The History : a novel

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-152).The action of The History predominantly occurs in a fictitious town on the West Coast of South Africa. The town, Soutbek, is distinctly divided into the upper and lower town and these divisions represent the division between wealth and poverty. The poor are relegated to the upper town, while the wealthy live in the lower town and have the benefit of a view of the bay. The main characters of The History are Pieter Fortuin, the mayor of Soutbek and former upper towner; his wife Anna Fortuin; and then to a lesser extent, Sara, a teenage runaway and Willem, a young man from the upper town. The relationships between these four characters form the bulk of the narrative. Mayor Fortuin's great hope and aim for Soutbek is to make it famous and 'put it on the map.' In order to achieve this goal, the mayor decides to compile a history of the area with the assistance of retired history professor, Terence Pearson. The subsequent account of the Soutbek region calls into question the standard history of the early colonisation of South Africa. Pages of The History of the Soutbek Region are interspersed throughout the novel proper, with the consequence that interesting parallels and relationships become evident to the reader. The result is a novel which explores notions of identity, history, myth and reality, as well as the way that human beings choose to treat each other. Much research has been put into both the pages of The History of the Soutbek Region and the novel proper

The Pit Bull\u27s Discourse: An Examination of Discursive Construction

Since the early 1980s, news reporters have used the pit bull as a scapegoat to get media attention by plastering the frightening image of a snarling, bloody dog across all news outlets. Over the years, the pit bull\u27s image has suffered major blows to its already battered reputation with every new dog attack news story published. Each reporter\u27s word choice, in both past and present news stories, has an effect on the reader\u27s perception of the topic. By analyzing several unrelated stories about pit bulls, both good and bad, I reveal how word choice alone shapes a reader\u27s perception while providing a new image for the breed, one mixed with my own personal experiences and the true history of the American Pit Bull Terrier

From little things, big things grow

Claire Jennings and Karen Stagnitti report on an early intervention project that provides the opportunity for children from vulnerable families in country Victoria to learn the essential skills of listening, concentration and curiosity.<br /

Eating disorder examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q): Norms for a clinical sample of males

Normative data on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) for a clinical sample of males in the United States are presented. Thirty-eight males completed the EDE-Q at time of admission to an inpatient unit for eating disorders. The majority of males were diagnosed with unspecified eating disorder (73.7%, n = 28). Mean age at time of admission was 24.4 years (SD = 12.6), mean body mass index at time of admission was 21.5 kg/m2 (SD = 9.5), and mean length of stay was 13.6 days (SD = 9.3). Mean scores, standard deviations, and percentile ranks for the global and subscale scores are provided. Although the prevalence of eating disorders remains lower among males compared to females, body dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology are fairly common among males

Between HIV diagnosis and initiation of antiretroviral therapy: Assessing the effectiveness of care for people living with HIV in the public primary care service in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND: While much is written about the scale up of HIV counselling and testing (HCT) and antiretroviral therapy (ART), little research has been done on the expansion of routine preART HIV care. OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of preART care in Cape Town and its continuity with HCT and ART. METHODS: The scale up of the HCT, preART and ART service platform and programmatic support in Cape Town is described. Data from the August 2010 routine annual HIV/TB/STI evaluation, from interviews with 133 facility managers and a folder review of 634 HCT s who tested positive and 1115 clients receiving preART HIV care are analysed. RESULTS: Historically the implementation and management of preART care has been relatively neglected compared with the scale-up of HCT and ART. The CD4 count was done on 77.5% positive HCT clients and 46.6% were clinically staged - crucial steps that determine the care path. There were: gaps in quality of care - 32.2% of women had a PAP smear; missed opportunities for integrated care - 67% were symptomatically screened for tuberculosis; and positive prevention - 48.3% had contraceptive needs assessed. Breaks in the continuity of care of preART clients occurred with only 47.2% of eligible clients referred appropriately to the ARV service. CONCLUSION: While a package of preART care has been clearly defined in Cape Town, it has not been fully implemented. There are weaknesses in the continuity and quality service delivered that undermine the programme objectives of provision of positive prevention and timeous access to ART

Eating Disorder Examination–Questionnaire (EDE–Q): Norms for a Clinical Sample of Males

Normative data on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) for a clinical sample of males in the United States are presented. Thirty-eight males completed the EDE-Q at time of admission to an inpatient unit for eating disorders. The majority of males were diagnosed with unspecified eating disorder (73.7%, n = 28). Mean age at time of admission was 24.4 years (SD = 12.6), mean body mass index at time of admission was 21.5 kg/m2 (SD = 9.5), and mean length of stay was 13.6 days (SD = 9.3). Mean scores, standard deviations, and percentile ranks for the global and subscale scores are provided. Although the prevalence of eating disorders remains lower among males compared to females, body dissatisfaction and eating disorder psychopathology are fairly common among males

Fear might motivate secure password choices in the short term, but at what cost?

Fear has been used to convince people to behave securely in a variety of cybersecurity domains. In this study, we tested the use of fear appeals, together with threat and coping appraisal components separately and together, on password hygiene behaviors. Fear did indeed elicit the anticipated response: people had higher levels of behavioral intention to engage in better password hygiene. Unfortunately, we also detected a largely negative affective response to the appeals. Fear, as a short-lived emotion, can indeed be effective in the short term. Snapshot-like studies, like the one reported here, might lead us to conclude that fear is indeed indicated and efficacious. Yet, it may backfire in the long term due to the negative long term affects it can trigger

Behind the wall in Kobus Moolman’s A Book of Rooms

Kobus Moolman prefaces A Book of Rooms with a quote by Georges Perec. The quote details the irrevocability of the past through memory. However, both Perec and Moolman not only recover memory, but are able to do so in great detail, specifically through thorough catalogic descriptions of spaces and objects that surround them in the domestic realm. Analysis of these catalogic descriptions forms the key component of this article. The structure of Moolman’s work, with different rooms used to demarcate different sections, and the significance of objects, further contribute towards his project of recovering the irrevocable. Comparison of Moolman’s project with that of Perec, with reference to Bachelard’s thoughts on the home, serves in the analysis of how the self is related to the concept of a house, with its many rooms in which are stored those things which contribute to an individual’s sense of identity. The generation of narrative via description and cataloguing of these various domestic objects and events is considered, with specific focus given to the ‘bed’ as it plays a significant role in the formation of the self and the recollection of memories.&nbsp

Acceptability, feasibility and impact of routine screening to detect undiagnosed HIV infection in 17 - 24-month-old children in the western sub-district of Cape Town

OBJECTIVES: To explore the acceptability and feasibility of routine HIV screening in children at primary healthcare clinics and ascertain the prevalence of previously undiagnosed HIV infection in 17 - 24 month old children accessing curative and routine services. METHODS: A survey was conducted in 4 primary health clinics in the western sub-district of Cape Town. Rapid HIV screening of 17 - 24 month old children was performed for consenting caregiver-child pairs. Data on demographics, child health and antenatal history were collected using questionnaires. RESULTS: During recruitment, 358 children (72%) were tested for HIV infection. Most of the children (95.8%) were accompanied by a parent. The prevalence of reported HIV exposure among children was 21% (107/499). Of these, 3 had previously confirmed HIV infection; 1 was reportedly confirmed by a 6-week HIV test, and the other 2 probably contracted the virus via late post-partum transmission. The overall transmission rate was 3.5% (3/86) and the confirmed proportion of HIV-infected children was 0.8% (3/361). No previously unknown HIV infection was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission are effective, but at-risk infants who test negative at 6 weeks should be monitored for subsequent seroconversion. Parents of HIV-exposed infants are more likely to permit (re)testing of their infants than those whose offspring are not at risk. Routine HIV testing of children is feasible and acceptable at primary level, but may require additional resources to achieve universal coverage. Routine screening at an earlier age may detect previously undiagnosed HIV infection