Working on societal relevance: Experiences from a research evaluation at the International Institute of Social Studies

Universities are faced with changing methods of research evaluation. The revised Standard Evaluation Protocol in the Netherlands has now explicitly and prominently taken into account societal relevance. This shift has profound implications on the institutional research in higher education and the type of data that research groups need to collect. The International Institute of Social Studies performed quite well in the last research assessment with among others a score of (1) World leading/excellent on societal relevance. In the paper we describe how we have tried to collect the evidence for this assessment. We are interested to discuss the possibility of developing a methodology for societal relevance

The perceived roles and functions of school science subject advisors

The science subject advisor can play an important role in upgrading the quality of science teaching in South African schools. This study deals with the perceived roles and functions of science subject advisors. Interviews with senior executives of the North West Province's directorate responsible for subject advisory services and questionnaires completed by science subject advisors revealed problems they experienced and their views on how to improve the service. Another questionnaire administered to science teachers revealed their problems, perceptions and expectations of the science subject advisors. A literature study highlighted practices in the UK and the US that are of relevance to South Africa. Recommendations are made as to how to optimise the services rendered by science subject advisors. (South African Journal of Education: 2001 21(4): 305-310

Sea lice (Copepoda: Caligidae) from South Africa, with descriptions of two new species of Caligus

Thirteen species of sea lice (family Caligidae) are reported from a range of elasmobranch and actinopterygian fishes caught off South Africa or obtained from public aquaria in South Africa. Two new species of Caligus Müller, 1785 are described: C. linearis n. sp. from Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus) and C. tumulus n. sp. from Chrysoblephus cristiceps (Valenciennes). A supplementary description is provided for both sexes of Caligus tetrodontis Barnard, 1948 taken from Amblyrhynchotes honckenii (Bloch) and previous records of this parasite from South African fishes are critically reviewed. It is concluded that Caligus material from Arothron hispidus Linnaeus was previously misidentified as C. tetrodontis and is in urgent need of re-examination. Morphological and molecular observations on Caligus furcisetifer Redkar, Rangnekar & Murti, 1949 indicate that this copepod is phenotypically and genetically identical to Lepeophtheirus natalensis Kensley & Grindley, 1973, and the latter becomes a junior subjective synonym of C. furcisetifer. We include new geographical distribution records for Caligus longipedis Bassett-Smith, 1898, C. rufimaculatus Wilson, 1905 and Lepeophtheirus spinifer Kirtisinghe, 1937, extending into South African waters, as well as both new distribution and host records for Alebion gracilis Wilson, 1905, Caligus dakari van Beneden, 1892 and Lepeophtheirus acutus Heegaard, 1943. The molecular analysis confirmed the monophyly of the genus Caligus. The South African species of Caligus did not cluster together, but the two included South African species of Lepeophtheirus were recovered as sister taxa

Conservation of tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus, in the Kruger National Park with the emphasis on establishing the suitability of the water quantity and quality requirements for the Olifants and Luvuvhu rivers

Hydrocynus vittatus Castelnau, 1861, commonly known as tigerfish, is a flagship species widely distributed in the North Eastern region of South Africa, and are easily identified by the public. This species is actively targeted and utilised by angling and subsistence fishing communities and also used as indicator species by resource and water quality managers to transfer ecosystem related information to the public. Tigerfish therefore has a high ecological, economical and social value to South Africans. Unfortunately, they are lost through habitat changes caused by water extraction, pollution and obstructions like dams and weirs. Tigerfish depend greatly on the available natural habitats to breed, feed and function appropriately. A slight change in the environment may cause depletion of the overall population. Tigerfish are considered rare in South Africa and are classified as a protected species. Scientific studies of all aspects of tigerfish biology are therefore vitally important to understand what quality habitat is required for its successful survival. This information is necessary to development a conservation plan for tigerfish in South Africa. The ecological and economic importance and current conservation status of the tigerfish lead to the current project undertaken by researchers from the Centre for Aquatic Research (CAR) in the Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg and Water Research Group (WRG), Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North West University. Historically tigerfish were prevalent in all 6 major rivers in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and areas on the western border of the Park. Recent surveys have shown that the distribution of this protected species is drastically reduced. The development of a management strategy to protect tigerfish within the Kruger National Park rivers is therefore of utmost importance. As a top predator tigerfish bio-magnifies pollutants and the risk that these pollutants pose are greater to them than to the lower trophic levels. A single study on metal levels in the Olifants River is the only information on levels of contamination in tigerfish. The levels of organic and inorganic substances together with the information on population structures and reproductive status will provide valuable insight into whether exposure to these contaminants has an influence on the general health of tigerfish populations in the KNP. This study addressed all the factors that might influence the health and conservation status of tigerfish. The upper catchments of all the rivers that run through the KNP are subjected to mining as well as intensive agricultural activities with high contamination potential. This tigerfish project was conducted on request from the KNP Scientific Services who identified the management of tigerfish within the borders of the KNP iv as a conservation priority. The study dealt with questions on the sufficiency of the current ecological water allocation for the Olifants River in terms of aquatic species requirements in the system as well as individual and population health

DNA barcoding of the medically important freshwater snail 'Physa acuta' reveals multiple invasion events into Africa

The medically important freshwater snail Physa acuta is highly invasive and has been reported in several freshwater environments across Africa. To identify species and provide initial insights into the origins of P. acuta into African freshwater environments standard molecular barcoding analyses, using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI), was performed on P. acuta isolates from Angola, Burundi and South Africa. Phylogenetic analyses of isolates from Africa could not be distinguished from P. acuta populations from other countries. Comparisons of COI sequences between isolates of P. acuta showed there to be no geographically specific clusters and the African isolates were distributed across four distinct unrelated clades suggesting several independent invasion events. Haplotype analyses indicated that there were a high number of haplotypes with low variation between them, which led to significant differences in AMOVA analyses between countries. This was further evidence of multiple invasion events suggesting multiple novel haplotypes being continually and independently introduced to each country. This approach not only provides initial insight into the invasion of Africa by P. acuta but a molecular method to monitor and manage the use of an agent of biological control

Samen werken aan samenwerking

Op het gebied van horizontale samenwerking is er veel mogelijk qua vorm, intensiteit, werkterrein en juridische constructie, zowel in de agrosector als in het mkb. De vele mogelijkheden bieden veel aangrijpingspunten om privé- en bedrijfsdoelen beter te kunnen bereiken, onder andere door meer denk- en slagkracht, ook financieel, en sociale voordelen als steun en meer vrije tijd. Samenwerking vraagt echter ook veel van de ondernemers en hun competenties. In dit onderzoek is vooral gekeken naar horizontale samenwerking: tussen soortgelijke ondernemers onderlin

Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors 1 and 5 form a protein complex in mouse hippocampus and cortex

The group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors 1 and 5 (mGluR1/5) have been implicated in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and may serve as potential therapeutic targets in autism spectrum disorders. The interactome of group 1 mGluRs has remained largely unresolved. Using a knockout-controlled interaction proteomics strategy we examined the mGluR5 protein complex in two brain regions, hippocampus and cortex, and identified mGluR1 as its major interactor in addition to the well described Homer proteins. We confirmed the presence of mGluR1/5 complex by (i) reverse immunoprecipitation using an mGluR1 antibody to pulldown mGluR5 from hippocampal tissue, (ii) coexpression in HEK293 cells followed by coimmunoprecipitation to reveal the direct interaction of mGluR1 and 5, and (iii) superresolution microscopy imaging of hippocampal primary neurons to show colocalization of the mGluR1/5 in the synapse

Ondernemen met bedrijfstoeslagen : een hele verandering?

Op 1 januari 2006 zijn in Nederland de Europese dier- en gewaspremies in het kader van het Gemeenschappelijk Landbouwbeleid (GLB) vervangen door bedrijfstoeslagen. In 2007 worden de melkpremies aan deze bedrijfstoeslagen toegevoegd. Ook de voorgestelde prijsverlaging van suikerbieten zal deels gecompenseerd worden in de vorm van bedrijfstoeslagen. Dit nieuwe systeem zou duidelijker moeten zijn dan het oude en zou de marktgerichtheid en duurzaamheid van de Europese landbouw moeten versterken. In dit rapport staat de vraag centraal of verwacht mag worden dat de doelen voor duidelijkheid, marktgerichtheid en duurzaamheid inderdaad verwezenlijkt zullen worden. On January 1 2006, the European support for animal husbandry and crop production from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) were replaced with single income payments. In 2007, the milk premiums will be added to the single payments. The price cut proposed for sugar beets will also be partly compensated through single income payments. The new system is supposed to be simpler than the old one and should stimulate market oriented and sustainable agricultural production in Europe. This report focuses on the question whether realisation of the goals for transparency, market orientation and sustainability may be expected. Informatie

CBCT-based navigation system for open liver surgery: accurate guidance toward mobile and deformable targets with a semi-rigid organ approximation and electromagnetic tracking of the liver

Purpose The surgical navigation system that provides guidance throughout the surgery can facilitate safer and more radical liver resections, but such a system should also be able to handle organ motion. This work investigates the accuracy of intraoperative surgical guidance during open liver resection, with a semi-rigid organ approximation and electromagnetic tracking of the target area.Methods The suggested navigation technique incorporates a preoperative 3D liver model based on diagnostic 4D MRI scan, intraoperative contrast-enhanced CBCT imaging and electromagnetic (EM) tracking of the liver surface, as well as surgical instruments, by means of six degrees-of-freedom micro-EM sensors.Results The system was evaluated during surgeries with 35 patients and resulted in an accurate and intuitive real-time visualization of liver anatomy and tumor's location, confirmed by intraoperative checks on visible anatomical landmarks. Based on accuracy measurements verified by intraoperative CBCT, the system's average accuracy was 4.0 +/- 3.0 mm, while the total surgical delay due to navigation stayed below 20 min.Conclusions The electromagnetic navigation system for open liver surgery developed in this work allows for accurate localization of liver lesions and critical anatomical structures surrounding the resection area, even when the liver was manipulated. However, further clinically integrating the method requires shortening the guidance-related surgical delay, which can be achieved by shifting to faster intraoperative imaging like ultrasound. Our approach is adaptable to navigation on other mobile and deformable organs, and therefore may benefit various clinical applications.Radiolog