Decentralization and quality assurance in the Ugandan primary education sector
- Authors: Abu-Baker, Mutaaya Sirajee
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Schools -- Decentralization -- Uganda , Education, Primary -- Uganda , Educational change -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/57390 , vital:26897
- Description: The study presented in this thesis is a case study analysis of decentralization and quality assurance in a decentralized set up of the Ugandan Primary Schooling. The research looked at how the monitoring and evaluation informed the policy formulation process to regulate quality assurance in a decentralized governance of primary education. The Study was positioned in the critical realist paradigm, interpretive in orientation and used both coding and thematic techniques to understand the teachers’, SMC members’, and officers’ (at district and ministry levels) experiences and perceptions of quality assurance in a decentralized set up. Data was gathered using interviews, document analysis and observation methods. The findings indicated that the study was affected by eleven themes: Management System and Leadership, Human Resource Management, Finance Administration and Management, Parenting and Nutrition, Politics, Motivation, Social Structures and Patterns, Legislative Process and Policies, Infrastructure Development and Management, Community Involvement in Education and Curriculum and Professionalism. The monitoring and evaluation system had a framework in which it operates, though there was no quality assurance policy to guide the provision of quality education. The study finally indicated that there are more threats in a decentralized set up that put Quality in danger. Secondly, there was absence of supervision/inspection in schools as there was no evidence to prove this due to absence of reports. However, document analysis indicated visits of officers to schools. Records management was a problem to schools. Decentralization was adopted at different levels by different countries to address specific problems identified in view of service delivery. Finally, though monitoring and evaluation results informed the policy and decision makers, there was no quality assurance policy to guide the provision of quality education in institutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Abu-Baker, Mutaaya Sirajee
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Schools -- Decentralization -- Uganda , Education, Primary -- Uganda , Educational change -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/57390 , vital:26897
- Description: The study presented in this thesis is a case study analysis of decentralization and quality assurance in a decentralized set up of the Ugandan Primary Schooling. The research looked at how the monitoring and evaluation informed the policy formulation process to regulate quality assurance in a decentralized governance of primary education. The Study was positioned in the critical realist paradigm, interpretive in orientation and used both coding and thematic techniques to understand the teachers’, SMC members’, and officers’ (at district and ministry levels) experiences and perceptions of quality assurance in a decentralized set up. Data was gathered using interviews, document analysis and observation methods. The findings indicated that the study was affected by eleven themes: Management System and Leadership, Human Resource Management, Finance Administration and Management, Parenting and Nutrition, Politics, Motivation, Social Structures and Patterns, Legislative Process and Policies, Infrastructure Development and Management, Community Involvement in Education and Curriculum and Professionalism. The monitoring and evaluation system had a framework in which it operates, though there was no quality assurance policy to guide the provision of quality education. The study finally indicated that there are more threats in a decentralized set up that put Quality in danger. Secondly, there was absence of supervision/inspection in schools as there was no evidence to prove this due to absence of reports. However, document analysis indicated visits of officers to schools. Records management was a problem to schools. Decentralization was adopted at different levels by different countries to address specific problems identified in view of service delivery. Finally, though monitoring and evaluation results informed the policy and decision makers, there was no quality assurance policy to guide the provision of quality education in institutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Graphene quantum dots and their metallophthalocyanines nanoconjugates as novel photoluminescent nanosensors
- Authors: Achadu, Ojodomo John
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Quantum dots , Graphene , Phthalocyanines , Nanoconjugates , Novel photoluminescent nanosensors , Metallophthalocyanines
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60719 , vital:27821
- Description: The fabrication and application of graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based photoluminescent probes for the detection of analytes is presented. GQDs were functionalized with complexes such as metallophthalocyanines (MPcs), metal nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs), 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl(piperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO), maleimide and thymine for the sensing of target analytes such as ascorbic acid (AA), biothiols (cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione) and mercury ion (Hg²+). The design strategy and approach was based on the quenching of the fluorescence of the GQDs upon functionalization with the above-mentioned complexes, which could be restored in the presence of the target analytes (due to their specific interaction affinity with the complexes). For the detection of AA, GQDs were covalently and/or non-covalently conjugated to TEMPO-bearing complexes to form GQDs-4A-TEMPO and GQDs-TEMPO-MPc systems with nanomolar limits of detection. For the detection of biothiols, Au@Ag NPs and maleimide-bearing complexes (MPc), which have specific affinity to interact with biothiols, were deployed. Hg²+ detection involved the use of GQDs and/or MPcs with thiol and thymine groups, respectively. In addition, a smart sensing platform was designed for the dual detection of biothiols and Hg²+ using supramolecular hybrid of polyethyleneimine functionalized-GQDs and MPc-Au@Ag conjugate. The probe could detect, in a sequential manner, Hg²+ and biothiols with high sensitivity. Results obtained from the LODs of the probes showed that GQDs sensing performances could be enhanced in the presence of MPcs. The probes designed in this work were successfully deployed in the assays of the target analytes in real samples and the recoveries obtained confirmed the analytical applicability of the probes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Achadu, Ojodomo John
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Quantum dots , Graphene , Phthalocyanines , Nanoconjugates , Novel photoluminescent nanosensors , Metallophthalocyanines
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60719 , vital:27821
- Description: The fabrication and application of graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based photoluminescent probes for the detection of analytes is presented. GQDs were functionalized with complexes such as metallophthalocyanines (MPcs), metal nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs), 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl(piperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO), maleimide and thymine for the sensing of target analytes such as ascorbic acid (AA), biothiols (cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione) and mercury ion (Hg²+). The design strategy and approach was based on the quenching of the fluorescence of the GQDs upon functionalization with the above-mentioned complexes, which could be restored in the presence of the target analytes (due to their specific interaction affinity with the complexes). For the detection of AA, GQDs were covalently and/or non-covalently conjugated to TEMPO-bearing complexes to form GQDs-4A-TEMPO and GQDs-TEMPO-MPc systems with nanomolar limits of detection. For the detection of biothiols, Au@Ag NPs and maleimide-bearing complexes (MPc), which have specific affinity to interact with biothiols, were deployed. Hg²+ detection involved the use of GQDs and/or MPcs with thiol and thymine groups, respectively. In addition, a smart sensing platform was designed for the dual detection of biothiols and Hg²+ using supramolecular hybrid of polyethyleneimine functionalized-GQDs and MPc-Au@Ag conjugate. The probe could detect, in a sequential manner, Hg²+ and biothiols with high sensitivity. Results obtained from the LODs of the probes showed that GQDs sensing performances could be enhanced in the presence of MPcs. The probes designed in this work were successfully deployed in the assays of the target analytes in real samples and the recoveries obtained confirmed the analytical applicability of the probes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) population ecology in citrus orchards: the influence of orchard age
- Authors: Albertyn, Sonnica
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Cryptophlebia leucotreta , Population biology , Insect populations , Orchards , Insect nematodes , Entomopathogenic fungi
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62615 , vital:28213
- Description: Anecdotal reports in the South African citrus industry claim higher populations of false codling moth (FCM), Thaumatotibia (Cryptophlebia) leucotreta (Meyr) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in orchards during the first three to five harvesting years of citrus planted in virgin soil, after which, FCM numbers seem to decrease and remain consistent. Various laboratory studies and field surveys were conducted to determine if, and why juvenile orchards (four to eight years old) experience higher FCM infestation than mature orchards (nine years and older). In laboratory trials, Washington Navel oranges and Nova Mandarins from juvenile trees were shown to be significantly more susceptible to FCM damage and significantly more attractive for oviposition in both choice and no-choice trials, than fruit from mature trees. Although fruit from juvenile Cambria Navel trees were significantly more attractive than mature orchards for oviposition, they were not more susceptible to FCM damage. In contrast, fruit from juvenile and mature Midnight Valencia orchards were equally attractive for oviposition, but fruit from juvenile trees were significantly more susceptible to FCM damage than fruit from mature trees. Artificial diets were augmented with powder from fruit from juvenile or mature Washington Navel orchards at 5%, 10%, 15% or 30%. Higher larval survival of 76%, 63%, 50% and 34%, respectively, was recorded on diets containing fruit powder from the juvenile trees than on diets containing fruit powder from the mature trees, at 69%, 57%, 44% and 27% larval survival, respectively. Bioassays were conducted to determine if differences in plant chemistry between fruit from juvenile and mature trees will have an impact on the susceptibility FCM to entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV). No significant differences in the susceptibility of larvae reared on diets containing 15% fruit powder from juvenile and mature trees to EPN and EPF were recorded. Mortality of neonate larvae was significantly lower when placed on diets containing 15% fruit powder from mature trees (45% mortality) than diets containing 15% fruit powder from juvenile trees (61% mortality), after larvae ingested the lowest virus concentration tested, being 2 x104 OBs/ml. Data collected from field surveys showed significantly lower egg parasitism, virus infection of larvae and EPF occurrence in juvenile orchards than mature orchards. Egg parasitism was between 11% and 54% higher in mature orchards than juvenile orchards, with the exception of Mandarins during 2015, where egg parasitism was slightly higher in juvenile orchards, but not significantly so. A significantly higher proportion of larvae retrieved from mature orchards (7% of larvae) were infected with CrleGV than larvae retrieved from juvenile orchards (4% of larvae). A significantly higher occurrence of EPF was recorded in non-bearing and mature orchards, with 40% and 37% occurrence respectively, than in juvenile orchards, with 25% occurrence recorded. EPF occurrence in juvenile orchards increased significantly by 16% to 32% from the first to the third year of sampling. In contrast to results recorded in laboratory trials, similar or higher pest pressure in juvenile orchards than mature orchards did not always result in significantly higher levels of FCM damage under field conditions. FCM damage in juvenile orchards may have been lower than expected, as greater extremes of temperature and lower humidity were recorded in juvenile orchards, which would increase larval mortality. Results of this study showed that juvenile and mature orchards are significantly different and should be managed differently.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Albertyn, Sonnica
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Cryptophlebia leucotreta , Population biology , Insect populations , Orchards , Insect nematodes , Entomopathogenic fungi
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62615 , vital:28213
- Description: Anecdotal reports in the South African citrus industry claim higher populations of false codling moth (FCM), Thaumatotibia (Cryptophlebia) leucotreta (Meyr) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in orchards during the first three to five harvesting years of citrus planted in virgin soil, after which, FCM numbers seem to decrease and remain consistent. Various laboratory studies and field surveys were conducted to determine if, and why juvenile orchards (four to eight years old) experience higher FCM infestation than mature orchards (nine years and older). In laboratory trials, Washington Navel oranges and Nova Mandarins from juvenile trees were shown to be significantly more susceptible to FCM damage and significantly more attractive for oviposition in both choice and no-choice trials, than fruit from mature trees. Although fruit from juvenile Cambria Navel trees were significantly more attractive than mature orchards for oviposition, they were not more susceptible to FCM damage. In contrast, fruit from juvenile and mature Midnight Valencia orchards were equally attractive for oviposition, but fruit from juvenile trees were significantly more susceptible to FCM damage than fruit from mature trees. Artificial diets were augmented with powder from fruit from juvenile or mature Washington Navel orchards at 5%, 10%, 15% or 30%. Higher larval survival of 76%, 63%, 50% and 34%, respectively, was recorded on diets containing fruit powder from the juvenile trees than on diets containing fruit powder from the mature trees, at 69%, 57%, 44% and 27% larval survival, respectively. Bioassays were conducted to determine if differences in plant chemistry between fruit from juvenile and mature trees will have an impact on the susceptibility FCM to entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) and Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV). No significant differences in the susceptibility of larvae reared on diets containing 15% fruit powder from juvenile and mature trees to EPN and EPF were recorded. Mortality of neonate larvae was significantly lower when placed on diets containing 15% fruit powder from mature trees (45% mortality) than diets containing 15% fruit powder from juvenile trees (61% mortality), after larvae ingested the lowest virus concentration tested, being 2 x104 OBs/ml. Data collected from field surveys showed significantly lower egg parasitism, virus infection of larvae and EPF occurrence in juvenile orchards than mature orchards. Egg parasitism was between 11% and 54% higher in mature orchards than juvenile orchards, with the exception of Mandarins during 2015, where egg parasitism was slightly higher in juvenile orchards, but not significantly so. A significantly higher proportion of larvae retrieved from mature orchards (7% of larvae) were infected with CrleGV than larvae retrieved from juvenile orchards (4% of larvae). A significantly higher occurrence of EPF was recorded in non-bearing and mature orchards, with 40% and 37% occurrence respectively, than in juvenile orchards, with 25% occurrence recorded. EPF occurrence in juvenile orchards increased significantly by 16% to 32% from the first to the third year of sampling. In contrast to results recorded in laboratory trials, similar or higher pest pressure in juvenile orchards than mature orchards did not always result in significantly higher levels of FCM damage under field conditions. FCM damage in juvenile orchards may have been lower than expected, as greater extremes of temperature and lower humidity were recorded in juvenile orchards, which would increase larval mortality. Results of this study showed that juvenile and mature orchards are significantly different and should be managed differently.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
An investigation into the introduction of a new wealth tax in South Africa
- Authors: Arendse, Jacqueline A
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wealth tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Income tax -- South Africa , Fiscal policy -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic conditions , Income distribution -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61379 , vital:28020
- Description: In a world of economic uncertainty and manifold social problems, South Africa has its own unique challenges of low economic growth, persistent budget deficits that produce increasing government debt and the highest level of economic inequality in the world. The history of injustice and economic marginalisation and the failure of the economy to provide inclusive growth drives an urgent need to address economic inequality through tax policy, placing ever more focus on wealth taxes as a possible solution. There is a hope is that taxing the wealthy may provide the opportunity to redistribute desperately-needed resources to those denied the opportunity to build wealth and who are trapped in the cycle of poverty. Yet, as appealing as a new wealth tax may seem, the introduction of such a tax carries with it a range of risks, not all of which are known. Of great concern is the possible effect on the economy, which, in its vulnerable state, cannot afford any loss of capital and investment. Very little research has been done on wealth tax in the South African context and there is a dearth of literature focusing on the views and perceptions of the wealthy individuals themselves. This qualitative study investigates the merits and disadvantages of a new wealth tax and seeks to identify any unintended consequences that could result from the implementation of a new wealth tax in South Africa, drawing from historical and international experience and primary data obtained from interviews with individuals likely to be affected by such a tax. Having explored the literature and international experiences with wealth tax and having probed the thinking of wealthy individuals who would be the payers of a wealth tax, the study finds that a new wealth tax may contribute towards the progressivity of the tax system, but it is doubtful whether such a tax would provide a sustainable revenue stream that would be sufficient to address economic inequality and there is a risk of causing harm to the economy. Recognising that the motivation for wealth taxes is often driven more by political argument and public perception than by rational quantitative analysis, the study also anticipates the introduction of a new wealth tax and suggests guidelines for the design of such a tax within the framework for evaluating a good tax system. This study informs the debate on wealth taxes in South Africa and contributes to the design of such a tax, should it be implemented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Arendse, Jacqueline A
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wealth tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Income tax -- South Africa , Fiscal policy -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic conditions , Income distribution -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61379 , vital:28020
- Description: In a world of economic uncertainty and manifold social problems, South Africa has its own unique challenges of low economic growth, persistent budget deficits that produce increasing government debt and the highest level of economic inequality in the world. The history of injustice and economic marginalisation and the failure of the economy to provide inclusive growth drives an urgent need to address economic inequality through tax policy, placing ever more focus on wealth taxes as a possible solution. There is a hope is that taxing the wealthy may provide the opportunity to redistribute desperately-needed resources to those denied the opportunity to build wealth and who are trapped in the cycle of poverty. Yet, as appealing as a new wealth tax may seem, the introduction of such a tax carries with it a range of risks, not all of which are known. Of great concern is the possible effect on the economy, which, in its vulnerable state, cannot afford any loss of capital and investment. Very little research has been done on wealth tax in the South African context and there is a dearth of literature focusing on the views and perceptions of the wealthy individuals themselves. This qualitative study investigates the merits and disadvantages of a new wealth tax and seeks to identify any unintended consequences that could result from the implementation of a new wealth tax in South Africa, drawing from historical and international experience and primary data obtained from interviews with individuals likely to be affected by such a tax. Having explored the literature and international experiences with wealth tax and having probed the thinking of wealthy individuals who would be the payers of a wealth tax, the study finds that a new wealth tax may contribute towards the progressivity of the tax system, but it is doubtful whether such a tax would provide a sustainable revenue stream that would be sufficient to address economic inequality and there is a risk of causing harm to the economy. Recognising that the motivation for wealth taxes is often driven more by political argument and public perception than by rational quantitative analysis, the study also anticipates the introduction of a new wealth tax and suggests guidelines for the design of such a tax within the framework for evaluating a good tax system. This study informs the debate on wealth taxes in South Africa and contributes to the design of such a tax, should it be implemented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Mannich base metal complexes and their thiocyanate analogues as catalysts in the oxidation of Catechol
- Authors: Ayeni, Ayowole Olaolu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Mannich bases , Catechol , Catechol -- Oxidation , Thiocyanates , Catalysts
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62339 , vital:28156
- Description: The study focused on the design of new Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes, with or without thiocyanate (NCS-), as possible candidates of catechol oxidation using 3,5-di-tert-butyl catechol (3,5-DTBC) as substrate. Two classes of Mannich bases were studied depending on the active methylene group from which they were formed, being either p-cresol or acetaminophen. The ligands were characterised by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Crystal structures of three of the ligands are newly reported, along with detailed discussion of polymorphism observed in one of the ligands, and the nature of the hydrogen within the ligands in the solid state as well as in solution. The Mannich bases behaved as bidentate (NO), tridentate (NNO) and tetradentate (NNOO) ligands on coordination to Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions in which the hydroxyl group may be protonated or deprotonated. Coordination was determined by IR spectroscopy, investigating shifts in vOH, vC-O and in vCNC of the Mannich bases. The vCNC stretching frequencies v1 and v2 of asymmetrical piperazine Mannich bases were observed to shift upward in few cases upon complexation and this is attributed to (chair-boat) conformational change. The mode of coordination of the thiocyanate was determined by IR spectroscopy. Of the forty metal complexes investigated, six groups of metal complexes were identified as follows: (i) Ma(Ln)aClb-cH2O; (ii) Ma(HLn)a(NCS)aClb; (iii) Ma(Ln)a(NCS)aClb; (iv) Ma(HLn)aClb-cH2O; (v) Ma(Ln)a(NCS)a-cH2O; (vi) Ma(HLn)a(NCS)a-cH2O where a = 1 - 2 ; b = 1 - 4, c = 1 - 8. Molar conductivity values of 4.38 - 161.77 Q-1.cm2.mol-1 for the Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes in DMSO showed that they range from non-electrolytes to 1:1 and 1:2 electrolytes. Electronic spectra for the ligands and the complexes were conducted in DMF and DMSO. The ligands are characterised by and n→n* and n→n* transitions. Intraligand charge transfer transitions peculiar to the nitro group were observed at about 430 nm for the nitro containing ligands. On coordination, these bands overshadowed the d-d transitions particularly for the nitro-Mannich bases. On complexation, ligand to metal charge transfer transitions associated with the hydroxyl were observed between 320 - 420 nm. Charge transfer transitions associated with the thiocyanates were also observed and discussed. The d-d transitions for high spin Fe(III) complexes are spin forbidden and generally uninformative. Those of Cu(II) are spin allowed and allow tentative structural proposals. Square planar and octahedral geometry are generally prevalent in the Cu(II) complexes with trigonal bipyramidal observed in few instances. The Fe(III) complexes are generally octahedral. Thirty-nine of the forty synthesised Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes were catalytically active on the substrate (3,5-DTBC) in DMF with turnover rates (kcat) reported in the range of 1.86 ± 0.09 to 112.32 ± 3.72 h-1. From this pool of complexes, sixteen isostructural pairs were identified in terms of geometry, molecular formula and the source of the Mannich base and the following conclusions were made: The presence of thiocyanate in the metal complexes reduce catecholase activity; the Cu(II) complexes generally have better activity but the Fe(III) complexes become more relatively active with highly electron donating groups while the Cu(II) complexes become less; dinuclear complexes have greater activity than the mononuclear.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Ayeni, Ayowole Olaolu
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Mannich bases , Catechol , Catechol -- Oxidation , Thiocyanates , Catalysts
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62339 , vital:28156
- Description: The study focused on the design of new Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes, with or without thiocyanate (NCS-), as possible candidates of catechol oxidation using 3,5-di-tert-butyl catechol (3,5-DTBC) as substrate. Two classes of Mannich bases were studied depending on the active methylene group from which they were formed, being either p-cresol or acetaminophen. The ligands were characterised by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Crystal structures of three of the ligands are newly reported, along with detailed discussion of polymorphism observed in one of the ligands, and the nature of the hydrogen within the ligands in the solid state as well as in solution. The Mannich bases behaved as bidentate (NO), tridentate (NNO) and tetradentate (NNOO) ligands on coordination to Cu(II) and Fe(III) ions in which the hydroxyl group may be protonated or deprotonated. Coordination was determined by IR spectroscopy, investigating shifts in vOH, vC-O and in vCNC of the Mannich bases. The vCNC stretching frequencies v1 and v2 of asymmetrical piperazine Mannich bases were observed to shift upward in few cases upon complexation and this is attributed to (chair-boat) conformational change. The mode of coordination of the thiocyanate was determined by IR spectroscopy. Of the forty metal complexes investigated, six groups of metal complexes were identified as follows: (i) Ma(Ln)aClb-cH2O; (ii) Ma(HLn)a(NCS)aClb; (iii) Ma(Ln)a(NCS)aClb; (iv) Ma(HLn)aClb-cH2O; (v) Ma(Ln)a(NCS)a-cH2O; (vi) Ma(HLn)a(NCS)a-cH2O where a = 1 - 2 ; b = 1 - 4, c = 1 - 8. Molar conductivity values of 4.38 - 161.77 Q-1.cm2.mol-1 for the Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes in DMSO showed that they range from non-electrolytes to 1:1 and 1:2 electrolytes. Electronic spectra for the ligands and the complexes were conducted in DMF and DMSO. The ligands are characterised by and n→n* and n→n* transitions. Intraligand charge transfer transitions peculiar to the nitro group were observed at about 430 nm for the nitro containing ligands. On coordination, these bands overshadowed the d-d transitions particularly for the nitro-Mannich bases. On complexation, ligand to metal charge transfer transitions associated with the hydroxyl were observed between 320 - 420 nm. Charge transfer transitions associated with the thiocyanates were also observed and discussed. The d-d transitions for high spin Fe(III) complexes are spin forbidden and generally uninformative. Those of Cu(II) are spin allowed and allow tentative structural proposals. Square planar and octahedral geometry are generally prevalent in the Cu(II) complexes with trigonal bipyramidal observed in few instances. The Fe(III) complexes are generally octahedral. Thirty-nine of the forty synthesised Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes were catalytically active on the substrate (3,5-DTBC) in DMF with turnover rates (kcat) reported in the range of 1.86 ± 0.09 to 112.32 ± 3.72 h-1. From this pool of complexes, sixteen isostructural pairs were identified in terms of geometry, molecular formula and the source of the Mannich base and the following conclusions were made: The presence of thiocyanate in the metal complexes reduce catecholase activity; the Cu(II) complexes generally have better activity but the Fe(III) complexes become more relatively active with highly electron donating groups while the Cu(II) complexes become less; dinuclear complexes have greater activity than the mononuclear.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Servant leadership: antecedent to Quality of Worklife of customer service frontline employees
- Authors: Bedser, Mark Bernard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Call center agents Servant leadership Customer Service -- Quality control Employee morale Job satisfaction Quality of work life
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62144 , vital:28132
- Description: Contact Centre agents operate in closely monitored and highly controlled environments and their work consists of solving service requests or assisting customers with information on products or services. Consequently their work involves a great deal of emotional labour and stress. It is not surprising then, that the working environment of the Contact Centre is reported to have a negative impact on the levels of Quality of Worklife of Contact Centre agents, and that in the Contact Centre context, it is likely that low levels of Quality of Worklife exist. It is argued that it is important for organisations to be particularly aware of the Quality of Worklife perceptions of their employees should they want to address Quality of Worklife levels and benefit from the positive consequences of higher levels of the construct. Numerous variables are reported to play either an antecedent, moderating, mediating, or consequential role in relation to the Quality of Worklife construct. A systems model of Quality of Worklife is developed, which illustrates the inter-relationships of these variables and how they affect and are affected by the Quality of Worklife construct. It is argued that leadership is an important antecedent to Quality of Worklife, and this is the antecedent of interest in this study. It is proposed that it is not just any leadership that will contribute to an improved Quality of Worklife, particularly within a challenging context such as the Contact Centre environment. Rather, it is suggested that certain qualities of leaders will have a greater influence on Quality of Worklife. For example, leaders who focus on relationships and are caring - characteristics associated with servant leaders - are deemed more suitable for the Contact Centre context. The research also proposes that there are close associations between Servant Leadership and Trust, which in turn has the potential to affect Quality of Worklife positively. It is argued, therefore, that Trust mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife in the customer service frontline context. While there is a broad base of literature available on servant leadership that focuses on the senior or executive level of leadership, Van Dierendonck and Nuijten (2011) have argued that it is also relevant at the middle level of management and have validated an eight dimensional measure of servant leadership that is suitable for this management level. The Van Laar, Edwards and Easton (2007) Quality of Worklife model is also argued to be an appropriate model and measure of the Quality of Worklife construct, due to the robustness of the instrument design and the appropriateness of its underlying theory to the context of this research. Research has shown that leadership can have a significant relationship with Quality of Worklife. Moreover, a review of the literature on servant leadership reveals that trust, satisfaction, general well-being, and commitment to their jobs increases when employees are exposed to leadership behaviours associated with servant leadership. There is however, no evidence in the literature of any investigation of the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife, or of research investigating the partial mediating effects of Trust between these two constructs. Research was conducted to test this relationship. A survey questionnaire was administered amongst a sample of 555 Contact Centre agents, who were employed in eight different organisations. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures were conducted in STATA (V15.0), to test and validate the factor structure of Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife models. The research also produced a Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife structural equation model that supported the hypotheses of the relationships between the constructs. Mediation analysis confirmed Trust’s role as a mediator between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. The structural equation model confirmed that synergies between Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife exist, and that Trust partially mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. It is therefore argued that an increase in Servant Leadership behaviour by the manager or supervisor of frontline staff has a positive association with increases of Trust, as well as positive associations with Quality of Worklife experienced by employees in the frontline context. Moreover, it is also posited that the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife is partially mediated by Trust of the supervisor. The implications of these results are discussed, and recommendations made for management practice and further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Bedser, Mark Bernard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Call center agents Servant leadership Customer Service -- Quality control Employee morale Job satisfaction Quality of work life
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62144 , vital:28132
- Description: Contact Centre agents operate in closely monitored and highly controlled environments and their work consists of solving service requests or assisting customers with information on products or services. Consequently their work involves a great deal of emotional labour and stress. It is not surprising then, that the working environment of the Contact Centre is reported to have a negative impact on the levels of Quality of Worklife of Contact Centre agents, and that in the Contact Centre context, it is likely that low levels of Quality of Worklife exist. It is argued that it is important for organisations to be particularly aware of the Quality of Worklife perceptions of their employees should they want to address Quality of Worklife levels and benefit from the positive consequences of higher levels of the construct. Numerous variables are reported to play either an antecedent, moderating, mediating, or consequential role in relation to the Quality of Worklife construct. A systems model of Quality of Worklife is developed, which illustrates the inter-relationships of these variables and how they affect and are affected by the Quality of Worklife construct. It is argued that leadership is an important antecedent to Quality of Worklife, and this is the antecedent of interest in this study. It is proposed that it is not just any leadership that will contribute to an improved Quality of Worklife, particularly within a challenging context such as the Contact Centre environment. Rather, it is suggested that certain qualities of leaders will have a greater influence on Quality of Worklife. For example, leaders who focus on relationships and are caring - characteristics associated with servant leaders - are deemed more suitable for the Contact Centre context. The research also proposes that there are close associations between Servant Leadership and Trust, which in turn has the potential to affect Quality of Worklife positively. It is argued, therefore, that Trust mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife in the customer service frontline context. While there is a broad base of literature available on servant leadership that focuses on the senior or executive level of leadership, Van Dierendonck and Nuijten (2011) have argued that it is also relevant at the middle level of management and have validated an eight dimensional measure of servant leadership that is suitable for this management level. The Van Laar, Edwards and Easton (2007) Quality of Worklife model is also argued to be an appropriate model and measure of the Quality of Worklife construct, due to the robustness of the instrument design and the appropriateness of its underlying theory to the context of this research. Research has shown that leadership can have a significant relationship with Quality of Worklife. Moreover, a review of the literature on servant leadership reveals that trust, satisfaction, general well-being, and commitment to their jobs increases when employees are exposed to leadership behaviours associated with servant leadership. There is however, no evidence in the literature of any investigation of the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife, or of research investigating the partial mediating effects of Trust between these two constructs. Research was conducted to test this relationship. A survey questionnaire was administered amongst a sample of 555 Contact Centre agents, who were employed in eight different organisations. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures were conducted in STATA (V15.0), to test and validate the factor structure of Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife models. The research also produced a Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife structural equation model that supported the hypotheses of the relationships between the constructs. Mediation analysis confirmed Trust’s role as a mediator between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. The structural equation model confirmed that synergies between Servant Leadership, Trust and Quality of Worklife exist, and that Trust partially mediates the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife. It is therefore argued that an increase in Servant Leadership behaviour by the manager or supervisor of frontline staff has a positive association with increases of Trust, as well as positive associations with Quality of Worklife experienced by employees in the frontline context. Moreover, it is also posited that the relationship between Servant Leadership and Quality of Worklife is partially mediated by Trust of the supervisor. The implications of these results are discussed, and recommendations made for management practice and further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Biotic and abiotic drivers of macroinvertebrate assemblages in a South African river
- Authors: Bellingan, Terence Andrew
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Aquatic insects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Stream ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Freshwater ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Riparian areas -- Management , Ecosystem management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Mayflies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Stoneflies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Keiskamma River
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61839 , vital:28067
- Description: Aquatic insects are the most numerically abundant and diverse group of organisms found in lotic ecosystems in South Africa and the world over. They play vital roles in freshwater ecosystem functioning, processing nutrients and in turn forming integral links in stream food-webs. This thesis focussed on examining the macroinvertebrate fauna within three reaches of headwater streams of the Keiskamma River system: reaches that were considered to be fishless; reaches that were invaded by non-native salmonid species; and reaches that were dominated by native fish. I described the effects of predatory fish presence through detailed examination of macroinvertebrate assemblage composition; macroinvertebrate drift timing and density; and through niche utilisation determined from stable isotope data. Patterns in the macroinvertebrate assemblages of the headwaters of the Keiskamma River appear to be driven more strongly by flow rate and seasonal influences, but fish presence and biotope availability were also significant drivers. Niche shifts due to predator presence were not easy to detect and, while patterns of influence may have been evident, they were not found to be significant. However, I demonstrated that salmonids selectively feed on native fish species when the opportunity is presented, occupying significantly higher trophic levels when co-occurring with native fish than in invaded reaches where native fish are absent. Drift timing and density were demonstrated to be significantly different between reach for specific macroinvertebrate species from the Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera, under differing fish predation regimes, in agreement with what has been observed from studies in rivers elsewhere. In freshwater ecosystems of South Africa and worldwide, mitigation of negative effects of alien fishes through their removal using piscicides may also affect non-target organisms. To better understand the effects of just such a removal operation, employed for the first time in the history of freshwater conservation in South Africa, macroinvertebrate communities were assessed for non-target effects of rotenone. The fish eradication operations were demonstrated to have a short-term negative effect on the macroinvertebrate assemblage, through water quality index measurements and alteration of densities of macroinvertebrate taxa collected from stone surfaces. However, no long-term detrimental impact was observed as macroinvertebrate faunas returned to a comparable pre-treatment state within a year of each rotenone application.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Bellingan, Terence Andrew
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Aquatic insects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Stream ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Freshwater ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Riparian areas -- Management , Ecosystem management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Mayflies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Stoneflies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Keiskamma River
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61839 , vital:28067
- Description: Aquatic insects are the most numerically abundant and diverse group of organisms found in lotic ecosystems in South Africa and the world over. They play vital roles in freshwater ecosystem functioning, processing nutrients and in turn forming integral links in stream food-webs. This thesis focussed on examining the macroinvertebrate fauna within three reaches of headwater streams of the Keiskamma River system: reaches that were considered to be fishless; reaches that were invaded by non-native salmonid species; and reaches that were dominated by native fish. I described the effects of predatory fish presence through detailed examination of macroinvertebrate assemblage composition; macroinvertebrate drift timing and density; and through niche utilisation determined from stable isotope data. Patterns in the macroinvertebrate assemblages of the headwaters of the Keiskamma River appear to be driven more strongly by flow rate and seasonal influences, but fish presence and biotope availability were also significant drivers. Niche shifts due to predator presence were not easy to detect and, while patterns of influence may have been evident, they were not found to be significant. However, I demonstrated that salmonids selectively feed on native fish species when the opportunity is presented, occupying significantly higher trophic levels when co-occurring with native fish than in invaded reaches where native fish are absent. Drift timing and density were demonstrated to be significantly different between reach for specific macroinvertebrate species from the Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera, under differing fish predation regimes, in agreement with what has been observed from studies in rivers elsewhere. In freshwater ecosystems of South Africa and worldwide, mitigation of negative effects of alien fishes through their removal using piscicides may also affect non-target organisms. To better understand the effects of just such a removal operation, employed for the first time in the history of freshwater conservation in South Africa, macroinvertebrate communities were assessed for non-target effects of rotenone. The fish eradication operations were demonstrated to have a short-term negative effect on the macroinvertebrate assemblage, through water quality index measurements and alteration of densities of macroinvertebrate taxa collected from stone surfaces. However, no long-term detrimental impact was observed as macroinvertebrate faunas returned to a comparable pre-treatment state within a year of each rotenone application.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Biochemical characterisation and small molecule modulation of the interaction between two cytosolic Hsp70s from Trypanosoma brucei and potential co-chaperones
- Authors: Bentley, Stephen John
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63402 , vital:28407
- Description: Expected release date-April 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Bentley, Stephen John
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63402 , vital:28407
- Description: Expected release date-April 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Investigating combinations of feature extraction and classification for improved image-based multimodal biometric systems at the feature level
- Authors: Brown, Dane
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63470 , vital:28414
- Description: Multimodal biometrics has become a popular means of overcoming the limitations of unimodal biometric systems. However, the rich information particular to the feature level is of a complex nature and leveraging its potential without overfitting a classifier is not well studied. This research investigates feature-classifier combinations on the fingerprint, face, palmprint, and iris modalities to effectively fuse their feature vectors for a complementary result. The effects of different feature-classifier combinations are thus isolated to identify novel or improved algorithms. A new face segmentation algorithm is shown to increase consistency in nominal and extreme scenarios. Moreover, two novel feature extraction techniques demonstrate better adaptation to dynamic lighting conditions, while reducing feature dimensionality to the benefit of classifiers. A comprehensive set of unimodal experiments are carried out to evaluate both verification and identification performance on a variety of datasets using four classifiers, namely Eigen, Fisher, Local Binary Pattern Histogram and linear Support Vector Machine on various feature extraction methods. The recognition performance of the proposed algorithms are shown to outperform the vast majority of related studies, when using the same dataset under the same test conditions. In the unimodal comparisons presented, the proposed approaches outperform existing systems even when given a handicap such as fewer training samples or data with a greater number of classes. A separate comprehensive set of experiments on feature fusion show that combining modality data provides a substantial increase in accuracy, with only a few exceptions that occur when differences in the image data quality of two modalities are substantial. However, when two poor quality datasets are fused, noticeable gains in recognition performance are realized when using the novel feature extraction approach. Finally, feature-fusion guidelines are proposed to provide the necessary insight to leverage the rich information effectively when fusing multiple biometric modalities at the feature level. These guidelines serve as the foundation to better understand and construct biometric systems that are effective in a variety of applications.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Brown, Dane
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63470 , vital:28414
- Description: Multimodal biometrics has become a popular means of overcoming the limitations of unimodal biometric systems. However, the rich information particular to the feature level is of a complex nature and leveraging its potential without overfitting a classifier is not well studied. This research investigates feature-classifier combinations on the fingerprint, face, palmprint, and iris modalities to effectively fuse their feature vectors for a complementary result. The effects of different feature-classifier combinations are thus isolated to identify novel or improved algorithms. A new face segmentation algorithm is shown to increase consistency in nominal and extreme scenarios. Moreover, two novel feature extraction techniques demonstrate better adaptation to dynamic lighting conditions, while reducing feature dimensionality to the benefit of classifiers. A comprehensive set of unimodal experiments are carried out to evaluate both verification and identification performance on a variety of datasets using four classifiers, namely Eigen, Fisher, Local Binary Pattern Histogram and linear Support Vector Machine on various feature extraction methods. The recognition performance of the proposed algorithms are shown to outperform the vast majority of related studies, when using the same dataset under the same test conditions. In the unimodal comparisons presented, the proposed approaches outperform existing systems even when given a handicap such as fewer training samples or data with a greater number of classes. A separate comprehensive set of experiments on feature fusion show that combining modality data provides a substantial increase in accuracy, with only a few exceptions that occur when differences in the image data quality of two modalities are substantial. However, when two poor quality datasets are fused, noticeable gains in recognition performance are realized when using the novel feature extraction approach. Finally, feature-fusion guidelines are proposed to provide the necessary insight to leverage the rich information effectively when fusing multiple biometric modalities at the feature level. These guidelines serve as the foundation to better understand and construct biometric systems that are effective in a variety of applications.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Bioinformatics tool development with a focus on structural bioinformatics and the analysis of genetic variation in humans
- Authors: Brown, David K
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Bioinformatics , Human genetics -- Variation , High performance computing , Workflow management systems , Molecular dynamics , Next generation sequencing , Human Mutation Analysis (HUMA)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60708 , vital:27820
- Description: This thesis is divided into three parts, united under the general theme of bioinformatics tool development and variation analysis. Part 1 describes the design and development of the Job Management System (JMS), a workflow management system for high performance computing (HPC). HPC has become an integral part of bioinformatics. Computational methods for molecular dynamics and next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, which require complex calculations on large datasets, are not yet feasible on desktop computers. As such, powerful computer clusters have been employed to perform these calculations. However, making use of these HPC clusters requires familiarity with command line interfaces. This excludes a large number of researchers from taking advantage of these resources. JMS was developed as a tool to make it easier for researchers without a computer science background to make use of HPC. Additionally, JMS can be used to host computational tools and pipelines and generates both web-based interfaces and RESTful APIs for those tools. The web-based interfaces can be used to quickly and easily submit jobs to the underlying cluster. The RESTful web API, on the other hand, allows JMS to provided backend functionality for external tools and web servers that want to run jobs on the cluster. Numerous tools and workflows have already been added to JMS, several of which have been incorporated into external web servers. One such web server is the Human Mutation Analysis (HUMA) web server and database. HUMA, the topic of part 2 of this thesis, is a platform for the analysis of genetic variation in humans. HUMA aggregates data from various existing databases into a single, connected and related database. The advantages of this are realized in the powerful querying abilities that it provides. HUMA includes protein, gene, disease, and variation data and can be searched from the angle of any one of these categories. For example, searching for a protein will return the protein data (e.g. protein sequences, structures, domains and families, and other meta-data). However, the related nature of the database means that genes, diseases, variation, and literature related to the protein will also be returned, giving users a powerful and holistic view of all data associated with the protein. HUMA also provides links to the original sources of the data, allowing users to follow the links to find additional details. HUMA aims to be a platform for the analysis of genetic variation. As such, it also provides tools to visualize and analyse the data (several of which run on the underlying cluster, via JMS). These tools include alignment and 3D structure visualization, homology modeling, variant analysis, and the ability to upload custom variation datasets and map them to proteins, genes and diseases. HUMA also provides collaboration features, allowing users to share and discuss datasets and job results. Finally, part 3 of this thesis focused on the development of a suite of tools, MD-TASK, to analyse genetic variation at the protein structure level via network analysis of molecular dynamics simulations. The use of MD-TASK in combination with the tools developed in the previous parts of this thesis is showcased via the analysis of variation in the renin-angiotensinogen complex, a vital part of the renin-angiotensin system.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Brown, David K
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Bioinformatics , Human genetics -- Variation , High performance computing , Workflow management systems , Molecular dynamics , Next generation sequencing , Human Mutation Analysis (HUMA)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60708 , vital:27820
- Description: This thesis is divided into three parts, united under the general theme of bioinformatics tool development and variation analysis. Part 1 describes the design and development of the Job Management System (JMS), a workflow management system for high performance computing (HPC). HPC has become an integral part of bioinformatics. Computational methods for molecular dynamics and next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis, which require complex calculations on large datasets, are not yet feasible on desktop computers. As such, powerful computer clusters have been employed to perform these calculations. However, making use of these HPC clusters requires familiarity with command line interfaces. This excludes a large number of researchers from taking advantage of these resources. JMS was developed as a tool to make it easier for researchers without a computer science background to make use of HPC. Additionally, JMS can be used to host computational tools and pipelines and generates both web-based interfaces and RESTful APIs for those tools. The web-based interfaces can be used to quickly and easily submit jobs to the underlying cluster. The RESTful web API, on the other hand, allows JMS to provided backend functionality for external tools and web servers that want to run jobs on the cluster. Numerous tools and workflows have already been added to JMS, several of which have been incorporated into external web servers. One such web server is the Human Mutation Analysis (HUMA) web server and database. HUMA, the topic of part 2 of this thesis, is a platform for the analysis of genetic variation in humans. HUMA aggregates data from various existing databases into a single, connected and related database. The advantages of this are realized in the powerful querying abilities that it provides. HUMA includes protein, gene, disease, and variation data and can be searched from the angle of any one of these categories. For example, searching for a protein will return the protein data (e.g. protein sequences, structures, domains and families, and other meta-data). However, the related nature of the database means that genes, diseases, variation, and literature related to the protein will also be returned, giving users a powerful and holistic view of all data associated with the protein. HUMA also provides links to the original sources of the data, allowing users to follow the links to find additional details. HUMA aims to be a platform for the analysis of genetic variation. As such, it also provides tools to visualize and analyse the data (several of which run on the underlying cluster, via JMS). These tools include alignment and 3D structure visualization, homology modeling, variant analysis, and the ability to upload custom variation datasets and map them to proteins, genes and diseases. HUMA also provides collaboration features, allowing users to share and discuss datasets and job results. Finally, part 3 of this thesis focused on the development of a suite of tools, MD-TASK, to analyse genetic variation at the protein structure level via network analysis of molecular dynamics simulations. The use of MD-TASK in combination with the tools developed in the previous parts of this thesis is showcased via the analysis of variation in the renin-angiotensinogen complex, a vital part of the renin-angiotensin system.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
The construction of household livelihood strategies in urban areas: the case of Budiriro, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chevo, Tafadzwa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Income -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Cost and standard of living -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Quality of life -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Informal sector (Economics) -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Agricultural wages -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Households -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Macrosociology , Zimbabwe -- Social conditions -- 1980- , Zimbabwe -- Economic conditions -- 1980- , Livelihoods Framework
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63043 , vital:28357
- Description: The main objective of this thesis is to understand and explain the ongoing construction of livelihood activities by urban households in the low-income high-density area of Budiriro, Harare, Zimbabwe in a context characterised by systemic crisis and a general decline of the national economy. The study utilised a mixed methods research approach, which combined both qualitative and quantitative research, including a survey, life histories and focus group discussions. The thesis discusses a diverse range of livelihood activities of Budiriro households, such as formal employment, informal trading and agricultural activities, and the ways in which households seeks to diversify their livelihood portfolio. It does this by way of also examining the contemporary and historical factors influencing the livelihood activities pursued by these households, along with the shocks and disturbances encountered and experienced by households in trying to construct viable livelihoods. The thesis makes useful contributions to the existing literature on livelihoods studies. Firstly, the thesis disaggregates the households by showing the existence of three wealth categories in Budiriro and the varying livelihood strategies of households in different wealth categories. Secondly, the study highlights the significance of intra-household dynamics in Budiriro for livelihoods as well as of inter-household kinship networks, which transcend the urban space and entail multi-spatial livelihoods. Thirdly, the thesis examines livelihoods over time, such that it goes beyond a strictly synchronic examination, therefore providing a diachronic analysis of diverse and complicated livelihood pathways. Finally, the Livelihoods Framework is located within broader macro-sociological theorising including the work of Pierre Bourdieu. In this respect, important insights arise about livelihood choices and practices in the light of ongoing debates within sociology about human agency.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Chevo, Tafadzwa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Income -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Cost and standard of living -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Quality of life -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Informal sector (Economics) -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Agricultural wages -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Households -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe -- Harare , Macrosociology , Zimbabwe -- Social conditions -- 1980- , Zimbabwe -- Economic conditions -- 1980- , Livelihoods Framework
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63043 , vital:28357
- Description: The main objective of this thesis is to understand and explain the ongoing construction of livelihood activities by urban households in the low-income high-density area of Budiriro, Harare, Zimbabwe in a context characterised by systemic crisis and a general decline of the national economy. The study utilised a mixed methods research approach, which combined both qualitative and quantitative research, including a survey, life histories and focus group discussions. The thesis discusses a diverse range of livelihood activities of Budiriro households, such as formal employment, informal trading and agricultural activities, and the ways in which households seeks to diversify their livelihood portfolio. It does this by way of also examining the contemporary and historical factors influencing the livelihood activities pursued by these households, along with the shocks and disturbances encountered and experienced by households in trying to construct viable livelihoods. The thesis makes useful contributions to the existing literature on livelihoods studies. Firstly, the thesis disaggregates the households by showing the existence of three wealth categories in Budiriro and the varying livelihood strategies of households in different wealth categories. Secondly, the study highlights the significance of intra-household dynamics in Budiriro for livelihoods as well as of inter-household kinship networks, which transcend the urban space and entail multi-spatial livelihoods. Thirdly, the thesis examines livelihoods over time, such that it goes beyond a strictly synchronic examination, therefore providing a diachronic analysis of diverse and complicated livelihood pathways. Finally, the Livelihoods Framework is located within broader macro-sociological theorising including the work of Pierre Bourdieu. In this respect, important insights arise about livelihood choices and practices in the light of ongoing debates within sociology about human agency.
- 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
Transformations in Hlengwe ethnicity in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe, 1890 to 2014
- Authors: Chisi, Taderera Hebert
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Hlengwe (African people) -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Ethnicity -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Social constructionism , Black people -- Race identity -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Zimbabwe -- History , Imperialism -- History
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62296 , vital:28152
- Description: Studies of ethnicity have shifted from primordialism to diverse variants of social constructivism, which include instrumentalism, invention of tribalism by the colonial elite and missionaries and demotic constructivism or creation of ethnicity from below. The studies have generally generated two broad schools of thought. One school avers that African ethnicity was invented by the colonial elite and missionaries in the colonial period whilst the other and more recent asserts that ethnicity had a precolonial currency and the generality of Africans also played a key role in identity formation. Also most notable is that most studies have tended to focus on larger and more visible ethnic groups, ignoring the stories of small communities mostly found in remote border areas of modern ‘nation’ states. Using archival material, colonial records, autobiographies, oral and secondary sources, this thesis, which is largely guided by the demotic constructivist theoretical perspective examines the evolution of the ethnic identity of an ‘obscure’ Hlengwe ethnic community of the south-east lowveld of Zimbabwe from the pre-colonial period to 2014. History of the Hlengwe history has been blurred by the use of the term “Shangaan” to denote the Hlengwe, yet they were not ethnically so. A chronological approach and demotic constuctivism have been used to enable a deeper analysis of the critical historical phases, key players and processes in Hlengwe identity formation as time wore on. While we acknowledge that identity formation involves diverse players, we also focus on the role of the generally neglected commoners in the making of African ethnicity. This study differs from other works on ethnicity which focus on events of short historical phases and the role of selected elitist agents in the making of African ethnicity, by analysing the making of Hlengwe ethnicity from the precolonial to the postcolonial period. We prove that Hlengwe ethnicity was created in the pre-colonial period but did not remain static as it was perpetually reshaped by unpredictable historical events right up to 2014. The Hlengwe community was subjected to processes of social transformation over a long period of time to an extent that the one time docile, ‘uncivilised”, inward looking community bearing an identity of shame had evolved by the close of the 20th century and early 21st century to an assertive community, proud of its identity and actively seeking political, economic and cultural recognition and rights for its ‘underdog’ Hlengwe constituency in a country where diverse Shona groups andNdebele form the dominant ethnic communities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Chisi, Taderera Hebert
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Hlengwe (African people) -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Ethnicity -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Social constructionism , Black people -- Race identity -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Zimbabwe -- History , Imperialism -- History
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62296 , vital:28152
- Description: Studies of ethnicity have shifted from primordialism to diverse variants of social constructivism, which include instrumentalism, invention of tribalism by the colonial elite and missionaries and demotic constructivism or creation of ethnicity from below. The studies have generally generated two broad schools of thought. One school avers that African ethnicity was invented by the colonial elite and missionaries in the colonial period whilst the other and more recent asserts that ethnicity had a precolonial currency and the generality of Africans also played a key role in identity formation. Also most notable is that most studies have tended to focus on larger and more visible ethnic groups, ignoring the stories of small communities mostly found in remote border areas of modern ‘nation’ states. Using archival material, colonial records, autobiographies, oral and secondary sources, this thesis, which is largely guided by the demotic constructivist theoretical perspective examines the evolution of the ethnic identity of an ‘obscure’ Hlengwe ethnic community of the south-east lowveld of Zimbabwe from the pre-colonial period to 2014. History of the Hlengwe history has been blurred by the use of the term “Shangaan” to denote the Hlengwe, yet they were not ethnically so. A chronological approach and demotic constuctivism have been used to enable a deeper analysis of the critical historical phases, key players and processes in Hlengwe identity formation as time wore on. While we acknowledge that identity formation involves diverse players, we also focus on the role of the generally neglected commoners in the making of African ethnicity. This study differs from other works on ethnicity which focus on events of short historical phases and the role of selected elitist agents in the making of African ethnicity, by analysing the making of Hlengwe ethnicity from the precolonial to the postcolonial period. We prove that Hlengwe ethnicity was created in the pre-colonial period but did not remain static as it was perpetually reshaped by unpredictable historical events right up to 2014. The Hlengwe community was subjected to processes of social transformation over a long period of time to an extent that the one time docile, ‘uncivilised”, inward looking community bearing an identity of shame had evolved by the close of the 20th century and early 21st century to an assertive community, proud of its identity and actively seeking political, economic and cultural recognition and rights for its ‘underdog’ Hlengwe constituency in a country where diverse Shona groups andNdebele form the dominant ethnic communities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Aspects of the population ecology, habitat use and behaviour of the endangered Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis Boulenger, 1900) in a residential marina estate, Knysna, South Africa: implications for conservation
- Authors: Claassens, Louw
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Endangered species -- South Africa -- Knysna , Sea horses -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Knysna , Sea horses -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Knysna , Sea horses -- Ecology -- South Africa -- Knysna
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54789 , vital:26616
- Description: The Knysna seahorse Hippocampus capensis is South Africa’s only endemic seahorse species, and is found in only three adjacent estuaries along the southern coast. The conservation of this endangered species is important on a national and international level. This study presents the first research on this species within the Knysna estuary since 2001 and specifically focuses on aspects of its ecology within a residential marina estate (Thesen Islands Marina). The physico-chemical and habitat features of the marina were described and the population ecology, habitat use, and behaviour of the Knysna seahorse were investigated. Physico-chemical conditions within the western section of the marina, characterised by high water current velocities, were similar to that of the adjacent estuary. The eastern section of the marina was characterised by lower water current velocities and higher turbidity. Four major habitat types were identified within the marina canals: (I) artificial Reno mattress (wire baskets filled with rocks); (II) Codium tenue beds; (III) mixed vegetation on sediment; and (IV) barren canal floor. Seahorse densities within the marina were significantly higher compared to densities found historically within the estuary. Highest seahorse densities were specifically found within the artificial Reno mattress structures and within the western section of the marina. Seahorse density varied spatially and temporally and the type of habitat was an important predictor for seahorse occurrence. An experimental investigation found that H. capensis chooses artificial Reno mattress habitat over Zostera capensis when given a choice. GoPro cameras were used successfully to investigate daytime seahorse behaviour within the Reno mattress habitat. Seahorses were more active during the morning, spent most of their time (> 80 %) feeding, and morning courting behaviour for this species were confirmed. However, during the summer holiday period (mid-December to mid-January) few seahorses were observed on camera, which suggests that the increase in motor boat activity and the related increase in noise had a negative effect on H. capensis feeding and courting behaviour. The marina development, and in particular the Reno mattresses, created a new habitat for this endangered species within the Knysna estuary. In addition to the protection and restoration of natural habitats in which H. capensis is found, the conservation potential of artificial structures such as Reno mattresses should be realised.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Claassens, Louw
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Endangered species -- South Africa -- Knysna , Sea horses -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Knysna , Sea horses -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Knysna , Sea horses -- Ecology -- South Africa -- Knysna
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54789 , vital:26616
- Description: The Knysna seahorse Hippocampus capensis is South Africa’s only endemic seahorse species, and is found in only three adjacent estuaries along the southern coast. The conservation of this endangered species is important on a national and international level. This study presents the first research on this species within the Knysna estuary since 2001 and specifically focuses on aspects of its ecology within a residential marina estate (Thesen Islands Marina). The physico-chemical and habitat features of the marina were described and the population ecology, habitat use, and behaviour of the Knysna seahorse were investigated. Physico-chemical conditions within the western section of the marina, characterised by high water current velocities, were similar to that of the adjacent estuary. The eastern section of the marina was characterised by lower water current velocities and higher turbidity. Four major habitat types were identified within the marina canals: (I) artificial Reno mattress (wire baskets filled with rocks); (II) Codium tenue beds; (III) mixed vegetation on sediment; and (IV) barren canal floor. Seahorse densities within the marina were significantly higher compared to densities found historically within the estuary. Highest seahorse densities were specifically found within the artificial Reno mattress structures and within the western section of the marina. Seahorse density varied spatially and temporally and the type of habitat was an important predictor for seahorse occurrence. An experimental investigation found that H. capensis chooses artificial Reno mattress habitat over Zostera capensis when given a choice. GoPro cameras were used successfully to investigate daytime seahorse behaviour within the Reno mattress habitat. Seahorses were more active during the morning, spent most of their time (> 80 %) feeding, and morning courting behaviour for this species were confirmed. However, during the summer holiday period (mid-December to mid-January) few seahorses were observed on camera, which suggests that the increase in motor boat activity and the related increase in noise had a negative effect on H. capensis feeding and courting behaviour. The marina development, and in particular the Reno mattresses, created a new habitat for this endangered species within the Knysna estuary. In addition to the protection and restoration of natural habitats in which H. capensis is found, the conservation potential of artificial structures such as Reno mattresses should be realised.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Stewardship and collaboration in multifunctional landscapes: a transdisciplinary enquiry
- Authors: Cockburn, Jessica Jane
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Environmental management -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa , Ecosystem management -- South Africa , Social ecology -- South Africa , Interdisciplinary research
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61267 , vital:27998
- Description: Social-ecological sustainability challenges, from the local to the global level, are of increasing concern. Stewardship has been proposed as a means of dealing with these challenges, but how can it be achieved in practice? In South Africa, the concept is put into practice by practitioners working with local stewards to facilitate more sustainable and equitable management of ecosystem services across landscapes. This landscape approach requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders, as social-ecological processes function beyond the boundaries of individual farms or villages. The aim of this research was to investigate the practice of stewardship and collaboration in multifunctional landscapes in South Africa through a transdisciplinary enquiry. This was achieved using a methodological framework based on critical complexity, transdisciplinarity, and critical realism. This framework was applied through an inductive, mixed methods research design which involved stewardship practitioners, stewards, and other stakeholders in the research. Practitioners' understandings of the stewardship concept vary, yet they coalesce around the idea of responsible use and care of nature. Accordingly, the primary role of stewards is to interact with nature responsibly and carefully, balancing the use of ecosystem services for their own benefit with broader social- ecological interests and needs. Although the biodiversity stewardship tool dominates stewardship practice in South Africa, more integrated social-ecological initiatives are also emerging, often hand-in-hand with this approach. Practitioners working in these initiatives face multiple interacting and mutually reinforcing enablers and barriers that facilitate or hinder collaboration for stewardship. Individual and social-relational enablers are pivotal to long-term sustainability of initiatives, whilst deep-seated inequalities and mistrust are significant barriers to collaboration. Despite such challenges, practitioners are succeeding in fostering collaboration by operating as hubs in the landscape. They are actively building new relationships and networks among diverse stakeholders to address shared sustainability challenges. This results in a patchwork of collaborative stewardship activity across the landscape, suggesting that stewardship and collaboration are fundamentally relational processes and that pluralistic approaches to sustainability are needed in multifunctional landscapes. Moreover, by re-focusing stewardship on stewards, practitioners are finding innovative ways to enable farmers to appreciate and practice stewardship, addressing the conflict between agriculture and conservation. Drawing on these findings, a critical realist analysis revealed underlying generative mechanisms that help to explain the challenges encountered in collaborative efforts toward stewardship. These mechanisms included, amongst others: individual stewards' values, societal constraints on the ability of stewards to express care, conflict between agriculture and conservation due to dominant agricultural approaches and neoliberal economic policies, and the divided and unequal nature of South African society. Operationalising transdisciplinary research enabled meaningful engagement with practitioner partners, allowing for novel insights and unexpected findings to emerge from practice-based knowledge. Putting transdisciplinarity into practice revealed the dynamic and multi-faceted role that researchers can play in transdisciplinary research, highlighting the importance of relational knowledge and competencies. Existing support systems and incentives within universities need to be re-configured to enable postgraduate students to conduct engaged science in service of society. , Kuyanda ukuxhalatyiswa yimiceli mngeni yobudlewlane obuhlala buhleli bezentlalo nendalo, ekuhlaleni nakwihlabathi. Kuphakanyiswe umbono wobugosa-bumeli (ubuphathi bendalo, stewardship) ukuze kuhlangatyezwane nale miceli mngeni, kodwa iza kwenziwa njani le nto? EMzantsi Afrika le ngcamango iye yabekwa entsebenzweni ngabo banezakhono no bugcisa besebenza namagosa-bameli asekuhlaleni, benceda ekulawulweni ngendlela ehlala ihleli nelinganayo iinkonzo zobudlelwane nendalo kuyo yonke imihlaba. Le ndlela yokusebenzisa le mihlaba ifuna intsebenziswano phakathi kwabo bonke ababandakanyekayo, njengoko ubudlelwane bentlalo nendalo busebenza ngaphaya kwemida yomfama ngamnye okanye iilali. Injongo yoluhlolisiso ibikukuphanda ngoqheliselo lobugosa-bumeli nentsebenziswano yeemihlaba esebenza ngendlela ezininzi eMzantsi Afrika kubuzwa kumasebe olwazi ohlukeneyo olwazi(transdisciplinarity). Oku kwathi kwaphunyezwa ngenkqubo ehlola izinto ezahlukahlukeneyo kwimigangatho eyahlukeneyo, isekelwe kwingcamango enzulu kunoko kubonakala kuqondakalayo, kumasebe olwazi ohlukeneyo, nakulwazi lwesayensi nentlalo. Le nkqubo yenziwa kusetyenziswa inkqubo yokuqokelela ulwazi luze luhlalutywe, iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zokwenza uhlolisiso, ezazibandakandakanya abanezakhono zobugosa-bumeli, amagosa-bameli nabanye ababandakanyekileyo kolu hlolisiso. Ingcamango zabanezakhono zobubugosa-bumeli ziyohluka, kanti iingcamango zinye ngokuphathelele ukusetyenziswa nokukhathelela indalo yemvelo. Phofu ke, indima esisiseko yamagosa-bameli kukuphembelelana ngokufanelekileyo nangenkathalo nendalo, bethelekisa ukusebenzisa iinkonzo zobudlelwane nendalo ukuze zincede bona, kunye nomdla neemfuno eziphangaleleyo zobudlelwane bendalo nentlalo. Nakubeni isixhobo Sobugosa-Bumeli Bendalo Eyahlukeneyo Yezityalo Nezilwanyana (Biodiversity Stewardship) isesona sitshotsha phambili kuqheliselo lobugosa-bumeli eMzantsi Afrika, zikhona nezinye izixhobo ezivelayo eziqukwayo kwiphulo lobudlelwane bendalo nentlalo, ezisoloko zisebenza kakuhle neli lokuqala. Abanezakhono nabasebenza kula maphulo bajamelene neendidi zokuphembelelana, iingxaki ezahlukeneyo, izisombululo nezithinteli ezinceda okanye zonakalise intebenziswano yobugosa-bumeli. Isisombululo ngasinye nezo zayanyaniswa nentlalo zibaluleke gqitha kumaphulo azakuhlala ehleli, nakubeni ukungalingani okuzinze nzulu nokungathembani iyimiqobo ebelulekileyo kwintsebenziswano. Nangona ikhona le micelimngeni, abanezakhono bayaphumelela ekukhuliseni intsebenziswano ngokuthi basebenze kwiindawo ezithile kwimihlaba. Bakha unxulumano olutsha noqhagamishelwano nababandakanyekileyo ngokwahluka kwabo ukuze kusingathwe nemiceli mngeni yokugcina ubudlelwane bendalo nentlalo buhlale buhleli. Oku kuye kwaphumela kwintsebenziswano yobugosa-bumeli ethe yakho pha na pha kule mihlaba, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba ubugosa- bumeli nentsebenziswano ngokusisiseko yinkqubo enxulumeneyo, kwaye iindlela ezininzi zokwenza ubudlelwane bendalo nentlalo buhlale buhleli ziyimfuneko kwimihlaba ekwenziwa izinto ezininzi kuyo. Ngapha koko, ngokuthi kuphindwe kunikelwe ingqalelo kubugosa-bumeli isiya kumagosa bameli, abanezakhono bafumana iindlela ezintsha zokunceda amafama axabise aze aqhelisele ubugosa-bumeli, ngolu hlobo kusingathwa ingxabano phakathi kwezolimo nolondolozo lwendalo. Xa sifunda koku, ukucamngca nzulu ngako kutyhile enye indlela eye yanceda ekucaciseni imiceli mngeni ekuhlangatyezwane nayo kwimigudu yentsebenziswano yobugosa-bumeli. Ezi ndlela zibandakanya, phakathi kwezinye: indlela aziphatha ngayo amagosa-bameli, iingcinezelo yabahlali ekubeni amagosa-bameli abonakalise inkathalo, ukungavisisani phakathi kwezolimo nolondolozo lwendalo ngenxa yendlela ezongamelayo nezisetyenziswayo zolimo, nemigaqo-nkqubo yezoqoqosho elawulwa bucala, nokwahlukana, ukungalingani kwabantu baseMzantsi Afrika. Ukusebenzisa uhlolisiso lwamasebe olwazi ohlukeneyo kubangele ukufuthelana okunentsingiselo namaqabane abo banezakhono, oku kuvulele iingcamango ezinzulu nokufumana izinto ebezingalindelekanga kulwazi olusekelwe kuqheliselo. Ukubeka ulwazi lwamasebe ahlukeneyo entsebenzweni kutyhile iindima ezahlukeneyo okanye ezininzi ezidlalwa ngabahlolisisi kuhlolisiso lolwazi lwamasebe ohlukeneyo, kubalaseliswa ukubaluleka kolwazi olunxulunyaniswayo nozimiselo. Iinkqubo zenkxaso nezinye izinto ezincedayo ezikhoyo kwiyunivesiti kufuneka ziphinde zakhiwe ukuze zincede abafundi abenza uhlolisiso balwenze benomfutho wesayensi enceda abahlali.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Cockburn, Jessica Jane
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Environmental management -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa , Ecosystem management -- South Africa , Social ecology -- South Africa , Interdisciplinary research
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61267 , vital:27998
- Description: Social-ecological sustainability challenges, from the local to the global level, are of increasing concern. Stewardship has been proposed as a means of dealing with these challenges, but how can it be achieved in practice? In South Africa, the concept is put into practice by practitioners working with local stewards to facilitate more sustainable and equitable management of ecosystem services across landscapes. This landscape approach requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders, as social-ecological processes function beyond the boundaries of individual farms or villages. The aim of this research was to investigate the practice of stewardship and collaboration in multifunctional landscapes in South Africa through a transdisciplinary enquiry. This was achieved using a methodological framework based on critical complexity, transdisciplinarity, and critical realism. This framework was applied through an inductive, mixed methods research design which involved stewardship practitioners, stewards, and other stakeholders in the research. Practitioners' understandings of the stewardship concept vary, yet they coalesce around the idea of responsible use and care of nature. Accordingly, the primary role of stewards is to interact with nature responsibly and carefully, balancing the use of ecosystem services for their own benefit with broader social- ecological interests and needs. Although the biodiversity stewardship tool dominates stewardship practice in South Africa, more integrated social-ecological initiatives are also emerging, often hand-in-hand with this approach. Practitioners working in these initiatives face multiple interacting and mutually reinforcing enablers and barriers that facilitate or hinder collaboration for stewardship. Individual and social-relational enablers are pivotal to long-term sustainability of initiatives, whilst deep-seated inequalities and mistrust are significant barriers to collaboration. Despite such challenges, practitioners are succeeding in fostering collaboration by operating as hubs in the landscape. They are actively building new relationships and networks among diverse stakeholders to address shared sustainability challenges. This results in a patchwork of collaborative stewardship activity across the landscape, suggesting that stewardship and collaboration are fundamentally relational processes and that pluralistic approaches to sustainability are needed in multifunctional landscapes. Moreover, by re-focusing stewardship on stewards, practitioners are finding innovative ways to enable farmers to appreciate and practice stewardship, addressing the conflict between agriculture and conservation. Drawing on these findings, a critical realist analysis revealed underlying generative mechanisms that help to explain the challenges encountered in collaborative efforts toward stewardship. These mechanisms included, amongst others: individual stewards' values, societal constraints on the ability of stewards to express care, conflict between agriculture and conservation due to dominant agricultural approaches and neoliberal economic policies, and the divided and unequal nature of South African society. Operationalising transdisciplinary research enabled meaningful engagement with practitioner partners, allowing for novel insights and unexpected findings to emerge from practice-based knowledge. Putting transdisciplinarity into practice revealed the dynamic and multi-faceted role that researchers can play in transdisciplinary research, highlighting the importance of relational knowledge and competencies. Existing support systems and incentives within universities need to be re-configured to enable postgraduate students to conduct engaged science in service of society. , Kuyanda ukuxhalatyiswa yimiceli mngeni yobudlewlane obuhlala buhleli bezentlalo nendalo, ekuhlaleni nakwihlabathi. Kuphakanyiswe umbono wobugosa-bumeli (ubuphathi bendalo, stewardship) ukuze kuhlangatyezwane nale miceli mngeni, kodwa iza kwenziwa njani le nto? EMzantsi Afrika le ngcamango iye yabekwa entsebenzweni ngabo banezakhono no bugcisa besebenza namagosa-bameli asekuhlaleni, benceda ekulawulweni ngendlela ehlala ihleli nelinganayo iinkonzo zobudlelwane nendalo kuyo yonke imihlaba. Le ndlela yokusebenzisa le mihlaba ifuna intsebenziswano phakathi kwabo bonke ababandakanyekayo, njengoko ubudlelwane bentlalo nendalo busebenza ngaphaya kwemida yomfama ngamnye okanye iilali. Injongo yoluhlolisiso ibikukuphanda ngoqheliselo lobugosa-bumeli nentsebenziswano yeemihlaba esebenza ngendlela ezininzi eMzantsi Afrika kubuzwa kumasebe olwazi ohlukeneyo olwazi(transdisciplinarity). Oku kwathi kwaphunyezwa ngenkqubo ehlola izinto ezahlukahlukeneyo kwimigangatho eyahlukeneyo, isekelwe kwingcamango enzulu kunoko kubonakala kuqondakalayo, kumasebe olwazi ohlukeneyo, nakulwazi lwesayensi nentlalo. Le nkqubo yenziwa kusetyenziswa inkqubo yokuqokelela ulwazi luze luhlalutywe, iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zokwenza uhlolisiso, ezazibandakandakanya abanezakhono zobugosa-bumeli, amagosa-bameli nabanye ababandakanyekileyo kolu hlolisiso. Ingcamango zabanezakhono zobubugosa-bumeli ziyohluka, kanti iingcamango zinye ngokuphathelele ukusetyenziswa nokukhathelela indalo yemvelo. Phofu ke, indima esisiseko yamagosa-bameli kukuphembelelana ngokufanelekileyo nangenkathalo nendalo, bethelekisa ukusebenzisa iinkonzo zobudlelwane nendalo ukuze zincede bona, kunye nomdla neemfuno eziphangaleleyo zobudlelwane bendalo nentlalo. Nakubeni isixhobo Sobugosa-Bumeli Bendalo Eyahlukeneyo Yezityalo Nezilwanyana (Biodiversity Stewardship) isesona sitshotsha phambili kuqheliselo lobugosa-bumeli eMzantsi Afrika, zikhona nezinye izixhobo ezivelayo eziqukwayo kwiphulo lobudlelwane bendalo nentlalo, ezisoloko zisebenza kakuhle neli lokuqala. Abanezakhono nabasebenza kula maphulo bajamelene neendidi zokuphembelelana, iingxaki ezahlukeneyo, izisombululo nezithinteli ezinceda okanye zonakalise intebenziswano yobugosa-bumeli. Isisombululo ngasinye nezo zayanyaniswa nentlalo zibaluleke gqitha kumaphulo azakuhlala ehleli, nakubeni ukungalingani okuzinze nzulu nokungathembani iyimiqobo ebelulekileyo kwintsebenziswano. Nangona ikhona le micelimngeni, abanezakhono bayaphumelela ekukhuliseni intsebenziswano ngokuthi basebenze kwiindawo ezithile kwimihlaba. Bakha unxulumano olutsha noqhagamishelwano nababandakanyekileyo ngokwahluka kwabo ukuze kusingathwe nemiceli mngeni yokugcina ubudlelwane bendalo nentlalo buhlale buhleli. Oku kuye kwaphumela kwintsebenziswano yobugosa-bumeli ethe yakho pha na pha kule mihlaba, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba ubugosa- bumeli nentsebenziswano ngokusisiseko yinkqubo enxulumeneyo, kwaye iindlela ezininzi zokwenza ubudlelwane bendalo nentlalo buhlale buhleli ziyimfuneko kwimihlaba ekwenziwa izinto ezininzi kuyo. Ngapha koko, ngokuthi kuphindwe kunikelwe ingqalelo kubugosa-bumeli isiya kumagosa bameli, abanezakhono bafumana iindlela ezintsha zokunceda amafama axabise aze aqhelisele ubugosa-bumeli, ngolu hlobo kusingathwa ingxabano phakathi kwezolimo nolondolozo lwendalo. Xa sifunda koku, ukucamngca nzulu ngako kutyhile enye indlela eye yanceda ekucaciseni imiceli mngeni ekuhlangatyezwane nayo kwimigudu yentsebenziswano yobugosa-bumeli. Ezi ndlela zibandakanya, phakathi kwezinye: indlela aziphatha ngayo amagosa-bameli, iingcinezelo yabahlali ekubeni amagosa-bameli abonakalise inkathalo, ukungavisisani phakathi kwezolimo nolondolozo lwendalo ngenxa yendlela ezongamelayo nezisetyenziswayo zolimo, nemigaqo-nkqubo yezoqoqosho elawulwa bucala, nokwahlukana, ukungalingani kwabantu baseMzantsi Afrika. Ukusebenzisa uhlolisiso lwamasebe olwazi ohlukeneyo kubangele ukufuthelana okunentsingiselo namaqabane abo banezakhono, oku kuvulele iingcamango ezinzulu nokufumana izinto ebezingalindelekanga kulwazi olusekelwe kuqheliselo. Ukubeka ulwazi lwamasebe ahlukeneyo entsebenzweni kutyhile iindima ezahlukeneyo okanye ezininzi ezidlalwa ngabahlolisisi kuhlolisiso lolwazi lwamasebe ohlukeneyo, kubalaseliswa ukubaluleka kolwazi olunxulunyaniswayo nozimiselo. Iinkqubo zenkxaso nezinye izinto ezincedayo ezikhoyo kwiyunivesiti kufuneka ziphinde zakhiwe ukuze zincede abafundi abenza uhlolisiso balwenze benomfutho wesayensi enceda abahlali.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Aspects Allocentristes de l’Humanisme dans l’Univers Romanesque de Williams Sassine
- Authors: Dami, Emmanuel Naancin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sassine, Williams, 1944-1997 -- Criticism and interpretation , Guinean fiction (French) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , Humanism in literature , Human beings in literature , Postcolonialism in literature , Existentialism in literature
- Language: French , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61957 , vital:28089
- Description: The human being, his behaviour and more importantly, his very essence have, for time immemorial, proven to be enigmatic to many a man and to researchers in particular. Consequently, the need for a thorough and more profound understanding of man has made him the epicentre of epistemic investigations across many academic disciplines. This, unfortunately, does not seem to have shaded bright lights on the grey areas bordering on his nature to his behavior. This, in turn, opens up other windows requiring further probes. For instance, proponents of the Neo-classical economic school contend that the human being is homo oeconomicus. This implies that man is intrinsically egocentric and a rational being whose decisions are based on informed choices driven by his urge for maximal utility geared towards his personal satisfaction (O’Boyle 2009; Caruso 2012). This stance invalidates man’s ability to do ‘disinterested good’ in any form. African francophone literature is replete with different and diverse images of man, his behaviour and existential conditions: sufferings and struggles. It, therefore, constitutes, inter alia, a laboratory in which researchers undertake investigative endeavours. This thesis beams its floodlights on the allocentric aspects of humanism in the novels of Williams Sassine. Thus, using the phenomenological and ‘clavieniste’ lenses as overarching operational theories, the thesis investigates Sassine’s novels with the view to shading a ray of light on the ‘humanistic man’ especially the allocentric dimensions of his nature and comportment. Emphasis is laid on the motives and motivations underlying the individual and the in-group struggle of the sassinien heroes in the emancipation of their society from the shackles of colonial and postcolonial domination, exploitation and subjugation resulting in self-determination and the subsequent disenchantment. Furthermore, the thesis examines the nature and character of human charity, generosity and sacrifices among the characters in the novels. In conclusion, the thesis establishes, through an x-ray of the nature of actions and decisions of certain characters in the novels, the examination of the conscious and subconscious intentions underlying these same actions and decisions which, on a face value, are apparently altruistic, that the sassinien heroes’ efforts and sacrifices are geared towards the common and greater good. This invariably means that man is, indeed, capable of posing disinterested acts of charity and bringing succour, devoid of any ulterior motives for personal gain, to his fellow humans. The position of the Neo-classical economists is consequently over-assuming, sweeping and tad generalizing. The sassinien characters have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they are humanists. Their nature, the remote and immediate causes of their fights, the goals and objectives of their struggles and their spirit of abnegation have indeed proven that “human beings have the right and the responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. [They have stood] for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on the human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities” (AHA 2017 : 3).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dami, Emmanuel Naancin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sassine, Williams, 1944-1997 -- Criticism and interpretation , Guinean fiction (French) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , Humanism in literature , Human beings in literature , Postcolonialism in literature , Existentialism in literature
- Language: French , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61957 , vital:28089
- Description: The human being, his behaviour and more importantly, his very essence have, for time immemorial, proven to be enigmatic to many a man and to researchers in particular. Consequently, the need for a thorough and more profound understanding of man has made him the epicentre of epistemic investigations across many academic disciplines. This, unfortunately, does not seem to have shaded bright lights on the grey areas bordering on his nature to his behavior. This, in turn, opens up other windows requiring further probes. For instance, proponents of the Neo-classical economic school contend that the human being is homo oeconomicus. This implies that man is intrinsically egocentric and a rational being whose decisions are based on informed choices driven by his urge for maximal utility geared towards his personal satisfaction (O’Boyle 2009; Caruso 2012). This stance invalidates man’s ability to do ‘disinterested good’ in any form. African francophone literature is replete with different and diverse images of man, his behaviour and existential conditions: sufferings and struggles. It, therefore, constitutes, inter alia, a laboratory in which researchers undertake investigative endeavours. This thesis beams its floodlights on the allocentric aspects of humanism in the novels of Williams Sassine. Thus, using the phenomenological and ‘clavieniste’ lenses as overarching operational theories, the thesis investigates Sassine’s novels with the view to shading a ray of light on the ‘humanistic man’ especially the allocentric dimensions of his nature and comportment. Emphasis is laid on the motives and motivations underlying the individual and the in-group struggle of the sassinien heroes in the emancipation of their society from the shackles of colonial and postcolonial domination, exploitation and subjugation resulting in self-determination and the subsequent disenchantment. Furthermore, the thesis examines the nature and character of human charity, generosity and sacrifices among the characters in the novels. In conclusion, the thesis establishes, through an x-ray of the nature of actions and decisions of certain characters in the novels, the examination of the conscious and subconscious intentions underlying these same actions and decisions which, on a face value, are apparently altruistic, that the sassinien heroes’ efforts and sacrifices are geared towards the common and greater good. This invariably means that man is, indeed, capable of posing disinterested acts of charity and bringing succour, devoid of any ulterior motives for personal gain, to his fellow humans. The position of the Neo-classical economists is consequently over-assuming, sweeping and tad generalizing. The sassinien characters have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they are humanists. Their nature, the remote and immediate causes of their fights, the goals and objectives of their struggles and their spirit of abnegation have indeed proven that “human beings have the right and the responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. [They have stood] for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on the human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities” (AHA 2017 : 3).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Scale-specific processes underlying the genetic population structure of seabirds in the tropical western Indian Ocean
- Authors: Danckwerts, Daniel Keith
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sea birds -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Behavior -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Mortality -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Mortality -- Prevention , Sea birds -- Reproduction , Bird declines -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Indian Ocean -- Effect of human beings on , Sooty tern , Red-footed booby , Pterodroma
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63944 , vital:28513
- Description: Global seabird populations have declined by 70%, since 1950, largely in response to human mediated threats. Identifying the pressures that the remaining populations face has therefore become a top priority. Many breeding colonies are now monitored annually, though others have been almost completely neglected. Considerable bias also exists towards higher latitude species, while fewer studies have been conducted on tropical groups. Beyond tracking population sizes, numerous knowledge gaps also exist that severely restrict conservation efforts. This includes the understanding of seabird meta-population structure and the processes underlying population divergence. The importance of these studies lies in the fact that the preservation of biodiversity requires the conservation of diversification processes. Generating this knowledge is therefore an important first step towards recognising responses to episodic disturbance and long-term environmental change, as well as recovery potential. In this context, the present study employed microsatellite analysis and ringing information to investigate the processes underlying the metapopulation structure of seabirds in the tropical western Indian Ocean. Three species were selected as proxies to cover a range of population sizes, distributional ranges, and intrinsic behavioural (e.g. migratory behaviour) and morphological (e.g. polymorphism) characteristics. These were the Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus), Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), and Barau’s Petrel (Pterodorma baraui). The overall objective was to provide insight into the mechanisms underlying divergence across a range of scales. Microsatellite information highlighted that genetic populations of the Red-footed Booby and Barau’s Petrel were weakly, though significantly, structured. For the Barau’s Petrel, this was supported by ringing information that indicated extreme colony fidelity. Some gene flow appears to occur among the breeding colonies of the Red-footed Booby, though the scale and frequency of this remains uncertain as banding information is insufficient at this stage. Nevertheless, though populations of both species were genetically structured, the processes underlying divergence were different. Extreme natal philopatry appears to have driven divergence between the two colonies of the Barau’s Petrel, while local selective forces (e.g. kleptoparasitism risk and/or selection against immigrants) appear to have isolated the three studied breeding colonies of the Red-footed Booby. Conversely, microsatellite information identified a total lack of genetic structure among breeding colonies of the Sooty Tern in the western Indian Ocean, and between colonies in the western Indian and Eastern Pacific Oceans. This accords with banding recoveries, which illustrate considerable inter-colony exchange of individuals among most islands of the Seychelles and between breeding colonies in the western Indian and West Pacific Oceans. The processes underlying the genetic population structure (or, in this case, lack thereof) in the Sooty Tern therefore appear to operate at extremely large scales. The species’ low natal philopatry and high dispersal capabilities, combined with an importance of social stimulation and a reliance on seasonally favourable marine conditions, appears to influence the decisions of where and when individual Sooty Terns choose to breed. Anthropogenic disturbance at breeding sites, particularly that related to egg harvesting activities, also appears to drive dispersal in the Sooty Tern. These results improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the genetic population structure in seabirds at low latitudes. However, numerous questions remain unanswered and warrant further study. Clear conservation implications were also identified for the three studied species. Nevertheless, caution should still be applied when extrapolating this information across other species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Danckwerts, Daniel Keith
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sea birds -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Behavior -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Mortality -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Mortality -- Prevention , Sea birds -- Reproduction , Bird declines -- Indian Ocean , Sea birds -- Indian Ocean -- Effect of human beings on , Sooty tern , Red-footed booby , Pterodroma
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63944 , vital:28513
- Description: Global seabird populations have declined by 70%, since 1950, largely in response to human mediated threats. Identifying the pressures that the remaining populations face has therefore become a top priority. Many breeding colonies are now monitored annually, though others have been almost completely neglected. Considerable bias also exists towards higher latitude species, while fewer studies have been conducted on tropical groups. Beyond tracking population sizes, numerous knowledge gaps also exist that severely restrict conservation efforts. This includes the understanding of seabird meta-population structure and the processes underlying population divergence. The importance of these studies lies in the fact that the preservation of biodiversity requires the conservation of diversification processes. Generating this knowledge is therefore an important first step towards recognising responses to episodic disturbance and long-term environmental change, as well as recovery potential. In this context, the present study employed microsatellite analysis and ringing information to investigate the processes underlying the metapopulation structure of seabirds in the tropical western Indian Ocean. Three species were selected as proxies to cover a range of population sizes, distributional ranges, and intrinsic behavioural (e.g. migratory behaviour) and morphological (e.g. polymorphism) characteristics. These were the Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus), Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), and Barau’s Petrel (Pterodorma baraui). The overall objective was to provide insight into the mechanisms underlying divergence across a range of scales. Microsatellite information highlighted that genetic populations of the Red-footed Booby and Barau’s Petrel were weakly, though significantly, structured. For the Barau’s Petrel, this was supported by ringing information that indicated extreme colony fidelity. Some gene flow appears to occur among the breeding colonies of the Red-footed Booby, though the scale and frequency of this remains uncertain as banding information is insufficient at this stage. Nevertheless, though populations of both species were genetically structured, the processes underlying divergence were different. Extreme natal philopatry appears to have driven divergence between the two colonies of the Barau’s Petrel, while local selective forces (e.g. kleptoparasitism risk and/or selection against immigrants) appear to have isolated the three studied breeding colonies of the Red-footed Booby. Conversely, microsatellite information identified a total lack of genetic structure among breeding colonies of the Sooty Tern in the western Indian Ocean, and between colonies in the western Indian and Eastern Pacific Oceans. This accords with banding recoveries, which illustrate considerable inter-colony exchange of individuals among most islands of the Seychelles and between breeding colonies in the western Indian and West Pacific Oceans. The processes underlying the genetic population structure (or, in this case, lack thereof) in the Sooty Tern therefore appear to operate at extremely large scales. The species’ low natal philopatry and high dispersal capabilities, combined with an importance of social stimulation and a reliance on seasonally favourable marine conditions, appears to influence the decisions of where and when individual Sooty Terns choose to breed. Anthropogenic disturbance at breeding sites, particularly that related to egg harvesting activities, also appears to drive dispersal in the Sooty Tern. These results improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the genetic population structure in seabirds at low latitudes. However, numerous questions remain unanswered and warrant further study. Clear conservation implications were also identified for the three studied species. Nevertheless, caution should still be applied when extrapolating this information across other species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Modelling Ionospheric vertical drifts over the African low latitude region
- Dubazane, Makhosonke Berthwell
- Authors: Dubazane, Makhosonke Berthwell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Ionospheric drift , Magnetometers , Functions, Orthogonal , Neural networks (Computer science) , Ionospheric electron density -- Africa , Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63356 , vital:28396
- Description: Low/equatorial latitudes vertical plasma drifts and electric fields govern the formation and changes of ionospheric density structures which affect space-based systems such as communications, navigation and positioning. Dynamical and electrodynamical processes play important roles in plasma distribution at different altitudes. Because of the high variability of E × B drift in low latitude regions, coupled with various processes that sometimes originate from high latitudes especially during geomagnetic storm conditions, it is challenging to develop accurate vertical drift models. This is despite the fact that there are very few instruments dedicated to provide electric field and hence E × B drift data in low/equatorial latitude regions. To this effect, there exists no ground-based instrument for direct measurements of E×B drift data in the African sector. This study presents the first time investigation aimed at modelling the long-term variability of low latitude vertical E × B drift over the African sector using a combination of Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS) and ground-based magnetometer observations/measurements during 2008-2013. Because the approach is based on the estimation of equatorial electrojet from ground-based magnetometer observations, the developed models are only valid for local daytime. Three modelling techniques have been considered. The application of Empirical Orthogonal Functions and partial least squares has been performed on vertical E × B drift modelling for the first time. The artificial neural networks that have the advantage of learning underlying changes between a set of inputs and known output were also used in vertical E × B drift modelling. Due to lack of E×B drift data over the African sector, the developed models were validated using satellite data and the climatological Scherliess-Fejer model incorporated within the International Reference Ionosphere model. Maximum correlation coefficient of ∼ 0.8 was achieved when validating the developed models with C/NOFS E × B drift observations that were not used in any model development. For most of the time, the climatological model overestimates the local daytime vertical E × B drift velocities. The methods and approach presented in this study provide a background for constructing vertical E ×B drift databases in longitude sectors that do not have radar instrumentation. This will in turn make it possible to study day-to-day variability of vertical E×B drift and hopefully lead to the development of regional and global models that will incorporate local time information in different longitude sectors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dubazane, Makhosonke Berthwell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Ionospheric drift , Magnetometers , Functions, Orthogonal , Neural networks (Computer science) , Ionospheric electron density -- Africa , Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63356 , vital:28396
- Description: Low/equatorial latitudes vertical plasma drifts and electric fields govern the formation and changes of ionospheric density structures which affect space-based systems such as communications, navigation and positioning. Dynamical and electrodynamical processes play important roles in plasma distribution at different altitudes. Because of the high variability of E × B drift in low latitude regions, coupled with various processes that sometimes originate from high latitudes especially during geomagnetic storm conditions, it is challenging to develop accurate vertical drift models. This is despite the fact that there are very few instruments dedicated to provide electric field and hence E × B drift data in low/equatorial latitude regions. To this effect, there exists no ground-based instrument for direct measurements of E×B drift data in the African sector. This study presents the first time investigation aimed at modelling the long-term variability of low latitude vertical E × B drift over the African sector using a combination of Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS) and ground-based magnetometer observations/measurements during 2008-2013. Because the approach is based on the estimation of equatorial electrojet from ground-based magnetometer observations, the developed models are only valid for local daytime. Three modelling techniques have been considered. The application of Empirical Orthogonal Functions and partial least squares has been performed on vertical E × B drift modelling for the first time. The artificial neural networks that have the advantage of learning underlying changes between a set of inputs and known output were also used in vertical E × B drift modelling. Due to lack of E×B drift data over the African sector, the developed models were validated using satellite data and the climatological Scherliess-Fejer model incorporated within the International Reference Ionosphere model. Maximum correlation coefficient of ∼ 0.8 was achieved when validating the developed models with C/NOFS E × B drift observations that were not used in any model development. For most of the time, the climatological model overestimates the local daytime vertical E × B drift velocities. The methods and approach presented in this study provide a background for constructing vertical E ×B drift databases in longitude sectors that do not have radar instrumentation. This will in turn make it possible to study day-to-day variability of vertical E×B drift and hopefully lead to the development of regional and global models that will incorporate local time information in different longitude sectors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
The current utility of oligonucleotide aptamers in targeting the MUC1 mucin tumour marker
- Authors: Flanagan, Shane Patrick
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62969 , vital:28348
- Description: Expected release date-April 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Flanagan, Shane Patrick
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62969 , vital:28348
- Description: Expected release date-April 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Elevated CO2 determines cell damage and nitrogen allocation in barley subjected to aphid herbivory
- Authors: Gallagher, Sean
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64337 , vital:28535
- Description: Expected release date-May 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Gallagher, Sean
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64337 , vital:28535
- Description: Expected release date-May 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018