Obligations of the employer in sickness and pension insurance Abstract This thesis deals with the individual obligations of the employer in sickness and pension insurance. Sickness and pension insurance are two of the social insurance subsystems. The state does part of its responsibilities in this area through employers, as they have the easiest access to some information. Of course, the state could obtain information from the employees themselves, but this would represent a huge administrative burden on the state and a great logistical problem in how to actually obtain information from the employees. Obligations that an employer must fulfil may be difficult for a small employer who does not want to hire external companies to fulfil its obligations to the state and it can be almost impossible to fulfil all obligations properly. The most well-known obligations of employers, of which (perhaps) all citizen-employees know, are payments into the sickness and pension insurance system in the form of social security contributions. The employer pays the social security contributions for himself and his employees. However, this is certainly not the only obligation of employers. There are many more of obligations and they are regulated in various pieces of legislation. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to present...

Historically African Horsesickness (AHS) outbreaks are rare occurrences in the Western Cape Province. The 2004 outbreak was particularly troubling since it followed only five years after the previous outbreak and even before any cases were reported further inland, which is traditionally the source of infection for the southern (non-endemic) parts of the country. Following confirmation of the diagnosis, control measures were immediately instituted and an epidemiological investigation was initiated. The investigation revealed, inter alia, that serological profiles of case horses were inconsistent. A case was subsequently defined as a horse showing typical symptoms of AHS and from which virus could be isolated. The disease pattern for both the 2004 and 1999 outbreaks can be classified as sporadic epidemics. This type of epidemic pattern is to be expected in a vector borne disease and it is typical in a disease situation where some of the animals are immune. The temporal pattern revealed that the level of immunity in the equine population of the affected area was higher during the 2004 outbreak than during the 1999 outbreak. In addition, it showed a clustering of cases during the initial stages of both the 2004 and 1999 outbreaks. This illustrated the efficacy of the control measures (including movement and vector control), which was instituted immediately after the diagnosis of the first case. The analysis of the spatial pattern during both the 2004 and 1999 outbreaks identified the Eerste-river-valley as a high-risk area for the outbreak of AHS in the surveillance zone. The population pattern during the 2004 outbreak illustrated that the risk of dying of AHS was higher in horses of 5 years and younger (p<0.10). It was shown that vaccination and stabling offers the best protection against the risk of dying as a result of AHS infection in an exposed population (p<0.05). A questionnaire survey was conducted as part of the epidemiological investigation and it revealed that only 12.4% of equine holdings in the affected area practiced vector control, while a high percentage of horses (69.6%) were protected by means of vaccination, which impacts negatively on the purpose of a surveillance zone. The number of Culicoides imicola midges in the area where the outbreak was detected was extremely high, constituting 94.6% of the Culicoides midge population. This is comparable with the 1999 outbreak when 96.0% of the midges collected were identified as C. imicola. However, during a similar survey in 1996, C. imicola comprised only 11.3% of the population (Neville et al. 1988, Venter, G., personal communication 2004). Furthermore, the outbreak was detected even before significant rainfall was recorded in the region and transmission occurred at average minimum temperatures below 15 °C. The virus responsible for the 2004 outbreak was typed as AHS serotype 1, while AHS serotype 7 was identified as the cause of the 1999 outbreak. The source of the infection in the 1999 outbreak was the illegal movement of two horses from the Free State Province in the infected zone into the surveillance zone. Although no absolute proof could be obtained, there is strong evidence that the source of the 2004 outbreak was again the movement of horses, this time from Namibia, accentuating that horse movements constitutes the highest risk to the integrity of the free zone. Since the ability to control an outbreak successfully is directly dependant on rapid detection and given the large number of vaccinated horses as a result of the outbreaks and the AHS movement control policy, amendments to the export policy and legislation are recommended. AHS outbreaks in the control area of South Africa cause substantial financial loss to the horse industry and the controlling authorities. / Dissertation (MSc (Veterinary Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

Magister Curationis - MCur / Background: Absenteeism is a worldwide problem in health care facilities. Absenteeism results in low standard of care and in the dissatisfaction of clients as routine care activities tend to be disrupted due to the shortage of staff. Nurses are perceived to be under continued stress due to increased pressure at the workplace, which results in dissatisfaction, conflicts and absenteeism. Although the topic has been researched, very little information is available about nurse absenteeism in care facilities for intellectually disabled persons. Absenteeism often occurs because of low commitment by the staff members, illnesses, and job dissatisfaction. Nurse absenteeism impacts negatively on the activities of the facilities because the work becomes disorganized and schedules are delayed and patient care may be compromised. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported reasons for absenteeism amongst nurses working in a facility for intellectually disabled persons in the Western Cape. The objectives were to describe the safety and security reasons, physical conditions, and work relations that contributed to absenteeism of nurses in this facility. Research design and method: A quantitative descriptive approach was utilised, using a self-completed questionnaire. Study setting and population: The study was conducted in a facility for intellectually disabled persons in Western Cape. The study population comprised all the permanently employed nurses working in a facility for intellectually disabled persons in the Western Cape in 2017. The population of nurses in this facility was N=191. Ten nurses (3 RNs, 3 ENs and 4 ENAs) who were not part of the actual study, participated in a pilot study, another ten nurses were nurse managers who were not included. Twenty nurses were on leave, therefore the study population for this study was 151 nurses (n=151). All inclusive sampling was used. Data analysis: Data was managed and analysed using SPSS version 24. Data is presented in tables, graphs and charts. Results: The majority of participants 76% reported that the physical environment contributed to their absenteeism. 54.6% of the respondents were concerned about physical injuries that they often sustain whilst caring for their clients. 56.6% of respondents reported that the psychosocial environment was also perceived to be unconducive. Absenteeism was also influenced by the lack of equitable access to training opportunities. Other factors reported included heavy workloads which lead to burnout (62%n=67). Conclusions and recommendations: There is a need for the improvement of the infrastructure in the institution, the introduction of wellness programmes in the workplace and support of nurses to limit burnout. Equitable access to training and opportunities for and career development should be encouraged by nurse managers.

Die durchgeführte Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Phänomen des Präsentismus. Dies ist das Verhalten von Berufstätigen, trotz Vorliegen von Krankheitssymptomen weiter ihrer Arbeitstätigkeit nachzugehen. Mit einem Überblick zum Thema Gesundheit und Krankheit im beruflichen Kontext wird die Grundlage für das Verständnis der Komplexität des Präsentismus und dessen Implikationen für die betriebliche Praxis geschaffen. Hierzu werden zunächst Definitionen und Modelle von Gesundheit und Krankheit vorgestellt und anschließend auf den Prozess des individuellen Umgangs mit Krankheit im Arbeitskontext eingegangen. Des Weiteren wird der betriebliche Umgang mit Krankheit und krankheitsbedingter Abwesenheit thematisiert, um die praktische Bedeutung des Präsentismus herauszustreichen. Im Rahmen dieses Kapitels wird dargestellt, welche gesundheitsbezogenen Kennzahlen im Unternehmen herangezogen werden, wie das betriebliche Gesundheitsmanagement dem Erhalt und der Förderung der Mitarbeitergesundheit dienen soll und inwiefern die alleinige Fokussierung auf krankheitsbedingte Fehlzeiten in diesem Zusammenhang zu kurz greift. Das nächste Kapitel befasst sich mit Definitionen, Operationalisierungen, Modellen und Befunden zum Präsentismus. Problematisiert werden dabei die weitgehend unsystematische und atheoretische sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung zu diesem Phänomen, sowie das zumeist verwendete Messinstrument von Aronsson et al. (2000), bei dem anhand eines Einzelitems die absolute Häufigkeit des Arbeitens trotz Krankheit erhoben wird. Zur Überwindung der mit diesem Messinstrument verknüpften Schwierigkeiten wird eine neue Präsentismus-Skala entwickelt und in drei empirischen Studien eingesetzt und validiert. Im Rahmen dieser Studien werden etablierte Zusammenhänge mit dem Präsentismus repliziert, zudem aber auch zahlreiche neue Aspekte untersucht, die potentielle Einflussfaktoren auf die Entscheidung, trotz Krankheit zu arbeiten, darstellen. Darüber hinaus wird die Bedeutung des Präsentismus für das körperliche und psychische Befinden sowie für die Arbeitszufriedenheit und die krankheitsbedingten Fehltage aufgezeigt. In der ersten Feldstudie mit 268 Angestellten eines Krankhauses werden zunächst die psychometrische Qualität und Konstruktvalidität der neu entwickelten Skala untersucht. Nach Eliminierung eines Items resultiert eine sechs Item umfassende Skala mit eindimensionaler Struktur und sehr guter Reliabilität. Hinweise auf die Konstruktvalidität der Skala liefern die Replikationen der aus bisherigen Studien bekannten Zusammenhänge des Präsentismus mit dem körperlichen Gesundheitszustand und mit der quantitativen Arbeitsbelastung. Beim Vergleich der Korrelationsmuster des bisher eingesetzten Einzelitems von Aronsson et al. (2000) und der Skala mit den Außenkriterien zeigt sich, dass bei der Skala gesundheitliche Einflüsse – wie gewünscht – weniger stark in die Präsentismusausprägung eingehen als bei dem Single-Item-Maß. Im zweiten Teil der Krankenhaus-Studie zeigt sich, dass Präsentismus sowohl mit qualitativen Arbeitsbelastungen (Leistungsdruck, Soziale Belastung und Kooperationsenge) als auch mit einem exzessiv-zwanghaften Arbeitsstil in Beziehung steht. Die Analyse der Prädiktoren des Präsentismus spiegelt den großen Einfluss des körperlichen Gesundheitszustandes wider, weist aber auch auf bedeutsame Einflüsse des Arbeitsstils und der Stressoren hin. Stressorenseitig scheint die quantitative Arbeitsbelastung von besonderer Relevanz zu sein. In Bezug auf die potentiellen Konsequenzen des Präsentismus lassen sich bedeutsame Zusammenhänge mit dem körperlichen und psychischen Gesundheitszustand als auch mit den Burnout-Symptomen der emotionalen Erschöpfung und der Depersonalisation finden. In der Studie zeigt sich zudem, dass Präsentismus den Zusammenhang zwischen den qualitativen Arbeitsbelastungen und den Indikatoren des psychischen Befindens partiell vermittelt. Die zweite Feldstudie mit 722 Beschäftigten eines Energieversorgungsunternehmens beschäftigte sich mit dem Zusammenhang der Stressoren und Ressourcen am Arbeitsplatz mit dem Präsentismus sowie dessen Beziehung zum psychischen Befinden. Erwartungsgemäß zeigt sich, dass Präsentismus stressorenseitig mit dem Zeitdruck bei der Arbeitsausführung, der qualitativen Arbeitsplatzunsicherheit, der Kooperationsenge am Arbeitsplatz sowie dem Work-to-Privacy-Konflikt assoziiert ist. Hinsichtlich der Ressourcen finden sich Zusammenhänge mit der Gesundheitskultur und der sozialen Rückendeckung, nicht aber mit dem Handlungsspielraum bei der Arbeitsausführung. Die regressionsanalytische Prüfung der ausschlaggebenden Prädiktoren des Präsentismus erbringt den Befund, dass sich diese erwartungsgemäß bei Mitarbeitern mit und ohne Führungsverantwortung leicht unterscheiden. Bei beiden Personengruppen erweist sich jedoch die Befürchtung, wertgeschätzte Merkmale der Arbeitstätigkeit zu verlieren (qualitative Arbeitsplatzunsicherheit), als einflussreiche Stressorvariable. Bei den Mitarbeitern geht darüber hinaus der Konflikt zwischen Beruf und Privatleben in die Vorhersage des Präsentismus ein, während bei den Führungskräften v.a. der allgemeine Gesundheitszustand ausschlaggebend ist. Hinweise auf mögliche Konsequenzen des Arbeitens trotz Krankheit liefern die Zusammenhänge des Präsentismus mit den psycho-vegetativen Beschwerden, mit den Stresssymptomen sowie mit der emotionalen Erschöpfung. Diese Befindensparameter können anhand der Skala sogar über Personenmerkmale, Gesundheitsindikatoren, Ressourcen und Stressoren hinaus vorhergesagt werden. Die dritte Studie prüft die Zusammenhänge des Arbeitens trotz Krankheit mit Arbeitsbedingungen und Gesundheitsindikatoren anhand einer Stichprobe von 265 berufstätigen Panelisten aus unterschiedlichen Unternehmen im Längsschnitt. Im Fokus dieser Studie stehen soziale und unternehmensspezifische Einflussfaktoren auf den Präsentismus sowie dessen Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit und Fehlzeiten der Mitarbeiter. Erneut zeigen sich bedeutsame Beziehungen des Präsentismus mit dem betrieblichen Umgang mit Gesundheit. Das Vorhandensein einer Gesundheitskultur sowie die Durchführung gesundheitsförderlicher Maßnahmen im Unternehmen gehen mit einem signifikant geringen Präsentismusniveau bei den Mitarbeitern einher. In Bezug auf die sozialen Aspekte findet sich ein präsentismussenkender Effekt der Unterstützung durch die Kollegen, während ein positives Vorgesetztenverhalten den Präsentismus offenbar nicht reduzieren kann. Im Gegensatz dazu führt ein belastendes Verhalten der Führungskraft zu einer stärkeren Neigung, trotz Krankheit zu arbeiten. Erneut bestätigt sich auch, dass der Zeitdruck bei der Arbeit maßgeblich zum Präsentismus beiträgt. In Einklang mit skandinavischen Studien zeigt sich, dass das Arbeiten trotz Krankheit längsschnittlich sowohl auf den Gesundheitszustand als auch auf die krankheitsbedingten Fehlzeiten negative Auswirkungen hat und damit von großer Relevanz für die betriebliche Prävention ist. Die Arbeit schließt mit einem Resümee zur Güte der neu entwickelten Präsentismus-Skala und führt theoretische Annahmen und empirische Befunde zum Präsentismus zu einem integrativen Wirkmodell zusammen, auf Grundlage dessen weitere Forschungsfragen entwickelt und Handlungsempfehlungen für das betriebliche Gesundheitsmanagement abgeleitet werden.

Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is the cause of equine encephalosis. The disease is similar to mild forms of African horse sickness (AHS) and the two diseases are easily confused. Laboratory identification and serotyping of EEV is based on viral isolation in BHK-21 cells and a viral plaque inhibition neutralization test (Erasmus <i<et al., 1970). These procedures require long durations to confirm results and it was desirable that a rapid diagnostic assay was developed to distinguish EEV from African horse sickness virus (AHSV). A PCR test developed for AHSV (Quan et al., 2008) formed the basis for development of a similar assay for EEV. The aim was to develop and evaluate a real time PCR assay for the detection of EEV in the blood and organs of horses. FastPCR software was used to design primers to amplify and sequence the EEV S7 (VP7) gene. RNA was extracted from EEV tissue culture isolates, representing all seven serotypes, using a MagMaxTM Express Particle Processor and MagMaxTM-96 Total RNA Isolation kits. A one step reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was carried out to amplify the EEV S7 gene using a GeneAmp Gold RNA PCR core kit. Sequence reactions were carried out using a BigDye terminal v3.1 sequencing kit and analyzed with an ABI 3130xl Genetic Analyzer. After sequences alignment using BioEdit software, conserved regions were identified and Primer Express 3.0 software was used to design EEV primers and TaqMan® MGBTM hydrolysis probes for real-time RT-PCR assay. The EEV real-time RT-PCR assay was specific and did not detect AHSV nor bluetongue virus (BTV). The real-time format was selected because of its convenience, sensitivity and ability to produce results rapidly. Validation of the assay is the next step in establishing it as a routine diagnostic assay. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

VP6 is one of the minor structural core proteins of African horsesickness virus. The minor core proteins VP1, VP4 and VP6 are presumed to constitute the dsRNA dependent RNA polymerase transcription complex of the virus. In the Orbivirus prototype bluetongue virus (BTV), VP6 has a helicase activity. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the primary structure and nucleic acid binding function of the inner core protein VP6 of African horsesickness virus (AHSV). To characterize the primary structure of AHSV VP6, VP6 genes of serotypes 3 and 6 were cloned and sequenced. Both genes encode a 369 amino acid polypeptide. A comparison to the VP6 proteins of other Orbiviruses indicated that in all cases the proteins are rich in basic residues and in glycine. The proteins are highly conserved within serogroups but the conservation between serogroups is low. VP6 of AHSV-3 and AHSV-6 have 93.5% identity and 96% similarity in amino acid residues. AHSV-6 VP6 has 27% identical and 46% similar amino acid residues to BTV-10 VP6. Phylogenetic analysis of four orbivirus VP6 genes indicated that AHSV and BTV are most closely related to each other. Motifs characteristic of known helicases were identified by sequence analysis. Glycine rich protein motifs and a N-glycosylation signal were present. No nucleic acid binding motifs identified in other proteins were found in AHSV VP6. To characterize the VP6 protein of AHSV VP6, the genes were expressed using both a baculovirus and a bacterial expression system. Proteins were found to be soluble and the VP6 expressed in insect cells was found to be N-glycosylated. The nucleic acid binding function of AHSV VP6 was investigated. Bacterially expressed VP6 was demonstrated to bind nucleic acids by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Baculovirus expressed VP6 bound double and single-stranded RNA and DNA in nucleic acid overlay protein blot assays. Competition assays indicated that VP6 may have a preference for binding to RNA rather than DNA. Glycosylation was found to play no direct role in nucleic acid binding but the binding is strongly dependent on the NaCl concentration. A series of truncated VP6 peptides were produced to investigate the importance of localized regions in nucleic acid binding. Two partially overlapping peptides were found to bind dsRNA at pH 7.0, while other peptides with the same overlap did not. Binding appeared to be influenced by charge as reflected by the isoelectric points (pI) of the peptides and experiments indicating the effect of pH on the binding activity. However, only peptides containing amino acid residues 190 to 289 showed binding activity. This region corresponded to the region on BTV VP6 that contains two binding domains. It is proposed that the dsRNA binding domain in AHSV VP6 is a sequence of positively charged amino acids constituting a domain that determines the nucleic acid binding characteristics of the peptide. The mechanism of binding of baculovirus expressed VP6 in a nucleic acid overlay protein blot is proposed to be charge related. / Thesis (PhD (Genetics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Genetics / unrestricted

No description available.

Background. In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as an important technology in both commercial and industrial use. This has prompted large investments from large corporations, and some have even shifted their focus toward this new rising technology. With the oncoming of this tech as mainstream, emphasis has been put on the content itself, while the surrounding user experiences of the UIsand the interaction methods in the VR environment have been put aside. Objectives. The objectives of this thesis are to explore different menu systems together with interaction methods while also evaluating their effect of them and the posture of the user on user experience and simulator sickness in VR applications. Data collected could provide good observations for how menus and interaction methods together with posture can be best designed for VR applications. Methods. A VR application with two different menu systems, and two different interaction methods were implemented, and a survey based on the System UsabilityScale (SUS), After-Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ), and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) was created. These questionnaires answer matters relating to user experience and cybersickness and were chosen for their ease of use in addition to being used in similar works. Together these formed the basis for an experiment which was carried out with 20 participants. The study measured the differences in user experience, time taken, and simulator sickness for the different combinations of controls, menus, and postures. Results. Results show that there are significant differences depending on the controls, menu systems, and posture in both user experience and simulator sickness. The study showed that participants reported fewer simulator sickness symptoms when seated and that the overall best control and menu combination was a traditional panel menu together with motion controls. Conclusions. Among the options explored in the study, traditional, top-down, panel menus together with motion controls form the best combination in regard to the user experience in VR applications. A sitting posture provides the overall best environment in VR applications in regard to less severe simulator sickness symptoms

The terms "simulator" and "VR" are typically used to refer to specific types of virtual environments (VEs) which differ in the technology used to display the simulated environment. While simulators and VR devices may offer advantages such as low cost training, numerous studies on the effects to humans of exposure to different VEs indicate that motion sickness-like symptoms are often produced during or after exposure to the simulated environment. These deleterious side effects have the potential to limit the utilization of VE systems if they jeopardize the health and/or safety of the user and create liability issues for the manufacturer. The most widely used method for assessing the adverse symptoms of VE exposure is the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ). The method of scoring the symptoms reported by VE users permits the different sickness symptoms to be clustered into three general types of effects or subscales and the distribution or pattern of the three SSQ subscales provides a profile for a given VE device. In the current research, several different statistical analyses were conducted on the SSQ data obtained from 21 different simulator studies and 16 different VR studies in order to identify an underlying symptom structure (i.e., SSQ profile) or severity difference for various types of VE systems. The results of the research showed statistically significant differences in the SSQ profiles and the overall severity of sickness between simulator and VR systems, which provide evidence that simulator sickness and VR sickness represent distinct forms of motion sickness. Analyses on three types of simulators (i.e., Fixed- and Rotary-Wing flight simulators and Driving simulators) also found significant differences in the sickness profiles as well as the overall severity of sickness within different types of simulator systems. Analyses on three types of VR systems (i.e., HMD, BOOM, and CAVE) revealed that BOOM and CAVE systems have similar sickness profiles, which are different than the HMD system profile. Moreover, the results showed that the overall severity of sickness was greater in HMD systems than in BOOM and CAVE systems. Recommendations for future research included additional psychophysical studies to evaluate the relationship between various engineering characteristics of VE systems and the specific types of sickness symptoms that are produced from exposure to them.

Carbody tilting is today a mature and inexpensive technology allowing higher speeds in curves and thus reduced travel time. The technology is accepted by most train operators, but a limited set of issues still holding back the full potential of tilting trains. The present study identifies and report on these issues in the first of two parts in this thesis. The second part is dedicated to analysis of some of the identified issues. The first part contains Chapters 2 to 5 and the second Chapters 6 to 12 where also the conclusions of the present study are given. Chapters 2 and 3 are related to the tilting train and the interaction between track and vehicle. Cross-wind stability is identified as critical for high-speed tilting trains. Limitation of the permissible speed in curves at high speed may be needed, reducing the benefit of tilting trains at very high speed. Track shift forces can also be safety critical for tilting vehicles at high speed. An improved track standard must be considered for high speed curving. Chapters 4 and 5 cover motion sickness knowledge, which may be important for the competitiveness of tilting trains. However, reduced risk of motion sickness may be contradictory to comfort in a traditional sense, one aspect can not be considered without also considering the other. One pure motion is not the likely cause to the motion sickness experienced in motion trains. A combination of motions is much more provocative and much more likely the cause. It is also likely that head rotations contribute as these may be performed at much higher motion amplitudes than performed by the train. Chapter 6 deals with services suitable for tilting trains. An analysis shows relations between cant deficiency, top speed, tractive performance and running times for a tilting train. About 9% running time may be gained on the Swedish line Stockholm – Gothenburg (457 km) if cant deficiency, top speed and tractive performance are improved compared with existing tilting trains. One interesting conclusion is that a non-tilting very high-speed train (280 km/h) will have longer running times than a tilting train with today’s maximum speed and tractive power. This statement is independent of top speed and tractive power of the non-tilting vehicle. Chapters 7 to 9 describe motion sickness tests made on-track within the EU-funded research project Fast And Comfortable Trains (FACT). An analysis is made showing correlation between vertical acceleration and motion sickness. However, vertical acceleration could not be pointed out as the cause to motion sickness as the correlation between vertical acceleration and several other motions are strong. Chapter 10 reports on design of track geometry. Guidelines for design of track cant are given optimising the counteracting requirements on comfort in non-tilting trains and risk of motion sickness in tilting trains. The guidelines are finally compared with the applied track cant on the Swedish line Stockholm – Gothenburg. Also transition curves and vertical track geometry are shortly discussed. Chapters 11 and 12 discusses the analysis, draws conclusions on the findings and gives proposals of further research within the present area. / QC 20101119