11613 research outputs found
Sort by
Candida albicans-enteric viral interactions—the prostaglandin E2 connection and host immune responses
No full textThe human microbiome comprises trillions of microorganisms residing within different mucosal cavities and across the body surface. The gut microbiota modulates host susceptibility to viral infections in several ways, and microbial interkingdom interactions increase viral infectivity within the gut. Candida albicans, a frequently encountered fungal species in the gut, produces highly structured biofilms and eicosanoids such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which aid in viral protection and replication. These biofilms encompass viruses and provide a shield from antiviral drugs or the immune system. PGE2 is a key modulator of active inflammation with the potential to regulate interferon signaling upon microbial invasion or viral infections. In this review, we raise the perspective of gut interkingdom interactions involving C. albicans and enteric viruses, with a special focus on biofilms, PGE2, and viral replication. Ultimately, we discuss the possible implications of C. albicans-enteric virus associations on host immune responses, particularly the interferon signaling pathway.Publisher's versio
The Maputo protocol: a reason to hope
No full textItem under Embargo until May 2025No abstract availablePublisher's versio
Refining of nitrogen fertilization guidelines for irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in South Africa
No full textThirteen randomised block nitrogen fertilization field trials were done in five irrigated cotton producing areas of South Africa: Bela Bela, Rustenburg, Vaalharts, Rietriver and Groblersdal, with the aim to refine the existing nitrogen fertilization guideline. At Rustenburg cotton was preceded by harvested oats, harvested soybean, ploughed in soybean and babala in order to create varying soil nitrogen contents. Soil samples (0–300, 300–600 and 600–900 mm soil depths) were taken at least two weeks after irrigation for land preparation to determine total nitrogen. Leaf petiole samples were collected at two-week intervals, starting one week before first flowering for measurement of total nitrogen. After ripening, seed cotton yield was determined. The yield was subjected to analysis of variance and correlated with the nitrogen application rate to quantify an optimal nitrogen fertilization rate per site for each trial year. The estimated optimal nitrogen fertilization levels were correlated with the residual soil nitrogen content for each depth resulting in four guidelines for either maximum yield or maximum profit. Therefore, the cotton grower has eight different options for the calculation of an appropriate nitrogen application level based on the residual nitrogen content of the soil
Mutational analysis of a South African haemophilia B population
No full textDissertation (M.Med.Sc. (Human Molecular Biology))--University of the Free State, 2023Introduction and Aim: Haemophilia B is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder characterised by a deficiency of coagulation factor IX (FIX), due to a wide spectrum of causative mutations in the FIX encoding gene (F9). Based on the plasma concentration of normal FIX coagulant activity (FIX:C), haemophilia B can be classified as mild (>5 – <40 international units per decilitre (IU/dL)), moderate (1 – 5 IU/dL) or severe (<1 IU/dL). Genetic testing is an important aspect in the haemophilia B diagnostic approach and appropriate patient management. Given the low prevalence, haemophilia A and B are considered orphan diseases; however, because haemophilia B is much rarer than haemophilia A, it is a disorder that is often neglected in terms of basic research, resulting in suboptimal disorder management. The aim of this study was to screen haemophilia B patients in our region for known and novel F9 causative gene variants, as well as determine the genotype/phenotype relationship for each study participant. Methods: A total of 21 participants were enrolled in this study. All the participants were screened using conventional PCR assays to amplify F9 exon 1 – 8, followed by direct Sanger sequencing to analyse and confirm causative F9 gene variations. The F9 variants identified were compared to various F9 gene variants databases to confirm known and novel variants. Furthermore, for the functional analysis a FIX one-stage and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay were done to measure the FIX:C. Discrepancies between the ELISA and one-stage assay were determined by calculating the p-value. The genotype/phenotype relationship was determined for the study participants and subsequently compared to previously published data. Results and Discussion: A total of eight pathogenic F9 variations were identified throughout the FIX protein domains: p.Ser⁴º⁶Leu, p.Glu²⁴¹*, p.Asn³⁹³del, p.Asn¹º⁴Metfs*31, p.Phe¹²¹Leufs*3, p.Lys⁴⁵⁹Serfs*24, p.Val²⁴³Phefs*2, and Thr⁸⁴Glufs*20. Approximately 63% of the variants detected were novel. The previously published variants identified in our study did correlate with previously published data. Conclusion: The discovery of novel F9 pathogenic variations in our South African population is an exciting finding, proving that genetic analysis of people with Haemophilia B is an important undertaking to better understand the pathogenesis of Haemophilia B in our population, and the wider sub-Saharan African population.
The nature and practice of distributed leadership in selected secondary schools of South Africa
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Education))--University of the Free State, 2023The world over, secondary schools have experienced different kinds of leadership such as team leadership, ethical leadership, psychodynamic leadership, teacher leadership and distributed leadership, among other leadership styles. The present study explored the nature of distributed leadership in selected secondary schools in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It sought to provide answers to the central question: What is the nature of distributed leadership practice in selected secondary schools in the Limpopo province of South Africa and how does it shape teaching and learning? In order to answer this question, the study was guided by the following sub-questions: (i) How is distributed leadership understood and practised in selected secondary schools, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa? (ii) In what ways do the practices of distributed leadership in the selected secondary schools shape teaching and learning? (iii) How can the practice of distributed leadership within the selected secondary schools be described and explained? Research participants comprised 14 members drawn from the entire education value chain for the districts studied. The key finding in the present study is that, distributed leadership practice in the selected secondary schools may be understood from the perspective of two key dimensions, namely, the vertical and horizontal dimensions. The vertical dimensions focuses on who is involved in distributed leadership in a school system. It is about the range of persons involved in distributed leadership as viewed from the perspective of the organisation structure of an education system. The horizontal dimension focuses on what activities are involved in distributed leadership. Pursuant to these two dimensions, an important finding showing in the present study is that distributed leadership in the schools studied involves some form of shared leadership. In fact, all participants in this study understood distributed leadership as a leadership approach in which "all persons with capacity”, regardless of rank, are allowed to lead in some specific situation, as and when the need arises. However, there appears to be discrepancies on the definitions of “all persons” among stakeholders in education. Some participants viewed the concept of “all persons” from an local employee perspective, that is, individuals within a school as bounded by the perimenter fence. This view is defined in this study as the employee perspective of distributed leadership. Others viewed the concept of “all persons” from a stakeholder perspective. These variations in perspectives of “all persons”, that is, discrepancies on who comprise the vertical dimension of distributed leadership appears in the present study to have ramifications on the practices of educators. Participants with an employee, that is, an office bearer perspective to the concept of ‘all’ practised distributed leadership in the perspective of a school with boundaries. This means they viewed distributed leadership in the perspective of people who are internal to a specific school, such as teacher leadership and the members of the school management teams. On the other hand, those with a stakeholder perspective viewed the concept of “all persons”, in the broad sense, to include everyone with an interest in what happens in schools. This view focuses on schools as institutions without boundaries, or if the boundaries exist, they are pervious. In this perspective, distributed leadership practice also involves people who may not hold line authority in the educational value chain. Clearly, findings in the present study showed distributed leadership to be a situational practice. The situation comprises the personal characteristics of educators across the entire education value chain and the context of the school leadership environment. As a result of these two contexts, that is, the personal context of educators and the institutional context of the school leadership environment, distributed leadership practice may be described and explained in terms of two main goals. The first goal is to democratise the education space and to ensure that educators effectively account for their performance. The second goal focuses on improving instructional practices and learner attainment from an entirely professional perspective as opposed to a political perspective of democratising the education space. Clearly, findings in the present study showed that distributed leadership in the Limpopo province of South Africa can be explained in terms of either democracy or service delivery goals. The present study recommends a holistic approach based on both the democracy and service delivery goals of distributed leadership. The former seems to have its roots in the political and policy context of education and the latter on instructional and pedagogical foundations
Community participation in climate change policy formulation and implementation in Lesotho
No full textThesis(Ph.D.(Public Administration and Management))--University of the Free State, 2023: Climate change is prioritised as one of the 2030 sustainable development goals of the United Nations (UN) due to its global impact. If not addressed through climate governance and the adoption of appropriate policies, climate change may drive more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030. The success of climate governance and the implementation of climate change policies do not only depend on institutions such as the UN and its signatories, governments and activists, but have equally become the responsibilities of communities. However, the state of community participation in climate change policy formulation and implementation seems to be a challenge in Africa. A case in this regard, which is also the focus of this study, is Lesotho, which is affected by climate change, yet community participation in climate governance, particularly in policy formulation and implementation, does not seem effective. In Lesotho, it is evident that the threat of climate change is exacerbated by poor agricultural practices, deforestation and wildfires. In light of this, the current study explored community participation in climate change policy by presenting a contextual participatory strategy towards such participation in future policy formulation and implementation processes.
: Although Lesotho’s National Climate Change Policy supports community participation in climate change policies, community participation in climate governance seems to be lacking in the country. The extent to which the country will achieve adaptation to climate change mainly depends on the level of community participation in climate governance. This necessitates a contextual strategy in which communities are part of policy governance in climate change of which the current research aims to fill this gap.
, : The qualitative research approach was adopted in this study. A case study design was applied to explore community participation in climate change policies by presenting a contextual participatory strategy towards such participation in future policy formulation and implementation processes. This design was executed in three stages (conceptual - Stage 1, theoretical - Stage 2 and empirical - Stage 3). Through qualitative methods of data collection (documents, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews), multiple sources of data were used to address the research problem.
: The contribution of this study can be captured in respect of the discipline of Public Administration (PA), Lesotho’s policy agenda and community participation in climate change policy. Pertaining to PA, this study aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice through empirical data that analyse the relationship of community participation, participation theories and the practical application of the New Public Governance components through public administration and climate governance. In addition, the study adds to the ongoing debate and stimulates the discourse in respect of new contemporary participation methodologies that could enhance community participation in climate change policy formulation and implementation. Regarding Lesotho’s policy agenda, data were generated that could influence the policy agenda regarding community participation in future climate change policy formulation and implementation. This study contributes to a paradigm shift for increased legitimacy, acceptance and ownership of climate change policies, through community participation in future climate policy processes. This contextual research introduced novel insights regarding the use of indigenous knowledge systems in climate change policy formulation and implementation to facilitate community participation in climate governance. Concerning community participation in climate governance, this study contributed to the research agenda for future studies regarding community participation in climate change policy formulation and implementation, which is fundamental to the success of climate governance
Exploring the collaborative roles of stakeholders to sustain discipline in selected primary schools in the Motheo district
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Management and Leadership))--University of the Free State, 2023Sustained discipline for learners is very important for successful teaching and learning. It is of increasing importance that all stakeholders – school principals, parents, teachers, and learners – become involved with enforcing discipline in the school. Control of learners’ behaviour by the various stakeholders is problematic. Resultantly, there is a growing tendency of school principals and teachers resigning their careers.
The aim of the study is to explore the collaborative roles of stakeholders to sustain discipline in selected primary schools in the Motheo district. There is a lack of cooperation among the various stakeholders to sustain discipline in their schools. Consequently, this study endeavoured to determine the extent to which the various stakeholders practised collaborative roles in sustaining discipline in the school environment. The community's contribution as stakeholders in sustaining discipline in the school was also investigated.
The study was undertaken at four primary schools in the Motheo district. The qualitative research approach, as well as the theory of Freud as the theoretical approach, was used in this study. The interpretivist paradigm was employed for the collection process of the data. This included semi-structured interviews with HOD’s and teachers as well as open-ended questionnaires filled out by the school principal, SGB and two learners. The results thus obtained through the various participants indicated that varying strategies were implemented by participants to eradicate misbehaviour in schools and to sustain discipline in place thereof. The main cause of misbehaviour is also discussed from the data gained through the investigation, and categories and themes have been identified. The investigation of the lack of discipline in schools, as well as the possible stumbling blocks that contributed to the problem, formed the basis of this study. The findings proved that there was a lack of cooperation in sustaining discipline at the schools participating in the investigation. The co-operation of the community in this respect was also found to be negligible. Recommendations suggested as a result of the study are that the different stakeholders should co-operate in sustaining discipline in the school environment. Non-punitive forms of discipline should be used to motivate learners
The role of the school principal in dealing with conflict between teachers and learners
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Management and Leadership))--University of the Free State, 2023Globally, schools experience conflict between learners and between learners and teachers. South African schools seem not to be an exception to the status-quo. Thus, this study investigates the school principals’ role in dealing with conflict between teachers and learners through persuasive management style. This study was underpinned by a persuasive management style that focuses on managers who use their ability to interpret a situation, people's actions and dialogue and then strongly urge them to do a task or achieve specific objectives. Suppose the principal can execute the actions/activities mentioned. In that case, he may change the mindset of those involved in a conflict situation, reducing the conflict to a minimum. The most important aspect of a persuasive manager is that as a mediator, they maintain control over the entire decision-making process. The study used the interpretivist paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach utilising a phenomenology research design. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants from the four schools in the Thabo-Mofutsanyane Education district, Free State, South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were employed to generate data, and the data collected was analysed thematically. The findings revealed that conflict between teachers and learners is common in the selected schools, and such a conflict originates from different sources, such as tasks, values and goals. The findings suggest that those involved in conflict are affected psychologically, physically and emotionally due to such a conflict. Principals, as part of the School Management Team (SMT), then come through to play a role in helping find a middle way, an alternative to any conflict occurring in schools, to prevent it from escalating to violence. The principals are also responsible for maintaining the school's integrity and establishing and maintaining a peaceful and harmonious teaching and learning environment. So far, these principals have raised awareness of managing conflict among teachers and learners through school workshops. However, not enough resources and facilities are available to help principals offer beyond what they can currently offer. To this effect, the study recommends that schools should be provided with adequate resources and facilities and that counselling sessions be introduced in schools for teachers and learners
Development of an agricultural food enterprise model in rural towns in Vhembe district, Limpopo province, South Africa
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (Sustainable Agriculture))--University of the Free State, 2023Introduction: The street food enterprise underwrites food security by bringing food to local communities. It is a growing source of employment and income for economically challenged households. Yet, it continues to face challenges such as lack of support from various stakeholders. This study aimed to develop an agricultural food enterprise model of competitiveness for the street food enterprise in rural towns in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province in South Africa.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design and mixed methods approach were used. Five hundred and eleven (511) street vendors of ready-to-eat foods participated in the study. Convenient sampling was done in three rural Vhembe District towns. Quantitatively, a structured questionnaire was used to measure their socio-economic and operational characteristics, and the dietary diversity of the foods sold. A convenient sampling was further used to sample 55 participants for a qualitative study. A six-step value chain analysis and Porter's Diamond Model of Competitiveness components were used as a guiding framework. In-depth interviews were used to explore the perceived challenges and proposed solutions. Descriptive statistical analysis, thematic qualitative analysis, and value chain analysis using components of Porter's Diamond Model were applied across the study. A SWOT analysis was performed in the final step to diagnose the value chain's details and inform the development of the street food model.
Results: The vendors were mainly South African women aged 35-54 years who were primarily motivated into the enterprise by unemployment and financial challenges. Their businesses contributed about 82% of their household income. The foods they sold had poor diversity, with 70% comprising fewer than five food groups and starchy staples, a common food group. The value chain is short with poor infrastructure. It includes purchasing, storage, transportation, production, and consumption. The main actors involved are input suppliers (formal and informal traders), transporters, local authorities, and customers. The vendors perceived four main factor conditions of Production, Chance condition (new inventions and technologies, shifts in the financial market, decisions of foreign governments, and wars), Role of government, and Related and supporting industries as the conditions inhibiting the competitiveness of the street food enterprise. Poor government support, the cost of water, and costly finance were critical subcomponents. Thus, the result of the study informs a Diamond Model of Competitiveness with a partially different structure from that of Porter's Diamond Model. The results suggest that the factor conditions that explain the competitiveness of an informal survivalist enterprise like street food vending are prioritised differently than when used to explain the competitiveness of a formal organisation.
Recommendations: Government needs to adopt a collaborative approach to the transformation of street vendors, while protecting them from the impact of factors that inhibit their competitive performance. Key strategies include access to water, short-term finance solutions, improved infrastructure, and provision of relevant training
Rising voices of community: Explorations of identity driven low-cost housing systems, incrementally sprouting into urban developments in the Haakbosdraai settlement
No full textDissertation (M.Arch. (Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2023In informal settlements two of the main challenges facing communities are that informal housing such as shanties can only offer limited relief for the inhabitants in terms of meeting their basic needs of shelter and secondly public spaces in these areas although in some cases dynamic, do not allow for optima living conditions and can benefit from urban design input by architects through public participation and community engagement. One of the questions that will be interrogated in this study is how social housing can create environments which augment individuality and contextuality while remaining low-cost. The primary issue is that low-cost social housing solutions, such as RDP housing, disregards the value of personal stories and sense of identity as seen in the informal settlement of Haakbosdraai, Postmasburg. To address this an incremental system of adaptation and in-person interviews are used to individually convert existing shanties and create personal connections with the existing urban infrastructure. By investigating the link between narrative and architecture and the value of the organic growth prevalent in informal settlements, one can see how the method of using stories and incrementality can sustain a dynamic built identity within communities. This methodology allows for low-cost, social housing and supportive public functions and urban upgrading which sustain the growth of informal settlements into thriving contributors within the larger built reality