Sistematies verwronge kommunikasie in Lukas 14:1-6: Die dialekties-kritiese teorie van Jürgen Habermas krities bespreek

Systematically distorted communication in Luke 14:1-6: A critical assessment of the dialectical-critical theory of Jürgen Habermas In this article the epistemology and essence of the practical interest of Jürgen Habermas’s dialectical-critical theory is discussed, focusing on his concept of systematically distorted communication. The article aims at describing the theory of communicative competence or universal pragmatics by means of an exegetical study of Luke 14:1-6. The appropriationof Habermas’s theory on Luke 14:1-6 is assessed from the perspective of some results of the recent social-scientific studies of the New Testament

Sistematies verwronge kommunikasie in Lukas 14:1-6: Die dialekties-kritiese teorie van Jürgen Habermas krities bespreek

Systematically distorted communication in Luke 14:1-6: A critical assessment of the dialectical-critical theory of Jürgen Habermas In this article the epistemology and essence of the practical interest of Jürgen Habermas’s dialectical-critical theory is discussed, focusing on his concept of systematically distorted communication. The article aims at describing the theory of communicative competence or universal pragmatics by means of an exegetical study of Luke 14:1-6. The appropriation of Habermas’s theory on Luke 14:1-6 is assessed from the perspective of some results of the recent social-scientific studies of the New Testament

Berry size variation of vitis vinifera l. Cv. Syrah : morphological dimensions, berry composition and wine quality

CITATION: Melo, M. S., et al. 2015. Berry size variation of vitis vinifera l. Cv. Syrah : morphological dimensions, berry composition and wine quality. South African Journal for Enology and Viticulture, 36(1):1-10, doi:10.21548/36-1-931.The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajevBerry size has always been a quality factor in wine production. In this study, Syrah grapes from a single vineyard were classified into different size groups according to diameter: small ( 14 mm). Smaller berries were present in the highest and larger berries in the lowest numbers. Size distributions were similar in both seasons (2010/2011 and 2011/2012). Berry physical characteristics (mass, volume and skin area) increased with size, showing the same tendency in both years. Positive correlations between berry mass, volume and skin area were found, whereas these variables were negatively related with berry number/kg grapes. Berry volume was negatively correlated with dry skin weight. Skin surface area/berry volume seems to be an indicator of the “dilution” effect associated with increasing size, as larger berries presented the lowest values. In 2012 the grapes were harvested at a higher soluble solid level than in the previous year; large-sized berries presented the lowest levels in both years. The whole-berry analysis of total anthocyanins showed a decrease in concentration and increase in content per berry, from smaller to larger berries. Small berries and the control (naturally occurring berry size mixture) showed a higher extractability of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds than the medium and large berries. Sensorially, wines from medium berries were more consistent over the two years, scoring higher than the rest. Berry sizes were related to wine style differences, and knowing the population of berry sizes in the vineyard close to harvest would offer a possibility to predict wine styles.http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajev/article/view/931Publisher's versio

Qualitative and quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in untreated wastewater in Western Cape Province, South Africa

Recent studies have shown that the detection of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in wastewater may provide the basis for a surveillance system to track the environmental dissemination of this virus in communities. An effective wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) system may prove critical in South Africa (SA), where health systems infrastructure, testing capacity, personal protective equipment and human resource capacity are constrained. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated the potential of SARS-CoV-2 RNA surveillance in untreated wastewater as the basis for a system to monitor COVID-19 prevalence in the population, an early warning system for increased transmission, and a monitoring system to assess the effectiveness of interventions. The laboratory confirmed the presence (qualitative analysis) and determined the RNA copy number of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (quantitative) analysis from 24-hour composite samples collected on 18 June 2020 from five wastewater treatment plants in Western Cape Province, SA. The study has shown that a WBE system for monitoring the status and trends of COVID-19 mass infection in SA is viable, and its development and implementation may facilitate the rapid identification of hotspots for evidence-informed interventions

Microfinance and loan officers' work experiences: perspectives from Zambia

This article studies the challenges faced by microfinance institutions in Zambia, whose remit it is to provide financial services to the poor. It focuses on loan officers – the agents of delivery on the ground. With reference to loan officers’ experiences and words, the paper examines how gender and education shape and structure their day-to-day encounters. The study finds that different social spaces – ’the office’ and ‘the field’ – and wider context explains the gendered, culturally complex and multidimensional nature of developmental work at grassroots level. Social expectations emerge as major pressure points more for female loan officers than their male counterparts, making them less suitable for microfinance work, which has traditionally targeted poor women

Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of wine yeasts used for acidic musts

The aim of this study was to examine the physiological and genetic stability of the industrial wine yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces bayanus var. uvarum under acidic stress during fermentation. The yeasts were sub-cultured in aerobic or fermentative conditions in media with or without l-malic acid. Changes in the biochemical profiles, karyotypes, and mitochondrial DNA profiles were assessed after minimum 50 generations. All yeast segregates showed a tendency to increase the range of compounds used as sole carbon sources. The wild strains and their segregates were aneuploidal or diploidal. One of the four strains of S. cerevisiae did not reveal any changes in the electrophoretic profiles of chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA, irrespective of culture conditions. The extent of genomic changes in the other yeasts was strain-dependent. In the karyotypes of the segregates, the loss of up to 2 and the appearance up to 3 bands was noted. The changes in their mtDNA patterns were much broader, reaching 5 missing and 10 additional bands. The only exception was S. bayanus var. uvarum Y.00779, characterized by significantly greater genome plasticity only under fermentative stress. Changes in karyotypes and mtDNA profiles prove that fermentative stress is the main driving force of the adaptive evolution of the yeasts. l-malic acid does not influence the extent of genomic changes and the resistance of wine yeasts exhibiting increased demalication activity to acidic stress is rather related to their ability to decompose this acid. The phenotypic changes in segregates, which were found even in yeasts that did not reveal deviations in their DNA profiles, show that phenotypic characterization may be misleading in wine yeast identification. Because of yeast gross genomic diversity, karyotyping even though it does not seem to be a good discriminative tool, can be useful in determining the stability of wine yeasts. Restriction analysis of mitochondrial DNA appears to be a more sensitive method allowing for an early detection of genotypic changes in yeasts. Thus, if both of these methods are applied, it is possible to conduct the quick routine assessment of wine yeast stability in pure culture collections depositing industrial strains