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Understanding the qualities that are most important for employees' career success has been fundamental in advancing career literature. Researchers, employers, and employees have shown an increased interest in the dynamics and factors involved in the relationship between career commitment and subjective career success. This study examined career commitment and subjective career success among South African veterinary professionals (N = 331), whilst exploring the possible moderating role of career resilience and self-efficacy. Empirical results showed significant positive relationships between career commitment, career resilience, self-efficacy, and subjective career success. Furthermore, results indicated that self-efficacy moderated the relationship between career commitment and subjective career success, although no evidence for the moderating role of career resilience in this regard, was found. These findings carry implications for organisations and training institutions on the qualities most important for the career success of veterinary professionals. Implementing career commitment initiatives and considering self-efficacy in the training of veterinary professionals are recommended.

Vocational research using the psychology of working theory (PWT) is increasing. Still, empirical studies testing the hypothesized relationships among this theory's intended target group (e.g., working class or blue-collar workers) are scant. Given the context of South Africa, and drawing on the PWT, this study adds to career literature by illustrating the indirect effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between decent work and two work-related outcomes (i.e., subjective career success and turnover intention) among a sample of South African blue-collar workers. Our results confirmed the bifactor five-factor structure for decent work among a sample of blue-collar workers in South Africa. Specifically, we contribute to existing knowledge about the outcome portion of the PWT model within non-western contexts, by illustrating the direct relationship of decent work with two outcomes i.e., subjective career success and turnover intention and provide evidence for the indirect effect of job satisfaction in these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Indoor residual spraying (IRS) has been and remains an important malaria control intervention in southern Mozambique, South Africa and Eswatini. A better understanding of the effectiveness of IRS campaigns is critical to guide future elimination efforts. We analyze the three IRS campaigns conducted during a malaria elimination demonstration project in southern Mozambique, the "Magude project", and propose a new method to calculate the efficacy of IRS campaigns adjusting for IRS coverage, pace of house spraying and IRS residual efficacy on different wall types. Anopheles funestus sensu lato (s.l.) and An. gambiae s.l. were susceptible to pirimiphos-methyl and DDT. Anopheles funestus s.l. was resistant to pyrethroids, with 24h post-exposure mortality being lower for An. funestus sensu stricto (s.s.) than for An. parensis (collected indoors). The percentage of structures sprayed was above 90% and percentage of people covered above 86% in all three IRS campaigns. The percentage of households sprayed was above 83% in 2015 and 2016, but not assessed in 2017. Mosquito mortality 24h post-exposure stayed above 80% for 196 days after the 2016 IRS campaign and 222 days after the 2017 campaign and was 1.5 months longer on mud walls than on cement walls. This was extended by up to two months when 120h post-exposure mortality was considered. The district-level realized IRS efficacy was 113 days after the 2016 campaign. While the coverage of IRS campaigns in Magude were high, IRS protection did not remain optimal for the entire high malaria transmissions season. The use of a longer-lasting IRS product could have further supported the interruption of malaria transmission in the district. To better estimate the protection afforded by IRS campaigns, National Malaria Control Programs and partners are encouraged to adjust the calculation of IRS efficacy for IRS coverage, pace of house spraying during the campaign and IRS efficacy on different wall types combined with wall type distribution in the sprayed area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automotive industry is one of the manufacturing sub-sectors that play a vital role in countries' economies. However, this industry is not exempt from the effect of fuel price and financial risk components. This study investigates the effect of fuel price and financial risk components on the South African motor trade sales for the period 2008-2021. The research is built on previous work and research on the linkage between fuel price and country risks. Auto-regression Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was applied to monthly financial data (exchange rate, interest rate), fuel price and motor trade sales. Findings suggested the presence of a long-run relationship among these variables. Findings suggested the presence of a long-run relationship among these variables. It was found that both interest rate and exchange rate have negative impacts on long-run motor trade sales. Nonetheless, the fuel price was found to be statistically insignificant to influence motor-trade sales in the long run. The results also indicated that both interest rate and exchange rate cannot impact motor trade sales in the short run. Based on these results, the study stressed that policies that strengthen and stabilise the South African currency (exchange rate) are imperative to increase sales in the automotive industry and economy in general. Easing and lowering interest rates can also assist in boosting motor trade sales irrespective of the fuel price. The paper uniquely provides the interactions between fuel price, financial risk and sales within the South African automotive industry. It also suggests strategies that can be implemented to improve sales within the aforementioned industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of mental health disorders in the patients with HHT did not differ significantly from those with haemophilia. In PWH, the risk of developing a mental health disorder was not related to their ABR, since patients with an ABR of 12-36 had the lowest percentage of mental health disorders compared to patients with an ABR of < 12 and >=48 ( I P i = .084). Keywords: bleeding disorders; haemophilia; hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia; mental health disorders; quality of life; South Africa EN bleeding disorders haemophilia hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia mental health disorders quality of life South Africa e64 e67 4 03/14/22 20220301 NES 220301 People with inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs) mostly have impaired health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL).1 The WFH Guidelines for the Management of Hemophilia2 recommend HRQoL as a treatment outcome. The prevalence of substance use disorders in our study (7.5%) was similar to the nine percent of Barlow et al.11 The lifetime prevalence rate of MDD (24.1%) in our PWH, was lower than the 37% reported by Iannone et al.12 in a group of adult patients in Arizona. [Extracted from the article]

BANKING CLIENTS AND DEPOSITORS BECAME MORE SERVICE- AND PRICECONSCIOUS IN THEIR PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, THUS THEIR BANKING BEHAVIOUR BECAME INCREASINGLY PRONE TO CHANGE. CONSEQUENTLY, BANK CUSTOMERS TEND TO SWITCH BANKS DUE TO UNDERLYING FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR DECISION-MAKING BEHAVIOUR. CONVERSELY, BANKS STRIVE TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT MORE CLIENTS AS THIS MAY INCREASE FUTURE INCOME AND REDUCE THE RISK OF LIQUIDATION. THE BANKING INDUSTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA IS CHARACTERISED BY CONCENTRATION THROUGH THE DOMINANCE OF A FEW LARGE BANKS. COMPETITIVE BANKS SUCH AS THOSE IN SOUTH AFRICA HAVE INCORPORATED SERVICE QUALITY IN THEIR STRATEGIES TO GAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OVER THEIR COMPETITORS. HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT OF LOW SERVICE QUALITY, BANKS MAY FALL SHORT OF CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS WHICH HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OVERALL SATISFACTION OF CUSTOMERS. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION HAS BEEN RECOGNISED TO HAVE A CRUCIAL ROLE IN A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITIVE BANKING ENVIRONMENT. THUS, THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE INFLUENCE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, SERVICE QUALITY AND DEMOGRAPHICS ON BANK SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA. THE STUDY FOLLOWED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN. SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE FROM A SAMPLE OF 324 BANK DEPOSITORS WAS COLLECTED AND ANALYSED. THE ANALYSIS INCLUDED DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, CORRELATION ANALYSIS AND BINARY REGRESSION ANALYSIS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY SHOW THAT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND BANK RELIABILITY SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCES DEPOSITORS' BEHAVIOUR TO SWITCH BETWEEN BANKS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT A RELATIONSHIP EXISTS BETWEEN EMPATHY AND AGE IN BANK SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR. THIS FINDING IMPLIES THAT BANKS SHOULD WORK ON SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS, ESPECIALLY THE RELIABILITY OF SERVICES TO ENSURE CUSTOMERS ARE SATISFIED AND RETAINED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The real challenge to many practitioners in the financial and investment sector is to accurately profile risk-averse investors to still be inclusive of these investors in the wealth creation process. This study aims to profile risk-averse investors through a structural equation model based on endogenous and exogenous factors. The final sample size consisted of 463 individual investors in the economic hub of South Africa, Gauteng province. These endogenous and exogenous factors may bring about increases or decreases in the risk tolerance levels of investors and accordingly, influence their decisions to initiate, amend or terminate financial behaviours. These factors significantly contributed towards explaining low-risk tolerance behaviour, which assisted with the successful development of a model to profile the risk tolerance behaviour of risk-averse investors. This risk profiling model makes a remarkable and unique contribution to the field of study and the financial industry, since it will assist financial practitioners to profile the risk tolerance behaviour of risk-averse investors more accurately, which will lead to the successful implementation of investment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between person-environment fit and subjective career success (SCS), as well as the role of personal resilience in that relationship. A convenience sample of 742 employees from various sectors in South Africa (female = 55.3%; Afrikaans language speakers = 64.2%; financial = 23%, wholesale and trade = 15%, education = 10%, business consulting = 10%) participated in the study. The employees completed surveys on subjective career success, resilience, and person-environment fit. Multiple regression analyses results revealed person-environment fit and resilience significantly predict subjective career success. Specifically, personal resilience moderated the relationship between person-organisation fit and subjective career success by strengthening the relationship. Moreover, an increase in person-organisation fit was associated with an increase in SCS. Furthermore, for employees with higher levels of resilience, the increase in SCS was much sharper. The study's findings suggest the importance of personal factors in the occupational thriving of employees in the contemporary workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles arabiensis is a major malaria vector, recently implicated as contributing to ongoing residual malaria transmission in South Africa, which feeds and rests both indoors and outdoors. This species is, therefore, not effectively targeted using core malaria vector control interventions alone. Additionally, increasing resistance to available insecticides necessitates investigations into complementary non-insecticide-based vector control methods for outdoor-resting mosquitoes. The feasibility of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as a complementary vector control intervention is being investigated in South Africa. Successful implementation of an SIT programme largely depends on inundating a target insect population with sterilized laboratory-bred males. Therefore, knowledge of the native population size and dispersal ability of released sterile laboratory-reared males is critical. In this study, we estimated the male An. arabiensis population size and the dispersal of released males in an area targeted for a pilot sterile male release programme. Methods: Three separate releases were performed within a 2-year period. Approximately 5000–15,000 laboratory-reared male An. arabiensis (KWAG) were produced and marked for mark–release–recapture experiments. To recapture released mosquitoes, cloth tubes were deployed in widening concentric circles. The average dispersal distance of released males was calculated and the wild male An. arabiensis population size was estimated using two Lincoln index formulae. The natural population was sampled concurrently and Anopheles species diversity examined. Results: The Anopheles gambiae complex and An. funestus group species made up the majority of wild collections along with other anophelines. The An. arabiensis population size was estimated to be between 550 and 9500 males per hectare depending on time of year, weather conditions and method used. Average dispersal distance of marked males ranged from 58 to 86 m. Marked males were found in swarms with wild males, indicating that laboratory-reared males are able to locate and participate in mating swarms. Conclusions: It was logistically feasible to conduct mark–release–recapture studies at the current scale. The population size estimates obtained may provide a guideline for the initial number of males to use for a pending SIT pilot trial. It is promising for future SIT trials that laboratory-reared marked males participated in natural swarms, appearing at the right place at the right time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial market's capital market stability and development are core drivers of progressive, sound and well-functioning economic operations relied upon in both the macro-and microeconomic spheres. The stock market, a key component of the capital market, generates substantial opportunities for businesses, traders, and investors. The stock market remains a daunting securities platform amid heightening uncertainty and market disruptions. In order to broaden the mechanisms for coherent understanding and interpretation of stock market performance, this study seeks to bridge the gap between the financial and the real economy through the utilization of business cycle indicator's (BCI) component series of the composite indicators, as potential leading signals of South Africa's stock market performance. In scrutinizing the concordance and usefulness of BCIs as key signals for stock market analysis, the study employed a cross-correlations test, Granger causality model, variance decomposition and charting techniques. Monthly observations from June 2003 to November 2017 were used. Findings revealed that most BCIs showcase significant leading, lagging and coinciding properties in explaining stock market behaviour. A myriad of indicators identified as leading stock market signals, where combined to form a single leading index, and successfully led the durational gap in South Africa's stock prices at consecutive periods. Based on the findings, inferences were made that BCIs are noteworthy signals for market analysis and interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effluents from agricultural activities, metal and peat mining, urban and industrial areas, informal settlements and wastewater treatment plants all influence tributaries feeding the Mooi River. All these land uses ultimately result in a deterioration of water quality in the Mooi River. Objectives: The main objective was to relate the effects of inflowing tributaries to water quality and phytoplankton assemblages in the Mooi River. Method: Physico-chemical environmental variables were compared with water quality objectives and known limits to assess general water quality in the Mooi River over a one-year period. Water quality and phytoplankton in tributaries were compared to that at sites upstream and downstream from their inflows to determine the extent to which the tributaries affected the Mooi River. Multivariate analysis assisted in the interpretation of phytoplankton and physico-chemical data at the different sites. Results: Seven phytoplankton phyla were identified in the Mooi River. Diatoms and green algae were most dense and diverse. Cyanobacteria were responsible for various problems, especially in the Wasgoedspruit where they dominated and reached high densities. Lowest phytoplankton density and diversity were found in the upstream and downstream sections of the river, while maximum density and diversity were found during summer in the middle reaches. The inflow of tributaries, especially the Wasgoedspruit, had a pronounced effect on water quality downstream. Phytoplankton density and diversity were less affected than chemical variables, especially nutrient concentrations. Conclusion: Various land use activities surrounding the Mooi River's tributaries contributed to a deterioration of water quality in the main stream of the Mooi River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken the world by storm. Little is known about leadership, motivation and employee performance during pandemics and associated lockdowns. Research purpose: The current study investigated a model of leadership behaviour, team effectiveness, technological flexibility, work engagement and performance in the context of a 'hard lockdown' in South Africa. Motivation for the study: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown, it was considered from an academic-practitioner perspective to explore leadership behaviour, team effectiveness, technological flexibility, work engagement and performance. Research approach/design and method: Specifically, remote workers were sampled online via social media (n = 229). Structural equation modelling methods were used to analyse the data, also controlling optimism and pessimism at the item level. Main findings: The results showed that the resources of leadership behaviour and team effectiveness had direct positive paths to work engagement and that work engagement had a positive path to two performance factors: adaptivity and proactivity. Furthermore, there were significant indirect relationship present from leadership behaviour and team effectiveness to both adaptability and proactivity through work engagement. Practical/managerial implications: From the evidence it seems appropriate to recommend that organisations explore fostering the employee job resources in order to positively impact work engagement, which in turn can have beneficial performance outcomes for organisations who have employees working remotely whilst the COVID-19 regulations remain in force. Contribution/value-add: This study was unique as it sampled from employees 'locked down' during a pandemic and gauged their perceptions of leadership behaviour, team effectiveness, technological flexibility, work engagement and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BANKING CLIENTS AND DEPOSITORS BECAME MORE SERVICE- AND PRICECONSCIOUS IN THEIR PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, THUS THEIR BANKING BEHAVIOUR BECAME INCREASINGLY PRONE TO CHANGE. CONSEQUENTLY, BANK CUSTOMERS TEND TO SWITCH BANKS DUE TO UNDERLYING FACTORS INFLUENCING THEIR DECISION-MAKING BEHAVIOUR. CONVERSELY, BANKS STRIVE TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT MORE CLIENTS AS THIS MAY INCREASE FUTURE INCOME AND REDUCE THE RISK OF LIQUIDATION. THE BANKING INDUSTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA IS CHARACTERISED BY CONCENTRATION THROUGH THE DOMINANCE OF A FEW LARGE BANKS. COMPETITIVE BANKS SUCH AS THOSE IN SOUTH AFRICA HAVE INCORPORATED SERVICE QUALITY IN THEIR STRATEGIES TO GAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OVER THEIR COMPETITORS. HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT OF LOW SERVICE QUALITY, BANKS MAY FALL SHORT OF CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS WHICH HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OVERALL SATISFACTION OF CUSTOMERS. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION HAS BEEN RECOGNISED TO HAVE A CRUCIAL ROLE IN A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITIVE BANKING ENVIRONMENT. THUS, THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE INFLUENCE OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, SERVICE QUALITY AND DEMOGRAPHICS ON BANK SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA. THE STUDY FOLLOWED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN. SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE FROM A SAMPLE OF 324 BANK DEPOSITORS WAS COLLECTED AND ANALYSED. THE ANALYSIS INCLUDED DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, CORRELATION ANALYSIS AND BINARY REGRESSION ANALYSIS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY SHOW THAT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND BANK RELIABILITY SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCES DEPOSITORS' BEHAVIOUR TO SWITCH BETWEEN BANKS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT A RELATIONSHIP EXISTS BETWEEN EMPATHY AND AGE IN BANK SWITCHING BEHAVIOUR. THIS FINDING IMPLIES THAT BANKS SHOULD WORK ON SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS, ESPECIALLY THE RELIABILITY OF SERVICES TO ENSURE CUSTOMERS ARE SATISFIED AND RETAINED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of bilateral simultaneous tympanometric measurements using a tympanometer with two pneumatic systems inside circumaural ear cups. Method: Fifty-two adults (104 ears), with a mean age of 32 years (SD = 12.39, range: 18-60 years) were included in this study. A within-subject repeated-measures design was used to compare tympanometric measurements yielded with the investigational device in unilateral and bilateral simultaneous conditions compared with an industry-standard tympanometer. Results: No significant bias (p > .05) was found between the mean of the differences of tympanometric measurements yielded by the two devices, except for a significant bias (p < .05) of the mean of the differences for ear canal volume measurements (0.05 cm³). The Bland--Altman plots showed overall good agreement between the tympanometric measurements between the two instruments. In all 104 ears, the tympanogram types of the KUDUwave TMP were compared with the reference device. The results were highly comparable with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% (95% CI [86.8%, 100%]) and 92.3% (95% CI [84.0%, 97.1%]), respectively. Conclusions: The investigational device is a suitable instrument for unilateral or bilateral simultaneous tympanometric measurements in adults and demonstrates the potential of decentralized and accessible tympanometry services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) has gained profound significance in their effort of driving the South African economy to a globally recognized developmental state. In light of prevailing lackluster economic conditions, such as high poverty levels, unemployment rates, and a subdued domestic investment climate, their mandate has far surpassed addressing purely market failures. Modern perspectives have come to characterize their ability to address more broadly the national development failure and their potential to promote SMME development, in particular. The ability to direct financial as well as technical support towards catalyzing venture creation proves to be pivotal drivers for economic revitalization and employment creation. The objective of this research is to analyze the impact of technical DFI support on the development of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and a pre-post single sample research design. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the sample, which comprised of 365 SMME owners involved in one of the country's national DFIs' technical support programs. Data were analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions. Furthermore, a non-parametric approach to the analysis through the use of the Wilcoxon Signed-rank test was utilized for a pre-post analysis. The results of the study provide evidence of a substantial impact of technical DFI support towards the development of SMMEs in the province. This was centered around an improvement in financial aspects, including annual turnover, gross fixed asset values, as well as quality assurance of the businesses. Further results revealed noteworthy expansions regarding the businesses' client base as well as employment figures. Key recommendations towards taking full advantage of the potential of DFI in the enhancement of SMME development include enhanced private-public sector linkages through creating enabling environments. Furthermore, these institutions need to adopt a more local and regional strategic focus, prioritizing assistance towards SMMEs specifically located in geographically disbursed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization has urged countries to implement a sin tax on items containing high levels of sugar to address the current worldwide obesity epidemic. Consequently, sugar taxes have become increasingly popular. However, many sugar tax systems are implemented without considering whether these systems are appropriate in addressing the obesity problem or are sustainable in the long run. In order for a tax system to be sustainable, it has to be compliant with the principles of a good tax system. These principles, however, are general in nature and have not been adapted for a sugar tax system. This article shows the modification of general principles of a good tax system to be specifically applicable to that of a sugar tax system. The modified tax principles can be applied to determine whether a sugar tax system is the appropriate tool to address obesity as well as its sustainability in future. A conceptual framework is established by using chain of referral sampling in order to identify modern tax principles. These principles are adapted to fit a sugar tax system by determining the influence of various sugar tax system design types on these principles. The conceptual framework provides guidelines to legislators regarding the development of such a system depending on the importance of each principle. Since the principles are sometimes oppositional in nature, trade-offs between the principles are inevitable. The framework does, however, provide guidance as to what could possibly be regarded as a highly acceptable option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual investment decision-making theory revolves around the logical choices an investor is expected to make to achieve the maximum return on investments. The investor life cycle theory is often used as a guideline to determine how investors will invest based on their predicted life cycle phase. However, the question remains whether lifecycle investing is still relevant today. The main purpose of the paper is to analyse how demographic factors influence investment product selection for South African banking clients using Big Data. The analysis found that the investment patterns of South African investors strongly contradict the foundational literature of the investor life cycle. South African investors are skewed more towards low-risk investment options like cash, across all age ranges, only investing in higher-risk instruments much later than what the investor life cycle theory suggests. Female investors are especially risk-averse, however, the effect becomes less prominent as income level rises. The risk-averse investment style seen in the findings for all South African investors can be explained by the slow economic growth experienced in South Africa, with investors having less disposable income to invest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial institutions have the responsibility to measure an investor's risk tolerance to determine his or her risk profile. Once an investor's risk profile is determined, financial institutions are able to more accurately identify which financial products are suitable for the investor. Several factors can affect one's level of risk tolerance such as investor well-being. The aim of this study is to construct a structural equation model which depicts the influence of South African investor well-being risk tolerance. Secondary data analysis was used to conduct a quantitative research study. Structural equation modelling techniques were applied during the analysis of the data. The main findings suggest the following: (i) risk tolerance has a positive and statistically significant relationship with investor well-being; (ii) financial well-being has a positive and statistically significant relationship with satisfaction with life; and (iii) financial well-being, physical activity, gender, and income respectively have positive and statistically significant relationships with risk tolerance. Satisfaction with life was not found to have a statistically significant impact on risk tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, corporate finance events receive extensive coverage in the media. However, there are only a few studies examining the behaviour of share prices in response to such events. Using the event study methodology commonly used in corporate finance research, the reaction of a sample of large- and small-cap stocks to selected corporate finance events (such as dividend and earnings announcements, stock splits and accounting policy changes) was analysed. Results show that there is a rapid stock price adjustment immediately post-announcement, but the time taken varies depending on the nature of the event and company size. This may have profound implications on discretionary portfolio management: fund managers should find it beneficial from a diversification standpoint. Exiting from heavy concentrations in large-cap stocks and diversifying into smaller cap stocks could offer the stability of portfolio returns against adverse events like Steinhoff's accounting fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi are an important source of traditional medicine in Asian and Western countries. Globally, cancer is one of the leading causes of death with 22 million cases predicted by 2030. The cytotoxicity of 13 South African macrofungal species against HeLa, HT-29, MCF-7, MIA PaCa-2 and PC-3 cancer cell lines was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolul)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the IC 50 values determined for the most cytotoxic macrofungal species. Fomitopsis lilacinogilva had IC 50 values of 42.2, 55.1, 63, 48.8 and 79.8 μg/mL against the HeLa, HT-29, MCF-7, MIA PaCa-2 and PC-3 cancer cell lines, respectively. Gymnopilus junonius had IC 50 values of 55.1 and 52.5 μg/mL against the HeLa and MIA PaCa-2 cancer cell lines, respectively. Pycnoporus sanguineus had IC 50 values of 24.2, 48.1, 32.7, < 10 and 28.6 μg/mL against the HeLa, HT-29, MCF-7, MIA PaCa-2 and PC-3 cancer cell lines, respectively. Apoptosis of HeLa cancer cells induced by F. lilacinogilva , G. junonius and P. sanguineus was confirmed using Hoechst and phalloidin staining. Morphological changes included condensed chromatin, membrane blebbing, loss of cytoskeletal arrangement and rounding up of cells, as well as multi- and micronuclei. Macrofungal research in South Africa remains a novel field, and this study provides interesting data on the cytotoxicity of South African macrofungal species against some of the most common cancers affecting humans worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In South Africa malaria is endemic in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the north-eastern areas of KwaZulu-Natal provinces. South Africa has set targets to eliminate malaria by 2018 and research into complementary vector control tools such as the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is ongoing. It is important to understand community perceptions regarding malaria transmission and control interventions to enable development of community awareness campaign messages appropriate to the needs of the community. We aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding malaria transmission to inform a public awareness campaign for SIT in Jozini Local Municipality, Mamfene in KwaZulu-Natal province.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in three communities in Mamfene, KwaZulu-Natal during 2015. A structured field piloted questionnaire was administered to 400 randomly selected heads of households. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data.Results: Of the 400 participants interviewed, 99% had heard about malaria and correctly associated it with mosquito bites. The sources of malaria information were the local health facility (53%), radio (16%) and community meetings (7%). Approximately 63% of the participants were able to identify three or four symptoms of malaria. The majority (76%) were confident that indoor residual spraying (IRS) kills mosquitoes and prevents infection. Bed nets were used by 2% of the participants. SIT knowledge was poor (9%), however 63% of the participants were supportive of mosquito releases for research purposes. The remaining 37% raised concerns and fears, including fear of the unknown and lack of information on the SIT.Conclusion: Appropriate knowledge, positive attitude and acceptable treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria were demonstrated by members of the community. Community involvement will be crucial in achieving success of the SIT and future studies should further investigate concerns raised by the community. The existing communication channels used by the malaria control program can be used; however additional channels should be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomy provides a universal method to classify biodiversity at different scales locally and globally. Currently, existing taxonomic treatments are scattered, limiting their accessibility and utility. The Convention on Biological Diversity has responded to this challenge by setting the goal of compiling a World Flora Online (Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Target 1, 2011-2020). This can be done by aggregating electronically available information provided by each country, region or specialist group. Developing a Flora or a high-level monographic product requires time and input from a large pool of taxonomic specialists. Completing a Flora may be difficult to accomplish for phytodiverse countries, such as South Africa, if the 2020 target is to be met. Fortunately, a large number of taxonomic contributions and many electronic tools exist that can enhance progress. Where these are available, efforts have to be made to access and digitise the literature. Here we describe a pragmatic approach to developing an online Flora, involving taking f loristic information from multiple, previously published sources, digitising the legacy literature where needed and aggregating the required information into a single portal. South Africa is committed to producing an online Flora (the e-Flora of South Africa) and contributing the information to the World Flora Online initiative following the aggregator portal approach, a method described here that might be useful for other countries with high phytodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoalantolactone is a sesquiterpene lactone (SL) that has not yet been isolated from Artemisia afra , a South African plant that is commonly used in the Eastern Cape Province as a traditional remedy for inflammation and respiratory ailments. Recently, an ethanol extract of A . afra has shown to induce caspase-dependent apoptosis in a mitochondrial-dependent manner. In the current study, bio-assay guided fractionation was used to isolate isoalantolactone from A . afra . Structural elucidation was done by IR, 1D and 2D NMR, CD and mass spectrometry. HeLa cancer cells were treated with isoalantolactone and cytotoxicity was exhibited in a dose-dependent manner. A low IC 50 value of 8.15 ± 1.16 μM was achieved. In this study, we show that after 24 h of treatment of HeLa cells with 8.62 μM isoalantolactone, a delay in G2/M phase of the cell cycle was evident accompanied by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Apoptosis was confirmed using the TUNEL assay to detect DNA fragmentation and phosphatidylserine translocation was detected using Annexin-V/FITC staining after 24 h of exposure to this compound. In summary, we show that cytotoxic isoalantolactone isolated from A . afra induces apoptosis in a mitochondrial and caspase-dependent manner and thus contributes to cytotoxicity induced by A . afra . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: Qualitative research is marked by phenomenal growth and development over the years. Research purpose: This article aims to offer insight into the emerging qualitative methodologies used in the fields of Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology and Human Resource Management. Motivation for the study: The value of qualitative organisational research has been recognised since the 1970s. Regardless of its perceived value, national and international trends show a greater tendency for quantitative research. Research design, approach and method: This article investigates qualitative articles (n = 242) published over two decades in the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology (SAJIP), South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP), and the South African Journal of Human Resource Management (SAJHRM). More specifically, a content analysis was conducted to highlight the trends of paradigms, designs and analysis methods employed in the studies. Main findings: Although there seems to be a slight increase in qualitative publications over the years, qualitative studies show a lower volume than its counterparts. The SAJIP published the least qualitative articles when compared to the SAJP and SAJHRM. There is a pattern of preference for specific paradigms and methods in all the journals. Overall, all the journals carry a large number of articles that do not specifically state their paradigmatic alignment or the designs they used, while some articles omits the methodology used in the studies altogether. Practical/managerial implications: The results indicate a clear need for increased exposure to qualitative methodology, both by publishing more qualitative studies in local journals and by providing formal training opportunities. A publication does not solely rely on authorship, but also on a review process. Therefore certain adjustments in this process may lead to more and better qualitative publications in future. Contribution/value-add: This article provides a critical analysis of the current trends and developments in qualitative research conducted in Industrial and Organisational Psychology (IOP) research in South Africa. The study identifies dominant methodologies in use, and thereby identifies possible opportunities to expand the 'methodological menu' of IOP research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive affect, optimism, self-efficacy, sense of coherence (SOC), satisfaction with life and emotional intelligence are all positive subjective well-being (SWB) constructs. However, research regarding of what a positive SWB model consists of and the overlap and communalities between these constructs are lacking. This article reports on the exploration of a positive SWB model in a sample of university students ( N = 285) via means of Pearson-product correlations and structural equation modeling. Constructs in the model included emotional intelligence, positive affect, optimism, SOC (comprehensibility), and life satisfaction. Results indicated that all the constructs correlated, except for emotion utilisation and emotion regulation with comprehensibility and life satisfaction The theorised model was tested with two higher-order factors, namely cognitive and affective (SWB). An alternative model showed that some cognitive aspects correlated better with affective aspects, although two higher-order factors were still extracted. They were labelled external mastery and internal mastery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ministers of religion have a unique occupation with designated job demands and incongruous resources at their disposal. Literature indicates that stressors within the work environment are significant predictors of work-nonwork interference. Ministers play a key role within society and provide support for individuals on multiple levels. However, limited studies are found in South Africa focussing on ministers' job characteristics related to work-nonwork interference, and how ministers cope. The main objective of this study was to investigate job demands and job resources as significant predictors of work-nonwork interference amongst ministers of religion, and to identify which coping strategies are most significant for ministers in dealing with work-nonwork interference. A cross-sectional survey design was used amongst ministers working in the three sister churches (N = 199). Various instruments were administered to measure job characteristics, work-nonwork interference and coping strategies empirically. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, product-moment correlations and multiple regression analyses. Results indicated that for ministers different job demands (i.e. cognitive demands and pace and amount of work) and job resources (i.e. financial support and job significance) significantly predicted work-parent, work-home and work-religion/spirituality interference. Results indicated turning to religion as the only significant coping strategy used by ministers to deal with work-parent interference and work-religion interference. Ministers of religion are continually exposed to increasing job demands and a lack of job resources, and therefore experience work-nonwork interference. Nevertheless, the ministers apparently cope by using the strategy best related to their profession, turning to religion/spirituality. Turning to religion/spirituality seems to be the most effective in dealing with work-nonwork interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria control in Africa relies heavily on indoor vector management, primarily indoor residual spraying and insecticide treated bed nets. Little is known about outdoor biting behaviour or even the dynamics of indoor biting and infection risk of sleeping household occupants. In this paper we explore the preferred biting sites on the human body and some of the ramifications regarding infection risk and exposure management. Methods: We undertook whole-night human landing catches of Anopheles arabiensis in South Africa and Anopheles gambiae s.s. and Anopheles funestus in Uganda, for seated persons wearing short sleeve shirts, short pants, and bare legs, ankles and feet. Catches were kept separate for different body regions and capture sessions. All An. gambiae s.l. and An. funestus group individuals were identified to species level by PCR. Results: Three of the main vectors of malaria in Africa (An. arabiensis, An. gambiae s.s. and An. funestus) all have a preference for feeding close to ground level, which is manifested as a strong propensity (77.3% - 100%) for biting on lower leg, ankles and feet of people seated either indoors or outdoors, but somewhat randomly along the lower edge of the body in contact with the surface when lying down. If the lower extremities of the legs (below mid-calf level) of seated people are protected and therefore exclude access to this body region, vector mosquitoes do not move higher up the body to feed at alternate body sites, instead resulting in a high (58.5% - 68.8%) reduction in biting intensity by these three species. Conclusions: Protecting the lower limbs of people outdoors at night can achieve a major reduction in biting intensity by malaria vector mosquitoes. Persons sleeping at floor level bear a disproportionate risk of being bitten at night because this is the preferred height for feeding by the primary vector species. Therefore it is critical to protect children sleeping at floor level (bednets; repellent-impregnated blankets or sheets, etc.). Additionally, the opportunity exists for the development of inexpensive repellent-impregnated anklets and/or sandals to discourage vectors feeding on the lower legs under outdoor conditions at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: South African organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of attracting, developing and retaining top talent, especially management employees. Research purpose: In an attempt to help organisations with retaining talent, this study focused on career success and identified specific factors that influence the career success of managers in the South African work environment. Motivation for the study: Organisations need to establish favourable organisational conditions and human resource practices to retain their management employees. By identifying influential factors for the career success of managers, this research may help organisations to focus more accurately on their retention strategies for management employees. Research approach, design and method: The present study used a qualitative research design that followed an exploratory approach. A non-probability purposive sample of 24 senior management employees was selected from two financial institutions in South Africa. Qualitative data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and the verbatim transcriptions were analysed by content analysis. Main findings: Managers identified various factors that impact on their career success. One can distinguish 'external' factors (e.g. political and economic climate and business environment) from 'internal' factors (e.g. individuals' personal attributes, skills and education). Practical/managerial implications: Individuals should focus on the internal contributing factors, whilst organisations should manage the external contributing factors more effectively. Contribution/value-add: Specific South African factors that influence the career success of managers should be included in future retention strategies. From the findings it is suggested that both the individuals and organisations can implement strategies to ensure career success and thereby help retain the top talent in organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impacts of electronic commerce revolution on business and government activities in South Africa. It highlights that electronic networks has been used to exchange information, products and payment for commercial purpose. It further informs about various types of electronic signatures including personal identification number (PIN), biometrics and short message service (SMS).

Background: Pyrethroid resistance has been well documented in Anopheles arabiensis, one of the major African malaria vectors, and the predominant malaria vector in South Africa. Methods: In this study, the genetic basis of pyrethroid resistance in a selected laboratory strain of An. arabiensis from South Africa was investigated using a custom-made microarray, known as the An. gambiae detoxification chip. Results: A large number of P450 genes were over-transcribed, as well as a suite of redox genes and glutathione S-transferases. The five genes that showed the highest level of gene transcription when compared with an insecticide susceptible strain were: CYP6AG2, CYPZ1, TPX2, CYPZ2 and CYP6P1. Conclusions: Permethrin resistance in South African An. arabiensis is associated with increased transcription of multiple genes, and a large proportion of these genes were also previously recorded as over-transcribed in another An. arabiensis strain selected for resistance to DDT with cross-resistance to deltamethrin. The deltamethrin resistance developed de novo in the DDT-selected strain and is most likely due to increased transcription of those genes associated with DDT resistance. However, of particular interest was the fact that the strain selected for resistance to pyrethroids did not develop de novo resistance to DDT. These differences are compared and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Artemisia afra is one of the oldest, most well known and widely used traditional medicinal plants in South Africa. It is used to treat many different medical conditions, particularly respiratory and inflammatory ailments (Liu et al., 2009). There is no reported evidence of its use for the treatment of cancer but due to its reported cytotoxicity (Fouche et al., 2008; Mativandlela et al., 2008), we investigated the mode of cell death induced by an ethanolic A. afra extract by using two cancer cell lines. IC50 values of 18.21 and 31.88μg/mL of ethanol extracts were determined against U937 and HeLa cancer cells, respectively. An IC50 value of the aqueous extract was greater than 250μg/mL. The effect of the cytotoxic ethanolic A. afra extract on U937 and HeLa cells and their progression through the cell cycle, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential were investigated. Melphalan was used as a positive control. After 12h of treatment with A. afra a delay in G2/M phase of the cell cycle was evident. Apoptosis was confirmed by using the TUNEL assay for DNA fragmentation, as well as fluorescent staining with annexin V-FITC. Apoptosis was evident with the positive control and A. afra treatment at 24 and 48h. JC-1 staining showed a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential at 24h. The results obtained suggest that A. afra potentially has medicinal anticancer properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The general objective of this research was to investigate the wellbeing (i.e. health and work–life interference) of dual-earner parents with different sociodemographic characteristics (i.e. age and gender) and family situations (i.e. number of children and household support). A cross-sectional survey design was used in which a convenience sample of dual-earner parents (n=207) with children in nursery schools in South Africa's Vaal Triangle region was taken. The sample group primarily consisted of white females between the ages of 40 and 50. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, product-moment correlations, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse the data. The results indicate statistically significant differences in wellbeing outcomes in terms of family situation, specifically regarding physical ill health, number of children and household support. Further statistically significant differences were found in work–life interference (i.e. parent–work, spouse–work, domestic–work, religion/spiritual-work, work–parent, work–spouse, work–domestic and work–religion/spiritual interference) for dual-earner parents with different types of household support. In summary, the research provided evidence that dual-earner parents with different types of household support structures experience wellbeing and work–life interference differently. Based on the detailed findings, specific recommendations were made for future research and for dual-earner parents. Recommendations include investigating specific household support structure opportunities for dual-earner parents. This research builds on current literature related to dual-earner parents, especially within South Africa, where limited research has been done. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previous studies on gene mapping have firmly established variation in segments of the DNA structure amongst different population groups. SULT1A1 is one of four SULT1A genes that maps to the short arm of chromosome 16, and this area has been shown to contain many repetitive sequences and to be highly duplicated. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction fragment length polymorphism method, we set out to determine the SULT1A1 genotype and allele frequency distributions in the largest sample studied to date: a homogeneous South African Tswana population of 1867 individuals from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, and found the SULT1A1*1 and SULT1A1*2 alleles present at a frequency of 0.68 and 0.32, respectively. This finding corresponded with those obtained for the Black, Caucasian, and mixed-race South African groups reported in previous studies. Next, using a quantitative multiplex PCR method to estimate the SULT1A1 gene number of copies in 459 subjects of our population, we discovered between one and five copies: 0.65% of the subjects had a single copy (allele deletion) and 60.14% of the subjects had three or more copies. Our findings correspond with an earlier study on a small African-American group, but differ from those based on two Caucasian groups. Whereas the genotype distribution was comparable to the Caucasian groups, there was a significant difference in the number of copies, which indicated a genetic link between Tswana and African-American populations despite differences in cultural lifestyle associated with their geographical location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the characters that unite the members and define the genera and species of the composite tribe of Platycarpheae and its distribution in relation to the geologic history and rainfall patterns of southern Africa. New collections for all species supplemented by information from literature formed the basis of the morphological study. It indicates that Platycarpha glomerata is found south of the Great Escarpment in southern Africa while the ancestor of P. carlinoides and P. parvifolia inhabited the highveld grasslands.

We evaluated the validity of remote pure tone audiometric testing conducted from North America on subjects in South Africa. Desktop-sharing computer software was used to control an audiometer in Pretoria from Dallas, and PC-based videoconferencing was employed for clinician and subject communication. Thirty adult subjects were assessed, and the pure tone audiometric thresholds (125-8000 Hz) obtained through conventional face-to-face and remote testing were compared. Face-to-face and remote audiometry thresholds differed by 10 dB in only 4% of cases overall. The limits of agreement between the two techniques were 28 and 7 dB with a 90% confidence interval of 25 to 5 dB. The average reaction times to stimulus presentations were similar, within 2108 and 121 ms. The average test duration was 21% longer for remote testing (10.4 vs. 8.2 min). There were no clinically significant differences between the results obtained by remote intercontinental audiometric testing and conventional face-to-face audiometry. It may therefore be possible to expand the reach of audiological services into remote underserved regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: Recently, a new work-nonwork interference instrument was developed to measure the interference between work and nonwork roles in the South African context (Koekemoer, Mostert & Rothmann, 2010). However, no information is available on the psychometric properties of this instrument. Research purpose: The objectives of this study were to investigate the internal validity (construct, discriminant and convergent validity), reliability and external validity (relationship with theoretically relevant variables, including job characteristics, home characteristics, burnout, ill health and life satisfaction) of the instrument. Motivation for the study: Work-family interaction is a key topic receiving significant research attention. In order to facilitate comparison across work-family studies, the use of psychometrically sound instruments is of great importance. Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used for the target population of married employees with children working at a tertiary institution in the North West province (n = 366). In addition to the new instrument, job characteristics, home characteristics, burnout, ill health and life satisfaction were measured. Main findings: The results provided evidence for construct, discriminant and convergent validity, reliability and significant relations with external variables. Practical/managerial implications: The new instrument can be used by researchers and managers as a test under development to investigate the interference between work and different nonwork roles (i.e. parental role, spousal role, work role, domestic role) and specific relations with antecedents (e.g. job/home characteristics) and well-being (e.g. burnout, ill health and life satisfaction). Contribution/value-add: This study provides preliminary information on the psychometric properties of a new instrument that measures the interference between work and nonwork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: The interference between work and personal life is a central issue in the 21st century as employees attempt to balance or integrate their involvement in multiple social roles. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to, (1) develop new items for a more comprehensive work-nonwork interference instrument, (2) evaluate the newly developed items to retain those items that accurately capture the different dimensions and (3) eliminate undesirable items from the different subscales in the instrument. Motivation for the study: Although the interaction between work and personal life has received extensive attention in the work-family fields of research, various theoretical, empirical and measurement issues need to be addressed. Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. Main findings: Initially, 89 items were developed. During the pilot study among mineworkers (n = 245), 41 poor items were eliminated on the basis of descriptive statistics, inter-item correlations, item-total correlations and the qualitative investigation of items highly redundant in terms of wording. Thereafter, the instrument (48 items) was administered to 366 support and academic personnel at a tertiary institution. Using Rasch analyses and item correlations, 18 additional items were eliminated, resulting in a 30-item instrument (15 items were retained to measure worknonwork interference and 15 items to measure nonwork-work interference). Practical/managerial implications: A major theoretical limitation to the measurement of work- family interference relates to the dimensionality and inconsistent measurement of the directionality of interference Contribution/value-add: With the development of this new instrument, several of the theoretical and measurement limitations voiced by previous researchers have been addressed, providing this instrument with distinct advantages over previous work-family instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: The interaction between work and personal life is an important field of research in the 21st century and of pressing concern for various individuals and organisations internationally and in South Africa. Research purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction between work and personal life and the experiences thereof in the South African context. Motivation of the study: South African employees are faced with various circumstances which could influence the interaction between their work and personal life and which could constitute different/unique experiences regarding this interaction. Research design, approach and method: A non-probability purposive voluntary sample was used. Data collection was done by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews with 92 participants. Content analysis was used to analyse and interpret the research data. Main findings: Four main themes (i.e. the experience of work, experiences and domains in the personal life, interaction between work and personal life, consequences associated with the interaction) were extracted from the data. Participants indicated stressful and supportive aspects in their work as well as additional personal dimensions in their personal life. Interaction between work and various personal dimensions were indicated, as well as consequences associated with different types of interaction. Practical and managerial implications: Individuals experienced interaction between their work and various other personal dimensions, where the forms of interaction were associated with certain consequences (i.e. spillover of emotions, energy depletion). Contribution/value-add: Compared to international findings, unique findings were obtained relating to individuals' personal life and the consequences associated with the interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anopheles longipalpis is morphologically similar to the major African malaria vector Anopheles funestus at the adult stage although it is very different at the larval stage. Despite the development of the species-specific multiplex PCR assay for the An. funestus group, the genomic DNA of Anopheles longipalpis type C specimens can be amplified with the Anopheles vaneedeni and Anopheles parensis primers from this assay. The standard, speciesspecific An. funestus group PCR, results in the amplification of two fragments when An. longipalpis type C specimens are included in the analysis. This result can easily be misinterpreted as being a hybrid between An. vaneedeni and An. parensis. Anopheles longipalpis type C can be identified using a species-specific PCR assay but this assay is not reliable if other members of the An. funestus group, such as An. funestus, An. funestus-like and An. parensis, are included. The present study provides a multiplex assay that will identify An. longipalpis along with other common members of the African An. funestus group, including Anopheles leesoni. Methods: A total of 70 specimens from six species (An. funestus, An. funestus-like, An. parensis, Anopheles rivulorum, An. vaneedeni and An. leesoni) in the An. funestus group and An. longipalpis type C from Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia were used for the study. A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay was designed based on the DNA sequence information in the GenBank database. Results: The enzyme, EcoRI digested only An. longipalpis type C and An. funestus-like after the species-specific An. funestus group PCR assay. The An. longipalpis and An. funestus-like digestion profiles were characterized by three fragments, 376 bp, 252 bp and 211 bp for An. longipalpis type C and two fragments, 375 bp and 15 bp for An. funestus-like. Conclusions: An RFLP method for the group was developed that is more accurate and efficient than those used before. Hence, this assay would be useful for field-collected adult specimens to be identified routinely in malaria vector research and control studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria in South Africa is primarily transmitted by Anopheles funestus Giles. Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in An. funestus in northern Kwazulu/Natal, South Africa, and in neighbouring areas of southern Mozambique enabled populations of this species to increase their ranges into areas where pyrethroids were being exclusively used for malaria control. Pyrethroid resistance in southern African An. funestus is primarily conferred by monooxygenase enzyme metabolism. However, selection for this resistance mechanism is likely to have occurred in conjunction with other factors that improve production of the resistance phenotype. A strong candidate is cuticle thickening. This is because thicker cuticles lead to slower rates of insecticide absorption, which is likely to increase the efficiency of metabolic detoxification. Results: Measures of mean cuticle thickness in laboratory samples of female An. funestus were obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These females were drawn from a laboratory colony carrying the pyrethroid resistance phenotype at a stable rate, but not fixed. Prior to cuticle thickness measurements, these samples were characterised as either more or less tolerant to permethrin exposure in one experiment, and either permethrin resistant or susceptible in another experiment. There was a significant and positive correlation between mean cuticle thickness and time to knock down during exposure to permethrin. Mean cuticle thickness was significantly greater in those samples characterised either as more tolerant or resistant to permethrin exposure compared to those characterised as either less tolerant or permethrin susceptible. Further, insecticide susceptible female An. funestus have thicker cuticles than their male counterparts. Conclusion: Pyrethroid tolerant or resistant An. funestus females are likely to have thicker cuticles than less tolerant or susceptible females, and females generally have thicker cuticles than males. In pyrethroid resistant An. funestus, this increase in cuticle thickness is likely to have developed as an auxiliary to the primary mode of pyrethroid resistance which is based on enzyme-mediated detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A population of Anopheles arabiensis, a major malaria vector in South Africa, was collected during 2005 from inside sprayed houses in Mamfene, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using window exit traps. None of these specimens (n = 300 females) was found to be infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Insecticide susceptibility assays on 2-3 day old F1 progeny usingWHOsusceptibility kits revealed 100% susceptibility to bendiocarb, resistance to deltamethrin (95.91%) was suspected, while resistance to permethrin (78.05%) was confirmed. The knockdown resistant (kdr) genotype was not found in the surviving mosquitoes. Biochemical analysis using enzyme assays showed elevated levels of monooxygenase that correlated with the permethrin bioassay data. While elevated levels of non-specific esterase were found in some families (11/12 for a- and 6/12 for -esterases), the data did not show any correlation with the permethrin bioassay. Analysis of permethrin and bendiocarb tolerant lines, selected in the laboratory to characterise biochemical resistance profiles, showed increased levels of non-specific esterase and monooxygenase activity in the case of the permethrin-selected cohorts, and elevated glutathione S-transferases and general esterases in that of the bendiocarb-selected line. Synergist assays, using piperonyl butoxide, confirmed the involvement of monooxygenase and glutathione S-transferase in pyrethroid and bendiocarb resistance. This study underlines the importance of routine surveillance for insecticide susceptibility in wild anopheline populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) has been considered internationally as a treatment option for COVID-19. CCP refers to plasma collected from donors who have recovered from and made antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. To date, convalescent plasma has not been collected in South Africa. As other investigational therapies and vaccination were not widely accessible, there was an urgent need to implement a CCP manufacture programme to service South Africans. Methods: The South African National Blood Service and the Western Cape Blood Service implemented a CCP programme that included CCP collection, processing, testing and storage. CCP units were tested for SARS-CoV-2 Spike ELISA and neutralising antibodies and routine blood transfusion parameters. CCP units from previously pregnant females were tested for anti-HLA and anti-HNA antibodies. Results: A total of 987 CCP units were collected from 243 donors, with a median of three donations per donor. Half of the CCP units had neutralising antibody titres of >1:160. One CCP unit was positive on the TPHA serology. All CCP units tested for anti-HLA antibodies were positive. Conclusion: Within three months of the first COVID-19 diagnosis in South Africa, a fully operational CCP programme was set up across South Africa. The infrastructure and skills implemented will likely benefit South Africans in this and future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anopheles funestus Giles is one of the major African malaria vectors. It has previously been implicated in a major outbreak of malaria in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa, during the period 1996 to 2000. The re-emergence of this vector was associated with monooxygenase-based resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. We have identified a gene from the monooxygenase CYP6 family, CYP6P9, which is over expressed in a pyrethroid resistant strain originating from Mozambique. Quantitative Real-Time PCR shows that this gene is highly over expressed in the egg and adult stages of the resistant strain relative to the susceptible strain but the larval stages showed almost no difference in expression between strains. This gene is genetically linked to a major locus associated with pyrethroid resistance in this A. funestus population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A short-term assessment of water, sanitation, hygiene and home-based care services in two rural and two peri-urban communities in South Africa was made using specially designed questionnaires. The results from this assessment indicated the shortcomings of various sections in the service provision to people affected and living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. This paper is a summarised version of the assessment and aims to give an indication of the inadequacies of some of these services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insecticide resistance in malaria vector mosquitoes presents a serious problem for those involved in control of this disease. South Africa experienced a severe malaria epidemic during 1999/2000 due to pyrethroid resistance in the major vector Anopheles funestus. Subsequent monitoring and surveillance of mosquito populations were conducted as part of the malaria vector control programme. Methods: A sample of 269 Anopheles funestus s.l. was collected in Mamfene, northern KwaZulu-Natal, using exit window traps in pyrethroid sprayed houses between May and June 2005. Mosquitoes were identified to species level, assayed for insecticide susceptibility, analysed for Plasmodium falciparum infectivity and blood meal source. Results: Of the 220 mosquitoes identified using the rDNA PCR method, two (0.9%) were An. funestus s.s. and 218 (99.1%) Anopheles parensis. Standard WHO insecticide susceptibility tests were performed on F1 progeny from wild caught An. parensis females and a significant survival 24 h post exposure was detected in 40% of families exposed to 0.05% deltamethrin. Biochemical analysis of F1 An. parensis showed no elevation in levels/activity of the detoxifying enzyme systems when compared with an insecticide susceptible An. funestus laboratory strain. Among the 149 female An. parensis tested for P. falciparum circumsporozoite infections, 13.4% were positive. All ELISA positive specimens (n = 20) were re-examined for P. falciparum infections using a PCR assay and none were found to be positive. Direct ELISA analysis of 169 blood meal positive specimens showed > 75% of blood meals were taken from animals. All blood fed, false positive mosquito samples for the detection of sporozoites of P. falciparum were zoophilic. Conclusion: The combination of pyrethroid resistance and P. falciparum false-positivity in An. parensis poses a problem for vector control. If accurate species identification had not been carried out, scarce resources would have been wasted in the unnecessary changing of control strategies to combat a non-vector species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the factors influencing the labor market in South Africa. Activities of labor unions; Wage arrangements; Social benefit packages of employees.

Explores the technique in calculating consumer price expectations for the South African economy using variable parameter estimation. Importance of expectations in economic theory; Discussion of various empirical models; Employment of Kalman filters.

AbstractStudies of the rodent community in regenerating coastal dune forest areas north of Richards Bay, South Africa, have indicated that a number of species occupy newly rehabilitating areas. Unstable environmental conditions result in habitat changes, rather than competitive interactions, being the major determinant of rodent community development. This led to the present study, which investigated the effects of supplementary food on rodent assemblages. We attempted to stabilize food availability in order to elucidate some of the mechanisms responsible for the development of the rodent community. By only increasing an existing portion of the resource spectrum, we reduced species diversity, probably through dominance by competitive superior exploiters of the augmented resource. Thus, species diversity decreased with food supplementation, as a result of an increase in the abundance of Mastomys natalensis rather than because of a change in the number of species or the abundance of other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is a neglected virus endemic to South Africa and is considered to generally result in mild disease in equines. Specimens were analyzed from live horses that presented with undefined neurological, febrile, or respiratory signs, or sudden and unexpected death. Between 2010 and 2017, 111 of 1523 (7.3%) horse samples tested positive for EEV using a nested real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Clinical signs were reported in 106 (7.2%) EEV positive and 1360 negative horses and included pyrexia (77/106, 72.6%), icterus (20/106, 18.9%) and dyspnea (12/106, 11.3%). Neurological signs were inversely associated with EEV infection (OR < 1, p < 0.05) relative to EEV negative cases despite a high percentage of animals presenting with neurological abnormalities (51/106, 48.1%). Seventeen of the EEV positive horses also had coinfections with either West Nile (5/106, 4.7%), Middelburg (4/106, 3.8%) or African Horse sickness virus (8/106, 7.6%). To investigate a possible genetic link between EEV strains causing the observed clinical signs in horses, the full genomes of six isolates were compared to the reference strains. Based on the outer capsid protein (VP2), serotype 1 and 4 were identified as the predominant serotypes with widespread reassortment between the seven different serotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]