M.Tech. (Architecture) / To heal- to make whole (Heal 2014: [sp]). The journey to good mental health is a multi-faceted one, and one which involves more than solely medical or institutionalised notions of treatment. This research proposal explores a phenomenological approach to understanding space, recognising that our embodied experiences of our environment can inspire, balance and heal the human spirit, to the same degree that can oppress and harm it ...

The ESA Rosetta spacecraft investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko duringtwo years from August 2014 to the end of September 2016. The dual Langmuir probewas used to measure plasma parameters including the thermal energy of theelectrons. The observed thermal energy (or temperature) of the electrons was ratherhigh, in the range 5-10 eV almost throughout the mission. However, near perihelionthe Langmuir probe measurements indicated the prevalence of two electronpopulations with distinct temperatures, one hot (5-10 eV) and one cold (less than 1eV). It has been hypothesized that the electrons of the colder population wereformed relatively close to the nucleus and that they subsequently cooled by inelasticcollisions with the neutral gas. In this project work we develop a model for studyingelectron cooling in a cometary coma. The model takes into account collisions withwater molecules as well as the influence of a radial ambipolar electric field. / Rymdsonden Rosetta från ESA undersökte kometen 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenkounder mer än två år, från augusti 2014 till slutet av september 2016.En Langumirprob användes för att undersökta plasmamiljön runt kometen, tillexempel elektronernas termiska energi. Den observerade termiska energin förelektronerna (eller elektrontemperaturen) var ganska hög, ca 5-10 eV undernästan hela uppdraget, men när kometen var nära perihelium detekterade instrumentenäven kalla elektroner, med en energi under 1 eV, distinkta från devarma. En hypotes är att dessa kalla elektroner bildas nära kärnan av att varmaelektroner genomgår inelastiska kollisioner med den neutrala gasen och tapparsin energi. I detta projekt utvecklar vi en modell för att studera elektronernasbeteende i koman. Modellen tar hänsyn till kollisioner med neutrala vattenmolekylersåväl som påverkan av ett radiellt ambipolärt elektriskt fält.

La neuropathie auditive est une forme de surdité caractérisée par une atteinte des cellules ciliées internes (qui détectent les ondes sonores et les transforment en message nerveux) et/ou des neurones afférents primaires (qui véhiculent les messages nerveux jusqu'au noyau cochléaire), associée à une activité normale des cellules ciliées externes (qui amplifient les ondes sonores). AUNA1 est la première neuropathie auditive héréditaire à avoir été décrite. Elle est causée par une mutation ponctuelle située dans le promoteur du gène DIAPH3, résultant en une surexpression de DIAPH3. La protéine DIAPH3, un membre de la famille des formines, est connue pour promouvoir la nucléation et l’élongation des filaments d’actine ainsi que la stabilisation des microtubules. Nous avons étudié les mécanismes d’AUNA1 à partir d’un modèle murin transgénique surexprimant le gène diap3, l’orthologue murin de DIAPH3. Les souris transgéniques développent une surdité dont les caractéristiques sont semblables à celles d’AUNA1. Cette surdité est due à une perte d’activité des cellules ciliées internes. L’activité synaptique et les courants potassiques de ces cellules ne sont pas altérés. En revanche, la microscopie électronique révèle une fusion des stéréocils (expansions cytoplasmiques qui permettent la détection des ondes sonores) et une déformation de la plaque cuticulaire (plateforme qui assure l’ancrage des stéréocils). Par la technique d’immunomarquage, nous avons mis en évidence une invasion de la plaque cuticulaire par des microtubules. Enfin, nous avons démontré que la protéine Diap3 est localisée dans la plaque cuticulaire des cellules ciliées internes, suggérant ainsi que la surexpression de diap3 provoque un remodelage du réseau de microtubule des cellules ciliées internes, à l’origine de la surdité AUNA1. / Auditory neuropathy is a type of deafness characterized by an alteration of the inner hair cells (which detect the acoustic waves and transform them into neural messages) and/or of the primary afferent neurons (which conduct the neural messages to the cochlear nucleus), associated with a normal activity of the outer hair cells (which amplify the acoustic waves).AUNA1 is the first hereditary auditory neuropathy which has been described. It is caused by a point mutation in the promoter of the DIAPH3 gene, resulting in an overexpression of DIAPH3. The DIAPH3 protein, a formin family member, is known to promote the actin filament nucleation and elongation and to stabilize the microtubules.We studied the AUNA1 mechanisms using a transgenic mouse model which overexpresses the diap3 gene, the mouse homologue of DIAPH3. Transgenic mice develop a deafness whose characteristics are similar to the ones of AUNA1. The hearing loss is due to a defect in the inner hair cell activity. The synaptic activity and the potassium currents of these cells are not altered. However, electron microscopy reveals a fusion of the stereocilia (cytoplasmic expansions which detect the acoustic waves) and a disruption of the cuticular plate (plateform which maintains stereocilia). By immunolabeling, we showed an invasion of the cuticular plate by microtubules. Eventually, we demonstrated that Diap3 is located in the inner hair cell cuticular plate, suggesting that the overexpression of diap3 provokes a remodeling of the inner hair cell microtubule network, underlying the AUNA1 deafness.

This study, which is based on the private sector perception of urban regeneration initiatives in the Johannesburg Inner City, critically evaluates the current strategy employed by the City of Johannesburg which elevates private sector investment as the mainstay for inner city revival and the pillar for achieving what it calls “a world-class African city”. It argues that, in spite of the positive outcomes that have occurred in the inner city since the advent of urban regeneration, the initiatives informed by the current strategy and designed to induce private sector investment have contributed to urban change only in limited ways. The motives behind the urban regeneration initiatives and the private sector perception do not correspond. General market factors and trends such as the high demand for space, relatively low property prices, perceived financial returns on investment, risk diversification and have been the main motivating factors for private sector investment decisions and subsequent urban growth. Conversely, the urban regeneration initiatives, while making a noticeable impact, are perceived to have played only a secondary role. Factors perceived to be acting as deterrents to private sector investment also relate largely to those aspects at which various urban regeneration initiatives are targeted. For instance, factors such as poor by-law enforcement, neglected degenerating buildings, crime and inadequate delivery of municipal services are increasingly seen to be contributing to limiting investment in the inner city. This suggests that urban regeneration initiatives are perceived as not achieving the intended objectives or as needing strengthening. In addition, policy instruments such as the Urban Development Zone, City Improvement District, the Johannesburg Development Agency, the Better Building Programme and crime prevention measures, which are the pillars of Johannesburg’s regeneration strategy, are each generally perceived to have yielded significant benefits and advantages in the inner city. However, these instruments are also perceived to have some shortcomings and limitations both as concepts and in practice. There is a pervasive perception that the effectiveness of these instruments is marred by, among other things, the fact that they do not embrace the wider inner city, but parts thereof, and have not been implemented in an integrated manner. The findings of the study, particularly around inadequate delivery of municipal services and lax by-law enforcement, also raise serious questions about the plausibility of the competitive cities approach that underpins the City of Johannesburg’s urban regeneration strategy, suggesting that more work is required around the relevance of the competitive cities approach in the Johannesburg Inner City. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Town and Regional Planning / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to investigate ritual in order to establish an intimacy between architecture and its users. The lithurgy of the Roman Catholic Church is used as a point of departure, but the study is especially concerned with personal secular ritual. The intervention will function as an urban retreat. It consists of a series of contemplative spaces that facilitate a spiritual journey. The Retreat is based on ideas surrounding the traditional Roman Catholic Convent, which informed the accommodation schedule to a great extend. The study recognizes the new approach of the Roman Catholic Religion, which entails a holistic ministry that plays an increasingly critical and social role. The Retreat will therefore function as a base for religious and social organizations to work from in the inner-city of Pretoria. The retreat will also offer limited social facilities such as counselling and seminar rooms. The site is situated in the inner-city of Pretoria, in the block directly north-east of Church Square. The site consists of two properties: the northern consists of the National Library of South Africa (NLSA), with the southern being a pan-handle erf that functions as a service courtyard for commercial ventures on Church Street. The Noordvaal thoroughfare runs parallel to the site on its western edge, linking Church and Vermeulen Streets. The site exists unnoticed by pedestrians using the arcade, because of a boundary wall. Of further importance is the 2,8 m slope of the site from south to north over a distance of 140 m. The project directly addresses urban issues as well as spatial and emotional ones. The intervention is seen as part of a process of architectural proliferation. It takes the existing fabric and current conditions and rather than replacing them, creates a synthesis of elements so as to evolve a new urban condition; i.e. how to grow a piece of city rather than how you build it. Design decisions were influenced by Pallasmaa's ideas on fragile architecture: it is concerned with real sensory interaction instead of conceptual manifestations. Problems and opportunities are identified on a small scale and the response is focussed on these: it is an architecture that grows and opens up. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Architecture / unrestricted

"The World Bank's central mission is to fight poverty. Over 2 billion people around the world live in poverty. With such pressing concerns, why bother about arts and culture: because we must accept the importance of social well-being, educational and intellectual fulfilment. Culture is profoundly important. We need to understand the cultural dimension of development: for example effective educational projects must take into account the cultural expression and language of the community. We have moved from involvement solely with financial capital to a financial being balanced with social and structural factors, a more holistic view that incorporates lending criteria that accommodate 'social capital'. We will do our utmost to make a difference. Bank finance in culture is truly complementary to that of others. A Kenyan proverb displayed at the Museum of Natural History in New York reads: "Let us treat nature well. It was not given to us by out fathers but it was lent to us by our children". I suggest we insert 'cultural heritage' for nature." Ian Johnson - Vice President Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, The World Bank (http:\www.arts&culture trust.htm) The Inner City of Pretoria is rapidly degrading. Businesses are moving out and poorer people are moving in. To create a place for real people, more than just economic stability is needed. At the Vienna Architecture Conference in 1993 "The End of Architecture?" Zaha Hadid stated: " Being an architect today one is faced with the challenge of a profession torn in two distinct aspects. On the one hand architecture became pure technique, as if it were a branch of engineering; on the other hand, it becomes image production, as if it were a branch of advertising."(Noever, 1992; 27) The theme at the conference alluded to the fact that architecture for architecture's sake no longer predominates, and it now seems that only fashion is being rewarded. Architecture for architecture's sake cannot be the solution, cannot be the antidote to fashion; only a social purpose to architecture, publicly formulated, can be such an antidote. There can be no great architecture without a social programme. A visionary architecture has to take part in a political vision, and its reality presupposes a political process, which puts a new architecture on the agenda and thus transforms the profession into a movement with new aims and inspirations. What matters to the inhabitants of the Inner City, apart from the fundamentals for physical survival, is the quality of buildings and the in-between spaces that they generate. Keeping this in mind one should realise that designing outside spaces is as important as designing buildings. There has always been a distinction between interior and exterior space, with architects and interior architects responsible for the latter and landscape architects responsible for the first. If one intends to create a real people's place there should be a fusion between these two elements. They should be perceived as spaces created for people, without drawing a distinction between inside and outside. This is one of the elements which the city lacks most. The open spaces in the Berea precinct are either not planned or not utilised in the way they were planned. Today cities may be increasingly sophisticated in meeting technical needs, but now is the time to bring deeper human needs into the brief. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Architecture / unrestricted

This quantitative study examines to what extent online games motivates students. It is based on a quantitative method such as a questionaire where students and teachers have answered questions about which teaching methods that motivate student the most. The study shows that onlinegames motivate children, especially boys. However, they do not motivate them more than learning by doing experiments and pracitical work, such as arts and craft. Moreover, the study shows that the teachers are aware of what kind of teaching that motivates the students the most and also that the teachers in general play an important part in order for the students to feel motivated in the classroom. The conclusion of this study is that teaching using a veriaty of methods where students can connect the information they learn to their own reality and envoriment is the kind of teching that motivates them the most.

Les cellules sensorielles auditives, les cellules ciliées internes (CCI), transforment les ondes sonores en message nerveux. Les synapses des CCI se distinguent de celles du système nerveux par leur anatomie. En effet, les synapses des CCI sont dotées d'un organite appelé ruban synaptique. Ce dernier a pour fonction de concentrer les vésicules synaptiques à proximité des zones actives. Il est important de souligner qu'un déficit de la libération synaptique à la première synapse auditive est à l'origine de surdités chez l'homme. Si la physiologie des synapses à rubans des cellules ciliées a été intensivement étudiée, la composition moléculaire des ces synapses reste en grande partie inconnue. L'objectif de cette thèse était donc d'isoler les protéines clefs de la machinerie synaptique. Pour ce faire, nous avons utilisé la technique du double hybride à partir d'une banque d'ADN complémentaire de cochlée et de la protéine Ribeye, composant majeur des rubans, comme appât. La difficulté majeure de notre étude provient de la structure de Ribeye, qui est constitué par deux domaines A et B. Tandis que le domaine A est dirigé vers le cœur du ruban synaptique et aurait une fonction structurale, le domaine B est fortement homologue au facteur de transcription Ctbp2. Ainsi, nous avons identifié plusieurs candidats comme étant des facteurs de transcription. Ces derniers interagissent probablement avec Ctbp2 dans le noyau. Nos résultats obtenus soulignent la difficulté d'identifier des protéines d'interactions, inhérente à l'utilisation de Ribeye comme appât. Parmi les autres candidats, nous avons isolés des composants du système de l'ubiquitine, suggérant une régulation ubiquitine-dépendante de l'activité ou de la structure des rubans synaptiques. / Inner hair cells (IHCs) are the sensory cells of the cochlea, the organ of hearing. IHCs transduce sound stimulation into the release of glutamate onto the afferent auditory nerve fibers. To achieve this task, IHCs harbor at their presynaptic side a large organelle, the so-called synaptic ribbon, surrounded by a monolayer of glutamate-filled synaptic vesicles. Exocytosis of glutamate at the hair cell ribbon synapse seems to be unconventional as the synaptic machinery, depicted so far, differs from most of the nervous system synapses. The goal of this work was to identify new members of the synaptic machinery of the hair cell ribbon synapse. To do so, we took advantage of the yeast two-hybrid system using a cochlea cDNA library as the prey and Ribeye (the major ribbon component) as the bait. Transcription factors were highly represented in our screening assay, most probably because Ribeye is highly homologous to the transcription factor Ctbp2. They probably interact with Ctbp2 in the nucleus. Our results underlined the difficulty to identify protein interactions because of the nature of Ribeye itself. However, we found ubiquitin system components among the other candidates, suggesting an ubiquitin-dependent regulation of the activity and/or structure of synaptic ribbons.

The dissertation focuses on problems of peripheral regions in Czech Republic, mainly on region Znojemsko, which is situated near border with Austria. The theoretical part treats of universal concepts of peripheral regions, defines peripheral regions in Czech Republic and tries to find their typical signs. There are also mentioned strategical documents of regional policy. The aim of these documents is balanced and sustainable development of the Czech Republic without regional disparities. Next part describes the region Znojemsko and identifies peripheral villages in this region. Contemporary situation of these villages is evaluated by socioeconomic analysis, which helps to determine opportunities for future development.

The aim of this thesis is to formulate strategic analysis of Mediconet, private health care provider. The place of business is in the capital city of Prague and the second largest town, Brno. According to determinate sector -- healthcare, the company operates in a dynamic environment. This sector is furthermore under a strong pressure of competition. Among the strengths we can find a long tradition, good name of the company and large offer of provided services. On the other hand weakness of the company is based on shortage of medical staff and underestimated management activities. According to these facts the recommendation list will be created at the end of this work.