This thesis addresses research towards the development of an intelligent design for assembly evaluation system (IDFAES) based on the design for assembly (DFA) principels. The research project aimed to enhance the capability of existing DFA methodologies in order to support activities such as redesign, design modification and assembly planning during the product development cycle.

Cette thèse comprend deux parties. <br /> 1. Quantification conformément équivariante des fibrés supercotangents.<br /> Nous entendons par quantification du fibré supercotangent d'une variété M, un isomorphisme linéaire entre l'espace des superfonctions polynomiales en les fibres et l'espace des opérateurs différentiels spinoriels sur M. Nous montrons qu'il existe une unique quantification pour les fibrés supercotangents des variétés (M,g) conformément plates, qui soit équivariante sous l'action des transformations conformes de M. <br /> 2. Sur la géométrie projective du supercercle: une construction unifiée des super birapport et dérivée schwarzienne.<br /> Nous établissons, pour trois supergroupes agissant sur le supercercle, une correspondance entre le supergroupe, les invariants caractéristiques de son action et le 1-cocycle associé, définissant ainsi trois géométries sur le supercercle. L'invariant de la géométrie projective est le super birapport, son 1-cocycle associé étant la dérivée schwarzienne.

Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, has been the site of tremendous Plinian basaltic eruptions. Two eruptions ~6,500 and 2,250 BP formed the 6 kilometer (km) x 11 km, northwest trending Masaya caldera. The present day active Santiago Crater within the caldera is the site of persistent volcano degassing and occasional phreatic explosions. While the mechanism responsible for these phreatic explosions is unclear, one possible explanation is the interaction of groundwater with the shallow magma chamber beneath Masaya. This interaction with meteoric water is supported by the substantial steam discharge from the vent, which is significantly larger than other similar volcanoes in the world. To better understand these interactions, the distribution of groundwater was characterized for the volcano based on interpretation of 29 Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) soundings. The TEM data were modeled using two independent methods to estimate resistivity as a function of depth. Results from modeling the TEM data indicate an overlying highly resistive layer throughout the caldera that is underlain by one or more conductive layers. The implied water table of the caldera is expressed as a subdued replica of the topography in the higher vent regions in the central and southern portions of the caldera and decreases to a level that coincides with the elevation Lake Masaya in the lower sections of the caldera. The water table elevation in the caldera also shows a marked difference from the regional groundwater flow system as there is a large gradient in head values suggesting a sharp change in transmissivity along the caldera boundaries, which indicate the caldera is hydraulically isolated from the surrounding region. In order to better understand the hydrologic processes at Masaya caldera, a 3-D finite difference groundwater model was created using the 29 estimated water levels and two groundwater flux measurements to simulate the hydrologic system The model calibration revealed that a deep, highly permeable layer must feed the active vent in order for the steam emissions to be maintained at their current levels. This information about the caldera provides a baseline for forecasting the response of this isolated groundwater system to future changes in magmatic activity.

The other side: collective memory in three novels by Amin Maalouf Collective memory is an expression which is used to describe the way in which societies reflect on their past and ensure their unity in the present. This thesis aims to show how narrative in general, and in particular in the novels of French Lebanese writer, Amin Maalouf, plays a crucial role in the transmission of collective memory. The thesis demonstrates that narrative fulfills this function in three ways. Firstly, narrative gives meaning to past events. Secondly, narrative changes and evolves over time. Lastly, narrative ensures a continual exchange between individual and collective memory. Thus, in its capacity to sustain aspects of individual and collective memory, narrative expresses the values that unite society. Central to our analysis of narrative in the work of Amin Maalouf is the concept of "l'autre côté" or "the other side". This is the expression used by Maalouf when referring to his passion for forgotten or uncomfortable aspects of Western and Arab cultural heritage. By informing the contemporary reader of the shared past, Maalouf strives to build bridges of understanding between the two groups. Maalouf's novels explore themes of origins, of exile and of memory. In the three novels we examine, the narrative is centered on the life of the hero who, endowed with exceptional qualities, is tested by the political and religious challenges of his time. The personal qualities of the hero, revealed in his dealings with the crises which form the particularity of his time, determine the orientation of collective memory. The first novel, Léon l'Africain, published in 1986, is based on the life of Hassan al-Wazzan who lived in Spain, Africa and Rome in the early sixteenth century. Hassan tells the story of his family, and of the political circumstances which led to the expulsion of the Arabs from Spain. The second novel, Les Jardins de lumière, published in 1991, examines the life of the poet, doctor and philosopher named Mani who lived in the third century A.D. In the Epilogue of the novel, the narrator states his intention of challenging the misconceptions and distortions concerning the life of Mani. In the third novel, Le Rocher de Tanios, published in 1993, the narrator sets out to find the truth concerning the events surrounding the birth, life and disappearance of the young man named Tanios, who lived in the narrator's village in Lebanon at the beginning of the nineteenth century. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2009

This thesis addresses research towards the development of an intelligent design for assembly evaluation system (IDFAES) based on the design for assembly (DFA) principels. The research project aimed to enhance the capability of existing DFA methodologies in order to support activities such as redesign, design modification and assembly planning during the product development cycle.

The other side: collective memory in three novels by Amin Maalouf Collective memory is an expression which is used to describe the way in which societies reflect on their past and ensure their unity in the present. This thesis aims to show how narrative in general, and in particular in the novels of French Lebanese writer, Amin Maalouf, plays a crucial role in the transmission of collective memory. The thesis demonstrates that narrative fulfills this function in three ways. Firstly, narrative gives meaning to past events. Secondly, narrative changes and evolves over time. Lastly, narrative ensures a continual exchange between individual and collective memory. Thus, in its capacity to sustain aspects of individual and collective memory, narrative expresses the values that unite society. Central to our analysis of narrative in the work of Amin Maalouf is the concept of "l'autre côté" or "the other side". This is the expression used by Maalouf when referring to his passion for forgotten or uncomfortable aspects of Western and Arab cultural heritage. By informing the contemporary reader of the shared past, Maalouf strives to build bridges of understanding between the two groups. Maalouf's novels explore themes of origins, of exile and of memory. In the three novels we examine, the narrative is centered on the life of the hero who, endowed with exceptional qualities, is tested by the political and religious challenges of his time. The personal qualities of the hero, revealed in his dealings with the crises which form the particularity of his time, determine the orientation of collective memory. The first novel, Léon l'Africain, published in 1986, is based on the life of Hassan al-Wazzan who lived in Spain, Africa and Rome in the early sixteenth century. Hassan tells the story of his family, and of the political circumstances which led to the expulsion of the Arabs from Spain. The second novel, Les Jardins de lumière, published in 1991, examines the life of the poet, doctor and philosopher named Mani who lived in the third century A.D. In the Epilogue of the novel, the narrator states his intention of challenging the misconceptions and distortions concerning the life of Mani. In the third novel, Le Rocher de Tanios, published in 1993, the narrator sets out to find the truth concerning the events surrounding the birth, life and disappearance of the young man named Tanios, who lived in the narrator's village in Lebanon at the beginning of the nineteenth century. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2009

No description available.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Plastic shrinkage cracking (PSC) in concrete is a well-known problem and usually occurs within the first few hours after the concrete has been cast. It is caused by a rapid loss of water from the concrete, either from the surface through evaporation or through absorption by dry subgrade or formwork in contact with the concrete and results in an overall reduction in concrete volume. If this volume reduction or shrinkage is restrained, plastic shrinkage cracks can occur. Plastic shrinkage cracks create an unsightly appearance on the concrete surface which reduces the quality of the concrete structure. These cracks also develop weak points in the concrete which can be widened and deepened later on by drying shrinkage and thermal movement. As a result harmful substances may enter the cracks causing accelerated concrete deterioration. These cracks may also expose the steel reinforcement causing it to corrode more aggressively. Consequently, the aesthetic value, serviceability, durability and overall performance of the concrete will be reduced. Therefore it is important to consider methods of limiting PSC. One of these methods is the addition of low volumes of polymeric fibres to concrete to reduce PSC. However, the application of this low volume fibre reinforced concrete (LV-FRC) is not clearly understood since there is a lack of knowledge and guidance available for the use of LV-FRC. The objective of this study is to gain a full understanding of PSC behaviour in conventional concrete and LV-FRC by investigating the effects of evaporation and bleeding as well as the effect of various fibre properties on PSC. The following significant findings were attained: A basis for a crack prediction model in conventional concrete was developed using the average differences in cumulative evaporation and cumulative bleeding to create a crack prediction value (CPV). This preliminary model showed that there exists a certain CPV range (-0.2 to 0.4 kg/m2 for this study) where a slight decrease in the CPV results in a significant PSC reduction. It also showed that if the CPV falls outside this range, varying the bleeding or evaporation conditions will have very little effect on the PSC. A study on the fibre properties in LV-FRC showed that there exist certain limits to the fibre volume, length and diameter where a further increase or decrease in value will have no or little effect on reducing PSC. It also showed that the effect of the fibres depend on the level of severity of PSC. The knowledge gained from this investigation can serve as a basis for the design of a model that can predict the risk of PSC in conventional concrete and specify preventative measures needed to reduce this risk. It also provides information that can be used to develop guidelines for the effective use of LV-FRC. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Plastiese krimp krake (PKK) in beton is `n bekende probleem en vorm gewoonlik binne die eerste paar uur nadat die beton gegiet is. Dit word veroorsaak deur die vinnige waterverlies vanuit die beton, óf deur verdamping vanaf die beton oppervalk óf deur absorpsie van `n droeë grondlaag of bekisting wat in kontak is met die beton. Dit veroorsaak `n algehele vermindering in beton volume. As hierdie krimping van die beton beperk word, kan plastiese krimp krake ontstaan. PKK skep 'n onooglike voorkoms van die beton oppervlakte en verlaag die kwaliteit van die beton struktuur. Hierdie krake tree ook op as swak plekke in die beton wat later kan verbreed of verdiep deur droogkrimping en termiese beweging. Gevolglik kan skadelike stowwe vanuit die omgewing die krake binnedring wat lei tot versnelde agteruitgang van die beton. Hierdie krake kan ook die staalbewapening ontbloot wat veroorsaak dat dit vinniger roes. Gevolglik verminder die estetiese waarde, diensbaarheid, duursaamheid en algehele prestasie van die beton. Daarom is dit belangrik om metodes te ondersoek vir die beperking van PKK. Een van hierdie metodes is die byvoeging van lae volumes polimeer vesels tot beton om PKK te verminder. Die toepassing van hierdie lae volume - vesel versterkte beton (LV-VVB) word egter nog nie volledig verstaan nie as gevolg van 'n algemene gebrek aan kennis en riglyne vir die gebruik van die LV-VVB. Die doel van hierdie studie is om 'n volledige begrip van PKK gedrag in normale beton asook LV-VVB te kry. Dit word behaal deur die effek van verdamping en bloei op PKK sowel as die effek van verskillende vesel eienskappe op PKK te ondersoek. Die volgende noemenswaardige bevindinge is bekry. • Die basis van 'n kraak voorspellingsmodel vir gewone beton is ontwikkel deur gebruik te maak van die gemiddelde verskil tussen die kumulatiewe verdamping en die kumulatiewe bloei om 'n kraak voorspellingswaarde (KVW) te vorm. Hierdie voorlopige model toon dat daar `n sekere KVW interval ontstaan (-0,2 tot 0,4 kg/m2 vir hierdie studie) waar slegs 'n effense vermindering in die KVW 'n geweldige vermindering in die PKK tot gevolg het. Dit dui ook aan dat, indien die KVW buite hierdie interval val, ʼn verandering in die bloei of verdamping toestande `n baie klein invloed op die PKK het. 'n Studie oor die vesel eienskappe in LV-VVB het gewys dat daar sekere grense is aan die vesel volume, lengte en deursnee waardes, waar 'n verdere toename of afname in waarde min of geen effek het op die vermindering van PKK nie. Dit wys ook dat die effek van die vesels grotendeels afhanklik is van die risiko vlak vir PKK. Die kennis wat uit hierdie ondersoek opgedoen is, kan dien as 'n basis vir die ontwerp van 'n model wat die risiko van PKK in gewone beton kan voorspel en daarvolgens besluit op 'n voorkomingsmaatsreël om hierdie risiko te verminder. Dit bied ook inligting wat gebruik kan word om riglyne te ontwikkel vir die effektiewe gebruik van LV-VVB.

Dans cette thèse nous étudions un super-analogue de l'espace de Teichmüller des surfaces à trous. Le but de notre étude est la construction sur cet espace de coordonnées analogues aux coordonnées de décalage de Thurston-Bonahon-Fock-Penner. Ces coordonnées dépendent du choix d'une triangulation idéale de la surface de départ. Nous étudions les changements de coordonnées lorsque l'on change cette triangulation de la surface. Nous démontrons également que cet espace possède une structure de Poisson canonique et que cette structure est indépendante du choix de la triangulation. / In this thesis we study a superanalogue of the Teichmüller space of surfaces with holes.The aim of our study is the construction of coordinates on this space which are analogousto the Thurston-Bonahon-Fock-Penner shear coordinates. These coordinates depend on a choice of an ideal triangulation of the given surface. We study the changes of coordinates when we modify the triangulation by elementary moves. We also show that this spaceadmits a canonical Poisson structure which is independent of the choice of a triangulation.

本研究旨在探討國民小學學校組織結構、組織承諾與學校效能的關係；其次比較分析教師人口變項類別、學校環境變項類別在學校組織結構、組織承諾及學校效能上的差異；並尋找有效預測學校效能的變項。 研究採問卷調查法，以自編「國民小學組織結構量表、國民小學組織承諾量表及國民小學學校效能量表三部份。受試包括臺灣地區190所公立國民小學的1415名教師，問卷回收率達71 80%。回收問卷經統計處理，獲得以結論： 一、學校組織結構正式式、專門化愈高，則學校效能不論在校長領導、行政溝通、學習環境、課程與教學、學生行為表現、學生學習表現及整體學校效能均有愈高的現象。 二、學校組織結構集中化、傳統化愈高，則學校效能不論在校長領導、行政溝通、學習環境、課程與教學、學生行為表現、學生學習表現及整體學校效能均有愈低的現象。 三、學校組織承諾其認同程度、努力意願、留職傾向或整體組織承諾愈高，則學校效能不論在校長領導、行政溝通、學習環境、課程與教學、學生行為表現、學生學習表現及整體學校效能均有愈高的現象。 四、學校組織結構正式化、專門化愈高，則學校組織承諾不論在認同程、努力意願、留職傾向及整體學校組織承諾均有愈高的現象。 五、學校組織結構集中化、傳統化愈高，則學校組織承諾不論在認同程度、努力意願、留職傾向及整體學校組織承諾均有愈低的現象。 六、我國國民小學學校組織結構整體而言：其正式化及專門化程度頗高；而集中化及傳統化程度較低。高低排序依次為專門化、正式化、傳統化、集中化。 七、我國國民小學學校組織承諾整體而言：不論在認同程度、努力意願、留職傾向及整體組織承諾均相當不錯。其高低排序依次為努力意願、整體組織承諾、留職傾向、認同程度。 八、我國國民小學學校效能整體而言：校長領導、課程與教學、學生行為表現較佳；而學生學習表現、學習環境、行政溝通及整體學校效能次之。其高低排序依次為校長領導、課程與教學、學生行為表現、學生學習表現、學習環境、整體學校效能、行政溝通。 九、不同的教師人口變項類別，不論在學校組織結構、學校組織承諾或學校效能，多有所不同，但因不同的分量表而情況不一。 十、不同的學校環境變項類別，不論在學校組織結構、學校組織承諾或學校效能，多有所不同，但因不同的分量表而情況不一。 十一、學校效能的預測由於分量表不同，而其有效的預測變項亦有所差異。整體來講，認同、正式化、集中化、專門化、傳統化，一般大學畢業的教師、性別、兼任組長的教師、創校10-20年的學校、13-14班的學校及留職傾向，能有效預測學校整體效能。但各變項的預測力不同，且影響的方向也不一樣。 根據研究所得，本研究分別對教育行政機關、學校行政單位、學校校長及教師與未來研究者提出建議。