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Background: COVID-19 necessitated emergency telepractice for student-led speech-language therapy clinical practicals in training institutions, with limited preparation and evidence-based guidelines. Beyond the pandemic, practitioners and university training sites are likely to continue to offer telepractice necessitating thorough preparation for telepractice services underpinned by a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in online therapy. Aims: Adopting realist evaluation principles, our aim in this paper was to explore broadly what works and does not work in a set of student-led telepractice sessions in a diverse, resource-limited context. The broader goal of this project was to provide evidence-based support to enhance the efficiency and success of telepractice sessions in student clinical training contexts. Methods & Procedures: We used qualitative observational methods with reflexive thematic analysis to analyse 28 video recordings and 61 observation notes of student-led paediatric telepractice sessions from a South African university clinic as part of a pilot study. Outcomes & Results: We identified four overarching considerations for student-led telepractice: (1) additional, specific preparation is required, (2) with greater management of technology and adaptation of tasks, especially during times of poor connectivity; (3) telepractice relies heavily on caregiver input and collaboration; and (4) promoting engagement online, holding a client's attention, building rapport and offering reinforcement are critical skills that are complicated by the lack of face-to-face contact. Conclusions & Implications: Our findings indicate that telepractice pedagogy needs to be explicitly taught and students require practical assistance as they learn how to use this service delivery approach effectively. There are some aspects peculiar to telepractice that require unique consideration and planning, especially in contexts where service providers and users may be unfamiliar with this form of service provision. The findings of this pilot study can be used by clinical educators and student clinicians to enhance clinical training opportunities involving telepractice.

The research discussed in this article is specifically aimed at non-Afrikaans-speaking international students served by the Language Centre at Stellenbosch University. As a result of students who would like to become proficient in Afrikaans during their stay in South Africa, many of them choose the course "Beginner Afrikaans Vlak 1" (Beginner Afrikaans Level 1). The course focuses primarily on communicative and discourse competence. Students mentioned in the formal evaluation of the course as well as in a needs analysis that they would like to have a chance to revise the course material by accessing a computer programme. The lecturer of the course therefore decided to design a computer programme for the above mentioned course that could be used as a revision tool. Four of the design principles of Mayer (2009) were used to design the computer programme. The aim of the research discussed further in this article is to indicate how the vocabulary retention of students enrolled for the course was affected by these four design principles.

The aim of this study was to establish the level of job satisfaction amongst teachers at special schools. Teachers in special schools need to cope with curriculum changes, the administrative duties that come with these changes, and the learners with their diverse needs. Learners with special needs require a specific educational programme and also schools that cater for the needs of learners with emotional, social, neurological or physical problems. The research group consisted of 101 teachers working at six different special schools situated in various parts of the Bloemfontein area, two in the Mangaung area, and four were situated in suburban areas. The group consisted of English- and Afrikaans-speaking teachers of both genders and from different race groups. The data for this study were compiled by means of a short biographical questionnaire and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. The results indicated that the teachers experienced an average level of job satisfaction. In addition to this finding, differences were also found in the levels of job satisfaction between different races, but not between genders.

As an academic institution that is still in its early phases of organisational growth, Monash University, South Africa does not have a pool of postgraduate students that can be utilised for teaching assistance in units with large groups of students. This necessitated the selection of high-calibre honours candidates and third-year students that could be trained to become tutors. The tutor training, upon which this study is based, originated from a practical need that arose within the context of teaching at a small higher education institution. The researchers developed the training with the intention of providing the necessary skills enhancement needed for tutors to conduct successful tutorials. Due to the novelty of this endeavour, the research questions emerged with the formulation of the original content of the training course. There were three main research questions. Firstly, to verify whether the topics covered in the training did in fact provide the requisite real-world knowledge and skills development. Secondly, to evaluate the quality of the training that was provided. Thirdly, to ascertain other gaps in knowledge and skill that exist and that need to be addressed. A mixed methodological approach was followed in this study. Action research and group-administered questionnaires were utilised. Action research was used both in the data collection and in the data analysis phases. Group-administered questionnaires facilitated data triangulation to enhance the validity of the research findings. The research method utilised in this study to evaluate the efficacy of the training and to identify further training needs, presented a unique opportunity for reflective practice. The content of the training was set up to address needs identified by the researchers, based on their own teaching and tutoring experiences. To ensure continuous improvement and efficacy, the content was refined once the participants were given an opportunity to provide feedback. The researchers reflected on what transpired in each training session and developed new insights into potential gaps that needed filling. The participants responded positively to the unique learning situation that was created and felt that the training equipped them with the basic skills they needed as novice tutors. The researchers found that reflective practice effectively enabled the participants to identify the individual value gained from the learning experience.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the information and communication technology (ICT) adoption profiles of accounting students at a South African university influenced their perceptions of the usefulness of a technologically enhanced learning (TEL) opportunity. The findings suggest that the South African accounting students' ICT adoption profiles differ from global profiles as their distribution curve is skewed to the left favouring ICT adoption. Statistically significant differences were noted between gender groups, but no culturally based digital divide emerged. Despite the differences noted, the majority of students, irrespective of ICT adoption profiles, their gender or population groups agreed that the learning value of an online simulation was more beneficial than traditional teaching methods. It can therefore be concluded that TEL opportunities, which add value to students' learning experience, will be well received by students irrespective of their ICT adoption profiles.

Participatory methodologies are often favoured in education research. This study aimed to determine collaborative partnership trends between education researchers and teachers in order to understand the use of participatory theory and practice in education studies. Seven symposium presentations by education scholars from various higher education institutions were analysed using trend analysis from a community of practice theoretical framework. It emerged that participatory methodology denotes various characteristics which indicate favourable use by education researchers. Partnerships between education researchers and teachers share common goals, are contextual in nature, have a process-oriented emphasis and foreground knowledge exchange and the development of knowledge networks. In addition, collaborative partnerships between education researchers and teachers appear to be directed by an overarching philosophy of "care". (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

In South Africa, recent government plans to change the institutional landscape of higher education have resulted in mergers of colleges into universities or technikons. The research reported in this article focuses solely on the impact of a "college-into-university'' incorporation as manifested in the personal, emotional and career experiences of these college staff members. It traces the changes in their perceptions and emotions during and after the incorporation process. It also identifies recurring themes and issues evident in the personal lives of those affected by this incorporation. A unique research methodology was engaged: The College staff who had been appointed to the university after the merger, identified seven critical themes and then designed and conducted 30 semi-structured interviews among themselves. This article thus documents the impact of incorporation into a university on the individual and collective lives of there searchers themselves. The data suggest that the emotional impact of incorporation was intense and that the uncertainty, especially, led to considerable trauma. The most important concern emanating from this joint research project is that while a certain degree of distress is unavoidable in any institutional merger, inattention to the management of human resources, emotions and aspirations could linger on, possibly having a negative effect on the ambitions for the transformation of the new entity.

South Africa is well-known for the diversity of its legumes and their nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbionts. However, in contrast to their plant partners, remarkably few of these microbes (collectively referred to as rhizobia) from South Africa have been characterised and formally described. This is because the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) are at odds with South Africa's National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and its associated regulations. The ICNP requires that a culture of the proposed type strain for a novel bacterial species be deposited in two international culture collections and be made available upon request without restrictions, which is not possible under South Africa's current national regulations. Here, we describe seven new Mesorhizobium species obtained from root nodules of Vachellia karroo , an iconic tree legume distributed across various biomes in southern Africa. For this purpose, 18 rhizobial isolates were delineated into putative species using genealogical concordance, after which their plausibility was explored with phenotypic characters and average genome relatedness. For naming these new species, we employed the rules of the recently published Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes described from Sequence Data (SeqCode), which utilizes genome sequences as nomenclatural types. The work presented in this study thus provides an illustrative example of how the SeqCode allows for a standardised approach for naming cultivated organisms for which the deposition of a type strain in international culture collections is currently problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, The trans* Collective student activist group brought to light the erasure of gender counternormative students' contributions to the success of the #RhodesMustFall movement in 2015. Equally important, the Trans University Forum released a report in 2017 that compiled the experiences of gender counter-normative individuals at seven South African higher education institutions. The report evinced that universities are sites that marginalise and alienate gender counter-normative staff, students and workers. Employing life history research, the present article explores the experiences and responses of three gender counter-normative Stellenbosch University students as they navigate the university environment. Drawing on queer theory, the article highlights their challenges while at the same time it emphasises their agency and strategies of resistance to tackling cis-heteronormativity. The article concludes by highlighting how gender counter-normative students acknowledge and incorporate their relationships with others, allies and their communities as a collective response and action - collective agency - to challenge the normative, and sometimes adverse, university space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A genealogical concordance approach was used to delineate strains isolated from Acacia dealbata and Acacia mearnsii root nodules in South Africa. These isolates form part of Bradyrhizobium based on 16S rRNA sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis of six housekeeping genes (atpD, dnaK, glnII, gyrB, recA and rpoB) confirmed that these isolates represent a novel species, while pairwise average nucleotide identity (ANIb) calculations with the closest type strains (B. cosmicum 58S1T, B. betae PL7HG1T, B. ganzhouense CCBAU 51670 T, B. cytisi CTAW11T and B. rifense CTAW71T) resulted in values well below 95–96%. We further performed phenotypic tests which revealed that there are high levels of intraspecies variation, while an additional analysis of the nodA and nifD loci indicated that the symbiotic loci of the strains are closely related to those of Bradyrhizobium isolates with an Australian origin. Strain 14ABT (=LMG 31415 T = SARCC-753 T) is designated as the type strain of the novel species for which we propose the name Bradyrhizobium xenonodulans sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the diversity of Burkholderia species known to nodulate legumes in introduced and native regions, relatively few taxa have been formally described. For example, the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa is thought to represent one of the major centres of diversity for the rhizobial members of Burkholderia , yet only five species have been described from legumes occurring in this region and numerous are still awaiting taxonomic treatment. Here, we investigated the taxonomic status of 12 South African root-nodulating Burkholderia isolates from native papilionoid legumes ( Hypocalyptus coluteoides , H. oxalidifolius , H. sophoroides and Virgilia oroboides ). Analysis of four gene regions (16S rRNA, recA , atpD and rpoB ) revealed that the isolates represent a genealogically unique and exclusive assemblage within the genus. Its distinctness was supported by all other aspects of the polyphasic approach utilized, including the genome-based criteria DNA−DNA hybridization (≥70.9%) and average nucleotide identities (≥96%). We accordingly propose the name B. kirstenboschensis sp. nov. for this taxon with isolate Kb15 T (=LMG 28727 T ; =SARC 695 T ) as its type strain. Our data showed that intraspecific genome size differences (≥0.81 Mb) and the occurrence of large DNA regions that are apparently unique to single individuals (16−23% of an isolate's genome) can significantly limit the value of data obtained from DNA−DNA hybridization experiments. Substitution of DNA−DNA hybridization with whole genome sequencing as a prerequisite for the description of Burkholderia species will undoubtedly speed up the pace at which their diversity are documented, especially in hyperdiverse regions such as the Cape Floristic Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information related to the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa. It presents several reports published in the "South African Pharmaceutical Journal" including one about conferences as well as about leadership. It also offers details about the South African Association of Pharmacists in Industry as well as the Young Pharmacists' Group.

Objective: There is a lack of research on humour among adolescents in South Africa. This article examines cognitive flexibility and humor. The objective was to investigate the roles of gender and language as possible moderating variables in the relationship between adolescents' cognitive flexibility and sense of humour. Design: A correlational research design was used in which pupils were asked to complete the Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale to assess their sense of humour. In order to determine the cognitive flexibility of the sample group, Martin and Rubin's Cognitive Flexibility Scale was applied. Setting and subjects: The initial sample comprised 1 203 adolescents (Grade 11 and 12 pupils) randomly selected from the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Of these, a final 392 adolescents qualified after eliminating criteria had been applied. Results: No significant correlations were found between the total group or for the two genders. Significant positive correlations were found between cognitive flexibility and two of the scores for humour (creating and expressing humour), as well as for the total score for Afrikaans-speaking participants. Significant negative correlations were found between cognitive flexibility and all five of the scores for humour for the Nguni language speakers. Conclusion: This study recommends that culturally sensitive measuring instruments should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors presents comments on an article by D. H. Cornell et al about the depositional age and tectonic evolution of the Bushmanland Group in South Africa, published in the 2009 issue of the periodical "Economic Geology." They note that the lithostratigraphic position of the samples analyzed by Cornell et al is possibly erroneous. They argue that the stratigraphic column endorsed in the article is not widely accepted. They question the relevance of new age constraints that Cornell et al provided for the basal pink gneiss.

Can corporate moral degeneration be countered through higher education? In the wake of reported unethical conduct of corporations and multinationals worldwide this article explores the challenges facing ethics education in the world of accountants and business leaders. A short overview is provided with regard to the development of and relationship between ethics and corporate governance in South Africa. Legislation, codes of ethics and regulatory frameworks do, however, not seem to provide sufficient guarantees that corporations will abide by them. Cognisance of the latest legislation is already a part of the curriculum of all Master of Business Administration (MBA), ?? (CTA) graduates and business degrees. Yet, it does not seem to stop corporate moral degeneration. The role higher education can play to prepare business and corporate leaders for ethical, responsible and sustainable business practices are investigated. Any educational strategy not taking into account the paradoxes and complexities which accountants and business leaders face will be in vain. Teaching accountability and ethical conduct, therefore, needs to be critical of the meta-narratives in society in their shaping of the value-systems of individuals and corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kalahari manganese field in the Northern Cape province, South Africa, is a world-class manganese resource (ca. 8 billion tons at 20-48% Mn). It occurs within the Hotazel Formation in the uppermost Paleoproterozoic (2.65-2.05 Ga) Transvaal Supergroup and comprises three laminated Mn ore units interbedded with iron formation. Currently, mining of manganese is concentrated in two areas of the Kalahari manganese field, in the south and in the north of the field, which respectively contain low-grade (<40 wt % Mn) carbonate-rich ore, and high-grade, carbonate-free, oxide-rich ore (generally >44 wt % Mn). In the southern Kalahari manganese field, the iron formation contains quartz, magnetite, and carbonate (calcite, ankerite) as chief mineral constituents, and exhibits bulk chemical and isotopic signatures comparable to other Paleoproterozoic iron formations of the world. Carbonate isotope compositions in the iron formation (δ[sup13]C = -18 to -4‰ vs. PDB; δ[sup18]O = 12-20‰ vs. SMOW) indicate diagenetic processes involving oxidation of organic carbon, and reduction of Fe&sup3+; sedimentary precursors. Values from the inter-bedded manganiferous units (δ[sup13]C = -12 to -8‰; δ[sup18]O = 14-22‰) are interpreted to reflect similar processes, with Mn[sup4+] acting as the sole electron acceptor. Over large parts of the northern Kalahari manganese field, pre-1.9 Ga shales of the Olifantshoek Supergroup unconformably overlie the Hotazel Formation. In these areas, three diverse iron formation types were identified across the Hotazel stratigraphy (from bottom to top): (1) least-altered iron formation, which is identical to that seen in the southern Kalahari manganese field; (2) dolomitized iron formation, containing quartz, incipiently oxidized magnetite (to hematite), and Ca-Mn-enriched dolomite; (3) enriched iron formation, comprising exclusively SiO[sub2] (as quartz) and Fe oxide (as hematite). Mass balance... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Possible constraints on the passive recovery of bare areas in the Karoo, a semiarid region in South Africa, include inadequate supply of seed, availability of suitable microsites for plant establishment, altered soil properties, and the truncation of key soil biotic processes. Here we investigate the possibility of initiating the restoration of bare areas by soil surface treatments with gypsum (CaSO4 ) and/or organic mulch. We also apply an exogenous seed source to test the hypothesis that seed availability limits autogenic recovery. Both gypsum and mulch improved rain water infiltration, gypsum more so than mulch, and both treatments resulted in significantly higher numbers of reseeded seedlings compared with controls. Gypsum also improved the survival of the cohorts of seedlings of the larger seeded Tripteris sinuata . Tripteris showed the highest number of seedlings (maximum count of 150 seedlings/1,000 viable seeds sown) and surviving plants of the three reseeded species, which included two small-seeded species, Ruschia spinosa and Chaetobromus dregeanus . Throughout the study period significantly higher plant volumes of naturally seeded annuals and perennials were recorded in the gypsum and/or mulch treatments compared with the controls. Germination and emergence of reseeded and naturally seeded plants appears to be determined by the availability of cool season (autumn to spring ) soil moisture, whereas follow-up rainfall during this time is important for plant survival. Mulching of bare areas in the Succulent Karoo has the potential to re-create vegetated areas that will further capture and conserve water, soil, and nutrients. Gypsum also showed positive results but might not be a cost-effective option because of transport costs to these remote arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Birth before arrival (BBA) contributes to the neonatal death rate in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the profile of and reasons for women giving birth prior to arrival at National District Hospital, Bloemfontein. Methods: This was a descriptive study of women, 18 years or older, presenting with BBA at National District Hospital between October 2015 and January 2016. Consenting women were interviewed by the discharging doctor who completed the questionnaire. Results: Of the 68 mothers with BBAs, 61 were included (response rate 90%). The highest percentage (38%) lived less than 5 km from a healthcare facility. The median parity was three and 67% gave birth unexpectedly. Common factors were poor antenatal clinic booking and limited antenatal clinic visits. Most mothers (89%) depended on Emergency Medical Services and 69% had made no prior arrangements with a hospital. Conclusion: Better education on antenatal care and delivery planning is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on a study concerning the selenium content of tooth enamel. It states that epidemiologic studies suggest there is a positive association between the consumption of small amounts of dietary selenium during the tooth formation period and an increased risk of dental caries. It comments that animal studies corroborated this and that selenium was incorporated into the organic fraction of dentin and dental enamel, replacing sulfur in methionine and cystine, and might interfere with apatite growth and nucleation. It states that a study of the dental caries incidence of black and white South African high school students was determined in an urban area, with neutron activation analysis used on the enamel of extracted sound permanent teeth.

The neutron activation of stable isotopes in environmental matrices, such as soil and groundwater, is a critical aspect of assessing the impact of radionuclide production facilities on the surrounding ecosystem. The envisioned Low-Energy Radioactive Ion Beams (LERIB) facility at the iThemba LABS, South Africa is anticipated to generate significant sources of ionising radiation. The study investigated the possible repercussions of neutron irradiation stemming from the facility, focusing on the activation of stable isotopic compositions in the environment. The investigation employed a combination of experimental and analytical techniques to characterize the neutron activation products in soil and groundwater samples collected from the vicinity. Samples were collected from designated areas for background radiological measurements and were irradiated with neutrons for a period of 1 h. The induced radioactivity measured by the High Purity Germanium detector included 24 Na, 22 Na, 54 Mn, 52 Mn, and 46 Sc. The application of Darcy's law for groundwater velocity suggests that radionuclides in groundwater will migrate at an average flow velocity of 0.8 m/day. The isotopes with longer half-lives have count rates at background concentrations; therefore, environmental impacts on the site and surrounding communities might be minimal., Competing Interests: The authors declare there is no conflict., (© 2024 The Authors This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Measurements of the dose equivalent at different distances from the isocenter of the proton therapy center at iThemba LABS were previously performed with a tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC). These measurements showed that the scattered radiation levels were one or two orders of magnitude higher in comparison to other passive scattering delivery systems. In order to reduce these radiation levels, additional shielding was installed shortly after the measurements were done. Therefore, the aim of this work is to quantify and assess the reduction of the secondary doses delivered in the proton therapy room at iThemba LABS after the installation of the additional shielding. This has been performed by measuring microdosimetric spectra with a TEPC at 11 locations around the isocenter when a clinical modulated beam of 200 MeV proton was impinging onto a water phantom placed at the isocenter.

The in-service training of paediatric primary health care nurses at Baragwanath Hospital, and the implementation of this project with health care teams in the Soweto clinics, is discussed. Appropriately trained members of the community can provide better comprehensive primary care, and optimal use is made of available manpower. Similar schemes in other parts of the world are briefly considered.