Style, structure and function in Cape Town Tsotsitaal

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 214-223).The thesis applies a social constructionist framework and Foucauldian Discourse Analysis to demonstrate that while Tsotsitaal was perceived by many respondents as a language of gangsters and criminals, evidence suggests that it is actually part of an ongoing identity construction for young, black, primarily male urban township residents in South Africa, which is performed through a subcultural style. By applying Myers-Scotton's Matrix Language Frame model to questionnaire and interview data collected in two Cape Town townships, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, the thesis identifies the syntactic framework of Cape Town Tsotsitaal as Xhosa

Academic literacy workshops: a handbook for students and instructors

This workbook contains the material for a series of short supporting sessions on writing and research skills for students at University. These skills include finding materials, academic and critocal reading, writing good literature reviews, and referencing. Most of the material should be useful for all levels of student, from undergraduate to postgraduate. Each session, if run as a workshop, will last approximately 45 mins to 1 hour. Instructors can walk through the material with their students, or create powerpoint slides and use the material as a presentation

Passing as Literate: Gender, Dyslexia, and the Shaping of Identities

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the ways in which currently diagnosed dyslexic females, who navigated adolescence and their concomitant schooling without a definitive diagnosis of dyslexia, negotiated their identities in the figured world of school. To explore this phenomenon, it was necessary to understand the complexity of dyslexia as well as the theoretical underpinnings of identity construction, adolescence, and ―passing as literate.‖ This case study is informed by poststructuralist thought; through this lens I examine how my subjects perceived their worlds and how they negotiated the challenges associated with undiagnosed dyslexia. As they describe their positions in their figured worlds, I search for issues of power, identity and agency around which their lives appear to be organized. The answers to the following research questions were sought: (1) How do adult women who were undiagnosed dyslexic girls reflect upon their negotiations of identity in the figured world of school (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain (1998)? (2) Is there evidence that girls attempt to pass as literate? If so, what types of ―passing‖ attempts and techniques are used by dyslexic adolescent girls to appear more literate? Case study methodology offers the insight provided by detailed narratives of personal experiences. Data was collected by interviews, observations and researcher‘s field notes obtained through the stories of three adult dyslexic women. The data was analyzed for affirming or conflicting themes. The stories were retold in a chronological and thematic pattern describing the participants‘ experiences from different perspectives

Italians and the New Byzantium: Lombard and Venetian Architects in Muscovy, 1472-1539

This dissertation explores how early modern Russian identity was shaped by the built environment and, likewise, how the built environment was a result of an emerging Russian identity. I focus on the years 1472 to 1539 because they were crucial to the formation of this early modern Russian identity. Muscovite princes, seeking to rebuild Moscow\u27s cityscape in a grander style, imported a large community of architects, engineers, stonemasons, and statesmen from Lombardy, the Veneto, and Rome. At least six architects, and an unknown number of masons, from Italy worked in Muscovy during these years, and their presence indelibly changed the face of Russian architecture and culture. The Muscovite princes sought to recreate the cityscape of Moscow as a symbol of the power gained when Ivan III freed his people from Mongol control and began consolidating Russian lands into an emerging, unified state. Furthermore, with the collapse of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, Muscovy declared itself capital of Orthodox Christendom, casting its authority across the Russian lands. Accordingly on the ascent, Muscovy actively sought to define its emerging sense of national identity in a new architectural language; it deliberately looked to the traditions of Medieval and Renaissance Italy to assist in this process. The resulting hybrid architecture was a combination of the revered architectural traditions of medieval Kiev and Novgorod with the Western Renaissance, all overlaid with a fervent Byzantine theological persuasion. Thus, Muscovy\u27s use of foreign architects is emphatically not indicative of a deference to a superior West or of a desire to become or appear Western, as some older scholarship implies. Instead, it reveals the ingenuity of a culture on the verge of statehood, one that seems to have understood that artistic forms could be transferred and repurposed

Hierarchies and coloniality: students' language ideologies and attitudes in Cape Town

This paper focuses on the ideologies surrounding language that are produced by a cohort of students in their first year at a South African university, in order to investigate how dominant power- discourses are reproduced. An assignment asking students to relate their language histories reveals strong language ideologies relating to South Africa’s official, and not-so-official, languages. These ideologies are surfaced through a form of critical discourse analysis, undertaken using NVivo software. The paper argues that the students’ ideologies are influenced by discourses such as language hierarchies and what Mignolo (2005) calls ‘coloniality’. Language attitudes on the other hand, reflect students’ strong identification with their home languages, and the effects of English dominance are felt at various levels

The effect of Kahoot on undergraduate student anxiety and confidence when studying statistics

Many undergraduate students are required to study statistics, but often struggle understanding concepts, lack engagement, lack confidence, or feel anxious about statistics. Kahoot is a game-based learning platform that can be used to increase student engagement and learning through real-time quizzes. This study aimed to evaluate the use of Kahoot on improving students’ experience of studying statistics in an undergraduate (year 2) course. Pre and post Likert scale questionnaires (including Statistical Anxiety Measure - SAM) were used to collect student responses about their statistics study experience. Questions related to anxiety, confidence, and for the post quiz, additional questions on the impact of Kahoot on behavioural engagement. Post survey results indicate positive changes in students’ perceptions towards studying statistics in terms of anxiety and confidence. Kahoot was shown to have a significant and positive effect on student confidence and was also linked to lowered anxiety. Despite limited data, help-seeking anxiety explained over 50% of variation in final exam performance. Further research is recommended on the effect of Kahoot on student anxiety when studying statistics, particularly as it relates to confidence and performance

A SNaPshot assay for the rapid and simple detection of four common hotspot codon mutations in the PIK3CA gene

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Activating mutations in the <it>PIK3CA </it>gene have been identified in a variety of human malignancies and are commonly detected in hotspot codons located in the helical and kinase domains in exons 9 and 20. Existing methodologies for the detection of <it>PIK3CA </it>mutations are time-consuming and/or expensive. In the present study we describe the first application of a <it>PIK3CA </it>SNaPshot assay to the screening of frequent mutations in these exons.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>A SNaPshot assay for the simultaneous detection of four frequent PIK3CA hotspot mutations (E542K, E545G, E545K and H1047R) has been developed and evaluated. The assay combines multiplex PCR amplification with a multiplex primer extension assay to allow targeted detection of all four mutations in one reaction. The method was tested using samples that had previously been analysed for mutations by high-resolution melting analysis and sequencing. All mutations detected were concordant and no false positive results were obtained. Sensitivity tests showed that the SNaPshot assay could detect mutant DNA when it represents 5–10% of the total DNA present. The application of the method to the analysis of DNAs extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples was also demonstrated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The SNaPshot assay described here offers a fast, sensitive, inexpensive and specific approach to the analysis of frequent <it>PIK3CA </it>mutations in both fresh and archival patient samples.</p

Two Multiplex Assays That Simultaneously Identify 22 Possible Mutation Sites in the KRAS, BRAF, NRAS and PIK3CA Genes

Recently a number of randomized trials have shown that patients with advanced colorectal cancer do not benefit from therapies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor when their tumors harbor mutations in the KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA genes. We developed two multiplex assays that simultaneously screen 22 nucleotides in the KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA genes for mutations. The assays were validated on 294 tumor DNA samples from patients with advanced colorectal cancer. In these samples 119 KRAS codon 12 and 13 mutations had been identified by sequence analysis, 126 tumors were wild-type for KRAS and the analysis failed in 49 of the 294 samples due to poor DNA quality. The two mutation assays detected 130 KRAS mutations, among which were 3 codon 61 mutations, and in addition 32 PIK3CA, 13 BRAF and 6 NRAS mutations. In 19 tumors a KRAS mutation was found together with a mutation in the PIK3CA gene. One tumor was mutant for both PIK3CA and BRAF. In summary, the mutations assays identified 161 tumors with a mutation, 120 were wild-type and the analysis failed in 13. The material cost of the 2 mutation assays was calculated to be 8-fold lower than the cost of sequencing required to obtain the same data. In addition, the mutation assays are less labor intensive. We conclude that the performance of the two multiplex mutation assays was superior to direct sequencing. In addition, these assays are cheaper and easier to interpret. The assays may also be of use for selection of patients with other tumor types