Pregnancy and childbirth are important life experiences in a woman’s psychosocial and psychological development. For many women, vaginal birth is still considered an integral part of being a woman and becoming a mother. Furthermore, it is thought to promote maternal well-being through helping women to match their expectations to experiences. For these women, a failed natural birth can be a psychological, psychosocial, and existential challenge that can result in significant and far-reaching consequences for their psychological wellbeing. Research, especially recent research, on the experiences of women who most wanted to, but were unable to deliver their babies naturally is relatively rare. This is surprising given the potential implications of these experiences on a mother’s emotional well-being, as well as for her feelings towards her new baby. Nevertheless, literature on the topic presents a coherent perspective on the problem and indicates that these women experience difficulties in adapting to not being able to fulfill their dream of delivering their baby naturally. There is no existing research on the subjective experiences of South African women who delivered their babies by unplanned Caesarean section. This study therefore aimed to contribute to knowledge that may fill this gap to some extent. Through purposeful sampling, ten mothers who had wanted to deliver their babies naturally, but had not been able to for whatever reason, were selected as the study sample. Various aspects of their birth experiences were explored in indepth phenomenological interviews. This allowed the researcher to probe certain aspects offered by participants in order to understand and explore their contributions in as much depth as possible. A semi-structured, open-ended approach allowed for the exploration of relevant opinions, perceptions, feelings, and comments in relation to the women’s unplanned Caesarean experiences. The transcribed data was synthesized within a framework of phenomenological theory, where women’s experiences were analyzed and explored in an attempt to understand how participants made sense of their experiences. The different aspects of women’s experiences were explored in three substudies. The results are reported in three manuscripts/articles. Research suggests that post-partum adjustment difficulties are influenced by the potentially virulent stress reactions generated in response to a perceived birth trauma. The objective of the first article was to explore women’s labour and birthing accounts with specific regard to the subsequent stress responses experienced. The stress responses experienced by the women in this study both prior to, and during the Caesarean section were predominantly anxiety-based. This was distinguished from the post-partum period, where women described having experienced more depressive symptoms. Post-traumatic stress responses are associated with negative perceptions of the birth, self and infant. The experience of adverse emotional consequences during the post-partum period can undermine a woman’s ability to successfully adapt to her role as a mother, meet the needs of her infant, and cope with post-partum challenges. The second article highlighted the possible impact of women’s unexpected and potentially traumatic childbirth experiences on initial mother-infant bonding. The unplanned Caesarean sections left mothers feeling detached from the birthing process and disconnected from their infants. Passivity, initial separation, and delayed physical contact further compromised mother-infant interaction. Postpartum physical complications and emotional disturbances have important implications for a woman’s perceptions of herself as a mother and her ability to provide for her infant, her self-esteem, and feelings of relatedness with her baby. Adverse responses to a traumatic birth experience could therefore influence the establishment of a maternal role identity, the formation of balanced maternal attachment representations, the caregiving system, and ultimately initial motherinfant bonding. In the third article, women’s experiences were contextualized in relevant coping resources and strategies. The processes occurring during a traumatic birth experience, such as during an unplanned Caesarean section, could be influenced by perceived strengths when coping with the stress related to the incident. The mothers in this study described several factors and coping strategies that they perceived to have been effective in reducing the impact of their traumatic birth experiences. These included active coping strategies, problem-focused coping strategies, and emotion-focused coping strategies. Coping strategies could result in reassessment of the birth process, and be associated with a more positive, acceptable and memorable experience. This study contributes to nursing, midwifery and psychological literature, by adding to the professional understanding of the emotional consequences of surgical delivery on South African childbearing women. This exploration therefore has important implications for preventative measures, therapeutic intervention, and professional guidance. However, the restricted sample may limit the generalizability of results. Further investigation of the experiences of a larger, more biographically and culturally diverse population could be instrumental in the development of knowledge and understanding in this field of study. / Thesis (PhD (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Lapped joints of cold-formed steel (CFS) Z-shaped purlins are extensively used in metal building roof systems. The research that has been carried out so far for these lapped connections is primarily focused on connections with round holes. However, the lapped connections with vertical slotted holes are extensively used in current construction practice to simplify the erection of continuous Z-shaped roof purlins. There is no design guideline or recommendation available for CFS Z-purlin lapped connections with vertical slotted holes. Presented in this paper are the results of an experimental study and analysis of the structural behaviour of lapped CFS Z-shaped purlin connections with vertical slotted holes. 42 flexural tests were performed on lapped CFS Z-shaped purlins with vertical slotted connections with different lap lengths, purlin depths, thicknesses and spans. The flexural strength and deflection of each specimen were measured. The characteristics of moment resistance and flexure stiffness of the lapped purlins were computed. The test results show that the lapped purlins with vertical slotted holes may be more flexible than the lapped purlins with round holes or continuous purlins without lapped joint. Thus, the slotted connections may need greater lap lengths to achieve full stiffness of continuous purlins. The results also indicate that the characteristics of moment resistance and flexural stiffness in the slotted connections are dependent on the ratio of lap length to purlin depth, the ratio of lap length to purlin thickness, the ratio of purlin depth to purlin thickness, and the ratio of lap length to span. Based on the results, design recommendations for evaluating the moment resistance and flexural stiffness of lapped slotted connections were proposed.

A need was identified for a set of basic design tools for Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) plant evaporators. This led to an investigation into the different types of evaporators as well as further research on horizontal falling film evaporators as used in the MED process. It also included the theory on these types of evaporators. In order not to duplicate existing design tools, an investigation was also performed on some of the tools that are currently available. The first set of tools that were developed were tools, programmed in EES (Engineering Equation Solver), for the vacuum system and the evaporator. These programs can be used to simulate different parameters (like different mass flows and temperatures). That enables the correct selection of components for the vacuum system and can be used to address sizing issues around the evaporator. It can also be used to plan the layout of the plant. The second of the design tools was developed by designing and building a flow pattern test section. From the flow pattern test section a set of curves for the wetted length under different conditions was obtained which can be used in order to design the sieve tray. This set of curves was found to be accurate for municipal as well as seawater and can be used in the design of the sieve tray of the evaporator. Further development can be done by implementing the figures of the wetted length into a simulation package like, for example, Flownex (a system CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code that enables users to perform detail design, analysis and optimization of a wide range of thermal-fluid systems). The background gained from the study done on the evaporator can also be implemented into such a package. This could solve the problem of different design packages by creating a single design package with all of the above mentioned options included. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

A need was identified for a set of basic design tools for Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) plant evaporators. This led to an investigation into the different types of evaporators as well as further research on horizontal falling film evaporators as used in the MED process. It also included the theory on these types of evaporators. In order not to duplicate existing design tools, an investigation was also performed on some of the tools that are currently available. The first set of tools that were developed were tools, programmed in EES (Engineering Equation Solver), for the vacuum system and the evaporator. These programs can be used to simulate different parameters (like different mass flows and temperatures). That enables the correct selection of components for the vacuum system and can be used to address sizing issues around the evaporator. It can also be used to plan the layout of the plant. The second of the design tools was developed by designing and building a flow pattern test section. From the flow pattern test section a set of curves for the wetted length under different conditions was obtained which can be used in order to design the sieve tray. This set of curves was found to be accurate for municipal as well as seawater and can be used in the design of the sieve tray of the evaporator. Further development can be done by implementing the figures of the wetted length into a simulation package like, for example, Flownex (a system CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code that enables users to perform detail design, analysis and optimization of a wide range of thermal-fluid systems). The background gained from the study done on the evaporator can also be implemented into such a package. This could solve the problem of different design packages by creating a single design package with all of the above mentioned options included. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Background. Pregnant women need adequate antenatal care (ANC) and delivery care fortheir own health and for healthy children. Availability of such care has increased in Vietnam but maternal mortality remains high and variable between population groups. Aims. The general aim of this thesis is to describe and discuss the use of antenatal and delivery care in relation to demographic and socio-economic status and other factors in two health and demographic surveillance sites (HDSS), one rural and one urban. One specificaim of the thesis is to present experiences of running the urban HDSS. Methods. Between April 2008 and December 2009, 2,757 pregnant women were identifiedin the sites. Basic information was obtained from 2,515 of these. The use of ANC was followed to delivery for 2,132. Three indicators were used. ANC was considered overall adequate if the women started ANC within the first trimester, used three or more visits and received all the six recommended core services at least once during pregnancy. Delivery care was studied for all the 2,515 women. Main Findings. Nearly all 2,132 participants used ANC. The mean numbers of visits were 4.4 and 7.7 in the rural and urban areas. Mainly due to less than recommended use of core ANC services, overall ANC adequacy was low in some groups, particularly in the rural area (15.2%). The main risk factors for not having adequate ANC were (i) living in a rural area,(ii) low level of education, (iii) low economic status and (iv) exclusive use of private ANC providers. Rural women accessed ANC mainly at commune health centers and private clinics. Urban women accessed ANC and gave birth at central hospitals and provincial hospitals. Caesarean section (CS) was common among urban women (38.5%). Good socioeconomic condition and male babies were associated with delivery in hospitals and CS births. Almost all women had one or more antenatal ultrasound examination, the mean was about 4.5. Rural women spent 3.0% and 19.0% of the reported annual household income percapita for ANC and delivery care, respectively, compared to 6.1% and 20.6% for urbanwomen. The relative economic burden was heaviest for poor rural women. Conclusion. The coverage of ANC was high in both contexts but with large variations between population subgroups. The major concerns are that poor women in the rural area received incomplete services according to recommendations and that many women, particularly the well-off, in the urban area appeared to overuse technology, ultrasound scanning, delivery in highlevel health care and CS delivery. National maternal healthcare programs should focus on improving ANC service content in rural areas and controlling technology preference in urban. The pregnant women with relatives and friends as well as ANC providers share the responsibility for a positive development. All parties involved must be targeted to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Målsetning:De sentrale problemstillingene oppsummeres gjennom følgende spørsmål: hvor mange andregangsfødende med keisersnittønske endret seg til å ønske vaginal fødsel ved tilbud om aten jordmor de blir kjent meder med på fødselen?Hvordan gikk fødselen i kjent jordmorgruppen?Hvordan var forekomsten av fødselskomplikasjoner ved første fødsel i hele gruppen sammenlignet med normalbefolkningen?Var det forskjeller mellom kjent jordmorgruppen og gruppen som holdt fast ved keisersnittønsketm.h.t. komplikasjoner ved første fødsel, mors alder, diagnoser hos mor eller barn og antall ultralydundersøkelser? Metode:En kvantitativ studie som ved gjennomgang av pasientjournaler fra 2006-2010 på Rikshospitalet fantalle andregangsfødende med et barn i hodeleie som ønsket keisersnitt og fikk tilbud om kjent jordmor. Statistikk fra Medisinsk fødselsregister, fra fødeavdelingens databaserog data fra journaler ble benyttetfor å undersøke forekomsten av fødselskomplikasjoner. Hovedresultat: 129 andregangsfødende med keisersnittønske fikk tilbud om kjent jordmor, 48 ble med i kjent jordmor gruppen og planla vaginal fødsel. Av disse fødte 81,2% vaginalt. De 129 kvinnene hadde opplevd signifikant mer komplikasjonerenn landsgjennomsnittet ved sin første fødsel. Iinnleding og diskusjon ble det lagt vekt på de helsemessige konsekvenser av den økende forekomsten av keisernitt, både planlagte og akutte. Kvinnene i keisersnittgruppen hadde fire ganger så ofte et helseproblem oppstått før svangerskap nummer to og de hadde signifikant oftere opplevd fødselsangst allerede i første svangerskap. Konklusjon: Den sterke økningen i keisersnitt over store deler av verden fører til at det skapes flere helseproblemer enn det løses. Populasjoners og individers helse blir negativt påvirket både mentalt og fysisk, på kort og lang sikt.Helsekonsekvensene diskuteresbåde på individ og gruppeplan i lys av begrepene health locus of control, sense of coherence, mestring, empowerment og folkehelse.Det er av avgjørende betydning å perfeksjonere fødselshjelpen ved vaginale fødsler og å forebygge negative fødselsopplevelser. Tiltak som ”kjent jordmor” hjelper kvinner medkeisersnittønsketil å ville føde vaginalt er viktige bidrag i denne sammenhengen / Aim: This study primarily aimed to determine how many second-time mothers hoping for a caesarean section changed their mind and requested a vaginal delivery when they had the opportunity to know their midwife in advance. Second it wasdetermined which delivery method was experienced by mothers in the known midwife group. The study also compares the rate of delivery complications experienced during first-time delivery for the whole study population compared to the mean population of Norwegian first time mothers. Finally the differences between the women choosing “known midwife” and those who choose caesarean section are explored regarding delivery complications and experience during first pregnancy Method:This quantitative study was conducted at Rikshospitalet in Oslo. All second-time mothers wanting a cesarean delivery without medical indication in 2006 to 2010 and having been offered to participate in the in “the known midwife project” were identified. The study used data from the Norwegian medical birth registry, delivery ward databases, and the patients’ personal journals. Among129 second time mothers desiring a caesarean delivery, 48 joined the “known midwife team” and planned a vaginal birth;the remaining 81 women choseto have a planned caesarean section and were called the “caesarean section group”. In the “known midwife group” 81.2% had a vaginal delivery. The 129 women had experienced significantly more complications than the mean population of Norwegian first time mothers during their first delivery. The women in the “caesarean section group” were four times more likely to have a health problem compared to women in the “known midwife group”. They were also more likely to have experienced birth anxiety during their first pregnancy. Conclusion: The consequences of caesarean section were discussed using terms such as health locus of control, sense of coherence, coping, empowerment, and public health.The major increase in caesarean sections worldwide has resulted in more health problems than they solve. Caesarian section has a negative short-and long-term impact on both mental and physical health. Therefore, it is vitally important to optimize vaginal delivery and prevent bad delivery experiences. Projects such as “the known midwife” help women who are afraid of having a vaginal delivery. Such projects should be encouraged / <p>ISBN 978-91-86739-36-2</p>

In the present PhD work, three sophisticated models based on the "Engineering" modeling approach have been utilized to conveniently describe and thoroughly analyze details of Lightning events at the CN Tower. Both the CN Tower and the Lightning Channel are represented by a number of connected in series Transmission Line sections in order to account for the variations in the shape of the tower and for plasma processes that take place within the Lightning Channel. A sum of two Heidler functions is used to describe the "uncontaminated" Return Stroke current, which is injected at the attachment point between the CN Tower and the Lightning Channel. Reflections and refractions at all points of mismatched impedances are considered until their contribution becomes less than 1% of the originally injected current wave. In the proposed models, the problem with the current discontinuity at the Lightning Channel front, commonly taken care of by introducing a "turn-on" term when computing radiation fields, is uniquely treated by introducing reflected and transmitted components. For the first time, variable speed of propagation of the Return Stroke current front has been considered and its influence upon the predicted current distributions along the whole Lightning Channel path and upon the radiated distant fields analyzed. Furthermore, as another novelty, computation of the electromagnetic field is accomplished in Cartesian Coordinates. This fact permits to relax the requirement on the verticality of the Lightning Channel, normally imposed in Cylindrical Coordinates. Therefore, it becomes possible to study without difficulty the influence of a slanted Lightning Channel upon the surrounding electromagnetic field. Since the proposed sophisticated Five-Section Model has the capability to represent very closely the structure of the CN Tower and to emulate faithfully the shape of, as well as physical processes within the Lightning Channel, it is believed to have the potential of truthfully reproducing observed fields. The developed modeling approach can be easily adapted to study the anticipated radiated fields at tall structures even before construction.

This thesis is a critical reconsideration of the relationship of architectural production with its modes of representation. Historically, the representation of architecture has been signifying an interval where the displacement between the mental conception and its material expression has taken place. The group composed of plan, section and elevation is called orthographic set, which has been accepted as a universal code in architecture since it is attributed with the basic premise of its being objective and international. It is this attributed character of the drawings, which will be investigated in respect to the act of sectioning. Section displays an ambiguous character that it is the picture plane and the act of cutting at once. This study is a critical redefinition of section as a spatial act of framing. The construction of picture plane is discussed as a specific condition of framing, thus of sectioning. Like the specificity of the perspectival representation, the section constructs its own frame, in which the physical cut into the body of architectural object and its flattened spatial depth overlap. Therefore, section is redefined as the operation of a spatial framing, which rather hides than displays. It is in this hidden dimension that the epistemological value in architectural representation lies. The significance of the picture plane, that is the incision plane, is revealed by its relation to the constitution of perspective and projective drawings. The related concept of projection, whose mode strictly corresponds to the distance stimulated by the mode of projection, provides not only a critical distance but also brings about the operations to overcome that distance. In this respect, acknowledging section in architectural representation as a conceptual spatial frame, the study tries to reveal the inherent depth of the medium of representation, which is sometimes more promising than what is displayed in.

In this work an analysis of the CHORUS (anti-)neutrino-nucleon scattering data taken on lead--scintillator calorimeter during the 1998 run is presented. The differential cross-sections are measured in the range of $0.01le xle 0.7$, $0.05le y le 0.95$, $10le E_nu le 200 GeV$ for both anti-neutrino and neutrino beam modes. The anti-neutrino and neutrino--nucleon structure functions Fone, Ftwo and Fthree is extracted by making 2, 3 and 6-parameter fits to the measured differential cross-sections. The comparisons of these results with the earlier experiments, CDHSW and CCFR is given.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.