THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DIVERSION PROGRAMME FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS : PROBLEM AREAS AND 'PITFALLS'

According to the 2001 South African census, about 35% fo the South African population can be classified as youths, that is, below the age of 35 years, while 22% is below 20 years of age (Statistics South Africa, 2003).  Schönteich (1999:22) emphasises that South Africa faces some serious challenges because of the high proportion of young people in the population.  Reffering to criminal behaviour in particular, he suggests that juveniles and young adults commit crimes "...far in excess of their proportion of the general population", and that these rates seem to be similar all over the world.  He also points to conviction rates that show that young males in South Africa are at greater risk of being convicted for a wide range of crimes that older males or females of any age group

Developing metacognition among young learners by using stories

Being aware of our thinking as we perform learning tasks and then using this knowledge to actively self-regulate what we are doing, is commonly known as metacognition. This study investigated the influence of a story-based intervention on the development of metacognition among Intermediate Phase learners engaged in content area learning. Two intact Grade 4 class groups from two public schools in different socio-economic communities in the Western Cape participated in the study. This design-based research (DBR) study comprised of 2 iterative cycles. A pragmatic paradigm underpins the use of multiple data collection methods. This article reports on the pre- and post-intervention data from the second iteration, comparing the 2 groups. Most learners seemed to have improved in terms of metacognition and strategy knowledge on most data collection instruments. The data, however, revealed that learners in both groups struggled to verbalise their thoughts. Low literacy rates influenced both data collection and the outcome of the intervention. From the study, it appears that the story-based intervention could be a feasible and effective learning tool to develop metacognition within the contexts described in this study.Keywords: constructivism; content area learning; design-based research; intermediate phase learners; intervention; metacognition; metacomprehension; reflection; self-regulation; storytellin

Digitale Dataverwerking Gedurende Radio-isotoopflikkergrafie

The features of an on-line image data processing system for nuclear medicine are described. The uses of the system for the processing and evaluation of images, lung function determinations and cardiac studies are mentioned

Demographics and viability of an estuarine community of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins

Wildlife management requires reliable demographic information to assess the status of a population and its vulnerability to threats. This study calculated age class- and sex-specific demographic parameters and assessed the viability of a community of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) resident to the Peel-Harvey Estuary in Western Australia. Boat-based photo-identification surveys (n = 483) were conducted between 2016 and 2019. A population viability analysis (PVA) was used to assess the community status and evaluate the effects of adult female and calf mortality, and reproduction on population growth rate. The community comprised 88 (SD = 4.43) individuals with a sex ratio close to parity in all but the adult age class where it was skewed towards females. Demographic changes in this community are driven by births, deaths, and the likely permanent emigration of juvenile males. No immigration was observed. The population is stable (r = −0.004, SD = 0.062) given the current demographic rates. To maintain a community of ~90 individuals, management should consider action to lower adult female and calf mortality. This should involve aiming for zero human caused mortality and ensuring adverse impacts to the population are considered in future development planning

'n Vergelyking van drie verskillende tegnieke die berekening van glomerulere filtrasiespoed

The clearance of inulin, creatinine and radioactive tracers from the blood may be used to measure glomerular filtration rate (GFR). These techniques, however, are usually invasive and time-consuming. Although the clearance of a radioactive tracer is usually applied in nuclear medicine for the determination of GFR, it is also possible to convert the concentration of the tracer in the kidneys to absolute GFR by means of a regression equation. As this new technique is much faster, we have compared it with the conventional technique. A good correlation was found with the standard radionuclide techniques (r = 0,91), but the reference method was underestimated on the average by 14 ml/min. The new regression equation derived in our clinic will ensure future accurate GFR measurements within 6 minutes

Kwantitatiewe Radio-isotoop Kardiografie met die Sintillasie-kamera

Methods for obtainiR9 various cardiac parameters, using radio-isotopes and the scintillation camera, have improved tremendously during recent· years. These investigations offer a simplified screening test for visual interpretation. By the use of numerical techniques, quantitative information can be obtained, making investigations more sensitive. Left-to-right shunts, cardiac output, left ventricular ejection fraction and other parameters can be quantitated

Impact of the Chelsea critical care physical assessment (CPAx) tool on clinical outcomes of surgical and trauma patients in an intensive care unit: An experimental study

Background: Critically ill patients following traumatic injury or major surgery are at risk of loss of skeletal muscle mass, which leads to decreased physical function. Early rehabilitation in an intensive care unit (ICU) is thought to preserve or restore physical functioning. The Chelsea critical care physical assessment (CPAx) is a measurement tool used to assess physical function in the ICU. Objectives: To determine whether the use of the CPAx tool as part of physiotherapy patient assessment, in two adult trauma and surgical ICU settings where early patient mobilisation forms part of standard physiotherapy practice, had an impact on ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS) through delivery of problem-oriented treatment plans. Method: A single-centred pre–post quasi-experimental study was conducted. The population was a consecutive sample of surgical and trauma ICU patients. Participants’ functional ability was assessed with the CPAx tool on alternative days during their ICU stay, and rehabilitation goals were modified according to their CPAx score. Intensive care unit and hospital LOS data were collected and compared to data of a matched historical control group. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: A total of 26 ICU patients were included in the intervention group (n = 26). They received CPAx-guided therapy, and outcomes were matched with ICU patients in the historical control group (n = 26). The median sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.005) (3.5 [IQR 2–6.3]) versus (2 [IQR 1.8–2.5]) for the intervention group. The median admission CPAx score for the intervention group was 33.5 (IQR 16.1–44), and the median ICU discharge score was 38 (IQR 28.5–43.8). No significant differences were found in ICU days (control 2.7 [IQR 1.1–5.2]; intervention 3.7 [IQR 2.3–5.4]; p = 0.27) or hospital LOS (control 13.5 [IQR 9.3–18.3]; intervention 11.4 [IQR 8.4–20.3], p = 0.42). Chelsea critical care physical assessment scores on ICU admission had a moderate negative correlation with hospital LOS (r = -0.58, p = 0.00, n = 23). Chelsea critical care physical assessment scores at ICU discharge had strong positive correlation with discharge SOFA scores (r = 0.7; p = 0.025; n = 10). Conclusion: Problem-oriented patient rehabilitation informed by the CPAx tool resulted in improvement of physical function but did not reduce ICU or hospital LOS. Clinical implications: A higher level of physical function at ICU admission, measured with CPAx, was associated with shorter hospital LOS.South African Society of Physiotherapy Research Foundatio

Morphological differences between coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) populations identified using non-invasive stereo-laser photogrammetry

Obtaining morphometric data on free-ranging marine megafauna is difficult, as traditional methods rely on post-mortem or live-capture techniques. We linked stereo-laser photogrammetry with long-term demographic data to compare length-at-age (LaA) growth curves of two well-studied populations of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western (SW) and Shark Bay (SB), mid-western Australia. First, we determined the relationship between total length (TL) and blowhole-to-dorsal fin (BH-DF) length from post-mortem subjects (R2 = 0.99, n = 12). We then predicted TL from laser-derived BH-DF measurements of 129 and 74 known-age individuals in SW and SB, respectively. Richards growth models best described our LaA data. While birth length (103–110 cm) was similar between study regions, TL estimates at 1, 3, 12, and 25 years differed significantly (p < 0.001). Asymptotic length of adult males (SW = 246 cm, SB = 201 cm) and females (SW = 244 cm, SB = 200 cm) also differed significantly. Morphotypic variations likely reflect regional adaptations to local water temperatures, with the temperate SW having cooler waters than sub-tropical SB. We demonstrate the effectiveness of a non-invasive technique to understand ecological, demographic and life-history characteristics of long-lived marine megafauna, which are critical parameters for informing conservation and management actions

Determination of glomerular filtration rate with radionuclide renography and direct urinary activity quantitation

Objective. The direct urinary activity quantitation method is quick (approximately 40 minutes), requires only a single blood sample, is performed as part of standard renal scanning and shows high accuracy compared With 24hour creatinine clearance. The purpose was to evaluate the practical application and accuracy of this technique at our clinic. Design. Direct urinary activity quantitation was done in patients scheduled for routine radionuclide renography and compared to standard multiple-blood-sample techniques by means of Cr-51-EDTA and Tc-99m-DTPA.Setting. Academic Medical Complex, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universitas Hospital, Bloemfontein.Participants. Fifteen patients scheduled for routine radionuclide renography (glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determination) were voluntarily enrolled in the study. The GFRs of selected patients varied over a wide range. Possible obstructive uropathy was excluded.Main outcome measures. GFRs obtained by the direct urinary method were compared with GFRs determined by multisample Cr-51-EDTA and Tc-99m DTPA.Results. GFRs from the direct urinary method compared with multisample Tc-99m-DTPA showed differences from -19,85 to 22,95 ml/min with a mean of 0,2 (+- 12,25) ml/min (r = 0,93). When compared with multisample Cr-51 EDTA, differences ranged from -34,35 to 21,05 ml/min with a mean of -4,25 (+- 16,08) ml/min (r =0,90).Conclusion. The direct urinary activity technique is easily applied and highly accurate compared with previous standardised multisample radionuclide techniques for determination of GFR

Acquisition and Processing of Cerebral Blood Flow Data with a M;ultichannel Analyser and Microcomputer

The method of the determination of cerebral blood flow in dogs with radio-isotopes to evaluate ethrane as a new anaesthetic agent is described, as well as the use of a multichannel analyser and the programmes developed for the analysis of data in a conversational mode. Preliminary results of the use of the computer programme are presented