Dyschromonychia: clinical significance in a South African population

Background The purpose of this study was to determine disease associations with dyschromonychia (DCO) in an outand inpatient population attending Kalafong Hospital. Methods This prospective and observational study included in- and out-patients attending the Immunology Clinic at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria, Gauteng. The study was divided into three phases, the first of which was to evaluate the kappa values and prevalence of DCO. The second was to determine the disease associations of in-patients, and the third phase consisted of nail evaluation in an out-patient HIV-positive population.Results The kappa value was 0.72, as obtained by three investigators. DCO was found to have a 66% sensitivity, 92% specificity, 66% positive predictive value, 92% negative predictive value, a positive likelihood ratio of 8.2 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.4 for HIV (inpatients). Patients with DCO were found to have a significantly higher rate of infections (predominantly involving the lung), significantly lower lymphocyte counts and CD4 cell counts, and significantly lower CD4:CD8 ratios and albumin levels (p = 0.0001). The best discriminatory CD4 for DCO was 216.6 x 10 6/l (sensitivity = 89%; specificity = 63%), while a CD4 value of 134.3 x 10 6/l yielded a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 73%. Conclusions This study demonstrates a close association between HIV and DCO, especially in the case of lower CD4 cell counts. The absence of DCO is a poor predictor for the presence of HIV, although its presence has a high sensitivity for HIV seropositivity. The clinical finding of DCO is a simple, quick and efficient sign for the evaluation of the immune status of our population with reasonable sensitivity and specificity for low CD4 cell counts.Keywords: dyschromonychia, human immunodeficiency virus, pneumonia, CD4 cell countFor full text, click here:SA Fam Pract 2005;47(9):54-5

The foreign language classroom anxiety scale and academic achievement: an overview of the prevailing literature and a meta-analysis

Foreign language learners experience a unique type of anxiety during the language learning process: Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA). This situation-specific anxiety is frequently examined alongside academic achievement in foreign language courses. The present meta-analysis examined the relationship between FLCA measured through the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and five forms of academic achievement: general academic achievement and four competency-specific outcome scores (reading-, writing-, listening-, and speaking academic achievement). A total of k = 99 effect sizes were analysed with an overall sample size of N = 14128 in a random effects model with Pearson correlation coefficients. A moderate negative correlation was found between FLCA and all categories of academic achievement (e.g., general academic achievement: r = -.39; k = 59; N = 12585). The results of this meta analysis confirm the negative association between FLCA and academic achievement in foreign language courses

The role of toilet hygiene in transmission of vaginal and urinary tract infections in Huis Welgemoed, CUT Campus

Published ArticleThe 2012 residents of Huis Welgemoed, a residence for female students at Central University of Technology, Free State Bloemfontein Campus have reported a high prevalence of infections of the vagina and the urinary tract. They assume that this problem is associated with poor hygienic conditions in the toilets of their residence. However, this assumption may not be entirely true, as other factors may also contribute to their problem. Previous studies have shown that there is an evident relation of vaginitis and urinary tract infections (UTI) among students and the practices of personal hygiene or the level of toilet sanitation in their residences. Especially in facilities where the students have complained about the hygiene state of their residence toilets as unsatisfactory. This preliminary study has shown that the residence conforms to the standards set out by the S.A. requirements for toilets in student housing of 1 toilet per 6 students and that the cleaning materials and methods used by staff are adequate. Interestingly, the authors have found that a lack of knowledge around UTI's and VI's regarding basic prevention strategies is most probably the cause of the high incidence of these two types of infections

Does multilingualism shape personality? An exploratory investigation

Aims and objectives: Personality psychologists argue that personality is the result of nature and nurture. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the latter. The present study considers the effect of multilingualism, a social factor, on personality. Methodology: 651 multilinguals from around the world filled out an online questionnaire containing questions about participants’ language profile and a so-called “Big 5” questionnaire: the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (Short Form) (van der Zee et al., 2013). Data and analysis: Correlation analyses were run between the level of multilingualism of participants and their scores on five personality traits. A parceled structural equation model was then used to examine the influence of multilingualism on three personality subscales. Findings: The model indicated significant weak, positive path coefficients between the level of multilingualism and Flexibility, Social Initiative and Open-mindedness. Significance: It confirms and expands earlier research that showed that multilingualism/multiculturalism can be considered to be enduring environmental factors that contribute to the shaping of personality profiles

Re-imagining community participation at the district level: Lessons from the DIALHS collaboration.

In South Africa, the value of community participation as one of the central components of a primary health care approach is highlighted in legislation, policy documents and strategic plans. There is widespread acceptance that community participation strengthens community empowerment, disease prevention and access to services. Since 2010, the District Innovation and Action Learning for Health System Development collaboration has co-produced knowledge about how to strengthen district health systems. Nested within this collaboration is a series of engagements seeking to understand and strengthen community participation including a multi-stakeholder health risks and assets mapping activity; ‘Local Action Group’ initiatives; reflective meetings with service colleagues about community participation experiences; and a capacity-development initiative (community participation-related short courses and mentoring). These engagements hold a number of lessons for those interested in enhancing the population orientation of primary health care and the district health system, the first of which is the clear benefit to those interested in community roles and engagement of convening spaces for dialogue. However, it is not easy to generate and sustain these spaces. Through the application of a framework of collective capacity, this chapter aims to shed light on why this is the case, and in so doing, to highlight a second lesson, which is the perhaps unrecognised capacities of certain cadres, particularly environmental health practitioners, in the implementation of community participation. Ultimately, the chapter seeks to stimulate thinking and engagement about the ways in which dialogue and participation can enrich the South African health system

Diverse pollination systems of the twin-spurred orchid genus Satyrium in African grasslands

The large terrestrial orchid genus Satyrium underwent evolutionary radiations in the Cape floral region and the grasslands of southern and eastern Africa. These radiations were accompanied by tremendous diversification of the unusual twin-spurred flowers that characterize the genus, but pollination data required to interpret these patterns of floral evolution have been lacking for grassland species in the genus. Here we document pollinators, nectar properties, and levels of pollination success for 11 grassland Satyrium species in southern and south-central Africa. Pollinators of these species include bees, beetles, butterflies, hawkmoths, noctuid moths, long-proboscid flies, and sunbirds. Most species appear to be specialized for pollination by one functional pollinator group. Long-proboscid fly pollination systems are reported for the first time in Satyrium (in S. macrophyllum and a high-altitude form of S. neglectum). Floral morphology, especially spur length and rostellum structure, differs markedly among plants with different pollinators, while nectar volume, concentration, and sugar composition are fairly uniform across species. Most taxa exhibited high levels of pollination success (>50% of flowers pollinated), a trend that can be attributed to the presence of nectar in the twin spurs

By the old gods and the new: the effect of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety and Enjoyment Congruence on Self-Perceived Proficiency

The negative emotion of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA) and the positive emotion of Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE) have both been linked to foreign language (FL) learners’ Self-Perceived Proficiency (SPP). In linear correlational studies, SPP has been found to be negatively affected by FLCA and positively affected by FLE. However, linear correlational research methods are limited in the extent to which they can depict these interrelations. In this study, we examined how different levels of FLCA and FLE influenced SPP in concert in a sample of n = 1039 FL learners by utilising polynomial regression with response surface analysis. The response model generated visually depicted a complex SPP pattern as a result of differing levels of FLCA and FLE. This three-dimensional model provides considerable insight into the interaction of positive and negative emotions above and beyond what could be derived from ‘classical’ methods of correlation and linear regression

A three-body problem: the effects of foreign language anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom on academic achievement

This study is part of a growing wave of interest in foreign language learners’ emotions, their sources, and their effects. Previous studies have confirmed that there is a clear relationship between the emotions of Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE), Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety (FLCA), Foreign Language Boredom (FLB), and FL performance. However, the relative importance of each emotion as a predictor of FL performance has yet to be examined, and as different teaching and learning strategies can elicit different emotions, it is difficult to determine whether FL teachers and learners should prioritize a specific emotion in course design and study. We, therefore, utilized structural equation modeling and latent dominance analysis on a sample of 502 Moroccan EFL learners in order to examine the relative importance of each emotion in predicting FL performance. We argue that it is crucial to use sophisticated statistical analyses and to collect samples from outside Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries. The latent dominance analysis revealed that FLCA had the strongest (negative) effect on English test scores. FLB had a significant -but slightly weaker- negative effect and FLE had a significant -but weaker still- positive effect. As such, it is vital that FL teachers and learners not underestimate the impact of anxiety on language learning

Sources and effects of Foreign Language Enjoyment, Anxiety and Boredom: a structural equation modelling approach

The present study is among the first to investigate how three foreign language (FL) emotions, namely FL enjoyment (FLE), anxiety (FLCA) and boredom (FLB) are related to each other. It is the first study to consider how the three FL emotions are shaped by one learner-internal variable (attitude toward the FL), by two perceived teacher behaviours (frequency of use of the FL in class and unpredictability) and how all these variables jointly affect leaners’ FL achievement. Participants were 332 FL learners from all over the world studying a wide variety of FLs who filled out an online questionnaire. A close-fitting structural equation model revealed associations between FLE, FLCA, and FLB. Teacher behaviours positively affected FLE, with no discernible effect on FLB or FLCA. Only FLCA was found to have a (negative) effect on academic achievement. The study confirms the complex relationship between teacher behaviours and positive emotions in the FL classroom

The power to improve: effects of multilingualism and perceived proficiency on enjoyment and anxiety in foreign language learning

The study examines whether already knowing several languages and feeling proficient in a new foreign language (FL) has an effect on positive and negative emotions during the learning. The emergence of positive psychology in language acquisition studies has led to the examination of positive emotions in the FL learning process, such as Foreign Language Enjoyment (FLE). FLE is a positive emotional state where psychological needs are met and was introduced as the positive emotion counterpart to the oft studied negative emotion, Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA). A international sample of 1622 FL learners were analysed utilising multivariate tests of variance, examining the level of multilingualism and the level of self-perceived FL proficiency as independent variables, with FLE and FLA as dependent variables. Results indicated a very small, but statistically significant interaction effect between the level of multilingualism and self-perceived FL proficiency on the FLA of the language learner, but not on FLE. In addition, higher levels of multilingualism were associated with higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety in FL learners. In turn, more self-perceived proficient FL learners indicated higher levels of enjoyment and lower levels of anxiety. Although effect sizes were in some cases very small, the results do indicate the benefits multilinguals and higher proficiency FL learners have when learning a FL