Uptake of liposomes into bacterial cells
- Authors: Oidu, Benjamin
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Liposomes , Drug carriers (Pharmacy)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10165 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021010
- Description: Liposomes are small phospholipid vesicles that have been widely investigated as drug carriers for the delivery of therapeutic agents. A variety of liposome formulations are presently under clinical trial exploration, while others have already been approved for clinical use. The aim of this study was to optimize liposome uptake into bacterial cells. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were used in the study as well as Candida albicans.Response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design (CCD) model was used to optimize liposomal formulations of carboxyfluorescien (CF) for each of the three microbes, and also the three microbes in combination namely; Staphylococcus aureus (Sa), Escherichia coli (Ec) and Candida albicans (Ca). Percentage of CF encapsulated and CF increase in Uptake were investigated with respect to two independent variables that were, cholesterol (CHOL) and stearylamine (SA) content. Design Expert 8 was used for the purpose of finding the combination of independent variables that would yield an optimal formulation for each microbe and the three microbes in combination. The model selected by the software managed to reasonably correlate the predicted models to the experimental data. Encapsulation of carboxyfluorescien (CF) into a liposome formulation enhanced its uptake by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as well as Candida albicans. This was evident in the increase in CF uptake when the uptake rate of free CF was compared with that of liposomal CF.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Oidu, Benjamin
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Liposomes , Drug carriers (Pharmacy)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10165 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021010
- Description: Liposomes are small phospholipid vesicles that have been widely investigated as drug carriers for the delivery of therapeutic agents. A variety of liposome formulations are presently under clinical trial exploration, while others have already been approved for clinical use. The aim of this study was to optimize liposome uptake into bacterial cells. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were used in the study as well as Candida albicans.Response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design (CCD) model was used to optimize liposomal formulations of carboxyfluorescien (CF) for each of the three microbes, and also the three microbes in combination namely; Staphylococcus aureus (Sa), Escherichia coli (Ec) and Candida albicans (Ca). Percentage of CF encapsulated and CF increase in Uptake were investigated with respect to two independent variables that were, cholesterol (CHOL) and stearylamine (SA) content. Design Expert 8 was used for the purpose of finding the combination of independent variables that would yield an optimal formulation for each microbe and the three microbes in combination. The model selected by the software managed to reasonably correlate the predicted models to the experimental data. Encapsulation of carboxyfluorescien (CF) into a liposome formulation enhanced its uptake by Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as well as Candida albicans. This was evident in the increase in CF uptake when the uptake rate of free CF was compared with that of liposomal CF.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Use of bioindicators and biomarkers to assess aquatic environmental contamination in selected urban wetlands in Uganda
- Authors: Naigaga, Irene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Indicators (Biology) Biochemical markers Environmental monitoring -- Uganda Water quality biological assessment -- Uganda Water -- Pollution -- Uganda Wetlands -- Monitoring -- Uganda Wetland management -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Uganda Aquatic resources conservation -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Management -- Uganda Fishes -- Histopathaology -- Uganda Urban ecology (Biology) -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5198 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002603
- Description: Pollution of aquatic resources in Uganda is on the increase and the trends are expected to increase with increase in population size and urbanisation. Assessment and mitigation of the environmental impacts on water quality and biodiversity have now become necessary. The aim of the study was to integrate invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and fish histopathology as a biomarker in the assessment of water quality deterioration in urban wetlands in Uganda. The integration harnesses the advantages and counteracts the shortcomings of each method and thus builds a more robust diagnostic tool that gives a better view of the impacts to the entire ecosystem. Four endpoints which included, physicochemical variables, benthic macroinvertebrate bioindicators, fish bioindicators and fish histopathology biomarkers were compared between varied effluent-impacted wetlands (Murchison Bay in Kampala, and Kirinya, Masese and Winday Bay in Jinja) and a non-impacted reference wetland (Lwanika in Mayuge). Results from the effluent-impacted sites differed from the less impacted reference site. The two sampling locations at Murchison Bay (inshore and offshore) and one sampling location at Kirinya (inshore), that were highly impacted with urban effluent, showed elevated nutrient levels, low pH, dissolved oxygen and secchi depth readings. This corresponded with low invertebrate taxa and fish species diversity and richness; and severe histopathological responses in liver, gonads and gills of O. niloticus. Sensitive taxa such as ephemeroptera and trichoptera were completely absent while pollution tolerant taxa Chironomus sp, Corbicula and Oligochaeta were present. Also notable was the absence of many native haplochromines and presence of mainly Brycinus sadleri, Oreochromis niloticus and leucostictus. The organs manifested high prevalence of severe inflammatory and regressive changes and higher organ indices that fell within the pathological category. These sites were consistently classified as highly polluted under the four endpoints. The reference site was classified as least polluted while Masese and Winday Bay were moderately polluted. Results suggested that the approach of using invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and the fish histopathology as a biomarker, in relation to water quality physicochemical variables was a useful tool in highlighting the spatial differences in environmental quality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Naigaga, Irene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Indicators (Biology) Biochemical markers Environmental monitoring -- Uganda Water quality biological assessment -- Uganda Water -- Pollution -- Uganda Wetlands -- Monitoring -- Uganda Wetland management -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Uganda Aquatic resources conservation -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Management -- Uganda Fishes -- Histopathaology -- Uganda Urban ecology (Biology) -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5198 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002603
- Description: Pollution of aquatic resources in Uganda is on the increase and the trends are expected to increase with increase in population size and urbanisation. Assessment and mitigation of the environmental impacts on water quality and biodiversity have now become necessary. The aim of the study was to integrate invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and fish histopathology as a biomarker in the assessment of water quality deterioration in urban wetlands in Uganda. The integration harnesses the advantages and counteracts the shortcomings of each method and thus builds a more robust diagnostic tool that gives a better view of the impacts to the entire ecosystem. Four endpoints which included, physicochemical variables, benthic macroinvertebrate bioindicators, fish bioindicators and fish histopathology biomarkers were compared between varied effluent-impacted wetlands (Murchison Bay in Kampala, and Kirinya, Masese and Winday Bay in Jinja) and a non-impacted reference wetland (Lwanika in Mayuge). Results from the effluent-impacted sites differed from the less impacted reference site. The two sampling locations at Murchison Bay (inshore and offshore) and one sampling location at Kirinya (inshore), that were highly impacted with urban effluent, showed elevated nutrient levels, low pH, dissolved oxygen and secchi depth readings. This corresponded with low invertebrate taxa and fish species diversity and richness; and severe histopathological responses in liver, gonads and gills of O. niloticus. Sensitive taxa such as ephemeroptera and trichoptera were completely absent while pollution tolerant taxa Chironomus sp, Corbicula and Oligochaeta were present. Also notable was the absence of many native haplochromines and presence of mainly Brycinus sadleri, Oreochromis niloticus and leucostictus. The organs manifested high prevalence of severe inflammatory and regressive changes and higher organ indices that fell within the pathological category. These sites were consistently classified as highly polluted under the four endpoints. The reference site was classified as least polluted while Masese and Winday Bay were moderately polluted. Results suggested that the approach of using invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and the fish histopathology as a biomarker, in relation to water quality physicochemical variables was a useful tool in highlighting the spatial differences in environmental quality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
User requirements framework for mobile government in the Western Cape
- Authors: Wilson, Fiona Michelle
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Government communication systems , Internet in public administration , Electronic government information , Mobile communication systems , Information technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9751 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008076 , Government communication systems , Internet in public administration , Electronic government information , Mobile communication systems , Information technology
- Description: Globally, mobile technology use, particularly the use of mobile phones, is becoming increasingly widespread. One consequence of this growth is mounting interest in using mobile technologies in the public sector, particularly in developing countries, because it is seen as enabling better access to information and services for citizens. Mobile government (m-government), defined as the use of mobile technologies and applications for public sector services, promises to extend access to public services to marginalised sectors of the population and is emerging as a new focus in the ongoing challenge to provide efficient, effective and accessible public services. Though interest in m-government is emerging in the provincial Western Cape Government (WCG) of South Africa, few guidelines exist in the WCG to inform the development of public sector mobile services. This absence impacts on service delivery and the primary objective of this study was to propose a set of guidelines that could guide the prioritisation of citizen facing public sector services for mobile implementation in the Western Cape. The study considered two areas namely, government and user needs. The primary research question was to determine what public sector services citizens need and how these services should be prioritised for mobile delivery in the Western Cape. To address this, three research sub-questions were formulated. The first question aimed to examine conceptions of mobile government. To achieve this a literature study and documentation review was conducted, from which factors influencing service prioritisation emerged. The second research question aimed to identify citizen needs that could inform mobile public sector services in the Western Cape. Thus a survey and interviews were conducted with citizens using the WCG community ICT centres (e-Centres). The third research question aimed to identify factors that impact on the prioritisation of citizen facing public sectors for mobile delivery in the Western Cape. The findings from the literature study, survey and interviews conducted were used to address this research question. The results from the three research sub-questions were triangulated to address the main objective of the study and from this a set of guidelines for prioritising mobile public sector services in the Western Cape was proposed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Wilson, Fiona Michelle
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Government communication systems , Internet in public administration , Electronic government information , Mobile communication systems , Information technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9751 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008076 , Government communication systems , Internet in public administration , Electronic government information , Mobile communication systems , Information technology
- Description: Globally, mobile technology use, particularly the use of mobile phones, is becoming increasingly widespread. One consequence of this growth is mounting interest in using mobile technologies in the public sector, particularly in developing countries, because it is seen as enabling better access to information and services for citizens. Mobile government (m-government), defined as the use of mobile technologies and applications for public sector services, promises to extend access to public services to marginalised sectors of the population and is emerging as a new focus in the ongoing challenge to provide efficient, effective and accessible public services. Though interest in m-government is emerging in the provincial Western Cape Government (WCG) of South Africa, few guidelines exist in the WCG to inform the development of public sector mobile services. This absence impacts on service delivery and the primary objective of this study was to propose a set of guidelines that could guide the prioritisation of citizen facing public sector services for mobile implementation in the Western Cape. The study considered two areas namely, government and user needs. The primary research question was to determine what public sector services citizens need and how these services should be prioritised for mobile delivery in the Western Cape. To address this, three research sub-questions were formulated. The first question aimed to examine conceptions of mobile government. To achieve this a literature study and documentation review was conducted, from which factors influencing service prioritisation emerged. The second research question aimed to identify citizen needs that could inform mobile public sector services in the Western Cape. Thus a survey and interviews were conducted with citizens using the WCG community ICT centres (e-Centres). The third research question aimed to identify factors that impact on the prioritisation of citizen facing public sectors for mobile delivery in the Western Cape. The findings from the literature study, survey and interviews conducted were used to address this research question. The results from the three research sub-questions were triangulated to address the main objective of the study and from this a set of guidelines for prioritising mobile public sector services in the Western Cape was proposed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Using a unified invasion framework to characterize Africa’s first loricariid catfish invasion
- Jones, Roy W, Weyl, Olaf L F, Hill, Martin P, Swartz, Ernst R
- Authors: Jones, Roy W , Weyl, Olaf L F , Hill, Martin P , Swartz, Ernst R
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/418081 , vital:71507 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-013-0438-7"
- Description: This paper presents evidence of establishment of a loricariid population in the Nseleni River in South Africa and uses a unified framework to determine its invasion stage. Specimens were identified morphologically as Pterygioplichthys disjunctivus (Weber 1991), but genetic barcoding results indicated close association with specimens that may have a hybrid history. The species was introduced into South Africa via the pet trade and the first record of introduction into the wild was in 2004. Samples collected in 2011 and 2012 demonstrated that there were multiple length cohorts in the population including juveniles (12–130 mm total length TL) and large (>300 mm TL) adult fish. Gonadal assessment of adults demonstrated the presence of reproduction capable specimens. The concurrent occurrence of mature adults and juvenile fish demonstrated establishment. Locality records indicate that P. disjunctivus has already spread between two rivers through an inter basin water transfer. Using a unified framework for invasions this invasion was categorized as a self-sustaining population in the wild with individuals surviving and reproducing a significant distance from their original point of introduction. Containment is suggested as potential management strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Jones, Roy W , Weyl, Olaf L F , Hill, Martin P , Swartz, Ernst R
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/418081 , vital:71507 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-013-0438-7"
- Description: This paper presents evidence of establishment of a loricariid population in the Nseleni River in South Africa and uses a unified framework to determine its invasion stage. Specimens were identified morphologically as Pterygioplichthys disjunctivus (Weber 1991), but genetic barcoding results indicated close association with specimens that may have a hybrid history. The species was introduced into South Africa via the pet trade and the first record of introduction into the wild was in 2004. Samples collected in 2011 and 2012 demonstrated that there were multiple length cohorts in the population including juveniles (12–130 mm total length TL) and large (>300 mm TL) adult fish. Gonadal assessment of adults demonstrated the presence of reproduction capable specimens. The concurrent occurrence of mature adults and juvenile fish demonstrated establishment. Locality records indicate that P. disjunctivus has already spread between two rivers through an inter basin water transfer. Using a unified framework for invasions this invasion was categorized as a self-sustaining population in the wild with individuals surviving and reproducing a significant distance from their original point of introduction. Containment is suggested as potential management strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Using assessment strategically to gestate a student thesis
- Authors: Grant, Carolyn
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/281164 , vital:55698 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC153523"
- Description: In the context of higher education in South Africa and drawing on the author's experience as a lecturer in two higher education institutions (HEIs), this article presents her attempts to bring together - and into balance - teaching, supervision and research in an endeavour to offer a transformative learning experience for her post graduate students. It does this by foregrounding student assessment in the Master of Education (MEd) degree in the field of Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) where the development of a half thesis, underpinned by research, stands as the evidence of success. The author suggests that the MEd (ELM) degree be conceptualised differently in order that the half thesis be permitted to gestate over a two-year period. Within this conceptualisation, she argues that inspired teaching and meaningful research is best attained through a community of learning approach which seeks to foreground participatory learning, the advancement of scholarly discourse and the development of student agency. Through the use of a case study, the author provides evidence to suggest that a range of authentic assessment strategies which are purposeful and in alignment with the teaching strategies, the content and the intended outcomes of the qualification being taught are essential. She further argues that well-crafted, formative, recursive and sustainable feedback is an essential part of the gestation process.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Grant, Carolyn
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/281164 , vital:55698 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC153523"
- Description: In the context of higher education in South Africa and drawing on the author's experience as a lecturer in two higher education institutions (HEIs), this article presents her attempts to bring together - and into balance - teaching, supervision and research in an endeavour to offer a transformative learning experience for her post graduate students. It does this by foregrounding student assessment in the Master of Education (MEd) degree in the field of Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) where the development of a half thesis, underpinned by research, stands as the evidence of success. The author suggests that the MEd (ELM) degree be conceptualised differently in order that the half thesis be permitted to gestate over a two-year period. Within this conceptualisation, she argues that inspired teaching and meaningful research is best attained through a community of learning approach which seeks to foreground participatory learning, the advancement of scholarly discourse and the development of student agency. Through the use of a case study, the author provides evidence to suggest that a range of authentic assessment strategies which are purposeful and in alignment with the teaching strategies, the content and the intended outcomes of the qualification being taught are essential. She further argues that well-crafted, formative, recursive and sustainable feedback is an essential part of the gestation process.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Utilisation of print and electronic media by students at zamukulungisa campus of the Walter Sisulu University
- Authors: Nkaule, Nomnqweno Princess
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Print resources -- Electronic media , Print and online resources -- Library
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:18431 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007152
- Description: The study looks at how the library users at Zamukulungisa Campus of the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Eastern Cape in South Africa perceive the print media versus electronic media as sources of information for their requirements. The study is aimed at investigating the extent of use of these media by the users of the institution under study and their reaction to print versus electronic media. It is understood that the Zamukulungisa Campus of the WSU users come from different backgrounds. Some come from underdeveloped rural areas where there are no basic amenities available such as running water, toilets, telephones or even electricity and libraries. These types of users depended on information from text books and from their teachers only. The rationale for the study is to examine the students‟ use of print and electronic materials available in the library of the institution under study with the view to identifying the gaps that need to be addressed in order to make recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the service provision of information to the users by the librarians. With this purpose in mind, the study looks at: the frequency of library use; the nature of the media available in the library; the tools utilized by the users to access the media in the library; the preference of the library users for media usage; the users‟ perceptions and reactions to print and electronic media; the effects on users and; the background to the use of print and electronic media. A questionnaire was used to collect data for this research study from sampled students at Zamukulungisa Campus of the WSU. The findings may lead to potential solutions based on the users‟ reactions to the recommendations of their use of the print and electronic media. The references used are shown in the bibliography. Keywords: print media, electronic media, library users, different backgrounds, underdeveloped rural areas, basic needs, recommendation of the use of print and electronic media, service provision, provision of information, media usage, users‟ perceptions, users‟ reactions, study operations, presentation of findings, analysis of data, discussion of results, levels of study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Nkaule, Nomnqweno Princess
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Print resources -- Electronic media , Print and online resources -- Library
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:18431 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007152
- Description: The study looks at how the library users at Zamukulungisa Campus of the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Eastern Cape in South Africa perceive the print media versus electronic media as sources of information for their requirements. The study is aimed at investigating the extent of use of these media by the users of the institution under study and their reaction to print versus electronic media. It is understood that the Zamukulungisa Campus of the WSU users come from different backgrounds. Some come from underdeveloped rural areas where there are no basic amenities available such as running water, toilets, telephones or even electricity and libraries. These types of users depended on information from text books and from their teachers only. The rationale for the study is to examine the students‟ use of print and electronic materials available in the library of the institution under study with the view to identifying the gaps that need to be addressed in order to make recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the service provision of information to the users by the librarians. With this purpose in mind, the study looks at: the frequency of library use; the nature of the media available in the library; the tools utilized by the users to access the media in the library; the preference of the library users for media usage; the users‟ perceptions and reactions to print and electronic media; the effects on users and; the background to the use of print and electronic media. A questionnaire was used to collect data for this research study from sampled students at Zamukulungisa Campus of the WSU. The findings may lead to potential solutions based on the users‟ reactions to the recommendations of their use of the print and electronic media. The references used are shown in the bibliography. Keywords: print media, electronic media, library users, different backgrounds, underdeveloped rural areas, basic needs, recommendation of the use of print and electronic media, service provision, provision of information, media usage, users‟ perceptions, users‟ reactions, study operations, presentation of findings, analysis of data, discussion of results, levels of study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Valerie Møller: a pioneer in South African Quality of Life Research
- Authors: Moller, Valerie
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67205 , vital:29059 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-013-9249-3
- Description: publisher version , Professor Valerie Møller is Professor Emeritus of Quality of Life Studies at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Before that she was director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research at Rhodes University (1998–2006) and headed the Quality of Life Research Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, in the 1990s. She completed her primary school education in North Carolina, USA, and her secondary and tertiary education in Zürich, Switzerland. She earned Lic. Phil and DPhil degrees from the University of Zürich, majoring in sociology. She has lived and worked in Southern Africa since 1972. Together with the late Professor Lawrence Schlemmer she developed the first survey instruments to measure objective and subjective well-being among South Africans from all walks of life. The South African Quality of Life Trends Study has tracked happiness and life satisfaction from apartheid to the transition to democracy (1983–2012).
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Moller, Valerie
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67205 , vital:29059 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-013-9249-3
- Description: publisher version , Professor Valerie Møller is Professor Emeritus of Quality of Life Studies at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Before that she was director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research at Rhodes University (1998–2006) and headed the Quality of Life Research Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, in the 1990s. She completed her primary school education in North Carolina, USA, and her secondary and tertiary education in Zürich, Switzerland. She earned Lic. Phil and DPhil degrees from the University of Zürich, majoring in sociology. She has lived and worked in Southern Africa since 1972. Together with the late Professor Lawrence Schlemmer she developed the first survey instruments to measure objective and subjective well-being among South Africans from all walks of life. The South African Quality of Life Trends Study has tracked happiness and life satisfaction from apartheid to the transition to democracy (1983–2012).
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2013
Valuation of internet-based businesses
- Authors: Krüger, Janine
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Electronic commerce , Internet marketing -- Evaluation , New business enterprises , Internet marketing , Retail trade -- Computer network resources , Teleshopping , Consumer behavior
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9280 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008187 , Electronic commerce , Internet marketing -- Evaluation , New business enterprises , Internet marketing , Retail trade -- Computer network resources , Teleshopping , Consumer behavior
- Description: This study investigates the valuation of Internet-based businesses. In particular the influence of the implementation of an e-business strategy on the value of a business by focussing on its financial performance, will be determined. Although the valuation of businesses in general has been researched extensively, research on the valuation of Internet-based businesses produced contradictory findings. No consensus could be reached regarding the most appropriate valuation approach to be used. Some research findings indicated that the discounted cash flow approach was the most appropriate while others stipulated that a new valuation approach should be developed. Many authors state that the move to include an e-business strategy is natural, and that businesses cannot afford not to include some form of e-business strategy. Previous research has also shown that by including an e-business strategy, it is possible to improve efficiency of the business and ultimately increase profitability. However, there was no emphasis on how the e-business strategy will influence the business valuation. In order to establish whether an e-business strategy will create value for a business, an empirical investigation was undertaken.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Krüger, Janine
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Electronic commerce , Internet marketing -- Evaluation , New business enterprises , Internet marketing , Retail trade -- Computer network resources , Teleshopping , Consumer behavior
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9280 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008187 , Electronic commerce , Internet marketing -- Evaluation , New business enterprises , Internet marketing , Retail trade -- Computer network resources , Teleshopping , Consumer behavior
- Description: This study investigates the valuation of Internet-based businesses. In particular the influence of the implementation of an e-business strategy on the value of a business by focussing on its financial performance, will be determined. Although the valuation of businesses in general has been researched extensively, research on the valuation of Internet-based businesses produced contradictory findings. No consensus could be reached regarding the most appropriate valuation approach to be used. Some research findings indicated that the discounted cash flow approach was the most appropriate while others stipulated that a new valuation approach should be developed. Many authors state that the move to include an e-business strategy is natural, and that businesses cannot afford not to include some form of e-business strategy. Previous research has also shown that by including an e-business strategy, it is possible to improve efficiency of the business and ultimately increase profitability. However, there was no emphasis on how the e-business strategy will influence the business valuation. In order to establish whether an e-business strategy will create value for a business, an empirical investigation was undertaken.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Value and size investment strategies: evidence from the cross-section of returns in the South African equity market
- Authors: Barnard, Kevin John
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Financial risk -- South Africa , Saving and investment -- South Africa , Stock exchanges -- South Africa , Investments -- Psychological aspects , Investments -- Decision making , Value premium , Size effect , Rational finance , Behavioural finance , South African equity markets
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:874 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001606 , Financial risk -- South Africa , Saving and investment -- South Africa , Stock exchanges -- South Africa , Investments -- Psychological aspects , Investments -- Decision making
- Description: Value and size related equity investment strategies are supported by a large body of empirical research that shows a persistent premium, both longitudinally and crosssectionally. However, the competing rational and behavioural finance explanations for the success of these strategies are a subject of debate. The rational explanation is that the premium earned on value shares or shares of small companies can be attributed to higher risk. Behaviouralists argue that such shares are not riskier and attribute the premium to cognitive errors and biases in human decision making. The purpose of this study is to determine, firstly, whether the value and size premium exist in South Africa during the period July 2006 to June 2012, which includes one of the worst equity market crises in history. Secondly, this study sets out to determine whether the premium earned on value and size strategies are adequately explained by the principles of rational finance theory. To provide evidence regarding the existence of the value premium and size effect, returns are analysed, cross-sectionally, on portfolios of shares sorted by value and size. For evidence of a rational explanation, returns are regressed on value and size variables, and the relative riskiness of value and small companies is analysed. The results show evidence of a value premium in portfolios of small companies, but not big companies. The size effect is found not to be statistically significant. While regressions do show significant relationships between value and size variables and returns, these variables are found not to be associated with higher levels of risk. The conclusion is that the evidence does not support a rational, risk based explanation of the returns
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Barnard, Kevin John
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Financial risk -- South Africa , Saving and investment -- South Africa , Stock exchanges -- South Africa , Investments -- Psychological aspects , Investments -- Decision making , Value premium , Size effect , Rational finance , Behavioural finance , South African equity markets
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:874 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001606 , Financial risk -- South Africa , Saving and investment -- South Africa , Stock exchanges -- South Africa , Investments -- Psychological aspects , Investments -- Decision making
- Description: Value and size related equity investment strategies are supported by a large body of empirical research that shows a persistent premium, both longitudinally and crosssectionally. However, the competing rational and behavioural finance explanations for the success of these strategies are a subject of debate. The rational explanation is that the premium earned on value shares or shares of small companies can be attributed to higher risk. Behaviouralists argue that such shares are not riskier and attribute the premium to cognitive errors and biases in human decision making. The purpose of this study is to determine, firstly, whether the value and size premium exist in South Africa during the period July 2006 to June 2012, which includes one of the worst equity market crises in history. Secondly, this study sets out to determine whether the premium earned on value and size strategies are adequately explained by the principles of rational finance theory. To provide evidence regarding the existence of the value premium and size effect, returns are analysed, cross-sectionally, on portfolios of shares sorted by value and size. For evidence of a rational explanation, returns are regressed on value and size variables, and the relative riskiness of value and small companies is analysed. The results show evidence of a value premium in portfolios of small companies, but not big companies. The size effect is found not to be statistically significant. While regressions do show significant relationships between value and size variables and returns, these variables are found not to be associated with higher levels of risk. The conclusion is that the evidence does not support a rational, risk based explanation of the returns
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Vegetation and soil characteristics around water points under three land management systems in semi-arid rangelands of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Simanga, Siyabulela
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Livestock -- Effect of water quality on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Pasture Science)
- Identifier: vital:11584 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015795 , Livestock -- Effect of water quality on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study investigated the vegetation and soil characteristics in relation to distance from water points under different land management systems in semi-arid rangelands of South Africa. Six study sites, two each from communal grazing, commercial farming and game reserves were selected. Two watering points were selected in each study site. Two 500 m transects were laid from the selected watering points. Each transect was divided into sub-transects at 25 m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 300m and 500m from water points. A 100 m2 plot was marked in each sub-transect to record grass biomas, species composition, structure and distribution of woody vegetation and physical and chemical soil properties. Data were collected for two seasons 2012/13 (winter and summer). Thirty and 41 grass and woody species respectively were identified in all study areas. The most common and dominating grass species include Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria eriantha, Eragrostis obtusa, Setaria sphacelata and Sporobolus fimbriatus. Cynodon dactylon and S. sphacelata occurred more abundantly (p < 0.05) in the game reserves than in the other land management catergories. All the grass species had similar (p > 0.05) abundance along distance gradient from water points. Grass dry matter (GDM) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between and within land management systems. However, GDM was not significantly affected by season, location of water point within each farm or reserve and distance along water points. Acacia karoo, Coddia rudis and Ehretia rigida were the most dominant woody species. Tree equivalent (TE) density of all encroaching woody plants combined was significantly (p < 0.05) higher on the communal area (1732 TE ha-1) than the commercial ranches (1136 TE ha-1) and game reserves (857 TE ha-1), but with no marked variations along distance from water points under all the land management systems. The electric conductivity (EC) was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in game reserves than in communal grazing areas and ranches. Soil organic matter percentage showed greatest and lowest values in the game reserves and commercial respectively. Soil pH and bulk density did not vary but soil organic matter (SOM), EC, bulk density and soil compaction were significant different with no increasing or decreasing trends. Soil properties were affected by herbivore pressure and trampling around water points with inconsistence magnitude and direction. In conclusion, grass species composition and GDM did not respond to distance from water points because either grazing gradient was absent or the length of transects was not enough to explain the absence or presence of gradients. High proportion of A. karoo and high densities of seedlings and saplings would seem as very good indicators of the woody vegetation changes in the different land management systems and distance from water points. The soil quality indicators around the water-points showed that livestock and game affected soil parameters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Simanga, Siyabulela
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Livestock -- Effect of water quality on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Pasture Science)
- Identifier: vital:11584 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015795 , Livestock -- Effect of water quality on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study investigated the vegetation and soil characteristics in relation to distance from water points under different land management systems in semi-arid rangelands of South Africa. Six study sites, two each from communal grazing, commercial farming and game reserves were selected. Two watering points were selected in each study site. Two 500 m transects were laid from the selected watering points. Each transect was divided into sub-transects at 25 m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 300m and 500m from water points. A 100 m2 plot was marked in each sub-transect to record grass biomas, species composition, structure and distribution of woody vegetation and physical and chemical soil properties. Data were collected for two seasons 2012/13 (winter and summer). Thirty and 41 grass and woody species respectively were identified in all study areas. The most common and dominating grass species include Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria eriantha, Eragrostis obtusa, Setaria sphacelata and Sporobolus fimbriatus. Cynodon dactylon and S. sphacelata occurred more abundantly (p < 0.05) in the game reserves than in the other land management catergories. All the grass species had similar (p > 0.05) abundance along distance gradient from water points. Grass dry matter (GDM) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between and within land management systems. However, GDM was not significantly affected by season, location of water point within each farm or reserve and distance along water points. Acacia karoo, Coddia rudis and Ehretia rigida were the most dominant woody species. Tree equivalent (TE) density of all encroaching woody plants combined was significantly (p < 0.05) higher on the communal area (1732 TE ha-1) than the commercial ranches (1136 TE ha-1) and game reserves (857 TE ha-1), but with no marked variations along distance from water points under all the land management systems. The electric conductivity (EC) was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in game reserves than in communal grazing areas and ranches. Soil organic matter percentage showed greatest and lowest values in the game reserves and commercial respectively. Soil pH and bulk density did not vary but soil organic matter (SOM), EC, bulk density and soil compaction were significant different with no increasing or decreasing trends. Soil properties were affected by herbivore pressure and trampling around water points with inconsistence magnitude and direction. In conclusion, grass species composition and GDM did not respond to distance from water points because either grazing gradient was absent or the length of transects was not enough to explain the absence or presence of gradients. High proportion of A. karoo and high densities of seedlings and saplings would seem as very good indicators of the woody vegetation changes in the different land management systems and distance from water points. The soil quality indicators around the water-points showed that livestock and game affected soil parameters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Veracity, transparency and inclusivity plus engagement and empowerment: regulations, ethics, accountability
- Authors: Dugmore, Harry , Smith, Jade
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158564 , vital:40207 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC141577
- Description: As a centre with a brief to encourage "more and better" health journalism in South Africa, we've had to think hard about definitional issues and about balancing subjective and objective gauges of quality. We've developed an initial appraisal of health journalism, locally and internationally, and we've created a normative framework that we hope will enable journalists and educators to have better discussions about what is meant by quality in health journalism. This framework will hopefully inform what kind of journalism education - degrees, short courses, topic guides, symposia - might promote higher levels of quality in reporting on medical science.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Dugmore, Harry , Smith, Jade
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158564 , vital:40207 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC141577
- Description: As a centre with a brief to encourage "more and better" health journalism in South Africa, we've had to think hard about definitional issues and about balancing subjective and objective gauges of quality. We've developed an initial appraisal of health journalism, locally and internationally, and we've created a normative framework that we hope will enable journalists and educators to have better discussions about what is meant by quality in health journalism. This framework will hopefully inform what kind of journalism education - degrees, short courses, topic guides, symposia - might promote higher levels of quality in reporting on medical science.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Versions of hospitality in recent writing on the fiction of JM Coetzee:
- Authors: Marais, Mike
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144039 , vital:38305 , DOI: 10.4314/eia.v40i1.8
- Description: In one of the interviews in Summertime, Martin, a former colleague, claims that he and the deceased John Coetzee felt their "presence" in South Africa "was legal but illegitimate," that it "was grounded in a crime, namely colonial conquest," which rendered them "sojourners, temporary residents, and to that extent without a home, without a homeland" (209-10). With this statement in mind, Maria J. Lopez argues that a sense of unbelonging underlies J. M. Coetzee's entire oeuvre, including the Australian fiction, and forms a kind of "imaginative and intellectual masterplot" (xii). ). It is this "narrative" that she traces in her monograph, starting with the early fiction and concluding with chapters on the fictionalised autobiographies and Australian fiction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Marais, Mike
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144039 , vital:38305 , DOI: 10.4314/eia.v40i1.8
- Description: In one of the interviews in Summertime, Martin, a former colleague, claims that he and the deceased John Coetzee felt their "presence" in South Africa "was legal but illegitimate," that it "was grounded in a crime, namely colonial conquest," which rendered them "sojourners, temporary residents, and to that extent without a home, without a homeland" (209-10). With this statement in mind, Maria J. Lopez argues that a sense of unbelonging underlies J. M. Coetzee's entire oeuvre, including the Australian fiction, and forms a kind of "imaginative and intellectual masterplot" (xii). ). It is this "narrative" that she traces in her monograph, starting with the early fiction and concluding with chapters on the fictionalised autobiographies and Australian fiction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Victimisation in the lives of lesbian-identified women in South Africa : implications for clinical assessment and treatment
- Padmanabhanunni, Anita, Edwards, David J A
- Authors: Padmanabhanunni, Anita , Edwards, David J A
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6237 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007787
- Description: Few clinical studies have examined victimisation in the lives of lesbian women in South Africa and whether there are distinct implications for psychological treatment. This paper presents the assessment and treatment of a lesbian-identified South African survivor of childhood sexual abuse who, as an adult, was raped and later gang raped. Her victimisation in adulthood represented ‘corrective rape’ motivated by the prejudiced assumption that the sexuality of lesbian women is pathological and should be ‘corrected’ through rape. This paper lends insights into the role of heterosexism in shaping vulnerability to victimisation and the process of recovery. It provides recommendations for work with sexual minority clients and highlights the implications when there is an absence of safety and support in the external environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Padmanabhanunni, Anita , Edwards, David J A
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6237 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007787
- Description: Few clinical studies have examined victimisation in the lives of lesbian women in South Africa and whether there are distinct implications for psychological treatment. This paper presents the assessment and treatment of a lesbian-identified South African survivor of childhood sexual abuse who, as an adult, was raped and later gang raped. Her victimisation in adulthood represented ‘corrective rape’ motivated by the prejudiced assumption that the sexuality of lesbian women is pathological and should be ‘corrected’ through rape. This paper lends insights into the role of heterosexism in shaping vulnerability to victimisation and the process of recovery. It provides recommendations for work with sexual minority clients and highlights the implications when there is an absence of safety and support in the external environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Visualization of a data leak
- Swart, Ignus, Grobler, Marthie, Irwin, Barry V W
- Authors: Swart, Ignus , Grobler, Marthie , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428584 , vital:72522 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641046
- Description: The potential impact that data leakage can have on a country, both on a national level as well as on an individual level, can be wide reaching and potentially catastrophic. In January 2013, several South African companies became the target of a hack attack, resulting in the breach of security measures and the leaking of a claimed 700000 records. The affected companies are spread across a number of domains, thus making the leak a very wide impact area. The aim of this paper is to analyze the data released from the South African breach and to visualize the extent of the loss by the companies affected. The value of this work lies in its connection to and interpretation of related South African legislation. The data extracted during the analysis is primarily personally identifiable information, such as defined by the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 and the Protection of Personal Information Bill of 2009.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Swart, Ignus , Grobler, Marthie , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428584 , vital:72522 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641046
- Description: The potential impact that data leakage can have on a country, both on a national level as well as on an individual level, can be wide reaching and potentially catastrophic. In January 2013, several South African companies became the target of a hack attack, resulting in the breach of security measures and the leaking of a claimed 700000 records. The affected companies are spread across a number of domains, thus making the leak a very wide impact area. The aim of this paper is to analyze the data released from the South African breach and to visualize the extent of the loss by the companies affected. The value of this work lies in its connection to and interpretation of related South African legislation. The data extracted during the analysis is primarily personally identifiable information, such as defined by the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 and the Protection of Personal Information Bill of 2009.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Vital threats to human security in Southern Africa : the regional ramifications of the public health crisis in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mtero, Shingirai
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Human security -- Africa, Southern , Communicable diseases -- Africa, Southern , Public health -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2891 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018251
- Description: The southern African region is beset with numerous security concerns: pervasive poverty, deepening inequality, starvation, contamination of essential natural resources, violent crime and state oppression. However, the most vital of the region’s security concerns in the 21st century is the spread of infectious disease. The region shoulders a disproportionate amount of the continent’s infectious disease burden, with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria claiming more lives every year than any other factor. The nature of these diseases and their propensity to spread, coupled with inadequate regional public health structures pose a significant threat to regional security and stability. The study asserts that southern Africa’s security concerns are most appropriately characterised under the paradigm of Human Security. It further asserts that if such vital threats to human security are not adequately managed they have the ability to permeate across state borders, spelling numerous negative ramifications for the region. To this end, the study details the public health crisis in Zimbabwe and its effects on regional security and stability in southern Africa. An enduring political and economic collapse in Zimbabwe led to the dramatic deterioration of its public health sector, the concomitant mass migration of Zimbabwean nationals across the region presented a unique and complex challenge to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its member states. As the premier regional governance institution, SADC has failed to adequately mobilise its structures and member states to respond to the challenges resulting from the public health crisis in Zimbabwe. The study explores the factors accounting for this regional inertia, and asserts that while infectious diseases are at present the most vital of the human security threats, similar threats to human security have the potential to affect the region if SADC fails to recognise and prioritise threats to human security as legitimate regional security concerns.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Mtero, Shingirai
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Human security -- Africa, Southern , Communicable diseases -- Africa, Southern , Public health -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2891 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018251
- Description: The southern African region is beset with numerous security concerns: pervasive poverty, deepening inequality, starvation, contamination of essential natural resources, violent crime and state oppression. However, the most vital of the region’s security concerns in the 21st century is the spread of infectious disease. The region shoulders a disproportionate amount of the continent’s infectious disease burden, with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria claiming more lives every year than any other factor. The nature of these diseases and their propensity to spread, coupled with inadequate regional public health structures pose a significant threat to regional security and stability. The study asserts that southern Africa’s security concerns are most appropriately characterised under the paradigm of Human Security. It further asserts that if such vital threats to human security are not adequately managed they have the ability to permeate across state borders, spelling numerous negative ramifications for the region. To this end, the study details the public health crisis in Zimbabwe and its effects on regional security and stability in southern Africa. An enduring political and economic collapse in Zimbabwe led to the dramatic deterioration of its public health sector, the concomitant mass migration of Zimbabwean nationals across the region presented a unique and complex challenge to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its member states. As the premier regional governance institution, SADC has failed to adequately mobilise its structures and member states to respond to the challenges resulting from the public health crisis in Zimbabwe. The study explores the factors accounting for this regional inertia, and asserts that while infectious diseases are at present the most vital of the human security threats, similar threats to human security have the potential to affect the region if SADC fails to recognise and prioritise threats to human security as legitimate regional security concerns.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Voice and agency in post-apartheid South African media: young and mediated
- Wasserman, Herman, Garman, Anthea
- Authors: Wasserman, Herman , Garman, Anthea
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:38361 , http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC141607
- Description: What does the rising number of service delivery protests tell us about who gets to speak and who gets to listen in South African politics? Do politicians listen to the youth, especially the vast numbers of the un- and under-employed? What role do the youth play in social cohesion, civic action and the future of our young democracy?
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Wasserman, Herman , Garman, Anthea
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:38361 , http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC141607
- Description: What does the rising number of service delivery protests tell us about who gets to speak and who gets to listen in South African politics? Do politicians listen to the youth, especially the vast numbers of the un- and under-employed? What role do the youth play in social cohesion, civic action and the future of our young democracy?
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Voices of the hungry: a qualitative measure of household food access and food insecurity in South Africa
- Chakona, Gamuchirai, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67277 , vital:29066 , https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-017-0149-x
- Description: publisher version , Background: South Africa is rated a food secure nation, but large numbers of households within the country have inadequate access to nutrient-rich diverse foods. The study sought to investigate households’ physical and economic access and availability of food, in relation to local context which influences households’ access to and ability to grow food which may affect the dietary quality. We sought to understand self-reported healthy diets, food insecurity from the perspective of people who experienced it, barriers to household food security and perceptions and feelings on food access as well as strategies households use to cope with food shortages and their perceptions on improving household food security. Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted along a rural–urban continuum in three South African towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. Participants were asked about their knowledge of healthy diets, factors influencing their food consumption, their perceptions regarding food insecurity, barriers to food security, coping strategies and solutions to improve access to nutrient-rich foods. Results: A total of 91 people participated in 11 focus groups, with 76% females. The majority of participants aged between 31 and 50 years. Participants were knowledgeable about healthy diets but had limited access to it hence consumed monotonous diets. The perceptions provided insights into the pressing issues of inadequate access to food, food insecurity, coping strategies and ideas on improving food security. The majority of participants reported on experiencing food insecurity and female-headed households, unemployed and orphaned children were most vulnerable. Focus group participants highlighted the complexity of the food system in their communities which relies on own production, collecting from open spaces, donations and to a larger extent purchase, in the context of unemployment, low income, water and land shortages as well as theft. Conclusion: The results provide a significant contribution from a needs assessment perspective from the communities, identify “hidden” constrains in household food access and provide effective future solutions for improving food security in the communities. Government should assist with capacity building, employment creation and providing resources (especially, land and water) for communities to practise agriculture which they all agreed can improve food security.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67277 , vital:29066 , https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-017-0149-x
- Description: publisher version , Background: South Africa is rated a food secure nation, but large numbers of households within the country have inadequate access to nutrient-rich diverse foods. The study sought to investigate households’ physical and economic access and availability of food, in relation to local context which influences households’ access to and ability to grow food which may affect the dietary quality. We sought to understand self-reported healthy diets, food insecurity from the perspective of people who experienced it, barriers to household food security and perceptions and feelings on food access as well as strategies households use to cope with food shortages and their perceptions on improving household food security. Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted along a rural–urban continuum in three South African towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. Participants were asked about their knowledge of healthy diets, factors influencing their food consumption, their perceptions regarding food insecurity, barriers to food security, coping strategies and solutions to improve access to nutrient-rich foods. Results: A total of 91 people participated in 11 focus groups, with 76% females. The majority of participants aged between 31 and 50 years. Participants were knowledgeable about healthy diets but had limited access to it hence consumed monotonous diets. The perceptions provided insights into the pressing issues of inadequate access to food, food insecurity, coping strategies and ideas on improving food security. The majority of participants reported on experiencing food insecurity and female-headed households, unemployed and orphaned children were most vulnerable. Focus group participants highlighted the complexity of the food system in their communities which relies on own production, collecting from open spaces, donations and to a larger extent purchase, in the context of unemployment, low income, water and land shortages as well as theft. Conclusion: The results provide a significant contribution from a needs assessment perspective from the communities, identify “hidden” constrains in household food access and provide effective future solutions for improving food security in the communities. Government should assist with capacity building, employment creation and providing resources (especially, land and water) for communities to practise agriculture which they all agreed can improve food security.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Voltammetric investigation of microbiological growth media and carbon nanotube modified electrodes : a case study of oxytetracycline
- Authors: Kruid, Jan
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Voltammetry , Electrodes , Oxytetracycline , Carbon nanotubes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4156 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018238
- Description: Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a broad spectrum antibiotic used extensively in the agricultural and human-health sector, and is effective against various gram positive and –negative bacteria as well as large viruses and certain pathogenic Rickettsiae. This study addresses the lack of voltammetric knowledge regarding the electroanalytical characterisation of OTC and its analysis in complex matrices. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) revealed several irreversible anodic peaks for OTC at a bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE). These current responses were improved through the selection of a diluent for OTC stock preparation, electrolyte solution and electrolyte pH, stir time and applied preconditioning potential. Under enhanced adsorptive conditions and using square wave voltammetry (SWV), a detection limit of 24.3 nM was achieved. The electrode surface could be renewed in vitro for 10 successive scans. OTC oxidation was characterised as a one electron:one proton ECiE mechanisms. Next, investigating the viability of voltammetry in various complex microbiological growth media revealed that selected growth media contained interfering redox active components, which, while simultaneously coating the electrode surface, effectively reduced GCE performance and lowered the active electrode surface area, as ascertained through CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. This interference lowered OTC current response in the presence of growth media which was partially recovered by appropriate growth media selection and sample dilution. In testing the use of acid functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to improve anodic OTC response, charge-based attraction was observed between the MWCNT dispersal agent Nafion® and OTC, while increased surface area associated with prolonged acid functionalisation time aided in improving OTC current response.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Kruid, Jan
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Voltammetry , Electrodes , Oxytetracycline , Carbon nanotubes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4156 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018238
- Description: Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a broad spectrum antibiotic used extensively in the agricultural and human-health sector, and is effective against various gram positive and –negative bacteria as well as large viruses and certain pathogenic Rickettsiae. This study addresses the lack of voltammetric knowledge regarding the electroanalytical characterisation of OTC and its analysis in complex matrices. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) revealed several irreversible anodic peaks for OTC at a bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE). These current responses were improved through the selection of a diluent for OTC stock preparation, electrolyte solution and electrolyte pH, stir time and applied preconditioning potential. Under enhanced adsorptive conditions and using square wave voltammetry (SWV), a detection limit of 24.3 nM was achieved. The electrode surface could be renewed in vitro for 10 successive scans. OTC oxidation was characterised as a one electron:one proton ECiE mechanisms. Next, investigating the viability of voltammetry in various complex microbiological growth media revealed that selected growth media contained interfering redox active components, which, while simultaneously coating the electrode surface, effectively reduced GCE performance and lowered the active electrode surface area, as ascertained through CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. This interference lowered OTC current response in the presence of growth media which was partially recovered by appropriate growth media selection and sample dilution. In testing the use of acid functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to improve anodic OTC response, charge-based attraction was observed between the MWCNT dispersal agent Nafion® and OTC, while increased surface area associated with prolonged acid functionalisation time aided in improving OTC current response.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Vrou is gif : the representation of violence against women in Margie Orford’s Clare Hart novels
- Authors: Naidu, Samantha
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Article , text
- Identifier: vital:26372 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/53997 , https://www.ajol.info/index.php/asp/article/view/136092 , https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9456-8657
- Description: This article takes as its starting point that crime fiction is a public and political response to gender-based violence. Using the methods of both discourse analysis and literary analysis of the crime fiction genre, the novels of Margie Orford, internationally acclaimed crime author and patron of Rape Crisis, are examined for their representations of violence against women, and the role played by these representations in Orford’s overall feminist project in the Clare Hart series. The article also considers theories about gender-based violence which link male violence to a purported crisis in the established gender order of South Africa. An attempt is made to understand the relationship between fictionalised representations of violence and the ‘banality’ of real-life violence. Finally, Hart, Orford’s hard-boiled female detective figure, is assessed to determine whether this character constitutes a significant feminist achievement that contributes to discourses which counter gender-based violence
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Naidu, Samantha
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Article , text
- Identifier: vital:26372 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/53997 , https://www.ajol.info/index.php/asp/article/view/136092 , https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9456-8657
- Description: This article takes as its starting point that crime fiction is a public and political response to gender-based violence. Using the methods of both discourse analysis and literary analysis of the crime fiction genre, the novels of Margie Orford, internationally acclaimed crime author and patron of Rape Crisis, are examined for their representations of violence against women, and the role played by these representations in Orford’s overall feminist project in the Clare Hart series. The article also considers theories about gender-based violence which link male violence to a purported crisis in the established gender order of South Africa. An attempt is made to understand the relationship between fictionalised representations of violence and the ‘banality’ of real-life violence. Finally, Hart, Orford’s hard-boiled female detective figure, is assessed to determine whether this character constitutes a significant feminist achievement that contributes to discourses which counter gender-based violence
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2013
Waiver of the right to judicial impartiality: comparative analysis of South African and Commonwealth jurisprudence
- Okpaluba, Chuks, Juma, Laurence
- Authors: Okpaluba, Chuks , Juma, Laurence
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/127138 , vital:35960 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC153154
- Description: This paper investigates whether judicial independence and impartiality entrenched in written constitutions and recognised by the common law as fundamental requirements of fair administration of justice can be subjected to the private law principles of waiver, estoppel or acquiescence. In an attempt to answer this question, the paper suggests that the starting point should be the interrogation of whether the right alleged to be waived emanates from the constitution or administrative law. At common law, a right can be waived, insofar as the party involved had knowledge of the right and failed to assert it.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Okpaluba, Chuks , Juma, Laurence
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/127138 , vital:35960 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC153154
- Description: This paper investigates whether judicial independence and impartiality entrenched in written constitutions and recognised by the common law as fundamental requirements of fair administration of justice can be subjected to the private law principles of waiver, estoppel or acquiescence. In an attempt to answer this question, the paper suggests that the starting point should be the interrogation of whether the right alleged to be waived emanates from the constitution or administrative law. At common law, a right can be waived, insofar as the party involved had knowledge of the right and failed to assert it.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2013