Neste trabalho estudamos variedades determinantais essencialmente isoladas (EIDS), definidas por W. Èbeling e S. M. Gusen-Zade em [23]. Este tipo de singularidades é uma generalização das singularidades isoladas. A variedade determinantal genérica Mtm, n é o subconjunto das matrizes m X n, tais que o posto seja menor que t, onde t &le; min{n;m}. Uma variedade X &sub; CN é determinantal se é definida como a pré-imagem de uma função holomorfa F : CN &rarr; Mm;n, sobre a variedade determinantal genérica M t</sup m;n, com a condição codim X = codim Mtm;n. Uma variedade determinantal tem singularidade isolada se N &le; (n- t + 2)(m- t + 2) e admite suavização se N < (n-t+2)(m-t+2). Trabalhos recentes têm estudado variedades determinantais com singularidade isolada, [35, 31]. O número de Milnor de uma superfície determinantal é investigado em [35, 31, 12]. Para variedades determinantais de dimensões maiores a característica de Euler evanescente é definida em [31, 12]. Neste trabalho estudamos o conjunto de limites de hiperplanos tangentes às variedades determinantais X2 &sub; C4 e X3 &sub; C5 para dar uma caracterização deste conjunto, em que o número de Milnor de sua seção com a superfície no primeiro caso ou a 3- variedade no segundo caso não é mínimo. O primeiro caso foi estudado por Jawad Snoussi em [38]. Provamos também que se X é uma EIDS de dimensão d e H e H\' são dois hiperplanos fortemente gerais, se P &sub; H e P\' &sub;H\' são planos lineares de codimensão d - 2 contidos respectivamente em H e H\', o número de Milnor das superfícies correspondentes X &cap; P\' são iguais. Este resultado foi provado para o caso em que a seção genérica é uma curva em [26]. Estudamos a transformada de Nash de uma EIDS e discutimos condições suficientes para que esta transformada seja suave. Outro objetivo é estudar a obstrução de Euler de singularidades determinantais essencialmente isoladas. Obtemos fórmulas que relacionam a obstrução de Euler com a característica de Euler evanescente da suavização essencial de suas seções gerais. Estudamos as variedades determinantais com o conjunto singular de dimensão 1 para ilustrar os resultados. / In this work, we study the essentially isolated determinantal singularities (EIDS), which have been defined by W. Èbeling and S. M. Gusen-Zade in the article [23]. This type of singularities is a natural generalization of isolated ones. A generic determinantal variety Mtm;n is a subset of the space of m X n matrices, given by matrices of rank less than t, where t &le; min. A variety X &sub; CN is determinantal if X is defined as the pre-image of Mtm;n by a holomorphic function F : CN &rarr; Mm;n with the condition codim X = codim Mtm;n. Determinantal varieties have isolated singularity if N &le; (n - t + 2)(m - t + 2) and they admit smoothing if N < (n - t +2)(m - t +2). Several recent works investigate determinantal variety with isolated singularities. The Milnor number of a surface was defined in [35, 31] and the vanishing Euler characteristic was studied in [31]. In this work we study the set of limits of tangent hyperplanes to determinantal varieties X2 &sub; C4 and X3 &sub; C5 to give a characterization of this set by the fact that the Milnor number of its section with the surface in the first case or the 3-dimensional determinantal variety in the second case is not minimum. The first case is studied by Jawad Snoussi in [38]. We also prove that if X is a d- dimensional EIDS and H and H\' are strongly general hyperplans, if P &sub; H and P\' are linear plans of codimension d - 2 contained in H and H\', the Milnor number of the surfaces X &cap; P and X &cap; P\' are equal. In the case that the generic section is a curve the result has been proved in [26]. We study the Nash transformation of an EIDS and give sufficient conditions for this transformation to be smooth. Another aim of our study is the Euler obstruction of essentially isolated determinantal singularities. We obtain inductive formulas associating the Euler obstruction with the vanishing Euler characteristic of the essencial smoothing of their generic sections. We study the determinantal variety with singular set of dimension 1 to illustrate the results.

The aim of the thesis is to study the negation in Muslim Baghdad Arabic variety. Iraqi Arabic variety has several different varieties because of the different ethnicities and religions in Iraq therefore the scope of the thesis has been limited to investigate just one type of Baghdad Arabic variety which is Muslim Baghdad Arabic (MBA). I used text analysis as a method in order to investigate the negation (system) in Muslim Baghdad Arabic variety. The material used was a book by McCarthy (1965) ‘Spoken Arabic of Baghdad, Anthology of text’. I also used Abu-Haidar’s article ‘Negation in Iraqi Arabic’ which is the most relevant work to my thesis as a starting point and for comparison with my discussion. The thesis has presented three different types of results. (i) There were some similar results that have been presented in both my thesis and the previous studies. (ii) There were some different results about some matters between my thesis and the previous studies. (iii) There were some new results in this thesis that have not been presented in any other studies.

La thèse Les particularités fonctionnelles et structurales des actes de parole russes des Allemands ethniques dans l'espace sociolinguistique de l’Allemagne se concentre sur la description détaillée de l’espace sociolinguistique déterminé par la présence d'immigrés russes d'origine allemande dans l'Allemagne actuelle. L'objet de l'étude est la variété parlée et écrite issue des pratiques spontanées en russe de la communauté russophone des Allemands ethniques au nord de l'Allemagne actuelle, plus précisement dans le district de Schleswig-Holstein. Le but de la présente recherche est d’identifier et de classer les particularités les plus importantes et fréquentes du parler russe de ces Allemands ethniques aux plans phonétique, lexical et morphologique dans les conditions d’influence permanente exercée par la langue et la culture allemandes ainsi que de révéler différentes types des variétés du russe dans ce contexte en fonction des situations de communication non-institutionelle du bilinguisme russo-allemand. Les réponses obtenues au cours d'enquêtes effectuées en Allemagne sous la forme de questionnaires auprès de 80 Allemands ethniques russophones et d'entretiens spontanés ainsi qu'en se référant aux données des sites russo-allemands dépouillées, en 2008-2009, ont servi de la base empirique de la recherche. La méthodologie retenue est descriptive : interviews, questionnaires, traitement statistique des données. Elle intègre aussi une analyse contextuelle, sémantique. L'étude effectuée a montré que le fonctionnement de la langue russe à l'extérieur de son aire de répartition historique dans des conditions de contacts permanents avec la langue allemande accompagne l’émergence d'un espace sociolinguistique particulier qui se caractérise par l’hétérogénéité ethnique. Par conséquent, cet espace ne peut être identifié comme une diaspora. Il dispose cependant d'une large gamme de traits distinctifs, et sa cohésion est assurée par la langue russe, ce qui contribue à la formation d'une identité linguistique spécifique. / The thesis Functional and Structural Features of Russian Speech of Ethnic Germans in the Sociolinguistic Space in Germany aims to provide a detailed description of a sociolinguistic space determined by the presence of Russian immigrants of German ancestry in today's United Germany. The object of the research is the spoken and written varieties issued from spontaneous utterances of Russian speech in the Russian speaking community of said Germans in present day Northern Germany, particularly in the district of Schleswig-Holstein. The purpose of the current thesis is to identify and to classify the most important and regular traits of the spoken Russian of ethnic Germans with respect to phonetics, lexis and morphology under the conditions of permanent influence exercised by the German language and culture and finally, to reveal different types of Russian language varieties in this context in connection with the non-institutional communicative situations of Russian and German bilingualism. The answers obtained within the inquiry conducted in Germany in the form of questionnaires distributed to 80 Russian speaking ethnic Germans and during spontaneous interviews as well as with the help of data gathered from the Russian and German Internet-sites in 2008-2009, formed the empirical basis of the research. The chosen methodology is descriptive: interviews, questionnaires and the statistical treatment of data, with the inclusion of contextual and semantic analysis. By conducting this piece of research, it highlighted that the functioning of the Russian language within the limits of its historical distribution and under the conditions of its permanent contact with German language, has led to the creation of a particular sociolinguistic space which is specified by its ethnic heterogeneity. The consequence being, this space cannot be defined as a diaspora. Nevertheless, it possesses a significant variety of highly distinctive features and its solidarity is assured by the Russian language which contributes to the formation of a specific linguistic identity.

If <i>E</i> is an exterior algebra on a finite dimensional vector space and <i>M</i> is a graded <i>E</i>-module, the relationship between the resonance varieties of <i>M</i> and the minimal free resolution of <i>M </i>is studied. In the context of Orlik–Solomon algebras, we give a condition under which elements of the second resonance variety can be obtained. We show that the resonance varieties of a general <i>M</i> are invariant under taking syzygy modules up to a shift. As corollary, it is shown that certain points in the resonance varieties of <i>M</i> can be determined from minimal syzygies of a special form, and we define syzygetic resonance varieties to be the subvarieties consisting of such points. The (depth one) syzygetic resonance varieties of a square-free module <i>M</i> over <i>E</i> are shown to be subspace arrangements whose components correspond to graded shifts in the minimal free resolution of <i>_SM</i>, the square-free module over a commutative polynomial ring <i>S </i>corresponding to <i>M</i>. Using this, a lower bound for the graded Betti numbers of the square-free module<i> M</i> is given. As another application, it is shown that the minimality of certain syzygies of Orlik–Solomon algebras yield linear subspaces of their (syzygetic) resonance varieties and lower bounds for their graded Betti numbers.

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Architecture / David R. Seamon / This thesis presents a redesign of Kansas City’s downtown Government District, making use of the conceptual approach provided by Responsive Environments (1985), a manual for urban design written by architects Ian Bentley and Alan Alcock, urban designers Sue McGlynn and Graham Smith, and landscape architect Paul Murrain. “Responsive environments” are those urban places, the physical settings of which maximize usability and social value by offering a wide range of day-to-day user choices within close proximity. The authors of Responsive Environments identify seven hierarchical qualities—permeability, variety, legibility, robustness, visual appropriateness, richness, and personalization—that are said to be vital in creating responsive environments within the city. Through a literature review and critique, chapters 1 and 2 of the thesis overview Responsive Environments in terms of several major theorists of urban place making, including urban theorist Bill Hillier (1984), urban critic Jane Jacobs (1961), and urban designer William Whyte (1980). In turn, chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 investigate the practicability of Responsive Environments as an urban design approach by applying its three larger-scale qualities of permeability, variety, and legibility to the Government District, an existing urban area in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, presently underdeveloped in terms of environmental responsiveness and a strong sense of urban place. As a means to identify strengths and weaknesses of Responsive Environments, the last chapter of the thesis critiques the resulting Government District design. The thesis concludes that Responsive Environments is a valuable design approach that offers much for strengthening the quality of urban life and urban sustainability.

Denna kandidatuppsats inom företagsekonomi berör ämnet varumärkeslojalitet och hur Generation Y, generationen född mellan år 1980-2000, förhåller sig till fenomenet. Studiens övergripande syfte är att undersöka huruvida Generation Y är lojal eller inte och vad anledningarna är till varför de blir lojala eller väljer att byta varumärke. Det finns ingen bestämd definition av begreppet varumärkeslojalitet, men man kännetecknar det bland annat som återkommande köp, benägenhet att rekommendera och en positiv attityd till varumärket. Tidigare forskning inom området påstår att Generation Y är en illojal generation som ständigt är på jakt efter det senaste på markanden och utan eftertanke byter varumärken. Vi upplever att forskningen som berör ämnet är begränsad och att de egentliga orsakerna till varför Generation Y beter sig som de gör i sitt konsumtions- och lojalitetsbeteende inte tydliggörs. Vår studie har syftet att fördjupa sig i frågan och ge en ökad förståelse för Generation Y och deras beteende.Studiens tre forskningsfrågor är: Är Generation Y en illojal generation? Vad krävs för att Generation Y ska vara lojal? Varför slutar Generation Y konsumera ett varumärke? För att möta studiens syfte har en kvalitativ undersökningsmetod valts och för att besvara studiens frågeställningar har kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts. 15 semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer i olika åldrar, födda mellan år 1980-2000 gjordes. Därmed kunde vi täcka kvoten för Generation Y. Till intervjupersonerna ställdes frågor angående konsumtion, lojalitet och byte för att få en övergripande bild av hur deras konsumtionsbeteende ser ut.Från intervjuerna och den teoretiska referensramen har vi sammanställt ett resultat som ger en övergripande bild av Generation Y och generationens förhållande till varumärkeslojalitet. Resultatet som framgår av studien visar att Generation Y är benägen till återkommande köp av varumärken, rekommendation och har en god attityd mot varumärken. Med detta kan slutsatsen dras att Generation Y är lojal. Dock finns en skiljelinje. Om lojalitet kräver exklusivitet, att man bara konsumerar från ett varumärke ur en bransch, är generationen generellt sett illojal. Om man istället utgår från att lojalitet kan vara multipel, att man regelbundet konsumerar ett antal varumärken ur en bransch, kan man dra slutsatsen att Generation Y är lojal. Ur studien framgår vad som påverkar varför en person ur Generation Y blir lojal. Det faktorer som främst leder till lojalitet hos Generation Y är bra service och god kvalitet. En kombination av de två faktorerna förstärker lojaliteten och ökar chansen för att den ska uppstå och bestå. Studien redovisar även de främsta orsakerna till varför Generation Y byter varumärke. Byte beror främst på olika typer av missnöjdhet. Byten utan upplevd missnöjdhet beror främst på ett stimuleringsbehov, viljan att testa något nytt och rekommendationer från betrodda personer i omgivningen. / This business bachelor thesis deals with the subject of brand loyalty and investigates how Generation Y (born 1980-2000) relates to this phenomenon. Conducted in Gothenburg, Sweden and published in Swedish the overall purpose of this study is to investigate whether Generation Y are loyal or not and identify the reasons for why one remains loyal or chooses to change to a different brand. There is no specific definition for the term brand loyalty, but it is commonly characterized as a tendency to recommend, to repurchase and having a positive attitude towards a brand. Previous research in this area states that Generation Y are disloyal and constantly on the lookout for the latest product on the market and that without reflection change brands. The research on the subject is limited and the root causes for this behavior within consumption and loyalty are not clearly explained. The aim of this study is to complete further research and provide a better understanding of Generation Y and their behavior with regards brand loyalty.The research questions of this study are: Are Generation Y disloyal? What is required for Generation Y to become loyal? What are the reasons for Generation Y demonstrating disloyalty towards brands? To this end a qualitative method was chosen along with the conduction of qualitative interviews. 15 semi-structured interviews were completed including people of different ages, born between 1980 and 2000. This allowed us to cover the full age spectrum of Generation Y. Questions asked to all respondents were focused towards consumption, loyalty and the switching of brands.From the interviews and the theoretical framework we have compiled a result which gives an overall picture of Generation Y and its relation to brand loyalty. The results of this study show that Generation Y are prone to repurchase, recommend brands and also show a good attitude towards brands. It can therefore be concluded that Generation Y are loyal. However, there is a dividing factor. If loyalty requires exclusivity, consuming one brand per industry, Generation Y are generally not loyal. If we instead assume that loyalty can be multiple, to regularly consume a number of brands within an industry, it can be concluded that Generation Y are loyal. This study documents the factors that influence whether a person from Generation Y is loyal. The main influencers that lead to loyalty among Generation Y are good service and good quality. A combination of these two reinforce loyalty and increase the chance for it to occur and persist. The study also summarizes the main reasons Generation Y switch brands. Switching is most often caused due to a form of dissatisfaction. Switching without perceived dissatisfaction is mainly influenced from a stimulation need, the willingness to try something new and alternative recommendations from a trusted advisor.

This thesis attempts to bridge the gap between Social Psychology and Sociolinguistics by exploring the relationship between language attitudes and language use. Using a sample of 71 university students in Spain, it investigates how learners deal with phonological variation in the English language, what language attitudes are held towards American and British models of English speech and which social and psychological factors are linked with learners' language attitudes and language use. A social-psychological model was adopted and adapted, allowing learners' use of intervocalic /t/ to be successfully predicted from measures of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. Direct measures of learners' preferred accent and pronunciation class were also highly predictive of learners' language use. Several trends were found in the attitudinal data. Firstly, British English speech was rated more favourably overall, though American English speech was often viewed as more socially attractive. Secondly, the evaluative dimensions of competence and social attractiveness were salient amongst learners in the Spanish context. Each of these findings endorses those of previous language attitude studies conducted elsewhere. Thirdly, female speakers were consistently rated more favourably than male speakers; thus, highlighting the need for further investigation into the variable of speaker sex. Familiarity with the speech varieties under investigation – most often gained through education, media exposure, time spent abroad and/or contact with native speakers – seemed to result in learners challenging rigid stereotypes and expressing more individualised attitudes. Overall, British speech emerged as formal and functional, while American speech was thought to fulfil more informal and interpersonal functions. This thesis provides compelling evidence of attitude-behaviour relations, adds to the growing volume of language attitude research being conducted across the globe, and establishes – for the first time – which social and psychological variables are relevant and salient within English-language learning contexts in Spain.

In the context of global energy shortage and climate change, developing local biogas plants coupled with agricultural systems can become an important strategy for cleaner rural energy and sustainable agriculture. In this research, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to compare the climate impact of two essentially different systems: 1) Scenario I: an agricultural system based on the cultivation of 11 hectares of energy tobacco primarily for seed production; 2) Scenario II: a hypothetical Scenario Investigating the climate impact concerned with a crop variety – a higher yielding variety cultivated for both seed and biomass - and introducing biogas production. Both scenarios focus on the energy tobacco biomass residues. The overall aim of the study was to evaluate the climate impact of these two scenarios in the agricultural and energy system in Marble Hall, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The biogas was used for electricity production, replacing coal-based electricity on the grid. Biomass residues were chosen as feedstock for biogas production since this crop presently receives much attention in the region as the oily seeds can be used to produce sustainable jet fuel. Results from the modelling show that Scenario II would provide a positive climate impact: a 43% reduction of greenhouse gases compared to Scenario I. The higher yielding crop variety in Scenario II means that there is also potential to produce more sustainable jet fuel to replace conventional aviation fossil fuel. Taking this into account, the biogas scenario can reduce emissions by 79% compared to the base case. An analysis of the results indicates that there are several variables in the system model that are uncertain and sensitive to change, proving that more research is necessary to make robust conclusions about the validity of the presented results.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was initiated to gain insight into cabaret as a form of theatre for the migration of singers with a classical singing orientation. It researches a form of music theatre known as entertainment cabaret, which is individual by nature, as it is not bound by convention. The study entails a discussion of the nature of cabaret as a diverse form of theatre. It illustrates the role of the artist and the genre’s music style in researching structure, to determine differences and similarities in the frameworks of cabaret and opera, with specific reference to classical singing. Currently there is an abundance of musical theatre genres, and cabaret is not differentiated as an individual genre. This leads to problems in the definitive classifying of cabaret, as well as the bridging of a singer with a classical singing orientation migrating to cabaret. The study researches the concept of, and reasons for, this migration in South Africa. The qualitative research method, which makes use of in-depth interviews to gain insight, generated a wealth of information about the realities in South Africa. This method introduces a new method of acquiring information, where the changes of the last few years had a tremendous impact on the careers of performing artists in South Africa. For this reason, artists with a classical singing orientation must have a choice to take action; to generate their own opportunities. The main findings and the need for multi-talented artists to adapt to the different styles of genres were analysed in the theoretical section, followed by a discussion of the respondents’ feedback selected to contribute to this study. The gap in skills between the cabaret artist and the classical singer is identified to showcase and define the possibility of cabaret as a form of theatre for classical singers. New categories are generated in which ideas of how development can be adapted are laid out. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om insig te verkry in kabaret as moontlike teatervorm vir die migrasie van sangers met ’n klassieke sangoriëntasie. Dit ondersoek die vermaaklikheidsvorm kabaret, ’n eiesoortige vorm van musiekteater deurdat dit nie deur konvensies begrens word nie. Die studie behels ’n bespreking van die aard van kabaret as diverse teatervorm, en illustreer die rol en vaardighede van die kabarettis asook die genre se musiekstyl om die ooreenkomste en verskille in die raamwerk van kabaret en opera, met betrekking tot klassieke sangoriëntasie, te ondersoek. Tans oorvloei die musiekteatergenres, en word kabaret nie as eiesoortige genre onderskei nie. Dit maak die onderskeid van kabaret, asook die oorbrugging van ’n klassieke sanger wat na kabaret migreer, uiters problematies. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die konsep van en redes vir die migrasie van sangers met ’n klassieke sangoriëntasie na kabaret in Suid-Afrika. Die kwalitatiewe metode, wat met behulp van diepte-onderhoude insig verkry, het ’n magdom inligting oor die werklikhede in Suid-Afrika opgelewer. Hierdie metodologie is ’n nuwe manier om inligting in te samel, veral in die lig van veranderinge in die laaste paar jaar in die land, wat ’n geweldige impak op die loopbaan van Suid-Afrikaanse uitvoerende kunstenaars gehad het. Kunstenaars met ‘n klassieke sangoriëntasie moet kan kies om tot aksie oor te gaan; om hulle eie geleenthede te genereer. Die hoofbevindinge en die behoefte dat veelsydige kunstenaars by verskillende genrestyle moet kan aanpas word in die teoretiese afdeling ondersoek, gevolg deur ’n bespreking van die respondentterugvoering wat vir die doel van die studie geselekteer is. Die gaping tussen die vaardighede van die kabarettis en klassieke sanger word geïdentifiseer om sodoende die moontlikheid van kabaret as teatervorm vir klassieke sangers te definieer. Nuwe kategorieë word geskep waarin idees vir die moontlike aanpassing van ontwikkeling neergelê word.