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Curiosity, exploration, and strategies for dealing with uncertainty amongst psychologists-in-training

- Gerber, Ora

  • Authors: Gerber, Ora
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Psychologists -- Training of -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching , Uncertainty -- Psychological aspects , Positive psychology -- South Africa , Risk-taking (Psychology) -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9883 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1238 , Psychologists -- Training of -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching , Uncertainty -- Psychological aspects , Positive psychology -- South Africa , Risk-taking (Psychology) -- South Africa
  • Description: By adopting a positive psychology framework, the aim of this study was to explore and describe the level of curiosity and exploration amongst psychologists-in-training, and how they dealt with uncertainty in the context of their professional development. A mixed-method exploratory-descriptive research design was employed to collect the quantitative data by means of the Curiosity and Exploratory Inventory. The qualitative data were collected using semistructured interviews to explore how psychologists-in-training have dealt with uncertainty. Purposive-availability sampling was used to select the participants at three South African universities. A total number of 50 participants completed the CEI and six participants were interviewed. The data were analysed using mixed-method data analysis. It was found that participants had moderate-to-high levels of curiosity and exploration, with higher levels of exploration than absorption. The majority of participants reported that they actively sought as much information as they could and frequently looked for new opportunities to grow as persons. The strategies used by the selected group of participants to deal with uncertainty included: reliance on clinical supervision; consultation with peers; self-enhancement; reliance on theory; learning from practical experience; using certain cognitive appraisals; and self-care. Certain conclusions and recommendations were made based on the findings of the study.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Dancing around the same spot? land reform and Ngos in Zimbabwe: the case of SOS Children’s Villages

- Helliker, Kirk D

  • Authors: Helliker, Kirk D
  • Date: 2009
  • Language: English
  • Type: article , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61006 , vital:27910 , http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/asr.v13i2.60408
  • Description: This paper discusses the rural-based operations of an international NGO in Mashonaland Central province, Zimbabwe. The aim is to highlight the contingent variation of NGO practices within defined limits. It does this through 'thick description’ of the NGO of focus, the SOS Children’s Village, and compares its 'handling' of the transforming countryside with the response of two other NGOs. It concludes by suggesting some conceptual points in understanding organizational dispositions of NGOs.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Danger and disease in sex education : the saturation of ‘adolescence’ with colonialist assumptions

- Macleod, Catriona I

  • Authors: Macleod, Catriona I
  • Date: 2009
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article , text
  • Identifier: vital:6252 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007870
  • Description: The United Nations Development Programme’s Millennium project argues for the importance of sexual and reproductive health in the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals. Sex education programmes, aimed principally at the youth, are thus emphasised and are in line with the specific Millennium Development Goals of reducing the incidence of HIV and improving maternal health. In this paper I analyse recent South African sex education and Life Orientation (a learning area containing sex education) manuals. Danger and disease feature as guiding metaphors for these manuals, with early reproduction and abortion being depicted as wholly deleterious and non-normative relationships leading to disease. I argue, firstly, that these renditions ignore well-designed comparative research that calls into questions the easy assumption of negative consequences accompanying ‘teenage pregnancy’ and abortion, and, secondly, that the persistence of danger and disease in sex education programmes is premised on a discourse of ‘adolescence’. ‘Adolescence’ as a concept is always already saturated with the colonialist foundation of phylogeny re-capitulating ontogeny. Individual development is interweaved with collective development with the threat of degeneration implied in both. This interweaving allows for the instrumentalist goal of sex education in which social changes are sought through changing individuals’ sexual attitudes and behaviour.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Data quality in thermal summation development models for forensically important blowflies

- Richards, Cameron S, Villet, Martin H

  • Authors: Richards, Cameron S , Villet, Martin H
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441889 , vital:73932 , https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2915.2009.00819.x
  • Description: To highlight some issues regarding data quality that are significant in estimating post‐mortem intervals (PMI) from maggots, the developmental constants of thermal summation models for development of Chrysomya megacephala Fabricius (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were calculated from incidental data gathered from 12 published studies, and from data generated specifically for the purpose in a single experiment. The focused experiment involved measuring the timing of five developmental landmarks at nine constant temperatures with a sampling resolution of 6–12 h, which is characteristic of other published studies. Combining data from different studies produced inconsistent results because of statistical noise introduced by (at least) disparities in temporal precision, descriptive statistics, geographical location and rearing diets. A robust experimental design to estimate a developmental model should involve at least six constant temperatures, starting at about 7°C above the relevant developmental zero (D0) and going almost to the upper critical temperature, and a temporal sampling interval with a relative precision of about 10%, which requires sampling about every 2 h until hatching, about every 3 h until first ecdysis and about every 6 h until second ecdysis.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

De La Rey rides (yet) again : Afrikaner identity politics and nostalgia in post-apartheid South Africa

- Baines, Gary F

  • Authors: Baines, Gary F
  • Date: 2009
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference paper
  • Identifier: vital:6158 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007078
  • Description: In 2006 a relatively unknown South African artist with the stage name Bok van Blerk released his debut album called “De la Rey”. The album included a music video of the title track that calls upon the legendary Boer War general to save the volk (people) from the wantonly destructive strategies of the British imperial forces: the scorched earth policy and the subsequent internment of women and children in concentration camps. The British justified such extreme – some would say ‘genocidal’ – strategies so as to prevent non-combatants from supporting the irregular Boer soldiers. Although he did not believe that the war could be won on account of the overwhelming odds that the Boer forces faced, De la Rey still fought to the bitter end. Needless to say, he was on the losing side.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Decision making improvement by effectively utilising activity-based costing and activity-based management tools

- Palmer, Vivian Julian

  • Authors: Palmer, Vivian Julian
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Decision making , Thought and thinking
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8677 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1152 , Decision making , Thought and thinking
  • Description: The aim of this study was to suggest ways to effectively utilise Activity-Based Costing and Activity-Based Managment within Eskom Transmission Southern Grid to improve decision making towards improved business and financial performance. The ultimate purpose was to assist managers and staff to implement ABC and ABM effectively for improved business and financial performance. The focus was on the following objective: To suggest ways to effectively utilise ABC & ABM within Eskom Transmission Southern Grid as to improve decision making and business financial performance. Given the selection of management tools available, instruments such as ABC and ABM are usually not implemented alone, but may be supported by one or more approaches. For this reason ABC and ABM are contrasted with several other popular instruments mentioned in the literature. The instruments are: • The value chain; • Continuous improvement; • The theory of constraints; and • Total quality management. Insight will be given to provide managers with more accurate information regarding maintenance for the Grid and tools in identifying critical bottlenecks. By applying the TOC, TQM and continuous improvement strategies, managers will be able to make improved decisions, leading to improved financial performance in the Eskom Transmission Southern Grid. iii The literature study revealed that ABC and ABM prove to be the cornerstone for informed decision making. Since organisations are highly dependent on quality information to make these informed decisions, ABC and ABM reorientate the organisation towards understanding and managing work processes thus impacting financial performance positively. ABC and ABM trace the cost of activities such as engineering and procurement to how maintenance benefits from these activities. The empirical study consisted of a structured questionnaire distributed to a sample population of engineers and managers in Eskom Transmission Southern Grid in Port Elizabeth. It was aimed at gathering information about the use of ABC and ABM within the Grid. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with financial staff in the Grid and a focus group interview with engineering staff was done. The main findings of the empirical investigation revealed that management and staff lack insight into the use of ABC and ABM and how it can be integrated with existing improvement systems within the organisation. This study is concluded with a number of recommendations. These recommendations address the shortcomings and improvements that can be made to improve the utilisation of ABC and ABM within the organisation. The recommendations address the following: • Ensuring full commitment towards organisational goals and broadening the endorsement of ABC within the organisation; • Highlighting the importance of financial performance throughout the Grid; • Training of Managers, finance staff and engineers is required for proper execution of the ABC system; • Implementers need skills and know-how of the ABC and ABM system ensuring full utilisation; • The main cost drivers are identified, prioritised and efforts channelled into these activities; • Tools such as the Theory Of Constraints and Total Quality Management from the proposed model would assist the Grid in identifying the bottlenecks of a system correctly, thus know explicitly the amount of slack capacity of each activity available during a specific time period.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Deconstructing language myths: which languages of learning and teaching in South Africa

- Dalvit, Lorenzo, Murray, Sarah, Terzoli, Alfredo

  • Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , Murray, Sarah , Terzoli, Alfredo
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431260 , vital:72759 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/91537059/Deconstructing_language_myths_which_languages_of_learning_and_teaching_in_South_Africa.sflb-libre.pdf?1664136385=response-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DDeconstructing_language_myths_which_lang.pdfExpires=1714984902Signature=dj35y~SObsQq0TnqD-oDUj3CX7lgNnKJcMAchC7rarU74xqfrMlVfOwi-MZrNZvWvpxyzquBsmr1veH-ggRVXQP7TX4eKQq3tXV-gJZg3xyo7QJoGwrGPTjC4btF2kNrVJc6TQulzuPFEz47GtjQ6Nint4SmE7A30EMUMd8j25KgCUdtzqwx9kjBs-niKu~z-pk-Xon5YOolMTepbOwNr9wKGj8JafblTdnFs-H8CZ-Et4BD2mYV3GxnR0QLfgawFgDYkOSZnYhkl6wFsXG~Euwlhcvtp0EgUOfP4id~Ov9hhA-rSQxl81X2Dh1BdMuT3GSsK6VNmO7TikSC7NeGlQ__Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
  • Description: In this article we argue for the use of African languages as Languages of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) for native speakers of such language in South Africa. We believe that both public and academic debate is in-fluenced by a set of ‘language myths’: 1) only one language should be used; 2) the earlier one starts using English as LoLT, the better; 3) us-ing English as LoLT improves English proficiency. These myths be seen as a direct manifestation of Western hegemony, and English-functional arguments are often the terms of reference. We will try a dif-ferent approach by highlighting the advantages of using an African lan-guage (ie isiXhosa) as LoLT and, whenever possible, we will try to put English on the ‘defence stand’. The purpose of this paper is not to ad-vocate the substitution of English with an African language. We believe that bilingual education is the appropriate choice for South Africa, but in order to achieve full equality between English and the African lan-guages in education, arguments in support of the latter must be put forward proactively. With our paper, we hope to contribute to this new perspective.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Dedication of Jo'burg's new ring

- Lewis, Colin A

  • Authors: Lewis, Colin A
  • Date: 2009
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6189 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012395 , http://www.ringingworld.co.uk
  • Description: Five years of planning, fund raising and hard work came to fruition in November 2008 when Africa's newest ring of bells was dedicated, bringing the first part of the Jo'burg Project to a successful conclusion.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Deployment and Extension of a Converged WiMAX/WiFi Network for Dwesa Community Area South Africa

- Ndlovu, N, Terzoli, Alfredo, Thinyane, Mamello

  • Authors: Ndlovu, N , Terzoli, Alfredo , Thinyane, Mamello
  • Date: 2009
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428479 , vital:72514 , https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1andtype=pdfanddoi=22468be0252776eabb9e015b51e8e5cf2855ca5f
  • Description: As demand for new, reliable, flexible and relatively inexpensive internet access in marginalized rural areas in developing countries increases, there is a need to amalgamate broadband technologies such as WiMAX and WiFi so as to extend the coverage area. Consequently, this will en-able provision of high-speed mobile data and telecommunications ser-vices. This paper describes how WiMAX and WiFi can be merged to-gether, with VSAT technology offering backhaul internet connectivity to provide ever present broadband access. We also look at their respective network applications and how there are going to be used to help support ICT4D activities in these marginalized areas.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Deriving value from IT investments within botique hotels: a Buffalo City case study

- Mathe, Thabelang

  • Authors: Mathe, Thabelang
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Information technology , Hotels -- Finance , Boardinghouses -- Finance , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- Finance
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
  • Identifier: vital:11134 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1000975 , Information technology , Hotels -- Finance , Boardinghouses -- Finance , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- Finance
  • Description: Even though many organizations invest in IT, the value that IT is expected to contribute is still not clearly understood. Researchers agree that IT has become a crucial element to business operations and business existence. However, while there is continued investment in new information technologies and systems, organizations are not certain whether significant value is derived from IT investments. The failure to realize good return on IT investments is ascribed to a lack of understanding of IT by organizations and also the failure by organizations to align IT strategies with business strategies. The lack of alignment leads to the failure to match the right IT to the correct task, which leads to the poor application of systems and poor allocation of human resources to tasks. Therefore, organizations such as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in particular Boutique Hotels, are noted for their failure to derive better IT value. Their unique characteristics are understood to be influential in the way IT is used and managed by affecting the delivery of value from technology. In order to enable Boutique Hotels to derive more value from IT, the IT governance frameworks, Val IT and CobiT (ITGI, 2007), were examined as these integrate good practices to ensure that an organization‘s IT supports the business objectives. In addition, the Task Technology Fit (TTF) (Goodhue and Thompson, 1995) and Gap Analysis (Heeks, 2001) theories were highlighted as these prescribe the platform ideal for more value to be derived from IT. The current status of Boutique Hotels in Buffalo City was assessed through the use of questionnaires and interviews. The collected data was analyzed and resulted in the development of a model that can be used by Boutique Hotels in order to derive more value from IT and to maximize the use of IT.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Detecting changes in elephant body condition in relation to resource quality

- De Klerk, Christelle

  • Authors: De Klerk, Christelle
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Elephants -- Nutrition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Elephants -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:10704 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/939 , Elephants -- Nutrition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Elephants -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: Elephants, as megaherbivores, are known to have extensive impacts on vegetation, especially in enclosed areas. This raises the issue that elephants in enclosed areas may become limited by resource availability. Resource limitation is generally expressed via density dependence, but elephants, due to their slow demography, may not be affected by initial changes in resource availability. This highlights the need for a more sensitive measure of resource limitation to allow for the detection of energy stress within a population before changes in vital rates occur. This study investigated visual changes in elephant body condition in relation to resource availability in a number of Eastern Cape reserves to assess whether body condition could be used to detect life stages, as well as seasons and sites which may be resource limited. Elephant life stages were divided into energy stressed (newly weaned calves, lactating females, and old females) and non-energy stressed classes (sub-adults and non-lactating females) to determine whether energy stressed life stages were more vulnerable to resource limitation. In the AENP it was found that lactating and old females exhibited significantly poorer body condition than non-energy stressed individuals, but that weaned calves had body conditions similar to non-energy stressed individuals. Comparisons between seasons revealed that all life stages exhibited better condition in winter than summer or spring, with lactating females showing little recovery of condition over time. Seasonal body conditions were correlated with rainfall recorded in the Addo Elephant National Park. Comparisons of elephant body condition between sites (n = 6) revealed that body condition varied across sites, with poorer body condition associated with areas of higher elephant density and low rainfall during the study period. Comparisons with faecal dietary quality data both between sites and seasons indicated that body condition also responded to changes in the availability of protein and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of plant resources, with higher protein and lower values associated with better condition. Based on condition estimates of elephants occurring in the Addo Main Camp, it was established that this population is experiencing nutritional stress, with energy stressed individuals exhibiting the lowest body conditions. This was supported by dietary quality measures. Our findings suggest that elephant body condition is a good measure for detecting resource limitation, both within populations and between seasons, and that elephant body condition respond to relatively small changes in resource conditions, thus making it an effective measure for the detection of nutritional stress. Additionally, our findings show that energy stressed individuals, particularly lactating and old females are more vulnerable to resource limitation. This demonstrates the importance of monitoring these life stages for the detection of density dependence within populations. Finally, our data suggest that threshold values of faecal dietary quality may exist at which body condition within a population begins to deteriorate, making it possible to determine the condition of a population through values obtained in faecal samples.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Detection of contaminants in wool bales using nuclear techniques

- Rapakgadi, Jim

  • Authors: Rapakgadi, Jim
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Wool scouring , Mohair , X-rays
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:10448 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/993 , Wool scouring , Mohair , X-rays
  • Description: To improve the quality and the marketability of wool and mohair, it is important to encourage, ensure and preferable certify that the baled fibre is free of contaminants. Anything other than the fibre that is within the bale can be classified as contaminants; this may be in the form of metal and wooden objects, plastic materials, paints, and vegetable matter such as grass and seed. The internationally accepted method for detecting and classifying these contaminants are highly labour intensive and costly. The ultimate goal of the present research is to develop a non-invasive and nondestructive technique that can be used to detect contaminants, particularly plastic (polymer) materials within wool and mohair bales. Such a technique can be implemented in the wool industry and also could be applied to other fibres, such as cotton. The immediate objective of this study was to evaluate the capability and the limitation of X-rays as a technique to detect such contaminants. It was found that X-rays were suitable for detecting foreign objects, or contaminants, such as metals, but not for detecting plastic materials, such as polypropylene and polyethylene.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Determinants of capital structure of small and medium enterprises in the Buffalo City Municipality Eastern Cape Province South Africa

- Rungani, Ellen Chenesai

  • Authors: Rungani, Ellen Chenesai
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Debt-to-equity ratio , Capital , Value , Business enterprises -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com (Business Management)
  • Identifier: vital:11317 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/271 , Debt-to-equity ratio , Capital , Value , Business enterprises -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: This study investigated the determinants of capital structure of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Buffalo city municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The objectives of the study were, to ascertain whether the use of internal equity (retained profits) was positively or negatively related to the size, age and profitability of the firm. Furthermore the study examined if the use of external equity (capital from owners) was negatively or positively related to the age, size and profitability of the firm. Finally the study wanted to establish if the use of debt was positively or negatively related to the size, age and profitability of the firm. To achieve these objectives, the study hypothesised that age, size and profitability amongst other factors were determinants of capital structure. The study further hypothesised that the use of retained profits by SMEs was negatively related with age, size and profitability of the firm. Furthermore the study hypothesised that the use of external equity by SMEs was negatively related with age, size and profitability of the firm. Finally, the study hypothesised that the use of debt by SMEs was negatively related to the size, age and profitability of the firm. The results revealed that size, age and profitability of the firm were some of the major determinants of capital structure. Finally, the study recommended that SMEs, commercial banks and the South African government take measures to improve access to capital by SMEs. Such measures included government intervention in reducing discrimination from the banks as well as encouragement of SMEs training and education so that they are empowered with business and financial management skills.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Determinants of grade 9 learners' intention to select science/applied sciences as curriculum stream for grade 10: an exploratory study of selected secondary schools in Amathole district

- Komle, Lindumzi Johnson

  • Authors: Komle, Lindumzi Johnson
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Science -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Technology -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16157 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/223 , Curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Science -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Technology -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: In schools in the Amathole District and throughout the rest of South Africa efforts are being made to encourage learners to pursue the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream in Grades 10 to 12. The aim of this study was both to determine and to explore those factors which, according to grade 9 learners, would either attract them to or deter them from following the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream from Grade 10 onwards. The study also sought to ascertain the views of teachers regarding the issues raised by the learners. A sample comprising 346 learners and 3 teachers were involved in the study. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods within the context of a post-positivist paradigm and utilising questionnaires and interviews, the study found that, consistent with existing research, there are both intrinsic and extrinsic related factors which play a role in the intention of learners to consider pursuing the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream. The intrinsic factors include learners‟ enjoyment of practical work and love for the Science and Applied Science. Extrinsic factors include perception that jobs in the field of Science and Applied Science compensate well. However, it was the intrinsic factors that pushed the learners to have the intention to follow the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream. Sociological, economic and personal dynamics seem to account for these patterns in the results. By contrast, two key sets of factors deterred the learners from the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream. One relates to factors in their internal loci of control, and the other to factors in learners‟ external loci of control. The internal locus of control factors had a greater influence, which suggests, according to attribution theorists, that the learners were inclined to look within themselves for the reasons that deterred them from the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream. In addition, a cluster analysis was conducted to ascertain whether the demographic profiles of the learners played a role in respect of their intention to pursue the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream. This cluster analysis revealed that, in terms of gender, males were more inclined than females to follow the Science and Applied Science stream. However, it was also significant that peer influence played an important role in attracting males to the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream, whereas it was career interest factors that attracted the females. In terms of ethnic groups, Indians and blacks were more inclined than coloureds and whites to follow the Science and Applied Science stream with whites being the least attracted to this stream. Career choice dynamics provide some explanations for these outcomes. The key contribution of this study lies in the fact that the study has shown that practical work as a teaching strategy may result in greater learner participation in the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream. The study recommends that, in order to promote greater participation in the Science and Applied Science curriculum stream in schools, strategies related to teaching in terms of which both genders are taken into consideration should be implemented. Other recommendations were also made. Nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that the study is a case study and that it is, therefore, not possible to generalise the findings.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Determination and validation of plants used by resource-limited farmers in the ethno veterinary control of gastro-intestinal parasites of goats in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

- Maphosa, Viola

Determinism and reactive attitudes: reflections on our alleged unrenounceable commitments

- Kelland, Lindsay-Ann

  • Authors: Kelland, Lindsay-Ann
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Free will and determinism Responsibility
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2713 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002843
  • Description: There seems to exist a tension between our metaphysical and phenomenological commitments in the free will debate. On the one hand, I argue that at the metaphysical level we cannot coherently defend the belief that we are morally responsible in the sense that we deserve to be rewarded and punished for our actions, where desert-entailing moral responsibility is the primary understanding of moral responsibility presupposed in the free will debate. I argue that we are responsible for our actions but only in the weaker sense, termed ‘attributability’ by Gary Watson. On the other hand, we are allegedly unrenounceably committed at the phenomenological level to conceiving of, and treating, ourselves and one another as morally responsible beings in the desert-entailing sense. P. F. Strawson famously defends this claim in his seminal work, ‘Freedom and Resentment’. In my thesis I will set out this tension by exploring both commitments in turn. I then aim to show that the tension can be dissolved by arguing, contra P. F. Strawson, that our phenomenological commitment is not in fact unrenounceable. The dissolution of this tension entails, I argue, that we must examine our conception of self and other. We must explore the implications of adopting a position which denies that we are morally responsible beings for our life-hopes, personal feelings, inter-personal relationships and projects. Most importantly, I argue that we must renounce our current retributive condemnatory practices which are based on the unjustified belief that we are morally responsible beings.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Developing an ionospheric map for South Africa

- Okoh, Daniel Izuikeninachi

  • Authors: Okoh, Daniel Izuikeninachi
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Ionosphere -- South Africa , Shortwave radio , Ionospheric electron density -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:5459 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005244 , Ionosphere -- South Africa , Shortwave radio , Ionospheric electron density -- South Africa
  • Description: This thesis describes the development of an ionospheric map for the South African region using the current available resources. The International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model, the South African Bottomside Ionospheric Model (SABIM), and measurements from ionosondes in the South African Ionosonde Network, were incorporated into the map. An accurate ionospheric map depicting the foF2 and hmF2 parameters as well as electron density profiles at any location within South Africa is a useful tool for, amongst others, High Frequency (HF) communicators and space weather centers. A major product of the work is software, written in MATLAB, which produces spatial and temporal representations of the South African ionosphere. The map was validated and demonstrated for practical application, since a significant aim of the project was to make the map as applicable as possible. It is hoped that the map will find immense application in HF radio communication industries, research industries, aviation industries, and other industries that make use of Earth-Space systems. A potential user of the map is GrinTek Ewation (GEW) who is currently evaluating it for their purposes
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Development and validation of a stability-indicating method for the quantitation of paclitaxel in pharmaceutical dosage forms

- Mohammadi, Ali, Esimaeili, Farnaz, Dinarvand, Rasoul, Atyabi, Fatemeh, Walker, Roderick B

  • Authors: Mohammadi, Ali , Esimaeili, Farnaz , Dinarvand, Rasoul , Atyabi, Fatemeh , Walker, Roderick B
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/184278 , vital:44196 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1093/chromsci/47.7.599"
  • Description: A simple, rapid stability-indicating isocratic assay has been developed and validated for the determination of Paclitaxel (PTX) in commercial injection formulations. The assay is performed using a Nucleosil RP-18 (5 µm, 250 × 4.0 mm i.d) column protected by a Nucleosil C18 precolumn (5 µm, 4.0 × 4.0 mm i.d.) with a mobile phase of methanol–water (80:20) and UV detection at 230 nm. The method was found to be specific for PTX in the presence of degradation products with an overall analytical run time of ~ 9 min. Accuracy reported as % bias was found to be 0.1–2.5% bias for all samples tested. Intra-assay precision (repeatability) was found to be 0.22–2.65% RSD, while inter-day precision (intermediate precision) was found to be 1.0–3.0% RSD for the samples studied. The calibration curve was found to be linear with the equation y = 29.78x + 7.65, and a linear regression coefficient of 0.9994 over the concentration range 0.05–20 µg/mL. The limits of quantitation and detection were 0.05 and 0.02 µg/mL, respectively. Taxol (30 mg/5 mL), a commercially available dosage form of PTX, was assayed and 100.6–103.6% of the label claim was recovered.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

Development of a neural network based model for predicting the occurrence of spread F within the Brazilian sector

- Paradza, Masimba Wellington

  • Authors: Paradza, Masimba Wellington
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Neural networks (Computer science) , Ionosphere , F region
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:5460 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005245 , Neural networks (Computer science) , Ionosphere , F region
  • Description: Spread F is a phenomenon of the ionosphere in which the pulses returned from the ionosphere are of a much greater duration than the transmitted ones. The occurrence of spread F can be predicted using the technique of Neural Networks (NNs). This thesis presents the development and evaluation of NN based models (two single station models and a regional model) for predicting the occurrence of spread F over selected stations within the Brazilian sector. The input space for the NNs included the day number (seasonal variation), hour (diurnal variation), sunspot number (measure of the solar activity), magnetic index (measure of the magnetic activity) and magnetic position (latitude, magnetic declination and inclination). Twelve years of spread F data measured during 1978 to 1989 inclusively at the equatorial site Fortaleza and low latitude site Cachoeira Paulista are used in the development of an input space and NN architecture for the NN models. Spread F data that is believed to be related to plasma bubble developments (range spread F) were used in the development of the models while those associated with narrow spectrum irregularities that occur near the F layer (frequency spread F) were excluded. The results of the models show the dependency of the probability of spread F as a function of local time, season and latitude. The models also illustrate some characteristics of spread F such as the onset and peak occurrence of spread F as a function of distance from the equator. Results from these models are presented in this thesis and compared to measured data and to modelled data obtained with an empirical model developed for the same purpose.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2009

Development of a performance management system for the SABC (Port Elizabeth)

- Nyembezi, Vuyo

  • Authors: Nyembezi, Vuyo
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Performance standards -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Performance -- Management -- Evaluation , Performance -- Measurement , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8678 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1148 , Performance standards -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Performance -- Management -- Evaluation , Performance -- Measurement , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Description: This study focused on exploring and finding the ideal performance management system suitable for the South African Broadcasting Corporation by establishing an understanding of employees’ experiences and perceptions of the previous and a proposed performance management systems and their value to SABC employees. This was done by eliciting how employees see, make sense of and interpret their everyday experiences of performance management systems, in order to develop a more suitable inclusive performance management system. A qualitative study was used to seek answers to the research questions. A focus group interview was selected for data collection. The data was analysed according to guidelines indicated and proposed by Creswell (1998:147-148). The researcher made use of convenience sampling to select 45 participants in 5 groups for the focus groups. One group consisted of managers/supervisors, and the other four groups were employees from four different business units. Participants were guaranteed confidentiality. Credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability were used as the main components in the model, to determine the truth-value of the study. Findings indicated that there was a fair understanding of the previous performance management system but there had been poor implementation of the system. The participants concurred that the previous performance iv management systems in the organisations were not adding any value to their lives. They pointed out that there was no reward in place for high performers and no action taken for non-performers, and this impacted negatively on how implementation was perceived and experienced. The recommendations are that the revised performance management system should have a stronger emphasis on effective management, monitoring, feedback and reward. Furthermore, the system should close the current gaps of reward for high performance and correction of low performance. It was further concluded that for a performance management system to be effective, it should incorporate updated job descriptions, performance measures and standards, as well as evaluator training and guidelines for improvement, employee input, compensation and/or rewards.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2009
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