Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 539-569). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

This thesis will describe the works had been done by the author in the Flying Crane aircraft group design project and the new design of a novel swing arm mechanism which can be applied in the trailing edge high lift devices for this aircraft concept. Flying Crane aircraft is a new generation commercial airliner concept as the result of group design project conducted by China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) and Cranfield University. At the end of the group design project, parameters such as take-off and landing distance, trailing edge flap type and deflection in take-off and landing configuration of the Flying Crane concept have been determined. These parameters are design input of the novel trailing edge high lift device mechanism for this aircraft concept. The idea of this innovative mechanism comes from the research achievement of a previous MSc student, Thomas Baxter, which applied swing arm mechanism into a passenger aircraft's leading edge slat. This thesis applied this idea to trailing edge flap and modeled the mechanism on CATIA software to yield a kinematic simulation for the purpose of check motion trail and force transfer in this mechanism. Relevant works such as actuation, mass and stress analysis are also involved. As the result of this research project, it was found that swing arm mechanism trends to require relatively small fairings for supports and attachments due to its high stowed space utilizing efficiency. Initial mass estimation carried out in this thesis also indicates that the new design takes advantage in terms of weight comparing with traditional trailing edge flap mechanisms. Thus. swing arm mechanism is supposed to show great competitive potential for commercial airliner's trailing edge flaps after further analysis has been done in the detail design phase.

Over the past few years, workers have been confronted with increasing pressures at work and at home. This is mainly the result of the growing number of dual-earner couples as well as changes and pressures in the nature of the workplace. Workers are challenged to manage multiple roles in both their work and home domains. Recently, a new measuring instrument was developed to measure work-home interaction, namely the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING). This instrument measures both the direction of influence (work-to-home and home-to-work) and the quality of influence (negative vs. positive). The objectives of this study were firstly to determine the construct validity and reliability of the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING), and secondly to determine the prevalence of work-home interaction in various demographic groups in the nursing environment. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (N = 363) were taken from hospital nursing staff in Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Potchefstroom and Pretoria. The SWING and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Structural equation modelling (SEM), Cronbach alpha coefficients, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to reach the objectives. SEM showed that a four-factor model, which measures negative work-home interference, positive work-home interference, negative home-work interference and positive home-work interference, fitted the data best. Cronbach alpha coefficients showed that all four factors were reliable. Regarding the prevalence of work-home interaction among different demographic groups, the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between demographic groups based on race, educational level, type of position, flexibility of arrangements at the workplace as well as between full-time and part-time work. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Denna rapport är ett examensarbete inom maskinteknik på c-nivå (15hp). Då författaren ansåg att dagens hammockar inte utvecklats speciellt mycket sedan de blev populära i Sverige på 60-talet, valde han att ägna detta arbete åt att försöka ta fram en mer modern sådan. Projektet har huvudsakligen handlat om produktutveckling och design där mycket tid spenderats på att lösa alla de olika problem som de satta kraven på nya funktioner bidragit till. Arbetet startade med en omfattande förstudie. Därefter vidareutvecklades de olika idéer som framkom under förstudien ytterligare. Detta skedde först med hjälp av papper och penna, men överfördes senare till digital form. Det var oftast först då som en idé var möjlig att testa fullt ut. Resultatet är en hammock med en nutida design och flertalet nya funktioner, vilka i rapporten presenteras i form av bilder på den cad-modell som framställdes. / This work is a thesis in mechanical engineering at c-level (15hp). The author decided that he wanted to dedicate this work to try to develop the canopy swings because he saw potential to do so. The reason for this was mainly the fact that they have hardly been developed at all since they became popular in the 1960s here in Sweden. The project has mainly been about product development and design, where a lot of time has been spent on trying to solve all the different problems that the set demands resulted in. The work started with an extensive feasibility study. Thereafter, the ideas that emerged during the preliminary study where developed further. This was first done by using paper and pencil, but was later transferred to digital form. It was most often only possible to fully test an idea when that was made. The result is a hammock with a modern design and several new features, which in the report are presented as images of the CAD model that was made.

Over the past few years, workers have been confronted with increasing pressures at work and at home. This is mainly the result of the growing number of dual-earner couples as well as changes and pressures in the nature of the workplace. Workers are challenged to manage multiple roles in both their work and home domains. Recently, a new measuring instrument was developed to measure work-home interaction, namely the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING). This instrument measures both the direction of influence (work-to-home and home-to-work) and the quality of influence (negative vs. positive). The objectives of this study were firstly to determine the construct validity and reliability of the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING), and secondly to determine the prevalence of work-home interaction in various demographic groups in the nursing environment. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (N = 363) were taken from hospital nursing staff in Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Potchefstroom and Pretoria. The SWING and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Structural equation modelling (SEM), Cronbach alpha coefficients, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to reach the objectives. SEM showed that a four-factor model, which measures negative work-home interference, positive work-home interference, negative home-work interference and positive home-work interference, fitted the data best. Cronbach alpha coefficients showed that all four factors were reliable. Regarding the prevalence of work-home interaction among different demographic groups, the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between demographic groups based on race, educational level, type of position, flexibility of arrangements at the workplace as well as between full-time and part-time work. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Seven above-knee amputees were fitted with a low-cost prosthetic knee and different low-cost swing-phase setups were clinically assessed. Clinical testing included the 20-meter walk tests utilizing a mobile computer setup connected to a potentiometer and accelerometer mounted on the prosthetic limb. As hypothesized, incorporating friction and a spring system resulted in improved gait function. Of the two spring systems evaluated, the dual spring system performed better than the single spring system resulting in increased walking velocity with decreased maximum flexion and terminal impact. The dual spring system resulted in lower terminal impact because the deactivation of the stiff spring and activation of the less stiff spring during the last 25 degrees of swing-phase before extension allows the shank to decelerate and hit the bumper at a lower velocity. The swing-phase control mechanisms evaluated have the potential to improve prosthetic function and are ideal for use in low-cost and peadiatric prostheses.

Seven above-knee amputees were fitted with a low-cost prosthetic knee and different low-cost swing-phase setups were clinically assessed. Clinical testing included the 20-meter walk tests utilizing a mobile computer setup connected to a potentiometer and accelerometer mounted on the prosthetic limb. As hypothesized, incorporating friction and a spring system resulted in improved gait function. Of the two spring systems evaluated, the dual spring system performed better than the single spring system resulting in increased walking velocity with decreased maximum flexion and terminal impact. The dual spring system resulted in lower terminal impact because the deactivation of the stiff spring and activation of the less stiff spring during the last 25 degrees of swing-phase before extension allows the shank to decelerate and hit the bumper at a lower velocity. The swing-phase control mechanisms evaluated have the potential to improve prosthetic function and are ideal for use in low-cost and peadiatric prostheses.

New Hampshire has become a competitive swing state in presidential elections over the past two decades. Though New Hampshire was once a reliable red state and the home for many “Yankee Republicans,” the state has experienced a shift toward the Democratic Party beginning in the early 1990s. Scholars often attribute this shift to the “migration theory,” arguing that the influx of Massachusetts liberals who migrated to New Hampshire in the latter half of the twentieth century has created a larger Democratic voting bloc in the state. However, a county-level analysis of New Hampshire provides a different story. Southern urban counties with the highest migration rates, such as Hillsborough and Rockingham, had relatively small gains of Democratic voters and remain competitive swing counties. Northern rural counties with much lower migration rates, such as Coos and Grafton, have experienced a far greater political shift to the left. By using both of these case studies, this report casts doubt on the “migration theory” by showing that numerical migration rates do not fully account for New Hampshire’s shift. Instead, this report finds that the different types of economies in the southern and northern parts of New Hampshire significantly influence the political effects of migration in the state, offering a more nuanced theory based on county-level data than the one currently provided for the state as a whole.

Mulheres submetidas à mastectomia, apresentam assimetrias posturais, assim como alterações na cinemática do movimento do ombro e tronco. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o equilíbrio estático bem como a marcha em mulheres submetidas à cirurgia de mastectomia unilateral. Para tanto, foram analisadas 42 mulheres, divididas em dois grupos: mulheres submetidas à mastectomia unilateral (GM), com idade média de 53,77±7,24 anos, e mulheres sem a doença como controle (GC), com idade média de 54,70±6,31 anos. As análises do equilíbrio estático e da marcha foram efetuadas com sistema Vicon System (VICON-MX-T40S, Oxford, Inglaterra). Foi avaliado o equilíbrio estático com olhos abertos e olhos fechados, com e sem o uso da prótese mamária externa, por meio da área e do deslocamento do centro de massa projetado no chão, assim como o ângulo da coluna. Na marcha, foram avaliados os parâmetros espaço-temporal com e sem o uso da prótese mamária externa, e a oscilação dos membros superiores e do tronco. Foi aplicado o teste de normalidade de Shapiro-Wilk, diante de uma distribuição normal e relacionada, aplicou-se o teste T relacionado, e para amostras independentes, teste T independente, em distribuição não paramétrica, foi aplicado Wilcoxon para variáveis relacionadas e Mann-Whitney, para variáveis independentes. Foi fixado o nível crítico de 5% (p<0,05), o processamento dos dados efetuado pelo software SPSS, versão 17.0. A análise do equilíbrio estático apontou aumento significativo na área e no deslocamento do centro de massa projetado no chão, e deslocamento médio-lateral do ângulo da coluna. Na marcha, houve piora dos parâmetros espaço-temporal e menor oscilção do membro superior homolateral à cirurgia para movimentos de flexão/extensão e abdução/adução, o tronco apresentou menor oscilação médio-lateral. A prótese parece não ter influenciado no equilíbrio e na marcha. Os resultados sugerem que a mastectomia unilateral pode afetar o equilíbrio e a marcha. / Women undergoing mastectomy, have postural asymmetries as well as changes in the kinematics of the movement of the shoulder and spine. The objective of this study was to evaluate static balance and gait in women undergoing unilateral mastectomy surgery. Therefore, 42 women were analyzed, divided into two groups: women who underwent unilateral mastectomy (GM) with a mean age of 53.77 ± 7.24 years, and women without the disease as control (GC) with a mean age of 54.70 ± 6.31 years. Analyses of static equilibrium and gait was performed with Vicon System (MX-T40S-VICON, Oxford, England). We evaluated the static balance with eyes open and eyes closed, with and without the use of external breast prosthesis through the area and the center of mass displacement designed on the floor, as well as the angle of the spine. On the gait were evaluated spatiotemporal parameters with and without the use of external breast prosthesis and the oscillation of the upper limbs and trunk during walking. The functionality of the upper limbs was measured by the DASH questionnaire, and the level of physical activity by IPAQ. We used the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, before a normal and related distribution, we applied the related t test for independent samples and, independent t test, in non-parametric distribution, Wilcoxon was applied to related variables and Mann Whitney test for independent variables was set the critical level of 5% (p <0.05), the processing of data carried out by SPSS software, version 17.0. The static equilibrium analysis indicated a significant increase in the area and the center of mass offset projected on the ground and the medial-lateral displacement of the spine angle. On the march, there was worsening of spatiotemporal parameters and lower swing in arm ipsilateral to surgery for flexion/extension and abduction/adduction, trunk shows less medial-lateral oscillation. The prosthesis seems to have no influence on balance and gait. The results suggest that unilateral mastectomy can affect the balance and gait.

Carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS) are expected to play a key role in the future energy matrix. Different gas separation processes are under investigation with the purpose of becoming a more economical alternative than solvent based post combustion configurations. Previous works have proved that pressure swing adsorption (PSA) cycles manage to reach similar carbon capture targets than conventional amine process but with approx. a 50% lower specific energy consumption when they are applied at lab scale. These encouraging results suggest that research must be undertaken to study the feasibility of this technology at a low to medium power plant scale. The simulation of PSA cycles is a computationally challenging and time consuming task that requires as well a large set of experimentally measured data as input parameters. The assumption of Equilibrium Theory reduces the amount of empirically determined input variables that are necessary for modelling adsorption dynamics as well as enabling a simpler code implementation for the simulators. As part of this work, an Equilibrium Theory PSA cycle solver (Esim) was developed, the novel tool enables the quantification of the thermodynamic limit for a given PSA cycle allowing as well a pre-selection of promising operating conditions and configurations (high separation efficiency) for further investigation by using full governing equation based software The tool presented in this thesis is able to simulate multi-transition adsorption systems that obey any kind of equilibrium isotherm function without modifying its main code. The second part of this work is devoted to the design, simulation and optimisation of two stage two bed Skarmstrom PSA cycles to be applied as a pre-combustion process in a biomass gasification CHP plant. Simulations were carried out employing an in house software (CySim) in which full governing equations have been implemented. An accurate analysis of the operating conditions and cycle configurations was undertaken in order to improve the performance of the carbon capture unit. It was estimated that the energy penalty associated with the incorporation of the adsorptive pre combustion process was lower for a conventional post combustion solvent unit, leading as well to lower specific energy consumption per unit of captured CO2 and higher overall efficiencies for the CHP plant with installed pre-combustion PSA cycles. This work is pioneer in its kind as far as modelling, simulation, optimisation and integration of PSA units in energy industries is concerned and its results are expected to contribute to the deployment of this technology in the future energy matrix.