Mediation and conflict resolution in South and Southern Africa: A personal account of the past 30 years

This article is a personal account of my involvement with mediation and facilitation over the past 30 years.It does not purport to be a comprehensive or systematic account of the growing impact of these processes both in preventing and resolving conflict in our country and beyond. It therefore does not focus on organisations outside my own spheres of involvement, like the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes and the Centre for Conflict Resolution, whose important contributions I readily acknowledge.The insights and experiences reflected in the piece nevertheless point to an ever widening application of the processes across a range of disciplines and tell something of the rich contribution they have made to making South Africa a better, and safer, place

Characteristics and outcome of long-stay patients in a paediatric intensive care unit in Cape Town, South Africa

Objectives: To describe a rational basis for the definition of a long-stay patient (LSP) in a South African paediatric intensive care unit (PICU); to review the characteristics and outcomes of the patients who comply with the LSP definition; to assess the proportion of resources allocated to the LSP cohort; and to determine if the results of this study could be used as a predictive tool for future admissions. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of routine data collected over one calendar year (2009) from a 20-bedded multidisciplinary PICU was conducted. The definition of a LSP in this setting was established using various models. The characteristics and outcomes of the long- and short- stay groups were compared using nonparametric Mann-Whitney U and Chi2 tests, with significant results entered into a stepwise multiple regression model. The proportion of ICU days consumed by LSP was calculated. Human Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained (Ref/Rec 105/2011)

Youth, relationships and risk in the context of HIV/AIDS : how do Grade 10 learners in four secondary schools in the Western Cape make relationship choices and how is this related to their conceptions of risk

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-102).What are Grade 10 learners' conceptions of risk in four secondary schools in the Western Cape and how do these conceptions influence relationship choice making in the context of HIV/AIDS? The research explores how youth in four secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa make relationship choices based on their conceptions of risk. The main focus of the research looks at youth identity and conceptions of risk in the context of HIV/AIDS and investigates what factors influence youth decision making processes in this context. For example, peer pressure/support, alcohol, drugs, schooling and education, religious belief, family values etc. The study is located in the qualitative paradigm because it seeks to gain a deep understanding of how youth understand risk and how this influences how they go about making choices, particularly related to sexual decision making. Data was collected from four demographically different schools in the Western Cape. Methods of data collection include a questionnaire, four focus group discussions and twenty nine informal individual interviews. The results revealed that youth have a sense of invincibility, have little fear of risk and do not recognise HIV/AIDS as being an immediate threat to them as for many youth, until you experience something, it does not have an impact on you. They therefore feel that until HIV/AIDS affects them directly it is difficult to foresee the risk when the results of your actions are not immediate. The research therefore concludes that the nature of education being taught to youth needs to change

A conservation genetic study of threatened, endemic southern African seabirds

Includes bibliographical references.Molecular techniques have a broad, and growing, application in the field of wildlife conservation, ranging from the systematic identification and classification of taxa, through studying genetic connectivity between populations, to parentage and individual barcoding. While they are applied to a wide range of spatial- and temporal-scales, molecular approaches complement traditional methods used to classify, investigate and understand the natural world. This study uses multiple lines of evidence, at various scales, to investigate how seabird biology influences population-level responses to changing environments. The focal area is the Agulhas-Benguela Ecosystem (ABE) along the south-western coast of Africa. Globally, biodiversity loss due to environmental change in marine ecosystems is significantly affecting the phenology, distribution, dispersal patterns, and demographic rates of organisms across trophic-levels. Broad-scale changes are occurring that have consequences for both commercial fisheries and threatened marine top-predators. Seabirds are valuable indicators of the state of marine ecosystems, and changes in their distribution and dispersal patterns may reflect those of species in lower trophic-levels. This is the case in the ABE, where some endemic seabird species are better at responding to changes in their environment than others. Twentieth century shifts in the distribution of key pelagic prey species in the ABE have had serious consequences for endemic seabirds. The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, Cape _ Gannet Moms capensis and Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis rely on these pelagic fish, and all three species are threatened and in decline. In this study population genetic and phylogeographic methods are used to: (i) quantify levels of genetic diversity, and determine regional-scale structure within all three focal species; (ii) explore fine-scale population structure in African Penguin; and (iii) compare wild and captive populations of African Penguins. The conservation of genetic diversity is essential for the long-term persistence of species. Population genetics can help us to understand the evolutionary processes that have shaped patterns of genetic diversity in the focal species, and predict how they might respond to further environmental changes. Comparative phylogeography, combined with capture-mark- recapture models based on ringing data and annual census counts, provide the most complete picture of the micro-evolutionary forces at play in this unique ecosystem, and highlight seabird life-history characteristics may facilitate adaptation and survival under novel conditions. This is the first conservation genetic study of endemic seabirds in the ABE. Although the three focal species differ in a number of aspects of their breeding and foraging ecology, and in some life-history characteristics, they have evolved under similar selective pressures across their shared range, and represent natural replicates that allow us to determine the dominant drivers of population genetic change. Flexibility in foraging behaviour and the degree of breeding site fidelity exhibited by each of the three focal species affect the rate and effectiveness of their demographic responses to changes in their environment. Understanding connectivity among seabird populations is crucial for their long-term conservation, and has been investigated in numerous studies of seabird species from around the world. Similar to many of these, this study found very low levels of genetic structure among populations of all three focal species based on DNA sequence data, suggesting long-term gene-flow among them, despite potential physical and non-physical barriers. Overall, the patterns observed suggest that high connectivity characterises their breeding regions, and most breeding colonies, buffering the respective populations against environmental variability. These results were supported by fine-scale analyses of the African Penguin using microsatellite markers that also suggested high levels of gene-flow, which may have masked genetic signatures of the regional- and colony-level bottlenecks experienced by this species. Microsatellite-based genetic diversity and fine-scale structure were also compared among wild and captive populations of African Penguins to assess the genetic consequences of a planned conservation breeding program. The genetic composition of birds in captivity largely reflects that found in wild populations. The success of reintroduction in terms of decreasing extinction risk in the wild is uncertain, and should be implemented as part of a broader management plan that addresses the primary threats to wild populations. Further research is required to improve our understanding of many aspects of endemic southern African marine avifauna and better inform our ability to ensure their continued persistence in this system

A customizable and modular VR game for use in pain distraction

Chronic pain is defined as pain persisting for more than three months. The cause of these conditions varies from musculoskeletal issues to nerve damage. These issues may cause reduced movement, further impacting the patient's condition and rehabilitation. It is, as such, desirable to limit the pain caused by the conditions to limit the negative effects on rehabilitation and improve the patient's life. This is done through the use of drugs and therapies focusing on training pain perception and relief. One of the therapies concerns distraction from the pain. This can be done using VR games. Chronic pain varies in severity and affected areas, which makes facilitating all conditions challenging. We created a VR game that could have multiple different mini-games in it to tackle this challenge. This allows for different scenarios to be used based on the patient's capabilities. The mini-games we implemented in this project were selected based on discussions with physiotherapists to ensure that they were relevant to the medical field. Each mini-game could be customized to fit the need and difficulty a user would prefer. The evaluators for this game were healthcare professionals, as evaluations with patients would have been difficult to achieve in this project. The evaluators' subjective scores were positive and may suggest a possible effect on chronic pain. However, further testing with patients would be needed to conclude if this is the case.Masteroppgave i Programvareutvikling samarbeid med HVLPROG399MAMN-PRO

Utvikling av HPLC metode for måling av ganciklovir og beskrivelse av ganciklovirs farmakokinetikk hos organtransplanterte etter administrering av valganciklovir

En analysemetode for måling av ganciklovir (GCV) i plasma, urin og dialysat ble utviklet og validert. Metoden ble utarbeidet med hensikt til bruk i en pågående farmakokinetisk studie. Prøveopparbeidelsen besto av fast-fase ekstraksjon på hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB)-kolonner. Til separasjon av GCV ble det benyttet omvendt fase high performace liquid chromatography (HPLC) hvor kolonnen var av typen Zorbax SB-Aq. Som intern standard (IS) ble det benyttet aciklovir (ACV). Mobil fase besto av 90 % fosfatbuffer pH 2,1 tilsatt heptansulfonsyre som motion og 10 % acetonitril (ACN). Valideringen av metoden ga tilfredsstillende resultater i henhold til krav gitt av Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Utbyttet var mellom 44,4 ± 4,9 % og 48,1 ± 2,4 % for GCV og 46,7 ± 3,7 % for IS. Nøyaktigheten viste et relativt avvik mellom -10 % og -14,7 %. Presisjonen ble uttrykt ved variasjonskoeffisienten (CV), og var mellom 10,2 % og 12,6 %, og mellom 1,5 % og 15,8 % for henholdsvis interdag og intradag. Laveste kvantifiseringsgrense (LLOQ) ble bestemt til 0,1 ug/mL. Presisjonen var 2,9 % CV og nøyaktigheten 17,5 % (relativt avvik). Standardkurvene viste god linearitet for plasma, urin og dialysat med regresjonskoeffisienter (R2) bedre enn 0,993. Tre fryse-tine sykluser påvirket ikke stabiliteten til stoffene, og postpreparativ stabilitet ga en maksimal relativ konsentrasjonsforadnring på 5,5 %. Etter valideringen var utført ble metoden benyttet til analyse av plasmaprøver fra transplanterte pasienter i en klinisk studie. Det oppsto en del problemer under analysen av pasientprøverne. Det ble derfor utført en rekke mindre justeringer av metoden, og slik den fremstår i dag vil den være godt egnet til konsentrasjonsmålinger av GCV i plasma, urin og dialysat. Til sammen ble det analysert plasmaprøver fra 41 pasienter, hvorav 21 ble behandlet med intravenøs GCV og 20 med peroral VGCV. For 2 av pasientene som fikk GCV og 2 av de som fikk VGCV ble det innenfor 3 doseintervall samlet flere prøver enn hos de resterende pasientene. Hos disse pasientene kunne konsentrasjonsmålingene gi informasjon om eksponering av legemidlet over en kortere tidsperiode, AUC0-24. Pasientprøvene skulle brukes til populasjonsmodellering ved hjelp av NONMEM. Grunnet begrenset tid til disposisjon ble det forsøkt satt opp én-og to-kompartmentmodeller kun for 19 av de pasientene som fikk intravenøs GCV. Det ble tatt utgangspunkt i at parameterne vekt, høyde og kroppsoverflate (BSA) er assosiert med distribusjonsvolumet (Vd), og at clearance (CL) assosieres med nyrefunksjonen. Modellen beskriver ikke på nåværende tidspunkt farmakokinetikken til GCV og VGCV siden modellen ikke er optimalisert, men videre utvikling av modellene vil forhåpentligvis gi bedre estimater av de farmakokinetiske parameterne

Institutions and strategy in dynamic markets : the case of Vale in Mozambique

Vale, a Brazilian-based, multinational mining company is used as a case study to investigate the impact of institutions on company strategy in dynamic markets. The research focuses on Vale’s exploration and development of the coal deposits of Mozambique, a country in which the institutional environment was decimated by war between 1964 and 1992.The objective of the research is to investigate how using the theory of institutions, as articulated in international business and corporate strategy literature, could be useful in understanding how firms make strategic choices and seek to gain competitive advantage in dynamic markets. In addition, the research provides a case study based in an African market, which will add to the material available for teaching general management principles in dynamic markets.The research demonstrates the importance of the link between Brazil’s foreign policy between 2000 and 2010, and Vale’s expansion strategies in Africa at that time. It highlights the institutional deficiencies in Mozambique at the time of Vale’s entrance, such as the limited rail infrastructure and weakly developed mineral rights legislation; and shows how Vale has been able to turn these deficiencies into competitive advantage, and has developed a dominant position in an internationally significant coalfield.In this way, the research supports the “institutional-view” of strategy, as articulated by Peng, Wang and Jiang (2008) and positions the role of institutions as being at least as important as industry and company resource factors in determining company strategy in dynamic markets.The challenge presented to readers of the case is to describe the institutional landscape in Mozambique and assess Vale’s response to it, using Khanna, Palepu and Sinha’s (2005) framework; to assess the merit of Peng et al.’s (2008) “strategy-tripod” when considering dynamic market strategy; and to consider the economic, political and social context facing Vale in trying to maintain and grow their competitive position.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)unrestricte

Alleinerziehend in Winterthur : Evaluation bestehender Unterstützungsangebote für alleinerziehende Eltern in Winterthur

Darstellung des Themas: Alleinerziehende stellen andere Bedürfnisse an eine Beratung und benötigen schnelle, unbürokratische Unterstützung im Alltag. Häufig sind die Unterstützungsangebote und Beratungen nicht den Bedürfnissen von Alleinerziehende angepasst. Der Mangel an angemessener Unterstützung kann bei Alleinerziehenden zu Isolation, geringerem Selbstwertgefühl, Stress und Depression führen. Ziel: Bestehende Unterstützungsangebote in Winterthur sollen hinsichtlich Eignung für Alleinerziehende, Niederschwelligkeit und Zugänglichkeit im ersten Jahr nach der Geburt evaluiert werden. Unterstützungsangebote welche den Kriterien entsprechen, werden auf einer Webseite aufgeführt. Aus den Ergebnissen sollen Versorgungslücken im Unterstützungsangebot abgeleitet werden. Methode: Bei der Arbeit handelt es sich um eine empirische Arbeit mit deskriptiver, wissenschaftlicher Vorgehensweise. 47 Unterstützungsangeboten wurde ein Fragebogen zugestellt, der Fragen betreffend Eignung für Alleinerziehende, Niederschwelligkeit und Zugänglichkeit im ersten Jahr nach der Geburt stellt. 36 Fragebogen wurden retourniert und evaluiert. 13 Unterstützungsangebote haben nicht an der Umfrage teilgenommen und zwei Unterstützungsangebote haben den Fragebogen jeweils zweimal ausgefüllt. Relevante Ergebnisse: 10 der 34 evaluierten Unterstützungsangebote sind für Alleinerziehende geeignet und sowohl im ersten Jahr nach der Geburt als auch niederschwellig nutzbar. Es wurde eine Webseite als Informationsträger für das Listing erarbeitet. Sie ist zum Zeitpunkt der Abgabe dieser Arbeit nicht öffentlich zugängig. Aus den Ergebnissen wurden Angebotslücken in den Themen Kinderbetreuung, Selbsthilfegruppen, Mediation und Umzug abgeleitet. Schlussfolgerung: Der Raum Winterthur verfügt über ein breites Spektrum an Unterstützungsangeboten, aber es zeigen sich Defizite in Merkmalen der Niederschwelligkeit. Die abgeleiteten Angebotslücken sind Chancen, das niederschwellige Unterstützungsangebot für Alleinerziehende in Winterthur aufzuwerten

Assessment of microsatellite and SNP markers for parentage assignment in ex situ African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) populations

Captive management of ex situ populations of endangered species is traditionally based on pedigree information derived from studbook data. However, molecular methods could provide a powerful set of complementary tools to verify studbook records and also contribute to improving the understanding of the genetic status of captive populations. Here, we compare the utility of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites (MS) and two analytical methods for assigning parentage in ten families of captive African penguins held in South African facilities. We found that SNPs performed better than microsatellites under both analytical frameworks, but a combination of all markers was most informative. A subset of combined SNP (n = 14) and MS loci (n = 10) provided robust assessments of parentage. Captive or supportive breeding programs will play an important role in future African penguin conservation efforts as a source of individuals for reintroduction. Cooperation among these captive facilities is essential to facilitate this process and improve management. This study provided us with a useful set of SNP and MS markers for parentage and relatedness testing among these captive populations. Further assessment of the utility of these markers over multiple (>3) generations and the incorporation of a larger variety of relationships among individuals (e.g., half‐siblings or cousins) is strongly suggested