Quality of earnings as an investment indicator : a literature review.

Includes bibliographical references.This paper examines the characteristics of earnings quality, reviews the literature that assesses whether earnings quality does in fact affect market valuations and evaluates whether trading strategies based on this knowledge yield abnormal positive returns. This paper looks at why earnings quality should be an important consideration in evaluation [of] a firm, then investigates research on the accounting effect on valuations, covering the accrual effect, the general growth effect and the value-glamour effect. Thereafter, other factors that can influence earnings quality are documented, from earnings manipulation to the effects of external factors on quality of earnings. The concept and measurement of economic profits are also examined. Lastly, trading strategies based on earnings quality are investigated to see if abnormal profits can be earned from such strategies

Gestalt guidelines assisting mine worker fathers living in Oranjemund to enhance a dialogical relationship with their children in middle childhood

The purpose of this study was to develop Gestalt guidelines for mine worker fathers living in Oranjemund in order to enhance a dialogical relationship with their children in middle childhood. The researcher made use of the first four stages of the Design and Development model of intervention research. These stages include problem analysis and project planning, information gathering and synthesis, design and the early development of the guidelines. For the purpose of this study, focus groups were conducted with father participants and semi-structured interviews were conduct with children participants. The research study was based on existential dialogue with the focus on four main themes, namely; commitment to dialogue, presence, inclusion and confirmation. Existing literature from Gestalt approach, middle childhood and culture was used together with functional elements of other existing parent child relationship and family programmes or models, to develop the guidelines.Social WorkM. Diac. (Play Therapy

Selective induction of apoptosis by 7-methyljuglone, its derivatives and isolated compounds from Foeniculum vulgare Mill. on human cancer cells

A naphthoquinone, 7-methyljuglone and some of its 5-hydroxy, 5-acetoxy-, 5-alkoxy- and 1,2,4,5-tetra-O-acetate derivatives were tested for their activity in four human cancer cell lines: breast adenocarcinoma, cervical epithelial carcinoma, oesophageal carcinoma and prostate epithelial carcinoma. Compound 2,5-dihydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone was found to be the most effective one (exhibited a fifty percent inhibitory concentration (IC50) in the range of 5.3 to 14.7 μM), while the parent compound 7-methyljuglone was less active than several of these derivatives. The IC50 values of 5-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone were found to be between 19.1 and 15.4 μM on the four cell lines. However this compound showed toxicity on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Six derivatives were selected for mechanistic studies. Considering the findings from cell cycle analysis, caspase 3/7 activation and annexinV-FITC dual labelling, 5-hydroxy-6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone was found to have antitumour effect by inducing apoptosis. Two derivatives namely, ‘8-fluoro-5-hydroxy-7- methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone’ and ‘2,5-dihydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone’ were found to be not toxic on peripheral blood mononuclear cells suggesting their action is specific for tumour cells. Compound 2,5-dihydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone was found to induce apoptosis through caspase 3/7 activation. In view of the enhanced potencies associated with these derivatives, these analogues may hold considerable therapeutic potential for the treatment of leukaemia cancers. The ethanol extracts of seven plant species (ethnobotanically selected) were also tested for their cytotoxicity, assayed by the XTT assay, against four human cancer cell lines at concentrations ranging from 0.78 to 100 μg/ml. Of all the ethanol extracts, Foeniculum vulgare was found to have the best activity on HeLa cells, which exhibited an IC50 value of 19.97± 0.048 μg/ml. Therefore, it was selected for isolation of the bioactive principles. The extract of Foeniculum vulgare was fractionated using column chromatography with hexane and ethyl acetate at different ratios as eluent. Two known compounds, ‘4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol’ and ‘syringin’ were isolated. The IC50 values of ‘4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol’ and ‘syringin’ were found to be 7.82 ± 0.28 μg/ml and 10.26 ± 0.18 μg/ml respectively on HeLa cells. Both compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against U937 cells and also on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. At the concentrations of 10 and 100 μg/ml ‘4- methoxycinnamyl alcohol’ showed similar cell proliferation as that of the positive control ‘cisplatin’. ‘Syringin’ however, had much lower cytotoxicity on the U937 cells than ‘4- methoxycinnamyl alcohol’. IC50 was found to be 91.14 ± 0.63 μg/ml. Both ‘syringin’ and ‘4- methoxycinnamyl alcohol’ were not cytotoxic at concentrations of 1 and 10 μg/ml on the PBMCs as compared to cisplatin. ‘4-Methoxycinnamyl alcohol’ was selected based on its activity on the cancer cells, for further investigation with regard to its mechanism of action. On gel electrophoresis it did not show a typical ladder pattern, instead a characteristic smear resulted which indicated necrosis. Two best derivatives of 7-methyljuglone (‘8-fluoro-5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone’ and ‘2,5-dihydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone’) and the ethanol extract of F. vulgare warrant further investigation to be considered for their potential as anticancer agents.Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011.Plant Scienceunrestricte

Identiteit en homoseksualiteit : die soeke na aanvaarding binne 'n Christelike geloofsgemeenskap (Afrikaans)

AFRIKAANS: Die navorsing is gedoen vanuit 'n postfundamentalistiese narratiewe prakties- teologiese benadering. Die fokus van die studie was tweeledig. Die eerste was om na die stories van 'n groep meisies, wat hulself as homoseksueel gesien het en daarom gemarginaliseer is, te luister. Die tweede deel was dat deur die proses daar intervensie sou wees wat aan die meisies die kennis en die mag sou gee om hulle verhale op so 'n manier oor te vertel dat hulle die hoofrolle van hulle eie lewensdramas sal word en nie net karakters of ekstras op die verhoog van die lewe sou wees nie. Verhale van nood moet dus verruil word vir verhale van hoop. Om die verhale van die meisies beter te verstaan is daar van 'n groep interdissiplinêre helpers gebruik gemaak. Die meisies se verhale is verder ook sosiaal-konstruksionisties benader. Die meisies se verstaan van hulle konteks, die kerk, hulle vriende, homoseksualiteit, God, kerkleiers en hulle inskakeling by die kerk en hulle identiteit is ondersoek en saam met die groep gedekonstrueer. Die navorsingsverhaal is dus 'n verhaal waar daar weer opnuut gekyk is na die hantering van tieners, hulle wêreldbeeld en soeke na identiteit en aanvaarding binne 'n wêreld wat hulle nie altyd verstaan nie, en die rol van die geloofsgemeenskap in die proses. ENGLISH: The research was done from a post-foundational, narrative, and practical theological position. The focus of the study had two intentions. The first was to listen to the stories of a group of girls, who saw themselves as homosexual and because of that was marginalised. The second intention was that in the process there would be intervention in their stories. This intervention was supposed to give the girls the necessary knowledge and power to help them to tell their stories. This telling would then place the girls not as extras on the stage of their own lives but as playing the leading roles. Negative stories had thus to be exchanged for stories of hope. To get a better understanding of the stories of the girls, there was made use of an interdisciplinary team of helpers. The stories were also interpreted from a social constructionist point of view. The understanding the girls had of their context, the church, their friends, homosexuality, God, church leaders, their membership of the church and their identity was researched and deconstructed with them in a process. The research story is a story where the handling of teenagers, their world view and their search for identity and acceptance in a world that doesn’t always understand them and their involvement in the church in this process was looked at with fresh eyes.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010.Practical Theologyunrestricte

Predation-driven biotic resistance fails to restrict the spread of a sessile rocky shore invader

The invasive barnacle Balanus glandula has progressively spread along the South African west coast. We used multiple approaches to assess the role of predation by indigenous whelks in regulating this expansion. B. glandula abundance and distribution were monitored annually while field observations and laboratory experiments assessed the relative predation pressure on B. glandula and the native barnacle Notomegabalanus algicola. In the mid-shore, the whelks Trochia cingulata and Burnt1pena lagenaria fed on N. algicola most often despite the alien B. glandula covering a mean of 86% of the shore at this site. Lower on the shore, the same feeding pattern was evident, although N. algicola was spatially dominant. Feeding experiments revealed that small (mean ± SD shell length: 13.9 ± 0.3 mm) and large (19.6 ± 0.5 mm) T. cingulata consumed up to 70% more N. algicola than B. glandula, displaying a significant avoidance of the alien. While small (15.5 ± 0.5 mm) B. lagenaria displayed the same pattern, large individuals (27.7 ± 0.4 mm) consumed equal numbers of the 2 barnacles. The avoidance of B. glandula may be explained by this species possessing thicker shell and opercular plates than N. algicola, while a narrow margin of vulnerable soft tissue around the circumference of the opercular plates makes the native an attractive prey choice. This study demonstrates that predation-driven biotic resistance has not contained the expansion of B. glandula along the South African coast

Criteria for selection and gate reviews of technology innovation projects

This paper describes appropriate project selection criteria and gate review-point criteria for government agencies that fund technology innovation projects in South Africa. Data was gathered via a Delphi survey in which seven expert respondents participated. The most significant project selection criteria and relevant gate reviewing criteria were established. The proposed basic framework consists of fourteen selection criteria, their associated weights, and forty relevant gate reviewing criteria. Commercial risk and feasibility was considered the most important criterion, followed by the team’s skills and competence in second place. The use of these criteria when considering investment in technology innovation projects could improve the likelihood of commercial success.Hierdie artikel beskryf, vir staatsinstansies wat projekte vir tegnologiese innovasie in Suid Afrika befonds, toepaslike kriteria vir die seleksie van projekte en vir oorsig by hersieningspunte aan die einde van projek fases. Data is ingewin deur middel van ʼn Delphi-opname waaraan sewe deskundige respondente deelgeneem het. Die mees beduidende kriteria vir seleksie en oorsig is bepaal. Die voorgestelde raamwerk bestaan uit veertien seleksie-kriteria, relatiewe gewigte vir elk, en veertig kriteria vir hersiening by oorsigpunte. Kommersiële risiko en doenbaarheid word beskou as die belangrikste kriterium, wat gevolg word deur die span se vaardigheid in die tweede plek. Die gebruik van hierdie kriteria wanneer investering in projekte vir tegnologiese innovasie oorweeg word, kan die waarskynlikheid van kommersiële sukses verhoog.At the time this research was conducted, this author was enrolled for the MSc (Project Management) a degree at the Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria.http://sajie.journals.ac.za/am201

Cytotoxicity of syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol isolated from Foeniculum vulgare on selected human cell lines

The present study was carried out to determine the cytotoxic effect of seven plant extracts and the isolated compounds; syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol on cancerous and non-cancerous cells. The ethanol extract of F. vulgare was found to exhibit the most significant toxicity with an IC50 value of 19.97 μg/mL on HeLa cells. Bioassay guided fractionation lead to the isolation of two compounds, syringin (1) and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol (2). Both compounds showed toxicity against MCF-7, HeLa, and DU145 cancer cell line. The results showed that compound 2 showed high toxicity against all the cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 14.24, 7.82 and 22.10 μg/mL, respectively. 4-Methoxycinnamyl alcohol also showed no apoptotic effect in cell cycle analysis after 48 hours at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. However DNA fragmentation study revealed that, necrosis took place at a concentration of 10 μg/mL after 48 h exposure.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gnpl202016-09-15hb201

Cytotoxicity of synthesized 1,4-naphthoquinone analogues on selected human cancer cell lines

In an effort to establish new candidates with enhanced anticancer activity of 5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1,4- naphthoquinone scaffold (7-methyljuglone) previously isolated from the root extract of Euclea natalensis, a series of 7-methyljuglone derivatives have been synthesized and assessed for cytotoxicity on selected human cancer lines. These compounds were screened in vitro for anticancer activity on MCF-7, HeLa, SNO and DU145 human cancer cell lines by MTT assay. Most of them exhibited significant toxicity on cancer cell lines with lower IC50 values. The most potent derivative (19) exhibited the toxicity on HeLa and DU145 cell lines with IC50 value of 5.3 and 6.8 lM followed by compound (5) with IC50 value of 10.1 and 9.3 lM, respectively. Structure–activity relationship reveals that the fluoro substituents at position C-8 while hydroxyl substituents at C-2 and C-5 positions played an important role in toxicity.University of Pretoria, South Africa and National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bmc2015-09-30hb201

Less of a bird’s song than a hard rock ensemble

Corbey et al. (2016) have written an interesting and thoughtful paper designed to provoke debate surrounding one of the most important and persistent Stone Age artefacts, the Acheulean handaxe. They challenge the long held notion that the Acheulean handaxe was a product of a cultural landscape influenced through social learning. Instead they suggest the Acheulean handaxe was, in part, under genetic control. Whilst the Corbey et al. paper was an ambitious one with many points of debate included within it, we will focus here on those areas that best match our expertise, namely the nature of Acheulean handaxes and the archaeological record