The nursing team in a mental health care facility is a known dynamic at every hospital, rehabilitation centre and out-patient unit which enables these units to be functional. Currently nursing teams function in a challenged environment in mental health care facilities. The National Department of Health in South Africa states that one of the priority areas in the core standards of health care is to improve values and attitudes of health care professionals. One of the ways to accomplish this is that leaders at all levels should be positive role models to staff to encourage a culture of caring and positive attitudes that supports service delivery. However, mental health care in practice is in contradiction to this ideology of how mental health should function. In reality, regular involuntary treatment, minimal patient contact with therapists, negative attitudes, pressure of beds not being available as well as regular seclusions due to unmanageable situations are experienced in practice. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the role of the nursing unit manager to improve nursing teamwork in a mental health care facility in Gauteng in order to improve the quality of health care. A qualitative, explorative, interpretive descriptive and contextual design was selected to address the research question at hand. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used. A focus group discussion was held (n=8) and graphic team sculptings were done with each participant (n=9). The state of the current nursing team was described and explored as well as the practical intervention aimed at improving nursing teamwork. Data of the focus group was analysed using content analysis. Graphic team sculptings were analysed by interpretation analysis. The results of this research study indicated that nursing teamwork is influenced by various factors that can be categorized as organisational-, unit specific- and unit manager specific factors. There might be a negative organisational culture and negative attitudes of team members. There is uncertainty in the hierarchy structures, below the unit manager that causes power struggles, this has an effect on the responsibility and accountability in the absence of the unit manager. Individual team member’s needs constant supervision and direction to complete their daily tasks. The unit managers feel like there is poor support from top management. The general ward assistants and administrative clerks is seen as part of the team, although they are not directly involved with patient care, they contribute to the teams functioning. Mental health care facilities are overcrowded and this increases the workload of the nursing team. Trust and cohesion within the teams is low with poor communication between team members due to clique formation. The unit manager plays a vital role through leadership, collaboration, fair delegation and guidance. Individualism and diversity should be embraced. The unit managers acts as a role model and leader that bring the teams together and solve problems, facilitates effective communication and involves all the team members in decision making. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The nursing team in a mental health care facility is a known dynamic at every hospital, rehabilitation centre and out-patient unit which enables these units to be functional. Currently nursing teams function in a challenged environment in mental health care facilities. The National Department of Health in South Africa states that one of the priority areas in the core standards of health care is to improve values and attitudes of health care professionals. One of the ways to accomplish this is that leaders at all levels should be positive role models to staff to encourage a culture of caring and positive attitudes that supports service delivery. However, mental health care in practice is in contradiction to this ideology of how mental health should function. In reality, regular involuntary treatment, minimal patient contact with therapists, negative attitudes, pressure of beds not being available as well as regular seclusions due to unmanageable situations are experienced in practice. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the role of the nursing unit manager to improve nursing teamwork in a mental health care facility in Gauteng in order to improve the quality of health care. A qualitative, explorative, interpretive descriptive and contextual design was selected to address the research question at hand. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used. A focus group discussion was held (n=8) and graphic team sculptings were done with each participant (n=9). The state of the current nursing team was described and explored as well as the practical intervention aimed at improving nursing teamwork. Data of the focus group was analysed using content analysis. Graphic team sculptings were analysed by interpretation analysis. The results of this research study indicated that nursing teamwork is influenced by various factors that can be categorized as organisational-, unit specific- and unit manager specific factors. There might be a negative organisational culture and negative attitudes of team members. There is uncertainty in the hierarchy structures, below the unit manager that causes power struggles, this has an effect on the responsibility and accountability in the absence of the unit manager. Individual team member’s needs constant supervision and direction to complete their daily tasks. The unit managers feel like there is poor support from top management. The general ward assistants and administrative clerks is seen as part of the team, although they are not directly involved with patient care, they contribute to the teams functioning. Mental health care facilities are overcrowded and this increases the workload of the nursing team. Trust and cohesion within the teams is low with poor communication between team members due to clique formation. The unit manager plays a vital role through leadership, collaboration, fair delegation and guidance. Individualism and diversity should be embraced. The unit managers acts as a role model and leader that bring the teams together and solve problems, facilitates effective communication and involves all the team members in decision making. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This thesis supports the Master of Arts exhibition entitled "Figurative Sculpture and Social Commentary" at the Slocumb Gallery located on the campus of East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, from April 10 - April 14, 2006. This is an exploration of human form in sculpture and the use of representational human form to make comments about society.

Abstract I. Introduction a. Thesis statement: What is the process for modeling a stylized character and how does this differ from a semi-realistic character? b. Expanded thesis statement: The two styles differ from start to finish in a variety of ways. I believe that semi-realistic characters require more source material when drawing and modeling; however stylized characters require a different level of creativity and artistic ability in creation. Modeling semi-realistic characters will be more dependent on source images while stylized characters may require special attention with non-standard texture, style, etc. Rendering techniques will also differ when it goes to presenting the final polished versions with the stylized character focusing on rendering styles that flatten the character while the semi realistic character will require rendering techniques that make it seem more real visually.

<p>The different mapping techniques that are used increases the details on surfaces without increasing the number of polygons. Image Based Sculpting tools in the program Modo and Z-Brush is used to create folds and wrinkles from photographs of actual fabrics instead of trying to create these shapes by modeling them. This method makes it easier to achieve photorealistic renderings and produce as realistic fabric dynamics as possible when they are applied on objects.</p>

A generally accepted goal in orthopaedic surgery today is to maximize conservation of tissue and reduce tissue damage. Bone-conserving implants have bone-mating surfaces that reproduce the natural curvature of bone structures, requiring less bone removal. No small, reliable, inexpensive and universal bone sculpting technique currently exists, however, that can both create and accurately align such complex surfaces. The goal of this thesis was to develop a haptic hard surface emulation mechanism that could be applied to curvilinear bone sculpting using a surgical robot. A novel dynamic physical constraint concept was developed that is able to emulate realistic hard constraints, smooth surface following, and realistic surface rigidity, while allowing complete freedom of motion away from the constraints. The concept was verified through the construction of a two-link manipulator prototype. Tests were run on nine users that involved each user tracing out five different virtual surfaces on a drawing surface using the prototype. The primary purposes of prototype testing were to obtain subjective data on how effectively the dynamic physical constraint concept simulates simple surfaces, to assess how it reacts to typical user interactions and to identify any unexpected behaviour. Users were 100% satisfied with the prototype’s ability to emulate realistic and stiff hard surfaces and with its ease of manipulation. The amount of incursion into each of the virtual surfaces by all the users was measured to assess the precision of the system with the goal of deciding whether this new haptic concept should be further developed specifically for precision applications such as surgery. For curvilinear surfaces, 90% of the cumulative distribution of the measured data was less than 2mm, while for linear surfaces it was less than 6mm. Four behavioural effects were noticed: lateral deflection, reverse ‘stickiness’, hysteresis and instability in certain areas. These effects were studied in detail to determine how to either eliminate them or to minimize them through system design optimization. A computer simulation was also used to model the behaviour of the prototype and to gain further understanding of these effects. These analyses showed that the concept can be successfully used in curvilinear bone sculpting.

A generally accepted goal in orthopaedic surgery today is to maximize conservation of tissue and reduce tissue damage. Bone-conserving implants have bone-mating surfaces that reproduce the natural curvature of bone structures, requiring less bone removal. No small, reliable, inexpensive and universal bone sculpting technique currently exists, however, that can both create and accurately align such complex surfaces. The goal of this thesis was to develop a haptic hard surface emulation mechanism that could be applied to curvilinear bone sculpting using a surgical robot. A novel dynamic physical constraint concept was developed that is able to emulate realistic hard constraints, smooth surface following, and realistic surface rigidity, while allowing complete freedom of motion away from the constraints. The concept was verified through the construction of a two-link manipulator prototype. Tests were run on nine users that involved each user tracing out five different virtual surfaces on a drawing surface using the prototype. The primary purposes of prototype testing were to obtain subjective data on how effectively the dynamic physical constraint concept simulates simple surfaces, to assess how it reacts to typical user interactions and to identify any unexpected behaviour. Users were 100% satisfied with the prototype’s ability to emulate realistic and stiff hard surfaces and with its ease of manipulation. The amount of incursion into each of the virtual surfaces by all the users was measured to assess the precision of the system with the goal of deciding whether this new haptic concept should be further developed specifically for precision applications such as surgery. For curvilinear surfaces, 90% of the cumulative distribution of the measured data was less than 2mm, while for linear surfaces it was less than 6mm. Four behavioural effects were noticed: lateral deflection, reverse ‘stickiness’, hysteresis and instability in certain areas. These effects were studied in detail to determine how to either eliminate them or to minimize them through system design optimization. A computer simulation was also used to model the behaviour of the prototype and to gain further understanding of these effects. These analyses showed that the concept can be successfully used in curvilinear bone sculpting.

Textile design has long been known for its craft related and traditional ways of working. Different designers and artist have found a way of approaching the field from an unconventional perspective. The aim of this project is to demonstrate an alternative way of approaching the field by applying traditional methods to unconventional materials. By doing so the hope is to bring joy and playfulness to the field. As a final result the three groups consisting of nine objects present ways that knit can be used to sculpt and to lend flexibility when combined with stiffer structures, therefore giving way for movement and transformability. Object Poetry engages the viewer to interact and experience fun.

SAMPAIO, Artur Pereira. Uso de refinamento adaptativo em escultura virtual para criação livre de detalhes em malhas triangulares. 2012. 66 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em ciência da computação)- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2012. / Submitted by Elineudson Ribeiro (elineudsonr@gmail.com) on 2016-07-08T19:33:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_dis_apsampaio.pdf: 7747299 bytes, checksum: 3821b45c7bbae1262adf0904941a9d35 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rocilda Sales (rocilda@ufc.br) on 2016-07-14T15:14:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_dis_apsampaio.pdf: 7747299 bytes, checksum: 3821b45c7bbae1262adf0904941a9d35 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-14T15:14:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_dis_apsampaio.pdf: 7747299 bytes, checksum: 3821b45c7bbae1262adf0904941a9d35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Modeling of virtual objects and characters can be tedious and difficult in many situations. A modeling system should be capable of representing any change or feature desired by the user as quickly and transparently as possible, allowing the modeler to focus on the act of creating, as opposed to having to specify the position of each vertex manually. Such a system, if on the one hand offers less control in determining the position of each vertex, being computationally more expensive in some situations, on the other hand greatly simplifies the work of the artist, allowing character modeling to be accessible to any user. This work addressed the problem of traditional sculpting techniques to add details on triangular meshes with adaptive resolution, in regions with low vertex density. The proposed algorithm splits faces and edges in the region of interest of the artist to ensure the existence of a sufficient number of vertices to represent the desired detail, without any additional input requested. The resulting system is capable of bridging the gap between traditional and virtual modeling, improving some of the main methods proposed in the literature regarding the location of the subdivisions. Moreover, it also helps to maintain a good mesh topology and geometric quality, with few vertices of high valence, even if the original mesh is poorly refined, allowing the incorporation of new details. / Modelar objetos e personagens virtuais pode ser uma tarefa tediosa e difícil em várias situações. Um sistema de modelagem ideal deve ser capaz de representar qualquer mudança ou característica desejada pelo usuário da forma mais rápida e transparente possível, abstraindo toda a complexidade topológica e matemática, permitindo ao modelador concentrar-se exclusivamente no ato de criar, em oposição a ter de especificar a posição de cada elemento de forma manual. Tal sistema, se por um lado pode oferecer menor controle na determinação da posição de cada vértice, além de poder ser mais caro computacionalmente em algumas situações, por outro simplifica enormemente o trabalho do artista, tornando a modelagem acessível a qualquer usuário. O presente trabalho abordou o problema das técnicas de sculpting tradicionais de adicionar detalhes em malhas triangulares, com resolução adaptativa e de forma interativa, em regiões com baixa densidade de vértices. O algoritmo proposto busca subdividir faces e arestas na região de interesse do artista de modo a garantir uma quantidade de vértices suficiente para representar o detalhe pretendido, sem necessidade de qualquer informação adicional por parte do usuário. O sistema resultante é capaz de encurtar a distância entre a modelagem tradicional e a virtual, superando alguns dos principais métodos propostos no meio acadêmico no que tange à localidade das subdivisões e a manutenção de uma malha de boa topologia e de boa qualidade geométrica, com poucos vértices de alta valência, ainda que o modelo original seja fracamente refinado, tornando possível a incorporação de novos detalhes.

The workflow of different game modelling artists is explored, with the goal of creating a melee weapon designed for games. A low polygon weapon was created using the research into the most common components from professional workflows of creating game models. One of the goals for the paper was to obtain a greater understanding of professional workflows when creating models for games. Other goals were to utilize the research and design a finished game model from concept to end product.