UNAM Gā-aisib Repository (University of Namibia)
Not a member yet
3204 research outputs found
Sort by
Immunogenicity of the Oral Rabies vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS in dogs under field settings in Namibia
No full textDog-mediated rabies is endemic throughout Africa. While free-roaming dogs that play a crucial role in rabies transmission are often inaccessible for parenteral vaccination during mass dog vaccination campaigns, oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is considered to be a promising alternative to increase vaccination coverage in these hard-to-reach dogs. The acceptance of ORV as an efficient supplementary tool is still low, not least because of limited immunogenicity and field trial data in local dogs. In this study, the immunogenicity of the highly attenuated 3rd-generation oral rabies vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS in local free-roaming dogs from Namibia was assessed by determining the immune response in terms of seroconversion for up to 56 days post-vaccination. At two study sites, free-roaming dogs were vaccinated by administering the vaccine either by direct oral administration or via a vaccine-loaded egg bait. Pre- and post-vaccination blood samples were tested for rabies virus neutralizing as well as binding antibodies using standard serological assays. A multiple logistic regression (MLR) analysis was performed to determine a possible influence of study area, vaccination method, and vaccine dose on the seroconversion rate obtained. About 78%of the dogs vaccinated by the oral route
seroconverted (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA), though the seroconversion as determined by a rapid fluorescence focus inhibition test (RFFIT) wasmuch lower. None of the factors examined had a significant effect on the seroconversion rate. This study confirms the immunogenicity of the vaccine strain SPBN GASGAS and the potential utility of ORV for the control of dog-mediated rabies in African dogs.German Ministry of Health through grant Ri-075
Graduate attributes and employability in journalism and mass communication
No full textThere exist ambivalence in the literature and among scholars about employability and graduate attributes across theoretical and practical courses offered by higher educational institutions, hence this study set itself the task of tracking SJMC graduates to find out if the offerings at the University of Dar es Salaam have assisted them in terms of employability as well as finding out from selected employers about graduate attributes that the former bring to bear on the work environment. Using systematic sampling supplemented with snowball sampling based on the poor response rate of the former, the study found out that the graduates were largely satisfied even though they had a number of areas that they felt should be improved upon. Employers, on the other hand, even though they also had largely positive attitudes wanted more practical courses; a sentiment also expressed by the graduates. Graduates were also not satisfied with the level of currency of the offerings, hence the study calls for urgent curriculum review involving various stakeholders to better tailor course offerings to the demands of the marketplace.SID
Linguistic rights in Africa: A critical analysis of the survivability of indigenous languages of Namibia
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law (Public law and Jurisprudence)The call for the protection and promotion of languages, especially minority languages has gained prominence in recent years largely due to awareness campaigns by academics and human rights organisations. The United Nations through its agency the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) continues to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism. To this effect, the UN recognizes 21 February as ‘International Mother Tongue Day. Alarmingly, about 90% of the world’s languages are expected to die out within the next 100 years or so if mechanisms to reverse this impending tragedy are not adopted by various states across the world. The study therefore focused on the language situation in Africa in general and Namibia in particular. It should be noted that the study was interdisciplinary in nature. It encompassed areas of sociology, linguistics, anthropology, history, political science and law. Because of its interdisciplinary approach, the study discussed issues of language and nation state, language loss, international law and language rights, the linguistic history of Africa as well as the economic and political effects related to the marginalization of African languages. Desktop research methodology and to a lesser extent face to face interviews were the main methods used to acquire data for the study. The study revealed two crucial findings: These are: (1) there is no specific international legal instrument that recognizes the right to language. (2) The study further found that Namibia recognizes the right to language under its Constitution, however, there is no specific law nor a language body that specifically protects and promotes local languages. The author thus recommended that the Namibian National Language Policy as crafted in 1981 be reviewed and updated. The author further recommends that African languages be used in all educational settings. This will encourage language scholars to develop new vocabulary and new scientific terminologies to represent new thoughts and philosophies articulated in African languages
An investigation of the impact of corporate governance practices on the financial performance of tier 3 public enterprises in Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Finance)Tier 3 Public Enterprises in Namibia have been hampered by corporate governance
problems and rely heavily on government financial injection to sustain their
operations. PEs in Namibia continuously make losses. Thus, becoming a burden to the government. Poor corporate governance practices have been singled out as one of the major causes for the bad financial situation at tier 3 PEs. This study aimed to
investigate the impact of corporate governance practices on the financial performance of tier 3 PEs, as their performance has a significant impact on the Namibian economy.
Board size, board committees and board meetings were used as corporate governance measures. Financial performance was measured using the Return on Assets (ROA),using ROA as a financial measure is practical as it measures the profitability of PEs as a whole in relation to the assets employed. ROA is also referred to as the return on investment (ROI). A return on the investment made into these PEs by Government has to be measured. Thus, ROA was best suited to be used as a measure of financial performance for this study. The study applied a panel data analysis approach.
The population consisted of all (10) tier 3 PEs, as per the Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia dated 31 May 2013. Secondary data were only being collected for nine tier 3 PEs for the period of 2011 to 2018, as this was the period that all annual financial reports were available for all the tier 3 PEs. The data were captured using Microsoft Excel and thereafter transferred to SPSS where linear regression was used to analyse the relationship between the corporate governance and financial
performance. The study revealed that there was statistical significance at a 0.05 level of significance between corporate governance practices and financial performance of tier 3 PEs and the study revealed board meetings and board size were positively correlated to financial performance and board committees had a negative relationship.
The study recommended that tier 3 PEs invest in corporate governance to improve
their financial performance. The study also recommended that adopting corporate
governance should be made mandatory by law. Furthermore, based on the study
findings policy makers are encouraged to increase the number of board meetings and board member at tier 3 PEs as it correlates positively with financial performance. However, it is recommended to reduce the number of board committees at tier 3 PEs
Molecular investigation of Porcine Circovirus type 3 infection in pigs in Namibia
No full textPorcine circovirus type 3 (PCV-3) infection is widely distributed in domestic pig populations in America, Europe, and Asia. However, no data is currently available about its presence and distribution in Africa. This study investigated the presence of PCV-3 in pigs (n = 122) in Namibia, by means of biomolecular methods. The pig samples collected (n = 122) were representative of the swine industry in Namibia, covering the major pig production facilities in the country. All of the samples tested were negative for PCV-3, and this indicated that the virus was either not present in the country or was circulating at low levels. Further studies are needed to better understand the distribution, if any, of PCV-3 in Namibia.This study was supported by funds from the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI)
VETLAB Network
An audio-visual rhetorical analysis of Dr Abraham Iyambo's advocacy for the concept - ''Towards free education for all'
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English StudiesThis study offered an audio-visual rhetorical (AVR) analysis of the then Minister of
Education and Culture, Dr Abraham Iyambo’s audio-visuals (AVs) on how he advocated for ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. Various government policies and ministers of education have advocated for ‘free education for all’ but arguably they could not promote this goal as much as Dr Abraham Iyambo did. It was only when he became the Minister of Education and Culture in 2010 when ‘free education for all’ came to be advocated for with distinct vigour. The study examined how Iyambo integrated audio-visual rhetoric in his advocacy for ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. It thus investigated how Iyambo employed audio visual patterns (AVP) and related linguistic features in his speeches. The study argues that Iyambo
used Burke’s identification theory as a complementary strategy in his audio-visual rhetoric, Cicero’s five canons, and Aristotle’s proofs to persuade the entire education fraternity (audience) to promote this goal. Moreover, the study sought to find out the extent to which Iyambo incorporated other rhetoric devices in his advocacy. The study is the first of its kind to undertake an audio-visual rhetorical analysis of Iyambo’s AVs in his quest to promote the goal of ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, and was exploratory in nature. It employed the use of checklists as a data collection tool. Content analysis was used to analyse three videos that were purposively sampled. The
symbolic convergence theory (SCT) and the fantasy theme theory (FTA) guided the
researcher in the analysis. The findings of the study reflect that Iyambo was an intelligent rhetorician who employed AVPs, trait of linguistic features, Burke’s identification theory, all of Cicero’s five canons, and Aristotle’s proofs in his quest to attain ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. The study concludes that the faculty of rhetoric is of utmost importance in every sphere of life if one must bring about reformation
Collection development practices at institutions of higher learning in Namibia with special reference to electronic resources: The case of the University of Namibia library
No full textCollection development is one of the critical activities of any library management process. The goal of collection development in university libraries is to effectively provide relevant and up to date information resources. The purpose of the study was to investigate the collection development practices at the University of Namibia (UNAM) library (and its constituent branches) with special reference to the electronic resources. The study population comprised of 291 teaching staff from all
eight faculties of UNAM. A total number of 149 faculty members responded to the survey, which gave a response rate of 51.2%, while a total number of 16 library staff were interviewed. The study was largely quantitative, with qualitative data being collected to supplement the quantitative data. For quantitative data collection, the study used a self-administered questionnaire, while for qualitative data, the study
used an interview schedule with library staff . The study found that not all faculty members were aware of the guidelines, procedures and policies on the collection development activities. Eighty-one percent (81%) of faculty members were aware of the importance of their role in selecting library materials. As a result, a high percentage of respondents (62.4%) have been involved in collection development
activities with librarians. The main factors influencing collection development at UNAM, according to the faculty members, are: budget allocated for e-resources, communication between librarians and the faculty members, and procedures of placing orders for resources
Teachers' experiences regarding implementation of the revised Social Studies curriculum: The case of Khomas region, Namibia
No full textResearch submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (curriculum and Assessment Studies)This study sought to examine the experiences Social Studies teachers face with regards to the implementation of the revised Social Studies curriculum for the Senior Primary Phase (Grades 4 to 7) in five selected schools in the Khomas region of Namibia. The Rogan and Grayson’s implementation of the curriculum Theory was adapted as theoretical underpinning for this study. A case study research design, employing a qualitative research approach, was adopted. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select three Social Studies teachers from each of the five selected primary schools in the Khomas region, and ten members of school management, two from each school. Data were generated by means of open-ended interview questions, document analysis and classroom observation.
The study identified lack of resources, inadequate training, heavy workloads and teachers’ resistance to change as some of the major challenges that constrained the effective implementation of the Social Studies curriculum in the schools that participated in the study. The study concluded that, although some members of the school management and teachers tried to perform their roles and responsibilities to ensure the effective implementation of the revised curriculum in their subject areas, they still required training and on-going support to execute certain aspects of their duties with confidence. If the identified challenges experienced by teachers about the curriculum are not addressed, it could have far-reaching consequences, not only for the school but also for the whole society of the particular field in producing the type of skilled learners needed for the development of society. The study recommends that the National Institute for Educational Development should ensure that teachers receive extensive training prior to the implementation of the revised curriculum
A ruthenium bipyridyl molecular dye sensitizer and an excited‑state intermolecular proton transfer‑active colorimetric probe for anions, with high afnity towards CN− in DMSO
No full textAbstract
A ruthenium bipyridyl-dye sensitizer (N) based on the naphthyl-thiazole anchoring-ancillary ligand was synthesized and
characterized using spectroscopic methods of UV–Vis, 1
H NMR, FTIR and fuorescence. The functional properties of N
were investigated through its photoinduced and intramolecular based charge transfer mechanisms. Subsequently, N displayed
interesting charge transfer-based properties (ESIPT) that are complementary to molecular photovoltaic and chemosensing
properties. The properties were investigated and studied in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), due to its polar nature and solubility
of the dye. Dye sensitizer exhibitions were investigated through solvatochromism efect on the optoelectronic properties,
while chemosensing abilities were inspected through colorimetric activities, upon molar addition of anions. Thus, it was
established that a dual functional N is a potential dye sensitizer with optoelectronic properties displaying high molar extinction coefcients in acetone. In addition, it was found that N is a colorimetric and fuorometric probe selective and sensitive
to biologically important anions of CN−, F−, OH− and AcO− through fuorescence enhancement, as a result of hydrogenbonding leading to deprotonation. The sensing probe, however, displayed more strongly association with CN−.
Keywords Molecular photovoltaic · Ruthenium dye sensitizer · Colorimetric probe · Solvatochromism · CN− senso
Nurses as working mothers and their social reproductive roles: An exploratory study of nurses in Windhoek, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Sociology)This study explored the extension of female reproductive roles into the nursing
profession. The deficit of information in Namibia pertaining to the convergence of dual reproductive and productive roles and linkages to the nursing profession deemed it essential to justify an exploration into such duality of roles. This study was a qualitative study with data being collected through in-depth interviews with female nurses who identified as working mothers. A phenomenological approach to Narrative Research Methodology was used. The main aim of this approach was to seek in-depth data concerning how nurses perceive their dual roles in production and reproduction. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify the research participants. The data gathered during the course of in-depth interviewing was analysed manually through the identification and development of relevant conceptual themes. Linkages between nurturing roles and financial independence, balancing reproductive and productive roles, the creation of gender balances based on dual roles and gender power relations as a result of paid productive Labour outside the home were at the helm of this study. There was present, a balancing of familial responsibilities associated with gender-based stereotypes as well as the existence of female nursing practice within a gender-based hierarchy. Findings indicated that nursing is viewed as a selfless profession requiring a
commitment to care. The socialization of females into stereotypical roles was found to take place during the formative years of childhood. There was an agreement in relation to the fact that characteristics that are devoid of compassion and commitment to care disqualify one from successful nursing. Therefore patient-centred care and ascriptions to intensive mothering ideologies in nursing were discovered to be at the helm of the feminization of caring in the profession