Slc7a8 Deletion Is Protective against Diet-Induced Obesity and Attenuates Lipid Accumulation in Multiple Organs
Reabetswe Pitere
Name of faculty and department: Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria
Picture of the researcher: see attached
Name of 1st author: Reabetswe Pitere
Email of 1st author:
Name of additional Authors: Reabetswe R. Pitere, Marlene B. van Heerden, Michael S. Pepper and Melvin A. Ambele
Submitting authority – Faculty of Health Sciences
Name of 'submitter' – Prof Flavia Senkubuge, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences (they ask for the dean's details)
Email of 'submitter' –
For the full paper see below:
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Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Mail & Guardian
Act now to deal with the masculinity and mental health crisis in South Africa
suicide as the fourth Death by suicide is the fourth highest cause of death among men aged 15 to 24 in South Africa. Graphic: John McCann/M&G June is men's mental health month in South Africa. The purpose is to encourage men to seek health services by promoting physical and psychological wellbeing. A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported suicide as the fourth highest cause of death among men aged 15 to 24 in South Africa. Further, suicide rates are significantly higher among men than women, with 10 861 of the 13 774 suicides reported in 2023 being by men. A number of parasuicides is unrecorded. Research and practice demonstrate a correlational and causal relationship between the persistence of social ills and the prevalence of mental health conditions, compounded by poor services. Research also shows that young men are more at risk of substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other externalising mental health conditions. There is no evidence to prove there is a link between young people who have died by suicide and are not at institutions of higher learning and training or employed. But there is evidence that proves a close and causal relationship between social ills and mental health. One would assume this is also the case with suicide as a symptom of mental illness such as depression and substance abuse for example. This takes us to the intersection of these issues, the state of young men in our society, masculinity and mental health. In May, we learnt of the increase in youth unemployment for the first quarter of 2025. According to Statistics South Africa, 62.4% of young people aged 15 to 24 are unemployed. Further, the University of Cape Town's Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit reported that 30% of young people have not been in education, employment or training for the past decade. These are not just statistics, these are people with dreams and aspirations. They are our family, friends, neighbours, and we see them every day. They are each and everyone of us. They are the antithesis to President Ramaphosa's Tintswalo. I wish we had more Tintswalos, Mr President. I wish it was the rule and not the exception. The other aspect of this calamity of unemployment are the psychological ramifications. Social issues such as gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, mass murder and the pervasive violence in our society are to an extent a reflection of our society. While we call for the criminal justice system to act in persecuting offenders, we must equally ask ourselves critical questions about men and masculinity in our society. We have to do serious introspection and reflection on the society we are building, and the kind of men and manhood it produces. Something is fundamentally wrong in our society. As a psychologist, I have seen this in the gender disparity in the patients I work with on a daily basis. The people who should be in the room are often not there. The feminist scholar, bell hooks, teaches that regressive forms of masculinity require that men suppress the emotional aspect of themselves, and if they do not do so, other men will. This is evident in state approaches to substance use, violence and crime. Understanding the family as the basic unit of society, questions are to be asked about the home circumstances under which children grow up in. What conversations are had in our homes about mental health, health seeking behaviour, emotional wellness, consent, sexuality and masculinity? Further, we must also ask about fathering and fathers in our society. Where do boys learn to be men? The State of South African Fathers report would be an important point of departure. What role does social media and technology play in shaping manhood and masculinity? In a period of pervasive manosphere, how do we influence what our children, young men and men in general see as expressions of manhood and masculinity? What are the hegemonic narratives on manhood and masculinity? One may ask: why focus on men when they cause so much harm and pain in our society? South Africa has one of the highest femicide rates globally, with about seven women to have been murdered daily. We also have one of the highest gender-based violence rates and other forms of violence against women and children. Equally, our country has one of the highest murder rates, with men being the victim in about 70% of the cases — and it is usually men who are the perpetrators. Clearly, we have a masculinity problem in our society, and we cannot continue to treat it only as a legal and policing problem. It requires all of us to act, to play a role in shaping the lives of young men. In our homes, neighbourhood, schools, sports fields, churches and all other facets of life. The Argentine social psychologist, Isaacs Prilleltensky, challenges us to build conducive social conditions of justice as a prerequisite for wellness, without which wellness becomes impossible. As mental health practitioners, we carry a social responsibility to respond to social issues. In collaboration with communities, organisations and other institutions. We all ought to collectively labour towards a just and free society, and this includes our different professions being rooted at the core of our communities and being agents of change. Siphelele Nguse is a clinical psychologist, scholar activist, and PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Summit hears Pretoria company's small nuclear reactor offers independence
As South African cities confront load-shedding and economic stagnation, the search for energy independence has never been more urgent. For the Tshwane metro and other municipalities, a new option has emerged in the form of a locally developed small modular reactor, designed by Pretoria engineers, that promises to change how cities generate and control their electricity. This option was recently discussed and caught a lot of attention at the Energy Summit 2025 held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The summit aimed to build a smarter energy system focused on powering a sustainable and inclusive future. It drew all stakeholders grappling with growing energy demands and pressure to transition towards clean, reliable energy sources, where Tshwane's energy future was the main theme. Developed by Pretoria-based company Stratek Global, the reactor offers a combination of safety, cost-efficiency, and energy security, making it an ideal fit for municipal deployment. Rekord spoke to a nuclear physicist and Stratek chairperson from Pretoria east, Dr Kelvin Kemm. He is confident that it can help municipalities. 'The reactor is designed specifically to be deployable at the municipal level. With this system, a municipality like Tshwane can own and operate its own nuclear power facility, independent of Eskom and free of geographic limitations.' He told Rekord that it is ideal for the metro, as unlike large-scale nuclear power plants, which require vast infrastructure and access to significant water sources, the reactor is self-contained and highly adaptable. He explained that gravity, natural cooling paths, and other physics functions have been used in design such that safety devices will fall into place naturally, under gravity, as cooling paths exist without active pumps running. When it comes to whether the metro would be able to use such a reactor if interested parties decide to commission the construction, he said, once the teams start building, it will take about five years to build the first reactor. 'This first one will take a year to 18 months for all the legal compliance, testing, and certification. From the second one onwards, construction will go faster.' He explained that the costs for such a reactor should be measured by how much the electricity will cost the customer. 'The electricity from the reactor will cost about the same as coal-fired electricity now. It is completely untrue that nuclear electricity will cost a huge amount,' stressed Kemm. He said there are huge economic benefits for the metro. During construction, hundreds of people will be employed in good-quality jobs, like any industrial construction. Construction materials will also be purchased from local suppliers. Tasks like forming metal parts, cutting, machining and high-integrity welding, and so on, all need to be performed and sourced. 'When the reactor is running, it will employ a couple of hundred people on a full-time basis. These range from engineers to skilled technicians to react to operators to draft craftsmen, such as plumbers and electricians. Many private companies will be involved, supplying goods and services on a regular basis.' According to Kemm, a representative from their Pretoria branch has twice travelled to a country in the Middle East to explain their proposal and architectural designs were carried out for that country, by Pretoria east architects JKDA. To him, it is a positive factor that South Africa has one of the oldest and most experienced nuclear regulators in the world. He said Stratek Global has an impressive building in Centurion, and there is a staff of some 150 people. 'They check and certify all issues concerning the design and construction of any nuclear system, to ensure the safety and protection of people and the environment.' He added that the principle of private or municipal ownership of electricity has already been established by the government for wind and solar systems. 'There is no reason why nuclear will be different. So, the metro, or groups of companies in Rosslyn, could install their own nuclear power. One reactor complex will fit easily on a piece of land the size of a football field. Such ownership is perfectly feasible. In fact, it is possible to have your own private grid,' he concluded. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
Elon Musk's dream of colonising Mars suffers fiery setback
One of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starships exploded during a routine test late on Wednesday in Texas, law enforcement said, in the latest setback to the billionaire's dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species. The Starship 36 suffered 'catastrophic failure and exploded' at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 23:00, a Facebook post by the Cameron County authorities said. A video shared with the post showed the megarocket attached to the launch arm, and then a flash and a towering, fiery explosion. Elon Musk's Space X said the rocket was preparing for the 10th flight test when it 'experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase,' without elaborating on the nature of the complication. 'A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for,' Space X added on social media. 'There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.' The Starship was not scheduled for launch on Wednesday evening when the explosion occurred during a 'routine static fire test,' according to the Cameron County authorities. During a static fire, part of the procedures preceding a launch, the Starship's Super Heavy booster would be anchored to the ground to prevent it from lifting off during the test-firing. Starbase on the south Texas coast, near the border with Mexico, is the headquarters for Musk's space project. Standing 403 feet (123 metres) tall, Starship is the world's largest and most powerful rocket and central to Musk's long-term vision of colonising Mars. The Starship is billed as a fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons. The latest setback follows an explosion of a prototype Starship over the Indian Ocean in late May. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built had lifted off on May 27 from the Starbase facility, but the first-stage Super Heavy booster blew up instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The previous two outings also ended poorly, with the upper stage disintegrating over the Caribbean. But the failures will likely do little to dent South Africa-born Elon Musk's spacefaring ambitions. SpaceX has been betting that its 'fail fast, learn fast' ethos, which has helped it dominate commercial spaceflight, will eventually pay off. The company has caught the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower's giant robotic arms three times — a daring engineering feat it sees as key to rapid reusability and slashing costs. NASA is also increasingly reliant on SpaceX, whose Dragon spacecraft is vital for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early May approved an increase in annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25, stating that the increased frequency would not adversely impact the environment. The decision overruled objections from conservation groups who had warned the expansion could endanger sea turtles and shorebirds. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
