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"In recent years a significant amount of research has gone into the development of a feed pretreatment process for the concentrate refined at Anglo American Platinum's Precious Metals Refiners (PMR). Such a process has the potential to significantly simplify the downstream refining process and reduce the number of unit processes required for purification. One of the considered options involves a high temperature oxidative roast process followed by a high temperature hydrochlorination process to volatilise base metal chlorides and other impurities. The resulting precious group metal (PGM) concentrate is cleaner and thus requires significantly less process steps to final product. The off-gas from hydrochlorination contains predominantly silver, copper, nickel and iron. This off-gas undergoes a quench-scrub to condense the base metal chlorides. The quench-scrub liquor undergoes a dechlorination process with sulfuric acid to precipitate AgCl(s). The filtrate from this process then undergoes an electrochemical reduction process to recover copper metal concentrate. The objectives of this study were to: i. Determine the operating conditions for an electrochemical reduction process aimed at recovering copper as a copper powder from a sulfuric acid stream containing copper, nickel and iron. ii. Develop a conceptual flowsheet for a batch electrochemical process and estimate the capital cost and operating cost."

"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable prevalent pervasive developmental disorder. All cases have deficits in social communication and interaction and in restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests. The mechanisms underlying different clinical presentations remain elusive. Deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to understand that others have mental states independent of one's own, have been suggested as a possibly underlying the socia l deficits in ASD. The serotonin transporter promoter length polymorphism (5 - HTTLPR) has been implicated in ASD, and as serotonin is implicated in social functioning more generally, it is possible that 5 - HTTLPR could underlie social functioning in ASD. As such, ToM and 5 - HTTLPR have been implicated in ASD, and specifically as underlying the social deficits typical of this disorder. This protocol assessed core ASD symptoms (i.e. deficits in social communication and interaction, and impairment in restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests) in 69 children with ASD between the ages of 7 and 14 years. The Autism Social Skills Profile, Social Communication Questionnaire, and Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised assessed these symptoms. 5 - HTTLPR genotypes were established for 55 of these children. ToM was comprehensively assessed in 57 of the children using the University of Cape Town Autism Research Group's Theory of Mind Battery. This protocol is the first is a series of studies assessing the biological bases for social deficits in ASD. One of the main aims was to pilot the use of ASD scales in a local sample. The preliminary analyses assessed the performance of these scales. This data was also used to assess whether the new DSM - 5's merging of social communication and social interaction into a single domain was supported."

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is identified as a promising fuel cell for portable and micro fuel cell applications. One of the major benefits is that methanol is an energy dense, inexpensively manufactured, easily stored and transported, liquid fuel (Hamann et al., 2007). However, the DMFC's current efficiency and power density is much lower than theoretically possible. This inefficiency is predominantly due to the crossover of methanol from the anode to the cathode, Ru dissolution and Ru crossover from the anode to the cathode. In addition, the DMFC has a high manufacturing cost due to expensive catalyst costs and other materials. Catalyst expenses are further increased by catalyst loading due to low activity at the anode of the DMFC (Zhang, 2008). Hence, with increasing activity and stability of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst, catalyst expenditure will decrease due to a decrease in catalyst loading. In addition, performance will increase due to a reduction in ruthenium dissolution and crossover. Therefore, increasing the activity and stability of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst is paramount to improving the current DMFC performance and viability as an alternative energy conversion device. Pt-Ru/C catalyst synthesis method, precursors, reduction time and temperature play a role in the activity for methanol electro-oxidation and stability since these conditions affect structure, morphology and dispersivity of the catalyst (Wang et al., 2005). Metal organic chemical deposition methods have shown promise in improving performance of electro-catalysts (Garcia & Goto, 2003). However, it is necessary to optimise deposition conditions such as deposition time and temperature for Pt(acac)₂ and Ru(acac)₃ precursors. This study focuses on a methodical approach to optimizing the chemical deposition synthesis method for Pt-Ru/C produced from Pt(acac)₂ and Ru(acac)₃ precursors. Organo-metallic chemical vapour deposition (OMCVD) involved the precursor's vapourisation before deposition and a newly developed methods which involved the precursors melting before deposition."

"In this thesis, we study the LIBOR Market Model and the Lévy-LIBOR. We first look at the construction of LIBOR Market Model (LMM) and address the major problems associated with specifically the drift component of LMM. Due to the complexity of the drift for LMM, the Monte Carlo method seems to be the ideal tool to use. However, the Monte Carlo method is time consuming and therefore an expensive tool to use. To improve on the process we look beyond the dynamics of the lognormal distribution, where Brownian motion (the only Lévy process with continuous paths), is the driving process and apply other Lévy processes with jumps as the driving process in the dynamics of LIBOR. The resulting process is called Lévy LIBOR Model constructed in the framework of Eberlein and Özkan (2005). The Lévy LIBOR model is a very flexible and a general process to use but has a complicated drift part in the terminal measure. The complicated drift term has random terms in the drift part as a result of change of measure. We employ Picard approximation and cumulant expansions in the resulting drift component to make the processes tractable in the framework of Papapantoleon and Skovmand (2010)."

"In this thesis the author investigated the use of a Q-learning based path planning algorithm to investigate how effective it is in saving energy. It is important to pursue any means to save energy in this day and age, due to the excessive exploitation of natural resources and in order to prevent drops in production in industrial environments where less downtime is necessary or other applications where a mobile robot running out of energy can be costly or even disastrous, such as search and rescue operations or dangerous environment navigation. The study was undertaken by implementing a Q-learning based path planning algorithm in several unstructured and unknown environments. A cell decomposition method was used to generate the search space representation of the environments, within which the algorithm operated. The results show that the Q-learning path planner paths on average consumed 3.04% less energy than the A* path planning algorithm, in a square 20% obstacle density environment. The Q-learning path planner consumed on average 5.79% more energy than the least energy paths for the same environment. In the case of rectangular environments, the Q-learning path planning algorithm uses 1.68% less energy, than the A* path algorithm and 3.26 % more energy than the least energy paths. The implication of this study is to highlight the need for the use of learning algorithm in attempting to solve problems whose existing solutions are not learning based, in order to obtain better solutions."

"Business Design represents a set of concepts that are described in the literature as providing a sound foundation for sustainable competitive advantage into the future. The particular values underpinning Business design are based on the enablement of a design thinking approach to solving the imponderable problems that organisations regularly encounter. In particular, the application of a design thinking approach to Business Design requires that resultant system designs are economically viable and technologically feasible. Enterprise Architecture Management plays a vital role in supporting these latter two requirements. Yet the definition of Enterprise Architecture Management as the 'normative restriction of design freedom' (Deitz, 2011) implies constraints that could impose limits on such business design. Consequently, the qualitative inductive research described in this document was undertaken to explore the perceived paradoxical relationship between Business Design and Enterprise Architecture Management. This dissertation recounts the process and results of this research initiative based on data recorded during interviews with a number of management level staff at a leading South African Insurance organisation. The participants were intimately involved in a programme to, amongst other objectives, establish a platform to support enterprise-wide Business Design within Enterprise Architecture Management, a programme that was experiencing a number of challenges and that was still underway at the time of completion of this research. Findings arising from this research were that the varying perceptions and levels of commitment of business and IT stakeholders associated with the programme and its requirements, contributed significantly to these challenges. In addition to providing a rich description of the case organisation's journey towards the establishment of a Business Design platform, a sensitising framework - 'The 6 Cs Framework in Support of the Successful Enablement of Business Design within Enterprise Architecture Management'- is proposed as a useful tool to assist organisations that might be considering a similar programme in the future."

"This study examines the nature of emotional labour and its relationship with employee well-being using a sample of South African hospitality employees (N =136). Exploratory factor analysis differentiated between three distinct emotional labour dimensions: surface acting, deep acting, and naturally felt expression. Controlling for the influence of positive affectivity and general self-efficacy, hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that surface acting predicted emotional exhaustion, and deep acting predicted job satisfaction. Work-to-life conflict partially mediated the relationship between surface acting and emotional exhaustion, and fully mediated the relationship between surface acting and job satisfaction. Managerial implications and suggestions for research are discussed."

"A recent study by Lenton et al., 2013, compared the mean seasonal cycle of air-sea CO₂ flux in the Southern Ocean(SO) over 1990 - 2009 period using five ocean biogeochemical models(BGMs) and atmospheric and ocean inversion models with monthly mean observations for the year 2000. This was done using a set of geographic boundaries to defined sub-domains of the SO consistent with the Regional Carbon Cycle and Assessment and Processes (RECCAP) protocol. Lenton et al., 2013 found that the seasonal cycle anomaly of the five BGMs better resolved observations of the air-sea CO₂ flux seasonal cycle in the SAZ, but was generally out phase with observations in the polar zone. In this study two setups of the ocean biogeochemical model NEMO PISCES was used to investigate the characteristics of the air-sea CO₂ flux seasonal cycle in the Southern Ocean in the period 1993- 2006. The study focused on two aspects i.e. (i) the sensitivity of air-sea CO₂ flux seasonal cycle to model resolution: comparing the ORCA2-LIM-PISCES (2° x 2° cos Ø) and PERIANT05 (NEMO-PISCES) (0.5° x 0.5° cos Ø) model configurations relative to climatological mean observations for the year 2000 (Takahashi et al., 2009), and (ii) the sensitivity of air-sea CO₂ flux seasonal cycle to zonal boundary definition: comparing the air-sea CO₂ flux seasonal cycle and annual fluxes for three different boundaries i.e. Lenton 2013 RECCAP boundaries (44°S - 58°S and south of 58°S), geographic boundaries (40°S -50°S and south of 50°S) and dynamic boundaries (Sub-Antarctic Zone and Antarctic Zone, defined using climatological frontal positions). The seasonal cycle of the air-sea CO₂ flux in ORCA2 was found to be out of phase and overestimated the CO₂ flux compared to observations in almost all the sub-regions considered. The use of dynamic boundaries was found not to improve resolving observations seasonal cycle of air-sea CO₂ flux in both ORCA2 and PERIANT05."

"The prevalence of HIV-1 is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Protective immune responses directed against HIV are complex and involve both cellular and humoral immunity. Based on the recent finding that the best correlate of protection against the first protective prophylactic RV144 vaccine were HIV-specific antibody responses, including those mediating natural killer (NK) cell antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), there has been considerable interest in measuring alternative roles for HIV-specific binding antibodies. The aim of this MSc dissertation was to optimise and compare two high-throughput flow cytometry based approaches - the GranToxilux and PanToxilux assays - to measure HIV-specific ADCC responses. To do this, NK cells from a panel of healthy HIV-negative individuals were screened for their ability to directly kill the tumour cell line K562, as a measure of direct NK cell cytotoxicity. The individual with the highest granzyme B and caspase activity against K562 cells was chosen as the universal NK cell donor for this study."

"Recent empirical works have looked at the effect of changes in trade policies on the pattern of production of firms in the developed world. In the context of an emerging economy, this paper looks at India's manufacturing firms' data for the period 1989 to 2003 focusing on reallocation of resources across products within a firm. This is done by evaluating the relationship between tariffs and diversification at product level. The model is further estimated to cater for possible differences in the responses to trade liberalization between exporting and non-exporting firms. This study finds that there is no association between low tariffs and specialization by firms in India. However, this analysis shows that exporting firms appear to diversify more than non-exporting firms following a reduction of tariffs."

"This thesis presents the results of randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate a Grade 8 after-school mathematics intervention. The programme employed student coaches to facilitate classes in which Khan Academy resources were used to teach basic numeracy. Large gains of 0.321 standard deviations were observed on basic numeracy outcomes for learners who were selected to be on the programme. Similarly, learners in treatment also scored 0.246 standard deviations higher on core Grade 8 curriculum questions at endline. The improvements in mathematics outcomes were evident for learners throughout the distribution and treatment learners outperformed control group learners on every subsection of the mathematics test. There was also no significant differential treatment effect by gender, race, home language, baseline typing speed or cognitive development. However, treatment learners with better English literacy at baseline scored significantly higher than learners in the bottom third on core grade 8 curriculum questions. Additionally, despite close contact between control and treatment learners, no statistically significant evidence of spillover was detected."

"Vision is inarguably a fundamental component of safe driving. Any obscurity in a driver's vision can impose a threat to roadway safety due to interference with the driving task. Sun Glare is a hazard that few people anticipate. The sun is most potent to drivers when it is low in the sky on the horizon, particularly an hour or so after sunrise (dawn) and before sunset (dusk). The position of the sun and the angle of the rays during this period may render sun visors useless. This increases the risk of an accident as a result of interference with a driver's ability to see the road ahead. The primary purpose of this study was to develop a method which will determine which areas in the City of Cape Town road network are exposed to direct sunlight, thus, making them vulnerable to road accident risk as a result of impaired vision. Additional objectives included the validation of the methodology by comparing field investigation outcomes with those of the established methodology. Considering the need for a tool with the ability to combine spatial data and sun position data, the ArcGIS software, which contains the hillshade tool, was selected for use in the study. The study was conducted for the City of Cape Town road network. The data used in the investigation included a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and road network data of the study area. The DEM and road network data were both derived from a 10m topographical map. Sun position data (azimuth and altitude) was obtained from the Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory server. The sun position data obtained was for the morning and afternoon period of four days chosen for usage in the development of the model: Autumnal Equinox (AE), Spring Equinox (SE), Summer Solstice (SS) and Winter Solstice (WS). A 19º-25º altitude sun cone and a ±15º threshold (azimuth sun cone) were adopted for the filtering of road segment azimuth and slope. The field investigation carried out to validate the model was executed using a Red Eye JS-300 camera."

Patients that have undergone a laryngectomy lose the normal heat-moisture-exchange functions of the nose and upper airways. Breathing unconditioned air can cause irritation of the tracheal and bronchial mucosa and lead to chest complaints such as irritating coughing and excessive mucus production and mucus plugs. Disposable HME's that cover the tracheostoma and are stuck to the skin with adhesives are believed to improve the condition of inspired air for laryngectomy patients. HME's work by accumulating heat and moisture during exhalation and reciprocally warming and humidifying in spired air. Due to the cost of HMEs they are not affordable to the general population in South Africa and many other countries. Stoma Covers are simple devices made of a single fabric or combinations of fabrics that are fastened around the neck with the cloth covering the tracheostoma. They are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and can be washed and re-used. No research has been conducted to date regarding the effect of using simple Stoma Covers to improve the tracheal climate in laryngectomy patients.

"The use of galvanised coatings on steel for structural ropes, bundles and wires has become standard practice as unprotected steel is prone to corrosion degradation. Galvanised coatings increase the service lifespan of steel by providing barrier and cathodic corrosion protection. Zinc (Zn) and zinc-aluminium (Zn-Al) alloys are the most commonly used metallic coatings on steel wire. Zn-Al coatings outperform Zn coatings, most notably in marine environments, as they combine the highly insulating oxide film associated with Al corrosion and the cathodic protection of Zn to the underlying steel."

The purpose of this dissertation was to describe the introduction of an online course to replace the current classroom-based staff training. The long term objective was to measure the efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of the online training, and to establish whether a transfer of knowledge back to the workplace had occurred. This dissertation defines the relevant and persisting organisational concern that the previous training on offer was not efficient and not always effective either. The in depth literature review of e-learning implementations, success factors and barriers to adoption is followed by the discussion of the research philosophy and objectives. Action Design Research (ADR), a combination of Action Research and Design Research, was the research methodology chosen as it was deemed a good fit to address an actual problematic situation, in an organisational setting, by building an innovative IT artefact. This artefact addressed not only organisational and practitioner concerns, but also produced learning and academic theory. The implementation of the alpha and beta versions of the online course is then described. The results of the implementation and the link to both the ADR principles and the e-learning literature are discussed in detail. This research sought to address the core of the IS discipline by bringing an artefact into existence that would solve a need in the real world, and at the same time respond to calls from practitioners to provide practical solutions. The result was a tailor-made, in-house training course which facilitated the empowerment of the trainees whilst enhancing their knowledge and skills regarding the finance reporting system. This dissertation may be of interest to practitioners or organisations contemplating implementing online training courses, particular those seeking to further their knowledge regarding the efficacy and sustainability of computer-based learning in the workplace. Researchers may be interested in the use of ADR as an effective methodology. Future research could be undertaken concerning interaction in the organisational training environment, such as whether a "Q & A" type of interactive contact is more appropriate in the workplace than a discussion board, as well as the role job responsibility plays in both motivation and successful online training outcomes

"The South African Echinoidea (Echinodermata) were last reviewed by Clark & Courtman Stock (1976) and numerous unidentified specimens and records have accumulated since that time, plus there have been many taxonomic changes within the group. Therefore this study, which forms the first of its kind in 37 years, aims to update knowledge on the diversity and distribution patterns of South African echinoids and to provide a user-friendly, well-illustrated guide to the group. Dry and wet specimens, particularly those within the extensive collections of the Iziko South African Museum, were morphologically examined and identified, and the associated data were added to a database. Other data considered in this study include; historic data from the South African Museum and University of Cape Town catalogues, imagery data from the EchinoMapVM open-online database, trawl by-catch data from the Department of Forestry and Fisheries, and data from published literature. These resulted in 19 new records for the region, of which 84.2% were Indo-Pacific, 5.3% introduced, and the remaining 10.5% non-endemic, raise the total number of known species to 71. All species were photographically illustrated and a field guide is presented which included synonomy and previous literature for each species, one of more photographic illustrations, a distribution map, description and notes on global distribution. In terms of biogeography the regional echinoid fauna comprises 26.8 % endemics, 1.4 % introduced, and 71.8 % non-endemics; across 14 orders and 29 families. As expected, species richness pattern increased from west to east coast. However, the east coast displayed the lowest number of records; as compared to the South coast, which had the highest. Endemism peaked on the south coast and the west and east coast both supported the same level of endemics. The only introduced species, Tetrapygus niger, was from the west coast region. In terms of depth; species richness was highest in<500m and lowest in>500m. This maybe a result of the deep-seas (>500m) being severely under-sampled. The lack of full-time taxonomists and lack of expertise to review this group, may have contributed to the high number of new records."

As a music educator actively involved in teaching learners from ages five to seventeen years over the past nineteen years, the researcher has noted the reading abilities of the learners drop over the years. This could be due to various factors such as large class sizes, changes in curriculum, teacher inadequacy and parents' lack of involvement due to work commitments. It is for this reason that it is important for the educator to be able to use various methods to help with reading development, especially in the young learner. Growing research has indicated that music activities may be beneficial for other academic studies and in this study the focus will be on the reading development of the Foundation Phase learner. There is a relationship between music skills and reading, and studies have proved that increased learning in one area may increase outcomes in another. This study will evaluate whether the learner involved in various music activities has shown an improvement in reading scores from Grade One through to Grade Three.

"This dissertation investigates the robustness of recent births in estimating infant mortality rates from the proportion of deaths observed among births reported in a 24 month period. The Blacker Brass technique is applied to all births reported in the 24 month period and to most recent births in the 24 month period. The study uses birth history data from 76 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 16 countries across the developing world between 1986 and 2011. All births (and the deaths of those births) occurring in five 2-year periods before each survey were extracted to obtain five estimates of infant mortality using the Blacker-Brass and direct estimation methods from each dataset. This allows trends in infant mortality for the 10-year period before the survey to be compared and relative errors to be calculated. The results showed a decline in infant mortality in most datasets and are consistent with the United Nations and the World Health Organisation 2013 estimates. The relative errors did not indicate any systematic bias of the Blacker-Brass method applied to all births; however, further investigations showed that the method underestimated infant mortality in the period closest to the survey date in most datasets. Furthermore, the relative errors were positively correlated with the directly estimated level of infant mortality. There were, however, no significant differences in the relative errors across countries."

"The Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus capensis) has traditionally made an important contribution to the South African fishing industry and is a key component of the Benguela ecosystem. This thesis concerns the assessment and management of the South African horse mackerel resource. It starts with a brief review of the biology of the Cape horse mackerel and the history of the fishery, as well as of the Management Strategy Evaluation approach, which was applied in this work. Assessments of the horse mackerel resource are currently undertaken through the combined efforts of the Demersal and Pelagic Scientific Working Groups (SWGs) of the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). A joint effort is required because the resource is available to multiple fisheries: as directed catch to the midwater trawl fishery and as bycatch to the demersal trawl and pelagic purse-seine fisheries. Management of the resources complicated by differences in the age-structures of the horse mackerel caught in each of these three fisheries. The data available for the assessments are described, including the details of their collection and processing. Four age-structured production models (each reflecting different assumptions about the horse mackerel resource) are fitted to those data using the maximum-likelihood estimation method, and are used to provide assessments. Estimates of the current status of the stock indicate that it is healthy, putting it well above its Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) level. For the directed midwater fishery, MSY is estimated to be in the region of 50 000-100 000 tonnes per annum. However, the results of constant catch projections suggest that there is a pronounced yield-per-recruit effect, with even small bycatches of juvenile horse mackerel in the pelagic fishery having a pronounced negative effect on the level of a catches in the midwater fishery that can be sustained."

"Set against the political backdrop of the boycotts, arson and funerals of July 1980 in Grahamstown, this novel explores how the discovery of the dead body of a street child under the walls of St Jude's Chapel sets events in motion that provoke the spiritual crises faced by the two protagonists. Father Philip Riley, the non-stipendiary curate at St Jude's who had come to South Africa as a missionary inspired by Trevor Huddleston, has over the years lost any sense of his priestly vocation and his own personal beliefs. Lieutenant Daniel Broughton of the Grahamstown CID has to solve the mystery of the boy's death, but he too has lost his idealism following a career in the South African Police that began at Sharpeville, and now hovers in a dead-end position in Grahamstown. Both these men have to come to terms with what the death of the street child requires of them. Riley has to overcome his reluctance to give the child a proper burial, and Broughton has to dig deeper than he is initially willing to, to determine how the child died. As the story unfolds, details emerge which thwart the opening attempts by both men to deflect any responsibility for the child from themselves. Riley had started life in an orphanage, and had been forced into colluding with the supervisor to cover up the cause of death of one of the orphans. He is challenged by the selfless love shown for the child by Mrs Mabata, a parishioner at St Jude's who had tried to foster the street child. He realises that his reluctance to engage with the situation has to do with denying his own failures, based on his own life story. Giving in to pressure from a Roman Catholic priest to carry out the funeral, he discovers an inner strength to defy a police order not to conduct the funeral. The funeral goes ahead successfully, and Riley experiences moments of transcendence that allow him to re-discover his vocation. On the other hand, Broughton discovers that the street child's involvement as an informer for the Security Police has been the cause of his death."

"This dissertation is concerned with Ross' (2011) Recovery Theorem. It is generally held that a forward-looking probability distribution is unobtainable from derivative prices, because the market's risk-preferences are conceptually inextricable from the implied real-world distribution. Ross' result recovers this distribution without making the strong preference assumptions assumed necessary under the conventional paradigm. This dissertation aims to give the reader a thorough understanding of Ross Recovery, both from a theoretical and practical point of view. This starts with a formal delineation of the model and proof of the central result, motivated by the informal nature of Ross' working paper. This dissertation relaxes one of Ross' assumptions and arrives at the equivalent conclusion. This is followed by a critique of the model and assumptions. An a priori discussion only goes so far, but potentially problematic assumptions are identified, chief amongst which being time additive preferences of a representative agent. Attention is then turned to practical application of the theorem. The author identifies a number of obstacles to applying the result { some of which are somewhat atypical and have not been directly addressed in the literature { and suggests potential solutions. A salient obstacle is calibrating a state price matrix. This leads to an implementation of Ross Recovery on the FTSE/JSE Top40. The suggested approach is found to be workable, though certainly not the final word on the matter. A testing framework for the model is discussed and the dissertation is concluded with a consideration of the findings and the theorem's applicability."

"The aim of this paper is to find solutions to the asset allocation problem in the South African environment. These solutions look at a variety of different investor's preferences. These include an investor's age, risk aversion and required levels of returns. To do this, an analysis was done of prior research, so the most up to date mean-variance asset allocation model could be developed. Returns from 10 different indices, over different asset classes were gathered. The indices of importance were found to be: All Bond Index (ALBI), Inflation Linked All Maturities Index (ILB), Salient's Momentum Active Index Fund (MOME), Salient's Value Active Index Fund (VAL), South African Short Term Fixed Interest Index (STEFI) and South African Property Index (SAPY)."

"Since the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948), the extent to which individuals should bear responsibilities for the fulfilment of universal human rights has been a contentiously debated subject. Despite conflicting value-based claims, the approach of international human rights law traditionally has been to recognise states as primary obligation bearers. While the UDHR focuses primarily on state obligations, deliberately unspecified duties of individuals are included under Article 29(1). The meaning of these duties has remained contested, often by relativist critics claiming that a stronger focus on responsibilities would provide a more balanced approach to human rights. The end of the Cold War brought a renewed interest in the normative potential of human rights and a parallel renewal of relativist objections to the universality of the UDHR. In this context transnational campaigns have emerged to advocate for a universal declaration of human responsibilities complementary to the UDHR. The issue has received attention from a number of initiatives, including those of United Nations bodies and agencies and of nongovernmental organisations. The most prominent of these initiatives have received firm opposition from influential Western state and non-state actors. Approaching the topic from a constructivist perspective, this dissertation draws on the social movement literature on the international political opportunity structure to argue that the activities of opponents to human responsibilities initiatives, particularly their framing of human responsibilities as having the potential to undermine and weaken the international human rights framework, have constrained the political opportunities available to human responsibilities campaigns."

Information management systems (digital libraries/repositories, learning management systems, content management systems) provide key technologies for the storage, preservation and dissemination of knowledge in its various forms, such as research documents, theses and dissertations, cultural heritage documents and audio files. These systems can make use of cloud computing to achieve high levels of scalability, while making services accessible to all at reasonable infrastructure costs and on-demand. This research aims to develop techniques for building scalable digital information management systems based on efficient and on-demand use of generic grid-based technologies such as cloud computing. In particular, this study explores the use of existing cloud computing resources offered by some popular cloud computing vendors such as Amazon Web Services. This involves making use of Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) to store large and increasing volumes of data, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) to provide the required computational power and Amazon SimpleDB for querying and data indexing on Amazon S3. A proof-of-concept application comprising typical digital library services was developed and deployed in the cloud environment and evaluated for scalability when the demand for more data and services increases. The results from the evaluation show that it is possible to adopt cloud computing for digital libraries in addressing issues of massive data handling and dealing with large numbers of concurrent requests. Existing digital library systems could be migrated and deployed into the cloud.

"World-wide, acid rock drainage (ARD) is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing environments with current or previously active mining activities. Formed from the exposure of sulphide mineral to both water and air, and catalyzed by naturally occurring iron- and sulphur-oxidizing micro-organisms, ARD pollution is predominantly associated with the mining of sulphidic ores and coal. Of particular concern are the large volumes of mining wastes from which the generation of ARD and the associated pollution effects often persist over tens to hundreds of years after mining operations have ceased. Current ARD management strategies focus on the prevention of ARD through mineral waste deposition or remediation options once ARD has formed. These strategies, however, do not remove the risk of ARD generation in the future. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of the potential for ARD generation from a low-grade copper waste rock through the accelerated removal of the sulphur components via reaction. The three waste rock samples used in this investigation had total sulphur grades of between 2.20 and 3.20 % with the majority of the sulphide present as pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena. Significant quantities of non-sulphide associated iron minerals, predominantly magnetite, were also present in the three samples. The waste rock samples were sourced from mining operations in Chile and South Africa and had a D80 of approximately 0.8 cm. All three waste rock samples were potentially ARD generating."

"The vibrant suburb of Fordsburg has a rich history of diverse working class communities. It has long been associated with the Indian community and more recently a new immigrant population from the Indian subcontinent. Transitory communities have left their mark on the suburb and have resulted in changing significances and heritage resources. The study's main aim was to identify what constants have gained significance to become anchors for memory and identity in Fordsburg's landscape of rapid urban and social change. An exploration of Fordsburg's history and evolution was undertaken so as to reflect on multiple interpretations and insights into unacknowledged histories of the area. Themes of identity, urban memory, hybridity and the everyday landscape were examined within the context of Fordsburg. It concluded that there are constants of cultural significance which anchor memory and identity. These constants are located in the ordinary urban landscape of public spaces created in Fordsburg's main roads, public amenities and Fordsburg Square."

"Three prominent analytical approximations for pricing basket options, by Levy (1992), Ju (2002) and Deelstra et aI. (2004), are tested for performance and accuracy. Sensitivity analysis shows that all three have greater errors in high volatility and long maturity environments, while Deelstra has weaknesses with small correlation and baskets with few stocks. Deelstra and Levy show tendencies to underprice and overprice respectively, while Ju's errors are more consistently around the true price. A mathematical understanding of the three techniques is also developed."

"This dissertation has two main objectives. The first is to develop and implement a numerical algorithm to solve the system of equations that describe single-crystal viscoplasticity under finite strains. The second objective is to use the computer code that is developed to examine three hardening laws that have been proposed. The first is an isotropic hardening law. The second is a hardening law that is expressed implicitly. The third is a novel hardening law in which the slip resistance is expressed explicitly in terms of the accumulated slip on each slip-system. The numerical method uses a predictor-corrector type algorithm and is coupled with a finite element method. The numerical method is validated by comparing with results from the literature. After calibrating the hardening rules, two different model problems are examined: A spherical indentation problem and a three dimensional shear problem. For both problems, the numerical code is run with the three hardening rules. For each hardening rule three types of crystal are examined: A crystal with only one slip system, a crystal with two slip systems and a front centered cubic (FCC) crystal. All three hardening rules show very similar results."

"Froth flotation is a separation method used for the beneficiation of a considerable portion of the world's mineral ores. The majority of flotation occurs in mechanical flotation cells, where effective gas dispersion is a primary requirement for particle-bubble contacting. Due to the mineralogical complexity of ores, it is required that particles be ground even finer to liberate valuable minerals. Mining operations tend to run flotation circuits at fairly high solids concentrations in order to maximise residence time, accommodate higher tonnages and limit water consumption. Mineral slurries processed at fine particle sizes and high solids concentrations have been shown to exhibit non-Newtonian rheological behaviour. The effect of slurry rheology on gas dispersion in a 100 litre mechanical flotation cell was investigated by varying the solids concentration. The study was conducted using kaolin, Bindura nickel and Platreef slurries. All three ores displayed typical non- Newtonian rheological behaviour where the slurry yield stress and viscosity increased exponentially with solids concentration. Bubble size varied from 0.55 to 1.10 mm for all the ores tested. At low solids concentration bubble size was found to decrease with impeller speed, a characteristic trend that was expected. At moderate solids concentrations bubble size was found to either increase/remain relatively constant with impeller speed; this trend was also expected. Unexpectedly, at the highest solids concentration, a dramatic decrease in bubble size was observed. This unexpected drop in bubble size was attributed to slurry rheology. It was also observed that there was a slight increase in bubble size at the highest solids concentration with increasing impeller speed. This increase was attributed to a trade-off relationship between the rheology of the slurries and the existing hydrodynamics (as a result of the rotating impeller). Gas hold-up varied from 2 to 15% across all the ores tested."

"The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of iron on alumina-supported well defined nano-sized rhodium crystallites on the activity and selectivity for CO hydrogenation. The objective was to prepare model catalysts with similar average crystallite size and narrow size distribution."

"This project was focussed on drying and feeding timber-yard waste for a gasifier and the assessment of the feedstock drying on the gasifier performance. This required a thermodynamic model to be developed in order to assess the effect of drying as was highlighted in the literature survey. A heat exchanger model was also developed which formed the basis for the design of the drier. The project aim was to develop a reliable feed process for a lab-scale gasifier that was able to dry the proposed feedstock to below 10%. The plant was to be as far as possible, automated, with minimal maintenance requirements."

"The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the morality of putative alternatives to punishment. I will explore what makes them non-punitive, define them, and analyze whether they can be justified. The structure of the dissertation is as follows. The first chapter investigates the concept of punishment. I will defend a definition of punishment: authorized, retributive, intended harm. Then I will proceed to explain the need to justify punishment, and give an overview of how it is at least plausible to believe that no justification has yet succeeded. I will end the chapter with a brief discussion of the requirements of a criminal justice system. The second chapter is about money. I will scrutinize whether the theory of 'pure restitution' may completely replace punishment. I will argue that it cannot, and furthermore I will caution against the widespread use of mandatory monetary restitution. I will also provide a positive argument for the state's duty to provide compensation to victims of violent crime. The third chapter brings in the true heavyweights for non-punitive interventions: offender rehabilitation and offender incapacitation. After defining them, explaining why they are non-punitive, and defending justifications for them, I will conclude that they provide the most substantive opportunities for the state to shift its criminal justice burden s away from punishment. In the fourth chapter I will explore rituals: restorative justice conferences, trial and therapeutic jurisprudence, re-entry ceremonies and apologies. My argument for a minimally punitive regime will come together in the last chapter. In doing so I will explain why a state must rely on punishment to a small but crucial extent, and that punishment can be minimized drastically in comparison to today's practices. I will also address concerns regarding security and deterrence."

"This study examined the nature and psychological health outcomes of work-family conflict amongst South African corporate employees from two organisations in the Western Cape (N = 160). Cross-sectional data was obtained via self-report questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis evidenced the bi-directionality of work-family conflict, work-to-family conflict (W2FC) and family-to-work conflict (F2WC). Contrary to expecting a multidimensional model in each direction, exploratory factor analyses showed that W2FC was a unidimensional construct. However in the direction F2WC, a time and strain dimensions was found supporting its multidimensionality. Using standard multiple regression analysis, W2FC explained a significant proportion of the variance in psychological strain (i.e. anxiety and depression) and burnout (exhaustion and depersonalisation). Interestingly F2WC did not explain a significant proportion of variance in any of the psychological health outcomes. These results show that pressures arising in the work domain negatively influence employees' wellbeing. These results are discussed and management implications presented."