An empirical study of employees' perception of teamwork at AECI Bioproducts.

Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.AECI Bioproducts implemented the team concept as its management structure in it first ventures the lysine plant. The plant is AECI's first venture into Biotechnology. After a successful commissioning phase the plant was hampered by significant technological problems that prevented the plant from reaching design capacity. To compound matters the implementation of the Team Concept was not fully conceptualised resulting in poor implementation. The poor implementation resulted in teams being uncoordinated and often resulted in conflict between management and teams. The benefits that were envisaged from applying the team concept did not occur. The poor lysine prices and the inability to produce at design, resulted in significant losses being generated. This resulted in significant retrenchments at management level. The team structure remained intact despite the negative results achieved. The company recommitted to the team concept and structures were overhauled to ensurer the success of the teams. In 2001 Bioproducts is a vibrant thriving organisation. The productivity is above design and all benchmarks have been attained if not bettered. The organisation is one of the forerunners in the Biotechnology field and possesses skills and capabilities, which can be maximised in the future. The management question is how effective are teams and what is their relationship to job satisfaction. In this study we look at how effective teams are at Bioproducts and what is the level of job satisfaction among employees. We then determine the relationship using correlation analysis between perceptions of teamwork and job satisfaction. We also investigate the relationship between teamwork and organisational commitment, teamwork and work demands and teamwork and stress. Employees that were part of teams were given a questionnaire prepared by the author using the literature review conducted. There are seventy employees in the organisation and fifty-seven employees that belong to teams took part in the research. It was discovered that teams at Bioproducts are performing well within the organisation. Teams have high levels of autonomy, responsibility and accountability. There is a high degree of teamwork. Teams are interdependent and are co-operating and communicating well. There is a significant focus on job enrichment by management. The organisation is supporting and reinforcing teamwork well. The employees are committed to the organisation and there are high levels of job satisfaction among employees. Areas of concern that need to be looked at are the stress among employees, the insecurity surrounding ownership, communication within the organisation and training. The correlation analysis between teamwork and job satisfaction reveals that as individuals perception of teamwork increases job satisfaction increases and similarly as individuals perception of teamwork decreases job satisfaction decreases. The correlation between perception of teamwork and organisational commitment also reveals that as teamwork increases organisational commitment increases. One can conclude that team members that are happy in teams are more likely to be committed to the organisation and have increased job satisfaction. Stress of individuals increase as a result of teamwork, this is evident in the correlation analysis carried out. Organisations need to take heed of this since most individuals are not adequately equipped to deal with increases in stress levels. Teamwork places an increase in demands on employees and this factor together with stress levels need to be monitored. Overall the organisation is well equipped to deal with the ever-changing future and in terms of its human capabilities is well set to take advantage of its competitive edge once the issues that have been identified have been dealt with

Emergency Medical Service response and mission times in an African metropolitan setting

Background: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) aim to respond to emergencies, treat and transport patients efficiently thus ensuring the ambulance call or “mission” is completed with ambulances available to service the next call as soon as possible. A typical mission may be divided into activities, each linked to a set time interval. The response time interval starts from the time a call is received by the call centre until the ambulance arrives on scene. The patient care interval includes the time taken to treat and transport the patient to hospital. The total mission time can be viewed as the time from when a call is first received by the call centre until the ambulance dispatched to that incident is again available to service the next call. The aim of this study was to describe response interval, patient care interval and total mission times routinely associated with servicing emergency incidents within a metropolitan public sector EMS in South Africa. Methods: A quantitative, prospective, descriptive design was followed wherein time intervals associated with 784 missions were analysed to document and describe response time interval, patient care interval and total mission times. Results: On average crews took 0h 23:16 to respond to incidents before spending an additional 0h 43:20 treating and transporting their patients. Lengthy delays were noted between arrival at hospital andcrews booking available for the next call. This led to total mission times averaging 2h 11:00. Conclusion: Average response and patient care time intervals noted in our study were longer than national and international norms and standards. Delays between arrival at hospital and crews booking available to service the next call led to average mission times of over 2 hours. This negatively impacts on availability of ambulances. Further studies are recommended to explore factors that may be contributing to the lengthy response and mission times reported in this study

Development in Astronomy and Space Science in Africa

The development of astronomy and space science in Africa has grown significantly over the past few years. These advancements make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals more achievable, and open up the possibility of new beneficial collaborations.Comment: Paper published in Nature Astronomy. Figures 1 and 2 are included in the published version, that can be seen at https://rdcu.be/2oE

A case of human survival of rabies, South Africa

Human survival from rabies is exceptionally rare. We report a case of human survival (with severe neurological sequelae) in a child from South Africa. The patient was exposed to rabid dogs on two separate occasions and subjected to incomplete post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ojid20am2017Microbiology and Plant Patholog

EDA-EMERGE: an FP7 initial training network to equip the next generation of young scientists with the skills to address the complexity of environmental contamination with emerging pollutants

The initial training network consortium novel tools in effect-directed analysis to support the identification and monitoring of emerging toxicants on a European scale (EDA-EMERGE) was formed in response to the seventh EU framework program call to train a new generation of young scientists (13 PhD fellows and 1 postdoctoral fellow) in the interdisciplinary techniques required to meet the major challenges in the monitoring, assessment, and management of toxic pollution in European river basins. This 4-year project is of particular relevance considering the multidisciplinary analytical chemistry and biology skills required to investigate the enormous complexity of contamination, effects, and cause-effect relationships. By integrating innovative mode-of-action-based biodiagnostic tools including in vitro and in vivo tests, transgenic organisms, and ‘omics’ techniques with powerful fractionation and cutting edge, analytical, and computational structure elucidation tools, powerful new EDA approaches are being developed for the identification of toxicants in European surface and drinking waters. Innovative method development by young researchers at major European universities, research centers, and private companies has been closely interlinked with a joint European demonstration program, higher-tier EDA, and specialized training courses and secondments. Using a simplified protocol based on existing EDA tools, EDA-EMERGE fellows are also being trained to organize and run international and interdisciplinary sampling and monitoring campaigns within selected European river basin sites. Strong networking between academia, the private sector, and leading regulators in the field of river basin management and pollution management ensures the relevance of the research for practice and excellent employment opportunities for the fellows. Additionally, an internationally composed advisory board has been tasked to introduce new perspectives on monitoring, assessment, and management of emerging pollutants within and outside of Europe. The combination of cutting edge science with specialized training in complimentary soft skills is being offered with a strong emphasis on commercial exploitation and media competence which further enhances the employability of the fellows in research, academia, and beyond.publishedVersio

European white paper : oropharyngeal dysphagia in head and neck cancer

Purpose To develop a European White Paper document on oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) in head and neck cancer (HNC). There are wide variations in the management of OD associated with HNC across Europe. Methods Experts in the management of specific aspects of OD in HNC across Europe were delegated by their professional medical and multidisciplinary societies to contribute to this document. Evidence is based on systematic reviews, consensus-based position statements, and expert opinion. Results Twenty-four sections on HNC-specific OD topics. Conclusion This European White Paper summarizes current best practice on management of OD in HNC, providing recommendations to support patients and health professionals. The body of literature and its level of evidence on diagnostics and treatment for OD in HNC remain poor. This is in the context of an expected increase in the prevalence of OD due to HNC in the near future. Contributing factors to increased prevalence include aging of our European population (including HNC patients) and an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancer, despite the introduction of HPV vaccination in various countries. We recommend timely implementation of OD screening in HNC patients while emphasizing the need for robust scientific research on the treatment of OD in HNC. Meanwhile, its management remains a challenge for European professional associations and policymakers.Peer reviewe

Breast cancer risk factors in relation to molecular subtypes in breast cancer patients from Kenya

Background Few studies have investigated risk factor heterogeneity by molecular subtypes in indigenous African populations where prevalence of traditional breast cancer (BC) risk factors, genetic background, and environmental exposures show marked differences compared to European ancestry populations. Methods We conducted a case-only analysis of 838 pathologically confirmed BC cases recruited from 5 groups of public, faith-based, and private institutions across Kenya between March 2012 to May 2015. Centralized pathology review and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for key markers (ER, PR, HER2, EGFR, CK5-6, and Ki67) was performed to define subtypes. Risk factor data was collected at time of diagnosis through a questionnaire. Multivariable polytomous logistic regression models were used to determine associations between BC risk factors and tumor molecular subtypes, adjusted for clinical characteristics and risk factors. Results The median age at menarche and first pregnancy were 14 and 21 years, median number of children was 3, and breastfeeding duration was 62 months per child. Distribution of molecular subtypes for luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, and triple negative (TN) breast cancers was 34.8%, 35.8%, 10.7%, and 18.6%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, compared to patients with ER-positive tumors, ER-negative patients were more likely to have higher parity (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = (1.11, 3.72), p = 0.021, comparing ≥ 5 to ≤ 2 children). Compared to patients with luminal A tumors, luminal B patients were more likely to have lower parity (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.23, 0.87, p = 0.018, comparing ≥ 5 to ≤ 2 children); HER2-enriched patients were less likely to be obese (OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.16, 0.81, p = 0.013) or older age at menopause (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.15, 0.997, p = 0.049). Body mass index (BMI), either overall or by menopausal status, did not vary significantly by ER status. Overall, cumulative or average breastfeeding duration did not vary significantly across subtypes. Conclusions In Kenya, we found associations between parity-related risk factors and ER status consistent with observations in European ancestry populations, but differing associations with BMI and breastfeeding. Inclusion of diverse populations in cancer etiology studies is needed to develop population and subtype-specific risk prediction/prevention strategies

Using the IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa to inform decision-making

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is an important tool for biological invasion policy and management and has been adopted as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) standard to measure the severity of environmental impacts caused by organisms living outside their native ranges. EICAT has already been incorporated into some national and local decision-making procedures, making it a particularly relevant resource for addressing the impact of non-native species. Recently, some of the underlying conceptual principles of EICAT, particularly those related to the use of the precautionary approach, have been challenged. Although still relatively new, guidelines for the application and interpretation of EICAT will be periodically revisited by the IUCN community, based on scientific evidence, to improve the process. Some of the criticisms recently raised are based on subjectively selected assumptions that cannot be generalized and may harm global efforts to manage biological invasions. EICAT adopts a precautionary principle by considering a species’ impact history elsewhere because some taxa have traits that can make them inherently more harmful. Furthermore, non-native species are often important drivers of biodiversity loss even in the presence of other pressures. Ignoring the precautionary principle when tackling the impacts of non-native species has led to devastating consequences for human well-being, biodiversity, and ecosystems, as well as poor management outcomes, and thus to significant economic costs. EICAT is a relevant tool because it supports prioritization and management of non-native species and meeting and monitoring progress toward the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Target 6

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Large expert-curated database for benchmarking document similarity detection in biomedical literature search

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical research.Peer reviewe