No abstract available / Thesis (PhD (Science of Regligion and Missiology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The contribution of government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector towards rural development has surfaced in many forms during the different rural development experiences since the 1950s. The South African Government’s Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) is characterised by a notable emphasis for intensified stakeholder participation in rural development. The ISRDP established certain principles that impact on the level of stakeholder mobilisation for the programme. This study aims to explore the level and nature of stakeholder engagement in the implementation of the ISRDP. The experiences by selected nodes (municipalities) on these stakeholder relationships are explored. The involvement of the three spheres of government, the private sector, the community, funders and other partners is also discussed. The results of the study indicate that stakeholder mobilisation for the ISRDP in the nodal municipalities has not reached its maximum level in terms of the integration of existing rural development projects, resource mobilisation, community participation, and communication. Arguments of why this is happening and recommendations to improve the situation are provided. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Rural Development Planning))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Tuberculosis has re-emerged as a global health threat today. Current tuberculosis diagnosis is too slow in general and unsensitive in HIV burdened populations. Exposure to mycobacterial antigens in a country with a high prevalence of tuberculosis leads to false positive test results. Serodiagnosis would have been ideal, but was hitherto not successful. Mycolic acid (MA) is the major lipid cell wall constituent of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of this disease. In this study an antibody response to the MA molecules are investigated as a possible surrogate marker for tuberculosis. In previous studies, IgG antibodies to MA in TB infected, HIV seronegative patients were detected in human sera, with promising results. In this study the ELISA results detecting anti-IgG antibodies to MA in TB and HIV co-infected patients showed a low sensitivity and specificity. The study, however, showed that antibodies to MA are prevalent in HIV seropositive patients. The presentation of MA on the CD1 molecule to T cells might explain why anti-MA antibodies are detected in HIV seropositive patients. The properties of anti-mycolic acid antibodies were investigated to explain the low sensitivities and specificities of the ELISA test. An ELISA was done comparing signals to MA and cholesterol as coating antigen. A degree of cross-reactivity of anti-MA antibodies to cholesterol was obtained. In using the IAsys biosensor it was shown that anti-MA antibodies were inhibited with MA and cholesterol as antigens in liposomes with cholesterol as the weaker antigen. An antibody response to MA might prove to be a good surrogate marker for tuberculosis when measured in an IAsys biosensor based serodiagnostic test, where the serodiagnosis does not depend on the detection of high affinity anti-MA antibodies only. / Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Biochemistry / unrestricted

The bicyclic substrates 1-oxo-2,8-diaryl-2,5,8-triaza-1<font face="symbol">l</font face>5-phosphabicyclo[3.3.0]-octane 3 were studied before. The molecular rearrangement of the alcoholysis product of 3 (the eight-membered ring compound 1-oxo-1-ethoxy-2,8-diaryl-2,5,8-triaza-<font face="symbol">l</font face>5-phosphacyclooctane) to the five-membered ring isomer (the 1,3,2 <font face="symbol">l</font face>5-diazaphospholidine system) is reasonably well understood for the N,N’-diaryl substituted substrates. It was decided to expand the studies of the bicyclic system 3 to other derivatives with aliphatic substituents on the nitrogen atoms (R=PhCH2, Me, Et), as well as the thiophosphoryl and phosphine analogues of 3. Differences between the N-aryl and N-alkyl substrates were observed in the acid and base catalyzed solvolysis of the bicyclic substrate. The reactivity in the rearrangement of the solvolysis product, from an eight-membered ring to the five-membered ring isomer was also different. The N,N’-dialkyl substituted compounds rearranged much slower to the corresponding five-membered ring compounds than the N,N’-diaryl analogues. The thiophosphoryl analoque of 3a (R=Ph), 1-thio-2,8-diphenyl-2,5,8-triaza-1<font face="symbol">l</font>5–phosphabicyclo[3.3.0]octane 11a was prepared by reacting bis-(2-phenylamino-ethyl)amine with P(S)Cl3 in the presence of a base. The alcoholysis product of 11a, observed in 31P NMR (<font face="symbol">d</font>P 76), was the eight-membered ring compound 15. This compound then rearranged to the five-membered ring isomer 16 during GC-MS analysis. This rearrangement is analogous to the rearrangement observed for the corresponding phosphoryl derivatives. Both the thiophosphoryl bicyclic 11a and the phosphoryl bicyclic 3a compounds were detected in the mass spectrum of compound 15. This could be explained in terms of the thiono (P(S)OR) to thiolo (P(O)SR) rearrangement. The NMR spectra of the phosphoryl and thiophosporyl bicyclic compounds 3a and 11a proved to have distinct differences in the aliphatic region as far as coupling constants are concerned. From the crystal structures it was clear that the two halves (two five-membered rings) of 3a and 11a had remarkably different dihedral angles. The NMR data represented an average of the two rings, therefore they appear identical on the NMR-scale. Comparing the dihedral angles as determined from NMR data, by utilization of the Karplus equation, with the dihedral angles obtained from X-ray diffraction data was only approximate. There was very little correlation between the experimental and the calculated dihedral angles for compounds 3a and 11a. An average value of the dihedral angles, resulting from NMR data, was not in agreement with the crystal structures. The MM+ force field of HyperChem® was adapted to perform molecular mechanical calculations in an effort to enhance the conceptualization of the properties and the behaviour of these new heterocyclic compounds. The calculated energies of the eight-membered ring and five-membered ring isomers, for all the different derivatives, confirmed that the rearrangement is thermodynamically controlled. The five-membered ring isomer in each case had lower total strain energy than the eight-membered ring isomer. The thiono and thiolo isomers had comparable potential energies. The thiono isomer of the N-Benzyl derivative had a slightly lower potential energy than the thiolo isomer, for both the eight- and five-membered ring isomers. The calculated energies for both the thiono and the thiolo isomers suggested that the five-membered ring isomer was thermodynamically more stable than the eight-membered ring compound. / Thesis (PhD (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Physics / unrestricted

Crime in South Africa today has become a subject that has invaded our conversations, the way we move about our environments, our recreation, our driving habits, the way we build, plan our cities or plan our routes home at night. In short, crime has permeated our society so profoundly that we have almost begun to accept that all the above violations of our civil liberties, are simply part and parcel of life in South Africa. This got me thinking about whom these criminals were, where do they come from and how can we, as future architects, contribute to putting a stop to this cycle of civil abuse? I thought of the countless young offenders who, when committed to an institution, instead of coming out rehabilitated, return to crime as blossoming criminals. With these thoughts in mind, I chose a Youth Holding Prison for my thesis study. My main question is, how much can an architectural environment assist in the rehabilitation of socially dysfunctional people? Rehabilitation applies to criminals who were normal members of society before they snapped, committed a crime, were punished in prison whereupon they are released and return to society, and reformed. How often is this the case? Are we, contrary to this notion, not confronted with a scenario of criminals, who leave prison and re-enter society, unchanged by the prison environment and unable to interact normally with society, only to be labeled as habitual criminals? Here, the word rehabilitation does not apply. Here, we require healing. Can architecture help to heal? If so, we should apply these healing principles to those young, first-time offenders who still have a chance to change their values and alter their perceptions of life and their place in society, through education, new life experiences and above all, motivation. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Architecture / unrestricted

We are surrounded by three skins. The first being our own, the second the clothes we layer ourselves with, and the third the skin of the building. The initial purpose of this project was to explore the influence architecture has on other design disciplines, in particular fashion design. But it became evident that so many things other that their immediate environment inform fashion designers, that the pursuit of an architecture that inspires fashion is futile. Fashion transcends the spirit of the day. Instead of architecture influencing fashion design, architecture embodies fashion’s identity while fashion and architecture together facilitate an identity for the consumer and the place of consumption. Consumption is seen as a form of cultural production. A shift from production to consumption, and visa versa, has changed the focus of how buildings are used and experienced, and by extension, how and why buildings are erected. The primacy of the skeleton has given way to the primacy of the skin. For fashion houses, the skin of a building has become an essential medium for the promotion of their identity. The emphasis of the project thus shifts to the exploration of architecture as the identity giver to a site and its context, the client and the consumer. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Architecture / unrestricted

This book is a discourse about the impact that consumerism and globalism have on South African and global architecture. It is irrelevant whether the impact is negative or positive. Architecture has to deal with a reality that’s rooted in a context informed by market driven decisions. As the growth and expansion of cities are uncontrollable, architects become interveners, not masterplanners. The brief asked for a heliport and a boutique hotel (aptly named H²). The site for H²is next to a major regional shopping center, and a national highway. The building will be adaptable, and transformable to cater for future growth and needs; and no urban masterplanning was done, as the building intervenes rather than dictates. Much of the debate in this book revolves around the impact advertising has on our urban realm. The design of H² borrows from the principles and tactics employed by advertising companies to create desire in consumers. H² responds to the highway and to the consumer ‘cathedral’ next to it on a subconscious level, and like a advertisement, piece of music, or a film, aims to amplify the responses and emotions of visitors and passerby’s alike. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Architecture / unrestricted

The research comprises of two divisions. Firstly a literature study and secondly an empirical research which was performed by the compiling and completion of a questionnaire. The researcher’s investigation was a reconnoitring study and can be the foundation of further research in this field. The literature study made the compilation of the questionnaire possible and thus provides the context within which the empirical study was conducted, by means of discussing the following: Ø The developmental phase of the toddler Ø The developmental characteristics of the toddler Ø The implication of being in need of care on the development of the toddler Ø The role and tasks of the child care worker in the context of lifespace work with children The empirical study comprised of the completion of a questionnaire that determined the training needs of the child care worker who works with the toddler. Based on the data received through the empirical study the conclusion was made that child care workers, working with the toddler experience numerous training needs. Recommendations are made concerning ways in which organisations who are involved in child and youth care can see to it that the child care workers receive adequate training that will equip them to execute their task successfully. / Dissertation (MA (SW) (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) is a new technique with a promising future in analytical chemistry. Researchers have already shown the advantages of this technique to unravel complex samples consisting of hundreds of compounds. The predominant advantage of GC x GC above conventional one-dimensional gas chromatography is the greatly enhanced peak capacity. To fully utilise this enhanced peak capacity the instrumentation needs to be run at optimum conditions. The optimisation of one-dimensional gas chromatography (GC) is done on a routine basis in analytical laboratories and handbooks are available to cover these optimisation strategies. This study was aimed at providing similar guidelines for GC x GC. Since the underlying theory of GC and GC x GC are essentially the same, conventional GC optimisation strategies were the point of departure for this research. The different operational parameters in GC x GC were identified and emphasis was then placed on a method to simultaneously optimise the flow rate in both columns, taking into consideration the common practice of series-coupling of columns of different internal diameters. The influence of second-dimension stationary phase, temperature program and modulator operation on the distribution and shape of chromatographic peaks in the two dimensions is also investigated. The results obtained from this study provide a useful new approach to optimise a GC x GC system where two gas chromatographic columns of various dimensions are connected in series. The use of diesel samples in this optimisation process presented some useful applications for future research in the petrochemical industry. Examples of potential applications such as “fingerprinting techniques” and compositional analysis are also discussed. / Dissertation (MSc (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Chemistry / unrestricted

Gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an established instrumental technique used for the analysis of fire debris for accelerant detection. However, matrix problems, such as pyrolysis product interference, are still encountered. These interferences often lead to inconclusive interpretation of the chromatographic results. This study describes methods for analysing arson accelerants using gas chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry. The latter technique lends itself to both conventional (GC-MS) as well as tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS). Since petrol (gasoline) is one of the more common distillate blends used by arsonists, especially in South Africa, the identification of petrol in fire debris samples was investigated. In order to overcome pyrolysis product interference and improve detection selectivity of the aromatic hydrocarbons in petrol residues, tandem mass spectrometry was used in combination with capillary gas chromatography. The added parameter of the third dimension of selectivity proved to be superior to conventional GC-MS in obtaining characteristic aromatic hydrocarbon profiles for petrol without interference from pyrolysis artefacts. / Dissertation (MSc (Applied Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Chemistry / unrestricted