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OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of self-reported pre-race chronic medical conditions and allergies in ultramarathon race entrants and to explore if these are associated with an increased risk of race-day medical encounters (MEs). METHODS Data from two voluntary open-ended pre-race medical screening questions (Q1 - history of allergies; Q2 - history of chronic medical conditions/prescription medication use) were collected in 133641 Comrades Marathon race entrants (2014-2019). Race-day ME data collected prospectively over 6 years are reported as incidence (per 1000 starters) and incidence ratios (IR: 95%CI's). RESULTS Pre-race medical screening questions identified race entrants with a history of chronic medical conditions and/or prescription medication use (6.9%) and allergies (7.4%). The % entrants with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) was 30% and being older (>45 years) or male (27.5%) were the most frequent CVD risk factors. 0.3% of entrants reported existing CVD. The overall incidence of MEs was 20/1000 race starters. MEs were significantly higher in race entrants reporting a 'yes' to Q1 (allergies) (IR = 1.3; 1.1-1.5) (p = 0.014) or Q2 (chronic medical conditions and/or prescription medication use) (IR = 1.3; 1.1-1.5) (p = 0.0006). CONCLUSIONS Voluntary completion of two open-ended questions identified chronic medical conditions and/or prescription medication use in 6.9% and allergies in 7.4% of ultramarathon race entrants. This is lower than that reported for other races that implemented compulsory completion of a more comprehensive pre-screening questionnaire. Despite potential under-reporting, a pre-race self-reported history of chronic medical conditions and allergies was associated with a higher risk of race-day MEs.

Netball is a physical game with sudden direction changes, decelerations, jumping and landing, stop/start maneuvers and restrictive footwork rules exposing players to injury. Close contact play and shared facilities during tournaments, increase illness risk. Objective: To describe incidence, period prevalence, types and severity of injuries and illnesses during the 10-day Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 (NWC). Methods: All players from 16 teams consented (n = 192). Medical staff recorded injuries (840 exposure hours), illnesses (1440 player-days) and time-loss. Main outcome measures included incidence (I) calculated as injury/1000 player-hours and illness/1000 player-days, period prevalence (PP) and severity (time-loss) of all match injuries and illnesses. 39 players sustained 46 match injuries (I = 54.76; PP = 20.31%). Lower limb injuries (I = 29.76), specifically the ankle (I = 13.10) were most common with lateral ankle ligament sprains the highest (I = 17.39). Contact injuries (I = 40.48) significantly exceeded non-contact injuries (I = 14.29; p = 0.0124). Center players sustained most injuries (n = 12; 26%; I = 14.29), followed by goalkeepers (n = 10; 22%; I = 11.90) and goal defenders (n = 8; 17%; I = 9.52). Injuries occurred in almost 50% of matches, and 67% did not result in time-loss. Time-loss injuries (n = 14; 33%) were most frequent in the lower limb (n = 10; 71%) specifically involved lateral ankle ligaments (n = 4; 29%), attributable to contact (n = 11; 79%) and mostly implicated center players and goal defenders (n = 4 each; 29% each). 11 players contracted 11 illnesses (I = 7.64; PP = 5.72%) with respiratory tract illness contributing 36%. Most illnesses did not result in time-loss (91%). This is the first study reporting injury and illness during an NWC. Contact was the main mechanism of injury, and 2/3 of injuries did not result in time-loss. The ankle is most commonly injured and center players sustain most injuries. Non-respiratory system disease was most frequent, but upper respiratory tract infection remains the most common diagnosis. Targeted surveillance studies using similar methodology are required to develop injury and illness preventative strategies in elite netball.

The South African government acknowledges that services could become a major driver of economic growth and has called for the development of a comprehensive strategic framework and action plan for ...

A mobile-based behavioural change program iloveLive.mobi was implemented to prevent HIV among young people (12-24 years) in South Africa. The mobile site offered access to sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial information through interactive learning. The site provided incentives for positive behaviour (such as HIV testing). The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the iloveLife.mobi site in promoting protective behaviour of users. A mixed-methods approach was used, including document review, KAPB survey (n = 1882), group discussions (n = 68) and telephonic interviews (n = 175) with users and interviews with 46 project and community stakeholders. The SRH and psychosocial information on the site was age-appropriate and useful to young people (82.2%). The site reached young men who are generally difficult to reach with SRH information. High-frequency users reported more confidence related to condom use and HIV testing and more protective behaviour (condom use, VMMC) compared to low-frequency users. Users also reported more protective behaviour (HIV testing, VMMC, condom use) than a comparable national sample. iloveLife.mobi became a repository for learning to reach young people with health information. The research highlights key issues to consider when implementing an mHealth platform in a low- or middle-income country, where literacy levels and technical infrastructure may cause challenges.

Cultivar development of cowpea with increased grain yield depends on evaluation and selection of genetically unique and complementary breeding lines. The objective of this study was to evaluate cow...

Taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] is an important underutilised staple food crop in South Africa, with a lot of potential to address food insecurity among poor rural households. Development of high yielding stable taro cultivars is one of the most important goals of plant breeders. Twenty-nine taro accessions collected from major taro producing regions of the country were evaluated for growth performance, yield potential and stability under dryland conditions at two sites (Umbumbulu and Roodeplaat) in 2013, 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons. The experiment was laid in a randomised complete block design replicated three times. Growth and yield traits were measured. Analysis of variance and correlation analysis was done on all measured traits. The genotype by environment interaction was analysed using additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI). As a result, significant variation was observed for most of the traits except number of leaves and leaf width as well as number of suckers...

Grain legumes, including cowpea, are the cheapest sources of minerals and protein to enhance human nutrition. Cultivar development and deployment of cowpea with increased grain mineral content and ...

Exporters, in developing countries, often struggle to access accurate market information which will help them make informed decisions about which export markets and products to focus on. Despite the existence of several market selection techniques, a lack of market information has been identified as a major impediment to export activity in the Indian Ocean Rim region. This paper introduces the TRADE-DSM®, a scientific market selection methodology that screens large quantities of data to reveal the most promising realistic export opportunities for a company, industry, country or region. The hypothesis of this paper is two-fold: (i) whether the TRADE-DSM® could help fill the information gap that exporters and export promotion organizations in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) experience, and (ii) whether the TRADE-DSM® could provide the building blocks for the development of a region-wide export promotion strategy for IORA.

A ‘new’ workplace landscape in the higher education sector leads to employees questioning their fit within the current organisation. This paper presents the findings of an organisational climate st...

The study investigated consumers’ overall liking and sensory profiling of 13 boiled Amaranthus genotypes by using the Check-all-that-apply question. Fifty consumers ranked their preference on a nine-point hedonic scale to determine overall liking of boiled samples. Additionally, 100 consumers completed a CATA question, which contained 19 descriptive terms related to Amaranthus leaves. Significant differences were found in the frequency in which consumers used 11 out of the 19 terms. Correspondence analysis, explaining 68.1% variance, illustrated differences in sensory characteristics between genotypes. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three consumer segments, indicating the heterogeneous acceptance of samples. External mapping of the samples’ configuration identified regions of maximum liking. Sensory characteristics of Amaranthus leaves varied between genotypes and species, with no relationship between specific species and their sensory properties. The information obtained can be recommended to farmers to be incorporated into breeding programmes.

There is growing recognition of the critical role that National Monitoring and Evaluation Systems can play in achieving sustainable development through enhancing effectiveness, efficiency and susta...

This exploratory study investigated experiences of cyberstalking by analysing the psychological impact on young adult users (n = 12; females = 9). The participants completed in-depth e-mail intervi...

Cowpea is a valuable crop for subsistence farmers in South Africa. Seed quantitative traits and germination parameters are important for good establishment of the crop, therefore the variation for these traits were determined for 44 cowpea genotypes. A field experiment was conducted at Roodeplaat planted in a randomised complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance showed significant variation among the genotypes for all traits. Seed length varied from 6.90 to 9.72 mm, while seed width ranged from 5.47 to 7.20 mm. Seed thickness varied from 3.97 to 5.74 mm (mean 4.87 mm). Significant positive correlations were recorded for seed length and seed width; seed thickness and single seed weight; seed width and seed thickness; single seed weight and seed width. Germination speed was also positively correlated to germination percentage. The principal component biplot showed the cowpea genotypes scattered in different quadrants mainly based on seed width, seed length, germination percentage an...

While Friedrich Rudolf Lehmann, Potchefstroom's first volkekunde [ethnology] professor, worked and associated with well-known and ardent supporters of the Nazi government in Germany, his German colleagues critiqued his lukewarm commitment to Nazism. Later, this political ambivalence also marked his time in apartheid South Africa. This paper is an examination of how one ethnologist, caught between the two regimes of National Socialism and apartheid, managed to negotiate his way through them. Lehmann's political choices exemplify a person who does not oppose regimes head-on, but uses the opportunities they present to further his own academic career.

Information on genetic variability among the existing cowpea genotypes will increase the efficiency of the cowpea improvement. Field experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Research Council–Roodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute in South Africa, in 2011 and 2012, to estimate the level of phenotypic variability among a collection of 25 cowpea genotypes. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. Sixteen phenotypic markers were recorded. Analysis of variance for the phenotypic traits revealed that differences among genotypes were highly significant for all traits. This indicated the high level of genetic variability among the cowpea genotypes studied. Genetic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, and broad-sense heritability were estimated for all phenotypic traits. The first five principal components showed 79.30% of the total variability among the genotypes. Pod length, leaf area, leaf area index and number of seeds per plant contribut...

Amaranthus species plays an important role in sustaining food security and alleviation of malnutrition in South Africa. A number of Amaranthus genotypes have been collected and conserved in the gene bank of the ARC–Roodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, South Africa. It is important to genetically evaluate germplasm and select superior parental lines for utilisation in future Amaranthus breeding in the country. Thirty-two Amaranthus genotypes were therefore selected and evaluated in field plantings for quantitative morphological traits using a randomised complete block design across two seasons. Genetic parameters were estimated for 14 phenotypic traits and a considerable amount of genetic variability was observed. Characters such as thousand seed weight, dry biomass, number of leaves, leaf length and panicle length showed high heritability estimates and genetic advance. The Pearson correlation coefficient for the traits showed that there were significant (P ≤ 0.01) correlations among some o...

Sector investing aims to guide investors in identifying undervalued securities. Knowing which sectors flourish at different phases of the business cycle, investment returns may be boosted by increasing holdings in securities from strengthening sectors and reducing holdings in weakening ones. As the business cycle phase changes, security rotation can continuously improve portfolio returns. Sector investing is, however, heavily dependent upon accurate phase identification and therefore highly vulnerable to phase misidentification. Investing in securities which do not thrive at the phase identified could lead to inferior portfolio returns or even losses. There is ample precedent in the literature regarding the usefulness of Fourier analysis in identifying business cycle frequencies. This article contributes by installing this approach for the first time to augment existing sector investing methodology. We confirm that the sector rotation approach does generate statistically significant outperformance (relative to local market index performance) in South Africa. This work adds to the current dearth of theoretical and empirical research regarding sector rotation in emerging economies, so it can also be beneficial for researchers interested in similar milieus.

This article explores living conditions, livelihoods and prospects of farmworkers with regard to land reform legislation. Research was conducted from 2004 to 2010 on four farms in the North West Province, interviewing farmworkers and farm owners. Representatives of the agricultural union Agri North West and land analysts were interviewed to obtain their perspective on farm labour. Despite protective legislation, farmworkers' living and working conditions have deteriorated. Farmworkers further lack alternative livelihood options, perpetuating their dependency on farm owners, who are the only ones providing services and some social security. Among the main barriers in the empowerment of farmworkers are limited insights regarding complex social relationships on farms, the challenge to address the specificity of power relations, and the marginalised position of farmworkers and their lack of agency in the broader political system. Both farmworkers and farm owners need support structures and strengthened instit...

Hawār? are traditionally logboats carved from a single tree into a double-ended vessel which can be propelled by either sails or paddle. Hawār? can be found throughout the Indian Ocean from India through to East Africa, yet little is known about this ubiquitous vessel. The aims of this research are to address this lacuna in our knowledge by documenting the rich source of hawār? present on the island of Socotra, Yemen. © 2009 The Author

This paper reports a case study of a 45-year-old man with known chronic renal failure requiring haemodialysis, hypertension and ischaemic heart disease, who presented with a three-week history of dyspnoea, orthopnoea and a productive cough. He developed sudden onset chest pain and haemoptysis without associated back pain. He was treated for pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, which was confirmed with two separate blood cultures. Chest radiography revealed a widened mediastinum. Computed tomography of the chest confirmed a saccular aortic arch aneurysm. Serodiagnostic tests for syphilis were positive. The patient consequently died due to massive haemoptysis. Postmortem investigation showed a ruptured aortic arch aneurysm, surrounded by a large haematoma, bulging into the patient’s left lung. The case reported here should serve as a reminder of the importance of adequate treatment of primary syphilis in order to reduce the incidence of tertiary syphilis often associated with grave complications.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the availability of, access to and nutrition-related uses of African leafy vegetables in rural and urban households; and to determine the β-carotene content of the dominant African leafy vegetable. Design: The study consisted of a qualitative explorative phase (field walks, semi-structured interviews with key informants, focus group discussions) at two rural sites; and a quantitative household survey (questionnaire) at two rural and one urban site. Amaranth leaves were analysed for β-carotene content. Setting and subjects: The household survey included households at a rural site in Limpopo province (n = 100); and a rural (n = 101) and urban (n = 391) site in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Results: A variety of edible plants were identified during field walks at the two rural sites. Focus group discussions narrowed this down to ten plants at the rural Limpopo site and six at the rural KwaZulu-Natal site. The most popular leaves were amaranth (Amaranthus spp), spider plant (Cleome gynandra), wild watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and blackjack (Bidens spinosa), consumed individually or mixed with other leaves. Rural households procured leaves mostly from the wild whereas urban households relied more on informal markets. In Limpopo, leaves were dried and stored for consumption during winter. KwaZulu-Natal households considered African leafy vegetables food for the poor. Leaves were boiled in salted water, or steamed and then fried in oil. Fried and boiled amaranth leaves contained 627 and 429 µg retinol activity equivalents/100 g respectively. Conclusions: Availability of, access to and nutrition-related uses of African leafy vegetables are context-specific, with inter- and intraprovincial rural/urban differences. Information collected during small studies within a specific area can therefore not be generalised for the overall SouthAfrican population. Amaranth can potentially contribute significantly to vitamin A requirements of nutritionally vulnerable communities.

The farming community in the Mlondozi district in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa has been part of a government liming intervention with the objective to ameliorate the serious soil acidity problem in the district. The current study was undertaken in order to evaluate the impact of the liming intervention and the risk of reacidification of the soil due to natural and agricultural activities. Acid production in the 0-250 mm depth varied from a measured 0.21 to 10.31 (mean 3.70 kmol H + ha -1 year -1 ) in crop production sites. Approximately 190 kg lime ha -1 yr -1 is required to maintain current soil pH levels under crop production. The rate of pH decline for the top 0-250 mm depth was between 0.051 and 0.918 (mean 0.237) pH units year -1 . In the absence of remedial lime applications, pH(H2O) values in most of the area are projected to decrease to the critical value of 5.68 or lower within 4 years. The upper and lower critical pH(H2O) were found to be between ca. 5.73 and 5.68. Below the lower critical value a reduction in crop production can be expected and above the upper critical value, accelerated acidification takes place. Soils with an extractable Al and acidity of

In this study, the soil buffer capacity (soil BC) was measured for 80 topsoil samples of the most dominant soil forms in a small-scale farming area. Soils used in the study ranged from weakly to strongly buffered, with soil BC values ranging from 0.12 to 2.23 cmol (+) kg -1 pH unit -1 . Relationships of soil BC over limited pH ranges showed that at soil BC(pH organic C > clay. At soil BC(pH4.5-6.5) the buffering mechanism was extractable Al > clay > CBD-Al > organic C > CBD-Fe. The main buffering mechanism between pH 6.5-8.5 was clay > CBD-Fe, organic C > CBD-Al. At the general pH range of buffering (4.5-8.5), clay > organic C > extractable Al > CBD-Al > CBD-Fe were the main buffering mechanisms. The main soil forms, viz., Clovelly and Hutton, tended towards lower soil BC, extractable Al (or acidity) and acid saturation, and higher pH, extractable Ca and Mg values, compared to the Magwa and Inanda soil forms which had higher soil BC but lower extractable Al (or acidity), pH and extractable Ca and Mg levels. Clovelly soils tended to have lower clay, CBD-Fe and CBD-Mn contents than the Hutton soils in the study area.

The 2007 season yielded significant new insights into settlement expansion into the land north of the line of the Gorgan Wall and the later abandonment of these sites in the steppe, prior to the co...

Astrid and Mnandi are two closely related potato cultivars of commercial importance in Southern Africa. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were screened and a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker was developed to distinguish between these two cultivars since it is very difficult to distinguish between them on morphological grounds alone. 96 RAPD primer combinations were screened in order to identify cultivar specific polymorphisms. A total of 706 loci were observed with an average of 7.3 loci per primer. Two polymorphisms unique to cv Mnandi, were identified with the decamer primers UBC-509 and UBC-582 and corresponded to the presence of fragments of 300 bp and 900 bp respectively. These fragments were cloned and the nucleotide sequences determined. The sequence of the fragment from UBC-509300 was used to design a set of twenty mer SCAR primers. This set of SCAR primers amplified a 260 bp fragment unique to cv Mnandi, which could be used to distinguish the genotype from cv As...

(2000). The race to conceptualise racism. Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 252-255.