Sperm reduces female longevity and increases melanization of the spermatheca in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris L

Abstract.: Here we present evidence that the male mating products (sperm and gland products) reduce survival during hibernation of queens of the bumblebee B. terrestris. Most remarkably, the inseminated queens are significantly more likely to have melanized spermathecae than their virgin sisters. Although we could not detect a direct relationship between these two findings they are quite remarkable since B. terrestris is a monandrous and comparably long-lived insect where sexual conflict is unlikely to evolve. The reduced survival can probably be attributed to a general cost of maintaining the sperm, whereas the presence of melanized spermathecae in the inseminated queens may indicate a pathogen transferred during mating or genetic incompatibilities between males and queen

Experiences of people living with HIV and people living close to them of a comprehensive HIV stigma reduction community intervention in an urban and a rural setting

HIV stigma remains high globally. Although there is a selection of HIV stigma reduction interventions discussed in the literature, there is a paucity of research about the effectiveness of these interventions. This study aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of people living with HIV (PLWH) and people living close to them from six designated groups during and after having undergone a comprehensive HIV stigma reduction community intervention in both an urban and a rural setting. Attention was focused on their expressed  experiences of the workshop and projects executed. A qualitative interpretive description approach was used. PLWH as participants were selected through purposive voluntary sampling and through snowball sampling for the people living close to them. Recruitment was from both urban and rural settings in the North West Province, South Africa. Data collection was via in-depth interviews with 23 PLWH and 60 people living close to them from specific designated groups. The data were thematically analysed through manual open coding. The results from the urban and rural settings were pooled, as there were no noteworthy differences in the themes between them. The results indicated that there was an increase in knowledge in all the groups, as well as experiences of enhanced relationships and of being equipped with leadership skills in order to go out into the community and being part of HIV stigma reduction actions. The intervention in its comprehensive nature was found to have been successful and promising for future use in reducing HIV stigma.Keywords: community, comprehensive, HIV, intervention, stigmaLa stigmatisation lie´e au VIH est re´pandue dans le monde. Bien que la documentation sur le sujet aborde un ensemble d’interventions en faveur de sa re´duction, les recherches sur l’efficacite´ de telles interventions restent limite´es. Cette e´tude vise donc a` mieux comprendre l’expe´rience des personnes vivant avec le VIH (PVVIH) et de leur entourage dans six groupes se´lectionne´s pendant et apre`s une intervention communautaire globale de re´duction de la stigmatisation lie´e au VIH, en milieu urbain et rural. L’on a accorde´ une attention  particulie`re aux expe´riences partage´es sur l’atelier et les projets entrepris. Une approche de description qualitative et interpre´tative a e´te´ adopte´e. Les PVVIH participantes ont e´te´ se´lectionne´es graˆce a` un e´chantillonnage dirige´ et volontaire, et un e´chantillon boule de neige pour l’entourage. Les personnes recrute´es provenaient de milieux urbains et ruraux de la province du Nord-Ouest, Afrique du Sud. La collecte de donne´es s’est faite par des entretiens approfondis avec 23 PVVIH et 60 personnes de leur entourage, toutes issues de groupes spe´cifiques de´signe´s. Les donne´es ont e´te´ analyse´es the´matiquement par codage  ouvert et manuel. Les re´sultats des milieux urbains et ruraux ont ensuite e´te´ regroupe´s car il ne semblait pas y avoir de diffe´rence remarquable entre les the`mes souleve´s dans les deux milieux. Dans tous les  groupes, les re´sultats indiquaient un accroissement des connaissances, de l’ame´lioration des relations, et des compe´tences de leadership pour prendre part a` la vie communautaire et participer aux activite´s de re´duction de la stigmatisation. La re´ussite de la nature globale de l’intervention est prometteuse pour les activite´s  futures de re´duction de la stigmatisation du VIH.Mots-cle´s: communaute´, global(e), VIH, intervention, stigmatisatio

A Model for the Incorporation of the Traditional Healers into the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa

In South Africa the patient uses both the traditional healers and biomedical personnel’s services out of need for the best healing therapy to fulfil his/ her health needs. Failure of one to yield the expected results leads to the use of the other. This shunting back and forth prompted the researcher to undertake research and formulated a model demonstrating how the traditional healers can be incorporated into the National Health Care Delivery System of South Africa. The research used both qualitative and theory generating designs to attain the set objective. Firstly, a qualitative research design used semi-structured interviews to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of biomedical personnel, traditional healers, patients and policy makers, regarding the process of incorporation. A non-probable purposive voluntary sample was used, selection was done according to a set criteria. Data was analysed and the results of phase one as well as initial literature review were used to construct a conceptual framework for the model. Secondly, a theory generating design was employed using the three phases of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968:435) to formulate a model which was systematically, logically and consistently conceptualized. In evaluation of this model a predetermined criteria was used. The results showed that the constructed model demonstrated the government formulating policy to legalize traditional healing and affording the traditional healers legal authority to be official partners to the biomedical personnel and avail the quality health care services that fulfils the patients health needs using the primary health care approach.Key words: Incorporation, traditional healer, biomedical personnel, patients, model, National Health Care Deliver System

Experiences of widowhood and beliefs about the mourning process of the Batswana people: research

The loss of a partner is viewed by most authors as more serious than that of a parent or child, because of the closeness of the relationship between the husband and wife. In the South African context, and among the Batswana people in particular, widowhood is further complicated by their cultural beliefs and customs which may lead to a stressful experience for the widow. The focus of this study was on the Batswana people, the purpose of which was to explore and describe the widow's experience of widowhood as well as the community's beliefs about widowhood and the mourning process. The research was qualitative, explorative and descriptive. Data were collected by indepth interviews with the widows as well as semi-structured interviews with community members. Participants were drawn from the Mafikeng, Lichtenburg and Zeerust area in the North West Province in South Africa. Data analysis was done by open coding as described by Tesch (Creswell, 1994:155). The findings of the widows' experience of widowhood resulted in five major categories summarised as: experience of isolation due to stigmatisation of widowhood; a stressful life due to customs prescribed by society; hopelessness as a result of the loss of a husband; support provided by support systems; and over-responsibility. The community members' beliefs resulted in four major categories, namely: perceptions about the effects of the mourning process; the community's beliefs about the Batswana customs; the need to support the widow; and the mourning process as discrimination against women. Conclusions reached were that the widow is subjected to isolation, stigmatisation and stress whereas the community believes that the widow should follow culture in order to protect herself and the community. Guidelines were formulated for psychiatric nurses to facilitate the development of support mechanisms through which the community can be mobilised to assist the widow during widowhood and the mourning process. Die verlies aan 'n lewensmaat word oor die algemeen deur outeurs as 'n groter verlies as di? van 'n ouer of 'n kind beskou. Dit word toegeskryf aan die noue verband wat tussen man en vrou bestaan. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, en spesifiek in die Batswana-gemeenskap, word weduweeskap dikwels deur kulturele gelowe en gewoontes gekompliseer, wat tot spanningsvolle ervarings vir die weduwee mag lei. In hierdie studie was die fokus op die Batswanagemeenskap en veral met die oog op twee aspekte, naamlik die weduwee se belewenis van haar weduweeskap en die gemeenskap se oortuigings en gebruike met betrekking tot die rouproses. Die navorsing was kwalitatief, verkennend en beskrywend van aard. Inligting is ingewin deur indiepte onderhoude met die weduwees en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met lede van die gemeenskap. Deelnemers was afkomstig van Mafikeng, Lictenburg en Zeerust in die Noordwes Provinsie in Suid-Afrika. Die inligting is ontleed met behulp van oop kodering soos deur Tesch (Creswell, 1994:155) uiteengesit. Die bevindinge in verband met die weduwee se belewenis van haar weduweeskap kan in vyf hoofkategorie? saamgevat word, naamlik: 'n ervaring van isolering te wyte aan die stigmatisering van weduweeskap; 'n spanningsvolle leefwyse te wyte aan die gemeenskapsgebruike; hulpeloosheid as gevolg van die verlies van die eggenoot; 'n gebrek aan genoegsame ondersteuning deur ondersteuningsisteme; en 'n oordrewe gevoel van verantwoordelikheid. Die oortuigings en gebruike van die gemeenskap kan in vier hoofkategorie? saamgevat word, naamlik persepsies oor die gevolge van die rouproses; oortuigings in verband met die gebruike en tradisies van die Batswana; die noodsaaklikheid van ondersteuning van die weduwee; en die rouproses as diskriminerend teenoor die vrou. Gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak is, dui op die isolering van die weduwee, stigmatisering en spanning. Dit blyk ook dat die weduwee, as gevolg van die gemeenskap se siening en toepassing van gebruike, vind dat sy vereensaam en voel dat daar teen haar gediskrimineer word. Riglyne is vir psigiatriese verpleegkundiges daargestel met die doel om ondersteuningsmeganismes te fasiliteer wat die gemeenskap kan mobiliseer om die weduwee tydens haar weduweeskap en rouproses te ondersteun. Keywords: Widow, Widowhood, Mourning process, Experience, Belief, Community (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(4): 69-87

Effect of organically and conventionally produced diets on jejunal gene expression in chickens

Using a nutrigenomics approach we studied the response of second-generation chickens at a transcriptional level to organically grown feed ingredients compared with conventionally grown feed ingredients. Both diets consisted of the same amounts of ingredients, the only difference was the production method. Gene expression was analysed in jejuni using whole genome chicken cDNA arrays. After analysis, forty-nine genes were found to be differentially regulated between chickens fed on the different diets, independent of their genetic background. Of these forty-nine genes, seven genes were involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. Genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis were higher expressed in jejuni from organically fed birds. Other genes found to be regulated were involved in immunological processes, such as B-G protein (part of chicken major histocompatibility complex), chemokine ah221, and the immunoglobulin heavy chain. Using quantitative PCR the effect of genetic background on the differential expression of genes was studied. Differences in gene expression existed between animals fed different diets as well as between different chicken lines. This indicated that diet and genetic background influence the transcriptional response of the jejunum. This is the first time that significant differences in gene expression were shown between animals on diets with organically or conventionally produced ingredient

African perceptions of female attractiveness

Little is known about mate choice preferences outside Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic societies, even though these Western populations may be particularly unrepresentative of human populations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test which facial cues contribute to African perceptions of African female attractiveness and also the first study to test the combined role of facial adiposity, skin colour (lightness, yellowness and redness), skin homogeneity and youthfulness in the facial attractiveness preferences of any population. Results show that youthfulness, skin colour, skin homogeneity and facial adiposity significantly and independently predict attractiveness in female African faces. Younger, thinner women with a lighter, yellower skin colour and a more homogenous skin tone are considered more attractive. These findings provide a more global perspective on human mate choice and point to a universal role for these four facial cues in female facial attractiveness.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A randomised clinical trial comparing the analgesic and anxiolytic efficacy and tolerability of Stilpane® and Tramacet® after third molar extraction

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The #FeesMustFall protests in South Africa: Exploring first-year students’ experiences at a peri-urban university campus

Students experienced unique challenges in transitioning to their first-year during the FeesMustFall (#FMF) protest actions. It is important to examine students’ first-year adjustment experiences amidst study disruptions to ensure better outcomes of first-year study experiences. The impact of protest actions on the economy, higher education institutions (HEIs) and the individual student may be harmful when not managed effectively. The current study aims to clarify the first-year experience to explore how South African first-year students enrolled at a peri-urban university campus experienced the #FMF protest actions. The peri-urban university campus serves a large rural catchment area. Using the Mmogo-method® and unstructured individual interviews, researchers gathered in-depth experiences of fifteen participants who provided insight into their subjective experiences of their first-year transitions during the #FMF movement. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes: Clashes between students and police or campus security; the impact of protest actions on students’ lives; psychological experiences of trauma and physical harm; and student attitudes towards and needs in times of crisis. The study uncovered the experiences of first-year students at a peri-urban campus. The knowledge gathered could aid universities to develop proactive measures to minimize the impact of the protest actions or disruptions on the institution itself, students and stakeholders involved