Background: Challenges persist in ensuring access to and optimal use of long-lasting, insecticidal bed nets (LLINs). Factors associated with ownership and use may differ depending on the history of malaria and prevention control efforts in a specific region. Understanding how the cultural and social-environmental context of bed net use may differ between high- and low-risk regions is important when identifying solutions to improve uptake and appropriate use. Methods: Community forums and a household, cross-sectional survey were used to collect information on factors related to bed net ownership and use in western Kenya. Sites with disparate levels of transmission were selected, including an endemic lowland area, Miwani, and a highland epidemic-prone area, Kapkangani. Analysis of ownership was stratified by site. A combined site analysis was conducted to examine factors associated with use of all available bed nets. Logistic regression modelling was used to determine factors associated with ownership and use of owned bed nets. Results: Access to bed nets as the leading barrier to their use was identified in community forums and cross-sectional surveys. While disuse of available bed nets was discussed in the forums, it was a relatively rare occurrence in both sites. Factors associated with ownership varied by site. Education, perceived risk of malaria and knowledge of individuals who had died of malaria were associated with higher bed net ownership in the highlands, while in the lowlands individuals reporting it was easy to get a bed net were more likely to own one. A combined site analysis indicated that not using an available bed net was associated with the attitudes that taking malaria drugs is easier than using a bed net and that use of a bed net will not prevent malaria. In addition, individuals with an unused bed net in the household were more likely to indicate that bed nets are difficult to use, that purchased bed nets are better than freely distributed ones, and that bed nets should only be used during the rainy season. Conclusion: Variations in factors associated with ownership should be acknowledged when constructing messaging and distribution campaigns. Despite reports of bed nets being used for other purposes, those in the home were rarely unused in these communities. Disuse seemed to be related to beliefs that can be addressed through education programmes. As mass distributions continue to take place, additional research is needed to determine if factors associated with LLIN ownership and use change with increasing availability of LLIN.

This paper aims to measure the kinds of challenges faced by multicultural studentgroups and the influence of culture (individualism and collectivism) on student'sperception of importance on each of the challenges discovered. A 19-item questionnairewas completed by students (N = 234) from different faculties including natural andsocial sciences at Linnaeus University, students were from 47 countries. Challenges inmulticultural groups were measured using a Likert scale (from 1 to 5) that assessedmember participation, communication, group processes and group member compositionand analysed by exploratory factor analysis. To examine the differences in perception ofimportance of the challenges discovered between individualists and collectivists basedon Hofstede's culture framework, t-tests and Mann-Whitney test were conducted. Theresults suggested three main kinds of challenges: culture related challenges, genericgroup work challenges and membership resemblance. Membership resemblance was theonly kind of challenge that significantly differed between individualists and collectivists.Further discussions explaining the results and implementation of this study werepresented.

Even though that business plans are created every day, and that there is many literature on them, there is very little known on the process of the business plan development itself. Using a qualitative research method called autoethnography, this thesis explored the business plan development process. The main findings of this thesis were that there are four main themes or problems that can be associated with this process: problems regarding the data search and data collection; emotions; time constraints and the attractiveness of the idea.

In this study the learning challenges faced by Black orphaned girl learners in the Xhariep District who head households, were explored. A literature study was undertaken to highlight the causes, magnitude and effects of child-headed households and to establish the learning challenges in general experienced by learners who head households. Important prerequisites for effective learning such as parental expectations, self-esteem, goal orientation, school attendance, positive attributions, motivation, need fulfilment, self-regulation, self-efficacy, cognitive development, parental involvement and socio-economic factors were explored. The literature review informed the conceptual framework of the study, and provided the framework for designing interview questions that were used to gain a deeper understanding of the learning challenges experienced by black girl learners who head households. By means of qualitative, phenomenological research, one-on-one interviews were conducted with a convenient sample of a purposively selected group of 10 Black girl learners at Secondary School Level who head households in the Xhariep District of the Free State Department of Education. The interpretation of the data revealed various learning challenges which are experienced by these learners due to their unfavourable circumstances as heads of households. The interview data revealed that the girls who take part in the study experience a lack of basic needs such as food and money and love and belonging. Furthermore, they experience emotional problems due to the death of their parents and the stressful situation of having the cope with numerous responsibilities at home and school. Due to the mentioned problems, the participants experience learning challenges related to irregular school attendance, difficulty in coping with and concentrating on their schoolwork, poor achievement and low self-esteem. According to the responses of the learners, it is difficult to be a child and a parent at the same time, having to account for all the responsibilities of being a learner and accomplishing the parental role. This study is concluded with recommendations to teachers on how to assist Black girl learners who head households in the Xhariep District. / MEd, Learning and Teaching, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

A framework for assessing the key statistical parameters of complex flows in choosing appropriate turbulence prediction methods on a quantitative basis is developed. These parameters characterise flow/modelling matching conditions quantified in this work. Matching conditions are important in classifying complex turbulent flows in order to frame best practice for model predictions to inform computational aerodynamics design optimisation in the context of virtual test beds. In the incompressible low Reynolds number shear flows considered here, the boundaries of the 'conforming domain' within which turbulence models are valid need to be defined, based on basic mechanisms of turbulence, and the statistical parameters. This has led to a new guideline ‘localness map’ for standard model applications. Since the choice of turbulence model depends on the complexity of the flows considered, it is useful if systematic sets of the parameters indicate the type of flow. They are that of residence time, the degree of spatial non-locality, the straining, and the non-Gaussianity, each of which is appropriately normalised. It can be demonstrated that the quantified map, in particular that of localness for the shear flows, provides a firm foundation for evaluating a wider range of Underlying Flow Regimes, including locating the Underlying Flow Regimes on the generalised localness modeling map as a framework for best practice guidelines. This work produces 7 sets of quantitative localness-structural parameters, which are used as baseline sets for grouping the Underlying Flow Regimes, and hence it opens the possibility of having complete modelling maps for Application Challenges to assess the need for zonal modelling.

Working, communicating, socialising and proceeding in multicultural environments are not always easily put into practice. The contrary is the case, it poses various challenges. These challenges will be investigated within this work with a specific focus on the research issues: Which changes leadership needs to face in terms of adapting to new multicultural circumstances? And if so, how to do it? As well as the question about how to strengthen the cultural competences of respective leaders or future-leaders in order to facilitate working and social corporate processes in a company or an organisation. The approximation with Grounded Theory will be conducted as the methodology approach in this thesis. It allows us, as the creator of knowledge, to break the collected data which is gathered within several interviews in order to create thematically concepts out of them and afterwards to relate the respective concepts to each other.  As a result, potential challenges occurring in multicultural environments regarding the collaboration with each other will be identified as well as suggestions of solution in terms of how a leader should face these challenges in order to create chances out of them. Concretely, a guide will point out the most important research insights, based on the experiences by seven interviewees who perceived working in cultural diverse surroundings out of the leadership perspective. The guide´s main target is to evince a way of direction for leaders and/or future-leaders who want to turn potential daily challenges into opportunities. It is a quick checklist that can be used in order to ensure cultural differences as valuable resources instead of barriers for the achievement of the companies’ success whatsoever.  “A leader is someone who helps improve the lives of other people or improve the system they live under.” – Sam Houston.

This article reviews and contrasts two approaches that water security researchers employ to advance understanding of the complexity of water-society policy challenges. A prevailing reductionist approach seeks to represent uncertainty through calculable risk, links national GDP tightly to hydro-climatological causes, and underplays diversity and politics in society. When adopted uncritically, this approach limits policy-makers to interventions that may reproduce inequalities, and that are too rigid to deal with future changes in society and climate. A second, more integrative, approach is found to address a range of uncertainties, explicitly recognise diversity in society and the environment, incorporate water resources that are less-easily controlled, and consider adaptive approaches to move beyond conventional supply-side prescriptions. The resultant policy recommendations are diverse, inclusive, and more likely to reach the marginalised in society, though they often encounter policy-uptake obstacles. The article concludes by defining a route towards more effective water security research and policy, which stresses analysis that matches the state of knowledge possessed, an expanded research agenda, and explicitly addresses inequities.

Bakgrund: Ökande användning av antibiotika har resulterat i att bakterier blivit resistenta mot antibiotika. Staphylococcus aureus är en vanligt förekommande hudbakterie som orsakar de flesta sårinfektionerna och har utvecklat en resistens mot meticillin. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva utmaningar i vårdpersonalens möten med patienter som drabbats av MRSA. Metod: En litteraturstudie där resultatet av 9 studier med kvalitativ ansats har sammanställts. Sökningarna gjordes i databaserna CiNAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsykInfo och Scopus samt manuellt. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras i fyra kategorier och nio underkategorier. Kategorierna är: behov av kunskap, hinder för följsamhet i vården, belastningar i den dagliga vården, att sträva efter en god vård för patienter med MRSA. Konklusion: Kontinuerlig utbildning och följsamhet av riktlinjer som implementerats av ansvarig sjuksköterska möjliggör ett bättre smittskyddsarbete och en ökad patientsäkerhet. För att klara av utmaningar som kan finnas i vården av patienter som drabbats av MRSA och för att kunna utföra god omvårdnad, är det viktigt att vårdpersonal strävar efter att upprätthålla god hälsa hos sig själva. Nyckelord: MRSA, utmaningar, vårdpersonal, omvårdnad / Background: Increased use of antibiotics has made many of the bacteria resistant. Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium on the skin and causes the most of the wound infections, it has developed a resistance towards methicillin. Aim: The aim was to describe challenges in health care staff’s encounters with patients affected by MRSA. Method: A literature study where the results of nine studies with qualitative approach are compiled. The searches were performed in the databases CiNAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsykInfo, Scopus and manually. Result: The result is presented in four categories and nine subcategories. The categories are: The need for knowledge, Barriers for compliance in care, Strain in the daily caregiving, To strive for a good care for patients with MRSA. Conclusion: Continuous education and compliance with guidelines that is implemented by the responsible nurse enables improved infection control and increases patient safety. To manage challenges that appear while caring for patients affected by MRSA and to be able to accomplish good caregiving, it is important that health care staff strives to maintain good health for themselves.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in the development of the nation's economy by providing employment and creating the economic growth. The management of the companies that are going international considers different motives before taking the step into the international market. The internationalization process involves risks and uncertainty significantly effected by challenges and barriers to SMEs from developing countries.

Masters of Commerce / The practice of career guidance in the Palestinian community inside Israel is a relatively recent phenomenon which became prominent after the emergence of approximately 30 career guidance centres across the country. The development of career guidance in a context that is characterised by continuous social underdevelopment, injustice and discrimination raises many questions around the effectiveness of career guidance and its role in fighting unemployment as well as the extent to which career guidance services can deliver results on the ground – within the Palestinian community. In the twenty-first century, we need to consider the changing social structures and contexts in which career guidance is practiced (Arthur, Collins, McMahon & Marshall, 2009). Such challenging environment interferes with the practice and its deliverables making it more difficult for Palestinian practitioners. Hence, in the light of such challenges, there exists a great need to determine the effectiveness of the services by focusing on a number of areas such as; the types of career guidance interventions used; the kind of challenges Palestinian practitioners are faced with; the theoretical framework for career guidance; the future needs and skills of career guidance practitioners. To achieve these objectives, the study interviewed a sample consisting of (N=8) Palestinian career guidance practitioners, who were drawn using convenience and snowballing sampling, using a qualitative approach; semistructured interviews. The results showed that Palestinian career guidance practitioners understood the role and function of career guidance and used a wide range of useful interventions that correspond to those in international literature. However, they were critical of Holland-based assessment that was used considering it to be incompatible with the Arab community. Participants further reported that they were faced with a spectrum of challenges that are multi-faceted in nature and felt that the key to having effective career guidance with concrete outcomes, is by dealing with it on a policy level.