The key to employability: developing a practical model of graduate employability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a straightforward, practical model of employability that will allow the concept to be explained easily and that can be used as a framework for working with students to develop their employability. Design/methodology/approach – The model was developed from existing research into employability issues and the experience of the authors. The various elements of employability included in the model are discussed and their inclusion justified on the basis of existing research. Findings – The model sets out exactly what is meant by employability, in clear and simple terms, and the model suggests directions for interaction between the various elements. Research limitations/implications – The relationships between and the interaction of the elements within the model remain theoretical. Further research to test the model is planned and will be reported on at a later date. Practical implications – The model can be used to explain the concept of employability to those new to the subject, and particularly to students and their parents. It will be a useful tool for lecturers, personal tutors, careers advisors and any other practitioners involved in employability activities. It will also be used to develop a measurement tool for employability. Originality/value – This paper seeks to fill the gap between in-depth, scholarly and complex articles or books about employability and very simple descriptive articles. It will be of value to anybody with an interest in employability issues

Moving from conceptual ambiguity to operational clarity: Employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship in higher education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the terms “employability”, “enterprise” and “entrepreneurship” are currently being used, often interchangeably, within higher education, and to propose how to clarify this issue with the terminology. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is to discuss the three terms and some of their current conceptualisations and suggest ways to clarify the terminology. Possible methods of operationalising the three concepts within higher education are also suggested. Findings – Employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship are high on the agendas of many higher education institutions. There is a crucial need for agreement on definitions particularly when strategies are being implemented. It is suggested that currently the terminology is often used carelessly and interchangeably, resulting in confusion for HE staff, students and employers. Originality/value – The paper offers a clear way of defining the concepts and will be of value to anybody with an interest in employability, enterprise or entrepreneurship within higher education

Preliminary study on the effect of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) molasses on steroidogenesis in testicular cell cultures

Blackstrap molasses has been used for centuries in the preparation of food products and have also been used to treat numerous ailments such as high blood pressure, arthritis, ulcers, dermatitits, eczema, constipation, colitis, varicose veins and many other health problems. Reports suggest that blackstrap molasses may have endocrine disruptive effects in cattle. The present study investigated the effect of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarium) molasses on steroidogenesis in testis cell culture. Testis cell cultures were incubated with various concentrations of molasses. Luteinizing hormone was used to stimulate the production of testosterone in the testes cell culture. Supernatants of the testes cell cultures were then assayed for testosterone, oestradiol and cytotoxicity using commercially available kits. Results showed that low concentrations (12 - 50 ug/ml) of molasses increase testosterone secretion relative to control cultures (P < 0.05). None of the molasses concentrations tested were cytotoxic. This study has shown that molasses stimulate testosterone production. Therefore, molasses may potentially be used as a diet supplement to increase testosterone levels

Visual suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex during space flight

Visual suppression of the vestibulo-ocular reflex was studied in 16 subjects on 4 Space Shuttle missions. Eye movements were recorded by electro-oculography while subjects fixated a head mounted target during active sinusoidal head oscillation at 0.3 Hz. Adequacy of suppression was evaluated by the number of nystagmus beats, the mean amplitude of each beat, and the cumulative amplitude of nystagmus during two head oscillation cycles. Vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression was unaffected by space flight. Subjects with space motion sickness during flight had significantly more nystagmus beats than unaffected individuals. These susceptible subjects also tended to have more nystagmus beats before flight

Eye and head motion during head turns in spaceflight

Eye-head motion was studied pre-, in- and postflight during single voluntary head turns. A transient increase in vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain occurred early in the flight, but later trended toward normal. This increased gain was produced by a relative increase in eye counterrotation velocity. Asymmetries in gain with right and left turns also occurred, caused by asymmetries in eye counterrotation velocities. These findings were remarkably similar to those from Soviet primate studies using gaze fixation targets, except the human study trended more rapidly toward normal. These findings differ substantially from those measuring VOR gain by head oscillation, in which no significant changes were found inflight. No visual disturbances were noted in either test condition or in normal activities. These head turn studies are the only ones to date documenting any functional change in VOR in weightlessness

Studies of the vestibulo-ocular reflex on STS 4, 5 and 6

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) may be altered by weightlessness. Since this reflex plays a large role in visual stabilization, it was important to document any changes caused by space flight. This is a report on findings on STS-4 through 6 and is part of a larger study of neurosensory adaptation done on STS-4 through 8. Voluntary horizontal head oscillations at 1/3 Hz with amplitude of 30 deg right and left of center were recorded by a potentiometer and compared to eye position recorded by electroculography under the following conditions: eyes open, head fixed, tracking horizontal targets switched 0, 15, and 30 degrees right and left (optokinetic reflex - OKR - and calibration); eyes open and fixed on static external target with oscillation, (vestibulo ocular reflex, eyes closed - VOR EC); eyes open and wearing opaque goggles with target fixed in imagination (vestibulo-ocular reflex, eyes shaded - VOR ES); and eyes open and fixed on a head synchronized target with head oscillation (VOR suppression). No significant changes were found in voluntary head oscillation frequency or amplitude in those with (n=5), and without (n=3), space motion sickness (SMS), with phase of flight or test condition. Variations in head oscillation were too small to have produced detectable changes in test results

Studies of the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex on STS 7 and 8

Unpaced voluntary horizontal head oscillation was used to study the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) on Shuttle flights STS 7 and 8. Ten subjects performed head oscillations at 0.33 Hz + or - 30 deg amplitude under the followng conditions: VVOR (visual VOR), eyes open and fixed on a stationary target; VOR-EC, with eyes closed and fixed on the same target in imagination; and VOR-S (VOR suppression), with eyes open and fixed on a head-synchronized target. Effects of weightlessness, flight phase, and Space Motion Sickness (SMS) on head oscillation characteristics were examined. A significant increase in head oscillation frequency was noted inflight in subjects free from SMS. In subjects susceptible to SMS, frequency was reduced during their Symptomatic period. The data also suggest that the amplitude and peak velocity of head oscillation were reduced early inflight. No significant changes were noted in reflex gain or phase in any of the test conditions; however, there was a suggestion of an increase in VVOR and VOR-ES gain early inflight in asymptomatic subjects. A significant difference in VOR-S was found between SMS susceptible and non-susceptible subjects. There is no evidence that any changes in VOR characteristics contributed to SMS

Oestrogen, testosterone, cytotoxin and cholinesterase inhibitor removal during reclamation of sewage to drinking water

Namibia is the driest sub-Saharan country in Africa. Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, reclaims sewage water for domestic use at the Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant (GWRP). Risks associated with sewage effluent and reclaimed sewage should be closely monitored; therefore water at the Gammams Sewage Treatment Plant (GSTP) inlet and outlet, as well as reclaimed water from the GWRP, were assayed using selected bioassays. Samples collected were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assays and chromogenic tests for steroid hormones, neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity and inflammatory activity. Estradiol level at the sewage treatment inlet was 78 pg/mℓ and the treated sewage level showed an 83% to 95% reduction in this, while after reclamation the level was below detection limit. Estrone concentrations at the sewage treatment inlet ranged from 10 to 161 pg/mℓ. Sewage treatment reduced estrone by between 85% and 92%. After reclamation the level of estrone was below detection limit. Testosterone ranged between 162 and 405 pg/mℓ at the sewage plant inlet. Sewage treatment removed 96% of the initial testosterone. The residual testosterone was effectively removed by processes in GWRP and after reclamation no testosterone was detected in water. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition at the sewage treatment inlet was 50% while it was only 27% after sewage treatment. After reclamation AChE inhibition was not detected. Only water at the sewage inlet in March and February showed cytotoxicity. High inflammatory activity was detected at the sewage plant inlet. Sewage treatment reduced inflammatory activity by 64%. After reclamation low inflammatory activity was induced. Treated sewage used for reclamation tested positive for most of the biomarkers and can pose a risk to human health. However, reclamation successfully removed these contaminants. Due to the presence of contaminants in the intake water at the reclamation plant, it is essential to routinely monitor the water produced by the reclamation plant for potential residues that can adversely affect human health.Web of Scienc

Saccadic eye movement during spaceflight

Saccadic eye movements were studied in six subjects during two Space Shuttle missions. Reaction time, peak velocity and accuracy of horizontal, visually-guided saccades were examined preflight, inflight and postflight. Conventional electro-oculography was used to record eye position, with the subjects responding to pseudo-randomly illuminated targets at 0 deg and + or - 10 deg and 20 deg visual angles. In all subjects, preflight measurements were within normal limits. Reaction time was significantly increased inflight, while peak velocity was significantly decreased. A tendency toward a greater proportion of hypometric saccades inflight was also noted. Possible explanations for these changes and possible correlations with space motion sickness are discussed

Seasonal variation of citrinin in traditionally brewed African beer

A seasonal study on citrinin concentrations in traditional beer was conducted using a standardised enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Representative samples of indigenous South African beer were collected during the hot, mild and cold seasons from marginal-urban settlements in the Kimberley area, South Africa. The mean temperature and humidity readings were 37C and 29% for respectively summer, 19.4C and 7.1% for spring, and 16.3C and 6.5% for winter. Samples were analysed for the mycotoxincitrinin using a commercial Ridascreen (citrinin) ELISA kit, validated for the purpose of the study. The recovery level achieved for citrinin in beer samples using the kit was 117 + - 15%. The inter-assay and intra-assay variations were 17.8 and 14.8% respectively. Standard curves prepared using traditional beer samples were similar to the standard curves prepared using the kit standards. The mean citrinin concentrations found in the various samples were 257.6 ug/kg, 99.0 and 185.7 ug/kg for the summer, spring and winter seasons respectively and the levels ranged between 35.6 ug/kg (min) and 924.2 ug/kg (max). Statistically significant differences (p ?0.05) were found between the citrinin levels of the summer and spring samples and also between citrinin levels of the spring and winter samples (p ?0.001). The relatively high levels of citrinin in selected samples may, with prolonged exposure, have adverse impacts on the health of consumers. Thus further studies into the origin and levels of this mycotoxin should be a priority