Understanding the dynamics of parent involvement in schooling within the poverty context

No Abstract. South African Journal of Education Vol. 23 (1) 2003: pp. 1-

Veldt fires in South Africa : implications on osteometry and the biological profile

Presented at the 73rd Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 15–19, 2021, held virtually.Standard operating procedures for forensic anthropological analyses dictate that thermally altered remains should not be measured, hindering the creation of a biological profile. Few studies have addressed estimating biological parameters from burned remains, with the greatest focus of this research area being on cremated remains. However, veldt fires are more common than cremation in the South African forensic context. The aim of this study was to explore the degree of structural changes observed in domestic pig (Sus scrofa) bones associated with thermal destruction and the potential impact on the estimation of a biological profile using standard osteometric methods. A total of 96 pig femora were divided equally into two categories: fresh and dry. Within each category, equal samples were exposed to different durations of burning, namely, 5, 10, and 20 min. Ten standard femoral anthropological measurements were collected before and after burning. Technical error of measurement and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess changes in the femoral dimensions before and after burning. Most measurements were significantly different after burning, with the fresh bones decreasing in size by up to 7.8% and the dry bones decreasing in size by up to 4.0%. The magnitude of post-burning measurement changes for both burn conditions was similar to, or smaller than has previously been reported for observer measurement errors of commonly used variables investigated for standard osteometric studies. Veldt fires are less intense than cremation, thus causing less shrinkage.The National Research Foundation of South Africa.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jfoam2024Anatom

Fatalities involving illicit drug use in Pretoria, South Africa, for the period 2003 - 2012

Background. Globally, illicit drugs are responsible for many fatalities annually, yet accurate data on the nature and extent of these deaths in South Africa (SA) are lacking.Objectives. To investigate the presence and profile of illicit drugs detected in deceased persons who were subjected to medicolegal autopsies and upon whom analyses were carried out in search of illicit drugs in their body fluids at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory (PMLL), SA, over a 10-year period.Methods. A retrospective descriptive case audit was conducted for the period 2003 - 2012.Results. Screening for illicit drugs was requested in 385 out of 22 566 medicolegal autopsies. Results were available for only 281 of these cases, with 154 cases showing the presence of one or more illicit drugs. The demographic profile of positive cases indicated the majority to be male (90.3%) and white (85.1%). Decedents who tested positive for illicit drugs were predominantly aged between 20 and 30 years (51.9%). The most frequently detected drug was heroin, the presence of which was confirmed in 35.2% of cases, followed by cocaine in 19.9%. Alcohol in combination with an illicit drug or drugs was detected in 56 cases (36.4%).Conclusions. Results from this study indicate that illicit drugs were implicated in a considerable number of fatalities in Pretoria. However, it is believed that the figures are a gross under-representation of the actual number of drug users who died during this period. It is therefore recommended that further research be conducted and that drug screening be requested routinely when unnatural deaths are investigated at medicolegal mortuaries, not only to ensure the administration of justice but also to obtain more accurate data for purposes of public health programmes and improve insight into the burden of illicit drug use in SA

Atherosclerotic lesions in the thoracic aorta: A South African anatomical and histological mortuary study

Background. Worldwide, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis is on the increase. Younger people may be especially vulnerable owing to their exposure to risk factors such as drug abuse and HIV. Methods. The thoracic aortas of 149 South Africans under the age of 50 years were collected at the Salt River Mortuary, Cape Town, and examined macroscopically and microscopically for evidence of anomalies. The sample comprised predominantly males, and included black, coloured and white individuals. Results. A significantly higher level of macroscopic pathology was found in coloured males, although overall prevalence of pathology in this sample was lower than expected. A positive association was also found between body mass index and vascular pathology in the black and coloured population groups. Microscopic anomalies were common and present at high levels, irrespective of age and racial grouping. Conclusions. The widespread prevalence of microscopic anomalies in all groups suggests that these are normal variations that result from haemodynamic forces. The higher prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions in coloured males, however, probably results from specific genetic conditions such as hypercholesterolaemia or lifestyle factors such as diet or tik abuse. The findings suggest that coloured individuals may be at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease

Atherosclerotic lesions in the thoracic aorta: A South African anatomical and histological mortuary study

Background. Worldwide, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis is on the increase. Younger people may be especially vulnerable owing to their exposure to risk factors such as drug abuse and HIV. Methods. The thoracic aortas of 149 South Africans under the age of 50 years were collected at the Salt River Mortuary, Cape Town, and examined macroscopically and microscopically for evidence of anomalies. The sample comprised predominantly males, and included black, coloured and white individuals. Results. A significantly higher level of macroscopic pathology was found in coloured males, although overall prevalence of pathology in this sample was lower than expected. A positive association was also found between body mass index and vascular pathology in the black and coloured population groups. Microscopic anomalies were common and present at high levels, irrespective of age and racial grouping. Conclusions. The widespread prevalence of microscopic anomalies in all groups suggests that these are normal variations that result from haemodynamic forces. The higher prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions in coloured males, however, probably results from specific genetic conditions such as hypercholesterolaemia or lifestyle factors such as diet or tik abuse. The findings suggest that coloured individuals may be at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease

A scoping review: Identifying targeted intervention strategies for workers with occupational hearing loss

An apparent disconnect exist in workplaces regarding identification of occupational hearing loss (OHL) and implementation of specific strategies to prevent progression of OHL, evident through continued high incidence of OHL. This scoping review aimed to identify evidence regarding targeted intervention used by industry, specifically to prevent the progression of OHL for workers. The scoping review was undertaken using the PRISMA-ScR methodology. Search terms were based on three broad categories, hearing loss, workplace, and intervention. Initially 1309 articles were identified for screening and 1,207 studies not meeting the criteria were excluded. Full text reviews of 102 articles were completed and a further 93 studies excluded. The scoping review produced nine studies which were quantitatively analysed. All interventions focused primarily on lower order controls, specifically administrative and personal protective equipment. Eight studies focused on awareness training, health monitoring, mandating hearing protection device use and fit testing, and using personal attenuation ratings as a predictor to OHL. Only one study mentioned isolation of workers from noise sources, and this was an interview study with workplace managers, not a specific intervention at a workplace. The result of the review highlights the lack of published literature on targeted interventions for workers with OHL. There is insufficient evidence to inform effective, impactful change in practice to prevent the progression of OHL. It is recommended that a system of collecting and assessing specific interventions and controls for workers with OHL be developed to better inform industry on strategies that will provide adequate protection for these workers

Formulation of a topical sun protection cream for people with albinism

The aim of this investigation was to design and develop a sun protection product for people with albinism that is affordable, applicable to their specific skin condition, and provide them with the maximum sun protection possible. To achieve the required Sun Protection Factor value of > 20, simple creams were combined with very fine inorganic oxides (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) and organic sunscreen filters (2-ethylhexyl cinnamate and octyl methoxycinnamate). These combinations also ensured high UVA/UVB protection ratios. The physical stability and change in Sun Protection Factor were for products stored for 8 weeks at 25°C (60% RH) and 45°C (75% RH) were also determined. Hypoallergenic and physically stable product(s) were formulated with SPF values between 20 to 30 and UVA/UVB ratios above 0.8 by combining simple cream formulations with fine particle inorganic oxides and organic UV protection agents. This approach offered an opportunity to formulate broad-spectrum sunscreen products that met the needs of albinos.Keywords: sun protection cream, sun protection factor, albinismThe East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 7(3) 2006: 60-6

Additive opportunistic capture explains group hunting benefits in African wild dogs

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are described as highly collaborative endurance pursuit hunters based on observations derived primarily from the grass plains of East Africa. However, the remaining population of this endangered species mainly occupies mixed woodland savannah where hunting strategies appear to differ from those previously described. We used high-resolution GPS and inertial technology to record fine-scale movement of all members of a single pack of six adult African wild dogs in northern Botswana. The dogs used multiple short-distance hunting attempts with a low individual kill rate (15.5%), but high group feeding rate due to the sharing of prey. Use of high-level cooperative chase strategies (coordination and collaboration) was not recorded. In the mixed woodland habitats typical of their current range, simultaneous, opportunistic, short-distance chasing by dogs pursuing multiple prey (rather than long collaborative pursuits of single prey by multiple individuals) could be the key to their relative success in these habitats