The experience of care workers for abused women in the area of Durban.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.A perusal of various studies that had been conducted among the victims of abuse and those who took care of them revealed that the researchers tended to focus on the victims rather than on the people who took care of these abused women. These studies unintentionally did not bear in mind that people working with victims of abuse may experience a number of challenges when working with such women. Such experiences may have an influence on their ability to provide appropriate services. Therefore, the aim of this research project was to establish which experiences that were encountered by care workers involved with abused women impacted the services they were able to render. This was achieved by initially consulting various literatures by different authors with regards to the experiences encountered by care workers involved with abused women. This was done by assessing at how being Factors that were investigated were the training experiences and knowledge base of care workers and to establish what influences these factors had on the caring process. The study employed a qualitative design and interviews were conducted with volunteer care taker respondents in order to obtain rich data that would inform the questions of this research study. The study was guided by Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory: Individual Psychology and career.According to Adair and Mowsesian (1999: 335), the totality of coexisting facts [i.e., those guiding human behaviour] are conceived as mutually interdependent in influencing an individual’s career. This theory gives emphasis to the significance of several life roles and their interactions with a person’s career (Adair &Mowsesian, 1999), and for this reason it was selected as an appropriate theory to give impetus to the current study. The results obtained from the interviews with the care workers involved with abused women emphasized the importance of training in care work. The care worker participants touched on issues such as the language barrier, cultural differences, and different social statuses as their concerns when providing services to the victims of abuse. Not being able to communicate because of a language barrier, not knowing how different cultures dealt with women abuse, and having to deal with women who derived from different social contexts proved to be barriers in their efforts to render effective services. It is argued that this study add value to care departments as it has revealed the powerful challenge that their employees experience. This knowledge supports policy and decision makers in coming up with solutions to address the negative experiences encountered by their employees. This study also adds value to those who are interested in taking the same career path or who wish to work with abused women in the future in the sense that they may be prepared to face the challenges that they will encounter. This study also educates society at large about the dreadful phenomenon of women abuse and the reasons for and effects of its occurrence as seen through the eyes of care workers. In conclusion, the limitations of a qualitative approach as they affected this study are discussed, and recommendation for practice, policy and further research are offered

Istraživanje uloge kredibiliteta slavnih sportaša na poistovjećivanje s njima i namjeru kupovine zagovarane marke

Purpose – This study was aimed at investigating the credibility of South African sports celebrities for its potential influence on the identification with and purchase intention among South African consumers regarding endorsed brands. Design/Methodology/Approach – A non-probability sampling method was applied to select 250 respondents for the research. A self-administrated questionnaire was used for data collection and responses were recorded on a six-point Likert-type scale. Findings and Implications – Research results showed attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness, based on correlation analysis, as having positive relationships with both identification with sports celebrity endorsers and purchase intention of endorsed brands. Identification with sport celebrities was found to have a positive impact on purchase intentions regarding endorsed brands. In addition, the overall credibility of sport celebrity endorsers was shown to exert a positive influence on purchase intention of endorsed brands. Limitations – A larger sample size would be required in future research. Originality – This study revealed the role of sports celebrity credibility for the identification of sports celebrity endorsers and purchase intention of endorsed brands in South Africa. The findings of this study can help businesses improve their selection of sport celebrities as endorses of their brands, which is important given that the credibility of sports celebrities has a potential to improve sports celebrity identification and purchase intentions regarding the endorsed brands among customers.Svrha – Rad istražuje utjecaj kredibiliteta južnoafričkih slavnih sportaša na poistovjećivanje s njima i namjeru kupovine zagovarane marke među južnoafričkim potrošačima. Metodološki pristup – U istraživanju je korištena neprobabilistička metoda uzorkovanja s 250 ispitanika. Za prikupljanje podataka korišten je anketni upitnik za samopopunjavanje, a odgovori su bilježeni na Likertoj ljestvici od šest stupnjeva. Rezultati i implikacije – Na osnovi analize korelacije rezultati istraživanja otkrivaju da privlačnost, stručnost i pouzdanost pokazuju pozitivne odnose s poistovjećivanjem sa slavnim sportašima, kao i s namjerom kupovine zagovaranih marki. Poistovjećivanje pokazuje pozitivan utjecaj na namjere kupovine zagovaranih marki. Isto tako, ukupan kredibilitet slavnog sportaša ima pozitivan utjecaj na namjeru kupovine zagovaranih marki. Ograničenja – U budućim istraživanjima bit će potreban veći uzorak. Doprinos – Rad je otkrio ulogu kredibiliteta slavnoga sportaša koji utječe na poistovjećivanje s njime i namjeru kupovine zagovaranih marki u Južnoj Africi. Doprinos rada jest u tome da može pomoći poduzećima u boljem odabiru slavnih sportaša kao zagovaratelja svojih maraka, što je važno, s obzirom na to da kredibilitet slavnih sportaša ima potencijal poboljšati poistovjećivanje s njima kao i namjeru kupovine zagovaranih marki među potrošačima

Agronomic performance of sugarcane varieties derived from tissue culture (NovaCane®) and conventional seedcane under rainfed conditions.

Master of Science in Crop Science. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2017.The use of tissue culture (TC) plants have been promising for the production of true-to-type, disease free planting material. However, TC plants have been shown to possess an altered phenotype (high tillering and thinner stalks) compared with conventionally propagated sugarcane from setts (hereafter referred to as conventional or Con). Limited information is available for the response of different varieties to the TC process. Additionally, the effects of any altered phenotype in subsequent stages has not been evaluated. Three field experiments were conducted under rainfed conditions at South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) Mount Edgecombe experiment station to gain insights into these factors. The aim of experiment 1 was to investigate growth and yield differences between the TC and the Con plants for different varieties. Here, a field trial was established as a randomised block design with four replications of four varieties (N12, N31, N41, and N48) planted using three methods: 1) TC derived plants (spaced at either 30 (TC30) or 50 (TC50) cm apart; 2) conventional hot water treated seedcane setts (Con); and 3) single-budded sett derived plants (speedlings) planted 50 cm apart (SP50). The aim of experiment 2 was to investigate the effects of different in vitro procedures on several phenotypic and agronomic characteristics of TC plants of sugarcane. A field trial was established as a randomised block design with four replications consisted of two varieties (N41 and N48) derived through three variations of the in vitro NovaCane® procedure, namely i) the standard procedure, ii) plantlets exposed to CoCl2 (NovaCane® (CoCl2)) and iii) plantlets that underwent a secondary meristem excision process (NovaCane® (secondary)) from in vitro material. The plantlets from all three treatments were planted using two (30 and 50 cm) plant spacings. The aim of experiment 3 was to compare the performance of seedcane obtained from TC (stage 1) and Con when planted at different planting rates. The seedcane for experiment 3 was derived from the corresponding treatments in experiment 1, which were: 1) stalks derived from TC50 and planted at a lower planting rate (TC50 low); 2) stalks derived from TC50 and planted at a higher planting rate (TC50 high); 3) stalks derived from TC30 and planted at a lower planting rate (TC30 low); 4) stalks derived from TC30 and planted at a higher planting rate (TC30 high); and 5) stalks derived from Con and planted at a normal planting rate. Yield and yield component measurements for these experiments were taken at harvest and data were analysed by ANOVA. For experiment 1, there were no significant differences in cane yield, stalk height and stalk mass between propagation methods for all varieties in both crops harvested. For varieties N12 and N31, both TC treatments produced significantly thinner stalks and higher stalk population compared with the Con treatment when averaged across crops. Variety N48 was insensitive to the TC process, indicating that the phenotype of this variety was maintained during the TC process. The TC30 and TC50 treatments did not differ significantly for any parameter in both crops for all varieties, showing that plant spacing did not affect growth. The SP50 treatment produced significantly thicker stalks compared with the TC50 for varieties N12, N31 and N41 in the plant crop. For experiment 2, the plants produced through the NovaCane® (CoCl2) procedure resembled those produced through NovaCane® for all phenotypic and agronomic characteristics in the plant and first ratoon crops. The plants produced through the NovaCane® and the NovaCane® (secondary) procedures differ significantly for stalk population only, with the NovaCane® treatment having significantly lower stalk population compared with the NovaCane® (secondary) treatment for variety N41. Planting at closer (30 cm) or wider (50 cm) spacings did not have an effect on plant growth and to the response of varieties to the in vitro treatments. For experiment 3, crop derived from TC had a significantly higher mean cane yield and TERC compared with the crop derived from the Con. The crop derived from TC had a significantly higher mean stalk population compared with the crop derived from Con. This was observed for varieties N12 and N41 in particular. The crop derived from TC produced significantly thinner and taller stalks compared with the crop derived from Con. The effects of planting rates and TC source (TC30 vs TC50) were not significant for any parameter. Varieties responded differently to the TC process (N48 did not show phenotypic variations). As a result, screening of varieties for phenotypic to TC is recommended to make grower aware of expected changes in the phenotype. This should mitigate the risks of possible poor adoption of varieties based on thin stalks. It is recommended that TC plants be propagated using wider (50 cm) plant spacings, as this is more economical. The lack of differences between in vitro procedures suggests that propagation of new genotypes through standard NovaCane® procedures for commercial release should continue. The seedcane derived from the TC at stage 1 can be used as planting materials for commercial production without any negative effects on productivity in subsequent propagation stages. This is despite persistence of the reduce stalk diameter, higher stalk population phenotype. Lack of differences between the higher and the lower planting rates of TC-derived crops suggests that lower planting rates should be used for economic reasons

Factors that influence university students’ career decisions

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2013The study used a mixed methods methodology to investigate the factors that influence university students’ career decisions. This was motivated by the fact that students in disadvantaged communities are challenged by the negative socio-political conditions that resulted from the South African Apartheid system and these conditions limited the resources for people in disadvantaged communities. As more opportunities became available, it is vital that students entering tertiary education are equipped with the necessary skills and support to make informed career decisions. The sample consisted of 155 third year students from four faculties at the University of Zululand. Data was collected using a questionnaire. The data was analysed using a systematic approach. The results indicated that the factors influencing influence university students’ career decisions are the students’ educational background, home background, parental marital status parental occupation socio- economic status, the love for their careers, financial aid and high employment opportunities. The dissertation concludes that appropriate career education and guidance are essential for previously disadvantaged tertiary education students in order for them to maximize the opportunities available to them

Simkine 2 – Versatile Software for the Computation of Kinetic Profiles of Intricate Chemical Reaction Mechanisms

Simkine 2 is a user-friendly software package developed with the Delphi 5 programming language, for the computation of complex reaction profiles based on a proposed kinetic scheme for the chemical system. The programme applies the semi-implicit extrapolation method (SIEM), which utilizes the implicit midpoint rule and extrapolation. Pre-processor code was designed to translate a user-specified system of chemical rate equations into a system of differential equations. To optimize the estimated rate coefficients manually, Simkine 2 provides a window simultaneously to plot the experimental and corresponding simulated curves in a single run. The software is applied to an intricate 17-step mechanism of the reaction between safranine-O and acidic bromate, which exhibits non-linear kinetics. The four simultaneously plotted computed curves with their experimental profiles are presented as an illustration. A help file is provided.KEYWORDS: Chemical kinetics, computation, simulations, reaction mechanisms, safranine-O and acidic bromate reaction

Experiences of first-year students on the use of Moodle to learn business studies at a South African university.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban

High Aluminium Concentration and Soil Acid Saturation Reduce Germination, Emergence and Seedling Establishment of Groundnut

Studies on crop responses to soil acidity have largely neglected the germination and seedling establishment stages. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of soil acidity, including aluminium per se and acid saturation, on germination, emergence and establishment of groundnut seeds. Germination was carried out on groundnut cultivars Harts, Jasper and Rambo under 0, 50, 100 and 200 μM Al applied as Al2 (SO4)3.18H2O at pH between 4.2 and 4.5. Seedling emergence and establishment were examined in 0, 3 and 6 g of dolomitic lime per kg of soil, representing control, 50% lime requirement and 100% lime requirement, respectively. High Al concentration of 200 μM reduced germination, germination velocity index and seminal root length but had no influence on mean germination time of all groundnut cultivars. There were highly significant differences (P<0.001) in seedling emergence between non-limed and limed soils. Root length and mass were significantly (P<0.05) reduced at high soil acidity but the cultivar Rambo was least susceptible. We conclude that the germination, emergence and establishment stages were negatively affected by high Al levels and acid saturation but the cultivars showed different tolerance levels to high acid saturation, and proper liming can ameliorate the problems associated with these growth stages. Key words: acid saturation, aluminium, establishment, peanuts, toleranc

The impact of migration on rural development : a case study of EMabhuqwini in Nkandla.

Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.This dissertation concentrates on the subject of migration from the less researched angle of the rural areas losing migrants. This dissertation is premised upon the hypothesis that emigration of skilled people stifles development in rural areas and this in turn leads to the lack of development. The lack of development causes emigration. I am arguing that this vicious cycle must be broken down through leadership committed to achieving development goals and through personal sacrifices of skilled people remaining in rural areas. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to establish the impact that migration has on rural development. It looks at the case of eMabhuqwini as the study’s focal point. There are two arguments that are advanced by the thesis: (1) Migration negatively impacts on development in the area of eMabhuqwini. The more able‐bodied, skilled and capable people emigrate, the higher the likelihood that the area they leave will stay underdeveloped. This is because people who have the capacity to drive development in the area will have left. At the same time, if the area is underdeveloped, people are likely to leave it and seek greener pastures – especially in terms of better living conditions and employment opportunities – elsewhere, particularly in more developed urban areas. (2) Political infighting between political parties appears to be the main cause of the slow (if any) pace of service delivery and development in the area. This is so because of growing political intolerance among political parties in South Africa. This political intolerance is also characterised by an unwillingness to accept political defeat. As such, this process has dictated the terms of and speed of service delivery as there is little will on the part of political leaders to spearhead development in an area governed by the opposition. I further provide a comprehensive conceptual framework on migration theory, a detailed presentation of the case study area, a three‐pronged empirical study consisting of interviews with thirty‐two households, household in‐depth survey (6 respondents) as well as three focus groups. Quantitatively, 32 respondents answered a semi‐structured research questionnaire. Six of the same people were also requested to respond to an open‐ended research schedule that sought to gain answers to open‐ended questions. The questions themselves were divided into two sections, a closed‐ended part as well as an open‐ended part. Quantitative questionnaires were analysed using the SPSS computer program, while the others were analysed thematically. In terms of conclusions and recommendations, it was observed that the two arguments were confirmed: that migration does have a negative impact on development; and that, to minimise this impact, or to reverse the process, an intensive effort must be put into encouraging the government, together with traditional and local leadership, to deliver services to the people so as to develop the area and minimise the impact of migration