A dominant trend in cyberpunk scholarship draws from Fredric Jameson's diagnosis of postmodernism as the logic of late capitalism, using Jameson's spatial pastiche, schizophrenic temporality, and waning of affect, along with Jameson's characterization of Baudrillard's simulacrum to interpret postmodern cultural artifacts. For many cultural critics, the city of cyberpunk is thoroughly postmodern because parallels can be drawn between the cyberpunk city and the postmodern condition. However, very little work has considered the ways in which cyberpunk can defamiliarize the necro-spatial and necro-temporal logic of neoliberalism. This project moves away from more traditional disciplinary aesthetic methods of analyzing power and urban systems, such as interpretation and representation. And, it problematizes the biopolitical present in three different ways. First, by weaving in and out of an analysis of the narratives, discourses, and spatio-temporalities of cyberpunk and neoliberalism, I seek to produce epistemological interferences within these genres/disciplines, and thus, to disrupt the conceptual and lived biopolitical status-quo of late-capitalism. The goal is to open the door for discomfort with and a critical awareness of the necrotic conditions of competition by highlighting the fictive nature of neoliberalism. Second, this study problematizes accelerationism as a viable alternative to leftist politics and suggests in the end that accelerationism is a form of neoliberal resilience. It does this through an analysis of the biohacker that reframes this subject in terms of accelerationism and the logic of intensity. I argue that the biohacker is the accelerationist subject Alex Williams and Nick Srnicek advocate for in their "Accelerationist Manifesto," suggesting that this accelerationist subject is, in the end, a neoliberal subject that fits easily within the conditions of competition. This study argues that the biohacker in its numerous forms reflects an underlying pure neoliberalism at work within accelerationism and its neoliberal governmentalities. I suggest that far from being an alternative to leftist politics, accelerationism may further the goals of neoliberalism in its desire to accelerate to a purified market space. And, finally, this study works towards offering a biopolitics that theorizes death in terms of ordinariness and suggests that biopolitics is still a useful analytic within neoliberalism. In other words, Foucault's biopolitics can do more than theorize a genealogy of biological racism and genocide. Rather than advocate for moving beyond biopolitics, this study argues instead that neoliberal biopolitics can still be understood in terms of Foucault's analytic, and that perhaps, we need to disentangle Foucault's work from Achille Mbembe's "Necropolitics." / Doctor of Philosophy / A dominant trend in cyberpunk scholarship draws from Fredric Jameson’s diagnosis of postmodernism as the logic of late capitalism, using Jameson’s spatial pastiche, schizophrenic temporality, and waning of affect, along with Jameson’s characterization of Baudrillard’s simulacrum to interpret postmodern cultural artifacts. For many cultural critics, the city of cyberpunk is thoroughly postmodern because parallels can be drawn between the cyberpunk city and the postmodern condition. However, very little work has considered the ways in which cyberpunk can defamiliarize the necro-spatial and necro-temporal logic of neoliberalism. This project moves away from more traditional disciplinary aesthetic methods of analyzing power and urban systems, such as interpretation and representation. It problematizes the biopolitical present in three different ways. First, by weaving in and out of an analysis of the narratives, discourses, and spatio-temporalities of cyberpunk and neoliberalism, I seek to produce epistemological interferences within these genres/disciplines, and thus, to disrupt the conceptual and lived biopolitical status-quo of late-capitalism. Second, this study problematizes accelerationism as a viable alternative to leftist politics and suggests in the end that accelerationism is a form of neoliberal resilience. And, finally, this study works towards offering a biopolitics that theorizes death in terms of ordinariness and suggests that biopolitics is still a useful analytic within neoliberalism. Methodologically, the project utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, pulling from political theory, genre studies, discourse analysis, and digital ethnographic research. Professionals and scholars interested in contesting neoliberalism will benefit from this study as it offers ways to problematize neoliberalism’s reality construction.

Untersuchung des Einflusses von Komorbiditäten auf Patienten mit allogener Stammzelltransplantation nach reduzierter Konditionierung, Überprüfung der Validität des HCT-CI an Leipziger Patienten

Introduction: Nurses and other health care professionals meet patients with heart failure (HF) who report they are thirsty. Thirst is described by the patients as a concern, and it is distressing. Currently there are no standardized procedures to identify patients with increased thirst or to help a patient to manage troublesome thirst and research in the area of thirst is scarce. In order to prevent and relieve troublesome thirst more knowledge is needed on how thirst is experienced and what factors cause increased thirst. Aim: The aim of this thesis was to describe the thirst experience of patients with HF and describe the relationship of thirst with physiologic, psychologic and situational factors. The goal was to contribute to the improvement of the care by identifying needs and possible approaches to prevent and relieve thirst in patients with HF. Methods: The studies in this thesis used a cross-sectional design (Study I) and prospective observational designs (II-IV). Studies include data from patients with HF who were admitted to the emergency department for deterioration in HF (I, IV) or visited an outpatient HF clinic for worsening of HF symptoms (III); others were patients who were following up after HF hospitalization (II), and patients with no HF diagnosis who sought care at the emergency department for other illness (I). Patients completed questionnaires on thirst intensity, thirst distress, HF self-care behaviour, feeling depressive and feeling anxious. Data on sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, pharmacological treatment and prescribed fluid restriction were retrieved from hospital medical records and by asking the patients. Data were also collected from blood, urine and saliva samples to measure biological markers of dehydration, HF severity and stress. Results: Thirst was prevalent in 1 out of 5 patients (II) and 63% of patients with worsening of HF symptoms experienced moderate to severe thirst distress at hospital admission (IV). Patients at an outpatient HF clinic who reported thirst at the first visit were more often thirsty at the follow-up visits compared to patients who did not report thirst at the first visit (II). Thirst intensity was significantly higher in patients hospitalized with decompensated HF compared to patients with no HF (median 75 vs. 25 mm, visual analogue scale [VAS] 0-100 mm; P < 0.001) (I). During optimization of pharmacological treatment of HF, thirst intensity increased in 67% of the patients. Thirst intensity increased significantly more in patients in the high thirst intensity group compared to patients in the low thirst intensity group (median +18 mm vs. -3 mm; P < 0.001) (III). Patients who were admitted to the hospital with high thirst distress continued to have high thirst distress over time (IV). A large number of patients were bothered by thirst and feeling dry in the mouth when they were thirsty (III, IV). Patients with a fluid restriction had high thirst distress over time and patients who were feeling depressed had high thirst intensity over time (IV). Thirst was associated with fluid restriction (III-IV), a higher serum urea (IIIII), and depressive symptoms (II). Conclusions: A considerable amount of patients with HF experiences thirst intensity and thirst distress. Patients who reported thirst at the first follow-up more often had thirst at the subsequent follow-ups. The most important factors related to thirst intensity or thirst distress were a fluid restriction, a higher plasma urea, and depressive symptoms. Nurses should ask patients with HF if they are thirsty and measure the thirst intensity and thirst distress, and ask if thirst is bothering them. Each patient should be critically evaluated if a fluid restriction really is needed, if the patient might be dehydrated or needs to be treated for depression.

This disquisition aims for the study of turbulence intensity influence over the power performance of different sizes of turbines with the intent to validate a hypothesis. The hypothesis formulated for the analysis is the relationship between the rotor diameter (turbine size) and turbulence intensity. The hypothetical relationship is that the smaller turbines tend to experience more influence on the power performance from the turbulence in comparison with larger ones. For this examination, three different wind turbines of models Vestas V90, V100, V126 were chosen from three Swedish wind farms. The power performance of turbines at various levels of turbulence intensity were analyzed and the power deviation from the mean value due to influence of turbulence were assessed. The power deviation values of different turbines were compared at same level of wind speeds and also the power coefficients at same level of tip speed ratios were compared to validate the hypothesis. It was observed that the hypothesis seemed to appear true as higher influence on power curves were observed on V90 compared to others. Nevertheless, there were some obscene results which might be due to several factors such as influence of variation in hub height, site and inadequacy of data. / Detta examensarbete syftar till att studera hur ett vindkraftverks storlek påverkar inflytande från turbulens på effektuttaget. Hypotesen är att vindkraftverk med mindre rotordiameter påverkas mer av turbulens än de större. Tre vindkraftverksmodeller (Vestas V90, V100 och V126) från svenska vindkraftsparker valdes ut. De olika modellernas effektuttag för olika grader av turbulens analyserades och avvikelsen från effektmedelvärdet jämfördes. Effektavvikelserna samt verkningsgradsavvikelsen  för de olika vindkraftverksmodellerna jämfördes vid samma vindhastighet respektive löptal för att kunna testa hypotesen. Hypotesen styrks då den mista modellen (Vestas V90) påverkas mest av turbulens. Resultatet har dock troligtvis påverkats av andra faktorer såsom tornhöjd, terräng och en begränsad mängd data.

The main aim of this research was to develop a greater understanding of the effects of prior moderate and intense exercise on sports-related performance. The research developed through five related studies that examined the effects of exercise on key aspects of sports performance. Each study was conducted in appropriate field-based settings, using protocols that have relevance to the chosen sports and performance tasks that display ecological validity. Three intensities were examined across each of the five studies; rest, moderate and intense exercise. The preliminary study explored the effects of moderate and intense exercise on soccer passing performance in collegiate level players (n = 20). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant (p = 0.010) effect of prior exercise on passing performance. Following on from this investigation, the effects of prior exercise on basketball passing performance in expert (n = 10) and non-expert players (n = 10) was examined. A 3 x 2 mixed ANOVA revealed a highly significant exercise intensity effect (p  0.001) as well as a highly significant exercise intensity by level of expertise interaction (p = 0.010). No between-group differences were observed however. This study nevertheless revealed that the expert players maintain a better level of performance compared to non-expert players following moderate and high-intensity exercise conditions. The third study explored the effects of moderate and intense exercise on coincidence-anticipation timing in expert (n = 11) and non-expert (n = 9) Gaelic games players. The 3 x 2 mixed ANOVA revealed no overall exercise intensity effect (p > 0.05) but there was a significant exercise intensity by level of expertise interaction (p = 0.031). Highly significant between-group differences (p < 0.001) were found, with the expert players maintaining a higher level of anticipation following moderate and intense exercise conditions. Study four comprised a small-scale study (n = 12) examining the effects of moderate and intense exercise on attention using the Stroop Colour-Word Test. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant (p = 0.030) effect of prior exercise on attention. This study identified that attention following moderate-intensity exercise is equivalent to that at rest. However, following intense exercise attention deteriorates to a level below that at rest. The final study examined the effects of exercise intensity on groundstroke accuracy in expert (n = 13) and non-expert (n = 17) tennis players and comprised the most ecologically valid design. A range of 3 x 2 mixed ANOVAs were conducted revealing highly significant (p < .001) main effects for exercise intensity as well as highly significant (p = 0.003) between-group effects. No exercise intensity by level of expertise interaction was found however. In general, the findings suggest that performance following moderate-intensity exercise is equivalent to that at rest. However, significant decrements in key aspects of sports-related performance were observed following intense exercise. The findings of this research indicate that the theories of arousal cannot by themselves account for the outcomes of this work and the relationship between exercise and arousal needs to be explored further. Future research is imperative employing ecologically valid protocols and sport-specific performance tasks. The ensuing results in this case will have much more application and relevance to trainers, coaches and players.

Thesis (MSc (Physics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Hanbury Brown-Twiss interferometry is a correlation technique by which the size and shape of the emission function of identical particles created during collisions of high-energy leptons, hadrons or nuclei can be determined. Accurate experimental datasets of three-dimensional correlation functions in momentum space now exist; these are sometimes almost Gaussian in form, but may also show strong deviations from Gaussian shapes. We investigate the suitability of expressing these correlation functions in terms of statistical quantities beyond the normal Gaussian description. Beyond means and the covariance matrix, higher-order moments and cumulants describe the form and di erence between the measured correlation function and a Gaussian distribution. The corresponding series expansion is the Gram- Charlier series and in particular the Gram-Charlier Type A expansion found in the literature, which is based on a Gaussian reference distribution. We investigate both the Gram-Charlier Type A series as well as generalised forms based on non-Gaussian reference distributions, as well as the related Edgeworth expansion. For testing purposes, experimental data is initially represented by a suite of one-dimensional analytic non-Gaussian distributions. We conclude that the accuracy of these expansions can be improved dramatically through a better choice of reference distribution, suggested by the sign and size of the kurtosis of the experimental distribution. We further extend our investigation to simulated samples of such test distributions and simplify the theoretical expressions for unbiased estimators (k-statistics) for the case of symmetric distributions.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / Global urbanisation trends predict a future in which the already overburdened cities of Africa and Asia will house the bulk of the two billion new people born by 2050. This second wave of urbanisation will increase resource demands in these cities and extend the expanse of slums already surrounding them. Given the global imperative of sustainable development, and the existing imbalance of resource access, effective urban planning is necessary to meet this second urbanisation wave, and build resilient, equitable cities. However, preliminary investigation suggests a lack of data-supported decision-making in cities of the global south, due either to limited collection of, or lack of access to, city-level data. This has led to many urban development programmes being implemented with minimal scientific backing to support the success of proposed policy or infrastructure innovations. This directly impacts a city’s ability to reach service delivery, economic growth, and human development goals, let alone protect ecosystem services upon which it relies. This is particularly true in African cities, in which governments are (necessarily) more focused on delivery of basic services than on a greening or efficiency agenda. This is further compounded by the need for African cities to prepare adequate public services for the increased population expected in the second urbanisation wave. A quantitative assessment of cities’ resource profiles can support policy makers in making informed decisions about infrastructure configurations in order to improve their resource management. To this end, methods to accurately estimate and analyse these data are necessary. The primary objective of this study was to establish a resource consumption typology for African cities. Due to limitations in the availability and form of secondary data, this study shifted focus to explore how best to form a typology from limited data. It made use of data for 53 African nations and scaling theories proffered to estimate city-level economic and resource data for 120 African cities. The resultant resource profiles were then normalised and clustered in a number of ways to produce two national typologies and four city typologies. Insights from these typologies both inform the method for categorising cities by socioeconomic or resource indicators as well as provide insights into the shape and magnitude of resource profile for multiple African cities. They also highlight the key drivers of resource consumption in these spaces. Future work involves validating the scaling method with locally acquired data so as to increase confidence in the city-level data, before settling on the preferred method for clustering cities. / Wêreldwye verstedelikingstendense dui op ‘n toekoms waarin die reeds oorlaaide stede in Afrika en Asië die grootste deel van die sowat twee biljoen nuwe mense teen 2050 sal huisves. Die tweede verstedelikingsgolf sal eise wat in hierdie stede op hulpbronne gestel word verhoog, en die uitgestrektheid van krotbuurtes wat hulle reeds omsingel, nog meer laat uitkring. In die lig van die wêreldwye noodsaaklikheid van volhoubare ontwikkeling en die heersende wanbalans wat toeganklikheid tot hulpbronne betref, is doeltreffende stedelike beplanning nodig om aan hierdie verwagte tweede verstedelikingsgolf te kan voldoen en lewenskragtige, gelyke stede op te rig. Voorlopige ondersoek toon egter ‘n tekort aan data-gesteunde besluitneming in suidelike stede van die wêreld weens óf beperkte inwinning daarvan, óf gebrek aan toegang tot data op stedelike vlak. Dit het daartoe aanleiding gegee dat talle stedelike ontwikkelingsprogramme met minimale wetenskaplike steun, wat die sukses van voorgestelde beleids- of infrastruktuurinnovasies rugsteun, geïmplementeer is. ‘n Stad se vermoë om sy doelwitte ten opsigte van dienslewering, ekonomiese groei en menslike ontwikkeling te bereik, word sodoende gekortwiek om nie eens melding te maak van beskerming van die ekostelsel-dienste waarop hy staatmaak nie. Dit is veral die geval in Afrika-stede waar regeerders (uit noodsaak) meer gefokus is op die lewering van basiese dienste as op ‘n agenda vir vergroening en doelmatigheid. Dit word voorts verhewig deur die behoefte van Afrika-stede om doeltreffende openbare dienste op die been te bring vir die groter bevolking wat met die tweede verstedelikingsgolf in die vooruitsig gestel word. ‘n Kwantitatiewe vasstelling van die omvang van stede se hulpbronne, kan beleidskeppers help om ingeligte besluite te neem oor infrastruktuur-konfigurasie en sodoende die bestuur van hulle hulpbronne verbeter. Met dit as mikpunt, is metodes nodig om hierdie data korrek te bepaal en te analiseer. Die hoofdoel van hierdie verhandeling was om ‘n hulpbronkonsumpsie-tipologie op te stel. Weens beperkinge wat betref die beskikbaarheid en vorm van sekondêre data, is die verhandeling se fokus verskuif om te bepaal hoe daar ten beste ‘n tipologie uit beperkte data gevorm kan word. Daar is van data rakende 53 Afrika-nasies, en skaal-teorieë aangebied deur gebruik gemaak om data oor die ekonomieë en hulpbronne van 120 Afrika-stede te bekom. Die hulpbron-vasstelling wat hieruit voortgevloei het, is vervolgens genormaliseer en saamgevoeg op ‘n verskeidenheid van wyses om twee nasionale tipologieë en vier stadstipologieë te lewer. Insigte wat dié tipologieë voortbring, lig die metode toe waarvolgens stede deur sosio-ekonomiese of hulpbron-aanwysers gekategoriseer word en bied ook insigte rakende die voorkoms en omvang van hulpbron-bepaling vir menige Afrika-stede. Hulle benadruk ook die sleutel-aandrywers van konsumpsie in hierdie opsig. Toekomstige werk sluit die bevestiging van die skaalmetode met plaaslik aangeskafde data in ten einde die vertroue in stadsdata te vermeerder alvorens daar op die voorkeurmetode vir die bondeling van stede besluit word.

Understanding the physiological and behavioural reasons that result in voluntary water intake and the volume subsequently consumed in both the work place and during and following an exercise setting can provide further information on water balance and the necessity and requirements of water intake. The first study (Chapter 3) aimed to assess hydration status in the adult population at the start and end of a working day and the amount of water from beverages that was consumed. Urine osmolality and urine specific gravity (USG) suggested a large proportion of subjects arrived (osmolality: 54%; USG: 53%) and left (osmolality: 35%; USG: 33%) work in a hypohydrated state, with variation between subjects in the same and different places of work. Reported water intake varied between groups with males consuming more than females. To further examine hydration status it was proposed to assess the use of capillary blood sampling as an alternative to more restrictive venous blood sampling (Chapter 4), however, despite tracking changes in blood parameters in a similar capacity, the inconsistencies of results suggested capillary blood sampling could not be used reliably. The remaining chapters in the thesis examined voluntary water intake. In Chapter 5 this was during and following exercise in the cold. Less water was consumed compared to exercise in a warm environment and there was an indication of a blunted thirst response in the cold. Following high intensity intermittent exercise, more water was voluntarily consumed during a one hour recovery period compared to when continuous exercise of the same average power output was performed (Chapter 6). Following exercise there was increased serum osmolality, serum sodium concentration, plasma vasopressin concentration and blood lactate concentration compared to baseline values. The relative contribution that decreasing blood lactate concentrations and water intake during the recovery period had on serum osmolality could not be determined, so the study in Chapter 7 was carried out. The time period during which voluntary water intake was allowed was manipulated during a recovery period following a period of high intensity intermittent exercise. Allowing water intake for the full hour, the final 30 minutes or not at all, resulted in similar decreases in serum osmolality throughout the duration of the recovery period. A combination of finishing the period of exercise allowing plasma volume restoration, reduction in blood lactate concentration, reduction in serum sodium concentration, a restoration of blood lactate concentration and water intake appeared to contribute to decreased serum osmolality. Sensations of thirst were the main stimulants of voluntary water intake (Chapters 3, 5, 6 and 7), however, following exercise, sensations of thirst resulted in water consumption despite the majority of subjects not losing enough water (>2% body mass loss) to require additional rehydration. In this thesis, it can be concluded that voluntary water intake differs between individuals, between work environments, during and following exercise in different environments and following different exercise intensities. Water intake is generally initiated by sensations of thirst arising from physiological and behavioural mechanisms even in the absence of significant hypohydration and will reduce once satiated.

No description available.

In the present work, the non-linear vibrations and the corresponding dynamic fracture mechanics of cables of cable-stayed bridges are studied. The cables are among the most critical components in cable-stayed bridges and there are different damage sources such as corrosion, vibration, fatigue and fretting fatigue that can significantly affect them, thereby reducing the cable’s service life and even producing their failure. Cable-Parametric Resonance is the specific non-linear vibration studied in this research. This type of vibration occurs due to displacements presented at the cable supports. These displacements are induced by the wind and traffic loads acting on the pylon and deck of the bridge. Under certain conditions, unstable cable-vibration of significant amplitude can be registered. Therefore, numerical and experimental analyses are carried out in order to describe this phenomenon and to determine the corresponding instability conditions. Two non-linear models of cable-parametric resonance are studied to predict the cable response. In the simulation method, the non-linear components are treated as external forces acting on the linear systems, which are represented by Single Degree of Freedom systems and described by digital filters. A clear non-linear relationship between the excitation and the cable response is observed in the simulations and the experiments. The corresponding experimental analysis is based on a scaled model (1:200) of the Öresund bridge and a good agreement between the numerical and experimental results is found. After obtaining the relationship between the cable response and the excitation, the cable instability conditions are determined. This is done by finding the minimum displacement required at the cable supports in order to induce nonlinear cable vibration of considerable amplitude. The instability conditions are determined within a wide range of excitation frequencies and conveniently expressed in a simplified and practical way by a curve. The determination process is rather fast and offers the possibility to evaluate all bridge cable stays in a rather short time. Finally, the dynamic fracture mechanics of the cable is considered by studying the fracture toughness characteristics of the material under dynamic conditions. Finite Element simulations on a pre-cracked three-point bending specimen under impact loading are performed. The observed cable instability is equivalently considered as the associated response to impact load conditions, and a crack as a defect on the wires of a cable stay. The simulations are based on an experimental work by using the Split Hopkinson pressure bar (Jiang et al). The dynamic stress intensity factor KI(t) up to crack initiation is then obtained by different methods. The numerical estimations based on the specimen’s crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) and mid-span displacement were closest to the experimental results. It is observed that a better estimation of the dynamic stress intensity factor relies on a proper formulation of the specimen’s stiffness. / Lic March 2011