Prevalence of sustainability reporting practices of a sample of listed companies on established and emerging stock exchanges
- Authors: Turk, Brendan K , Shackleton, Charlie M , Whittington-Jones, Kevin J
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60995 , vital:27908 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v16i1.234
- Description: The business sector has a substantial role in addressing current environmental issues and concerns. Consequently, there is a growing adoption of corporate sustainability principles and practices across all market sectors. This study examined four developed and four emerging stock markets and the sustainability reporting practices of the top 20 and bottom 20 companies in each. The results illustrate that the developed market sector was more advanced in its corporate sustainability reporting, both in the proportion of companies issuing a sustainability report (approximately 60 per cent) and the proportion of company webpages dedicated to sustainability reporting. This difference was largely due to the effect of the top 20 companies. There was little difference between developed and developing markets when only the bottom 20 companies were considered, of which less than one-third provided sustainability reports. These results show that sustainability reporting is prevalent in both developed and developing markets, especially among market leading companies, but that overall, most developing markets have some catching up to do.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Synthesis and magnetic properties of a superparamagnetic nanocomposite pectin-magnetite nanocomposite
- Authors: Namanga, Jude , Foba, Josepha , Ndinteh, Derek T , Yufanyi, Divine M , Krause, Rui W M
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125075 , vital:35726 , https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/137275
- Description: Magnetic nanocomposites composed of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles in a pectin matrix were synthesized by anin situ coprecipitation method. The pectin matrix acted as a stabilizer and size control host for the magnetite nanoparticles(MNPs) ensuring particle size homogeneity. The effects of the different reactant ratios and nanocomposite drying conditions onthe magnetic properties were investigated. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transforminfrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer (SQUID). Superparamagneticmagnetite nanoparticles with mean diameters of 9 and 13 nm were obtained, and the freeze-dried nanocomposites had a saturationmagnetization of 54 and 53 emu/g, respectivel
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The Essential Oil of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden Inhibits Microbial Growth by Inducing Membrane Damage
- Authors: Soyingbe, Oluwagbemiga Sewanu , Oyedeji, Adebola , Basson, Albert Kortze , Opoku, Andy Rowland
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/731 , vital:29666
- Description: Eucalyptus grandis is a medicinal plant which has been indicated by Zulu traditional healer in the treatment of respira- tory tract infections, bronchial infections, asthma and cough. The investigation of the essential oil of this plant could help to verify the rationale behind the use of the plant as a cure for these illnesses. Essential oil was hydro-distilled from the fresh leaves and characterised for the chemical constituents and bioactivity. The main constituents of the oil of the E. grandis are α-Pinene (29.69%), p-Cymene (19.89%), 1,8-cineole (12.80%), α-Terpineol (6.48%), Borneol (3.48%) and D-Limonene (3.14%). The essential oil of E. grandis showed high scavenging of DPPH and ABTS radicals, and was active against 13 of the 16 organisms tested with the MIC ranging from 0.625 mg - 5.0 mg/ml; the MBC value ranged from 2.5 mg - 10 mg/ml. The essential oil also inhibited the growth of 7 of the 8 antibiotic resistant bacteria tested, with MIC ranging from 5 mg/ml - 10 mg/ml. The DNA extracted from the affected microorganisms did not show any dam- age however, there was an increase of released cytosolic LDH activity. We conclude that the antibacterial activity of the essential oil was exhibited through cell membrane damage rather than the damage of the DNA. It is apparent that the bioactivity of the essential oil of E. grandis plays an important role in the plants’ use in folk medicine for the treatment of respiratory tract illnesses.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Victimisation in the lives of lesbian-identified women in South Africa : implications for clinical assessment and treatment
- Authors: Padmanabhanunni, Anita , Edwards, David J A
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6237 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007787
- Description: Few clinical studies have examined victimisation in the lives of lesbian women in South Africa and whether there are distinct implications for psychological treatment. This paper presents the assessment and treatment of a lesbian-identified South African survivor of childhood sexual abuse who, as an adult, was raped and later gang raped. Her victimisation in adulthood represented ‘corrective rape’ motivated by the prejudiced assumption that the sexuality of lesbian women is pathological and should be ‘corrected’ through rape. This paper lends insights into the role of heterosexism in shaping vulnerability to victimisation and the process of recovery. It provides recommendations for work with sexual minority clients and highlights the implications when there is an absence of safety and support in the external environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Visualization of a data leak
- Authors: Swart, Ignus , Grobler, Marthie , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428584 , vital:72522 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641046
- Description: The potential impact that data leakage can have on a country, both on a national level as well as on an individual level, can be wide reaching and potentially catastrophic. In January 2013, several South African companies became the target of a hack attack, resulting in the breach of security measures and the leaking of a claimed 700000 records. The affected companies are spread across a number of domains, thus making the leak a very wide impact area. The aim of this paper is to analyze the data released from the South African breach and to visualize the extent of the loss by the companies affected. The value of this work lies in its connection to and interpretation of related South African legislation. The data extracted during the analysis is primarily personally identifiable information, such as defined by the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 and the Protection of Personal Information Bill of 2009.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Walking The Other Side: Doung Anwar Jahangeer
- Authors: Simbao, Ruth K
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147681 , vital:38660 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1080/09528822.2013.796204
- Description: While certain forms of mobility are romanticized in the privileged worlds of art and academia, the need to move is often triggered by vulnerability, and literal pathways on the ground reveal much about human engagement with place. This article considers the work of Mauritian-born architect/artist/performer Doung Anwar Jahangeer who is based in Durban, South Africa. Inspired by Michel de Certeau, Jahangeer argues that pathways reveal the characteristics of society and uses the act of walking to question the degree to which meaningful transformation has taken place in South Africa. His City Walk performances disclose to audiences how grounded ways of engaging with movement can challenge the metaphoric blindness that handicaps privileged movement. Focusing on his performances from the 2012 ‘Making Way’ exhibition the author interprets Jahangeer's work as challenging blind spots with regard to space, particularly partial spaces still marred by Apartheid. Through performative walking he encourages his audiences to read between the lines of road markings, cracks and signs, and to experience the power of corporeally engaging with the road by thoughtfully placing one foot in front of the other as a mode of seeing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
What to expect when you’re not expecting : child-freedom, social stigma, and online subjectivities
- Authors: Morison, Tracy
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Conference paper , text
- Identifier: vital:6210 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003915
- Description: From Introduction: Today I’m presenting some of the preliminary findings of a study about voluntary childlessness conducted with Indian, Polish, and fellow South African collaborators. Voluntary childlessness is also frequently referred to as being childless by choice or childfree. The term childfree (as opposed to ‘childless’) is intended to show that not having children “can be an active and fulfilling choice”, and to indicate agency and freedom from social obligation. The distinguishing feature of voluntary childlessness is the deliberate avoidance of parenthood, and this is precisely what opens up childfree people, especially married heterosexuals, to greater stigma than the temporarily or involuntarily childless, since it is seen as willing and deliberate deviation from the norm. Having children is seen as a natural consequence of being a “normal” heterosexual woman or man, as well as an expected outcome of marriage. Parenthood is therefore normalised by regulative discourses around sexuality and gender. This process of normalisation is reinforced by pronatalist discourse. According to Meyers, pronatalism rests upon twin strategies: The first is the valorisation or glorification of parenthood, which supports the belief that having children is the only true path to fulfilment. The second strategy is the denigration of non-reproduction in which childlessness is cast as horrific. The result of these dual strategies is to eliminate deliberate childlessness as a possibility. Parenthood, as the only truly viable option for a fulfilling life, is therefore a non-choice. This is compounded by nationalistic and religious rhetoric that constructs childbearing as an obligation or duty. Consequently, as my previous research showed, people often do not reflect on whether to have children or not, but see it more as a matter of timing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
'God is my forest': Xhosa cultural values provide untapped opportunities for conservation
- Authors: Cocks, Michelle L , Dold, Anthony P , Vetter, Susan M
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141198 , vital:37952 , DOI: 10.4102/sajs.v108i5/6.880
- Description: In South Africa conservation is still largely framed in terms of Western scientific values, with a focus on material benefits to local communities, whilst little is known about the intangible values local people attach to nature and biodiversity. We explored the cultural, spiritual and emotional relationships with nature expressed by Xhosa people, within the MaputalandPondoland-Albany Hotspot, as well as the activities that mediate this relationship. A descriptive research approach was applied to document the emotions, meanings and values associated with landscape elements. This approach included group and individual interviews and ‘walk-in-the-woods’ interviews and participatory mapping exercises. Respondents portrayed a strong, although not always easily articulated, appreciation for nature, especially ihlathi lesiXhosa (‘Xhosa forest’, vegetation types within the Thicket Biome).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
A model for the analysis of small group interaction–and beyond?:
- Authors: Hunt, Sally
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/139171 , vital:37711 , DOI: 10.1080/10118063.1997.9724122
- Description: This article describes a branching model developed for the analysis of interaction in small teaching groups in a tertiary setting. Based within Conversation Analysis, the model constitutes a set of justifications for the validity of utterances in terms of their place on the conversational floor. Examples of the classifications included in the model are provided from a broader study of interaction in tutorials at an Eastern Cape university. It is suggested that while the model was developed for a specific context, it could be adapted for use in a variety of contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
A network telescope perspective of the Conficker outbreak
- Authors: Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429728 , vital:72635 , 10.1109/ISSA.2012.6320455
- Description: This paper discusses a dataset of some 16 million packets targeting port 445/tcp collected by a network telescope utilising a /24 netblock in South African IP address space. An initial overview of the collected data is provided. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the packet characteristics observed, including size and TTL. The peculiarities of the observed target selection and the results of the flaw in the Conficker worm's propagation algorithm are presented. An analysis of the 4 million observed source hosts is reported by grouped by both packet counts and the number of distinct hosts per network address block. Address blocks of size /8, 16 and 24 are used for groupings. The localisation, by geographic region and numerical proximity, of high ranking aggregate netblocks is highlighted. The paper concludes with some overall analyses, and consideration of the application of network telescopes to the monitoring of such outbreaks in the future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
A reflection on research design and methodologies used in the social learning literature
- Authors: Rodela, Romina , Cundill, Georgina , Wals, Arjen
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436584 , vital:73284 , ISBN 978-1-919991-81-8 , 10.13140/2.1.1855.3285
- Description: This paper reviews the social learning research literature related to natu-ral resources management. It provides an overview of the social learning discourse and then comments on methodologies used by social learning researchers. The present study is part of an activity that looked at the so-cial learning methodological agenda. As such it is a companion study to the analysis reported in Rodela, Cundill and Wals (under review) where aspects of knowledge production and validation in social learning re-search were considered. The present analysis adds to this a deconstruc-tion of the research designs used and a reflection on methodologies that can best support the study of learning processes in a natural resource management context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Adaptations in primary wing moult of southern African Viduidae and their hosts (Estrildidae)
- Authors: Bonnevie, Bo T , Oschadleus, Hans-Dieter
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/447691 , vital:74667 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2012.691910
- Description: Primary wing moult patterns in southern African brood-parasitic viduines were compared with those of their estrildid hosts. We searched for similarities in the timing and duration of moult within these closely related species potentially arising from their linked breeding biology and geographical distributions. Contrasting patterns were found between summer and winter rainfall regions, suggesting that climate dominates over phylogenetic effects on moult. Within the summer rainfall region different patterns of moult also emerged, and these generally supported the colonisation hypothesis of the host–brood parasite system. Moult estimates are provided for these taxa for which, until now, data have been mostly descriptive.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An Analysis and Implementation of Methods for High Speed Lexical Classification of Malicious URLs
- Authors: Egan, Shaun P , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429757 , vital:72637 , https://digifors.cs.up.ac.za/issa/2012/Proceedings/Research/58_ResearchInProgress.pdf
- Description: Several authors have put forward methods of using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to classify URLs as malicious or benign by using lexical features of those URLs. These methods have been compared to other methods of classification, such as blacklisting and spam filtering, and have been found to be as accurate. Early attempts proved to be as highly accurate. Fully featured classifications use lexical features as well as lookups to classify URLs and include (but are not limited to) blacklists, spam filters and reputation services. These classifiers are based on the Online Perceptron Model, using a single neuron as a linear combiner and used lexical features that rely on the presence (or lack thereof) of words belonging to a bag-of-words. Several obfuscation resistant features are also used to increase the positive classification rate of these perceptrons. Examples of these include URL length, number of directory traversals and length of arguments passed to the file within the URL. In this paper we describe how we implement the online perceptron model and methods that we used to try to increase the accuracy of this model through the use of hidden layers and training cost validation. We discuss our results in relation to those of other papers, as well as other analysis performed on the training data and the neural networks themselves to best understand why they are so effective. Also described will be the proposed model for developing these Neural Networks, how to implement them in the real world through the use of browser extensions, proxy plugins and spam filters for mail servers, and our current implementation. Finally, work that is still in progress will be described. This work includes other methods of increasing accuracy through the use of modern training techniques and testing in a real world environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Building a Graphical Fuzzing Framework
- Authors: Zeisberger, Sascha , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429772 , vital:72638 , https://digifors.cs.up.ac.za/issa/2012/Proceedings/Research/59_ResearchInProgress.pdf
- Description: Fuzz testing is a robustness testing technique that sends malformed data to an application’s input. This is to test an application’s behaviour when presented with input beyond its specification. The main difference between traditional testing techniques and fuzz testing is that in most traditional techniques an application is tested according to a specification and rated on how well the application conforms to that specification. Fuzz testing tests beyond the scope of a specification by intelligently generating values that may be interpreted by an application in an unintended manner. The use of fuzz testing has been more prevalent in academic and security communities despite showing success in production environments. To measure the effectiveness of fuzz testing, an experiment was conducted where several publicly available applications were fuzzed. In some instances, fuzz testing was able to force an application into an invalid state and it was concluded that fuzz testing is a relevant testing technique that could assist in developing more robust applications. This success prompted a further investigation into fuzz testing in order to compile a list of requirements that makes an effective fuzzer. The aforementioned investigation assisted in the design of a fuzz testing framework, the goal of which is to make the process more accessible to users outside of an academic and security environment. Design methodologies and justifications of said framework are discussed, focusing on the graphical user interface components as this aspect of the framework is used to increase the usability of the framework.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
China-Africa relations: research approaches
- Authors: Simbao, Ruth K
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147503 , vital:38644 , https://doi.org/10.1162/afar.2012.45.2.1
- Description: About to board a plane in Johannesburg, I handed my temporary boarding pass to the flight attendant who exclaimed,“Simbao, you have a fong kong boarding pass!” Fong kong is a slang term used in South Africa meaning fake, cheap, or low quality and is often associated with Chinese imports. In this case, the term was used to refer to a temporary pass issued earlier on my journey that needed to be replaced with a new boarding pass in Johannesburg.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Computer-aided identification of coelacanths, latimeria chalumnae, using scale patterns
- Authors: Thornycroft, Rosanne E , Booth, Anthony J
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124013 , vital:35526 , https://doi.10.1080/17451000.2011.628679
- Description: Despite coelacanths, Latimeria chalumnae, being listed as either endangered by CITES or critically endangered by the IUCN, their population size within South Africa is unknown and still needs to be estimated. Their conservation status unfortunately excludes the use of conventional tagging to mark individual animals for a possible mark-recapture experiment. This study shows that because coelacanths have a unique spot patterning it is possible to quickly and accurately identify specific individuals photographically using computer-aided identification software. Without any manual intervention by an operator, the software accurately identified between 56 and 92% of the individuals. Indentification success increased to 100% if the operator could also manually select from other potential matching photographs. It was also shown that fish exhibiting a yaw angle not exceeding 60˚ could be accurately identified in photographs, although the percentage of fish correctly identified without operator-intervention decreased rapidly with increasing yaw angle. Computer-aided identification should therefore facilitate future coelacanth research as it is both efficient and accurate while also reducing potential stress on the animals observed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Effects of altered estuarine submerged macrophyte bed cover on the omnivorous Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi
- Authors: Sheppard, Jill N , Whitfield, Alan K , Cowley, Paul D , Hill, Jaclyn M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444676 , vital:74259 , https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03197.x
- Description: The ecological importance of submerged macrophyte beds to fishes within estuaries was investigated through the example of the ubiquitous Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi, an omnivorous, vegetation and estuary‐dependent species, using stable‐isotope techniques and long‐term abundance (catch‐per‐unit‐effort) data from the East Kleinemonde Estuary, South Africa. Outputs from a Bayesian mixing model using δ13C and δ15N signatures indicated that the submerged macrophytes Ruppia cirrhosa and Potamogeton pectinatus were not a primary source of nutrition for R. holubi, confirming previous work that revealed that macrophytes are consumed but not digested. Long‐term seine netting data showed reduced abundance of R. holubi during a prolonged period of macrophyte senescence, suggesting that submerged macrophyte habitats provide shelter that reduces mortality (predation risk) and a food‐rich foraging area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Remote fingerprinting and multisensor data fusion
- Authors: Hunter, Samuel O , Stalmans, Etienne , Irwin, Barry V W , Richter, John
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429813 , vital:72641 , 10.1109/ISSA.2012.6320449
- Description: Network fingerprinting is the technique by which a device or service is enumerated in order to determine the hardware, software or application characteristics of a targeted attribute. Although fingerprinting can be achieved by a variety of means, the most common technique is the extraction of characteristics from an entity and the correlation thereof against known signatures for verification. In this paper we identify multiple host-defining metrics and propose a process of unique host tracking through the use of two novel fingerprinting techniques. We then illustrate the application of host fingerprinting and tracking for increasing situational awareness of potentially malicious hosts. In order to achieve this we provide an outline of an adapted multisensor data fusion model with the goal of increasing situational awareness through observation of unsolicited network traffic.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Rhodes University 2012 Graduation Ceremonies Address
- Authors: Badat, Saleem
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: vital:7588 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006579
- Description: From introduction: We take pride in our striving to ensure that we are an environment in which knowledge, understanding and the intellect can flower; in being a leading postgraduate and research university that takes undergraduate studies seriously; in enjoying among the best pass and graduation rates in South Africa; in our increasing engagement with local communities; in the pursuit of equity and excellence, and in being a cosmopolitan institution with students from some 56 countries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
SADSAWU - International workers day
- Authors: SADSAWU
- Date: June 2012
- Subjects: SADSAWU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/117975 , vital:34581
- Description: A year has gone by, after the adoption of International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Convention 189 for Domestic Workers. We have worked so hard for nearly four years, to ensure that our work is recognised as decent work! On 16th June 2011 we made history when Convention 189 was adopted. In this year gone by, only one government has signed the ratification of Convention 189. We set ourselves a goal: We want at least 12 governments to sign, one each month as part of the international 12 to 12 Campaign with the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) and International Domestic Workers' Network (IDWN). South Africa shcAild be the second government to sign and ratify 189, meaning it becomes labour law, as South Africa was the most supportive and vocal government leading the campaign for Convention 189 at the International Labour Conference.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: June 2012