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In the research reported on here we explored teachers' understanding of what they perceived as core values of ethical leadership in education. Using qualitative research within an interpretivist design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers and school management team (SMT) members and analysed using Tesch's coding method. The theoretical underpinnings of the paper are grounded in 3 distinct ethics of care, justice and critique. The findings cannot be generalised since the results highlighted in this article only report on those applicable to this small qualitative sample. The main themes that emerged from the findings included the participants' understanding of 3 core values of ethical leadership. They emphasised trust, respect and transparency as vital components of ethical leadership. Recommendations include more training and research for secondary school teachers who are not well equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools to approach the needs of disenfranchised and disadvantaged learners at their schools. A more nuanced understanding of transparency in schools, policy and practices is needed.

Implementing inclusive education requires on-going commitment to teachers' professional learning. One way of implementing professional learning is to develop learning communities based on Lave and Wenger's ideas of situated learning and learning as social practice. Learning communities, drawing on models of Professional Learning Communities and communities of practice, were designed to build capacity for inclusive teaching in two rural schools in Australia and a peri-urban school in South Africa. This paper reports on a multi-case study that involves a cross-case analysis of these three learning communities. We demonstrate that across the three cases, responsiveness to contextual exigencies matters, expertise matters and supportive networks matter. These findings are further illuminated by complexity theory which draws attention to learning communities operating at the confluence of a number of interacting systems, as well as the possibility of change where teacher learning occurs through the recontextualisation of knowledge and learning across boundaries. Our findings support situated learning that values collaboration to develop social and inclusive cultures and practice in schools. The findings also have the potential to inform planning for professional learning for inclusive education.

Playing host to many leaders of South Africa's transition to democracy, the historic schools continue to contribute to the education of learners in disadvantaged rural communities. Within the leadership narratives of these schools are the lived daily experiences of female educational leaders whose voice has been largely absent from main stream leadership discourse. Problematizing this silence, this paper draws on critical feminist leadership theory to explore social justice interpretations of female leaders in South Africa's historic schools. Data were collected through a qualitative research paradigm and from a critical feminist perspective. The aim of the study was to analyse and conceptualise educational leadership in relation to power and social justice in the post-Apartheid era. Contained within the findings are multiple narrations of leadership for social justice and an alternative interpretation to feminist servant leadership. In addition, the findings unlocked insights into the relationship between curriculum management, instructional leadership and critical pedagogy.

Background: Prevention of both school dropout and teen pregnancy represent clear public health priorities for South Africa, yet their complex and potentially cyclical relationship has not been fully explored. Objective: To further understand how this relationship operates, we analyzed data from a randomized trial of young women aged 13 to 20 years enrolled in school in rural South Africa to estimate the association between pregnancy and subsequent dropout and between dropout and subsequent pregnancy. Method: We examined inverse probability (IP) of exposure-weighted survival curves for school dropout by pregnancy and for pregnancy by school dropout. We used weighted curves to calculate 1-, 2-, and 3-year risk differences and risk ratios. Additionally, we used an IP-weighted marginal structural cox model to estimate a hazard ratio (HR) for each relationship. Results: Dropout from school was associated with subsequent pregnancy (HR 3.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.04, 6.28]) and pregnancy was associated with subsequent school dropout (HR 2.36; 95% CI [1.29, 4.31]). Young women who attended school but attended fewer days had a higher hazard of pregnancy than those who attended more school (HR 3.64; 95% CI [2.27, 5.84]). Conclusion: Pregnancy is both a cause and a consequence of school dropout. Consideration of school attendance and academic performance could ultimately enhance pregnancy prevention efforts in this population. Programs should be tailored differently for (1) girls who have dropped out of school, (2) those who are in school and at risk for pregnancy, and (3) those who are in school and become pregnant.

I report on an analysis of the alignment between the South African Grade 12 Physical Sciences core curriculum content and the exemplar papers of 2008, and the final examination papers of 2008 and 2009. A two-dimensional table was used for both the curriculum and the examination in order to calculate the Porter alignment index, which indicates the degree of match between the two. Alignment indices of 0.8 and 0.6 for Physics and Chemistry, respectively, were computed and remained constant for Physics, but fluctuated initially for Chemistry before levelling off. Using the revised Bloom's taxonomy, discrepancies were found in terms of cognitive levels as well as content areas in both Physics and Chemistry. The cognitive level Remember is under-represented in the Chemistry and Physics examinations, whereas the cognitive levels Understand and Apply were over-represented in Chemistry. It is argued that the shift to higher cognitive levels is in line with the reported increase in cognitive complexity of the Physical Sciences curriculum. The significance of the study for Physical Science teachers is highlighted, and the potential for further research is also indicated.

The South African National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy was approved by the South African Cabinet in 2015. Given capacity and financial constraints, all services outlined cannot be implemented in a single step. Priorities must be set. We examine the budget implications (total cost and cost per child) and benefits of the four largest components of the Policy: interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes; home visits for at-risk mothers of children under 2 years of age; community-based playgroups for mothers and children, and center-based early childhood development services. Further, we identify which services are based on the strongest evidence, the value-based trade-offs that characterise the prioritising decisions, and which logistical factors favour alternative orderings of services. The interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes are low cost, based on sound evidence and would make use of the established healthcare infrastructure. Home visits for at-risk mothers are associated with improved development for targeted children and consequential benefits for caregivers and broader society. Playgroups are a promising low-cost intervention, but further evidence is required to determine their effectiveness. Centre-based services are expensive and generate smaller developmental returns, but provide childcare. The results highlight the value judgements required to determine the appropriate sequencing of interventions.

Due to the central role of textbooks in the teaching and learning of science, it is imperative that textbooks provide correct content and instructional support. We investigated how 16 South African Grade 7 natural science educators selected their textbooks and how they evaluated these textbooks. The results were analysed according to the constructivist paradigm, as implemented in the Revised National Curriculum Statement, as well as selection criteria found in the literature. The selection criteria that the educators listed in interviews were isolated ideas that were not embedded in a constructivist framework. The educators also lacked the necessary scientific and pedagogical content-knowledge to effectively evaluate the textbooks. Recommendations are made for improvements in educator training, departmental guidance, and textbook writing. Experience in textbook evaluation during their training courses could boost educators' competence in selecting the books and detecting and compensating for their deficiencies. This would contribute to filling South African educators' need of hands-on examples that can be applied immediately in their classrooms.

The numbers of Common Starlings Sturnus vulgaris and indigenous starling species, as well as a subset of other common birds, were recorded from October 2006 to January 2020 at 72 point-count sites along four routes (two urban and two rural) in the Eastern Cape Province of South African. In the rural habitat, Common Starlings were localised at buildings; in the urban habitat, there was no clear indication that their presence influenced the occurrence or abundance of the Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio, a native species which has colonised towns and nests on buildings. In this region there is little evidence that Common Starlings invade areas that have not been heavily modified by human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new stable oxygen and carbon isotope composite records (δ18O, δ13C) of speleothems from Sandkraal Cave 1 (SK1) on the South African south coast for the time interval between 104 and 18 ka (with a hiatus between 48 and 41 ka). Statistical comparisons using kernel-based correlation analyses and semblance analyses based on continuous wavelet transforms inform the relationships of the new speleothem records to other proxies and their changes through time. Between 105 and ~70 ka, changes of speleothem δ18O values at SK1 are likely related to rainfall seasonality. Variations of δ13C values are associated with changes of vegetation density, prior carbonate precipitation (PCP), CO2 degassing in the cave, and possibly variations of the abundance of C3 and C4 grasses in the vegetation. The relationships of δ18O with other proxies shift between ~70 and 48 ka (Marine Isotope Stages 4–3) so that both stable isotope records now reflect CO2 degassing, evaporation, and PCP. Similar relationships also continue after the hiatus for the deposition phase between 42 and 18 ka. Our findings support modeling results suggesting drier conditions in the study area when the Southern Hemisphere westerlies are shifted north and the paleo–Agulhas Plain is exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial teacher education programmes such as the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in South Africa are undergoing significant changes with the introduction of a new policy regime. This paper briefly outlines the policy changes advanced for teacher education programmes in South Africa. It examines productive pedagogies as a conceptual framework to underpin such a restructured programme. It then proposes that multiple representations can serve as a productive pedagogy of enactment in the science classroom because it engages the student with higher-order thinking skills, connects them with the world beyond the classroom in a supportive environment, and values difference by affording students multiple opportunities to develop a deep understanding of concepts. Some examples are given and the broader implications for classroom practice are discussed.

Red algae (Rhodophyta) are a heterogeneous group of marine algal species that have served as a source of high-value molecules, including antioxidants and scaffolds, for novel drug development. However, it is challenging to identify Rhodophytes through morphological features alone, and in most instances, that has been the prevailing approach to identification. Consequently, this study undertook the identification of red algae species in Kenton-on-Sea, South Africa, as a baseline for future research on red algae biodiversity and conservation. The identification was achieved by designing, analysing, and using a set of universal primers through DNA barcoding of the rbcL gene. The PCR products of the rbcL gene were sequenced, and 96% of the amplicons were successfully sequenced from this set and matched with sequences on BOLD, which led to these species being molecularly described. Amongst these species are medicinally essential species, such as Laurencia natalensis and Hypnea spinella, and potential cryptic species. This calls for further investigation into the biodiversity of the studied region. Meanwhile, the availability of these primers will ease the identification process of red algae species from other coastal regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Several low-and middle-income countries are undergoing rapid epidemiological transition with a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). South Africa (SA) is a country with one of the largest HIV epidemics worldwide and a growing burden of NCDs where the collision of these epidemics poses a major public health challenge. Methods: Using data from a large nationally representative survey, the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS 2016), we conducted a geospatial analysis of several diseases including HIV, tuberculosis (TB), cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic diseases to identify areas with a high burden of co-morbidity within the country. We explored the spatial structure of each disease and associations between diseases using different spatial and visual data methodologies. We also assessed the individual level co-occurrence of HIV and the other diseases included in the analysis. Results: The spatial distribution for HIV prevalence showed that this epidemic is most intense in the eastern region of the country, mostly within the Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Kwazulu-Natal provinces. In contrast, chronic diseases had their highest prevalence rates the southern region of the country, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. Individual-level analyses were consistent with the spatial correlations and found no statistically significant associations between HIV infection and the presence of any NCDs. Conclusions: We found no evidence of geospatial overlap between the HIV epidemic and NCDs in SA. These results evidence the complex epidemiological landscape of the country, characterized by geographically distinct areas exhibiting different health burdens. The detailed description of the heterogenous prevalence of HIV and NCDs in SA reported in this study could be a useful tool to inform and direct policies to enhance targeted health service delivery according to the local health needs of each community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing interest in bilingual education in sub-Saharan Africa has highlighted an urgent need for reading material in African languages. In this paper, we focus on authors, one of several groups of stakeholders with responsibility for meeting this demand. We address three main issues: the nature and extent of African language publishing for children; the challenges for authors; and the available support. Our analysis is based on interviews and focus group discussions with publishers, authors, translators, educationalists, and representatives of book promotion organisations from nine African countries and documentary data on children's books in African languages in South Africa. Although there is evidence of a growing interest in producing books in local languages, the number of titles is constrained by funding. The challenges for authors include the need to understand the ingredients for successful children's books and for the sensitivity necessary to negotiate the linguistic challenges associated with a newly emergent genre in African languages. Support, in the form of competitions and workshops, relies on external funding and expertise and offers only temporary solutions. We finish with suggestions for more sustainable ways forward. (Contains 4 notes and 1 figure.)

The South African constitution and related legislative tools provide a supportive framework for multilingual education. Successful implementation, however, requires appropriate learning materials and questions remain as to the vision and commitment of publishers to producing them. Based on an analysis of currently available books for children and interviews with publishers and key figures in the book value chain, this paper explores both the educational rationale for African language publishing and the issues that constrain expansion. These issues include the heavy dependence on the schools market in a society where the majority of the population cannot or do not buy books, the consequences of the slow implementation of the government language-in-education policy, and the particular challenges faced by small publishers. It argues that in order to move beyond dependence on the schools market, publishers need to look critically at the content of the materials they are producing, methods of reaching the huge, untapped markets, and pricing strategies. It also considers differing opinions about the usefulness of translation in increasing the amount of reading material in African languages. Finally, it concludes that responsibility for finding a way out of the current impasse lies with both government and the publishing industry. (Contains 2 figures.)

Teachers are the curriculum implementers in the classroom, which can become either a constraining or transformative environment. In this article Bourdieu's notion of habitus is appropriated to illustrate the transformative potential of the teacher in the classroom. Paulo Freire's problem-posing education is also utilised as it opens up the space for a dialogical encounter in the classroom. It is then suggested that argumentation as pedagogy in science education is dialogical by nature and can contribute towards social transformation. Debates about socio-scientific issues in the public domain require the skills that argumentation promotes and it is proposed that social justice pedagogy can make a contribution. (Contains 2 figures.)

The commitment to multilingualism embedded in the 1996 South African Constitution has wide ranging implications for many aspects of education. This paper focuses on the dearth of teaching and learning materials in African languages required to deliver effective bilingual education, and on the potential role of translation in offering solutions for this problem. Drawing on an analysis of currently available African language books for children and interviews with educators, writers, publishers, translators and organisations concerned with book promotion, it explores issues which have emerged as critical for both the quality and availability of translation. Attention is drawn to the ways in which translation can be perceived to either help or hinder the process of introducing children to reading materials in African languages. The challenges of working in the highly specialised field of children's literature with languages that have undergone varying degrees of standardisation are described. Finally, the tendency to translate mainly into the larger, more commercially viable languages is considered, together with suggestions for ways in which publishers might be persuaded to translate across "all" official languages. (Contains 2 figures and 8 notes.)

The quality of a country's human-resource base can be said to determine its level of success in social and economic development. This study focuses on some of the major human-resource development issues that surround the implementation of South Africa's policy of multilingualism in education. It begins by discussing the relationship between knowledge, language, and human-resource, social and economic development within the global cultural economy. It then considers the situation in South Africa and, in particular, the implications of that country's colonial and neo-colonial past for attempts to implement the new policy. Drawing on the linguistic-diversity-in-education debate in the United Kingdom of the past three decades, it assesses the first phase of an in-service teacher-education programme that was carried out at the Project for Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA) based at the University of Cape Town. The authors identify key short- and long-term issues related to knowledge exchange in education in multilingual societies, especially concerning the use of African languages as mediums for teaching and learning.

Background: There have been calls for "person-centered" approaches to drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) care. In 2020, Charles James Hospital in South Africa, which incorporated person-centered care, was closed. Patients were referred mid-course to a centralized, tertiary hospital, providing an opportunity to examine person-centered DR-TB and HIV care from the perspective of patients who lost access to it. Methods: The impact of transfer was explored through qualitative interviews performed using standard methods. Analysis involved grounded theory; interviews were assessed for theme and content. Results: After switching to the centralized site, patients reported being unsatisfied with losing access to a single clinic and pharmacy where DR-TB, HIV and chronic disease care were integrated. Patients also reported a loss of care continuity; at the decentralized site there was a single, familiar clinician whereas the centralized site had multiple, changing clinicians and less satisfactory communication. Additionally, patients reported more disease-related stigma and less respectful treatment, noting the loss of a "special place" for DR-TB treatment. Conclusion: By focusing on a DR-TB clinic closure, we uncovered aspects of person-centered care that were critical to people living with DR-TB and HIV. These perspectives can inform how care for DR-TB is operationalized to optimize treatment retention and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes GAELIC (Gauteng and Environs Library Consortium), the largest academic library consortium in South Africa. Formed in response to conditions in higher education and the need to become more cost effective, GAELIC is working to overcome the effects of the previous government's discriminatory approach through resource sharing and cooperation. (Author/LRW)

South Africa is recognised for its high reptile diversity and endemism, specifically among lizards. Phylogenetic diversity, endemism, and richness can have clear implications or raise important questions in a range of fields, and most urgently in conservation. Among squamate reptiles, these indices are very commonly associated with high temperatures and topographic heterogeneity. Indeed, mountainous biogeography has been a critical driver in the radiation of the family Gekkonidae within the subregion. Here, we assess the species richness, diversity, and endemism of Gekkonidae species inhabiting South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, accounting for phylogenetic relationships. We also employ the CANAPE method to identify regions that have neo- and/or paleoendemics. Southern African gekkonids appear to be most diverse and show high levels of endemism in three regions of Southern Africa: the northwestern Richtersveld, the escarpment running west to southeast, and the northeastern escarpment in the Limpopo province. Implications for conservation priorities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Viral suppression (VS) is the hallmark of successful antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes. We sought to compare clinic retention, virological outcomes, drug resistance and mortality between peri‐urban and rural settings in South Africa after first‐line ART. Methods: Beginning in July 2014, 1000 (500 peri‐urban and 500 rural) ART‐naïve patients with HIV were enrolled and managed according to local standard of care. Clinic retention, virological suppression, virological failure (VF), genotypic drug resistance and mortality were assessed. The definition of VS was a viral load ≤1000 copies/ml. Time to event analyses were stratified by site, median age and gender. Kaplan–Meier curves were calculated and graphed with log‐rank modelling to compare curves. Results: Based on 2741 patient‐years of follow‐up, retention and mortality did not differ between sites. Among all 1000 participants, 47%, 84% and 91% had achieved VS by 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively, which was observed earlier in the peri‐urban site. At both sites, men aged < 32 years had the highest proportion of VF (15.5%), while women aged > 32 years had the lowest, at 7.1% (p = 0.018). Among 55 genotypes, 42 (76.4%) had at one or more resistance mutations, which did not differ by site. K103N (59%) and M184V (52%) were the most common mutations, followed by V106M and K65R (31% each). Overall, death was infrequent (< 4%). Conclusions: No significant differences in treatment outcomes between peri‐urban and rural clinics were observed. In both settings, young men were especially susceptible to clinic attrition and VF. More effective adherence support for this important demographic group is needed to achieve UNAIDS targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of circulating metabolites have revealed the role of genetic regulation on the human metabolome. Most previous investigations focused on European ancestry, and few studies have been conducted among populations of African descent living in Africa, where the infectious disease burden is high (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)). It is important to understand the genetic associations of the metabolome in diverse at-risk populations including people with HIV (PWH) living in Africa. After a thorough literature review, the reported significant gene–metabolite associations were tested among 490 PWH in South Africa. Linear regression was used to test associations between the candidate metabolites and genetic variants. GWAS of 154 plasma metabolites were performed to identify novel genetic associations. Among the 29 gene–metabolite associations identified in the literature, we replicated 10 in South Africans with HIV. The UGT1A cluster was associated with plasma levels of biliverdin and bilirubin; SLC16A9 and CPS1 were associated with carnitine and creatine, respectively. We also identified 22 genetic associations with metabolites using a genome-wide significance threshold (p-value < 5 × 10−8). In a GWAS of plasma metabolites in South African PWH, we replicated reported genetic associations across ancestries, and identified novel genetic associations using a metabolomics approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk-induced fear effects exerted by top predators are pervasive in terrestrial and marine systems, with lasting impacts on ecosystem structure and function. The loss of top predators can disrupt ecosystems and trigger trophic cascades, but the introduction of novel apex predators into ecosystems is not well understood. We documented the emigration of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in response to the presence of a pair of killer whales, Orcinus orca, at a large white shark aggregation site in South Africa. Between February and June in 2017, five white shark carcasses washed up on beaches in Gansbaai, Western Cape Province, four of which had their livers removed. Sightings per unit effort (sea days) and telemetry data demonstrated that white sharks emigrated from Gansbaai following these predation events, and in response to further sightings of this pair and other killer whale pods in the vicinity. Tagging data demonstrated the immediate departure of white sharks from Gansbaai, and some sharks were subsequently moving east. Contrary to expected and well-documented patterns of white shark occurrence at this site, their sightings dropped throughout the following 2.5 years; change-point analysis on both datasets confirmed these departures coincided with killer whale presence and shark carcasses washing out. These findings suggest that white sharks respond rapidly to risk from a novel predator, and that their absence triggered the emergence of another predator, the bronze whaler Carcharhinus brachyurus. Predator–prey interactions between white sharks, other coastal sharks, and killer whales are increasing in South Africa and are expected to have pronounced impacts on the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective strategies to support PrEP adherence among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are needed. We examined PrEP use disclosure and its effect on adherence among 200 AGYW ages 16–25 initiating PrEP in South Africa to help inform these strategies. We estimated the relative prevalence of high adherence (intracellular tenofovir-diphosphate concentration ≥ 700 fmol/punch) 3- and 6-months after PrEP initiation among those who disclosed vs. did not disclose their PrEP use, both overall and by age. Most AGYW disclosed to a parent (58%), partner (58%), or friend (81%) by month 6. We did not observe a strong effect of disclosure on adherence overall; however, among younger AGYW (≤ 18 years), those who disclosed to a parent were 6.8 times as likely to have high adherence at month 6 than those who did not (95% CI 1.02, 45.56). More work is needed to understand parents' roles as allies and identify ways peers and partners can motivate PrEP use for AGYW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guava wilt disease is caused by the fungus Nalanthamala psidii. The wilt disease results in large-scale destruction of orchards in South Africa, Taiwan, and several Southeast Asian countries. De novo assembly, annotation, and in-depth analysis of the N. psidii genome were carried out to facilitate the identification of characteristics associated with pathogenicity and pathogen evolution. The predicted secretome revealed a range of CAZymes, proteases, lipases and peroxidases associated with plant cell wall degradation, nutrient acquisition, and disease development. Further analysis of the N. psidii carbohydrate-active enzyme profile exposed the broad-spectrum necrotrophic lifestyle of the pathogen, which was corroborated by the identification of putative effectors and secondary metabolites with the potential to induce tissue necrosis and cell surface-dependent immune responses. Putative regulatory proteins including transcription factors and kinases were identified in addition to transporters potentially involved in the secretion of secondary metabolites. Transporters identified included important ABC and MFS transporters involved in the efflux of fungicides. Analysis of the repetitive landscape and the detection of mechanisms linked to reproduction such as het and mating genes rendered insights into the biological complexity and evolutionary potential of N. psidii as guava pathogen. Hence, the assembly and annotation of the N. psidii genome provided a valuable platform to explore the pathogenic potential and necrotrophic lifestyle of the guava wilt pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complementary value of analytical elemental and molecular data for archaeological relics recovered from a burial deposition is illustrated here with the non‐destructive analysis of bone specimens from an early human ancestor, known as Mrs Ples. Discovered in 1947 by Robert Broom in the Sterkfontein Cave system, forming part of the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng Province, South Africa, a skull from Australopithecus africanus dated to 2.1 Mya has been identified as a Hominidae precursor to Homo sapiens. The ability to record novel compositional and structural data from such specimens without any form of chemical or mechanical pretreatment is fundamentally necessary for the preservation of such unique relics while affording conservators the information needed to undertake restoration and the adoption of conservation strategies. Our analyses revealed information about the state of preservation of the samples as well as their depositional context. Raman microspectroscopic mapping produced data on the spatial distribution of phosphate, quartz, carbon, calcite and manganese dioxide signatures on the bone fragments. Extensive deposits of pyrolusite, manganese(II) oxide, on the bone specimens are attributed to hydrogeological processes from ground water irrigation of the skeletal remains in the depositional environment; the identification of distinct quartz‐ and calcite‐rich areas may arise from taphonomic and/or depositional processes. Raman spectroscopic signatures of the organic proteinaceous component of the prehistoric bone are not observed, indicating the degradation of endogenous organics or, if present, were masked by exogeneous materials. The identification of carbon could additionally reflect the remains of biodegradative processes that have operated in the burial site. Elemental mapping using X‐ray fluorescence and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy imaging and spatially resolved energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy provided complementary information about the samples. The result is a comprehensive characterisation of the samples' morphology, elemental and molecular composition from the micro scale to the macroscale, using entirely non‐destructive analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lebeckia ambigua is a perennial legume endemic to rangeland South Africa that is adapted to dry (< 400-mm annual rainfall), infertile and acidic (below pH 5.5Ca) soils. Although it is considered that the legume was grazed by mammalian ungulates during its evolution, little is known about its production, nutritive value for grazing animals or optimal management in an agricultural context, in either its centre of the origin or in Australia. Experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses that sheep would graze L. ambigua in autumn without adverse effects on either the animal or the plant. Lebeckia ambigua was established at two sites in Western Australia. In experiment 1, three grazing intensities were imposed by exclusion cages introduced during a single intensive grazing period, to provide differing residual pasture heights. The metabolisable energy and crude protein content of L. ambigua were more than 11.4 MJ/kg dry matter and 21%, respectively for all treatments. Un-grazed L. ambigua produced 1740 kg DM/ha while a single moderate or severe grazing reduced total biomass production by about 50% over 10 weeks post-grazing (P < 0.001). In experiment 2, continuous grazing of L. ambigua for 64 days had no negative impacts on biochemical health indicators of merino wethers. Grazing had no effect on plant density in either experiment indicating that L. ambigua is adapted to substantial grazing pressure in autumn. Lebeckia ambigua could become a valuable plant for sustainably increasing livestock production on infertile soils in rain-fed agro-ecosystems where other legumes fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tenofovir diphosphate (TFV‐DP) in dried blood spots (DBS), a measure of cumulative antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, is associated with viral suppression and predicts future viremia in persons with HIV (PWH). However, its utility to identify those at risk for virologic failure (VF) and drug resistance is unknown. To address this, we aimed to establish the association between this adherence biomarker and VF with drug resistance in a cohort of PWH initiating first‐line ART in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. Methods: PWH initiating TFV disoproxil fumarate (TDF)‐based ART within a parent prospective cohort were evaluated. Using a nested design, DBS for TFV‐DP were collected from cases who developed VF (HIV‐1 RNA ≥1000 copies/ml) after ≥5 months on ART versus controls, matched 1:2 by site, age, gender, race and ART duration. Cases were categorized as having VF with or without resistance using genotyping. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare TFV‐DP for controls, cases with VF and resistance, and cases with VF without resistance. Data are presented as mean (standard deviation, SD) or geometric mean [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]. Results and discussion: One thousand participants were enrolled in the parent study between 2014 and 2016, of which 288 (29%) had DBS available. Of these, 94 (33%) were cases and 194 (67%) were controls; 59% were women. Mean age of our population was 33 (SD 8) years. Genotyping was available in 50 (53%) of the 94 cases. Geometric mean TFV‐DP in DBS from controls was 708 [95% CI; 647–773] fmol/punch, which was higher compared to participants having VF with resistance (n = 36), 386 [95% CI; 241–617] fmol/punch and VF without resistance (n = 14), 61 [95% CI; 22–164] fmol/punch; p<0.001. Genotype could not be obtained in 44 (47%) cases. Conclusions: TFV‐DP in DBS showed a stepwise association with VF and drug resistance in South African PWH. Participants having VF with resistance had mid‐range concentrations of TFV‐DP, which were higher than those for PWH without resistance. Future research on the clinical utility of TFV‐DP concentrations in DBS to predict and prevent the development of VF and drug resistance is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we use a new economic geography (NEG) model to estimate the extent to which the persistence in apartheid regional wage disparities in South Africa is an outcome of economic forces such as market access. We estimate a structural wage equation derived directly from the NEG theory for 354 regions over the period 1996 to 2011. We find support for an augmented NEG model in explaining regional wage disparities across regions in South Africa, although the market access effects are highly localised in view of high distance coefficients. We also find, even after controlling for NEG and other region-specific characteristics, a persistent wage deficit in the former homelands, where under apartheid black South Africans were forcefully relocated according to their ethnic groups. Average wages of workers in homelands remained approximately 17% lower than predicted between 1996 and 2011, despite the reintegration of these regions into South Africa and the implementation of regional policies after the end of apartheid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty alleviation programs can reduce HIV incidence but may have greater impacts when combined with other psychosocial interventions. We modeled the change in HIV incidence among South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) associated with combining a cash transfer (the South African Child Support Grant (CSG)) with other structural and behavioral interventions. We modeled observational data from the HPTN 068 study where 2328 HIV negative AGYW (13–20 years) were followed for 4 years. In a Monte Carlo simulation based on this cohort (N = 10,000), CSG receipt was not independently associated with HIV incidence. Providing the CSG combined with increasing caregiver care and reducing adolescent depression had the largest reduction in HIV incidence with the fewest number of combined interventions (RD − 3.0%; (95% CI − 5.1%, − 0.9%). Combining a monthly grant with interventions to increase caregiver care and reduce adolescent depression could substantially reduce HIV incidence above the provision of cash alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose--There is no consensus on the indicators that assess a construction company's financial performance projects undertaken. There is also a dearth of concepts on the financial performance indicators for construction companies in South Africa and indeed, the wider continent of Africa. This paper proposes novel financial performance indicators for assessing construction organizations and tests these on selected construction companies in the South African construction industry. Design/methodology/approach--This research employed a pragmatic approach. Contractors with financial credibility and capacity of R 40 million, annual turnover of R 20 million, and available capital of R 40 million were purposively selected for this study. Parameters such as total revenue, direct cost of work, total indirect cost and total income were elicited from the sample contractors to assess their financial performance. The assessment was undertaken using formulas that were formulated based on the descriptions provided under the research methodology. Further analysis was conducted using post hoc Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD). Findings--The study finds that construction companies with a strong structure, multiple areas of specialization, creative and efficient staff members, and access to funding, have a greater chance of experiencing higher: income; positive leverage; positive liquidity; and positive cash flow. Moreover, companies with specialization in civil engineering construction and project management skills experienced higher positive liquidity and profitability. Originality/value--This research is unique through its investigation and formulation of indicators for assessing the financial performance of construction companies. This research is consequently representing the first attempt to analyze financial data using the approaches prescribed and adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cave systems of the Malmani Dolomite, Gauteng, South Africa, have over the decades yielded numerous specimens of Pliocene to early Pleistocene hominin fossils which are critical for our understanding of human evolution. The geomorphological and geological context of these fossils is complex. An understanding of cave formational processes coupled with effective surface and subsurface mapping of different strata and soil depths has the potential to provide new insights. A technique that has not previously been employed to the fossil sites of South Africa is the use of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR). Applied in combination with ground‐truthing data from excavations and 3D scanning and photogrammetry the combined technique highlights the capacity for GPR to help characterise various deposits. Results indicate the potential of the method to identify new void spaces, depth of colluvium as well as mapping structurally important chert bedding. This paper focuses on the Paranthropus and early Homo‐bearing cave complex of Drimolen but highlights the potential for applying these methods throughout the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of small-bodied animals, especially small Carnivora, as indicators of palaeoenvironment, is becoming more pronounced. These smaller taxa are more spatiotemporally constrained, owing to high territoriality, ecosystem sensitivity and physical limitations on their ability to travel large distances within their lifespan. This article describes seven new Viverridae specimens, together with a re-evaluation of a previously published specimen, from the hominin-bearing site of Malapa, located in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, South Africa. When combined with other palaeoenvironmental indicators, the addition of these eight specimens, consisting of Genetta sp., Genetta genetta , and Genetta cf. tigrina , allows for a more precise reconstruction of the environment surrounding Malapa as well as providing additional insights into possible depositional factors that could have resulted in the accumulation of the Malapa deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: South Africa implemented rapid and strict physical distancing regulations to minimize SARS-CoV-2 epidemic spread. Evidence on the impact of such measures on interpersonal contact in rural and lower-income settings is limited.Methods: We compared population-representative social contact surveys conducted in the same rural KwaZulu-Natal location once in 2019 and twice in mid-2020. Respondents reported characteristics of physical and conversational ('close interaction') contacts over 24 hours. We built age-mixing matrices and estimated the proportional change in the SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number (R0). Respondents also reported counts of others present at locations visited and transport used, from which we evaluated change in potential exposure to airborne infection due to shared indoor space ('shared air').Results: Respondents in March-December 2019 (n = 1704) reported a mean of 7.4 close interaction contacts and 196 shared air person-hours beyond their homes. Respondents in June-July 2020 (n = 216), as the epidemic peaked locally, reported 4.1 close interaction contacts and 21 shared air person-hours outside their home, with significant declines in others' homes and public spaces. Adults aged over 50 had fewer close contacts with others over 50, but little change in contact with 15-29 year olds, reflecting ongoing contact within multigenerational households. We estimate potential R0 fell by 42% (95% plausible range 14-59%) between 2019 and June-July 2020.Conclusions: Extra-household social contact fell substantially following imposition of Covid-19 distancing regulations in rural South Africa. Ongoing contact within intergenerational households highlighted a potential limitation of social distancing measures in protecting older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite improvements in access to antiretroviral treatment over the past decade, sub-optimal HIV care outcomes persist among youth with HIV (YWH) in rural South Africa. Psychosocial stressors could impede improved HIV treatment outcomes within this population. We linked self-reported psychosocial health and demographic data from a cross-sectional survey conducted among YWH aged 12–24 in rural South Africa to individual medical record data, including facility visit history and viral load measurements. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to estimate the associations between five psychosocial stressors- heightened depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale scores ≥ 16), lower social support (Medical Outcomes Social Support Scale scores ≤ 38), lower resilience (Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale scores ≤ 73), lower self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores ≤ 21), and higher perceived stress (Sheldon Cohen Perceived Stress Scale scores ≥ 10)- and viral non-suppression (viral load ≥ 400 copies/mL) and loss to care (no documented clinic visits within the 90 days prior to survey), separately. A total of 359 YWH were included in this analysis. The median age of study participants was 21 (interquartile range: 16–23), and most were female (70.2%), single (82.4%), and attending school (54.7%). Over a quarter of participants (28.1%) had heightened depressive symptoms. Just 16.2% of all participants (n = 58) were lost to care at the time of survey, while 32.4% (n = 73) of the 225 participants with viral load data were non-suppressed. The prevalence of non-suppression in individuals with lower self-esteem was 1.71 (95% confidence interval: 1.12, 2.61) times the prevalence of non-suppression in those with higher self-esteem after adjustment. No meaningful association was observed between heightened depressive symptoms, lower social support, lower resilience, and higher perceived stress and viral non-suppression or loss to care in adjusted analyses. Retention in care and viral suppression among YWH in rural South Africa are below global targets. Interventions aimed at improving viral suppression among YWH should incorporate modules to improve participant's self-esteem as low self-esteem is associated with viral non-suppression in this setting. Future studies should longitudinally explore the joint effects of co-occurring psychosocial stressors on HIV care outcomes in YWH and assess meaningful differences in these effects by age, gender, and route of transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, a secondary analysis of the HPTN 068 randomized control trial, aimed to quantify the association of father and male presence with HIV incidence and first pregnancy among 2533 school-going adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in rural South Africa participating in the trial between March 2011 and April 2017. Participants' ages ranged from 13–20 years at study enrollment and 17–25 at the post-intervention visit. HIV and pregnancy incidence rates were calculated for each level of the exposure variables using Poisson regression, adjusted for age using restricted quadratic spline variables, and, in the case of pregnancy, also adjusted for whether the household received a social grant. Our study found that AGYW whose fathers were deceased and adult males were absent from the household were most at risk for incidence of first pregnancy and HIV (pregnancy: aIRR = 1.30, Wald 95% CI 1.05, 1.61, Wald chi-square p = 0.016; HIV: aIRR = 1.27, Wald 95% CI 0.84, 1.91, Wald chi-square p = 0.263) as compared to AGYW whose biological fathers resided with them. For AGYW whose fathers were deceased, having other adult males present as household members seemed to attenuate the incidence (pregnancy: aIRR = 0.92, Wald 95% CI 0.74, 1.15, Wald chi-square p = 0.462; HIV: aIRR = 0.90, Wald 95% CI 0.58, 1.39, Wald chi-square p = 0.623) such that it was similar, and therefore not statistically significantly different, to AGYW whose fathers were present in the household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There is conflicting evidence on the impact of pre-existing HIV drug resistance mutations (DRMs) in patients infected with non-B subtype virus.Methods: We performed a case-cohort substudy of the AIDS Drug Resistance Surveillance Study, which enrolled South African patients initiating first-line efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir. Pre-ART DRMs were detected by Illumina sequencing of HIV pol and DRMs present at <20% of the viral population were labelled as minority variants (MVs). Weighted Cox proportional hazards models estimated the association between pre-ART DRMs and risk of virological failure (VF), defined as confirmed HIV-1 RNA ≥1000 copies/mL after ≥5 months of ART.Results: The evaluable population included 178 participants from a randomly selected subcohort (16 with VF, 162 without VF) and 83 additional participants with VF. In the subcohort, 16% of participants harboured ≥1 majority DRM. The presence of any majority DRM was associated with a 3-fold greater risk of VF (P = 0.002), which increased to 9.2-fold (P < 0.001) in those with <2 active drugs. Thirteen percent of participants harboured MV DRMs in the absence of majority DRMs. Presence of MVs alone had no significant impact on the risk of VF. Inclusion of pre-ART MVs with majority DRMs improved the sensitivity but reduced the specificity of predicting VF.Conclusions: In a South African cohort, the presence of majority DRMs increased the risk of VF, especially for participants receiving <2 active drugs. The detection of drug-resistant MVs alone did not predict an increased risk of VF, but their inclusion with majority DRMs affected the sensitivity/specificity of predicting VF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We compared the prevalence of frailty by HIV serostatus and related biomarkers to the modified frailty phenotype among older individuals in a rural population in South Africa. Methods: Questionnaire data were from a cohort of people living with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV-uninfected people aged 50 years and older sampled from the Africa Health Research Institute Demographic Health and Surveillance area in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The prevalence of frailty was compared using five categories: (1) physical activity; (2) mobility; (3) fatigue; (4) gait speed; and (5) grip strength, and assessed for demographic, clinical, and inflammatory correlates of frailty. Results: Among 614 individuals in the study, 384 (62.5%) were women. The median age at study enrolment was 64 years [Interquartile range (IQR) (58.6–72.0)]. 292 (47.6%) were PWH. 499 (81%) were classified as either pre-frail or frail. 43 (7%) were frail and HIV positive, 185 (30%) were pre-frail and HIV positive, 57 were frail and HIV negative and 214 (35%) were pre-frail and HIV negative. Frailty was similar for HIV negative and PWH (17.7% vs 14.7%, p = 0.72). Women were more likely to be frail (18.3% vs 13.04%, p = 0.16). The prevalence of frailty increased with age for both HIV groups. In the multivariable analysis, the odds of being frail were higher in those aged 70 years and above than those aged between 50 and 59 years (p < 0.001). Females were less likely to be pre-frail than males (p < 0.001). There was no association between any of the inflammatory biomarkers and frailty and pre-frailty. Conclusion: In this population, the prevalence of frailty is similar for PWH and people without HIV, but higher for women than men. These data suggest that the odds of developing frailty is similar for PWH over the age of 50 years, who survive into older age, as for people without HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses firm-level data from company tax declarations to analyse the complementary relationship between direct access to imported intermediate inputs and manufacturing firm productivity in South Africa. We provide support for the hypothesis of firm learning by importing. Our results show that importing is associated with higher productivity among South African manufacturing firms. In addition, importing a wider variety of intermediate inputs is associated with higher firm productivity, which is consistent with the idea that imported input varieties complement domestic varieties in production. We do not find strong evidence that imports from advanced economies are more relevant for productivity than are imports from emerging economies—which is contrary to expectations that the superior technology that is embedded in advanced economy imports would boost firm productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In South Africa, most of the cognitive tests employed for neuropsychological evaluation are those developed in educationally advantaged settings such as the US, but the normative data accompanying the tests are unsuitable for use with South African examinees who have a disadvantaged quality of education, and/or whose primary language is other than English. A recently completed collation of Africa-based normative data (Shuttleworth-Edwards & Truter, 2022) includes a chapter on Performance Validity Tests (PVTs) with proposed cut-off points to assist in the identification of noncredible performance. The aim of this study was to compare the cut-off points established using educationally disadvantaged South African nonclinical normative samples for which only specificity percentages are available, with those established using clinical samples with designated valid and invalid performers for which both specificity and sensitivity data are available. A further aim was to compare the Africa-based cut-off points with age-equivalent cut-off points where available for US-based data on the targeted tests. Participants and Methods: The collation of Africa-based studies delineates cut-off scores for invalid test performance based on both nonclinical as well as clinical populations for three stand-alone PVTs especially developed to identify invalid performance including the Dot Counting Test (DCT), the Rey Fifteen Item Test (FIT), and the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM); and three commonly employed cognitive tests for which there are embedded validity indicators including the Digit Span Age-Corrected Scaled Score (ACSS) and Reliable Digit Span (RDS), the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Trail Making Test A and B (TMT A and B). For studies using nonclinical norming data alone, specificity percentages to derive the cut-off points were set at a minimum of 90%. For studies using clinical samples specificity was set at a minimum of 90%, and the associated sensitivity percentages were reported indicating each test's ability to correctly identify those with an invalid performance. The studies included participants stratified for both child and adult age groups (age 8 to 79 years) from South African educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. The data were tabled together for descriptive comparison purposes, including a column for the US-base cut-off points for equivalent age stages where available. Results: There was a high level of compatibility between the proposed cut-off points established for the South African nonclinical normative samples compared with those using clinical samples of designated valid and invalid performers. There was a trend for more lenient cut-offs for younger children and older adults compared to older children and younger adults. Compared with US-based data where available, adjustments towards leniency were called-for on all indicators. Conclusions: Cut-off scores for invalid cognitive test performance can be verified by perusing data derived from nonclinical norming samples as well as those from clinical samples, although the latter have the advantage of providing the sensitivity data to demonstrate the efficacy of a proposed cut-off score for identifying noncredible test performance. Adjustments towards leniency need to be made for cut-off scores for young children and older adults within an educationally disadvantaged population, and for disadvantaged adult populations compared with US-based educationally advantaged populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: South Africa has a multi-lingual population where fewer than 10% of the population speak English as a first language. This poses a challenge regarding language usage for a verbal fluency task. This study investigated the difference in number of words produced by independent groups of non-English examinees required to produce words in English, or in their first language, on a category verbal fluency task. Participants and Methods: A study on South African non-English first language participants was conducted using the Category Verbal Fluency test (animals) for a sample of nonclinical adults (N = 264) aged 18-60 years with 8-12 years of disadvantaged (poorly resourced) quality of education. Participants either had an African indigenous first language, or Afrikaans (a Dutch derivative) as a first language. The data were derived from one group of either African indigenous or Afrikaans first language participants who were required to use English for word production (Group A English) (n = 159; African indigenous n = 135; Afrikaans n = 24) and another group of participants who were required to use their first language (Group B First Language) (n = 105; African indigenous n = 83; Afrikaans n = 22). The comparative data were stratified for age ranges 18-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 51-60 years. Level of education was broadly equivalent across the comparative groups. T-test analyses compared the number of words produced between the English versus indigenous African groups, and English versus Afrikaans first language groups for each age category. Results: The comparison for the indigenous African first language participants, revealed no significant differences in word production for words produced in English or first language regardless of age. In the comparison for the Afrikaans first language participants there was a highly consistent tendency for better word production in Afrikaans than in English. These results indicate that socio-cultural factors may be influential for English language proficiency on a verbal fluency task, rather than the effect of first language usage "per se". Conclusions: Since the dismantling of the Apartheid system in South Africa thirty years ago, English has become the main language used in government and business and is the preferred language of tuition in schools for those speaking English or an African indigenous language, whereas during the Apartheid era, two official languages were used for government, business, and schooling (Afrikaans and English). Currently, many Afrikaans speaking individuals continue to have Afrikaans as the preferred primary language of tuition in the schools and it persists as the preferred language for use in many Afrikaans dominated business arenas. This study attests to a high level of English fluency amongst those South Africans with an indigenous African first language, who clearly are as fluent in word production using English as they are when using their first language, in contrast to the indications for Afrikaans speaking individuals. Practitioners need to be alert to sociocultural factors that can impact on the optimal use of language in test situations, which may not necessarily be the first language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family physicians have a key role to play in strengthening district health services in South Africa. There are a number of barriers to the supply of these specialists in family medicine, one of which is the quality of workplace-based training and low pass rate in the national exit examination. The South African Academy of Family Physicians in collaboration with the Royal College of General Practitioners has adopted a short course to train clinical trainers and a process of formative assessment visits (FAVs) for clinical trainers in the workplace. Training programmes have struggled to implement the FAVs and this article reports on the experience at Stellenbosch University and the issues identified. Clinical trainers who participated in FAVs mostly set developmental goals for themselves that focused on improving the learning environment and consolidating personal skills in training and assessment. The FAVs were beneficial for the family physician trainers, their managers and the academic family physicians at the university. The tools and process for conducting the FAVs may be of value to other programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to expand on the limited South African malnutrition prevalence data and investigate the feasibility of mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) as a malnutrition screening tool. Design: A cross-sectional, multi-centre, descriptive design was adopted. Setting: The study was undertaken in three tertiary public hospitals in the same urban area within the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Subjects: Adult hospitalised patients volunteered to participate (n = 266). Methods: Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires; obtaining anthropometric measurements; and consulting medical files. For maximum accuracy of various MUAC cut-off points, receiver operating characteristic curves were generated and area under the curve determined. Results: Both body mass index (BMI) and MUAC identified 21% of participants as underweight or malnourished, and 39% as overweight or obese. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) found 23% at increased malnutrition risk. Nurses or doctors detected and referred only 19% of underweight patients (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), to dietetics services. Direct measurements of BMI and MUST were unobtainable in 38% and 43% of patients respectively, whilst MUAC was obtainable in 100%. A statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001) exists between MUAC, BMI and MUST to detect malnutrition or malnutrition risk. MUAC cut-offs for undernutrition were determined at < 23 cm (BMI < 16 kg/m2) and < 24 cm (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), respectively, for the study's population groups. Conclusion: Malnutrition prevalence was high in this study, but often unidentified, with only a fifth referred to dietetic services. MUAC is a feasible method to identify adult malnutrition and should be considered as a malnutrition screening tool and key nutritional status indicator in South African public hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]