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In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of literature on online teaching and learning. Teaching mathematics in the fourth industrial revolution offers entry-level mathematics teachers formidable challenges. Despite using various teaching aids in explaining the learning area, entry-level mathematics teachers, those with zero to three years of teaching experience, have experienced challenges in blended teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such challenges could support the preconceived notion identified by others that the field of learning (mathematics) is difficult. This paper hinged on constructivist epistemology and investigated the challenges that entry-level mathematics teachers face in conducting blended teaching in the Sedibeng West District of Gauteng Province in the Republic of South Africa. Eight entry-level mathematics teachers were purposely sampled from four selected schools that participated in the article. This article adopted a case study design and responses were analysed thematically. The focus group interviews were used as tools to collect data in this study. The study revealed a variety of perceptions that entry-level mathematics teachers shared about the impact of blended teaching in mathematics learning. These included, but were not limited to, the use of teaching programs or software, the effects of load shedding and blended teaching challenges related to learners' performance and behaviour. The results of this study could provide program developers, subject advisors, school principals with other members of the management team, and mathematics teachers to support the entry-level mathematics teacher's confidence, sense of future and communication skills, as well as foster multigenerational connections in blended teaching.

The study investigated the effects of condonation on the promotion of senior phase mathematics learners into the FET phase in a high school in KwaZulu-Natal. Condoned learners were assisted to progress, despite not meeting the pass requirements. The study suggests learning support strategies teachers could use to improve condoned FET mathematics learners' performance. An exploratory case study investigated the condonation policy and its effects thereof. Interviews were conducted with two mathematics teachers, and open-ended questions were posed. The data analysis entailed collating the data, followed by a thematic data analysis approach. The literature study was done on pertinent theories, prior studies, and pragmatic research. The findings suggest that condoned learners did not master the foundational knowledge and accumulated knowledge gaps. Consequently, learners struggle to achieve good performance in FET mathematics. This may lead to condoned learners failing FET mathematics, dropping mathematics in favour of more uncomplicated mathematical literacy, or dropping out of school rather than completing Grade 12. The study recommends that condoned senior phase mathematics learners struggling to perform well in FET mathematics need to undergo an individualised learning support programme. Teachers will then employ various academic teaching and learning support strategies to help improve learners' FET mathematics performance. The success of learning support depends on a collaborative relationship between nurturing teachers and parents and positive discipline in group teaching within supplemental classes.

In the study reported on here we aimed to explore how beginner principals perceived their roles as new appointees. School principals are expected to demonstrate proficiency when performing leadership and management roles in schools. Based on the fact that no certificate for principalship exists, newly appointed principals rely on their teaching experience to fulfil the responsibilities of the position. Gronn's theory advocating leadership as a career was used as a lens to analyse the data. In this qualitative study we used interviews and document verification to understand how new appointees perceived their new roles as school leaders and managers. The findings imply that beginner principals regard themselves as ill-prepared to lead and manage schools in their early years of appointment. Their perceptions were that they lacked leadership and management experience in the areas of curriculum, human resources, school finance, stakeholder relations and interpretation of legislation. Beginner principals viewed these as challenges for their leadership and management expertise. From the study we concluded that teachers needed to be exposed to leadership and management responsibilities and that newly appointed principals needed to be trained before they assumed their new positions.

Inquiry-based approaches to science education are central to recent South African primary and secondary school curricula, but have been found challenging to adopt in disadvantaged township contexts. It is therefore important to find ways of introducing inquiry-based approaches, where pupils are encouraged to investigate phenomena they are interested in and to engage in true dialogue, as opposed to teacher-led triadic dialogue. We typically experience thermal phenomena through the sense of touch, but infrared (IR) cameras provide an additional opportunity to experience heat-related phenomena through the visual sense. Previously, in a Swedish context, we have found that hand-held IR cameras allow for strong pedagogical affordances and inspire pupils to engage in inquiry in the area of thermal science. In the present case study, grade 7 and 8 pupils (13-14 years old) in two South African township schools were introduced to IR cameras during predict-observe-explain (POE) exercises on heat conduction. The results revealed that if pupils had a sufficient conceptual understanding of heat conduction beforehand, they were capable of engaging in true dialogue in relation to the exercises and interpreting the thermal camera visual imagery. However, if pupils did not show such understanding, it was tempting for them and the facilitator to resort to triadic dialogue.

Despite the paucity of evidence determining the aptitude of malicious online content to influence people to resort to violence, social media is fast becoming one of the catalysts of contemporary xenophobic narratives. Malicious contents in the form of fake news and hate speech are increasingly contributing to enflame online and offline tensions and violence. Focusing on September 2019 anti-foreigner violence in South Africa, this paper aims to assess the way misleading online content migrates into real-word attitudes and actions such as anti-migrant violence, reprisals, and counterviolence actions. Based data collected online and group discussions with young Africans in two African countries after the September 2019 outbreak of violence, our findings indicate a consistent positive association between exposition of young Africans across the continent to online content on violence in South Africa and their resentment against South Africans. Nevertheless, our findings could not establish a strong positive correlation between exposition to fake news and outbreak of violence. It is then not sure if messages shared on social media resort to violent offline actions. Taking the example of South Africa, our discussion assessed the propagation of deceitful content via social media, as a strategy for actors (community and political leaders) to advance ideas and social positions in the struggle for livelihood, identity, and sovereignty. The paper concludes that investing in digital media literacy could contribute to reduce the belief in online disinformation and the migration of emotions they create, into offline attitudinal and behavioural actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The discontinuation of "Mother-Baby Friendly" accreditation, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has contributed to reduced breastfeeding rates observed in parts of South Africa. Consequently, the Child, Youth and School Health cluster of the National Department of Health, with support from the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund, organised a Mother-Baby Friendly initiative revitalisation workshop. Methods: Held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 29–30, 2022, the workshop brought together local and international breastfeeding promotion experts to engage on issues related to the revitalisation of the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative. The workshop included presentations and group sessions aimed at setting expectations, evaluating the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, and developing actionable revitalisation strategies. Results: Inadequate monitoring of the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative implementation and adherence to the Ten Steps was identified as a major implementation bottleneck. Participants identified steps ten (coordinating discharge so that parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care), five (supporting mothers to initiate and maintain breastfeeding and manage common difficulties), and two (ensuring that staff have sufficient knowledge, competence, and skills to support breastfeeding) of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative as the most difficult to implement. Step seven (enabling mothers and their infants to remain together and to practise rooming-in 24 h a day) was the least difficult to implement. Workshop participants identified the following proposed solutions to revitalise breastfeeding promotion: strengthening capacity building and mentorship, improving monitoring and accountability measures, and certification of facilities meeting the initiative's standards. Conclusion: Current breastfeeding policies and practices must be evaluated by the National Department of Health in collaboration with provincial and private representatives of the initiative to effectively revitalise the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative. Moreover, an integrative monitoring framework must be developed through stakeholder engagement, role clarification, and ownership. While collaboration between the private and public sectors is required to promote training and communication within healthcare facilities and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to define a set of representative weather patterns for South Africa that can be utilized to support impact‐based forecasting of heatwave events. Sets of weather patterns have been generated using k‐means clustering on daily ERA5 reanalysis data between 1979 and 2020. Different pattern sets were generated by varying the clustering atmospheric variable, the spatial domain and the number of weather patterns. These weather patterns are evaluated using the explained variation score to assess their ability to represent the variability of the maximum daily 2m temperature (Tmax,2m). The results indicate that a set of 30 weather patterns generated using mean sea‐level pressure, with a clustering domain in the range 15°–34°E and 21°–36°S, provides a reasonable representation of Tmax,2m variability across South Africa. The implementation of an appropriate weather pattern set into a medium‐range forecasting tool has the potential to extend the prediction of high‐impact weather events in South Africa, such as heatwaves, and also highlight specific impacts on the population, for example, food and water insecurity, heat exhaustion or energy and transport impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores artificial intelligence (AI) uptake in selected South African mainstream newsrooms. It seeks to determine the extent to which AI has been adopted and how journalists and editors perceive its appropriation in newsmaking practices. To address these two broad aims, the study used in-depth interviews with journalists and editors. Our findings suggest a slow, varied but methodical uptake of AI practices in South Africa's mainstream newsrooms. We deduced three uses of AI in these newsrooms. The first is what we call the holistic appropriation of AI. The second one is the exclusively technological appropriation of AI, and the last one is the task-specific appropriation of AI. This varied uptake of AI is taking place against a deep-seated skepticism with this technology. The skepticism is driven by fear of job losses, the costs of adopting AI, limited training, ethical issues around AI and its efficacy in the democratic process. On this last point, South African journalists question whether AI can be beneficial to the sustenance of a post-apartheid democratic society. Our argument, therefore, is that the optimism about AI in newsrooms that some researchers find in Europe and US newsrooms cannot be transferred to newsrooms in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to determine the comparative effectiveness of context-based and traditional teaching approaches in enhancing student achievement in genetics, problem-solving, science inquiry and decision-making skills, and attitude towards the study of life sciences. A mixed method but essentially quantitative research approach involving a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent pre-test post-test control group design was used for the investigation. A total of 190 students from six grade 11 intact science classes, and their six teachers drawn from the six high schools in Tshwane South educational district in Gauteng, South Africa comprised the study sample. The participating teachers taught a genetics course made up of several themes to students in the control and experimental groups over a 7-week period. Five instruments were used to assess student performance in genetics content knowledge, science inquiry skills, problem-solving and decision-making abilities and attitude towards life sciences. Qualitative data derived from teachers' and students' interview protocols were used to supplement the quantitative data. The results suggest that context-based teaching was significantly better than traditional teaching approaches in enhancing student performance, apart from specific science inquiry skills. Performance differences were strongly associated with the type of contexts used in designing the genetics learning materials, and the context-based teaching model used for implementing the materials.

Background: Antiretroviral treatment improves health related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). However, one third initiating first-line treatment experience virological failure and the determinants of HRQoL in this key population are unknown. Our study aims to identify determinants of among PWH failing antiretroviral treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We analysed data from a cohort of PWH having virological failure (> 1,000 copies/mL) on first-line ART in South Africa and Uganda. We measured HRQoL using the EuroQOL EQ-5D-3L and used a two-part regression model to obtain by-country analyses for South Africa and Uganda. The first part identifies risk factors that were associated with the likelihood of participants reporting perfect health (utility = 1) versus non-perfect health (utility < 1). The second part identifies risk factors that were associated with the EQ-5 L-3L utility scores for participants reporting non-perfect health. We performed sensitivity analyses to compare the results between the two-part model using tobit models and ordinary least squares regression. Results: In both countries, males were more likely to report perfect health and participants with at least one comorbidity were less likely to report perfect health. In South Africa, participants with side effects and in Uganda those with opportunistic infections were also less likely to report perfect health. In Uganda, participants with 100% ART adherence were more likely to report perfect health. In South Africa, high HIV viral load, experiencing ART side effects, and the presence of opportunistic infections were each associated with lower HRQoL, whereas participants with 100% ART adherence reported higher HRQoL. In Uganda participants with lower CD4 count had lower HRQoL. Conclusion: Markers of advanced disease (opportunistic infection, high viral load, low CD4), side effects, comorbidities and lack of ART adherence negatively impacted HRQoL for PWH experiencing virological failure. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02787499. Highlights: What we already know: As antiretroviral treatment (ART) access has expanded for people with HIV (PWH) and the condition has transitioned from a routinely fatal to chronic disease in sub-Saharan Africa, longer term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become the primary focus of care. ART generally improves HRQoL, but up to one third of PWH initiating first-line ART will experience virological failure. The gap: The determinants of HRQoL for PWH suffering virologic failure in sub-Saharan Africa are unknown. What our study adds: Markers of advanced disease (opportunistic infection, high viral load, low CD4), side effects, comorbidities and lack of ART adherence negatively impacted HRQoL for PWH experiencing virological failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been suggested that parasites are effective bioindicators as they are sensitive to environmental changes and, in some cases, accumulate trace elements in higher concentrations than their hosts. Accumulated elements sequester in different organs. In monogenean and crustacean ectoparasites, sclerotised structures and egg yolk appear to be the preferred site for element sequestration. In this study, the sequestration of trace elements; Mg, Al, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn in Lamproglena clariae was studied from two rivers. Adult L. clariae were collected from the gills of Clarias gariepinus from Lake Heritage in the Crocodile River and in the Vaal River below the Vaal Dam, South Africa. Collected parasites were flash frozen in liquid nitrogen and sectioned with a cryomicrotome. Sections were treated with Phen-Green to observe fluorescent signals. Trace elements in the parasite were analysed using a scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive spectroscope (SEM–EDS). Results showed more intense fluorescence signals in the exoskeleton compared to tissues, and in the egg yolk. Analysis by SEM–EDS confirmed the presence of elements in the parasite from both sites. Levels of Al were higher in L. clariae from the Vaal River than those from Lake Heritage, and Fe was higher in L. clariae from Lake Heritage. Element distribution patterns in the parasite matched those in the water from the sites. Unlike other crustaceans, regulation of metals in adult females of L. clariae does not occur through moulting, but high levels occurred in the yolk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allegations of corruption and rape against President Jacob Zuma constituted among the most covered stories in South Africa and beyond. Widely dubbed "the Zuma saga" by the media, the twin stories began with allegations of corruption in the arms deal. While the corruption case still gripped the public, another damning allegation (rape) surfaced and fermented the story to levels surpassed by no other story at the time. Zuma was subsequently acquitted of the rape charge, but the charge of corruption continued relentlessly until the eve of the 2009 elections, in which he was elected as president. But just as the South African public thought the dust was settling, Zuma was hit by another damning allegation of inappropriately spending R250 million on upgrading Nkandla, his private residence. This article is three-pronged. First, it examines the key issues that accounted for the media frenzy sparked by both the Nkandla debacle and the Zuma saga. Second, it unravels critical ethical questions and legal issues implicit in the aforementioned cases. Third, because Zuma's acquittal raised questions regarding the independence of the judiciary, the article also assesses the condition of judicial independence in South Africa. Theoretically, the article is informed by the sociology of journalism ethics and the notions of ethical leadership and judicial independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeks to identify some of the issues associated with the role of models in scientific explanations. Develops a typology of explanations and explores the notion of appropriateness in scientific explanations. Investigates the nature of models and their contribution to explanations. (DDR)

Seeks to identify some of the issues associated with the role of models in scientific explanations. Discusses factors which may influence the way that those explanations are understood and the judgment of their appropriateness by the various audiences involved. Contains 55 references. (DDR)

Day‐to‐day synchrony between flower opening and pollinator activity is important for maximizing plant fitness. A succulent, Bulbine frutescens (L.) Willd., is an ideal model for studying synchrony in response to daily weather as it flowers year‐round. Additionally, it has self‐incompatible flowers that open for just one day, making it essential that flower opening matches pollinator activity.Observations were made on urban plants in California, USA, with validation measurements in the native range in South Africa. Independent observations indicated that flowers open primarily after favourable conditions the previous day, specifically air temperatures above 15°C. Solar radiation was experimentally shown to have limited, but significant effects. Pollinators, mostly bee species, had similar temperature thresholds to flowers.Developmental constraints on flowers were hypothesized to delay opening by a day. Flower bud growth was closely related to temperature, with warm days resulting in sufficient growth for buds to become competent to open the following day. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that competent flowers were suppressed from opening until at least 16 h was accumulated in which temperatures were above 12°C; thus, on many cool days, sufficient development to cause flower opening would only occur a day after favourable weather.Based upon regression models of pollinator and flower response to weather, fitness was estimated as a function of synchrony, over 20 years of weather from California and across the natural range in South Africa. Flowers responding to either the previous day's or current day's weather resulted in similar predicted fitness, with flower response to the current day's weather leading to a slightly higher cost, that is, flowers opened when pollinators would be absent.Multiple temperature responsive constraints on bud growth and development result in delays in flower opening, such that flower opening occurs the day after favourable weather. Given the high correlation between daily temperatures in USA and South African winter‐rainfall environments, behaviour predicting the following day's weather results in high fitness. Many pollinators share similar temperature thresholds for activity, thus diverse plants may have evolved predictive behaviour maximizing daily synchrony between pollinators and flower opening. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause serious lung infections in young children and there is currently no available vaccine. Methods We used complementary statistical frameworks to analyze 4 RSV serology measurements in mothers and their infants in South Africa who participated in a phase 3 maternal immunization trial of an RSV F protein nanoparticle vaccine as correlates of risk and of protection against different RSV disease endpoints. Results We found evidence to support each antibody measurement—encompassing RSV-neutralizing antibodies and F surface glycoprotein-binding antibodies—as an inverse correlate of risk of RSV-associated acute lower respiratory tract infection with severe hypoxia in at least 1 framework, with vaccine-induced fold-rise from the maternal enrollment to day 14 samples of anti-F immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding antibodies having the most consistent evidence. This evidence includes a significant association of fold-rise anti-F IgG with vaccine efficacy (VE); achieving a baseline covariate-adjusted VE of 75% requires a vaccine-induced maternal anti-F IgG fold-rise of around 16. Neither multivariable logistic regression nor superlearning analyses showed benefit to including multiple time points or assays in the same model, suggesting a parsimonious correlate. Post hoc exploratory analyses supported adherence of vaccine-induced maternal anti-F IgG fold-rise to the Prentice criteria for a valid surrogate endpoint. Conclusions Our results suggest that the vaccine induced protective anti-F antibody responses. If this finding is confirmed, VE could potentially be augmented by increasing these responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent advances in chronometric techniques (e.g., Uranium-Lead [U-Pb], cosmogenic nuclides, electron spin resonance spectroscopy [ESR]), considerable uncertainty remains regarding the age of many Plio-Pleistocene hominin sites, including several in South Africa. Consequently, biochronology remains important in assessments of Plio-Pleistocene geochronology and provides direct age estimates of the fossils themselves. Historically, cercopithecid monkeys have been among the most useful taxa for biochronology of early hominins because they are widely present and abundant in the African Plio-Pleistocene record. The last major studies using cercopithecids were published over 30 y ago. Since then, new hominin sites have been discovered, radiometric age estimates have been refined, and many changes have occurred in cercopithecid taxonomy and systematics. Thus, a biochronological reassessment using cercopithecids is long overdue. Here, we provide just such a revision based on our recent study of every major cercopithecid collection from African Plio-Pleistocene sites. In addition to correlations based on shared faunal elements, we present an analysis based on the dentition of the abundant cercopithecid Theropithecus oswaldi, which increases in size in a manner that is strongly correlated with geological age (r ² ∼0.83), thereby providing a highly accurate age-estimation tool not previously utilized. In combination with paleomagnetic and U-Pb data, our results provide revised age estimates and suggest that there are no hominin sites in South Africa significantly older than ∼2.8 Ma. Where conflicting age estimates exist, we suggest that additional data are needed and recall that faunal estimates have ultimately proved reliable in the past (e.g., the age of the KBS Tuff). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Services medico-legal mortuary perform postmortem examinations on all cases of unnatural deaths in the greater Johannesburg metropolitan area, in South Africa. Unidentified decedents can comprise up to 10.0% of the total number of annual admissions at this medico-legal mortuary. To address the identification of the deceased, the Human Decedent Identification Unit (ID Unit) was created to perform secondary examinations for identification purposes. The aim of this study was to report on the identification methods and success rate of the ID Unit. Over a period of 31 months (January 2018–July 2020), unidentified decedents comprised 8.1% (n = 693) of all cases at the Johannesburg mortuary. The ID Unit processed 385 (55.6%) unidentified individuals during this period, who were mostly adult (100%), Black (94.5%), males (91.7%). DNA samples were successfully collected from most cases in the form of hair (96.4%; n = 371), blood (92.2%; n = 355), and nail samples (90.1%; n = 347). Fingerprints retrieved in 65.5% of cases (n = 252). Ultimately, 87 persons (22.6%) were positively identified. Fingerprinting was the most successful method of identification (98.9% of cases; n = 86). One positive identification was facilitated through DNA analysis. The nationalities of the positively identified decedents were from South Africa (52.9%; n = 46), Zimbabwe (5.7%), Uganda (1.1%), Mozambique (1.1%), Malawi (1.1%), South Sudan (1.1%), and undisclosed in 36.8% of cases. Through the collaborative efforts of all the agencies involved, the impact of the work of this ID Unit is vast—not only for South African authorities but most importantly for the decedents and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where technology clusters are concerned, extant research has primarily highlighted those that are situated in developed economies. The literature shows that immigrants – those who have moved to a region from other places – have been instrumental in the technology cluster emergence process. However, the heavy emphasis on developed economies has limited our understanding of technology cluster emergence in emerging economy contexts, and the ways that immigrants – the non-natives in a region – or natives – those born in a region – contribute to this process. This paper explores this issue through comparison of nine microfoundations for technology cluster emergence within regional natives and non-natives in the emerging technology cluster context of Johannesburg, South Africa. The research shows that natives and non-natives exhibit different profiles, with demographic factors accounting for some of the observed differences. Importantly, the research contributes to the field the understanding that natives and non-natives in emerging economies hold different potentials to influence technology cluster emergence and, therefore, may require different policy interventions to promote technology cluster development in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper reaches of the Crocodile River (West) system are located in the western basin of the Witwatersrand mountain chain, an area heavily influenced by gold mining. After the spill of highly acidic and contaminated mining-influenced water into the river system in 2002, chemical water treatment was implemented to compensate for the consequences of acid mine drainage. Some studies thereafter have shown metal concentrations of concern in the system, but never considered longer periods of time. For this study, we investigated water and sediments over a period of 13 months from 7 sampling sites in the system. In addition to physico-chemical parameters such as temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity, a multi-element analysis was conducted. We used various versions of atomic-absorption-spectroscopy, total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in filtered and acidified water samples as well as sediment leachates. Concentrations of Ni, Zn, As, Pb, and U in the sediment were clearly elevated at the site closest to the mine as well as further downstream, some of them far exceeding quality guidelines. Moreover, dissolved Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn and U occurred irregularly in concentrations of concern at the site of mining-influenced water inflow. Our findings clearly indicate a risk of further and chronic mobilization of toxic elements from this site and a possible threat to the connected river system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars of the Holocaust have long recognized that ordinary people's accounts, by definition subjective and individual, can deepen our understanding of the experience and impact of the genocide. The distinctive value of personal letters, however, particularly collections of sustained correspondence among multiple writers, has not yet been fully appreciated or explored in Holocaust historiography. Over the past decade or so, more and more collections of personal correspondence relating to the Holocaust have been unearthed. Their distinctive form and burgeoning numbers stimulate questions about their potential historical significance and how, in both practical and analytical terms, they might most fruitfully be approached. Building on my longstanding work with the family letters of Rudolf Schwab, a German-Jewish refugee who eventually ended up in South Africa, I reflect in this essay on a series of methodological questions surrounding the use of such private collections in Holocaust historiography. How might they differ, as sources, from the many testimonies, diaries, and other ego-documents with which Holocaust historians already work? Are they simply another addition to this already vast archive? To what extent might they enrich, complicate, or even disrupt our prevailing understandings? What new perspectives might they offer scholars about the Holocaust, the experiences of refugees, and beyond? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the death rate caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa has thus far been much lower than initially feared, the economic and social impact has been severe. The country's Jewish community, constituting 0.1% of the population with a median age of 45 years, has not escaped its effects. Organizations and individuals have nonetheless been able to mobilize a rapid and wide-reaching series of responses directed towards those most in need both inside and outside the community. The uniquely coordinated, energetic, and multipronged nature of these responses are attributed to robust communal infrastructure, strong community social capital, and the history of the Jewish community's positioning in post-apartheid South Africa, alongside the perceived importance of health to collective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: HIV virological failure remains a major threat to programme success in sub‐Saharan Africa. While HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) and inadequate adherence are the main drivers of virological failure, the individual, clinical and health system characteristics that lead to poor outcomes are not well understood. The objective of this paper is to identify those characteristics among people failing first‐line antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: We enrolled a cohort of adults in HIV care experiencing virological failure on first‐line ART at five sites and used standard statistical methods to characterize them with a focus on three domains: individual/demographic, clinical, and health system, and compared each by country of enrolment. Results: Of 840 participants, 51% were women, the median duration on ART was 3.2 years [interquartile range (IQR) 1.1, 6.4 years] and the median CD4 cell count prior to failure was 281 cells/µL (IQR 121, 457 cells/µL). More than half of participants [53%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 49–56%] stated that they had > 90% adherence and 75% (95% CI 72–77%) took their ART on time all or most of the time. Conversely, the vast majority (90%; 95% CI 86–92%) with a completed genotypic drug resistance test had any HIV drug resistance. This population had high health system use, reporting a median of 3 (IQR 2.6) health care visits and a median of 1 (IQR 1.1) hospitalization in the preceding 6 months. Conclusions: Patients failing first‐line ART in sub‐Saharan Africa generally report high rates of adherence to ART, have extremely high rates of HIV drug resistance and utilize significant health care resources. Health systems interventions to promptly detect and manage treatment failure will be a prerequisite to establishing control of the HIV epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world has brought massive disruptions to every facet of life. However, a crisis can present revolutionary change and growth opportunities for both individuals and institutions. This study is a cross-country study that examines the disruptions and opportunities that the pandemic has wrought to mainstream news reporting practices. Utilising data from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, we seek to answer the question: in what ways did the pandemic disrupt news production, and what opportunities to the mainstream media did the pandemic open? To answer this question, we utilise in-depth interviews with practising journalists and draw on the interaction of Schudson's sociological view of news production and Bourdieu's field theory. We note that the pandemic disrupted news sourcing routines in ways that compromised the quality of news production. Paradoxically, amidst this disruption, we notice that media–state relations and trust in mainstream media improved dramatically. This makes us argue that the pandemic represented an opportunity for mainstream media to "reset" their existential purpose, considering how they revitalised their relations and how they reclaimed declining trust in them. We conclude that COVID-19 may have breathed a new lease of life into a declining journalism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial markets integration has resulted in high interconnectedness among the BRICS stock markets, which minimizes diversification potentials. This has increased investors' interest in the financialization of commodities to minimize their portfolio risks. However, the comovements between these assets do not operate in a vacuum, which requires that the role of volatilities be considered in tandem. The purpose of this study is to explore the interdependencies between energy commodities and stock markets of BRICS in the midst of relevant volatilities. For this reason, the wavelet techniques, biwavelet and partial wavelet, are employed. We find that positive comovements between energy commodities and stock markets of BRICS become stronger in the long-term. Furthermore, volatility has a long-term impact on the correlations between energy commodities and the BRICS stock market. We argue that the US Volatility Index, which measures investor anxiety and volatility in stock markets, has the biggest impact on the relationship between energy commodities and BRICS stock markets. Surprisingly, the correlations between energy commodities and Russian stock markets were strong enough to withstand the effects of volatilities. Hence, investors can use volatilities to hedge portfolio risks in energy commodities and stock markets in Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs on a study that employed a digital ethnographic approach to analyse a network of human relationships and connections based on the physical and social phenomena of political protest and xenophobia, accompanied by looting and the destruction of property in South Africa. It examines how social media have been used to fuel violence, protest, xenophobic attacks, and the looting of shops, and for ordinary citizens to post videos or images of protest actions on the internet. This article uses the tenets of propaganda (the propaganda model) as a social media theory to analyse online activism in various forms, such as journalism and political protest for citizen mobilisation and participation. The article finds that participation in groups (reflected by hashtags) is determined by shared interests or grievances (mob psychology) and shaped by propaganda. It concludes that social media are tools or platforms that can be used for good or bad, echoing realities on the ground, such as poverty and social inequalities, as causes of political protest, xenophobia, and looting in South Africa. Political players and activists drive their own agendas by exploiting or emphasising the causes of poverty and social inequalities, thereby attracting followers who reaffirm their messages by tweeting and retweeting. The article concludes that social media are weaponised for protest, causing panic, anxiety, and discomfort that linger for an unspecified period until another outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite strong evidence showing the lifelong benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and children, global breastfeeding practices remain poor. The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes is an internationally agreed code of practice, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981, to regulate promotion of commercial formula, and is supported by legislation in many countries. However, marketing of formula remains widespread and contributes to mother's decisions to formula feed. We present South African data from a multi-country, mixed-methods study exploring women's decision-making about infant feeding and how this was influenced by exposure to formula marketing.Methods: Using a consumer-based marketing approach, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with pregnant women and mothers of children aged between 0 and 18 months in two urban sites in South Africa. Participants were purposively selected according to their child's age, infant feeding practices and socioeconomic status. Ten FGDs were conducted during February 2020 with a total of 69 participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data with NVivo v.12 software.Results: Despite being encouraged by health professionals to breastfeed and intending to do so, many mothers chose to give formula in the early weeks and months of their child's life. Mothers reported breastfeeding challenges as the most frequent reason for initiating infant formula, stating that family members and health professionals recommended formula to solve these challenges. Although participants described few advertisements for infant formula, advertisements for 'growing-up' formulas for older children were widespread and promoted brand recognition. Mothers experienced other marketing approaches including attractive packaging and shop displays of infant formula, and obtained information from social media and online mothers' groups, which influenced their choice of formula brand. Mothers reported strong brand loyalty derived from previous experiences and recommendations. Health professionals frequently recommended formula, including recommending specific formula brands and specialist formulas.Conclusion: Global formula companies use multifaceted marketing methods to promote a strong narrative portraying formula feeding as a positive lifestyle choice. Positive, coordinated efforts are required to counter pro-formula messaging and change the narrative to support breastfeeding as an aspirational choice. In particular, health professionals must stop supporting the formula industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of isolation or confinement, making regular natural history observations can not only represent a source of enjoyment, but generates insights into local avian ecology. Here we present an account of the urban bird diversity of Stellenbosch, South Africa, derived from daily observations of species presence collected during the initial two stages of the country's nationwide COVID-19 lockdown period (66 days). A total of 38 bird species were observed during this time, including sightings of urban hunting behavior for birds of prey and greenspace foraging in general. The most commonly seen taxa were typical human-commensal species, including sparrows and doves. Many species were encountered far less frequently, with 21 of the 38 species being observed on less than 10 days. This was most notable for birds of prey (n = 6 species from Accipitriformes and Falconiformes) or African swifts (n = 2 species from Apodiformes), which were recorded only a few times for any given species. Our account provides some relatively niche information regarding the presence of birds from a single city block in South Africa and notes interesting observations of urban foraging behaviour, but also underscores the value of birdwatching during times of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, parasites are sensitive toward environmental changes, and, in some cases, they are even more sensitive than their hosts. However, there is limited knowledge on the physiological responses of parasites and their effects on their hosts in relation to environmental degradation. In this study, metallothioneins (MTs) were isolated and compared between the ectoparasite Lamproglena clariae and its host fish Clarias gariepinus. Differences in the levels of MTs in the parasite and host were compared to physicochemical water quality variables and metals to determine if MT expression was linked with changes in water quality. Clarias gariepinus individuals were sampled from 2 sites of differing water quality along the Vaal River using gill nets and assessed for L. clariae. Gill, muscle, and liver tissue of the host and L. clariae were collected and stored in liquid nitrogen for analysis of MT. Water and sediment samples were collected for metal analysis by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Nutrient levels and water hardness in water samples were assessed using spectrophotometry. MTs were quantified using spectrophotometry and size exclusion chromatography in the host and parasite, respectively. Infections by L. clariae differed between sites, with higher parasite intensity at the unpolluted Vaal Dam site. Concentrations of MT in host tissues and L. clariae were significantly higher at the polluted site, below the Vaal River Barrage, compared to the Vaal Dam site. Parasite MT concentrations were significantly lower compared to concentrations in the liver and gill tissue of C. gariepinus individuals. In conclusion, differences in the concentrations of MT and infection biology of L. clariae reflected the state of the environment and support the usefulness of this parasite and other Lamproglena spp. as bioindicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virologic failure in HIV predicts the development of drug resistance and mortality. Genotypic resistance testing (GRT), which is the standard of care after virologic failure in high-income settings, is rarely implemented in sub-Saharan Africa.Objective: To estimate the effectiveness of GRT for improving virologic suppression rates among people with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa for whom first-line therapy fails.Design: Pragmatic, unblinded, randomized controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02787499).Setting: Ambulatory HIV clinics in the public sector in Uganda and South Africa.Patients: Adults receiving first-line antiretroviral therapy with a recent HIV RNA viral load of 1000 copies/mL or higher.Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to receive standard of care (SOC), including adherence counseling sessions and repeated viral load testing, or immediate GRT.Measurements: The primary outcome of interest was achievement of an HIV RNA viral load below 200 copies/mL 9 months after enrollment.Results: The trial enrolled 840 persons, divided equally between countries. Approximately half (51%) were women. Most (72%) were receiving a regimen of tenofovir, emtricitabine, and efavirenz at enrollment. The rate of virologic suppression did not differ 9 months after enrollment between the GRT group (63% [263 of 417]) and SOC group (61% [256 of 423]; odds ratio [OR], 1.11 [95% CI, 0.83 to 1.49]; P = 0.46). Among participants with persistent failure (HIV RNA viral load ≥1000 copies/mL) at 9 months, the prevalence of drug resistance was higher in the SOC group (76% [78 of 103] vs. 59% [48 of 82]; OR, 2.30 [CI, 1.22 to 4.35]; P = 0.014). Other secondary outcomes, including 9-month survival and retention in care, were similar between groups.Limitation: Participants were receiving nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based therapy at enrollment, limiting the generalizability of the findings.Conclusion: The addition of GRT to routine care after first-line virologic failure in Uganda and South Africa did not improve rates of resuppression.Primary Funding Source: The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: UNAIDS fast track targets for ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 call for viral suppression in 95% of people using antiretroviral therapy (ART) to treat HIV infection. Difficulties in linking to care following a positive HIV test have impeded progress towards meeting treatment targets. Community‐based HIV services may reduce linkage barriers and have been associated with high retention and favourable clinical outcomes. We use qualitative data from The Delivery Optimization of Antiretroviral Therapy (DO ART) Study, a three‐arm randomized trial of community ART initiation, monitoring and re‐supply conducted in western Uganda and KwaZulu‐Natal South Africa, to identify mechanisms through which community ART delivery may improve treatment outcomes, defined as viral suppression in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Methods: We conducted open‐ended interviews with a purposeful sample of 150 DO ART participants across study arms and study sites, from October 2016 to November 2019. Interviews covered experiences of: (1) HIV testing; (2) initiating and refilling ART; and (3) participating in the DO ART Study. A combined inductive content analytic and thematic approach was used to characterize mechanisms through which community delivery of ART may have contributed to viral suppression in the DO ART trial. Results: The analysis yielded four potential mechanisms drawn from qualitative data representing the perspectives and priorities of DO ART participants. Empowering participants to schedule, re‐schedule and select the locations of community‐based visits via easy phone contact with clinical staff is characterized as flexibility. Integration refers to combining the components of clinic‐based visits into single interaction with a healthcare provider. Providers" willingness to talk at length with participants during visits, addressing non‐HIV as well as HIV‐related concerns, is termed "a slower pace". Finally, increased efficiency denotes the time savings and increased income‐generating opportunities for participants brought about by delivering services in the community. Conclusions: Understanding the mechanisms through which HIV service delivery innovations produce an effect is key to transferability and potential scale‐up. The perspectives and priorities of PLHIV can indicate actionable changes for HIV care programs that may increase engagement in care and improve treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disorders are increasingly being characterized in modern society as contributing to a host of serious medical problems, including obesity and metabolic syndrome. Changes to the microbial community in the human gut have been reportedly associated with many of these cardiometabolic outcomes. In this study, we investigated the impact of sleep length on the gut microbiota in a large cohort of 655 participants of African descent, aged 25–45, from Ghana, South Africa (SA), Jamaica, and the United States (US). The sleep duration was self-reported via a questionnaire. Participants were classified into 3 sleep groups: short (<7hrs), normal (7-<9hrs), and long (≥9hrs). Forty-seven percent of US participants were classified as short sleepers and 88% of SA participants as long sleepers. Gut microbial composition analysis (16S rRNA gene sequencing) revealed that bacterial alpha diversity negatively correlated with sleep length (p<0.05). Furthermore, sleep length significantly contributed to the inter-individual beta diversity dissimilarity in gut microbial composition (p<0.01). Participants with both short and long-sleep durations exhibited significantly higher abundances of several taxonomic features, compared to normal sleep duration participants. The predicted relative proportion of two genes involved in the butyrate synthesis via lysine pathway were enriched in short sleep duration participants. Finally, co-occurrence relationships revealed by network analysis showed unique interactions among the short, normal and long duration sleepers. These results suggest that sleep length in humans may alter gut microbiota by driving population shifts of the whole microbiota and also specific changes in Exact Sequence Variants abundance, which may have implications for chronic inflammation associated diseases. The current findings suggest a possible relationship between disrupted sleep patterns and the composition of the gut microbiota. Prospective investigations in larger and more prolonged sleep researches and causally experimental studies are needed to confirm these findings, investigate the underlying mechanism and determine whether improving microbial homeostasis may buffer against sleep-related health decline in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As part of the global Invasive Bacterial Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Surveillance Network, 12 African countries referred cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to South Africa's regional reference laboratory. We evaluated the utility of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting and serotyping/grouping Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (HNS).Methods: From 2008 to 2017, CSF samples collected from children <5 years old with suspected meningitis underwent routine microbiology testing in-country, and 11 680 samples were submitted for HNS PCR at the regional reference laboratory. Unconditional logistic regression, with adjustment for geographic location, was performed to identify factors associated with PCR positivity.Results: The overall HNS PCR positivity rate for all countries was 10% (1195 of 11 626 samples). In samples with both PCR and culture results, HNS PCR positivity was 11% (744 of 6747 samples), and HNS culture positivity was 3% (207 of 6747). Molecular serotype/serogroup was assigned in 75% of PCR-positive specimens (762 of 1016). Compared with PCR-negative CSF samples, PCR-positive samples were more often turbid (adjusted odds ratio, 6.80; 95% confidence interval, 5.67-8.17) and xanthochromic (1.72; 1.29-2.28), had elevated white blood cell counts (6.13; 4.71-7.99) and high protein concentrations (5.80; 4.34-7.75), and were more often HNS culture positive (32.70; 23.18-46.12).Conclusion: PCR increased detection of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis in countries where confirmation of suspected meningitis cases is impeded by limited culture capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite what its subtitle might suggest, Noah Tamarkin's new book has little to do with South African Jews - or more precisely, it has little to say about the Jews most would consider to be the mainstream community in South Africa. Following the genetic studies, some American Jews travelled to South Africa to connect with Lemba people on the basis of their assumed shared Jewishness. Against the backdrop of Lemba people's struggles for recognition in South Africa, the very nature of the project sometimes placed Tamarkin in an uncomfortable position vis-à-vis Lemba subjects. [Extracted from the article]

Understanding the evolution of vertebrate sociality requires comparative data on social associations across the vertebrate phylogeny. In the case of group‐living lizards (i.e. species that live in stable social aggregations often associated with a shared resource), most work has focused on the Egerniinae in Australia, resulting in a taxonomic and geographic skew to our understanding of reptile sociality. The African cordylid lizards (Cordylidae) are also a promising system to study the evolution of sociality because grouping behaviour varies across the clade. Here, we studied the conspecific grouping behaviour of two crag lizards, Pseudocordylus langi and P. melanotus subviridis that occur at high elevations in the Maloti‐Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa. To better understand their social organisation and mating system, we also present data on their spatial distribution, sexual dimorphism, and bite force. Both Pseudocordylus spp. were sexually dimorphic in morphology (males had larger heads than females of similar body size), colouration (males were more colourful) and female P. langi had a weaker bite force than males. Both P. langi and P. m. subviridis were associated with rocky habitat on the mountainside (e.g. cliffs, rock buttresses, and rock outcrops) and both were spaced apart and rarely in groups (79% of P. langi and 90% of P. m. subviridis were observed alone). Based on our findings, we hypothesise that both Pseudocordylus spp. have a territorial social structure and a polygynous mating system. This novel natural history information about crag lizards supports the assertion that Cordylidae is another model system for examining the evolution of sociality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Attractant‐based trapping is used in the establishment of pest‐free areas and areas of low pest prevalence for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). Male lures are commonly used attractants in fruit fly trapping. In this study, the effects of male lure dispensers, traps and combinations of dispensers and traps on monitoring of two fruit fly pests, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), were investigated in South Africa. RESULTS: In the male‐lure‐based trapping systems evaluated, trimedlure (TML) for C. capitata and methyl eugenol (ME) for B. dorsalis, the type of dispenser affected catches for both species. Higher catches of B. dorsalis males were recorded in bucket traps baited with a dispenser containing 15 g ME compared with traps baited with dispensers containing either 4 g ME or 2 g ME. Catches of C. capitata males were higher with dispensers containing TML than those with TML plus extender (Capilure®). The type of trap used with TML also influenced catches of C. capitata with higher numbers recorded in yellow Delta trap compared with the Sensus bucket trap. CONCLUSIONS: Dispensers with higher ME loadings are more effective for monitoring of B. dorsalis. The yellow Delta trap baited with TML (without extender) would be an effective monitoring system for C. capitata. Fruit fly prevalence levels as determined by specific trapping systems should be related to their efficiency in terms of catches of the target pests. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogenetic signal of transmissibility (competence) and attack severity among hosts of generalist pests is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the phylogenetic effects on hosts differentially affected by an emergent generalist beetle–pathogen complex in California and South Africa. Host types (non‐competent, competent and killed‐competent) are based on nested types of outcomes of interactions between host plants, the beetles and the fungal pathogens. Phylogenetic dispersion analysis of each host type revealed that the phylogenetic preferences of beetle attack and fungal growth were a nonrandom subset of all available tree and shrub species. Competent hosts were phylogenetically narrower by 62 Myr than the set of all potential hosts, and those with devastating impacts were the most constrained by 107 Myr. Our results show a strong phylogenetic signal in the relative effects of a generalist pest–pathogen complex on host species, demonstrating that the strength of multi‐host pest impacts in plants can be predicted by host evolutionary relationships. This study presents a unifying theoretical approach to identifying likely disease outcomes across multiple host‐pest combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a regression setting, it is often of interest to quantify the importance of various features in predicting the response. Commonly, the variable importance measure used is determined by the regression technique employed. For this reason, practitioners often only resort to one of a few regression techniques for which a variable importance measure is naturally defined. Unfortunately, these regression techniques are often suboptimal for predicting the response. Additionally, because the variable importance measures native to different regression techniques generally have a different interpretation, comparisons across techniques can be difficult. In this work, we study a variable importance measure that can be used with any regression technique, and whose interpretation is agnostic to the technique used. This measure is a property of the true data‐generating mechanism. Specifically, we discuss a generalization of the analysis of variance variable importance measure and discuss how it facilitates the use of machine learning techniques to flexibly estimate the variable importance of a single feature or group of features. The importance of each feature or group of features in the data can then be described individually, using this measure. We describe how to construct an efficient estimator of this measure as well as a valid confidence interval. Through simulations, we show that our proposal has good practical operating characteristics, and we illustrate its use with data from a study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing awareness of deteriorating health of aquatic ecosystems, as a result of human activities, has led to the suggestion that fish host-parasite relationships are possible bioindicators of environmental pollution. This study examined the impact of water quality and trace elements on the seasonal occurrence of Cichlidogyrus philander Douëllou, 1993. In situ water quality variables were recorded, and sediment and water samples collected, for analysis of trace elements and metals. Collections were performed monthly from February 2016 to January 2017, during which 164 Pseudocrenilabrus philander (Weber, 1897) hosts were collected and their C. philander loads were counted. Monogeneans occurred throughout the year, with prevalence, mean intensity and abundance reaching maximum values of 90.74%, 29.9 and 29.4, respectively, in summer. Trace element and metal levels were highest in sediment and lowest in water. No significant correlation was found between water quality and trace elements on infection variables. Trace elements did not have an effect on the occurrence of the parasite, therefore it was concluded that the changes observed during the study were not brought on by changes in water quality as a result of pollution, but rather that these changes relate to seasonal variation in infection biology of C. philander. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing literature promoting corporate governance mechanisms as important elements that could mitigate the inconclusive findings within the corporate social performance and firm profitability research. A key theoretical assumption within the extant literature that provides support for this proposition is that corporate social performance and firm profitability are organisational outcomes in the presence of good corporate governance. Aim: Firstly, the aim is to re-investigate voluntary social performance disclosure (SPD) and long-term profitability association from the perspective of international standards, using the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 guidelines. Secondly, to examine the joint moderating effect of board independence and managerial ownership (MO) on the voluntary SPD and profitability nexus. Setting: The South Africa institutional setting, where recent corporate governance regimes require firms to voluntarily make corporate governance related disclosures on both shareholderand stakeholder-related information is used as the study context. Method: Utilising manually extracted data of listed firms, over the period 2010 to 2015, the generalised least square regression and seemingly unrelated regression (with a 1-year lag as the main independent variable) are used to examine the stated hypotheses. Results: We found a positive association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. We also found that the presence of non-executive directors positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Thirdly, the proportion of MO significantly positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Lastly, the complementary role of the presence of non-executive directors and the proportion of MO significantly positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and longterm profitability. Conclusion: This study finds support for scholarly theoretical arguments that organisational outcomes are largely possible in the presence of good corporate governance, which has a longterm implication for firms’ shareholder wealth maximisation. This study contributes to the ongoing research examining the notion of substitutive versus complementary effects of governance mechanisms, and a growing research literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure from the perspective of international standardisation. This study therefore makes far-reaching contributions to the corporate governance and social responsibility literature in an African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a total of twenty samples selected for investigation originate from South Africa and Namibia uranium mines. The aim of this study was to determine whether the lead ratios measured in particular samples could be used to attribute the uranium sample to the production or reprocessing plant. Measurements were carried out using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer PerkinElmer NexION 2000. The precision obtained for the 208Pb/206Pb ratio, the 207Pb/206Pb ratio and the 204Pb/206Pb ratio values was considerably lower than 0.02% demonstrating the applicability of the technique for Pb isotope ratio studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial-scale field studies were conducted in citrus orchards to test the efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in controlling the soil-dwelling life stages of the key pest, Thaumatotibia leucotreta. Trials were conducted in three provinces of South Africa from 2011 to 2013. Two EPN species were tested: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae. Both EPN species were applied underneath citrus tree canopies, either with a spray machine or through the microsprinkler irrigation system. The concentration of nematodes and frequency of application varied. Efficacy of these treatments was measured by evaluation of EPN infection of sentinel T. leucotreta larvae in the soil at various intervals after application and by T. leucotreta infestation of fruit. Successful control was recorded in several trials, with EPN infection of larvae frequently reaching 80 %. However, in a few trials, this level of infection was assisted by naturally occurring EPNs. Fruit infestation by T. leucotreta larvae was reduced by up to 88 %. Efficacy appeared to be limited by suboptimal soil moisture and temperature. The former was influenced mainly by mode and relative thoroughness of irrigation before and after EPN application. This was best obtained through microsprinkler application. Nematode species and concentration also influenced efficacy. Both EPN species survived and persisted in the soil of the treated orchards for up to 4 months. Promising results support their potential for use in an integrated pest management programme in citrus in South Africa. • Thaumatotibia leucotreta is an important pest of citrus in sub-Saharan Africa. • Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae are virulent to T. leucotreta. • In field trials, more than 80 % of T. leucotreta larvae were infected with nematodes. • Fruit infestation with T. leucotreta larvae was reduced by up to 88 %. • Best results were achieved with monthly applications of EPNs for four months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HVTN 100 evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of an HIV subtype C pox-protein vaccine regimen, investigating a 12-month booster to extend vaccine-induced immune responses.Methods and Findings: A phase 1-2 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial enrolled 252 participants (210 vaccine/42 placebo; median age 23 years; 43% female) between 9 February 2015 and 26 May 2015. Vaccine recipients received ALVAC-HIV (vCP2438) alone at months 0 and 1 and with bivalent subtype C gp120/MF59 at months 3, 6, and 12. Antibody (IgG, IgG3 binding, and neutralizing) and CD4+ T-cell (expressing interferon-gamma, interleukin-2, and CD40 ligand) responses were evaluated at month 6.5 for all participants and at months 12, 12.5, and 18 for a randomly selected subset. The primary analysis compared IgG binding antibody (bAb) responses and CD4+ T-cell responses to 3 vaccine-matched antigens at peak (month 6.5 versus 12.5) and durability (month 12 versus 18) timepoints; IgG responses to CaseA2_gp70_V1V2.B, a primary correlate of risk in RV144, were also compared at these same timepoints. Secondary and exploratory analyses compared IgG3 bAb responses, IgG bAb breadth scores, neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses, antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis, CD4+ polyfunctionality responses, and CD4+ memory sub-population responses at the same timepoints. Vaccines were generally safe and well tolerated. During the study, there were 2 deaths (both in the vaccine group and both unrelated to study products). Ten participants became HIV-infected during the trial, 7% (3/42) of placebo recipients and 3% (7/210) of vaccine recipients. All 8 serious adverse events were unrelated to study products. Less waning of immune responses was seen after the fifth vaccination than after the fourth, with higher antibody and cellular response rates at month 18 than at month 12: IgG bAb response rates to 1086.C V1V2, 21.0% versus 9.7% (difference = 11.3%, 95% CI = 0.6%-22.0%, P = 0.039), and ZM96.C V1V2, 21.0% versus 6.5% (difference = 14.5%, 95% CI = 4.1%-24.9%, P = 0.004). IgG bAb response rates to all 4 primary V1V2 antigens were higher 2 weeks after the fifth vaccination than 2 weeks after the fourth vaccination: 87.7% versus 75.4% (difference = 12.3%, 95% CI = 1.7%-22.9%, P = 0.022) for 1086.C V1V2, 86.0% versus 63.2% (difference = 22.8%, 95% CI = 9.1%-36.5%, P = 0.001) for TV1c8.2.C V1V2, 67.7% versus 44.6% (difference = 23.1%, 95% CI = 10.4%-35.7%, P < 0.001) for ZM96.C V1V2, and 81.5% versus 60.0% (difference = 21.5%, 95% CI = 7.6%-35.5%, P = 0.002) for CaseA2_gp70_V1V2.B. IgG bAb response rates to the 3 primary vaccine-matched gp120 antigens were all above 90% at both peak timepoints, with no significant differences seen, except a higher response rate to ZM96.C gp120 at month 18 versus month 12: 64.5% versus 1.6% (difference = 62.9%, 95% CI = 49.3%-76.5%, P < 0.001). CD4+ T-cell response rates were higher at month 18 than month 12 for all 3 primary vaccine-matched antigens: 47.3% versus 29.1% (difference = 18.2%, 95% CI = 2.9%-33.4%, P = 0.021) for 1086.C, 61.8% versus 38.2% (difference = 23.6%, 95% CI = 9.5%-37.8%, P = 0.001) for TV1.C, and 63.6% versus 41.8% (difference = 21.8%, 95% CI = 5.1%-38.5%, P = 0.007) for ZM96.C, with no significant differences seen at the peak timepoints. Limitations were that higher doses of gp120 were not evaluated, this study was not designed to investigate HIV prevention efficacy, and the clinical significance of the observed immunological effects is uncertain.Conclusions: In this study, a 12-month booster of subtype C pox-protein vaccines restored immune responses, and slowed response decay compared to the 6-month vaccination.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02404311. South African National Clinical Trials Registry (SANCTR number: DOH--27-0215-4796). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-apartheid democratic South Africa experienced the pitfalls of one-party dominance when the country's fifth democratically elected parliament (2014–2019) faced growing corruption, state capture, undermining of parliamentary oversight and the abuse of political power and state institutions. These events threatened the country's constitutional democracy and its principles of an accountable government as the ruling party undermined parliamentary oversight structures through majoritarianism to evade accountability by the Legislature and Executive. This led to the growing coexistence and cooperation of opposition parties (despite their ideological differences) in parliamentary oversight as a means of challenging the African National Congress' (ANC) one-party dominance. This process resulted in the establishment of formal and informal coalitions for governing key cities such as Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay. Against this backdrop, and building on a case study of these three metropolitan municipalities, this paper analyses the coexistence of the opposition parties in parliamentary oversight and in the governance of key cities as a means of challenging the ANC's one-party dominance. The analysis delineates the prospects and challenges of using coexistence as a strategy for challenging the ANC's one party-dominance post the 2019 general election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral and fecal microbial biomarkers have previously been associated with cardiometabolic (CM) risk, however, no comprehensive attempt has been made to explore this association in minority populations or across different geographic regions. We characterized gut- and oral-associated microbiota and CM risk in 655 participants of African-origin, aged 25–45, from Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, and the United States (US). CM risk was classified using the CM risk cut-points for elevated waist circumference, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasted blood glucose, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and elevated triglycerides. Gut-associated bacterial alpha diversity negatively correlated with elevated blood pressure and elevated fasted blood glucose. Similarly, gut bacterial beta diversity was also significantly differentiated by waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceridemia and HDL-cholesterolemia. Notably, differences in inter- and intra-personal gut microbial diversity were geographic-region specific. Participants meeting the cut-points for 3 out of the 5 CM risk factors were significantly more enriched with Lachnospiraceae, and were significantly depleted of Clostridiaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, and Prevotella. The predicted relative proportions of the genes involved in the pathways for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and butyrate synthesis were also significantly differentiated by the CM risk phenotype, whereby genes involved in the butyrate synthesis via lysine, glutarate and 4-aminobutyrate/succinate pathways and LPS synthesis pathway were enriched in participants with greater CM risk. Furthermore, inter-individual oral microbiota diversity was also significantly associated with the CM risk factors, and oral-associated Streptococcus, Prevotella, and Veillonella were enriched in participants with 3 out of the 5 CM risk factors. We demonstrate that in a diverse cohort of African-origin adults, CM risk is significantly associated with reduced microbial diversity, and the enrichment of specific bacterial taxa and predicted functional traits in both gut and oral environments. As well as providing new insights into the associations between the gut and oral microbiota and CM risk, this study also highlights the potential for novel therapeutic discoveries which target the oral and gut microbiota in CM risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen has been used as a fingerprint for understanding the trophic interactions of organisms. Most of these studies have been applied to free-living organisms, while parasites have largely been neglected. Studies dealing with parasites so far have assessed the carbon and nitrogen signatures in endoparasites or ectoparasites of different hosts, without showing general trends concerning the nutritional relationships within host–parasite associations. Moreover, in most cases such systems involved a single host and parasite species. The present study is therefore the first to detail the trophic interactions of a freshwater monogenean–host model using δ13C and δ15N, where a single monogenean species infects two distinctly different hosts. Host fishes, Labeobarbus aeneus and Labeobarbus kimberleyensis from the Vaal Dam, South Africa, were assessed for the monogenean parasite Paradiplozoon ichthyoxanthon , individuals of which were removed from the gills of the hosts. The parasites and host muscle samples were analysed for signatures of δ13C and δ15N using an elemental analyser connected to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Host fish appear to use partly different food sources, with L. aeneus having slightly elevated δ13C signatures compared to L. kimberleyensis , and showed only small differences with regard to their nitrogen signatures, suggesting that both species range on the same trophic level. Carbon and nitrogen signatures in P. ichthyoxanthon showed that the parasites mirrored the small differences in dietary carbon sources of the host but, according to δ15N signatures, the parasite ranged on a higher trophic level than the hosts. This relationship resembles predator–prey relationships and therefore suggests that P. ichthyoxanthon might act as a micropredator, similar to blood-sucking arthropods such as mites and fleas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to examine the efficacy of indigenous-language newspapers published in South Africa during the colonial era. In doing so, the article is particularly interested to see how the success achieved by those publications could be replicated to boost post-apartheid indigenous-language media in their encounter with the hegemonic onslaught of the mainstream media whose scope and hegemony continue to expand at an alarming rate. The article embraces the notion of the public sphere and the theory of hegemony to make sense of how indigenous media permeated the language and political discourse and emerged as a strong voice for the oppressed, reinforcing at once what Herman and Chomsky (2002) refer to as 'class consciousness'. The notion of the public sphere is found to be particularly profitable in highlighting the exclusion/inclusion of wide-ranging voices in the public affairs while the robustness of the theory of hegemony lies in its strengths to unravel the political imperatives and the ideological contest that characterized the colonial era. The article argues that indigenous publications succeeded in becoming viable platforms for the indigenous communities who had been pushed beyond the margins of citizenship. The article concludes that indigenous-language media were particularly important for their political mobilization and contribution to media diversity through the range of voices that they orchestrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]