UNDP-GEF Grasslands Project: The Southern Africa Botanical Network SABONET

This six-year biodiversity capacity building project closes at the end of June 2005. The principal outcomes have been greatly strengthened capacities within, and interaction between, the national herbaria of southern Africa, in order to improve plant taxonomic outputs to better serve the needs of conservation end-users. Grassland plants have in many ways been the main regional focus. The project was based in the National Botanical Institute (NBI) of Southern Africa (now the South Africa Biodiversity Institute - SANBI) and had components in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The NBI provide regional coordination and technical support

UK Renal Registry 18th Annual Report: Chapter 7 Adequacy of Haemodialysis in UK Adult Patients in 2014: National and Centre-specific Analyses

Data suitable for urea reduction ratio (URR) analyses were available for 14,761 (71.9%) of the 20,539 patients receiving haemodialysis (HD) in the UK on the 30/9/2014. In 2014, 88.6% of prevalent HD patients achieved a URR .65%. The between centre range of prevalent patients achieving this target was wide (74.9-97.0%). The median URR in 2014 was 75%. URR was greater in those with longer dialysis vintage, with 91.2% of patients who had survived on renal replacement therapy (RRT) for more than two years achieving a URR .65% compared with only 73.4% of those on RRT for less than six months. Large variation between centres in the percentage of patients achieving the UK Renal Association's (RA) URR guideline persists

The history of a War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town

No Abstract. South African Medical Journal Vol. 96(9) (Part 2) 2006: 854-86

Approach to Teaching Research Methodology for Information Technology

The paper reports on an approach to teaching a course in information technology research methodology in a doctoral program, the Doctor of Management in Information Technology (DMIT), in which research, with focus on finding innovative solutions to problems found in practice, comprises a significant part of the degree. The approach makes a contribution by preparing doctoral students, who are experienced professionals studying part-time, for dissertation research. The rationale of the DMIT and the educational objectives of the course are presented. A research process model applicable to applied research in information technology (IT) is proposed and discussed. This model accommodates scientific methods of research, including empirical, quantitative, qualitative, case study and mixed methods. The course design and pedagogical approach are described in terms of thematic areas of scholarship and practice, and intended outcomes. The paper summarizes the topics of the syllabus, including proposal formulation; research design; methods of investigation; methods of demonstrating concept; approaches to research validation; and documenting research results in the form of technical papers and the dissertation. The purpose of the paper is to share the approach followed in teaching the course, the course design, a summary of lessons learned after several offerings of the course, and ideas for further improvement

Eating, drinking and physical activity in Faculty of Health Science students compared to other students at a South African university

Objectives: Students studying towards a qualification in Health Sciences should have more knowledge of a healthy lifestyle than other university students. However, it has been questioned whether or not these students apply such knowledge. While studies have been conducted on the lifestyle habits of students in general, few have compared the practices of Health Science students with those of other students. The objectives of this study were to compare the eating patterns, alcohol consumption and physical activity of Health Science students with those of other students.Design: A cross-sectional study design that utilised an electronic self-administered survey was applied. Data were analysed using SPSS® and Pearson’s chi-square test (p-value < 0.050).Subjects and setting: A convenience sample (n = 619), consisting of registered students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, participated, after providing informed consent.Outcomes measures: Dietary patterns and frequency of intake, alcohol consumption and physical activity were measured.Results: A statistical difference was not reported between the eating patterns, alcohol consumption and physical activity of Health Science students and those of other students. Most of the students exhibited poor dietary behaviour. For example, 65% of Health Science students and 67% of students in other faculties consumed less than one fruit per day, 70% of Health Science students and 64% of other students consumed less than one vegetable per day, while 91% of Health Science students and 93% of students in other faculties consumed less than two glasses of milk per day. Although not significant, fewer Health Science students (4%) than students of other faculties (9%) consumed alcohol more than twice a week. Binge drinking was more common in Health Science students. Forty-eight per cent of the Health Science students indicated that they were physically inactive, compared to 49% of students in other faculties.Conclusion: Students studying Health Science do not have a healthier lifestyle than other students. Further theory-based intervention studies to determine the reasons for this behaviour need to be undertaken. Strategies should be developed to encourage behavioural change.Keywords: dietary intake, alcohol consumption, physical activity, Health Sciences, university student

Retention of engineering students

Abstract: Retention of engineering students is an international concern. Most countries report a shortage of engineers. By increasing the number of retained engineering students it is potentially possible to increase the number of engineering graduates. The purpose of this article is to identify and analyse what retention research has been done in the past to avoid unnecessary duplication. Although duplication may bring valuable new information, progress in this field has been slow. Therefore, the focus is on facilitating progress rather than seeking more accurate results. The three main themes identified in literature are: the individual’s internal and external characteristics that affect retention, the models that describe retention, conceptual and predictive, and the interventions attempted to improve retention. Further research into methods for improving student retention is certainly justified since in spite of existing research most institutions still struggle to retain engineering students

Medicinal plants with cholinesterase inhibitory activity: A Review

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by low levels in the brain of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh). Clinical treatment of this disease is palliative and relies mostly on enhancing cholinergic function by stimulation of cholinergic receptors or prolonging the availability of ACh released into the neuronal synaptic cleft by use of agents which restore or improve the levels of acetylcholine. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), enzymes which breakdown acetylcholine, are considered as a promising strategy for the treatment of AD. A potential source of AChE and BChE inhibitors is provided by the abundance of plants in nature, and natural products continue to provide useful drugs and templates for the development of other compounds. The present work constitutes a review of the literature on 123 species of medicinal plants that have been tested for AChE inhibitory activity and 42 plant species which have been tested for BChE inhibitory activity. The plant species listed are potential cholinesterase inhibitors and may aid researchers in their study of natural products which may be useful in the treatment of AD.Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and medicinal plants

Branding in a Hyperconnected World: Refocusing Theories and Rethinking Boundaries

Technological advances have resulted in a hyperconnected world, requiring a reassessment of branding research from the perspectives of firms, consumers, and society. Brands are shifting away from single ownership to shared ownership, as heightened access to information and people is allowing more stakeholders to cocreate brand meanings and experiences alongside traditional brand owners and managers. Moreover, hyperconnectivity has allowed existing brands to expand their geographic reach and societal roles, while new types of branded entities (ideas, people, places, and organizational brands) are further stretching the branding space. To help establish a new branding paradigm that accounts for these changes, the authors address the following questions: (1) What are the roles and functions of brands?, (2) How is brand value (co)created?, and (3) How should brands be managed? Throughout the article, the authors also identify future research issues that require scholarly attention, with the aim of aligning branding theory and practice with the realities of a hyperconnected world

Non-western contexts: the invisible half

Like many other disciplines within the broad area of social sciences (e.g., anthropology, gender studies, psychology, sociology, etc.), consumer research is also highly navigated by scholars from Western countries. This, however, does not mean, by any means, that consumer research is devoted to studying Western contexts only. As evident from the ever-increasing number of regional conferences (e.g., Asia-Pacific and Latin American conferences of the Association for Consumer Research) and non-Western students' enrolment in doctoral programs at Western universities, there are many more researchers (from non-Western countries) who are entering the field and enriching it by their colourful contributions. Yet, given the low number of publications on consumer research in non-Western contexts, it seems that our current knowledge in these societies has a long way to go to flourish. More specifically, and in the domain of consumption culture research, this gap is even further widened by the fact that the culture of consumption in such contexts is largely interpreted with reference to the 'grand narratives' of Western scholars (e.g., Foucault, Mafessoli, Bourdieu, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Derrida, etc.). Therefore, from an ontological perspective, it seems that our existing knowledge about non-Western societies lies heavily on the 'theoretical structures' that are 'constructed' by Western philosophy as a set of ideas, beliefs, and practices (Said, 1978). As Belk (1995) reminds us, consumption culture always existed in all human societies. What makes contemporary societies different from that of our predecessors' is not the fact that consumption culture did not exist in those societies, but that consumption culture has become a prevailing feature in modern society (Slater, 1997; Lury, 1996; Fırat and Venkatesh, 1995; McCracken, 1988). Therefore, the nature and dynamics of consumption culture in each society should be studied not only against the sociocultural, historical, and economic background of a given context (Western or non-Western) but also with reference to the philosophical and epistemological viewpoints that analyse and interpret cultural practices of that society from within that culture. Addressing such issues, this paper discusses some of the key reasons for lack of theory development in the field from non-western contexts. The paper invites scholars in non-Western contexts to introduce the less articulated, and sometime hidden, body of knowledge from their own contexts into the field of marketing in general and consumer research in particular