Standardisation of a mental skills scale in South Africa and the United Kingdom

The contemporary science of sport and exercise psychology requires the standardisation of mental skills questionnaires to facilitate accurate assessment of and intervention for individuals and groups in various health and sport related contexts. The study presents international research findings regarding the standardisation of a Mental Skills Scale with a sample of university students (N=420) from South Africa (n=211) and the United Kingdom (n=209) respectively. Although further international and national standardisation in both English and other languages is recommended, factor and reliability analyses indicated satisfactory validity and reliability of the current English version of the scale.

Airborne Olive Pollen Counts are not Representative of 1 Exposure to the Major Olive Allergen Ole e 1

Pollen is routinely monitored, but it is unknown whether pollen counts represent allergen exposure. We therefore simultaneously determined olive pollen and Ole e 1 in ambient air in C"ordoba, Spain, and "Evora, Portugal, using Hirst-type traps for pollen and high-volume cascade impactors for allergen. Pollen from different days released 12-fold different amounts of Ole e 1 per pollen (both locations P < 0.001). Average allergen release from pollen (pollen potency) was much higher in C"ordoba (3.9 pg Ole e 1/pollen) than in "Evora (0.8 pg Ole e 1/pollen, P = 0.004). Indeed, yearly olive pollen counts in C"ordoba were 2.4 times higher than in "Evora, but Ole e 1 concentrations were 7.6 times higher. When modeling the origin of the pollen, >40% of Ole e 1 exposure in "Evora was explained by high-potency pollen originating from the south of Spain. Thus, olive pollen can vary substantially in allergen release, even though they are morphologically identical.

Estrutura metálica do teto falso da sala de comando da central Venda Nova III – acompanhamento da conceção, fabrico e montagem

O primeiro objetivo deste relatório, que adiante se desenvolve, é apresentar o trabalho realizado para a obtenção de conhecimentos que justifiquem a atribuição do grau de mestre em engenharia, no ramo das construções. O estágio, que a este trabalho dá sustentação, foi feito na empresa Metaloviana, onde foi possível acompanhar as várias fases de conceção, fabrico e montagem de um teto falso, designadamente na sala de comando da central Venda Nova III, de aproveitamento hidroelétrico. Tendo Portugal objetivos cada vez mais ambiciosos na utilização de energias renováveis, aproveitando, entre outros, os recursos hídricos para a produção de eletricidade, a EDP Produção fez estudos onde verificou que a realização de reforços de potência em aproveitamento já existentes, seria uma forma economicamente bastante atrativa e ao mesmo tempo responderia às crescentes solicitações energéticas. É neste âmbito que se insere o Reforço de Potência em Venda Nova III. A empresa Metaloviana, com instalações fabris em Viana do Castelo, tem todo um historial e capacidade, reconhecida nacional e internacionalmente. Este, confere a certeza de ter acompanhado um trabalho de ponta, devidamente creditado e fundamentado numa qualidade e mérito, por demais reconhecido.

Novel insights into the action of antimicrobial agents against human pathogens

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biochemistry

A "Portrait" of Book XII of the Æneid: the Mosaic of the «House of the Medusa» (Alter do Chão, Portugal)

This paper addresses the study of a mosaic discovered in 2007 at the archaeological site of Alter do Chão, Portugal, whose central panel represents the penultimate scene narrated in the last Book of the Æneid – a Roman epic composed by the poet Publius Vergilius Maro (70 BC – AD 19), at the request of Gaius Julius Cæsar Octavianus Augustus (63 BC – AD 14): it shows the very moment when Turnus, the Latin king of the Rutuli, kneels before Æneas, considered the precursor to the foundation of Rome (Virgil, Æneid, XII, 926-950).

Effect of combined care nursing on patient satisfaction, staff satisfaction, and quality of care /

This research evaluates the effect of combined care nursing on three outcomes: i) patient satisfaction; ii) staff satisfaction; and iii) quality of care. Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital was in the early planning stages of changing to combined care nursing from the traditional method of providing separate postpartum and nursery care to mothers and babies. The opportunity existed to evaluate formally the change to combined care. There were three hypotheses to be investigated. Data were collected from four sources: patient surveys, staff surveys, informal interviews, and internal hospital documents. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. The surveys were administered on three different occasions to patients and staff. Other sources of data included informal interviews with patients and staff who responded to the surveys, and chart audits.The study findings revealed that the majority of respondents had increased levels of satisfaction and perceptions of increased quality of care following implementation of combined care. These findings, related to combined care and the role of change in its implementation and evaluation, indicate that there are no right or easy answers about how to make new ideas become reality in a smooth, pleasant way.

Partnership, politics and public administration: a case study of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Efforts to reform the public sector reflect the social, political and economic environment within which government must function. The recent demands by the public for more consensual decision-making, as well as more efficient, effective and responsive public service, have resulted in a number of reform initiatives, including an emphasis on partnership development. The purpose of this thesis is to examine partnership arrangements within the public sector. Specifically, the thesis will assess the value of partnerships and their impact on government by examining six partnership arrangements involving the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). The OMNR, having recently been awarded the 1992 Institute of Public Administration of Canada Award for Innovative Management, on the theme of partnership development, is being lauded as an example for other government agencies considering similar alliances. The thesis begins by introducing the concept and practice of partnership within the public sector in general and the OMNR specifically. Descriptive analysis of six OMNR partnerships is provided and a number of criteria are used to determine the success of each of these arrangements. Special attention is paid to the political implications of partnerships and to those attributes which appear to contribute to the successful establishment and iii maintenance of partnership arrangements. The conclusion is drawn that partnerships provide the government with an opportunity to address public demands for greater involvement in decision-making while accommodating government's limited financial resources. However, few truly collaborative partnerships exist within the public sector. There are also significant political implications associated with partnerships which must be dealt with both at the political and bureaucratic levels of government. Lastly, it is argued that while partnerships within the OMNR are experiencing some difficulties, they constitute a genuine attempt to broaden the base of decision-making and to incorporate the concerns of stakeholders into resource management.

Office of the City Clerk, St. Catharines Records, 1928-1974, n.d.

The site of present-day St. Catharines was settled by 3000 United Empire Loyalists at the end of the 18th century. From 1790, the settlement (then known as "The Twelve") grew as an agricultural community. St. Catharines was once referred to Shipman's Corners after Paul Shipman, owner of a tavern that was an important stagecoach transfer point. In 1815, leading businessman William Hamilton Merritt abandoned his wharf at Queenston and set up another at Shipman's Corners. He became involved in the construction and operation of several lumber and gristmills along Twelve Mile Creek. Shipman's Corners soon became the principal milling site of the eastern Niagara Peninsula. At about the same time, Merritt began to develop the salt springs that were discovered along the river which subsequently gave the village a reputation as a health resort. By this time St. Catharines was the official name of the village; the origin of the name remains obscure, but is thought to be named after Catharine Askin Robertson Hamilton, wife of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a prominent businessman. Merritt devised a canal scheme from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario that would provide a more reliable water supply for the mills while at the same time function as a canal. He formed the Welland Canal Company, and construction took place from 1824 to 1829. The canal and the mills made St. Catharines the most important industrial centre in Niagara. By 1845, St. Catharines was incorporated as a town, with the town limits extending in 1854. Administrative and political functions were added to St. Catharines in 1862 when it became the county seat of Lincoln. In 1871, construction began on the third Welland Canal, which attracted additional population to the town. As a consequence of continual growth, the town limits were again extended. St. Catharines attained city status in 1876 with its larger population and area. Manufacturing became increasingly important in St. Catharines in the early 1900s with the abundance of hydro-electric power, and its location on important land and water routes. The large increase in population after the 1900s was mainly due to the continued industrialization and urbanization of the northern part of the city and the related expansion of business activity. The fourth Welland Canal was opened in 1932 as the third canal could no longer accommodate the larger ships. The post war years and the automobile brought great change to the urban form of St. Catharines. St. Catharines began to spread its boundaries in all directions with land being added five times during the 1950s. The Town of Merritton, Village of Port Dalhousie and Grantham Township were all incorporated as part of St. Catharines in 1961. In 1970 the Province of Ontario implemented a regional approach to deal with such issues as planning, pollution, transportation and services. As a result, Louth Township on the west side of the city was amalgamated, extending the city's boundary to Fifteen Mile Creek. With its current population of 131,989, St. Catharines has become the dominant centre of the Niagara region. Source: City of St. Catharines website http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/governin/HistoryOfTheCity.asp (January 27, 2011)

James VI of Scotland Letter, 1579

This letter authorizes William Hamilton of Portmollart to repair to Edinburgh notwithstanding the acts discharging the Hamiltons from being within six miles of the King’s person. James VI and James I (June 19, 1566 – March 27, 1625) was King of Scots as James VI from July 24th, 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on March 24, 1603 after the passing of Elizabeth I.

Extraordinary Narrative of the Prince of Wales' Trip Across the Atlantic (1895)

Detailing what the Prince had to say about his travels.

Le bailli d’Amiens comme relais de l’autorité royale dans le Nord de la France au temps de Philippe VI (1328-1350)

Carte du bailliage en fichier complémentaire.

Mechanical simulation of the endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Ce travail de thèse porte sur la simulation du déploiement des prothèses vasculaires de type stent-graft (SG) lors de la réparation endovasculaire (EVAR) des anévrismes de l’aorte abdominale (AAA). Cette étude se présente en trois parties: (i) tests mécaniques en flexion et compression de SG couramment utilisés (corps et jambage de marque Cook) ainsi que la simulation numérique desdits tests, (ii) développement d’un modèle numérique d’anévrisme, (iii) stratégie de simulation du déploiement des SG. La méthode numérique employée est celle des éléments finis. Dans un premier temps, une vérification du modèle éléments finis (MEF) des SG est realisée par comparaison des différents cas de charge avec leur pendant expérimental. Ensuite, le MEF vasculaire (AAA) est lui aussi vérifié lors d’une comparaison des niveaux de contraintes maximales principales dans la paroi avec des valeurs de la littérature. Enfin, le déploiement est abordé tout en intégrant les cathéters. Les tests mécaniques menés sur les SG ont été simulés avec une différence maximale de 5,93%, tout en tenant compte de la pré-charge des stents. Le MEF de la structure vasculaire a montré des contraintes maximales principales éloignées de 4,41% par rapport à un modèle similaire précédemment publié. Quant à la simulation du déploiement, un jeu complet de SG a pu être déployé avec un bon contrôle de la position relative et globale, dans un AAA spécifique pré-déformé, sans toutefois inclure de thrombus intra-luminal (TIL). La paroi du AAA a été modélisée avec une loi de comportement isotropique hyperélastique. Étant donné que la différence maximale tolérée en milieu clinique entre réalité et simulation est de 5%, notre approche semble acceptable et pourrait donner suite à de futurs développements. Cela dit, le petit nombre de SG testés justifie pleinement une vaste campagne de tests mécaniques et simulations supplémentaires à des fins de validation.

De la polémique au catéchisme : les méthodes d'évangélisation des morisques en Espagne (XVe-XVIe siècle)

Réalisé en co-tutelle avec l'Université Paul-Valéry-Montpellier III.

De episcopis Hispaniarum : agents of continuity in the long fifth century

En année 408 après J.-C., l’Espagne, malgré sa position péninsulaire à la fin de l’Europe, était intégrée à une culture pan-Méditerranéenne qui s’étendait du Portugal jusqu’à la Syrie. Trois décennies n’étaient pas encore passées depuis l’instauration du Christianisme comme religion de l’état romain et l’Eglise Catholique était en pleine croissance. L’année suivante, l’Espagne entra sur une voie de transformation irrémédiable alors que les païens, avec leurs langues barbares Germaniques franchirent les Pyrénées portant la guerre et la misère aux Hispano-Romains et fondant leurs royaumes là où auparavant gouvernait l’état romain. Dans le désarroi du Ve siècle, les évêques Catholiques luttèrent pour imposer leur dominance dans les communautés et dans les coeurs des pieux. À la lumière des progrès dans l’archéologie et la qualité des éditions critiques de nos sources littéraires est venu le moment d’identifier les évêques ibériques avec une attention aux conditions régionales. Ce mémoire caractérise les évêques de l’Espagne et du Portugal et démontre les épreuves auxquelles ils firent face comme intermédiaires entre indigènes et envahisseurs, comme évangélistes parmi les païens, persécuteurs des apostates et gardiens de la romanitas à la fin du monde Antique.

Synthesis and Characterization Of Some Transition Metal Complexes Of Multidentate Ligands

Coordination chemistry of schiff bases is of considerable interest due to their various magnetic, catalytic and biological applications. Here it describes the spectral characterization of schiff bases and its Mn (II), Cu (II) and Ni (II) complexes. Then synthesis and spectral characterization of Zn (II), Cd (II) and Co (II) complexes of schiff base derived from 3-Formylsalicilic Acid and 1,3-diaminopropane. Then it discusses the synthesis and spectral studies of Copper (II) complexes of 2-Hydroxyacetophenone N-phenyl semicarbazone. Finally it discusses the synthesis and spectral characterization of Co (III) complexes of salicylaldehyde N-phenyl semicarbazone. The preparation and characterization of Cobalt (III) complexes of salicylaldehyde, N-phenylthiosemicarbazone containing hetrocyclic bases phenalthroline and bipyridine. Thiocyanate, azide and perchlorate ions act as coligands. Elemental analysis suggests +3 state for Cobalt. HNMR, IR and UV-visible spectra characterize the complexes.