bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALISIS PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT TERHADAP DAMPAK PEMBANGUNAN ‎INFRASTRUKTUR PADA PERTUMBUHAN EKONOMI LOKAL
Authors: Fathori Fathori
Published: September 2023

Pembangunan infrastruktur memainkan peran penting dalam mendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi di tingkat lokal. Namun, pemahaman terhadap persepsi masyarakat mengenai dampak pembangunan infrastruktur terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi lokal sangat penting untuk perencanaan dan pengambilan keputusan yang efektif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis persepsi masyarakat terhadap dampak pembangunan infrastruktur pada pertumbuhan ekonomi lokal. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan melakukan diskusi kelompok terfokus dan wawancara dengan anggota masyarakat di daerah yang diteliti. Partisipan dipilih menggunakan metode purposive sampling untuk memastikan representasi dari berbagai kelompok demografis. Data yang dikumpulkan dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik untuk mengidentifikasi tema-tema utama dan pola persepsi yang muncul dari partisipan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya variasi persepsi di antara anggota masyarakat mengenai dampak pembangunan infrastruktur pada pertumbuhan ekonomi lokal. Beberapa partisipan percaya bahwa pembangunan infrastruktur secara langsung berkontribusi pada pertumbuhan ekonomi dengan menarik investasi dan menciptakan peluang kerja, sementara yang lain mengungkapkan keprihatinan terhadap dampak negatif potensial, seperti degradasi lingkungan dan penggusuran masyarakat lokal. Beberapa faktor mempengaruhi persepsi partisipan, termasuk latar belakang sosial-ekonomi, tingkat pendidikan, dan pengalaman pribadi. Selain itu, akses partisipan terhadap informasi dan keterlibatan dalam proses pengambilan keputusan terkait pembangunan infrastruktur juga memengaruhi persepsi mereka. Analisis persepsi masyarakat ini memberikan wawasan berharga bagi pembuat kebijakan, instansi pemerintah, dan perencana pembangunan. Hal ini menyoroti pentingnya melibatkan masyarakat dalam proses pengambilan keputusan dan mengatasi kekhawatiran mereka terkait pembangunan infrastruktur. Temuan penelitian ini menunjukkan perlunya perencanaan yang komprehensif yang mempertimbangkan dampak positif dan negatif pembangunan infrastruktur terhadap pertumbuhan ekonomi lokal, sambil juga memastikan pembangunan yang berkelanjutan dan inklusif. Secara keseluruhan, penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi pada literatur yang ada dengan memberikan pemahaman yang lebih mendalam mengenai persepsi masyarakat terhadap dampak pembangunan infrastruktur pada pertumbuhan ekonomi lokal. Temuan dari penelitian ini dapat digunakan sebagai dasar formulasi kebijakan dan strategi pembangunan yang bertujuan untuk mendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi yang berkelanjutan dan inklusif di tingkat lokal.
KAJIAN PERILAKU KETERGANTUNGAN PENERIMA PROGRAM KELUARGA HARAPAN (PKH) PERSPEKTIF QS. AN-NAHL AYAT 53-55 (STUDI DI DESA KRAMPON KECAMATAN TORJUN KABUPATEN SAMPANG)
Authors: Nor Islamy Sulaiha , Anas Zulviar , Mahsun
Published: September 2023

Islam merupakan agama yang memperhatikan kesejahteraan umatnya, dalam mewujudkan kesejahteraan Islam telah menunjuk seorang pemimpin yang harus bertanggung jawab untuk kesejahteraan rakyatnya. Di Indonesia kewajiban pemerintah dalam mengentaskan kemiskinan sudah dilaksanakan berdasarkan pasal 1 ayat (9) UU No.11 Tahun 2009. Dalam hal mengakses bantuan, salah satu perilaku yang kerap terjadi di masyarakat yaitu terlalu mengharapkan bantuan yang diberikan oleh pemerintah. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif deskriptif naratif dengan menggabungkan field research dan library research. Dalam pengambilan data, peneliti menggunakan metode observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi, serta  pendekatan tafsir. Peneliti menemukan beberapa faktor penyebab terjadinya perilaku ketergantungan terhadap bantuan PKH diantaranya; menyatakan PKH merupakan bantuan dari negara, tidak mempunyai pekerjaan dan tidak berpenghasilan, tidak mau bekerja, sangat mengharapkan bantuan serta meminta dilebihkan nominal bantuan.  Faktor tersebut merepresentasikan perilaku ketergantungan yang terdapat dalam surat an-Nahl ayat 53-55. Dalam penafsirannya, jika perilaku tersebut dilakukan secara terus menerus, akibat yang didapat bukan hanya terhadap individu tetapi juga kelompok. Dimana tujuan utama negara memberikan bantuan untuk mengentaskan kemiskinan akan bergeser arah, menghadapkan pada kekufuran yang sesungguhnya dan akan tetap berada lingkaran kemiskinan.
आधुनिक भारतीय परिवेश में परम्परा एवं परिवर्तन
Authors: त्रिपाठी योगेन्द्र प्रसाद
Published: September 2023

परिवर्तन की प्रक्रिया से दुनिया का कोई समाज अछूत नहीं रहा है, भारतीय सामाजिक व्यवस्था में भी समय के साथ अनेकानेक परिवर्तन हुए है। स्वतंत्रता के पश्चात् भारत में छः दशक के पश्चात् कृषि के साथ उद्योगों में क्रान्ति देखी जा सकती है। आत्मनिर्भता, उत्पादकता, उद्यमशीलता में उत्तरोत्तर वृद्धि देखी जा सकती है। गाँव एव नगर के बीच दूरी कम होना, गाँव से एक बड़े वर्ग का पलायन तथा नगर और गाँव की संस्कृति का एक-दूसरे के साथ प्रसार कहीं न कहीं प्राचीन परम्परा में परिवर्तन को दृष्टिगत करता है। शिक्षा नीति मे परिवर्तन, रोजगार में वृद्धि, स्वास्थ्य की दिशा, बेहतर प्रयास, स्त्री-पुरूष असमानता जैसे विचारों में परिवर्तन कहीं न कही आधुनिक विचारों की देन कही जा सकती है। भारतीय समाज में अभी तक जो भी परिवर्तन हुए है, उनकी गति एवं दिशा में विविधता देखी जा सकती है। जीवन के विभिन्न रूपों में आधुनिकता का प्रभाव देखा जा सकता है, किन्तु आज भी अधिकांश परम्परागत आदर्शों का भी अनुपालन किया जा रहा है जिसकी वर्तमान समाज में कोई प्रासंगिता नहीं दिखाई पड़ती है।
ग्रामीण भारत में जाति-वर्ग एवं राजनीति का समाजशास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
Authors: पाण्डेय पवन कुमार , पाण्डेय प्रेम प्रकाश
Published: September 2023

ग्रामीण सामाजिक संरचना के सामाजिक-आर्थिक, राजनीतिक संरचना में निरन्तर परिवर्तन हो रहा है। किसी भी समाज में होने वाला आर्थिक, सामाजिक या राजनीतिक परिवर्तन उस समय तीव्र गति से होता है जब परिवर्तन के वाह्य कारक एवं आंतरिक कारक आपस में तालमेल बनाकर अंतःक्रिया करते हैं। औद्योगीकरण, नगरीकरण, प्रौद्योगिकी का विकास, यातायात एवं संचार के साधन, प्रजातंत्रीकरण, शिक्षा का प्रसार एवं वैश्वीकरण आदि ऐसे कारक हैं, जो ग्रामीण सामाजिक संरचना में महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव ला रहे हैं।
सोनभद्र जिले की बैगा जनजाति की सामाजिक/शैक्षिक समस्याओं का समाजशास्त्रीय अध्ययन
Authors: सिंह प्रमोद कुमार
Published: September 2023

भारत के विभिन राज्य में भिन्न-भिन्न जनजातियाँ रहती हैं। जिन जनजातियों को संविधान की अनुसूची में दिया गया है, उन्हें अनुसूचित जनजाति के नाम से जाना जाता है।1

        उ0प्र0 में जनगणना 2011 के अनुसार प्रदेश की कुल जनसंख्या में एस0टी0 0.6 प्रतिशत हैं। वर्तमान में सूचीबद्ध जनजातियों की संख्या 12 है जिनमें से एक है बैगा जनजाति। 2

        बैगा जनजाति उ0प्र0 का एकमात्र जिला सोनभद्र में पायी जाती है जिसकी जनसंख्या 30006 है। बैगा जनजाति की बहुत-सी सामाजिक-शैक्षिक समस्याएँ हैं जिनके समाधान के लिए तथा विकास के लिए उ0प्र0 में कई परियोजनाएँ संचालित की गई हैं।

        इस शोध पत्र में शोधार्थी द्वारा बैगा जनजाति की सामाजिक-शैक्षिक समस्याओं का समाजशास्त्रीय दृष्टिकोण से अध्ययन कर उससे जुड़ी अन्य जानकारी प्रस्तुत किया गया है।
अयोध्या एवं संत समाज (एक समाजशास्त्रीय अध्ययन)
Authors: पाण्डेय राघवेन्द्र , त्रिपाठी* अखिलेश कुमार
Published: September 2023

भारत में जब भी सनातन धर्म की बात होता है तो संतों की इसमें महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका होता है। भारत में सनातन धर्म का जन्म हुआ और इस धर्म का एक ही सिद्धान्त है मनुष्य जीवन के साथ-साथ मुक्ति के मार्ग को भी अपनाए। यह कहना उचित होगा कि सनातन धर्म, संत परम्परा व संत की वजह से बची हुई है।
नरेन्द्र कोहली के उपन्यासों में नारी पात्रों की युगीन सार्थकता
Authors: सिंह निशान्त , पाण्डेय* चन्द्रेश्वर
Published: September 2023

भारतीय समाज में नारी को देवी अर्द्धांगिनी, भार्या, सहधर्मिणी, गृहलक्ष्मी, रानी, पटरानी आदि अनेक विशेषणों से सुसज्जित किया है। भारतीय समाज में पत्नी का बड़ा ही उच्च तथा आदर्श स्थान है। वेदांे, पुराणों में पत्नी को गृहसाम्राज्ञी कहा गया है। किन्तु वर्तमान में नारी या पत्नी की वास्तविक स्थिति इससे भिन्न है। नारी को युगों से ही दासी रूप में रखा जाता रहा है। गृहसाम्राज्ञी तथा गृहलक्ष्मी का रूप तो बहुत कम को मिलता है; विशेषकर ‘महाभारतकाल’ में। आधुनिक युग में समाज सुधारकों का ही नहीं साहित्यकारों का भी ध्यान इस ओर गया है कि समाज में नारी की वास्तविक स्थिति क्या है और क्या होनी चाहिए। युग-युग से पीड़ित व प्रताड़ित नारी-जीवन के विभिन्न पहलुओं का चित्रण ‘महासमर’ के लेखक नरेन्द्र कोहली ने बड़ी संवेदनशीलता से किया है।
PELATIHAN KEWIRAUSAHAAN BAGI PELAKU UMKM DI KELURAHAN PANTAI AMAL KECAMATAN TARAKAN TIMUR KOTA TARAKAN
Authors: Usman Ferawati , Suryaningsih  , Nursia  , Nurul Hidayat  , Ahmatang  , Aan Digta Malik
Published: September 2023

Usaha mikro kecil dan menengah yang biasa disebut UMKM merupakan pelaku bisnis yang menyentuh kepentingan masyarakat. Di Indonesia, Usaha UMKM saat ini dianggap sebagai cara yang efektif dalam pengentasan kemiskinan. UMKM dapat menciptakan peluang kerja yang cukup besar bagi tenaga kerja dalam negeri, sehingga sangat membantu upaya dalam mengurangi pengangguran. Salah satu daerah yang memiliki UMKM yang potensial adalah Kota Tarakan yang merupakan kota pulau yang terletak di pulau Kalimantan bagian utara. Pemberdayaan UMKM secara umum diarahkan untuk mendukung upaya penanggulangan kemiskinan dan kesenjangan, memberikan kontribusi dalam peningkatan pendapatan masyarakat berpendapatan rendah, menciptakan kesempatan kerja guna mengurangi tingkat pengangguran. Meskipun pertumbuhan UMKM di Kota Tarakan memiliki perkembangan dari tahun ke tahun, akan tetapi masih menyisakan banyak permasalahan, permasalahan tersebut diantaranya adalah: rendahnya kualitas SDM, kurangnya inovasi, belum memiliki badan hukum, akses permodalan rendah dan minimnya pendampingan dilapangan. Seperti UMKM yang ada di Kelurahan Pantai Amal. Selama ini masyarakat di kelurahan pantai amal secara umum hanya membuka usaha warung makan saja dengan menu utama adalah kerang, padahal masyarakat disana bisa melakukan inovasi dengan memanfaatkan limbah kerang menjadi cenderamata atau oleh-oleh bagi wisatawan yang berkunjung kesana. Maka dari itu masyarakat disana diberikan pelatihan wirausaha bagi pelaku UMKM dan kelompok ibu-ibu PKK di Kelurahan Pantai Amal yakni proses pembuatan produk kerajinan tangan yang berasal dari limbah kerang khususnya kerang simping, kerang macan dan juga kerang kijing. Pemanfaatan Cangkang Kerang dapat dijadikan bahan utama pembuatan kerajinan seperti hiasan lampion, hiasan cermin, tempat tissue, vas bunga, pigura, gantungan kunci dan lain sebagainya. Serta memberikan pengetahuan bagi pelaku UMKM dalam memasarkan produk yang dihasilkan dengan memanfaatkan media sosial.
Editorial
Authors: Govender Kaymarlin , George Gavin , Padarath Ashnie , Moeti Themba
Published: September 2023

The 24th edition of the South African Health Review (SAHR) presents evidence of steps taken towards answering these questions. This edition describes some of the key challenges facing our health system and, through germane illustrations, actions that lead to adaptable and innovative responses to the epidemic in South Africa.

The 29 chapters are authored by a diverse range of public health practitioners who offer a range of experiential and reflexive perspectives in responding to the pandemic. These accounts encompass topics depicting the impact of COVID-19 on existing health services and programmes; the impact of socio-economic disparities on adherence to nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and access to vaccines and treatment; the rationing of healthcare services and implications for achieving equity of access to these services; the emergence of innovative collaborations, networks and partnerships; the impact of measures taken to balance saving lives with saving livelihoods; and emerging lessons for future management for prevention of pandemics and other public health emergencies.

Overview of chapters The suite of chapters is presented in five sections. The first section shares insights on evidence-informed decisionmaking to inform national responses amid the many uncertainties that typify the effects of the pandemic. Section two describes lessons learnt from the experiences of service providers and vulnerable populations. Sections three and four examine sectoral collaborations and the COVID-19 response in relation to the needs of vulnerable groups. The final section covers barriers to service access, and availability of vaccines and other COVID-19 health products for the general population.
‘Following the science’: the role of an independent advisory structure in the COVID-19 pandemic response and beyond
Authors: Gray Andrew , Miot Jacqui , Mokgatle Mathildah , Rees Helen
Published: September 2023

Background

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in 2020, many governments across the globe put structures in place to access rapid independent scientific evidence. The South African Minister of Health established an advisory committee in March 2020 to provide high-level strategic advice. This technical guidance, developed as topic-specific ‘advisories’, was expected to be context-specific and based on the best available evidence, locally and internationally. The authors developing the advisories could draw on systems-wide, multidisciplinary experience.

Approach

This chapter provides a reflective experience of the process of preparing advisories, the development of rapid evidence syntheses and their use in decision-making, the outputs and the lessons learned from that process, and the structural and operational changes over the course of the pandemic.

As South Africa has moved out of the acute phase of the pandemic, the lessons learned must be embraced and best practices adopted to inform future pandemic preparedness. Advisories needed to use the best available evidence rather than wait for the best possible evidence. Some advisories were therefore revised multiple times, as new evidence emerged. Advisories were submitted to the Minister of Health for consideration prior to public release. However, in some cases, delays in such release led to confusion as to the scientific basis of policy decisions. The confidentiality of the committee debates also needed to be balanced against the need for engagement with the public. In order to promote accountability and build public trust, from March 2022 all advisories were published on a dedicated website within seven days of receipt by the Minister. The public were thus informed of the scientific basis of the advice, providing important context for subsequent executive decisions. Consistent feedback to the committee from decision-makers was also important, as their advice was only one of many inputs considered by a complex array of government bodies, across different departments.

Conclusions

The world faces a significant risk of further pandemics and other public health emergencies and is engaged in high-level negotiations on strengthening global capacity to respond. Whether that involves a global pandemic accord, strengthened International Health Regulations, or a strengthened global approach to medical countermeasures, rapid, credible, independent and country-specific scientific advice will remain essential. The lessons learned during COVID-19 should not be lost.

 

Submitted on behalf of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19.
COVID-19 infections, hospital admissions and mortality outcomes: the associated risk factors among private medical insurance beneficiaries
Authors: Mametja Selaelo , Shapiro Daniel , Semenya Mabatlo , Hattingh Jolene , Kantor Gareth , Cohen Cheryl , Jassat Waasila , Getz Craig , Moloabi Stanley , Tempia Stefano
Published: September 2023

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on morbidity and mortality in South Africa. This study aims to identify risk factors, including occupation, for SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospital admission, and mortality within the Government Employees Medical Scheme population across the three pandemic waves.

This is a retrospective cohort study. The study population consisted of 760 000 principal members of the scheme. Demographic data and claims information were used to identify age, income, province, occupation, and pre-existing chronic conditions.

The incidence and adjusted relative risk for infections were higher in people younger than the 40−49 age group; however, intensive care unit admissions and deaths increased with age; and a lower adjusted relative risk for infections and hospital admission. Males had a higher adjusted relative risk for intensive care admissions and mortality. The incidence and adjusted relative risk for infections and intensive care admissions increased with increasing income quintile; however, deaths were similar across all income quintiles.

This study confirms that older age, male gender, occupation and comorbidities are associated with COVID-19 infection, hospital admissions, intensive care admissions, and death. Females were more likely to be infected; however, males had a high risk for intensive care admission and death. The highestrisk occupations for COVID-19 infection are Health, Correctional Services and Police Services. The reduced relative risk in Wave 3 among healthcare workers was likely to have been attributable to their access to protective vaccination as well infection in previous waves.
COVID-19: insights from contracting the private sector for critical care
Authors: Solanki Geetesh , Blecher Mark , Cornell Judith , Crisp Nicholas , Engelbrecht Beth , Manning Michael , Morar Reno , Myburgh Neil , Patel Bhavna
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 epidemic was expected to result in shortages of public-sector critical care beds. This prompted the Western Cape Department of Health to explore ways to address the shortfall, culminating in a service-level agreement with the private sector and national level development of a system of reimbursement for critical care. This chapter describes the experience of formulating the agreement and the insights gained.

Since the shift of patients between the sectors did not materialise, the most important outcome was that the parties were able to conclude this agreement, and the engagement provided insights beyond the original problem. The process revealed a lack of national leadership and co-ordination capacity; high levels of fragmentation; different visions of what care should be provided; the complexity entailed in contracting; capacity constraints in both sectors; and data constraints to inform policy choices.

The most prominent lesson was that a trusting relationship was essential to the success of this initiative, built on a vision and a value system that all parties could endorse.

We recommend the establishment of national-level capacity for public−private engagement, reviewing the regulations constraining contracting, fast-tracking the national data management system, enhancing in-house administrative capacity to complement the use of intermediaries, conducting a critique of this engagement, and a cost assessment of the options for expanding critical care capacity.

It is premature to make a judgement on the success of the agreement. However, it provided a real-time demonstration of the complexities and constraints for such engagement within the South African context and it showed how, with trust and commitment, we can develop solutions. We should build on this experience by addressing the constraints, so that progress is made towards the more integrated health system as envisaged by National Health Insurance and required for universal health coverage.
The impact of COVID-19 on use of maternal and reproductive health services and maternal and perinatal mortality
Authors: Pattinson Robert , Fawcus Sue , Gebhardt Stefan , Soma-Pillay Priya , Niit Ronelle , Moodley Jack
Published: September 2023

South Africa experienced two waves of COVID-19 infection in the financial year 2020/21. This study examines the impact of these waves on maternal and perinatal mortality and their effect on the use of and access to maternal and reproductive health services.

Data from the District Health Information System on maternal and perinatal deaths, births, antenatal visits, and use of contraceptive termination of pregnancy services were used, and the 2020/21 and 2019/20 financial years were compared in order to formulate national and provincial perspectives. Data on visits for initiating antenatal care, births, contraceptive prescriptions and termination-of-pregnancy services were used to assess utilisation of maternal and reproductive health services respectively; and the number and rates of maternal and perinatal deaths were examined to assess impact. A second descriptive analysis of pregnant women who had delivered after having contracted COVID-19 was performed using a separate database set up by the National Department of Health/South African Medical Research Council/University of Pretoria (NDoH/ SAMRC/UP), specifically to monitor the effects of COVID-19).

The data suggest that there was a marked increase (of 40%) in maternal deaths (p<0.00001), 10% in stillbirths (p<0.00001), and 3% in (p=0.31) neonatal deaths when compared with the same period in 2019/20. There was a mean 28% increase in the institutional maternal mortality ratio in all provinces during the second wave compared with the first wave (p<0.0001), except in the Western Cape which had a decrease of 1%. Data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases showed that the case fatality rate for pregnant women with COVID-19 was high (4.5%), as was the perinatal mortality rate (70.6 per 1 000 births), while the institutional maternal mortality ratio for South Africa was 16.94/100 000 live births.

An increase of 3.6% in in-facility births in 2020/21 compared with 2019/20 was observed, with increased movement of pregnant women to the more rural provinces and districts for delivery. Antenatal care services were maintained overall, but use of reproductive health services declined (contraceptive prescriptions by 5%, and termination of pregnancy by 17% overall).

The effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on pregnant women and its collateral damage is severe. Strengthening the health system to maintain essential services during a pandemic and vaccination of healthcare workers and pregnant women are key to reducing maternal and perinatal mortality.
Examining healthcare worker willingness to promote COVID-19 vaccines in South Africa: the importance of a clear evidence base
Authors: George Gavin , Nota Phiwe B. , Strauss Michael , Lansdell Emma , Peters Remco P.H. , Brysiewicz Petra , Nadesan-Reddy Nisha , Wassenaar Douglas
Published: September 2023

Background

Studies have shown that healthcare workers (HCWs) are considered trusted sources of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) information in their communities, ideally placing them as effective vaccine advocates. However, limited data exist on the role of HCWs in the promotion of vaccines, and whether they feel adequately equipped to fulfil this role. This study therefore aimed to determine the willingness of HCWs in promoting COVID-19 vaccines, how this correlated with their own vaccination behaviour and attitudes to alternative therapies, and whether they felt they had adequate knowledge and skills to communicate effectively with patients.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was adopted, involving an online web-based survey and in-depth interviews (IDIs). HCWs were recruited for the online survey from an integrated health system database in South Africa using voluntary response sampling, with follow-up qualitative interviews conducted with HCWs who indicated interest in participating in an interview. Univariate and multivariate logistical regression models were used to understand how demographic characteristics, HCW roles, vaccination status, attitudes and practices around alternative medications, and information on COVID-19 vaccines were related to the willingness of HCWs to recommend vaccination to their patients.

Results

Most of the survey sample were vaccinated (90.7%) and indicated that they would recommend vaccination (81.7%). However, a significant proportion of the sample (58.6%) felt that they did not have enough information on COVID-19 vaccines, while 59.8% felt that they required additional guidance on how to educate their patients on COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinated HCWs were more likely to recommend vaccination (OR=10.63 [95% CI: 6.53-17.31]) than their unvaccinated counterparts. The qualitative results provide further insights into why HCWs were willing or unwilling to administer and promote vaccines, with three themes emerging: (i) HCWs’ belief in the value of vaccines and their promotion strategies; (ii) challenges facing HCWs in fulfilling their mandate of administering and promoting COVID-19 vaccination; and (iii) the rationale for HCWs discouraging vaccination and promoting alternative medicines for COVID-19 prevention and treatment.

Conclusions

This study posits that if HCWs are key to the success of national vaccination programmes, then they will need to be provided with clear, contextual, up-to-date information in order to enhance patient communication and vaccine uptake.
Left behind: why South Africa must develop migration-aware responses to COVID-19 and future pandemics
Authors: de Gruchy Thea , Vearey Jo
Published: September 2023

The Coronavirus 2019 disease pandemic and strategies to mitigate its impact have restricted and complicated migration globally, including in Southern Africa, a region associated with diverse population movements within and between countries. Despite this, health system responses – including in South Africa − fail to engage with migration. Drawing from ongoing research, this chapter explores whether South Africa’s COVID-19 response is ‘migration-aware’ − a term for interventions, policies and systems that embed migration as a central concern in their design.

Methods included a desk review; key informant interviews; participant observation in various policy processes; policy and media analysis; and establishment of the Researching Migration and Coronavirus in Southern Africa project.

Findings generated to date indicate that South Africa’s COVID-19 response is not migration-aware. Four key concerns are highlighted: amplification of existing structural challenges faced by migrants; manifestation of new challenges, including exclusion of non-citizens from national response; justification of increasingly restrictive approaches to immigration management; and undermining of efforts towards Universal Health Coverage.

Without addressing these concerns, South Africa’s COVID-19 response will fail. Everyone in the country must be included in COVID-19 interventions, particularly the national vaccination programme, to ensure population-effective protection. Recommendations include establishing a National Migration and COVID-19 Task Team and developing a basic ‘score-card’ to guide responses, with administrative systems and a legal firewall to ensure that undocumented persons can access COVID-19 services, including vaccination programmes, and face no penalties when doing so. These recommendations should be expanded to the regional and continental levels to guide co-ordinated, migration-aware responses.
Supporting early childhood development during COVID-19 using telehealth: stakeholders’ perspectives
Authors: Van der Linde Jeannie , Eccles Renata , du Toit Maria
Published: September 2023

Timely assessment and intervention for developmental delays is a high priority in child healthcare, yet obtaining access to early developmental care services remains a challenge in low-and middle-income countries, such as South Africa, which has a shortage of healthcare professionals. The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 exacerbated these barriers, and alternative solutions for service delivery are needed. Telehealth holds potential as an innovative approach for the provision of early childhood developmental care services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chapter aims to explore the feasibility of early developmental telehealth through stakeholders’ perspectives. To explore perspectives of tele-assessment, 30 caregivers of children (birth to 36 months) completed an online developmental assessment followed by an online questionnaire probing their perspectives thereof. Nineteen final-year student healthcare clinicians completed a survey on their initial experiences of tele-intervention, which was initiated mid-year during lockdown level 4. The perspectives of four caregivers and 10 student-clinicians were probed at the end of 2020 through synchronous online interviews.

Almost all caregivers (96.7%, n=29) rated their overall tele-assessment experience as positive. The majority (66.7%, n=20) identified tele-assessment as a viable assessment mode; however, 53.8% (n=14) indicated that they would want face-to-face assessments to supplement tele-assessments. This suggests that families may prefer a hybrid approach to developmental assessment. Although they were initially apprehensive, caregivers and student-clinicians found tele-intervention to be a viable and positive approach to service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Caregivers and student-clinicians faced similar technological challenges, but all experienced benefits from the telehealth services, including continued access to services during the pandemic. The tele-intervention framework successfully provided structure to online interventions. Telehealth, as part of the proposed hybrid service delivery model, provides caregivers access to developmental care, despite COVID-19 restrictions.
Trends in COVID-19 public health intervention adherence and vaccine hesitancy in South Africa: 2020–2021
Authors: Köhler Timothy , English René , Christian Carmen
Published: September 2023

South Africa’s stringent national lockdown Regulations served to contain the spread of COVID-19, but at a tremendous social and economic cost. The prioritisation of public health intervention adherence in combination with widespread vaccination coverage is critical in the effort to save lives without endangering livelihoods − but for these interventions to have an impact, sufficiently high levels of public acceptance and adherence are required.

We assessed changes in attitudes and adherence between May/June 2020 and April/May 2021 using longitudinal individual-level data from five rounds of the National Income Dynamics Study − Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used these weighted data to estimate relevant population estimates over the period under review.

We observed a large increase in the prevalence of mask-wearing over time, from just half of all adults (53%) in May/June 2020 to the vast majority (83%) in April/May 2021. Hand hygiene decreased by approximately 20 percentage points over the same 12-month period (67% to 48%).

Staying home and physical distancing adherence remained relatively low. On aggregate, the proportion of adults who reported ‘some’ combination prevention behaviour (either mask-wearing or hand hygiene) increased over the year. In high-risk groups, the prevalence of mask-wearing among the hypertensive and obese adult sub-populations increased substantially, from approximately 55% in May/June 2020 to over 80% one year later. Similar trends were noted for those aged 60 years and older and those with other chronic conditions. Vaccine acceptance when first estimated in February/March 2021 was relatively high at 71%, and increased further by April/May 2021 to 76%.

As expected given the surge of COVID-19 cases, we observed a strong increase in mask-wearing adherence and intention to be vaccinated. Adherence to hand hygiene declined considerably over time, and staying at home and physical distancing remained low. Implications for policymakers are to continue with accurate, continuous, and targeted communication, health systems strengthening, and supporting multi-disciplinary research.
RETRACTED: Gender differences in mental health outcomes during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in South Africa
Authors: Kleinhans Atholl , Lentoor Antonio , Maepa Mokoena
Published: September 2023

Background

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone in society, it was women who bore the brunt during the first hard lockdown in South Africa. This study examined the gender differences in mental health outcomes during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the country.

Methods

A cross-sectional, survey-based study was done, with a total of 327 participants recruited in South Africa via convenience sampling using online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, university websites, WhatsApp, forums, and emails. The participants completed socio-demographic and COVID-19 threat- and stress-related questions. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was completed as a measure of depression. The chi-squared test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were applied during analysis. All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA), with a level of significance set at 0.05, two-tailed.

Results

The study found that fear of COVID-19 disease impacted stress and depression levels in both genders, with a significantly greater impact among women. A higher proportion of women than men reported stress related to the lockdown (62.9% versus 23%, p = 0.01). Subjective risk at work, work stress, and being required to continue work during lockdown were significantly associated with depression among women.

Conclusions

The study highlights the differential effect of stress, fear, and worry during the pandemic lockdown on vulnerability to depression, by gender. This has major implications for mental health interventions post-pandemic. It brings an opportunity to reduce gender difference in mental health through providing tailored care services, especially to working women during times of high stress.
Health and related indicators 2022
Authors: Ndlovu Noluthando , Gray Andrew , Mkhabela Bonga , Myende Nqobile , Day Candy
Published: September 2023

Background

This chapter aims to provide a repository of data, focusing on the national and provincial levels, that describes the broad status of the South African health system (socio-demographic indicators and determinants and health status indicators, as well as health service indicators). It examines the available health information data sources in South Africa, with a particular focus on whether they have been strengthened during and after the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The broader context for this chapter lies in the desire to see the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic translated into systemic changes that advance the reform of South Africa’s fragmented health services and hasten the attainment of effective and sustainable universal health coverage.

Methods

Data were sourced primarily from national routine data sources, but also captured from major surveys and global reports. Using monthly routine data sources, the difference between expected and actual routine measures were calculated and expected trends were forecast. These graphs enabled the depiction of the changes that occurred pre- and post-COVID in South Africa for key health indicators.

Conclusions

Progress is discernible, but there is also evidence of back-sliding, of a revision to previous positions, and therefore a need to refocus attention on important lessons, lest they be lost.

Recommendations

Strong health information systems should be the foundation on which evidence-based decisions can be made to support strong governance and leadership, where human resources for health are also supported and healthcare funding is prioritised.
War, PowerPoint, and hypnotised chickens
Authors: Sjøgren Søren
Published: September 2023

This article discusses concepts to explore decision-making processes in a military headquarters. Military planning is commonly perceived as a systematic and structured approach to organising ways and means to achieve military ends. While standardised procedures and decision-making tools are crucial for large military organisations to function efficiently, these devices are not neutral. Routines within the staff organisation carry implicit beliefs shaping the perception of war as a managerial problem with an optimal solution that can be elicited through a process and presented in a bulleted list. By examining organisational outcomes as socio-material assemblages, this article sheds light on how daily routines influence potential solutions and shape what can and cannot be thought. Conventional approaches in organisational studies have either overlooked the role of organisational tools or studied them as a matter of technology adoption. The entanglement of the social and material in organisational life should be observed and described empirically to understand how order is reconstructed after it has broken down.
Toward an ‘Ever Closer Union’
Authors: Frahm Nina , Schiølin Kasper
Published: September 2023

More than any other region attempting to get ahead in the global AI race, the EU has emphasized a commitment to ‘AI-ethics’ and invested significant work in the development of principles and rules for the ethical governance of AI. This paper examines the production, performance, and politics of AI-ethics in the EU through a close, co-productionist reading of how the “European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies” has framed AI and its desirable relationship to humans. Our analysis shows that the making of AI-ethics in this context extends far beyond the settlement of principles and norms for AI. Instead, we argue that AI-ethics is, at the same time, performing authoritative acts of ontological classification that cut the human clean from AI to render it controllable and manageable. These ontological politics, we show, serve to embed AI within long-held imaginaries of European unification beyond market harmonization and re-configure how the EU imagines to achieve an ‘ever closer union’ among its members in the innovation era. Different to attempts at deeper integration through the mobilization of science, the turn to AI-ethics presents a novel rationale through which the EU legitimizes its authority to govern, suggesting a constitutive role for ethics in the EU’s contemporary integration efforts.
Making the 3000m2 Prototype
Authors: Neubauer Ruth , Kuzmina Ksenija , Bachlmair Elke
Published: September 2023

The paper reveals insights from the project 3000m2 Prototype, a project where the design researcher investigates the making of her own house as a site of negotiation between professional building practices, use practices and material resources. The research draws on science and technology studies (STS) as the point of analytical departure alongside a material–reflective approach of practice–based design. The design of everyday living technologies, like the warm water and bathroom installations, is negotiated between the users, the professional builders, and the environmental forces, which inscribe the future use of these technologies. These emerging scripts are presented and discussed, revealing tension and misalignment between programmes of action in which builders are enrolled and those where the future user wants to design her house use in a resource-conscious way. This paper proposes the alignment of professional, use and resource considerations as a form of co–design of everyday living technologies. It argues that a more collaborative designing incorporating professional, use and resource considerations can produce technologies that lead to more sustainable living.
Examination of the Correlation Between Ethical Attitudes and Dark Triad Personality Traits Among University Students
Authors: Barizsné Hadházi Edit , Filep Roland , Kőmíves Péter Miklós , Kun András István , Ujhelyi Mária , Dajnoki Krisztina
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the present paper is to examine the relationship between the ethical attitudes of university students and their Dark Triad personality traits. Research has suggested that the juvenile attitudes of people predict their later behaviour. Therefore, it is worth exploring this area for future aspects. Both topics are at the center of research, both individually and in terms of the correlations between them. In the present paper, we examined the relationship between ethical attitudes and the Dark Triad personality traits through questionnaires used in international research with background variables. We found that the most unethical behaviour is ‘Divulging confidential information,’ ‘Passing blame for your errors to an innocent co-worker,’ and ‘Claiming credit for someone else's work.’ The least unethical behaviour is ‘Eating snacks while at your workstation’. Factor analysis and linear regression analysis were used. Despite our expectations, the revealed relationships between ethical attitudes and Dark Triad personality traits were not clearly positive. According to the regression model, the dark triad personality score is lower if the respondent is female, studies at the commerce-marketing major, and has higher values at the following factors: ‘physiological unethicalness’, ‘overcharge’, and ‘other ethical attitudes’ factors.
Exploring Students’ Mathematical Beliefs: Gender, Grade, and Culture Differences
Authors: Hidayatullah Achmad , Csíkos Csaba
Published: September 2023

The investigation of students’ conceptions of knowledge of mathematics and the process of knowing mathematics is important to provide an understanding of the phenomena behind students’ performance. However, there is a scarcity of empirical investigation of students’ beliefs about mathematics knowledge in the Indonesian context. This study aims to assess students’ beliefs about mathematics education. The relation of these beliefs with gender, grade, and culture was also examined. Fifteen classes were selected by stratified random sampling methods. 536 students (boys = 217, girls = 319) from 8-9 grades participated in the present study. The result of this study revealed students viewed that their mathematics teachers have tried to make mathematics lessons interesting and perceived that mathematics knowledge continues to expand. Boys’ students hold stronger beliefs that they can understand the most difficult tasks in mathematics than girls’ students. Grade eight students have higher beliefs than ninth-grade students. Javanese students hold stronger beliefs in mathematics performance than Madurese students. The finding of this study provided information on how to design teaching and learning mathematics in the Indonesian context.
DMRT1 is a testis determining gene in rabbits and is also essential for female fertility
Authors: Dujardin Emilie , André Marjolaine , Dewaele Aurélie , Mandon-Pépin Béatrice , Poulat Francis , Frambourg Anne , Thépot Dominique , Jouneau Luc , Jolivet Geneviève , Pailhoux Eric , Pannetier Maëlle
Published: September 2023

DMRT1 is the testis-determining factor in several species of vertebrates, but its involvement in mammalian testes differentiation, where
SRY
is the testis-determining gene, remains ambiguous. So far, DMRT1 loss of function has been described in two mammalian species and induces different phenotypes: disorders of sex development (46, XY DSD) in men and male infertility in mice. We thus abolished DMRT1 expression by CRISPR/Cas9 in a third species of mammal, the rabbit. First, we observed that gonads from XY
DMRT1

-/-

rabbit fetuses differentiated like ovaries, highlighting that DMRT1 is involved in testis determination. In addition to SRY, DMRT1 is required in the supporting cells to increase the expression of the
SOX9
gene, which heads the testicular genetic cascade. Second, we highlighted another function of DMRT1 in the germline since XX and XY
DMRT1

-/-

ovaries did not undergo meiosis and folliculogenesis. XX
DMRT1

-/-

adult females were sterile, showing that DMRT1 is also crucial for female fertility. To conclude, these phenotypes indicate an evolutionary continuum between non-mammalian vertebrates such as birds and non-rodent mammals. Furthermore, our data support the potential involvement of
DMRT1
mutations in different human pathologies, such as 46, XY DSD as well as male and female infertility.
Temporal transcriptomic dynamics in developing macaque neocortex
Authors: Xu Longjiang , Yuan Zan , Zhou Jiafeng , Zhao Yuan , Liu Wei , Lu Shuaiyao , He Zhanlong , Qiang Boqin , Shu Pengcheng , Chen Yang , Peng Xiaozhong
Published: September 2023

Despite intense research on mice, the transcriptional regulation of neocortical neurogenesis remains limited in humans and non-human primates. Cortical development in rhesus macaque is known to recapitulate multiple facets of cortical development in humans, including the complex composition of neural stem cells and the thicker supragranular layer. To characterize temporal shifts in transcriptomic programming responsible for differentiation from stem cells to neurons, we sampled parietal lobes of rhesus macaque at E40, E50, E70, E80, and E90, spanning the full period of prenatal neurogenesis. Single-cell RNA sequencing produced a transcriptomic atlas of developing parietal lobe in rhesus macaque neocortex. Identification of distinct cell types and neural stem cells emerging in different developmental stages revealed a terminally bifurcating trajectory from stem cells to neurons. Notably, deep-layer neurons appear in the early stages of neurogenesis, while upper-layer neurons appear later. While these different lineages show overlap in their differentiation program, cell fates are determined post-mitotically. Trajectories analysis from ventricular radial glia (vRGs) to outer radial glia (oRGs) revealed dynamic gene expression profiles and identified differential activation of BMP, FGF, and WNT signaling pathways between vRGs and oRGs. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the temporal patterns of gene expression leading to different fates of radial glial progenitors during neocortex layer formation.
Temporal transcriptomic dynamics in developing macaque neocortex
Authors: Xu Longjiang , Yuan Zan , Zhou Jiafeng , Zhao Yuan , Liu Wei , Lu Shuaiyao , He Zhanlong , Qiang Boqin , Shu Pengcheng , Chen Yang , Peng Xiaozhong
Published: September 2023

Despite intense research focus in mice, the transcriptional regulation of neocortical neurogenesis remains limited in humans and non-human primates. Cortical development in rhesus macaque is known to recapitulate multiple facets cortical development in humans, including the complex composition of neural stem cells and thicker upper-layer neurons. To characterize temporal shifts in transcriptomic programming responsible for differentiation from stem cells to neurons, we sampled parietal lobes of rhesus macaque at E40, E50, E70, E80, and E90, spanning the full period of embryonic neurogenesis. Single cell RNA sequencing produced a transcriptomic atlas of the developing rhesus macaque neocortex parietal lobe. Identification of distinct cell types and neural stem cells emerging in different developmental stages revealed a terminally bifurcating trajectory from stem cells to neurons. Notably, deep-layer neurons appear in early stages of neurogenesis while upper-layer neurons appear later. While these different lineages show overlap in their differentiation program, cell fates are determined post-mitotically. Pseudotime trajectories from vRGs to oRGs revealed differences in dynamic gene expression profiles, and identified divergence in their activation of BMP, FGF, and WNT signaling pathways. These results provide a comprehensive picture of the temporal patterns of gene expression leading to different fates of radial glial progenitors during neocortex layer formation.