Robust Estimates of Okun's Coefficient for South Africa

Persistently high unemployment in South Africa, especially in the face of improved economic conditions since 1994, begs the question: Does unemployment in South Africa respond to changes in output? When considering the linkages between output and unemployment, it is useful to decompose unemployment into its three components: structural, frictional and cyclical unemployment. Deficient aggregate demand gives rise to cyclical unemployment. Okun's law (1962) refers to the inverse relationship that exists between cyclical output and cyclical unemployment This paper estimates the relationship between economic activity (cyclical GDP) and changes in the unemployment rate (cyclical unemployment) for South Africa. A variety of detrending methods is used to decompose output and unemployment series into their trend and cyclical components. The paper also addresses the question of asymmetries in Okun's coefficient. The results indicate the presence of an Okun's law relationship in South Africa over the period 1970-2005 with more evidence in favour of asymmetries during recessions.

Vitamin D and immunity

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of a wide range of adverse health outcomes. The active form of vitamin D has an important role in calcium metabolism and in bone mineralisation, but the evidence for other health outcomes is mixed, with the strongest effects seen in the weakest epidemiological study designs. There are plausible pathways whereby vitamin D deficiency can impair immune function, resulting in both overactivity and increased risk of autoimmune disease, as well as immune suppression with poorer resistance to infection. Vitamin D status may influence the bacterial flora that constitute the microbiome and affect immune function through this route. Exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation causes the production of a range of chemicals, including vitamin D, and new research is exploring possible vitamin D-independent immunomodulatory pathways

The relationship between motor proficiency, bilateral vestibular hypofunction and dynamic visual acuity in children with congenital or early acquired sensorineural hearing loss

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-115).The functional integrity of the vestibular system in children is not often tested. Due to the close relationship between the cochlea and the peripheral vestibular system, the function of the vestibular system may be impaired in children with sensorineural hearing loss.The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of impairments of motor performance, vestibular function and dynamic visual acuity, and the nature and extent of interaction between these in children between the ages of four and fourteen years with congenital and early acquired sensorineural hearing loss. Motor performance was evaluated by means of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, dynamic visual acuity was determined by means of the Dynamic Visual Acuity Test, and vestibular function with the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test

The financial and psychological cost of raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder Spectrum Disorder: a qualitative study.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This is a qualitative research project looking at the financial and psychological challenges and needs of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Raising a child with ASD can be a very challenging and strenuous experience. Families who are raising children with ASD appear to experience an overwhelming amount of stress and consist of many responsibilities whilst not having much support from others, signifying the need to study this phenomenon further. The study involves a sample of biological mothers living in Gauteng who are the primary caregivers of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This study focuses on parents’ lived experiences and their perspectives of the psychological and financial costs of raising a child with this neurodevelopmental condition. The findings of this study correspond with findings from other literature; highlighting the significance of these challenges. Results indicated that parents living with an ASD child experience various psychological challenges such as feelings of grief and fear, physical and emotional exhaustion, disruption to the family’s lifestyle, and tremendous financial strain; influencing their well-being. This study aims to highlight the financial and psychological needs of parents interviewed in this study to create insight and awareness to others living with Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as professionals working with these families

Die China-kwessie in Suid-Afrika se buitelandse beleid

The Mandela government has from the outset been confronted with the dilemma of South Africa's relations with the two Chinese political entities. The new government inherited a long-standing, close and formal relationship between South Africa and the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was a partnership born and bred in the era of apartheid and South Africa's international isolation. White-ruled South Africa did not recognise the People's Republic of China (PRC) and thus had no official ties with the communist state. The incoming government immediately committed itself to establishing formal links with the PRC, but insisted that this would not be done at the expense of existing relations with Taiwan. For over two years the South African government tried this dual approach. In November 1996 President Nelson Mandela unexpectedly announced that South Africa will shift recognition to the PRC by the end of 1997 and abandon Taiwan to the status of a non-state entity. This article examines the reasons for President Mandela's about-turn, placing it in the context of the public debate in South Africa on the so-called China issue

The weak domestic base of South Africa's good global citizenship

Abstract: The self-appointed role of good international citizen that South Africa has played since 1994 is the external corollary of its supposed good governance at home. Weaknesses in domestic governance have, however, been evident since early in the life of democratic South Africa. These problems have become more acute, and internal dissatisfaction with and external awareness of ‘poor service delivery’ in South Africa have grown since 2009 when Jacob Zuma became president. The article illustrates that South Africa fails to meet core criteria of good governance and considers the implications of weak governance for the Republic’s good international citizenship

Efficient state-exploration

The exploration of states is an important element of many problems. Many problems share properties which allow the formulation of general strategies for state exploration. This article examines these strategies with reference to the problem of deadlock detection in labelled transition systems. The main issues are discussed and four major tasks are identified: state generation, scheduling, state storage, and state compaction. Empirical data is presented, optimizations and special restrictions are discussed and, finally, the results are generalized

Evidence-based nursing care for spinal immobilisation - a systematic review

Abstract: South Africa is a country burdened by a high incidence of trauma due to excessive rates of interpersonal violence and transport accidents. Spinal injury from trauma, although uncommon, usually has devastating consequences such as death or disability. A high degree of suspicion of spinal injury in all trauma patients is therefore encouraged, and spinal immobilisation is considered an accepted intervention to prevent progression of a potential injury. Traditional guidelines such as these lack reliable evidence to support the practice and have been founded on logical reasoning and expert opinion. To establish evidence-based care, this systematic review seeks to answer the question ‘What emergency nursing interventions used in blunt and penetrating trauma patients with suspected spinal injury produced the best patient outcomes?’ To answer this question, accepted methods of the systematic review process were adhered to. Six electronic databases were systematically searched to identify potentially relevant research. Sources selected based on pre-established criteria were critically appraised and analysed. Data extracted were narratively synthesised using an established framework to infer conclusions and make recommendations...M.Cur. (Nursing

Safe as houses: art and (in)security

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Fine Arts by Dissertation. Johannesburg, 2014.This practice based research project engages with the theme of safety and security through the conceptualisation and production of sculptures and drawings. The exhibition takes the form of an installation which is the primary source of interrogation into the broad topic of increasing securitisation in the contemporary urban environment. The components of this research project include 1) a body of practical artwork which explores the theme of safety and security in Johannesburg and 2) a dissertation which locates this exploration in theoretical, critical, historical perspectives. There is a particular focus on two other securitised cities namely São Paulo and London in relationship to the work of artists Marcelo Cidade and Mona Hatoum respectively, specifically sculpture/installation, which engages thematically and materially with notions of power, surveillance and security that responds to their immediate surroundings. The Johannesburg security context and works by the design team Dokter and Misses are analysed and finally a documentation and critical reflection of my own creative work produced in the context of this study