The motivational value of rewards amongst Malawi’s health professionals

Orientation: Reward administrators of Malawi’s health sector seem to misunderstand the intrinsic and extrinsic values of financial and non-financial rewards. Research purpose: This study focuses on assessing the motivational value of rewards amongst health professionals in Malawi’s Ministry of Health (MoH). Motivation for the study: Malawian studies indicate that Malawi’s MoH has become dysfunctional largely due to reward-related problems faced by its health professionals. Research design, approach and method: This study was a non-experimental design with an explanatory and evaluative approach, utilising both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative methods (literature review, interviews and focus group discussions). Main findings: The study confirmed the existence of reward-related problems amongst health professionals in Malawi’s MoH. Initially, statistical testing of the hypothesised model collapsed, suggesting that no relationship existed amongst the variables. However, statistical testing of the re-specified model suggests that there is a positive relationship between financial and non-financial rewards. Through the structural equation modeling (SEM) exercise, an inverse (negative) relationship between financial and non-financial rewards was established. Practical/managerial implications: The re-specified model symbolises a pragmatic departure from theoretical claims that financial rewards (salaries or money in general) are not a motivator. The graphic model suggests to managers and policy-makers that both financial and non-financial rewards are very important and valuable in any employment relationship. Contribution/value-add: An inverse (causal) relationship between financial and non-financial rewards has been established, graphically demonstrated and scientifically explained

Factors that influence teachers’ use of GeoGebra for instruction

Hierdie studie het ondersoek gedoen na faktore wat onderwysers se gebruik van wiskundesagteware (in hierdie geval GeoGebra) vir onderrig en leer beïnvloed. Deelnemers aan die studie is by wyse van doelsteekproeftrekking geselekteer uit ’n groep onderwysers wat sagtewareopleiding ontvang het, toegang tot rekenaars het en met die sagteware vertroud is. Vyf-en-sewentig respondente het die gestruktureerde vraelyste voltooi. Veelvoudige regressie is gebruik om die verhouding tussen die vier konstrukte van die Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology te ondersoek. Hierdie konstrukte is prestasieverwagting, verwagte inspanning, sosiale invloed en fasiliterende omstandighede met betrekking tot onderwysers se voorneme om die wiskundesagteware te gebruik. Die studie het bevind dat die kombinasie van die vier bogenoemde konstrukte 30% van die variansie in respondente se voorneme om die sagteware te gebruik verduidelik het. Daar is gevind dat fasiliterende omstandighede in die studie nie regstreeks ’n invloed op mense se gebruik, al dan nie, van die sagteware het nie, aangesien almal van hulle toegang tot rekenaars het. Die sosiale invloed is die enigste konstruk wat die voorneme om GeoGebra te gebruik direk beïnvloed het. Onderwysers se voorneme om sagteware te gebruik het geblyk die werklike gebruik van sagteware vir onderrig en leer te voorspel.This study investigated factors that influence teachers’ use of mathematics software (in this case GeoGebra) for teaching and learning. Participants in the study were purposefully selected from a group of teachers that have received software training, have access to computers, and are familiar with the software. Seventy-five respondents completed the structured questionnaires. Multiple regressions were used to investigate the relationship between the four constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. These constructs are performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions on teachers’ intention to use the mathematics software. This study found that the combination of the four above mentioned constructs explained 30% of the variance in respondents’ intention to use the software. Facilitating conditions were not found to directly influence whether or not people actually used the software because all of them have access to computers. Teachers’ intention to use GeoGebra was found to predict the actual use of GeoGebra for teaching and learning.National Research Foundation (NRF)http://www.satnt.ac.za/am2016Science, Mathematics and Technology EducationStatistic

Gastric cancers of Western European and African patients show different patterns of genomic instability

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection with <it>H. pylori </it>is important in the etiology of gastric cancer. Gastric cancer is infrequent in Africa, despite high frequencies of <it>H. pylori </it>infection, referred to as the African enigma. Variation in environmental and host factors influencing gastric cancer risk between different populations have been reported but little is known about the biological differences between gastric cancers from different geographic locations. We aim to study genomic instability patterns of gastric cancers obtained from patients from United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa (SA), in an attempt to support the African enigma hypothesis at the biological level.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>DNA was isolated from 67 gastric adenocarcinomas, 33 UK patients, 9 Caucasian SA patients and 25 native SA patients. Microsatellite instability and chromosomal instability were analyzed by PCR and microarray comparative genomic hybridization, respectively. Data was analyzed by supervised univariate and multivariate analyses as well as unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Tumors from Caucasian and native SA patients showed significantly more microsatellite instable tumors (p < 0.05). For the microsatellite stable tumors, geographical origin of the patients correlated with cluster membership, derived from unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis (p = 0.001). Several chromosomal alterations showed significantly different frequencies in tumors from UK patients and native SA patients, but not between UK and Caucasian SA patients and between native and Caucasian SA patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Gastric cancers from SA and UK patients show differences in genetic instability patterns, indicating possible different biological mechanisms in patients from different geographical origin. This is of future clinical relevance for stratification of gastric cancer therapy.</p

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Risk factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) death in a population cohort study from the Western Cape province, South Africa

Risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) death in sub-Saharan Africa and the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis on COVID-19 outcomes are unknown. We conducted a population cohort study using linked data from adults attending public-sector health facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa. We used Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, sex, location, and comorbidities, to examine the associations between HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19 death from 1 March to 9 June 2020 among (1) public-sector “active patients” (≥1 visit in the 3 years before March 2020); (2) laboratory-diagnosed COVID-19 cases; and (3) hospitalized COVID-19 cases. We calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for COVID-19, comparing adults living with and without HIV using modeled population estimates.Among 3 460 932 patients (16% living with HIV), 22 308 were diagnosed with COVID-19, of whom 625 died. COVID19 death was associated with male sex, increasing age, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. HIV was associated with COVID-19 mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70–2.70), with similar risks across strata of viral loads and immunosuppression. Current and previous diagnoses of tuberculosis were associated with COVID-19 death (aHR, 2.70 [95% CI, 1.81–4.04] and 1.51 [95% CI, 1.18–1.93], respectively). The SMR for COVID-19 death associated with HIV was 2.39 (95% CI, 1.96–2.86); population attributable fraction 8.5% (95% CI, 6.1–11.1)

Burnout, vigour, big five personality traits and social support in a sample of police officers

Orientation: Burnout occurs as a result of prolonged job stress, which is a phenomenon prevalent amongst police officers in South Africa. Whilst some suffer from burnout, others elude the pathological effects of burnout and execute their duties vigorously under the same circumstances. Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to obtain an understanding of a police officer’s need to reduce the effects of prolonged stressors and to utilise personal and social sources to mitigate the effects of negative stressors. Motivation for the study: Burnout causes negative health consequences for police officers. Those who are affected reflect withdrawal behaviour through operational disruption or lower productivity in the work context. Research design, approach and method: The research has a non-experimental design in the quantitative tradition with a cross-sectional data-collection method. The availability sample (N = 505) included participants from different demographic backgrounds. A survey was used to measure all constructs at a single point in time. Main findings: Neuroticism and a lack of family support predicted burnout whilst conscientiousness and emotional stability predicted vigour. This was followed by significant other, which predicted physical strength, friend support which predicted emotional energy and family support which predicted cognitive liveliness. Practical/managerial implications: The study provides markers for selection purposes and calls on police management to be aware of the value of social support in the prevention of burnout whilst encouraging supervisor support in operational designs. Contribution/value-add: The study adds to the body of knowledge on the role of personality and social support in burnout and vigour in police officers