This study explores the themes of the experience of belonging to a male-only society, namely Freemasonry, by allowing members of the Freemasons to tell their stories of their experience of belonging to Freemasonry. The epistemological framework was that of phenomenology, using a qualitative research design. The study involved a series of in-depth individual interviews. Their stories provide alternative ways of perceiving men’s experience of belonging to a male-only society, focusing on the Freemasons. Several common themes were also identified in the participants’ interviews. The researcher found that the history of the Freemasons plays a large role in the member’s justification for female exclusion. Gender, as well as the members need to belong to a male- only society, gave the researcher some insight into their experience of belonging to a male-only society. The themes that were articulated in the study may be helpful in trying to understand the experiences of belonging to a male-only society. / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

U. S. does not have an official language even though the country is home to the highest number of English speakers in the world and English is the primary language spoken there. Since 1980s, there have been efforts to make English the official language of the land. However, they have not been successful so far. The paper Language Policy in the U. S.: Debating Official Language attempts to clarify why English has never been officialized. First, the language policy debates since the American Revolution are examined and the role of official language in the debates is defined. Second, the actors of official English debates are introduced, their motivation is explained and arguments for and against making English official are presented. Third, potential impact of official language legislation is scrutinized based on a comparative analysis of five official English bills. Thus, the paper provides an overview of the topic of official English debates and gives reasons why the U. S. Congress has never passed an official language law.

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In recent years more emphasis has been placed on in-situ condition based monitoring of engineering systems and structures. Aerospace components are manufactured from composite materials more often. Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems are required in the aerospace industry to monitor the safety and integrity of the structure and will ensure that composites reach its full potential within the industry. Damage detection techniques form an integral part of such SHM systems. With this work a damage detection technique is developed for intended eventual use on composite structures, but starting first on isotropic structures. The damage mechanism that is of interest is delamination damage in composites. A simple numerical equivalent is implemented here however. Two damage indicators, the strain cumulative damage factor (SCDF) and the strain-frequency damage level (SFDL) are introduced. The respective damage indicators are calculated from output-only strain and acceleration response data. The effectiveness of the system to detect damage in the structure is critically evaluated and compared to other damage detection techniques such as the natural frequency method. The sensitivity to damage and performance of both these indicators is examined numerically by evaluating two deterministic damage cases. The numerical study is enhanced through the use of an updated finite element model. The minimum number of sensors capable of detecting the presence and locate damage spatially is determined from numerical simulations. Monte Carlo type analysis is performed by letting the damaged area vary stochastically and calculating the respective damage indicators. The model updating procedure from measured mobility frequency response functions (FRFs) is described. The application of the technique to real structures is examined experimentally. Two test structures with two different damage scenarios are examined. The spatial location and presence of damage can be established from both the SCDF and SFDL values, respectively. The spatial location obtained from the SCDF values corresponded to the known damage location for both the numerical and experimental study. The SFDL proved to be more sensitive than the natural frequency method and could be used to calculate the level of damage within the structure. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

In this study, the social experiences of a young adult growing up as an only-child were explored. A single case study with a female only-child, 23 years of age was used to elicit the themes related to these social experiences. The conceptual framework utilised for this study included the concepts of social identity, social relations and social learning, which incorporated the various social agents and contexts explored in this study. Data was generated through multiple sessions, which consisted of the participant’s life story, people and places maps, as well as unstructured and semi-structured interviews. In addition, field notes and observations were recorded in a reflective journal. The data was analysed and interpreted through thematic analysis, which involved an in-depth selection of themes evident in the participant’s written and verbal expressions. The results of the study were presented in the form of themes, subthemes and categories depicting the social experiences of the participant. The primary themes that seemed to have influenced the social experiences of the participant were her relationships (specifically that with her primary caregivers) and her experiences (attached to these relationships). This study yielded an additional category, which can be seen as contributing to the literature on the social experiences of only-children. This category focused on the cultural influences of the participants’ family, which seemed to be significant in shaping her identity. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The cJUN NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway responds to environmental stresses and participates in many cellular processes, including cell death, survival, proliferation, migration, and genome maintenance. Importantly, genes that encode components of the JNK signaling pathway are frequently mutated in human breast cancer, but the functional consequence of these mutations in mammary carcinogenesis is unclear. Anoikis – suspension-induced apoptosis – has been implicated in oncogenic transformation and tumor cell metastasis. Anoikis also contributes to lumen formation during mammary gland development and epithelial cell clearance during post-lactational involution. JNK is known to contribute to certain forms of cell death, but the role of JNK during anoikis was unclear. I examined the requirement of JNK in anoikis and discovered that JNK promotes cell death by transcriptional and post-translational regulation of pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins. This conclusion suggested that JNK signaling may contribute to mammary gland remodeling during involution. Indeed, JNK deficiency in mammary epithelial cells disrupted the remodeling program of gene expression and delayed involution. Finally, I sought to understand the importance of JNK in mammary carcinogenesis. I found that JNK loss in the mammary epithelium was sufficient for genomic instability and tumor formation. Moreover, JNK loss in a model of breast cancer resulted in significantly accelerated tumor development. Collectively, these studies advance our understanding of the JNK pathway and breast biology, and provide insight that informs the design of therapeutic approaches that target the JNK signal transduction pathway.

Tradition spacecraft proximity operations require large and expensive on-board sensors and significant ground support. Relative angle measurements can be obtained from small, simple, and inexpensive on-board sensors, but have not traditionally been used for proximity operation because of difficulty generating rang information. In this thesis it is shown that useful relative range data can be generated provided that the spacecraft is experiencing a small continuous thrust such as would be provided by a low-thrust propulsion system.

The proposed thesis of this dissertation has both a practical element and theoretical component which aim to answer key questions related to the use of angles-only navigation for autonomous orbital rendezvous. The first and fundamental principle to this work argues that an angles-only navigation filter can determine the relative position and orientation (pose) between two spacecraft to perform the necessary maneuvers and close proximity operations for autonomous orbital rendezvous. Second, the implementation of angles-only navigation for on-orbit applications is looked upon with skeptical eyes because of its perceived limitation of determining the relative range between two vehicles. This assumed, yet little understood subtlety can be formally characterized with a closed-form analytical observability criteria which specifies the necessary and sufficient conditions for determining the relative position and velocity with only angular measurements. With a mathematical expression of the observability criteria, it can be used to 1) identify the orbital rendezvous trajectories and maneuvers that ensure the relative position and velocity are observable for angles-only navigation, 2) quantify the degree or level of observability and 3) compute optimal maneuvers that maximize observability. In summary, the objective of this dissertation is to provide both a practical and theoretical foundation for the advancement of autonomous orbital rendezvous through the use of angles-only navigation.

Space travelers in science fiction can drop out of hyperspace and make a pinpoint landing on any strange new world without stopping to get their bearings, but real-life space navigation is an art characterized by limited information and complex mathematics that yield no easy answers. This study investigates, for the first time ever, what position and velocity estimation errors can be expected by a starship arriving at a distant star - specifically, a miniature probe like those proposed by the Breakthrough Starshot initiative arriving at Proxima Centauri. Such a probe consists of nothing but a small optical camera and a small microprocessor, and must therefore rely on relatively simple methods to determine its position and velocity, such as observing the angles between its destination and certain guide stars and processing them in an algorithm known as an extended Kalman filter. However, this algorithm is designed for scenarios in which the position and velocity are already known to high accuracy. This study shows that the extended Kalman filter can reliably estimate the position and velocity of the Starshot probe at speeds characteristic of current space probes, but does not attempt to model the filter’s performance at speeds characteristic of Starshot-style proposals. The gravity of the target star is also estimated using the same methods.

The underrepresentation of female executives is a well studied phenomenon, despite this awareness, the Swedish labor market continues to be characterized by segregation on its hierarchical positions, where females who aspire for executive roles, do not reach the same career advancement as males. When trying to find answers to female underrepresentation in executive roles, evidence points to a shortage of networks that are deemed appropriate for such career advancement. Using qualitative research, this study explores the perceived value of formal networks among female leaders in the tech industry and their influence on the career advancement of women, considering the challenges posed by male-dominated cultures and gender biases. The conclusion of this study acknowledges that the underrepresentation of women in executive positions may be attributed to a scarcity of informal networks, where homosocial behavior restricts female participation within such networks. The findings demonstrate that due to exclusion from the informal sphere, women actively engage in formal networks. Womens formal networks offer various psychosocial and instrumental advantages, and these benefits are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, ultimately promoting women's professional growth. The findings underscore the significance of comprehending the interplay between organizational culture, gender, and network dynamics to cultivate diverse and inclusive networks that enhance female representation and facilitate knowledge sharing.