Exploring 3d printing of brass instruments: a comparative study of French horn mouthpieces
- Authors: Barker, Dylan Bruce
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Horn (Musical instrument) , Three-dimensional printing , Instrumentation and orchestration (Band)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62755 , vital:72939
- Description: The French horn is an orchestral instrument with a rich history that spans centuries, undergoing notable transformations in its design and functionality. A short overview of this history is provided in Appendix A. Originating as a simple coil, the French horn has evolved to encompass a complex valve system, multiple harmonic series, and a diverse range of modifications tailored to players' preferences and requirements. These modifications include mutes, grips, extra keys, and even the exploration of different materials for mouthpieces. The use of plastic rims on mouthpieces, for reasons such as allergies, thermal conductivity, and tactile sensation, has already gained traction among horn players (Tuckwell, 2002). In the realm of manufacturing and technology, the concept of additive manufacturing has emerged as a promising avenue. Referred to as the next "industrial revolution” (Berman, 2012), additive manufacturing has become increasingly accessible through desktop-scale 3D printers. This technology offers a viable method for producing cost-effective musical instruments and enhancers without compromising quality (Kantaros, 2018). As evidenced by a 2018 Roundtable report from the South African Parliament, additive manufacturing aligns with the trajectory of the fourth industrial revolution, prompting governments to develop policies and strategies to harness its potential. Given the significance of additive manufacturing, a comprehensive investigation into applying these new technologies for the horn is warranted. Specifically, material choice, quality of sound, and the experience of performing on a printed mouthpiece is investigated and compared to a traditional metal mouthpiece. While the horn is comprised of many individual components, this study relates specifically to the mouthpiece. A brief appraisal of the significance of the mouthpiece will follow in the next section. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Barker, Dylan Bruce
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Horn (Musical instrument) , Three-dimensional printing , Instrumentation and orchestration (Band)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62755 , vital:72939
- Description: The French horn is an orchestral instrument with a rich history that spans centuries, undergoing notable transformations in its design and functionality. A short overview of this history is provided in Appendix A. Originating as a simple coil, the French horn has evolved to encompass a complex valve system, multiple harmonic series, and a diverse range of modifications tailored to players' preferences and requirements. These modifications include mutes, grips, extra keys, and even the exploration of different materials for mouthpieces. The use of plastic rims on mouthpieces, for reasons such as allergies, thermal conductivity, and tactile sensation, has already gained traction among horn players (Tuckwell, 2002). In the realm of manufacturing and technology, the concept of additive manufacturing has emerged as a promising avenue. Referred to as the next "industrial revolution” (Berman, 2012), additive manufacturing has become increasingly accessible through desktop-scale 3D printers. This technology offers a viable method for producing cost-effective musical instruments and enhancers without compromising quality (Kantaros, 2018). As evidenced by a 2018 Roundtable report from the South African Parliament, additive manufacturing aligns with the trajectory of the fourth industrial revolution, prompting governments to develop policies and strategies to harness its potential. Given the significance of additive manufacturing, a comprehensive investigation into applying these new technologies for the horn is warranted. Specifically, material choice, quality of sound, and the experience of performing on a printed mouthpiece is investigated and compared to a traditional metal mouthpiece. While the horn is comprised of many individual components, this study relates specifically to the mouthpiece. A brief appraisal of the significance of the mouthpiece will follow in the next section. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring resilience of social workers working within the healthcare system in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, South Africa
- Authors: Deliwe, Olwethu Paul
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Social workers -- Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Resilience (Personality trait) , Health services administration -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63824 , vital:73617
- Description: Social workers working in the health care setting must respond to complex patient needs, a fast paced and multidisciplinary work environment, that are frequently not experienced as equalising platforms for the social work discipline. This requires a high level of resilience in social workers to remain responsive to compassionate human care, quality service delivery and selfcare. This study aimed to explore the resilience of social workers in the healthcare sector, in order to address the knowledge and practice gap and contribute to a better understanding of mental healthcare needs and coping resources of social workers, working in this field of service. The study was guided by two theoretical frameworks: The ecological systems theory and resilience theory. Informed by a constructivism research paradigm, the study employed semi-structures in-depth research interviews as a method to collect data with eight social workers as research participants, recruited via purposive research sampling from health and mental health care settings. The key findings indicate that social workers experience various challenges at work that leads to burnout as a result of the complex work that they do, and they are required to contain these and be resilient using different mechanism. All the ethical protocols were observed, and the necessary measures taken to enhance the trustworthiness of the study. The findings make a valuable contribution to the curriculum input for social work training and valuable insights for continuous professional development for social work practitioners in the health care sector. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Deliwe, Olwethu Paul
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Social workers -- Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Resilience (Personality trait) , Health services administration -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63824 , vital:73617
- Description: Social workers working in the health care setting must respond to complex patient needs, a fast paced and multidisciplinary work environment, that are frequently not experienced as equalising platforms for the social work discipline. This requires a high level of resilience in social workers to remain responsive to compassionate human care, quality service delivery and selfcare. This study aimed to explore the resilience of social workers in the healthcare sector, in order to address the knowledge and practice gap and contribute to a better understanding of mental healthcare needs and coping resources of social workers, working in this field of service. The study was guided by two theoretical frameworks: The ecological systems theory and resilience theory. Informed by a constructivism research paradigm, the study employed semi-structures in-depth research interviews as a method to collect data with eight social workers as research participants, recruited via purposive research sampling from health and mental health care settings. The key findings indicate that social workers experience various challenges at work that leads to burnout as a result of the complex work that they do, and they are required to contain these and be resilient using different mechanism. All the ethical protocols were observed, and the necessary measures taken to enhance the trustworthiness of the study. The findings make a valuable contribution to the curriculum input for social work training and valuable insights for continuous professional development for social work practitioners in the health care sector. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring senior phase teachers’ use of kahoot! Gamification as a formative assessment tool to scaffold mathematical understanding
- Authors: Balele, Silence
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423891 , vital:72102
- Description: In South Africa, digital technology, particularly gamification, continues to become an important teaching and learning tool. Its importance lies in scaffolding mathematical understanding, improving the quality of assessment, and developing twenty-first-century technological skills for effective mathematics assessment. To explore this importance, senior phase mathematics teachers are encouraged to adopt gamification technology such as Kahoot! in assessment. The study adopted a case study research design with a interpretivist research paradigm, as this method allows detailed exploration and understanding of a specific context through a close connection with the participants. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires, focus group interviews, non-participant observations, and reflective journals. The research involved ten purposively selected senior-phase mathematics teachers from two schools in the Sarah Baartman District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study drew upon Vygoysky's Sociocultural Theory for its theoretical framework, while the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge was used for analysis. The data analysis pursued an inductive approach. Adopting a thematic analysis included coding participant responses, organizing codes into concepts and categories, and developing a theoretical framework from the resultant categories. A four-phase process was involved: coding, conceptualizing, categorizing, and theorizing, was employed. This process and using NVivo software for data organization and management helped identify patterns, themes, and significant concerns surrounding the study's core subject. The findings from the study were as follows: Firstly, it was revealed that most teachers have a positive perception and attitude towards using Kahoot! for formative assessment, believing that it enhances teaching and learning quality. However, they showed scepticism due to insufficient Information and Communication Technologies knowledge and training. Second, teachers' pedagogical and technological experiences were predominantly enjoyable. Kahoot! was accepted as beneficial for promoting collaboration, interaction, and immediate feedback. Third, the study identified enabling and constraining factors in using Kahoot! for formative assessment. The enabling factors include Kahoot!, which was convenient and accessible, promoted immediate feedback and fostered collaboration and interaction. The constraining factors include Information and Communication Technologies and network interference, which posed limitations. The research concluded that Kahoot! as a platform for formative assessment indeed scaffold mathematical understanding. The study recommends increasing teachers' access to educational technology, incorporating continuous professional development programs, providing subject-specific training, and encouraging teachers to adapt to emerging technologies. The study also provided recommendations for future research to explore learner perceptions, employ a mixed methods approach to help quantify learner performance and investigate the pedagogical and technological experiences of senior phase mathematics teachers regarding formative assessment. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Balele, Silence
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423891 , vital:72102
- Description: In South Africa, digital technology, particularly gamification, continues to become an important teaching and learning tool. Its importance lies in scaffolding mathematical understanding, improving the quality of assessment, and developing twenty-first-century technological skills for effective mathematics assessment. To explore this importance, senior phase mathematics teachers are encouraged to adopt gamification technology such as Kahoot! in assessment. The study adopted a case study research design with a interpretivist research paradigm, as this method allows detailed exploration and understanding of a specific context through a close connection with the participants. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires, focus group interviews, non-participant observations, and reflective journals. The research involved ten purposively selected senior-phase mathematics teachers from two schools in the Sarah Baartman District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study drew upon Vygoysky's Sociocultural Theory for its theoretical framework, while the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge was used for analysis. The data analysis pursued an inductive approach. Adopting a thematic analysis included coding participant responses, organizing codes into concepts and categories, and developing a theoretical framework from the resultant categories. A four-phase process was involved: coding, conceptualizing, categorizing, and theorizing, was employed. This process and using NVivo software for data organization and management helped identify patterns, themes, and significant concerns surrounding the study's core subject. The findings from the study were as follows: Firstly, it was revealed that most teachers have a positive perception and attitude towards using Kahoot! for formative assessment, believing that it enhances teaching and learning quality. However, they showed scepticism due to insufficient Information and Communication Technologies knowledge and training. Second, teachers' pedagogical and technological experiences were predominantly enjoyable. Kahoot! was accepted as beneficial for promoting collaboration, interaction, and immediate feedback. Third, the study identified enabling and constraining factors in using Kahoot! for formative assessment. The enabling factors include Kahoot!, which was convenient and accessible, promoted immediate feedback and fostered collaboration and interaction. The constraining factors include Information and Communication Technologies and network interference, which posed limitations. The research concluded that Kahoot! as a platform for formative assessment indeed scaffold mathematical understanding. The study recommends increasing teachers' access to educational technology, incorporating continuous professional development programs, providing subject-specific training, and encouraging teachers to adapt to emerging technologies. The study also provided recommendations for future research to explore learner perceptions, employ a mixed methods approach to help quantify learner performance and investigate the pedagogical and technological experiences of senior phase mathematics teachers regarding formative assessment. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring the continued importance of technique in the co-production of art with A.I.
- Authors: Venter, Simon Denis
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Art and technology , Mass media and culture , Artificial Intelligence
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63573 , vital:73504
- Description: n Plato’s Republic, artists are criticised for their perceived lack of rationality, since “art encourages and appeals to emotion,” insofar as “its ruling principle is the passions, which in a happy and well-ordered life must be controlled by reason;” indeed, on this basis, “the aesthetic experience” is even said to be “a psychological anarchy, [and] an orgy of misrule” (Collingwood, 1925: 156). However, this reification of reason in Plato’s hypothesized world,1 informed as it was by static hierarchy, has remained dissonant with the path of history toward entropy, as evinced by the chaotic flux of postmodernity. Certainly, this is exemplified in our own postmodern world, characterized as it is by ever greater degrees of disintegration into diversity, as the economic, social, and geo-political orders established in the mid-twentieth century are challenged and transformed into new paradigms through the increasing multiplicity of demands being made on them (Fowlie & Sills, 2011: 120-121). Accordingly, far from being a source of delusion and dissimilation, it could equally be argued that, collectively and individually, artists’ works reflect this kaleidoscopic trace of time more truthfully than the lens of reason, precisely because life – like art – is also largely psychological anarchy and an orgy of misrule. And within this dynamic environment, the reflections of artists, in turn, assume their value, as traces of what, for want of a better term, will henceforth be referred to as living dialogical time. That is, from this perspective, artists are not the political problem Plato suggested them to be, but rather as a whole comprise a reflection of the living dialogical time that, today, recognises itself collectively as humanity. However, while art has always involved material marks, digitality has recently changed this requirement, in ways which have raised a series of important and difficult questions for the world of art. That is, digitality has changed the wall of the cave into the digits of ones and zeros, which are eradicated at the click of an icon, only to be reconstructed at the click of an icon. Thus, the interface between art and digitality involves the former being presented with increasing opportunities for dynamism, but only at the expense of its materiality – insofar as such dynamism requires art to transition to cyber-virtual platforms. But in this regard, it must be remembered that, by definition, an icon is something which connects us to what cannot ever be represented, because it is beyond our everyday living reality, in an atemporal plane. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Venter, Simon Denis
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Art and technology , Mass media and culture , Artificial Intelligence
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63573 , vital:73504
- Description: n Plato’s Republic, artists are criticised for their perceived lack of rationality, since “art encourages and appeals to emotion,” insofar as “its ruling principle is the passions, which in a happy and well-ordered life must be controlled by reason;” indeed, on this basis, “the aesthetic experience” is even said to be “a psychological anarchy, [and] an orgy of misrule” (Collingwood, 1925: 156). However, this reification of reason in Plato’s hypothesized world,1 informed as it was by static hierarchy, has remained dissonant with the path of history toward entropy, as evinced by the chaotic flux of postmodernity. Certainly, this is exemplified in our own postmodern world, characterized as it is by ever greater degrees of disintegration into diversity, as the economic, social, and geo-political orders established in the mid-twentieth century are challenged and transformed into new paradigms through the increasing multiplicity of demands being made on them (Fowlie & Sills, 2011: 120-121). Accordingly, far from being a source of delusion and dissimilation, it could equally be argued that, collectively and individually, artists’ works reflect this kaleidoscopic trace of time more truthfully than the lens of reason, precisely because life – like art – is also largely psychological anarchy and an orgy of misrule. And within this dynamic environment, the reflections of artists, in turn, assume their value, as traces of what, for want of a better term, will henceforth be referred to as living dialogical time. That is, from this perspective, artists are not the political problem Plato suggested them to be, but rather as a whole comprise a reflection of the living dialogical time that, today, recognises itself collectively as humanity. However, while art has always involved material marks, digitality has recently changed this requirement, in ways which have raised a series of important and difficult questions for the world of art. That is, digitality has changed the wall of the cave into the digits of ones and zeros, which are eradicated at the click of an icon, only to be reconstructed at the click of an icon. Thus, the interface between art and digitality involves the former being presented with increasing opportunities for dynamism, but only at the expense of its materiality – insofar as such dynamism requires art to transition to cyber-virtual platforms. But in this regard, it must be remembered that, by definition, an icon is something which connects us to what cannot ever be represented, because it is beyond our everyday living reality, in an atemporal plane. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring the perceptions of coloured Christian lesbian Women of the influence of Christianity on their identity development
- Authors: Grootboom, Kim Jodie
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Lesbians -- Counseling of. , Homosexuality -- Religious aspect , Gays -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63857 , vital:73620
- Description: South Africa is a nation of which the greater number of its citizens are followers of the Christian faith. Coloured people form part of this population, as the majority of Coloured people in South Africa consider themselves to be Christians. In the Christian faith, homosexuality is considered to be a sin and is frowned upon which may result in difficulty navigating identity development of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This conflict may, in turn, greatly affect the identity development and overall wellness of these individuals who may want to hold onto a religious identify, but are in conflict, as their sexuality falls outside of what is considered acceptable. This research study sought to explore the perceptions of South African Coloured lesbian women, who follow Christianity, regarding the influence of religion on their identity development. This exploration was considered necessary as it contributes to a gap in the literature on the influence that religion has on identity development for a queer person. The research study was qualitative in nature and research participants were recruited by way of the purposive sampling strategy and 12 participants were interviewed. Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted as the data collection tool to the research study. Ethical clearance to conduct this study, informed consent, voluntary participation, the right to withdraw participation from the research study, anonymity and confidentiality, and no harm of the participants are the ethical points that this study adhered to. The research study used thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data and Braun and Clarke’s data analysis technique was employed. The trustworthiness of this study, was guided by Lincoln and Guba’s four constructs; credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability. The themes identified in this study were as follows: 1) The imposition on identity (subthemes of guilt and confusion; feelings of being lost and isolated); 2) The significance of race in prejudice against lesbian women; 3) Spiritual transition. The main finding of the aforementioned themes included an underlying understanding amongst they have at some point experienced uneasiness to “coming out” for fear of judgement as Christian lesbians. Although some participants were able to navigate through their identity development, they have experienced confusion and conflict in accepting all the different facets of their identity, simultaneously, due to judgement of other Christians who have imposed a “choose one or the other” mindset upon them. In addition, added minority stress within race factors were identified as a pinning point amongst participants, who felt that their experiences within their sexuality and religious interactions would be different, if they were other races. This highlights the triple minority stress that is faced by marginalised communities in South Africa. Finally, the participants expressed a transition away from religious communities, to a more spiritual relationship with their God, signifying a shift in religious interaction. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Grootboom, Kim Jodie
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Lesbians -- Counseling of. , Homosexuality -- Religious aspect , Gays -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63857 , vital:73620
- Description: South Africa is a nation of which the greater number of its citizens are followers of the Christian faith. Coloured people form part of this population, as the majority of Coloured people in South Africa consider themselves to be Christians. In the Christian faith, homosexuality is considered to be a sin and is frowned upon which may result in difficulty navigating identity development of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This conflict may, in turn, greatly affect the identity development and overall wellness of these individuals who may want to hold onto a religious identify, but are in conflict, as their sexuality falls outside of what is considered acceptable. This research study sought to explore the perceptions of South African Coloured lesbian women, who follow Christianity, regarding the influence of religion on their identity development. This exploration was considered necessary as it contributes to a gap in the literature on the influence that religion has on identity development for a queer person. The research study was qualitative in nature and research participants were recruited by way of the purposive sampling strategy and 12 participants were interviewed. Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted as the data collection tool to the research study. Ethical clearance to conduct this study, informed consent, voluntary participation, the right to withdraw participation from the research study, anonymity and confidentiality, and no harm of the participants are the ethical points that this study adhered to. The research study used thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data and Braun and Clarke’s data analysis technique was employed. The trustworthiness of this study, was guided by Lincoln and Guba’s four constructs; credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability. The themes identified in this study were as follows: 1) The imposition on identity (subthemes of guilt and confusion; feelings of being lost and isolated); 2) The significance of race in prejudice against lesbian women; 3) Spiritual transition. The main finding of the aforementioned themes included an underlying understanding amongst they have at some point experienced uneasiness to “coming out” for fear of judgement as Christian lesbians. Although some participants were able to navigate through their identity development, they have experienced confusion and conflict in accepting all the different facets of their identity, simultaneously, due to judgement of other Christians who have imposed a “choose one or the other” mindset upon them. In addition, added minority stress within race factors were identified as a pinning point amongst participants, who felt that their experiences within their sexuality and religious interactions would be different, if they were other races. This highlights the triple minority stress that is faced by marginalised communities in South Africa. Finally, the participants expressed a transition away from religious communities, to a more spiritual relationship with their God, signifying a shift in religious interaction. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring the psychological effects of children exposed to domestic violence: a scoping review
- Authors: Mudau, Adivhaho
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Family violence -- South Africa , Victims of family violence -- South Africa , Abused children -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63893 , vital:73623
- Description: An intergenerational sequence of violence exists within families such that children’s direct or indirect experience to domestic violence may result in psychological and behavioural effects in their adulthood. In addition to the implications on children’s emotional and psychological well-being, exposure to domestic violence seems detrimental to children’s expression of emotions. This study aimed to synthesize the type of evidence available on the psychological and emotional effects of domestic violence on children exposed to such experiences. By means of a scoping methodological framework, previously published literature addressing the psychological trauma that children experience due to the exposure to domestic violence was identified. Findings indicate that the consequences on children who have been exposed to domestic violence are broad and can be determined by various factors such as the child’s temperament, environment and genetic predispositions. In this study, 218 studies were screened, with 24 studies assessed for eligibility, whereby only 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for the study. in addition, through the discussion of themes below, it is evident that various factors such as age, cultural differences, gender, etc., play a significant role on how various children can be psychologically affected from exposure to domestic violence. While previous studies have focused on the psychological impacts of domestic violence on the direct victims, the study highlights the gap and attention that should be given to these children, and further encourages limited physical, emotional and any other form of violence that can occur and be potentially harmful to the children exposed to the domestic violence. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Mudau, Adivhaho
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Family violence -- South Africa , Victims of family violence -- South Africa , Abused children -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63893 , vital:73623
- Description: An intergenerational sequence of violence exists within families such that children’s direct or indirect experience to domestic violence may result in psychological and behavioural effects in their adulthood. In addition to the implications on children’s emotional and psychological well-being, exposure to domestic violence seems detrimental to children’s expression of emotions. This study aimed to synthesize the type of evidence available on the psychological and emotional effects of domestic violence on children exposed to such experiences. By means of a scoping methodological framework, previously published literature addressing the psychological trauma that children experience due to the exposure to domestic violence was identified. Findings indicate that the consequences on children who have been exposed to domestic violence are broad and can be determined by various factors such as the child’s temperament, environment and genetic predispositions. In this study, 218 studies were screened, with 24 studies assessed for eligibility, whereby only 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for the study. in addition, through the discussion of themes below, it is evident that various factors such as age, cultural differences, gender, etc., play a significant role on how various children can be psychologically affected from exposure to domestic violence. While previous studies have focused on the psychological impacts of domestic violence on the direct victims, the study highlights the gap and attention that should be given to these children, and further encourages limited physical, emotional and any other form of violence that can occur and be potentially harmful to the children exposed to the domestic violence. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring the views of selected, unafflicted women from Walvis bay and Windhoek, Namibia, regarding intimate partner killing and its effect on their well-being.
- Authors: Amadhila,Luise Utuhole
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Intimate partner violence , Gender-based violence , Post-traumatic stress disorder in women
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63653 , vital:73575
- Description: Intimate Partner Killing (IPK), popularly known as passion killing in certain regions, such as in southern parts of Africa, Europe, and America, and also referred to as intimate partner homicide, is a global concern. In Namibia, the rate at which men take the lives of their intimate partners due to failed romantic relationships has sparked apprehension within the communities. This study delves into the perspectives of unafflicted women in Namibia, shedding light on the broader impact of intimate partner killing on female well-being. Using a qualitative approach, the study conducted face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. Grounded theory was applied to analyse the collected data and form categories from it. The data were transcribed and analysed using codes, thematic analysis, and interpretation. The theoretical frameworks intersectionality theory, social feminist theory, structuralist theory and systems theory underpin this study. The findings reveal that intimate partner killing severely affects women’s mental health, leading to vicarious trauma characterised by fear and anxiety. Participants reported difficulty experiencing positive emotions in their romantic relationships due to the pervasive uncertainty of this growing issue. Intimate partner killing leaves women feeling scared, unsafe, and traumatised, often prompting them to exercise extreme caution in their relationships to avoid becoming victims themselves. Symptoms such as feeling unsafe, scared, and traumatised align with post-traumatic stress and generalised anxiety. The study recommends implementing policy interventions and stringent laws in Namibia to prevent or discourage men from resorting to violence against their loved ones. Moreover, establishing assistance centres staffed with social work and mental health professionals is crucial to counselling and supporting women experiencing post-traumatic stress and anxiety resulting from intimate partner violence. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of behavioural Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Amadhila,Luise Utuhole
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Intimate partner violence , Gender-based violence , Post-traumatic stress disorder in women
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63653 , vital:73575
- Description: Intimate Partner Killing (IPK), popularly known as passion killing in certain regions, such as in southern parts of Africa, Europe, and America, and also referred to as intimate partner homicide, is a global concern. In Namibia, the rate at which men take the lives of their intimate partners due to failed romantic relationships has sparked apprehension within the communities. This study delves into the perspectives of unafflicted women in Namibia, shedding light on the broader impact of intimate partner killing on female well-being. Using a qualitative approach, the study conducted face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. Grounded theory was applied to analyse the collected data and form categories from it. The data were transcribed and analysed using codes, thematic analysis, and interpretation. The theoretical frameworks intersectionality theory, social feminist theory, structuralist theory and systems theory underpin this study. The findings reveal that intimate partner killing severely affects women’s mental health, leading to vicarious trauma characterised by fear and anxiety. Participants reported difficulty experiencing positive emotions in their romantic relationships due to the pervasive uncertainty of this growing issue. Intimate partner killing leaves women feeling scared, unsafe, and traumatised, often prompting them to exercise extreme caution in their relationships to avoid becoming victims themselves. Symptoms such as feeling unsafe, scared, and traumatised align with post-traumatic stress and generalised anxiety. The study recommends implementing policy interventions and stringent laws in Namibia to prevent or discourage men from resorting to violence against their loved ones. Moreover, establishing assistance centres staffed with social work and mental health professionals is crucial to counselling and supporting women experiencing post-traumatic stress and anxiety resulting from intimate partner violence. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of behavioural Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Exploring youth unemployment through entrepreneurship education: a case study of Biziniz in the box in Newcastle
- Ndlovu, Bonginkosi Siphelele
- Authors: Ndlovu, Bonginkosi Siphelele
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Youth -- Employment -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Economic development -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63386 , vital:73267
- Description: Youth unemployment is a long-standing social and economic issue in South Africa. One possible drive behind the ever-increasing rate of youth unemployment is the school curriculum that is still tainted by the so-called “bantu education” which is training learners to be job seekers rather than job creators. Government-led initiatives have served to empower the youth through capacity-building projects and financial assistance. One such example is the Bizniz in the Box initiative. Using a qualitative research methodology, and by examining Bizniz in the Box as a case study, this study sought to explore the types of methods, strategies, and outcomes that the Bizniz in the Box initiative used and produced, along with its role in imparting entrepreneurship knowledge and skill to its participants. Through such strategies, the study aimed also to find the possible role the government could have in the imparting of entrepreneurship education. By employing Vygotsky’s Activity Theory (1978) and drawing extensively on Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970), the study seeks to make recommendations on how government initiatives could critically engage with school curricula and the ways in which government intervention and initiatives can aid school teachers that are ill-trained to impart entrepreneurship skill and knowledge, which is vital to abate the problem of youth unemployment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Ndlovu, Bonginkosi Siphelele
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Youth -- Employment -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Economic development -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63386 , vital:73267
- Description: Youth unemployment is a long-standing social and economic issue in South Africa. One possible drive behind the ever-increasing rate of youth unemployment is the school curriculum that is still tainted by the so-called “bantu education” which is training learners to be job seekers rather than job creators. Government-led initiatives have served to empower the youth through capacity-building projects and financial assistance. One such example is the Bizniz in the Box initiative. Using a qualitative research methodology, and by examining Bizniz in the Box as a case study, this study sought to explore the types of methods, strategies, and outcomes that the Bizniz in the Box initiative used and produced, along with its role in imparting entrepreneurship knowledge and skill to its participants. Through such strategies, the study aimed also to find the possible role the government could have in the imparting of entrepreneurship education. By employing Vygotsky’s Activity Theory (1978) and drawing extensively on Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970), the study seeks to make recommendations on how government initiatives could critically engage with school curricula and the ways in which government intervention and initiatives can aid school teachers that are ill-trained to impart entrepreneurship skill and knowledge, which is vital to abate the problem of youth unemployment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Factors affecting learning of English as a second language in South African schools
- Authors: Notshulwana, Lamla Augustin
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , Second language acquisition , English language - Study and teaching (Secondary)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63440 , vital:73359
- Description: The aim of this study was to identify the factors that are affecting the learning of English as a second language in South African schools. Although many South African learners are not fluent or native speakers of the English language, they are required to learn the content of their subjects in English. This is because there is a lack of resources in South Africa to teach other languages and English is seen as the language that grants access to better education and job opportunities, and it is the language that is used to communicate worldwide. The input, output, interaction and sociocultural theories were used to inform the theoretical framework of the study. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in order to answer the research question. The participants for this study consisted of individuals who matriculated in South Africa within the period of the past five years and were taught English as a second language. The participants were approached through social media platforms. One hundred participants responded to the questionnaire and 14 were interviewed. The methods of conducting interviews and distributing questionnaires were used to help the researcher to gain a better understanding of the topic. The findings of this study indicate that there are still teachers in South African schools who are not well qualified or proficient in the English language. In addition, learners face a variety of challenges in learning English as a second language. These challenges are found not only within the school context but also outside of school. The learners’ external environment also influences their learning of English as a second language. These external influences include overcrowding at schools, lack of resources such as libraries or books, and parents who are not involved in their children’s learning of English. Being proficient in L1 is important in order develop L2 because a learner can use their L1 skills to learn L2. There are also affective factors such as motivation, confidence and anxiety that play a role in in learning a second language. One of the reasons that some learners perform better than others when it comes to learning English is because of the motivation and self-confidence that they possess. Anxiety related to learning English as a second language is seen as a threat to an individual’s self-concept. This is because learners might find it difficult to communicate well in a language they have not learnt completely. Learners need to be encouraged to achieve their best level in their English skills so that their learning outcomes can be improved. Also, in order for the literacy rate of poor performing schools in South Africa to be improved, teachers should be trained to teach the English language better, parents need to be involved actively in their children’s learning of English as a second language and the Department of Basic Education needs to develop programmes and a policy that puts emphasis on the use of English as a LoLT. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Notshulwana, Lamla Augustin
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , Second language acquisition , English language - Study and teaching (Secondary)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63440 , vital:73359
- Description: The aim of this study was to identify the factors that are affecting the learning of English as a second language in South African schools. Although many South African learners are not fluent or native speakers of the English language, they are required to learn the content of their subjects in English. This is because there is a lack of resources in South Africa to teach other languages and English is seen as the language that grants access to better education and job opportunities, and it is the language that is used to communicate worldwide. The input, output, interaction and sociocultural theories were used to inform the theoretical framework of the study. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in order to answer the research question. The participants for this study consisted of individuals who matriculated in South Africa within the period of the past five years and were taught English as a second language. The participants were approached through social media platforms. One hundred participants responded to the questionnaire and 14 were interviewed. The methods of conducting interviews and distributing questionnaires were used to help the researcher to gain a better understanding of the topic. The findings of this study indicate that there are still teachers in South African schools who are not well qualified or proficient in the English language. In addition, learners face a variety of challenges in learning English as a second language. These challenges are found not only within the school context but also outside of school. The learners’ external environment also influences their learning of English as a second language. These external influences include overcrowding at schools, lack of resources such as libraries or books, and parents who are not involved in their children’s learning of English. Being proficient in L1 is important in order develop L2 because a learner can use their L1 skills to learn L2. There are also affective factors such as motivation, confidence and anxiety that play a role in in learning a second language. One of the reasons that some learners perform better than others when it comes to learning English is because of the motivation and self-confidence that they possess. Anxiety related to learning English as a second language is seen as a threat to an individual’s self-concept. This is because learners might find it difficult to communicate well in a language they have not learnt completely. Learners need to be encouraged to achieve their best level in their English skills so that their learning outcomes can be improved. Also, in order for the literacy rate of poor performing schools in South Africa to be improved, teachers should be trained to teach the English language better, parents need to be involved actively in their children’s learning of English as a second language and the Department of Basic Education needs to develop programmes and a policy that puts emphasis on the use of English as a LoLT. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
From Clown Prince to critical phenomenon: Fashioning the Joker as a nomadic war machine
- Authors: Goldmann, Talya
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Joker -- (Fictitious character) , Comic books, strips, etc. -- United States -- History and criticism , Literature and society -- United States
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62769 , vital:72941
- Description: Based on the original clown prince of crime in the DC comic books, the Joker is one of the most notorious villains in cinematic history. He originated in the comic book Batman #1 (Finger, 1940) over eighty years ago, and he remains a prominent character across a myriad of media platforms. In film and television, the Joker has appeared in major and minor roles in approximately nine animated series, eighteen animated films, six live-action series, and five live-action films. Indeed, multiple roles, actors, and decades after the character’s first debut in the Batman television series (1966), the Joker continues to be well-received and sought-after, insofar as every time a new Joker is announced, the character garners more intensive publicity and the film as a whole becomes highly anticipated. Thus, what started as a simple clownish character in the role of a minor villain in Batman (1966), has evolved into a multi-faceted villain so captivating that he has recently earned his own stand-alone films, namely Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019), and the sequel, Joker Folie à Deux (2024) – where he is no longer the antagonist, but now the protagonist. In this research, firstly, key features of the Deleuzoguattarian schema relevant to this study will be presented, before capitalism – as the context of Batman’s Gotham – is considered through a Deleuzoguattarian lens. This study will delve into what makes the beloved Joker so extraordinary along with the aesthetic features associated with his meteoric rise to fame. In this regard, what will be theorized is that the Joker constitutes an example of a Deleuzean nomadic war machine: that is, a critical character who borrows aspects of the State Apparatus and then twists and shapes them into weapons through which he questions and mocks society for its authoritarian and ideological flaws, and with which he exposes its conceptual and ethical blind spots. In this way, he acts like a mirror, reflecting what is wrong with society, and by implication, with the human ‘nature’ – not only in the fictional world of Gotham, but also in the contemporary era created therein. More specifically, discourse analysis and film analysis will be used here, to engage critically with the Joker’s persona in relation to the changing contexts in which the various films were made, in order to trace the development of the character through a Deleuzoguattarian lens. As will be discussed, Phillips’ Joker (2019) signals the deterritorialization of the Joker from the ambit of Batman’s influence, and opens up the possibility for his further deterritorialization as an increasingly mobile and nomadic catalyst of critical thinking beyond even Gotham itself. Then, thirdly, an in-depth analysis on the five key cinematic Jokers will be completed in terms of the characters’ historical contexts, character backgrounds, and aesthetics. And thereafter, the deterritorializing ‘line of flight’ already underway – as by Phillips’ Joker (2019) – will be continued through the creative media production component of this study, which will entail the conceptualization, design and illustration of three new Joker manifestations, each of which will reflect critically upon failing systems in South African society across select time periods, and how these failing systems have contributed to the collective trauma of marginalized groups of people. The first South African Joker manifestation, set in the 1980s, will reflect upon the faltering political infrastructure during the Apartheid era. The second Joker manifestation, set in the early 2000s, will encapsulate the repercussions of the post-Apartheid neoliberal economic landscape. And the third Joker manifestation, set in the 2010s, will draw attention to sociocultural collapse particularly in the space of gender-based violence and sexual assault. Thus, the creation of these Jokers will act as an exploration of trauma, insofar as the tragedy and pain caused by the above-mentioned failing systems will manifest physically through their character designs. In terms of this, and in keeping with the dynamics of appropriation and inflection that are definitive of nomadic war machines, here focus will fall on how their character aesthetics pose critical questions about relevant issues in the South Africa. On account of this, although this research is by definition situated within the spectacle/performance paradigm, it also runs counter to the largely apolitical orientation of creative media production that occurs therein, through its emphasis, instead, on how such creative media production can also entail critical thought that is aimed at thematizing socio-cultural and politico-economic issues and the trauma that they create; thus, this creative media component aims to encourage a more trauma-aware society through art. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Goldmann, Talya
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Joker -- (Fictitious character) , Comic books, strips, etc. -- United States -- History and criticism , Literature and society -- United States
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62769 , vital:72941
- Description: Based on the original clown prince of crime in the DC comic books, the Joker is one of the most notorious villains in cinematic history. He originated in the comic book Batman #1 (Finger, 1940) over eighty years ago, and he remains a prominent character across a myriad of media platforms. In film and television, the Joker has appeared in major and minor roles in approximately nine animated series, eighteen animated films, six live-action series, and five live-action films. Indeed, multiple roles, actors, and decades after the character’s first debut in the Batman television series (1966), the Joker continues to be well-received and sought-after, insofar as every time a new Joker is announced, the character garners more intensive publicity and the film as a whole becomes highly anticipated. Thus, what started as a simple clownish character in the role of a minor villain in Batman (1966), has evolved into a multi-faceted villain so captivating that he has recently earned his own stand-alone films, namely Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019), and the sequel, Joker Folie à Deux (2024) – where he is no longer the antagonist, but now the protagonist. In this research, firstly, key features of the Deleuzoguattarian schema relevant to this study will be presented, before capitalism – as the context of Batman’s Gotham – is considered through a Deleuzoguattarian lens. This study will delve into what makes the beloved Joker so extraordinary along with the aesthetic features associated with his meteoric rise to fame. In this regard, what will be theorized is that the Joker constitutes an example of a Deleuzean nomadic war machine: that is, a critical character who borrows aspects of the State Apparatus and then twists and shapes them into weapons through which he questions and mocks society for its authoritarian and ideological flaws, and with which he exposes its conceptual and ethical blind spots. In this way, he acts like a mirror, reflecting what is wrong with society, and by implication, with the human ‘nature’ – not only in the fictional world of Gotham, but also in the contemporary era created therein. More specifically, discourse analysis and film analysis will be used here, to engage critically with the Joker’s persona in relation to the changing contexts in which the various films were made, in order to trace the development of the character through a Deleuzoguattarian lens. As will be discussed, Phillips’ Joker (2019) signals the deterritorialization of the Joker from the ambit of Batman’s influence, and opens up the possibility for his further deterritorialization as an increasingly mobile and nomadic catalyst of critical thinking beyond even Gotham itself. Then, thirdly, an in-depth analysis on the five key cinematic Jokers will be completed in terms of the characters’ historical contexts, character backgrounds, and aesthetics. And thereafter, the deterritorializing ‘line of flight’ already underway – as by Phillips’ Joker (2019) – will be continued through the creative media production component of this study, which will entail the conceptualization, design and illustration of three new Joker manifestations, each of which will reflect critically upon failing systems in South African society across select time periods, and how these failing systems have contributed to the collective trauma of marginalized groups of people. The first South African Joker manifestation, set in the 1980s, will reflect upon the faltering political infrastructure during the Apartheid era. The second Joker manifestation, set in the early 2000s, will encapsulate the repercussions of the post-Apartheid neoliberal economic landscape. And the third Joker manifestation, set in the 2010s, will draw attention to sociocultural collapse particularly in the space of gender-based violence and sexual assault. Thus, the creation of these Jokers will act as an exploration of trauma, insofar as the tragedy and pain caused by the above-mentioned failing systems will manifest physically through their character designs. In terms of this, and in keeping with the dynamics of appropriation and inflection that are definitive of nomadic war machines, here focus will fall on how their character aesthetics pose critical questions about relevant issues in the South Africa. On account of this, although this research is by definition situated within the spectacle/performance paradigm, it also runs counter to the largely apolitical orientation of creative media production that occurs therein, through its emphasis, instead, on how such creative media production can also entail critical thought that is aimed at thematizing socio-cultural and politico-economic issues and the trauma that they create; thus, this creative media component aims to encourage a more trauma-aware society through art. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Grade 12 literary writing: Perceptions and practices of educators and learners in an English Home Language classroom
- Authors: Krause, Sade
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Creative writing -- Study and teaching , Language and languages -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63122 , vital:73188
- Description: This study sought to understand perceptions and practices of the literary writing abilities of educators1 and learners of Grade 12 at a high school in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. Evidence reveals these abilities to be poor. Interviews with educators in the English Home Language Department at the selected school aimed to gain insight into their approaches to teaching literary writing as well as their comprehension and methods of implementation of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement’s guidelines for the teaching of the literary essay. Focus group discussions were held with the predominantly isiXhosa or Afrikaans-speaking learners to gauge whether their identities as isiXhosa and Afrikaans speakers in the English Home Language classroom affect their perceptions of the literary texts they have to read and write about. Lastly, an analysis of the learners’ literary essays provided a window into the translation of writing techniques taught and learned. The study found that literary essay writing and literature study lessons contributed to the alienation learners experienced. Learners’ varying learning styles are not prioritised for literature study and literary essay writing. The educators’ selected approach is partly due to the overloaded curriculum which does not equip teachers with the information and skills to execute lessons which lead to effective acquisition of literary writing skills. The CAPS’s flawed premises of the nature of language and lack of support of educators’ teaching of the literary essay perpetuates the subjugation of learners. A framework is suggested to create access to academic writing skills for the learners. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Language, Media and Communication, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Krause, Sade
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Creative writing -- Study and teaching , Language and languages -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63122 , vital:73188
- Description: This study sought to understand perceptions and practices of the literary writing abilities of educators1 and learners of Grade 12 at a high school in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. Evidence reveals these abilities to be poor. Interviews with educators in the English Home Language Department at the selected school aimed to gain insight into their approaches to teaching literary writing as well as their comprehension and methods of implementation of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement’s guidelines for the teaching of the literary essay. Focus group discussions were held with the predominantly isiXhosa or Afrikaans-speaking learners to gauge whether their identities as isiXhosa and Afrikaans speakers in the English Home Language classroom affect their perceptions of the literary texts they have to read and write about. Lastly, an analysis of the learners’ literary essays provided a window into the translation of writing techniques taught and learned. The study found that literary essay writing and literature study lessons contributed to the alienation learners experienced. Learners’ varying learning styles are not prioritised for literature study and literary essay writing. The educators’ selected approach is partly due to the overloaded curriculum which does not equip teachers with the information and skills to execute lessons which lead to effective acquisition of literary writing skills. The CAPS’s flawed premises of the nature of language and lack of support of educators’ teaching of the literary essay perpetuates the subjugation of learners. A framework is suggested to create access to academic writing skills for the learners. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Language, Media and Communication, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Herpetofaunal diversity and affiliations of the Okavango River Basin, with specific focus on the Angolan headwaters
- Authors: Conradie, Werner
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Water conservation -- Okavango River Delta , Watersheds -- Okavango River -- Angola , Biodiversity -- Angola
- Language: English
- Type: Doctorate theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63667 , vital:73576
- Description: Although Africa is reputed to possess some of the richest herpetofaunal diversities in the world, a number of areas remain poorly documented and thus inadequately conserved. One such area in particular is the south-eastern part of Angola. Angola endured a long struggle for independence with a protracted civil war that lasted for nearly three decades, leaving the status of the country’s biodiversity in turmoil. Over the past two decades, Angola has become more accessible for biodiversity surveys, opening up new opportunities to document these previously poorly studied areas and help conserve its biodiversity. South-eastern Angola is the water source of the world-renowned Okavango Delta. However very little is known about the biodiversity, diversity status and conservation significance of the headwaters supplying the largest inland delta in the world. To address this bias in sampling and to investigate the conservation importance of the region, a series of rapid biodiversity surveys of the Angolan Okavango River Basin were conducted between 2012 and 2019. This study contributed over 2150 individual records of amphibians and reptiles, representing 88 reptile and 43 amphibian species. At least 15 species were added to the growing country checklist, with the south-eastern region of Angola now comprising 113 reptile species and 51 amphibian species. Because of this study, the area is now one of the most species-rich and well-studied areas in Angola. This study provided the first genetic data for 26 species, and sequences containing Angolan specimens for the first time were generated for 80 species, of which 23 species have originally been described from Angola. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses, supported by species delimitation analyses, were utilised to validate specific species statuses. This allowed for the description of five new species of snake, one gecko and two frogs for Angola. The material further contributed to the description of a new genus of snakes. Numerous undescribed and potentially cryptic species were identified, long-lasting taxonomic issues were resolved, and various taxonomic adjustments were emphasised. Further contributions of the material include assisting in the revision of targeted Angolan amphibian and reptile groups as well as large-scale phylogenetic studies across Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Science & Management, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Conradie, Werner
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Water conservation -- Okavango River Delta , Watersheds -- Okavango River -- Angola , Biodiversity -- Angola
- Language: English
- Type: Doctorate theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63667 , vital:73576
- Description: Although Africa is reputed to possess some of the richest herpetofaunal diversities in the world, a number of areas remain poorly documented and thus inadequately conserved. One such area in particular is the south-eastern part of Angola. Angola endured a long struggle for independence with a protracted civil war that lasted for nearly three decades, leaving the status of the country’s biodiversity in turmoil. Over the past two decades, Angola has become more accessible for biodiversity surveys, opening up new opportunities to document these previously poorly studied areas and help conserve its biodiversity. South-eastern Angola is the water source of the world-renowned Okavango Delta. However very little is known about the biodiversity, diversity status and conservation significance of the headwaters supplying the largest inland delta in the world. To address this bias in sampling and to investigate the conservation importance of the region, a series of rapid biodiversity surveys of the Angolan Okavango River Basin were conducted between 2012 and 2019. This study contributed over 2150 individual records of amphibians and reptiles, representing 88 reptile and 43 amphibian species. At least 15 species were added to the growing country checklist, with the south-eastern region of Angola now comprising 113 reptile species and 51 amphibian species. Because of this study, the area is now one of the most species-rich and well-studied areas in Angola. This study provided the first genetic data for 26 species, and sequences containing Angolan specimens for the first time were generated for 80 species, of which 23 species have originally been described from Angola. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses, supported by species delimitation analyses, were utilised to validate specific species statuses. This allowed for the description of five new species of snake, one gecko and two frogs for Angola. The material further contributed to the description of a new genus of snakes. Numerous undescribed and potentially cryptic species were identified, long-lasting taxonomic issues were resolved, and various taxonomic adjustments were emphasised. Further contributions of the material include assisting in the revision of targeted Angolan amphibian and reptile groups as well as large-scale phylogenetic studies across Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Science & Management, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
IL-4/ IL-13 directed microglial activation and differentiation in response to LPS-induced neuroinflammation
- Authors: Ackerdien, Shiraz
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Inflammation , Inflammation -- Treatment , Anti-inflammatory agents
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63606 , vital:73554
- Description: Microglia activation is a common hallmark of neuroinflammation that occurs during pathogen invasion or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. A neuroinflammatory response is elicited by the release of proinflammatory cytokines which stimulates microglia in an autocrine manner to be polarized into classically activated, pro-inflammatory M1 cells. Prolonged exposure to the inflammatory response can have disastrous effects on the central nervous system (CNS). However, microglia can alternatively be polarized into the activated M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype, but the exact molecular mechanism mediating this phenotypic switch remains poorly understood. Studies have shown that interleukin (IL)-4 can induce the M2 phenotype and activate the signal transducer and activator of the transcription 6 (STAT6) signalling pathway that in turn provokes a beneficial Th2 immune response. Since IL-4 and IL-13 share a common IL-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) chain, it is possible that alternative microglia differentiation and its anti-inflammatory action also involve IL-13. This study aimed to investigate how IL-13 and STAT6 signalling orchestrates the microglial response and differentiation associated with LPS-induced inflammation. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms that relieve LPS-induced neuroinflammation and neural protection through IL-13-enhanced BDNF signalling were also investigated. C8-B4 microglial cells were induced with LPS to exhibit an M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype or stimulated with IL-4 and/or IL-13 to exhibit an M2 anti-inflammatory microglial phenotype. The cell viability following LPS, IL-4, and/ or IL-13 exposure was determined. The LPS-induced neuroinflammatory response and the anti-inflammatory response induced by IL-4 and IL-13 which promotes STAT-6 signalling were determined by measuring TNFα, IL-1β, and BDNF protein concentrations using ELISA assays. The polarising effects of LPS and IL-4/IL-13 cytokines were also examined via changes in the expression of Iba-1, CD206, CD86, and STAT-6 determined by immunofluorescence analysis. These changes were further investigated by quantifying the mRNA transcripts of TNFα, IL-1 β, Arg-1, CD206, IL-4R, and STAT-6 and BDNF using qRT-PCR. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Ackerdien, Shiraz
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Inflammation , Inflammation -- Treatment , Anti-inflammatory agents
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63606 , vital:73554
- Description: Microglia activation is a common hallmark of neuroinflammation that occurs during pathogen invasion or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. A neuroinflammatory response is elicited by the release of proinflammatory cytokines which stimulates microglia in an autocrine manner to be polarized into classically activated, pro-inflammatory M1 cells. Prolonged exposure to the inflammatory response can have disastrous effects on the central nervous system (CNS). However, microglia can alternatively be polarized into the activated M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype, but the exact molecular mechanism mediating this phenotypic switch remains poorly understood. Studies have shown that interleukin (IL)-4 can induce the M2 phenotype and activate the signal transducer and activator of the transcription 6 (STAT6) signalling pathway that in turn provokes a beneficial Th2 immune response. Since IL-4 and IL-13 share a common IL-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) chain, it is possible that alternative microglia differentiation and its anti-inflammatory action also involve IL-13. This study aimed to investigate how IL-13 and STAT6 signalling orchestrates the microglial response and differentiation associated with LPS-induced inflammation. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms that relieve LPS-induced neuroinflammation and neural protection through IL-13-enhanced BDNF signalling were also investigated. C8-B4 microglial cells were induced with LPS to exhibit an M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype or stimulated with IL-4 and/or IL-13 to exhibit an M2 anti-inflammatory microglial phenotype. The cell viability following LPS, IL-4, and/ or IL-13 exposure was determined. The LPS-induced neuroinflammatory response and the anti-inflammatory response induced by IL-4 and IL-13 which promotes STAT-6 signalling were determined by measuring TNFα, IL-1β, and BDNF protein concentrations using ELISA assays. The polarising effects of LPS and IL-4/IL-13 cytokines were also examined via changes in the expression of Iba-1, CD206, CD86, and STAT-6 determined by immunofluorescence analysis. These changes were further investigated by quantifying the mRNA transcripts of TNFα, IL-1 β, Arg-1, CD206, IL-4R, and STAT-6 and BDNF using qRT-PCR. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Implementation of the world health organization surgical safety checklist in the operating room in a private hospital in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Authors: Obeng, Emelia
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: World Health Organization , Operating room nursing , Preoperative care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63517 , vital:73384
- Description: The World Health Organisation Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) was developed to improve teamwork among healthcare professionals and ensure consistent use of safety processes in the operating room (Abbott et al., 2018: 147). The WHO SSC has successfully reduced common and avoidable surgical errors relating to nerve cutting, among others (Jain et al., 2018:7). However, the implementation of the WHO SSC has not been widely acknowledged in South Africa due to specific barriers (Koopman, 2018: 20; Sauls, 2019: 15). To this end, the aim of this study was two-fold: (i) to determine the factors that contribute to the implementation of the WHO SSC among operating room healthcare professionals and (ii) to develop a contextually appropriate process implementation guide that may be used to facilitate utilisation of the WHO SSC in a private operating room healthcare facility. A non-experimental descriptive quantitative approach underpinned by positivism and a descriptive exploratory survey was used to study the factors contributing to implementing the WHO SSC. A self-reported questionnaire was used as the method for data collection. Purposive sampling was adopted by selecting all the 130 operating room staff directly involved in completing the WHO SSC. All 130 respondents completed and returned the questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package Software for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 28.0 for Windows (IBM Corp, 2021). The study described four factors (i.e. awareness, relative advantage, complexity, and usability) contributing to the implementation of the WHO SSC. The analysis revealed a significant inter-relationship between two factors (i.e. relative advantage and awareness) and characteristics of the operating room healthcare professionals (regarding highest qualification, current age and work experience). The study’s main contribution to the existing body of knowledge is the proposed process-oriented implementation guide, including a readiness assessment template for effective implementation of the WHO SSC. It is recommended that good knowledge of the WHO SSC should be created by making operating room healthcare professionals aware of the arrangements and interventions by the private hospital to implement the WHO SSC. , Thesis (MCur) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical care & medicinal sciences , 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Obeng, Emelia
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: World Health Organization , Operating room nursing , Preoperative care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63517 , vital:73384
- Description: The World Health Organisation Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO SSC) was developed to improve teamwork among healthcare professionals and ensure consistent use of safety processes in the operating room (Abbott et al., 2018: 147). The WHO SSC has successfully reduced common and avoidable surgical errors relating to nerve cutting, among others (Jain et al., 2018:7). However, the implementation of the WHO SSC has not been widely acknowledged in South Africa due to specific barriers (Koopman, 2018: 20; Sauls, 2019: 15). To this end, the aim of this study was two-fold: (i) to determine the factors that contribute to the implementation of the WHO SSC among operating room healthcare professionals and (ii) to develop a contextually appropriate process implementation guide that may be used to facilitate utilisation of the WHO SSC in a private operating room healthcare facility. A non-experimental descriptive quantitative approach underpinned by positivism and a descriptive exploratory survey was used to study the factors contributing to implementing the WHO SSC. A self-reported questionnaire was used as the method for data collection. Purposive sampling was adopted by selecting all the 130 operating room staff directly involved in completing the WHO SSC. All 130 respondents completed and returned the questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package Software for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 28.0 for Windows (IBM Corp, 2021). The study described four factors (i.e. awareness, relative advantage, complexity, and usability) contributing to the implementation of the WHO SSC. The analysis revealed a significant inter-relationship between two factors (i.e. relative advantage and awareness) and characteristics of the operating room healthcare professionals (regarding highest qualification, current age and work experience). The study’s main contribution to the existing body of knowledge is the proposed process-oriented implementation guide, including a readiness assessment template for effective implementation of the WHO SSC. It is recommended that good knowledge of the WHO SSC should be created by making operating room healthcare professionals aware of the arrangements and interventions by the private hospital to implement the WHO SSC. , Thesis (MCur) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical care & medicinal sciences , 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Investigation of the host potential of compounds derived from tartaric acid, succinic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedioic acid
- Authors: Adam, Muhammad Ameen
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Chemical reactions , Chemistry, Organic , Bacteriology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63617 , vital:73562
- Description: The present investigation considered the host behaviour of three compounds, namely (+)-(2R,3R)-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane-1,2,3,4-tetraol (H1), 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,4-butanediol (H2) and cyclohexane-1,4-diylbis(diphenylmethanol) (H3) in various guest mixtures. These host compounds were readily synthesized by means of Grignard addition reactions on the diesters of tartaric acid, succinic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedioic acid. The guest mixtures included cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, cycloheptanone and cyclooctanone, γ-butyrolactone, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, and pyridine, 2-methylpyridine, 3-methylpyridine and 4-methylpyridine. Crystals of (+)-(2R,3R)-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane-1,2,3,4-tetraol (H1) were grown from cyclopentanone (5-ONE), cyclohexanone (6-ONE), cycloheptanone (7-ONE) and cyclooctanone (8-ONE,) producing 1:1 host:guest complexes in each instance. Thermal analysis showed the thermal stabilities of these complexes to be in the order 6-ONE > 7-ONE > 8-ONE > 5-ONE which correlated exactly with results from binary guest/guest competition experiments, where 6-ONE was always preferred by H1, while 5-ONE was consistently disfavoured. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analyses demonstrated that each guest compound was retained in the crystals by means of a hydrogen bond with an alcohol moiety of the host compound. Furthermore, preferred guests 6- and 7-ONE produced crystals with greater densities than guests less favoured (5- and 8-ONE). A conformational analysis of the guest geometries in the four complexes with H1 revealed that the low energy guest conformers were present. The host selectivity for 6- and 7-ONE was proposed to be due to the improved molecular packing in the crystals of the complexes containing these two guest compounds, observed from their higher crystal densities. Hirshfeld surface analyses were not useful in explaining the preference of H1 for 6-ONE relative to 7-ONE (these types of analyses were not possible for the 5-ONE and 8-ONE-containing inclusion compounds due to the nature and degree of disorder present in the guest molecules). H1 was also crystallized from γ-butyrolactone (GBL), 2-pyrrolidone (NP), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP), and 1H-NMR spectroscopy revealed that all but GBL were included. The host compound was also presented with these guest solvents in various mixtures, and it was observed that NMP was an extremely favoured guest solvent, followed by NEP and NP, with GBL being consistently disfavoured in every experiment. It was therefore shown that in certain instances, H1 may serve as an alternative tool for separating some of these mixtures through host-guest chemistry strategies. The hydrogen bonding motifs present in each of the successfully formed complexes were extensively investigated through SCXRD analysis, as was the thermal behaviour of these complexes. In the latter instance, the peak temperature of the endotherm (from the DSC trace) representing the guest release was greater for the inclusion compound with favoured NMP (145.5 °C) relative to the complexes with NP (139.8 °C) and NEP (120.5 °C). Host compounds H2 and H3 were revealed to have the ability to include each of pyridine (PYR), 2-methylpyridine (2MP), 3-methylpyridine (3MP) and 4-methylpyridine (4MP). H2 displayed selective behaviour for 3MP and 4MP when presented with mixtures of these guest compounds, whilst H3 preferred PYR. In the latter case, this PYR-containing inclusion compound was also the more stable one (the guest release onset temperature was highest, Ton 66.0 °C). It was demonstrated that H2 has the ability to separate very many binary mixtures of these pyridines on a practical platform, since K (the selectivity coefficient) values were 10 or greater in many instances. However, unfortunately, the more difficult-to-separate mixtures containing 3MP and 4MP cannot be purified or separated by employing H2 and supramolecular chemistry strategies. H3 was also shown to be a likely candidate for binary guest separations in very many of the guest solutions considered here, where K was also 10 or greater, and even infinity in many cases. SCXRD demonstrated that 2MP, 3MP and 4MP were retained in the crystals of their complexes by means of classical hydrogen bonds with the host compound. Satisfyingly, this hydrogen bond between 2MP and H2 (3.0213(18) Å) was significantly longer than that between this host compound and both disorder components of 3MP (2.875(2) and 2.825(9) Å) and that between H2 and 4MP (2.8458(13) Å). This observation explains the affinity of H2 for both 3MP and 4MP, and why 2MP was disfavoured. The results of thermal experiments did not wholly concur with observations from the guest/guest competition experiments. Hirshfeld surface analyses were also conducted but were not entirely conclusive with respect to explaining the host selectivity behaviour. In the case of H3, SCXRD analyses revealed that favoured PYR experienced a classical hydrogen bond with the host compound that was statistically significantly shorter (2.795(2) Å, 165°) than those between the other guest compounds and H3. Additionally, this guest compound was the only one to be involved in a (host)C−H···π(guest) interaction (2.91 Å, 139°) and also a non-classical hydrogen bond with the host compound ((host)C−H···N−C(guest), 2.77 Å (144°)). Finally, Hirshfeld surface analyses showed also that preferred PYR experienced a greater percentage of C···H/H···C (33.1%) and H···N/N···H (11.1%) interactions compared with the complexes with 2MP, 3MP and 4MP. However, it is not clear whether these Hirshfeld observations explain the affinity of H3 for PYR. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Adam, Muhammad Ameen
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Chemical reactions , Chemistry, Organic , Bacteriology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63617 , vital:73562
- Description: The present investigation considered the host behaviour of three compounds, namely (+)-(2R,3R)-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane-1,2,3,4-tetraol (H1), 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,4-butanediol (H2) and cyclohexane-1,4-diylbis(diphenylmethanol) (H3) in various guest mixtures. These host compounds were readily synthesized by means of Grignard addition reactions on the diesters of tartaric acid, succinic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedioic acid. The guest mixtures included cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, cycloheptanone and cyclooctanone, γ-butyrolactone, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, and pyridine, 2-methylpyridine, 3-methylpyridine and 4-methylpyridine. Crystals of (+)-(2R,3R)-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane-1,2,3,4-tetraol (H1) were grown from cyclopentanone (5-ONE), cyclohexanone (6-ONE), cycloheptanone (7-ONE) and cyclooctanone (8-ONE,) producing 1:1 host:guest complexes in each instance. Thermal analysis showed the thermal stabilities of these complexes to be in the order 6-ONE > 7-ONE > 8-ONE > 5-ONE which correlated exactly with results from binary guest/guest competition experiments, where 6-ONE was always preferred by H1, while 5-ONE was consistently disfavoured. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analyses demonstrated that each guest compound was retained in the crystals by means of a hydrogen bond with an alcohol moiety of the host compound. Furthermore, preferred guests 6- and 7-ONE produced crystals with greater densities than guests less favoured (5- and 8-ONE). A conformational analysis of the guest geometries in the four complexes with H1 revealed that the low energy guest conformers were present. The host selectivity for 6- and 7-ONE was proposed to be due to the improved molecular packing in the crystals of the complexes containing these two guest compounds, observed from their higher crystal densities. Hirshfeld surface analyses were not useful in explaining the preference of H1 for 6-ONE relative to 7-ONE (these types of analyses were not possible for the 5-ONE and 8-ONE-containing inclusion compounds due to the nature and degree of disorder present in the guest molecules). H1 was also crystallized from γ-butyrolactone (GBL), 2-pyrrolidone (NP), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP), and 1H-NMR spectroscopy revealed that all but GBL were included. The host compound was also presented with these guest solvents in various mixtures, and it was observed that NMP was an extremely favoured guest solvent, followed by NEP and NP, with GBL being consistently disfavoured in every experiment. It was therefore shown that in certain instances, H1 may serve as an alternative tool for separating some of these mixtures through host-guest chemistry strategies. The hydrogen bonding motifs present in each of the successfully formed complexes were extensively investigated through SCXRD analysis, as was the thermal behaviour of these complexes. In the latter instance, the peak temperature of the endotherm (from the DSC trace) representing the guest release was greater for the inclusion compound with favoured NMP (145.5 °C) relative to the complexes with NP (139.8 °C) and NEP (120.5 °C). Host compounds H2 and H3 were revealed to have the ability to include each of pyridine (PYR), 2-methylpyridine (2MP), 3-methylpyridine (3MP) and 4-methylpyridine (4MP). H2 displayed selective behaviour for 3MP and 4MP when presented with mixtures of these guest compounds, whilst H3 preferred PYR. In the latter case, this PYR-containing inclusion compound was also the more stable one (the guest release onset temperature was highest, Ton 66.0 °C). It was demonstrated that H2 has the ability to separate very many binary mixtures of these pyridines on a practical platform, since K (the selectivity coefficient) values were 10 or greater in many instances. However, unfortunately, the more difficult-to-separate mixtures containing 3MP and 4MP cannot be purified or separated by employing H2 and supramolecular chemistry strategies. H3 was also shown to be a likely candidate for binary guest separations in very many of the guest solutions considered here, where K was also 10 or greater, and even infinity in many cases. SCXRD demonstrated that 2MP, 3MP and 4MP were retained in the crystals of their complexes by means of classical hydrogen bonds with the host compound. Satisfyingly, this hydrogen bond between 2MP and H2 (3.0213(18) Å) was significantly longer than that between this host compound and both disorder components of 3MP (2.875(2) and 2.825(9) Å) and that between H2 and 4MP (2.8458(13) Å). This observation explains the affinity of H2 for both 3MP and 4MP, and why 2MP was disfavoured. The results of thermal experiments did not wholly concur with observations from the guest/guest competition experiments. Hirshfeld surface analyses were also conducted but were not entirely conclusive with respect to explaining the host selectivity behaviour. In the case of H3, SCXRD analyses revealed that favoured PYR experienced a classical hydrogen bond with the host compound that was statistically significantly shorter (2.795(2) Å, 165°) than those between the other guest compounds and H3. Additionally, this guest compound was the only one to be involved in a (host)C−H···π(guest) interaction (2.91 Å, 139°) and also a non-classical hydrogen bond with the host compound ((host)C−H···N−C(guest), 2.77 Å (144°)). Finally, Hirshfeld surface analyses showed also that preferred PYR experienced a greater percentage of C···H/H···C (33.1%) and H···N/N···H (11.1%) interactions compared with the complexes with 2MP, 3MP and 4MP. However, it is not clear whether these Hirshfeld observations explain the affinity of H3 for PYR. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Investigation of the synthesis and characterisation of spiro orthocarbonates and heterocyclic orthocarbonates
- Authors: Cuthbertson, Jarryd Pierre
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Chemistry, Analytic , Analytical chemistry , Chemistry
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63678 , vital:73578
- Description: A series of mostly asymmetrical spiro orthocarbonates and heterospirocyclic derivatives of orthocarbonic acid was synthesized from 2,2-dichlorobenzodioxole and a number of difunctional reagents. A systematic study of the size of the chelate rings formed around the spirocentric carbon atom was conducted by selecting representative samples of aliphatic and aromatic diols. The feasibility and scope of potential starting materials used was expanded by reacting DCBD successfully with thiols. Molecular structures of these compounds were confirmed using diffraction studies on single crystals. All compounds were analyzed using multinuclear NMR. DFT calculations performed on the compounds allowed for the development of equations that can accurately predict 13C chemical shifts of SOCs. Furthermore, the experimental NMR spectroscopy gave rise to an increment shift system for the 13C NMR shifts allowing for further assignment of carbon atom positions in compounds with multiple possible bonding patterns. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Cuthbertson, Jarryd Pierre
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Chemistry, Analytic , Analytical chemistry , Chemistry
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63678 , vital:73578
- Description: A series of mostly asymmetrical spiro orthocarbonates and heterospirocyclic derivatives of orthocarbonic acid was synthesized from 2,2-dichlorobenzodioxole and a number of difunctional reagents. A systematic study of the size of the chelate rings formed around the spirocentric carbon atom was conducted by selecting representative samples of aliphatic and aromatic diols. The feasibility and scope of potential starting materials used was expanded by reacting DCBD successfully with thiols. Molecular structures of these compounds were confirmed using diffraction studies on single crystals. All compounds were analyzed using multinuclear NMR. DFT calculations performed on the compounds allowed for the development of equations that can accurately predict 13C chemical shifts of SOCs. Furthermore, the experimental NMR spectroscopy gave rise to an increment shift system for the 13C NMR shifts allowing for further assignment of carbon atom positions in compounds with multiple possible bonding patterns. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Lion and leopard diet and dispersal in human-dominated landscapes
- Authors: Forbes, Ryan Edward
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Carnivora -- South Africa , Carnivorous animals -- Conservation , Carnivorous animals -- Ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63766 , vital:73596
- Description: Terrestrial carnivore population declines are driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, prey-depletion, persecution, and retaliatory killings. Population strongholds now centre on protected areas, that face increasing human pressure, resulting in population isolation, declining prey populations, and livestock intrusion. I therefore aimed to investigate dispersal and connectivity, and diets of lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (P. pardus) in response to human-use and wildlife density gradients in the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTCA). Firstly, I investigated dispersal and connectivity for these carnivores across the GLTCA, using single nucleotide polymorphisms. I present evidence that in the prey-depleted Mozambique portion of the GLTCA, lion and leopard dispersal distances are higher compared with the prey-abundant Kruger National Park (KNP). I also provide the first evidence for long-range dispersal in female lions. Despite evidence for connectivity occurring across the GLTCA, I recorded population structuring across the region for both carnivores, likely due to habitat fragmentation by human activities in the Mozambique portion of the GLTCA. I then assessed carnivore diet responses to prey depletion and livestock availability by comparing lion and leopard diets in the prey-abundant/livestock-absent KNP (South Africa), with the prey-depleted/livestock-abundant Limpopo National Park (LNP, Mozambique), using scat analyses. Lions and leopards downshifted their prey size selection in LNP relative to KNP. Despite both carnivores expanding their dietary niche breadths in LNP relative to KNP, diet overlap did not differ between sites. This suggests that even when prey is depleted, lions and leopards can partition food resources, which likely limits competition. Despite cattle (Bos taurus) being the most abundant ungulate in LNP, lions and leopards strongly avoided cattle, supporting the notion that carnivores can perceive the risk of hunting livestock and modulate their foraging behaviour to reduce human-carnivore conflict. Should my findings reflect general patterns in carnivore dispersal and diet responses to human-use and wildlife gradients, then carnivore conservation initiates across their range should focus on prey population rehabilitation, improved livestock husbandry practices, the establishment of effective dispersal corridors and improved human-tolerance towards large carnivores. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Forbes, Ryan Edward
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Carnivora -- South Africa , Carnivorous animals -- Conservation , Carnivorous animals -- Ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63766 , vital:73596
- Description: Terrestrial carnivore population declines are driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, prey-depletion, persecution, and retaliatory killings. Population strongholds now centre on protected areas, that face increasing human pressure, resulting in population isolation, declining prey populations, and livestock intrusion. I therefore aimed to investigate dispersal and connectivity, and diets of lions (Panthera leo) and leopards (P. pardus) in response to human-use and wildlife density gradients in the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTCA). Firstly, I investigated dispersal and connectivity for these carnivores across the GLTCA, using single nucleotide polymorphisms. I present evidence that in the prey-depleted Mozambique portion of the GLTCA, lion and leopard dispersal distances are higher compared with the prey-abundant Kruger National Park (KNP). I also provide the first evidence for long-range dispersal in female lions. Despite evidence for connectivity occurring across the GLTCA, I recorded population structuring across the region for both carnivores, likely due to habitat fragmentation by human activities in the Mozambique portion of the GLTCA. I then assessed carnivore diet responses to prey depletion and livestock availability by comparing lion and leopard diets in the prey-abundant/livestock-absent KNP (South Africa), with the prey-depleted/livestock-abundant Limpopo National Park (LNP, Mozambique), using scat analyses. Lions and leopards downshifted their prey size selection in LNP relative to KNP. Despite both carnivores expanding their dietary niche breadths in LNP relative to KNP, diet overlap did not differ between sites. This suggests that even when prey is depleted, lions and leopards can partition food resources, which likely limits competition. Despite cattle (Bos taurus) being the most abundant ungulate in LNP, lions and leopards strongly avoided cattle, supporting the notion that carnivores can perceive the risk of hunting livestock and modulate their foraging behaviour to reduce human-carnivore conflict. Should my findings reflect general patterns in carnivore dispersal and diet responses to human-use and wildlife gradients, then carnivore conservation initiates across their range should focus on prey population rehabilitation, improved livestock husbandry practices, the establishment of effective dispersal corridors and improved human-tolerance towards large carnivores. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Out of place: an analysis of place as a contributor to the complexities of my “coloured” identity in Malabar, Gqeberha
- Authors: Flowers, Victoria
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Colored people (South Africa) -- Race identity , Ethnicity in art -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Modernism (Art)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62780 , vital:72954
- Description: Coloured identity has been a historical point of contestation in South Africa because Colouredness is assumed as “an inbred quality that arises automatically from miscegenation while instrumentalists share the essentialist premise that coloured identity is something negative and undesirable but blame it on the racism and the exploitative practices of the ruling white minority” (Adhikari, 2009: 15). This archaic belief attributed to racial mixture has now become redundant, due to the emergence of new hybridised Coloured identities that factor other ethnic and cultural groups as well as internal and external elements into their conception. The role of Place in the formation of Coloured identities is at the core of this fine arts based enquiry. This study is located in Malabar, Gqeberha which was established after the forced removals onset by the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the displacement of residents from South End. Additionally, it considers specific locations significant in their linkages to hybridised peoples, and how the place and individuals have been influenced by historical legacies of colonisation and apartheid. These are examined to consider their function in contextualising contemporary lived experiences of Coloured identity within the community of Malabar and its effect on artistic practice through autoethnographic research. Through this autoethnographic and reflexive study and the accompanying empirical research process, I critically examine and explore my Coloured identity as part of being-in-the-world (Heidegger, 1962). This ‘being’ is multifaceted as a result of the significance of Place in South Africa and how it has shaped my perception of how and where I have a sense of being and belonging. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School Visual and Performing Arts, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Flowers, Victoria
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Colored people (South Africa) -- Race identity , Ethnicity in art -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Modernism (Art)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62780 , vital:72954
- Description: Coloured identity has been a historical point of contestation in South Africa because Colouredness is assumed as “an inbred quality that arises automatically from miscegenation while instrumentalists share the essentialist premise that coloured identity is something negative and undesirable but blame it on the racism and the exploitative practices of the ruling white minority” (Adhikari, 2009: 15). This archaic belief attributed to racial mixture has now become redundant, due to the emergence of new hybridised Coloured identities that factor other ethnic and cultural groups as well as internal and external elements into their conception. The role of Place in the formation of Coloured identities is at the core of this fine arts based enquiry. This study is located in Malabar, Gqeberha which was established after the forced removals onset by the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the displacement of residents from South End. Additionally, it considers specific locations significant in their linkages to hybridised peoples, and how the place and individuals have been influenced by historical legacies of colonisation and apartheid. These are examined to consider their function in contextualising contemporary lived experiences of Coloured identity within the community of Malabar and its effect on artistic practice through autoethnographic research. Through this autoethnographic and reflexive study and the accompanying empirical research process, I critically examine and explore my Coloured identity as part of being-in-the-world (Heidegger, 1962). This ‘being’ is multifaceted as a result of the significance of Place in South Africa and how it has shaped my perception of how and where I have a sense of being and belonging. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School Visual and Performing Arts, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy blood donors: A retrospective study
- Authors: Bada, Thandolwethu Sarafina
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Blood--Transfusion , Blood donors , Red blood cell alloantibodies
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63688 , vital:73586
- Description: Background: Blood transfusion is one of the essential supporting therapies in the management of patients and all efforts must be geared towards ensuring greater blood safety. There are studies on the prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in numerous transfused patients. However, no research has been done on the population of healthy first-time donors in South Africa who donates blood for transfusion. Red blood cell alloantibodies may be present in the donated units and potentially lead to transfusion reactions or to decreased survival of transfused RBCs. Therefore, it is necessary to know the prevalence of alloantibodies in donors and the clinical significance. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and identity of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population, as well as to identify them, with the goal of improving blood safety and transfusion support for patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective and observational study investigates healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population over a five-year period, from January 2015 to December 2019. ABO typing and Rh typing were performed using the fully automated immunohaematology analyser BECKMAN COULTER PK7300 (Danaher Corporation, Brea, California). Erytra Eflexis automated system (8-column DG Gel cards) (Diagnostic Grifols, Barcelona, Spain) was used for antibody screening and antibody identification was performed using the RBC 11 Identisera Diana panel sheet. Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committees of Nelson Mandela University, South African National Blood Services and Western Province Blood Services prior to commencement of the study. Results: A total of 497 711 healthy first-time donors, consisting of 209 604 (42%) males and 288 107 (58%) females, were evaluated for irregular antibodies. The maximum number of donors belonged to the age group 18 to 29. Antibody screening results were positive in 849 donors from the entire population investigated, and 603 were RBC alloantibodies with an overall prevalence of 0.12%. The most frequent RBC alloantibody identified was anti-M from the MNS blood group systems, being present in 129 blood donors. Conclusion: The prevalence of RBC alloantibodies in the donor population in the study was 0.12% (603/497 711). As the inclusion criteria was limited, larger studies examining at all donors (first-time and repeated donations) are needed to determine the actual prevalence of alloantibodies in the population of South African donors. , Thesis (MHSc) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Bada, Thandolwethu Sarafina
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Blood--Transfusion , Blood donors , Red blood cell alloantibodies
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63688 , vital:73586
- Description: Background: Blood transfusion is one of the essential supporting therapies in the management of patients and all efforts must be geared towards ensuring greater blood safety. There are studies on the prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in numerous transfused patients. However, no research has been done on the population of healthy first-time donors in South Africa who donates blood for transfusion. Red blood cell alloantibodies may be present in the donated units and potentially lead to transfusion reactions or to decreased survival of transfused RBCs. Therefore, it is necessary to know the prevalence of alloantibodies in donors and the clinical significance. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and identity of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population, as well as to identify them, with the goal of improving blood safety and transfusion support for patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective and observational study investigates healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population over a five-year period, from January 2015 to December 2019. ABO typing and Rh typing were performed using the fully automated immunohaematology analyser BECKMAN COULTER PK7300 (Danaher Corporation, Brea, California). Erytra Eflexis automated system (8-column DG Gel cards) (Diagnostic Grifols, Barcelona, Spain) was used for antibody screening and antibody identification was performed using the RBC 11 Identisera Diana panel sheet. Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committees of Nelson Mandela University, South African National Blood Services and Western Province Blood Services prior to commencement of the study. Results: A total of 497 711 healthy first-time donors, consisting of 209 604 (42%) males and 288 107 (58%) females, were evaluated for irregular antibodies. The maximum number of donors belonged to the age group 18 to 29. Antibody screening results were positive in 849 donors from the entire population investigated, and 603 were RBC alloantibodies with an overall prevalence of 0.12%. The most frequent RBC alloantibody identified was anti-M from the MNS blood group systems, being present in 129 blood donors. Conclusion: The prevalence of RBC alloantibodies in the donor population in the study was 0.12% (603/497 711). As the inclusion criteria was limited, larger studies examining at all donors (first-time and repeated donations) are needed to determine the actual prevalence of alloantibodies in the population of South African donors. , Thesis (MHSc) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
Relationship Management in All-Boys’ Fee-paying Public Schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa : Experiences and Perspectives of LGBTQ Alumni
- Authors: Mahlangu, Nhlakanipho
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Gay men , Teenage boys , Public schools -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62237 , vital:72364
- Description: This study explores the perspectives and experiences of LGBTQ alumni of all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape. The context of increased competition between schools in the education sector and the importance of inclusion within the sector necessitated a study to investigate the extent to which relationship management is conducted with an orientation towards LGBTQ inclusion in all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape. Student protests in South Africa over the past 10 years have expanded concerns about student belonging beyond the widely studied lenses of race and class. A growing body of literature and wider discourse emphasises student belonging as a challenge in the South African education sector. Marginalised students continue to experience educational spaces negatively. LGBTQ student experiences in the South Africa are characterised by violence and ostracisation, thus warranting further investigation and inquiry. The study locates itself in the intersections between gender and sexual diversity and economic citizenship in the broader discourse of school inclusivity. A qualitative research approach was employed, making use of semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews. The sample was derived from alumni of all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape through snowball sampling. Ten LGBTQ-identifying alumni of boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape were interviewed. The findings reveal the need to question the extent to which LGBTQ alumni can enjoy the fullness of the value proposition of all-boys’ schools, and what can be done to ensure LGBTQ belonging. The findings of this study concur with existing literature about LGBTQ experiences. Participants defined their school experiences as exclusionary and characterised by fear of failing to assert themselves in a hypermasculine school environment. LGBTQ alumni of all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape view relationship management as under-utilised as a tool to facilitate LGBTQ belonging. Instead, relationship management is used to affirm those who fit the mould of the quintessential ‘old boy’ network, by defining the masculine behaviours that learners in all-boys’ schools are compelled to aspire towards. v ABSTRACT The findings illustrate that the culture of silence around non-confirming sexuality is sustained in the post-schooling relationship management life-cycle and results in the absence of the LGBTQ customer voice in the drafting of school strategy and policy. LGBTQ alumni who speak out about controversial issues often face admonition from their former teachers and peers. LGBTQ alumni criticise the relationship management of their former schools for the over-emphasis on fundraising and the complete absence of discussions on diversity. LGBTQ alumni are therefore marginalised in the process of value co-creation, as LGBTQ alumni feel they will never be viewed as legitimate collaborators by their former schools. The suggested recommendations emerging from this study include the need to codify school policies that speak specifically to LGBTQ marginalisation. Furthermore, schools must endeavour to make specific enquiries into LGBTQ student experiences and include LGBTQ concerns in wider school discourse. , Thesis (Ma) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04
- Authors: Mahlangu, Nhlakanipho
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Gay men , Teenage boys , Public schools -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62237 , vital:72364
- Description: This study explores the perspectives and experiences of LGBTQ alumni of all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape. The context of increased competition between schools in the education sector and the importance of inclusion within the sector necessitated a study to investigate the extent to which relationship management is conducted with an orientation towards LGBTQ inclusion in all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape. Student protests in South Africa over the past 10 years have expanded concerns about student belonging beyond the widely studied lenses of race and class. A growing body of literature and wider discourse emphasises student belonging as a challenge in the South African education sector. Marginalised students continue to experience educational spaces negatively. LGBTQ student experiences in the South Africa are characterised by violence and ostracisation, thus warranting further investigation and inquiry. The study locates itself in the intersections between gender and sexual diversity and economic citizenship in the broader discourse of school inclusivity. A qualitative research approach was employed, making use of semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews. The sample was derived from alumni of all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape through snowball sampling. Ten LGBTQ-identifying alumni of boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape were interviewed. The findings reveal the need to question the extent to which LGBTQ alumni can enjoy the fullness of the value proposition of all-boys’ schools, and what can be done to ensure LGBTQ belonging. The findings of this study concur with existing literature about LGBTQ experiences. Participants defined their school experiences as exclusionary and characterised by fear of failing to assert themselves in a hypermasculine school environment. LGBTQ alumni of all-boys’ schools in the Eastern Cape view relationship management as under-utilised as a tool to facilitate LGBTQ belonging. Instead, relationship management is used to affirm those who fit the mould of the quintessential ‘old boy’ network, by defining the masculine behaviours that learners in all-boys’ schools are compelled to aspire towards. v ABSTRACT The findings illustrate that the culture of silence around non-confirming sexuality is sustained in the post-schooling relationship management life-cycle and results in the absence of the LGBTQ customer voice in the drafting of school strategy and policy. LGBTQ alumni who speak out about controversial issues often face admonition from their former teachers and peers. LGBTQ alumni criticise the relationship management of their former schools for the over-emphasis on fundraising and the complete absence of discussions on diversity. LGBTQ alumni are therefore marginalised in the process of value co-creation, as LGBTQ alumni feel they will never be viewed as legitimate collaborators by their former schools. The suggested recommendations emerging from this study include the need to codify school policies that speak specifically to LGBTQ marginalisation. Furthermore, schools must endeavour to make specific enquiries into LGBTQ student experiences and include LGBTQ concerns in wider school discourse. , Thesis (Ma) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04