2694 research outputs found
Sort by
Effects of anthropogenic factors on the population structure of Pterocarpus angolensis DC in a communal area of Khalavha Village in Vhembe Biosphere
No full textM.Sc. (Botany)Department of Biological SciencesPterocarpus angolensis DC. is an indigenous species of value across Africa. The species have been identified as having a high utilization rate for different purposes. The purpose of the study was to analyze the population structure of P. angolensis, a species in high demand. Ethnobotanical information was collected with an aid of a questionnaire from fifty-three informants. The informants identified two plant parts preferred by the community. The only preferred parts are stem (67%) and bark (33%). The study identified a lack of indigenous knowledge of the species amongst the youth. Some of the uses reported on P. angolensis were firewood (n=33), medicine (n=43), craftwork (n=35), protection (n=16), and timber (n=4). The transect sampling technique was used to document ecological data on the species to analyze its population structure. Fifty-three transects of 100m x 10m were constructed within the population. Ecological parameters recorded included stem diameter, height, and crown health status. Basal stem diameter data recorded on P. angolensis sampling were grouped into seven size classes and displayed an inverse J-shaped curve when analysed. The study showed that the population had more individuals (n=60) within the seedlings size class (0-5cm) when compared to the bigger size classes (20.1-25cm, 25.1-30cm, and >30.1cm). The majority (37%) of P. angolensis individuals had light crown damage which depicts on average an aspect of healthy crowns. Only 1% of sampled individuals had dead crowns. Monitoring of the P. angolensis population will assist in making sure that it stays healthy and viable
A Criminological Inquiry into Bad Policing and Student Violent Protest: Insight from the University of Venda
No full textM.A. (Criminal Justice)Department of Criminal LawUnderstanding student violent protests poses a significant challenge. Central to this concern is the perplexing question: "Why do students persist in resorting to violence during protests, risking arrest, injury, or even death?" Despite advancements in comprehending the evolutionary and proximate mechanisms underlying protests, there remains a notable scarcity of insight into the factors precipitating violence during such actions. One often-overlooked factor is ‘bad policing’ during protest events, which can serve as a catalyst for violence. The right to protest is a dynamic avenue for individuals to voice their concerns on pressing issues and ensure that decision-makers heed their grievances. Section 17 of the Constitution of South Africa (1996) enshrines the legal right of all individuals to engage in peaceful and unarmed protests, encompassing non-violent demonstrations that may not be regarded as highly disruptive. The research examined the relationship between poor policing practices and student violent protests at the University of Venda. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, data collection involved administering 200 questionnaires to UNIVEN students through a simple random sampling. Complementarily, SAPS POP officers from the Thohoyandou precinct were purposively selected for participation. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted across four police stations, each comprising five members, including Thohoyandou, Mutale, Levubu, and Vuwani police stations, totaling 20 police officers for the qualitative aspect of the study. Quantitative data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 24 (SPSS), while qualitative data underwent thematic content analysis. The study fosters a balanced and just environment between police officers and protesters, thereby promoting a more stable, peaceful, and orderly university community. Key findings indicate significant relationships between police response attitudes and student violent protests, as well as between bad policing practices and such protests. Moreover, student attitudes toward police intervention during protests, the impact of student violent protests on the university's operational plans, and students' academic progress were also explored with more effective recommendations for improvement.NR
Youth and land reform politics: a post-aparthedi South African perspective
No full textM.A. (Political Science)Department of Development StudiesSouth Africa’s post-apartheid government land reform programme is a central aspect and epitomises the constitutional measure to provide solid redress. Land reform policies and youth socio-economic concerns demonstrate how democratic political power has been used for the past twenty-nine years. Youth is the engine of every country and a critical mass of society. Emerging democratic administration is experiencing the highest level of youth crisis without accessing the basis of wealth, and land. This study explores the socio-economic predicament youth face on the land reform policies of post-apartheid South Africa. The qualitative research method and exploratory design were applied in this study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants and interviews were used for data collection. Content analysis with the help of Atlas.ti was used to analyse both raw data and documents. The study was premised on three objectives which were to analyse South Africa’s land reform policies and assess its implementation. The critique on the impact of the policy on youth socioeconomic emancipation processes, and also explores potential transformation opportunities for land reform and youth. The redistributive justice theory was applied to provide a roadmap and interpretation of the arguments regarding the phenomena under study. The findings of the study suggest that the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the National Assembly, and the Congress of South African Traditional Leaders need to improve the facilitation of land administration for youth to gain access to land. The study concludes that there is a serious need for the promulgation of a youth land ownership policy after the almost a quarter of a century under a democratic South Africa
Development of high-throughput screening assays to identify small molecule inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70-1
No full textM.Sc. (Biochemistry)Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyPlasmodium falciparum causes the most lethal form of malaria infection. Identification and development of novel antimalarial drugs is limited by the shortage of simple, cost-effective screening assays. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a special class of molecular chaperones essential for parasite survival and development within the human host. Hsps are also implicated in drug resistance. Hsp70 forms an integral part of the molecular chaperone system, participating in essential processes such as protein refolding, preventing aggregation and aiding degradation of misfolded proteins. The molecular chaperone PfHsp70-1 is essential for cell survival during stress and it is expressed throughout all the blood stages of the parasite. Thus, Hsp70(s) are essential for functionality in the cell and their function has been demonstrated using the complementation assay. The E. coli dnaK756 mutant strain can grow between 30- 37 ℃ but its viability diminishes at temperatures >40 ℃. In addition, the strain produces non-functional Hsp70. As such, this strain is suitable for studying Hsp70 function using the complementation assay. A high-throughput complementation assay was optimized and developed to screen potential inhibitors of Hsp70. Cells heterogously expressing DnaK were the positive control, while those expressing KPf-V436F were the negative control and the cells heterologously expressing KPf were the test cells. KPf contains a substrate binding domain (SBD) from PfHsp70-1. Protein expression was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacyrlyamide and Western blot analysis. Cells grown with DMSO managed to grow normally under stress, showing that DnaK and KPf conferred cytoprotection to E. coli dnaK756 cells. Those heterologously expressing the negative control could not withstand the thermal stress. However, treatment with inhibitors colistin sulfate and pifithrin μ hindered the growth of cells heterologously expressing DnaK and KPf under non-permissive temperatures by 50-fold. Interestingly, the inhibitors seemed not to have any effect on the cells heterologously expressing the mutant protein KPf-V436F. The cells grown with DMSO seemed to die at the same rate as those treated with inhibitors. The colistin sulfate IC50 values were 0.22 μM for DnaK and 0.07 μM for KPf, whilst pifithrin μ IC50 values were found to be 14.48 μM and 10.41 μM for DnaK and KPf respectively. Statical analysis using Two-way ANOVA utilizing multiple comparison analysis proved the validity of this assay. Solubility studies were conducted to check the solubility status of E. coli dnaK756 proteome in the presence of the inhibitors. Findings from this study show that the inhibition interrupted the interaction of DnaK/KPf with some of its client proteins consequently leading to aggregation. This was a confirmation of the compromised function of DnaK/KPf due to the presence of the inhibitor. Tryptophan fluorescence studies were done to validate the findings of the complementation assay, the results show that pifithrin μ and colistin sulfate perturb the tertiary conformation of DnaK, KPf and PfHsp70-1. Since a protein’s tertiary conformation is crucial for its function, perturbations in its conformation might have altered the protein functional activity. These findings further validated the complementation assay results which show cell growth defects in the presence of inhibitors. Hence, the current study demonstrated the potential of using the complementation assay as a screening assay to identify potential inhibitors of P. falciparum Hsp70-1.National Research Foundation (NRF
Municipal service delivery challenges in a developmental local government context: the case of Vhembe District Municipality
No full textM. Admin.Department of Public and Development AdministrationThis study focuses on municipal service delivery challenges in a developmental local government context: The case of Vhembe District Municipality. South African local government has experienced significant and far-reaching transformation in developmental local government. According to Sections 74(3) and 75(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (from now on referred to as the Constitution, 1996), local government is not only obliged to provide essential services but also to act as a development agent.
This study used the pragmatic research method because it is often associated with mixed-methods or multiple-methods, where the focus is on the consequences of research and on the research questions rather than on the methods. This study used a descriptive research design which provides an opportunity to integrate the qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. This study applied mixed-method research where qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The judgemental sampling method was used to select the study respondents. Research questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data for the study. This study used both statistical and thematic analysis for data analysis and presentation. Ethical considerations were followed before conducting the study.
The main findings of this study indicates that the municipal service delivery challenges in a developmental local government were municipal capacity constraints, financial viability problems, service delivery protests, convoluted political processes, corruption, and poor planning. The main recommendations based on the findings are that the municipality provide community awareness and the strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges of developmental local government on service delivery, within the Vhembe District Municipality.NR
Home-based care for umblical cords neonates by family caregivers at Waterval Community in Mpumalanga Province
No full textMPHDepartment of Public HealthThere is still a rise in neonatal umbilical cord sepsis despite the recommendations made by the World Health Organisation on umbilical cord care, adopted by most countries, including South Africa in 2014. The study aimed to explore and describe home-based care of neonates’ umbilical cords by family caregivers at the Waterval community in Mpumalanga Province. The study's target population was family caregivers caring for a neonate’s umbilical cord. The study used a qualitative research approach. A phenomenological exploratory, descriptive, and contextual study design explored and described home-based care of neonates’ umbilical cords. The sampling technique was non-probability, purposive sampling. The sample size was 18 participants, which was determined by data saturation. Individual in-depth interviews were used for data collection. One question was asked, followed by probing questions. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was utilized for data analysis. Ethical considerations such as protecting participants from Coronavirus Disease 2019, confidentiality, informed consent, privacy, and respect for persons were employed. The qualitative research criteria, including credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability, ensured trustworthiness. Recommendations were based on the findings of the study. The following themes emerged during data analysis: substances applied on the umbilical cord, cultural beliefs associated with umbilical cord care, the effectiveness of health education provided on discharge from the community health centre, and the healing process.NR
Assessment of nutraceutical attributes of selected wild edible fruit plants used by Vhavenda people of the Thulamela Local Municipality
No full textM. Sc. (Biological Sciences)Department of Biological SciencesWild edible fruit plants are highly valued in many remote rural areas, where they play a significant role in fulfilling the sociocultural and livelihood needs of people. Many of these plants are harvested by local communities to augment and diversify their diets as well as to promote local food security. The decline in the use of wild edible fruit plants may be due to a lack of knowledge of their nutritional value, their potential for income generation, and medicinal and cultural uses. This study focused on the documentation of utilisation, conservation, and nutraceutical composition of the wild edible fruit plants of the Thulamela Local Municipality. Information on wild edible fruit plants was gathered through semistructured interviews, fieldwork, and a literature review. A total of 39 wild edible fruit plants of 22 botanical families recorded during the study were used as food, beverage, and additionally as medicine. The number of wild edible fruit plants with medicinal properties was 39 whereas those used to make beverages were 9. Wild edible fruit plants of Thulamela municipality were experiencing challenges due to human activities resulting in declining, endangered, or even extinct. Results of this study also showed the use of wild edible fruit plants as firewood because 10 out of 39 were mentioned for this use. In this study the UHPLC-qTOF-MS/MS-based in source collision induced dissociation method was utilized to generate fragmentation data to assist in the differentiation of closely related isomers.
Wild edible fruit plants have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and for nutritional purposes. Strychnos species has not yet been fully decoded, and due to the inherent complexity of plant metabolomes, the characterization of Strychnos photochemistry remains challenging.
Thus, in this study, we propose the use of molecular networking to unravel the families using the metabolome analysis of two Strychnos species (Strychnos pungens and Strychnos spinosa) and highlight the relevance of molecular networking in exploring the chemotaxonomy of plants. This allows visualization of chemical classes and the variety of substructures within the molecular families.National Research Foundation (NRF
Awareness and attitudes of adolescents towards the use of intrauterine device in Makhado Local Municipality, South Africa
No full textMPHDepartment of Public HealthIntrauterine Devices and Sub-dermal Progestogen implants are long-acting reversible
contraceptive methods that are highly effective and have the greatest potential to reduce
unintended pregnancies. According to District Health Barometer, uptake of the
intrauterine device is low across the country. There has been a noted increase in facility
delivery rate from 15.4% to 16.2% among 10-19 years in Vhembe District. Effective
contraception may reduce unintended pregnancy, the need for the termination of
pregnancy, and the delivery rate among adolescents. The aim of this study was to
explore awareness and attitudes of adolescents towards the use of intrauterine devices
in Makhado Local Municipality, South Africa. A qualitative study approach was adopted
in this study and an explorative qualitative descriptive design was applied. The study
participants included mentally stable adolescent girls aged 12-19 years of age who were
gathered in chill rooms of health centres to be educated by peer educators (Ground
breakers) and for sporting activities in Makhado Local Municipality, South Africa.
Nonprobability convenient sampling was used to recruit participants. A central question
was asked by the researcher in a face-to-face individual interview to collect in-depth
data. Data was analysed using six-phase guide thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was
ensured by observing credibility, dependability, transferability, and conformability. Ethical
principles were considered to safeguard the rights and well-being of participants. The
findings of this study provided information for the Department of Health to plan
reproductive health programs and to promote intrauterine device uptake among
adolescents thereby reducing unintended pregnancies among adolescents.NR
Identification of learners with Mathematics learning barriers in the Intermediate Phase in Nzhelele West Circuit
No full textD. Ed (Curriculum Studies)Department of Curriculum StudiesIn South Africa, learners exhibit learning barriers in Mathematics which lead to poor performance in the subject. The arithmetic barrier among learners is a growing concern to parents, teachers and the Department of Basic Education. The study aimed to explore the identification of learners with Mathematics Learning Barriers in the Intermediate Phase in Nzhelele West Circuit. The study is underpinned by Piaget's cognitive theory and the socio-cultural theory of cognitive development by Lev Vygotsky. This study adopted an interpretivism paradigm and also exploratory qualitative research study design. A qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation and document analysis was used. The population comprised all Grade 4 teachers in twenty one primary schools in Nzhelele West Circuit. The sample which was purposefully selected consisted of eight primary school teachers who were teaching Mathematics in Grade 4. The eight schools were selected for having only one Grade 4 class. The grade 4 class was selected because it is the first grade in the Intermediate Phase.
Data were analysed thematically. The findings of the research revealed that Intermediate Phase teachers who are teaching Mathematics are aware of the existence of Mathematics Learning Barriers. After face-to-face interviews,classroom observation and document analysis were used, the results revealed that early identification of Mathematics Learning Barriers plays a significant role in the learner’s education. The study donates the current knowledge of Mathematics Learning Barriers to Mathematics teachers who are novices in the teaching space. This study serves as a pioneer study for enhancing performance in Mathematics through early identification of Mathematics Learning barriers and offering sufficient learner support to learners who are experiencing Mathematics difficulties.NR
Synthesis of Acid Leached Diatomaceous Earth/ Amine-Functionalized Activated Carbon Composite and its Potential Application in Oily Wastewater Treatment
No full textMENVSCDepartment of Geography and Environmental SciencesDue to the expanding worldwide oil exploration, a significant amount of oily wastewater is being produced. Oily wastewater lowers the diversity of aquatic life and plants by changing the structure of aquatic communities and food chains, among other ecological disturbances. Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to synthesize acid-leached diatomaceous earth (DE) and amine-functionalized activated carbon composite adsorbent for the treatment of oily wastewater. Acid leached diatomaceous earth was synthesized by leaching the raw diatomaceous step-wisely in a 120 mL volume of 2.2 M Nitric acid (HNO3) for three hours on a hotplate set to 60°C at a speed of 300 rpm. Thereafter, the mixture was filtered and the residue was washed with 1.5 L of deionized water. The residue was oven-dried at 50°C for 12 hours. The acid leached DE was then ground with mortar and pestle and then kept in a zip lock bag for further use in oily wastewater treatment. Activated carbon was synthesized from raw macadamia nutshell using of Orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4). Response surface methodology was used to determine the optimum conditions for synthesizing activated where 3 parameters (activation time, impregnation ratio, and activation temperature) were varied. Furthermore, 13 runs were completed at diverse conditions from the response surface methodology. To modify the synthesized activated carbon, hydroxylamine hydrochloride was used as a chemical agent to enhance the adsorption efficiency on the surface of the activated carbon and the amine-functionalized activated carbon was used in the removal of oil from oily wastewater. Lastly, a composite was prepared using both the synthesized acid leached diatomaceous earth and amine functionalized activated carbon and further evaluate its adsorption capacity and oil removal efficiency. All the synthesized adsorbents were applied in oily wastewater treatment and response surface methodology was used to optimize the variable parameters (adsorbent dosage, initial oil concentration and contact time) and to determine the optimum conditions for the oil removal efficiency. Therefore, this study was divided into 3 sections of results as discussed below.
The first section of results is focused on the preparation of acid leached diatomaceous earth and its application in oily wastewater treatment. The results showed that acid treatment does not alter the physical structure of the diatomaceous earth significantly although there was an increase of silica content, its surface area, and pore volume from 78.98 to 91.57%, 15.02 to 22.40 m2/g, and 60.88 to 68.71 Å, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of 124.16 mg/g and oil removal efficiency of 78.55% were achieved at initial oil concentration of 3229.69 using 0.05 g adsorbent dosage and 119.20 mins contact time. The adsorption kinetics data fitted
better to pseudo-second order model (R2=0.98) of reaction kinetics indicating that adsorption occurred through chemisorption. The adsorption isotherms were descried better by the Freundlich isotherms model (R2=0.87) indicating that adsorption occurred in a heterogeneous and multilayer surface.
The second section focused on the synthesis of amine functionalized activated carbon for oily wastewater treatment. Activated carbon was prepared from macadamia nutshells (MNS) using H3PO4 as activating agent and further modified with amine groups using hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Amine-functionalization increases the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency due to expansion of the adsorbent’s particles. The oil removal experiment using amine-functionalized activated carbon showed a maximum percentage removal of 82.93% with adsorption capacity of 167.96 mg/g when initial oil concentration of 10 000 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 0.1 g adsorbent dosage and contact time of 60 mins were used. The adsorption kinetics data fitted to pseudo-second order model (R2=0.92) of reaction kinetics indicating that adsorption occurred via chemisorption. The adsorption isotherm data fitted Freundlich adsorption isotherms (R2=1) model indicating that adsorption took place on heterogeneous and multilayer surface.
The last section of the study focused on the preparation of the acid leached diatomaceous earth/amine-functionalized activated carbon composite adsorbent and its application in treatment oily wastewater. Due to challenges associated with synthesizing an ideal adsorbent for oily wastewater treatment, this composite adsorbent was synthesized to overcome the activated carbon drawbacks which include low thermal conductivity affecting the regeneration efficiency leading to a reduced adsorption capacity after being used for a certain period. Consequently, the advantages of the diatomaceous earth which include excellent heat resistance and its high porosity can improve the physicochemical properties such as surface area and thermal conductivity on the composite adsorbent. The SEM micrographs showed the presence of pores and rough surface with some particles of varying sizes on the surface of the composite material due to the addition of some functional groups which allowed the transfer of the oil molecules into the inner surface of the composite adsorbent. The prepared composite adsorbent showed a maximum oil removal percentage of 90.02% with maximum adsorption capacity of 416.67 mg/g at initial oil concentration of 5250 mg/L, an adsorbent dosage of 0.3 g, and contact time of 60 mins. The adsorption kinetics data showed a better fit to the pseudo-second order model (R2=0.98) showing that adsorption took place via chemisorption.
Freundlich adsorption isotherm model descried the adsorption better showing that adsorption occurred on a heterogeneous and multilayer surface.
Based on these findings, both materials prepared in this study has potential for use in treatment of oily wastewater. However, the composite displayed higher affinity towards treatment of oily wastewater compared to the acid leached diatomaceous earth and amine-functionalized activated carbon. Based on the conclusions, the main recommendations made from this study were to: 1) test the feasibility of adsorbent in field application and 2) conduct the cost-benefit analysis for this adsorbent.NR