Translating the Test of Academic Literacy Levels into Sesotho

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Gustav Butler
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Education ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Translation Process ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
North West ◽  
Vaal Triangle ◽  
Teaching Learning

This article reports on an initiative at the Vaal Triangle Campus (VTC) of North-West University (NWU) towards the active encouragement of functional multilingualism in tertiary education. More specifically, in an effort to support the potential use of Sesotho (Southern Sotho) and isiZulu in the teaching-learning environment at this campus, it was decided that an important first step should be an accurate and reliable determination of students’ levels of academic literacy (AL) in these two languages. Such a measurement would provide an  indication of student readiness to make productive use of any extra learning support offered in these languages. Since there are no measuring instruments available to assess students’ academic literacy levels in Sesotho and isiZulu at tertiary level, it was decided thattranslating an existing test may be the most productive option in this case. The test selected for translation into Sesotho and isiZulu was the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL), a test that has consistently shown high reliability measures in the assessment of students’academic literacy levels in English. Because Sesotho is the home language used by the majority of students (other than English and Afrikaans) at the VTC, it was decided that Sesotho would be treated as priority in terms of the completion of the project. The article  therefore documents the translation process for Sesotho, and discusses primarily positive findings regarding the creation of a conceptually and functionally adequate Sesotho version of the TALL through a process of translation.  

scholarly journals HIV/AIDS Perceptions, attitudes and awareness of undergraduate students

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christo Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Vaal Triangle ◽  
Hiv Aids

The central question to be examined revolves around the perceptions, attitudes and awareness regarding HIV/AIDS among undergraduate students at the North-West University (Vaal Triangle Campus). Therefore, the objective of this research was to assess these perceptions, attitudes and awareness regarding HIV/AIDS. A convenience sample of undergraduate students was used in a cross-sectional design (N = 290). A semi-standardised questionnaire as well as a biographical questionnaire was administered. The semi-standardised questionnaire was proven to be reliable. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of between 0.65 and 0.71 was obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results indicated that students experienced and perceived differences with regards to their biographical variables in terms of their perceptions, attitudes and awareness regarding HIV/AIDS. Differences were also found between students in different study modules and study years. The findings revealed that the majority of the students were quite knowledgeable regarding HIV/AIDS. While some students had detailed knowledge of the disease and its prevention, others (the minority) were either completely ignorant about it or deny its existence. Recommendations were made for future research in the area of HIV/AIDS within the context of tertiary education.

A panel of mono- and dinucleotide microsatellite markers is required for reliable determination of the MSI status in colorectal cancer

2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A599-A599
Author(s):  
C ARNOLD ◽  
A GOEL ◽  
J CARETHERS ◽  
L WASSERMAN ◽  
C COMPTON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Reliable Determination

Colorimetric Determination of Fluoride in Drinking Groundwater using a Polymeric Zirconium Complex of 5-(2-Carboxyphenylazo)-8-Hydroxyquinoline

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 460-465
Author(s):  
Sameer Amereih ◽  
Zaher Barghouthi ◽  
Lamees Majjiad
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Detection Limit ◽  
Complex Formation ◽  
Molar Absorptivity ◽  
Colorimetric Determination ◽  
Zirconium Complex ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
Percentage Recovery ◽  
Quantitation Limit

A sensitive colorimetric determination of fluoride in drinking water has been developed using a polymeric zirconium complex of 5-(2-Carboxyphenylazo)-8-Hydroxyquinoline as fluoride reagents. The method allowed a reliable determination of fluoride in range of (0.0-1.5) mg L-1. The molar absorptivity of the complex formation is 7695 ± 27 L mol-1 cm-1 at 460 nm. The sensitivity, detection limit, quantitation limit, and percentage recovery for 1.0 mg L-1 fluoride for the proposed method were found to be 0.353 ± 0.013 μg mL-1, 0.1 mg L-1, 0.3 mg L-1, and 101.7 ± 4.1, respectively.

METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ERRORS IN MEASURING INSTRUMENTS BY THE SPACE CATALOGUE ORBITS

2018 ◽  
pp. 76-84
Author(s):  
K. V. Sorokin ◽  
E. A. Sunarchina
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Model ◽  
New Method ◽  
Measuring Instruments ◽  
Measuring Instrument ◽  
Software Complex

Improvement of orbits precision is one of the most important tasks of space surveillance catalogue maintenance. The solution of this problem is directly related to an adequate consideration of the errors of the coordinate information from the measuring instruments. The article consideresd a new method for estimating the precision of measuring instruments on the catalog orbits. To carry out such analysis, in PJSC «VIMPEL» special technological program was created. Main results of a study of radar errors with orbits of space surveillance catalogue was presented. Also, the results were compared with data of measuring instrument's calibration software complex. This software complex provides determination of satellite's position with errors less than 10 m. A new dynamic model of measuring instrument errors is proposed.

scholarly journals Fast and Sensitive Determination of the Fungicide Carbendazim in Fruit Juices with an Immunosensor Based on White Light Reflectance Spectroscopy

Biosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Georgios Koukouvinos ◽  
Chrysoula-Evangelia Karachaliou ◽  
Ioannis Raptis ◽  
Panagiota Petrou ◽  
Evangelia Livaniou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Light ◽  
Optical Biosensor ◽  
Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽  
Fruit Juices ◽  
Sample Treatment ◽  
Assay Sensitivity ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
Light Reflectance ◽  
Sensitive Determination

Carbendazim is a systemic benzimidazole-type fungicide with broad-spectrum activity against fungi that undermine food products safety and quality. Despite its effectiveness, carbendazim constitutes a major environmental pollutant, being hazardous to both humans and animals. Therefore, fast and reliable determination of carbendazim levels in water, soil, and food samples is of high importance for both food industry and public health. Herein, an optical biosensor based on white light reflectance spectroscopy (WLRS) for fast and sensitive determination of carbendazim in fruit juices is presented. The transducer is a Si/SiO2 chip functionalized with a benzimidazole conjugate, and determination is based on a competitive immunoassay format. Thus, for the assay, a mixture of an in-house developed rabbit polyclonal anti-carbendazim antibody with the standards or samples is pumped over the chip, followed by biotinylated secondary antibody and streptavidin. The WLRS platform allows for real-time monitoring of biomolecular interactions carried out onto the Si/SiO2 chip by transforming the shift in the reflected interference spectrum caused by the immunoreaction to effective biomolecular adlayer thickness. The sensor is able to detect 20 ng/mL of carbendazim in fruit juices with high accuracy and precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs ≤ 6.9% and ≤9.4%, respectively) in less than 30 min, applying a simple sample treatment that alleviates any “matrix-effect” on the assay results and a 60 min preincubation step for improving assay sensitivity. Excellent analytical characteristics and short analysis time along with its small size render the proposed WLRS immunosensor ideal for future on-the-spot determination of carbendazim in food and environmental samples.

scholarly journals Exploitation of HPLC Analytical Method for Simultaneous Determination of Six Principal Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Oviductus Ranae Based on Quantitative Analysis of Multi-Components by Single-Marker (QAMS)

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Shihan Wang ◽  
Yuanshuai Gan ◽  
Hong Kan ◽  
Xinxin Mao ◽  
Yongsheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Internal Standard ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
External Standard Method ◽  
Single Marker ◽  
Oviductus Ranae

As one of the featured products in northeast China, Oviductus Ranae has been widely used as a nutritious food, which contains a variety of bioactive unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). It is necessary to establish a scientific and reliable determination method of UFA contents in Oviductus Ranae. In this work, six principal UFAs in Oviductus Ranae, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (ARA), linoleic acid (LA) and oleic acid (OA), were identified using UPLC-MS/MS. The UFAs identified in Oviductus Ranae were further separated based on the optimized RP-HPLC conditions. Quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker (QAMS) method was implemented in content determination of EPA, ALA, DHA, ARA and OA, where LA was used as the internal standard. The experiments based on Taguchi design verified the robustness of the QAMS method on different HPLC instruments and chromatographic columns. The QAMS and external standard method (ESM) were used to calculate the UFA content of 15 batches of Oviductus Ranae samples from different regions. The relative error (r < 0.73%) and cosine coefficient showed that the two methods obtained similar contents, and the method validations met the requirements. The results showed that QAMS can comprehensively and effectively control the quality of UFAs in Oviductus Ranae which provides new ideas and solutions for studying the active components in Oviductus Ranae.

scholarly journals Does the manual insertion torque of smartpegs affect the outcome of implant stability quotients (ISQ) during resonance frequency analysis (RFA)?

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Kästel ◽  
Giles de Quincey ◽  
Jörg Neugebauer ◽  
Robert Sader ◽  
Peter Gehrke
Keyword(s):  
Resonance Frequency ◽  
Frequency Analysis ◽  
Insertion Torque ◽  
Resonance Frequency Analysis ◽  
Implant Stability ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
Torque Values ◽  
Finger Pressure

Abstract Background There is disagreement about the optimal torque for tightening smartpegs for resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Subjective finger pressure during hand tightening could affect the reliability of the resulting values. The aim of the current study was therefore to assess whether or not the insertion torque of a smartpeg magnetic device influences the implant stability quotient (ISQ) value during RFA. Methods Thirty self-tapping screw implants (XiVE S, Dentsply Sirona Implants, Bensheim, Germany) with a diameter of 3.8 mm and a length of 11 mm were inserted in three cow ribs with a bone quality of D1. The RFA value of each implant was measured (Ostell, FA W&H Dentalwerk, Bürmoos, Austria) in two orthogonal directions (mesial and buccal) after tightening the corresponding smartpeg type 45 with a mechanically defined value of 5 Ncm (Meg Torq device, Megagen, Daegu, South Korea) (test). Additionally, 4 different examiners measured the RFA after hand tightening the smartpegs, and the results were compared (control). Insertion torque values were determined by measuring the unscrew torque of hand seated smartpegs (Tohnichi Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). Results The ISQ values varied from 2 to 11 Ncm by hand tightening and from 2 to 6 Ncm by machine tightening. The comparison of hand and machine tightening of smartpegs displayed only minor differences in the mean ISQ values with low standard deviations (mesial 79.76 ± 2,11, buccal 77.98 ± 2,) and no statistical difference (mesial p = 0,343 and buccal p = 0,890). Conclusions Manual tightening of smartpeg transducers allows for an objective and reliable determination of ISQ values during RFA.

Validation of two UHPLC-MS/MS methods for fast and reliable determination of quinolone residues in honey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Akyıldız İsmail Emir ◽  
Yetimoğlu Kök Ece ◽  
Raday Sinem ◽  
Acar Sezer ◽  
Erdem Özge
Keyword(s):  
Reliable Determination

scholarly journals Proteomic Determination of Low-Molecular-Weight Glutenin Subunit Composition in Aroona Near-Isogenic Lines and Standard Wheat Cultivars

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7709
Author(s):  
Kyoungwon Cho ◽  
You-Ran Jang ◽  
Sun-Hyung Lim ◽  
Susan B. Altenbach ◽  
Yong Q. Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Allelic Variation ◽  
Reversed Phase ◽  
Glutenin Subunit ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Near Isogenic Lines ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
Isogenic Lines

The low-molecular weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) composition of wheat (Triticum aestivum) flour has important effects on end-use quality. However, assessing the contributions of each LMW-GS to flour quality remains challenging because of the complex LMW-GS composition and allelic variation among wheat cultivars. Therefore, accurate and reliable determination of LMW-GS alleles in germplasm remains an important challenge for wheat breeding. In this study, we used an optimized reversed-phase HPLC method and proteomics approach comprising 2-D gels coupled with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to discriminate individual LMW-GSs corresponding to alleles encoded by the Glu-A3, Glu-B3, and Glu-D3 loci in the ‘Aroona’ cultivar and 12 ‘Aroona’ near-isogenic lines (ARILs), which contain unique LMW-GS alleles in the same genetic background. The LMW-GS separation patterns for ‘Aroona’ and ARILs on chromatograms and 2-D gels were consistent with those from a set of 10 standard wheat cultivars for Glu-3. Furthermore, 12 previously uncharacterized spots in ‘Aroona’ and ARILs were excised from 2-D gels, digested with chymotrypsin, and subjected to MS/MS. We identified their gene haplotypes and created a 2-D gel map of LMW-GS alleles in the germplasm for breeding and screening for desirable LMW-GS alleles for wheat quality improvement.

Bicarbonate and CO2 transport across the skin of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens: effect of PGF2alpha

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (2) ◽  
pp. R640-R647 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. A. Candia ◽  
T. Yorio
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Bicarbonate Transport ◽  
Amphibian Skin ◽  
Acid Base ◽  
Reliable Determination ◽  
Net Flux ◽  
Unidirectional Fluxes

The amphibian skin represents an important organ for osmoregulation and, like the mammalian kidney, maintains acid-base balance by secreting protons or base. However, the lack of a reliable and accurate method to measure the contribution of unidirectional fluxes of HCO3- ions to this mechanism has been an obstacle for the determination of the role of bicarbonate in epithelial acid-base homeostasis. Recently, one of us developed a method that allows for the reliable determination of transepithelial fluxes of bicarbonate, and this method was applied to determine unidirectional fluxes of (14)CO2 and H(14)CO3 under a variety of conditions. We report that the combined CO2 and HCO3- mucosal-to-serosal flux under 5% CO2 was 40% larger than the opposing flux, giving a net flux in the mucosal-to-serosal direction. This net flux was inhibited by acetazolamide. In CO2-free conditions, there was no detectable net flux; however, acetazolamide and PGF(2alpha) attenuated the mucosal-to-serosal flux and established an apparent secretion of HCO3-. A model is presented that depicts twelve vectors or components to the CO2 plus HCO3- fluxes in the frog skin. This model can accurately reproduce the experimental values measured from unidirectional fluxes of CO2 and HCO3- under a variety of conditions and can explain the effects of PGF(2alpha) on unidirectional 14C-labeled fluxes as a consequence of inhibition of H+ secretion to the apical bath, similar to what was previously suggested by our laboratory using a different methodological approach. The present method, utilizing radiolabeled HCO3-, may be useful as a means to evaluate the mechanism of action of hormones and drugs that may regulate acid-base homeostasis by altering proton and bicarbonate transport processes.

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