Paper recycling patterns and potential interventions in the education sector: A case study of paper streams at Rhodes University, South Africa
- Amutenya, N, Shackleton, Charlie M, Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Authors: Amutenya, N , Shackleton, Charlie M , Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181180 , vital:43705 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2008.12.001"
- Description: This paper considers the use of paper by academics and student computer laboratories at Rhodes University as a basis for identifying areas to reduce the amounts used and increase rates of recycling. A sample of 50 academic staff monitored the volume and purpose of the paper they used over 5 months, and the procurement officers in all the academic departments were interviewed regarding the total amount of paper used per academic department. Mean use was 34 ± 20 new sheets of paper per working day, of which 3% were trashed, 15% were kept for later use (as scrap or printed on the opposite side) and 79% were given out as notes to students, filed as records or posted out as mail to other departments or institutions. There was a significant relationship between number of students served by a department and the overall demand for paper, as well the number of staff per department and the number of recycling bins. The university could save approximately US$ 7000 per year for every 10% reduction in current use of paper (12,784 reams/year). Reduction in paper usage could be achieved through an increase in re-use of paper, printing handouts for students on both sides of each sheet of paper and by investing in printers that are capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Double-sided printers are only 20–25% more expensive than single-sided ones, but will potentially reduce paper usage by half. A 40% reduction would save the university approximately US $ 20,000 per year in direct costs, and more in reduced waste streams, as well as help promote the environmental image of the university. On a per unit basis, the higher costs for a double-sided printer in offices would be repaid in 9 months or less through reduced paper use.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Amutenya, N , Shackleton, Charlie M , Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181180 , vital:43705 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2008.12.001"
- Description: This paper considers the use of paper by academics and student computer laboratories at Rhodes University as a basis for identifying areas to reduce the amounts used and increase rates of recycling. A sample of 50 academic staff monitored the volume and purpose of the paper they used over 5 months, and the procurement officers in all the academic departments were interviewed regarding the total amount of paper used per academic department. Mean use was 34 ± 20 new sheets of paper per working day, of which 3% were trashed, 15% were kept for later use (as scrap or printed on the opposite side) and 79% were given out as notes to students, filed as records or posted out as mail to other departments or institutions. There was a significant relationship between number of students served by a department and the overall demand for paper, as well the number of staff per department and the number of recycling bins. The university could save approximately US$ 7000 per year for every 10% reduction in current use of paper (12,784 reams/year). Reduction in paper usage could be achieved through an increase in re-use of paper, printing handouts for students on both sides of each sheet of paper and by investing in printers that are capable of printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Double-sided printers are only 20–25% more expensive than single-sided ones, but will potentially reduce paper usage by half. A 40% reduction would save the university approximately US $ 20,000 per year in direct costs, and more in reduced waste streams, as well as help promote the environmental image of the university. On a per unit basis, the higher costs for a double-sided printer in offices would be repaid in 9 months or less through reduced paper use.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Passive Traffic Inspection for Automated Firewall Rule Set Generation
- Pranschke, Georg-Christian, Irwin, Barry V W, Barnett, Richard J
- Authors: Pranschke, Georg-Christian , Irwin, Barry V W , Barnett, Richard J
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428114 , vital:72487 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/49200001/Automated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T20160928-12076-1n830lx-libre.pdf?1475130103=andresponse-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DAutomated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T.pdfandExpires=1714733377andSignature=Q0miMvZNpP7c60n42m54TvFG4hIdujVJBilbpvDKquBk54RPwU22pH6-40mpmOxIFBllKUmOgZfS9SwzuiANn-AZ2bhAELyZmf2bJ5MgceaYH5wnPjX9VzP04C2BACzhO5YutUfwkysburUx-zNdiemSofx2p1DwOszXaJNauYdP8RcHQmFl8aOnkoc3kmU02eKz8WiQISntJtu5Gpo8txP-Z6f1BEzvlVGd432tndhRwpsEVWGW43~oXsdaWQu72S8pTakgKPREqaD7CUHKMXiiUBfuiSj1nFo2n4xZQlFHqbMT7TAYzBPM0GObe~kBe5s2nY6dnOMUKUsSaeTUtqA__andKey-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: The introduction of network filters and chokes such as firewalls in exist-ing operational network is often problematic, due to considerations that need to be made to minimise the interruption of existent legitimate traf-fic. This often necessitates the time consuming manual analysis of net-work traffic over a period of time in order to generate and vet the rule bases to minimise disruption of legitimate flows. To improve upon this, a system facilitating network traffic analysis and firewall rule set genera-tion is proposed. The system shall be capable to deal with the ever in-creasing traffic volumes and help to provide and maintain high uptimes. A high level overview of the design of the components is presented. Additions to the system are scoring metrics which may assist the admin-istrator to optimise the rule sets for the most efficient matching of flows, based on traffic volume, frequency or packet count. A third party pack-age-Firewall Builder-is used to target the resultant rule sets to a number of different firewall and network Filtering platforms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Pranschke, Georg-Christian , Irwin, Barry V W , Barnett, Richard J
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428114 , vital:72487 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/49200001/Automated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T20160928-12076-1n830lx-libre.pdf?1475130103=andresponse-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DAutomated_Firewall_Rule_Set_Generation_T.pdfandExpires=1714733377andSignature=Q0miMvZNpP7c60n42m54TvFG4hIdujVJBilbpvDKquBk54RPwU22pH6-40mpmOxIFBllKUmOgZfS9SwzuiANn-AZ2bhAELyZmf2bJ5MgceaYH5wnPjX9VzP04C2BACzhO5YutUfwkysburUx-zNdiemSofx2p1DwOszXaJNauYdP8RcHQmFl8aOnkoc3kmU02eKz8WiQISntJtu5Gpo8txP-Z6f1BEzvlVGd432tndhRwpsEVWGW43~oXsdaWQu72S8pTakgKPREqaD7CUHKMXiiUBfuiSj1nFo2n4xZQlFHqbMT7TAYzBPM0GObe~kBe5s2nY6dnOMUKUsSaeTUtqA__andKey-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- Description: The introduction of network filters and chokes such as firewalls in exist-ing operational network is often problematic, due to considerations that need to be made to minimise the interruption of existent legitimate traf-fic. This often necessitates the time consuming manual analysis of net-work traffic over a period of time in order to generate and vet the rule bases to minimise disruption of legitimate flows. To improve upon this, a system facilitating network traffic analysis and firewall rule set genera-tion is proposed. The system shall be capable to deal with the ever in-creasing traffic volumes and help to provide and maintain high uptimes. A high level overview of the design of the components is presented. Additions to the system are scoring metrics which may assist the admin-istrator to optimise the rule sets for the most efficient matching of flows, based on traffic volume, frequency or packet count. A third party pack-age-Firewall Builder-is used to target the resultant rule sets to a number of different firewall and network Filtering platforms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Patterns and determinants of species richness in mesic temparate grasslands of South Africa
- Authors: Hoare, David Barry
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10613 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1275 , Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Description: The aim of this study is to gain a predictive understanding of the patterns and determinants of plant biodiversity in temperate, mesic grasslands of South Africa with a primary focus on the geographical area of the Eastern Cape. From a review of the literature on hypotheses explaining diversity (Chapter 2) it was possible to formulate a number of hypotheses that could be tested to explain species richness patterns in Eastern Cape grasslands. This thesis is organised so that each main chapter deals with a specific body of theory concerning the explanation of diversity patterns. A detailed description of the study area is provided (Chapter 3), including environmental variation and a description of major vegetation patterns. A summary is provided of grassland plant community patterns, as determined by phytosociological studies in the study area. A multivariate analysis of environmental variables was undertaken to determine which variables contributed the most towards explaining environmental variation in the study area and to determine whether any variables co-vary, a possible problem for any multivariate analysis in later chapters. Altitude produced one of the strongest gradients in the study area. There were a number of variables that were correlated with altitude, most notably temperature. Rainfall co-varied partially with altitude, but there was also a strong rainfall gradient perpendicular to the altitude gradient. A description of species richness, diversity and evenness patterns at the plot scale within different grassland plant communities of the Eastern Cape is provided in Chapter 4. To determine whether the environment acts differently on different growth forms, the contribution to species richness by different major growth forms is analysed. Furthermore, since the majority of literature attempts to explain diversity in terms of environmental factors, it was necessary to analyse the relationship between species richness and various environmental variables. The results indicate that there is high variation in species richness both within and among grassland communities. Forbs make the most significant contribution to overall species richness per 100 m2, followed by grasses. Variance in richness of all species together is not significantly related to environmental variables in mesic grasslands, but is significantly related to environmental variables in semi-arid grasslands. The result of greatest interest from this chapter is the fact that richness amongst different life-forms in the same place is explained by different environmental factors, indicating that the environmental factors that affect coexistence of species have a different effect on different life-forms. A classification of all the species of the dataset into plant functional types using a multivariate approach based on functional traits was conducted (Chapter 5). The grass species were classified into 16 functional types and the forbs into 14 functional types. The functional type classification provided the opportunity for undertaking analyses to develop an understanding of 8 the contribution by niche differentiation towards promoting species richness (Chapter 6). The results provide evidence of niche differentiation in the grasslands of the study area and also that niche differentiation promotes species richness in the grasslands of the study area. It was found that higher rainfall grasslands are less structured by niche differentiation than semi-arid grasslands. A regional / historical analysis is undertaken (Chapter 7) to investigate the relationship between the regional species pool and local richness, and the relationship between local richness and phytochorological diversity. Regional richness appears to have little effect in promoting local richness in grassland plant communities of the study area except at sites where there is high local richness. This provides an indication that regional richness only promotes local richness in the absence of local limiting factors. Phytochorological diversity promotes local richness, but mostly through diversity amongst species with narrow distribution ranges. Some theories ascertain that seasonal uncertainty may provide opportunities to species that would otherwise be outcompeted and thereby promote local richness. The degree to which seasonal uncertainty and seasonality promote local richness in the Eastern Cape grasslands was therefore investigated (Chapter 8). A weak relationship exists between these variables and local species richness in grassland communities of the study area, indicating that they do not promote niche differentiation to a significant degree in the study area. It is clear that in the grasslands of the Eastern Cape, environmental limiting factors are more important in semi-arid grasslands and species interactions are more important in mesic grasslands for structuring plant communities (Chapter 9, Discussion). Regional processes do not appear to be important in structuring local communities, but the analysis undertaken in this study shows that they may be significant when factors operating at the other two levels are overcome (species interactions and environmental limiting factors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Hoare, David Barry
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10613 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1275 , Grassland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Plant diversity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation and climate
- Description: The aim of this study is to gain a predictive understanding of the patterns and determinants of plant biodiversity in temperate, mesic grasslands of South Africa with a primary focus on the geographical area of the Eastern Cape. From a review of the literature on hypotheses explaining diversity (Chapter 2) it was possible to formulate a number of hypotheses that could be tested to explain species richness patterns in Eastern Cape grasslands. This thesis is organised so that each main chapter deals with a specific body of theory concerning the explanation of diversity patterns. A detailed description of the study area is provided (Chapter 3), including environmental variation and a description of major vegetation patterns. A summary is provided of grassland plant community patterns, as determined by phytosociological studies in the study area. A multivariate analysis of environmental variables was undertaken to determine which variables contributed the most towards explaining environmental variation in the study area and to determine whether any variables co-vary, a possible problem for any multivariate analysis in later chapters. Altitude produced one of the strongest gradients in the study area. There were a number of variables that were correlated with altitude, most notably temperature. Rainfall co-varied partially with altitude, but there was also a strong rainfall gradient perpendicular to the altitude gradient. A description of species richness, diversity and evenness patterns at the plot scale within different grassland plant communities of the Eastern Cape is provided in Chapter 4. To determine whether the environment acts differently on different growth forms, the contribution to species richness by different major growth forms is analysed. Furthermore, since the majority of literature attempts to explain diversity in terms of environmental factors, it was necessary to analyse the relationship between species richness and various environmental variables. The results indicate that there is high variation in species richness both within and among grassland communities. Forbs make the most significant contribution to overall species richness per 100 m2, followed by grasses. Variance in richness of all species together is not significantly related to environmental variables in mesic grasslands, but is significantly related to environmental variables in semi-arid grasslands. The result of greatest interest from this chapter is the fact that richness amongst different life-forms in the same place is explained by different environmental factors, indicating that the environmental factors that affect coexistence of species have a different effect on different life-forms. A classification of all the species of the dataset into plant functional types using a multivariate approach based on functional traits was conducted (Chapter 5). The grass species were classified into 16 functional types and the forbs into 14 functional types. The functional type classification provided the opportunity for undertaking analyses to develop an understanding of 8 the contribution by niche differentiation towards promoting species richness (Chapter 6). The results provide evidence of niche differentiation in the grasslands of the study area and also that niche differentiation promotes species richness in the grasslands of the study area. It was found that higher rainfall grasslands are less structured by niche differentiation than semi-arid grasslands. A regional / historical analysis is undertaken (Chapter 7) to investigate the relationship between the regional species pool and local richness, and the relationship between local richness and phytochorological diversity. Regional richness appears to have little effect in promoting local richness in grassland plant communities of the study area except at sites where there is high local richness. This provides an indication that regional richness only promotes local richness in the absence of local limiting factors. Phytochorological diversity promotes local richness, but mostly through diversity amongst species with narrow distribution ranges. Some theories ascertain that seasonal uncertainty may provide opportunities to species that would otherwise be outcompeted and thereby promote local richness. The degree to which seasonal uncertainty and seasonality promote local richness in the Eastern Cape grasslands was therefore investigated (Chapter 8). A weak relationship exists between these variables and local species richness in grassland communities of the study area, indicating that they do not promote niche differentiation to a significant degree in the study area. It is clear that in the grasslands of the Eastern Cape, environmental limiting factors are more important in semi-arid grasslands and species interactions are more important in mesic grasslands for structuring plant communities (Chapter 9, Discussion). Regional processes do not appear to be important in structuring local communities, but the analysis undertaken in this study shows that they may be significant when factors operating at the other two levels are overcome (species interactions and environmental limiting factors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Peacekeeping in Africa: problems and prospects
- Authors: Juma, Laurence
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/129113 , vital:36219 , https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/unbotslj9amp;i=3
- Description: Against the background of an expanded need for peacekeeping, the complexity that its programmes entail, and the belief that it will endure for a long time to come, this article discusses the propriety of international peacekeeping operations, its inherent features and weaknesses in creating or preserving peace, and the role that regional organisations play, or should play, in its enhancement.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Juma, Laurence
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/129113 , vital:36219 , https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/unbotslj9amp;i=3
- Description: Against the background of an expanded need for peacekeeping, the complexity that its programmes entail, and the belief that it will endure for a long time to come, this article discusses the propriety of international peacekeeping operations, its inherent features and weaknesses in creating or preserving peace, and the role that regional organisations play, or should play, in its enhancement.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009
Peer-to-Peer Web Services for Distributed Rural ICTs
- Wertlen, Ronald, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Wertlen, Ronald , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428508 , vital:72516 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Terzoli/publication/265184410_Peer-to-Peer_Web_Services_for_Distributed_Rural_ICTs/links/5523cb9a0cf223eed37fe0b3/Peer-to-Peer-Web-Services-for-Distributed-Rural-ICTs.pdf
- Description: In this paper we look at the context and design of a distributed web ser-vices platform called P2PMW. P2PMW uses P2P principles to automat-ically build a robust network with flexible routing and practically no ad-ministrative overhead in order to share resources between nodes. P2PMW uses open source and widely adopted standards. Our argu-ment is that the context of rural ICTs is being shaped by high speed wireless networks with limited span that we call “islands” and that the architecture we introduce is a good fit for the context. We further argue that by employing widely adopted open standards and open source software, we can speed the development of effective custom made ap-plications for marginalised rural areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Wertlen, Ronald , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428508 , vital:72516 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alfredo-Terzoli/publication/265184410_Peer-to-Peer_Web_Services_for_Distributed_Rural_ICTs/links/5523cb9a0cf223eed37fe0b3/Peer-to-Peer-Web-Services-for-Distributed-Rural-ICTs.pdf
- Description: In this paper we look at the context and design of a distributed web ser-vices platform called P2PMW. P2PMW uses P2P principles to automat-ically build a robust network with flexible routing and practically no ad-ministrative overhead in order to share resources between nodes. P2PMW uses open source and widely adopted standards. Our argu-ment is that the context of rural ICTs is being shaped by high speed wireless networks with limited span that we call “islands” and that the architecture we introduce is a good fit for the context. We further argue that by employing widely adopted open standards and open source software, we can speed the development of effective custom made ap-plications for marginalised rural areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Performance Effects of Concurrent Virtual Machine Execution in VMware Workstation 6
- Barnett, Richard J, Irwin, Barry V W
- Authors: Barnett, Richard J , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429966 , vital:72655 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3660-5_56
- Description: The recent trend toward virtualized computing both as a means of serv-er consolidation and as a powerful desktop computing tool has lead into a wide variety of studies into the performance of hypervisor products. This study has investigated the scalability of VMware Workstation 6 on the desktop platform. We present comparative performance results for the concurrent execution of a number of virtual machines. A through statistical analysis of the performance results highlights the perfor-mance trends of different numbers of concurrent virtual machines and concludes that VMware workstation can scale in certain contexts. We find that there are different performance benefits dependant on the ap-plication and that memory intensive applications perform less effective-ly than those applications which are IO intensive. We also find that run-ning concurrent virtual machines offers a significant performance de-crease, but that the drop thereafter is less significant.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Barnett, Richard J , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429966 , vital:72655 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3660-5_56
- Description: The recent trend toward virtualized computing both as a means of serv-er consolidation and as a powerful desktop computing tool has lead into a wide variety of studies into the performance of hypervisor products. This study has investigated the scalability of VMware Workstation 6 on the desktop platform. We present comparative performance results for the concurrent execution of a number of virtual machines. A through statistical analysis of the performance results highlights the perfor-mance trends of different numbers of concurrent virtual machines and concludes that VMware workstation can scale in certain contexts. We find that there are different performance benefits dependant on the ap-plication and that memory intensive applications perform less effective-ly than those applications which are IO intensive. We also find that run-ning concurrent virtual machines offers a significant performance de-crease, but that the drop thereafter is less significant.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Phases of sustainable development in small and medium enterprise (SME) retail outlets
- Authors: Brower, Marlon
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Small business -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Outlet stores -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018506
- Description: SMEs play a vital role in the country. For the purpose of the study the focus was on SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Jurisdiction. Businesses which met the SME criteria (refer to Chapter 1, Section 1.7.1), (Du Plessis, 1996: 162; Marx et al., 1998: 728) were included in this study. The study is formed around the aspects of business which contribute to the growth of the business in the long term. A specific study was conducted on the ethnic entrepreneur and the aspects that influence business growth. There are many factors which influence the growth of the business; for the purpose of this study, a specific focus was placed on: (1) knowledge with regard to business; (2) entrepreneurial culture; (3) brand management; (4) location of the business; (5) business relationships; and (6) cultural influences. These variables will determine how the growth of the business is ultimately influenced. The research can also discover from respondents what they view as important in their lives. The study then goes further to analyse whether the independent variables, as reacted to by the respondents, have a significant or non-significant effect on growth.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Brower, Marlon
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Small business -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Outlet stores -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018506
- Description: SMEs play a vital role in the country. For the purpose of the study the focus was on SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Jurisdiction. Businesses which met the SME criteria (refer to Chapter 1, Section 1.7.1), (Du Plessis, 1996: 162; Marx et al., 1998: 728) were included in this study. The study is formed around the aspects of business which contribute to the growth of the business in the long term. A specific study was conducted on the ethnic entrepreneur and the aspects that influence business growth. There are many factors which influence the growth of the business; for the purpose of this study, a specific focus was placed on: (1) knowledge with regard to business; (2) entrepreneurial culture; (3) brand management; (4) location of the business; (5) business relationships; and (6) cultural influences. These variables will determine how the growth of the business is ultimately influenced. The research can also discover from respondents what they view as important in their lives. The study then goes further to analyse whether the independent variables, as reacted to by the respondents, have a significant or non-significant effect on growth.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Phenolic compounds in water and the implications for rapid detection of indicator micro-organisms using ß-D-Galactosidase and ß-D-Glucuronidase
- Authors: Abboo, Sagaran
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3978 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004037 , Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Description: Faecal contamination in water is detected using appropriate microbial models such as total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli. Βeta-D-Galactosidase (β-GAL) and Beta-D-glucuronidase (β-GUD) are two marker enzymes that are used to test for the presence of total coliforms and E. coli in water samples, respectively. Various assay methods have been developed using chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates. In this study, the chromogenic substrates chlorophenol red β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG) for β-GAL and p-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (PNPG) for β-GUD were used. Potential problems associated with this approach include interference from other organisms present in the environment (e.g. plants, algae and other bacteria), as well as the presence of certain chemicals, such as phenolic compounds in water. Phenolic compounds are present in the aquatic environment due to their extensive industrial applications. The USA Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 11 Priority Pollutant Phenols (PPP) due to their high level of toxicity. This study investigated the interfering effects of the eleven PPP found in water on the enzyme activities of both the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays. The presence of these PPP in the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays showed that over and underestimation of activity may occur due to inhibition or activation of these enzymes. Three types of inhibition to enzyme activities were identified from double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plots. The inhibition constants (Ki) were determined for all inhibitory phenolic compounds from appropriate secondary plots. Furthermore, this study presented a validated reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method, developed for the simultaneous detection, separation and determination of all eleven phenolic compounds found in the environment. This method demonstrated good linearity, reproducibility, accuracy and sensitivity. Environmental water samples were collected from rivers, streams, industrial sites and wastewater treatment plant effluent. These samples were extracted and concentrated using a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure prior to analysis employing the newly developed HPLC method in this study. Seasonal variations on the presence of the PPP in the environment were observed at certain collection sites. The concentrations found were between 0.033 μg/ml for 2,4-dinitrophenol in a running stream to 0.890 mg/ml for pentachlorophenol from an tannery industrial site. These concentrations of phenolic compounds found in these environments were able to interfere with the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Abboo, Sagaran
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3978 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004037 , Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment , Pollutants -- Biodegradation , Phenol , Organic water pollutants , Water quality biological assessment , Water -- Pollution
- Description: Faecal contamination in water is detected using appropriate microbial models such as total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli. Βeta-D-Galactosidase (β-GAL) and Beta-D-glucuronidase (β-GUD) are two marker enzymes that are used to test for the presence of total coliforms and E. coli in water samples, respectively. Various assay methods have been developed using chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates. In this study, the chromogenic substrates chlorophenol red β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG) for β-GAL and p-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (PNPG) for β-GUD were used. Potential problems associated with this approach include interference from other organisms present in the environment (e.g. plants, algae and other bacteria), as well as the presence of certain chemicals, such as phenolic compounds in water. Phenolic compounds are present in the aquatic environment due to their extensive industrial applications. The USA Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) lists 11 Priority Pollutant Phenols (PPP) due to their high level of toxicity. This study investigated the interfering effects of the eleven PPP found in water on the enzyme activities of both the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays. The presence of these PPP in the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays showed that over and underestimation of activity may occur due to inhibition or activation of these enzymes. Three types of inhibition to enzyme activities were identified from double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plots. The inhibition constants (Ki) were determined for all inhibitory phenolic compounds from appropriate secondary plots. Furthermore, this study presented a validated reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method, developed for the simultaneous detection, separation and determination of all eleven phenolic compounds found in the environment. This method demonstrated good linearity, reproducibility, accuracy and sensitivity. Environmental water samples were collected from rivers, streams, industrial sites and wastewater treatment plant effluent. These samples were extracted and concentrated using a solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure prior to analysis employing the newly developed HPLC method in this study. Seasonal variations on the presence of the PPP in the environment were observed at certain collection sites. The concentrations found were between 0.033 μg/ml for 2,4-dinitrophenol in a running stream to 0.890 mg/ml for pentachlorophenol from an tannery industrial site. These concentrations of phenolic compounds found in these environments were able to interfere with the β-GAL and β-GUD enzyme assays.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Photophysical and photochemical behaviour of metallophthalocyanines effect of nanoparticles and molecules of biological importance
- Authors: Idowu, Mopelola Abidemi
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Electrochemistry Phthalocyanines Nanoparticles
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4329 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004990
- Description: Syntheses, spectral, photophysical and photochemical studies of some neutral, anionic and cationic metallophthalocyanine derivatives are presented. The effects of central metal ions, solvents, aggregation, surfactant, nanoparticles and bovine serum albumin on the photophysical and photochemical behaviour are investigated. Mercaptocarboxylic acid stabilized CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were used as energy donors to anionic water-soluble MPcs through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Energy transfer (ET) from the QDs to the MPcs occurred upon photoexcitation of the QDs. An enhancement in efficiency of ET with the nature of the cappings on the QDs was observed with few occurrences of a non-Förster type ET. QDs were found to improve the photophysicochemical behaviour of the MPcs, with the possibility of indirect production of singlet oxygen (Φ[subscript Δ]) via FRET mechanism. Interaction of the QDs with cationic water-souble MPcs produced ion-pair complexes resulting in aggregates due to strong electronic coupling. The stoichiometry of the reaction and association constants are evaluated by the continuous variation method. Improved photophysicochemical behaviour with no spectral alterations was observed in MPcs in the presence of magnetic fluid. Complexes showed high triplet quantum yields with corresponding long lifetimes and high photostability. Elucidation of the results of the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with MPcs or QDs is presented. Increased efficiency of Φ[subscript Δ] generation of MPcs in the presence of BSA coupled with large binding constants, suggesting strong interaction of the MPcs with BSA was observed. Enhanced emission intensity of QDs when linked to or in a mixture with BSA due to radiationless recombination at the surface vacancies was also observed. The study revealed positive deviation from Stern-Volmer relationship suggesting the occurrence of static and dynamic mechanisms of quenching together. Fluorescence quenching of the MPcs by benzoquinone, analysed by Stern-Volmer relationship is also presented; the results were employed in determining fluorescence lifetimes of the complexes. Photoelectrochemical characteristics of MPc-sensitized electrodeposited ZnO thin films were studied; ZnOCPc / ZnO films have been improved to an incident photon-to-currentconversion (IPCE) value of 31.1 % with an absorbed photon-to-current conversion (APCE) of 59.6 %. The best obtained so far with phthalocyanine-type sensitizers on nanocrystalline ZnO films. Fluorescent-magnetic nanocomposite with excellent photophysical properties which can be exploited for combined photodynamic and hyperthermia therapies is also presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Idowu, Mopelola Abidemi
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Electrochemistry Phthalocyanines Nanoparticles
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4329 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004990
- Description: Syntheses, spectral, photophysical and photochemical studies of some neutral, anionic and cationic metallophthalocyanine derivatives are presented. The effects of central metal ions, solvents, aggregation, surfactant, nanoparticles and bovine serum albumin on the photophysical and photochemical behaviour are investigated. Mercaptocarboxylic acid stabilized CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were used as energy donors to anionic water-soluble MPcs through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Energy transfer (ET) from the QDs to the MPcs occurred upon photoexcitation of the QDs. An enhancement in efficiency of ET with the nature of the cappings on the QDs was observed with few occurrences of a non-Förster type ET. QDs were found to improve the photophysicochemical behaviour of the MPcs, with the possibility of indirect production of singlet oxygen (Φ[subscript Δ]) via FRET mechanism. Interaction of the QDs with cationic water-souble MPcs produced ion-pair complexes resulting in aggregates due to strong electronic coupling. The stoichiometry of the reaction and association constants are evaluated by the continuous variation method. Improved photophysicochemical behaviour with no spectral alterations was observed in MPcs in the presence of magnetic fluid. Complexes showed high triplet quantum yields with corresponding long lifetimes and high photostability. Elucidation of the results of the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with MPcs or QDs is presented. Increased efficiency of Φ[subscript Δ] generation of MPcs in the presence of BSA coupled with large binding constants, suggesting strong interaction of the MPcs with BSA was observed. Enhanced emission intensity of QDs when linked to or in a mixture with BSA due to radiationless recombination at the surface vacancies was also observed. The study revealed positive deviation from Stern-Volmer relationship suggesting the occurrence of static and dynamic mechanisms of quenching together. Fluorescence quenching of the MPcs by benzoquinone, analysed by Stern-Volmer relationship is also presented; the results were employed in determining fluorescence lifetimes of the complexes. Photoelectrochemical characteristics of MPc-sensitized electrodeposited ZnO thin films were studied; ZnOCPc / ZnO films have been improved to an incident photon-to-currentconversion (IPCE) value of 31.1 % with an absorbed photon-to-current conversion (APCE) of 59.6 %. The best obtained so far with phthalocyanine-type sensitizers on nanocrystalline ZnO films. Fluorescent-magnetic nanocomposite with excellent photophysical properties which can be exploited for combined photodynamic and hyperthermia therapies is also presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Photophysical, photochemical and electrochemical properties of water soluble silicon, titanium and zinc phthalocyanines
- Masilela, Nkosiphile, Idowu, Mopelola A I, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Masilela, Nkosiphile , Idowu, Mopelola A I , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/264496 , vital:53739 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2008.10.009"
- Description: The photophysical, and photochemical properties of titanium, silicon and zinc octacarboxy phthalocyanine (OTiOCPc, (OH)2SiOCPc and ZnOCPc) and their tetrasulfonated counterparts (OTiTSPc, (OH)2SiTSPc and ZnTSPc) in phosphate-buffer solution (PBS), pH 10 were studied. The tetrasulfonated derivatives were also studied in the presence of a surfactant, cremophore EL (CEL) due to their high aggregation tendency in aqueous solutions. Triplet quantum yields ranged from 0.20 to 0.48 for MOCPcs and 0.32–0.65 for MTSPcs in the presence of CEL and in pH 10. High triplet lifetimes were observed for ZnTSPc (270 μs, in the presence of CEL) or ZnOCPc (130 μs) compared to values ranging from 50 to 70 μs for the rest of the complexes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Masilela, Nkosiphile , Idowu, Mopelola A I , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/264496 , vital:53739 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2008.10.009"
- Description: The photophysical, and photochemical properties of titanium, silicon and zinc octacarboxy phthalocyanine (OTiOCPc, (OH)2SiOCPc and ZnOCPc) and their tetrasulfonated counterparts (OTiTSPc, (OH)2SiTSPc and ZnTSPc) in phosphate-buffer solution (PBS), pH 10 were studied. The tetrasulfonated derivatives were also studied in the presence of a surfactant, cremophore EL (CEL) due to their high aggregation tendency in aqueous solutions. Triplet quantum yields ranged from 0.20 to 0.48 for MOCPcs and 0.32–0.65 for MTSPcs in the presence of CEL and in pH 10. High triplet lifetimes were observed for ZnTSPc (270 μs, in the presence of CEL) or ZnOCPc (130 μs) compared to values ranging from 50 to 70 μs for the rest of the complexes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Photophysicochemical and fluorescence quenching studies of tetra-and octa-carboxy substituted silicon and germanium phthalocyanines
- Idowu, Mopelola A I, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Idowu, Mopelola A I , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263500 , vital:53633 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2009.02.002"
- Description: Spectral, photophysical and photochemical properties of tetra- and octa-carboxy substituted metallophthalocyanines containing silicon and germanium as central metals ((OH)2GeTCPc, (OH)2SiTCPc, (OH)2GeOCPc and (OH)2SiOCPc) have been studied in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and the trends in triplet, fluorescence, singlet oxygen quantum yields and triplet lifetimes are described for these compounds. The GePc derivatives exhibited high triplet quantum yields (ΦT = 0.79 for (OH)2GeOCPc and 0.82 for (OH)2GeTCPc compared to ΦT = 0.66 for (OH)2SiTCPc and 0.48 for (OH)2SiOCPc) due to the spin–orbit coupling induced by Ge(IV). The triplet lifetimes were higher for MOCPc (τT = 760 μs for (OH)2SiOCPc and 480 μs for (OH)2GeOCPc compared to τT = 210 μs for (OH)2SiTCPc and 260 μs for (OH)2GeTCPc). The fluorescent states of the metallophthalocyanine (MPc) complexes were effectively quenched by benzoquinone (BQ) and the quenching course was found to follow a diffusion-controlled (dynamic) bimolecular mechanism. Theoretical values of bimolecular rate constant for the interaction of the complexes with BQ were determined using the Stokes–Einstein–Smoluchowski model, and values together with the Stern–Volmer quenching constants were used in calculating the fluorescence lifetimes of the complexes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Idowu, Mopelola A I , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263500 , vital:53633 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2009.02.002"
- Description: Spectral, photophysical and photochemical properties of tetra- and octa-carboxy substituted metallophthalocyanines containing silicon and germanium as central metals ((OH)2GeTCPc, (OH)2SiTCPc, (OH)2GeOCPc and (OH)2SiOCPc) have been studied in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and the trends in triplet, fluorescence, singlet oxygen quantum yields and triplet lifetimes are described for these compounds. The GePc derivatives exhibited high triplet quantum yields (ΦT = 0.79 for (OH)2GeOCPc and 0.82 for (OH)2GeTCPc compared to ΦT = 0.66 for (OH)2SiTCPc and 0.48 for (OH)2SiOCPc) due to the spin–orbit coupling induced by Ge(IV). The triplet lifetimes were higher for MOCPc (τT = 760 μs for (OH)2SiOCPc and 480 μs for (OH)2GeOCPc compared to τT = 210 μs for (OH)2SiTCPc and 260 μs for (OH)2GeTCPc). The fluorescent states of the metallophthalocyanine (MPc) complexes were effectively quenched by benzoquinone (BQ) and the quenching course was found to follow a diffusion-controlled (dynamic) bimolecular mechanism. Theoretical values of bimolecular rate constant for the interaction of the complexes with BQ were determined using the Stokes–Einstein–Smoluchowski model, and values together with the Stern–Volmer quenching constants were used in calculating the fluorescence lifetimes of the complexes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Photosynthetic and evolutionary determinants of the response of selected C3 and C4 (NADP-ME) grasses to fire
- Authors: Martin, Tarryn
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Photosynthesis , Carbon -- Metabolism , Grasses -- Adaptation , Plants -- Effect of fires on , Grasses -- Research , Grasses -- Physiology , Grasses -- Evolution , Grasslands -- Research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4211 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003780 , Photosynthesis , Carbon -- Metabolism , Grasses -- Adaptation , Plants -- Effect of fires on , Grasses -- Research , Grasses -- Physiology , Grasses -- Evolution , Grasslands -- Research
- Description: Species possess characteristics that are considered adapted to burning and these allow them to outcompete species and dominate in fire prone environments. It has therefore been proposed that fire might have played a critical role in the observed expansion of the grasslands, during the late Miocene. The aim of this study was (i) to investigate whether plant response to fire was a result of physiology or (ii) whether it was due to phylogenetic history. This was achieved by doing a pair-wise comparison between Panicoideae (and Panicoideae) and non-Panicoideae (Danthonioideae and Aristidoideae) species. Pre-fire characteristics, that would enhance fire frequency and assist with plant recovery after burning, were compared across phylogenies and photosynthetic type. Post fire plant recovery was then followed in a field and pot comparison which examined the re-growth of the leaf canopy area, leaf mass, above-ground biomass and the cost of this to the below-ground biomass. The pre-fire characteristics showed both a photosynthetic and phylogenetic response. It was found that the species showed a greater canopy death during winter and had a lower moisture content than the species. These characteristics would potentially contribute towards a larger fuel load in the species. However, the comparison of the dead standing biomass at the end of winter and the below-ground biomass, showed a phylogenetic response with the Panicoideae having a proportionally larger dead standing biomass and below-ground biomass than the non-Panicoideae. These results suggest that not only did the Panicoideae have a larger potential fuel load but that they also shunted carbon below-ground, enabling a fast recovery after being burned. The post-fire results were more strongly determined by phylogeny than by photosynthetic type. The Panicoideae recovered faster and more completely than the non-Panicoideae grasses, possibly contributing to their success and expansion under conditions of increased fire frequency. Although recovery of the and Panicoideae were similar, frequently burnt grasslands are dominated by the Panicoideae. Hence, this dominance cannot be explained by differences in their fire responses and may be determined by the post-fire environmental conditions that potentially advantage species possessing the photosynthetic pathway. Panicoideae dominance is limited to mesic environments where fire is the likely driver of grassland expansion while more arid environments are dominated by non-Panicoideae species. Representative species from these non-Panicoid subfamilies showed poor recovery after fire. This suggests that factors other than fire were the likely drivers of these xeric grassland expansions. The ability of these subfamilies, and particularly the species, to cope with drought remains a likely selective mechanism that requires further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Martin, Tarryn
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Photosynthesis , Carbon -- Metabolism , Grasses -- Adaptation , Plants -- Effect of fires on , Grasses -- Research , Grasses -- Physiology , Grasses -- Evolution , Grasslands -- Research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4211 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003780 , Photosynthesis , Carbon -- Metabolism , Grasses -- Adaptation , Plants -- Effect of fires on , Grasses -- Research , Grasses -- Physiology , Grasses -- Evolution , Grasslands -- Research
- Description: Species possess characteristics that are considered adapted to burning and these allow them to outcompete species and dominate in fire prone environments. It has therefore been proposed that fire might have played a critical role in the observed expansion of the grasslands, during the late Miocene. The aim of this study was (i) to investigate whether plant response to fire was a result of physiology or (ii) whether it was due to phylogenetic history. This was achieved by doing a pair-wise comparison between Panicoideae (and Panicoideae) and non-Panicoideae (Danthonioideae and Aristidoideae) species. Pre-fire characteristics, that would enhance fire frequency and assist with plant recovery after burning, were compared across phylogenies and photosynthetic type. Post fire plant recovery was then followed in a field and pot comparison which examined the re-growth of the leaf canopy area, leaf mass, above-ground biomass and the cost of this to the below-ground biomass. The pre-fire characteristics showed both a photosynthetic and phylogenetic response. It was found that the species showed a greater canopy death during winter and had a lower moisture content than the species. These characteristics would potentially contribute towards a larger fuel load in the species. However, the comparison of the dead standing biomass at the end of winter and the below-ground biomass, showed a phylogenetic response with the Panicoideae having a proportionally larger dead standing biomass and below-ground biomass than the non-Panicoideae. These results suggest that not only did the Panicoideae have a larger potential fuel load but that they also shunted carbon below-ground, enabling a fast recovery after being burned. The post-fire results were more strongly determined by phylogeny than by photosynthetic type. The Panicoideae recovered faster and more completely than the non-Panicoideae grasses, possibly contributing to their success and expansion under conditions of increased fire frequency. Although recovery of the and Panicoideae were similar, frequently burnt grasslands are dominated by the Panicoideae. Hence, this dominance cannot be explained by differences in their fire responses and may be determined by the post-fire environmental conditions that potentially advantage species possessing the photosynthetic pathway. Panicoideae dominance is limited to mesic environments where fire is the likely driver of grassland expansion while more arid environments are dominated by non-Panicoideae species. Representative species from these non-Panicoid subfamilies showed poor recovery after fire. This suggests that factors other than fire were the likely drivers of these xeric grassland expansions. The ability of these subfamilies, and particularly the species, to cope with drought remains a likely selective mechanism that requires further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Phylogeny, biogeography and classification of the snake superfamily Elapoidea a rapid radiation in the late Eocene
- Kelly, Christopher M R, Barker, Nigel P, Villet, Martin H, Broadley, Donald G
- Authors: Kelly, Christopher M R , Barker, Nigel P , Villet, Martin H , Broadley, Donald G
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442267 , vital:73971 , https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00237.x
- Description: The snake superfamily Elapoidea presents one of the most intransigent problems in systematics of the Caenophidia. Its monophyly is undisputed and several cohesive constituent lineages have been identified (including the diverse and clinically important family Elapidae), but its basal phylogenetic structure is obscure. We investigate phylogenetic relationships and spatial and temporal history of the Elapoidea using 94 caenophidian species and approximately 2300–4300 bases of DNA sequence from one nuclear and four mitochondrial genes. Phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted in a parametric framework using complex models of sequence evolution. We employed Bayesian relaxed clocks and Penalized Likelihood with rate smoothing to date the phylogeny, in conjunction with seven fossil calibration constraints. Elapoid biogeography was investigated using maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. Resolution was poor for early relationships in the Elapoidea and in Elapidae and our results imply rapid basal diversification in both clades, in the late Eocene of Africa (Elapoidea) and the mid‐Oligocene of the Oriental region (Elapidae). We identify the major elapoid and elapid lineages, present a phylogenetic classification system for the superfamily (excluding Elapidae), and combine our phylogenetic, temporal and biogeographic results to provide an account of elapoid evolution in light of current palaeontological data and palaeogeographic models.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Kelly, Christopher M R , Barker, Nigel P , Villet, Martin H , Broadley, Donald G
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442267 , vital:73971 , https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00237.x
- Description: The snake superfamily Elapoidea presents one of the most intransigent problems in systematics of the Caenophidia. Its monophyly is undisputed and several cohesive constituent lineages have been identified (including the diverse and clinically important family Elapidae), but its basal phylogenetic structure is obscure. We investigate phylogenetic relationships and spatial and temporal history of the Elapoidea using 94 caenophidian species and approximately 2300–4300 bases of DNA sequence from one nuclear and four mitochondrial genes. Phylogenetic reconstruction was conducted in a parametric framework using complex models of sequence evolution. We employed Bayesian relaxed clocks and Penalized Likelihood with rate smoothing to date the phylogeny, in conjunction with seven fossil calibration constraints. Elapoid biogeography was investigated using maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. Resolution was poor for early relationships in the Elapoidea and in Elapidae and our results imply rapid basal diversification in both clades, in the late Eocene of Africa (Elapoidea) and the mid‐Oligocene of the Oriental region (Elapidae). We identify the major elapoid and elapid lineages, present a phylogenetic classification system for the superfamily (excluding Elapidae), and combine our phylogenetic, temporal and biogeographic results to provide an account of elapoid evolution in light of current palaeontological data and palaeogeographic models.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Phylogeography and epifauna of two intertidal seaweeds on the coast of South Africa
- Authors: Mmonwa, Lucas Kolobe
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Phylogeography -- South Africa , Marine algae -- South Africa , Red algae -- South Africa , Gelidium -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5738 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005424 , Phylogeography -- South Africa , Marine algae -- South Africa , Red algae -- South Africa , Gelidium -- South Africa
- Description: Southern African biogeographic boundaries delimit the phylogeographic distribution of some coastal and estuarine invertebrates. This study investigated the impact of these boundaries on the phylogeographic distribution of two intertidal red seaweeds, Gelidium pristoides and Hypnea spicifera using the mitochondrial Cox2-3 spacer and the nuclear ITS1 regions. G. pristoides spores have short distance-dispersal, while long distance-dispersal is more likely in H. spicifera via spores and drifting fertile thallus fragments. Both markers revealed a south-western and south-eastern lineage within G. pristoides but the breaks between lineages do not coincide with any recognised biogeographic limits. The Cox2-3 spacer revealed a boundary between the two lineages at the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield (ACD) and ITS1 at the Gamtoos-Van Stadens Dunefields (GVD) which is approximately 80km west of the ACD. The minor difference between the two markers regarding location of the phylogeographic boundary is probably due to the dating differences between the two dunefields. The ACD as developed currently is superimposed on the ancient dunefields which formed during the Pleistocene, coinciding with the Cox2-3 spacer sequences divergence which dates back 500,000 - 580,000 years. The GVD formed during the Holocene (6,500 - 4,000 years ago), coinciding with the ITS1 sequences divergence which dates 4,224 - 4,928 years ago. Thus, these phylogeographic boundaries probably appeared without the influence of biogeographic boundaries, but rather due to the lack of suitable habitat in the dunefields, coupled with short dispersal-distances of the spores. Analysis of the ITS1 and Cox2-3 spacer regions in H. spicifera revealed that the species is characterized by uniform genetic structure along the coastline. This reflects the species`s potential for long range expansion as it inhabits both the intertidal and subtidal zones; and this presumably leads to high gene flow among populations. The ITS1 sequences showed minimal genetic variation of one substitution between the gametophyte and tetrasporophyte generations within H. spicifera. This suggests the predominance of asexual reproduction, which reduces gene flow and fixes alleles between generations. ANOSIM and Bray-Curtis cluster analyses showed scale-dependant variation in the abundances of epifauna (mainly amphipod, isopod, mollusc and polychaete species) on G. pristoides. At small local (within site) and large (among sites) scales, there were weak and no structure in epifaunal abundances respectively. However, at larger, biogeographic scales, samples from the same biogeographic region tended to be clustered together. Thus, there was a group containing predominantly south coast samples and a group containing east coast samples mixed with the remaining south coast samples. Such scale-dependant variation in epifaunal abundances is probably due to the effects of factors driving species richness at small local (within site) scales (e.g. wave exposure, seaweed biomass) and at larger, biogeographic scales (e.g. surface sea temperature). Moreover, at very small (individual samples) scales; there was no correlation between epifauna composition and genotype of the seaweed. Seaweed samples characterized by distinct ITS1 or Cox2-3 spacer sequences did not show any significant differences in epifaunal composition. Although the distributional pattern of the epifaunal community observed at large biogeographic scale is not clear, it seems to be associated with the biogeographic regions. However, phylogeographic distribution of Gelidium pristoides is not connected to biogeographic regions. Thus, at larger, biogeographic scales, there is no correlation between phylogeographic distribution of G. pristoides and distribution of the associated fauna
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Mmonwa, Lucas Kolobe
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Phylogeography -- South Africa , Marine algae -- South Africa , Red algae -- South Africa , Gelidium -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5738 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005424 , Phylogeography -- South Africa , Marine algae -- South Africa , Red algae -- South Africa , Gelidium -- South Africa
- Description: Southern African biogeographic boundaries delimit the phylogeographic distribution of some coastal and estuarine invertebrates. This study investigated the impact of these boundaries on the phylogeographic distribution of two intertidal red seaweeds, Gelidium pristoides and Hypnea spicifera using the mitochondrial Cox2-3 spacer and the nuclear ITS1 regions. G. pristoides spores have short distance-dispersal, while long distance-dispersal is more likely in H. spicifera via spores and drifting fertile thallus fragments. Both markers revealed a south-western and south-eastern lineage within G. pristoides but the breaks between lineages do not coincide with any recognised biogeographic limits. The Cox2-3 spacer revealed a boundary between the two lineages at the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield (ACD) and ITS1 at the Gamtoos-Van Stadens Dunefields (GVD) which is approximately 80km west of the ACD. The minor difference between the two markers regarding location of the phylogeographic boundary is probably due to the dating differences between the two dunefields. The ACD as developed currently is superimposed on the ancient dunefields which formed during the Pleistocene, coinciding with the Cox2-3 spacer sequences divergence which dates back 500,000 - 580,000 years. The GVD formed during the Holocene (6,500 - 4,000 years ago), coinciding with the ITS1 sequences divergence which dates 4,224 - 4,928 years ago. Thus, these phylogeographic boundaries probably appeared without the influence of biogeographic boundaries, but rather due to the lack of suitable habitat in the dunefields, coupled with short dispersal-distances of the spores. Analysis of the ITS1 and Cox2-3 spacer regions in H. spicifera revealed that the species is characterized by uniform genetic structure along the coastline. This reflects the species`s potential for long range expansion as it inhabits both the intertidal and subtidal zones; and this presumably leads to high gene flow among populations. The ITS1 sequences showed minimal genetic variation of one substitution between the gametophyte and tetrasporophyte generations within H. spicifera. This suggests the predominance of asexual reproduction, which reduces gene flow and fixes alleles between generations. ANOSIM and Bray-Curtis cluster analyses showed scale-dependant variation in the abundances of epifauna (mainly amphipod, isopod, mollusc and polychaete species) on G. pristoides. At small local (within site) and large (among sites) scales, there were weak and no structure in epifaunal abundances respectively. However, at larger, biogeographic scales, samples from the same biogeographic region tended to be clustered together. Thus, there was a group containing predominantly south coast samples and a group containing east coast samples mixed with the remaining south coast samples. Such scale-dependant variation in epifaunal abundances is probably due to the effects of factors driving species richness at small local (within site) scales (e.g. wave exposure, seaweed biomass) and at larger, biogeographic scales (e.g. surface sea temperature). Moreover, at very small (individual samples) scales; there was no correlation between epifauna composition and genotype of the seaweed. Seaweed samples characterized by distinct ITS1 or Cox2-3 spacer sequences did not show any significant differences in epifaunal composition. Although the distributional pattern of the epifaunal community observed at large biogeographic scale is not clear, it seems to be associated with the biogeographic regions. However, phylogeographic distribution of Gelidium pristoides is not connected to biogeographic regions. Thus, at larger, biogeographic scales, there is no correlation between phylogeographic distribution of G. pristoides and distribution of the associated fauna
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Plankton trophodynamics at the subtropical convergence, Southern Ocean
- Richoux, Nicole B, Froneman, P William
- Authors: Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457967 , vital:75704 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbp054"
- Description: Stable isotope signatures (δ13C, δ15N) in zooplankton tissues and particulate organic matter (POM) were determined to assess regional differences in the trophodynamics of zooplankton communities between 38 and 43°S, where the cool nutrient-rich subantarctic waters of the Southern Ocean meet the warm nutrient-poor subtropical waters of the southwest Indian Ocean at the subtropical convergence (STC). Significantly enriched values of δ15N were noted in populations of all major zooplankton groups inhabiting the warm and saline water mass north of the STC (maximum surface temperature 21°C), including the euphausiids, salps, amphipods, copepods, ostracods, pyrosomes, pteropods and chaetognaths, compared with those in the cool, less saline southern water mass (minimum surface temperature 11°C). Similar patterns of δ15N in POM collected throughout the region suggest that the large changes in zooplankton δ15N values across the frontal region are driven by variations in the phytoplankton communities. The differing trophodynamics in communities north and south of the STC provide compelling evidence of distinct bottom-up effects on planktonic food webs which have important implications in the determination of trophic positions and motility of plankton and higher consumers using δ15N signatures. Although expected, similar latitudinal variations in δ13C signatures were not found.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457967 , vital:75704 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbp054"
- Description: Stable isotope signatures (δ13C, δ15N) in zooplankton tissues and particulate organic matter (POM) were determined to assess regional differences in the trophodynamics of zooplankton communities between 38 and 43°S, where the cool nutrient-rich subantarctic waters of the Southern Ocean meet the warm nutrient-poor subtropical waters of the southwest Indian Ocean at the subtropical convergence (STC). Significantly enriched values of δ15N were noted in populations of all major zooplankton groups inhabiting the warm and saline water mass north of the STC (maximum surface temperature 21°C), including the euphausiids, salps, amphipods, copepods, ostracods, pyrosomes, pteropods and chaetognaths, compared with those in the cool, less saline southern water mass (minimum surface temperature 11°C). Similar patterns of δ15N in POM collected throughout the region suggest that the large changes in zooplankton δ15N values across the frontal region are driven by variations in the phytoplankton communities. The differing trophodynamics in communities north and south of the STC provide compelling evidence of distinct bottom-up effects on planktonic food webs which have important implications in the determination of trophic positions and motility of plankton and higher consumers using δ15N signatures. Although expected, similar latitudinal variations in δ13C signatures were not found.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Planning and managing curriculum implementation in rural schools: an investigation
- Authors: Labane, Nokubonga
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Curriculum planning -- South Africa , Teacher participation in curriculum planning , Education -- South Africa -- Curricula
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9522 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/998 , Curriculum planning -- South Africa , Teacher participation in curriculum planning , Education -- South Africa -- Curricula
- Description: Fleisch (2002) and Jansen and Christie (1999) hold that implementation of the national school curriculum in post-apartheid South Africa was riddled with uncertainties, ineffective classroom management and a general lack of academic performance by learners, mainly as a result of inadequate training and support (SMTs) to support the implementation process through proper planning and subsequent management of the implementation (Rogan and Grayson, 2003:1172-1195). Middlewood (2003a: 66- 68) thus assigns the primary responsibility of planning, managing and overseeing the curriculum implementation process to the SMT. Research problem and question 1 In the context of this study, the School Management Team (SMT) includes the school principal, the deputy-principal and the head(s) of department(s) or senior teachers. 4 for teachers in the classroom. Having considered the above essential aspects related to curriculum implementation, there is thus reason to be concerned about the effectiveness of curriculum implementation in South African schools, specifically in rural schools. Due to their remoteness, limited resources, and fluctuating quality of teacher expertise, these schools are often more challenged in terms of curriculum implementation (Delport and Mangwaya, 2008:224). Although there are many factors affecting the (in)effectiveness of implementation, this study regards a school’s curriculum implementation plans and the subsequent management of these implementation plans as crucial to ensuring successful implementation of a new curriculum. The central research problem that guided this study thus relates to the planning and subsequent management of curriculum implementation at school level. The above problem has culminated in the formulation of the following research question: How do selected rural schools plan and manage curriculum implementation?.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Labane, Nokubonga
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Curriculum planning -- South Africa , Teacher participation in curriculum planning , Education -- South Africa -- Curricula
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9522 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/998 , Curriculum planning -- South Africa , Teacher participation in curriculum planning , Education -- South Africa -- Curricula
- Description: Fleisch (2002) and Jansen and Christie (1999) hold that implementation of the national school curriculum in post-apartheid South Africa was riddled with uncertainties, ineffective classroom management and a general lack of academic performance by learners, mainly as a result of inadequate training and support (SMTs) to support the implementation process through proper planning and subsequent management of the implementation (Rogan and Grayson, 2003:1172-1195). Middlewood (2003a: 66- 68) thus assigns the primary responsibility of planning, managing and overseeing the curriculum implementation process to the SMT. Research problem and question 1 In the context of this study, the School Management Team (SMT) includes the school principal, the deputy-principal and the head(s) of department(s) or senior teachers. 4 for teachers in the classroom. Having considered the above essential aspects related to curriculum implementation, there is thus reason to be concerned about the effectiveness of curriculum implementation in South African schools, specifically in rural schools. Due to their remoteness, limited resources, and fluctuating quality of teacher expertise, these schools are often more challenged in terms of curriculum implementation (Delport and Mangwaya, 2008:224). Although there are many factors affecting the (in)effectiveness of implementation, this study regards a school’s curriculum implementation plans and the subsequent management of these implementation plans as crucial to ensuring successful implementation of a new curriculum. The central research problem that guided this study thus relates to the planning and subsequent management of curriculum implementation at school level. The above problem has culminated in the formulation of the following research question: How do selected rural schools plan and manage curriculum implementation?.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Plant-Arthropod Interactions in the Early Angiosperm History - Evidence from the Cretaceous of Israel, V. Krassilov, N. Silantieva and Z. Lewy (Part I) and L.N. Anisyutkin, V.G. Grachev, A.G. Ponomarenko, A.P. Rasnitsyn and P. Vrsansky (Part II); V. Krassi-lov and A. Rasnitsyn (Eds.) book review
- Prevec, Rosemary, Bordy, Emese M
- Authors: Prevec, Rosemary , Bordy, Emese M
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452418 , vital:75127 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32792
- Description: This book is a richly illustrated synthesis and development of knowledge on the wide range of plant-insect associations that has been observed in several collections of Cretaceous megafloras from the Negev of Israel.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Prevec, Rosemary , Bordy, Emese M
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452418 , vital:75127 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32792
- Description: This book is a richly illustrated synthesis and development of knowledge on the wide range of plant-insect associations that has been observed in several collections of Cretaceous megafloras from the Negev of Israel.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Plants for health, life and spirit in Africa : implications for biodiversity and cultural diversity conservation
- Cocks, Michelle L, Dold, Anthony P
- Authors: Cocks, Michelle L , Dold, Anthony P
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6617 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016225
- Description: [From Introduction] Natural resources are often only perceived as contributing to rural livelihoods through food production and household welfare. There is a growing wealth of information capturing the direct-use values of the environment and consequent recognition of natural resources as being “the poor man's overcoat”. These approaches, however, have failed to fully account for the various ways in which different groups of people make use of, and find value in biodiversity. New developments within the field of anthropology have begun to explore the relationship between biodiversity and human diversity. This view has largely come about because many of the areas of highest biological diversity are inhabited by indigenous and traditional people, providing what the Declaration of Belem (1988) calls an 'inextricable link' between biological and cultural diversity (Posey 1999). The term bio-cultural diversity was introduced by Posey in 1999 to describe the concept denoting this link. , Funding was received from the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) and the International Foundation of Science (IFS)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Cocks, Michelle L , Dold, Anthony P
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6617 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016225
- Description: [From Introduction] Natural resources are often only perceived as contributing to rural livelihoods through food production and household welfare. There is a growing wealth of information capturing the direct-use values of the environment and consequent recognition of natural resources as being “the poor man's overcoat”. These approaches, however, have failed to fully account for the various ways in which different groups of people make use of, and find value in biodiversity. New developments within the field of anthropology have begun to explore the relationship between biodiversity and human diversity. This view has largely come about because many of the areas of highest biological diversity are inhabited by indigenous and traditional people, providing what the Declaration of Belem (1988) calls an 'inextricable link' between biological and cultural diversity (Posey 1999). The term bio-cultural diversity was introduced by Posey in 1999 to describe the concept denoting this link. , Funding was received from the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) and the International Foundation of Science (IFS)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Pointfree pseudocompactness revisited
- Authors: Dube, T , Matutu, Phethiwe P
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6781 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006924
- Description: We give several internal and external characterizations of pseudocompactness in frames which extend (and transcend) analogous characterizations in topological spaces. In the case of internal characterizations we do not make reference (explicitly or implicitly) to the reals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Dube, T , Matutu, Phethiwe P
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6781 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006924
- Description: We give several internal and external characterizations of pseudocompactness in frames which extend (and transcend) analogous characterizations in topological spaces. In the case of internal characterizations we do not make reference (explicitly or implicitly) to the reals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Polarization mode dispersion emulation and the impact of high first-order PMD segments in optical telecommunication systems
- Authors: Musara, Vitalis
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Optical communications , Fiber optics , Polarization (Light)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10519 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1138 , Optical communications , Fiber optics , Polarization (Light)
- Description: In this study, focus is centred on the measurement and emulation of first-order (FO-) and second-order (SO-) polarization mode dispersion (PMD). PMD has deleterious effects on the performance of high speed optical transmission network systems from 10 Gb/s and above. The first step was characterising deployed fibres for PMD and monitoring the state of polarization (SOP) light experiences as it propagates through the fibre. The PMD and SOP changes in deployed fibres were stochastic due to varying intrinsic and extrinsic perturbation changes. To fully understand the PMD phenomenon in terms of measurement accuracy, its complex behaviour, its implications, mitigation and compensation, PMD emulation is crucial. This thesis presents emulator designs which fall into different emulator categories. The key to these designs were the PMD equations and background on the PMD phenomenon. The cross product from the concatenation equation was applied in order to determine the coupling angle β (between 0o and 180o) that results in the SO-PMD of the emulator designs to be either adjustable or fixed. The digital delay line (DDL) or single polarization maintaining fibre (PMF) section was used to give a certain amount of FO-PMD but negligible SO-PMD. PMF sections (birefringent sections) were concatenated together to ensure FO- and SO-PMD coexist, emulating deployed fibres. FO- and SO-PMD can be controlled by altering mode coupling (coupling angles) and birefringence distribution. Emulators with PMD statistics approaching the theoretical distributions had high random coupling and several numbers of randomly distributed PMF sections. In addition, the lengths of their PMF sections lie within 20% standard deviation of the mean emulator length. Those emulators with PMD statistics that did not approach the theoretical distributions had limited numbers of randomly distributed PMF sections and mode coupling. Results also show that even when an emulator has high random mode coupling and several numbers of randomly distributed PMFs, its PMD statistics deviates away from expected theoretical distributions in the presence of polarization dependent loss (PDL). The emulators showed that the background autocorrelation function (BACF) approaches zero with increasing number of randomly mode coupled fibre sections. A zero BACF signifies that an emulator has large numbers of randomly distributed PMF sections and its presence means the opposite. The availability of SO-PMD in the emulators made the autocorrelation function (ACF) x asymmetric. In the absence of SO-PMD the ACF for a PMD emulator is symmetric. SO-PMD has no effect on the BACF. Polarization-optical time domain reflectometry (P-OTDR) measurements have shown that certain fibre sections along fibre link lengths have higher FO-PMD (HiFO-PMD) than other sections. This study investigates the impact of a HiFO-PMD section on the overall FO- and SO-PMD, the output state of polarization (SOP) and system performance on deployed fibres (through emulation). Results show that when the wavelength-independent FO-PMD vector of the HiFO-PMD section is greater than the FO-PMD contributions from the rest of the fibre link, the mean FO-PMD of the entire link is biased towards that of the HiFO-PMD section and the SO-PMD increases (β ≠ 0o or 180o) or remains fixed (β = 0o or 180o) depending on the coupling angle β between the HiFO-PMD section and the rest of the fibre link. In addition, the FO-PMD statistics deviates away from the theoretical Maxwellian distribution. However, experimental results show that the HiFO-PMD section has negligible influence on the SOPMD statistical distribution. An increase in the amount of FO-PMD on a HiFO-PMD section reduces the output SOP spread to a given minimum, in this study the minimum was reached when the HiFO-PMD ≥ 35 ps. However, the outcome of the output SOP spread depends on the location of the HiFO-PMD section along the fibre link length. It was found that when the HiFO-PMD section introduces SO-PMD, the bit error rate (BER) is much higher compared to when it does not introduce SO-PMD.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Musara, Vitalis
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Optical communications , Fiber optics , Polarization (Light)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10519 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1138 , Optical communications , Fiber optics , Polarization (Light)
- Description: In this study, focus is centred on the measurement and emulation of first-order (FO-) and second-order (SO-) polarization mode dispersion (PMD). PMD has deleterious effects on the performance of high speed optical transmission network systems from 10 Gb/s and above. The first step was characterising deployed fibres for PMD and monitoring the state of polarization (SOP) light experiences as it propagates through the fibre. The PMD and SOP changes in deployed fibres were stochastic due to varying intrinsic and extrinsic perturbation changes. To fully understand the PMD phenomenon in terms of measurement accuracy, its complex behaviour, its implications, mitigation and compensation, PMD emulation is crucial. This thesis presents emulator designs which fall into different emulator categories. The key to these designs were the PMD equations and background on the PMD phenomenon. The cross product from the concatenation equation was applied in order to determine the coupling angle β (between 0o and 180o) that results in the SO-PMD of the emulator designs to be either adjustable or fixed. The digital delay line (DDL) or single polarization maintaining fibre (PMF) section was used to give a certain amount of FO-PMD but negligible SO-PMD. PMF sections (birefringent sections) were concatenated together to ensure FO- and SO-PMD coexist, emulating deployed fibres. FO- and SO-PMD can be controlled by altering mode coupling (coupling angles) and birefringence distribution. Emulators with PMD statistics approaching the theoretical distributions had high random coupling and several numbers of randomly distributed PMF sections. In addition, the lengths of their PMF sections lie within 20% standard deviation of the mean emulator length. Those emulators with PMD statistics that did not approach the theoretical distributions had limited numbers of randomly distributed PMF sections and mode coupling. Results also show that even when an emulator has high random mode coupling and several numbers of randomly distributed PMFs, its PMD statistics deviates away from expected theoretical distributions in the presence of polarization dependent loss (PDL). The emulators showed that the background autocorrelation function (BACF) approaches zero with increasing number of randomly mode coupled fibre sections. A zero BACF signifies that an emulator has large numbers of randomly distributed PMF sections and its presence means the opposite. The availability of SO-PMD in the emulators made the autocorrelation function (ACF) x asymmetric. In the absence of SO-PMD the ACF for a PMD emulator is symmetric. SO-PMD has no effect on the BACF. Polarization-optical time domain reflectometry (P-OTDR) measurements have shown that certain fibre sections along fibre link lengths have higher FO-PMD (HiFO-PMD) than other sections. This study investigates the impact of a HiFO-PMD section on the overall FO- and SO-PMD, the output state of polarization (SOP) and system performance on deployed fibres (through emulation). Results show that when the wavelength-independent FO-PMD vector of the HiFO-PMD section is greater than the FO-PMD contributions from the rest of the fibre link, the mean FO-PMD of the entire link is biased towards that of the HiFO-PMD section and the SO-PMD increases (β ≠ 0o or 180o) or remains fixed (β = 0o or 180o) depending on the coupling angle β between the HiFO-PMD section and the rest of the fibre link. In addition, the FO-PMD statistics deviates away from the theoretical Maxwellian distribution. However, experimental results show that the HiFO-PMD section has negligible influence on the SOPMD statistical distribution. An increase in the amount of FO-PMD on a HiFO-PMD section reduces the output SOP spread to a given minimum, in this study the minimum was reached when the HiFO-PMD ≥ 35 ps. However, the outcome of the output SOP spread depends on the location of the HiFO-PMD section along the fibre link length. It was found that when the HiFO-PMD section introduces SO-PMD, the bit error rate (BER) is much higher compared to when it does not introduce SO-PMD.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009