Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf): Open Journal Systems
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A "Parenting Licence" Granted by One’s Existing Children? Critical Analysis of the Judgment in Ex Parte JCR 2022 5 SA 202 (GP)
No full textIn Ex parte JCR 2022 5 SA 202 (GP) the Pretoria High Court per Neukircher J seeks to introduce new requirements for all surrogacy agreements in South African law. The court considered the psychological impact of surrogacy on the children of both the surrogate parents and the commissioning parents and the need to put in place procedures ‘for preparing them for this process [of not bringing the surrogate baby home]’ or ‘for a new addition to their family’, respectively. The court ordered the mandatory psychological assessment of the existing children of the surrogate parents and commissioning parents. A report emanating from such an assessment would ostensibly assist the court in determining the best interests of the existing children of the parties to the agreement.
We argue that the psychological evaluation of the existing children of the parties to a surrogate motherhood agreement fundamentally upsets the balance between the interests of the parties involved in the surrogacy process. In fact, it shifts the balance of power almost entirely into the hands of the existing children, such that they may be said to decide whether their parents allowed to have any more children. We argue that the court’s interpretation that such assessments would be in the best interests of existing children, is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the court’s duty in this regard. The new assessment requirement is more likely to undermine these children’s interests, to violate the commissioning parents’ constitutional rights to dignity and equality, and their rights to reproductive autonomy, privacy, and access to reproductive healthcare
Clearing the Red Tape – Towards a Balanced Regulatory Framework for Early Childhood Development:
No full textThe state of early childhood development (ECD) provisioning in South Africa is dire. An onerous regulatory regime is one factor contributing to this crisis. Instead of a developmental and enabling framework, the regulatory landscape is convoluted and overly burdensome. This in turn frustrates the realisation of the rights of children. The author argues that regulatory reform in this context is not only desirable but constitutionally required. The article begins by providing an overview of the evolution of the ECD regulatory landscape in South Africa with a particular focus on health and safety regulation. A shift from under-regulation in the pre-constitutional era to over-regulation in the constitutional era is identified. The author proceeds to argue that South Africa's current state of affairs is animated in part by a failure to articulate the full set of interests that should inform a balanced ECD regulatory regime. Pathways towards a more coherent and coordinated regulatory framework for ECD health and safety standards are suggested. The proposed reforms, albeit limited, have the potential to offer immediate relief to both under-resourced providers and overburdened administrator
Concussion injury management, perception, and knowledge in amateur field hockey
Get PDFBackground: Field hockey has a high risk for sports-related concussion (SRC) injuries due to the speed and intensity of the game, current rules, field surfaces and equipment composition. Head injuries are the second most common reported injury and up to 75% of SRCs go unreported or undetected. This increases the subsequent injury risk, long term health consequences and prolonged injury recovery.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of SRC in hockey players within the Southern Gauteng Hockey Association (SGHA) premier league. Concussion knowledge and attitudes of hockey players, coaches, umpires, and officials were also investigated.
Methods: A partially mixed sequential dominant status design (QUANT–qual) was used, divided into two phases. In Phase One hockey players, coaches, umpires, and technical officials (n=119) completed a modified RoCKAS-ST questionnaire. In Phase Two, a focus group discussion with umpires (n=3) and interviews with coaches (n=3) were conducted.
Results: Injuries to the shoulder, neck, head, and face were reported from stick use (n=98); ball use (n=102) and collisions (n=187). Only 19% of hockey players were diagnosed with SRC, indicating that many of these injuries were undetected or not reported. Responses from the focus group discussion and interviews indicated that coaches, umpires, and officials felt they had insufficient knowledge of SRC.
Conclusion: The recognition and management of on-field injuries require improvement to enhance the injury detection system
Development of a chitosan-multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite for application in solid-phase adsorption toxin tracking of microcystins
No full textContamination of water and food with cyanotoxins poses human health risks, and hence the need for sensitive early warning tools to monitor these in water. A composite of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (ChMWCNTs) was synthesised and tested for potential use as a solid-phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) adsorbent for monitoring microcystins (MCs) in fresh water. The composite was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory and scanning electron microscopy. Batch adsorption experiments to assess the effect of contact time, adsorbent dosage and initial microcystin-LR (MC-LR) concentration were conducted. The composite was found to be efficient in adsorbing MC-LR, showing 97% removal and a maximum adsorption capacity of 4.639 μg/g under optimised conditions of 5 μg/L of MC-LR, adsorbent dose of 0.03 g/5 mL and 30 min contact time. The adsorption kinetics were better explained by a pseudo-second-order model, inferring chemisorption adsorption. The isotherm data better fitted the Langmuir isotherm model, thus inferring monolayer surface adsorption. For desorption, 100% methanol was the most effective, with an efficiency of 84.71%. The composite effectively adsorbed and desorbed three congeners of MCs (–LR, –RR and –YR) when tested in raw dam water, regardless of its lower maximum adsorption capacity compared to those of other adsorbents used for similar purposes.
Significance:
Monitoring of microcystins is problematic in large reservoirs and rivers.
Chitosan can be crosslinked and modified to enhance its adsorption properties.
Composites of chitosan and carbon nanotubes efficiently adsorb and desorb microcystins.
This study is possibly the first to apply a chitosan-based sorbent in solid-phase toxin tracking (SPATT) to be used as an early warning tool in passive monitoring of microcystins in water resources.
Open data set: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.20992291.v
Association of accelerometry-based and self-reported physical activity with cardiovascular risk in South African children
No full textThe burden of non-communicable diseases is increasing, with risk factors emerging early in life. Physical activity reduces cardiovascular risk, but limited evidence exists for children from lower-income countries and mostly relies on self-reported methods that might be inaccurate and biased. We aimed to compare self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity in relation to cardiovascular risk markers in children from underserved communities in South Africa. We analysed cross-sectional data from 594 children aged 8 to 13. Physical activity was measured via accelerometry and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Correlation analyses and linear regression models examined the relationship between accelerometer-measured and self-reported physical activity and their association with cardiovascular risk markers (body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipid profile and glycated haemoglobin). Results show a positive but weak correlation between PAQ-C scores and accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). MVPA was inversely associated with body mass index, whilst sedentary behaviour correlated positively with lipid levels. PAQ-C scores were inversely associated with systolic blood pressure. The comparison of self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity in children from Gqeberha, South Africa, revealed inconsistencies in their correlation and association with cardiovascular risk markers. Accelerometry provided a more accurate cardiovascular risk estimation than PAQ-C, although associations were weak. Further, longitudinal studies should investigate the predictive power of both methodologies. These findings inform researchers and public health practitioners in the choice of method for physical activity appraisal beyond practical considerations, especially when combined with cardiovascular risk and in lower-income settings.
Significance:
We explore two widely used methods to assess physical activity levels in children. By comparing both methods, we expose inconsistencies in their correlation and association with cardiovascular risk markers. These data can guide researchers and public health practitioners in the use of one method beyond practical considerations. Whilst this work focuses on children from marginalised areas of South Africa, the issues explored are of relevance to other lower-income settings.
Open data set: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.721714
Retrieval of displaced dental implant in maxillary sinus by modified Caldwell Luc technique
Get PDFDisplacement of dental implants into the maxillary sinus is an uncommon complication during implant placement. Here we present a case report of retrieval of dental implant displaced in the maxillary sinus with modification of Caldwell-Luc technique. A 35-year-old man presented to our institution for replacement of the maxillary right first molar using dental implant. At the point of final tightening of the implant, it suddenly got displaced into the maxillary sinus. The displaced dental implant was retrieved by performing a modification of the Caldwell-Luc technique which utilises gravitational force, saline as a vehicle and a tight-fitting suction tip in the surgically created lateral window. He was also instructed in coughing and sneezing techniques. Medical and dental professionals can utilise this technique effectively when advanced equipment such as endoscopes are not available to retrieve dental implants displaced in the maxillary sinus and it also preserves significant amount of alveolar bone in comparison to the traditional Caldwell Luc techniqu
Learning experiences of undergraduate first-year dental and oral hygiene students at a South African dental university
Get PDFStudents in higher education institutions endure many difficulties which may adversely affect their career choices, learning experience and academic success.
Aims and objectivesThe aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to learning experiences of undergraduate dental and oral hygiene students during their first year of study at a South African dental university.
DesignCross-sectional design that included quantitative and qualitative data.MethodsAn online questionnaire was used to capture the students’ perceptions towards learning experiences and factors contributing to academic success. The sample consists of 84 first-year dental and oral hygiene students registered in the 2021 academic year. ResultsA total of 59 students responded (70%) and most of them reported to have problems with academic learning, time management, heavy workload and a negative attitude towards online lectures. Problems related to social learning included inability to make friends and lack of participation in university social activities, finances and accommodation. In terms of coping mechanisms, students utilised tutoring classes, sought advice from senior students, watched educational YouTube videos and applied for a study loan or bursary. Students reported to obtain emotional support from friends and family members and adopted a positive attitude resulting in committed self-motivation.
ConclusionMost students had challenges with academic and social factors. Students requested they be assisted in time management skills and study skills, in coping mechanisms to deal with a demanding workload and having access to an educational psychologist
Maxillofacial Radiology Mönckeberg arteriosclerosis
No full textPatient 1: A 75-year-old male presented to the department for the extraction of the 11. Upon panoramic examination (fig. 1), a well defined, curvilinear “railroad track” opacity was noted across the inferior border of the left mandible (white arrow).
Patient 2: A 77-year-old male patient was referred for a Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scan (fig. 2) prior to implant therapy. The scan slices demonstrate “pipe-track” and “railroad track” hyperdensities along the course of the facial artery on CBCT examination
DRAFTING DEFINITIONS WITH POLISEMY AND SEMANTIC CHANGE IN MIND
No full textLegislative definitions must be as clear and precise as possible. Different sources for legislative drafting provide guidelines on how to ensure clarity and precision. Many of these guidelines provide language-related advice. However, language guidelines and linguistic principles are not the same thing. Garth Thornton’s book is one of the few that suggests drafters study language to benefit their drafting techniques. He specifically mentions the link between language and society, and claims that drafters will gain by understanding how meaning (and language) change owing to societal changes. This article explores Thornton’s observation by attending to the polysemy and possible semantic change of the word “strike”, taken from the case of SASRIA v Slabbert Burger Transport [2008] ZASCA 73. The article claims that social processes like lived experiences and changing perspectives function as drivers of semantic change. These changes lead to the development of new semantic variations that coexist with the old or base meaning of a word, resulting in polysemy. Polysemy has the potential to cause vagueness, ambiguity and uncertainty, which complicates drafters’ task in producing clear and precise texts. Understanding the complexity and instability of words ahead of time could aid drafters to hone their definitions for better legal communication. To prevent unnecessary semantic pitfalls, the contribution further suggests that drafters apply their linguistic awareness (referred to as the “lexicological approach”) to words chosen for definition, as well as to a selection of words deliberately left undefined