Koos Sas: ‘n Kultuurhistoriese ondersoek na die invloede op die nalatenskap van ‘n omstrede figuur

Master of Arts in History, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusHierdie kultuurhistoriese studie ondersoek die faktore wat ‘n invloed gehad het op die nalatenskap van die legendariese figuur, Koos Sas. Sas, ‘n berugte skaapdief en moordenaar, het van die Khoekhoen afgestam. Om te bepaal of sy spesifieke herkoms enigsins ‘n rol gespeel het in die wyse waarop hy later onthou sou word, word die sosio-ekonomiese landskap van die vroeë twintigste eeu in Suid-Afrika nagevors. Die studie tref verder vergelykings tussen Sas en soortgelyke misdadigers om ooreenkomste in hulle modus operandi uit te lig en sodoende aan te dui dat die geval van Koos Sas nie uniek was nie. Die historiese agtergrond van die opgrawing van Khoekhoen-beendere vir wetenskaplike navorsing sedert die negentiende eeu word in die studie behandel. Die doel hiervan is om die opgrawe van Sas se oorskot, asook die wyse waarop daar met sy beendere ná sy dood in 1922 omgegaan is, binne konteks te plaas. Daar is verder ondersoek ingestel na die moontlikheid dat die uitstalling van Sas se skedel in die Montagu Museum vir sewentien jaar, bygedra het tot die manier waarop hy vandag onthou word. Die rol van museums as kulturele en opvoedkundige instansies in die uitstalling van menslike beendere wêreldwyd is terselfdertyd uitgelig. Die invloed van die letterkunde op Sas se nalatenskap is betekenisvol, aangesien die naam “Koos Sas” in ‘n hele paar publikasies verskyn (fiksie sowel as nie-fiksie). Die rol wat die sanger David Kramer in die hantering van Sas se skedel gespeel het, is deeglik nagegaan en ontleed, aangesien sy werk Sas as ‘n slagoffer en martelaarsfiguur uitbeeld. Dit het ‘n openbare debat tot gevolg gehad wat in ‘n groot mate tot die publiek se persepsie van Koos Sas bygedra het. Die studie ondersoek die redes waarom daar ‘n honderd jaar na die gebeure steeds na Sas as ‘n “omstrede figuur” verwys word. Tydens die begrafnis van sy skedel in 2021 is daar byvoorbeeld na hom verwys as ‘n “Khoi-chief”. Sas se nalatenskap is dus gedurende hierdie tydperk verpolitiseer: deur sommige word hy as ‘n held en vryheidsvegter gesien, deur ander as ‘n skaapdief en hartelose moordenaar. Deur die uitbeelding van Koos Sas as ‘n martelaar het hy met verloop van tyd vir sommige mense ‘n simbool geraak van die onderdrukking van die historiese Khoekhoen en die onregte wat hulle aangedoen is. Sas se nalatenskap het egter nie slegs openbare debat gestimuleer nie, maar het selfs in ‘n mate nasiebou en versoening bevorder. Tog is die aspek van omstredenheid waarskynlik die mees betekenisvolle kenmerk van sy nalatenskap.Master

Occurrence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Virulence Profiles of Salmonella Serovars Isolated from Wild Reptiles in South Africa

Reptiles are carriers of an array of microorganisms, including signifcant zoonotic bacteria of the genus Salmonella, which cause a disease referred to as salmonellosis that afects both animals and humans. Tis study investigated the occurrence of Salmonella serovars in wild reptiles at Timbavati Private Game Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa, and examined their virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene profles. A total of 19 wild reptiles were sampled, which resulted in 30 presumptive Salmonella isolates. Te isolates were identifed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by amplifying the invA gene and were further confrmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Salmonella serovars were detected in chameleons (36.8%), lizards (31.6%), snakes (15.8%), and tortoises (15.8%). Te use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Salamae (30%), S. enterica subsp. enterica (16.7%), S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (13.3%), and S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Indiana (13.3%) were the four most common subspecies among the investigated 30 isolates. Detected virulence genes included pagN (100%), hilA (96.7%), ssrB (96.7%), prgH (86.7%), and marT (86.7%). Te isolates exhibited resistance to nalidixic acid (43.3%) and kanamycin (43.3%), followed by streptomycin (16.7%) and ciprofoxacin (3.3%). Antibiotic-resistant genes were detected as follows: strA, strB, qnrA, qnrS, parC, aadA, aac(6′)-Ib, and aac(6′)-Ib-cr at 33.3%, 6.7%, 16.7, 13.3%, 10%, 23.3%, 6.7%, and 10%, respectively. Te fndings highlight the necessity of educational initiatives aimed at reducing reptile-related infections. Efective antibiotic treatment appears promising for infection, given the minimal drug resistance observed in reptile Salmonella serovars in the current stud

Unlocking water potential in drylands: Quicklime and fly ash enhance soil microbiome structure, ecological networks and function in acid mine drainage water-irrigated agriculture

In water-stressed regions, treated acid mine drainage (AMD) water for irrigated agriculture is a potential solution to address freshwater scarcity. However, a significant knowledge gap exists on the short and long-term effects of treated AMD water on soil health. This study used high-throughput Illumina sequencing and predictive metagenomic profiling to investigate the impact of untreated AMD (AMD), quicklime- (A1Q and A2Q) and quicklime and fly ash-treated AMD water (AFQ) irrigation on soil bacterial diversity, co-occurrence networks and function. Results showed that untreated AMD water significantly increased soil acidity, electrical conductivity (EC), sulfate (SO42−), and heavy metals (HM), including reduced microbial diversity, disrupted interaction networks, and functional capacity. pH, EC, Cu, and Pb were identified as key environmental factors shaping soil microbial diversity and structure. Predominantly, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia picketti, Methylotenera KB913035, Brevundimonas vesicularis, and Methylobacterium oryzae, known for their adaptability to acidic conditions and metal resistance, were abundant in AMD soils. However, soils irrigated with treated AMD water exhibited significantly reduced acidity (pH > 6.5), HM and SO42− levels, with an enrichment of a balanced bacterial taxa associated with diverse functions related to soil health and agricultural productivity. These taxa included Sphingomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, Achromobacter, Microbacterium, Rhodobacter, Clostridium, Massillia, Rhizobium, Paenibacillus, and Hyphomicrobium. Moreover, treated AMD water contributed to higher connectivity and balance within soil bacterial co-occurrence networks compared to untreated AMD water. These results show that quicklime/fly ash treatments can help lessen impacts of AMD water on soil microbiome and health, suggesting its potential for irrigated agriculture in water-scarce regions

Comparison of test performance of two commonly used multiplex assays to measure micronutrient and inflammatory markers in serum: results from a survey among pregnant women in South Africa

The combined sandwich-ELISA (s-ELISA; VitMin Lab, Germany) and the Quansys Q-Plex™ Human Micronutrient Array (7-Plex) are multiplex serum assays that are used to assess population micronutrient status in low-income countries. We aimed to compare the agreement of five analytes, α-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) as measured by the 7-Plex and the s-ELISA. Serum samples were collected between March 2016 and December 2017. Pregnant women (n 249) were recruited at primary healthcare clinics in Johannesburg, and serum samples were collected between March 2016 and December 2017. Agreement between continuous measurements was assessed by Bland–Altman plots and concordance measures. Agreement in classifications of deficiency or inflammation was assessed by Cohen’s kappa. Strong correlations (r > 0·80) were observed between the 7-Plex and s-ELISA for CRP and ferritin. Except for CRP, the 7-Plex assay gave consistently higher measurements than the s-ELISA. With the exception of CRP (Lin’s ρ = 0·92), there was poor agreement between the two assays, with Lin’s ρ < 0·90. Discrepancies of test results difference between methods increased as the serum concentrations rose. Cohen’s kappa for all the five analytes was < 0·81 and ranged from slight agreement (vitamin A deficiency) to substantial (inflammation and Fe deficiency) agreement. The 7-Plex 1.0 is a research and or surveillance tool with potential for use in low-resource laboratories but cannot be used interchangeably with the s-ELISA. Further optimising and validation is required to establish its interchangeability with other validated methods

In vitro and in silico antimicrobial evaluation of N- methyl-2-phenylmaleimides

MSc (Pharmaceutical Chemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusDue to COVID-19, many other pandemics have been overlooked in the past few years. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pandemic that have killed more people than Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and malaria in 2019 and ranked only behind COVID-19 and tuberculosis. In addition, it is estimated that the mortality rate due to AMR will increase to 10 million deaths by the year 2050. Despite the increase in AMR, it is now evident that there is a drastic decline in the development of novel antibiotics which further exacerbates the problem. While antibiotic stewardship as well as infection prevention is important to combat AMR, only novel antibiotics can treat resistant bacterial strains. Due to the high cost and attrition rates with regards to the development of new drugs, drug repurposing is increasingly being used to identify novel antibiotics. Maleimides (1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione) are a fusion of maleic acid and imides and have been found to exhibit antibacterial properties, however their antibacterial mechanism of action is unknown. Agirbas and co-workers (2007:2324) synthesised 2,3,5-substituted perhydropyrrolo[3,4-d]isoxazole-4,6-diones derivatives of maleimide and proved they had antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. These derivatives are similar to a series of N-Methyl-2-phenyl-maleimide (1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione) (NMP) derivatives that were previously synthesised by our research group and tested for activity against monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). The aim of this study was to firstly use computer aided drug design (CADD) to create and validate a pharmacophore model of the maleimide derivatives synthesised by Agirbas and co-workers (2007:2324). The pharmacophore model was validated using the enrichment value (EF), hit rate (HR) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) curve as metrics. The validated pharmacophore model was used to estimate the probability of the NMP derivatives to also have antibacterial activity, whereafter the in vitro activity of the NMP derivatives was determined against Enterococcus faecium, S. aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lastly, PharmMapper was used to conduct target fishing in an effort to identify potential antibacterial targets. A common feature pharmacophore model was created (rank score: 120.5; max. fit value: 4), which was able to accurately identify active analogues out of the decoy set (EF20%: 4.3, HR20%: 86.4%, AUC-ROC: 0.9 ± 0.03). Three hydrogen bond acceptors and a ring aromatic region was identified as important for in vitro antibacterial activity. The NMP compounds only had antibacterial activity against S. aureus. The most active compound, i.e., 3, had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4 μg/ml, whilst the MIC of the other compounds ranged from 8 μg/ml to 16 μg/ml. Compound 5 was found to be bactericidal, whilst all other compounds were bacteriostatic. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the log P and the MIC of each compound, indicating that more lipophilic compounds have greater antibacterial activity. Using PharmMapper three possible antibacterial targets were identified, i.e., the malonyl coenzyme A (CoA)-acyl carrier protein (ACP) transacylase (MCAT), the signal peptidase I (SPase) and topoisomerase VI. Further investigation will be needed to confirm the PharmMapper findings.Master

Individual, household, and community-level predictors of modern contraceptive use among black women in South Africa

MSocSc (Population Studies and Sustainable Development), North-West University, Mahikeng CampusBackground: The main objective of the study is to determine the multilevel determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active black women in South Africa. Modern contraceptive use is a global social problem and affects women. Therefore, in this study, modern contraceptive includes women’s educational status, employment status, marital status, provinces, and parity. Methods: This study utilises secondary data from the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey to examine the multilevel determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active black women in South Africa. The following analyses were conducted, the univariate analyses, which includes frequencies, as well as the bivariate analysis. The bivariate analysis included a chi-square test to test the association between the selected independent variables and the dependent variable. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to measure the relationship between the selected factors and the outcome variable. Results: The findings of the study confirmed that age, marital status, level of education, parity and province were statistically associated with modern contraceptive use. In terms of parity, the findings indicated that the prevalence of modern contraception increased with parity. Women with no parity had (48.0%) prevalence of modern contraception, those in one-to-two parity had (60.6%) and those with three plus had (65.4%) prevalence of modern contraception. In terms of exposure to family planning messages, women that had no exposure to family planning messages had (60.3%) prevalence to modern contraception than women who had exposure to family planning messages with (58.3%). With regards to household wealth, women from well-to-do households had high prevalence of contraceptive use(61.5%), followed by those in the average household wealth (58.7%) and those in the poor household wealth had the least (59.5%) prevalence of modern contraception. The findings also showed that women from urban areas had higher prevalence (60.2%) of modern contraception than those in rural areas (59.5%). The findings further illustrated that sexually active black women less than age twenty 1.84 [95% CI: 1.27-2.65], and those in their twenties 1.32 [95% C.I: 1.09-1.59] had higher odds of using modern contraception compared to those in their thirties (aged 30-39). Women aged 40-49 had lower odds [AOR 0.51, 95% C.I: 0.42-0.63] of using modern contraception compared to those aged 30-39.In terms of level of education, women with secondary education or more had higher odds [AOR 1.57, 95% C.I: 1.23-2.0] of using modern contraception compared to those with primary education. Moreover, the findings showed that the use of modern contraception increased with parity. Women with zero parity had the lower odds [AOR 0.19, 95% CI: 0.15- 0.26] of using modern contraception compared to those with parity three or more. Women with parity one-to-two had lower odds [AOR 0.53, 95% C.I: 0.44-0.64] of using modern contraception compared to those with parity three and more. Conclusion: Several strategies could play a role in increasing modern contraceptive use among black women in South Africa. These strategies could include (a) enhancing women’s skills and encouraging them to finish their basic education, (b) empowering women through the creation of jobs opportunities, especially those from poor backgrounds as a way to increase modern contraceptive use.Master

Christian stewardship for South African business leaders : a public practical theological study

MTh (Pastoral Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThis study ultimately seeks to contribute to the field of development aimed at Christian stewardship for business leaders involved in sustainable development from a public practical theological perspective. The methodology was guided by Osmer’s (2008) model for doing practical theological research, which was considered appropriate for this study as it enabled the researcher to answer the study’s research questions. This approach comprises a descriptive empirical task (what is going on?), an interpretive task (why is this going on?), a normative task (what ought to be going on?), and a pragmatic task (how might we respond?) The investigation is driven by four main questions, namely: * What are the current problems South Africa and South African business leaders are facing in terms of attaining sustainable development goals? * Why are South Africa and South African business leaders struggling to meet the sustainable development goals? * What can a reimagining of Christian stewardship as found in Scripture, church traditions, history, and other disciplines offer South African business leaders to attain the sustainable development goals? * How will a public practical theological reimagining of Christian stewardship empower South African business leaders to attain the sustainable development goals more effectively? The study includes an investigation of Scriptural passages that point to the role and responsibility of Christian stewards (Ex 20:1-3; Gen 9:1-3; 1 Cor 4:1-2; 1 Pet 4:8-11), reminding us that we must have no other gods but God, and that our true identity and purpose, as well as our gifts received from God, are to glorify God through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we must minister these to one another with fervent love. The study intends to contribute to the field of public practical theology, specifically focusing on sustainable development. This study has recognised the potential of a reimagined Christian stewardship as a new paradigm for business leaders working towards SD from a public practical theological paradigm.Master

Assessing the role of trust in the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement of academic staff in selected South African universities

MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusContemporary South African society is experiencing moral bankruptcy, as is evident through persistent acts of crime and corruption in media reports. The higher education sector has not remained unscathed, with a lack of leadership leading to recent breakdowns in governance at multiple public universities in South Africa. A need exists for a leadership approach that serves the interest of others, promotes ethical behaviour, restores trust in the leader, and improves the work engagement of academic staff to counter corruption's adverse effects. This study aimed to assess the role of trust in the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement of academic staff in four selected South African universities. The study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional design, using a non-probability convenience sample (n=206) to achieve the study’s objectives. The shortened servant leadership scale, the shortened Utrecht work engagement scale, and the trust in/loyalty to the leader scale were administered as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, mediation and moderation analyses, and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated a positive association between servant leadership, trust, and work engagement. Insignificant results were found to determine the mediating or moderating effect of trust in the relationship between servant leadership and work engagement. Servant leadership and trust were found to successfully predict the outcome of work engagement, with servant leadership being the dominant predictor. The limitations are identified, including recommendations to address limitations in future research. Practical recommendations are also provided for higher education institutions.Master

The effect of feed water TDS on RO membrane rejection rates and performance

MEng (Chemical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusPower generation is a major user of fresh water, which is becoming important for Eskom and South Africa due to the water-scarce status. Therefore, the water usage at a thermal power station is a key metric and reverse osmosis (RO) is a key technology that can be used to reduce water consumption. A double pass RO system at a thermal power station used to produce demineralised water for steam production is operating with a large variance in its brackish feed water with total dissolved salts (TDS) ranging between 80 and 1000 mg/L. The reference plant showed a significant decrease in observed salt rejection with lowering feed water concentration. The reason for this decrease in salt rejection was not clear to Eskom and required further investigation. An experimental test rig was used to study 4” spiral wound membrane modules to replicate the reference plant in a small-scale and controllable setup. The range of feed water concentration was replicated by treating NaCl solutions varying from 10 - 2500 mg/L. Polyamide RO Membranes from three different suppliers (Filmtec™, Toray and Hydranautics) were tested to compare the response in salt rejection to feed water concentration. The test rig was not temperature controlled, and therefore, more than one variable changed during the experimental data collection which requires the development of a model from literature and experimental data to enable the comparison between the membranes on an equal footing. The results produced by the standard salt diffusion equation significantly deviated from the experimental results below 100 mg/L NaCl feed concentrations. This deviation was attributed to the Donnan effect which showed a reduced effect at lower concentrations and subsequently lowers the salt rejection capability of the RO membrane in this region. Therefore, additional terms presented by Anisimov & Orlov (2018) were incorporated into the salt flux equation which then produced a model that predicts the membrane performance throughout the entire feed concentration range that was tested. The experimental input data is also replicated using the modelling software available from the three membrane suppliers. The results from the software correlated well with the experimental and developed model results. The recommended modifications from an optimisation exercise on the reference plant could allow the plant to be more flexible by achieving maximum recovery over the entire range of feed water qualities. The modifications proposed can potentially allow the reference plant, when operating on the lowest feed water concentration, to increase overall water recovery from 77% to 96%, reduce wastewater by 80% and increase the plant production by 23%.Master

A sociological exploration of the influence of inclusive masculinity practices and experiences of homohysteria among self-identified gay rugby players in South Africa

MA (Sociology), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusContemporary masculinity theorists believe that the social dynamics between heterosexual and gay men are changing. These changes, they contend, are evidenced by the increase of overt displays of homosocial tactility among men and a decline (albeit, uneven) in homophobia and homohysteria. Previous models (e.g., hegemonic masculinity theory [HMT]), according to the proponents of inclusive masculinity theory (IMT), were unable to theorise these variations in masculine expressions. Said changes continue to spill over into various social institutions, including that of contact sport. Long regarded as a hypermasculine context in South Africa and abroad, recent studies show that the game of rugby has become more inclusive towards multiple masculinities. Although research conducted in the US and UK are well-documented, the topic remains under-researched in South African academe. To this end, the objective of this study was to explore the influence of inclusive masculinity practices on the fear of self-identified gay rugby players in South Africa of being socially perceived as gay (i.e., experiencing homohysteria). Using a qualitative approach, I purposefully selected seven self-identified gay men who played rugby. They were invited through material sent to an inclusive rugby club and individual gay rugby players as well as through snowball sampling. I conducted in-person and virtual audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with two self-identified Black and five White men. The findings culminated in the Exclusive-Inclusive Safe(r) Rugby Club Model (EISR-CM). Based on the collected data, this conceptual model demarcates the reasons gay men play rugby; the ideal features they ascribe to masculinity in rugby; the reasons why they decided to join or refrain from joining an inclusive or exclusive gay rugby club and the influence of inclusive masculinity practices on the men’s experience of homohysteria in their respective teams and/or clubs. Regarding the first, the findings show that the men’s primary and secondary gender-role socialisation played a significant role in their decision to play rugby from an early age. They identified their fathers, brothers, male coaches and friends of their parents as key figures who motivated them to join the sport. Interestingly, in both cases of socialisation, they showed a critical inclination towards how traditional gender roles reinforced specific masculine ideals for them to aspire to: on the one hand, they recalled conforming to orthodox masculine ideals, whereas, on the other hand, the parents of some participants allowed them to express the tenets of inclusive masculinities. A second reason why gay men played (and continue to play) rugby is because of their need to accrue gender, body and masculine capital. This involves the participants “dialling up their testosterone” to be socially respected, integrated and revered by the teammates. This finding relates to the idealisation of masculine features in rugby. Continuing to subscribe to their primary socialisation, some participants valued stoic, orthodox and muscular ideals of masculinity. Concurrently, they confirmed the “attractiveness” of such traditional masculine traits for themselves and others. They did, however, qualify their responses in this regard. Although some might associate their partiality to traditional masculine and muscular archetypes (e.g., the “gay clone”) to them performing complicit masculinity, they refrained from solely conforming to hegemonic masculinity, opting to perform their hybridity to express their personal desirability and partiality towards an idealised masculinity as opposed to uncritically subordinating themselves through vertical homosociality. They, therefore, expressed a propensity for horizontal homosociality, emotional expressiveness, inclusivity and authenticity as idealised features of who they were as men. Read together, the reasons the gay rugby players decided to join or refrain from joining an inclusive or exclusive gay rugby club and the influence of inclusive masculinity practices on the men’s experience of homohysteria resulted in five implications. First, they joined their respective clubs to establish horizontal homosocial brotherhoods with gay teammates and heterosexual coaches and allies. Second, they wanted to become advocates for gay men’s inclusion in rugby. This resulted in some adopting the so-called “fuck you! Watch this! I can do this!” attitude to work towards gay men’s acceptance, social change and inclusivity. In so doing, third, the men got a new-found appreciation for the inherent diversity and multiplicity of gay (and heterosexual) masculine identities and bodies. As the findings show, this challenged the men’s personal internalised homophobia and homonegativity towards gay men. Furthermore, through championing inclusivity, the club’s management and membership strove to educate and sensitise men about homosexuality (in general) as well as acceptable and impermissible uses of language and behaviours (in particular). These initiatives sought to dispel stereotypes, myths and homophobia. A final meaningful contribution of the study is how men, regardless of their age (i.e., whether they were members of Generations X, Y or Z) showed an affinity for the tenets of inclusive masculinities. In conclusion, although the difficulty associated with the recruitment of more participants may arguably speak to South African gay men’s internalised homophobia or homohysteria, the findings show how those who participated, after having joined an inclusive/exclusive rugby club in South Africa, noted experiencing higher levels of horizontal homosociality and lower levels of homohysteria. This could encourage other gay men to join future research endeavours.Master