Dae vol spanning in 1895-1896: Die Jameson-Iinval. Pretoria Bedreig

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From the editors

The original publication is available at http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pubAn editorial written by the editors of Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, a journal published bi-annually by the Faculty of Military Science of Stellenbosch University, South Africa. It is an accredited, peer reviewed scholarly journal, which investigates a broad spectrum of matters and issues relating to military affairs, and publishes both discipline-based and inter-disciplinary research. This particular editorial introduces the content of Volume 40, number 1 (2012).Publisher's versio

Die ontwikkeling en evaluerying van ‘n visuele geletterdheidsprogram vir dowe grondslagfaseleerders met lees- en spellingagerstande

No Abstract.Journal for Language Teaching vol Vol. 42 (1) 2008: pp. 49-6

Sense of humour and adolescents’ cognitive flexibility

Objective: There is a lack of research on humour among adolescents in South Africa. This article examines cognitive flexibility and humour. The objective was to investigate the roles of gender and language as possible moderating variables in the relationship between adolescents’ cognitive flexibility and sense of humour. Design: A correlational research design was used in which pupils were asked to complete the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale to assess their sense of humour. In order to determine the cognitive flexibility of the sample group, Martin and Rubin’s Cognitive Flexibility Scale was applied. Setting and subjects: The initial sample comprised 1 203 adolescents (Grade 11 and 12 pupils) randomly selected from the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Of these, a final 392 adolescents qualified after eliminating criteria had been applied.Results: No significant correlations were found between the total group or for the two genders. Significant positive correlations were found between cognitive flexibility and two of the scores for humour (creating and expressing humour), as well as for the total score for Afrikaans-speaking participants. Significant negative correlations were found between cognitive flexibility and all five of the scores for humour for the Nguni language speakers. Conclusion: This study recommends that culturally sensitive measuring instruments should be developed.Keywords: sense of humour, cognitive flexibility, adolescents, psychological well-being, language, gende

Red Palm Oil and Its Antioxidant Potential in Reducing Oxidative Stress in HIV/AIDS and TB Patients

Scientific evidence has shown that HIV infection is caused by a retrovirus, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus so designated because of its genome that encodes an unusual enzyme, reverse transcriptase (RT) that enables the virus to make copies of its own genome as DNA in its host’s cells (human T4 helper lymphocytes) (Oguntibeju et al., 2008). The drastic increase in the number of people infected with HIV is not peculiar to a particular racial group, country or community despite multidimensional efforts which have been made to combat this scourge (Weiss, 1996; Oguntibeju et al., 2007a). It is reported that the virus selectively attacks and depletes T-lymphocyte bearing CD4+ cells (T-helper cells) causing a predisposition to opportunistic infections and malignancies (Weiss, 1996) and ultimately resulting in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The cellular receptors to HIV are cells that express the CD4+ T cell receptor (CD4+ T-cells or T4-cells) as well as other white blood cells including monocytes and macrophages. Glial cells in the central nervous system, chromaffin cells in the intestine and Langerhans cells in mucous membranes and skin that express CD4+ T cell receptors can also be infected (Paxon et al., 1996). The possibility that there are other cellular targets apart from CD4+T-cells is proved by the likelihood of neurons that can be infected. This creates the possibility of the presence of co-receptors in addition to CD4+ T cells to mediate fusion between HIV and its target cells (Grossman and Heberman, 1997). Recognition of the CD4+ T-cells by HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (gp120) to which the virus binds and enters host cells to initiate rapid replication cycles (Oguntibeju et al., 2007b) depicts significant cytopathic consequences of HIV infection of CD4+ T-cells (Bartlett, 1998) and is an important factor in the initiation of HIV infection. The shed virions which are immunogenic, stimulate B cells to produce humoral antibodies and plasma cells through lymphoid hyperplasia that ultimately results in decreased number of infected cells as the CD4+ T-cells migrate through the germinal cells. The depletion in the number of CD4+ T-cells exceeds the formation of new cells and may maintain this phase for many years resulting in general disorganization of the lymphoid nodes, loss of lymphoid function and integrity

Antifungal activity of epithelial secretions from selected frog species of South Africa

Resistance to antibiotics has been acknowledged as a major global public health problem. The use of antimicrobial peptides to provide alternatives to combat multi-drug antibiotic resistance is beginning to attract increasing attention. The high diversity of amphibian skin peptides renders anurans an important potential source for the discovery of novel pharmacophores. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of skin secretions from selected frogs (Amietia fuscigula, Strongylopus grayi and Xenopus laevis) and one toad (Amietophrynus pantherinus) of the south Western Cape Province of South Africa. Initially, different extraction techniques for the collection of skin secretions were tested and optimized, thereafter the extracts were tested against three fungal species of medical and agricultural importance that is, Candida albicans, Fusarium verticillioides and Aspergillus flavus. Chemical stimulation gave the best yield by mass, and secretions from A. fuscigula showed the best activity with an MIC of 40 μg / ml against C. albicans and 200 μg / ml against A. flavus. In general, C. albicans and A. flavus were the most sensitive while F. verticillioides was the most resistant. From this study it appears that bioprospecting of South African frog species has the potential to yield potential therapeutic lead agents.Key words: Antifungal, African anurans, antimicrobial peptides (AMP), Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, bioprospecting, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC)

Depression among Sesotho speakers in Mangaung, South Africa

Objective: Depression will be the most common mental disorder by 2020, and it is also expected to be the second leading cause of disability, after cardiac diseases. Moreover, depression is likely to be a major public health burden in the future. This study evaluates the influences of culture on the symptoms of depression among Sesotho speakers. Method: An evaluation of a sample of 100 participants diagnosed with depression was conducted, using the Psychiatric Interview Questionnaire. Results: It was found that depression among Sesotho speakers is manifested in three areas: somatic symptoms, perceptual disturbances and disturbances of the thought processes. Conclusion: Since it has become clear, on the basis of the investigation, that depression is a culturally diverse phenomenon, the authors also recommend that research in this regard should be conducted from a multidisciplinary perspective, so that other paradigms, including those of sociology and anthropology, can also be included.African Psychiatry Review Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp. 35-4

Potential groundwater contamination from oil drilling in the Okavango

Canadian oil and gas company, Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica), plans to exploit potential oil reserves in the Cubango Okavango River Basin (CORB) in Namibia and Botswana, where little is known about the local groundwater systems and how contamination and its effects could impact the region. Using borehole data from target oil and gas areas, we calculated hydraulic gradients, flow direction, and flow velocity to map potential groundwater contamination effects from oil and gas drilling in the region. We also plotted the major geological structures, calculated flowpaths, and estimated travel times for contaminated groundwater that may travel along these preferential flowpaths from the drill sites to the Okavango River and Delta. Results indicate that contaminated groundwater from the oil lease areas could take 3–23.5 years to reach the Okavango River system via the shallow sandy aquifer, but in a worst-case scenario, contamination could reach the Delta within four days via structures associated with dykes and faults that serve as primary flowpaths. Such contamination could adversely affect human health and the region's ecosystems and biodiversity. We recommend prohibiting oil exploration and production activities within the CORB until future studies can determine the impacts of hydrocarbon extraction with greater certainty

Post-traumatic stress disorder and exposure to violence among Venda and northern Sotho adolescents

In this study, two research questions were posed. In the first place, this study investigated the levels of exposure to violence among the adolescents as a total group (Venda- and Northern Sotho-speaking), as well as the exposure levels of the two ethnic groups. Opsomming Twee navorsingsvrae is in hierdie studie gestel. Eerstens het hierdie studie ondersoek ingestel na die vlakke van blootstelling aan geweld onder die groep adolessente as geheel (Venda- en Noord-Sotho-sprekers), asook na die blootstellingsvlakke van die twee etniese groepe. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text