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The South African automotive component manufacturing sector is facing global pressure to remain competitive. Performance improvement interventions are often deployed in manufacturing companies that are aimed at improving competitiveness. The high failure rate of these performance improvement interventions should be considered when developing a programme strategy for implementation. Consideration should be given to the organisation’s maturity and current performance when deciding which performance improvement intervention to select. The research objective was to establish the role of the organisational maturity variables in tailoring an integrated performance improvement intervention that develops organisational maturity and performance.

Although it is generally accepted that lean manufacturing improves operational performance, many organisations are struggling to adapt to the lean philosophy. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a more effective strategy for implementing the lean manufacturing improvement philosophy. The study sets out both to integrate well-researched findings and theories related to generic organisational culture with more recent research and experience related to lean culture, and to examine the role that culture plays in the effective implementation of lean manufacturing principles and techniques. The ultimate aim of this exercise is to develop a theoretical lean culture causal framework.

Will China be able to rebalance its economy, heavily tilted towards investment? Will it be able to increase the share of household consumption in GDP? Will it turn steeply growing social inequality around? Will urbanisation contribute to China’s rebalancing or will it add to the imbalances? Will China manage to bring pollution under control? Such variables will determine whether China can move beyond the middle-income trap and also affect its external relations. In addition, China’s rebalancing is a variable in global rebalancing. This article provides an introduction to the special issue.

Hypokalaemia is a common problem in critically ill patients, which if untreated, can result in dysrhythmia or another adverse outcome. We assessed the safety and efficacy of a continuous infusion of potassium chloride versus an existing intermittent infusion regimen. In this open-label randomised parallel-arm active-controlled pilot study, critically ill adults with plasma potassium concentration between 2.5 and 3.8 mmol/l were randomised to receive either a continuous infusion or intermittent infusions of potassium chloride for establishment and maintenance of normokalaemia. The primary outcome was the mean difference in plasma potassium concentration over time between the two study arms as assessed by a linear mixed-effects model. Although a statistically significant difference was observed (0.22 mmol/l; 95% confidence interval 0.17, 0.27; P <0.0001), this did not reach the pre-determined level indicative of a treatment effect (0.5 mmol/l). The continuous group demonstrated less variance in (mean) plasma potassium as reflected in narrower confidence intervals in a prediction-by-time model. The incidence rate ratio of dysrhythmia, assessed by a mixed-effects Poisson model, was similar in each group (0.62; 95% confidence interval 0.32, 1.21; P=0.16). We recorded no adverse events directly attributable to infusion of potassium chloride in either study arm. Although titrated continuous infusion did not demonstrate a clinically important difference by comparison with intermittent infusions for the maintenance of normokalaemia, there was more consistent control of plasma potassium with no observed complications or adverse events. Therefore, this trial showed an acceptable efficacy and safety profile for the continuous infusion regimen, suggesting scope for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Many risk factors may result in a communication delay. Reliable identification methods are essential to identify infants at risk of communication difficulties in the primary healthcare context. Literature on identifying both at-risk and established risk factors associated with communication disorders in South Africa is limited. Objective. To identify and describe risk factors for communication delays in infants 0 - 12 months of age at Daspoort Polyclinic in Gauteng. Methods. A structured interview schedule was utilised to conduct an interview with the caregiver participants. Convenience sampling was used to select 96 caregiver participants. Results. The results obtained indicated that all infant participants presented with exposure to one or more risk factors that may possibly impact communication development. High frequencies of risk factors included colds and/or flu during pregnancy, previous miscarriages, maternal smoking, low educational levels and unemployment. Conclusion. The high frequency of at-risk conditions within the Daspoort population justifies the importance of implementation of early communication intervention services in primary healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of off-links conditioning programmes for amateur golfers to enhance performance is often neglected. This study was conducted to determine the effects of a conditioning programme on body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness and handicap index as assessed by skinfolds measurements, sit-and-reach, push-ups and sit-ups, hand grip dynamometry, hamstring, quadricep and shoulder isokinetic dynamometry and physical work capacity test, respectively. Thirty-eight amateur male golfers aged between 16 and 19 years with an average handicap index of 5.1 ± 4.5 volunteered to participate in the study and were placed in a conditioning programme (CondG) (n = 31) or control group (CG) (n = 7) which only played their normal rounds of golf without a conditioning programme. The 14-week training programme consisted of a 60-minute supervised basic conditioning phase (Weeks 1-4: 9 resistance training exercises, 2-3 sets, 12-20 repetitions), a basic strength phase (Weeks 5-10: 9 resistance training exercises, 3-4 sets, 6-12 repetitions) and a maintenance phase (Weeks 11-14: 9 resistance training exercises, 2-3 sets, 8-15 repetitions) three times weekly. Each session began with a 10-15 minute warm-up and 12 static stretches held for 30-60 seconds each and concluded with a 5-10 minute cool-down. Significant (p = 0.05) improvements were found in body fat percentage, number of push-ups, right grip strength, left and right knee flexion, left and right knee flexion as a percentage of body mass, left and right shoulder internal rotation, left and right shoulder internal rotation as a percentage of body mass, maximum cardiorespiratory fitness and handicap index of the CondG group. No significant (p > 0.05) changes were found in sit-and-reach, number of sit-ups, left grip strength, left and right knee extension, left and right knee extension as a percentage of body mass and left and right shoulder external rotation and left and right shoulder external rotation as a percentage of body mass in the CondG. No significant changes were found in any of the measured variables in the CG from pre- to post-test. Thus, this study provides support that an off-links, conditioning programme for golf is both compatible and necessary to enhance performance in adolescent amateur male golfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detrimental effect of NO on N2O decomposition over zeolite supported noble metal catalysts can be (partly) eliminated by combining noble metal with iron or cobalt. In the presence of NO, the total conversion of N2O over these bimetallic-zeolites exceeds the sum of conversions over the monometallic analogues of the individual components. A synergistic effect between the metals is proposed to be responsible for this phenomenon. This synergistic effect gives superior N2O decomposition activity under realistic conditions, i.e. in the presence of water and NO, at temperatures as low as 350°C. The nature of the synergy is discussed in the light of some preliminary observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]