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2-(4-Bromoanilino)-6-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-methoxycarbonyl-4- methyl-3,6-dihydropyrimidin-1-ium chloride
(International Union of Crystallography, 2013-03-09) Venugopala, Katharigatta Narayanaswamy; Nayak, Susanta K.; Odhav, Bharti
In the title molecular salt, C19H18BrClN3O2+·Cl-, the dihedral angles between the pyrimidine ring and the chlorobenzene and bromobenzene rings are 72.4 (2) and 45.5 (2)°, respectively. The dihedral angle between the chlorobenzene and bromobenzene rings is 27.5 (2)°. The conformation of the molecule is stabilized by an intramolecular C-H...O interaction. In the crystal, the anion and cation are linked by an N-H...Cl hydrogen bond. Pairs of weak C-H...O and C-H...Cl hydrogen bonds form inversion dimers. Further N-H...Cl hydrogen bonds form R21(6) motifs and link the dimers into chains along [101]. Br...Cl short contacts [3.482 (2) Å] interlink the hydrogen-bonded chains along the b-axis direction.
{2-[(1,3-Benzothiazol-2-yl)methoxy]-5- bromophenyl}(phenyl)methanone
(International Union of Crystallography, 2013) Venugopala, Katharigatta Narayanaswamy; Nayak, Susanta K.; Odhav, Bharti
In the title compound, C21H14BrNO2S, the dihedral angle between the planes of the benzothiazole and phenylmethanone groups is 63.4 (2)°. In the crystal, pairs of C-H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules to form inversion dimers, which are further linked by C-H...O interactions into chains along the c axis. C-H...[pi] and [pi]-[pi] interactions [centroid-centroid distance = 3.863 (1) Å] further stabilize the molecular assembly.
{2-[(1,3-Benzothiazol-2-yl)methoxy]-5-bromophenyl}(phenyl)methanone
(International Union of Crystallography, 2014-05-21) Venugopala, Katharigatta Narayanaswamy; Nayak, Susanta K.; Odhav, Bharti
In the title compound, C21H14BrNO2S, the dihedral angle between the planes of the benzothiazole and phenylmethanone groups is 63.4 (2)°. In the crystal, pairs of C-H...N hydrogen bonds link the molecules to form inversion dimers, which are further linked by C-H...O interactions into chains along the c axis. C-H...[pi] and [pi]-[pi] interactions [centroid-centroid distance = 3.863 (1) Å] further stabilize the molecular assembly.
A 21st century framework for quality management
(Academic Journals, 2012-02-07) Moonsamy, Gonasagren Vimlan; Singh, Shalini
Emerging trends such as globalisation, customer power and sophistication, social responsibility and environmental sustainability consciousness are creating new business challenges and market demands for organisations. In order for the business world to realise growth and sustainable success in this environment, many organisations changed the strategy they followed in the last three decades. The new strategies moved from being predominately product-focused, using process management and cost reduction, which used to be core functions to quality management, to more risk mitigation, revenue generation and reputational focused drivers. Hence, in the last twenty years the world of business has changed significantly, whereas the field of quality has not correspondingly changed in thinking or form. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the supposition that quality has become out-dated over the last two decades. This paper will focus on the change that quality management as a discipline should undertake by proposing a quality stewardship and leadership (QSAL) framework for managing quality, under a new definition, namely, quality stewardship, into the future. In addition, this study will also include an empirical study which was undertaken to evaluate the support for the proposed framework.
4-Dihydroxy-3-(indol-2-)-yl-quinoline via substantial methodology-fisher indole synthesis
(Heterocyclic Letters, 2016) Pitchai, P.; Nepolraj, A.; Sathiyaseelan, M.; Gengan, Robert Moonsamy
Fisher indole methodology, a simple application was used to generate indole as a substitution on the quinoline ring. Conventional heating and microwave irradiation was compared. The ease of work up procedure, reduced time and moreover the high yield is exceptional however microwave irradiation presented more advantages.
57Fe Emission Mossbauer study on Gd3Ga5O12 implanted with dilute 57Mn
(Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2016) Krastev, P. B.; Gunnlaugsson, H. P.; Nomura, K.; Adoons, V.; Gerami, A. M.; Johnston, K.; Ncube, M.; Mantovan, R.; Masenda, Hilary; Matveyev, Y. A.; Mølholt, Torben Esmann; Unzueta, I.; Bharuth-Ram, Krish; Gíslason, H.; Langouche, G.; Naidoo, D.; Ólafsson, S.
57Fe emission M¨ossbauer spectroscopy has been applied to study the lattice location and properties of Fe in gadolinium gallium garnet Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG) single crystals in the temperature interval 300 – 563 K within the extremely dilute (<10−4 at.%) regime following the implantation of 57Mn (T1/2 = 1.5 min.) at ISOLDE/CERN. These results are compared with earlier M¨ossbauer spectroscopy study of Fe-doped gadolinium gallium garnet Gd3Ga5O12(GGG), with implantation fluences between 8×1015 and 6×1016 atoms cm−2. Three Fe components are observed in the emission M¨ossbauer spectra: (i) high spin Fe2+ located at damage sites due to the implantation process, (ii) high spin Fe3+ at substitu-tional tetrahedral Ga sites, and (iii) interstitial Fe, probably due to the recoil imparted on the daughter 57∗Fe nucleus in the β− decay of 57Mn. In contrast to high fluence 57Fe implanta-tion studies the Fe3+ ions are found to prefer the tetrahedral Ga site over the octahedral Ga site. No annealing stages are evident in the temperature range investigated. Despite the very low concentration, high-spin Fe3+ shows fast spin relaxation, presumably due to an indirect interaction between nearby gadolinium atoms.
Academic advising in universities : concept paper
(Kamla-Raj, 2014) Makondo, Livingstone
The need for sustained academic advising and support for students and lecturers in universities in South Africa is on the rise. The initiative draws from the sad reality that the South African higher education system is characterised with low success, retention and throughtput rates. It is within this context that this concept paper interrogates what strategic advisory roles academic/educational/curriculum practitioners/specialists could execute towards ameliorating the situation. This paper draws from academic development literature, institutional self-evaluation, Higher Education Quality Committee audit reports and reflections from experience gathered from lecturing and academic advising. It emerged that academic development advisors need be properly qualified, experienced for them to strategically be visible, design and offer as well as popularise discourse on curriculum design and review, teaching, learning and assessment services among others. Educational practitioners need to execute different agential roles meant to ensure that requisite enabling teaching and learning policies are in place and well popularized. This calls for the nurturing of an institutional culture that foregrounds discourses on academic support, academic excellence and mindset change for the enhancement of the university teaching and learning agenda.
The academic benefit of experiential learning for Civil Engineering students on the Pietermaritzburg campus of the Durban University of Technology
(SASEE, 2013-06) McKune, Tom
Academic integrity in the information age : insights from health sciences students at a South African University
(Emerald, 2024-01-01) Kell, Colette Melissa; Thandar, Yasmeen; Bhundoo, Adelle Kemlall; Haffejee, Firoza; Mbhele, Bongiwe; Ducray, Jennifer
Purpose Academic integrity is vital to the success and sustainability of the academic project and particularly critical in the training of ethical and informed health professionals. Yet studies have found that cheating in online exams was commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the increased use of online and blended learning post-COVID-19, an understanding of student cheating dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies to combat academic dishonesty in the rapidly changing educational landscape.Design/methodology/approachThis study explored academic integrity and reasons for dishonesty from the perspective of health sciences students at a South African University of Technology (UOT) via the Fraud Diamond. To gain an in-depth understanding of the topic, a qualitative method was employed, and data were collected via focus group discussions with nine student class representatives. These data were analysed thematically using the Clarke and Braun approach.FindingsCheating during online assessment was common and innovative, with students manipulating others and exploiting friendships to facilitate dishonest practices. Student motivations for dishonesty included a lack of consequences and pressure due to a lack of time management, engagement and preparation.Practical implicationsThis study underscores the need for institutions to adopt an adaptable, multi-faceted approach that addresses student cheating opportunity, motivation and normalisation of dishonest practices whilst strengthening academic integrity policies and enforcement thereof.Originality/valueThe findings contribute valuable insights into the ongoing academic integrity crisis in higher education in the South African context.
Acceptance of a ready-to-use supplementary food by stable HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated patients
(NISC (Pty) Ltd and Taylor & Francis, 2014) Pillay, K.; Siwela, M.; Feldman, F.J.; Amonsou, Eric Oscar; Mabaso, B.P.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine consumer acceptance and perceptions of a ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) by subjects treated for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected subjects). Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Subjects: One hundred and thirty-nine stable HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated patients participated in the study. Sixty-eight healthy subjects served as the control group. Setting: The setting was Northdale Hospital and Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Outcome measures: Acceptance of the RUSF was assessed using a five-point facial hedonic scale by stable HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated patients (n = 139) from Northdale Hospital and Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Perceptions of the RUSF were determined through focus group discussions in which HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated patients (n = 43) participated. Results: The overall acceptance of the RUSF was significantly associated with the health status of the subjects (p-value < 0.05). Overall, the product was liked by more than 90% of the HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated individuals compared to 85% of the control group. More than 90% of the HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated individuals liked the taste, compared to 87% of the control group. The colour and mouth feel were rated to be “good” by more than 80% of the HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated group, compared to approximately 70% of the healthy group. Focus group discussions revealed that the subjects perceived the mouth feel of the RUSF to be “rough”, and that as a health supplement, the RUSF should be provided free of charge, or at a reasonable cost, at public health centres. Conclusion: The RUSF was found to be highly acceptable to stable HIV-treated and HIV and tuberculosis (co-infected)-treated subjects, although concern was raised about the mouth feel.
Access to finance problems for small retail businesses in South Africa : comparative views from finance seekers (retailers) and finance providers (banks)
(LLC CPC Business Perspectives, 2017-06-23) Holger, J. Schmidt; Mason, Roger B.; Bruwer, Juan-Pierré; Aspeling, Jonathan
Small retail businesses are essential for the growth of the South African economy. Though many of these business entities need more assets to seize business opportunities, previous research studies suggest that their overall access to finance through banks and other finance providers seems to be limited. In general, small retail businesses are usually managed by entrepreneurs who lack financial knowledge, but banks, when deciding on credit applications, rely heavily on financial information, which is provided by these entrepreneurs. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, this study aimed to explore barriers that limit access to finance for South African small retailers, from the perspectives of finance providers (banking institutions) and finance seekers (small retailers). Additionally, measures were highlighted to show how those hurdles could be overcome. Qualitative research was conducted, whereby data were collected via semi-structured interviews with management personnel at banks and other financial institutions, as well as independent experts and small retail business owners and managers. The findings show that many financing opportunities are available to small retail businesses, but access to these opportunities is limited mainly owing to, inter alia, strict bank regulations and factors that are inherent to small retail business owners.
Accessing success through the Writing Centres at a University of Technology
(Kamla-Raj, 2016) Zuma, Nonhlanhla; Popoola, Tosin; Makondo, Livingstone
University students are diverse not only in their demographics, but also in their academic literacy needs. To meet and accommodate the writing needs of all learners, writing centres were established in 2013 at a selected University of Technology (UoT). This study explored the factors that influence use of the writing centre at a selected UoT campus, using a descriptive qualitative design. The study triangulated data collected from interviews with 15 purposively recruited participants and responses from 50 consultations forms. The study findings provided insights into the academic needs of participants, factors influencing use of the writing centres and participants’ evaluation of the writing centres in relation to their academic pursuit. Participants’ academic literacy needs included issues with grammar, public speaking and pronunciation. Taking account of the range of needs of writing centre users at the selected UoT and the diverse factors affecting use of the writing centres, it is recommended that the writing centre invests in the continuing development of its staff so that they can be more responsive to the writing needs of its users. Furthermore, since the factors predicting use of the writing centre include personal and organizational factors, it is important that strategies to raise awareness of the writing centre be tailored appropriately to the needs of the university community.
Accounting skills and the sustainability of small and medium enterprises in South Africa
(Universitatea Danubius Galati, 2021-04-01) Olarewaju, Odunayo Magret; Msomi, Thabiso Sthembiso
The objective of this study is to examine the accounting skills and sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The quantitative research method was adopted for this study and the purposive sampling technique was chosen to select the participants for this study. The study collected primary data from respondents who are owners of SMEs in the retail, construction and manufacturing sectors, etc. Data was analysed using SPSS. A total of 310 research questionnaires were administered and 304 research questionnaires were returned for analysis (giving a 98% response rate). A regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation analysis were conducted. The outcome of Pearson’s correlation shows moderate correlation (r value is 0.531) between accounting skills and sustainable SMEs. There is also a significant effect of accounting skills on sustainability as revealed in p-value <0.0005. Thus, it was concluded that SME owners need more accounting training or bookkeeping awareness. This is because training will equip SME owners with the needed skills to ensure accurate recording of business transactions, which is beneficial when the need for financial assistance from banks or other financial institution arises.
Acetic acid adsorption onto activated carbon derived from pods of Acacia nilotica var astringens (Sunt tree) by chemical activation with ZnCl2
(IISTE, 2015) Elhussien, Mutasim H.; Isa, Yusuf Makarﬁ
The purpose of this study is to prepare and investigate the adsorption behavior of acetic acid onto two samples of activated carbon prepared from Acacia nilotica var astringens, Sunt tree,( SUNT-C1 and SUNT-C2). Applicability Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevitch models of adsorptions isotherm have been tested, while acetic acid initial concentration varied between (0.010 – 0.300) mol/dm3. A comparative study of adsorption capacities of these samples was performed. The obtained data were compared and fitted well with the four models; there exist a correlation between physico- chemical properties of the activated carbons and the sorption processes. The maximum monolayer coverage (Qo) from Langmuir isotherm model was determined to be 1.016mg/g. Also from Freundlich Isotherm model, the sorption intensity (n) which indicates favourable sorption and the correlation value are 1.11 and 1.09 respectively.
Achieving financial sustainability in Ghana’s banking sector: is environmental, social and governance reporting contributive?
(SAGE Publications, 2021) Maama, Haruna
Despite banks not having any significant direct negative impacts on the environment and society, they adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) accounting. Meanwhile, ESG reporting consumes additional resources and exposes firms’ strategies to competitors. The study employed a legitimacy theory to investigate the impact of ESG reporting on the financial sustainability of banks in Ghana. The study relied on 10 years of annual reports of all the banks in Ghana. The banks’ ESG reporting practices were assessed based on a content analysis method. The financial sustainability was measured based on return on assets (ROA) and net interest margin (NIM). Evidence showed that environmental reporting (ERI) impacted the banks’ NIM and ROA inversely and significantly, whilst governance reporting had a positive but insignificant relationship with NIM and ROA. The result further demonstrated that social reporting (SRI) impacted NIM and ROA positively and significantly. The overall ESG reporting had a negative and significant relationship with the banks’ financial sustainability. Hence, the ESG reporting did not improve the financial sustainability of banks, and banks in Ghana have less of an incentive to report on ESG as opposed to banks in other countries, where such reporting generally makes financial sense.
Achieving prehospital analgesia
(BMJ, 2010-10-23) Castle, Nicholas; Naidoo, Raveen
Acknowledging the other …
(National Association of Child Careworkers, 2012) Winfield, Jacqueline Ann
An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference scheme for defect detection and classification of solar Pv cells
(Academy Publishing Center, 2024-09-12) Moyo, Ranganai Tawanda; Dewa, Mendon; Romero, Héctor Felipe Mateo; Gómez, Victor Alonso; Aragonés, Jose Ignacio Morales; Hernández-Callejo, Luis
This research paper presents an innovative approach for defect detection and classification of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells using the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) technique. As solar energy continues to be a vital component of the global renewable energy mix, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of PV systems is paramount. Detecting and classifying defects in PV cells are crucial steps toward ensuring optimal performance and longevity of solar panels. Traditional defect detection and classification methods often face challenges in providing precise and adaptable solutions to this complex problem. In this study the researchers pose an ANFIS-based scheme that combines the strengths of neural networks and fuzzy logic to accurately identify and classify various types of defects in solar PV cells. The adaptive learning mechanism of ANFIS enables the model to continuously adapt to changes in operating conditions ensuring robust and reliable defect detection capabilities. The ANFIS model was developed and implemented using MATLAB and a high predicting accuracy was achieved.
Addressing student dropout rates at South African universities
(DHET, 2015) Moodley, Padhma; Singh, Rachael Jesika
The excitement of a South African University acceptance is shortlived, for many students, as the challenges faced is often overwhelming, resulting in many dropping out in their first year of study. This has negatively impacted on the desired national norm of an 80% success rate targeted by the Department of Higher Education and Training. This study aims to explore ways in which the dropout rates can be reduced thereby increasing the throughput levels of universities in South Africa. A qualitative study was conducted to identify the challenges students encounter that lead to the high dropout rates. Students who had previously dropped out from universities in South Africa were interviewed in order to examine their perceptions of how dropping out of university could have been avoided. Snowball sampling, a type of purposive sampling was used in this study. The findings indicate incorrect career choice, inadequate academic support and insufficient funding as being primary factors that led to the drop out of students. One of the recommendations this study makes is that university departments must align their support programmes with modules that have a high failure rate to help students cope.
Adjustment experiences of first-year students in South Africa
(2020) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Tom, Reyagalaletsa Felicity; Nel, Kathryn Anne; Zogli, Luther-King Junior
Background and Objective: For most students, adjusting to both social and academic life entails engenders a modicum of stress and emotional challenges for most students, resulting in risks of students drop-out. The current study sought insight and understanding into the adjustment experiences of first-year students at a previously disadvantaged tertiary institution of Higher learning in South Africa. Materials and Method: Qualitative research was conducted to establish the lived experiences of the participants. Four focus with eighteen first-year participants from different departments were utilised for data collection. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews, which allowed probing. Thematic Content Analysis was employed to gather themes from the data. Results: The main results indicated that first-year students found life was different, many old familiar and predictable relationships disintegrating. However, they also found independence and the resilience to adapt to change. Positive adjustment experiences and coping mechanisms included working hard, interacting with lecturing staff and attending religious events, while negative ones included drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Conclusions: The study recommended that orientation for first-year students is imperative and should incorporate a programme that helped first-year students understand the challenges they are likely to face in this new phase of their academic and social development.