A Comparative Investigation Of Career Readiness And Decidedness In First Year Stem Majoring Students Participating In A Stem Mentoring Program Imbedded In A Living-learning Community With Focused Data On Female Stem Students

Female mentoring success was investigated as an undergraduate intervention utilizing career development practices to reduce dysfunctional career thinking and STEM major retention in first year freshmen females within a living-learning community. Repeated measures MANOVAs and canonical correlations in the causal comparative research design evaluated mentoring’s influence on first year females. Male voluntary participants (n = 126) formulated the comparison group, and female voluntary participants (n = 75) filled the treatment group. Repeated measure multivariate analyses of variances compared differences between the interaction of mentoring and gender over time on dysfunctional career thinking using two assessments: Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) and Career Decision Scale (CDS) and their five subscales (decision-making confusion, commitment anxiety, external conflict, certainty and indecision). Canonical correlations analyzed the effect participation rates had on student change scores on the CTI and CDS, indicating mentoring intervention effects on reducing dysfunctional career thinking and decidedness. Conclusions included: (a) females had higher levels of dysfunctional career thinking than males; (b) overtime both groups decreased dysfunctional thoughts, and solidifying their STEM career choices; (c) females had reduced levels of career decidedness compared to males; (d) both groups increased certainty overtime, solidifying their STEM career choice, and (e) when the STEM career choice was made, female certainty was more solidified than males. The study adds to the career development research within STEM at the undergraduate level providing colleges and universities with a structured first year female mentoring program in STEM. The iv GEMS model may be ideal for colleges and universities utilizing living-learning communities to increase underrepresented female retention and those without STEM career planning courses

An experimental study of dry particle coating : devices, operating parameters and applications

Dry particle coating, which mechanically coats fine guest particles onto the surfaces of larger host particles, without binders or solvents, is investigated. Several systems of host and guest particles are coated in different devices to study various aspects of dry particle coating. The devices used are Magnetically Assisted Impaction Coating (MAIC) device, Mechanofusion, and the Hybridizer. MAIC is used to coat fine SiO2 guest particles onto the surface of larger cornstarch and cellulose host particles. This is done to simultaneously improve the flowability of the host particles, as well as reduce their hydrophilicity. Dry particle coating is used to increase the sintering temperatures of particulate materials (host), by application of a monolayer of a highly refractory material (guest), promoting deactivated sintering. This phenomenon has not previously been reported, although activated sintering (decreasing the sintering temperatures of metallic and ceramic particles) is well established in the literature. The products analyzed in the deactivated sintering studies are coated in MAIC, Mechanofusion and the Hybridizer. The key parameters affecting the coating performance of the dry coating devices are examined. The key parameters of MAIC are magnetic particle size, magnetic particle to powder mass ratio, frequency, current and processing time. The effects of the rotation and translation motion of the magnetic particles are also investigated. In Mechanofusion and the Hybridizer, the key parameters examined are rotation speed and processing time. The coating performance of the three devices is compared by examining contamination and adhesion of the coated products. Quantification of the contaminants on the products is achieved by measuring the amount of iron, nickel, and chromium in the sample. Adhesion of the guest to the host particles is conducted by subjecting the products to ultrasonic vibrations, to examine the amount of material that becomes detached from the surface. Based on this work, dry particle coating is shown to be viable for the production of composites with new/improved functionalities. The coating performance of the devices as a function of their key parameters is successfully investigated. Also, the first comparative look of dry particle coating devices, in the areas of product contamination and guest-host particle adhesion is presented

Examining knowledge management challenges experienced during enterprise resource planning implementation at eThekwini Electricity.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.eThekwini Electricity is an electric utility that distributes electricity to the eThekwini region. The organisation is a large organisation which has various software systems that are used to sustain its operation. One of the systems which is core to the organisations operation is their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This study examined the knowledge management challenges which were experienced by eThekwini Electricity during the implementation on their Ellipse version eight ERP system which continue to have a negative impact on the organisation. Some of the negative effects include inefficiency and duplication of work as well as financial costs which are directly related to the ERP system. A qualitative research approach was used so that a deeper understanding about what these challenges were could be discovered. An interpretative approach for the study was deemed to be most suitable and fifteen participants formed the sample size of the study. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and semi-structured interviews were conducted to allow the participants to respond freely which provided a richer insight to the user’s perceptions and views of the implementation of the ERP system. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was performed on the data collected so that a detailed insight on common themes which emerged could be discovered. Salient findings which emerged was that the organisation experienced many knowledge management challenges which affected the implementation of their ERP system. A key finding was that the organisation did not have a knowledge management strategy in place, and everyone did as they saw fit to manage knowledge. There were elements of knowledge management practices which existed but nothing that followed a formal strategy. Recommendations such as creating a knowledge management strategy, addressing organisational culture, setting up a project management office, leveraging technology and taking suitable measures so that these challenges can be mitigated against, were put forward

Evaluation of hearing loss in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: This study had been undertaken to examine the relationship between diabetes mellitus and hearing loss quite debated for many years.Methods: Hearing status in fifty patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged within 50 years and duration of diabetes less than 120 months was compared to fifty ages and sex matched healthy volunteers using pure-tone audiometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem responses.Results: In diabetic patients, compared to healthy subjects, the mean hearing threshold in the pure-tone audiometry was significantly higher at all frequencies, the mean amplitude of TEOAE was lower, and latency times of waves III, V and intervals I-III, III-V and I-V in ABR were longer.Conclusions: This study confirms the presence of SNHL in relatively young type 2 diabetes mellitus. The use of audiological tests to monitor hearing in diabetic patients should be considered as a routine procedure

Towards a Theory of Everything Part I - Introduction of Consciousness in Electromagnetic Theory, Special and General Theory of Relativity

Theory of everything must include consciousness. In this Part I of the series of three articles, we introduce the subjective experience (SE) and/or proto‐experience (PE) aspect of consciousness in classical physics, where PEs are precursors of SEs. In our dualaspect‐ dual‐mode PE‐SE framework, it was hypothesized that fundamental entities (strings or elementary particles: fermions and bosons) have two aspects: (i) material aspect such as mass, charge, spin, and space‐time, and (ii) mental aspect, such as experiences. There are three competing hypotheses: (1) superposition based H1 (SEs/PEs are superposed in the mental aspect of entities; when a specific stimulus is presented to the neural‐network, the associated specific SE is selected by the matching and selection process and experienced by this network), (2) superposition‐then‐integration based H2 (only PEs are superposed, which are integrated by neural‐Darwinism leading to specific SEs) and (3) integration based H3 (each entity has its own PE, which keeps on transforming appropriately as matter evolves from elementary particles to neuralnetworks; it is a dual‐aspect panpsychism). We found that the followings, in classical physics, are invariant under the PE‐SE transformation: electromagnetic strength tensor, electromagnetic stress‐energy tensor, the electromagnetic theory (Maxwell's equations), Newtonian gravitational field, the entropic force, Special and General Theory of Relativity. Our analysis suggests that (i) SEs are embedded in space‐time geometry for the structure of space‐time (empty space or the vacuum without matter). (ii) For matter field, SEs can move with spatiotemporal coordinates of matter because it is in the mental aspect of matter as both mental and material aspects are always together in the dual‐aspect‐dual‐mode optimal PE‐SE framework. (iii) Our specific SE is the result of matching and selection processes and can change with space and time. For example, the experience redness has V4/V8/VO‐red‐green neural‐network with rednessstate as neural correlates. When a subject moves, the specific SE redness also moves with the subject’s correlated neural‐network. In addition, SEs can change with time as stimuli change. In other words, SEs in a subject change with space‐time. We conclude that it is possible to introduce the SE/PE aspect of consciousness in classical physics. In Parts II and III, the SE aspect of consciousness will be introduced in orthodox quantum physics and modern quantum physics (such as loop quantum gravity and string theory), respectively. Thus, the introduction of the SE aspect of consciousness in physics leads us to unify consciousness with known four fundamental forces, which entails towards a theory of everything

Infrared Thermal Imaging to Detect Inflammatory Intra-Abdominal Pathology in Infants

A thermal imaging method to detect inflammatory intra-abdominal pathology in infants is proposed and evaluated through a clinical trial. Nine surgical infants, mean chronological age 58 days old (range: 21-83 days), mean weight 2.65 kg (range: 2.45-3.15 kg) with abdominal pathologies were included in the analysis. Infrared thermal image processing consisted of selecting the surgical region of interest where the area of abdominal inflammation was most likely to be, and an abdominal reference region on the same infant, with the aid of clustering segmentation. Skewness was found to be the most sensitive variable to significantly differentiate between the surgical region and reference region (p = 0.022). Multilinear regression analysis indicated that the relationship between the temperature difference signified by skewness and the patients' demographic information (age at time of imaging, gestational age at birth, weight at the time of imaging, birthweight, last stool prior to imaging and last oral intake prior to imaging) was not significant. The study indicated that inflammatory regions, such as those found in infants following surgery, would have a significantly different temperature distribution than the surrounding skin. The method differentiated between an inflammatory and non-inflammatory region on the abdomen

An investigation into marine bacterial species found in shark mouths in the Indian Ocean and their implications for human health.

M. Med. Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2015.There is an ever increasing amount of pollution and waste being released into the environment. This is due to the increase in population, urbanisation and people migrating into cities. Approximately 2.4 billion people living in urban and rural areas have no access to basic sanitation. In the next 20 years, there will be a further increase of 2 billion people who will lack basic sanitation. In developing countries, 90% of untreated sewage is released into rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Apart from sewage, waste such as petroleum products, heavy metals and organochlorine also contribute to marine pollution. Companies that manufacture sugar/artificial sweeteners etc. and farming activities that utilize fertilizers for crops can cause eutrophication, as un-used fertilizers get washed into rivers. The marine water is a different environment to other aquatic and terrestrial environments. This then forces microbes to adapt, so they can be able to survive in the marine environment. The difference in the marine environment allows for the production of distinct bioactive metabolites such as secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites come from algae and marine bacteria and these secondary metabolites are then exclusive to the marine waters. These secondary metabolites can be used for medical purposes, cosmetics, personal-care products etc. There is a huge problem with antibiotic resistance and research needs to be done to solve this resistance issue. Two common bacterial strains were isolated and identified from the mouth of sharks. The bacteria were identified as Bacillus cereus and Vibrio alginolyticus. They were isolated and cultured in broth for 3 days, till they reached the log phase of growth. The broth was then extracted for metabolites which the bacteria produced, using ethyl acetate. These metabolites were tested for cytotoxicity in the human liver hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2) cells. The concentrations that were determined to cause 50% cell death (IC50) in the cell viability assay on Hep G2 cells were 0.764 mg/ml and 0.918 mg/ml for B. cereus and V. alginolyticus, respectively. These values were then used for subsequent assays. Antibacterial testing was done for the bacterial extracts of Bacillus cereus and Vibrio alginolyticus. There was no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Assays that used flow cytometry was used to show if apoptosis/necrosis occurred. These were assays such as Annexin V and propidium staining. While assays that used luminometry showed the levels of ATP and determined whether apoptosis of the cells occurred. These were assays such as the ATP assay, mitochondrial depolarisation assay and determination of the caspase activities of caspase 3/7, 8 and 9. Additional assays, like the comet and TBARS assays, were done to show DNA fragmentation and oxidative stress of the cells, respectively. The results for the Annexin V/ propidium staining showed the control had a mean of 11.20 ± 1.0. Extract 1 (20.83 ± 0.8737) and extract 2 (25.37 ± 1.050) showed a higher percentage when compared to the control. Extract 2 was significant against the control (p<0.0273). For propidium staining, the control had a mean of 6.033 ± 0.4524. Extracts 1(11.57 ± 1.387) and 2 (11.43 ± 0.3215) showed a higher percentage when compared to the control. The Annexin V and propidium staining suggested that extract 1 and 2 had undergone both apoptosis and necrosis. For luminometry assays, the ATP assay showed that the control had a mean of 1.83x106 ± 5.82x104. Extracts 1 (1.5x106 ± 9.4x104) and extract 2 (1.4x106 ± 8.3x104) showed a decrease in ATP with reference to the control. In the mitochondrial depolarisation assay, the control had a mean of 14.83 ± 1.350. Extracts 1 (30.57 ± 0.75) and extract 2 (20.53 ± 8.56) showed a decrease in polarisation with reference to the control. For caspase 8 analysis, the control, extract 1 and extract 2 had means that were 4.23x104 ± 3.37x103, 52x103 ± 10.1x103 and 40x103±5.2x103, respectively. For caspase 9 analysis, the control, extract 1 and extract 2 had means that were 8.6x104 ± 4.6x103, 5.6x104 ± 4x103and 9.6x104 ± 5.6x104, respectively. The caspase 3/7 analysis showed that the control, extract 1 and extract 2 had means of 4.4x103 ± 0.57x103, 5.5x103 ± 0.19x103 and 5.8x103 ± 2 x103, respectively. Caspase 3/7 showed that apoptosis had occurred with the cells for all extracts used. Extract 1 showed a high caspase activity for caspase 8. This suggested that it followed the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Extracts 2 showed a high activity for caspase 9 which suggested that it followed the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. The comet assay showed that the means of the control, extract 1 and extract 2 were 35.91 ± 21.93, 75.85 ± 11.43 and 60.48 ± 11.86, respectively. The extracts were significantly higher than the control (extract 1 and 2 p<0.0001). Extract 1 and 2 were compared to each other and had shown a significance between them (p<0.0001). The TBARS assay obtained the following MDA concentrations for the control, extract 1, extracts 2, negative and positive samples: 0,137, 0,132, 0,150, 0,088 and 20,502, respectively. The MDA concentration gives an indication of oxidative stress of the cells. From the cell viability assay, the secondary metabolites produced by B. cereus needed a lower concentration of extract to determine an IC50 value. This suggested that the secondary metabolites produced by B. cereus were more toxic than the secondary metabolites produced by V. alginolyticus. This was then further supported by assays such as mitochondrial depolarisation and the comet assay. The secondary metabolites that could be the reason why there were apoptosis and necrosis, are the toxins the bacteria produce. This is the enterotoxin or cereulide produced by B. cereus and TLH by V. alginolyticus. However, further studies need to be done to confirm if these toxins are the cause of cell death