Core housing, enablement and urban poverty :the consolidation paths of households living in two South African settlements

Phd ThesisThe objective of this thesis was to enhance the understanding of both the formation of core housing settlements in South Africa and the consolidation processes which take place after residents have occupied the housing. Whilst the usually unassisted, consolidation efforts of residents of informal settlements and mass built government housing have been well studied, there were relatively few studies which gave a comprehensive understanding of longer term physical consolidation in settlements which had been designed and built with a view to extension. The central research question was whether core housing should be accepted as a sufficiently supportive institutional and physical framework for allowing or enabling households to counter situations of urban poverty, achieve adequate housing, and integrate themselves into the city. Two case studies were chosen which represented the delivery of core housing at scale, one being Inanda Newtown in Durban (about 4000 houses occupied from 1981), and the other being Khayelitsha in Cape Town (about 5000 houses occupied in 1985). Some 444 respondent households were interviewed in 1996 using a mainly quantitative method, as were stakeholders involved in the initial production and ongoing support of the areas. The study was retrospective and comparative of the two settlements. Inanda Newtown represented the delivery of larger, shell houses and lower levels of service, where an NGO had supported the process for a protracted period and established a local authority also supportive of consolidation. Khayelitsha represented the delivery of smaller core houses with higher levels of service and an unsupportive institutional context. A critical realist framework was adopted to enhance the understanding of the power relations between the various urban actors involved in the production, support and consolidation of core housing, and thus the causal mechanisms which shaped the personal projects of households as they attempted to achieve their own housing consolidation projects. In the conclusion the relevance of the findings to the current South African policy context and to global development thinking was discussed

Improving U.S. Housing Finance Through Reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Assessing the Options

Presents criteria for evaluating proposals for reforming the two government-sponsored enterprises. Outlines the key arguments for their structural strengths and weaknesses, a framework and goals for reform, and features of specific proposals to date

How a focus on asset performance might help ‘Breaking New Ground’ contribute towards poverty reduction and overcome the two-economies divide

In 2007 the Presidency called for a review of second economy strategies1 contained within the national housing programme with particular reference to how it has fared in relation to the so-called ‘second economy’. This article draws from that review. The article reflects on the emphasis that policy places on the notion of the housing asset, and argues that while this is useful, it falls short in understanding the nuance of how housing assets perform for different stakeholders – individuals and the public. Within this, the persistence of informal settlements becomes a special challenge that might benefit from an understanding of asset performance. The article considers how state programmes and the intentions of Breaking New Ground have and have not facilitated absorption of the poor into the urban space economy, and what this means for the two-economies debate.&nbsp

NoSQL Database Technologies

As cloud computing continues to evolve, organizations are finding new ways to store the massive amounts of big data that are collected. Big data storage often require greater flexibility and scalability which can be provided by incorporating NoSQL technologies. NoSQL (Not Only SQL) is quickly becoming a popular approach to store large and unstructured data. This paper looks at the various classifications of NoSQL technologies as well as many of the notable characteristics of the technologies. The authors also describe some deficiencies of using NoSQL and give some explanation to why companies are adopting the technology. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research of NoSQL technologies and a content analysis of current articles in database management is provided in the appendix

Transparency and financial reporting in mid-twentieth century British banking

Post-print draft dated 30 November 2007. Final version published by Elsevier; available online at http://www.journals.elsevier.com/Until 1970, British banks were firm believers in the merits of ‘non-disclosure’, which obscured their ‘true’ profits and capital through profits smoothing and the use of hidden reserves. Many other companies adopted the same view for as long as legislation permitted, but there were special reasons why non-disclosure endured for longer in banking. This paper examines the persistence and demise of non-disclosure in banking, placing it in the context of the wider development of financial reporting in Britain, and highlights similarities and differences in financial reporting between banks and other types of company

The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cetuximab (mono- or combination chemotherapy), bevacizumab (combination with non-oxaliplatin chemotherapy) and panitumumab (monotherapy) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer after first-line chemotherapy (review of technology appraisal No.150 and part review of technology appraisal No. 118): a systematic review and economic model

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK after breast and lung cancer. People with metastatic disease who are sufficiently fit are usually treated with active chemotherapy as first- or second-line therapy. Recently, targeted agents have become available including anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) agents, for example cetuximab and panitumumab, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor agents, for example bevacizumab

Neurotensin Receptor 3/Sortilin Contributes to Tumorigenesis of Neuroendocrine Tumors Through Augmentation of Cell Adhesion and Migration

Neurotensin (NTS), a 13–amino acid peptide which is distributed predominantly along gastrointestinal tract, has multiple physiologic and pathologic functions, and its effects are mediated by three distinct NTS receptors (NTSRs). Overexpression and activation of NTS signaling components, especially NTS and/or NTSR1, are closely linked with cancer progression and metastasis in various types of cancers including neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Although deregulation of NTSR3/sortilin has been implicated in a variety of human diseases, the expression and role of NTSR3/sortilin in NETs have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the expression and oncogenic effect of NTSR3/sortilin in NETs. Increased protein levels of NTSR3/sortilin were noted in the majority of human clinical NETs (n = 21) by immunohistochemical analyses compared with normal tissues (n = 12). Expression of NTS and NTSR3/sortilin was also noted in all tested NET cell lines. In addition, small interfering RNA–mediated knockdown of NTSR3/sortilin decreased cell number without alteration of cell cycle progression and apoptosis induction in NET cell lines BON and QGP-1. Moreover, silencing of NTSR3/sortilin significantly suppressed cell adhesion and cell migration with inhibition of focal adhesion kinase and Src phosphorylation in the NET cells. Our results demonstrate increased expression of NTSR3/sortilin in NET patient tissues and a critical role of NTSR3/sortilin on NET cell adhesion and migration suggesting that NTSR3/sortilin contributes to NET tumorigenesis

Master Recital

Program listing performers and works performe

HFE mutations, iron deficiency and overload in 10 500 blood donors

People with genetic haemochromatosis (GH) accumulate iron from excessive dietary absorption. In populations of northern European origin, over 90% of patients are homozygous for the C282Y mutation of the HFE gene. While about 1 in 200 people in the general population have this genotype the proportion who develop clinical haemochromatosis is not known. The influence of HFE genotype on iron status was investigated in 10 556 blood donors. The allele frequencies of the C282Y and H63D mutations were