Beyond health care providers’recommendations: understandinginfluences on infant feeding choices ofwomen with HIV in the Eastern Cape,South Africa
- Authors: Adeniyi, Oladele Vincent , Ajayi, Anthony Idowu , Issah, Moshood , Owolabi, Eyitayo Omolara , Ter Goon, Daniel , Avramovic, Gordana , Lambert, John
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Africa Infant Feeding Sub-sahara
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/6063 , vital:45109 , https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-019-0201-5
- Description: Background: Despite the array of studies on infant feeding practices of HIV-infected women, gaps still exist in the understanding of the underlying reasons for their infant feeding choices. Potential for behavioural change exists, especially in the light of the 2016 updated World Health Organization guideline on HIV and infant feeding. The aim of this paper is to determine the rate of adoption of exclusive breastfeeding in this cohort, examine the determinants of infant feeding choices of HIV-infected women and assess the underlying reasons for these choices. Methods: This was a mixed methods study conducted between September 2015 and May 2016. It analyses the quantitative and qualitative data of 1662 peripartum women enrolled in the East London Prospective Cohort Study across three large maternity services in the Eastern Cape. Women with HIV reported their preferred choices of infant feeding. In addition, participants explained the underlying reasons for their choices. Descriptive and inferential statistics summarised the quantitative data, while thematic content analysis was performed on qualitative data. Results: Of the 1662 women with complete responses, 80.3% opted to exclusively breastfeed their babies. In the adjusted model, up to grade 12 education level (AOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.86), rural/peri-urban residence (AOR:1.44; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.96), alcohol use (AOR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.25, 2.18), negative or unknown HIV status at booking (AOR:1.85; 95% CI:1.27, 2.70), currently married (AOR:1.43; 95% CI:1.01, 2.02) and WHO Clinical Stage 2–4 (AOR:1.77; 95% CI: 1.15, 2.72) were significantly associated with the decision to exclusively breastfeed. Health care providers’ recommendations, perceived benefits of breastfeeding, unaffordability of formula feeding, and coercion were the underlying reasons for wanting to breastfeed; while work/school-related demands, breast-related issues, and fear of infecting the baby influenced their decision to formula feed. Conclusion: The majority of HIV-infected women chose to breastfeed their babies in the Eastern Cape. Following up on these women to ensure they breastfeed exclusively, while also addressing their possible concerns, could be an important policy intervention. Future studies should focus on how early infant feeding decisions change over time, as well as the health outcomes for mother and child. Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, Infant feeding practice, infant formula feeding, HIV-infected peripartum women, South Africa, WHO guideline
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Biogeographical comparison of the emergent macrophyte, Sagittaria platyphylla in its native and introduced ranges
- Authors: Kwong, Raelene M , Sagliocco, Jean Louis , Harms, Nathan E , Butler, Kym L , Green, Peter T , Martin, Grant D
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76980 , vital:30652 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.05.001
- Description: Understanding why some plant species become invasive is important to predict and prevent future weed threats and identify appropriate management strategies. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why plants become invasive, yet few studies have quantitatively compared plant and population parameters between native and introduced range populations to gain an objective perspective on the causes of plant invasion. The present study uses a biogeographical field survey to compare morphological and reproductive traits and abundance between the native range (USA) and two introduced ranges (Australia and South Africa) of Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G. Sm (Alismataceae), a highly invasive freshwater macrophyte. Introduced and native populations differed in sexual reproductive output with the number of achenes per fruiting head and individual achene weight found to be 40% and 50% greater in introduced populations respectively. However, no other morphological traits were found to be consistently different between the native and both introduced ranges, especially after taking into account differences in environmental conditions between the three ranges. Although populations in introduced regions were larger and occupied greater percentage cover, no differences in plant density were evident. Our results suggest that, apart from sexual reproduction, many of the trait patterns observed in S. platyphylla are influenced by environmental and habitat conditions within the native and invaded ranges. We conclude that the enemy release hypothesis best explains the results observed for sexual reproduction. In particular, we hypothesise that a release from natural enemies, specifically a pre-dispersal seed predator, may induce reproductive plasticity in S. platyphylla.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Biogeographical comparison of the emergent macrophyte, Sagittaria platyphylla in its native and introduced ranges
- Authors: Kwong, Raelene M , Sagliocco, Jean L , Harms, Nathan E , Butler, Kym L , Green, Peter T , Martin, Grant D
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419287 , vital:71631 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.05.001"
- Description: Understanding why some plant species become invasive is important to predict and prevent future weed threats and identify appropriate management strategies. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain why plants become invasive, yet few studies have quantitatively compared plant and population parameters between native and introduced range populations to gain an objective perspective on the causes of plant invasion. The present study uses a biogeographical field survey to compare morphological and reproductive traits and abundance between the native range (USA) and two introduced ranges (Australia and South Africa) of Sagittaria platyphylla (Engelm.) J.G. Sm (Alismataceae), a highly invasive freshwater macrophyte. Introduced and native populations differed in sexual reproductive output with the number of achenes per fruiting head and individual achene weight found to be 40% and 50% greater in introduced populations respectively. However, no other morphological traits were found to be consistently different between the native and both introduced ranges, especially after taking into account differences in environmental conditions between the three ranges. Although populations in introduced regions were larger and occupied greater percentage cover, no differences in plant density were evident. Our results suggest that, apart from sexual reproduction, many of the trait patterns observed in S. platyphylla are influenced by environmental and habitat conditions within the native and invaded ranges. We conclude that the enemy release hypothesis best explains the results observed for sexual reproduction. In particular, we hypothesise that a release from natural enemies, specifically a pre-dispersal seed predator, may induce reproductive plasticity in S. platyphylla.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Biological and geophysical feedbacks with fire in the Earth System
- Authors: Archibald, S , Lehmann, C E , Belcher, C , Bond, W J , Bradstock, R A , Daniau, A L , Dexter, K , Forrestel, E J , Greve, M , He, T , Higgins, Simon I , Ripley, Bradford S
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61413 , vital:28024 , http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa9ead/meta
- Description: Roughly 3% of the Earth’s land surface burns annually, representing a critical exchange of energy and matter between the land and atmosphere via combustion. Fires range from slow smouldering peat fires, to low-intensity surface fires, to intense crown fires, depending on vegetation structure, fuel moisture, prevailing climate, and weather conditions. While the links between biogeochemistry, climate and fire are widely studied within Earth system science, these relationships are also mediated by fuels – namely plants and their litter – which are the product of evolutionary and ecological processes. Fire is a powerful selective force and, over their evolutionary history, plants across diverse clades have evolved numerous traits that either tolerate or promote fire. Here we outline a conceptual framework of how plant traits determine the flammability of ecosystems and interact with climate and weather to influence fire regimes. We explore how these evolutionary and ecological processes scale to impact biogeochemistry and Earth system processes. Finally, we outline several research challenges that, when resolved, will improve our understanding of the role of plant evolution in mediating the fire feedbacks driving Earth system processes. Understanding current patterns of fire and vegetation, as well as patterns of fire over geological time, requires research that incorporates evolutionary biology, ecology, biogeography, and the biogeosciences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Biology and rearing of Ectomyeolis ceratoniae Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) carob moth, a pest of multiple crops in South Africa
- Authors: Thackeray, S R , Moore, Sean D , Strathie, Lorraine W , Kirkman, W , Hill, Martin P
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59799 , vital:27652 , https://doi.org/10.4001/003.025.0474
- Description: Ectomyeolis ceratoniae Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), carob moth, is a pest of several crops in South Africa. A laboratory culture was established from field-collected larvae infesting mummified pecan nuts. Biological parameters of larvae reared on an artificial diet were measured. The insect goes through five larval instars, and the head capsule sizes of the five instars were determined to be <0.34 mm, 0.35-0.64 mm, 0.65-0.94 mm, 0.95-1.14 mm and >0.15 mm for the five instars, respectively. The insect was reared individually and communally in glass vials, the latter to develop a mass-rearing technique. Developmental time from neonate to pupa was significantly slower when larvae were individually reared (38.18 ±1.2 days) compared to when they were communally reared (24.6 ± 0.65 days). A microsporidian infection (Nosema sp.) was recorded in the culture, causing significantly (fy6 = 14.99, P = 0.0082) higher mortality of communally reared larvae (76.25 % ± 11.87) than individually reared larvae (24.9 % ± 9.6).
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- Date Issued: 2017
Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Acacia mearnsii De Wild stem bark and its antinociceptive properties
- Authors: Avoseh, Opeyemi N , Oyedeji, Opeoluwa O , Aremu, Olukayode , Nkeh-Chungag, Benedicta N , Songca, Sandile P , Oyedeji, Adebola Omowunmi , Mohan, Sneha , Oluwafemi, Oluwatobi S
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Metal nanoparticles , Acacia mearnsii , Nociceptive pain
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/1528 , vital:37774 , https://doi.org/10.1080/17518253.2017.1287310
- Description: The 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%.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Birds as major predators of fishes in the East Kleinemonde Estuary
- Authors: Cowley, Paul D , Whitfield, Alan K , Terörde, Anja I
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/443271 , vital:74104 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-c2893c53c
- Description: This study provides a quantitative account of fish predation by piscivorous birds in the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary and represents the first global attempt to simultaneously relate such consumption to production by a fish community in the same estuary. Cormorants and herons were the dominant predators and seasonal variations in the avifaunal community composition were noted. Based on comprehensive counts over three years, the piscivorous bird population was estimated to have consumed a maximum of 4 414 kg of fish in 1994, 2 400 kg in 1995/96 and 2 960 kg in 2004/05. In 1995/96 fish production in the East Kleinemonde Estuary (55.89 g m−2 a−1) was estimated at 9 780 kg and maximum bird predation amounted to 25% of annual fish production within the system over the same period, assuming that all birds counted on the estuary foraged there and that the diet of these birds comprised only fish. The above 1995/96 figures, together with an estimate of fish predation by the dominant piscivorous fish Lichia amia of 696 kg suggests that birds are probably the single most important natural predator of fishes within this estuary. An unusual mass invasion by marine Cape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis during July 1994 was responsible for large-scale predation of fish (2 155 kg) and resulted in the population of estuary-associated marine fishes declining from approximately 63 300 to about 18 600 individuals during the 1994 closed phase. Given that little or no marine fish recruitment was possible while the estuary mouth was closed, piscivorous birds are likely to have a higher predatory impact on populations of juvenile marine fishes in small temporarily closed estuaries than in larger permanently open systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Bodies in agitation: Wilma Cruise's recent works
- Authors: Schmahmann, Brenda
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147770 , vital:38670 , https://doi.org/10.1080/00043389.2002.11876996
- Description: Wilma Cruise is probably best known for Strike the Woman Strike the Rock (2000), a public work produced collaboratively with Marcus Holmes which commemorates the march of women on the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 to protest against the pass laws. This government commission tallies with Cruise's longstanding interest in feminism. Also, through its incorpora tion of sound, the written word and projections of imagery, Strike the Woman Strike the Rock coheres with an interest in combining a diversity of media and art forms that has been evident in her work during the last few years.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Book Review: Democratic South Africa's foreign policy
- Authors: Magadla, Siphokazi
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/298617 , vital:57721 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10220461.2017.1361863"
- Description: Suzanne Graham's book reviews South Africa's voting behaviour in the United Nations (UN) over a 20-year period (1994–2014), focusing specifically on four themes that featured predominantly in both the policy and rhetoric of South African policymakers during this period: the promotion of human rights and democracy; disarmament and related non-proliferation issues; advancing African interests; and voting on reform of the UN.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Book Review: Losing the Plot. Crime, reality and fiction in postapartheid writing
- Authors: Naidu, Samantha
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124942 , vital:35712 , https://dx.doi.org/10.17159/tvl.v.54i2.2980
- Description: In this wide-ranging and impressive ac¬count of postapartheid writing, De Kock describes the “dizzingly heterogeneous corpus” (1) of South African literature after apartheid with the aim of describing its distinctive features and complexity. The methodology is straightforward. De Kock has chosen to read particular liter¬ary works in order to identify broader ideas and trends. To contextualise the study, De Kock deploys the key, perva¬sive notion of “transition”. The notion is variously defined as a “transformative shift from one ‘state’ to another” (2), a “popular mythology” in the “collective consciousness” (3), and as containing a counter-discourse of disillusionment or disorientation, which De Kock refers to as “‘plot loss’” (3). This “plot loss” becomes a central trope in the book to express the social and political chaos of the country, evident in various criminal manifestations of neo-colonialism such as neo-liberal economic policies, new forms of racism, and corruption.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Book review: Shannen L. Hill, The Iconography of Black Consciousness: Biko’s Ghost
- Authors: Nsele, Zamansele
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145653 , vital:38455 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1177/0021909616634233
- Description: As a student uprising tears across the fabric of post-apartheid campuses, the class of 2015 conjures Black Consciousness to articulate the pervasive epistemic assaults they endure daily at the ivory tower. As if time stood still, as though 1976 never left the scene, the philosophy of Black Consciousness is no lurking spectre; but it is an indispensable affirmation, a restorative life force that gives elaboration and credence to the grammar of black suffering. This is, therefore, a timely book.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Breaking the silence on abortion: the role of adult community abortion education in fostering resistance to norms
- Authors: Bloomer, Fiona , O'Dowd, Kellie , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444250 , vital:74210 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2016.1257740"
- Description: Meanings of abortion in society are constructed within sociohistorical and gendered spaces and manifested through myriad discourses that impact on the perception and treatment of the issue in that society. In societies with powerful oppressive anti-abortion norms, such as Northern Ireland, little is known as to how these norms are resisted by the adult population. This study uses a Foucauldian feminist approach to show how resistance to religious and patriarchal norms can be fostered through adult community abortion education. This resistance is multi-faceted and bolstered by a lived experience discourse, which does not necessarily involve eschewing religious notions held within society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Calcium supplementation commencing before or early in pregnancy, or food fortification with calcium, for preventing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: South Africa Pregnancy Journal article
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/6187 , vital:45261 , xlink:href="https://DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD011192.pub2"
- Description: Background 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 updates
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Calcium supplementation commencing before or early in pregnancy, or food fortification with calcium, for preventing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
- Authors: Hofmeyr, Georges Justus , Manyame, S
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: South Africa Pregnancy Computer File
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/6215 , vital:45282 , "https://DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD011192.pub2"
- Description: Background 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 updates
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Capital or critique?: when journalism education seeks to influence the field
- Authors: Boshoff, Priscilla A , Garman, Anthea
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143392 , vital:38242 , DOI: 10.1080/02560046.2016.1262437
- Description: Drawing on Bourdieu’s theories of field and capital, we examine the limitations that a journalism school at a prestigious university faces in making a meaningful contribution to the field within a developing country. In the postapartheid South African media landscape, journalism is under pressure both from global forces and a political imperative to address social justice. Given the heterogeneity of the journalistic field and the fact that what counts as capital in it is contested, the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University attempts to redefine the parameters by inculcating a particular approach to and philosophy of journalism practice. While Rhodes wants to educate excellent (professional) journalists, it is guided by an overt political mission to cultivate a journalism that is not necessarily ‘in sync’ with the wider field. Ironically, most undergraduates come from the economic and cultural elite, with specific intentions to accumulate the capital which Rhodes bestows. Students are confronted with their privilege and with alternative ideas about the purpose of journalism, and are asked to make choices and take up positions. We consider whether this critical praxis approach is able to influence the ‘state of play’ – or the distribution of power – within the field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Cationic cyclodextrin/alginate chitosan nanoflowers as 5-fluorouracil drug delivery system
- Authors: Lakkakula, Jaya R , Matshaya, Thabo , Krause, Rui W M
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125587 , vital:35798 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2016.08.073
- Description: Cyclodextrins (CDs) have widely been used as component of drug delivery systems. However unmodified cyclodextrins are associated with cytotoxicity and poor water solubility thus limiting their use in pharmaceutical industry. The cationic-β-cyclodextrin (Cat-β-CD) polymer cores were synthesized using β-CD, epichlorohydrin and choline chloride via a one-step polycondensation process. The main aim of this study was to synthesize hierarchical nanoflowers composed of cationic-β-CD as polymeric core along with alginate and chitosan “petals” (Cat-β-CD/Alg-Chi nanoflowers) as carriers for oral delivery of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) via an ionic-gelation technique. The drug loading capacity, particle size, zeta potential and surface morphology of the synthesized nanoflowers were determined. The prepared nanoflowers were formed with an average size of 300 nm and a zeta potential of + 9.90 mV with good encapsulation efficiency of up to 77.3%. In vitro release of 5-FU from the loaded nanoflowers showed controlled and sustained release compared to the inclusion complex alone. Cat-β-CD/Alg-Chi nanoflowers were assessed against L929 cells and found to be effectively inhibiting the growth of L929 cells in a concentration dependent manner.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Central obesity and normal-weight central obesity among adults attending healthcare facilities in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa: a cross-sectional study
- Authors: Owolabi, Eyitayo Omolara , Ter Goon, Daniel , Adeniyi, Oladele Vincent
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa Obesity Central obesity, Overall obesity, Waist circumference, Waist-to-hip ratio, Waist-to-height ratio, NICE BMI-WC composite index, Health risk, Abdominal obesity Computer File
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/5887 , vital:44664 , https://DOI10.1186/s41043-017-0133-x
- Description: Background Central obesity (CO) confers a significant threat on the cardio-metabolic health of individuals, independently of overall obesity. Disparities in the measures of fat distribution lead to misclassification of individuals who are at risk of cardio-metabolic diseases. This study sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of central obesity and normal-weight central obesity among adults attending selected healthcare facilities in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), South Africa, assess their health risk and examine the association between central obesity and cardio-metabolic diseases among adults with normal weight, measured by body mass index (BMI). Methods A cross-sectional survey of 998 adults was carried out at the three largest outpatient clinics in BCMM. Overall and central obesity were assessed using BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHTR). The WHO STEPwise questionnaire was used for data collection. Blood pressure and blood glucose were measured. Normal-weight central obesity was defined as CO among individuals with normal weight, as assessed by BMI. Health risk levels were assessed using the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) BMI-WC composite index. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the prevalence of CO, normal-weight central obesity and the predictors of CO. Results The mean age of participants was 42.6 (± 16.5) years. The prevalence of CO was 67.0, 58.0 and 71.0% by WC, WHR and WHTR, respectively. The prevalence of normal-weight central obesity was 26.9, 36.9 and 29.5% by WC, WHR and WHTR, respectively. About 41% of the participants had a very high health risk, 13% had increased risk or high risk and 33% had no health risk. Central obesity was significantly associated with hypertension but not associated with diabetes among those with normal weight (by BMI). Female sex, age over 30 years, marriage, secondary or tertiary level of education, non-smoking status, diabetes and hypertension significantly predicted central obesity among the study participants. Conclusion The prevalence of central obesity among the study participants is high, irrespective of the defining criteria. One in three adults of normal weight had central obesity. Body mass index should therefore not be used alone for clinical assessment by healthcare workers in the study setting.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Challenges of information and communication technology policy implementation in rural South Africa
- Authors: Chisango, Grasia , Lesame, Carol
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Information society , Digital inclusion , Education
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/5592 , vital:44611 , https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/Comm.v22.4
- Description: While the South African government has implemented an information and communication technology (ICT) policy to address issues of universal access and service, questions remain about the effective implementation of this policy in rural areas. This article explores the extent to which ICT policy and regulation were implemented in rural South Africa, with specific reference to the Eastern Cape province. Focus group interviews and in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from 28 high school learners, two local municipal mayors and two women support group leaders in the Chris Hani District Municipality. A theme analysis indicated that the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) is failing to fulfil its mandate of promoting universal access and service. It is recommended that the provincial government in the Eastern Cape design an ICT strategy for its municipalities and that there should be easy access to Thusong Service Centres in rural areas.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Challenges with modelling transcription factor binding
- Authors: Machanick, Philip , Kibet, Caleb K
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/439158 , vital:73551 , 10.1109/NEXTCOMP.2017.8016178
- Description: Modelling transcription factor binding presents a number of challenges. In its simplest form, binding can be modelled by a consensus sequence but a number of factors including degeneracy of binding sites, alternative modes of binding and differences between artificially-constructed and in vivo DNA make modelling binding complex. In this paper we outline difficulties and report on progress with improving modelling of binding. We focus on improving measurement of binding models, a necessary prerequisite for finding better models.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Changes in chemical composition of essential oils from leaves of different Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) varieties after feeding by the introduced biological control agent, Falconia intermedia Distant (Hemiptera: Miridae)
- Authors: Ngxande-Koza, S W , Heshula, L U P , Hill, Martin P
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59834 , vital:27664 , https://doi.org/10.4001/003.025.0462
- Description: Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is one of the most problematic plant invaders in South Africa and has been targeted for biological control for over 50 years. Essential oil constituents which often change in response to insect herbivory are reported to play a crucial role in plant-insect interactions. However, nothing is known about the chemical profiles of essential oils of L. camara varieties in South Africa and how this changes under herbivory. Therefore, essential oils were collected using hydrodistillation from undamaged and insect-damaged leaves of four L. camara varieties and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to elucidate their chemical profiles. A total of 163 compounds were identified from the undamaged leaves of the various L. camara varieties. Feeding by the biocontrol agent Falconia intermedia Distant (Hemiptera: Miridae) resulted in changes in the quality and quantity of chemical constituents of the essential oils. Only 75 compounds were identified from the insect-damaged leaves of L. camara varieties. Terpenes were the major components across the varieties, while caryophyllene, hexane, naphthalene, copaene and a-caryophyllene were common in all the varieties tested from both undamaged and insect-damaged leaves. Results from this study indicated the chemical distinctiveness of the Whitney Farm variety from other varieties. The changes in chemical concentrations indicated that feeding by the mirid on L. camara varieties causes an induction by either reducing or increasing the chemical concentrations. These inductions following the feeding by F. intermedia could be having a negative impact on the success of biological control against L. camara varieties. However, the focus of this paper is to report on the chemical baseline of L. camara varieties. Hence, comparisons of chemical compound concentrations of L. camara essential oils tested and the feeding-induced changes with respect to their quality and quantity are discussed.
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- Date Issued: 2017