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Abstract Sustainable urban systems (SUS) science is a new science integrating work across established and emerging disciplines, using diverse methods, and addressing issues at local, regional, national, and global scales. Advancing SUS requires the next generation of scholars and practitioners to excel at synthesis across disciplines and possess the skills to innovate in the realms of research, policy, and stakeholder engagement. We outline key tenets of graduate education in SUS, informed by historical and global perspectives. The sketch is an invitation to discuss how graduates in SUS should be trained to engage with the challenges and opportunities presented by continuing urbanization.

Aerosol particles are a complex component of the atmospheric system which influence climate directly by interacting with solar radiation, and indirectly by contributing to cloud formation. The variety of their sources, as well as the multiple transformations they may undergo during their transport (including wet and dry deposition), result in significant spatial and temporal variability of their properties. Documenting this variability is essential to provide a proper representation of aerosols and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in climate models. Using measurements conducted in 2016 or 2017 at 62 ground-based stations around the world, this study provides the most up-to-date picture of the spatial distribution of particle number concentration (Ntot) and number size distribution (PNSD, from 39 sites). A sensitivity study was first performed to assess the impact of data availability on Ntot's annual and seasonal statistics, as well as on the analysis of its diel cycle. Thresholds of 50 % and 60 % were set at the seasonal and annual scale, respectively, for the study of the corresponding statistics, and a slightly higher coverage (75 %) was required to document the diel cycle. Although some observations are common to a majority of sites, the variety of environments characterizing these stations made it possible to highlight contrasting findings, which, among other factors, seem to be significantly related to the level of anthropogenic influence. The concentrations measured at polar sites are the lowest (∼ 102 cm−3) and show a clear seasonality, which is also visible in the shape of the PNSD, while diel cycles are in general less evident, due notably to the absence of a regular day–night cycle in some seasons. In contrast, the concentrations characteristic of urban environments are the highest (∼ 103–104 cm−3) and do not show pronounced seasonal variations, whereas diel cycles tend to be very regular over the year at these stations. The remaining sites, including mountain and non-urban continental and coastal stations, do not exhibit as obvious common behaviour as polar and urban sites and display, on average, intermediate Ntot (∼ 102–103 cm−3). Particle concentrations measured at mountain sites, however, are generally lower compared to nearby lowland sites, and tend to exhibit somewhat more pronounced seasonal variations as a likely result of the strong impact of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) influence in connection with the topography of the sites. ABL dynamics also likely contribute to the diel cycle of Ntot observed at these stations. Based on available PNSD measurements, CCN-sized particles (considered here as either >50 nm or >100 nm) can represent from a few percent to almost all of Ntot, corresponding to seasonal medians on the order of ∼ 10 to 1000 cm−3, with seasonal patterns and a hierarchy of the site types broadly similar to those observed for Ntot. Overall, this work illustrates the importance of in situ measurements, in particular for the study of aerosol physical properties, and thus strongly supports the development of a broad global network of near surface observatories to increase and homogenize the spatial coverage of the measurements, and guarantee as well data availability and quality. The results of this study also provide a valuable, freely available and easy to use support for model comparison and validation, with the ultimate goal of contributing to improvement of the representation of aerosol–cloud interactions in models, and, therefore, of the evaluation of the impact of aerosol particles on climate.

Objectives: This study investigated the long-term outcomes 1-year after undertaking an Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) for tinnitus distress in a US population. Secondary aims were to identify the effects on additional difficulties associate with tinnitus and any unwanted events related to ICBT for tinnitus. Methods: A repeated-measures design with 4 time points was used. Participants previously undertaking two randomized ICBT efficacy trials for tinnitus in the US were invited to participate. Of the 200 invited, 132 (66 %) completed the 1-year follow-up questionnaire. The primary outcome was a change in tinnitus distress from baseline at one year post-intervention, as assessed by the Tinnitus Functional Index. Secondary assessment measures were included for anxiety, depression, insomnia, hearing disability, hyperacusis, tinnitus cognitions and health-related quality of life. Results: Undertaking ICBT for tinnitus led to significant improvements 1-year post-intervention for tinnitus severity, with a large effect size (d = 1.06; CI: 0.80 to 1.32). Medium effects were found for anxiety (d = 0.54; CI: 0.29 to 0.79), depression (d = 0.46; CI: 0.21 to 0.70), insomnia (d = 0.47; CI: 0.22 to 0.72), and tinnitus cognitions (d = 0.43, CI: 0.18 to 0.68). Small effect sizes were found for hearing disability, hyperacusis and health-related quality of life. Adverse events related to the intervention were only reported by 1 participant. Conclusions: The benefits of audiologist-guided ICBT for tinnitus and tinnitus-related difficulties were maintained 1-year post-intervention with very few adverse events reported. Ways of disseminate evidence-based easily accessible interventions to the general population with bothersome tinnitus should be sought.

This article reconsiders the historical–philosophical significance of the monk and abbot of Corbie Abbey (est. 657), Paschasius Radbertus (c. 790–860). Radbert is contextualised within the cultural and academic setting of the Carolingian period of the eighth and ninth centuries while taking into account the diverse scholarly accomplishments of his contemporaries such as Alcuin of York (c. 740–804), Rabanus Maurus (c. 780–856), Walafrid Strabo (c. 809–849) and John Scottus Eriugena (815–877). The characteristic absence of contributions regarding Radbert in otherwise comprehensive introductions and editorial works in medieval philosophy is subsequently surveyed. It is shown that only a few introductory works of note contain references to Radbert, while the current specialised research is also relatively limited. Reconsidering depictions of Radbert in several older commentaries, notably Martin Grabmann’s (1875–1949) Die Geschichte der Scholastischen Methode I (1957), it is suggested that Radbert’s philosophical importance could be traced to Vorscholastik or the earliest development of scholasticism, as presented in his extensive commentary Expositio in Matheo Libri XII – without diminishing the ecclesiastical weight of his dispute with Ratramnus (d.c. 868) regarding their interpretation of the Eucharist in their similarly titled but disparate treatises De corpore et sanguine Domini, for which Radbert is generally better known and accordingly reflected in studies of early medieval intellectual history. Contribution: This article contributes to scholarship in early medieval philosophy by reassessing the philosophical influence of Paschasius Radbertus, based on the most recent specialised analyses and older modern receptions of his texts De corpore et sanguine Domini and Expositio in Matheo Libri XII.

Tuberculosis (TB) infected individuals harbor a heterogenous population of differentially culturable tubercle bacilli (DCTB). Herein, we describe how DCTB assays using culture filtrate either containing or deficient in resuscitation promoting factors can uncover mixed infections. We demonstrate that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strain genotypes can be separated in DCTB assays based on their selective requirement for growth stimulatory factors. Beijing mixed infections appear to be associated with a higher bacterial load and reduced reliance on growth stimulatory factors. These data have important implications for identifying mixed infections and hetero-resistance, which in turn can affect selection of treatment regimen and establishment of transmission links.

Coal mining is a significant activity on the Mpumalanga Highveld. One of the major air pollution issues associated with coal mining, is the spontaneous combustion of coal. There are no abatement technologies in place for such emissions, and typically long- and shortlived greenhouse gases, other gaseous pollutants and particulate matter are emitted by such events. For ambient air quality models to accurately capture the contribution of spontaneously combusted coal, it is necessary to determine the locations and durations of these burning events. Such information will also assist in explaining experimentally determined ambient air quality data. In this article, satellite fire radiative power (FRP) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MODIS) was used to determine the locations and durations of spontaneously combusted coal within the Mpumalanga Highveld for January 2001 to December 2019. From the results it was concluded that five mining sites were prone to spontaneous combustion. These sites were all opencast mines situated on old bord and pillar mines. Two of these areas were actively burning for most of the 19-year study period. A relatively well-defined seasonal pattern was also observed, with combustion events being more prevalent during the winter months. Considering the active burning periods of the areas where spontaneous combustion were recorded, it is obvious that this is a major source of atmospheric pollutants on the Mpumalanga Highveld.

Foliar exposure to dust-borne potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is often overlooked in chromium (Cr) mining and industrial regions. A comparative analysis of unwashed (UL) and washed leaves (WL) was conducted to investigate the contribution of dust to Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr (total and hexavalent Cr (Cr(VI)), Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn contents of leafy vegetables and medicinal plants from chromitite outcrops and Cr mining-smelting localities in Sekhukhuneland, South Africa. For leafy vegetables, health risks were estimated for all PTEs except Al and Hg, for which weekly intakes were calculated. Mean total Cr levels in UL and WL exceeded the international permissible levels by up to 22- and 9-fold, respectively, linking foliar Cr contamination to dust deposition and a lesser extent, accumulation in tissue. The most hazardous Cr species, Cr(VI) was detected in soil-plant (UL) systems of outcrops and polluted sites. Unwashed leaves had higher mean concentrations of 71% of the assessed PTEs (except Cd, Co, Hg and Sb) than WL, indicating dust as a source of PTEs. Only Cr had a Hazard Quotient (HQ) > 1 (UL). The HQ of Cr and Co contributed the most to the Hazard Index of UL (1.70) and WL (1.39). Carcinogenic risk was > 1 × 10‒4 for Cr(VI) (UL) and > 1 × 10‒3 for total Cr (UL > WL) and Ni (WL > UL). Estimated weekly intake of Hg (WL > UL) exceeded Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake. Lifelong consumption of unwashed and even washed leafy vegetables might be hazardous in the study locality. Regular monitoring of PTE levels in the dust-soil-plant system is necessary for Cr mining-smelting regions.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal).Please note that this retraction notice was updated in November 2022, as follows: to provide details of the corrected and updated version of the article that has been published.This article has been retracted at the request of the Corresponding Author, Sutapa Adhikari, who regrets to inform us that two wrong pieces of information were used: (1) The oral Reference Dose used for aluminium and mercury in this study (2) The Hazard Quotient and Hazard Index of elements were calculated based on WHO recommended daily dietary intake amounts of fruit and vegetables, rather than the average daily vegetable intake quantity for South African population which is significantly lower. Consequently, the calculated risk outcome was magnified considerably, leading to erroneous conclusions.The Corresponding Author takes full responsibility for these errors and offers her sincere apologies.The corrected and updated version of this article is available here:Sutapa Adhikari, João Marcelo-Silva, Johan Paul Beukes, Pieter Gideon van Zyl, Yolindi Coetsee, Ricart Barend Boneschans, Stefan John Siebert, Contamination of useful plant leaves with chromium and other potentially toxic elements and associated health risks in a polluted mining-smelting region of South Africa, Environmental Advances, Volume 9, 2022, 100301, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100301.

Background: The association between reporting adverse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination effects and those with a history of audiovestibular difficulties is unknown. The aim of this research is therefore to investigate adverse vaccination effects in adults with a history of Ménière’s disease. Specifically, the incidence of adverse effects, the factors associated with those reporting adverse effects and the relationship between the reporting of audiovestibular and other adverse effects. Methods: A mixed-methods exploratory cross-sectional survey study design was used. Data were collected from 333 members of the Finnish Ménière Association. The survey was designed to obtain demographic information that may be associated with having adverse effects or not, vaccination-specific information and adverse vaccination effects. Both health and audiovestibular adverse events were identified. Data analysis included comparing those reporting and not reporting adverse vaccination effects. Results: The mean age was 63 years with 81% being female. Of the 327 respondents who had one of the COVID-19 vaccinations (Comirnatry/ Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, or Moderna), 203 (62%) reported no adverse effects. The type of or number of vaccinations were not related to the reporting of adverse effects. The most frequently reported adverse effects were injection site tenderness (38%), arm pain (21%), fever (15%) and headaches (15%). Post-vaccination tinnitus and vertigo (both 7%) were the most frequently reported audiovestibular-related symptoms, followed by aural fullness (6%) and hearing loss (4%). Those reporting previous pre-vaccination vertigo were more likely to have post-vaccination vertigo. The presence of post-vaccination tinnitus, hearing loss, and aural fullness, predicted the presence of post-vaccination vertigo. Conclusions: A small proportion of patients with a history of Ménière’s disease may experience adverse post-vaccination effects. Further research is required to explore whether adverse post-vaccination audiovestibular effects are more prevalent in those with a history of otological disorders compared with the general population.

Ferrochrome (FeCr) is the main source of virgin chromium (Cr) units used in modern-day chromium (Cr) containing alloys. The vast majority of produced Cr is used during the production of stainless steel, which owes its corrosion resistance mainly to the presence of Cr. In turn, stainless steel is mainly produced from Cr-containing scrap metal and FeCr, which is a relatively crude alloy between iron (Fe) and Cr. The production of FeCr is an energy and material-intensive process, and a relatively wide variety of by-products, typically classified as waste materials by the FeCr industry, are created during FeCr production. The type and extent of waste generation are dictated by the smelting route used and the management practices thereof employed by a specific smelter. In some cases, waste management of hazardous and non-hazardous materials may be classified as insufficient. Hazardous materials, such as hexavalent Cr, i.e., Cr(VI), -containing wastes, are only partially mitigated. Additionally, energy-containing wastes, such as carbon monoxide (CO)-rich off-gas, are typically discarded, and energy-invested materials, such as fine oxidative sintered chromite, are either stockpiled or sold as ordinary chromite. In cases where low-value containing wastes are generated, such as rejects from ore beneficiation processes, consistent and efficient processes are either difficult to employ or the return on investment of such processes is not economically viable. More so, the development of less carbon (C)-intensive (e.g., partial replacement of C reductants) and low-temperature pellet curing processes are currently not considered by the South African FeCr smelting industry. The reasoning for this is mainly due to increased operation costs (if improved waste management were to be implemented/higher cost reductants were used) and a lack of research initiatives. These reasons result in the stagnation of technologies. From an environmental point of view, smelting industries are pressured to reduce C emissions. An attractive approach for removing oxygen from the target metal oxides, and the mitigation of gaseous C, is by using hydrogen as a reductant. By doing so, water vapor is the only by-product. It is however expected that stable metal oxides, such as the Cr-oxide present in chromite, will be significantly more resistive to gaseous hydrogen-based reduction when compared to Fe-oxides. In this review, the various processes currently used by the South African FeCr industry are summarized in detail, and the waste materials per process step are identified. The limitations of current waste management regimes and possible alternative routes are discussed where applicable. Various management regimes are identified that could be improved, i.e., by utilizing the energy associated with CO-rich off-gas combustion, employing a low-temperature alternative chromite pelletization process, and considering the potential of hydrogen as a chromite reductant. These identified regimes are discussed in further detail, and alterative processes/approaches to waste management are proposed.

Effective fisheries management requires an understanding of human dimensions. This study elicited the salient motivations for recreational blue swimmer crab and black bream fishing in Western Australia and whether these views differed depending on the fishing location and/or the characteristics of the fisher. Crab fishers were strongly consumption-orientated and aimed to “catch big crabs” and “catch enough crabs to eat”. Furthermore, 91% consumed their catch, with only 2% practicing catch-and-release fishing. In contrast, 81% of black bream fishers did so for the sport/challenge, with the strongest motivation being to catch a bream considerably above legal size and with food only selected by 15% of respondents; most fishers released caught fish. The marked differences between the fisheries for the two species, which co-occur in the same estuaries, are likely driven by the accessible nature of the crab fishery, ease of catching crabs, the low cost of fishing equipment, and their taste. Fishing for black bream, however, requires more expensive equipment, patience, and a greater skill level. Fishers considered crabbing to be as important as other fishing and outdoor activities, whereas bream fishers considered bream fishing considerably more important, reflecting the trophy nature of this fishery.

Novel antitubercular compounds are urgently needed to combat drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Filamentous actinobacteria have historically been an excellent source of antitubercular drugs. Despite this, drug discovery from these microorganisms has fallen out of favour due to the continual rediscovery of known compounds. To increase the chance of discovering novel antibiotics, biodiverse and rare strains should be prioritised. Subsequently, active samples need to be dereplicated as early as possible to focus efforts on truly novel compounds. In this study, 42 South African filamentous actinobacteria were screened for antimycobacterial activity using the agar overlay method against the Mtb indicator Mycolicibacterium aurum under six different nutrient growth conditions. Known compounds were subsequently identified through extraction and high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis of the zones of growth inhibition produced by active strains. This allowed the dereplication of 15 hits from six strains that were found to be producing puromycin, actinomycin D and valinomycin. The remaining active strains were grown in liquid cultures, extracted and submitted for screening against Mtb in vitro. Actinomadura napierensis B60T was the most active sample and was selected for bioassay-guided purification. This resulted in the identification of tetromadurin, a known compound, but which we show for the first time to have potent antitubercular activity, with the MIC90s within the range of 73.7–151.6 nM against M. tuberculosis H37RvT in vitro under different test conditions. This shows that South African actinobacteria are a good source of novel antitubercular compounds and warrant further screening. It is also revealed that active hits can be dereplicated by HPLC-MS/MS analysis of the zones of growth inhibition produced by the agar overlay technique.

Although the taxonomy of Burkholderia has been extensively scrutinized, significant uncertainty remains regarding the generic boundaries and composition of this large and heterogeneous taxon. Here we used the amino acid and nucleotide sequences of 106 conserved proteins from 92 species to infer robust maximum likelihood phylogenies with which to investigate the generic structure of Burkholderia sensu lato. These data unambiguously supported five distinct lineages, of which four correspond to Burkholderia sensu stricto and the newly introduced genera Paraburkholderia, Caballeronia, and Robbsia. The fifth lineage was represented by P. rhizoxinica. Based on these findings, we propose 13 new combinations for those species previously described as members of Burkholderia but that form part of Caballeronia. These findings also suggest revision of the taxonomic status of P. rhizoxinica as it is does not form part of any of the genera currently recognized in Burkholderia sensu lato. From a phylogenetic point of view, Burkholderia sensu stricto has a sister relationship with the Caballeronia+Paraburkholderia clade. Also, the lineages represented by P. rhizoxinica and R. andropogonis, respectively, emerged prior to the radiation of the Burkholderia sensu stricto+Caballeronia+Paraburkholderia clade. Our findings therefore constitute a solid framework, not only for supporting current and future taxonomic decisions, but also for studying the evolution of this assemblage of medically, industrially and agriculturally important species.

The measurement of precipitation chemistry enables the assessment of the temporal and spatial evolution of the chemical composition of the atmosphere associated with atmospheric physical and chemical mechanisms. The aims of this study were to report the chemical composition of rainwater collected at a marine environment, i.e. the Cape Point Global Atmosphere Watch (CPT GAW) station from 2004 to 2012. As expected, the volume weighted mean (VWM) concentrations of Na+ (298.64 μEq.L-1) and Cl- (354.18 μEq.L-1) were significantly higher compared to the VWM concentrations of other ionic species, as well as compared to the VWM concentrations thereof at the sites in the South African interior. The average pH of rainwater was slightly lower than the pH of unpolluted rainwater, mainly due to NO3- associated with the occasional influence of the Cape Town metropole. In contrast to the sites situated in the north-eastern South African interior, where anthropogenic SO42- was the major constituent in rainwater, SO42- at CPT GAW was entirely associated with marine air with no anthropogenic contribution. It was also indicated that 94% of the chemical content at CPT GAW can be attributed to the marine source.

Herman Jean de Vleeschauwer’s (1899–1986) interpretation of Medieval philosophy at UNISA (1951–1964). This article presents the interpretation of Herman Jean de Vleeschauwer (1899–1986) of Medieval philosophy during his career as a lecturer and professor of philosophy at the University of South Africa (UNISA) from 1951 to 1964. The study is done regarding De Vleeschauwer’s publications and unpublished manuscripts relating to Medieval philosophy, as filed in Archive MSS Acc 32 at the UNISA Institutional Repository. Essentially, De Vleeschauwer was one of only two South African university lecturers in the 20th century who consistently included the Middle Ages in the philosophy curriculum (the other was Martin Versfeld at the University of Cape Town, from 1937 to 1972). When précising his work in Medieval philosophy at UNISA for the designated period, it becomes clear that De Vleeschauwer’s nuanced defence of Thomism was the matrix of his interpretation. This cornerstone, and his numerous other published and unpublished texts relating to the Middle Ages, show that De Vleeschauwer was an erudite commentator, competent lecturer and skilled specialist researcher in Medieval philosophy, as he was in early modern and modern philosophy (especially on Kant and Geulincx). As a scholar of Medieval philosophy, in particular, De Vleeschauwer had no equal in the 20th century South African context. Contribution: This article contributes to the ongoing assessment of the characteristic and curious inattention to Medieval philosophy at South African (especially the historical Afrikaans) universities during the course of the 20th century.

The development of ars in the theological-philosophical works of Ramon Llull (ca.1232–1316). By synthesising the most recent specialist research, notably that of Anthony Bonner and Mark D. Johnston, this article provides an accessible overview of the development of the ‘great universal art’ or ars in Ramon Llull’s (ca.1232–1316) theological-philosophical output, as presented in his works Libere de contemplació en Déu, Ars compendiosa inveniendi veritatem, Ars inventiva veritatis, Tabula generalis, Ars demonstrativa and Ars generalis ultima. It is shown that Llull’s ars was an eccentric yet coherent attempt to provide an alternative to both the Aristotelian scholastic-conceptual framework and its radicalised versions in Averroism during the second half of the 13th century. By insisting on religious tolerance as its premise, Llull embedded this alternative squarely within the monotheistic missionary context of the same period. Without neglecting the discursive magnitude of his ars, this rather ‘nonmedieval’ tolerance stands as Llull’s greatest gift to the central Middle Ages and its subsequent idea-historical development in both theology and philosophy. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: As a millennium-long discourse, Medieval philosophy functions in a Venn diagrammatic relationship with Medieval history, church history, patristics, philosophy of religion, and in this case, missiology. Whenever mainstream or ‘canonised’ Medieval philosophy is being impacted by specialist research, it may well have noteworthy implications for these related disciplines. Such is the case in this critical reappraisal of theological-philosophical aspects in the central Medieval ars of Ramon Llull.

The ‘confessions of the flesh’ in the central Middle Ages: An expansion of Foucault’s reading in Histoire de la sexualité 1 (La volonté de savoir). This article expands Michel Foucault’s (1926–1984) reading of the ‘confessions of the flesh’ in handbooks of penance written during the central Middle Ages in the first volume La volonté de savoir of his (current) four-volume series Histoire de la sexualité. After the posthumous publication of the fourth volume Les aveux de la chair (2018), in which Foucault takes his analysis of the historical foundations of confessional practices in the late 12th century to the first half of the 14th century even further back, to the ‘confessions of the flesh’ in the patristics of the 3rd to the 5th centuries, it has become sensible to illuminate Foucault’s condensed reading of confessional scripts in La volonté de savoir itself. This exposition pertinently applies to Foucault’s correct conclusion that sex was prioritised above all other ‘sins’, ‘vices’, and ‘transgressions’ in central Medieval confessional scripts; therefore, as he famously noted, becoming a ‘seismograph of subjectivity in Christian cultures’. Against this backdrop, it is considered how thinkers from the central Middle Ages themselves reflected on the sacramentalisation of confession after the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 – since Foucault himself did not substantially elaborate on it. The reflections of three philosophers from the central Middle Ages on the relation between sex, confession and absolution are subsequently presented as an expansion of Foucault’s reading in La volonté de savoir. Firstly, Alan of Lille’s (d.1203) interpretation of the Summae confessorum in his Liber poenitentialis is revisited, concluding that Lille’s perspective was ‘hermeneutical’, in terms of his insistence that the confessor should adjust his interrogations according to seven Aristotelian topoi or detailed questions, designate the context in which the transgression occurred very thoroughly and ‘actively participate’ in the confessional act, rather than simply recording it. Lille’s ‘hermeneutical’ approach to confession is also reflected in Robert Grosseteste’s (ca.1168–1253) De modo confitendi et paenitentias iniungendi, in which a moderate phronetic approach allows for the full discretion of the confessor, rather than following the rigid prescriptions of the Summae confessorum only. Secondly, William of Auvergne’s (ca.1180–1249) contribution to the interpretation of the Summae confessorum in his Poenitentia is indicated in his utilitarian ethics, in which the interests of the ethical ‘other’ is related to the confessing ‘self’: even though matrimony is for Auvergne the only realm where the other’s interests are not necessarily compromised by sexual contact, several considerations regarding ‘improper sex’, precisely within matrimony, apply according to the relevant penitential guidelines. Thirdly, Paul of Hungary’s (ca.1180–1241) De confessione is considered in terms of his reflections on ‘paying sexual debt’, and on the relation between regulated sexual release and the legitimacy of sexual gratification, again within the context of matrimony. Contribution: This article contributes to Foucault-scholarship by elucidating and expanding Foucault’s condensed reading of 13th-century confessional scripts in La volonté de savoir, with reference to the relevant texts of Alan of Lille (d.1203), William of Auvergne (ca.1180–1249) and Paul of Hungary (ca.1180–1241).

The medievalist caricature of sexual regress in Late-Medieval female monasteries: This article confronts the widely published medievalist caricature of sexual regress in Late-Medieval female monasteries by presenting a statistical analysis of the relatively low (measured against the Early and Central Middle Ages) frequency of sexual contact between monks and nuns, monks and monks, and nuns and nuns in 15th century England. C.H. Knudsen’s examination of the pastoral register of the bishop of Lincoln, William Alnwick, in the period from 1436 to 1449 is utilised to counter the common, yet profoundly modernist notion of the Late-Medieval ‘wayward nun’. Five idea-historical developments from the Early and Central Middle Ages are presented as a backdrop to this statistical analysis, showing that sexual encounters in monasteries in the Early to Central Middle Ages in the Latin West occurred more often than merely sporadic. Having defined medievalism as ‘post-Medieval ideological-reductionist and anachronistic reconstructions of the Middle Ages, whereby the Middle Ages is essentialised by one or more contingencies’, it becomes clear that the notion of ‘sexual regress in Late Medieval female monasteries’ with the image of the ‘wayward nun’ centralised therein, points to a form of medievalism: a single contingent aspect of Medieval female monasteries – the occurrence of sexual contact, however discreet – is used to present a fabricated totality of a complex socio-historical context. How complex this historical context indeed is, becomes apparent in Knudsen’s analysis of the bishop of Lincoln’s pastoral register during his 79 visits to 70 monasteries and interrogations of 217 nuns and 528 monks. Concluding that the ‘promiscuous monk’ was a far more general phenomenon than the ‘wayward nun’ in the Later Middle Ages, Knudsen’s analysis confirms that the Middle Ages is still as much a domain of research as it is a realm of fantasy today. The modernist fixation on the Late-Medieval ‘wayward nun’ is, for example, expressed in Heinrich Lossow’s (1843–1897) provocative painting Die Versündigung (ca.1880). It is argued that the ‘wayward nun’ in Lossow’s painting was a self-conscious attempt to escape from the impasse created by Victorian sexual repression: just as in every other 19th and early 20th century representation of sexual regress in Late-Medieval female monasteries, ‘she’ was nothing more than vulgar fiction. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This critique of the medievalist caricature of sexual regress in Late-Medieval female monasteries overlaps with a variety of philosophical and theological disciplines, including Medieval philosophy, Medieval history, church history, patristics, philosophy of religion and sociology of religion. Whenever these proximate disciplines are impacted by niche Medieval research, it may hold implications that these disciplines could take note of.

Wildfires produce aerosols known to impact the climate, but the wider-reaching effects of this biomass burning are poorly constrained in models. Here the authors use a suite of observations from 12 campaigns around the globe to determine that the values used by most climate models overestimate the contribution of biomass burning aerosols.

The research discussed in this article is specifically aimed at non-Afrikaans-speaking international students served by the Language Centre at Stellenbosch University. As a result of students who would like to become proficient in Afrikaans during their stay in South Africa, many of them choose the course "Beginner Afrikaans Vlak 1" (Beginner Afrikaans Level 1). The course focuses primarily on communicative and discourse competence. Students mentioned in the formal evaluation of the course as well as in a needs analysis that they would like to have a chance to revise the course material by accessing a computer programme. The lecturer of the course therefore decided to design a computer programme for the above mentioned course that could be used as a revision tool. Four of the design principles of Mayer (2009) were used to design the computer programme. The aim of the research discussed further in this article is to indicate how the vocabulary retention of students enrolled for the course was affected by these four design principles.

South Africa’s highly diverse marine biota includes several endemic marine red algae of the Laurencia genus. Cryptic species and morphological variability make the taxonomy of Laurencia plant challenging, and a record of the secondary metabolites isolated from South African Laurencia spp. can be used to assess their chemotaxonomic significance. In addition, the rapid development of resistance against antibiotics, coupled with the inherent ability of seaweeds to resist pathogenic infection, supported this first phycochemical investigation of Laurencia corymbosa J. Agardh. A new tricyclic keto-cuparane (7) and two new cuparanes (4, 5) were obtained alongside known acetogenins, halo-chamigranes, and additional cuparanes. These compounds were screened against Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, with 4 exhibiting excellent activity against the Gram-negative A. baumanii (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 1 μg/mL) strain.

The use of natural products as chemotherapeutic agents is well established. However, many are associated with undesirable side effects, including high toxicity and instability. Previous reports on the cytotoxic activity of pyrroloiminoquinones isolated from Latrunculid sponges against cancer cell lines revealed extraordinary activity at IC50 of 77nM for discorhabdins. Their general lack of selectivity against the cancer and normal cell lines, however, precludes further development. In this study, extraction of a South African Latrunculid sponge produced three known pyrroloiminoquinone metabolites (14-bromodiscorhabdin C (5), Tsitsikammamine A (6) and B (7)). The assignment of the structures was established using standard 1D and 2D NMR experiments. To mitigate the lack of selectivity, the compounds were loaded onto gold nanoparticles synthesized using the aqueous extract of a brown seaweed, Sargassum incisifolium (sAuNPs). The cytotoxicity of the metabolites alone, and their sAuNP conjugates, were evaluated together with the known anticancer agent doxorubicin and its AuNP conjugate. The compound-AuNP conjugates retained their strong cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 cell line, with >90% of the pyrroloiminoquinone-loaded AuNPs penetrating the cell membrane. Loading cytotoxic natural products onto AuNPs provides an avenue in overcoming some issues hampering the development of new anticancer drugs.

A further chemical investigation of the butanol extract of leaves from the South African medicinal plant Sutherlandia frutescens led to the isolation of eight previously unreported saponins (1−8), together with the known sutherlandiosides A−D. Their structures were established by spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR) analyses, CD, optical rotation, mass spectrometry, as well as chemical conversions. The isolates were screened for their cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line, although no significant activity was observed. In addition to the chemophenetic markers for this genus, i.e. the cycloartane glycosides, the present work also reports on the first isolation of an oleanan-type saponin from the Sutherlandia genus, forming an important fingerprint for the chemical composition of the plant. [Display omitted] • Eight new cycloartane glycosides and four known analogs were isolated from Sutherlandia frutescens. • The structures were elucidated by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR. • The steric configurations were deduced from ROESY experiments and hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical relationships between surface ozone (O3) concentration, precursor species and meteorological conditions in continental South Africa were examined from data obtained from measurement stations in north-eastern South Africa. Three multivariate statistical methods were applied in the investigation, i.e. multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component analysis (PCA) and –regression (PCR), and generalised additive model (GAM) analysis. The daily maximum 8-h moving average O3 concentrations were considered in these statistical models (dependent variable). MLR models indicated that meteorology and precursor species concentrations are able to explain ~50% of the variability in daily maximum O3 levels. MLR analysis revealed that atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO), temperature and relative humidity were the strongest factors affecting the daily O3 variability. In summer, daily O3 variances were mostly associated with relative humidity, while winter O3 levels were mostly linked to temperature and CO. PCA indicated that CO, temperature and relative humidity were not strongly collinear. GAM also identified CO, temperature and relative humidity as the strongest factors affecting the daily variation of O3. Partial residual plots found that temperature, radiation and nitrogen oxides most likely have a non-linear relationship with O3,while the relationship with relative humidity and CO is probably linear. An inter-comparison between O3 levels modelled with the three statistical models compared to measured O3 concentrations showed that the GAM model offered a slight improvement over the MLR model. These findings emphasise the critical role of regional-scale O3 precursors coupled with meteorological conditions in daily variances of O3 levels in continental South Africa.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, while some strains are multi-drug resistant and may produce disease-causing toxins. Drug resistant strains are often responsible for chronic, persistent and recurrent infections, which pose a challenge for healthcare practitioners. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of nasal MRSA and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) among school children in the Mariental community, southern Namibia. This was a cross-sectional study in the Mariental District. Nasal specimens (swabs) were collected from 272 randomly selected learners aged 6–14 years attending school in the area during the months of March, September and October 2016. Isolation and identification of staphylococci were performed using standard microbiological methods. Methicillin-resistant isolates were identified by their resistance towards cefoxitin (30 µg) using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay. Enterotoxin production among multi-drug resistant MRSA isolates was detected with a SET-RPLA toxin detection kit. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was isolated from 48 (17.6%) learners and MRCoNS from only seven (2.6%). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization was significantly higher (P = 0.003) in the age group 11–14 years than in the group 6–10 years. Among the 433 staphylococcal isolates screened for cefoxitin resistance, 51 (11.8%) were MRSA and seven (1.6%) were MRCoNS. From the 51 MRSA isolates, 22 (43.1%) were multi-drug resistant of which six were enterotoxigenic. This is the first report on MRSA and MRCoNS among school children in Namibia. The presence of multi-drug resistant and potentially virulent staphylococci among school children in Mariental, Namibia, is of concern. Self-infection by these bacteria poses various health risks for the children. It is recommended that school health programmes improve current hygiene practices. Frequent handwashing can prevent staphylococcal disease and spread of resistant strains among learners and the wider community.

BackgroundTinnitus is a symptom that can be very distressing owing to hearing sounds not related to any external sound source. Managing tinnitus is notoriously difficult, and access to evidence-based care is limited. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a tinnitus management strategy with the most evidence of effectiveness but is rarely offered to those distressed by tinnitus. The provision of internet-based CBT for tinnitus overcomes accessibility barriers; however, it is not currently readily available in the United States. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of internet-based CBT compared with that of weekly monitoring for the management of tinnitus in reducing tinnitus distress; reducing tinnitus-related comorbidities, including tinnitus cognitions, insomnia, anxiety, and depression; and assessing the stability of the intervention effects 2 months after the intervention. MethodsA 2-arm randomized clinical trial comparing audiologist-guided internet-based CBT (n=79) to a weekly monitoring group (n=79) with a 2-month follow-up assessed the efficacy of internet-based CBT. Eligible participants included adults seeking help for tinnitus. Recruitment was conducted on the web using an open-access website. Participants were randomized via 1:1 allocation, but blinding was not possible. The study was undertaken by English or Spanish speakers on the web. The primary outcome was a change in tinnitus distress as measured using the Tinnitus Functional Index. Secondary outcome measures included anxiety, depression, insomnia, tinnitus cognition, hearing-related difficulties, and quality of life. ResultsInternet-based CBT led to a greater reduction in tinnitus distress (mean 36.57, SD 22) compared with that in weekly monitoring (mean 46.31, SD 20.63; effect size: Cohen d=0.46, 95% CI 0.14-0.77) using an intention-to-treat analysis. For the secondary outcomes, there was a greater reduction in negative tinnitus cognition and insomnia. The results remained stable over the 2-month follow-up period. No important adverse events were observed. Further, 16% (10/158) of participants withdrew, with low overall compliance rates for questionnaire completion of 72.3% (107/148) at T1, 61% (91/148) at T2, and 42% (62/148) at T3. ConclusionsThis study is the first to evaluate and indicate the efficacy of audiologist-delivered internet-based CBT in reducing tinnitus distress in a US population. It was also the first study to offer internet-based CBT in Spanish to accommodate the large Hispanic population in the United States. The results have been encouraging, and further work is indicated in view of making such an intervention applicable to a wider population. Further work is required to improve compliance and attract more Spanish speakers. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04004260; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04004260

A potential hazard associated with ferrochrome production is the unintentional generation of Cr(VI) in the off-gas dusts produced during smelting. Cr(VI) is a well-known environmental toxin and genotoxic carcinogen. Although Cr(VI) has been identified in baghouse dusts associated with submerged-arc furnaces, its occurrence in DC-arc-furnace dusts has not been previously investigated. In this study, we report the bulk composition and phase make-up, as well as the surface and bulk speciation of Cr and Fe of dusts generated during smelting of chromite ore under basic slag conditions in a pilot-scale DC arc smelter. Dusts are captured from both within the DC furnace as well as along the off-gas handling stream, after passing through the afterburner. The dusts primarily comprise feed material (chromite, flux, reductant), aerosolized slag, and glassy spherules, interpreted as off-gas condensates. Dusts collected from within the furnace, known as freeboard dusts, are dominated by feed materials, with elevated amounts of flux (lime) and lesser amounts of slag and spherules. In contrast, spherules dominate dusts collected along the off-gas handling stream by dust separators that capture the increasingly fine-grained fraction of dust, with the highest proportion of spherules occurring in baghouse dusts. Chromite is the primary host of Cr in all dust samples, whereas the spherules have low Cr contents. Cr(VI) was identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the surfaces of dust collected from all parts of the smelter system considered, including from the furnace freeboard, despite the overall reducing conditions present therein. Cr(VI) concentrations are sufficiently high in dusts collected from the off-gas handling stream (post-afterburner, cyclone, and baghouse) to be detected in the bulk dust samples by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The higher concentration of Cr(VI) in the finer-grained off-gas dusts, especially the baghouse dusts, is consistent with the increased abundance of spherules, the major Cr(VI)-hosting phase, in these samples. Fe is similarly more oxidized in dusts collected down the off-gas handling stream compared to dusts collected from within the furnace, which are dominated by Fe(II). Fe(III) hosted by FeOOH is predominate in dusts collected from all locations along the off-gas handling stream. These results demonstrate that there is sufficient oxygen ingress and sufficiently high temperatures in the closed DC furnace for Cr(VI) to be generated in the freeboard off-gas dusts. Cr(VI) is associated with the finest grained fraction of dusts, underlining the importance of ensuring the continual improvement of dust-capture systems, especially in terms of their ability to target increasingly finer fractions of dust.

There are reports of associations between SARS-CoV2, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, and auditory symptoms (hearing difficulty, tinnitus). However, most studies have relied on self-report and lack baseline and/or non-COVID control groups. This makes it problematic to differentiate if symptoms are associated with SARS-CoV2, COVID-19, the vaccine, psychosocial factors or recall bias. In this study, we differentiate these by comparing hearing and tinnitus survey data collected pre- and during the pandemic. The survey conducted during the pandemic asked about the onset and change in three types of symptom. Type One—known association (loss of smell, memory/concentration issues, persistent fatigue), Type Two—indeterminate association (auditory symptoms), and Type Three—no established association with COVID-19 (toothache). We hypothesized that if auditory symptoms are directly associated with COVID-19, their onset and change would be similar to Type One symptoms, but if indirectly associated (reflecting psychosocial factors and/or recall bias) would be more similar to Type Three symptoms. Of the 6,881 individuals who responded, 6% reported confirmed COVID-19 (positive test), 11% probably had COVID-19, and 83% reported no COVID-19. Those with confirmed or probable COVID-19 more commonly reported new and/or worsened auditory symptoms than those not reporting COVID-19. However, this does not imply causality because: (1) new auditory symptoms coincided with COVID-19 illness among just 1/3 of those with confirmed or probable COVID-19, and another 1/3 said their symptoms started before the pandemic—despite reporting no symptoms in the pre-pandemic survey. (2) >60% of individuals who had COVID-19 said it had affected their Type 3 symptoms, despite a lack of evidence linking the two. (3) Those with confirmed COVID-19 reported more Type 1 symptoms, but reporting of Type 2 and Type 3 symptoms did not differ between those with confirmed COVID-19 and those without COVID-19, while those who probably had COVID-19 most commonly reported these symptom types. Despite more reports of auditory symptoms in confirmed or probable COVID-19, there is inconsistent reporting, recall bias, and possible nocebo effects. Studies that include appropriate control groups and use audiometric measures in addition to self-report to investigate change in auditory symptoms relative to pre-COVID-19 are urgently needed.

South Africa is considered an important source region of atmospheric pollutants, which is compounded by high population and industrial growth. However, this region is understudied, especially with regard to evaluating long-term trends of atmospheric pollutants. The aim of this study was to perform statistical modelling of SO2, NO2 and O3 long-term trends based on 21-, 19- and 16-year passive sampling datasets available for three South African INDAAF (International Network to study Deposition and Atmospheric Chemistry in Africa) sites located within proximity of the pollution hotspot in the industrialized north-eastern interior in South Africa. The interdependencies between local, regional and global parameters on variances in SO2, NO2 and O3 levels were investigated in the model. Average monthly SO2 concentrations at Amersfoort (AF), Louis Trichardt (LT) and Skukuza (SK) were 9.91, 1.70 and 2.07 µg m−3, respectively, while respective mean monthly NO2 concentrations at each of these sites were 6.56, 1.46 and 2.54 µg m−3. Average monthly O3 concentrations were 50.77, 58.44 and 43.36 µg m−3 at AF, LT and SK, respectively. Long-term temporal trends indicated seasonal and inter-annual variability at all three sites, which could be ascribed to changes in meteorological conditions and/or variances in source contribution. Local, regional and global parameters contributed to SO2 variability, with total solar irradiation (TSI) being the most significant factor at the regional background site LT. Temperature (T) was the most important factor at SK, located in the Kruger National Park, while population growth (P) made the most substantial contribution at the industrially impacted AF site. Air masses passing over the source region also contributed to SO2 levels at SK and LT. Local and regional factors made more substantial contributions to modelled NO2 levels, with P being the most significant factor explaining NO2 variability at all three sites, while relative humidity (RH) was the most important local and regional meteorological factor. The important contribution of P on modelled SO2 and NO2 concentrations was indicative of the impact of increased anthropogenic activities and energy demand in the north-eastern interior of South Africa. Higher SO2 concentrations, associated with lower temperatures, as well as the negative correlation of NO2 levels to RH, reflected the influence of pollution build-up and increased household combustion during winter. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) made a significant contribution to modelled O3 levels at all three sites, while the influence of local and regional meteorological factors was also evident. Trend lines for SO2 and NO2 at AF indicated an increase in SO2 and NO2 concentrations over the 19-year sampling period, while an upward trend in NO2 levels at SK signified the influence of growing rural communities. Marginal trends were observed for SO2 at SK, as well as SO2 and NO2 at LT, while O3 remained relatively constant at all three sites. SO2 and NO2 concentrations were higher at AF, while the regional O3 problem was evident at all three sites.

Aerosol particles are essential constituents of the Earth's atmosphere, impacting the earth radiation balance directly by scattering and absorbing solar radiation, and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. In contrast to most greenhouse gases, aerosol particles have short atmospheric residence times, resulting in a highly heterogeneous distribution in space and time. There is a clear need to document this variability at regional scale through observations involving, in particular, the in situ near-surface segment of the atmospheric observation system. This paper will provide the widest effort so far to document variability of climate-relevant in situ aerosol properties (namely wavelength dependent particle light scattering and absorption coefficients, particle number concentration and particle number size distribution) from all sites connected to the Global Atmosphere Watch network. High-quality data from almost 90 stations worldwide have been collected and controlled for quality and are reported for a reference year in 2017, providing a very extended and robust view of the variability of these variables worldwide. The range of variability observed worldwide for light scattering and absorption coefficients, single-scattering albedo, and particle number concentration are presented together with preliminary information on their long-term trends and comparison with model simulation for the different stations. The scope of the present paper is also to provide the necessary suite of information, including data provision procedures, quality control and analysis, data policy, and usage of the ground-based aerosol measurement network. It delivers to users of the World Data Centre on Aerosol, the required confidence in data products in the form of a fully characterized value chain, including uncertainty estimation and requirements for contributing to the global climate monitoring system.

Abstract The Nconga Formation of the Mesoarchean (~2.96–2.84 Ga) Mozaan Group of the Pongola Supergroup of southern Africa contains the world’s oldest known granular iron formation. Three dimensional reconstructions of the granules using micro-focus X-ray computed tomography reveal that these granules are microstromatolites coated by magnetite and calcite, and can therefore be classified as oncoids. The reconstructions also show damage to the granule coatings caused by sedimentary transport during formation of the granules and eventual deposition as density currents. The detailed, three dimensional morphology of the granules in conjunction with previously published geochemical and isotope data indicate a biogenic origin for iron precipitation around chert granules on the shallow shelf of one of the oldest supracratonic environments on Earth almost three billion years ago. It broadens our understanding of biologically-mediated iron precipitation during the Archean by illustrating that it took place on the shallow marine shelf coevally with deeper water, below-wave base iron precipitation in micritic iron formations.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by various filamentous fungi, of which Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium are the three main genera. Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most dominant toxigenic fungal species, associated with fumonisin contamination in grain-based feeds, such as compound abalone feed. Mycotoxin production is influenced by temperature and available nutrients. In this study the aims were: to determine if abalone feed as growth substrate favours mycotoxin production for toxigenic fungi; to determine the most effective temperature for fumonisin production by F. verticillioides on abalone feed; and to assess the effect of the aquatic environment on fumonisin-contaminated abalone feed. A total of 93 fungal isolates were inoculated onto abalone feed, including species belonging to the genera Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Feed inoculated with F. verticillioides were incubated at two different temperatures and fumonisin-contaminated feed was submerged into seawater for 24 h. Results showed that mycotoxins were produced when abalone feed was inoculated with toxigenic fungi, and that F. verticillioides produced higher concentrations of fumonisins at a lower temperature. Submerging fumonisin-contaminated feed in seawater showed that this toxin leached into the seawater, lowering the risk of fumonisins to be consumed by abalone.

There is a direct relationship between the abundance of biological invasions and their impact, which means that it is important to capture spatial patterns in their abundance and use this information to focus management actions. However, protocols to objectively determine invasive alien plant (IAP) distributions and abundance are lacking at a national level, resulting in the inability to determine and monitor changes in spatial extent and density over time. A complete inventory of IAP spatial distribution across an extensive area such as South Africa is not possible and so requires an efficient sampling approach. A simple random sampling design would not be efficient, so monitoring of IAP species at a national level requires an appropriate sampling design such as a stratified sampling. The selection of environmental variables to be included in such a stratification should be based on the relationship between IAP species and their physical environment to successfully summarize variance in their abundance within the different strata. A further objective is to obtain all possible combinations of environmental variables or a full rank design in the stratification to allow for the comparison of different strata based on actual field sampled data. This raises the question of which predictive environmental variables as well as how many to include in the stratification. For this purpose, three invasive tree species, namely Acacia cyclops, Acacia mearnsii and Prosopis glandulosa were selected as they cover the maximum possible area at the highest density with the least amount of geographic overlap. A total of 26 environmental variables that included climatic, soil and topographic type variables were tested with linear regressions against correlations with the abundance of those tree species. The results showed that a combination of average precipitation, soil depth, clay content in the B-horizon and terrain morphological units will serve as a suitable stratification at a national level to explain IAP abundance variation sufficiently well whilst retaining a full rank design. These results will be applied as the first phase in the formation of a regional level IAP monitoring programme for South Africa on a scientific basis.

‘Skoolordes’ instead of ‘bedelordes’: A reconsideration of the applicability of the term mendīcāns in the (Afrikaans) Medieval register. In this article the applicability of the Latin present participle mendīcāns in the (Afrikaans) Medieval register, with reference to the development of the four mendicant orders in the Medieval Latin West from the early 13th century onward, is reconsidered. The term mendīcāns is customarily translated as mendicant in English and as bedelend in Afrikaans (including the terminological transition to bedelordes and bedelmonnike) and familial languages such as Dutch (bedelorden and bedelmonniken) and German (Bettelorden and Bettelmönche). While the English application is by its Latinised nature subtle and not explicitly value-laden (referring not to begging but to the Latin participle mendīcāns), this is not the case in the latter languages. In the translation and terminological application of mendīcāns as bedelend in these languages, the profoundly condescending and Medievalist-patronising notion of ‘begging’ (which is wholly different from ‘receiving alms’) becomes prevalent. When, however, the idea-historical development of the term mendīcāns is reconsidered (particularly in the context of the Franciscan interpretation of the relation between usus [sustainable use within the milieu of idealised corporate poverty; ordo habeat usum, per Bonaventure]) and dominium [private ownership]), and taking into account that bedel refers not to social reciprocity (as it should in this context) but to a form of static and unilateral economic action, it seems sensible to review the term, at least in the latter languages, by a less value-determined alternative, such as skool (school). The four mendicant orders originating in the first decades of the 13th century (the Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans and Franciscans), shared a prominent feature, apart from not allowing themselves to own private property and the fact that they were indeed dependent on local communities for material (explicitly non-financial) support, namely the administration and conservation of a unique educational system of studia or local ‘boarding schools’, which functioned in a Venn-diagrammatical relationship with the young universities of the 12th century onward. The studia contributed in an unparalleled way to the academic formation of undergraduate students throughout the Medieval West. Rather than fixating on a static and arbitrary economic notion such as bedel, the vibrant academic achievements of the mendicant orders should instead be considered as their epitomising common feature – and should accordingly be reflected as such in the term describing them. Contribution: This re-evaluation of the applicability of the Latin term mendīcāns in the Medieval register contributes to the development and ongoing refinement of the Medieval register in specifically the Afrikaans language, whereby the English translations ‘mendicant friar’ and ‘mendicant orders’, translated and applied from mendīcāns as bedelmonnike and bedelordes in Afrikaans, be henceforth instead referred to as skoolmonnike and skoolordes.

BackgroundThere is huge variability in the way that individuals with tinnitus respond to interventions. These experiential variations, together with a range of associated etiologies, contribute to tinnitus being a highly heterogeneous condition. Despite this heterogeneity, a “one size fits all” approach is taken when making management recommendations. Although there are various management approaches, not all are equally effective. Psychological approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy have the most evidence base. Managing tinnitus is challenging due to the significant variations in tinnitus experiences and treatment successes. Tailored interventions based on individual tinnitus profiles may improve outcomes. Predictive models of treatment success are, however, lacking. ObjectiveThis study aimed to use exploratory data mining techniques (ie, decision tree models) to identify the variables associated with the treatment success of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) for tinnitus. MethodsIndividuals (N=228) who underwent ICBT in 3 separate clinical trials were included in this analysis. The primary outcome variable was a reduction of 13 points in tinnitus severity, which was measured by using the Tinnitus Functional Index following the intervention. The predictor variables included demographic characteristics, tinnitus and hearing-related variables, and clinical factors (ie, anxiety, depression, insomnia, hyperacusis, hearing disability, cognitive function, and life satisfaction). Analyses were undertaken by using various exploratory machine learning algorithms to identify the most influencing variables. In total, 6 decision tree models were implemented, namely the classification and regression tree (CART), C5.0, GB, XGBoost, AdaBoost algorithm and random forest models. The Shapley additive explanations framework was applied to the two optimal decision tree models to determine relative predictor importance. ResultsAmong the six decision tree models, the CART (accuracy: mean 70.7%, SD 2.4%; sensitivity: mean 74%, SD 5.5%; specificity: mean 64%, SD 3.7%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: mean 0.69, SD 0.001) and gradient boosting (accuracy: mean 71.8%, SD 1.5%; sensitivity: mean 78.3%, SD 2.8%; specificity: 58.7%, SD 4.2%; AUC: mean 0.68, SD 0.02) models were found to be the best predictive models. Although the other models had acceptable accuracy (range 56.3%-66.7%) and sensitivity (range 68.6%-77.9%), they all had relatively weak specificity (range 31.1%-50%) and AUCs (range 0.52-0.62). A higher education level was the most influencing factor for ICBT outcomes. The CART decision tree model identified 3 participant groups who had at least an 85% success probability following the undertaking of ICBT. ConclusionsDecision tree models, especially the CART and gradient boosting models, appeared to be promising in predicting ICBT outcomes. Their predictive power may be improved by using larger sample sizes and including a wider range of predictive factors in future studies.

Introduction: An internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) offers a way to increase access to evidence-based tinnitus care. To increase the accessibility of this intervention, the materials were translated into Spanish to reach Spanish as well as English speakers. A clinical trial indicated favorable outcomes of ICBT for tinnitus for the population of the United States. In view of later dissemination, a way to increase the applicability of this intervention is required. Such understanding is best obtained by considering the perspectives and experiences of participants of an intervention. This study aimed to identify the processes that could facilitate or hinder the clinical implementation of ICBT in the United States.Methods: This study evaluated the processes regarding enrolment, allocation, intervention delivery, the outcomes obtained, and the trial implementation. The study sample consisted of 158 participants who were randomly assigned to the experimental and control group.Results: Although the recruitment was sufficient for English speakers, recruiting the Spanish participants and participants belonging to ethnic minority groups was difficult despite using a wide range of recruitment strategies. The allocation processes were effective in successfully randomizing the groups. The intervention was delivered as planned, but not all the participants chose to engage with the materials provided. Compliance for completing the outcome measures was low. The personal and intervention factors were identified as barriers for the implementation whereas the facilitators included the support received, being empowering, the accessibility of the intervention, and its structure.Conclusion: An understanding regarding the factors contributing to the outcomes obtained, the barriers and facilitators of the results, engagement, and compliance were obtained. These insights will be helpful in preparing for the future dissemination of such interventions.Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04004260. Registered on 2 July 2019.

No abstract available.

Raptus and the ‘form of the will’: A transgressive reading of Foucault’s interpretation of Augustine in Les aveux de la chair. This article presents a reading of Michel Foucault’s (1926–1984) interpretation of Augustine of Hippo’s (354–430) views on sex in Histoire de la sexualité 4 (Les aveux de la chair), published in February 2018 at Gallimard in Paris under editorship of Frédéric Gros. The article contributes to the reception and ongoing analyses of Les aveux de la chair by presenting a transgressive reading of the Augustinian prioritisation of the will, and Foucault’s emphasis on the Augustinian notion of sexual desire as the ‘form of the will’. Raptus or ‘divine orgasm’ is presented from the texts of several female mystics from the central Middle Ages as an example of a sexual context in which the will is unable to claim the pinnacle position Augustine attributed to it, precisely as a form of identity – and language transgressing eroticism in the ‘mystical presence of God’. Foucault’s reading of John Cassian’s (ca.360–435) ‘battle for chastity’ is presented as the discursive background of his interpretation of Augustine, followed by a presentation of raptus as a resource to reconsider Augustine’s prioritisation of the will (and the ‘problem of the libido’) in sexual contexts. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Foucault’s reading of the church and desert fathers in Histoire de la sexualité 4 (Les aveux de la chair) impacts early Medieval philosophy, early Medieval history, church history, patristics, philosophy of religion and sociology of religion. Since these proximate disciplines are affected by Foucault’s text, they may well take note of the ongoing examinations of this recently edited work.

The environmental crisis, ecological injustice and climate change are some of the biggest challenges to humanity and sustainable development worldwide. The youth are at the centre of the ecological (in)justice, environmental consciousness and climate change discourse. For the youth to participate and influence development with regard to the climate crisis in a favourable way, they must understand their role and the issues and challenges that they face in this regard. Contribution: The aim of this explorative article is twofold. It highlights the involvement of the South African youth in ecological matters. It also offers insights on why the youth can be regarded as game-changing role-players with regard to the climate crisis and being environmentally conscious.

This article presents a contextualisation of Belgian philosopher and historian of psychiatry and sexuality, Patrick Vandermeersch’s (1946–), unpublished analysis of French philosopher Michel Foucault’s (1926–1984) interpretation of Methodius of Olympus’ (d.ca.311) views on virginity and chastity, in Histoire de la sexualité 4 (Les aveux de la chair), published in February 2018 at Gallimard in Paris under the editorship of Frédéric Gros. The article contributes to the reception and the ongoing analyses of Les aveux de la chair by exploring Foucault’s reading while highlighting both the importance of Vandermeersch’s analysis and the sexological-historiographical significance of his broader oeuvre that spans over four decades. Vandermeersch shows that Foucault, as many other commentators of Methodius, did not substantially engage Methodius’ explicit indebtedness and persistent references to Plato (already evident in the title Symposium but especially regarding the Phaedrus). Platonic homoeroticism is, according to Vandermeersch, as a consequence often too hastily, and therefore problematically, transposed on contexts of female virginity. Likewise, Foucault, when indicating already at the end of Histoire de la sexualité 2 (L’usage des plaisirs 1984), the particular relevance of homoeroticism in the development of Western sexuality, seemed to adhere to this transposition. Could ‘beautiful boys’ truly be transposed onto ‘female virgins’ without severe sexual-discursive complications? And could Methodius’ encomium of virginity in any way be understood independent of his understanding of the ‘resurrection of the body’, with the integrity of its (virginised) sexual desire intact? These are among Vandermeersch’s valid and challenging questions to both Foucault and his contemporary readership. Contribution: Foucault’s reading of the church- and desert fathers in Histoire de la sexualité 4 (Les aveux de la chair) impacts early Medieval philosophy, early Medieval history, church history, patristics, philosophy of religion, psychology of religion and sociology of religion. Since these proximate disciplines are drawn towards Foucault’s text, they may well note its ongoing examinations. Foucault’s direct impact on these disciplines is illustrated in Vandermeersch’s significant analysis of Foucault’s reading of Methodius in Les aveux de la chair. Vandermeersch’s broader oeuvre in philosophy, theology, psychiatry, psychology, psychology of religion and the history of sexuality is concurrently contextualised as of ongoing contemporary importance for these disciplines.

Augustine and female homoeroticism in the early Middle Ages: A Foucaultian idea-historical interpretation. Taking his reading of Romans 1:26–27 and Genesis 19 as its hermeneutical key, an idea-historical interpretation of the views of the Western church father Augustine of Hippo (354–430) on female homoeroticism is presented in this article. The accentuation of French philosopher Michel Foucault (1926–1984) on the overall significance of Augustine in the Western history of sexuality, in his posthumous Histoire de la sexualité 4 (Les aveux de la chair, under editorship of Frédéric Gros, 2018), is used to contextualise Augustine’s views on sexual desire as the ‘form of the will’, here positioned specifically within a female homoerotic context. Drawing on the substantial studies of John Boswell (in 1980) and Bernadette Brooten (in 1996), which, although relatively dated, are still without equal in Medieval research, the article subsequently explores Augustine’s views on intimate relations between women, both in monasteries and in secular society. It is shown that intimate relations between women must have transpired in fifth-century monasteries and that female homoeroticism was for the next two centuries dealt with with restraint rather than with forms of exclusion and punishment, despite the negative portrayals of same-sex relations by some of Augustine’s patristic contemporaries (particularly John Chrysostom [ca.347–407]), yet precisely on the basis of Augustine’s understated approach. Although Augustine renounced homoerotic relations as a form of ‘unnatural’ (for him, expressly, all ‘non-procreative’) sex, he dealt with the incidence of female same-sex relations with understatement. Given his general authority in the early Middle Ages, one effect of Augustine’s non-homophobic approach was that female homoeroticism was de facto bypassed as a ‘moral problem’ in the fifth and sixth centuries, until handbooks of penance, that prohibited all forms of same-sex relations, started circulating at the end of the sixth century. Contribution: This article contributes to the ongoing study of Medieval female sexuality, and particularly of female homoeroticism in late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, by exploring Augustine’s views on same-sex relations between women around the early fifth century, while concurrently contributing to ongoing analyses of Michel Foucault’s interpretation of the church and desert fathers in the (edited) fourth volume of Histoire de la sexualité (Les aveux de la chair), published in 2018.

Background: Work engagement is considered an important contributor towards the success of any organisation, while finding meaning in work has been proven to enhance productivity and, ultimately, assists in improving the bottom line of an organisation. Aim: The aim of the study is to examine work engagement and meaningfulness through work and at the workplace, and how these factors impact on perceived customer value. More specifically, the researchers were interested in whether meaningfulness could mediate the relationship between work engagement and perceived customer value. Setting: Data were collected from employees at a large South African manufacturing organisation. Methods: Respondents from a manufacturing organisation in South Africa participated in the quantitative cross-sectional study (N = 152). They completed previously validated questionnaires to assess work engagement, meaningfulness through work and perceived customer value from an employee perspective. (Males = 52.21%; Working less than five years in the industry = 54.61%; Non-management = 50%). Results: Correlation results indicate that features of engagement, meaningfulness through work and perceived customer value were positively associated. A simple mediation model indicates that meaning could be considered a mediator in the relationship between work engagement and perceived customer value. Conclusion: Study results indicate that work engagement was not sufficient to improve perceived customer value and that finding meaning in and through work was also required.