The global human population is expected to exceed 9 billion individuals by 2050, putting greater strain on the natural resources needed to sustain such a population. To feed this many people, some expect agricultural production will have to double and agrochemical use will have to increase anywhere from two- to five-fold relative to the turn of the century. Although industrial agriculture has provided many benefits to society, it has caused declines in biodiversity, both directly (e.g., through conversion of habitat) and indirectly (e.g., through contamination of adjacent natural habitats). Agricultural activity has also been linked to increased prevalence and intensity of trematode infections in wildlife and humans - directly by increasing available aquatic habitat for the snail intermediate hosts of trematode parasites and indirectly by altering the biological composition of aquatic habitats in ways that increase snail density. While the effects of single agrochemical contaminants on aquatic communities and trematode disease risk have been examined, agrochemical pollution typically occurs as mixtures of multiple chemical types in surface waters and the effects of mixtures on aquatic communities have received less attention. Moreover, given the high number of chemicals approved for agricultural use, the number of potential combinations of agrochemicals renders testing all possible combinations implausible. Thus, there is a critical need to develop better risk assessment tools in the face of this complexity. I developed and tested a theoretical framework that posits that the net effects of agrochemical mixtures on aquatic communities can be predicted by integrating knowledge of each functional group's 1) sensitivity to the chemicals (direct effects), 2) reproductive rates (recovery rates), 3) interaction strength with other functional groups (indirect effects), and 4) links to ecosystem properties. I conducted a freshwater mesocosm experiment to quantify community- and ecosystem-level responses to pairwise mixtures of four major agrochemical types (fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide) and single chemical treatments. The responses of biodiversity and ecosystem properties to agrochemicals alone and in mixtures were indeed predictable. Moreover, these results show that community ecology theory holds promise for predicting the effects of contaminant mixtures and offer recommendations on which types of agrochemicals to apply together and separately to reduce their impacts on aquatic ecosystems. I extended this framework to test if the direct effects of pesticides can be predicted by chemical class and/or mode of action. I performed standard toxicity trials on two invertebrate predators of snails (crayfish and giant water bugs) exposed to six insecticides belonging to two chemical classes (organophosphates and pyrethroids) to determine if environmental risk can be generalized to either insecticide class or insecticide exposure. Survival analyses demonstrated that insecticide class accounted for 55.7% and 91.1% of explained variance in crayfish and water bug survival, respectively. Simulated environmental exposures using US EPA software suggested that organophosphate insecticides present relatively low risk (as defined by the US EPA) to both crayfish and water bugs, while pyrethroid insecticides present consistently high risk to crayfish but not to water bugs, where only λ-cyhalothrin produced consistently high-risk exposure scenarios. Thus, risk to non-target organisms is well predicted by pesticide class. Furthermore, identifying insecticides that pose low risk to aquatic macroarthropods might help meet increased demands for food while mitigating against potential negative effects on ecosystem functions. Because evidence from field data and manipulated experiments demonstrated both top-down and bottom-up effects of agrochemical pollution that increased snail densities and trematode infections in wildlife, I conducted an additional agrochemical mixture experiment with freshwater communities containing the snail hosts of schistosomiasis, which has also been linked to agriculture. As expected, top-down and bottom-up effects of insecticide, herbicide, and fertilizer exposure indirectly increased snail densities, individually and as mixtures. Agrochemical exposure and snail density together accounted for 88% of the variation in the density of infected snails. Thus, agrochemical pollution has great potential to increase human exposure to schistosome parasites, and underscores the importance of identifying low-risk alternative pesticides. A subsequent mesocosm experiment with the same six insecticides used previously in laboratory trials confirmed that insecticide exposure indirectly mediates the densities of snail hosts that can transmit schistosomiasis through the direct effects of insecticides on crayfish mortality. Importantly, crayfish mortality in semi-natural mesocosm trials closely matched mortality from controlled laboratory trials. Thus, standard laboratory toxicity tests can be a useful tool for identifying alternative insecticides that might pose lower environmental risks to important predators that regulate snail densities. Identifying practices or agrochemicals that minimize this risk is critical to sustainably improving human health in schistosome-endemic regions. The theoretical framework presented here demonstrates the feasibility of predicting the effects of contaminant mixtures and highlights consistent effects of major agrochemical types (e.g. fertilizers, insecticides, etc.) on freshwater aquatic community composition. Furthermore, the strong top-down effects of invertebrate snail predators highlight that managing for high snail predator densities in might be a particularly effective strategy for reducing the burden of schistosomiasis in tropical countries.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk of anal cancer as a result of anal HPV infection. Routine HPV vaccination is recommended for all MSM up through age 26; however, vaccine uptake among this population is low. The Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IM) was used to identify, describe, and explain psychosocial factors related to HPV vaccine decision-making for young MSM. A sequential mixed-methods approach consisting of semi-structured interviews, a quantitative survey, and a qualitative open-ended survey was used to address the following aims: (1) Determine salient outcome, normative, efficacy, and control beliefs related to HPV-vaccination among young MSM; (2) Identify information needs and trusted sources of information regarding HPV vaccination among young MSM; and (3) Develop and test a structural equation model guided by the Integrated Model of Behavioral Prediction. The purpose and objectives of this research address priorities outlined in the Institute of Medicine's report on health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations. Results highlight the lack of information and knowledge regarding HPV prevention in this population. The majority of respondents had heard of the HPV vaccine but generally perceived it as a women's health issue. Attitudes toward vaccination were generally positive, as was behavioral intention to get vaccinated within the next 12 moths. Salient behavioral beliefs described physical benefits such as lowering risk and promoting overall health. Psychological benefits were described as protecting sex partners and providing peace of mind. There was some concern regarding the risks of vaccination including contracting HPV from the vaccine, not knowing if it would be effective, and potential side effects. Normative influences on decision-making were minimal. Availability, cost, and convenience were among the most salient external control factors. Issues surrounding disclosure of sexual minority status influenced control factors including self-efficacy. Addressing the specific beliefs and concerns expressed by MSM can help to improve the effectiveness of health education interventions promoting vaccination. Empirical findings support the proposed behavioral model of vaccine decision-making.

Cette thèse porte sur la taxonomie des acariens prédateurs de la famille des Phytoseiidae, dont certaines espèces sont utilisées en lutte biologique pour contrôler des acariens ravageurs et quelques petites espèces d’insectes. La taxonomie de ces organismes de petite taille (<500 μm), i.e. identification spécifique et relations entre les taxa, est essentiellement basée sur des caractères morphologiques. Ces caractères parfois difficiles à visualiser, à interpréter (variations intra et inter-taxa, analogies) et en faible nombre rendent l’identification des espèces et la classification actuelle sujette à certaines interrogations ; aucune analyse phylogénétique ne soutient en effet la taxonomie de cette famille. De plus les marqueurs moléculaires développés jusqu’à aujourd’hui ne permettent pas de définir de façon fiable les relations entre les taxa supraspécifiques. Ce travail présente deux objectifs: (i) caractériser via des outils moléculaires l’identité spécifique de deux taxa utiles en lutte biologique et établir des règles de décision moléculaire sur la base de plusieurs concepts analytiques et (ii) déterminer via le développement de nouveaux marqueurs moléculaires les relations supraspécifiques à l’intérieur de la tribu des Euseiini puis au niveau de l’ensemble de la famille. Concernant le diagnostic spécifique, ce travail a montré à travers l’exemple d’Amblyseius swirskii et Phytoseius finitimus l’utilité d’approches intégratives comprenant plusieurs marqueurs, du fait de la forte variation des marqueurs mitochondriaux au niveau intraspécifique. Les valeurs maximales des distances génétiques entre spécimens d’une même espèce (9%, 23% et 2.8 % pour 12S ARNr, CYTB ADN mt et ITSS) ont été établies. Concernant les relations supraspécifiques, des nouveaux marqueurs moléculaires ont été développés. La combinaison de six marqueurs moléculaires (12S ARNr, CYTB ADN mt, COI ADN mt, ITSS, 28S ARNr, HSP90) permet désormais de résoudre les différents rangs taxonomiques à investiguer. L’application de ces marqueurs à la tribu des Euseiini et à l’ensemble de la famille a permis de conclure quant à la validité de certains taxa. Par exemple, ce travail a montré la monophylie des Euseiini et des représentants des sous- tribus considérés. Le genre Iphiseius ne semble en revanche pas valide et inclus dans le genre Euseius. Des analyses morphologiques, biogéographiques et écologiques (plantes-hôtes) réalisées au niveau de l’ensemble de la tribu sur la base d’une compilation bibliographique, ont permis d’émettre des scénarios quant à l’origine ouest gondwanienne de ce taxon sur des plantes de Rosidées et quant à l’évolution de certains caractères morphologiques.Ce travail de thèse ouvre des perspectives d’étude des relations entre les genres de Phytoseiidae du fait des nouveaux marqueurs développés. Les études doivent se poursuivre pour (i) étendre le panel de marqueurs disponibles et surtout (ii) augmenter l’échantillonnage des espèces à inclure dans les analyses en lien avec leurs caractéristiques bioécologiques afin de déterminer comment les relations phylogénétiques peuvent constituer un outil de prédiction de ces caractéristiques utiles à connaître pour la mise en œuvre de la lutte biologique (proies, plantes, nourriture alternative). / This thesis deals with the taxonomy of predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae, that contains several species used in biological control of pest mites and small insects. The taxonomy of these minute organisms (<500 μm), i.e. specific identification and phylogenetic relationships, is essentially based on morphological characters. These characters, which are sometimes difficult to visualize, interpret (variations in intra and inter-taxa, analogies) and in small numbers, make the identification of species and the current classification questionable. No phylogenetic analysis supports the taxonomy of this family. Moreover, the molecular markers developed up to now are not adapted to define reliable relations between supraspecific taxa. This work aims at: (i) characterizing using molecular markers the identity of two species useful in biological control and establishing molecular decision rules based on several analytical concepts and (ii) determining via the development of new markers the supraspecific relations within the Euseiini tribe and then at the level of the whole family. For the specific diagnosis, this work has shown through the example of Amblyseius swirskii and Phytoseius finitimus the usefulness of integrative approaches including several markers, due to the strong variation in mitochondrial markers at the intraspecific level. Maximum genetic distance values between specimens of the same species (9%, 23% and 2.8% for 12S rRNA, CYTB DNA mt and ITSS) were established. Concerning supraspecific relationships, new molecular markers have been developed. The combination of six molecular markers (12S rRNA, CYTB DNA mt, COI DNA mt, ITSS, 28S rRNA, and HSP90) now allows resolving different supraspecific ranks to be investigated. The application of these markers to the tribe Euseiini and to the family shows that certain taxa were valid. For example, this work emphasizes the monophyly of the Euseiini and representatives of the sub-tribes considered. The genus Iphiseius seems to not be valid and is included in the genus Euseius. Morphological, biogeographical and ecological analyses (host plants) carried out at the level of the whole tribe on the basis of a bibliographic compilation, emphasized the West Gondwanaland origin of this taxon on plants of Rosidae and the evolution of certain morphological characters. This thesis opens new insights for studying the relationships between the genera of Phytoseiidae due to the new markers developed. Studies should continue to (i) extend the panel of available markers and (ii) increase the sampling of species to be included in analyses related to their bio-ecological characteristics in order to determine how phylogenetic relationships can predict interesting life traits for biological control implementation (prey, plants, alternative food).

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Philosophiae Doctor in Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, 2017. / Background Cancer is a global concern because it affects and kills millions of people worldwide. In South Africa, patients frequently move between traditional health practitioners and radiation oncologists to seek cure of cancer, yet these health practitioners do not communicate with each other. Consequently, the treatment is often disrupted and imcomplete therefore compromising the survival of patients. The future of the health system in effective treatment of patients with cancer is dependent on health practitioners’ changing fundamentally in their co-operative practice. The aim of this study was to explore the practice of traditional health practitioners in the treatment of patients with cancer in order to describe a viable co-operative practice between them and radiation oncologists and ultimately develop traditional health practitioners as a component in the health system in the treatment of patients with cancer. Methods An exploratory descriptive qualitative study using an interpretive phenomenological approach was employed to collect data from 28 traditional health practitioners and four radiation oncologists in KwaZulu-Natal utilising snowball and stratified purposive samplings for the former and latter, respectively. Semi-structured face-to-face and group interviews were employed to collect primary data from traditional health practitioners and data from the radiation oncologists were collected through face-to-face and email interviews. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. Results It emerged that the referral of patients, in addition to external conditions, individual attributes, trusting attitudes of participants as well as organisational dynamics and philosophy of practice, were the main categories used by participants in their understanding of co-operative practice in KwaZulu-Natal. The patient is the main player in the co-operation between parties, and coordinates the health practitioners’ activities during treatment. Effective co-operative practice is time consuming and requires commitment, co-operation and training of the participants. Conclusion Considering the problems associated with treatment of cancer when patients move freely between the traditional health practitioners and radiation oncologists, resulting in interruptions in treatment, co-operative practice between the two health practitioners is paramount. The development of traditional health practitioners could result in extending their role in the management of cancer and therefore increasing the accessibility of cancer services. It follows that a workable practice between traditional health practitioners and radiation oncologists in the treatment of patients with cancer could be an inclusive health system where the parties work in parallel with the patient being the main actor in the collaboration. There should be a healthy relationship between all those involved in the collaboration in order to facilitate referral of patients between the health practitioners. / D

Advancements in molecular sequencing have revealed unexpected cryptic genetic diversity and contrasting evolutionary histories within genes and between genomes of many organisms; often in disagreement with recognized taxonomy. Incongruent patterns between the mitochondrial and nuclear evolutionary history can have several plausible explanations, but widespread systematic conflict inevitably challenges our conceptions of species boundaries when there is discordance between coevolving and coinherited genomes. It is unknown to what degree mitonuclear conflict drives the process of divergence, or how ubiquitous these patterns are across the tree of life. To understand the evolutionary relevance of intergenomic discordance we must identify the conflicting patterns that exist in natural systems by generating robust estimates of the underlying species history, quantify support for alternative hypotheses of lineage formation, and describe patterns of genetic variation present in robust nuclear genomic datasets. Empirically testing correlations between mitonuclear genomic conflict and reduced gene flow at the organism level will contribute toward a better understanding of lineage boundaries and how intergenomic interactions shape the process of divergence. Mitochondrial introgression has been inferred in many salamander systems with limited perspective from nuclear sequence data. Within dusky salamanders (Desmognathus), these patterns have been observed between morphologically and geographically disparate populations. I sequenced regions throughout the nuclear genome to reconstruct species trees, performed population-level analyses testing concordance between the mitochondrial, nuclear datasets, and nuclear genes with mitochondrial functions with the expectation that coevolutionary interactions among genomes are more likely to manifest in these regions. I also estimated migration rates between populations that may have experienced historical mitochondrial introgression to evaluate phylogeographic patterns. Using these data we definitively reject species models in which genetic boundaries are based solely on mitochondrial data, favoring geographic models instead. Furthermore, analyses soundly reject current taxonomic models based on morphological characteristics, suggesting there is greater lineage diversity than is currently recognized. I also used empirical assays of pre-zygotic reproductive mating behavior within and among populations containing diverse mitochondrial lineages to test metrics of reproductive isolation, and to determine if introgression shapes the evolution of complex traits directly influencing rates of divergence. These results may explain incongruent patterns observed between the mitochondrial and nuclear data as a function of inheritance and population dynamics rather than directly functioning to suppress nuclear gene flow. This research builds upon recent studies suggesting that speciation is a highly complex and often non-bifurcating process in which introgression can have a profound and lasting signature on the nuclear evolutionary history. Mechanisms responsible for divergence with gene flow challenge evolutionary biologists to reevaluate our notions and definitions of species boundaries to accommodate seemingly conflicted genomic patterns within and between genomes.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The present healthcare system in South Africa suffers from a number of serious deficiencies. Whilst orthodox bio-medicine is well established in most first world countries, its total introduction and implementation into all communities within South Africa faces many obstacles. The cost of diagnostic techniques, investigative procedures and pharmaceutical products, the availability of competent medical staff in the non-urban areas, and the lack of acceptance of the philosophy and practice of orthodox bio-medicine in rural regions are but some of the factors which conspire against the general application of this orthodox medical paradigm. Another problem confronting healthcare and medical practice in South Africa, particularly at this stage of our historical development, is the absolute focus on orthodox bio-medicine, often to the detriment of other medical paradigms that also have advantages to offer. Can the integration of another medical paradigm, such as Unani-Tibb, enhance the practice of orthodox bio-medicine in this country?The aim of the thesis was to investigate the possibility of integrating Unani-Tibb with orthodox biomedicine (also termed conventional, Western or allopathic medicine) and assess its potential for improving delivery of an effective, affordable and appropriate healthcare system in South Africa.The research questions which the thesis seeks to answer is whether this integration is possible and whether the delivery of healthcare to the South African population can be enhanced. Changes in the provision of medical education are necessary, and occupy a pivotal role in allowing for this integration. Unani-Tibb is a traditional medical system practiced extensively on the Indian sub-continent and in other parts of the world. At present, however, it is minimally practiced in South Africa. Its primary principle is the energetic promotion of health maintenance behaviour and the prevention of disease, through effective application of dietotherapy, pharmacotherapy and other interventions, as well as the empowerment of the patient towards adopting behavioural changes and lifestyle adaptations. One positive aspect of Unani-Tibb is that it has many features in common with both orthodox biomedicine and African Traditional medicine. These commonalities should allow for greater acceptance by orthodox healthcare professionals, as well as the general population. The first part of the study involved the research and conceptualisation required for the production of a series of customized training modules which introduced the theory and practice of Unani-Tibb. A twelve month part-time training programme based on these modules was subsequently conducted with a number of healthcare professionals presently in active practice and with a background of orthodox medical or nursing healthcare. This outcomes-based training programme included a number of specifically designed training activities, such as case studies, practical exercises and assignments. Appropriate evaluations and assessments were pursued in order to measure performance outcomes and attitudes. Questionnaires for assessing the motivation and satisfaction of the participants were also completed. The second part of the study was in the form of a pilot participant research project, in which the participants applied the information from the integrative programme to a number of chronically ill patients who had previously been treated with standard orthodox bio-medical procedures. The parameters derived for clinical efficacy, cost-benefit and improvement in Quality of Life from Unani-Tibb treatment were then compared to equivalent results obtained by orthodox bio-medicine. In all parameters inspected, the integrative training programme compared favourably to orthodox bio-medical practice. Not only was there an improved clinical efficacy, but the cost-benefit was shown to be superior in most indices measured. The Quality of Life comparison, which assessed the patient and total health status, subjective behaviour and attitude, generally favoured the integrative training programme. The thesis serves to suggest that the integration of Unani-Tibb into orthodox bio-medical training in South Africa is a distinct possibility, and could ultimately allow for treatment which is clinically acceptable, cost-effective and which provides an improved Quality of Life for the population as a whole. I suggest that this pilot study be repeated more extensively, thereby allowing for a more confident and objective assessment. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / English is the most widely spoken language in the world and for this reason it would be of advantage for everyone to learn it. This thesis reports on the language ideologies and attitudes of Francophone learners towards English in the Central Province of Cameroon, a central African country. It offers a critical examination of the different attitudes and motivations of Francophone learners towards English as a third language at secondary schools in the city of Yaoundé. It also presents the most important factors that appear to play a role in shaping their attitudes towards English, a language that many of the respondents appear to find hard to learn. Central to these factors are the prevailing language ideologies in Cameroon. / South Africa

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / There is a high incidence of dropout in the first year of university studies. Some of the main reasons were attributed to adjustment or adaptation difficulties experienced by the new students which impacted on academic achievement. Much of this difficulty relates to the need to find their identity in relation to the new university environment with new rules, peers, and expectations. The acquisition of a sensory integrative (SI) profile could shed light on an element of the student’s identity. However, very little is known about the relationship between the SI profile and academic achievement. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the SI profiles of students and whether there was a relationship between the SI profiles and academic achievement of first year students from the Faculty of the Community and Health Sciences (FCHS) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).The study followed the quantitative research paradigm and was more specifically a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Measurements included a demographic questionnaire to gather socio-demographic data, as well as the Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile questionnaire to determine the SI profiles of the students.These instruments were administered to a sample of 357 registered first year students from the FCHS at UWC. Matriculation academic marks, as well as first year university academic marks were obtained and utilised for analysis. The SPSS statistical package was utilised for descriptive and inferential statistical analyses of the data. The results of the study indicated that the SI profiles of the first year FCHS students were that they responded "similarly to most people" on each of the four sensory quadrants of Dunn's (1997) Model of Sensory Processing. Secondary analyses were implemented by means of a collapsing mechanism to denote more specific results of the SI profiles. This analysis revealed that the students tended to have low thresholds for their neurological and behavioural continua of sensory processing.The inferential analyses that were implemented to determine whether there was a relationship between the SI profiles and academic achievement of the first year students yielded no statistical relationship between those variables. The analyses revealed relationships between the SI profiles and certain socio-demographic factors, such as age, race, and course of study.In conclusion, the research study uncovered the SI profiles of the first year university student sample, relationships between the SI profiles and sociodemographics and disproved a relationship between SI profiles and academic achievement. The study was therefore of value to the professions of occupational therapy and higher education and has opened avenues for further exploration. Furthermore the study has portrayed that occupational therapy tools and SI profiles could have a place in higher education and in relation to student development, teaching and learning. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Vertebrate populations are subjected to novel anthropogenic stressors that are expected to multiply exponentially in the future. Introductions of nonnative species and human-altered hydrology are among these stressors to native species communities. The Rocky Glades, located in Everglades National Park, may serve as a population sink for native species that typically do not survive the altered hydrology of the dry season, and as a source of nonnative species that may be better adapted to chronically stressful conditions. In the seasonally-flooded Everglades, the nonnative African Jewelfish invaded in the 1960s and has since shown rapid range expansion. African Jewelfish are aggressive and territorial, thus they are predicted to be more successful at acquiring space and resources, and may displace native Sunfishes. I monitored assemblages of fish across time in experimental mesocosms and solution holes and quantified survivorship and body condition of both natives and nonnatives. Overall, native Sunfish did poorly while nonnatives had higher survivorship over the course of the dry season. Unexpectedly, no evidence indicated that Jewelfish reduced survival of native Sunfish. I compared aggressive interactions between native Dollar Sunfish and nonnative African Jewelfish in Sunfish populations either sympatric or allopatric with Jewelfish. Sympatric Dollar Sunfish were twice as likely to approach African Jewelfish as allopatric ones. My study suggests native species can survive invasion through behavioral adaptation to nonnative competitors. Characterizing interactions between native and nonnative species and identifying their niche use can assist in understanding the challenges of native species conservation in the face of species invasions.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the current status of the study of Italian in Miami and particularly to identify the motivational factors behind student enrollment in local Italian programs. A qualitative study was carried out based on interviews with the local director of “Società Dante Alighieri” and four students studying Italian in two different settings. Gardner and Lambert’s (1959) concepts of instrumental and integrative motivation and the motivation components identified by Csizér and Dörnyei (2005) provided the conceptual framework for this study. According to the information obtained from the five participants the study of Italian in Miami is mostly linked to integrative motivation and particularly to the motivation components referred by Csizér and Dörnyei as “attitude toward the L2 speakers/community” and “culture interest”. These findings are in line with previous research that linked the study of Italian in the United States to cultural and ethnic factors related to integrative motivation.