The role of sustainability perceptions of employees in corporate sustainability
- Authors: Cronjé, René
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Corporations -- Environmental aspects , Corporate governance -- Environmental aspects , Sustainability , Climatic changes Environmental economics -- South Africa Sustainability -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64918 , vital:73959
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employees' perception of environmental sustainability and pro-environmental behaviour within the corporate business environment of South Africa and its influence on a company’s corporate sustainability efforts. The study will follow a case study approach involving the employees of a corporate state-owned company in the logistics industry of the Nelson Mandela Bay area. In doing so the study attempts to better understand why enterprises, in their attempts to promote corporate sustainability, face challenges in aligning their variety of sustainability strategies, policies, and initiatives with employees' willingness to implement these measures or engage in pro-environmental behaviour in the workplace. To delve deeper into this issue the study also explores potential reasons for differences in perceptions by examining potential correlations between perceptions of environmental sustainability and pro-environmental behaviour, considering demographic factors such as gender, age, education, and work experience. The collective findings of the study underscore a positive relationship between employees’ environmental perception and their engagement in pro-environmental behaviour. This suggests that individuals who express a higher degree of concern for environmental issues are more likely to adopt and engage in environmentally-friendly behaviours. However, a notable disconnect was identified between awareness and action, highlighting variability in the extent to which perception translates into active pro-environmental behaviour. While environmental perception serves as a strong motivator, there is evident room for improvement in translating these concerns into concrete actions within the corporate setting. These insights emphasise the importance of addressing both attitudes and behaviours in the context of environmental sustainability. Thus, to enhance corporate sustainability efforts, it is imperative for companies to bridge the gap between environmental perception and action among their employees. The demographic variables (gender, age, education, and work experience) showed no significant influence on environmental perception or pro-environmental behaviour in this study, however these empirical findings challenge common findings in the existent literature, thus emphasising the need for a more nuanced understanding of the subject, within specific contexts. Recommendations for future studies include: larger sample sizes for robust findings; exploration of the influence of academic disciplines; consideration of household income and cultural differences; and broadening the study to multiple departments in order to gather more , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
The role of visual storytelling in enhancing online learning experience design at Nelson Mandela University
- Authors: Waring, Elmien
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Digital storytelling -- South Africa , Information visualization , Visual communication
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63584 , vital:73505
- Description: As the landscape of higher education undergoes a shift toward a combination of online instructional methods and traditional in-person engagement, a creative approach becomes essential in ensuring student success. The research aims to explore how visual storytelling can enhance the online learning experience at Nelson Mandela University (NMU), thereby improving the effectiveness of teaching and knowledge acquisition. This study delves into the Learning Experience Design (LXD), a blend of instructional design, design thinking, and user experience design, within the teaching community of Nelson Mandela University and the broader South African context. Employing a mixed-method approach, qualitative data from interviews identified themes such as the improvement of LXD, challenges in the design process, and the utilization of visual storytelling. Quantitative analysis revealed that students primarily used the university learning management system (Moodle) for accessing resources, grades, and reviewing tests, with limited engagement in online learning activities. Lecturers expressed concern about Moodle’s functionality, a need for enhanced design support, and the necessity for training in the transition to digital learning. While lecturers recognized the potential of visual storytelling in enhancing engagement and knowledge retention, they emphasized the importance of support for the seamless integration into teaching. Students acknowledged the positive role of visual storytelling in improving their learning experience but highlighted areas of improvement, such as regular updates, increased visual interaction options, and the inclusion of information graphics to explain concepts. A design thinking process informed the development of instructional design interventions, leading to the creation of a prototype Moodle course shell and resources. This initiative aims to empower lecturers to enhance the learning experiences independently with the support of professional LXD services. The research findings suggest that visual storytelling indeed improves LXD, emphasizing the need for established support systems and resources at the university to equip lecturers for successful integration. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
The value-added tax implications in respect of the supply of services by foreign companies in South Africa
- Authors: Walker, Dean Thomas
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Value-added tax , Taxation , Foreign company registration
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64305 , vital:73673
- Description: A foreign company providing services in South Africa may, depending on the nature of the services rendered, do so directly or through its branch. Where the foreign company or its branch in providing such services falls within the ambit of the compulsory registration requirements set out in section 23, the foreign company or its branch is obliged to register as a vendor and the provisions of the VAT Act thereafter apply to such foreign company or its branch. The nature of the services rendered determine whether it is the foreign company or its branch which is obliged to register as a vendor. Where the services rendered constitute 'electronic services' falling within the scope of paragraph (vi) of the enterprise definition, it is the foreign company which must register as a vendor and not its branch. In all other cases (apart from the supply of 'imported services'), where services are rendered in South Africa, it is the branch which must register as a vendor, unless it is a 'dependent agent' of the foreign company as envisaged in the Wenco case 1, in the sense that it has no clients of its own in South Africa and supplies only services on behalf of the foreign company. In such a case the branch does not conduct an 'enterprise' and its foreign company must register as a vendor. Where a dependent branch supplies services to the foreign company's main business abroad, the supply is not zero-rated in terms of section 11 (2)(o) as, on the authority of the Wenco case, the provisions of section 8(9) have no application in such a case. Generally, where a foreign company or its branch supplies services in South Africa and is obliged to register as a vendor, output tax is levied in terms of section 7(1 )(a) and an input tax deduction may, in certain circumstances, be claimed provided that the foreign company or its branch is actually registered for VAT. In the case of 'imported services' it is the recipient which is liable for VAT thereon in certain circumstances. , Thesis (LLM) -- Faculty of Law, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Total quality management as a tool towards improving Eastern Cape’s department of public works construction
- Authors: Mancotywa, Luyolo
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: South Africa. Department of Public Work , Public buildings -- South Africa -- Maintenance and repair , Construction industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Project management Total quality management
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64623 , vital:73773
- Description: There have been numerous claims regarding how quality management systems facilitate the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) among Government Implementing Agents, particularly within the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. However, the success rate of TQM implementation in ECDPW projects varies. This study aims to investigate the implementation of TQM within these construction projects. Additionally, five secondary objectives were established to further this investigation. Utilizing a quantitative research approach, data obtained from a semi-structured questionnaire survey was analyzed. The analysis was based on responses from 44 out of 50 questionnaires distributed. Implications: The practical implication of this study lies in identifying the implementation of TQM among Governmental Implementing Agents, particularly within the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works, and understanding the challenges they encounter. The theoretical implications encompass contributing to existing studies that validate quality comprehensively within ECDPW construction projects and suggesting ways they can effectively implement TQM across their processes. The research findings confirmed the challenges and difficulties experienced during the various phases—pre-construction, construction, and post-construction—of projects managed by the Eastern Cape’s Department of Public Works. It was evident that Total Quality Management lacks robust implementation within ECDPW construction projects, directly impacting project quality and the effective execution of quality management systems. A key limitation of this study is the absence of data collection on the professional backgrounds and years of experience of the study participants. During pilot testing, it was found more suitable to identify job roles rather than professional backgrounds. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Built Environment and Civil Engineering, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Translanguaging as pedagogical practice in high-school examination question papers: a South African case study
- Authors: Matikinca, Uviwe
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Sociolinguistics -- Research , Structural linguistics -- Research , Applied linguistics
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63248 , vital:73241
- Description: This study explores sociolinguistic practices such as translanguaging, in which “diglossia is presumably allowed without isolation and bilinguals’ linguistic resources are viewed as an integrated system.” While bilinguals select and deploy particular features from their linguistic repertoires for meaning-making, translanguaging is widely used by teachers and students in multilingual classroom settings, as guided by the Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM). Translanguaging also provides a path for students to bring in and use their linguistic repertoires to produce the required learning outcomes, perform their identities and facilitate language development. Thus, this study is based on the view, subscribed to in contemporary sociolinguistics, that monoglossic language ideology is embedded in modes of oppression steeped in neoliberal, colonial and linguistic purist forms”. The purpose of the study was to make a case for the implementation of translanguaging in the written assessment of isiXhosa/English bilingual high-school learners in the Eastern Cape. The study employed a qualitative approach in the form of document analysis, whereby the researcher used selected Grade 12 question papers to find out how often translanguaging occurred. This was done by illustrating how examiners are moving past forms of linguistic purism when setting papers. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Trophic ecology and breeding success of Brown Skuas (Catharacta antarctica)
- Authors: Walker, Tegan
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Birds -- Conservation , Birds -- Ecology , Birds -- Behavior -- Evolution
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64437 , vital:73710
- Description: Invasive species can impact island ecosystem processes by altering species interactions through direct competition for the same resources or by predation on insular species. Seabirds on sub-Antarctic islands are naïve to any new predators and are most at risk of local extirpation. Successful eradications of invasive mammals have yielded positive ecological responses from several seabird species. On sub-Antarctic Marion Island, populations of burrowing petrels, largely targeted by Feral Cats Felis catus, have indicated slow recovery despite the successful eradication of cats in the early 1990s. House Mice Mus musculus, have since proliferated on Marion Island, aided by a warmer climate, and are severely impacting several defenceless populations of burrowing petrels. In this thesis, I investigated the contemporary breeding productivity and diet of Brown Skuas Catharacta antarctica. At Marion Island, Brown Skua breeding productivity was associated to diet, which varied between years. Skuas feeding mostly on burrowing petrels exhibited higher breeding success than pairs mostly feeding on penguins. Higher contributions of burrowing petrels were seen in the contemporary diet of skuas compared to previous diet work. The importance of penguin prey compared to their 1980 and 2010/11 diet, was largely reduced during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 breeding seasons (53 and 51%, respectively) despite a historically high dependence on this prey (78% in 1980 and 67% in 2010/11). Penguin populations have been decreasing at the island and this may be reflected in the current skua diet. Breeding productivity was not influenced by the other factors tested, i.e. weather data (daily minimum, average and maximum air temperature; daily minimum, average, maximum wind speed; daily precipitation), distance to closest penguin colony, species of penguin or number of conspecifics in a 100 m radius around the nest. Brown Skuas breeding on Marion, Gough and Mayes islands were also used as biosamplers of burrowing petrels. These birds form a large part of the skua diet and are reflected in regurgitated skua pellets. Temporal comparisons for Marion Island indicated significant changes in burrowing petrel composition since the 1980s. Blue Petrels Halobaena caerulea and Salvin’s Prions Pachyptila salvini remained the highest contributors of skua pellets, but their proportions differed with three-fold increase in Blue Petrel and 25% decrease in Salvin’s Prion remains compared to previous studies. Further, my study indicated that smaller species of burrowing petrels such as the storm-petrels and diving petrels may be returning to Marion Island, 30 years after the eradication of cats. Pellet analyses at Marion, Gough and Mayes islands also indicated that skua diet may underrepresent larger species of petrels and soft-bodied prey. Despite these limitations, skua diet can indicate the presence of burrowing petrels during summer months, more so at Marion and Mayes islands than Gough Island, where pellet collection is difficult due to dense vegetation. Prey remains, such as wings in middens, may be a more appropriate method to investigate skua diet at Gough Island. Dominant burrowing petrels indicated by pellets at each island generally reflected the most abundant breeding species; Blue Petrels and Salvin’s Prions at Marion Island, Great Shearwaters Puffinus gravis and prion Pachyptila spp. at Gough Island, and Blue Petrels and Slender-billed Prions Pachyptila belcheri at Mayes Island. Pellets provide a non-invasive method for studying species of burrowing petrels that are challenging to monitor. This method is appropriate for studies conducted during summer months, while other studies (e.g., observations, camera traps, acoustic recordings and genetics) may be more reflective of the presence of burrowing species that breed in winter or could be used in combination with skua pellets during summer months. Population monitoring is an important part of conservation as it provides insights into population change. This thesis adds to the baseline data in terms of breeding productivity and updated trophic ecology of Brown Skuas, which will be used to inform the recovery of burrowing petrels once mice have been eradicated from Marion Island. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Uphando ngenxaxheba yemithombo yosasazo ekwakheni nasekuqambeni isigama esitsha: lugxile kunomathotholo, uMhlobo Wenene kwinkqubo iBreakfast eyondlayo ekuseni
- Authors: Ntlantsana, Likona
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Sociolinguistics -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Language and languages—Phonetic transcriptions , Xhosa language--Grammar
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63451 , vital:73367
- Description: Olu phando luhlola amandla emithombo yosasazo ekwakheni nasekuqambeni isigama. Lukwenze oku ngokuphanda ngendlela abantu abawabona ngayo amagama amatsha esiXhosa aveliswe kunomathotholo, Umhlobo Wenene kwinkqubo iBreakfast Eyondlayo Ekuseni. Esi sifundo sikhangela ukwamkeleka kwala magama kuluntu. Oku kwenziwe ngokuthi kwenziwe udliwanondlebe lobuso ngobuso leqela elingqalileyo oluthe ngqo nabasasazi kunye nabaphulaphuli.Uphando lungqiyame lwaqamela ngendlela yophando edibanisa uphando olujolise kumanani nobalo kunye nophando olujolise kwinkcazo nakubunjani. Olu phando lwenziwe kwiidolophu ezimbini, iTsomo neGqeberha. Zombini ezi dolophu zikwiphondo leMpuma Koloni, eMzantsi Afrika apho abahlali abaninzi bathetha isiXhosa. ITsomo yidolophu esemaphandleni enezinga eliphantsi labantu abathetha ezinye iilwimi ngaphandle kwesiXhosa. Ngoko ke isiXhosa lolona lwimi lutshilayo eTsomo. EGqeberha kulapho Umhlobo Wenene ukhoyo. Ukusebenzisa abantu abasuka kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo kuveza iimbono ezahlukileyo ezithe zanceda ukuphendula iinjongo zolu phando. Injongo yolu phando kukukhangela inxaxheba yonomathotholo, Umhlobo Wenene ekukhuliseni ulwimi lwesiXhosa lugxile kwinkqubo iBreakfast Eyondlayo Ekuseni (BEE). Uphando luza kujolisa kumagama aveliswe kunomathotholo, Umhlobo Wenene kwinkqubo iBreakfast Eyondlayo Ekuseni. Iziphumo zophando kufikelelwe kuzo ngokuthi kuthelekiswe iimpendulo zabo kuvele isisombululo sengxaki yophando kuzo. Oku kuthe kwanceda ukuphendula umbuzo wophando ofuna ukuqonda ukuba ingaba unomthotholo, Umhlobo Wenene kwinkqubo iBreakfast Eyondlayo Ekuseni udlala inxaxheba ekhukhuliseni ulwimi lwesiXhosa? Kuyabonakala okokuba ngokwendlela asetyenziswa ngayo amagama aveliswe ngabasasazi kwinkqubo iBreakfast Eyondlayo Ekuseni abaphulaphuli bayawuvuyela kwaye bawaphindisela kubasasazi. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Using Building Information Modelling to initiate criticality to promote built environment student collaboration at the Nelson Mandela University
- Authors: Basson, Jean-Pierre
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Building information modeling -- South Africa , Architectural design -- Computer simulation , Buildings -- Computer-aided design
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64470 , vital:73736
- Description: Architectural, engineering, and construction education is fragmented, and there is no collaboration between disciplines during an architectural design project in the design studio. There is a lack of co-creation of knowledge in an interdisciplinary collaborative environment where students use critical reasoning, self-reflection, and critical action, essential skills required to become 21st century global citizens. Therefore, students from the built environment are being prepared contrary to the highly collaborative nature of the industry they are entering upon graduation. The purpose of this study is thus to determine whether adopting a digital interdisciplinary collaborative Building Information Modelling (BIM) environment in which architectural design projects promote criticality in undergraduate exit-level students. A cohort comparison study was used as a method to collect qualitative data. The 2022 cohort used the traditional design process, whereas the 2023 cohort used the BIM process, which supported interdisciplinary collaboration. Both cohorts engaged in a project and student narrative self-reflection essay. Fourteen students from the 2022 and 2023 cohorts participated in the study. The work was analysed using three cycles of coding. The first cycle focused on linguistic acts, followed by the second cycle that looked for evidence of critical reasoning, self-reflection, and action. The third cycle was based on the Habersian validity claims of truth, comprehension, and sincerity. The work of both cohorts was analysed, and findings included the following: relationships; information; emotional reasoning, and digital environment. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that the BIM process as teaching strategy promotes a higher level of criticality in students than the traditional design process. In conclusion, this research not only contributes to promoting criticality improvement in students but also enriches the existing body of knowledge relative to BIM adoption in AEC education. Moreover, it offers practical guidance for educators to assess and enhance students' critical thinking skills, ultimately advancing the field of interdisciplinary education in the digital era. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Built Environment and Civil Engineering, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Value management in government construction projects in South Africa
- Authors: Mngeni- Nobala, Thandokazi Yvonne
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Construction projects -- Management , Project management -- South Africa , Construction industry -- South Africa , Value analysis (Cost control)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64673 , vital:73845
- Description: The public sector construction industry aims to deliver infrastructure services to its client satisfactorily. However, the public sector is notorious for delivering projects that are over budget, finish years behind schedule, and are of poor quality. Value management is one way to address these challenges. This research aimed to examine the level of awareness and implementation of value management within the public sector and the benefits thereof. In this qualitative study, interviews were employed to gain insight into the level of awareness of value management within the public sector department in the Eastern Cape. A total of ten professionals in the public sector working for the Department of Public Works were purposively selected to be interviewed and the secondary data was sought through document analysis . The data was thematically analysed. The South African government requires a strategic change that will help improve awareness of value management in government infrastructure projects in South Africa which will pave the way for the full implementation of VM. The study found that the obstacle to adopting value management for public projects was the lack of knowledge and practice of value management. It was also found that the respondents were keen to implement value management and saw it as part of an important step in the planning stage of a project as it would save the department time and money. In order to improve the performance of construction projects, there is a need to adopt innovative ideas and solutions that will work for South African construction industry. Value management is one way to improve the performance of construction projects. VM should be considered at a strategic level in public sector departments to improve its applicability to meet client’s objectives. The major goal of the VM is to ensure that projects are delivered to the best function at the lowest total life cost achievable. The satisfaction of clients is a key factor of construction project success. Value Management strives to address problems which may arise such as budgetary constraints trying to decrease unnecessary costs towards the project but without causing changes to quality of the finished product. Value management is believed to be a cost-cutting exercise as perceived by many but the most importantly it focuses on function of an element or project. This means that the project is procured at the lowest possible cost by utilizing multiple cost control mechanisms without compromising the project's value and function. Value management has proven to be a practical management strategy for improving value for money, creating a better focus on project objectives, working toward more effective design, and identifying wasteful expenses due to unneeded design, material, labor, and machine. To optimise the usage of value management and to improve project performance, there is a need to adopt new concepts like value management that will work for the South African construction sector. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, School of Built Environment and Civil Engineering, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Youth participation in sports: Reconsidering the lost culture of Indigenous games in Libode, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Zide, Lumka
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Indigenous peoples -- Sports , Indigenous peoples -- Social life and customs , Minorities in sports
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63595 , vital:73506
- Description: This research focused on the Youth Participation in Sports: Reconsidering the Lost Culture of Indigenous Games in Libode, Eastern Cape. The study aimed to investigate the challenges facing indigenous games in Libode; to contribute within the anthropology of sport with specific reference to Libode in the Eastern Cape Province and to come up with recommendations with the view of addressing some of the challenges facing indigenous games in Libode. The study employed a qualitative approach and used interviews, questionnaires, observations, and participant observations as data collection methods. Data analysis was done through thematic data analysis. Cultural preservation was used as a conceptual framework for this study to understand the view of the participants in Libode. Furthermore, the literature that was reviewed in this research was based particularly on indigenous games to provide in-depth understanding the issues of indigenous games extinction as well to critique other authors who have written about indigenous games and their challenges. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Bioprospectin of medicinal cannabis from Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Odieka, Anwuli, Endurance
- Date: 2024-02
- Subjects: Organic chemistry
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/9427 , vital:73532
- Description: Cannabis sativa L. (Family Cannabaceae) has continued to attract much interest among natural product scientists in recent time because of its known medicinal values and remarkable chemical diversity. This study reports the investigation of C. sativa cultivated in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, with a view to obtaining its chemical fingerprint and isolating compounds from its stem bark for possible biological applications. Fresh and dried leaves, flowers, stem barks and roots of two Cannabis cultivars were obtained under permit NO. PIA-HP-EC-2022-0023. The fresh and dried plant materials were extracted for their essential oils (EOs), using hydro-distillation method on a Clevenger apparatus set at optimum extraction condition. The EOs were characterized by a gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The chemical components of the EOs were elucidated based on their retention indices, as well as with reference to literature report. Other portions of the dried leaf, inflorescence and stem bark of each cultivar were extracted with methanol. The methanol extract was profiled for its cannabinoid content using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) based metabolomics approach, with reference to standard cannabinoids (∆9-THC, ∆9-THCA, and CBD). Lastly, the dried stem bark of Cultivar II was investigated for its compounds. The stem bark powder was subjected to sequential extraction at room temperature with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol. Based on the TLC analysis, the afforded n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts were further individually fractionated on a repeated column chromatography, using silica gel and Sephadex LH20 as stationary phases. The column fractionation process led to the isolation of seven compounds, E1-E4, A20, A21, and A23. The isolated compounds were characterized by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer and ultra high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to a mass spectrometer, respectively. The results from the study showed that the EOs of the C. sativa cultivars contain majorly sesquiterpenes in their oxygenated and non-oxygenated forms. Caryophyllene (0.6421.4%), caryophyllene oxide (1.27-20.34%), -pinene (0.35-13.21%), D-limonene (0.51-10.99%), humulene (0.37-10.56%), humulene-1,2-epoxide (0.45-5.98%), pinene (0.16-5.22%), nerolidol (0.32-4.99%), -myrcene (0.31-4.23%), -selinene (0.92-2.51%), and trans--bergamotene (0.50-2.70%), were the main terpene constituents of the EOs in both cultivars. Neutral cannabinoids were also detected in both cultivars with cannabidiol found in significant amount up to 85.03% in the fresh stem oil (LSO) of Cultivar I (Lifter). LC-MS fingerprints revealed that Cultivar I had the highest accumulation of cannabinoids with CBDA having the highest amount (88.65%) in the stembark and CBD at about 23% in the leaves. The inflorescence (flower) contained 51.55% of CBDA. Cultivar II had the least number of cannabinoids but contains the highest amount of ∆9-THCA (94.8%) in the leaf sample. Cultivar II showed ∆9-THCA and ∆9-THC dominant profiles with less than 2% of ∆8-THC. ∆9-THC, ∆8- THC were the only neutral cannabinoids detected in Cultivar II while CBD, ∆9-THC, and ∆8- THC were found in significant amounts in Cultivar I. The compounds isolated from the stem bark of Cultivar II were elucidated as five triterpenoids: Sativalenic acid ethyl ester (E1), Phyllanthone (E2), Friedelin (E3), Sativalonone (A20) and Sativaol (A23); an alkaloid, Sativacherine (E4); and a fatty acid ester, Ethyl stearate (A21). Four of these compounds are newly described, while all the compounds are reported for the first time from the Eastern Cape Cultivar (Cherrywine) of C. sativa stem. , Thesis (PHD) -- Faculty of Natural Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-02
1stWeEat! The story of a food gardening intervention in Makhanda’s ECD centres
- Authors: Olvitt, Lausanne , Green, Nicola , Ntlabezo, Sisesakhe
- Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401198 , vital:69713 , ISBN 978-0-7961-2949-9 , DOI http://doi.org/10.21504/10962/401198
- Description: No abstract yet
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- Date Issued: 2024
Characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species associating with Zea mays
- Authors: Maússe-Sitoe, Silvia , Dames, Joanna F
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440339 , vital:73775 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1345229
- Description: Taxonomic identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal spores extracted directly from the field is sometimes difficult because spores are often degraded or parasitized by other organisms. Single-spore inoculation of a suitable host plant allows for establishing monosporic cultures of AM fungi. This study aimed to propagate AM fungal spores isolated from maize soil using single spores for morphological characterization. First, trap cultures were established to trigger the sporulation of AM fungal species. Second, trap cultures were established with individual morphotypes by picking up only one spore under a dissecting microscope and transferring it to a small triangle of sterilized filter paper, which was then carefully inoculated below a root from germinated sorghum seeds in each pot and covered with a sterile substrate. All pots were placed in sunbags and maintained in a plant growth room for 120 days.
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- Date Issued: 2024
Computer Science Education in Selected Countries from Sub-Saharan Africa
- Authors: Bainomugisha, Engineer , Bradshaw, Karen L , Ujakpa, Martin Mabeifam , Nakatumba-Nabende, Joyce , Nderu, Lawrence , Mduma, Neema , Kihoza, Patrick , Irungu, Annette
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440223 , vital:73758 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3643037"
- Description: Computer Science education in sub-Saharan Africa has evolved over the past decades. The number of institutions offering distinct undergraduate programs has grown, thus increasing the number of students enrolling in the computer science discipline. Several computer science degree programs have emerged with one of the objectives being to satisfy the growing demand for local talent and skills. In this paper, we provide a snapshot of the evolution of undergraduate computer science education in selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 20+ years and an overview of the developments in computer science education and observed trends. The setup of educational institutions in Africa and the operational context requires unique modalities for the design and delivery of computer science education that meets the demands of the industry, amongst others. This paper provides insights into the best practices in the computer science curricula in the selected countries, as well as an overview of the pedagogical and delivery approaches to computer science education. The paper highlights case studies from institutions in the selected countries, namely Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya with a consolidated summary of the current and emerging challenges and opportunities in all these countries. The paper concludes by providing persectives on the future landscape of computer science in Sub-Saharan Africa.Computer Science Education in Selected Countries from Sub-Saharan AfricaBy Engineer Bainomugisha, Makerere University, Uganda, Karen Bradshaw, Rhodes University, South Africa, Martin Mabeifam Ujakpa, Ghana Communication Technology University, Ghana, Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende, Makerere University, Uganda, Lawrence Nderu, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, Neema Mduma, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tanzania, Patrick Kihoza, Mzumbe University, Tanzania and Annette Irungu, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
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- Date Issued: 2024
Data Visualization of Budgeting Assumptions: An Illustrative Case of Trans-disciplinary Applied Knowledge
- Authors: Cuthbert, Carol E , Pearse, Noel J , Bradshaw, Karen L
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440236 , vital:73759 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.54808/JSCI.22.01.130"
- Description: Trans-disciplinary research combines different fields into new conceptual and methodological frameworks. In this study, the SECI model of knowledge creation, which consists of Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization conversion modes, is used to analyze the implementation of a structured budgeting visualization system by a trans-disciplinary team. Through applied research in implementing a global budgeting system, budgeting assumptions are made explicit through visualization, transforming the approach to the budgeting process and its accuracy. This visualization, in turn, is enabled by assumptions underlying revenue planning, business services and employee compensation, and a visual process. The system displays a stepped approach, indicated by icons, representing the tasks involved in the budget process. For example, the system requires uploading the previous year’s information, setting the assumptions, calculating the suggested figures based on assumptions, and amending the proposed outcome. As adapted by Rice and Rice (2005), SECI is applied as the socialization of tacit-to-tacit budgeting assumption knowledge is solidified during the design phase of this transformation exercise. The externalization phase, in which budgeting assumptions are transformed from tacit to explicit, is evidenced during the configuration phase of the new system. The systemic collaboration results in the explicit assumptions being collectively leveraged across the regions during and after the “go-live” phase of system development. Finally, the internalization phase involves the explicit assumptions being transformed into new tacit knowledge as the experts evolve new assumptions derived from the transformation process. Semiotics provides variance information through hue, with, for example, darker colours indicating higher variances. This trans-disciplinary communication provides the means for increased efficiency and effectiveness. The resulting budget framework is visually validated through a heatmap by comparing the budgeting accuracy and assumption complexity between the different regions where it was implemented. In summary, value is added in developing a new data visualization process, focusing on the role of budgeting assumptions and using planning process visualizations. This approach improves communication efficiency, effectiveness, and understanding of budgeting while enhancing accuracy.
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- Date Issued: 2024
Holding a mirror up to Academic Development through the HELTASA (un) conferencing methodology
- Authors: Williams, Sandra , Adams, Anthea , Geduld-van Wyk, Charlene , Muhuro, Patricia
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425705 , vital:72277 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.14426/cristal.v12iSI1.2117"
- Description: We, Academic Development (AD) practitioners, question whether AD's objective in South Africa (SA) as a'liberatory educational and social movement'to enhance educational quality for all students, is effectively pursued. AD practitioners often work on the fringes of the academy, fighting for relevance and legitimacy within an increasingly performative and managerialist academic culture. Despite innovative AD initiatives AD work is criticised for being unresponsive, unreflexive, conformist, and lacking theoretical, scholarly, and critical engagement. We use critical pedagogical praxis, particularly the constructs of critique, reflexivity, power, and self-reflection, to interrogate the continuous tension between AD intention and practice. Through (un) conference methodology, this auto-ethnographic account of individual and collective engagements, using the" holding the mirror up" metaphor, critically questioned the tension and misalignments between the AD mandate and practices. Although in a SA higher education context, this research could be beneficial to HE contexts globally, given the ubiquity of AD work.
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- Date Issued: 2024
Human–crocodile interactions in the western Solomon Islands: the importance of local data for reducing attacks on people
- Authors: Shankar, Aswani , Matanzima, Joshua
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/439922 , vital:73720 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060532300176X"
- Description: Interactions between people and the saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus frequently occur on islands and in coastal regions. Saltwater crocodiles impact people's lives and livelihoods by attacking them, resulting in minor or serious injuries, and by interfering in people's foraging activities. Retaliation may include killing the crocodiles involved. To reduce such human–crocodile interactions, data about the occurrence of incidents are required. We present data on encounters with crocodiles and attacks on people in the Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands. Data includes time of incident, gender, age and activity of the victim, water conditions and what happened to the crocodile after the incident. We used a questionnaire to capture the details of incidents that occurred during 2000–2020 in the villages of Dunde, Baraulu, Nusa Hope and Kozou. Most incidents were in the evening, mostly involving women, and most victims were aged 20–39 years or ≥ 60 years. In all cases people were attacked while gleaning for shellfish in the mangroves. Attacks occurred irrespective of whether the water was clear or murky, and in all cases the crocodiles were not killed. Such site-specific data will facilitate the formulation of strategies for reducing negative interactions between people and crocodiles in this particular location. Although the saltwater crocodile is categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, research such as this provides data that can be used for promoting coexistence with and conservation of this species.
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- Date Issued: 2024
Maize seed variety identification model using image processing and deep learning
- Authors: Gebeyehu, Seffi , Shibeshi, Zelalem S
- Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429191 , vital:72566 , DOI: 10.11591/ijeecs.v33.i2.pp990-9985
- Description: Maize is Ethiopia’s dominant cereal crop regarding area coverage and production level. There are different varieties of maize in Ethiopia. Maize varieties are classified based on morphological features such as shape and size. Due to the nature of maize seed and its rotation variant, studies are still needed to identify Ethiopian maize seed varieties. With expert eyes, identification of maize seed varieties is difficult due to their similar morphological features and visual similarities. We proposed a hybrid feature-based maize variety identification model to solve this problem. For training and testing the model, images of each maize variety were collected from the adet agriculture and research center (AARC), Ethiopia. A multi-class support vector machine (MCSVM) classifier was employed on a hybrid of handcrafted (ie, gabor and histogram of oriented gradients) and convolutional neural network (CNN)-based feature selection techniques and achieved an overall classification accuracy of 99%.
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- Date Issued: 2024
South African government responses to Trump's Global Gag Rule: Silence, ignorance, and avoidance
- Authors: Ndabula, Yanela , Macleod, Catriona I , du Plessis, Ulandi , Moore, Sarah-Ann
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441299 , vital:73875 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/02610183241229046"
- Description: In 2017, Donald Trump signed the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA), thereby reinstating the Global Gag Rule. The policy restricted all United States foreign funding from abortion-related activities. Little research reports the responses of recipients of this bilateral assistance. The study documents the South African government's responses to the PLGHA. We accessed Hansard parliamentary debates, interviewed four parliamentarians alongside one government official, and reviewed a USAID-funded initiative developed while the policy was in effect. We analysed the data using interpretive content analysis through a global social policy and gendered coloniality lens. Our research documents silence, ignorance, avoidance, and possible over-interpretation of the PLGHA within the South African government. The colonialist politics of global redistribution created the grounds for gendered regulation, resulting in a fundamental undermining of reproductive rights. Ironically, the solution – advocacy and parliamentarian briefing regarding sexual and reproductive issues – is generally led by civil society, the bodies weakened by the PLGHA.
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- Date Issued: 2024
Systematic effects and mitigation strategies in observations of cosmic re-ionisation with the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array
- Authors: Charles, Ntsikelelo
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432605 , vital:72886 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432605
- Description: The 21 cm transition from neutral Hydrogen promises to be the best observational probe of the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR). It has driven the construction of the new generation of lowfrequency radio interferometric arrays, including the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA). The main difficulty in measuring the 21 cm signal is the presence of bright foregrounds that require very accurate interferometric calibration. However, the non-smooth instrumental response of the antenna as a result of mutual coupling complicates the calibration process by introducing non-smooth calibration errors. Additionally, incomplete sky models are typically used in calibration due to the limited depth and resolution of current source catalogues. Combined with the instrumental response, the use of incomplete sky models during calibration can result in non-smooth calibration errors. These, overall, impart spectral structure on smooth foregrounds, leading to foreground power leakage into the EoR window. In this thesis we explored the use of fringe rate filters (Parsons et al., 2016) as a mean to mitigate calibration errors resulting from the effects of mutual coupling and the use of an incomplete sky model during calibration. We found that the use of a simple notch filter mitigates calibration errors reducing the foreground power leakage into the EoR window by a factor of ∼ 102. Thyagarajan et al. (2018) proposed the use of closure phase quantities as a means to detect the 21 cm signal, which has the advantage of being independent (to first order) from calibration errors and, therefore, bypasses the need for accurate calibration. In this thesis, we explore the impact of primary beam patterns affected by mutual coupling on the closure phase. We found that primary beams affected by mutual coupling lead to a leakage of foreground power into the EoR window, which can be up to ∼ 104 times and is mainly caused by the unsmooth spectral structure primary of primary beam sidelobes affected by mutual coupling. This power leakage was confined to k < 0.3 pseudo h Mpc−1. Lastly, we also proposed and demonstrated an analysis technique that can be used to derive a flux scale correction in post-calibrated HERA data. We found that after applying flux scale correction to calibrated HERA data, the bandpass error reduces significantly, with an improvement of 6%. The derived flux scale correction was antenna-independent, and it can be applied to fix the overall visibility spectrum scale of H4C data post-calibration in a fashion similar to Jacobs et al. (2013). , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Physics and Electronics, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024