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South Africa’s sugar tax system: a taxation perspective
No full textObesity is a growing epidemic of our time and sugar is considered to be one of the main culprits. Various governments have implemented a sugar tax system as a way to discourage sugar consumption to address the obesity problem. There is concern, however, around the fact that yet another burden in the form of an excise tax has been introduced without sufficient evidence regarding the sustainability of a sugar tax system. If a tax system is not regarded as a good tax system, it is likely that it will be short-lived. If this is the case, the obesity problem has not been addressed appropriately. This study is concerned with the use of legislation, particularly a sugar tax system, as a way to address obesity in South Africa. The objective of this study is to analyse whether a sugar tax system is considered a good tax system. It will be of no use to introduce yet another tax system without first establishing whether the tax system meets the minimum standards of a good tax system, yet it is acknowledged that governments should intervene. Obesity is not only a South African problem but has been classified as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013). If no action is taken, millions of people will suffer from serious health disorders related or attributed to obesity. This non-communicable disease (NCD) has not only led to increased medical costs for employers but also a decrease in the productivity of employees. It is also an epidemic that is linked to a very rapid increase in chronic diseases that will certainly have a growing negative impact on the economies of countries, South Africa included, if not addressed urgently. Since the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity is estimated at a staggering 85% amongst South Africans, this is certainly a point of concern (Cois & Day, 2015). A comprehensive study of literature on the principles of a good tax system is performed in this study. The study adopts a legal doctrinal research approach. The tax principles are ultimately adapted in respect of the key elements of a sugar tax system to use as a conceptual framework against which the South African sugar tax system is measured. The South African sugar tax system is found not to be a good tax system, with many areas of improvement identified
Prospects for marker assisted improvement of African tropical maize germplasm for low nitrogen tolerance
No full textNitrogen (N) is one of the most yield limiting nutrients in maize. However, farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) use very little N due to low income. Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) varieties can provide a partial solution to the problem through efficient N uptake and utilisation. Designing an effective breeding strategy for improving any trait of interest requires knowledge of quantitative genetic parameters, genomic regions associated with the traits and the use of efficient selection methods. The objectives of this study were to 1) assess the efficiency of indirect selection for grain yield under low N stress conditions through grain yield under optimum N conditions and through secondary traits under low N conditions, 2) identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker loci significantly associated with grain yield and secondary traits under low N and optimumconditions, 3) map and characterize the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for grain yield and some secondary traits under optimum and low N stressed conditions, and 4) evaluate the accuracy of genomic selection for improvement of grain yield and other secondary traits under optimum and low N stressed environments. Results showed that genetic variance for grain yield was highly affected by low N stress, more than secondary traits, and low correlation was observed between optimum and low N environments for grain yield. This lead to low relative efficiency of indirect selection for grain yield under low N using grain yield under optimum conditions. The efficiency of indirect selection for grain yield under low N through secondary traits under low N conditions was also low. The efficiency of selection could be enhanced through identification of genomic regions and associated markers linked with grain yield under low N. A total of 158 putative protein coding genes associated with significant SNPs, of which seven linked with four known genes, were identified through a genome-wide association study. Markers associated with the putative and known genes could be used for marker assisted selection (MAS) in NUE breeding. In addition, a total of 155 significant QTL were identified for grain yield and six secondary traits under optimum and low N stress conditions in five doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from bi-parental lines. Interestingly, for grain yield, plant height, ear height and leaf senescence, the highest number of QTL were found under low N stressed environments compared to optimumconditions, indicating the availability of QTL under low N. However, no common QTL between optimum and low N stressed conditions were identified for grain yield and anthesis silking interval. Lack of significant QTL for grain yield common across populations and between management conditions indicates that MAS cannot be an efficient method for selection of grain yield under both optimum and low N conditions. An alternative to MAS is genomic selection, which uses information from all markers. In this study, the magnitude of both genome-wide and phenotypic predictions was negatively affected by low N stress, and phenotypic prediction ability was always higher than genome-wide prediction ability for all traits under both N conditions. Low N stress had a larger effect on the prediction accuracy for grain yield than other secondary traits. In general, genomic selection that uses information from all markers is a promising method for the improvement of the selection efficiency for grain yield under low N.Borlaug LEA
The comparison of pain relief between fluoroscopic guided and free hand lumbar facet infiltration for lumbar facet syndrome
No full textBackground: Lumbar facet syndrome has become a commonly accepted term for lower back pain caused primarily by the facet joints of the lumbar spine. Listed as one of the most common causes for patients to seek medical counsel, lumbar facet syndrome is a frequent diagnostic and treatment conundrum for medical practitioners. Lumbar facet infiltration techniques have been used for over half a century in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of the disease process. This study has attempted to discern whether the standard lumbar facet infiltration with the use of fluoroscopy is superior in terms of pain relief to a technique using no fluoroscopy, but rather a free handed technique guided on sound anatomical landmarks.
Method: A total of 40 patients, eligible for the study according to the inclusion criteria, were recruited for the study. All patients participated and were randomised into 2 groups of 20 patients each. Group 1 patients received a lumbar facet infiltration procedure with fluoroscopic guidance, Group 2 patients received a lumbar facet infiltration procedure with the free hand technique. Randomisation separated male and female (10:10 group 1 and 11:9 group 2). All 40 patients were included to the results with age ranging 24-73 years of age. Patients would score their pain experienced due to lumbar facet syndrome on the Visual analogue Scale (VAS)(0-10) as well as completing the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire which would score their disability secondary to lower back pain as a percentage namely the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Score (OLBPDS). Data was collected over a period of 12 months with patients providing information pre-lumbar facet infiltration, 1 hour post infiltration, 24 hours post infiltration, 1 week post infiltration and 4 weeks post infiltration.
Results: Results showed a suggestion of improvement in disability secondary to pain and in lower back pain in both techniques, particularly after 1 week (Group 1- OLBPDS 57%-49.5%, VAS 8-6) (Group 2 – OLBPDS 58%-43%, VAS 8-7), however, all p-values are above 0.05 and thus there is no statistical significance, this was reproduced at 1 hour, 24 hours, 1 week and 4 weeks procedure.
Conclusion: symptomatic treatment of lumbar facet syndrome by facet infiltration is effective in temporary pain relief. Both fluoroscopic guided and free hand techniques show improvement in lower back pain and disability secondary to pain without a statistically significant difference in the amount of pain relief experienced or a difference in the change in the disability index between the 2 procedures. One can thus suspect that the free handed anatomic technique of lumbar facet infiltration may provide a faster, cheaper procedure to treat symptomatic lumbar facet syndrome in comparison with the standard fluoroscopic technique as results in pain relief and improvement in disability are comparable. Future studies with larger study populations will be needed to confirm this study
PROGRESSIVE PARTY Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 1960-1971; 8 Files; 0,22 Metres.
AUDIO CASSETTES IN ARCA COLLECTION = 21Papers of the Progressive Party. A split in the United Party in August 1959, led to the founding of the Progressive Party in November 1959 in Johannesburg. During the Parliamentary recess of 1975, the Progressive Party and the Reformist Party amalgamated to form the Progressive Reformist Party
Manifestation and diagnosis of tuberculosis of the larynx at the Universitas Academic Hospital Bloemfontein
No full textIntroduction and Aim: Tuberculosis (TB) is the most frequent granulomatous disease involving the larynx. However, the incidence is unknown at Bloemfontein. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the incidence, clinical presentation and optimal diagnostic methods for laryngeal TB in patients presenting with laryngeal lesions to Universitas academic hospital in Bloemfontein. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted over one year from 1 May 2017 to 30 April 2018. All patients (n=80) undergoing direct laryngoscopy under general anaesthesia were included and a biopsy was sent for histopathological examination, Xpert MTB/RIF and TB microscopy, culture and sensitivity.
Results: Of the 80 patients, five (6,25%) were diagnosed with laryngeal TB. The median age at presentation was 56,0 years (range 18.1- 83.5 years) with the majority 64 (80%) being males. The most common symptom was dysphonia in all five patients with laryngeal TB. The most frequent endoscopic presentation was a granulomatous like lesion, present in three patients, followed by tumour and ulcerofungative lesion in one patient each. Three patients with laryngeal TB patients had active pulmonary lesions (cavities in the upper lobes) and (hilar lymph nodes) and two had inactive pulmonary lesions (upper lobe fibrosis) on CXR.The diagnosis of laryngeal TB was based on histology alone in two patients, histology, together with a positive tissue Xpert MTB/RIF in another patient and on positive tissue TB cultures in the last two patients.None of the biopsy specimens submitted to histology or microbiology were positive on direct microscopy for AFB. Conclusion: We diagnosed TB in 6.25% (5/80) of patients who presented with laryngeal lesions. The diagnosis of laryngeal TB required a combination of histopathology, culture and PCR.The successful management of patients with laryngeal TB requires a high clinical index of suspicion, prompt diagnosis and early initiation of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy
Voices from the classroom: pre-service teachers’ interactions with supervising teachers
No full textTeaching practice is an important requirement to acquire a teaching qualification from South African universities. During teaching practice, it is customary for supervising teachers to guide and evaluate the students’ performance. However, very little is known about how the interaction with supervising teachers influences the students’ views about the teaching profession. Forty final-year Bachelor of Education students at the University of the Witwatersrand gave their consent to participate in a qualitative study using open-ended questionnaires. This research aimed to explore pre-service teachers’ voices, using Denise Batchelor’s (2008; 2006) research pertaining to conceptualisations of voice, namely, practical, epistemological and ontological, which were used to analyse the data. The findings suggested that pre-service teachers’ pedagogical choices were linked to the supervising teachers’ guidance. Many of the supervising teachers framed teaching as a profession that foregrounded administrative tasks and classroom management. Some of the supervising teachers’ negative perceptions of the profession caused pre-service teachers to question their choice to become teachers. Another issue was that pre-service teachers wish to feel welcomed and supported at schools, but most experienced a lack of mentorship from their supervising teachers. We recommend that supervising teachers attend workshops and courses on how to mentor pre service teachers.Publisher's versio
DU PLESSIS, Johannes Willem Jacobus Coetzee [Sand] Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 1954-1986; 68 Files; 1,30 Metres.Private papers of J.W.J.C. du Plessis, National Party MP Bloemfontein City [1953-1958], Bloemfontein West [1958-1959], Administrator of the Free State [1959-1969
LOMBARD, Ivan M. Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 1932-1971; 112 Files; 2,22 Metres.Private papers of I.M. Lombard, founder member and Chief Secretary of the FAK [1929-1937], Member of the Executive Council of the FAK [1937-1966]
STOCKENSTRöM, Fritz Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 5 files; 0.10 metrePrivate papers of F. Stockenström, Managing Director of the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut
CULWICK, AT Inventory of documents
No full textCOVERAGE 1960-1962; Letters and publication; 0.10 metreDocument contains information about Kenya (1960/1961