Genotype-based personalised nutrition for obesity prevention and treatment: are we there yet?

Interactions between genotype and dietary intake include genetic moderation of the effect of dietary intake on disease development (nutrigenetics). Research on nutrigenetics has focused mainly on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and supports the notion that interactions between genes, diet, other lifestyle factors, disease, and time (life cycle span), contribute to the risk of most polygenic nutritionrelated diseases. Typically, genotype-based personalised nutrition involves genotyping for a number of susceptibility SNPs associated with the prevention, or management, of a particular disease. Dietary advice is then personalised to the individual's genotype to ensure optimal prevention or treatment outcomes. To ensure evidence-based practice, research design and methodology, applied in the investigation of relevant associations, and confirmation of causality, should be appropriate and rigorous. The process of identifying SNPs associated with disease patterns is ongoing. Of note is that the combined effect on body mass index of the SNPs at the currently confirmed 32 loci is a modest 1.45%, bearing in mind that the estimated heritability of obesity is 40-70%. Conclusions formulated by various researchers on the translation of nutrigenetics research into personalised nutrition, including obesity prevention and management, indicate that scientists hold the opinion that more research is necessary before evidence-based practice in this area can be guaranteed

An investigation of ‘powerful knowledge' in the drama curriculum: a comparative document analysis of the FET caps dramatic arts and the international baccalaureate theatre guidelines

This study sets out to investigate the notion of ‘powerful knowledge' in the Dramatic Arts curricula by comparing two curriculum documents: The Internationale Baccalaureate Theatre Guidelines and the FET CAPS Dramatic Arts Guide. Michael Young's (2010) notion of ‘powerful knowledge' has been at the heart of many research studies, curriculum theories, and educational debates in recent years, evolving into a seminal concept within the wider academic and theoretical discourse of curriculum studies. It is within this paradigm that my interest was piqued to examine the knowledge structures within the Drama curriculum and more specifically this notion of ‘powerful knowledge' within Drama as a subject. Currently there is little research to draw on from a Drama education and ‘powerful knowledge' perspective which created the gap to investigate the epistemology of the Drama curriculum and whether the notion of ‘powerful knowledge' could be connected to Drama as a subject. The study is based on a qualitative document analysis comparing two distinct Drama curricula: The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Curriculum and assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Dramatic Arts FET Grades 10-12, and the Internationale Baccalaureate Theatre Guidelines. The study draws on the work of Michael Young (2010, 2013) and his concepts of ‘powerful knowledge' as the key theoretical foundation along Basil Bernstein's (1975) work on ‘voice', classification and framing. The study was developed further through an additional analysis utilizing Graham McPhail's (2017) analytical dimensions. McPhail's three analytical dimensions labelled the experiential, the aesthetic and the epistemic has been developed as an analytical tool for further investigation in the Drama curricula to highlight dramatic principles that could be related to the notion of ‘powerful knowledge'

When deviance becomes sin

In this article a brief exposition is given o f what sin and deviance entail. This perspective is approached in terms of what is called the logovision premise. This premise essentially maintains that human perception of reality is primarily mediated through words and that only God's words allow us to see reality as it truly is. Thus we are enabled to respond appropriately to reality - especially evaluative reality. By then applying God’s words to the issues involved in the study of deviance, more clarity is hopefully achieved. This is done by discussing the respective characteristics of sin and deviance and by briefly exploring the relationship between these two phenomena. Finally some of the implications for the study o f social deviance are discussed

Genotype-based personalised nutrition for obesity prevention and treatment: are we there yet?

Interactions between genotype and dietary intake include genetic moderation of the effect of dietary intake on disease development (nutrigenetics). Research on nutrigenetics has focused mainly on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and supports the notion that interactions between genes, diet, other lifestyle factors, disease, and time (life cycle span), contribute to the risk of most polygenic nutritionrelated diseases. Typically, genotype-based personalised nutrition involves genotyping for a number of susceptibility SNPs associated with the prevention, or management, of a particular disease. Dietary advice is then personalised to the individual’s genotype to ensure optimal prevention or treatment outcomes. To ensure evidence-based practice, research design and methodology, applied in the investigation of relevant associations, and confirmation of causality, should be appropriate and rigorous. The process of identifying SNPs associated with disease patterns is ongoing. Of note is that the combined effect on body mass index of the SNPs at the currently confirmed 32 loci is a modest 1.45%, bearing in mind that the estimated heritability of obesity is 40-70%. Conclusions formulated by various researchers on the translation of nutrigenetics research into personalised nutrition, including obesity prevention and management, indicate that scientists hold the opinion that more research is necessary before evidence-based practice in this area can be guaranteed.Keywords: nutrigenetics, obesity, genotype, personalised nutrition, weight managemen

Towards a Christ-centred sociology: An envisioned ideal

This article is a brief explorative exposition of what the nature and content o f a Christ-centred sociology could entail. In this regard brief attention has been paid to what a Christ-centred sociology is not - after which an exposition of what a Christ-centred sociology could entail, is given. Cursory reference to the possible ontological, epistemological, teleological and methodological implications of a Christ-centred sociology has been made. Brief reference has also been made to research, teaching and causality

The depiction of Orania in the media (2013-2022): A quantitative analysis using Natural Language Processing (NLP)

The current article investigates the depiction of the town of Orania in the media. Being an exclusive Afrikaner town, this town is highly controversial and is often seen as a remnant of apartheid, leading residents of this town to form the perception that the media treats them unfairly. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, namely a lexicon-based sentiment analysis classification and a machine-learning political bias classification, it is shown that the vast majority of news reports and opinion pieces on this town exhibit minimal political bias, and publications on this town are evenly distributed between left and right political bias. In addition, while the majority of news reports and opinion pieces published on this town are neutral, more publications are positive than negative. However, differences in the depiction of this town based on the language of publications are also discussed, with English publications more negative and Afrikaans publications more positive, and the majority of publications on this town are in Afrikaans. Overall, the study finds that while some individual publications present Orania in a very negative light, in general, the media reports on this town in a balanced way

Evaluation of high pressure water spray systems as a control measure to reduce silica exposure in underground gold mines

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Health. Johannesburg, September 2017.Gold mining has always played a major role in the South African economy. Unfortunately, workers’ health could be at risk as exposure to respirable quartz could cause silicosis. Silicosis has no cure or treatment and the only means to prevent silicosis is to reduce exposure to as low a level as possible. This study tested the effectiveness of a high-pressure water spray system as an engineering control measure, to reduce respirable dust and respirable quartz concentrations. This intervention produced a mean personal respirable quartz concentration reduction of 87% (p-value of 0.00003). In addition, a reduction of 53% (p-value of 0.04) was observed in the mean static dust concentration measurements taken upstream and downstream of the control measure. Significant improvement in respirable dust and respirable quartz concentrations was observed after the introduction of the high-pressure water spray system. The results from this study indicate that the health risk to underground mine workers could be reduced by implementing a high-pressure water spray system as an engineering control.LG201

SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY MEMBERS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN THE GOVERNANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN LESOTHO

Published ThesisAlthough the history of school governance can be traced back to the Dark Ages when boards of trustees were responsible for setting up and running English schools; in many developing countries school governance comes post democracy as part of the transformation of education systems that were highly centralized and segregated towards decentralized, democratic and inclusive systems. The rationale for the transfer of power to School Governing Bodies/Boards (SGB) was that local citizens and school personnel know their school best and, if given the chance, they are in the best position to solve most of the problems experienced by schools (i.e. local solutions to local problems). Empowering schools through SGB’s has also been perceived as a way to increase efficiency, encourage innovation, and combat social inequality and segregation in education. Although decentralization has led to greater autonomy for school governing boards in making decisions at school level; many SGB’s, particularly in the rural and less advantaged urban areas, seem to have difficulty in fulfilling their functions. Some critics argue that a pressing problem in many schools is that the SGB’s do not have a clear understanding of their roles, duties and responsibilities. Similarly in Lesotho the Ministry of Education & Training (MOET) also argued that most of the School Board members have no formal training in management of education. Findings from other studies in Lesotho were that the contribution of the board members is always limited; maybe because they do not have the knowledge and experience. If the School Board members do not know their functions, it means they act oblivious of their mandate and this suggested that there was a problem worth researching. A key question that could be raised is: ‘What are the possible factors that could contribute to the (in)effective functioning of SGB members?’ Although there are many factors that could be attributed to dysfunctional SGB’s, Bandura argued that individuals are more likely to engage in activities for which they have high self-efficacy and less likely to engage in those they do not. Self-efficacy beliefs are therefore an important aspect of human motivation and behavior because they influence the actions that can affect one's life. Consistent with Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy four research questions were then raised for this study. An example of one of the questions was to what extent do SGB members perceive themselves as having performed their duties successfully? In this study the researcher was interested in the personal experiences of the SGB members which required a description or interpretation of the meanings of phenomena experienced by them as participants in the investigation. Consistent with the descriptions of the various types of phenomenology given in the literature the study adopted the descriptive or hermeneutical phenomenology as an appropriate approach. A total of 10 SGB Chairpersons, 17 School Principals and 39 ordinary board members were purposively sampled to take part in this study. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the 39 board members and interviews were used to collect data from the 17 school principals and the 10 chairpersons. The findings of this study showed as an example, that SGB members who participated in this study generally do not perceive themselves as having performed their duties satisfactorily. This study therefore recommends that SGB members be nominated from those who have at least Cambridge Overseas School Certificate as a basic entry qualification. Basic training of the SGB members on school governance should be mandatory before one assumes duty. Frequent continuous training programmes should be organized in order for the school governance to become effective

Lessons learnt from two decades of graduate tracer research: Recommendations for the South African context

Graduate tracer studies may be an appropriate research method for responding to various problems in the South African higher education context, including difficulties associated with higher education transformation and graduate employability. However, there is little context-relevant literature on the implementation of the various methodologies that may be used, and no assessment of the relevance of these methods for the South African context. In an attempt to synthesise graduate tracer study research, and to recommend potential models for conducting graduate tracer studies in South Africa, a systematic quantitative literature review was conducted of 23 graduate tracer studies from 13 countries, published between 1995 and 2016. The findings from this review point to three potential models for implementation in the South African context: a large-scale model, a smaller-scale model, and a mixed-method model. These recommended models may allow for the more efficient and effective implementation of graduate tracer studies across the South African context