Does a Carbonatite Deposit Influence Its Surrounding Ecosystem?

Carbonatites are unusual alkaline rocks with diverse compositions. Although previous work has characterized the effects these rocks have on soils and plants, little is known about their impacts on local ecosystems. Using a deposit within the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence forest in northern Ontario, Canada, we investigated the effect of a carbonatite on soil chemistry and on the structure of plant and soil microbial communities. This was done using a vegetation survey conducted above and around the deposit, with corresponding soil samples collected for determining soil nutrient composition and for assessing microbial community structure using 16S/ITS Illumina Mi-Seq sequencing. In some soils above the deposit a soil chemical signature of the carbonatite was found, with the most important effect being an increase in soil pH compared with the non-deposit soils. Both plants and microorganisms responded to the altered soil chemistry: the plant communities present in carbonatite-impacted soils were dominated by ruderal species, and although differences in microbial communities across the surveyed areas were not obvious, the abundances of specific bacteria and fungi were reduced in response to the carbonatite. Overall, the deposit seems to have created microenvironments of relatively basic soil in an otherwise acidic forest soil. This study demonstrates for the first time how carbonatites can alter ecosystems in situ

Striving for equity: Life orientation resources in South African high schools

As a school subject, life orientation (LO) aims to improve learner well-being, but a lack of classroom resources may be a barrier. We investigated whether classroom resources were equally available for LO educators in fully funded (no-fee) and partially funded (fee-paying) high schools in Tshwane South, South Africa. In this analytical cross-sectional study, LO representatives completed questionnaires about the availability of resources in their schools. Sixty-seven LO representatives completed the questionnaire. No-fee and fee-paying schools had the same availability of government resources and textbooks, but no-fee schools had less access to audio-visual equipment and printed materials. Representatives from both categories of schools were least satisfied with the availability of resources for the topic: Health. In contrast, they thought that the resources for non-health related topics such as career and skills-development were adequate. Representatives from no-fee schools were less satisfied with physical education resources (U (56) = -2.29, p = 0.02). The government’s efforts to redress inequity is evident in the availability of basic resources. However, a lack of health resources is a source of concern in a society that has a quadruple burden of disease. Keywords: equity; health education; life orientation; resources; schoo

Rapid assessment of two primary health clinics : are we ready for National Health Insurance?

BACKGROUND. Healthcare service delivery remains a challenge in most primary healthcare (PHC) facilities across South Africa (SA). In addition, the healthcare system continues to have high and rising costs, with widening gaps in quality, equity and access. The National Department of Health (NDoH) launched the National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot programme in 2012 as the solution to the current ailing health system. The NDoH’s strategy is to improve all PHC facilities to meet the standards of an ‘ideal clinic’ (IC) in order to improve access to quality health services. OBJECTIVES. To assess the challenges experienced by two NHI pilot clinics in the provision of healthcare. METHODS. A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in a province in SA, at two NHI pilot clinics. Data were collected using structured questionnaires that used the component elements of the IC model framework. Data were captured in Excel, and analysed using Stata 13 software. RESULTS. Forty-six clinical and administrative staff participated in the study. The majority (84%, n=38) of participants were female. Clinic A had not been designated as an IC. There was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between the two clinics in their global self-scoring regarding service provision. Human resources and medicine supply shortages were reported as challenges affecting service provision. All (100%, n=22) clinic A participants reported not having a doctor, while 82% (n=18) reported not having a pharmacist. Clinic B had IC status, and all the participants (100%, n=24) confirmed the availability of the doctor, while 88% (n=21) reported the availability of a pharmacist. The clinics reported a range of 5 - 180 minutes of patient waiting time after triaging; however, there was no statistically significant difference found in the patient waiting times between the two clinics (p=0.96). CONCLUSION. Both clinics are NHI pilot clinics, yet there are reported disparities regarding the equity of resources, which could affect effective service provision. Both clinics should have been operating at a similar standard under the NHI pilot programme.http://www.shsjournal.org/index.php/shsjhj2021School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Cumulative incidence and causal risk factors of carcass condemnations in a South African high-throughput cattle abattoir

Carcass condemnation is a problem in the South African beef industry, but the causes and risk factors have not been studied or quantified. Better understanding of the cumulative incidence and causative predictors of carcass condemnations could assist in improving cattle management during transportation, preslaughter and lairage in high-throughput abattoirs. This study was conducted to investigate the main causes and predisposing factors of carcass condemnation at a large high-throughput cattle abattoir during postmortem inspections from January to December 2010. The experimental design included the effects of season, breed type, and sex, and their interactions on the cumulative incidence of carcass condemnations, and the causes of partial and whole carcass condemnations and the impact on carcass yield. The model was based on the presence of defects. Thirteen diseases and defects were evaluated in various breeds, sexes and seasons. The cumulative incidence of partial and complete carcass condemnations was 9.5%.The most important causes were peritonitis and pleuritis, soiling and bruising, Almost half of these carcass condemnations were due to soiling and bruising, which can be addressed by implementing better abattoir management during transportation, pre-slaughter and lairage. The cumulative incidence of parafilaria occurred mostly in spring and summer. Measles, intramuscular haemorrhage and wet carcass syndrome occurred mostly in winter. The cumulative incidence of the other defects had a negligible effect. Numerically the greatest carcass weight losses subsequent to partial condemnations were because of intramuscular haemorrhage and bruising.The Meat Industry Trust of South Africa and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.http://www.sasas.co.zaam2021Animal and Wildlife Science

Screening in primary care for diabetic retinopathy, maculopathy and visual loss in South Africa

OBJECTIVE : The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, maculopathy and visual loss in primary care patients and to identify associated risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS : We conducted a cluster randomised trial at primary care clinics in the Tshwane district in South Africa. Grades of retinopathy and maculopathy (with fundus camera) and visual acuity (Snellen chart) were assessed and, using mobile screening and teleophthalmology, clinical and biochemical testing was conducted to obtain information about glycaemic control and microvascular complications. RESULST : The prevalence rates for any retinopathy, preproliferative retinopathy and proliferative retinopathy were 24.9, 19.5 and 5.5%, respectively. The prevalence rates of diabetic maculopathy, observable maculopathy and referable maculopathy were 20.8, 11.8 and 9.0%, respectively. The presence of retinopathy was associated with high body mass index, systolic blood pressure, being on insulin treatment, high HbA1c and the presence of neuropathy. High systolic blood pressure, being on insulin treatment, high HbA1c level and high low-density lipoprotein choles- terol level as well as the presence of albuminuria were significant in predicting any diabetic maculopathy. Laser photocoagulation was given to 8.3% of patients from the mobile unit and 12% of patients were referred to the nearest hospital with an outpatient eye clinic for follow-up treatment of various other eye conditions. Using the WHO categories, the study found that 78.1% of diabetes patients had normal vision, 19.3% were visually impaired and 2.2% were severely impaired or blind. CONCLUSION : High prevalence rates for diabetic retinopathy, maculopathy and visual loss were found and associations were identified.The Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (SEMDSA), the African Population & Health Research Centre (APHRC) and research funds from the University of Pretoria.www.karger.com/opham2016Internal MedicineOphthalmologySchool of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Assessing Bias in Population Size Estimates Among Hidden Populations When Using the Service Multiplier Method Combined With Respondent-Driven Sampling Surveys: Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Population size estimates (PSEs) for hidden populations at increased risk of HIV, including female sex workers (FSWs), are important to inform public health policy and resource allocation. The service multiplier method (SMM) is commonly used to estimate the sizes of hidden populations. We used this method to obtain PSEs for FSWs at 9 sites in Zimbabwe and explored methods for assessing potential biases that could arise in using this approach. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to guide the assessment of biases that arise when estimating the population sizes of hidden populations using the SMM combined with respondent-driven sampling (RDS) surveys. METHODS: We conducted RDS surveys at 9 sites in late 2013, where the Sisters with a Voice program (the program), which collects program visit data of FSWs, was also present. Using the SMM, we obtained PSEs for FSWs at each site by dividing the number of FSWs who attended the program, based on program records, by the RDS-II weighted proportion of FSWs who reported attending this program in the previous 6 months in the RDS surveys. Both the RDS weighting and SMM make a number of assumptions, potentially leading to biases if the assumptions are not met. To test these assumptions, we used convergence and bottleneck plots to assess seed dependence of RDS-II proportion estimates, chi-square tests to assess if there was an association between the characteristics of FSWs and their knowledge of program existence, and logistic regression to compare the characteristics of FSWs attending the program with those recruited to RDS surveys. RESULTS: The PSEs ranged from 194 (95% CI 62-325) to 805 (95% CI 456-1142) across 9 sites from May to November 2013. The 95% CIs for the majority of sites were wide. In some sites, the RDS-II proportion of women who reported program use in the RDS surveys may have been influenced by the characteristics of selected seeds, and we also observed bottlenecks in some sites. There was no evidence of association between characteristics of FSWs and knowledge of program existence, and in the majority of sites, there was no evidence that the characteristics of the populations differed between RDS and program data. CONCLUSIONS: We used a series of rigorous methods to explore potential biases in our PSEs. We were able to identify the biases and their potential direction, but we could not determine the ultimate direction of these biases in our PSEs. We have evidence that the PSEs in most sites may be biased and a suggestion that the bias is toward underestimation, and this should be considered if the PSEs are to be used. These tests for bias should be included when undertaking population size estimation using the SMM combined with RDS surveys

Bachelor degree participation in vocational institutions: examining the determinants of participation

Recent studies in Australia have found that bachelor's degree participation in vocational institutions in Australia tends to skew towards students from high and middle socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. This outcome runs counter to overall vocational participation which is dominated by students from low and middle SES backgrounds. This paper uses data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) to confirm findings from a mixed-methods study on bachelor courses in vocational institutions by school leaver-aged students. It characterises the student population in such courses and examines evidence on the influence of determinants of bachelor participation in vocational institutions, in relation to measures of family background, wealth and cultural status and school type. It is found that students entering bachelor programs in vocational education have higher household levels of cultural possession, are more likely to plan to enter university, and have higher self-assessments of academic ability than those undertaking traditional vocational qualification pathways, but lower than those who undertook bachelor qualifications at university

'Relieved to be seen'-patient and carer experiences of psychosocial assessment in the emergency department following self-harm: qualitative analysis of 102 free-text survey responses.

From Europe PMC via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: ppub 2021-05-01, epub 2021-05-23Publication status: PublishedObjectivesWe sought to explore patient and carer experiences of psychosocial assessments following presentations to hospital after self-harm.DesignThematic analysis of free-text responses to an open-ended online survey.SettingBetween March and November 2019, we recruited 88 patients (82% women) and 14 carers aged ≥18 years from 16 English mental health trusts, community organisations, and via social media.ResultsPsychosocial assessments were experienced as helpful on some occasions but harmful on others. Participants felt better, less suicidal and less likely to repeat self-harm after good-quality compassionate and supportive assessments. However, negative experiences during the assessment pathway were common and, in some cases, contributed to greater distress, less engagement and further self-harm. Participants reported receiving negative and stigmatising comments about their injuries. Others reported that they were refused medical care or an anaesthetic. Stigmatising attitudes among some mental health staff centred on preconceived ideas over self-harm as a 'behavioural issue', inappropriate use of services and psychiatric diagnosis.ConclusionOur findings highlight important patient experiences that can inform service provision and they demonstrate the value of involving patients/carers throughout the research process. Psychosocial assessments can be beneficial when empathetic and collaborative but less helpful when overly standardised, lacking in compassion and waiting times are unduly long. Patient views are essential to inform practice, particularly given the rapidly changing service context during and after the COVID-19 emergency