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Assessment of the factors associated with secondary school attendance and completion in South Africa: A demographic perspective
No full textEducation is prioritised globally because it is key to driving socioeconomic development. While school participation at the basic education level (Grades 1-9) has been almost universal in South Africa, there are still gaps in the level of schooling for the upper secondary level. Consequently, a substantial proportion of the population does not complete secondary education, thereby inhibiting human capital formation. Optimising learners’ participation, progression, and the completion of educational training is a vital economic strategy. This study assesses the level of school attendance for upper-secondary school learners and school completion in South Africa. It also explores the sociodemographic factors associated with school attendance and school completion. South Africa is situated at the southern tip of the African continent. According to the 2022 census, its population was estimated to be over 62 million people, with a growth rate of 1.8% from 2011 to 2022. Females made up 51.5% of the population, while males accounted for 48.5%. Children and youths below 24 years made up about half of the entire population. There are four major racial groups which constitute the demographic composition. The Black or African racial group originates from the indigenous Bantu people and represents the predominant demographic, making up over 80% of the population. This is followed by the Coloured racial group, which made up about 8% of the population. They are the mixed descendants of the earliest European/Asian settlers and the indigenous African people
Mesoporous ZnO/TiO2 Nanowire Heterojunction Photo-anodes for Quantum-Dot Sensitised Solar Cells
No full textResearch into quantum dot-sensitised solar cells (QDSSCs) is crucial for advancing sustainable energy solutions due to their unique advantages over conventional solar technologies. QDSSCs offer the potential for high power conversion efficiencies by leveraging the tunable bandgaps of quantum dots (QDs), which allow for broad spectral absorption and efficient light harvesting across the solar spectrum. Their low-cost fabrication such as solution processing and printing techniques, make them economically attractive for large-scale production and flexible applications. QDSSCs can also operate effectively under low-light conditions and offer design versatility, opening pathways for integration into diverse environments and products. This ongoing research is vital for developing next-generation solar cells that are not only more efficient and affordable but also more adaptable to various energy demands, contributing significantly to global efforts in renewable energy. Zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO2 NWs) offer an interesting alternative to traditional titanium dioxide (TiO2) as an electron transport layer in QDSSCs primarily due to their superior electron mobility and direct growth capabilities. Their one-dimensional nanostructure provides a direct pathway for electron transport, significantly reducing recombination losses and enhancing charge collection efficiency. ZnO NWs may be grown at lower temperatures and offer greater flexibility in morphology control, allowing for tailored architectures that optimise light harvesting and QD dot loading. This combination of excellent charge transport properties, tunable morphology and cost-effective synthesis makes ZnO NWs a highly promising material for developing more efficient and scalable QDSSCs. As such, this thesis presents a comprehensive study on the optimisation and characterisation of ZnO NWs for their integration into QDSSCs. The research systematically explores how the morphology and thickness of ZnO seed layers, controlled through spin-coating parameters, affect the growth, alignment and optical properties of ZnO nanowires. Optimal conditions were identified for producing vertically aligned, hightransparency NWs, which are crucial for efficient light absorption. The study further establishes the ideal configuration for the TiO2 mesoporous layer and demonstrates successful sensitisation with CdS QDs. Device-level testing confirms that the structural quality of each component significantly impacts overall solar cell performance, with the best device achieving a power conversion efficiency of 1.9%. Despite these advances, the research highlights ongoing challenges related to interface engineering and device stability. The thesis concludes by outlining future directions, including advanced surface passivation, alternative quantum dot and electrode materials, and strategies for improving device durability and scalability, thereby providing a robust framework for further development of ZnO NW-based QDSSCs
Technical Design, Surgical Challenges, and Troubleshooting in a Fully Guided Implant Workflow
No full textOptimal three-dimensional dental implant placement in the prosthetically driven position is essential to simplify a holistic prosthetic rehabilitation towards occlusion and aesthetics. The virtual design of the dental implant placement positions in relation to the patient's anatomical features can be planned and designed accordingly. The digital workflows from cone beam tomography (CBCT) dataset import, dental implant placement planning, surgical guide design with printing, guide sterilization, and dental implant surgery are described in this article. Firstly, the CBCT datasets were reconstructed with the dental implant planning and surgical guide design software. On the virtual complex tissue models of the maxilla, the positions of four dental implants (FDI numbering tooth position 15, 13, 22, and 25) were planned. Multiple guides are often required for complex dental implant surgeries. In this study, the first guide was designed to position the pilot holes for the 3 guide fixation pins. The teeth (namely FDI tooth position 12 and 23), soft tissue tuberosities, and fixation pins were to stabilize the second implant guide in the maxilla. The design of the second guide focuses on the correct height adjustment based on the surgical drills, and the implant drill guide sleeve heights were positioned to facilitate guided implant placement. The fully guided surgery success (for implants 13, 22, 25), challenges, and the complications experienced (with implant 15 placement and guide fixation pin microscope evaluation) are described. Additionally, considerations for future virtual guide design and material resin dimensional changes were considered due to the complication
Contextual constraints and dilemmas influencing health providers’ prescription practices in a conflict-affected area: qualitative insights from Mopti, Mali
No full textArmed conflicts present complex, multidimensional challenges that severely compromise both access to and the quality of healthcare, including the adequate prescription of essential medicines. This study aimed to identify and understand the factors underlying the irrational prescribing of medicine in areas affected by armed conflict in the Mopti region in Mali. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to collect data from 30 participants, including health professionals from three health districts, representatives of the regional health directorate, members of community health associations, and staff from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in health sector. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic content analysis, using NVIVO 14 (2023 version) to support coding and data retrieval. Study participants reported a range of health system- and patient-related factors contributing to irrational prescribing practices in these conflict-affected areas. Health systems factors included: an imbalance between workload and the availability of qualified staff; limited access to professional training and training resources; poor adherence to prescription guidelines and procedures -often a consequence of contextual constraints; and coercion from armed terrorist groups. Administrative and political challenges were also highlighted, including weak monitoring and supervision mechanisms within the local health system; a lack of oversight by health and regulatory authorities in blockaded areas; the development of an informal pharmaceutical sector to compensate for deficiencies in the formal system; and over prescription of medicines linked to insurance schemes
A meditation on bending the carbon curve
No full textThis article reflects on discourse on “bending the curve” in the context of the Covid19 pandemic and on carbon emissions in the context of climate change. Two crucial features of the latter are highlighted, namely, the need for carbon emissions to peak “soon” and to decline rapidly afterward in order to reach net zero emissions by around 2050.Thisraisesthequestionwhether(Reformed)Christianitycancontributetobending the carbon curve or whether it forms part of the underlying problem. Bending the carbon curve is contrasted with the “Christian curve” that could describe the transformative impact of the gospel in society. Several differences are emphasized in order to suggest that a “blending” of the curves is not advised so that, instead, these discourses are best held in a paradoxical tension
The use of social media sites to obtain information on job applicants in the recruitment process
No full textThe Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides for the right to privacy. This constitutional right includes the right not to have one’s person or home searched; one’s property searched, and one’s possessions seized. In addition, the right to privacy includes the right not to have the privacy of communications infringed. To give effect to the constitutional right to privacy, the legislature has enacted the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 that is aimed at protecting a person’s personal information. The South African Constitution also provides for the right to access to information. The constitutional right to access to information gives a person the right to access any information held by the State or any other person, that is required for the exercise or protection of any rights. To give effect to the constitutional right to access to information, the legislature enacted the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 which enables requesters to gain access to information held by the State and/or private bodies. Research shows that the use of social media background checks during the recruitment process has increased over the past decade. This study consists of a discussion on the practice of social media background checks and the legal issues surrounding it. This study consists of an examination of the laws in South Africa that are relevant when it comes to social media background checks. This study contains a discussion on the South African laws governing the privacy of job applicants as well as the laws relating to access to information. The rights of job applicants that may be violated in circumstances where social media background checks are conducted during the recruitment process, are discussed
Litmus tests of the flat ΛCDM model and model-independent measurement of H 0 r d with LSST and DESI
No full textIn this analysis we apply a model-independent framework to test the flat ΛCDM cosmology using simulated SNIa data from the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and combined with simulated Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) five-years Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data. We adopt an iterative smoothing technique to reconstruct the expansion history from SNIa data, which, when combined with BAO measurements, facilitates a comprehensive test of the Universe's curvature and the nature of dark energy. The analysis is conducted under four different mock fiducial cosmologies: two curvatures (Ωk ,0 = 0 and 0.1) and two models of dark energy: a cosmological constant Λ and the phenomenologically emergent dark energy. We forecast that our reconstruction technique can constrain cosmological parameters, such as the curvature (k ,0) and c/H 0 r d, with spread due to the SNIa uncertainties up to ±4% and ±0.1 respectively, without assuming any form of dark energy
First β-delayed two-neutron spectroscopy of the r-process nucleus ^{134}In and observation of the i_{13/2} single-particle neutron State in ^{133}Sn
No full textThis manuscript reports on the direct observation of a β-delayed two-neutron emission in a study of ^{134}In at the ISOLDE Decay Station using neutron spectroscopy. We also report on the first measurement in β^{-} decay of the long-sought 13/2^{+} excited state in ^{133}Sn, attributed to be the neutron single-particle i_{13/2} orbital. The observation of sequential neutron emission is used to extract the relative population of the i_{13/2} state, which was found to be much smaller than the predictions of the statistical model. The experiment was possible because of the innovative use of a neutron array with neutron discrimination and interaction tracking capabilities. This is the first study of the details of the two-neutron emission for a nucleus, which belongs to the r-process path. Understanding β-delayed two-neutron emission probabilities is essential to validate models used in astrophysical r-process nucleosynthesis calculations. Observing two-neutron emissions in β^{-} decay paves the way for new experiments to study energy and angular correlations for β-delayed multineutron emitters
An exploration of how general practitioners, working in seven Black townships in Cape Town, South Africa, perceive their role in strengthening the district health system
No full textDespite the recognition of general practitioners’ (GPs) role within the health system, and more recently their role in implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Africa, very little is known about township GPs’ role, motivation and experiences and their contribution to strengthening the district health system (DHS). The aim of this study was to better understand private GP’s perceived roles in primary healthcare provision within the DHS, investigate their reasons for choosing the medical profession and explore their experiences of being a private GP in Cape Town’s black townships. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted amongst 12 township GPs who provided consent. The exploratory study examined their experiences, to better understand their histories, motivations and socio-cultural work contexts. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide consisting of open-ended questions, with interviews conducted face-to-face for approximately an hour per participant. Interviews were recorded with consent and collected data was analysed using thematic coding analysis (TCA). The participants, who had rural and township upbringing obtained positive role modelling from their local GPs, hospital doctors and peers who were medical students. Parental guidance also influenced their choice of profession. These influencers changed their trajectory towards medicine during their secondary schooling. The GPs perceived their role in the DHS as providers of quality primary healthcare in low socioeconomic areas burdened by high morbidity and mortality. They emphasized offering quality medication which the public sector cannot offer, thereby preventing mortality in vulnerable communities. Additionally, they viewed themselves as facilitators and advocates, who support patients and connect them to appropriate public or private clinics and hospitals, or to other sectors like police or social services. Ensuring continuity of care for optimal results was also highlighted as a significant feature in their practices as they established good relationships with their clients, referring them accordingly while working in co-ordination with other actors for their wellbeing. The GPs noted that the absence of language barriers (enabled by their fluency in vernacular) enhanced quality service delivery and clinical outcomes in the townships. They also emphasized cultural understanding as key to strengthening doctor-patient relationships and were supportive of traditional healing as it was embedded in the community. Health promotion in the form of health education on disease management and prevention, was cited as central to their work to enable patients to take control of their health, improve it and that of their families plus the broader community
Assessing spatially-compounding drought probabilities in inter-basin water diversion: insights from the Tao River water diversion project in China
No full textStudy regions The water-donating (Tao River Basin, TRB) and water-receiving (Zuli River Basin, ZRB, and Wei River Basin, WRB) regions of the Tao River Water Diversion Project (TRWDP) in Gansu Province, China. Study focus Inter-basin water diversion projects are critical for mitigating water shortages in arid and semi-arid regions. By addressing misestimations arising from solely precipitation-based analyses, this study integrates meteorological and hydrological perspectives to explore spatially-compounding drought probabilities between the water-donating and water-receiving regions. Moreover, the meteorological-hydrological propagation is explored using correlation analysis, runs theory and copula functions, while variance decomposition is applied to identify the dominant climatic drivers. New hydrological insights for the region Results show that: 1) Spatially-compounding hydrological droughts occur less frequently than meteorological droughts due to varying geomorphologies and human activities. From 1970–2020, meteorological droughts occurred in five years, while only one hydrological drought event (2016) was identified across the three sub-basins, which was not detected by meteorological indices. The probability of severe spatially-compounding droughts varies regionally, with a higher joint probability in TRB–WRB than in TRB–ZRB, highlighting regional differences in drought propagation. 2) Meteorological and hydrological droughts exhibit distinct seasonal propagation characteristics, with short PTs in summer and autumn due to rapid hydrological responses and longer PTs in winter and spring due to delayed runoff generation. Basins with short PTs require real-time monitoring and rapid response strategies, while those with prolonged PTs need adaptive measures. 3) Precipitation and temperature are the primary climatic drivers of drought, with extreme climatic indices—monthly maximum of daily minimum (TNx) and maximum (TXx) temperatures—contributing the most. The decline in Rx5day (maximum five-day precipitation) suggests a decreasing frequency of extreme rainfall events, further intensifying drought propagation. These findings improve understanding of concurrent droughts and provide practical insights for drought mitigation and sustainable operation of inter-basin water diversion project