Changes in the physical fitness of elite women's rugby union players over a competition season

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in the physical fitness characteristics of elite women’s rugby union players over a competitive season. METHODS: Thirty-two elite women’s rugby union players, all members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad, were sub-divided into 2 positional categories of 17 forwards and 15 backs, respectively, and assessed pre-, mid- and post-competition season. Players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (vertical jump, 10 m and 40 m sprint, 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press and multi-stage shuttle-run test). Analysis. A 2-factor analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season (p<0.01). RESULTS: In both groups, no significant changes were detected in the sum of skinfolds, vertical jump height, 1RM bench press and multi-stage shuttle-run test scores throughout the season. However, sprint times (10 m and 40 m) significantly increased and then decreased for both groups between the early (pre- to mid-season) and later phases of the season (mid- to post-season), respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that, for improvement in physical fitness, players need to train at higher loads, especially in the preparatory phase. Thereafter, they must take measures to actively maintain these gains throughout the competitive season. Direct supervision of their conditioning should be encouraged.Department of HE and Training approved lis

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Leberova hereditarna optikoneuropatija - Prikaz slučaja

LHON is characterized by bilateral asynchronous visual loss in young adults. This type of neuropathy is related to mitochondrial DNA mutation and therefore is maternally inherited. Males are predominantly affected but they do not transmit the disease to their offspring. Clinical picture - although characteristic - is not impressive. At the beginning of the disease, there is a large discrepancy between the symptoms and signs. In contrast to marked central visual loss, the only visible sign is retinal teleangiectatic microangiopathy in the peripapillary region. Fluorescein angiography shows intact capillary network without leakage disproving its inflammatory nature.Leberova hereditarna optikoneuropatija je karakterizirana bilateralnim asinkronim gubitkom vida kod mladih osoba. Ovaj je tip neuropatije povezan sa mutacijom mitohondrijske DNA i stoga se nasljeđuje s majčine strane. Bolest prvenstveno zahvaća muškarce, ali oni je ne prenose na potomstvo. Klinička slika, premda karakteristična, nije impresivna. Na početku bolesti velika je razlika između simptoma i znakova. Unatoč značajnom gubitku vidne oštrine, jedini vidljivi znak je retinalna teleangietatska mikroangiopatija u peripapilarnom području. Fluorescinska angiografija pokazuje netaknutu kapilarnu mrežu bez curenja kontrasta čime se isključuje upalna geneza poremećaja

Cooperative government in South Africa : examining enforcement mechanisms for municipalities to comply with South Africa’s water regulatory framework

Magister Philosophiae - MPhilThere is overwhelming evidence that South Africa’s rivers are heavily polluted, a situation which is attributable to a large degree to poorly functioning and inefficiently managed waste water treatment works in municipalities. The evidence suggests, furthermore, that municipalities often do not comply with their constitutional obligation to provide water services in a sustainable manner and promote a safe and healthy environment. Such non-compliance infringes on people's constitutionally guaranteed rights to a pollution-free environment and equitable access to sufficient and safe water. The problem is that municipalities are not properly managing the waste water treatment works (WWTWs) and not regulating industrial discharge into these works in accordance with the prescribed national norms and standards. The National Water Act 36 of 1998 and other related Acts provide for legal and informal enforcement mechanisms that criminalise acts of pollution. However, none of them have been effective in enforcing municipal compliance with the national norms and standards of effluent management. There are two main reasons for this. First, the constitutional structure does not allow the Minister responsible for water management to exercise direct supervision of the municipalities despite the functional relationship the Department of Water and Sanitation has with municipalities in respect of water. Secondly, the Constitution (1996) instructs the spheres of government to avoid legal processes and cooperate with one another by intervening to execute the function if the sphere responsible for the function lacks capacity. This thesis explores the possible use of two statutory instruments of cooperative government and intergovernmental relations as strategies to complement and support the conventional enforcement measures in the water sector: the establishment of water intergovernmental forums; and the use of implementation protocols to supervise municipalities that chronically lack capacity as a way of providing targeted support and monitoring to facilitate an effective compliance and enforcement regime in the water sector

Record Keeping in the Human Resources Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology: Implications for Service Delivery

This study examined the record keeping infrastructure of the Human Resource Department (HRD) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (K.N.U.ST). Its primary objective was to establish the extent to which records within the Department are managed as a defining resource in order to promote service delivery. Like most modern organisations, the HRD must have strategies to ensure that full and accurate evidence of its decisions, actions and transactions are recorded, captured and maintained by record keeping systems. In examining the infrastructure and programme structure, the study also looked at the strategies that determined how, when, where and in what form information is captured in records as evidence and for how long it is required.   The record keeping infrastructure of the HRD was examined in five key areas, namely; policies and regulatory framework, standards and practices for record care, storage facilities and preservation management, resources and the role of record keeping on the HRD service delivery.The case study method was employed and semi-structured interview and observation used as data collection instruments. The findings of the study revealed that the record keeping practices in the HRD are not adequately supported by a record keeping infrastructure which is made up of a policy and regulatory framework, a programme structure, resources and people. Furthermore, there was not in place a monitoring system to ensure sound record keeping standards and practices. Keywords:  Record Keeping, Human Resource Department, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Implications, Service Deliver

Physical fitness of elite women's rugby union players over a competition season

Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES)The primary aim of this study was to investigate the changes in physical fitness characteristics of elite women's rugby union players over the duration of the season. Thirty two elite female rugby players who were identified as members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad were assessed on three separate occasions (pre-season, mid-season and post-season) throughout the competition season. The players were sub-divided into two positional categories consisting of 17 forwards and 15 backs. On all testing occasions, players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (sit-and-reach, vertical jump, 10m and 40m speed, 1 RM bench press; pull-ups;1 min push-ups and multi-stage shuttle run test). A two-factor analysis of variance evaluated differences in the physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season.South Afric

Implementation of pressurized air injection system in a Kaplan prototype for the reduction of vibration caused by tip vortex cavitation

Blade tip cavitation is a well-known phenomenon that affects the performance of large-diameter Kaplan turbines and induces structural vibration. Injection of pressurized air has been found to yield promising results in reducing those damaging effects. In this work, the results of an experimental test of air injection on a 9.5-m-diameter Kaplan turbine are reported. Experiments were performed for several load conditions and for two different net heads. Accelerations, pressure pulsation and noise emission were monitored for every tested condition. Results show that, at the expense of a maximum efficiency drop of 0.2%, air injection induces a decrease on the level of vibration from 57% up to 84%, depending on the load condition. Such decrease is seen to be proportional to the air flow rate, in the range from 0.06 to 0.8‰ (respect to the discharge at the best efficiency point).Facultad de Ingenierí

Withdrawal of cyclosporine or prednisone six months after kidney transplantation in patients on triple drug therapy: a randomized, prospective, multicenter study

Uncertainty exists regarding the necessity of continuing triple therapy consisting of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), cyclosporine (CsA), and prednisone (Pred) after kidney transplantation (RTx). At 6 mo after RTx, 212 patients were randomized to stop CsA (n = 63), stop Pred (n = 76), or continue triple drug therapy (n = 73). The MMF dose was 1000 mg twice daily, target CsA trough levels were 150 ng/ml, and Pred dose was 0.10 mg/kg per d. Follow-up was until 24 mo after RTx. Biopsy-proven acute rejection occurred in 14 (22%) of 63 patients after CsA withdrawal compared with 3 (4%) of 76 in the Pred withdrawal group (P = 0.001) and 1 (1.4%) of 73 in the control group (P = 0.0001). Biopsy-proven chronic rejection was present in one patient in the control group, in nine patients after CsA withdrawal (P = 0.006 versus control group); and in four patients after discontinuation of Pred (NS). Graft loss occurred in two versus one patient after CsA or Pred withdrawal, respectively, and in two patients in the control group (NS). Patients who successfully withdrew CsA had a significantly lower serum creatinine during follow-up. Pred withdrawal resulted in a reduction in mean arterial pressure, and the total cholesterol/HDL ratio increased. In conclusion, rapid CsA withdrawal at 6 mo after RTx results in a significantly increased incidence of biopsy-proven acute and chronic rejection. Pred withdrawal was safe and resulted in a reduction in mean arterial pressure. However, patient and graft survival and renal function 2 yr after RTx were not different among groups