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A social media analytics framework for decision-making in citizen relationship management

  • Authors: Yakobi, Khulekani
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Social Media Analytics -- South Africa , Decision making --Mathematical models , Service delivery
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60048 , vital:62815
  • Description: Globally social media has shown unprecedented levels of adoption and Social Media Analytics (SMA) is a rapidly growing topic. For governments, SMA holds the promise of providing tools and frameworks to collect, monitor, analyse and visualise social media data, usually driven by specific requirements from a target application. However, social media data is noisy and unstructured, and organisations struggle to extract knowledge from this data, and convert it into actual intelligence. This study argues that SMA can support intelligent decision-making for Citizen Relationship Management (CzRM). CzRM is a growing effort of governments around the world to strive to respond rapidly to their citizens by fostering a closer relationship thereby creating more effective and efficient service delivery. However, there is a little evidence in literature on empirical studies of any existing decision-making framework for CzRM and SMA adoption. In particular, there is a gap with regards incorporating SMA into decision-making for CzRM of governments, particularly in developing countries like South Africa. The aim of this study was to develop a framework that provides guidelines, including methods and tools, incorporating SMA into decision-making for CzRM in the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and the Free State Provincial Government (FSPG) of South Africa. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and conceptual analysis method was conducted to design the Social Media Analytics Framework for Decision-making in the context of CzRM (the SMAF). The findings from the literature review revealed several benefits and challenges with SMA, in particular the shortage of skills, guidelines, methods and tools for SMA. These challenges were used to draft guidelines that were included in the framework, which consists of five components that can be used to derive intelligent information from SMA. The pragmatic philosophy and a case study design was used to generate an in-depth, multifaceted understanding of the underlying problems in the case of the GPG and the FSPG. The German North-West Metropolitan region was used as a third case study to provide a more global perspective and a case of a developed country in terms of Gross Domestic Product. The scope of the study was limited to social media posts by provincial citizens related to CzRM and service delivery. Both formative and summative evaluations of the proposed theoretical framework were conducted. The formative evaluation was conducted v | Page as an Expert Review to receive feedback of the framework from the experts in the field of Computer Science and Information Systems. The findings validated the framework and some minor improvements were made based on the experts’ recommendations. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with participants from government managers and decision makers in the three cases were conducted. Case documents for the three cases were collected and reviewed. All collected data was analysed using the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) method and common categories and themes were identified. Summative evaluations were conducted in the form of a Field Study, which consisted of an analysis of Twitter data from the three cases, and a closing FGD with Business Intelligence (BI) experts at the primary case of the e-Government department of the GPG. The findings revealed that SMA has been adopted in all three cases; however, while their strategies are comprehensive their implementations are very much in their early stages. The findings also highlighted the status of SMA in government and some potential gaps and areas for implementing the framework. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Educational interventions for primary caregivers related to infection prevention and control in stroke patients in a rural setting of Mutasa district, Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Chikanya, Violet Kestha
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Educational interventions -- Zimbabwe , Cross infection -- Prevention -- Zimbabwe , Primary caregivers
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60133 , vital:63146
  • Description: Infection prevention and control offer safe and effective practices for patients and healthcare workers in any setting, including the home environment. Understanding and applying principles are based on knowledge and training of caregivers. The incidence of stroke has increased significantly in some sub-Saharan countries. Most patients with stroke are admitted into hospital during the acute phase of care, and are then discharged for further care and management at home. Recovery at home after a stroke takes a long time under the care of primary caregivers with either little or no health care training, exposing these patients to a variety of risky infections. Education on infection prevention and control is therefore encouraged to guide primary caregivers in caring for these patients. The study objectives sought to explore and describe knowledge and practices of primary caregivers, and information given by village health workers to primary caregivers to prevent and control chest infections, skin infections and urinary tract infections in home-based stroke patients in a rural setting in Mutasa district, Zimbabwe. The study also sought to develop and validate educational interventions for primary caregivers to prevent and control chest infections, skin infections and urinary tract infections in home-based stroke patients. A quantitative research paradigm was used in the study. Multistage random sampling was used to select 20 wards and 200 villages. Using a margin of error of 5% and 95% confidence, the sample consisted of 200 primary caregivers and 200 village health workers. The study was conducted in three phases. Phase One comprised data collection from primary caregivers and village health workers regarding prevention and control of chest, skin, and urinary tract infections. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire for primary caregivers and a self-administered questionnaire for village health workers. The research instruments collected data on socio-demographics, knowledge, practices and infection prevention and control information given by village health workers to primary caregivers. The Visual Basic for Applications package was used for data analysis. x The study results revealed that a significant number of primary caregivers had low knowledge levels in terms of stroke and infections that frequently occur in home-based stroke patients. About a third of primary caregivers did not know the standard infection prevention and control measures to prevent infections, and a substantial proportion of the primary caregivers did not practise the recommended measures to prevent and control chest, skin and urinary tract infections in home-based stroke patients. It was found that village health workers provided limited health education on stroke, its complications, and measures to prevent and control chest, skin and urinary tract infections to primary caregivers. In Phase Two, educational interventions in the form of a job aid comprising worksheets for primary caregivers to prevent and control chest, skin and urinary tract infections in home-based stroke patients in a rural setting were developed. In Phase Three, the draft job aid was reviewed by an eight-member expert panel. Feedback from the reviewers was used to develop the final job aid for enhancing the knowledge and practices of primary caregivers in terms of infection prevention and control in home-based stroke patients. Throughout the study, the researcher adhered to ethical considerations, namely respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The quality of data collected was ensured by applying the principles of validity and reliability in the development stage of the questionnaire and by conducting a pilot study. Rigorous evaluation of the developed job aid is required to establish its validity. It is recommended that the job aid be included in nurse training and continuing education programs. The trainings should be cascaded to the village health workers and primary caregivers of other bed-ridden patients. The job aid will also reach more caregivers if translated to other local languages. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Exploring a humanising pedagogy in the teaching of mathematics in engineering related subjects at TVET colleges

  • Authors: Vimbelo, Siphokazi Winniefred
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Mathematics--Study and teaching--Research , Mathematics--engineering , Pepagogy
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60523 , vital:65641
  • Description: Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is the practical avenue for acquiring employability skills for the world of work. Employability skills can be acquired through engineering programmes as engineering programmes at TVET colleges are amongst those in the highest demand category of employability. Mathematics is the fundamental subject for engineering. However, the learning environment at TVET colleges is not suitable for vocational students. The mathematics curriculum at TVET is also less related to real-life vocational education and the teaching approaches are not conducive to TVET students’ needs. Teaching approaches employed are often not positioned in a socially just way in that lecturers focus more on what is important for the examinations rather than using the students’ background as a resource. These challenges can be related to the kind of pedagogies employed by TVET college lecturers in the teaching of mathematics. The current study investigates this essential space by focusing on exploring a Humanising Pedagogy (HP) in the teaching of mathematics at a TVET college. A HP was used to explore current pedagogies employed by TVET lecturers in their mathematics classroom at South West Gauteng College (SWGC) – Molapo Campus in Gauteng, South Africa. A qualitative approach was used, and data was collected through lesson observations and narratives obtained from the lecturers. Narrative inquiry was also used as the research design, as well as Interpretivism which is the research paradigm for this study. The data were collected from ten TVET mathematics lecturers. Five lecturers were from the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) and the other five from the NATED programmes. Lesson observations were analysed using deductive thematic analysis and paradigmatic analysis was used for narratives. The findings revealed that TVET college lecturers use a traditional approach in a sense that they are the only ones doing the talking. Student engagement is minimal as they do not relate mathematical principles under study to students’ lives. However, the results after exploring a HP revealed that teaching transformed from the teacher-centred approach to the humanistic student-centred approach which related mathematical principles to students’ real lived experience. A HP mathematics approach was taught using a social justice lens. Lecturers experienced HP as the approach that enhances mathematics understanding, values students’ voices, is relevant to vocational students, and is student-centred. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, School of Post Graduate Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Investigation of thermal and electrical characteristics of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules under varying operational conditions

  • Authors: Vumbugwa, Monphias
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Photovoltaic power generation -- South Africa , Silicon crystals -- South Africa , Solar cells
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60014 , vital:62733
  • Description: Solar energy has become an attractive and environmentally mindful method in electrical power generation as it contributes significantly to meeting the high demand for the power needed for socio and economic developments. The rise in deployment of Photovoltaic (PV) facilities with large capacity creates the need for accurate and reliable PV inspection techniques for optimum performance, the longevity of PV modules and quick return on PV investment. The performance of PV modules in the field is often monitored through several inspection methods that require a rapid throughput such as Thermal Infrared (TIR) imaging and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based TIR imaging is widely applied in large PV plants since it is cost-effective and is usually conducted in-situ while the plant is operating at irradiance levels above 600 W.m-2 . One of the outcomes of the interpretations of TIR images is an attempt to quantify the energy loss in PV plants associated with the abnormal thermal signatures identified on TIR images. No standard procedure has yet outlined the quantification of energy loss related to TIR images of underperforming modules since the interpretation of TIR images remains a challenge. PV modules operate under dynamic operating conditions which can influence the results and interpretation of thermal and electrical characterisation measurements. Dynamic operation conditions refer to any disorders in the operation of the modules and cells which cause a change in the current and voltage characteristics of the PV source. These dynamic operation conditions include; changesin load conditions, irradiance, soiling and shading levels. The tests were done under steady state conditions. Although measurements are generally done while the operating conditions are as steady as possible, some changes in conditions have a profound effect on thermal and electrical measurements. In this study, these effects and some of the changes in conditions that cause them were studied. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Main thesis title

  • Authors: Tsamago, Hodi, Elias
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Technology integration , SOLEs pedagogy , Metacognitive
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60549 , vital:65833
  • Description: The study was carried out to investigate the effect of the use of technology in self-organised learning environments (SOLEs) (in Physical Sciences classrooms) on learners’ metacognitive skills. The study contributes by identifying a technology-enhanced pedagogy that can effectively equip learners with metacognitive skills, which many studies have reported as having an effect on Physical Sciences learners’ conceptual understanding. The study followed an experimental (control group quasi-experimental) methods design, in which both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed. A multistep stratified sampling method (which caters for both quantitative and qualitative facets) was employed to choose four schools (two rural and two urban) to participate in the study. These schools were randomly chosen from the population of all schools offering Physical Sciences in Grade 11 in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, South Africa were assigned to urban experimental group and rural experimental group (UEG and REG) and urban control group and rural control group (UCG and RCG) using geographical demographics. The participants were selected using both simple random sampling (for quantitative methods) and purposive sampling (for qualitative methods). The experimental groups were taught by the researcher using self-organised learning environments (SOLEs) pedagogy, while control groups were taught (also by the researcher of the study) using a traditional chalk-and-talk approach. A Physical Sciences concepts pre-/post-test and the Metacognitive Self-Assessment Scale (MSAS) questionnaire were used to glean the quantitative data, while focus group interviews (FGIs) were used to obtain the qualitative data. The analysis of the quantitative data employed both descriptive (mean, standard deviation and graphs) and inferential (both parametric t-test and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests) statistics computed using the SPSS package version 22, while qualitative data were analysed thematically using coding techniques (applied on a sentence-by-sentence basis) after the transcription of the recorded FGIs. The study found that SOLEs pedagogy improves learners’ metacognitive skills, leading to better Physical Sciences conceptual understanding. In addition, the results indicate that all v aspects of metacognitive skills improved in experimental groups; however, certain aspects exhibited outstanding improvement such as “Respect shown to myself”; “Respect shown to others”; “Respect shown for empathy towards others” and “Respect shown towards problem solving”. Furthermore, the results of the FGIs revealed that a plausible explanation for the ability of SOLEs pedagogy to enhance metacognitive skills lies in its effortlessness to enable learners to link their classroom experiences to real-life experiences; simulate practical work; adapt to collaborative learning; use multiple channels for receiving information; and reducing learners’ reliance on the teacher. Hence, this study recommends the implementation of SOLEs pedagogy in the Physical Sciences classroom to improve learners’ metacognitive skills and conceptual understanding. However, the study had limitations, some of which included the sample size (which has an effect on the degree of generalisability of the research findings) and the period during which SOLEs pedagogy was implemented which might not have been long enough to exhaust its effect on metacognitive skills. Accordingly, further studies employing a longitudinal study design with a sample size bigger than 350 participants would be useful in understanding the effects of SOLEs pedagogy on metacognitive skills and improving the generalisability of research findings , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Moult and energetics in three species from the Euplectes genus representing a gradient of elaborate plumage ornamentation

  • Authors: Webb, Stacey Leigh
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Sexual selection in animals – South Africa , Bird watching -- Africa, Southern , Plumage
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60026 , vital:62734
  • Description: Elaborate plumage ornamentation in birds has fascinated scientists since the 1800s. The evolution and persistence of elaborate and costly ornamentation seemed to be in opposition to the theory of natural selection. However, over the years research has revealed the role and functional significance of elaborate plumage ornamentation in sexual selection. Recent studies have shown that the energetic costs associated with moulting into new plumages are higher than maintenance costs, but these costs have not been quantified for species that exhibit elaborate breeding plumage ornamentation for sexual selection. In addition, for these sexually selected ornamental traits (signals) to have evolved and be maintained, there must be some aspect of individual quality that they convey to the receiver. Despite a large body of literature on sexual selection, honest signalling and ornamental plumage in birds, the physiological correlates of honest signalling during sexual selection and the messages these signals convey to the receivers are poorly understood. In this study, I investigated four aspects related to the honesty of the sexual selection signal. These were (i) seasonal variation in standardised resting metabolic rates of breeding and non-breeding birds, (ii) moult phenology, (iii) physiological parameters linked to honest signalling, and (iv) the energetic costs of production and maintenance of elaborate plumage ornamentation using three species from the Euplectes genus as model species. The three species selected, the red-collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens), fan-tailed widowbird (Euplectes axillaris) and the southern red bishop (Euplectes orix) represent a gradient of plumage elaboration and although the receivers of the sexual selection signals are known for these three species, the energetic cost of the signals and the underlying message the signals convey remain unknown. I measured seasonal variation in resting metabolic rate (RMR), body mass (Mb), thermoneutral zone (TNZ) and body temperature (Tb) over the course of two years in the three selected Euplectes species (E. ardens, E. axillaris and E. orix; chapter 2). My results showed no significant effect of season on RMR (except in E. orix females) suggesting that in these species the metabolic costs in summer (associated with breeding season) are comparable to the metabolic costs associated with thermoregulation during winter. Contrary to my prediction that metabolic costs would increase along a gradient of increasing tail length (due to the energetic costs Webb V associated with elaborate plumage ornamentation), I found no significant effect of species. The lack of a significant result indicates that once the initial investment in plumage is complete, other predictor variables play a role (in this case body mass). , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Participatory communications as a tool for women’s empowerment: A study of five community radio stations in Northern Ghana

  • Authors: Asuman, Kofi Antwi Manfred
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Women in agriculture -- Africa -- Ghana , Agricultural development , Community radios – Ghana
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59293 , vital:62026
  • Description: In the process of achieving social equity and local development in Ghana, the empowerment and improvement of the lives of women remain critical factors, because of the existing role women and girls assume in the household and larger communal setting. In Northern Ghana culture and religion have historically side-lined, and in some cases, completely excluded women from participating in the dialogues, economic and political processes that lead to, or facilitate the transformation and development of their households and communities. Even though the media has largely contributed to the discrimination and stereotype of women through how women are represented in mainstream media, the Ghanaian media, in its assumed role as the “fourth estate of the realm” has the power to explicitly advocate and implicitly frame messages which can accelerate the processes of social change, women’s empowerment and social inclusion through the community radio broadcast system (Diedong, 2017: pp. 59, 64). After 30 years of the liberalization of the Ghanaian media and 25 years after the opening of the first community radio station, there have been few studies of how community radio influences women’s empowerment, how it gives opportunity for women to participate in political processes and whether, and how, it strengthens the livelihood capabilities of women. This research was motivated by the empowerment theory and the theory of participatory development communications. The researcher also makes references to feminist media theory in his arguments about the need for women to have access to radio in order to make their own content and also listen to content produced by other women. This study adopted a mixed methods research approach and collected data through programme analysis of the sampled radio stations, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. After field data was collected, they were analysed in themes that focus on the objectives of this study, data is presented through thematic discourse methods in order to help the researcher draw conclusions and propose a framework to guide practitioners in the implementation of communication for development projects which use mass media in targeting women for development objectives. My analyses are broadly presented in three chapters with each chapter focusing on one research objective. Based on the data, the researcher discovered that, community radio improves the livelihoods of women in Northern Ghana by providing them with agricultural programming which teaches women new farming techniques and how to practice sustainable agriculture while improving the yield of their crops. The study also found out that community radio provides. opportunities for women to monitor how public funds meant for community development projects are allocated, disbursed, and used for their intended purposes, by creating an avenue of two-way communication and dialogue between women, their district officers, and their elected leaders. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that, it is important for development practitioners who use mass media to implement women-focused projects to conduct a contextual analysis of the communities, the women, and the identified stakeholders of the intended project because every community is unique. Whereas all women in rural areas are vulnerable and underprivileged. To some extent, their needs and preferences are different because of their different levels of education and income status. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language and Communications, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Spatial and temporal analysis of the critical zone in the Western rift valley corridor: towards earth stewardship science in East Africa

  • Authors: Miller, Warren David
  • Date: 2022-12
  • Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59771 , vital:62423
  • Description: Over the coming decades, Africa is expected to experience disturbing effects due to climate change and increased land cover change due to human influences presenting a significant concern for the future well-being of human and biological systems, the latter being the foundation of ecosystem services supplied to humanity. Therefore, unprecedented transdisciplinary cooperation, coordination, and integration amongst researchers, government, and civil society are necessary to increase the resiliency of these systems. This study aims to provide an outline of the Africa Alive Corridors (AAC) as an essential model for the encouragement of sustainable development through Earth Stewardship science. These aims are accompanied by the quantification and forward modelling for land cover change of the Critical Zone over 10 Great Lake Basins across one of the AAC, the Western Rift Valley Corridor (WRVC), in East Africa between the years 2018 and 2060. This approach provides the foundation for implementing improved regional governance, better encouragement of sustainable development beyond the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and education programs, such as the AAC, that promote socio-ecological resilience through Earth Stewardship Science. The AAC archives a portion of East Africa as the WRVC, a corridor along the western branch of the East African Rift System that highlights twenty heritage nodes, primarily great lakes, mountain ranges, national parks, and biological hotspots. These heritage entities are associated with ca. 12-million-years of evolution and transformation of the East African topography and related African Great Lake (AGL) systems. The thesis defines the study area by delineating AGL basins intersected by the WRVC. Across these basins, land cover change analysis provides a platform for an integrated assessment of the projected health of the corridor region. Existing land cover datasets provide the initial conditions of the study area for 2008 and 2013. Land cover between 2008 and 2013 is cross-tabulated using the Land Cover Module in the Terrset software, followed by the iii delineation of sub-models and driver variable identification. The Multi-Layer Perceptron algorithm provides the transition potentials between tree cover, urban area, cropland, wetland, and open area classes. Change quantification and prediction using Markov Chain analysis are then established for 2018, 2030, and 2060. The model successfully simulated future land cover change and concluded that: (1) proximity to existing human activity, proximity to existing tree cover, and population are the primary drivers of change; (2) the dominant land cover of the ten lake basins for 2018 was cropland at ca. 48%, followed by tree cover at ca. 33%; (3) total anthropogenic change over the coming four decades equates to over ca. 52 000 km2 (5 200 000 ha), and particularly (4) an urban area is expected to increase by >130%. This assessment ultimately provides a platform for regional governance development at the basin scale and Earth Stewardship science in East Africa. These changes require transdisciplinary action from researchers to civil society. The AAC provides the foundation for understanding the dynamics of the systems that support life across broader spatial and temporal resolutions in Africa, highlighting the need for future generations to build socio-ecological resilience to anticipate challenges such as biodiversity loss posed by climate change and excessive land cover change. , Thesis (DSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-12

Implementing mathematics intervention strategies to enhance understanding of number sense: an informative framework for the Ekurhuleni North District, Gauteng province, South Africa

  • Authors: Hove, Netsai
  • Date: 2022-11
  • Subjects: Number concept , Mathematics -- Study and teaching
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26085 , vital:64835
  • Description: This study was prompted by the observation that learners’ performance in mathematics is low in South Africa. Several factors such as teachers’ qualifications, demotivated learners, and limited school resources have been raised and considered. Although number sense forms the foundation blocks for mathematics understanding, limited academic work has been done to explore implementable mathematics instructional interventions for the enhancement of understanding number sense. The purpose of this study was to contribute an implementable mathematics intervention framework for understanding number sense. Since the study focused on exploring intervention activities, it was guided by the pragmatism research philosophy. Data were captured from purposive samples of teachers and stratified samples of 1050 learners from schools in the Ekurhuleni North district in South Africa. The research design comprises the following sequence: survey, pre-test, intervention, post-test, and evaluation by teachers’ focus group discussion. These activities were carried out parallel to document analysis, which provided bench marks. The main data-capturing instruments were the questionnaires, learners’ test, interview, and document analysis guides. Factors analysis to establish associations, differences, and regression was carried out using SPSS and Excel. The study found that: almost all teachers implemented some form of mathematics interventions. Continuous assessment was the main intervention, followed by problem-solving, and the use of games (which was least preferred). Teachers shunned games because they require more time and management skills. Challenges that teachers experienced when implementing mathematics interventions include their limited knowledge and the lack of resources and support from education authorities who expect and emphasise high pass rates in mathematics. The teachers’ focus group discussions evaluated the intervention and proposed the following sequence for instructional intervention on number sense: Stage 1: parroting of number names, for example, six, two, nine and seven Stage 2: symbolic identification, for example, the symbol 6, 2, 9 and 7 Stage 3: association where a learner group six stones, shows two fingers, etc. Stage 4: seriating or ordering done through oral counting and use of inequality symbols: () to compare and estimate values in problems Stage 5: the four operations for addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (x) and division (÷) emphasizing estimation and application. The study recommends the adoption, modification and implementation of mathematics intervention framework to enhance number sense. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-11

Insights into the drivers and impact of climate change and climate change adaptation in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: the case of Amathole District Municipality

  • Authors: Gwala, Lindokuhle
  • Date: 2022-11
  • Subjects: Climatic changes , Climatic factors , Global environmental change
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27832 , vital:69945
  • Description: Climate change is a threat to communal livestock production, causing increases in the rate and intensity of droughts, floods, pests and diseases, and thus subjecting communal livestock production to vulnerability. Communal farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture and are usually too poorly resourced to cope with the frequency of climate-related events that may be expected in the future. Response and adaptation is vital to ensure the sustainability of livestock production, particularly since it is the main source of survival in communal areas. The Eastern Cape Provincial Policy on Climate Change was introduced in 2010 to facilitate a coordinated approach that assists farmers to respond, adapt and mitigate climate change. The study examines the implementation of the policy to identify farmers’ perceptions of the response rate prior to, during and after climate change disasters. In addition, the study establishes the characteristics of livestock production in the study area, seeking to ascertain how communal livestock farmers CLFs are adapting their practices to ensure sustainable livestock production in the face of climate change. In order to make informed decisions on coping strategies, farmers require access to information on climate change. The study therefore examines the communication channels used by farmers to access such information. Since food security is under threat, the study also assesses the effects of climate change on food security among the CLFs. Multi stage sampling was used to select 388 communal livestock farmers in three local municipalities in Amathole District Municipality. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in five communities randomly selected in the three local municipalities, with data collected by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, principal component analysis and regression methods were used to analyse the data. The study reveals that communal livestock farmers perceive a poor response rate from extension services before, during and after disasters, and that they have poor access to support materials. All of the respondents practised uncontrolled breeding, attributed to a lack of infrastructure such as fencing. Most farmers kept cattle for income generation. The major constraints of cattle production were diseases and pests. CLFs employed dipping, rotational grazing, water tanks, veld burning and the sale of animals as the main strategies to cope with climate change. CLFs access climate change information through multiple channels. The main sources were other farmers and media such as radio and television, although language barriers hampered full understanding of information conveyed about climate chnage. Farmer-to-farmer contact was a central aspect of the CLFs’ lives that could be better employed in the dissemination of climate change information. The results suggest a positive relationship between diversity of species kept and food security. Assets, the social safety net (mainly grants) and adaptive capacity indicators positively and significantly impacted households’ resilience to food insecurity. The study recommends that the capacity of communal livestock farmers on effective mitigating strategies be improved, making use of mass media; that more work be done by extension services to prepare farmers for adverse events and that relief materials disseminated during periods of disaster be tagged “national emergency” to speed up distribution and use. There is an urgent need for adequate and timely provision of climate change information that will help CLFs to make more effective use of their resources in the face of climate change. Agricultural extension services should address challenges associated with breeding practices, disaster response and adult illiteracy to promote better adaptive capacity and ensure food security among this vulnerable cohort. , Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-11

'ORPHEIOI HYMNOI' The generic contexts of the Orphic Hymns

  • Authors: Malamis, Daniel Scott Christos
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Orphic hymns , Poetics Early works to 1800 , Hymns, Greek (Classical) History and criticism , Literary form
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327177 , vital:61088 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327177
  • Description: Uncertainty surrounds the circumstances of Orphic Hymns’ composition and their intended use. Their author has substituted their own identity for that of the mythological poet and there is no certain reference to the extant collection in any ancient source. They are, in this sense, decontextualised. This study aims to make a contribution to the ongoing debate concerning the hymns’ composition, and the original function they might have served, through an analysis of their poetic and generic contexts. Following a detailed survey of scholarship on the hymns, I reflect first on the collection as a unified text, the constitutive parts of the individual hymns and the methods they employ for addressing, describing and praying to the gods. I then study a select group of stylistic features that the hymns prominently display: their use of phonic effects, including etymological figures, of antithesis and symmetrical patterning, and their extensive repetition of poetic formulae. In each case I discuss the deployment and significance of these poetic elements within the collection and consider the intertextual parallels suggested by their recurrence in Greek literary texts of all periods. This analysis reveals the hymns’ engagement with an overlapping set of poetic traditions, including, most prominently, cultic hymns and oracles, gnomic poetry, the theological discourses of the Presocratic philosophers and, in particular, Orphic poetry in its many forms. It suggests moreover that the hymns engage deeply with the oral strategies of the earliest Greek poets, underscoring the conclusion reached by several recent scholars, that the extant collection is essentially performative and was intended to be recited and heard. I argue that the Orphic Hymns were not a unique text in their employment of the stylistic features studied here, but drew extensively upon earlier hymns composed in Orpheus’ name. I further consider, in the light of this argument, the bearing this study has on the unresolved questions of the hymns’ composition, whether by a single author or many, and the aims of the poet(s) who composed them. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literature Studies, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

A critical analysis of the Urban Food System, Urban Governance and Household Food Security in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Maphosa, Mandlenkosi
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Food security Zimbabwe Bulawayo , City planning Government policy Zimbabwe Bulawayo , Urban poor Zimbabwe Bulawayo , Urban agriculture Zimbabwe Bulawayo , COVID-19 (Disease) Zimbabwe Bulawayo , Agent (Philosophy)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327165 , vital:61087 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327165
  • Description: Urbanisation is occurring on a massive scale globally and even more so in the less developed regions of the Global South including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Like other developing regions of the world, urbanisation in SSA is not occurring alongside a corresponding growth in urban economies. Resultantly, it is taking place in tandem with the rising scourge of urban poverty, including food insecurity. While urban food insecurity is a clear challenge in SSA, the challenge has however not been met with equal vigour in policy making and implementation circles and even in academia. Problematically, the urban food security literature often focuses on one element of the food system without giving due attention to other components of the system. Resultantly, broader systemic failures and the dynamics related to the different actors across the system-elements are missed. There has thus been recent calls to embrace urban governance in studying urban food systems, which this study does. The thesis examines the urban food system in Bulawayo (in Zimbabwe) with specific reference to urban governance and household food security to understand sociologically the complex multi-dimensional processes, structures, systems, and practices underpinning the urban food system. As a result of the complex nature of food systems, an eclectic analytical framework is employed encompassing Obeng Odoom’s DED framework, Clapp and Fuchs’ framework of power, Gaventa’s power cube and theories of everyday life derived from de Certeau and Lefebvre. Methodologically, the study is informed by a Critical Realism paradigm which accommodates the convergent mixed methods research design employed. The research strategy employed was that of a survey and case study. Key findings reveal that the Bulawayo food system, from production to consumption, is complex and is nested within broader national and international food systems. Although without a direct and explicit mandate on food security, the local authority is at the centre of urban governance processes as it employs a plethora of strategies to influence the nature of the food system. However, the study reveals that the food system is as much a construction from below through the agential activities of the urban poor. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

A social history of midwifery practices in colonial Ibadan, Nigeria, 1893 - 1960

  • Authors: Olorunnibe, Folaranmi Flourish
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Midwifery Nigeria Ibadan , Nigeria History 1900-1960 , Nigeria Politics and government To 1960 , Nigeria Social conditions To 1960 , Maternal health services Nigeria Ibadan , Ibadan (Nigeria) Colonial influence
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408716 , vital:70519 , DOI 10.21504/10962/408716
  • Description: This thesis examines the introduction and development of western medical practices in colonial spaces with particular reference to midwifery practices in colonial Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1893 to 1960. This has become necessary because of the importance placed on childbirth and maternal healthcare in the twentieth century. The trends and changes in midwifery and midwifery practices in colonial Ibadan are seen as reflections of other transformations in British African colonies at large. The study begins with a detailed historical analysis of the major metropolitan and local factors that informed the introduction and development of Western obstetrics in colonial Ibadan, Nigeria. It proceeds to examine the development of Western midwifery practices in colonial Ibadan; highlighting the contributions of the Ibadan people to the development of Western midwifery practices and emphasizing policies affecting development, and implementation of Western obstetrics. The thesis goes further to reveal the prejudiced nature of colonial medical policies, and the ways it shaped various responses especially from rural folks who were particularly marginalized since the 1920s when maternal healthcare policies was implemented in the urban areas till the 1950s when a reformed policy for rural medical service scheme was introduced to the rural folks. Thus, influencing the ways they imagined and appropriated ideas of western obstetrics alongside African traditional midwifery practices. The idea is to demonstrate in this thesis the extent to which the precincts in colonial medical policies, most especially the establishment of maternity hospitals, clinics and dispensaries, and the institutionalization of western obstetrics, inspired critical and ingenious responses from colonial doctors, colonial officials, the missionaries, patients, African trained midwives, traditional medical practitioners and the African population in general. Placing all of these historical events within a wider context, this thesis borrows insights from the social history of medicine in an attempt to reconstruct the colonial medical practices in Ibadan, Nigeria, through the sites of midwifery practices and maternal welfare services from 1893 to 1960. This is in addition to its dependence on a comparatively rich, but skewed historical evidence, including a plethora of annual medical reports, official reports of the department of medical and sanitary services, official correspondences within the colonial government in Ibadan and Nigeria, and between the colonial government and the colonial office in the United Kingdom. Details of African responses to medical policies were garnered from oral testimonies, newspaper publications and correspondences between the African public and the colonial government in Ibadan. In exploring this historical evidence, the thesis reveals very interesting details of colonial perceptions about African health and their underlining motives for introducing western medical ideas, the various medical schemes and policies used in driving colonial interest and the ways Africans imagined, re-imagined, and appropriated Western medical practices. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, History, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

A sociological analysis of the experiences of Zimbabwean teachers in South Africa: the case of KwaZulu-Natal townships and township secondary schools

  • Authors: Daki, Andile Lebohang
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Xenophobia South Africa KwaZulu-Natal , Teachers, Foreign South Africa KwaZulu-Natal , Zimbabweans South Africa KwaZulu-Natal , Teachers, Foreign Social conditions , Marginality, Social , Culture conflict South Africa KwaZulu-Natal
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365953 , vital:65805 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365953
  • Description: This thesis seeks to understand the social and cultural experiences of Zimbabwean teachers, as foreigners, in KwaZulu-Natal townships, and KwaZulu-Natal township secondary schools, in South Africa. It examines the ways in which Zimbabwean teachers negotiate the social, cultural, and institutional milieu of KwaZulu-Natal townships and secondary schools. In doing so, the thesis draws upon social interface theory, as this theory facilitates an examination and understanding of the ways in which the Zimbabwean teachers interpret the spaces (and lifeworld) of South Africans and, simultaneously, navigate their way in and through these spaces along social and cultural interfaces. While the focus is on the perspectives and practices of the Zimbabwean teachers, the thesis recognises and shows that their socio-cultural experiences are constituted and configured in significant ways by their daily encounters with South Africans. The fieldwork for the thesis involved primarily in-depth interviews with thirty Zimbabwean teachers residing in six selected KwaZulu-Natal townships (and teaching at six different secondary schools), as well as fifteen South African teachers, five school administrators and thirty other South African citizens. The sample of Zimbabwean teachers was stratified in relation to the different townships, as well as gender and the number of years teaching in South Africa, so as to investigate whether and how these variables may configure the socio-cultural experiences of these teachers. A consideration of variation in the number of years of teaching in South Africa in particular allowed for an examination of possible shifts in socio-cultural experiences over time, as negotiation along interfaces is an ongoing and contingent process. The findings demonstrate a range of experiences and challenges faced by Zimbabwean teachers in KwaZulu-Natal (with regard to both township and school life), some of which they share with South African teachers but many of which are unique to them. At the same time, there are important differences amongst Zimbabwean teachers in relation to how they interface with South African citizens and teachers. While some teachers negotiate local spaces through active socialising and assimilating into the lifeworld (township life of South Africans and the institutional culture of township schools), other teachers move through the space by way of isolation, withdrawal, and alienation. In general, in terms of adjusting to the lifeworld of South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal townships and schools, Zimbabwean teachers pursue different routes which, in the end, made sense to them and about which they express some degree of personal comfort. , Lo mbhalo wobuhlakani uzama ukuqonda inhlalo kanye namasiko abahlangabezana nako othisha baseZimbabwe njengabantu bokufika emalokishini akwaZulu-Natal, kanye nasezikoleni zamabanga athe thuthu zasemalokishini akwaZulu-Natal eNingizimu-Afrika. Uhlolisisa izindlela labo thisha ababonisana ngazo ngamasiko kanye nenhlalakahle yasezikoleni zasemalokishini akwaZulu-Natal. Ngokwenzanjalo, lo mbhalo udonsa umhlahlandlela wenhlalakahle nokuhlangana ngoba ukungena kwabo endaweni yakwaZulu-Natal, labo thisha bahumusha indawo baphinde babonisane bachushisane ngenqubekela phambili yabo nangenhlalo namasiko abahlangabezana nawo. Ukuhlanganisa othisha baseNingizimu-Afrika nezakhamuzi kumele kusebenzisane ngokulingana. Abahlangabezana nakho kwakhiwa ngokubambisana phakathi kwabaseZimbabwe kanye nabaseNingizimu-Afrika ukuze izwi labaseNingizimu-Afrika lingagqibeki ngoba sekunakekelwa kakhulu abseZimbabwe. Umsebenzi wasensimini walo mbhalo wobuhlakani uhlanganisa ucwaningo kothisha abangani-30 baseZimbabwe abahlala ezindaweni ezingu-6 ezikhethekile ezisemalokishini akwaZulu-Natal, nothisha abayi-15 baseNingizimu-Afrika kanye nabaphathi bezikole abayi-5. Kubuye kwenziwa ucwaningo kwizakhamuzi ezingama-30 zaseNingizimu-Afrika. Isampula lihlanganiswe ngokubuka indawo lapho aphuma khona umuntu, kanye neminyaka aseyifundisile eNingizimu-Afrika. Ucwaningo lubukisise kakhulu indlela ababuka ngayo inhlalakahle namasiko kube kubukisiswa nenani leminyaka aseyifundisile umuntu ngamunye ukuze kuhlolisiswe izinguquko zokuxoxisana ezidalwe yisikhathi asihlalile umuntu phakathi kothisha abasebancane nalabo asebekhulile. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveza iznselele ezahlukene ababhekene nazo othisha baseZimbabwe njengoba bengabahlali baseNingizimu-Afrika. Ezinye zalezi nselele ziqhamuka ngokwehlukana kwemiphakathi kwabaseZimbabwe kanye nabaseNingizimu-Afrika. Ngokunjalo kunomehluko obalulekayo kothisha baseZimbabwe mayelana nendlela ukuxoxisana nokubonisana okuqhubeka ngayo. Kukhona labo ukungena bathi khaxa emiphakathini nasezimpilweni abakuzo eNingizimu-Afrika nasezikoleni abakuzo namasiko nenhlalakahle yakulezo zindawo ngakolunye uhlangothi abanye othisha bazithole bephila njengenhlwa bephila ngabodwana eNingizimu-Afrika. Kodwa ekugcineni kwakho konke, lolu cwaningo luthola ukuthi othisha baseZimbabwe ezikoleni zasemalokishini akwaZulu-Natal lapha eNingizimu-Afrika bazakhela impilo eyenza umuntu ngamunye azizwe ehlaliseke kahle eNingizimu- Afrika ngendlela ephelele nethokomalisa yena ngo kwakhe. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

An in-silico study of the type II NADH: Quinone Oxidoreductase (ndh2). A new anti-malaria drug target

  • Authors: Baye, Bertha Cinthia
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Malaria , Plasmodium , Molecular dynamics , Computer simulation , Quinone , Antimalarials , Molecules Models , Docking , Drugs Computer-aided design
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365633 , vital:65767 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365633
  • Description: Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. This study focuses on all 5 (Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax) parasites that cause malaria in humans. Africa is a developing continent, and it is the most affected with an estimation of 90% of more than 400 000 malaria-related deaths reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2020, in which 61% of that number are children under the ages of five. Malaria resistance was initially observed in early 1986 and with the progression of time anti-malarial drug resistance has only increased. As a result, there is a need to study the malarial proteins mechanism of action and identify alternative treatment strategies for this disease. Type II NADH: quinone oxidoreductase (NDH2) is a monotopic protein that catalyses the electron transfer from NADH to quinone via FAD without a proton-pumping activity, and functions as an initial enzyme, either in addition to or as an alternative to proton-pumping NADH dehydrogenase (complex I) in the respiratory chain of bacteria, archaea, and fungal and plant mitochondrial. The structures for the Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax were modelled from the crystal structure of Plasmodium falciparum (5JWA). Compounds from the South African natural compounds database (SANCDB) were docked against both the NDH2 crystal structure and modelled structures. By performing in silico screening the study aimed to find potential compounds that might interrupt the electron transfer to quinone therefore disturbing the enzyme‟s function and thereby possibly eliminating the plasmodium parasite. CHARMM-GUI was used to create the membrane (since this work is with membrane-bound proteins) and to orient the protein on the membrane using OPM server guidelines, the interface produced GROMACS topology files that were used in molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed in the Centre for high performance computing (CHPC) cluster under the CHEM0802 project and the trajectories produced were further analysed. In this work not only were hit compounds from SANCDB identified, but also differences in behaviour across species and in the presence or absence of the membrane were described. This highlights the need to include the correct protein environment when studying these systems. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Bioinformatics tool and web server development focusing on structural bioinformatics applications

  • Authors: Nabatanzi, Margaret
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Structural bioinformatics , Proteins Structure , Protein structure prediction , Proteins Conformation , Protein complex
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365700 , vital:65777 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365700
  • Description: This thesis is divided into two main sections: Part 1 describes the design, and evaluation of the accuracy of a new web server – PRotein Interactive MOdeling (PRIMO-Complexes) for modeling protein complexes and biological assemblies. The second part describes the development of bioinformatics tools to predict HIV-1 drug resistance and support bioinformatics research and education. Recent technological advances have resulted in a tremendous increase in the number of sequences and protein structures deposited in the Universal Protein Resource Knowledgebase (UniProtKB) and the Protein Data Bank (PDB). However, the number of sequences has increased at a higher rate compared with the experimentally solved multimeric protein structures. This is partly due to advances in high-throughput sequencing technology. To fill this protein sequence-structure gap, computational approaches have been developed to predict protein structures from available sequences. Computational approaches include template-based and ab initio modeling with the former being the most reliable. Template-based modeling process can be achieved using either standalone software or automated modeling web servers. However, using standalone software requires familiarity with command-line interfaces as well as utilising other intermediate programs which could be daunting to novice users. To alleviate some of these problems, the modeling process has been automated, however, it still has numerous challenges. To date, only a few web servers that support multimeric protein modeling have been developed and even these provide little, if any user involvement in the process. To address some of these issues, a new web server – PRIMO-Complexes – was developed to model protein complexes and biological assemblies. The existing PRIMO web server could only model monomeric proteins. Part 1 of this thesis provides a detailed account of the development and evaluation of PRIMO-Complexes. The rationale for developing this new web server was based on the understanding that most proteins function as protein multimers and often the ligand-binding sites, and enzyme active sites are located at the protein-protein interfaces. It, therefore, necessitated developing capabilities for modeling multimeric proteins. PRIMO-Complexes web server was developed using the Waterfall system development life cycle model, is based on the Django web framework and makes use of high-performance computing resources to execute jobs. The accuracy of the algorithms embedded in PRIMO- Complexes was evaluated and the results were promising. Additionally, PRIMO-Complexes performs comparatively well in relation to other web servers that offer multimeric protein modeling. Another unique feature of PRIMO-Complexes is its interactivity. The webserver was developed with capabilities for allowing users to model multimeric proteins with an appreciable degree of control over the process. In the second part of the thesis several other bioinformatics tools are described, for example, a webserver for predicting HIV-1 drug resistance, the RUBi protein model repository, and a bioinformatics web portal for education and research resources. RUBi protein model repository stores verified theoretical models built using various modeling approaches. This enables users to easily access models to reproduce and/or further the research. This is described in chapter 5. Chapter 6 describes the design and development of the Human Immunodeficiency type 1 Resistance Predictor (HIV-1 ResPredictor), a web application that employs artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict drug resistance in patients infected with HIV-1 subtype B. The ANNs and subtype classifiers performed well making this web application potentially useful to both clinicians and researchers in this era of personalised medicine. Finally, chapter 7 describes a bioinformatics education web portal that equips students with information on how to use bioinformatics online resources. Being aware of these resources is not enough without a deeper understanding and guidance on how to apply bioinformatics methods to solve practical problems. This web portal was aimed at familiarising students with the basic terminology and approaches in structural bioinformatics. Students will potentially gain skills to conduct real-life bioinformatics research to obtain biological insights. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Cape Fold Ecoregion fish community ecology and responses to stressors

  • Authors: Broom, Casey Jay
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Cyprinidae South Africa Western Cape , Freshwater fishes South Africa Western Cape , Cyprinidae Habitat South Africa Western Cape , Food chains (Ecology) , Restoration ecology South Africa Western Cape , Riparian restoration South Africa Western Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365644 , vital:65772 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365644
  • Description: Freshwater fishes are in global decline and fish as a group are the most imperilled of all vertebrates. Freshwater systems are among the most threatened globally, largely owing to their comparatively high species and habitat diversity while occupying a minute fraction of the Earth’s surface. In South Africa, invasion by non-native fishes has had a devastating effect on freshwater systems across the country. Numerous other stressors and anthropogenic impacts continue to impact these systems, including habitat degradation, water abstraction and global change effects. In general, South African freshwater systems are under-studied and there is a lack of baseline biological and ecological studies on many freshwater fish species. The Cape Fold Ecoregion (CFE) of South Africa is a particularly vulnerable region, with many range-restricted species and highly fragmented native fish ranges following high invasion rates. Within the CFE, the Olifants-Doring River System (ODRS) is of primary concern owing to the high endemism and imperilled status of its freshwater fish species. The Rondegat River in the ODRS is of notable conservation value, as it hosts populations of important endemic CFE species. This river is unique, being the site of the first alien fish eradication programme of its kind in South Africa. Thus the Rondegat River, and in particular its imperilled cyprinid assemblage, is used here as a case study of the responses and community dynamics of recovering freshwater fish species. The members of this cyprinid assemblage are Sedercypris calidus, Pseudobarbus phlegethon and Labeobarbus seeberi. Sedercypris calidus and L. seeberi are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “Near-Threatened”, while P. phlegethon is listed as “Endangered”. Understanding the dynamics and responses to understudied vulnerable fish communities in the wake of restoration efforts was the overarching goal of this thesis. The first chapter served as a review of current knowledge of the CFE, the Rondegat River, the myriad stressors that have impacted on or are projected to affect this region, and the freshwater fish species on which those stressors act. My first investigations served as an extension of the existing Rondegat River monitoring programme, making use of remote underwater video (RUV) data to assess relative abundance and habitat associations of the focal species (Chapter 2). A relatively limited spatial range of P. phlegethon was established, which was suggested to be a result of relatively highly specialised habitat requirements and sensitivity to disturbance. Sedercypris calidus was confirmed as a relatively more abundant and ubiquitous species across the length of the Rondegat River, sharing much of the lower and middle reaches with L. seeberi. I sought to use experimental trials of functional response, as a proxy for feeding performance, across representative temperatures and relevant prey types, in the spatially overlapping S. calidus and L. seeberi (Chapter 3). Labeobarbus seeberi generally outcompeted S. calidus across temperature treatments and prey types. The ecomorphology and diet of all three species were used to construct trophic profiles, which suggested that there was a high degree of feeding capacity overlap between L. seeberi and S. calidus, while P. phlegethon diverged from the other two species (Chapter 4). Gut content suggested that all three species overlapped broadly in diet. This indicated that the realised trophic niche of these species is similar, despite some morphological specialisation. I then used RUV data to investigate in-situ feeding behaviours, with the aim to disentangle the nuances of community dynamics and mechanisms of coexistence in the cyprinid assemblage (Chapter 5). I found that, despite the higher feeding performance of L. seeberi (Chapter 3) and its overlaps in diet and feeding capacity with S. calidus (Chapter 4), S. calidus is able to mitigate competitive pressures through foraging mode switching and exploitation of allochthonous food inputs. Evidence for further habitat and prey selectivity in Pseudobarbus phlegethon was gathered based on dependence on complex habitats and pool refugia for the majority of its feeding, supporting this species as a headwater specialist; alongside signals of its spatial and habitat use patterns (Chapter 2). While S. calidus and L. seeberi were found to be less habitat-specific than P. phlegethon, caution was noted in the potential for ongoing stressors, such as habitat destruction, loss of river connectivity and global change effects, to impact on the reproductive success of these two species. Stressors affecting the habitats and sensitive invertebrate taxa upon which all three species depend continue to threaten the Rondegat system, highlighting the need to maintain ecosystem integrity through conservation interventions. There remains significant scope to maintain restoration efforts in the Rondegat River and other river systems of the CFE, through direct conservation actions, enhanced community awareness, indigenous riparian vegetation restoration and involvement of local stakeholders in various conservation-centred activities. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Characterisation of two novel ferrocenyl benzoxazines as in vitro triple-negative breast cancer inhibitors

  • Authors: Mhlanga, Richwell
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365689 , vital:65776
  • Description: Thesis access embargoed. Expected released date early 2025. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Colonial displacements and African coping strategies: The experience of BaTonga of Binga, Zimbabwe, 1956-2008

  • Authors: Dhodho, Codelia Govha
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Tonga (Zambezi people) Refugees , Subsistence farming Zambezi River Valley , Hunger Zambezi River Valley , Food security Zambezi River Valley , Adaptability (Psychology) , Food relief Zambezi River Valley , Non-governmental organizations , Kariba Dam (Zambia and Zimbabwe)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327642 , vital:61139 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327642
  • Description: This study examines the challenges faced by BaTonga in livelihood reconstruction after involuntary displacement and resettlement from the Zambezi valley to pave way for the Kariba dam reservoir. It shows how they were forcibly evicted without compensation because of the racist policies of Southern Rhodesia. Their resettlement into an arid region infested with marauding elephants, malaria and tsetse fly undermined their complex livelihoods and eroded their self-sufficiency, but the study argues that they were active and resilient agents who adopted complex coping strategies. It shows how they had to adapt to dry-land farming and counter the effects of wildlife which plundered their crops and managed to secure the harvest in the drought-prone region. The study shows that although they adopted precarious livelihoods, they managed to survive under extreme circumstances for decades without any external assistance until the coming of NGOs who began to distribute free food from 1982. It argues that prolonged distribution of emergence food aid may not have been necessary, but its coming for almost three decades largely served political interests of both the NGOs and their governments. This perpetuated poverty as BaTonga also manipulated its distribution as a coping strategy against fragile livelihoods. This caused dependency which further plunged them into chronic food insecurity because they abandoned their traditional coping strategies. The study argues that both the colonial and postcolonial government as well as NGOs failed to address the root causes of livelihood insecurity in Binga for the five decades under study. It is therefore the contention of this study that the problem of food insecurity in Binga was not only an issue of recurring drought but was deeply rooted and pervasive due to multiple complex factors which made it difficult for the people to establish sustainable food production after displacement. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, History, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Composition Portfolio

  • Authors: Hanmer, Paul Dylan
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Composition (Music) , String quartets Scores , Symphonies Scores , Music South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327283 , vital:61100 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327283
  • Description: Extract from Introduction: “In the cover bands I worked with, I used to do what all my colleagues in these bands were doing to learn and remember repertoire; transcribe “by ear” and then rehearse with the whole band. Later, when I joined “909” [a cover band named after the “909” model of drum-box developed and built by the Japanese company, Roland] I learned to extend that skill by notating my transcriptions and then playing from these self-made keyboard parts. All the instrumentalists in that band likewise played from their own notated transcriptions and, from that time onward it became rarer for me to do any kind of performance work without a set of self-made parts to read from or refer to. I had thus reverted to performing from musical notation. Even later, when I became involved almost exclusively in improvisational music performance, I never quite abandoned the notion of having notated keyboard or piano parts to hand, as a reference or guide. Since about 1990, I have led a life that has increasingly left pop music behind and instead embraced working with improvising musicians; those who wish to explore South African folk idioms in their compositional and performance output, as well as others who have a deep love of jazz music. At the same time, I have re-entered the realm of classical music and music-making; often through writing arrangements of my own music, which would incorporate classically trained players, as well as in response to commissions to compose [for particular musicians or groups of musicians] fully notated pieces of music – such as the works in this PhD portfolio. Yet, there are many circumstantial factors that feed into my composing, and exert an influence on my creativity. A major step in this particular direction came during 2002 when composer, Michael Blake, asked me to contribute to The Bow Project. This commission brought me into close contact with the [then intact and very active] Sontonga Quartet. Several further requests for, and commissions of, new works followed on from there. Two such works constitute the major portion of the portfolio to which these reflexive commentaries refer.” , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14
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