Die ontwikkeling en evaluerying van ‘n visuele geletterdheidsprogram vir dowe grondslagfaseleerders met lees- en spellingagerstande

No Abstract.Journal for Language Teaching vol Vol. 42 (1) 2008: pp. 49-6

Exploring the Role of Environmental Quality and Time Perspective in the Academic Performance of Grade 12 Learners

The aim of this study was to determine to what extent environmental quality and time perspective can account for the variance in the academic performance of Grade 12 learners. Time perspective was assessed utilising the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). Environmental quality was measured by means of a self-compiled questionnaire. A total of 413 Grade 12 learners from four English mediumschools in the Mangaung area of the Free State Province in South Africa were involved in the study. It was found that time perspective together with environmental quality accounts for approximately 14% of the variance found in the academic performance of Grade 12 learners. Although statistically significant relationships were found between time perspective and academic performance, these relationships were concluded to be of little practical importance. The academic performance of Grade 12 learners is of great importance as the results obtained from their final examinations are generally viewed as primary selection criteria for access to higher education institutions (Swartz, 1998; Uys, 1993; Huysamen, 2001). Various cognitive, personal and environmental factors have been found to influence learners’ academic performance (Moller, 1995; Louw, Van Ede & Louw, 1998; Malefo, 2000). Only a limited number of researchers have investigated the influence of environmental quality as well as time perspective on academic performance within the South African context. It is the aim of this study to explore the concepts of environmental quality and time perspective and their role in the academic performance of Grade 12 learners

Depression among Sesotho speakers in Mangaung, South Africa

Objective: Depression will be the most common mental disorder by 2020, and it is also expected to be the second leading cause of disability, after cardiac diseases. Moreover, depression is likely to be a major public health burden in the future. This study evaluates the influences of culture on the symptoms of depression among Sesotho speakers. Method: An evaluation of a sample of 100 participants diagnosed with depression was conducted, using the Psychiatric Interview Questionnaire. Results: It was found that depression among Sesotho speakers is manifested in three areas: somatic symptoms, perceptual disturbances and disturbances of the thought processes. Conclusion: Since it has become clear, on the basis of the investigation, that depression is a culturally diverse phenomenon, the authors also recommend that research in this regard should be conducted from a multidisciplinary perspective, so that other paradigms, including those of sociology and anthropology, can also be included.African Psychiatry Review Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp. 35-4

Revival of the magnetar PSR J1622-4950: observations with MeerKAT, Parkes, XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR

New radio (MeerKAT and Parkes) and X-ray (XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR) observations of PSR J1622-4950 indicate that the magnetar, in a quiescent state since at least early 2015, reactivated between 2017 March 19 and April 5. The radio flux density, while variable, is approximately 100x larger than during its dormant state. The X-ray flux one month after reactivation was at least 800x larger than during quiescence, and has been decaying exponentially on a 111+/-19 day timescale. This high-flux state, together with a radio-derived rotational ephemeris, enabled for the first time the detection of X-ray pulsations for this magnetar. At 5%, the 0.3-6 keV pulsed fraction is comparable to the smallest observed for magnetars. The overall pulsar geometry inferred from polarized radio emission appears to be broadly consistent with that determined 6-8 years earlier. However, rotating vector model fits suggest that we are now seeing radio emission from a different location in the magnetosphere than previously. This indicates a novel way in which radio emission from magnetars can differ from that of ordinary pulsars. The torque on the neutron star is varying rapidly and unsteadily, as is common for magnetars following outburst, having changed by a factor of 7 within six months of reactivation.Comment: Published in ApJ (2018 April 5); 13 pages, 4 figure

Confronting historical legacies of biological anthropology in South Africa-Restitution, redress and community-centered science: The Sutherland Nine

We describe a process of restitution of nine unethically acquired human skeletons to their families, together with attempts at redress. Between 1925-1927 C.E., the skeletonised remains of nine San or Khoekhoe people, eight of them known-in-life, were removed from their graves on the farm Kruisrivier, near Sutherland in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. They were donated to the Anatomy Department at the University of Cape Town. This was done without the knowledge or permission of their families. The donor was a medical student who removed the remains from the labourers' cemetery on his family farm. Nearly 100 years later, the remains are being returned to their community, accompanied by a range of community-driven interdisciplinary historical, archaeological and analytical (osteobiographic, craniofacial, ancient DNA, stable isotope) studies to document, as far as possible, their lives and deaths. The restitution process began by contacting families living in the same area with the same surnames as the deceased. The restitution and redress process prioritises the descendant families' memories, wishes and desire to understand the situation, and learn more about their ancestors. The descendant families have described the process as helping them to reconnect with their ancestors. A richer appreciation of their ancestors' lives, gained in part from scientific analyses, culminating with reburial, is hoped to aid the descendant families and wider community in [re-]connecting with their heritage and culture, and contribute to restorative justice, reconciliation and healing while confronting a traumatic historical moment. While these nine individuals were exhumed as specimens, they will be reburied as people

Setting a baseline for global urban virome surveillance in sewage

The rapid development of megacities, and their growing connectedness across the world is becoming a distinct driver for emerging disease outbreaks. Early detection of unusual disease emergence and spread should therefore include such cities as part of risk-based surveillance. A catch-all metagenomic sequencing approach of urban sewage could potentially provide an unbiased insight into the dynamics of viral pathogens circulating in a community irrespective of access to care, a potential which already has been proven for the surveillance of poliovirus. Here, we present a detailed characterization of sewage viromes from a snapshot of 81 high density urban areas across the globe, including in-depth assessment of potential biases, as a proof of concept for catch-all viral pathogen surveillance. We show the ability to detect a wide range of viruses and geographical and seasonal differences for specific viral groups. Our findings offer a cross-sectional baseline for further research in viral surveillance from urban sewage samples and place previous studies in a global perspective

Concurrent evaluation of cytokines improves the accuracy of antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis

Data availability statement: All the important data relevant to this study was reported in the manuscript. Any additional data will be made available upon request from the corresponding author.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Background: Antibodies against mycobacterial proteins are highly specific, but lack sensitivity, whereas cytokines have been shown to be sensitive but not very specific in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). We assessed combinations between antibodies and cytokines for diagnosing TB. Methods: Immuoglubulin (Ig) A and IgM antibody titres against selected mycobacterial antigens including Apa, NarL, Rv3019c, PstS1, LAM, “Kit 1” (MTP64 and Tpx)”, and “Kit 2” (MPT64, Tpx and 19 kDa) were evaluated by ELISA in plasma samples obtained from individuals under clinical suspicion for TB. Combinations between the antibody titres and previously published cytokine responses in the same participants were assessed for diagnosing active TB. Results: Antibody responses were more promising when used in combination (AUC of 0.80), when all seven antibodies were combined. When anti-“Kit 1”-IgA levels were combined with five host cytokine biomarkers, the AUC increased to 97% (92–100%) with a sensitivity of 95% (95% CI, 73–100%), and specificity of 88.5% (95% CI, 68.7–97%) achieved after leave-one-out cross validation. Conclusion: When used in combination, IgA titres measured with ELISA against multiple Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens may be useful in the diagnosis of TB. However, diagnostic accuracy may be improved if the antibodies are used in combination with cytokines.This work was part of the EDCTP1 programme supported by the European Union (grant number IP_2009_32040, AE-TBC; awarded to GW). The project was also supported by the South African Government through the National Research Foundation (NRF, awarded to NC) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC, postgraduate scholarship to RJ)

The 1.28 GHz MeerKAT DEEP2 Image

We present the confusion-limited 1.28 GHz MeerKAT DEEP2 image covering one qb » ¢ 68 FWHM primarybeam area with θ = 7 6 FWHM resolution and s = m - n 0.55 0.01 Jy beam 1 rms noise. Its J2000 center position α = 04h 13m 26 4, δ = −80° 00′ 00″ was selected to minimize artifacts caused by bright sources. We introduce the new 64-element MeerKAT array and describe commissioning observations to measure the primary-beam attenuation pattern, estimate telescope pointing errors, and pinpoint (u, v) coordinate errors caused by offsets in frequency or time. We constructed a 1.4 GHz differential source count by combining a power-law count fit to the DEEP2 confusion P(D) distribution from 0.25 to 10 μJy with counts of individual DEEP2 sources between 10 μJy and 2.5 mJy. Most sources fainter than S ∼ 100 μJy are distant star-forming galaxies (SFGs) obeying the far-IR/ radio correlation, and sources stronger than 0.25 μJy account for ∼93% of the radio background produced by SFGs. For the first time, the DEEP2 source count has reached the depth needed to reveal the majority of the star formation history of the universe. A pure luminosity evolution of the 1.4 GHz local luminosity function consistent with the Madau & Dickinson model for the evolution of SFGs based on UV and infrared data underpredicts our 1.4 GHz source count in the range -5 log Jy 4 [ ( )] S

Revival of the Magnetar PSR J1622-4950: Observations with MeerKAT, Parkes, XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR

New radio (MeerKAT and Parkes) and X-ray (XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR) observations of PSR J1622-4950 indicate that the magnetar, in a quiescent state since at least early 2015, reactivated between 2017 March 19 and April 5. The radio flux density, while variable, is approximately 100 larger than during its dormant state. The X-ray flux one month after reactivation was at least 800 larger than during quiescence, and has been decaying exponentially on a 111 19 day timescale. This high-flux state, together with a radio-derived rotational ephemeris, enabled for the first time the detection of X-ray pulsations for this magnetar. At 5%, the 0.3-6 keV pulsed fraction is comparable to the smallest observed for magnetars. The overall pulsar geometry inferred from polarized radio emission appears to be broadly consistent with that determined 6-8 years earlier. However, rotating vector model fits suggest that we are now seeing radio emission from a different location in the magnetosphere than previously. This indicates a novel way in which radio emission from magnetars can differ from that of ordinary pulsars. The torque on the neutron star is varying rapidly and unsteadily, as is common for magnetars following outburst, having changed by a factor of 7 within six months of reactivation

The MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey: I. Survey overview and highlights

Please abstract in the article.The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the National Research Foundation (NRF), the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, US National Science Foundation, the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the DSI/NRF, the SARAO HCD programme, the South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation.http://www.aanda.orghj2022Physic