Thermoluminescence of the persistent-luminescence phosphor, BaAl2O4: a stuffed tridymite
- Pandey, A, Chithambo, Makaiko L
- Authors: Pandey, A , Chithambo, Makaiko L
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/113048 , vital:33693 , hhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2018.01.004
- Description: BaAl2O4 is a stuffed tridymite used as a long-lasting phosphor. The thermoluminescence of BaAl2O4 prepared by solution-combustion is reported. Analysis of the sample using X-ray diffraction shows that it formed as a single phase compound with a hexagonal structure following annealing at 1200 °C. A broad photoluminescence emission band between 300 and 650 nm was detected due to excitation at 248 nm. The phosphor showed a natural TL peak at 102 °C for measurement at 1 oCs−1 and, when beta irradiated to 100 Gy, two broad peaks at 123 and 318 °C also for heating at 1 oCs−1. The analysis of the main glow peak at 123 °C suggests that it is a combination of several collocated peaks, that is, peaks embedded within each other. We resolved four such components labelled peaks 1 to 4. The thermoluminescence decreases with heating rate in a way consistent with thermal quenching whose activation energy was determined as ∼0.65eV using peak 3. Interestingly, this value of the activation energy for thermal quenching for BaAl2O4, a stuffed derivative of silica, is similar to literature values for quartz (a silica), suggesting that the recombination centre in the two cases may be similar.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Pandey, A , Chithambo, Makaiko L
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/113048 , vital:33693 , hhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2018.01.004
- Description: BaAl2O4 is a stuffed tridymite used as a long-lasting phosphor. The thermoluminescence of BaAl2O4 prepared by solution-combustion is reported. Analysis of the sample using X-ray diffraction shows that it formed as a single phase compound with a hexagonal structure following annealing at 1200 °C. A broad photoluminescence emission band between 300 and 650 nm was detected due to excitation at 248 nm. The phosphor showed a natural TL peak at 102 °C for measurement at 1 oCs−1 and, when beta irradiated to 100 Gy, two broad peaks at 123 and 318 °C also for heating at 1 oCs−1. The analysis of the main glow peak at 123 °C suggests that it is a combination of several collocated peaks, that is, peaks embedded within each other. We resolved four such components labelled peaks 1 to 4. The thermoluminescence decreases with heating rate in a way consistent with thermal quenching whose activation energy was determined as ∼0.65eV using peak 3. Interestingly, this value of the activation energy for thermal quenching for BaAl2O4, a stuffed derivative of silica, is similar to literature values for quartz (a silica), suggesting that the recombination centre in the two cases may be similar.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
Thermoluminescence of α-Al2O3: C, Mg annealed at 1200° C
- Kalita, Jitumani M, Chithambo, Makaiko L
- Authors: Kalita, Jitumani M , Chithambo, Makaiko L
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/111030 , vital:33365 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2018.03.003
- Description: Stimulated luminescence in α-Al2O3:C,Mg has thus far been studied for samples annealed at temperature no higher than 900 °C as can be seen by an examination of the literature. We report the thermoluminescence (TL) features of α-Al2O3:C,Mg annealed at 1200 °C. A glow curve measured at 1 °C/s from the samples annealed at 1200 °C shows eight peaks at 54, 80, 102, 173, 238, 290, 330 and 387 °C. Kinetic analyses show that the peak at 54 °C follows general order kinetics (b = 1.3) whereas the rest follow first order kinetics. The values of the activation energy of the peaks are between 0.77 eV and 1.90 eV and the frequency factors are of the order of 1010–1014 s−1. The intensity of the peaks at 54, 80, 102 and 173 °C increase with heating rate whereas those of the peaks at 238 and 290 °C decrease with heating rate. The decrease of intensity of the peaks at 238 and 290 °C with heating rate is due to thermal quenching whereas the increase of intensity of the peaks with heating rate indicates an inverse thermal-quenching-like behaviour. Interestingly this behaviour is observed only after annealing at 1200 °C. The activation energy for thermal quenching as calculated using the peaks at 238 and 290 °C are (1.02 ± 0.16) eV and (1.33 ± 0.15) eV respectively. Regarding the dosimetric features, the dose response of the peaks at 54, 80 and 102 °C are sublinear within 1–10 Gy and the peak at 54 °C saturates above 6 Gy. In contrast, the response of the peak at 173 °C is sublinear with 1–4 Gy and superlinear between 4 and 10 Gy. The peaks are found to fade at different rates and the rate of fading is also affected by annealing.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kalita, Jitumani M , Chithambo, Makaiko L
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/111030 , vital:33365 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2018.03.003
- Description: Stimulated luminescence in α-Al2O3:C,Mg has thus far been studied for samples annealed at temperature no higher than 900 °C as can be seen by an examination of the literature. We report the thermoluminescence (TL) features of α-Al2O3:C,Mg annealed at 1200 °C. A glow curve measured at 1 °C/s from the samples annealed at 1200 °C shows eight peaks at 54, 80, 102, 173, 238, 290, 330 and 387 °C. Kinetic analyses show that the peak at 54 °C follows general order kinetics (b = 1.3) whereas the rest follow first order kinetics. The values of the activation energy of the peaks are between 0.77 eV and 1.90 eV and the frequency factors are of the order of 1010–1014 s−1. The intensity of the peaks at 54, 80, 102 and 173 °C increase with heating rate whereas those of the peaks at 238 and 290 °C decrease with heating rate. The decrease of intensity of the peaks at 238 and 290 °C with heating rate is due to thermal quenching whereas the increase of intensity of the peaks with heating rate indicates an inverse thermal-quenching-like behaviour. Interestingly this behaviour is observed only after annealing at 1200 °C. The activation energy for thermal quenching as calculated using the peaks at 238 and 290 °C are (1.02 ± 0.16) eV and (1.33 ± 0.15) eV respectively. Regarding the dosimetric features, the dose response of the peaks at 54, 80 and 102 °C are sublinear within 1–10 Gy and the peak at 54 °C saturates above 6 Gy. In contrast, the response of the peak at 173 °C is sublinear with 1–4 Gy and superlinear between 4 and 10 Gy. The peaks are found to fade at different rates and the rate of fading is also affected by annealing.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
The design of a community owned winery in Philippi informal settlement Cape Cape
- Authors: Steytler, Willem
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wineries -- South Africa -- Cape Town -- Designs and plans , Wine and wine making -- South Africa -- Cape Town
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39196 , vital:35057
- Description: The study focuses on Philippi as a particular place and the communities that dwell there. It aims to study the spatial dispositions caused by apartheid and colonialism. The dissertation highlights the inequality of South African cityscapes which is then extrapolated in the conditions that exists on the Cape Flats. A core focus of the study is the way in which architecture might aid the spatial inequality in a post-apartheid South Africa. The first bottle of wine was bottled in South Africa seven years after the Cape had been colonized. This means that the wine industry has always been synonymous of colonialization to a certain degree. Further research reveals that the part of the Cape Flats that is today known as Philippi Township was used for grapevine cultivation by German settlers from the 1830s, but with the advent of the forced removals, the 1950 Groups Area Act zoned that land for the relocation of the non-white community. The community on the Cape Flats experiences a significantly lower quality of life than many of the suburbs in Cape Town. (http://journals.sagepub.com) It can be noted that the areas surrounding Cape Town have an abundance of vineyards owned mostly by a singular demographic with a significantly higher income than those living in the townships. Research has indicated that the ‘terroir’, (climatic and environmental conditions) of Philippi is ideal for grapevine cultivation and there are upwards of 250 hectares of open land. The viticulture industry is one of the biggest sources of income for the Western Cape but the problem lies in the fact that the revenue created is channeled only to an elite group of people. To counteract the repercussions of apartheid many strategies have been implemented by the government; among these is land reform. The physical and spatial nature of this place is investigated to create an architectural viewpoint on the matter. The treatise explores the design of a community-owned winery in the Philippi Informal Settlement and examines how the resultant architecture might address the impaired configuration of the urban make-up while strengthening the sense of identity. The idea is that through leap-frog development locals will plant vineyards in open spaces, making the township a greener space to live in, whilst also generating income for the local inhabitants and allowing for the transfer of knowledge. The use of precedent studies into the nature of building type, site visits as well as site- and precinct investigations were necessary to reach an understanding of the building type and a possible architectural response to the sensitive topic. All research is qualitative using inductive reasoning. Qualtative research is based on observation to gather non-numerical data. Inductive reasoning is reasoning where the premises support the conclusion, which means that the conclusion is the part of reasoning that inductive reasoning is trying to prove. The understanding gained from the above-mentioned methods led to an appropriate architectural response in the form of a design. The design is the conclusion and proposed solution of the treatise.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Steytler, Willem
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wineries -- South Africa -- Cape Town -- Designs and plans , Wine and wine making -- South Africa -- Cape Town
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39196 , vital:35057
- Description: The study focuses on Philippi as a particular place and the communities that dwell there. It aims to study the spatial dispositions caused by apartheid and colonialism. The dissertation highlights the inequality of South African cityscapes which is then extrapolated in the conditions that exists on the Cape Flats. A core focus of the study is the way in which architecture might aid the spatial inequality in a post-apartheid South Africa. The first bottle of wine was bottled in South Africa seven years after the Cape had been colonized. This means that the wine industry has always been synonymous of colonialization to a certain degree. Further research reveals that the part of the Cape Flats that is today known as Philippi Township was used for grapevine cultivation by German settlers from the 1830s, but with the advent of the forced removals, the 1950 Groups Area Act zoned that land for the relocation of the non-white community. The community on the Cape Flats experiences a significantly lower quality of life than many of the suburbs in Cape Town. (http://journals.sagepub.com) It can be noted that the areas surrounding Cape Town have an abundance of vineyards owned mostly by a singular demographic with a significantly higher income than those living in the townships. Research has indicated that the ‘terroir’, (climatic and environmental conditions) of Philippi is ideal for grapevine cultivation and there are upwards of 250 hectares of open land. The viticulture industry is one of the biggest sources of income for the Western Cape but the problem lies in the fact that the revenue created is channeled only to an elite group of people. To counteract the repercussions of apartheid many strategies have been implemented by the government; among these is land reform. The physical and spatial nature of this place is investigated to create an architectural viewpoint on the matter. The treatise explores the design of a community-owned winery in the Philippi Informal Settlement and examines how the resultant architecture might address the impaired configuration of the urban make-up while strengthening the sense of identity. The idea is that through leap-frog development locals will plant vineyards in open spaces, making the township a greener space to live in, whilst also generating income for the local inhabitants and allowing for the transfer of knowledge. The use of precedent studies into the nature of building type, site visits as well as site- and precinct investigations were necessary to reach an understanding of the building type and a possible architectural response to the sensitive topic. All research is qualitative using inductive reasoning. Qualtative research is based on observation to gather non-numerical data. Inductive reasoning is reasoning where the premises support the conclusion, which means that the conclusion is the part of reasoning that inductive reasoning is trying to prove. The understanding gained from the above-mentioned methods led to an appropriate architectural response in the form of a design. The design is the conclusion and proposed solution of the treatise.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Think Piece on Amanzi for Food. Working with Critical Realism to Inform a Situated Learning Framework for Climate Change Education
- Authors: O'Donoghue, Rob B
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/388136 , vital:68309 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/172215"
- Description: This study is developed as a think piece which deliberates the problem of transformative human agency in a curriculum setting. Using a critical realism perspective and schematic tools it examines the deliberative framing of an Amanzi for Food teaching garden as an education process for mediating the learning of rainwater harvesting. Working with Bhaskar’s Transformational Model of Social Activity and using expansions of his ‘four-planar social being’ schema and its resolution in his ‘social cube’ model, the study contemplates the framing for a curriculum for the mediation of co-engaged social learning in the contexts of practical work in an agricultural college curriculum setting. In this way the research process is developed as an under-labouring review of the emerging curriculum in search of theory to inform pedagogy for mediating situated processes of transformative social learning.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: O'Donoghue, Rob B
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/388136 , vital:68309 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/172215"
- Description: This study is developed as a think piece which deliberates the problem of transformative human agency in a curriculum setting. Using a critical realism perspective and schematic tools it examines the deliberative framing of an Amanzi for Food teaching garden as an education process for mediating the learning of rainwater harvesting. Working with Bhaskar’s Transformational Model of Social Activity and using expansions of his ‘four-planar social being’ schema and its resolution in his ‘social cube’ model, the study contemplates the framing for a curriculum for the mediation of co-engaged social learning in the contexts of practical work in an agricultural college curriculum setting. In this way the research process is developed as an under-labouring review of the emerging curriculum in search of theory to inform pedagogy for mediating situated processes of transformative social learning.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Think Piece. Intersectional Resonance and the Multiplicity of Being in a Polarised World
- Authors: Kulundu, Injairu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/388037 , vital:68301 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/172212"
- Description: Understandings of collective learning and change agency often conjure up an image of a particular group or community identifying important concerns and finding the momentum to learn together to address them. In reality, gaining consensus around what issues need to be addressed is a complex process in polarised societies. It requires an attentiveness to different standpoints and experiences of the social dynamics at play, and the ways in which ecological, political, socio-economic and psychic experiences manifest themselves within different contexts, generating disparate and connected views on what is missing and what is needed to create a more just society. This paper asks questions about what it means to learn in-between and through complex and interrelated societal dynamics amongst a community of change drivers. By highlighting the individual, communal and collective learning of a diverse group of change drivers in a very polarised South Africa, we can begin to ask questions about the following: 1) how different embodied experiences or ‘a multiplicity of being’, as referred to in this paper, are essential in the pursuit of a sustainable society; and 2) why we need to learn in ways that can foster a sense of ‘intersectional resonance’ between and amongst change drivers in a polarised world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kulundu, Injairu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/388037 , vital:68301 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/172212"
- Description: Understandings of collective learning and change agency often conjure up an image of a particular group or community identifying important concerns and finding the momentum to learn together to address them. In reality, gaining consensus around what issues need to be addressed is a complex process in polarised societies. It requires an attentiveness to different standpoints and experiences of the social dynamics at play, and the ways in which ecological, political, socio-economic and psychic experiences manifest themselves within different contexts, generating disparate and connected views on what is missing and what is needed to create a more just society. This paper asks questions about what it means to learn in-between and through complex and interrelated societal dynamics amongst a community of change drivers. By highlighting the individual, communal and collective learning of a diverse group of change drivers in a very polarised South Africa, we can begin to ask questions about the following: 1) how different embodied experiences or ‘a multiplicity of being’, as referred to in this paper, are essential in the pursuit of a sustainable society; and 2) why we need to learn in ways that can foster a sense of ‘intersectional resonance’ between and amongst change drivers in a polarised world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Think Piece: Pioneers as relational subjects? Probing relationality as phenomenon shaping collective learning and change agency formation
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182787 , vital:43874 , xlink:href="DOI 10.4314/sajee.v34i1.5"
- Description: This paper deliberates on how relationality is framed in collective learning and change agency formation processes, with an emphasis on green economy and renewable energy learning contexts. The paper is not focused on empirical analysis of relationality in collective learning, but rather probes the phenomenon in order to provide more carefully constituted theoretical and analytical tools for further empirical research. The paper uses references to South African and Danish cases (albeit in slightly different ways), and, through this, it sets out to provide tools for generative insights and research into a recent international policy and strategy process which is bringing national-level Green Economy Learning Assessments (GELA) into being, including one in South Africa. Central to these GELAs is the notion of participatory or relational competence, which appears to be a central feature of collective learning, although this is not empirically analysed in this paper. In case study work undertaken for the GELA in South Africa that focused on South Africa’s major renewable energy development, and in the Samsø Island renewable energy transition case in Denmark, this competence appeared to come into focus in praxis. Interestingly, however, it appeared to come into focus colloquially as a discourse on ‘pioneers’ or ‘champions’, a phenomenon noticed in both the South African and Danish contexts. This paper probes this phenomenon further, especially since it initially appears to be contradictory to the emphasis on participatory and relational competence in the GELA study framework. This is because the concept of ‘pioneer/champion’ appears to highlight individual capabilities rather than collective, relational competences. Yet, on closer inspection, it is indeed the relational competences of the pioneer/champion, who is constituted as a ‘relational subject’ with a key role to play in producing shared relational goods, that appears to be significant to the collective learning and action process. This, as argued in the paper, requires a differentiation of relationism and relational realism. This Think Piece, which thinks with both theory and praxis, therefore offers a possible framework for more detailed empirical studies on relationality in collective learning and change agency formation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182787 , vital:43874 , xlink:href="DOI 10.4314/sajee.v34i1.5"
- Description: This paper deliberates on how relationality is framed in collective learning and change agency formation processes, with an emphasis on green economy and renewable energy learning contexts. The paper is not focused on empirical analysis of relationality in collective learning, but rather probes the phenomenon in order to provide more carefully constituted theoretical and analytical tools for further empirical research. The paper uses references to South African and Danish cases (albeit in slightly different ways), and, through this, it sets out to provide tools for generative insights and research into a recent international policy and strategy process which is bringing national-level Green Economy Learning Assessments (GELA) into being, including one in South Africa. Central to these GELAs is the notion of participatory or relational competence, which appears to be a central feature of collective learning, although this is not empirically analysed in this paper. In case study work undertaken for the GELA in South Africa that focused on South Africa’s major renewable energy development, and in the Samsø Island renewable energy transition case in Denmark, this competence appeared to come into focus in praxis. Interestingly, however, it appeared to come into focus colloquially as a discourse on ‘pioneers’ or ‘champions’, a phenomenon noticed in both the South African and Danish contexts. This paper probes this phenomenon further, especially since it initially appears to be contradictory to the emphasis on participatory and relational competence in the GELA study framework. This is because the concept of ‘pioneer/champion’ appears to highlight individual capabilities rather than collective, relational competences. Yet, on closer inspection, it is indeed the relational competences of the pioneer/champion, who is constituted as a ‘relational subject’ with a key role to play in producing shared relational goods, that appears to be significant to the collective learning and action process. This, as argued in the paper, requires a differentiation of relationism and relational realism. This Think Piece, which thinks with both theory and praxis, therefore offers a possible framework for more detailed empirical studies on relationality in collective learning and change agency formation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
This is our story: iconography of carved doors and panels in Òyó Palace
- Authors: Fọlárànmí, Stephen
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145698 , vital:38459 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1162/afar_a_00402
- Description: This saying or prayer is one of the numerous expressions among the Yorùbá about the door and its significance, not only as a physical and important aspect of their architecture, but also in their language and culture. It also alludes to its pride of place as perhaps the most decorated element of Yorùbá architecture. From private homes, to the homes of the rich, shrines, and palaces, Yorùbá doors are usually imbued with a considerable array of images and icons that proclaims the owner's identity, religion, occupation. The Yorùbá are not unique in this respect. For example, among the Dogon, the door is as important as the house on which it is affixed. The granary, according to Willett (2002: 176), protects the the food stored inside it, while the door is seen or referred to as an element not only for physical protection, but also as a spiritual means of warding off unwanted spirits. It is reasonable, therefore, to expect the door to receive aesthetic attention by embellishment with an array of images.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Fọlárànmí, Stephen
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145698 , vital:38459 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1162/afar_a_00402
- Description: This saying or prayer is one of the numerous expressions among the Yorùbá about the door and its significance, not only as a physical and important aspect of their architecture, but also in their language and culture. It also alludes to its pride of place as perhaps the most decorated element of Yorùbá architecture. From private homes, to the homes of the rich, shrines, and palaces, Yorùbá doors are usually imbued with a considerable array of images and icons that proclaims the owner's identity, religion, occupation. The Yorùbá are not unique in this respect. For example, among the Dogon, the door is as important as the house on which it is affixed. The granary, according to Willett (2002: 176), protects the the food stored inside it, while the door is seen or referred to as an element not only for physical protection, but also as a spiritual means of warding off unwanted spirits. It is reasonable, therefore, to expect the door to receive aesthetic attention by embellishment with an array of images.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Three new pentacyclic triterpenoids from twigs of Manniophyton fulvum (Euphorbiaceae)
- Mbeunkeu, Ahri B D, Noundou, Xavier S, Krause, Rui W M, Teinkela, Jean E M, Laatsch, Hartmut, Azebaze, Anatole G B, Vardamides, Juliette C, Tala, Michel F
- Authors: Mbeunkeu, Ahri B D , Noundou, Xavier S , Krause, Rui W M , Teinkela, Jean E M , Laatsch, Hartmut , Azebaze, Anatole G B , Vardamides, Juliette C , Tala, Michel F
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/126782 , vital:35922 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2018.06.019
- Description: Phytochemical investigation of the methanol extracts of the twigs of Manniophyton fulvum has led to the isolation and characterization of three new pentacyclic triterpenoids, designated as 3α,28-dihydroxyfriedelan-1-one (1), manniotaraxerol A (3) and manniotaraxerol B (4), along with fourteen known compounds, 3α-hydroxy-1-oxofriedelane (2), betulinic acid (5), friedelin (S1), taraxerol (S2), a mixture of stigmasterol (S3) and β-sitosterol (S4), herranone (S5), docosanoic acid (S6), ursolic acid (S7), nasutin B (S8), bergenin (S9), stigmasterol-3-O-β-Dglucopyranoside (S10), 1,2-di-O-palmitoyl-3-O-(6-sulfo-α-D-quinovopyranosyl)glycerol (S11), and aridanin (S12). The structures of all compounds were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, EI and ESI-MS). 3α,28-Dihydroxyfriedelan-1-one (1), 3α-hydroxy-1-oxofriedelane (2), manniotaraxerol A (3), manniotaraxerol B (4), and betulinic acid (5) were evaluated against HeLa (human cervix adenocarcinoma) cancer cells. Manniotaraxerol A (3) showed weak in vitro cytotoxicity with a cell viability value of 49.3%. Betulinic acid (5) also showed significant cytotoxicity against HeLa cell with a cell viability value of 4.0%; the other compounds were inactive in this test.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mbeunkeu, Ahri B D , Noundou, Xavier S , Krause, Rui W M , Teinkela, Jean E M , Laatsch, Hartmut , Azebaze, Anatole G B , Vardamides, Juliette C , Tala, Michel F
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/126782 , vital:35922 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2018.06.019
- Description: Phytochemical investigation of the methanol extracts of the twigs of Manniophyton fulvum has led to the isolation and characterization of three new pentacyclic triterpenoids, designated as 3α,28-dihydroxyfriedelan-1-one (1), manniotaraxerol A (3) and manniotaraxerol B (4), along with fourteen known compounds, 3α-hydroxy-1-oxofriedelane (2), betulinic acid (5), friedelin (S1), taraxerol (S2), a mixture of stigmasterol (S3) and β-sitosterol (S4), herranone (S5), docosanoic acid (S6), ursolic acid (S7), nasutin B (S8), bergenin (S9), stigmasterol-3-O-β-Dglucopyranoside (S10), 1,2-di-O-palmitoyl-3-O-(6-sulfo-α-D-quinovopyranosyl)glycerol (S11), and aridanin (S12). The structures of all compounds were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, EI and ESI-MS). 3α,28-Dihydroxyfriedelan-1-one (1), 3α-hydroxy-1-oxofriedelane (2), manniotaraxerol A (3), manniotaraxerol B (4), and betulinic acid (5) were evaluated against HeLa (human cervix adenocarcinoma) cancer cells. Manniotaraxerol A (3) showed weak in vitro cytotoxicity with a cell viability value of 49.3%. Betulinic acid (5) also showed significant cytotoxicity against HeLa cell with a cell viability value of 4.0%; the other compounds were inactive in this test.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Ties that bind: the ambiguous role played by social capital in black working class first-generation South African students’ negotiation of university life
- Vincent, Louise, Hlatshwayo, M
- Authors: Vincent, Louise , Hlatshwayo, M
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141722 , vital:37999 , DOI: 10.20853/32-3-2538
- Description: In this article we examine the ambiguous role that social capital plays in first generation Black working class South African students’ negotiation of entry into an elite higher education institutional environment. First generation student experiences have a particular relevance in South Africa where student enrolment increased by 193 000 between 1993 and 2004, with many of the new entrants first-generation students. South African research on first-generation working class Black students has focused on the low proportion of these students who reach university at all and among those who do enter university, the significant number who perform poorly or drop out before completing their degrees. The role played by social capital (social networks, close friends, associations, clubs and other affiliations) in these students’ experiences of negotiating their entry into university has been little explored.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Vincent, Louise , Hlatshwayo, M
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141722 , vital:37999 , DOI: 10.20853/32-3-2538
- Description: In this article we examine the ambiguous role that social capital plays in first generation Black working class South African students’ negotiation of entry into an elite higher education institutional environment. First generation student experiences have a particular relevance in South Africa where student enrolment increased by 193 000 between 1993 and 2004, with many of the new entrants first-generation students. South African research on first-generation working class Black students has focused on the low proportion of these students who reach university at all and among those who do enter university, the significant number who perform poorly or drop out before completing their degrees. The role played by social capital (social networks, close friends, associations, clubs and other affiliations) in these students’ experiences of negotiating their entry into university has been little explored.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Time-driven activity-based costing for small to medium manufacturing enterprises in South Africa: an integrated balanced scorecard approach
- Authors: Reynolds, Arthur
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Activity-based costing , Managerial accounting Small business -- Finance Small business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35125 , vital:33630
- Description: The failure rate of small to medium enterprises in South Africa is very high. This is problematic as there is a large dependence on the ongoing success of small to medium enterprises from the economy and society. Increasing labour costs and inflationary pressure have contributed to the high failure rates of small to medium enterprises. In addition, the manufacturing sector for small to medium enterprises has showed a decline over recent years. There is thus a need to identify and manage the critical success factors (CSFs) for small to medium manufacturing enterprises. The balanced scorecard (BSC) has been used successfully to manage CSFs. Furthermore, research on time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) has illustrated that this costing system could be implemented successfully at small to medium enterprises across the world to manage costs, and that the BSC could be used successfully together with TDABC. However, research has shown that implementing a BSC at small to medium enterprises could be challenging. As a result, the theory of constraints (TOC) that can be used to explain the phenomenon of constraints of resources is recognised as the underlying theory for this study. The availability of a generic yet adaptable BSC could potentially enable owners and managers of small to medium manufacturing enterprises to manage the CSFs that together with the TDABC system can lower costs and identify unused capacity. This study has developed and implemented a generic TDABC/BSC costing system by investigating literature and conducting a Delphi study and a case study at a small to medium enterprise specialising in manufacturing. Firstly, it was found that a generic BSC for small to medium manufacturing enterprises could be developed by using a Delphi study to create a BSC template with optional key metrics/key performance indicators (KPIs) to suit different types of manufacturing industries. Secondly, it was demonstrated in a case study that TDABC could still be beneficial for a small to medium manufacturing enterprise if focus is only on a single product. Thirdly, it became evident that the system could be used to manage the TOC. Finally, the case study shows that cost savings could be achieved in small to medium enterprise by using the integrated TDABC/BSC costing system and by that increase the success of the business.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Reynolds, Arthur
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Activity-based costing , Managerial accounting Small business -- Finance Small business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35125 , vital:33630
- Description: The failure rate of small to medium enterprises in South Africa is very high. This is problematic as there is a large dependence on the ongoing success of small to medium enterprises from the economy and society. Increasing labour costs and inflationary pressure have contributed to the high failure rates of small to medium enterprises. In addition, the manufacturing sector for small to medium enterprises has showed a decline over recent years. There is thus a need to identify and manage the critical success factors (CSFs) for small to medium manufacturing enterprises. The balanced scorecard (BSC) has been used successfully to manage CSFs. Furthermore, research on time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) has illustrated that this costing system could be implemented successfully at small to medium enterprises across the world to manage costs, and that the BSC could be used successfully together with TDABC. However, research has shown that implementing a BSC at small to medium enterprises could be challenging. As a result, the theory of constraints (TOC) that can be used to explain the phenomenon of constraints of resources is recognised as the underlying theory for this study. The availability of a generic yet adaptable BSC could potentially enable owners and managers of small to medium manufacturing enterprises to manage the CSFs that together with the TDABC system can lower costs and identify unused capacity. This study has developed and implemented a generic TDABC/BSC costing system by investigating literature and conducting a Delphi study and a case study at a small to medium enterprise specialising in manufacturing. Firstly, it was found that a generic BSC for small to medium manufacturing enterprises could be developed by using a Delphi study to create a BSC template with optional key metrics/key performance indicators (KPIs) to suit different types of manufacturing industries. Secondly, it was demonstrated in a case study that TDABC could still be beneficial for a small to medium manufacturing enterprise if focus is only on a single product. Thirdly, it became evident that the system could be used to manage the TOC. Finally, the case study shows that cost savings could be achieved in small to medium enterprise by using the integrated TDABC/BSC costing system and by that increase the success of the business.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Tolerance of salt marsh ecotone species to salinity and inundation
- Authors: Matabane, Rebotile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Geobiology , Plant ecology Plant ecophysiology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22409 , vital:29967
- Description: Ecophysiology studies help understand and predict the response of coastal ecosystems to changes in environmental factors and complement modelling and mapping studies that often do not take into account the physiological tolerances of the biota. Along the South African coastline predicted sea level rise will shift the tidal front and result in larger submerged areas. The frequency and magnitude of inundation and subsequent salinity stress is expected to influence the survival and distribution of salt marsh. An understanding of the effects of sea level rise on plant growth and survival is required to predict, manage and adapt to climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of the salt marsh ecotone species Disphyma crassifolium (L.) L. Bol. to salinity and submergence stress and to measure in situ spatial and temporal changes in vegetation cover and its environmental drivers in the Swartkops Estuary in South Africa.Three greenhouse experiments assessed morphological and physiological responses to salinity and inundation treatments on D. crassifolium. The first experiment used three inundation levels (dry, tidal and waterlogged) and five salinity treatments (0, 8, 18, 35 and 45 ppt) and ran for six weeks. The second experiment also had three inundation levels (dry, waterlogged and completely submerged) and five salinity treatments (0, 8, 18, 35 and 45 ppt) and ran for 12 weeks. The third experiment investigated the response of a narrower range of salinity treatments under dry conditions only; namely 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 ppt and ran for seven weeks. Experiment 1 showed that D. crassifolium growth decreased with an increase in salinity. Optimum growth occurred at lower salinity treatments of 0 to 18 ppt under dry conditions. Plant height and leaf succulence was the highest at 0 ppt (12.4 ± 1.2 cm and 94.9 ± 0.6 % respectively). The number of leaves produced were the highest at 0 ppt (47.7 ± 8.9 number of leaves) and 8 ppt (59.6 ± 6.3 number of leaves). The root/shoot ratio for dry treatment plants was significantly lower (p < 0.005, n=12) than that of waterlogged and tidal-treated plants. This was as a result of more leaves being produced in dry treatments. In Experiment 2 D. crassifolium plants died after one month of submergence regardless of the salinity. Once again optimum growth occurred at salinity of 0 to 18 ppt under the dry treatment. Within the waterlogged treatment, 0 and 8 ppt treated plants developed adventitious roots and started flowering after two weeks.The electrolyte leakage increased with salinity, however the waterlogged plants had significantly higher electrolyte leakage compare to the dry treated plants. Within the waterlogged treatment electrolyte leakage was at the highest at 18 ppt (36.5 ± 4.2 %) and lowest at 0 ppt (26.1 ± 3.3 %). Photosynthetic pigments showed significant difference across the two inundation states. However, chlorophyll and carotenoids concentrations did not differ significantly with an increase in salinity in each treatment. D. crassifolium tolerated stress through accumulation of solutes that increased in concentration with salinity treatment. The proline concentration ranged between 23.1 to 102 mM while the glycinebetaine concentration ranged between 36.6 and 120 mM. Experiment 3 showed that growth was highest at salinity < 20 ppt. The highest growth based on plant height was measured at 0 and 10 ppt. Spatial and temporal changes in the salt marsh terrestrial boundary was investigated in situ at two sites in the Swartkops Estuary using three line transects per site extending from the terrestrial boundary to the supratidal salt marsh. Plant cover abundance was measured seasonally along with sediment moisture content, electrical conductivity, redox potential, organic content and sediment particle size. There were five sampling trips between April 2016 to July 2017, representing autumn, winter and summer. The transects at Sites 1 and 2 were divided into three zones; a Drosanthemum zone (dominated by Drosanthemum parvifolium (Haw.) Schwantes at the beginning of the transect), a Sarcocornia zone (in the middle of the transect and dominated by Sarcocornia pillanssii (Moss) A.J. Scott) and a Disphyma zone at the end of the transect in the supratidal marsh (dominated by Disphyma crassifolium). There was no significant seasonal change in vegetation cover except in Site 1 during Winter 2016 when Isolepis sp. appeared and was dominant in the middle of the transects. Sediment assessed from each of the zones showed physicochemical ranges within the typical ecotone sediment characteristics. Moisture content ranged between 0.6 and 30.9 % at Site 1 and between 3 and 33.8 % at Site 2. Electrical conductivity ranged between 0.9 and 10.2 mS cm-1 at Site 1 and between 1.4 and 17.8 mS cm-1 at Site 2. Organic content ranged between 1.9 and 16 % at Site 1 and between 3.9 and 16.3 % at Site 2. Redox potential ranged between 208 and 406.7 mV at Site 1 and between 202.7 and 389.67 mV at Site 2. Sediment particle size consisted of sand (>70%), silt (>15%) and clay (<10%). The aim of this study was to provide insight on the effects of salinity and inundation on the morphology and physiology of D. crassifolium occurring in the salt marsh terrestrial boundary and to assess its spatial and temporal changes over time. The research suggests that D. crassifolium is more sensitive to inundation than salinity. Furthermore the succulent was found in the field to be dominant in conditions which the glasshouse experiments showed to be its optimum growth. That is, in dry sediments with salinity of < 18 ppt. Therefore, if these conditions change (sediment moisture and salinity), the cover abundance of D. crassifolium could significantly change in the field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Matabane, Rebotile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Geobiology , Plant ecology Plant ecophysiology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22409 , vital:29967
- Description: Ecophysiology studies help understand and predict the response of coastal ecosystems to changes in environmental factors and complement modelling and mapping studies that often do not take into account the physiological tolerances of the biota. Along the South African coastline predicted sea level rise will shift the tidal front and result in larger submerged areas. The frequency and magnitude of inundation and subsequent salinity stress is expected to influence the survival and distribution of salt marsh. An understanding of the effects of sea level rise on plant growth and survival is required to predict, manage and adapt to climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of the salt marsh ecotone species Disphyma crassifolium (L.) L. Bol. to salinity and submergence stress and to measure in situ spatial and temporal changes in vegetation cover and its environmental drivers in the Swartkops Estuary in South Africa.Three greenhouse experiments assessed morphological and physiological responses to salinity and inundation treatments on D. crassifolium. The first experiment used three inundation levels (dry, tidal and waterlogged) and five salinity treatments (0, 8, 18, 35 and 45 ppt) and ran for six weeks. The second experiment also had three inundation levels (dry, waterlogged and completely submerged) and five salinity treatments (0, 8, 18, 35 and 45 ppt) and ran for 12 weeks. The third experiment investigated the response of a narrower range of salinity treatments under dry conditions only; namely 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 ppt and ran for seven weeks. Experiment 1 showed that D. crassifolium growth decreased with an increase in salinity. Optimum growth occurred at lower salinity treatments of 0 to 18 ppt under dry conditions. Plant height and leaf succulence was the highest at 0 ppt (12.4 ± 1.2 cm and 94.9 ± 0.6 % respectively). The number of leaves produced were the highest at 0 ppt (47.7 ± 8.9 number of leaves) and 8 ppt (59.6 ± 6.3 number of leaves). The root/shoot ratio for dry treatment plants was significantly lower (p < 0.005, n=12) than that of waterlogged and tidal-treated plants. This was as a result of more leaves being produced in dry treatments. In Experiment 2 D. crassifolium plants died after one month of submergence regardless of the salinity. Once again optimum growth occurred at salinity of 0 to 18 ppt under the dry treatment. Within the waterlogged treatment, 0 and 8 ppt treated plants developed adventitious roots and started flowering after two weeks.The electrolyte leakage increased with salinity, however the waterlogged plants had significantly higher electrolyte leakage compare to the dry treated plants. Within the waterlogged treatment electrolyte leakage was at the highest at 18 ppt (36.5 ± 4.2 %) and lowest at 0 ppt (26.1 ± 3.3 %). Photosynthetic pigments showed significant difference across the two inundation states. However, chlorophyll and carotenoids concentrations did not differ significantly with an increase in salinity in each treatment. D. crassifolium tolerated stress through accumulation of solutes that increased in concentration with salinity treatment. The proline concentration ranged between 23.1 to 102 mM while the glycinebetaine concentration ranged between 36.6 and 120 mM. Experiment 3 showed that growth was highest at salinity < 20 ppt. The highest growth based on plant height was measured at 0 and 10 ppt. Spatial and temporal changes in the salt marsh terrestrial boundary was investigated in situ at two sites in the Swartkops Estuary using three line transects per site extending from the terrestrial boundary to the supratidal salt marsh. Plant cover abundance was measured seasonally along with sediment moisture content, electrical conductivity, redox potential, organic content and sediment particle size. There were five sampling trips between April 2016 to July 2017, representing autumn, winter and summer. The transects at Sites 1 and 2 were divided into three zones; a Drosanthemum zone (dominated by Drosanthemum parvifolium (Haw.) Schwantes at the beginning of the transect), a Sarcocornia zone (in the middle of the transect and dominated by Sarcocornia pillanssii (Moss) A.J. Scott) and a Disphyma zone at the end of the transect in the supratidal marsh (dominated by Disphyma crassifolium). There was no significant seasonal change in vegetation cover except in Site 1 during Winter 2016 when Isolepis sp. appeared and was dominant in the middle of the transects. Sediment assessed from each of the zones showed physicochemical ranges within the typical ecotone sediment characteristics. Moisture content ranged between 0.6 and 30.9 % at Site 1 and between 3 and 33.8 % at Site 2. Electrical conductivity ranged between 0.9 and 10.2 mS cm-1 at Site 1 and between 1.4 and 17.8 mS cm-1 at Site 2. Organic content ranged between 1.9 and 16 % at Site 1 and between 3.9 and 16.3 % at Site 2. Redox potential ranged between 208 and 406.7 mV at Site 1 and between 202.7 and 389.67 mV at Site 2. Sediment particle size consisted of sand (>70%), silt (>15%) and clay (<10%). The aim of this study was to provide insight on the effects of salinity and inundation on the morphology and physiology of D. crassifolium occurring in the salt marsh terrestrial boundary and to assess its spatial and temporal changes over time. The research suggests that D. crassifolium is more sensitive to inundation than salinity. Furthermore the succulent was found in the field to be dominant in conditions which the glasshouse experiments showed to be its optimum growth. That is, in dry sediments with salinity of < 18 ppt. Therefore, if these conditions change (sediment moisture and salinity), the cover abundance of D. crassifolium could significantly change in the field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Tomographic imaging of East African equatorial ionosphere and study of equatorial plasma bubbles
- Authors: Giday, Nigussie Mezgebe
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Ionosphere -- Africa, Central , Tomography -- Africa, Central , Global Positioning System , Neural networks (Computer science) , Space environment , Multi-Instrument Data Analysis System (MIDAS) , Equatorial plasma bubbles
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63980 , vital:28516
- Description: In spite of the fact that the African ionospheric equatorial region has the largest ground footprint along the geomagnetic equator, it has not been well studied due to the absence of adequate ground-based instruments. This thesis presents research on both tomographic imaging of the African equatorial ionosphere and the study of the ionospheric irregularities/equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) under varying geomagnetic conditions. The Multi-Instrument Data Analysis System (MIDAS), an inversion algorithm, was investigated for its validity and ability as a tool to reconstruct multi-scaled ionospheric structures for different geomagnetic conditions. This was done for the narrow East African longitude sector with data from the available ground Global Positioning Sys-tem (GPS) receivers. The MIDAS results were compared to the results of two models, namely the IRI and GIM. MIDAS results compared more favourably with the observation vertical total electron content (VTEC), with a computed maximum correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99 and minimum root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 2.91 TECU, than did the results of the IRI-2012 and GIM models with maximum r of 0.93 and 0.99, and minimum RMSE of 13.03 TECU and 6.52 TECU, respectively, over all the test stations and validation days. The ability of MIDAS to reconstruct storm-time TEC was also compared with the results produced by the use of a Artificial Neural Net-work (ANN) for the African low- and mid-latitude regions. In terms of latitude, on average,MIDAS performed 13.44 % better than ANN in the African mid-latitudes, while MIDAS under performed in low-latitudes. This thesis also reports on the effects of moderate geomagnetic conditions on the evolution of EPBs and/or ionospheric irregularities during their season of occurrence using data from (or measurements by) space- and ground-based instruments for the east African equatorial sector. The study showed that the strength of daytime equatorial electrojet (EEJ), the steepness of the TEC peak-to-trough gradient and/or the meridional/transequatorial thermospheric winds sometimes have collective/interwoven effects, while at other times one mechanism dominates. In summary, this research offered tomographic results that outperform the results of the commonly used (“standard”) global models (i.e. IRI and GIM) for a longitude sector of importance to space weather, which has not been adequately studied due to a lack of sufficient instrumentation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Giday, Nigussie Mezgebe
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Ionosphere -- Africa, Central , Tomography -- Africa, Central , Global Positioning System , Neural networks (Computer science) , Space environment , Multi-Instrument Data Analysis System (MIDAS) , Equatorial plasma bubbles
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63980 , vital:28516
- Description: In spite of the fact that the African ionospheric equatorial region has the largest ground footprint along the geomagnetic equator, it has not been well studied due to the absence of adequate ground-based instruments. This thesis presents research on both tomographic imaging of the African equatorial ionosphere and the study of the ionospheric irregularities/equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) under varying geomagnetic conditions. The Multi-Instrument Data Analysis System (MIDAS), an inversion algorithm, was investigated for its validity and ability as a tool to reconstruct multi-scaled ionospheric structures for different geomagnetic conditions. This was done for the narrow East African longitude sector with data from the available ground Global Positioning Sys-tem (GPS) receivers. The MIDAS results were compared to the results of two models, namely the IRI and GIM. MIDAS results compared more favourably with the observation vertical total electron content (VTEC), with a computed maximum correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99 and minimum root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 2.91 TECU, than did the results of the IRI-2012 and GIM models with maximum r of 0.93 and 0.99, and minimum RMSE of 13.03 TECU and 6.52 TECU, respectively, over all the test stations and validation days. The ability of MIDAS to reconstruct storm-time TEC was also compared with the results produced by the use of a Artificial Neural Net-work (ANN) for the African low- and mid-latitude regions. In terms of latitude, on average,MIDAS performed 13.44 % better than ANN in the African mid-latitudes, while MIDAS under performed in low-latitudes. This thesis also reports on the effects of moderate geomagnetic conditions on the evolution of EPBs and/or ionospheric irregularities during their season of occurrence using data from (or measurements by) space- and ground-based instruments for the east African equatorial sector. The study showed that the strength of daytime equatorial electrojet (EEJ), the steepness of the TEC peak-to-trough gradient and/or the meridional/transequatorial thermospheric winds sometimes have collective/interwoven effects, while at other times one mechanism dominates. In summary, this research offered tomographic results that outperform the results of the commonly used (“standard”) global models (i.e. IRI and GIM) for a longitude sector of importance to space weather, which has not been adequately studied due to a lack of sufficient instrumentation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Topic : an appraisal of youth social entrepreneurship for positive youth development in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Ntlemeza, Aphiwe Ziyanda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Youth development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Rural Development
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10974 , vital:35971
- Description: This study explores social entrepreneurship projects which are specifically run by the youth in an attempt to mitigate poverty and unemployment in the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape. It also evaluates the extent to which selected social entrepreneurship interventions have contributed to employment creation and income generation. Furthermore, not only does the study investigate social entrepreneurship opportunities available for rural youth in Amathole but goes further to evaluate the sustainability of existing social entrepreneurship projects. The challenges faced by rural youth in pursuing social entrepreneurship are also explored. In so doing, the study is underpinned by the Positivist Youth Development (PYD) theory. The study found that the youth of Amathole District Municipality have a positive attitude towards social entrepreneurship. They engage in a variety of social enterprises. However, the youth face many constraints such as lack of access to finance, lack of business skills, lack of entrepreneurial education and lack of technical support. All these constraints are interrelated and lead to issues of unsustainability and limited income generation and employment creation. Informed by these constraints, the study recommends coordinated awareness campaigns and government (national/provincial) response about social entrepreneurship and community needs within Amathole. To further understand social entrepreneurship, there is need for further studies to investigate the attitudes and constraints of women towards social entrepreneurship as well as youth’s understanding of social entrepreneurship in general.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Ntlemeza, Aphiwe Ziyanda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Youth development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Rural Development
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10974 , vital:35971
- Description: This study explores social entrepreneurship projects which are specifically run by the youth in an attempt to mitigate poverty and unemployment in the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape. It also evaluates the extent to which selected social entrepreneurship interventions have contributed to employment creation and income generation. Furthermore, not only does the study investigate social entrepreneurship opportunities available for rural youth in Amathole but goes further to evaluate the sustainability of existing social entrepreneurship projects. The challenges faced by rural youth in pursuing social entrepreneurship are also explored. In so doing, the study is underpinned by the Positivist Youth Development (PYD) theory. The study found that the youth of Amathole District Municipality have a positive attitude towards social entrepreneurship. They engage in a variety of social enterprises. However, the youth face many constraints such as lack of access to finance, lack of business skills, lack of entrepreneurial education and lack of technical support. All these constraints are interrelated and lead to issues of unsustainability and limited income generation and employment creation. Informed by these constraints, the study recommends coordinated awareness campaigns and government (national/provincial) response about social entrepreneurship and community needs within Amathole. To further understand social entrepreneurship, there is need for further studies to investigate the attitudes and constraints of women towards social entrepreneurship as well as youth’s understanding of social entrepreneurship in general.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Topic map for representing network security competencies
- Authors: Yekela, Odwa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer networks , Computer networks -- Security measures Computers -- Access control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MIT
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36368 , vital:33931
- Description: Competencies represent the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for job roles. Organisations need to understand and grow competencies within their workforce in order to be more competitive and to maximise new market opportunities. Competency Management is the process of introducing, managing and enforcing competencies in organisations. Through this process, occupational competencies can be assessed to see if candidates match the required job role expectations. The assessment of competencies can be conceptualised from two perspectives. The rst is `competency frameworks', which describe competencies from a high-level overview. As such, they are regarded as theWhat" element of competency. The second perspective is `competencybased learning', which focuses on addressing competencies from a more detailed, task-oriented perspective. Competency-based learning is regarded as the How" element of competency. Currently, there is no available tool that can map the What" with the How" element of competency. Such a mapping would provide a more holistic approach to representing competencies. This dissertation adopts the topic map standard in order to demonstrate a holistic approach to mapping competencies, specially in network security. This is accomplished through the design and evaluation of a Design Science artefact. In this research process a topic map data model was constructed from mapping the `What' and `How' elements together. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, it was implemented in a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) recruitment scenario. The aim of this demonstration was to prove that the topic map could be implemented in an organisational context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Yekela, Odwa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer networks , Computer networks -- Security measures Computers -- Access control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MIT
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36368 , vital:33931
- Description: Competencies represent the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for job roles. Organisations need to understand and grow competencies within their workforce in order to be more competitive and to maximise new market opportunities. Competency Management is the process of introducing, managing and enforcing competencies in organisations. Through this process, occupational competencies can be assessed to see if candidates match the required job role expectations. The assessment of competencies can be conceptualised from two perspectives. The rst is `competency frameworks', which describe competencies from a high-level overview. As such, they are regarded as theWhat" element of competency. The second perspective is `competencybased learning', which focuses on addressing competencies from a more detailed, task-oriented perspective. Competency-based learning is regarded as the How" element of competency. Currently, there is no available tool that can map the What" with the How" element of competency. Such a mapping would provide a more holistic approach to representing competencies. This dissertation adopts the topic map standard in order to demonstrate a holistic approach to mapping competencies, specially in network security. This is accomplished through the design and evaluation of a Design Science artefact. In this research process a topic map data model was constructed from mapping the `What' and `How' elements together. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, it was implemented in a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) recruitment scenario. The aim of this demonstration was to prove that the topic map could be implemented in an organisational context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards a collection of cost-effective technologies in support of the NIST cybersecurity framework
- Shackleton, Bruce Michael Stuart
- Authors: Shackleton, Bruce Michael Stuart
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.) , Computer security , Computer networks Security measures , Small business Information technology Cost effectiveness , Open source software
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62494 , vital:28199
- Description: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a specific risk and cybersecurity framework. It provides guidance on controls that can be implemented to help improve an organisation’s cybersecurity risk posture. The CSF Functions consist of Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Like most Information Technology (IT) frameworks, there are elements of people, processes, and technology. The same elements are required to successfully implement the NIST CSF. This research specifically focuses on the technology element. While there are many commercial technologies available for a small to medium sized business, the costs can be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, this research investigates cost-effective technologies and assesses their alignment to the NIST CSF. The assessment was made against the NIST CSF subcategories. Each subcategory was analysed to identify where a technology would likely be required. The framework provides a list of Informative References. These Informative References were used to create high- level technology categories, as well as identify the technical controls against which the technologies were measured. The technologies tested were either open source or proprietary. All open source technologies tested were free to use, or have a free community edition. Proprietary technologies would be free to use, or considered generally available to most organisations, such as components contained within Microsoft platforms. The results from the experimentation demonstrated that there are multiple cost-effective technologies that can support the NIST CSF. Once all technologies were tested, the NIST CSF was extended. Two new columns were added, namely high-level technology category, and tested technology. The columns were populated with output from the research. This extended framework begins an initial collection of cost-effective technologies in support of the NIST CSF.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Shackleton, Bruce Michael Stuart
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.) , Computer security , Computer networks Security measures , Small business Information technology Cost effectiveness , Open source software
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62494 , vital:28199
- Description: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a specific risk and cybersecurity framework. It provides guidance on controls that can be implemented to help improve an organisation’s cybersecurity risk posture. The CSF Functions consist of Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Like most Information Technology (IT) frameworks, there are elements of people, processes, and technology. The same elements are required to successfully implement the NIST CSF. This research specifically focuses on the technology element. While there are many commercial technologies available for a small to medium sized business, the costs can be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, this research investigates cost-effective technologies and assesses their alignment to the NIST CSF. The assessment was made against the NIST CSF subcategories. Each subcategory was analysed to identify where a technology would likely be required. The framework provides a list of Informative References. These Informative References were used to create high- level technology categories, as well as identify the technical controls against which the technologies were measured. The technologies tested were either open source or proprietary. All open source technologies tested were free to use, or have a free community edition. Proprietary technologies would be free to use, or considered generally available to most organisations, such as components contained within Microsoft platforms. The results from the experimentation demonstrated that there are multiple cost-effective technologies that can support the NIST CSF. Once all technologies were tested, the NIST CSF was extended. Two new columns were added, namely high-level technology category, and tested technology. The columns were populated with output from the research. This extended framework begins an initial collection of cost-effective technologies in support of the NIST CSF.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards a community based conservation strategy for wetlands in Uganda
- Authors: Barakagira, Alex
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Conservation of natural resources , Wetland conservation -- Uganda Wetlands -- Uganda -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23902 , vital:30640
- Description: Conservation of natural resources in Uganda focuses primarily on protected areas, including savannah national parks, mainly for conserving big game and forests, for controlling the harvest of commercially valuable timber resources, with less concern for wetlands. Later, policies and legislation in Uganda favoured agricultural production rather than the conservation of wetlands, a situation that culminated in their degradation. In a bid to counter the effects of wetlands degradation, Wetland Management Agencies were created. These agencies excluded the input of members of the local communities who reside in the wetlands environs. Local communities were not consulted on matters concerning management and conservation strategies, a situation that may have escalated the problem of wetlands degradation. Local knowledge is needed for the effective management and conservation of the wetlands and it is essential that local communities are included in decision making. This research study is more of an initiative for providing information that may be essential for the formulation of a community based conservation strategy for wetlands in Uganda. The study aimed to identify and characterize activities carried out by members of the local communities in wetlands found in central and western Uganda that are responsible for their progressive degradation; to assess the performance of existing Wetlands Management Institutions towards protection and conservation of wetlands in Uganda; to ascertain whether the acts and policies that have been promulgated for the protection of wetlands in Uganda have been adhered to by members of the local communities and to evaluate three community based conservation case studies with two vastly different outcomes in order to come up with the community-based conservation principles Ugandan communities may need to adopt to achieve sustainable utilisation and conservation of wetland resources. To achieve the objectives stated above, the researcher used a multi-disciplinary methodology that required several areas of expertise and sources of information. Hence, to accomplish the study, primary sources of data that included quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the study participants by means of a questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and direct observations. Secondary sources of data centred on published Ugandan acts and policies; textbooks; case study articles and journal articles. The study revealed a host of activities in which members of the local community are involved that have led to the degradation of the wetlands in Uganda. These include but are not limited to crop cultivation, dairy farming and unsustainable wetland resource harvesting. A number of other reasons for the degradation of the wetlands include unclear ownership of the wetlands, unclear wetland boundaries and a lack of awareness of the indirect benefits wetlands provide for members of the local communities. The study disclosed that wetlands management institutions have not been effective in the protection and conservation of wetlands in Uganda, mainly due to political interference and inadequate funding for the institutions’ conservation activities. The acts and policies that were promulgated for the protection and conservation of wetlands have been selectively implemented in some places and in others completely ignored, culminating in the degradation of the wetlands. The study revealed that effective community based conservation of wetlands in Uganda includes: initiation of the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all wetlands activities being borne by members of the local community; government introducing alternative income-generating activities aimed to reduce over-reliance on wetland resources and education of the local communities regarding the community-based projects’ objectives in order to garner their support. Recommendations emanating from this study are that the Land Act should be amended to specify a particular land tenure system, preferably freehold, which may promote the conservation of wetlands in Uganda; fertilizers (organic) should be introduced in the study area to fertilize the uplands that have reportedly become infertile in order to reduce the pressure the local community members are exerting on the wetlands for agriculture; wetlands management institutions should be empowered financially and political interference in activities aimed at conservation of wetlands in Uganda must cease. There should be uniform implementation of the rules and regulations stipulated in the acts and policies for all members of the public concerning wetlands protection. Lastly, essential community based conservation principles, as stated above, need to be applied carefully and adhered to if effective implementation of community-based conservation of wetlands is to be achieved in Uganda.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Barakagira, Alex
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Conservation of natural resources , Wetland conservation -- Uganda Wetlands -- Uganda -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23902 , vital:30640
- Description: Conservation of natural resources in Uganda focuses primarily on protected areas, including savannah national parks, mainly for conserving big game and forests, for controlling the harvest of commercially valuable timber resources, with less concern for wetlands. Later, policies and legislation in Uganda favoured agricultural production rather than the conservation of wetlands, a situation that culminated in their degradation. In a bid to counter the effects of wetlands degradation, Wetland Management Agencies were created. These agencies excluded the input of members of the local communities who reside in the wetlands environs. Local communities were not consulted on matters concerning management and conservation strategies, a situation that may have escalated the problem of wetlands degradation. Local knowledge is needed for the effective management and conservation of the wetlands and it is essential that local communities are included in decision making. This research study is more of an initiative for providing information that may be essential for the formulation of a community based conservation strategy for wetlands in Uganda. The study aimed to identify and characterize activities carried out by members of the local communities in wetlands found in central and western Uganda that are responsible for their progressive degradation; to assess the performance of existing Wetlands Management Institutions towards protection and conservation of wetlands in Uganda; to ascertain whether the acts and policies that have been promulgated for the protection of wetlands in Uganda have been adhered to by members of the local communities and to evaluate three community based conservation case studies with two vastly different outcomes in order to come up with the community-based conservation principles Ugandan communities may need to adopt to achieve sustainable utilisation and conservation of wetland resources. To achieve the objectives stated above, the researcher used a multi-disciplinary methodology that required several areas of expertise and sources of information. Hence, to accomplish the study, primary sources of data that included quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the study participants by means of a questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and direct observations. Secondary sources of data centred on published Ugandan acts and policies; textbooks; case study articles and journal articles. The study revealed a host of activities in which members of the local community are involved that have led to the degradation of the wetlands in Uganda. These include but are not limited to crop cultivation, dairy farming and unsustainable wetland resource harvesting. A number of other reasons for the degradation of the wetlands include unclear ownership of the wetlands, unclear wetland boundaries and a lack of awareness of the indirect benefits wetlands provide for members of the local communities. The study disclosed that wetlands management institutions have not been effective in the protection and conservation of wetlands in Uganda, mainly due to political interference and inadequate funding for the institutions’ conservation activities. The acts and policies that were promulgated for the protection and conservation of wetlands have been selectively implemented in some places and in others completely ignored, culminating in the degradation of the wetlands. The study revealed that effective community based conservation of wetlands in Uganda includes: initiation of the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all wetlands activities being borne by members of the local community; government introducing alternative income-generating activities aimed to reduce over-reliance on wetland resources and education of the local communities regarding the community-based projects’ objectives in order to garner their support. Recommendations emanating from this study are that the Land Act should be amended to specify a particular land tenure system, preferably freehold, which may promote the conservation of wetlands in Uganda; fertilizers (organic) should be introduced in the study area to fertilize the uplands that have reportedly become infertile in order to reduce the pressure the local community members are exerting on the wetlands for agriculture; wetlands management institutions should be empowered financially and political interference in activities aimed at conservation of wetlands in Uganda must cease. There should be uniform implementation of the rules and regulations stipulated in the acts and policies for all members of the public concerning wetlands protection. Lastly, essential community based conservation principles, as stated above, need to be applied carefully and adhered to if effective implementation of community-based conservation of wetlands is to be achieved in Uganda.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards a framework to enhance entry-level national diploma students' learning of computer programming - effects of guided inquiry learning
- Authors: Lukose, Jose
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer programming -- Study and teaching Computer science -- Study and teaching (Higher)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9522 , vital:34362
- Description: Research reports using global data show that the failure rates in introductory programming courses average about 32 percent. This study assessed the effect of elements of Guided Inquiry Learning (GIL) on enhancing academic performance of first year students in Introduction to Computer Programming course. As learners from schools join the university and enrol for different courses, they find the sudden transformation quite challenging. This makes it more challenging for first year university students, especially in difficult courses such as Introduction to Programming. As times change with advances in technology, the traditional ways of presenting information during teaching–learning interface may not address students’ needs. Lecturers and university stakeholders make efforts to address these challenges by proposing innovative teaching ways. One of the common approaches that have been used profitably in other science and engineering programmes is GIL. It is a form of inductive collaborative learning approach where students are presented with a challenge which challenges them to accomplish the desired learning outcomes in the process of responding to the posed challenge. The strategies in GIL include, among others, learning teams who participate in intra- and inter-learner interactions besides lecturer-learner interactions, linking theory and practical information cementing skills and problem solving strategies, scaffolding information, blended learning by integrating both traditional and technology-assisted learning, inquiry activities such as initiating investigations, gathering data, and critiquing evidence to come up with evidence-based solutions. The objective was to apply GIL to this module and observe if there were gains in students’ academic performance. This study was located in the pragmatic paradigm using action research design and a mixed method approach. The sample consisted offirst year students enrolled for Introduction to programming which was a year-long course (two semesters) at a South African university. The population consisted of the only 49 students who were registered for the module under focus. A group of 20 students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would have been ideal to have experimental and control groups with same number of students, that was not possible in this study, because only 20 out of the 49 who were willing to be included in the experimental group. The present researcher employed willing to be included in the experimental group. The present researcher employed three of these GIL strategies in teaching the module Introduction to Programming to the experimental group while another colleague continued with traditional teaching in the control group. Care was taken to limit the insider outsider conflict. Both groups were assessed by the same assessment tools at the same times. Results from these assessments together with focus group interviews provided the core data for this study. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out on the data, statistical analysis (mainly, chi-Square and t-test) for the former and thematic analysis for the latter. Results indicated gains in the experimental group such as enhanced motivation, interaction, intra-group social cohesion, creativity and provided students the confidence to share knowledge and skills with their peers and keep everyone focused on the course contents. These gains are reflected in higher year marks and pass rates than those in the control group as the analysed data indicate. A study that will pilot the GIL framework in several universities with different teaching modes and large classes are recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Lukose, Jose
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Computer programming -- Study and teaching Computer science -- Study and teaching (Higher)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9522 , vital:34362
- Description: Research reports using global data show that the failure rates in introductory programming courses average about 32 percent. This study assessed the effect of elements of Guided Inquiry Learning (GIL) on enhancing academic performance of first year students in Introduction to Computer Programming course. As learners from schools join the university and enrol for different courses, they find the sudden transformation quite challenging. This makes it more challenging for first year university students, especially in difficult courses such as Introduction to Programming. As times change with advances in technology, the traditional ways of presenting information during teaching–learning interface may not address students’ needs. Lecturers and university stakeholders make efforts to address these challenges by proposing innovative teaching ways. One of the common approaches that have been used profitably in other science and engineering programmes is GIL. It is a form of inductive collaborative learning approach where students are presented with a challenge which challenges them to accomplish the desired learning outcomes in the process of responding to the posed challenge. The strategies in GIL include, among others, learning teams who participate in intra- and inter-learner interactions besides lecturer-learner interactions, linking theory and practical information cementing skills and problem solving strategies, scaffolding information, blended learning by integrating both traditional and technology-assisted learning, inquiry activities such as initiating investigations, gathering data, and critiquing evidence to come up with evidence-based solutions. The objective was to apply GIL to this module and observe if there were gains in students’ academic performance. This study was located in the pragmatic paradigm using action research design and a mixed method approach. The sample consisted offirst year students enrolled for Introduction to programming which was a year-long course (two semesters) at a South African university. The population consisted of the only 49 students who were registered for the module under focus. A group of 20 students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would students were considered for the whole year in the GIL experiment. Although it would have been ideal to have experimental and control groups with same number of students, that was not possible in this study, because only 20 out of the 49 who were willing to be included in the experimental group. The present researcher employed willing to be included in the experimental group. The present researcher employed three of these GIL strategies in teaching the module Introduction to Programming to the experimental group while another colleague continued with traditional teaching in the control group. Care was taken to limit the insider outsider conflict. Both groups were assessed by the same assessment tools at the same times. Results from these assessments together with focus group interviews provided the core data for this study. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out on the data, statistical analysis (mainly, chi-Square and t-test) for the former and thematic analysis for the latter. Results indicated gains in the experimental group such as enhanced motivation, interaction, intra-group social cohesion, creativity and provided students the confidence to share knowledge and skills with their peers and keep everyone focused on the course contents. These gains are reflected in higher year marks and pass rates than those in the control group as the analysed data indicate. A study that will pilot the GIL framework in several universities with different teaching modes and large classes are recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards a threat assessment framework for consumer health wearables
- Authors: Mnjama, Javan Joshua
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Activity trackers (Wearable technology) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Data protection , Information storage and retrieval systems -- Security systems , Computer security -- Software , Consumer Health Wearable Threat Assessment Framework , Design Science Research
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62649 , vital:28225
- Description: The collection of health data such as physical activity, consumption and physiological data through the use of consumer health wearables via fitness trackers are very beneficial for the promotion of physical wellness. However, consumer health wearables and their associated applications are known to have privacy and security concerns that can potentially make the collected personal health data vulnerable to hackers. These concerns are attributed to security theoretical frameworks not sufficiently addressing the entirety of privacy and security concerns relating to the diverse technological ecosystem of consumer health wearables. The objective of this research was therefore to develop a threat assessment framework that can be used to guide the detection of vulnerabilities which affect consumer health wearables and their associated applications. To meet this objective, the Design Science Research methodology was used to develop the desired artefact (Consumer Health Wearable Threat Assessment Framework). The framework is comprised of fourteen vulnerabilities classified according to Authentication, Authorization, Availability, Confidentiality, Non-Repudiation and Integrity. Through developing the artefact, the threat assessment framework was demonstrated on two fitness trackers and their associated applications. It was discovered, that the framework was able to identify how these vulnerabilities affected, these two test cases based on the classification categories of the framework. The framework was also evaluated by four security experts who assessed the quality, utility and efficacy of the framework. Experts, supported the use of the framework as a relevant and comprehensive framework to guide the detection of vulnerabilities towards consumer health wearables and their associated applications. The implication of this research study is that the framework can be used by developers to better identify the vulnerabilities of consumer health wearables and their associated applications. This will assist in creating a more securer environment for the storage and use of health data by consumer health wearables.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mnjama, Javan Joshua
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Activity trackers (Wearable technology) , Computer networks -- Security measures , Data protection , Information storage and retrieval systems -- Security systems , Computer security -- Software , Consumer Health Wearable Threat Assessment Framework , Design Science Research
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62649 , vital:28225
- Description: The collection of health data such as physical activity, consumption and physiological data through the use of consumer health wearables via fitness trackers are very beneficial for the promotion of physical wellness. However, consumer health wearables and their associated applications are known to have privacy and security concerns that can potentially make the collected personal health data vulnerable to hackers. These concerns are attributed to security theoretical frameworks not sufficiently addressing the entirety of privacy and security concerns relating to the diverse technological ecosystem of consumer health wearables. The objective of this research was therefore to develop a threat assessment framework that can be used to guide the detection of vulnerabilities which affect consumer health wearables and their associated applications. To meet this objective, the Design Science Research methodology was used to develop the desired artefact (Consumer Health Wearable Threat Assessment Framework). The framework is comprised of fourteen vulnerabilities classified according to Authentication, Authorization, Availability, Confidentiality, Non-Repudiation and Integrity. Through developing the artefact, the threat assessment framework was demonstrated on two fitness trackers and their associated applications. It was discovered, that the framework was able to identify how these vulnerabilities affected, these two test cases based on the classification categories of the framework. The framework was also evaluated by four security experts who assessed the quality, utility and efficacy of the framework. Experts, supported the use of the framework as a relevant and comprehensive framework to guide the detection of vulnerabilities towards consumer health wearables and their associated applications. The implication of this research study is that the framework can be used by developers to better identify the vulnerabilities of consumer health wearables and their associated applications. This will assist in creating a more securer environment for the storage and use of health data by consumer health wearables.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards intercultural communication congruence in Sino-African organisational contexts
- Authors: Chigwendere, Fungai Beaula
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Intercultural communication -- Africa , China -- Foreign economic relations -- Africa , Communication in organizations -- Cross-cultural studies , Corporate culture -- Cross-cultural studies , Africa -- Relations -- China , China -- Relations -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62395 , vital:28172
- Description: Despite the prevalence of theories and research that could serve as guidelines for addressing intercultural communication challenges such as misunderstanding, ineffectiveness and inappropriateness in communication in Sino-African organisational contexts, the continued existence of these challenges suggests the inadequacy of such theories. Accordingly, in consideration of African and Chinese cultural perspectives, the aim of this study was to develop a hybrid intercultural communication congruence (HICC) framework in order to enhance intercultural communication and achieve intercultural communication congruence in Sino-African organisational contexts. In this study, intercultural communication congruence means effectiveness and appropriateness in intercultural communication. To achieve the study aim, an interpretive pragmatism paradigm was adopted, comprising a two-pronged approach of a synthesis of extant literature and theory as well as an empirical qualitative study, both underpinned by cross-cultural management theory. Based on the synthesis of literature and theory, a generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework underpinned by intercultural communication awareness - a state where communicants understand communication orientation and manner of communication in their own and their counterparts’ culture - was developed. A further contribution was a theoretical contextualisation of the generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework, resulting in a theoretical framework for intercultural communication awareness in Western, African and Chinese cultures and a theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts. Thereafter, with the aim of validating the intercultural communication awareness dimension of the theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts, an empirical study was conducted with a sample of seven African and eight Chinese experts using indepth interviews with open-ended and semi-structured questions. Based on qualitative content analysis, six intercultural communication awareness enablers or conditions that enable people to understand communication in different cultures and contexts for the purposes of attaining intercultural communication awareness emerged. These were cultural orientation, manner of communication, orientation to rules and protocol, individual dispositions, intercultural communication influences and intercultural communication variations. An integration of the intercultural communication awareness enablers into the generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework results in an updated generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework. Then, informed by the updated generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework, a further contribution of this study was an empirical verification of the intercultural communication awareness dimension of the theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts to result in a final hybrid intercultural communication congruence framework for Sino-African organisational contexts supported by the perspectives of those involved in interaction, rather than predetermined standards of other cultures. Empirical findings suggest that both African and Chinese colleagues maintain a sense of collectivism in the Sino- African organisational context, although this is demonstrated differently. In addition, African colleagues display a blended manner of communication characterised by a mix of Western and African ways while the Chinese manner is contextual and governed by roles and relationships. In African culture, rules and protocol are negotiated, aimed at social maintenance, while strong cultural patriotism ensures strict adherence in Chinese culture. In respect of individual dispositions, African people are seen as open and accommodating while the Chinese disposition could be described as closed and ambiguous. Also evident in the findings is the existence of within-culture differences and influence of noncultural factors on intercultural communication that should be addressed in order to achieve intercultural communication congruence. Finally, the frameworks developed and the methodological processes followed will stimulate academic debate and raise numerous questions for future research. Immediate future research could be geared towards refining the concepts of intercultural communication awareness, intercultural communication congruence and the hybrid intercultural communication congruence framework for Sino-African organisational contexts. At a management practice level, intercultural communication awareness insights provide a reference point for intercultural communication enhancement strategies and interventions in Sino-African organisational contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Chigwendere, Fungai Beaula
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Intercultural communication -- Africa , China -- Foreign economic relations -- Africa , Communication in organizations -- Cross-cultural studies , Corporate culture -- Cross-cultural studies , Africa -- Relations -- China , China -- Relations -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62395 , vital:28172
- Description: Despite the prevalence of theories and research that could serve as guidelines for addressing intercultural communication challenges such as misunderstanding, ineffectiveness and inappropriateness in communication in Sino-African organisational contexts, the continued existence of these challenges suggests the inadequacy of such theories. Accordingly, in consideration of African and Chinese cultural perspectives, the aim of this study was to develop a hybrid intercultural communication congruence (HICC) framework in order to enhance intercultural communication and achieve intercultural communication congruence in Sino-African organisational contexts. In this study, intercultural communication congruence means effectiveness and appropriateness in intercultural communication. To achieve the study aim, an interpretive pragmatism paradigm was adopted, comprising a two-pronged approach of a synthesis of extant literature and theory as well as an empirical qualitative study, both underpinned by cross-cultural management theory. Based on the synthesis of literature and theory, a generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework underpinned by intercultural communication awareness - a state where communicants understand communication orientation and manner of communication in their own and their counterparts’ culture - was developed. A further contribution was a theoretical contextualisation of the generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework, resulting in a theoretical framework for intercultural communication awareness in Western, African and Chinese cultures and a theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts. Thereafter, with the aim of validating the intercultural communication awareness dimension of the theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts, an empirical study was conducted with a sample of seven African and eight Chinese experts using indepth interviews with open-ended and semi-structured questions. Based on qualitative content analysis, six intercultural communication awareness enablers or conditions that enable people to understand communication in different cultures and contexts for the purposes of attaining intercultural communication awareness emerged. These were cultural orientation, manner of communication, orientation to rules and protocol, individual dispositions, intercultural communication influences and intercultural communication variations. An integration of the intercultural communication awareness enablers into the generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework results in an updated generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework. Then, informed by the updated generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework, a further contribution of this study was an empirical verification of the intercultural communication awareness dimension of the theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts to result in a final hybrid intercultural communication congruence framework for Sino-African organisational contexts supported by the perspectives of those involved in interaction, rather than predetermined standards of other cultures. Empirical findings suggest that both African and Chinese colleagues maintain a sense of collectivism in the Sino- African organisational context, although this is demonstrated differently. In addition, African colleagues display a blended manner of communication characterised by a mix of Western and African ways while the Chinese manner is contextual and governed by roles and relationships. In African culture, rules and protocol are negotiated, aimed at social maintenance, while strong cultural patriotism ensures strict adherence in Chinese culture. In respect of individual dispositions, African people are seen as open and accommodating while the Chinese disposition could be described as closed and ambiguous. Also evident in the findings is the existence of within-culture differences and influence of noncultural factors on intercultural communication that should be addressed in order to achieve intercultural communication congruence. Finally, the frameworks developed and the methodological processes followed will stimulate academic debate and raise numerous questions for future research. Immediate future research could be geared towards refining the concepts of intercultural communication awareness, intercultural communication congruence and the hybrid intercultural communication congruence framework for Sino-African organisational contexts. At a management practice level, intercultural communication awareness insights provide a reference point for intercultural communication enhancement strategies and interventions in Sino-African organisational contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards place-based research to support social–ecological stewardship
- Cundill, Georgina, Cockburn, Jessica J, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica J , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
- Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica J , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
- Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018