This project focuses on the use of sponge genetic transcripts in the form of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) readily available in Genbank to search for novel genes using bioinformatics analysis tools. Marine sponge species are known to house a diversity of marine microbes and are known as the ‘living fossils’ of the animal kingdom because of the large number of ancient genes they house. Genomic mining can be a useful tool in discovering these orthologous genes. This study utilized the techniques of genomic mining of 11 previously described sponge species transcripts. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the genomic structure of the organisms studied by creating a more detailed genetic map and examining a specific environmental snapshot of the genes in each sponge. Novel methods for dissecting beneficial information from large scale data sets available in genomic libraries utilizing bioinformatics search tool MGRAST were examined. The results of this study indicate that sponges house numerous genes that are likely to be evolutionary predecessors of genes in higher eukaryotes. Support was also given to the notion that microbial communities play a role in metabolic pathways of sponges.

The subject of spirituality is descriptive, comprehensive, transformative, and interdisciplinary. This study is about the spirituality of Kikuyu PCEA (Presbyterian Church of East Africa) pastors in Nairobi. This research seeks to find expressions and meanings of Christian spirituality of the research context. Thus, the concrete aims of this research are: (1) to understand the complex spiritual/religious/cultural world of Kikuyu pastors of the Presbyterian Church in Nairobi; (2) to study biblical and historical spirituality in order to find biblical and Western-historical spiritual perspectives; (3) to have critical hermeneutical dialogue between narratives, different cultural/religious traditions, biblical/Western-historical spiritual perspectives, and African theological perspectives with a view to finding strategies for transformation of the research participants, churches in Africa, and African society at large. To achieve the aforementioned aims of this research, a research paradigm was employed which is comprised of postfoundationalism, practical theology, narrative, and social constructionism. Postfoundationalism provided theological positioning; practical theological process laid a framework of the research as the main research methodology; narratives generated essential experiences for the research; social constructionism provided a method with which to form the realities socially which would have a relevance to the context. Thick questions were formulated from the following studies: the narratives of the research participants, African (Kikuyu) cultural/religious traditions, Christianity’s influences on the research context, and the socio-economic-political phenomena of the Kenyan society. The questions were: (1) Would mission Christianity including the Presbyterian Church of East Africa continue to be an effective form of Christianity in Kenya and among the Kikuyu?; (2) What is the relationship between charismatic spirituality and the contextual spirituality of East Africa?; (3) How can spirituality shape and influence the socio-economic-political context more than it being influenced by the context?; (4) What would the biblical and historical spirituality suggest to the spiritualities of the research participants? In regards to biblical/historical spiritualities, the spiritualities of both Old and New Testament and each historical period were unique, and the spirituality of each period was developed distinctively by the needs of the time. Then the fusion of horizons between the research context and biblical/historical spiritualities turned out to be a valuable process for the making of the final strategies for transformation. The strategies for transformation reflect the essential elements of African Christian spirituality, which can be applied to the African socio-religious context beyond the scope of the current research arena. Christian spirituality in the 21st century Africa demands African expression and identity whether it means contextualisation, liberation, or reconstruction. Structures, governance, forms, and expressions of the Christianity of the past century need to be re-evaluated for the formation of authentic African Christian spirituality. African society faces tremendous challenges and pressures providing Christianity with both an unprecedented privilege and obligation to impact African society with the message of love and hope. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Quantum computers can theoretically perform certain tasks which classical computers at realistic times could not. Operating a quantum computer requires precise control over the system, for instance achieved by adiabatic evolution, and isolation from the environment to retain coherence. This report combines these two, somewhat contradicting, error preventing techniques. To reduce the run-time a transitionless quantum driving algorithm, or, adiabatic shortcut, is employed. The notion of Noiseless Subsystems (NS), a generalization of decoherence free subspaces, are used for robustness against environmental decoupling, by creating logical qubits which act as a noiseless code. Furthermore, the adiabatic shortcut for the NS code is applied to a refocusing scheme (spin-echo) in order to remove the dynamical phase, sensitive to error propagation, so that only the Berry phase is effectively picked up. The corresponding Hamiltonian is explicitly derived for the only two cases of two-dimensional NS: N=3,4 qubits with total spin of j=1/2,0, respectively. This constitutes geometric quantum computation (GQC) enacting a universal single-qubit gate, which is also explicitly derived. / Kvantdatorer kan teoretiskt utföra vissa uppgifter som klassiska datorer vid realistiska tider inte kan. Att köra en kvantdator kräver exakt kontroll över systemet, till exempel genom adiabatisk utvecking, och isolering från omgiviningen för att behålla koherens. Denna rapport kombinerar dessa två, något motsägelsefulla, tekniker för felhantering. För att minska körtiden används en övergångsfri kvantkörningsalgoritm, också kallad adiabatisk genväg. Konceptet brusfria delsystem, en generalisering av dekoherensfria underrum, används för robusthet mot sammanflätning med omgivningen genom att skapa logiska kvantbitar som fungerar som en brusfri kod. Vidare tillämpas den adiabatiska genvägen för den brusfria koden på ett spinn-eko för att eliminera den dynamiska fasen, som är känslig för felpropagering, så att endast Berrys fas, som är okänslig för felpropagering, effektivt plockas upp. Motsvarande Hamiltonian härleds uttryckligen för de enda två fallen av tvådimensionella brusfria delsystem: 3 eller 4 kvantbitar med respektive totalspinn j = 1/2 och 0. Detta möjliggör beräkning med en geometrisk kvantdator baserad på en universell en-kvantbitsgrind, som också härleds explicit.

The MIST(MIniature Student saTellite) project is a 3U CubeSat developed by student teams at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. One of the fundamental systems of the satellite is the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), re sponsible for estimating and correcting the satellite’s orientation using magnetic fields and sun sensors. This final degree work belongs to the MIST functional test team. It focuses on building a test environment that verifies that all ADCS components will be have as expected once the satellite is in orbit. This thesis focuses on creating a test framework that can be used to verify the operation of the ADCS. This test framework is composed of several hardware and software components developed to be reliable and flexible, so it can be adapted to verify the behavior of other systems on the satel lite by other teams in the future. The value of this test framework is demonstrated by setting up a HardwareIntheLoop (HIL) simulation of the ADCS in which real flight hardware is used along with other hardware and software components to create a test scenario as close as possible to the orbit. / MIST­projektet (MIniature Student saTellite) är en 3U CubeSat som utvecklats av studentgrupper vid Kungliga tekniska högskolan (KTH) i Stockholm. Ett av satellitens grundläggande system är Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), som ansvarar för att uppskatta och korrigera satellitens orientering med hjälp av magnetfält och solsensorer. Det här examensarbetet hör till MIST:s funktionstestgrupp. Det fokuserar på att bygga en testmiljö som verifierar att alla ADCS-­komponenter kommer att bete sig som förväntat när satelliten väl är i omloppsbana. Det här examensarbetet fokuserar på att skapa en testram som kan användas för att verifiera ADCS:s funktion. Testramen består av flera hardware och software komponenter som utvecklats för att vara tillförlitliga och flexibla, så att den kan anpassas för att verifiera beteendet hos andra system på satelliten av andra team i framtiden. Värdet av denna testram demonstreras genom att man sätter upp en HIL­simulering (Hardware­In­the­Loop) av ADCS där riktig flygmaskinvara används tillsammans med andra hardware och software komponenter för att skapa ett testscenario som ligger så nära omloppsbanan som möjligt.

Um conjunto de reflexões teóricas sobre as incompatibilidades entre a Ordem Inter-nacional pós-Guerra Fria e as categorias estruturantes dos paradigmas analíticos dominantes, esta tese procura também apontar dados empíricos e listar questões a serem compreendidas por um novo modo de produção de conhecimentos em rela-ções internacionais. Ela critica tanto os paradigmas unidimensionais, principalmente os de corte liberal e leno-stalinistas, quanto os bidimensionais, de inspiração realista e racionalista, indicando que ambos formam redes conceituais baseadas numa dialé-tica dicotômica, que reduz a complexidade do internacional e do estrangeiro a um olhar e interesse nacionais. Sugere que o sistema internacional e os subsistemas regionais, como objetos de estudo, não se reduzem a suas unidades, constituindo uma terceira dimensão, ou zona cinzenta, cuja conformação, para ser compreendida depende da análise integrada dos fenômenos da guerra, das globalizações e do for-talecimento do Estado. Completando as sugestões para o debate e a formulação de conceitos interpretativos mais abrangentes, além de alguns neologismos, esta tese constrói algumas tipologias compreensivas. O autor adverte, contudo, que essas formulações têm o propósito de ilustrar a análise, não de fechar a discussão com um modelo acabado. / A set of theoretical reflections on the contradictions between the post-Cold War inter-national order and the structuring categories of the prevailing analytical paradigms, this thesis also tries to point to empirical data and list questions to be understood by a new way of producing knowledge in international relations. It criticizes both one-dimensional paradigms, mainly those in the liberal and Lenin-Stalinist model, and two-dimensional paradigms of realistic and rational inspiration, showing that both of them build conceptual networks based on the dialectics of dichotomy, which reduces the complexity of being international and foreign to a national vision and interest. The work also suggests that the international system and the regional subsystems, as objects of study, are not limited to their units, making up a third dimension, or grey zone, whose configuration can only be understood through an integrated analysis of the war phenomena, globalization and the strengthening of the State. By making suggestions for the debate and formulation of more comprehensive interpretation concepts, in addition to some neologisms, this thesis builds some broad typologies. However, the author warns that these formulations have the purpose of illustrating the analysis, not closing the debate on a finished model.

Spacecraft fulfill a myriad of critical functions on orbit, from defense and intelligence to science, navigation, and telecommunication. Spacecraft can also cost several hundred millions of dollars to design and launch, and given that physical access for maintenance remains difficult if not impossible to date, designing high reliability and survivability into these systems is an engineering and financial imperative. While reliability is recognized as an essential attribute for spacecraft, little analysis has been done pertaining to actual field reliability of spacecraft and their subsystems. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part fills the gap in the current understanding of spacecraft failure behavior on orbit through extensive statistical analysis and modeling of anomaly and failure data of Earth-orbiting spacecraft. The second part builds on these results to develop a novel theoretical basis (interdependent multi-layer network approach) and algorithmic tools for the analysis of survivability of spacecraft and space-based networks. Space-based networks (SBNs) allow the sharing of on-orbit resources, such as data storage, processing, and downlink. Results indicate and quantify the incremental survivability improvement of the SBN over the traditional monolith architecture. A trade-space analysis is then conducted using non-descriptive networkable subsystems/technologies to explore survivability characteristics of space-based networks and help guide design choices.

Reliability modelling of RAID storage systems with its various components such as RAID controllers, enclosures, expanders, interconnects and disks is important from a storage system designer's point of view. A model that can express all the failure characteristics of the whole RAID storage system can be used to evaluate design choices, perform cost reliability trade-offs and conduct sensitivity analyses. We present a reliability model for RAID storage systems where we try to model all the components as accurately as possible. We use several state-space reduction techniques, such as aggregating all in-series components and hierarchical decomposition, to reduce the size of our model. To automate computation of reliability, we use the PRISM model checker as a CTMC solver where appropriate. Initially, we assume a simple 3-state disk reliability model with independent disk failures. Later, we assume a Weibull model for the disks; we also consider a correlated disk failure model to check correspondence with the field data available. For all other components in the system, we assume exponential failure distribution. To use the CTMC solver, we approximate the Weibull distribution for a disk using sum of exponentials and we first confirm that this model gives results that are in reasonably good agreement with those from the sequential Monte Carlo simulation methods for RAID disk subsystems. Next, our model for whole RAID storage systems (that includes, for example, disks, expanders, enclosures) uses Weibull distributions and, where appropriate, correlated failure modes for disks, and exponential distributions with independent failure modes for all other components. Since the CTMC solver cannot handle the size of the resulting models, we solve such models using hierarchical decomposition technique. We are able to model fairly large configurations with upto 600 disks using this model. We can use such reasonably complete models to conduct several "what-if" analyses for many RAID storage systems of interest. Our results show that, depending on the configuration, spanning a RAID group across enclosures may increase or decrease reliability. Another key finding from our model results is that redundancy mechanisms such as multipathing is beneficial only if a single failure of some other component does not cause data inaccessibility of a whole RAID group.

In the wake of the Cold War, regional organizations have proliferated and are now a dominant theme in global politics. This study tests whether explanations for the Nordic peace can help to understand or construct other zones of peace in these increasingly important regional settings. With that in mind, this study compares the Nordic area of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden with the Southern Cone region–here defined as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay–and both are treated as regional, subsystemic zones of peace. Its significance lies in analysis of two developmentally disparate regions not yet compared in zones of peace literature. Using structured, focused comparison, this study is guided by fundamental questions about each region that assess the relationship between explanations for regional peace and their respective historical records. Understanding the conditions that permit the endurance of peace in today’s global context has far-reaching empirical and theoretical implications.

Um conjunto de reflexões teóricas sobre as incompatibilidades entre a Ordem Inter-nacional pós-Guerra Fria e as categorias estruturantes dos paradigmas analíticos dominantes, esta tese procura também apontar dados empíricos e listar questões a serem compreendidas por um novo modo de produção de conhecimentos em rela-ções internacionais. Ela critica tanto os paradigmas unidimensionais, principalmente os de corte liberal e leno-stalinistas, quanto os bidimensionais, de inspiração realista e racionalista, indicando que ambos formam redes conceituais baseadas numa dialé-tica dicotômica, que reduz a complexidade do internacional e do estrangeiro a um olhar e interesse nacionais. Sugere que o sistema internacional e os subsistemas regionais, como objetos de estudo, não se reduzem a suas unidades, constituindo uma terceira dimensão, ou zona cinzenta, cuja conformação, para ser compreendida depende da análise integrada dos fenômenos da guerra, das globalizações e do for-talecimento do Estado. Completando as sugestões para o debate e a formulação de conceitos interpretativos mais abrangentes, além de alguns neologismos, esta tese constrói algumas tipologias compreensivas. O autor adverte, contudo, que essas formulações têm o propósito de ilustrar a análise, não de fechar a discussão com um modelo acabado. / A set of theoretical reflections on the contradictions between the post-Cold War inter-national order and the structuring categories of the prevailing analytical paradigms, this thesis also tries to point to empirical data and list questions to be understood by a new way of producing knowledge in international relations. It criticizes both one-dimensional paradigms, mainly those in the liberal and Lenin-Stalinist model, and two-dimensional paradigms of realistic and rational inspiration, showing that both of them build conceptual networks based on the dialectics of dichotomy, which reduces the complexity of being international and foreign to a national vision and interest. The work also suggests that the international system and the regional subsystems, as objects of study, are not limited to their units, making up a third dimension, or grey zone, whose configuration can only be understood through an integrated analysis of the war phenomena, globalization and the strengthening of the State. By making suggestions for the debate and formulation of more comprehensive interpretation concepts, in addition to some neologisms, this thesis builds some broad typologies. However, the author warns that these formulations have the purpose of illustrating the analysis, not closing the debate on a finished model.

The National Commission of Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET) Document (1997) which portrays the new Education Policy in South Africa. clearly states that one of the crucial outcomes is that all possible barriers to learning must be eliminated so that all learners are able to actualise their full potential. Inclusive education, as embedded within the Education Policy, is regarded as an approach which will allow learners to actualise their full potential. This study is a critical reflection on whether inclusive education is practised in primary schools in the Thohoyandou area. The research findings indicated that inclusive education is not practised in the Thohoyandou area. A major factor or barrier in this regard is that teachers and principals are not empowered in terms ofknowledge to practise inclusive education. Other factors acting as barriers to the implementation of inclusive education are that the school buildings do not cater for physically and visually impaired learners as well as the attitudes of teachers, parents and peers are inclined to be negative towards learners experiencing barriers to learning. The community should also be educated and empowered to assist and understand these learners, who will become the future members of the community, more effectively, As inclusive education is one of the means whereby all learners are given the opportunity to actualise their full potential, these barriers must be addressed so that inclusive education can be practised in all primary schools in the Thohoyandou area. A few strategies to implement inclusive education in the Thohoyandou area are suggested by the researcher. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Special Needs Education)