Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T15:59:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo5505_1.pdf: 1159363 bytes, checksum: 2f89106cbd882a565f9dbd214538ef51 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A hierarquia da memória é um elemento importante a ser otimizado em plataformas configuráveis. Muitas configurações de cache necessitam ser avaliadas a fim encontrar a melhor escolha em termos de desempenho, área de silício, ou do consumo de potência a uma aplicação. A maioria de modelos para estimar essas métricas são dependentes de parâmetros como o tamanho da cache e de sua taxa respectiva da falta. Ao invés de utilizar ferramentas tradicionais para estimar a taxa da faltas na cache, através de repetitivas simulações, este trabalho propõe uma técnica simplificada, contudo eficiente, para estimar a taxa da falta de diferentes configurações de cache em apenas uma única simulação (single-pass). A abordagem propõe basicamente a geração de tabelas de localidade e de conflito, que refletem as propriedades de endereçamento do comportamento da aplicação. A técnica proposta pretende simplificar a estimativa da taxa faltas e a exploração do espaço de configurações de cache de maneira mais rápida. Uma vez que a estrutura da tabela é baseada em operações binárias elementares (comparação, deslocamento, etc), tanto implementações baseadas em software como em hardware podem ser consideradas para executar a técnica proposta. Adicionalmente, a fim suportar o ajuste de caches para aplicações múltiplas, o problema de subconjuntos do espaço de configuração de caches é exaustivamente apresentado e uma solução eficiente é discutida. Adaptado a partir de uma técnica para segmentação de séries temporais, os resultados obtidos heuristicamente na seleção de configurações oferecem a qualidade comparável à abordagem exaustiva. Tal contribuição considera o ajuste de caches configuráveis para um conjunto de aplicações, considerando um menor número de configurações possíveis, preservando ainda a economia obtida com a otimização da cache

Då scenkomplexitet och ett högre antal ljuskällor blir vanligare inom spel har ett behov av algortimer för att hantera dessa scener, med bra prestanda, uppståt. En allt vanligare algoritm för detta är Deferred Shading. Rapporten utvärderar två olika metoder för Deferred Shading (traditionell Deferred Shading och Light pre-pass rendering).

Many techniques have been developed to analyze time series. Spectral analysis and cycle regression analysis represent two such techniques. This study combines these two powerful tools to produce two new algorithms; the spectral algorithm and the one-pass algorithm. This research encompasses four objectives. The first objective is to link spectral analysis with cycle regression analysis to determine an initial estimate of the sinusoidal period. The second objective is to determine the best spectral window and truncation point combination to use with cycle regression for the initial estimate of the sinusoidal period. The third is to determine whether the new spectral algorithm performs better than the old T-value algorithm in estimating sinusoidal parameters. The fourth objective is to determine whether the one-pass algorithm can be used to estimate all significant harmonics simultaneously.

Deferred shading är en renderingsteknik som har blivit allt mer populär i och med att hårdvaraukraven för tekniken inte längre är ett hinder. Ett problem med deferred shading är fortfarande hur transparenta objekt ska hanteras. Rapporten utvärderar två olika deferred pipelines som hanterar transparent geometri på olika sätt, de två renderingsmetoderna är Inferred Lighting samt Light Pre Pass med framåtrendering för hantering av transparent geometri.

The Class Pass Intervention (CPI) is designed to be implemented within school-wide PBIS to decrease disruptive behavior and teach an appropriate replacement behavior for students needing Tier 2 intervention. The purpose of the present study was to extend the literature on the CPI by further evaluating the impact of the first component of the CPI on disruptive behavior and academic engagement of elementary school children with disabilities engaging in mild to moderate disruptive behavior. Three students and their respective teachers participated in the study. A multiple baseline across participants design with an embedded reversal was used to demonstrate the impact of the CPI on student behavior during a targeted problematic routine. The results indicated that the CPI was effective in decreasing disruptive behavior and increasing academic engagement for all participating students. Results were maintained for one participant while fading the magnitude of the intervention. Students and teachers rated CPI as effective and acceptable.

Magister Commercii - MCom / This mini-thesis examines the speed and magnitude of exchange rate pass-through to domestic prices in South Africa. The shift from fixed exchange rate regimes to a system of floating exchange rates by many countries after the collapse of the Bretton Woods system increased the role of the exchange rate in the determination of inflation. In theory, exchange rate depreciation causes inflation via a process called exchange rate pass-through (ERPT). The effect of exchange rate variations on inflation is of special interest to policy makers especially for countries under inflation targeting regimes. The knowledge of the speed and magnitude of ERPT to domestic inflation (import, producer and consumer inflation) is important in the designing of an optimal monetary policy mix which is needed to ensure price stability. South Africa is one of the countries that moved to an inflation targeting regime under a system of a floating exchange rate. This study therefore aims to empirically determine the speed and magnitude of ERPT to domestic prices in the short run and long run using VAR and VEC models. The empirical results show that ERPT to import prices is immediate and moderately high reaching a peak of about 45% and 47% within three quarters for the VAR and VEC models respectively. In contrast, ERPT to producer and consumer prices is gradual and low. For instance, long-run ERPT is below 30% for producer prices and around 20% for consumer prices. Moreover, the results indicate a high pass-through (above 75%) of producer price shocks to consumer prices. In sharp contrast, the extent of pass-through of import price shocks to consumer prices as reported in the VECM is low at approximately 10% in the short run and declining to approximately 2% in the long run. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

The impact of the intestine in determining the oral bioavailability of drugs has been extensively studied. Its large surface area, metabolic content and positioning at the first site of exposure for orally ingested xenobiotics means its contribution can be significant for certain drugs. However, prediction of the exact metabolic component of the intestine is limited, in part due to limitations in validation of in vitro tools as well as in vitro-in vivo extrapolation scaling factors. Microsomes are a well established in vitro tool for extrapolating hepatic metabolism, however standardised methodologies for preparation in the intestine are limited, in light of complexities in preparation (e.g. presence of multiple non-metabolic cells, proteases and mucus). Therefore, the aims of this study were to establish an optimised method of intestinal microsome preparation via elution in the proximal rat intestine, and to determine microsomal scaling factors by correcting for protein losses during preparation. In addition, to assess species in another preclinical species (dog) and human as well as assessing and regional differences in scaling factors and metabolism. Following optimisation of a reproducible intestinal microsome preparation method in the rat, the importance of heparin in limiting mucosal contamination was established. These microsomes were characterised for total cytochrome P450 (CYP) content, and CYP and uridine 5′-diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) activities using maker probes of testosterone and 4-nitrophenol. Loss corrected microsomal scaling factors between two pools of n=9 rats was 9.6±3.5 (recovery 33%). A broad range of compounds (n=25) in terms of metabolic activity and physicochemical properties were screened in rat intestinal microsomes. The prediction accuracy relative to in house generated or literature in vivo estimates of the fraction escaping intestinal metabolism (FG) through in vitro-in vivo extrapolation of observed metabolism and the derived scaling factors and either Caco-2 permeability of physicochemical permeability estimates utilising the Qgut model. In the dog, regional differences in intestinal scaling factors and metabolic activities were explored, as well as relationships between the proximal intestine and liver in matched donors. Positive correlations in both hepatic activity and microsomal scalars were observed. Robust scaling factors were established using the 3 microsomal markers. A total of 24 compounds were screened for hepatic and intestinal metabolism in order to make in vivo estimates of FG, the fraction escaping hepatic metabolism (FH) and oral bioavailability (F). Estimates based on Caco-2 and physicochemical based scaling, as well as utilising a commercial PBPK software platform (ADAM model, Simcyp® v12) were broadly similar with generally reduced prediction accuracy in proximal physicochemical based Qgut scaling, and improved predictions using Caco-2 Qgut or PBPK approaches. Worse predictions were observed for compounds with high protein binding, transporter substrates and/or CYP3A inhibitors. Regional metabolism demonstrated peak metabolism in the proximal intestine, before declining distally. Human intestinal microsomes were prepared for jejunum and ileum tissue. Although samples were limited, regional differences in metabolic activities and scaling factors were also assessed, using correction markers and activity in 23 compounds. In all, 20 compounds overlapped between all three species. Comparison in Fa.FG between rat and human CYP3A substrates showed a modest relationship, however relationships between species and human were generally poor given the observed differing metabolic contributions of testosterone and 4-NP metabolite formation between species limited the observed relationships between species. However, within species, good estimates of oral bioavailability were observed. This is the largest know interspecies comparison of intestinal metabolism and scaling factors with microsomes prepared within the same lab.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agricultural Economics / Glynn T. Tonsor / The U.S. beef industry is comprised of multiple, vertically connected segments. Beginning at the cow-calf level, cattle move through the industry to backgrounding/stocker operations, feedlots, and then to beef packers. The beef produced then continues to move through the marketing channel from beef packers to wholesalers and on to multiple final consumer outlets. Each level of the beef industry has both distinct and related economic issues. This dissertation contains three essays on beef cattle economics. Essay 1 focuses on price and animal health risk management at the feedlot level. Essays 2 and 3 explore how upstream demand changes impact primary beef suppliers. The objective of Essay 1 is to determine if feedlot operators manage price risk and animal health risk as two separate and independent risks or if they manage them jointly. The animal health attribute of interest is purchasing feeder steers from a single known source versus an auction with unknown background. The output price risk mitigation tools are futures contracts, forward contracts, other, and accept cash price at time of sale. Primary data is collected using an online survey administered to feedlot operators. Participants are placed in forward looking, decision making scenarios utilizing a split-sample block design. Evidence of a relationship between animal health risk and output price risk management is mixed. Ricardian rent theory (RRT) is tested in Essay 2 to determine if complete pass-through occurs from fed cattle and corn prices to feeder cattle prices. Monthly price data from December 1995 to December 2016 is used. Based on RRT, surplus rents should pass through the market to the holder of the scarcest resource. In cattle markets, feeder calves are the scarcest, widely traded resource and thus gains and losses at the feedlot theoretically pass-through to feeder cattle prices. The hypothesized pass-through rates suggested by RRT is calculated using monthly production data from the Focus on Feedlots data series. The regression pass-through estimates are tested against the hypothesized RRT pass-through. In many models, the estimated pass-through rate is statistically greater than the RRT hypothesized pass-through rate. Thus, when fed cattle or corn prices change, these changes are more than fully passed to cow-calf producers through the feeder cattle price. Evidence is found of asymmetric pass-through during times of herd expansion versus contraction. Essay 3 provides a quantification of how changes in retail and export beef demand are transmitted to different members of the beef industry. Understanding how information is transmitted from primary consumer demand through the supply chain is key for long-term prosperity of the U.S. cattle industry. However, empirical applications quantifying how demand signals are transmitted through vertically connected industries are limited. Using both naïve and forward looking price expectations, a four equation system of inverse demand and supply equations for live and feeder cattle is estimated. Using retail and export beef demand indices, the impacts of 1% change in retail or export demand on live cattle and feeder cattle prices are quantified.

Purpose - this study is aimed at to investigating the effects exchange rate and other variables on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have on the Namibian economy. Methodology -The model comprises of the unit root test, the co-integration test, the long run equation co-efficient, an error correction model, the normality test and the stability test, were employed to estimate and interpret the results. Finding and recommendations - The results of the study have revealed that a relationship exists between exchange rate and FDI. However, this relationship is said to be statistically insignificant. It cannot therefore be used as a tool to influence FDI in Namibia. The results further indicated that GDP and trade openness were the most significant determinants of FDI in Namibia. The recommendations of this study thus suggest that the government should implement policies to diversify its production across all sectors and increase the manufacturing of finished goods, so as to enhance the GDP growth. Namibia should further advance its trade open through in-creased and fast-tracked trade agreements at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

An acid rock drainage (ARD) stream emanating from the Zn-Pb XY-deposit in the Yukon Territory was examined in order to evaluate the physico-chemical and geochemical processes governing the distribution of dissolved elements from the creek. The creek showed very high concentrations of metals (300 mg/L Fe, 500 mg/L Zn, 15 000 µg/L Ni, 1300 µg/L Cu and 4500 µg/L Cd), low water temperatures (1 – 12°C) and was acidic to moderately acidic (pH 3.1 – 5.0). It was found that this stream experienced a strong seasonal evolution, with increased sulphate and metal concentrations and decreased pH over the course of the summer. The mineral precipitates that formed under low pH conditions were a mixture of schwertmannite, goethite, jarosite and barite, while those that formed under moderately acidic conditions were a mixture of jurbanite, hydrobasaluminite, gibbsite and an X-ray amorphous Al-sulphate phase. Most of the mineral precipitates were of inorganic origin, although microbes may have played a role in mineral formation and trace metal sequestration in some of the precipitates. All of the mineral precipitates contained anomalous concentrations of trace elements (up to 1.5 % wt Zn) and showed a seasonal evolution in their mineralogy, both of which were determined to be a function of the pH and prevailing geochemical conditions. The geochemistry of the ARD creek draining the XY-deposit was compared to another ARD creek in the area that was likely draining shales. The two creeks were compared in order to determine if ARD geochemical characteristics can be used as a tool for the mineral exploration industry.