11613 research outputs found
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English-Afrikaans bilingual building dictionary
No full textWith originating roots scattered across the globe, this playful language derived its name from Africa. What is more unique to South Africa than Afrikaans? A communication medium amalgamated, adapted and applied by mothers from different cultures and continents who not only chose South Africa as their domicilium citandi et executandi, but also to raise their children through a unique South African mother tongue. By accommodating variety, this language tends to be inclusive against the norm, which might explain why Afrikaans is the preferred lingua franca in many parts of the country. Since the tower of Babel, building sites are recognised as a gathering of miscellaneous cultures and languages in dire need for a bridging communication medium. Phenomenally, evolved through time, building terms were and still are being born.Publisher's versio
Molecular phylogeny of South African Anopheles, Aedes and Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) based on COI, ITS2 and 28S DNA sequences
No full textMosquitoes have a substantial impact on human and animal health as vectors of disease and consequently take a heavy toll on the economy. South Africa hosts a multitude of mosquito-borne pathogens, including numerous arboviruses and Plasmodium. Many pathogens are transmitted by species currently belonging to three genera, namely Aedes Meigen, 1818, Culex Linnaeus, 1758 and Anopheles Meigen, 1818. Mosquitoes have traditionally been classified by their morphology, which has produced several non-monophyletic taxa. However, the field of systematics has been revolutionised with the advent of molecular techniques, which allow researchers to gain novel insights into the hidden affiliations of taxa. Since few phylogenetic studies have focused on South African mosquitoes, the current study aimed to investigate the intrageneric relationships of South African Aedes, Culex and Anopheles species based on COI, ITS2 and 28S DNA sequences. Therefore, mosquitoes were sampled across various habitats within central South Africa, ranging from relatively pristine nature reserves to urban centres with substantial anthropological activity. Morphological variations of sampled specimens were noted and numerous morphotypes were sequenced for the three target DNA regions. The identities of sampled specimens were verified with BLAST queries and the generated sequences were incorporated into genus-specific multiple sequence alignments. The datasets included representatives of many major taxonomic subdivisions and all accessible South African species, which were obtained from international DNA repositories. Due to the limited availability of sequences, it was not possible to construct concatenated datasets consisting of all three target DNA regions. Therefore, the aim was rather to incorporate shared representative species within each of the independent COI, ITS2 and 28S datasets. These genus and gene-specific multiple sequence alignments were used to conduct maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses. Several phylogenetic findings were corroborated by multiple gene regions and supported by the results of other authors. This included the polyphyly of several Aedes subgenera (Aedimorphus, Ochlerotatus and Stegomyia) and the non-monophyly of several Neomelaniconion species. The subgenus Culex was also often rendered non-monophyletic by two other subgenera (Barraudius and Oculeomyia) and similarly contained polyphyletic assemblages of Cx. pipiens, Cx. quinquefasciatus and the Pipiens Group. Finally, the current analyses also recovered non-monophyletic groupings of the subgenus Anopheles, the Laticorn Section and the Funestus Group within the genus Anopheles. These results emphasized consistent phylogenetic findings, revealing numerous challenges within the current systematic framework. Therefore, the study provided insight into the affiliations of numerous South African species, generated molecular and phylogenetic data for sampled individuals and provided distribution data for the associated specimens. These results expanded the foundation of phylogenetic and ecological data, which can be incorporated into other epidemiological, biogeographical and evolutionary investigations.The NRF provided financial assistance (NRF reference no: SFH170609238850)
Establishing norms for kinesthetic coordination tasks in 6-year-olds in the Mangaung, Motheo District
No full textBackground: A well-functioning proprioceptive system and overall kinesthetic coordination is foundational to six-year-old children’s movement coordination abilities. The age of six is a crucial time in children’s developmental years, and in South Africa this is the age when they enter the formal school setting. Intact proprioception and kinesthetic coordination are therefore essential for the six-year-old South African. Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as gender, hand dominance and socio-economic status (SES) can influence the kinesthetic coordination abilities of six-year-old children. Norms for kinesthetic coordination testing is not available and testing is either inaccessible to everyone and/or very costly from this the main aim of the study was formed. Aims: The first aim of this study is to establish norms for kinesthetic coordination tasks in six-year-old children in the Mangaung, Motheo district and, secondly to establish if kinesthetic coordination differences occur in six-year-olds regarding school quintiles, gender and hand dominance. Setting: The participant group consisted of N=193 six-year-old children of which 97 were boys and 96 were girls, with an average age of 6.46 years (0.27). Participants forming part of this dissertation’s study population were from different quintile schools (one to five) in the Mangaung, Motheo district. Methods: Five kinesthetic coordination tasks (Angels-in-the-snow, Rhomberg, finger-to-nose, shoulder-level-arm raise and force perception) were identified and used to establish norms. Using these norms associated with the five identified kinesthetic coordination tasks differences in school quintiles, gender and hand dominance were studied. Analysis of the study was largely descriptive of nature and norms were calculated using frequencies and percentages. Differences between school quintiles were calculated using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (correlation) chi-square test, and gender and hand dominance differences were calculated using the nonparametric Wilcoxon Two-sample test. Cohens d effect sizes were used to calculate practical significance where applicable. Results: Norms were successfully established for the five kinesthetic coordination tasks. Angels-in-the-snow norms was set at six to ten successful repetitions, Rhomberg norms at 22 – 30 seconds of balance, norms for finger-to-nose for the left and right hand was set at two to three successful repetitions. Norms for shoulder-level-arm-raise for the preferred arm and both arms were set at two to four successful repetitions and for the non-preferred arm at one to four successful repetitions, and lastly for force perception the norm was seen as being able to correctly identify in which hand the heavier weight was placed. Using these norms, it was evident that children in higher SES schools outperformed children in lower SES schools in most of the tasks, except for the Rhomberg task. No significant gender differences in kinesthetic coordination abilities were observed; however, girls mainly outperform boys, with the exception of the shoulder-level-arm-raise task. No practical significance was seen in the Angels-in-the-Snow and Rhomberg tasks regarding gender and preferred arm, although a practical significance was seen for finger-to-nose regarding the left hand and none for gender. For shoulder-level-arm-raise a small practical effect was seen regarding the right hand and again none for gender. No calculations were done for force perception. Conclusions and recommendations: Norms for kinesthetic coordination tasks in six-year-old children were successfully established. Kinesthetic coordination abilities are to an extent influenced by school quintile statuses, gender and hand dominance, as differences occurred. It is recommended that Kinderkineticists in practice use the established norms of the five kinesthetic coordination tasks to identify children with possible proprioceptive functioning or kinesthetic coordination backlogs. This can be followed by the implementation of a programme that is specifically tailored to each child’s individual kinesthetic coordination backlogs. Future research on a larger sample size, in different provinces of South Africa, and on children of different age ranges is advised. It is also recommended that the reliability and validity of the five task items be established in future research
Before the dust settles: a Nama Arts and Culture exhibition complex Springbok, Northern Cape
No full textThe acts of preserving and exhibiting ephemeral African arts are important, as it safeguards cultural identities for generations. In order for museums and galleries to preserve art, the idea of the white cube was developed. The white cube, however, faces issues when attempting to capture and display ephemeral arts that are dependent on factors which include time, context, artist and the chosen creative material or medium, to exist. These art forms are usually independent on what galleries and museums offer, including the presence of an audience or viewers. Land art, however, introduces key ideas on exhibiting ephemeral art that mark a permanent cultural presence in the world. The Nama-Khoi ethnic group of Namaqualand are well-known for their artistic capabilities and hand-down rituals, especially the “Rieldans”. These art forms embody an impermanence to its aesthetic, where it’s manifested to the world only for a brief moment at no particular time, and in the natural landscape at no particular place. Due to this, these artistic practices are starting to gather dust as it seldom experience an audience. This research document sets out to investigate architecture as land art form to provide a cultural setting as platform for the recognition and celebration of Nama-Khoi artistic practices. The Nama-Khoi “Rieldans” is investigated as concept generator to facilitate in choreographing the design and experience of a Nama Arts and Culture exhibition complex located in the tourist hub and heart of Namaqualand, Springbok, Northern Cape. The aim of the proposal is to embody the essence of the “Rieldans” in an architectural intervention that is both a destination and interactive building
Understanding the linkage between university students' and instructors use of online resources and their academic attainment in social studies
No full textFew decades ago, the Internet became a new home for academic research and a spot where teaching and learning materials could be found. A cursory look at previous studies on university instructors’ use of online resources shows intermittent influence students’ academic outcomes in Nigerian schools. Although, several efforts have been put in place to establish a cordial and steady relationship between university instructors’ use of online resources and the students’ academic attainment in Nigerian schools, it seems that there is paucity of studies on the linkage between university instructors’ use of online resources and students’ academic attainment in Social Studies. This research explored the relationship between Social Studies lecturers’ use of online resources and students’ performance in the course. This study adopted descriptive research using correlational design, and purposive sampling technique. 398 students at two Bachelor of Education degree-awarding institutions in Nigeria responded to the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentage, mean and standard deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The outcomes of this discourse indicated no significant relationship between Social Studies lecturers’ use of online resources and students’ performance in the course. Additionally, it was evident from the results that the extent to which Social Studies students’ use of online resources in the selected tertiary institutions in Nigeria was high. This paper, therefore, concludes that the use of online resources has no significant relationship with students’ performance in Social Studies. It was recommended that university instructors should grasp a new means in the use of online resources in the classroom in order to foster a good lecturer-students interaction that would eventually results in great academic attainment of students in the course.Publisher's versio
Russian wheat aphid biotypes in Lesotho: distribution, impact on wheat production and the role of phytohormones in host resistance
No full textLesotho has over the years been experiencing a decline in wheat yield. The dynamic nature, rapid shifts in the environment, and devastating impacts of Russian wheat aphid (RWA) likely contribute to the low wheat yields in Lesotho. The study aims to investigate RWA biotypic diversity, distribution, impact on yield and the role of phytohormones in Lesotho farmers’ cultivars and those imported from South Africa, in the mountains and lowlands districts of Lesotho. The status of RWA distribution and diversity in Lesotho was evaluated by collecting and analysing samples from wheat fields in parts of Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka, Maseru and Leribe. Aphid samples were cloned and screened for biotype status at the ARC-SG greenhouses (Bethlehem, South Africa). Our results revealed that four of the five South African biotypes, RWASA1 – 4, also exist in Lesotho. We further investigated the reaction of some of the farmers’ wheat cultivars (Bolane and Makalaote) and South African dryland cultivars grown in Lesotho to RWA infestation. This part of the study occurred under greenhouse conditions where different biotypes (RWASA1 – 4) artificially infested the cultivars. A damage rating scale evaluated induced damage, and the Lesotho farmers’ cultivars Bolane and Makalaote expressed susceptibility to all four biotypes except Bolane, which conferred medium resistance to RWASA2. Similar cultivar evaluations under natural infestation were carried out under field conditions in the mountains and lowlands of Lesotho. In contrast to the greenhouse results, both Makaote and Bolane expressed medium susceptibility; however, Bolane yielded lower than all other cultivars in almost all sites. Despite the reaction to aphids, Makalaote a relatively fast-grower escaped peak periods of RWA infestation and outperformed most of the South African cultivars. The underlying resistance mechanism of these wheat genotypes was investigated by determining some of the induced biochemical changes during RWA infestation. In this regard, three cultivars (Bolane, Elands and PAN3379) with differential resistance to RWA (RWASA1 and 3) were evaluated. Biotype 1 infestation did not induce any of the pathogenesis-related enzyme activities (GLC and POD) or defence related enzymes (LOX and PAL) associated with biosynthesis of hormones in Bolane. However, RWASA3 infestation induced all the enzymes except GLC. In agreement with the phenotypic studies, RWASA1 but not RWASA3, induced all enzyme activities in Elands. The two biotypes induced almost all the enzyme activities in PAN 3379, except GLC, which did not respond to RWASA1 infestation. The involvement of defence modulating hormones salicylic, jasmonic and absiscic acids during the resistance response was also studied. In contrary to our expectations, RWA- induced PAL and LOX activities in Bolane did not positively correlate with salicylic or jasmonic acid accumulation, and no increases in absiscic content were recorded. According to phenotypic studies, PAN 3379 confers medium resistance to RWASA1 and resistance to RWASA3, and we anticipated some shortfall in the accumulation of one or two hormones. Levels of RWASA1-induced LOX activity did not elicit jasmonic acid accumulation, but PAL activity led to higher salicylic and absiscic acids content. Biotype 3 activated accumulation of all the three hormones. Phenotypic studies show Bolane as susceptible to RWASA3, however induction of some defence enzymes in Bolane mandates additional studies that could elucidate defences determining resistance in wheat. Additionally, the biochemical studies could be complemented by full metabolite profiling during plant-aphid interaction. Perhaps some metabolite combinations could assist in elucidating the resistance mechanisms to aphid infestations and provide a clue to differential responses to the different biotypes.University of the Free State (UFS
District leaders’ perspectives on the structures and practices of instructional leadership in Zimbabwe
No full textResearch over the past two decades has firmly established the critical relevance of the district office of education in providing instructional leadership support to schools. Various policy initiatives in Africa (Zimbabwe included) called on district central offices to shift their work practices from the limited or managerial functions of the past to the direct support of student teaching and learning. In view of this implied performance gap between the district office structures and their practices, I developed an interest in investigating whether the districts actually provided instructional leadership support to schools. This study closely examined Zimbabwean district office leaders’ perspectives on the structures and practices of instructional leadership. The study answered the research question: What are the district leaders’ perspectives on the structures and practices of instructional leadership in Zimbabwe? Guiding the study was the instructional leadership conceptual framework that outlined and described what instructional leaders (the district level leaders for the purposes of this study) were expected to do in order to effectively support teaching and learning in schools. A qualitative research methodology was used, with two case studies focusing on 22 officers drawn from two district offices in the Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe constituting the research design. The individual interview protocol was used to collect data from the district office leadership while documents provided supportive data. The collected data were organised, transcribed, analysed and finally collapsed into themes and categories. Five key findings were obtained. First, the study showed that the district instructional and support structures were aligned to support instructional leadership although there was work overload in two departments - Quality Control and Administration, Finance and Human Resources. Second, the study established four main district instructional leadership practices: the recruitment, selection, and appointment of teachers, heads and deputy heads; organising need-driven circuit-level and district-level professional development; carrying out effective supervision of schools; and spearheading school development efforts. The engagement of stakeholders and partners to foster transparency and teamwork in the district operations was the third key finding. The challenges that affected structure constituted the fourth key finding, with the major obstacles being understaffing in two of the district office departments and non-compliance with the national Non-Formal Education policy that compromised effective school supervision. The fifth key finding focused on practice challenges. These included: inadequate support for learners with disabilities; parents’ low response to pay school fees and levies; indiscipline among teachers and heads; and work inconsistency as a result of inadequate resources and materials to support the district office operations. It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide a guiding framework for the provision of more effective instructional leadership support to schools by the district office.SANRAL Chair in MathematicsNatural Science and Technology EducationUniversity of the Free State (UFS
Solvent retention capacity and gluten protein composition of durum wheat flour as influenced by drought and heat stress
No full textDrought and temperature stress can cause considerable gluten protein accumulation changes during grain-filling, resulting in variations in wheat quality. The contribution of functional polymeric components of flour to its overall functionality and quality can be measured using solvent retention capacity (SRC). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of moderate and severe drought and heat stress on SRC and swelling index of glutenin (SIG) in six durum wheat cultivars with the same glutenin subunit composition and its relation with gluten protein fractions from size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography. Distilled water, sodium carbonate and sucrose SRC reacted similarly to stress conditions, with moderate heat causing the lowest values. Lactic acid SRC and SIG reacted similarly, where severe heat stress highly significantly increased the values. SIG was significantly correlated with sodium dodecyl sulphate sedimentation (SDSS) and flour protein content (FPC) under all conditions. Lactic acid SRC was highly correlated with FPC under optimal and moderate heat stress and with SDSS under moderate drought and severe heat. SIG was negatively correlated with low molecular weight glutenins under optimal and drought conditions, and combined for all treatments. The relationship between SRC and gluten proteins was inconsistent under different stress conditions.Publisher's versio
Employee engagement at the Land Administration Authority Lesotho
No full textDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2021The Land Administration Authority Lesotho (LAA) has been plagued by high employee turnover and an inability to recruit and retain the best talent. The main issue at the LAA is a lack of employee engagement, as shown by the rising staff turnover rate which reached around 20% in 2018. The primary objective of the study was to determine employee engagement at the LAA. The secondary objectives of the study were to analyse literature on employee engagement, determine the level of employee engagement at the LAA, and to determine the particular drivers that can improve employee engagement at the LAA. The study further presented the drivers of employee engagement, models of employee engagement, and factors influencing engagement. The quantitative study using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was undertaken to determine the level of employee engagement within the LAA. The results of the UWES indicated that the overall level of employee engagement at the LAA was average. The study has identified several strategies which the management of the LAA can adopt in order to enhance employee engagement. Leadership should become active in the different activities of the organisation in order to make an impression and encourage workers. Management of the LAA should set work goals that employees will be able to reach
Spatial estimation of surface soil texture using Landsat 8 data
No full textThe current availability of quantitative soil information does not meet the required quality and coverage for environmental monitoring and modelling of regional- to global-scale soil mapping. Conventional soil sampling and laboratory analysis cannot effectively provide this information because these methods are slow, expensive, and cannot capture all temporal and spatial variability. Remote sensing has in the past three decades shown high potential in the determination of soil characteristics. Different methodologies have been proposed for the estimation of soil parameters based on different remote sensors and technologies. Even with these methods, characterising soil parameters has not worked beyond a scale with sufficient homogeneity (with regard to vegetation, soil, topography, and microclimate) due to local calibration models. For policymaking, management of land resources, and monitoring of environmental impacts, these methods need to be extended beyond this scale.
This study evaluated the possibility of utilising Landsat 8 at surface reflectance (L8SR) Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data as auxiliary variables for the estimation of surface soil texture using a limited number of legacy samples provided by the Agricultural Research Council: Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW), which were taken from the Lejweleputswa District Municipality in the Free State province, South Africa. Ordinary least squares regression (OLSR) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were utilised to predict and assess the variability of surface soil texture. The data from OLI and TIRS and L8SR were used as explanatory variables and the ARC-ISCW legacy soil texture attributes as response variables. The methodology followed in this research led to the development of a new Optimised Bare Soil Index (OBI). Unlike previously developed bareness indices, the OBI made use of surface reflectance data, which provided a realistic depiction of the elements on the surface of the earth.
The OBI results showed better contrast between bare soil and other elements identified in the study area, which means that the OBI provided better bare soil delineation than previously developed bare soil indices. The OBI results allowed for only bare soil regions of the study area to be sampled for L8SR data. The correlation analysis showed that ARC-ISCW legacy surface sand, silt, and clay contents were significantly correlated with the L8SR digital number (DN) data of the seven bands. Band 6 explained most of the variability in soil, sand, and silt, while Band 5 explained most of the variability in clay contents. The DN of Band 6 for surface sand and silt and the DN of Band 5 for clay were selected as auxiliary data for the estimation of surface soil texture. Regrettably, the key explanatory variables proved to be too complex to be represented by the global OLSR model. Using the same key explanatory variables, GWR significantly improved the surface soil texture estimates. The prediction accuracies provided
by GWR were deemed to be reasonable considering the high variability in land use practices, environmental variables, and the size of the study area. The methodology proposed in this study is promising for future local- to regional-scale digital soil mapping efforts in data-poor regions. The use of L8SR data was shown to reduce soil sampling efforts and therefore reducing soil mapping costs