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Social media use as a predictor of higher body mass index in persons living with HIV
No full textSocial media tools have been touted as an approach to bring more democratic communication to health care. We conducted a multi-site cross-sectional study among persons living with HIV (PLWH) to desrcibe technology use among PLWH in the US and the association between social media use and body-mass index (BMI). Our primary predictor variable was social media use. Our primary outcome was BMI measured through height and weight. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic profiles of the study participants and linear regression models were used to analyze associations between the outcome and predictor variables controlling for demographic characteristics. Study participants (N = 606) across 6 study sites in the United States were predominately 50-74 years old (67%). Thirty-three percent of study participants had a normal weight (BMI 18.5-25), 33% were overweight (BMI 25-30), and 32% were obese (BMI > 30). Participants used several social media sites with Facebook (45.6%) predominating. Social media use was associated with higher BMI in study participants (p p = .03). Further consideration of social factors that can be ameliorated to improve health outcomes is timely and needed
Understanding the contributing factors of school violence and intervention strategies used in the SADC Region : a scoping review protocol
No full textAccess to quality education, as per the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) vision is essential for improving the overall economic growth and development of the region. However, this vision is severely hindered by school violence, a pervasive contextual issue across multiple SADC countries. Guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step framework, this proposed scoping review sought to explore the contextual factors that contribute to school violence and examine intervention strategies that have been used to mitigate school violence. Six databases will be used to search for empirical articles, including ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science, Academic Search Ultimate, PsycINFO and MEDLINE Ultimate. Screening at the abstract, title and full-text level will be conducted by all authors, with further articles being searched on the research list of the final included full-text publications. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) will be used to report on the scoping review processes. It is hoped that this scoping review will contribute to the overall understanding of the contextual factors that contribute to school violence in the context of SADC and the intervention strategies used to curb this phenomenon. The scoping review will also identify gaps in knowledge in literature and gaps in the current intervention practices, as well as influence future research on school violence in the SADC region.
Keywords: School Violence, Southern African Development Community, Contextual Factors, Intervention.</jats:p
Development of a microalgae-based consortium for the bioremediation of sugar mill effluent
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Biotechnology at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.Industrial and agricultural activities have increased exponentially to meet the rising demands for food. The sugar production process is water-intensive and requires high volumes of freshwater that are subsequently discharged as effluent. An average of 1000 L of wastewater is produced per ton of sugarcane processed. The sugarcane industry wastewater is characterized by high chemical oxygen demand (COD: 1752 - 8339 mg L-1), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD:1052 - 4641 mg L-1) but remains low in nutrients and other minerals. Discharging untreated wastewater into the environment might have negative consequences, thus reusing and treating wastewater is essential. Conventional physiochemical treatment methods including sedimentation, filtration, and coagulation-flocculation have shown limited efficacy. The sugar industry wastewater exhibits high biodegradability, thus biological treatment techniques are preferred due to environmental friendliness and sustainability. In recent years, the co-culturing approach has gained interest as a strategy to improve the biotechnological productivity of microalgae in wastewater treatment. This study aims to develop stable microalgae-based consortia using native, microalgal, bacterial and yeast strains. The steps adopted for achieving the above-stated aim were: (1) isolation, identification, and characterization of indigenous microorganisms from wastewater, and (2) assembling microbial consortia to identify the most effective and compatible strains.
Indigenous microalgal, bacterial, and yeast strains were isolated and screened for growth in synthetic wastewater. The strains exhibiting significant growth were further characterized in real wastewater from the sugar industry to evaluate their performance efficiency based on COD removal efficiencies. To attain higher wastewater treatment efficiencies, different primary and secondary combinations of consortia were constructed from the pool of previously screened and selected microbial strains guided by the bottom-up approach. The microalgal, bacterial, and yeast microbial strains present in the final consortia were identified using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. The final microalgal-based consortia were characterised in real effluent to assess wastewater treatment efficiency and elucidate their basic interactions for better application.
Two microalgal, seven bacterial, and four yeast strains were isolated from the sugar industry wastewater. In the primary screening procedure in synthetic wastewater, two microalgal strains (A7 and C12), and four bacterial (B003, B009, B010, and B013) strains were found to grow substantially and thus selected for further studies and subsequent microalgae-consortia development. The two microalgal strains showed high removal efficiency for NO3--N (98–100%), NH4+-N (62-65%), and PO43--P (75-80%), however, the removal rate for COD was mainly observed in bacterial strains ranging between 1–73%. Also, the yeast strain (Y2) reduced COD from 22660 to 11690 mg L-1 (48% removal rate) within 168 h of cultivation. The co-culturing of microalgae with bacteria and yeast could improve the treatment of high-strength wastewater. In this regard, four primary, and three secondary consortia were considered. In all the primary consortia (B009A7, B010A7, B013A7, and Y2A7), improvement in removal efficiency for Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total phosphorus (TP) was recorded in ranges between 75-80% and 84-94%, respectively. However, a significantly lower removal rate (4-7%) was observed for COD. Furthermore, three secondary (B009B010A7, B009B013A7, and B010B013A7) and one tertiary consortia (B009B010B013A7) were considered. All secondary consortia exhibited a prolonged lag phase with reduced COD removal efficiency. In contrast, the tertiary consortia showed improved COD, TN, and TP removal efficiency corresponding to 26%, 85% & 73% (respectively) in synthetic wastewater. The microalgal, bacterial, and yeast strains in the final consortia were identified as Chlorella sorokiniana A7, Rhodococcus sp B009, Bacillus sp B010, Bacillus sp B013, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y2. The wastewater treatment efficiency of the consortia (MBC and MYC) was further evaluated in real sugar industry wastewater. The COD removal efficiency was found to be 86% and 71% after 4 days of cultivation for MBC and MYC, respectively. In addition, the co-culture with S. cerevisiae Y2 markedly increased chlorophyll-a content, photosynthesis, and respiration in microalgae.
The microalgal-based consortia exhibited physical and biochemical interactions, with improved yield parameters and metabolite production between microalgae, bacteria, and yeast. The co-cultivation of Chlorella sorokiniana A7 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y2 was observed to have the highest COD removal efficiency from wastewater (100% within 4 d of cultivation). Microalgae and yeast mutually benefited from each other in the MYC system with synergistic cross-feeding between specific parameters such as CO2/O2, and organic acids. In addition, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was selected as a marker for evaluating the plant growth-promoting effects of co-cultured partners and determining the communication intensity. All co-cultured strains were found to produce and secrete indole acetic acid (IAA), suggesting plant growth-promoting effects. All the co-culture partners produced different concentrations of IAA under tryptophan ranging between 2 to 129 mg L-1. Meanwhile, IAA production was highest within 24 hr of cultivation in the MBC system, while the MYC exhibited a steady increase in IAA production, with the highest production observed after 72 h. The IAA signals are suggested to facilitate the establishment of mutualistic associations between microalgae and yeast/bacteria under varying environmental conditions. This indicates that yeast/bacteria may promote the growth of the co-existing microalgae through secretion of IAA, and microalgae would selectively enhance IAA secretion, thus, shaping the physiology and ecology of the partners in the microbial consortia.
The study demonstrated the efficacy of microalgae-based consortia that have potential use in treating high-strength COD wastewater. The results could help improve the performance of the current treatment methods by introducing low-cost and sustainable biological technologies. The study demonstrated that microalgal-based co-cltivation is a promising bioremediation tool for high-strength biodegradable wastewater and presents environmental value in the design of low-energy, small-scale biological treatment systems. An insight into mechanisms of interactions between microalgae and co-cultured microbes still requires further study through integrated omics, studying the ecology and diversity of microbial communities could improve their application in environmental monitoring and bioremediation.Durban University of Technology
Social development role of churches in South Africa : insights from KwaZulu-Natal province
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.This study was undertaken to determine the extent to which churches, registered as non-profit
organisations with the Department of Social Development within the eThekwini Municipality,
respond to the role of being a social development partner with the State, the challenges that are
experienced in that regard and what interventions are required to remedy any shortcomings.
Being actively involved in church administration for a number of years, I can attest to the fact
that churches have for many years provided humanitarian aid and assistance to marginalised
and poor communities within the areas in which such organisations are located. A number of
these churches utilised their own financial and human resources to provide for the upliftment
of these communities such as for example, feeding schemes, establishment of crèches,
accommodating the homeless to name but a few initiatives in this regard.
I was rather intrigued when I came to the realisation that the enactment of the Non-Profit Act
of 1997 paved the way for a number of churches to apply for registration as non-profit
organisations to formally undertake various social development services on a structured and
sustainable basis.
My interest in this subject was aroused, after having read a publication on the outcome of an
investigation that was conducted by the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the
Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission), entitled.
“Report of the Hearings on the Commercialisation of Religion and Abuse of People’s Beliefs
Systems”. I was rather perturbed that the report of this Commission made generalised
statements to the effect that religious organisations, the churches included, were deliberately
exploiting the poor and vulnerable. Whilst the CRL Rights Commission did establish from
media reports, that some church leaders were conducting themselves unethically, I could not
agree to the assertion that such a finding can be made applicable to all churches. Hence I was
motivated to delve into this subject by undertaking a study on the social development role of
churches.
This study enabled me to establish from different race groups who are either members or leaders
of the participating churches, what type of social services are provided within their own
resources to poor and marginalised people in their communities and the challenges that are
encountered in this regard. During my field work, I visited a number of churches that are registered to provide social
services to the communities in many impoverished areas within the eThekwini Municipality.
Whilst some of these churches are housed in modern buildings, I was taken aback by those that
are located in rural and semi-rural areas. Notwithstanding the fact that some of these churches
operate from tents and wood and iron buildings erected on land that they do not own, it was
indeed gratifying to know that the leaders of such churches, together with their congregants,
finance various activities and social services from their own resources. Taking consideration of
the current high unemployment rate within the municipality, the levels of income in churches
have steadily declined and as a result, churches are faced with the prospect of scaling down the
social services they provide. The researcher is of the view that appropriate interventions by the
Department of Social Development, to assist church-based NPOs financially and otherwise,
will ensure that such organisations can continue to provide essential services, especially to the
poor and marginalised, failing which, there could well be an unprecedented rise in crime and
other social evils prevailing in communities.
The key findings of this study are indicated hereunder:
• That non-compliant of the NPO Act by church-based NPOs can be attributed to a lack
of awareness within the organisation and coupled by the lack of finances to engage the
services of professional expertise to audit financial and other records for submission the
Department of Social Development;
• That church-based NPOs are indeed actively involved in the rendition of social
development services to the community; an
• That church-based NPOs which participated in this study do not share any collaborative
programmes with the state and neither is a collaborative partnership with such
organistaions in existence to provide social development services on a shared basis.
An exploration of the effects of foreign direct investments on South Africa’s economic growth
No full textThis study examines how foreign direct investment (FDI) impacts South Africa's economic
growth. Interviews were conducted with experts in economics and business to gain insight into
their perspectives on South Africa's FDI attraction strategy and impact on economic growth . The
findings reveal both advantages and disadvantages associated with FDI. While experts
acknowledge that FDI has the potential to stimulate economic growth, they also raise concerns
regarding unequal distribution of benefits and potential harm to the economy. To maximize the
positive effects of FDI while minimizing risks, the participants recommend several actions. These
include making regulations clearer and more predictable, improving infrastructure to make South
Africa more competitive, and attracting investment to growing industries. Collaboration between
different groups is also seen as important for sharing knowledge, developing skills, and creating
new ideas. Additionally, addressing skill shortages, making it easier for businesses to get funding,
and promoting South Africa more effectively are seen as crucial. In conclusion, this study
emphasizes the need for a well-rounded approach to attracting FDI, considering economic, social,
and government-related factors. By implementing targeted policies and encouraging collaboration,
South Africa can become more attractive to investors and achieve its full economic potential.
However, it's important to constantly monitor how well these strategies work to ensure FDI truly
benefits South Africa's long-term economic growth and development
Socio-economic developmental strategies as retail performance indicators: a balanced scorecard approach
No full textThis research analyses the commitment to and use of ‘balanced scorecards’ by retailers in generating sustainable profitability, whilst contributing to socio-economic development in South Africa. An international literature review of scorecard frameworks, plans and reports by major retail companies and semi-structured dialogic interviews with a purposive sample of retail business stakeholders and government officials formed the methodology. By contrasting the literature and empirical insights, a summary of findings was generated, which conclude that most retailer scorecards (formal or informal) seek to balance financial with ‘cause-related marketing’ targets, but implementation differs according to factors such as company size, developmental maturity and managerial competence. Furthermore, collaboration between retailers and state institutions in scorecard management is not a reality, as has been achieved in other industries. It is therefore recommended that a Retail Charter scorecard framework be considered, to promote public/private-sector knowledge-sharing and socio-economic development
Corporate governance effectiveness and operational risk in banks: the role of firm size
No full textWhile previous research works have extensively examined the direct
relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and operational
risk, there is limited understanding of how firm size moderates this link.
Using a sample of 14 commercial banks in Ghana from 2010 to 2022, we
analyse key governance dimensions, including board size, board
independence, board meeting frequency, and board financial expertise, to
determine their impact on operational risk. Firm size, measured by the
natural logarithm of total assets, is introduced as a moderating variable to
explore how it influences the governance-risk link. Data was analysed
using pooled panel, random, and fixed effects models in Stata. The
results indicate that larger banks benefit more from robust governance
mechanisms, which help to mitigate operational risk, while smaller banks
may experience varying effects. The study confirms the reliability of these
findings through tests for serial correlation and heteroscedasticity, both
of which indicated no significant issues. These findings provide a better
understanding of how firm size affects corporate governance practices in
managing operational risk within the banking sector. The study's
limitations involve its concentration on Ghanaian banks and potential
endogeneity issues, indicating opportunities for future research to
examine wider contexts and additional governance factors
On the value of vandalism: an appraisal of art and the politics of defacement
No full textMonuments of culture and history have been either catalysts or casualties of war and crises; they are often vandalised as reactionary acts of protest against dominant powers and oppressive states and history. This reality, juxtaposed with the ongoing vandalism of monuments during global crises, prompts the following questions: Why do cultural monuments bear the brunt of vandals and protesters? What drives vandalism? Is there any value in vandalism? This article explores the tensions between art and vandalism, focusing on elucidating any potential value in the act of destruction. I begin by presenting various theoretical perspectives on art and vandalism to provide a multidimensional view of the act. Next, I delve into the drivers of vandalism, examining the motivations and psychology behind these actions. Finally, I discuss the concept of value in the context of art and vandalism. While vandalism has traditionally been viewed in a negative light, I conclude that it possesses intrinsic value, particularly in how artists have conceptually explored the aesthetics of destruction in their creative processes and in the impact of vandalism on sociopolitical structures of communication
Prospects and challenges of coastal tourism in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecotourism, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The research explored prospects and challenges of coastal tourism in KwaZulu Natal
Province of South Africa. The research employed a mixed-methods approach.
Primary data is gathered through interviews with key stakeholders in the tourism
industry, tourism operators, and government officials. Additionally, surveys were
conducted with tourists in KwaZulu Natal to gain insights into their perspectives,
preferences, and satisfaction levels. The aesthetic beauty of the coastline offers
significant opportunities for tourism development. The province’s strategic location,
accessibility, and well-established tourism infrastructure further contribute to its
potential as a premier coastal destination. However, the research identified
challenges which hinder sustainable coastal tourism development. Environmental
concerns such as pollution, habitat degradation, and climate change impact affect
the coastal ecosystems, requiring effective management strategies. The research
highlighted the significance of involving local communities in decision-making
process, promoting cultural heritage preservation, and ensuring equitable distribution
of tourism benefits. Collaboration between government bodies, private sector
entities, and community organisations is crucial for addressing these challenges and
fostering sustainable coastal tourism in KwaZulu Natal. Recommendations are
provided for all stakeholders involved. By adopting sustainable practices, preserving
natural and cultural assets, and fostering community participation, KwaZulu Natal
Province can unlock the full potential of its coastal tourism sector.
Infinite dilution activity coefficient measurements of different organic solutes in cyrene as a potential green solvent for chemical separation processes
No full textThis dissertation is submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Biofuels are increasingly consumed globally. The search for eco-friendly solvents to replace
conventional organic solvents derived from fossil fuels continues to grow. Biofuels derived
from plant dry matter are abundantly available, which justifies researchers' ongoing interest in
them. Researchers are exploring several options to facilitate the easy integration of this
resource into existing systems.
The focus of this project as a replacement for volatile organic compounds VOCs, a bio-derived
solvent (BDS), cyrene, classified as dihydrolevoglucosenone by evaluating its extractive
efficiency in this study for various separation using pre-screening technique known as gasliquid chromatography (GLC) instead of directly testing cyrene as a potential alternative to
conventional solvents. In contrast to direct methods, GLC offers the advantage of assessing
numerous separation problems in a shorter period than direct methods. Cyrene’s intermolecular
interaction strengths with 32 volatile organic compounds (i.e. alkanes, alkenes, alkynes,
cycloalkanes, ketones, alcohols, aromatics, heterocyclics, nitrile, esters and water) were
assessed using infinite dilution activity coefficients (IDAC) measured at T = (303.15 to 333.15)
K and 101.3 kPa. Further analysis of IDAC data was performed to determine the chemical
thermodynamic properties, i.e., partial excess molar properties (∆1
,∞,
E,
T S ref i
,∆
,∞)
obtained at infinite dilution, to assess the cyrene and solute mixtures and quantify their nonideal behaviour in real mixtures. Addition to this, Aspen Plus and COSMO-RS software were
used to build thermodynamic models in conjunction with the experimental data to make
predictions.