Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Limed areas'

At present, little is known concerning the fungi communities inhabiting the Greater Sudbury Region. This study aimed at identifying the fungal species and abundance in limed and unlimed areas contaminated with metals. Samples were collected from the LFH soil layer from Wahnapitae Hydro-Dam, Daisy Lake, Kingsway, Kelly Lake, Hagar, Onaping Falls and Capreol. Limed and unlimed areas were compared for soil metals, pH, fungi diversity, abundance and seasonal soil respiration. Fungi from soil samples were cultured using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and Malt Extract Agar. A total of 52 fungi species from 34 genera were identified. There was a significantly higher fungal diversity in the limed areas compared to the samples from unlimed sites based on SDA medium data. Fungi abundance followed the same trend. Significantly higher soil respiration rates were recorded for limed sites compared to unlimed sites. Summer soil respiration rates correlated (r = 0.50) with total fungal abundance.

The subject of this M.Sc. thesis is to find out whether the lime industry is a possible business area for Kanthal AB. The lime industry is one of the biggest chemical industries in the world and it is very energy demanding. In the process of making quicklime, calcium oxide, a lot of energy is needed as the dissociation of limestone, which consists mainly of calcium carbonate, takes place in the temperature span between 900°C and 1300°C. The total production of quicklime was in 2009 about 280 million tonnes, and the selling price was about $100 per ton. Today, all limekilns are driven by fossil fuels, i.e. oil, coal and gas. The increasing demand on lowering the emissions of carbon dioxide strongly affects the industry, as it is responsible for about 2 % of the total emissions of carbon dioxide. The industry itself claims that the emissions may only be reduced about 10 %, although at very high costs. Kanthal AB produces electric heating solutions that may be suitable for lime production. However, the lime industry is conservative and the use of electricity for lime production is not economically feasible today. Most of the electricity comes from coal power plants and therefore the use of electricity would not be more environmentally friendly in most countries. New limekilns, which are more environmentally friendly, are on the way. These kilns do not necessarily have to use fossil fuels, provides a purer end product and the emission of carbon dioxide is minimized. The size of the production is also much lower, but the end products might be used in more demanding areas, e.g. the pharmaceutical industry, and be sold at a higher price. It is this area Kanthal has to focus on if going to enter the lime industry at this point.

Strike actions have been a common phenomenon in health care settings for a very long time. Nurses have been participating in those strike actions since they are members of labour unions even though there are serious concerns regarding nurses’ participation. These concerns, among others, include the nobility of the profession, ethical considerations and the nurses’ pledge of service. These concerns pose challenges to nurses, especially in specialized areas, because the nurses working in those areas, render nursing care to the most vulnerable patients. AIM: The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of nurses in specialized areas regarding their participation in strike actions. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative research design using an interpretative phenomenology approach was followed in a tertiary hospital in Emalahleni, Nkangala district in Mpumalanga Province. Collection of data was done by in-depth interviews, with a purposively selected sample of nurses in specialized areas. Sample size was 10 participants. Data analysis was done using Colaizzi’s (1978) data analysis framework from the in-depth interviews conducted on the lived experiences of the study participants during strike actions. FINDINGS: The findings of the study provided an understanding of the strike action as an endorsed activity within the international and national labour laws. Four themes namely, Ethical and moral effects of strike actions, living with fear, “Amagundwane”, “we will deal with you”; and Strike actions as an economic weapon emerged from the analysis and were guided by critical theory. from this study contribute to the body of knowledge in labor unions regarding the importance and value of specialized nursing care. The findings will be published in journals, and shared with the management of the specific hospital, study participants and labour unions. CONCLUSION: Strike actions are still a common phenomenon and nurses will always participate in them because they are also members of labour unions, but the was a need to explore how they experience strike actions. The study concluded that most of the study participants were not willing to participate in strike actions, but were compelled by circumstances to do so, as they were identified in the four themes.
Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2019.
Nursing Science
MCur
Unrestricted

This thesis examines selections of Appalachian women’s personal narrative as well as Affrilachian Poetry written by Kentuckians Bianca Spriggs and Nikki Finney. This project’s goal lies in resisting oppression and erasure of Appalachian culture’s heterogeneity. Contrary to constructions of Appalachians as lazy, complacent, and white, many Appalachians organize communities of resistance from within the region itself. Challenging these representations, I argue that Appalachian feminists as well as Affrilachian poets create countercultures that disrupt monolithic, colonialist, and unquestioned constructions of Appalachia.

Immigrants to Canada report better health status than the Canadian-born population when they first arrive in Canada, a phenomenon called the Healthy Immigrant Effect. However, by the fourth year after immigration, immigrants report a health status that is worse than that of the Canadian-born population. Visible minority immigrant women report the largest deterioration in health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of visible minority immigrant women with encounters with the Canadian healthcare system to examine the multiplicative impact of gender, ethnicity, and immigration on their health. This phenomenological study, guided by Crenshaw's feminist intersectionality framework, explored the perspectives of a purposive sample of 8 immigrant women in Ottawa, Canada, about their encounters with the healthcare system. Data were collected through individual interviews. These data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis following the process outlined by Smith et al. for interpretative phenomenological analysis. Key findings of the study revealed that immigrant women define health more holistically and have expectations of the encounters with healthcare that are not met due to barriers that impact them accessing healthcare services, experiencing healthcare services, and following the recommended options. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations for public health to consider immigration and racism as determinants of health; and for Health Canada to undertake system-level lines of inquiry to shed light on the ways structural discrimination and racism have had an impact on immigrant women's social and health trajectory.

Breast cancer, according to research, is diagnosed in approximately one in every twenty-nine women in South Africa. Differences in gender, race and class produce disparities in health care, subjecting lower class women to lengthy waiting periods between diagnosis and treatment. Present research studies on breast cancer predominantly use quantitative methods. To understand women's lived experiences of the breast cancer trajectory this study explores experiences encountered during the waiting period, as well as the impacts of breast cancer and its treatment on feminine identity. For this a qualitative method was applied. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with five black and coloured breast cancer patients residing at two of CANSA's care homes. Participants varied in age and phases of treatment, were all married or widowed, had minor dependants, and had all travelled from distant and outlying areas. Based on a thematic analysis, six themes emerged from the data collected. These included: First experiences of cancer in the body; breast cancer and waiting periods from the patient's perspective; sources of support; meanings and perceptions of being a woman; conceptualising disease, and patients' needs. The analysis illustrates the importance of researching women's lived experiences and highlights that these need to be understood within a framework of socially constructed notions of gender, race and class in order to improve breast cancer treatment and psycho-social care.

This comparative study of the experiences of gay HIV positive men living in urban and rural areas explores the dynamic interrelationship between lived experience and service provision. The literature in this field has drawn on a familiar stereotype - the urban, sexually active, gay man. This man - and his community - does not exist in a rural environment in the way it is assumed nor does it necessarily fit the experience of gay men in London. By creating a link between the questions of subjectivity and the question of how we improve services, I argue that a mechanistic construction of need may follow an assumed urban model which may not hold for all men in an urban setting, nor for men in rural areas. Gay HIV positive men are faced with new psycho-social dilemmas in relation to the virus, including unpredictability of outcome, as well as the complexity and burden of the current treatment. They engage in a constant process of renegotiating their sense of themselves in space, time and relationships. Through the use of narrative methodology, my research builds a new perspective on the experience of these individuals which can help to shape the services and policies of the future. The stories of 21 gay HIV positive men were gathered and analysed in relation to five areas of focus: community/space, relationships, identity, health and services. Rural participants were less able to build and maintain a politically strong identity and rural services need to create strategies to enable gay men to draw on the strength of a collective voice. 'Doing for' services, prevalent in rural areas, may be appropriate for the very ill but can perpetuate a culture of helplessness. The healthist discourse adopted by London services promotes individualism and responsibility. Services for HIV positive men in all areas need to hold the dynamic between 'doing for' services for the sick and dying and a healthist discourse for those who can look to their future.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 13, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

No município de Caraá, localiza-se a Área de Proteção Ambiental do Caraá (APA), representando 30% da área total do município. Nessa área, localiza-se a cascata e a nascente do Rio dos Sinos. Apesar de ser uma APA, existem conflitos em sua gestão, principalmente com o uso e manejo do solo. A legislação foi implementada sem um adequado processo de Educação Ambiental. O conhecimento da percepção ambiental da população desse município em relação à APA de Caraá é essencial para o desenvolvimento de programas de gestão e Educação Ambiental para a garantia da conservação desta. Assim, a presente tese tem como objetivo central compreender a percepção ambiental dos moradores locais, em relação à APA de Caraá, a fim de analisar os conflitos de uso da APA, confrontando com os critérios de uso estabelecidos pelos gestores da área e assim verificar se os conflitos, quanto ao uso da APA, decorrem de esta ter sido criada sem a participação da comunidade e desvinculada da Educação Ambiental. Considerando a abordagem da pesquisa qualitativa e quantitativa, com caráter exploratório-descritivo, o presente estudo foi dividido em duas grandes etapas. Primeira: caracterização ambiental da área de estudo; Segunda: caracterização da percepção ambiental dos moradores próximos à APA de Caraá, com ênfase na topofilia e topofobia, através dos seguintes instrumentos: entrevistas semiestruturadas e mapas mentais. Foram realizadas entrevistas com: cem moradores; o cacique da tribo Mbya Guaranis, bem como os professores (dezessete professores) e alunos das séries finais, da quinta à oitava série do ensino fundamental, das escolas participantes desse estudo (total de cem alunos). Para investigar a percepção, a topofilia e a topofobia e considerar qual o significado da APA do Caraá para seus moradores, foi realizado o mapa mental com três moradores entrevistados, de cada uma das comunidades citadas, tendo um total de trinta mapas; com os alunos e professores participantes desse estudo, bem como com cinco índios da tribo Mbya Guaranis. A metodologia de interpretação dos mapas mentais foi feita a partir das orientações de Kozel, de forma adaptada. Foram produzidos 144 mapas mentais, distribuídos nas cinco subcategorias criadas: Landmarks (com ou sem expressões linguísticas); Landmarks e Cascata (com ou sem expressões linguísticas); Landmarks, cascata e Antropismo (com ou sem expressões linguísticas); Landmarks e Antropismo (com ou sem expressões linguísticas) e Landmarks e Antropismo Negativo (com ou sem expressões linguísticas). A partir dos mapas mentais complementados através das entrevistas, foi construída a percepção ambiental dos moradores locais, em relação à APA de Caraá, revelando, em sua maioria, aspectos topofílicos para com a área da cascata do Rio dos Sinos (parte da APA) e aspectos topofílicos e topofóbicos para com o “lugar-vivido” (dentro ou próximo da APA). Os moradores não conhecem os critérios de uso e restrições da APA, o que demonstra a falta de envolvimento da comunidade na elaboração destes. Os conflitos quanto ao uso da APA decorrem principalmente do fato desta ter sido implantada sem um processo de Educação Ambiental adequado, sem a participação da comunidade local.
In the Caraa municipality there is the Environmental Protection Area (EPA), representing 30% of the total area in the municipality. In this area there is the waterfall and the source of Sinos River. Despite being the EPA, there are conflicts in its management, mainly due to the use and soil management. The legislation has been implemented without a suitable environmental educational process. The environmental perception knowledge in the population of such municipality in relation to the Caraa EPA is essential to the development of management programs in the Environmental Education to the guarantee of its conservation. Thus, this very thesis has as its main goal to understand the environmental perception of local residents in relation to Caraa’s EPA, in order to analyze the EPA conflicts of usage, confronting the established criteria usage by the managers in the area and hence verifying if the conflicts with the EPA usage are due to it had been created without the community participation and untied from the Environmental Education. Considering the qualitative and quantitative research approach, with exploitative descriptive character such study has been divided and two large phases: 1st Environmental characterization in the study area and 2nd Characterization of the environmental perception of the near residents of the Caraa’s EPA, with emphasis in the topofilia* and Topophobia through these instruments: Semi-structured interviews and mental maps. 100 interviews with residents have been made, the Mbya Guaranis chieftain tribe, as well as the teachers (17 of them) and junior-high school students- from 5th to 8th grades of junior-high schools form the participant schools in this study (total of 100 students). To investigate the perception, the topofilia and Topophobia and consider what the meaning of the Caraa’s EPA is for the its residents, central maps have been made with three residents from the mentioned communities, having a total of 30 maps; with participant students and teachers in such study, as well as 5 Indians from the Mbya Guaranis tribe. The central maps interpretation methodology has been done through Kozel’s orientations in an adapted way. 144 mental maps have been produced and distributed under 5 subcategories made: Landmarks (with or without linguistic expressions); Landmarks and Waterfall (with or without linguistic expressions), Landmarks, Waterfall and Settlement (with or without linguistic expressions) and Landmarks and negative Settlement (with or without linguistic expressions). Throughout the mental maps complemented through interviews residents environmental perception in relation of the Caraa’s EPA has been built, revealing in its majority, topofilia aspects in relation to the waterfall area in the Rio dos Sinos (part of the EPA) and the topofilia ones and Topophobic ones to the “lived place” (inside or near the EPA). The residents are not aware of the criteria of the use and restrictions of the EPA which shows the lack of community involvement in the elaboration of it. The conflicts due to the usage of the EPA are mainly related to the fact of it had been implanted without an adequate environmental education process, with the local community participation.

South Africa has undergone a remarkable political transformation since the birth of democracy in 1994, yet it remains plagued by extremely high levels of socio-economic inequality, violent crime and social unrest. Although inequality is often regarded as a major driver of many social problems, the evidence base concerning inequality in South Africa is relatively limited, consisting primarily of national level Gini coefficients or General Entropy measures based upon household income, expenditure or consumption data. In this thesis I argue that these broad national level measures say little about people's actual day-to-day lived experiences of inequality and how these individual experiences of inequality may be shaped by the local geographical areas in which people live and go about their daily lives. I construct a series of empirical measures of exposure to socio-economic inequality which reflect the socio-spatial environments in which people live. I argue that these new measures can be used as explanatory factors in the study of other social outcomes, both at an individual level (for example, individuals' attitudes) and at an area level (for example, rates of violent crime). Exposure to inequality is measured both from the perspective of the 'poor' population and the perspective of the 'non-poor' population and the measures are constructed and presented at small area level using the Datazone statistical geography. I analyse the spatial distribution of exposure to inequality and find that exposure to inequality is typically highest in urban neighbourhoods, particularly in the major metropolitan areas. I develop a measure of intensity of exposure in order to highlight areas with both high exposure and high levels of deprivation. I also present one example of how my new measures can be used to explore associations with other outcomes, specifically looking at the relationship between people's lived experience of inequality and their attitudes towards inequality and redress.

Studien undersøker studenters sorgerfaringer som fenomen. Den fokuserer levd erfaring i handlingsperspektiv og meningsperspektiv. Innledningsvis redegjøres det for foreliggende forskning om sorgerfaring. Deretter introduseres teoretiske perspektiv som anvendes i studien. Ut fra respondentenes erfaring analyseres de rom for handling og meningsdannelse som finnes på studiestedene.

Studiens formål er å utvikle dypere forståelse for hva det innebærer i studenters daglige liv å erfare sorg. Studien anvender en hermeneutisk-fenomenologisk metode, inspirert av van Manen. Datainnsamlingen ble gjennomført ved semistrukturerte forskningsintervjuer med seks respondenter, to intervjusamtaler med hver med +/- fire måneders mellomrom. I intervjuingen er det lagt vekt på meningsfortetning og tolkning i samtalene. Respondentene er tre kvinner og tre menn mellom 22 og 30 år, alle studenter som har mistet foreldre eller søsken ved dødsfall. De avdøde var fra 25-60 år, relasjon til respondenter: Tre fedre, en mor og to brødre.

Databearbeidingen har foregått ved lytting og gjenlytting, skriving og analysering av lydfiler og transkriberte tekster fra forskningsintervjuene. I prosessen er det analysert fram betydningsbærende elementer fra studentenes fortellinger som så er forsøkt rekontekstualisert i møte med teoretiske perspektiv. Framstillingen sikter mot å formidle en kunnskap som er kongruent med sorgerfaringen som fenomen.

Resultatet presenteres først som seks fortellinger som formidler noe vesentlig ved sorgerfaringen og skaper resonans. Deretter presenteres åtte tema som har utkrystallisert seg gjennom analysen: Å være merket (1), Sårbarhet (2), Fravær (3), "Det som har skjedd, er en del av meg" (4), Å føre noe videre (5), Dødsfall kan komplisere nære relasjoner (6), Lengsel etter den reine sorgen (7), Å holde kontakt (8). For det tredje redegjøres det for studentenes opplevde rom for handling. Til sist utvikles meningstolkning i dialog mellom studenters sorgerfaring, slik den er analysert fram i studien, nyere sorgforskning og teoretiske perspektiv. Fortellingens rolle som grunnlag for mening og konstruktiv handling viser seg avgjørende.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
The main focus of this work was to study the influence of physical properties and of a cementing agent in structuring the sand fraction of a sandy soil, considering binaries packing systems applied to glass spheres and to a soil artificially prepared from two natural soils sand fractions. The study covered the following topics: (i) to establish packing curves for binary systems of the artificial soil and glass spheres; (ii) to characterize the mechanical strength and hydraulic conductivity of binary systems of the artificial soil; (iii) to study the influence of the cementing agent Hydrated lime in the artificial soil binary packing systems; (iv) to verify the influence of the artificial soil morphological properties through the comparison of the results of the present testing program and previous research including the parameters density, penetration resistance and soil hydraulic conductivity; and (v) to develop and operationalize a system for capturing images of grains of sand. The soil samples were subjected to pre-treatment for obtaining clean sand fractions which were separated by sieving through twenty-one sieve classes encompassing the diameter range of 0.053 to 2.000 mm. Sequentially, morphometric characterization tests were carried out in the sand fractions, as well as binary packing studies were performed in the sand fractions and in the glass spheres. The main results were: (i) binaries packing of glass spheres and artificial soil clean sand fractions reached a point of maximum density in a composition of approximately 30% of smaller particles; (ii) binaries packing of glass spheres showed larger density gains until the relationship between the larger diameter (D) and the minor diameter (d) was close to 6, and above this value, increases in density occurred to a lesser proportion; (iii) binaries packing of artificial soil sand fractions occurred similarly to binaries packing of glass spheres, but with larger gains until the relationship between the larger diameter (D) and the minor diameter (d) was close to 8; (iv) the hydraulic conductivity and tip penetration resistance of artificial soil binaries packing decreased when increasing the ratio D/d; (v) the cementation by Hydrated lime reduced hydraulic conductivity and increased the tip penetration resistance of the artificial soil binaries packing; (vi) the morphology of the particles influenced significantly the density, hydraulic conductivity and tip penetration resistance of the artificial soil clean sand fraction binaries packing; and (vii) the system developed for the capture of images of sand grains worked properly, with practicality.
Este trabalho direcionou-se ao estudo da influência das propriedades físicas e de um agente de cimentação na estruturação da fração areia de um solo arenoso, considerando-se sistemas de empacotamentos binários aplicados a esferas de vidro e a um solo artificialmente preparado a partir das frações areias de dois solos naturais. A pesquisa abrangeu os seguintes tópicos: (i) estabelecer curvas de empacotamento para sistemas binários do solo artificial e de esferas de vidro; (ii) caracterizar a resistência mecânica e a condutividade hidráulica dos sistemas binários do solo artificial; (iii) estudar a influência do agente de cimentação cal hidratada nos sistemas de empacotamentos binários do solo artificial; (iv) verificar a influência das propriedades morfológicas através da comparação dos resultados do presente estudo e de trabalho prévio, considerando parâmetros como densidade de empacotamento, resistência à penetração e condutividade hidráulica; e (v) desenvolver e tornar operacional um sistema para a captura de imagens de grãos de areia. As amostras de solo foram submetidas a prétratamentos para obtenção da fração areia limpa e posterior peneiramento para separação em vinte e uma classes, entre os diâmetros de 0,053 e 2,000 mm. Sequencialmente, foram realizados ensaios de caracterização morfométrica das suas frações areia, sendo também realizados estudos de empacotamentos binários em esferas de vidro e nas mesmas. Os principais resultados obtidos foram: (i) empacotamentos binários das esferas de vidro e das frações areia limpa do solo artificial atingiram um ponto de máxima densidade em uma composição aproximada de 30% de partículas menores; (ii) empacotamentos binários das esferas de vidro apresentaram ganhos maiores de densidade até relações entre o diâmetro maior (D) e o diâmetro menor (d) próximas a 6, sendo que acima desse valor, aumentos ocorreram em menor proporção; (iii) empacotamentos binários das frações areia do solo artificial ocorreram de forma similar aos empacotamentos binários de esferas de vidro, mostrando-se mais eficiente em relação à elevação da densidade quando a razão D/d se aproximou de 8; (iv) a condutividade hidráulica e a resistência de ponta à penetração dos empacotamentos binários do solo artificial sofreram reduções à medida que se aumentou a relação D/d; (v) a cimentação por cal hidratada reduziu a condutividade hidráulica e elevou a resistência de ponta à penetração dos empacotamentos binários do solo artificial; (vi) a morfologia das partículas influenciou significativamente a densidade, condutividade hidráulica e resistência de ponta à penetração dos empacotamentos binários da fração areia limpa do solo artificial; e (vii) o sistema desenvolvido para a captura das imagens de grãos de areia funcionou de forma adequada, com praticidade.

The theme of the diploma´s thesis is a new building of a multipurpose cultural centre in Veselí nad Moravou, district Hodonín. Structural system consists of a monolithic reinforced concrete construction and a sand-lime masonry. Roof is designed as a flat roof and a flat vegetation roof. The vertical communication space is solved by reinforced concrete staircases and elevator. The building is located near the elementary art school.

Memorial apresentado à Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas da Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Campus de Botucatu, para obtenção do título de Livre-Docente, junto à Disciplina "Microbiologia Geral"
Resumo: Estudou-se o efeito da inoculação com fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA), Glomus etunicatum, Glomus clarum, ou Scutelospora heterogama, e da adição de fósforo solúvel (15, 30, 45, 60, 120 e 240 mg de P kg-1 de terra) sobre as variáveis altura, número de folhas, diâmetro do caule, massas vegetais aérea e radicular, teores de nutrientes nas folhas e colonização micorrízica no porta-enxerto limoeiro "Cravo" (Citrus limonia (L.) Osbeck). Os FMAs, Glomus etunicatum e Glomus clarum, e doses crescentes de fósforo exerceram efeitos significativos sobre essas variáveis. O efeito da inoculação sobre as variáveis de crescimento vegetal foi mais acentuado nos tratamentos com adição de 30 a 60 mg de P kg-1 de terra. Para o teor de P foliar, o efeito da inoculação foi mais acentuado nos tratamentos adicionados de 120 a 240 mg de P kg-1 de terra. A inoculação com estes FMAs aumentou a eficiência do limoeiro "Cravo" em absorver nutrientes, tanto que as variáveis estudadas em plantas inoculadas na ausência de adubação fosfática superaram às de plantas não inoculadas em substrato adicionado de 240 mg de P kg-1 de terra.
Abstract: The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus etunicatum, Glomus clarum or Scutelospora heterogama inoculation and soluble phosphate addition (15, 30, 45, 60, 120 and 240 mg P kg-£ of soil) on the height, leaf number, stem diameter, shoot and root mass, nutrients in foliar mass and mycorrhizal colonization parameters on Rangpur lime rootstocks plants were studied. AMF inoculation and soluble phosphate levels increased these parameters. Inoculation effect on the plant growth parameters was more intense at 30 to 60 mg P kg-1 soil. AMF inoculation effect on the leaf P was more intense at 120 to 240 mg P kg-1 soil addition. AMF inoculation increased citrus efficiency to absorb nutrients so that the parameters studied of inoculated plants without phosphate addition did not differ of non-inoculated plants in substract with 240 mg P kg-1 soil addition.

El objetivo de esta tesis ha sido el tratamiento de un residuo (lodo de fundición) procedente del lavado húmedo de los gases del horno fusor. Para ello, se ha evaluado la peligrosidad del residuo y, posteriormente, se han estudiado diferentes tratamientos previos al vertido y se ha realizado su evaluación ambiental. El lodo de fundición es un residuo ecotóxico, debido principalmente a la alta concentración de cinc y a la carga orgánica (fenoles) del mismo, pudiéndose establecer relaciones matemáticas entre la ecotoxicidad y la concentración de cinc y fenoles, tanto en el residuo original como en los productos finales. Entre las diferentes tecnologías de tratamiento, destacan los procesos de estabilización/solidificación con cal o cemento como agente aglomerante, por su elevado interés en residuos de carácter tóxico mixto: orgánico e inorgánico. Se ha llevado a cabo un estudio exhaustivo de los diferentes aditivos utilizados en dichos procesos y se han desarrollado diferentes formulaciones cal o cemento y aditivos/residuo con el fin de cumplir los parámetros ambientales, concluyéndose con la relación existente entre formulación y evaluación ambiental y obteniendo una patente de invención.
The aim of this work has been the study of the treatment of foundry sludge coming from after wet cleaning of gases of the furnace in foundry activities. Previously, the hazardous of the waste material has been evaluated. Later, different treatments have been studied and the environmental evaluation have been conducted. Foundry sludge is an ecotoxical waste due to inorganic (basically zinc) and organic (phenols) pollutants, being able to establish mathematical relationships between the ecotoxicity and the concentration of zinc and phenols, both in waste and end-products. Among the different technologies for the treatment, stabilisation/solidification processes with lime or cement as binders are very interesting technologies for waste of mixed character (organic and inorganic). An exhaustive study of different additives used in these processes has been carried out and different formulations have been developed in order to inertise the waste materials, concluding with the relationships between formulation and environmental evaluation and obtaining a patent.

People who experience structural violence are an increased risk for health conditions including HIV and Hepatitis C. Particularly they are at greater risk for experiencing known syndemic interactions between these two chronic infectious diseases. The risks are mediated bio-socially through the ways that structural inequality increases social and biological vulnerability to illness and suffering. Structural inequalities, or experiences of structural violence shape environments of risk; environments of risks increase social and biological vulnerability to the structures of risk promoting syndemic interactions between biological, behavioral, and psychological conditions. The lived experiences of people diagnosed with a combination of HIV, HCV, and mental health conditions (MHC) (e.g., mood disorders and depression) are, however, thus far understudied. Many aspects and consequences of structural violence and social suffering; poverty, homelessness, substance use, lack of access to healthcare, and structural risks for HIV, HCV, MHC and interactions between the three. Through this mixed-methods, primarily qualitative, ethnographic fieldwork with individuals in the Boston area living with HIV, HCV, or both HIV and HCV, or suffering from MHC I ethnographically explore people’s perceptions of their vulnerability to these syndemic interactions. I also investigate their experiences of being at-risk for these conditions. Through this process, I seek to illuminate individuals’ understandings of the impact structures of risk (i.e., substance use, food insecurity and unstable housing) have on lived experiences with HIV/HCV, HIV/MHC, and HCV/MHC syndemics. The perceptions of the lived realities of disease-behavioral-psychological interactions and health consequences are analyzed in the context of substance use. Substance use’s biological and social dimensions have a role in promoting syndemic interactions for each of the syndemics experienced within this population. Therefore, substance use is a syndemogenic factor because of its role as a mediator for environments of risks, and as a structural risk factor in all three of these syndemics. These interactions, and consequential health outcomes, in sufferers’ own words, enrich the landscape of syndemics research, producing a clearer picture regarding the structures of risks affecting this vulnerable group in the greater Boston area.

Today’s parents are raising adolescents in a world far removed from the era of ‘Ozzie and Hamet’, that is about thirty years ago. Young people are challenged with rapid social changes, shifting of moral and social values. There is an increasing shift of decision making responsibility from society to individual (Naude and Bodibe n.d: 4). The research presented in this mini dissertation reviews the middle adolescent stage as a challenging time, one of life’s fascinating and perhaps most complex stage, a time when they take on new responsibilities and experiment with independence. Often that result in a certain amount of rebellion and defiance as normally seen with females. The purpose of this research study is to explore and describe the lived-experience of the middle female adolescents against the background presented. It hopes to provide some base for developing guidelines to support the middle female adolescents during this challenging time. The participants in this research study were middle female adolescents from the Rustenburg District of Education, Bojanala West region. All the girls who participated were all fifteen (15) years old and in grade ten (10). The research design followed a qualitative pattern because of its explorative, descriptive and contextual nature. The qualitative researcher’s emphasis is on studying human action in its natural setting and through the eyes of the humans themselves, together with an emphasis on detailed description and understanding phenomena within the appropriate context (Babbie and Mouton 2004:278). This research was conducted in two phases. During phase one of the study, data was gathered through phenomenological interviews. Ethical measures were clearly laid out. A tape recorder was used for record purposes with each participant, and also field notes were used in support of the purposes. The central question was for each participant to tell of their experience as a middle female adolescent in a rural area. 6 Data was analyzed using Tesch’s method of data analysis (Tesch 1990:142-145 in Cresswell, 2003:192). The services of an independent coder were utilized and a consensus discussion was reached on the analysis of the data. The following categories and subcategories were identified after data analysis. The middle female adolescents described this life stage as ‘the most challenging time in life’. The experience is described throughout with double messages, such as ‘great but fun’. The following categories were identified:- • The middle female adolescents’ relationship with their parents was described as trying in related to lack of communication. • They also experienced challenges in relation to physical, emotional, self image and in the society. • The adolescents also demonstrated internal resources in terms of responsibility and a sense of hope about their future. The research findings indicate that middle adolescent girls lack effective communication with their parents, they feel not to be understood and trusted by their parents. A striking issue is the demonstration of internal resources by the middle adolescents. There is therefore a need for guidelines to support middle female adolescents and their parents. In phase two of the study, based on the categories, guidelines were described to support middle adolescent girls in their challenging time. Recommendations were made based on the pathway and the approach that would effectively improve the interpersonal relationships. The recommendations are measures for policy makers, service providers, community or youth organizations, and all those concerned with the well being of middle female adolescents. These would also be an intention to reduce the risks, involvement in risky behaviours and prevent misbehaviour in schools.
Prof. C.P.H. Myburgh Prof. M. Poggenpoel

A phenomenological study was conducted to understand the lived experience of parents parenting a child with autism in a rural area. The philosophy of hermeneutic phenomenology was used to guide this inquiry. Interviews of 26 families served as primary data. Thematic statements were isolated using van Manen’s (1990) selective highlighting approach. Making the invisible, visible emerged as the essence of the parents’ experience. Parents shared that although autism is an invisible disability, they in fact made it visible in their constant battles to ensure their child received the best quality of life. Five themes represented this essence: using autism to enable, lifelong advocating, centering autism within the family, the ups and downs of living rurally, and a renewed sense of parenting. Findings from this study may be used to guide program development that is concerned with improving the quality of life families of children with autism.

M.Ed.
Orphans living in child-headed households within underprivileged communities are amongst the most vulnerable children, and protection of their rights deserves to be the main focus of all individuals, governments and agencies dealing with such children. There is a need to stimulate broad-based discussion, heightened awareness of, and sensitivity to their plight, special needs and ... rights.

This thesis documents the everyday experiences of adults with disabilities living in a rural area of South Africa. Given South Africa’s tumultuous history, characterised by human rights violations incurred through cultural, political and racial disputes, and the country’s current state of socio-economic and political turmoil, violence has come to represent a core feature in the lives of many South Africans. This, together with the impact of unemployment, food insecurity and unequal power distribution, has significantly affected the ways in which many people make sense of their life experiences. Despite the fact that exposure to unequal power dynamics, violence, marginalisation and exclusion are documented to dominate the life experiences of people with disabilities, little is understood about the ways in which these aspects manifest in the interpretation and reconstruction of experiences. Previous research into the field of disability studies has depended primarily on quantitative measures, or on the reports of family members and caregivers as proxies, perpetuating the cycle of voicelessness and marginalization amongst adults with disabilities. Those studies which have adopted qualitative measures in order to explore the psychosocial experiences of disability have focussed largely on the limitations imposed by physical access, and have relied predominantly on the medical and social models of disability, or on the World Health Organisation’s International Classification on Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO ICF, 2001). These models consider the psychosocial experience of disability to be universal, and do not adequately take into account the impact of cultural and contextual variables. This has negatively impacted on the establishment of a research repository upon which evidence-based practice has been developed. This thesis aimed to explore and document the lived experiences of 30 adults with a variety of disabilities, living in 12 rural villages in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. A combination of narrative inquiry and participant observation was employed in order to examine the relationship between personal and social interpretations of experience. Data analysis was conducted using a combination of Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) Three Dimensional Narrative Inquiry Space, Harré’s Positioning Theory (1990, 1993, & 2009), and Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Results revealed that narratives were plurivocal in nature, giving rise to a complex relationship between personal and social interpretations of experience. The findings highlighted the impact of cultural norms, values and roles on making sense of experiences associated with disability. Four new types of narrative emerged, none of which conformed to the current interpretations of lived experience as reported in the literature. All of the narratives were pervaded by the embodied experience of violence, including evidence of structural, physical, psychological and sexual violence, as well as violence by means of deprivation. This gave rise to a sense of moral decay and highlighted the ways in which abuse of power has become woven into lived experience. In this way insight was gained into the complex interplay between impairment, exclusion, high mortality rates, violence, and poverty in rural areas. Narrative inquiry proved to be a particularly useful tool for providing insight into disability as a socio-cultural construct, drawing attention to a variety of clinical, policy and theoretical implications. These gave rise to a number of broader philosophical questions pertaining to the role of memory, vulnerability and responsibility, and the ways in which all citizens have the potential to be complicit in denying the reality of lived experience amongst vulnerable members of society. These findings demand attention to the ways in which governments, communities and individuals conceive of what it means to be human, and consequently how the ethics of care is embraced within society.

Research was completed on the use of two types of recycled waste products from the pulp and paper industry – composted biosolids and waste lime product – for use as a slurried sprayable soil amendment protocol. The material is first mixed as a slurry then seeds are added and the material sprayed using a commercial hydro seeder. Results from four treatments are reported providing details of seed germination, biomass produced and changes in soil pH profile. A separate study examined the use of this application on steep sandy slopes and initial results from this are reported as well.