Walter Sisulu University
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Effects of the timing of initiation of maternal anti-retroviral therapy, cd4 count and viral load on birth out comes in South Africa
Get PDFThesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 202
Impact of sustainable tax revenue and expenditure on the achievement of sustainable development goals in some selected African countries
No full textAbstract The study examined the impact of Sustainable Tax Revenue and Expenditure on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in African countries using secondary data. The dataset was extracted from the World Development Indicators database. The large gap between developed and developing countries when comparing the probability of them achieving the SDGs was the main motivation behind this study. Data retrieved from 45 countries comprised of both African and developed countries for the period 2010–2020 was analyzed using the Generalized Method of Moments technique. The results revealed that the coefficients of grants received, various forms of taxes, and other revenue have a positive effect on economic growth but a negative effect on poverty and unemployment for African and developed countries. This finding suggests that improvements in tax revenue generation, grants and other revenue accumulation across different sources boost economic performance and the welfare of individuals in the analyzed countries. The outcome is an indication that accumulating more grants from different sources will help to achieve sustainable development, improve financial stability, contributes to the economic growth and development in these countries. This study can guide policymakers, governments, international institutions, revenue bodies such as SARS and other stakeholders in their various planning and other decision-making endeavors. Governments and other policymakers must ensure the efficient generation and sustainable utilization of revenue generated from taxes and other revenues to spur the growth and development of their countries. They should have Growth-Sustainability-Oriented Fiscal Adjustment Programs and Sustainable Government Expenditure that can help push and redirect governments to achieve the SDGs in Africa
Screening medical plants for potential immunomodulatory action on macrophages in the fight against mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Get PDFPulmonary tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death in developing countries, it is an ancient disease that was discovered in the eighteenth centuries. The World Health Organization (WHO) tuberculosis (TB) regimen entails the first line drugs, rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. These drugs are taken for long periods and the load is high, they carry some side effects like liver damage and peripheral neuropathies, hence pyridoxine that is administered with TB treatment to mitigate the toxic effects to peripheral nerves. Drug resistance has emerged because of unbearable side effects of TB treatment in TB patients. In view of all these collective challenges of TB drugs, this study draws its motivation towards exploring natural products in the form of medicinal plants toward inventing new therapies that could be easily available and safer, and the macrophages were considered the therapeutic target for this study as they are the primary cells that get infected by Mycobacterium in the lung. Therefore, the study aimed at screening medicinal plants used by traditional healers and herbalists for the management and control of signs and symptoms related to pulmonary tuberculosis, for potential immunomodulatory activity on RAW 264.7 cells, and the objectives were; to obtain information on indigenous plants used to treat pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) from traditional healers and herbalist, to test the cytotoxicity of crude extracts on macrophages and hepatocytes (C3A cells), to determine the polarizing effects of crude extracts on macrophages, to determine the polarizing effect of the crude extract fractions on macrophages and to finally isolate and characterize the compounds in active fraction. vii All medicinal plants investigated in this study were collected through ethnobotanical survey, authenticated in Botany Department, dried, and extracted in 70% ethanol solvent. The dried crude extracts were screened for toxicity using 3-4,5-dimethylthiazole-24-25 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) technique on RAW264.7 macrophages and dual fluorescence staining technique on C3A cells at concentration 50, 100 and 200μg/ml in cell culture system. Seven medicinal plants displayed dose dependency toxicity, while three plants did not show any signs of toxicity with cell viability maintained at 100%. The three medicinal plants (Anthrixia phylicoides, Lippia javanica and Sanicula elata) were further investigated for immunomodulatory activity (Griess method) and antioxidant activity (CellROX® Orange and Hoechst 33342). Lippia and Anthrixia were found to be anti-inflammatory with low amounts of nitric oxide (NO) production, while Sanicula displayed a considerable amount of nitric oxide when compared to the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) control. NO was the biological marker measured that demonstrated the immunomodulatory effect of plants on macrophages. Furthermore, the two plants showed antioxidant activity on liver cells at higher concentration (100 and 200μM) while Sanicula exhibited antioxidant activity across all tested concentrations. Compound profiling for Sanicula was therefore determined by UPLC-MS hyphenation technique and the major compounds profiled were phenolic compounds. The crude extracts of Sanicula were further partitioned into five fractions using partition solvent technique (n-hexane, Dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, N-butanol, and water). Anti-inflammatory activity was repeated on the five fractions, and Dichloromethane fraction and water fraction drove the macrophage switching towards the M1 phenotype viii with considerable amount of NO produced. Compound isolation and identification was conducted through chromatography techniques, and ten samples (S1-S10) were isolated. The samples were further subjected to NMR-Spectrometry analysis for elucidation and characterization of isolated compounds, and S1, S7, S9, S10 were final compounds. RAW 264.7 cells were again treated with the four compounds and results indicated absence of NO production, the opposite of the two previous outcomes where there was clear evidence of immunomodulation. The results obtained from the compounds has indicated that drugs work in synergy, and in combination, like TB treatment which is taken as combination of all drugs. We therefore conclude that indeed Sanicula immunomodulated RAW264.7 macrophages, and we present a strong observation of macrophage polarization from M0 phenotype to M1 phenotype which is capable of degrading and destroying Mycobacterium, and the antioxidant activity of the crude extracts of this medicinal plant. We therefore recommend further studies in the animal disease model.Thesis (D.Ed) -- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 202
Convex (α, β)-Generalized Contraction and Its Applications in Matrix Equations
Get PDFThis paper investigates the existence and convergence of solutions for linear and nonlinear matrix equations. This study explores the potential of convex (α, β)-generalized contraction mappings in geodesic spaces, ensuring the existence of solutions for both linear and nonlinear matrix equations. This paper extends the concept to partially ordered geodesic spaces and establishes new existence and convergence results. Illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the practical relevance of the findings. Overall, this research contributes a novel approach to the field of matrix equations
Some Remarks on the Solution of Linearisable Second-Order Ordinary Differential Equations via Point Transformations
Get PDFTransformations of differential equations to other equivalent equations play a central role in many routines for solving intricate equations. A class of differential equations that is particularly amenable to solution techniques based on such transformations is the class of linearisable second-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). There are various characterisations of such ODEs. We exploit a particular characterisation and the expanded Lie group method to construct a generic solution for all linearisable second-order ODEs. The general solution of any given equation from this class is then easily obtainable from the generic solution through a point transformation constructed using only two suitably chosen symmetries of the equation. We illustrate the approach with three examples
Benefits of the Expanded Public Works Programme in South Africa: A Direct Stakeholder’s Perception
Get PDFThere are several socio-economic challenges ravaging the continent of Africa and other developing countries. Among these issues is unemployment, which is directly linked to the high crime rate, poverty, and other societal ills in South Africa. To develop sought-after skills and to facilitate gainful employment toward the goal of poverty alleviation in the country, several programmes are initiated by the South African government. One of the various interventions is the expanded public works programme (EPWP). This paper is aimed at identifying the beneficial factors of the EPWP in South Africa from the stakeholders’ point of view. A quantitative research approach was employed in the study. Data collection was achieved through the duo of literature review and the use of a structured closed-ended questionnaire survey. The data from the returned survey was analyzed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. The findings showed that employment creation, strengthened community participation, infrastructure improvement, skills enhancement of participants, and provision of social security are the major benefits of the EPWP. Continuous revising and re-conceptualizing of the EPWP operations are recommended to maximize and sustain the benefits of the programme
Voices from the Field: Pre-Service Teachers’ First Time Experiences of Teaching Physical Sciences During School-Based Experience
Get PDFSchool-Based Experience, commonly known as teaching practice, is widely acknowledged as an essential component of teacher education in institutions around the world. This study explored second-year pre-service teachers’ first-time experiences of teaching physical sciences during teaching practice. We contextualised the study within Dewey’s Theory of Experience to understand pre-service teachers’ experiences at a place of practice. The study utilised a qualitative phenomenological research design with 10 purposively and conveniently sampled pre-service teachers randomly chosen from a higher education institution in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data from interviews, observations, journal reflections and document analysis were triangulated and analysed using thematic content analysis. Thestudy found benefits and drawbacks that pre-service science teachers experienced during their first time on teaching practice, which provided important clues to understanding differences in what pre-service teachers appear to learn during teaching practices. The study has implications for faculties of universities that are engaged in teacher training to help pre-service teachers balance experiences of doing and undergoing as they progress through a teacher education programme. The study therefore recommends that universities establish partnerships with theDepartment of Basic Education to train all in-service teachers on specific expectations of pre-service teachers at schools during teaching practice
Teaching Euclidean Geometry with GeoGebra: Perceptions for In-service Mathemetics Teachers
Get PDFThe teaching of Euclidean geometry is characterized by ineffective instructional methods used by in-service teachers as well as the low proficiency levels by learners.The purpose of this study was to survey in-service mathematics teachers’ GeoGebra integrative skills in the teaching of geometry.This study was quantitative and pre-and post-questionnaires were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to perform statistical analysis of quantitative data.12 schools were randomly selected,and purposive sampling was employed to select 29 in-service mathematics teachers.The study revealed that the intervention impacted positively on in-service teachers instructional strategies with a high statistical significance and again of medium to large effect size on both the pre-and post-intervention.After the training, participants felt that integrating GeoGebra in geometry teaching affords mathematics teachers the opportunity to use learner-centered approaches,teach geometry with confidence and maintain learners’ attention and alertness in class
The Impact of Linguistic Constituencies on Language Profiency
Get PDFThis study inquired into whether linguistic constituencies have an impact on learner language proficiency. An appropriate approach that was used encompasses qualitative research methods as they permit extracting valuable information from small samples. Underpinning this qualitative inquiry is Participatory Action Research (PAR) with its added advantage of being considered to have an underlying characteristic of engaging with community members in action. The researchers and study participants collaborated to determine the investigated problem, in this case being learner linguistic constituencies in parallel or divergent to language proficiency. Data was gathered from five purposefully nominated English language teachers from one rurally located institution of higher learning in one of the Eastern Cape Education Districts. Semistructured interviews generated rich thematically analysed data as they contained openended types of items
Social Network Writing Trajectory Logistics: Impact on Language Proficieny
Get PDFLanguage enhancement is a prerequisite for successful schooling and an essential aspect across curricular. All subjects underpinning the curriculum have texts to be comprehended. Consequently, the emergence of social network writing trajectories has brought about trending logistics of using shorthand and informal language for communication by users. What raises some alarm bells is that as learners fall within the cohort of users mentioned above, their language proficiency, specifically vocabulary and spelling, decreases. This concern probed us to investigate whether social network writing trajectory logistics have any significant impact on language proficiency. For this investigation, a qualitative research approach embedded in a case study design was administered. Using this approach led to better understanding of the underlying motives as perceived by English language teachers in relation to effects on language development. Three university teachers offering tuition to first year entering students were conveniently nominated and interviewed as they timeously reported about lack of academic writing