Vista University

About: Vista University is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Boron trifluoride & Higher education. The organization has 225 authors who have published 336 publications receiving 3345 citations.

Substantive equality in South African health care: the limits of law.

Abstract: The article considers the scope and limits of law as an instrument for facilitating equitable access to health care in South Africa. The focus is on exploring the extent to which the notion of substantive equality in access to health care services that is implicitly guaranteed by the Constitution and supported by current health care reforms, is realisable for patients seeking treatment. The article highlights the gap between the idea of substantive equality in the Constitution and the resources at the disposal of the health care sector and the country as a whole. It is submitted that though formal equality in access to health care services has been realised, substantive equality is currently unattainable, if it is attainable at all, on account of entrenched structural inequality, general poverty and a high burden of disease.

Methodology of research into the pragmatics of non–native Englishes

Abstract: Navorsing in taalkunde in die algemeen en die sosiolinguistiek in die besonder behoort meer bewus te raak van die huidige debat oor navorsingsmetodologie in die sosiale wetenskappe. 'n Onderskeid w...

Elements of satire in selected works of S.M. Burns-Ncamashe

Abstract: This paper examines the employment of satire in the creative works of S.M. Burns-Ncamashe as this element tends to manifest itself in the said works. It is for the manifestation of this aspect in the literary works of the author that the discussion in this paper is undertaken. In this paper attention will be given to the discussion of satire, its types as well as its significance.

Family Capital and South African Young Adults’ Self-Concept

Abstract: INTRODUCTION In the development of a bioecological model of human development, Bronfenbrenner (1994:1645) and Bronfenbrenner and Ceci (1994) proposed that family learning environments can be conceived of as a set of nested structures "each inside the other like a set of Russian dolls." The proximal or immediate settings (Microsystems) in which parent-child interactions occur and the linkages between those settings (mesosystems), are considered to be embedded in more remote or distal environmental contexts (macrosystems). It is proposed that to explain variations in developmental outcomes it is necessary to understand relationships among distal contexts such as family social status, proximal settings such as parent-child interactions, and measures of those outcomes. Bronfenbrenner and Ceci (1994: 572) claimed: The form, power, content, and directions of the proximal processes affecting development vary systematically as a joint function of the characteristics of the developing person, of the environment - both immediate and more remote - in which the processes are taking place, and the nature of the developmental outcome under consideration. In addition, Ceci et al. (1997: 311) stated that "the efficacy of a proximal process is determined to a large degree by the distal environmental resources.... Proximal processes are the engines that actually drive the outcome but only if the distal resources can be imported into the process to make it effective." In this study the Bronfenbrenner and Ceci framework was adopted to construct and test a family model to examine relationships between family environments and students' selfconcept. We chose self-concept as the outcome measure as there is a growing realization that a positive self-concept is related to students' aspirations, completion of high school, engagement with schooling, and college attendance. The possible relationship between learning environments and the development of self-concept is reflected in the definition by Marsh et al. (1995: 71) that self-concept is "a person's self-perceptions, formed through experience with interpretations of one's environment. The self-perceptions are especially influenced by the evaluations of significant others, reinforcements, and attributions of one's behavior and accomplishments." A Family Model In constructing a family model we used orientations proposed by Coleman (1990, 1997), Darling and Steinberg (1993), and by Downey et al. (1999). Coleman suggested that family influences are separable into components such as human and social capital. Human capital provides parents with the opportunity of creating supportive proximal learning settings and it can be measured by indicators of family socioeconomic status. As Caspi et al. (1998; 427) suggested, "Human capital refers to the resources, qualifications, skills, and knowledge that are available to and acquired by individuals." In contrast, family social capital is defined in terms of the resources that individuals may access through social ties. It is the amount and quality of academicallyoriented interaction between parents and children which provides children with access to parents' human capital. Coleman (1997) suggests that if the human capital possessed by parents is not complemented by strong and positive relations in families then it is irrelevant to children's educational outcomes whether parents have a great deal, or small amount, of human capital. In a further conceptual orientation relating to family capital, Darling and Steinberg (1993) proposed that to understand relations among distal or remote family contexts, family social capital, and students' outcomes it is desirable to examine three aspects of parenting: parenting style, parents' expectations for their children, and the practices parents use to assist children satisfy their expectations. They suggested that "parenting style can best be thought of as a contextual variable that moderates the relationship between specific practices and specific developmental outcomes" (1993: 493). …

Production and physico-chemical properties of surface casts from microchaetid earthworms in central Eastern Cape

Abstract: The study was undertaken to estimate surface cast production by microchaetid earthworms and to compare the physical and chemical properties of the casts with the surrounding non-cast soil. An average of 104 (range 64-132) and 192 (range 182-222) t ha-1 of surface casts were produced at Alice and Dimbaza sites in central Eastern Cape during the period September 1995 to August 1996. The casts had an average height of 6.8 cm and diameter of 5.6 cm and had higher silt and clay (66.2 vs 62.9%) but lower sand (33.8 vs 37.1 %) sized particles than the non-cast surface soil. The casts also had a higher proportion of water stable aggregates > 0.5 mm (76.7 vs 67.2%), mean weight diameter, bulk density (1.55 vs 1.37 Mg m-3) and retained more water than the non-cast soil. Earthworm casts had significantly higher available Bray 1-P, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and Na than the non-cast soil. Levels of organic C and pH were also elevated in earthworm casting compared to surrounding soil. The large amounts of casts that are deposited on the surface can play an important role in modifying the hydraulic properties at the soil surface and help minimise runoff and erosion. Because of the high concentration of nutrients in casts compared to non-cast soil, potential may exist for using the casts to supply plants with nutrients.