Obesity: a preliminary report of an introductory service-learning course on the role of pharmacy students in health promotion
- Srinivas, Sunitha C, Wrench, Wendy W, Karekazi, Catherine W, Radloff, Sarah E, Daya, Santylal
- Authors: Srinivas, Sunitha C , Wrench, Wendy W , Karekazi, Catherine W , Radloff, Sarah E , Daya, Santylal
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:6454 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006833
- Description: Lifestyle diseases such as obesity have been neglected in developing countries partly due to a more urgent focus on infectious diseases in these countries. The incidence of obesity is on the increase in developing countries, with a marked rise in childhood obesity. A health promotioning service-learning principles required final year pharmacy students to prepare a pilot-tested computer-based quiz, using a pre- and post-intervention test design, along with other learning material, for participants at the 2007 Sasol National Festival of Science and Technology (SciFest). Interactive models, posters and information leaflets were used in explaining the prevention and control of obesity to learners. The results showed that the pre-existing knowledge of the participants was good. There was a further improvement after the educational intervention. Activities such as this are important in heightening awareness of obesity in learners as it is likely to reduce the incidence of obesity later in life. Furthermore, the activity also served to increase awareness of the role of pharmacists in the prevention of lifestyle diseases such as obesity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Srinivas, Sunitha C , Wrench, Wendy W , Karekazi, Catherine W , Radloff, Sarah E , Daya, Santylal
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:6454 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006833
- Description: Lifestyle diseases such as obesity have been neglected in developing countries partly due to a more urgent focus on infectious diseases in these countries. The incidence of obesity is on the increase in developing countries, with a marked rise in childhood obesity. A health promotioning service-learning principles required final year pharmacy students to prepare a pilot-tested computer-based quiz, using a pre- and post-intervention test design, along with other learning material, for participants at the 2007 Sasol National Festival of Science and Technology (SciFest). Interactive models, posters and information leaflets were used in explaining the prevention and control of obesity to learners. The results showed that the pre-existing knowledge of the participants was good. There was a further improvement after the educational intervention. Activities such as this are important in heightening awareness of obesity in learners as it is likely to reduce the incidence of obesity later in life. Furthermore, the activity also served to increase awareness of the role of pharmacists in the prevention of lifestyle diseases such as obesity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Obstacles faced by news journalists in investigative reporting: analysis of four Botswana newspapers, June 2008 - October 2008
- Authors: Pule, Kediretswe
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Investigative reporting , Journalism -- Political aspects , Journalists -- Legal status, laws, etc
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8398 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/869 , Investigative reporting , Journalism -- Political aspects , Journalists -- Legal status, laws, etc
- Description: In this research study, the researcher investigates obstacles faced by news journalists in investigative journalism in a democracy as experienced in Botswana. Investigative journalism and democracy have a symbiotic relationship. This relationship serves to make the public sensitive about, and aware of, injustices and undemocratic practices and it could, ultimately, contribute significantly to the process of democratization (Faure 2005: 155). Unfortunately, in their endeavor to keep up with the ethos of investigative journalism, journalists meet obstacles that range from legal to financial issues. The author investigates those factors that reporters in Botswana rate as having the greatest impact on their investigative efforts. The study also assesses the attitudes of journalists in the country towards the roles and responsibilities of the fourth estate, which supports investigative reporting. Investigative journalism is centered on disclosure, described by six elements: public interest, theme, accuracy, follow-up reports, consequences and questioning the status quo (Faure 2005:160; Marron 1995:1). The researcher interrogated the current practice of investigative journalism in newsrooms in the Botswana context, by means of a self-administered questionnaire. A cumulative sum of scores of each rank order for each obstacle was used to observe the one rated the most impeding by Botswana journalists. Elementary descriptive statistics in the form of percentages were used to assess attitudes of Botswana journalists towards investigative journalism. The same method was used to assess the proportion of investigative stories in four sampled Botswana newspapers. The contents of the respective newspapers were assessed against the five elements of investigative reporting that include: theme, public interest, questioning the status quo, accuracy, follow-up reports and consequences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Pule, Kediretswe
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Investigative reporting , Journalism -- Political aspects , Journalists -- Legal status, laws, etc
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8398 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/869 , Investigative reporting , Journalism -- Political aspects , Journalists -- Legal status, laws, etc
- Description: In this research study, the researcher investigates obstacles faced by news journalists in investigative journalism in a democracy as experienced in Botswana. Investigative journalism and democracy have a symbiotic relationship. This relationship serves to make the public sensitive about, and aware of, injustices and undemocratic practices and it could, ultimately, contribute significantly to the process of democratization (Faure 2005: 155). Unfortunately, in their endeavor to keep up with the ethos of investigative journalism, journalists meet obstacles that range from legal to financial issues. The author investigates those factors that reporters in Botswana rate as having the greatest impact on their investigative efforts. The study also assesses the attitudes of journalists in the country towards the roles and responsibilities of the fourth estate, which supports investigative reporting. Investigative journalism is centered on disclosure, described by six elements: public interest, theme, accuracy, follow-up reports, consequences and questioning the status quo (Faure 2005:160; Marron 1995:1). The researcher interrogated the current practice of investigative journalism in newsrooms in the Botswana context, by means of a self-administered questionnaire. A cumulative sum of scores of each rank order for each obstacle was used to observe the one rated the most impeding by Botswana journalists. Elementary descriptive statistics in the form of percentages were used to assess attitudes of Botswana journalists towards investigative journalism. The same method was used to assess the proportion of investigative stories in four sampled Botswana newspapers. The contents of the respective newspapers were assessed against the five elements of investigative reporting that include: theme, public interest, questioning the status quo, accuracy, follow-up reports and consequences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Oesophageal Cancer in Transkei
- Authors: Stepien, Andrzej
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Esophagus -- Cancer -- South Africa Stomach -- Cancer Cancer -- Patients
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/769 , vital:29751
- Description: The oesophagus is a part of the digestive canal between the pharynx and the stomach. It is about 25 cm. long in adults. From inside, it is covered by multilayered squamous epithelium, separated by a basement membrane from deeper tissues that include submucosa, muscle layer and adventitia from outside. Two functional sphincters are located at both ends of the oesophagus, and some glands are present within its wall, which lubricate the surface by its mucin product, contributing to easier swallowing. Knowledge of those structures makes an easier understanding as to the occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma developing in the oesophagus, its spread; it also helps to understand the signs and symptoms of oesophageal carcinoma.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Stepien, Andrzej
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Esophagus -- Cancer -- South Africa Stomach -- Cancer Cancer -- Patients
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/769 , vital:29751
- Description: The oesophagus is a part of the digestive canal between the pharynx and the stomach. It is about 25 cm. long in adults. From inside, it is covered by multilayered squamous epithelium, separated by a basement membrane from deeper tissues that include submucosa, muscle layer and adventitia from outside. Two functional sphincters are located at both ends of the oesophagus, and some glands are present within its wall, which lubricate the surface by its mucin product, contributing to easier swallowing. Knowledge of those structures makes an easier understanding as to the occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma developing in the oesophagus, its spread; it also helps to understand the signs and symptoms of oesophageal carcinoma.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Of fences and peace between neighbours
- Authors: Krüger, Rósaan
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68909 , vital:29338 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC85309
- Description: Publisher version , The speaker in the poem "Mending Wall" by American poet Robert Frost questions the wisdom of the saying that "Good Fences Make Good Neighbo[u]rs" (1914 North of Boston lines 27 and 45). The walls or fences referred to in the poem represent more than just physical barriers separating adjacent premises; the speaker sees them as representing obstacles to communication and friendship between individuals. Seen from the perspective of the speaker, a fence or wall is a "bad" thing. But the speaker is but one of the parties to the neighbourly relationship. For the speaker's neighbour, a wall or a fence is "a protector of privacy" (Watson "Frost's Wall : The View from the Other Side" 1971 44 The New England Quarterly 653 655). Thus there are two views on walls or fences: they can be seen negatively as obstructing good relations, or positively as dividers that secure good relations between neighbours by separating them and protecting their privacy rights.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Krüger, Rósaan
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68909 , vital:29338 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC85309
- Description: Publisher version , The speaker in the poem "Mending Wall" by American poet Robert Frost questions the wisdom of the saying that "Good Fences Make Good Neighbo[u]rs" (1914 North of Boston lines 27 and 45). The walls or fences referred to in the poem represent more than just physical barriers separating adjacent premises; the speaker sees them as representing obstacles to communication and friendship between individuals. Seen from the perspective of the speaker, a fence or wall is a "bad" thing. But the speaker is but one of the parties to the neighbourly relationship. For the speaker's neighbour, a wall or a fence is "a protector of privacy" (Watson "Frost's Wall : The View from the Other Side" 1971 44 The New England Quarterly 653 655). Thus there are two views on walls or fences: they can be seen negatively as obstructing good relations, or positively as dividers that secure good relations between neighbours by separating them and protecting their privacy rights.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009
On location: Narratives of the South African city of the late 1940s and 1950s in film and literature
- Authors: Baines, Gary F
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125397 , vital:35779 , https://doi.10.1080/02582470308671922
- Description: This article is about narratives, about the forms and meanings constructed by South African storytellers, especially writers and filmmakers. It examines the relationships between examples of these two different narrative forms of literature (fiction and non-fiction) and feature film. Following Turner, the point of departure is that the study of narrative has the potential to provide a framework within which such a two pronged approach can be undertaken. This is not to say that the production of meaning takes place within an exclusive literary or cinematic context. Rather, this approach will allow us to obtain a fuller picture of the narrative of the South African city than is possible by concentrating on one medium. It is based on the premise that narratives are ultimately produced by culture; thus these cultural constructions generate meanings, take on a significance, and assume forms that are articufations of the values, beliefs -the ideology - of the culture.' Literature and film offer specific forms for such narratives. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach which borrows insights from literary and film studies, this article attempts to make a contribution to the fledgling field of South African cultural studies.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
On location: Narratives of the South African city of the late 1940s and 1950s in film and literature
- Authors: Baines, Gary F
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125397 , vital:35779 , https://doi.10.1080/02582470308671922
- Description: This article is about narratives, about the forms and meanings constructed by South African storytellers, especially writers and filmmakers. It examines the relationships between examples of these two different narrative forms of literature (fiction and non-fiction) and feature film. Following Turner, the point of departure is that the study of narrative has the potential to provide a framework within which such a two pronged approach can be undertaken. This is not to say that the production of meaning takes place within an exclusive literary or cinematic context. Rather, this approach will allow us to obtain a fuller picture of the narrative of the South African city than is possible by concentrating on one medium. It is based on the premise that narratives are ultimately produced by culture; thus these cultural constructions generate meanings, take on a significance, and assume forms that are articufations of the values, beliefs -the ideology - of the culture.' Literature and film offer specific forms for such narratives. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach which borrows insights from literary and film studies, this article attempts to make a contribution to the fledgling field of South African cultural studies.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
On Moving House
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229785 , vital:49710 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC47812"
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229785 , vital:49710 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC47812"
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
On the evaluation of spectral effects on photovoltaic modules performance parameters and hotspots in solar cells
- Authors: Simon, Michael
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Photovoltaic cells , Energy dissipation , Electric power production , Photovoltaic power generation , Solar energy , Spectral energy distribution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Physics)
- Identifier: vital:11593 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/257 , Photovoltaic cells , Energy dissipation , Electric power production , Photovoltaic power generation , Solar energy , Spectral energy distribution
- Description: The performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules in terms of their ability to convert incident photon to electrical energy (efficiency) depends mostly on the spectral distribution of incident radiation from the sun. The incident spectrum finally perceived by the module depends strongly on the composition of the medium in which it has traveled. The composition of the earth’s atmosphere, which includes, amongst others, water vapour, gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, absorbs or scatters some of the sunlight. The incident solar spectrum is also modified by the diffuse aspect of radiation from the sky which strongly depends on aerosol concentration, cloudiness and local reflection of the earth’s surface. Although it is well known that the changes in outdoor spectrum affect device performance, little work has been conducted to support this theory. This is probably due to lack of spectral data or in certain instances where data is available, little knowledge of interpreting that data. The outdoor spectral data that one obtains in the field does not come clearly for just simple interpretation. Different analytical interpretation procedures have been proposed, all trying to explain and quantify the spectral influence on PV devices. In this study an assessment methodology for evaluating the effects of outdoor spectra on device performance parameters during the course of the day, seasons and or cloudy cover has been developed. The methodology consists of developing a device dependant concept, Weighted Useful Fraction (WUF) using the outdoor measured spectral data. For measuring PV module’s performance parameters, a current-voltage (I-V) tester was developed in order to monitor the performance of six different module technologies. The Gaussian distribution was used to interpret the data. For hot-spot analysis, different techniques were used, which include Infrared thermographic technique for identifying the hot-spots in the solar cells, SEM and EDX techniques. The AES technique was also used in order to identify other elements at hot-spots sites that could not be detected by the EDX technique. iii Results obtained indicate that multicrystalline modules performance is affected by the changes in the outdoor spectrum during summer or winter seasons. The modules prefer a spectrum characterized by WUF = 0.809 during summer season. This spectrum corresponds to AM 2.19 which is different from AM 1.5 used for device ratings. In winter, the mc-Si module’s WUF (0.7125) peaks at 13h00 at a value corresponding to AM 1.83. Although these devices have a wider wavelength range, they respond differently in real outdoor environment. Results for mono – Si module showed that the device performs best at WUF = 0.6457 which corresponds to AM 1.83 during summer season, while it operates optimally under a winter spectrum indicated by WUF of 0.5691 (AM2.58). The seasonal changes resulted in the shift in WUF during day time corresponding to the “preferred” spectrum. This shift indicates that these devices should be rated using AM values that correspond to the WUF values under which the device operates optimally. For poly-Si, it was also observed the WUF values are lower than the other two crystalline-Si counterparts. The pc-Si was observed to prefer a lower AM value indicated by WUF = 0.5813 during winter season while for summer it prefers a spectrum characterized by WUF = 0.5541 at AM 3.36. The performance of the single junction a-Si module degraded by 67 percent after an initial outdoor exposure of 16 kWh/m² while the HIT module did not exhibit the initial degradation regardless of their similarities in material composition. It was established that the WUF before degradation peaks at 15h00 at a value of 0.7130 corresponding to AM 4.50 while the WUF after degradation “prefers” the spectrum (WUF = 0.6578) experienced at 15h30 corresponding to AM value of 5.57. Comparing the before and after degradation scenarios of a-Si:H, it was observed that the device spends less time under the red spectrum which implies that the device “prefers” a full spectrum to operate optimally. The degradation of a-Si:H device revealed that the device spectral response was also shifted by a 7.7 percent after degradation. A higher percentage difference (61.8 percent) for spectral range for the HIT module is observed, but with no effects on device parameters. Seasonal changes (summer/winter) resulted in the outdoor spectrum of CuInSe2 to vary by WUF = 1.5 percent, which resulted in the decrease in Isc. This was ascertained by iv analyzing the percentage change in WUF and evaluating the corresponding change in Isc. The analysis showed that there was a large percentage difference of the module’s Isc as the outdoor spectrum changed during the course of the day. This confirmed that the 17 percent decrease in Isc was due to a WUF of 1.5 percent. In mc-Si solar cells used in this study, it was found that elemental composition across the entire solar cell was not homogenously distributed resulting in high concentration of transition metals which were detected at hot spot areas. The presence of transition metals causes hot-spot formation in crystalline solar cells. Although several transition elements exist at hot-spot regions, the presence of oxygen, carbon, iron and platinum was detected in high concentrations. From this study, it is highly recommended that transition elements and oxygen must be minimized so as to increase the life expectancy of these devices and improve overall systems reliability
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Simon, Michael
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Photovoltaic cells , Energy dissipation , Electric power production , Photovoltaic power generation , Solar energy , Spectral energy distribution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Physics)
- Identifier: vital:11593 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/257 , Photovoltaic cells , Energy dissipation , Electric power production , Photovoltaic power generation , Solar energy , Spectral energy distribution
- Description: The performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules in terms of their ability to convert incident photon to electrical energy (efficiency) depends mostly on the spectral distribution of incident radiation from the sun. The incident spectrum finally perceived by the module depends strongly on the composition of the medium in which it has traveled. The composition of the earth’s atmosphere, which includes, amongst others, water vapour, gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, absorbs or scatters some of the sunlight. The incident solar spectrum is also modified by the diffuse aspect of radiation from the sky which strongly depends on aerosol concentration, cloudiness and local reflection of the earth’s surface. Although it is well known that the changes in outdoor spectrum affect device performance, little work has been conducted to support this theory. This is probably due to lack of spectral data or in certain instances where data is available, little knowledge of interpreting that data. The outdoor spectral data that one obtains in the field does not come clearly for just simple interpretation. Different analytical interpretation procedures have been proposed, all trying to explain and quantify the spectral influence on PV devices. In this study an assessment methodology for evaluating the effects of outdoor spectra on device performance parameters during the course of the day, seasons and or cloudy cover has been developed. The methodology consists of developing a device dependant concept, Weighted Useful Fraction (WUF) using the outdoor measured spectral data. For measuring PV module’s performance parameters, a current-voltage (I-V) tester was developed in order to monitor the performance of six different module technologies. The Gaussian distribution was used to interpret the data. For hot-spot analysis, different techniques were used, which include Infrared thermographic technique for identifying the hot-spots in the solar cells, SEM and EDX techniques. The AES technique was also used in order to identify other elements at hot-spots sites that could not be detected by the EDX technique. iii Results obtained indicate that multicrystalline modules performance is affected by the changes in the outdoor spectrum during summer or winter seasons. The modules prefer a spectrum characterized by WUF = 0.809 during summer season. This spectrum corresponds to AM 2.19 which is different from AM 1.5 used for device ratings. In winter, the mc-Si module’s WUF (0.7125) peaks at 13h00 at a value corresponding to AM 1.83. Although these devices have a wider wavelength range, they respond differently in real outdoor environment. Results for mono – Si module showed that the device performs best at WUF = 0.6457 which corresponds to AM 1.83 during summer season, while it operates optimally under a winter spectrum indicated by WUF of 0.5691 (AM2.58). The seasonal changes resulted in the shift in WUF during day time corresponding to the “preferred” spectrum. This shift indicates that these devices should be rated using AM values that correspond to the WUF values under which the device operates optimally. For poly-Si, it was also observed the WUF values are lower than the other two crystalline-Si counterparts. The pc-Si was observed to prefer a lower AM value indicated by WUF = 0.5813 during winter season while for summer it prefers a spectrum characterized by WUF = 0.5541 at AM 3.36. The performance of the single junction a-Si module degraded by 67 percent after an initial outdoor exposure of 16 kWh/m² while the HIT module did not exhibit the initial degradation regardless of their similarities in material composition. It was established that the WUF before degradation peaks at 15h00 at a value of 0.7130 corresponding to AM 4.50 while the WUF after degradation “prefers” the spectrum (WUF = 0.6578) experienced at 15h30 corresponding to AM value of 5.57. Comparing the before and after degradation scenarios of a-Si:H, it was observed that the device spends less time under the red spectrum which implies that the device “prefers” a full spectrum to operate optimally. The degradation of a-Si:H device revealed that the device spectral response was also shifted by a 7.7 percent after degradation. A higher percentage difference (61.8 percent) for spectral range for the HIT module is observed, but with no effects on device parameters. Seasonal changes (summer/winter) resulted in the outdoor spectrum of CuInSe2 to vary by WUF = 1.5 percent, which resulted in the decrease in Isc. This was ascertained by iv analyzing the percentage change in WUF and evaluating the corresponding change in Isc. The analysis showed that there was a large percentage difference of the module’s Isc as the outdoor spectrum changed during the course of the day. This confirmed that the 17 percent decrease in Isc was due to a WUF of 1.5 percent. In mc-Si solar cells used in this study, it was found that elemental composition across the entire solar cell was not homogenously distributed resulting in high concentration of transition metals which were detected at hot spot areas. The presence of transition metals causes hot-spot formation in crystalline solar cells. Although several transition elements exist at hot-spot regions, the presence of oxygen, carbon, iron and platinum was detected in high concentrations. From this study, it is highly recommended that transition elements and oxygen must be minimized so as to increase the life expectancy of these devices and improve overall systems reliability
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Opposing responses elicited by positively charged phthalocyanines in the presence of CdTe quantum dots
- Moeno, Sharon, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Moeno, Sharon , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/264506 , vital:53740 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2008.10.027"
- Description: Tetrapositively charged phthalocyanines and CdTe quantum dots (QDs) capped with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were synthesized. The response of the tetrapositively charged zinc phthalocyanines in the presence of quantum dots was studied. Aggregation and charge transfer were observed for [tetramethyl-2,(3)-[tetra-(2-mercaptopyridinephthalocyaninato)]zinc(II)]4+ (TmTMPyZnPc), however aggregation proved to be the more prominent process of the two. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was observed with [tetramethyl-2,(3)-[tetra-(2- pyridyloxyphthalocyaninato)]zinc(II)]4+ (TmTPyZnPc). In the FRET study the efficiency of FRET with TmTPyZnPc was determined to be 21% for both MPA and TGA capped CdTe QDs. For the charge transfer study the fluorescence of the quantum dots was quenched by the TmTMPyZnPc used, and from these quenching studies the quenching constants, binding constants and number of binding sites on the quantum dots were determined.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Moeno, Sharon , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/264506 , vital:53740 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2008.10.027"
- Description: Tetrapositively charged phthalocyanines and CdTe quantum dots (QDs) capped with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) were synthesized. The response of the tetrapositively charged zinc phthalocyanines in the presence of quantum dots was studied. Aggregation and charge transfer were observed for [tetramethyl-2,(3)-[tetra-(2-mercaptopyridinephthalocyaninato)]zinc(II)]4+ (TmTMPyZnPc), however aggregation proved to be the more prominent process of the two. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was observed with [tetramethyl-2,(3)-[tetra-(2- pyridyloxyphthalocyaninato)]zinc(II)]4+ (TmTPyZnPc). In the FRET study the efficiency of FRET with TmTPyZnPc was determined to be 21% for both MPA and TGA capped CdTe QDs. For the charge transfer study the fluorescence of the quantum dots was quenched by the TmTMPyZnPc used, and from these quenching studies the quenching constants, binding constants and number of binding sites on the quantum dots were determined.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Optimizing the recovery rate of Mycobacterium species from gastric lavages in children at an urban Zambian hospital
- Authors: Lubasi, David
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Mycobacterium , Tuberculosis in children -- Diagnosis -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10118 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1440 , Mycobacterium , Tuberculosis in children -- Diagnosis -- Zambia
- Description: Tuberculosis (TB) has re-emerged as a major worldwide public health hazard with increasing incidence among adults and children. Although cases among children represent a small percentage of all TB cases, they are a reservoir from which many adult cases will arise. Estimates indicate that 9 million people develop TB annually, out of which 1 million (11 percent) occur in children less than 15 years old. Childhood tuberculosis is on the increase worldwide because of persisting inability to conform the diagnosis, leading to a large number of children dying of undiagnosed tuberculosis. Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis has depended on bacteriological examination of sputum. In most of the developing countries sputum smear microscopy has been used as it has been found to be cheap and relative efficient. As a result of the high TB burden, there is an urgent need for improved methods of laboratory diagnosis of TB. This is especially needed in children were diagnosis is more challenging as mycobacteria is being detected in fewer than 50 percent of the cases. Children cannot produce adequate sputum samples for examination. Their sputum samples, if produced, has a low bacterial yield and making detection of mycobacteria by using the smear microscopy difficult. Therefore, gastric lavages from children are being recommended as the best specimen for culture. In this study, gastric lavages from 408 children suspected of having tuberculosis were examined for the recovery of mycobacteria. Recovery was optimized by the use of the relatively new non-radiometric fully automated BACTEC MGIT 960. BACTEC MGIT 960 produced a positivity rate of 27.2 percent against 17.2 percent that of Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) media, which is a conventional culture method used widely. The direct microscopy which is the cheapest traditional method used in diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) yielded a 5.6 percent positive rate. The BACTEC MGIT 960 had also a very high isolate detection rate of 98.2 percent compared to that of L-J media of 61.9 percent, and only 20.4 percent were detected with the direct microscopy. On time taken to detection or mean time to detection (TTD) of v isolates, the BACTEC MGIT 960 technique had a shorter mean time to detection, 12.5 days as compared to 34.3 days shown by the L-J media technique. The study showed that children normally get tuberculosis from adult members of the household. A positive TB case was found in the households of 55.4 percent of the suspects. The study has found that 46.4 percent of the children below the age of 4 years developed the disease, compared to 10.5 percent the older children in the age group 10 to 14 years. The study found that tuberculosis in children is mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Out of the 113 isolates detected, 110 (97.3 percent) were M. tuberculosis. The remaining 2.7 percent were the non-tuberculous M. avium complex and M. kansasii. It was inconclusive whether the 2.7 percent of other species were causing tuberculosis and this need to be studied further.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Lubasi, David
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Mycobacterium , Tuberculosis in children -- Diagnosis -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10118 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1440 , Mycobacterium , Tuberculosis in children -- Diagnosis -- Zambia
- Description: Tuberculosis (TB) has re-emerged as a major worldwide public health hazard with increasing incidence among adults and children. Although cases among children represent a small percentage of all TB cases, they are a reservoir from which many adult cases will arise. Estimates indicate that 9 million people develop TB annually, out of which 1 million (11 percent) occur in children less than 15 years old. Childhood tuberculosis is on the increase worldwide because of persisting inability to conform the diagnosis, leading to a large number of children dying of undiagnosed tuberculosis. Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis has depended on bacteriological examination of sputum. In most of the developing countries sputum smear microscopy has been used as it has been found to be cheap and relative efficient. As a result of the high TB burden, there is an urgent need for improved methods of laboratory diagnosis of TB. This is especially needed in children were diagnosis is more challenging as mycobacteria is being detected in fewer than 50 percent of the cases. Children cannot produce adequate sputum samples for examination. Their sputum samples, if produced, has a low bacterial yield and making detection of mycobacteria by using the smear microscopy difficult. Therefore, gastric lavages from children are being recommended as the best specimen for culture. In this study, gastric lavages from 408 children suspected of having tuberculosis were examined for the recovery of mycobacteria. Recovery was optimized by the use of the relatively new non-radiometric fully automated BACTEC MGIT 960. BACTEC MGIT 960 produced a positivity rate of 27.2 percent against 17.2 percent that of Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) media, which is a conventional culture method used widely. The direct microscopy which is the cheapest traditional method used in diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) yielded a 5.6 percent positive rate. The BACTEC MGIT 960 had also a very high isolate detection rate of 98.2 percent compared to that of L-J media of 61.9 percent, and only 20.4 percent were detected with the direct microscopy. On time taken to detection or mean time to detection (TTD) of v isolates, the BACTEC MGIT 960 technique had a shorter mean time to detection, 12.5 days as compared to 34.3 days shown by the L-J media technique. The study showed that children normally get tuberculosis from adult members of the household. A positive TB case was found in the households of 55.4 percent of the suspects. The study has found that 46.4 percent of the children below the age of 4 years developed the disease, compared to 10.5 percent the older children in the age group 10 to 14 years. The study found that tuberculosis in children is mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Out of the 113 isolates detected, 110 (97.3 percent) were M. tuberculosis. The remaining 2.7 percent were the non-tuberculous M. avium complex and M. kansasii. It was inconclusive whether the 2.7 percent of other species were causing tuberculosis and this need to be studied further.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Organisational restructuring and its impact on job satisfaction, career moblity and stress levels of employees at Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
- Authors: Mahloane, Katiso William
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Employee morale , Organizational change , Employees -- Attitudes -- Evaluation , Job satisfaction , Stress management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Admin
- Identifier: vital:11648 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/188 , Employee morale , Organizational change , Employees -- Attitudes -- Evaluation , Job satisfaction , Stress management
- Description: Organisations today are in a state of ever accelerating rate of change. Globalisation of the economy, increasing competition, technological innovation as well as global competition are seen to bring about the ever-accelerating pace of change in the working environment worldwide (Christen 2005:241). For this reason, employees are challenged by changes in their careers that they never anticipated, changes which in the long-run, result in stress conditions that bring negative consequences for both employees and the organisation in their wake. This chapter will provide the background to the topic of the study and survey what other studies have revealed about it. The objectives of the study, the research questions, the research objectives over and above the necessary hypotheses will also be mentioned and to conclude, the chapter will provide the theoretical framework in support of this study.As we may be aware, we live in a world of change, where everything constantly has reformed. Organisations are also part of that big change especially in the new millennium where re-engineering, downsizing, outsourcing and restructuring have become common terms associated with many organisations. Although a number of studies have tried to determine how organisational restructuring benefits the organisation, little has been done to find out how the welfare of employees is affected by the restructuring initiatives. This study investigates the perceptions that employees have of organisational restructuring. It investigates how their job satisfaction, career mobility and their stress levels are affected by restructuring process after the restructuring process as well the stress that such employees experience due to restructuring. A survey was conducted at Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, where data was obtained from 121 respondents and statistically analysed. The findings reflect a negative association between restructuring and stress levels and career mobility. The findings show that job satisfaction was still experienced by the employees at LHDA and that most respondents see organisational restructuring as something that benefits the organisation and has little to do with the interests of the workers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Mahloane, Katiso William
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Employee morale , Organizational change , Employees -- Attitudes -- Evaluation , Job satisfaction , Stress management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Admin
- Identifier: vital:11648 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/188 , Employee morale , Organizational change , Employees -- Attitudes -- Evaluation , Job satisfaction , Stress management
- Description: Organisations today are in a state of ever accelerating rate of change. Globalisation of the economy, increasing competition, technological innovation as well as global competition are seen to bring about the ever-accelerating pace of change in the working environment worldwide (Christen 2005:241). For this reason, employees are challenged by changes in their careers that they never anticipated, changes which in the long-run, result in stress conditions that bring negative consequences for both employees and the organisation in their wake. This chapter will provide the background to the topic of the study and survey what other studies have revealed about it. The objectives of the study, the research questions, the research objectives over and above the necessary hypotheses will also be mentioned and to conclude, the chapter will provide the theoretical framework in support of this study.As we may be aware, we live in a world of change, where everything constantly has reformed. Organisations are also part of that big change especially in the new millennium where re-engineering, downsizing, outsourcing and restructuring have become common terms associated with many organisations. Although a number of studies have tried to determine how organisational restructuring benefits the organisation, little has been done to find out how the welfare of employees is affected by the restructuring initiatives. This study investigates the perceptions that employees have of organisational restructuring. It investigates how their job satisfaction, career mobility and their stress levels are affected by restructuring process after the restructuring process as well the stress that such employees experience due to restructuring. A survey was conducted at Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, where data was obtained from 121 respondents and statistically analysed. The findings reflect a negative association between restructuring and stress levels and career mobility. The findings show that job satisfaction was still experienced by the employees at LHDA and that most respondents see organisational restructuring as something that benefits the organisation and has little to do with the interests of the workers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Organizational culture and innovation: the case of the Namibian National Institute for Educational Development
- Piepmeyer, Gernot Maximilian
- Authors: Piepmeyer, Gernot Maximilian
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: National Institute for Educational Development (Namibia) Corporate culture -- Namibia Organizational behavior -- Namibia Technological innovations -- Namibia Education -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1685 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003568
- Description: The purpose of my research is to diagnose the organizational culture of the National Institute for Educational Development [NIED] , in particular to determine whether it is conducive to innovation, as was envisaged at the time of its inception. The diagnosis of NIED's organizational culture was done by using a hybrid qualitative and quantitative case study. A questionnaire, the Cameron and Quinn's Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument [OCAI], was given to all professional members at NIED, while six members of the NIED organization were interviewed. It emerged from the data, first, that the characteristics of the dominant NIED culture, using Cameron and Quinn's six dimensions of culture that produced an "overall culture profile" of NIED, are not likely to enhance innovativeness. Nevertheless, there is a strong preference towards a culture type favourable to innovation. Second, there are cultural factors antithetical to an innovative organizational culture. These include poor information flow and a lack of communication, negligible crossfunction interaction and freedom, and constraining hierarchical and bureaucratic structures. Third, NIED has, in the form of a "green paper," a set of critical norms, values and assumptions that characterize the culture of innovative organizations. Finally, there is evidence of the presence of cultural characteristics conducive to an innovative organizational culture. These include: learning how to learn; being pro-active in initiating change and innovativeness; and sustaining momentum, consistency and perseverance. The discrepancy between the existing organizational culture and the preferred organizational culture revealed by the overall cultural profile can be explained by the fact that the norms, values and assumptions that characterize the culture of innovative organizations and the cultural characteristics conducive to an innovative organizational culture are not fully infused into the whole organization. There is a tension between NIED's bureaucratic nature and its innovative mission. Organizational culture change, where NIED's structures and processes are aligned with its espoused vision and mission, is needed in order for it to be better placed to achieve its original pioneering mandate.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Piepmeyer, Gernot Maximilian
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: National Institute for Educational Development (Namibia) Corporate culture -- Namibia Organizational behavior -- Namibia Technological innovations -- Namibia Education -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1685 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003568
- Description: The purpose of my research is to diagnose the organizational culture of the National Institute for Educational Development [NIED] , in particular to determine whether it is conducive to innovation, as was envisaged at the time of its inception. The diagnosis of NIED's organizational culture was done by using a hybrid qualitative and quantitative case study. A questionnaire, the Cameron and Quinn's Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument [OCAI], was given to all professional members at NIED, while six members of the NIED organization were interviewed. It emerged from the data, first, that the characteristics of the dominant NIED culture, using Cameron and Quinn's six dimensions of culture that produced an "overall culture profile" of NIED, are not likely to enhance innovativeness. Nevertheless, there is a strong preference towards a culture type favourable to innovation. Second, there are cultural factors antithetical to an innovative organizational culture. These include poor information flow and a lack of communication, negligible crossfunction interaction and freedom, and constraining hierarchical and bureaucratic structures. Third, NIED has, in the form of a "green paper," a set of critical norms, values and assumptions that characterize the culture of innovative organizations. Finally, there is evidence of the presence of cultural characteristics conducive to an innovative organizational culture. These include: learning how to learn; being pro-active in initiating change and innovativeness; and sustaining momentum, consistency and perseverance. The discrepancy between the existing organizational culture and the preferred organizational culture revealed by the overall cultural profile can be explained by the fact that the norms, values and assumptions that characterize the culture of innovative organizations and the cultural characteristics conducive to an innovative organizational culture are not fully infused into the whole organization. There is a tension between NIED's bureaucratic nature and its innovative mission. Organizational culture change, where NIED's structures and processes are aligned with its espoused vision and mission, is needed in order for it to be better placed to achieve its original pioneering mandate.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Overcoming marginalisation? Open Access research repositories at a South African and a Swedish University
- Fox, Roddy C, Wihlborg, E, Lawrence, D
- Authors: Fox, Roddy C , Wihlborg, E , Lawrence, D
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Conference paper
- Identifier: vital:6667 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006680
- Description: Open Access Research Repositories have developed very rapidly since c2000 as a global phenomenon in their number, their location, the number and type of resources available in them. The creation of institutional repositories has been affected by different motives. They can serve as collections of a University's research output with the intention of making it 'freely' available. We ask here, just what patterns of access can be analysed, what trends do we see when examining our two institutions? Alternatively they can be seen as ways to raise the research profile of individuals and institutions and citation records. We do not see Open Access Research as being a neutral, value free technological innovation with clear outcomes. Our perspective draws from the fields of socio-technical and complex adaptive systems and so we anticipate that although the future impacts of Open Access research can be discerned they cannot be mechanistically predicted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Fox, Roddy C , Wihlborg, E , Lawrence, D
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Conference paper
- Identifier: vital:6667 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006680
- Description: Open Access Research Repositories have developed very rapidly since c2000 as a global phenomenon in their number, their location, the number and type of resources available in them. The creation of institutional repositories has been affected by different motives. They can serve as collections of a University's research output with the intention of making it 'freely' available. We ask here, just what patterns of access can be analysed, what trends do we see when examining our two institutions? Alternatively they can be seen as ways to raise the research profile of individuals and institutions and citation records. We do not see Open Access Research as being a neutral, value free technological innovation with clear outcomes. Our perspective draws from the fields of socio-technical and complex adaptive systems and so we anticipate that although the future impacts of Open Access research can be discerned they cannot be mechanistically predicted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Paper recycling patterns and potential interventions in the education sector: A case study of paper streams at Rhodes University, South Africa
- Amutenya, N, Shackleton, Charlie M, Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Authors: Amutenya, N , Shackleton, Charlie M , Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181180 , vital:43705 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2008.12.001"
- Description: This paper considers the use of paper by academics and student computer laboratories at Rhodes University as a basis for identifying areas to reduce the amounts used and increase rates of recycling. A sample of 50 academic staff monitored the volume and purpose of the paper they used over 5 months, and the procurement officers in all the academic departments were interviewed regarding the total amount of paper used per academic department. Mean use was 34 ± 20 new sheets of paper per working day, of which 3% were trashed, 15% were kept for later use (as scrap or printed on the opposite side) and 79% were given out as notes to students, filed as records or posted out as mail to other departments or institutions. There was a significant relationship between number of students served by a department and the overall demand for paper, as well the number of staff per department and the number of recycling bins. The university could save approximately US$ 7000 per year for every 10% reduction in current use of paper (12,784 reams/year). Reduction in paper usage could be achieved through an increase in re-use of paper, printing handouts for students on both sides of each sheet of paper and by investing in printers that are capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Double-sided printers are only 20–25% more expensive than single-sided ones, but will potentially reduce paper usage by half. A 40% reduction would save the university approximately US $ 20,000 per year in direct costs, and more in reduced waste streams, as well as help promote the environmental image of the university. On a per unit basis, the higher costs for a double-sided printer in offices would be repaid in 9 months or less through reduced paper use.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Amutenya, N , Shackleton, Charlie M , Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181180 , vital:43705 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2008.12.001"
- Description: This paper considers the use of paper by academics and student computer laboratories at Rhodes University as a basis for identifying areas to reduce the amounts used and increase rates of recycling. A sample of 50 academic staff monitored the volume and purpose of the paper they used over 5 months, and the procurement officers in all the academic departments were interviewed regarding the total amount of paper used per academic department. Mean use was 34 ± 20 new sheets of paper per working day, of which 3% were trashed, 15% were kept for later use (as scrap or printed on the opposite side) and 79% were given out as notes to students, filed as records or posted out as mail to other departments or institutions. There was a significant relationship between number of students served by a department and the overall demand for paper, as well the number of staff per department and the number of recycling bins. The university could save approximately US$ 7000 per year for every 10% reduction in current use of paper (12,784 reams/year). Reduction in paper usage could be achieved through an increase in re-use of paper, printing handouts for students on both sides of each sheet of paper and by investing in printers that are capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Double-sided printers are only 20–25% more expensive than single-sided ones, but will potentially reduce paper usage by half. A 40% reduction would save the university approximately US $ 20,000 per year in direct costs, and more in reduced waste streams, as well as help promote the environmental image of the university. On a per unit basis, the higher costs for a double-sided printer in offices would be repaid in 9 months or less through reduced paper use.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Passive Traffic Inspection for Automated Firewall Rule Set Generation
- Pranschke, Georg-Christian, Irwin, Barry V W, Barnett, Richard J
- Authors: Pranschke, Georg-Christian , Irwin, Barry V W , Barnett, Richard J
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428114 , vital:72487 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/49200001/Automated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T20160928-12076-1n830lx-libre.pdf?1475130103=andresponse-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DAutomated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T.pdfandExpires=1714733377andSignature=Q0miMvZNpP7c60n42m54TvFG4hIdujVJBilbpvDKquBk54RPwU22pH6-40mpmOxIFBllKUmOgZfS9SwzuiANn-AZ2bhAELyZmf2bJ5MgceaYH5wnPjX9VzP04C2BACzhO5YutUfwkysburUx-zNdiemSofx2p1DwOszXaJNauYdP8RcHQmFl8aOnkoc3kmU02eKz8WiQISntJtu5Gpo8txP-Z6f1BEzvlVGd432tndhRwpsEVWGW43~oXsdaWQu72S8pTakgKPREqaD7CUHKMXiiUBfuiSj1nFo2n4xZQlFHqbMT7TAYzBPM0GObe~kBe5s2nY6dnOMUKUsSaeTUtqA__andKey-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: The introduction of network filters and chokes such as firewalls in exist-ing operational network is often problematic, due to considerations that need to be made to minimise the interruption of existent legitimate traf-fic. This often necessitates the time consuming manual analysis of net-work traffic over a period of time in order to generate and vet the rule bases to minimise disruption of legitimate flows. To improve upon this, a system facilitating network traffic analysis and firewall rule set genera-tion is proposed. The system shall be capable to deal with the ever in-creasing traffic volumes and help to provide and maintain high uptimes. A high level overview of the design of the components is presented. Additions to the system are scoring metrics which may assist the admin-istrator to optimise the rule sets for the most efficient matching of flows, based on traffic volume, frequency or packet count. A third party pack-age-Firewall Builder-is used to target the resultant rule sets to a number of different firewall and network Filtering platforms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Pranschke, Georg-Christian , Irwin, Barry V W , Barnett, Richard J
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428114 , vital:72487 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/49200001/Automated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T20160928-12076-1n830lx-libre.pdf?1475130103=andresponse-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DAutomated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T.pdfandExpires=1714733377andSignature=Q0miMvZNpP7c60n42m54TvFG4hIdujVJBilbpvDKquBk54RPwU22pH6-40mpmOxIFBllKUmOgZfS9SwzuiANn-AZ2bhAELyZmf2bJ5MgceaYH5wnPjX9VzP04C2BACzhO5YutUfwkysburUx-zNdiemSofx2p1DwOszXaJNauYdP8RcHQmFl8aOnkoc3kmU02eKz8WiQISntJtu5Gpo8txP-Z6f1BEzvlVGd432tndhRwpsEVWGW43~oXsdaWQu72S8pTakgKPREqaD7CUHKMXiiUBfuiSj1nFo2n4xZQlFHqbMT7TAYzBPM0GObe~kBe5s2nY6dnOMUKUsSaeTUtqA__andKey-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: The introduction of network filters and chokes such as firewalls in exist-ing operational network is often problematic, due to considerations that need to be made to minimise the interruption of existent legitimate traf-fic. This often necessitates the time consuming manual analysis of net-work traffic over a period of time in order to generate and vet the rule bases to minimise disruption of legitimate flows. To improve upon this, a system facilitating network traffic analysis and firewall rule set genera-tion is proposed. The system shall be capable to deal with the ever in-creasing traffic volumes and help to provide and maintain high uptimes. A high level overview of the design of the components is presented. Additions to the system are scoring metrics which may assist the admin-istrator to optimise the rule sets for the most efficient matching of flows, based on traffic volume, frequency or packet count. A third party pack-age-Firewall Builder-is used to target the resultant rule sets to a number of different firewall and network Filtering platforms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Patterns and determinants of species richness in mesic temparate grasslands of South Africa
- Authors: Hoare, David Barry
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10613 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1275 , Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Description: The aim of this study is to gain a predictive understanding of the patterns and determinants of plant biodiversity in temperate, mesic grasslands of South Africa with a primary focus on the geographical area of the Eastern Cape. From a review of the literature on hypotheses explaining diversity (Chapter 2) it was possible to formulate a number of hypotheses that could be tested to explain species richness patterns in Eastern Cape grasslands. This thesis is organised so that each main chapter deals with a specific body of theory concerning the explanation of diversity patterns. A detailed description of the study area is provided (Chapter 3), including environmental variation and a description of major vegetation patterns. A summary is provided of grassland plant community patterns, as determined by phytosociological studies in the study area. A multivariate analysis of environmental variables was undertaken to determine which variables contributed the most towards explaining environmental variation in the study area and to determine whether any variables co-vary, a possible problem for any multivariate analysis in later chapters. Altitude produced one of the strongest gradients in the study area. There were a number of variables that were correlated with altitude, most notably temperature. Rainfall co-varied partially with altitude, but there was also a strong rainfall gradient perpendicular to the altitude gradient. A description of species richness, diversity and evenness patterns at the plot scale within different grassland plant communities of the Eastern Cape is provided in Chapter 4. To determine whether the environment acts differently on different growth forms, the contribution to species richness by different major growth forms is analysed. Furthermore, since the majority of literature attempts to explain diversity in terms of environmental factors, it was necessary to analyse the relationship between species richness and various environmental variables. The results indicate that there is high variation in species richness both within and among grassland communities. Forbs make the most significant contribution to overall species richness per 100 m2, followed by grasses. Variance in richness of all species together is not significantly related to environmental variables in mesic grasslands, but is significantly related to environmental variables in semi-arid grasslands. The result of greatest interest from this chapter is the fact that richness amongst different life-forms in the same place is explained by different environmental factors, indicating that the environmental factors that affect coexistence of species have a different effect on different life-forms. A classification of all the species of the dataset into plant functional types using a multivariate approach based on functional traits was conducted (Chapter 5). The grass species were classified into 16 functional types and the forbs into 14 functional types. The functional type classification provided the opportunity for undertaking analyses to develop an understanding of 8 the contribution by niche differentiation towards promoting species richness (Chapter 6). The results provide evidence of niche differentiation in the grasslands of the study area and also that niche differentiation promotes species richness in the grasslands of the study area. It was found that higher rainfall grasslands are less structured by niche differentiation than semi-arid grasslands. A regional / historical analysis is undertaken (Chapter 7) to investigate the relationship between the regional species pool and local richness, and the relationship between local richness and phytochorological diversity. Regional richness appears to have little effect in promoting local richness in grassland plant communities of the study area except at sites where there is high local richness. This provides an indication that regional richness only promotes local richness in the absence of local limiting factors. Phytochorological diversity promotes local richness, but mostly through diversity amongst species with narrow distribution ranges. Some theories ascertain that seasonal uncertainty may provide opportunities to species that would otherwise be outcompeted and thereby promote local richness. The degree to which seasonal uncertainty and seasonality promote local richness in the Eastern Cape grasslands was therefore investigated (Chapter 8). A weak relationship exists between these variables and local species richness in grassland communities of the study area, indicating that they do not promote niche differentiation to a significant degree in the study area. It is clear that in the grasslands of the Eastern Cape, environmental limiting factors are more important in semi-arid grasslands and species interactions are more important in mesic grasslands for structuring plant communities (Chapter 9, Discussion). Regional processes do not appear to be important in structuring local communities, but the analysis undertaken in this study shows that they may be significant when factors operating at the other two levels are overcome (species interactions and environmental limiting factors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Hoare, David Barry
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10613 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1275 , Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Description: The aim of this study is to gain a predictive understanding of the patterns and determinants of plant biodiversity in temperate, mesic grasslands of South Africa with a primary focus on the geographical area of the Eastern Cape. From a review of the literature on hypotheses explaining diversity (Chapter 2) it was possible to formulate a number of hypotheses that could be tested to explain species richness patterns in Eastern Cape grasslands. This thesis is organised so that each main chapter deals with a specific body of theory concerning the explanation of diversity patterns. A detailed description of the study area is provided (Chapter 3), including environmental variation and a description of major vegetation patterns. A summary is provided of grassland plant community patterns, as determined by phytosociological studies in the study area. A multivariate analysis of environmental variables was undertaken to determine which variables contributed the most towards explaining environmental variation in the study area and to determine whether any variables co-vary, a possible problem for any multivariate analysis in later chapters. Altitude produced one of the strongest gradients in the study area. There were a number of variables that were correlated with altitude, most notably temperature. Rainfall co-varied partially with altitude, but there was also a strong rainfall gradient perpendicular to the altitude gradient. A description of species richness, diversity and evenness patterns at the plot scale within different grassland plant communities of the Eastern Cape is provided in Chapter 4. To determine whether the environment acts differently on different growth forms, the contribution to species richness by different major growth forms is analysed. Furthermore, since the majority of literature attempts to explain diversity in terms of environmental factors, it was necessary to analyse the relationship between species richness and various environmental variables. The results indicate that there is high variation in species richness both within and among grassland communities. Forbs make the most significant contribution to overall species richness per 100 m2, followed by grasses. Variance in richness of all species together is not significantly related to environmental variables in mesic grasslands, but is significantly related to environmental variables in semi-arid grasslands. The result of greatest interest from this chapter is the fact that richness amongst different life-forms in the same place is explained by different environmental factors, indicating that the environmental factors that affect coexistence of species have a different effect on different life-forms. A classification of all the species of the dataset into plant functional types using a multivariate approach based on functional traits was conducted (Chapter 5). The grass species were classified into 16 functional types and the forbs into 14 functional types. The functional type classification provided the opportunity for undertaking analyses to develop an understanding of 8 the contribution by niche differentiation towards promoting species richness (Chapter 6). The results provide evidence of niche differentiation in the grasslands of the study area and also that niche differentiation promotes species richness in the grasslands of the study area. It was found that higher rainfall grasslands are less structured by niche differentiation than semi-arid grasslands. A regional / historical analysis is undertaken (Chapter 7) to investigate the relationship between the regional species pool and local richness, and the relationship between local richness and phytochorological diversity. Regional richness appears to have little effect in promoting local richness in grassland plant communities of the study area except at sites where there is high local richness. This provides an indication that regional richness only promotes local richness in the absence of local limiting factors. Phytochorological diversity promotes local richness, but mostly through diversity amongst species with narrow distribution ranges. Some theories ascertain that seasonal uncertainty may provide opportunities to species that would otherwise be outcompeted and thereby promote local richness. The degree to which seasonal uncertainty and seasonality promote local richness in the Eastern Cape grasslands was therefore investigated (Chapter 8). A weak relationship exists between these variables and local species richness in grassland communities of the study area, indicating that they do not promote niche differentiation to a significant degree in the study area. It is clear that in the grasslands of the Eastern Cape, environmental limiting factors are more important in semi-arid grasslands and species interactions are more important in mesic grasslands for structuring plant communities (Chapter 9, Discussion). Regional processes do not appear to be important in structuring local communities, but the analysis undertaken in this study shows that they may be significant when factors operating at the other two levels are overcome (species interactions and environmental limiting factors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Peacekeeping in Africa: problems and prospects
- Authors: Juma, Laurence
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/129113 , vital:36219 , https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/unbotslj9amp;i=3
- Description: Against the background of an expanded need for peacekeeping, the complexity that its programmes entail, and the belief that it will endure for a long time to come, this article discusses the propriety of international peacekeeping operations, its inherent features and weaknesses in creating or preserving peace, and the role that regional organisations play, or should play, in its enhancement.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Juma, Laurence
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/129113 , vital:36219 , https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/unbotslj9amp;i=3
- Description: Against the background of an expanded need for peacekeeping, the complexity that its programmes entail, and the belief that it will endure for a long time to come, this article discusses the propriety of international peacekeeping operations, its inherent features and weaknesses in creating or preserving peace, and the role that regional organisations play, or should play, in its enhancement.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009
Peer-to-Peer Web Services for Distributed Rural ICTs
- Wertlen, Ronald, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Wertlen, Ronald , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428508 , vital:72516 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Terzoli/publication/265184410_Peer-to-Peer_Web_Services_for_Distributed_Rural_ICTs/links/5523cb9a0cf223eed37fe0b3/Peer-to-Peer-Web-Services-for-Distributed-Rural-ICTs.pdf
- Description: In this paper we look at the context and design of a distributed web ser-vices platform called P2PMW. P2PMW uses P2P principles to automat-ically build a robust network with flexible routing and practically no ad-ministrative overhead in order to share resources between nodes. P2PMW uses open source and widely adopted standards. Our argu-ment is that the context of rural ICTs is being shaped by high speed wireless networks with limited span that we call “islands” and that the architecture we introduce is a good fit for the context. We further argue that by employing widely adopted open standards and open source software, we can speed the development of effective custom made ap-plications for marginalised rural areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Wertlen, Ronald , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428508 , vital:72516 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Terzoli/publication/265184410_Peer-to-Peer_Web_Services_for_Distributed_Rural_ICTs/links/5523cb9a0cf223eed37fe0b3/Peer-to-Peer-Web-Services-for-Distributed-Rural-ICTs.pdf
- Description: In this paper we look at the context and design of a distributed web ser-vices platform called P2PMW. P2PMW uses P2P principles to automat-ically build a robust network with flexible routing and practically no ad-ministrative overhead in order to share resources between nodes. P2PMW uses open source and widely adopted standards. Our argu-ment is that the context of rural ICTs is being shaped by high speed wireless networks with limited span that we call “islands” and that the architecture we introduce is a good fit for the context. We further argue that by employing widely adopted open standards and open source software, we can speed the development of effective custom made ap-plications for marginalised rural areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Performance Effects of Concurrent Virtual Machine Execution in VMware Workstation 6
- Barnett, Richard J, Irwin, Barry V W
- Authors: Barnett, Richard J , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429966 , vital:72655 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3660-5_56
- Description: The recent trend toward virtualized computing both as a means of serv-er consolidation and as a powerful desktop computing tool has lead into a wide variety of studies into the performance of hypervisor products. This study has investigated the scalability of VMware Workstation 6 on the desktop platform. We present comparative performance results for the concurrent execution of a number of virtual machines. A through statistical analysis of the performance results highlights the perfor-mance trends of different numbers of concurrent virtual machines and concludes that VMware workstation can scale in certain contexts. We find that there are different performance benefits dependant on the ap-plication and that memory intensive applications perform less effective-ly than those applications which are IO intensive. We also find that run-ning concurrent virtual machines offers a significant performance de-crease, but that the drop thereafter is less significant.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Barnett, Richard J , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429966 , vital:72655 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3660-5_56
- Description: The recent trend toward virtualized computing both as a means of serv-er consolidation and as a powerful desktop computing tool has lead into a wide variety of studies into the performance of hypervisor products. This study has investigated the scalability of VMware Workstation 6 on the desktop platform. We present comparative performance results for the concurrent execution of a number of virtual machines. A through statistical analysis of the performance results highlights the perfor-mance trends of different numbers of concurrent virtual machines and concludes that VMware workstation can scale in certain contexts. We find that there are different performance benefits dependant on the ap-plication and that memory intensive applications perform less effective-ly than those applications which are IO intensive. We also find that run-ning concurrent virtual machines offers a significant performance de-crease, but that the drop thereafter is less significant.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Phases of sustainable development in small and medium enterprise (SME) retail outlets
- Authors: Brower, Marlon
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Small business -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Outlet stores -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018506
- Description: SMEs play a vital role in the country. For the purpose of the study the focus was on SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Jurisdiction. Businesses which met the SME criteria (refer to Chapter 1, Section 1.7.1), (Du Plessis, 1996: 162; Marx et al., 1998: 728) were included in this study. The study is formed around the aspects of business which contribute to the growth of the business in the long term. A specific study was conducted on the ethnic entrepreneur and the aspects that influence business growth. There are many factors which influence the growth of the business; for the purpose of this study, a specific focus was placed on: (1) knowledge with regard to business; (2) entrepreneurial culture; (3) brand management; (4) location of the business; (5) business relationships; and (6) cultural influences. These variables will determine how the growth of the business is ultimately influenced. The research can also discover from respondents what they view as important in their lives. The study then goes further to analyse whether the independent variables, as reacted to by the respondents, have a significant or non-significant effect on growth.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Brower, Marlon
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Small business -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Outlet stores -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018506
- Description: SMEs play a vital role in the country. For the purpose of the study the focus was on SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Jurisdiction. Businesses which met the SME criteria (refer to Chapter 1, Section 1.7.1), (Du Plessis, 1996: 162; Marx et al., 1998: 728) were included in this study. The study is formed around the aspects of business which contribute to the growth of the business in the long term. A specific study was conducted on the ethnic entrepreneur and the aspects that influence business growth. There are many factors which influence the growth of the business; for the purpose of this study, a specific focus was placed on: (1) knowledge with regard to business; (2) entrepreneurial culture; (3) brand management; (4) location of the business; (5) business relationships; and (6) cultural influences. These variables will determine how the growth of the business is ultimately influenced. The research can also discover from respondents what they view as important in their lives. The study then goes further to analyse whether the independent variables, as reacted to by the respondents, have a significant or non-significant effect on growth.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Phenolic compounds in water and the implications for rapid detection of indicator micro-organisms using ß-D-Galactosidase and ß-D-Glucuronidase
- Authors: Abboo, Sagaran
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3978 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004037 , Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Description: Faecal contamination in water is detected using appropriate microbial models such as total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli. Βeta-D-Galactosidase (β-GAL) and Beta-D-glucuronidase (β-GUD) are two marker enzymes that are used to test for the presence of total coliforms and E. coli in water samples, respectively. Various assay methods have been developed using chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates. In this study, the chromogenic substrates chlorophenol red β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG) for β-GAL and p-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (PNPG) for β-GUD were used. Potential problems associated with this approach include interference from other organisms present in the environment (e.g. plants, algae and other bacteria), as well as the presence of certain chemicals, such as phenolic compounds in water. Phenolic compounds are present in the aquatic environment due to their extensive industrial applications. The USA Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 11 Priority Pollutant Phenols (PPP) due to their high level of toxicity. This study investigated the interfering effects of the eleven PPP found in water on the enzyme activities of both the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays. The presence of these PPP in the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays showed that over and underestimation of activity may occur due to inhibition or activation of these enzymes. Three types of inhibition to enzyme activities were identified from double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plots. The inhibition constants (Ki) were determined for all inhibitory phenolic compounds from appropriate secondary plots. Furthermore, this study presented a validated reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method, developed for the simultaneous detection, separation and determination of all eleven phenolic compounds found in the environment. This method demonstrated good linearity, reproducibility, accuracy and sensitivity. Environmental water samples were collected from rivers, streams, industrial sites and wastewater treatment plant effluent. These samples were extracted and concentrated using a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure prior to analysis employing the newly developed HPLC method in this study. Seasonal variations on the presence of the PPP in the environment were observed at certain collection sites. The concentrations found were between 0.033 μg/ml for 2,4-dinitrophenol in a running stream to 0.890 mg/ml for pentachlorophenol from an tannery industrial site. These concentrations of phenolic compounds found in these environments were able to interfere with the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Abboo, Sagaran
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3978 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004037 , Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Description: Faecal contamination in water is detected using appropriate microbial models such as total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli. Βeta-D-Galactosidase (β-GAL) and Beta-D-glucuronidase (β-GUD) are two marker enzymes that are used to test for the presence of total coliforms and E. coli in water samples, respectively. Various assay methods have been developed using chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates. In this study, the chromogenic substrates chlorophenol red β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG) for β-GAL and p-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (PNPG) for β-GUD were used. Potential problems associated with this approach include interference from other organisms present in the environment (e.g. plants, algae and other bacteria), as well as the presence of certain chemicals, such as phenolic compounds in water. Phenolic compounds are present in the aquatic environment due to their extensive industrial applications. The USA Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 11 Priority Pollutant Phenols (PPP) due to their high level of toxicity. This study investigated the interfering effects of the eleven PPP found in water on the enzyme activities of both the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays. The presence of these PPP in the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays showed that over and underestimation of activity may occur due to inhibition or activation of these enzymes. Three types of inhibition to enzyme activities were identified from double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plots. The inhibition constants (Ki) were determined for all inhibitory phenolic compounds from appropriate secondary plots. Furthermore, this study presented a validated reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method, developed for the simultaneous detection, separation and determination of all eleven phenolic compounds found in the environment. This method demonstrated good linearity, reproducibility, accuracy and sensitivity. Environmental water samples were collected from rivers, streams, industrial sites and wastewater treatment plant effluent. These samples were extracted and concentrated using a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure prior to analysis employing the newly developed HPLC method in this study. Seasonal variations on the presence of the PPP in the environment were observed at certain collection sites. The concentrations found were between 0.033 μg/ml for 2,4-dinitrophenol in a running stream to 0.890 mg/ml for pentachlorophenol from an tannery industrial site. These concentrations of phenolic compounds found in these environments were able to interfere with the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009