Este trabalho tem como objetivo buscar subsídios na concepção de polissemia da Semântica Cognitiva para auxiliar na disposição das acepções de itens lexicais polissêmicos em learner’s dictionaries. Para tanto, ele, inicialmente, analisa de que forma os quatro principais dicionários que compreendem esse genótipo – CALD (2008), COBUILD (2006), LDCE (2009) e OALD (2005) – apresentam suas acepções, considerando duas variáveis: (i) o emprego de uma solução homonímica ou polissêmica para a estruturação dos verbetes e (ii) a divisão e ordenação das acepções. A partir das análises, percebe-se que a solução empregada por essas obras varia, havendo a adoção tanto da solução polissêmica, com e sem divisão interna nos verbetes, quanto da solução homonímica, por critério morfológico e semântico. Quanto às acepções, por um lado, as formas como os dicionários dividem e relacionam os significados são diferentes e, por outro, os critérios utilizados pelas obras para a ordenação das acepções não se mostram plenamente satisfatórios, pois algumas delas não explicitam quais critérios são empregados na ordenação das acepções e a utilização do mesmo critério (de frequência) por diferentes obras gera resultados distintos. Além disso, para que a frequência pudesse ser empregada como critério objetivo, seria necessária a delimitação de parâmetros quantitativos ainda não disponíveis. A seguir, são levantadas questões teórico-metodológicas que surgem ao abordar a organização microestrutural, destacando que a discussão da ordenação das acepções nos dicionários é dependente de outras variáveis, como sua vinculação a uma teoria do significado lexical e da definição lexicográfica. Por fim, o trabalho busca delimitar quais das características da visão prototípica de estrutura lexical podem ser transpostas ao âmbito lexicográfico para lidar com o problema da representação da polissemia nos learner’s dictionaries.Apresentam-se propostas de verbetes criados com base em critérios estabelecidos por nós para a transposição das noções semântico-cognitivas para a ordenação das acepções. / In this thesis, we aim at contributing to sense ordering of polysemous lexical items in learner‘s dictionaries based on the conception of polysemy as developed by Cognitive Semantics. First we analyze in which way the four main dictionaries known under the label of learner‘s dictionary present their senses – CALD (2008), COBUILD (2006), LDCE (2009) e OALD (2005). We consider two variables in this analysis: (i) the use of a homonymic or a polysemous solution for structuring the entry and (ii) the sense division and ordering. From the analysis, we find out that the solutions applied in the dictionaries vary, for they adopt both a polysemous solution, with and without a division within the entry, and a homonymic solution, through morphological and semantic criteria. Regarding the senses, on the one hand, the way the dictionaries split and relate them is different. On the other hand, the criteria used in the dictionaries for ordering senses showed to be unsatisfactory, because some of the works do not explicit which criteria they apply in sense ordering, and because the use of the same criterion (frequency) in different dictionaries yields distinct results. Moreover, in order to use frequency as an objective criterion, the definition of quantitative parameters, which are still not available, would be made necessary. Hereafter, we discuss theoretical-methodological issues raised when it comes to sense ordering: this microstructural organization is dependent upon other variables, such as its relation to a theory of word meaning and a theory of lexicographical definition. At the end of this work, we present the characteristics of the prototypical conception of lexical structure that could be applied to lexicography to deal with the problem of representing polysemy in learner‘s dictionaries. We, then, propose some entries developed according to criteria we established in order to use cognitive semantic notions in sense arrangement.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-02-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:31:18Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 catita_rc_me_fran.pdf: 403478 bytes, checksum: 6e75cdfb7333cd29c4a5d7b501e30a36 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo é uma Instituição organizada hierarquicamente, segundo critérios de disciplina militar. Foi criada em 1831. Trata-se, portanto de um órgão da administração pública com competência constitucional para desenvolver serviços de policiamento ostensivo. É composta por agentes públicos chamados de servidores públicos militares que desenvolvem atos no sentido de promover a segurança e a ordem pública. O tema O princípio da legalidade no controle dos atos administrativos na Polícia Militar, amparado pelo Direito Administrativo, tem como objetivo demonstrar como o princípio da legalidade, exerce papel limitador dos atos administrativos, colaborando com o fortalecimento e concretização dos postulados do Estado de Direito. Estudou-se o início histórico da sociedade e conseqüente evolução até origem do Estado, demonstrando-se a sua finalidade e suas funções, numa evolução do Estado de Polícia no rumo do Estado Democrático de Direito. Da estrutura do ordenamento jurídico, diante de toda a Administração Pública, emergem os princípios constitucionais como marcos necessários a serem observados por todos os agentes públicos. Ao longo dos anos, a corporação foi criticada por entender-se que seus administradores exerciam suas atividades conforme suas vontades. Propugna-se no sentido de que esse entendimento apresente-se submetido à legislação vigorante. Na conclusão, demonstrou-se que a Polícia Militar exerce sua atividade amparada pela Constituição e pela lei. O presente trabalho pretende ser suscetível de causar efeitos no meio acadêmico como também no âmbito corporativo, contribuindo assim com uma reflexão eminentemente teórica com forte sentido na vida prática. / The Military Police of the State of São Paulo is an institution hierarchically organized, according to military discipline criteria. It was created in 1831. It is, therefore, an organ of public administration with constitutional competence to develop ostensive policing services. Public agents, called military public employees, who develop acts in order to promote the public security and public order, form it. The theme: The legality principle in the control of administrative acts in Military Police, supported by Administrative Law, has as its purpose to demonstrate how the legality principle performs a limiting function in administrative acts, collaborating with the strength and concretion of the postulates of the State of Law. The historical beginning of the society and the consequent evolution to the origin of the State were studied, demonstrating their purposes and functions in the evolution of the State of Police towards the Democratical State of Law. The constitutional principles, as essential signs to be observed by every public agent, emerge from the structure of juridical ordering, in the face of public administration as a whole. The corporation was criticized along the years because it was understood that its administrators performed their activities according to their will. It is advocated that this understanding is submitted to the effective Law. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the Military Police performs their activities supported by the Constitution and the Law. The present paper intend to be susceptible of causing effects in the academic as well as in the corporative spheres, contributing to an eminently theoretical reflection with a strong meaning to practical life.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:51:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1731.pdf: 5779358 bytes, checksum: ae5cead15785ce8d6fb3b0cbf86cc72e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-15 / This work presents a proposal of implementing an Ordering System based on the Bata Manufacturing Strategy (BMS). The aim is to verify the interference and effectiveness of this system on the activities of the Production Planning and Control of a thermoplastics process factory. Its theory s reference comes from the Bata Manufacturing Strategy (BMS), the Ordering Systems (OS) and the Performance Measurement Systems (PMS). The Action- Research method was used to verify the relation between the ideal model and the one obtained when put on a practical experience. Firstly, a model system is proposed on what this work was developed, its main features and details that connect the BSM, the OS and the PMS. Then, an application example of the system in a thermoplastics process factory is showed using the blow molding process of High Density Polyethylene and Polyvinyl Chloride bottles for cosmetics industries and drugstores. Furthermore, the main results obtained when implementing this system are also presented as well as an evaluation of the procedures created to control the material and human resources and how these controls influence the Production Planning and Control activities of this factory. Another important point of this work is also to present a new approach on how to implement the Bata Manufacturing Strategy / O presente trabalho apresenta uma proposta de implantação de um Sistema de Coordenação de Ordens (SCO) baseado na Estratégia Bata de Manufatura (EBM). O intuito deste trabalho é verificar a interferência e eficácia deste sistema nas atividades de PCP de uma fábrica de processamento de termoplásticos. O referencial teórico deste trabalho é fundamentado na EBM, nos SCO e nos Sistemas de Medição de Desempenho (SMD). Foi utilizado o método de pesquisa-ação como recurso para se determinar a relação entre o modelo idealizado e o verificado na prática no objeto de estudo analisado. Inicialmente é proposto um modelo de sistema sobre o qual foi realizado o estudo, suas principais características e detalhes que interligam a EBM, os SCO e os SMD. Em seguida, é apresentada a aplicação do sistema numa fábrica de processamento de termoplásticos, cujo processo é o de sopro de embalagens de PEAD (Polietileno de Alta Densidade) e PVC (Policloreto de Vinila) para indústrias de cosméticos e farmácias de manipulação. São apontados, portanto, os principais resultados obtidos com a implantação deste sistema no processo definido. São também avaliados neste estudo os procedimentos criados para controle de recursos materiais e humanos, bem como a influência que estes controles exercem sobre as atividades de PCP desta fábrica. Outro ponto chave deste estudo é apresentar uma nova abordagem de aplicação da Estratégia Bata de Manufatura

This study aims to show the importance of Landslide Susceptibility Map as a tool for land use planning, prevention and risk mitigation. This will be shown through MM evaluation processes affecting high sector of El Paraíso gorge - Villa María del Triunfo (Lima - Peru).The work consisted of two phases: in the first one (field) the intrinsic characteristics of geology and geomorphology were identified. The second one, included the Landslide Susceptibility Map generation, using the multivariate Heuristic Model consisting of overlapping maps variables (Carrara et al. 1995, Lain et al. 2005), developed in a GIS environment through algebra layer (geoprocessing operations).The results of Landslide Susceptibility Map in general, give us geoscience information that will contribute to land management, and in a timely manner, with the development of specific studies, prevention and / or mitigation measures to ensure the physical stability of identified critical areas. / El presente estudio tiene por objetivo mostrar la importancia del Mapa de Susceptibilidad a MM, como herramienta para la planificación territorial, prevención y mitigación de riesgos. Para ello, se muestra como ejemplo la evaluación geodinámica del sector alto de la quebrada El Paraíso – Villa María del Triunfo (Lima – Perú).El trabajo consistió de dos fases: en la primera (campo) se identificaron los características intrínsecas de geología y geomorfología. La segunda (gabinete), comprendió la elaboración del mapa de susceptibilidad aplicando el modelo heurístico multivariado que consiste en la superposición de mapas de variables (Carrara et al. 1995; Laín et al. 2005), desarrollado en un entorno SIG a través del álgebra de capas (operaciones de geoprocesamiento).Los resultados del mapa de susceptibilidad de manera general, nos presentan información geocientífica que contribuirá con el ordenamiento territorial (OT); y de manera puntual, con el desarrollo de estudios específicos, medidas de prevención y/o mitigación para asegurar la estabilidad física de las áreas críticas identificadas.

O desenvolvimento de novos materiais cerâmicos condutores de prótons é tecnologicamente importante devido às suas aplicações como eletrólitos em células a combustível de óxido sólido (SOFCs), dispositivos eletroquímicos fontes de energia limpa e renovável. Entre os desafios encontrados na aplicação nessas células de novos óxidos cerâmicos prótoncondutores está a alta resistividade de seus contornos de grão, que bloqueiam eletricamente a corrente de defeitos protônicos. Esse fato torna relevantes as pesquisas sobre a natureza desse fenômeno de bloqueio e sua relação com as características próton-condutivas do material. Nesta dissertação, investigamos as propriedades do sistema não estequiométrico Ba3Ca1,18Nb1,82O9-δ, juntamente com os compostos Ba3Ca1,18Nb1,52R0,3O9-δ (R = Y, Gd, Sm, Nd). Pós cristalinos dessas composições foram sintetizados via reação em estado sólido e utilizados na fabricação de cerâmicas. Os materiais foram caracterizados do ponto de vista estrutural, microestrutural, vibracional e elétrico, utilizando diversas técnicas físicas e correlacionado as características de cada composição às suas propriedades condutivas. Experimentos de difração de raios X e cálculos de fator de estrutura revelaram o aparecimento de ordenamento estrutural na estrutura perovskita de todos os sistemas sintetizados, sendo a intensidade de reflexões características utilizada como parâmetro de ordenamento. A microestrutura das cerâmicas foi otimizada em função do tempo de sinterização e as amostras finais obtidas apresentaram baixa porosidade. A caracterização vibracional das cerâmicas via espectroscopia Raman corrobora o resultado do ordenamento obtido via difração, além de indicar a presença ou preenchimento de vacâncias de oxigênio na rede cristalina dos materiais. Análises vibracionais também permitiram o estudo da acumulação de defeitos na borda das amostras cerâmicas e de sua estabilidade química, sendo tais diretamente correlacionadas à dopagem feita no material. O estudo de propriedades elétricas por espectroscopia de impedância aliado a modelagens por circuitos equivalentes permitiu separar propriedades elétricas de grão e contorno de grão. O efeito de bloqueio elétrico dos contornos pôde ser observado nas cerâmicas estudadas e está correlacionado à condutividade do interior dos grãos, sendo tais resultados interpretados à luz do modelo de cargas espaciais. / The development of novel proton conducting ceramic materials is technologically important due to their application as electrolytes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), electrochemical devices that constitute clean and renewable energy sources. Among the challenges faced when applying new oxide materials to fuel cells is the high resistivity of grain boundaries, which causes an electrical blocking effect of proton transport. This issue stimulates research on the nature of the blocking phenomenon and its relation to proton-conducting properties of the materials. In the present study, we investigate physical properties of the non-stoichiometric system Ba3Ca1,18Nb1,82O9-δ together with the compounds Ba3Ca1,18Nb1,52R0,3O9-δ (R = Y, Nd, Sm, Gd). Crystalline powders of all the chemical compositions were synthetized by a solidstate reaction and used to prepare ceramic samples. The materials were characterized in terms of their structural, microstructural, vibrational and electrical properties by the usage of various physical techniques, correlating characteristics of each composition to its proton-conduction properties. X-ray diffraction experiments combined with structure factor calculations revealed the presence of perovskite structural ordering in all the compounds, and the intensity of characteristic reflections was used as ordering parameter. Ceramic microstructure was optimized with respect to sintering time and the final samples achieved low porosity. Vibrational characterization by Raman spectroscopy supported the ordering result obtained by diffraction and indicated the presence or filling of oxygen vacancies in the materials crystal structures. Vibrational analysis also allowed the study of defect accumulation near the ceramic samples edges and their chemical stability, which are directly related to material doping. Electrical studies by impedance spectroscopy together with equivalent circuit modeling allowed the separation of grain and grain boundary electrical properties. Blocking effect by the boundaries was observed on the considered samples and is correlated to conductivity on grain bulk. Blocking results are interpreted in the framework of a space charge model.

Este trabalho analisa o processo de ordenamento fiscal que ocorreu no Brasil, na década de 1990, abordando especificamente o processo de criação da Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal (LRF). Alguns autores na Ciência Política argumentam que os projetos de lei votados no Congresso que afetam os interesses dos governadores não passam porque os governadores mobilizam suas respectivas bancadas estaduais para vetá-los. Assim, como podemos entender a aprovação da Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal, lei complementar que afeta diretamente os interesses financeiros e fiscais dos entes federativos. Alguns autores argumentam que houve um consenso em torno da necessidade do ordenamento fiscal, na década de 1990, destacando o processo de incrementalismo das mudanças institucionais, o desenvolvimento de uma \"cultura fiscalista\"que vira consenso na opinião pública e na classe política e, as crises financeiras internacionais (México, 1995; Ásia, 1997 e Rússia, 1998) que colocaram em xeque a capacidade de reação do governo diante das ameaças à política econômica de estabilização. Este trabalho alinha-se com os que desenvolvem esses argumentos, mas enfatiza o processo de negociação, ou seja, a existência de um dissenso dentro do consenso, que caracterizou o processo de criação da LRF. Argumentamos que, a despeito da existência de um consenso em torno da idéia de promover um ordenamento fiscal, a criação e a aprovação da LRF caracterizaram-se por conflitos dentro do governo e por um processo de intensa negociação parlamentar. / The aim of this work is to investigate the Brazilian process of fiscal ordering in the 1990s. More specifically, it focuses on the creation process of Fiscal Responsibility Law. Its point of departure is some political scientists vision that legislative projects undermining the subnational governments interests are not often approved due to State governors efforts to veto them. The hypothesis is that this phenomenon happens because governors exert stronger influence on the behavior of legislators than the President and political parties. For this reason, they assume that governors are veto-players in the Brazilian political system. This is an important component of our research strategy that seeks to explain why Fiscal Responsibility Law was approved despite of the key players financial and fiscal interests. The novelty of this work is to provide an approach that unveils a little explored explanatory element by previous works: the process of negotiation of the law project in the Federal Executive and in the Federal Legislative. In tune with some authors claims that there was a consensus on the necessity of fiscal ordering, we scrutinize the incremental process of institutional change and the development of a \"fiscal culture\" in the Brazilian society and its political class. We go on to suggest that international financial international crisis (México, 1995; Ásia, 1997 e Rússia, 1998) served as tests of the government\'s capacity to deal with the challenges posed to the economic stabilization policies. Furthermore, the current work gives special attention to addressing the process of negotiation that gave rise to the Fiscal Responsibility Law. We argue that the whole process was characterized by the existence of a dissension inside of consensus. Putting somewhat different, conflicts in the Federal Executive realm and complex negotiation schemes at the Federal Legislative level characterize the creation and the approbation stages of Fiscal Responsibility Law in Brazil.

Trata da problemática dos riscos socioambientais, relacionando-os às fragilidades do ambientes, à vulnerabilidade da sociedade e ao uso e ocupação da terra. Maior ênfase, no entanto, é dada às áreas urbanizadas, em especial na cidade de Fortaleza-CE. Referida cidade passou por um crescimento desordenado, que trouxe uma série de problemas socioambientais. O estudo da fragilidade ambiental tem bases teóricas, metodológicas e conceituais na análise ambiental integrada, que perpassa a funcionalidade dos ambientes, considerando, inclusive, os processos históricos de produção e construção do território. A vulnerabilidade social e os padrões de uso e ocupação da terra definem a exposição dos grupos sociais aos riscos. A associação dessas características possibilitou o estabelecimento de diferentes categorias de susceptibilidade aos riscos, considerando de um lado as fragilidades ambientais em face do desenvolvimento das atividades humanas, e, de outro lado, por meio do índice sintético da vulnerabilidade social à distribuição desigual da população e dos riscos no território. Deste modo, foram estabelecidas bases que possam conduzir a um adequado ordenamento do território, com vistas a minimizar a incidência dos riscos socioambientais. / This research is about the issue of socioenvironmental risks and its relations with environmental fragility, the societies vulnerability and land use and occupation. Its focused on urban areas, especially in Fortaleza (CE). The accelerated and disordered occupation in Fortaleza has bought several socioenvironmental problems. The environmental fragility issue has its theoretical, methodological and conceptual bases on integrated analysis that encompasses the environments functionality considering the historical production processes and the construction of territory. The social vulnerability and the land use and occupation patterns define the social groups exposure to risks. The association of such characteristics was used to establish different susceptibility categories to the risks, considering on one hand the environmental fragilities face to human activities development, and in the other, the population distribution and risks on the territory by the synthetic index of social vulnerability. In this sense, bases that lead to an adequate territorial ordering were established aiming to minimize the incidence of socioenvironmental risks.

L’intérêt des différents langages de la famille des diagrammes de décisionvalués (VDD) est qu’ils admettent des algorithmes en temps polynomialpour des traitements (comme l’optimisation, la cohérence inverse globale,l’inférence) qui ne sont pas polynomiaux (sous l’hypothèse P 6= NP), si ilssont effectués sur le problème dans sa forme originale tel que les réseaux decontraintes ou les réseaux bayésiens.Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons au problème de configuration deproduit, et plus spécifiquement, la configuration en ligne avec fonction de valuationassociée (typiquement, un prix). Ici, la présence d’un utilisateur enligne nous impose une réponse rapide à ses requêtes, rapidité rendant impossiblel’utilisation de langages n’admettant pas d’algorithmes en temps polynomialpour ces requêtes. La solution proposée est de compiler hors-ligneces problèmes vers des langages satisfaisant ces requêtes, afin de diminuer letemps de réponse pour l’utilisateur.Une première partie de cette thèse est consacrée à l’étude théorique desVDD, et plus particulièrement les trois langages Algebraic Decision Diagrams,Semi ring Labelled Decision Diagrams et Affine Algebraic Decision Diagrams(ADD, SLDD et AADD). Nous y remanions le cadre de définition des SLDD,proposons des procédures de traductions entre ces langages, et étudions la compacitéthéorique de ces langages. Nous établissons dans une deuxième partie lacarte de compilation de ces langages, dans laquelle nous déterminons la complexitéalgorithmique d’un ensemble de requêtes et transformations correspondantà nos besoins. Nous proposons également un algorithme de compilationà approche ascendante, ainsi que plusieurs heuristiques d’ordonnancement devariables et contraintes visant à minimiser la taille de la représentation aprèscompilation ainsi que le temps de compilation. Enfin la dernière partie estconsacrée à l’étude expérimentale de la compilation et de l’utilisation de formescompilées pour la configuration de produit. Ces expérimentations confirmentl’intérêt de notre approche pour la configuration en ligne de produit.Nous avons implémenté au cours de cette thèse un compilateur (le compilateurSALADD) pleinement fonctionnel, réalisant la compilation de réseauxde contraintes et de réseaux bayésiens, et avons développés un ensemble defonctions adaptées à la configuration de produit. Le bon fonctionnement etles bonnes performances de ce compilateur ont été validés via un protocole devalidation commun à plusieurs solveurs. / The different languages from the valued decision diagrams (VDD) family benefitfrom polynomial-time algorithms for some tasks of interest (such as optimization,global inverse consistency, inference) for which no polynomial-timealgorithm exists (unless P = NP) when the input is a constraint network ora Bayesian network considered at start.In this thesis, we focus on configuration product problems, and more specificallyon-line configuration with an associated valuation function (typically, aprice). In this case, the existence of an on-line user forces us to quickly answerto his requests, making impossible the use of languages that does not admitpolynomial-time algorithm for this requests. Therefore, our solution consistsin an off-line compilation of these problems into languages that admit suchpolynomial-time algorithms, and thus decreasing the latency for the user.The first part of this thesis is dedicated to the theoretical study of VDDs,an more specifically Algebraic Decision Diagrams (ADDs), Semi ring LabelledDecision Diagrams (SLDDs) and Affine Algebraic Decision Diagrams(AADDs). We revisit the SLDD framework, propose translation proceduresbetween these languages and study the succinctness of these languages. In asecond part, we establish a knowledge compilation map of these languages,in which we determine the complexity of requests and transformations correspondingto our needs. We also propose a bottom-up compilation algorithmand several variables and constraints ordering heuristics whose aim is to reducethe size of the compiled form, and the compilation time. The last partis an experimental study of the compilation and the use of the compiled formin product configuration. These experimentations confirm the interest of ourapproach for on-line product configuration.We also implemented a fully functional bottom-up compiler (the SALADDcompiler), which is capable of compiling constraints network and Bayesian networkinto SLDDs. We also developed a set of functions dedicated to productconfiguration. The proper functioning and good performances of this programwas validated by a validation protocol common to several solvers.

La thèse veut démontrer que toutes les compositions contenues dans L'Art de la Fugue possèdent entre elles des liaisons strictes et essentielles qui vont au-delà de la simple coprésence et/ou élaboration du même sujet, en créant une unité et une progression de la complexité technique dans son évolution. À travers une analyse détaillée de toutes les fugues sur trois niveaux: rythmique, harmonique et morphologique, notre objectif est d’identifier et de cataloguer tous les éléments spécifiques qui créent cette unité, afin d'arriver à la présentation du système des techniques compositionnelles utilisées par le compositeur. Nous proposons des nouveaux outils analytiques pour la compréhension des problématiques majeures liées à l’œuvre, l’ordonnancement du recueil et sa destination instrumentale. / The thesis aims to demonstrate that all the compositions contained in the “Art of Fugue” are bound together by a pattern of tight and essential connections, which go beyond an unstructured co-existence or a simple elaboration of a common subject: they form one unit and are ordered in a sequence of increasing technical complexity.The author makes a detailed analysis of all Fugues at three levels, Rhythm, Harmony and Morphology; he identifies and classifies all elements that create the unit: he presents the method and suite of techniques employed by the composer; finally, he proposes new analytical tools for the comprehension of the main issues related.

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / South Africa is faced with a high number of people living with HIV/AIDS, and subsequently a great need to access quality medicines for improving patient therapeutic outcomes. Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) require rigid, efficient and effective management, due to their valuable efficacy in prolonging the survival of HIV/AIDS patients, and the limited possibility of substitution. Managing their flow is vital to ensure an uninterrupted supply. Problematic inventory management was experienced by some healthcare facilities in South Africa where in recent years it resulted in stock outs and stock losses through thefts. These factors present obstacles to the availability of quality medicines, which ultimately leads to treatment failure and deterioration of the health status of patients. The aim of this study was to characterise the inventory management practices and medicine store maintenance of ARVs in community health centres (CHCs) in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape, in order to identify specific problems associated with ARV stock management. The study used a descriptive, cross-sectional study design to examine ARV records and to highlight associated discrepancies between recorded iii quantities on logistics tools used and physical counts, to assess the store maintenance, to measure the supply rate and identify factors contributing to poor stock management. The sample comprised 15 CHCs under the Western Cape Provincial Government (WCPG) accredited to provide ARV treatment. A checklist developed by Management Sciences for Health was adapted and was used to gather quantitative information (e.g. physical stock count). Some qualitative data was collected from responsible personnel for ARV drug management at each site. 86.7% of CHCs utilised a logistics tool (either manual or electronic) to manage ARVs. The average number of adult ARV drugs with a logistics tool available in all CHCs was 82.7% of which 21.9% met the criteria for accuracy. Only 32.9% of all logistics tools had records that were up to date. The average percentage of total variation between stock records and physical counts for the ARV drugs assessed was 51.6%. No historical data on stock outs and monthly usage (monthly consumption) could be retrieved in any of the CHCs, although there were no actual stock outs on the day of the fieldwork. The order fill rate was 91.9%. Since ordering is done more often that it should, stock availability did not appear to be problematic. Standard appropriate physical dimensions were not met by 20% of the CHCs and only 66.7% of the CHCs had appropriate labeling of the shelves in the dispensary and in the storeroom. This study demonstrated poor inventory management with respect to the general quality of record keeping, space allocation and general organisation of the medicine storeroom. Making timely entries and recording issues on logistics tools are recommended to keep up to date inventory records and management information system. Frequent monitoring of stock status is suggested, to avoid discrepancies and to keep it to adequate levels iv which will minimise multiple ordering. Regular supervision by the district pharmacist is needed to identify training and other needs. A study on general cost and delivery costs associated with poor record keeping should be carried out.