43867 research outputs found
Sort by
Impact of recirculating mining process water on the flotation performance of a sedimentary Phosphate ore
Get PDFAbstract: Water is one of the scarce resources in the world and the mining industry like many other sectors is expected to discretionally utilise this resource sustainably. It was on the premise of adding to the body of knowledge related to water sustainability and flotation performance that an investigation was prompted to evaluate the impact of recirculating mining process water on the flotation performance of a sedimentary phosphate ore. A series of flotation locked cycle tests were conducted with the objective to simulate recycling process water, which by default modifies the water chemistry and influences flotation performance. The laboratory flotation results showed that recycling process water in the laboratory scale did not show significantly noticeable influence on P2O5 grade and recovery performance. A saleable product of 33.27% P2O5 grade at reasonable average recovery of 65% was achievable. Water analyses revealed that there was an increase in total dissolved solids [452 to 846mg/L], electrical conductivity [662 μm/cm to 1025 μm/cm], CaCO3 [146 to 304mg/L], sodium [57.7 to 76.6mg/L], chloride [100.7 to 109.7mg/L] and magnesium [10.4 to12.6mg/L] after circulating the process water for 15 cycles. The results achieved however confirmed the importance of water quality and understanding process water chemistry in flotation processes. The compounding salts and inorganic elements in the water necessitate the need for water clarifiers for process water prior to being recycled to the flotation process
An overview of medical diagnostic laboratories in South Africa that meet the international standard of accreditation : ISO 15189
Get PDFAbstract: Accreditation is an official recognition that a facility or laboratory is competent to perform specific tasks and has a documented manual on a Quality Management System (QMS) in place. According to the Accreditation Act 19 of 2006, South African National Accreditation Systems (SANAS) is the only internationally recognised accreditation body in South Africa. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard specifically for medical laboratory accreditation is ISO 15189:2012. This review is designed to bring awareness of accredited and unaccredited medical diagnostic laboratories in SA; to look at the number of accredited, unaccredited laboratories and the rate of accreditation growth; to examine the state of accreditation in South Africa with regard to how many are accredited, suspended or withdrawn; and to highlight the advantages of being an accredited laboratory. It also examines the nonconformances commonly raised during assessment and an overview of accreditation around the world. Upon accreditation, the laboratory is given the right to use the SANAS symbol on patient request forms or results as a confirmation of competency. This has motivated more and more laboratories to be accredited. Diagnostic laboratories contribute much toward the final decisions taken by clinicians to diagnose the patients or treatment; this may be from an accredited or non-accredited laboratory. Since patient care is inextricably linked to pathology testing, every laboratory should engage a premium quality management system and be evaluated by an accreditation body to ensure that patients receive a trustworthy report. Accreditation is a voluntary process in South Africa, but mandatory in some Western countries. Although some laboratories might lose accreditation along the way, the ratio compared to those accredited is still very small. The fact that a majority remain accredited is a good indication of a well-implemented QMS. The challenges faced by the medical technologist-owned laboratories remains, as they are still not accredited
Nanoporous MoS2 membrane for water desalination : a molecular dynamics study
Get PDFAbstract: Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a two-dimensional (2D) material, promises better desalination efficiency, benefiting from the small diffusion length. While the monolayer nanoporous MoS2 membrane has great potential in the reverse osmosis (RO) desalination membrane, multilayer MoS2 membranes are more feasible to synthesize and economical than the monolayer MoS2 membrane. Building on the monolayer MoS2 membrane knowledge, the effects of the multilayer MoS2 membrane in water desalination were explored, and the results showed that increasing the pore size from 3 to 6 Å resulted in higher permeability but with lower salt rejection. The salt rejection increases from 85% in a monolayer MoS2 membrane to about 98% in a trilayer MoS2 membrane. When averaged over all three types of membranes studied, the ions rejection follows the trend of trilayer > bilayer > monolayer. Besides, a narrow layer separation was found to play an important role in the successful rejection of salt ions in bilayer and trilayer membranes. This study aims to provide a collective understanding of this high permiselective MoS2 membrane’s realization for water desalination, and the findings showed that the water permeability of the MoS2 monolayer membrane was in the order of magnitude greater than that of the conventional RO membrane and the nanoporous MoS2 membrane can have an important place in the purification of water
Beyond utilitarian economics : a capability approach to energy poverty and social suffering
Get PDFAbstract: This article uses energy poverty and social suffering phenomena to show the inadequacy of utilitarian policy-making that puts primary focus on resource generation and availability as a means of socio-economic development. This approach fails to acknowledge that energy generation can go-hand-in-hand with energy poverty and social suffering. Drawing on empirical qualitative research in Zimbabwe, the article shows how a lack of social and political-economic capabilities contributes to energy poverty, which consequently leads to social suffering. The article draws on Amartya Sen’s capability approach, and then extends the argument through a Foucauldian analysis of power..
Content intelligence as a contributor to a law firm’s competitive advantage
Get PDFM.Com. (Business Management)Abstract: The legal sector in South Africa has several law firms, the majority of which have great expertise. Owing to the level of economic growth of the country, international law firms have set up offices in South Africa. Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc is a subsidiary of the Norton Rose Fulbright group and has a network of blogs, including an Africa-focused regulatory blog called Inside Africa Law which is the focus of this study. As a firm operating in a competitive sector, differentiation through the use of intelligent content with an African regulatory focus can set the firm apart from its counterparts. The research was conducted with the aim of determining whether content intelligence can be a contributor to the competitive advantage of a firm. The study used qualitative content analysis of the blog posts on the Inside Africa Law blog. The content analysis was done through a two-phase method: the first involved the analysis of the blog content which was done by means of Excel in the preliminary stages of the study, and the second one which was done after the empirical part of the study using Atlas.ti. The research methodology used in the research was a qualitative content analysis to achieve an appreciable degree of depth in the contribution of content intelligence towards the firm’s competitiveness. The ethical orientation of the study was premised on the General Data Protection Regulation applicable to a global organisation. The study hinged on the content intelligence process and the competitive advantage model. The research results indicate that the current format and structure of the Inside Africa blog could be improved through the introduction of more interactive features to encourage engagement with the blog audience. Literature has shown that content intelligence can make a strategic contribution to organisations and the firm is in a strategic position to provide regulatory analysis, although consistency in terms of published blogs will need to be achieved. A limitation of the study is its limited scope, as it explored one blog as opposed to the entire blog network of the firm. Therefore, the results of this study do not portray a statistical representation of the law firm but highlight the role of a single blog focusing on Africa for improving competitiveness
A paradigm shift in higher education in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Get PDFAbstract: The Future of Work is upon us and has rapidly and profoundly influenced many professions and industries. Alongside this, we argue that it is essential for the landscape of post-school education and training (PSET) both in South Africa and globally to adapt to the changing nature of work, and ideally lead this change. In this paper we will summarize learning the nexus between teaching, research and innovation as a service in the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), given the innovative technologies that are increasingly penetrating the mainstream. We discuss the transition towards an augmented approach,[SS3][JdP4] University 4.0, and the associated challenges, both technological and societal that accompanies the shift
To live and to learn : practice-led learning through entrepreneurship education
Get PDFAbstract: The aim of this paper is to propose a matrix that could guide the approaches to entrepreneurship education at tertiary level bearing in mind binary constructs such as theory-led learning versus practice-led learning, as well as different contexts such as entrepreneurship in a formal programme versus entrepreneurship in a module only. A qualitative research approach was followed to compile the matrix, using data collected from 25 students who reflected on what an ideal programme or module could have entailed and what the most meaningful activities could be for such a programme or module. The matrix proposes some insightful approaches and activities that educators may consider when refining their module outcomes and assessments
The correlation between various demographic variables and risk management : the case of SMEs in the Sedibeng district
Get PDFAbstract: Background: When observing Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), key relationships present themselves between SME owners' demographics and their likelihood to apply Risk Management (RM) within their businesses. These relationships were the focus of this study. Purpose of study: The study aimed to explore those relationships through correlation analysis of the demographics and the various risk management components representing small businesses and risk management activities. This was done to answer the research question: How do SMEs' demographics affect their risk management in practice. Design/Methodology/Approach: To gather primary data the study applied a quantitative survey using 332 SMEs, within the Sedibeng District Municipal Area (SDMA). An exploratory factor analysis was used to establish the relevant risk management components used by the sample. The factors generated were then analysed statistically and the correlative relationships between the factors and SME demographics were analysed. Results/Findings: What was found is that an implicit degree of progression towards risk management practices is in progress. Moreover, the identified risk management processes have strong intercorrelations showing that the risk management components that SMEs identified are being applied in their businesses cumulatively across the sample. Another notable finding was that the relationship between risk appetite and availability of liquidity is profound. Liquidity frames the considerations of SMEs firmly and may serve as a theoretical point from which to model their decision-making behaviours. Finally, it was found that although some risk management practices were in place, they are applied differently in practice than in theory, and SMEs have limited awareness of the risks they are exposed to. Recommendations: It is first recommended that the findings of this study be used to construct a theoretical starting point for risk management development interventions at an SME level. Secondly, it is recommended that the role of liquidity regarding risk-taking be explored in terms of behavioural finance to determine if there are subconscious biases that result in inappropriate risk-taking behaviours. Managerial implication: In using the understanding of how risk manifests in SMEs, managers can develop meaningful interventions that empower SMEs to bring risks in line with their ability to manage them. A positive secondary effect is the improvement of resource utilisation and solvency support. Future implications from such actions could refine how risks manifest in small businesses, identify which risks are the primary risks to focus on at their various stages, and explain how best to approach and manage them
Cyber-attacks and IT governance disclosures of JSE listed financial institutions
Get PDFAbstract: Financial institutions worldwide are under constant pressure in the current financial climate to maintain technological safeguards that help combat cyber-attacks’ ever-prevalent risk. It is increasingly significant for financial institutions to identify and address their Information Technology (IT) weaknesses in IT security and governance to protect their financial holding and, most importantly, their stakeholders’ financial interests. The methods of identifying and mitigating IT weaknesses partially fall under the banner of the corporate governance of a company. In a South African context, the financial institutions listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) are required to ensure that they are in compliance with the KING IV Code for all financial year ends starting on or after 1 April 2017. The KING IV Code requires all listed companies on the JSE to apply and explain all the principles of KING IV and report all required disclosures, such as the disclosures included in principle 12 relating to IT governance...M.Com. (Computer Auditing
Social innovation during the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa
Get PDFAbstract: A number of government interventions, across the globe, has been instrumental in driving growth, development and innovation. Social innovation can provide effective solutions to challenging social and environmental issues in support of social progress. As South Africa faces unique development challenges, an increase in innovation can lead to economic and social development. This article considers the nature and manifestations of social innovation in the South African context. This article is descriptive and theoretical in nature. A qualitative approach is adopted, by means of a desktop study. The findings of the research suggest that social innovation provide novel approaches that aim to meet social needs in a better way than the prevailing approaches. A number of barriers to social innovation identified in the South African context, include a lack of a conducive entrepreneurial ecosystem, insufficient policy development and implementation, lack of funding and lack of management capacity. A more holistic approach to increase social innovation during and post, a National State of Disaster caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, is needed in South Africa. A ‘Fivefold Helix’ approach to cooperation, co-creation, partnership, capacity building, leadership and collaboration for increased social innovation is recommended in South Africa. This approach entails a network of the following actors: government, business, universities, civil society and communities working together to solve social problems
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage University of Johannesburg Institutional Repository? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!