The coexistence of customary and statutory law, tenure, and administration in peri-urban areas of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries such as Nigeria may cause conflict and tension. An efficient and effective land administration systems (LASs) and legal frameworks are crucial for ensuring pro-poor objectives in land administration. Women, the vulnerable and the poor who are denied access to efficient and effective land administration services tend to experience tenure insecurity. Nigeria is one of the countries with an inefficient and ineffective LASs. The study explores the possibility of hybrid legal systems contributing to tenure insecurity in peri-urban areas of Southwest Nigeria. This study assesses customary and statutory laws and administration systems pertaining to Ekiti State, Nigeria to understand whether there is legal pluralism. A case study of customary and statutory laws, tenure, and administration was carried out using primary and secondary data. The study used three peri-urban cases from Ekiti State, Nigeria (Ikere-Ekiti, Ijero-Ekiti, and Oye-Ekiti) to learn how customary and statutory laws, tenure, and administration operate within the same geographical space. The study adopted Soft System Methodology (SSM), with two analytical frameworks: Responsible Land Management (RLM) and Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA). Moreover, the study used institutional isomorphism theory to determine the conflicting pressure exerted on the customary legal framework, comprising the customary courts and the Customary Court of Appeal of a State (CCAS). The LASs with their legal frameworks were assessed using text-based and empirical approaches. The study findings show weak and deep legal pluralism in LASs. The assessment leads to developing conceptual tools for assessing LASs with their legal frameworks. On the one hand, the conceptual tool for assessing LASs with their legal frameworks is based on the three pillars of human rights, the rule of law, and legal pluralism, taking a constitutional focus. The study findings revealed conflicting pressure exerted on customary courts and the Customary Court Appeal of a State (CCAS). On the other hand, the conceptual tool for measuring land tenure security based on three pillars of jurisdiction, legitimacy, and collaboration. The conceptual tools provide understanding of the influence of the hybrid legal system in LASs in peri-urban areas. The understanding of the influence of hybrid system is based on decentralising land administration activities, local land management, self-determination, and autonomy. The framework also incorporates legal and institutional flexibility. Areas of further research are recommended.

Master of Science / Department of Chemistry / Tendai Gadzikwa / Molecular architecture involves the assembly of molecular building blocks to form supramolecular structures and the decoration of their interiors. The evolution and gathering of molecular building blocks into supramolecular constructs include examples such as co-crystals, micelles, nanoparticles, etc. These cases offer novel and advantageous pathways for research in supramolecular chemistry, however, a class of materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) materials has emerged as a prime candidate for molecular construction and interior design. MOFs are highly tunable materials because they can be synthesized from a wide range of metals cations and organic linkers. The organic linkers can also be functionalized after the MOF material has been synthesized through a process known as post-synthetic modification (PSM). These materials can be synthesized using two different organic linkers, resulting in a mixed-ligand MOF. If these ligands are modifiable and react independently, the resulting MOF structure will be orthogonally functionalized. Upon PSM we hypothesize that our porous, mixed-ligand MOF will contain homogenous bifunctionality as a blueprint for the construction of a uniformly orthogonally functionalized MOF. The synthesis of the first metal-organic framework, KSU-1, is the first of its kind to be developed at Kansas State University. PSM strategies used in this research show successful functionalization of each organic linker leading to uniform bifunctionality throughout our material. Characterization studies commonly used with MOFs verifies the synthesis and PSM of KSU-1.

<p dir="ltr">Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a unique materials design platform owing to their tunability and ultrahigh porosity.¹ Developed as high-capacity adsorbents for separations or as storage media for gases, the application of MOFs has expanded to membranes and catalysts. Due to the ionic nature of bonding between metals and ligands in most MOFs, they are often electrically insulating. Careful ligand design, metal selection, and low-dimensional structure implementation have enabled the design of conductive MOFs suitable for purposes in electronic devices, electrocatalysis, and data storage. Beyond isoreticular expansion and variation of transition metals, fine-tuning of the electrical conductivity of two-dimensional MOFs has been limited predominantly to the design of new ligands.¹ Here we report our initial attempts to functionalize organic linker cores to alter conductivity and carrier type/concentration and the design of new redox-active quinoxaline ligand cores. Additional usage of the 2^nd year annual report from my time in the Andrews’ lab were used in full for the completion of this thesis.</p>

The theme of this work is the observation and understanding of the effects of pore functionalization on adsorption properties of stable Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Over the first two sections of this work, sets of materials with representative pore sizes and functional groups are studied for adsorption properties. Observed trends are used to identify the best pore properties achievable via functionalization for adsorption systems. The third section of this work provides perspective on MOF materials and proposes target pore features for an efficient adsorbent for carbon dioxide capture from flue gas. First, the highly stable UiO-66 series of materials was selected for a pure-component adsorption study. The selectivity and capacity for CO2 can be best enhanced with the smallest, most polar functional group, such as an amino group, but significantly enhance water adsorption. Large, non-polar groups do not yield a completely hydrophobic material, but may be useful for humid gas separations as pore filling with water is inhibited. Next, a breakthrough study was conducted using CO2:CH4 and CO2:N2 mixtures on a set of stable MOFs. UiO-66-NH2 and UiO-66-DM, where DM=dimethyl, outperform predictions based on published isotherms and have dynamic CO2:CH4 selectivity comparable to zeolite NaY. UiO-66-DM may be a good candidate for further study due to the combination of partial hydrophobicity and good selectivity. Finally, by combining a review of literature with observations made in this work, a perspective on MOFs as efficient humid gas separation materials is provided. The presence of water vapor prevents use of current high performance adsorbents, but several MOF pore features show promise for these separations. The designable nature of MOFs allows for targeted design of size-matched pores and single-molecule traps which can selectively or cooperatively adsorb CO2 in the presence of water. Also, many MOF materials would be well suited for advanced pressure swing adsorption cycles and engineered sorbents, which enables greater material utilization and system efficiency.

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Statement of the problem: Conventional techniques for implant framework fabrication have been shown to produce errors that are inconsistent with the passive-fit requirement for osseointegrated implant frameworks. Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the three-dimensional distortion inherent in casting of full arch, screw-retained titanium implant frameworks. Materials and methods: A conventional commercial laboratory one-piece casting, using the lost-wax technique was used. Five wax patterns were fabricated on a die-stone cast poured from a plaster impression of a five-fixture brass analogue. A reflex microscope was used to determine the three-dimensional casting error, by measuring horizontal and vertical distances for each wax pattern and its corresponding cast titanium framework, as well as offset distances from the horizontal reference plane. Results: Significant differences were found in the amount of distortion between wax patterns and cast frameworks, with the castings being approximately 416 μm to 477 μm larger than the wax frameworks. The greatest amount of distortion occurred at the terminal implant abutments, and in the vertical dimension. However, there was inconsistency in these differences, indicating the three-dimensional nature of the overall distortion of the cast frameworks. Conclusions: It is doubtful whether any conventionally cast framework can be made to the degree of accuracy required to fit passively on its abutments because of the multiple variables inherent in this process. It is therefore recommended that all full-arch, cast titanium frameworks be cast in sections, or alternatively be sectioned, indexed and soldered before being seated intraorally.

Abstract Most applications using network connection services require information to be transferred within specific constraints (or Quality of Service). Parlay enables applications to access functionality of underlying networks while preserving network integrity. Connection service functionality of underlying networks is currently provided to applications by Parlay in the Call Control and Data Session Control SCFs. Parlay does not however provide access to the QoS functionality of connection services although this functionality may be provided by networks. This report presents the design, specification and simulation of a QoS framework for connection services provided by Parlay. The QoS framework provides applications with access to the QoS functionality of connection services in the underlying networks. The design is divided into 3 parts (or models): the object model (defines the objects that make up the QoS framework), the information model (deals with how objects specify QoS and mappings between different QoS specifications), and the interaction model (defines how objects interact). A formal, technology-independent specification of the QoS framework is presented using UML. The specification is composed using the three parts of the design. A simulation of the QoS framework presented in this report is also described to validate the framework. The simulation is a multi-threaded, distributed CORBA application implemented in JAVA (Java SDK version 1.5) and is based on the UML specification of the QoS framework. Details about the simulation design and implementation are summarised in this report. The QoS framework provides per-application, per-connection QoS support for Parlay’s connection services, supports existing and future Parlay connection services, follows existing Parlay design paradigms, and co-exists with and makes use of existing and future Parlay infrastructure. Parlay guidelines relating to permitted changes are followed strictly in the design of the QoS framework, which ensures the backward compatibility of Parlay if the QoS framework is added to the Parlay API. All Parlay design guidelines are also followed to allow for the easy integration of the QoS framework into the Parlay API. The simulation validates that the design of the QoS framework is: complete (in terms of specification), realistic, compatible with a standard Parlay implementation (JAVA and CORBA), and scalable (easy integration of new connection services).

"The investigation through design and synthesis of metal-organic frameworks was conducted in an effort to create new types of porous crystalline solids. The supramolecular chemistry and crystal structures of six novel frameworks (1-Cd, 2Cd, 1-Cu, 2a-Cu, 2b-Cu, 3-Cu) are reported. We are targeting porous solids composed of the transition metals Cu2+ and Cd2+ with three related families of organic molecules: Ethyl 4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzoate, 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)benzoic acid, and Ethyl 4-(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzoate. These molecular building blocks self assemble via metal coordination into coordination polymers that form a variety of 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D architectures. The networks are comprised of M•••O and M•••N bonds that coordinate into different geometrical arrangements dependent on steric hindrance and the metal ions that are used. The frameworks synthesized display porous behavior using weight measurements that are also seen to be reversible in some cases using atmospheric reuptake of guest molecules from growth solution. The uptake of rhodamine b was examined for the framework 3-Cu."

Made available in DSpace on 2019-03-30T00:14:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-06-25 / Com a crescente demanda pela utilização de sistemas embarcados que estão substituindo complexos circuitos eletrônicos, surgiu a iniciativa da criação de uma metodologia computacional capaz de realizar o monitoramento com a utilização do microcontrolador Arduino com seus sensores disponibilizados e pré-configurados. O sistema desenvolvido denominado de Ardnom surgiu com o objetivo de estabelecer a comunicação com os Arduinos para poder através de plugins desenvolvidos como escopo da solução, realizar tarefas pré-configuradas definidas pelo usuário. A utilização do Ardnom através de experimentos apresentados no trabalho, verificou-se que o sistema se molda a diferentes tipos de cenários para idealizar um mesmo fim, que é o monitoramento utilizando Arduinos através de sensores para coletas e atuações sobre determinadasinformações. Palavras-chave: Monitoramento. Arduino. Sistemas Embarcados. Sensores