5975 research outputs found
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Water infrastructure installation and maintenance challenges : perceptions of division managers and contractors
Full text linkThe objectives of this paper were to identify the challenges experienced by the municipality of the City of Tshwane, South Africa, during and after the installation of water infrastructure, to explore the root causes of the identified challenges, and to rank their importance. The research strategy is exploratory and qualitative, applying purposive sampling to collect data via twenty semi-structured interviews with City of Tshwane water and sanitation division managers and staff, and from two focus groups from the water division contractors; one comprising seven managers and the other seven employees from these contractors. The collected data were analysed through NVivo, Excel graphs, and tables. The findings revealed that the City of Tshwane faces multiple challenges with regard to the sustainability of their water infrastructure, including old and dilapidated water infrastructure, political interference, community interference, lack of management intervention and technical skills, poor communication, poor record keeping, inadequate project management, staff shortages, tender nepotism, violation of service level agreements, poor security, vandalism, and corruption. In summary, the study showed a lack of project management and communication, especially inadequate planning and control policies and systems, which threaten the long-term sustainability of the City of Tshwane. Recommendations for improving the installation and maintenance procedures are provided
The impact of social media platforms on the dissemination of information : TVET college students’ perspectives
Full text linkSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management Sciences, specialising in Public Relations and Communications
at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.The study examined the impact of social media platforms on information dissemination from
the perspectives of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College
students, focusing on their access, interaction and dissemination of information. Descriptive
and inferential statistical methods were employed to analyse the data, providing both a broad
overview of social media usage trends and a deeper understanding of the factors that influence
how information is shared and received on social media platforms. Simple random sampling
was used to extract 271 respondents for the study from a population of approximately 842
respondents at a selected TVET college. The quantitative research approach was adopted, and
questionnaires were used as the main data collection instrument, for which the psychometric
properties of validity were established using content and construct validity, as well as pilot
testing. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics version 29) was
used to analyse the quantitative data. The quantitative findings indicated that TVET college
students are influenced by social media platforms, with the majority of students indicating that
it is important to re-share information posted on social media by other users. In addition,
findings suggested that most students do not partake in the sharing of false information on
social media. Moreover, the study established that most students use social media to know what
is happening around the world. The findings also identified WhatsApp as the most frequently
utilised platform for accessing information. The findings further revealed varying perspectives
on the nature of information shared on social media by the students, with some participants
expressing concerns about credibility and accuracy, while others acknowledged the value of
social media, and some exhibited scepticism regarding controversial content and
misinformation. Lastly, the study identified a significant relationship between gender and the
usage of social media. The study underscored the need for strategic interventions by social
media companies to enhance the educational potential of these platforms and to mitigate the
spread of misinformation. It recommends digital literacy initiatives, responsible sharing
practices, collaboration with influencers, increased transparency, promotion of corrective
behaviour and diversification of information sources.
Artificial intelligence-based modeling of compressive strength of slurry infiltrated fiber concrete
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to develop a reliable model that would predict the compressive strength of slurry infiltrated fiber concrete (SIFCON) modified with various supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) using artificial intelligence approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This study engaged the artificial intelligence to predict the compressive strength of SIFCON through deep neural networks (DNN), artificial neural networks, linear regression, regression trees, support vector machine, ensemble trees, Gaussian process regression and neural networks (NN). A thorough data set of 387 samples was gathered from relevant studies. Eleven variables (cement, silica fume, fly ash, metakaolin, steel slag, fine aggregates, steel fiber fraction, steel fiber aspect ratio, superplasticizer, water to binder ratio and curing ages) were taken as input to predict the output (compressive strength). The accuracy and reliability of the developed models were assessed using a variety of performance metrics.
Findings
The results showed that the DNN (11-20-20-20-1) predicted the compressive strength of SIFCON better than the other algorithms with R2 and mean square error yielding 95.89% and 8.07. The sensitivity analysis revealed that steel fiber, cement, silica fume, steel fiber aspect ratio and superplasticizer are the most vital variables in estimating the compressive strength of SIFCON. Steel fiber contributed the highest value to the SIFCON’s compressive strength with 16.90% impact.
Originality/value
This is a novel technique in predicting the compressive strength of SIFCON optimized with different SCMs using supervised learning algorithms, improving its quality and performance.
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Key drivers and best practices for effective municipal infrastructure maintenance
No full textThis study investigates the optimization of municipal infrastructure maintenance, focusing on the challenges and
strategies required to ensure efficient and sustainable maintenance practices in South Africa. The motivation for
this research stems from the persistent issues of resource mismanagement, insufficient budgeting, and the lack of
advanced maintenance strategies that hinder infrastructure performance in municipalities. The methodology
employed for this study was broken into 8 distinct phases. The methodology flow starts with the study's research
design, a thorough review of related literature, conducting interviews, or surveying industry experts using a
questionnaire. This is followed by reviewing existing literature coupled with the reviewing of expert interviews.
From here the research methodology moves to the analysis of data, a systematic review of literature, and analysis
of interviews. The final two steps involve the interpretation of results, the results are analyzed utilizing the Likert
scale using statistical measures such as the mean, standard deviation, and variance of the data and concluding the
results. The results reveal that insufficient resource allocation, poor asset management, and limited integration of
advanced technologies, such as IoT and predictive maintenance tools, are the primary obstacles to effective
maintenance. However, strategies like lifecycle planning and the implementation of proactive maintenance were
identified as strengths, supported by a high Cronbach's alpha value of 0.82 and 0.92 for the survey evaluation of
challenges experienced and strategies of maintenance respectively, indicating reliable internal consistency. The
study concludes that municipalities must prioritize resource allocation, integrate advanced technologies, and
enhance workforce training to improve infrastructure reliability and longevity. Recommendations include
adopting a more proactive maintenance approach, leveraging data-driven technologies, and ensuring regulatory
compliance to enhance operational efficiency and public service delivery. This research provides valuable insights
for improving municipal maintenance strategies, with implications for better infrastructure management and cost effective practices
Community-based tourism as a strategy to advance cultural tourism enterprises for socio-economic development of communities in the northern region of Ghana
Full text linkSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.Community-based tourism (CBT) is a form of tourism that aims to increase community
participation in tourism-related activities. It utilizes local tourism resources such as water bodies,
mountains, festivals and other forms of cultural practices. This study investigated how community cultural tourism enterprises (CCTEs) can be used to promote CBT and community socio-economic
development in Northern Ghana. Purposive sampling was utilized to select a sample of 27 CCTEs
that fall under the following broad categories: historical towns and villages, art and craft, cultural
profession, spirituality, cultural performance, the hotel industry, cultural cuisine, Atlantic-slave
trade villages and talk shows. A qualitative design was adopted, with case studies conducted to
determine how the participants could grow their enterprises which will, in turn promote CBT in
this region. In-depth- interviews and observation were employed to gather data that were analyzed
by means of a qualitative framework which involved coding, familiarization, identification of
themes, mapping and interpretation. The study revealed that CCTEs in the Northern region of
Ghana are typical of their kind as they are either owned by communities or individual community
members. It was also found that involvement in CCTEs is gendered, with women and men running
separate enterprises. The participants suggested television coverage, financial and logistic support,
broadening market networks, managerial training and tourism promotion as a means to empower
their CCTEs and promote CBT in the region. Based on the findings, a policy framework is
proposed to achieve these objectives.
Navigating ethical long-term personal data storage : privacy, security, regulatory challenges, and societal impact review
Full text linkDigital data storage is now fundamental
to modern society, facilitating the collection and
utilization of vast information resources. Yet, the
exponential growth of stored data has intensified
ethical concerns, particularly regarding long-term
retention. This multidisciplinary review synthesizes
literature on the ethical implications of long-term
data storage, focusing on privacy, security, data
ownership, accessibility, sustainability, and societal
impact. The study analyzes ethical frameworks
encompassing deontology, privacy by design, fair
information practices, data minimization, and
accountability while examining the responsibilities of
organizations, individuals, regulators, technology
providers, and ethics committees in upholding ethical
standards. Key findings reveal that the ethical
landscape of long-term data storage is highly
complex and demands a collaborative, multi stakeholder approach. The review concludes by
recommending the integration of robust security
measures, enhanced user control and consent
mechanisms, sustainable storage technologies, and
governance frameworks prioritizing fairness, non discrimination, and the public good. These
recommendations aim to guide stakeholders toward
responsible and ethical data stewardship, ensuring
that digital data storage practices remain
trustworthy and sustainable amid ongoing
technological and societal change
Exploring the effects of foreign direct investments on South Africa economic growth
Full text linkForeign direct investment flows have grown rapidly as the global economy has become more
integrated. Developing countries consider FDI as a driving force to economic growth as it contributes
to technology transfer, infrastructure improvement, employment creation and trade performance.
However, it has been of great concern to many economists on how FDIs affect the economic growth
of the host country. The study examines the effect of FDIs on South Africa’s economic growth using
annual time series data for the period 1980 to 2021. The autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL)
bounds testing approach to cointegration was used to test the long run relationship between economic
growth, foreign direct investment, and exchange rate. The study found that FDI has a positive effect
on economic growth rate thus validating the FDI-induced growth nexus in the South African
economy, while exchange rate had a negative significant impact on economic growth. This study
suggests that policymakers adopt policies aimed at infrastructural development that will attract more
FDIs and enhance the country’s economic growth. Though there is a prime need to attract more
foreign investors in South Africa, it is important to concede that attracting inward FDIs alone is not
enough for sustainable economic growth and development. The government will have to undertake
reforms with clear objectives and commitments
Synthesis and characterization of amine functionalized cellulose-silica composites for heavy metal adsorption from contaminated water
Full text linkSubmitted in fulfilment of the academic requirement for the degree of Masters in Applied Sciences: Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.The pressing challenge of heavy metal pollution in water sources demands innovative and
sustainable solutions. This project explored recent advancements in heavy metal remediation
techniques, focusing on the utilization of cellulose–silica composites and tailored surface
modification techniques. The synthesis strategies and properties of cellulose–silica adsorbents
highlight their enhanced adsorption capacities and structural robustness for removing heavy metal
pollutants from aqueous environments. The study investigated various surface modification
approaches, including thiol functionalization, amino acid grafting, and silane coupling agents, for
optimizing the surface chemistry and morphology of cellulose–silica composites. Mechanistic
insights into the adsorption processes and kinetics of modified adsorbents were studied, along with
considerations for optimizing adsorption performance under different environmental conditions.
The adsorption method for hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI) removal from domestic and industrial
wastewater is widely desirable due to public health concerns about the heavy metal. The study
aimed to investigate the adsorption of Cr (VI) using a novel adsorbent: an amine-functionalized
cellulose-silica composite derived from banana pseudo-stem. The in-situ sol-gel method was used
to create cellulose-silica silane functionalized composites and analyzed them through different
characterization techniques such as attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),
Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. ATR-FTIR depicted key organic constituents in raw
banana pseudo-stem fibers (BF) and the formation of Si–O bonds in Bleached Cellulose-Silica
(BC–SiO2) composite and further enhanced by the grafting of N-[3-
(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (DAPTMS) onto the BC-SiO2 surface in BC-SiO2-
DAPTMS. Functionalization with varying DAPTMS concentrations (2, 4, and 10%) was
employed to enhance the composites' adsorption capacity, binding affinity, and thermal stability.
Comprehensive characterization using ATR-FTIR, XRD, TGA, BET, SEM, and TEM revealed
structural and thermal modifications, with higher DAPTMS concentrations improving adsorption
performance. The modifications of BC with SiO2 followed by DAPTMS result in the BC-SiO2-DAPTMS
composite, which has reduced crystallinity as shown by XRD and enhanced thermal stability as
demonstrated by TGA, while BET analysis showed altered surface area and pore characteristics in
BC-SiO2-DAPTMS (2%). The SEM and TEM imaging provided visual evidence of structural
modifications and improved dispersion in BC-SiO2-DAPTMS composites. The effects of initial
Cr (VI) concentration, adsorbent weight dosage, contact time, and pH on the removal efficiency
of Cr (VI) using amine-functionalized cellulose–silica composites were also investigated. The
results highlighted significant differences in adsorption performance based on the composite
formulation and operating conditions. The initial Cr (VI) concentration effect revealed that BCSiO₂-DAPTMS (4%) consistently achieved the highest removal efficiencies, peaking at 97.14% at
0.3 mg/L. BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (10%) followed closely, with efficiency stabilizing around 95.53%
at higher concentrations. BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (2%) exhibited lower but improving performance
with increasing concentrations. Adsorbent weight dosage experiments demonstrated that
increasing weight enhanced removal efficiency, with BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (10%) achieving optimal
performance (95.46%) at 1 g, though benefits plateaued beyond this weight.
The impact of contact time showed BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (10%) achieving equilibrium after 50
minutes, with a maximum removal efficiency of 91.29%. BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (4%) exhibited a
similar trend, but with a slightly lower maximum efficiency of 84.30%. The pH study indicated
that acidic conditions (pH 1–4) were most favourable for Cr (VI) removal, with BC-SiO₂-
DAPTMS (10%) reaching the highest removal efficiency (89.27% at pH 3) and maintaining
superior performance across all pH levels. Overall, BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (10%) demonstrated the
best performance across all conditions, followed by BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS (4%), underscoring the
importance of higher DAPTMS functionalization for enhanced Cr (VI) adsorption. These findings
offer valuable insights into optimizing composite design and operational parameters for effective
Cr(VI) remediation in contaminated water systems. The kinetic modelling followed the pseudosecond order (PSO) model, while the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms provided insights into
the adsorption mechanisms. The overall results demonstrated that the BC-SiO₂-DAPTMS
composites, particularly at 4% and 10% DAPTMS concentrations, are effective, scalable, and
sustainable adsorbents for Cr (VI) remediation, offering significant potential for practical water
treatment applications. The study offered valuable insights into the development of effective
adsorbent materials for sustainable heavy metal remediation applications.
Adipose tissue inflammation linked to obesity : a review of current understanding, therapies and relevance of phyto-therapeutics
No full textObesity is a current global challenge affecting all ages and is characterized by the up-regulated secretion of bioactive factors/pathways which result in adipose tissue inflammation (ATI). Current obesity therapies are mainly focused on lifestyle (diet/nutrition) changes. This is because many chemosynthetic anti-obesogenic medications cause adverse effects like diarrhoea, dyspepsia, and faecal incontinence, among others. As such, it is necessary to appraise the efficacies and mechanisms of action of safer, natural alternatives like plant-sourced compounds, extracts [extractable phenol (EP) and macromolecular antioxidant (MA) extracts], and anti-inflammatory peptides, among others, with a view to providing a unique approach to obesity care. These natural alternatives may constitute potent therapies for ATI linked to obesity. The potential of MA compounds (analysed for the first time in this review) and extracts in ATI and obesity management is elucidated upon, while also highlighting research gaps and future prospects. Furthermore, immune cells, signalling pathways, genes, and adipocyte cytokines play key roles in ATI responses and are targeted in certain therapies. As a result, this review gives an in-depth appraisal of ATI linked to obesity, its causes, mechanisms, and effects of past, present, and future therapies for reversal and alleviation of ATI. Achieving a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality rates attributed to ATI linked to obesity and related comorbidities is possible as research improves our understanding over time
Generalization of the Schrödinger equation for open systems based on the quantum-statistical approach
No full textWithin the framework of the quantum-statistical approach, utilizing both non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and Lindblad’s jump operators, one can derive various generalizations of the von Neumann equation for reduced density operators, also known as hybrid master equations. If one considers the evolution of pure states only, i.e., disregarding the coherence between states and spontaneous transitions from pure to mixed states, then one can resort to quantum-mechanical equations of the Schrödinger type. We derive them from the hybrid master equations and study their main properties, which indicate that our equations have a larger range of applicability compared to other generalized Schrödinger equations proposed hitherto. Among other features, they can describe not only systems which remain in the stationary eigenstates of the Hamiltonian as time passes, but also those which evolve from those eigenstates. As an example, we consider a simple but important model, a quantum harmonic oscillator driven by both Hamiltonian and non-Hamiltonian terms, and derive its classical limit, which turns out to be the damped harmonic oscillator. Using this model, we demonstrate that the effects of dissipative environments of different types can cancel each other, thus resulting in an effectively dissipation-free classical system. Another discussed phenomenon is whether a non-trivial quantum system can reduce to a classical system in free motion, i.e., without experiencing any classical Newtonian forces. This uncovers a large class of quantum-mechanical non-Hamiltonian systems whose dynamics are not determined by conventional mechanics’ potentials and forces, but rather come about through quantum statistical effects caused by the system’s environment