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Habitat use of important juvenile fish species in temperate Earnestine nursery areas with notes on feeding ecology and historical shifts to assist with conservation planning, South Africa

  • Authors: Nel, Larize
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Mariculture -- South Africa , Fishes -- Ecology -- South Africa Fishes -- Food -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/32904 , vital:32396
  • Description: Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems worldwide as they provide important refuge and feeding areas for the juveniles of many marine species, many of which have recreational importance. The use of these nursery areas by juvenile fishes in South Africa are in need of further investigation and many critical areas such as shallow water creeks and vegetated habitats remain understudied. By using mixed-methods, estuarine fish assemblages were assessed in five permanently open estuaries in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A total of 81 428 comprising 24 families and 40 species of fishes were sampled by means of a 50 m seine net (12 mm mesh) along the length of these systems that comprised of six equidistant sites during the summer recruitment period (October - December) of 2014 and 2015. A higher catch per unit effort (CPUE) was recorded in 2014 (68 875) compared to the following year where a decline of approximately 82% was observed in the catch (12 553) for all estuaries except the Kromme Estuary. Catches were mainly dominated by the marine estuarine dependent sparid, Rhabdosargus holubi and the solely estuarine clupeid, Gilchristella aestuaria. Species compositions and catch abundance with regards to historical catches showed that the abundance of many marine estuarine dependent juveniles as well as important recreational species have declined within these systems and are mainly attributed to marine overfishing and the exploitation of undersized individuals in estuarine nurseries. Juvenile fishes that occur in these estuaries utilize a range of vegetated habitats ranging from salt marsh creeks, Zostera capensis beds, Spartina maritima and previously unexplored Phragmites australis areas. Sampling was achieved by using passive, double-winged, six-hooped fyke nets, 1 mm mesh size that was secured in placed on the nocturnal flood tide at each inundated vegetated and adjacent unvegetated habitat types. Higher catches were frequently recorded in vegetated areas for solely estuarine and marine estuarine dependent species and supports evidence of plasticity within these habitats. In general, the previously unstudied reed, P. australis showed the highest species richness and abundance of juvenile fishes overall, followed by, Z. capensis and the intertidal salt marsh species, S. maritima. These findings relate to many international trends on the value of vegetated areas as refugia for young fishes in estuaries. Fishes were also showing evidence of feeding and sheltering in these areas. By using conventional stomach contents and stable isotope methods (δ13C and δ15N signatures) on the abundant R. holubi in previously selected vegetation sites, it was clear that this species has a significant reliance on any of these habitats as their diets was largely comprised of a mixture of epiphytic algae and aquatic macrophytes. In addition, the diet of larger individuals (>80 mm) showed a greater component of invertebrates in previously unexplored habitats, which proves their omnivorous diet related to ontogenetic niche use. Knowledge of fine-scale habitat use by fishes is essential for conservation planning as exclusion zones can be optimised to limit anthropogenic influence on nursery use patterns in fishes. The availability of shallow water habitats (<60 cm) was assessed as an additional driver to explain the species diversity and richness of juvenile fishes within the lower reaches. These habitats are known as important nursery habitats providing numerous marine and estuarine spawned fishes with adequate refuge and food supply. This shallow water volume was measured by means of a two-man kayak using both the spring high and low tides in the lower reaches of these systems to assess juvenile assemblages. It was clear from the results that aquatic vegetation significantly adds to the volume of these areas and as a result, much greater fish density and species richness were observed. Generalized additive models showed that marine spawned species were particularly reliant on the availability of this shallow water along with submerged vegetation and additional environmental variables. The presence of structurally submerged vegetation typically characterized within shallow estuarine waters is commonly believed to reduce predation risk resulting in elevated densities of biota. Based on the current stock status and percentage of pristine breeding stock, five fish species classified as collapsed/overexploited was consistently found within these systems with an additional 14 species currently classified as exploited/vulnerable. Based on the current species richness and diversity, available habitat cover and knowledge regarding important recreational species, priority areas that require some form of legal protection in order to meet potential biodiversity targets, could be identified. It is a legal requirement in South Africa that all estuaries require management plans that should be based on good knowledge of priority habitats for fauna and flora. The identification of estuarine protected areas is seen as a mechanism for protecting a representative sample of the biodiversity accompanied by a complete range of environmental gradients and habitat types at a reasonable scale in order to maximize the protection of estuarine species.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Happiness in the South African engineering industry

  • Authors: Poorun, Andrew
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Job satisfaction -- South Africa , Engineering -- Employment -- South Africa Corporate culture -- South Africa Happiness -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23120 , vital:30430
  • Description: Happiness, or what is commonly referred to as subjective well-being, is under investigation worldwide across many different sectors as it influences individuals, the organisation and society. Although researchers and lay people often define happiness as life satisfaction or a sense of wellbeing, literature also defines happiness as positive subjective experiences. Research confirms that an increase in individual happiness is advantageous to the individual and it enables societies to function better, thereby supporting the notion to incorporate aspects of happiness when formulating economic policy. Many countries around the world have identified happiness as a key factor influencing economic growth and citizen wellness. Countries are taking steps to measure their success as a society – from not only how much the economy grows – but also from how much their lives are improved, not only from standard of living, but also from quality of life. Engineering is a profession in which scientific knowledge and mathematical ability are practised applying sound judgement to develop ways to benefit humankind. South Africa has a major shortage of qualified engineers. The Engineering Council of South Africa reported that South Africa only has one engineer per 3 166 of the population, whereas other countries like Brazil has 227, Australia has 455 and Chile has 681. The best investment any country can therefore make for its future prospects is in education in the engineering field. It is imperative that people are attracted to engineering careers and that they are retained in this profession. Improving the happiness levels of engineers will assist in the attraction and retention of members in the engineering industry. The purpose of engineering and even other technological sciences is very important for both past and future economic performance. Without the appropriate people in these careers, the economic success, securities and scientific leadership will decrease. Traditional market-based measures alone do not provide an adequate portrayal of quality of life. The focus of economic measurement should change from production toward people’s well-being or happiness. Most happiness research focuses on countries, which enables comparisons. This study focuses on happiness levels of South African engineers. Previous work has explored other professions, such as physiotherapists, veterinarians and employees in the financial sector. The primary data were collected from the sample of 686 engineers by means of an on-line questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed from literature and using extracts from similar happiness studies questionnaires. A pilot study was conducted amongst engineers working in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. An email containing a Universal Resource Link (URL) to the questionnaire was sent to the listed email addresses of the Engineering Council of South Africa. A representative sample of 395 respondents participated in the study who fully completed all sections of the questionnaire. A proposed conceptual model was compiled and tested using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results of the study indicate that the factors Workplace influence, workplace relationships, Work-life balance and Purpose load onto the factor, Work Satisfaction. The factors Work satisfaction, Optimism, Leisure, S.A. Pride, Classism and Trust determine the happiness of engineers in South Africa. The results of this study further indicate that engineers in South Africa are generally happy and that they rate workplace relationships highly. Engineers generally have little faith in the government, the South African court system and the South African education system. This study is the first of its kind conducted in South Africa and makes a valuable contribution in understanding the happiness of engineers.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Happiness levels amongst South African Veterinarians

  • Authors: Venter,Cordene
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Happiness , Job satisfaction , Veterinarians -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45745 , vital:38960
  • Description: Happiness is a new field of study in various healthcare fields. Researchers indicated that although there are numerous studies investigating mental well-being amongst veterinarians, scientific research into happiness in veterinary medicine has not begun and that happiness levels of veterinarians are unknown. This treatise is the first known study examining the happiness levels of South African veterinarians and the implications that increased happiness levels can have for organisations who employ veterinarians. An in-depth literature review was conducted and the two main constructs of happiness – eudaimonia and hedonism were examined. Additionally, the three theories of happiness, namely set-point theory, social comparison theory and the affect theory were explored and the importance of happiness in the workplace was established. The literature further laid the foundation for the conceptual model that proposed influence in the workplace, social relationships, satisfaction with work-life balance, purpose, optimism, work satisfaction, work stress and leisure lead to happiness of South African veterinarians. The study concludes with managerial recommendations that veterinary practice owners can implement to increase the happiness levels of their veterinarians so that they can have social, financial and personal gain. encourage their employees to pursue leisure activities. Life coaches or industrial psychologists can be used to bridge the generational gap between veterinarians and to minimise interpersonal conflict. Moreover, managers need to have conversations with their employees to understand their needs and to help them achieve their professional goals.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Happiness levels in South Africa

  • Authors: Georgiou, Michael
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Happiness -- South Africa , Well-being Social capital (Sociology)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30161 , vital:30849
  • Description: One of the fundamental aspects of human life is the attempt to achieve happiness. Traditionally, happiness has been expressed within two specific spheres of understanding, these being the hedonic view and the eudemonic view. The former is the pursuit of wellbeing through pleasure, enjoyment and comfort, whereas the latter focuses on the pursuit of personal development, developing the best in oneself and keeping in line with one’s highest held principles. Such examples may include acting to the best of one’s abilities, expressing kindness, gratitude and the fulfilment of one’s potential. The philosophical tradition has now been incorporated into contemporary psychology for the development of the science of wellbeing. Recently, the term Happiness or what was commonly referred to as subjective well-being, has surged into the spotlight of positive psychology researchers worldwide, as it has shown to influence individuals and thereby organisations and society as well. There is evidence that indicates that an increase or decrease in individual happiness can have a positive influence on the lives of individuals, the way society operates and how economic structures perform. Many countries therefore are beginning to look at the measurement of happiness in an attempt to capitalise on the advantages this brings to their societies, economic activity and performance, and the improvement in the quality of the lives of its citizens. These countries are attempting to include the elements required to increase subjective well-being within the economic policies of the countries. This study aims at evaluating the Happiness Levels of South Africans and also aims at providing a basis for the current levels of happiness in the country, identify challenges that need to be addressed, and to provide a platform for further research where required. The primary data was collected through an online questionnaire, utilising the QuestionPro system supplied by the University. There were 840 valid respondents who completed the questionnaire in full. The questionnaire was developed utilising the happiness literature and previous questionnaires that have been developed in similar studies. A proposed conceptual model was developed and then tested utilising exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. A new model was iv developed which can be used to determine the happiness levels of South Africans. The study concluded with recommendations that governments, leaders, organisations and individuals in society can implement to increase the overall happiness of South Africans and to move the country forward in a positive and meaningful way so that we can all enjoy higher levels of happiness, prosperity and social capital. The results of this study further indicate that South Africans are generally happy and that optimism, workplace networks and work-life balance are important to their happiness. South African citizens generally have little faith in the government, the South African court system, the police services and the South African education system.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Health and activity monitoring to support the self-management of chronic diseases of lifestyle using smart devices

  • Authors: Mujuru, George Tungamirai
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Computer vision in medicine , Self-care, Health Chronic diseases
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33076 , vital:32516
  • Description: Chronic diseases of lifestyle (CDLs) are non-infectious medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. These conditions are the second leading cause of death and disease in Africa. Failure to modify primary risk factors, such as an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and tobacco use, can give rise to intermediate risk factors such as hypertension and obesity, which predispose individuals to CDLs. The aim of the research was to investigate the use of smart devices to facilitate the self-management of health and health behaviours. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model of health behaviour change was adopted, which focuses on the correction of modifiable risk factors. Two smart devices were selected, namely the Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Aria, which monitor specific physiological information. The Fitbit Charge 2 can determine health activity, and the Fitbit Aria can determine the weight, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage of an individual. A field study was conducted with 22 participants (11 males and 11 females) to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of the smart devices. The participants were sampled from Nelson Mandela University staff and were aged between 30 and 60 years of age. The field study was conducted over two weeks in two one-week long phases. The first phase was used to obtain subjective data (using a lifestyle questionnaire), and objective health data (collected by the smart devices) from the participants. The purpose of the first phase was to form intentions. The second phase was the goal setting phase, where each participant was assisted in setting manageable personal goals. The results show that the smart devices used in the research could be used to provide motivation and monitor health data to support self-management of CDLs. The use of these smart devices was included in an updated HAPA model.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Health and fitness of young, healthy adult females and the effect of an eight week pilates intervention

  • Authors: Eaton, Lara Lee
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Physical fitness for women -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Pilates method , Exercise for women -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Exercise -- Health aspects -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Exercise -- Physiological aspects -- South Africa -- Makhanda
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58267 , vital:27112
  • Description: Purpose: The first phase of this study aimed to investigate the health and fitness status of young adult females in the local community. The second phase of this study investigated the impact of an eight week progressive Pilates intervention on selected health and fitness parameters in this cohort. Methods: Healthy young adult females aged 18-26 years (n=96), from the local community, partook in once-off tests including anthropometric measures (stature, body mass, Body Mass Index and waist circumference) as well as fitness parameters including balance, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, and lastly lumbo-pelvic stability. Health measures investigated included blood pressure and spirometry. Where possible, results were compared to those of similar populations from national surveys or published normative data. Sedentary volunteers from this cohort were then randomised into a Pilates Exercise (PEx, n=12) or an inactive Control (Con, n=11) group, with their results from Phase 1 serving as baseline measures. Pilates classes were held twice weekly (60 minutes per session). All the measures from phase 1 were repeated at weeks 4 and 8. An additional intervention test included Transversus abdominis recruitment. Participants maintained habitual dietary intake and energy expenditure throughout. Nine PEx group and eight Con group participants completed the intervention. Results: The current sample (phase 1) was found to be healthier than comparative populations from national surveys, and significant differences (p<0.05) were found for all comparisons except Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1), (p=0.64). Physical activity levels (230 min.week-1) exceeded that of the recommend weekly threshold (150 min.week-1). BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure and spirometry measures were all found to be within suggested healthy normal ranges. Pilates significantly improved lumbo-pelvic stability in the PEx group at weeks 4 (p<0.005) and 8 (p<0.002). Similarly, abdominal (p=0.00, d=1.1), upper limb (p=0.037, d=0.9) and lower limb endurance (p=0.02, d=1.0, between group d=0.73 for PEx) also improved with no changes in the Con group. PEx energy expenditure significantly increased from baseline to weeks 4 (p=0.007, d=10.7) and 8 (p=0.027, d=0.64), however body mass was maintained throughout. Conversely, Minute Ventilation decreased in the PEx cohort (p=0.010, d=0.95) from weeks 4 to 8. The Con group showed significant increases in body mass (p=0.018), leg strength (within-group Cohen’s d=-1.08 between weeks 0-8; d=-2 between weeks 4-8) and dynamic balance (p=0.01, d=-0.5). While no within-group changes were observed, Protein intake was significantly greater (p=0.036, d>0.8 at baseline and week 8) in the PEx group throughout the intervention. Medium between-group effect sizes (d>0.5) were noted for PEx BMI and waist circumference measures at all time points. Further, although not significant, the large within-group effect size (d=-0.84) between baseline and week 8 for PEx systolic blood pressure, suggested the 9 mm Hg was meaningful. The same time period also indicated a large within-group effect size (d=-0.8) for PEx dynamic balance, and a medium Cohen’s d for (d=0.57) PEx static balance. Conclusion: The local population of young adult females was found to be significantly healthier than those of comparable national samples. Further, Pilates participation significantly improved lumbo-pelvic stability and muscular endurance with meaningful changes in systolic blood pressure, and balance in previously sedentary young, adult females. Body mass was also maintained.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Health education on diabetes at a South African national science festival

  • Authors: Bradshaw, Karen L , Mhlongo, M , Srinivas, Sunitha C , Marara P
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/460074 , vital:75890
  • Description: Diabetes is one of the non-communicable diseases with a major negative impact on the health and development of South Africans. Empowering the population’s understanding of the condition, with health-literacy appropriate approaches, is one of the interventions that allows discussions around the prevention of diabetes. Objective. To determine the effects of a health education programme on increasing knowledge about diabetes and encouraging preventive measures. Method. A public health education exhibition was held by a pharmacy student at a national science festival. It incorporated presentations, posters, health models, word-search games, information leaflets and a computer-based quiz consisting of pre- and post-intervention questions. Results. Junior and senior school learners participated in the computer-based quiz. Results from the junior school pre-intervention phase showed that learners had a fair prior knowledge of diabetes, with an overall score of 52.8%. Improvement in their overall mean score at the 5% significance level was noted (p=0.020). There was a significant difference in the mean score after the intervention at the 1% level (government schools: 65.5 (standard error (SE) 3.1)%, independent schools: 45.9 (6.2)%; p=0.006). Of the senior learners 53.7% (n=137) indicated that they use computers at school, while 118 (46.3%) did not have access to computers. The improvement in overall knowledge of the senior participants after the intervention was significant at the 0.1% level (p is less than 0.001). Conclusion. The health education offered by the pharmacy student's project was interactive and used an interdisciplinary approach to improve health literacy and raise awareness of diabetes. This is a tested intervention that may be adopted for improving health literacy among schoolchildren.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Hepatitis C and HIV Coinfection in Developing Countries:

  • Authors: Tastan Bishop, Özlem
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148228 , vital:38721 , ISBN 9780128032343 , https://books.google.co.za/books?id=XSmlCgAAQBAJanddq=hepatitis+c+in+developing+countriesandsource=gbs_navlinks_s
  • Description: Because of the common routes of transmission, hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection with HIV is frequent. Of the 36.6 million HIV-infected individuals worldwide, about 25% are also coinfected with HCV. Developing countries face the greatest burden of coinfection. HIV infection has been shown to have a significant impact on the progression of chronic HCV, with a higher risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Because of the improvements in the management and treatment of HIV/AIDS in resource-limited countries, HCV/HIV coinfection is becoming a significant clinical problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. HCV/HIV coinfection is characterized by aggressive hepatic fibrogenesis, incidence of cirrhosis, and HCC. HCC is currently a major cause for liver-related deaths in HIV patients. Viral eradication has been difficult to attain with interferon and ribavirin therapies. Novel therapies with direct-acting antiviral agents have been promising for this population. However, access to such expensive regimen is far beyond the capabilities of most resource-limited countries. Yet, studies lag behind those for HCV monoinfection.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Heterodimer formation by Oct4 and Smad3 differentially regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-associated factors in breast cancer progression:

High school learners’ experiences and perceptions of school-based peer-led substance use prevention programmes

  • Authors: Chanshi, Judie Chinyama
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: High school students -- Substance use -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Substance abuse -- Prevention -- Research -- South Africa High school students -- Substance use -- South Africa -- Prevention Group counseling -- Substance use -- Prevention
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21812 , vital:29781
  • Description: There is great concern about substance use among high school learners locally and globally. Adolescents are considered to be a high-risk population as their developmental stage generally renders them more susceptible to peer influence. It is for this reason that school based peer-led substance use prevention programs are considered to be a logical intervention aimed at reducing the onset of adolescent substance use. This study was motivated by inadequate information available regarding learners‟ experiences with school-based substance use prevention programmes and their effectiveness. This was a qualitative study that was exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature. A non-probability, purposive sampling technique was administered to grade 8-11 learners aged 13-16 who have been recipients of school-based, peer-led substance use prevention programmes for a minimum of two consecutive years. The collection of data entailed individual interviews using semi-structured interview guide and focus group discussions. Data was collected until point of saturation was achieved, and analysed using Tesch‟s thematic data analysis. The credibility of the research process and the findings was enhanced by employing a variety of data verification strategies. It is anticipated that this research contributes to a better understanding of how school-based, peer-led substance use prevention programmes can be tailored to the needs of high school learners.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College from 1993 to 2017

  • Authors: Howden, Ryan Bradley
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies , Kingswood College -- History , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , School principals-- South Africa -- Makhanda , Transformational leadership -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Private schools -- Business management , Full Range Leadership
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62133 , vital:28131
  • Description: A significant interest in school educational leadership has developed over the past two decades, whereby effective leadership is required in a continually changing educational environment. This study is a historical analysis of leadership styles of headmasters at Kingswood College in Grahamstown (Eastern Cape, South Africa) from 1993 to 2017. The aim is to identify leadership style(s) of headmasters using the Full Range Leadership (FRL) model as a guiding framework; to describe and interpret these style(s) in relation to the headmaster’s tenure; and to compare the headmasters’ leadership styles, noting key similarities and differences. The research method consists of interviews and a historical archival analysis. The researcher’s expectation is that headmasters will elicit a transformational leadership approach. Key findings were somewhat consistent with this hypothesis, as headmasters exhibit a general trend towards transformational leadership; although each headmaster identifies with a unique facet of transformational leadership, together with relevant supporting leadership style(s) that emerged from the data. Upon comparing headmasters, their primary leadership styles were as follows: Wilkinson identified with transactional, transformational and servant leadership; Hawke showed evidence of a transformational servant leader; Arguile elicited transformational and principle-based leadership; and Trafford depicted transformational and participative leadership. The researcher found that multiple factors in an ever-changing educational environment promoted the need for transformational leadership. The relationship between business management and educational leadership emerges as a key reflection, thus further research is required in this regard.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

HIV/AIDS and other household shocks as catalysts of local commercialization of non-timber forest products in Southern Africa

  • Authors: Weyer, Dylan J , Shackleton, Charlie M , Adam, Y O
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398223 , vital:69385 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12261"
  • Description: Local trade in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is increasing globally, yet the causes have been little studied. We examine household shock as a driver of NTFP trade in five southern African countries, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS-related illness and death. Over the past two years, 95% of trader households experienced at least one shock, with family illness and death recorded for 68% and 42% of households, respectively. Almost 40% had entered the trade because of HIV/AIDS-related shocks. Additional shocks included natural disasters, crop pests or failure and livestock loss. The sale of NTFPs was the third most common coping strategy, after kinship and agricultural adjustments. Coping strategies differed between sites and type of shock.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Homology modeling and docking of AahII-Nanobody complexes reveal the epitope binding site on AahII scorpion toxin

  • Authors: Ksouri, Ayoub , Ghedira, Kais , Abderrazek, Rahma Ben , Shankar, B A Gowri , Benkahla, Alia , Tastan Bishop, Özlem , Bouhaouala-Zahar, Balkis
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124604 , vital:35637 , https://doi.10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.01.036
  • Description: Scorpion envenoming and its treatment is a public health problem in many parts of the world due to highly toxic venom polypeptides diffusing rapidly within the body of severely envenomed victims. Recently, 38 AahII-specific Nanobody sequences (Nbs) were retrieved from which the performance of NbAahII10 nanobody candidate, to neutralize the most poisonous venom compound namely AahII acting on sodium channels, was established. Herein, structural computational approach is conducted to elucidate the Nb-AahII interactions that support the biological characteristics, using Nb multiple sequence alignment (MSA) followed by modeling and molecular docking investigations (RosettaAntibody, ZDOCK software tools). Sequence and structural analysis showed two dissimilar residues of NbAahII10 CDR1 (Tyr27 and Tyr29) and an inserted polar residue Ser30 that appear to play an important role. Indeed, CDR3 region of NbAahII10 is characterized by a specific Met104 and two negatively chargedresidues Asp115 and Asp117. Complex dockings reveal that NbAahII17 and NbAahII38 share one common binding site on the surface of the AahII toxin divergent from the NbAahII10 one's. At least, a couple of NbAahII10 e AahII residue interactions (Gln38 e Asn44 and Arg62, His64, respectively) are mainly involved in the toxic AahII binding site. Altogether, this study gives valuable insights in the design and development of next generation of antivenom.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

HOP expression is regulated by p53 and RAS and characteristic of a cancer gene signature

  • Authors: Mattison, Stacey A , Blatch, Gregory L , Edkins, Adrienne L
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66278 , vital:28928 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-016-0755-8
  • Description: publisher version , The Hsp70/Hsp90 organising protein (HOP) is a co-chaperone essential for client protein transfer from Hsp70 to Hsp90 within the Hsp90 chaperone machine. Although HOP is upregulated in various cancers, there is limited information from in vitro studies on how HOP expression is regulated in cancer. The main objective of this study was to identify the HOP promoter and investigate its activity in cancerous cells. Bioinformatic analysis of the -2500 to +16 bp region of the HOP gene identified a large CpG island and a range of putative cis-elements. Many of the cis-elements were potentially bound by transcription factors which are activated by oncogenic pathways. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that the upstream region of the HOP gene contains an active promoter in vitro. Truncation of this region suggested that the core HOP promoter region was -855 to +16 bp. HOP promoter activity was highest in Hs578T, HEK293T and SV40- transformed MEF1 cell lines which expressed mutant or inactive p53. In a mutant p53 background, expression of wild-type p53 led to a reduction in promoter activity, while inhibition of wild-type p53 in HeLa cells increased HOP promoter activity. Additionally, in Hs578T and HEK293T cell lines containing inactive p53, expression of HRAS increased HOP promoter activity. However, HRAS activation of the HOP promoter was inhibited by p53 overexpression. These findings suggest for the first time that HOP expression in cancer may be regulated by both RAS activation and p53 inhibition. Taken together, these data suggest that HOP may be part of the cancer gene signature induced by a combination of mutant p53 and mutated RAS that is associated with cellular transformation.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Hop/STIP1 depletion alters nuclear structure via depletion of nuclear structural protein emerin:

  • Authors: Kituyi, Sarah N , Edkins, Adrienne L
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164435 , vital:41118 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.11.073
  • Description: Hop/STIP1 is a co-chaperone of Hsp70 and Hsp90 that regulates a number of cell biology processes via interactions with cellular proteins. Here we report a new relationship between Hop and the nuclear structural protein emerin in maintenance of nuclear morphology. Depletion or overexpression of Hop resulted in the reduction of emerin protein levels via proteasomal and lysosomal pathways.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Household food insecurity along an agro-ecological gradient influences children’s nutritional status in South Africa

  • Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179836 , vital:43193 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2017.00072"
  • Description: The burden of food insecurity and malnutrition is a severe problem experienced by many poor households and children under the age of five are at high risk. The objective of the study was to examine household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and child nutritional status in relation to local context which influences access to and ability to grow food in South Africa and explore the links and associations between these and household socio-economic status. Using a 48-h dietary recall method, we interviewed 554 women from randomly selected households along a rural–urban continuum in three towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. The Household Dietary Diversity Scores (HDDS) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) tools were used to measure household dietary diversity and food insecurity, respectively. Anthropometric measurements with 216 children (2–5 years) from the sampled households were conducted using height-for-age and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as indicators of stunting and wasting, respectively. The key findings were that mean HDDS declined with decreasing agro-ecological potential from the wettest site (8.44 ± 1.72) to the other two drier sites (7.83 ± 1.59 and 7.76 ± 1.63). The mean HFIAS followed the opposite trend. Stunted growth was the dominant form of malnutrition detected in 35% of children and 18% of children were wasted. Child wasting was greatest at the site with lowest agro-ecological potential. Children from households with low HDDS had large MUAC which showed an inverse association among HDDS and obesity. Areas with agro-ecological potential had lower prevalence of food insecurity and wasting in children. Agro-ecological potential has significant influence on children’s nutritional status, which is also related to household food security and socio-economic status. Dependence on food purchasing and any limitations in households’ income, access to land and food, can result in different forms of malnutrition in children. Responses to address malnutrition in South Africa need to be prioritized and move beyond relying on food security and nutritional-specific interventions, but rather on nutrition-specific and sensitive programs and approaches; and building an enabling environment. Land availability, agriculture (including climate-smart agriculture especially in drier areas), and wild foods usage should be promoted.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Household's perceptions and determinants of participation in harvesting rangeland products :|bthe case of Dyamala community, Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Mdiya, Lwandiso
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Communal rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9187 , vital:34303
  • Description: The study reviews the household’s perceptions and determinants of sustainable products harvesting. Communal rangelands are vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands, shrubs, woodlands, wetlands and deserts with multiple functions to the rural households. Most rural communities share boundaries and interact with rangelands for multiple socioeconomic and environmental reasons. Since most of these interactions are external to the price mechanism, the actual contribution of rangelands to communities has largely been missed. In an effort to appraise and explore the communal rangeland contribution to households, a study from Dyamala community in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality under Amathole District in Eastern Cape was conducted using cross-sectional data. Descriptive results revealed that the majority of the respondents (71 percent) from the study area positively perceived communal rangelands as safety nets. however, there also emerged a fair share of challenges namely, (bad spirit, host predators, compete with arable land) leading to negative perceptions towards communal rangelands. It was also evident that, the majority of respondents from the study area use communal rangelands for fuel wood, construction poles, traditional medicine, with minor harvests of wild food (flora and fauna) and thatch grass. The results of the study also revealed that, rural people depend more on social grants for their income followed by incomes from remittances, agricultural activities and communal rangelands. However, it was established from the results that though communal rangelands provided commercial products capable of generating household income, rangeland users trading such products were receiving meagre incomes. This might be caused by the lack of institutional support to rural households thus, the low incomes received from communal rangelands. To that effect, main communal rangeland products such as, fuel wood, poles and medicine were cited as being more valuable for local domestic use than for the external market. Regression estimates further indicated that participation in communal rangeland products harvesting is more conditioned by perception-related factors as compared to socioeconomic attributes of rural households worth understanding for strategic targeting to promote their conservation. The extant literature and the study results, evidently show that communal rangelands provide a livelihood among rural households although it has a low direct household income potential. Therefore, the respondents were of the view that the use of campaigns targeting several perceptions (such as communal rangelands act as a source of medicinal plants, arable land and income etc) as suggested by the regression estimates may be very useful. The support from the extension department and further research may be necessary for purposes of quantifying harvestable rangeland products capable of enhancing rural livelihoods. Moreover, the observed low income potential of communal rangeland products suggests several technical and institutional challenges worth addressing to promote value addition of rangeland products.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2018

Housing price volatility: exploring metropolitan property markets in South Africa

  • Authors: Zwane, Reuben Mabutho
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Housing -- Prices -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21560 , vital:29554
  • Description: This study analyses the housing price volatility in metropolitan areas in South Africa, particularly Port Elizabeth and East London residential housing markets. This study uses secondary statistical data, obtained from secondary sources. The study uses quarterly time series data for the period 1981:1 to 2015:3 giving 139 observations. The data will be collected from different sources. The main sources of data are real estate agencies (Trafalgar, Harcourts and Property24), the South African Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and supplemented by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The study shall use the ordinary least squares (OLS) method to estimate its results. Ordinarily, this is a generalised linear modelling technique that may be used to model a single response variable which has been recorded on at least an interval scale. This method requires that the underlying stochastic processes of the variables are stationary. That is, explanatory variables should exhibit constant means and variances over time. If the stochastic processes are not stationary, OLS produces unreliably significant coefficients. Results showed that household savings, household income and total growth in household buildings (TGH) are statistically significant in explaining changes in house prices. Jointly, all the explanatory variables can account for almost 52% of the changes in the dependent variable. The Durbin Watson statistic showed that there is no autocorrelation in the model. This shows that the model is good. Results from the regression show that there is a negative relationship between house prices and household savings. A one-unit increase in household savings leads to a 0.407 decrease in house prices. This relationship makes economic sense because when households save, there is less income available to buy houses. When there is less income available to buy houses, it would mean there is less demand for houses.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

How are learning and training environments transforming with ESD

  • Authors: O’Donoghue, R , Taylor, Jim , Venter, V
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/436718 , vital:73295 , ISBN 978-92-3-100244-1 , https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000261445
  • Description: Action Area 2 of the Global Action Programme (GAP) on Edu-cation for Sustainable Development calls for the transformation of education and training environments1. This transformation can be interpreted in terms of changes in learning environ-ments brought about by the inclusion of ESD in education and training initiatives. This includes the integration of learning-led change found in whole-school approaches that emphasize in-clusive school governance, pedagogy and sustainable cam-pus management, as well as cooperation with partners and broader communities. These approaches are changing learn-ing environments in significant ways.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

How Far, Where To?: regionalism, the Southern African Development Community and decision-making into the Millennium

  • Authors: Bischoff, Paul, 1954-
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/161638 , vital:40649 , ISBN 9781138726093
  • Description: This title was first published in 2002: The resurgence of the democratization movement in Africa in the post-Cold War era is gradually replacing authoritarianism with forms of democratic systems. These changes have put into question the traditional big man image of African states’ foreign policy and foreign policy-making. The first book of its kind to focus on the foreign policy-making process of Southern African countries in the era of globalization, these instructive and rewarding case studies contextualize the increasing involvement of other internal actors in African states foreign policy-making process. Foreign policy actors such as the Presidency, Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Finance and the Intelligence Community, among others, are examined in a comparative perspective.
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  • Date Issued: 2018
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