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An analysis of poetic syntax with special reference to Stockenström’s The Wisdom of Water (2007)

  • Authors: Murdoch, Alan
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Poetics , Poetry -- History and criticism Afrikaans poetry -- 21st century
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/41581 , vital:36538
  • Description: Poetry, by its very nature, is different to prose. Through ostranenie, the poet tries to foreground his or her message (meaning). Ostranenie is defined as follows: ‘A neologism, it implies two kinds of action: making strange, and pushing aside. Consistent with this double meaning, the concept refers to the techniques writers use to transform ordinary language into poetic language’ (www.oxfordreference.com). Gräbe (1997: 25) states: ‘The recognition of a difference between ordinary or normal language on the one hand, and “unusual” or “different” language use on the other hand is dependent upon the distinction […] between “automatisation” and “foregrounding.”’ This study will look at poetry, specifically that of Wilma Stockenström in The Wisdom of Water (2007), through the lens of syntax.The aim of this study is to determine the unique contribution of syntactic strategies for analysing and interpreting poetry and how they aid the poet in foregrounding his or her intended meaning. The strategies investigated are those detailed by Ina Gräbe in Syntax in Poetry (1997), namely the violation of grammatical rules in poetic language (specifically displacement, deletion and selectional deviation), the exploitation of forms of repetition in syntactic pattern formation (specifically coupling, parallelism and elaboration) and finally syntactic units and typographic demarcations (specifically the relationship between sentence and line and, the relationship between sentence and stanza). Through qualitative analysis, this study performs a syntactical structure analysis of Stockenström’s poetry in The Wisdom of Water (2007) and shows how the use and effect of Gräbe’s syntactic strategies can foreground a poet’s intended meaning. It will further show the way in which such a linguistic analysis can provide insight into the poet’s meaning, that might not otherwise have been apparent to a reader.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Impact of adoption of drought tolerant maize varieties on yield in the face of climate change: A case of Salima, Chikwawa and Karonga districts, Malawi

  • Authors: Rukasha, Conscience Tanyaradzwa
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Climatic changes Food security Dry farming
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15628 , vital:40491
  • Description: Drought is a huge limiting factor in maize production, mainly in the rain-fed agriculture of subSaharan Africa. In response to this threat, drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties have been developed with an aim to ensure maize productivity under drought conditions. This study assessed the impact of smallholder farmers’ adoption of DT maize varieties on maize productivity. The first step into understanding the impact of adoption of these varieties on smallholder farmers’ productivity was to first identify the varieties that they were growing. To achieve this, data was collected through the means of a household survey of 600 farmers from Karonga, Chikwawa and Salima districts in Malawi. The major findings drawn were that though most of the farmers have adopted the use of hybrids, as they are fairly common among the varieties that are being grown, most of these hybrids were not drought tolerant varieties. Previous studies had concluded that most of the farmers in Malawi were still growing local varieties. Results from this study showed a major increase in the use of hybrids with SC403 being the most grown variety. The second step in the analysis of the impact of DT maize adoption was to analyse the level and intensity of adoption of these varieties among the smallholder farmers. This was done using a Double Hurdle Model. The results from the double hurdle showed that only 23% of the sampled farmers were growing one or more DT varieties on their plots. Generally, farmers’ decision to use improved agricultural technologies and the intensity of the use in a given period of time are hypothesized to be influenced by a combined effect of various factors such as household characteristics, socioeconomic and physical environments in which farmers operate. The results in this study have shown that the geographical location of farmers plays a significant role in the decision to adopt as well as off-farm income and input subsidies. In terms of intensity, the results revealed that the farmers allocated an average of 0.46 ha of their land under maize cultivation to DT varieties. The results also showed that the intensity of adoption was influenced by gender, household size, whether or not the farmer is recycling the seed and soil fertility. The next step in the study was analysing the impact that intra-seasonal weather variability had on maize productivity. This was done by using daily weather variables for the whole growing season so as to take into account evaporation, rain gaps and other intra seasonal weather limitations. The Just and Pope Production Function was used to analyse the impact of intra-seasonal weather vi variability on productivity. The results suggest that the amount and distribution of rainfall have a strong impact on the development of the maize crop and consequently the quantity harvested. From the results, there was evidence of high variability in rainfall characteristics in terms of the intraseasonal distribution which in turn translated into high variability in maize quantity harvested by the smallholder farmers in Malawi. Lastly, the Endogenous Switching Regression Model was used to analyse the impact of adoption of DT varieties on yield. The results showed that the adoption of DT varieties increases productivity. The use of counterfactual data from the Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) allowed for an in-depth analysis of the productive implications. The results from the ESR model showed that the farm households that did not adopt, had they adopted, they would have increased their productivity. Furthermore, the results indicated that the use of DT maize varieties successfully delivered relatively less reliance on the total and net rainfall, that is, adopters managed to support their productivity in the face of changing climate while the non-adopters were adversely affected by an increase in temperature and decrease in total rainfall. Adoption of DT varieties increased output among smallholder farmers by 441.33 kg which translates to a 41% increase. Conclusively, the results from this study showed that smallholder farmers are adopting new and improved hybrids and improved OPVs and moving away from the use of local varieties. However the new varieties they are currently using are mostly not DT varieties. This is an interesting finding because the farmers when asked about their preferred traits in maize seed mentioned drought tolerance, therefore the low level of adoption points to numerous factors. These factors include lack of awareness of these varieties among smallholder farmers and unavailability of seed. The results also showed that the level of adoption was low among the farmers. With respect to productivity, this study has shown that adoption of DT varieties by smallholder farmers will increase their yield in the face of climate change
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Effects of community based organization programmes on poverty eradication : a case study of Dutywa in Mbhashe municipality, Eastern Cape Province

  • Authors: Maqubela, Zodwa
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Community organization Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M. Soc. Sci.
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9610 , vital:34803
  • Description: The study set out to establish the effects of CBO’s programmes on poverty eradication in Dutywa Mbhashe Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province. Poverty is rife in rural areas of Dutywa and community. Community members suffer from both absolute to relative poverty. Community organizations, especially in developing countries, have strengthened the view that these bottom-up organizations are more effective in addressing local needs than larger charitable organizations. This study was done through the reviewing of the implementation of early childhood development programmes, family preservation programmes, victim Empowerment programmes, home community based care programmes (HIV/AIDS), as well as care and support to older person’s programmes by community based organizations with the aim of alleviating poverty. The selection of the district and CBOs was done purposively and data was gathered through focus group discussions, structured and unstructured interviews. Purposive sampling technique was also used in selecting participants who took part in the study. Data analysis was carried out through charts, frequency tables and percentages. Qualitative analysis was carried out through establishing the emerging themes and comparing responses in order to check the validity of the data collected. Quantitative analysis was done through the application of the Statistical Package for Social Science (S.P.S.S). Two objectives were quantitatively analysed and two objectives were qualitatively analysed. The findings revealed that the programmes rendered by the CBOs were effective in the fight against poverty in Mbhashe, Dutywa and it was recommended that there should be an effective monitoring and evaluation of community development programmes and identification of sources of support most especially local sources. It was also recommended that community programme should be aligned with the community cultures.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

The design of a community health centre for Bethelsdorp

  • Authors: Marais, Mariska
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Medical centers -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans Health facilities -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/38841 , vital:35006
  • Description: This treatise was inspired by concern about the well-being of the less fortunate and their poor living conditions in township environments in South Africa. The proposal is a design of a community health centre in the township of Bethelsdorp, Port Elizabeth. The intervention will act as a safe space between home and large-scale hospitals while creating a positive urban space within a monotonous environment. The treatise engages with the issues and methods related to the design of a community health centre in the township environment to inform the final design proposal. It starts with an investigation into the theories of urban structure and public spaces in South African townships, after which it explores the building type. The building type is investigated in terms of the healthcare system in South Africa (with its emphasis on Port Elizabeth) , and the interrogation of community health centres by means of analysing carefully chosen precedents. Lastly, the nature of townships and township architecture is explored to apply this to the context of Bethelsdorp and the direct area the centre will affect. The architectural design is the response based on the interrogation. The centre intends to help as many citizens as it can, by providing a variety of services in an area that it will help to be the official heart of Bethelsdorp.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

A corpus-based approach to writing in German as a foreign language in the South African tertiary context

  • Authors: Ortner, Gwyndolen Jeanie
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3660 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021256
  • Description: German Studies students at Rhodes University have normally never studied the German language before enrolling for the first-year course and face the challenge of a fairly rapid linguistic advancement in order to engage meaningfully with the literatures and cultures of German-speaking countries. This thesis investigates the process of teaching and learning to write in a more academic way in German as a foreign language at Rhodes University, using corpus linguistic tools for both analysis and instruction. The past 20 years have shown a shift from traditional teaching methods resting on notions of an underlying prescriptive grammar, to teaching based on insights from real-life language data (Gabrielatos, 2005; Krummes & Ensslin, 2012; Sinclair, 1997) and applications of corpora to teaching and learning have shown to be highly successful in many European contexts (Aijmer, 2010; Johns, 1991; Granger, et al., 2002; Varley, 2009). In the South African context however, this is a relatively new concept with few publications on the application of corpus linguistics to language teaching (Van Rooy, 2008), and one which does not seem to have reached its full potential. A writing course was instituted whose aim was two-fold: 1. to teach learners “every-day academic” German words (TAG words) and phrases (collocations) based on German mother-tongue corpus evidence; 2. to have learners write short assignments in German at regular intervals (Homstad & Thorson, 1996; Estes, et al., 1998); both aims with the overarching objective to improve the students’ academic register in German. After the writing course, 80% of the participants perceived that their writing had improved and specifically attributed this to the corpus-based instruction received during the writing course, and regular writing in German. Quantitative data (from the learner corpus created) shows a marked improvement in the use of the collocations taught. Moreover, participants (weaker students in particular) also found that their writing in English had improved as a result of the various exercises they had to complete as part of our German writing course.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

An Evaluation of the effectiveness of public libraries in providing information to school children :A Case study of the Queenstown public library , Eastern Cape Province

  • Authors: Ndlovu, Sheron
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Information services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Information resources -- South Africa --Eastern Cape Public libraries -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6528 , vital:30484
  • Description: This study took the form of an evaluative study of the effectiveness of public libraries as a means of providing information to school children, and was conducted at the Queenstown Public Library in the province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The research endeavoured to evaluate the effectiveness of public libraries in the role which they play to provide information to school children, despite the widespread belief that the role of libraries is now being replaced by Information and Communication Technologies, or ICTs. This study is also significant for the factors which contribute towards school children being prevented from receiving the full range of benefits which libraries have to offer and the recommendations which it makes to improve the effectiveness of the role played by libraries in this respect. The study could also be of benefit to the staff of libraries, as it could serve to inform them with respect to what needs to be done in order to improve the ways in which libraries make information available to school children. In this respect the research could also provide valuable insights into the strategies which need to be developed and adopted in order to make public libraries more effective providers of various types and forms of information to school children. It is to be hoped that the study will also make a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge concerning public libraries as a means of providing information to school children. It is the fervent wish of this researcher to make a credible and articulate case for the great value which public libraries have for school children, despite the fact that general perceptions no longer accord libraries the value which they were once commonly held to possess.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Characterization of some virulence and antibiotic resistance genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from cases of Bovine Mastitis in Nkonkobe Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, RSA

  • Authors: Pekana, Abongile
  • Date: 2015
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Microbiology)
  • Identifier: vital:11293 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1021133
  • Description: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the predominant causative agents of mastitis disease in dairy herds. Mastitis disease has a negative impact in the economic losses in the dairy sector across the globe. The aim of this study is to detect some of the virulence genes in the S. aureus isolated from 400 milk samples of subclinical and clinical mastitis dairy cows in Fort Hare dairy farm and Middle Drift dairy farm in Alice in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. In addition antibiotic resistance pattern and antibiotic resistance genes were investigated. Gram-staining, oxidase test, catalase test and API Staph kit were preliminary biochemical tests used for the identification of S. aureus isolates. The MALDI-TOF-MS was also used for further identification. Polymerase chain reaction was performed of genes encoding antibiotic resistance as well as clumping (clfA), coagulase (coa) gene, toxic shock syndrome (tsst), exfoliative toxin A and B (eta and etb), and the gene segment encoding the immunoglobulin G binding region and X region of protein gene spa. A total of 20 (5%) S. aureus strains obtained from 400 milk samples from the two farms were subjected to 16 antibiotics for antibiotic susceptibility testing. In Middle Drift dairy farm 11 (5.5%) isolates were obtained from 200 samples and 9 (4.5%) isolates were obtained in Fort Hare dairy farm from 200 samples. A large percent of the isolates were resistant to penicillin G (60%), followed by trimethoprim (60%) and tetracycline (60%), trimethoprim-sulfamethaxazole (55%), telithroprim (55%) and doxycycline (45%). Most of the isolates were sensitive to several (50-85%) antibiotics. Of the twenty isolates tested 12 samples contained the penicillin antibiotic resistance gene (blaZ gene), 8 samples contained at least one aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme gene (AME gene); the (aac(6’)/aph(2’’) gene and no amplification occurred for aph(3’)-IIIa and ant(4’)-Ia) genes. In the case of the tetracycline antibiotic resistance gene (tetK and tetM), 2 samples contained tetM and a single sample contained tetK gene. No amplification was observed for the erythromycin antibiotic resistance genes (ermA, ermB, ermC, Mef and msrA). All the samples tested were negative for the expression of toxic syndrome gene (tsst), etb, and Immunoglobulin G binding region. However, amplification of the clumping factor was observed in 7 (35%) isolates of S. aureus, exfoliative toxin (eta) expressed 4(20%) isolates; coagulase gene (coa) yielded six DNA bands of six differences sizes from 16 (80%) isolates. A total of four different bands size were expressed for the spa X region from 12 (60%) isolates. The data obtained in this study suggests that poor hygienic practices and inadequate management practices are responsible for the increase in Staphylococcus aureus isolation. The high resistance of S. aureus to antibiotics and the distribution of virulence genes contribute in bovine mastitis in these farms may cause health problems in the community consuming raw milk purchased from these farms.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy activities of porphyrin- and phthalocyanine-platinum nanoparticle conjugates

  • Authors: Managa, Muthumuni Elizabeth
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Photochemotherapy , Anti-infective agents , Porphyrins , Phthalocyanines , Platinum , Nanoparticles , Bioconjugates , Electrospinning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4539 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017919
  • Description: This work reports on the conjugation of differently shaped Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) with ClGa(III) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (1) as well as chloro - (5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4- (4- carboxy phenycarbonoimidoyl) phenyl) porphyrinato) gallium(III) (2) The work also reports on platination of dihydroxosilicon octacarboxyphthalocyanine (OH)₂SiOCPc (3) to give dihydroxosilicontris(diaquaplatinum)octacarboxyphthalocyanine (OH)₂SiOCPc(Pt)₃ (4). The resulting conjugates were used for photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy against S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans. The degree of photo-inactivation is dependent on concentration of the conjugates, light dose (fluence) and illumination time. The log reduction obtained for 1 when conjugated to cubic PtNPs was 4.64 log (which indicate 99.99 percent of the bacteria have been killed), which is much higher than 3.94 log unit for 1-hexagonal PtNPs and 3.31 log units for 1-unshaped PtNPs. Complex 2 conjugated to hexagonal PtNPs showed 18 nm red shift in the Soret band when compared to 2 alone. Complex 2 and 2-hexagonal PtNPs as well showed promising photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) activity against S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans in solution where the log reduction obtained was 4.92, 3.76, and 3.95 respectively for 2-hexagonal PtNPs. The singlet oxygen quantum yields obtained were higher at 0.56 for 2-hexagonl PtNPs in DMF while that of 2 was 0.52 in the same solvent. This resulted in improved PACT activity for 2-hexagonal PtNPs compared to 2. Complex 4 showed slight blue shifting of the absorption spectrum when compared to complex 3 The antimicrobial activity of 4 were promising as the highest log reduction value was observed when compared to the porphyrin conjugates.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Synthesis, characterisation and evaluation of functionalized Lignocelluloses-clay nanocomposites for organic pollutant removal from water

  • Authors: Mafukidze, Donovan M
  • Date: 2015
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Chemistry)
  • Identifier: vital:11356 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1021296
  • Description: PMPSgLig-NaMMT nanocomposites were prepared from methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS), lignocellulose and montmorillonite clay. The potential enhancement of organic pollutant adsorption capabilities of PMPSgLig-NaMMT nanocomposite from water through functionalization was investigated. PMPSgLig-NaMMT was functionalized by esterification and etherification using different methods so as to increase the surface hydrophobicity of the material and hence improve its compatibility with the target pollutants. Specific chemical routes specially tailored for PMPSgLig-NaMMT were established for functionalization mostly based on the common esterification (Fischer esterification) and etherification (Williamson‟s etherification) reactions. In the functionalization methods, factors such as pH environment, nanocomposite composition, nature of functionalization moiety, and use of or absence of solvents and their variations were studied. FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TGA were used to characterize the synthesized and functionalized nanoadsorbents. The techniques showed successful functionalization via esterification and etherification methods albeit to different extents, with clear retention of the material‟s original structure though there were signs of degradation with some methods. Characterization was supported by adsorption studies to validate implications and draw conclusions. The use of 1,10-phenathroline as a model organic pollutant in water in the adsorption studies showed that adsorbents conformed to monolayer adsorption following pseudo-second order kinetics for adsorption of organic pollutants accurately represented. Most importantly the studies revealed the significant impact of the nanocomposite composition on the overall absorbent performance. Adsorption studies also showed that functionalization via esterification methods gave rise to better adsorbents.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The ‘obesity epidemic’ : an analysis of representations of obesity in mainstream South African newspapers post-1997

  • Authors: Malan, Chantelle Therese
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Obesity -- South Africa , Obesity -- Press coverage -- South Africa , Obesity -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Discrimination against overweight persons -- South Africa , Social medicine -- South Africa , Agent (Philosophy) , Social control -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2892 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019751
  • Description: This study of 449 newspaper articles from South Africa from 1997 provides an analysis of the representations of obesity evinced in the corpus. The research argues that obesity is overwhelmingly framed as being diseased and that there are four main refrains within this frame, namely, statistics on obesity, the naturalisation of negative assumptions about fat, the social dysfunction of fat and the use of crisis metaphors to describe fatness. This framing lends itself to representations of obesity which are raced, gendered and classed. Fat bodies are portrayed as being in deficit and fat people as lacking agency. The disproportional focus on black bodies in the corpus can be attributed to assumptions of ‘incivility’ which are premised on racial stereotypes which construct black people as being unintelligent, irrational, lacking agency and being largely dependent on others to survive. This disproportional focus on black bodies can also be understood in the context of emerging markets. This study argues that the medicalisation of obesity has contributed to many oversimplifications and contradictions in the representation of obesity in the corpus, which seem to go unquestioned, such as the conflation of weight and health, something I argue is one of the main contributors to the negative consequences of the dominant framing of obesity. Framing obesity as medicalised also promotes fat shaming and acts as a form of social control which maintains existing power relations through the use of discursive practices for the identification and control of deviants. These representations are problematic chiefly because they promote the dehumanisation of fat people, but also because that they do not promote good health as they claim to do.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

A role for heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in fibronectin matrix dynamics

  • Authors: O'Hagan, Kyle Leonard
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Molecular chaperones , Heat shock proteins , Metastasis , Cancer -- Treatment
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4157 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018260
  • Description: To date, a significant portion of research has been devoted to understanding the biological role of the molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), in cancer development and metastasis. Studies have alluded to over 300 clients for intracellular Hsp90, many of which are involved in oncogenic signaling pathways, making Hsp90 a bone fide drug target with several inhibitors already in clinical trials. In recent years, a limited number of extracellular Hsp90 clients have been elucidated with roles in cancer cell migration and invasion. Examples of such clients include matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), LRP-1/CD91 and HER-2. Inhibition of extracellular Hsp90 using cellimpermeable inhibitors has been shown to reduce cancer cell migration and metastasis by a hitherto undefined mechanism. Using surface biotinylation and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, we provided evidence to support that Hsp90 was found extracellularly in cancers of different origin, cell type and malignancy. Next, we isolated extracellular Hsp90-containing complexes from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells using a cell impermeable crosslinker followed by immunoprecipitation and identified by mass spectrometry that the extracellular matrix protein, fibronectin, co-precipitated with Hsp90β. This interaction between Hsp90β and fibronectin was confirmed using pull down assays and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy with the purified proteins. The ability of exogenous Hsp90β to increase the insoluble fibronectin matrix in Hs578T breast cancer cells indicated a role for Hsp90 in fibronectin matrix stability or fibrillogenesis. Hsp90 knockdown by RNA interference or inhibition with the small molecule inhibitor, novobiocin, resulted in a dose and time-dependent reduction of the extracellular fibronectin matrix. Furthermore, novobiocin was shown to cause the internalization of a fluorescently-labeled exogenous fibronectin matrix incorporated into the extracellular matrix by Hs578T cells. This suggested endocytosis as a possible mechanism for fibronectin turnover. This was supported by the colocalization of fibronectin with key vesicular trafficking markers (Rab-5 and LAMP-1) in small, intracellular vesicles. Furthermore, treatment with the vesicular trafficking inhibitor, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, resulted in a dose-dependent recovery in the extracellular fibronectin matrix following treatment with novobiocin. Taken together, these data provided the first evidence to suggest fibronectin as a new client of Hsp90 and that Hsp90 was involved in regulating extracellular fibronectin matrix dynamics.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

Operational risk model for MSES :impact on organisational information communication technology

  • Authors: Bayaga, Anass
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Risk management -- Statistical methods Computer networks -- Security measures Risk assessment
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Comm
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8332 , vital:32270
  • Description: The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of Information Communication Technology Operational Risk Management (ICT ORM) on the performance of a Medium Small Enterprise (MSE). The study was based upon a survey design to collect the primary data from 107 respondents using simple random sampling. The research instrument was administered online. A one stage normative model, associative in nature, was developed based upon reviewing previous research and in line with the research findings. The model elicited five factors based upon the multiple regression analysis of the data: principal causes of ORM failure related to ICT; change management requirements and ICT risk; characteristic(s) of information; challenges posed by ORM solutions and evaluation models affecting ICT adoption within MSEs. Based on the methodologies used in this study including factor analysis and multivariate regression analysis, it is recommended that this model be applied to monitor these changes more closely and to measure the changing strategies and the associated factors such as insufficient or improper user participation in systems development process, identified as potential barriers to the effective adoption and implementation of ICT within an MSE.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

Induced plant responses of different Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) varieties to herbivory by Falconia intermedia (distant) (Hemiptera: Miridae)

  • Authors: Heshula, Unathi-Nkosi Lelethu Peter
  • Date: 2010
  • Subjects: Lantana camara -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Lantana camara -- Biological control -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biological pest control agents -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Weeds -- Biological control -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Invasive plants -- Biological control -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hemiptera -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Miridae -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:5911 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015368
  • Description: A highly variable invasive shrub, Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae), has been notoriously difficult to control thus far despite a well established biological control programme in South Africa. A promising leaf-feeding biological control agent, Falconia intermedia (Distant) (Hemiptera: Miridae), released to control this invasive plant eventually crashed at three out of five sites in the Eastern Cape Province. In the Mpumalanga Province, after initially colonising and building up high numbers on the L. camara stands the agent populations crashed. Several reasons for these population crashes have been suggested, but induced plant defences have not been investigated. Although plants face the challenge of herbivory by various organisms while remaining immobile, some plants may possess the ability to induce physical and/or chemical defensive responses following feeding and thus prevent further plant tissue damage and loss. Laboratory trials were conducted to determine the existence, nature and effect of physical and chemical feeding-induced responses of L. camara on the performance of the leaf-feeding biological control agent, F. intermedia. Lantana camara plants used in the study were obtained from five localities in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, while the insect culture was established from field populations. Plants from all varieties on which F. intermedia was released significantly increased the toughness of their leaves compared to control treatment plants. In addition, plants from three localities: Lyndhurst Farm, East London and Port Alfred, significantly increased trichome density after prolonged feeding by F. intermedia. On the three varieties showing increases in these two factors (i.e. leaf toughness and trichome density), oviposition, survival and feeding damage by the mirid agent was significantly lower on previously damaged plants. A significant negative correlation between trichome density and population numbers was found (R²= 0.52, p < 0.0003), suggesting that an increase in trichome density strongly contributes to a reduction in F. intermedia's growth. The growth and reproduction of the resistant plants was not significantly impacted by F. intermedia feeding. The defensive responses were found to be plant systemic and rapidly induced as they were elicited and expressed throughout the plant in both damaged and undamaged leaves within five weeks after insect release. Leaf toughness and trichome density were not significantly increased after feeding on plants from Whitney Farm and Heather Glen Farm. On the contrary, mirid individuals performed significantly better on plants from Whitney Farm and Heather Glen Farm than on plants of other varieties, indicating their susceptibility and suitability to the agent and the lack of induced resistance against the agent. Plants from all localities besides East London showed some level of tolerance and overcompensated for feeding damage by increasing plant growth and reproductive factors on plants fed upon. This was however only significant in two variables of the more susceptible localities, Whitney Farm and Heather Glen Farm. This increase in plant fitness did however indicate an induced defence response by these plants to feeding, a response designed to lessen the effects of agent feeding. Headspace volatile analysis was used to investigate any volatile chemical responses by L. camara due to F. intermedia feeding at two of the five localities chosen: East London and Whitney Farm. There was no significant difference in headspace volatiles emitted by leaves of plants from the East London insect infested and control treatment plants. On the Whitney Farm damaged plants however there was a 2.5 fold increase in the emission intensity of one of the three main compounds, later identified as Beta-caryophyllene. Three major chemical constituents which were found to be common to leaf volatiles of the two varieties were identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) from the damaged and undamaged leaves of these two varieties. The methods used in collecting leaf volatiles were shown to be significant in the strength of chromatogram peaks. Using general authentication methods and purified standards, one of these was identified as the sesquiterpene, Beta-caryophyllene (C₁₅H₂₄). This compound is one of the major constituents found in isolations of L. camara varieties worldwide. This is the first such work done on a variety of L. camara in South Africa, and hopefully the beginning of more in-depth studies of the volatile organic chemicals from the numerous naturalised varieties of L. camara. It is suggested that the sum of these responses may play a role bigger than is currently understood in this plant-insect relationship. It is also argued that feeding induced plant defences may play an important role in attempts to control alien plants using insect agents.
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  • Date Issued: 2010

When birthing makes the news : the depiction of women as a newsworthy item in Die Burger (Oos-Kaap)

  • Authors: Preller, Cindy
  • Date: 2010
  • Subjects: Mass media and women -- South Africa Childbirth -- South Africa Women -- South Africa Die Burger (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) Journalism -- South Africa -- 21st century Mass media -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3480 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002935
  • Description: The thesis “When birthing makes the news: the depiction of women as a newsworthy item in Die Burger (Oos-Kaap)” analyses a common, yet complex news topic in the South African print media due to the sensitive, often sensationalised, nature of the topic. The private experience of birthing is featured more and more in the public domain of newspapers because of widespread service delivery problems within the South African health department. Focussing on the Eastern Cape, I examine the representation of birthing in Die Burger (Oos-Kaap) in texts printed between 2005 and 2007, and scrutinise the media’s monitorial role of a self-appointed public hero acting on behalf of the women, to expose the poor conditions at government hospitals, specifically in the Nelson Mandela Bay region. How the women and their bodies are reported on, creates a discursive tension between the negative portrayals of the birthing women and the monitorial role of the media. The news values of sensationalism and profit are achieved with visceral representations of the reproductive functions of the birthing women. A poststructuralist feminist theoretical framework reveals discourses that perpetuate race, class and gender inequalities in the apparently socially-concerned sample of texts. A Critical discourse analysis (CDA) provides an approach and method to inform a close textual analysis of both the lexical and visual elements of the texts. The discourses in the sample differed from text to text. Despite these differences, the monitorial role of the media is still achieved. My research argues that acting in the public interest with sensationalist copy is still acting in the public interest. I conclude that it is not easy for newspapers to separate sensationalism from accountability. Media practitioners should be aware of their role in constructing women’s identities and be particularly thoughtful when reporting on birthing. In doing so, this research aims to improve the manner in which women and their bodies are reported on within the news industry.
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  • Date Issued: 2010

Investigating teacher's perceptions about the value and implementation of Arts at the lower primary phase: a case study in selected schools in Namibia

  • Authors: Chombo, Stanley Chombo
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Education -- Namibia Teachers -- Attitudes -- Namibia Arts -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia -- Case studies
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1952 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008207
  • Description: This study was conducted in order to investigate teachers' perceptions about the value and implementation of Arts in the Lower Primary Phase. The study adopted a qualitative approach and seeks to investigate (a) teachers' perceptions of the role and value of Arts at the Lower Primary Phase (b) the issues and problems teachers have in teaching Arts as a separate subject at the Lower Primary Phase (c) the opportunities for incorporating Arts with other subjects and with the cross-curricular issues. The data was gathered by using interviews, class observations and document analysis. The study focused on six teachers in two Schools in the Caprivi education region of the Republic of Namibia. The findings of the study revealed that Arts stimulates the learner's imagination and creativity. The teachers felt that by encouraging learners to explore their creativity through Arts we maintain the practice of the Arts through drawing, carving, modelling and music.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

The binding roots of free speech

  • Authors: Boughey, Thomas John George
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Freedom of speech
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2849 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006255
  • Description: This thesis argues that the modern notion of free-speech was born within the Westphalian nation-state. It suggests that the legal rights framework - particular to the Westphalian nationstate - not only legitimizes and legalizes the right to free-speech, but also enables us to invoke legally the necessary limitations that demand the limitation of free-speech in certain contexts. However, such a legal-rights framework is exclusive to the nation-state and cannot be enforced on an international level, outside of the nation-state boundary. With reference to examples on an international level, this thesis demonstrates that calls for the limitation of free-speech are indeed legitimate and necessary but cannot be enforced on an international level for the reasons just mentioned. In order to address this problem, this thesis proposes a framework - based on a Kantian model - that enables us to invoke the limitation of free-speech on an international level without appealing to a legal-rights discourse to do so.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

"Feeling foggy?": an investigation into the self-reported post-concussive symptoms in rugby union players at university level

  • Authors: Boulind, Melissa
  • Date: 2005
  • Subjects: Brain damage , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Rugby football injuries , Rugby Union football players
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2938 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002447 , Brain damage , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Complications , Brain -- Wounds and injuries -- Psychology , Sports injuries -- Psychological aspects , Rugby football injuries , Rugby Union football players
  • Description: A study was conducted on the self-reported symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury sustained in Rugby Union at the pre- and post-season stages. A full sample of 30 rugby players at Rhodes University was compared to 27 non-contact sport controls. A reduced sample of 20 rugby players and 9 control participants provided improved control for education and IQ and was compared. Measures included the WAIS-III Vocabulary and Picture Completion Sub-tests to estimate IQ level, the symptom checklist on a widely used computer-based program (ImPACT), and a paper and pencil self-report 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire. Independent and Dependent T-Test comparisons were conducted on the full and reduced samples. The symptoms reported by the rugby group appeared to be more pronounced on both the ImPACT Symptom Scale and the 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire when compared to the control group at both the pre-and post-season stages. It was concluded that the rugby players demonstrated evidence to support the hypothesis of having sustained more previous concussions and reporting more symptoms at the pre-season stage when compared to comtrol participants. No prevalent changes for either the rugby or control groups were seen in dependent comparisons from pre-to post-season.
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  • Date Issued: 2005

An investigation of code switching in different learning areas in a grade seven class

  • Authors: Ndabeni, Bulelwa
  • Date: 2003
  • Subjects: Code switching (Linguistics) -- South Africa Language and education -- South Africa Education, Bilingual -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1621 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003503
  • Description: The research described in this thesis is a case study of the communicative repertoires of teachers and learners of a grade seven class in a small rural primary school. The aim of the investigation was to find out if code switching is different in content-subject classes than in an English language class. The study accomplishes this by looking at code switching in different learning areas. Different research techniques such as observations, video. recording, taking of field notes and interviews are used as the means of data collection. The study does not attempt a full linguistic description of the switches made by the research subjects. For example, it does not deal with linguistic constraints on code switching, but instead it focuses on the functional aspects of code switching. The study reveals that there are various functions of code switching in the classroom. The following are the major findings noted in this study: • Code switching is a communicative resource, which enables the teachers and learners to accomplish a considerable number and range of social and educational objectives. • Code switching is used to negotiate and renegotiate meaning. • How teachers code switch in class depends on how difficult the lesson is for the learners. • The study reveals no major differences between code switching In content subjects than in English as a subject. • Although tbe subjects engage in code switching, they seem to feel guilty about their behaviour.
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  • Date Issued: 2003

Exploring the perceived value of work as part of psychosocial rehabilitation of the state patient : Komani Hospital, Queenstown

  • Authors: Crocker, Ann Petro
  • Date: 2002
  • Subjects: Work -- Psychological aspects Mentally ill -- Attitudes
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: vital:5953 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007464
  • Description: During the research an attempt was made to gain an understanding of the perceived value of work in psychosocial rehabilitation with the Sate patient at Komani Hospital. The respondents' motivation to work and what they gain from working, was investigated, as well as the experience of the nonworking respondents and their motivation not to work. To achieve this, ten respondents who were working and ten respondents who were not working, were interviewed. This study involves only a limited number of State patients at Komani Hospital and therefore findings cannot be generalised and also because the study was done at one Hospital only. A literature study was undertaken during which it was evident that work as part of vocational rehabilitation contributed to the well being of the mentally disabled person. It was also stated in the literature that the disabled person must be actively involved in his/her own rehabilitation planning and that the person must make conscious decisions to move away from the "sick" role and participate in his/her rehabilitation process. Interview schedules were developed. Response received from the twenty participants was analysed. The overall findings of the study showed that the majority of respondents who were working, were motivated by money. The fact that the respondents work from Hospital and therefore disrupt the Hospital routine, work with abled co-workers and feeling needed by the factory where they are employed. also emphasised the respondents' motivation to keep on working. The findings of the study with the non-working group showed that some respondents want to work, but there are not enough work opportunities available in and from Hospital. The non-working respondents are not interested in working at the occupational therapy department because the pay patients get for work done at the department is too little, and therefore they reject the work there. Some respondents do not want to work. whether work is available or not. The non-working group is largely dependent on staff and co-patients for an income, or tobacco. The predominant activity of the non-working group of respondents during the day, as well as that of the majority of the working group respondents during weekends was sleeping, talking to friends, and smoking. The research findings, conclusions and recommendations could contribute to a better understanding of patients and the value of work for the patient in a Psychiatric Hospital.
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  • Date Issued: 2002

Photosensitizing properties of non-transition metal porphyrazines towards the generation of singlet oxygen

  • Authors: Seotsanyana-Mokhosi, Itumeleng
  • Date: 2001 , 2013-05-02
  • Subjects: Phthalocyanines , Photosensitization, Biological , Active oxygen -- Physiological effect , Photosensitizing compounds
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4395 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006086 , Phthalocyanines , Photosensitization, Biological , Active oxygen -- Physiological effect , Photosensitizing compounds
  • Description: Metallophthalocyanine complexes containing non-transition metals are very useful as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy, a cure for cancer that is based on visible light activation of tumour localized photo sensitizers. Excited sensitizers generate singlet oxygen as the main hyperactive species that destroy the tumour. Water soluble sensitizers are sought after for the convenience of delivery into the body. Thus, phthalocyanine (pc), tetrapyridinoporphyrazines (tppa) and tetramethyltetrapyridinoporphyrazines (tmtppa) with non-transition central metal atoms of Ge, Si, Sn and Zn were studied. First was the synthesis of these complexes, followed by their characterisation. The characterisation involved the use of ultraviolet and visible absorption spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrochemical properties and elemental analysis. Photochemical properties of the complexes were then investigated. Photolysis of these macrocycles showed two processes; -reduction of the dye and photobleaching, which leads to the disintegration of the conjugated chromophore structure of the dye. Photobleaching is the reductive quenching of the excited state of the sensitizers. The intensity of the quenching decreased progressively from tmtppa, tppa to pc metal complexes with photobleaching quantum yields, 6.6 x 10.5⁻¹, 1.8 x 10.5⁻¹ and 5.4 x 10⁻⁶ for Zntmtppa, Zntppa and Znpc, respectively. Efficiency of singlet oxygen sensitization is solvent dependent with very different values obtained for the same compound in different solvents, for example, 0.25 and 0.38 were observed as singlet oxygen quantum yields for Gepc complex in DMSO and DMF respectively. In DMSO the efficiency of ¹O₂ generation decrease considerably from pc to tppa and finally tmtppa. In water Getmtppa exhibits much higher singlet oxygen quantum yield, hence promising to be effective as a sensitizer for photodynamic therapy.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2001
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