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The paleoclimate and ecosystem variability in Africa during the Plio/Pleistocene has received considerable attention due to its potential links to hominid evolution. However, the reconstruction of this variability hinges critically upon highly temporally resolved proxy data from continuous, well-dated sediment archives. In light of these requirements we use a new XRF core-scanning record from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1478 off the Limpopo River mouth (Mozambique Channel, SW Indian Ocean) spanning the past c. 4 Ma to identify the climate variability in SE Africa. Our results show that the elemental distribution in the Site U1478 cores is mainly controlled by the rate of terrigenous input and – to a lesser extent – by bottom-current transport and post-depositional processes such as propagation of paleoredox boundaries and diagenesis across some intervals. The log(Ti/Ca) ratio, which is used as a tracer of terrigenous sediment input, shows quasi-cyclical variability across the entire record that closely matches the periods of orbital parameters. However, the cyclical behaviour of the log(Ti/Ca) signal varies through time, with the uppermost 106 m of the sequence (0–1.07 Ma) displaying a mix of precession and obliquity signals, the intervals 106–223 m (1.07–2.80 Ma) and 240–257 m (3.68–4.05 Ma) being dominated by precession, and the interval 223–240 m (2.80–3.68 Ma) being controlled by eccentricity. To refine the available chronology for Site U1478, which is based on shipboard biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic data, we have tuned the log(Ti/Ca) record to the LR04 benthic oxygen isotope record, summer insolation at 25° S, and orbital eccentricity depending on the dominant cyclicities in the XRF dataset across individual time intervals. The resulting chronology enables us to evaluate the XRF data as well as the previously available shipboard sedimentological and geochemical datasets within a regional and global climatic context. This allows the c

Het op een positieve manier stimuleren van gezondheid biedt allerlei aangrijpingspunten voor een succesvolle stedelijke ontwikkeling. Het is voor iedere gemeente een bruikbaar denk- en handelingsmodel voor een samenhangende verbetering van de leefomgeving in wijken.

English: Nurses form the cornerstone in achieving the millennium goals of the WHO with regard to health care. However, 57 countries worldwide are facing a severe health workforce crisis. Various solutions have been proposed to address the nursing staff shortage. One of the aspects that has been greatly neglected in South African research, however, is the initial recruitment of nursing students. Despite the critical importance of recruiting the best possible students for nursing education and training, very few private Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) have a specific recruitment plan geared towards student recruitment. There is considerable evidence in the literature that some NEIs lack strategic planning for the recruitment of their students and that they do not always include all relevant stakeholders when initiating a recruitment drive. This study deals with the development of an action plan to aid with the recruitment of nursing students for private NEIs in South Africa. This study was structured around an adapted version of the process-planning model, as originally described by Zuber-Skerritt in 2002. Originally, a qualitative design with some quantitative enhancement was used. It was characterised by a descriptive, exploratory, and contextual focus. Three researcher-developed survey-questionnaires were used. During the last round of questionnaires, a quantitative approach, with qualitative enhancement was used. Final data analysis was done with the assistance of the SPSS software program. This study concluded with a generic action plan that was validated by experts in the field of student recruitment., Afrikaans: Verpleegkundiges vorm die hoeksteen om die WGO se millennium doelwitte vir gesondheidsorg te bereik. Wereldwyd is daar egter 57 lande wat tans 'n ernstige tekort aan gesondheidspersoneel ervaar. Verskeie voorstelle is al geopper om verpleegpersoneeltekorte aan te spreek. Een van die aspekte wat egter grotendeels in Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oorgesien word, is die aanvanklike werwing van verpleegstudente. Afgesien van die kritieke belangrikheid om die bes moontlike studente vir verpleegopleiding te werf, het baie min private verpleegonderriginstansies 'n bepaalde werwingsplan om studente te werf. Daar is vo ldoende bewys in die literatuur dat sommige verpleegonderriginstansies 'n gebrek aan strategiese beplanning ten opsigte van hul studentewerwing het en dat hulle nie altyd al die betrokke belanghebbers by die instelling van 'n werwingsveldtog betrek nie. Hierdie studie handel oor die ontwikkeling van 'n aksieplan vir die werwing van verpleegstudente om opleiding by private verpleegonderriginstansies in Suid-Afrika te ondergaan. Die studie is saamgestel met die grondslag van 'n aangepaste weergawe van die prosesbeplanningsmodel wat oorspronklik in 2002 deur Zuber-Skerritt beskryf is. Aanvanklik is 'n kwalitatiewe ontwerp met behulp van kwantitatiewe bystand gebruik. Dit is deur 'n beskrywende, ondersoekende en konteksuele fokus gekenmerk. Orie vraelyste wat deur die navorser ontwikkel is, is aangewend. Tydens die laaste fase van die studie is kwantitatief gebaseerde vraelyste met behulp van kwalitatiewe ondersteuning aangewend. Die SPSS-sagtewareprogram is gebruik om die data behoorlik te analiseer. Die studie, wat deur kundiges op die vakgebied van studentewerwing bevestig is, het met 'n generiese aksieplan geeindig.

Therapeutic peptides are highly potent and specific in their functions, but difficulties in their administration require parallel development of viable delivery systems to improve their bioavailability. In this study the potential of a novel lipid-based colloidal delivery system for improving the absorption of nasally and intestinally administered salmon calcitonin (sCT) was investigated. Two types of delivery vehicles based on Pheroid™ technology was prepared and characterized. Liposome-like bilayer vesicles had a mean diameter of 1.0 μm and microsponges were 1.6 μm. Doses of 10 IU/kg and 500 IU/kg bodyweight sCT were administered intranasally and intestinally to rats, respectively. The obtained absorption enhancement with Pheroid™ vesicles and Pheroid™ microsponges were also compared with the absorption enhancement obtained with N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC). With the inclusion of 0.5% (w/v) TMC the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of sCT increased from 72.6 ± 6.1 pg/ml to 478.5 ± 6.1 pg/ml after nasal administration. Pheroid™ vesicles and Pheroid™ microsponges increased the Cmax values of sCT to 262.64 ± 17.1 pg/ml and 202.66 ± 28.6 pg/ml, respectively. The time to reach the maximum concentration (Tmax) was also significantly decreased from 35 min to approximately 14 min. Intestinal administration of Pheroid™ formulations increased the Cmax of sCT from 249.1 ± 21.5 pg/ml to 386.2 ± 45.5 and 432.1 ± 18.9 pg/ml, respectively for Pheroid™ vesicles and Pheroid™ microsponges. TMC increased the Cmax of sCT to 738.9 ± 277.1 pg/ml. TMC and Pheroid™ technology could offer the potential to significantly improve intranasal and intestinal absorption of sCT and reduce the variability in absorption