Constructive Conflict Intervention in South Africa: Some Lessons

Historically, South Africa has lacked a culture of trust in negotiation as a conflict accommodation mechanism. During the security clampdown of the P. W. Botha era in the 1980s and subsequent polarization, concepts such as negotiation and mediation were viewed with suspicion in various quarters. However, paradoxically, the labour legislation introduced in 1979 promoted black empowerment, which was to lead to improved prospects of meaningful negotiation and the acceptability of mediation in resolving labour disputes. Concurrently, the township turbulence of the mid-1980s also led to local-level negotiations between blacks and whites. It was found at the national political level that, whilst the time was not ripe for mediation, low-profile facilitation as a more acceptable form of intervention in fact paved the way for the political breakthrough of 1990. Insights developed during this period led to the formulation of a number of principles of communication and included the reconciliation of seemingly contrasting options such as negotiation and coercion, impartiality and concern, and incremental steps and radical goals

Investigation into the metal contamination of the Plankenburg and Diep Rivers, Western Cape, South Africa

Metal contamination in the Plankenburg and Diep Rivers (Western Cape) was investigated over a 12 and 9 month period, respectively. Aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were determined using the nitric acid digestion method and analysed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). For both rivers the Al and Fe concentrations were higher than that for all the other metals analysed for in sediment and water samples. The highest concentrations recorded in the Plankenburg River were 13.6 mgE.-1 (water . Week 18, Site B) and 15 018 mgEkg-1 (sediment . Week 1, Site C) for Al, and 48 mgE.-1 (water . Week 43, Site A) and 14 363.8 mgEkg-1 (sediment . Week 1, Site A) for Fe. The highest concentrations recorded in the Diep River were 4 mgE.-1 (water . Week 1, Site A) and 19 179 mgEkg-1 (sediment . Week 1, Site C) for Al, and 513 mgE.-1 (water . Week 27, Site A) and 106 379.5 mgEkg-1 (sediment . Week 9, Site C) for Fe. For most of the metals analysed the concentrations were higher than the recommended water quality guidelines as stipulated by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the Canadian Council for the Ministers of the Environment and the accepted eworld averagef. Point sources of pollution could not be conclusively identified, but runoff from both industrial and residential areas could have contributed to the increased concentrations. Metal concentrations should be routinely monitored and the guidelines should be updated and revised based on the current state of the rivers and pollution sources

Spontaneous prolonged contractions during antenatal fetal heart rate monitoring

CITATION: Reinhardt, G., Odendaal, H.J. & Kotze, T.J.v.W. 1987. Spontaneous prolonged contractions during antenatal fetal heart rate monitoring . S Afr Med J, 71(1):17-19.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaENGLISH ABSTRACT: Uterine contractions of more than 2 minutes' duration occurred spontaneously in 1.4% of 6399 antenatal fetal heart rate (FHR) recordings. All recordings were made in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tygerberg Hospital. The patients with spontaneous prolonged contractions (SPC) were compared with a randomly selected control group. Patients who had an SPC during antenatal FHR recording were not at a higher risk of abruptio placentae, preterm labour or unexpected intra-uterine death. Of the infants born to the mothers in the study group, 65.5% were male. There were more primigravidas in the study group, which may have been responsible for the longer duration of the second stage of labour in this group. When primigravidas only were examined no difference between the two groups could be found except for a larger placental mass in the study group. It is uncertain why primigravidas were more likely to develop SPCs as observed during antenatal FHR monitoring.Publisher’s versio

Identification of metal-tolerant organisms isolated from the Plankenburg River, Western Cape, South Africa

The ability of biofilms to resist pollutants makes them advantageous for use in bioremediation. The objective of this investigation was to isolate metal-tolerant micro-organisms from a site along the Plankenburg River. Microbial biofilms cultivated in multi-channelled flow cells were exposed to varying concentrations of aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn), stained with the BacLightTM viability probe, visualised using epifluorescence microscopy and analysed using ScionImage. Exposure to the highest Al, Fe, Cu and Mn concentrations increased the percentages of dead cells. A difference in live and dead cells after exposure to varying Zn and Ni concentrations was not evident. When exposed to the lowest concentrations, no notable difference could be detected in comparison with the untreated control. Possible metal-tolerant micro-organisms were identified from the exposed flow cells using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, followed by ClustalX alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analysis identified a variety of organisms, including Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Delftia tsuruhatensis strain A90, Kocuria kristinae strain 6J-5b, Comamonas testosteroni WDL7, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain 776, Staphylococcus sp. MOLA:313, Micrococcus sp. TPR14, Sphingomonas sp. 8b-1 and Microbacterium sp. PAO-12. Two major clusters could be distinguished based on their Gram-reactions.Keywords: BacLightTM viability probe, biofilms, phylogenetic analysis, river water, ScionImag

Investigation into metal contamination of the Berg River, Western Cape, South Africa

A recent decline in water quality of the Berg River, Western Cape, South Africa, has led to the investigation into the degree of metal pollution in the river system. This study was conducted over a period of one year, from May 2004 to May 2005. The nitric acid digestion technique was used to extract metals from water, sediment and biofilm samples collected at various points (Site A . agricultural area, Site B . informal settlement and Site C . Newton pumping station) along the Berg River. Metal concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The highest mean metal concentrations recorded were as follows; water samples, 6 mgE.-1 for Al, 14.6 mgE.-1 for Fe and 18.8 mg..-1 for Mn; sediment samples, 17 448.8 mgEkg-1 for Al and 26 473.3 mgEkg-1 for Fe; biofilm samples, 876.8 mgE.-1 for Al and 1 017.5 mgE.-1 for Fe. The increased availability, or noteworthy incidence of Al and Fe, could be due to the leaching of metals into the river water from waste and household products associated with the informal settlement and the subsequent settling on sediment. No guidelines were available for metals in biofilms. The highest recorded concentrations in water were for Site C (agricultural area). Recorded concentrations in water fluctuated throughout the study period for most of the metals analysed, but Al and Fe were consistently above the recommended guidelines as stipulated by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment

Early Reflections on Mphatlalatsane, a Maternal and Neonatal Quality Improvement Initiative Implemented During COVID-19 in South Africa

Despite global progress in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and stillbirths, much work remains to be done to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Reports indicate that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) disrupts the provision and uptake of routine maternal and neonatal health care (MNH) services and negatively impacts cumulative pre-COVID-19 achievements. We describe a multipartnered MNH quality improvement (QI) initiative called Mphatlalatsane, which was implemented in South Africa before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative aimed to reduce the maternal mortality ratio, neonatal mortality rate, and stillbirth rate by 50% between 2018 and 2022. The multifaceted design comprises QI and other intervention activities across micro-, meso-, and macrolevels, and its area-based approach facilitates patients’ access to MNH services. The initiative commenced 6 months pre-COVID-19, with subsequent adaptation necessitated by COVID-19. The initial focus on a plan-do-study-act QI model shifted toward meeting the immediate needs of health care workers (HCWs), the health system, and health care managers arising from COVID-19. Examples include providing emotional support to staff and streamlining supply chain management for infection control and personal protection materials. As these needs were addressed, Mphatlalatsane gradually refocused HCWs’ and managers’ attention to recognize the disruptions caused by COVID-19 to routine MNH services. This gradual reprioritization included the development of a risk matrix to help staff and managers identify specific risks to service provision and uptake and develop mitigating measures. Through this approach, Mphatlalatsane led to an optimization case using existing resources rather than requesting new resources to build an investment case, with a responsive design and implementation approach as the cornerstone of the initiative. Further, Mphatlalatsane demonstrates that agile and context-specific responses to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic can mitigate such threats and maintain interventions to improve MNH services

What are health policy and systems research priorities for universal health coverage in South Africa?

We report here on the process and findings of a research prioritisation exercise for universal health coverage (UHC) in South Africa, conducted during the course of 2019. As plans to roll out National Health Insurance (NHI) gather momentum and we transition into a pandemic recovery phase, we believe that it is now time to revisit these priorities, while recognising that experiences with the COVID‑19 pandemic have revealed new system challenges and strengths and introduced new priorities. The UHC research priority-setting methodology followed a stepwise process of collation of evidence, expert brainstorming and the development of a survey completed by 68 members of the Public Health Association of South Africa. Themes related to leadership and governance were ranked most highly, and with other priorities generated, provide an initial road map of knowledge needs that could guide individual institutions and commissioning by funding bodies. We further reflect on the importance of researcher-decision-maker dialogue and strengthening the contribution of health policy and systems research to policy and practice, especially as new reforms are implemented

A wideband feed network for Vivaldi antenna arrays

DATA AVAILABILTY: Data are available on request from the corresponding author: [email protected] wideband feed network for a Vivaldi antenna array is presented. A limitation of current wideband antenna arrays is the bandwidth of either the feed network or the antenna element. The proposed antenna array consists of four wideband Vivaldi antennas fed with an improved wideband feed network to extend the useable bandwidth of the array. The proposed feed network consists of coplanar waveguide-to-slotline-to-microstrip line transitions. The feed network has a single coplanar waveguide input and four microstrip line output ports. The feed network achieved uniform amplitude and phase balance and an impedance bandwidth of 160% from 1 GHz to 9 GHz. The feed network was used in a uniform linear antenna array to feed four Vivaldi antenna elements. The Vivaldi antenna array achieved stable radiation patterns from 1.3 GHz to 8 GHz, resulting in a useable bandwidth of 144%. The antenna array has a minimum gain of 8 dBi and a maximum of 13.8 dBi within the frequency band. Results for a prototype Vivaldi antenna array, measured in a compact antenna test range, are presented and compared to simulated results from CST Studio Suite.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijaphj2023Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineerin