Student perception on a supplementary multimodal tool for Academic Literacy: A pilot study

In light of the various advantages the e-learning experience could have for students, a blended teaching approach, where instructors make use of e-learning, has become increasingly prominent in higher education institutions. This study, which was conducted at a South African institute of higher education with a diverse and multilingual student population, focusses on student perceptions of theefficacy and accessibility of a multimodal tool called WIReD to supplement the existing academic literacy module. The review of student perceptions was structured around the outcomes for the module unit with which WIReD is intended to blend. In order to determine student perception, a questionnaire using a Likert-scale to measure responses along with open-ended questions, were used. As such, this study firstly examined students’ impressions of the design (overall appearance) and accessibility of WIReD. Secondly, it  investigated the appropriateness of content, especially with regard to the envisaged blend between WIReD and the module contentas taught during lectures and in the workbook. Despite being a pilot study with results based exclusively on student perception, it seems that WIReD can be utilized as a supplementary multimodal tool and that the outcomes thereof blends effectively with the outcomes of the academic literacy module. Keywords: academic literacy; blended learning; e-learning; multimodal teaching tool; student perception; WIRe

Analysis of licensed South African diagnostic imaging equipment

Introduction: Objective: To conduct an analysis of all registered South Africa (SA) diagnostic radiology equipment, assess the number of equipment units per capita by imaging modality, and compare SA figures with published international data, in preparation for the introduction of national health insurance (NHI) in SA.Methods: The SA Radiation Control Board's database of registered diagnostic radiology equipment was analysed by modality, province and healthcare sector. Access to services was reflected as number of  units/million population, and compared with published international data.Results: General X-ray units are the most equitably distributed and accessible resource (34.8/million). For fluoroscopy (6.6/million), mammography (4.96/million), computed tomography (5.0/million) and magnetic resonance imaging (2.9/million), there are at least 10-fold discrepancies between the least and best resourced provinces. Although SA's overall imaging capacity is well above that of other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, it is lower than that of all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). While SA's radiological resources most closely approximate those of the United Kingdom, they are substantially lower than the UK.Conclusion: SA access to radiological services is lower than that of any OECD country. For the NHI to achieve equitable access to diagnostic imaging for all citizens, SA will need a more homogeneous  distribution of specialised radiological resources and customized imaging guidelines.Key words: Diagnostic imaging equipment, resource-limited environment, national health insuranc

Community Engagement newsletter, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Summer 2014

CLAW and UP work together again / Jennifer Gerner ; photos by Anene du Plessis -- Calling the Thembisa community to action with the help of the Society for Animals in Distress / Mukani Nobela ; edited by Este’ Stolz -- Rabies initiative in Pietermaritzburg / Jenny Chen -- A visit to Huis Davidtsz as part of the OP 4 Madiba project / Susan Marsh and Marguerite Nel -- Mamelodi parvovirus project / Tashnika Bramdev -- A POPUP adventure – South African style / Gemma Bentley.News articles with colour photos about the various community engagement projects of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria.ab2014ab201

Embedded Librarianship Seminar

Librarianship is changing, and has to change. Librarians need to master new technologies for managing and delivering information; engage with knowledge and information and moving beyond one-shot instruction. It is essential to establish new relationships with information users and the community in which we practice. The name given to this change is ‘Embedded librarianship’ (Shumaker, 2012). In order to investigate the Embedded Librarianship model at the University of Pretoria Library Services (UPLS), a one day seminar was organised. This seminar consisted of vibrant, 10-minute Show & Tell sessions, provides excellent opportunites for a number of librarians to share their best practices, experience and ideas on this thrilling topic. The programme addressed embedded librarianship in context of the following focus areas: information literacy; embedded projects and research support.Papers presented at the Embedded Librarianship seminar, Auditorium, Merensky Library, University of Pretoria, 31 October 2012mn2013cp201

Sediment Movement at LTER Sites: Mechanics, Measurement and Integration with Hydrology

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe

Comparing adults with severe SARS-CoV-2 or influenza infection: South Africa, 2016–2021

Background: Comparisons of the characteristics of individuals hospitalised with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or seasonal influenza in low-to middle-income countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence are limited. Objectives: Determine the epidemiological differences with those hospitalised with influenza or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Method: We investigated hospitalised individuals ≥18 years of age testing positive for seasonal influenza (2016–2019) or SARS-CoV-2 (2020–2021). We used random effects multivariable logistic regression, controlling for clustering by site, to evaluate differences among adults hospitalised with influenza or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Compared to individuals with influenza, individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to be diabetic (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–2.61) or die in hospital (aOR: 2.57, 95% CI: 1.61–4.12). Additionally, those with SARS-CoV-2 infection were less likely to be living with HIV (not immunosuppressed) (aOR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34–0.73) or living with HIV (immunosuppressed) (aOR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.18–0.39) compared to not living with HIV and less likely to be asthmatic (aOR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.13–0.33) rather than those living with influenza. Conclusion: Individuals hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 had different characteristics to individuals hospitalised with influenza before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Risk factors should be considered in health management especially as we move into an era of co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza pathogens. Contribution: Identifying groups at high risk of severe disease could help to better monitor, prevent and control SARS-CoV-2 or influenza severe disease

A function-based typology for Earth’s ecosystems

As the United Nations develops a post-2020 global biodiversity framework for the Convention on Biological Diversity, attention is focusing on how new goals and targets for ecosystem conservation might serve its vision of ‘living in harmony with nature’(1,2). Advancing dual imperatives to conserve biodiversity and sustain ecosystem services requires reliable and resilient generalizations and predictions about ecosystem responses to environmental change and management(3). Ecosystems vary in their biota(4), service provision(5) and relative exposure to risks(6), yet there is no globally consistent classification of ecosystems that reflects functional responses to change and management. This hampers progress on developing conservation targets and sustainability goals. Here we present the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Ecosystem Typology, a conceptually robust, scalable, spatially explicit approach for generalizations and predictions about functions, biota, risks and management remedies across the entire biosphere. The outcome of a major cross-disciplinary collaboration, this novel framework places all of Earth’s ecosystems into a unifying theoretical context to guide the transformation of ecosystem policy and management from global to local scales. This new information infrastructure will support knowledge transfer for ecosystem-specific management and restoration, globally standardized ecosystem risk assessments, natural capital accounting and progress on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework