Towards social impact assessment of copper-nickel mining in Botswana
- Authors: Mengwe, Moses Seargent
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Copper mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Botswana , Nickel mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Botswana , Mineral industry -- Botswana , Mines and mineral resources -- Botswana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10644 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1443 , Copper mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Botswana , Nickel mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Botswana , Mineral industry -- Botswana , Mines and mineral resources -- Botswana
- Description: This research study is more of an initiative towards Social Impact Assessment of copper-nickel mining in Botswana. The specific objectives of the study were centred on the assessment of the social impacts of copper-nickel mining in Botswana from the initial mining stage of exploration, surveying and mine site development to mine closure. The study was carried out under the broad hypotheses that mining influences population movement that impact on areas of mining; mining activities have both economic benefits and deleterious social impacts on the local communities found in the areas where mining is taking place; and mine closure has far reaching socio-economic, investment and developmental implications over and above the obvious interests of project owners. To achieve the broad aim as summarised above, the research study used a multi-disciplinary methodology and approach that required several kinds of expertise and sources of information. Hence it used both primary and secondary sources centred on interactive informative interviews, site visits and observations, questionnaires, census data records, mining companies’ publications, published textbooks and journal articles. The research study comprised of three different mines operated by three different mining companies in three varied socio-cultural and ethnic regions of Botswana. First was a detailed Social Impact Assessment of the initial phase of exploration, surveying and mine site development represented by Mowana mine project operated by African Copper in the rural areas of Dugwi and Mosetse. This case study yielded results showing that the social impacts of mining in the area are diverse and extensive. The findings suggest that the impacts relate not only to the possible economic benefits of foreign exchange, employment, the optimal use of available mineral resources and the possible development of Dugwi and Mosetse villages, but extends to the deleterious social impacts. The results also indicated that the social impacts have just begun in the two communities. Hence they point towards a possible disruption within the socio-cultural system of the local people if serious mitigation measures are not put in place; thus suggesting that the early stages of exploration and mine site development results in the most conflict between the mine and the local people. Second was a comprehensive Social Impact Assessment of Tati-Nickel Phoenix mining project in the peri-urban areas of Matshelagabedi and Matsiloje areas representing the mining stage of mine production and expansion. The results from this case study suggest that during vi mine production and expansion, many people were relocated. However, the overriding impression gained from the case study was Tati-Nickel Mining Company’s elaborate corporate policies that suggested good corporate governance and best practices that promote sustainable development. A notable milestone on good corporate governance and best practice that the other two case studies (mining company) could benchmark on is Tati-Nickel’s corporate social responsibility programme that has been designed to ensure that the communities within a fifty kilometre mine radius benefit from the mine. The results from the case study also distinguished the mining stage of production and expansion from the other two because it is associated with the deep entrenchment of the social impacts into the communities near to mining areas. Third was a detailed Social Impact Assessment on Bamangwato Concession Limited mine in the industrial town of Selebi-Phikwe. The case study represented the stage of mine closure. Through the findings of this case study, it became apparent that the economic dependence of Selebi-Phikwe on mining has seen the town developing into a mining town, increasing its vulnerability at mine closure. The results from the case study further suggest that mine closure will degrade the socio-economic sector of the town with ever far reaching socio-economic implications as many people lose their gainful employment, hence suggesting that a possible complete mine closure will be the most traumatic phase leading to major social conflict within the area. Thus the results suggest that at mine closure, the deleterious social impacts will overspill to other areas in Botswana with disastrous effects for the economy of the country. The results yielded through this study established in clear and passionate language that copper-nickel mining in Botswana influences population movements that lead to positive and negative impacts on the communities found in mining areas. Another major finding of the study is that copper-nickel mining activities have both economic benefits and deleterious social impacts on the local communities, hence the recommendation that the copper-nickel mining companies should embrace the concept of sustainable mining for sustainable development to avoid most of the negative impacts of their operations on the local communities.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Towards the synthesis of coumarin derivatives as potential dual-action HIV-1 protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- Authors: Olomola, Temitope O , Klein, Rosalyn , Lobb, Kevin A , Sayed, Yasien , Kaye, Perry T
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/448963 , vital:74774 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.09.121"
- Description: 3-(Chloromethyl)coumarins, obtained via acid-catalysed cyclisation of salicylaldehyde-derived Baylis– Hillman adducts, have been treated with propargylamine; reaction of the resulting 3-alkynylmethylcoumarins with azidothymidine (AZT) in the presence of a Cu(I) catalyst has afforded a series of cycloaddition products for evaluation, in their own right, as potential dual-action HIV-1 protease and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and as scaffolds for further structural elaboration.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Trade union investment schemes: a blemish on the social movement unionism outlook of South African unions?
- Authors: Rubushe, Melikaya
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Labor unions -- South Africa , Labor unions and communism , Cosatu , Economic development -- South Africa , National Union of Mineworkers (South Africa) , Labor unions -- Finance , Business enterprises, Black -- South Africa , Investments -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3331 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003119 , Labor unions -- South Africa , Labor unions and communism , Cosatu , Economic development -- South Africa , National Union of Mineworkers (South Africa) , Labor unions -- Finance , Business enterprises, Black -- South Africa , Investments -- South Africa
- Description: South African trade unions affiliated to Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) have taken advantage of the arrival of democracy and newly found opportunities available through Black Economic Empowerment to venture into the world of business by setting up their own investment companies. The declared desire behind these ventures was to break the stranglehold of white capital on the economy and to extend participation in the economic activities of the country to previously disadvantaged communities. Using the National Union of Mineworkers and the Mineworkers’ Investment Company as case studies, this dissertation seeks to determine whether unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) are advancing the struggle for socialism through their investment schemes. Secondly, the dissertation determines whether, in the activities of the schemes, internal democracy is preserved and strengthened. The theoretical framework of this dissertation emerges from arguments advanced by Lenin and Gramsci on the limitations of trade unions in terms of their role in the struggle against capitalism. In addition, the argument draws on the assertions by Michels regarding the proneness of trade union leadership to adopt oligarchic tendencies in their approach to leadership. Of interest is how, according to Gramsci, trade unions are prone to accepting concessions from the capitalist system that renders them ameliorative rather than transformative. Drawing from Michels’ ‘iron law of oligarchy’, the thesis examines whether there is space for ordinary members of the unions to express views on the working of the union investment companies. By looking at the extent to which the investment initiatives of the companies mirror the preferences of the ordinary members of the unions, one can determine the level of disjuncture between the two. The study relies on data collected through interviews and documentary material. Interviews provide first-hand knowledge of how respondents experience the impact of the investment schemes. This provides a balanced analysis given that documents reflect policy stances whereas interviews provide data on whether these have the stated impact. What the study shows is a clear absence of space for ordinary members to directly influence the workings of union investment companies. It is also established that, in their current form, the schemes operate more as a perpetuation of the capitalist logic than offering an alternative system.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Transcending objectifications and dualisms: farm workers and civil society in contemporary Zimbabwe
- Authors: Sadomba, Zvakanyorwa W , Helliker, Kirk D
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/71242 , vital:29822 , https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909609357417
- Description: In the academic literature, civil society is often conceptualized in terms of objectifications and subject—object dichotomies. This is the case with regard to both social movements and non-governmental organizations. This article seeks to transcend such argumentation by providing ‘thick descriptions’ of the agency of farm workers and civil society in the context of land reform in contemporary Zimbabwe. We examine a land-based social movement (and the role of farm workers within it) and the involvement of a particular non-governmental organization in farm worker livelihoods. On this basis, we offer a re-formulation of civil society as a social field marked by ambivalences and tensions.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Transformativity: recognising melancholic power, and renegotiating vulnerability
- Authors: Knowles, Corinne Ruth
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Transformational leadership -- South Africa Educational change -- South Africa Universities and colleges -- South Africa Sex discrimination in higher education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002999
- Description: South African universities are embedded in an unequal society. Transformation strategies and interventions in the sector attempt to address this, but arguably, the policies and practices which aim to bring about transformation are merely platforms for potential change and do not guarantee the achievement of their aspirations. This study engages with the notion of transformation in one university, looking at how an organisation for women has contributed to transformation in individuals and in the institution. It explores the idea that vulnerability is the starting point of transformation, and must be recognized and incorporated into how an organisation, institution or individual regards vulnerable groups, in order to build a more equitable society. The reframing of vulnerability is a process of acknowledging the way power works, and arguably, power’s melancholic nature and expression in society and in universities has particular challenges with regard to how vulnerable groups experience their vulnerability. If the framing of an individual as vulnerable does not also provide that individual with the conditions that shelter the vulnerability they experience, leading to a renegotiation of whom they can become, their “vulnerable” status is entrenched. The study explores ways in which an organisation for women uses its legitimized platform for renegotiating subjectivities, norms and performances, and the potential this has for transformativity.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Tuning the physico-electrochemical properties of novel cobalt (II) octa [(3, 5-biscarboxylate)-phenoxy] phthalocyanine complex using phenylamine-functionalised SWCNTs
- Authors: Agboola, Bolade O , Ozoemena, Kenneth I , Nyokong, Tebello , Fukuda, Takamitsu , Kobayashi, Nagao
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/261692 , vital:53435 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2009.10.023"
- Description: The integration of phenylamine-functionalised SWCNTs (SWCNT-phenylamine) with a novel cobalt (II) octa[(3,5-biscarboxylate)-phenoxy] phthalocyanine (CoOBPPc) complex has been described. The physical and electrochemical properties of the CoOBPPc-SWCNT-phenylamine hybrid were evaluated using spectroscopy (IR and UV–vis), field emission scanning electron microscopy and electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). Integration of SWCNT-phenylamine resulted in the physical transformation of the CoOBCPPc from the usually bluish colour of cobalt phthalocyanine complexes to a beautiful bright green colour. In addition, the heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics and electrocatalytic properties of the CoOBCPPc were greatly enhanced following the attachment of the SWCNT-phenylamine. The potential electrocatalytic application of the hybrid was tested using β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) as a model biological analyte. Interestingly, the onset oxidation potential of this analyte was significantly reduced (300 mV) by this hybrid compared to the bare electrode.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Two new species of Prosopistomatidae (Ephemeroptera) from South Africa and Swaziland
- Authors: Barber-James, Helen M
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452385 , vital:75124 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32841
- Description: Three species of Prosopistoma Latreille, 1833 are currently described from Africa. The immature nymph of Prosopistoma deguernei Vayssière, 1893 was described from Senegal, and the nymph and winged stages of Prosopistoma africanum Gillies, 1954 are known from Tanzania. The southern African species Prosopistoma crassi Gillies, 1954, initially described as a nymph from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has subsequently been collected in a number of South African rivers. Two further species from South Africa are described here, the nymph of Prosopistoma amanzamnyama sp. n., and the nymph and female subimago of Prosopistoma mccaffertyi sp. n.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Unethical decision-making and behaviour in the life insurance sector of South Africa
- Authors: Van Greunen, Conrad
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Insurance companies -- Corrupt pratices -- South Africa , Business ethics -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:9282 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1364 , Insurance companies -- Corrupt pratices -- South Africa , Business ethics -- South Africa
- Description: The public is regularly shocked by revelations of new business scandals. Nearly every sector of society is tainted by incidents of unethical behaviour. In this regard, the South African financial services industry has attracted a lot of attention, as some of the biggest scandals in recent years have occurred in this industry. With the world economy still experiencing the effects of the global recession, the last thing that institutions in the financial arena must do is engage in unethical behaviour. Immoral behaviour could damage a company's repution and lead to further financial losses. The purpose of this study was thus two-fold: firstly, to investigae the factors that influence unethical decision-making and behaviour in the local life insurance sector, and secondly to evaluate how business ethics are institutionalised at a sample of life insurance companies.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Unfair discrimination and dismissal based on age
- Authors: Thompson, David Martin Ogilvie
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Age discrimination in employment -- South Africa , Employees -- Dismissal of -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10218 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1287 , Age discrimination in employment -- South Africa , Employees -- Dismissal of -- South Africa
- Description: Section 187(2)(b) of the Labour Relations Act sets out certain justifications for what may seem to be unfair discrimination in the workplace. The purpose of this note is to discuss the provisions of Age Discrimination, with specific focus on the rights of older employees, who have reached, what some might term, the ‘normal or agreed retirement age’. In the discuss which follows reference will be made to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa1 in order to investigate the provisions of our new democratic era, and what is said therein about discrimination, and age discrimination in particular. In our new Constitutional dispensation there have also been circumstances where certain kinds of discrimination have become accepted on society, for example Affirmative Action, and an enquiry into the difference between discrimination and differentiation will therefore also be necessary. The provisions of the Employment Equity Act,2 which deal specifically with eliminating unfair discrimination in the workplace, and the Labour Relations Act,3 which deals primarily with the rights of employees, employers and trade unions, and seeks to harmonize employer-employee relations will be discussed wherein specific reference will be made to section 187(2)(b) of the LRA. A further discussion will outline the circumstances of what is meant by dismissal in the context of age based dismissals, and whether such a dismissal is infact a dismissal and whether, within the requirements of the LRA such a dismissal, or termination of employment contract, is infact fair. Furthermore, a comparative perspective of other jurisdictions will give a more complete understanding of the issue of age-based dismissals within the current context. However, to refer to legislation and foreign decisions alone, while being of important reference, is not enough and a enquiry into our own case law will be of significant importance to determine a path of direction one can expect when faced with a question of dismissals based on mandatory retirement ages, and in particular, a dismissal which has been so executed with recourse to section 187(2)(b) of the LRA. In the various cases the reasoning and rationale behind the decision making will shed light on a seemingly unresolved area of labour law, and in reading further not only in the judgments but also in various articles, one will see that there are many arguments for and against the use of a mandatory retirement age, the most important of which will be highlighted.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Unfallen women : negotiations of alternative feminine identities in selected writings by Olive Schreiner
- Authors: Snyman, Vicki
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Schreiner, Olive, 1855-1920 Criticism and interpretation Schreiner, Olive, 1855-1920 Story of an African farm Schreiner, Olive, 1855-1920 From man to man Schreiner, Olive, 1855-1920 Undine Feminism in literature Women and literature -- South Africa -- History South African literature (English) -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2214 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002257
- Description: This study constitutes an inquiry into how Olive Schreiner‟s peripheral position as a colonial woman writer enabled her rewriting of feminine identity, specifically her subversion of Victorian feminine stereotypes. I focus particular attention on three novels: The Story of an African Farm (1890), and the posthumously published From Man to Man (1926) and Undine (1929). I employ a feminist literary approach to examine how Schreiner‟s hybrid identity as a British South African enabled her revisioning of femininity. If Schreiner is situated within the context of her time, it can be demonstrated that her negotiations of feminine identity are influenced by her dual intellectual and cultural heritage. On the one hand, she can be situated within a British tradition of women‟s writing – in particular, the New Woman fiction which emerged in the late nineteenth century. On the other hand, she can be situated within a nascent South African literary tradition – and demonstrates prototypically post-colonial concerns. Schreiner‟s writing style develops out of her colonial heritage and her experiences as a woman living in a patriarchal society. The resultant voice subverts the narrative traditions of the metropolitan novel in an attempt to articulate an alternative view of femininity. I examine in detail how Schreiner undermines and subverts Victorian stereotypes, and focus particular attention on the „fallen woman‟ and the „mother-figure‟. She attempts to challenge conventional Victorian conceptions of femininity by erasing the binary between the „angel‟ and the „whore‟ in order to create a New Woman. In Undine and The Story of an African Farm the full realisation of this New Woman is deferred, since both protagonists die, but From Man to Man is more nuanced, particularly in its emphasis on economic empowerment for women. Schreiner also destabilises traditional notions of motherhood, in order to offer glimpses of an alternative maternal role. It is my contention that, in her depiction of mother-figures and (un)fallen women, Schreiner challenges stock Victorian notions of femininity and, in the process, creates a space in which new possibilities for women can be imagined and negotiated.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Unfinished business: current and past trade union leaders' perceptions of the political transition after the first decade of democracy (1994-2004) in South Africa
- Authors: Mpunzima, Kayalethu Wycliff
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Labor unions -- South Africa , Democratization -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11001 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1284 , Labor unions -- South Africa , Democratization -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Description: The study reviews the political transition after the first decade of democracy from the trade union leaders’ perspectives. It seeks to understand whether trade union leaders see workers as having reaped benefits from their struggles. Interviews were conducted with ten current and past trade union leaders on their perceptions about the political transition. The trade union leaders that were interviewed have rich experience of combining their organisational and mobilising strength with strategies of engagement. Their involvement with trade unions can be traced back during the dark years of Apartheid. Some of them are still active members of trade unions who are deeply involved in policy formulation at national level. Others occupy influential positions in the private and public sectors. The study investigates and analyses the labour movement’s objectives, strategies and struggles from the apartheid, transition, and democratic eras and into the future. It looks at how these objectives were achieved and how the strategies were implemented. The study revealed that progress was made in the political sphere, e.g. a parliamentary office was established to ensure that workers have a voice in parliament. The study found clear evidence of influence by the labour movement in economic and labour legislation through structures like NEDLAC. In the economic arena, the study found that workers’ economic expectations were partially fulfilled. Trade union leaders attributed this to the failure of the government’s GEAR policy to create jobs. They insisted that RDP should be implemented. The study revealed evidence of serious tensions within the ANC/COSATU/SACP Alliance. The study found that the influence of the labour ally, COSATU, in the Tripartite Alliance had been curtailed. The study also found that the strength of the labour movement eroded during the first decade of democracy. The research found that the labour movement took new initiatives such as union investment companies. The research also found support for the theory that COSATU’s obsession with alliance politics was a barrier to labour unity. COSATU was not involved in the merger talks between FEDUSA and NACTU. The respondents generally felt positively about the future prospects. Respondents were mostly optimistic about the political transformation. If there was slow delivery or no delivery by the government or business, the unions vowed to take to the streets.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Unionism and public service reform in Lesotho: between legislative constraints and apathy
- Authors: Maema, Mapule
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Civil service -- Lesotho , Labor unions -- Lesotho , Civil service reform -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3306 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003094 , Civil service -- Lesotho , Labor unions -- Lesotho , Civil service reform -- Lesotho
- Description: The study focuses on Lesotho‟s Public Service. The aims of this study were to examine the factors that led to the repeal of the Public Service Act No.13 of 1995. This study looks at the legislative constraints and attitudes of civil servants towards unionisation in the Public Service. It also outlines the relevant provisions of the Public Service Act No.1 of 2005; the changes that have occurred since its inception. Findings show that the Public Service Act No.13 of 1995 was repealed in order to reform the Public Service. The Ministry of the Public Service implemented five-year strategic plans to reform the public service. Changes have occurred in the public service since the inception of the 2005 Act; however, they differ from ministry to ministry. The respondents included public officers from the Ministry of the Public Service, Ministry of Justice, Law Office, Ministry of Employment and Labour, Ministry of Planning, the Ombudsman Office, Parliament, different ministries, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Congress of the Lesotho Trade Unions (COLETU) and the Lesotho Public Service Staff Association (LEPSSA).
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- Date Issued: 2010
Unionism in schools blessing or curse? : a case study of three schools in the Kavango region of Namibia
- Authors: Musore, Pontianus Vitumbo
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Teachers' unions--Namibia Namibia National Teachers' Union School management and organization--Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1809 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003695
- Description: This study investigates the role played by the Namibia National Teachers’ Union (NANTU) in school management. It examines the challenges faced by school principals in managing schools as a result of the presence of unions. In order to understand the behaviour and impact of union representatives in schools the study makes use of literature on teacher unionism, democratic, political and ambiguity management and leadership theories. Working in the interpretive orientation the study used semi-structured interviews, document analysis and focus group discussions. The research was conducted in the form of a case study involving three schools in the Kavango region of Namibia, and the data collected were dealt with according to case study principles. The study reveals that the presence of the union has several benefits for the school: for example, it advances the democratic participation of stakeholders, provides feedback to the school principal on how staff members experience his or her leadership, and offers advice on labour-related matters. It was also discovered that NANTU representatives act as mediators in conflict situations, which means that teachers can become better at managing and resolving conflict through their experience of serving on the union structures. However it was also discovered that the presence of NANTU in schools has several negative effects on schooling. For example, NANTU activities can disrupt school programmes; moreover, in some schools, neither NANTU representatives nor school principals understand their own or each other’s roles, and consequently they are always in conflict. The absence of a policy regulating the representation of NANTU in decision-making structures in schools causes the conflict to escalate. It emerged that the role of NANTU in schools is mainly determined by the leadership style of the school principal and the effectiveness of the NANTU representatives in that particular school. For example, an autocratic leadership style on the part of the school principal tends to exacerbate the conflict situation, while NANTU has been known to mobilize learners to demand the removal of school principals through class boycotts. NANTU is more concerned with defending the rights and interests of its members than any other matter affecting education. This research is likely to benefit school managers, policy makers and implementers, and NANTU structures, as it provides clarity on what both NANTU and school principals expect from one another. The study also demonstrates that school principals need to acknowledge and consider the divergent nature of the various interest groups in schools.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Upstart-the paper for youth by the youth
- Authors: Badat, Shireen
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/454961 , vital:75390 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC139339
- Description: The city of Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape is renowned for its edu-cational institutions. With Rhodes University the backbone of the city's economic activity, Grahamstown is also home to prestigious private schools like St Andrew's, Kingswood and DSG - noted for schooling the captains of industry and children of the new political and economic elite.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Using an RTSP Proxy to implement the IPTV Media Function via a streaming server
- Authors: Shibeshi, Zelalem S , Terzoli, Alfredo , Bradshaw, Karen L
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429120 , vital:72561 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5676629
- Description: Multimedia in IMS, including IPTV, is handled by a separate unit, the Media Function (MF), which is made up of Media Control and Media Delivery Functions (MCF and MDF). According to the different specifications of an IMS based IPTV architecture, the User Equipment (UE) is expected to use the RTSP protocol as a media control protocol to interact with the MCF, and gets delivery of media from the MDF using the RTP protocol. This generally means that the streaming session is initiated from the media controller on behalf of the user but the delivery of media is sent to the UE from the media deliverer (media server). Due to lack of free and open source Media Servers and on the contrary, the availability of free and open source Streaming Servers, the ideal choice for the delivery of media in multimedia services, including IPTV, by the research community are Streaming Servers. Nevertheless, because of denial of service attack and other issues, most streaming servers do not allow different locations for the session setup request and the delivery of media of the streaming session. This makes it difficult to have a separate media control unit for IPTV service in IMS, if one wants to use a streaming server as an MDF unit. For this purpose we propose another component (an RTSP proxy and relay unit) to be part of the IPTV Media Function (MF). The unit will be used to mediate between the MFC and MDF and will properly relay media control (RTSP) commands from the UE and MFC to the MDF and RTP packets from the MDF to the UE. This, we believe, will facilitate the development of an IPTV service using readily available open source streaming servers. In this paper we show how this RTSP proxy and relay unit can be integrated into the Media Function of the IPTV architecture to ease the media delivery process of IMS based IPTV service.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Using JAIN SLEE as an interaction and policy manager for enabler-based services in next generation networks
- Authors: Tsietsi, Mosiuoa , Terzoli, Alfredo , Wells, George C
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431382 , vital:72770 , https://journals.pan.pl/dlibra/publication/100205/edition/86373/content
- Description: The IP Multimedia Subsystem is a telecommunications framework with a standard architecture for the provision of services. While the services themselves have not been standardised, standards do exist for basic technologies that can be re-used and aggregated in order to construct more complex services. These elements are called service capabilities by the 3GPP and service enablers by the OMA, both of which are repu-table standards bodies in this area. In order to provide re-usability, there is a need to manage access to the service capabilities. Also, in order to build complex services, there is a further need to be able to manage and coordinate the interactions that occur between service capabilities. The 3GPP and the OMA have separately defined network entities that are responsible for handling aspects of these requirements, and are known as a service capability interaction manager (SCIM) and a policy enforcer respectively. However, the internal structure of the SCIM and the policy enforcer have not been standardised by the relevant bodies. In addition, as the SCIM and the policy enforcer have been defined through complementary yet separate processes, there is an opportunity to unify efforts from both bodies. This paper builds on work and stand-ards defined by the bodies, and proposes the design of an interaction manager with features borrowed from both the SCIM and the policy en-forcer. To help validate the design, we have identified a platform known as JAIN SLEE which we believe conforms to the model proposed, and we discuss how JAIN SLEE can be used to implement our ideas.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Using local experts as benchmarks for household local ecological knowledge: scoring in South African savannas
- Authors: Steele, Melita Z , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6660 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007084
- Description: It is well recognised that local ecological knowledge is an important facet of natural resource management in rural regions of the developing world. However, techniques to assess levels and to integrate it into formal or informal management approaches require further development. In particular, quantitative tools are missing, which would allow more robust analysis of the factors that positively or negatively affect local ecological knowledge and vice versa. This paper reports on a quick assessment approach that provides a quantitative score of generalist local ecological knowledge at the household level. It does so by comparing responses to the knowledge of local people identified as experts within the community. In this way it is both locally constructed and contextualized, and thereby avoids pitfalls of trying to score local ecological knowledge relative to conventional scientific knowledge which frequently cannot account for local constructs. The approach is applied at eight villages throughout the savanna biome in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Using systematic case studies to investigate therapist responsiveness : examples from a case series of PTSD treatments
- Authors: Edwards, David J A
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6224 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007774
- Description: This article highlights the emerging literature on therapist responsiveness in psychotherapy and examines several concepts used to identify dimensions of responsiveness. Some methodological obstacles are identified to studying responsiveness in a systematic manner, and several examples of existing responsiveness research are reviewed. It is argued that meaningful theory on responsiveness has emerged from research methods that are qualitative and interpretive and that the writing of systematic case studies can be of particular importance since only the presentation of a case unfolding over time can disclose some of the more complex aspects of therapist responsiveness. Examination of a series of systematic case studies of the treatment of post traumatic case disorder in South Africa was used to derive a model for guiding therapist responsiveness with respect with what to focus on at a particular phase of the therapy within a particular session. Material from the cases is used to illustrate aspects of the model related to building social support for the client and promoting emotional processing of trauma memories. , Acknowledgements: This research was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation and the Joint Research Committee of Rhodes University. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Conference of the Society for Psychotherapy Research in Barcelona in 2008 (Edwards, 2008).
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- Date Issued: 2010
Validating the use of Hippobromus pauciflorus (L.f) Radlk for the treatment of eye infections in the Eastern Cape South Africa
- Authors: Pendota, Srinivasa Chary
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Herbs -- Therapeutic use , Eye -- Infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sapindaceae
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Botany)
- Identifier: vital:11303 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1001052 , Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Herbs -- Therapeutic use , Eye -- Infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sapindaceae
- Description: An ethnobotanical survey of plants used for the treatment of eye infections was carried out in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study revealed that 12 plant species are commonly used with Hippobromus pauciflorus (L.f) Radlk being the most frequent. The crude extracts of the leaves, stem bark and roots of the plant were investigated for antimicrobial activity against 10 bacterial and four fungal strains. The methanol extracts of the plant parts were the most active and showed appreciable activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The methanol extracts of the leaves and stem bark inhibited the growth of fungi with activities ranging from 78.70 percent to 100 percent on Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum. The acetone extracts of the leaves and stem bark were active against A. niger (51.76 percent) and P. notatum (77.22 percent). The aqueous extract of Hippobromus pauciflorus leaves at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses were evaluated for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities in male Wistar rats. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied by using carrageenan-and histamine induced oedema right hind paw volume while the analgesic effect was evaluated using formalin-induced pain and tail flick nociception response. The brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia model was used for the antipyretic investigation. The extract at all the doses used significantly inhibited both the carrageenan- and histamine-induced inflammation in a manner that was not dose dependent. The extract reduced the formalin-induced pain licking as well as prolonged the reaction time in the tail flick-induced pain. The effects of the aqueous extract of the plant leaves at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses were investigated for 14 days on some biochemical parameters of male Wistar rats. The extract at all the doses tested did not significantly alter the levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, mean corpuscular volume, platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and large unstained cells. While the levels of haemoglobin, packed cell volume and basophils increased at specific doses, those of mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and eosinophils decreased. In vitro antiviral activities of the plant against herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and coxsakie virus B6 were investigated. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay in Vero cells. At concentrations ranging from 165-270/μg/ml there was significant antiviral activity against HSV-1, but toxicity was also noted. There was no antiviral activity against coxsakie virus B6. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the leaves of H. pauciflorus yielded three known compounds. From the ethyl acetate fraction, two compounds were isolated (epicatechin and -sitosterol ) and from the n- hexane fractions, one compound (lupeol) was isolated. They were isolated and identified using various techniques. The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-pyretic activity of these compounds have been reported in literature. The structure and distribution of foliar appendages on the leaves of H. pauciflorus were examined by scanning electron microscope. The leaves have long unicellular nonglandular trichomes which were distributed over the mid rib and densely populated at the edges of the adaxial and abaxial surfaces. In general, the experiments and tests conducted in this study appear to have justified the use of Hippobromus pauciflorus for the treatment of eye infections and make a substantial contribution to the knowledge base of the use of herbal medicine for the treatment of the eye infections.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Validation of growth zone deposition in otoliths of two large endemic cyprinids in Lake Gariep, South Africa
- Authors: Winker, A Henning , Ellender, Bruce R , Weyl, Olaf L F , Booth, Anthony J
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/446812 , vital:74562 , https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2010.11657263
- Description: We tested the hypothesis that growth zones in the astericus otoliths of smallmouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus aeneus) and Orange River mudfish (Labeo capensis) were deposited annually. Two methods, fluorochrome marking and edge analysis of otoliths were used. For fluorochrome marking, specimens of both species were injected with 60 mg/kg fish mass oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) and released into large earthen ponds under ambient conditions adjacent to Lake Gariep. Twenty-three L. aeneus and one L. capensis were recaptured 10–14 months later. Edge analysis was based on the optical interpretation of L. aeneus (n = 342) and L. capensis (n = 512) otolith margins collected between November 2006 and May 2008 from Lake Gariep. The frequency distribution of opaque margins over time was fitted using a binomial periodic regression. The estimated cycle length was not significantly different from a hypothesized 12 months for both species. The number of growth zones distal to the OTC mark was consistent with findings from the edge analysis, providing evidence that growth zones in astericus otoliths of both species can be interpreted as annuli.
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- Date Issued: 2010