List of Titles

Designing writing groups to support postgraduate students’ academic writing: a case study from a South African university

- Wilmot, Kirstin

Authors: Wilmot, Kirstin
Date: 2018
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66267 , vital:28926 , https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2016.1238775
Description: publisher version , This paper reports on a writing group pilot programme implemented at a South African university. Drawing on literature, anonymous student evaluations and facilitator observations, it discusses the use of writing groups for supporting postgraduate academic writing practices. Developed within a broader postgraduate academic writing support programme, the paper discusses a case study of two pilot writing groups: a multidisciplinary long-term group and a disciplinary short-term ‘writing-intensive’ group. The findings indicate that the overall experience of the writing group was a positive one, with each group presenting varied ‘success’ aspects as well as challenges. Insights gleaned may contribute to our understanding of how these groups can be utilised to support postgraduate students and how different kinds of groups can be developed to serve particular student needs. The paper concludes with a discussion of the inclusion of a disciplinary expert, which proved particularly useful in this pilot.
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Date Issued: 2018

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Computer simulations of the interaction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) aspartic protease with spherical gold nanoparticles: implications in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

- Whiteley, Chris G, Lee, Duu-Jong

Authors: Whiteley, Chris G , Lee, Duu-Jong
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67083 , vital:29030 , https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/27/36/365101
Description: publisher version , The interaction of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) with human immune-deficiency virus aspartic protease (HIVPR) is modelled using a regime of molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations of the 'docking', first as a rigid-body complex, and eventually through flexible-fit analysis, creates 36 different complexes from four initial orientations of the nanoparticle strategically positioned around the surface of the enzyme. The structural deviations of the enzymes from the initial x-ray crystal structure during each docking simulation are assessed by comparative analysis of secondary structural elements, root mean square deviations, B-factors, interactive bonding energies, dihedral angles, radius of gyration (R g), circular dichroism (CD), volume occupied by C α , electrostatic potentials, solvation energies and hydrophobicities. Normalisation of the data narrows the selection from the initial 36 to one 'final' probable structure. It is concluded that, after computer simulations on each of the 36 initial complexes incorporating the 12 different biophysical techniques, the top five complexes are the same no matter which technique is explored. The significance of the present work is an expansion of an earlier study on the molecular dynamic simulation for the interaction of HIVPR with silver nanoparticles. This work is supported by experimental evidence since the initial 'orientation' of the AgNP with the enzyme is the same as the 'final' AuNP-HIVPR complex generated in the present study. The findings will provide insight into the forces of the binding of the HIVPR to AuNP. It is anticipated that the protocol developed in this study will act as a standard process for the interaction of any nanoparticle with any biomedical target.
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Date Issued: 2016

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Docking of HIV protease to silver nanoparticles

- Whiteley, Chris G, Shing, C-Y, Kuo, C-C, Lee, Duu-Jong

Authors: Whiteley, Chris G , Shing, C-Y , Kuo, C-C , Lee, Duu-Jong
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67105 , vital:29032 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2015.10.029
Description: publisher version , This interaction of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) with human immune-deficiency virus aspartic protease (HIVPR) is examined by molecular dynamics simulation using the Colores (Situs) package and biophysical techniques using UV–vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and circular dichroism. The ‘docking’ of AgNP with HIVPR creates a complex [AgNP–HIVPR] to initiate a hypochromic time-dependent red-shift for the surface plasmon resonance maximum. MD simulations reflect large perturbations to enzyme conformations by fluctuations of both rmsd and B-factors. Increase in changes to electrostatic potentials within the enzyme, especially, with chain B, suggest hydrophobic interactions for the binding of the AgNP. This is supported by changes to mainchain and sidechain dihedrals for many hydrophobic amino acid including Cys95, Trp6 and Trp42. Circular dichroism spectra reveal disappearance of α-helices and β-sheets and increase in random coil first from chain B then chain A. During initial stages of the interactive simulation the enzyme is conformational flexible to accommodate the AgNP, that docks with the enzyme under a cooperative mechanism, until a more stable structure is formed at convergence. There is a decrease in size of the HIVPR–AgNP complex measured by changes to the gyration radius supporting evidence that the AgNP associates, initially, with chain B.
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Date Issued: 2016

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The pattern-richness of graphical passwords

- Vorster, Johannes, Van Heerden, Renier, Irwin, Barry V W

Authors: Vorster, Johannes , Van Heerden, Renier , Irwin, Barry V W
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68322 , vital:29238 , https://doi.org/10.1109/ISSA.2016.7802931
Description: Publisher version , Conventional (text-based) passwords have shown patterns such as variations on the username, or known passwords such as “password”, “admin” or “12345”. Patterns may similarly be detected in the use of Graphical passwords (GPs). The most significant such pattern - reported by many researchers - is hotspot clustering. This paper qualitatively analyses more than 200 graphical passwords for patterns other than the classically reported hotspots. The qualitative analysis finds that a significant percentage of passwords fall into a small set of patterns; patterns that can be used to form attack models against GPs. In counter action, these patterns can also be used to educate users so that future password selection is more secure. It is the hope that the outcome from this research will lead to improved behaviour and an enhancement in graphical password security.
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Date Issued: 2016

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What lies beneath: exploring the deeper purposes of feedback on student writing through considering disciplinary knowledge and knowers

- Van Heerden, Martina, Clarence, Sherran, Bharuthram, Sharita

Authors: Van Heerden, Martina , Clarence, Sherran , Bharuthram, Sharita
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: article , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59856 , vital:27669 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1212985
Description: Feedback plays an integral role in students’ learning and development, as it is often the only personal communication that students have with tutors or lecturers about their own work. Yet, in spite of its integral role in student learning, there is disagreement between how students and tutors or lecturers perceive the pedagogic purpose of feedback. Central to this disagreement is the role that feedback has to play in ensuring that students produce the ‘right’ kinds of knowledge, and become the ‘right’ kinds of knowers within their disciplines. This paper argues that, in order to find common ground between students and tutors or lecturers on what feedback is for, and how to both give and use it effectively, we need to conceptualise disciplinary knowledge and knowers anew. We offer, as a useful starting point, the Specialisation dimension of Legitimation Code Theory as both practical theory and methodological tool for exploring knowledge and knowers in English Studies and Law as two illustrative cases. The paper concludes that this analysis offers lecturers and tutors a fresh understanding of the disciplinary knowledge and knower structures they work within and, relatedly, a clearer view of the work their feedback needs to do within these.
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Date Issued: 2016

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Linking the ‘know-that’ and ‘know-how’ knowledge through games: a quest to evolve the future for science and engineering education

- Vahed, Anisa, McKenna, Sioux, Singh, S

Authors: Vahed, Anisa , McKenna, Sioux , Singh, S
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66785 , vital:28993 , ISSN 1573-174X , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9956-9
Description: Publisher version , This paper responds to Muller’s notions of ‘knowing-that’ and ‘knowing how’. The paper addresses how educational interventions that are designed in line with targeted discipline-specific subjects can enhance the balance between professional practice and disciplinary knowledge in professionally accredited programmes at universities of technology. The context is a Dental Technology programme at a University of Technology in South Africa. Teaching through discipline-specific games, conceptualised from a game literacies perspective, is proposed as an engaging, interactive pedagogy for learning disciplinary knowledge that potentially encourages access to a particular affinity group. The authors use concepts from Bernstein and Maton to investigate whether epistemic relations or social relations are emphasised through board and digital games designed for two Dental Technology subjects. This paper offers valuable insight into alternative pedagogies that can be adopted into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education with the aim of paving a pathway towards Muller’s Scenario 3.
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Date Issued: 2016

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The effect of land-use on small mammal diversity inside and outside the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

- Thondhlana, Gladman, Lagesse, Juliette V

Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Lagesse, Juliette V
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67823 , vital:29150 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.03.006
Description: Publisher version , This study investigated small mammal species diversity at 10 paired contrast sites along a fence line inside and outside the Great Fish River Nature Reserve (GFRNR), Eastern Cape, South Africa. The sites outside the GFRNR are used for subsistence land-based activities including livestock production and fuelwood harvesting. From 145 live captures, a total of 114 unique individuals of five small mammal species (four rodents and one elephant shrew) were recorded over 1170 trap nights. Average small mammal species diversity and abundance were significantly higher inside the reserve than outside. Human activities such as livestock grazing seemed to explain low levels of small mammal diversity and abundance at the communal sites. Vegetation variables showed a complex interplay with small mammal diversity. In general, high vegetation diversity had a positive influence on small mammal diversity though the influence of some environmental variables was species-dependent. We conclude that the GFRNR is effective in protecting small mammals but the findings raise questions around the influence of land use practices such as livestock grazing on biodiversity, especially given that local communities in South Africa are continuously seeking greater access to reserves for livestock grazing and other provisioning services.
Full Text: false
Date Issued: 2016

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Co-management, land rights, and conflicts around South Africa’s Silaka Nature Reserve

- Thondhlana, Gladman, Cundill, Georgina, Kepe, Thembele

Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Cundill, Georgina , Kepe, Thembele
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67781 , vital:29144 , https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2015.1089609
Description: Publisher version , Globally, co-management of protected areas (PAs) offers promise in efforts to achieve ecological integrity and livelihood needs. Most co-management agreements are premised on joint decision making in defining equitable sharing of benefits from and the management responsibilities for natural resource management. However, co-managed PAs are often conflict ridden. The forceful closure of Silaka Nature Reserve in South Africa in 2013 by a local community epitomizes the conflicts that can emerge in co-management arrangements. Using Silaka Reserve as a case study, we ask questions related to the meaning of land to local people, with an interrogative focus beyond “material benefits” in co-management discourse. The results of this study show that apart from nonaccrual of material benefits, conflicts arise from nonrecognition of nonmaterial aspects such as cultural values of and historical attachment to land and limited involvement of land claimants in decision making. The implications for co-management as a desired outcome on settled land claims are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2016

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Students’ reception of peer assessment of group-work contributions: problematics in terms of race and gender emerging from a South African case study

- Thondhlana, Gladman, Belluigi, Dina Z

Authors: Thondhlana, Gladman , Belluigi, Dina Z
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: article , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59784 , vital:27649 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1235133
Description: Participatory assessment is increasingly employed in higher education worldwide as a formative mechanism to support students’ active learning. But do students in an increasingly relationally diverse environment perceive that peer assessment of individuals’ contributions to group-work tasks enhances their learning? Recognising the impact of students’ conceptions on the quality of their learning, this study considers students’ perspectives of peer assessment of group-work contributions at a South African university. Questionnaires elicited students’ perspectives of and general attitudes towards assessment of and by their peers. A growing measure of discontent with the process of assessing peer contributions to group tasks emerged, including actual and perceived racial and gender stereotyping, and related rejection-sensitivity. These initial findings were checked against the students’ experiences in a report-and-respond process that enabled probing discussions of the interpretations. This paper examines and explores the implications of such identifications and receptions for learning engagement and group-work curriculum development in the context of a rapidly transforming higher education sector.
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Date Issued: 2016

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Thermoluminescence of K-Mg-Al-Zn fluorophosphate glass

- Thomas, Sunil, Chithambo, Makaiko L

Authors: Thomas, Sunil , Chithambo, Makaiko L
Date: 2017
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124188 , vital:35574 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2016.12.035
Description: The thermoluminescence of beta irradiated K-Mg-Al-Zn fluorophosphate glass is reported. A glow-curve corresponding to 10 Gy measured at 1 °C/s shows two peaks, a weaker-intensity one at 70 °C and a more prominent one at 235 °C, the subject of this report. The main peak was observed to fade with delay between irradiation and measurement and specifically, by 11% in 15 h. Its dose response is superlinear in the dose range 1–190 Gy although the change was linear for the initial 10 Gy. Regarding kinetic analysis, the activation energy of the higher temperature peak was evaluated as 1.31 eV and that of the lower temperature peak was found as 0.47 eV. It was also noted that the main peak is affected by thermal quenching with an activation energy for thermal quenching equal to 1.37 eV. It is proposed that the mechanism associated with the thermoluminescence in K-Mg-Al-Zn fluorophosphate glass is that electrons trapped by the metal cations are released during heating and then recombine with holes at oxygen sites.
Full Text: false
Date Issued: 2017

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A case study on the health risks related to flood disasters in South Africa

- Tandlich, Roman, Ncube, Mbonisi, Khamanga, Sandile M, Zuma, Bongumusa M

Authors: Tandlich, Roman , Ncube, Mbonisi , Khamanga, Sandile M , Zuma, Bongumusa M
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75917 , vital:30482 , DOI: 10.20965/jdr.2016.p0732
Description: Floods occurred in the Ndlambe Local Municipality in South Africa in October 2012. During various stages of the post-disaster recovery, bacterial concentrations were measured in water and soil samples from the flood zone. All drinking water concentrations of E. coli were below 1–3 colony forming units per 100 millilitres (CFUs/100 mL). The flood waters contained between 46500 to more than 100000 CFUs/100 mL of E. coli. {The concentrations of Salmonella spp. in the flood waters varied from 5000 to 250000 CFUs/100 mL. The presumptive Vibrio spp. concentrations in flood waters ranged from 1000 to over 150000 CFUs/100 mL. {The soil concentrations for E. coli ranged from 1 to above 330 colony-forming units per 1 g of soil dry weight (CFUs/g). The soil concentrations of Salmonella spp. varied from below 1 to 22 CFUs/g. The estimated airborne fungal concentrations ranged from 16820 to 28540 colony-forming units per 1 cubic meter. An outbreak of an infectious disease was recorded among the volunteers who assisted with the post-disaster recovery. The likely bacterial causative agents included strains of Aeromonas spp. and Vibrio cholerae. Any human contact with either the contaminated flood waters or of flooded dwellings should only occur, if the individuals in questions are equipped with the full-body personal protective gear. Non-governmental stakeholders performed majority of the post-disaster recovery operations, as the local government could only cover 11% of the required costs. Applying sanitation funds to disaster recovery and increased use of the low-cost flood defence products in high risk areas could provide a solution for the future.
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Date Issued: 2016

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Indolyl-3-ethanone-α-thioethers: a promising new class of non-toxic antimalarial agents

- Svogie, Archibald L, Isaacs, Michelle, Hoppe, Heinrich C, Khanye, Setshaba D, Veale, Clinton G L

Authors: Svogie, Archibald L , Isaacs, Michelle , Hoppe, Heinrich C , Khanye, Setshaba D , Veale, Clinton G L
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66233 , vital:28920 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.02.056
Description: publisher version , The success of chemotherapeutics in easing the burden of malaria is under continuous threat from ever-evolving parasite resistance, including resistance to artemisinin combination therapies. Therefore, the discovery of new classes of antimalarials which inhibit new biological targets is imperative to controlling malaria. Accordingly, we report here the discovery of indolyl-3-ethanone-α-thioethers, a new class of antimalarial compounds with encouraging activity. Synthesis of a focused library of compounds revealed important insight into the SAR of this class of compounds, including critical information regarding the position and chemical nature of substituents on both the thiophenol and indole rings. This investigation ultimately led to the discovery of two hit compounds (16 and 27) which exhibited nano molar in vitro antimalarial activity coupled to no observable toxicity against a HeLa cell line.
Full Text: false
Date Issued: 2016

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Purification and characterization of β-mannanase from Aspergillus terreus and its applicability in depolymerization of mannans and saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass

- Soni, Hemant, Rawat, Hemant Kumar, Kango, Naveen

Authors: Soni, Hemant , Rawat, Hemant Kumar , Kango, Naveen
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66167 , vital:28912 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-016-0454-2
Description: publisher version , Aspergillus terreus FBCC 1369 was grown in solid-state culture under statistically optimized conditions. β-Mannanase was purified to apparent homogeneity by ultrafiltration, anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. A purification factor of 10.3-fold was achieved, with the purified enzyme exhibiting specific activity of 53 U/mg protein. The purified β-mannanase was optimally active at pH 7.0 and 70 °C and displayed stability over a broad pH range of 4.0–8.0 and a 30 min half-life at 80 °C. The molecular weight of β-mannanase was calculated as ~49 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme exhibited K m and V maxvalues of 5.9 mg/ml and 39.42 µmol/ml/min, respectively. β-Mannanase activity was stimulated by β-mercaptoethanol and strongly inhibited by Hg2+. The β-Mannanase did not hydrolyze mannobiose and mannotriose, but only mannotetraose liberating mannose and mannotriose. This indicated that at least four mannose residues were required for catalytic activity. Oligosaccharide with a degree of polymerization (DP) three was the predominant product in the case of locust bean gum (16.5 %) and guar gum (15.8 %) hydrolysis. However, the enzyme liberated DP4 oligosaccharide (24 %) exclusively from konjac gum. This property can be exploited in oligosaccharides production with DP 3–4. β-Mannanase hydrolyzed pretreated lignocelluloses and liberated reducing sugars (% theoretical yield) from copra meal (30 %). This property is an important factor for the bioconversion of the biomass.
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Date Issued: 2016

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Employment and diversity in the cultural and creative industries in South Africa: research note

- Snowball, Jeanette D

Authors: Snowball, Jeanette D
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/71493 , vital:29858 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC188591
Description: The publication of Richard Florida's (2002) The Rise of the Creative Class marked a growing international interest in the creative economy. There are several ways of understanding the creative economy, often divided into the cultural and creative industries. Cultural industries are those whose major outputs have some symbolic value, such as fine arts, film and craft, jewelry design, publishing and fashion. Creative industries are defined more broadly as those that have knowledge as their major input. In addition to cultural goods and services, these include things like software design and internet services. UNESCO (2009) provides guidelines for defining the cultural and creative industries and the ways in which they can be measured, but there is currently no international consensus. Nor is there likely to be, since different countries will have very different levels of involvement and focus that may shape what information is useful, for example, for shaping policy.
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Date Issued: 2016

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A passive auxiliary circuit with interphase transformer applied in 12-pulse converters to provide clean power utility interface

- Shih, Der-Chun, Young, Chung-Ming, Whiteley, Chris G

Authors: Shih, Der-Chun , Young, Chung-Ming , Whiteley, Chris G
Date: 2016
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67095 , vital:29031 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02533839.2016.1230029
Description: publisher version , This paper proposes a passive auxiliary circuit which can be added to an interphase transformer (PAC + IPT) configuration to reduce the total harmonic distortion (THD) existing in 12-pulse diode rectifier converter systems at AC mains. The proposed PAC + IPT compensation method is a simple structure, with low power consumption and requires no extra DC power supply. We present the theoretical analysis of the proposed topology that lessens the total harmonic distortion (THD) and evaluate the dynamic simulation results on a 12-pulse converter system and a 3-kW laboratory prototype. Both the simulation and the experimental results show that the proposed PAC + IPT compensation method can improve the power quality and provide a clean power utility interface of AC line input currents for a conventional 12-pulse diode rectifier converter.
Full Text: false
Date Issued: 2016

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