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South African Lagerstätte reveals middle Permian Gondwanan lakeshore ecosystem in exquisite detail
No full textContinental ecosystems of the middle Permian Period (273–259 million years ago) are poorly understood. In South Africa, the vertebrate fossil record is well documented for this time interval, but the plants and insects are virtually unknown, and are rare globally. This scarcity of data has hampered studies of the evolution and diversification of life, and has precluded detailed reconstructions and analyses of ecosystems of this critical period in Earth’s history. Here we introduce a new locality in the southern Karoo Basin that is producing exceptionally well-preserved and abundant fossils of novel freshwater and terrestrial insects, arachnids, and plants. Within a robust regional geochronological, geological and biostratigraphic context, this Konservat- and Konzentrat-Lagerstätte offers a unique opportunity for the study and reconstruction of a southern Gondwanan deltaic ecosystem that thrived 266–268 million years ago, and will serve as a high-resolution ecological baseline towards a better understanding of Permian extinction events
Guidelines for designing personal health dashboards
Get PDFThe healthcare industry is realising the value of providing ordinary individuals with their personal health data for self-care and self-management purposes, however, these individuals are faced with the challenge of going through, understanding and extracting insights from large volumes of complex personal health data. A dashboard (coupled with data visualization) is regarded as a suitable way to present personal health data effectively, to inform self-care and self- management-based decisions. However, there is no homogeneous (i.e. “one-size-fits-all”) approach to designing dashboards; therefore, this research aimed at creating a set of design guidelines that can be used as a foundation for tailoring dashboards that support the presentation of personal health data. The Design Science Research methodology was used to systematically develop and evaluate the set of dashboard design guidelines. Within this methodology, literature was reviewed and focus groups with participants were conducted to extract insights and inform the development of the initial set (proposed) design guidelines. The proposed design guidelines were then used to develop a medium-fidelity personal health dashboard prototype. Usability testing with the dashboard prototype was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and utility of these design guidelines. The evaluation provided insights that strengthened the quality of the design guidelines. The evaluation indicated that the proposed set of guidelines are suitable for designing a dashboard that presents personal health data effectively. These design guidelines can be adapted in order to inform the process of tailoring dashboards for accommodating different personal health data presentation needs.Thesis (MCOM) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 202
“Driven by and Blinded by Our Desperation”: Religious Exploitation of Vulnerable Women in Amma Darko’s Not without Flowers
No full textAs a feminist writer for social justice, Amma Darko exposes various instances of religious exploitation in Ghanaian society in the novel Not without Flowers. This study adds to the corpus of literature that critiques the androcentric organisation of patriarchal African societies, in which patriarchal and religious ideologies are used to institutionalise gender inequality. My argument in this paper is that the fear and anxiety surrounding mental illness, HIV and Aids, or other illnesses provide a fertile ground for religious exploitation and oppression of vulnerable women, as represented in Darko’s novel. My study offers an analysis of how Darko uses her literary work to challenge deeply engrained and culturally sanctioned patriarchal and religious hierarchies of gender-based dominance and cultural valorisation. The main objectives of this article are to explore the religious exploitation and/or stigmatisation of vulnerable women, the human rights violations that occur in religious institutions, as well as how mental illness is considered to be caused by a spiritual force or demonic possession in the selected text
Studying the brightest radio sources in the southern sky
Get PDFActive Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are among the most remarkable and powerful extragalactic radio sources in the Universe. The study of AGN enables us to understand better the critical mechanisms leading to the launch of radio jets, and its link to the central engine. Radio jets are thought to impact their host galaxy by promoting or suppressing star formation. By studying AGN, we can better understand their formation, evolution, and environment. The host galaxy cross-identification is a crucial step to be carried out to build a multi-wavelength analysis of powerful radio sources; AGN. The GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) 4Jy (G4Jy) Sample comprises 1,863 of the powerful radio sources in the southern sky. However, 140 sources from the G4Jy Sample were followed-up with the Open Time on MeerKAT. Of these 140 sources, 126 had an ambiguous host galaxy, and 13 had an identified host galaxy; however, there were some discrepancies in the literature concerning the host galaxy. The host-galaxy identification of these sources is limited by the poor resolution of radio data at 25" to 45". This study aims to assess the radio morphology of these 140 sources and identify their host galaxy using the ⇠ 7” resolution images from MeerKAT in conjunction with datasets at other wavelengths. This analysis is carried out by visually inspecting the overlays. The overlays comprise radio contours from 150 MHz, 200 MHz, 843/1400 MHz and 1300 MHz overlaid on the mid-infrared image (3.4 μm). The MeerKAT images reveal sources with various radio morphologies. While most of the sources have radio morphology of typical symmetric lobes, 10 radio sources have head-tail morphology, 14 are wide-angle tail (WAT), and 5 have X-, S- /Z-shaped morphology. Overall, we find host galaxies for 70% of the sources in the sample, with the remainder comprising sources with ambiguous host galaxy (20.7%) and sources with a faint mid-infrared host galaxy (9.3%). These results highlight the importance of angular resolution and sensitivity for morphological classification and host galaxy cross-identification.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Physics and Electronics, 202
Management of employee grievence: A case of selected University in the Eastern Cape
No full textThis study will assess the grievance management procedures and employee performance with a specific focus on an Eastern Cape-selected university. To achieve this objective, the study will identify the styles used at the university in managing employee grievances, explore employees’ perceptions about the way their grievances are managed, discover factors that hinder effective management of employees’ grievances, and find out what should be done to effectively manage employees’ grievances. In terms of research design and methodology, the study will adopt an exploratory mixed-method research design and gather data through interviews. The study will employ a purposive sampling method to reach both intended employees whose grievance cases were investigated by the institution and those who were not. The participants will include academic and nonacademic employees; the population of the study will include the staff of a university, human resource personnel (HR) that deals directly with employee grievance resolution, and labor union representatives that sit in grievance resolution meetings. Data will be collected and analyzed using SPSS and thematic analysis. The study will benefit the university in its efforts on handling grievances, employee retention, and increasing performance. This research will help and guide human resources in their policies on employee grievance resolution, as well as those who are interested in handling grievances in organizations.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Law, Humanities and Social Science, 202
Framing of political leaders during the# BringBackOurGirls campaign by the Nigerian Press: a comparative study of Guardian and Vanguard Newspapers
Get PDFThis study examines Nigeria's political leaders' framing during the #BringBackOurGirls movement campaign using two selected national newspapers in Nigeria, i.e., the Guardian and the Vanguard newspa-pers. Using 46 news stories culled during the periods of April 14, 2014, to June 14, 2014, and May 29, 2015, to July 29, 2015, which represent two significant eras, i.e., when the schoolgirls were abducted, and when there was a change in government, the study argued that four frames of government failure, the desperation of citizens, politicization of gov-ernment actions and heroism were dominant in both presses reportage. During the first period of study, both presses were critical of President Goodluck Jonathan and his inability to secure the release of the ab-ducted Chibok schoolgirl as they used frames of “liar”, “clueless”, and “failure” amongst others to characterize his government actions and in-actions. However, during the second study period, both presses were less critical of President Buhari as they ascribed the “hero” frame to him due to his vast military experience. Nevertheless, the ideological posi-tion of both newspapers influenced their reportage as Guardian news stories provided depth analysis, while Vanguard newspaper stories lacked depth
Port performance and the unexplored perceptions linked to operational outputs
Get PDFThe role that container terminals play in global trade and building the economies of many countries, requires high levels of performance and efficient turnaround of container vessels. High performance entails providing fast, reliable and efficient port services which is a non-negotiable pre-requisite from the port’s customers. Existing port customers are the shipping lines that make use of the port systems to service their own respective business customers that make use of their shipping services. Transnet and more specifically, Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT) has always been known for providing fast, reliable and efficient port services since its opening in October 2009, with new state of the art equipment and the latest in port operating systems. Fast forward twelve years later and a steady decline in port performance and port efficiencies over the years, has led to numerous outcries from port users and the industry as a whole. Shipping lines are not satisfied with current performance levels and other port users such as trucking companies struggle with bad port performance and efficiencies. This prompted the need to look into why the performance levels has been steadily declining over the past few years. With increased pressure from shipping lines and other stakeholders, there is a glaring need to improve on port performance and efficiencies if NCT is to maintain the business it currently has. Change is also necessary for it to compete for new business which is one of the reasons that prompted this research study. A literature study and a survey questionnaire make up the main input for this research as well as interviews with key operations and planning managers. The purpose of the research was to explore the non-technical factors perceived by NCT operational and planning staff, to have an impact on port performance and the decline thereof. This study focused on the perceptions of NCT’s operational and planning staff of port performance and the perceived impact that reward and recognition, rest periods, job design and leadership have on that performance levels. The methodology used in the research is a mixed-method approach with the quantitative portion underpinned by a survey questionnaire and the iv qualitative portion underpinned by interviews conducted with key management staff. The data was measured and interpreted using descriptive statistics and analysis of the mean scores. The Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to determine if there were relationships between the factors and the significance of those relationships, if any. An Anova analysis was done on the mean score answer of each category of operational staff in the quantitative sample, to determine if the mean score of the different operational categories in my sample are statistically significantly different from each other. The need for drastic improvement of performance outputs in Transnet and more specifically NCT has been highlighted throughout the research as it is of critical importance due to the nature of NCT’s business model of being a transhipment hub. This study has contributed positively by demonstrating the operational staffers and management’s willing responses in an effort to improve performance outputs on both technical and non-technical levels.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202
An investigation of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to enhance community development in Mount Ayliff village
Get PDFLack of community development which includes poverty, unemployment and inequality is still prevalent in South Africa, even after the country has gained its independency in April 1994. South Africa has the highest unemployment and poverty rate, especially in rural areas like Mount Ayliff. This high unemployment, inequality and poverty within the country is an indication that the government is not doing enough in terms of dealing with these triple challenges. The South African government has introduced numerous development and economic policies, programmes and strategies to address unemployment, poverty and enhance community development. These initiatives include Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR), National Growth Plan (NGP), National Development Plan (NDP) and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP’s vision is to enhance community development in South African communities through temporary employment and skills development for unemployed youth. EPWP has been unemployment relief in many communities and has employed over five million people since its introduction. This study aims to investigate the role played by the EPWP to enhance community development and employment creation in Mount Ayliff Village. The study followed a qualitative descriptive approach, where secondary sources of data were reviewed to address the research objectives and questions. The main research findings are that the EPWP has played a significant role in enhancing community development in Mount Ayliff Village through provision of employment opportunities, development projects, introducing and empowering youth with skills and training for future permanent employment. Based on the findings, the study recommends that there must be frequent monitoring and evaluation of the EPWP projects to ensure that its goal is achieved and guidelines for recruitment of participants are followed.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202
Formulation of methyldopa 250 mg tablets by direct compression using a quality by design approach
Get PDFVarious pharmaceutical materials are known to take up moisture during both storage and manufacture. This phenomenon, termed hygroscopy, can result in unacceptable levels of moisture, potentially having deleterious effects on product quality, and consequently product efficacy and safety. Drug inefficacy specifically can result in life-threatening complications for the pregnant mother with uncontrolled blood pressure. Marketed as immediate release tablets, methyldopa is an antihypertensive drug commonly used in South Africa to treat hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Despite being in use for over 50 years, the physicochemical challenges posed by methyldopa remain ever present. Methyldopa is not only significantly hygroscopic, but also prone to oxidative and hydrolytic degradation that can be accelerated by moisture. Poor compression behaviour, another limitation of methyldopa, leaves the formulation scientist with a constellation of formulation hurdles that must be faced, understood and overcome. This is a task that can be tackled using elements of the Quality by Design (QbD) approach. Using this approach, the impact of these phenomena on tablet quality can be better understood and controlled. This study was aimed at using this approach to develop a formulation of methyldopa 250 mg tablets. Direct compression, a simple and moisture-free process, was selected for the manufacture of methyldopa tablets. After careful review of literature and consultation with experts, excipients were selected for the candidate formulation and preliminary concentrations established for each. Similarly, settings for mixing and compression variables were established. Adopted from the QbD framework, the risk posed to tablet quality by these factors was qualitatively analysed using Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) and quantitatively evaluated using Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA). Eight (8) factors determined to be high risk were further investigated in a preliminary experiment that followed a 12-batch Plackett Burman design. Data from this experiment was used to draw statistical relationships between the aforementioned factors and tablet quality attributes, thus shedding light on excipients and process parameters with practically significant impact on methyldopa tablet quality. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) of the response data reported SSG concentration, citric acid monohydrate xxvii concentration and mixing speed as key factors (p<0.05), demonstrating the need to control these factors for quality targets to be met. These three factors underpinned the 16-batch definitive experiment that followed, conceived using a Box Behnken design (BBD) including four batches prepared at the centerpoint values in the region of experimentation. The optimal methyldopa tablet formulation was achieved at the following settings: 1.0 % m/m magnesium stearate, 1.0 % m/m colloidal silica, 3.9 % m/m sodium starch glycolate, 1.7 % m/m citric acid monohydrate, mixing speed of 101 rpm, 6 minutes of pre-lubrication mixing, 2 minutes of lubrication and compression speed of 20 rpm. These settings were included in the design space and subsequent control strategy. It was learned that, within the design space, the risk to tablet quality and, by extension, the patient, was insignificant. This demonstrated that, using the QbD approach, challenges to pharmaceutical development can be effectively overcome.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202
Exploring the value of an educational partnership within a multilingual pre-school setting
Get PDFThis modest research project was situated in a multilingual Early Childhood Development (ECD) setting in the Eastern Cape (EC) province of South Africa. In the context of high levels of poverty and unemployment in the EC, issues such as under-funding, the nature of the training of practitioners, translating the importance of learning through play into practice, difficulties dealing with diverse cultural practices and the use of multiple languages, all impact ECD provision. Research has shown that parental involvement and creating parent-school partnerships can assist children to progress at school. The overall objectives of this project were to explore how a team in an ECD centre might communicate more effectively with parents and how early stimulation practices in home and school might benefit the child’s development. The theoretical framework draws upon Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural historical theory, Bernstein’s (1971) elaborated and restricted language codes and Bourdieu’s (1977) concepts of social reproduction. A research project in the Netherlands Thuis in School, used an education partnership approach (Iliás et al., 2019). They developed a manual that was adapted for our local context by drawing from the theories mentioned, and to counter the dominant approaches where parenting programs have often been offered from a deficit, narrow perspective. Action Research guided the interventionist approach to workshop sessions, to enable mutual capacity-building of parents and practitioners. To ensure informed consent, participants’ first languages were used. High risk factors related to photographs and videos of participating parents and minor children were successfully addressed. Pre- and post-interviews and workshop data were analysed using template analysis, within a constructivist paradigm. Findings include vignettes to introduce the contexts and parents' ideas prior to the sessions. Then, sessions are summarised as action cycles, with key participants' responses. Finally, post-session evaluations highlight the topics the parents found most meaningful; and parents’ and practitioner accounts of changes in practices. This research illustrates ways that educational partnership elements can influence practice and policy, to improve home and school environments for the benefit of children.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 202