No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The aim of this research was: • to gain a better understanding of factors that influence the performance of Information Technology (IT) students; • to gain a better understanding of how Education Technology can assist in overcoming some of the factors that negatively influence the performance of IT students; *to gain a better understanding of students’ perceptions about technology usage in classrooms; *to determine the correlation between the use of Education Technology and student performance, and *to identify whether the use of resources posted on a LMS can serve as predictors of IT students’ performance. In order to achieve these objectives, the research used, firstly, a literature review to identify factors that influence the performance of IT students and how some of these problems can be overcome with the use of Education Technology. Secondly, the empirical part of the study consisted of data derived from an online Learning Management System called eFundiTM at the North-West University Vaal Triangle campus in South Africa. A questionnaire was issued as a collateral investigation to determine students’ perceptions about technology use in classrooms. The empirical portion of the study was conducted to gain an understanding of how students feel about Education Technology, whether the students’ perceptions have changed during their first semester about technology use and whether the usage of certain resources have an influence on students’ performance. The findings from the literature revealed that mental models, learning styles, mathematical ability, prior programming experience and gender are some of the most prominent predictors of success in the performance of IT students. The empirical portion of the study revealed that the usage of certain resources influences students’ performance and that students have an overall positive perception about technology. Finally, recommendations are made for additional studies in order to extend the study of Education Technology to full-time BSc. IT students (not only BSc. IT extended students) at other universities in South Africa. / MSc (Computer Science), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

“Matrix effects” in Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy are the spectroscopic changes induced by intermolecular interactions, providing sensitivity to local structure and order in solids and liquids. This project aims to identify the effect of intermolecular interactions caused by different n-alkane solid state structures on their NEXAFS spectra. Changes to the carbon 1s NEXAFS spectra are studied as a function of their solid state structure and organization. Two experimental approaches were proposed in this project. In the first approach, different n-alkane crystal structures (orthorhombic, monoclinic, etc.) are examined which arise as a function of n-alkane chain length. In the second approach, changes observed through the pre-melting point order-disorder phase transition found in n-alkanes are examined. This work will explore the characteristic spectroscopic differences observed between n-alkanes in different crystalline forms as well as in the disordered phase below the melting points. In this project, well-ordered diamond shape n-alkane single crystals were obtained by solution casting, using experimental conditions optimized for each n-alkane. As circularly polarized radiation will average the effect of molecular orientation, circularly polarized radiation was used to obtain the NEXAFS spectra of n-alkanes. However, in the analysis of the NEXAFS spectra of n-alkanes recorded with the left circularly polarized X-rays, a significant linear polarization contamination was found. Therefore, linearly polarized X-rays were used to acquire angle dependent NEXAFS spectra, where the X-ray polarization was deliberately aligned along the principal axes (X, Y) of the n-alkane crystal. It was observed that the room temperature carbon 1s NEXAFS spectrum of n-octacosane (C28H58) was different from that of the other n-alkanes, n-tetracosane (C24H50), n-tricosane (C23H48) and n-tetracontane (C40H82). This difference can be attributed due to the different crystal packing of n-octacosane (C28H58 - monoclinic) relative to the other n-alkanes (triclinic and orthorhombic), suggesting different intermolecular interactions (matrix effects) in n-octacosane (C28H58). The analysis of the temperature dependent NEXAFS spectra of n-alkanes reveals that samples of the short chain n-alkane crystals, specially n-tricosane (C23H48), n-tetracosane (C24H50) and n-octacosane (C28H58), sublimed in the STXM microscope. Changes observed in the carbon 1s NEXAFS spectra of n-tetracontane (C40H82) with temperature were attributed to the order-disorder transition. This further illustrates the existence of matrix effects in the NEXAFS spectra of n-alkanes.

Cell-cycle progression in mammalian cells is coordinated by a series of control points. The D-type cyclins are a family of key cell cycle regulators that are controlled largely by mitogens and their association with and activation of cdk 4 and 6 at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. This study seeks to first analyze cyclins D1, D2, and D3 expression patterns in preimplantation mouse embryos using in vivo studies and then analyze the effects of Dilantin on the cyclin D1 expression pattern in cultured embryos. Antibody staining against cyclin D1, D2, and D3 via indirect immunofluorescence using a Zeiss Confocal Microscope and analysis of individual embryo staining intensities using Zeiss computer software were employed to evaluate expression patterns throughout the first three cell cycles. The data showed that all three D cyclins were present throughout the first three cell cycles. Cyclin D1 had peak average fluorescence intensity at the G2 phase of the second cell cycle with a decrease at the G1 in the third cell cycle. Cyclin D2 had a consistent increase of fluorescence intensity throughout all three cell cycles. Cyclin D3 had peak average fluorescence intensity at the G2 phase of the second cell cycle with an immediate decrease at the Gl phase in the third cell cycle. Cyclin D1 was localized to the nucleus in G1 phases of the cell cycle. In contrast, cyclin D2 was found in the nucleus during G2 phases of the cell cycle rather than in G1. Cyclin D3 was not localized to the nucleus in either cell cycle phase throughout the first three cell cycles. These unique nuclear staining patterns seen by D1, D2, and D3 may reflect a function in the cell cycle. Embryos cultured in the presence of l0gg/ml of Dilantin were found to be slowed in development indicated by the absence of transition from the one-cell to the two-cell stage when compared to the controls. Since the Dilantin cultured embryos never reached G1 of the second cell cycle the increase in fluorescence intensity seen was still considered to be a representation of the G2 phase of the first cell cycle. Cyclin Dl's fluorescence intensity was affected by Dilantin and accompanied with unstained nuclei during the G2 phase of the first cell cycle. The peak average fluorescence intensity occurred during the G1 phase of the second cell cycle for cyclin D1 stained CZB control, while the vehicle control, 0.001N NaOH, remained constant. Both CZB and 0.001N NaOH had similar expression patterns seen previously in the cyclin D1 in vivo data. The information gained from the in vivo and in vitro experiments will help to better understand what causes the problems associated with exposure to Dilantin, and also the effects Dilantin has on the cell cycle. / Department of Biology

No description available.

Heavy vehicles are major emitters of noise. Especially at idle or low vehicle speeds a large portion of the noise emanates from the fan that forces the flow through the cooling module. The aim of this work is to investigate and reveal aerodynamic and acoustic installation effects linked to the cooling package. This introduces a multidisciplinary approach involving examination of the flow field, sound generation and sound propagation. The work includes two main parts: an experimental and a numerical part. The cooling module used throughout this work, named reduced cooling module, primarily includes a radiator, a shroud, a fan and a hydraulic engine to simplify the aeroacoustics analysis. The experimental part comprises measurements of the sound emanated from the cooling package. A new approach to the spectral decomposition method is developed yielding the fan sound power or spectrum to be formulated as a product of a source part and a system part scaling with the Strouhal number and the Helmholtz number. Also, a separate determination of the transmission loss of the radiator is performed. The impact of the radiator on the transmitted noise was found to be negligible. The numerical part incorporates comparisons from two aeroacoustics studies; a configuration where the fan is forced to operate at a fixed operation point and measured flow and turbulence statistics are available and the reduced cooling module. A hybrid turbulence modeling technique, IDDES, is adopted for the flow simulations. The sound propagation is calculated by the Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkings acoustic analogy when assuming a free-field sound propagation and by a finite element solver in the frequency domain to capture the installation effects. The simulated SPL conforms to the measured SPL and the blade response to the turbulent inflow and to the tip resolution, respectively, produce noise which spectral shape distribution is modified in accordance with earlier experimental findings published. Furthermore, the influence of an upstream radiator in close contact with the fan on the flow and sound fields is investigated. Here, the simulated aeroacoustic characteristics were found to change similarly to the acoustic measurements with and without radiator.

No description available.

The pyrolysis of sec-butyllithium in solution was studied in an attempt to understand the loss of stereo-specificity and the atypical kinetics that have been reported. Additionally, the effect of added lithium alkoxides was studied to determine their effects on the highly reactive sec-butyllithium substrate.