Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: The purpose of this study was to test an interactive educational program for older adults on preventing accidental falls. Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study evaluating the helpfulness of an interactive educational program. English speaking residents were recruited from five independent senior living communities in Arizona. The intervention consisted of a 30-minute interactive PowerPoint presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. Information provided during the presentation focused on information from the CDC and the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence. Participants completed an anonymous questionnaire to rate the helpfulness of the program. The primary dependent variable was overall helpfulness of the educational session. Other variables included: intention of changing future behavior related to preventing falls, whether participants would recommend the program to others, participant perception of gained knowledge, change in fear of falling, and interest in meeting with pharmacist to discuss medications. Categorical data was analyzed by calculating frequencies and percentages and continuous data by calculating means and SDs. A t-test for independent groups was used to compare men and women. Main Results: A total of 93 individuals attended the presentations. Out of 81 completed surveys, 5 did not indicate gender, 7 additional did not indicate age, and 6 were over 89 years of age. Demographic data for the men and women was similar. 90% of participants indicated that the program was either "very helpful" or "moderately helpful". 92% of participants responded “absolutely yes” or “likely” that they would recommend the program. No participants strongly disagreed that they had a better understanding of fall risks or medications that increase fall risk. 87% of participants responded “absolutely yes” or “likely” that they plan to increase daily exercise . 42% of participants said it was “not likely” that they plan to make changes in their living environment. Conclusions: An interactive educational program on fall safety and prevention is helpful for older adults. As one of the most widely accessible health care providers, pharmacists and pharmacy students are well suited to provide patient education and improve outcomes. The results of this study provide preliminary data supporting the usefulness of a patient education program on fall safety prevention administered by pharmacy students.

The Telecommunications industry in Southern Africa is faced with the problem of theft of the signal carrying copper wire, both from the ground and from telephone poles. In many cases, if the offenders are caught, the prosecuting party has no way of proving that the wire is the property of any one Telecommunication company, as any inked markings on the insulating sheaths have been burned off along with the insulation and protective coatings themselves. Through this work we * describe the problem, * specify the necessary and preferred technical properties of a viable solution, * report the preliminary investigations into the devising of an unambiguous "fingerprinting" of the 0.5 mm wires, including some of those solutions that, upon investigation, appear non-viable, * describe the development and implementation of an electrochemical marker with detection mechanism which has shown in proof-of-principle to work, * outline the road-map of necessary future work.

Class of 2015 Abstact / Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe differences in pharmacists' children and personal skin cancer prevention strategies, clinical outcomes, knowledge and to determine if there were differences based on attending pharmacy school in Arizona or other states. The skin cancer prevention behaviours of pharmacists were also compared to the general public. Methods: Pharmacists registered and living in Arizona with an email address with the State Board of Pharmacy were eligible for the study. A questionnaire was developed based on questions from the NHIS survey. The questionnaire was administered by using an electronic, on-line survey form. Results: Graduates of non-Arizona schools were significantly more likely to have completed a CE course on skin cancer prevention than the Arizona group (16% vs. 6%). Both groups were not significantly different in gender and work sites. The knowledge of pharmacists in both groups were very similar (p > 0.1) except for knowledge of photosensitivity for certain drug classes (p = 0.043).Pharmacists were most knowledgeable on risk factors for melanoma (97%) Pharmacists were least knowledgeable on when sunscreen should be applied (20%) responded correctly and the minimum age for using sunscreen in children (26%) responded correctly. Pharmacists were more than twice as likely to use sunscreen as the general population (72% vs. 31%). Conclusions: Pharmacist graduates of non-Arizona schools (Non-Arizona group) used a similar number of skin cancer prevention strategies as graduates of Arizona schools (Arizona group). Sun protective measures utilized by parents for their children were superior to parents' own self-care sun protection measures.

No description available.

M.Phil. (Biokinetics) / As with any other athletic activity, football participation carries an inherent risk for injury. Inadequate rehabilitation and incomplete healing have been identified as some of the key reasons for the high levels of injury in football. The majority of football injuries occur in the lower extremities. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between functional movement patterns and injury in junior football players. South African youth development players (119) participated in the study. This study adopted a quantitative and descriptive research approach. An injury questionnaire (retrospective) was completed and Functional Movement Screening (FMS) was used to assess each participant. The relationship between injuries suffered previously and FMS score was analysed. Kolmogorov-­‐Smirnov and Shapiro-­‐Wilk tests were used to determine normality. A Levene’s test for equality of variances was conducted. Independent sample t-tests were used to test inter-group differences. The confidence level was set at 95% (p≤0.05). The findings reflected that injuries, in this group, were prevalent with 87.3% of the sample having sustained a previous injury. Lower limb injuries were the most prevalent (76%); 58.8% of the lower limb injuries were of a non-contact nature and 41.1% were due to contact. The mean FMS score was 12.9, which, according to previous research, is linked to an increased risk for injury. There was a significant difference in FMS score between players who sustained a lower limb injury, compared to those who suffered an injury to another part of the body (p=0.032). This study found that injury was prevalent in junior football players and that FMS is a useful tool to screen for injury risk. The primary recommendation is for injury prevention strategies to be established in youth development football in South Africa.

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / According to the World Health Organisation (2008), an estimated two billion individuals globally, are infected with Hepatitis B (HBV). South Africa reported 864 notified new cases between 2001 and 2004 (Department Of Health, 2005), with an estimated 3-4 million chronic HBV infected black South Africans (Kew, 2008). Kwa-Zulu Natal and Free State were the most affected provinces; while 20-39 years was the most affected age group as of 2005 (Department Of Health, 2005). Workers in the health industry, intravenous drug users and children of women who have Hepatitis B are at the most risk for contracting this disease from blood products and body fluids (Immunization Action Coalition, 2007; Boon et al., 2006), where contraction of the disease can lead to liver cirrhosis, fibrosis and hepato-cellular carcinoma (Highleyman, 2008). The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) of the South African Department of Health (2009) suggests vaccination for Hepatitis B should be administered at six, ten and fourteen weeks, or a dose every month for 3 months. Adverse reactions associated with the vaccine include “Guillain-Barre Syndrome, arthritis, demyelinating nervous system disease” (Pratt, 2008) and anaphylaxis (Danis & Halm, 1997). Alternatives that may assist in avoiding such symptoms include: waiting until adolescence to vaccinate (Slonim et al., 2005); only vaccinating high risk groups (Francois et al., 2002); or researching an alternative (Romm, 2001). Homeoprophylaxis is the use of homeopathy to prevent the contraction or development of disease (Zoltan, 2000) and its successful use has been recorded in various disease types and locations. There have been very few studies to show the effect of individual homeopathic nosodes used as prophylactic treatment in their related diseases, with almost none of these utilising any means of serological testing (Bevan-Jones, 2009; Frost et al., 2003; Sheffield, 2006). The aim of this study was to determine the production of the antibody to the surface antigen of Hepatitis B (anti-Hbs) due to Hepatitis B 12cH nosode administration.   Forty-three participants ranging, in ages 18 to 65 years, who tested negative for the presence of anti-HBs, took part in this four week long, double-blind, placebo controlled study. Participants were randomly placed into either the Verum or Placebo group, each group receiving four lactose powders to be taken weekly for four weeks. The Active group received lactose powders medicated with Hepatitis B 12cH, whereas the Placebo group received lactose powders medicated with 96% alcohol. Participants underwent a repeat of the serum/plasma antibody testing at the conclusion of the study to determine if there were anti-HBs present in their blood. The results were then statistically analysed using nonparametric testing: Chi-squared independent test, Mann-Whitney test and Sign test. These showed that there was no change measurable effect on the surface antigen of hepatitis B (anti-HBs) of either the Verum (active medication) or Placebo group. Primary preventative medicine is becoming increasingly popular (Kuehlein et al., 2010). Both vaccination and homeoprophylaxis are examples of primary preventative medicine, where the aim is to prevent future disease. Vaccinations encourage the production of antibodies via the activation of T-helper cells and B-lymphocytes, thus providing a template for immunity against future infections (Miller, 2000; Janeway et al., 2001). While the mechanisms of vaccination are well understood, those of homeoprophylaxis are still being investigated. One theory is that nosodes enable the body to overcome diseases. Several studies have been conducted on the effects of nosodes (Bracho et al., Prophylactic vaccination against human papilloma virus infection and disease in women: a systemic review of randomized control trial.; Gosavi et al., 2012; Shuller, 2010) and have shown favourable results in the prevention of diseases associated with those homeopathic nosodes. However, only two studies have investigated the effects that nosodes have on the antibodies of the immune system (Hoover, 2006; Neustaedter, 2002) showing the need for further studies conducted in this area. The study showed that homeopathically prepared Hepatitis B 12cH nosode is not capable of eliciting an immune response that would result in the production of the antibody to the surface antigen of Hepatitis B, and thus not able to provide immunity against Hepatitis B.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Chronic low back pain is a highly prevalent condition in industrialized nations. It is associated with activity limitations, disability, has significant economic impact on society and incurs personal cost. Today's working environment increasingly demands more time spent sitting due to computerization and other advances in technology. Sitting for hours without taking breaks may influence posture, and alignment of the lumbar spine. Therefore, it may influence low back pain. Kenya as a developing country has an increasing number of people involved in sedentary work. The aim of this study was to identify the predisposing factors of chronic low back pain among sedentary office workers in Nairobi. The main objectives were to establish the prevalence of chronc low back pain; to determine the possible predisposing factors of chronic low back pain and to determine the impact of chronic low back pain on work related quality of life among sedentary office workers in Nairobi, Kenya. / South Africa

Vitamin A and its chemical analogues (retinoids) are known to play a role in the maintenance and differentiation of epithelial tissue. Retinoids have been shown to inhibit carcinogenesis in a number of tissues in experimental animals and to inhibit the growth of various untransformed and cancer cell lines in vitro. This study investigated the effect of retinyl acetate supplemented at concentrations of 1 μM, 5 μM, 10 μM and 100 μM to in vitro cultured untransformed LLCMK cells, and transformed BL-6 melanoma and human hepatoma cell lines. A small but non-significant effect of vitamin A addition on the growth of the untransformed cells was observed, while substantial inhibition of proliferation of the two tumour cell lines was found. At the cytotoxic level of 100 μM supplemented vitamin A, all three cell lines showed marked inhibition of growth. This led to an electron microscopy study to examine the ultrastructural effect of the vitamin A addition. At the low non-toxic levels of vitamin A addition (1 - 10 μM), no ultrastructural changes were observed in the untransformed cells. However, at a level of 5 μM and 10 μM vitamin A addition in the tumour cells, an increase in the size of suspected lipid droplets was observed. At the cytotoxic level of 100 μM supplemented vitamin A, large lipid droplets were very apparent, as was much cellular degeneration. This effect was more marked in the tumour cells than in the untransformed cells. The lipid nature of the droplets was confirmed by using the lipid stain, Sudan IV. In order to investigate the effect of added vitamin A at the cell surface level, an ELISA system was used to quantify the level of the cell surface glycoprotein, fibronectin, in the culture media. Vitamin A plays an important role in the production of mature fibronectin by participating in the glycosylation of the molecule. This study showed no major effect of added vitamin A on the release of fibronectin into the culture media. This did not, however, exclude the possibility that the vitamin A was involved in the production and enhanced binding of fibronectin to the cell surface, and was possibly also exerting an effect on the availability of fibronectin receptors. Further studies would, however, be required to substantiate such effects of vitamin A supplementation. No single mechanism of action of vitamin A on tumour cell growth inhibition was identified, but the possibility that at least two mechanisms exist, was suggested

Malaria is one of the most deadly parasitic diseases known to man. Although the number of malaria cases reported each year is decreasing, this disease continues to pose health and economic problems mainly in developing countries. Significant progress has been made in the fight against this disease. This includes the discovery and development of potent antimalarial agents. However, the development of resistance to most of these potent antimalarials has made the development of new antiplasmodial agents of paramount importance. Several promising antiplasmodial agents have been found from the marine environment. Amongst these are the tetraprenylated toluquinols from the brown alga: Sargassum heterophyllum. These metabolites have been reported to exhibit a range of antiplasmodial activity; however, the mechanisms by which these compounds bring about their antiplasmodial activity and the pharmacophoric groups responsible for such activity are unknown. Two species of Sargassum algae were encountered during the course of this project. From the investigation of the geographical and seasonal variation of metabolites of S. heterophyllum and S. elegans we established that there were no significant intra and inter site variations amongst metabolite profiles of both species both within and between the sampled seasons. These results enabled us to establish that the collection of both species from three different sites on the eastern coast of South Africa namely; Kenton on Sea, Port Alfred and Noordhoek in autumn, winter or spring would qualitatively yield the same metabolites. A comparison of metabolite profiles of both species also revealed no qualitative differences between metabolites of S. heterophyllum and S. elegans. The quantities of selected prenylated metabolites extracted from S. heterophyllum using four different extraction techniques was also assessed using qNMR as the method of quantification. This led to the identification of optimal extraction techniques and conditions for the extraction of sargahydroquinoic acid (1.38), sargaquinoic aid (1.39) and sargachromenol (2.10) from S. heterophyllum. From this study, the extraction of algae by soxhlet extraction using EtOH as the extraction solvent led to the extraction of the highest quantities of sargahydroquinoic acid. The potential of other extraction techniques such as microwave assisted extraction, to yield high quantities of the selected metabolites were also identified. With gram quantities of sargahydroquinoic acid (1.38) in hand, this compound was modified by oxidation, reduction, acetylation, methylation and cyclization reactions to yield nine derivatives. The derivatives and four naturally occurring prenylated toluquinols were assessed for antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activity against the FCR-3 Gambian Chloroquine resistant strain of P. falciparum and the MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line respectively. Comparison of antiplasmodial data for all twelve compounds showed that the hydroquinone moeity of sargahydroquinoic acid (1.38) is important for antiplasmodial activity while esterification of the carboxylic acid group in 1.38 resulted in more potent antiplasmodial compounds. Of all twelve compounds, compound 5.2, the hydroquinone methyl ester of 1.38 was found to be the most potent antiplasmodial compound with an IC₅₀ value of 1.94 μM and a selectivity index of 22.68.

Syfte: Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beskriva hur sjuksköterskor genom utbildning kan förebygga uppkomsten av trycksår samt att beskriva de utvalda artiklarnas urvalsmetod. Metod: Studien har en deskriptiv design. Artiklar publicerade mellan årtalen 2007–2017 söktes i databasen Cinahl. Resultatet baseras på 10 artiklar, varav nio hade kvantitativ ansats och en hade kvalitativ ansats. Resultat: De inkluderade studierna visade att utbildning inom omvårdnadsåtgärder, riskbedömningsskalor, tryckavlastande hjälpmedel och dokumentation för sjuksköterskor, reducerar uppkomsten av trycksår. Denna litteraturstudie baseras på tio artiklar där urvalet har granskats. Tre av de tio inkluderade artiklarna hade ett ändamålsenligt urval och tre hade ett randomiserat urval. De andra urvalsmetoderna som användes var systematiskt urval, kluster urval och bekvämlighetsurval. I en av de inkluderade artiklarna framgick inte vilken urvalsmetod som använts. Slutsats: För att minska uppkomsten av trycksår krävs att sjuksköterskan får mer kunskap gällande sambandet mellan trycksår och preventionsarbete.