commentaire du De memoria et reminiscentia en examinant les conceptions de la mémoire et de la réminiscence d’Aristote. À travers l’analyse des occurrences de l’oubli et de ses verbes, elle émet l’hypothèse d’un sens cohérent de l’oubli. L’oubli serait une destruction partielle d’un état particulier de science et de réminiscence. Il serait provoqué par la présence du contraire de la science, l’ignorance. Son genre serait intellectuel. Il serait permanent, quoique rare et exceptionnel, ne faisant pas partie du processus normal d’apprentissage de la connaissance. Bien que l’oubli n’apparaisse pas dans le De memoria, sa définition est utile afin de faire rejaillir la nature sensitive de la mémoire et la particularité de la conception aristotélicienne de la réminiscence. En ce qui a trait à la mémoire, cette thèse suggère qu’elle est une sorte particulière d’affection et de possession de choses perçues ou conçues par le passé après un écoulement de temps. La mémoire permet une unification des multiples souvenirs que l’on acquiert au cours de son vécu, unification qui a lieu non seulement par rapport à différents souvenirs, mais aussi en ce qui concerne les diverses facettes d’un seul souvenir. En localisant la mémoire dans la sensation première, Aristote fournirait une description de l’âme sensitive nécessaire pour qu’un animal possède la mémoire. En considérant que la mémoire applique la notion du temps aux objets sensibles comme intellectuels, Aristote montrerait sa conception synergétique des fonctions psychiques interagissant entre elles. Le fait de se dire en son âme que l’on a auparavant perçu ou appris ne serait pas une affirmation excluant les animaux, le processus décrit étant entièrement sensitif, et l’expression « se dire en son âme » décrivant un fonctionnement de l’âme sensitive. La mémoire, selon Aristote, aurait besoin de l’image. Mais cette thèse suggère de lire les lignes I 450a24-25 et I 451a14-17 en insistant sur la spécificité de l’objet de mémoire. Ces lignes insisteraient sur le fait que bien qu’accidentellement une image, le souvenir ne serait pas imaginaire, mais serait au contraire une copie des choses perçues et apprises par le passé. Les défaillances mnémoniques seraient des phénomènes physiologiques et sensitifs qui ne seraient pas des oublis. La réminiscence serait une délibération donnant les moyens de remonter vers des souvenirs et connaissances que l’intellect aurait établis en tant que fin. Elle permettrait de soigner le souvenir en contemplant à répétition l’objet de mémoire. Elle apporterait une capacité de synthétisation des souvenirs et permettrait de se remémorer une connaissance que l’intellect souhaiterait contempler. Elle emploierait des mouvements nécessaires ou habituels et un point de départ. Les problèmes de réminiscence seraient de nature physiologique, la réminiscence étant un exercice de l’intellect interagissant avec le composé corps-âme. Ces problèmes ne seraient pas non plus des oublis. / This thesis examines forgetfulness in Aristotle on a physical as well as psychological level. It also offers a commentary of De memoria et reminiscentia, studying memory and reminiscence in this treatise. It examines the various occurrences of forgetfulness and verbs of the same family and deduces its definition from these excerpts. It thus appears that forgetfulness is a destruction of science which does not destroy the whole living being, but only the state of knowledge which is affected by its contrary, ignorance. Forgetting is therefore permanent, but it is exceptional and it does not destroy the intellect. While forgetfulness does not appear in the De memoria, its definition is useful in order to insist on the fact that memory belongs to the sensitive part of the soul and in order to show how Aristotle’s conception of reminiscence is particular. With respect to memory, this thesis mainly suggests that, as a special sort of possession and affection of perception and science, it is able to unify multiple memories that are acquired throughout life. It unifies not only different memories, but also different aspects of a single memory. The De memoria actually describes to us how an animal’s sensitive soul must be in order for it to have memory. Located in the primary perception, memory would be an example of Aristotle’ synergetic conception of the soul, since it would apply the sense of time both to intellectual and perceptual objects. The expression “saying in one’s soul’’ that one has perceived or learned is not one which excludes animals, because it describes a sensitive process. While memory requires an image, it is not a product of our imagination. This thesis thus reads the lines I 450a24-25 and I 451a14-17 as meaning that objects of memory are not objects of imagination. Of course, Aristotle does state that memory needs images. But he nevertheless stresses that objects of memory are copies and are not phantasies. Memory problems are physiological or related to the sensitive part of the soul. They are not a destruction of science like forgetfulness is. Reminiscence is a deliberation which finds the means to attain a specific memory or knowledge determined as an end by the intellect. Reminiscence can preserve memory through the repetitive contemplation of its object as a copy. It can synthesize memories and can recollect a knowledge which the intellect wishes to contemplate. Starting from a principle, it uses necessary or habitual movements. Since recollecting is an intellectual exercise which interacts with the sensitive part of the soul, difficulties in recollecting are caused by physiological problems. These problems are not destructions of science and they are not equivalent to forgetting.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The cellphone turned 40 years old in 2013, and its evolution has been phenomenal in these 40 years. Its name has evolved from "cellphone" to "mobile phone" and "smartphone" to "mobile device."] Its transformation has been multi-dimensional in size, functionality, application, and the like. This transformation has allowed the mobile device to be utilized for casual use, personal use, and enterprise use. Usage is further driven by the availability of an enormous number of useful applications for easy download from application (App) markets. Casual download of a seemingly useful application from an untrusted source can cause immense security risks to personal data and any official data resident in the mobile device. Intruding malicious code can also enter the enterprise networks and create serious security challenges. Thus, a mobile device architecture that supports secure multi-persona operation is strongly needed. The architecture should be able to prevent system intrusions and should be able to perform regular integrity checking and auditing. Since Android has the largest user base among mobile device operating systems (OS), the architecture presented here is implemented for Android. This thesis describes how an architecture named the "Android Hypovisor" has been developed and implemented successfully as part of this project work. The key contributions of the project work are: 1. Enhancement of kernel security 2. Incorporation of an embedded Linux distribution layer that supports Glibc/shared libraries so that open-source tools can be added easily 3. Integration of integrity checking and auditing tools (Intrusion Detection and Prevention System; IDPS) 4. Integration of container infrastructure to support multiple OS instances. 5. Analysis shows that the hypovisor increases memory usages by 40-50 MB. As the proposed OS is stripped down to support the embedded hypovisor, power consumption is only minimally increased. This thesis describes how the implemented architecture secures mobile devices through high-performance, light-weight, subsystem isolation with integrity checking and auditing capabilities. / Master of Science

The widening of access to Higher Education (HE) with a concomitant call for more accountability in the HE sector locally and globally, has altered the former elitist status of the university and impacted the professional standing, autonomy, and working conditions of lecturers negatively. Lecturers are increasingly held to account for providing quality teaching and delivering employable graduates. Yet their work environment has been characterised by poor support, dwindling resources, lack of recognition and reward for teaching efforts and excellence, and absence of legal protection when failing to fulfil the undefined yet high accountability expectations in their teaching-related work. This state of affairs has had an inevitable influence on lecturers’ perceived security in their labour environment. The overarching purpose of this study was therefore to generate guidelines to improve the existing juridical foundation for accountability of South African (SA) HE lecturers with a view to enhance their security in their employment context. In order to assist in the fulfilment of this central purpose, the study aimed to develop understanding of how lecturers perceive their accountability and security in light of diverse teaching-related responsibilities and vagueness in terms of expected conduct; and the protection (or lack of protection) of their rights and professional status. An international perspective on these issues was imperative to shed some light on how regulation elsewhere could improve practices in the SA context. While SA lecturers are equally entitled to all the rights stipulated in the Bill of Rights, they are also subject to and accountable for upholding the provisions of the SA Constitution and derived labour legislation relevant within the HE environment. The founding values of the Constitution, namely equality, human dignity and the protection of human rights and related freedoms, form not only the basic standard for measuring lecturer conduct, but also the legal basis for challenging policy, system or conduct that might threaten constitutional or labour rights. Yet, despite the existing juridical foundation for the regulation of accountability and rights protection of SA lecturers, comprising the SA Constitution, general labour and HE legislation, there is an absence of HE-specific teaching-related accountability regulation, resulting in lecturer insecurity regarding expected conduct, professional recognition and support, and accountability expectations in their teaching-related work. In comparison, a number of Australian legal imperatives, including the Commonwealth of Australia Learning and Teaching Council’s standard for quality teaching with corresponding quality indicators, provide for more clearly defined teaching-related accountability regulation. In addition, the Mission Based Compacts, the Threshold Standards, and the national Modern Award for the Higher Education Industry, afford Australian lecturers the protection of HE-specific rights relevant to enhance security in their unique work environment. These legal imperatives proved to be significant for informing the improved juridical foundation for lecturer teaching-related accountability in the SA context to enhance the security of the SA lecturer. With a focus on the development of in-depth understanding of the phenomena of lecturer accountability and security via the perspectives and interpretations of lecturers themselves, the empirical study was grounded in an inductive qualitative methodology from an interpretive-phenomenological perspective. To ensure richness of descriptive data, lecturers actively involved in undergraduate teaching at three different local, and one Australian university, were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. The analysis and interpretation of the interview data included a comparative component to explore perceptions of lecturer accountability regulation and security protection in an Australian context with a view to identify inadequate legal provisioning for these phenomena in the SA HE environment. From the data analysis and interpretation, seven meaningful themes were identified, associated with either lecturer accountability or lecturer security. The findings offered not only a clear delineation of internal and external lecturer teaching-related accountability, but also a comprehensive definition of lecturer professional security that was found wanting in all legal sources and other literature studied for this thesis. Moreover, in realisation of the primary aim of this study, twelve significant guidelines are presented to establish an improved juridical foundation for lecturer accountability that will enhance lecturer security in the SA Higher Education context. Amongst these are: the development of a clear delineation of teaching-related roles and responsibilities articulated for different academic post levels; the establishment of a professional HE teaching-oriented career path affording professional recognition via a professional body for lecturers, and requiring continuous professional teaching development; and the development of minimum conditions of employment unique to the work of the HE lecturer. / PhD (Education Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The widening of access to Higher Education (HE) with a concomitant call for more accountability in the HE sector locally and globally, has altered the former elitist status of the university and impacted the professional standing, autonomy, and working conditions of lecturers negatively. Lecturers are increasingly held to account for providing quality teaching and delivering employable graduates. Yet their work environment has been characterised by poor support, dwindling resources, lack of recognition and reward for teaching efforts and excellence, and absence of legal protection when failing to fulfil the undefined yet high accountability expectations in their teaching-related work. This state of affairs has had an inevitable influence on lecturers’ perceived security in their labour environment. The overarching purpose of this study was therefore to generate guidelines to improve the existing juridical foundation for accountability of South African (SA) HE lecturers with a view to enhance their security in their employment context. In order to assist in the fulfilment of this central purpose, the study aimed to develop understanding of how lecturers perceive their accountability and security in light of diverse teaching-related responsibilities and vagueness in terms of expected conduct; and the protection (or lack of protection) of their rights and professional status. An international perspective on these issues was imperative to shed some light on how regulation elsewhere could improve practices in the SA context. While SA lecturers are equally entitled to all the rights stipulated in the Bill of Rights, they are also subject to and accountable for upholding the provisions of the SA Constitution and derived labour legislation relevant within the HE environment. The founding values of the Constitution, namely equality, human dignity and the protection of human rights and related freedoms, form not only the basic standard for measuring lecturer conduct, but also the legal basis for challenging policy, system or conduct that might threaten constitutional or labour rights. Yet, despite the existing juridical foundation for the regulation of accountability and rights protection of SA lecturers, comprising the SA Constitution, general labour and HE legislation, there is an absence of HE-specific teaching-related accountability regulation, resulting in lecturer insecurity regarding expected conduct, professional recognition and support, and accountability expectations in their teaching-related work. In comparison, a number of Australian legal imperatives, including the Commonwealth of Australia Learning and Teaching Council’s standard for quality teaching with corresponding quality indicators, provide for more clearly defined teaching-related accountability regulation. In addition, the Mission Based Compacts, the Threshold Standards, and the national Modern Award for the Higher Education Industry, afford Australian lecturers the protection of HE-specific rights relevant to enhance security in their unique work environment. These legal imperatives proved to be significant for informing the improved juridical foundation for lecturer teaching-related accountability in the SA context to enhance the security of the SA lecturer. With a focus on the development of in-depth understanding of the phenomena of lecturer accountability and security via the perspectives and interpretations of lecturers themselves, the empirical study was grounded in an inductive qualitative methodology from an interpretive-phenomenological perspective. To ensure richness of descriptive data, lecturers actively involved in undergraduate teaching at three different local, and one Australian university, were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. The analysis and interpretation of the interview data included a comparative component to explore perceptions of lecturer accountability regulation and security protection in an Australian context with a view to identify inadequate legal provisioning for these phenomena in the SA HE environment. From the data analysis and interpretation, seven meaningful themes were identified, associated with either lecturer accountability or lecturer security. The findings offered not only a clear delineation of internal and external lecturer teaching-related accountability, but also a comprehensive definition of lecturer professional security that was found wanting in all legal sources and other literature studied for this thesis. Moreover, in realisation of the primary aim of this study, twelve significant guidelines are presented to establish an improved juridical foundation for lecturer accountability that will enhance lecturer security in the SA Higher Education context. Amongst these are: the development of a clear delineation of teaching-related roles and responsibilities articulated for different academic post levels; the establishment of a professional HE teaching-oriented career path affording professional recognition via a professional body for lecturers, and requiring continuous professional teaching development; and the development of minimum conditions of employment unique to the work of the HE lecturer. / PhD (Education Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

THE ABSTRACT The thesis deals with sibling relationships of twins and triplets when one or more siblings suffer from some health disability or handicap. It outlines the way of life in sibling constellations of twins and triplets. It deals with the topic of a disabled person who has brothers or sisters. It defines family as a pillar of person's life and it focuses on the sibling relationships. The thesis explains the connection between multiple births and the occurrence of disability, and it considers certain aspects of family life, with the main focus on siblings, when one of the siblings suffers from some health limitation. It also describes twins and triplets and their specific features. For example, it shows the development of the identity of each of the siblings, the role of their birth order, the types of relationships that occur in a family with twins and triplets, and the way the siblings may experience the separation from one another. It draws on publications and other sources that deal with sibling constellations and the resulting relationships among the siblings, on the publications on twins and triplets, on children and adults with disability or handicap. Last not least, it draws on personal experience of the author and on the research interviews. Apart from that, the thesis clarifies how twins...