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Infant care is an essential part of the healthcare industry and an aspect of healthcare where the multi-disciplinary teams work closely together. Within this collaboration of teams, the term "infant wellbeing" is frequently used. Yet even though wellbeing on its own is a multi-faceted concept, when pertaining to the infant, this concept can become very complex and difficult to understand and apply. Dictionary definitions of wellbeing emphasize a state of being healthy, happy or prosperous. However, despite its common-sense appeal, it was found that the term wellbeing is not a particularly well- defined outcome, especially in reference to the infant. Despite the fact that scrutiny of the literature indicated that the term "infant wellbeing" is used by different members of the multi-disciplinary team, a clear concise universal definition for healthcare settings and professionals is missing from published literature. In fact, no recorded definition for the concept was to be found. Consequently, the aim of this study was to develop an operational definition for the concept "infant wellbeing" that can be used congruently between different members of the multi-disciplinary team. This is done by means of a concept analysis as described by Walker and Avant (2014). The findings revealed that the infant consists of certain dimensions which all play a role in the infant's wellbeing. Equally the infant also functions within a certain system or domain which also affects the wellbeing of the infant. These aspects are discussed in detail. By having a specific general description of infant wellbeing, nurses and other members of the multi-disciplinary team will have a common understanding of what the concept entails which also assists in the development of standardized language within the healthcare profession. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Infant care is an essential part of the healthcare industry and an aspect of healthcare where the multi-disciplinary teams work closely together. Within this collaboration of teams, the term "infant wellbeing" is frequently used. Yet even though wellbeing on its own is a multi-faceted concept, when pertaining to the infant, this concept can become very complex and difficult to understand and apply. Dictionary definitions of wellbeing emphasize a state of being healthy, happy or prosperous. However, despite its common-sense appeal, it was found that the term wellbeing is not a particularly well- defined outcome, especially in reference to the infant. Despite the fact that scrutiny of the literature indicated that the term "infant wellbeing" is used by different members of the multi-disciplinary team, a clear concise universal definition for healthcare settings and professionals is missing from published literature. In fact, no recorded definition for the concept was to be found. Consequently, the aim of this study was to develop an operational definition for the concept "infant wellbeing" that can be used congruently between different members of the multi-disciplinary team. This is done by means of a concept analysis as described by Walker and Avant (2014). The findings revealed that the infant consists of certain dimensions which all play a role in the infant's wellbeing. Equally the infant also functions within a certain system or domain which also affects the wellbeing of the infant. These aspects are discussed in detail. By having a specific general description of infant wellbeing, nurses and other members of the multi-disciplinary team will have a common understanding of what the concept entails which also assists in the development of standardized language within the healthcare profession. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The focus of this research is on the development of a novel multi-disciplinary design optimization scheme for micro-compliant devices. Topology optimization is a powerful tool that can address the need for a systematic method to design MEMS. It is expected that systematic design methods will make the design of micro devices transparent to the user and thus spur their use. Although topology optimization of MEMS devices with embedded actuation has received a great deal of attention among researchers recently, there is not a significant amount of literature available on the subject. The limited literature available addresses multi-physics topology optimization, which employs the homogenization method. However, the products of this method inherit the drawbacks of homogenized material discretization, including checkerboard pattern, gray-scale material and narrow flexural hinges in the optimum solution. In this thesis, a new topology optimization scheme is introduced that addresses the specific needs of MEMS domain. A new discretization approach with frame-ground structure is introduced. This approach offers significant conceptual and practical advantages to the compliant MEMS optimization problem, including compatibility with MEMS fabrication processes. The design spaces of compliant mechanisms are non-convex and it is critical to employ an algorithm capable of converging to the global optimum without the need to evaluate gradients of objective function. In this thesis, an efficient real-coded genetic algorithm is implemented, which shows a better repeatability and converges to very similar solutions in different runs. This new method of optimization facilitates the use of a coarse subdivision of the design domain rather than the homogenized material method, for the same resolution of shape definition. Therefore, the topology optimization scheme developed in this thesis significantly reduces the computational burden without compromising the sharpness of the shape definition. As the problem of compliant mechanism design is posed as a set of conflicting objectives, a well-posed multi-criteria objective function is introduced which avoids one objective dominating the solution. Moreover, the formulation is modified to incorporate electro-thermal boundaries and enables the optimization of the compliant mechanisms to transfer maximum motion or maximum force at the output. A number of design examples are used to demonstrate the ability of the procedure to generate non-intuitive topologies. Their performance is verified using ANSYS and compared with results from the homogenization method and designs reported in the available literature.

The focus of this research is on the development of a novel multi-disciplinary design optimization scheme for micro-compliant devices. Topology optimization is a powerful tool that can address the need for a systematic method to design MEMS. It is expected that systematic design methods will make the design of micro devices transparent to the user and thus spur their use. Although topology optimization of MEMS devices with embedded actuation has received a great deal of attention among researchers recently, there is not a significant amount of literature available on the subject. The limited literature available addresses multi-physics topology optimization, which employs the homogenization method. However, the products of this method inherit the drawbacks of homogenized material discretization, including checkerboard pattern, gray-scale material and narrow flexural hinges in the optimum solution. In this thesis, a new topology optimization scheme is introduced that addresses the specific needs of MEMS domain. A new discretization approach with frame-ground structure is introduced. This approach offers significant conceptual and practical advantages to the compliant MEMS optimization problem, including compatibility with MEMS fabrication processes. The design spaces of compliant mechanisms are non-convex and it is critical to employ an algorithm capable of converging to the global optimum without the need to evaluate gradients of objective function. In this thesis, an efficient real-coded genetic algorithm is implemented, which shows a better repeatability and converges to very similar solutions in different runs. This new method of optimization facilitates the use of a coarse subdivision of the design domain rather than the homogenized material method, for the same resolution of shape definition. Therefore, the topology optimization scheme developed in this thesis significantly reduces the computational burden without compromising the sharpness of the shape definition. As the problem of compliant mechanism design is posed as a set of conflicting objectives, a well-posed multi-criteria objective function is introduced which avoids one objective dominating the solution. Moreover, the formulation is modified to incorporate electro-thermal boundaries and enables the optimization of the compliant mechanisms to transfer maximum motion or maximum force at the output. A number of design examples are used to demonstrate the ability of the procedure to generate non-intuitive topologies. Their performance is verified using ANSYS and compared with results from the homogenization method and designs reported in the available literature.

Urban and regional planning, from a professional standpoint, is built on a history of preservation, with the backdrop of a perennial quest to define itself for the benefit of both laypeople and its own members. Consequently, different stages of planning throughout the twentieth century relate to simultaneous cultural changes that have caused the re-definition and re-focusing of professional efforts. From the original concentration on rational thought that coincided with the planner as objective expert with the ability to identify and promote the public interest, to the civil rights movement of the late twentieth century that embodied postmodern ideas such as advocacy, collaboration, and communication, the concept of who the planner is and what role he or she plays has developed over time. In parallel, the structures planners use to deliver their services have altered. While the shift from the traditional concept of the public sector to quasi-public and private applications has been well documented, the structures of the twenty-first century such as multinationals, public-private partnerships, and multi-disciplinary arrangements are less studied and understood. Multi-disciplinary practices (MDPs), in particular, garner little attention from the academic or professional planning spheres. While the legal and accounting professions are scrambling for a clear policy direction on cross-discipline collaboration, planners do not seem to have diverted much attention to whether or not they have a future. Indeed, the existence of MDPs provokes the return of the question of what role planners should play, and whether they should be a distinct specialized profession, or an entity with a mandate to coordinate other professions with an eye to long-term planning for the public good. This analysis attempts to qualitatively assess whether MDPs should be supported or rejected by the planning discipline, and how the profession should be addressing the answer. / Thesis (Master, Urban & Regional Planning) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 11:25:12.401

This doctoral research is a multi-disciplinary study which draws from discourse theory, linguistics and European Union studies. It aims to explore the meaning, and linguistic representations of the European Union (EU) in the context of its relations with the Pacific Region, while taking into account contributing ideological and political factors. This study contributes to several academic fields, and specifically to the practice of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and to the continuum of study on the linguistics-politics interface. CDA research observes the structure and function of signifiers. Discourse analysis provides means to critically observe elements of social and political power, identities and issues through both contextual and linguistic features of discourse. It offers a unique approach to analysing international relations with the application of tools that can decipher meaning and ideologies in discursive structures. This approach stems for the post-structural outlook that linguistic features reflect ideologies and power relations that condition interpretation of political and social issues. Through a critical observation, the role and influence of the EU in the Pacific region is examined and evaluated. A wider grouping of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is relevant to the discussion of the EU’s development action and French territories are also taken into account as they are located in the Pacific region and have aspirations to become more integrated to the Pacific community. This study reveals how the EU is defined and how the EU influences the developing world. It also reveals how the Pacific countries are responding to the EU’s interests and values such as regional integration and trade liberalisation. The discourse formation of EU-Pacific relations articulates and reinforces ideologies of identity and power behind the entirety of EU-Pacific relations. The nature of EU identity and role in relation to an ‘Other’ is thus explored in this thesis.

No abstract available / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

The main objective of this research is to develop an innovative multi-fidelity multi-disciplinary design, analysis and optimization suite that integrates certain solution generation codes and newly developed innovative tools to improve the overall optimization process. The research performed herein is divided into two parts: (1) the development of an MDAO framework by integration of variable fidelity physics-based computational codes, and (2) enhancements to such a framework by incorporating innovative features extending its robustness. The first part of this dissertation describes the development of a conceptual Multi-Fidelity Multi-Strategy and Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimization Environment (M3 DOE), in context of aircraft wing optimization. M3 DOE provides the user a capability to optimize configurations with a choice of (i) the level of fidelity desired, (ii) the use of a single-step or multi-step optimization strategy, and (iii) combination of a series of structural and aerodynamic analyses. The modularity of M3 DOE allows it to be a part of other inclusive optimization frameworks. The M3 DOE is demonstrated within the context of shape and sizing optimization of the wing of a Generic Business Jet aircraft. Two different optimization objectives, viz. dry weight minimization, and cruise range maximization are studied by conducting one low-fidelity and two high-fidelity optimization runs to demonstrate the application scope of M3 DOE. The second part of this dissertation describes the development of an innovative hybrid optimization framework that extends the robustness of M3 DOE by employing a proper orthogonal decomposition-based design-space order reduction scheme combined with the evolutionary algorithm technique. The POD method of extracting dominant modes from an ensemble of candidate configurations is used for the design-space order reduction. The snapshot of candidate population is updated iteratively using evolutionary algorithm technique of fitness-driven retention. This strategy capitalizes on the advantages of evolutionary algorithm as well as POD-based reduced order modeling, while overcoming the shortcomings inherent with these techniques. When linked with M3 DOE, this strategy offers a computationally efficient methodology for problems with high level of complexity and a challenging design-space. This newly developed framework is demonstrated for its robustness on a non-conventional supersonic tailless air vehicle wing shape optimization problem. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to extend the analysis methods in PACELAB APD 3.1, a recent commercially available aircraft preliminary design tool with potential for MDO applications, for higher fidelity with physics-based instead of empirical methods and to enable the analysis of nonconventional aircraft configurations. The implementation of these methods was first validated against both existing models and wind tunnel data. Then, the original and extended PACELAB APD versions were used to perform minimum-fuel optimizations for both a traditional cantilever and strut-braced wing aircraft for a medium-range regional transport mission similar to that of a 737-type aircraft, with a minimum range of 3,115 nm and a cruise Mach number of 0.78. The aerodynamics, engine size / weight estimation and structural modules were heavily modified and extended to accomplish this. Comparisons to results for the same mission generated with FLOPS and VT MDO are also discussed. For the strut-braced configuration, large fuel savings on the order of 37% over the baseline 737-800 aircraft are predicted, while for the cantilever aircraft savings of 10-30% are predicted depending on whether the default or VT methods are utilized in the PACELAB analysis. This demonstrates the potential of the strut-braced configuration for reducing fuel costs, as well as the benefit of MDO in the aircraft conceptual design process. For the cantilever aircraft, FLOPS and VT MDO predict fuel savings of 8% and 23%, respectively. VT MDO predicts a fuel savings of 28% for the strut-braced aircraft over the baseline. / Master of Science