Emergent governance practices in the University of Malawi following reform implementation from 1997 to 2013
- Authors: Nampota, Tarsizius
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Education, Higher -- Malawi , Universities and colleges -- Malawi , University of Malawi , Educational change -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1330 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019933
- Description: Higher education reform is an international phenomenon and one that greatly impacts on the form and function of Universities in society. I set out in this study to investigate the University of Malawi’s (UNIMA) experiences with governance reforms after observing that no comprehensive study of this process had been undertaken following the implementation of these reforms from 1997. I used Bhaskar’s Critical Realist Theory as my main theoretical framework because my intention was to understand the mechanisms from which such reforms emerged: the emergent governance practices and properties enabling or constraining governance reforms in UNIMA. I employed Archer’s Social Realist Theory in my research design and interpretation of the results, which entailed that I focus on issues of structure, culture and agency in UNIMA governance. I have established that the governance context in UNIMA in 1995 at the time the reforms were being considered was one that promoted the continuation of the status quo because the Malawi Government’s vested interest then was to exercise great control over UNIMA at system, institutional and disciplinary level of governance due to the political imperatives of the time in Malawi. However, this situation was frustrating to many in the University as it greatly impeded academic freedom. Furthermore, in 1995 the University relied heavily on Government’s financial structures. When these were subjected to structural reforms under the influence of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the early nineties the impact seriously undermined the University’s revenue base and threatened to challenge further the realization of the University’s objectives. This prompted changes in the administrative and academic governance structures and culture intended to improve utilisation of the available limited resources as well as to broaden the University’s revenue base. The governance reform measures that were introduced were mainly influenced by New Public Management (NPM) ideologies. Most of the reforms intended to transform the administrative structures and culture were successfully implemented. The study revealed that this was enabled by the interests of those operating at disciplinary levels who were frustrated by the previous constraining governance context and who viewed such reforms as bringing about the self-governance they lacked. However, the majority of the reforms that were mainly targeted at academic restructuring were resisted because they were construed as contradictory to the interests of those in the academy particularly those concerned with matters of academic freedom. The study further revealed that the academic reforms were constrained by a lack of agency for change management and weak leadership at the top senior level of the University. In addition, there have been delays in amending the UNIMA Act, which should have catalysed some of the reforms, a scenario that has perpetuated many aspects of the institutional level of governance. Consequently, compared to the situation before the reforms were introduced, governance in UNIMA at the time of reporting manifested two scenarios: (a) an elaboration in governance practices at systems level where Government machinery exercises control and at enterprise (college) level where faculties and academic departments operate promoting cultural morphogenesis, or changes at the level of ideas, beliefs and values, which in turn is exerting pressure on governance practices at institutional level; and (b) morphostasis, or lack of change, at institutional levels of the governance exacerbated by the lack of amendment of the UNIMA Act and weak leadership. The findings have also led to uncertainty regarding the unitary nature of the University. There are fears that once the UNIMA Act is amended the four colleges forming UNIMA might break away to become separate universities.
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Epistemological access in a science foundation course: a social realist perspective
- Authors: Ellery, Karen
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1335 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021309
- Description: This dissertation examines how educational practices of a multidisciplinary, integrated science foundation course, Introduction to Science Concepts and Methods (ISCM), at Rhodes University in South Africa, enable and/or constrain epistemological access to a range of mainstream science disciplines. Students in the ISCM course are mainly African, working-class, first-generation higher education learners whose home language is seldom English. This study is motivated firstly by poor success of working-class African students in higher education in South Africa in general and in the sciences in particular, and secondly by the need for closely theorised, empirical work to guide necessary transformational change that will contribute to equity and, thus, to greater social justice. Since I teach in ISCM and coordinate the programme in which it is located, I also have a personal and professional interest in improving my own practice. Conceptually the study draws on Morrow’s (2007, 2009) and various literacy theorists interpretations of the concept of epistemological access, which in this study is about becoming and being a participant in an academic practice by virtue of learning both the knowledge as well as the norms, values and beliefs that constitute the practice. Theoretically and analytically the study draws on Maton’s (2014a) Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) and on various aspects of Bernstein’s (2000) code theory work. Codes are the organising principles or ‘rules of the game’ of practices and code theory is premised on the idea that power and control in education systems manifest themselves through the structural and interactional aspects of educational practices, and therefore have the capacity to include or exclude. Analysing educational practices using code theory enables characterisation of the practices, highlights their underpinning principles, and allows for their effects to be considered. This layered approach to analysis indicates that a critical realist depth ontology serves as an underlabourer to code theory. The desired ‘effect’ of educational practices in this study, is students gaining epistemological access to science, or science disciplines, in higher education. The overall approach is a single, in-depth, qualitative case study with a primary focus on what is legitimated in ISCM educational practices (curriculum, pedagogy, assessment) and how students respond to these practices. A lesser focus is how ex-ISCM students are responding to educational practices in the first-year, first-semester Cell Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics mainstream courses, and whether they are attaining epistemological access. To examine educational practices in ISCM and mainstream courses data from document analysis, interviews, observations and critical reflections are analysed through developing external languages of description. The two LCT code dimensions of Specialisation (what or who specialises a practice) and Semantics (how meaning relates to context and empirical referents) are used to examine curriculum, Bernstein’s (2000) framing of the regulative and instructional discourses are drawn on in considering pedagogy, and an adapted cognitive process level model assists in analysing assessment practices. To examine student responses to educational practices Bernstein’s (ibid.) concept of acquisition of recognition and realisation rules is used. Since ISCM serves the dual purpose of developing scientific conceptual knowledge, as well as supporting student learning in an academic context, a complex picture of practices and underpinning codes emerges. Based on epistemological concerns of developing students as scientists, ISCM legitimates an epistemic-context knowledge code and a rhizomatic/worldly curriculum code. If students produce the legitimated epistemic-context scientific ‘text’, they have attained epistemic access. Based on axiological concerns of the learning context, ISCM also legitimates a learning-context knower code. By producing the legitimate learning-context ‘text’ of an autonomous, self-regulated science learner, students demonstrate they have attained learning-context access. Both forms of access are key for student success, and combined they constitute epistemological access. The findings of the study indicate that framing and legitimation of educational practices in ISCM, by most accounts, should be promoting epistemological access. When epistemological access is not attained in ISCM it is suggested this is likely due to both a code clash at the learning-context level and competing code demands between epistemic-context and learning-context concerns. Poor access in mainstream courses appears to be exacerbated by both a narrow-based knowledge code and little or no support for a learning-context knower code. The study concludes by outlining a two-tiered conceptual model of epistemological access in the sciences based on the mutually integrative components of epistemic- and learning-context access. Because of inequitable outcomes in science mainstream courses at Rhodes University based on race and/or class I argue for far-reaching transformative pedagogies throughout the faculty, and in the broader South African science higher education sector, that address and accommodate issues of diversity and difference. This should include, amongst other things, a weakening of epistemic relations to create space for a strengthening of learning-context social relations. This is not a suggestion to move away from a science knowledge code, which I argue is based on powerful knowledge to which all students must gain access, but instead a shift in emphasis to better support previously educationally disenfranchised students and to understand in a more rigorous manner what epistemological access means to them as individuals. In light of the recent disruptive and angry student calls for decolonisation of the curriculum, this is an urgent imperative.
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Evaluation of Fungcoal as a bioprocess technology for self-cladding of waste coal dumps
- Authors: Sekhohola, Lerato M
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Coal mine waste , Fungi -- Biotechnology , Coal -- Biodegradation , Bermuda grass -- Biotechnology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019992
- Description: Low-grade coal, a poor source of energy, has long been regarded as waste material by the coal mining industry. Biological degradation of this coal material by ligninolytic fungal strains presents a viable strategy towards eliminating this unusable fossil fuel. To this end, a novel and patented bioprocess termed Fungcoal was developed. Fungcoal is a biological process utilised in the in situ treatment of waste coal and is based on the mutualistic relationship between the fungus Neosartorya fischeri and the graminaceous species Cynodon dactylon. The process facilitates the rapid conversion of waste coal into soil-like material that stimulates establishment of vegetation for eventual coal dump rehabilitation. While a number of in vitro studies have identified various fungal strains as efficient coal degraders, the mechanisms involved in the Fungcoal-stimulated degradation process have not been fully elucidated. Furthermore, implementation of Fungcoal at both pilot and commercial scale has not been achieved. Thus the objective of this work was to investigate Fungcoal as a bioprocess via examining the role of coal degrading fungi (CDF) and grasses as biocatalysts in coal biodegradation and for the self-cladding of waste coal dumps. Initially, waste coal degradation by N. fischeri, strain ECCN 84, was investigated, specifically focusing on the mechanisms underpinning the process. In vitro studies showed the addition of waste coal induced active fungal colonisation resulting in increased fungal biomass. Increased extracellular laccase (LAC) activity, occuring concomitantly with an increase in hyphal peroxisome proliferation, was also observed in the coal supplied fungal cultures. Analysis of the colonised waste coal revealed a time dependent reduction in the percentage weight of elemental carbon coupled with an increase in elemental oxygen. The results supported metabolism and degradation of waste coal by N. fischeri strain ECCN 84 and involvement of fungal extracellular laccase. The contribution of C. dactylon, a C4 grass species to in situ biodegradation of waste coal in the presence of coal degrading and mycorrhizal fungi (MF) was also investigated. Enhanced degradation of the waste coal into a humic soil-like material was observed within the rhizosphere. Analysis of the resultant substrate revealed an increased concentration of highly oxidised humic-like substances (HS). Fungi remained viable in the rhizosphere up to 47 weeks post-inoculation and cultivation of C. dactylon, indicating the resultant humic substance-rich rhizosphere provided an environment conducive for microbial proliferation and activity. Furthermore, humic substance enrichment of waste coal substrates supported germination and seedling emergence of several agronomic species including Zea mays (corn), Phaseolus vulgaris (bean), Pisum sativum (pea), and Spinacia oleracea (spinach). Use of various cladding materials to support coal biodegradation, by fungus-grass mutualism and rehabilitation of waste dumps was evaluated at commercial scale. While substantial physico-chemical changes were not evident in the absence of cladding or where waste coal was used as cladding material, successful establishment of grass cover and diversity was achieved within three hydrological cycles on dumps cladded with weathered coal. Work presented in this thesis successfully demonstrates the degradation of waste coal by N. fischeri. The biodegradation process included enhanced extracellular LAC activity coupled with increased 3 waste coal oxidation. Increased HS concentration of waste coal substrate supported germination and early seedling establishment of several agronomic species. At commercial scale a co-substrate in the form of carbon-rich weathered coal was essential to support fungus-grass mutualism and Fungcoal-induced rehabilitation. These findings support the developed Fungcoal concept and the underpinning rationale that the phyto-biodegradation of waste coal indeed depends on the mutualistic interactions between grass root exudates and the ligninolytic and mycorrhizal fungi. Taken together, these findings provide practical evidence of the contribution of fungi and grasses as mutualists in the biodegradation of waste coal and sustainable rehabilitation of waste coal dumps
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Examining the influence of non-governmental organizations upon the long term outcomes of the involuntary community resettlement processes: with special reference to the Kariba case, Zambia
- Authors: Sitambuli, Emma
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2125 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021263
- Description: Researchers have clearly demonstrated that Development‐Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR) usually risks impoverishing people and that annually, millions are displaced as a result. Although the impacts and consequences of resettlement are known, over the next couple of decades, development projects will continue to be needed to meet the different demands of growing economies and populations, of especially developing countries, making relocation sometimes unavoidable. Hence, over the years, many scholars have developed conceptual frameworks to understand and explain the impoverishment risks inherent in the resettlement phenomenon; and how those can be anticipated so as to be positively counteracted through strategic interactions and the implementation of development activities. Generally, the majority of those development activities to improve resettlement outcomes have often been planned, funded, and executed by the government, albeit with mixed levels of success, yet the possibilities of other development institutions such as Non‐Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have not been fully understood. However, a great deal of what is known about NGOs relates to their work in advocacy and activism to pressure governments to, for example, change relocation plans or raise awareness on the negative impacts of development projects on people and environment. Therefore, this thesis examines the influence of NGOs upon the on‐going outcomes of the involuntary community resettlement processes. The empirical basis is ethnographic research, which integrated several resettlement conceptual frameworks and theories about NGOs to collect and analyse data. Fieldwork was carried out in four villages of Simamba i.e. Malata, Kafwakuduli, Nangoba and Hamukonde. Simamba is one of the riverine Gwembe chiefdoms resettled following the construction of the Kariba dam on the Zambezi River bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe. The ethnographic research for this thesis was conducted from 2013 to 2015. In this thesis, I demonstrate that spatial factors influenced the resettlement trajectory using evidence from Simamba’s pre and post resettlement situation. I conclude by arguing that sustained contributions of the NGO type of development can positively influence the long‐term outcomes of involuntary community resettlement processes, and that problems that occurred were largely related to the management of the community development activities by the NGO under study. Therefore, this thesis is relevant to resettlement and development studies in general.
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Exploring functionings and conversion factors in biodiversity teacher professional learning communities
- Authors: Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka Alina Nambashun
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2080 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021313
- Description: The study explores the conversion factors, functionings (valued beings and doings), agency and structures in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for Life Sciences teachers’ biodiversity knowledge. The teachers’ valued beings and doings as well as conversion factors associated with these beings and doings were discussed within the conceptual framework of the capability approach using three PLCs in South Africa. Two PLCs were in the Eastern Cape Province (Grahamstown and Idutywa district), and one PLC was in the Western Cape (Cape Town) province. The PLCs involved in this study were course initiated and were positioned in the Fundisa for Change national teacher education programme. Fundisa for Change is a partnership programme that aims to enhance transformative environmental learning through teacher education. To illuminate constrained capabilities and how and to what extent the Life Sciences teachers’ empirical actions are related to these, the concepts of the capability approach were underlaboured with critical realism’s causal view of human action. A critical realist theory of causation was useful in explaining how the teachers’ valued beings and doings, conversion factors and capability sets can be partly accounted for via an understanding of underlying mechanisms that are generative of events and empirical experience. The study used a qualitative case study research methodology. Interviews, questionnaires, observations (of PLC activities), document reviews (of teachers’ portfolios of evidence, Fundisa for Change implementation plan, evaluation forms and resources materials, and policy documents) and reflection tools were used to collect data. Using the critical realism modes of inference (induction, abduction and retroduction), the data was analysed in two phases. Phase one analysis was primarily inductive and used thick descriptions (mainly in the form of quotes) to present and discuss the teachers’ valued beings and doings and associated conversion factors in the PLCs. This phase of analysis was abductive. The study reported four main functionings valued by teachers: subject content knowledge, teaching practices, assessment practices, and use of teaching and learning support materials. These valued functionings were discussed in light of the beings and doings in the PLCs and the underlying mechanisms related to teachers’ biodiversity teaching. Conversion factors that were associated with the teachers’ valued beings and doings in the PLCs were discussed in line with capability approach’s environmental, social and personal conversion factors. The study found that most of the conversion factors within the PLCs and the Fundisa for Change professional development programme (good facilitation, collaborative learning space, site where PLC activities happened, individual teachers’ capabilities, teaching and learning support materials and policy documents) were enablers to the teachers’ capabilities for biodiversity teaching, and thus enhanced teachers’ knowledge for biodiversity teaching. The study further found that teachers realised some of their achieved functionings in their actual teaching of biodiversity content in the Life Sciences curriculum, and that factors such as lack of resources, large class sizes, learners’ abilities and lack of interest among some teachers were amongst the factors that constrained teachers’ realisation of their achieved functionings in the PLCs. The study therefore revealed that if professional development programmes take account of underlying mechanisms and respond to teachers’ capabilities i.e. their valued functionings for biodiversity teaching in the Life Sciences curriculum, the professional development programmes can be an important conversion factor that enables the expansion of teachers’ capabilities (especially their biodiversity knowledge, pedagogical and assessment practice but also other capabilities) in ways that have the potential to reshape teachers’ classroom practices related to the teaching of biodiversity.
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Facebook, youth and political action: a comparative study of Zimbabwe and South Africa
- Authors: Mare, Admire
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3553 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021259
- Description: This comparative multi-sited study examines how, why and when politically engaged youths in distinctive national and social movement contexts use Facebook to facilitate political activism. As part of the research objectives, this study is concerned with investigating how and why youth activists in Zimbabwe and South Africa use the popular corporate social network site for political purposes. The study explores the discursive interactions and micro-politics of participation which plays out on selected Facebook groups and pages. It also examines the extent to which the selected Facebook pages and groups can be considered as alternative spaces for political activism. It also documents and analyses the various kinds of political discourses (described here as digital hidden transcripts) which are circulated by Zimbabwean and South African youth activists on Facebook fan pages and groups. Methodologically, this study adopts a predominantly qualitative research design although it also draws on quantitative data in terms of levels of interaction on Facebook groups and pages. Consequently, this study engages in data triangulation which allows me to make sense of how and why politically engaged youths from a range of six social movements in Zimbabwe and South Africa use Facebook for political action. In terms of data collection techniques, the study deploys social media ethnography (online participant observation), qualitative content analysis and in-depth interviews. Theoretically, this study jettisons the Habermasian theory of public sphere in favour of Fraser’s (1990) concept of the subaltern counter-publics, Scott’s (1985) metaphor of hidden transcripts and some insightful views on popular culture gleaned from African studies. Melding these ideas into a synthesised theoretical frame, this study argues that Facebook fan pages and groups can be conceptualised as parallel discursive arenas where marginalised groups (including politically active youths) have a political life outside the dominant mediated public sphere often in ways that are generally viewed as “irrational” and “non-political” in mainstream Western literature. This study also proposes ways of enriching Fraser’s concept of subaltern counter-publics by incorporating elements from Scott’s metaphor of hidden transcripts in order to analyse the various kinds of political discourses which are circulated on social media. The findings demonstrate that youth activists in Zimbabwe and South Africa are using Facebook to engage in traditional and alternative forms of political participation. Findings show that Facebook in both political contexts is deployed for transmitting and accessing civic and political information, as a conduit for online donations and fundraising, for contacting political decision makers, as a venue of political activism, as an advertising platform for social and political events and as a platform for everyday political talk. It demonstrates that the broader political context shapes and constraints the localised appropriations of Facebook for political purposes in ways that deconstructs some of the postulations of the cyber-optimist and pessimist approaches. The study also found that youth activists in Zimbabwe and South Africa used Facebook in their own unique ways as shaped and dictated by the broader political and mediated opportunity structures. It argues that youth’s engagement with social media platforms for political purposes should be understood in their own terms without necessarily imposing inflexible boundaries on what counts as political participation. Although Facebook like other social media platforms foster avenues for cognitive engagement, discursive participation and political mobilisation, these political practices are not immune to the influences of offline processes. Youth activists in all the six case organisations used Facebook as a complementary and supplementary space for political processes rather than as a standalone platform. The study also argues that compared to South Africa, the political uses of Facebook in Zimbabwe are largely influenced by practices of state surveillance. It also found that whilst youth activists in South Africa are deploying Facebook to supplement traditional methods of political activism, their counterparts in Zimbabwe are using the same technology to circumvent the restricted political and media environment. The findings also indicate that youth activists in both countries are using Facebook as a change agent tool within the broader media ecology which is characterised by the increasing interpenetration of older and newer media platforms. In terms of micro-politics of participation and discursive interactions, this study found that Facebook pages and groups should viewed as a “sites of power” where corporate forces and platform specific code coalesce together fostering “algorithmic” gatekeeping practices and the favouring of paid for content over non-paid for user-generated-content which ultimately affects activists’ visibility and reach within the online media ecology. These gatekeeping practices therefore further complicate claims by cyber-optimists that social media platforms are the sine qua non spaces for symmetrical and democratic participation. This study argues that “subtle forms of control” characterise the much glorified participatory cultures on Facebook in ways that defy optimistic accounts of the role of new media in political change.
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Field evaluation of the use of select entomopathogenic fungal isolates as microbial control agents of the soil-dwelling life stages of a key South African citrus pest, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
- Authors: Coombes, Candice Anne
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/507 , vital:19965
- Description: The control of false codling moth (FCM), Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick, 1912) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in citrus orchards is strongly reliant on the use of integrated pest management as key export markets impose stringent chemical restrictions on exported fruit and have a strict no entry policy towards this phytosanitary pest. Most current, registered control methods target the above-ground life stages of FCM, not the soil-dwelling life stages. As such, entomopathogenic fungi which are ubiquitous, percutaneously infective soil-borne microbes that have been used successfully as control agents worldwide, present ideal candidates as additional control agents. Following an initial identification of 62 fungal entomopathogens isolated from soil collected from citrus orchards in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, further laboratory research has highlighted three isolates as having the greatest control potential against FCM subterranean life stages: Metarhizium anisopliae G 11 3 L6 (Ma1), M. anisopliae FCM Ar 23 B3 (Ma2) and Beauveria bassiana G Ar 17 B3 (Bb1). These isolates are capable of causing above 80% laboratory-induced mycosis of FCM fifth instars. Whether this level of efficacy was obtainable under sub-optimal and fluctuating field conditions was unknown. Thus, this thesis aimed to address the following issues with regards to the three most laboratory-virulent fungal isolates: field efficacy, field persistence, optimal application rate, application timing, environmental dependency, compatibility with fungicides and the use of different wetting agents to promote field efficacy. Following fungal application to one hectare treatment blocks in the field, FCM infestation within fruit was reduced by 28.3% to 81.7%. Isolate Bb1 performed best under moderate to high soil moisture whilst Ma2 was more effective under low soil moisture conditions. All isolates, with the exception of Ma2 at one site, were recorded in the soil five months post-application. None of the wetting agents tested were found to be highly toxic to fungal germination and similar physical suspension characteristics were observed. Fungicide toxicity varied amongst isolates and test conditions. However, only Dithane (a.i. mancozeb) was considered incompatible with isolate Ma2. The implication of these results and the way forward is discussed. This study is the first report of the field efficacy of three laboratory-virulent fungal isolates applied to the soil of conventional citrus orchards against FCM soil-dwelling life stages. As such, it provides a foundation on which future research can build to ensure the development and commercialisation of a cost-effective and consistently reliable product.
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Financial characteristics of the nonprofit organisation: theory and evidence for the assessment of the financial condition of South African public universities
- Authors: Bunting, Mark Bevan
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:923 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021298 , http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3392-554X
- Description: In this thesis, an analytical framework is developed for the assessment of the financial condition of South African public universities. Foundational constructs of nonprofit economics are applied in the consideration of financial theories of nonprofit organisations in general, and public universities in particular. From this review, a number of hypotheses are developed. Each of these specifies a positive or negative association between a university's financial condition and a particular dimension of its assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses and surplus. From the nonprofit financial analysis literature, ratios and indicators relevant to these hypotheses are selected. Audited data from the annual financial statements of the universities for the seven year period 2007 to 2013 are substantially transformed in mitigation of failures in accounting, auditing and accountability. The adjusted accounting numbers are used to calculate the financial indicators applicable to each university. Exploratory factor analysis is implemented to categorise and organise this large indicator set on the basis of identified associations with a smaller number of factors. It is found that the financial condition of South African public universities is defined by two broad financial characteristics, capital and revenue. Assessment of the capital dimension is informed by a focus on institutional equity, with particular emphasis on expendable equity and its proportionate relationships with surplus, total capital, and total expenses. The revenue dimension is appropriately evaluated in the context of a comparative and interactive consideration of the three main components of South African public university revenue, as well as the proportionate relationship between non-staff operating expenses and total expenses. The framework displays considerable levels of stability and consistency over the seven year review period, and its constructs are, in addition, robust to the application of multiple alternative confirmatory tests involving financial data that are independent of the factor solutions. The financial condition assessment framework developed in this thesis offers a contribution to a broader discourse in nonprofit finance and accounting, with a focus on public university finances.
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Gold nanoparticle–based colorimetric probes for dopamine detection
- Authors: Ngomane, Nokuthula
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4565 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021261
- Description: Colorimetric probes have become important tools in analysis and biomedical technology. This thesis reports on the development of such probes for the detection of dopamine (DA). Liquid and different solid state probes were developed utilizing un–functionalized gold nanoparticles (UF–AuNPs). The liquid state probe is based on the growth and aggregation of the UF–AuNPs in the presence of DA. Upon addition of the UF–AuNPs to various concentrations of DA, the shape, size and colour change results in spectral shifts from lower to higher wavelengths. The analyte can be easily monitored by the naked eye from 5.0 nM DA with a calculated limit of detection of 2.5 nM (3σ) under optimal pH. Ascorbic acid (AA) has a potential to interfere with DA detection in solution since it is often present in biological fluids, but in this case the interference was limited to solutions where its concentration was beyond 200 times greater than that of DA. Since most of the previously reported colorimetric probes, especially those for DA are solution based, the main focus of the thesis was in the development of a solid state based colorimetric probe in the form of nanofibre mats. To overcome the interference challenges experienced in the solution studies (the interference by high concentrations of AA), the suitability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective detection of DA was investigated. The results showed that the MIPs produced did not play a significant role in enhancing the selectivity towards DA. A probe composed of just the UF–AuNPs and Nylon–6 (UF–AuNPs + N6) was also developed. The UF–AuNPs were synthesized following an in situ reduction method. The probe was only selective to DA and insensitive to other catecholamines at physiological pH. Thus, the probe did not require any addition functionalities to achieve selectivity and sensitive to DA. The liquid state probe and the composite UF–AuNPs + N6 nanofibre probe were successfully applied to a whole blood sample and showed good selectivity towards DA. The simple, sensitive and selective probe could be an excellent alternative for on–site and immediate detection of DA without the use of instrumentation. For quantification of DA using the solid state probe, open–source software imageJ was used to assist in the analysis of the nanofibre colours. It was observed that the intensity of the colour increased with the increase in concentration of DA in a linear fashion. The use of imageJ can also be a great alternative where the colour changes are not so clear or for visually impaired people. The solid state probe developed can detect DA qualitatively and quantitatively. The work also forms a good foundation for development of such probes for other analyte.
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GPU Accelerated protocol analysis for large and long-term traffic traces
- Authors: Nottingham, Alastair Timothy
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/910 , vital:20002
- Description: This thesis describes the design and implementation of GPF+, a complete general packet classification system developed using Nvidia CUDA for Compute Capability 3.5+ GPUs. This system was developed with the aim of accelerating the analysis of arbitrary network protocols within network traffic traces using inexpensive, massively parallel commodity hardware. GPF+ and its supporting components are specifically intended to support the processing of large, long-term network packet traces such as those produced by network telescopes, which are currently difficult and time consuming to analyse. The GPF+ classifier is based on prior research in the field, which produced a prototype classifier called GPF, targeted at Compute Capability 1.3 GPUs. GPF+ greatly extends the GPF model, improving runtime flexibility and scalability, whilst maintaining high execution efficiency. GPF+ incorporates a compact, lightweight registerbased state machine that supports massively-parallel, multi-match filter predicate evaluation, as well as efficient arbitrary field extraction. GPF+ tracks packet composition during execution, and adjusts processing at runtime to avoid redundant memory transactions and unnecessary computation through warp-voting. GPF+ additionally incorporates a 128-bit in-thread cache, accelerated through register shuffling, to accelerate access to packet data in slow GPU global memory. GPF+ uses a high-level DSL to simplify protocol and filter creation, whilst better facilitating protocol reuse. The system is supported by a pipeline of multi-threaded high-performance host components, which communicate asynchronously through 0MQ messaging middleware to buffer, index, and dispatch packet data on the host system. The system was evaluated using high-end Kepler (Nvidia GTX Titan) and entry level Maxwell (Nvidia GTX 750) GPUs. The results of this evaluation showed high system performance, limited only by device side IO (600MBps) in all tests. GPF+ maintained high occupancy and device utilisation in all tests, without significant serialisation, and showed improved scaling to more complex filter sets. Results were used to visualise captures of up to 160 GB in seconds, and to extract and pre-filter captures small enough to be easily analysed in applications such as Wireshark.
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Institutional change, institutional isolation and biodiversity governance in South Africa: a case study of the trout industry in alien and invasive species regulatory reforms
- Authors: Marire, Juniours
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/639 , vital:19977
- Description: The world, in recent decades, has witnessed an incalculable surge in global “wicked” policy problems that have long-term, and most often irreversible, impacts, not least terrorism, climate change, biodiversity losses and desertification. Wicked problems are wicked because there is no single epistemological system that can adequately coordinate policy action for addressing them. Literature abounds with international case studies of opposition to national institutions that are designed to put into effect global and regional policies for resolving wicked problems. This raises questions about what constitutes reasonable institutions, how such institutions can be designed and why societies sometimes fail to develop such institutions despite the obvious need for them. As a point of entry into these issues, the thesis adapted and extended the Northean (2007, 2012) macro meta-theoretic framework for studying the violence-development relationship, which focuses on the role of political and economic competition in the emergence of ‘right’ institutions that promote development, while containing violence. The Northean framework conceptualises two mutually exclusive social orders – the limited access order and the open access order – which provide the socio-cultural context for the evolution of specific institutions. The macro meta-theoretic framework was transformed into a micro metatheoretic framework in such a way that the limited access order and the open access order co-existed in the evolution of specific institutions. This reconceptualisation built on Bromley’s (2004, 2006) two realms of public policy: the realm of reasons (legislative-judicial system) and the realm of rules (administrative system) as well as the feminist concept of epistemic violence, which broadened the concept of violence from being exclusively physical to including the sociocognitive. The feminist concept of epistemic oppression logically fitted into, and became a new sub-category of, Commons’ (1899, 1924, 1934) theories of sovereignty and negotiational psychology. The innovations showed that either of these realms can be a limited access order, while the other can be an open access order or both can be open access orders or both can be limited access orders. The conceptual innovations were then used as an interpretive scheme in analysing the evolution of the South African invasive alien species regulatory reforms under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act of 2004, using a case study of the trout sector, which was the most opposed to the reforms. There was a general perception among socioeconomic sectors that utilise invasive alien species that the regulatory reform processes for the governance of such species had institutionally isolated the sectors. Because of this perception, the regulatory reform process was contested, and implementation of the Fifth Chapter of the Act, which deals with the governance of invasive alien species, was delayed for nearly a decade. The thesis evaluated whether institutional isolation existed and how and why it came to be since it has implications for the reasonableness of emerging regulatory institutions, economic performance of sectors and efficient allocation of fiscal resources in institutional design processes. A mixed methods methodology was used, which included data analysis techniques such as semiosis, exploratory factor analysis, econometric estimation and document analysis. Policy documents, an online survey and key informant interviews comprised the data. The findings suggested six dimensions of institutional change that a theory of institutional change might have to address: the origin and continuity of pecuniary institutions; selfreinforcing mechanisms of the limited access policymaking order; succession and disbandment of the limited access policymaking order; exclusivity of negotiations in institutional design; tiers of institutional isolation; and the role of administrative discontinuities. Findings suggested that institutional isolation existed in the regulatory process, manifesting in three forms: administrative isolation, epistemological isolation and sectoral isolation. Administrative isolation was the most complex of the three in that it also involved a less obvious process of institutional isolation in the form of administrative redefinition of opportunity sets that were already legislatively redefined. The mechanisms of institutional isolation through which administrative isolation was sustained were administrative financing of research and careerism. The two mechanisms created a revolving door-type scenario through which invasion biologists supplied the administrative agency with candidates for senior (decision making) positions and the administrative agency, in turn, demanded specific types of knowledge over which the same epistemic community had a monopoly. The revolving door-type scenario was found to ideologically and physically entrench invasion biologists into the regulatory community. The consequence of the entrenchment was institutional hegemony, which manifested itself through the mechanism of epistemic violence insofar as the invasion biologists became the epistemic arbiters about what kinds of ideas and institutions really mattered in the governance of invasive alien species. Econometric estimates suggested that the extent to which an emerging institution is perceived to be reasonable by regulated sectors depends on the extent to which the institution is designed in a participatory and inclusive manner (that is, using integrative knowledge systems), the extent to which the designers used credible evidence and contextualised international evidence as well as the extent to which the emergent biodiversity governance institution was anthropocentric. However, findings suggested that the South African regulatory reform process fell short on all these four dimensions of reasonable institutions, which is characteristic of institutional design process shaped by hegemonic social imaginaries, resulting in institutional isolation. Emerging from the findings are several theoretical insights. Bush’s (1987) concept of institutional spaces under the Veblenian Dichotomy was extended, the result of which was identification of two stable institutional equilibria – one ceremonial and another instrumental. The ceremonial equilibrium was a typical limited access policymaking order and was responsible for the historical and present emergence of regressive institutions. Findings also suggested that the entrenched invasion biologists ceremonially encapsulated the knowledge fund that had been accumulated since the 1980s, which could have facilitated the consensual design of regulatory institutions for invasive alien species without protracted controversy. Findings suggested that a limited access policymaking order could only be disbanded by the intervention of an external sovereign agent (in this case the office of the state president) since the administrative agency, and the epistemic community that advised it, adopted the solutions that were empirically tested and proposed in the 1980s only after the intervention of the external sovereign agent. The instrumental equilibrium repealed the contested prisoner’s dilemma that was characteristic of the policy process and turned it into an assurance policy game by facilitating the identification of common interests. This finding logically links the study to a recent theoretical development in institutional theory – Ordonomics – which focuses on the causality between ideas and institutions. The findings imply that it is possible to design reasonable institutions as long as integrative (transdisciplinary) knowledge systems, including the non-scientific knowledge of the resource users, are incorporated. Integrative knowledge systems facilitate semantic innovations, which create social DNA, but epistemic violence destroys social DNA. They also imply that reliance on unidisciplinary knowledge systems in institutional design induces a large and inefficient transaction cost burden of public policy on the fiscus and private agents alike because of the inevitability of controversy, especially for wicked policy problems.
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Integrated Algae Pond Systems for the Treatment of Municipal Wastewater
- Authors: Mambo, Mutsa Prudence
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5960 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021258
- Description: Integrated algae pond systems are a derivation of the Oswald designed advanced integrated wastewater ponding system, and combine the use of anaerobic and aerobic bioprocesses to effect wastewater treatment. Integrated algae pond system technology was introduced to South Africa in 1996 and a pilot plant was designed and commissioned at the Belmont Valley wastewater treatment works in Grahamstown. Previous studies showed that this system delivered a final effluent superior to most pond systems deployed in South Africa but that it was unable to meet the general standard for nutrient removal and effluent discharge. This study was initiated to re-appraise integrated algae pond systems and to assess the potential of the technology as an effective municipal sewage treatment system. And more...
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Investigating the nature of the linguistic challenges of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) 2013 Grade 4 Mathematics ANAs and learners’ and teachers’ experience of them.
- Authors: Sibanda, Lucy
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2079 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021312
- Description: The underperformance of South African learners in literacy and numeracy is a source of grave concern, especially at the transition from Grade 3 to Grade 4. The challenge that complicates this shift is to some extent linguistic, since at Grade 4 in South Africa the majority of learners begin learning in English, which is an additional language for most. The study adopts a sociocultural view of language and learning. Vygotsky’s influential theoretical work on language and learning, in which language is considered central to learning and learning is a social process embedded in sociocultural settings, informs the study. The introduction of the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) across primary and secondary grades in South Africa in mathematics and literacy in 2011 provides the context for this research. It is against this background that the present study aimed, through a case study approach of three Grade 4 classes of English additional language (EAL) learners, to achieve four things, namely: to investigate the linguistic challenges of the 2013 Grade 4 mathematics ANAs; to analyse the learners’ written responses to the 2013 mathematics ANA items; to explore the 2013 Grade 4 learners’ difficulties and experiences of the 2013 mathematics ANAs, and to investigate the Grade 4 mathematics teachers’ perspectives of the language of the ANAs. In order to achieve these aims, the data was collected in four phases. The first phase of the study addressed the nature of the linguistic challenges of the Department of Basic Education Grade 4 mathematics ANAs. Data collection occurred in two parts: 1) Comparing Grade 4 ANAs to exemplars provided and 2) Analysing the language of the 2013 mathematics ANAs. This was done through content analysis and Shaftel et al.’s (2006) linguistic complexity checklist. Findings for part 1 of the study revealed that there were several inconsistencies in the questioning format and language used in the ANAs and in the exemplars. Findings of the content analysis done on the 2013 mathematics ANA test items using Shaftel et al.’s (2006) linguistic complexity checklist and Vale’s (2013) Linguistic Complexity Index formula point to many linguistic complexities in several test items, particularly in relation to recurrent use of: 7 or more letter words, homophones, prepositional phrases and specific mathematics vocabulary across the majority of questions. In phase 2, the analysis of 106 learners’ written responses for the 2013 mathematics ANA questions revealed that for many of the questions the language used was unfamiliar for Grade 4 learners using English as an additional language. This was aggravated by the inclusion in the ANAs of linguistic forms learners would not have encountered in their workbooks or exemplars intended to prepare the learners for the assessments. Therefore, linguistic complexity of items was a key contributing factor to learners’ poor performance in the test. In the third phase, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the 26 learners’ interviews revealed that during the task-based interviews, learners experienced difficulties in the following skills: reading, comprehension, transformation, process and encoding. The greatest difficulties were experienced in comprehension and in reading, especially in the two classes where the learners were less proficient in the English language. The fourth phase, in which two Grade 4 mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the linguistic demands of the Grade 4 mathematics ANAs were presented and analysed, the teachers’ perceptions indicated that the mathematical language was mostly too difficult for the Grade 4 learners. Teachers also were of the opinion that learners’ reading skills were poor and they struggled to comprehend what they read. A dilemma regarding whether teachers should assist learners during the ANAs, satisfying the local needs for mediating the language or whether they should comply with the ANA policy which states that they may not assist learners was expressed by one of the teachers. A range of language challenges that teachers managed with various strategies were raised. These included one teacher’s use of code-switching during the teaching of mathematics. The study concludes with implications and recommendations. These include that test designers should minimise the language complexity of test items, especially in the early transition grades of learning in English. Research should be conducted on possibilities for allowing teachers to provide linguistic mediation to ANA questions in these transition years of learners learning in English.
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Land-use effects on mammal communities in the Fish-Kowie corridor, Eastern Cape, South Africa, with particular reference to carnivores
- Authors: Kok, Armand du Preez
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/561 , vital:19970
- Description: Human population growth is causing an increase in habitat transformation on a global scale, and this transformation is driven by changes in land-use practices. One consequence of habitat transformation is the negative effect it can have on mammal communities, especially carnivores. Carnivores are important components of ecosystems as they play an essential structuring role, but also often come into conflict with people. I studied the impact of land-use on mammalian diversity, the attitudes of landowners/managers towards carnivores, the distribution of carnivores, and the interactions among carnivore species in the Fish-Kowie corridor (FKC), an area of conservation concern, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Livestock and game farming are the two dominant land-use types in the FKC. Carnivore distribution data were collected between 2012 and 2014 using a robust camera trap survey that consisted of 432 camera stations (216 on livestock and 216 on game farms). In addition, the attitudes of 55 landowners/managers were assessed using semi- structured questionnaire interviews that were conducted in person. My results revealed that mammal diversity was similar on the two land-use types. However, individual species differed in their distribution on the two land-use types. In general, both livestock and game farmers had negative attitudes towards carnivores in the FKC, due to their depredation of valuable livestock and game species. Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), caracals (Caracal caracal), leopards (Panthera pardus), and brown hyaenas (Parahyaena brunnea) were considered the most problematic carnivores, but sensitivity to land-use varied among these four species. Black- backed jackals had the highest occupancy rates of all four predators and were 3.8 times more likely to occupy sites on game farms compared to livestock farms. By contrast, leopards and brown hyaenas were only detected on game farms, and caracals did not appear to be sensitive to the effects of land-use. In general, the interactions among carnivores were weak and were likely driven by carnivore diversity, resource partitioning, and anthropogenic pressures. While there were many subtle differences in the distribution of mammal species and human attitudes towards wildlife on livestock and game farms in the FKC, there were also many similarities. My study has produced results that can be used by the FKC community to better understand how mammals and humans interact across the landscape, information that will ultimately contribute to future conservation planning in the area.
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Life history of the maritime platygastrid Echthrodesis lamorali Masner 1968 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Scelioninae)
- Authors: Owen, Candice Ann
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/837 , vital:19995 , 10.21504/10962/837
- Description: Echthrodesis lamorali Masner 1968 (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelioninae) is an intertidal parasitoid wasp that uses the eggs of the maritime spider, Desis formidabilis O.P. Cambridge 1890 (Araneae: Desidae), as a host. This species is one of only three known maritime parasitoids globally, and is the only known spider egg parasitoid that attacks its host within the intertidal region in southern Africa. Originally described from ‘The Island’, Kommetjie (Western Cape, South Africa), this shore was the only known locality of the species at the commencement of this thesis. Furthermore, the extent of the parasitism pressure the wasp exerts on D. formidabilis was largely unknown, along with its basic biology (drivers of its broad-scale and fine-scale distribution patterns; parasitism incidence; and sex ratios) and morphological and physiological adaptations for living within the frequently saltwater-inundated environment. This thesis unravelled these aspects, as well as experimentally provided data for many components of the life history of E. lamorali that had only been hypothesized by other authors, at a variety of scales, from the country-wide ecosystem, to single shores, and finally to the scale of the individual. While the distribution of E. lamorali was found to be much wider than previously thought, it remained restricted to the shores of the Cape Peninsula (Western Cape, South Africa). The host spiders were located throughout a much wider distributional range than the wasp, from East London in the east to the Peninsula, but some behavioural and morphological differences were found between those within and outside of the range of the parasitoid, suggesting range-limitation imposed by the host on E. lamorali. This limitation may be strengthened by the general lack of suitable shore types within the close vicinity of the Peninsula. Modelling using macro-climatic conditions suggested that maximum temperatures and humidities were also largely limiting to E. lamorali, although these patterns were not observable in the micro-climates in which the species survives. The wasp populations and spiders within the range of E. lamorali as identified in Chapter 2 were assessed to determine any preferences for local conditions, including location along the Peninsula, nesting sites and intertidal zones within single shores, using AICc modelling, which detected parasitism patterns in D. formidabilis and E. lamorali populations, as well as the sex ratios in the latter species. The models showed that the spider population size and distribution was more influenced by bottom-up factors such as abiotic components of the shore than by parasitism, which only showed density dependence with the host at certain scales. Both host and parasitoid populations illustrated a preference for the middle zone on single shores. Observed spider nest characteristics suggested opportunistic nesting behaviour in the species, although preference was shown for construction along an east-west orientation and in locations with low sun exposure. Along with larger population sizes on the west coast over the east coast (not reflected by E. lamorali), these observations suggest that D. formidabilis prefers cooler environments. Spider brood success was 50% in unparasitized egg-sacs, but this figure halved when E. lamorali gained access to the eggs (of which 100% within a single compartment were parasitized each time). Encapsulation of the embryo was found to be positively correlated with parasitism, indicating some form of host resistance. Resultant parasitoid broods illustrated a strong female bias in the species, as is common for this group of insects. The life history of E. lamorali was then assessed at a smaller scale, that of the individual. Scanning electron microscopy of whole E. lamorali specimens and light microscopy of sectioned specimens demonstrated no morphological adaptations in the trachea and spiracles to cope with saltwater inundation. On the other hand, respirometry experiments categorically demonstrated that the species copes with inundation through the formation of a physical gill over the full habitus, and the induction of a state of torpor to reduce metabolic needs, when submerged. This precludes the need for any further morphological adaptations. Determination of the wasp’s critical thermal tolerance illustrated a wide temperature range with a particularly cold lower limit of -1.1ºC ± 0.16, suggesting the presence of related genera or ancestors in much colder environments. With a much broader distribution than previously thought, and the inclusion of the distributional range of E. lamorali within the Table Mountain National Park, this species is being effectively conserved and managed through the umbrella-conservation of the park. Links to the host proved to vary at differing scales, proving the need for scale considerations to be included in other similar biological and ecological studies. Finally, the species showed physiological adaptation to its intertidal existence. Echthrodesis lamorali, the only discovered maritime spider egg parasitoid in Southern Africa, displayed unusual characteristics at every scale of its life history and as such, warrants further investigation.
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Links between valley confinement, landforms and vegetation distribution in a semi-arid valley floor environment, Baviaanskloof, South Africa
- Authors: Smith-Adao, Lindie B
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/953 , vital:20006
- Description: Although a large body of international literature has advanced our understanding of river systems, a considerable amount of gaps exit in the knowledge of dryland systems. River systems reflect complex interactions between biophysical processes and patterns. Understanding how processes generate observed patterns and, in turn, how patterns influence processes is crucial to understanding river structure and function. It requires an interdisciplinary approach in both research and resulting applications. The aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between valley confinement, fluvial style, valley floor morphology and vegetation in the semi-arid environment of the Baviaanskloof river catchment, South Africa. This interdisciplinary investigation used a mixed method approach that involved desktop analyses and field surveys to understand dynamics at multiple scales, from the whole catchment to local (site, reach and quadrat or sample plot) scales. The desktop analyses included historical rainfall patterns and climate extremes, aerial photograph time-series and remote sensing greenness indices, and the field surveys focussed on cross-valley landform profiles, groundwater depth levels, sediment size distribution and soil chemistry, and vegetation distribution patterns. Based on the integrative assessment of these techniques a framework was developed of the links between valley confinement, surface-groundwater interaction, hydrogeomorphic processes and landforms, vegetation and human activities. Study findings highlighted the fact that very strong links exist between these factors. In this semi-arid area water availability (groundwater and streamflow conditions) was the primary control on valley floor vegetation composition and patterning. One group of species was associated with the wetted channel reaches at confined and semi-confined valley settings, while the other was associated with dry bed channel reaches at unconfined valley settings. The analyses also indicated that the environmental variables which best explained the variation in vegetation at the differing geomorphic landforms were related to landform position (elevation and distance), sediment size (fine and coarse sand) and available phosphorus (i.e. human impacts). The different plants, in turn, also affected landforms through their influence on sediment erosion, transport and deposition. Specially, they build, maintained or modified geomorphic landforms at confined, semi-confined and unconfined valley settings across the valley floor. Valley confinement was a primary control influencing hydrogeomorphic processes and their associated landforms. Alluvial fans and terraces acted as critical additional controls at especially the unconfined valley setting. Implications for restoration efforts in the catchment included strategies that took cognisance of: active revegetation on floodplain surfaces related to former agricultural fields; channel switching associated with the highly dynamic and unpredictable nature of geomorphic features; unstable multi-thread braided channels in the unconfined valley setting; and the selection of representative monitoring sites.
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Nanocomposites of carbon nanomaterials and metallophthalocyanines : applications towards electrocatalysis
- Authors: Nyoni, Stephen
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Nanocomposites (Materials) , Nanostructured materials , Electrocatalysis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4561 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020846
- Description: Nanohybrid materials have been prepared and examined for their electrocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites have been prepared from carbon nanomaterials (multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene nanosheets), cadmium selenide quantum dots and metallophthalocyanines (MPcs). The MPcs used in this work are cobalt tetraamino-phthalocyanine (CoTAPc) and tetra (4-(4,6-diaminopyrimidin-2-ylthio) phthalocyaninatocobalt (II)) (CoPyPc). Their activity has also been explored in different forms; polymeric MPcs, iodine doped MPcs and covalently linked MPcs. The premixed drop-dry, sequential drop-dry and electropolymerisation electrode modification techniques were used to prepare nanocomposite catalysts on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface. The sequential drop dry technique for MPc and MWCNTs gave better catalytic responses in terms of limit of detection, catalytic and electron transfer rate constants relative to the premixed. MWCNTs and CdSe-QDs have been used as intercalating agents to reduce restacking of graphene nanosheets during nanocomposite preparation. Voltammetry, chronoamperometry, scanning electrochemical microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods are used for electrochemical characterization modified GCE. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, infra-red spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy were used to explore surface functionalities, morphology and topography of the nanocomposites. Electrocatalytic activity and possible applications of the modified electrodes were tested using oxygen reduction reaction, l-cysteine oxidation and paraquat reduction. Activity of nanocomposites was found superior over individual nanomaterials in these applications.
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Nascent Desires: Gendered Sexualities in Life Orientation Sexuality Education Programmes and Popular Music
- Authors: Moodley, Dale Dhersen
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3274 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021260
- Description: Formal school-based sexuality education is one medium, amongst others, that recognises young people’s sexuality, but usually as at-risk and/or risk taking subjects, or as innocent subjects. I analyse the gendered sexualities of young people as represented in: Grade 10 Life Orientation sexuality education programmes and popular music, as two mediums of sexual socialisation in Grade 10 learners’ lives, and as engaged with by Grade 10 learners and educators. I collected data from two schools in the Eastern Cape that included: (i) sections on sexuality from two Life Orientation manuals used by educators in classrooms: ‘Oxford Successful Life Orientation’ (2011), and ‘Shuters Top Class Life Orientation’ (2011); (ii) videos and lyrics of three songs voted most popular by learners which were ‘Climax’ by Usher, ‘Beez in the Trap’ by Nicki Minaj, and ‘Where Have You Been’ by Rihanna; (iii) observations of seven sexuality education classes; and, (iv) in-depth semistructured interviews conducted with eight learners and two educators. I draw on an integrated theoretical and methodological approach – Foucauldian, feminist poststructural and psychosocial psychoanalytic perspectives – to conceptualise and analyse gendered sexualities in terms of: (i) the dominant gendered discourses found in sexuality education manuals, and music videos and lyrics; (ii) the reflexive and interactive gendered subject positions taken up and/or resisted by learners and educators during classroom lessons and one-on-one interviews; and, (iii) learners’ and educators’ conscious and unconscious investments in particular gendered subject positions during one-on-one interviews. These three sets of analysis produced four major themes. The first theme centres on responsible sexuality; young women are expected to assume more sexual responsility than young men, thus curbing their sexual agency. The second theme outlines three types of pleasure – sexual, romantic and dating and/or relationship pleasure – that accord young men and women active and passive ways of exercising pleasure. The third theme highlights the heteronormative transitioning adolescent subject that constructs young women as reproductive subjects and young men as sexual subjects. The last theme focuses on gendered power relations and raunch culture, and maintains that young men are powerful and likely to commit acts of sexual violence against young women because they are powerless. The central argument developed when viewing all the themes is that dominant gendered discourse, gendered subject positions, and conscious and unconscious investments in these positions challenge the extent to which the gendered meanings that underpin adolescent learners’ sexuality are stable and fixed. The gendered discourses in the Life Orientation sexuality education programmes showed that gender is expressed rigidly, thus privileging masculine over feminine sexuality. However, the gendered discourses in the popular music contested rigid gender binaries and produced fluid and equitable masculine and feminine sexualities. The classroom practices depicted multiple and more equatable gendered sexualities, highlighting just how contested gender is. Finally, educator and learners’ personal biographies illustrated how conflicting masculine and feminine sexualities present a signficant source of emotional conflict for them. It may benefit policymakers and stakeholders to consider informal mediums of sexual socialisation for learners, such as music, when drafting the Life Orientation sexuality education curriculum, whilst also taking into account learners and educators personal lives.
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Observational cosmology with imperfect data
- Authors: Bester, Hertzog Landman
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463 , vital:19961
- Description: We develop a formalism suitable to infer the background geometry of a general spherically symmetric dust universe directly from data on the past lightcone. This direct observational approach makes minimal assumptions about inaccessible parts of the Universe. The non-parametric and Bayesian framework we propose provides a very direct way to test one of the most fundamental underlying assumptions of concordance cosmology viz. the Copernican principle. We present the Copernicus algorithm for this purpose. By applying the algorithm to currently available data, we demonstrate that it is not yet possible to confirm or refute the validity of the Copernican principle within the proposed framework. This is followed by an investigation which aims to determine which future data will best be able to test the Copernican principle. Our results on simulated data suggest that, besides the need to improve the current data, it will be important to identify additional model independent observables for this purpose. The main difficulty with current data is their inability to constrain the value of the cosmological constant. We show how redshift drift data could be used to infer its value with minimal assumptions about the nature of the early Universe. We also discuss some alternative applications of the algorithm.
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Perceptions and experiences of G2E e-Government workplace restructuring: The cases of Buffalo City and City of Cape Town metropolitan municipalities, South Africa
- Authors: Makwembere, Sandra
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/617 , vital:19975
- Description: Taking the cases of Buffalo City Metropolitan municipality (BCMM) and City of Cape Town Metropolitan municipality (CoCT), this thesis explores the implications of government to employee (G2E) electronic government workplace restructuring on skills transformation and workplace control as perceived by back office employees and managers from different Corporate Services departments. It aims to describe the arrangements, rationale and degree of G2E e-government at BCMM and CoCT, investigate how managers, employees and union representatives identify the workplace changes relating to skill as well as document and analyse workplace struggles linked to G2E e-government. Using labour process analysis, the impacts of G2E e-government technological change are conceptualised. The labour process concepts alert us to ways in which G2E e-government technology is applied in the context of specific public sector production relations. They explain how employees and managers experience the dynamics of skill transformation and the mechanisms of control related to G2E e-government. The consideration of the labour process contrasts predominant e-government scholarly works that focus on government websites. Further, by using case study methods, namely interviews, surveys and observations, the thesis documents the particular back office employees’ and managers’ realities of G2E e-government which are marginalised in scholarly literature. The sample of respondents were selected using purposive sampling based on the subjects’ knowledge and experience, snowball sampling following referrals and random sampling during site visits. The respondents included four managers, four employees, two shop stewards and one service provider at BCMM and 16 managers, 20 employees and four shop stewards at CoCT. The findings from BCMM and CoCT illustrate how G2E e-government workplace restructuring individualises the labour process through the kind of technologies it introduces. Moreover, they show how the restructuring facilitates electronic information, communication and operations which broaden demands on technical as well as social skills. The findings also show that the restructuring extends avenues for managerial control thereby marginalising union representivity as the workplace control systems create opportunities for systemic control by management. As the South African government adopts electronic government and makes optimistic declarations of “cost saving”, “efficiency”, “productivity” and “innovation” through egovernment, the study uncovers marginalised local government employee and manager experiences. It contributes to building new knowledge on the impacts of contemporary technological change on the local government labour process and contributes to debates around the effects of G2E e-government reforms on local government.
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