Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disorders characterized by significant challenges in socialization, communication, and behaviour. Unlike many other chronic illnesses, ASD proves to be a difficult disorder for parents to cope with. Nonetheless not many studies have been conducted in the area, particularly focusing on single parents. This study aimed to add to this limited literature by extending the exploration to include experiences of all types of single parents in raising children diagnosed with autism in a South African context, specifically in Pretoria. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from six purposefully sampled mothers, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results revealed that participants were unaware of what the diagnosis of ASD meant for their children, and thus took it upon themselves to research and understand. Some of the challenges that single parents have had to face are the financial implications, behavioural problems as well as stigma. The single parents in this study showed resilience, as they were able to use resources that are available to them. Being a single parent to a child diagnosed with ASD has caused parents to adjust their lives to ensure that their child is given the biggest priority. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

Development of disease in the gastrointestinal tract is predominantly due to oxidative damage, infection and inflammation which if left unresolved lead to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. Functional foods can prevent/reduce the effects of oxidative damage, infection and inflammation. Honey is a well described functional food due to its several bioactivities. However, a functional food needs to be bioavailable and some bioactive molecules found in honey such as methylglyoxal (MGO) and polyphenols have been reported to have reduced activity following digestion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of digestion on the antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of southern Africa honey samples. Manuka (control) and three honey samples from the southern African region, Agricultural Eucalyptus (AE), south eastern Mozambique (SEMh), Western Cape, Fynbos (WC) were subjected to simulated gastroduodenal digestion and the bioactivities of the undigested (UD), gastric digested (GD) and gastroduodenal (GDD) fractions were determined. Total polyphenol content, Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity were determined. Cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) using the human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells and the dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay was also determined. A polyphenol mixture (PP) and a synthetic honey (sugars and polyphenols) were also digested and the antioxidant properties determined. Antibacterial effects against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria were then evaluated using the microbroth dilution, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The contribution of sugars, MGO, H2O2, polyphenols and cationic peptides to antibacterial activity was also evaluated. Cytotoxicity against the mouse fibroblast (L929) cells, inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) formation, inhibition of E. coli induced NO levels in L929 cells and inhibition of LPS induced activation of human platelets was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide assay, sodium nitroprusside assay and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. All honeys had antioxidant activity similar to Manuka honey. With GD the antioxidant properties of all honey fractions was unchanged. Following GDD, antioxidant activity was either unchanged or increased. In contrast, for CAA a strong pro-oxidant effect was observed. Using PP mixtures, findings were that this effect was not due to pH dependent polyphenol degradation associated with an increase in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels, but possibly due to the presence of β-Carotene, which in the presence of O2 forms the carotenoid peroxyl radical. All honeys had MIC’s between 25 – 30% (v/v) against all tested bacteria, with the exception of MANc 6.25% (v/v) against S. aureus and AE 40% (v/v) against B. subtilis. With GD, the antibacterial activity, was unchanged. With GDD the antibacterial activity of MANc was retained. The activity of AE, SEMh and WC was unchanged against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus but was reduced against E. coli and B. subtilis. The MIC of MGO was 0.8 - 1.2 mM against all bacteria while the MIC for H2O2 was 9 mM for all bacteria except B. subtilis (90 mM). Honey sugars did not achieve MIC. Therefore, the activity of AE, SEMh and WC was concluded not to be due to MGO or H2O2 as higher levels than what is present in honey were needed to achieve MIC, but due to sugars in combination with an unidentified component. At honey concentrations that did not lead to cytotoxicity (<3% v/v), NO formation was reduced by 50%, 62%, 63% and 50% for MAN UMF10+, AE, SEMh and WC, respectively. E. coli induced NO formation in L929 cells and platelet activation was inhibited to varying degrees, with AE and SEMh honeys being the most effective. In conclusion, at physiologically relevant levels, the beneficial effects of honey in a gastric environment was the reduction of oxidative damage and inflammation while in a gastroduodenal environment the predominant effect was anti-inflammatory. Keywords: Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, bioactive, digestion, functional food, gastroduodenal, Manuka honey, oxidative damage, polyphenol. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Anatomy / PhD / Unrestricted

South Africa’s post-1994 leadership in multilateral forums and its efforts to be a bridge-builder and norm-entrepreneur in the international arena, have earned it the label of ‘middle power’. The label itself is contentious, as there is no commonly accepted definition of middle powers and there is disagreement about whether the label applies to South Africa. This study contributes to the discourse on a new normative ‘middle’ in the realm of structural power, by using the case of South Africa’s two terms as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2007 - 2008 and 2011 - 2012). The Council represents the most powerful forum of global structural power, and therefore offers a useful and compact arena in which to analyse South Africa’s participation from a middle power perspective. The original contribution of the study is, on the one hand, its approach from a hitherto under-researched global South perspective, and on the other hand its purposeful analytical nexus between theory and practice in international relations. In doing so, the refinement and development of an important theoretical construct – the ‘middle power’ idea as related to the distinct diplomacy of certain emerging powers – is supported by a critical understanding of an actual case of state (South Africa’s) behaviour in the contemporary realm of structural power. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Political Sciences / DPhil / Unrestricted

This dissertation is an ethnographic exploration of gossip and rumour around the fear and distrust that surrounds a local hospital in KwaNdebele that has acquired a reputation as a slagpale (an Afrikaans term for slaughterhouse). Using ethnographic data gathered over an 18 month period, I examine how gossip (ukuhleba) and rumour (amahemuhemu) capture patient voices of discontent with hospital service while also being a means by which patients seek to discipline medical professionals and to warn others about possible abuse when visiting the hospital. The focus on gossip and rumour answers an often neglected question in scholarship, which is how patients respond to the widely reported power that medical professionals exercise over them? Furthermore, having broadly traced the uses of gossip and rumour in resistance to biomedical technologies to the 1800s, this dissertation moves beyond a focus on patient responses to examine the logic underpinning this resistance. To do this I compare three categories of traditional healers in KwaNdebele. I found that gossip and rumours also circulated about traditional healers although unequally among the three types. There is particular suspicion around non-initiating healers called amagedla who are thought to practice outside ancestral structures of control. I read the emphasis on ancestral regulation as a metaphor for communal control and accordingly conclude that biomedicine and its practitioners similarly meet with much resistance particularly because they are far removed and disempowering to what are often semi-literate and illiterate residents. Finally, the dissertation focuses on stories of hospital hauntings and deaths said to be connected with a diminishing traditional practice of ‘fetching’ the spirits of those who die at the hospital and shows that discourses around hospital deaths and burial rites are intimately connected to broader considerations that extend beyond the hospital setting to encompass socio-economic changes and resultant anxieties. These considerations are framed through an idiom of a call for a return to tradition and ultimately express a perceived crisis of social reproduction in post-apartheid KwaNdebele. / Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / UP Postgraduate Merit Bursary / NRF Scarce Skills Master's Scholarship / Anthropology and Archaeology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

Anatomical research of the morphology of the corpus callosum (CC) has provided a baseline for normal development of the CC. Although a large extent of variation amongst individuals has been reported, there are certain asymmetries that are consistently found in the size and shape of the CC on a midsagittal view of the brain. As the CC is the major commissural tract in the brain, it is acceptable to assume that structural variation in the CC may give clues towards the diagnosis of specific diseases. Studies relating alterations in the size and shape of the CC to the diagnosis of disorders have been done in individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (and depression. Thus, knowledge of CC anatomy in association with sex and age related changes can be helpful in providing a baseline for the diagnosis and progression of a specific disease. Morphological changes with regard to sex and age have been the topic of an extensive amount of research. However, there still remains considerable controversy as some studies report significant differences and others report none. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of the anatomy and variations of the corpus callosum morphology in a South African population. A primary data set was compiled using a cadaveric population, and these results were compared to a secondary data set, using a healthy living population. Lastly, the results from both data sets were then compared with a third data set, comprising of a mental disorder population, and results gained from previous studies in order to determine possible diagnoses of certain mental disorders based on CC morphology. In this study, there was no sexual dimorphism observed in the thickness of the genu, splenium and trunk in all three samples. In the cadaver sample there was no difference in the length of the CC. In the mental disorder sample there was no sexual dimorphism in the length of the CC and cerebrum. However, in the cadaver sample there was a significant difference in the length of the cerebrum between the sexes. In the healthy MRI scan there was a statistically significant difference observed in the length of the CC and the length of the cerebrum. It was found that there was no statistically significant difference in the thickness of the genu, trunk, and length of the CC and length of the cerebrum with age in all three samples measured. There was a statistically significant difference observed in the thickness of the splenium in the healthy MRI scan sample in individuals over the age of 60 years of age. This difference was not observed in the cadaver or mental disorder sample. There were no statistically significant differences in the various CC parameters measured in the various mental disorders measured. With the exception of two parameters, no differences in measurements were observed between the cadaver and healthy MRI sample. The two exceptions were the thickness of the trunk and the length of the cerebrum. Therefore, with the exception of the above mentioned cases, measurements between cadavers and living samples can be used interchangeably. Thus, the concerns about shrinkage in cadaver studies are negligible. However, when comparing the cadaver and healthy MRI scan sample with the mental disorder CT scan sample there was a statistically significant difference observed in every CC parameter measured. Thus, there is a rather noticeable difference in the anatomical structure of the CC in individuals suffering from mental disorders. Data on normal CC morphology is under represented in the South African population. Observations of variations from normal CC morphology can be used as an indicator for the possibility of a mental disorder. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Anatomy / MSc / Unrestricted

Pollution is increasing rapidly due to anthropogenic activities and daily contact with metals is a reality. Metals at certain levels can have a negative effect on the health of an individual and can cause alterations in the coagulation system, which may result in cardiovascular system complications. The aim of this project was to investigate the effects of copper, manganese and mercury, alone and in combinations, using an ex vivo model of coagulation by using the haemolysis assay, scanning electron microscopy and thromboelastography®. These metals were chosen as there is an increase in exposure to these metals by the general public, but more specifically individuals living in rural areas, of South Africa due to pollution. The concentrations used were based on the World Health Organisation safety limit for each respective metal; e.g. copper X100 indicates the blood is exposed to a copper level that is 100 times greater than that of the safety limit set out for the metal according to the World Health Organisation. This investigation was conducted at the cell biology laboratory and the Unit of Microscopy and Microanalysis at the University of Pretoria. The various constituents of blood showed different sensitivities to different metal groups. Manganese and mercury showed the highest haemolytic effects at higher concentrations. Synergism was only observed between the double combination groups of manganese and mercury (X100) and manganese and copper (X1000) as well as in the triple combination group (X100). Copper caused haemoglobin precipitation at higher concentrations. At low concentrations copper and copper combinations induced met- and sulfhaemoglobin formation, especially the copper and manganese combination at X10 concentration which increased met- and sulfhaemoglobin by about 5 – 10%. The degree of echinocyte formation was greatest in copper, but the combination of manganese and copper had the greatest impact on erythrocyte morphology. Activation and necrosis of platelets were most evident at the highest mercury concentration. All double metal combinations caused platelet interactions and aggregation. Novel findings indicated that at X1, manganese caused the formation of net-like structures of thin fibres and sticky masses of thick fibres with fused areas. In combination with copper and mercury, a similar effect was observed, however, in the triple combination group a lesser effect was observed. No statistically significant changes were observed in the measured coagulation parameters for thromboelastography®, however, trends were observed compared to the control. These were a decrease in reaction time, a decrease in kinetics, an increase in angle, an increase in maximum amplitude, an increase in maximum rate of thrombus generation, an increase in thrombus generation and either increased or reduced time to maximum rate of thrombus generation. These trends indicate a more hypercoagulable state of blood. All the metals, in their own way, had an effect on the coagulation system, resulting in an increase in the likelihood of thrombosis which will contribute to cardiovascular diseases. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Anatomy / MSc / Unrestricted

The study aims to evaluate the implementation of fraud and anti-corruption strategies and policies with particular reference to the Department of Arts and Culture. The misuse of public funds by greedy individuals is alarming. Allegations of corruption are increasingly implicating to government officials and high ranking officials, which leads to a lack of good governance in the public sector and lack of trust by the ordinary citizens of this county in their leaders and the government systems that are in place. Government has capacitated itself with human resource capital to ensure that service delivery improves and that the country is steered into the right direction both socially and economically. Government has also put in place anti-corruption strategies for the public service that public servants must adhere to in order to ensure that corruption is curbed, but with all the systems and process in place the public service still finds itself having to deal with cases of corruption and misuse of funds. The DAC is a national department and subscribes to the anti-corruption strategies of government. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in the Department of Art and Culture by analysing current fraud prevention strategies and policies. This research study analyses and assesses current methods used to combat corruption in the DAC and systems and methods to monitor corruption in the public service and with the possibility of benchmarking those new approaches for use by the DAC. The study emphasises the roles of employees and senior managers in the DAC and also looks into issues of professionalism and moral behaviour as one of the tools that can assist in curbing the problem of corruption. The research method used in this study to unsure that the objectives of the study are achieved is a qualitative research approach. A desk top method and referring to textbooks, articles and journals was the method that was utilised. The findings of the study proved that even though the DAC is commended for developing and putting in place anti-corruption strategies and policies there are still challenges in terms of implementation. As a result, the study made some recommendations after the numerous arguments with regards to the subject matter were presented. This is done in an effort to ensure that there is effective policy implementation and adherence to the rule of law. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / MPhil / Unrestricted

Background: The implementation of nurse initiation and management of patients on ART in Primary Health setting has increased. This initiative in scaling up, improved patient outcome and improved accessibility to treatment and care. However this large rollout of ART program has created additional workload and challenges for nurses. Objectives: To explore and describe the challenges and experiences of nurses initiating and managing HIV/AIDS infected patients on ART in the Tshwane North sub-district clinics. Methods: In this qualitative study the researcher employed qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design to explore and describe the experiences of nurses initiating and managing human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infected patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART). The population was the NIMART trained nurses actively involved in initiating and managing HIV/AIDS infected patients. A sample of 4 (four) nurses from each of the 4 (four) Tshwane North sub-district clinics were used. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data. Qualitative content analysis procedure was used to analyse data. Findings: Four themes were identified: delayed initiation, interference in taking ART, young people infected and living with HIV infection, and patients already on treatment. The identified themes were discussed and supported with literature. Conclusion: The study highlighted the challenges of nurses initiating and managing HIV infected patients on ART are experiencing. These challenges have negative outcomes on the health of individual patients. Therefore the government came with a strategic plan to put the disease under control. / Dissertation (MCur Nursing Science)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Nursing Science / MCur Nursing Science / Unrestricted

Background Lower back pain (LBP) remains a common ailment among adult populations and a superior cluneal nerve (SCN) entrapment accounts for 10% of reported LBP cases. The diagnostic criteria of SCN entrapment include anaesthesia of the SCN. This entrapment can be caused by bone procurement procedures but tends to happen more spontaneously and particularly to sportsmen. This study aimed to describe the location of all three branches of the SCN as well as to estimate the prevalence of entrapment which causes LBP. Methods The SCN was identified as it pierced the thoracolumbar fascia and crossed over the posterior part of the iliac crest on both sides of 50 adult cadavers. A sliding dial calliper was used to measure the distance from the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) to the SCN and from the midline lumbar spinous processes to the nerve. A total of 400 patient files were used to estimate the prevalence of SCN entrapment in a South African population. Results The branches of the SCN were found to be 72.6 ± 4.2 mm, 76.6 ± 4.4 mm and 79.6 ± 4.4 mm from the PSIS to the medial, intermediate and lateral branches respectively. From the midline to the medial, intermediate and lateral branches – the SCN was found to be 77.9 ± 4.2 mm, 79.6 ± 4.4 mm and 89.5 ± 4.5 mm. It was estimated that the SCN being the cause of LBP to be 28%. Discussion The measurements found in this study correlate with the measurements found in previous studies. However, this study failed to show sex differences and this could be attributed to sampling as well as chance due to human variation. This study estimated the prevalence of an SCN entrapment as a cause of LBP to be 28% compared to previous studies which estimate it to be 10%. The difference seen here can be a consequence of the limitation of this study in that it was conducted in a private practice. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Anatomy / MSc / Unrestricted

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a reactive carbonyl species found in Manuka honey reported to cause advanced glycation end products (AGE) formation. AGE’s increase the risk for hyperglycaemia resulting in neuropathy, arteriosclerosis, retinopathy and Alzheimer’s disease. Phenolic acids such as pyrogallol (PY) are known to trap MGO, lessening the harmful effects of MGO as an AGE precursor. However, MGO is also a very effective antibacterial agent therefore; its trapping could have negative side effects. Manuka honey contains both phenolic acids such as gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CA) as well as MGO and it is unknown whether trapping of MGO by phenolic acids reduces the antioxidant activity of phenolic acids or the antibacterial activity of MGO. Phenolic acids PY, GA and CA were combined with MGO in a 1:1 and 1:2 ratio. The trapping of MGO with polyphenolic acids was determined with Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). Total polyphenolic acids (TPC) was determined with the TPC assay. Antioxidant activity was determined with 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assays. The effect on cell number and viability was determined with crystal violet and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays on Caco-2 and SC-1 cells. Cellular antioxidant activity was determined with Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay. Lastly, antibacterial activity was determined with the turbidity assay on Gram positive B. subtilis and Gram negative E. coli and the ultrastructural morphology of B. subtilis was further investigated with scanning electron microscopy. PY was the only phenolic acid used with trapping ability, forming mono- and di- adducts with MGO reported with the LCMS results, resulting in a decrease in TPC and antioxidant activity measured with the DPPH assay. GA did not show any alteration when combined with MGO at 1:1 and 1:2 ratio in all antioxidant content and activity assays. The antioxidant content of CA in combination with MGO was decreased, although its antioxidant activity (DPPH) was increased at 1:2 ratio. The antioxidant activity measured with the ORAC assay was increased with PY and CA combined with MGO. TEAC assay did not show any changes when phenolic acids were combined with MGO a 1:1 and 1:2 ratio. The cytotoxicity of phenolic acids combined with MGO did not cause a change in cell number or viability of SC-1 and Caco-2 cells. MGO and phenolic acids alone and in combination did no cause oxidative damage (without 2,2'-Azobis(2- amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH). All phenolic acids in combination with MGO retained the ability to reduce AAPH induced oxidative damage. The polyphenolic acids showed minor inhibition of the growth of B. subtilis and E. coli. PY only reduced the antibacterial activity of MGO at a 1:1 combination of B. subtilis. GA and CA did not alter the antibacterial activity of MGO when combined at 1:1 or 1:2 ratio. This study showed that phenolic acids with the ability to trap MGO can be altered by the mono- and di-MGO adduct formation, altering its antioxidant activity and can further alter the antibacterial activity of MGO. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Anatomy / MSc / Unrestricted