Introducing a multi-cultural dimension into the study of literature at secondary school level

The first aim of teaching English literature has always been for the student to gain enjoyment from, and acquire skill in, reading. Further goals point to the affective development of pupils involving such qualities as critical thinking and expressing views, empathetic understanding of other people, moral awareness and increased self-knowledge and self-understanding. These are indeed laudable aims, but examiners have always had difficulties in examining them adequately to satisfy the critics. Teachers often doubt that they achieve such lofty aims. These very aims have the sceptics sneering at the discipline because such qualities cannot be measured and the pupil's worth for the workplace cannot be satisfactorily assessed. This has resulted in the merit of the study of literature being questioned and usually found wanting. Therefore, on the one hand, this research looks for a method of studying literature which will ensure that the study will be neccesary and desirable today and into the foreseeable future. On the other hand, the socio-political changes in South Africa, particularly since 1992, have offered a possible area of research to complement the first. During the past few years, South Africans have been forced to recognise the fact that a multitude of different races and people live and work together more closely in this country and yet they know nothing, or very little, of one another. Thus this research also investigates the addition of a cultural component to literature study to help young people gain empathetic understanding of different cultures and of their own cultures as well, to be able to live together in harmony. With this approach, pupils may conceivably be educated through literature, to become well-adjusted, critical, effective adults so that they may play their role as citizens and shapers of their increasingly complex, multi-cultural society. Because of the context of literature study, in which this personal growth takes place, the aims identified above may be measured and assessed to suit both the sceptics and the devotees of literature study

Mechanisms of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 induction during human liver transplantation

In human orthotopic liver transplantation (LTX) intraoperative elevations of TNF-α (> 100 pg/ml) and IL-6 (>800 pg/ml) have been found to correlate with early post-operative rejections and infections respectively. In this study the possible mechanism responsible for the induction of these cytokines has been investigated during liver allografting in 38 recipients. Intraoperative elevations of TNF-α (> 100 pg/ml) were detected in the majority of pre-transplant endotoxin positive recipients (8/12, > 10 endotoxin units/ml), the patients turning endotoxin positive until the end of grafting (3/5), and in a subgroup (6/21 patients), apparently endotoxin negative for the whole operation. Therefore endotoxin (ET) seems to stimulate release of TNF-α in approximately 50% of the patients, whereas sensitized Kupffer graft cells or immediate allograft reactivity of the host are likely to account for the remaining TNF-α positive cases. Elevations of IL-6 > 800 pg/ml) were found in approximately 50% of the TNF-α positive cases, indicating partially independent regulatory pathways for IL-6 induction in the TNF-α negative patients. In agreement with a previous study, 11/13 (85%) of the intraoperative TNF-α positive recipients rejected their grafts within the first 10 days post-operatively. These data demonstrate that ET/infection associated as well as ET independent/reperfusion associated intraoperative TNF-α elevations, promote the initiation of allograft rejection in human liver transplantation. The transient and low endotoxaemia caused by the liver grafting procedure performed without veno-venous bypass seems to be of minor importance in the intraoperative induction of TNF-α

Challenges associated with ethics review of educational research at a South African university

This article analyses the decisions and feedback from reviewers of a decentralised ethics committee to applicants in a two-year period. Results indicate that the review of research protocols by an ethics committee are complicated by challenges related to factors such as the formal requirements for review, process of informed consent, research design, how power relationships are addressed, and sample selection. These challenges are put into perspective by discussing organisational factors that lead to ethical divide rather than ethical synergy between ethics committee members and applicants

Uitdagings verbonde aan etiekevaluasie van opvoedkundige navorsing by ’n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit

This article analyses the decisions and feedback from reviewers of a decentralised ethics committee to applicants in a two-year period. Results indicate that the review of research protocols by an ethics committee are complicated by challenges related to factors such as the formal requirements for review, process of informed consent, research design, how power relationships are addressed, and sample selection. These challenges are put into perspective by discussing organisational factors that lead to ethical divide rather than ethical synergy between ethics committee members and applicants.Hierdie artikel bestudeer die etiekevaluasieproses deur die besluite en terugvoer van evalueerders verbonde aan ’n gedesentraliseerde etiekkomitee te analiseer oor ’n periode van twee jaar. Resultate dui aan dat die evaluasie van navorsingsprotokolle deur ’n etiekkomitee gekompliseer word deur uitdagings met betrekking tot faktore soos formele vereistes van evaluasie, ingeligde toestemmingsproses, na-vorsingsontwerp, hoe magsverhoudinge aangespreek word, en steekproefneming. Hierdie uitdagings word in perspektief geplaas deur organisatoriese faktore te beskryf wat lei tot ’n etiese gaping, eerder as etiese sinergie, tussen etiekkomiteelede en aansoekers.http://www.ufs.ac.za/ActaAcademic

How did individuals in the second half of life experience the Covid-19 Crisis? Perceived threat of the Covid-19 Crisis and subjective influence on a possible infection with Covid-19

This chapter examines the extent to which people in the second half of life felt threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, whether there were differences between middle-aged and older individuals, and the role of self-rated health. This chapter also addresses how people perceived their influence on contracting COVID-19

EDR2 negatively regulates salicylic acid-based defenses and cell death during powdery mildew infections of Arabidopsis thaliana

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The hypersensitive necrosis response (HR) of resistant plants to avirulent pathogens is a form of programmed cell death in which the plant sacrifices a few cells under attack, restricting pathogen growth into adjacent healthy tissues. In spite of the importance of this defense response, relatively little is known about the plant components that execute the cell death program or about its regulation in response to pathogen attack.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We isolated the <it>edr2-6 </it>mutant, an allele of the previously described <it>edr2 </it>mutants. We found that <it>edr2-6 </it>exhibited an exaggerated chlorosis and necrosis response to attack by three pathogens, two powdery mildew and one downy mildew species, but not in response to abiotic stresses or attack by the bacterial leaf speck pathogen. The chlorosis and necrosis did not spread beyond inoculated sites suggesting that EDR2 limits the initiation of cell death rather than its spread. The pathogen-induced chlorosis and necrosis of <it>edr2-6 </it>was correlated with a stimulation of the salicylic acid defense pathway and was suppressed in mutants deficient in salicylic acid signaling. <it>EDR2 </it>encodes a novel protein with a pleckstrin homology and a StAR transfer (START) domain as well as a plant-specific domain of unknown function, DUF1336. The pleckstrin homology domain binds to phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate <it>in vitro </it>and an EDR2:HA:GFP protein localizes to endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membrane and endosomes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>EDR2 </it>acts as a negative regulator of cell death, specifically the cell death elicited by pathogen attack and mediated by the salicylic acid defense pathway. Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate may have a role in limiting cell death via its effect on EDR2. This role in cell death may be indirect, by helping to target EDR2 to the appropriate membrane, or it may play a more direct role.</p

A rare differential diagnosis to occupational neck pain: bilateral stylohyoid syndrome

Chronic neck pain is widely prevalent and a common source of disability in the working-age population. Etiology of chronic neck pain includes neck sprain, mechanical or muscular neck pain, myofascial pain syndrome, postural neck pain as well as pain due to degenerative changes. We report the case of a 42 year old secretary, complaining about a longer history of neck pain and limited movement of the cervical spine. Surprisingly, the adequate radiologic examination revealed a bilateral ossification of the stylohyoid ligament complex. Her symptoms remained intractable from conservative treatment consisting of anti-inflammatory medication as well as physical therapy. Hence the patient was admitted to surgical resection of the ossified stylohyoid ligament complex. Afterwards she was free of any complaints and went back to work. Therefore, ossification of the stylohyoid ligament complex causing severe neck pain and movement disorder should be regarded as a rare differential diagnosis of occupational related neck pain