Die aktualisering van die gemeenskap van die gelowiges binne die erediens

The actualising of the commimity of believers within public worshipThe youth experiences the public service in the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church of Africa as cold and dead. According to investigations it feels that the public service lacks warmth and intimate atmosphere. Therefore this article wants to investigate the community of believers in the church. The question of how the church can realise the community of believers is raised. To reach this point, firstly the Bible and the articles of faith is investigated, and after that a look is taken at the nature of the public service, and the actualising of the believers

The Short-term Influence of a Mediterranean-type Diet and Mild Exercise with and without Red Wine on Patients with the Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is a target for the dietary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The effect of adding redwine to the diet has not been fully investigated. This study examined whether a Mediterranean-type dietcomplemented with red wine and mild exercise had an impact on patients with the metabolic syndrome in the shortterm. Twelve patients with the metabolic syndrome consumed a Mediterranean-type diet for four weeks withoutand with red wine respectively and performed mild exercise. We implemented the diagnostic criteria for themetabolic syndrome as formulated by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) in 2001. The patients were alsoscreened for multiple genetic markers implicated in cardiovascular disease. Weight, body mass index, abdominalcircumference and blood pressure were measured, as well as various biochemical, haematological andinflammatory markers. There was a significant decrease in the body weight (p = 0.04) and an increase in ORACvalue (p = 0.035) after the dietary intervention. A significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.045) wasobserved. Red wine had no additional benefits. Although diet reduced weight and blood pressure, the lipoproteinand pro-coagulant profiles of patients with the metabolic syndrome were not affected in this study. These findingsmay be explained partly by the diverse genetic profile identified among the study participants, as 50% hadmutations involved in lipid metabolism that may influence the response to dietary intervention and alcoholconsumption

The influence of a Mediterranean Diet with and without Red Wine on the Haemostatic and Inflammatory Parameters of Subjects with the Metabolic Syndrome

This 8 week study examined whether a Mediterranean diet supplemented with red wine, had an acute impact onsubjects diagnosed with the metabolic syndrome. Twelve non-smoking subjects with diagnostic criteria of themetabolic syndrome on minimal medication, consumed a Mediterranean-like diet for 4 weeks respectively withoutand with red wine. The amount of red wine consumed was 250 ml (26 grams of alcohol) per day for male and 180ml (19 grams) per day for female participants. A nutrigenetic profile for cardiovascular risk factors was performedon each participant. Fasting blood specimens were taken at baseline, after the diet and after the diet with wineinterventions for platelet function, procoagulants FVII and FVIII, von Willebrand’s factor, fibrinogen, tissueplasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, highly sensitive C-reactive protein and oxygen radicalabsorbance capacity (ORAC). After both periods of diet without wine and with wine, ORAC increased significantlycompared to baseline levels. Except for platelet H2O2 fluxes and FVII concentration, none of the haemostatic orinflammatory parameters changed significantly after the intervention periods compared with baseline levels.Genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease were identified in all study participants and the potential genotypiceffects relevant to this study were generally in agreement with expected phenotypic response following the dietaryintervention. Our conclusions are that the period of intervention was too short for substantial changes inhaemostatic or in inflammatory parameters in subjects who already manifest some changes in their cardiovascularsystem and who showed diverse genetic profiles underlying increased cardiovascular risk

Evaluation of the response behaviour of unconfined cemented materials under dynamic loading

There is a significant increase in traffic loading on most roads in the developing African countries, and South Africa is one of them. Often this increased traffic loading results in the premature failure of pavement structures. Mechanistic-empirical (M-E) design methods based on fundamental principles are better able to accommodate changes in the design environment. The successful use of design methods depends on the accuracy of the input material parameters. Therefore, as design is moving towards M-E design methods, there is a need for the material parameters to reflect the actual pavement response to dynamic loads. The objective of this paper is to report on the investigation of the response of cement-stabilised sub-base layers to dynamic load by evaluating stiffness at a known strain level. This stiffness was compared with those derived from unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests performed at static load. The strain and stiffness values were also evaluated against compacted density, cement content, moisture content and material type. It was found that stiffness of some of the cement-stabilised sub-base layers may possibly be overestimated through the use of static loads.Tshwane University of Technology, the National Department of Transport’s Northern Transportation Centre of Development, Geostrada Materials Engineering Laboratory and Aurecon.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_civileng.htmlhb201

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No abstract available

The impact of various land uses on the microbial and physicochemical quality of surface water bodies in developing countries : prioritisation of water resources management areas

To protect water resources, the WHO recommends assessing land use influence on water quality, taking into consideration residential development and waste disposal amongst others. Thus, we investigated the impact of unconstructed plots, an informal settlement, an urban residential area, and an industrial area on the microbiological and physicochemical quality of two main tributaries within the Klein Jukskei catchment, Johannesburg, South Africa, to identify areas where immediate resource management strategies were needed. Water samples collected from the tributaries’ sources and upstream and downstream from each land use type (Winter and Spring) were analysed for E. coli (indicator organism), using the Colilert® 18 system. Physicochemical parameters (Temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, turbidity and total dissolved solids) were measured using multiparameter instruments. The tributaries’ sources had the lowest E. coli counts (Sandspruit – 0.74; North Ridingspruit – 1.18 log10 MPN/100 mL) during the study. After flowing through the various land uses, mean E. coli counts reached 5.98 (Sandspruit) and 4.85 log10 MPN/100 mL (North Ridingspruit). E. coli values and all physicochemical parameters (but for pH) downstream from most of the land uses did not meet the South African drinking water quality guidelines. The informal settlement had the most negative impact on the microbial and physicochemical quality of the water within the tributaries. Thus, providing informal settlements with appropriate sanitation facilities is likely to prevent pollution of the water bodies. Protection of the sources should also be implemented while industrial wastes need to be monitored for conformity with water quality guidelines before discharge.The authors personally provided all funding for the current research.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enmm2018-12-30hj2017Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

BDNF Val66Met and DRD2 Taq1A polymorphisms interact to influence PTSD symptom severity: A preliminary investigation in a South African population

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the role that selected variants in serotonin transporter (5-HTT), dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes play in PTSD symptom severity in an at-risk population. We also investigated the interaction between the genetic variants to determine whether these variables and the interactions between the variables influenced the severity of PTSD symptoms. METHODS: PTSD symptoms were quantitatively assessed using the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS) in 150 participants from an at-risk South African population. All participants were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR, DRD2 Taq1A and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms. Gene–gene interactions were investigated using various linear models. All analyses were adjusted for age, gender, major depressive disorder diagnosis, level of resilience, level of social support and alcohol dependence. RESULTS: A significant interaction effect between DRD2 Taq1A and BDNF Val66Met variants on DTS score was observed. On the background of the BDNF Val66Val genotype, DTS score increased significantly with the addition of a DRD2 Taq1A A1 allele. However, on the BDNF Met66 allele background, the addition of an A1 allele was found to reduce total DTS score. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence for an epistatic interaction between BDNF Val66Met and DRD2 Taq1A polymorphisms on the severity of PTSD symptoms, where both too little and too much dopamine can result in increased PTSD symptom severity.Web of Scienc

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Agreement on endoscopic ultrasonography-guided tissue specimens: Comparing a 20-G fine-needle biopsy to a 25-G fine-needle aspiration needle among academic and non-academic pathologists

Background and Aim: A recently carried out randomized controlled trial showed the benefit of a novel 20-G fine-needle biopsy (FNB) over a 25-G fine-needle aspiration (FNA) needle. The current study evaluated the reproducibility of these findings among expert academic and non-academic pathologists. Methods: This study was a side-study of the ASPRO (ASpiration versus PROcore) study. Five centers retrieved 74 (59%) consecutive FNB and 51 (41%) FNA samples from the ASPRO study according to randomization; 64 (51%) pancreatic and 61 (49%) lymph node specimens. Samples were re-reviewed by five expert academic and five non-academic pathologists and rated in terms of sample quality and diagnosis. Ratings were compared between needles, expert academic and