A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science in the Department of Information Studies at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2017 / The need to manage tacit indigenous knowledge (TIK) through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools is imperative because it is at risk of becoming extinct without proper recordable and management systems. Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is largely tacit in nature and is mainly preserved in the memories of elders which is a risk to its documentation and preservation. We argue that ICT can be used effectively for enabling documentation, access and use of IK in the modern society. The study mainly focused on the types of ICT tools used for capturing, storing and disseminating IK in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. Specifically, the study investigated the use and types of ICT tools, in the management of indigenous knowledge, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. For the purpose of the study, five research objectives were used that guided the research questions. These research objectives included: discussing the nature of indigenous knowledge; evaluating the types of indigenous knowledge practices in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province; discussing the types of ICT tools currently used in the management of indigenous knowledge; discussing problems encountered in the availability and use of ICT tools in managing IK; and discussing strategies for improving the use of ICT tools in the management of indigenous knowledge. The theoretical basis of the study was informed by the Knowledge Creation theory (KC) by Nonaka as discussed in detail in chapter two. The study adopted a post-positivist research paradigm to enable multiple perspectives from participants/target population rather than a single reality. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were simultaneously used during a single phase of data collection. Quantitative data was gathered by survey method involving self-administered questionnaires with ICT users/beneficiaries. The qualitative data was gathered by both survey and qualitative content analysis largely through open-ended questions, which were embedded in the semi-structured interviews with owners or custodians of IK. In depth literature review and document analysis formed part of qualitative content analysis. The sample for the study was drawn from ICT users/beneficiaries and owners or custodians of indigenous knowledge in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Notably, the ICT users/beneficiaries consisted of researchers, information specialists and/or librarians, academic staff, students and/or trainees on IK, cultural officers, IK recorders, IK documentation centre managers, and journalists and artisans. Furthermore, respondents who were owners or custodians of IK consisted of traditional healers, diviners and herbalists, traditional farmers, traditional musicians, rural artisans, community elders, traditional midwifery, rainmakers, chiefs, and traditional food specialists and storytellers. The study employed probability and non-probability sampling where cluster, snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used at different stages to select the respondents. A total of 96 questionnaires were administered to ICT users/beneficiaries and 57 (59%) were returned. Additionally, interviews were conducted with the owners or custodians of IK. 224 owners or custodians of IK were sampled, however, 196 (88%) were interviewed. The quantitative data from the ICT users/beneficiaries was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). The qualitative data from owners or custodians of IK was analyzed through the use of qualitative contents analysis. The study acknowledged the wealth, access and use of indigenous knowledge in the province and showed that indigenous knowledge is not only used by indigenous people, as it is also being used by professional people for their own benefit. Many categories of traditional roles of custodians of IK have brought about the sustainability of indigenous knowledge practices in KwaZulu-Natal as it is still vital in these modern times and highly relevant in the areas of medicine and agriculture. Although KwaZulu-Natal has proven to possess rich indigenous knowledge practices, the knowledge is not sufficiently recorded with relevant ICTs for future use. There is a growing use of multiple ICT tools by institutions, IK centres and individuals to record or capture, store and disseminate indigenous knowledge which is quite positive. It is observed that ICT users/beneficiaries and owners or custodians of IK require ICT literacy to improve access and use. The challenges facing IK access are not uniform between ICT users/beneficiaries and owners or custodians of IK. The most crucial challenges among ICT users/beneficiaries and owners or custodians of IK was related to access to relevant ICT infrastructure and resources and lack of digital skills. The existing IK policy should be revised to accommodate rapidly changing ICT requirements of the sector. This study contributes to current literature and discourses on IKS; interrogates the applicability of knowledge creation theory and models to IK research; adds fresh data, information, and knowledge on IK research, particularly in South Africa; and proposes practical solutions to ICT application for IK development. The full thesis is available in the University of Zululand Institutional Repository and other publications from the thesis.

El present treball analitza al microscopi òptic i al microscopi electrònic de transmissió les glàndules sexuals accessòries de Sus domesticus (raça Landrace - varietat anglesa) a partir de mascles reproductors porcins adults i sans. Un millor coneixement dels patrons estructural i ultraestructural normals de las glàndules sexuals accessòries permetrà diagnosticar amb facilitat quina ha estat l'estructura o la funció glandular afectada en mascles en els que s'observa una disminució de la qualitat del semen. Per altra banda, els estudis anatomopatològics s'han de complementar amb tècniques histoquímiques que generalment permeten confirmar o excloure un diagnòstic histopatològic previ.Les glàndules sexuals accessòries del mascle reproductor porcí estan molt desenvolupades i inclouen les glàndules vesiculars, la pròstata i les glàndules bulbouretrals. L'epiteli secretor de les glàndules vesiculars està format per cèl·lules columnars, cèl·lules basals i mastòcits. Les cèl·lules columnars es caracteritzen per presentar tres morfologies diferents que es consideren diferents estadis d'un mateix tipus cel·lular: les cèl·lules principals, les cèl·lules clares i les cèl·lules denses. Les cèl·lules principals secreten activament glicoproteïnes N- i O- glicosilades amb residus d'α-L-fucosa, α(16)fucosa, α-D-mannosa, α-D-glucosa, α- i -D-N-acetilgalactosamina, -D-galactosa-(13)-D-N-acetilgalactosamina, α-D-galactosa, galactosa-(14)-N-acetilglucosamina, D-N-acetilglucosamina i àcid neuramínic. Aquestes glicoproteïnes afavoreixen les interaccions entre l'espermatozoide i l'occit i regulen la permeabilitat de la membrana espermàtica. La pròstata està formada per dues porcions glandulars, el cos de la pròstata (BP) y la pròstata disseminada (DP), entre las quals s'observen diferencies estructurals, ultraestructurals, histoquímiques i funcionals. En ambdues porcions, l'epiteli secretor està constituït per cèl·lules columnars principals, denses i cèl·lules basals, i també per cèl·lules cúbiques en el BP i per cèl·lules mucoses en la DP. En ambdues porcions glandulars, se sintetitzen i secreten N- i O- glicoproteïnes neutres i àcides. Aquestes glicoproteïnes s'alliberen mitjançant un mecanisme regulat en el BP y mitjançant un mecanisme regulat i un constitutiu en la DP. Les glucoproteïnes luminals del BP contenen residus de fucosa, mannosa, α- i -D-N-acetilgalactosamina, galactosa-(14)-N-acetilglucosamina, D-N-acetilglucosamina i àcid neuramínic. En la DP les glicoproteïnes presenten, a més, -D-galactosa-(13)-D-N-acetilgalactosamina i α-D-galactosa. Les glicoproteïnes secretades en el BP i en la DP per via regulada, participen en el control de l'estabilitat del plasmalemma dels espermatozoides, eviten la resposta immune uterina i l'aglutinació dels espermatozoides i afavoreixen la seva motilitat progressiva. Les glicoproteïnes secretades per via constitutiva en la DP protegeixen i lubrifiquen la uretra pelviana.L'epiteli secretor de les glàndules bulbouretrals està format per cèl·lules piramidals principals i denses. Les cèl·lules principals sintetitzen i secreten principalment O-glicoproteïnes àcides carboxilades i sulfatades amb residus glicosídics d'N-acetilgalactosamina, -D-galactosa-(13)-D-N-acetilgalactosamina, α-D-galactosa, D-N-acetilglucosamina i àcid neuramínic. Aquests residus proporcionen resistència a la proteolisi a les O-glicoproteïnes secretades, les quals participen en la lubrificació y protecció de l'epiteli, i intervenen en el control de la permeabilitat del plasmalemma dels espermatozoides i en el transport d'ions al seu través. / The present study evaluates by means of light and transmission electron microscopy, the accessory sex glands coming from adult and healthy boars (Sus domesticus Landrace breed - British variety). A deeper knowledge of the normal structural and ultrastructural patterns of the accessory sex glands will allow diagnosing easily the structure or the glandular function affected when a low spermatic quality is observed. On the other hand, anatomopathological studies must to be complemented with histochemical techniques which generally allow confirming or rejecting a previous histopathological diagnostic. The boar accessory sex glands were very developed and formed by the vesicular glands, the prostate and the bulbourethral glands. Columnar cells, basal cells and mast cells composed the secretory epithelium of the vesicular glands. Columnar cells showed three morphologies, which were considered different stages of the same cell typology and named: principal cells, clear cells and dense cells. Principal cells secreted actively N- and O- glycoproteins that exhibited residues of: α-L-fucose, α(16)fucose, α-D-mannose, α-D-glucose, α- and -D-N-acetilgalactosamine, -D-galactose-(13)-D-N-acetilgalactosamine, α-D-galactose, galactose-(14)-N-acetilglucosamine, D-N-acetilglucosamine and neuraminic acid. These glycoproteins improve sperm-oocyte interactions and regulate plasma membrane permeability.The prostate was constituted by two glandular portions, the prostate body (PB) and the disseminate prostate (DP). Both of them showed structural, ultrastructural, histochemical and functional differences. Principal columnar cells, dense columnar cells and basal cells composed the secretory epithelium of these two glandular parts. The PB contained also cubic cells and the DP contained mucous cells. Both glandular portions synthesised and secreted N- and O- neutral and acid glycoproteins. These glycoproteins were thought to be released by a regulated pathway in the BP while in the DP the glycoproteins seemed to follow a regulated and a constitutive pathway. The BP luminal glycoproteins exhibited residues of: fucose, mannose, α- and -D-N-acetilgalactosamine, galactose-(14)-N-acetilglucosamine, D-N-acetilglucosamine and neuraminic acid. The DP glycoproteins also contained -D-galactose-(13)-D-N-acetilgalactosamine and α-D-galactose residues.The BP and the DP glycoproteins secreted by the regulated pathway participate in the control of sperm membrane stability, avoid uterine immune response and sperm agglutination and, improve their progressive motility. The DP glycoproteins secreted by the constitutive pathway protect and lubricate the pelvic urethra.Principal and dense piramidal cells composed the secretory epithelium of the bulbourethral glands. The principal cells mainly synthesised and secreted carboxylated and sulfated acid O-glycoproteins with residues of: N-acetilgalactosamine, -D-galactose-(13)-D-N-acetilgalactosamine, α-D-galactose, D-N-acetilglucosamine and neuraminic acid. These O-linked oligosaccharides make these proteins extremely resistant to proteolysis, provide lubrication and protection to the epithelium, and participate in ion transport throughout the plasma membrane.