The quadriceps angle and the incidence of knee injury in Indian long-distance runners

Objective. To investigate the incidence of knee injuries in runners and to determine the proportion of injuries involving abnormal quadriceps (Q)-angles. Design. One hundred male Indian runners between the ages of 25 and 65 years from 5 athletic clubs in Durban volunteered to participate in the study. The Q-angle was measured using a goniometer. Other relevant information was obtained using a validated questionnaire. The data were analysed by comparing measured Q-angles with ‘normal' values of Q-angles obtained from the literature. A paired t-test at a probability of 0.05 was used. Setting. Data were collected at club meetings. Main outcome measure. The primary outcome of the study was to determine the proportion of runners with abnormal Q-angles. Thereafter the rate of knee injuries in runners with abnormal Q-angles was determined. Results. Data from 88 runners were usable. Fifty-one per cent of the runners sustained knee injuries. Fifty-eight per cent of the sample had abnormal Q-angles. Sixty-seven per cent of the runners with abnormal Q-angles sustained knee injuries. Conclusion. More runners with abnormal Q-angles sustained knee injuries. There is a need to determine reference values for Q-angles for the South African population, the proportion of the population that present with abnormal Q-angles, and the reasons for this. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 19 (1) 2007: pp. 9-1

A clash of rights in the legal and spatial planning contexts: The case of the Philippi Horticultural Area

The Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) is often referred to as Cape Town’s ‘food basket’, providing over one-third of Cape Town’s fresh vegetable produce. Located in the heart of the Cape Flats District, the PHA is surrounded by some of the poorest and most densely populated suburbs in the Cape Town metropolitan region. The agricultural area has come under increasing development pressure in recent years, caught in the midst of the ongoing battle between urban development and housing delivery, on the one hand, and the protection of agricultural activity, on the other. This article evaluates the arguments for and against the development of portions of the PHA against secs. 24-27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 relating to rights associated with the environment; property; housing; healthcare, food, water, and social security. The article seeks to determine whether a balancing of these rights can be achieved within the PHA, and whether portions of the PHA can be developed in a manner that protects and enhances the cultural and environmental integrity of the area, while also allowing urban development to accommodate new and existing communities. We argue that issues related to food security, environmental well-being, and access to land and development are inextricably linked and cannot be dealt with in isolation. Instead, a more holistic approach is needed, which takes a balanced view of these issues and embraces the spirit of the Bill of Rights (as contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution) in an all-encompassing manner. Given that the PHA faces enormous challenges such as rampant crime, illegal occupation of land, and so on, we take the position that a balancing of rights is not only the most appropriate strategy for the PHA from a legal point of view, but also crucial to its very survival. We, therefore, argue that a symbiotic relationship must be cultivated between urban and agricultural land uses, through appropriate urban development articulated in a spatial framework that provides clarity as to how urban development can assist in protecting productive agricultural activity. In this way, the role of the PHA as Cape Town’s ‘food basket’ can be better conserved for current and future generations

The profile of disability grant applicants in Bishop Lavis, Cape Town

Background: Disability grants in South Africa increased from 600 000 in 2000 to almost 1.3 million in 2004. This rise can be attributed to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, South Africa’s high rate of unemployment and possibly an increased awareness of constitutional rights. The Western Cape, which hasa disability prevalence of 3.8%, has also experienced an influx of applications. The study was conducted at Bishop Lavis Community Health Centre (BLCHC) in the Cape Town Metropole, Western Cape.The primary aim of this study was to establish the profile of adults applying for disability grants at Bishop Lavis. The secondary aim was thedetermination of the degree of activity limitation and participation restriction by means of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) shortlist of activity and participation domains.Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with emphasis on identifying and quantifying the relevant factors. The population studied included allprospective adult (18–59-year-old females and 18–64-year-old males) disability grant applicants in Bishop Lavis over a two-month period (April–May 2007). A structured, self-compiled questionnaire was administered during face-to-face interviews with applicants. The questionnaire included the demographic details of the applicants, disability/chronic illness/condition, educational level and social/living conditions. The second part of the questionnaire was based on the ICF shortlist of activity and participation.Results: There were 69 respondents over the period of data collection. Of the 69 applicants who participated in the study, 45 (65%) receiveda temporary disability grant, 6 (8%) received a permanent grant and 18 (26%) applications were rejected. The results demonstrated that mostapplicants were females over the age of 50, were poorly educated with chronic medical conditions and were living in formal accommodation withgood basic services but with minimal or no disposable income. The ICF questionnaire responses showed that the majority of respondents had nodifficulty in most domains, except for the general tasks and demands (multiple tasks), mobility (lifting and carrying, fine hand use and walking) and domestic tasks domains, which showed high percentages of severe to complete difficulty. However, further statistical analysis showed no association between degree of difficulty in the above domains and eventual outcome of type of grant received.Conclusions: This study confirmed that unemployment and a lack of income are the factors influencing patients to seek assistance in the formof disability grants. Most applicants had a chronic medical condition and reported functional restrictions but only received a temporary grant. Thismay be an indication that most patients require further evaluation before a final decision can be made. There is a need for a standardised, objectiveassessment tool for disability grant applications. A campaign to educate patients about disability grants could save patients and hospital medicalservices time and money

Mainstreaming Underutilized Indigenous and Traditional Crops into Food Systems: A South African Perspective

Business as usual or transformative change? While the global agro-industrial food system is credited with increasing food production, availability and accessibility, it is also credited with giving birth to ‘new’ challenges such as malnutrition, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. We reviewed the potential of underutilized indigenous and traditional crops to bring about a transformative change to South Africa’s food system. South Africa has a dichotomous food system, characterized by a distinct, dominant agro-industrial, and, alternative, informal food system. This dichotomous food system has inadvertently undermined the development of smallholder producers. While the dominant agro-industrial food system has led to improvements in food supply, it has also resulted in significant trade-offs with agro-biodiversity, dietary diversity, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic stability, especially amongst the rural poor. This challenges South Africa’s ability to deliver on sustainable and healthy food systems under environmental change. The review proposes a transdisciplinary approach to mainstreaming underutilized indigenous and traditional crops into the food system, which offers real opportunities for developing a sustainable and healthy food system, while, at the same time, achieving societal goals such as employment creation, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability. This process can be initiated by researchers translating existing evidence for informing policy-makers. Similarly, policy-makers need to acknowledge the divergence in the existing policies, and bring about policy convergence in pursuit of a food system which includes smallholder famers, and where underutilized indigenous and traditional crops are mainstreamed into the South African food system

International Students’ Expectations and Perceptions of Service Quality: The Case of a Higher Education Institution in South Africa

South Africa has recently seen a significant increase in international student enrolments in recent years. In order to be competitive, attention needs to be given to service quality with a view to being the institution of preference. This paper therefore seeks to assess international students’ expectations and perceptions of service quality. A census was conducted among the 215 international students, using the SERVQUAL model as the measuring instrument. The results indicate that there are gaps between international students’ expectations and perceptions on the five service quality dimensions. An analysis of variance was conducted to test for significant differences between three biographical variables viz. faculty of study, qualification enrolled for and region of residence versus the five dimensions of service quality, on both expectations and perceptions. Recommendations are presented on how the institution can enhance service quality among its international students

Synthesis of Trishomocubane Amino Acid Derivatives

The synthesis of four novel trishomocubane amino acid derivatives is described. The hydantoin precursor and bis-Boc protected hydantoin (>95% yield) were previously reported. A mild hydrolysis of the bis-Boc hydantoin with lithium hydroxide at room temperature quantitatively yielded the corresponding novel cage amino acid. The cage amino acid was characterized as the Fmoc derivative. Although the Fmoc amino acid is partially deprotected after three weeks in a refrigerator, it is stable enough for use in Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS). The Fmoc cage amino acid was converted to the acid fluoride with cyanuric fluoride. The acid fluoride is required for activation of the cage amino acid in SPPS. Esterification of the sterically hindered trishomocubane amino acid is also reported, indicating sufficient reactivity of the acid function for potential use in SPPS.Keywords: Trishomocubane amino acid, hydantoin, Fmoc protection, t-Boc protection, acid fluoride, esterification

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Port Elizabeth

Objective: To survey the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae isolates. Design: This was a cohort analytical study.Setting Three clinics serving different areas in Port Elizabeth.Outcome measures Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant N. gonorrhoeae isolates. Results: Twenty-one of the 35 isolates (60%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin, while 28 (80%) showed resistance to erythromycin, 17 (48.6%) to penicillin, 3 (8.6%) to doxycycline, 11 (31.4%) to spectinomycin and 33 (94.3%) to tetracycline.Conclusion: To ensure effective treatment of gonorrhoea, continued surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility is necessary.South African Medical Journal Vol. 96(3) 2006: 225-22

Application of (S,S)-Pentacycloundecane bis(4-Phenyloxazoline) as a Novel Chiral Ligand for Catalysis of the Asymmetric Diels-Alder Reaction of Cyclopentadiene with 3-Acryloyl-2-oxazolidinone

The synthesis of the novel C1 symmetric (S,S)-pentacycloundecane bis(4-phenyloxazoline) ligand 5 and its evaluation as a chiral Lewis acid catalyst in the benchmark asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction between 3-acryloyloxazolidin-2-one (6) and cyclopentadiene (7) is reported. From the various metal salts screened the anhydrous magnesium perchlorate complex emerged as the best catalyst. The endo-cycloadduct product 8 was afforded in 81% enantiomeric excess with an endo:exo ratio of 98:2. An extensive screening of various metal ions as complexing agents was performed and is also reported.Keywords: Pentacycloundecane, oxazolines, chiral catalysis, Diels-Alder reactionPDF and Supplementry file attache

The Evaluation of Novel Camphor-derived Pyridyl Ligands as Catalysts in the Asymmetric Diels-Alder Reaction of Cyclopentadiene with 3-Acryloyl-2-oxazolidinone

A series of camphor-derived pyridyl ligands were evaluated in the Diels-Alder reaction of 3-acryloyl-2-oxazolidinone 1 with cyclopentadiene 2. High yields with good endo:exo selectivity, but only moderate enantioselectivities (43 % ee), were obtained. The structures of the copper (II) complexes of the ligands were calculated using ONIOM density functional theory and the results suggest that chiral induction to the alkene functional group is indeed lacking. This explains the moderate experimental selectivities obtained.Keywords: Camphor ligands, asymmetric catalysis, Diels-Alder cycloaddition, computational modellingPDF and Supplementry file attache