Determination of priorities of buyers regarding value contributing characteristics of farm land in the Stellenbosch District, South Africa

The use of the comparable sales method to value farm properties requires that professional valuers must think like a typical buyer of farm properties in a particular area. The Stellenbosch district, located on the periphery of the Cape Metropole, is a famous wine-producing area. The typical buyer is sophisticated and wealthy: someone for whom lifestyle could probably be just as important as the income generating capacity of the wine estate. A variety of site and situational factors have to be considered by the valuer: some of which are easily identifiable and quantifiable, where others are more elusive. This study aimed to identify and order the more important motivations as perceived by typical buyers in order to provide guidelines to valuers. An empirical study was done to determine buyers' and property characteristics, and buyers' ratings of possible motivations for buying land in Stellenbosch. Factor analysis provided a hierarchy of motivations. Terroir is the dominant site factor and the most important motivation, followed by location relative to Cape Town, the aesthetic beauty of the property, accessibility of the property, potential for new/more vineyards, meso-climate and the status of the “address”.Land Economics/Use,

What health professionals should know about omega-3 fatty acid supplements

Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids are essential to maintain satisfactory human health and need to be consumed in the diet. Western diets are often deficient in n-3 fatty acids because of an insufficient intake of cold water oily fish. The main n-3 fatty acids in fatty fish are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). To date, no formally accepted dietary reference intakes for EPA and DHA exist, while international intake recommendations differ widely. Supplementation is an easy and convenient way of increasing dietary n-3 fatty acid intake, but very little information is available to health professionals when advising consumers on choosing a supplement to suit their lifestyle. Reliable nutrition information on product labels is vital since misleading information may lead to erroneous dosages with concomitant adverse effects. Since no formal regulatory structure for dietary supplements currently exists in South Africa, consumers depend on self-regulation within the industry for assurance of product quality, consistency, potency and purity of n-3 fatty acid supplements. Therefore, the aim of this article is to equip health professionals with proper knowledge with special reference to the bioavailability of fish oil supplements, reliability of labelling information, dietary intake recommendations, potential adverse effects and some general advice when purchasing n-3 fatty acid supplementsKeywords: omega-3 fatty acids, supplements, bioavailability, frequency of intake labellin

Relationships between a cognitive testing instrument, academic points scores and average academic results of National Diploma Students at a University of Technology.

Higher education in South Africa faces a variety of challenges including poor pass rates, large numbers of students dependent on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, intrapersonal and socioeconomic challenges of students and vast numbers of applicants vying for limited places in institutions. The primary method of selection and screening of applicants is the Academic Points Score (APS), calculated on Grade 12 achievement levels. However, large numbers of applicants exhibit similar or identical scores which meet minimum requirements. This makes effective selection difficult in terms of potential to succeed in the tertiary education context. Therefore, additional selection instruments may be useful in determining high from low potential candidates. Cognitive instruments are one option available to institutions and have been investigated to a certain extent, particularly in conjunction with alternative achievement based assessments. The present study examined a cognitive instrument utilised for selections at a University of Technology. The instrument is based on verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, basic calculative ability, reading comprehension, memory and spatial reasoning. The results on the sub-tests of this instrument were examined in relation to APS and average mark achieved during study for National Diploma courses at the institution. Although statistically significant relationships did exist, as well as some demographic differences, effect sizes and correlation coefficients were small. Concerningly, APS did not explain a large percentage of variance in average mark. This finding is important in light of current selection procedures. Multiple regression and logistic regression models indicated that two specific sub-tests, in combination with APS, did contribute to predictive power in determining average mark. A number of themes in terms of this prediction are explored. These include English language ability, gender differences, specific cognitive skills and the general validity of utilisation of APS and/or cognitive testing as predictors of tertiary education success. In light of poor success rates in tertiary institutions across South Africa, further research into effective selection procedures should be prioritised

Detroit People And Transitions In Housing-3 (dpath-3): Changes In The Composition And Service Needs Of The Homeless Adult Population

The current research study explores the composition and service need of the homeless community in Detroit, Michigan and its surrounding county, Wayne. The project aims to 1) examine differences in composition and social service characteristics across three decades and 2) access service utilization and unmet needs of the homeless population. The study’s central hypothesis is that demographic shifts in the homeless population indicate the need to make specific and substantive shifts in the distribution of the limited resources allocated to homelessness. Results demonstrated significant changes across the three time points, where the current sample of homeless people were older, spent more time homeless; had, over the past year, utilized homeless shelters at a greater rate and spent more time on the streets; had greater rates of health insurance; had earned more months of income from working; demonstrated greater lifetime rates of mood disorders and lower rates of schizophrenia spectrum disorders; reported more close family members and fewer close friends, but decreased perceived social support; had a worse relationship with family; less current mental health symptoms; better physical health, and fewer stressful life events. Additionally, results also provided evidence that the most important services, as identified by the homeless, are the most difficult to obtain, of which included, affordable housing and transportation. Implications for these results and localized recommendations are discussed

Defending the Genetic Selection of Intelligence: A Moral Exploration of Principle

This paper assumes a basic understanding of Aristotelian philosophy, but that which I draw from is both explicated and articulated in the paper in a way which makes the philosophy salient. One can look to Book II of The Nicomachean Ethics, the edition to which I referred is listed in the works cited, to further their understanding of the philosophy from which I am drawing, but to do so is not necessary. In what follows, I wrestle with the ethical issues related to the subject of the genetic selection of intelligence, both in its positive and negative forms, and offer a defense of the procedure through developing my argument with the following themes: Science and Virtue, Abortion, and Selection. It is these three themes upon which I establish my argument, hence the paper being organized and divided in such a manner. I begin by appealing to the purpose of selection, assuming that the science behind the procedure is without flaw and accessibility to not be an issue, while drawing from an Aristotelian philosophical understanding of humanness, virtue, and excellence. I follow this by addressing the potential of negative selection to allow for abortion, given certain information, and offer a view which provides a moral justification for abortion. To finish, I discuss selection itself, and utilize what previous argumentation I have articulated in the prior sections to solidify my claim on the matter of the selection of intelligence: We, as humanity, ought to move forward with these procedures on a universal level such that we increase the standard of intelligence and, by direct consequence, increase the general capacity for virtue of the human population as a result, thus progressing humanity towards a higher standard of excellence

Attitudes of School Social Workers towards Learning

This study explored school social workers’ attitudes about the learning disability diagnostic models (severe achievement discrepancy model and response to intervention) which are currently used in schools. Specifically, it attempted to determine whether school social workers were satisfied with either of these models or if they preferred them to be replaced. The study revealed school social workers overwhelmingly use only the serve achievement discrepancy model to diagnose learning disabled children, even though an alternative model, response to intervention, has been available for use for 9 years. In addition, school social workers indicated that the models need to be replaced. Finally, most of the school social workers who responded to the study reported they had been required to deny services to a child whom they thought could benefit from them, but did not qualify under the current guidelines. While this study revealed some important findings about school social workers opinions on learning disability diagnosis models, it also revealed that there are still many questions to answer with regard to the identification of learning disabled children

Tackling international tax avoidance: If South Africa has general anti-avoidance rules, why does it need the principal purpose test?

The OECD's MLI was tabled for signature on 7 June 2017 and South Africa was amongst the first 68 countries to sign the MLI on that date. With its signature, South Africa made the provisional selection to adopt the PPT minimum standard, which was introduced by the OECD's Final Report on BEPS Action 6. This minimum standard effectively incorporates a treaty GAAR into South Africa's treaties that are covered under the MLI. However, South Africa already has a very comprehensive and complicated domestic GAAR. In their review of the OECD's Final Report on BEPS Action 6, the Davis Tax Committee observed that the GAAR and the PPT serve a similar purpose and that the GAAR can be applied to prevent the abuse of treaties. They stated further, that one could therefore argue that there is no need for South Africa to amend its treaties to include the PPT. Nevertheless, as much as the OECD Final Report on BEPS Action 6 clearly explains that domestic law provisions can be applied to prevent treaty abuse, there could be concerns of treaty override if South Africa applies its GAAR in a treaty context. This dissertation's objective was to investigate the Davis Tax Committee's propositions noted above. An in depth analysis and comparison of the GAAR and the PPT resulted in the conclusion that the Davis Tax Committee's propositions were correct. The core purpose and functions of the GAAR and PPT are similar to the extent that the GAAR could be applied to prevent treaty abuse, instead of the PPT. The South African legal framework is further set up in such a way that the GAAR can not only be legally applied in a treaty context, but that it would trump a treaty provision in the event of an irreconcilable clash, which results in the Davis Tax Committee's concern for treaty override. Despite the conclusion that the GAAR may replace the PPT, it may not be practical for South Africa to apply its GAAR in a treaty context and it was concluded that it is highly unlikely that South Africa would substitute the PPT for the GAAR