Thesis (M.Sc. Agric. (Crop Science)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / The study aims to provide insights into the nature and extent of development funding provided to various poverty eradication projects by the National Development Agency (NDA) and its subsequent impact on reducing poverty in the predominantly rural communities of the Makhuduthamaga Municipality in the Limpopo Province. It examines in detail the impact made by the NDA on community development through the disbursement of funds to poverty eradication projects. It also provides insights into the total number of the NDA-funded projects and the total proportion of the NDA-funds allocated to them in the Makhuduthamaga Municipality. The study further examines the nature of the NDA support regarding the design of the interventions, relevance, participation of communities, delivery modalities and sustainability. The effectiveness of the NDA-funded projects in community development is determined using employment opportunities created, income generated, skills transferred, assets accumulated, sustainability mechanisms and community empowerment indicators. Although all of these indicators are found to be tightly linked to the NDA’s mandate of poverty eradication, the extent to which the NDA has achieved its objectives in disbursing development funding earmarked for poverty eradication and strengthening of CSOs was yet to be determined, hence the relevance of this study. The study, therefore, highlights key issues regarding the types of employment opportunities created and levels of income emanating from the NDA-funded projects. The study further highlights various areas of community empowerment, financial and sustainability measures put in place for the sustainability of the NDA-funded projects. Using a combined method of research, that is the qualitative and quantitative case study approach, the study highlights in detail insights into the impact made by the NDA on community development, particularly on Makhuduthamaga Municipality. The study highlights that while the NDA made some strides in the creation of employment opportunities, income generation, food security and community empowerment, both financial and institutional sustainability proved to be a daunting challenge for the NDA-funded projects Tailor-made and accredited training interventions coupled with the introduction of market-driven products to the NDA-funded projects as opposed to heavy reliance on donor funding will go a long way in bringing about productivity and, most probably, positive balance sheets and the maximum impact on the NDA funded projects.

With the discovery and development of CRISPR, the technology that might allow us to modify the human germline is at our fingertips, and, consequently, serious practical and ethical consideration is warranted. In the following paper, I examine the ethics of using CRISPR in this way and argue that modifying the human germline for the purpose of preventing serious genetic disease is, in principle, ethically acceptable and ought to be allowed. I present several arguments to this effect including arguments that rely on the principles of beneficence and autonomy. I also examine the larger societal implications of human germline modification. I then respond to six of the most prominent objections that have been raised against CRISPR and germline gene modification before concluding with a brief discussion of the biggest challenge that we face as we move forward with CRISPR, that of limiting the use of this promising and incredibly versatile technology.

Most species of filamentous cyanobacteria are capable of gliding motility, likely via a conserved type IV pilus-like system that may also secrete a motility-associated polysaccharide. In a subset of these organisms, motility is only achieved after the transient differentiation of hormogonia, specialized filaments that enter a non-growth state dedicated to motility. Despite the fundamental importance of hormogonia to the life cycle of many filamentous cyanobacteria, the molecular regulation of hormogonium development is largely undefined. To systematically identify genes essential for hormogonium development and motility in the model heterocyst-forming, filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme, a forward genetic screen was employed. The gene identified using this screen, designated ogtA, encodes a putative O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT). Deletion of ogtA abolished motility while ectopic expression of ogtA induced hormogonium development even under hormogonium repressing conditions. Transcription of ogtA is rapidly up-regulated (1 h) following hormogonium induction and an OgtA-GFPuv fusion protein localized to the cytoplasm. In developing hormogonia, accumulation of pilA transcript in the wild-type and ΔogtA strain, while a reporter construct consisting of the intergenic region 5' to pilA fused to gfp produced lower levels of fluorescence in the ΔogtA strain than the wild type. Production of hormogonium polysaccharide in the ΔogtA strain was reduced compared to the wild type, but comparable to that of a pilA-deletion strain. Collectively, these results imply that O-GlcNAc protein modification regulates the accumulation of PilA via a post-transcriptional mechanism in developing hormogonia.

No description available.

No description available.