The objective in this paper is to review the technology stations program at Tshwane University of Technology. The technology stations are a product of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) policy objectives. The DST’s policy is aimed at strengthening and expanding mutually beneficial links between universities of technology and small, medium-sized and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The analysis disclosed the contribution of the technology stations to technology transfer in the SMME economy of the electronics and chemicals sub-sectors.

The workplace of today is characterized by global competition, cultural diversity, technological and management processes that require people to think critically, solve problems and communicate effectively. This requires a well founded Further Education and Training system. The researchers have indicated that the provision of vocational training under apartheid, that is, prior to 1994, was characterized by unequal access to learning opportunities based on the vestiges of legal, financial and other distinctions between formerly advantaged and disadvantaged institutions (Department of Education 2001, 9). The National Department of Education decided to merge the above institutions in attempt to remove the aforementioned vestiges. Education systems do not, however, just change because there is a change in the government, but the existing structures and vested interests, material constraints and the interplay of competing ideologies do warrant changes in education systems (McGregor and McGregor 1992, 17). At the same time, education transformation goes hand in glove with political transformation as a result of the shift in the balance of political power (African National Congress 1994, 3). However, education is a fundamental process, which can be expected to reflect the values, principles and practices of a new democratic dispensation at all levels and in all sectors (Nkoe 2002, 129). The article purports to investigate the perceptions of stakeholders on the merging of the Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in bringing about transformation of the South African FET sector. The reform of the FET colleges, which resulted in the formation of the new FET institutional landscape, is seen as a means to address and fulfil the aspirations of the democratic society as set in the preambles of the new legislation, namely, the Further Education and Training Act 98 of 1998, the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998, the South African Qualification Authority Act 57 of 1995 and the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. In order to achieve this, the legislation will be examined and the perceptions of the FET colleges' stakeholders will be explored to help achieve this objective.

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The System xc- antiporter is plasma membrane transporter that mediates the exchange of extracellular L-cystine with intracellular L-glutamate. This exchange is significant within the context of the CNS because the import of L-cystine is required for the synthesis of the antioxidant glutathione, while the efflux of L-glutamate has the potential to contribute to either excitatory signaling or excitotoxic pathology. Changes in the activity of the transport system have been suggested to contribute to the underlying pathological mechanisms of a variety of CNS disorders, one of the most prominent of which is it highly enriched expression glial brain tumors. In an effort to produce more potent System xc- blocker, we have been using amino-3-carboxy-5-methylisoxazole propionic acid (ACPA) as a scaffold for inhibitor development. We previously demonstrated that the addition of lipophilic aryl groups to either the #4 or #5 position on the isoxazole ring markedly increased the inhibitory activity at System xc-. In the present work a novel series of analogues has been prepared in which aryl groups have been introduced at both the #4 and #5 positions. In contrast to the competitive action of the mono-substituted analogues, kinetic analyses indicate that the di-substituted isoxazoles block System XC--mediated uptake of 3H-L-glutamate into SNB-19 activity by a noncompetitive mechanism. These new analogues appear to be the first noncompetitive inhibitors identified for this transport system, as well as being among the most potent blockers identified to date. These diaryl-isoxazoles should be of value in assessing the physiological roles and molecular structure of System xc-.

The doctrine of affinity deserves to be recognised by historians of chemistry as the foundational basis of the discipline of chemistry as it was practiced in Britain during the 18th century. It attained this status through its crucial structural role in the pedagogy of the discipline. The importance of pedagogy and training in the practice of science is currently being reassessed by a number of historians, and my research contributes to this historiographical endeavour. My analysis of the variety of theories sheltered under the umbrella term ‘affinity theory’ has emphasised the role of pedagogy in influencing both the structure and the content of knowledge. I have shown that there were wide ranging discrepancies between many of the components of individual affinity theories. Nevertheless, the scope of divergence was limited. This underlying organisation resulted from the unifying hub of affinity theory, the logical common ground. This was the essence of the doctrine of affinity, encompassing the law of affinity and the conceptualisation of the table that brought together the relations described in the law. The doctrine of affinity thus provided a disciplinary common ground between chemists, providing a mediating level of understanding and communication for all those who subscribed to the doctrine of affinity, in spite of their detailed differences.

The development of multidrug resistance in tumor cells has been recognized as a major obstacle to successful cancer treatment. Tumor cells in vitro and in vivo can develop multidrug resistance (MDR) to the lethal effects of a variety of cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancerous tumor cells. The over expression of multiple drug resistance gene 1 has been correlated with the expression of multi drug resistance protein 1(MDR1, also known as P-glycoprotein or P-gp). MDR1's role in altering uptake, distribution and bioavailability is considered a significant factor when examining drugs for clinical administration, and represents a viable drug target for the reversal of MDR. MDR1 is driven by ATP hydrolysis and as such it shares both sequence and structural homology with proteins that are energy-dependent efflux transporters driven by ATP hydrolysis, making MDR1 a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) super family. Because, MDR1 transports substrates that are often toxic xenobiotics, MDR1 is thought to fulfill a cellular detoxification function. As such it is expressed in several tissues in the body such as the liver, pancreas, kidney, colon, intestinal mucosa, and in the blood brain barrier. Due to its presences in a wide variety of cells it has been suggested that MDR1 is involved in protection of the organism as a whole. Consequently, the overproduction of MDR1 is seen in cancer cells. MDR1 has been shown to transport a wide variety of lipophilic agents, of importance, MDR1 effluxes chemotherapeutics agents out of the cell resulting in a low and ineffective intracellular drug concentration. Thus, the over production of MDR1 in cancer cells can then be thought of as a protective factor for cancer cells, and as an effect causes MDR cancer cells. Therefore, understanding MDR1âs function is important for controlling the bioavailability of drugs and for improving anticancer chemotherapy. Reversal of multidrug resistance is of interest, and MDR reversing agents have been under intensive investigation. The 4-Isoxazolyl-1, 4-Dihydropyridines (IDHPâs) have been shown to exhibit inhibition of MDR1. A novel series of IDHP compounds have been prepared and found to inhibit MDR1. The synthesis, MDR1 assay results, and relevant controls will be discussed. If successful, halting the function of MDR1 will stop the outward efflux of chemotherapeutic agents. In combination with chemotherapeutic treatments IDHP agents could allow for greater effectiveness of pharmaceutical intervention. This research would give an option in the treatment of cancer that would normally never exist for MDR cancer patients, and would allow for far more effective treatment via pharmaceutical means.

Genomic DNA is organized around the double-stranded of B-form DNA, which is both durable and flexible enough to store and pass on genetic information. Once freed from the associations of an extended complimentary sequence, single stranded DNA and RNA can adopt a vast array of stable secondary structure motifs, such as stem-loop, pseudo-knots, and tetra-loops, ideal for its involvement in biological settings other than as a store of genetic information. Originally, alkylating agents were used as "mustard gas" and related chemical weapons in World War I. Alkylating agents, in general, can react with one or two different 7-N-guanine residues and could potentially result in the cross-linkage of DNA strands, preventing uncoiling of the DNA double helix leading to cell death. More recent evidence show that guanine-rich nucleic acids can fold into distinctive four-stranded conformers found in telomeric DNA repeats (i.e. TTAGGG), also known as G-quadruplexes (G4), as well as in sequences in the promoter and other regulatory regions of genes, especially those involved in cellular proliferation. Small molecules that induce the formation of, and selectively bind to, G4 structures are of interest for development as potential anticancer therapeutics. Novel 10-oxoanthracene and substituted anthracenyl isoxazole esters (AIEs) were synthesized and characterized based on NMR studies. To date, quarfloxin is the only G-quadruplex ligand from the large number developed to progress to clinical evaluation. The synthesis, structural characterization, and biological studies will be presented.

As a promising new target for chemotherapy G-quadruplexes (G4) have drawn great interest from the scientific community. Current chemotherapeutic agents exhibit broad toxicity to patients; G4 has the potential to be selectively targeted by novel chemotherapeutic agents that exhibit toxicity specific towards cancer cells. Anthracenyl isoxazolyl amides (AIMs) have shown potent anti-tumor activity and have evidence to support them as G4 binding molecules. Studies of the AIMs unique mechanism of action require an efficient synthesis of target molecules. For our system, methods traditionally used to synthesize isoxazoles were inefficient and gave poor yields. A critical comparison of methods to prepare sterically hindered 3-aryl isoxazoles containing fused aromatic rings using the nitrile oxide cycloaddition (NOC) revealed that modification of the method of Bode, Hachisu, Matsuura and Suzuki (BHMS), was far superior to that of the enamine method. Utilization of either triethyl amine as a base or sodium enolates of diketone, ketoester and ketoamide dipolarophiles gave much higher yields as well as fewer by-products from the NOC. Here-in is reported the improved synthesis of 3-aryl-isoxazoles via an adaption of the BHMS method. Included in this report is the crystallographic data for Ethyl 3-(10'-bromo-9'-anthracenyl)-5-methyl-4-isoxazolcarboxylate. As seen in the crystal structure of the chapter 2 title compound the isoxazole plane is nearly orthogonal to the plane of the anthracene; which is thought to be a necessity for the AIMs to interact with G4. This conformation is ideal for both pi-stacking with the guanine decks and polar interactions with the phosphate backbone of quadruplex DNA.