The aim of this study was to explore how effectively educators in primary schools in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district (rural QwaQwa area, Free State province) affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic can be supported to cope more resiliently with the pandemic's challenges, using the Resilient Educators programme (REds). REds has been piloted with urban educators previously, but not with rural educators. In order for me to achieve this aim, I used mixed methods to gather data: qualitative and quantitative data were gathered in the pre- and post-tests (before and after the implementation of REds) to comment on participant empowerment. I interpreted the data to comment on whether and how the REds programme supported educators affected by HIV/AIDS. Previous Reds piloting was done with urban educators. My piloting would explore if and how REds would enable rural educators. To actualise the study, I recruited ten participants (two males and eight females), but only the eight females completed the study. My participants were Sesotho-speaking educators frorn one of the primary schools in the rural area in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district (QwaQwa area) and all were affected by the pandemic. My findings indicated that REds was a meaningful intervention, but that it needs to be improved as regards the following: • Facilitators should take note of the strengths that participants have relating to HIV/AIDS. • Future REds should encourage positive interpersonal relationships. • The entire staff and different stakeholders in the community should be involved in future REds participation. • REds should be an ongoing intervention strategy for supporting infected educators and those otherwise affected by the pandemic. / M.Ed., North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

Objective: To determine the relationship between mineral density and microtensile bond strength of caries-affected dentin (CAD). Methods: Sixty-three extracted human molars with carious lesions and nine extracted sound human molars are collected and flattened to expose the dentin. Caries is removed using Caries Detector (Kuraray Medical, Tokyo, Japan) leaving a firm light pink stained dentin and then bonded with RBC (Z100, shade T, 3M ESPE, Germany) using an etch-and-rinse 3-step adhesive system (Optibond FL,Kerr, Orange, CA, USA). The bonded teeth are stored overnight at 37ºC before vertically sectioned with diamond saw blades (IsoMet 1000, Buehler Ltd., Lake Bluff, IL, USA). The sticks are then trimmed into dumbbell-shaped specimens with a cross-sectional area of 0.5 mm2 and a gauge length of 1 mm. Tensile testing is performed at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min (Zwick Materials Testing Machine Z2.5/TN1S, Zwick, Ulm, Germany). X-ray microtomography was used to examine the fractured specimens (Micro-CAT II, Siemens Preclinical Solutions, Knoxville, TN) at maximum resolution of 27 microns. The mean mineral densities at the resin-dentin interface of the bonded specimens are calculated using a custom BMD (bone mineral density) analyzer software (Iowa City, IA, USA). Mineral density (image intensity) will be plotted against uTBS (MPa) to determine correlation between these two properties based on Spearman rank correlation test at 0.05 level of statistical significance. Results:There was a statistically significant relationship between µTBS and image intensity (p< 0.0001). However, the correlation coefficient was weak (0.31). Significant effect of the failure mode on the image intensity and the µTBS were observed (p < 0.0001). No significant difference in the mean image intensity was found between the 2 levels (p = 0.6519) and 3 levels of dye staining (p = 0.2531). Intra- and inter-examiner reliability was near perfect (0.99; 0.98) for mineral density measurements. Conclusion: Within the limits imposed in the experimental design, we concluded that the degree of mineralzation of CAD has an influence on its failure mode and µTBS. Positive increasing relationship was also found between CAD's failure mode and its µTBS. Additionally, no significant relationship was found between levels of dye staining and the degree of mineralization.

In the relatively low lying delta area west of Ogden, Utah several thousand acres of potentially productive lands have been seriously affected by the accumulation of soluble salts and the associated condition of excessive exchangeable sodium. As a part of the Weber Basin Project, much of this large area of undeveloped or only partially developed land is proposed for irrigation. Successful irrigation of these salt-affected lands, however, is dependent upon their reclamation and improvement.

Pulsed laser ablation (PLA) in single shot on polycrystalline Al thin foil ca. 50£gm in thickness was conducted in air and water to study the heat and shock affected zone (HSAZ) under specific wave length (532 nm), pulse duration time (16 ns) and laser input energy (400, 600 and 800 mJ/pulse) with a specified spot size of 0.03 mm2. The combined optical and electron microscopic observations indicated water is more effective than air to reduce HSAZ which increases with the increase of pulse energy yet with negligible recrystallization of Al substrate. Oxidation of the Al foil and redeposition of aluminum oxide nanocondensates on the laser incident side caused thermal mismatch between the coating and the Al substrate (especially when only 30£gm in thickness), and hence intra- and intergranular cracking along thermally etched subgrain boundary and grain boundary, respectively. The minimum interspacing of successive shots for effective fabrication of aluminum oxide nanocondesates from Al substrate are 470 and 250£gm, for the present PLA in air and water, respectively. PLA fragmentation of £\-Al2O3 powder (mainly 100 nm in size) in water was also conducted under free-run mode (1064 nm, 240 £gs pulse duration) vs Q-switch mode (532 nm, 16 ns pulse duration) having laser spot size 0.03 mm2 and focal point 5 mm beneath the water level for an accumulation time of 20 min at 10 Hz. Comparing with the case of 1064 nm, the 532 nm laser incidence suffered less water absorption and was more effective to produce nanocondensates mainly in the form of £^ and £_* derived phases ranging from 5 to 20 nm in diameter which were occasionally (111)-specifically coalesced as twinned bicrystals.

No description available.

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.

The negative impact of HIV/Aids, internationally and nationally; as well as on the education system of South Africa, is well-documented and cannot be ignored. The latest statistics indicate that South Africa currently has the highest occurrence of HIV/Aids in the world. Due to this high occurrence of HIV/Aids infected people, an unbelievably high percentage of the community is affected by the pandemic. Teachers, specifically life orientation teachers, are also affected by this phenomenon. All teachers, but specifically Life orientation teachers, are faced on a daily basis with various personal and professional challenges related to the HIV/Aids pandemic. These challenges threaten the well-being of teachers, so that researchers have been asked to empower teachers so that they can resist these challenges. A resilient teacher avails of the correct information on HIV/Aids and can therefore contribute to fighting the pandemic by providing correct information. This teacher will, amongst others, also have strong faith, the ability to discuss the pandemic openly and to obtain access to counselling. This resilient teacher realises the importance of a positive attitude despite the fact that she is realistic about the impact of the pandemic, has positive relationships and realises the value of support. The aim of my study was to determine the degree to which the programme Resilient Educators (REds) can support life orientation teachers who are affected by HIV/Aids, so that they will be equipped to resiliently withstand the challenges HIV/Aids set them. REds has been evaluated many times, but until the present, participants have not been life orientation teachers. In response to this aim, I followed a pre-experimental research design in the course of my study with twelve affected life orientation teachers in Sasolburg, as participants. Before beginning with the programme, a pretest (qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected) was done. Intervention took place over seven weeks by means of the REds programme. I wrote a reflection journal during the intervention and asked participants to report their impressions of the sessions in writing. After completing the programme, a post test was written (qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected) to determine the degree to which participants were able to withstand the challenges of HIV/Aids more resiliently. Thorough analysis of the pre and post test data, as well as the reflection data, creates the impression that participants were already resilient to some degree before joining the programme, but after completing the programme, their resilience can be described as more profound than before, and this fact can largely be ascribed to the effectiveness of the REds programme. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Educational Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

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 negative impact of HIV/Aids, internationally and nationally; as well as on the education system of South Africa, is well-documented and cannot be ignored. The latest statistics indicate that South Africa currently has the highest occurrence of HIV/Aids in the world. Due to this high occurrence of HIV/Aids infected people, an unbelievably high percentage of the community is affected by the pandemic. Teachers, specifically life orientation teachers, are also affected by this phenomenon. All teachers, but specifically Life orientation teachers, are faced on a daily basis with various personal and professional challenges related to the HIV/Aids pandemic. These challenges threaten the well-being of teachers, so that researchers have been asked to empower teachers so that they can resist these challenges. A resilient teacher avails of the correct information on HIV/Aids and can therefore contribute to fighting the pandemic by providing correct information. This teacher will, amongst others, also have strong faith, the ability to discuss the pandemic openly and to obtain access to counselling. This resilient teacher realises the importance of a positive attitude despite the fact that she is realistic about the impact of the pandemic, has positive relationships and realises the value of support. The aim of my study was to determine the degree to which the programme Resilient Educators (REds) can support life orientation teachers who are affected by HIV/Aids, so that they will be equipped to resiliently withstand the challenges HIV/Aids set them. REds has been evaluated many times, but until the present, participants have not been life orientation teachers. In response to this aim, I followed a pre-experimental research design in the course of my study with twelve affected life orientation teachers in Sasolburg, as participants. Before beginning with the programme, a pretest (qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected) was done. Intervention took place over seven weeks by means of the REds programme. I wrote a reflection journal during the intervention and asked participants to report their impressions of the sessions in writing. After completing the programme, a post test was written (qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected) to determine the degree to which participants were able to withstand the challenges of HIV/Aids more resiliently. Thorough analysis of the pre and post test data, as well as the reflection data, creates the impression that participants were already resilient to some degree before joining the programme, but after completing the programme, their resilience can be described as more profound than before, and this fact can largely be ascribed to the effectiveness of the REds programme. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Educational Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.