Previous studies have shown positive results on the use of music as postoperative pain relief. Quantitative studies have examined the effect of music on rated pain and otherparameters such as anxiety, relaxation and blood-pressure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expectations and experiences of patients and nurses onimplementing music as postoperative pain relief in an orthopedic unit Qualitative design and semi-structured interviews were used to examine expectations and experiences. Five patients and five nurses in the unit were interviewed. Four themes developed during the data-analysis. These themes were “Expectations on music as postoperative pain relief”, “Experiences of music as postoperative pain relief”,“Effects of music as postoperative pain relief” and “Continued implementation of musicas postoperative pain relief”. A general theme was distraction. Both patients and nurses described the distracting ability of music. Music distracted the patients from both painand the unfamiliar environment and provided relaxation. According to the results of this study there is a connection between the distracting effect of the music and pain relief. More research needs to be done to examine how musicaffects the human body and mind.

Network design problems usually include the selection of nodes and arcs from lists of potential sets to accomplish certain desirable properties. Foremost is often the capability to accommodate the flow demands at a reasonable cost. In many applications it is also imperative to have built-in reliability or survivability of the network. Delays of traffic are undesirable since it affects Quality of Service (QoS) to clients of the network. It is seldom possible to start a design for a new network and have the luxury of designing topology as well as the optimal flow(routing). In this dissertation we consider the construction of a network optimization system. This system may be used in the planning of network mesh topologies and link capacities to avoid costly designs and congestion or to give advice on congestion relief in existing networks. This is done by selecting parts of a network that may be prone to congestion and model this part by using mixed integer programming techniques. These models are then solved by using a software product called CPLEX and various facilities are built into the decision support system to allow the decision maker to experiment with some topological and flow requirement changes. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Computer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This thesis examines disaster-relief-housing and identifies some of the challenges faced by the traditional housing response. Focusing on relief efforts as a second responder, an alternative process for housing displaced populations is proposed and demonstrated through a specific proposal for disaster-relief-housing for the town of San Vicente, El Salvador. Working within the discipline of architecture, the proposed project will provide beneficiaries with an increased ability to cope in the face of disaster. It does so by design and implementation of self-build housing that transitions from a temporary to a permanent state/location, by using bamboo as a primary construction material, and by providing an adaptable solution that is environmentally and culturally responsive. The building of a community laundry facility by the affected population facilitates this process by serving both as a teaching and as an inspirational building for the use of bamboo in quality construction.

The successful combination of form, color, and content prior to the relief construction movement in the 1960's was usually associated with two-dimensional artwork. The problem, then was whether the artist could successfully combine form, color, and content in three-dimensional sculpture pieces.The content of the work described relates to the artist's personal experiences as an underground uranium miner through the medium of relief sculpture. The successful combination of form, color, and content conveyed the artist's mining experiences to a neophyte audience. The visual variety and motif in the work, however, will not be lost on any members of the audience who are also sculptors.The methods used by the artist included textbook research and studio experimentation to produce a series of pieces which would address the successful combination of form, color, and content. The research also included a study of other artists' use of shape and color in the relief sculpture format. The artist's findings were documented in the form of a thesis paper and also eight relief sculpture pieces which employed a combination of wood and paint. The paint was applied to the wood structure using a heavy impasto technique which completely obscures the wood and allows the artist to manipulate both form and color. The texture invites the viewer to explore the surface and shapes without consciously sorting out what materials are used in the construction of the sculpture. / Department of Art

Network design problems usually include the selection of nodes and arcs from lists of potential sets to accomplish certain desirable properties. Foremost is often the capability to accommodate the flow demands at a reasonable cost. In many applications it is also imperative to have built-in reliability or survivability of the network. Delays of traffic are undesirable since it affects Quality of Service (QoS) to clients of the network. It is seldom possible to start a design for a new network and have the luxury of designing topology as well as the optimal flow(routing). In this dissertation we consider the construction of a network optimization system. This system may be used in the planning of network mesh topologies and link capacities to avoid costly designs and congestion or to give advice on congestion relief in existing networks. This is done by selecting parts of a network that may be prone to congestion and model this part by using mixed integer programming techniques. These models are then solved by using a software product called CPLEX and various facilities are built into the decision support system to allow the decision maker to experiment with some topological and flow requirement changes. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Computer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The thesis addresses a longstanding cartographic problem, of how to visualise the Earth's surface relief in an effective and meaningful way. The problem is narrowed to relief defined by digital elevation data and visualised as a static, orthographic representation. It is approached in three steps: firstly research focuses on determining the most useful form of graphical representation to be pursued; secondly the theoretical basis of computer visualisation is investigated through a three-model framework, prompting a number of directions where solutions might be developed; and thirdly the development and engineering of a system is reported which models and renders widely available elevation data, and which provides flexibility in its input variables. The developed system is then applied to specific cases of relief visualisation, and new graphical forms are developed. The investigation of past and current approaches to relief representation, and a review of computer-graphic rendering of simpler geometrically defined objects, have revealed some limitations in commonly used relief visualisation systems, but have established the simulation of light and shade as still the most promising line of development. Analysis of the component variables of surface visualisation and rendering has led to the visualisation paradigm of three parametric models - of elevation, illumination and reflectance. Some attractive qualities, including widespread availability, of the contour elevation model have been identified, and a system has been developed which reconstructs surfaces from this data structure in a more effective way than typical current approaches. The system is also designed to support more complex illumination and surface reflectance models than the somewhat simplistic scenarios commonly available. The thesis reports the application of the system to generate surfaces from contour data, and experimentation with multiple coloured light sources and varying degrees of surface specularity. Evaluation of system implementation, and of the qualities of a representative set of graphical products, is addressed through six design criteria within a context defined by a typical mapping application. This has led to conclusions that the system and the new graphical forms have a number of virtues, including close fidelity with the source data, and significant improvements in visualisation.

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The number of states requiring humanitarian assistance after a disaster has doubled every decade since 1960. Extreme weather like flooding and violent storms associated with climate change are predicted to continue to increase with intensity and in frequency in the future. Traditionally, emergency shelters have been given in the form of two options: the tent or the tarp. While both do a great job at addressing immediate shelter needs, they are not durable enough habitations to provide adequate transitional shelter for the time period between six months and two years. Most emergency shelters provided by humanitarian agencies fail before six months. This thesis will investigate the development of an emergency shelter solution that improves upon the current options for affected regions following a disaster within warm climates. The thesis proposes that by employing more robust materials for emergency shelters the life expectancy can be extended to meet the required needs. Several materials and designs were explored, tested, and evaluated as plausible shelter solutions to accomplish this task. Design shapes including Roman and Gothic arches were tested with smoke simulations, wind load calculations, and continuous frame loading. The most successful design tested, the Roman arch, was then contrasted and compared to currently used disaster relief shelters for durability and cost. Thesis findings indicate that there is potential for economical and durable emergency shelter solutions. Further research on this topic will increase the number of shelter options available to humanitarian organizations in order to help both emergency and transitional shelter roles simultaneously.