The versatility of the fish to adapt to diverse swimming requirements has attracted the attention of researchers in studying bioinspired propulsion for developing efficient underwater robotics. The tail/caudal fin is a major source of thrust generation and is believed that the fish modulates its fin stiffness to optimize the propulsive performance. Inspired by the stiffness modulation of fish fins, the objective of this research is to predict and evaluate the effect of flexibility on propulsive performance of flapping fins. The stiffness of the fins vary along their length and optimization studies have been performed to predict the stiffness profiles that maximize performance. Experiments performed on the real fish caudal fins to measure the stiffness variation along their length validate the theoretical optimal stiffness profiles and provide an insight about the evolution of fish fins for optimal performance. Along with the fin stiffness, the stiffness of the joint (caudal peduncle) connecting the fish body to the tail plays a major role in the generation of thrust. The numerical and experimental investigation has shown that there exists an optimal combination of fin and joint stiffness for each operating condition, thus providing the motivation for active stiffness control during locomotion to optimize efficiency. Inspired by nature's ability to modulate stiffness and shape for different operating conditions, an investigation has been carried out on active control of flapping foils for thrust tailoring using Macro Fiber Composites (MFCs). It has been observed that the performance can be enhanced by controlling the deformation, and distributed actuation along fin produces maximum performance through proper selection of the phase difference between heaving and voltage. Flapping fins produce forces which are oscillatory in nature causing center of mass (COM) oscillations of the attached bodies posing problems of control and maneuverability. Optimization studies have revealed that flexibility of the fin plays a major role in reducing the COM oscillations along with the other operating parameters. Based on these studies, the design principles and guidelines that control the performance have been proposed which aid in the development of aerial and underwater robotic vehicles. Additionally, these studies provide some insight in to how fish might modulate its stiffness based on the requirements. / Ph. D.

Yes / The first archaeobotanical studies of the Middle Bronze Age lakeshore settlement demonstrate the enormous potential of this site for appropriate analyses. On the basis of the well-preserved layers a multitude of plant remains and wide diversity of species are present at this site. Evidence of emmer, spelt, tetraploid naked wheat, hulled barley, peas and broad beans conforms to the basic cultural crop spectrum of the Middle Bronze Age. The wild plants originate from various locations in the direct vicinity and allow an insight into the landscape at that time. Numerous wild plants were intentionally used by the settlers. Fruits gathered include cornelian cherries, hazelnuts, crab apples and a diversity of berries. Furthermore, archaeobotanical analyses support observations already made on site that within the settlement there are at least two functionally different areas. While in section 50/51 the layers contain the remains of daily food preparation, section 7 indicates a link to animal fodder. / National Geographic

This Master’s thesis in Media, Aesthetics, and Narration can be viewed as a pilot study which examines the intricacies of worldbuilding in dystopian settings, emphasizing the impact of different starting points—micro and macro perspectives—on the creation process. Given the vast scope of worldbuilding, the thesis narrows its focus to these two approaches: the micro perspective, which delves into detailed elements like character and setting specifics, and the macro perspective, which considers broader societal structures and overarching narratives. To evaluate these approaches, a visual model was developed and tested by a narrative student and a senior UX designer, and applied to two distinct dystopian video game settings. Through analysis and evaluation, the thesis aims to provide insights into the worldbuilding process, fostering understanding and discussion about micro and macro approaches in dystopian fiction and contributing to ongoing research in narratology and world crafting.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease affecting millions of people worldwide. The degenerative changes caused by diabetes can, however, be controlled through the correct treatment. The outcome of diabetes mellitus depends mainly on the patient's self-management. Health professionals therefore have a major responsibility to assist patients to acquire the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes for self-management. The purpose of this study was to identify diabetic patients and family members' knowledge and views about diabetes mellitus and its treatment regimen. A quantitative descriptive survey design was used. Questionnaires were used to collect data from a convenient sample of diabetic patients and family members. Data was analysed by a computer program called Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Findings revealed that patients and family members lack adequate knowledge on diabetes mellitus and its treatment. Recommendations regarding the required information and assistance to be given to diabetic patients and their family members were formulated. / Health Studies / (MA (Health Studies))

During the past few decades, the sport industry has experienced immense pressure to commercialise its operations and conform to traditional business practices (Chadwick 2009:191). With this evolution from a pure leisure activity to a multimillion dollar industry, it has become evident that the unique characteristics and deeply rooted historical culture of sport pose significant challenges for the sport manager during the process of commercialisation and the application of strategic management. The aim of this study was to analyse the current business environment of Cycling South Africa (CyclingSA) in such a way that the factors in the micro-environment, market environment and macro-environment that impact on the organisation‟s strategic decisions could be identified. The results should allow sport organisations to engage more effectively in strategic management by focusing on factors that influence the sport organisation‟s business environment in particular. A survey of CyclingSA members‟ perceptions of the organisation‟s current effectiveness in the business environment revealed a strong focus on financial and marketing elements. The study also found that factors such as loyalty programmes, talent identification and sport science support, safety in the physical environment, antidoping regulations, transformation and black economic empowerment and environmental friendly practices play a key role in CyclingSA‟s business environment. It is evident from the study that sport organisations, with specific reference to CyclingSA, should engage in strategic management by adapting traditional business principles to suit each organisation‟s unique needs. / Business Management / M. Comm.(Business Management)

The Photovoltaic Industry is at a crossroads for change. Improving the sustainability of this complex system requires a thorough understanding of the entire life cycle of the solar module production. The product life cycle is thereby divided into the value added steps of raw material extraction, outsourced production, in-house production, operation, and recycling. Furthermore, the following report distinguishes between social, ecological, and economic sustainability. The report offers a compacted matrix with all parts of sustainability and each life cycle stage in order toshow companies of the photovoltaic industry the sensible areas. This should be a first step for improving the sustainability in the whole life cycle of a solar module.

Cette thèse comporte trois parties. <br />Dans la première, nous présentons une méthode de simulation d'écoulements fluide/particules. Nous montrons que la pénalisation du tenseur des contraintes, associée à une discrétisation en temps par la méthode des caractéristiques, conduit à une formulation variationnelle de type Stokes généralisée. Des tests numériques sont effectués sous FreeFem++ afin d'étudier la convergence. Nous en présentons également trois exemples d'utilisation. <br />Dans la seconde partie nous proposons un modèle permettant de prendre en compte les forces de lubrification dans les simulations directes d'écoulements fluide/particules. Nous présentons d'abord un modèle de contact visqueux dans le cas particule/plan, obtenu comme limite, à viscosité nulle, du modèle de lubrification. Nous décrivons ensuite un algorithme reposant sur une étape de projection des vitesses, à chaque instant, sur un espace dit de vitesses admissibles. On montre alors la convergence du schéma et on généralise l'algorithme au cas multi-particules. Nous en présentons également un exemple de programmation orientée objet. <br />Dans la dernière partie, nous considérons un système discret de sphères (boulier en 1D) qui interagissent à travers la force de lubrification. Le modèle microscopique repose sur le développement de cette force à courte distance. Nous proposons une équation constitutive marcoscopique, de type Newtonien, reposant sur une viscosité linéique proportionnelle à l'inverse de la fraction locale de fluide. Nous établissons la convergence du modèle microscopique vers le modèle macroscopique proposé.

As a result of structural changes in the global economy, many organisations are faced with changing workforce demographics. The global workforce is changing not only in terms of age and race, but also in terms of gender (International Labour Office, 2009). This change is referred to as the feminization of labour, and it poses many challenges to organisations as women are entering careers that have previously been predominated by men such as medicine, pharmacy, accounting, engineering and mining (Blau & Kahn, 2000). The retention of women in atypical careers has become a growing concern, as these women are often faced with challenges in the workplace, such as sexual discrimination, hostility and resentment from their co-workers, and physical violence in the workplace (Cognard-Black, 2004). These obstacles encountered by women in atypical positions result in their experiencing difficulty fitting into their groups at work and their organisations as a whole, which increases their turnover intentions (Young & Hurlic, 2007). For effective retention of women in atypical positions in an effort to secure a truly diverse workforce, organisations must be aware of the factors that affect their career decision making. Young and Hurlic (2007) have proposed a model of gender enactment and fit in relation to career decisions of women in atypical positions. They suggest that gender enactment of employees in atypical positions, in relation to the gender-based micro-culture of their work groups ultimately affects their person-group fit, person-organisation fit and career decision making. The main objective, therefore, of this research has been to explore the constructs outlined in the model of Young and Hurlic (2007) within the South African context and to establish their influence on the career decision making of a sample of South African employees in atypical positions. The research has been explorative in nature, and a qualitative design was used to achieve the research objectives. Participants were invited to participate in the research on a voluntary basis, and they were selected by means of a purposive sampling method. Criteria that were decided upon for the selection of participants were that participants needed to be female, permanently employed and occupying atypical occupations within the same organisation. Based on these criteria, a total population of ten employees was included in the research study (N=10). Qualitative data was collected by means of unstructured and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that awareness, group acceptance, person-group fit, perceived stress, and person-organisation fit were the key determinants of the career decisions of participants. Awareness was found to be related to group acceptance, whereas group acceptance was identified as being related to person-group fit. Person-group and person-organisation fit were found to result in participants considering lateral career moves, choosing to stay in their current positions, or seeking promotions. Conversely, perceived stress was found to have a negative impact in the career decision making of participants, as all participants who reported perceived stress planned to leave their respective organisation. / MA, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

Le chapitre 1 introduit les modèles et donne les principaux résultats obtenus. Dans le chapitre 2, on présente des simulations numériques d'un modèle macroscopique en deux dimensions. La méthode de discrétisation par éléments finis utilisée est décrite. Pour le cas test de l'écoulement autour d'un cylindre, les phénomènes en jeu dans les fluides vieillissants sont observés. Le chapitre 3 concerne l'étude mathématique de la version unidimensionnelle du système d'équations aux dérivées partielles utilisé pour les simulations. On montre que le problème est bien posé et on examine le comportement en temps long de la solution. Dans le dernier chapitre, des équations macroscopiques sont dérivées à partir d'une équation mésoscopique. L'analyse mathématique de cette équation mésoscopique est également menée

When faced with an investment opportunity in commercial real estate, the investor requires knowledge of the discount rate since it can be used to convert expected future cash flows from the property in today's terms and in doing so, place a value on the property. The so-called required rate of return would be the appropriate conversion rate since it compensates the investor for risk and, if attainable, will induce the investor to invest. An inaccurate assessment of the discount rate could, depending on the direction of the error, lead to a potential over or under estimation of the property value. A number of single or multiple variable frameworks for required return have been derived by other researchers for the US, UK and EU property markets. Each of the variables encountered in these frameworks acts as a proxy for some aspect of systematic risk associated with the investment. However, locally, such models are either not extensively published or well described and are limited to single explanatory variables. Some professionals prefer to avoid frameworks and simply divert to qualitative, gut-feel and experienced based considerations in order to derive at required return rate. This dissertation addressed the possible local need for an explanatory framework of required return on commercial property. The scope of work entailed: (i) a review of the literature to establish the theoretical determinants of return and (ii) an empirical study to test a short-list of parameters for Retail, Offices and Industrial sites in Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Durban, respectively. Three categories of explanatory variables were identified: (i) Capital market variables and alternative investment opportunities in the form of stocks on the JSE, (ii) economic activity indicators and (iii) property market fundamental parameters. The empirical study entailed a three-phase methodology, which included the following steps: (i) data sampling and processing, (ii) screening variables through the simple regression and correlation coefficients and (iii) multiple regression complemented by statistical significance testing. Between 69% and 98.2 % (alpha=O.1) of the variation in returns could be explained in terms of the variation by the explanatory variables that passed the rigorous screening process. The relative good results are likely to be related to the higher explanatory power of the multi-factor approach. The remaining unexplained portion of return can potentially be decreased by using larger samples and pursuing some of the other recommendations for additional research. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.