Diese Arbeit berichtet über die Suche nach gepulster und ungepulster hochenergetischer (VHE) Gammastrahlung mit dem High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) im Energiebereich von 100 GeV bis 100 TeV von drei Pulsaren. Gepulste VHE Gammastrahlung wurde bisher nur fuer den jungen Krebspulsar gefunden. Eine besondere Gruppe von Pulsarwindnebeln (PWN) sind die zusammengesetzten Supernovaüberreste (SNR), bei denen sich ein PWN im Zentrum einer expandierenden SNR Schale befindet. Die Resultate der Suche nach gepulster und ungepulster VHE Gammastrahlung von zwei Millisekundenpulsaren, PSR J0437-4715 und PSR J1824-2452, werden im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit vorgestellt. Teile der Beobachtungen wurden in einer speziellen Triggerkonfiguration (dem Topologischen Trigger mit konvergenter Ausrichtung) durchgeführt, um die Energieschwelle des Instruments zu senken. Kein Hinweis auf gepulste oder ungepulste Emission wurde gefunden und obere Grenzen auf den gepulsten und ungepulsten Fluss wurden bestimmt. Die oberen Grenzen auf den gepulsten Fluss werden mit bestehenden Modellvorhersagen verglichen und erlauben für PSR J1824-2452 den Bereich möglicher Geometrien in einigen Modellen einzuschränken. Die Resultate der Suche nach gepulster und ungepulster VHE Gammastrahlung aus der Richtung des zusammengesetzten SNR Kes 75 werden im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit präsentiert. Der PWN im Zentrum von Kes 75 wird von einem sehr jungen und energiereichen Pulsar, PSR J1846-0258, angetrieben, der ein aussergewöhnlich starkes Magnetfeld besitzt. Während kein Hinweis auf gepulste Strahlung gefunden wurde, konnte ungepulste Emission von VHE Gammastrahlung von einer Punktquelle mit einer statistischen Signifikanz von 10 sigma nachgewiesen werden. Die VHE Gammastrahlung ist räumlich koinzident mit dem PWN und mit der SNR Schale. Beide werden als mögliche Quelle für die beobachtete Emission diskutiert. Der Pulsar von Kes 75 wäre der jüngste bisher bekannte Pulsar, der einen Pulsarwindnebel antreibt. / This work reports on the search for pulsed and steady very-high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission in the energy range extending from 100 GeV up to 100 TeV from the direction of three pulsars with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). Pulsed gamma-ray radiation from pulsars with energies beyond 100 GeV was found thus far only for the young and energetic Crab pulsar. A special class of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) is associated with composite supernova remnants (SNRs) where the PWN is centered in an expanding SNR shell. In the first part of this thesis, the results on the search for pulsed and steady VHE gamma-ray emission from the two millisecond pulsars, PSR J0437-4715 and PSR J1824-2452, are presented. Parts of the observations were conducted in a special trigger setup (the topological trigger with convergent pointing) to reduce the energy threshold of the instrument. No signal of pulsed or steady emission is found and upper limits on the pulsed and steady gamma-ray flux are derived. The upper limits on the pulsed gamma-ray flux are compared to existing model predictions and, in the case of PSR J1824-2452, allow the range of possible viewing geometries in some models to be constrained. In the second part of this work, results on the search for pulsed and steady VHE gamma-ray emission from the direction of the composite SNR Kes 75 are presented. The PWN in the center of Kes 75 is powered by a very young and powerful pulsar, PSR J1846-0258, that has an exceptionally high magnetic field. While no hint for pulsed emission is found, steady VHE gamma-ray emission is detected with a statistical significance of 10 sigma from a point-like source. The VHE gamma-ray emission is spatially coincident with the PWN and the SNR shell. Both are discussed as a possible origin for the observed emission. The pulsar of Kes 75 would be the youngest pulsar known to date to power a VHE PWN.

The Kitāb al-Aghānī (the Book of Songs) is one of the most important sources for Arabic literature and history. While its compiler, Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣfahānī (died after 356/967), is generally viewed as a “Zaydī Shīʿī”, no study has engaged in depth with the manifestation of his sectarian perspective in the Aghānī. This thesis addresses the question of whether al-Iṣfahānī’s sectarian perspective can be discerned in the Aghānī via literary analysis based primarily upon redaction criticism. By examining the compiler’s interventions (which took place by means of selecting, repeating, and juxtaposing source material, as well as by his comments and editorial remarks), this thesis argues that al-Iṣfahānī indeed presents past people and events central to the Shīʿī worldview in accordance with his sectarian affiliation. Furthermore, this thesis questions the label “Zaydī” that has been attached to al-Iṣfahānī. Based on textual analyses of the Aghānī, as well as evidence from his Maqātil al-Ṭālibīyīn (“The Ṭālibid Martyrs”) and other evidence for the tenth-century context, this thesis suggests that al-Iṣfahānī’s religious thought can be construed as a “mild” form of Shīʿism ― in the sense that it does not entail belief in a specific lineage of imams and repudiation of most of the Companions including the first three caliphs ― but cannot necessarily be identified with any sect, as set down in the heresiography. It is also suggested that this kind of Shīʿism may have been promoted by al-Iṣfahānī’s patron, the Būyid vizier, Abū Muḥammad al-Muhallabī (291–352/903–963) in the complex sectarian context of mid-tenth century Iraq. This thesis comprises seven chapters. Chapters One and Two introduce the life of the compiler, the wider historical context, the Aghānī, its textual problems, and its overarching structure. These two chapters lead to three conclusions: first, the Aghānī, in all likelihood, was dedicated to Abū Muḥammad al-Muhallabī; second, the view that al-Iṣfahānī was a Zaydī is untenable; third, it is very likely that the Aghānī retains its original form (as designed by al-Iṣfahānī). Chapter Three investigates the sources used by al-Iṣfahānī in the Aghānī with regard to their transmission in order to establish that the published text can indeed be subjected to redaction criticism for the purpose of better understanding the compiler’s agenda (or agendas). Chapters Four and Five present the results of the literary analysis of the Aghānī, which demonstrate the articulation of a Shīʿī past in the Aghānī, as well as highlighting the limits of redaction criticism and al-Iṣfahānī’s other editorial concerns. Building upon Chapter Five, which concludes that the Aghānī reflects al-Iṣfahānī’s sectarian vision, Chapter Six characterizes al-Iṣfahānī’s Shīʿī beliefs by examining his treatment of Ghulāt, Imāmīs, Sunnīs, ʿAlids, and the Companions, including the first three caliphs. Chapter Seven puts the results of the analyses into their historical context, specifically in light of the career of his patron, al-Muhallabī. The Conclusion outlines the key findings of this thesis, with remarks on potential avenues for future research.

Nebulosas Planetárias (PNe) são consequência do processo de evolução estelar de estrelas de massa intermediária e se formam devido à ejeção de massa da estrela na fase pós-AGB; a interação entre o gás de diferentes episódios de ejeção forma objetos com diferentes morfologias, como descrito pela teoria dos ventos interagentes. A diversidade morfológica das PNe ainda é um assunto de intensa discussão, os cenários de formação ainda estão em aberto e as simulações hidrodinâmicas são ainda de pouca utilidade na discussão de um alvo, em particular neste caso a reconstrução da estrutura tridimensional assim como da cinemática são de grande valia. Utilizando dados espectroscópicos e imagens fotométricas a estrutura de uma amostra de PNe é reconstruída com o software SHAPE. Os dados observacionais são modelados o que permite uma série de inferências a respeito do objeto, inclusive sobre seu cenário de formação. Usando dados obtidos no OPD assim como de dados do levantamento SPM foram construídos modelos para cinco PNe. O papel dos choques nos mecanismos de ionização e excitação também foi estudado, baseado nos modelos de choques disponíveis na literatura. Os modelos são baseados em estruturas simples e na maioria das vezes simétricas, todos os campos de velocidade utilizados são lineares e a distribuição de densidade visa reproduzir o brilho superficial de cada objeto. Os dados espectroscópicos reproduzidos são os diagramas P-V (posição - velocidade). NGC 6818, NGC 6153 e NGC 3211 foram modeladas e os diagramas P-V obtidos no OPD, sendo adequadamente reproduzidos. Constatou-se que os choques em NGC 6818 e NGC 6153 são bastante relevantes, o que não era esperado. NGC 2440 foi reproduzida como uma PN com duas componentes bipolares, sua região central apresenta uma estrutura toroidal fragmentada em, no mínimo, três pedaços. Utilizando a cinemática desta região foi obtida uma distância de 1,8 kpc para a mesma; um halo esférico não concêntrico envolve toda a sua estrutura os choques são o mecanismo dominante nas bordas deste objeto. NGC 6445 foi modelada como uma PN octopolar, possuindo um toróide na região central. Concluímos que o retângulo central visível nas imagens deste objeto é fruto de um efeito de sobreposição, e que os choques são dominantes no mesmo. Dentro deste cenário, acompanhado da análise dos choques em NGC 6302, sugere-se que os choques nas nebulosas planetárias do tipo I precisam ser considerados para um cálculo adequado das abundâncias, já que podem ter impacto sobre os fatores de correção de ionização. / Planetary Nebulae (PNe) are consequence of the stellar evolution process of intermediate mass stars, they form due the mass-ejection at the post-AGB phase. The interaction of the ejected gas in dierent mass-loss episodes shapes their morphology, as described by the interacting winds theory. The morphological diversity of PNe remains a subject of intense debate, their formation scenarios are still opened and hydrodynamical simulations still have little use. For a particular target, structure reconstruction and description of the kinematics are very useful. By using images and spectroscopical data, structures for a sample of PNe are reconstructed, the observational data are modeled, what allows a series of conclusions about the objects, including their formation scenarios. Using data from OPD (Pico dos Dias Observatory), as well as from the SPM survey, we constructed models for five PNe, the role of shocks in the ionization and excitation mechanisms were studied as well, based on the models for shocks available in the literature. Our models are based on simple structures, most of them symmetrical. All velocity fields are linear and density distributions aim to reproduce the surface brightness. The reproduced data are P-V (position - velocity) diagrams. We modeled NGC 6818, NGC 6153 and NGC 3211, reproducing their P-V diagrams appropriately. For NGC 6818 e NGC 6153, we found that shocks are relevant, what was not expected. NGC 2440 was reproduced with two bipolar components, its central region consists in a torus fragmented in at least three pieces. By using the kinematical properties of the central region, a distance of 1.8 kpc was derived to this nebula. A non-concentrical spherical halo involves the whole structure, and the shocks dominate the ionization and excitation process at the rims of this object. NGC 6445 was modeled as a multipolar PN with four bipolar components, a central toroidal structure completes the model. We conclude that the central rectangle visible in the images of this object is a consequence of an overlap of structures. Within this scenario for NGC 6445, combined with the analysis of shocks in NGC 6302, we suggest that the shocks have to be considered in abundance estimates of type I PNe, since they may have an impact on the ionization correction factors.

Knowledge is recognised as being an important asset in organisations these days. Despite this, many organisations are not doing enough to effectively manage this important asset for its competitive advantage. In response to this, knowledge management which is defined as a process that effectively creates, captures, shares and uses organisation-wide knowledge to improve the organisation's performance was conceived and has since gained widespread acceptance the world over. Despite its widespread acceptance, little is known about the current levels of knowledge management practice within the Malaysian context, in particular amongst the Multimedia Super Corridor status companies in Malaysia. In view of this, the research problem formulated for this study is: 'How and why do Multimedia Super Corridor status companies in Malaysia practise knowledge management?' Based on this research problem, three research questions that look specifically at the knowledge management enablers, knowledge management processes and knowledge management outcomes were identified based on the literature review. The literature review provides an overview of knowledge and the different types of knowledge. It then chronicles the developments of knowledge management and canvasses extant literature on knowledge management within the Malaysian context. It found that there are various enablers of knowledge management that may impact on the level of knowledge management practice in Malaysia. These enablers can be broadly categorised as culture, structure, people and information technology infrastructure. To further comprehend the knowledge creation process, this study utilised Nonaka and Takeuchi's (1995) socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation (SECI) model for knowledge creation. In addition to this, organisational efficiency, competitive advantage, maximisation of organisational potential, and better management of knowledge assets were identified as key knowledge management outcomes in organisations. These knowledge management enablers, processes and outcomes were used to develop a preliminary theoretical framework upon which this research was based upon. This exploratory research employs the use of qualitative multiple case studies operating within a critical realism research paradigm. This research uses a total of four cases with three interviews each giving a total of twelve interviews. The literature review and two in-depth convergent interviews were the basis upon which the interview protocol was formulated. This interview protocol was then administered to a pilot case involving three interviews. This process was repeated in the main data collection stage on three different cases with three interviews per case. The main findings of this research are the ten different enablers of knowledge management that either take on the roles of inhibitor or facilitator. The facilitators of knowledge management are collaboration, mutual trust, learning, leadership, incentives and rewards, IT infrastructure and T-shaped skills. The inhibitors of knowledge management are centralisation and kiasu-ism. Another variable - formalisation has both positive and negative effects on knowledge management as it acts as an inhibitor to the socialisation knowledge creation process but acts as a facilitator to the other three knowledge processes. This research also found that all four knowledge processes - socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation are being used by all cases to create knowledge with preference given to socialisation and combination. In addition, knowledge management is found to positively affect the organisations’ competitive advantage, organisational efficiency, maximising organisational potential and effective management of knowledge assets. Further research utilising a quantitative approach to test the theory developed from this study apart from analysing the new variable kiasu-ism and the concept of ba were suggested to better comprehend the practise of knowledge management in Malaysia.

The central topic of all the discussions in this manuscript is around acoustic-sensor based measurement systems. Throughout this document, \acoustic" means the propagation of a mechanical wave on, or within, a substrate. However, we will discuss many other physical principles applied for sensing techniques, whether optical, scanning probe microscopy, electrochemistry.

Inspired by feminist post-structural thinking and with a discourse analytic approach, this study’s main theme is gendered identity, disability and sport. It consists of four separate, but interrelated, empirical studies and focuses on two research questions. Firstly, how do female and male wheelchair racers construct and perform their identities? Secondly, how are female and male wheelchair racers represented in Swedish sports media? To answer the research questions, semi-structured interviews with wheelchair racers, and a critical analysis of sports media texts from the Paralympics in Sydney, 2000 have been conducted. In this dissertation the composition of unwritten regulations produced by the media texts, that shaped the practice of wheelchair athletes was conceptualized as the discourse of able-ism. Findings indicate that the sports media texts constructed the subject of ‘disabled sportsman/sportswoman’, which indirectly reproduced the conception of a copy and not an original. The exclusion was, however, concealed and neutralized through the regulation and differentiation that the discourse of able-ism legitimated. Although sports media still seems to reinforce negative stereotypes of disabled athletes, the wheelchair racers themselves are challenging the gender, sport and disability discourses and establishing new ways of being physically powerful and excellent in and outside the sports arena. In fact, when the athletes got the opportunity to make their voices heard in media, they re-dressed the twisted picture of wheelchair racing as passive rehabilitation training into elite sport. Consequently, it seems that wheelchair racing and its high status in disability sports empowers both male and female racers which increases their possibility to be represented as ‘real’ sportsmen and sportwomen. Finally, although, the athletes have shown that wheelchair racing has a given place in modern sport, ‘being able’ as an athlete and being a gendered individual are still strongly connected to the appearance and performance of the un-impaired body.

Maxicap AB är ett företag som utvecklar och tillverkar elektronisk utrustning för bland annat olika mätuppgifter. Målet med detta examensjobb var att undersöka och implementera en stabil trådlös dataöverföringsmetod med den utrustning som Maxicap ville använda. Detta skulle åstadkommas/testas genom att sända temperatursensorvärden trådlöst med Nordic Semiconductor’ssändtagare (eng. transceiver) styrda av Atmel’s mikrokontrollers. Arbetet fokuserade på att få till denna stabila trådlösa överföring genom att implementera frekvenshoppning och datapaketskontroll på datatrafiken inom det fria 2,4 GHz ISM-bandet. All den C-kod som utvecklades i detta arbete är skriven för att vara lättanpassad till flera olika modeller av mikrokontrollers inom Atmel’s produktserie samt att kunna användas till andra liknande projekt. Koden är väldokumenterad med kommentarer vid varje funktionsblock som beskriver vad funktionerna gör och hur de skall användas. Arbetet resulterade i två fungerande prototyper. En enhet känner av temperaturen i luften och skickar sedan detta temperaturvärde trådlöst till enhet nummer två. Detta värde samt några inställningsvärden för mottagaren visas sedan på den enhetens display.

Taiwan, as an island country, should place future aspiration on the usages of ocean energy and marine resources, such as offshore wind power and deep ocean water. The sound development of marine services relies on a strong industry of maritime engineering. The perilous marine environment has posed the highest risk for all maritime civil engineering activities. It is therefore imperative to restrain the risk associated with current maritime work, other than just engineering technique itself. By doing so, the quality of maritime work can be assured, and as the improvement of overall engineering capability, Taiwan can compete worldwide in the maritime engineering industry. Maritime works have developed their own standard construction procedures. To mitigate risk of maritime works depend mainly on the domain experts¡¦ experience and know-how. However, problems appear when less experienced experts are available, or qualitative experience exists in a narrative form. It is therefore important to structure clearly an engineering risk factor relation, and quantify and control these risk factors. The proposed study will first collect and review related literatures, and then interview an expert from the designate maritime service company to establish the risk factors associated with offshore piping. Eventually a complete Bayesian network (BN) was formulated based on the cause-effect diagram, using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), and experts¡¦ experience was transformed into a set of prior and conditional probability to be embedded in the BN. The BN can clearly show that certain earlier operational factors affect final operational process deeply. Besides, the backward reasoning using the BN is possible to identify the factors causing a project failure.

Iron-based degradative solidification/stabilization (Fe(II)-DS/S) is a treatment method that could be economically applied to smaller DNAPL-contaminated sites and to those sites with impermeable soils. Reductive dechlorination is achieved by compounds that are formed by reaction of ferrous iron with components of Portland cement or with defined chemicals (FeCl3 + Ca(OH)2). These dechlorinating agents can effectively degrade chlorinated hydrocarbons (PCE, TCE, and 1,1,1-TCA) that are dissolved in aqueous solution. This research investigated the application of Fe(II)-DS/S to remove chlorinated hydrocarbons that are present as DNAPLs in source zones and to compared the reactivity of ferrous iron in different mixtures, including the conventional mixture with cement (Fe(II)+C) and an iron-solid mixture (ISM) that was synthesized without the addition of cement. The modified first-order model, which the rate was proportional to the concentration of target in the aqueous phase and it was also nearly constant when DNAPL was present, was developed to describe dechlorination kinetics. The modified second-order model assumed that the rate was proportional to the product of the concentration of target in the aqueous phase and the concentration of reductive capacity of the solid reductant. The modified first-order model was used to describe degradation of target compounds with ISM, and the modified second-order model was used to describe removals for TCE and 1,1,1-TCA with Fe(II)+C. Results of experiments on PCE dechlorination with ISM indicated that the increase of Fe(II) in ISM increased rate constants and decreased the solubility of targets. The half-life was increased with increasing total PCE concentration. The product analysis implied that degradation of PCE with ISM was via a combination of the hydrogenolysis and β-elimination pathways. A comparison of the types of targets and reductants indicated that Fe(II)+C had better reactivity for chlorinated ethenes (PCE and TCE) than ISM. However, ISM could dechlorinate a chlorinated ethane (1,1,1-TCA) as rapidly as Fe(II)+10%C. The ratio of [RC]o/[Fe(II)]o implied that Fe(II) in Fe(II)+C was more involved in reducing chlorinated ethenes than was Fe(II) in ISM. Dechlorination of a DNAPL mixture followed the same order of reactivity as with individual DNAPLs with both reductants.

In this paper, at the beginning, we focused our studies on the practical planar antenna designs for wireless communication. We also proposed several antenna designs operating at the widely used bands, such as the ISM, GSM, GPS, 3G bands and their combinations. For the antenna designs at these bands, the circularly polarized wide slot antenna and planar monopole antenna with the conducting plate loading for ISM band application, shorted stacked mircostrip antenna for 3G band application, and the low cost high gain 8Í8 stacked patch array for dual ISM band application have been presented. To provide mobile communication and the accurate position of the user as well, the GSM/GPS dual-band antenna suitable for vehicle application is presented. Finally, the GSM/ISM dual-band antenna designed for the personal communication and wireless local area network is also shown. The performance we have achieved in these antenna designs not only satisfy the specific requirements of the system, but also show good antenna pattern, and gain.