UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Dragonflies and damselflies of the Western Cape - OdonataMAP report, August 2018
Get PDFIn the two-year period 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018, citizen scientists added seven species to the list of dragonflies and damselflies in the Western Cape, bringing the total to 76 species (Figure 1).
The database available for this report contained 11,267 records of dragonflies and damselflies. This includes the specimen record dating back to the start of the 20th century.
Of these records 2,433 records (22%) were added between July 2016 and June 2017, and 4,202 (37%) between July 2017 and June 2018.
Thus 59% of the entire Western Cape database of records of dragonflies and damselflies was contributed by citizen scientists in two years
Perceived risks and benefits of nanomedicine: a case study of an anti-tuberculosis drug
Get PDFNanotechnologies are novel and have intriguing properties, and yet they have some potential for harm. Using the case study of a nanoparticle anti- tuberculosis drug, this paper analyses the considerations of different stakeholders in assessing the potential risks and benefits of nanomedicine. Interview data from patients, nurses, caregivers and scientists from Gauteng province in South Africa were analysed through the lens of the Social Construction of Technology theoretical framework, which emphasises the importance of understanding the influence of social context on the development, interpretation and use of technologies. The stakeholders displayed varying interpretations of the drug based on their vested interests. To the patients, nurses and caregivers, their challenges in the treatment of tuberculosis influenced what they perceived to be potential risks and benefits of the drug. The scientists considered the functionality of the drug and its potential societal benefits but were also concerned about side effects. The study reveals that the context of stakeholders matters in their assessment of the risks and benefits of nanomedicine. Thus, it is not sufficient to assess a technology focusing only on its technical properties, but it is important to consider how the technology is nested in its broader social, political and cultural environment
Subcontracting Systems and Social Protection in the Informal Building Construction Industry in Lagos, Nigeria
Get PDFSubcontracting systems are entrenched in the building construction process in Nigeria. However, the implications for informal building construction industry workers' access to social protection measures are a cause for concern. This study examined the influence of subcontracting systems on access to social protection measures by workers in the informal building construction industry in Lagos, Nigeria, based on a cross-sectional research design, agency theory and the general theory of employment. The secondary and primary data used for the study were derived from a systematic review of relevant literature, a questionnaire administered to 908 respondents and 50 key informant interviews among informal building construction workers and subcontractors. The structured questionnaire was subjected to internal and external validity; the Cronbach's Alpha reliability test of the survey stood at 0.722. Data extracted from the structured questionnaire and interviews were analysed through the use of descriptive statistics, correlational analysis and narrative analysis. Findings revealed that workers got financial and health assistance from employers and government respectively. Results also show that informal building construction workers perceived provision of social protection as inadequate. The results of Pearson Correlation indicate that subcontracting systems have an inverse and statistically significant relationship with access to free or subsidised medical care, the remedy to accident on site and pattern of savings. Therefore, subcontracting systems influenced the availability of social protection measures significantly. Based on the findings and the important roles of subcontractors in the building construction industry, it is recommended that appropriate legislative instrument should be developed to address the challenges posed by subcontracting concerning access to social protection measures in the informal building construction industry. It is also suggested that steps should be taken by the government to promote formalisation of employment in the informal sector and support community-based social insurance schemes in Nigeria.
Keywords: Building construction, Informal economy, Lagos, Social protection, Subcontracting systems
Assessment of the Use of Locally Available Materials for Building Construction in Ado-Ekiti Nigeria
Get PDFThe potentials and benefits of local building materials (LBM) remain untapped and seem to progress at a slow rate in the Nigerian building industry. This research examined the availability and level of usage of LBM in Ado-Ekiti, South-Western Nigeria. Further, it considered hindering and helpful factors for the use of LBM in the study area. Based on the extensive review of literatures, ten (10) LBM were identified and examined in the study area. One hundred and fifty (150) professionals closely involved with building construction in Construction companies that are fully operational in Ado-Ekiti were investigated for this study. The Relative index analysis of the frequency in the use of LBM available for building construction in Ado Ekiti revealed that the following LBM are available and in the following order, in the study area: Stone(1) with RII 0.95 , timber(2) RII 0.93, laterite(3) RII 0.92, clay and mud(4) RII 0.91, bamboo(5) RII 0.90, leaves and barks of trees(6) RII 0.88, Palm kernel shells (7) RII 0.85, wild coconut trees(8) RII 0.79, animal wastes (9) RII 0.76 and dung(10) RII 0.74. However, the level of usage of these materials is still very low. Considering the economic, socio-cultural and environmental benefits of LBM, this study recommended more awareness campaign and sensitization of the public on LBM in order to promote its social acceptability. In addition, it recommended that Federal and State governments should facilitate more research in the use of the available local materials for building construction. Availing funds specifically for research and development of LBM will also promote its use.Keywords: Affordable Housing, Building Materials, Construction, Local knowledge, Nigeria
A Performance Assessment of Local Authorities in Managing Public Housing in Ghana
Get PDFThe level of maintenance and the condition of public housing has been a significant concern for tenants and housing researchers alike. The state of public housing is often a reflection of its local authority managers and the policy that surrounds it. This paper assesses the performance of local authorities in the management of public housing in Ghana. Data was collected through interviews with local authority housing officers and tenants as well as a small sample survey of tenants. The performance of the authorities mentioned above was measured by three factors; adequacy (house types and quantity), decency (maintenance and satisfaction with maintenance), and affordability (rent levels). The paper concludes that the current state of Ghanaian public housing, when measured against its mandate to provide adequate, decent and affordable housing to beneficiary government workers is substandard due to underperforming local authorities (LAs). The paper suggests that rent policy should be reviewed to empower LAs to self-determine and collect rent. Rents in the public housing sector should be reviewed to realistic levels so that they may generate funds for maintenance. Housing policy should institute internal and external mechanisms to monitor the performance of LAs in the management of public housing
A Strategy and Tool for Improving the Visibility of African Real Estate Research
Get PDFThe body of knowledge in the context of African Real Estate is growing constantly. The research discipline has attracted increased interest and thereby, the number of available publications has augmented. And while it becomes more and more difficult to keep track of the various research directions and contemporary research output in African Real Estate as the discipline progresses, new media provide viable solutions to the problem. This contribution outlines concepts for promoting research on African Real Estate, exemplified by the AfRER.org Research Database, and gives an outlook on scaling the list of available publications into a dynamic web-based system for supporting both authors and researchers on the quest for information and data. The contribution also makes suggestions on how to involve relevant stakeholders by fostering and developing research peer groups regarding African Real Estate research output.Entitled 'Promoting Publications in African Real Estate Research – Status Quo and Outlook‘, this topic was originally presented at the 2018 Annual Conference of the African Real Estate Society in Abeokuta, Nigeria
Real Estate Knowledge and the Development of a Real Estate Curricula for African Universities
Get PDFReal estate education across the globe has, at its core, certain universal and value-neutral skills and knowledge. This knowledge has developed over decades to reflect the functions of specific market structures which characterise real estate markets. Moreover, it is reflective of the maturity of real estate markets, and as such, the tools developed reflect specific market structures. Real estate analysts are becoming increasingly interested in real estate markets in emerging economies. The challenge facing these analysts is that the dominant real estate theory is based on mature markets within an industrialised context and therefore do not accurately reflect real estate markets in emerging economies. The generic context of real estate markets in emerging economies tends to be characterised by a dual economy, a lack of transparency in the markets, high levels of uncertainty and the existence of communal/customary and informal rights in the ownership of real estate. Hence, this study examines the real estate academic syllabus taught by universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so this ongoing research aims to assess and understand the differences that exist between the real estate programmes and examine the direction that these programmes could take in an emerging country context
The Kahawa Declaration: a manifesto for the democratization of medical technology
Get PDFMost medical technology is employed and accepted passively by patients and doctors who have little or no influence in its design or usability. Patients are not involved in the development of medical technology, which is undertaken behind closed doors and whose global impact is hindered by proprietary know-how and by costs. This has so far impeded equitable healthcare as most of the world does not have access to the technology or healthcare coverage. Understanding the relevance of international partnerships for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, feeling specially committed to the promotion of the Goal on “Good Health and Well-Being”, and convinced about the role that open-source biomedical engineering approaches may play in the future of medical technology, we commit ourselves, through the Kahawa Declaration, to enlighten the transformation of the biomedical engineering field, towards the democratization of medical technology as a key for achieving universal equitable health care. This paper presents the content of the Kahawa Declaration, which was signed in Nairobi in December 2017
The feasibility of fingerstick blood collection for point-of-care HIV-1 viral load monitoring in rural Zambia
Get PDFViral load monitoring for HIV treatment is recommended but not feasible in many settings. A point-of-care test using capillary blood would increase access but may require up to 200 μL of blood to achieve a lower limit of detection of 1000 copies/mL. This cross-sectional study evaluated the feasibility of collecting 200 μL of capillary blood as well as blood collection preferences among adults in rural Zambia. Adults seeking HIV counseling and testing at Macha Hospital were recruited in 2015. Capillary blood was collected in four 50 μL tubes. Blood collection was categorized as complete (200 μL collected), partial (all tubes filled but <200 μL obtained due to collection techniques), or incomplete (1-4 tubes attempted; <200 μL obtained due to insufficient blood flow). One fingerstick was required for 90% of the 201 participants. A median blood volume of 196 μL was collected. Complete, partial and incomplete collection was achieved in 34%, 59% and 6% of participants. The majority of participants (95%) preferred fingerstick over venous blood collection. A point-of-care viral load test requiring up to 200 μL of blood is feasible in a rural setting but would require training and supervision to ensure that sufficient blood was collected