158 research outputs found
Community Engagement newsletter, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Spring, November 2018
No full textNews articles with colour photos about the various community engagement projects of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria.Biting back against rabies / Ananthan Daylene, Luthaar Naidoo, Shanzelle Rabė,
Heiko Schmid & Laryssa Straub -- My Hluvukani experience / Emca du Plessis & Dr Luke Arnot , photographs by Dr Luke Arnot -- Adventures with Elephants: getting clued up on conservation / Kira Coetzee, Simone Brown, Bruna Silva, Alexandra
Graham & Rofhiwa Ramavhoya -- Conquering the unconquered - healing animals while spreading love / Kgopotso Mabote -- A hidden treasure / Regan van Welie, Lauren Wakefield, Ingo Meyer, Stephen Hodgson & Daniella van der Have -- Bajabulile: the happy place / Kevasha Govender, Erin Sinclair & Sabelisiwe Mpanza ; photography by: Laura Simpkinsab201
Die stil avontuur an evaluation of Hendrik Hofmeyr's song-cycle with an emphasis on the poetry of Elisabeth Eybers
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.Forty-six opuses in Hofmeyr's oeuvre are either inspired by or set to Afrikaans texts. This is indicative of his love for the language and of the culture in which he feels most comfortable. Of these works, the Afrikaans song is the most predominant genre which spans his entire compositional career. However, only one cycle, Alleenstryd, has been the subject of extensive academic evaluation (Roos, 2000; May, 2003; Cupido, 2010). For the purposes of this dissertation, I have decided to investigate Die stil avontuur, a cycle based on seven poems by Elisabeth Eybers. Die stil avontuur, commissioned by Lina Spies in celebration of Eybers' ninetieth birthday traces, like Robert Schumann's Frauenlieben und -leben, the life of a woman from the first meeting of her beloved to his death. My motivation for selecting this cycle as the subject for my study, besides considering it a high-point in both Hofmeyr's oeuvre and South African song, is one of identifying a number of correlations between Eybers and Hofmeyr. Both being recipients of international awards for their respective arts, they also both left their birth country in self-imposed exile. Another aspect common to both artists is their struggle to reconcile aspects of their upbringing with their arts
Towards a cultural diplomacy for South Africa : building blocks and best practices
No full textMini Dissertation (MDIPS)--University of Pretoria, 2016.Cultural diplomacy is considered by many to be the fourth pillar of foreign policy, together with political, economic and military diplomacy. It is widely practiced by states today, yet it is ill-defined, under-theorised and often undervalued as an instrument of foreign policy. In the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on the United States of America there is a renewed interest in the theory and practice of cultural diplomacy as an instrument to build strong international relations, foster effective (diplomatic) channels of communication between nations, and exert influence in the global arena. As a manifestation of this renewed interest, South Africa recently announced its intent to develop a cultural diplomacy policy. The study proposes that global best practices offers lessons for South Africa, and that building blocks for the development of a South African cultural diplomacy policy already exist.
The theoretical limitations and range of application of cultural diplomacy informed the primary research question: Given current thinking on cultural diplomacy and drawing on best practices globally what would be the critical components in designing a cultural diplomacy policy for South Africa? Three aspects informed the response; the trend in scholarly writing including the 5-element adapted model of Gienow-Hecht & Donfried recognising cultural diplomacy as a key instrument of foreign policy; secondly an overview of best practices in cultural diplomacy globally reflecting a diversity of approaches and institutions; and thirdly, the South African context demonstrating the existing building blocks of a cultural diplomacy policy.
A reflection on the origins and elements of cultural diplomacy as practiced by different states responded to the secondary research question: What is the current understanding of global trends in cultural diplomacy? The trends indicate an expansion, greater formalisation and publicising of cultural diplomacy, as an increasingly recognised instrument of foreign policy. Considering the links between cultural diplomacy and other forms of ‘soft power’ responded to a further secondary research question; How is cultural diplomacy distinct and differentiated from, or linked to public diplomacy and soft power tools of foreign policy? Evidence revealed cultural diplomacy differs substantively from other ‘soft power’ tools in its aim, audience and content, but they may be used in unison or to support each other. Uniquely cultural diplomacy embraces the national cultural character at the centre thereof, as manifested dualistically through art works, performances, literary works, music, drama, poetry and dance, but also though identity, language, values, beliefs and behaviour.
In the South African case study, two further secondary research questions were considered: What is the recent historical and post-1994 South African context and thinking that informs the development of a cultural diplomacy policy for South Africa?; and, What role is there for non-state actors in shaping cultural diplomacy in South Africa? Applying the adapted model revealed a cultural diplomacy orientation steeped in the struggle and liberation politics of South Africa’s past, and a concerted post-1994 effort to address the previous marginalisation and neglect of (some) cultures. Increased awareness and progressive development of cultural diplomacy programmes, acknowledging the role of non–state actors, provide further building blocks of a cultural diplomacy policy.
Lastly consideration was given to a final secondary research question: ‘How do the current elements or building blocks of South African cultural diplomacy conform to the Gienow-Hecht & Donfried model and its two theses/propositions on ‘distance’ and ‘interactivity’? The evidence was mixed and recommendations are made for adjustment of the theses for the South African context. Building on global best practices, and with key elements already in place, this study proposes that a comprehensive South African cultural diplomacy policy can be designed, developed and pursued in an effective and sustainable manner.
Key terms: Culture, cultural diplomacy, diplomacy, foreign policy, international relations, national identity, propaganda, public diplomacy, soft power, South African cultural diplomacy.Political SciencesUnrestricte
On baking a cake : the phenomenological method in positive psychology
No full textAbstract: The field of positive psychology has burgeoned since its formal inception with Martin Seligman’s 1998 APA presidential address. Aimed at better baking the positive half of the psychology “cake”, the gains in research and practice over the past decade and a half have been substantial. Among the chief reasons for the rapid growth and development in this field is the express emphasis on a positivistic scientific methodology. While this methodology has undoubtedly contributed much to the evolution and growth of the field, the empirical emphasis has arguably resulted in the concomitant neglect of the more qualitative complexities of optimal human functioning. The present paper contributes to the discussion regarding the role of method in the field of positive psychology and, using as case studies two papers from the field of phenomenology, argues specifically for the utility of phenomenological psychological methods in the baking of the metaphorical psychology cake. The case studies effectively serve to illustrate the manner in which phenomenological methods, through their focus on rich description and resistance to an interpretative framework, are condusive to contributing to methodological pluralism within positive psychology and thereby providing additional means whereby not only to continue the baking of the positive psychology cake, but, more particularly, to ensure that it is baked thoroughly by adjusting the oven’s heat to the optimal level
Editorial. An easy alliance : the relationship between phenomenology and psychobiography
No full textAbstract: This Special Edition represents the first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to explicitly link the traditions of phenomenology and psychobiography. The decision to call for papers for this volume was based on our belief that the phenomenological tradition has much to offer psychobiographical research. Phenomenology’s emphasis on lived experience privileges individual voices and subjective experiences and is thus commensurate with the fundamental aim of all psychobiographical research, which is the simultaneously simple yet grandiose task of understanding the life of a single human being. This Special Edition sought to bring together scholarship in psychobiography that made use of the phenomenological tradition as a lens through which to view individual lives and experiences..
The effect of a positive psychology intervention on psychosocial well-being among a group of early adolescents
No full textAbstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a positive psychology intervention on the psychosocial well-being of a group of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 13 using a quasi-experimental quantitative approach. The positive psychology intervention was implemented over a four week period within the school setting, and consisted of one half-hour session per week. Intervention activities focused on enhancing positive emotions about the past, in the present, and toward the future through meditation, gratitude activities, a savouring exercise, a kindness intervention, identifying and developing character strengths and an optimism enhancing exercise. Complete data at baseline, one-week post-intervention, and 5-week follow-up was gathered from 95 grade seven scholars who were randomly assigned to the experimental (intervention) condition (n = 44) or control group (n=51). The control group received no intervention and no placebo. Data was gathered using the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF) for adolescents to measure well-being, and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Short Version (RCADS-SV) as the indicator for anxiety and depression. While no significant changes were indicated in the control group in either well-being or pathology, quantitative data revealed promising results in the experimental group, suggesting that the brief intervention may have impacted on the psychosocial well-being of the adolescents indirectly by significantly decreasing symptoms of mental ill-health including anxiety and depression after follow-up analysis. Although no significant differences were found in psychosocial well-being per se, the significant decrease in anxiety and depression may increase well-being and in so doing promote flourishing adolescents. Furthermore, evidence suggests that well-being interventions have a delayed or long-term effect and as such future research ought to look at the effects of positive psychology interventions among a broader agerange and socio-economic group using longitudinal studies.M.A
Mining a Chinese hyperthermophilic metagenome
No full textPhilosophiae Doctor - PhDMetagenomic sequencing of environmental samples provide direct access to
genomic information of organisms within the respective environments. This
sequence information represents a significant resource for the identification and subsequent characterization of potentially novel genes, or known genes with acquired novel characteristics. Within this context, the thermophilic environments are of particular interest due to its potential for deriving novel thermostable enzymes with biotechnological and industrial applications. In this work metagenomic library construction, random sequencing and sequence analysis strategies were employed to enhance identification and characterisation of potentially novel genes, from a thermophilic soil sample. High molecular weight metagenomic DNA was extracted from two Chinese hydrothermal soil samples. This was used as source material for the construction of four genomic DNA libraries. The combined libraries were estimated to contain in the order of 1.3 million genes, which provides a rich resource for gene identification. Approximately 70 kbp of sequence data was generated from one of the libraries as a resource for sequence-based analysis. Initial BLAST analysis predicted the presence of 53 ORFs/partial ORFs. The BLAST similarity scores for the investigated ORFs were sufficiently high (>40%) to infer homology with database proteins while also being indicative of novel sequence variants of these database matches. In an attempt to enhance the potential for deriving more full length ORFs a novel strategy, based on WGA technology, was employed. This resulted in the recovery of the near complete sequence of partial ORF5, directly from the
WGA DNA of the environmental sample. While the full length ORF5 could not be
recovered, the feasibility of this novel approach, for enhanced metagenomic
sequence recovery was proved in principle. The implementation of multiple insilico strategies resulted in the identification of two ORFs, classified as homologs of the DUF29 and Usp protein families respectively. The functional inference obtained from the integrated in-silico predictions was furthermore highly suggestive of a putative nucleotide binding/interaction role for both ORFs. A putative novel DNA polymerase gene (denoted TC11pol) was identified from the sequence data. Expression and characterization of the full length TC11pol did however not result in detectable polymerase activity. The implementation of a homology modeling approach proved succesfull for deriving a structural model of the polymerase that was used for: (i) deriving functional inferences of the potential activities of the polymerase and (ii) deriving a 5’ exonuclease deletion mutant for functional analysis. Expression and subsequent functional characterization of the putative 5’exo- TC11pol mutant resulted in detectable polymerase and 3’-5’ exonuclease activity at 37 and 45 oC, following a heat denaturation step at 55 oC for 1 hour. It was, therefore concluded that the putative 5’exo- TC11pol mutant was functionally equivalent to the Klenow fragment of E. coli, while exhibiting increased thermostability.South Afric
Mining a Chinese hyperthermophilic metagenome
No full textPhilosophiae Doctor - PhDMetagenomic sequencing of environmental samples provide direct access to
genomic information of organisms within the respective environments. This
sequence information represents a significant resource for the identification and subsequent characterization of potentially novel genes, or known genes with acquired novel characteristics. Within this context, the thermophilic environments are of particular interest due to its potential for deriving novel thermostable enzymes with biotechnological and industrial applications. In this work metagenomic library construction, random sequencing and sequence analysis strategies were employed to enhance identification and characterisation of potentially novel genes, from a thermophilic soil sample. High molecular weight metagenomic DNA was extracted from two Chinese hydrothermal soil samples. This was used as source material for the construction of four genomic DNA libraries. The combined libraries were estimated to contain in the order of 1.3 million genes, which provides a rich resource for gene identification. Approximately 70 kbp of sequence data was generated from one of the libraries as a resource for sequence-based analysis. Initial BLAST analysis predicted the presence of 53 ORFs/partial ORFs. The BLAST similarity scores for the investigated ORFs were sufficiently high (>40%) to infer homology with database proteins while also being indicative of novel sequence variants of these database matches. In an attempt to enhance the potential for deriving more full length ORFs a novel strategy, based on WGA technology, was employed. This resulted in the recovery of the near complete sequence of partial ORF5, directly from the
WGA DNA of the environmental sample. While the full length ORF5 could not be
recovered, the feasibility of this novel approach, for enhanced metagenomic
sequence recovery was proved in principle. The implementation of multiple insilico strategies resulted in the identification of two ORFs, classified as homologs of the DUF29 and Usp protein families respectively. The functional inference obtained from the integrated in-silico predictions was furthermore highly suggestive of a putative nucleotide binding/interaction role for both ORFs. A putative novel DNA polymerase gene (denoted TC11pol) was identified from the sequence data. Expression and characterization of the full length TC11pol did however not result in detectable polymerase activity. The implementation of a homology modeling approach proved succesfull for deriving a structural model of the polymerase that was used for: (i) deriving functional inferences of the potential activities of the polymerase and (ii) deriving a 5’ exonuclease deletion mutant for functional analysis. Expression and subsequent functional characterization of the putative 5’exo- TC11pol mutant resulted in detectable polymerase and 3’-5’ exonuclease activity at 37 and 45 oC, following a heat denaturation step at 55 oC for 1 hour. It was, therefore concluded that the putative 5’exo- TC11pol mutant was functionally equivalent to the Klenow fragment of E. coli, while exhibiting increased thermostability.South Afric
A meta-theoretical taxonomy of positive psychology constructs
No full textM.Com. (Industrial Psychology and People Management)The present investigation is positioned at a crucial juncture in the field of positive psychology where considerable enthusiasm has seen a growing proliferation in research and practice that has outstripped the ability of the field to maintain a sense of meta-theoretical integrity and domain identity. In this study a meta-theoretical taxonomy of positive psychology is developed in order to meet the pressing need for sound meta-theoretical integration that is necessary to facilitate a multiplicity of possible futures for the field of positive psychology. This proposed meta-theoretical taxonomy delimits the dominant constructs in the field according to the taxonomical components of (1) Positive Characteristics, (2) Healthy Processes, and (3) Positive Outcomes. The utility of the developed meta-theoretical taxonomy in organizing dominant constructs within the field informs the central research problem. This problem is addressed by identifying 33 dominant positive psychology constructs, grouping them according to the theoretical principles of the proposed taxonomy, and then empirically examining whether the theoretical organization has utility in explaining latent factor structures and loadings of data for these constructs in the research sample. The research sample employed consisted of 904 undergraduate students at the University of Johannesburg. There were 694 women, 208 men and two individuals with undeclared gender in the sample. These participants represented a diversity of self-declared ethnicities: Black (630), Coloured (59), Indian / Asian (47), and White (164). Within the sample there were 19 different home languages that can be summarized as: Afrikaans (47), English (258), Indigenous South African (588), and other (9). In order to compare the theoretical organization of the 33 dominant constructs with empirically determined data, a 483 item questionnaire was developed and refined using Rasch modelling. The development of the measure of the identified constructs was informed by contemporary theory and measurement pertaining to each of the specific constructs. Following the refined measurement of the constructs, factor analytic procedures were used to determine latent factor structures for the 33 constructs. The latent factor structure and factor loadings of the specific constructs were then compared with the theorized organization determined by the proposed model. The central finding of the present investigation is that the theorized taxonomy is able to account for a deep theoretical conceptualization as to the functioning of the facets of the identified dominant constructs. This greater insight into the functioning and structure of the constructs within the field of positive psychology has profound implications for the manner in which constructs can be understood and for the manner in which these constructs can be elicited and practiced. Collectively, the meta-theoretical components of (1) Positive Characteristics, (2) Healthy Processes, and (3) Positive Outcomes represent an important meta-synthesis that serves to meet the pressing call for the firm theoretical integration necessary to secure an array of sustainable futures within the field of positive psychology
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