Browsing by Type "Book chapter"

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12 Polyphenol oxidases : the future toward global sustainability
(De Gruyter, 2024-04-08) Harun-Ur-Rashid, Mohammad; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Golla, Narasimha; Bin Imran, Abu
Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of phenolic compounds, which are abundant in many plant-based foods. PPOs are crucial in postharvest losses and food waste, especially in developing countries with underdeveloped food supply chains. There has been a growing interest in utilizing PPOs for sustainable food production and preservation, modifying phenolic compounds to develop new food products, detecting phenolic compounds in various products, and utilizing bioremediation, agriculture, biotechnology, and waste management techniques to promote global sustainability. These advances have the potential to provide effective solutions toward achieving a more sustainable future. The most promising application of PPOs for achieving global sustainability is their use as a natural preservative to prolong the shelf life of fresh produce. They can be used to produce novel food products, such as functional foods and nutraceuticals, by modifying the phenolic compounds. The approach can add value to the food industry by creating new products with health benefits and reducing waste. PPOs can be used in bioremediation processes to degrade phenolic compounds found in industrial wastewater and produce natural antioxidants from food waste, promoting circular economy principles. They can also contribute to sustainable agriculture by increasing plant resistance to pests and diseases, reducing synthetic pesticides and herbicides, and improving crop yields. Overall, PPOs have a promising role in creating a more sustainable environment. This chapter thoroughly examines the latest developments in utilizing PPOs for sustainable food production and waste management. It emphasizes the enzyme's potential in natural preservation, novel food production, bioremediation, and sustainable agriculture. Additionally, the authors explore the wide range of applications for PPOs, such as biosensors, bioremediation, agriculture, and biotechnology.
7 Unlocking nature’s remediation arsenal : the role of polyphenol oxidases in efficient and eco-friendly industrial wastewater treatment
(De Gruyter, 2024-04-08) Nagarajan, Prithiviraj; Rajathy, Leena; Patil, Sharangouda J.; Golla, Narasimha; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu
Phenol and its derivatives have gained considerable attention recently due to their high toxicity, teratogenicity, and mutagenicity. Petroleum refinery wastewater is a significant source of phenolic compounds. However, conventional techniques used to treat these wastewaters have several drawbacks, such as incomplete or inefficient removal of phenols. In contrast, biocatalytic processes have garnered significant attention as they offer sustainable and effective removal of toxins, including phenols, from wastewater. Among various biocatalysts, polyphenol oxidases have emerged as major biocatalytic enzymes. These enzymes contain copper and catalyze the oxidation of specific phenolic substrates to quinones in the presence of molecular oxygen. Polyphenol oxidases have a wide range of applications. In the food industry, they are utilized for cocoa and tea production, enhancing coffee flavor and assessing food quality. In medicine, they find applications in treating phenylketonuria, Parkinson's disease, and leukemia. In environmental technology, they play a crucial role in removing phenolic pollutants from industrial wastewater. In the pharmaceutical industry, polyphenol oxidase-immobilized electrodes differentiate between morphine and codeine. This chapter provides comprehensive details about polyphenol oxidases' structure, biochemical properties, and applications, specifically focusing on their role in wastewater treatment.
Adoption of smart traffic system to reduce traffic congestion in a smart city
(Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023) Aroba, Oluwasegun Julius; Mabuza, Phumla; Mabaso, Andile; Sibisi, Phethokuhle
Cities across the world suffer significantly from traffic congestion. Governments are trying to harness the power of today's computing, networking, and communication technologies to build system that can improve the efficiency of current road traffic and conditions. The study investigated the purpose efficiencies of intelligent system to assess their performance. Considering the findings, it can be said that traffic flow forecasting (TFF) possibilities are numerous, involve a variety of technologies, and can significantly reduce most traffic issues in smart cities. The studies were later evaluated to find similarities, content, benefits, and disadvantages of traffic congestion. By applying the project management tools such as the performance metrics and SQERT model were used to evaluate and prioritize the state-of-the-art methods. A classical model was proposed to improve upon and determine the traffic dangers that affect road users and aggregate the information about traffic from vehicles, traffic lights, and roadside sensors. These on-road sensors (ORS) performance are used for analyses such are vehicle classification, speed calculations, and vehicle counts.
Application of organic coagulants in water and wastewater treatment
(IntechOpen, 2019-04-03) Tetteh, Emmanuel Kweinor; Rathilal, Sudesh
Coagulation is an essential mechanism that occurs in most conventional water and wastewater treatment plants. This occurs in a physical purification unit involving transport processes and the addition of coagulants for chemical reactions, charge neutralization, and formation of smaller flocs to agglomerate into larger flocs. This enhances the effective removal of recalcitrant contaminants by downstream processes. However, poor treatment of wastewater might have a high negative impact on biodiversity and the environment in general. This chapter seeks to address the limitation of employing inorganic coagulants by evaluating the efficiency of organic coagulants and exploring the factors and mechanism governing coagulation in a physiochemical treatment process of water and wastewater resources. The effect of pH, coagulant type and dosage to ease the high sludge production and discharge of residual metals into the downstream waters is addressed. The emerging of organic coagulants and technology to mitigate the performance and recovery of mineral coagulants from wastewater treatment residual is been proposed.
Biosynthesis and characterization methods of copper nanoparticles and their applications in the agricultural sector
(Elsevier, 2022-01-15) Reddy, Bhagavanth; Mangatayaru, Girija K.; D, Madhusudan Reddy; Krishna, Suresh Babu Naidu; Golla, Narasimha; Kamel A, Abd-Elsalam
This book provides information on the design and application of ecologically safe formulations, for protecting cultivated crops against insects and pathogen-causing diseases, plant science, antimicrobial applications and agroecosystem ...
Can alignment of digital resources with needs produce a new curriculum theory for teaching?
(BRILL, 2020-12-14) Khoza, Simon Bheki; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Fomunyam, Kehdinga; Simon, Khoza
Teaching and graduating students have become important responsibilities for academics, helping their universities to fulfil disciplinary, societal, and personal needs. Academics use digital resources to support their teaching processes, in order to increase the student completion rate for their universities, improving the world rankings with funding. Digital resources divided into hardware, software, and theories work well when they are aligned with relevant needs. Therefore, this chapter presents an interpretive case study of eight academics who taught students specialising in Curriculum Development at a university in South Africa. The study explored and understood the alignment of digital resources with human needs involved in the teaching of master of education (MEd) students. Semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions, and document analysis were used for data generation. Purposive with convenience sampling was used to select the eight most accessible participants. The study revealed that, when digital resources were used for teaching, this created competing perceived and conceived spaces that had to be integrated into lived space. This chapter, consequently, recommends the understanding and the use of the lived space, which is capable of helping individuals to self-actualise and be able to address societal and disciplinary needs.
Challenges facing women in the mining area of Bojanala district of South Africa
(IGI Global, 2021) Mafora, Gaontebale Audrey; Rena, Ravinder
This chapter examined the Marikana Massacre and its effects on women of the deceased and those who sustained injuries. It also covers the challenges of the women in the Bojanala District of South Africa. The chapter also addresses the disparities and inequalities experienced by women in the mining industry. Forty women participants were part of the study. The data was gathered through questionnaires, oral interviews, and observations. The analysis revealed that more women were affected by the massacre and has deepened their level of poverty. The government provided interventions, but the findings revealed that the incident has left participants with scars, loss of income, and dissatisfaction. The chapter recommended some possible measures to improve the situation of women because of the Marikana Massacre and poverty in the area.
Compressive strength and water absorption capacity of clay bricks in South Africa
(Springer Nature, 2023-04-24) Khuzwayo, Bonga Praisegod; Aigbavboa, Clinton; Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku; Aghimien, Douglas
Some masonry unit manufacturers and suppliers make available to the public the compressive strength and water absorption capacity of burnt clay masonry units, as designers frequently request them. For this study, the compressive strength and water absorption capacity of several commonly used burnt clay bricks in South Africa were determined. The clay brick samples came from all over South Africa, but predominantly Durban (KwaZulu Natal). There were 37 different types. Seventeen were solid and twenty were perforated bricks. An analysis of the relationship between the compressive strength and water absorption capacity of solid clay bricks revealed that compressive strength increases as water absorption capacity decreases. This finding corroborates prior research indicating that a decrease in compressive strength results in an increase in water absorption. Correlation analysis between the capacity of perforated clay bricks to absorb water and their compressive strength revealed no significant relationship between the two. This is unsurprising, given that the compressive strength of perforated bricks decreases proportionately to the reduction in solid cross-sectional area. The study discovered that the type of brick affects the water absorption capacity after examining the effect of size (perforated versus solid) possibly, because they were unmatched low or high porosity burnt clay masonry units.
A computational methodology to select the optimal material combination in laminated composite pressure vessels
(2012-12) Tabakov, Pavel Y.; Walker, Mark
A methodology to select the best material combination and optimally design laminated composite pres-sure vessels is described. The objective of the optimization is to maximize the critical internal pressure subject to cost constraints. Exact elasticity solutions are obtained using the stress function approach, where the stresses are determined taking into account the closed ends of the cylindrical shell. The approach used here allows us to analyze accurately multilayered pressure vessels with an arbitrary number of orthotropic layers of any thickness and a combination of different materials. The design optimization of the pressure vessel is accomplished using the Big Bang–Big Crunch algorithm,subject to the Tsai-Hill failure criterion.
Contextual decolonisation of higher education in South Africa
(2019-03-01) Kehdinga George Fomunyam; Matola, Noluthando; Moyo, Sibusiso; Govender, Vaneshree; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
Corruption, governance and political instability in Nigeria : a dysfunctional conundrum
(Book Publisher International (a part of SCIENCEDOMAIN International), 2019-10-28) Fagbadebo, Omololu; Alina Georgeta, Mag; Kaustubha Nand, Bhatt
The Nigerian State is a victim of high-level corruption, bad governance, political instability, and a cyclical legitimacy crisis. Consequently, national development is retarded, and the political environment uncertain. The country’s authoritarian leadership faced a legitimacy crisis, political intrigues, in an ethnically -differentiated polity, where ethnic competition for resources drove much of the pervasive corruption and profligacy. While the political gladiators constantly manipulated the people and the political processes to advance their own selfish agenda, the society remained pauperized, and the people wallowed in abject poverty. This invariably led to weak legitimacy, as the citizens lacked faith in their political leaders and by extension, the political system. Participation in government was low because citizens perceived it as irrelevant to their lives. In the absence of support from civil society, the effective power of government was eroded. Patron -client relationships took a prime role over the formal aspects of politics, such as the rule of law, well-functioning political parties, and a credible electoral system. In order to break this cycle and ensure good governance, accountability and transparency must be guaranteed
Current strategies in targeted anticancer drug delivery systems to brain
(Elsevier, 2021) Bania, Ratnali; Borah, Pobitra; Deka, Satyendra; Dahabiyeh, Lina A.; Singh, Vinayak; Al-Shar’i, Nizar A.; Nair, Anroop B.; Goyal, Manoj; Venugopala, Katharigatta N.; Tekade, Rakesh Kumar; Deb, Pran Kishore; Dua, Kamal; Mehta, Meenu; de Jesus Andreoli Pinto, Terezinha; Pont, Lisa; Williams, Kylie; Rathbone, Michael
Advanced Drug Delivery Systems in the Management of Cancer discusses recent developments in nanomedicine and nano-based drug delivery systems used in the treatment of cancers affecting the blood, lungs, brain, and kidneys. The research presented in this book includes international collaborations in the area of novel drug delivery for the treatment of cancer. Cancer therapy remains one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine, as successful treatment requires the elimination of malignant cells that are closely related to normal cells within the body. Advanced drug delivery systems are carriers for a wide range of pharmacotherapies used in many applications, including cancer treatment. The use of such carrier systems in cancer treatment is growing rapidly as they help overcome the limitations associated with conventional drug delivery systems. Some of the conventional limitations that these advanced drug delivery systems help overcome include nonspecific targeting, systemic toxicity, poor oral bioavailability, reduced efficacy, and low therapeutic index. This book begins with a brief introduction to cancer biology. This is followed by an overview of the current landscape in pharmacotherapy for the cancer management. The need for advanced drug delivery systems in oncology and cancer treatment is established, and the systems that can be used for several specific cancers are discussed. Several chapters of the book are devoted to discussing the latest technologies and advances in nanotechnology. These include practical solutions on how to design a more effective nanocarrier for the drugs used in cancer therapeutics. Each chapter is written with the goal of informing readers about the latest advancements in drug delivery system technologies while reinforcing understanding through various detailed tables, figures, and illustrations. Advanced Drug Delivery Systems in the Management of Cancer is a valuable resource for anyone working in the fields of cancer biology and drug delivery, whether in academia, research, or industry. The book will be especially useful for researchers in drug formulation and drug delivery as well as for biological and translational researchers working in the field of cancer.
Decolonising for higher education excellence
(2019-03-01) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
Decolonising higher education in the changing world
(Sun Media, 2019-03-01) Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
The decolonisation of higher education is a critical yet highly debatable discourse in the early 21st century where scholars from across the world are moving towards a more congruent and borderless notion of education and responsiveness. The need for decolonisation in higher education, and more so in African higher education, cannot be overemphasised, especially in this era of globalisation and internationalisation where Africa and its education systems are continuously being misconstrued as possessing the same level of capital and political will to engage at a variety of levels. Education and decolonisation in Africa should embrace the notion of the pluriversal in response to the diverse contextual differences and realities permeating the local landscape, which in itself is longing for engagement and interrogation, so as to drive change and development
Decolonising perspectives in the era of globalisation and internationalisation
(African Sun Media, 2019-07-01) Jabosung, Kelly Ngesungwo; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George; Doh, Nubia Walters; Fru, Raymond Nkwenti
Conceived within a context of transdisciplinarity and pluriversalism, and in rigorous response to the Eurocentric, globalising and nationalising structures of power that undergird and inhabit contemporary praxis in higher education -
Demystifying the mainstream : moving from theories to stories
(UJ Press, 2023-11-01) Adewumi, Kehinde Christopher; Fomunyam, K.G.
Africa, as we have it today, is a direct implication of the researches of the past. Likewise, the future of Africa depends on the quality and relevance of current researches and innovations in education and society. However, in recent years, researchers such as Clegg (2012), Hammond (2018) and Wood, Phan and Wright (2018) have problematized the contemporary relevance and usage of theories in researches. Oftentimes, the impact and understandability of an idea are sacrificed at the altar of theorizing. In such cases, theories and structures are given more attention than the potential impact and contribution of the researcher’s idea. Are theories truly problematic? How do we reconcile the place of theory in contemporary researches and education? How can theorizing be rid of its abstractive tendencies? How can theorizing be decolonized? What are the alternatives to the mainstream approach to theorizing? All these are the questions this chapter seeks to raise and attempt to answer. The argument in this chapter shall be based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ideas on storytelling and Sir Ken Robinson’s ideas on seeking creativity as an alternative to rigid adherence to a standardized curriculum.
Digital pedagogies of academic librarians in the fourth industrial revolution
(IGI Global, 2022-06-24) Omarsaib, Mousin; Rajkoomar, Mogiveny; Naicker, Nalindren
Globally, the role of academic librarians as online teachers at higher education institutions is experiencing a tsunami of change. This is due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the influence of technology on pedagogy. The 21st-century academic librarian is challenged to adopt innovative teaching methods using technology in a digital environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the pedagogical and technological preparedness of academic librarians at University of Technologies in South Africa for online teaching. The technology pedagogy content knowledge framework guided the methodology in exploring the pedagogical and technological preparedness of academic librarians. A pragmatic approach using quantitative techniques was used in the data collection process. The data collected from the findings were analyzed and validated resulting in emerging themes. The results show a lack of pedagogical and technological skills among academic librarians at UOT in South Africa.
The effectiveness of sacroiliac manipulation alone versus sacroiliac manipulation following ischaemic compression of gluteus medius trigger points in the treatment of sacroiliac syndrome
(2002) Thompson, Neil
In recent years, sacroiliac syndrome has been widely accepted by many different health professions as one of the major contributors to mechanical low back pain. Manipulation to effect the relief of the condition has thus far proven to be one of the most effective methods. However, comparatively little research has been done on the different forms of physical therapy that can be used in conjunction with a manipulation so as to maximise its effect. This study focussed on the use of ischaemic compression (a well-accepted technique for the treatment of myofascial trigger points) of the gluteus medius muscle.
An ERP implementation case study in the South African retail sector
(Springer Nature Switzerland, 2023) Aroba, Oluwasegun Julius; Chinsamy, Kameshni K.; Makwakwa, Tsepo G.
The enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an ever-growing software used globally and in all sectors of business to increase productivity and efficiency, however, the south African market does not show any symptoms that it needs such facilities as we tangle the whys and how’s on this case study. We use previous studies from the literatures that show an ever-thriving sector such as the South African retail can continue to thrive in the absence of ERP and remain relevant and the biggest market contributors as they have been for the past decades. We focus our sources from year 2020 to 2022 to further influence our case to openly clarify the question of the implementation of ERP system. Our studies settle the unanswered question of the implement ability of an ERP system in the retail sector by exploring both functioning and failed installations and how those were resolved, the effectiveness, efficiency and productivity in the absence and presence of ERP system in place in similar economies such as the South African retail sector, both in the past and present times. The south African retail sector has adopted expensive and difficult to maintain ERP systems, which has a drastic increased improvement in the productivity together with the risks of failure. Such risks were witnessed with Shoprite closing doors in Botswana, Nigeria, and Namibia, this has been proof in failure of expensive and fully paid enterprise resource planning that still failed in more than one country. Our solutions consist of methodology contributed an easy to implement solutions to the retail sectors and can be adapted for different purpose, the integration between large retailers and our system would save millions, time and resources.
Exploring the impact of Women Organizations in Peacebuilding in South Sudan; Post Independence Progress
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2023-05-26) Isola, Abidemi Abiola; Okeke-Uzodike, Obianuju Ebele; Akinola, Adeoye Ologuntoye
This book offers a holistic understanding of the convergence between governance, conflict and security in Africa. It adopts a political economy approach and qualitative research method, funded on unstructured interview and case studies, to unravel the governance and security questions in Africa. There are exhaustive studies on conventional threats to security in post-colonial Africa; however, there has been a dearth of rigorous research on other emerging threats to human security, which have the potency to aggravate Africa’s insecurity and underdevelopment. While cases of armed insurrections and civil wars have reduced on the continent, diverse forms of violent conflicts have endangered the security of lives and property. What explains this trend? As well captured in the volume, the shrinking of many African states and the deepening of structural violence engendered new forms of violent conflict—terrorism, xenophobia, students-led violent protests, gender-based violence, youth-led dissent—and the resurgence of old conflicts, as seen in the new waves of coups in the Sahel and West Africa. Several African states continue to demonstrate their incapacity to ensure peace and security within their territorial delineations. A resurgence of conflict generated by water and land impedes the quests for social stability, security and socio-economic sustainability in many parts of Africa. In the case of land, it manifests as both structural violence (a precondition for physical violence) and farm attacks as experienced in South Africa, where a high level of land-related inequality and physical violence persist. Despite the optimism associated with the ‘Africa rising’ conversation, conventional and contemporary threats to peace have stunted its developmental projects. Indeed, there is a strong connection between security and development. While Paul Coulier’s insisted that economic consideration causes and perpetuates conflict, the literature identifies both economic and political variables—particularly the state and the political power system—as the main determinants of conflict. Africa’s shifting nature of conflict necessitates fresh conversation on exploring effective contextual techniques to ensure Africa’s peace and security. Furthermore, the changing character of the security landscape reveals a rising gap between practice and classical thoughts on conflict, security and governance. Thus, the editor of the book, Oye Akinola, received support from the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg, to host an author’s workshop and brainstorm new trends on conflict and security and the imperativeness of proffering sustainable recommendations for policymaking. The authors in this volume attended and made paper presentations at the workshop, between 10 and 11 March 2022, at the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria, South Africa.