• Title/Summary/Keyword: South Africa

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Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Immunotherapeutics

  • Lim, Sherene Swee-Yin;Othman, Rofina Yasmin
    • Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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    • v.52 no.6
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    • pp.581-593
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    • 2014
  • Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii is widespread globally and causes severe diseases in individuals with impaired immune defences as well as congenitally infected infants. The high prevalence rate in some parts of the world such as South America and Africa, coupled with the current drug treatments that trigger hypersensitivity reactions, makes the development of immunotherapeutics intervention a highly important research priority. Immunotherapeutics strategies could either be a vaccine which would confer a pre-emptive immunity to infection, or passive immunization in cases of disease recrudescence or recurrent clinical diseases. As the severity of clinical manifestations is often greater in developing nations, the development of well-tolerated and safe immunotherapeutics becomes not only a scientific pursuit, but a humanitarian enterprise. In the last few years, much progress has been made in vaccine research with new antigens, novel adjuvants, and innovative vaccine delivery such as nanoparticles and antigen encapsulations. A literature search over the past 5 years showed that most experimental studies were focused on DNA vaccination at 52%, followed by protein vaccination which formed 36% of the studies, live attenuated vaccinations at 9%, and heterologous vaccination at 3%; while there were few on passive immunization. Recent progress in studies on vaccination, passive immunization, as well as insights gained from these immunotherapeutics is highlighted in this review.

Tolerance of Nicotiana tabacum Cultivars Dixie Bright 244-2, McNair 30, and Golden Stock Penish to Strains of Potato Virus Y (PVY 계통들에 대한 잎담배 품종 Dixie Bright 244-2, McNair 30 및 Golden Stock Penish의 내병성 반응)

  • Park Eun Kyung;Gooding G. V.
    • Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.12-16
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    • 1986
  • The reaction of seven cultivars of Nicotiana tabacum to eight naturally occurring strains of potato virus Y from tobacco and one from potato was determined by mechanical inoculations in greenhouse tests. Dixie Bright 244-2, McNair 3D, and Golden Stock Penish were highly tolerant to three mild strains, two from the United States and one from Korea, and to four severe strains, one each from the United States, West Germany, South Africa, and Korea. They also had some tolerance to a severe strain from Child and one from United States. Virus concentration in infected leaf tissue was virus strain-and cultivar-dependent.

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Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum): much more than a condiment

  • Barbalho, Sandra Maria;Machado, Flavia Maria Vasques Farinazzi;Rodrigues, Jaqueline Dos Santos;Silva, Tiago Henrique Pereira Da;Goulart, Ricardo De Alvares
    • CELLMED
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.3.1-3.5
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    • 2012
  • Ocimum basilicum belongs to the family Lamiaceae and can be found in tropical Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. It is widely cultivated commercially as a condiment or for the production of essential oil. In this review, this plant is accredited with important effects on health, in addition to being a condiment. In folk medicine it is used to treat vomiting, intestinal colic and diarrhea, menstrual pains and to improve kidney function. Some studies have demonstrated that it can be used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and also that it has antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator properties as well as hepatoprotective effects. In view of its broad range of effects, further studies should be conducted to ascertain the possible use of this plant in clinical trials, not only for prevention but also as an adjuvant in the treatment of different diseases.

치료중 실시간 모니터링을 위한 투과형 빔측정장치 개발

  • Kim, Jae-Hong;Swanepoel, M.W.;Dekock, E.A.;Park, Yeon-Su;Yang, Tae-Geon
    • Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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    • 2010.08a
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    • pp.315-315
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    • 2010
  • 양성자 빔을 이용하여 두경부 암 치료를 South Africa의 iTHEMBA에서 시행하고 있다. 200 MeV의 양성자 빔라인으로부터 진공에서 대기로 인출하여 노즐을 통과하여 종양세포에 조사된다. 치료계획에 적합하게 빔에너지와 모양을 변환하고, 빔을 모니터링하는 기계적 장치들이 노즐에 구성된다. 빔라인에는 이온챔버, Steering Magnet, Multi-wire 이온챔버, Range trimmer plates, lead scattering plate, Double-wedge energy degrader, Multi-layer Faraday cup, Range modulator, Range monitor, occluding ring, Shielding collimators, Quadrant and monitor ionization chamber, Treatment collimator, 그리고 Wellhofer dosimetry tank로 구성되어 있다. 총길이는 6.6m이며 노즐 끝에서 환자의 isocenter 까지는 30cm 정도 아래에 위치한다. 상기의 배치를 갖는 시스템의 양성자 scattering system의 성능을 MCNPX v2.5.0 Monte Carlo simulation을 실시하였다. 또한 정확한 선량을 실시간으로 측정하는 방법인 투과형 검출기를 개발하여 치료와 빔 특성을 동시에 수행하는 기술개발연구가 보고되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 Multileaf Faraday Cup (MLPC) 검출기 설계구조와 데이터 측정방법에 관한 연구를 수행하고자 한다. 빔의 전송 방향으로 3개층의 $4{\times}4$ 배열의 구조로 48 channel의 전류값을 측정하여 입자빔의 분포를 실시간으로 관측하고, 측정된 전류는 ADC를 거쳐 치료계획에 의해 선택된 영역의 SOBP를 유지하도록 range modulation propeller를 조절하는 feed-back system을 갖춘 방사선치료빔 실시간 측정장치 개발에 관한 결과를 보고하고자 한다.

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Induction of Apoptosis with Kigelia africana fruits in HCT116 Human Colon Cancer Cells via MAPKs Signaling Pathway

  • Guon, Tae-Eun;Chung, Ha Sook
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.209-215
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    • 2016
  • Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae) is a flowering plants in South, Central and West Africa and commonly known as the sausage tree (Eng.); worsboom (Afr.); umVunguta, umFongothi (Zulu); Modukguhlu (North Sotho); Muvevha (Venda). The dried, powdered fruits are used as dressing for wounds and ulcers, haemorrhoids, rheumatism, purgative, skin-firming, lactation in breast-feeding mothers. The aim of this study is to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic potentials of 70% ethanolic extracts of Kigelia africana fruits in HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Treatment of Kigelia africana fruits with various concentrations resulted in a sequence of characteristic of apoptosis, including loss of cell viability and morphological changes. Flow cytometry analysis showed Kigelia africana fruits increased the sub-G1 phase (apoptosis) population. Apoptosis confirmed by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate and propidium iodide double staining in HCT116 human colon cancer cell lines. Moreover, analysis of the mechanism indicated that Kigelia africana fruits showed an increased Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in activation of hallmarks of apoptotic events, caspase-3, caspase-9 and cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase. This is the first report to demonstrate the cytotoxicity of Kigelia africana fruits on HCT116 human colon cancer cells.

Natural Occurrence of Fusarium Mycotoxins in Cereals (곡류에서의Fusarium속 곰팡이 독소의 오염)

  • 이인원;김진철
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.23-32
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    • 1993
  • Species of the genus Fusarium are worldwide in their distribution. They are saprophytes as soil inhabitants and parasites of cultivated plants. Some isolates of certain species car capable of producing mycotoxins. Mycotoxicoses, including moldy corn toxicosis, alimentary toxic aleukia, fusariotoxicosis, and rel mold disease are known to be associated with trichothecene-producing fungi. Historically severe epidemic of cereal scab occred in the southern part of Korea in 1963. The epidemic caused a social problem because of not only heavy economic losses but also mycotoxicoses to humans and farm animals. However the toxic principles were remained unknown until some publications in 1980's indicated that trichothecenes and zearalenone were major mycotoxins in Korea cereals contaminated with Fusarium moniliforme have been found to be associated with human and animal disease such as leukoencephalomalacia in horses, pulmonary edema in swine and esophageal cancer in humans. High concentrations of fumonisins have been detected in corn samples from high espohoageal cancer risk areas of South Africa and China. Thus fumonisins have been implicated in the etiolgy of human esophageal cancer in those high incidence countries. Recently increase of imported cereals from foreign countries demands to assess the safety of mycotoxins in Korea. The informations on the natural occurrence of mycotoxins are needed to solve the toxicological problems in humans and farm animals associated with the consumption of moldy cereals.

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Evaluating the Information Access Skills of Students of a College of Education in Ghana

  • Yebowaah, Franklina Adjoa;Owusu-Ansah, Christopher M.
    • Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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    • v.8 no.2
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    • pp.45-54
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    • 2020
  • Access to relevant information determines the quality of life of an individual in society and the academe. Academic institutions have established information literacy programmes to enhance students' access to information. With the elevation of colleges of education to tertiary status in Ghana, pre-service teachers are now required to conduct research to improve their reflective thinking in order to be certified. However, the information access skills of students in colleges of education in Ghana are uncertain. This study draws empirical evidence from students in the Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education, Wa, Ghana on their information access skills. Primary data were collected from 303 respondents from the college using a stratified sampling procedure. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that information is available to students through different sources such as the Internet, libraries, and contact with friends and authorities. However, students were limited in respect to access to relevant online resources for their academic activities due to inadequate information access skills. Potential solutions are discussed.

Elemental Analysis of Coal by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (誘導結合플라스마 質量分析法에 의한 石炭의 元素 分析)

  • 이용근;고인형;이동수
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.155-161
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    • 1992
  • A simple, fast yet sensitive method is described for the determination of fifty elements in coal by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The method involves complete dissolution of coal with mixed acid $(HNO_3, HF, HClO_4)$ in hish pressure Teflon bomb and subsequent inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric(ICP-MS) measurement. The accuracy of the method, being evaluated by the analysis of NIST SRMs (1632a, 1632b) is better than 20% RSD for most elements. The limits of detection defined by two times $\sigma$ (standard deviation of operational blank) are in order of sub-ppm to ppm, which are low enough to quantitate most elements. However, the determiantions for few elements such as V, As, Se are severely interfered by molecular ions such that their accurate determiantions are not possible. Analytical results for twentyon coals from eight countries including six ones world major coal producing, Korea, Japan, China, I.C.S., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, and South Africa are presented. While the results for major elements agree well with the existing ones, those for a few trace elements disagree considerably. The existing values are considerably higher. It is not possible to judge which are more accurate. However, the exisisting values are more likely to be errorous inasmuch as they are obtained without using high purity reagents and clean laboratory techniques.

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SEISMIC ISOLATION OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

  • Whittaker, Andrew S.;Kumar, Manish;Kumar, Manish
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.46 no.5
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    • pp.569-580
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    • 2014
  • Seismic isolation is a viable strategy for protecting safety-related nuclear structures from the effects of moderate to severe earthquake shaking. Although seismic isolation has been deployed in nuclear structures in France and South Africa, it has not seen widespread use because of limited new build nuclear construction in the past 30 years and a lack of guidelines, codes and standards for the analysis, design and construction of isolation systems specific to nuclear structures. The funding by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission of a research project to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and MCEER/University at Buffalo facilitated the writing of a soon-to-be-published NUREG on seismic isolation. Funding of MCEER by the National Science Foundation led to research products that provide the technical basis for a new section in ASCE Standard 4 on the seismic isolation of safety-related nuclear facilities. The performance expectations identified in the NUREG and ASCE 4 for seismic isolation systems, and superstructures and substructures are described in the paper. Robust numerical models capable of capturing isolator behaviors under extreme loadings, which have been verified and validated following ASME protocols, and implemented in the open source code OpenSees, are introduced.

THE GOVERNANCE OF RETIREMENT FUNDS IN MEMBERS RIGHTS AND TRUSTEES DUTIES IN SOUTH AFRICA: A LESSON LEARNT FROM USA, UK AND MALAWI

  • Nevondwe, Lufuno;Odeku, Kola;Matotoka, Mothlatlego
    • East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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    • v.1 no.3
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    • pp.55-70
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    • 2013
  • Purpose: The article looks at the member' rights and trustees duties and determines where should the emphasis be as it often happens that these two aspects often clash. Research Design, Data and Methodology: It is determined in this article whether the trustees owe fiduciary duties to both the fund and members and further determines whether the trustees should advance the interests of the members. Results: The article further looks at the governance of the retirement funds and argues that the proper governance of these funds protects the interest of the members. The duty to disclosure of information to members is of paramount importance to ensure that members are able to make well informed decisions. Conclusion: The article considers the issues of disclosure of information from other countries, United Kingdom, United States and Malawi. It is argued in this article that trustees must be persons who are trustworthy and have the best interest of the members at heart and must therefore familiarize themselves with the laws that regulate their duties.