Walter Sisulu University
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Adult binge drinking: rate, frequency and intensity in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
Get PDFThis study was conducted to explore views about the execution of powers and functions of the police in the light of related challenges. This study made use of data from a total of 83 adult participants (a survey involving 73 individuals, and 10 in-depth interviews), including males and females of diverse occupational backgrounds from Bindura and Mount Darwin policing districts in Zimbabwe. A closed-ended, mostly Likert-scale-based questionnaire was used to collect data about the prevalent forms of police abuse of powers and functions, while an in-depth interview guide was provided to harvest information qualitatively. Findings reveal that police officers abuse their powers through unlawful arrests, arbitrary search and seizure, excessive use of force, unlawful methods of investigation, and ill treatment of detainees. Though not as prevalent as other forms of abuse, malicious criminal prosecution and partisan policing were also cited.K EYWOR DS: powers, abuse, function, police, Zimbabw
The Folktale and Social Values in Traditional Africa
Get PDFAfricans, like people elsewhere in the world, have a set of values which they consider worthwhile and necessary for the preservation and wellbeing of their culture. In this way, it may be said that societal values are embodied in and communicated by its system of education and that the education that a society offers its youth reflects the sum total of what is held dear in that society. In many African societies, an important aspect of traditional education is concerned with teaching oral literature using folktales, riddles and proverbs which aim at moulding character and providing children with moral values like honesty, integrity, courage and solidarity. This paper examines the relevance of folktales to the promotion of social values in Africa by demonstrating how folktales can open a window of understanding to a community’s social norms, values, thoughts, concepts and ideas with a view to drawing implications for positive change. It is predicated on the assumption that African folktales, with a particular focus on Cameroon, promote social and ethical values, provide human understanding, facilitate the elimination of anti-social behaviour and help with social identity construction. The point is that folktales, as a form of oral literature, draw their material from the realities of society and hence reflect people’s values and worldview. As a result, folktales are often used as a vehicle for transmitting and preserving shared values and collective experience. The paper concludes by observing that despite the preponderance of modern means of entertainment in Africa, storytelling persists. Contemporary African folktales are imaginatively refined for the purpose of injecting new meanings, ideas and values, based on society’s contemporary experiences and relations
DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL FIRMS: A STRATEGY FOR POVERTY REDUCTION THROUGH JOB CREATION IN MTHATHA
Get PDFA DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF MASTER OF COMMERCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS SCIENCES, FACULTY OF COMMERCE AND ADMINISTRATIO
Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Acacia mearnsii De Wild stem bark and its antinociceptive properties
Get PDFThe biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using the hydrosol extract of the dry stem bark of Acacia mearnsii as reducing and capping agents, and their antinociceptive properties are hereby reported. By varying the temperature and reaction time, the temporal evolution of the optical and morphological properties of the as-synthesized material was investigated. The NPs were characterized by UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and x-ray diffractometry (XRD) The optical analyses show that the position of the maximum surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak is red-shifted as the reaction temperature decreased. The TEM micrographs show that the as-synthesized Ag-NPs are spherical while the X-ray diffraction shows that the material is highly crystalline with face-centered cubic structures. The anti-inflammatory efficacy, analyzed by the formalin model, indicates that the as-synthesized Ag-NPs are very effective, with an inhibition rate of about 76%
Implications of Risks and Vulnerability challenges for Teaching and Learning in Libode - Mega District Rural Schools: Eastern Cape: South Africa
No full textSpecies distribution and antifungal susceptibility patterns of Candida isolates from a public tertiary teaching hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Get PDFCandida species are the leading cause of invasive fungal infections, and over the past decade there has been an increased isolation of drug resistant Candida species. This study aimed to identify the species distribution of Candida isolates and to determine their unique antifungal susceptibility and resistance patterns. During a cross-sectional study, 209 Candida isolates (recovered from 206 clinical samples) were collected and their species distribution was determined using ChromAgar Candida. The Vitek-2 system (Biomerieux, South Africa) was used to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to azoles (fluconazole, voriconazole), echinocandins (caspofungin, micafungin), polyenes (amphotericin B) and flucytosine. Four species of Candida were isolated, of which C. albicans was the most frequent, isolated in 45.4 percent (95/209) of the isolates, followed by C. glabrata: 31.1 percent (65/209). The MICs of the different antifungal drugs varied amongst the species of Candida. From the 130 isolates tested for MICs, 90.77 percent (112/130) were susceptible to all antifungal drugs and 6.9 percent (9/130) of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. C. dubliniensis (n=2) isolates were susceptible to all the above mentioned antifungal drugs. There was no significant difference in species distribution amongst clinical specimens and between patients’ genders (P40.05). An increase in MIC values for fluconazole and flucytosine towards the resistance range was observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report on surveillance of Candida species distribution and antifungal susceptibility at a public tertiary teaching hospital in Eastern Cape, South Africa
Calcium supplementation commencing before or early in pregnancy, or food fortification with calcium, for preventing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
Get PDFBackground Pre-eclampsia is considerably more prevalent in low- than high-income countries. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is dietary diKerences, particularly calcium deficiency. Calcium supplementation in the second half of pregnancy reduces the serious consequences of pre-eclampsia and is recommended by the WorldHealthOrganization (WHO) for women with low dietary calcium intake, but has limited eKect on the overallrisk of pre-eclampsia. It is important to establish whether calcium supplementation before and in early pregnancy has added benefit. Such evidence would be justification for population-level fortification of staple foods with calcium. Objectives To determine the eKect of calcium supplementation or food fortification with calcium, commenced before or early in pregnancy and continued at least until mid-pregnancy, on pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders, maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as fetal and neonatal outcomes. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Trials Register (10 August 2017), PubMed (29 June 2017), ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (10 August 2017) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials of calcium supplementation orfood fortification which include women of child bearing age not yet pregnant, or in early pregnancy. Cluster-RCTs, quasi-RCTs and trials published in abstract form only would have been eligible for inclusion in this review but none were identified. Cross-over designs are not appropriate for this intervention. The scope of this review is to consider interventions including calcium supplementation with or without additional supplements or treatments, compared with placebo or no intervention. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. Main results This review is based on one RCT (involving 60 women) which looked at calcium plus additional supplements versus control. The women (who had lowantioxidant status)were in the early stages of pregnancy.We did notidentify any studieswhere supplementation commenced pre-pregnancy. Another RCT comparing calcium versus placebo is ongoing but not yet complete. We did not identify any studies looking at any of our other planned comparisons. Calcium plus antioxidants and other supplements versus placebo We included one small study (involving 60 women with low antioxidantlevels) which was conducted in an academic hospital in Indondesia. The study was at low risk of bias for all domains with the exception of selective reporting, for which it was unclear. Women in the intervention group received calcium (800 mg) plus N-acetylcysteine (200 mg), Cu (2 mg), Zn (15 mg), Mn (0.5 mg) and selenium (100 mcg) and vitamins A (1000 IU), B6 (2.2 mg), B12 (2.2 mcg), C (200 mg), and E (400 IU) versus the placebo control group of women who received similar looking tablets containing iron and folic acid. Both groups received iron (30 mg) and folic acid (400 mcg). Tablets were taken twice daily from eight to 12 weeks of gestation and then throughout pregnancy. The included study found that calcium supplementation plus antioxidants and other supplements may slightly reduce pre-eclampsia (gestational hypertension and proteinuria) (risk ratio (RR) 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06 to 1.01; low-quality evidence), but this is uncertain due to wide confidence intervals just crossing the line of no eKect, and small sample size. It appears that earlypregnancy loss before 20 weeks' gestation (RR 0.06, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.04; moderate-quality evidence) may be slightly reduced by calcium plus antioxidants and other supplements, but this outcome also has wide confidence intervals, which just cross the line of no eKect. Very few events were reported under the composite outcome, severe maternal morbidity and mortality index and no clear diKerence was seen between groups (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.23; low-quality evidence). However, the included study observed a reduction in the composite outcome pre-eclampsia and/or pregnancy loss at any gestational age (RR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.50; moderate-quality evidence), and pregnancy loss/stillbirth at any gestational age (RR 0.06, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.92;moderate-quality evidence)in the calcium plus antioxidant/supplement group. Other outcomes reported (placental abruption, severe pre-eclampsia and preterm birth (less than 37 weeks' gestation)) were too infrequent for meaningful analysis. No data were reported for the outcomes caesarean section, birthweight less 2500 g, Apgar score less than seven at five minutes, death or admission to neonatal intensive care unit (ICU), or pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal death before discharge from hospital. Authors' conclusions The results of this review are based on one small study in which the calcium intervention group also received antioxidants and other supplements. Therefore, we are uncertain whether any of the eKects observed in the study were due to calcium supplementation or not. The evidence in this review was graded low to moderate due to imprecision. There is insuKicient evidence on the eKectiveness or otherwise of pre- or early-pregnancy calcium supplementation, or food fortification for preventing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Furtherresearch is needed to determine whether pre- or early-pregnancy supplementation, orfood fortification with calcium is associated with a reduction in adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre-eclampsia and pregnancy loss. Such studies should be adequately powered, limited to calcium supplementation, placebo-controlled, and include relevant outcomes such as those chosen for this review. There is one ongoing study of calcium supplementation alone versus placebo and this may provide additional evidence in future update
Calcium supplementation commencing before or early in pregnancy, or food fortification with calcium, for preventing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
Get PDFBackground Pre-eclampsia is considerably more prevalent in low- than high-income countries. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is dietary diKerences, particularly calcium deficiency. Calcium supplementation in the second half of pregnancy reduces the serious consequences of pre-eclampsia and is recommended by the WorldHealthOrganization (WHO) for women with low dietary calcium intake, but has limited eKect on the overallrisk of pre-eclampsia. It is important to establish whether calcium supplementation before and in early pregnancy has added benefit. Such evidence would be justification for population-level fortification of staple foods with calcium. Objectives To determine the eKect of calcium supplementation or food fortification with calcium, commenced before or early in pregnancy and continued at least until mid-pregnancy, on pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders, maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as fetal and neonatal outcomes. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Trials Register (10 August 2017), PubMed (29 June 2017), ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (10 August 2017) and reference lists of retrieved studies. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials of calcium supplementation orfood fortification which include women of child bearing age not yet pregnant, or in early pregnancy. Cluster-RCTs, quasi-RCTs and trials published in abstract form only would have been eligible for inclusion in this review but none were identified. Cross-over designs are not appropriate for this intervention. The scope of this review is to consider interventions including calcium supplementation with or without additional supplements or treatments, compared with placebo or no intervention. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion and risk of bias, extracted data and checked them for accuracy. Main results This review is based on one RCT (involving 60 women) which looked at calcium plus additional supplements versus control. The women (who had lowantioxidant status)were in the early stages of pregnancy.We did notidentify any studieswhere supplementation commenced pre-pregnancy. Another RCT comparing calcium versus placebo is ongoing but not yet complete. We did not identify any studies looking at any of our other planned comparisons. Calcium plus antioxidants and other supplements versus placebo We included one small study (involving 60 women with low antioxidantlevels) which was conducted in an academic hospital in Indondesia. The study was at low risk of bias for all domains with the exception of selective reporting, for which it was unclear. Women in the intervention group received calcium (800 mg) plus N-acetylcysteine (200 mg), Cu (2 mg), Zn (15 mg), Mn (0.5 mg) and selenium (100 mcg) and vitamins A (1000 IU), B6 (2.2 mg), B12 (2.2 mcg), C (200 mg), and E (400 IU) versus the placebo control group of women who received similar looking tablets containing iron and folic acid. Both groups received iron (30 mg) and folic acid (400 mcg). Tablets were taken twice daily from eight to 12 weeks of gestation and then throughout pregnancy. The included study found that calcium supplementation plus antioxidants and other supplements may slightly reduce pre-eclampsia (gestational hypertension and proteinuria) (risk ratio (RR) 0.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06 to 1.01; low-quality evidence), but this is uncertain due to wide confidence intervals just crossing the line of no eKect, and small sample size. It appears that earlypregnancy loss before 20 weeks' gestation (RR 0.06, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.04; moderate-quality evidence) may be slightly reduced by calcium plus antioxidants and other supplements, but this outcome also has wide confidence intervals, which just cross the line of no eKect. Very few events were reported under the composite outcome, severe maternal morbidity and mortality index and no clear diKerence was seen between groups (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.04 to 3.23; low-quality evidence). However, the included study observed a reduction in the composite outcome pre-eclampsia and/or pregnancy loss at any gestational age (RR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.50; moderate-quality evidence), and pregnancy loss/stillbirth at any gestational age (RR 0.06, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.92;moderate-quality evidence)in the calcium plus antioxidant/supplement group. Other outcomes reported (placental abruption, severe pre-eclampsia and preterm birth (less than 37 weeks' gestation)) were too infrequent for meaningful analysis. No data were reported for the outcomes caesarean section, birthweight less 2500 g, Apgar score less than seven at five minutes, death or admission to neonatal intensive care unit (ICU), or pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal death before discharge from hospital. Authors' conclusions The results of this review are based on one small study in which the calcium intervention group also received antioxidants and other supplements. Therefore, we are uncertain whether any of the eKects observed in the study were due to calcium supplementation or not. The evidence in this review was graded low to moderate due to imprecision. There is insuKicient evidence on the eKectiveness or otherwise of pre- or early-pregnancy calcium supplementation, or food fortification for preventing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Furtherresearch is needed to determine whether pre- or early-pregnancy supplementation, orfood fortification with calcium is associated with a reduction in adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre-eclampsia and pregnancy loss. Such studies should be adequately powered, limited to calcium supplementation, placebo-controlled, and include relevant outcomes such as those chosen for this review. There is one ongoing study of calcium supplementation alone versus placebo and this may provide additional evidence in future update
