Den svenska vattenkraften står för nästan 50 % av landets elproduktion vilket gör dess konstruktioner till en viktig del av samhällets infrastruktur. För att ett vattenkraftverk ska fungera effektivt och säkert ställs höga krav på komponenternas funktion och kondition. I dagsläget genomförs därför rutinmässiga kontroller på, i och runt dessa anläggningar. För de aggregatnära inre vattenvägarna genomförs detta ca vart åttonde år i samband med reparationer av turbinerna, vilka då måste tömmas på vatten. För till- och utloppstunnlarna, som ofta är drivna i berg, finns det dock inte några sådana rutiner. Detta i kombination med att majoriteten av Sveriges vattenkraftverk har uppnått en ålder på över 50 år gör att branschen har börjat bli intresserade av att få kännedom om skicket på tunnlarna. Att genom-föra inspektioner genom att torrlägga dessa är dock en tidsödande process som kräver att kraftverket är avstängt under en lång tid och därmed ger en stor ekonomisk förlust för ägaren. Detta arbete har därför utförts med syfte att utvärdera till vilken grad inspektioner med undervattensfarkoster, ROV, kan användas som alternativ till inspektioner av inre vatten-vägar, både aggregatnära och i till- och utloppstunnlarna. En litteraturstudie har genomförts, om vattenkraftverk, vanliga skador, dagens inspektionsmetoder samt hur en ROV är uppbyggd och fungerar. Arbetet innefattar även tre praktiska moment bestående av deltagande på en inspektion av torrlagda aggregatnära inre vattenvägar och en inspektion med ROV i en 2,5 km lång utloppstunnel samt egna försök med inhyrd ROV för att undersöka vilka typer av betongskador som är möjliga att detektera. Resultatet från samtliga delar i arbetet pekar på att besiktningar med ROV kan övervägas för flera olika typer av inspektioner. För till- och utloppstunnlar är denna typ av inspektion många gånger den enda rimliga. För de aggregatnära inre vattenvägarna ger dagens inspektionsmetoder med torrläggning ett fullgott resultat, men ROV skulle kunna vara ett alternativ vid svårtillgängliga delar, t.ex. på grund av utformning eller stora läckage. / Swedish hydro power accounts for nearly 50 % of the country's electricity production which makes the constructions within this production system an important part of the societal infrastructure. To ensure safe and efficient operation of these hydroelectric power plants high demands are put on the components function and condition. Therefore, routine inspections are carried out inside and around these facilities. For the waterways directly connected to the power station, such as penstocks, wicket gates and draft tubes, these checkups are made about every eight years simultaneously as planned repairs of the turbine, when the waterways have to be emptied. For the head and trail race tunnels, which often are driven in bedrock, there are no such routines. This, in combination with the fact that the majority of the Swedish hydroelectric plants have attained the age of over 50 years, has led to an increased interest within the industry in ways to increase their knowledge about the condition of these water passageways. To conduct inspections by draining the tunnels is however a very time consuming process that requires the power plant to be turned off for a long time causing a major financial loss for the owner. The purpose of this master thesis is to assess the extent to which inspections with remotely operated vehicles, ROV, can be used as an alternative method for inspections of covered waterways, both those close to the power house and the head and tail race tunnels. A literature study of hydro power plants, common damages, current inspection methods and the construction and function of an ROV, has been conducted. The method also includes three practical activities, participation at inspections in drained waterways and at an ROV inspection of a 2.5 km tail race tunnel. Furthermore, tests with a rented ROV were carried out to investigate what type of concrete damages that are possible to detect using this method. The result from all parts in this thesis indicates that examinations by ROV can be considered for several types of inspections. For head and tail race tunnels, this type of inspection is often the only reasonable method. For the waterways directly connected to the power station, current inspection methods by draining show good result. But the ROV could here be an alternative in inaccessible areas, for instance due to waterway design or heavy leakage for instance.

While there are many examples to turn to regarding the thriving phenomenon of private persons being exploited to launch cyber attacks on behalf of states, this thesis will direct it’s attention onto two special cases. Russia has been accused of being the state actor behind the cyber attacks on Estonia in 2007 and Georgia in 2008. The cases are chosen as Estonia have been recognised as the first coordinated cyber attack on a foreign country, and Georgia being the first case were cyber attacks have been utilised in synchronisation with military action. The purpose of the thesis is to analyse the facts of each case in relation to the International Law Commission’s Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (DARSIWA). The analysis will work through article 4, article 5, article 8 and article 11. The main question is how Russia may be hold as legally responsible under international law for the private conduct of ’patriotic’ hackers, the Nashi Youth Group and the Russian Business Network. The thesis concludes that while the circumstances of each case highly indicate state-involvement, this cannot be proven under the respective criterias of the articles and Russia does therefore not bear legal responsibility.

Les modèles classiques d'enseignement de la langue ne permettent pas aux lycéens d'appréhender leurs écrits pour, selon les termes de Jacqueline Lafont-Terranova (2008) « produire, dans une situation donnée, le meilleur écrit possible ». À ce constat s’ajoute celui de la difficile évaluation de ces écrits par les enseignants, plus souvent correcteurs que lecteurs. La relecture de Saussure, Benveniste et Bakhtine permet d’aborder deux questions, en miroir l’une avec l’autre. Comment écrire un texte et y revenir pour l’améliorer ? Comment lire ce texte et accompagner le sujet-scripteur vers une amélioration compte tenu des conditions d’enseignement allouées ? À partir de l’analyse de manuscrits (brouillons, écrits intermédiaires et écrits-copies) d’élèves de seconde, le rapport à l’écrit des sujets-scripteurs est interrogé conjointement aux dits dispositifs réflexifs mis en place par l’enseignante. Au réalisé scriptural de l’élève répond un réalisé professionnel. L’activité de l’un ne se conçoit pas sans l’activité de l’autre. / The traditional models of language do not allow high school students to comprehend their writings to, in the words of Jacqueline Lafont-Terranova (2008) ‘‘produce, in a given situation, the best possible writing’’. To this conclusion is added the difficult evaluation of these writings by teachers, more often proofreaders than readers. Reading once again the works by Saussure, Benveniste and Bakhtine makes it possible to address two questions that arise in mirror of each other. How to write a text and return to it improve it ? How to read this text and accompany the writer-subject towards an improvment given the allocated teaching conditions ? Based on the analysis of manuscripts (drafts, intermediate writings and copy writings) of tenth graders, the relation that writer-subjects have with writings is questioned collectively with the said reflexive measures set up by teacher. The scriptural accomplishement of the student is met by a professional accomplishment. The task led by one cannot be understood without the other’s task.

The purpose of this thesis is to determine what effects draft order, monetary earnings, and Tommy John Surgery (TJS) have on the perceived value of a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). For the context of this thesis, value will be defined as a player's ability to contribute to their team's wins in a positive manner. TJS has become synonymous with MLB and baseball as a sport, and many are either skeptical of its effects or over-assuming of its benefits. The three aforementioned areas of concerns were used to structure the thesis, as each dependent outcome is analyzed in a chapter of its own. Multiple articles and studies pertaining to the effects draft order, financial earnings, and TJS may have on pitcher value were compiled and analyzed. Looking at studies between pitchers who underwent TJS prior to being drafted, their order by which they are picked by a team is not as affected as assumed, but the pitcher is more likely to return to the disabled/injured list during their career in MLB. A lens of economic value saw that pitchers who were paid more added to their teams' respective wins. However, the financial loss caused by a pitcher missing time to recover from TJS could outweigh the cost of wins. From a purely Tommy-John standpoint, there are significant changes both beneficial and detrimental to a pitcher's overall statistics. Further research and personal knowledge should be explored prior to receiving TJS as a pitcher. Overall, the factor of TJS seems to have a slightly negative influence on the other two factors and an overall stronger influence than draft order or monetary earnings.

No description available.

No description available.

yes / Efforts to combat and prevent illicit trafficking in, and proliferation and misuse of, small arms and light weapons (SALW) are hampered by lack of relevant information-exchange and transparency. International information exchange and transparency arrangements are key elements of each of the main elements of the international action programme on SALW to be launched at the UN 2001 Conference. There is great scope to develop information management and distribution arrangements to disseminate and exchange of relevant information on SALW without seriously compromising national security, necessary commercial secrecy, or law enforcement. Indeed, national security, commerce, crime prevention and law enforcement are generally enhanced by appropriate transparency and information exchange

This study examines the factors to consider in establishing an effective tax Ombudsman in South Africa. It seeks to establish how the democratic protection institutions such as the South African Public Protector and the South African Human Rights Commission and the Courts created in terms of the 1996 Constitution vis-à-vis the ways the South African Revenue Service‟ (hereinafter referred to as SARS) new court rules and Service Monitoring Offices safeguard and protect taxpayers rights against SARS‟ administrative abuses. The researcher reviews and analyses literature gathered from the following sources: the Australian and Canadian tax Ombudsman, the United Kingdom‟s tax adjudicator, the South African motor industry Ombudsman, the South African banking services Ombudsman, the South African Public Protector, the Tax Administration Act (28 of 2011) (hereinafter referred to as the TAA), the South African Constitution (108 of 1996), and other popular scientific articles and reports on the introduction of the tax Ombudsman in South Africa. The findings reveal the core factors that underscore the establishment of an effective tax Ombud in South Africa to include: independence, neutrality, credible review process and confidentiality. Other auxiliary factors with regard to the appointment of the tax Ombud are: leadership skills, honesty, integrity and courage. Furthermore, the provisions of the TAA, in relation to the appointment of the tax Ombud‟s funding, staffing, location, and powers with particular reference to cost recovery and disclosure of taxpayers‟ confidential information, impede on the tax Ombud‟s independence. It also emerged from this study that the independence of the tax Ombud‟s office is being over-emphasised, leaving other pertinent issues of equal importance, such as education and publicity, unattended to. The recommendations for this study revolve on the tax Ombud‟s appointment, budget and recruitment of its own staff, building a reputation of independence through public education and the power to recover costs. / MCom (South African and International Taxation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study examines the factors to consider in establishing an effective tax Ombudsman in South Africa. It seeks to establish how the democratic protection institutions such as the South African Public Protector and the South African Human Rights Commission and the Courts created in terms of the 1996 Constitution vis-à-vis the ways the South African Revenue Service‟ (hereinafter referred to as SARS) new court rules and Service Monitoring Offices safeguard and protect taxpayers rights against SARS‟ administrative abuses. The researcher reviews and analyses literature gathered from the following sources: the Australian and Canadian tax Ombudsman, the United Kingdom‟s tax adjudicator, the South African motor industry Ombudsman, the South African banking services Ombudsman, the South African Public Protector, the Tax Administration Act (28 of 2011) (hereinafter referred to as the TAA), the South African Constitution (108 of 1996), and other popular scientific articles and reports on the introduction of the tax Ombudsman in South Africa. The findings reveal the core factors that underscore the establishment of an effective tax Ombud in South Africa to include: independence, neutrality, credible review process and confidentiality. Other auxiliary factors with regard to the appointment of the tax Ombud are: leadership skills, honesty, integrity and courage. Furthermore, the provisions of the TAA, in relation to the appointment of the tax Ombud‟s funding, staffing, location, and powers with particular reference to cost recovery and disclosure of taxpayers‟ confidential information, impede on the tax Ombud‟s independence. It also emerged from this study that the independence of the tax Ombud‟s office is being over-emphasised, leaving other pertinent issues of equal importance, such as education and publicity, unattended to. The recommendations for this study revolve on the tax Ombud‟s appointment, budget and recruitment of its own staff, building a reputation of independence through public education and the power to recover costs. / MCom (South African and International Taxation), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore and highlight positive psychological strengths that are required and, to a lesser extent, negative psychological factors that are to be eliminated in employees attending EAP in the public service in order to make the EAP beneficial and successful. EAPs in the public service have not been as successful as expected because employees drop-out prematurely and/or benefit minimally from attending their sessions. Through the use of a qualitative research approach, this study explored positive psychological strengths that played a significant role in assisting employees attending EAP to achieve their health goals. Research data was collected through the narratives and in-depth interviews from eight participants, who shared their EAP experiences with the researcher. The collected data was analysed through the use of content analysis and positive psychological strengths in the form of themes emerged. The themes were compared with the framework of positive psychology, which is known as the VIA classification system of strengths and virtues framework, in order to determine alignment or compatibility with it. In addition, a few negative emotions were also reported as having been experienced by the participants while attending EAP. The results of this study indicate that certain positive psychological strengths possessed by employees while attending EAP contributed significantly in making them benefit from their EAP consultations. Although a few negative emotions were also reported as having being present during the EAP consultation, they did not affect the progression and success of the EAP. An EAP intervention model is recommended herein for future use, in order to facilitate the success of EAP sessions. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)