Factors that Undermine Service Delivery by Civil Engineers in South African Local Municipalities

The objective of study was to identify and quantify key predictors of job satisfaction among civil engineers working in South African local municipalities. The design of study was cross-sectional, descriptive and evaluative. The study was conducted against the background of shortage of suitably qualified, adequately motivated and skilled civil engineers working in local municipalities. The degree of job satisfaction of respondents was assessed by using a composite index developed by Turkyilmaz, Akman, Ozkan and Pastuszak (2011) for conducting a similar study. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analyses were used in the study. As part of the quantitative aspect of study, data was collected from a stratified random sample of size 250 civil engineers working in various South African local municipalities. As part of the qualitative aspect of study, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 37 civil engineers working in various local municipalities. Four focus group interviews were conducted as part of the study. Data was collected by using a structured, pretested and validated questionnaire of study. Quantitative data analyses were conducted by using methods such as frequency tables, cross-tab analyses (Pearson’s chi-square tests of associations) and binary logistic regression analysis. The results showed that 171 of the 250 respondents who took part in the study (68.40%) were satisfied with the job that they were performing in the various local municipalities, whereas the remaining 79 of the 250 respondents in the study (31.60%) were not satisfied with their jobs. Based on results obtained from cross-tab analyses at the 5% level of significance, the degree of job satisfaction of civil engineers at the workplace was significantly and adversely affected by too much workload, poor working conditions, lack of budget for construction projects, low salary and remuneration, lack of training opportunities, lack of cooperation and appreciation, too much bureaucracy and red tape, short duration of service, and poor relationship with supervisors, in a decreasing order of strength. Results obtained from binary logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of job satisfaction of civil engineers at the workplace was significantly and adversely affected by 3 factors. These 3 factors were too much workload, poor working conditions, and lack of budget for construction projects in a decreasing order of strength. Results obtained from individual and focus group in-depth interviews led to similar findings

Arguments in favour of the abolition of the death sentence in South Africa

This paper deals with the history of capital punishment in South Africa and its historical background in Britain where it was abolished, except for a few instances, because it was found to serve no purpose which could not be served by other forms of punishment. In South Africa, capital punishment is a legal punishment form. Prior to 1290, C(lpital punishment was mandatory for murder, except in a few exceptional cases. Its application was amended by the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act, 107 of 1990. In terms of this Act, capital punishment was made discretionary for all capital offences., The new provisions do not remove all arguments against capital punishment. Consequently this paper recommends that capital p~shment sb_ould J:>~ _abolished. Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is an effective alternative that will protect society and satisfy aggrieved parties. Life imprisonment has none of the problems that are normally associated with capital punishment.L.L.M.Criminal and Procedural La

Synthesis and transdermal penetration of cytarabine and selected amide, ester and carbamate derivatives

Thesis (Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.Cancer is reported to be one of the top ten leading causes of death worldwide and its treatment poses a number of challenges. Cytarabine is a deoxycytidine analogue commonly used in the treatment of haematological malignant diseases. Its clinical utility, however, is severely limited by its short plasma half-life due to the catabolic action of nucleoside deaminases. Due to the cell cycle (S-phase) specificity of cytarabine, a prolonged exposure of cells to cytarabine's cytotoxic concentrations is essential to achieve maximum activity and is often achieved by more invasive and inconvenient modes of administration such as continuous intravenous infusion. Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS), on the other hand, have the potential to achieve this sustained release which is useful for drugs with short biological half-lives without the inconvenience associated with intravenous infusion. However, not .all the drugs are suited for TDDS. Owing to good barrier function of skin mainly due to its lipophilic outermost layer, the stratum corneum, most drugs with hydrophilic structures permeate the skin too slowly to be of therapeutic benefit. This is reported to be due to hydrogen-bonding functionality on the permeant which drastically retard skin permeation. Cytarabine is known for its high hydrophilicity and plurality of polar functional groups capable of hydrogen bonding. Therefore, it becomes apparent that cytarabine would not easily permeate the skin. The disadvantages of TDDS include skin irritation, which is one of the possible side effects. Prodrug approach could be used to circumvent these setbacks. This approach has been investigated to enhance dermal and transdermal penetration of drugs with unfavourable intrinsic properties and it showed promising outcomes. Increased skin penetration of the drug could be achieved if delivered via its derivative with better physicochemical properties for transdermal penetration. The aims of this study were to determine the transdermal penetration of cytarabine and its synthesized amide, ester and carbamate derivatives and to establish a correlation, if any, between transdermal penetration and selected physicochemical properties. The alkylamide (5 compounds), alkylester (6 compounds) and carbamate (6 Compounds) derivatives of cytarabine were synthesized by standard chemical procedures, their structures confirmed by NMR and MS and they were evaluated for transdermal penetration using human epidermis as a model. The transdermal flux values of these derivatives were determined in vitro using Franz diffusion cell methodology. Quantification of compounds was achieved by using HPLC. Selected physicochemical properties (aqueous and lipid solubility; melting point and log D) of cytarabine derivatives were determined and assessed for any correlation with transdermal parameters of these compounds. The sleady-state flux value of cytarabine was found to be 3.7 nmol.cm-2.h-1. In the N4-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) homologous series, the first member, N4-methoxyethanolcytarabine carbamate, with a log D value of -1.20 exhibited the highest flux. In this series, no significant increase in transdermal delivery of cytarabine by its derivatives was observed. Moreover, no clear relationship between lipid and aqueous solubility, molecular weight and transdermal flux values was observed. In the alkylester and alkylamide homologous series, octanol solubility values increased whereas aqueous solubility decreased as the alkyl chain lengthened. As a consequence, the log 0 increases as the chain lengthens. Generally, the flux values of cytarabine and its derivatives are very low compared to those of compounds that are clinically administered by transdermal delivery system such as nicotine and scopolamine. Statistically significant skin penetration enhancement of cytarabine was achieved by N4-hexanoylcytarabine and cytarabine-5'-butanoate with log 0 values of 0.91 and -0.26 respectively. These compounds exhibited the highest flux values in their respective series. In comparison to the other members of their homologous series, they showed relatively good balance between lipid and aqueous solubilities. These findings highlight the importance of biphasic properties of compounds in optimisation of their skin penetration.Master

Plants’ bioactive secondary metabolites in the management of sepsis: Recent findings on their mechanism of action

Sepsis is a severe inflammatory response to systemic infection and is a threatening cause of death in intensive care units. In recent years, a number of studies have been conducted on the protective effect of natural products against sepsis-induced organ injury. However, a comprehensive review of these studies indicating the mechanisms of action of the bioactive compounds is still lacking. In this context, this review aimed to provide an updated analysis of the mechanism of action of plants’ secondary metabolites in the management of sepsis. Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched from inception to July 2022. A variety of secondary metabolites were found to be effective in sepsis management including allicin, aloin, cepharanthine, chrysin, curcumin, cyanidin, gallic acid, gingerol, ginsenoside, glycyrrhizin, hesperidin, kaempferol, narciclasine, naringenin, naringin, piperine, quercetin, resveratrol, rosmarinic acid, shogaol, silymarin, sulforaphane, thymoquinone, umbelliferone, and zingerone. The protective effects exerted by these compounds can be ascribed to their antioxidant properties as well as induction of endogenous antioxidant mechanisms, and also via the downregulation of inflammatory response and reduction of biochemical and inflammatory markers of sepsis. These findings suggest that these secondary metabolites could be of potential therapeutic value in the management of sepsis, but human studies must be performed to provide strength to their potential clinical relevance in sepsis-related morbidity and mortality reduction

Assessing the causes of SMME learner drop-out and attrition in the national rollout of the Productive Capacity Building Programme (PCBP): A Case Study

Assessing the causes of SMME learner drop-out and attrition in the national rollout of the Productive Capacity Building Programme (PCBP): A Case StudyThe aim of this evaluative research study is to investigate the causes of learner dropout and attrition within the national rollout of the Productive Capacity Building Programme PCBP of the National Productivity Institute (NPI). This study is undertaken using a case study format with particular interest in the behaviour of adult learners within the context of a learning environment as well as particular interventional measures that could be undertaken by adult educators and facilitators in retaining adult learners within contact training programmes. The research study not only has internal validity in terms of the PCBP training programme operations but also contextual importance for long distance education, e-learning, other modes of learning delivery as well as the larger human resources development (HRD) domain. The ultimate objective is to minimize PCBP training costs resulting from adult learner attrition and the failure to meet training targets. A survey population comprising sixty (x60) small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) learners who attended PCBP training is selected using simple random sampling. The study is undertaken using case study format from a learning practitioner’s perspective. Utilizing a questionnaire instrument and interview method, the survey population is interviewed through a qualitative research method. Historical training statistics as well as post-implementation training statistics resulting from the application of recommendations are stratified and compared. Qualitative data collection methods such as observation, interview and documents are utilized. The study ends with recommendations for business application and the practical effects brought about by the implementation of initial recommendations.An analysis of recommendations indicates that adult learner dropout within the PCBP training programme is minimized through the introduction of adult learning principles within the delivery of the programme

The relationship between the political branches and the judiciary with reference to the principle of judicial independence

The concept of judicial independence arguably forms the basis of the relationship between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. It is also an integral part of the functioning of the courts and therefore requires some protection. This paper looks at the relationship between the political braches, being the legislature and the executive on the one hand, and the judiciary on the other. In order to explore the concept of judicial independence, the doctrine of the separation of powers ought to be discussed. The introductory part of this paper will be dedicated to uncovering the origins of the doctrine of the separation of powers along with its modern day application within South Africa and other jurisdictions across the world. The core of this paper analyses whether there are any political pressures or influences on the judiciary and on judges when they make decisions. In order to assist with the above, five judgments ofthe Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal will be discussed and an assessment of the reasoning of the courts' decisions will be made. As will be discussed, although the decisions appear legally justiciable, politics arguably remains an underlying factor in the judicial decisioncmaking process and as will be argued the courts have over the years created mechanisms of protecting their institutional security. The latter part of this paper focuses on the Judicial Service Commission and the consequences of the involvement of the political branches within the judicial appointment-making process. An assessment of the present relationship between the political branches and the judiciary will also be made in this paper with a particular focus on the relationship between the executive and the judiciary. Recent case law and public discussions will be used to illustrate where this relationship may stand and whether it is possibly strained. This paper is centered around the principle of judicial independence and how courts are able to maintain their institutional security along with their relationship with the political branches.Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2016.Public LawLLMUnrestricte

Isolation and characterisation of antimicrobial compounds from Antizoma angustifolia

Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.Infectious diseases are responsible for more than 17 million deaths per year worldwide, most of which are associated with bacterial infections. The increase in antibiotic resistance is thought to be a contributing factor to this problem. It is thus clear that more antimicrobials with different mechanisms of action are needed to help alleviate the problem. Isolation of antimicrobial compounds from plants could contribute towards solving this problem as they may have different mechanisms of action than the antimicrobial agents currently in use. The aim of the study was to identify a specific plant with antimicrobial activity and to isolate and characterise the compounds responsible for this activity. Eight plants, namely Antizoma angustifolia, Carpobrotus acinaciformis, Delosperma herbeum, Melianthus comosus, Physalis viscosa, Rhus pyroides, Zanthoxylum capensis and Ziziphus mucronata were selected for screening. Soxhlet extraction was used to prepare extracts of the different morphological parts of each plant using petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol successively. These plant extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against a range of micro-organisms using disc diffusion and microplate methods. The extracts showed variable activity with the dichloromethane extract of Antizoma angustifolia leaves showing the most promising activity. The leaf extracts (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol) of Antizoma angustifolia were subjected to activity-guided fractionation using column chromatography. This lead to the isolation of bulbocapnine and dicentrine from the dichloromethane extract and the isolation of crotsparine from the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts. The compounds were identified by spectroscopic techniques. These compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity using the microplate method and crotsparine showed weak activity. Although the activity of crotsparine was not very high, it might still be useful as a lead compound in the development of antimicrobial drug development. The biological activity of these compounds does however confirm the fact that the diverse chemistry of plants is still a very important source of novel biologically active and lead compounds. The biological activity of the compounds isolated from Antizoma angustifolia could justify its ethnopharmacological uses.Master

The influence of trust and commitment on the choice of a medical devices supplier in South Africa

MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2018Effective supplier relationship management and its impact on organizational performance is an increasingly important area of interest in the academic and the business world today. Most of the established and successful companies focus strongly on the development of closer ties with other organizations in search of competitive advantage and improved market positioning. The current literature reported trust and commitment as facilitators of long term supply chain partnerships in medical devices industry. South African healthcare has two major challenges; healthcare costs and the poor quality of the public healthcare. Both high cost and poor service can be linked to poor supply chain management. The main objective of this study was to establish whether trust and commitment influence the choice of the medical devices supplier in the South Africa. This study aims to gain insight into the factors that lead to the participants deciding to go with a specific supplier in the South African medical devices industry, paying special attention to trust and commitment. An empirical research using a questionnaire was conducted within hospitals procurement departments in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The questionnaire was developed from a literature review and contains questions and items relevant to the research problem. The finding showed that both trust and commitment have positive influence on the choice of a medical devices supplier by hospital procurement departments. However, commitment has the strongest influence of all the other constructs. The results also show that competence is vital in order to develop trust with hospitals procurement. Thus, it can be concluded that hospitals find it important to associate with suppliers that are competent and trustworthy. Further research into the operations of the South African healthcare sector is highly recommended. It is recommended that academics study vigorously the industry in order to come up with solutions to achieve envisioned better and efficient healthcare system for all South Africans.Master

Establishing idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) as a precursor to work role performance

The study determines the relationship between i-deals and work role performance amongst employees across industries in the South African context. The study follows a quantitative approach, and a cross-sectional design was adopted. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was chosen. An online questionnaire was used. A total of 231 employees from various industries in Johannesburg, South Africa, were included in the sample. Data were collected using pre-established instruments, and SPSS was used to analyse data. Reliability analysis was used to determine the psychometric qualities of the instruments. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were chosen to examine the data against the research objectives. The study’s findings confirmed a relationship between i-deals and work role performance. Task and work responsibility, schedule flexibility and career development predicted work role performance. The findings assist researchers and practitioners in dealing with and understanding how these customised work arrangements affect individual work role performance. Expanding knowledge of i?deals will help employees and employers improve their dynamic and organisational needs more effectively. HR practitioners will also use the concept of i-deals as a strategic tool to retain talented employees. The study adds to the literature on i-deals and their relationship to work role performance in a South African context. There are limited studies in South Africa regarding our knowledge of i-deals. The present study’s results contribute to the literature on i-deals and their relationship with work role performance within a South African context.</jats:p