Microhabitat use by Gilbert\u27s Potoroo (Potorous Tridactylus Gilbertii Gould) in Relation to Vegetation Associations and Ground Cover

Gilbert\u27s potoroo has been rediscovered 120 years after it was believed to have become extinct. In 1994 the presence of Gilbert\u27s potoroo was confirmed at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, near Albany, and since that time the need for a detailed understanding of the biology and behaviour of the species has become urgent. An understanding of the habitat requirements of the species will aid in its recovery from its present critically endangered status and will act as a guide for future management decisions concerning translocations of new populations into other areas. The present study was conducted at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in Western Australia in order to determine the microhabitat requirements of the species, with particular reference to vegetation associations and density of canopy cover utilised. The study was conducted on both female and male adult specimens of the nocturnal marsupial species Potomus tridactylus gilbertii Gould. Investigation of microhabitat preferences was undertaken using a modified spool-and-line tracking technique, giving a detailed record of the movement of the animals through the habitat. The habitat within the study area is comprised mainly of dense coastal heath dominated by Melaleuca and Agonis spp. with A/locasuarina spp. emergents. It is fragmented by wet and dry sclerophyll forest along gullies and granite outcrops and large sedgelands dominated by Anarthriaspp. The spool lines were not clearly associated with any particular floristic group or strongly correlated with any particular density of cover. Instead it appeared that animals utilised a range of vegetation ecotones, with dense cover possibly being utilised for diurnal shelter and protection from predators, and more open areas for nocturnal foraging

Supporting rape survivors to adhere to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent HIV infection: The importance of psychosocial counselling and support

Eleven years after it was first mooted in 1996, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act (32 of 2007) came into effect in December 2007. Law-makers proudly lauded sections 28 and 29 of the Act, which set out how post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent HIV infection should be made available to rape survivors.* These clauses are, however, neither particularly novel nor innovative, Cabinet having already approved (in April 2002) the provision of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection following rape. Subsequent to Cabinet's decision, a few studies were conducted examining various facets of providing PEP as part of a health response to rape.1-4 In theory, these findings should have provided legislators with some insight into what was required by rape survivors from a PEP service, particularly in relation to psycho-social support. This was not the case, as we will show in this article, which draws on unpublished findings from 67 interviews with rape survivors† exploring their adherence to PEP. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine Vol. 9 (3) 2008: pp.24-2

Host range, purification, and genetic variability in Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus

Sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV) has recently been classified as a putative new member of the genus Carlavirus (family Flexiviridae) on the basis of its molecular properties. In this study, SPCFV was characterized in terms of host range, physical and biological characteristics, and genetic variability. In addition to sweet potato, SPCFV infected some plant species in the families Convolvulaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Solanaceae. Limited numbers of virus particles were observed in the assimilation parenchyma cells of infected plant tissues; some cells had a distorted and enlarged endoplasmic reticulum though without any cytoplasmic and amorphous inclusions. The normal length of SPCFV particles was determined to be approximately 800 nm. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, polyclonal antibodies raised against purified SPCFV virions were able to detect the virus in infected sweet potato and indicator plant tissues. In immunoelectron microscopy, SPCFV particles were all strongly decorated when reacted with homologous antiserum. Comparison of the 3′ terminal part of the genome of a range of geographically diverse isolates revealed a high level of genetic diversity. The amino acid sequence identity in the coat protein and the nucleic acid binding protein ranged from 89 to 99.7% and from 75.9 to 99.2%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of both proteins showed a geographically associated clustering into two genogroups

Incentives and Regional Coordination in Employment Services

Due to yardstick competition, municipalities have financial incentives to reduce unemployment, but are not likely to cooperate with each other to have the scale advantages of a regional labour market. On the other hand, a regional public employment service, like the CWI in the Netherlands, has a higher probability and value of matching, but it lacks the incentives to exert the optimal mediation effort. This paper presents a game theoretical model that addresses the trade off between regional coordination and incentives in the mediation of unemployed in the Netherlands. The model is calibrated with information on vacancies and CWI clients for the Netherlands, in order to get an impression whether it is optimal to have a public employment service in the context of this model. Finally, various institutional settings, like a privatised employment service and a performance contract for the employment office, are considered.

NEW CRIMES AND OLD PROCEDURES: Can the new Sexual Offences Bill deliver on its promises?

In 1996 Dullah Omar, the then-Minister of Justice, established a project committee in the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) to investigate sexual offences against children. Eleven years later, having widened the scope of the legal reforms to include adults, the National Assembly finally passed the muchdelayed Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill (SO Bill 10 Nov 06 (SOBPC06)) on 23 May 2007. The Bill is ambitious, its objects being: ‘To afford complainants of sexual offences the maximum and least traumatising protection that the law can provide, to introduce measures which seek to enable the relevant organs of state to give full effect to the provisions of this Act and to combat and, ultimately, eradicate the relatively high incidence of sexual offences committed in the Republic’ (Sexual Offences Bill 2006: 9). This article briefly sets out some of the Bill’s content and then examines whether or not the Bill, in its current form, does indeed meet the high aims set for itself

In de ban van goed en fout. De bestrijding van de Centrumpartij en de Centrumdemocraten (1980-1998)

Op donderdag 16 september 1982 demonstreerden duizenden mensen op het Binnenhof in Den Haag toen Hans Janmaat beëdigd werd als lid van de Tweede Kamer voor de Centrumpartij (CP). Het bleef niet bij die ene demonstratie. Omdat ze scherpe kritiek had op het toenmalige immigratie- en integratiebeleid werd de CP vanaf de oprichting in 1980 fel bestreden. In de Tweede Kamer was er een cordon sanitaire; er werden rechtszaken aangespannen; antifascisten verstoorden partijvergaderingen; de media schreven negatief over de partij. En dat veranderde in de loop der jaren niet echt; voor de latere Centrumdemocraten (CD) gold in grote lijnen hetzelfde. In de ban van goed en fout beschrijft voor het eerst – op basis van archiefonderzoek en interviews – op samenhangende wijze de bestrijding van de CP en CD, en ook de reactie daarop van die partijen. Waarom werden ze zo fel werden bestreden? Werd de tegenstelling tussen die partijen en de rest van de samenleving vooral in morele termen gegoten? Was Nederland, kortom, in de ban van 'goed' en 'fout'?J.E. Jurriaanse StichtingPolitical Culture and National Identit

A comparison of methods assessing soil compaction on black vertosols. South-Eastern Queensland, Australia

Mechanical soil compaction is a major problem for cotton production on vertosols in Queensland, Australia. To understand the state and impacts of soil compaction reliable measurements are essential. However an overall comparison of measurement methods does not exist for compaction in black vertosols. This research investigates which traditional and innovative methods are the most adequate to measure soil compaction on cotton grown black vertosols. Three methods were tested in the field and lab: ring sampling, the penetrometer and the EM-38. For varying reasons several other methods could not be tested and were evaluated by means of literature research. The methods were assessed on their costs, time efficiency, user-friendliness, and most importantly their reliability and physical limits. Results indicate that there was not one particular method superior to the other methods. As hypothesized, the traditional ring sampling method provided inconsistent data on soil compaction. In contrast, the penetrometer was found to be significantly correlated to the volumetric water content of the soil and proved to be an adequate device to measure soil compaction in dry conditions. Complementing the penetrometer, the shear vane method was found to be a good alternative method for use in wetter conditions. Major advantages of modern techniques over traditional methods, such as the EM38 and Electric Resistivity Tomography (ERT), were that they are non-destructive to the soil and able to detect soil compaction in a wide range of soil moisture contents. However, ERT should be further investigated for specific use on black vertosols. Compared to traditional methods, the use of the EM38 and ERT as a routine operation for farmers is still unlikely due to the higher costs, specialized equipment and need for advanced analysis. Each method has its clear advantages and disadvantages, making not one clearly superior to the others. Thus, the context and purpose in which each method is used should be carefully considered

High resolution mapping of a novel late blight resistance gene Rpi-avll, from the wild Bolivian species Solanum avilesii

Both Mexico and South America are rich in Solanum species that might be valuable sources of resistance (R) genes to late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Here, we focus on an R gene present in the diploid Bolivian species S. avilesii. The genotype carrying the R gene was resistant to eight out of 10 Phytophthora isolates of various provenances. The identification of a resistant phenotype and the generation of a segregating population allowed the mapping of a single dominant R gene, Rpi-avl1, which is located in an R gene cluster on chromosome 11. This R gene cluster is considered as an R gene “hot spot”, containing R genes to at least five different pathogens. High resolution mapping of the Rpi-avl1 gene revealed a marker co-segregating in 3890 F1 individuals, which may be used for marker assisted selection in breeding programs and for further cloning of Rpi-avl

GANG RAPE: A study in inner-city Johannesburg

A study of gang rape cases reported to police in inner-city Johannesburg in 1999 – although fairly dated – provides new insights into a disturbing pheno menon. The most striking thing about these rapes is their predatory nature. Typically, groups of men either lie in wait for their victims, or actively drive around looking for someone to abduct. The attacks are also brazen and violent: women are confronted in public spaces, and the use of force increases with the number of perpetrators involved in the rape