Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed on Feb. 22, 2007). PDF text: vii, 119 p. : ill. UMI publication number: AAT 3217587. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in paper, microfilm and microfiche format.

Thesis (Ph. D)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2007 Aug 16

<p>This thesis considers different groupings that have come together in their participation in the policy processes relating to tenure reform in post-apartheid South Africa. It is methodologically and theoretically grounded in Bourdieu&rsquo / s notion of cultural &lsquo / fields&rsquo / , spaces of ongoing contestation and struggle, but in which actors develop a shared &lsquo / habitus&rsquo / , an embodied history. In these land reform policies and law-making activities, individuals and groups from different fields &ndash / the bureaucratic, activist and legal &ndash / have interacted in their contestations relating to the legitimation of their forms of knowledge. The resulting compromises are illuminated by a case study of a village in the former Gazankulu &lsquo / homeland&rsquo / &ndash / a fourth &lsquo / cultural field&rsquo / . Rather than seeing these fields as bounded, the thesis recognises the influence of wider political discourses and materialities, or the wider &lsquo / field of power&rsquo / . In each of the four very different fields, as a result of a shared history, actors within them have developed practices based upon particular shared discourses, institutions and values.</p>

The meaning of this essay is to look at how the narrative strategies, description of character and society differ between the two novels "This Perfect Day" and "Neuromancer". By looking at the different narrative techniques used by the authors and the results we can see why some of these strategies work very well in one novel but would not suit the other because of the contrasts in style it would produce.

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This thesis explores mental health problems relating to war and natural disaster and suicidal behaviour in the Nicaraguan population. The more specific aims of the study were to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of mental disorder in a community-based study during time of war (Paper I), to assess the mental health impact of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 (Paper II), to assess the incidence of hospitalized parasuicide cases and groups at risk (Paper III), and to examine suicide intent among attempters relating to gender, suicide method and sociodemographic factors and identify predictors for repetition of an attempt (Paper IV). Method: Based on 4453 family food ration books for families living in an urban area of León, Subtiava, 219 families including 746 adults were selected through a systematic sampling procedure. The study was conducted in 1987 during the war. We were able to reach 584 adults for interview according to the Present State Examination for ICD-9 diagnoses and Self-Report Questionnaire (Paper I). In Paper II, 496 adult primary health care attendees were interviewed six months after Hurricane Mitch according to the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and were diagnosed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to DSM-IV. In Papers III and IV, all cases from León city admitted to HEODRA Hospital for a suicide attempt over a three-year period (n=233) were interviewed regarding sociodemographic factors and method, time and place of the suicide attempt. A subgroup of 204 cases was interviewed using the Suicide Intent Scale (SIS). Out of those 106 cases were followed-up regarding repetition of attempt or completed suicide after a mean period of 1172 days. Results: In the Paper I study, the one-month prevalence of any mental disorder was 28.8% for men and 30.8% for women. Among men, alcoholism was the most common diagnosis, whereas neurosis, crisis reaction and depression were dominant among women. Alcoholism was scored as the second most severe disorder after psychosis in terms of functional level. In the Mitch study six months after the hurricane, traumatic events were common and 39% reported death or serious injury of a close relative as a result of the hurricane. The prevalence of PTSD ranged from 4.5% in the least damaged area to 9.0% in the worst damaged area. At the prolonged follow-up six months later, half of the cases still retained their diagnosis. Trauma-related symptoms were common and death of a relative, destroyed house, female sex, illiteracy and previous mental health problems were associated with a higher level of symptoms. Suicidal ideation was reported among 8.5% and was significantly associated with previous mental health problems and illiteracy. The studies regarding hospitalized parasuicides showed the highest rate among girls aged 15–19 years (302 attempts per 100 000 inhabitants and year). After drug intoxication, pesticide was the second most common method and most often used by men (23%). Half of the women had recent contact with health care services before attempting suicide. There were significant peaks regarding time of attempt in terms of seasonal and diurnal distribution. Overall scores regarding seriousness of the intent (SIS) were equal between the sexes, but the pattern of SIS items showed significant gender differences in terms of relation to background factors and method used. For women, having a child was one factor associated with higher seriousness. Factor analysis of SIS items revealed a four-factor solution, explaining 59% of the variance. Risk for fatal repetition was 3.2% after three years and for non-fatal repetition 4.8%. During follow-up, three men (11%) had completed suicide but no women. We failed to identify any predictors for repetition from background factors or SIS. Conclusion: The studies have identified different groups at risk for mental health problems relating to war and disasters. Parasuicide rates equalled those from European countries. Whereas young girls dominated, attempts among men were more severe in terms of the methods used and completed suicide at follow-up. SIS seemed to give a meaningful pattern among women but not for men. In our study, seriousness of attempt in terms of method or suicide intent did not predict repetition. Overall non-fatal repetition rate was very low as compared to other studies.

The action research methodology and several of its methods have previously been highlighted and described by the authors as a fitting and rigorous framework approach for complex waste management systems.  This was in response to criticism of the ex ante selection of traditional empiric systems analysis tools to provide decision support and ‘sustainable improvement’ in such complex systems which often involve strong human and political factors.   Several of the action research methods described have recently been utilized in a case study around mineral (aggregate) construction and demolition waste in the Stockholm region.  These methods were integrated through a series of workshops and work areas undergone together with project members from several private and public sectors.  Leaving the problem fuzzy (loosely defined) in the beginning; utilizing convergent interviewing, rich pictures and focus groups allowed the researchers and partner stakeholders to identify not one but several problem areas within the system of focus.  Indicator creation and a dialectic processes were then used to identify qualitative and quantitative aspects of salience around these problem areas.  These resulting indicators were strengthened through a process of verification.  Each indicator was then analyzed by what was deemed to be appropriate and transparent means.  It is argued that this approach may create better communication, transparency, and understanding by the stakeholders.  These factors in turn allowing stronger stakeholder ownership of the process and assisting in more informed decisions and help to provide stability for desired change. However the process was not without its drawbacks such as intense communication and time requirements. / QC 20120110 / Project BRA

Multi-view three-dimensional television relies on view synthesis to reduce the number of views being transmitted.  Arbitrary views can be synthesized by utilizing corresponding depth images with textures. The depth images obtained from stereo pairs or range cameras may contain erroneous values, which entail artifacts in a rendered view. Post-processing of the data may then be utilized to enhance the depth image with the purpose to reach a better quality of synthesized views. We propose a Partial Differential Equation (PDE)-based interpolation method for a reconstruction of the smooth areas in depth images, while preserving significant edges. We modeled the depth image by adjusting thresholds for edge detection and a uniform sparse sampling factor followed by the second order PDE interpolation. The objective results show that a depth image processed by the proposed method can achieve a better quality of synthesized views than the original depth image. Visual inspection confirmed the results.

Slavoj Zizek is a contemporary political philosopher widely recognized for his aphoristic style. Contrary to many forms of more traditional theory, Zizek does not forward his arguments as a series of well-argued, logically flowing propositions, but rather as a cacophony of diagnoses running the gamut of social science and culture studies while nevertheless always slipping from one position to another, occupying at times the position of the orthodox Marxist in the face of post-modernism’s excesses, and at other times doing quite the opposite. This study proposes a reading methodology that takes aphorism and hyperbole as key elements of writing; more specifically, this study understands writing as a political intervention, and reads Zizek’s recent works in this light. Arguing that Zizek occupies a multitude of positions against a multitude of interlocutors on the post-Marxist scene, this thesis claims that it is precisely his ability to navigate between two distinct scenes which constitutes his novelty. Zizek combats conventional forms of leftism in order to open up a space for a new theoretical position, denying the coordinates of both post-Marxism and postmodernism.

Slavoj Zizek is a contemporary political philosopher widely recognized for his aphoristic style. Contrary to many forms of more traditional theory, Zizek does not forward his arguments as a series of well-argued, logically flowing propositions, but rather as a cacophony of diagnoses running the gamut of social science and culture studies while nevertheless always slipping from one position to another, occupying at times the position of the orthodox Marxist in the face of post-modernism’s excesses, and at other times doing quite the opposite. This study proposes a reading methodology that takes aphorism and hyperbole as key elements of writing; more specifically, this study understands writing as a political intervention, and reads Zizek’s recent works in this light. Arguing that Zizek occupies a multitude of positions against a multitude of interlocutors on the post-Marxist scene, this thesis claims that it is precisely his ability to navigate between two distinct scenes which constitutes his novelty. Zizek combats conventional forms of leftism in order to open up a space for a new theoretical position, denying the coordinates of both post-Marxism and postmodernism.