Tobacco control in Zimbabwe and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC): State of Affairs

Zimbabwe’s government has, in the past, expressed opposition to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Since the country’s ratification of the WHO FCTC in 2014, the government has put in place financial incentives to promote tobacco production, contrary to the WHO FCTC. The conflicting signals, coupled with seemingly contradictory actions, have raised doubts about the country’s true intent when it ratified the treaty. This thesis assesses the implementation of Zimbabwe’s current tobacco-control legislation, through a synthesis of information from semi-structured interviews with key informants involved in tobacco control in the country. This is supplemented by a situation analysis examining government efforts to align existing tobacco-control legislation with the WHO FCTC. Results show that Zimbabwe’s existing tobacco-control legislation was biased because of tobacco-industry interference during the early stages of the drafting of the bill. There is currently no prioritisation of tobacco-control efforts by government, even after their ratification of the WHO FCTC. As of February 2019, government actions run counter to the supply-reduction measures and recommendations stipulated in the WHO FCTC and associated policy guidelines. Indications are that the government’s ratification of the treaty does not represent a weakening of the government’s resolve to promote tobacco production and protect the country’s tobacco farmers. Accession to the WHO FCTC appears to have been an opportunity to present the country’s concerns, particularly those relating to the supply-side provisions of the WHO FCTC, and possibly disrupting WHO FCTC efforts to limit tobacco-industry interference and advance global tobacco-control efforts

Autonomous Ground Vehicle

WildCat is an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV). AGVs were first developed for military purposes: Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Manufacturing, Search and Rescue operations, Mining, etc. WildCat will be entered in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle competition (IGVC) held in June 2016 at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Teams from major universities not only in the U.S., but also India, France, the UK, China, and around the world will be competing. The IGVC offers a design experience that is at the very cutting edge of engineering education. It is multidisciplinary, theory-based, hands-on, team implemented, and outcome assessed competition. It encompasses the very latest technologies impacting industrial development and taps subjects of high interest to students. The objective of the competition is to challenge students to think creatively as a team about the evolving technologies of vehicle electronic controls, sensors, computer science, robotics, and system integration throughout the design, fabrication, and field testing of autonomous intelligent mobile robots. The vehicle will compete to: 1) autonomously navigate an outdoor obstacle course as quickly as possible, keeping within the speed limit and reaching all GPS waypoints, 2) complete a course with remote (user) control, and 3) have ingenuity and uniqueness in design

Bioethical analysis of selected biomedical issues in South Africa and other countries

Access restricted until April 2023.Thesis (MPharm) -- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacy, 202

Does State Export Growth Granger-Cause State GDP Growth?

We study the relationship between export growth and net GDP growth for the 50 states over the last decade where net GDP is defined as GDP net of exports. This study focuses on whether state export growth Granger-causes state net GDP growth. We perform the F-test of overall significance of both net GDPg (3 lags) and Xg (3 lags) at 5% significance level. Our results do not show supporting evidence that state export growth Granger-causes GDP growth

Bioethical analysis of selected biomedical issues in South Africa and other countries

Access restricted until April 2023.Thesis (MPharm) -- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacy, 202

Dengue Virus NS2B/NS3 Protease Inhibitors Exploiting the Prime Side

The mosquito-transmitted dengue virus (DENV) infects millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions. Maturation of DENV particles requires proper cleavage of the viral polyprotein, including processing of 8 of the 13 substrate cleavage sites by dengue virus NS2B/NS3 protease. With no available direct-acting antiviral targeting DENV, NS2/NS3 protease is a promising target for inhibitor design. Current design efforts focus on the nonprime side of the DENV protease active site, resulting in highly hydrophilic and nonspecific scaffolds. However, the prime side also significantly modulates DENV protease binding affinity, as revealed by engineering the binding loop of aprotinin, a small protein with high affinity for DENV protease. In this study, we designed a series of cyclic peptides interacting with both sides of the active site as inhibitors of dengue virus protease. The design was based on two aprotinin loops and aimed to leverage both key specific interactions of substrate sequences and the entropic advantage driving aprotinin\u27s high affinity. By optimizing the cyclization linker, length, and amino acid sequence, the tightest cyclic peptide achieved a Ki value of 2.9 muM against DENV3 wild-type (WT) protease. These inhibitors provide proof of concept that both sides of DENV protease active site can be exploited to potentially achieve specificity and lower hydrophilicity in the design of inhibitors targeting DENV. IMPORTANCE: Viruses of the flaviviral family, including DENV and Zika virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti, continue to be a threat to global health by causing major outbreaks in tropical and subtropical regions, with no available direct-acting antivirals for treatment. A better understanding of the molecular requirements for the design of potent and specific inhibitors against flaviviral proteins will contribute to the development of targeted therapies for infections by these viruses. The cyclic peptides reported here as DENV protease inhibitors provide novel scaffolds that enable exploiting the prime side of the protease active site, with the aim of achieving better specificity and lower hydrophilicity than those of current scaffolds in the design of antiflaviviral inhibitors

Integrating a crop model with a greenhouse gas calculator to identify low carbon agricultural intensification options for smallholder farmers in rural South Africa

Published online: 22 Jan 2022Models that enable the estimation of crop yields and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions concurrently are still lacking. This study develops a biophysical modelling framework encompassing a farm typology, a crop model, and a farm-focused GHG calculator to assess productivity (crop yield) and GHG emissions of crop management practices concurrently. Using this modelling framework, the study developed cropping system scenarios based on the concept of conservation agriculture (CA) to identify and design cropping systems that deliver ecological intensifcation for diferent farm types. All farm types were found to be net sources of GHG with cropping system inefciency across all farm types. However, the integration of CAbased practices independently and in combination into farm-type maize-based cropping systems showed signifcant potential in improving crop yields and lowering GHG emissions across all farm types. CA-based practices in combination were more efcient and able to deliver ecological intensifcation with high productivity and ecosystem services which contribute to climate change regulation. This study concludes that the modelling approach identifed intensifcation options that maintain or increase crop yields while reducing GHG emissions at the farm level. This can guide policy simulations and scenario analysis to tailor interventions for farm-type sustainability

Home Browse Protocol: the complexity of informal caregiving for Alzheimer's disease... ALL METRICS 67 VIEWS 9 DOWNLOADS Get PDF Get XML Cite Export Track Email Share ▬ STUDY PROTOCOL Protocol: the complexity of informal caregiving for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in rural South Africa [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]

Background: With aging, many people develop Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRD) as well as chronic physical health problems. The consequent care needs can be complicated, with heavy demands on families, households and communities, especially in resource-constrained settings with limited formal care services. However, research on ADRD caregiving is largely limited to primary caregivers and high-income countries. Our objectives are to analyse in a rural setting in South Africa: (1) how extended households provide care to people with ADRD; and (2) how the health and wellbeing of all caregivers are affected by care roles. Methods: The study will take place at the Agincourt health and socio-demographic surveillance system site of the MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit in Mpumalanga Province, northeast South Africa. We will recruit 100 index individuals predicted to currently have ADRD or cognitive impairment using data from a recent dementia survey. Quantitative surveys will be conducted with each index person’s nominated primary caregiver, all other household members aged over 12, and caregiving non-resident kin and non-kin to determine how care and health are patterned across household networks. Qualitative data will be generated through participant observation and in-depth interviews with caregivers, select community health workers and key informants. Combining epidemiological, demographic and anthropological methods, we will build a rich picture of households of people with ADRD, focused on caregiving demands and capacity, and of caregiving’s effects on health. Discussion: Our goal is to identify ways to mitigate the negative impacts of long-term informal caregiving for ADRD when formal supports are largely absent. We expect our findings to inform the development of locally relevant and community-oriented interventions to improve the health of caregivers and recipients, with implications for other resource-constrained settings in both higher- and lower-income countries

Enabling acceptance and use of ecological intensification options through engaging smallholder farmers in semi-arid rural Limpopo and Eastern Cape, South Africa

Ecological intensification is being promoted to address food security and environmental challenges. It has shown the potential to improve yields as well as adapt and mitigate the effects of climate variability and change. Despite the great potential, smallholder farmers continue to shun the latter. Apart from this, limited research has been conducted focussing on their acceptance and use in smallholder sub-Saharan African agricultural systems. In this study, a qualitative approach using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) four constructs (performance, ease of use, social influence and enablers) was used to assess behavioral intention to accept and use ecological intensification options. A total of 97 smallholder farmers from diverse farm types in rural Limpopo and Eastern Cape, South Africa participated in focus group discussions to assess behavioral intention to accept and use ecological intensification options. Smallholder farmers revealed that they were exposed to a plethora of ecological intensification options. However, acceptance and utilization of these options were low, mainly due to lack of awareness, germplasm, and technical support. The four constructs of the UTAUT framework revealed locally relevant knowledge that must be considered for effective acceptance and use of ecological intensification options. Abbreviations: ACCESS: Alliance for Collaboration for Climate and Earth System Sciences; ADCI: African Climate Development Initiative; NRF: National Research Foundation; SSA: Sub Saharan Africa; UTAUT: Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology; WRC: Water Research Commission; FAO: Food and Agriculture Organisation; CA: Conservation Agriculture