33074 research outputs found
Sort by
Life-Saving but Risky: Antiretroviral Therapy and Rising Diabetes Risk in Rural South Africa
Full text linkShort- story, Faculty of Health Sciences (Nursing)-- North-West University, Mahikeng CampusAntiretroviral therapy (ARVs), especially in the form of combination regimens (cARVs), has been one of the greatest medical achievements of our time. For people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV), these drugs transformed a once fatal illness into a manageable chronic condition, giving hope and extending life expectancy. Yet, this progress comes with a new challenge: an increased risk of type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM). This study, conducted in a rural South African district, provides compelling evidence that cARVs are strongly linked to the development of diabetes, underscoring the need for vigilance in long-term HIV car
Does simple trump complex? Comparing strategies for adversarial robustness in DNNs
Full text linkResearch Article, Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Potchefstroom CampusDeep Neural Networks (DNNs) have shown substantial success in various applications but remain vulnerable to adversarial attacks. This study aims to identify and isolate the components of two different adversarial training techniques that contribute most to increased adversarial robustness, particularly through the lens of margins in the input space – the minimal distance between data points and decision boundaries. Specifically, we compare two methods that maximize margins: a simple approach which modifies the loss function to increase an approximation of the margin, and a more complex state-of-the-art method (Dynamics-Aware Robust Training) which builds upon this approach. Using a VGG-16 model as our base, we systematically isolate and evaluate individual components from these methods to determine their relative impact on adversarial robustness. We assess the effect of each component on the model’s performance under various adversarial attacks, including AutoAttack and Projected Gradient Descent (PGD). Our analysis on the CIFAR-10 dataset reveals which elements most effectively enhance adversarial robustness, providing insights for designing
more robust DNNs.-National Research Foundation of South Afric
The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and its legal effect on Regional Trade Agreements in Africa
Full text linkMaster of Laws with Mercantile Law, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will play a crucial role in Africa’s economic future. Apart from being the largest FTA in the world with 55 Member States, AfCFTA is poised to lead a significant shift in the trade landscape on the African continent. Its primary purpose is to form a single market for goods and services by promoting solidarity among African nations. This solidarity is further evidenced in the establishment of regional economic communities (RECs) and regional trade agreements (RTAs) to enhance Africa's unity, integration, and competitiveness. In simple terms, the AfCFTA Agreement looks to achieve its set goals by boosting intra-African trade. The current trade landscape in Africa is best defined as one with vast regional trade regimes. There are eight RECs and many RTAs in Africa. This regional trade regime means that African nations are members of multiple bilateral and multilateral agreements. Despite most RECs taking steps to achieve effective regional integration, these agreements have failed to establish adequate levels of intra-regional trade. Member States still trade more with countries outside their respective regions, and even more with countries outside of the continent than they do with other Member States. The eight RECs are building blocks of the AfCFTA Agreement. As such the AfCFTA Agreement does not seek to nullify all pre-existing RTAs. However, regional agreements contain varying terms and conditions, and the policies entrenched therein will vary between regions and parties. This makes conflict between the AfCFTA and pre-existing RTAs and RECs inevitable. This dissertation analyses how the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement will affect existing RTAs and RECs. The study begins by explaining the motivation for this study, followed by the history and implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. It goes on to define Africa’s current trade landscape and the importance of RTAs. It then analyses the possible conflicts and challenges, such as overlapping memberships and legal harmonisation. The dissertation concludes by providing recommendations to address the possible challenges.Master
The role of missional leadership in the growth of urban African Initiated Churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Theology with Missiology, North-West University-- PotchefstroomGlobally, leadership has been a pivotal factor in the expansion of the Church and the relocation of the Centre of gravity of Christian leadership from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres. Urbanization and globalisation have been identified as the most significant among the various causative factors. This is an absolute requirement. In recent decades, a notable phenomenon has emerged in sub-Saharan Africa: the rapid inception and phenomenal growth of churches initiated exclusively by Africans and for Africans. The African Initiated Church (AIC) phenomenon has also affected Christianity in the DRC. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the second most populous country in terms of church membership, with Nigeria being the most populated. The following section will present the methodology employed in this study. This study employs qualitative research methods to gain insight into and examine the extent to which African-descended churches in the DRC, as urban churches, are utilizing missionalleadership as a strategy and style to foster their growth. The main question is as follows: “To what extent is the growth of the AIC in the DRC due to missional leadership?” The study is concerned with the missional characteristics of the leadership in question and their impact on the qualitative and quantitative growth of the church. The findings reveal that to facilitate growth within the church, the AIC in the DRC requires implementing a missional leadership approach for several key reasons. Some reasons are intrinsic to the factors that motivated their inception and to the strategies and leadership styles that are being applied to the development of the church. The absence of a biblical vision, mission, methods, and church objectives has prompted the AIC's leadership to rely on expedient and passive church development strategies, such as transfer and natural birth rate, which result in a numerical increase but fail to facilitate the spiritual development that would naturally lead to church development through communal participation in the mission of God. This attitude is further compounded by the influence of political, social, and economic factors and the impact of globalisation, urbanization, and migration. As a result, the church is experiencing both proliferation and growth, but not necessarily in a balanced or appropriate manner. In light of these circumstances, it is evident that the DRC's AICs must transform their approach. Rather than relying on traditional strategies, leaders must adopt a missional mindset through training and other initiatives. Before addressing these multifaceted challenges, the AIC leaders in the DRC must transition from Christendom to a missional mindset. This shift can be facilitated through training, equipping, and other strategic initiatives rather than relying on these unproductive attitudes. It is inadvisable to prioritize natural birth, given that the Christian birth rate is less than that of Muslims. Moreover, the rate of decline in the number of Christians is greater than that of Muslims, which has the effect of slowing down the pace of church development
Impact of effluent discharges on water quality and invertebrates in the Apies River system
Full text linkMaster of Environmental Management with Ecological Water Requirements, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusLarge populations in big and developing cities are exerting pressure on wastewater treatment plants. The inadequately treated sewage discharged into the aquatic environments deteriorates the quality of the receiving water resources. The Apies River system has received attention, and several studies have been conducted on the significant sources of pollution, particularly wastewater plants. However, nothing much has been done about the impact of sewage discharges into the Apies River. This study aimed to assess the impacts of effluent discharges and land use on water quality and macroinvertebrate diversity of the Apies River. The study focused on how the effluent discharges affect water quality and macroinvertebrate diversity by comparison to the least affected site. This will therefore add to a significant assessment of the water and ecological quality of the Apies River system. According to literature, the Apies River is one of the most polluted rivers in South Africa; it is characterized by inadequate domestic sewage treatment, power generation, and agricultural and industrial activities. Such activities are known to reduce the diversity of macroinvertebrate assemblages as well as the community structures. According to aquatic health studies, aquatic invertebrates are sensitive to organic pollution, altered physicochemical factors, and habitat transformation; hence, it is appropriate to use them to assess the ecological health of rivers. Four surveys were conducted during the dry and wet seasons at four sites for macroinvertebrate analysis; however, only two surveys were conducted for water and sediment analysis. Macroinvertebrates were collected at all four sites from various biotopes using standard sampling procedures, and ultimately they were counted and idntified. Water and sediments were collected at all sites following the standard method, while physical parameters (temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, TDS, and flow rate) were measured in situ at all selected sites. Sediments and water samples were digested and sent for inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses for the determination of selected heavy metal concentrations. Chemical analyses for nutrients and selected major ion concentrations were conducted on water samples using ICMS as well. All selected metals were detected in water and sediment samples; however, high concentrations were recorded in sediments. Seasonal variation was recorded during the study. Some metal concentrations were high during the low flow in water and sediments, while others were high during the high flow season. A total of 28 families of macroinvertebrates were collected at the four selected sites during the four surveys. Macroinvertebrates were classified according to their sensitivity. Families classified as highly tolerant were abundant at 3 sites that are impacted by various anthropogenic activities (WWTWs), suggesting that there is a presence of organic enrichment from site 2 further downstream. Site 1 accommodated highly sensitive families and moderately sensitive and highly tolerant families, exhibiting the least levels of organic pollution. Habitat quality was good throughout the study, and all expected biotopes were available. Habitat scores ranged from 55% to 90% at all sites. The macroinvertebrate diversity was high at sites 1 and 3 compared to sites 2 and 4. Sensitive taxa were dominant at site 1, which is the headwater stream, and highly tolerant taxa were dominant at sites 2, 3, and 4. Based on the results obtained from this study, it is evident that the pollution in the Apies River has caused a shift in the macroinvertebrate structure across four sites. Constant monitoring on the river should be implemented going forward.Master
Regulating the adaptation to climate change impacts in the Limpopo Province agricultural sector
Full text linkMaster of laws in Environmental Law and Governance, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusClimate change poses a significant risk to production in the agricultural sector of Limpopo province and is a serious threat to sustainable development. The Limpopo provincial climate change laws and policies have developed positively to implement adaptation measures. The Limpopo Provincial Government responded by aligning with national legislation and policies to fulfil the international agreement on climate change adaptation. This dissertation aimed to determine the nature of the policies and the legal framework regulating climate change adaptation in the Limpopo province, specifically referring to the agricultural sector. The study entailed a literature review to examine the above issue in primary andsecondary sources. The researcher analysed international law and policy frameworks, national legislation, and provincial legislation and policies relating to climate change adaptation. The objectives of this study were to identify the policies and legal framework that guides adaptation to climate change impacts on the agricultural sector in Limpopo province, to determine the policies and statutes that may be used in Limpopo province to improve and strengthen resilience to climate change impacts on the agricultural sector; and to identify the institutions that could promote the implementation of policies to adapt to climate change. This study was guided by Chapter 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which provides that the provincial executive has the authority to develop and implement legislation and policies, in this case, to regulate the climate change adaptation of the agriculture sector as indicated on Schedule 4 of the Constitution. The study consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 provides the background, problem statement and research methods as the point of departure to outline the aim of the study; Chapter 2 analyses the international and regional climate change policies and legal framework to which South Africa is a party to assist the provincial government to reach the objectives; Chapter 3 provides the existing SA climate change laws and policy framework specific to climate change adaptation plans and strategies; Chapter 4 analyses the Limpopo provincial climate change legislation and policy framework that regulates the adaptation to the climate change impacts on the agriculture sector; and Chapter 5 concludes by recommending that the Limpopo provincial government should develop, draft and implement climate change legislation and policy framework to regulate climate change impacts on the agriculture sector.-North-West University (Faculty of Law)Master
Addressing copyright in the digital age: a proposal for measures and legislative solutions in South Africa
Full text linkMaster of Laws in Mercantile Law, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusN/AMaster
Legislative reform proposed for the incorporation of corporate social investment expenditure into the South African taxation framework
Full text linkDoctor of Laws in Trade and Business Law, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusIn the last few years, the South African government has requested the private sector’s help to address socio-economic and infrastructural problems. One way companies can get involved is through CSI. However, it was found that many South African companies do not engage in CSI at all. It was further determined that companies expect a return on their CSI investment. Generally, JSE-listed companies make use of section 18A of the Income Tax Act (ITA(SA)) deduction for qualifying donations (of a philanthropic nature) and/or the benefits of being compliant with the B-BBEE legislation, - Code, and – scorecard provisions. Only two sections of the ITA(SA) (sections 37C and 37D) considered relate to CSI specifically the conservation of land for the public interest. No other income tax incentives or deductions are available for expenditure relating to the broad definition of CSI (CSIE) incurred. It was determined that a government can use taxation legislation, either tax incentives or a tax, to incentivise or force a company to act in a certain manner. Key findings highlight the inadequacies of the ITA(SA) in incentivising CSIE. Three countries implemented CSR legislation compelling CSR financial contributions. The research question guiding this study is: "How can the South African taxation framework be reformed to incorporate corporate social investment expenditure?" The study's primary objective is to propose legislative changes that integrate CSIE into the taxation framework. Several secondary objectives were identified to address this question, including defining core concepts (CSR, CSI, CP, CSIE). No universally applicable definitions could be found for any of these concepts. Specific key events shaped the development of CSI as a concept in the South African context. It was also found that CSR and CSI are often used interchangeably. The last time any authoritative document defined CSR and CSI in South Africa was with the publication of the King III Report in 2009. An essential step before any legislation can be drafted is to design clear and distinguishable definitions hence the secondary objective indicated. A doctrinal reform-orientated method was followed, scrutinising primary and secondary resources to answer the main and secondary objectives. The research adopts a systematic literature review, using Atlas.ti 23, and an inductive reasoning process to draft definitions for the individual concepts (CSR, CSI and CP). This process culminated in the development of Preston’s Integrated Sustainable CSR Model. This model reimagines sustainable CSR as dynamic, regarding each responsibility (economic, ethical, legal, environmental, and societal) as equally important. Each element also demonstrates the CSI component of CSR. Using the secondary objectives to guide the study, potential tax incentives and tax levies (to promote CSI) of South Africa (the ITA(SA)), Mauritius, India and Seychelles were scrutinised. Lessons from the named countries regarding their mandatory CSR legislation, the management of funds, and other tax incentives were considered in the drafting of taxation legislation for CSI incorporating the deduction of CSIE under the ITA(SA). This research contributes to legal scholarship by proposing new universal definitions for each of the concepts, Preston’s Integrated Sustainable CSR Model in place of Carroll’s CSR Pyramid and drafting legislative reforms that leverage corporate resources in the form of CSIE to address national challenges. By combining theoretical analysis with practical recommendations, the study underscores the necessity of public-private collaboration for sustainable socio-economic and infrastructure development, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and effective taxation framework
Characterisation and potential impacts of Clostridium spp. in agroecosystems
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Science with Microbiology, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThis study investigated the behaviour of Clostridium species, with a focus on Clostridium perfringens, in agroecosystems, examining their genetic features, adaptability under environmental pressures, and potential dissemination through agricultural practices. Using a next-generation technologies, whole-genome sequencing of surface water-derived C. perfringens isolates revealed 11 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and 35 virulence factors, with 79% associated with C. perfringens-specific pathogenic traits. This highlights their adaptability and potential risks to human and environmental health. Comparative analyses demonstrated strong genetic similarity to clinical isolates, emphasising the role of agroecosystems as reservoirs and amplifiers of antibiotic resistance and virulence traits. Transcriptome analysis using RNA-Seq revealed 166 significantly differentially expressed genes mapped to 26 KEGG pathways, including 73 up-regulated and 93 down-regulated genes under sublethal antibiotic exposure. Several resistance and virulence-associated genes were up-regulated, enhancing survival and adaptability under stress conditions. Notably, exposure to cefoxitin resulted in nine differentially expressed ARGs, the highest among the tested antibiotic. Concurrently, genes involved in energy-intensive metabolic pathways, such as lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, were notably down-regulated, indicating a shift in bacterial physiology toward a survival-oriented state. These findings emphasise the ecological risks posed by residual antibiotics in agricultural environments, which foster the persistence and pathogenicity of resistant bacterial populations. The study also explored the survival and transfer of C. sporogenes, a surrogate for pathogenic Clostridium species, in irrigation systems. Contaminated irrigation water facilitated the persistence of bacteria in both soil and the phyllosphere of lettuce, with surface irrigation primarily contaminating the soil and spray irrigation targeting the plant phyllosphere. Surface irrigation led to a peak concentration of 5.59 log copy numbers/g in non-rhizosphere soil at day 22, while spray irrigation resulted in an initial phyllosphere concentration of 9.09 log copy numbers/g leaves, which declined to 0.019 by day 42. Although bacterial concentrations decreased over time, trace amounts remained detectable, presenting potential food safety risks. This research highlights the interconnectedness of environmental reservoirs, antibiotic resistance, and agricultural practices. It also highlights the need for integrated management strategies, including enhanced wastewater treatment, rigorous water quality monitoring, and the adoption of sustainable irrigation practices, to mitigate the spread of antibiotic-resistant and pathogenic bacteria in agroecosystems and ensure food safety.-The National Research Foundation (NRF)
-Agricultural Research Council
-North-West UniversityDoctor of Philosoph
A serious game to promote information security awareness by utilising simulated experiences among the youth
Full text linkMaster of Science in Computer Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusInformation security has emerged as a critical concern, particularly for the youth who are immersed in technology from a young age. The increasing prevalence of cyber threats and the need for effective awareness of information security among the youth have highlighted the limitations of traditional training methods. However, there is a pressing need to rethink the approach to information security education and awareness, moving beyond passive learning to more interactive and immersive experiences. The aim of this research is to develop and implement a serious game called “Cyber Cadet: Threat Defender” using simulated experiences to promote information security awareness. The Design Science Research Process was used to guide the development of the game. The study provides a comprehensive background on the current landscape of information security education, the identified challenges, and the potential benefits of adopting a serious game-based approach. A scoping literature review on information security awareness among the youth was performed. The results showed that serious games have the potential to provide hands-on training, improve security awareness, and foster the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills. The game was tested and evaluated by parents, teachers, and industry experts in order to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the game to promote cyber security awareness among the youthMaster