A sister group of the Arthropoda, the Tardigrada are micrometazoans that occupy a diversity of niches in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial habitats. Commonly called water bears because of their slow, lumbering gait, these molting lobopods have four pairs of legs, usually terminating in claws. Most are less than 1 mm in length, with a complete digestive tract, a dorsal gonad with one or two gonoducts, and a dorsal lobed brain with a ventral nerve cord and four bilobed ganglia, one per leg-bearing metamere. The body cavity (hemocoel) functions in respiration and circulation. Over 1200 species have been described based primarily on the morphology of the claws and buccal-pharyngeal apparatus. Individuals may be either gonochoric, unisexual, or hermaphroditic, with fertilized or unfertilized eggs deposited either freely or within the shed exuvium. Parthenogenesis occurs frequently in limnic and terrestrial tardigrades, allowing them to colonize new territories by passive dispersal of a single individual. Cryptobiosis (anhydrobiosis, anoxybiosis, cryobiosis, and osmobiosis) and diapause (encystment and resting eggs) occur during the life history. Active adults (surrounded by water) and cryptobiotic adults and eggs are primarily dispersed passively, but some active dispersal can also occur. Due to the characteristic patchy distributions of tardigrade populations, little is known about their population dynamics and trophic relationships. Improved methods for collection, microscopy, culturing, and molecular analyses have been have contributed much to our knowledge of tardigrades.

MGS / Institute for Gender and Youth Studies / This study seek to explore the challenges that are faced by youth in lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) relationships at Mkhuhlu location. The study argues that this cohort, just like any other, should be afforded human rights, and the choice to be in lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex relationships. Research has shown that those who believe sexual orientation is inborn are more likely to have tolerant attitudes towards lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people, whereas those who believe it is a choice have less tolerant attitudes. The study was undertaken at Mkhuhlu location and the respondents were males and females in lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex relationships. A feminist epistemological approach to doing research guided the process of data collection while also employing a qualitative approach in interpreting the data. An exploratory design was used to gain a broader understanding in the challenges that youth in lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersex relationships are faced with every day. A Sample of 10 respondents from Mkhuhlu location was selected. Non-probability sampling was used and snow-ball sampling method was also used to draw the required sample. The data was collected through the use of guided unstructured interviews. The findings in this study reveal that LGBTI youth have faced various challenges in their daily lives. LGBTI people face considerable levels of stigmatization, discrimination and harassment in their daily lives. These challenges have negative impact in the lives of LGBTI youth and also bring various emotions, which include intense sadness, anxiety, loneliness, discomfort in social situations, and feeling overwhelmed. The study also found that there are strategies that can be employed in order to alleviate the challenges of LGBTI youth, through education the misperception that LGBTI sexual interest is uncommon and sinful may be corrected if realistic, developmentally appropriate sex education is made accessible to the public. / NRF