No description available.

This study focuses on investigating the psychological needs of orphans affected by HIV/AIDS and how these learners can be supported in order to cope effectively with the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The study needed to understand the psychological well being of learners affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS, their general performance at school, the nature and extent of social support they get from their families, communities and societies and their physical well being. Suggestions for an ecosystemic theoretical framework to be infused in all psycho-social support programmes geared to strengthen the psycho-social well-being of AIDS orphans were made. Orphans are affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially. Affected learners have fewer opportunities for schooling and education, may suffer from malnutrition. They are themselves often highly vulnerable to HIV infection and are at higher risk of developing psychological problems. In this study, a case study design was followed. Interviews were conducted with a sample of participants including orphaned learners living in a child-headed household, class-educator, an aunt and a health worker in Soweto. The researcher recruited participants by means of snowball sampling. Results revealed that learners orphaned by HIV/AIDS suffer emotional trauma and grief, illness and stress. They have scholastic problems, suffer stigmatization and discrimination, miss out on educational opportunities and experience poverty. This is an indication of a need for social support. It is for this reason that an ecosystemic support programme which schools can adopt and adapt in order to develop the psychological and social resilience of learners affected and orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is proposed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

This study focuses on investigating the psychological needs of orphans affected by HIV/AIDS and how these learners can be supported in order to cope effectively with the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The study needed to understand the psychological well being of learners affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS, their general performance at school, the nature and extent of social support they get from their families, communities and societies and their physical well being. Suggestions for an ecosystemic theoretical framework to be infused in all psycho-social support programmes geared to strengthen the psycho-social well-being of AIDS orphans were made. Orphans are affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially. Affected learners have fewer opportunities for schooling and education, may suffer from malnutrition. They are themselves often highly vulnerable to HIV infection and are at higher risk of developing psychological problems. In this study, a case study design was followed. Interviews were conducted with a sample of participants including orphaned learners living in a child-headed household, class-educator, an aunt and a health worker in Soweto. The researcher recruited participants by means of snowball sampling. Results revealed that learners orphaned by HIV/AIDS suffer emotional trauma and grief, illness and stress. They have scholastic problems, suffer stigmatization and discrimination, miss out on educational opportunities and experience poverty. This is an indication of a need for social support. It is for this reason that an ecosystemic support programme which schools can adopt and adapt in order to develop the psychological and social resilience of learners affected and orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is proposed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

The removal of trace amounts of acetylene in ethylene streams is a high-volume industrial process that must possess high selectivity of alkyne hydrogenation over hydrogenation of alkenes. Current technology uses metallic nanoparticles, typically palladium or platinum, for acetylene removal. However, problems arise due to the deactivation of the catalysts at high temperatures as well as low selectivities at high conversions. Pore expanded MCM-41 is synthesized via a two-step strategy in which MCM-41 was prepared via cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMABr) followed by the hydrothermal treatment with N,N-dimethyldecylamine (DMDA). This material was washed with ethanol to remove DMDA, or calcined to remove both surfactants. PE-MCM-41 based materials were impregnated with palladium, gold, and palladium-gold nanoparticles. The removal of DMDA had an effect on both the conversion and selectivity, in which they were found to drop significantly. However, by using the bimetallic PdAu catalysts, higher selectivity could be achieved due to increased electron density.

No description available.

This thesis reports a research effort that comprises six papers and a cover paper. In essence, the thesis contributes to the understanding of collaborative settings by introducing the perspective of ‘places of collaboration’. This perspective is particularly important when designing computer-based technologies that support collaborative settings.   The starting point and overall research aim is to understand people’s efforts to configure their current context for the purposes of collaboration. The cover paper of the thesis comprises a theoretical reflection and examination of four collaborative settings. The settings have been studied in situ through ethnographic inquiry and the results are reported in the six papers enclosed in the thesis. In my theoretical reflection, the concepts of ‘place’, ‘space’ and ‘boundary objects’ are central.   The studies revealed that people’s efforts to configure the current context create and reflect a ‘place of collaboration’. In other words, the effort to configure the context results in a practice characterized by an understanding of how to cooperate; a collaborative practice that constitutes a ‘place of collaboration’. During this configuration, the space and the use of materiality in this space are important parts in the creation of a place of collaboration. In addition, people configure collaborative contexts of intersecting practices by creating boundary objects. Boundary objects serve as mediators in a place-making process for the integration of places into a ‘place of collaboration’ for several practices. What is more, the dynamics of a place of collaboration may affect changes in existing modes of working and in computer-based tools that have been introduced into the workplace. The people and practices that constitute the place will in turn re-configure the place of collaboration, including the space and objects available due to the new circumstances.   People’s configuration of their current context reveals crucial aspects about the place of collaboration that must be considered also when designing to support this setting. However, this configuration may not necessarily equal efficiency and effectiveness, as evaluated by actors external to this context. The conclusion of this thesis is that future research and design should consider how to support people in their own effort to configure their collaborative context.

Thesis (MSoSc(AppliedSocialResearch))--University of South Australia, 2003.

München, Techn. Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.

München, Techn. Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.

Zugl.: Karlsruhe, Univ., Diss., 2005