Township residents of a tourism destination: a subjective well-being approach.

Research on township tourism, a popular form of tourism in South Africa, has been well documented. However, according to the authors, there has not been any study done that investigates the effect of tourism on township residents’ subjective well-being. Conducting such research is pivotal for policy development and for the sustainability of the township tourism industry, since residents are part of a major group stakeholders of the township tourism industry and they are directly affected by tourism activities. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to investigate whether tourism does have any influence on the subjective well-being (satisfaction with life) of township residents. A survey was conducted in Soweto, South Africa, among residents residing in areas close to tourism activity and areas that are a bit further away from tourism activity between 14 October 2017 and 6 November 2017. A convenience sampling technique was utilised and 276 fully completed questionnaires, which were completed at free will by respondents, were received. Data was processed and analysed through Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Amos was used to conduct the confirmatory analysis as well as the structural equation modelling technique. The results reveal that the measured variables had a positive statistical effect on each other and they validate the Bottom -up spill over theory, which stipulates that subjective well-being/satisfaction with life is gained by satisfaction with life domains. Based on the study’s findings, recommendations were made to the key role players in the township industry with the aim of prioritising township residents’ subjective well-being. This study is the first of its kind within the South African context as it looks at the relationship between tourism and the subjective well-being of residents of a township. Therefore, this study makes a significant contribution to literature regarding tourism and subjective well-being

Low Florida Coral Calcification Rates in the Plio-Pleistocene

In geological outcrops and drill cores from reef frameworks, the skeletons of scleractinian corals are usually leached and more or less completely transformed into sparry calcite because the highly porous skeletons formed of metastable aragonite (CaCO3) undergo rapid diagenetic alteration. Upon alteration, ghost structures of the distinct annual growth bands often allow for reconstructions of annual extension ( =  growth) rates, but information on skeletal density needed for reconstructions of calcification rates is invariably lost. This report presents the bulk density, extension rates and calcification rates of fossil reef corals which underwent minor diagenetic alteration only. The corals derive from unlithified shallow water carbonates of the Florida platform (south-eastern USA), which formed during four interglacial sea level highstands dated approximately 3.2, 2.9, 1.8, and 1.2 Ma in the mid-Pliocene to early Pleistocene. With regard to the preservation, the coral skeletons display smooth growth surfaces with minor volumes of marine aragonite cement within intra-skeletal porosity. Within the skeletal structures, voids are commonly present along centres of calcification which lack secondary cements. Mean extension rates were 0.44 ± 0.19 cm yr−1(range 0.16 to 0.86 cm yr−1), mean bulk density was 0.96 ± 0.36 g cm−3 (range 0.55 to 1.83 g cm−3) and calcification rates ranged from 0.18 to 0.82 g cm−2 yr−1(mean 0.38 ± 0.16 g cm−2 yr−1), values which are 50 % of modern shallow-water reef corals. To understand the possible mechanisms behind these low calcification rates, we compared the fossil calcification rates with those of modern zooxanthellate corals (z corals) from the Western Atlantic (WA) and Indo-Pacific calibrated against sea surface temperature (SST). In the fossil data, we found a widely analogous relationship with SST in z corals from the WA, i.e. density increases and extension rate decreases with increasing SST, but over a significantly larger temperature window during the Plio-Pleistocene. With regard to the environment of coral growth, stable isotope proxy data from the fossil corals and the overall structure of the ancient shallow marine communities are consistent with a well-mixed, open marine environment similar to the present-day Florida Reef Tract, but variably affected by intermittent upwelling. Upwelling along the platform may explain low rates of reef coral calcification and inorganic cementation, but is too localised to account also for low extension rates of Pliocene z corals throughout the tropical WA region. Low aragonite saturation on a more global scale in response to rapid glacial–interglacial CO2 cyclicity is also a potential factor, but Plio-Pleistocene atmospheric pCO2 is generally believed to have been broadly similar to the present day. Heat stress related to globally high interglacial SST only episodically moderated by intermittent upwelling affecting the Florida platform seems to be another likely reason for low calcification rates. From these observations we suggest some present coral reef systems to be endangered from future ocean warming

Childhood cancer incidence in South Africa, 1987 - 2007

Background. Childhood cancer is an emerging problem in Africa. Its extent is hazy because data are scarce, but it should be addressed. This is the first report from the South African Children’s Tumour Registry (SACTR), which covers the whole of South Africa (SA). It provides minimal estimates of cancer incidence and discusses the challenges of cancer surveillance and control in a child population in a middleincome country. Only about 2% of the African population is covered by cancer registries producing comparable incidence data.Objective. To present and interpret incidence patterns and trends of childhood cancer over a 21-year period. The results should raise awareness of the problem of childhood cancer in an African population and provide sensible data for taking this problem in hand.Methods. All eligible and validated cancer cases registered in the SACTR over the period 1987 - 2007 and classified according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer were included. Population data were retrieved from official sources and estimated for the population subcategories. Incidence rates were standardised to the world standard and time trends were evaluated using joinpoint models, adjusting for sex and age.Results. Based on the 11 699 cases, the overall age-standardised average annual incidence rate was 45 per million. Threefold differences in the overall incidence rates were observed between the ethnic groups, ranging from 116 for whites to 37 for black Africans, and they differed by diagnostic group. Differences between the nine provinces of SA relate to the ethnic composition and prevailing socioeconomic status. The overall incidence rate declined by 1.2% per year for the whole country (p<0.01). However, the decline was mainly observed during the first few years of the study period, after which rates stabilised or increased.Conclusions. Diagnosis and notification of childhood cancer should improve. The differences in incidence between ethnic groups suggest the priorities for cancer control

The Impact of SMAD4 Loss on Outcome in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy

The role of the tumor suppressor mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4) has not yet been defined in patients (pts) with advanced pancreatic cancer (aPC). This translational research study was designed to evaluate the impact of tumoral SMAD4 loss on clinicopathological parameters and outcome in PC patients receiving palliative chemotherapy. Using immunohistochemistry, we examined SMAD4 expression in tumor tissue of 143 aPC pts treated within completed prospective clinical and biomarker trials. In uni- and multivariate analyses, SMAD4 expression status was correlated to clinicopathological patient characteristics and outcome. At chemotherapy initiation, 128 pts had metastatic PC;most pts (n = 99) received a gemcitabine-based regimen. SMAD4 loss was detected in 92 pts (64%);patient characteristics such as gender, age, tumor grading, disease stage or number of metastatic sites had no significant impact on tumoral SMAD4 status. In univariate analyses, SMAD4 loss had no impact on overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 1.008, p = 0.656);however, we observed a prolonged progression-free survival (HR 1.565, p = 0.038) in pts with tumoral SMAD4 loss. This finding was confirmed in multivariate analyses (HR 1.790, p = 0.040), but only for gemcitabine-treated pts. In contrast to previous studies in resectable PC, loss of SMAD4 expression was not associated with a negative outcome in patients with advanced PC receiving systemic chemotherapy

MINAS—a database of Metal Ions in Nucleic AcidS

Correctly folded into the respective native 3D structure, RNA and DNA are responsible for uncountable key functions in any viable organism. In order to exert their function, metal ion cofactors are closely involved in folding, structure formation and, e.g. in ribozymes, also the catalytic mechanism. The database MINAS, Metal Ions in Nucleic AcidS (http://www.minas.uzh.ch), compiles the detailed information on innersphere, outersphere and larger coordination environment of >70 000 metal ions of 36 elements found in >2000 structures of nucleic acids contained today in the PDB and NDB. MINAS is updated monthly with new structures and offers a multitude of search functions, e.g. the kind of metal ion, metal-ligand distance, innersphere and outersphere ligands defined by element or functional group, residue, experimental method, as well as PDB entry-related information. The results of each search can be saved individually for later use with so-called miniPDB files containing the respective metal ion together with the coordination environment within a 15 Å radius. MINAS thus offers a unique way to explore the coordination geometries and ligands of metal ions together with the respective binding pockets in nucleic acids

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor improves outcome in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that results in progressive loss of motoneurons, motor weakness and death within 1–5 years after disease onset. Therapeutic options remain limited despite a substantial number of approaches that have been tested clinically. In particular, various neurotrophic factors have been investigated. Failure in these trials has been largely ascribed to problems of insufficient dosing or inability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). We have recently uncovered the neurotrophic properties of the haematopoietic protein granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). The protein is clinically well tolerated and crosses the intact BBB. This study examined the potential role of G-CSF in motoneuron diseases. We investigated the expression of the G-CSF receptor in motoneurons and studied effects of G-CSF in a motoneuron cell line and in the SOD1(G93A) transgenic mouse model. The neurotrophic growth factor was applied both by continuous subcutaneous delivery and CNS-targeted transgenic overexpression. This study shows that given at the stage of the disease where muscle denervation is already evident, G-CSF leads to significant improvement in motor performance, delays the onset of severe motor impairment and prolongs overall survival of SOD1(G93A)tg mice. The G-CSF receptor is expressed by motoneurons and G-CSF protects cultured motoneuronal cells from apoptosis. In ALS mice, G-CSF increased survival of motoneurons and decreased muscular denervation atrophy. We conclude that G-CSF is a novel neurotrophic factor for motoneurons that is an attractive and feasible drug candidate for the treatment of ALS

pERK, pAKT and p53 as tissue biomarkers in erlotinib-treated patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: a translational subgroup analysis from AIO-PK0104

Background: The role of pERK, pAKT and p53 as biomarkers in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer has not yet been defined. Methods: Within the phase III study AIO-PK0104 281 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer received an erlotinib-based 1st-line regimen. Archival tissue from 153 patients was available for central immunohistochemistry staining for pERK, pAKT and p53. Within a subgroup analysis, biomarker data were correlated with efficacy endpoints and skin rash using a Cox regression model. Results: Fifty-five out of 153 patients were classified as pERK(low) and 98 patients as pERK(high); median overall survival (OS) was 6.2 months and 5.7 months, respectively (HR 1.29, p = 0.16). When analysing pERK as continuous variable, the pERK score was significantly associated with OS (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.0-1.12, p = 0.05). Twenty-one of 35 patients were pAKT(low) and 14/35 pAKT(high) with a corresponding median OS of 6.4 months and 6.8 months, respectively (HR 1.03, p = 0.93). Four out of 50 patients had a complete loss of p53 expression, 20 patients a regular expression and 26 patients had tumors with p53 overexpression. The p53 status had no impact on OS (p = 0.91); however, a significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) (6.0 vs 1.8 months, HR 0.24, p = 0.02) and a higher rate of skin rash (84% vs 25%, p = 0.02) was observed for patients with a regular p53 expression compared to patients with a complete loss of p53. Conclusion: pERK expression may have an impact on OS in erlotinib-treated patients with advanced pancreatic cancer; p53 should be further investigated for its potential role as a predictive marker for PFS and skin rash

Childhood cancer incidence in South Africa, 1987 - 2007

Background. Childhood cancer is an emerging problem in Africa. Its extent is hazy because data are scarce, but it should be addressed. This is the first report from the South African Children’s Tumour Registry (SACTR), which covers the whole of South Africa (SA). It provides minimal estimates of cancer incidence and discusses the challenges of cancer surveillance and control in a child population in a middle-income country. Only about 2% of the African population is covered by cancer registries producing comparable incidence data.Objective. To present and interpret incidence patterns and trends of childhood cancer over a 21-year period. The results should raise awareness of the problem of childhood cancer in an African population and provide sensible data for taking this problem in hand.Methods. All eligible and validated cancer cases registered in the SACTR over the period 1987 - 2007 and classified according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer were included. Population data were retrieved from official sources and estimated for the population subcategories. Incidence rates were standardised to the world standard and time trends were evaluated using joinpoint models, adjusting for sex and age.Results. Based on the 11 699 cases, the overall age-standardised average annual incidence rate was 45 per million. Threefold differences in the overall incidence rates were observed between the ethnic groups, ranging from 116 for whites to 37 for black Africans, and they differed by diagnostic group. Differences between the nine provinces of SA relate to the ethnic composition and prevailing socioeconomic status. The overall incidence rate declined by 1.2% per year for the whole country (p<0.01). However, the decline was mainly observed during the first few years of the study period, after which rates stabilised or increased.Conclusions. Diagnosis and notification of childhood cancer should improve. The differences in incidence between ethnic groups suggest the priorities for cancer control

Fast Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) for Dynamic Imaging of Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution in Multiple Organs

The characterization of pharmacokinetic and biodistribution profiles is an essential step in the development process of new candidate drugs or imaging agents. Simultaneously, the assessment of organ function related to the uptake and clearance of drugs is of great importance. To this end, we demonstrate an imaging platform capable of high-rate characterization of the dynamics of fluorescent agents in multiple organs using multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT). A spatial resolution of approximately 150 µm through mouse cross-sections allowed us to image blood vessels, the kidneys, the liver and the gall bladder. In particular, MSOT was employed to characterize the removal of indocyanine green from the systemic circulation and its time-resolved uptake in the liver and gallbladder. Furthermore, it was possible to track the uptake of a carboxylate dye in separate regions of the kidneys. The results demonstrate the acquisition of agent concentration metrics at rates of 10 samples per second at a single wavelength and 17 s per multispectral sample with 10 signal averages at each of 5 wavelengths. Overall, such imaging performance introduces previously undocumented capabilities of fast, high resolution in vivo imaging of the fate of optical agents for drug discovery and basic biological research