Email security policy implementation in multinational organisations with special reference to privacy laws
- Authors: Dixon, Henry George
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Electronic mail systems -- Security measures , Privacy, Right of , Electronic mail systems -- Management , Electronic mail systems -- Law and legislation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Business Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:10790 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/229 , Electronic mail systems -- Security measures , Privacy, Right of , Electronic mail systems -- Management , Electronic mail systems -- Law and legislation
- Description: In 1971, scientist Ray Tomlinson sent what is now considered the first email message. It was considered as “nothing short of revolutionary … deserv[ing] a spot in the list of great communication inventions such as the printing press, telegraph and telephone” (Festa, 2001). Whereas email was first used exclusively in the military (Arpanet) and in academic circles, it has now become almost ubiquitous, used widely for private, as well as for business correspondence. According to a Berkeley study (Berkeley, 2000), there were approximately 440 million corporate and personal [e-] mailboxes worldwide in 2001, of which more than a third was corporate mailboxes. As a result of the extensive use of email in the corporate environment, Information Officers have to ensure that the use of email adds business value. In an “always on” market place, the efficiency, immediacy and cost effectiveness of email communication are immediately evident. A study by Ferris Research, quoted by Nchor (2001), shows that there is “an overall productivity gain of US$9000 per employee as they send and receive emails to get projects done.” However, the use of email in the corporate envi-ronment also poses business risks that need to be uniquely addressed. Among these “key business risks” (Surfcontrol, 2001) are security risks, viruses, legal liability, pro-ductivity loss and bandwidth abuse. To address the risks mentioned above and to protect the business value of email, spe-cific policies have to be implemented that address email usage. Information Security Policies are defined in most corporate environments. In a study done by Elron Soft-ware (2001), 83% of respondents who have abused email have company policies regu-lating email usage. There appears to be a gap between policy conception and policy implementation. Various factors inhibit effective policy implementation – ethical, legal and cultural. The implementation of corporate policy becomes especially complex in multinational environments where differing information law Email usage is ubiquitous in the modern business environment, but few companies adequately manage the risks associated with email.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Evaluation of the large-scale trapping of blowflies (Lucilia spp.) for an integrated pest management program : the lucitrap
- Authors: Scholtz, Anna J
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Blowflies -- Control , Insect trapping , Insect traps , Pests -- Control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Agricultural Management)
- Identifier: vital:10972 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/126 , Blowflies -- Control , Insect trapping , Insect traps , Pests -- Control
- Description: The results presented in this dissertation have been partially presented at scientific meetings. Chapter 2 is an exact copy of the technical contents of a paper submitted to a scientific journal. The format of this paper however has been changed to comply with the format used in this dissertation. The results of this paper were partially presented at the 36th National Congress of the South African Society of Animal Science, 5 – 8 April 1998 held in Stellenbosch. In this chapter errors occurred in the execution of the trial, but these were corrected in the follow-up trial after consulting with the manufacturers. It is discussed in the paper. Results of chapter 3 were partially presented at the 5th International Sheep Veterinary Congress 21 – 25 January 2001 held in Stellenbosch and at an International Congress (The FLICS (Flystrike & Lice IPM Control Strategies) Conference, 25 – 27 June 2001, Launceston) in Tasmania by Mr. S.W.P. Cloete in 2001. The updated results are given in this chapter. The results of chapter 4 were presented at a combined congress between the Grasslands and the Animal Production Societies of South Africa (The GSSA/SASAS Joint Congress 2002. 13 – 16 May) in Christiana in 2002. The results in this chapter represent the same experimental period as was reported upon at that congress, but additional statistical analyses were executed on the same data set. Copies of the abstracts of the contributions to these meetings are attached in chapter 6. The major objective of this study initially was to evaluate the Lucitrap® system under South African conditions. During the experimental period I had an opportunity to visit Australia and meet many role players. It came under my attention that the control of the blowfly is a rather complex problem with many facets. A current issue worldwide on the use of chemicals as a control method against insects and its hazardous influence on the environment is forcing producers to minimize chemical residues in textiles and other agricultural products. An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach seems to be the only option. This study has been executed to try and understand some aspects of the blowfly problem for future application in such a blowfly control program.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Exploring differences between organisational cultures in a company undergoing change
- Authors: Bowa, Mabvuto
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Africa , Corporate culture -- Africa , Management -- Africa , Organizational behavior -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006287 , Organizational change -- Africa , Corporate culture -- Africa , Management -- Africa , Organizational behavior -- Africa
- Description: Change is a common phenomena in business organisations today. The turbulent environment is exerting a significant influence on organisations to make continuous changes in their internal environment in an attempt to improve performance and achieve competitiveness in the marketplace. The human factors which confront organisations undergoing change have not been thoroughly investigated in Sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aimed at investigating human issues affecting the performance ofan organisation located in an Afiican country. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Twenty interviews were conducted with employees randomly selected from all the levels of the company, namely attendant, operator, supervisory, middle and top management. Five focus groups were carried out with employees from different employee categories. Both sets of data were analysed using grounded theory. The findings showed that there were several problems in the company including insecurity, lack of opportunities for employee development, autocratic management style, lack of participation in decision making, substandard performance, ineffective human resources systems and lack of adaptation to technology. It was suggested that the problems resulted from the clash between organisational cultures in the company. At one level, there was a clash between the local workers' socialist organisational culture and the expatriates' capitalistic organisational culture. At a more deeper level, the clash appeared to be between the local employees' collectivistic sociocultural values and the expatriates' individualistic value system. These findings have significant implications for managing change in organisations with diverse cultures.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Finite element modelling of a magma chamber surrounded by country-rock, with particular reference to the groundwater flow in sections of different permeability
- Authors: Remsing, Carmen
- Date: 2003 , 2013-05-23
- Subjects: Magmas , Groundwater flow
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5508 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007537 , Magmas , Groundwater flow
- Description: This thesis presents results of two-dimensional finite element modelling of a magma chamber surrounded by country-rock containing a section of high permeability. The high permeability section in the country-rock simulates structure that is predominant in controlling the groundwater convection pattern and resulting mineral deposits. The models have analogies in nature: for instance the gold mines in the Massif Central of France, the Pogo mine in Alaska and the Pilgrim's Rest gold field in South Africa. This is a complicated coupled system involving fluid flow and heat transfer under extreme conditions. The magma in the chamber convects and as it cools the heat liberated causes convection in the groundwater contained in the surrounding country-rock. This convection in turn affects the rate of liberation of heat from the magma. The software used for the modelling, FLOTRAN, is the computational fluid dynamics component of the commercial ANSYS package. The results obtained describe in detail the flow pattern in the magma chamber, the country-rock and high permeability section thereof. During the cooling of the magma chamber the groundwater convects more vigorously in the high permeability section than elsewhere, and a convection cell is seen forming within this region. This provides a mechanism for hydrothermal formation of valuable mineral deposits in the structure near a magma chamber. It is found that the relationship between the velocity of the flow in the cell and the temperature of the magma chamber is well represented by a first order linear differential equation, providing a simple understanding of this process, , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
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- Date Issued: 2003
Food choices of tactile defensive children
- Authors: Smith, Anna Magdalena
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Children -- Nutrition -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11034 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020371
- Description: This research explores a different view of the picky or fussy eater. Although occupational therapists and speech therapists are aware that children with sensory defensiveness and specific tactile defensiveness have different eating habits, this has not been described before.
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- Date Issued: 2003
From labour reserve to investment opportunity: economic development planning in the Mbashe Local Municipal area in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Reynolds, John Hunter
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , South Africa -- Economic policy , Planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3353 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007490 , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , South Africa -- Economic policy , Planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Planning for economic development at the local level has become increasingly important in many countries of the world. South Africa is no exception and has had the local focus entrenched through constitutional provisions for developmental local government. This developmental approach has been intimately linked to, and influenced by, the broader legislative, policy and planning context within which the development challenges of post-Apartheid South Africa have been addressed. It has also been implemented in a context of far-reaching transformation of public institutions aimed, in the final analysis, at the effective functioning of three spheres of government. In this thesis, the Mbashe Local Municipal area is used as a case study for an examination of the linkages between economic development planning at the local, provincial and national levels. It is not a case study in the sense that an in-depth analysis of practice is undertaken; it is used rather as a lens through which the economic development planning activities of the three spheres of government are viewed. Its value as a lens lies in its location in the former Transkei, which is characterised by high levels of unemployment and poverty and low levels of service infrastructure, and in its status as one of the newly demarcated local municipalities in South Africa. Mbashe is a pilot site of the Promotion of Rural Livelihoods Programme, which has been linked to the Eastern Cape Province's Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme. It also includes one of the nodes of the Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative, which has, since 1998, been promoted as a vehicle for economic development in the former Transkei. Research comprised extensive documentary research, individual interviews with key role players in the Mbashe Local Municipality, the Promotion of Rural Livelihoods Programme and the Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative, and a group interview with members of the Local Economic Development Sub-Committee of the Mbashe Local Municipal Council. An attempt was made to understand the complex layers of policy and planning frameworks that guide planning at the national and provincial levels and within which local level economic development is situated, and to explore the responses that have been forged by agents within the Mbashe area. Key in this endeavour has been the initiatives developed under the guidance of the Mbashe Local Economic Development Sub-Committee. It is argued that the severe resource constraints faced within Mbashe, combined with limited knowledge of and participation in larger planning and resource mobilisation frameworks, lock Local Economic Development within the top-down and investmentled approaches, rather than the more integrated approach that is promoted in terms of legislation and that is required if poverty is to be addressed successfully. The limitations on state fiscal expenditure and the market-led approach to service provision and economic development, implemented in terms of South Africa's macroeconomic framework, combined with limited synchronisation of planning cycles in which integrated development planning at the local level is privileged, leave little scope for endogenous economic development at local level. There is scope for creative engagement with the interlocking local, provincial, national and continental economies by actively shifting resources in support of integrated, endogenous approaches. Such approaches could serve as counter-narratives to the dominance of neoliberalism and allow for the establishment of local economic development practice that addresses the needs of the poor and that builds integrated local economies under the control of democratic institutions. It is only with such a shifting of approach that economic development within Mbashe will shift the structural conditions that lock it into economic dependence and poverty.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Grade six and seven learners' perceptions of the HIV/AIDS life skills education programme
- Authors: Julies, Zainuneesa
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Study and teaching (Primary) -- South Africa -- Evaluation , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Prevention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10988 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/315 , AIDS (Disease) -- Study and teaching (Primary) -- South Africa -- Evaluation , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Prevention
- Description: At present there is no cure or vaccine for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) therefore prevention programmes are seen as the only means of reducing the spread of the disease. HIV/AIDS education programmes in schools have been identified as the most effective intervention because billions of children can be reached worldwide and because schools are the one social institution with which most children come into contact. Young people in particular have been identified as the age group most in need of a preventative programme. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of grade six and seven learners with regard to the Life Skills programme focusing on HIV/AIDS education in the Port Elizabeth region. In order to fulfill the above aim a qualitative study was undertaken within an exploratory descriptive approach. A non-probability, convenient sample of six schools were selected. Focus groups, utilising an unstructured interview, were used to gather qualitative data about the perceptions of grade six and seven learners. The focus groups consisted of 10-12 participants. The data was thematically analysed using Tesch’s approach. The major findings of the present study included the following: 1. Learners’ perceptions of completing the questionnaire were generally positive in nature. Negative perceptions related to practical issues such as the length of the questionnaire and the time of administration. 2. Learner’s perceptions of the programme were generally positive. 3. Learners’ felt more comfortable discussing HIV/AIDS with parents and teachers. xi 4. Learners’ appeared to be well informed about high-risk behaviour related to HIV/AIDS and existing myths. 5. Contact with HIV+ people is non-existent. However, learner’s felt that the programme had fostered positive attitudes towards HIV+ people. 6. Learner’s felt that schools had an important role to play in sharing information about HIV/AIDS. These findings seem to indicate positive outcomes for the programme as a whole, in that is was successful in terms of conveying information regarding HIV/AIDS; it led to positive changes in attitudes, especially towards HIV+ people; and it confirmed the school as the best setting for implementing HIV/AIDS Life Skills programmes.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Holding on or letting go?: the resolution of grief in relation to two Xhosa rituals in South Africa
- Authors: Van Heerden, Gary Paul
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: South Africa -- Social life and customs , Death -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Mourning customs -- South Africa , Bereavement -- Psychological aspects , Bereavement -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies , Death -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies , Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs , Animal sacrifice -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3253 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016055
- Description: The dominant emphasis in Western models of bereavement is on the breaking of bonds with the deceased in order for healing to occur. Failure to let go often leads to a diagnosis of 'pathological grief'. This paper challenges the assumption that death invariably means that the bonds with the deceased have to be severed. Situating Western models of bereavement in a modernist context not only challenges the 'truth' claims of these models, but also facilitates a deconstruction of the elements that contribute to the emphasis on letting go. In contrast to these theories, two Xhosa rituals (umkhapho and umbuyiso) that seek to sustain the bond with the deceased person will be examined. Such rituals demonstrate that it is possible to both maintain the bond and for the bereaved person to move on with their lives. Despite different contexts, it will be argued that these Xhosa bereavement rituals have a contribution to make to Western models of bereavement and some implications for therapy will be explored.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Hybrid field generator controller for optimised perfomance
- Authors: Moleli, Christopher Teboho
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Hybrid power systems , Wind turbines , Electric power production
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Electrical Engineering)
- Identifier: vital:10818 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/236 , Hybrid power systems , Wind turbines , Electric power production
- Description: Battery charging wind turbines like, Hybrid Field Generator, have become more popular in the growing renewable energy market. With wind energy, voltage and current control is generally provided by means of power electronics. The paper describes the analytical investigation in to control aspects of a hybrid field generator controller for optimized performance. The project objective is about maintaining the generated voltage at 28V through out a generator speed range, between 149 rpm and 598 rpm. The over voltage load, known as dump load, is connected to the control circuit to reduce stress on the bypass transistor for speeds above 598 rpm. Maintaining a stable voltage through out the speed range, between 149rpm and 598rpm, is achieved by employing power electronics techniques. This is done by using power converters and inverters to vary the generator armature excitation levels hence varying its air gap flux density. All these take place during each of the three modes of generator operation, which are: buck, boost and permanent magnet modes. Although the generator controller is power electronics based, it also uses software to optimize its performance. In this case, a PIC16F877 microcontroller development system has been used to test the controller function blocks.
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- Date Issued: 2003
In defence of moral objectivity
- Authors: McKaiser, Eusebius
- Date: 2003 , 2013-05-23
- Subjects: Ethics , Objectivity
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2740 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007599 , Ethics , Objectivity
- Description: This thesis examines the problem of moral objectivity, which is constituted by the ontological, epistemological and motivational challenges. It gradually develops an account of moral objectivity that has the dual function of dealing with the enemies of moral objectivity as well as giving a positive account of what moral objectivity is. It establishes these aims by arguing for the following theses. The first set of arguments show that relativist theories of ethics provide us with no forceful grounds for being sceptical about moral objectivity. The second set of arguments deepens the response to those who are sceptical about moral objectivity. It does so by showing in greater detail how rationality plays a substantive role in our practical deliberation, our notion of agency as well as our reactive attitudes. These arguments provide further reasons why we should have faith in the possibility of developing an adequate account of moral objectivity. The last set of arguments provides the positive account of moral objectivity. This positive account ends with the discussion of a paradigmatic moral fact that gives full expression (to the features of moral objectivity that have been articulated and defended.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Integrating information security into corporate culture
- Authors: Thomson, Kerry-Lynn
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Computer security -- Management , Corporate governance , Corporate culture
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Information Technology)
- Identifier: vital:10801 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/132 , Computer security -- Management , Corporate governance , Corporate culture
- Description: Introduction: There are many components that are required for an organisation to be successful in its chosen field. These components vary from corporate culture, to corporate leadership, to effective protection of important assets. These and many more contribute to the success of an organisation. One component that should be a definitive part in the strategy of any organisation is information security. Information security is one of the fastest growing sub-disciplines in the Information Technology industry, indicating the importance of this field (Zylt, 2001, online). Information security is concerned with the implementation and support of control measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronically stored information (BS 7799-1, 1999, p 1). Information security is achieved by applying control measures that will lessen the threat, reduce the vulnerability or diminish the impact of losing an information asset. However, as a result of the fact that an increasing number of employees have access to information, the protection of information is no longer only dependent on physical and technical controls, but also, to a large extent, on the actions of employees utilising information resources. All employees have a role to play in safeguarding information and they need guidance in fulfilling these roles (Barnard, 1998, p 12). This guidance should originate from senior management, using good corporate governance practices. The effective leadership resulting from good corporate governance practices is another component in an organisation that contributes to its success (King Report, 2001, p 11). Corporate governance is defined as the exercise of power over and responsibility for corporate entities (Blackwell Publishers, 2000, online). Senior management, as part of its corporate governance duties, should encourage employees to adhere to the behaviour specified by senior management to contribute towards a successful organisation. Senior management should not dictate this behaviour, but encourage it as naturally as possible, resulting in the correct behaviour becoming part of the corporate culture. If the inner workings of organisations are explored it would be found that there are many hidden forces at work that determine how senior management and the employees relate to one another and to customers. These hidden forces are collectively called the culture of the organisation (Hagberg Consulting Group, 2002, online). Cultural assumptions in organisations grow around how people in the organisation relate to each other, but that is only a small part of what corporate culture actually covers (Schein, 1999, p 28). Corporate culture is the outcome of all the collective, taken-for-granted assumptions that a group has learned throughout history. Corporate culture is the residue of success. In other words, it is the set of procedures that senior management and employees of an organisation follow in order to be successful (Schein, 1999, p 29). Cultivating an effective corporate culture, managing an organisation using efficient corporate governance practices and protecting the valuable information assets of an organisation through an effective information security program are, individually, all important components in the success of an organisation. One of the biggest questions with regard to these three fields is the relationship that should exist between information security, corporate governance and corporate culture. In other words, what can the senior management of an organisation, using effective corporate governance practices, do to ensure that information security practices become a subconscious response in the corporate culture?.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Intelligent design and biology
- Authors: Ramsden, Sean
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Hume, David, 1711-1776 , Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 , Paley, William, 1743-1805 , Dembski, William A., 1960- , Behe, Michael J., 1952- , Evolution (Biology) , Probabilities , Naturalism , Intelligent design (Teleology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2739 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007561 , Hume, David, 1711-1776 , Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 , Paley, William, 1743-1805 , Dembski, William A., 1960- , Behe, Michael J., 1952- , Evolution (Biology) , Probabilities , Naturalism , Intelligent design (Teleology)
- Description: The thesis is that contrary to the received popular wisdom, the combination of David Hume's sceptical enquiry and Charles Darwin's provision of an alternative theoretical framework to the then current paradigm of natural theology did not succeed in defeating the design argument. I argue that William Paley's work best represented the status quo in the philosophy of biology circa 1800 and that with the logical mechanisms provided us by William Dembski in his seminal work on probability, there is a strong argument for thr work of Michael Behe to stand in a similar position today to that of Paley two centuries ago. The argument runs as follows: In Sections 1 and 2 of Chapter 1 I introduce the issues. In Section 3 I argue that William Paley's exposition of the design argument was archetypical of the natural theology school and that given Hume's already published criticism of the argument, Paley for one did not feel the design argument to be done for. I further argue in Section 4 that Hume in fact did no such thing and that neither did he see himself as having done so, but that the design argument was weak rather than fallacious. In Section 5 I outline the demise of natural theology as the dominant school of thought in the philosophy of biology, ascribing this to the rise of Darwinism and subsequently neo-Darwinism. I argue that design arguments were again not defeated but went into abeyance with the rise of a new paradigm associated with Darwinism, namely methodological naturalism. In Chapter 2 I advance the project by a discussion of William Dembski's formulation of design inferences, demonstrating their value in both everyday and technical usage. This is stated in Section 1. In Sections 2 and 3 I discuss Dembski's treatment of probability, whilst in Section 4 I examine Dembski's tying of different levels of probability to different mechanisms of explanation used in explicating the world. Section 5 is my analysis of the logic of the formal statement of the design argument according to Dembski. In Section 6 I encapsulate objections to Dembski. I conclude the chapter (with Section 7) by claiming that Dembski forwards a coherent model of design inferences that can be used in demonstrating that there is little difference between the way that Paley came to his conclusions two centuries ago and how modem philosophers of biology (such as I take Michael Behe to be, albeit that by profession he is a scientist) come to theirs when offering design explanations. Inference to the best explanation is demonstrated as lying at the crux of design arguments. In Chapter 3 I draw together the work of Michael Behe and Paley, showing through the mechanism of Dembski's work that they are closely related in many respects and that neither position is to be lightly dismissed. Section 1 introduces this. In Section 2 I introduce Behe's concept of irreducible complexity in the light of (functional) explanation. Section 3 is a detailed analysis of irreducible complexity. Section 4 raises and covers objections to Behe with the general theme being that (neo-) Darwinians beg the question against him. In Section 4 I apply the Dembskian mechanic directly to Behe's work. I argue that Behe does not quite meet the Dembskian criteria he needs to in order for his argument to stand as anything other than defeasible. However, in Section 5 I conclude by arguing that this is exactly what we are to expect from Behe's and similar theories, even within competing paradigms, in the philosophy of biology, given that inference to the best explanation is the logical lever therein at work. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
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- Date Issued: 2003
Intelligent monitoring and control system for a friction stir welding process
- Authors: Kruger, Grant
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Friction welding
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Electrical Engineering)
- Identifier: vital:10823 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/273 , Friction welding
- Description: A Friction Stir Welding machine is proposed and built to allow future research into the process and to provide a framework from which the application of intelligent manufacturing to industrial processes can be investigated. Initially a literature survey was conducted upon which the design of the machine could be based. The conversion of a conventional milling machine into a Friction Stir Welding machine by applying modern monitoring and control systems is then presented. Complete digital control was used to drive actuators and monitor sensors. A wireless chuck mounted monitoring system was implemented, enabling forces, torques, temperature and speed of the tool to be obtained directly from the process. Software based on a hierarchical Open Systems Architectural design, incorporating modularity, interoperability, portability and extensibility is implemented. This experimental setup is used to analyze the Friction Stir Welding process by performing data analysis using statistical methods. Three independent variables (weld speed, spindle speed and plunge depth) were varied and the independent variables (forces, torques, power, temperature, speed, etc) recorded using the implemented software. The statistical analysis includes the analysis of variants, regression analysis and the creation of surface plots. Using these results, certain linguistic rules for process control are proposed. An intelligent controller is designed and discussed, using the derived rules to improve and optimize certain aspects of the process encountered during the experimental phase of the research.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Investigation of the comparative cost-effectiveness of different strategies for the management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
- Authors: Rockcliffe, Nicole
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Tuberculosis , Multidrug resistance , Tuberculosis -- Treatment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3788 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003266 , Tuberculosis , Multidrug resistance , Tuberculosis -- Treatment
- Description: The tuberculosis epidemic is escalating in South Africa as well as globally. This escalation is exacerbated by the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB), which is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as resistance of Mycobacteria to at least isoniazid and rifampicin. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is estimated to occur in 1-2% of newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) patients and in 4-8% of previously treated patients. MDRTB is both difficult and expensive to treat, costing up to 126 times that of drug-sensitive TB. Resource constrained countries such as South Africa often lack both the money and the infrastructure to treat this disease. The aim of this project was to determine whether the performance of a systematic review with subsequent economic modelling could influence the decision making process for policy makers. Data was gathered and an economic evaluation of MDRTB treatment was performed from the perspective of the South African Department of Health. Three treatment alternatives were identified: a protocol regimen of second line anti-tuberculosis agents, as recommended in the South African guidelines for MDRTB, an appropriate regimen designed for each patient according to the results of culture and drug susceptibility tests, and non-drug management. A decision-analysis model using DATA 3.0 by Treeage® was developed to estimate the costs of each alternative. Outcomes were measured in terms of cost alone as well as the ‘number of cases cured’ and the number of ‘years of life saved’ for patients dying, being cured or failing treatment. Drug, hospital and laboratory costs incurred using each alternative were included in the analysis. A sensitivity analysis was performed on all variables in order to identify threshold values that would change the outcome of the evaluation. Results of the decision analysis indicate that the individualised regimen was both the cheaper and more cost-effective regimen of the two active treatment options, and was estimated to cost R50 661 per case cured and R2 070 per year of life saved. The protocol regimen was estimated to cost R73 609 per case cured and R2 741 per year of life saved. The outcome of the decision analysis was sensitive to changes in some of the variables used to model the disease, particularly the daily cost of drugs, the length of time spent in hospital and the length of treatment received by those patients dying or failing treatment. This modelling exercise highlighted significant deficiencies in the quality of evidence on MDRTB management available to policy makers. Pragmatic choices based on operational and other logistic concerns may need to be reviewed when further information becomes available. A case can be made for the establishment of a national database of costing and efficacy information to guide future policy revisions of the South African MDRTB treatment programme, which is resource intensive and of only moderate efficacy. However, due to the widely disparate range of studies on which this evaluation was based, the outcome of the study may not be credible. In this case, the use of a systematic review with subsequent economic modelling could not validly influence policy-makers to change the decision that they made on the basis of drug availability.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Investigations into the asymmetric reduction of ketones
- Authors: Bena, Luvuyo Clifford
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Ketones , Asymmetric synthesis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:11065 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/323 , Ketones , Asymmetric synthesis
- Description: A six-step synthesis of salbutamol from methyl salicylate with an overall yield of 17% has been completed, although the yield was not optimised. In the process, Zn(BH4)2 was found to selectively reduce a ketone carbonyl group in the presence of an ester unit. In contrast, borane was found to reduce both the ketone and ester carbonyl groups. Reduction of phenacyl bromide with borane in the presence of chiral catalysts based on (R)-alaninol and (R,S)-ephidrine resulted a measure of enantioselectivity in the product. However, the configuration of the alcohol obtained in the case of (R)-alaninol was contrary to expectations based both on experimental trends observed elsewhere as well as our own theoretical predictions. The asymmetric reduction of methyl 5-bromoacetyl-2-benzyloxybenzoate was accomplished with both borane and Zn(BH4)2 in the presence of a range of chiral catalysts. Optically active products were obtained in all cases, although the optical rotations were significantly smaller in the case of Zn(BH4)2. Unfortunately, we were not successful in determining the enantiomeric excesses of these reactions. The use of a NMR lanthanide shift reagent resulted in a complex spectrum that was impossible to interpret unambiguously. This presumably arises from the presence of several Lewis base sites in the product at which complexation with the shift reagent can take place. It was also not possible to determine the optical rotation of salbutamol itself owing to the relatively small amount of material obtained. A conformational analysis of salbutamol, where NMR data was correlated with molecular modelling results, was successfully carried out and revealed a strong preference for that conformer family characterised by O–C–C–N and Ar–C–C–N torsion angles of ca. 60º and 180º, respectively. Interestingly, these conformers are found to be stabilised by OH…N rather than NH…O hydrogen bonding. This study has also confirmed the effectiveness of the MMFF94 force field for conformational analysis studies in compounds of this kind. Lastly, a relatively simple method for modelling the BH3/oxazaborolidine reduction of ketones at the PM3 semiempirical MO level of approximation was devised. This approach has provided insights into the mechanism of the reaction and has furthermore enabled us to predict the enantioselectivities likely to result from various catalysts and ketones. In comparing our theoretical and experimental findings, an anomalous result was observed in the case of (R)-alaninol; this will have to be investigated further, particularly at the experimental level. However, we believe that our approach provides a sound basis for aiding the design and screening of new, potentially better catalysts.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Isolation, expression and purification of the hydantoin hydrolysing enzymes of agrobacterium tumefaciens
- Authors: Clark, Sally-Ann
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Agrobacterium tumefaciens , Amino acids Hydantoin Enzymes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4140 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016233
- Description: The production of enantiomerically pure amino acids is of industrial importance as they are used in the synthesis of a number of pharmaceuticals, insecticides and herbicides and biologically active peptides and hormones. A number of microorganisms have been identified which possess hydantoin hydrolysing enzymes that stereoselectively convert racemic hydantoins into anantiomerically pure amino acids. Consequently these microorganisms and their enzymes are sought after as biocatalysts for the production of amino acids. The isolation of novel hydantoin hydrolising enzymes with unique or improved biocatalytic characteristics is of importance for the development of potential biocatalysts to be used in the production of enantiomerically pure amino acids. The genes encoding an N-carbamoyl-amino acid amidohydrolase, an enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of hydantoin, was isolated by screening a genomic DNA library of Agrobacterium tumefacience RU-AE01. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the region upstream of this gene revealed a fragment of a gene encoding the hydantoinase enzyme. I this study, a DNA probe consisting of the gene encoding the N-carbamoyl amino acid amidohydrolase, on a large enough fragment of the genomic DNA library which would allow for the simultaneous isolation the hydantoinase gene located upstream. Recombinant expression of the genes encoding hydantoin hydrolysing enzymes has been used to facilitate the production and purification of these enzymes for their use as biocatalysts. Two genes (ncaR1 and ncaR2) encoding different N-carbamoyl-amino acid amidohydrolases with distinct nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were isolated from the genome of A, tumefaciens RU-OR. In this study, the heterologous expression of ncaR1 and ncaR2 was explored. Investigation into the optimisation of the heterologous expression of ncaR1 showed that reducing the growth temperature of the recombinant E. coli producing NcaR1 resulted in a two-fold increase in N-carbamoyl-amino acid amidohydrolase activity and solubility. Furthermore, NcaR1 was produced with a C-terminal 6xHis tag, but NcaR1-6xHis did not possess N-carbamoyl amino acid amidohydrolase activity. Furthermore, purification of NcaR-6xHis under native conditions using affinity chromatography performed, and used for the production of antibodies.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Jane Austen re-visited a feminist evaluation of the longevity and relevance of the Austen Oeuvre
- Authors: Kollmann, Elizabeth
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Austen, Jane, 1775-1817 -- Criticism and interpretation , Feminist literary criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10994 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/299 , Austen, Jane, 1775-1817 -- Criticism and interpretation , Feminist literary criticism
- Description: Although many might consider Jane Austen to be outdated and clichéd, her work retains an undying appeal. During the last decade the English-speaking world has experienced an Austen renaissance as it has been treated to a number of film and television adaptations of her work, including Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility. Film critics such as Bill De Lapp (1996) and Sherry Dean (1996) have commented on the phenomenal response these productions received and have been amazed by Austen’s ability to compete with current movie scripts. The reasons for viewers and readers enjoying and identifying with Austen’s fiction are numerous. Readers of varying persuasions have different agendas and hence different views and interpretations of Austen. This thesis follows a gynocritical approach and applies a feminist point of view when reading and discussing Austen. Austen’s novels - Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion – are re-read and reevaluated from a feminist perspective in order to call attention to Austen’s awareness of women’s second-class position in her society. Women’s experiences in Austen’s time are compared to women’s experiences in society today in order to illustrate, in some way, the tremendous progress the feminist movement has made. In addition, by examining what Austen reveals about the material reality of women in her time, it is possible to explore the legacy that modern women have inherited. Literary critics such as André Brink (1998), Claudia Johnson (1988), and Gilbert and Gubar (1979) believe Austen to create feminist awareness in her novels. There are critics, however, who do not view Austen as necessarily feminist in her writing. Nancy Armstrong writes in Desire and Domestic Fiction (1987) that Austen’s objective is not a critique of the Abstract iv old order but rather a redefinition of wealth and status. In Culture and Imperialism (1993) Edward Said implicates Austen in the rationale for imperial expansion, while Barbara Seeber argues in “The Schooling of Marianne Dashwood” (1999) that Austen’s texts should be understood as dialogic. Others, such as Patricia Beer (1974), believe Austen’s fiction primarily to be about marriage since all her novels end with matrimony. My own reading of Austen takes into consideration her social milieu and patriarchal inheritance. It argues that Austen writes within the framework of patriarchy (for example by marrying off her heroines) possibly because she is aware that in order to survive as a woman (writer) in a male-favouring world and in a publishing world dominated by men, her critique needs to be covert. If read from a feminist perspective, Austen’s fiction draws our attention to issues such as women’s (lack of) education, the effects of not being given access to knowledge, marriage as a patriarchal institution of entrapment, and women’s identity. Her fiction reveals the effects of educating women for a life of domesticity, and illustrates that such an education is biased, leaving women powerless and without any means of self-protection in a male-dominated world. Although contemporary women in the Western world mostly enjoy equal education opportunities to men, they suffer the consequences of a legacy which denied them access to a proper education. Feminist writers such as Flis Henwood (2000) show that contemporary women believe certain areas of expertise belong to men exclusively. Others such as Linda Nochlin (1994) reveal that because women did not have access to higher education for so many years, they failed to produce great women artists like Chaucer or Cézanne. Austen’s fiction also exposes the economic and social system (of which education constitutes a major part) for enforcing marriage and for enfeebling women. In addition, it illustrates some of the realities and pitfalls of marriage. While Austen only subtly refers to Abstract v women’s disempowerment within marriage, contemporary feminist scholars such as Germaine Greer (1999) and Arnot, Araújo, Deliyanni, and Ivinson (2000) explicitly warn women that marriage is a patriarchal institution of entrapment and that it often leaves women feeling unfulfilled. The issue of marriage as a patriarchal institution has been thought important and has been addressed by feminists because it contributes to women’s powerlessness. Feminist scholars today find it imperative to expose all forms of power in order to eradicate women’s subordination. bell hooks comments in Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (2000) on the importance of revealing unfair power relations in order to eliminate oppression of any kind. Austen does not necessarily express the wish to eradicate forms of power or oppression in her novels. Yet, if we read her work from a feminist point of view, we are made aware of the social construction of power. From her fiction we can infer that male power is enshrined in the very structure of society, and this makes us aware of women’s lack of power in her time. Austen’s novels, however, are not merely novels of powerlessness but of empowerment. By creating rounded women characters and by giving them the power to judge, to refuse and to write, Austen challenges the stereotyped view of woman as either overpowering monster or weak and fragile angel. In addition, her novels seem to question women’s inherited identity and to suggest that qualities such as emotionality and mothering are not natural aspects of being a woman. Because she suggests ways in which women might empower themselves, albeit within patriarchal parameters, one could argue that she contributes, in a small way, to the transformation of existing power relations and to the eradication of women’s servile position in society.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights under the 1996 constitution : realising the vision of social justice
- Authors: Ngcukaitobi, T
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: South Africa. Constitution , South Africa. Bill of Rights , Civil rights -- South Africa , Human rights -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- , South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991- , South Africa -- Social conditions -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3689 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003204 , South Africa. Constitution , South Africa. Bill of Rights , Civil rights -- South Africa , Human rights -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- , South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991- , South Africa -- Social conditions -- 1994-
- Description: Few legal developments in South Africa and elsewhere in the world in recent times have excited such controversy as the legal recognition of social and economic rights. South Africa has created a special place for itself in world affairs for being one of the countries that recognise socio-economic rights in a justiciable Bill of Rights. Partly this is in response to the appalling levels of poverty prevalent in the country which could potentially destabilise the new democracy. Improvement of the quality of life of every citizen is a crucial step in consolidating the constitutional democracy. The question that will face any court in giving effect to socio-economic rights is: how are these rights to be judicially enforced in a given context? The crux of this thesis lies in the resolution of this question. Firstly this thesis traces the philosophical foundations to the legal recognition of socio-economic rights. It is stated that the recognition of these rights in a justiciable bill of rights requires a conceptually sound understanding of the nature of obligations that these rights place on the state. It is emphasised that it is imperative that access to justice be facilitated to poor and vulnerable members of society for the realisation of the constitutional goal of addressing inequality. Particular concern and priority should in this context be given to women, children and the disabled. The study explores various judicial remedies and makes suggestions on new and innovative constitutional mechanisms for judicial enforcement of these rights. It is concluded that there is an important role to be played by civil society in giving meaningful effect to socio-economic rights.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Labour law implications of organisational restructuring
- Authors: Grootboom, Linda Henry
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Organizational change -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11041 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/303 , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Organizational change -- South Africa
- Description: It is beyond debate that each job lost due to restructuring means a lost taxpayer, and hence lost tax revenue, more poverty and increased crime. South Africa and the world at the large have to deal with this problem head – on in view of the acute need to better the lives of people and encourage investment. Technological advancement should be embraced and used to benefit people and stimulate economies, and that is further challenge in its own right. In Chapter 8 of the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Service dated 15 November 1995 (hereinafter, the White Paper), it is said that: “The Government of National Unity has embarked upon a concerted and comprehensive programme of administrative restructuring and rationalisation (my emphasis) with the object of: (a) Creating a unified and integrated service. (b) Creating a leaner and more cost-effective service.” Various strategies are listed in the White Paper, and the fundamental approach advocated is to right size, adjust remuneration structures, retrench and contract – out services.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Locating the institution of traditional leadership within the institutional framework of South Africa's new democracy
- Authors: Mashele, Hlukanisa Prince
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Tribal government -- South Africa , Political leadership -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007512 , Tribal government -- South Africa , Political leadership -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Description: This study looks into the role of the institution of traditional leadership in post-apartheid South Africa. It seeks to critically engage the debate on how to locate the institution within the new politico-constitutional framework. This is done with the main objective of proposing an altemative to the current state of affairs vis-à-vis traditional leadership and governance in South Africa. In order to clear the ground, the study first deals with the important question of democracy in relation to the institution of traditional leadership. In this regard, the study unearthed that the institution of traditional leadership is fundamentally undemocratic in character, as it is largely based on heredity and devoid of principles of democracy such as equality, accountability, etc. In order to put matters into perspective the study also delves into the history of the institution of traditional leadership with the aim of getting to the role that traditional leaders played in various epochs of South Africa's political development. This investigation reveals that the denting of the integrity of the institution of traditional leadership began with the advent of colonialism and worsened by successive apartheid regimes. It is at these stages of development that the institution was subordinated to a higher authority that sought to use the institution as an instrument of domination and oppression of the black majority. Considering this role, it would seem that the place that the space that the institution occupies in the post-apartheid South African governance framework is a compromise. The institution plays an advisory role at all levels of government - with their houses in both national and provincial legislatures, whilst traditional leaders sit as ex-officio members on local councils. However, traditional leaders fiercely contest this position as, in their view, this limits their powers. The main argument of this study is that for traditional leaders to be given an advisory role in the current and future governance framework of the country is a step in the right direction, as that serves to insulate the institution from active politics. For that reason, the study recommends that the institution of traditional leadership should occupy a cultural space in society - meaning that it should be responsible for the preservation of African customs and culture. This, therefore, means that the institution is better-placed to advise government on cultural and customary aspects of development. Whilst playing this role, the institution of traditional leadership should also -be brought into line with democratic ways of governance.
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- Date Issued: 2003