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Placental findings in term singleton stillbirths in a public hospital in Emalahleni Sub-District in Mpumalanga Province : a descriptive study
Vilane, Ouma; Yazbek, Mariatha; Musie, Maurine Rofhiwa (Wiley, 2025-05)
OBJECTIVE : This study was carried out to investigate the macroscopical and microscopical placental findings in term singleton stillbirths at a selected public hospital. METHODS : A quantitative non-experimental observational descriptive study was conducted by examining the placentas of 89 term singleton stillbirth babies in the labor ward for macroscopic lesions. A data collection tool was used to capture clinical data from patient files on variables of interest related to placental lesions for stillbirth cases. The IBM SPSS Statistics version 28 package was used to analyze the data. RESULTS : A significant relationship was found between the following variables (p < 0.05): stillbirth and number of antenatal care visits (p = 0.0035); birth weight and mid-upper arm circumference (p = 0.013); birth weight and maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) (p = 0.001); birth weight and birth attendant (p = 0.034); type of stillbirth and birth attendant (p = 0.033); type of stillbirth and previous obstetric history (p = 0.038); cord insertion and smoking/substance abuse (p = 0.012); cord insertion and hemoglobin (p = 0.029); cord length and meconium histiocytes (p = 0.031); cord diameter and syphilis (p = 0.030); placental weight and onset of labor (p = 0.012); placental weight and fetal vascular malperfusion (FVM) (p = 0.004); color of membranes and maternal inflammatory response (MIF) (p = 0.002); color of membranes and meconium histiocytes (p = 0.000), and color of membranes and syphilis (p = 0.053). CONCLUSION : The study provides essential insights into the placental findings associated with term singleton stillbirths in the Emalahleni Sub-District. Examination of the placenta may help to define the causes in more than 90% of stillbirth cases, inform the research, and decrease stillbirth rates.
A robust L-comoments covariance matrix-based hotelling's T2 control chart for monitoring high-dimensional non-normal multivariate data in the presence of outliers
Arslan, Muhammad; Shahzad, Usman; Yeganeh, Ali; Zhu, Huiming; Malela-Majika, Jean-Claude; Ahmad, Shakeel (Wiley, 2025-11)
This article introduces a new robust multivariate Hotelling T-square (TS) control chart that incorporates an L-Comoments covariance matrix into a multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) charting scheme to enhance its robustness and detection ability. However, among the most popular, conventional Hotelling TS charts are affected by outliers and based on the so-called classical covariance matrix estimators, which in turn presuppose normality and independence. This sensitivity reduces their usefulness in complicated practical problems where skewness, heavy tails, and outliers are likely to appear. Using L-Comoments as a basis of the new chart can overcome these limitations since L-Comoments are not affected by outliers. The performance of the proposed Hotelling TS (HTS) chart is assessed using total and generalized variances. By comparing the effectiveness of the L-Comoments-based TS chart using simulated and renewable energy data, the new chart based on the proposed approach outperforms the traditional chart and robust charts based on powerful estimators such as the minimum volume ellipsoid (MVE) and the minimum covariance determinant (MCD). Hence, the new approach enables the new exploration of robust and reliable multivariate quality control analysis for high-dimension and complex datasets.
Validation of an existing racial and ethnic microaggressions scale within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa
Oosthuizen, Marie; Tshiyoyo, Michel; Malan, Lianne Priscilla (Wiley, 2025-08)
The local government workplace in post-apartheid South Africa represents an important environment to examine employee perceptions on the occurrence of microaggressions. However, since the advent of democracy in 1994, the country has faced numerous challenges in its quest for the implementation of rights pertaining to unity, diversity, inclusion and non-racialism. The main struggle is for the country to create an inclusive workforce that responds to fundamental rights enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution of 1996 which stipulates: ‘we are united in our diversity’. This article intends to assess microaggressions and social cohesion at the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) in order to find out whether the Microaggressions Theory developed in the field of psychology in the United States of America (US) could be applied in the field of public administration in South Africa. The aim is to determine whether subtle forms of negative behaviour or environmental indignities contribute to perceptions of enduring racism and discrimination in a diverse workplace. A mixed methods approach was followed. The reliability and validity of an existing questionnaire, developed in the US by a psychologist, were tested in the CTMM. The statistical relationship between types of racial microaggressions and social cohesion, which forms part of the South African government's policies towards enhancing race relations in the country, was also measured. Results indicated that the Microaggressions Theory can be applied in the field of public administration in South Africa.
A framework for made in Africa evaluation and influence of the African peer review mechanism on policy outcomes
Kizito, Martin; Tshiyoyo, Michel; Mazenda, Adrino (Emerald, 2025-08)
PURPOSE : This paper proposes a framework for operationalising the implementation of the Made in Africa Evaluation (MAE) Peer Review Mechanism through the lens of the Ugandan evaluation processes (inputs, activities, and outputs) and the impacts of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on policy outcomes. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A case study design was adopted, utilising qualitative data collected from 35 participants through interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) in Uganda. This approach aims to understand the perceptions of APRM stakeholders, who were purposively selected based on their roles in the first and second-generation peer reviews conducted between 2005 and 2021. FINDINGS : The empirical data revealed that APRM’s influence on public policy varies depending on the nature of the process elements, providing guidance to stakeholders and researchers regarding the relevant inputs, activities, and outputs. Lessons from this study emphasise the importance of inclusive planning, adequate resource capacity, timely reporting, a well-domesticated legal framework, and a culture of using findings from evaluations in national plans and budgets. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : Evidence drawn from stakeholders’ experiences informs a context-based operational framework for enhancing the evaluation influence of APRM implementation, thereby addressing the gap in the application of MAE.
Ride comfort optimization with handling constraints over rough terrain
Mahmood, Arslan; Kat, Cor-Jacques; Els, Pieter Schalk (Elsevier, 2026-04)
Semi-active suspension systems have garnered interest in addressing the trade-off between ride comfort and handling of off-road vehicles over rough terrain. This trade-off is challenging due to the on-road handling demand, with high ground clearance and center of mass complicating the matter further. Control strategies such as skyhook and ground-hook control might not be as effective due to the slow response time of the semi-active suspension system being investigated. This necessitates a different approach to leverage the semi-active suspension to improve vehicle ride comfort while maintaining acceptable handling. This study aims to find parameter settings of a semi-active suspension system for optimal ride comfort with a specified handling performance for a range of speeds and terrains, including rough terrains. Results show that optimal settings are relatively insensitive to road roughness but indeed sensitive to speed. Balancing of front and rear axle load transfer hold potential for improving handling without compromising comfort.