Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'NIFTY'

This thesis approaches the issue of the detective in the 21st century through the parodic novella form. The main body of the work is a piece of fiction about an amateur detective trying to find a solution to an imagined crime. This comes from my study of detective fiction, starting with Oedipus and ending with twentieth and twenty-first century examples, especially in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Chester Himes, where the detective loses power. The novella follows Whitney Sloat as he acts as detective in a world that can’t let go of the hardboiled traditions. He and the people around him struggle to connect with reality, pursuing a way of life that cannot exist outside of their world.

CD8+ T Zellen unterstützen die Beseitigung von Pathogenen und sind somit entscheidend bei der Bekämpfung von Infektionen. Neben der Antigendosis und dem inflammatorischen Zytokinemilieu hat auch die Stimulation durch den TZR einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die CD8+ T Zellantwort. Das transkriptionelle Programm, die finale Größe und Dauer der klonalen Expansion und der Start der Kontraktionsphase werden durch die TZR-Signalstärke bestimmt. Schwache TZR-Stimulation führt zu einer verminderten Expansion und vermittelt eine frühzeitige Kontraktionsphase, die eine Entwicklung von Gedächtniszellen auf den Kosten der Effektorzellen favorisiert. IRF4 wird nach TZR-Ligand-Interaktion in CD8+ T-Zellen hoch reguliert. Seine Expressionskinetik ist stark von der TZR-Signalstärke der Aktivierung abhängig, übersetzt diese und sorgt für die Umsetzung in ein entsprechendes transkriptionelles und differentielles Programm. In dieser Arbeit konnte erstmals gezeigt werden, dass die IRF4-Defizienz in CD8+ T-Zellen zu einem verfrühten Abbruch der Expansion und zu einem vorzeitigen Beginn der Kontraktion führt, die durch den FAS-vermittelten Tod-induzierenden Signalweg initiiert wird. Außerdem präsentieren IRF4-defiziente CD8+ T-Zellen vermehrt Phosphatidylserine an ihrer Oberfläche und Komplementdeposition, beides begünstigt die Erkennung und Aufnahme durch Phagozyten. Diese Ergebnisse weisen zudem stark darauf hin, dass durch die fehlende Expression von IRF4 in CD8+ T Zellen, ein schwaches TZR-Signal übermittelt wird, unabhängig von der tatsächlichen Stärke und Dauer des aktivierenden Signals, dass zu einer Verkürzung der Expansionsphase führt und eine verfrühte Kontraktionsphase der Effektorzellen auslöst. Diese Arbeit erweitert schon bekanntes Wissen um IRF4 als Schlüsselregulator für die Differenzierung und Funktionalität der ag-spezifischen CD8+ T-Zellen, da es den Beginn der Kontraktionsphase diktiert mittels Aktivierung von verschiedenen Apoptose- und Phagocytose Signalwegen.
CD8+ T cells promote pathogen clearance and play a crucial role in controlling infections. Besides antigen dose and inflammatory cytokine milieu, the TCR stimulation contributes to the programming of the CD8+ T cell response. A distinct developmental program, the final magnitude and duration of clonal expansion, as well as the timing of the onset of T cell contraction, are determined by the TCR signaling strength. Weak TCR stimulation results in a diminished magnitude of expansion and accelerates the onset of contraction, as it favors the development of memory cells at the expense of effector cells. IRF4 is a transcription factor, that is upregulated in CD8+ T cells following TCR stimulation. Furthermore, its expression kinetic is highly dependent on the TCR signaling strength, which initiated activation. Therefore, it translates the strength of the activating signal and transmits it into a proper transcriptional and developmental program. This study provides unique evidence that the absence of IRF4 expression in CD8+ T cells leads to a hasted termination of clonal expansion and a premature contraction, initiated by the FAS-mediated cell death pathway. Moreover, IRF4-deficient CD8+ T cells exposed phosphatidylserine on their cell surface and showed complement deposition, both facilitating their recognition and uptake by phagocytes. The findings of this study additionally strongly indicate that IRF4 deficiency mimics weak TCR engagement and in turn transmits every TCR signal, independent of its actually affinity and duration, into a developmental program, that give rise to an early memory formation and results in a premature onset of effector CD8+ T cell contraction. This data extend previous knowledge of IRF4 being essential for the differentiation and functionality of ag-specific effector CD8+ T cells, as it furthermore dictates the onset of CD8+ T cell contraction via the activation of several death and phagocytosis inducing pathways.

Les integrines sont des glycoproteines heterodimeriques alpha/beta transmembranaires qui relient la matrice extracellulaire au cytosquelette. Leur double role dans l'adherence cellulaire et la transmission de signaux est regulee surtout par la partie cytoplasmique de la chaine beta. Afin de determiner le role des motifs cytoplasmiques hautement conserves cyto-3 nity#7#5#9 et cyto-2 nply#7#4#7 de la sous-unite beta(3) dans le fonctionnement de l'integrine alpha(v)beta(3), nous avons exprime dans les cellules cho des mutants beta(3), presentant des deletions sequentielles des motifs cyto-3 et cyto-2 ou des substitutions des residus tyrosine en alanine ou phenylalanine. Les etudes fonctionnelles des clones cho transfectes ont montre que le domaine cytoplasmique beta(3) joue un role essentiel dans differentes fonctions de alpha(v)beta(3), telles que la reorganisation du cytosquelette, l'induction de la phosphorylation de la fak et de la paxilline ainsi que la regulation de changements allosteriques extracellulaires a la suite de la fixation d'un ligand. Nos resultats montrent que les substitutions du residu tyr#7#4#7 ont des effets inhibiteurs plus considerables que celles de tyr#7#5#9, soulignant l'importance de la conformation du motif cyto-2 nply#7#4#7. L'etude des mutants y747f et y759f suggere qu'une phosphorylation de tyr#7#5#9 ne joue pas de role dans la transmission de signaux outside-in dependant de alpha(v)beta(3), alors que la presence de tyr#7#4#7 est necessaire pour un fonctionnement optimal du recepteur. Finalement, la deletion du motif nity#7#5#9 entraine la perte totale de toutes les fonctions de alpha(v)beta(3) etudiees, ce qui souligne l'importance de cette region pour les proprietes fonctionnelles de beta(3). L'etude de l'endocytose des recepteurs alpha(v)beta(3)wt et alpha(v)beta(3)y747a permet de suggerer que le motif cyto-2 nply#7#4#7 n'est pas directement implique dans ce mecanisme, puisque les deux recepteurs montrent des taux d'internalisation similaires.

In recent years, higher education institutes have shifted towards managerial organisational models. Some observers see this as a sign of our neoliberal times, with obsession for rankings, performance indicators and resource allocation. The result is that academic work is more competitive nowadays. Rankings and quantitative analysis of research output are more and more crucial for hiring, promotion and funding allocations. Chapter 2 touches upon these themes and suggests the fruitfulness of cross fertilisation between sociology and science studies. To study this hyper-competitive context, we designed a complex research project to answer different questions regarding multi-faceted aspects of the subject. Our main question was to find what factors drive research collaboration and productivity. These factors are helping some researchers be more successful than others in current evaluation based system. We have employed two sets of data to achieve this goal. One national and one international, both considering the case of sociologists. For individual research productivity measurement and to explore correlates of this productivity (Chapter 3) and macro level policy effect analysis (Chapter 4), we reconstructed the full publication list of all currently hired Italian sociologists on available data. We looked into their research productivity and how they have reacted to the ANVUR national policies by taking into account their embeddedness in different academic contexts. Our aim in Chapter 3 was to explain individual research productivity with organisational embeddedness and we found that male scientists, those working more internationally, and those working with a similar group of coauthors were more productive but not necessarily more cited by other members of the community.In Chapter 4, we analysed the effects of the Italian national research assessment exercise (VQR 2004-2010 by ANVUR) on research productivity and publication behavior of sociologists. Results showed that ANVUR had a limited influence on research productivity. Indeed most differences in individual research productivity of Italian sociologists were due to individual characteristics. Academics who experienced a promotion after 2010 were the most prolific authors.To explore the structural and societal effects on research productivity of sociologists in a more competitive arena at the international level, in Chapter 5, we reconstructed gender, background information and coauthorship networks of all published authors in two top sociology journals, i.e., the American Journal of Sociology (AJS) and the American Sociological Review (ASR). We expected that examining the élite of our community could reveal interesting patterns, especially to understand certain implications of the hyper-competitive academic culture. We found that white male authors affiliated to US institutes were over-represented in these journals. We also found that male authors tended to work more in team and found trace of significant gender and ethnicity penalties. In Chapter 6 we looked into research communities formation and evolution through the time among Italian sociologists. We aimed to investigate if being a member of these communities would inspire different patterns of scientific collaboration among Italian sociologists. We used a sophisticated multi-level design by using temporal community detection. We found the two largest and most stable research communities among Italian sociologists who were political and economic sociologists. We further explored the underlying mechanisms and processes of coauthorship tie existence in multi-level exponential random graph models (ERGMs) trying to take individual, community and macro levels into account in one integrated framework. We found that the collaboration ties were mainly driven by research focus while preferential attachment was also at work and highly prolific researchers attracted further coauthorship ties. In Chapter 7, we conclude by emphasising that academic work has changed drastically in 21st century. Scientific collaboration is a multi-faceted phenomenon and any effort at studying it only with one or two approaches or with one observational unit would yield reductionistic results. That was the main reason behind our effort to investigate this phenomenon from different points of views. Finally, in Appendices Chapter, how to access the data and R and Python scripts developed during this research project is described and an Annotated bibliography on different aspects of academic work is provided.

On 8th November 2016, the then Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi announced that the Indian Currency Notes of value 500 and 1000 will no more be a legal tender. This news came as storm for the Indian which was received with mixed feelings. Prior to Demonetization, cash in circulation was nearly 220 Billion dollars of which approximately 87% i.e. nearly 190 Billion Dollar was in INR 500 & INR 1000 currency notes. This meant its impact was bound to be felt by all sections of the society. In this present paper, we wanted to analyse the impact of this event of demonetization particularly on Indian Stock Market. We have gathered stock market data of last one year and have tried to study its behaviour before and after the demonetization in order to understand its impact. Keyword Index: Demonetization, Stock Market, NSE, BSE, SENSEX,NIFTY

The Nifty Cu deposit is located approximately 450km east of Port Hedland, Western Australia in subgreenschist grade rocks of the Proterozoic Paterson Orogen. The deposit consists of a secondary oxide resou~ce of 12.2 Mt@ 2.52% Cu and a primary sulphide ore body of94Mt @1.63% Cu (0.5% cut-off). Mineralisation is hosted in plunging syncline of carbonaceous and dolomitic shales of the upper Broadhurst Formation. The depositional age of the Broadhurst Formation is constrained to between 1132±21 and 816±6Ma. A reinterpretation of the local stratigraphy proposes that the mine sequence consist of the footwall beds, Nifty member, pyrite marker bed, and hanging wall beds. The footwall beds consist of chloritic and pyritic shales. The Nifty member is sub-divided into the lower unit, intermediate shale, upper unit and upper shale. The lower unit contains 40-70m thick package of interbedded finegrained, pale grey, dolomitic mudstone and blue-black, carbonaceous shale. Separating the lower and upper units is a prominent 1-4 metre thick bed of dark-grey to black, very fine-grained, chloritic shale. The upper unit (25-60m) has a similar composition to that of the lower unit and consists of alternating beds of laminated carbonaceous shale and dolomitic mudstone. The upper shale (20-40m) consists of dark-grey to black, laminated, carbonaceous shale with thin to massive framboidal pyrite scams and blebs, disseminated very fine-grained framboidal pyrite and minor dolomitic mudstone. Overlying the Nifty member is the pyrite marker bed, which consists of 1-22m of framboidal pyrite in carbonaceous shale. Above the pyrite marker bed is a 20-60m thick package of carbonaceous and pyritic shales of the hangingwall beds and 5-60m finely laminated dolomitic and calcareous silty shale of the upper carbonate bed. Five deformation events are recognised. 0 1 includes rare variably oriented folds of unknown significance. 0 2 produced regional folding and cleavage during north-east to south-west compression. Folds tend to be doubly plunging with axes trending north-east, south-west. 0 2 deformation has been at dated at Maroochydore as occurring at 717±6Ma (Reed, 1996). 0 3 is an upright folding and faulting event that folds S2. Associated with D3 is a north-north-east striking, slaty cleavage that is less well developed than S2. 0 4 is a complex folding event with sub-horizontal axial planes and fold axis coaxial to 0 2. A brittle deformation event, D5 has also been recognised and this event has resulted in fault offsetting of the ore body. There is significant structural complexity in the Nifty syncline area but most of the complexity is due to small scale, local, fault related events. The Nifty Cu deposit occurs as a structurally controlled, chalcopyrite-quartz-dolomite replacement of carbonaceous and dolomitic shale. The main phase of Cu mineralisation occurred during 0 2 deformation and is associated with a zoned hydrothermal alteration system. Six mineralisation textures were observed; veins, vein networks, breccia matrix, and a progressive sequence of isolated chalcopyrite spots and blebs, to bedding parallel bands, and finally replacement of host rock. Early framboidal pyrite with later chalcopyrite, euhedral pyrite, sphalerite, and galena are the dominant sulphide species. Sphalerite and galena occur in isolated zones in siliceous and pyritic beds of the pyrite marker bed and deposit footwall. Minor diagenetic alteration occurs as £1-Fe-Mg Carbonate in several prominent bands in hangingwall shales 2-5m above the pyrite marker bed. Two main stages of alteration occur at Nifty. A pre-D2• unmineralised, siliceous alteration, £2-Green Quartz, wilh minor chlorite+ pyrite+ hematite+ sericite+ stilpnomelane, replaces interbedded carbonaceous shale and dolomitic mudstone beds of the upper and lowe!' unit of the Nifty member. The second phase (syn-D2) of alteration is associated with Cu mineralisation and occurs as a zoned quartz-dolomite system. Distal alteration consists of S2-Silicified Pyritic Shale where quartz+ sphalerite+ galena+ chalcopyrite and cuhedral pyrite ~verprint framboidal pyrite beds in the pyrite marker bed and immediate deposit footwall. Inward is a progressive sequence of interbedded/banded SJ-Hydrothermal Quartz-Dolomite and unaltered shale beds. The SJ-Hydrothermal Quartz-Dolomite alteration first appears as spots and veins with 2-4mm light grey alteration margins in lhe footwall followed by coalesced spots. An Fe-rich variant of hydrothermal dolomite occurs where minor SJ-Chloritic Shale was observed on the distal margin of Fe-rich quartz-dolomite altered rocks. Further inward and proximal to the highest ore grade is S4-Silicified Dolomitic Shale (dolostone) lhat grades into S5-Biack Silica in the centre of the ore body. S5 alteration consists of fine-grained quartz + chalcopyrite + apatite + carbonaceous material and replaces host rock and earlier siliceous alteration. Cu grade has a strong positive correlation with intensity of alteration. Minor concentrations of Pb and Zn are associated with bedding parallel quartz flooding + chalcopyrite + euhedral pyrite of S2-Silicified Pyritic Shale. Sphalerite and galena replace pyrite framboids. A new method of calculating mass balance change in compositions during alteration has been developed. This method uses a log transform of the element of interest divided by an immobile element. The logratio method is scale invariant and therefore avoids the unit sum problem. This melhod has been applied to Nifty multi-element data from host rock lithologies and alteration phases. Mass balance calculations suggests that during intense alteration (S4 and S5) the central core of the deposit was enriched in Cu, Si02, As, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ni, U, Fez03 andY. Depletion has occurred in Ba, Sr, and Rb. The outer halo of the deposit experienced similar additions but of a smaller magnitude. An implication of the mass balance analysis is that there has been a significant volume change during alteration and mineralisation. The highest concentration of Cu occurs within hydrothermally altered rocks of the upper and lower units of the Nifty member while Pb and Zn occur in silicified pyrite shales in the pyrite marker bed and footwall beds. High concentrations of Zn also occur in shale above the upper carbonate beds. This distribution of base-metals has resulted in a vertical metal zonation of Cu~Pb~Zn. New galena Pb isotope data from the Nifty Cu deposit and other regional prospects have been combined with existing galena data to constrain the source of Pb. Pb isotope data from Throssell Group deposits and prospects plot as a linear trend in 206PbP04Pb vs 206PbP04Pb space. The Warrabarty Pb-Zn prospect plots at the least radiogenic end, Maroochydore Cu deposit at the most radiogenic end, and lhe Nifty Cu deposit plots towards the least radiogenic end of the trend. The Throssell Group linear trend suggests mixing between two Pb sources. Potential sources of Pb are I) Rudall Complex, 2) Pilbara Craton, or 3) internally sourced Pb leached from Throssell Group sediments. The Rudall Complex Pb signature is poorly defined as shown by initial Pb-Pb ratios of K-feldspars separates. Galena Pb isotope data from deposits in the Pilbara Craton plot on a Pb evolution trend similar to the growth curve of Cumming and Richards (1975). A source-mixing model is proposed where Pb from a magmatic source (J.t:=9.88) is mixed with crustal Pb (J.t:=l0.55): The position of deposits and prospects along the linear trend suggests that the Pb in the Warrabarty Pb-Zn prospect was dominated by magmatic Pb and that Pb at the • Maroochydore Cu deposit has a crustal source. Pb in the Nifty Cu deposit appears to have a mixed source. Syn-mincralisation fluid inclusions are small (commonly <5-lOJ.lm) and consist a simple two phase petrology of liquid and vapour. Fluid inclusion trapping temperatures of mineralising fluids at Nifty range between 270-457°C (median 358°C) and salinity of 8-27 eq. wt.% NaCl (median 15 eq. wt.% NaCI). Post mineralisation inclusions have trapping temperatures between 18I-269°C (median 190°C) and salinity of 11-15 eq. wt.% NaCI (median 13 eq. wt.% NaCl). Sulphur isotope data from framboidal pyrite ranges between o34ScoT of -27 and + 16%o, suggesting that the source of framboidal pyrite sulphur is a combination of reduced seawater sulphate and evaporite sulphate. Chalcopyrite o34ScoT ranges between -6 and +6%o and o34ScoT for euhcdral, syn-mineralisation pyrite ranges between - 12 to+ 12%o. The range of syn-mineralisation sulphide data suggest that source of sulphur at Nifty was homogenous and that syn-mineralisation sulphides did not utilise existing sulphur from sedimentary pyrite. The o34S range of -6 to +6%o for chalcopyrite also suggests a reduced magmatic hydrothermal source of sulphur. Carbon and oxygen isotopic data from host rock carbonates, pre-, syn-, and post-mineralisation vein stages have lighter oxygen and carbon values than other deposits in the region. Results from the various vein stage carbonates overlap, with o13Cvpo8 values from approximately 6 to -13%o and o180vsMow values from approximately 15 to 20%o. Carbon and oxygen isotope trend modelling suggests that fluid mixing and fluid/rock interaction are potential precipitation mechanisms. A model for the formation of the Nifty Cu deposit is proposed whereby compression associated with the Miles Orogeny caused the expulsion hydrothermal fluids from deep in the Yeneena Basin. Fluid expulsion was driven by 1ithostatic loading due to overriding thrust sheets. Hydrothermal fluids travelled along a basement decollement and then ascend D2 thrust faults toward zones of low pressure. During tightening of the Nifty syncline thrust faulting penetrated carbonaceous and dolomitic shales allowing hydrothermal fluids to enter the Nifty member. Early fluid pulses were weakly oxidised and contained low concentrations of base metals. These fluids altered the host rock and precipitated £2-Green Quartz. Later hydrothermal fluid changed, increasing the concentration of base metals, became hotter, more saline, reduced and moderately acidic. On encountering the Nifty member, hydrothermal fluids reacted with dolomite-dominated beds forrning the dolomitic alteration textures and in turn, siliceous replacement of carbonaceous shale and dolomitic mudstone. Chalcopyrite precipitation was controlled mainly by changes in pH and /02 caused by the reaction of acidic, hydrothermal fluids with the dolomite-bearing host rock.

Mexico's Trade Policy During The Pe Kryštof Kozák, Ph.D. Despite the efforts of trading with other countries, there is still a dominant economic dependence on the United States due to the NAFTA agreement. The master thesis studies Mexico's trade policy and its effects on trade during the Peña Nieto administration with particular attention paid to how the government has tried to diversify trade. A descriptive analysis is used with research in exports, imports and foreign direct investment.

Black women are inventing new epistemologies to better fit their own experience, and they are putting these new ways of knowing into action within their communities to generate collective change through art. Black women’s theories of their own lived experience publicly have been consistently limited by narrow definitions of what it means to create a “Theory.” In this thesis, I will analyze the work of three contemporary Black woman performance artists, Ntozake Shange, Jamila Woods, and Nitty Scott, to identify the ways in which Black women do indeed theorize within these public spaces in ways that are innovative and complex. I focus on these artists insights on three critical sites: home, school, and community. I read Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, Woods’ Legacy!Legacy!, and Scott’s Creature! alongside Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought and bell hooks’ Teaching to Transgress to explore the innovative theoretical spaces Black women have created in their art. Ultimately, I argue that acknowledging this process of using popular culture as a space for theoretical discourse can provide innovative tools for expression for Black women who do not, cannot, or do not wish to participate in academic discourses. Understanding these tools can empower Black women to explore their humanity and to understand the contexts, which Collins refers to as “domains,” in which Black women can claim and expand their power.

碩士
國立屏東科技大學
景觀暨遊憩管理研究所
97
This study attempts to collect the all stories relative to the development of the community. Base on this information, the process of the community development will be reviewed. The goal is to realize the relationship between community development and social changes. The map recognition method is used the historical developed maps and let people tell the storied related to this map. By doing this way, the community identity will be aroused. This method also create a platform, all kinds of opinions will have a chance to present. Besides, the profession suggestions will also be involved. The final decisions may cover more aspects and can be accepted by more people. This study applied this method to the Chung-Ie and Un-Chan communities of Taichung, the results revealed that people moved to these two communities in the early stage due to the industrial driving force. Later, from the map boundary expansion, it was shown that the transportation system was constructed at that time; it brought a lot people from outskirt into here. In recently, the population keeps increasing from inner reproduction. It implied that people are willing stay his county instead of moving out due to a lot of renovation and investment of the public works in here.This model will sever as an open platform. People can communicate each other and find a best policy for future community development.

Kensington-Cedar Cottage [KCC] is one of twenty three local areas as defined for planning purposes in the City of Vancouver. It is an area characterized by remarkable social diversity. KCC was one of two local areas to pilot the Community Visions program, a new approach to local area planning employed by the City of Vancouver. The KCC CityPlan Committee is comprised of a group of area residents who work with planners from the City of Vancouver in the implementation of the KCC Community Vision. This research asks in what sense the existence of the KCC CityPlan Committee strengthens community planning by facilitating inclusive citizen participation in decision making about the future of the area. This thesis finds that while the existence of the Committee facilitates active citizen participation in decision making about the future of the area for the relatively small group of people who are involved in its activities, the Committee is not representative of the residents of KCC. The KCC CityPlan Committee facilitates information sharing about planning activities with the wider community; however, the priorities and activities of the Committee and Community Vision Implementation Program do not reflect the needs of many KCC residents who struggle daily with securing adequate and affordable housing, food, childcare, and transportation. This research also finds that the existence of the KCC CityPlan Committee provides opportunities for neighbourhood groups in the area to coordinate at the local area level, build a broad base of support, and find resources for their initiatives. In the relationships created between neighbours, that result in collective action toward inclusion, we can find possibilities for neighbourhoods in which all residents feel they belong. The Community Visions Program does support the activities of some of these neighbourhood level groups, though mainly those concerned with environmental beautification. Exclusion and growing disparity will be a reality in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, unless there is a sustained and active commitment to the goal of inclusion by citizens, community groups, city planners, and politicians. Two actions that would result in more inclusive planning in Kensington- Cedar Cottage are support for initiatives at the neighbourhood level that foster inclusion, and the establishment of meaningful partnerships with community based organizations working with marginalized members of the community.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of
Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1991.
Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis describes the formation of religious communities (orders, congregations) and their development in the world and in our country. They are described with a view to their charitable activities. It further deals with the persecution of the church in general and the persecution and the life of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo with regard to Prague in the period of 1945-1989. This section is divided into six particular periods according to the importance of the influence of the state on the activities of the church and the Congregation. Each of these periods is divided into two parts. The first part illustrates the development of the relationship between the state and the church generally. The second part describes the relationship between the state and womens` orders and with the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo in particular. The thesis utilizes relevant literature and archives. Archival documents come from the National Archives in Prague, mostly from the funds of the State Agency for Religious Affairs, the Military Historical Archives and the archives of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Charles Borromeo in Prague. The thesis is closed with some thoughts of the role of religious communities in today's world. Key words...