Conscientious objection and the concept of worship
- Authors: Moulder, James Edward
- Date: 1977
- Subjects: Conscientious objectors -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Conscientious objectors -- South Africa , Conscientious objection , Conscientious objection -- Religious aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2749 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013555
- Description: [Preface] " ... the focus of this inquiry is limited to some of the connections between conscientious objection in South Africa and the worship and imitation of Christ. More specifically, at the most general level this essay is an attempt to explore six questions: What kind of conscientious objection does South African law allow? Why are some conscientious objectors only conscientious noncombatants? Why are some Christians conscientious noncombatants? Is it appropriate to worship Christ? Does Romans 13 undermine conscientious noncompliance? And is there a prescription for servile compliance? These are, however, not the only questions which are raised in this essay. Nor are they the only questions which can and need to be asked. But they are the questions which interest me. In addition, they have not received as much attention as they deserve".
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1977
- Authors: Moulder, James Edward
- Date: 1977
- Subjects: Conscientious objectors -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Conscientious objectors -- South Africa , Conscientious objection , Conscientious objection -- Religious aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2749 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013555
- Description: [Preface] " ... the focus of this inquiry is limited to some of the connections between conscientious objection in South Africa and the worship and imitation of Christ. More specifically, at the most general level this essay is an attempt to explore six questions: What kind of conscientious objection does South African law allow? Why are some conscientious objectors only conscientious noncombatants? Why are some Christians conscientious noncombatants? Is it appropriate to worship Christ? Does Romans 13 undermine conscientious noncompliance? And is there a prescription for servile compliance? These are, however, not the only questions which are raised in this essay. Nor are they the only questions which can and need to be asked. But they are the questions which interest me. In addition, they have not received as much attention as they deserve".
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1977
Identity, belonging and ecological crisis in South African speculative fiction
- Authors: Steenkamp, Elzette Lorna
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: South African fiction -- History and criticism Identity (Philosophical concept) in literature Group identity in literature Ecology in literature Science fiction, South African -- History and criticism Fantasy fiction, South African -- History and criticism Ecofiction -- History and criticism Ecocriticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2219 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002262
- Description: This study examines a range of South African speculative novels which situate their narratives in futuristic or ‘alternative’ milieus, exploring how these narratives not only address identity formation in a deeply divided and rapidly changing society, but also the ways in which human beings place themselves in relation to Nature and form notions of ‘ecological’ belonging. It offers close readings of these speculative narratives in order to investigate the ways in which they evince concerns which are rooted in the natural, social and political landscapes which inform them. Specific attention is paid to the texts’ treatment of the intertwined issues of identity, belonging and ecological crisis. This dissertation draws on the fields of Ecocriticism, Postcolonial Studies and Science Fiction Studies, and assumes a culturally specific approach to primary texts while investigating possible cross-cultural commonalities between Afrikaans and English speculative narratives, as well as the cross-fertilisation of global SF/speculative features. It is suggested that South African speculative fiction presents a socio-historically situated, rhizomatic approach to ecology – one that is attuned to the tension between humanistic- and ecological concerns.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Steenkamp, Elzette Lorna
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: South African fiction -- History and criticism Identity (Philosophical concept) in literature Group identity in literature Ecology in literature Science fiction, South African -- History and criticism Fantasy fiction, South African -- History and criticism Ecofiction -- History and criticism Ecocriticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2219 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002262
- Description: This study examines a range of South African speculative novels which situate their narratives in futuristic or ‘alternative’ milieus, exploring how these narratives not only address identity formation in a deeply divided and rapidly changing society, but also the ways in which human beings place themselves in relation to Nature and form notions of ‘ecological’ belonging. It offers close readings of these speculative narratives in order to investigate the ways in which they evince concerns which are rooted in the natural, social and political landscapes which inform them. Specific attention is paid to the texts’ treatment of the intertwined issues of identity, belonging and ecological crisis. This dissertation draws on the fields of Ecocriticism, Postcolonial Studies and Science Fiction Studies, and assumes a culturally specific approach to primary texts while investigating possible cross-cultural commonalities between Afrikaans and English speculative narratives, as well as the cross-fertilisation of global SF/speculative features. It is suggested that South African speculative fiction presents a socio-historically situated, rhizomatic approach to ecology – one that is attuned to the tension between humanistic- and ecological concerns.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Nifedipine-cyclodextrin binary systems : solid-state photostability and dissolution behaviour
- Worthington, Matthew Stanley
- Authors: Worthington, Matthew Stanley
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Nifedipine Calcium -- Antagonists Cyclodextrins Cyclodextrins in pharmaceutical technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3830 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007233
- Description: Nifedipine is a photolabile calcium channel antagonist which undergoes rapid photodegradation in solution and in solid-state with an accompanying loss of pharmacological potency and clinical efficacy. Nifedipine photostabilization which has received considerable attention has principally been achieved by physical obscuration and through the use of colourants or ultraviolet light absorbers incorporated into liquid preparations, translucent packaging materials, gelatin capsules and/or their fillings and tablet coatings or cores. This study was initiated by a South African pharmaceutical manufacturer in response to increasing evidence that cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion complexation may improve drug photostability. The brief was to evaluate the potential of selected cyclodextrins as photoprotecting agents for nifedipine in the solid-state. Areas of investigation included i) quantitative method development and validation for selective determination of nifedipine, ii) phase solubility studies to establish the solubilizing potential and complexing tendencies of selected cyclodextrins, iii) preparation of solid-state nifedipine - cyclodextrin binary systems using an industrially applicable method, iv) pre-formulation photostability studies to determine the effects of the cyclodextrins on solid-state nifedipine photostability and v) comparative in vitro dissolution assessments of nifedipine, the nifedipine - cyclodextrin binary systems and their respective physical mixtures. Phase solubility studies demonstrated that soluble nifedipine - cyclodextrin complexes were formed in aqueous solution, but the magnitude of the interactions were generally low as reflected by the calculated stability constants which decreased in the rank order, heptakis (2,6-dimethyI)-β-CD (DM-β-CD) > randomly methylated-β-CD (RM-β-CD) > β-CD ≈ 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (2HP-β- CD) > γ-CD ≥ 2-hydroxypropyl-γ-CD (2HP-γ-CD). An industrially applicable kneading method yielded binary systems with spectral and thermal characteristics similar to the respective physical mixtures, implying weak solid-state inclusion complexation. Preparation of an amorphous nifedipine - RM-β-CD product using a heating method is reported. A 1.7- and 1.9-fold improvement in solid-state nifedipine photostability was observed for I : 1 molar ratio β-CD and γ-CD kneaded products, respectively, when exposed to window-filtered daylight and could be attributed to changes in opacity of the crystalline kneaded products. The remaining cyclodextrins produced negligible nifedipine photostabilization. Nifedipine in vitro dissolution was improved considerably from γ-CD and RM-β-CD .kneaded products as a result of increased nifedipine wettability, solubility and reduced particle size. iii
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
- Authors: Worthington, Matthew Stanley
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Nifedipine Calcium -- Antagonists Cyclodextrins Cyclodextrins in pharmaceutical technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3830 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007233
- Description: Nifedipine is a photolabile calcium channel antagonist which undergoes rapid photodegradation in solution and in solid-state with an accompanying loss of pharmacological potency and clinical efficacy. Nifedipine photostabilization which has received considerable attention has principally been achieved by physical obscuration and through the use of colourants or ultraviolet light absorbers incorporated into liquid preparations, translucent packaging materials, gelatin capsules and/or their fillings and tablet coatings or cores. This study was initiated by a South African pharmaceutical manufacturer in response to increasing evidence that cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion complexation may improve drug photostability. The brief was to evaluate the potential of selected cyclodextrins as photoprotecting agents for nifedipine in the solid-state. Areas of investigation included i) quantitative method development and validation for selective determination of nifedipine, ii) phase solubility studies to establish the solubilizing potential and complexing tendencies of selected cyclodextrins, iii) preparation of solid-state nifedipine - cyclodextrin binary systems using an industrially applicable method, iv) pre-formulation photostability studies to determine the effects of the cyclodextrins on solid-state nifedipine photostability and v) comparative in vitro dissolution assessments of nifedipine, the nifedipine - cyclodextrin binary systems and their respective physical mixtures. Phase solubility studies demonstrated that soluble nifedipine - cyclodextrin complexes were formed in aqueous solution, but the magnitude of the interactions were generally low as reflected by the calculated stability constants which decreased in the rank order, heptakis (2,6-dimethyI)-β-CD (DM-β-CD) > randomly methylated-β-CD (RM-β-CD) > β-CD ≈ 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (2HP-β- CD) > γ-CD ≥ 2-hydroxypropyl-γ-CD (2HP-γ-CD). An industrially applicable kneading method yielded binary systems with spectral and thermal characteristics similar to the respective physical mixtures, implying weak solid-state inclusion complexation. Preparation of an amorphous nifedipine - RM-β-CD product using a heating method is reported. A 1.7- and 1.9-fold improvement in solid-state nifedipine photostability was observed for I : 1 molar ratio β-CD and γ-CD kneaded products, respectively, when exposed to window-filtered daylight and could be attributed to changes in opacity of the crystalline kneaded products. The remaining cyclodextrins produced negligible nifedipine photostabilization. Nifedipine in vitro dissolution was improved considerably from γ-CD and RM-β-CD .kneaded products as a result of increased nifedipine wettability, solubility and reduced particle size. iii
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
Adaptations in allopatric populations of Triakis megalopterus isolated by the Benguela Current: steps towards understanding evolutionary processes affecting regional biodiversity
- Authors: Soekoe, Michelle
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5389 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021264
- Description: This study was initiated to gain a better understanding of evolution and adaptation of elasmobranchs by investigating how a putative biogeographic barrier, the Benguela Current, had influenced populations of a demersal shark species, Triakis megalopterus. It was hypothesized that the Benguela Current formed a biogeographic barrier in the distribution of T. megalopterus and was responsible for the divergence between South African (SA) and Angolan (AN) populations. Since elasmobranchs are generally characterized by a slow rate of evolutionary change and conservative morphology and life history traits, it was hypothesized that there would be limited genetic, morphological and life history divergence between the populations. Both mtDNA Control Region (mtCR) and microsatellites (nDNA) were used to assess population connectivity and structure of T. megalopterus. The mtCR predominantly showed a northern (Angola, AN, and Namibia, NA) versus southern (Western Cape, WC, and Eastern Cape, EC) Benguela subsystem arrangement. This suggested that the formation of the Benguela Current had an influence on the genetic structure of T. megalopterus during the early Pleistocene. The nDNA, however, showed a distinct transoceanic, Atlantic (AN, NA, WC) versus Indian Ocean (EC) arrangement, and this was attributed to the more recent exposure of the Agulhas Bank and reduced rocky shore habitat during the glaciations of the late Pleistocene. Traditional morphological analyses on full body and tooth morphology were used to assess phenotypic plasticity and/or adaptability of T. megalopterus. A novel method of geometric morphology, with potential for non-lethal application, was developed and tested to examine interpopulation divergence in shape. Traditional morphometrics showed significant divergence between populations and this variation was congruous with the mtCR haplotypes. However, the divergence in the truss variables was not concomitant to the haplotypes and suggested that differences in shape may be attributed to phenotypic plasticity. There was limited divergence in the tooth morphology between populations. The divergence in several morphological characters associated with swimming speed and manoeuvrability may be attributed to both habitat structure and dominant prey in the different biogeographic zones. The diet of T. megalopterus consisted primarily of crustaceans, teleosts and molluscs. The significant variation in the diet between populations suggested a generalist tooth configuration and broad trophic adaptability. There was significant divergence in the interpopulation life history parameters. The AN population had the fastest growth, smallest size at maturity, and shortest longevity. Individuals in the EC population had the youngest age at maturity, while the WC population had the earliest parturition. This divergence may be attributed to the contrasting thermal regimes in the three biogeographic regions and the dissimilar exploitation rates of the three populations. The results of this thesis demonstrated that a combination of the formation of the Benguela Current and sea level change most likely contributed to vicariance of three populations of T. megalopterus. The significant interpopulation morphological and life history divergence appeared to be both phenotypic and genetic, and suggested that contrasting environmental drivers can result in relatively rapid change in elasmobranchs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Soekoe, Michelle
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5389 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021264
- Description: This study was initiated to gain a better understanding of evolution and adaptation of elasmobranchs by investigating how a putative biogeographic barrier, the Benguela Current, had influenced populations of a demersal shark species, Triakis megalopterus. It was hypothesized that the Benguela Current formed a biogeographic barrier in the distribution of T. megalopterus and was responsible for the divergence between South African (SA) and Angolan (AN) populations. Since elasmobranchs are generally characterized by a slow rate of evolutionary change and conservative morphology and life history traits, it was hypothesized that there would be limited genetic, morphological and life history divergence between the populations. Both mtDNA Control Region (mtCR) and microsatellites (nDNA) were used to assess population connectivity and structure of T. megalopterus. The mtCR predominantly showed a northern (Angola, AN, and Namibia, NA) versus southern (Western Cape, WC, and Eastern Cape, EC) Benguela subsystem arrangement. This suggested that the formation of the Benguela Current had an influence on the genetic structure of T. megalopterus during the early Pleistocene. The nDNA, however, showed a distinct transoceanic, Atlantic (AN, NA, WC) versus Indian Ocean (EC) arrangement, and this was attributed to the more recent exposure of the Agulhas Bank and reduced rocky shore habitat during the glaciations of the late Pleistocene. Traditional morphological analyses on full body and tooth morphology were used to assess phenotypic plasticity and/or adaptability of T. megalopterus. A novel method of geometric morphology, with potential for non-lethal application, was developed and tested to examine interpopulation divergence in shape. Traditional morphometrics showed significant divergence between populations and this variation was congruous with the mtCR haplotypes. However, the divergence in the truss variables was not concomitant to the haplotypes and suggested that differences in shape may be attributed to phenotypic plasticity. There was limited divergence in the tooth morphology between populations. The divergence in several morphological characters associated with swimming speed and manoeuvrability may be attributed to both habitat structure and dominant prey in the different biogeographic zones. The diet of T. megalopterus consisted primarily of crustaceans, teleosts and molluscs. The significant variation in the diet between populations suggested a generalist tooth configuration and broad trophic adaptability. There was significant divergence in the interpopulation life history parameters. The AN population had the fastest growth, smallest size at maturity, and shortest longevity. Individuals in the EC population had the youngest age at maturity, while the WC population had the earliest parturition. This divergence may be attributed to the contrasting thermal regimes in the three biogeographic regions and the dissimilar exploitation rates of the three populations. The results of this thesis demonstrated that a combination of the formation of the Benguela Current and sea level change most likely contributed to vicariance of three populations of T. megalopterus. The significant interpopulation morphological and life history divergence appeared to be both phenotypic and genetic, and suggested that contrasting environmental drivers can result in relatively rapid change in elasmobranchs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
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