Cutting tradition: the political regulation of traditional circumcision rites in South Africa's liberal democratic order
- Authors: Vincent, Louise
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141922 , vital:38016 , DOI: 10.1080/03057070701832890
- Description: The South African Xhosa ethnic group, the majority of whom live in the country's Eastern Cape province, are one of several ethnic groups in southern Africa that practise the ritual of circumcision as part of a rite admitting boys to manhood. Recent years have seen a rise in casualties among those participating in traditional circumcision rites. Since 1995 more than 6,000 boys have been admitted to Eastern Cape hospitals, more than 300 have died and 76 have had their genitalia amputated due to botched circumcisions. The state has responded by putting in place a variety of mechanisms to regulate the practice, most recently in the form of the 2005 Children's Bill which gives male children the right to refuse circumcision and makes those who circumcise a child against his will guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment. Attempts by the state to regulate traditional practices (of which circumcision is just one and virginity testing is another) have been met with outrage and resistance in some quarters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Vincent, Louise
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141922 , vital:38016 , DOI: 10.1080/03057070701832890
- Description: The South African Xhosa ethnic group, the majority of whom live in the country's Eastern Cape province, are one of several ethnic groups in southern Africa that practise the ritual of circumcision as part of a rite admitting boys to manhood. Recent years have seen a rise in casualties among those participating in traditional circumcision rites. Since 1995 more than 6,000 boys have been admitted to Eastern Cape hospitals, more than 300 have died and 76 have had their genitalia amputated due to botched circumcisions. The state has responded by putting in place a variety of mechanisms to regulate the practice, most recently in the form of the 2005 Children's Bill which gives male children the right to refuse circumcision and makes those who circumcise a child against his will guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment. Attempts by the state to regulate traditional practices (of which circumcision is just one and virginity testing is another) have been met with outrage and resistance in some quarters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Designing a framework for animal identification
- Krijer, Hans, Foster, Greg, Bangay, Shaun D
- Authors: Krijer, Hans , Foster, Greg , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432726 , vital:72895 , https://www.cs.ru.ac.za/research/g99k3906/hans.pdf
- Description: The conventional methods of animal identification can be replaced with a semi-automatic image analysis tool, which distinguishes individuals based on their unique markings. A flexible framework for the analysis must encompass a combination of relevant features with interchangeable animal-specific modules. Developing a Java-ImageJ plug-in alleviates routine functionality, but enforces some degree of conformity. Zebra photographs are used as the initial data under consideration. De-interlacing, adaptive thresholding, smoothing and sharpening are identified as beneficial pre-processing steps. Binarisation and sequential thinning are discussed as essential processing stages. Pattern extraction and matching is based on vectors relative to a manually defined region of interest. Provision for enhancing the system to allow fully automatic processing must be made.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Krijer, Hans , Foster, Greg , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432726 , vital:72895 , https://www.cs.ru.ac.za/research/g99k3906/hans.pdf
- Description: The conventional methods of animal identification can be replaced with a semi-automatic image analysis tool, which distinguishes individuals based on their unique markings. A flexible framework for the analysis must encompass a combination of relevant features with interchangeable animal-specific modules. Developing a Java-ImageJ plug-in alleviates routine functionality, but enforces some degree of conformity. Zebra photographs are used as the initial data under consideration. De-interlacing, adaptive thresholding, smoothing and sharpening are identified as beneficial pre-processing steps. Binarisation and sequential thinning are discussed as essential processing stages. Pattern extraction and matching is based on vectors relative to a manually defined region of interest. Provision for enhancing the system to allow fully automatic processing must be made.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Determination of the optimal water temperature for the culture of juvenile dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus Temminck and Schlegel 1843:
- Collett, Paul D, Vine, Niall G, Kaiser, Horst, Baxter, Jeremy
- Authors: Collett, Paul D , Vine, Niall G , Kaiser, Horst , Baxter, Jeremy
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142804 , vital:38118 , DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2008.01960.x
- Description: The effects of temperature on growth, food conversion ratio (FCR) and feeding intensity of juvenile dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus (23.7±2.6 g fish−1) were assessed over the temperature range 17.5–28.5°C in a 42 day growth trial. Growth increased with increasing temperature up to an optimum after which it declined. Specific growth rates were 2.05% and 1.2% day−1 for the fastest (25.3 °C) and the slowest (17.5 °C) treatments respectively. Food conversion ratio peaked at a lower temperature than growth. Optimal (0.72 kg kg gain−1) and least efficient (1.40 kg kg gain−1) FCR were found at 21.7 and 17.5°C respectively. Feeding intensity was linearly related to temperature within the range of 17.5–28.5°C. These results corresponded to the thermal preference (25–26.4°C) and natural temperature distribution (12–28°C) of South African dusky kob. Determination of the temperature range that does not limit growth is a prerequisite to assess the relationship between growth and environmental variables such as light intensity, feeding regime and stocking density. Consequently, experiments to determine the effects of these environmental variables on growth and aquaculture potential of dusky kob should be conducted at 24–26°C.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Collett, Paul D , Vine, Niall G , Kaiser, Horst , Baxter, Jeremy
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142804 , vital:38118 , DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2008.01960.x
- Description: The effects of temperature on growth, food conversion ratio (FCR) and feeding intensity of juvenile dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus (23.7±2.6 g fish−1) were assessed over the temperature range 17.5–28.5°C in a 42 day growth trial. Growth increased with increasing temperature up to an optimum after which it declined. Specific growth rates were 2.05% and 1.2% day−1 for the fastest (25.3 °C) and the slowest (17.5 °C) treatments respectively. Food conversion ratio peaked at a lower temperature than growth. Optimal (0.72 kg kg gain−1) and least efficient (1.40 kg kg gain−1) FCR were found at 21.7 and 17.5°C respectively. Feeding intensity was linearly related to temperature within the range of 17.5–28.5°C. These results corresponded to the thermal preference (25–26.4°C) and natural temperature distribution (12–28°C) of South African dusky kob. Determination of the temperature range that does not limit growth is a prerequisite to assess the relationship between growth and environmental variables such as light intensity, feeding regime and stocking density. Consequently, experiments to determine the effects of these environmental variables on growth and aquaculture potential of dusky kob should be conducted at 24–26°C.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Dungamanzi/stirring waters: Tsonga and Shangaan art from southern Africa, Nessa Leibhammer (Ed.): book reviews
- Authors: Simbao, Ruth K
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147358 , vital:38629 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC31053
- Description: A woman known as Nkoma We Lwandle (Cow of the Ocean) and a man, Dunga Manzi (Stirring Waters), are remembered as the first Tsonga diviners. Trained by Nzunzu - a powerful water serpent - they were pulled into a lake for a few months and later emerged as influential healers. Such stories (like the one relayed by Dederen of a young girl, Nsatimuni, who also temporarily disappeared into a lake) represent 'death' and 'rebirth', reflecting Arnold van Gennep's (1909) well-known schema of rites de passage: séparation, marge, and agrégation. Separated from daily life, these characters sink into another world where people breathe in water like a foetus in the liquid depths of a womb, evoking impending new birth (p. 171).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Simbao, Ruth K
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147358 , vital:38629 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC31053
- Description: A woman known as Nkoma We Lwandle (Cow of the Ocean) and a man, Dunga Manzi (Stirring Waters), are remembered as the first Tsonga diviners. Trained by Nzunzu - a powerful water serpent - they were pulled into a lake for a few months and later emerged as influential healers. Such stories (like the one relayed by Dederen of a young girl, Nsatimuni, who also temporarily disappeared into a lake) represent 'death' and 'rebirth', reflecting Arnold van Gennep's (1909) well-known schema of rites de passage: séparation, marge, and agrégation. Separated from daily life, these characters sink into another world where people breathe in water like a foetus in the liquid depths of a womb, evoking impending new birth (p. 171).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Eco-Schools and the quality of education in South Africa: Realising the potential
- Authors: Rosenberg, Eureta
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/370511 , vital:66349 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122759"
- Description: Eco-Schools South Africa is increasingly being used by external partners as a framework for supporting environmental education in schools. This paper shares the findings of a recent evaluation of the programme in relation to the quality of education in South African schools. Do Eco-Schools activities help to improve the conditions of teaching and learning? Or do they take teachers and students away from their core focus? Evaluation of learner and teacher work in Eco-Schools found signs of the quality problems that currently plague the schools system, and there is evidence that the programme can add to the complexity to which many teachers struggle to respond. The evaluation also found, however, that the programme has significant potential to improve conditions for teaching and learning. The paper is an opportunity to reflect on how environmental education support for schools, in general, and Eco-Schools South Africa, in particular, can detract from and strengthen teaching and learning.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Rosenberg, Eureta
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/370511 , vital:66349 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122759"
- Description: Eco-Schools South Africa is increasingly being used by external partners as a framework for supporting environmental education in schools. This paper shares the findings of a recent evaluation of the programme in relation to the quality of education in South African schools. Do Eco-Schools activities help to improve the conditions of teaching and learning? Or do they take teachers and students away from their core focus? Evaluation of learner and teacher work in Eco-Schools found signs of the quality problems that currently plague the schools system, and there is evidence that the programme can add to the complexity to which many teachers struggle to respond. The evaluation also found, however, that the programme has significant potential to improve conditions for teaching and learning. The paper is an opportunity to reflect on how environmental education support for schools, in general, and Eco-Schools South Africa, in particular, can detract from and strengthen teaching and learning.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Ecological thinking: Schopenhauer, J M Coetzee and who we are in the world
- Authors: Wright, Laurence
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:7031 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007362 , https://doi.org/10.5848/CSP.0926.00001
- Description: preprint , For the ecological agenda to make substantive progress, we will have to see powerful people and social agencies turning away from the ecological insanity that threatens us all, and for this to happen, people need to embrace voluntary renunciation, on the understanding that this is not self-sacrifice, but a different and more satisfying way of being in the world. The paper offers some thought, provoked by reading J.M. Coetzee and Arthur Schopenhauer, about what would make this change possible, what might enable it; and secondly why it is implausible that any such ideal might actually come to pass.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Wright, Laurence
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:7031 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007362 , https://doi.org/10.5848/CSP.0926.00001
- Description: preprint , For the ecological agenda to make substantive progress, we will have to see powerful people and social agencies turning away from the ecological insanity that threatens us all, and for this to happen, people need to embrace voluntary renunciation, on the understanding that this is not self-sacrifice, but a different and more satisfying way of being in the world. The paper offers some thought, provoked by reading J.M. Coetzee and Arthur Schopenhauer, about what would make this change possible, what might enable it; and secondly why it is implausible that any such ideal might actually come to pass.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Educated mother-tongue South African English: A corpus approach
- Adendorff, Ralph, de Klerk, Vivian A, de Vos, Mark, Hunt, Sally, Simango, Ronald, Todd, Louise, Niesler, Thomas
- Authors: Adendorff, Ralph , de Klerk, Vivian A , de Vos, Mark , Hunt, Sally , Simango, Ronald , Todd, Louise , Niesler, Thomas
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124352 , vital:35597 , https://doi.org/10.1080/10228190608566261
- Description: South Africa is anecdotally known for its complex system of speech varieties correlating with variables such as ethnicity, first language, class and education. These intuitions (e.g. Lass 1990) require further investigation, especially in the context of a changing South Africa where language variety plays a key role in identifying social, economic and ethnic group membership. Thus, in this research, the extent to which these variables play a role in variety is explored using a corpus approach (the nature of class and race in the corpus is discussed more fully later in the article). The corpus project, focusing primarily on accent, has been undertaken by members of the Department of English Language and Linguistics at Rhodes University in South Africa, collaborating with staff from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. A corpus (the first of its kind) is being compiled, comprising the speech of educated, white, mother-tongue speakers of South African English (as distinct from Afrikaans English, Indian English, and the second language (L2) varieties of English used by speakers of indigenous African languages), and data collection is well under way. This short article aims to describe the aims of the project, and the methodological approach which underpins it, as well as to highlight some of the more problematic aspects of the research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Adendorff, Ralph , de Klerk, Vivian A , de Vos, Mark , Hunt, Sally , Simango, Ronald , Todd, Louise , Niesler, Thomas
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124352 , vital:35597 , https://doi.org/10.1080/10228190608566261
- Description: South Africa is anecdotally known for its complex system of speech varieties correlating with variables such as ethnicity, first language, class and education. These intuitions (e.g. Lass 1990) require further investigation, especially in the context of a changing South Africa where language variety plays a key role in identifying social, economic and ethnic group membership. Thus, in this research, the extent to which these variables play a role in variety is explored using a corpus approach (the nature of class and race in the corpus is discussed more fully later in the article). The corpus project, focusing primarily on accent, has been undertaken by members of the Department of English Language and Linguistics at Rhodes University in South Africa, collaborating with staff from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. A corpus (the first of its kind) is being compiled, comprising the speech of educated, white, mother-tongue speakers of South African English (as distinct from Afrikaans English, Indian English, and the second language (L2) varieties of English used by speakers of indigenous African languages), and data collection is well under way. This short article aims to describe the aims of the project, and the methodological approach which underpins it, as well as to highlight some of the more problematic aspects of the research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Electro-catalyzed oxidation of reduced glutathione and 2-mercaptoethanol by cobalt phthalocyanine-containing screen printed graphite electrodes
- Sehlotho, Nthapo, Griveau, Sophie, Ruillé, Nadine, Boujtita, Mohammed, Nyokong, Tebello, Bedioui, Fethi
- Authors: Sehlotho, Nthapo , Griveau, Sophie , Ruillé, Nadine , Boujtita, Mohammed , Nyokong, Tebello , Bedioui, Fethi
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265935 , vital:53902 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2007.10.054"
- Description: Electro-catalytic behavior of screen printed graphite electrodes modified with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) towards the oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) is reported. We find, by using cyclic voltammetry, that the oxidation of 2-ME occurs at 0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl and − 0.3 vs Ag/AgCl V at pH = 7 and pH = 13, respectively and that of GSH occurs at 0.4 V vs Ag/AgCl and 0.0 V vs Ag/AgCl at pH = 7 and 13, respectively. The electro-catalytic activity depends on the method of electrode modification and the amount of catalyst incorporated in the ink used to fabricate the SPCEs. The highest activity was obtained with electrodes prepared with 2.5% (w:w) of CoPc.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Sehlotho, Nthapo , Griveau, Sophie , Ruillé, Nadine , Boujtita, Mohammed , Nyokong, Tebello , Bedioui, Fethi
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265935 , vital:53902 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2007.10.054"
- Description: Electro-catalytic behavior of screen printed graphite electrodes modified with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) towards the oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) is reported. We find, by using cyclic voltammetry, that the oxidation of 2-ME occurs at 0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl and − 0.3 vs Ag/AgCl V at pH = 7 and pH = 13, respectively and that of GSH occurs at 0.4 V vs Ag/AgCl and 0.0 V vs Ag/AgCl at pH = 7 and 13, respectively. The electro-catalytic activity depends on the method of electrode modification and the amount of catalyst incorporated in the ink used to fabricate the SPCEs. The highest activity was obtained with electrodes prepared with 2.5% (w:w) of CoPc.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Electrocatalytic and photosensitizing behavior of metallophthalocyanine complexes
- Authors: Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265908 , vital:53899 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1142/S1088424608000388"
- Description: Electrocatalytic or photosensitizing (photocatalytic) properties of metallophthalocyanine (MPc) complexes are dependent on the central metal. Electrocatalytic behavior is observed for electroactive central metals such as Co, Mn and Fe, whereas photosensitizing behavior is observed for diamagnetic metals such as Al, Zn and Si. In the presence of nanoparticles such as quantum dots, the photosensitizing behavior of MPc complexes is improved. Carbon nanotubes enhance the electrocatalytic behavior of MPc complexes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265908 , vital:53899 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1142/S1088424608000388"
- Description: Electrocatalytic or photosensitizing (photocatalytic) properties of metallophthalocyanine (MPc) complexes are dependent on the central metal. Electrocatalytic behavior is observed for electroactive central metals such as Co, Mn and Fe, whereas photosensitizing behavior is observed for diamagnetic metals such as Al, Zn and Si. In the presence of nanoparticles such as quantum dots, the photosensitizing behavior of MPc complexes is improved. Carbon nanotubes enhance the electrocatalytic behavior of MPc complexes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Electrocatalytic detection of amitrole on the multi-walled carbon nanotube–iron (II) tetra-aminophthalocyanine platform
- Siswana, Msimelelo P, Ozoemena, Kenneth I, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Siswana, Msimelelo P , Ozoemena, Kenneth I , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265924 , vital:53901 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/s8085096"
- Description: It is shown that iron(II) tetra-aminophthalocyanine complex electropolymerized onto a multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified basal plane pyrolytic graphite electrode greatly enhanced the electrocatalytic detetion of amitrole (a toxic herbicide), resulting in a very low detection limit (0.5 nM) and excellent sensitivity of 8.80±0.44 μA/nM, compared to any known work reported so far. The electrocatalytic detection of amitrole at this electrode occurred at less positive potential (~0.3 V vs Ag|ACl) and also revealed a typical coupled chemical reaction. The mechanism for this response is proposed. The electrode gave satisfactory selectivity to amitrole in the presence of other potential interfering pesticides in aqueous solutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Siswana, Msimelelo P , Ozoemena, Kenneth I , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265924 , vital:53901 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/s8085096"
- Description: It is shown that iron(II) tetra-aminophthalocyanine complex electropolymerized onto a multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified basal plane pyrolytic graphite electrode greatly enhanced the electrocatalytic detetion of amitrole (a toxic herbicide), resulting in a very low detection limit (0.5 nM) and excellent sensitivity of 8.80±0.44 μA/nM, compared to any known work reported so far. The electrocatalytic detection of amitrole at this electrode occurred at less positive potential (~0.3 V vs Ag|ACl) and also revealed a typical coupled chemical reaction. The mechanism for this response is proposed. The electrode gave satisfactory selectivity to amitrole in the presence of other potential interfering pesticides in aqueous solutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of α-substituted manganese and titanium phthalocyanines
- Nombona, Nolwazi, Tau, Prudence, Sehlotho, Nthapo, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Nombona, Nolwazi , Tau, Prudence , Sehlotho, Nthapo , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/268587 , vital:54212 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2007.11.046"
- Description: This work reports on the synthesis of manganese and titanium phthalocyanine complexes that are tetra-substituted at four non-peripheral positions with amino ligands. The complexes are investigated for the first time for their electrochemical properties using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrode voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Electropolymerisation on a glassy carbon electrode was performed with ease and the modified electrodes were investigated for electrocatalysis of nitrite oxidation. Nitrite oxidation to nitrate is confirmed from the transfer of a total of two electrons.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Nombona, Nolwazi , Tau, Prudence , Sehlotho, Nthapo , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/268587 , vital:54212 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2007.11.046"
- Description: This work reports on the synthesis of manganese and titanium phthalocyanine complexes that are tetra-substituted at four non-peripheral positions with amino ligands. The complexes are investigated for the first time for their electrochemical properties using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrode voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Electropolymerisation on a glassy carbon electrode was performed with ease and the modified electrodes were investigated for electrocatalysis of nitrite oxidation. Nitrite oxidation to nitrate is confirmed from the transfer of a total of two electrons.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Electrochemical Characterization of Self-Assembled Monolayer of a Novel Manganese Tetrabenzylthio-Substituted Phthalocyanine and Its Use in Nitrite Oxidation
- Matemadombo, Fungisai, Griveau, Sophie, Bedioui, Fethi, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Matemadombo, Fungisai , Griveau, Sophie , Bedioui, Fethi , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265950 , vital:53903 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.200804269"
- Description: Manganese phthalocyanine MnPc(SPh)4 has been synthesized and used to form self assembled monolayers on gold electrodes. The well packed SAM monolayer was characterized by analyzing the blocking of a number of Faradic processes by cyclic voltammetry, evaluating the electrical characteristics of the modified electrode by electrochemical impedance and imaging the modified surface by electrochemical scanning microscopy. Finally, MnPc(SPh)4-SAM modified electrode displayed an electrocatalytic behavior toward the oxidation of nitrite.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Matemadombo, Fungisai , Griveau, Sophie , Bedioui, Fethi , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265950 , vital:53903 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.200804269"
- Description: Manganese phthalocyanine MnPc(SPh)4 has been synthesized and used to form self assembled monolayers on gold electrodes. The well packed SAM monolayer was characterized by analyzing the blocking of a number of Faradic processes by cyclic voltammetry, evaluating the electrical characteristics of the modified electrode by electrochemical impedance and imaging the modified surface by electrochemical scanning microscopy. Finally, MnPc(SPh)4-SAM modified electrode displayed an electrocatalytic behavior toward the oxidation of nitrite.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Electrooxidation of hydrazine catalyzed by noncovalently functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes with CoPc
- Geraldo, Daniela A, Togo, Chamunorwa A, Limson, Janice L, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Geraldo, Daniela A , Togo, Chamunorwa A , Limson, Janice L , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265963 , vital:53904 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2008.05.083"
- Description: We report on the electrooxidation of hydrazine catalyzed by single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) functionalized with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) which shows that the presence of the single-walled carbon nanotubes enhances the catalytic activity of the CoPc itself without any change in the reaction mechanism. A synergistic effect, in terms of reactivity when the new nanocomposite material was adsorbed on the GC electrode, was observed. The obtained hybrid electrodes were tested under hydrodynamic conditions, showing two different oxidation processes, which suggest the presence of two different types of active sites on the electrode surface catalyzing the reaction. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses in the presence of [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as a redox probe revealed that the GC/SWCNT + CoPc showed much lower electron-resistance (Ret) confirming the synergistic effect of the composite mentioned above. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed the clear differences in surface roughness for each film, confirming the different compositions of the hybrid electrodes used in this study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Geraldo, Daniela A , Togo, Chamunorwa A , Limson, Janice L , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/265963 , vital:53904 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2008.05.083"
- Description: We report on the electrooxidation of hydrazine catalyzed by single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) functionalized with cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) which shows that the presence of the single-walled carbon nanotubes enhances the catalytic activity of the CoPc itself without any change in the reaction mechanism. A synergistic effect, in terms of reactivity when the new nanocomposite material was adsorbed on the GC electrode, was observed. The obtained hybrid electrodes were tested under hydrodynamic conditions, showing two different oxidation processes, which suggest the presence of two different types of active sites on the electrode surface catalyzing the reaction. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses in the presence of [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as a redox probe revealed that the GC/SWCNT + CoPc showed much lower electron-resistance (Ret) confirming the synergistic effect of the composite mentioned above. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed the clear differences in surface roughness for each film, confirming the different compositions of the hybrid electrodes used in this study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Employee performance, leadership style and emotional intelligence
- Hayward, Brett A, Amos, Trevor L, Baxter, Jeremy
- Authors: Hayward, Brett A , Amos, Trevor L , Baxter, Jeremy
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/270077 , vital:54393 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC17031"
- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between employee performance, leadership style and emotional intelligence in the context of a South African parastatal. Problem Investigated: There is a lack of literature and empirical research on the type of leadership required to achieve high levels of employee performance within South African parastatals. Methodology: The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to determine leadership style, while the Emotional Competency Profiler (ECP) was used to determine the emotional intelligence of the sample of leaders. Employee performance data was provided by the parastatal, based on their performance management system. Data was analysed using correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, the standard regression ANOVA/F-test, t-tests and Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient. Findings: The findings of the research show that the ECP is a reliable measure of emotional intelligence and that while the MLQ is a reliable measure of transformational leadership, it is not a reliable measure of transactional leadership. The results of the correlation analysis show a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership and a negative significant relationship between employee performance and emotional intelligence. The results of regressing employee performance on emotional intelligence and transformational leadership show that emotional intelligence and transformational leadership have no significant effect on employee performance. The results of the regression models of the research could be biased by the lack of variance in employee performance data. Value of the Research: The value of the research lies in it confirming the MLQ as a reliable measure of transformational leadership and the ECP as a reliable measure of emotional intelligence. The finding of a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership is a valuable contribution to the literature. Conclusion: Although a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership was found, there is a need for further research to determine the type of leadership best suited to achieve high levels of employee performance within the parastatal.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Hayward, Brett A , Amos, Trevor L , Baxter, Jeremy
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/270077 , vital:54393 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC17031"
- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between employee performance, leadership style and emotional intelligence in the context of a South African parastatal. Problem Investigated: There is a lack of literature and empirical research on the type of leadership required to achieve high levels of employee performance within South African parastatals. Methodology: The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used to determine leadership style, while the Emotional Competency Profiler (ECP) was used to determine the emotional intelligence of the sample of leaders. Employee performance data was provided by the parastatal, based on their performance management system. Data was analysed using correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, the standard regression ANOVA/F-test, t-tests and Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient. Findings: The findings of the research show that the ECP is a reliable measure of emotional intelligence and that while the MLQ is a reliable measure of transformational leadership, it is not a reliable measure of transactional leadership. The results of the correlation analysis show a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership and a negative significant relationship between employee performance and emotional intelligence. The results of regressing employee performance on emotional intelligence and transformational leadership show that emotional intelligence and transformational leadership have no significant effect on employee performance. The results of the regression models of the research could be biased by the lack of variance in employee performance data. Value of the Research: The value of the research lies in it confirming the MLQ as a reliable measure of transformational leadership and the ECP as a reliable measure of emotional intelligence. The finding of a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership is a valuable contribution to the literature. Conclusion: Although a positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership was found, there is a need for further research to determine the type of leadership best suited to achieve high levels of employee performance within the parastatal.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Energy transfer in zinc porphyrin–phthalocyanine heterotrimer and heterononamer studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
- Durmus, Mahmut, Chen, Jiyao Y, Zhao, Zhixin X, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Durmus, Mahmut , Chen, Jiyao Y , Zhao, Zhixin X , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/268599 , vital:54213 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2007.07.010"
- Description: Two or eight zinc triphenyl porphyrins were conjugated with Zn-phthalocyanine or H2-phthalocyanine to form ZnPc–(ZnTPP)2, ZnPc–(ZnTPP)8, H2Pc–(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc–(ZnTPP)8. Energy transfers from the porphyrin moiety to phthalocyanine part were quantitatively studied with the modality of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). By measuring the fluorescence increment from the phthalocyanine moiety and the decrease from porphyrin part under selective excitation at the B band of the porphyrin part in those conjugated compounds and their equimolar mixture of compositions, energy transfer efficiencies were estimated to be 90% for H2Pc–(ZnTPP)8 and ZnPc–(ZnTPP)8, and 60%, 30% for ZnPc–(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc–(ZnTPP)2, respectively.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Durmus, Mahmut , Chen, Jiyao Y , Zhao, Zhixin X , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/268599 , vital:54213 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2007.07.010"
- Description: Two or eight zinc triphenyl porphyrins were conjugated with Zn-phthalocyanine or H2-phthalocyanine to form ZnPc–(ZnTPP)2, ZnPc–(ZnTPP)8, H2Pc–(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc–(ZnTPP)8. Energy transfers from the porphyrin moiety to phthalocyanine part were quantitatively studied with the modality of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). By measuring the fluorescence increment from the phthalocyanine moiety and the decrease from porphyrin part under selective excitation at the B band of the porphyrin part in those conjugated compounds and their equimolar mixture of compositions, energy transfer efficiencies were estimated to be 90% for H2Pc–(ZnTPP)8 and ZnPc–(ZnTPP)8, and 60%, 30% for ZnPc–(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc–(ZnTPP)2, respectively.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Enhancing end-user capabilities in high speed audio networks
- Chigwamba, Nyasha, Foss, Richard
- Authors: Chigwamba, Nyasha , Foss, Richard
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/427279 , vital:72427 , https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=14266
- Description: Firewire is a digital network technology that can be used to interconnect professional audio equipment, PCs and electronic devices. The Plural Node Architecture splits connection management of firewire audio devices between two nodes, namely an Enabler and a Transporter. The Audio Engineering Society’s SC-02-12-G Task Group has produced an Open Generic Transporter guideline document which describes a generic interface between the Enabler and Transporter. A client-server implementation above the Plural Node Architecture allows connection management of firewire audio devices via TCP/IP. This paper describes enhancements made to connection management applications as a result of additional capabilities revealed by the Open Generic Transporter document.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Chigwamba, Nyasha , Foss, Richard
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/427279 , vital:72427 , https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=14266
- Description: Firewire is a digital network technology that can be used to interconnect professional audio equipment, PCs and electronic devices. The Plural Node Architecture splits connection management of firewire audio devices between two nodes, namely an Enabler and a Transporter. The Audio Engineering Society’s SC-02-12-G Task Group has produced an Open Generic Transporter guideline document which describes a generic interface between the Enabler and Transporter. A client-server implementation above the Plural Node Architecture allows connection management of firewire audio devices via TCP/IP. This paper describes enhancements made to connection management applications as a result of additional capabilities revealed by the Open Generic Transporter document.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Environmental Education and Educational Quality and Relevance-Opening the debate
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182668 , vital:43852 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122756"
- Description: This edition of the Southern African Journal of Environmental Education (SAJEE) tackles a critical issue being debated across the world today, namely the question of educational quality and relevance. In 2005 the UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report entitled Education for All: The Quality Imperative (UNESCO, 2004) was published. This global monitoring report drew attention to issues of educational quality, and raised the problem that physical access to education does not necessarily lead to epistemological access to knowledge or to relevant education being offered to learners. In the foreword to the 430-page assessment of educational quality issues, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, stated that ‘although much debate surrounds attempts to define educational quality, solid common ground exists … Quality must be seen in light of how societies define the purpose of education’ (UNESCO, 2004: Foreword). He went on to explain that there seem to be two mutually agreed upon purposes for education in the world today: cognitive development of learners, and creative and emotional growth of learners to help them acquire values and attitudes for responsible citizenship. He also pointed out that ‘quality must pass the test of equity’ (UNESCO, 2004: Foreword), emphasising the importance of equity of opportunity to access and participate in education and learning. Relevant to the field of environmental education, is the inclusion of educational quality as a major thrust of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) (UNESCO, 2004).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182668 , vital:43852 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/122756"
- Description: This edition of the Southern African Journal of Environmental Education (SAJEE) tackles a critical issue being debated across the world today, namely the question of educational quality and relevance. In 2005 the UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report entitled Education for All: The Quality Imperative (UNESCO, 2004) was published. This global monitoring report drew attention to issues of educational quality, and raised the problem that physical access to education does not necessarily lead to epistemological access to knowledge or to relevant education being offered to learners. In the foreword to the 430-page assessment of educational quality issues, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, stated that ‘although much debate surrounds attempts to define educational quality, solid common ground exists … Quality must be seen in light of how societies define the purpose of education’ (UNESCO, 2004: Foreword). He went on to explain that there seem to be two mutually agreed upon purposes for education in the world today: cognitive development of learners, and creative and emotional growth of learners to help them acquire values and attitudes for responsible citizenship. He also pointed out that ‘quality must pass the test of equity’ (UNESCO, 2004: Foreword), emphasising the importance of equity of opportunity to access and participate in education and learning. Relevant to the field of environmental education, is the inclusion of educational quality as a major thrust of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) (UNESCO, 2004).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Evaluating and improving morpho-syntactic classification over multiple corpora using pre-trained, off-the-shelf, parts-of-speech tagging tools reviewed article
- Glass, Kevin R, Bangay, Shaun D
- Authors: Glass, Kevin R , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433427 , vital:72969 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC28053
- Description: This paper evaluates six commonly available parts-of-speech tagging tools over corpora other than those upon which they were originally trained. In particular this investigation measures the performance of the selected tools over varying styles and genres of text without retraining, under the assumption that domain specific training data is not always available. An investigation is performed to determine whether improved results can be achieved by combining the set of tagging tools into ensembles that use voting schemes to determine the best tag for each word. It is found that while accuracy drops due to non-domain specific training, and tag-mapping between corpora, accuracy remains very high, with the support vector machine-based tagger, and the decision tree-based tagger performing best over different corpora. It is also found that an ensemble containing a support vector machine-based tagger, a probabilistic tagger, a decision-tree based tagger and a rule-based tagger produces the largest increase in accuracy and the largest reduction in error across different corpora, using the Precision-Recall voting scheme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Glass, Kevin R , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433427 , vital:72969 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC28053
- Description: This paper evaluates six commonly available parts-of-speech tagging tools over corpora other than those upon which they were originally trained. In particular this investigation measures the performance of the selected tools over varying styles and genres of text without retraining, under the assumption that domain specific training data is not always available. An investigation is performed to determine whether improved results can be achieved by combining the set of tagging tools into ensembles that use voting schemes to determine the best tag for each word. It is found that while accuracy drops due to non-domain specific training, and tag-mapping between corpora, accuracy remains very high, with the support vector machine-based tagger, and the decision tree-based tagger performing best over different corpora. It is also found that an ensemble containing a support vector machine-based tagger, a probabilistic tagger, a decision-tree based tagger and a rule-based tagger produces the largest increase in accuracy and the largest reduction in error across different corpora, using the Precision-Recall voting scheme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Flock inspired area coverage using wireless boid-like sensor agents
- Chibaya, Colin, Bangay, Shaun D
- Authors: Chibaya, Colin , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433440 , vital:72970 , 10.1109/UKSIM.2008.102
- Description: Simulated flocking is achievable using three boid rules [13]. We propose an area coverage model inspired by Reynolds’ flocking algorithm, investigating strategies for achieving quality coverage using flocking rules. Our agents are identical and autonomous, using only local sensory information for indirect communication. Upon deployment, agents are in the default separation mode. The cohesion rule would then guarantee that agents remain within the swarm, covering spaces with explored neighbour spaces. Four experiments are conducted to evaluate our model in terms of coverage quality achieved. We firstly investigate agents’ separation speed before the speed with which isolated agents re-organizes is investigated. The third experiment compares coverage quality achieved using our model with coverage quality achieved using random guessing. Finally, we investigate fault tolerance in the event of agents’ failures. Our model exhibits good separation and cohesion speed, achieving high quality coverage. Additionally, the model is fault tolerant and adaptive to agents’ failures.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Chibaya, Colin , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433440 , vital:72970 , 10.1109/UKSIM.2008.102
- Description: Simulated flocking is achievable using three boid rules [13]. We propose an area coverage model inspired by Reynolds’ flocking algorithm, investigating strategies for achieving quality coverage using flocking rules. Our agents are identical and autonomous, using only local sensory information for indirect communication. Upon deployment, agents are in the default separation mode. The cohesion rule would then guarantee that agents remain within the swarm, covering spaces with explored neighbour spaces. Four experiments are conducted to evaluate our model in terms of coverage quality achieved. We firstly investigate agents’ separation speed before the speed with which isolated agents re-organizes is investigated. The third experiment compares coverage quality achieved using our model with coverage quality achieved using random guessing. Finally, we investigate fault tolerance in the event of agents’ failures. Our model exhibits good separation and cohesion speed, achieving high quality coverage. Additionally, the model is fault tolerant and adaptive to agents’ failures.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
From content to conversation: can cellphones be used for journalism?
- Authors: Berger, Guy
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/159310 , vital:40286 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC140074
- Description: Rhodes' School of Journalism and Media Studies has R8m to try and turn cellphones into interactive journalistic devices over the next four years. The work takes place under a project titled "Iindaba Ziyafika" - meaning "the news is coming".
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Berger, Guy
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/159310 , vital:40286 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC140074
- Description: Rhodes' School of Journalism and Media Studies has R8m to try and turn cellphones into interactive journalistic devices over the next four years. The work takes place under a project titled "Iindaba Ziyafika" - meaning "the news is coming".
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008