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The purpose of this paper is to describe and reflect on the position of what are called second additional languages in the language teaching landscape of South African schools. This landscape is crowded, with different South African languages vying for attention. Amidst efforts to increase the number of learners who offer an African language as one of the subjects in the school exit examination, initiatives to introduce languages like Mandarin and Swahili put additional pressure on an already over-burdened system. The paper considers this crowded landscape and the implications for the teaching of German, French and Mandarin at secondary school level. These are only three of at least fifteen languages offered as second additional languages. This paper focuses on these three because they are most widely taught in mainstream schools. The policies and practices as well as the problems with teaching these languages are described, focusing on the types of learner who will choose these languages, the approach to teaching them and possible actions that could ensure the continued offering of second additional languages at primary and secondary schools.

Background: The concept of school readiness is well-defined internationally. However, it is unclear how the concept is defined and used in South Africa or understood by preschool teachers. Aim: The aim of this analysis was to develop a clear and accessible summary of the concept of school readiness in South Africa for preschool teachers. Methods: An eight-step systematic approach, including the use of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines, was followed to identify research conducted in South Africa that defined school readiness, and to complete a concept analysis. A subsequent seven-step process was followed to create a Plain Language Summary (PLS) of the contextual definition of school readiness. Results: Using ATLAS.ti software, we identified 619 quotations related to school readiness. Through inductive thematic analysis we identified 48 unique concept codes followed by eight categories or attributes of school readiness. The contextual definition of school readiness was developed in plain language and is stated as children who are fully prepared for school can engage in meaningful learning, because they have developed the necessary behavioural, intellectual, language, literacy, numeracy, physical, socio-emotional and classroom skills for formal schooling. Conclusion: A South African school readiness definition, that is consistent with the way school readiness is understood internationally, was developed in plain language. Although the concept of school readiness is not unique to South Africa, the ways in which it is promoted is contextually bound. Contribution: This PLS may contribute to sustainable and affordable access to culture-centred preschool teacher training content.

Abstract Background Obesity is a rapidly growing global health concern. Limited long-term success of diet, behavioural modification and medical therapy have led to the increased performance of bariatric surgery. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, which permanently reduces the size of the stomach, has been shown to cause considerable weight loss, as well as improving or even eliminating obesity related medical comorbidities such as diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and hypertension. Unfortunately, this surgery can also result in significant postoperative pain which, when combined with the dangers of perioperative opioid administration for bariatric patients, can lead to a significantly reduced quality of recovery. Opioid-sparing analgesia has been widely recommended for perioperative bariatric patients, but research into the optimum regional analgesia approach for this surgery is lacking, with no trials to date comparing different regional analgesic techniques. This study protocol describes a randomised clinical trial aimed at answering this question, comparing the quality of recovery after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for patients who receive erector spinae plane block, versus those who receive serratus anterior plane block plus subcostal TAP block. Methods We propose a prospective, randomised, blinded (investigator) clinical trial in a tertiary hospital in Ireland. Seventy patients presenting for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy will be randomised to two study groups—group A will receive bilateral erector spinae blockade; group B will receive left sided serratus anterior plane block plus subcostal TAP blocks. Both groups will receive the same dose of the same local anaesthetic and the different regional technique performed will be the only difference in their care. The primary outcome will be QoR-15 scores at 24 h postoperatively, a validated international tool for assessing a patient’s overall postoperative recovery. Discussion Regional analgesia should be a mainstay of perioperative opioid-sparing analgesia where possible. This is especially important in the bariatric cohort who are particularly susceptible to the complications of perioperative opioid administration. To the best of our knowledge, this trial will be the first to compare efficacy of two different regional analgesia techniques for bariatric patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Trial registration This trial was pre-registered on clinicaltrials.gov, registration number NCT05839704, on March 5, 2023. All items from the World Health Organisation Trial Registration Data Set have been included.

Abstract Mutations in mitochondrial energy-producing genes lead to a heterogeneous group of untreatable disorders known as primary mitochondrial diseases (MD). Leigh syndrome (LS) is the most common pediatric MD and is characterized by progressive neuromuscular affectation and premature death. Here, we show that daily cannabidiol (CBD) administration significantly extends lifespan and ameliorates pathology in two LS mouse models, and improves cellular function in fibroblasts from LS patients. CBD delays motor decline and neurodegenerative signs, improves social deficits and breathing abnormalities, decreases thermally induced seizures, and improves neuropathology in affected brain regions. Mechanistically, we identify peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) as a key nuclear receptor mediating CBD’s beneficial effects, while also providing proof of dysregulated PPARγ expression and activity as a common feature in both mouse neurons and fibroblasts from LS patients. Taken together, our results provide the first evidence for CBD as a potential treatment for LS.

Maize, a vital global crop, faces numerous challenges, including outbreaks. This study explores the use of spectral vegetation indices for the early detection of maize diseases in individual leaves based on crop phenology at the vegetative, tasselling, and maturity stages. The research was conducted in rural areas of Giyani in the Limpopo province, South Africa, where smallholder farmers heavily rely on maize production for sustenance. Fungal and viral diseases pose significant threats to maize crops, necessitating precise and timely disease detection methods. Hyperspectral remote sensing, with its ability to capture detailed spectral information, offers a promising solution. The study analysed spectral reflectance data collected from healthy and diseased maize leaves. Various vegetation indices derived from spectral signatures, including the Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Anthocyanin Reflectance Index (ARI), photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI), and Carotenoid Reflectance Index (CRI) were investigated for their ability to show disease-related spectral variations. The results indicated that during the tasselling stage, the spectral differences had minimum absorption in the blue region. However, a distinct shift in spectral reflectance was observed during the vegetative stage with 70 % increase in reflectance. First derivative reflectance analysis revealed peaks at approximately 715 nm and 722 nm, which were useful in the discrimination of the different growth stages. Generalized Linear Models (GLM) with binomial link functions and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) showed that individual vegetation indices performed equally well. NDVI (P

The study investigated the influence of demographics, a wide range of motivations of new media use and constraints of its use, on the pattern of new media use for educational purposes by Nigerian university students. The rationale was to proffer appropriate strategies towards sustainable and effective deployment, integration, and utilisation of new media for a better educational experience of students in Nigerian universities. The philosophical perspective was based on positivism. The quantitative approach with survey research design was adopted, covering a cross-section of Nigerian university students using questionnaires as the data collection instrument, complemented with structured interviews. Three large and geographically central universities were purposively selected for the study: University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria, and University of Ilorin. Stratified random sampling was used to select students from the selected faculties in the surveyed universities as respondents. A sample size of 647 students was used for the study. The findings of the study reveal that information seeking and surveillance, convenience and low cost, social interaction, broadcast media involvement, personal utility and self-promotion, affection, maintaining connections, and escape and new trends were significant motivations for using new media for educational reasons. Nevertheless, infrastructure required to use these technologies, privacy and security concerns, confusing acronyms, economic issues, inadequate knowledge and skills, and timing-related issues constitute obstacles to the use of new media for educational reasons. The paper recommends appropriate strategies towards effective and sustainable deployment, integration, ease of access, and utilisation of new media technologies by Nigerian university students.

The Netherlands has a unique dual education system. The government funds both public and private schools. Parents have much freedom to set up schools to realize their religious ideals. The freedom of education enshrined in the Dutch Constitution is controversial. The question has arisen as to whether the government should fund private schools. This paper describes what the Dutch freedom of education entails, gives an overview of educational ideals and mentions some areas where freedom of education is under threat. The conclusion is that although schools still have a great deal of freedom, this is decreasing, and alertness is required.

This paper investigates in-service intermediate phase mathematics teachers' metacognitive awareness based on their engagement in a professional development intervention in two rural and one township school in South Africa. Professional teacher development interventions should be structured and collaborative as teachers tend to revert to traditional modes of teaching when interventions are brief and sporadic. This research was scaffolded across the zone of proximal teacher development (ZPTD) as conceptualized by Warford (2011). The aim of the study was to investigate how metacognitive awareness facilitated intermediate phase mathematics teachers' ZPTD, i.e., from their actual knowledge to "proximal development". 10 intermediate phase mathematics teachers participated in the qualitative research (n=10). The professional development intervention was conducted on two consecutive Saturdays, infused with an adapted lesson study approach. The data was collected through (i) individual interviews, (ii) reflective prompts, (iii) observations, and (iv) reflective journals. The data from each data source were coded and categorized and were triangulated to answer the research question. Participants deemed the professional development intervention and the accompanying materials as supportive and showed increased metacognitive awareness of their personal teaching praxis during and after the intervention, hence growth along the ZPTD occurred.

The advent of COVID-19 and the consequent imposition of a national lockdown from March 2020 in South Africa spurred South African universities to introduce new remote ways of delivering their curricula and offering extra-curricular activities. Some of these new modes of delivery tended to disadvantage already socio-economically disadvantaged black students whose lack of access to appropriate equipment, tools and data prevented them from properly accessing and fully utilising the new forms of e-learning on offer. In this context, this article considers the challenges faced by student affairs professionals at the University of Pretoria in offering new, inclusive forms of online leadership-development training to students in leadership positions at the institution. It analyses data collected from student leaders between 2016 and 2020 at the university which indicated that there had been a lack of leadership development among disadvantaged black students at high school level compared with that on offer to white students in high school. In this context, this article describes how student affairs professionals at the University of Pretoria sought to translate face-to-face leadership training into online initiatives that would ensure that already disadvantaged black students would not be disadvantaged further through differential access to leadership-development training, particularly given their greater need for such support due to their relative previous lack of exposure. This article further places black students' needs for equitable access to leadership training in the context of the individual and structural advantages that can accrue from such training, including in relation to career development and occupying leadership positions in the economy and society.

Background: The relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse and disease progression remains unclear. Previous studies are limited by small sample sizes and most lack a propensity-matched control cohort. Objective: To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 infection on MS disease course with a large propensity-matched cohort. Design: This multi-centre cohort study analysed relapse and disability outcomes post-COVID-19 infection after balancing covariates using a propensity score matching method. The study period was from the 11th of September 2019 to the 16th of February 2023. The mean follow-up period was 1.7 years. Methods: Data were retrieved from the MSBase Registry. Propensity scores were obtained based on age, sex, disease duration, baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), MS course, relapses pre-baseline, disease-modifying therapy (DMT) class and country. Primary outcomes were time to first relapse, annualised relapse rate (ARR) and time to confirm EDSS progression. Secondary outcomes were time to EDSS of 3, 4 or 6. Sensitivity analyses with baseline DMT classes were performed. Results: The study included 2253 cases and 6441 controls. After matching, there were 2161 cases and an equal number of matched controls. Cases had a significantly higher ARR (ARR = 0.10 [95% CI 0.09–0.11]) compared to controls (ARR = 0.07 [95% CI 0.06–0.08]). Cases had a significantly greater hazard of time to first relapse compared to controls (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.54 [95% CI 1.29–1.84]). There was no association between COVID-19 infection and 24-week EDSS progression (HR = 1.18 [95% CI 0.92–1.52]), or time to EDSS of 3, 4 or 6. For patients on interferons and glatiramer acetate (BRACE), COVID-19 infection was associated with a greater hazard of time to first relapse (HR = 1.83 [95% CI 1.25–2.68]) and greater hazard of time to EDSS of 3 (HR = 2.04 [95% CI 1.06–3.90]) compared to patients on BRACE therapy without COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection was associated with a significantly increased MS relapse rate and a shorter time to first relapse. There was no effect on confirmed EDSS progression over the short term. These results support ongoing COVID-19 risk minimisation strategies to protect patients with MS.

When wisdom in the book of Isaiah is investigated, there is a deviation from the normal sense of understanding wisdom as a particular mental ability. What is out of the ordinary about the use of wisdom in the book of Isaiah is that it is used more often for clearly unwise people than for the wisdom of God. In ten texts, mainly from Isaiah 1−39, the ‘wisdom’ of the unwise is juxtaposed with the wisdom of God. In these texts, all the dominant powers in the Ancient Near East are addressed. In this manner, facets of God’s wisdom are brought to the fore, which is not evident in the semantic meaning of the חָכָם word group, where wisdom typically carries the idea of normativity, or good character and virtue (Pr 1:1–7). Therefore, the focus of this article will be to show how the actions of Yahweh toward both his people and his adversaries portray his wisdom, with a clear indication of what his wisdom entails in the book of Isaiah. This study calls for the re-evaluation of wisdom, advocating for a theocentric understanding that aligns with Yahweh’s will expressed in covenantal fidelity. Contribution: The article contributed to the widening of understanding God’s wisdom by showing how his practical plans emanate from his complete understanding of all events, highlighting an often overlooked aspect of the meaning of the חָכָם word group.

Summary: Background: It is unknown if early COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy can reduce risk of Long COVID. The mAbs amubarvimab/romlusevimab were previously demonstrated to reduce risk of hospitalization/death by 79%. This study assessed the impact of amubarvimab/romlusevimab on late outcomes, including Long COVID. Methods: Non-hospitalized high-risk adults within 10 days of COVID-19 symptom onset enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2/3 trial of amubarvimab/romlusevimab for COVID-19 treatment. Late symptoms, assessed using a participant-completed symptom diary, were a pre-specified exploratory endpoint. The primary outcome for this analysis was the composite of Long COVID by participant self-report (presence of COVID-19 symptoms as recorded in the diary at week 36) or hospitalization or death by week 36. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to address incomplete outcome ascertainment, giving weighted risk ratios (wRR) comparing amubarvimab/romlusevimab to placebo. Findings: Participants received amubarvimab/romlusevimab (n = 390) or placebo (n = 390) between January and July 2021. Median age was 49 years, 52% were female, 18% Black/African American, 49% Hispanic/Latino, and 9% COVID-19-vaccinated at entry. At week 36, 103 (13%) had incomplete outcome ascertainment, and 66 (17%) on amubarvimab/romlusevimab and 92 (24%) on placebo met the primary outcome (wRR = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53–0.93). The difference was driven by fewer hospitalizations/deaths with amubarvimab/romlusevimab (4%) than placebo (13%). Among 652 participants with available diary responses, 53 (16%) on amubarvimab/romlusevimab and 44 (14%) on placebo reported presence of Long COVID. Interpretation: Amubarvimab/romlusevimab treatment, while highly effective in preventing hospitalizations/deaths, did not reduce risk of Long COVID. Additional interventions are needed to prevent Long COVID. Funding: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Amubarvimab and romlusevimab supplied by Brii Biosciences.

This article engages with the particular fragility of liberal democracy in current times. The particularity at stake here concerns the two major challenges that liberal democracy faces today, notably the rising allure of fascism (mostly AF hereafter) and the rise of climate politics (mostly CP hereafter). The article is not concerned with the external threats that fascism and climate politics pose for liberal democratic law. It engages with the way that any endeavour to deal with these threats threatens liberal democracy with the internal self-destruction of its essential ideals and principles.

Due to various conditions, countries such as Venezuela, Nigeria, and South Africa suffer from lawlessness (disregard of norms and rules of society) today, threatening their social fabric. It is contended on the basis of the situation in South Africa that citizenship education is arguably a suitable vehicle (in combination with, for instance, religion education, moral education, and forgiveness education) for offering tolerance, forgiveness, hospitality, and reconciliation education in schools, all of these as means for counteracting lawless (deviant, errant) behaviour. Thus far, reflection on citizenship education has, however, been characterised by conceptual uncertainty, controversy, and a wide range of applications in practice. The paper reports on theoretical interpretive-constructivist research. This research is aimed at the question of how citizenship education could be employed to form (equip, educate) young people so that they can be able to display morally justifiable behaviour and recognise and counteract lawlessness wherever they encounter it in their lifeworld. https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.89.1.2458 Opsomming Te wyte aan verskeie omstandighede is die burgers van ‘n hele aantal lande regoor die wêreld - insluitend Venezuela, Nigerië en Suid-Afrika – aan die een of ander vorm van wetteloosheid blootgestel (die verontagsaming van die gangbare wette of norme van die land en die samelewing), en dit kan uiters nadelig wees vir die welsyn van die samelewing. Op grond van ‘n ontleding van die situasie in Suid-Afrika word aangevoer dat burgerskapsonderwys - in kombinasie met byvoorbeeld godsdiensonderwys, morele onderwys en vergifnisonderwys - ‘n bruikbare instrument in skole kan wees om wetteloosheid (afwykende en normverontagsamende gedrag) teen te werk. Tot dusver was die besinning oor burgerskapsonderwys egter gekenmerk deur konseptuele onsekerheid, meningsverskille en ‘n wye verskeidenheid toepassings in die praktyk. Dié artikel doen verslag oor teoretiese interpretivisties-konstruktivistiese navorsing. Hierdie navorsing is gerig op die vraag hoe burgerskapsonderwys ingespan sou kon word om jongmense te vorm (toe te rus, op te voed) om hulle in staat te stel tot moreel-regverdigbare gedrag, die herkenning van wetteloosheid en die bestryding daarvan waar hulle dit ook al in hul leefwêreld teëkom.