Academic mobility and the experiences of foreign staff at South African higher education institutions

This article analyses the patterns of international academic mobility in higher education with particular focus on academic staff. Using the ‘pull and push factors’ as a conceptual framework, it argues that the patterns of international academic staff mobility follow the pattern of international cross-border migrants. These are driven mainly by the pull factors which include quest for better opportunities in life including education. The article uses three sources of data namely documentary analysis, statistical data from the Department of Education’s Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), and data from questionnaires that were distributed to international academic staff at the three South African universities; namely, the University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, and University of the Witwatersrand.   For the international academic staff working in South Africa, it was demonstrated that they have both positive and negative experiences. The negative experiences seem to be related to the major nation building project to overcome racism and xenophobia. The principles of non-racialism and, non-discrimination need to be promoted in order to build an inclusive and socially coherent society.

Sources of variation in quality of South African beef: Case studies in relation to the red meat classification system

Abstract The South African classification system describes beef carcasses in regard to visual fat cover, conformation and age by dentition. Animal age provides a fairly accurate description of expected eating quality in regard to tenderness in an industry where other sources of variation in tenderness are limited. Since deregulation in the beef industry in the 90s many changes have occurred in all parts of the value chain. This paper presents a number of case studies that focussed on the sources of variation in meat quality, but in particular on sources of changes in meat tenderness over the past two decades. These sources include feeding regime, the use of beta agonists, post mortem ageing and electrical stimulation. In some studies these factors are integrated with age or interactions among two or more of these factors are investigated

Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8

Background: Transgender healthcare is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field. In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number and visibility of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people seeking support and gender-affirming medical treatment in parallel with a significant rise in the scientific literature in this area. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is an international, multidisciplinary, professional association whose mission is to promote evidence-based care, education, research, public policy, and respect in transgender health. One of the main functions of WPATH is to promote the highest standards of health care for TGD people through the Standards of Care (SOC). The SOC was initially developed in 1979 and the last version (SOC-7) was published in 2012. In view of the increasing scientific evidence, WPATH commissioned a new version of the Standards of Care, the SOC-8. Aim: The overall goal of SOC-8 is to provide health care professionals (HCPs) with clinical guidance to assist TGD people in accessing safe and effective pathways to achieving lasting personal comfort with their gendered selves with the aim of optimizing their overall physical health, psychological well-being, and self-fulfillment. Methods: The SOC-8 is based on the best available science and expert professional consensus in transgender health. International professionals and stakeholders were selected to serve on the SOC-8 committee. Recommendation statements were developed based on data derived from independent systematic literature reviews, where available, background reviews and expert opinions. Grading of recommendations was based on the available evidence supporting interventions, a discussion of risks and harms, as well as the feasibility and acceptability within different contexts and country settings. Results: A total of 18 chapters were developed as part of the SOC-8. They contain recommendations for health care professionals who provide care and treatment for TGD people. Each of the recommendations is followed by explanatory text with relevant references. General areas related to transgender health are covered in the chapters Terminology, Global Applicability, Population Estimates, and Education. The chapters developed for the diverse population of TGD people include Assessment of Adults, Adolescents, Children, Nonbinary, Eunuchs, and Intersex Individuals, and people living in Institutional Environments. Finally, the chapters related to gender-affirming treatment are Hormone Therapy, Surgery and Postoperative Care, Voice and Communication, Primary Care, Reproductive Health, Sexual Health, and Mental Health. Conclusions: The SOC-8 guidelines are intended to be flexible to meet the diverse health care needs of TGD people globally. While adaptable, they offer standards for promoting optimal health care and guidance for the treatment of people experiencing gender incongruence. As in all previous versions of the SOC, the criteria set forth in this document for gender-affirming medical interventions are clinical guidelines; individual health care professionals and programs may modify these in consultation with the TGD person

Sensory profiles and the effect of age feeding regime and aging on the eating quality of selected beef cuts

The main purpose of this study was to determine, describe and compare the eating quality of selected beef cuts; loin, rump and ribeye produced in Namibia. These cuts originate from carcasses of different age classes, feeding regime and post-mortem aging periods. The determination of the eating quality of this beef will aid MEATCO in understanding consumers’ responses in relation to the sensory attributes of these beef cuts. To date, the eating quality of this beef has not been determined or described by scientific means. Eating quality of beef refers to the overall beef eating experience and it can be affected by various pre- and post-mortem factors. Eating quality is an important component of beef meat quality, but highly variable due to variations in tenderness and flavour, which are dependent on the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the animal. This variability contributes to consumer dissatisfaction. As a result the prediction of eating quality of beef at the consumer level is of utmost importance to the producers of beef meat in order for them to remain competitive in the market. The study was conducted in two phases, Phase 1 of the study involved descriptive sensory evaluation, where a trained panel was used to evaluate the beef samples. The sensory attributes that were applicable to the beef samples were first identified by the trained panel with the aid of the panel leader. From this, a lexicon and evaluation form were developed. The trained panel used a category scale to rate the intensity of the identified sensory attributes. Phase 2 of the study involved physical evaluation, whereby measurements of shear force resistance were determined using the Warner Bratzler shear force device mounted on a Universal Instron Machine. Added to this cooking and thawing losses were also measured by using a measuring scale. The results of the sensory evaluation show that the trained panel could distinguish the difference between the two grain fed groups (AG and ABG) and the young free-range group (AF) on one side and the older free-range groups (ABF, B4 and B6) on the other. The former groups scored higher for the attributes such as tenderness, overall flavour and aroma whereas the latter groups scored higher for juiciness and other flavour undertones e.g. green, livery, rancid and sour. Age class of the animals was found to have had an effect on tenderness related attributes and juiciness, whereas feeding regime had an effect on overall flavour and flavour undertones. However prolonged post-mortem aging had a minimal effect on the sensory attributes. There were no differences found between the 36 and 55 days aged samples. From this study it can be suggested that even though extreme post-mortem aging results in acceptable tenderness levels for all age classes and feeding regimes, the consumer may still pick up flavour differences between the different age classes and feeding regimes. Marketing this beef as a single product line may therefore result in an inconsistent eating experience for the consumer.Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2015.tm2015Consumer ScienceMConsumer ScienceUnrestricte