Cultural barriers to male partners’ involvement in antenatal care in Limpopo province

Background: Participation of male partners in antenatal care (ANC) is a complicated process that involves social and behavioural transformation. It necessitates that males take a more active part in reproductive health. Men’s participation in prenatal care has been linked to beneficial health outcomes such as enhanced maternal health outcomes across the world. However, culture has been identified as a barrier to male partners’ participation in prenatal care. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore and describe the cultural barriers to male partner involvement in ANC. Setting: The study focussed on selected clinics and hospitals under Vhembe District, Limpopo province. Methods: Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research design was used in this study. Qualitative data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). A thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the collected data from semi-structured interviews and FGDs. Results: The findings revealed three themes: cultural beliefs and practices that affect male partners’ involvement in ANC; gender-related barriers that affect male partners’ involvement in ANC; and socioeconomic barriers to male partners’ involvement in ANC. Conclusion: The study’s findings revealed that certain cultural beliefs and practices are a stumbling block to male partners’ involvement in antenatal healthcare. Contribution: Culturally based developed strategy might help in improving the knowledge and practices of male partners in ANC

The significance of outsourced science teachers on learner academic performance: An educational management perspective

DEd (Eductional Management)Department of Educational ManagementThis study explored the significance of outsourced Science teachers on the learners’ academic performance. The focus was on academic performance of learners in Physical Sciences in Limpopo Province and outsourced teachers from other countries continentally and abroad. The research population constituted all learners, outsourced teachers, parents, school managers and curriculum advisors involved in Physical Sciences in Limpopo Province. Purposive random sampling was used to obtain 1200 learners, 80 outsourced Science teachers, 40 parents, 40 school managers, and 16 curriculum advisors, all from 8 of the 10 newly demarcated districts of Limpopo Province. Three conceptual frameworks, namely, Structural Functionalism, Social Constructivism and Community of Practice coherently underpinned the study. This qualitative study used document analysis as well as face-to-face (individual) and focus-group interview schedules that were semi-structured to solicit data from the participants. Trustworthiness was guaranteed through Guba’s model of trustworthiness of qualitative research study. Data was processed, summarized and analyzed, through thematic analysis. The following research questions guided the study: What is the significance of outsourced Science teachers on the learner academic performance? What are the factors that influence outsourced Science teachers to teach effectively? What are the challenges faced by outsourced Science teachers and how do they deal with them? What model could be created which schools can envisage for insourced teachers to use? The study revealed that more than 75% of schools that performed well in 2018 Grade 12 Science from all the ten districts of Limpopo Province are manned by outsourced teachers. Several other reasons attributable to the academic achievement together with the challenges that outsourced Physical Sciences teachers face in their trade were revealed by the study. The study recommended that collaborative work approach among stakeholders to bring about good results.NR

Experimental and theoretical studies of the inhibition potential of Lippia javanica plant extracts for the corrosion of aluminium, mild steel, and zinc metals in acidic medium

PhD (Chemistry)Department of ChemistryCorrosion is a natural phenomenon considered a chemical and an electrochemical process of metals interacting with the surrounding corrosive environment. Inhibition is a preventive measure used by corrosion engineers to reduce the effects of corrosion on metals, the environment, society, and the economy. The current study investigates the use of the Lippia javanica plant as an ecofriendly green inhibitor for mild steel (MS), aluminium (Al), and zinc (Zn) corrosion in a 1 M HCl environment. The leaf extracts were prepared by the Soxhlet extraction method using methanol, ethanol, and acetone as solvents. The leaf extracts of L. javanica were characterized using Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis. The inhibitory potential of L. javanica extracts was established by performing weight loss measurements, electrochemical methods such as potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The weight loss assessment was carried out at different temperatures (303 to 333 K) and varying concentrations of the extracts from 200 to 800 ppm. The technique was also used to determine the stability of the extract with varying immersion times. Weight loss measurements showed that the inhibition efficiency increased with increasing concentration of the extracts up to 800 ppm for all three metals. Increasing the temperature of the corrosive environment resulted in a decrease in the inhibition efficiency of Al and MS corrosion, with that of Zn increasing with temperature. The variation of inhibition efficiency with time showed a similar trend, with the protective efficiency of Al and MS decreasing with time and Zn increasing with immersion time. Increasing Zn’s inhibition efficiency with temperature and immersion time implies a chemical protection mode. The reduction in the inhibition efficiency with temperature and immersion time for Al and MS suggests a physical protection mode. According to EIS measurements, the extracts adsorb onto Al, Zn, and MS surfaces to create a protective coating with pseudo-capacitive properties. The only component of the Zn and MS Nyquist plots in the high frequency was a capacitive loop, but the Al plots also showed an inductive loop at a lower frequency. The higher frequency loop represents the resistance for the charge transfer during the corrosion process. In contrast, the lower frequency loop represents the relaxing of hydrogen ions and the adsorption of corrosive chloride ions onto the oxide film. The PDP results revealed that for Al and MS, the three extracts had a similar impact on both the anodic and cathodic half-reactions. In contrast, both half-reactions were affected for Zn, but the cathodic area was more significantly impacted. Undulation Tafel curves for MS and Zn were observed with and without the extracts; however, a longer passive region was detected for Al, particularly in the presence of the plant extracts. The investigational extracts function as mixed-type corrosion inhibitors for Al, Zn, and MS, as indicated by the control of both the anodic and cathodic areas with the introduction of the extracts. Among the many plotted isotherms for the three extracts on the metal surfaces, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm was determined to be the best-fit isotherm. The isotherm confirmed the mechanism of adsorption, which was a mixed-type adsorption for Al, Zn, and MS. Spectroscopy studies revealed that the interaction of the three extracts with Al, Zn, and MS resulted in the formation of metal-inhibitor complexes, which slowed the corrosion process. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) studies demonstrated that L. javanica leaf extracts form a protective film on Al, Zn, and MS surfaces, protecting them from the corrosive environment. Theoretical simulations showed that the primary extract constituent (verbascoside) had binding energy greater than 13 kcal/mol on the surfaces of Zn(110), Al(111), and Fe(110). The high binding energy indicates a mixed-type binding process that includes chemisorption and physisorption. All corrosion experiments revealed that the three extracts exhibited superior inhibition performance for all the three metals studied with comparable results in 1 M HCl corrosive solution.National Research Foundation (NRF

Heterologous expression of equine influenza virus major surface glycoproteins and determination of their immunogenicity in animal models

Abstract: Equine influenza virus (EIV) is the major cause of respiratory tract infection in horses worldwide. The most effective preventative and control measure against EIV infections is by vaccination. The currently commercialized EIV vaccines are propagated in chicken embryonated eggs. However, vaccine production in this manner has several well-recognised drawbacks (supply of chicken eggs, contamination by egg protein and yield in eggs, cost, disposal of waste, working directly with the highly pathogenic EIV etc.). These bottlenecks necessitate the development of an alternative EIV vaccine production strategy. Like other influenza viruses, EIV comprises of two major surface glycoproteins named hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The HA protein is the principal antigen against which neutralizing antibodies are produced, making it an obvious target for vaccine formulation against EIV infections. The NA protein, although lessimportant in contrast to the HA protein, is also used in some instances for vaccine formulation. The addition of the NA protein with the HA component is known to boost antibodyresponse. The aim of this present study was to use recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology for heterologous production of recombinant proteins(HA/NA) to be used in the development of HA, a combination of HA and NA EIV vaccine candidates formulated with and without an adjuvant. The Yarrowia lipolytica yeast system was used in this present study for heterologous expression of HA and NA EIV major surface glycoproteins. This system was chosen for its multifaceted advantages it provides (safe, costeffective, high yield and, scalable). The HA/NA genes were sub-cloned into a yeast expression vector (pKOV410) following their release from a donor vector (pUC57) by restriction enzyme digest. Recombinant pKOV410-HA/NA vectors were subsequently linearized with NotI restriction enzyme to separate the expression cassettes from the DNA moiety to facilitate the transformation of the expression cassettes into the yeast cell genome. The sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to determine the expression of the recombinant HA/NA proteins. The produced vaccine candidates were tested for their immunogenicity in clinical studies using guinea pigs as animal models. The vaccine types were able to induce a positive antibodyresponse in the first and second week post-vaccination (PV) but were seronegative following booster dose. Therefore, intensive research is needed towards the improvement of boosting strategies, for example, the alternative route of administration and purification of proteins should be the center of focus in the improvement of a better alternative yeast-based vaccine platform.M.Sc. (Biochemistry

Qualification problem of intentional infliction of serious bodily injury which, as a result of the negligence of the offender, has been the cause of the death of the victim

Tiesību zinātneTiesību zinātneLaw ScienceLaw ScienceAutore izstrādāja maģistra darbu ar nosaukumu „Tīša smaga miesas bojājuma nodarīšanas, kas vainīgā neuzmanības dēļ bija par iemeslu cietušā nāvei, kvalifikācijas problēmas”. Autore darbā pētīs tīša smaga miesas bojājuma nodarīšanu, kas vainīgā neuzmanības dēļ bijis par iemeslu cietušā nāvei, kvalifikācijas problēmas, kā arī analizēs likumdošanā pastāvošās problēmas, kas saistītas ar noziedzīgu nodarījumu nošķiršanu ar citiem pret veselību un dzīvību vērstiem noziegumiem, tas ir, slepkavību bez pastiprinošiem vai mīkstinošiem apstākļiem un nonāvēšanu aiz neuzmanības. Autores izvirzītais maģistra darba mērķis – izpētot tīša smaga miesa bojājuma nodarīšanas, kas vainīgā neuzmanības dēļ bijis par iemeslu cietušā nāvei, kvalifikācijas problēmas, konstatēt tiesiskās problēmas un piedāvāt to risinājumus. Pētījuma jautājums – Kāds pamats domāt, ka regulējumā ir kvalifikācijas problēmas saistībā ar tīša smaga miesas bojājuma nodarīšanu, kas vainīgā neuzmanības dēļ bijis par iemeslu cietušā nāvei, un kādi var būt risinājumi šo noziegumu pareizai kvalifikācijai? Pētījuma objekts ir – tīša smaga miesas bojājuma nodarīšanas, kas vainīgā neuzmanības dēļ bijis par iemeslu cietušā nāvei, ar kvalifikāciju saistītās tiesiskās attiecības. Neskatoties uz ilgu gadu pastāvošu problēmu, kas saistīta ar Krimināllikuma 125.panta trešās daļas pareizu kvalifikāciju un nošķiršanu no citiem pret veselību un dzīvību vērstiem noziedzīgiem nodarījumiem, kā arī neskatoties uz vairākkārtīgiem tiesu prakses apkopojumiem, kuros konkrēti tika norādīti kritēriji pēc kuriem jāvadās, nošķirot minētos noziedzīgus nodarījumus, joprojām minētās problēmas pastāv. Galvenā problēma ir subjektīvas puses nepietiekama analīzē un nodoma pareiza noteikšana. Maģistra darbā tika izmantoti gan Latvijas, gan arī ārvalstu autoru darbi tādās jomās kā tiesību teorija, krimināltiesības, kriminoloģija. Papildus tika izmantoti juridiskās prakses materiāli, normatīvie akti un interneta resursu publiskotie materiāli. Maģistra darba apjoms 82 lapas. Maģistra darbs sastāv no ievada, četrām nodaļām, nobeigumā izteiktiem secinājumiem un priekšlikumiem, kā arī izmantotās literatūras un avotu saraksta.The author has developed a master’s thesis called “Issues of qualifying murder and commitment of intentional infliction of serious bodily injury which, as a result of the negligence of the offender, has been the cause of the death of the victim”. The author has examined the issues of qualifying murder and commitment of intentional infliction of serious bodily injury which, as a result of the negligence of the offender, has been the cause of the death of the victim, as well as the existing legislative issues related to separating a criminal offence from other offences against a person’s health or life, namely, murder without aggravating or mitigating circumstances and homicide through negligence. The goal of the thesis set by the author is as follows: after having examined the issues of qualifying murder and commitment of intentional infliction of serious bodily injury which, as a result of the negligence of the offender, has been the cause of the death of the victim, to detect legal issues and offer solutions to them. The research question is as follows: What is the ground for the assumption that the issues exist within the legal framework regarding commitment of intentional infliction of serious bodily injury which, as a result of the negligence of the offender, has been the cause of the death of the victim, and what solutions are there to qualify these offences in a proper way? The object of the research is as follows: the legal relations related to the qualification of commitment of intentional infliction of serious bodily injury which, as a result of the negligence of the offender, has been the cause of the death of the victim. Despite the long-existing issues related to proper qualification and separation of Part 3 of Section 125 of the Criminal Law from other criminal offences against a person’s health and life, as well as despite numerous collections of case laws that provide criteria to be followed, the issues still exist upon separating the above-mentioned criminal offences. Yet the main issue is an insufficient analysis of the subjective side and the proper determination of the intention. The present thesis has employed different theories by both Latvian and foreign scholars regarding such domains as legal theory, criminal law and criminology. Additionally legal practice materials, regulatory acts and materials available from the internet resources have been examined. The volume of the present paper is 82 pages. It consists of the introduction, four chapters, conclusions and proposals set out in the concluding part, as well as the list of sources used

Corrosion inhibition exploration of synthesized carboxylic acid and amino esters on selected metals in acid medium

MSc (Chemistry)Department of ChemistryIn this study, carboxylic acid and two ionic liquids-based amino esters were used as corrosion inhibitors for aluminium and mild steel. These compounds were selected because they are said to be non-toxic and environmentally friendly. The non-toxicity of these compounds is essential due to the increasing implementation of strict environmental regulations. The investigated compounds as corrosion inhibitors in this study include a carboxylic acid, namely, N-benzoyl2-aminobutyric acid (2-NBABA), and two amino esters which are 1-(benzyloxy)-1-oxopropan2-aminium 4-methylbenzenesulfonate (1-BOPAMS) and 4-(benzyloxy)-4-oxobutan-1aminium 4-methylbenzenesulfonate (4-BOBAMS) for aluminium and mild steel corrosion in 1.0 M hydrochloric solution (HCl) at 303-333 K. The three compounds were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, 13C-NMR and 1H-NMR). Their anti-corrosive properties, inhibition mechanism, inhibitor-metal adsorption behaviour and corrosion inhibition efficiency were investigated by employing several techniques such as the gravimetric, potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to investigate the functional group responsible for the adsorption/desorption process of the inhibitor molecules and those that disappeared or formed on the surfaces of mild steel and aluminium. Gravimetric analysis exhibited an increase in the inhibition efficiency as the concentrations of the inhibitors were increased for all the three inhibitors studied. Amongst the several isotherms plotted, Langmuir adsorption isotherm was found to be the best-fit isotherm for the three compounds on the metal surfaces. The isotherm provided a clear indication on the mechanism of adsorption which was mixed-type adsorption for both aluminium and mild steel. The impendence result showed an increase in the Rct values as the concentration of the inhibitors was raised, resulting in an increase in the surface coverage by the inhibitor molecules. The adsorption of the inhibitor molecules on the aluminium and mild steel surface led to the decrease in the double-layer capacitance (Cdl) as the molecules of the inhibitors replaced the water molecules at the metal/solution interface reducing the local dielectric constant while increasing the double layer thickness. The data gathered showed that the adsorption of the three inhibitors prevented the dissolution of the mild steel and aluminium in 1.0 M HCl without altering the corrosion mechanism of the metals. The PDP results obtained indicated that the three inhibitors affected both the anodic and cathodic half-reactions to a similar extent. The anodic and cathodic Tafel curves were both affected by the introduction of the inhibitors which revealed that the investigated inhibitors act as mixed-type corrosion inhibitors. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies showed that the corrosion process was reduced due to the interaction of the three inhibitors with mild steel and aluminium resulting in the formation of a Fe-inhibitor and Al-inhibitor complexes.NR

Male partners's view of involvement in maternal health care services at Makhado B Local Area Clinics in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province

MCurDepartment of Advanced Nursing Scienc

Male partners’ views of involvement in maternal healthcare services at Makhado Municipality clinics, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: Male partners have a strong influence on pregnant partners’ health and their access to care. Their involvement is critical in the delivery and uptake of maternal healthcare services and improving maternal and child health outcomes. Aim: The study sought to determine male partners’ views on their involvement in maternal healthcare services. Setting: The Makhado Municipality’s Kutama, Madombidzha and Vleifontein clinics. Methods: A qualitative study design, which is exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature, was used. The population comprised 15 men whose partners had been pregnant within the last 2 years. A non-probability, purposive sampling procedure was used. Data were collected via in-depth individual interviews using a voice recorder and an interview schedule guide. Tesch’s open coding method was used to analyse data. Results: The findings revealed one major theme, namely that maternal health issues are viewed as a woman’sdomain; and three sub-themes: culture and participation in childbirth, male partners’ employment status, and male partners’ unwillingness to participate in maternal health issues. Conclusions: The involvement of male partners in maternal healthcare services, and further research in promoting this activity, should be proposed to policymakers. Keywords: Views, partners, involvement, maternal health care services, antenatal care, labour and postnatal care