List of Titles

Environmental domains and range-limiting mechanisms: testing the Abundant Centre Hypothesis using southern African sandhoppers

- Baldanzi, Simone, McQuaid, Christopher D, Cannicci, Stefano, Porri, Francesca

Authors: Baldanzi, Simone , McQuaid, Christopher D , Cannicci, Stefano , Porri, Francesca
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6848 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011108
Description: Predicting shifts of species geographical ranges is a fundamental challenge for conservation ecologists given the great complexity of factors involved in setting range limits. Distributional patterns are frequently modelled to “simplify” species responses to the environment, yet the central mechanisms that drive a particular pattern are rarely understood. We evaluated the distributions of two sandhopper species (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Talitridae), Talorchestia capensis and Africorchestia quadrispinosa along the Namibian and South African coasts, encompassing three biogeographic regions influenced by two different oceanographic systems, the Benguela and Agulhas currents. We aimed to test whether the Abundant Centre Hypothesis (ACH) can explain the distributions of these species’ abundances, sizes and sex ratios and examined which environmental parameters influence/drive these distributions. Animals were collected during a once-off survey at 29 sites over c.3500 km of coastline. The ACH was tested using a non-parametric constraint space analysis of the goodness of fit of five hypothetical models. Distance Based Linear Modelling (DistLM) was performed to evaluate which environmental traits influenced the distribution data. Abundance, size and sex ratio showed different patterns of distribution. A ramped model fitted the abundance (Ramped North) and size (Ramped South) distribution for A. quadrispinosa. The Inverse Quadratic model fitted the size distribution of T. capensis. Beach slope, salinity, sand temperature and percentage of detritus found on the shore at the time of collection played important roles in driving the abundance of A. quadrispinosa. T. capensis was mainly affected by salinity and the morphodynamic state of the beach. Our results provided only some support for the ACH predictions. The DistLM confirmed that the physical state of the beach is an important factor for sandy beach organisms. The effect of salinity and temperature suggest metabolic responses to local conditions and a role in small to mesoscale shifts in the range of these populations.
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Eudicella trimeni Janson, 1884 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Goliathini): Description of larva with notes on conservation status, biology and taxonomy

- Perissinotto, Renzo, Orozco, Jesús (Entomologist)

Authors: Perissinotto, Renzo , Orozco, Jesús (Entomologist)
Date: 2013
Subjects: Afrotropical , Goliathini , Eudicella trimeni , Scarab beetles , Fruit chafers , Flower chafers , Larva , Grubs , Rosenkäfer
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6559 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006605 , http://africaninvertebrates.org/ojs/index.php/AI/article/view/307
Description: Eudicella trimeni is reportedly one of the most endangered species of the genus, having been declared virtually extinct until recently. Present research has shown that the species occurs in an area wider than previously known. However, its habitat is disappearing at a fast rate and the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal populations appear to be sufficiently different from each other to warrant at least subspecies status and further investigation. Third instar larvae of the northern population were collected recently in the Karkloof Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal. They were reared to adulthood under environmentally controlled conditions and are here described.
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Extreme weather events in the Sneeuberg, Karoo, South Africa: a case study of the floods of 9 and 12 February 2011

- Fox, Roddy C, Rowntree, Kate M

Authors: Fox, Roddy C , Rowntree, Kate M
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6672 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004468
Description: Two destructive flood events occurred in rapid succession in the semi-arid Sneeuberg Mountains of the Karoo, South Africa in February 2011. The temporal and spatial characteristics of these two extreme events are examined in this paper through analysis of data from an unusually dense, and reliable, network of farm rain gauges. These analyses add to our understanding derived from existing rain gauge information. Comparisons are then made with patterns from a range of modeled products derived from remote sensed information: the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). We found that the first flood event was widespread and precipitation was related strongly to altitude. The second was highly localised, with no relationship to altitude. Both had very sharply peaked rainfall intensities. These findings are of significance to the studies of flooding and landscape change in the area as such events have become more pronounced over the past 50 yr and it is likely that this trend will accelerate. The modeled patterns are derived largely from remote sensing and we found that they are reliable for drawing out monthly and annual variations but they make noticeable underestimates. They are poor estimates, however, both for the spatial distribution of precipitation, and the short term trends as they struggle to estimate the impact of topography and other local forcing factors. This finding corroborates information derived from other analyses at broader spatial scales using more widely spread, established rain gauge stations. Ten percent of southern Africa has been classified as mountainous and these areas provide much of our water resources so our findings are significant to water managers throughout this and similar mountainous regions.
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Fears and desires in South African crime fiction

- Naidu, Samantha

Authors: Naidu, Samantha
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:26323 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/53765 , http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03057070.2013.826070 , https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9456-8657
Description: This article is a review of a burgeoning literary genre, South African crime fiction, as much as it is a review of specific texts. First, for the purposes of contextualisation and historicisation, an overview of the primary literature is provided. Then criticism and theories of extant crime fiction in mainly the UK and USA, of which South African crime fiction is a descendent, are outlined. This outline is followed by descriptions of two sub-genres (the crime thriller novel and the literary detective novel). Two exemplar texts, Devil’s Peak (2007) and Lost Ground (2011) are then reviewed. The artistic merit of the respective sub-genres and their capacity for social analysis is also considered. The article ends with some brief inferences and the claim that the credibility and heft of this popular literary genre have been established
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Form over function? The practical application of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 1998 in South Africa

- Kruuse, Helen

Authors: Kruuse, Helen
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54094 , vital:26389 , http://journals.co.za/content/ju_jur/2013/1/EJC148455
Description: The Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998 is a major legislative measure for the development of customary marriages in line with the constitutional principle of equality, specifically for women. The article explores the interactions between this ideal in the Act with empirical observations and the latest judicial decisions concerning its application. It considers various examples of the lack of protection of women in relationships of a customary nature, and it concludes that both the state and courts favour a formal or definitional approach to customary marriage. In considering alternative approaches that could adequately protect vulnerable parties, two conclusions emerge: First, the article recommends a wholesale revision of the South African family law approach from a focus on form to dependency. Second (and as a short-term measure), the article advocates for the putative marriage doctrine to be applied in the customary marriage context to protect many women who are denied access to 'customary marriage' as a form, and as a result, all of the benefits that flow from such marriage.
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From panic disorder to complex traumatic stress disorder : retrospective reflections on the case of Tariq

- Edwards, David J A

Authors: Edwards, David J A
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6234 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007784
Description: This is a phenomenological-hermeneutic case study of Tariq who initially presented with panic disorder. It documents how, as therapy proceeded, the underlying meaning of his initial panic deepened as its roots in traumatic memories of childhood emerged. There were four spaced phases of treatment over four years. The first focused on anxiety management; the second was conceptualized within schema-focused therapy, and evoked and worked with childhood memories using inner child guided imagery; in the third and fourth phases insights gained led to an authentic re-engagement with family members in relationships that had been problematic. The panic attacks resolved and there were two dreams representing a reconfiguring of his relationship with his deceased father. The first two phases were the focus of an unpublished case study presented at a conference in 1995. This article incorporates material from that study and looks back at the case both in light of developments in phases two and three and also in light of theoretical developments in our understanding of complex trauma since the initial presentation.
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Graviton multipoint functions at the AdS boundary

- Brustein, R, Medved, A J M

Authors: Brustein, R , Medved, A J M
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: text , Article
Identifier: vital:6819 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004425
Description: The gauge-gravity duality can be used to relate connected multipoint graviton functions to connected multipoint correlation functions of the stress tensor of a strongly coupled fluid. Here, we show how to construct the connected graviton functions for a particular kinematic regime that is ideal for discriminating between different gravitational theories, in particular between Einstein theory and its leading-order string theory correction. Our analysis begins with the one-particle irreducible graviton amplitudes in an anti-de Sitter black brane background.We show how these can be used to calculate the connected graviton functions and demonstrate that the two types of amplitudes agree in some cases. It is then asserted on physical grounds that this agreement persists in all cases for both Einstein gravity and its leading-order correction. This outcome implies that the corresponding field-theory correlation functions can be read off directly from the bulk Lagrangian, just as can be done for the ratio of the shear viscosity to the entropy density.
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Men and talk about legal abortion in South Africa : equality, support and rights discourses undermining reproductive ‘choice’

- Macleod, Catriona I, Hansjee, Jateen

Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Hansjee, Jateen
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6295 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1014770 , http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13691058.2013.802815
Description: Discursive constructions of abortion are embedded in the social and gendered power relations of a particular socio-historical space. As part of research on public discourses concerning abortion in South Africa where there has been a radical liberalisation of abortion legislation, we collected data from male group discussions about a vignette concerning abortion, and newspaper articles written by men about abortion. Our analysis revealed how discourses of equality, support and rights may be used by men to subtly undermine women's reproductive right to ‘choose’ an abortion. Within an Equal Partnership discourse, abortion, paired with the assumption of foetal personhood, was equated with violating an equal heterosexual partnership and a man's patriarchal duty to protect a child. A New Man discourse, which positions men as supportive of women, was paired with the assumption of men as rational and women as irrational in decision-making, to allow for the possibility of men dissuading women from terminating a pregnancy. A Rights discourse was invoked to suggest that abortion violates men's paternal rights.
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Obituary: John Mayne English 1922-2013

- Lewis, Colin A

Authors: Lewis, Colin A
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article , text
Identifier: vital:6162 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004782
Description: In 1962 John moved south to Johannesburg, but that bustling city held few attractions for him and he moved further south, to the cathedral city of Grahamstown. Grahamstown, with its nineteenth century Gothic cathedral, elegant Georgian buildings, and distinctive grandeur of Rhodes University, St Andrew's College and other buildings designed by Herbert Baker and his colleagues, suited John. He particularly enjoyed the academic, social, artistic and dramatic life of the community, where many older members of society were distinguished old-Africa hands. John thoroughly enjoyed Grahamstown where, in the partnership of Hoskins and English, he made his mark in the restoration and extension of many significant buildings. His addition to the Anglican chapel at Hog's Back is a masterpiece, as is his incorporation of the old fayade into the rebuilding and extension of the Magistrates' Court.
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Observables in a lattice Universe : the cosmological fitting problem

- Bruneton, J-P, Larena, Julien

Authors: Bruneton, J-P , Larena, Julien
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6790 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006943
Description: We explore observables in a lattice Universe described by a recently found solution to Einstein field equations. This solution models a regular lattice of evenly distributed objects of equal masses. This inhomogeneous solution is perturbative, and, up to second order in a small parameter, it expands at a rate exactly equal to the one expected in a dust dominated Friedmann-Lema^itre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) model with the equivalent, smoothed, energy density. Therefore, the kinematics of both cosmologies are identical up to the order of perturbation studied. Looking at the behaviour of the redshift and angular distance, we find a condition on the compactness of the objects at the centre of each cell under which corrections to the FLRW observables remain small, i.e. of order of a few percents at most. Nevertheless, we show that, if this condition is violated, i.e. if the objects are too compact, our perturbative scheme breaks down as far as the calculations of observables are concerned, even though the kinematics of the lattice remains identical to its FLRW counter-part (at the perturbative order considered). This may be an indication of an actual fitting problem, i.e. a situation in which the FLRW model obtained from lightcone observables does not correspond to the FLRW model obtained by smoothing the spatial distribution of matter. Fully non-perturbative treatments of the observables will be necessary to answer that question.
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Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70-x : a heat shock protein at the host-parasite interface

- Hatherley, Rowan, Blatch, Gregory L, Tastan Bishop, Özlem

Authors: Hatherley, Rowan , Blatch, Gregory L , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6489 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007081 , https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2013.834849
Description: Plasmodium falciparum 70 kDa heat shock proteins (PfHsp70s) are expressed at all stages of the pathogenic erythrocytic phase of the malaria parasite lifecycle. There are six PfHsp70s,all of which have orthologues in other plasmodial species, except for PfHsp70-x which is unique to P. falciparum. This paper highlights a number of original results obtained by a detailed bioinformatics analysis of the protein. Large scale sequence analysis indicated the presence of an extended transit peptide sequence of PfHsp70-x which potentially directs it to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Further analysis showed that PfHsp70-x does not have an ER-retention sequence, suggesting that the protein transits through the ER and is secreted into the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) or beyond into the erythrocyte cytosol. These results are consistent with experimental findings. Next, possible interactions between PfHsp70-x and exported P. falciparum Hsp40s or host erythrocyte DnaJs were interrogated by modeling and docking. Docking results indicated that interaction between PfHsp70-x and each of the Hsp40s, regardless of biological feasibility, seems equally likely. This suggests that J domain might not provide the specificity in the formation of unique Hsp70-Hsp40 complexes, but that the specificity might be provided by other domains of Hsp40s. By studying different structural conformations of PfHsp70-x, it was shown that Hsp40s can only bind when PfHsp70-x is in a certain conformation. Additionally, this work highlighted the possible dependence of the substrate binding domain residues on the orientation of the α-helical lid for formation of the substrate binding pocket.
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Reflecting on South African psychology: published research, ‘relevance’ and social issues

- Macleod, Catriona I, Howell, Simon

Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Howell, Simon
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6219 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006277
Description: As South Africa prepared to host the 30th International Congress of Psychology in 2012, a call was made to reflect on the strengths of and challenges facing contemporary South African Psychology. This paper presents our response to our brief to focus on social issues by presenting the results of a situational analysis of South African Psychology over the last five years and comparing this corpus of data to a similar analysis reported in Macleod (2004). Articles appearing in the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP) and abstracts in PsycINFO with the keyword ‘South Africa’ over a 5½ year period were analysed. The content of 243 SAJP articles and 1986 PsycINFO abstracts were analysed using the codes developed by Macleod (2004). Results indicate: an increase in the number of articles, a reduction in the percentage of articles using quantitative methodologies and ‘hard’ science theoretical frameworks (particularly in the SAJP), and an increase in qualitative, theoretical, and methodological papers, and papers using systems-oriented theory (particularly in the SAJP). Traditional topics of assessment, stress and psychopathology continue to dominate, with social issues such as housing, land reform, development programmes, water resources and socio-economic inequities being largely ignored. Most research continues to be conducted in Gauteng, KwaZulu/Natal and the Western Cape, predominantly with adult, urban-based, middle-class participants, sourced mainly from universities, hospitals or clinics and schools. Collaborations or comparisons with other African, Asian, South American and Middle East countries have decreased. While the analysis presented in this paper is limited by its exclusion of books, theses, research reports and monographs, it shows that in published research there are some positive trends and some disappointments. The limited number of social issues featuring in published research, the under-representation of certain sectors of the population as participants, and the decrease in collaboration with, or comparison to, countries from the global ‘South’ represent challenges that require systematic attention.
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Responsive integrative treatment of PTSD and trauma related disorders : an expanded evidence-based model

- Edwards, David J A

Authors: Edwards, David J A
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6223 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007679
Description: In this article a practitioner oriented review of the literature on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is used to construct a phase-based model that can serve as a basis for case formulation and treatment planning. Treatments shown to be efficacious in randomized controlled trials are listed and two discourses about them are contrasted. One calls for therapists to implement treatments scrupulously according to the manual, the other calls for flexibility and responsiveness to contextual understanding of the situation and personality of individual clients. Evidence for the centrality of the principles of this latter discourse for professional practice is summarized from work on case formulation, standards for therapist competence, and the concept of evidence-based practice. This provides the foundation for a model for treatment of PTSD, both simple and complex, that has five levels which represent increasing degrees of depth of clinical work. In accordance with the phased approach, conditions at one level need to be satisfied before proceeding to work on a deeper level. At each level specific areas of clinical focus are highlighted including risk management (at level 1), building the therapeutic alliance (at level 2) and trauma-focused work (at level 3). The model serves as a broad structured summary of accumulated clinical knowledge about PTSD and its treatment that provides an evidence-based foundation for assessment and treatment planning.
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Swansea & Brecon Guild : prelude, the Bevan family, and the first and anniversary peals

- Lewis, Colin A

Authors: Lewis, Colin A
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6193 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013420 , http://www.ringingworld.co.uk
Description: [From Conclusion] The Swansea & Brecon Guild owes its foundation largely to the interest of the first Bishop of the Diocese: Edward Bevan, in bells, ringers and ringing. The first peal for the Guild was rung at Talgarth by members of that tower, conducted by Louis Griffiths. The anniversary peal was also rung at Talgarth and consisted of the methods and variations that were probably rung in the original peal. , Colin Lewis was Professor of Geography at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa from 1989 until his retirement at the end of 2007. In 1990, with the strong support of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Dr Derek Henderson, he instigated the Certificate in Change Ringing (Church Bell Ringing) in the Rhodes University Department of Music and Musicology - the first such course to be offered in Africa. Since that date he has lectured in the basic theory, and taught the practice of change ringing. He is the Ringing Master of the Cathedral of St Michael and St George, Grahamstown, South Africa.
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The Evil of sluits : a re-assessment of soil erosion in the Karoo of South Africa as portrayed in century-old sources

- Rowntree, Kate M

Authors: Rowntree, Kate M
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6725 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006803
Description: Deep, linear gullies are a common feature of the present landscape of the Karoo of South Africa, where they were known locally in the early twentieth century as ‘sluits’. Recent research has shown that many of these features are now stable and are no longer significant sediment sources, although they are efficient connectors in the landscape. Because most of the gully networks predate the first aerial photographs, little is known in the scientific literature about the timing of their formation. One secondary source, however, throws interesting light on the origin of these features, and the early response by landowners to their rehabilitation. The Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope at the turn of the Twentieth Century carried a number of articles by farmers and agricultural officers concerning the "evil of sluits". The authors gave accounts of widespread incision of valley bottoms by deep, wide gullies. Many of these gullies had been in existence for some thirty years but apparently had formed within living memory. A number of attempts to prevent further erosion had been put in place at the time of writing. This paper presents a review of land degradation, specifically gully erosion, and rehabilitation recommendations as given by authors writing in this journal. It reflects on the findings in the context of assessing land degradation processes through the local knowledge portrayed in the journal.
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The status of traditional horse racing in the Eastern Cape

- Roberts, Jaine, Griffith, Michelle, Paterson, Craig J, Mantolo, Thumeka, Dume, Monde

Authors: Roberts, Jaine , Griffith, Michelle , Paterson, Craig J , Mantolo, Thumeka , Dume, Monde
Date: 2013
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:7099 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006617 , http://www.ecgbb.co.za/ecgb/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/THR-WEB.pdf
Description: From introduction: The Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board advertised a tender for research assessing and auditing the status of traditional horse racing in the Eastern Cape. The term ‘traditional horse racing’ (THR) is used for convenience but covers a range of horse racing events, not all of which are ‘traditional’. The term, within the research and this report, is used to denote all horse racing in the Eastern Cape which lies outside of the formal gambling horse racing industry which is localised to Port Elizabeth.
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