Le besoin en isolation vibratoire des voies ferrées conduit de plus en plus souvent au recours à des systèmes d'attache de rail souples avec des designs sophistiqués. Par contre, les produits deviennent diversifiés mais leur conception se fait de manière empirique dans la pratique. Dans ce travail de thèse, deux systèmes d'attache de rail sont étudiés expérimentalement et numériquement: un système qui travaille principalement en cisaillement et l'autre en compression. Des essais quasi-statiques et dynamiques sont menés puis les résultats sont analysés à l'aide de différents modèles mécaniques. En plus, une série de tests sur les élastomères utilisés dans les deux systèmes sont réalisés. Ces tests permettent de choisir des modèles hyperélastiques et viscoélastique appropriés, et de déterminer les paramètres de propriétés mécaniques des élastomères dans ces modèles par des simulations Abaqus. En utilisant également Abaqus, des analyses par élément fini des deux systèmes d'attache sont effectués et les résultats sont comparés aux ceux des essais. Des non-linéarités d'origine matérielle et géométrique sont ainsi analysées et expliquées. Enfin, des études de sensibilité des paramètres sont effectuées, suivies d'études d'optimisation structurale. Cet étude devrait être utile pour une meilleure compréhension du comportement mécanique des systèmes d'attache de rail sous chargement statique et dynamique, et au final pour une meilleure pratique dans la conception et l'optimisation des produits / Higher demand on vibration isolation of track structure in modern railway track leads to a trend of lower stiffness of rail fastening systems, places an increasing need for better design approach as well. However the current development status of rail fastening industry is dramatically diversified but mainly empirical. In this work, a shear type and a bonded compressed type of rail fastening systems are investigated experimentally and numerically. Quasi-static and dynamic experiments are carried out and the results are analysed with different mechanical models. Besides, a series of fundamental rubber material tests is performed to accurately describe the rubber material used in the two fastening systems. The most appropriate hyperelastic and hysteresis models are chosen with the help of simulations by Abaqus. Also by using Abaqus, finite element analyses are conducted for the two fastening systems and the numerical results are compared with those of experiments. Material and geometrical nonlinear features observed in the measured displacement-force curves are analysed and explained. Finally, parameter sensitivity of the two fastening specimens are studied, followed by an optimization process to meet practical optimization objectives. The present work is believed to be helpful for understanding the mechanical behavior of rail fastening systems, while enlightening the engineering practice, and eventually improving product designing and optimizing measures

O objetivo desta tese foi compreender como o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC), a partir dos investimentos no Polo Naval, solapa a coerência estruturada no município do Rio Grande, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo foi fundamentado na teoria marxista da dependência, especialmente nas discussões de Marini (2005) e mais recentemente de Osorio (2012a; 2012b), acerca da inserção subordinada das economias periféricas no mercado internacional, articulada com os mecanismos de acumulação do capital e de exploração do trabalho e na teoria da ordenação espaço-temporal de Harvey (2004) que permite a compreensão de como o capital produz espaço por meio do solapamento das estruturas que permitem a sua produção e reprodução. Sendo assim, a tese defendida neste trabalho é que o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento, fundamentado em uma política neodesenvolvimentista, consolida o novo padrão de especialização produtiva no Brasil e altera a coerência estruturada das regiões que recebem investimentos por meio da criação de espaços dinâmicos de acumulação do capital e reafirma a dependência do país no sistema econômico mundial. Foi utilizada a abordagem dialético-materialista e a coleta de dados envolveu pesquisa documental, observação livre e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 34 pessoas pertencentes ao poder público, a sindicatos, a associações comunitárias e à comunidade em geral. A análise dos períodos econômico-produtivos pelos quais Rio Grande passou revela que a acumulação do capital na região é alicerçada na dependência externa e na segregação social. Em todos os períodos é evidente a presença do capital exógeno à cidade, fruto de ordenações espaço-temporais sistêmicas atraídas fundamentalmente pelo porto existente e de intervenções estatais na economia local. Esses processos geraram ciclos de imigração na cidade, uma vez que o capital necessita de força de trabalho para criar uma nova capacidade produtiva. Em todos os períodos também é notável a constatação de que os produtos produzidos no município eram destinados fundamentalmente para a exportação, o que o deixou ainda mais vulnerável a crises internacionais e causaram enormes prejuízos sociais quando entraram em declínio. Essas condições também são reproduzidas no último período econômico-produtivo analisado: a implementação do Polo Naval a partir dos investimentos do PAC. Este Programa, ao mesmo tempo em que norteia os planos estratégicos de desenvolvimento conduzidos pelo Governo Federal, é provocador do novo padrão exportador de especialização produtiva no Brasil e revisita sob uma nova roupagem os sinais da lógica da dependência, ao dar forma a uma contraditória composição entre autonomia nacional para o enfrentamento das desigualdades, com adequações ao sistema econômico mundial. Essas contradições, originadas nas disputas pelo projeto de nação, desenham as ações e prioridades de investimentos inscritos no Programa e evidenciam o modo de inserção do Brasil no sistema econômico mundial. Por estas razões, a teoria marxista da dependência mostra sua potência para interpretar uma política pública, configurada pelas leis de funcionamento do capital e pelo papel subsidiário que nele é destinado aos países periféricos da América Latina, e que o novo desenvolvimentismo não altera. / The aim of this thesis was to understand how the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) from investments in Naval Pole, undermines the structured coherence in the city of Rio Grande, in Rio Grande do Sul. The study was based on marxist theory of dependency especially in discussions of Marini (2005) and more recently Osorio (2012a, 2012b), about the subordinate position of peripheral economies in the international market, combined with the mechanisms of accumulation of capital and labor exploitation and the theory of spatial-temporal ordering of Harvey (2004) that allows the understanding of how capital produces space through undermining the structures that enable its production and reproduction. Therefore, the argument of this thesis is that the Growth Acceleration Program, based on a new developmentalism policy, consolidates the new pattern of productive specialization in Brazil and alters the structured coherence of the regions that receive investments by creating dynamic spaces of capital accumulation and reaffirms the country‘s dependence on the world economic system. The dialectical-materialist approach were used and data collection involved documental research, free observation and semi-structured interviews with 34 people belonging to the government, labor unions, the community associations and the community in general. The analysis of the economic-productive periods for which Rio Grande went reveals that the accumulation of capital in the region is rooted in external dependence and social segregation. In all periods it is evident the presence of exogenous capital to the city, the result of ordinations spatiotemporal systemic attracted primarily by the existing port and government intervention on the local economy. These processes generate cycles of immigration in the city, once the capital needs of the workforce to create a new productive capacity. In all periods is also noteworthy to observe that the products produced in the city were intended primarily for export, which made him even more vulnerable to international crises and caused enormous social damage when went into decline. These conditions also reproduced in the final economic-productive period analyzed: the implementation of Naval Pole from the PAC investments. This program, while guiding the strategic development plans conducted by the Federal Government, is the provocative newcomer pattern of productive specialization in Brazil and revisits under a new guise signs of logical dependence, to form a composition contradictory between national autonomy for addressing inequalities, with adaptations to the world economic system. These contradictions, disputes arising in the project of nation, drawing the actions and priorities of investments included in the program and show the way of Brazil's insertion in the global economic system. For these reasons, the marxist theory of dependency shows its power to interpret a policy configured for the proper functioning of capital and the subsidiary role it is intended that the peripheral countries of Latin America, and the new developmentalism does not change.

The dissertation contains the general nature of physical and psychological changes in older adult women, a brief definition of most commonly abused addictive substances within the given target group and the factors that influence the rise of dependency on addictive substances. The typical causes for the rise of dependency in older adult women are analyzed in detail. The final part of the dissertation is dedicated to current possibilities for prevention of the rise of dependency in women in the afore-mentioned age. Herewith new forms of timely prevention are offered in the area of health services, media and free time based on influence of individual women´s attitudes.

O objetivo desta tese foi compreender como o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC), a partir dos investimentos no Polo Naval, solapa a coerência estruturada no município do Rio Grande, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo foi fundamentado na teoria marxista da dependência, especialmente nas discussões de Marini (2005) e mais recentemente de Osorio (2012a; 2012b), acerca da inserção subordinada das economias periféricas no mercado internacional, articulada com os mecanismos de acumulação do capital e de exploração do trabalho e na teoria da ordenação espaço-temporal de Harvey (2004) que permite a compreensão de como o capital produz espaço por meio do solapamento das estruturas que permitem a sua produção e reprodução. Sendo assim, a tese defendida neste trabalho é que o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento, fundamentado em uma política neodesenvolvimentista, consolida o novo padrão de especialização produtiva no Brasil e altera a coerência estruturada das regiões que recebem investimentos por meio da criação de espaços dinâmicos de acumulação do capital e reafirma a dependência do país no sistema econômico mundial. Foi utilizada a abordagem dialético-materialista e a coleta de dados envolveu pesquisa documental, observação livre e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 34 pessoas pertencentes ao poder público, a sindicatos, a associações comunitárias e à comunidade em geral. A análise dos períodos econômico-produtivos pelos quais Rio Grande passou revela que a acumulação do capital na região é alicerçada na dependência externa e na segregação social. Em todos os períodos é evidente a presença do capital exógeno à cidade, fruto de ordenações espaço-temporais sistêmicas atraídas fundamentalmente pelo porto existente e de intervenções estatais na economia local. Esses processos geraram ciclos de imigração na cidade, uma vez que o capital necessita de força de trabalho para criar uma nova capacidade produtiva. Em todos os períodos também é notável a constatação de que os produtos produzidos no município eram destinados fundamentalmente para a exportação, o que o deixou ainda mais vulnerável a crises internacionais e causaram enormes prejuízos sociais quando entraram em declínio. Essas condições também são reproduzidas no último período econômico-produtivo analisado: a implementação do Polo Naval a partir dos investimentos do PAC. Este Programa, ao mesmo tempo em que norteia os planos estratégicos de desenvolvimento conduzidos pelo Governo Federal, é provocador do novo padrão exportador de especialização produtiva no Brasil e revisita sob uma nova roupagem os sinais da lógica da dependência, ao dar forma a uma contraditória composição entre autonomia nacional para o enfrentamento das desigualdades, com adequações ao sistema econômico mundial. Essas contradições, originadas nas disputas pelo projeto de nação, desenham as ações e prioridades de investimentos inscritos no Programa e evidenciam o modo de inserção do Brasil no sistema econômico mundial. Por estas razões, a teoria marxista da dependência mostra sua potência para interpretar uma política pública, configurada pelas leis de funcionamento do capital e pelo papel subsidiário que nele é destinado aos países periféricos da América Latina, e que o novo desenvolvimentismo não altera. / The aim of this thesis was to understand how the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) from investments in Naval Pole, undermines the structured coherence in the city of Rio Grande, in Rio Grande do Sul. The study was based on marxist theory of dependency especially in discussions of Marini (2005) and more recently Osorio (2012a, 2012b), about the subordinate position of peripheral economies in the international market, combined with the mechanisms of accumulation of capital and labor exploitation and the theory of spatial-temporal ordering of Harvey (2004) that allows the understanding of how capital produces space through undermining the structures that enable its production and reproduction. Therefore, the argument of this thesis is that the Growth Acceleration Program, based on a new developmentalism policy, consolidates the new pattern of productive specialization in Brazil and alters the structured coherence of the regions that receive investments by creating dynamic spaces of capital accumulation and reaffirms the country‘s dependence on the world economic system. The dialectical-materialist approach were used and data collection involved documental research, free observation and semi-structured interviews with 34 people belonging to the government, labor unions, the community associations and the community in general. The analysis of the economic-productive periods for which Rio Grande went reveals that the accumulation of capital in the region is rooted in external dependence and social segregation. In all periods it is evident the presence of exogenous capital to the city, the result of ordinations spatiotemporal systemic attracted primarily by the existing port and government intervention on the local economy. These processes generate cycles of immigration in the city, once the capital needs of the workforce to create a new productive capacity. In all periods is also noteworthy to observe that the products produced in the city were intended primarily for export, which made him even more vulnerable to international crises and caused enormous social damage when went into decline. These conditions also reproduced in the final economic-productive period analyzed: the implementation of Naval Pole from the PAC investments. This program, while guiding the strategic development plans conducted by the Federal Government, is the provocative newcomer pattern of productive specialization in Brazil and revisits under a new guise signs of logical dependence, to form a composition contradictory between national autonomy for addressing inequalities, with adaptations to the world economic system. These contradictions, disputes arising in the project of nation, drawing the actions and priorities of investments included in the program and show the way of Brazil's insertion in the global economic system. For these reasons, the marxist theory of dependency shows its power to interpret a policy configured for the proper functioning of capital and the subsidiary role it is intended that the peripheral countries of Latin America, and the new developmentalism does not change.

O objetivo desta tese foi compreender como o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC), a partir dos investimentos no Polo Naval, solapa a coerência estruturada no município do Rio Grande, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo foi fundamentado na teoria marxista da dependência, especialmente nas discussões de Marini (2005) e mais recentemente de Osorio (2012a; 2012b), acerca da inserção subordinada das economias periféricas no mercado internacional, articulada com os mecanismos de acumulação do capital e de exploração do trabalho e na teoria da ordenação espaço-temporal de Harvey (2004) que permite a compreensão de como o capital produz espaço por meio do solapamento das estruturas que permitem a sua produção e reprodução. Sendo assim, a tese defendida neste trabalho é que o Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento, fundamentado em uma política neodesenvolvimentista, consolida o novo padrão de especialização produtiva no Brasil e altera a coerência estruturada das regiões que recebem investimentos por meio da criação de espaços dinâmicos de acumulação do capital e reafirma a dependência do país no sistema econômico mundial. Foi utilizada a abordagem dialético-materialista e a coleta de dados envolveu pesquisa documental, observação livre e entrevistas semiestruturadas com 34 pessoas pertencentes ao poder público, a sindicatos, a associações comunitárias e à comunidade em geral. A análise dos períodos econômico-produtivos pelos quais Rio Grande passou revela que a acumulação do capital na região é alicerçada na dependência externa e na segregação social. Em todos os períodos é evidente a presença do capital exógeno à cidade, fruto de ordenações espaço-temporais sistêmicas atraídas fundamentalmente pelo porto existente e de intervenções estatais na economia local. Esses processos geraram ciclos de imigração na cidade, uma vez que o capital necessita de força de trabalho para criar uma nova capacidade produtiva. Em todos os períodos também é notável a constatação de que os produtos produzidos no município eram destinados fundamentalmente para a exportação, o que o deixou ainda mais vulnerável a crises internacionais e causaram enormes prejuízos sociais quando entraram em declínio. Essas condições também são reproduzidas no último período econômico-produtivo analisado: a implementação do Polo Naval a partir dos investimentos do PAC. Este Programa, ao mesmo tempo em que norteia os planos estratégicos de desenvolvimento conduzidos pelo Governo Federal, é provocador do novo padrão exportador de especialização produtiva no Brasil e revisita sob uma nova roupagem os sinais da lógica da dependência, ao dar forma a uma contraditória composição entre autonomia nacional para o enfrentamento das desigualdades, com adequações ao sistema econômico mundial. Essas contradições, originadas nas disputas pelo projeto de nação, desenham as ações e prioridades de investimentos inscritos no Programa e evidenciam o modo de inserção do Brasil no sistema econômico mundial. Por estas razões, a teoria marxista da dependência mostra sua potência para interpretar uma política pública, configurada pelas leis de funcionamento do capital e pelo papel subsidiário que nele é destinado aos países periféricos da América Latina, e que o novo desenvolvimentismo não altera. / The aim of this thesis was to understand how the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) from investments in Naval Pole, undermines the structured coherence in the city of Rio Grande, in Rio Grande do Sul. The study was based on marxist theory of dependency especially in discussions of Marini (2005) and more recently Osorio (2012a, 2012b), about the subordinate position of peripheral economies in the international market, combined with the mechanisms of accumulation of capital and labor exploitation and the theory of spatial-temporal ordering of Harvey (2004) that allows the understanding of how capital produces space through undermining the structures that enable its production and reproduction. Therefore, the argument of this thesis is that the Growth Acceleration Program, based on a new developmentalism policy, consolidates the new pattern of productive specialization in Brazil and alters the structured coherence of the regions that receive investments by creating dynamic spaces of capital accumulation and reaffirms the country‘s dependence on the world economic system. The dialectical-materialist approach were used and data collection involved documental research, free observation and semi-structured interviews with 34 people belonging to the government, labor unions, the community associations and the community in general. The analysis of the economic-productive periods for which Rio Grande went reveals that the accumulation of capital in the region is rooted in external dependence and social segregation. In all periods it is evident the presence of exogenous capital to the city, the result of ordinations spatiotemporal systemic attracted primarily by the existing port and government intervention on the local economy. These processes generate cycles of immigration in the city, once the capital needs of the workforce to create a new productive capacity. In all periods is also noteworthy to observe that the products produced in the city were intended primarily for export, which made him even more vulnerable to international crises and caused enormous social damage when went into decline. These conditions also reproduced in the final economic-productive period analyzed: the implementation of Naval Pole from the PAC investments. This program, while guiding the strategic development plans conducted by the Federal Government, is the provocative newcomer pattern of productive specialization in Brazil and revisits under a new guise signs of logical dependence, to form a composition contradictory between national autonomy for addressing inequalities, with adaptations to the world economic system. These contradictions, disputes arising in the project of nation, drawing the actions and priorities of investments included in the program and show the way of Brazil's insertion in the global economic system. For these reasons, the marxist theory of dependency shows its power to interpret a policy configured for the proper functioning of capital and the subsidiary role it is intended that the peripheral countries of Latin America, and the new developmentalism does not change.

Le besoin en isolation vibratoire des voies ferrées conduit de plus en plus souvent au recours à des systèmes d'attache de rail souples avec des designs sophistiqués. Par contre, les produits deviennent diversifiés mais leur conception se fait de manière empirique dans la pratique. Dans ce travail de thèse, deux systèmes d'attache de rail sont étudiés expérimentalement et numériquement: un système qui travaille principalement en cisaillement et l'autre en compression. Des essais quasi-statiques et dynamiques sont menés puis les résultats sont analysés à l'aide de différents modèles mécaniques. En plus, une série de tests sur les élastomères utilisés dans les deux systèmes sont réalisés. Ces tests permettent de choisir des modèles hyperélastiques et viscoélastique appropriés, et de déterminer les paramètres de propriétés mécaniques des élastomères dans ces modèles par des simulations Abaqus. En utilisant également Abaqus, des analyses par élément fini des deux systèmes d'attache sont effectués et les résultats sont comparés aux ceux des essais. Des non-linéarités d'origine matérielle et géométrique sont ainsi analysées et expliquées. Enfin, des études de sensibilité des paramètres sont effectuées, suivies d'études d'optimisation structurale. Cet étude devrait être utile pour une meilleure compréhension du comportement mécanique des systèmes d'attache de rail sous chargement statique et dynamique, et au final pour une meilleure pratique dans la conception et l'optimisation des produits / Higher demand on vibration isolation of track structure in modern railway track leads to a trend of lower stiffness of rail fastening systems, places an increasing need for better design approach as well. However the current development status of rail fastening industry is dramatically diversified but mainly empirical. In this work, a shear type and a bonded compressed type of rail fastening systems are investigated experimentally and numerically. Quasi-static and dynamic experiments are carried out and the results are analysed with different mechanical models. Besides, a series of fundamental rubber material tests is performed to accurately describe the rubber material used in the two fastening systems. The most appropriate hyperelastic and hysteresis models are chosen with the help of simulations by Abaqus. Also by using Abaqus, finite element analyses are conducted for the two fastening systems and the numerical results are compared with those of experiments. Material and geometrical nonlinear features observed in the measured displacement-force curves are analysed and explained. Finally, parameter sensitivity of the two fastening specimens are studied, followed by an optimization process to meet practical optimization objectives. The present work is believed to be helpful for understanding the mechanical behavior of rail fastening systems, while enlightening the engineering practice, and eventually improving product designing and optimizing measures

The practice of composing web services has received an increasing interest with the emerging application development architecture called Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). A web service composition can be done either manually or (semi-) automatically. Doing composition (semi-) automatically minimizes runtime problems that arise due to dynamic nature of runtime environments. However, the implementation of (semi-) automatic composition demands for the automation of a process model or a composition plan generation process. In addition, creating a composite service or applications from component services, that are developed and meant to work independently, causes unavoidable dependencies among the services involved. Consequently, in a composite service development, understanding, analyzing and tracking of such dependencies becomes important. This thesis views the process model generation sub-task of a service composition as a service dependency identifification and analysis problem. In this thesis, we propose a dependency based automatic process model generation methods. For this purpose, the following issues are explored. First, a top layer architecture with a composition engine is developed. The architecture gives a complete picture of dependency based automatic service composition. Second, the process model generation sub-task is formulated as a service dependency identification and analysis problem. Third, a two-stepped method for automatic process model generation, given a set of candidate web service descriptions, is proposed. The first step of the proposed approach deals with the identifification of potential direct and indirect dependencies between abstract services. The direct dependency extraction is done by assuming a semantic I/O matching of service parameters. The extraction of indirect dependency from direct dependency is done using a recursive algorithm derived from the transitive closure property. Alternatively the Warshall algorithm is used. The second step of the proposed approach deals with analysis of dependency information and generation of process model (PM) automatically. To execute this step, we propose two approaches: matrix based and graph based approaches. The matrix based approach utilizes both direct and indirect dependencies. This approach represents dependencies using matrix and takes advantages of a sorting algorithm. The matrix representation facilitates a simplistic mathematical dependency analysis for generating important indicators during automatic process model creation. The process model is generated using a sorting algorithm that uses the analysis result obtained from the dependency matrix as sorting criterion. The graph based approach uses only direct dependency among candidate services. As its name indicates, in this approach the extracted I/O dependencies are represented using a directed graph. A modifified topological sorting algorithm is used for generating a process model that shows the execution order of candidate services. Both of the proposed approaches (matrix and graph based approaches) recognize the existence of cyclic dependencies and provide ways of dealing with them. The resulting process model or composition plan from both approaches has a sequential, concurrent and loop control flows. Finally, the performance of the proposed approaches is studied theoretically as well as experimentally. For the experimental validation and evaluation purpose, the approaches are implemented in a prototype that facilitates the validation and evaluation of the approaches at a larger scale. An extensive experimental performance evaluation is done fifirst on each proposed approach. The two approaches are then compared and their pros and cons under difffferent scenarios are assessed.

Synen på negativ miljöpåverkan har stärkt miljölagstiftning under de senaste decennierna i Sverige och internationellt. Människor vill leva bättre och längre liv med högre livskvalité än någonsin och miljöpåverkan kan vara ett stort hinder. I Sverige är miljöbalken försvaret för att förhindra negativ miljöpåverkan och samtidigt stärka en ekonomiskt tillväxt i förhållande till miljön. Där det lagstiftning inom Sverige som beskriver kumulativa effekter och europeisk lagstiftning kräver beskrivning av dessa effekter. Denna studie analyserar hur olika miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar beskriver och hanterar kumulativa effekter.  Den valda metoden är tematisk innehållsanalys för att analysera tre olika miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar med ett teoretiskt ramverk som består av path dependecy och politisk ekologi. Resultatet visar att samtliga dokument enbart indirekt beskriver kumulativa effekter. Kumulativa effekter beskrivs vanligtvis inte i miljökonsekvensbeskrivningarna emellertid finns det flera bilagor som kan hantera kumulativa effekter även det inte är sannolikt. Resultatet visar på att det saknas stora beskrivning och hantering av de kumulativa effekter och andra prioriteringar ligger först till hands på grund av olika orsaker som framför i resultatet, resultatdiskussion och slutligen i slutsatsen.   Nyckelord: Miljökonsekvensbeskrivning, Miljöbedömning, Kumulativa effekter, Path dependency / The view of negative environmental impact has strengthened environmental legislation in recent decades in Sweden and internationally. People want to live better and longer lives with a better quality of life than ever before, but negative environmental impacts can be a major obstacle. In Sweden, the Environmental Code is the defense to reduce negative environmental impacts and at the same time strengthen economic growth in relation to the environment. The Swedish legislation describes cumulative effects and European legislation requires a description of these effects. This study analyzes how different environmental impact statements describe and manage cumulative effects. The chosen method is thematic content analysis to analyze three different environmental impact statements with a theoretical framework consisting of path dependency and political ecology. The result shows that all documents only indirectly describe cumulative effects. While cumulative effects are often not described in the environmental impact statements, however, they could be addressed in the several appendices. However, this is not very likely. The result shows that there is a lack of description and management of the cumulative effects. Other things are prioritized over cumulative effects because of various reasons as presented in the result, result discussion and finally in the conclusion.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Statistics / Haiyan Wang / Statistical tools to detect nonlinear relationship between variables are commonly needed in various practices. The first part of the dissertation presents a test of independence between a response variable, either discrete or continuous, and a continuous covariate after adjusting for heteroscedastic treatment effects. The method first involves augmenting each pair of the data for all treatments with a fixed number of nearest neighbors as pseudo-replicates. A test statistic is then constructed by taking the difference of two quadratic forms. Using such differences eliminate the need to estimate any nonlinear regression function, reducing the computational time. Although using a fixed number of nearest neighbors poses significant difficulty in the inference compared to when the number of nearest neighbors goes to infinity, the parametric standardizing rate is obtained for the asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistics. Numerical studies show that the new test procedure maintains the intended type I error rate and has robust power to detect nonlinear dependency in the presence of outliers. The second part of the dissertation discusses the theory and numerical studies for testing the nonparametric effects of no covariate-treatment interaction and no main covariate based on the decomposition of the conditional mean of regression function that is potentially nonlinear. A similar test was discussed in Wang and Akritas (2006) for the effects defined through the decomposition of the conditional distribution function, but with the number of pseudo-replicates going to infinity. Consequently, their test statistics have slow convergence rates and computational speeds. Both test limitations are overcome using new model and tests. The last part of the dissertation develops theory and numerical studies to test for no covariate-treatment interaction, no simple covariate and no main covariate effects for cases when the number of factor levels and the number of covariate values are large.

This study investigates the underlying factors of paternalism and dependency in the mission work of the Reformed Churches in South Africa by focusing on the KOSH region. The study will examine, as a case study, the missionary work done by the white Reformed Churches among the black communities and the Reformed Churches in the Klerksdorp, Orkney, Stilfontein, Hartbeesfontein (KOSH) region. Such a case study aims to lay bare the main causes of the black Reformed churches’ dependency on their white Reformed counterparts. It will examine the issues of attitude, cultural and world view prevalent among the Reformed church members in the KOSH region that may cause paternalism and dependency in missions. The possible influence of apartheid developments on mission methodology and the strategy of the GKSA churches will be examined closely. As a proposal to overcome the residue of paternalism and dependency in the black church community, this study will expound the biblical principle of partnership in missions. Thereafter the focus will fall on the biblical point of departure of a partnership model in missions. Some practical guidelines as recommendations will also be suggested in terms of which such a holistic transformational model of missions could help to overcome tendencies of paternalism and dependency in the missionary situation. Chapter 1 focuses on the formulation of the research. It states the background, problem statement, research limitation, main research question, aim and objectives as well as central argument and method of research. To conclude, the chapter division is presented. Chapter 2 studies and outlines definitions, historical development and missiological reflection on paternalism and dependency. Chapter 3 studies and outlines key biblical perspectives on mission, paternalism and dependency from the missio-Dei point of departure. Chapter 4 investigates and analyzes the attitude, cultural and worldview issues prevalent among the Reformed church members in the KOSH region that may cause paternalism and dependency in missions. Chapter 5 investigates the field work on mission, paternalism and dependency in the case of the Reformed Churches in South Africa, focusing on the KOSH region. Chapter 6 investigates key biblical and missiological perspectives on partnership and interdependency in missions by which to overcome paternalism and dependency. Chapter 7 investigates the relevant principles and possible pitfalls regarding the motives of partnership and interdependency with the aim of establishing a holistic transformational model of missions in the post-apartheid dispensation in South Africa. Chapter 8 consists of the conclusions and summary of this study. The partnership model is proposed and practical guidelines as recommendations are made finally on the transformation of mission within the Reformed Churches in South Africa in the KOSH region in post-apartheid South Africa. / PhD (Missiology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015