20 research outputs found
Epistemological access through lecture materials in multiple modes and language varieties: the role of ideologies and multilingual literacy practices in student evaluations of such materials at a South African University
This paper seeks to address the ways in which ideology and literacy practices shape the responses of students to an ongoing initiative at the University of the Western Cape aimed at diversifying options for epistemological access, specifically the language varieties and the modes in which parts of the curriculum for a third year linguistics module are delivered. Students’ responses to the materials in English and in two varieties of Afrikaans and isiXhosa (as mediated in writing vs orally) are determined, and used as basis to problematize decisions on language variety and mode in language diversification initiatives in Higher Education in South Africa. The findings of the paper are juxtaposed against particular group interests in the educational use of a language as well as differences in the affordances and impact of different modes of language use. The paper suggests that beyond the euphoria of using languages other than English in South African Higher Education, several issues (such as entrenched language practices, beliefs and language management orientations) require attention if the goals of transformation in this sector are to be attained
Speaking with a forked tongue about multilingualism in the language policy of a South African university
As part of a broader student campaign for ‘free decolonized education’, protests
over language policies at select South African universities between 2015 and 2016
belied widespread positive appraisals of these policies, and revealed what is possibly
an internal contradiction of the campaign. The discourse prior to the protests (e.g.
“excellent language policies but problematic implementation”), during the protests
(e.g. silence over the role of indigenous African languages in the “Afrikaans must
fall” versus “Afrikaans must stay” contestations), and after the protests (e.g. English
becoming a primary medium in some institutional policy reviews) warrant attention
to critical literacy in language policy scholarship. Based on a theoretical account of
speaking with a forked tongue, this article analyzes the language policy text of one
South African university. The analysis suggests, simultaneously, why similar policies
have tended to be positively appraised, why students’ calls for policy revisions
were justified, but why the changes clamoured for arguably amount to complicity in
self-harm
X-Ray Spectroscopy of Stars
(abridged) Non-degenerate stars of essentially all spectral classes are soft
X-ray sources. Low-mass stars on the cooler part of the main sequence and their
pre-main sequence predecessors define the dominant stellar population in the
galaxy by number. Their X-ray spectra are reminiscent, in the broadest sense,
of X-ray spectra from the solar corona. X-ray emission from cool stars is
indeed ascribed to magnetically trapped hot gas analogous to the solar coronal
plasma. Coronal structure, its thermal stratification and geometric extent can
be interpreted based on various spectral diagnostics. New features have been
identified in pre-main sequence stars; some of these may be related to
accretion shocks on the stellar surface, fluorescence on circumstellar disks
due to X-ray irradiation, or shock heating in stellar outflows. Massive, hot
stars clearly dominate the interaction with the galactic interstellar medium:
they are the main sources of ionizing radiation, mechanical energy and chemical
enrichment in galaxies. High-energy emission permits to probe some of the most
important processes at work in these stars, and put constraints on their most
peculiar feature: the stellar wind. Here, we review recent advances in our
understanding of cool and hot stars through the study of X-ray spectra, in
particular high-resolution spectra now available from XMM-Newton and Chandra.
We address issues related to coronal structure, flares, the composition of
coronal plasma, X-ray production in accretion streams and outflows, X-rays from
single OB-type stars, massive binaries, magnetic hot objects and evolved WR
stars.Comment: accepted for Astron. Astrophys. Rev., 98 journal pages, 30 figures
(partly multiple); some corrections made after proof stag
Nanoscale Metallic Iron for Environmental Remediation: Prospects and Limitations
The amendment of the subsurface with nanoscale metallic iron particles
(nano-Fe0) has been discussed in the literature as an efficient in situ
technology for groundwater remediation. However, the introduction of this
technology was controversial and its efficiency has never been univocally
established. This unsatisfying situation has motivated this communication whose
objective was a comprehensive discussion of the intrinsic reactivity of
nano-Fe0 based on the contemporary knowledge on the mechanism of contaminant
removal by Fe0 and a mathematical model. It is showed that due to limitations
of the mass transfer of nano-Fe0 to contaminants, available concepts cannot
explain the success of nano-Fe0 injection for in situ groundwater remediation.
It is recommended to test the possibility of introducing nano-Fe0 to initiate
the formation of roll-fronts which propagation would induce the reductive
transformation of both dissolved and adsorbed contaminants. Within a
roll-front, FeII from nano-Fe0 is the reducing agent for contaminants. FeII is
recycled by biotic or abiotic FeIII reduction. While the roll-front concept
could explain the success of already implemented reaction zones, more research
is needed for a science-based recommendation of nano- Fe0 for subsurface
treatment by roll-front
Molecular mechanisms of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus that leads to deleterious pulmonary pathological features. Due to its high morbidity and mortality and widespread occurrence, SARS has evolved as an important respiratory disease which may be encountered everywhere in the world. The virus was identified as the causative agent of SARS due to the efforts of a WHO-led laboratory network. The potential mutability of the SARS-CoV genome may lead to new SARS outbreaks and several regions of the viral genomes open reading frames have been identified which may contribute to the severe virulence of the virus. With regard to the pathogenesis of SARS, several mechanisms involving both direct effects on target cells and indirect effects via the immune system may exist. Vaccination would offer the most attractive approach to prevent new epidemics of SARS, but the development of vaccines is difficult due to missing data on the role of immune system-virus interactions and the potential mutability of the virus. Even in a situation of no new infections, SARS remains a major health hazard, as new epidemics may arise. Therefore, further experimental and clinical research is required to control the disease
HIV/AIDS Messaging in Germany and Nigeria: A Corpus Linguistics Study
Modelling success in HIV messaging is notoriously difficult in part because of the diversity of disciplines interested in the subject (e.g. public health, psychology, communication, education, sociology, linguistics) and the claims made in each, often on the basis of different coming-to-know processes. For instance, although relevant research in public health and communication emphasizes audience responses to messages but sometimes slights detailed analyses of the texts of these messages, work in applied linguistics tends to engage with texts without, however, framing its claims in the context of theories of behaviour. This study makes a case for attention to both text and behaviour by showing how a corpus linguistics study of texts of HIV messaging can be accommodated within a behavioural framework. An analysis of a corpus of HIV messages from Germany and Nigeria carried out from the standpoint of predictions of a behavioural theory suggests that only two German messages and one Nigerian message (out of the eleven messages in each national corpus) had the mix of features (high threat, high efficacy) predicted by the theory to elicit message acceptance. In view of the implication that the observed nexus between messaging and society does not necessarily translate into better acceptance prospects as defined within the particular behavioural theory, this study may be seen as problematising certain claims in applied linguistics research on HIV, especially recommendations dealing with the need for messaging to reflect local (knowledge) perspectives.Keywords: HIV/AIDS Messaging, Nigeria, Germany, Computer-assisted Text Analysis, Expanded Parallel Process Mode