The vegetation ecology of urban open spaces in Gauteng

A vegetation survey of natural woodland and grassland was undertaken in the urban areas of the Gauteng Province, where 7,3 million of the 38,5 million people of South Africa live. Relevés were compiled in 132 stratified random sample plots in selected open spaces in the study area. A TWINSPAN classification, refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures, indicated six woodland communities represented by 72 relevés, and eight grassland communities represented by 59 relevés. The identification, classification and description of these plant communities are important for the continued conservation of open spaces in the urban environment in order to integrate landscape ecological mapping and urban spatial planning processes. The study further recorded a high number of species. It indicated that the natural areas in the urban environment have a high conservation status and maintain a high species richness. This information could in future be used for further biodiversity studies in the Province. Species with low occurrence were specifically listed and can be used to inform "red data" status research initiatives.Dissertation (MSc (Botany))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Plant Scienceunrestricte

Double Burden of Poverty and Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Low-Resource Communities in South Africa

Limited studies evaluating the prevalence of cardiovascular risk (CVR) in resource-poor black communities in South Africa (SA), exist. The objective of this chapter is to evaluate the prevalence of CVR in a cross-sectional studies in randomly selected low income children, adults and elderly in Gauteng, Free State and Eastern Cape, SA. The test panel of CVR markers included: anthropometry, lipid profile, blood pressure, fibrinogen, high sensitive–C–reactive protein (HS–CRP), homocysteine, vitamin B12, folate, glucose and dietary intakes. The main findings indicated high CVR with prevalence of overweight/obesity, Hypertension, hyperhomocysteinaemia, increased fibrinogen and HS-CRP, as well as low intakes of dietary fibre, vitamins B6 and B12, folate and polyunsaturated- and monounsaturated fatty acids, and high intakes of dietary sodium, saturated and trans fatty acids, and added sugars. Multiple CVR factors are present among all the communities. It can thus be concluded that a double burden of poverty and risk of CVD exists across the different age groups and geographical locations in these resource-poor communities

Genetic Polymorphisms and Their Interactions with the Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases: Review Chapter

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been reported to have a complex pathogenesis by a number of studies. Atherosclerosis and inflammation have been established as the main contributors to CVDs. Furthermore, genetic polymorphisms have been identified and found to have a correlation with an individual’s susceptibility to developing CVD. Some of these polymorphisms and corresponding cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors include: C174G (Interleukin (IL)-6 association), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C667T/A1298C (hyperhomocysteinaemia), VII R353Q (coagulation factor VII association) and rs247616/rs1968905/rs1270922 (cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CEPT) - cholesterol metabolism) amongst others. At a time when disease prediction, diagnosis and prognosis are still being investigated, these polymorphisms have the potential for use in these areas as well as opening more opportunities in the understanding of CVD. The objective of this chapter was to review the current knowledge about the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and cardiovascular disease

Vitamin D status of the elderly in the Vaal region, South Africa

Vitamin D status was determined in a sample of 79 elderly people and the results showed that 38% of the elderly had inadequate vitamin D status that was accompanied by various symptoms associated with vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency