Freudiaans-antropologiese vooronderstellings in die neo-Marxistiese skool- en maatskappykritiek

Dissatisfaction with education in South Africa has given rise to diverse and politically radical school criticism. The educational views of anti-establishment schools of thought (eg. Marxism-Leninism, neo-Marxism, Contraculture, New Age Movement and the ideas of Paolo Freire) are extremely relevant to the current situation of education in South Africa. This article therefore emphasizes specific anthropological suppositions underlying neo-Marxist culture and critique of society. Although Marxist influence on Emancipatory Education is acknowledged, emphasis is placed on Freudian roots of the neo-Marxist view on education. The influence of the Freudian personality theory on a selection of relevant themes, such as oppression in a capitalist society; politization of education; religion and repression of instincts is underlined. In conclusion it is shown that a school of thought that is based on deterministic suppositions abounds with inherent difficulties and can be regarded as educationally unsound

The effect of the ideology of new managerial professionalism on the South African education system

If the intention of South African education legislation is to professionalise teachers, and if this is seen as empowering them for their task, connected to quality education, then it is indeed a worthy ideal. However, pedagogical values have been redefined within a neoliberalist framework, serving corporate culture and lowering the pedagogical role of teachers to a position of obedience to market norms. In the attempts of professionalising teachers, education has fallen prey to an ideology of new managerial professionalism – the worthy ideal of professionalising teachers has become a mechanism for dominating the very people it set out to liberate. Within the context of a growing global economy the pedagogical values that embody the professionalisation of teachers have been replaced by values aligned with economic growth. The professional role of the teacher and educational reform has been driven by a political ideology committed to new managerial professionalism. The paper highlights the way in which an overemphasis of the professional status of teachers within a neoliberalist framework establishes and sustains relations of domination in South African education. The effects of new managerial professionalism on education are also explored.Keywords: decentralisation; goalsetting; managerialism; neoliberalism; new managerialism; new public management; performativity; professionalis

Biological control of South African plants that are invasive elsewhere in the world: A review of earlier and current programmes

South Africa supports a rich floral diversity, with 21 643 native plant taxa that include a high proportion (76.3%) of endemic species, and many of these favoured as ornamentals, both locally and globally. Consequently, South Africa has contributed substantially to global plant invasions, with 1093 native taxa (5% of all species) naturalized in other countries. At least 80 taxa are invasive in natural or semi-natural ecosystems elsewhere, while an additional 132 taxa are potentially invasive. Of the global naturalized flora, 8.2% originate from South Africa and largely comprise species of Poaceae, Asteraceae, Iridaceae and Fabaceae. Australia, in particular, but also Europe and North America are major recipients of South African weeds. However, few countries have targeted South African plants for biological control (biocontrol), with most efforts undertaken by Australia. Previous and current targets have involved only 26 species with 17 agents (15 insects, one mite and one rust fungus) of South African origin released on five target species in Australia and the United States of America. South Africa’s history of weed biocontrol, together with a large cohort of active scientists, is currently facilitating several internationally funded programmes targeting invasive plants of South African origin. In particular, the recently inaugurated Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have provided the impetus for novel efforts on five new target species and renewed efforts on four previously targeted species. In this contribution, we review the history of earlier biocontrol programmes against weeds of South African origin and the status of projects currently in progress in South Africa

Community Engagement newsletter, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Spring, November 2018

Biting back against rabies / Ananthan Daylene, Luthaar Naidoo, Shanzelle Rabė, Heiko Schmid & Laryssa Straub -- My Hluvukani experience / Emca du Plessis & Dr Luke Arnot , photographs by Dr Luke Arnot -- Adventures with Elephants: getting clued up on conservation / Kira Coetzee, Simone Brown, Bruna Silva, Alexandra Graham & Rofhiwa Ramavhoya -- Conquering the unconquered - healing animals while spreading love / Kgopotso Mabote -- A hidden treasure / Regan van Welie, Lauren Wakefield, Ingo Meyer, Stephen Hodgson & Daniella van der Have -- Bajabulile: the happy place / Kevasha Govender, Erin Sinclair & Sabelisiwe Mpanza ; photography by: Laura SimpkinsNews articles with colour photos about the various community engagement projects of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria.ab201

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Discipline in Lesotho schools: educator strategies

This article reports from an exploratory, quantitative and critical frame of reference on a study on educator strategies to maintain discipline in Lesotho schools. The data, based on a questionnaire completed by Lesotho educators, were analysed by means of frequencies and the student’s t-test. The most popular strategy employed by the respondents as a means of maintaining discipline is to come properly prepared to school, followed by positive discipline. Strategies least used by the respondents are detention and community service. The data reveal that the majority of the respondents use a combination of traditional and progressive strategies. The data also show that the perceived effectiveness of a strategy does not always correspond with its popularity

A meta-analysis of 87,040 individuals identifies 23 new susceptibility loci for prostate cancer

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 76 variants associated with prostate cancer risk predominantly in populations of European ancestry. To identify additional susceptibility loci for this common cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis of >10 million SNPs in 43,303prostate cancer cases and 43,737 controls from studies in populations of European, African, Japanese and Latino ancestry. Twenty-three novel susceptibility loci were revealed at P<5×10-8; 15 variants were identified among men of European ancestry, 7 from multiethnic analyses and one was associated with early-onset prostate cancer. These 23 variants, in combination with the known prostate cancer risk variants, explain 33% of the familial risk of the disease in European ancestry populations. These findings provide new regions for investigation into the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and demonstrate the utility of combining ancestrally diverse populations to discover risk loci for disease