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Post-traumatic stress disorder as a public health concern in South Africa

- Edwards, D J A

Authors: Edwards, D J A
Date: 2005
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6229 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007779
Description: This article briefly surveys the extent to which traumatic events are a feature of life all over Africa and provides a comprehensive review of research that documents the pervasiveness of traumatic events in South Africa and the prevalence of PTSD symptoms. The material reviewed includes statistics on crime, violence and accidents, research from clinical settings, and surveys. Several provide evidence for the causal link between traumatic events and the development of PTSD. These studies show that PTSD has been and continues to be a significant problem for public health in South Africa, affecting individuals in all sectors of society and as much a concern with respect to children as to adults.
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Date Issued: 2005

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Spermiogenesis in three species of cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

- Chawanji, A S, Hodgson, Alan N, Villet, Martin H, Sanborn, Allen F, Phillips, P K

Authors: Chawanji, A S , Hodgson, Alan N , Villet, Martin H , Sanborn, Allen F , Phillips, P K
Date: 2007
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6865 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011207
Description: Spermiogenesis in three species of cicadas representing one cicadettine (Monomatapa matoposa Boulard) and two cicadines (Diceroprocta biconica [Walker] and Kongota punctigera [Walker]) was investigated by light and electron microscopy. Although spermiogenesis was occurring in the testis of adult males of all species, earlier spermiogenic stages were observed in D. biconica only. While spermiogenesis was similar to that described for other insects, some differences were noted. For example granular material did not assemble around the centriole to form a centriolar adjunct but did accumulate in the cytoplasm of early spermatids adjacent to a region of the nuclear membrane where nuclear pores were aggregated. In late spermatids this material accumulated anterior to the mitochondrial derivatives in a developing postero-lateral nuclear groove. While this material has been named the ‘centriolar adjunct’ by previous authors, its formation away from the centriole raises questions about its true identity. Second, during acrosome maturation an ante-acrosomal region of cytoplasm develops. Although present in later spermatids, this region is lost in spermatozoa. Interspecific variations in chromatin condensation patterns and the number of microtubule layers encircling the spermatid nucleus during spermiogenesis were noted.
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Date Issued: 2007

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Genetic analysis of the Octopus vulgaris population on the coast of South Africa

- Oosthuizen, Ané, Jiwaji, Meesbah, Shaw, Paul W

Authors: Oosthuizen, Ané , Jiwaji, Meesbah , Shaw, Paul W
Date: 2004
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6761 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007922
Description: This study on Octopus vulgaris focused on the COIII gene region of mitochondrial DNA. Sequences from 21 samples from the Eastern Cape, and 14 samples from the Western Cape, were compared to determine whether different populations exist along the South African coast. A 380-bp segment of the COIII region of mtDNA was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction with specific designed primers. Phylogenetic inference was made using maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML), and distance based methods. All sequences conformed to a single haplotype. Lack of variation within and between east and west coast samples precluded further population genetic analysis. The sequence obtained in this study was also compared with other sequences lodged in the Genbank database. Phylogenetically, the South African O. vulgaris is closely related to O. vulgaris from Senegal (0.67% divergence) and the Mediterranean (1.51% divergence). Within the Mediterranean group, O. vulgaris from South Africa displayed less sequence divergence from Senegalese and Mediterranean individuals than O. vulgaris from Venezuela (3.85%) and Taiwan (3.87%). These data do not, therefore, refute the hypothesis of a single O. vulgaris genetic population around the coast.
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Date Issued: 2004

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Form over function? The practical application of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 1998 in South Africa

- Kruuse, Helen

Authors: Kruuse, Helen
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54094 , vital:26389 , http://journals.co.za/content/ju_jur/2013/1/EJC148455
Description: The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 is a major legislative measure for the development of customary marriages in line with the constitutional principle of equality, specifically for women. The article explores the interactions between this ideal in the Act with empirical observations and the latest judicial decisions concerning its application. It considers various examples of the lack of protection of women in relationships of a customary nature, and it concludes that both the state and courts favour a formal or definitional approach to customary marriage. In considering alternative approaches that could adequately protect vulnerable parties, two conclusions emerge: First, the article recommends a wholesale revision of the South African family law approach from a focus on form to dependency. Second (and as a short-term measure), the article advocates for the putative marriage doctrine to be applied in the customary marriage context to protect many women who are denied access to 'customary marriage' as a form, and as a result, all of the benefits that flow from such marriage.
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Date Issued: 2013

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Determination of phenylpropanolamine in serum and urine by high performance liquid chromatography

- Dowse, Roslind, Haigh, John M, Kanfer, Isadore

Authors: Dowse, Roslind , Haigh, John M , Kanfer, Isadore
Date: 1983
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6361 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006056
Description: A high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of phenylpropanolamine in human serum and urine without prior derivatization is presented. Using direct UV detection the method is sufficiently sensitive to detect 25 ng of drug/ml of serum or urine; the coefficients of variation at 25 ng/ml and 500 ng/ml were 5.16 and 2.12, respectively, in serum. The method involves serum and urine extraction at a basic pH with chloroform, a single back-extraction, and chromatography on a reverse-phase column. Serum and urine data following administration of a single 150-mg sustained-release tablet of phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride in 6 healthy volunteers demonstrates the suitability of the analytical method.
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Date Issued: 1983

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The distribution, abundance and composition of street trees in selected towns of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

- Kuruneri-Chitepo, C, Shackleton, Charlie M

Authors: Kuruneri-Chitepo, C , Shackleton, Charlie M
Date: 2011
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6639 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006865
Description: Street trees are an important component of the urban forest as they provide critical ecosystem services which contribute to human health and environmental quality. However, little is known about the distribution, diversity and density of street trees, particularly in the developing world where urbanisation is most rapid. Thus, the aim of this paper was to assess the distribution, composition and abundance of street trees across three towns along an environmental gradient in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and identify the key challenges faced by local officials concerned with the provision of street trees. In each town, streets were randomly sampled in the commercial, affluent residential, township settlement and low cost housing areas under the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP). Attributes recorded per tree were species, circumference, height and health, while semi-structured interviews were conducted with the municipal officials involved in the establishment and maintenance of street trees. A total of 1,485 trees were encountered, comprising 61 species. The majority (56%) of trees were alien species. Noticeable differences in tree density and species richness were evident across suburbs, being highest in the more affluent suburbs and poorly represented in the low income township and RDP areas. There was a decreasing mean tree height and health score along the environmental gradient from the coastal town to the inland town. Although awareness of the benefits of street trees was high, as was the need to reduce the proportion of alien species, the primary constraint to establishment and maintenance of street trees in the three towns was limited budget and human resources.
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Date Issued: 2011

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Should active recruitment of health workers from sub-Saharan Africa be viewed as a crime?

- Mills, E J, Schabas, W A, Volmink, J, Walker, Roderick B, Ford, N, Katabira, E, Anema, A, Joffres, M, Cahn, P, Montaner, J

Authors: Mills, E J , Schabas, W A , Volmink, J , Walker, Roderick B , Ford, N , Katabira, E , Anema, A , Joffres, M , Cahn, P , Montaner, J
Date: 2008
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6392 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006314
Description: (Conclusion) When the international community permits for-profit companies to actively entice overworked and often underpaid workers away from the most vulnerable populations, it is contributing to the deterioration of essential health-care delivery. Improvement of the health of the world’s poor is a challenge that the international community is failing to adequately address. Current international treaties and commitments are severely compromised if we are unwilling to adhere to their principles and prevent obvious harms to poor people. Clear, enforced regulation is needed to prevent recruitment companies from enticing health workers away from their local work, and developed countries should adequately compensate less-developed countries for the human resources they have lost and continue to lose.
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Date Issued: 2008

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Attitudes of Xhosa-speaking students at the University of Fort Hare towards the use of Xhosa as a language of learning and teaching (LOLT)

- Dalvit, Lorenzo, De Klerk, Vivian A

Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo , De Klerk, Vivian A
Date: 2005
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6100 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008664
Description: This article presents and discusses the results of a survey of a sample of Xhosa-speaking students at the University of Fort Hare regarding their attitudes towards the possible introduction of Xhosa as a medium of instruction at this institution. The research takes into account, among other things, the students' attitudes towards English and Xhosa and their opinions and beliefs about the introduction of dual-mediumship and its possible consequences. The survey was conducted with questionnaires and interviews and the results were first analysed as a whole, and then split into different categories according to gender, year of study, subject studied etc. This analysis indicates that while English is recognised as the dominant language in South Africa and, more specifically, in the domain of education, some categories of respondents acknowledge the usefulness of Xhosa as an additional medium of instruction. This survey clearly shows that it would make little sense to present Xhosa-speaking students at Fort Hare with a rigid choice between the existing English-medium and a dual-medium (English and Xhosa) policy and that more nuanced options would need to be offered. For example, respondents seem to consider the use of Xhosa as a medium of instruction more appropriate in the first years of study, for selected subjects and in some domains within the academic context rather than others. This study can be fruitfully compared with similar research carried out at other South African institutions. Moreover, the results of the present research can be used to inform future decisions regarding language policy at the University of Fort Hare.
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Date Issued: 2005

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Collaborative versus adversarial stances in scientific discourse : implications for the role of systematic case studies in the development of evidence-based practice in psychotherapy

- Edwards, David J A

Authors: Edwards, David J A
Date: 2007
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6245 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007861
Description: There is still a need for advocacy in the promotion of case study research because there has been insufficient appreciation of its role as a source of evidence relevant to the development and evaluation of practice in psychotherapy. Distorted use of terms like "gold standard", "anecdotal",and "empirical" in the discourse in which research methodology is typically presented has disempowered the practitioner's perspective and discredited the role of case-based knowledge building. The framework of evidence-based practice (EBP) recognizes the complementarity of different research methods and acknowledges the significance of casebased research. To spell out some of these complementary links, a typology of seven research methods - including both experimental group comparison designs and individual case studies - is proposed and the contribution of each to the development of EBP is set out. Finally some suggestions are made for strategies to promote the publication of high quality case studies.
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Date Issued: 2007

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Physicochemical behavior of nanohybrids of mono and tetra substituted carboxyphenoxy phthalocyanine covalently linked to GSH–CdTe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots

- Oluwole, David O, Nyokong, Tebello

Authors: Oluwole, David O , Nyokong, Tebello
Date: 2015
Language: English
Type: text , Article
Identifier: vital:7266 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020275 , http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2014.10.024
Description: Zinc monocarboxyphenoxy and tetracarboxyphenoxy phthalocyanines were covalently linked with three different sizes of glutathione capped core/shell/shell {CdTe/CdS/ZnS(4.2), CdTe/CdS/ZnS(5.1) and CdTe/CdS/ZnS(6.7)}; a core shell {CdTe/CdS(3.1)} and core {CdTe(2.4)} quantum dots. The physicochemical behavior and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) processes of the nanohybrids were investigated. The highest FRET efficiency was observed with CdTe/CdS/ZnS(6.7) nanohybrids with 98% and the least efficiency was observed with CdTe(2.4) nanohybrids with 85%. The CdTe/CdS/ZnS(6.7) also showed the best physicochemical behavior. These good physicochemical properties make the synthesized nanohybrids viable photosensitizers. , Original publication is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2014.10.024
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Date Issued: 2015

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The trade in medicinal plants in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

- Dold, Anthony P, Cocks, Michelle L

Authors: Dold, Anthony P , Cocks, Michelle L
Date: 2002
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6512 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005940
Description: A study of the trade in medicinal plants in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa undertook to document the species traded, to determine the quantities harvested annually, and to assess the economic value of the trade. All the participants involved at the different levels of the trade were included in the survey, that is, informal street hawkers, owners of amayeza esiXhosa stores, traditional healers, and consumers of traditional medicines. In total, 282 questionnaires were administered in six urban centres. It was found that poorly educated black middle-aged women of low economic standing dominate the trade. A minimum of 166 medicinal plant species were traded at the study sites alone, providing 525 tonnes of plant material valued at approximately R27 million annually. Plants were harvested from a diverse range of vegetation types including Valley Thicket, Afromontane Forest, Coastal Forest and Moist Upland Grassland, the most frequently sold species differing significantly from those documented in similar studies in other regions. The Forest Biome was the vegetation type found to be most threatened by over-harvesting. Of the species documented, 93% were being harvested unsustainably and 34 species have been prioritised for conservation management.
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Date Issued: 2002

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Fluorescence studies of quantum dots and zinc tetraamino phthalocyanine conjugates

- Britton, Jonathan, Antunes, Edith M, Nyokong, Tebello

Authors: Britton, Jonathan , Antunes, Edith M , Nyokong, Tebello
Date: 2009
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6565 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004124
Description: CdTe Qds capped with mercapto propionic acid (MPA) were covalently linked to zinc tetraamino phthalocyanine (ZnTAPc) using N-ethyl-N(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxy succinimide (NHS) as the coupling agents. The results presented give evidence in favour of the formation of an amide bond between ZnTAPc and CdTe QDs. Both the linked ZnTAPc–QD complexes and a mixture of QDs and ZnTAPc (i.e. without chemical linking) showed Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). ZnTAPc quenched the QDs emission, giving quenching constants in the order of 103 M−1.
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Date Issued: 2009

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