Die seinsisteem as leswaarnemingsinstrument in die opleiding van onderwysers

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch Universiteit, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are few teaching issues which have elicited as much debate as the evaluation of teachers. A review of the literature reveals an increasing concern about the validity and reliability used to determine the quality of the teaching skills of teachers. This concern has given rise to renewed interest in the evaluation of teachers and the development of new teacher evaluation systems. It is obvious that the set outcomes within the outcomes-based approach to teacher education in South Africa, formulated in terms of roles and associated competencies, should be carefully assessed. Observation of teacher behaviour will increase in importance - thus the availability of reliable and valid observation instruments. The effectiveness of the guidance offered to teachers and student teachers is largely dependent on the quality of the data gathered during observation. This research consists of two components, namely a literature review and a survey. using a questionnaire. An argument is made for the need for more effective instruments to observe teaching behaviour and lesson analysis of student teachers during practice teaching. To test the usefulness of the sign system employed in this study, the instrument was used by ten lecturers during teaching opportunities. After observation of student teachers, a meeting with the relevant lecturers was arranged, where data generated by the instrument, were discussed. Lecturers and students completed a questionnaire concerning the usefulness of the observation instrument. The finding was that lecturers and the students observed found the sign system a reliable lesson observation instrument, that could be usefully and valuably used by lecturers to gather information in a didactic situation. The usefulness of the instrument lies in the fact that the information generated can assist students to plan lessons more effectively. Shortcomings can be identified more precisely and formulated whilst the marks alloted can be improved. With the greater focus on outcomes based education and the importance of skills in this regard, it has become imperative to review the instruments used to determine the teaching skills of student teachers. The sign system as an observation format can make a valuable contribution to this end.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is min onderwyskwessies wat so baie debattering uitlok as die evaluering van onderwysers. Dat onderwyserevaluering in die afgelope tyd in belangrikheid toegeneem het, blyk uit die literatuur en veral uit navorsingverslae. Daar is veral besorgdheid oor die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die meetinstrumente waarmee die kwaliteit van die onderrigvaardighede van onderwysers bepaal kan word. Hierdie besorgdheid het aanleiding gegee tot hernieude belangstelling in die evaluering van onderwysers en die ontwikkeling van nuwe onderwyserevalueringstelsels. Die uitkomsgebaseerde benadering tot onderwyseropleiding in Suid-Afrika beskou dit as vanselfsprekend dat die gestelde uitkomste wat in terme van rolle en geassosieerde kompetensies geformuleer word, noukerig geassesseer moet kan word. Vir hierdie doel sal die waarneming van onderwysergedrag steeds belangriker word - dus ook die beskikbaarheid van betroubare en geldige waarnemingsinstrumente. Die effektiwiteit van die begeleiding van onderwysers en studentonderwysers is grootliks afhanklik van die kwaliteit van die data wat tydens waarneming versamel word. Hierdie navorsing bestaan uit twee komponente, naamlik 'n literatuuroorsig en 'n vraelysondersoek. Daar word ook aandag gegee aan die behoefte aan meer effektiewe instrumente om studentonderwysers se onderriggedrag tydens proefonderwys waar te neem. Ten einde die nuttigheidswaarde van die seinsisteem wat in hierdie studie benut is te toets, is die instrument deur tien dosente gebruik tydens die waarneming van studentonderwysers. Na die waarneming van die studentonderwysers is 'n vergadering met die betrokke dosente gehou waartydens die data wat deur die instrument gegenereer is, bespreek is. Dosente en studente het 'n vraelys ingevul oor die bruikbaarheid van die waarnemingsinstrument. Op grond van die resultate is bevind dat die dosente en waargenome studente die seinsisteem as leswaarnemingsinstrument as betroubaar, nuttig en bruikbaar beskou vir gebruik deur dosente om inligting in verband met 'n didaktiese situasie te verkry. Die instrument se nuttigheidswaarde lê ook daarin dat die inligting wat gegenereer word, studente kan help om lesse meer effektief te beplan. Leemtes kan ook meer eksak geïdentifiseer en omskryf word, terwyl die sterk punte wat geïdentifiseer word, verder versterk word. Met die groter beklemtoning van uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys en die besonderhede rol van vaardighede in dié verband het dit dringend noodsaaklik geword om die instrumente waarmee die onderrigvaardighede van studentonderwysers bepaal word te hersien. Die seinsisteem as waarnemingsformaat kan 'n belangrike bydrae lewer om in hierdie behoefte te voorsien

A community-engaged infection prevention and control approach to Ebola.

The real missing link in Ebola control efforts to date may lie in the failure to apply core principles of health promotion: the early, active and sustained engagement of affected communities, their trusted leaders, networks and lay knowledge, to help inform what local control teams do, and how they may better do it, in partnership with communities. The predominant focus on viral transmission has inadvertently stigmatized and created fear-driven responses among affected individuals, families and communities. While rigorous adherence to standard infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions and safety standards for Ebola is critical, we may be more successful if we validate and combine local community knowledge and experiences with that of IPC medical teams. In an environment of trust, community partners can help us learn of modest adjustments that would not compromise safety but could improve community understanding of, and responses to, disease control protocol, so that it better reflects their 'community protocol' (local customs, beliefs, knowledge and practices) and concerns. Drawing on the experience of local experts in several African nations and of community-engaged health promotion leaders in the USA, Canada and WHO, we present an eight step model, from entering communities with cultural humility, though reciprocal learning and trust, multi-method communication, development of the joint protocol, to assessing progress and outcomes and building for sustainability. Using examples of changes that are culturally relevant yet maintain safety, we illustrate how often minor adjustments can help prevent and treat the most serious emerging infectious disease since HIV/AIDS

Using social networks to scale up and sustain community-based programmes to improve physical activity and diet in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organisation endorses community-based programmes as a cost-effective, feasible and a ‘best buy’ in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These programmes are particularly successful when the community actively participates in its design, implementation and evaluation. However, they may be only useful insofar as they can be scaled up and sustained in some meaningful way. Social network research may serve as an important tool for determining the underlying mechanisms that contribute to this process. The aim of this planned scoping review is to map and collate literature on the role of social networks in scaling-up and sustaining community-based physical activity and diet programmes in low-income and middle-income countries. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review protocol has been planned around the Arksey and O'Malley framework and its enhancement. Inclusion criteria are peer-reviewed articles and grey literature exploring the role of social networks in the scale-up and/or sustainability of NCD prevention community-based programmes in adult populations. Studies must have been published since 2000, in English, and be based in a low-income or middle-income country. The following databases will be used for this review: PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, SocIndex, the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Google and Google Scholar. Books, conference abstracts and research focused only on children will be excluded. Two reviewers will independently select and extract eligible studies. Included publications will be thematically analysed using the Framework Approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will not be sought for this review as no individual-level data or human participants will be involved. This protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KG7TX). The findings from the review will be published in an accredited journal. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist will be used to support transparency and guide translation of the review

Crystal structure of 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-yn-1-one, C16H12O2

Please read abstract in the article.The South African National Research Foundation (SA NRF) and the University of the Free State (UFS).https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/ncrs/ncrs-overview.xmlpm2020Chemistr

Costs and process of in-patient tuberculosis management at a central academic hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Publication of this article was funded by the Stellenbosch University Open Access Fund.The original publication is available at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/journals/browse/iuatld/Setting: South Africa reports more cases of tuberculosis (TB) than any other country, but an up-to-date, precise estimate of the costs associated with diagnosing, treating and preventing TB at the in-patient level is not available. Objective: To determine the costs associated with TB management among in-patients and to study the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at a central academic hospital in Cape Town. Design: Retrospective and partly prospective cost analysis of TB cases diagnosed between May 2008 and October 2009. Results: The average daily in-patient costs were US$238; the average length of stay was 9.7 days. Mean laboratory and medication costs per stay were respectively US$26.82 and US$8.68. PPE use per day cost US$0.99. The average total TB management costs were US$2373 per patient. PPE was not always properly used. Discussion: The costs of in-patient TB management are high compared to community-based treatment; the main reason for the high costs is the high number of in-patient days. An efficiency assessment is needed to reduce costs. Cost reduction per TB case prevented was approximately US$2373 per case. PPE use accounted for the lowest costs. Training is needed to improve PPE use.Stellenbosch University Open Access FundPublishers' versio

BCG vaccination for bovine tuberculosis; conclusions from the Jerusalem One Health workshop.

The global burden of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) remains poorly characterized, with spill-over impacts on multiple species. The "One Health" concept is especially relevant given the bidirectional risk of cattle infecting humans with Mycobacterium bovis and humans infecting cattle with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. "Test and cull" is the traditional bTB control method, but the strategy may not be economically feasible or culturally acceptable where cattle are highly prized or their killing is a religious taboo; it is also less effective when there are wildlife reservoirs of infection. Vaccination with M. bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) provides protection against bTB, but its use in animals has been limited. The Jerusalem One Health workshop considered key bTB knowledge gaps and innovative solutions. Knowledge gaps identified included (a) the poorly quantified prevalence of M. bovis infection and disease in cattle, domestic camelids and human populations in developing countries, (b) the absence of alternatives to a "test and cull" strategy in settings where the killing of infected animals is culturally or economically unacceptable, or where affected species are protected and (c) an understanding of the induction of mucosal immunity against bTB. We summarize discussions on the use of BCG vaccination in domestic animals and wildlife and list potential projects to address the knowledge gaps identified

RNA-based therapy in the management of lipid disorders: a review

This review focuses on antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering ribonucleic acid therapies approved or under development for the management of lipid disorders. Recent advances in RNA-based therapeutics allow tissue-specific targeting improving safety. Multiple potential target proteins have been identified and RNA-based therapeutics have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The advantages of RNA-based lipid modifying therapies include the ability to reduce the concentration of almost any target protein highly selectively, allowing for more precise control of metabolic pathways than can often be achieved with small molecule-based drugs. RNA-based lipid modifying therapies also make it possible to reduce the expression of target proteins for which there are no small molecule inhibitors. RNA-based therapies can also reduce pill burden as their administration schedule typically varies from weekly to twice yearly injections. The safety profile of most current RNA-based lipid therapies is acceptable but adverse events associated with various therapies targeting lipid pathways have included injection site reactions, inflammatory reactions, hepatic steatosis and thrombocytopenia. While the body of evidence for these therapies is expanding, clinical experience with these therapies is currently limited in duration and the results of long-term studies are eagerly awaited

A Pharmacogenetic Approach to the Treatment of Patients With PPARG Mutations.

Loss-of-function mutations in PPARG cause familial partial lipodystrophy type 3 (FPLD3) and severe metabolic disease in many patients. Missense mutations in PPARG are present in ∼1 in 500 people. Although mutations are often binarily classified as benign or deleterious, prospective functional classification of all missense PPARG variants suggests that their impact is graded. Furthermore, in testing novel mutations with both prototypic endogenous (e.g., prostaglandin J2 [PGJ2]) and synthetic ligands (thiazolidinediones, tyrosine agonists), we observed that synthetic agonists selectively rescue function of some peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) mutants. We report on patients with FPLD3 who harbor two such PPARγ mutations (R308P and A261E). Both PPARγ mutants exhibit negligible constitutive or PGJ2-induced transcriptional activity but respond readily to synthetic agonists in vitro, with structural modeling providing a basis for such differential ligand-dependent responsiveness. Concordant with this finding, dramatic clinical improvement was seen after pioglitazone treatment of a patient with R308P mutant PPARγ. A patient with A261E mutant PPARγ also responded beneficially to rosiglitazone, although cardiomyopathy precluded prolonged thiazolidinedione use. These observations indicate that detailed structural and functional classification can be used to inform therapeutic decisions in patients with PPARG mutations

TB infection prevention and control experiences of South African nurses - a phenomenological study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The tuberculosis (TB) epidemic in South Africa is characterised by one of the highest levels of TB/HIV co-infection and growing multidrug-resistant TB worldwide. Hospitals play a central role in the management of TB. We investigated nurses' experiences of factors influencing TB infection prevention and control (IPC) practices to identify risks associated with potential nosocomial transmission.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach, using semi-structured interviews with a quota sample of 20 nurses in a large tertiary academic hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. The data was subjected to thematic analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nurses expressed concerns about the possible risk of TB transmission to both patients and staff. Factors influencing TB-IPC, and increasing the potential risk of nosocomial transmission, emerged in interconnected overarching themes. Influences related to the healthcare system included suboptimal IPC provision such as the lack of isolation facilities and personal protective equipment, and the lack of a TB-IPC policy. Further influences included inadequate TB training for staff and patients, communication barriers owing to cultural and linguistic differences between staff and patients, the excessive workload of nurses, and a sense of duty of care. Influences related to wider contextual conditions included TB concerns and stigma, and the role of traditional healers. Influences related to patient behaviour included late uptake of hospital care owing to poverty and the use of traditional medicine, and poor adherence to IPC measures by patients, family members and carers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Several interconnected influences related to the healthcare system, wider contextual conditions and patient behavior could increase the potential risk of nosocomial TB transmission at hospital level. There is an urgent need for the implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive contextually appropriate TB IPC policy with the setting and auditing of standards for IPC provision and practice, adequate TB training for both staff and patients, and the establishment of a cross-cultural communication strategy, including rapid access to interpreters.</p