A repeated theme in the fiction of Angela Carter and Jeanette Winterson is the use of domestic space as a tool for defining socially acceptable versions of female sexuality. Four novels that crystallize this theme are the focus of this dissertation: Winterson??s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1985) and Art and Lies (1994) and Carter??s The Magic Toyshop (1967) and Nights at the Circus (1984). Each chapter examines both authors?? treatments of a specific room in the house. Chapter II, "Parlor Games: Spatial Literacy in Formal Rooms," discusses how rooms used for formal occasions project a desirable public image of a family. More insidiously, however, the rooms protect the sexual order of the household, which often privileges male sexuality. Using the term spatial literacy to describe how characters interpret rooms, the chapter argues that characters with a high spatial literacy can detect not only the overt messages of these formal rooms, but also what underlies those messages. Chapter III, "Making Meals, Breaking Deals: Mothers, Daughters, and Kitchens," discusses the kitchen as the site of the production of domestic comfort. An analysis of who has primary responsibility for the production of comfort and whose comfort is privileged often reveals the power hierarchy of a given household. The chapter also examines the kitchen as a volatile space that can erupt with violence and the expression of repressed emotions and repressed sexuality. Finally, the kitchen is analyzed as a space of intimacy between mothers and daughters. Chapter IV, "Bedtime Stories: Assaulting Sexuality in the Bedroom," argues that the privacy of the adolescent bedroom is often disrupted by the surveillance of family members trying to control the sexual identity of the room??s occupant. The chapter also examines how social prescriptions encourage women to tolerate the interruption of their privacy. Each of the protagonists from these four novels has opportunities to learn about subverting the discursive constructions of domestic space, and several characters enact that subversion. This ability for subversion suggests the possibility for agency, a possibility that postmodernist thought often rejects, but one that Carter and Winterson allow.

The area of school facilities maintenance as an integral component of schools' educational programmes is only beginning to receive attention in South Africa, through the publishing of Notice 1438 of 2008 of the National Education Policy, which is a call for comments on the National Policy for an Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Physical Teaching and Learning Environment. This implies that, while it is a critical aspect of teaching and learning, school facilities maintenance has not been accorded a priority status. Numerous studies have indicated a strong correlation between the quality of school facilities and learner achievement and educator morale and job satisfaction. This study aimed at determining how a whole-school approach to facilities maintenance can be developed at schools by investigating the nature of school facilities maintenance and what the current school facilities maintenance practices are. An exploratory qualitative empirical research involving the use of ethnographic observation, photography and interviews was conducted. The study found that the current facilities maintenance practices at schools mainly comprised routine, corrective and emergency maintenance, which implies that facilities maintenance is not an integral component of the educational programmes. It also implies that schools need to implement a comprehensive and systematic process of facilities maintenance, which has a strong strategic dimension. A Whole-School Facilities Maintenance Model is thus proposed as a solution to this need. The model addresses schools' immediate facilities maintenance needs and long-term needs as it is accommodative of changes, both minor and major, as can be the case with the enactment of policy regarding school infrastructure management. This study contributes to the practice of school organisational development and management by customising strategic planning into school development planning and improvement. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The area of school facilities maintenance as an integral component of schools' educational programmes is only beginning to receive attention in South Africa, through the publishing of Notice 1438 of 2008 of the National Education Policy, which is a call for comments on the National Policy for an Equitable Provision of an Enabling School Physical Teaching and Learning Environment. This implies that, while it is a critical aspect of teaching and learning, school facilities maintenance has not been accorded a priority status. Numerous studies have indicated a strong correlation between the quality of school facilities and learner achievement and educator morale and job satisfaction. This study aimed at determining how a whole-school approach to facilities maintenance can be developed at schools by investigating the nature of school facilities maintenance and what the current school facilities maintenance practices are. An exploratory qualitative empirical research involving the use of ethnographic observation, photography and interviews was conducted. The study found that the current facilities maintenance practices at schools mainly comprised routine, corrective and emergency maintenance, which implies that facilities maintenance is not an integral component of the educational programmes. It also implies that schools need to implement a comprehensive and systematic process of facilities maintenance, which has a strong strategic dimension. A Whole-School Facilities Maintenance Model is thus proposed as a solution to this need. The model addresses schools' immediate facilities maintenance needs and long-term needs as it is accommodative of changes, both minor and major, as can be the case with the enactment of policy regarding school infrastructure management. This study contributes to the practice of school organisational development and management by customising strategic planning into school development planning and improvement. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

作為世界上人口最多的國家，中國曾經是世界上人口增長速度最快的國家之一。為了減輕人口過快增長對經濟社會發展的不利影響，中國在20世紀70年代開始實施旨在減少人口數量增長和提高人口素質的人口和計劃生育政策，這項政策的實施以及經濟社會的快速發展，使得中國在短短20多年的時間內走過了發達國家幾百年才能完成的人口轉變歷程。 本研究評估過去中共人口政策的演變，以及對各方面的正負面影響。中國經濟改革開放以後，提倡一胎化政策的實施對中國的人口發展有著重大影響。其最直接的影響是加快了中國人口由高增長向低增長方式的轉變，促進了中國生育率的下降。隨著生育率的下降，給中國的經濟增長帶也來了很強的效應。另外，提高婦女地位、就業壓力的減緩、健康、教育方面也有一定程度的改善。本文透過對人口問題的深入探討，找出問題存在的癥結。對當前經濟和社會發展影響最大的人口問題主要包括幾個：一是人口性別比例失調問題；二是年齡結構變化相伴隨的人口老齡化問題：三是與前兩個問題有密切關係的獨生子女問題：四是四二一綜合症。 / Abstract China is not only the most populous nation in the world, the country was also among one of the fastest population growing countries. To reduce and minimize the negative impacts to economic and society from rapid population growth, China started implementing various population policies to elevate population superiority by decelerating population growth in the late1970’s, after 20 years such policies allowed China made swift and significant economic and society progresses, which is unprecedented among the developed nations, such changes and swiftness might take few hundred years to transform and accomplish. This research evaluates the evolution in China’s population policies, and focus on the positive and negative aspects from implementing such policies. After China opened its door to the world, the realization of “one-child” policy has affected China’s population growth drastically. The one-child policy has directly impacted on the transformation from previous high population growth, to current low growth rate, it also, deceased the birth rate in China. The result of the birth rate reduction also facilitated the current China’s robust economic growth. Furthermore, it elevated women’s social status and lightened the employment competitiveness, and there are significant improvement in health and education. This paper, thoroughly analyze the predicaments in population and attempt to seek the rationale for their existence. The current economic and society issues involved the following: 1. population unbalance in male and female proportions, 2. the change in age structures towards majority elderly population, 3. problems from one-child policy, 4. issues with “four-two-one” syndrome.

Κατά τη διάρκεια της διπλωματικής εργασίας μελετήθηκαν συστήματα οπτικού προσανατολισμού. Έγινε μελέτη των μεθόδων οπτικού προσανατολισμού που στηρίζονται στην επίλυση του προβλήματος της επιπολικής γεωμετρίας. Πιο συγκεκριμένα έγινε μελέτη των σύγχρονων μεθόδων επίλυσης του προβλήματος της επιπολικής γεωμετρίας (μέθοδοι 5,7 και 8 σημείων). Παράλληλα έγινε μελέτη αλγορίθμων RANSAC για να εξασφαλιστεί η σθεναρότητα του συστήματος. Τα παραπάνω συστήματα υλοποιήθηκαν σε βιβλιοθήκες λογισμικού σε γλώσσα C++ με δυνατότητα απευθείας χρήσης τους από το περιβάλλον Labview. Αντίστοιχη μελέτη, ανάπτυξη και υλοποίηση έγινε και για το σύστημα απόλυτου προσανατολισμού που χρησιμοποιεί σημεία με γνωστές συντεταγμένες. Στη συνέχεια τα συστήματα που αναπτύχθηκαν αξιολογήθηκαν με χρήση συνθετικών δεδομένων. Τέλος διεξήχθη πειραματική αξιολόγηση του συστήματος που αναπτύχθηκε με πραγματικά δεδομένα μέσω της χρήσης μιας πειραματικής διάταξης όπου η κάμερα είναι προσαρτημένη σε μία διάταξη Pan-Tilt, ενώ προτάθηκαν και τρόποι βελτίωσης της ακρίβειας του συστήματος οπτικού προσανατολισμού. / During the diploma thesis, vision-only navigational systems have been studied. Firstly, the epipolar geometry methods (5,7 and 8 points) have been studied in depth. Secondly, a RANSAC framework have been developed to ensure the robustness of the system’s measures. The above systems have been implemented, using the C++ programming language, into software libraries that can be used by the Labview enviroment. Moreover vision-only absolute orientation systems that use landmarks have been developed and implemented. Then the systems developed were evaluated using synthetic data. Finally the system that have been developed was evaluated with real data using an experimental setup where the camera is attached to a Pan-Tilt unit,and ways of improving the vision-only navigational system have been proposed.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo examinar eventuais diferenças das práticas educativas parentais com relação a filhos únicos e primogênitos de famílias com dois filhos. Participaram do estudo 22 famílias, das quais 12 com filhos únicos e 10 com dois filhos. As famílias foram emparelhadas conforme o nível sócio-econômico e pela idade e sexo dos filhos únicos e primogênitos. A idade dos filhos únicos variou entre 4,6 e 6,1 anos (M=5,5; dp=0,51) e a dos primogênitos entre 4,3 e 6,3 anos (M=5,1; dp=0,78). As mães e pais dos dois grupos responderam a uma entrevista sobre práticas educativas parentais. As entrevistas foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo. Contrariando a hipótese inicial do estudo, o teste do qui-quadrado somente revelou diferença marginalmente significativa nas práticas de mães e pais com relação ao filho único. De maneira geral, verificou-se semelhança nas práticas educativas entre mães e pais em ambos os grupos de famílias. Os resultados são discutidos à luz da literatura, com vistas a entender os fatores que podem estar contribuindo para explicar as semelhanças das práticas educativas utilizadas para filhos únicos e primogênitos. / The aim of this study was to examine eventual differences in parental child-rearing practices related to only child and first born of two children families. Twenty two families participated in this study, 12 only-child families and 10 two-children families. Families were matched according to socioeconomic level, age and sex of only child and first born. Only children’s age ranged from 4,6 to 6,1 years (M=5,5; sd=0,51) and first borns were aged from 4,3 to 6,3 years (M=5,1; sd=0,78). Mothers and fathers of both groups were interviewed about parental child-rearing practices. Answers were content-analyzed. The hypothesis of the study was not supported. According to chi-square test marginally significant differences were obtained in maternal and paternal child-rearing practices related to only child. Results indicated agreement between mother’s and father’s childrearing practices in both groups. Issues described as determinants of childrearing practices are discussed considering the role of the family in child development.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo examinar eventuais diferenças das práticas educativas parentais com relação a filhos únicos e primogênitos de famílias com dois filhos. Participaram do estudo 22 famílias, das quais 12 com filhos únicos e 10 com dois filhos. As famílias foram emparelhadas conforme o nível sócio-econômico e pela idade e sexo dos filhos únicos e primogênitos. A idade dos filhos únicos variou entre 4,6 e 6,1 anos (M=5,5; dp=0,51) e a dos primogênitos entre 4,3 e 6,3 anos (M=5,1; dp=0,78). As mães e pais dos dois grupos responderam a uma entrevista sobre práticas educativas parentais. As entrevistas foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo. Contrariando a hipótese inicial do estudo, o teste do qui-quadrado somente revelou diferença marginalmente significativa nas práticas de mães e pais com relação ao filho único. De maneira geral, verificou-se semelhança nas práticas educativas entre mães e pais em ambos os grupos de famílias. Os resultados são discutidos à luz da literatura, com vistas a entender os fatores que podem estar contribuindo para explicar as semelhanças das práticas educativas utilizadas para filhos únicos e primogênitos. / The aim of this study was to examine eventual differences in parental child-rearing practices related to only child and first born of two children families. Twenty two families participated in this study, 12 only-child families and 10 two-children families. Families were matched according to socioeconomic level, age and sex of only child and first born. Only children’s age ranged from 4,6 to 6,1 years (M=5,5; sd=0,51) and first borns were aged from 4,3 to 6,3 years (M=5,1; sd=0,78). Mothers and fathers of both groups were interviewed about parental child-rearing practices. Answers were content-analyzed. The hypothesis of the study was not supported. According to chi-square test marginally significant differences were obtained in maternal and paternal child-rearing practices related to only child. Results indicated agreement between mother’s and father’s childrearing practices in both groups. Issues described as determinants of childrearing practices are discussed considering the role of the family in child development.

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CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / A maioria das flores evoluiram uma dependÃncia de abelhas como polinizadores. Se por um lado as abelhas necessitam de pÃlen para nutriÃÃo de sua prole, as espÃcies que possuem flores polinizadas por abelhas apresentam mecanismos para assegurar pelo menos parte do seu pÃlen para a polinizaÃÃo. As flores-de-pÃlen possuem apenas pÃlen como chamariz para atrair os polinizadores. De um modo geral, ele encontra-se em anteras poricidas, de onde sà pode ser retirado por certas abelhas que conseguem vibrar a flor. Para esse mecanismo funcionar o pÃlen precisa estar seco. Em contraste, para que ocorra a floraÃÃo as plantas precisam de Ãgua. Para verificar a relaÃÃo entre a precipitaÃÃo e a floraÃÃo nas flores que apresentam apenas pÃlen como chamariz, observamos a fenologia de seis espÃcies de flores-de-pÃlen da Caatinga no Cariri, Sul do CearÃ. Como pressuposto, a produÃÃo de flores para a maioria das espÃcies observadas ocorreu durante a estaÃÃo seca. Em Senna acuruensis, Cochlospermum vitifolium e Chamaecrista curvifolia o pico de floraÃÃo foi na estaÃÃo seca, enquanto em Senna spectabilis unicamente no perÃodo chuvoso. Solanum paniculatum apresentou floraÃÃo na estaÃÃo seca mas tambÃm apresenta uma pequena produÃÃo floral na estaÃÃo chuvosa. A exÃtica Senna siamea apresentou picos em todas as estaÃÃes. Em todas as espÃcies foi possÃvel observar uma elevada sincronia (acima de 60%) e uma longa duraÃÃo na produÃÃo floral. Como a antese por muitos meses destas flores-de-pÃlen nÃo se enquadre nos padrÃes descritos por Gentry (1974), atribuÃmos a ela a denominaÃÃo âmacropedosiaâ (do grego μακρός = de longa duraÃÃo e παιδοῦς = com muitos filhos, responsÃvel por muita prole durante muito tempo). Apenas em S. spectabilis e S. siamea a floraÃÃo foi positivamente correlacionada com a precipitaÃÃo. Nas outras espÃcies apresentaram-se negativamente relacionadas, exceto Senna acuruensis que nÃo mostrou grau de correlaÃÃo. A presenÃa de abelhas vibrando estas flores ocorreu durante intervalos secos. Com isso, concluÃmos que as condiÃÃes de umidade necessÃrias para o buzzing das flores-de-pÃlen foram proporcionadas de forma independente da estaÃÃo seca ou chuvosa / The majority of flowers evolved a dependence of bees as pollinators. While on one side the bees need pollen as brood food, species with flowers pollinated by bees show mechanisms to safeguard at least part of their pollen for pollination. Pollen-only flowers possess just pollen to attract pollinators. It is generally contained in poricidal anthers from where it can be removed exclusively by certain bees able to sonicate the flower. For this mechanism to function pollen has to be dry. To flower, however, the plants need water. To understand the relation between precipitation and blooming of pollen-only flowers, we observed the flowering phenology of six caatinga species in the Cariri, southern CearÃ. As presupposed, flower production occurred during the dry season in the majority of the observed species. Senna acuruensis, Cochlospermum vitifolium and Chamaecrista curvifolia had their peaks in the dry season, while Senna spectabilis flowered exclusively in the rainy part of the year. Solanum paniculatum had its main peak in the dry season but produced a minor one also in the wet season. The exotic Senna siamea showed blooms year-round. All species demonstrated an elevated (>60%) percentage of flowering synchrony. As the antheses for many months did not fit the patterns described by Gentry (1974) for nectar flowers, we coined the term âmacropedosyâ (from greek μακρός = of long duration and παιδοῦς = with abundant children; responsible for much offspring during long time) for this behaviour. Only in S. spectabilis and S. siamea, flowering was positively related to precipitation. In the other species, it was negatively related, except S. acuruensis, that demonstrated no correlation at all. Visits of vibrating bees occurred during dry spells. We thus conclude that the dry conditions necessary for buzzing in pollen-only flowers are met with independently of dry or wet season

A series of plate load tests were conducted at the experimental farm of the University of Pretoria. The test areas were levelled by means of three surface preparation methods namely, i) a thin layer of plaster of Paris; ii) a thin layer of well-graded sand and iii) by using only hand tools. In addition, a modified plate load test was designed to eliminate the effect of bedding errors that occur during these tests. Telescopic probes were used to measure the relative displacement at two points below the centre of the plate. The main objective of this research project was to first quantify the bedding errors that occur during plate load tests. Secondly, to evaluate the three different surface preparation methods used in plate load tests to achieve a levelled and smooth test surface, and lastly to evaluate the effectiveness of using telescopic probes in routine plate load tests to eliminate the effects of bedding errors. The stiffness values, determined from the vertical displacement of the plate, were compared with the internal stiffness values determined by means of the telescopic probes. All stiffness values were compared with continuous surface wave (CSW) measurements performed on the same material. The test apparatus, methods and results are discussed in this dissertation. To my / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Civil Engineering / unrestricted