Realiteite van kantoorparkontwikkelings

The purpose of the study was to high­light the characteristic features of office parks. The importance of loca­tion and accessibility in orderly plan­ning in public interest, the new Deve­lopment Facilitation Act, Act 67 of 1995 (DFA), as well as, site size and establishment conditions were empha­sized. A literature study was done, interviews were conducted, with ques­tionnaires in large cities in South Africa, as office parks have not yet been established in the smaller cities. The conclusion was reached that the typical peripheral location can possi­bly still move further from the city (with reservations), even to more rural areas to avoid traffic congestion and ensure more pleasant residential areas. In the more rural areas a smaller site can still convey the office park con­cept, even with higher coverage and floor space ratio (FSR). Finally possi­ble guidelines for urban planners and developers were suggested.*This article is written in Afrikaans

Gemaskerde depressie

Masked depression is a condition in which the classic affective and cognitive symptoms of depression are hidden behind a variety of somatic complaints or behavioural problems. Patients suffering from masked depression are usually incorrectly diagnosed and treated symptomatically with little success. The condition is often encountered in the medical literature from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, but little has been published about it in recent years. This review discusses the changing ideas and approach with regard to masked depression and examines whether they are still relevant today. The literature published in each of the previous decades is studied and specific attention is given to cultural differences in a South African context. Although little has been published on masked depression in the past few years, somatic complaints in depression are still regularly examined in the literature. A significant number of patients with depression are still not correctly diagnosed and masked depression therefore remains relevant. Doctors should be aware of the presenting complaints in these patients and should understand the reasons for somatisation

Lidmate se houding teenoor kerkvereniging in die ngkfamilie: \'n kruiskulturele ondersoek na enkele veranderlikes*

The unity of the church of Christ is a spiritual reality, which finds its origin in the triune God. Although unity is a spiritual reality given by God himself, a comprehensive, visible expression of this essential unity must be achieved. The family of Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa is currently struggling to achieve visible unity. In this study, two research questions were posed. Firstly, what is members of the family of Dutch Reformed Churches\' attitude towards church unification? Secondly, are there statistically significant differences among members of the family of Dutch Reformed of Churches\' attitude towards church unification when home language, level of education and monthly income are taken into account? A total of 223 respondents were included, which consisted of 104 (46,6%) Dutch Reformed Church members, 72 (32,3%) DRC in Africa members and 47 (21,1%) Uniting Reformed Church members. The Attitude towards Church Unification Questionnaire was utilized. Statistical analysis concluded that members of the Dutch Reformed Churches in all the different denominations have a positive attitude towards church unification. The variable found to have the greatest influence on the attitude of church members was home language. Monthly household income was also significant at the 5% level, while level of education did not have a statistically significant influence on people\'s attitude towards church unification. Acta Theologica Vol. 1 2007: pp. 60-8

Comparative RNAi Screens in C. elegans and C. briggsae Reveal the Impact of Developmental System Drift on Gene Function

Although two related species may have extremely similar phenotypes, the genetic networks underpinning this conserved biology may have diverged substantially since they last shared a common ancestor. This is termed Developmental System Drift (DSD) and reflects the plasticity of genetic networks. One consequence of DSD is that some orthologous genes will have evolved different in vivo functions in two such phenotypically similar, related species and will therefore have different loss of function phenotypes. Here we report an RNAi screen in C. elegans and C. briggsae to identify such cases. We screened 1333 genes in both species and identified 91 orthologues that have different RNAi phenotypes. Intriguingly, we find that recently evolved genes of unknown function have the fastest evolving in vivo functions and, in several cases, we identify the molecular events driving these changes. We thus find that DSD has a major impact on the evolution of gene function and we anticipate that the C. briggsae RNAi library reported here will drive future studies on comparative functional genomics screens in these nematodes

Analysis of the same day of the week increases in peak electricity demand in South Africa

Modelling of the same day of the week increases in peak electricity demand using the Generalized Pareto-type (GP-type) distribution is discussed. The GP-type distribution discussed in this paper has one parameter to estimate and as such, it is referred to as the Generalized Single Pareto (GSP). The data is from Eskom, South Africa's power utility company and is for the years 2000 to 2011. A comparative analysis is done with a Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD). Although both the GSP and the GPD fit the data, the use of the GSP is easier since it has only one parameter to estimate instead of two as is the case with the GPD. Modelling of the same day of the week increases in peak electricity demand improves the reliability of a power network if an accurate assessment of the level and frequency of future extreme load forecasts is carried out

State Neuroticism at Home and in Fiji: The Positive Effects of Having a Holiday to Reset Mind and Brain

Neuroticism, i.e., the disposition to experiencing feelings of emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, and anger, is often considered a relatively stable and fundamental personality characteristic (trait neuroticism). However, the level of neuroticism can also vary within individuals (state neuroticism), depending on external factors such as life events and work stress. The aim of the current study was to examine to what extent having a holiday can reduce state neuroticism. A survey was conducted among n = 213 young adults who were on holiday in Fiji (mean ± SD age of 24.5 ± 4.3, 46.9% women). In addition to demographics, they completed the neuroticism scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—revised Short Scale (EPQ-RSS). Compared to at home, a significant reduction (p < 0.001) in neuroticism was reported when they were on holiday (mean ± SD of 4.5 ± 3.0 versus 2.1 ± 2.3, respectively). The effect was seen in both men and women. Women had significantly higher neuroticism ratings than men, both at home (mean ± SD of 5.4 ± 2.9 versus 3.6 ± 2.9, respectively, p < 0.001) and on holiday (mean ± SD of 2.5 ± 2.4 versus 1.6 ± 2.0, respectively, p < 0.001). No significant differences were seen between individuals with a job at home or students. The correlation between neuroticism at home and the difference rating in neuroticism (‘at home’—‘in Fiji’ assessment) was highly significant (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). In conclusion, having a holiday was associated with significantly reduced levels of neuroticism. Those with the highest levels of neuroticism at home benefited the most from having a holiday

Forensic volumetric visualization of gunshot residue in its anatomic context in forensic post mortem computed tomography: Development of transfer function preset

While the visualization of gunshot injuries so far focused on solid metal density in routine forensic post mortem computed tomography (PMCT) as well as in micro-computed tomography, gunshot residue (GSR) as dispersed metal particles typically succumbs to partial volume effect. A case series of seven contact shots to the head was evaluated to determine a density range for GSR with at least three times higher likelihood than encountering bone, skin, muscle or blood. For that, a Bayesian likelihood was determined from normal distributions of the CT-densities of blood, bone, skin, muscle and GSR as identified in correlation with visual evidence. Resulting transfer functions matched ring and cone shaped GSR deposits as published elsewhere, thus representing a plausible result. Only fast and plausibly specific visualization is suitable for routine use in forensic PMCT, to allow the examination of GSR in real cases on a wider scale

The Association of Insomnia, Perceived Immune Functioning, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome Complaints

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can have a significant negative impact on quality of life, mood and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between experiencing IBS symptoms and insomnia, and perceived health status. METHOD: An online survey was conducted among n = 1950 Dutch university students (83.6% women). IBS was assessed with the Birmingham IBS Symptom Questionnaire, quality of life with the WHO-5 wellbeing index, and sleep outcomes with the SLEEP-50 questionnaire. Perceived immune functioning and general health were assessed using 1-item scales. RESULTS: IBS symptom severity was significantly associated with insomnia complaints (r = 0.32, p = 0.0001), sleep quality (r = -0.21, p = 0.0001), sleep onset latency (r = 0.11, p = 0.0001) and the number of nightly awakenings (r = 0.24, p = 0.0001). Total sleep time was not significantly associated with IBS symptom severity. Significant correlations were also found between IBS symptom severity and perceived general health (r = -0.30, p = 0.0001), perceived immune functioning (r= -0.25, p = 0.0001), and quality of life (r = -0.24, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Experiencing IBS complaints is associated with reduced perceived immune functioning, a poorer perception of general health, and sleep disturbances. These effects are reflected in a significantly lower reported quality of life in subjects with more IBS and/or sleep complaints