Background Hyperglycaemia is known to result in oxidative stress tissue injury and dysfunction. Interestingly, studies have reported hepatic and renal oxidative stress injury during prediabetes; however, any injury to the myocardium during prediabetes has not been investigated. Hence this study aims to assess changes in the myocardial tissue in an HFHC diet-induced model of prediabetes. Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly grouped into non-prediabetes and prediabetes (n = 6 in each group) and consumed a standard rat chow or fed a high-fat-high-carbohydrate diet respectively for a 20-week prediabetes induction period. Post induction, prediabetes was confirmed using the ADA criteria. Aldose reductase, NADH oxidase 1, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxide, cardiac troponins were analysed in cardiac tissue homogenate using specific ELISA kits. Lipid peroxidation was estimated by determining the concentration of malondialdehyde in the heart tissue homogenate according to the previously described protocol. Myocardial tissue sections were stained with H&E stain and analysed using Leica microsystem. All data were expressed as means ± SEM. Statistical comparisons were performed with Graph Pad instat Software using the Student's two-sided t-test. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the association. Value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The prediabetes group showed a markedly high oxidative stress as indicated by significantly increased NADH oxidase 1 and malondialdehyde while superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxide were decreased compared to non-prediabetes group. There was no statistical difference between cardiac troponin I and T in the non-prediabetes and prediabetes groups. Cardiac troponins had a weak positive association with glycated haemoglobin. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate that prediabetes is associated with myocardial injury through oxidative stress. Future studies are to investigate cardiac contractile function and include more cardiac biomarkers.

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This research contributes to a greater understanding of the linkages among women's roles, responsibilities, and the use of and access to technologies in marginalized rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. How poor rural women conceptualize technologies, and the ways in which they use their knowledge and skills to develop, modify and adapt the techniques and technical processes are examined. Numerous studies have focused on rural women and their livelihood-sustaining activities, and these have revealed that women are the main consumers of small-scale technologies. In this study, a critical concern raised is whether women's knowledge of and experience with technology are adequately incorporated into development debates and initiatives at the local level, especially in an environment where the decision makers tend to be men.This study examined the relationships among rural women, technology use and technology development, taking into consideration existing indigenous knowledge. Research was undertaken in four marginalized communities in KwaZulu-Natal: Adams Mission, Platt Estate, KwaXimba and Makomoreng. In data collection, the emphasis was on gender sensitivity and the ability to capture the complexities of rural women's activities. The study reveals that notions of technology use and access tend to be highly gendered and at the same time differentiated among women.

Background: MRI is the imaging modality of choice for the assessment of intracranial masses in children. Imaging is vital in planning further management.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the common intracranial masses and their imaging characteristics in the paediatric population referred to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital for MRI of the brain.Method: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of paediatric patients (aged from birth to 18 years) who underwent MRI investigations for intracranial masses between January 2010 and December 2016.Results: A total of 931 MRI brain scans were performed. One hundred and seven scans met the inclusion criteria, of which 92 were primary brain tumours and 15 were inflammatory masses. The majority were females (56%). The mean age was 12 ± 4.52 (range of 3–18 years). The most common presenting symptom was seizures (70/107, 65.4%). We categorised the masses according to supra- and infratentorial compartments. The most common site for masses was the supratentorial compartment (n = 56, 52%). The most common masses in the supratentorial compartment were craniopharyngiomas (14/45, 31.1%), whilst in the infratentorial compartment, the most common masses were medulloblastomas (24/47, 51.1%).Conclusion: In our series, the supratentorial compartment was the commonest site for intracranial masses. The most common tumour in the infratentorial compartment was medulloblastoma. This information is vital in formulating differential diagnoses of intracranial masses.