1,720,982 research outputs found
Social vulnerability and its association with food insecurity in the South African population: findings from a National Survey
No full textSocial vulnerability refers to the attributes of society that make people and places susceptible to natural disasters, adverse health outcomes, and social inequalities. Using a social vulnerability index (SVI), we investigated social vulnerability prevalence and its relationship with food insecurity in South Africa (SA). In this nationally representative cross-sectional survey, we calculated SVI scores from 3402 respondents (median age, 35 (26–46) years) using an SVI developed by the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) adapted for a South African context. We measured food insecurity using a modified Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project. Findings classified 20.6% and 20.4% of adults as socially vulnerable and food insecure, respectively. The risk of food insecurity was almost threefold higher in the social vulnerability group (OR 2.76, 95% CI 2.76–2.77, p < 0.001) compared to their counterparts. The SVI could be a useful tool to guide government and policymakers in the facilitation of social relief initiatives for those most vulnerable
Book Review: Veld Management – Principles and Practices
No full textBook Title: Veld Management – Principles and PracticesBook Author: Frits van Oudtshoorn2015, Briza Publications, PO Box 11050, Queenswood 0121, South Africa. 256 pages, softcover, 380 colour photographs and illustrations. ISBN 978-1-920217-29-7. Price R295
Large shrubs increase soil nutrients in a semi-arid savanna
No full textThe soil under savanna woody species is often enriched in nutrients in what is termed an ‘island of fertility’. We tested for positive feedbacks between encroaching woody plants and soil fertility in two co-occurring shrub species at three sites. One of these shrub species is nitrogen-fixing, Acacia mellifera, and the other is non‑nitrogen-fixing, Tarchonanthus camphoratus; we compared these effects to the grasslands surrounding the shrub patches. We found that soil nutrient concentrations were usually related to shrub size rather than the species. Fertile patches developed underneath large shrubs as indicated by higher carbon and nitrogen concentrations, a higher CECeff (especially sodium, which is a limiting nutrient for grazing livestock) and a pH near 6. We found no difference in soil nitrogen between the N-fixing A. mellifera and T. camphoratus. Plant cover under large shrubs was less than in open grassland. There are ‘islands of fertility’ under large shrubs. However, the development of fertility islands did not facilitate understorey growth. Thus, increased soil fertility had no positive feedback on overall vegetation composition. Negative effects of the woody vegetation may override the positive effects of increased soil nutrient availability
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Food insecurity and coping strategies and their association with anxiety and depression: a nationally representative South African survey
No full textObjective: to investigate food insecurity and related coping strategies among South African households and their associations with anxiety and depression.Design: cross-sectional study. Food insecurity and coping strategies were assessed using a modified Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project and the Coping Strategies Index questionnaires. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to assess anxiety and depression risk. Ordered logistic regressions were used to test associations of food insecurity and related coping strategies with anxiety and depression.Setting: South Africa during COVID-19, October 2021.Participants: nationally representative sample of 3402 adults, weighted to 39,640,674 South African households.Results: about 20·4 % of South African households were food insecure, with the most affected being from the lowest socio-economic groups. Shifting from ‘food secure’ to ‘at risk’ or from ‘at risk’ to ‘food insecure’ group was associated with 1·7 times greater odds of being in a higher category of anxiety or depression (P < 0·001). All coping strategies were used to some extent in South African households, with 46·0 % relying on less preferred and less expensive foods and 20·9 % sending a household member to beg for food. These coping strategies were mostly used by food-insecure households. Although the odds of moving to a higher category of anxiety and depression were observed among all coping strategies (all P < 0·001), begging for food was associated with the highest odds (OR = 2·3).Conclusions: food insecurity remains a major health threat in South Africa. Public measures to address mental health should consider reductions in food insecurity as part of their strategy
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Alcohol Consumption and Tobacco Smoking Behaviour in South Africa: A National Survey
No full text<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> During the first phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns in South Africa (SA), both alcohol and tobacco were considered non-essential goods and their sales were initially prohibited and further restricted to certain days and timeframes. This study investigates self-reported changes in alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking behaviour in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in SA. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A cross-sectional national survey was conducted in October 2021 (before the Omicron wave 4 and while SA was in low-level lockdown) among 3,402 nationally representative respondents (weighted to 39,640,674) aged 18 years and older. Alcohol consumption and tobacco use were assessed from the beginning of the lockdown towards the end of March 2020 until October 2021 using the WHO-AUDIT and the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Global Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaires, respectively. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Among those that drank alcohol (33.2%), 31.4% were classified as having a drinking problem that could be hazardous or harmful and 18.9% had severe alcohol use disorder during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Twenty-two per cent (22.0%) of those that reported alcohol consumption reported that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns changed their alcohol consumption habits, with 38.1% reporting a decreased intake or quitting altogether. Among the one in five respondents (19.2%) who had ever smoked, most reported smoking at the time of the survey (82.6%) with many classified as light smokers (87.8%; ≤10 cigarettes/day). Almost a third (27.2%) of those smoking reported that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns had changed their use of tobacco products or vaping, with 60.0% reporting a reduction/quitting tobacco use. Given that sales were restricted this indicates that people could still get hold of tobacco products. Heavy smoking was associated with older age (<i>p</i> = 0.02), those classified as wealthy (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), those who started or increased tobacco smoking during the pandemic lockdowns (<i>p</i> = 0.01) and residential provinces (<i>p</i> = 0.04). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Given restrictions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco in SA between 27 March and August 17, 2020, during the pandemic, respondents reported an overall decline in alcohol consumption and tobacco use which might suggest that the regulatory restrictive strategies on sales had some effect but may be inadequate, especially during times where individuals are likely to experience high-stress levels. These changes in alcohol consumption and tobacco use were different from what was reported in several European countries, possibly due to differences in the restrictions imposed in SA when compared to these European countries. </jats:p
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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