This research is directed at developing the interplay of experimental and computational methods in the area of biochemical mass spectrometry. The experimental method is that of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The computational methods employed are those of semi-empirical quantum mechanics and molecular modeling.The use of Electrospray Mass Spectrometry was developed to investigate whole proteins and the non-covalent complexes that may be formed with small molecules. This method provides the soft ionization needed to accurately determine a noncovalently bound complex's mass with an error of less than 0.1 %. An original design electrospray ionization source (ESI) and a syringe pump have been built to fulfill the goals of the research. The ESI source design has been published in The Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, (1993, 4, 964-967).In this work the protein selected was cytochrome c and its variants from different species. The small molecules chosen were a broad class of structures known as crown ethers. With the ESI technique the proteins are prepared in an acidic solution that fully protonates the solvent-exposed basic amino acid residues. This provides the protein with many positive charges which makes the analysis by ESI mass spectrometry possible with a single quadrupole instrument, an Extrel ELQ 400. The mass of the protein is divided by the number of positive charges. The small molecules, the crown ethers, were chosen due to their ability to bind ammonium ion and protonated amino groups. This binding is non-covalent, hydrogen bonds stabilize the complex formation. Because this complex is non-covalent in nature the charge of proteins does not change. To aid in the interpretation of our electrospray mass spectra we have originated a new kind of linear plot for use with ESI data. It was found that in using the ESI technique that ion currents representing non-covalent complexes of cytochrome c and crown ethers could be observed in the mass spectra. The measurements of the total ion counts of peaks in the mass spectra allowed binding constants to be calculated. This had not been reported before in the literature.The accurate weight determination and the characteristic charge distribution in the ESI mass spectrum provides data suitable for computer modeling. The nature of the protein's positive charges in ESI had not been well defined. The experimentally determined binding constants allowed comparison to results from computational chemistry and molecular modeling. This result shows that the binding occurs at specific, protonated amino acid residues. The calculations performed yielding the Heats of Formation (OH f) for protonated amino acids complexed with crown ethers indicates that the OH binding of crowns increases from histidine, to arginine, to lysine. The use of a 3D model of cytochrome c from crystallographic data provided in the Brookhaven Protein Database and the SYBYL molecular modeling program allows a structural correlation to be made between the 3D model of the protein and protein/crown ether complex. The stoichiometric ratios of bound crown ether to protein determined from experiment, along with the computational results, have been used to rationalize a protein molecular model that allows predictions to be made about the potential for binding of other small molecules. / Department of Chemistry

The successful combination of form, color, and content prior to the relief construction movement in the 1960's was usually associated with two-dimensional artwork. The problem, then was whether the artist could successfully combine form, color, and content in three-dimensional sculpture pieces.The content of the work described relates to the artist's personal experiences as an underground uranium miner through the medium of relief sculpture. The successful combination of form, color, and content conveyed the artist's mining experiences to a neophyte audience. The visual variety and motif in the work, however, will not be lost on any members of the audience who are also sculptors.The methods used by the artist included textbook research and studio experimentation to produce a series of pieces which would address the successful combination of form, color, and content. The research also included a study of other artists' use of shape and color in the relief sculpture format. The artist's findings were documented in the form of a thesis paper and also eight relief sculpture pieces which employed a combination of wood and paint. The paint was applied to the wood structure using a heavy impasto technique which completely obscures the wood and allows the artist to manipulate both form and color. The texture invites the viewer to explore the surface and shapes without consciously sorting out what materials are used in the construction of the sculpture. / Department of Art

This project has been an exploration into the various techniques of watercolor and their resulting effects through research into the work of past and contemporary watercolorists. The investigation of this background knowledge led to experimentation and later implementation of these techniques in a group of seventeen paintings, reproduced in slide form and then framed. Techniques such as wet-on-wet, splatter and dry-brush were illustrated.Subsequently following was the development of an instruction packet designed for interested watercolor students. The packet consists of the slide of the paintings in which the various techniques are illustrated, a text explaining the "how-to" of the different techniques and their resulting effects, and a tape which can be used in co-ordination with the text.

The creative project was a series of three, mixed media drawings created on multiple layers of transparent plexiglass. The artist designed a frame in which three sheets of plexiglass were contained. This unit portrayed a three-dimensional drawing. The artist then experimented with a variety of mediums to determine which material was best suited for successful rendering on plexiglass. The artist then did a number of sketches to determine what images would best convey the idea of humankind's close connection to the land, air, and sea.The primary accomplishments achieved in this project were the knowledge gained in the experimentation of materials and the ability to create a composition on multiple layers of plexiglass. Through these successes, the artist was able to effectively create a series of three three-dimensional mixed media drawings. / Department of Art

This creative project explored and determined the visual characteristics of drawings and paintings of vegetables. The project consisted of a painting and a drawing of the following vegetables: a potato. a pea and pod, a tomato, a carrot, and an onion. The paintings were done in glazes of oil paint and the drawings in colored pencils. Fundamental to this creative investigation was the control of subject matter, composition and color variables. These variables were controlled in order to understand the way in which the media and techniques differentiated the visual appearance of the drawings and paintings.

Background: Nurses are responsible for the monitoring and assessment of blood pressure in the clinical setting. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that inaccurate measurement technique often leads to the misclassification of large numbers of individuals as hypertensive. The impact of untreated or poorly treated hypertension, due to misclassification of patients, is a major contributor to the overall burden of adult diseases in any population. Accurate measurement of blood pressure relies on knowledge and skill and is considered paramount in the management of cardiovascular risks. There seems to be limited information on the knowledge and skill of nurses in South Africa regarding the correct measurement of BP when using a sphygmomanometer and the auscultatory method. Given South Africa’s primary healthcare philosophy, and the significant role that nurses play in the prevention and treatment of hypertension, it is of importance to investigate nurses’ knowledge and skill of blood pressure measurement. Objectives: (i) to determine nurses’ skill and knowledge in measuring blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and auscultation, and (ii) to determine if there is a correlation between nurses’ skill and knowledge of blood pressure measurement technique. Design and method: This study followed a quantitative, descriptive design with an observational checklist and survey method. In phase one, nurses’ skills of blood pressure measurement using a sphygmomanometer was determined by means of an observation checklist. In phase two, the researcher determined nurses’ knowledge of blood pressure measurement technique by using a standardised set of questions. Finally, the researcher investigated whether there was a correlation between nurses’ knowledge and their skill of blood pressure measurement technique in the mentioned setting. Results: Overall, the mean score for correctly completing the skills on the observational checklist was 87.7%. Nurses’ scored an average of 63.1% for knowledge of blood pressure measurement technique. The relationship between the assessment of skills and performance on the written questionnaire on knowledge was not significant (r=0,062, p=0,5). Conclusions: Although the average scores were 87.7% for skills and 63.1% for knowledge, this study identified deficts in both the knowledge and to a lesser degree, in the skill of nurses to understand and perform blood pressure measurement. Regular updates and carrying readily available documents on the standardized procedure for BP measurement techniques could support the training and correction of nurses’ knowledge and skill in the acute setting. Educational preparation that is more detailed may also greatly contribute to more understanding and knowledge of blood pressure for nurses involved in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular risk. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Background: Nurses are responsible for the monitoring and assessment of blood pressure in the clinical setting. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that inaccurate measurement technique often leads to the misclassification of large numbers of individuals as hypertensive. The impact of untreated or poorly treated hypertension, due to misclassification of patients, is a major contributor to the overall burden of adult diseases in any population. Accurate measurement of blood pressure relies on knowledge and skill and is considered paramount in the management of cardiovascular risks. There seems to be limited information on the knowledge and skill of nurses in South Africa regarding the correct measurement of BP when using a sphygmomanometer and the auscultatory method. Given South Africa’s primary healthcare philosophy, and the significant role that nurses play in the prevention and treatment of hypertension, it is of importance to investigate nurses’ knowledge and skill of blood pressure measurement. Objectives: (i) to determine nurses’ skill and knowledge in measuring blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and auscultation, and (ii) to determine if there is a correlation between nurses’ skill and knowledge of blood pressure measurement technique. Design and method: This study followed a quantitative, descriptive design with an observational checklist and survey method. In phase one, nurses’ skills of blood pressure measurement using a sphygmomanometer was determined by means of an observation checklist. In phase two, the researcher determined nurses’ knowledge of blood pressure measurement technique by using a standardised set of questions. Finally, the researcher investigated whether there was a correlation between nurses’ knowledge and their skill of blood pressure measurement technique in the mentioned setting. Results: Overall, the mean score for correctly completing the skills on the observational checklist was 87.7%. Nurses’ scored an average of 63.1% for knowledge of blood pressure measurement technique. The relationship between the assessment of skills and performance on the written questionnaire on knowledge was not significant (r=0,062, p=0,5). Conclusions: Although the average scores were 87.7% for skills and 63.1% for knowledge, this study identified deficts in both the knowledge and to a lesser degree, in the skill of nurses to understand and perform blood pressure measurement. Regular updates and carrying readily available documents on the standardized procedure for BP measurement techniques could support the training and correction of nurses’ knowledge and skill in the acute setting. Educational preparation that is more detailed may also greatly contribute to more understanding and knowledge of blood pressure for nurses involved in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular risk. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This paper examines the methodology of interrogation in the United States, specifically the usage of the accusatorial Reid technique. Following a description of the Reid technique and its origins, the topic turns to an examination of how the usage of the method results in unacceptably high rates of false confessions and wrongful convictions. The next section discusses the recent increase in discovery and documentation of how often such mistakes occur, as well as the dire consequences which often involve the wrongful imprisonment or even execution of innocents. With the need for reform clearly established, the following sections discuss potential alternatives to the Reid technique as well as potential adjustments that can be made to provide better safeguards against false confessions. The paper then explains how suggested changes have all been empirically shown to reduce the rates of false confessions without compromising the investigative process, and recommends that the rest of the United States follow the example of the few states which have already passed legislation mandating such modifications.

This dissertation analyzes Dryden's dramaturgical use of or reference to song, dance, and music as they contribute to plot, character, and setting in The Wild Gallant, Sir Martin Mar-All, The Tempest, An Evening's Love, Marriage A-la-Mode, The Assignation, The Mistaken Husband, The Kind Keeper, and Amphitryon. An appendix lists all songs printed out in these comedies.

The thesis engages in Choreography and Dance Technique by delineating the concepts and practices that the artistic research project MODUL has generated. A modular method of choreographing is articulated. The MODUL method of choreography starts by making a topographical movement analysis of the context that the work engages with. This analysis results in an identification of the different agencies at work within the context approached. They are considered as Choreographic Agents and as elements of the modular assemblage. The choreographic act then performed consists of a re-articulation of the relations between the different elements. The MODUL method links movement practice and art production as the topographical movement analysis is also applied to, and conceptualised through, the body. In terms of dance technique the MODUL method works with the same topographical movement analysis to explore bodily functionalities as Choreographic Agents. The technique is called Body-Self Attunement and aims at tuning the self, understood as the symbolic body, with the biological body. Body-Self Attunement does not try to unify the symbolic body and the biological body but affirms the gap as generative. The term Generative Choreography is coined in order to emphasise the performative aspect of choreography that is not defined by what it is, but what it does. / <p>QC 20140519</p>