Search

Background: Anaemia, a global public health problem that particularly affects women, holds major consequences for human health. Aim: Determining dietary diversity, prevalence of anaemia and contraception use. Setting: Rural women, 25–49 years, in the Free State Province, South Africa. Methods: In a cross-sectional descriptive quantitative study, dietary diversity was determined with a 24-h recall; biochemical markers of anaemia, iron deficiency and inflammation were measured; and contraceptive use was recorded. Results: Of 134 women (median age 41 years), 51.5% had medium, and 44.8% had low dietary diversity. Overall, 76.9% consumed flesh meats and fish, but only 25.4% ate dark green leafy vegetables. Anaemia was present in 4.6%; 1.5% presented with iron deficiency; and 0.7% presented with iron deficiency anaemia, evidenced by low ferritin levels. However, 45.0% had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Overall, 7.5% presented with elevated homocysteine levels, but only 3.8% had low red cell folate levels. More than half (54.1%) reported menstruating regularly and 71.6% used injectable contraceptives. Significant associations were found between median mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and dietary diversity score. Conclusions: Although the prevalence of anaemia is low in this population, elevated CRP in almost half indicates that inflammation may mask iron deficiency. The older median age of the sample and approximately half of the women not menstruating regularly may also contribute to the low anaemia prevalence. Attention should be given to the women’s diets as almost half consume diets of low diversity, and not all consume foods rich in haemopoietic nutrients.

This paper lends itself to extenuating the impact of over-crowdedness in the intermediate phase EFAL classrooms. An in-depth investigation into the causes of poor performance in the intermediate phase EFAL classrooms revealed over-crowdedness as one of the main possible causes. The pedagogical impediments that result from this phenomenon affect the intermediate phase EFL teachers more due to the curriculum requirements of this subject. The study was conducted in the Motheo Education District, in the Free State Province. The data was collected qualitatively, through the use of a group interview, semi-structured interviews and observations. The interviews focused on both well-performing and poor performing schools, while the observations focused on the well-performing schools. The data, which was analysed thematically, revealed the following practices that can benefit EFAL teachers working in overcrowded intermediate phase classrooms: effective planning and preparation, the integration of skills, constructive teaching, explicit instruction, a selective approach, notetaking and the process approach. The study was premised on the theory of hope, as the insights from well-performing schools expound the importance of not losing hope and remaining motivated to mitigate contextual factors.

Invasive alien plants can use animal-plant interactions to increase their invasiveness. This study investigated the role of frugivorous birds in seed dispersal and germination of the alien plant Pyracantha angustifolia (Rosaceae) in South African high elevation grasslands. We monitored which bird species fed on the fruit of the invasive P. angustifolia in some farms in the Eastern Free State Province using camera-traps and direct surveillance. Nine bird species visited P. angustifolia shrubs to perch or feed on fruits, but only one bird (Speckled Mousebird) fed on the fruits during timed observations. To assess the effect of ingestion by avian frugivores on P. angustifolia germination, P. angustifolia fruits were fed to captive Cape White-eyes (Zosterops virens), Dark-capped Bulbuls (Pycnonotus tricolor), Purple-crested Turacos (Gallirex porphyreolophus), Red-winged Starlings (Onychognathus morio) and Speckled Mousebirds (Colius striatus). Seeds collected from bird excreta, whole fruits, and depulped fruits were grown under greenhouse conditions and germination rates recorded. All captive bird species, except for Cape White-eyes, ingested the seeds; Cape White-eyes only fed on fruit pulp that they had manually removed. Bird species with relatively larger body mass had longer seed retention times compared with the smaller bird species. Germination success of both depulped and ingested P. angustifolia seeds was high (> 80%) and that of whole fruits low (7%). Ingestion by the four avian frugivore species did not affect germination rate and success; instead, the birds facilitate the spread and germination of seeds by removing the fruit pulp and spreading the seed away from the parent shrubs.

On 1 May 2004 the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 (MPRDA) not only introduced a new mineral law regime in South Africa but also made provision in the transitional arrangements of Schedule II to the MPRDA (hereinafter "the transitional arrangements") for the conversion of so-called "old-order rights" into (or application for) prospecting or mining rights in terms of the MPRDA. This decision dealt with the duration or term of transitional prospecting rights and the remedies available to a holder of an "old-order prospecting right" upon refusal by the state functionaries to convert the right into a prospecting right in terms of the MPRDA. Item 6 of the transitional arrangements makes provision for the continuation and conversion of "old-order prospecting rights" (see, in general, Badenhorst and Mostert Mineral and Petroleum Law of South Africa (2004) Revision Service Chapter 25.3.1; and Dale, Bekker, Bashall, Chaskalson, Dixon, Grobler, Ash and Loxton South African Mineral and Petroleum Law (2005) SchII-119 to SchII-135).

Background:Identification of the geographical areas with low uptake of HIV testing could assist in spatial targeting of interventions to improve the uptake of HIV testing. Objectives:The objective of this research study was to map the uptake of HIV testing at the district level in South Africa. Method:The secondary analysis used data from the Human Sciences Research Council’s 2017 National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey, where data were collected using a multistage stratified random cluster sampling approach. Descriptive spatial methods were used to assess disparities in the proportion of those ever tested for HIV at the district level in South Africa. Results:The districts with the highest overall coverage of people ever having tested for HIV (> 85%) include West Rand in Gauteng, Lejweleputswa and Thabo Mofutsanyane in Free State, and Ngaka Modiri Molema in North-West. These provinces also had the least variation in HIV testing coverage between their districts. Districts in KwaZulu-Natal had the widest variation in coverage of HIV testing. The districts with the lowest uptake of HIV testing were uMkhanyakude (54.7%) and Ugu (61.4%) in KwaZulu-Natal and Vhembe (61.0%) in Limpopo. Most districts had a higher uptake of HIV testing amongst female than male participants. Conclusion:The uptake of HIV testing across various districts in South Africa seems to be unequal. Intervention programmes must improve the overall uptake of HIV testing, especially in uMkhanyakude and Ugu in KwaZulu-Natal and Vhembe in Limpopo. Interventions must also focus on enhancing uptake of HIV testing amongst male participants in most districts. Strategies that would improve the uptake of HIV testing include HIV self-testing and community HIV testing, specifically home-based testing.

Background: In South Africa, many studies conducted on substance abuse among in-school youth focus on urban areas. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that rural areas are experiencing an increase in substance abuse, though there is dearth of studies in these areas. Methods: This study used a quantitative design to collect data from 629 high school learners who were in Grades 10 and 11 in public schools in rural Free State Province, to determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with substance use. Results: The sample consisted of 46% males and 54% females. Their ages ranged from 14 to 20 years, with a mean of 16.9 years. The prevalence of substance abuse was 47% ( n = 295) with alcohol consumption, cigarette and dagga smoking being the most common substances used. Socio-demographically, age and gender were significantly associated with substance abuse. While behavioural variables of physical fights, serious problems with parents and friends, poor academic performance, trouble with police, having sex without condom, and having sex and regretted the next day were significantly associated with substance abuse ( p = 0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of substance abuse is very high for this rural school community, which highlights the need to pay attention to rural schools regarding substance abuse challenges.

Objectives Bullying victimisation (BV) among children in South Africa has been identified as a major public health concern. While several studies report on the prevalence rates of BV, there is currently a dearth of research that reports on the prevalence of BV among a national sample of primary school children. This study determines the prevalence rates of BV among a nationally representative sample of school-going children in South Africa across provinces, age, and gender. The sample comprised 7067 children (boys = 45.6%; girls = 54.4%) between the ages of 10–12-years attending 61 primary schools across the nine provincial regions of South Africa. Results In terms of ‘being hit’ by other children, percentages range from 22.55% (North West) to 33.34% (Free State). Children in Gauteng (33.59%) and Limpopo (38.54%) had the highest percentage of children being ‘left out’ or excluded. Additionally, across all provinces more than 30% of children reported that they had been ‘called unkind names’. Across gender, boys are more likely to experience all three forms of BV (being hit, left out, and called unkind names). The findings further indicate that 10-year-olds reported being ‘hit’ and ‘left out’, whereas a greater percentage of 12-year-olds reported ‘being called unkind names’ (44.28%).

Mitigation of deleterious heat flux from edge-localized modes (ELMs) on fusion reactors is often attempted with 3D perturbations of the confining magnetic fields. However, the established technique of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) also degrades plasma performance, complicating implementation on future fusion reactors. In this paper, we introduce an adaptive real-time control scheme as a viable approach to simultaneously achieve both ELM-free states and recovered high-confinement (βN~1.91$ and HN~0.9), demonstrating successful handling of a volatile complex system through adaptive measures. We show that, by exploiting a salient hysteresis process to adaptively minimize the RMP strength, stable ELM suppression can be achieved while actively encouraging confinement recovery. This is made possible by a self-organized transport response in the plasma edge which reinforces the confinement improvement through a widening of the ion pedestal and promotes control stability, in contrast to the deteriorating effect on performance observed in standard RMP experiments. These results establish the real-time approach as an up-and-coming solution towards an optimized ELM-free state, which is an important step for the operation of ITER and reactor-grade tokamak plasmas. Notably, the real-time adaptive control scheme introduced here provides a path towards economic fusion reactors by maximizing the fusion gain while minimizing damage to machine components.

TPW is very important in climatological studies and it is largely influenced by but not limited to seas surface temperatures (SSTs) and elevation. TPW has been retrieved for different studies across the globe mostly using the microwave sensor. Most often than not the derived TPW is retrieved hourly and products can be used to further inform dry and wet conditions across different regions. The aim of this paper is the present the distribution of TPW across Free State, South Africa from 1999–2000. Effective determination of TPW across space aids in the management of available water especially in regions that are prone or battling drought. Total precipitable water, TPW and SST, was retrieved from the Google Earth Engine platform using NCEP Reanalysis and Ocean Color SMI: Standard Mapped Image MODIS Aqua Data respectively. The extracted dataset in. csv was analyzed in R. TPW is an important parameter for all studies centered around the atmosphere and its properties, in the assessment of solar energy especially in places where water vapour plays an important role. The distribution of TPW shows the variability in the spread across the entire study area. The concentration shows higher values at the fringers in the northwestern tip and northeastern tip.

Civilising Rural Ireland maps the influence of the cooperative movement on political, social, and economic developments in Ireland (and the Free State) from the 1890 s to the 1930 s. Principally Ci...

At the hydroelectric unit No. 11 of the Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric power plant, the filling wedges of a rotor were investigated by ultrasound in the free state, after “cold” tight shrinking, after “hot” tight shrinking, and after 3000 and 8000 hours of operation. The ability to evaluate the rim tightness of the rotor based on data on the redistribution of compression efforts in the wedges is demonstrated.

The aim of this paper is to summarize our knowledge of the birds of the Bloemfontein area, Free State, South Africa. It presents data on the status, distribution, population densities and habitat of the birds of this area, during the years 1977-2000 (with a special emphasis on the years 1993-1998). Both published and unpublished data are analysed. Population densities were estimated mainly using the line transect method and territory mapping method. For most fairly common, common and very common species, data on population densities are provided, while for 19 species (mainly rare or very rare), distribution maps of their occupied territories are presented. A total of 324 bird species were recorded. Breeding birds comprised 60.2% of the overall species (195), while non-breeding birds made up the remaining 39.8% (129). Among the breeding species, most (55.9%) were residents throughout the year, 3.1% were intra-African migrants and 1.2% were nomads. Non-breeding birds were represented by Palearctic migrants (35 species, 10.8%) classified as vagrants, irregular and regular visitors; and African non-breeding species (94; 29.0%), which were mainly vagrants. Among the breeding species, most were rare or very rare (100 species, 56.4%). Only 24 (12.3%) of them were very common, nine of which were non-passeres and 15 passeres. The main threat to birds in the Bloemfontein area is intensive agriculture. Some suggestions and recommendations are given for more effective and efficient bird conservation in this important area.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been associated with a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV DNA in archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from patients with histologically confirmed HNSCCs in a South African cohort. A nested PCR was used for the detection of HPV DNA targeting the L1 gene. Positive samples were confirmed using an in-house hemi-nested PCR targeting the E6 gene and genotyped by sequence determination of amplicons. HPV DNA was detected in 57/780 (7.3%) samples, with the highest prevalence being in the sinonasal tract (16.0%) and oropharynx (10.8%). HPV16 was the most frequently detected type, being found in 26/57 (45.6%) positive samples. The prevalence of HPV DNA in HNSCCs found in this study was lower than that found in developed countries.

In 2018, the Bavarian Cabinet ordered the installation of Christian crosses in the entrance areas of all administrations of the Free State of Bavaria. In this way, the historical and cultural character of Bavaria should be expressed „clearly visible“. The Bavarian state government, in particular the Bavarian prime minister, has thus once again sparked discussion about whether and to what extent religious symbols are permitted in public or state spaces. How much religion is desired in the religious-ideologically neutral state? What are the constitutional guidelines, which accents has jurisprudence set in recent years? How much religion does the state tolerate, how much religion can we impose on others? How does the renewed crucifix debate on the still virulent headscarf problematic behave?

This work presents the effect of stress-induced martensite aging (SIM-aging) on the functional properties of Ni53Mn25Ga22 (at.%) single crystals, oriented along the [001]L21-direction. The most effective regime of SIM-aging occurred under a compressive stress of 175 MPa along the [110]L21||[100]L10-direction at 423 K, for 2 h, which induced the high-temperature two-way shape memory effect with a reversible tensile strain of +9.0%, causing the jumping of the sample during cooling/heating in free state, and a rubber-like behavior with a giant reversible compression strain up to − 13.2% caused by L10-martensite variant reorientation.

Although most species of Aloe Linnaeus (1753: 319) flower in winter, the comparatively few taxa of this genus that occur naturally above South Africa’s climatically severe Great Escarpment tend to flower during spring when temperatures are on the increase. Two such species are A. broomii Schönland (1907: 137) and A. grandidentata Salm-Dyck (1822: 3 [species no. 2]).

This article reports on the progress (or lack thereof) regarding the use of Sesotho as an official medium of communication in selected government departments in the Free State Provincial Go...

The core activities associated with the #Fees Must Fall (FMF) movement in South Africa may be understood as forms of “disruptive power” (Piven [2006]. Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Cha...

This article uses performative writing to explore the pedagogical entanglement of staff, students, and matter at the University of the Free State, South Africa. It is a collaborative narrative in which different voices share the textual stage. Each author contributes to one of the voices to create a performative narrative of how our experiences occur and emerge in this messy, complex, and volatile context. Our story sketches the backgrounds, in-between spaces, and “negative spaces” that pedagogy produces as relational encounters between human and the more-than-human world. We abandon the world of the real and move into a creative collaborative performative narrative space to explore the entanglements that pedagogies produce.

Pavements across Free State in South Africa deteriorate as a result of swelling and shear failure of the subgrade materials, and cyclic loads associated with moving vehicles. This study investigate...

Legislation exists which prescribes specific waste disposal methods, especially for condemned products, but financial constraints prohibits its implementation. Current legislation requires independent meat inspection but it is not yet applied at all abattoirs and will take a considerable period of time before it is in place. Meat inspection does not serve any pwpose if condemned products returns to the food chain. Waste management practices at the different grades of abattoirs (Grades A to E) will be assessed and interviews with management will be used to predict the associated health risks to the community and the meat industry. Results obtained, will be used to construct a model to recommend the most suitable waste management system for each grade of abattoir in the Free State Province. This model would be appropriate for other provinces in South Africa. Spoilage bacteria and pathogenic bacteria are found on the surfaces of meat products. Pathogenic bacteria can cause illness when these products are consumed (Aberle, et.al., 2001). Food borne illnesses are a world-wide phenomena that also play a role in South Africa. Duse (2002) quoted the Department of Health statistics indicating that in the period of January to June 1998 there were 110 cases of food poisoning and 3 deaths and in 1999 127 cases reported and 0 deaths occurred. A large variety of bacterial genera have been recovered from red-meat, poultry and their products for example, Actinobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Aalmonella, Zersinia, and Streptococcus. An increase in amounts ofwaste are generated all over the world. Abattoirs are one of the industries that contribute to the problem of possible food-borne diseases and potential health hazards associated with food, especially meat (Bradshaw, et.al. 1992). Waste generated by abattoirs include condemned organs and carcasses, blood, hides, paunch content and carcass trimmings. Condemned products and carcasses, unsuitable for human consumption, are eaten by ,,cavengers" or persons living off refuse sites, and could cause a significant health problem which could lead to disease and death.Current economic conditions force under- privileged communities to seek any possible source of food and some of the sites frequented are landfill sites, dumping grounds and disposal sites used by abattoirs (Personal communication, Derbyshire, 2003)

The most fundamental aspect of the free energy landscape of proteins is that it is globally funneled such that protein folding is energetically biased. Then, what are the distinctive characteristics of the landscape of intrinsically disordered proteins, apparently lacking such energetic bias, that nevertheless fold upon binding? Here, we address this fundamental issue through the explicit characterization of the free energy landscape of the paradigmatic pKID–KIX system (pKID, phosphorylated kinase-inducible domain; KIX, kinase interacting domain). This is done based on unguided, fully atomistic, explicit-water molecular dynamics simulations with an aggregated simulation time of >30 μs and on the computation of the free energy that defines the landscape. We find that, while the landscape of pKID before binding is considerably shallower than the one for a protein that autonomously folds, it becomes progressively more funneled as the binding of pKID with KIX proceeds. This explains why pKID is disordered in a free state, and the binding of pKID with KIX is a prerequisite for pKID’s folding. In addition, we observe that the key event in completing the pKID–KIX coupled folding and binding is the directed self-assembly where pKID is docked upon the KIX surface to maximize the surface electrostatic complementarity, which, in turn, require pKID to adopt the correct folded structure. This key process shows up as the free energy barrier in the pKID landscape separating the intermediate nonspecific complex state and the specific complex state. The present work not only provides a detailed molecular picture of the coupled folding and binding of pKID but also expands the funneled landscape perspective to intrinsically disordered proteins., We show that the free energy landscape constructed from first-principles for pKID−KIX system addresses fundamental questions on the coupled folding and binding of an intrinsically disordered protein.

The study sought to investigate the role played by language in the academic performance of science students at a high school in the Free State province, South Africa who are taught through a langua...

In order to study the influence of water injections into a coal body on coalbed methane (CBM) recovery following hydraulic fracturing, experiments have been done in which water is injected into coa...

Belief in the benefits of industrial protection had long been a cornerstone of nationalist ideology. Cumann na nGaedheal followed a policy of selective protection while Fianna Fáil was ideologically committed not just to import-substituting industrialisation but to as high a degree of self-sufficiency as possible. The Departments of Finance and Industry and Commerce differed sharply on the costs and benefits of trade restrictions. This article explores the perspective of the Department of Finance and in particular that of J. J. McElligott, Assistant Secretary from 1923 and Secretary of the Department from 1927 to 1953. It demonstrates the strong continuity between his position and that of T. K. Whitaker, who became Secretary in 1956 and whose 1958 report on Economic Development is widely credited with providing the intellectual foundation for the trade liberalisation process of the following decades.

This article explores how universities can contribute to the economy of the area within which they are situated, focusing on the University of the Free State QwaQwa campus. This topic was investigated by analysing the local economy within which the QwaQwa campus is located, a spatial analysis of the campus itself, and interviews with local business owners. First, the article demonstrates how an analysis of the local economy could assist in aligning the university offerings with the dynamics of the local area. It specifically argues for a focus on agricultural and wider commerce-related course offerings. Secondly, an argument is made for leasing or developing the vacant land on campus for non-university-related functions such as middle-income housing or a low- to medium-fee private school. The purpose of such an initiative would be to cross-subsidize the development costs of expanding and improving the QwaQwa campus. Thirdly, through interviews with local business owners, various arguments are made for how the university could better engage with local businesses. These ranged from providing training, disseminating research, increased procurement, and making space for local businesses on campus. Through these arguments, a narrative shows that part of being an engaged university is being aware of, and responding to the needs of the economy within which a campus is located.

The study aimed to introduce biogas as an alternative source of energy for rural cattle farmers in the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality in the Free State Province, South Africa. To augment the rural farming community’s adoption of the biodigester technology the following initiatives were undertaken: (i) a situational analysis (or diagnostic survey); (ii) training on biogas production in an integrated crop-livestock-bioenergy system; (iii) installation of the biodigesters; and (iv) monitoring and evaluation of the biogas production. Results on the diagnostic survey showed that the main source of energy for cooking was wood in all the farms and availability of water was not a constraint. Prefabricated biodigesters of 6m3 -12m3 were installed in all the households and, after continual feeding of the units with cattle dung, the production of biogas increased gradually. Monitoring of biogas production showed that, in two-thirds of the households, 80% of their cooking needs were met in summer, while in winter biogas production was minimal due to extremely cold weather. Challenges faced included non-adherence to a feeding regime – resulting in a blockage of the biodigester – and lack of feeding. Generally, farmers in the study area showed a high appreciation of the biodigester technology.

South Africa is a unique country with a melting pot of miscellaneous cultures. Many of these cultures have been preserved and displayed in the form of cultural villages. To sustain these cultural v...

This review is a comprehensive compilation of the ethnobotany of the Basotho (residing both in Lesotho and the Free State Province of South Africa) in its entirety. It includes all the known traditional uses ranging from food, through clothing, crafts, and textiles, to medicine and magic and is based on an extensive literature survey of both published and unpublished data from books, journals, dissertations, theses, available online databases, as well as past experiences of the authors. A total of 712 species is utilised for various purposes, comprising 22 pteridophytes and 690 flowering plants (509 dicotyledons, and 181 monocotyledons). The Asteraceae, with 115 species is the most commonly used family, followed by Poaceae (61) and Fabaceae (50). The largest number of plants (437 species) are utilised for all kinds of medical conditions (in both animals and humans) ranging from a simple cold to more complex ailments such as cancer and diabetes. There are 193 plant species utilised as food including staple food, vegetables, fruits, and beverages. Several species have functional uses such as thatching, clothing, textiles, building, cosmetics, crafts, fuel, musical instruments, and other cultural applications. 197 species are used for magic, mostly as a variety of charms, for example love charms, good luck charms, and protective charms.

Trapdoor spiders (Araneae: Mygalomorphae), scorpions (Scorpiones) and camel spiders (Solifugae) were collected by pitfall trapping from an undisturbed grassland area within the Free State National ...

Sexuality education has become a core component in advancing the ideals of social justice and inclusivity within schooling environments. Its implementation has, however, been met with resistance as its sensitive nature often leads to conflicting messages, especially in relation to the myriad cultures and ambiguity thereof when placed against the contrasting values characteristic of multicultural South Africa. This article speaks to my experiences as a gay male teacher within the context of teaching at primary and secondary schools in the Free State province. I draw on the challenges and barriers I experienced, especially as a new teacher, and reflect critically on how this influenced my growth as an educator in the following years. Primarily, my approach and pedagogy were positioned within silence and uncritical reflection as to how my teachings can align with the ideals of social justice and inclusivity. Framed through a cybernetic perspective, I investigate how my pedagogy has adapted and transformed toward a less reactive approach and in turn aligned more actively with these ideals. This study is a self-reflective narrative that accounts for my experiences within different systems and how my presence influenced the systemic dynamics of the schools in which I taught.

Introduction. To accomplish the task of area development a new creative approach, that is urban development connected with the dramatic improvement of the quality of urban development environment, is proposed. In the context of this approach, the study of the experience and practice of area development strategic planning using the example of the Free State of Bavaria as a German region with significant scientific potential and economic strength is of great interest. The purpose of area development strategic planning is the achievement of such a situation when the welfare of the people living in the area increases. Today, in the context of spatial development imbalances, violation of territorial integrity, environmental pollution and other challenges, the development of new cities is an exceptional practice. Materials and methods. The methodological framework of the research is a new conceptual approach to the city planning environment, that is urban development. The methods of the research are: familiarization with relevant regulatory documents of the Federal Republic of Germany and system analysis of urban planning documentation for the accomplishment of the tasks of strategic planning of area development. Results. The specifics of the area planning in Germany including specifics of area comprehensive development (types, purposes, objectives and the content of urban regulatory documents) has been revealed. The analysis of the strategic planning of area development in Bavaria performed in terms of urban development principles shows that the emphasis in the development is on the historical value of settlements. Special attention is paid to the redevelopment of industrial and transport zones. Elements of Smart City are employed in the area management. Conclusions. The experience of strategic planning of area development using the example of the Free State of Bavaria can be helpful for practice of regulating the process of area development in Russia.

This paper aims to deepen our understanding of the social and historic dimension of the Wesleyan Mission Station, Plaatberg, located in the Free State province of South Africa. It argues that the f...

Organic compounds with bright solid-state emission are emerging as versatile materials in many fields. However, traditional fluorescent dyes generally show high-emissive fluorescence in solution but faint or quenched emission in the solid state. Therefore, it remains a great challenge to develop bright solid-state emissive materials based on traditional fluorescent dyes. Herein, we report several solid-state emissive meso-substituted BODIPYs (PhMe3-BODIPY, PhMe-BODIPY, Ph-BODIPY and Me-BODIPY) obtained by using a simple two-step synthesis. Interestingly, these BODIPYs exhibit bright dual-state emission (DSE) with green fluorescence (512–520 nm, fluorescence quantum yield ΦF is up to 85%) in THF and solid-state red emission (601–632 nm, ΦF is up to 32.2%) in the crystalline state. The highly emissive fluorescence in the crystalline state is demonstrated to be due to the formation of J-aggregation. More importantly, the single crystals of the meso-aryl-substituted BODIPYs exhibit an unusual high-contrast mechanochromic property, which displays remarkable fluorescence color changes from red to yellow upon gentle grinding due to the transition from single crystals to microcrystals. Furthermore, strong grinding completely destroys the J-aggregation and leads to the transformation from microcrystals to a free state, hence the fluorescence color becomes green after strong grinding.

Fluorine is most electronegative element, never occurs in free state due to its high reactivity. In most of the places of the world drinking water from underground sources is invariably contaminated with fluoride. The concentration of fluoride according to the WHO standard allowed upper limit is 1.5 ppm whereas as per Indian standard, the allowed upper limit is 1.0 mg/litre. Fluoride ion gets contaminated in drinking water due to weathering of the soil and rocks and the groundwater sources of granite belt of Bagalkot district, contain much higher concentration of fluoride (up to 6 or 7 ppm). In this survey it is found that the concentration of fluoride even at 1.34 ppm has caused tooth decay with the permanent brown scales on the teeth.