A SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISORS AT UNIVERSITIES OF TECHNOLOGY

Published ThesisPostgraduate supervision is vital to the successful completion of the doctoral student’s research, which is influenced by the effectiveness of the postgraduate supervision process and the competence of the postgraduate supervisor. The development of the next generation of researchers in South Africa is a priority in the bid to make a significant contribution to the production of new knowledge. To be competitive it is necessary to promote and develop doctoral capacity which entails an understanding of what skills are necessary to provide effective postgraduate supervision. This is applicable in particular to universities of technology (UoTs) – unique institutions that came about after the merger with universities that had a more extensive experience in postgraduate studies. Their challenges are pronounced, taking into account their level of experience and the emerging research culture still developing in these institutions. UoTs face a unique challenge to produce knowledge that is useable and from which industry and businesses can benefit. UoTs, as part of the university typology, have very specific needs with regard to the development of a skills development programme for postgraduate supervision, because the knowledge generated at UoTs should inform both industry and business. However, to generate new knowledge, postgraduate supervisors need to have skills and knowledge on how to supervise doctoral students. UoTs need to be vigorous in the provision of knowledge and skills to develop postgraduate supervisors. The outcome of this study, namely a skills development programme for postgraduate supervisors, addresses this need. From this perspective and from the literature it is apparent that all types of universities should have a skills development programme in place in order to be effective and efficient in contributing to the successful completion of doctoral degrees. Although UoTs realise the importance of postgraduate supervision and research, they nevertheless need to implement a skills development programme in order to address the skills of postgraduate supervisors, especially novice postgraduate supervisors. No evidence of the existence of a skills development programme for supervisors to supervise doctoral students at UoTs in South Africa could be found by the researcher. Hence a skills programme was developed to manage the continuous professional development of academic staff in an effective and efficient manner. To achieve the aim and objectives of the study, i.e. to develop a skills development programme for postgraduate supervisors, existing literature on postgraduate supervision was investigated. The presentation of the programme will ensure the achievement of higher education’s responsibility towards doctoral students in a planned and coordinated manner. The researcher is of the opinion that postgraduate supervisors will be capacitated by a customised skills development programme. The programme does not have to be implemented in its original form, and other institutions can customise it according to their own unique situations. However, the process followed and components of the programme can be presented without reinventing the wheel. The researcher believes that this study will facilitate the development of postgraduate supervisors. Furthermore, the researcher is also of the opinion that the skills development programme described in this study can be implemented at other UoTs in South Africa. Therefore, the overall goal, aim and objectives of this study were reached

Methodische Herausforderungen der Messung chronischer Schmerzen bei der Durchführung klinischer Studien

The development of pain and the transmission of pain stimuli via the nervous system (nociception) are complex processes that usually occur in the same way. In contrast, sensation as well as perception of pain are subjective and depend, among other factors, on gender-related, sociocultural, and social factors. While the focus is on finding the cause and targeted therapy in acute pain, the original cause is often no longer identifiable in chronic pain. The complexity of chronic pain is challenging both in clinical practice and in pain research. In addition, the subjectivity of pain perception complicates pain diagnostics, especially with regard to the measurement of pain intensity and pain sensitivity. The present thesis addresses the challenges of conducting clinical trials on chronic pain based on the complexity of chronic pain, its diagnosis and recording. Firstly, the current state of research on pain and chronic pain is presented. Based on this, three studies are presented that deal with method-critical aspects in the conduct of clinical studies on chronic pain. The results presented in this thesis are of high relevance and have broad significance for clinical studies of chronic pain. Recommendations are given which are applicable in clinical practice as well as in clinical research on chronic pain

Rhodium Complex Catalyzed Alcohol Carbonylation Reactions

The oxidative addition reaction of methyl iodide to rhodium or iridium complexes were investigated, incorporating various orthro-substituted dimethylphenylphosphine ligands on the metal complexes. Evidence of rate enhancement for the oxidative addition reaction of the various complexes with methyl iodide was found, due to the influence of the ortho-substitutes. The complexes studieded were:Carbonyl (chloro) bis-[o-chlorophenyl (dimethyl) phosphine] -rhodium (I)Carbonyl (chloro) bis-[o-bromophenyl (dimethyl) phosphine] -rhodium (I)Carbonyl (chloro) bis-[dimethyphenlphosphine] -rhodium (I)Carbonyl (chloro) bis-[o-chlorophenyl (dimethyl) phosphine] -rhodium (I)The increase in relative reaction rates for the complexes were found to proceed in the order: Br \u3e Cl \u3e H for ortho-phenyl substituent and Ir (I) . Rh (I) for complexes of similar ligand type

Analysis Coordinator Report

We present the IVS analysis coordination issues of 2012. The IVS Analysis Coordinator is responsible for generating and disseminating the official IVS products. This requires consistency of the input data by strict adherence to models and conventions. The term of the current IVS Analysis Coordinator will end on February 28, 2013

Untreated and Microbial Inoculated Corn Silage in High Silage Rations for Beef Steers

Results of research reported a year ago (CATTLE 81-3) indicated that corn silage inoculated with a Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product had lower temperatures during the fermentation period than untreated silage. Lactic and volatile fatty acid formation was also higher for the treated silage. Dry matter recovery was only slightly higher for the treated silage. Digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and organic matter by beef steers was similar for treated and untreated silage. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of inoculating corn forage of high dry matter content with a Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product. Response to inoculation was compared with untreated silage in terms of feedlot performance of beef steers fed high silage rations. Preservation of silage dry matter and chemical quality were also determined

Mental Models of Communication and Television Advertising

In their paper, Mental Models of Communication and Television Advertising, Detlev Nothnagel and Gilda Vera Aguirre discuss the question whether and if so, how and to what extent television advertisement spots differ cross-culturally. In contrast to the majority of studies on this topic, Nothnagel and Aguirre concentrate on a protocol-based formal analysis that is statistically oriented. In a more general perspective, the relation between face-to-face communication and communication mediated by technology is scrutinized. Provided that there are important differences, one hypothesis would be that they originate in habits of communication older than those found in technically-mediated communication. That would, at least in part, presuppose a transfer between different media, linking the organization of speech with that of pictures, etc. As only comparative studies are suited to address these questions, two samples are compared in the study, contrasting German and Ecuadorian examples of data. In order to avoid an overestimation of cross-cultural differences and to get a handle on content-related fluctuations, intercultural differences are measured in a parallel fashion

Effect of Sodium Diacetate on Corn Silage Chemical Characteristics, Preservation and Utilization By Beef Steers

The purpose of this study was to compare untreate corn forage and forage treated with sodium diacetate in terms of chemical characteristics that occur during ensiling. Preservation of dry matter and utilization of nutrients by beef steers were also determined