Praxis Mapping: A methodology for evaluating the political impacts of international projects

This report describes the participatory development of a process we have used to consider the political implications of a climate justice project we worked on together from 2010 to 2013, called Strengthening the role of civil society in water sector governance towards climate change adaptation in African cities – Durban, Maputo, Nairobi (see http://ccaa.irisyorku.ca). This project was funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) through their Climate Change Adaptation in Africa programme.This research was supported by the International Development Research Centr

Thermal, viscoelastic and mechanical behavior of polypropylene with synthetic boehmite alumina nanoparticles

Effects of nanofiller concentration and surface treatments on the morphology, thermal, viscoelastic and mechanical behaviors of polypropylene copolymer (PP)/boehmite alumina (BA) nanocomposites were investigated. Both untreated and treated BA particles with octylsilane (OS) and with sulphonic acid compound (OS2) were added up to 10 wt% to produce nanocomposites by melt mixing followed by film blow molding and hot pressing. Dispersion of BA was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray scattering were adopted to detect changes in the crystalline structure of PP. Thermooxidative degradation of the nanocomposites was assessed by thermogravimetrical analysis. Dynamic mechanical analysis served for studying the viscoelastic, whereas quasi-static tensile, creep and Elmendorf tear tests were used to detect changes in the mechanical performance. BA nanoparticles were finely dispersed in PP up to 10 wt%, even when they were not surface modified. The resistance to thermal degradation was markedly improved by BA nanomodification. Changes observed in the mechanical properties were attributed to BA dispersion, filler/matrix interactions and related effects because the crystalline characteristics of the PP matrix practically did not change with BA modification

Product Differentiation for Competitive Advantage in the Private Tertiary Education Institutions in Botswana

The primary objective of the study was to describe the extent to which product differentiation strategies may be used to gain competitive advantage among private tertiary education institutions in Botswana. The study examined how product differentiation strategies may be employed by private tertiary education institutions in order to achieve competitive advantage. The study used descriptive survey research and the findings revealed that the private universities have not done enough to clearly stand out as differentiated universities. The study recommends that the universities need to work together with key stakeholders and continually seek ways to attain competitive advantage through product differentiation

Investigating hair zinc concentrations in children with and without atopic dermatitis

Background. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition that disproportionately affects children and is associated with reduced quality of life. Zinc deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD because zinc plays a role in epidermal barrier integrity and the immune system. Systematic review evidence suggests that low zinc is associated with AD, but limitations of included studies support further investigation.Objectives. To investigate hair zinc concentrations in children with AD v. healthy controls in a low- to middle-income country setting.Methods. One hundred and five children aged 1 - 12 yea­rs participated in a frequency-matched for age case-control study. The outcome variable, AD, was confirmed by a clinician and corroborated using the UK Working Party criteria. The primary predictor, long-term average zinc concentration, was determined by measuring hair zinc using inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Baseline demographic characteristics, anthropometry and measures of socioeconomic status were included in our logistic regression analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed where interaction terms suggested effect modification.Results. Using data from the overall sample, population median hair zinc was not significantly different between children with AD and healthy controls. However, subgroup analysis suggested a clinically and statistically significant difference in median zinc between children with AD (175.35 µg/g) and healthy controls (206.4 µg/g) in the older age group (5 - 12 years) (p=0.01). In this age group, multivariable logistic regression analysis also found significantly decreased hair zinc concentrations in AD (odds ratio 0.83; 95% confidence interval 0.66 - 0.96; p=0.046).Conclusions. The inverse association between zinc status and AD in children aged 5 - 12 years in our setting is consistent with the international literature. The clinical importance of decreased zinc levels in AD is not yet known. Further investigation into relevant underlying mechanisms seems warranted given the global reach of AD, its effect on quality of life, and the low cost of potential zinc-based interventions.

The challenge of designing a Fischer-Tropsch reactor

Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 1-4 July, 2007.The Fischer-Tropsch process converts synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, to a spectrum of predominantly hydrocarbon products. The reaction is catalysed by cobalt, iron, nickel or ruthenium at elevated temperatures and pressures. In our studies of this system we developed a thermo-kinetic model of the reactor. One of the main challenges for the design of this type of reactor is the exothermicity of the reaction. Heat removal is critical to avoid catalyst deactivation and damage. To assess the heat removal it was therefore necessary to develop a descriptive model of the reactor. The overall process design we are developing is based on the results of an application of our process synthesis methodologies. These methods involved initially the definition and description of the fundamental processes taking place which are reaction and heat transfer. Thus in order to achieve an optimised design we needed to consider not only the reaction rate but also the rate of heat removal. Ideally, one would prefer a highly active catalyst to increase production per unit volume. However, the advantage of a highly active catalyst is offset by the necessity to equivalently enhance the heat removal to avoid damaging or destroying the catalyst. This requires the reactor designs to accommodate a trade-off between unit volume production rate and heat removal. This paper will address the issues involved in the thermodynamics, mass and heat transfer aspects of the Fischer-Tropsch reactor. This is further complicated by the high number of components and the multiple phases involved in the reactor. However due to the sensitivity of some information for commercial purposes in our research centre, relative values have been assigned to critical variables. This however does not compromise the quality of work.cs201

Financial Accounting 3B

Exam paper for second semester: Financial Accounting 3

Depression in Zimbabwe: a community approach to prevention and treatment

A position paper on primary health care for the management of mental health in Zimbabwe.This paper reports on a process whereby research findings, generated by a collaborative project between primary health care workers and a University team, were utilized by a community to formulate local plans for the prevention and management of depression. Action-oriented research, with a high level of community participation, follows on directly from the Declaration of Alma-Ata1 and has been called Health Systems Research (HSR). The principle of HSR is that it should be useful and have a direct focus on solving practical and relevant problems.2 Priorities should be generated by health workers and by the community rather than purely by academics and as much as possible of the research should be carried out by those already working at ground level. Results should lead to implementable recommendations and the research is not complete until those recommendations are underway

Gamma ray production cross sections in proton induced reactions on natural Mg, Si and Fe targets over the proton energy range 30 up to 66 MeV

Gamma-ray excitation functions have been measured for 30, 42, 54 and 66 MeV proton beams accelerated onto C + O (Mylar), Mg, Si, and Fe targets of astrophysical interest at the separate-sector cyclotron of iThemba LABS in Somerset West (Cape Town, South Africa). A large solid angle, high energy resolution detection system of the Eurogam type was used to record Gamma-ray energy spectra. Derived preliminary results of Gamma-ray line production cross sections for the Mg, Si and Fe target nuclei are reported and discussed. The current cross section data for known, intense Gamma-ray lines from these nuclei consistently extend to higher proton energies previous experimental data measured up to Ep ~ 25 MeV at the Orsay and Washington tandem accelerators. Data for new Gamma-ray lines observed for the first time in this work are also reported.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. IOP Institute of Physics Conference Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics VII, 28th EPF Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference, May 18-22 2015, York, U