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Astro-Tourism involves ‘using the natural resource of unpolluted night skies, and appropriate scientific knowledge for astronomical, cultural and environmental activities’. Astro-Tourism further includes specialised activities that differ from mass tourism, as tourists are exposed to knowledge-rich experiences. Well-known examples of Astro-Tourism destinations include Bryce Canyon National Park and Death Valley in the United States of America (USA). The Free State Gambling, Liquor and Tourism Authority (FSGLA) is the marketing arm of the Free State province and is responsible for attracting potential tourists to the province and solidifying the Free State as a destination of choice. Astro-Tourism has been identified as an opportunity to grow tourism in Bloemfontein and the Free State. This study found that Astro-Tourism is a niche product, and that the facilities currently on offer in Bloemfontein are in excellent condition and can potentially be further exposed to a broader audience through dedicated marketing initiatives and events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale oil exists in organic-rich shale formations and exhibits tremendous potential for exploration and development. Shale oil exists in various occurrence states, oil phase predominantly exists in the free states within the pores of inorganic minerals and organic matter, and in the dissolved states within the condensation polymers of organic matter. Accurate delineation of the oil volume in various occurrence states is significant for the detailed reserve evaluation of shale oil reservoir. At present, the shale oil reserve is mainly evaluated on the basis of experimental tests, such as pore size analysis, vacuum-imbibition method, rock pyrolysis method or chloroform asphalt “A” method. However, due to the limitation of testing principles and conditions, these methods can not accurately characterize the volume of shale oil in different occurrence states. Based on the analysis of shale reservoir characteristics and fluid occurrence states, a theoretical model was established to calculate the volume of shale oil in various occurrence states. The model can accurately calculate the free-phase oil volumes in shale inorganic pores and organic pores, the dissolved-phase oil volume within organic matter, and total oil volume. Furthermore, it can determine the unconventional physical parameters of shale inorganic minerals and organic matter. The results show that the total organic carbon content primarily affects the volume of free-state oil in organic pores and dissolved-state oil, while the solubility of organic matter mainly impacts the volume of dissolved-state oil. The total porosity is chiefly influenced by inorganic porosity, the oil volume in inorganic pores is higher for shale rock with greater porosity, which is favorable for elastic recovery. The research results provide a theoretical basis for reservoir characterization and accurate reserve evaluation of shale oil reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pleistocene climate variability is often seen as a major cause of much of the evidence observed in the archaeological and palaeontological record of Africa. While continent-wide climate systems play an important role when testing pan-African human evolutionary processes, a more focused perspective centred on specific ecosystems at a regional level allows a detailed assessment of the different spatiotemporal scales of the proxies used to reconstruct past environments and the ways humans adapted to their change over time. Recent research in the arid interior of South Africa has provided insights into the availability of freshwater in the open landscape, which is a fundamental factor for human survival and the spatiotemporal distribution of which may have had a major influence on adaptive strategies. This article reviews the Pleistocene archaeological and environmental evidence of the Free State province of South Africa, which has produced major localities such as Cornelia-Uitzoek, Florisbad and Rose Cottage Cave, with the aim of providing a starting point for the discussion over freshwater availability with regard to southern Africa's Grassland Biome. Particular emphasis is given to the description of multi-proxy approaches including the analysis of sediments, faunal remains, enamel stable isotopes, pollens and phytoliths and absolute dating based on trapped-charge methods. The picture that emerges highlights the paucity of Pleistocene datasets in the Free State and the necessity to expand research at open-air sites and improve the chronological resolution of human occupations and palaeoenvironmental proxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a criterion to establish the local continuity of the relative entropy of resource, i.e. the relative entropy distance to the set of free states, in any quantum resource theory. Several basic corollaries of this criterion are presented. Applications to the relative entropy of entanglement in multipartite quantum systems are considered. It is shown, in particular, that local continuity of any relative entropy of multipartite entanglement follows from local continuity of the quantum mutual information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2022 marks one hundred years since the foundation of the Irish State, and thus an appropriate time in which to reflect on how educational policy has shaped the nation over the course of a century. This article examines one hundred years of education policy through an equality lens, asking how the concept of educational equality has been understood, fostered and mediated. Framing policy implementation across three defined periods, 1922–1959, 1960–1980 and 1981–2022, it argues that with the exception of a brief window which occurred during the 1960s, education policy has not been underpinned by rigorous policy formation based on considerations of social justice.1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Prohistoria is the property of Prohistoria Ediciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Louedale is the only open-air Middle Stone Age site iii the Free State dated to early Marine Isotope Stage 4. Framing the chronology of this context, especially by taking into account diagenetic processes that may N.(fect nge results, is thus fundamental to understand modern human dynamics in the interior of South Africa. In a recent study, we inuestigated the effect of diagenesis on teeth samples collected for Ucombined electron spin resonance and uranium-series dating at the site. By combining different characterisation niethods, it was shown that the wrimium (U) content of enamel varied in the specimens, and carbonthat it was positively correlated with the degree of crystallinity of carbonate hydroxyapatite, whereby larger amounts of U are associated with highly crystalline enaniet. The large variability in U content was in contrast witli thefact that teethwerefound in the same depositional context. High levels of U in some of the samples limit the accu ract/Of age determiltations, Since seueral 1111-Jertainties remain regarding U uptake and teaching, which both affect dose rate modelling. In stick complex cases, calculating minimum nges is the most cautious option. New samples were collected at the site during the excavation canipitign in 21)11. Enamel was analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with cathodoluminescence iii order to determine its degree Of atomic order and the presence of foreign ions (especially U), and the correlation between the two. We discuss here the contribution of U-uptake modellingon the age calculation, and present new ESR ages calculated assumpassuming an early uptake of U, ranging from 84 + 9 ka to 56 + 5 ka. Together with previous ages obtained on the gravel layer, a weighted inean age of 64 kn can be used as a minimum age estimate for thebase of the seque 11Ce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Modder River basin has been the focus of extensive surveys followed by targeted excauations of specific erosional gullies (known Locally as dongas), where Middle and Later Stone Age artefacts mid fossils are abundant. At Damulei, a donga located on the left bank of the Modder, lithic artefacts and fossils were observed iii the 19906. Here, we present the results of two seasons of fieldwork (2019/21) at this locality, as well as unpublislied surface fautial remains collected iii 1995/96. Damulei formed as a result of overbank deposition of tlie Modder River, as indicated by micromorphological analysis. Tlie accumulation of tlie sedimentary sequence beneath the artefact-bearing levels started at 27 +. 3 ka at the earliest, based on optically stimulated luminescence dating. Artefacts, fatinal reninins, and phytoliths show that the site is characterised by Holocene Later Stone Age technology in mi open-grassland elivironment typical of the terminal Florisian Land Mammal Age. Damplei expands our knowledge of the Later Stoile Age iii the westent Free State, and hightights the need for more extensive dating programmes nimed at framing human occupation iii the central interior of South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay considers Irish participation in schemes for empire settlement, and its place in broader visions for reconstruction based on wartime promises and pledges. With Southern Irish independence in 1922, Irish ex-servicemen were subsequently excluded from reconstructive activities as it concerned emigration, and this became a key advocacy point for Legion activity in Ireland. The history of Empire Settlement in the Free State reveals the tensions that existed between moral and financial interest set against a backdrop of progressive separation of Irish national destinies from the U.K. and its Empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of quantum resource theory (QRT) has emerged as an invaluable framework for the examination of small and strongly correlated quantum systems, surpassing the boundaries imposed by traditional statistical treatments. The fundamental objective of general QRTs is to characterize these systems by precisely quantifying the level of control attainable to an experimenter. In this review article, we refrain from providing an exhaustive summary of the extensive literature on QRT. Rather, our focus centers on a specific subliterature founded upon the theory of majorization. The primary aim is to augment our comprehension of genuine quantum phenomena manifested across diverse technological applications and incite investigations into novel resource theories encompassing multiple types of resources. Consequently, we emphasize the underlying similarities shared by various resources, including bipartite quantum entanglement, quantum coherence, and superposition, alongside informational, thermal, and generalized nonequilibrium resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTA number of recent articles have invoked the republican ideal of non-domination to justify either open borders, and/or the reduction of states’ discretionary powers to unilaterally determine immigration policy. In this paper, I show that such arguments are one-sided, as they fail to fully account for the deep ambiguity of the very ideal which they invoke. In fact, non-domination lends just as powerful support to maintaining state border controls as it does to dismantling them. There are only two exceptions to the rule. It is well established that promoting non-domination demands, one the one hand, that refugees be admitted, and second, that all migrants have a right to contest decisions concerning their own admission. But aside from these things, the policy implications of the ideal are unclear. In itself, therefore, it is insufficient to justify either open borders, or the reduction of states said discretionary powers. Such arguments will have to rely on other, additional moral criteria.

A number of recent articles have invoked the republican ideal of non-domination to justify either open borders, and/or the reduction of states' discretionary powers to unilaterally determine immigration policy. In this paper, I show that such arguments are one-sided, as they fail to fully account for the deep ambiguity of the very ideal which they invoke. In fact, non-domination lends just as powerful support to maintaining state border controls as it does to dismantling them. There are only two exceptions to the rule. It is well established that promoting non-domination demands, one the one hand, that refugees be admitted, and second, that all migrants have a right to contest decisions concerning their own admission. But aside from these things, the policy implications of the ideal are unclear. In itself, therefore, it is insufficient to justify either open borders, or the reduction of states said discretionary powers. Such arguments will have to rely on other, additional moral criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Public health sector service delivery challenges leading to poor population health outcomes have been observed in the Free State province of South Africa for the past decade. A multi-method situation appraisal of the different functional domains revealed serious health system deficiencies and operational defects, notably fragmentation of healthcare programmes and frontline services, as well as challenges related to governance, accountability and human resources for health. It was therefore necessary to develop a system-wide intervention to comprehensively address defects in the operation of the public health system and its major components. Methods This study describes the development of the ‘Health Systems Governance & Accountability’ (HSGA) intervention model by the Free State Department of Health (FSDoH) in collaboration with the community and other stakeholders following a participatory action approach. Documented information collected during routine management processes were reviewed for this paper. Starting in March 2013, the development of the HSGA intervention model and the concomitant application of Kaplan and Norton’s (1992) Balanced Scorecard performance measurement tool was informed by the World Health Organization’s (2007) conceptual framework for health system strengthening and reform comprised of six health system ‘building blocks.’ The multiple and overlapping processes and actions to develop the intervention are described according to the four steps in Kaplan et al.’s (2013) systems approach to health systems strengthening: (i) problem identification, (ii) description, (iii) alteration and (iv) implementation. Results The finalisation of the HSGA intervention model before end-2013 was a prelude to the development of the FSDoH’s Strategic Transformation Plan 2015–2030. The HSGA intervention model was used as a tool to implement and integrate the Plan’s programmes moving forward with a consistent focus on the six building blocks for health systems strengthening and the all-important linkages between them. Conclusion The model was developed to address fragmentation and improve public health service delivery by the provincial health department. In January 2016, the intervention model became an official departmental policy, meaning that it was approved for implementation, compliance, monitoring and reporting, and became the guiding framework for health systems strengthening and transform in the Free State.

The paper assesses the questions if and, if yes, how the republican conception of free statehood can and should inform a compelling understanding of a legitimate post-Westphalian political order. To answer these questions, it, first, reconstructs the foundational arguments of republican internationalists in favour of free states and, second, assesses the points of contention republican cosmopolitans raise. Third, it develops an alternative approach, a republicanism of plural polities: Based on a relational and multi-dimensional understanding of citizenship, the paper questions the strong internationalist reliance on the citizenship-state-nexus and on statehood in general, but also takes issue with cosmopolitans' neglect of the boundedness of democratic self-determination. A republicanism of plural polities as a multi-perspectival approach to democratic institution-building in and beyond the state is open to constellations of plural polities of different forms and on different political levels while simultaneously recognising the particularity of each 'free polity'. It thereby adds a new dimension to debates on the political forms legitimate institutions can assume under post-Westphalian conditions and opens avenues for research on inter-polity relations, on more complex constellations of self-rule and shared rule as well as of multilateral decision-making, on sovereignty and independence. The latter are exemplified by reference to the European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the COVID-19 outbreak emerged, SARS-CoV-2 has continuously evolved into variants with underlying mutations associated with increased transmissibility, potential escape from neutralizing antibodies, and disease severity. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in South Africa has been characterized by periods of infections with four major epidemic waves. To determine whether the variants driving the epidemic waves at the national level were also driving the epidemic waves at the local level, we performed analysis of a total of 1287 samples from qPCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals. The samples were subjected to viral RNA extraction, genomic amplification, and sequencing. Variant assignment of the viral sequences and mutation identification were conducted using PANGOLIN and SARS-CoV-2 genome annotator, respectively. Our analysis revealed that during the initial part of the first wave, B.1, B.1.1, B.1.1.53, B.1.1.448 and B.1.237 circulated in the Free State province, followed by Beta variant, B.1.351 later in the wave. Although most of the initially detected variants disappeared during the second wave, the Beta variant, B.1.351, persisted. Early in the third wave, the Beta variant, B.1.351, predominated but was replaced by the Delta sub-lineage, AY.45. The fourth wave was characterized by unique emergence of the Omicron sub-variant, BA.1. The data further indicates that SARS-CoV-2 variants driving the epidemic waves in the Free State at the local level correlated with the ones driving the epidemic waves at the national level. Findings from this study highlight the importance of continued genomic surveillance and monitoring of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants to inform public health efforts and ensure adequate control of the ongoing pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A construction constraint is a condition that impedes progress toward meeting construction project goals. This paper seeks to assess the constraint factors affecting project performance in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative research design, and a questionnaire was designed to retrieve data from the target populations. The target population were construction professionals within the South African construction industry. One hundred and eighty questionnaires were administered to construction professionals within the study area through the purposive quota sampling technique. Retrieved data were analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. In order to determine the data reliability and the interrelatedness of the variables, Cronbach's alpha test was carried out on each component. The results of the exploratory factor analysis show that stakeholders' inappropriate project scheduling and coordination factors, organisation and government policies factors, and organisation and government policies factors were the leading constraints affecting construction project performance in the South African construction industry. Due to time and distance constraints, this study was limited to construction professionals in South Africa's Free State province. The paper concluded that to reduce the construction constraints affecting construction project performance, construction professionals must improve their project scheduling, coordination, organisational policies, and managerial capacity. The paper's findings will assist stakeholders in identifying and overcoming construction constraints in construction projects' execution and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The factors contributing to probable postnatal depression (PND), a type of clinical depression that can affect woman after childbirth, are socially derived. Therefore, variations among groups of women necessitate studies in different communities. Aim: This study compared the prevalence of PND and associated factors among women attending postnatal services facilities. Setting: The study setting included Tshwane Municipal district in Gauteng province (GP) and Fezile Dabi District (FS) in Free State province (FSP), South Africa. Methods: A total of 477 mothers within 12 weeks of giving birth were recruited by convenient sampling in health facilities. A self-developed questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographics, obstetric history, and children’s characteristics. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to collect data on depression symptoms, with a score of ≥ 13 used as a cut-off for probable PND. Data were analysed using STATA 14. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine association between probable PND and various covariates. Results: The overall mean age of women was 28 ± 6 years. The overall prevalence rate of PND was 22%, slightly higher in FS (23%) than in GP (21%). Most participants living in GP were married, had tertiary education, were employed and from the households with income of more than R8000.00. A chi-square test showed that planned pregnancy was significantly higher in GP compared with FS (p ≤ 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that support from a partner or husband decreased the odds of a probable PND in GP (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] [95%CI: 0.14–0.96; p = 0.041] and in the FS [AOR = 0.14, 95%CI: 0.05–0.40; p ≤ 0.001]). Significant associations of probable PND with several factors – planned pregnancy, baby age, support in difficult times, partner or husband drinking alcohol and stressful events – were more common in the FSP than in the GP. Conclusion: The prevalence of probable PND and its associated risk factors in the GP and the FS indicates the need for routine screening and targeted interventions in both urban and rural settings. Contribution: The results confirm that the prevalence of PND is similar in both rural and urban areas, and that pregnancy planning remains a challenge in the FS, which calls for increased efforts to revive family planning programmes in primary health care facilities.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak emerged, SARS-CoV-2 has continuously evolved into variants with underlying mutations associated with increased transmissibility, potential escape from neutralizing antibodies, and disease severity. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in South Africa has been characterized by periods of infections with four major epidemic waves. To determine whether the variants driving the epidemic waves at the national level were also driving the epidemic waves at the local level, we performed analysis of a total of 1287 samples from qPCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals. The samples were subjected to viral RNA extraction, genomic amplification, and sequencing. Variant assignment of the viral sequences and mutation identification were conducted using PANGOLIN and SARS-CoV-2 genome annotator, respectively. Our analysis revealed that during the initial part of the first wave, B.1, B.1.1, B.1.1.53, B.1.1.448 and B.1.237 circulated in the Free State province, followed by Beta variant, B.1.351 later in the wave. Although most of the initially detected variants disappeared during the second wave, the Beta variant, B.1.351, persisted. Early in the third wave, the Beta variant, B.1.351, predominated but was replaced by the Delta sub-lineage, AY.45. The fourth wave was characterized by unique emergence of the Omicron sub-variant, BA.1. The data further indicates that SARS-CoV-2 variants driving the epidemic waves in the Free State at the local level correlated with the ones driving the epidemic waves at the national level. Findings from this study highlight the importance of continued genomic surveillance and monitoring of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants to inform public health efforts and ensure adequate control of the ongoing pandemic.

This article addresses the relationship between Brian O’Nolan’s writing and his career as a civil servant in the Irish Department of Local Government and Public Health. O’Nolan’s references to local government and the ambiguity of the law in Cruiskeen Lawn and The Third Policeman are placed in their proper historical context. By examining the contradictions of the Irish local government and local justice systems (from the pre-independence era to the Free State and successive administrations) a portrait emerges of O’Nolan as a writer of Irish biopolitics, who is concerned with the paradoxical relationship between national government and local organs of power. Biopolitical themes of legal and bureaucratic aporia are situated in the context of recent scholarly writing about the law, sovereignty, and the body in O’Nolan. The article also gives examples of historical episodes that were likely formative influences on his narrative style of political critique. From local issues such as land appropriation, to O’Nolan’s role as secretary to the tribunal of inquiry into a fire at St Joseph’s Orphanage in Cavan, a new image can be constructed of the author as a critic of Irish justice and a theorist of biopolitical concerns.

• Gut microbial colonisation in infants is a crucial, yet intricate, process, characterised by minimal diversity at birth that increases with age. • The infant gut virome is dominated by eukaryotic viruses, consisting primarily of human enteric viruses and non-human dietary viruses. • The infants' gut haboured high abundance of gastroenteritis-associated viruses, despite the absence of clinical symptoms. • The presence of plant viruses in the gut of infants who are not exposed to solid food could suggest vertical transmission from mother to infant, or possibly, contact between infant and other family members. The gut of healthy neonates is devoid of viruses at birth, but rapidly becomes colonised by normal viral commensals that aid in important physiological functions like metabolism but can, in some instances, result in gastrointestinal illnesses. However, little is known about how this colonisation begins, its variability and factors shaping the gut virome composition. Thus, understanding the development, assembly, and progression of enteric viral communities over time is key. To explore early-life virome development, metagenomic sequencing was employed in faecal samples collected longitudinally from a cohort of 17 infants during their first six months of life. The gut virome analysis revealed a diverse and dynamic viral community, formed by a richness of different viruses infecting humans, non-human mammals, bacteria, and plants. Eukaryotic viruses were detected as early as one week of life, increasing in abundance and diversity over time. Most of the viruses detected are commonly associated with gastroenteritis and include members of the Caliciviridae, Picornaviridae, Astroviridae, Adenoviridae , and Sedoreoviridae families. The most common co-occurrences involved asymptomatic norovirus-parechovirus, norovirus-sapovirus, sapovirus-parechovirus, observed in at least 40 % of the samples. Majority of the plant-derived viruses detected in the infants' gut were from the Virgaviridae family. This study demonstrates the first longitudinal characterisation of the gastrointestinal virome in infants, from birth up to 6 months of age, in sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, the findings from this study delineate the composition and variability of the healthy infants' gut virome over time, which is a significant step towards understanding the dynamics and biogeography of viral communities in the infant gut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines both the origins of the "free state" concept in U.S. history as well the little-known, brief period that Delaware was widely considered a "free state." Americans had long talked about "slaveholding" and "non-slaveholding" states—but it was not until the late 1810s and early 1820s that northerners began to use the words "free state." This change represented a rhetorical escalation from "non-slaveholding state" to a term with an even clearer moral valence. But it was not originally obvious to observers exactly which states should be included in the "free" cohort, and, for a time, white Delawareans were successful in convincing themselves and their fellow Americans that they should be counted amongst the northern free states. This article charts Delawareans' arguments in favor of their "free state" status, as well as, over time, their state's fall from grace into the "slave state" category. That it was only in the years after the Missouri Compromise that a nebulous group of non-slave states solidified into an identifiable core of "free" ones demonstrates that the development of the sectional divide in the pre-Civil War era was more gradual and more uncertain than previously thought. It reveals a process of negotiating a "free" identity on a state level that did not mirror reality on the ground. Finally, it uncovers the rhetorical process behind the large-scale erasure of enslaved African Americans' realities in the creation of the "Free North" myth along its borders, even when the evidence of their existence and their experiences would have been impossible for their white neighbors to ignore [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health sector service delivery challenges leading to poor population health outcomes have been observed in the Free State province of South Africa for the past decade. A multi-method situation appraisal of the different functional domains revealed serious health system deficiencies and operational defects, notably fragmentation of healthcare programmes and frontline services, as well as challenges related to governance, accountability and human resources for health. It was therefore necessary to develop a system-wide intervention to comprehensively address defects in the operation of the public health system and its major components.Methods: This study describes the development of the 'Health Systems Governance & Accountability' (HSGA) intervention model by the Free State Department of Health (FSDoH) in collaboration with the community and other stakeholders following a participatory action approach. Documented information collected during routine management processes were reviewed for this paper. Starting in March 2013, the development of the HSGA intervention model and the concomitant application of Kaplan and Norton's (1992) Balanced Scorecard performance measurement tool was informed by the World Health Organization's (2007) conceptual framework for health system strengthening and reform comprised of six health system 'building blocks.' The multiple and overlapping processes and actions to develop the intervention are described according to the four steps in Kaplan et al.'s (2013) systems approach to health systems strengthening: (i) problem identification, (ii) description, (iii) alteration and (iv) implementation.Results: The finalisation of the HSGA intervention model before end-2013 was a prelude to the development of the FSDoH's Strategic Transformation Plan 2015-2030. The HSGA intervention model was used as a tool to implement and integrate the Plan's programmes moving forward with a consistent focus on the six building blocks for health systems strengthening and the all-important linkages between them.Conclusion: The model was developed to address fragmentation and improve public health service delivery by the provincial health department. In January 2016, the intervention model became an official departmental policy, meaning that it was approved for implementation, compliance, monitoring and reporting, and became the guiding framework for health systems strengthening and transform in the Free State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 coal samples at adsorbate equilibrium pressures of 0.5 MPa, 0.84 MPa, 1.5 MPa and 2.5 MPa using a high-pressure adsorbate-injecting water-desorption device. The results show that the injected water can replace the adsorbed methane. The replacement ratio and quantity of adsorbed methane gradually increase with increasing quantities of injected water. Under the adsorbate equilibrium pressure of 2.5 MPa, the maximum displacement of the adsorbed methane is 11.88 mL/g when the moisture content of the coal is 10.03%. Under the adsorption equilibrium pressure of 0.84 MPa, the maximum replacement rate of the absorbed methane is 59.14% when the moisture content is 8.39%. The increase of the displacement and replacement rates shows that the adsorbed methane can be replaced by water, which further promotes improved CBM recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: understanding the epidemiological profile of a disease in a particular region allows for proper planning of public health resources for prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. In this present study, we describe the epidemiological profile of viral, fungal, tuberculous and bacterial meningitis among adults at National District Hospital (NDH), Free State province, over three years period (January 2017 to December 2019). Methods: a retrospective, observational study of all adult meningitis cases, managed at the National District Hospital (NDH) Bloemfontein, Free State Province, South Africa between January 2017 and December 2019. Results: of the 236 case files reviewed, majority (93.2%; n=220) of the patients managed for meningitis were black, as well as males (55.5%; n = 131). Higher incidence was found between the ages 20 to 49 (81.7%). Of those who died, the majority (n = 14; 63.6%) were males, in the age group 40-49 (n = 7; 31.8%), had TB meningitis (n = 12; 54.5%), were HIV positive (n = 20; 90.9%), and had cell count <100 cells/mm3 (n = 10; 45.5%). Conclusion: our study suggests that combining information on patient demography, co-morbidities, clinical presentation, and examination findings can substantially contribute to raising clinical suspicion, leading to swift identification, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The factors contributing to probable postnatal depression (PND), a type of clinical depression that can affect woman after childbirth, are socially derived. Therefore, variations among groups of women necessitate studies in different communities. Aim: This study compared the prevalence of PND and associated factors among women attending postnatal services facilities. Setting: The study setting included Tshwane Municipal district in Gauteng province (GP) and Fezile Dabi District (FS) in Free State province (FSP), South Africa. Methods: A total of 477 mothers within 12 weeks of giving birth were recruited by convenient sampling in health facilities. A self-developed questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographics, obstetric history, and children's characteristics. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to collect data on depression symptoms, with a score of ≥13 used as a cut-off for probable PND. Data were analysed using STATA 14. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine association between probable PND and various covariates. Results: The overall mean age of women was 28 ± 6 years. The overall prevalence rate of PND was 22%, slightly higher in FS (23%) than in GP (21%). Most participants living in GP were married, had tertiary education, were employed and from the households with income of more than R8000.00. A chi-square test showed that planned pregnancy was significantly higher in GP compared with FS (p &8805; 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that support from a partner or husband decreased the odds of a probable PND in GP (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] [95%CI: 0.14-0.96; p = 0.041] and in the FS [AOR = 0.14, 95%CI: 0.05-0.40; p ≥ 0.001]). Significant associations of probable PND with several factors - planned pregnancy, baby age, support in difficult times, partner or husband drinking alcohol and stressful events - were more common in the FSP than in the GP. Conclusion: The prevalence of probable PND and its associated risk factors in the GP and the FS indicates the need for routine screening and targeted interventions in both urban and rural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Since the advent of democracy, the South African government has been putting charters, policies, strategies and plans in place in an effort to strengthen public health system performance and enhance service delivery. However, public health programme performance and outcomes remained poor while the burden of disease increased. This was also the case in the Free State Province, where major public health system challenges occurred around 2012. Assessment was necessary in order to inform health system strengthening. Methods The study entailed a multi-method situation appraisal utilising information collated in 44 reports generated in 2013 through presentations by unit managers, subdistrict assessments by district clinical specialist teams, and group discussions with district managers, clinic supervisors, primary health care managers and chief executive and clinical officers of hospitals. These data were validated through community and provincial health indabas including non-governmental organisations, councils and academics, as well as unannounced facility visits involving discussions with a wide range of functionaries and patients. The reports were reviewed using the World Health Organization health system building blocks as a priori themes with subsequent identification of emerging subthemes. Data from the different methods employed were triangulated in a causal loop diagram showing the complex interactions between the components of an (in) effective health system. Results The major subthemes or challenges that emerged under each a priori theme included: firstly, under the ‘service delivery’ a priori theme, ‘fragmentation of health services’ (42 reports); secondly, under the ‘health workforce’ a priori theme, ‘staff shortages’ (39 reports); thirdly, under the ‘health financing’ a priori theme, ‘financial/cash-flow problems’ (39 reports); fourthly, under the ‘leadership and governance’ a priori theme, ‘risk to patient care’ (38 reports); fifthly, under the ‘medical products/technologies’ a priori theme, ‘dysfunctional communication technology’ (27 reports); and, sixthly, under the ‘information’ a priori theme, ‘poor information management’ (26 reports). Conclusion The major overall public health system challenges reported by stakeholders involved fragmentation of services, staff shortages and financial/cash-flow problems. In order to effect health systems strengthening there was particularly a need to improve integration and address human and financial deficiencies in this setting.

The article argues against a uniform analysis, based on new evidence from Noun Phrase Ellipsis. Specifically, I argue that the possessor in the Construct State merges in complement position of the possessum, whereas in the Free State, the possessor is an adjunct attached to a higher functional projection above the possessum.

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A construction constraint is a condition that impedes progress toward meeting construction project goals. This paper seeks to assess the constraint factors affecting project performance in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative research design, and a questionnaire was designed to retrieve data from the target populations. The target population were construction professionals within the South African construction industry. One hundred and eighty questionnaires were administered to construction professionals within the study area through the purposive quota sampling technique. Retrieved data were analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. In order to determine the data reliability and the interrelatedness of the variables, Cronbach’s alpha test was carried out on each component. The results of the exploratory factor analysis show that stakeholders’ inappropriate project scheduling and coordination factors, organisation and government policies factors, and organisation and government policies factors were the leading constraints affecting construction project performance in the South African construction industry. Due to time and distance constraints, this study was limited to construction professionals in South Africa’s Free State province. The paper concluded that to reduce the construction constraints affecting construction project performance, construction professionals must improve their project scheduling, coordination, organisational policies, and managerial capacity. The paper’s findings will assist stakeholders in identifying and overcoming construction constraints in construction projects’ execution and delivery.

Copyright of Natural Gas Industry is the property of Natural Gas Industry Journal Agency and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma (NC) is a rare tumour easily mistaken for a number of other tumours if a NUT immunohistochemical stain is not performed, and there is no high index of suspicion. This tumour is exceptionally aggressive, with only isolated survivors. Early identification and aggressive treatment are required. No research on NC has been conducted in South Africa and only one case has been reported from the rest of Africa. The incidence of this tumour in South Africa is, therefore, unknown. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of NC over a 12-year period and describe the demographic features of any patients identified. Setting: Department of Anatomical Pathology, University of the Free State and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Methods: In this retrospective study, all undifferentiated malignant tumours and tumours with evidence of squamous differentiation from the head, neck and thorax seen between 01 January 2005 and 31 December 2016 were included. Nuclear protein in testis immunohistochemical staining was performed on all specimens. The stain was regarded as positive if speckled nuclear staining was observed in more than 50% of the tumour cells. Results: In total, 498 cases were investigated, of which 424 (85.1%) belonged to male patients. The mean age of the patients was 58.6 years. Only one positive case, a 30-year-old woman with a lung mass and lymph node metastases, was identified. Conclusion: Our findings confirmed the rarity of NC. Additional research in other provinces and the private sector is recommended to provide a comprehensive patient profile of NC in South Africa.

One of the most critical tasks within the scope of Design for Manufacturing (DfM) is to define the set of Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) in the 3D model or in the engineering drawing that ensures the functionality and the interchangeability of parts, as well as the intended functional performance of an assembly. Several methodologies have been proposed for the optimal designation of such specifications; however, the majority of them do not effectively take into account the deformations that are inevitably induced during assembly and operation for the vast majority of mechanical components. Motivated by the widely accepted tolerancing practice for sheet metal parts in the automotive industry, where the distinction between free state and constrained state is considered, the paper investigates the influence of the deformations induced during assembly and operation on GPS. The effect of part stiffness in the resultant functional GPS of the assembly/component is explored, through CAD surfacing and non-linear numerical finite element analysis tools including the contact problem. The current stage of development of a novel, performance-based methodology for the GD&T design procedure is presented. The methodology is applied on a real-world mechanical assembly that is derived from tolerance stack up-related literature. This study illustrated is that for an unpredictably wide range of mechanical components the default, free-state GPS scheme should only be assigned after rigorous analysis of their compliance behaviour. The proposed approach will lead to deduce the correlation between production cost and performance through a further development in future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In connection with parametric rescaling of free dynamics of CCR, we introduce a flow on the set of covariance forms and investigate its thermodynamic behavior at low temperature with the conclusion that every free state approaches to a selected Fock state as a limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the advent of democracy, the South African government has been putting charters, policies, strategies and plans in place in an effort to strengthen public health system performance and enhance service delivery. However, public health programme performance and outcomes remained poor while the burden of disease increased. This was also the case in the Free State Province, where major public health system challenges occurred around 2012. Assessment was necessary in order to inform health system strengthening.Methods: The study entailed a multi-method situation appraisal utilising information collated in 44 reports generated in 2013 through presentations by unit managers, subdistrict assessments by district clinical specialist teams, and group discussions with district managers, clinic supervisors, primary health care managers and chief executive and clinical officers of hospitals. These data were validated through community and provincial health indabas including non-governmental organisations, councils and academics, as well as unannounced facility visits involving discussions with a wide range of functionaries and patients. The reports were reviewed using the World Health Organization health system building blocks as a priori themes with subsequent identification of emerging subthemes. Data from the different methods employed were triangulated in a causal loop diagram showing the complex interactions between the components of an (in) effective health system.Results: The major subthemes or challenges that emerged under each a priori theme included: firstly, under the 'service delivery' a priori theme, 'fragmentation of health services' (42 reports); secondly, under the 'health workforce' a priori theme, 'staff shortages' (39 reports); thirdly, under the 'health financing' a priori theme, 'financial/cash-flow problems' (39 reports); fourthly, under the 'leadership and governance' a priori theme, 'risk to patient care' (38 reports); fifthly, under the 'medical products/technologies' a priori theme, 'dysfunctional communication technology' (27 reports); and, sixthly, under the 'information' a priori theme, 'poor information management' (26 reports).Conclusion: The major overall public health system challenges reported by stakeholders involved fragmentation of services, staff shortages and financial/cash-flow problems. In order to effect health systems strengthening there was particularly a need to improve integration and address human and financial deficiencies in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma (NC) is a rare tumour easily mistaken for a number of other tumours if a NUT immunohistochemical stain is not performed, and there is no high index of suspicion. This tumour is exceptionally aggressive, with only isolated survivors. Early identification and aggressive treatment are required. No research on NC has been conducted in South Africa and only one case has been reported from the rest of Africa. The incidence of this tumour in South Africa is, therefore, unknown. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of NC over a 12-year period and describe the demographic features of any patients identified. Setting: Department of Anatomical Pathology, University of the Free State and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Methods: In this retrospective study, all undifferentiated malignant tumours and tumours with evidence of squamous differentiation from the head, neck and thorax seen between 01 January 2005 and 31 December 2016 were included. Nuclear protein in testis immunohistochemical staining was performed on all specimens. The stain was regarded as positive if speckled nuclear staining was observed in more than 50% of the tumour cells. Results: In total, 498 cases were investigated, of which 424 (85.1%) belonged to male patients. The mean age of the patients was 58.6 years. Only one positive case, a 30-year-old woman with a lung mass and lymph node metastases, was identified. Conclusion: Our findings confirmed the rarity of NC. Additional research in other provinces and the private sector is recommended to provide a comprehensive patient profile of NC in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome (MetSy) is a group of interrelated set of conditions that increases the risk of acquiring type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). MetSy has also been linked to increasing adverse obstetric outcomes and causing adult premature mortality. Pregnancy is often associated with excessive weight gain and oedema which also increases the waist circumference. In South Africa, routine screening for metabolic syndrome during antenatal visits is not done, hence the lack of estimates for this syndrome. Using a cross-sectional design, the study explored the prevalence of MetSy, as well as associated factors, in a sample of pregnant women who receive antenatal care at a tertiary hospital in the Free State Province of South Africa. Socio-demographic and clinical data of a sample of 350 pregnant women were collected, and metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of any three of the five risk factors. The prevalence of MetSy in this sample was 15.46% (n=60), and 42.27% of the sample had 1 risk factor and 38% had two risk factors, which indicates that 80% already have risk factors for MetSy. Sixty-five percent (80 % with risk factors - 25% on chronic treatment for DM,HT and dyslipidaemia) were newly diagnosed with risk factors for MetSy. The two common occurring components of the MetSy were hypertension (26.%) and elevated triglyceride (91.%), which suggests high body fat content. It is concluded that there is a high prevalence of undiagnosed MetSy in this sample. The screening tool enables the screening of pregnant women for metabolic syndrome in all trimesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilizer not only plays a major role in the profitability of the farmer’s business, but also represents an expensive farm input. The emerging farmer market segment is expanding and holds a great deal of potential for fertilizer companies to supply the growing need for fertilizer in this market. Almost all fertilizer marketing strategies of South African companies have been designed to cater for the commercial farming sector; however, if fertilizer suppliers want to focus on the emerging farmer market segment, they need to understand buying behavior of emerging farmers, as well as their needs when developing strategies to utilize opportunities in this developing market. This study aims to identify factors playing an important role in the buying behavior of emerging farmers in the Free State when purchasing fertilizer. The results show that service, brand, product, and learning or psychological factors highly influence emerging farmers’ fertilizer purchase decision. The study also finally draws recommendations and conclusions for managerial perusal.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum and Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans are cellulolytic clostridia either producing extracellular multienzymatic complexes termed cellulosomes or secreting free cellulases respectively. In the free state, the cellulase Cel9A secreted by L. phytofermentans is much more active on crystalline cellulose than any cellulosomal family‐9 enzyme produced by R. cellulolyticum. Nevertheless, the incorporation of Cel9A in vitro in hybrid cellulosomes was formerly shown to generate artificial complexes with altered activity, whereas its incorporation in vivo in native R. cellulolyticum cellulosomes resulted in a strain displaying a weakened cellulolytic phenotype. In this study, we investigated why Cel9A is so potent in the free state but functions poorly as a cellulosomal component, in contrast to the most similar enzyme synthesized by R. cellulolyticum, Cel9G, weakly active in the free state but whose activity on crystalline cellulose is drastically increased in cellulosomes. We show that the removal of the C‐terminal moiety of Cel9A encompassing the two X2 modules and the family‐3b carbohydrate binding module (CBM3b), reduces its activity on crystalline cellulose. Grafting a dockerin module further diminishes the activity, but this truncated cellulosomal form of Cel9A displays important synergies in hybrid cellulosomes with the pivotal family‐48 cellulosomal enzyme of R. cellulolyticum. The exact inverse approach was applied to the cellulosomal Cel9G. Grafting the two X2 modules and the CBM3b of Cel9A to Cel9G strongly increases its activity on crystalline cellulose, to reach Cel9A activity levels. Altogether these data emphasize the specific features required to generate an efficient free or cellulosomal family‐9 cellulase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A method for detecting free and bound AGEs and 4-MI was established using HPLC-MS/MS. • The contents of free and bound CML and CEL were measured in model systems and cookies. • The effects of temperatures on the content of free, bound CEL, CEL and 4-MI were studied. A qualitative and quantitative method for detecting free and protein-bound advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) was established using isotope dilution-HPLC-MS/MS, and successfully applied in cookies and model systems. The effects of different temperatures (160–220 °C) on the formation of free and protein-bound AGEs and 4-MI in cookies were discussed, and the possible model systems (Maillard reaction pathway 1 using wheat gluten protein + glucose + sucrose; direct addition pathway 1 using wheat gluten protein + CML/CEL/4-MI) of protein-bound AGEs and 4-MI were verified. The results showed that the contents of protein-bound CML, CEL, and 4-MI were higher than free content with a tendency of increasing first and subsequently decreasing with temperature, reaching a maximum at 200 °C in cookies. In the model systems, the levels of protein-bound CML, CEL, and 4-MI are higher than those of free CML, CEL, and 4-MI. The protein-bound CML, CEL, and 4-MI accounted for 90.73, 87.64, and 97.56% of the total amount in the model system 1, while accounting for 68.19, 59.00, and 50.96% in the model system 2, respectively. In comparison, protein-bound CML, CEL, and 4-MI could be easily generated directly by Maillard reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]