Geografiese invloede op ons beskawingspatroon

Die opskrif van hierdie lesing lui: „Geografiese invloede op die Suid-Afrikaanse Beskawingspatroon”. Onmiddellik laat dit die vraag ontstaan wat ’n geografiese invloed nou eintlik is: hoe word dit onderskei van bv. ’n geologiese of sê m aar ’n plantkundige invloed, en is daar nou werklik iets soos ’n geografiese invloed? Met ’n lang bespreking van hierdie vrae wil ek u nie oorval nie: laat my volstaan met die verklaring dat ek vir die doeleindes van hierdie beskouing uitgegaan het van die standpunt dat die geografie die verhouding bestudeer tussen die mens en sy omgewing en dat ek as geografiese in­ vloede geneem het alle invloede wat kan uitgaan van die fisiese omgewing in die breedste sin van die woord

Reformasie en Romanisme- 'n Onversoenbare antitese

Sonder twyfel het dit nodig geword om opnuut die aktuele vraag aan die orde te stel, of daar werklik uit godsdienstige gesigspunt ’n radikale verskil is tussen die Rooms-Katolisisme en die Reformasie wat in die sestiende eeu aangevang het

'n Besluitnemings ondersteuningsmodel vir die bepaling van die mees geskikte wisselboustelsel-ritme vir gemengde graanboerderye in die Koeberg

Weens die unieke eiesoortigheid van die mens is sy behoeftes vanselfsprekend uiters divers. Wat vir die een persoon prioriteit is, mag vir sy buurman geensins belangrik wees nie. Dit is egter ook ’n gegewe, dat die mens heelwat gemeenskaplike ervarings, emosies en behoeftes deel. Een hiervan is die behoefte wat hy het om te weet dat die besluit wat hy gaan of wil neem die regte een binne die konteks van sy keuse mag wees. Die woord ‘behoefte’ kan waarskynlik in hierdie geval vervang word met die begrip ‘genade’. Sonder om 'n platvorm vir debat te skep, word die stelling gehandhaaf dat ‘genade’ slegs van die Skepper afkomstig is. Met hierdie stelling as agtergrond was dit 'n minder aangename ervaring om vir feitlik twintig jaar te moes toekyk hoe koringboere hul besluite, veral met betrekking tot die samestelling van wisselboustelsels, moes neem, klaarblyklik in totale gebrek aan die gawe van ‘genade’. Nodeloos om te sê, met gepaardgaande negatiewe gevolge. Die meer gemaklike verontskuldiging is om te redeneer dat ons Skepper relatief suinig is met die uitdeel van sy ‘genade’. Alvorens die begrip van Prediker 10:10 nog nie ten volle begryp is nie, kan so 'n stelling dalk makliker gemaak word. Hierdie gedeelte uit die Skrif sê in werklikheid die teenoorgestelde – dat God baie vrygewig is met Sy ‘genade’, maar dat die mens sy gesonde verstand moet gebruik om dit ten volle te benut. Die wens is dat hierdie studie, 'n deel sal uitmaak van die proses om die byl skerp te maak om sodoende die houtkap-proses effektief uit te voer

A French translation of the obsessive-compulsive drinking scale for craving in alcohol-dependent patients: a validation study in Belgium, France, and Switzerland

The Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is an instrument developed to measure cognitive aspects of alcohol craving. The aim of this study was to validate the French translation of the OCDS according to the international methodology as published by Hunt and coworkers (see text), including forward-backward translations, patient interviews (9 patients), patient's perception of acceptability (15 patients), and final validation within a treatment program (50 patients). All 74 patients were native French-speaking alcohol-dependent patients from Belgium, France, and Switzerland. The derived aggregated total (TOT) score and both subscores corresponding to the obsessive (OB) and compulsive (CP) dimensions were shown to be asymptomatically normal. Good internal consistencies were found, with Cronbach alpha: TOT = 0.88; OB = 0. 82; CP = 0.79. The test-retest procedure was used to examine intrarater reliability (r = 0.81). The construct validity was examined with linear correlation of the two main components: r(OB, CP) = 0.62; r(OB, TOT) = 0.86; r(CP, TOT) = 0.92. Principal-components analysis revealed two main factors: the first factor representing the total scale score, while the obsessive and compulsive subscale scores were distributed along factor two. The translated scale seems to be psychometrically as valid as the original English scale and confirms the psychometric properties of the OCDS. [Ed.]]]> eng oai:serval.unil.ch:BIB_F7D93BF6D7F8 2022-05-07T01:30:22Z <oai_dc:dc xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd"> https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_F7D93BF6D7F8 Langue, Littérature et Altérité Janz, N. (ed.) Vernand, D. (ed.) info:eu-repo/semantics/book book 1992 fre oai:serval.unil.ch:BIB_F7DA4CD40334 2022-05-07T01:30:22Z <oai_dc:dc xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd"> https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_F7DA4CD40334 Landslides and debris-flows: Analysis, monitoring, modeling and hazard assessment Jaboyedoff, M. Crosta, G.B. Arattano, M. Jaboyedoff, M. (ed.) Crosta, G.B. (ed.) Arattano, M. (ed.) info:eu-repo/semantics/book book 2005 eng oai:serval.unil.ch:BIB_F7DA82AC327E 2022-05-07T01:30:22Z <oai_dc:dc xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:oai_dc="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd"> https://serval.unil.ch/notice/serval:BIB_F7DA82AC327E Doit-on modifier le traitement anticoagulant avant des extractions dentaires? [Dental extractions in patients taking anticoagulants: is alteration of the anticoagulant regime necessary?] info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/15997980 Madrid, C. info:eu-repo/semantics/review article 2005 Revue Médicale Suisse, vol. 1, no. 21, pp. 1418, 1421-1422, 1424 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/1660-9379 <![CDATA[A major concern in the management of patients under anticoagulants is the potential for excessive bleeding after dental procedures. Recommendations for the administration of oral anticoagulants in conjunction with oral surgery range from complete withdrawal of anticoagulants to the maintenance of an unchanged therapy. Rising evidences show that the alteration of anticoagulation is not necessary for patients with INR of 4 or less previous to tooth extractions. Topical antifibrinolytics as tranexamic acid control successfully alveolar bleeding. It is time to stop interrupting anticoagulant therapy for oral surgery. A theoretical risk of hemorrhage after dental surgery in patients at therapeutic levels of anticoagulation exists but it is minimal and is greatly overweighed by the risk of thromboembolism after alteration of the anticoagulant therapy

The Healthy Human Blood Microbiome: Fact or Fiction?

The blood that flows perpetually through our veins and arteries performs numerous functions essential to our survival. Besides distributing oxygen, this vast circulatory system facilitates nutrient transport, deters infection and dispenses heat throughout our bodies. Since human blood has traditionally been considered to be an entirely sterile environment, comprising only blood-cells, platelets and plasma, the detection of microbes in blood was consistently interpreted as an indication of infection. However, although a contentious concept, evidence for the existence of a healthy human blood-microbiome is steadily accumulating. While the origins, identities and functions of these unanticipated micro-organisms remain to be elucidated, information on blood-borne microbial phylogeny is gradually increasing. Given recent advances in microbial-hematology, we review current literature concerning the composition and origin of the human blood-microbiome, focusing on bacteria and their role in the configuration of both the diseased and healthy human blood-microbiomes. Specifically, we explore the ways in which dysbiosis in the supposedly innocuous blood-borne bacterial microbiome may stimulate pathogenesis. In addition to exploring the relationship between blood-borne bacteria and the development of complex disorders, we also address the matter of contamination, citing the influence of contaminants on the interpretation of blood-derived microbial datasets and urging the routine analysis of laboratory controls to ascertain the taxonomic and metabolic characteristics of environmentally-derived contaminant-taxa

Is stroke early supported discharge still effective in practice? A prospective comparative study

Objective: Randomised controlled trials have shown the benefits of Early Supported Discharge (ESD) of stroke survivors. Our aim was to evaluate whether ESD is still beneficial when operating in the complex context of frontline healthcare provision. Design: We conducted a cohort study with quasi experimental design. A total of 293 stroke survivors (transfer independently or with assistance of one, identified rehabilitation goals) within two naturally formed groups were recruited from two acute stroke units: ‘ESD’ n=135 and ‘Non ESD’ n=158 and 84 caregivers. The ‘ESD’ group accessed either of two ESD services operating in Nottinghamshire, UK. The ‘Non ESD’ group experienced standard practices for discharge and onward referral. Outcome measures (primary: Barthel Index) were administered at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months. Results: The ESD group had a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (P=0.029) and reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with services received (P<0.001). Following adjustment for age differences at baseline, participants in the ESD group (n=71) had significantly higher odds (compared to the Non ESD group, n=85) of being in the ⩾90 Barthel Index category at 6 weeks (OR = 1.557, 95% CI 2.579 to 8.733), 6 months (OR = 1.541, 95% CI 2.617 to 8.340) and 12 months (OR 0.837, 95% CI 1.306 to 4.087) respectively in relation to baseline. Carers of patients accessing ESD services showed significant improvement in mental health scores (P<0.01). Conclusion: The health benefits of ESD are still evident when evidence based models of these services are implemented in practice

Isolation of pure Babesia equi and Babesia caballi organisms in splenectomized horses from endemic areas in South Africa

Both Babesia equi and Babesia caballi are endemic in large parts of South Africa. Attempts were made to obtain pure local isolates of both B. equi and B. caballi for the purpose of developing serological tests to study the epidemiology of equine babesiosis in this country. The indirect fluorescent antibody test was used to screen horses for B. equi and B. caballi in an endemic area. Seven horses and 3 donkeys between 3 and 36 months of age that tested negative were subsequently splenectomized. The splenectomy operation was performed through the abdominal approach. A 100% survival rate was achieved through this method, probably because it reduced the risk involved in the operation. Blood collected from naturally infected horses and passaged in fully susceptible spenectomized horses and a donkey, under laboratory conditions, produced 2 isolates of Babesia caballi and 1 of B. equi. Microscopical and serological examinations confirmed that these were pure isolates.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format.lmchunu2014mn201

Secondary antiprotons and propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy and heliosphere

High-energy collisions of cosmic-ray nuclei with interstellar gas are believed to be the mechanism producing the majority of cosmic ray antiprotons. Due to the kinematics of the process they are created with a nonzero momentum; the characteristic spectral shape with a maximum at ~2 GeV and a sharp decrease towards lower energies makes antiprotons a unique probe of models for particle propagation in the Galaxy and modulation in the heliosphere. On the other hand, accurate calculation of the secondary antiproton flux provides a ``background'' for searches for exotic signals from the annihilation of supersymmetric particles and primordial black hole evaporation. Recently new data with large statistics on both low and high energy antiproton fluxes have become available which allow such tests to be performed. We use our propagation code GALPROP to calculate interstellar cosmic-ray propagation for a variety of models. We show that there is no simple model capable of accurately describing the whole variety of data: boron/carbon and sub-iron/iron ratios, spectra of protons, helium, antiprotons, positrons, electrons, and diffuse gamma rays. We find that only a model with a break in the diffusion coefficient plus convection can reproduce measurements of cosmic-ray species, and the reproduction of primaries (p, He) can be further improved by introducing a break in the primary injection spectra. For our best-fit model we make predictions of proton and antiproton fluxes near the Earth for different modulation levels and magnetic polarity using a steady-state drift model of propagation in the heliosphere.Comment: Many Updates, 20 pages, 15 ps-figures, emulateapj5.sty. To be published in ApJ v.564 January 10, 2002 issue. More details can be found at http://www.gamma.mpe-garching.mpg.de/~aws/aws.htm

TB Hackathon: Development and Comparison of Five Models to Predict Subnational Tuberculosis Prevalence in Pakistan

Pakistan’s national tuberculosis control programme (NTP) is among the many programmes worldwide that value the importance of subnational tuberculosis (TB) burden estimates to support disease control efforts, but do not have reliable estimates. A hackathon was thus organised to solicit the development and comparison of several models for small area estimation of TB. The TB hackathon was launched in April 2019. Participating teams were requested to produce district-level estimates of bacteriologically positive TB prevalence among adults (over 15 years of age) for 2018. The NTP provided case-based data from their 2010–2011 TB prevalence survey, along with data relating to TB screening, testing and treatment for the period between 2010–2011 and 2018. Five teams submitted district-level TB prevalence estimates, methodological details and programming code. Although the geographical distribution of TB prevalence varied considerably across models, we identified several districts with consistently low notification-to-prevalence ratios. The hackathon highlighted the challenges of generating granular spatiotemporal TB prevalence forecasts based on a cross-sectional prevalence survey data and other data sources. Nevertheless, it provided a range of approaches to subnational disease modelling. The NTP’s use and plans for these outputs shows that, limitations notwithstanding, they can be valuable for programme planning

The Interstellar Environment of our Galaxy

We review the current knowledge and understanding of the interstellar medium of our galaxy. We first present each of the three basic constituents - ordinary matter, cosmic rays, and magnetic fields - of the interstellar medium, laying emphasis on their physical and chemical properties inferred from a broad range of observations. We then position the different interstellar constituents, both with respect to each other and with respect to stars, within the general galactic ecosystem.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures (including 3 figures in 2 parts