Evaluating restoration success of alluvial diamond-mined sites in South Africa using invertebrate community indicators

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-107)

Cost analysis of colorectal cancer chemotherapy treatment in public and privste healthcare sectors in South Africa

Low-middle income countries are experiencing greater increases in cancer incidence due to changes in lifestyle. Colorectal cancer is one cancer that reflects this increase [1, 2]. As cancer incidence increases so do the costs associated with treatment. Although chemotherapy is not the only cost contributor, it increases costs considerably. This problem is not unique to lowmiddle income countries and requires further research [3]. Therefore this research was conducted to ascertain the cost of colorectal cancer chemotherapy in South Africa for both public and private healthcare sectors and to determine if treatment is equitable between the sectors. Clinical pathways were developed and compared to clinical practice by conducting a retrospective drug utilisation review to determine any variation from the pathways. A costing model was developed to include chemotherapy, supportive medicines, administration fees and administrative fees. The cost was calculated for the developed pathways and the retrospective drug utilisation review allowed for comparison between the sectors and with expected costs. Observations indicate private sector treatments are similar to international standards due to the availability of biological agents however public sector patients have limited access to newer therapies. Comparing the two sectors indicates a higher cost of chemotherapy in the private sector and one such example is the cost difference observed for a commonly prescribed regimen CAPOX for advanced CRC. The observed cost per cycle was R 6 068,28 (public sector) vs. R 9 480,93 (private sector). This is largely due to different access as well as acquisition costs. Nevertheless these patients do have access to newer biological agents. In conclusion, South Africa’s two healthcare sectors differ in access to treatment with the public sector per capita cost for therapy being lower.GR201

A reflection on the morality of ownership of genetic material

The question of ownership of genetic material is highly relevant to medical ethics at this point in our history. What has become a major debate is how DNA can, and if it ought to be commoditised; and how and if individuals can keep their genetic information private, or whether it ought to be shared with all. In this research report I question whether genetic information is exceptional when compared with other medical or health-related information. The Kantian view of commoditisation of the body and human dignity is given along with some of the most prominent views on self-ownership. Patenting and genetic biobanking have received much attention in recent years, I focus on these issues and moral questions that surround these practices. The idea of genetic information as a common and natural 'resource' is discussed. If it is indeed a common heritage for all, how ought individuals, populations, researchers and funders to relate to genetic information? I briefly examine what some communities and cultures may have to say about genetic information and I attempt to tie all these varying perspectives together. I find that it is not ownership per se that is often the subject of dispute, but how those who happen to have control over that information share it. I present a possible maxim to guide the sharing of genetic information with others; that patenting does not necessarily amount to an affront to human dignity in the Kantian sense and that inter-cultural perspectives on genetic information may differ significantly. I conclude that how genetic material is shared, or not shared and why seems to depend more on the population in question at any given time and its social, political and economic structures than on the question of ownership per se

Understanding Internet Co-Branding Deals

The Internet has spawned new business practices regarding the ways users access and obtain information and services. Because linking can create a network of web pages that appear integrated and seamless to users, many Internet companies enter what are known as co-branding relationships. This article addresses a common type of co-branding relationship in which a provider maintains a set of pages ( the co-branded site ) that looks and feels like the brander\u27s web site. The co-branded site is promoted on the brander\u27s web site through linking

Understanding pathogenic and physiological T follicular helper cell formation

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells localize to follicles where they provide growth and selection signals to mutated germinal center (GC) B cells, thus promoting their differentiation into high affinity long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells. T-dependent B cell differentiation also occurs extrafollicularly, giving rise to unmutated plasma cells that are important for early protection against microbial infections. Bcl-6 expression in T cells has been shown to be essential for the formation of Tfh cells and GC B cells, but little is known about its requirement in physiological extrafollicular antibody responses. We use several mouse models in which extrafollicular plasma cells can be unequivocally distinguished from those of GC origin, combined with antigen-specific T and B cells, to show that the absence of T cell-expressed Bcl-6 significantly reduces T-dependent extrafollicular antibody responses. Bcl-6+ T cells appear at the T-B border soon after T cell priming and before GC formation, and these cells express low amounts of PD-1. Their appearance precedes that of Bcl-6+PD-1hi T cells, which are found within GC. IL-21 acts early to promote both follicular and extrafollicular antibody responses. In conclusion, Bcl6+ T cells are necessary at B cell priming in order to form extrafollicular antibody responses, and these pre-GC Tfh cells can be distinguished phenotypically from GC Tfh cells. Overactivity of the GC pathway due to accumulation of Tfh cells causes autoimmunity, underscoring the need to understand the factors that control Tfh homeostasis. Here, we have identified posttranscriptional repression of interferon-gamma (Ifng) mRNA as a novel mechanism to limit Tfh cell formation. Using the sanroque lupus model, we have shown that decreased Ifng mRNA decay caused excessive interferon-gamma signaling in T cells and led to accumulation of Tfh cells, spontaneous GC, autoantibody formation and nephritis. Unlike ICOS and T-bet deficiency that failed to rescue several autoimmune manifestations, interferon-gamma receptor deficiency completely prevented lupus development. Interferon-gamma blockade after disease onset reduced Tfh cells and autoantibodies, demonstrating that interferon-gamma overproduction was required to sustain lupus-associated pathology. Increased interferon-gamma signaling caused Bcl-6 overexpression in Tfh cells and their precursors. This novel link between interferon-gamma and aberrant Tfh formation provides a rationale for interferon-gamma blockade in lupus patients with an overactive Tfh cell-associated pathway

Perspectives on student engagement in a collaborative community-based story-telling project

The core of this case study is from the perspective of an undergraduate student who became involved in a story-telling research project. Along with many other students, her skills and expertise became critical to the completion and success of the research project. The outcomes for the student are explored in this personal account of her learning, celebrating the value of engagement in a collaborative research project with disadvantaged young people in the community

Strength and conditioning practices of franchise-level cricket trainers

Background: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the strength and conditioning practices implemented by cricket trainers and coaches at an elite level. Methods: An online survey, adapted from previous strength and conditioning questionnaires, was sent to trainers currently working with the franchise cricket teams in South Africa. The survey consisted of four main sections including a general strength and conditioning, cricket- specific and injury prevention category. Results: The results indicated that trainers (n = 5) implement planned sessions throughout the different phases of the season and that certain injury prevention practices are applied. Furthermore, player workload is monitored for all disciplines (batsmen, bowlers and fielders). Conclusion: These results can be used as a tool to educate coaches and trainers to ensure the correct strength and conditioning practices are implemented. Additionally the study showed that strength and conditioning practices at the elite level can be implemented without specialised equipment and facilities, which is important for teams that are constantly travelling. Lastly it showed the importance of looking at all aspects of health and skill related fitness

Crew Autonomy Scheduling: Scheduling Performance Pilot Study

The purpose of this pilot study is to quantify crew performance in self-scheduling through Playbook, a mobile-based scheduling and planning tool. By investigating human performance within the task of self-scheduling, we can further develop countermeasures that can mitigate deficient scheduling performance, and evaluate changes as a result of these countermeasures. Moreover, this research can advise the development of standards and guidelines for autonomous crews in future missions. In human spaceflight today, the task of planning crew members schedules falls to Ops Planners. It takes many weeks to plan due to the complex impact each day-to-day activity can have on other activities, crew members, and resources. These impacts are measured as constraints, and these constraints can result in temporal, ordering, or resource requirements. As future spaceflight missions span longer distances and the latency of communication between the crew and Mission Control Center (MCC) increases, the need for crew members to work independently from MCC will also increase. This results in a need for crew members to be able to autonomously plan and adjust their own schedules

Workloads of forward and backline adolescent rugby players: a pilot study

Background: There is minimal research on workloads of adolescent rugby players. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the workloads placed on a cohort of South African adolescent rugby players (n = 17), during an in- season period. Methods: Session RPE ratings were collected daily, 30 minutes after the training session concluded, during an 11-week in- season period. The training load was calculated as the session ratings of perceived exertion multiplied by the session’s duration (min). Results: The main finding of the study was that the adolescents in this investigation had similar workloads to elite players but higher workloads than other studies on adolescent rugby players. The forwards (3311±939 arbitrary units; AU) had a higher workload than backline players (2851±1080 AU). There was no difference between forwards and backline players with regards to the acute:chronic workload ratio. Conclusion: Workloads are high in these adolescent players, particularly in the forwards, and are similar to the workloads of elite level rugby players

REACTIVELY COMPATIBILIZED STARCH-BASED RENEWABLE POLYMER BLENDS

Starch-based polymeric materials offer a renewable, economical alternative to existingpetroleum based, non-renewable or costly biodegradable polymeric materials. We present thedevelopment and characterization of two phase blends of plasticized starch (PLS) andpolypropylene (PP) compatibilized via an interfacial chemical reaction. Starch is an abundant, naturally occurring polysaccharide that is obtained from variousplant sources. Having three hydroxyl groups per glucose monomer unit, starch is an inherentlymultifunctional polymer. When starch is blended with another polymer, such functionally can beused to reactively compatibilize the two phase system. We first examine the effects ofmultifunctional reactive compatibilization in model immiscible polymer blends and comparethem to compatibilization using diblock copolymers. We study the rheological andmorphological effects of the crosslinked interface and investigate the effects of varying thereactive compatibilizer concentration and the homopolymer loading. We next develop a processing methodology and conduct a systematic characterizationstudy of PLS and PP blends. Based on the result of our model blend study, multifunctionalreactive blending was employed using maleated polypropylene (MAPP). The maleic anhydridefunctional groups are able to react with hydroxyl functional starch, creating a compatibilizedsystem. The addition of layered silicate to the PLS/PP blends was employed to mitigate thedecline in mechanical properties as starch content increased. At sufficiently high plasticized starch loadings, the maleated polypropylene domainsacted as physical crosslinking sites. The processing, blending, compatibilization andcharacterization of plasticized starch resulted in a material with properties apt for severalelastomeric applications, such as rubber feet for electronic devices. The challenges of usingplasticized starch as an elastomer are also discussed. Lastly, we present a comparative life cycle assessment of plasticized starch andpolypropylene. The system boundary of this assessment is defined to be "cradle to gate" inwhich we analyze the system from raw material extraction to the final production of a polymerpellet