Effect of slaughter age between 5 and 14 months on the quality of sheep meat with specific focus on collagen concentration and solubility : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Animal Science at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

In New Zealand, pasture-raised lamb is considered the highest quality sheep meat product while hogget is a downgraded product considered to be of poorer quality. The objectives of this study were to investigate the difference in meat quality between sheep slaughtered at 5, 8 and 14 months-of-age. This study also aimed to develop an assay to measure collagen concentration and solubility and to compare shear force to collagen concentration and solubility for meat from sheep slaughtered at 5, 8 and 14 months. Sixty Romney crossbreed rams born in the spring of 2015 were allocated to one of three slaughter age groups: 5-group (n=20), 8-months group (n=20) and 14- months group (n=20). The ram lambs were grazed together on perennial ryegrass-based pasture. At slaughter, the loin (Longissimus lumborum) from the left side of the carcass was excised, chilled for 24 hours and then frozen. Shear force, pH, colour, driploss, myofibrillar fragmentation index, sarcomere length, soluble collagen, insoluble collagen and total collagen were measured on the loin. Longissimus lumborum muscle from the 5-months group was darker (P=0.045) with higher pH (P<0.001) than 8 and 14-months groups. Longissimus lumborum muscle from the 14-months group was redder (P<0.001), yellower (P<0.001) with higher intramuscular fat (0.003), shorter sarcomere length (P<0.001), lower collagen concentration (P=0.020) and lower soluble collagen in percentage (P=0.007) and in g/100g fresh weight (P=0.008) than 5 and 8-months groups. The peak shear force was lower at 14 months, intermediate at 5 months and greater at 8 months (P<0.001). Longissimus lumborum muscle from the 8-months group had greater drip loss (P<0.01) than 5-months group and 14-months group. The results suggest that slaughtering sheep at 14 months could have benefits on eating quality due to an increase in intramuscular fat

Re-thinking the Constitution’s Rights-based Approaches and Klare’s ‘Social Change Phenomenon’: A View Towards Securing Human Well-being and Societal Stability

This article proffers a critical reflection of South Africa&rsquo;s post-1994 constitutional trajectory, with specific emphasis on interpretation, application, enforcement and realisation of first, second and third generation rights as potential panaceas to challenges inhibiting socio-legal transformation. It forges an adoption of an interdisciplinary approach, relying extensively on theoretical connotations founded in Klare&rsquo;s conceptualisation of Transformative Constitutionalism and social change, the traditional rights-based approaches to human development and well-being, and Amartya Sen&rsquo;s and Martha Nussbaum&rsquo;s Capabilities Approach. It utilises these theories as tools of analysis, to essentially evaluate their potential impact when tested against prime values grounded in the doctrine, Ubuntu, which informs Africans&rsquo; philosophy of life, often distinguishable amongst proletariats. These tools are utilised to make an assessment of material socio-economic conditions afflicting indigent communities, in an effort to provide explanations regarding identifiable gaps existing in social policy and strict legal norms and/or instruments. It is asserted that Klare&rsquo;s TC and the Constitution&rsquo;s rights-based approaches will remain hollow lest not augmented by strong ideological instruments that are people-centered. Thus, it is indispensable that the Constitution&rsquo;s social transformation agenda, as an ongoing process, be complemented by ideologically sound approaches that adequately safeguards the well-being of humanity

Remodeling the Constitution’s Transformation Trajectory: From Normative Legal Instruments to Normative Moral Approaches

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 has been described as one of the best in the world. According to Karl Klare, this Constitution is a transformative instrument which offers an enterprise to induce major social change. It is for this reason that various normative approaches, guided significantly by various interpretive methods, including Dworkin&rsquo;s, emerged from the reading of every constitutional provision. This has been prevalent since the early days of the post-1994 democratic dispensation, under which the courts have been actively involved in attempting to ensure meaningful realisation and enjoyment of civil and political rights, socio-economic rights and third-generation rights. The Constitutional Court, which inadvertently became both a constitutional and human rights activist, has particularly been at the forefront. However, the extent to which the Constitution is the &lsquo;best&rsquo; is a matter that has not been expansively dealt with. Thus, this article proffers a critical reflection of the &lsquo;best Constitution&rsquo; narrative, especially within the context of transformation and distribution of constitutional law knowledge. This derives significant impetus from Klare&rsquo;s conceptualisation of a social change phenomenon, with the view towards finding strategic mechanisms of reformatting legal knowledge (constitutional and human rights knowledge) in the contemporary South Africa. At the center of attention is the idea of explaining constitutionally entrenched norms that subscribes to strict legal approach, whereas aspects deriving from morality could have been opted for, in order to mutually locate solutions or mechanisms that would effectively advance noble agendas of reconciliation, transformation and decolonisation. The article addresses two prime research questions: first, why the Constitution is described as the best? and, second, why there is a need to harmonise law and morality to realise social and economic transformation. The article adopts a theory-based analysis, relying fundamentally on theoretical connotations founded in Fanon&rsquo;s conception of change and leadership, Klare&rsquo;s Transformative Constitutionalism and Nussbaum&rsquo;s Capabilities Approach

Poverty: A socio-economic threat to sustainable development as envisioned by South Africa’s transformative regime

This article discusses the phenomenon of poverty, considerate of its impact on sustainable development. This takes into account the fact that South Africa&rsquo;s post-1994 dispensation recognized and placed sustainable development at the core of its normative and institutional framework founded essentially to safeguard sustainable livelihood for humanitarian gains. It is for this reason that socio-economic rights got entrenched in the Constitution, 1996 and were afforded judicial enforceability. This constituted a strategy through which judiciary would devise creative interventions, in cooperation with government, to effectively mitigate adverse socio-economic effects of poverty among indigent communities. This article relied on South Africa&rsquo;s constitutionally entrenched transformative theory as a tool of analyses. It is asserted that as a socio-economic problem, poverty inhibits realization of basic human rights such as education and health care, which are indispensable for sustainable development. Further that lack of employment opportunities owing to sluggish economic growth compounds the problem even more thereby making poverty a pervasive challenge to development at large.&nbsp

State Capacity and Democratic Administration: South Africa’s Post-Democracy View

State capacity and democratic administration are conceptually distinct, but theoretically interdependent notions whose significance concerning fulfilment of developmental objectives cannot be understated in any democratic dispensation. Thus, this article discusses how the notion of state capacity affect the pursuit of human development and the enforcement and realization of socio-economic rights under South Africa&rsquo;s post 1994 democratic dispensation. It is considerate of the fact a progressive fulfilment of people&rsquo;s socio-economic entitlements largely depends on having a state which has adequate administrative, economic and technical capabilities to discharge its constitutional obligations. Without these capacities, citizens&rsquo; legitimate expectations of state fulfilling its obligations as imposed by the Constitution and essential international legal norms diminishes. State capacity is concerned with state&rsquo;s competence to discharge its governance obligations in pursuit of the goal of regulating and protecting rights and interests of private persons and entities. Weakened state lack capacity to control its functionaries and private agents, consequently depriving citizens of their deserved protection. It is argued that the post 1994 transformative democratic dispensation is caught in a quagmire owing to diminishing fiscal capacity, and is inherently struggling to ward off socio-economic deprivations inherited from the past.&nbsp

The mega-project paradox : is the “new-build programme” the last mega-project South Africa will see this century

Abstract : Projects are constructed daily across the globe. However very few of these are mega-projects. These mega-projects are deemed grand in scale and are designed to serve millions of people. Over the years a trend has emerged where these projects are having increasing problems related to time and cost overruns – despite issues related to labour, poor project management, reduced return on investment, poor design and non-completion – increasingly mega-projects are being built. Therein lies the mega-project paradox. Mega-projects are now facing major external market disruptors such as the spread of solar photovoltaics, economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa, diversifying the energy mix, changing consumer dynamics and market structure. One of the biggest threats to utilities is the changing regulatory reform and the move to ‘prosumers’. Given Eskom’s delayed and expensive New Build programme, the question then arises –will South Africa embark on another mega-project build in this century. This study utilised both primary and secondary data for analysis by means of mixed methods. Primary data from online surveys as well as analysis of secondary data from the Infrastructure Journal were used. Sixty percent (60%) of survey respondents said that South Africa would embark on another mega-project. This study reveals that mega-projects have sublimes which perhaps influence investment in them – political, economic, technological and aesthetic sublimes. In addition to these sublimes the social pacts these mega-projects bring are one of the biggest drivers for their investment. Furthermore, the future utility model has changed and Eskom will not survive the utility death spiral unless it adapts.M.Phil. (Energy Studies

Comparative analysis of P450 signature motifs EXXR and CXG in the large and diverse kingdom of fungi: identification of evolutionarily conserved amino acid patterns characteristic of P450 family

Published ArticleCytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are heme-thiolate proteins distributed across the biological kingdoms. P450s are catalytically versatile and play key roles in organisms primary and secondary metabolism. Identification of P450s across the biological kingdoms depends largely on the identification of two P450 signature motifs, EXXR and CXG, in the protein sequence. Once a putative protein has been identified as P450, it will be assigned to a family and subfamily based on the criteria that P450s within a family share more than 40% homology and members of subfamilies share more than 55% homology. However, to date, no evidence has been presented that can distinguish members of a P450 family. Here, for the first time we report the identification of EXXR- and CXG-motifs-based amino acid patterns that are characteristic of the P450 family. Analysis of P450 signature motifs in the under-explored fungal P450s from four different phyla, ascomycota, basidiomycota, zygomycota and chytridiomycota, indicated that the EXXR motif is highly variable and the CXG motif is somewhat variable. The amino acids threonine and leucine are preferred as second and third amino acids in the EXXR motif and proline and glycine are preferred as second and third amino acids in the CXG motif in fungal P450s. Analysis of 67 P450 families from biological kingdoms such as plants, animals, bacteria and fungi showed conservation of a set of amino acid patterns characteristic of a particular P450 family in EXXR and CXG motifs. This suggests that during the divergence of P450 families from a common ancestor these amino acids patterns evolve and are retained in each P450 family as a signature of that family. The role of amino acid patterns characteristic of a P450 family in the structural and/or functional aspects of members of the P450 family is a topic for future research

EVALUATION OF MUTAGENICITY, ANTIMUTAGENICITY, CYTOTOXICITY AND COMPOUND IDENTIFICATION OF PHILENOPTERA VIOLACEA (KLOTZSCH) SCHRIRE AND XANTHOCERCIS ZAMBESIACA (BAKER) DUMAZ-LE-GRAND METHANOLIC EXTRACTS IN VITRO

Published ArticlePhilenoptera violacea (klotzsch) Schrire and Xanthocercis zambesiaca (Baker) Dumaz-le-Grand methanolic extracts mutagenic and antimutagenic properties were determined by Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 without S9. The cytotoxic effects of the extracts were tested by Sulforhodamine B assay on the WI38 cell line. Radioprotective effect of Xanthocercis zambesiaca (Baker) Dumaz-le-Grand was determined using the clonogenic assay. Results revealed that both plants do not have mutagenic effects against all tester strains without the presence of metabolic activation and with no direct carcinogenic potential to human cells. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed the presence of two unknown compounds from Philenoptera violacea (klotzsch) Schrire. Based on clonogenic cell survival, Xanthocercis zambesiaca (Baker) Dumaz-le-Grand can lead to over 50% reduction in cell death. We therefore conclude that both plant extracts can be considered safe as the absence of mutagenicity indicates lack of toxicity and this was also confirmed by the negative cytoxicity screening