Social grant dependence, irrigation water use and on-farm entrepreneurial spirit: a behavioural explanation for smallholders in KwaZulu-Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Unemployment, poverty, hunger and inequality still remain the key rural development challenges in South Africa. Since the demise of apartheid, one of the key objectives of the South African government has been to decrease the level of poverty and improve the quality of life for all South Africans. The government, in its efforts to alleviate poverty to the disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of communities, introduced several poverty reduction strategies such as the social grants. With social grants becoming the main source of income for most rural households in South Africa, there is a concern that poor rural households are turning away from small-scale agriculture as a result of their dependence on social grants. However, there is insufficient empirical research examining the possible effects of social grants on on-farm entrepreneurial spirit of smallholders. Therefore, this study ought to fill this knowledge gap by explaining the behaviour of smallholder farmers using a revealed preference (RP) method. While other previous studies have constructed entrepreneurship and psychological capital (PsyCap) indices following the stated preference (SP) method, this study adopted the RP method to construct entrepreneurial spirit and PsyCap indices using a behavioural approach. The study was also unique compared to other studies evaluating the impact of unearned income on utilising agricultural resources at their full capacity by farmers. Most studies in the past analyse the impact of social grants and remittances on agriculture separately. Thus, pooling social grants and remittances to analyse the impact of unearned income on the proportion of land operated makes this study different compared to other studies in the past. The study was conducted in two irrigation schemes (Tugela Ferry and Bululwane) in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Both purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were applied to select the respondents in this study. The study purposively selected small-scale farmers who were involved in food crop farming to allow for comparison between different farmer typologies. A stratified random sampling method was then used to select the respondents. Smallholder farmers were categorised into four types of farmers, namely, scheme irrigators (104), homestead food gardeners (32), community food gardeners (23) and non-irrigators (16). The reason for stratification according to the farmer type was to capture the developmental paths and challenges or constraints of progressing to the next level in each farmer type. A total sample of 175 farmers, comprising of different farmer typologies, was obtained in the selected irrigation schemes. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a two-limit Tobit regression model and Fractional Logit model. The analysis of descriptive statistics was used to summarize the data set and to compare differences between farmer typologies including the household demographics and socio-economic characteristics. The Tukey’s HSD post hoc test was conducted to indicate which of the specific farmer typologies differed from each other. The study used the PCA technique to create positive PsyCap indices (mainly capturing hope, resilience, self-efficacy and optimism) and on-farm entrepreneurial spirit indices (proactive, innovative, competitive and risk taking). The Keiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s sphericity tests were applied to test the assumptions underlying the use of PCA. A two-limit Tobit regression model was applied to estimate the impact of social grant dependence on on-farm entrepreneurial spirit of smallholders. The Fractional Logit model was adopted in this study to analyse the impact of unearned income on smallholders’ ability to utilize their resources at their full capacity. The study found a positive relationship between social grants and on-farm entrepreneurial spirit. Though the level of packaging and processing fresh produce is generally low among small-scale farmers, it improves as the proportion of income from social grants increases. This implies that the lack of entrepreneurship among smallholders is caused by other factors. For example, results indicated low levels of education among smallholders making it difficult for them to search for information. Scheme irrigators were also found to be less entrepreneurial compared to other farmer typologies which can be attributed to failure of irrigation schemes. It is recommended that the policy makers revisit the idea of rehabilitation of schemes in the rural areas to revive entrepreneurial spirit among smallholders. The findings also show that, while the proportion of unearned income has a negative impact on the proportion of land operated, the use of social grants as an investment in agricultural activities is positive. This implies that when social grants are used as an investment in agricultural activities, they indirectly meet the object of poverty reduction. More operated land means more agricultural production, more income, which in turn, reduces poverty or food insecurity among beneficiary households, ceteris paribus. However, when the grants are not invested in agriculture, this policy acts as a disincentive to agricultural production. In their design, social grants were never meant for use in agricultural production but they were expected to provide temporary relief to overburdened individuals or households so that they can meet their immediate needs. Thus, the policy itself as it stands, before considering the practice by rural households to invest the money in agriculture, does not encourage households to work for themselves. The government and its strategic partners should review the policy and ensure that the unintended negative consequences on labour productivity in agriculture are minimized. Male farmers put more land under cultivation compared to females. This indicated partial absence of women empowerment in the rural areas which is caused by current customary laws. It is recommended that strategies and interventions for empowering women farmers should be developed and implemented not only in irrigation schemes but in the broader smallholder agricultural sector. Women are the majority of smallholder farmers in irrigation and hence the future of smallholder agriculture cannot be certain without empowered women. Areas for empowerment include access to and control over resources, especially those that are critical in agricultural production such as equipment, education and training and entrepreneurial skills. Given the positive impact of social grants on rural households’ farming activities, this study recommends that the social cash transfers policy should continue. However, the fact that smallholder farmers are using social grants for agricultural purposes implies that there is a gap in terms of agricultural support. This means there are other farming and institutional factors which hinder smallholder farmers’ entrepreneurial spirit. Addressing these farming constraints (e.g. limited access to credit, inadequate farming assets, water insecurity, lack of farming inputs, etc.) and improving institutional support (e.g., access to credit, training, other extension services) will positively contribute to enhanced on-farm entrepreneurial spirit and utilisation of farm resources. Future research should also seek further investigation into the use of social grants as an investment in agriculture. This study did not go deeper to understand how exactly the social grants are used in agriculture and to what extent. Furthermore, it would be useful to investigate the impact of CSG on youth’s willingness to participate in small-scale farming. Such an analysis is required to broaden the understanding of the role of social grants in the smallholder agricultural sector

Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactides by (Pyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine Zn(II) and Cu(II) Complexes: Kinetics, Mechanism and Tacticity Studies

The kinetics, mechanism and polymer microstructure studies of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactides (LA) by Zn(II) and Cu(II) complexes of (pyrazolylmethyl)pyridine ligands, 2-(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (L1) and 2-(3,5-diphenylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (L2) is described. The complexes [Zn(Ac)2(L1)] (1), [Cu(Ac)2(L1)] (2), [Zn(Ac)2(L2)] (3) and [Cu2(Ac)4(L2)2] (4) formactive initiators in the ROP of D,L-LA and L-LA monomers. Generally Zn(II) complexes 1 and 3 exhibit higher activities compared to the corresponding Cu(II) complexes 2 and 4. Polymerization kinetics of D,L-LA show higher rates compared to the L-LA reactions. All the polymerization reactions follow pseudo first-order kinetics with respect to monomer while 1 shows second-order dependency on the polymerization reactions. Molecular weights of the polymers range from 813 g mol–1 to 9207 g mol–1 and exhibit relatively narrow molecular weight distributions between 1.2 to 1.6. While poly(D,L-LA) are predominantly atactic, poly(L-LA) are largely isotactic. All polymerization reactions proceed through coordination insertion mechanism followed by hydrolysis of the end groups.KEYWORDS Zinc and copper complexes, lactide, polymerization, kinetics, mechanism.PDF and Supp files attache

Estudio teórico-experimental de ondas de choque generadas por termocavitación y algunas aplicaciones

"El fenómeno de termocavitación se define como la formación, crecimiento y colapso de una burbuja de vapor en el interior de un líquido altamente absorbente a la longitud de onda de operación. Este fenómeno se genera comúnmente empleando láseres de onda continua (CW). El colapso de una burbuja de termocavitación genera una intensa onda acústica denominada onda de choque, la cual alcanza algunos megapascales de presión. En este trabajo de tesis se presenta el estudio teórico experimental de la propagación de dichas ondas de presión dentro de una cavidad elíptica truncada y se proponen algunas aplicaciones factibles usando la dinámica de crecimiento de la burbuja y/o la onda acústica emitida"

Dieta de Penélope superciliaris Spix, 1825 (aves, cracídeos) em um fragmento de mata semidecídua de altitude no sudeste brasileiro

The feeding ecology of the frugivorous vertebrates is important, because they are responsible for the demographic establishment of most plant species. This study had the following objectives: identify, estimate and characterize the diet of Penelope superciliaris, as well as verify the potential of seed germination of the fruits ingested by those birds. The research was developed from March 1999 to October 2000 in a fragment of semideciduous altitudinal forest in the Parque Municipal do Itapetinga, in the Atibaia Municipality, São Paulo State. The diet of the birds were observed through walking transects and focal-tree methods besides collections of fecal samples in different environments of the study area. The monthly diversity of fruit species found in the fecal samples was verifíed by the Simpson diversity index. Between April and October 2002 germination experiments were accomplished with captive birds. Seasonai differences in the diet and in the germination rates between control and treated seeds and morphological characteristics of consumed fruits were compared using Chi-Square test. Twenty-fíve feeding-bouts and 23 contacts with Penelope superciliaris were obtained in the study area. The largest number of feeding-bouts and contacts were registered inside the forest in heights ranging from 5.1 to 10 m. Penelope superciliaris consumed fruits in all months (y2 = 3.16; p > 0.05) and the consumption of leaves and flowers presented two picks in the dry season (y2 = 61.42; p 0.05). The seeds of the species Ficus enormis, Miconia cinnamomifolia and Aegiphila sellowiana presented high germination rates, after passing through the digestive tract of Penelope superciliaris, while Psychotria sessilis and Didymopanax angustissimum presented smaller rates, having the Iast species the large it rate for the control seeds. Penelope superciliaris prefers forest areas and has a great feeding flexibility, shown by the high number of plant species included in its diet. The high rates of seed germination of the species after gut treatment by the birds indicate that they can be considered potential seed dispersers of such plants.Dissertação (Mestrado)A ecologia alimentar dos vertebrados frugívoros é importante, pois deles depende o estabelecimento demográfico da maioria das espécies de plantas. Este estudo teve por objetivos identificar, estimar e caracterizar a dieta de Penelope superciliaris, bem como verificar o potencial de germinação de sementes de frutos ingeridos por essas aves. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida no período de março de 1999 a outubro de 2000 em um fragmento mata semidesidua no Parque Municipal do Itapetinga, em Atibaia, SP. Para observação da dieta das aves foram utilizados os métodos transecto percorrido, árvore-focal, além de,coletas de amostras fecais em diferentes ambientes presentes na área de estudo. A diversidade mensal das espécies de frutos encontrados nas amostras fecais foi verificada pelo índice de Diversidade de Simpson. Entre abril e outubro de 2002 foram realizados/experimentos de germinação, com aves mantidas em cativeiro. Diferenças sazonais na dieta e nas taxas de germinação entre sementes controle e tratamento e características morfológicas de frutos mais consumidos foram comparadas pelo teste X2. Foram obtidos 25 registros de alimentação (feeding-bouts) e 23 contatos com Penelope superciliaris. O maior número de registros de alimentação e contatos se deu no interior da mata em alturas entre 5,1 a 10 m. Penelope superciliaris consumiu frutos em todos os meses de estudo (x2 = 3,16; p > 0,05) e o consumo de folhas e flores apresentou dois picos nas estações secas (x2 = 61,42; p 0,05). As sementes das espécies Ficus enormis, Miconia cinnamomifolia e Aegiphila sellowiana apresentaram altas taxas de germinação, após a passagem pelo tubo digestório de Penelope superciliaris, enquanto Psychotria sessilis e Didymopanax angustissimum apresentaram menores índices, tendo a última apresentado maior taxa para as sementes controle. Penelope superciliaris apresenta preferência por áreas florestadas e possui uma grande plasticidade alimentar, refletida pelo alto número de espécies incluídas em sua dieta. As altas taxas de germinação das espécies que passaram pelo tudo digestório das aves indicam que elas podem ser consideradas potenciais dispersoras de tais plantas

Controllable direction of liquid jets generated by thermocavitation within a droplet.

A high-velocity fluid stream ejected from an orifice or nozzle is a common mechanism to produce liquid jets in inkjet printers or to produce sprays among other applications. In the present research, we show the generation of liquid jets of controllable direction produced within a sessile water droplet by thermocavitation. The jets are driven by an acoustic shock wave emitted by the collapse of a hemispherical vapor bubble at the liquid-solid/substrate interface. The generated shock wave is reflected at the liquid-air interface due to acoustic impedance mismatch generating multiple reflections inside the droplet. During each reflection, a force is exerted on the interface driving the jets. Depending on the position of the generation of the bubble within the droplet, the mechanical energy of the shock wave is focused on different regions at the liquid-air interface, ejecting cylindrical liquid jets at different angles. The ejected jet angle dependence is explained by a simple ray tracing model of the propagation of the acoustic shock wave inside the droplet

(Pyridyl) benzoazole Copper (II) and Zinc (II) complexes : synthesis and applications as catalysts in Polymerization of Lactides and ε-Caprolactones.

M. Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2015.Abstract available in PDF file

Modelación de un medio óptico dispersivo mediante la susceptibilidad eléctrica como ecuación auxiliar

"Se realizó un conjunto de programas en Matlab para la simulación de campos electromagnéticos transitorios, mediante la solución numérica de las ecuaciones de Maxwell a través del método de las Diferencias Finitas en el Dominio del tiempo (FDTD por sus siglas en ingles) para el caso de una dimensión. Estas ecuaciones presentan derivadas espaciales-temporales en la ley de Ampere y Faraday que fueron remplazadas por ecuaciones en diferencias finitas, técnica basada en la discretización tanto espacial como temporal de los campos electromagnéticos particularmente usando la aproximación de la diferenciación central. Se empleó la llamada técnica de la ecuación auxiliar para introducir efectos dispersivos y no lineales, utilizando la relación entre el vector de desplazamiento y el campo eléctrico, mediante la susceptibilidad eléctrica, utilizando los modelos de primer orden (Debye), segundo orden (Lorentz) y la contribución no lineal de tercer orden (Kerr y Raman). Los resultados obtenidos en el modelo Debye y Lorentz se consideraron los coeficientes de Fresnel en medios dieléctricos, bajo una incidencia normal, los resultados obtenidos mediante la teoría fueron validados con los resultados numéricos arrojados por la modelación.

Utjecaj nanočestica kitozana koje sadržavaju antioksidanse izolirane iz biljke Salvia hispanica L. na svojstva filmova pripremljenih od šćirovog brašna

Research background. Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) flour produces films with excellent barrier properties against water vapor, allowing food preservation, but the mechanical properties are poor compared to synthetic films. One strategy to improve these properties is the incorporation of nanoparticles. The particles can also serve as a vehicle for the addition of antioxidant agents into the films. The objective of this work is to optimize the formulation for the preparation of amaranth flour films treated with antioxidant chia (Salvia hispanica L.) extract-loaded chitosan particles using response surface methodology (RSM). Experimental approach. Chitosan nanoparticles with the extract were synthesized by ionic gelation, and the films were made by the casting method. Three independent variables were assigned: amaranth flour (4-6%), glycerol (25-35%) and chitosan nanoparticles loaded with the chia extract (0-0.75%). We then evaluated the physical (thickness), mechanical (tensile strength, Young´s modulus and elongation), barrier (water vapor permeability, moisture and water solubility) and antioxidant properties of the films. The experimental results of the properties were analyzed using a Box-Behnken experimental design generating 15 runs with three replicates at the central point. Results and conclusions. Second and third order polynomial models were obtained from the ANOVA analysis of the evaluated responses, and high coefficients of determination were found (0.91–1.0). The water vapor permeability of the films was 0.82−2.39·10-7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2), tensile strength was 0.33−1.63 MPa and antioxidant activity 2.24−5.65%. The variables had different effects on the films: glycerol negatively affected their properties, and the permeability values increased with increased amaranth flour content. The nanoparticles improved the mechanical, barrier and antioxidant properties of the films compared to the films without nanosystems. The optimal formulation was 4% amaranth flour, 25% glycerol and 0.36% chitosan nanoparticles. The optimized films had better mechanical (1.62 MPa) properties, a low water vapor permeability value (0.91·10-7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2)) and moderate antioxidant activity (6.43%). Novelty and scientific contribution. The results show the effect of chitosan nanoparticles on the properties of amaranth flour films for the first time. The resulting equations are useful in the design of food packaging.Pozadina istraživanja. Brašno od amaranta odnosno šćira (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) može se upotrijebiti za izradu filmova s odličnim svojstvom propusnosti vodene pare, što omogućuje čuvanje hrane, no ti filmovi imaju lošija mehanička svojstva od sintetičkih filmova. Jedan od mogućih načina poboljšanja mehaničkih svojstava filmova je dodatak nanočestica, koje ujedno mogu poslužiti kao nosač antioksidansa. Svrha je ovoga rada bila metodom odzivnih površina optimirati pripremu filmova od šćirovog brašna dodatkom čestica kitozana koje sadržavaju antioksidanse iz ekstrakta chia (Salvia hispanica L.) sjemenki. Eksperimentalni pristup. Nanočestice kitozana s ekstraktom chia sjemenki dobivene su ionskim geliranjem, a filmovi su pripremljeni metodom izlijevanja. Određene su tri nezavisne varijable: šćirovo brašno (4-6 %), glicerol (25–35 %) i nanočestice kitozana s ekstraktom chia sjemenki (0–0,75 %). Zatim su procijenjena fizikalna (gustoća), mehanička (vlačna čvrstoća, Youngov modul elastičnosti i istezljivost), barijerna (propusnost vodene pare, vlaga i topljivost u vodi) i antioksidacijska svojstva filmova. Dobiveni su rezultati ispitani pomoću Box-Behnkenovog plana izvođenjem 15 eksperimenata s tri ponavljanja u centralnoj točki. Rezultati i zaključci. Analizom odziva pomoću ANOVA testa dobiveni su modeli oblika polinoma drugog i trećeg stupnja te visoki koeficijenti određivanja (0,91–1,0). Propusnost vodene pare bila je 0,82−2,39·10–7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2), vlačna čvrstoća 0,33−1,63 MPa, a antioksidacijska aktivnost filmova 2,24−5,65 %. Svaka je varijabla imala drugačiji učinak: povećanje udjela glicerola negativno je utjecalo na svojstva flimova, a njihova propusnost se povećala s povećanjem udjela šćirovog brašna. Dodatkom nanočestica poboljšana su mehanička i antioksidacijska svojstva te propusnost filmova u usporedbi s filmovima koji nisu sadržavali nanočestice. Optimalni dodatak filmovima bio je 4 % šćirovog brašna, 25 % glicerola i 0,36 % nanočestica kitozana. Optimirani filmovi imali su bolja mehanička svojstva (1,62 MPa), malu propusnost vodene pare (0,91·10–7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2)) i umjerenu antioksidacijsku aktivnost (6,43 %). Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Rezultati ispitivanja po prvi put prikazuju utjecaj nanočestica kitozana na svojstva filmova od šćirovog brašna. Dobivene jednadžbe mogu se korisno upotrijebiti u projektiranju jestive ambalaže

Follow-Up Assessment of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated with Endovascular Coiling: Comparison of Compressed Sensing and Parallel Imaging Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography

The aim of our study was to compare compressed sensing (CS) time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with parallel imaging (PI) TOF MRA in the evaluation of patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with coil embolization or stent-assisted coiling. We enrolled 22 patients who underwent follow-up imaging after intracranial aneurysm coil embolization. All patients underwent both PI TOF and CS TOF MRA during the same examination. Image evaluation aimed to compare the performance of CS to PI TOF MRA in determining the degree of aneurysm occlusion, as well as the depiction of parent vessel and vessels adjacent to the aneurysm dome. The reference standard for the evaluation of aneurysm occlusion was PI TOF MRA. The inter-modality agreement between CS and PI TOF MRA in the evaluation of aneurysm occlusion was almost perfect (κ = 0.98, p < 0.001) and the overall inter-rater agreement was substantial (κ = 0.70, p < 0.001). The visualization of aneurysm parent vessel in CS TOF images compared with PI TOF images was evaluated to be better in 11.4%, equal in 86.4%, and worse in 2.3%. CS TOF MRA, with almost 70% scan time reduction with respect to PI TOF MRA, yields comparable results for assessing the occlusion status of coiled intracranial aneurysms. Short scan times increase patient comfort, reduce the risk of motion artifacts, and increase patient throughput, with a resulting reduction in costs. CS TOF MRA may therefore be a potential replacement for PI TOF MRA as a first-line follow-up examination in patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with coil embolization

Patients’ priorities around drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment: A multi-national qualitative study from Mongolia, South Africa and Georgia

We conducted qualitative research exploring the treatment experience of people with DR-TB. We held nine focus group discussions with 57 adults undergoing/recently completed treatment for DR-TB in Georgia, Mongolia and South Africa. Translated transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. We identified three higher order themes: (1) Treatment experience and the role of good relationships with healthcare providers: Treatment duration, pill burden and side-effects were challenging aspects of treatment. Side-effects/symptoms that were visible signs of illness were particularly troubling. Good relations with clinical staff helped combat fear and uncertainty regarding treatment. (2) Mental distress and opportunities for wellbeing: The shame, stigma and isolation people experienced as a result of their DR-TB diagnosis was an important cause of mental distress. No longer being infectious enabled people to resume work and socialising. Positive emotions emerged with good treatment outcomes. (3) Fear and worry along the treatment journey: Participants expressed fears about TB: infecting others; whether they would be able to endure treatment; side-effects; health consequences of treatment. Worries mostly disappeared with successful treatment. Alongside measuring side-effects, time to culture conversion and cure rates, future trials of DR-TB treatments should capture how quickly visible symptoms resolve, quality of life measures, and mental health outcomes