The demand for Food in South Africa

Food consumption is an important issue in South Africa, not only in its relation to poverty and deprivation, but also given the importance of nutrition in allowing HIV/AIDS sufferers to lead extended, productive lives. With the pressing need to increase food security and the enormity of the epidemic, understanding the demand for food has become a vital task. It is important that the determinants of the demand for food are understood, so that responses of household food consumption to changes in the prices of foodstuffs, prices of other commodities, and total expenditure can be anticipated. There is, however, surprisingly little economic research on this topic. This paper provides an empirical analysis of the demand for food in South Africa for the years 1970 to 2002. It uses two modelling approaches, a general dynamic log-linear demand equation and a dynamic version of the almost ideal demand system to provide estimates of the short- and long-run price and expenditure demand elasticities.

SDF-1 and PDGF enhance [alpha]v[beta]5-mediated ERK activation and adhesion-independent growth of human pre-B cell lines

CD23 acts through the [alpha]v[beta]5 integrin to promote growth of human pre-B cell lines in an adhesion-independent manner. [alpha]v[beta]5 is expressed on normal B-cell precursors in the bone marrow. Soluble CD23 (sCD23), short CD23-derived peptides containing the arg-lys-cys (RKC) motif recognized by [alpha]v[beta]5 and anti-[alpha]v[beta]5 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) all sustain growth of pre-B cell lines. The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) regulates key processes during B-cell development. SDF-1 enhanced the growth-sustaining effect driven by ligation of [alpha]v[beta]5 with anti-[alpha]v[beta]5 MAb 15F-11, sCD23 or CD23-derived RKC-containing peptides. This effect was restricted to B-cell precursors and was specific to SDF-1. The enhancement in growth was associated with the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and both these responses were attenuated by the MEK inhibitor U0126. Finally, platelet-derived growth factor also enhanced both [alpha]v[beta]5-mediated cell growth and ERK activation. The data suggest that adhesion-independent growth-promoting signals delivered to B-cell precursors through the [alpha]v[beta]5 integrin can be modulated by cross-talk with receptors linked to both G-protein and tyrosine kinase-coupled signalling pathways

Sentinel node biopsy for the clinically N₊ & N₀ neck in squamous carcinoma of the head and neck

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 33-34).The objectives of the study were to determine the accuracy of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); to determine its role in the approach to the clinically N+ neck in a Developing World setting; and its accuracy as an indicator of regional lymph node status in the clinically N neck

Exploring the Tapestry of Real Estate Value

Real Estate’s value is unquestioned in terms of its measure financially and in economics. But there are forms and areas of value that do not lend themselves to easy or obvious modes of measurement and whilst these may be appreciated, they are not easily formally assessed or measured. This paper looks into the ‘tapestry’ of real estate value, recognizing that tapestries comprise multiple threads that are woven together to reveal a pattern or picture that can only be appreciated when the observer takes a step back and considers the contribution made by these multiple threads.The paper is conceptual and draws on both existing theories and cases. These are linked via the use of the ‘triple bottom line’ approach to the recording of areas of value: economic, social and environmental. The paper considers the concept of value and the definition of real estate and, from weaving together the various concepts of value and illustrations of cases that illustrate aspects of the variety of value creation and destruction, seeks to reveal a rich, diverse and underappreciated world of real estate value.The paper’s conclusion reflects on the need to bring different views and expertise together and notes the creation of a new academically created forum that is being opened to further explore and understand better these many and varied areas of value that are in and from real estate

Risk Disclosure and Re-establishing Legitimacy in the Event of a Crisis - Did Northern Rock Use Risk Disclosure to Repair Legitimacy after their 2007 Collapse?

Banks are exposed to a wide range of risk in their every day operation and in response to this they have developed various tools and strategies in order to help avoid, measure, or manage these risks. These tools and strategies are not always successful which has lead to several well publicised crises including amongst others the Barings bank collapse, Allfirst fraud, Santander fraud and more recently the collapse of Northern Rock and its subsequent nationalisation. In order for society to permit their operation firms require legitimacy, where by its actions must conform to cultural and social norms (Suchman 1995). Legitimacy and trust are vitally important and central to bank operations (Linsley and Kajuter 2008) therefore society is more likely to hold them to account (Ashforth and Gibbs 1990), meaning that in the occurrence of an legitimacy adverse risk event or crisis a banking organisation must enact strategies in order to repair and re-establish trust. Whilst legitimacy theory and the use of voluntary disclosures as part of a strategy for restoring organisational legitimacy and reputation has received academic attention (Linsley and Kajuter 2008) there has been limited research on banking disclosures (Linsley and Shrives 2006) and even less done on disclosures issued as a response to an adverse risk event or crisis. The only previous study in this area (see Linsley and Kajuter 2008) focused solely on disclosures located in the annual report but in the concluding remarks identified that the annual report is not the only risk disclosure vehicle and that future research should consider looking at disclosures issued through alternative communication methods. This study therefore will be on the use of disclosures in alternative communication methods (as suggested by Linsley and Kajuter (2008)) in the event of an organisational crisis. The research will aim to add to the still evolving academic understanding of the use of risk disclosure, as well as any part it may play in organisational legitimacy repairing strategies. This exploratory research may also help to identify possible new areas for further study. 3 This study will attempt to achieve these aims by comparing and contrasting Northern Rock Plc‘s before and after their spectacular collapse in 2007 to identify any changes in their risk disclosure in press releases, which have been highlighted as a potential candidate for research in past studies (see Lebar 1982) that, as with most others, have focused on disclosures solely in the annual report. The Northern Rock Plc collapse caused by the lack of wholesale market finance resulting from the 2007 subprime crisis was widely reported and caused substantial damage to the banks legitimacy. The study will first compare press release disclosures in the periods before and after the crisis, and if any changes are found then it will attempt to identify whether the changes were part of a strategy formulated to re-legitimise the bank or not. First the chapter comprises a review of the existing risk, risk disclosure and legitimacy theory literature as well as a definition of key concepts and background to Northern Rock and its legitimacy crisis. Secondly, the research methods are explained, hypotheses developed and choice of press releases for the basis of the study is justified. Finally, the results are analysed and finally conclusions are drawn and suggestions for further research are made