'All's well that ends': Concluding a deanship

This article presents an auto-ethnographic process of self-reflective writing during the transition period at the end of an academic deanship. As a career intervention strategy, the author adopted a self-guided process of writing based on the Schlossberg model for career transition. The article shows how self-reflective writing can craft a pathway for successful personal navigation towards the last phase of an academic leadership position. It focuses specifically on the latter part of a deanship, with the explicit intention of contributing to the relatively sparse literature on the exit phases of academic leadership positions. This article highlights the narratability of career counselling and the potential of autobiographicity to support career transition.Keywords: career counselling, auto-ethnography, deanship, dean, leadership, transition, education, self-reflective writing, career perspective

Ouers se konstruering van hul rol by insluitende onderwys van hulle kind met Downsindroom

Construction of their role in inclusive education by parents of a child with Down's Syndrome The purpose of this study was to understand the way in which parents construct their roles in the inclusion of their child with Down's Syndrome. The study was conducted in the South African context with the parents of children with Down's Syndrome, who were included in Grades 1, 2 or 3 in different schools in Gauteng at the time of the study. The role that these parents constructed, before and during the inclusion of their children, was examined and identified by means of semi-structured interviews according to a qualitative research design. Questionnaires, field notes and audiotape recordings were used as data collecting strategies. Results from this study indicated that parents construct their roles in a multifaceted manner. In this context parents construct their roles in terms of self-empowerment, inclusionists, pro-active preparation for inclusion, striving towards inclusion, public awareness, provision of information, facilitation, expertise and the setting of priorities in the inclusion process.The primary contribution of this study is towards the expansion of theoretical knowledge about the role of parents in inclusive education of learners with Down's syndrome. South African Journal of Education Vol.23(4) 2003: 328-33

'Die verswygde storie': ’n gevallestudie oor die manifestasie van bates by ’n kleuter met spina bifida miëlomeningoseel

'The unmentioned story': a case study of the manifestation of assets in a toddler with spina bifida miëlomeningoseel In South Africa a few major discourses with regard to disability can be distinguished. Although these discourses construct disability differently, three of them – the lay, charity and medical discourses – tend to view disability negatively. This article endeavours to challenge the stereotypical “picture” of a person with a disability. By conducting an intrinsic case study the unique intrapersonal assets of a boy (who has a physical disability, spina bifida) is identified. An asset-based approach accompanied the research design as a theoretical framework in order to explore whether positive aspects of this boy’s life-world could be identified. This article identifies and embraces the positive side of living with a physical disability and illustrates ways in which positive constructions of an individual with disabilities can be pursued

Including a learner with physical disabilities: stressful for teachers?

Learners with physical disabilities have been entering mainstream schools for some years now. Whereas early research on inclusive education necessitated a strong focus on the needs of the learners, there has also been a recent interest in the role of the teachers in inclusive education. By adopting constructivism as the paradigm for inquiry a study was undertaken to establish the stress factors for teachers who have to include a learner with a physical disability in their mainstream classes. The rationale for the study is threefold: i) Learners with physical disabilities are entering mainstream schools increasingly, ii) it is often assumed that inclusive education is too stressful for teachers to cope with, and iii) related research has shown that increased contact with individuals with disabilities has a positive effect on attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. In accordance with the dialectical methodology of constructivism, the Teacher Stress and Coping Questionnaire and in-depth interviews were utilised to establish the stress factors and the extent of the stress factors that may be present. The aim of the constructivist inquiry process is to promote understanding and reconstruction. In this article the quantitative results indicate overall low or non-existent levels of stress in teachers who have to include a learner with a physical disability, and the results therefore contribute to our understanding of this situation. The qualitative results reconstruct the meanings that these teachers attach to the inclusion of a learner with a physical disability and reveal some albeit limited concerns about the communication processes between parents and teachers and a perceived lack of pre-service training

Stress and coping skills of teachers with a learner with Down's syndrome in inclusive classrooms

Against the background of the recent move towards inclusion in South Africa, ten mainstream primary school teachers with a learner with Down's syndrome in their classrooms took part in a research programme which aims to identify stressors for teachers in an inclusive educational approach and coping skills employed to ameliorate the negative effect of these stressors. Teachers' knowledge, attitudes, stressors and coping skills were qualitatively analysed with the help of semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Preliminary findings indicate that stressors experienced and coping skills vary. The variation appears to be related not only to their perceived professional and personal ability to handle the needs of the learners but also to external factors such as collaboration with support groups and parents. (South African Journal of Education: 2001 21(4): 256-259

IN VITRO ANTHELMINTIC EFFECT OF ANOGEISSUS LEIOCARPUS (DC.) GUILL. & PERR. LEAF EXTRACTS AND FRACTIONS ON DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF HAEMONCHUS CONTORTUS

The anthelmintic effect of acetone leaf extract and fractions of Anogeissus leiocarpus was investigated to determine the relative efficacy of the components as anthelmintic against Haemonchus contortus (Rudolphi). The fractions were obtained by solvent-solvent group separation of the leaf extract. The fractions were evaluated for ovicidal and larvicidal activity by egg hatch inhibition assay and larval development viability assay. Best-fit LC50 values for egg hatch test were 0.360, 0.316, 0.093, 0.219 and 0.196 mg/ml for the crude acetone extract, hexane, chloroform, butanol, and 35% water in methanol fractions, respectively. While the best-fit LC50 values for larval development and viability test were 0.509, 0.162, 0.186, 0.288 and 0.130 mg/ml for the crude acetone extract, hexane, chloroform, butanol, and 35% water in methanol fractions, respectively. The 35% water in methanol fractions was the more active on larvae, although differences in activity between fractions were not significant (p>0.05). A. leiocarpus leaf extracts could find application in anthelmintic therapy in veterinary practice

Compatibility between Calpurnia aurea leaf extract, attraction aggregation, and attachment pheromone and entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae on viability, growth, and virulence of the pathogen

Metarhizium anisopliae sensu stricto (ss) (Metsch.) Sorok. isolate ICIPE 07 is being developed as biopesticide for the control of ticks. In addition, leaf extracts of Calpurnia aurea Benth, and the attraction aggregation and attachment pheromone (AAAP) are being used as ticks’ attractant. The three agents are being considered for use in combination in an autodissemination approach, whereby ticks that are attracted to semiochemicals are infected with the inoculum. Experiments were therefore conducted to evaluate in vitro the compatibility between C. aurea, AAAP, and the M. anisopliae on vegetative growth, conidial production, and spore viability. Calpurnia aurea leaf extract was compatible with the fungus at all the concentrations tested, whereas AAAP inhibited all the fungal growth parameters. The virulence of M. anisopliae formulated in emulsifiable extracts of C. aurea was also tested against different developmental stages of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus in laboratory bioassays. No significant differences in virulence were observed between M. anisopliae applied alone and M. anisopliae formulated in different concentrations of C. aurea leaf extracts. These results suggest that C. aurea leaf extracts is compatible with M. anisopliae and could be mixed together for “spot-spray” treatments as low-cost and environmental-friendly technology to control ticks in grazing field, while AAAP should be used separately.Bioscience Eastern and Central Africa Network (BecANet) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).http://link.springer.com/journal/10340hb2013mn201

Antibacterial activity of crude extracts of some South African medicinal plants against multidrug resistant etiological agents of diarrhoea

Abstract Background This study evaluated the antibacterial activity of some plants used in folklore medicine to treat diarrhoea in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Methods The acetone extracts of Acacia mearnsii De Wild., Aloe arborescens Mill., A. striata Haw., Cyathula uncinulata (Schrad.) Schinz, Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt., E. comosa (Houtt.) Wehrh., Hermbstaedtia odorata (Burch. ex Moq.) T.Cooke, Hydnora africana Thunb, Hypoxis latifolia Wight, Pelargonium sidoides DC, Psidium guajava L and Schizocarphus nervosus (Burch.) van der Merwe were screened against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, multi-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Isangi, S. typhi, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, Shigella flexneri type 1b and Sh. sonnei phase II. A qualitative phytochemical screening of the plants extracts was by thin layer chromatography. Plants extracts were screened for antibacterial activity using serial dilution microplate technique and bioautography. Results The TLC fingerprint indicated the presence of terpenoids and flavonoids in the herbs. Most of the tested organisms were sensitive to the crude acetone extracts with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.018–2.5 mg/mℓ. Extracts of A. striata, C. uncinulata, E. autumnalis and P. guajava were more active against enteropathogens. S. aureus and Sh. flexneri were the most sensitive isolates to the crude extracts but of significance is the antibacterial activity of A. arborescens and P. guajava against a confirmed extended spectrum betalactamase positive S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. Conclusion The presence of bioactive compounds and the antibacterial activity of some of the selected herbs against multidrug resistant enteric agents corroborate assertions by traditional healers on their efficacies

In Vitro Anti-Listerial Activities of Crude n-Hexane and Aqueous Extracts of Garcinia kola (heckel) Seeds

We assessed the anti-Listerial activities of crude n-hexane and aqueous extracts of Garcinia kola seeds against a panel of 42 Listeria isolates previously isolated from wastewater effluents in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and belonging to Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria grayi and Listeria ivanovii species. The n-hexane fraction was active against 45% of the test bacteria with zones of inhibition ranging between 8–17 mm, while the aqueous fraction was active against 29% with zones of inhibition ranging between 8–11 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were within the ranges of 0.079–0.625 mg/mL for the n-hexane extract and 10 to >10 mg/mL for the aqueous extract. The rate of kill experiment carried out for the n-hexane extract only, revealed complete elimination of the initial bacterial population for L. grayi (LAL 15) at 3× and 4× MIC after 90 and 60 min; L. monocytogenes (LAL 8) at 3× and 4× MIC after 60 and 15 min; L. ivanovii (LEL 18) at 3× and 4× MIC after 120 and 15 min; L. ivanovii (LEL 30) at 2, 3 and 4× MIC values after 105, 90 and 15 min exposure time respectively. The rate of kill activities were time- and concentration-dependant and the extract proved to be bactericidal as it achieved a more than 3log10 decrease in viable cell counts after 2 h exposure time for all of the four test organisms at 3× and 4× MIC values. The results therefore show the potential presence of anti-Listerial compounds in Garcinia kola seeds that can be exploited in effective anti-Listerial chemotherapy