With a changing global climate, plant pathologists must understand the impact aberrant weather events may have on the development of plant diseases. Fungal plant infections are largely dependent on temperature and precipitation, climate parameters that are predicted to change more in this century. Venturia inaequalis causes apple scab, one of the most destructive apple diseases of temperate growing regions. Temperature and precipitation drive apple scab infections and forecast models, which guide growers in efficient, effective fungicide applications. In some recent years in the Northeast, these models have failed to accurately predict when ascospores of this fungus are available to cause primary infections, prompting more fungicide intensive management. Identifying cause(s) of model failures will restore confidence in them, enabling growers to reduce fungicide use. As technology becomes an increasingly important component of on farm decision-making, so does educating new farmers and agricultural students in the benefits of Integrated Pest Management and challenges associated with models early on in their college educational experience. This research attempts to identify reasons for ascospore maturity model failures, determine to what degree critical ascospore maturity parameters have changed and create a tool that educators may use to engage undergraduate students in the complexities of Integrated Pest Management research and modern farming. It will more specifically do the following: 1) Dry periods will be analyzed to determine if frequency and duration are increasing, causing the fungus to mature over a longer period of time than models currently estimate. 2) Degree-days during fall and winter will be examined to estimate what effect a warming climate may have on ascospore and tree development, and ultimately apple scab occurrence. The research will use lab and field observations to track the development of V. inaequalis ascospores, the source of primary apple scab infections. These observations will be compared to infection events and spore maturation forecasts from models currently used by apple growers in the Northeast. 3) A case study developed for publication in American Phytopathological Societies’ Plant Health Instructor will provide early career college students with an introduction to forecasting models, Integrated Pest Management and the challenges associated with climate variability.

The high composition of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet is associated with cognitive well-being, especially in the elderly population. The phytonutrients are shown to have effects as antioxidants that neutralize oxidative stressors and can interact with molecular pathways to signal neuron survival. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a dynamic lifelong process of generating functional newborn neurons in the granular layer of the dentate gyrus from adult precursor cells. This process contributes to brain plasticity and plays a role in learning and memory. External stimuli such as environmental enrichment and physical activity are known to positively regulate this process. However, the role of nutrition and whether nutritional compounds have pro-neurogenic effects on adult hippocampal precursor cells are still elusive. In this study, I investigated the impact of dietary compounds in apples, a significant source of phytonutrients in our food, on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. I demonstrated that quercetin, the most abundant polyphenol in apple, induces cell cycle exit and differentiation of adult hippocampal precursor cells in monolayer culture. Furthermore, this compound also increases the number of surviving cells upon differentiation in vitro, through the activation of endogenous antioxidants in the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway and the prosurvival Akt pathway. Quercetin supplementation in vivo is also shown to significantly increase the number of surviving cells and new neurons in the dentate gyrus. To search for other potential active compounds in apple, I performed bioassay-guided fractionation whereby the flesh extract from apples of the Pinova cultivar was subjected to liquid- and solid phase separation and the active fraction was determined using primary neurosphere assays using cells derived from adult mouse dentate gyrus. Using mass spectometry, we revealed that the active compounds in the apple flesh extract are dihydroxybenzoate glycosides, which are non-flavonoid benzoic acid derivatives. I also confirmed that the isomers of these compounds; 2,3- and 3,5 dihydroxybenzoic acids significantly increase the number of neurospheres. Interestingly, 3,5 dihdroxybenzoic acid is an agonist of lactate receptor hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 1 (HCAR1), with an even higher affinity than lactate. This receptor is suggested to mediate neurotrophic actions such as increasing production and release of BDNF. I also demonstrated for the first time that this receptor is presence in adult hippocampal precursor cells. To observe whether customary fruits or fruit-related products consumption affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis, I performed an experiment giving apple juice supplementation ad libitum to mice. I did not find a significant increase in net neurogenesis or the performance in the Morris water maze after apple juice supplementation. This is likely due to the low concentration of active compounds in apple juice failing to reach an effective concentration in the body. I conclude that apples provide potential proneurogenic compounds that can influence adult hippocampal neurogenesis through the activation of endogenous antioxidant mechanisms and molecular pathways for cell survival. Further studies are necessary to investigate the role of HCAR1 activation on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which is a potential new mechanism to explain the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption. / Eine Ernährung die täglich reich an Obst und Gemüse ist, hat insbesondere bei älteren Menschen einen positiven Einfluss auf kognitive Fähigkeiten. Pflanzeninhaltsstoffe wirken als natürliche Antioxidantien, indem sie oxidative Stressoren neutralisieren. Weiterhin beeinflussen pflanzliche Nährstoffe molekulare Signalwege welche beim Überleben von Neuronen eine Rolle spielen. Die adulte hippocampale Neurogenese ist ein dynamischer, lebenslanger Prozess, bei dem aus Vorläuferzellen funktionelle neue Neuronen in der Körnerzellschicht des Gyrus dentatus gebildet werden. Dieser Prozess trägt zur Plastizität des Gehirns bei und spielt eine bedeutende Rolle beim Lernen und für das Gedächtnis. Externe Stimuli wie zum Beispiel eine reizreiche Umgebung und körperliche Aktivität wirken als positive Regulatoren und begünstigen die adulte hippocampale Neurogenese. Welche Rolle die Ernährung dabei spielt und ob Nahrungsbestandteile einen proneurogenen Effekt auf adulte hippocampale Vorläuferzellen haben ist kaum bekannt. In diesem Projekt habe ich den Effekt von Nahrungsbestandteilen aus Äpfeln, welche eine bedeutende Quelle von pflanzlichen Nährstoffen in unserer Ernährung darstellen, auf die adulte hippocampale Neurogenese untersucht. Ich habe gezeigt, dass Querzetin, das am reichlichsten in Äpfeln enthaltende Polyphenol, in der Monolayer-Zellkultur den Austritt aus dem Zellzyklus induziert und die Differenzierung von adulten hippocampalen Vorläuferzellen fördert. Des Weiteren steigert Querzetin nach der Differenzierung in vitro die Anzahl an überlebenden Zellen. Dies geschieht durch die Aktivierung von endogenen Antioxidantien des Nrf2-Keap1-Signalweges und des für das Überleben von Zellen förderlichen Akt-Signalweges. Die Verabreichung von Querzetin in vivo als Nahrungsergänzungsmittel führte ebenfalls zu einem signifikanten Anstieg der Anzahl an überlebenden Zellen und neu gebildeten Nervenzellen im Gyrus dentatus. Um weitere potentiell aktive Wirkstoffe von Äpfeln zu bestimmen, habe ich eine Bioassay-ausgerichtete Fraktionierung durchgeführt, wobei der Fruchtfleischextrakt von Äpfeln der Sorte Pinova einer Fest-/ Flüssig-Separation unterzogen wurde. Die aktive Fraktion wurde anhand der primären Neurosphäre-Assay-Methode mit Zellen aus dem Gyrus dentatus adulter Mäuse ermittelt. Mittels spektrometrischer Analyse habe ich gezeigt, dass die aktiven Wirkstoffe im Fruchtfleischextrakt von Äpfeln zur Gruppe der Dihydroxybenzol-Glykosiden gehören, welche den nicht-flavonoiden Benzoesäure-Derivaten zuzuordnen sind. Im in vitro Neurosphäre-Assay habe ich zudem gezeigt, dass die Isomere dieser Wirkstoffe, die 2,3- und die 3,5-Dihydroxybenzoesäuren, die Anzahl der Neurosphären signifikant erhöhen. Interessanterweise ist die 3,5-Dihydroxybenzoesäure ein Agonist des Laktatrezeptors Hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 1 (HCAR1) und weist sogar eine noch höhere Affinität als Laktat auf. Es wird suggeriert, dass dieser Rezeptor neurotrophische Wirkungen vermittelt, wie zum Beispiel eine erhöhte Produktion von BDNF und dessen Ausschüttung. Zudem habe ich das Vorkommen dieses Reporters erstmalig bei adulten hippocampalen Vorläuferzellen nachgewiesen. Um zu untersuchen, ob der Konsum handelsüblicher Obstprodukte die adulte hippocampale Neurogenese beeinflusst, habe ich Mäusen Apfelsaft ad libitum verabreicht. Nach der Gabe von Apfelsaft sah ich keinen signifikanten Anstieg der Gesamtneurogenese und keine Verbesserung der Leistungsfähigkeit im Morris-Wasserlabyrinth-Test. Dies ist bedingt durch eine zu geringe Konzentration der aktiven Wirkstoffe im Apfelsaft wodurch die wirksame Konzentration im Körper nicht erreicht wird. Ich schlussfolgere, dass in Äpfeln potentielle pro-neurogene Inhaltsstoffe enthalten sind, welche die adulte hippocampale Neurogenese beeinflussen. Dies wird insbesondere durch die Aktivierung endogener antioxidativer Mechanismen und molekularer Signalwege vermittelt, die für das Überleben von Zellen von Bedeutung sind. Weitere Studien sind nötig, um zu bestimmen wie sich die Aktivierung von HCAR1 auf die adulte hippocampale Neurogenese auswirkt. Dies stellt einen potentiellen neuen Wirkmechanismus dar, welcher die gesundheitlichen Vorteile von Obst- und Gemüsekonsum belegt.

Thesis (MScAgric (Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) (Pseudococcidae), is one of the common and serious pests of apples and pears in South Africa. The management of this pest in South Africa is dominated by the use of insecticides, while research into using natural enemies for biological control of mealybugs is still ongoing. Increasing concern over the environmental impact, pesticide residues in fruits, resistance, and expense associated with frequent use of insecticides make it necessary to investigate alternative biological control methods, such as the use of entomopathogenic nematodes, for the control of mealybugs. Entomopathogenic nematodes have proven comparable or even superior to chemicals in controlling certain insect pests, without residue problems or a harmful effect on the environment. An important aspect of using endemic nematodes includes the identification of species of nematodes and their symbiotic bacterial cells. A study was carried out to describe a new species of Steinernema, which was recovered during a previous survey in citrus orchards in three provinces of South Africa. Morphometrics, morphology, crossbreeding, drawings, light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) photographs were used to describe the new species. A cryopreservation method has been simplified and optimised for the long-term storage of Steinernema khoisanae (SF87) and Heterorhabditis zealandica (J34). Different cryoprotectants used included 15% glycerol, 8% ethylene glycol and 8% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in which S. khoisanae was incubated at room temperature for periods of two, three, four and five days, followed by a methanol wash. An optimum survival rate of 69% was obtained for S. khoisanae after a four-day incubation period in 15% glycerol. This technique has been used for the cryopreservation of H. zealandica, with a 78% survival rate. The thawed nematodes of both species were able to infect Galleria mellonella larvae after 42 days of cryopreservation (-196ºC) and were able to complete their life cycles. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ligrooswitluis, Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) (Pseudococcidae), is een van die algemene en ernstige peste van appels en pere in Suid-Afrika. Die bestuur van hierdie pes word tans in Suid-Afrika deur die gebruik van insekdoders gedomineer terwyl navorsing oor die gebruik van natuurlike vyande vir die beheer van P. viburni nog aan die gang is. Die verhoogde kommer oor die omgewing, residue in vrugte, weerstand, en die koste verbonde aan die gereelde gebruik van chemiese middels maak dit nodig om alternatiewe biologiese metodes van beheer, soos die gebruik van entomopatogeniese nematodes vir die beheer van witluis, te ondersoek. In ander lande is reeds aangetoon dat entomopatogeniese nematodes onder sekere omstandighede en vir sekere insekte gelykwaardige of selfs beter beheer kan gee as chemiese middels. ʼn Belangrike aspek van die gebruik van endemiese nematodes vir die beheer van insekte sluit die korrekte identifikasie van die spesies met hul geassosieerde bakteriese simbionte in. ʼn Nuwe spesie van Steinernema is uit ʼn vorige opname van entomopatogeniese nematodes in sitrusboorde in drie provinsies van Suid-Afrika geïsoleer. Morfometrie, morfologie, kruisteling, ligmikroskoop en SEM fotografie is gebruik om ʼn nuwe spesies te beskryf. ʼn Kriopreserveringsmetode is ontwikkel en ge-optimaliseer vir die langtermyn bewaring van Steinernema khoisanae (SF87) en Heterorhabditis zealandica (J34). Verskillende kriobeskermingsmiddels insluitend 15% gliserol, 8% dimetiel sulfokied (DMSO) en 8% etileen glikol, waarin S. khoisanae vir periodes van twee, drie, vier, en vyf dae geïnkubeer is, is teen kamertemperatuur, getoets, gevolg deur ʼn metanolbad. Optimum oorlewing van 69% is verkry vir S. khoisanae nadat die infektiewe larwes (IJ) vir vier dae in 15% gliserol gehou is. Hierdie tegniek is ook toegepas op H. zealandica, met 78% oorlewing van die IJ. Die ontvriesde nematodes van beide spesies was in staat om Galleria mellonella larwes suksesvol te infekteer en hulle lewensiklus te voltooi nadat hulle vir 45 dae onder kriopreservering gehou is teen -196ºC.

Thesis (MScConEcol (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Insect pollinators play an important role in producing crops in global agriculture. Pollinatordependent crops contribute to maintaining a healthy variety in the human diet and often have a high market value, beneficial for local or regional economies. Insect crop pollinators can either be from natural areas adjacent to orchards, or they can be brought into orchards by beekeepers that manage them. Pollination by wild pollinators is an ecosystem service, while managed pollinators (mostly honeybees) is a humanly managed service, considered not to be related to the ecosystem. Ecosystem services and their economic value have often been used as an incentive for conservation, although it is sometimes difficult to characterise and quantify them. Wild and managed pollinators have been reported to be threatened in several regions around the world, and there is concern about the effect a pollination deficit may have on crop production. Different crops and cultivars have different levels of dependence on insect pollination due to a combination of biological, physical and management factors. In this study, the pollination dependence of the Granny Smith apple cultivar and the respective contributions of wild and managed pollinators are investigated in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Granny Smith apples show a significant increase in production with insect pollination (wild and managed). Managed honeybees are more abundant in orchards than wild honeybees, and also provide a better pollination service. This difference between the pollination service of wild and managed honeybees are specifically noted in the quality, where managed honeybees pollination result in significantly more seeds per fruit and consequently produce a better shaped apple. The study goes further by quantifying the ecosystem services to the managed honeybee industry through a questionnaire completed by beekeepers. It was found that 49% of the managed hives in the Western Cape rely to some extent on natural vegetation as a forage source. Furthermore 18% of honey produced is also from natural vegetation and the wild honeybee population replenish managed honeybee stocks if they become depleted. Although managed honeybees are not usually considered an ecosystem service, it is clear that they are still linked to the ecosystem via these pathways. It is thus obvious that all pollination sources are linked to the environment, not just wild pollinators. A further economic valuation of the ecosystem service studied, and to the argument for conservation of pollinators and the resources they depend on. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Insek bestuiwing speel ‘n belangrike rol in die produksie van gewasse in landbou wêreldwyd. Gewasse wat bestuiwing-afhanklik is, dra by tot ‘n gesonde verskeidenheid in die mens se dieët en hul hoë mark waarde is voordelig vir plaaslike en streeks ekonomieë. Insek bestuiwers kan of van natuurlike areas langs boorde afkomstig wees, of bestuurde bestuiwers kan deur byeboere in boorde ingebring word. Bestuiwing deur wilde bestuiwers is ‘n ekosisteem diens, maar die byeboere verskaf ‘n bestuurde diens, wat nie altyd gereken word om aan die ekosisteem verwant te wees nie. Ekosisteem dienste en hul ekonomiese waarde word gereeld gebruik as insentief vir bewaring, alhoewel dit soms moeilik is om dit te karaktariseer en te kwantifiseer. In sekere streke wêreldwyd is dit bewys dat wilde, asook bestuurde bestuiwers, bedreig is en daar heers bekommernis dat ‘n tekort aan bestuiwers gewas produksie negatief sal beïnvloed. Verskillende gewasse en kultivars het verskillende vlakke van bestuiwing-afhanklikheid as gevolg van verskillende biologiese en fisiese faktore en bestuurspraktyke. In hierdie studie is die bestuiwings-afhanklikheid van die Granny Smith appel kultivar ondersoek, asook die bydrae van wilde en bestuurde heuningbye in die Wes-Kaap provinsie van Suid Afrika. Granny Smith appels toon ‘n betekenisvolle produksie verbetering met insek bestuiwing (wilde en bestuurde bye). Daar is ‘n groter hoeveelheid bestuurde bye in ‘n boord as wilde bye, en hulle verskaf ook dus ‘n beter bestuiwingsdiens. Die voordeel van bestuurde bye bo wilde bye word veral in vrug kwaliteit opgemerk. As bestuurde bye gebruik word, is daar betekenisvol meer sade per vrug en gevolglik het die appels ook ‘n beter vorm. Verder fokus die studie ook op die kwantifisering van ekosisteem dienste wat aan die bestuurde heuningby industrie verskaf word, deur inligting van byeboere te gebruik. Daar is bevind dat 49% van die kolonies bestuurde bye in die Wes- Kaap is tot ‘n mate afhanklik van natuurlike plantegroei vir voedsel. Verder is 18% van die geproduseerde heuning ook afkomstig van natuurlike plantegroei se nektar en byeboere vang wilde kolonies om uitgestorwe bestuurde kolonies te vervang. Dit is dus duidelik dat alle bestuiwings bronne gekoppel is aan die omgewing, nie slegs wilde bestuiwers nie. ‘n Verdere ekonomiese waardasie van die onderskeie ekosisteem dienste wat bestudeer is, voeg motivering by tot die bewaring van bestuiwers en die hulpbronne waarvan hulle afhanklik is.

The public concern over synthetic pesticides in foods and the environment has created an interest to find effective and safe non-fungicide means of controlling postharvest pathogens. The overall objective of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of potassium silicate, yeast antagonists and hot water dip treatment to control postharvest grey mould and blue mould of pome fruits, caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum, respectively. Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum were isolated from infected strawberry and pear fruits, respectively. These isolates were found to be non-resistant to YieldPlus® (Anchor yeast, Cape Town, South Africa), a biofungicide containing a yeast Cryptococcus albidus. A total of 100 epiphytic yeast isolates were obtained from the fruit surface of “Golden Delicious” apples and “Packham’s Triumph” pears, and screened against B. cinerea and P. expansum. Fifteen yeast isolates reduced grey mould incidence by > 50%, when applied four hours before inoculation with B. cinerea. Similarly, seven yeast isolates reduced blue mould incidence by > 50%, when applied four hours before inoculation with P. expansum. YieldPlus® and yeast Isolate YP25 provided the best control of B. cinerea, while Isolate YP60 and YieldPlus® provided the best control of P. expansum on “Golden Delicious” apples. A mixture of YP25 and YP60 provided complete control of both B. cinerea and P. expansum, when applied to “Golden Delicious” apples before inoculation with either B. cinerea or P. expansum. Electron microscopy studies showed that yeast Isolates YP25 and YP60 inhibited the mycelial growth of B. cinerea and P. expansum, respectively. Preventative and curative application of potassium silicate resulted in reduced incidence of B. cinerea or P. expansum of “Golden Delicious” apples. Electron microscopy studies indicated that potassium silicate inhibited the growth of B. cinerea and P. expansum. Furthermore, treatment of “Golden Delicious” apples with either potassium chloride or potassium hydroxide resulted in reduced incidence of both B. cinerea and P. expansum. In vivo tests showed that the disease incidence of P. expansum and B. cinerea on “Golden Delicious” apples was reduced by hot water dip treatments at 58-60°C for 60 to 120 seconds, compared with the control fruit treated with sterile distilled water, without causing skin damage. The use of potassium silicate, yeasts (Isolates YP25 and YP60), YieldPlus® and the antagonists mixture (YP25+YP60) in combination, resulted in the control of B. cinerea and P. expansum of “Golden Delicious” apples compared with Imazalil® treated fruit. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

This research provides an analytical reading of five southern African war novels, in a transnational study of the experience of war as represented by the novels' authors. In order to situate the texts within a transnational tradition of writing about modern warfare, I draw on Paul Fussell's work on the fictional writings of the Second World War in combination with Tobey Herzog's work on the writings of America's war in Vietnam. Through a reading of Sousa Jamba's Patriots and Mark Behr's The Smell of Apples. I illustrate that while these and other southern African war texts can be situated within a transnational tradition of writing about modern warfare, they also extend the tradition by adding new and previously silenced voices. I then turn to a focus on specific experiences of southern African anti-colonial war as represented in Pepetela's Mayombe and Mark Behr's The Smell of Apples. These texts are read in light of Franz Fanon's extensive writings on the nature of colonial violence and with a focus on the role of the victim and perpetrator in violent resistance to colonial oppression. Following this, and keeping with my examination of the experience of war in southern Africa, I read Pepetela's Mayombe. Sousa Jamba's Patriots and Chenjerai Hove's Bones with a view to highlighting their writing of women in times of war. Using the work of Florence Stratton, this section exposes the great difficulties faced by women in times of war as a result of war's complicity in the maintenance of patriarchal societal structures. Finally, I read Chenjerai Hove's Bones and Mia Couto's Under the Frangipani as post-war texts so as to highlight the authors' use of organic images to imagine post-war futures that are not tainted by the experience of war. In examining this topic, I aim to suggest that all of the texts studied show war to be a continuum that results in failed societies. I therefore read the texts as active interventions that seek to break the destructive cycle of the region's wars in the hope of better and constructive futures. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This dissertation analyses the violence of patriarchal culture as it is staged in three twentieth century texts: the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981), the South African novelist Mark Behr's The Smell of Apples (1993) and the American film Night of the Hunter (1954) directed by Charles Laughton. Each of these works focuses on the induction of the boy child into culture and the trauma attendant on this process of accession. The thesis is that if culture is violent then it must follow that damage is done to the developing subject in the process of its construction by the cultural forces that shape masculinity. The theoretical grounding of the analysis is derived from two main sources: Jacques Derrida's account of the violence of culture in Of Grammatology (1976) and the analysis of patriarchy and the Oedipal development of the boy child into manhood found in the work of Freud and Lacan. Derrida is used for his thinking on the inherently violent nature of culture and the way in which cultural discourse is structured through binary dualisms. The three chosen works all critique and dismantle binarist thinking as a move towards imagining a less destructive discursive order. The Oedipal narrative, as a myth which describes and explains the forces shaping the male child in the process of acculturation, exemplifies and illustrates cultural violence: As expounded by Freud and Lacan, the Oedipal myth is one which underpins all three of the chosen works. Derrida, Freud and Lacan have been very usefully mediated by several cultural critics and therefore extensive use is made of commentaries by Kaja Silverman, Frank Krutnik and Madan Sarup. Slavoj Zizek's interpretations of Lacan have also yielded much that is interesting about the nature of the Law of the Father and consequently reference is made to his ideas, principally in Chapter Four.This dissertation analyses the violence of patriarchal culture as it is staged in three twentieth century texts: the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981), the South African novelist Mark Behr's The Smell of Apples (1993) and the American film Night of the Hunter (1954) directed by Charles Laughton. Each of these works focuses on the induction of the boy child into culture and the trauma attendant on this process of accession. The thesis is that if culture is violent then it must follow that damage is done to the developing subject in the process of its construction by the cultural forces that shape masculinity. The theoretical grounding of the analysis is derived from two main sources: Jacques Derrida's account of the violence of culture in Of Grammatology (1976) and the analysis of patriarchy and the Oedipal development of the boy child into manhood found in the work of Freud and Lacan. Derrida is used for his thinking on the inherently violent nature of culture and the way in which cultural discourse is structured through binary dualisms. The three chosen works all critique and dismantle binarist thinking as a move towards imagining a less destructive discursive order. The Oedipal narrative, as a myth which describes and explains the forces shaping the male child in the process of acculturation, exemplifies and illustrates cultural violence: As expounded by Freud and Lacan, the Oedipal myth is one which underpins all three of the chosen works. Derrida, Freud and Lacan have been very usefully mediated by several cultural critics and therefore extensive use is made of commentaries by Kaja Silverman, Frank Krutnik and Madan Sarup. Slavoj Zizek's interpretations of Lacan have also yielded much that is interesting about the nature of the Law of the Father and consequently reference is made to his ideas, principally in Chapter Four. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Socially responsible writing has been a feature of South African literature for many years. Under apartheid, many novels dealt with apartheid, as it was one of the main features of our social landscape. The end of apartheid did not however bring about the end of a need for socially responsible writing. South Africa is still faced with many problems, one of which is reconciliation. This thesis investigates whether reconciliation may have become a new theme in South African novels, and whether these novels could playa role in assisting the process of reconciliation in the country. For this purpose, three South African works are analysed, namely Country of My Skull by Antjie Krog, Smell of Apples by Mark Behr and Disgrace by J .M. Coetzee. The introduction attempts to explain the psychological discourse surrounding reconciliation, especially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and parallels that may exists. The main body presents detailed readings of the three works, with the focus being on the presentation of reconciliation in the works, and the role that the individual works could play in assisting the reader in coming to terms with his or her feelings of guilt. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vir baie jare was apartheid die onderwerp van baie Suid Afrikaanse skrywers aangesien dit die mees problematiese element van Suid Afrikaanse samelewing was. Die einde van apartheid het egter nie die einde van alle probleme beteken nie. Een van die belangrike probleme is versoening. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die moontlikheid dat versoening die nuwe tema in Suid Afrikaanse letterkunde geword het en ofhierdie werke 'n bydrae kan lewer tot werklike versoening. Vir hierdie doel word drie werke behandel, naamlik Country of My Skull deur Antjie Krog, Smell of Apples deur Mark Behr en Disgrace deur J .M. Coetzee. Die inleiding poog om die sielkundige diskoers om versoening te verduidelik, veral rondom posttraumatiese stres, en die ooreenkomste wat mag voorkom. Die hoofdeel van die tesis bestaan uit 'n diepgaande bespreking van die drie werke, met die fokus op versoening in die werk, maar ook die rol wat die werke kan speel om die leser deur sy ofhaar skuld gevoelens te help.

Thesis (MA (English))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis explores masculinity and sexuality, hegemonic and “deviant” in the nation state of the old apartheid South Africa, by addressing aspects of fatherhood, boyhood and motherhood in white, predominantly Afrikaans family narratives. In doing this, I explore the ways in which the young boys in texts such as The Smell of Apples (1995), by Mark Behr, and moffie (2006), by André Carl van der Merwe, are systematically groomed to become the ideal stereotype of masculinity at the time: rugged, intelligent, successful and heterosexual. The main focus of this thesis is to explore the ideologies inherent in constructing the white, Afrikaner man, his woman and their family. This will be done with specific reference to the time frame between the early 1970s to the fall of the apartheid regime in the early 1990s, focussing on the young white boys who are sent to do military training and oftentimes, a stint on the border between Angola and the then South-West Africa, in order to keep the so-called threat of communism at bay. I explore what happens when this white-centred patriarchal hegemony is broken down, threatened or resisted when “deviance” in the form of homosexuality occurs. A second focus of this thesis is that of “deviance” in the army. I analyse “deviance” in three novels, moffie (2006) by André Carl van der Merwe, The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs (1991) by Damon Galgut and Kings of the Water (2009) by Mark Behr. These novels foreground “deviance” and I make use of them in exploring the punishment, or “consequences” of being homosexual or “deviant” in the highly masculine environs of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) army. I also examine the muted yet, I argue, resistant voices of female characters in these novels. This thesis concludes by briefly noting the aftermath of this war, the after-effects of a white, hegemonic, conservative ruling party at the helm of a divided, war-faring country on its soldiers, who are now middle-aged men. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek manlikheid en seksualiteit, hegemonie en “afwykings” in die staat van ou apartheid Suid-Afrika deur te verwys na aspekte van vaderskap, seunwees en moederskap in blanke, oorwegend Afrikaanse gesinsvertellings. Eerstens sal daar ondersoek ingestel word na die wyses waarop jong seuns in tekste soos The Smell of Apples (1995) deur Mark Behr en moffie (2006) deur André Carl van der Merwe stelselmatig gekweek word tot die ideale stereotipe van manlikheid in die era: ongetem, intelligent, suksesvol en heteroseksueel. Die hoofklem van hierdie tesis is om die denkwyses onderliggend aan die konstruksie van die blanke Afrikaner man, sy vrou en hulle gesin, te verken. Dit sal bewerkstellig word deur na die tydperk vanaf die vroeë 1970s tot en met die ondergang van die apartheidsbewind in die vroeë 1990s te verwys, met spesifieke klem op jeugdige blanke seuns wat gestuur is vir militêre opleiding en dikwels ook diensplig aan die grens tussen Angola en destydse Suid-Wes Afrika om die oënskynlike kommunistiese aanslag af te weer. Daar word verken wat plaasvind wanneer hierdie blank-gesentreerde, patriargale oorwig afgebreek, bedreig of teengestaan word deur “afwykings” soos die voorkoms van homoseksualiteit. ‘n Tweede fokuspunt van hierdie tesis is die “afwykings” in die weermag. Die volgende drie “afwykingsromans” word ontleed: moffie (2006), The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs (1991) deur Damon Galgut en Kings of the Water (2009) deur Mark Behr. Hierdie romans ondervang die idee van “afwykings” en word gebruik in die ondersoek na die straf of gevolge van homoseksueel of “afwykend” wees in die uitsluitlik manlike omgewing geskep deur die SANW-opleiding. Daar word ook ondersoek ingestel na die stilgemaakte; dog, soos aangetoon word, versettende stemme van vroulike karakters in die romans. Hierdie tesis sluit af deur vlugtig te verwys na die nasleep van die oorlog en die gevolge van ’n blanke, heersende, konserwatiewe party aan die stuur van ’n verdeelde, oorlogvoerende land op sy soldate wat tans middeljarige mans is.

Thesis (MSc (Horticulture))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / A growing number of fruit producers in warm areas are adopting the use of overtree evaporative cooling (EC) as a technique to reduce sunburn and enhance colour development of red or blushed fruit. Because fruit do not have efficient mechanisms of utilising and/or dissipating solar radiation, fruit surface temperature may rise 10 – 15oC higher than the ambient air temperature, making them very susceptible to sunburn. Sunburn negatively affects the appearance of the fruit, and they cannot be sold for fresh market consumption, which receives the highest prices. Evaporative cooling uses a sprinkler system to cool the trees from above. Energy needed to evaporate the water is extracted from the fruit skin, cooling the fruit down. The air around the trees is cooled, and a more favorable microclimate is created in the orchard. Producers have also found that the use of EC just prior to sundown and sometimes around sunrise has improved colour development on red apples (especially early varieties) before harvest. In this study, two apple (‘Cripps’ Pink’ and ‘Royal Gala’) and two pear (‘Rosemarie’ and ‘Forelle’) cultivars under EC were compared with control fruit in terms of maturity, colour, sunburn and concentrations of polyphenolics in the skin. Two EC treatments were given; early application starting from the second week in December, and late application starting two to four weeks before harvest. Photosynthetic responses were measured, as well as fruit and leaf temperatures. Underlying physiological responses of trees and fruit to EC were investigated, particularly the phenomenon of acclimation and the potential for colour development and heat stress. Fruit surface temperature of fruit under EC was found to be significantly lower than control fruit. In both apple cultivars a significant increase in fruit skin anthocyanin concentration and a decrease in phenolic content was found as the season progressed. In both pear cultivars there was a significant decrease in both anthocyanin and phenolic. No significant differences were found in anthocyanin content between treatments in either the apple or pear cultivars. In both apple cultivars a higher phenolic content was found in the peel of the EC treatments. A decrease of up to four percent in leaf and fruit surface temperature was found under EC. No significant difference in trunk circumference was found in any of the cultivars. The late EC treatment in ‘Cripps’ Pink’ had a significantly faster rate of budbreak than the control and early EC treatments. Significantly higher transpiration was observed in leaves under EC. ‘Royal Gala’ fruit under EC had less sunburn than control fruit. Unfortunately the system broke down on a hot day, causing more sunburn on ‘Cripps’ Pink’ fruit under EC. Heat tolerance of apple fruit grown under EC was evaluated in ‘Cripps’ Pink’ and ‘Royal Gala’ by determining the maximum quantum yield of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm). Measurements were also made 12 hours after the heat treatments to determine recovery. ‘Cripps’ Pink’ fruit from both EC treatments, but particularly the early EC treatment, were less resistant to heat stress than control (non-EC) fruit at the “threshold” air temperature of 45°C. Apples were able to recover from heat treatments in the range of 32-38oC fruit surface temperature, and generally also recovered fully after 43-45°C fruit surface temperature when exposure did not exceed four hours. This knowledge could be helpful in the management of sunburn, for example when determining the threshold temperature for the activation of evaporative cooling treatments. Knowledge about the various effects evaporative cooling and the subsequent lowering of ambient temperatures has on fruit trees and fruit could contribute greatly to producers’ ability to grow high quality fruit. EC can be used successfully for controlling sunburn and increasing fruit colour, but the system needs to be controlled very carefully and care should be taken that it does not fail on a hot day, as it did during this study.