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Technology adoption in South African call centres
Full text linkTechnology adoption is important in the evolution of call centres, where the focus is on automation with minimal human intervention. This study explores the key drivers influencing the adoption of technology in South African call centres. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework, the research analyses the constructs of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. It also looks at specifically the call centre environment, concentrating on the challenges and opportunities available due to technological integration. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to call centre employees, yielding a sample of 141 for statistical analysis. Exploratory factor analysis and multivariate techniques were used to identify relationships between the independent factors and the behavioural intention to adopt new technologies. The findings show that performance expectancy and perceived usefulness are the most significant drivers of technology adoption, followed by effort expectancy and facilitating conditions. Social influence appeared as an important mediator, specifically in environments where management plays a dominant role in driving technology adoption. The study's results contribute to theoretical and practical fields. Theoretically, it extends the application of UTAUT by incorporating insights into the unique behavioural and infrastructural challenges of developing economies. Practically, the research gives recommendations for call centre managers, including specific training, increased technical support and strategies to address resistance to change. These insights are relevant for call centres wanting to improve efficiency, employee satisfaction and customer service through effective technological integration. This study supplements existing literature on technology adoption, focusing on the call centre industry. It provides a foundation for future studies and offers a guideline for companies seeking to optimise adopting and implementing new technologies in call centres.Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 202
Interpreted justice: Exploring the use and experiences of court interpreters in Empangeni, KwaZulu Natal
Full text linkThe language of record in the South African justice system has been English since 2017, after the decision of the Heads of Court. The majority of South Africans, however, do not speak English. Since South Africa is a multilingual and multicultural society with twelve official languages, interpreters mitigate communication issues during court proceedings. This study investigates the language and communication challenges interpreters encounter and how justice proceedings are affected by said challenges. This research was conducted at the Empangeni Magistrates’ Court in KwaZulu Natal. It was qualitative research that used exploratory-descriptive research methods to reach its objectives. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, which was then analysed through thematic and discourse analysis. This study took into account various ethical considerations by the university ethics committee. The dissertation used a social justice approach advanced by Fraser's integrated justice theory and outlined how she approached the question of participation. Using Fraser's understanding of participation and the complexity of monolingualism in South Africa’s judicial system will assist in mapping out clearly how the issue of language is central to understanding matters of justice in South Africa. Additionally, since South Africa is a former colonial state, the question of decoloniality is posed to properly speak to the question at hand in its full political context. This research found that, indeed, there are challenges that court interpreters face in court. These challenges were language, cultural, emotional and professional challenges. This study also revealed that court interpreters have mechanisms in place to mitigate the challenges they face to ensure a good service for their community. Additionally, this study showed that the training mechanism offered to court interpreters has slightly improved from the previous studies.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 202
Assessing the implementation of green supply chain practices within the manufacturing sector of Gqeberha
Full text linkManufacturing operations have been a key driver of economic growth in both South Africa and Gqeberha for decades. However, the industry’s significant transmission of greenhouse gas and emissions is a focal point for decarbonisation efforts to restrict escalating temperatures. Green supply chain practices have, therefore, emerged as a managerial ideology that assists manufacturing organisations and stakeholders in securing profits by eliminating environmental danger and enabling ecological competence. In this context, the study assessed the impact of green supply chain practices within the manufacturing sector of Gqeberha. This included establishing antecedents and outcomes of green supply chain practice implementation within the Gqeberha manufacturing sector. The study also aimed to fill the research gap and contribute to the existing body of knowledge regarding green supply chain management in the manufacturing sector of Gqeberha. The comprehensive literature review in this study included an overview of the Gqeberha manufacturing sector, theories related to green supply chain management, theoretical perspectives on GSCM and the existing studies that support the hypothesised model of this study. The empirical investigation conducted included an online and hand delivered survey questionnaire. The primary data was statistically examined in five phases: exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to test the validity of the survey; Cronbach’s alpha for reliability testing; descriptive statistics; Pearsons’s product correlation; and regression analysis. The empirical results confirmed that green supply chain management implementation can be measured in terms of two constructs, namely strategic and operational implementation of green supply chain management. Additionally, the results of the study confirmed reverse logistics as an antecedent of both operational and strategic GSCP implementation, while green product design and manufacturing (through three pillars namely green product design, green marketing, and green distribution) was confirmed as an antecedent of strategic GSCM implementation. Furthermore, the study revealed competitive advantage and sustainability as the outcomes of both strategic and operational GSCP implementation. This study makes a notable contribution throughout management and innovative and strategic practices as it provides insightful guidelines for stakeholders to understand implement and sustain GSCP strategies, while the empirical results could also be utilised by managers and organisations as a guide to formulate strategies for sustainability relating to the manufacturing industry.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Management Sciences, 202
The implications of electric vehicle implementation for employment levels in the Eastern Cape’s automotive sector
Full text linkThe global transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is steadily gaining momentum, with over one million EV sales recorded in 2022, which accounts for 1.3% of total vehicle sales. This shift, largely driven by climate change initiatives and the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, has led many countries to announce plans to phase out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. South Africa, particularly the Eastern Cape province which is a hub for the country’s automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), is significantly impacted by these technological advancements. The automotive industry in the province, which contributes 13% to the provincial GDP and employs approximately 55,000 people, is vital to the Eastern Cape’s economy. However, the transition from ICE vehicles to EVs may bring about socio-economic challenges, particularly in terms of employment within this critical sector. This study investigated the potential impact of EV adoption on employment in the Eastern Cape's automotive industry, with a focus on three core areas: EV charging infrastructure, battery manufacturing, and skills development. The shift towards EVs is expected to disrupt ICE vehicle production, which raises concerns regarding job losses due to the reduced complexity of EVs, which contain significantly fewer moving parts than do ICE vehicles (that is, 20 versus 2,000, respectively). This could lead to a decline in demand for automotive components, which would likely result in factory closures and job reductions across the province. The study sought to answer the central question: "What effect does EV implementation have on employment levels in the Eastern Cape’s automotive sector?" To explore this, the study examined the roles of charging infrastructure, battery manufacturing, and skills development, with the aim of providing insights into the broader socio-economic consequences of South Africa’s transition to EVs. An online survey was conducted to collect data for this study; this survey targeted 60 respondents, with 35% of these respondents having completed the questionnaire, thus resulting in a research sample of 21 participants. The hypotheses testing, which wasThesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 202
Investigating factors that affect service delivery of municipal roads in South Africa
Full text linkGiven its close proximity to communities, local government is considered the most important level of government. According to the supreme law of South Africa, the Constitution indicates that municipalities have a duty to provide basic municipal services to communities and residents which are essential for enhancing their quality of life. These services include the supply of potable water, electricity, roads and community healthcare. The aim of this study is to identify opportunities for the improvement of the provision of municipal road infrastructure services by investigating the effect that the identified independent variables which include Risk Management, Root-Cause Analysis, Empowering Leadership, and Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, have on the dependent variable, Service Delivery. An academic study, comprising a non-experimental mail system survey and closed-ended questionnaire collection method, was conducted. The survey was composed using Google forms, and questionnaires were forwarded to selected municipalities including the Johannesburg Roads Agency, City of Cape Town, Tshwane, Mangaung, Mbombela and Nelson Mandela Municipalities. The respective gatekeepers were informed of the objective of the study and were requested to promote the voluntary participation of suitable respondents. The key findings revealed that the independent variables Risk Management, Root-Cause Analysis and Empowering Leadership are essential in improving the provision of municipal road infrastructure services, and that the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation variable has no effect on it.Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 202
Herbicide impacts on target and non-target vegetation in a forestry plantation and a fynbos environment, South Africa
Full text linkIn the commercial forestry sector, the management of competing vegetation ensures optimal tree growth, while in natural conservation areas, the primary objectives for reducing the occurrence of invasive species are to restore biological diversity, and/or to improve ecological functioning. Within the forestry sector, there has been a global shift to reduce the total amount of herbicide applied over a rotation. Similarly, with the increased awareness surrounding the negative ecological impacts of alien invasive trees in South Africa, there is little information available as to the effects the herbicides used for invasive control on existing and/or newly germinated non-targeted species in the immediate area to which they are applied. The main objective of this study was to determine the impacts of herbicides on target and non-target vegetation species within either a commercial forestry or natural/fynbos environment. Within the commercial pine forestry plantation, the aim was to determine the efficacy of alternative herbicides (pre-emergent, selective and desiccant herbicides), to reduce the reliance on manual ring-weeding and/or glyphosate (current practice) for vegetation management, and to determine if the total amount of active ingredient (a.i.) applied per hectare could be reduced through the use of these alternative herbicides, without negatively impacting tree performance. Within the invaded fynbos environment, the aim was to determine how effective current herbicide products are in terms of reducing targeted alien invasive species, and to determine the impacts of the herbicide used on the non-targeted species (fynbos), whether existing and/or newly germinated. The commercial forestry plantation and fynbos environment trials were situated in Lottering Plantation in the Eastern Cape, and Jonkersberg in the Western Cape (respectively). The commercial forestry trial, consisted of ten treatments, which were replicated three times and laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). The treatments included a Weedy control, a Weedfree control, two pre-emergent herbicides (isoxaflutole and/or indaziflam), a desiccant herbicide (pelargonic acid), and selective post-emergent herbicides (clethodim and clopyralid as a tank-mix) respectively. Over the 735 days of the trial, vegetation cover assessments were carried out, tree performance and phytotoxicity were measured, and the timing frequency and quantity of herbicide applied per treatment recorded after each spraying event. These variables, in addition to the environmental impact of each active ingredient, were used to determine overall treatment efficacy for implementation. For the invaded fynbos trial, three different sites (but with similar physiographic and climatic characteristics) were selected based on the occurrence of a dominant invasive species (pine, wattle and/or eucalypt). A similar experimental layout was used for this study as is used within agriculture research, where the same treatments are tested across a range of sites (which allows for the determination of any site treatment interactions). On each site, seven treatments were implemented, which included an Untreated control (invasives remain), a Manual control (invasives manually cut), and five herbicide treatments (Imazapyr, Glyphosate, Picloram, Triclopyr and Metsulfuron-methyl) that were applied to the invasive vegetation after manual clearing. Ten quadrats were laid out within each treatment plot, within which the vegetation was assessed. The trial took place over 259 days, where vegetation cover assessments were carried out, species abundance determined, the volume of herbicide and quantity of a.i. applied and the surface area of the treated cut-stumps calculated, herbicide bioassays conducted, and the environmental impact of the active ingredients considered to determine the overall efficacy of the herbicide treatments. In comparison to the Weedy control treatment in the commercial forestry trial, vegetation occurrence was reduced and tree performance was significantly improved in all herbicide treatments. Of the herbicides tested, the pre-emergent treatments (indaziflam and isoxaflutole) demonstrated effective and long-term suppression of the target vegetation, but with the sedges and ferns not as well controlled as the other vegetation types. Although the selective treatment (clethodim and clopyralid) was effective in terms of the control of younger vegetation types, they were not as effective on the woody perennials. Some phytotoxicity symptoms were observed with pelargonic acid (necrosis where the herbicide came into contact with the needles), clethodim and clopyralid (discoloration and abnormal needle growth, and indaziflam (chlorosis), but this was transient, and did not have an impact on overall tree performance. The environmental fate of indaziflam and clopyralid indicates potential soil persistence, emphasizing the need for cautious application in sensitive ecosystems. This study demonstrated the viability of selective and pre-emergent herbicides as alternatives to glyphosate for the management of vegetation, with the pre-emergent herbicides resulting in an overall reduction in the total a.i. used to achieve this control. Compared to the Untreated control in the invaded fynbos trial, all treatments where the invasives were cut improved both growth in terms of non-target vegetation diversity and abundance. Resprouting of stumps occurred in the Manual control, whereas all five herbicide treatments were effective in terms of killing the invasives when applied as cut-stump application within 20 minutes of cutting. Although there was an initial decrease in vegetation (as a result of disturbance associated with invasive clearing operations), this was followed by an initial increase in cover of the faster growing grasses and broadleaves (ability to respond rapidly to disturbance), and the fynbos vegetation over time. In terms of new invasive regrowth, Picloram, Triclopyr, and Glyphosate were effective for managing invasive pine, Metsulfuron-methyl, Picloram and Imazapyr where more effective for managing wattle, while Metsulfuron-methyl performed marginally better for controlling eucalypts. In addition, no impact from run-off, spray drift or residual herbicide activity (release from decaying invasive roots that were treated) was detected based on the herbicide bioassay in combination with the vegetation assessments. As this study was limited to one environment with a unique vegetation community and soil type, it is recommended to conduct further studies on sites with different vegetation communities, soil types, hydrology, and invasive species interactions. Although herbicides have proven successful for the control of targeted vegetation in in both commercial plantations and natural areas in South Africa, their use may also have adverse, unintended impacts on the non-targeted species that are inadvertently exposed. Both the forestry and fynbos trials were effective in terms of fulfilling their objectives, and also highlighted the need for a more holistic approach when deciding upon the most appropriate management approach. For example, the development of a more comprehensive decision-support system that will include the environmental impacts of any chosen herbicide, the impacts on non-target vegetation, off-site impacts, as well as the development of alternative methods of control.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202
Reconstructing past environments: a new phytolith record covering the Holocene from the Baviaanskloof, Southern Cape interior, South Africa
No full textThe Baviaanskloof, part of the eastern Cape Fold Belt, is a critical region for understanding the climatic contrasts between the southern coast and the arid Lower Karoo to the north. Positioned at the eastern boundary of the year-round rainfall zone, it offers an ideal setting for examining shifts in winter and summer rainfall contributions, the climatic drivers of such. This study addresses the largely unexplored palaeoclimatic histories of the Baviaanskloof by analysing phytoliths in fossil sediment samples from an exposed fluvial deposit covering the Holocene, spanning last ~10 400 years. The fossil samples are analysed using modern soil phytolith assemblages representing various vegetation types around the fossil assemblage, serving as a modern analogue. Findings indicate Grass Silica Short Cells and a variety of spheroids dominate the assemblage. The identification of spheroid phytoliths associated with Restionaceae and woody plants throughout the profile suggests the persistent presence of fynbos vegetation. Fluctuations in the Fynbos (Fy) index, with peaks at ~2 500, ~7 500, and ~8 700 cal yr BP, are discussed in terms of shifts in vegetation composition and distribution. Variations in the C3:C4 ratio values throughout the profile provide insights into past distribution of C3 and C4 vegetation types and thus the climate dominating the western Baviaanskloof region from the Holocene to the present. The study employs a multiproxy approach, integrating phytolith analysis with other proxies such as particle size distribution, bulk geochemistry, magnetic susceptibility, and macrocharcoal analysis. This comprehensive analysis reveals significant shifts in vegetation and climate over the Holocene, highlighting the complex interplay between climatic and ecological factors. The early Holocene was characterized by a dominance of C3 grasses, transitioning to a more diverse vegetation assemblage with increased moisture availability. The mid to late Holocene showed a shift towards more arid conditions, with an increase in C4 vegetation and fire activity. These findings align with broader regional trends observed in other palaeoenvironmental records, emphasizing the importance of understanding the spatio-temporal dynamics of climate change in the southern Cape interior. The study contributes to the broader regional synthesis of palaeoenvironmental records, offering valuable insights into the climatic history of the region and its response to global climate drivers.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202
The synthesis of crystalline organic compounds with fused tricyclic moieties and diamino linkers, and an investigation of their host potential and selectivity behaviour in mixtures of isomers and related compounds
Full text linkIn this work, the inclusion ability of the tricyclic fused systems N,N’-bis(9-phenyl-9H-xanthen-9-yl)propane-1,3-diamine (68), N,N’-bis(9-phenyl-9H-xanthen-9-yl)butane-1,4-diamine (69), N,N’-bis(9-(naphthalen-1-yl)-9H-xanthen-9-yl)butane-1,4-diamine (70), N,N’-bis(9-cyclohexyl-9H-xanthen-9-yl)butane-1,4-diamine (71) and N,N’-bis(9-benzyl-9H-xanthen-9-yl)butane-1,4-diamine (72) were evaluated in the presence of various guest solvents. These potential host compounds (68‒72) were facilely synthesized from xanthone in appreciable yields by means of the addition of an applicable Grignard reagent to the ketone group of xanthone to form an alcohol. This was then converted into a perchlorate salt with perchloric acid, after which two of these salt moieties were linked together using either propane-1,3-diamine or butane-1,4-diamine. Initially, the guest-free compounds 68, 69, 71 and 72 were subjected to single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) experiments (apohost or guest-free crystals of 70 could not be isolated). Only in compound 68 was observed an intramolecular classical (host)N‒H···N(host) hydrogen bond, while (host)π···π(host) short contacts were identified in only 68 and 72. Furthermore, non-classical hydrogen bonding of the (host)C‒H···N(host) and (host)C‒H···O(host) types were noted in each of 68, 69 and 71. Molecular modelling calculations were then carried out on all five host systems, and their various conformations and geometries compared with these attributes of the guest-free host molecules. It was observed that the geometries of the third lowest energy conformer of 68 (conformer 68c) and the second lowest energy conformer of 71 (71b) most closely resembled that of guest-free 68 and 71. The enclathration ability and selectivity of 68 and 69 were then investigated in the presence of the xylene (Xy) isomers and ethylbenzene (EB), cyclohexanone (CYC) and the methylcyclohexanones (MeCYC), and the saturated six-membered ring guest solvents dioxane (DIO), morpholine (MOR), piperidine (PIP) and tetrahydropyran (THP), while these behaviours of 69 and 70 were evaluated in the aliphatic five-membered ring guest speciesetrahydrothiophene (THT), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and pyrrolidine (PYRR), and aniline (ANI), N-methylaniline (NMA) and N,N’-dimethylaniline (DMA). Host compound 69 was, moreover, subjected to experiments involving the dichlorobenzene (DCB) isomers. At the outset, single guest solvent experiments were performed by crystallizing compounds 68‒72 independently from each of the proposed guest solvents in order to determine their host ability for these solvents. 1H-NMR experiments were employed to ascertain whether complexation had been successful and, if so, these complexes were subjected to thermal analysis to obtain their relative thermal stabilities. This was achieved by determining their Ton temperatures (the temperature at which the guest release process commences); the higher the Ton value, the greater is the relative thermal stability of the complex. These single solvent complexes were further explored by means of SCXRD analyses in order to reveal the presence and nature of the noncovalent interactions (such as classical and non-classical hydrogen bonding, X‒H···π, π···π stacking and other significant short contacts), the guest accommodation type (void diagrams), the unit cells, and the nature of the molecular packing, where the crystal quality allowed. The host compounds were also subjected to crystallization experiments from mixed guest solutions (either equimolar or non-equimolar binary guest mixtures) in order to determine whether they possessed any selectivity for a particular guest compound in the mixture. The guests in the resultant mixed guest complexes were quantified by means of GC and/or 1H-NMR experiments, these also indicating whether or not supramolecular chemistry may be used to separate certain isomeric mixtures that are challenging to separate by means of the more conventional fractional distillation technique owing to extremely similar boiling points. Host compound 69 was found to be the more promising of the five: both oXy (host:guest (H:G) ratio 1:1.5) and pXy (H:G 1:1) were successfully included in the single solvent experiments, and the 40:60, 50:50 and 60:40 binary guest experiments with pXy/mXy mixtures furnished remarkable selectivity coefficients (K values), 10.6, 11.0 and 12.6, indicating that this host compound can separate these mixtures on an industrial platform. In addition, crystallizing 69 from each of oDCB and mDCB afforded complexes with H:G ratios of 1:1.5. When employing 40:60 and 80:20 oDCB/pDCB solutions, the resultant crystals were significantly enriched with oDCB (89.3% (K, 12.3) and 100% (K, ∞)), once more alluding to feasible separations of such guest mixtures. ANI (H:G 1:3) and DMA (H:G 1:1) were also successfully included by 69 in the single solvent experiments. Crystals emanating from the 40:60, 50:50, 60:40 ANI/DMA experiments contained substantial amounts ANI; K values were significant, ranging between 10.1 and 15.4; these mixtures may thus also be separated by means of these host-guest chemistry strategies. The complexation ability of 68, on the other hand, was not remarkable. This host compound only formed inclusion compounds with oXy (H:G 1:1), CYC (H:G 1:1) and DIO (H:G 2:3) in the single solvent experiments. When presented with Xy/EB guest mixtures, only guest-free 68 was recovered (despite enclathrating oXy in the Xy/EB single solvent experiments). Furthermore, the crystal growth of 68, when presented with mixed CYC/MeCYC and DIO/MOR/PIP/THP solutions, was extremely slow (several months) and so these experiments were, consequently, not considered any further. Compound 70 was demonstrated to have the ability to complex with ANI (H:G 1:1), NMA (H:G 1:1) and DMA (H:G 1:1), and mixed guest experiments showed that this host compound possessed a preference for the latter two guest solvents. An equimolar ternary guest mixture resulted in a mixed complex with 57.8% NMA and 23.5% DMA. The non-equimolar mixtures of NMA/DMA showed that the host selectivity depended on the amounts of each guest solvent present. Furthermore, 70 successfully complexed with THT (H:G 1:2), THF (H:G 1:2) and PYRR (H:G 1:2). In guest mixtures, this host compound was revealed to have a consistent preference for THT. SCXRD experiments showed that this guest species was retained in the crystal of the complex by means of a singular short (guest)C‒H···C‒C(host) contact (C···H, C···C, 2.83, 3.754 Å, and 156°) and also a (host)N‒H···S(guest) hydrogen bond. The disfavoured guest, THF, did not experience a classical hydrogen bond with the host molecule. Potential host compounds 71 and 72 were not capable of forming any complexes with the guest solvents in the present investigation.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Life, Earth, Environmental & Agricultural Sciences Cluster, 202
Does ultraviolet radiation affect the thermoregulation and waking behaviour of the Eastern Dwarf Chameleon, Bradypodion ventrale?
Full text linkAs ectotherms, reptiles bask in sunlight to regulate their body temperature. However, recent studies show that reptiles may be actively basking for ultraviolet light (UV) rather than temperature regulation. I aimed to assess whether UV influenced the thermoregulation and waking behaviour of the Eastern Dwarf Chameleon, Bradypodion ventrale. Three experiments were conducted in the laboratory: A UV-only gradient, an inversed gradient and a correlated gradient. The UV-only gradient was conducted to assess whether B. ventrale could actively regulate its UV exposure and whether females selected for higher UV exposures than male chameleons. The inversed and correlated gradients were conducted to assess whether B. ventrale was willing to lower and raise its body temperature below and above the species-specific preferred body temperature (Tpref), respectively, to maintain higher UV exposure. The experiments were conducted across all four seasons to account for any seasonal fluctuations in temperature and photoperiod. I found that B. ventrale can actively regulate its UV exposure and prioritised UV regulation over maintaining Tpref. However, chameleons were only willing to lower their body temperature below Tpref to maintain UV regulation and not willing to raise body temperatures above Tpref. Due to equipment limitations, it was unclear as to whether there was a difference in UV exposure preference between male and female chameleons. Once the influence of temperature was added, seasonal differences were found between the selected body temperatures of chameleons, suggesting that the physiology of B. ventrale is influenced by seasonal fluctuations in environmental temperature. Field observations were conducted to assess whether UV exposure, body temperature or predation pressure influenced the first movements of B. ventrale at sleep sites. Observations were made across all seasons to account for shifts in temperature and photoperiod. Chameleons were observed in the early mornings, from approximately 40 minutes before sunrise. When chameleons began shifting position or moving at their sleep site, the time of day, body temperature, ambient temperature and UVI were measured at the perch. I found that neither UV exposure, nor body temperature, nor predation influenced the first movements of B. ventrale. However, observations indicated that light may strongly influence the waking behaviour of B. ventrale, although this is still to be adequately assessed. Bradypodion ventrale were willing to raise body temperatures above Tpref for only short periods, meaning they could benefit from increasing environmental temperatures as they may not have to bask as long for thermoregulation and vitamin D3 synthesis. The influence of UV exposure on thermoregulation in the laboratory is not easily translated into nature as there may be other factors influencing thermoregulatory behaviour. Thus, future studies should consider conducting more field ii studies regarding UV exposure in this species to assess the influence of UV on temperature regulation properly. It is also suggested that future studies consider the influence of light on the waking behaviour of B. ventrale, specifically light from urban areas at night. This study provides the first record of active regulation of UV exposure in a dwarf chameleon from the Bradypodion genus, gives insight into how thermoregulation is affected by the presence of UV, and vice versa, in a laboratory setting and contributes to the growing field of research on the importance of UV exposure in reptiles.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202
Pharmaceutical industry practice for the visual inspection of parenteral products within Africa
Full text linkThis research paper explored and identified the visual inspection practices of parenteral products used by pharmaceutical companies in Africa. It aimed to address the paucity of literature published on visual inspection, specifically within Africa. It also compared the current global practices and guidelines to the visual inspection practices utilised within Africa. A quantitative non-experimental research design in the form of an online survey questionnaire was administered to collect data from participating pharmaceutical companies in Africa. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of graphs, charts, and tables, and the results were compared to those obtained from the PDA survey and international guidelines. This study has documented the visual inspection practices of pharmaceutical companies in Africa and provided evidence of the practices implemented by companies producing parenteral products. Whilst the study found that visual inspection methods were different and unique for each company; it was evident that all companies generally default to MVI as an inspection method. The study’s results revealed significant similarities between the data obtained from international companies and those from pharmaceutical companies within Africa. It concluded that many companies in Africa align their visual inspection practices with global benchmarks and best practices. Furthermore, the challenges with visual inspection experienced by pharmaceutical companies in Africa align with the challenges published in the literature.Thesis (MPharm) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 202