Students’ perceptions towards instructor-developed screencasts as a stand-alone method of instruction on WhatsApp in an introductory statistics course during COVID-19

E-learning and access to internet facilities remain a problem for many students in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to assess students’ perceptions of the use of WhatsApp as an online learning technology together with instructor-developed screencasts as a stand-alone method of instruction in an introductory statistics course during the COVID-19 pandemic at a South African university. The responses to an open-ended questionnaire showed that students preferred WhatsApp over the university’s student learning platform. Although it is advocated to use screencasts to supplement traditional lectures, the findings of this research revealed that instructor-developed screencasts have the potential to be used as a stand-alone method of instruction for the teaching and learning of introductory statistics. Participants’ responses also revealed that, apart from the electronic connection they had on WhatsApp, they valued the emotional connection as well. The sharing, support, love, as well as cooperation among the lecturer and students emphasised the importance of ubuntu in educational settings. Furthermore, the results revealed that the attitude and support of a lecturer play a crucial role in providing an online atmosphere where students feel safe and comfortable, especially during the pandemic period

Aetiology and outcome of severe community-acquired pneumonia in children admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit

Objective. To determine the aetiological agents and outcome of severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) in children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria. Patients and methods. An audit was done after a protocol was implemented to identify the aetiological agents in children with life-threatening SCAP admitted to the PICU from the emergency room. The following investigations were done as per protocol: blood culture, culture of the tracheal aspirate, immunofluorescence and culture of the nasopharyngeal aspirate, microscopy and culture of the gastric juice for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and determination of HIV status. The following data, documented prospectively, were obtained from patient records: date of admission, age, gender, weight, duration of ventilation, duration of stay in the PICU, survival or death, and severity of illness as determined by means of the score for acute neonatal physiology (SNAP) or paediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) score depending on the child's age. Results. Twenty-three children were admitted over a 1-year period (1 November 1994-30 October 1995). Their median age was 10 weeks (range 2 weeks- 5 years) and the sex distribution was equal.Two children were HIV-infected. Twenty children received mechanical ventilation for a median period of 6.5 days (range 2- 16 days). Aetiological agents were identified in 15/23 children (65%).Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most common pathogen, identified in 7/23 children. Klebsiella pneumonia was the most common bacterial pathogen, identified in 5 children (2 blood cultures and 3 tracheal aspirates)

An internal communication model for multi-campus higher education institutions in South Africa

Published ArticleIn this article the authors propose a model for South African multi-campus universities, aimed at improving the effectiveness of internal communication. The development of the model was informed by three factors: the bureaucratic nature of higher education institutions; the restructured South African higher education landscape comprising various multi-campus universities with campuses situated geographically apart; and the fact that the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) identified certain shortcomings in its internal communication practices during a climate survey. Various communication models, including those employed by the corporate sector, were studied, after which an extensive empirical investigation was carried out. The proposed model incorporates essential features, but also addresses shortcomings of existing internal communication models. The characteristics of the model were developed from an empirical investigation that included a mixed-method research as well as the recommendations of communication executives from seven multi-campus universities in South Africa

On-site screening for syphilis at an antenatal clinic

Objective. To determine the validity, predictive value and accuracy of the rapid plasma reagin card test performed on site to diagnose active syphilis in pregnant women so that immediate treatment can be offered to prevent congenital syphilis.Design. Open, descriptive study.Setting. Antenatal clinic, Mamelodi Hospital, Pretoria.Patients. Four hundred and seventy-four pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic for the first time were entered into the study.Methods. A rapid plasma reagin test was performed on site with no specialised equipment and the results were compared with those of the reference laboratory.Results. In the event of rapid plasma reagin titres of 1:8 and higher, indicative of active syphilis, the on-site rapid plasma reagin test had a sensitivity of 90.5%. The test had a sensitivity of 100% if the rapid plasma reagin titres were 1:16 and higher.Conclusion. The on-site rapid plasma reagin test identified all women with rapid plasma reagin titres higher than 1:8. This implies that all women whose fetuses were in danger of acquiring congenital syphilis were identified at the clinic and could be treated immediately

Decline in acute coronary syndrome hospitalisation rates during COVID-19 lockdown in private hospitals in South Africa

We conducted a study of admission rates of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in all Mediclinic hospitals in South Africa. The aim of the study was to quantify the extent of change in admission rates of ACS subtypes and to establish the degree of change in subtype proportions in the private sector assumed to be related to COVID-19 and/or lockdown implementation. Time intervals were demarcated by lockdown measures (March: pre-lockdown versus April: post-lockdown implementation), and comparisons were performed with equitable time periods (2019 versus 2020). For the comparison of proportions, data for April and May were summated

Edwardsiella tarda Infection Triggering Acute Relapse in Pediatric Crohn’s Disease

Crohn\u27s disease exacerbations can often be associated with bacterial infections causing gastroenteritis. We report a child who experienced exacerbation of his Crohn\u27s disease associated with a positive stool culture fo

Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in very-low-birth-weight infants born at Kalafong hospital, Pretoria

Introduction. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a complication of prematurity, is diagnosed by ophthalmological screening of infants at risk (birth weight _ 1 500 g), and may lead to blindness. The incidence of ROP is under-reported in developing countries, including South Africa. Published data from the USA (CRYO-ROP) show that black infants have a lower incidence of threshold ROP than their white counterparts (3.2% v. 7.4%). Preliminary results of a screening programme initiated at Kalafong Hospital in 1999 are reported. Aim. To determine the incidence of ROP in infants with a birth weight of _ 1 500 g born at Kalafong Hospital. Patients and methods. Consecutive infants were enrolled at birth and screened for ROP 4 - 6 weeks later by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Repeat examinations were performed until vascularisation was complete or until the infant reached a postconceptional age of 40 weeks. Infants with stage 3 ROP who developed threshold disease were treated with cryotherapy or laser therapy. Results. One hundred and forty-five infants were enrolled over 10 months (15 February 1999 - 25 December 1999); of these 94 were screened. Of the remaining 51 infants, 24 died before screening and 27 were discharged before screening and were lost to follow-up. ROP was diagnosed in 23 of the 94 infants screened (24.5%). Stage 1 and 2 ROP occurred in 17 of the infants screened (18.1%) and stage 3 ROP in 6 (6.4%), of whom 4 (median birth weight 995 g, range 900 - 1 450 g) developed threshold ROP and were treated. Conclusions. The incidence of ROP in black very-low-birth-weight infants born at Kalafong Hospital is 24.5%. The incidence of threshold ROP is 4.3% (3.2% in infants _ 1 250 g) and correlates with published data from the USA. Infants with a birth weight _ 1 500 g should receive ophthalmological screening to diagnose stage 3 ROP timeously. (South African Medical Journal: 2002 92(12): 986-989

Congenital anomalies in black South African liveborn neonates at an urban academic hospital

Study objective. The aim was to study the spectrum of clinical problems and outcomes in infants born at an urban academic hospital. In consequence, as part of the overall study, the incidence of congenital anomalies and the outcomes of affected infants were recorded.Design. This was a prospective, hospital-based study, undertaken on liveborn infants born over a 3-year period, 1 May 1986 to 30 April 1989.Setting. Kalafong Hospital, Pretoria.Main results. A total of 17 351 liveborn infants was examined and the total congenital anomalies incidence was 11 ,87 per 1 000 Iivebirths. The central nervous system was the system most frequently involved (2,30 per 1 000 livebirths), followed by the musculoskeletal system (2,13 per 1 000 livebirths). The commonest individual congenital anomaly was Down syndrome (1,33 per 1 000 Iivebirths), followed by neural tube defects (0,99 per 1 000 livebirths) and ventricular septal defects (0,69 per 1 000 livebirths). In 11 % (2,25 per 1 000 livebirths) of neonatal deaths, infant loss was attributable to congenital anomalies.Conclusions. The incidence of congenital anomalies in black South African neonates, born in an urban setting, is as high as in other First- and Third-World countries, and the incidence of some individual congenital anomalies is higher. This study indicates the need for further research and the establishment of prenatal, genetics and paediatric facilities to manage these problems

Mechanistic insight into the chemical treatments of monolayer transition metal disulfides for photoluminescence enhancement.

There is a growing interest in obtaining high quality monolayer transition metal disulfides for optoelectronic applications. Surface treatments using a range of chemicals have proven effective to improve the photoluminescence yield of these materials. However, the underlying mechanism for the photoluminescence enhancement is not clear, which prevents a rational design of passivation strategies. Here, a simple and effective approach to significantly enhance the photoluminescence is demonstrated by using a family of cation donors, which we show to be much more effective than commonly used p-dopants. We develop a detailed mechanistic picture for the action of these cation donors and demonstrate that one of them, bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt (Li-TFSI), enhances the photoluminescence of both MoS2 and WS2 to a level double that of the currently best performing super-acid trifluoromethanesulfonimide (H-TFSI) treatment. In addition, the ionic salts used in our treatments are compatible with greener solvents and are easier to handle than super-acids, providing the possibility of performing treatments during device fabrication. This work sets up rational selection rules for ionic chemicals to passivate transition metal disulfides and increases their potential in practical optoelectronic applications