The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout and a number of work-related factors among nurses working in psychiatric long-stay care settings. Another aim was to investigate the differences between these associations at individual and at group level. Differences were found in the correlations, as well as in the regression analyses, at individual and group level. The correlations between burnout and the independent variables were more often significant at individual level and the explained variances of the regression analyses were much higher at ward than at individual level. Results showed that work environments associated with low levels of burnout were those in which workers had good support and feedback, job clarity, autonomy and low levels of complexity in their work, who had managers with a social leadership style and who had realistic expectations about their patients' potential for rehabilitation. Furthermore, it was found that it was not the individual work experience of the nurse that was important in determining burnout, but the mean work experience of the nursing staff.

No abstract

Little or no information is available on the contribution of individual subterranean nodes to the storage root formation in sweet potatoes. Therefore, two field trials were conducted where apical vine cuttings of various cultivars were planted vertically or horizontally, with three or five nodes beneath the soil surface, and storage root formation was monitored. The same potential for storage root formation existed at the various subterranean nodes provided that the plant material had been cut equidistant from the two nodes. The differentiation of potential storage roots at the basal node was stimulated when vines were cut directly below a node. Only a small percentage of these roots eventually developed into storage roots. The number, length and diameter of the storage roots, as well as the storage root stalk length decreased progressively at the lower nodes. There was no benefit in planting at depths where more than three nodes were below the soil surface. The limited differentiation and development of storage roots at the lower nodes may be ascribed to soil physical factors, although factors such as assimilate partitioning may also play an important role.Daar is 'n gebrek aan inligting oor die bydrae van individuele ondergrondse nodusse tot stoorwortelvorming by patats. Gevolglik is twee veldproewe uitgevoer waar apikale stingelsteggies van verskillende cultivars vertikaal of horisontaal geplant is met 3 of 5 nodusse onder grondvlak, waarna stoorwortelvorming gemonitor is. Die onderskeie ondergrondse nodusse het dieselfde potensiaal vir stoorworteldifferensiasie getoon, mits die plantmateriaal op 'n gelyke afstand tussen twee nodusse gesny word. Waar die plantmateriaal direk onder 'n nodus gesny is, het meer potensiele stoorwortels by hierdie nodus gevorm. Slegs 'n klein persentasie van die potensiele stoorwortels het egter in stoorwortels ontwikkel. Die getal, lengte en deursnee van stoorwortels, asook die lengte van die stoorwortelsteel het progressief afgeneem by dieperliggende nodusse. Dit was geensins voordelig om meer as drie nodusse onder die grondoppervlakte te plant nie. Die beperkte differensiasie en ontwikkeling van stoorwortels by dieperliggende nodusse kan moontlik aan grondfisiese eienskappe toegeskryf word, hoewel ander faktore soos die verdeling van assimilate waarskynlik ook 'n belangrike rol mag speel.

Ipomoea batatas, yield, southern Africa 'Blesbok' sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] was developed by the Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Research Institute (VOPRI) at Roodeplaat near Pretoria. This cultivar combines high yield potential, earliness, wide climatic adaptation in South Africa, good storage quality, and low rate of flesh oxidation. 'Blesbok' compares favorably with 'Bosbok' (Bosch, 1982), a cultivar that accounts for >50% of sweetpotato production in South Africa. Origin'Blesbok,' previously tested as 85-1-2, originated as an open-pollinated seedling of the breeding line 81-27-1204 polycrossed in 1985 to 20 other parental lines selected for appearance, yield, and low oxidation. Breeding line 81-27-1204 originated from seed obtained from the United States in 1981. It has an orange skin and flesh, with almost no oxidation of the flesh, and produced high marketable yields. Description'Blesbok' has green, moderately long, thick vines with a vigorous growth habit. The leaves are green and heart-shaped, but truncated at the leaf base. The storage roots are cylindrical with an attractive purple-red skin and white flesh (Fig. 1) with almost no oxidation. Vine production is similar to that of 'Bosbok' and 'Brondal' (Joubert, 1970) and

Professionals in different branches of the health care sector increasingly advocate a more flexible, individually-tailored type of care. To fit in with this trend, the Job Innovation Model was developed in The Netherlands. This model involves the systematic introduction of a system of personal caregiving. The purpose of the present study, using a pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design, was to evaluate the effects of the implementation of the Job Innovation Model on the work and work perception of direct caregivers in the care of persons with mental retardation. Caregivers in the experimental group were found to have adopted the principles of the Job Innovation Model to a greater extent than their colleagues in the control group, and as a result, the experimental group started to work more methodically and perceived greater clarity in their work. In addition, a trend was observed towards greater job satisfaction among caregivers as a result of the introduction of the new model. No changes were found concerning burnout.