4667 research outputs found
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The development and implementation of anomaly-based man-in-the- middle intrusion detection system with an improved ensemble modelling scheme in domain name server and edgecomputing
Full text linkThesis (Ph.D. (Computer Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Technology is evolving at a rapid pace and its role in adding value to businesses around the world has come sharply into focus. Due to this rapid growth of devices, the centralised cloud is now experiencing significant difficulties in protecting large volumes of digital data. It has also become expensive to manage and maintain data accuracy. Mobile Edge Computing has become a promising solution with innovative data management, cost effectiveness, reliability, and uninterrupted connectivity. While the technology has transformed how data is handled and processed, it remains susceptible to security attacks such as Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. These attacks can cause severe consequences, as the attacker can intercept communications between any two parties without their knowledge, compromising and disrupting sensitive data, card credentials, and passwords.
This study aims to develop an anomaly-based intrusion detection scheme using ensemble modelling to combat MitM attacks. The scheme is designed to address false positives and improve accuracy. The proposed Ensemble Cuckoo was trained on Kaggle platform using Python as a programming language. We used the Cuckoo Search Algorithm to optimise the ensemble model (random forest). The scheme was compared to the Support Vector Machine (SVM) and the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) algorithms. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed Ensemble Cuckoo, this study utilised the F1-score, Precision, Recall and Accuracy metrics. The simulation results indicate that the proposed Ensemble Cuckoo outperformed the algorithms it was compared against, achieving detection accuracy of 99.9%, showing a good improvement in terms of minimising false positives. The results were validated using Bayesian Dynamic Stackelberg Game Theory, which simulates the interactions between the defender and the attacker. Despite its effectiveness, the study acknowledges certain limitations, including the need for refinement in real-time processing and challenges related to scaling in large, and distributed networks. Future research could focus on extending the application of the proposed Ensemble Cuckoo, paving the way for broader adoption and deployment in real-world scenarios.University of Limpopo and MICSETA bursar
Examining factors affecting South Africa's wine exports to selected East African countries
Full text linkThesis (M. Sc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025While developed countries represent South Africa’s largest wine export market, the
projected global growth in wine exports is expected to originate from regional markets
such as those in East Africa. However, no studies have specifically focused on South
African wine exports to East African countries, using wine as a final and value-added
agricultural product. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the factors affecting South
Africa’s wine exports to selected East African countries, namely Kenya, Tanzania, and
Mauritius. To achieve this aim, trend analyses were conducted to fulfil the first
objective: to examine the trends in South Africa’s wine exports to the selected East
African countries from 2012 to 2021. Additionally, the gravity model was employed to
address the second objective: to analyse the factors affecting South Africa’s wine
exports to these countries during the same period. The trend analysis findings revealed that South Africa experienced upward growth in the value of wine exports to the selected East African countries over the study period. Kenya and Tanzania stood out as the strongest markets with consistent demand, while Mauritius showed moderate demand, supporting the study’s focus on these East African markets. The gravity model results indicated that increases in South Africa’s production capacity, population size in the importing countries, favourable import duties, and a depreciated exchange rate boost South Africa’s wine exports to Kenya, Mauritius, and Tanzania. Therefore, the South African government should implement policies to expand wine production capacity, secure favourable import duty agreements, and leverage growing populations and exchange rate advantages to strengthen wine exports in East African markets. Conversely, rising inflation rates and increased foreign direct investment (FDI) in the importing countries negatively affect South Africa’s wine exports. To sustain market presence and boost wine exports to East Africa, the South African government and wine exporters should pursue partnerships or co-investment opportunities, while importing countries should adopt pricing flexibility or hedging strategies to counter inflation effects.National Research Foundation (NRF
Contribution of academic libraries in addressing misinformation pre and post Covid-19 through user education programmes
Full text linkBook chapterIn the rapidly evolving landscape of information dissemination, academic libraries play a pivotal role in combating misinformation, particularly in
the context of the pre and post-COVID-19 pandemic period. This is shown in this
chapter through a mixed-methods approach, combining a comprehensive review
of existing literature with insights gathered from librarians to provide a nuanced
understanding of the multifaceted challenges posed by misinformation. This
study investigates the contribution of academic libraries in mitigating the impact
of misinformation through user education programmes, encompassing library instruction and information literacy initiatives.
The findings of the study reveal the roles of librarians, educators, and policymakers in fostering information literacy skills and combating misinformation, as
well as contribute to the ongoing dialogue on the vital role they play in empowering users to discern credible information from misinformation in the context of
the period of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond
Pharmaceutical science: new insights and developments Vol. 8
Full text linkBookThis book covers key areas of pharmaceutical science. The contributions by the
authors include herbal cream, Biophytum sensitivum, antibacterial activity,
Chronotherapy, chrono-pharmaceutics, pharmacodynamics, equivalent dose
modelling, dose justification, liver enzymes, sarkaraikolli, glibenclamide,
gestational diabetes mellitus, Nyaope, substance abuse, recreational drug, liver
damage, drug utilisation review, emergency department, Mimosa pudica,
phytotherapeutic, intestinal infections, medicinal plants, breath analysis, volatile
organic compounds, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, non-volatile
compounds. This book contains various materials suitable for students,
researchers, and academicians in the fields of pharmaceutical science
Knowledge and practices of nurses on use of nutrition components of the road to health booklet in Giyani Primary Health Care Facilities, Mopani District.
Full text linkThesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Background: The Road to Health Booklet (RtHB) is critical for children's health, development, and growth, because children aged 5 and younger are vulnerable to malnutrition and infectious diseases. RtHB provides health records for prevention, risk identification, curative health interaction activities, health promotion information, parenting empowerment opportunities, and a communication tool for health services. Lack of awareness, understanding of the content and completion criteria, as well as poor or partial use, are among the challenges that nursing personnel face when using child health records or RtHB (WHO, 2018).Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and practices of nursing staff regarding the use of nutrition components of RtHB in Greater Giyani Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities and, secondly, to determine the associations between knowledge, practices and sociodemographic variables.Methods: In this study a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional descriptive design was employed. The convenience sampling method was used to select clinics and consecutive nonprobability sampling was used to select participants. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, cross-tabulation, and correlation tests were performed to analyse the data. Results were presented in tables and cross-tabulation. Data were tested for normality, and the Chi-square test was performed for correlation.
Results: One hundred and seven participants participated in the study. The mean age
of the participants was 43.9± 9.387. Most of the participating nurses were female. The
majority were professional nurses (57.9%), followed by registered nurses (24.3%) and
the least number were staff nurses (17.8%). Most nurses (60.1%) had 7-10 years of
work experience, 31.2% had 1-6 years of work experience and 7.5% had more than
10 years of work experience. Most of the nurses (74.7%) received their training on RtHB in the Department of Health workshops, followed by the nursing school (18.7%), the reminder were trained in university while studying (6.5%). The aspects covered during training included a combination of plotting points for growth indicators, interpreting them, procedures for taking anthropometric measurements. The majority of nurses also received training on immunization.Almost 40% of the nurses had a moderate level of knowledge, 35.5% had a low level of knowledge, and only 25.2% of them had a high level of knowledge regarding the use of the nutrition component of RtHB. The results show that the majority of nurses had a good score (77.6%) on practice, followed by a poor score (12.1%) and a best score of 10.3% in the use of the nutritional component of the RtHB.
There was no statistically significant association between knowledge and age (p =
0.253) and gender (p = 0.091. There was no statistically significant association
between practices and age (p = 0.335), gender (p = 0.308), and category of nursing
personnel (p = 0.252). There was a significant association between total knowledge
and total nurses’ practices of nurses on the use of the nutrition component of RtHB (p
= 0.002). Conclusions: The findings of the current study revealed a moderate level of
knowledge and fair practices among participants on the use of the nutritional
component of RtHB. However, their ability to accurately use the nutrition component
was average. The study also suggests that nurses with a better understanding of the
nutritional component were more likely to put their knowledge into practice than those
with less knowledge
The effects of flaveria trinervia and dicerocaryum seneciodes extracts on metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells
Full text linkThesis (M. Sc. (Biochemistry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Medicinal plants have been used for centuries in various traditional healing practices
worldwide. Research has revealed some of these plants contain bioactive compounds with potential anticancer and antimetastatic properties. Dicerocaryum senecioides and Flaveria trinervia have both been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects, which can contribute to inhibiting metastatic processes such as relocation of metastatic cells from a primary organ and subsequent adhesion to a secondary organ. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate potential antimetastatic effects of Dicerocaryum senecioides and Flaveria trinervia chloroform and methanol extracts on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The effect of the extracts on the viability of MDA-MB-231 and HEK–293 human embryonic kidney cells was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 kit. To determine the mode of cell death induced by the extracts, annexin-V and dead cell assay was employed. The effect of the extracts on reactive oxygen species formation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition-related morphological changes were evaluated with the Muse® Oxidative Stress Kit and light microscope, respectively. The transwell and cell adhesion assay were used to investigate the anti-migratory effects of the extracts on MDA-MB-231
cells as well as the ability of the cells to attach to a cell culture plate, respectively.
The effects of the extracts on the enzymatic activity of the matrix metalloproteinases-
2 and -9 was assessed using gelatin-zymography. Additionally, western blotting was
used to evaluate the effect of the extracts on the expression of vimentin. The findings
revealed there was no significant effect on MDA-MB-231 and HEK-293 cell viability at extract concentrations below 200 μg/ml, and that cell death occurred through apoptosis at those concentrations. Reactive oxygen species formation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition were suppressed in the MDA-MB-231 cells treated with extracts. Moreover, the extracts suppressed cell invasion by inhibiting the activity of MMP-9 & -2, expression of vimentin as well as subsequent migration, and adhesion. The chloroform extracts of both plant showed better anti-migratory, anti-invasive and anti-adhesive potential than the methanol extract. Thus, this study highlighted Dicerocaryum senecioides and Flaveria trinervia as potential sources of compounds of intermediate polarity with anti-metastatic activity.South African Medical Research Council - Research Capacity Development Initiative (SAMRC-RCDI) and National Research Foundation (NRF
Teachers challenges and experiences when planing and presenting agricultural sciences theory and practical lessons in Lebopo Circuit, Capricorn South District, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Full text linkThesis (M. (Science Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Agricultural Sciences teachers should embrace theoretical and practical lessons during teaching and learning process to produce competent learners for the South African economy and agricultural industries. Agricultural Sciences teachers need to be well equipped with skills and knowledge of the subject to produce learners who will remain relevant in the South African economy and industries. The study has opted for qualitative research approach underpinned by interpretivism paradigm. The study was carried out in 5 secondary schools of Capricorn South. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ challenges and experiences when planning and presenting Agricultural Sciences theory and practical lessons in Lebopo Circuit, Capricorn South District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It had been identified that Agricultural Sciences teachers are faced by numerous challenges when planning and teaching the subject. Purposive sampling was used in identifying five Agricultural Sciences teachers in Lebopo circuit who participated in the study. Data collection instruments employed in the study were document analysis, semi-structured interviews, field note and non-participating observation. Collected data were analysed through the use of interpretative analysis and document analysis for lesson plans. Clark and Peterson (1986) as well as Mitzel (1969) informed the conceptual framework that guided the study. The findings of the study revealed that most Agricultural Sciences teachers do not use lesson plans in teaching and learning. Furthermore, the study also established that some of teachers lack pedagogical strategies and assessment skills. The study also discovered that the lack of teaching and learning resources leads to poor practical lesson, failure to attain some of the lesson objectives and badly affect learners’ academic performance. The study has recommended that Agricultural Sciences teachers should attend content, policy and practical workshops to improve their skills in teaching and learning. Most important, teachers should undergo continuous profession development training on how to plan and teach theory and practical lessons. Furthermore, the study has also recommended that Agricultural Sciences should be introduced in primary and GET level in order to produce more and boost economy
The effect of berchemia discolor leaf meal (muni tree) on gastrointestinal nematode infections and haematological properties of South African non-descript goats
No full textThesis (M. Sc. (Animal Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Refere to documen
Rural household perceptions and willingness to pay for donkey farming : a case study of Blouberg Municipality, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province
Full text linkThesis (M. Agricultural Management (Agricultural Extension)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025In rural households, donkeys are frequently seen as significant assets that support sustainable revenue generation and a way of life. Donkey farming is negatively perceived or viewed as a low-class or old-fashioned type of farming system compared to other livestock farming. Nonetheless, a few studies have been conducted on donkey farming, but very few have focused on perception and willingness to pay for donkey farming in Blouberg Local Municipality, Capricorn District, Limpopo province, South Africa. Furthermore, arguably, little or no research has been conducted to determine rural household's perceptions and willingness to pay for donkey farming. As a result, this study was conducted to fill the above-mentioned research gap and to attract relevant policy insinuations to increase the welfare of rural households through the application of perceptions and willingness to pay for donkey farming. The main aim of the study was to analyse rural household's perceptions and willingness to pay for donkey farming. To achieve this, the specific objectives were to profile the socio-economic characteristics of donkey farmers, determine the level of perceptions of rural households towards donkey farming contributions and determine the socio-economic factors influencing willingness to pay for donkey farming contributions towards household welfare. The simple random sampling method was used to obtain a representative sample. Using probability proportional to size, 120 rural households were drawn from three villages (Aurora, Earlydown and Oldlongsine). Face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. To profile the socio-economic characteristics of donkey farmers, descriptive statistics were employed in the study. The Likert scale model was used to determine the level of perceptions of rural households towards donkey farming contributions. A binary logistic regression model was applied to determine the socio-economic factors influencing willingness to pay for donkey farming contribution towards household welfare. The results obtained from the survey showed that most respondents are over 60 years of age, with ages ranging from 18 years to 81 years. Moreover, results showed that the study area was dominated by male rural households, the household size average of the respondents was 5 members, and the household income of the respondents was social grants. Results found that respondents who were married and single had the highest numbers of over 50. The lickert scale results have shown that the perceptions of rural households towards donkey farming are strongly agreed as important to the livelihoods. Moreover, very few respondents have strongly disagreed with the perception that donkey farming is important. It was found that rural households in Blouberg's Local Municipality are willing to pay for donkey farming. Furthermore, the Binary Logistic Regression Model results showed that age, marital status, occupation, household size, religion, and culture significantly affect rural households’ willingness to pay for donkey farming. The study's recommendations are based on empirical data. They suggest that the local development plan considers the willingness of the government, community members, and various stakeholders (NGOs, research institutions, and municipalities, to mention a few) to pay for donkey contributions to household welfare. The study, therefore, recommends enhancing donkey farming at all levels, including policy and livestock programme priorities
Blended learning instructional delivery: enhancing learning outcomes for first-year students in South Africa
Full text linkJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal
Issue 2, Volume 9, 2025This study investigated the effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing instructional delivery and learning outcomes for first-year tertiary students in South Africa. This study employed convenience sampling by recuring first-year students of a TVET College in the Western Cape, South Africa. A quantitative research approach was employed, with data collected via an online questionnaire distributed through QuestionPro to a sample of 185 students. This study is grounded in the Experiential Learning Theory, which highlights learning as an active, repeated activity that involves actual encounters and reflective observation. Additionally, the Cognitive Load Theory was used focusing on enhancing instructional design by managing primary and connected intellectual weight data, categorical variables and a Likert scale. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics with SPSS version 25. The findings revealed that while blended learning offers significant opportunities for flexibility, active engagement, and digital literacy development, challenges such as low acceptance, resistance to technology, and limited digital skills persist among first-year students. The results provide valuable insights into optimising blended learning models to enhance student engagement, improve academic performance, and foster literacy development. The findings contribute to the discourse on integrating blended learning into higher education, offering practical recommendations for policymakers and educators to create effective learning environments for first-year students