THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNICAL SUBJECTS IN CIVIL TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCETO FET TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Published ThesisThe main aim of the study was to investigate the integration of technical subjects in Civil Technology curriculum with special reference to FET Technical Schools in the Free State, South Africa. The research had used mixed method approach comprised of qualitative as well as quantitative methodology to collect data. The method of investigation included a literature review, empirical study by using qualitative and quantitative method in the form of questionnaires and purposive sampling and semistructured interview. The sample in the research was twenty one (21) teachers responsible for teaching Civil Technology in grades 10-12 from schools in the five districts of Free State province: Fezile Dabi, Motheo, Lejweleputswa, Thabo Mofutsanyana and Xhariep. The study revealed that majority of teachers did not receive formal training on the new Civil Technology Curriculum, therefore, majority of teachers highlighted that they took initiatives of self-training and development on the subject which had made challenges of the subject more interesting. The quantitative responses were analysed by the employed statistician using SPSS computer software and interpreted by the researcher and reported. Qualitative data; semi-structured interviews were recoded, transcribed and analysed by the researcher. The study found that teachers define Civil Technology as a subject that gives the general background of Civil engineering or building environment. The teachers suggested that the Department of Basic Education should provide them with full course training on applied mechanics of the subject and to keep the current curriculum of Civil Technology for Mathematics and Science stream and to implement new Civil Technology specialisation for the new stream of Technical Mathematics and Technical Science

Democratic Government Without the People: The Case of Lesotho After 2015 General Elections

The government of Lesotho has under gone many phases since its independence in 1966. Lesotho has had series of problems especially after every election. After 1970 there was a declaration of state of emergency. In 1985,BNPwon all the constituencies because they were not contested. Since 1993 the government has been advocating for a democratic government in which people would have a say.Finer (1970) maintains that, democratic government is where people periodically elect persons who are supposed to represent their opinion in a central law making body. It is precisely because democracy, both historically and logically, implies and involves majority rule (Finer, 1970:63). The paper seeks to establish that after the elections of February 2015 in Lesotho the government that is the cabinet; was made up of members of parliament who do not have the majority of people where they were elected, that is, from their constituencies. The paper assesses whether government will be accountable to the nation even if it does not have majority of people behind them.Will thecabinet be accountableto the electorates or to the prime minister who has appointed them to the ministerial positions,even though they do not have the followers or whether the cabinet will be a representative body to the citizens?The findings revealed that the ministers were responsible to the Prime Minister rather than to the people, and as such, that kind of cabinet was undermining the tenets of democracy. It was also revealed that the electoral model of the country should be reviewed because it seemed to have an influence in having such a cabinet and it leads to coalition governments. Keywords: Accountability, Democracy, Cabinet, Government, Good Governance, Parties, Ministries.

The Integration of Technical Subjects in Civil Technology Curriculum with Special Reference to Further Education and Training(FET) Technical Schools

Published ArticleThis study aimed at investigating the extent to which Civil Technology Teachers understand and implement Curriculum. The research used qualitative and quantitative methodology to collect data, questionnaires and interviews were used as instruments to collect data. The sample of the study consisted of 21 Civil Technology teachers from 18 Technical schools from 5 education districts in the Free State. Teachers revealed that majority of respondents indicated that Department of Education (DoE) failed to offer formal training on the new Civil Technology Curriculum, but received one week workshops. They regarded Civil Technology as a subject developed for high level of knowledge and skills. Teachers recommended that the Department of Education should provide a full training course on the new understanding and implementation of Civil Technology Curriculum in Free State Schools in South Africa

Assessing the antibacterial properties of eggshell-titanium powder

The global distribution of oral diseases caused by bacterial and the severity of their consequences constitute a pandemic condition.The present paper reports on the antibacterial properties of a modified eggshell and titanium dioxide using the mechanochemical method. EB@TiO2 was modified and characterized using X-raydiffraction (XRD) while the degradation condition was studied using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).The inhibitory properties of EB@TiO2at differentconcentrations (2:1; 3:1 and 4: 1) against both Grampositive (E. coli) and negative bacterial (B. Cereus)strain were studied the using disk diffusion method.The XRD result confirmed the presence of a thermodynamically stable calcite structure, which is indicative of calcium carbonate. The diffraction peak of the XRD at 2θ = 29.5o suggests the deposition of TiO2 on the surface of CaCo3. TGA curves shows the decomposition of anatase form of titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate. The study evidently shows the antibacterial activities of EB@TiO2 against Escherichia coli and B. Cereus. The salient feature of the study finding is that modifying eggshells with titanium dioxide improves the antibacterial properties, and thus offers a promising role for the development of potent

Characterizing Hippocampal Oscillatory Signatures Underlying Seizures in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is a neurological condition characterized by focal brain hyperexcitability, resulting in abnormal neuronal discharge and uncontrollable seizures. The hippocampus, with its inherently highly synchronized firing patterns and relatively high excitability, is prone to epileptic seizures, and it is usually the focus of TLE. Researchers have identified hippocampal high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) as a salient feature in people with TLE and animal models of this disease, arising before or at the onset of the epileptic event. To a certain extent, these pathological HFOs have served as a marker and a potential target for seizure attenuation using electrical or optogenetic interventions. However, many questions remain about whether we can reliably distinguish pathological from non-pathological HFOs and whether they can tell us about the development of the disease. While this would be an arduous task to perform in humans, animal models of TLE provide an excellent opportunity to study the characteristics of HFOs in predicting how epilepsy evolves. This minireview will (1) summarize what we know about the oscillatory disruption in TLE, (2) summarize knowledge about oscillatory changes in the latent period and their role in predicting seizures, and (3) propose future studies essential to uncovering potential treatments based on early detection of pathological HFOs

Evaluating the oral health knowledge, attitude and practice among undergraduate students and staff at selected federal University in Imo state, Nigeria

Oral health is an essential component of an individual’s general health and overall well-being. Although past studies have evaluated oral health knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP), little is known about the level of KAP between students and staff of higher education institutions. This study aimed to evaluate oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among undergraduate students and staff at a selected University of Technology in Nigeria. A multicentre cross-sectional survey was conducted between May – June 2021 with a sample of 747 consisting of 378 students and 369 staff, recruited from 8 faculties across the University. One-way ANOVA test was applied for the statistical evaluation of numerical measures. The association between knowledge, attitudes and practice scores were assessed using Pearson correlation analyses (α=.0.05).  No significant differences were found in the oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices between the students and staff (P>0.05). Overall, the finding suggests that 84.3% of the respondents had a positive attitude toward oral health, 92.5% had high knowledge and 87.4% practised oral health was adequate. The respondents KAP differed by socio-demographic characteristics. The relationship between knowledge and practice was fair (r = 0.358, p < 0.01) while positive weak correlations were observed between attitude and practice (r = 0.198, p < 0.01), and between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.173, p < 0.01). The salient feature of this study suggests that while there was a high level of knowledge among the respondents, the attitude and actual practice of oral healthcare does not commensurate with the level of knowledge. Nonetheless, it was found that knowledge had positive associations with the practice of oral health care. The findings suggest there is a need to improve the knowledge about oral health practice among both staff and students through a tailored design of community based awareness to increase oral health practice

Green composites based on wheat gluten matrix and posidonia oceanica waste fibers as reinforcements

[EN] In this work, green composites from renewable resources were manufactured and characterized. A fibrous material derived from Posidonia oceanica wastes with high cellulose content (close to 90 wt% of the total organic component) was used as reinforcing material. The polymeric matrix to bind the fibers was a protein (wheat gluten) type material. Composites were made by hot-press molding by varying the gluten content on composites in the 10¿40 wt% range. Mechanical properties were evaluated by standardized flexural tests. Thermo-mechanical behavior of composites was evaluated with dynamic mechanical analysis (torsion DMA) and determination of heat deflection temperature. Morphology of samples was studied by scanning electronic microscopy and the water uptake in terms of the water submerged time was evaluated to determine the maximum water uptake of the fibers in the composites. Composites with 10¿40 wt% gluten show interesting mechanical performance, similar or even higher to many commodity and technical plastics, such as polypropylene. Water resistance of these composites increases with the amount of gluten. Therefore, the sensitiveness to the water of the composites can be tailored with the amount of gluten in their formulation.The authors would like to acknowledge the Wallenberg and Lars-Erik Thunholms Foundation for the economical support through the concession of a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forest related. Authors would also like to thank Marcos and Elena for helping in collecting P. oceanica balls.Ferrero Penadés, B.; Boronat Vitoria, T.; Moriana Torró, R.; Fenollar Gimeno, OÁ.; Balart Gimeno, RA. (2013). Green composites based on wheat gluten matrix and posidonia oceanica waste fibers as reinforcements. Polymer Composites. 34(10):1663-1669. doi:10.1002/pc.22567S16631669341

Critical success factor bagi program keusahawanan di jabatan perdagangan politeknik

Konsep Critical Success Factor berkait rapat mengenai pengurusan dalam mencapai misi dan matlamat perniagaan dalam sesebuah organisasi. Oleh itu, kajian ini adalah bertujuan untuk mengkaji empat elemen Critical Success Factor di Jabatan Perdagangan Politeknik seterusnya melihat kecenderungan pelajar untuk melibatkan diri dalam bidang keusahawanan. Kajian jenis kuantitatif ini telah dibuat ke atas pensyarah di Jabatan Perdagangan Politeknik bagi zon Utara. Seramai 190 sampel kajian yang terlibat dalam penyelidikan ini melalui pengedaran borang kaji selidik. Antara enam buah politeknik di zon Utara yang terlibat dalam penyelidikkan ini adalah Politeknik Politeknik Tunku Syed Sirajuddin, Perlis, Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muazzam Shah, Kedah, Politeknik Tunku Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah, Politeknik Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang, Politeknik Ungku Omar, Perak dan Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, Perak. Data yang diperolehi dianalisis mendapati nilai skor min bagi ketiga-tiga persoalan kajian iaitu, mengenalpasti elemen Critical Success Factor yang digunakan, cabaran dalam usaha melaksanakan elemen Critical Success Factor dan mengenalpasti tahap kecenderungan pelajar untuk melibatkan diri dalam bidang keusahawanan adalah tinggi. Manakala bagi persoalan kajian keempat iaitu mencari hubungan korelasi Pearson antara elemen Critical Suceess Factor dengan kecenderungan pelajar untuk melibatkan diri dalam bidang keusahawanan adalah berada pada tahap lemah, sekaligus menunjukkan Ho tidak diterima. Kesimpulannya, elemen Critical Success Factor ini memainkan peranan dalam pembentukkan organisasi yang berkesan supaya pembentukan matlamat dan objektif tercapa

The assessment of scale of spatial and temporal water erosion parameters.

This study assessed the effects of scale on distributed water erosion parameters such as effective hydraulic conductivity, interrill and erodibility parameters. To accomplish this, the watershed was split into one, two, three, six, eight and ten hillslope configuration using geostatistical analysis on data collected on a 20 m grid at Kendall 112 in Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed located near Tombstone, Arizona. Ordinary and universal block kriging were used to split the watershed into cascading planes composed of hillslopes and overland flow elements. The manipulation of data by increasing its spatial variability restored the variability which was smoothed during block estimation. Version 95.7 of Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) was used to simulate runoff, peak discharge and sediment yield from each of the watershed configurations. Based on the results, block kriging can be used to define hillslopes and overland flow elements required in the simulation of runoff and sediment yield using WEPP. From the results, distribution of vegetation parameters by multiple hillslopes did not improve the runoff and sediment yield at the watershed outlet. However, averaging vegetation estimates on a single watershed configuration gave poor results of predicted runoff and sediment than on higher hillslope watershed configurations. The high nugget observed from the vegetation sample variograms reduces the estimation technique to an arithmetic averaging. The model produced plausible results of runoff and peak discharge when the number of hillslopes is increased from one up to eight hillslope watershed configuration. No further significant improvements were realized, beyond an eight hillslope configuration watershed. The erratic nature of predicted sediment yield is explained by the fact that the model does not update rill and interrill parameters during continuous simulation

Paralegal training in Lesotho

This study examines how paralegal training in Lesotho was designed and managed. It analyses the content of the training and methods used. An assessment is made of how the participants used the training in the field. Since the inception of paralegal training in 1993 in Lesotho, no systematic and consolidated analysis lias been done to present a story on the existence o f the paralegal training programme. Paralegal training in this context is defined as the training of community-based people who are given skills to help disadvantaged individuals and groups to fight for thcirrights through the legal system. The legal profession adopted the use o f "barefoot lawyers" to address the imbalance in the accessibility o f legal services and facilities. Internationally the use of paralegals has taken root. In Lesotho the use of paralegals is fairly new, so there is the need to explore mis approach. There are two organisadons involved in paralegal training - the Community Legal Resource and Advice Centre (CLRAC) and the Lesotho Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). Both serve urban and rural populations. Lesotho being a case in point, this is a study aimed at obtaining in-depth information to highlight the paralegal training programme in Lesotho. It sought to ask critical questions about who were recruited as paralegal trainees, which topics were handled in the paralegal training programme, what training methods were used and what responsibilities paralegals fulfil after training. The outcome of this study has already contributed towards establishing a common content and methodology by presenting a systematic analysis of differences and common issues. The methods used to compile the Lesotho case study of paralegal training were reference to files and reports kept by CLRAC and FIDA,in house interviews and observations and interviews with paralegals and village leaders. Forty paralegals, who were trained by the two organisations, were involved in the study. They were identified from the districts o f Module's Hock, Mafeteng, Thaba-Tseka, (the three districts where CLRAC operates), Teyateyaneng and Quthing (two o f the three districts where FIDA operates). An interview schedule was developed which was used lo collect the information from the different respondents who were available during data collection phase of the study. The outcome of this study is that paralegal work is useful. There is the need to train more people as paralegals and to design the paralegal training programme in such a way that it responds to problems within a given context of rural and urban settings