Die rol van plaaslike owerhede in die bevordering van toerisme: 'n historiese perspektief en toekomsriglyne vir die Vrystaat

Economic activities in most of the cities/towns of the Free State are largely based on slow-growing industries. Available resources for broadening these economic activities indicate limited potential in each of the various sectors of the local economies. In global terms tourism is experienced as an industry which can have an important impact on the economic growth and development of countries and regions. The question arises whether tourism can also be utilised as a factor for improving the economic growth and development potential of the Free State in general and the various cities and towns of the province in particular? Up to date the tourist industry in the Free State cannot be regarded as a factor that has any real impact on the economy of the province. Research indicated that the majority of cities and towns in the province possess sufficient tourist attractions and supporting facilities to serve as a basis for the promotion of the local tourist industry. Against this background, the primary purpose of this article is to indicate which innovative steps, compared to the past, must be taken by local authorities as generators of development in cities/towns, in order to ensure a full exploitation of the tourist industry of the Free State in such a manner that the province will derive maximum economic benefit from it

Werkskepping in Botshabelo: Fiksie of feit

Research indicates that the labour force of Botshabelo has increased at a proportionally quicker rate than that of the RSA over a given period of time. This situation is however not an inherent characteristic of the economy of Botshabelo, but should be attrib­uted to factors such as, inter alia, an initial influx of people into the area, decentralisation incentives and the influence of commuter and migrant labour. The number of economically active persons who earn a living in Bot­shabelo is unacceptably low and it appears that the economy of the city as such is incapable of meeting the demand for local job opportunities. This can be attributed to inter alia a lack of linkage among industries, which is an indication of a poorly integrated economy. Planning for future growth and devel­opment in Botshabelo should occur within the context of development within the Bloemfontein-Botshabelo­Thaba Nchu (BBT) subregion. Any action which stimulates or inhibits the complementary nature of development in Bloemfontein, Botshabelo or Thaba Nchu, will have an influence on eco­nomic growth and development in Botshabelo.*This article is written in Afrikaans

Die bedreiging van 'n dorp se ekonomiese basis vereis pro-aktiewe optrede: Vryheid as gevallestudie

The economic growth potential of vari­ous towns in South Africa depends on only a few economic activities. The lack of a broad or diversified economic base holds certain risks, since a decrease in these core activities might lead to economic stagnation and decline in a town or city. Vryheid is a typical example of a town in which the economy is largely based on a single industry, namely mining. Due to vari­ous factors, mining in Vryheid is cur­rently under pressure and indications are that this trend will gain momentum in future. This has particular implica­tions with regard to the economic growth and development of the town. The purpose of this article is to show how Vryheid, through the pro-active actions of its local board and commu­nity leaders, succeeded in identifying alternative growth and development possibilities to compensate fo r the decline in mining activities. The suc­cess achieved by Vryheid should in no way be regarded as a blueprint for other communities, but might serve as an example as to how similar problems might be handled elsewhere.*This article is written in Afrikaans

Botshabelo: Reaksie van 'n tipiese slaapdorp op veranderende sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede in 'n "Nuwe Suid-Afrika“

Research has indicated that changing socio-economic conditions in a “New South Africa” have wide-reaching consequences in a “dormitory town ” such as Botshabelo. The purpose of this article is to determine which changes in respect of demographic and related aspects, as well as in the field of economics, have occurred in Bot­shabelo over a period of three years. A comparison of data obtained during surveys undertaken in 1988/89 and again in 1991 can throw light on changes which have occurred. As far as the demographic profile of the population is concerned, informa­tion was obtained during both the 1988/89 and 1991 surveys on a sample basis by means of personal interviews conducted within the community on the basis of interview schedules. During both surveys economic data was also obtained by means of interviews con­ducted with various enterprises on the basis of interview schedules. The tech­nique of input-output analysis was employed on both occasions to analyse the local economy. Aspects discussed in the article are estimated population size, factors influencing population growth, such as the composition and size of house­holds, age distribution o f the commu­nity, births and mortality, as well as expected future population growth. This is followed by a discussion of the performance of formal enterprises with regard to local sales, value added, import and exogenous demand, as well as of changes with regard to job op­portunities and work-place, distribu­tion of the labour force according to sector, the economically active popula­tion according to industry, sales and income of households.*This article is written in Afrikaans

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Investigating falls in adults with intellectual disability living in community settings and their experiences of post-fall care services: Protocol for a prospective observational cohort study

Background: Falls among older adults with intellectual disability (ID) are recognised as a serious health problem potentially resulting in reduced health-related quality of life and premature placement in residential care. However there are limited studies that have investigated this problem and thus falls rates among older adults with ID remain uncertain. Furthermore, people with ID rely heavily on familial and professional care support to address health problems, such as after having a fall. No studies have explored the post-fall care that people with ID receive. Method: This research will be carried out in two phases using a convergent mixed methods design. The aim of Phase 1 is to estimate the falls rate by prospectively observing a cohort of older adults (≥ 35 years) with ID (n = 90) for six months. Phase 1 will be conducted according to STROBE guidelines. In Phase 2, participants from Phase 1 who have experienced a fall(s) will be asked to participate in a semi-structured interview to explore their post-fall experience. Discussion: This study will determine the rate of falls among older adults with ID living in community based settings, which will assist to identify the extent of this problem. Data collected from the study will also aid in understanding the circumstance of falls and related falls risk factors in this cohort. This will include exploring any barriers that older adults with ID may encounter when seeking or undertaking recommended post-fall care advice. Findings from this research will potentially inform future development of falls prevention services for older adults with ID. This study has been approved by the University Human Research Ethics Committee. Trial registration: The protocol for this study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12615000926538) on 7 September 2015. www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368990&isReview=tru

Perspectives on ethnic and racial disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Update and areas of immediate need

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are a global crisis facing the aging population and society as a whole. With the numbers of people with ADRDs predicted to rise dramatically across the world, the scientific community can no longer neglect the need for research focusing on ADRDs among underrepresented ethnoracial diverse groups. The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART; alz.org/ISTAART) comprises a number of professional interest areas (PIAs), each focusing on a major scientific area associated with ADRDs. We leverage the expertise of the existing international cadre of ISTAART scientists and experts to synthesize a cross‐PIA white paper that provides both a concise "state-of-the-science" report of ethnoracial factors across PIA foci and updated recommendations to address immediate needs to advance ADRD science across ethnoracial populations

A genetic cause of Alzheimer disease: mechanistic insights from Down syndrome

Down syndrome, caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, is associated with a greatly increased risk of early onset Alzheimer disease. It is thought that this risk is conferred by the presence of three copies of the gene encoding amyloid precursor protein (APP), an Alzheimer risk factor, although the possession of extra copies of other chromosome 21 genes may also play a role. Further study of the mechanisms underlying the development of Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome could provide insights into the mechanisms that cause dementia in the general population

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700