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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.

This study assessed the gross-structure, micro-structure, physical characteristics and nutritional composition of Trichilia emetica and Trichilia dregeana seeds. T. emetica and T. dregeana seeds have potential for commercialization and improved food security, yet they are under-utilized and under-researched. The gross- and micro-structure of the seeds was assessed using stereo microscopy, light microscopy (LM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Protein, fat, ash, and mineral content of the seeds were also assessed. T. emetica and T. dregeana seeds had lower bulk density (393.5 kgm−3 & 433.6 kgm−3 respectively) and lower porosity (55.07% & 54.38% respectively) than soybean. Geometric mean diameter (29.7 mm & 16.9 mm) and aspect ratio (1.72 and 1.85) of T. emetica and T. dregeana seeds respectively, were higher than soybean, while they had lower sphericity (0.66 and 0.66 respectively) than soybean (0.99). Microscopy analysis showed that Trichilia species had larger-sized and more round-shaped protein bodies than soybean seeds. T. emetica and T. dregeana protein contents (25.6% and 17.3% w/w, respectively) were lower than soybean (45.4%) while fat contents (49% and 51.5% w/w, respectively) were higher than soybean (20.2% w/w). Potassium (1075–1350 mg100g−1) and calcium (285–300 mg100g−1) where the main macro-minerals while iron (6.33–6.83 mg100g−1) and zinc (2.30–2.90 mg100g−1) were the main micro-minerals. The research demonstrated that the structural and nutritional characteristics of T. dregeana and T. emetica seeds could facilitate their commercial utilization and application for food security alleviation.

The purpose of this study was to develop and preliminarily validate a questionnaire to examine barriers to coaching that are encountered by women sports coaches in South Africa. Two series of studies were conducted to assess content and face validity, factorial structure, and reliability of a new questionnaire. In study one, 40 items were developed based on LaVoi and Dutove’s ecological model of barriers and supports for female coaches and a thorough literature review. A panel of experts was employed to explore content validity and suitability of the provisional items. In study two, an initial 35-item questionnaire (the Barriers to Sports Coaching Questionnaire for Women; BSCQW) was administered to 152 women sports coaches who were working in South Africa. Principal component analysis was used to reduce items and determine the factorial structure of the questionnaire. Analyses resulted in a 32-item BSCQW, which consists of intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, and socio-cultural barriers to coaching. The most proximal barriers were organisational (M = 2.71, SD = 1.24) and interpersonal (M = 2.22, SD = 1.04). The findings indicate that the overall internal consistency of the BSCQW was .81, demonstrating that the questionnaire was reliable. Thus, BSCQW is a valid tool to assess barriers experienced by women sports coaches in South Africa. Further rigorous psychometric assessments are warranted.

As family structures continue to evolve, understanding how communities perceive these changes and influences on youth engagement is important. This study examined community leaders’ perceptions of ...

Drawing on previous findings from the field of brand personality research and employer branding, this paper aims to explore the symbolic attributes of the retail industry image in South Africa and ...

We study the response of South African monetary policy decisions to foreign monetary policy shocks. We estimate the extent of foreign monetary policy pass through by augmenting standard Taylor rule...

The first author would like to thank Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and TWAS for rewarding an AGNES Grant for Junior Researchers 2014, as well as TWAS and DFG for sponsoring a research visit at the Institute of Mathematics of the University of Kassel in 2016 (reference KO 1122/12-1). The second author would like to thank TWAS and DFG for sponsoring a research visit at the Institute of Mathematics of the University of Kassel in 2015 (reference 3240278140).

Lovenula raynerae is the largest known African freshwater copepod. To date, it has only been sampled from ephemeral freshwater ecosystems. This paper reports the complete mitochondrial genome of L....

Cryptopygus antarcticus travei (Collembola) is a springtail endemic to the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. The mitogenome of C. a. travei has a length of 15,743 bp and comprises 13 protein-cod...

This study explored sport psychology practitioners’ mindfulness in relation to the quality of consulting relationships and value within contemporary practice. A total of 34 sport psychology practitioners from South Africa (n = 22, females = 41%) and the United Kingdom (n = 12, females = 25%) (Private practice = 68%; 15+ years’ experience = 44%) participated in this study. Data were gathered, using the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-SF), Working Alliance Inventory Short-Revised Form (WAI-SRT), and interviews. Spearman’s rank order correlation and thematic content analyses were employed to analyse the data. Higher levels of practitioners’ mindfulness were associated with superior consulting relationships. Specifically, positive correlations were observed between mindfulness attributes of observing, describing, non-reacting ability, and quality of the therapeutic bond, agreement on goals, and agreement on goals and tasks with clients respectively. Thematic analysis suggested mindfulness to facil...

We compare inflation forecasts of a vector autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (VARFIMA) model against standard forecasting models. U.S. inflation forecasts improve when controlling for persistence and economic policy uncertainty (EPU). Importantly, the VARFIMA model, comprising of inflation and EPU, outperforms commonly used inflation forecast models.

Tshwane University of Technology and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.

The zeros of quasi-orthogonal polynomials play a key role in applications in areas such as interpolation theory, Gauss-type quadrature formulas, rational approximation and electrostatics. We extend previous results on the quasi-orthogonality of Jacobi polynomials and discuss the quasi-orthogonality of Meixner–Pollaczek, Hahn, Dual-Hahn and Continuous Dual-Hahn polynomials using a characterization of quasi-orthogonality due to Shohat. Of particular interest are the Meixner–Pollaczek polynomials whose linear combinations only exhibit quasi-orthogonality of even order. In some cases, we also investigate the location of the zeros of these polynomials for quasi-orthogonality of order 1 and 2 with respect to the end points of the interval of orthogonality, as well as with respect to the zeros of different polynomials in the same orthogonal sequence.

This study investigated the relationship between dispositional achievement goal orientation (task and ego) and coping ability in wheelchair rugby players with quadriplegia. The sample consisted of 16 (15 males and 1 female) players between the ages of 25 and 44 (M=33.7 years; SD=8.7) who were selected for South Africa's national training squad in preparation for the 2011 International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) Asia-Oceania Championship. Players self-reported on their perception of success and athletic coping skills. The data were analysed for correlational associations between dimensions of achievement goal orientation and psychological skills associated with coping in sport. Findings revealed that players have both high task and fairly high ego orientation of which task orientation was significantly correlated with coping ability.

An investigation of the relevance of sequenced protein-coding genes in comparison with 16S rRNA gene sequences to correctly delineate and discriminate between closely related Lactobacillus isolates is presented. These reportedly probiotic Lactobacillus strains were obtained from probiotic supplements and food products. Probiotic Lactobacillus species have been found to have several potential health benefits and technological properties which may be strain-dependent. It was deemed necessary to investigate molecular techniques for the identification and discrimination between closely related isolates. The 16S rRNA, pheS, and rpoA genes were amplified in a polymerase chain reaction using the oligonucleotide pairs 27F/1492R, pheS-21-F/pheS-23-R, and rpoA-21-F/rpoA-23-R. The PCR amplicons were separated using gel agarose electrophoresis and observed by the Bio-Rad Gel DocTM XR+ Imaging system transilluminator. Sequencing of the PCR amplicons was done in an ABI PRISMTM 3100 genetic analyzer. MEGA 5.05 software ...

In this paper the nature of diversity that exists with regard to food consumption in the Free State Province is investigated. Furthermore, this paper also investigates the factors (quality attributes and household characteristics) differentiating these market segments from one another. Four separate steps were followed in an integrated manner in the investigation. Firstly, a representative sample was drawn for the Free State Province food consumers. Households are then segmented into smaller submarkets. The second step involved the use of principal component analysis to correct for the strong and prevalent underlying structure with respect to household preferences. In the final step, a binary logit model was applied to analyse the determinants of the market segments’ food consumption. Five market segments are prevalent in the Free State Province, namely: Cluster 1 (34.7%) – inferior-product consumers; Cluster 2 (23.6%) – at-home (basics) consumers; Cluster 3 (26.6%) – balanced consumers; Cluster ...

This article deals with the challenges in the implementation of education for all as experienced by principals in rural secondary schools in Mpumalanga. Interventions which have been implemented on national and provincial level to improve teaching and learning are not equally successful in schools countrywide. The central phenomenon of interest involved the determination of the management and leadership views of rural secondary school principals concerning their ability to ensure Education for All. A theoretical grounding of the situation was developed through a literature review. Interviews were conducted with principals in rural Mpumalanga to collect empirical data for the research. Two main aspects that emerged from the study, was the impact that change, tradition and culture have on teaching and learning in the rural secondary schools in Mpumalanga.

The game meat industry is continuing to grow in South Africa. Several stakeholders are involved in the game meat supply chain and a high level of knowledge is necessary to ensure compliance with legislation and standards. It was therefore necessary to determine the level of knowledge of the stakeholders since this has not been determined before. Information regarding the extent of stakeholders' knowledge and the possible impact on compliance to standards was obtained through a desk-top study and an analysis of questionnaire responses from industry, consumers and relevant authorities. Results have shown that consumers have a specific expectation regarding the safe production of game meat. Limitations in the knowledge of the stakeholders have been identified. Understanding these limitations can assist policy-makers, law enforcers and the game meat industry in developing strategies to alleviate the problem. The result of this study may assist in providing consumers with game meat that is safe for human consumption.

South Africa is considering how best to contribute its fair share to the global effort to mitigate climate change. The domestic policy debate is characterized by a vibrant engagement involving government, business, labour and civil society. The policy option with greatest potential for reducing emissions is carbon pricing through a carbon tax or emissions’ trading scheme. The welfare and development impacts need to be carefully considered. The broader debate considers economic efficiency, environmental effectiveness, welfare impacts, competitiveness impacts, design implications given market concentration, and complexity and transaction costs. This article examines the challenges of pricing carbon given considerations of political economy, such as high unemployment, poverty and lack of access to basic services. The article shows a preference emerging for a carbon tax. A carbon tax does not create equivalent certainty with respect to environmental outcomes, but the tax level can be adjusted to achieve desired emissions reductions. Where the policy priority is price stability a tax is advantageous, providing long-term policy signals to investors, as well as price transparency, fiscal revenue stability, economy-wide coverage of emissions and administrative efficiency. However, three implementation issues need clarity: limiting welfare impacts on poor households; the feasibility of a hybrid model; and integrating carbon pricing with the broader transition to a low-carbon economy.

This study modelled the supply response of beef in South Africa using the Error Correction Model (ECM). The ECM was the preferred model because it corrects for some of the limitations observed in previous studies that investigated the supply response of beef in South Africa. Using rainfall, real producers' price of beef, lamb, pork, chicken, yellow maize, imports and cattle population to represent climatic, economic, trade and demographic factors, respectively, as identified in the literature, the supply response of beef in South Africa was modelled as the number of cattle marketed for slaughtering. This article confirms that beef producers in South Africa respond to economic, climatic, trade and demographic factors in the long-run. In the short-run, however, the article shows that cattle marketed for slaughtering are responsive to climatic factors (i.e. rainfall) and imports of beef. Animal demographics, producer price of yellow maize and the producer price of beef were found not to have a short-run effect on cattle marketed for slaughtering.

This study examined the possibility of converting mageu, a fermented maize beverage popular throughout southern Africa, into a health-promoting and affordable alternative to probiotic dairy products. A range of probiotic Lactobacillus species was compared with a control species traditionally used to prepare mageu. Prebiotic oligosaccharide (soluble fibre), which enhances the growth of beneficial bacteria, was also included. The resulting beverages were compared in two ways: sensory attributes were determined by a trained panel using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), and consumer acceptability was assessed by 53 untrained volunteers. The QDA results suggest that mageu fermented by Lb. acidophilus or Lb. rhamnosus was most similar to the control mageu, while Lb. paracasei mageu and Lb. casei mageu were least similar. The consumer acceptability data confirmed that Lb. acidophilus or Lb. rhamnosus mageu did not differ significantly from the control, suggesting that either of these is suitable for comme...

Flow cytometry is a simple analytical technique that identifies, counts, and characterizes cells. The oxidative status of cells is influenced by many exogenous sources, such as occupational exposure to welding fumes. This study evaluated flow cytometry as a method to determine the oxidative status of male welders (n = 15) occupationally exposed to welding fumes. Flow cytometric analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was carried out in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by using the probe 2, 7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). Lipid peroxidation was measured by the decrease of fluor-DHPE fluorescence and intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels by using mercury orange. All of the parameters were also observed under a confocal microscope. The oxidative stress ratio was calculated from the oxidative damage and the antioxidant capacity to give an accurate account of the cellular oxidative status. ROS and lipid peroxidation levels were elevated by approximately 87% and approximately 96%, respectively, and GSH levels lowered approximately 96% in PBMC of workers exposed to welding fumes compared with non-exposed controls. The oxidative stress ratio was significantly higher (p0.001) in the exposed group. Flow cytometry can be useful for the measurement of cellular oxidative stress in somatic cells of workers exposed to welding fumes and other occupational settings. Calculating an oxidative stress index may be useful in predicting disease outcomes and whether preventative control measures are efficient.

How might energy-intensive (EI) sectors and those that are also trade-intensive (EITI) be included in the use of economic instruments for mitigation in South Africa? Carbon tax or emissions trading...

In this article we examine certain issues associated with Section 8C and other important and frequently encountered related provisions of the Income Tax Act. The issues examined relate to: the difference in tax treatment of restricted and unrestricted equity instruments; possible inequitable tax treatment where an employee receives both an interest free or low interest loan and an equity instrument from an employer and also where a taxpayer receives an equity instrument as trading stock; and the donations tax implications of the donation of a restricted equity instrument. The article does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of these provisions; rather it discusses certain interesting issues encountered by the authors.

Objectives: To gather baseline information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding iodine and iodised salt among patients with hyperthyroidism in the Free State.Subjects and Setting: The study was part of a large cohort study that included the first 96 patients aged 13 years or older diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and referred to Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa during 2005.Methods: The patients were interviewed in their language using a structured validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used fordata analysis.Results: The majority of the patients (86.9%) did not know what iodine was. Similarly, a higher percentage of patients (76.7%) were unaware of the most important or main source of iodine in the food of South Africans. Regarding knowledge of the most important harmful effect on the health of children if they did not get enough iodine, almost all of the patients (89.1%) did not know what it was. Ninety-five per cent of salt was obtained from the local shops, and only 36.1% of the patients read the labelling on the package during purchase. A very small proportion of patients (1.6%) stored salt in closed containers and away from sunlight, while about half of them (49.2%) stored salt in open containers without lids, 36.1% stored it in rigid plastic containers with holes at the top, and 13.1% stored it in the open plastic bags in which the salt was bought.Conclusions: Patients with hyperthyroidism lacked knowledge of iodine, as well as of the storage of iodised salt, and this could have contributed to the persisting endemic goitre reported in previous studies. An aggressive awareness programme, targeting policy makers and the public, is recommended to ensure sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disorders in South Africa. Keywords: hyperthyroidism; iodine; iodised salt; knowledge-attitude-practice study; South Africa

Before the introduction of salt iodisation in 1954, South Africa was one of the many countries of the world with a lack of iodine in most of its territory and hence there was a need for a salt iodisation programme. The understanding of the iodine situation in South Africa, the basics of iodine nutrition and progress toward eliminating iodine deficiency internationally and in South Africa are reviewed in this paper. Voluntary salt iodisation in the country at 10–20 ppm introduced in 1954 failed to eliminate endemic goitre and iodine deficiency. In contrast, considerable progress has been achieved in South Africa in eliminating iodine deficiency by introducing mandatory iodisation of table salt at 40–60 ppm in 1995. A 1998 survey showed that optimal iodine nutrition was achieved nationally and in seven of the nine provinces, with more than adequate iodine intake in two provinces. At that time, 86.4% of households used iodised salt and 62.4% used adequately iodised salt that contained more than 15 pp...

There is increasing evidence that most of the fear expressed by consumers in terms of the link between cholesterol in the diet and heart disease is, amongst others, related to the amount of fat in red meat and dairy produce. The result is that many consumers are cutting back on, if not avoiding, red meat products. A major challenge ahead of the beef industry is to supply a product that complies with the demands of more sophisticated and health conscious consumers. But, even if the beef industry could respond positively to consumers' needs, it is uncertain whether consumers would pay more for beef containing less fat. In this paper the willingness of consumers to pay for less fat in selected beef cuts (T-bone and rump) was investigated with a log-linear hedonic price model. The results showed that more affluent consumers in Bloemfontein were (i) willing to pay for additional external fat (this was contrary to expectations). This was attributable to the culture of food consumption and traditional c...

Relative change in agricultural prices determines farmers` investment decisions, productivity and income. Thus, understanding the factors that influence agricultural prices is fundamental for sustainable growth in this sector and the rest of the economy. This paper investigates the short- and long-run impacts of monetary policy changes on relative agricultural prices in South Africa by employing Johansen cointegration analysis and the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) respectively. The results of Johansen cointegration analysis reject the long-run money neutrality hypothesis which suggests that the rate of increase in prices is not unit proportional to the rate of increase in money supply. On the other hand, the results of the dynamic relationships provide evidence of agricultural prices being overshot. Therefore, when a monetary shock occurs, the agriculture sector will have to bear the burden of adjustment, increasing farmersÂ’ financial vulnerability. Consumers also have to absorb short-run price volatility and overshooting of prices which in turn impacts on their ability to manage their cash flow optimally; this could be a substantial challenge in poor households. Due to the linkages between monetary policy variables and relative agricultural prices, it is recommended that agricultural policy makers and monetary authorities work closely in designing and implementing monetary policy in the country. This is important because monetary policies meant to stabilize the economy may have less desirable impacts on farmers and consumers, especially in the short run.

In this study a gravity model was used to investigate the impact of country specific MRLs that are more stringent than the MRLs set by CODEX on avocado exports by South Africa to the EU with specific reference to Prochloraz. The results revealed that the more stringent Prochloraz MRLs indeed have an impact on avocado exports to the EU. The simulation results show that the revenue foregone due to the more stringent Prochloraz MRLs is US$15.27 million. In relative terms this is significant, and should the Prochloraz MRLs be relaxed to the CODEX levels the contribution of the avocado industry to the gross domestic value of agricultural products would increase significantly. Furthermore, several studies have revealed the potentially negative impacts of abnormal levels of Prochloraz. The question arises why there are anomalies in the application of Prochloraz MRLs between countries and whether the CODEX MRL already account for these negative impacts. In depth analysis should be done with respect to the anomalies prevailing for Prochloraz MRLs to provide a proper scientific basis for applying them. Other recommendations are that much more attention should be given to the development of the national market for avocados and that other markets than the EU market should be explored for exports.

Alcohol use is prevalent in South Africa and alcohol use may be associated with higher risk for HIV transmission. This article reports a study of the association between alcohol use and HIV risk-related behavior among 614 men and 157 women receiving sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic services in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants completed anonymous surveys of demographic information, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors. Results for men showed that drinking in sexual contexts as well as their partner's drinking were related to higher rates of unprotected intercourse. However, the number of sex partners men reported was only associated with their own use of alcohol before sex. In contrast, women's partners drinking before sex was related to higher frequencies of unprotected intercourse, but it was their own drinking before sex that was related to women's number of sex partners. Results therefore suggest that the context of alcohol use is more closely related to sexual risks than are the quantity or frequency of use. Interventions are needed that integrate HIV risk reduction with alcohol risk reduction in South Africa.