The development of high-throughput assays to screen for potential anticancer and antimalarial compounds that target ADP-ribosylation factor 6 and its signalling machineries
- Authors: Khan, Farrah Dilshaad
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: ADP-ribosylation , Proteins -- Metabolism , Nucleoproteins , Malaria -- Chemotherapy , Cancer -- Chemotherapy
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92952 , vital:30810
- Description: ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) are small GTP-binding proteins that cycle between active GTP-bound forms and inactive GDP-bound forms. GDP/GTP cycling is regulated by large families of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs). ArfGEFs activate Arfs by mediating the exchange of GDP for GTP, while ArfGAPs terminate Arf function by stimulating the hydrolysis of the terminal phosphate group of GTP. Arf6 is a major regulator of endocytic trafficking and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in eukaryotic organisms. Owing to its participation in wide range of fundamentally distinct cellular processes, Arf6 may be a drug target for cancer and malaria amongst other diseases. As with cancer cells, rapid growth and viability of eukaryotic pathogens likely places a heavy burden on their endocytic pathways and a critical reliance on Arf6 activity. A putative malarial homolog of Arf6 (PfArf6) localises to numerous puncta along the periphery of the parasite in the mature trophozoite life stage of the parasite (T. Swart, MSc dissertation). Owing to highly inefficient parasite transfection procedures and a relative shortage of well described and validated parasite organelle markers, the possible functions of PfArf6 were explored using HeLa cells as a surrogate model for parasites by fluorescence microscopy of cells transfected with GFP-tagged PfArf6. Partial co-localisation was observed with the mammalian markers HsArf6 and LC3, which suggested possible roles in Arf6-dependent endocytosis and autophagy, respectively. While these possible roles are currently under investigation in parasites, an overall long-term goal which was initiated in this study was to determine whether PfArf6 is a valid drug target. To chemically validate PfArf6 as a drug target, a potent inhibitor needs to be identified. This requires the development of assays that may be employed for high-throughput screening of compound libraries. To support this goal, a novel plate-based assay was developed using human Arf6. The assay relies on the selective binding of an Arf effector protein domain (GGA3) fused to glutathione-S-transferase (GST), to His-tagged Arf6 immobilised on a nickel-coated plate. The assay format was developed and could robustly distinguish HsArf6-GDP (inactive) from HsArf6-GTP (active). Furthermore, it could be employed to detect the deactivation of Arf6 by ArfGAP1-stimualted GTP hydrolysis, but not Arf6 activation by ARNO-stimulated GDP/GTP exchange (ARNO is an ArfGEF). The ArfGAP1 deactivation assay was chemically validated using a known ArfGAP inhibitor, QS11. An improved assay was developed that employs JIP4 as an Arf6-specific binding partner instead of GGA3. In addition to superior performance, the alternative assay format could potentially be exploited for cancer drug discovery, since Arf6-JIP4 interaction has been implicated in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Both assays may be employed to explore alternative ArfGEFs and ArfGAPs that act on Arf6 and contribute to the advancement of cancer. In parallel experiments, where development of PfArf6 assays was the focus, several issues arose. Firstly, we could not prepare GDP- and GTP-bound forms of PfArf6 since EDTA-mediated nucleotide exchange appeared to irreversibly destabilise the protein. However, PfArf6 activation (i.e. the preparation of PfArf6-GTP) was possible when mediated by ARNO and assessed by tryptophan fluorescence kinetic assays, suggesting that PfArf6 may be expressed in GDP-bound form in E. coli. As with human Arf6, ARNO-mediated GDP/GTP exchange on PfArf6 was not detectable in the immobilised PfArf6-GGA interaction GST assay format. However, a more sensitive assay was developed which relies on the use of nickel-horseradish peroxidase to detect the binding of His-tagged PfArf6 to JIP4-GST immobilised on glutathione plates and could detect ARNO-mediated PfArf6 activation. Since we could not prepare PfArf6-GTP (that did not rely on the presence of the ArfGEF, ARNO), malarial ArfGAP deactivation studies were conducted using PfArf1 instead of PfArf6 in the GGA-GST interaction assay. Both PfArfGAP1and PfArfGAP2 stimulated GTP hydrolysis by PfArf1, but only the former was inhibited by the standard human ArfGAP inhibitor, QS11. The development of these simple, cost-effective assays can be used in the high-throughput screening of novel anticancer and antimalarial compounds that target Arf signalling machineries. In theory, the assay could be extended as a tool to identify novel inhibitors of the multitude of Arfs, ArfGEFs and ArfGAPs originating from any organism and hence has broad clinical significance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Khan, Farrah Dilshaad
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: ADP-ribosylation , Proteins -- Metabolism , Nucleoproteins , Malaria -- Chemotherapy , Cancer -- Chemotherapy
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92952 , vital:30810
- Description: ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) are small GTP-binding proteins that cycle between active GTP-bound forms and inactive GDP-bound forms. GDP/GTP cycling is regulated by large families of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs). ArfGEFs activate Arfs by mediating the exchange of GDP for GTP, while ArfGAPs terminate Arf function by stimulating the hydrolysis of the terminal phosphate group of GTP. Arf6 is a major regulator of endocytic trafficking and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in eukaryotic organisms. Owing to its participation in wide range of fundamentally distinct cellular processes, Arf6 may be a drug target for cancer and malaria amongst other diseases. As with cancer cells, rapid growth and viability of eukaryotic pathogens likely places a heavy burden on their endocytic pathways and a critical reliance on Arf6 activity. A putative malarial homolog of Arf6 (PfArf6) localises to numerous puncta along the periphery of the parasite in the mature trophozoite life stage of the parasite (T. Swart, MSc dissertation). Owing to highly inefficient parasite transfection procedures and a relative shortage of well described and validated parasite organelle markers, the possible functions of PfArf6 were explored using HeLa cells as a surrogate model for parasites by fluorescence microscopy of cells transfected with GFP-tagged PfArf6. Partial co-localisation was observed with the mammalian markers HsArf6 and LC3, which suggested possible roles in Arf6-dependent endocytosis and autophagy, respectively. While these possible roles are currently under investigation in parasites, an overall long-term goal which was initiated in this study was to determine whether PfArf6 is a valid drug target. To chemically validate PfArf6 as a drug target, a potent inhibitor needs to be identified. This requires the development of assays that may be employed for high-throughput screening of compound libraries. To support this goal, a novel plate-based assay was developed using human Arf6. The assay relies on the selective binding of an Arf effector protein domain (GGA3) fused to glutathione-S-transferase (GST), to His-tagged Arf6 immobilised on a nickel-coated plate. The assay format was developed and could robustly distinguish HsArf6-GDP (inactive) from HsArf6-GTP (active). Furthermore, it could be employed to detect the deactivation of Arf6 by ArfGAP1-stimualted GTP hydrolysis, but not Arf6 activation by ARNO-stimulated GDP/GTP exchange (ARNO is an ArfGEF). The ArfGAP1 deactivation assay was chemically validated using a known ArfGAP inhibitor, QS11. An improved assay was developed that employs JIP4 as an Arf6-specific binding partner instead of GGA3. In addition to superior performance, the alternative assay format could potentially be exploited for cancer drug discovery, since Arf6-JIP4 interaction has been implicated in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Both assays may be employed to explore alternative ArfGEFs and ArfGAPs that act on Arf6 and contribute to the advancement of cancer. In parallel experiments, where development of PfArf6 assays was the focus, several issues arose. Firstly, we could not prepare GDP- and GTP-bound forms of PfArf6 since EDTA-mediated nucleotide exchange appeared to irreversibly destabilise the protein. However, PfArf6 activation (i.e. the preparation of PfArf6-GTP) was possible when mediated by ARNO and assessed by tryptophan fluorescence kinetic assays, suggesting that PfArf6 may be expressed in GDP-bound form in E. coli. As with human Arf6, ARNO-mediated GDP/GTP exchange on PfArf6 was not detectable in the immobilised PfArf6-GGA interaction GST assay format. However, a more sensitive assay was developed which relies on the use of nickel-horseradish peroxidase to detect the binding of His-tagged PfArf6 to JIP4-GST immobilised on glutathione plates and could detect ARNO-mediated PfArf6 activation. Since we could not prepare PfArf6-GTP (that did not rely on the presence of the ArfGEF, ARNO), malarial ArfGAP deactivation studies were conducted using PfArf1 instead of PfArf6 in the GGA-GST interaction assay. Both PfArfGAP1and PfArfGAP2 stimulated GTP hydrolysis by PfArf1, but only the former was inhibited by the standard human ArfGAP inhibitor, QS11. The development of these simple, cost-effective assays can be used in the high-throughput screening of novel anticancer and antimalarial compounds that target Arf signalling machineries. In theory, the assay could be extended as a tool to identify novel inhibitors of the multitude of Arfs, ArfGEFs and ArfGAPs originating from any organism and hence has broad clinical significance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The diet and trophic ecology of non-native Micropterus salmoides in two South African impoundments
- Taylor, Geraldine C, Hill, Jaclyn M, Weyl, Olaf L F
- Authors: Taylor, Geraldine C , Hill, Jaclyn M , Weyl, Olaf L F
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444718 , vital:74262 , https://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2019.1612318
- Description: Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides is a highly successful predator that preys on fish and invertebrates. Highly popular with anglers, it is one of the most introduced and invasive fish globally, with strong potential to alter ecosystem structure and functioning. A better understanding of the trophic dynamics of M. salmoides populations is critical for effective management of its ecological impacts in their invasive range. This study investigated the diets and dietary ontogenetic shifts of M. salmoides in two South African dams along with its trophic positioning relative to other fish community members, through stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Micropterus salmoides was a top predator in both dams. In the Mankazana Dam, it depended predominately on insect prey, demonstrating a generalised feeding strategy, with shifts to include increasing proportions of fish prey with increasing size. Contrastingly, in the Wriggleswade Dam, M. salmoides displayed no ontogenetic shifts and preferred Gilchristella aestuaria, likely indicating a shift to a predominantly fish-based diet at smaller sizes, in the presence of small pelagic fish prey. Overall, M. salmoides diet was opportunistic, likely associated with prey morphology and behaviour (associated with refuge availability) and therefore directly linked to prey abundance and availability, which consequently dictated feeding strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Taylor, Geraldine C , Hill, Jaclyn M , Weyl, Olaf L F
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444718 , vital:74262 , https://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2019.1612318
- Description: Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides is a highly successful predator that preys on fish and invertebrates. Highly popular with anglers, it is one of the most introduced and invasive fish globally, with strong potential to alter ecosystem structure and functioning. A better understanding of the trophic dynamics of M. salmoides populations is critical for effective management of its ecological impacts in their invasive range. This study investigated the diets and dietary ontogenetic shifts of M. salmoides in two South African dams along with its trophic positioning relative to other fish community members, through stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Micropterus salmoides was a top predator in both dams. In the Mankazana Dam, it depended predominately on insect prey, demonstrating a generalised feeding strategy, with shifts to include increasing proportions of fish prey with increasing size. Contrastingly, in the Wriggleswade Dam, M. salmoides displayed no ontogenetic shifts and preferred Gilchristella aestuaria, likely indicating a shift to a predominantly fish-based diet at smaller sizes, in the presence of small pelagic fish prey. Overall, M. salmoides diet was opportunistic, likely associated with prey morphology and behaviour (associated with refuge availability) and therefore directly linked to prey abundance and availability, which consequently dictated feeding strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The diffusion of Max condoms among young women in KwaZulu Natal
- Authors: Donald, Charlene Chenaye
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96870 , vital:31342
- Description: HIV is a disease that has a myriad of effects across different settings, and its prevalence varies across countries with different epidemiological drivers. The growing and disproportionate impact on young women has encouraged new ideas in HIV prevention strategies. The profusion of studies on HIV prevention strategies notwithstanding, the aspect of condom innovation has been largely ignored in literature. Drawing on the Diffusion of Innovation theory, this study examines how Max condoms have gained popularity among young women aged 18-24 years. The hypotheses are tested using an innovation-decision conceptual model and a comprehensive data set of 131 participants from rural, peri-urban and urban districts in KwaZulu Natal. Results reveal that the impact of marketing material and an effective public launch were significant in increasing Max condoms uptake, while the influence of peers and other members of one’s social system are critical for normalising the behaviour change. Young women have adopted Max condoms and uptake is continually influenced by positive perception of Max condoms’ relative advantage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Donald, Charlene Chenaye
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96870 , vital:31342
- Description: HIV is a disease that has a myriad of effects across different settings, and its prevalence varies across countries with different epidemiological drivers. The growing and disproportionate impact on young women has encouraged new ideas in HIV prevention strategies. The profusion of studies on HIV prevention strategies notwithstanding, the aspect of condom innovation has been largely ignored in literature. Drawing on the Diffusion of Innovation theory, this study examines how Max condoms have gained popularity among young women aged 18-24 years. The hypotheses are tested using an innovation-decision conceptual model and a comprehensive data set of 131 participants from rural, peri-urban and urban districts in KwaZulu Natal. Results reveal that the impact of marketing material and an effective public launch were significant in increasing Max condoms uptake, while the influence of peers and other members of one’s social system are critical for normalising the behaviour change. Young women have adopted Max condoms and uptake is continually influenced by positive perception of Max condoms’ relative advantage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The dispersion measure in broadband data from radio pulsars
- Authors: Rammala, Isabella
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Pulsars , Radio astrophysics , Astrophsyics , Broadband communication systems
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67857 , vital:29157
- Description: Modern day radio telescopes make use of wideband receivers to take advantage of the broadband nature of the radio pulsar emission. We ask how does the use of such broadband pulsar data affect the measured pulsar dispersion measure (DM). Previous works have shown that, although the exact pulsar radio emission processes are not well understood, observations reveal evidence of possible frequency dependence on the emission altitudes in the pulsar magnetosphere, a phenomenon known as the radius-to-frequency mapping (RFM). This frequency dependence due to RFM can be embedded in the dispersive delay of the pulse profiles, normally interpreted as an interstellar effect (DM). Thus we interpret this intrinsic effect as an additional component δDM to the interstellar DM, and investigate how it can be statistically attributed to intrinsic profile evolution, as well as profile scattering. We make use of Monte-Carlo simulations of beam models to simulate realistic pulsar beams of various geometry, from which we generate intrinsic profiles at various frequency bands. The results show that the excess DM due to intrinsic profile evolution is more pronounced at high frequencies, whereas scattering dominates the excess DM at low frequency. The implications of these results are presented with relation to broadband pulsar timing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Rammala, Isabella
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Pulsars , Radio astrophysics , Astrophsyics , Broadband communication systems
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67857 , vital:29157
- Description: Modern day radio telescopes make use of wideband receivers to take advantage of the broadband nature of the radio pulsar emission. We ask how does the use of such broadband pulsar data affect the measured pulsar dispersion measure (DM). Previous works have shown that, although the exact pulsar radio emission processes are not well understood, observations reveal evidence of possible frequency dependence on the emission altitudes in the pulsar magnetosphere, a phenomenon known as the radius-to-frequency mapping (RFM). This frequency dependence due to RFM can be embedded in the dispersive delay of the pulse profiles, normally interpreted as an interstellar effect (DM). Thus we interpret this intrinsic effect as an additional component δDM to the interstellar DM, and investigate how it can be statistically attributed to intrinsic profile evolution, as well as profile scattering. We make use of Monte-Carlo simulations of beam models to simulate realistic pulsar beams of various geometry, from which we generate intrinsic profiles at various frequency bands. The results show that the excess DM due to intrinsic profile evolution is more pronounced at high frequencies, whereas scattering dominates the excess DM at low frequency. The implications of these results are presented with relation to broadband pulsar timing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The dynamics of proclaimed privately protected areas in South Africa over 83 years
- de Vos, Alta, Clements, Hayley S, Biggs, Duan, Cumming, Graeme S
- Authors: de Vos, Alta , Clements, Hayley S , Biggs, Duan , Cumming, Graeme S
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433223 , vital:72952 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12644"
- Description: Views that protected area (PA) expansion relies predominantly on land purchased by government are increasingly being challenged. The inclusion of privately owned PAs (PPAs) in national conservation strategies is now commonplace, but little is known about their long-term persistence and how it compares to that of state-owned PAs. We undertook the first long-term assessment of the dynamics of a national system of terrestrial PPAs, assessing its growth, as well as its resilience to downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD). Between 1926 and 2018, 6.2% of all private nature reserves established in South Africa were degazetted, compared to 2.2% of state-owned nature reserves. Privately owned PA growth exceeded that of state-owned PAs. Trends in PA establishment differed between privately owned and state-owned PAs, reflecting different legislative, political, and economic events. Our findings highlight the value of enabling legislative environments to facilitate PPA establishment, and demonstrate the potential of PPAs as a long-term conservation strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: de Vos, Alta , Clements, Hayley S , Biggs, Duan , Cumming, Graeme S
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433223 , vital:72952 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12644"
- Description: Views that protected area (PA) expansion relies predominantly on land purchased by government are increasingly being challenged. The inclusion of privately owned PAs (PPAs) in national conservation strategies is now commonplace, but little is known about their long-term persistence and how it compares to that of state-owned PAs. We undertook the first long-term assessment of the dynamics of a national system of terrestrial PPAs, assessing its growth, as well as its resilience to downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD). Between 1926 and 2018, 6.2% of all private nature reserves established in South Africa were degazetted, compared to 2.2% of state-owned nature reserves. Privately owned PA growth exceeded that of state-owned PAs. Trends in PA establishment differed between privately owned and state-owned PAs, reflecting different legislative, political, and economic events. Our findings highlight the value of enabling legislative environments to facilitate PPA establishment, and demonstrate the potential of PPAs as a long-term conservation strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The effect of age and culture on brand loyalty in the South African motor industry
- Authors: Hempel, Martin Johan
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Brand loyalty -- South Africa , Automobile industry and trade -- South Africa , Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa , Consumer behavior -- South Africa , Older consumers -- South Africa , Consumers -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96859 , vital:31339
- Description: It has become imperative for companies in the motor industry to study and understand the notion of brand loyalty due to the many inherent advantages that it offers. Although existing literature provides extensive information on brand loyalty, the concept of brand loyalty is not constant across all industries. Factors such as age and culture also alter the effects of brand loyalty and the degree of brand loyalty generated within a consumer. Taking these variables into account, this study sets out to establish if age and culture have an effect on brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. The method in which motor companies emit marketing signals are also explored to establish if the emitted marketing signals are able to assist in the generation of brand loyalty. A South African real estate agent group agreed to participate in the research and became the sample population for the study. 190 successfully completed questionnaires were obtained in the data collection process and data with a Cronbach Alpha Coefficient (α) of 0.7662 proved that the data had satisfactory reliability. The data was processed and analysed in the statistical analysis program Stata. The study discovered that marketing signals don't assist in the generation of brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. It is suggested that it is more plausible that marketing signals can assist to maintain brand loyalty, rather than to generate brand loyalty. The study also discovered that culture does not have an effect on brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. However, after considering that the cultural distribution of the sample was significantly skewed, the sample is regarded as an unreliable test of the effect of culture on brand loyalty. The study also discovered that age doesn't have an effect brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. The researcher noted that the previously cognitively strenuous process of obtaining information has become more simplified by the internet and could potentially have reduced the generating of brand loyalty among older consumers. A final test was conducted to ascertain if relationships exist between the four stages of loyalty. The study suggested that all four loyalty stages are connected which confirms that brand loyalty is generated by both attitudinal and behavioural dimensions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Hempel, Martin Johan
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Brand loyalty -- South Africa , Automobile industry and trade -- South Africa , Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa , Consumer behavior -- South Africa , Older consumers -- South Africa , Consumers -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96859 , vital:31339
- Description: It has become imperative for companies in the motor industry to study and understand the notion of brand loyalty due to the many inherent advantages that it offers. Although existing literature provides extensive information on brand loyalty, the concept of brand loyalty is not constant across all industries. Factors such as age and culture also alter the effects of brand loyalty and the degree of brand loyalty generated within a consumer. Taking these variables into account, this study sets out to establish if age and culture have an effect on brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. The method in which motor companies emit marketing signals are also explored to establish if the emitted marketing signals are able to assist in the generation of brand loyalty. A South African real estate agent group agreed to participate in the research and became the sample population for the study. 190 successfully completed questionnaires were obtained in the data collection process and data with a Cronbach Alpha Coefficient (α) of 0.7662 proved that the data had satisfactory reliability. The data was processed and analysed in the statistical analysis program Stata. The study discovered that marketing signals don't assist in the generation of brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. It is suggested that it is more plausible that marketing signals can assist to maintain brand loyalty, rather than to generate brand loyalty. The study also discovered that culture does not have an effect on brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. However, after considering that the cultural distribution of the sample was significantly skewed, the sample is regarded as an unreliable test of the effect of culture on brand loyalty. The study also discovered that age doesn't have an effect brand loyalty in the South African motor industry. The researcher noted that the previously cognitively strenuous process of obtaining information has become more simplified by the internet and could potentially have reduced the generating of brand loyalty among older consumers. A final test was conducted to ascertain if relationships exist between the four stages of loyalty. The study suggested that all four loyalty stages are connected which confirms that brand loyalty is generated by both attitudinal and behavioural dimensions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The effect of bait on fine-scale habitat associations of reef fish investigated with remote underwater video systems
- Authors: Schmidt, Nicholas C
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) , Remote underwater stereo-video systems , Underwater videography in wildlife monitoring -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Fish stock assessment -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Fish populations -- Monitoring -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Fishes -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68380 , vital:29249
- Description: Establishing the associations between fish and their habitats can aid in the monitoring of fish stocks and the design of effective marine protected areas (MPAs). Baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) are now commonly used to asses fish populations. The habitats seen in the video footage of stereo-BRUVs can be used to link fish fauna to preferred habitat types. However, the application of bait potentially attracts fish from surrounding habitats, and might result in a biased understanding of fish–habitat associations. A field study was conducted in the Tsitsikamma National Park MPA to determine the effect of bait on fine-scale fish–habitat associations, using remote photographic and video methods. The study was conducted over the summer season of 2015 and 2016. Data were collected within a 1x1 km shallow (9–44 m) reef complex. Within the sampling area, 944 photo-quadrats of the macrobenthos were taken 30 m apart by means of a drop camera. By separating the macrobenthos into broad taxonomic groups, five habitat types were identified, namely Shallow Sand, Shallow Reef, Deep Reef, Deep Sand and Patch Reef. The results show that even on a fine scale, depth is an important predictor of macrobenthic distribution and assemblage structure. Baited (stereo-BRUVs) and unbaited (stereo-RUVs) surveys were then conducted to sample the fish community in the same area during the period under study. Higher abundances of fish were observed in reef than in sandy habitats, and bait was seen to have a positive effect on species richness and fish abundance. When comparing habitats, fish abundance and composition on reef habitats were significantly different from sand habitats. This was observed in both the stereo-RUVs and stereo-BRUVs methods. High counts of roman (Chrysoblephus laticeps), fransmadam (Boopsoidea inornata) and steentjie (Spondyliosoma emarginatum) in reef habitats were contrasted by high counts of white sea catfish (Galeichthys feliceps), evil-eye puffer (Amblyrhynchotes honckenii) and lesser guitarfish (Rhinecanthus annulatus) in sandy habitats. Overall, the underlying patterns in fish diversity recorded with the two video methods were generally comparable. However, stereo-RUVs appeared to be unable to detect species that were present in sand habitats, while stereo-BRUVs increased the number and abundance of species recorded in all habitat types. In the stereo-RUVs footage, differences between reef habitats were dampened by the presence of highly abundant fish species. In the stereo-BRUVs footage, although bait appeared to have an effect on the observed fish assemblage, this manifested in an increase in species richness, higher fish abundances and a better overall ability to detect fish–habitat relationships. As such, stereo-BRUVs are considered a robust, effective and recommended method for detecting fish–habitat relationships, even over a fine scale.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Schmidt, Nicholas C
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) , Remote underwater stereo-video systems , Underwater videography in wildlife monitoring -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Fish stock assessment -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Fish populations -- Monitoring -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Fishes -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68380 , vital:29249
- Description: Establishing the associations between fish and their habitats can aid in the monitoring of fish stocks and the design of effective marine protected areas (MPAs). Baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) are now commonly used to asses fish populations. The habitats seen in the video footage of stereo-BRUVs can be used to link fish fauna to preferred habitat types. However, the application of bait potentially attracts fish from surrounding habitats, and might result in a biased understanding of fish–habitat associations. A field study was conducted in the Tsitsikamma National Park MPA to determine the effect of bait on fine-scale fish–habitat associations, using remote photographic and video methods. The study was conducted over the summer season of 2015 and 2016. Data were collected within a 1x1 km shallow (9–44 m) reef complex. Within the sampling area, 944 photo-quadrats of the macrobenthos were taken 30 m apart by means of a drop camera. By separating the macrobenthos into broad taxonomic groups, five habitat types were identified, namely Shallow Sand, Shallow Reef, Deep Reef, Deep Sand and Patch Reef. The results show that even on a fine scale, depth is an important predictor of macrobenthic distribution and assemblage structure. Baited (stereo-BRUVs) and unbaited (stereo-RUVs) surveys were then conducted to sample the fish community in the same area during the period under study. Higher abundances of fish were observed in reef than in sandy habitats, and bait was seen to have a positive effect on species richness and fish abundance. When comparing habitats, fish abundance and composition on reef habitats were significantly different from sand habitats. This was observed in both the stereo-RUVs and stereo-BRUVs methods. High counts of roman (Chrysoblephus laticeps), fransmadam (Boopsoidea inornata) and steentjie (Spondyliosoma emarginatum) in reef habitats were contrasted by high counts of white sea catfish (Galeichthys feliceps), evil-eye puffer (Amblyrhynchotes honckenii) and lesser guitarfish (Rhinecanthus annulatus) in sandy habitats. Overall, the underlying patterns in fish diversity recorded with the two video methods were generally comparable. However, stereo-RUVs appeared to be unable to detect species that were present in sand habitats, while stereo-BRUVs increased the number and abundance of species recorded in all habitat types. In the stereo-RUVs footage, differences between reef habitats were dampened by the presence of highly abundant fish species. In the stereo-BRUVs footage, although bait appeared to have an effect on the observed fish assemblage, this manifested in an increase in species richness, higher fish abundances and a better overall ability to detect fish–habitat relationships. As such, stereo-BRUVs are considered a robust, effective and recommended method for detecting fish–habitat relationships, even over a fine scale.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The effectiveness of sandplay therapy with a Xhosa child
- Authors: Snelgar, Orrin Glenn
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Sandplay -- Therapeutic use -- Case studies -- South Africa , Play therapy -- Case studies -- South Africa , Child psychotherapy -- Case studies -- South Africa , Children, Black -- Psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179168 , vital:39876
- Description: This case study sought to determine whether Kalffian Sandtray Therapy was effective with a Xhosa child. In the context of ongoing discussions surrounding evidence-based practice and culturally appropriate interventions, no published research has yet explored the effectiveness of this classical tool within this significant South African demographic. In an effort to address this omission, the research adopted a mixed methods approach where Kalffian analysis of the sandplay process was evaluated in conjunction with quantitative measures (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Young Person’s Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation). The results of this triangulation revealed a complex picture of improved interpersonal functioning and stagnant (or worsened) emotional wellbeing after five sessions. Contextualised interpretations of these findings are discussed and recommendations made for future sandplay practice and research in the South African context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Snelgar, Orrin Glenn
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Sandplay -- Therapeutic use -- Case studies -- South Africa , Play therapy -- Case studies -- South Africa , Child psychotherapy -- Case studies -- South Africa , Children, Black -- Psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179168 , vital:39876
- Description: This case study sought to determine whether Kalffian Sandtray Therapy was effective with a Xhosa child. In the context of ongoing discussions surrounding evidence-based practice and culturally appropriate interventions, no published research has yet explored the effectiveness of this classical tool within this significant South African demographic. In an effort to address this omission, the research adopted a mixed methods approach where Kalffian analysis of the sandplay process was evaluated in conjunction with quantitative measures (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Young Person’s Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation). The results of this triangulation revealed a complex picture of improved interpersonal functioning and stagnant (or worsened) emotional wellbeing after five sessions. Contextualised interpretations of these findings are discussed and recommendations made for future sandplay practice and research in the South African context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The elephant in the ‘room’: determinants of songbird assemblages in the Thicket Biome, South Africa
- Authors: Parker, Daniel M
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/105134 , vital:32468 , https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2018.1562847
- Description: When vegetation structure is altered, songbird communities may be affected. Despite speculation that African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) browsing impacts bird communities, existing data are limited. I sampled the bird communities of the Albany Thicket Biome at 10 sites in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, half with elephants and half without. Songbird community parameters were best predicted by how long elephants had been present, elephant density and the percentage cover of thicket vegetation. The sites where elephants had been present for longer had more bird species and increased songbird density and diversity. However, bird density also increased with increasing thicket vegetation cover and this is a phenomenon unlikely to be compatible with long-term elephant presence. There was an almost equal split between the number of bird species that appeared to be negatively affected by changes in habitat structure (47%) and those which benefited (53%). Smaller birds were generally more abundant as vegetation structural integrity increased and larger birds were more abundant when vegetation structural integrity declined. The browsing of elephants could be viewed as facilitative for songbirds in the short term. However, this effect may not persist in the long term because all elephant populations (notorious tree-fellers) in the Eastern Cape are found in fenced areas where natural migration is not possible. More broadly, my data provide important insight into how avian communities respond to habitat transformation at the local and regional scales.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Parker, Daniel M
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/105134 , vital:32468 , https://doi.org/10.1080/01584197.2018.1562847
- Description: When vegetation structure is altered, songbird communities may be affected. Despite speculation that African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) browsing impacts bird communities, existing data are limited. I sampled the bird communities of the Albany Thicket Biome at 10 sites in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, half with elephants and half without. Songbird community parameters were best predicted by how long elephants had been present, elephant density and the percentage cover of thicket vegetation. The sites where elephants had been present for longer had more bird species and increased songbird density and diversity. However, bird density also increased with increasing thicket vegetation cover and this is a phenomenon unlikely to be compatible with long-term elephant presence. There was an almost equal split between the number of bird species that appeared to be negatively affected by changes in habitat structure (47%) and those which benefited (53%). Smaller birds were generally more abundant as vegetation structural integrity increased and larger birds were more abundant when vegetation structural integrity declined. The browsing of elephants could be viewed as facilitative for songbirds in the short term. However, this effect may not persist in the long term because all elephant populations (notorious tree-fellers) in the Eastern Cape are found in fenced areas where natural migration is not possible. More broadly, my data provide important insight into how avian communities respond to habitat transformation at the local and regional scales.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2019
The experiences of health service providers working with children with physical disabilities and their caregivers in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mathaba, Yollandah
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Children with disabilities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Caregivers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , Caregivers -- Psychology , Children with disabilities -- Care
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76299 , vital:30545
- Description: The prevalence of childhood disability in South Africa is significant. In an attempt to meet the constitutional rights of children with disabilities, there are a variety of services available for children with disabilities. These services are aimed at rehabilitating children with disabilities and integrating them in society. Amongst such services are health services. Due to the nature of some childhood disabilities, it is recommended that they should be seen by a multidisciplinary team. While the field of childhood disability has been researched extensively. Limited research has been conducted on the experiences of health service providers working with children with disabilities and their caregivers. The current study explored the experiences of health service providers working with children with disabilities and their caregivers in the Eastern Cape. To achieve this aim, the study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Five participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Semi-structured interviews were used to allow participants to freely share their experiences of working with children with disabilities and their caregivers. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis purpose. The analysis process generated five master themes namely: Positive experiences of their work; negative experiences of their work; perception of their role as changing over time; managing challenges in their work; and experiences of a service learning programme as complementary to their work. The findings of the study highlighted both the positive experiences and the negative experiences of their work. On the one hand, the participants reported positive affect and that they found their work meaningful. They also reported a sense of feeling supported by fellow colleagues and enjoying their work at the clinics. On the other hand, the participants reported negative affect in relation to their wok difficulties such as feelings of frustration, feelings of being unappreciated by management and finding the work distressing. The participants reported that professional and emotional growth in conjunction with perspective taking contributed to developing better coping mechanisms. A service learning programme offered in the community was experienced as a good contribution to the work done at the clinics and distinguished as addressing the emotional needs of the caregivers which cannot be addressed at the clinics. The findings of the study supports and expands the literature on the experiences of health service providers working with children with disabilities in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mathaba, Yollandah
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Children with disabilities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Caregivers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , Caregivers -- Psychology , Children with disabilities -- Care
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76299 , vital:30545
- Description: The prevalence of childhood disability in South Africa is significant. In an attempt to meet the constitutional rights of children with disabilities, there are a variety of services available for children with disabilities. These services are aimed at rehabilitating children with disabilities and integrating them in society. Amongst such services are health services. Due to the nature of some childhood disabilities, it is recommended that they should be seen by a multidisciplinary team. While the field of childhood disability has been researched extensively. Limited research has been conducted on the experiences of health service providers working with children with disabilities and their caregivers. The current study explored the experiences of health service providers working with children with disabilities and their caregivers in the Eastern Cape. To achieve this aim, the study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Five participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Semi-structured interviews were used to allow participants to freely share their experiences of working with children with disabilities and their caregivers. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis purpose. The analysis process generated five master themes namely: Positive experiences of their work; negative experiences of their work; perception of their role as changing over time; managing challenges in their work; and experiences of a service learning programme as complementary to their work. The findings of the study highlighted both the positive experiences and the negative experiences of their work. On the one hand, the participants reported positive affect and that they found their work meaningful. They also reported a sense of feeling supported by fellow colleagues and enjoying their work at the clinics. On the other hand, the participants reported negative affect in relation to their wok difficulties such as feelings of frustration, feelings of being unappreciated by management and finding the work distressing. The participants reported that professional and emotional growth in conjunction with perspective taking contributed to developing better coping mechanisms. A service learning programme offered in the community was experienced as a good contribution to the work done at the clinics and distinguished as addressing the emotional needs of the caregivers which cannot be addressed at the clinics. The findings of the study supports and expands the literature on the experiences of health service providers working with children with disabilities in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The extent of urban Green Collar employment, its contribution to poverty alleviation and potential for growth in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: King, Andrew
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty prevention -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Job creation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Urban poor -- Employment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Clean energy industries -- Employment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Renewable energy sources -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use, Urban -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Open spaces -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/115191 , vital:34095
- Description: The aim of this research was to investigate the job provisioning benefits of urban green space (GS), the ability of these jobs to alleviate poverty amongst poor urban households, as well as the potential to increase the number of Green Collar (GC) jobs. According to Lal et al. (2010), Roy et al. (2012) and others, environmental employment or GC jobs, represent the very synergy between social, economic and environmental resilience and sustainability, and have the ability to provide an additional range of goods and services. Data was collected from 12 towns and cities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, all varying in population, town size and geographic location. Structured employer, employee and resident interviews were used to collect data, which pertained to a number of employment characteristics and employee living conditions. Throughout the sample, 19 different types of jobs were identified, and a total of 17 429 GC employees were counted, sharing a total of approximately R503 million in annual wages. Some GC employees were found to still be in a position of poverty despite employment, while others enjoyed a higher standard of living as a result, although this was largely dependent on the extent of wages and other household and employment attributes. Using lessons learnt from previous chapters, a number of data sources and a creative approach, the potential for growth and improvement in the urban GC sector was discussed, and the way forward involves private, public, informal and civil sector participation and innovation; which will not only enhance environmental and social ecosystem services, but also provide meaningful employment opportunities to the otherwise impoverished. Urban GC jobs should be widely viewed as a useful tool in achieving social, environmental and economic prosperity in urban landscapes (Bowen and Kuralbayeva, 2015).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: King, Andrew
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty prevention -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Job creation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Urban poor -- Employment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Clean energy industries -- Employment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Renewable energy sources -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use, Urban -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Open spaces -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/115191 , vital:34095
- Description: The aim of this research was to investigate the job provisioning benefits of urban green space (GS), the ability of these jobs to alleviate poverty amongst poor urban households, as well as the potential to increase the number of Green Collar (GC) jobs. According to Lal et al. (2010), Roy et al. (2012) and others, environmental employment or GC jobs, represent the very synergy between social, economic and environmental resilience and sustainability, and have the ability to provide an additional range of goods and services. Data was collected from 12 towns and cities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, all varying in population, town size and geographic location. Structured employer, employee and resident interviews were used to collect data, which pertained to a number of employment characteristics and employee living conditions. Throughout the sample, 19 different types of jobs were identified, and a total of 17 429 GC employees were counted, sharing a total of approximately R503 million in annual wages. Some GC employees were found to still be in a position of poverty despite employment, while others enjoyed a higher standard of living as a result, although this was largely dependent on the extent of wages and other household and employment attributes. Using lessons learnt from previous chapters, a number of data sources and a creative approach, the potential for growth and improvement in the urban GC sector was discussed, and the way forward involves private, public, informal and civil sector participation and innovation; which will not only enhance environmental and social ecosystem services, but also provide meaningful employment opportunities to the otherwise impoverished. Urban GC jobs should be widely viewed as a useful tool in achieving social, environmental and economic prosperity in urban landscapes (Bowen and Kuralbayeva, 2015).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The functional significance of facultative hyperthermia varies with body size and phylogeny in birds
- Gerson, Alexander R, McKechnie, Andrew, Smit, Ben, Whitfield, Maxine C, Smith, Eric K, Talbot, William A, McWhorter, Todd J, Wolf, Blair O
- Authors: Gerson, Alexander R , McKechnie, Andrew , Smit, Ben , Whitfield, Maxine C , Smith, Eric K , Talbot, William A , McWhorter, Todd J , Wolf, Blair O
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441609 , vital:73901 , https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13274
- Description: Facultative hyperthermia, the elevation of body temperature above normothermic levels, during heat exposure, importantly affects the wa-ter economy and heat balance of terrestrial endotherms. We currently lack a mechanistic understanding of the benefits hyperthermia provides for avian taxa. Facultative hyperthermia has been proposed to minimize rates of water loss via three distinct mechanisms: M1) by maintaining body temperature (Tb) above environmental temperatures (Te), heat can be lost non‐evaporatively, saving water; M2) by minimizing the thermal gradient when Te > Tb, environmental heat gain and evaporative water loss rates are reduced; and M3) by storing heat via increases in Tb which reduces evaporative heat loss demands and conserves wa-ter. Although individuals may benefit from all three mechanisms during heat exposure, the relative importance of each mechanism has not been quantified among species that differ in their body size, heat toler-ance and mechanisms of evaporative heat dissipation. We measured resting metabolism, evaporative water loss and real‐time Tb from 33 species of birds representing nine orders ranging in mass from 8 to 300 g and estimated the water savings associated with each proposed mechanism. We show that facultative hyperthermia varies in its benefits among species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The functional significance of facultative hyperthermia varies with body size and phylogeny in birds
- Authors: Gerson, Alexander R , McKechnie, Andrew , Smit, Ben , Whitfield, Maxine C , Smith, Eric K , Talbot, William A , McWhorter, Todd J , Wolf, Blair O
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441609 , vital:73901 , https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13274
- Description: Facultative hyperthermia, the elevation of body temperature above normothermic levels, during heat exposure, importantly affects the wa-ter economy and heat balance of terrestrial endotherms. We currently lack a mechanistic understanding of the benefits hyperthermia provides for avian taxa. Facultative hyperthermia has been proposed to minimize rates of water loss via three distinct mechanisms: M1) by maintaining body temperature (Tb) above environmental temperatures (Te), heat can be lost non‐evaporatively, saving water; M2) by minimizing the thermal gradient when Te > Tb, environmental heat gain and evaporative water loss rates are reduced; and M3) by storing heat via increases in Tb which reduces evaporative heat loss demands and conserves wa-ter. Although individuals may benefit from all three mechanisms during heat exposure, the relative importance of each mechanism has not been quantified among species that differ in their body size, heat toler-ance and mechanisms of evaporative heat dissipation. We measured resting metabolism, evaporative water loss and real‐time Tb from 33 species of birds representing nine orders ranging in mass from 8 to 300 g and estimated the water savings associated with each proposed mechanism. We show that facultative hyperthermia varies in its benefits among species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The hidden master
- Foit, Morris, Pullanikkatil, Deepa
- Authors: Foit, Morris , Pullanikkatil, Deepa
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433613 , vital:72987 , ISBN 978-3-319-75580-9 , https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-75580-9_13
- Description: Handicrafts made in Kenya are popular with tourists and provides income to many artists. One such artist is Joseph Morris Njau Mung’othi, who renamed himself Morris ‘Foit’ out of respect for a Czech professor, Francis Foit who mentored him. The use of natural materials [non-timber forest products (NTFP)] for making handicrafts is common, but what is less common is the use of dead wood for making sculptures. This is a case study of a Kenyan sculptor who uses deadwood for carving, and has risen out of poverty by selling his art. He educated his five children and accumulated assets including a two-storeyed house-cum-studio and a car. Furthermore, his art gave him opportunities to travel to Uganda, Botswana and the United States. He is also the founder of an art center in Nairobi called the Kuona Trust, which supports local artists to exhibit and sell their work. This case study clearly demonstrates how the use of a NTFP product (in this case deadwood) helped Foit’s family rise above poverty.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Foit, Morris , Pullanikkatil, Deepa
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433613 , vital:72987 , ISBN 978-3-319-75580-9 , https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-75580-9_13
- Description: Handicrafts made in Kenya are popular with tourists and provides income to many artists. One such artist is Joseph Morris Njau Mung’othi, who renamed himself Morris ‘Foit’ out of respect for a Czech professor, Francis Foit who mentored him. The use of natural materials [non-timber forest products (NTFP)] for making handicrafts is common, but what is less common is the use of dead wood for making sculptures. This is a case study of a Kenyan sculptor who uses deadwood for carving, and has risen out of poverty by selling his art. He educated his five children and accumulated assets including a two-storeyed house-cum-studio and a car. Furthermore, his art gave him opportunities to travel to Uganda, Botswana and the United States. He is also the founder of an art center in Nairobi called the Kuona Trust, which supports local artists to exhibit and sell their work. This case study clearly demonstrates how the use of a NTFP product (in this case deadwood) helped Foit’s family rise above poverty.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of elephants on thicket vegetation and other mammals in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Nuttall-Smith, Gareth David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Albany Thicket -- Effect of browsing on , Elephants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Woody plants -- Effect of browsing on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Animal-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation monitoring -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant -- Food , Vegetation dynamics -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76365 , vital:30554
- Description: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) were absent from large portions of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for more than 100 years following widespread hunting for ivory. However, recent shifts in land use practices have resulted in the establishment of many private game reserves throughout the region. Some of these reserves have reintroduced elephants, raising management concerns because of the perceived impact that elephants can have on vegetation and the animals that rely on it for resources. My thesis aimed to assess the role of elephants in determining the structure and complexity of the locally important Thicket Biome and how medium and large mammals are affected. I quantified the woody and succulent components of Albany Thicket across nine reserves with elephants between May 2016 and November 2017 using a modified Point-Centre-Quarter method. Camera traps were deployed at each site for the duration of a calendar year to measure the relative abundances of all medium and large mammals at the sites. Across all study sites, climatic conditions (specifically rainfall and temperature) were the primary drivers of woody vegetation structure and diversity. Elephants appeared to have little influence since they were reintroduced at low densities 20 years ago. The associated mammal communities were mostly influenced by the height and basal area coverage of the thicket across the sites. I conclude that because elephant populations have been maintained at relatively low densities across my study sites, negative effects on the thicket vegetation and the associated mammal communities were not observed. In fact, the establishment of private game reserves, even with elephants, present may offer sustainable conservation for the threatened Albany Thicket. However, these elephant populations are still relatively new and changes to the vegetation are likely to be cumulative. Thus, future research should focus on how the vegetation is affected over time. To this end, I recommend the establishment of permanent sampling stations across all reserves with elephants in the Eastern Cape Province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Nuttall-Smith, Gareth David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Albany Thicket -- Effect of browsing on , Elephants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Woody plants -- Effect of browsing on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Animal-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation monitoring -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant -- Food , Vegetation dynamics -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76365 , vital:30554
- Description: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) were absent from large portions of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for more than 100 years following widespread hunting for ivory. However, recent shifts in land use practices have resulted in the establishment of many private game reserves throughout the region. Some of these reserves have reintroduced elephants, raising management concerns because of the perceived impact that elephants can have on vegetation and the animals that rely on it for resources. My thesis aimed to assess the role of elephants in determining the structure and complexity of the locally important Thicket Biome and how medium and large mammals are affected. I quantified the woody and succulent components of Albany Thicket across nine reserves with elephants between May 2016 and November 2017 using a modified Point-Centre-Quarter method. Camera traps were deployed at each site for the duration of a calendar year to measure the relative abundances of all medium and large mammals at the sites. Across all study sites, climatic conditions (specifically rainfall and temperature) were the primary drivers of woody vegetation structure and diversity. Elephants appeared to have little influence since they were reintroduced at low densities 20 years ago. The associated mammal communities were mostly influenced by the height and basal area coverage of the thicket across the sites. I conclude that because elephant populations have been maintained at relatively low densities across my study sites, negative effects on the thicket vegetation and the associated mammal communities were not observed. In fact, the establishment of private game reserves, even with elephants, present may offer sustainable conservation for the threatened Albany Thicket. However, these elephant populations are still relatively new and changes to the vegetation are likely to be cumulative. Thus, future research should focus on how the vegetation is affected over time. To this end, I recommend the establishment of permanent sampling stations across all reserves with elephants in the Eastern Cape Province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of illustrated side effect information on understanding and sustained retention of antiretroviral side effect knowledge:
- Browne, Sara H, Barford, Kirsty-Lee, Ramela, Thato, Dowse, Roslind
- Authors: Browne, Sara H , Barford, Kirsty-Lee , Ramela, Thato , Dowse, Roslind
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156341 , vital:39980 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.05.012
- Description: Prompt management of side effects is critical to supporting adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) medication. This study examines the impact of presenting side effect information using simple text combined with pictograms on sustained knowledge of ARV side effects over three months. Previously designed side effect pictograms, combined with simple text, were incorporated into a side effects panel within an ARV information leaflet. In a randomised controlled study, 116 limited literacy HIV patients taking ARVs were randomly allocated to either control (standard care) or intervention groups (standard care plus illustrated information). Side effect knowledge was assessed at baseline, and intervention patients received the illustrated leaflet. Knowledge was re-tested at one and three months. Interpretation of side effect pictograms was evaluated at one month.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Browne, Sara H , Barford, Kirsty-Lee , Ramela, Thato , Dowse, Roslind
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156341 , vital:39980 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.05.012
- Description: Prompt management of side effects is critical to supporting adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) medication. This study examines the impact of presenting side effect information using simple text combined with pictograms on sustained knowledge of ARV side effects over three months. Previously designed side effect pictograms, combined with simple text, were incorporated into a side effects panel within an ARV information leaflet. In a randomised controlled study, 116 limited literacy HIV patients taking ARVs were randomly allocated to either control (standard care) or intervention groups (standard care plus illustrated information). Side effect knowledge was assessed at baseline, and intervention patients received the illustrated leaflet. Knowledge was re-tested at one and three months. Interpretation of side effect pictograms was evaluated at one month.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of land restitution and resettlement in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: restoring dignity without strengthening livelihoods?
- Authors: Xaba, Mzingaye Brilliant
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Reparations for historic injustices -- South Africa , Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96336 , vital:31264
- Description: Land reform in South Africa, which is comprised of land redistribution, land tenure reform, and land restitution, continues to be an emotive subject and has largely racially polarised South Africa. The slow pace of land reform, expropriation, the amount of land to be returned to black people, debates around the role of the Constitution in land reform, the market-based approach and the perceived negative attitude of white farmers have dominated the debates on land reform. There is, therefore, a huge chorus on the struggles for land acquisition and less on what happens when people are given land. A few studies on post-settlement livelihoods experience have managed to close this gap slightly in the literature by showing that land reform has contributed little or no material and livelihood benefits to beneficiaries and that many farms are lying idle after land reform, especially land restitution, projects. These studies on post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land reform beneficiaries have not managed to capture fully the “voices” of beneficiaries on land and livelihoods. This dissertation seeks to provide a sociological documentation of the post-settlement livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries. It does this by primarily tracing the ability and/or the inability of land restitution beneficiaries of Macleantown, about 40 kilometres northwest of East London, in the Eastern Cape to reconstruct livelihoods after resettlement, bearing in mind that these land restitution beneficiaries have been resettled twice, during forced removals in the 1970s and after land restitution, post-1994. Therefore, the study engages with questions of whether or in what ways land compensated restitution beneficiaries have managed to reconstruct livelihoods after land transfer. To capture the livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries fully, I also studied the Salem restitution case, which is 20km away from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Because land restitution involves resettlement, I decided to use two resettlement theories, namely Thayer Scudder’s four stages model and Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR), to understand risks associated with resettlement. Additionally, since this dissertation seeks to understand and document livelihood reconstruction and poverty reduction within the context of restitution resettlement, I also utilised the Sustainable Livelihoods approach and Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach. This thesis is based on multiple research methods that include documentary study, focus group discussions, conversations, archival research, in-depth interviews, transect walks, participant observation and life histories. My findings show that land transfer under the land restitution programme has largely not enabled land beneficiaries in Macleantown and Salem to reconstruct land-based livelihoods after settlement. I also established that land restitution beneficiaries face risks that are identified by resettlement theorists such as lack of proper planning, resettling trauma, struggles in community reconstruction and poverty. Beneficiaries have not managed to reap any meaningful benefits from the land, meaning that restitution has not led to self-sufficiency for these beneficiaries because all land beneficiaries are heavily dependent on social grants. However, one needs to emphasize that land restitution has restored the dignity of beneficiaries because beneficiaries have accessed their forefathers’ land that they fought for. This is because beneficiaries believed that it was their duty to fight for their land on behalf of their ancestors. I reach the conclusion that the whole idea that restitution claimants who are scattered all over can be grouped into a Community Property Association (CPA) and farm collectively as a ‘community’ to improve livelihoods is a misleading romanticisation of the envisaged outcomes of the land restitution project. Time has passed after land dispossession and land claimants are different human beings to what they were before land dispossession, i.e. far from the agrarian society they were before land dispossession. Group dynamics, lack of adequate post-settlement support (PSS), land reform designs, lack of commercial agricultural skills, as well as entitlement syndrome, old age of beneficiaries, infighting and marginality of agricultural business has made it nearly impossible for restitution beneficiaries to reconstruct land-based livelihoods. Additionally, the government appears to be more interested in ‘correcting apartheid’ rather than creating viable farms. It is important to state that this thesis does not advocate for the erasure of the restitution programme or to belittle land beneficiaries but argues for the rethinking of the restitution model in the context of massive failures, as well as coming up with a new and flexible model of land restitution that will meet the modern needs of beneficiaries. This thesis contributes to an understanding of the risks and the challenges of livelihoods reconstruction faced by resettling communities through an investigation into the post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land restitution beneficiaries through ‘thick descriptions’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Xaba, Mzingaye Brilliant
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Reparations for historic injustices -- South Africa , Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96336 , vital:31264
- Description: Land reform in South Africa, which is comprised of land redistribution, land tenure reform, and land restitution, continues to be an emotive subject and has largely racially polarised South Africa. The slow pace of land reform, expropriation, the amount of land to be returned to black people, debates around the role of the Constitution in land reform, the market-based approach and the perceived negative attitude of white farmers have dominated the debates on land reform. There is, therefore, a huge chorus on the struggles for land acquisition and less on what happens when people are given land. A few studies on post-settlement livelihoods experience have managed to close this gap slightly in the literature by showing that land reform has contributed little or no material and livelihood benefits to beneficiaries and that many farms are lying idle after land reform, especially land restitution, projects. These studies on post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land reform beneficiaries have not managed to capture fully the “voices” of beneficiaries on land and livelihoods. This dissertation seeks to provide a sociological documentation of the post-settlement livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries. It does this by primarily tracing the ability and/or the inability of land restitution beneficiaries of Macleantown, about 40 kilometres northwest of East London, in the Eastern Cape to reconstruct livelihoods after resettlement, bearing in mind that these land restitution beneficiaries have been resettled twice, during forced removals in the 1970s and after land restitution, post-1994. Therefore, the study engages with questions of whether or in what ways land compensated restitution beneficiaries have managed to reconstruct livelihoods after land transfer. To capture the livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries fully, I also studied the Salem restitution case, which is 20km away from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Because land restitution involves resettlement, I decided to use two resettlement theories, namely Thayer Scudder’s four stages model and Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR), to understand risks associated with resettlement. Additionally, since this dissertation seeks to understand and document livelihood reconstruction and poverty reduction within the context of restitution resettlement, I also utilised the Sustainable Livelihoods approach and Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach. This thesis is based on multiple research methods that include documentary study, focus group discussions, conversations, archival research, in-depth interviews, transect walks, participant observation and life histories. My findings show that land transfer under the land restitution programme has largely not enabled land beneficiaries in Macleantown and Salem to reconstruct land-based livelihoods after settlement. I also established that land restitution beneficiaries face risks that are identified by resettlement theorists such as lack of proper planning, resettling trauma, struggles in community reconstruction and poverty. Beneficiaries have not managed to reap any meaningful benefits from the land, meaning that restitution has not led to self-sufficiency for these beneficiaries because all land beneficiaries are heavily dependent on social grants. However, one needs to emphasize that land restitution has restored the dignity of beneficiaries because beneficiaries have accessed their forefathers’ land that they fought for. This is because beneficiaries believed that it was their duty to fight for their land on behalf of their ancestors. I reach the conclusion that the whole idea that restitution claimants who are scattered all over can be grouped into a Community Property Association (CPA) and farm collectively as a ‘community’ to improve livelihoods is a misleading romanticisation of the envisaged outcomes of the land restitution project. Time has passed after land dispossession and land claimants are different human beings to what they were before land dispossession, i.e. far from the agrarian society they were before land dispossession. Group dynamics, lack of adequate post-settlement support (PSS), land reform designs, lack of commercial agricultural skills, as well as entitlement syndrome, old age of beneficiaries, infighting and marginality of agricultural business has made it nearly impossible for restitution beneficiaries to reconstruct land-based livelihoods. Additionally, the government appears to be more interested in ‘correcting apartheid’ rather than creating viable farms. It is important to state that this thesis does not advocate for the erasure of the restitution programme or to belittle land beneficiaries but argues for the rethinking of the restitution model in the context of massive failures, as well as coming up with a new and flexible model of land restitution that will meet the modern needs of beneficiaries. This thesis contributes to an understanding of the risks and the challenges of livelihoods reconstruction faced by resettling communities through an investigation into the post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land restitution beneficiaries through ‘thick descriptions’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of policies on development-induced resettlement processes and outcomes: a Lesotho-India comparative study
- Tsietsi, Teboho Priscilla Mosuoe
- Authors: Tsietsi, Teboho Priscilla Mosuoe
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Forced migration -- Lesotho , Forced migration -- India , Dams -- Social aspects -- Lesotho , Dams -- Social aspects -- India , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- India , Land settlement -- Government policy -- Lesotho , Land settlement -- Government policy -- India
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/72307 , vital:30032
- Description: The practice of Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR), historically, has often led to negative consequences for those affected by development projects, including but not limited to, the construction of large dams. Although DIDR arises from the need to provide goods and services that characterise development, it often leaves those who are forced to give up their assets, resources, and long standing social networks in dire socio-economic conditions as a result of resettlement. In many such cases, the provision for losses suffered by those primarily affected is often insufficient, leading to further losses experienced as a result of the complete life change experienced by those affected by resettlement. Research has shown that the insufficiency of such provisions for losses is attributable to not only the value of the provision itself, but also the manner in which resettlement processes are implemented. While early on, researchers believed that the development of policies would have a significant, positive impact on the practice of resettlement and its outcomes, evidence would later show that the development of policies alone is not a panacea for all challenges associated with forced resettlement. Further research revealed that resettlement is characterised by inherent and active complexities which are often at play, and may impede effective implementation. Hence, while the development of policies is essential, both the development and implementation of policies must be undertaken in a manner that seeks to actively address the inherent complexities of resettlement. This thesis aims to explore the implementation of resettlement policies in two case studies, where in one case, resettlement was informed by national policy, and in the other, by policies developed by a parastatal tasked with the responsibility of executing resettlement. The study makes a comparative analysis between the two cases, and explores the factors at play in the implementation of resettlement policies – whether such factors serve to facilitate or impede effective implementation – as well as the nature of the outcomes on the ground. As an overarching goal, the research aims to provide a basis upon which a framework for the development of a national level policy of resettlement may be developed. In this regard, the thesis undertakes a comparison of the Indian resettlement case with the Lesotho case. The former, in addition to having developed a resettlement policy at the national level, has a long history of experience in forced resettlement and displacement, from which invaluable lessons have been learned. The latter, on the other hand, has no resettlement policy at the national level, although the country has also experienced forced resettlement dating back to nearly three decades ago. Although India and Lesotho have distinct social, cultural, economic and demographic characteristics, research has shown that the complexities of forced resettlement, and their outcomes on affected people, are largely applicable across the different contexts. Hence, certain dimensions and lessons can be transferable from the Indian case to the Lesotho case, and vice versa. However, for the purpose of this thesis, the focus is on providing a basis for national policy development in Lesotho, in light of Indian policies and practice. The empirical basis of the thesis is an ethnographic study undertaken in relation to the Chandil Dam resettlement case in Jharkhand, India and the Mohale Dam resettlement case in Maseru, Lesotho. The thesis engaged both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as four, complementary theoretical tools that analyse the effects of forced resettlement on affected people. The thesis reveals that the negative consequences of forced resettlement resulting from its inherent complexities continue to manifest with concerning effects on the lives of those affected. It shows that the implementation of policies is a complex process that requires collaborative effort from a wide range of stakeholders in a given context. National policies of resettlement are, thus, instrumental in this regard, as they can create an enabling environment for the facilitation of collaborative efforts towards sustainable livelihood re-establishment for those who involuntarily suffer losses to resettlement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Tsietsi, Teboho Priscilla Mosuoe
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Forced migration -- Lesotho , Forced migration -- India , Dams -- Social aspects -- Lesotho , Dams -- Social aspects -- India , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- India , Land settlement -- Government policy -- Lesotho , Land settlement -- Government policy -- India
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/72307 , vital:30032
- Description: The practice of Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR), historically, has often led to negative consequences for those affected by development projects, including but not limited to, the construction of large dams. Although DIDR arises from the need to provide goods and services that characterise development, it often leaves those who are forced to give up their assets, resources, and long standing social networks in dire socio-economic conditions as a result of resettlement. In many such cases, the provision for losses suffered by those primarily affected is often insufficient, leading to further losses experienced as a result of the complete life change experienced by those affected by resettlement. Research has shown that the insufficiency of such provisions for losses is attributable to not only the value of the provision itself, but also the manner in which resettlement processes are implemented. While early on, researchers believed that the development of policies would have a significant, positive impact on the practice of resettlement and its outcomes, evidence would later show that the development of policies alone is not a panacea for all challenges associated with forced resettlement. Further research revealed that resettlement is characterised by inherent and active complexities which are often at play, and may impede effective implementation. Hence, while the development of policies is essential, both the development and implementation of policies must be undertaken in a manner that seeks to actively address the inherent complexities of resettlement. This thesis aims to explore the implementation of resettlement policies in two case studies, where in one case, resettlement was informed by national policy, and in the other, by policies developed by a parastatal tasked with the responsibility of executing resettlement. The study makes a comparative analysis between the two cases, and explores the factors at play in the implementation of resettlement policies – whether such factors serve to facilitate or impede effective implementation – as well as the nature of the outcomes on the ground. As an overarching goal, the research aims to provide a basis upon which a framework for the development of a national level policy of resettlement may be developed. In this regard, the thesis undertakes a comparison of the Indian resettlement case with the Lesotho case. The former, in addition to having developed a resettlement policy at the national level, has a long history of experience in forced resettlement and displacement, from which invaluable lessons have been learned. The latter, on the other hand, has no resettlement policy at the national level, although the country has also experienced forced resettlement dating back to nearly three decades ago. Although India and Lesotho have distinct social, cultural, economic and demographic characteristics, research has shown that the complexities of forced resettlement, and their outcomes on affected people, are largely applicable across the different contexts. Hence, certain dimensions and lessons can be transferable from the Indian case to the Lesotho case, and vice versa. However, for the purpose of this thesis, the focus is on providing a basis for national policy development in Lesotho, in light of Indian policies and practice. The empirical basis of the thesis is an ethnographic study undertaken in relation to the Chandil Dam resettlement case in Jharkhand, India and the Mohale Dam resettlement case in Maseru, Lesotho. The thesis engaged both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as four, complementary theoretical tools that analyse the effects of forced resettlement on affected people. The thesis reveals that the negative consequences of forced resettlement resulting from its inherent complexities continue to manifest with concerning effects on the lives of those affected. It shows that the implementation of policies is a complex process that requires collaborative effort from a wide range of stakeholders in a given context. National policies of resettlement are, thus, instrumental in this regard, as they can create an enabling environment for the facilitation of collaborative efforts towards sustainable livelihood re-establishment for those who involuntarily suffer losses to resettlement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of unanticipated news announcements by the US Federal Reserve On South African stock returns
- Authors: Sibanda, Lorna
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Monetary policy -- United States , International finance , South Africa -- Foreign economic relations -- United States , United States -- Foreign economic relations -- South Africa , Banks of issue -- United States , Investments -- South Africa , Stocks -- Prices -- South Africa , Stocks -- Rate of return , Rate of return -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94703 , vital:31070
- Description: This thesis analyses whether monetary policy announcement shocks are transmitted across countries, with special emphasis on the impact of US Federal Reserve announcements on the South African stock market. Monetary policy is an important source of economic news and affects the risk perceptions of market participants. This study will improve the understanding of stock price determinants and possibly influence SA monetary policy in guarding against possible shocks originating from abroad. Using Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcements over the period 2008 – 2014, the research studied changes in volatility of the South African FTSE/JSE All Share Index returns over this period. An event study and GARCH model approach was adopted to reach the goals of the analysis. The findings were a statistically insignificant connection between SA stock returns and both anticipated and unanticipated US Federal Reserve announcements. Over the sample period, each shock to SA stock returns persisted for approximately 4-5 months. Although SA stock return volatility demonstrated clustering behaviour (indicating sensitivity to economic shocks), the research could not find an obvious relationship between these spikes in volatility and US Federal Reserve announcements. It is concluded that South African stock returns do not change in response to unexpected US monetary policy announcements.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Sibanda, Lorna
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Monetary policy -- United States , International finance , South Africa -- Foreign economic relations -- United States , United States -- Foreign economic relations -- South Africa , Banks of issue -- United States , Investments -- South Africa , Stocks -- Prices -- South Africa , Stocks -- Rate of return , Rate of return -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94703 , vital:31070
- Description: This thesis analyses whether monetary policy announcement shocks are transmitted across countries, with special emphasis on the impact of US Federal Reserve announcements on the South African stock market. Monetary policy is an important source of economic news and affects the risk perceptions of market participants. This study will improve the understanding of stock price determinants and possibly influence SA monetary policy in guarding against possible shocks originating from abroad. Using Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcements over the period 2008 – 2014, the research studied changes in volatility of the South African FTSE/JSE All Share Index returns over this period. An event study and GARCH model approach was adopted to reach the goals of the analysis. The findings were a statistically insignificant connection between SA stock returns and both anticipated and unanticipated US Federal Reserve announcements. Over the sample period, each shock to SA stock returns persisted for approximately 4-5 months. Although SA stock return volatility demonstrated clustering behaviour (indicating sensitivity to economic shocks), the research could not find an obvious relationship between these spikes in volatility and US Federal Reserve announcements. It is concluded that South African stock returns do not change in response to unexpected US monetary policy announcements.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The implementation of a developmental-contextual framework for young adults’ career explorations
- Authors: Roberson, Natalie Georgia
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Vocational guidance -- South Africa , Focus groups , Action research , Youth -- South Africa -- Social conditions -- 1994- , Self-Directed Search Questionnaire , Occupational aptitude tests -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114895 , vital:34053
- Description: Career development theory and counselling practices in South Africa, which have traditionally utilised imported theory, have long been and continue to be criticised as being unsuitable in contexts different to those in which they were developed. In light of this, the aim of this study is to customise and trial the Vondracek, Lerner, and Schulenberg (1986) Developmental-Contextual Framework of career development with a group of employment-seeking young adults at a local community-based setting, as the basis of a career development intervention. Research questions asked were ‘In what ways is the examination and discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual facilitative of career exploration, in addition to seeking to identify contextual factors that influence career thinking and associated decision making. In doing so, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the career development of South Africans. Focus group methodology, within an overarching framework of collaborative action research, was employed. The approach to career exploration here was that of peer learning through group discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual. Data were generated through pre-intervention questionnaires, collaborative action research cycles, participatory observation, focus group discussions, and post-interventionist semi-structured individual interviews. Template Analysis was used for the thematic organisation and analysis of the data. Findings were that the intervention facilitated increased self-knowledge in relation to career development, increased knowledge of work and careers, and enhanced career planning abilities. Findings further highlighted the limitations of imported career development theories and the importance of the utilisation and development of local career assessment instruments. The group setting was found to be of value in facilitating self-reflection, a source of motivation and a valuable source of career-related information.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Roberson, Natalie Georgia
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Vocational guidance -- South Africa , Focus groups , Action research , Youth -- South Africa -- Social conditions -- 1994- , Self-Directed Search Questionnaire , Occupational aptitude tests -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114895 , vital:34053
- Description: Career development theory and counselling practices in South Africa, which have traditionally utilised imported theory, have long been and continue to be criticised as being unsuitable in contexts different to those in which they were developed. In light of this, the aim of this study is to customise and trial the Vondracek, Lerner, and Schulenberg (1986) Developmental-Contextual Framework of career development with a group of employment-seeking young adults at a local community-based setting, as the basis of a career development intervention. Research questions asked were ‘In what ways is the examination and discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual facilitative of career exploration, in addition to seeking to identify contextual factors that influence career thinking and associated decision making. In doing so, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the career development of South Africans. Focus group methodology, within an overarching framework of collaborative action research, was employed. The approach to career exploration here was that of peer learning through group discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual. Data were generated through pre-intervention questionnaires, collaborative action research cycles, participatory observation, focus group discussions, and post-interventionist semi-structured individual interviews. Template Analysis was used for the thematic organisation and analysis of the data. Findings were that the intervention facilitated increased self-knowledge in relation to career development, increased knowledge of work and careers, and enhanced career planning abilities. Findings further highlighted the limitations of imported career development theories and the importance of the utilisation and development of local career assessment instruments. The group setting was found to be of value in facilitating self-reflection, a source of motivation and a valuable source of career-related information.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The influence of artificial light on the foraging efficiency and diet of insect eating bats
- Authors: Bailey, Lauren
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Predation (Biology) , Bats -- Effect of light on , Bats -- Nutrition , Moths
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76376 , vital:30555
- Description: Artificial light may be altering the interactions between bats and moth prey. Unable to make use of bat evasion strategies around artificial light, eared moths are susceptible to exploitation by syntonic bats (using echolocation frequencies between 20-50 kHz within the hearing range of eared moths). Using a handheld plasma metabolite analyzer, I evaluated the foraging success of syntonic bats and rarer allotonic bats (using echolocation frequencies outside the hearing range of eared moths), in areas with artificial light and in areas of natural darkness. I used microscope diet analysis to determine whether bats were consuming more or fewer moths in areas with artificial light and in areas of natural darkness. Syntonic bats were more selective for moth prey under lit conditions, likely owing to a reduction in the ability of tympanate moths to evade bats. Moths increased in the diets of generalist syntonic bats (Pipistrellus hesperidus) foraging around artificial light sources. Some P. hesperidus individuals showed high β-hydroxybutyrate levels around lights, but there was no difference in β-hydroxybutyrate levels between lit and unlit conditions. There is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis that the foraging success of syntonic bats is equivalent in lit vs unlit conditions. The foraging success and diets of allotonic bats, Rhinolophus capensis, appear to be negligibly impacted by artificial light on a small scale. My study emphasizes the need for a mechanistic understanding of the influence of artificial light on the foraging success of bat species. Bat-moth interactions may be influenced by other factors apart from the common assumption that increased refuelling rates will occur in syntonic species foraging on moths around artificial light.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Bailey, Lauren
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Predation (Biology) , Bats -- Effect of light on , Bats -- Nutrition , Moths
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76376 , vital:30555
- Description: Artificial light may be altering the interactions between bats and moth prey. Unable to make use of bat evasion strategies around artificial light, eared moths are susceptible to exploitation by syntonic bats (using echolocation frequencies between 20-50 kHz within the hearing range of eared moths). Using a handheld plasma metabolite analyzer, I evaluated the foraging success of syntonic bats and rarer allotonic bats (using echolocation frequencies outside the hearing range of eared moths), in areas with artificial light and in areas of natural darkness. I used microscope diet analysis to determine whether bats were consuming more or fewer moths in areas with artificial light and in areas of natural darkness. Syntonic bats were more selective for moth prey under lit conditions, likely owing to a reduction in the ability of tympanate moths to evade bats. Moths increased in the diets of generalist syntonic bats (Pipistrellus hesperidus) foraging around artificial light sources. Some P. hesperidus individuals showed high β-hydroxybutyrate levels around lights, but there was no difference in β-hydroxybutyrate levels between lit and unlit conditions. There is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis that the foraging success of syntonic bats is equivalent in lit vs unlit conditions. The foraging success and diets of allotonic bats, Rhinolophus capensis, appear to be negligibly impacted by artificial light on a small scale. My study emphasizes the need for a mechanistic understanding of the influence of artificial light on the foraging success of bat species. Bat-moth interactions may be influenced by other factors apart from the common assumption that increased refuelling rates will occur in syntonic species foraging on moths around artificial light.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019