1. ABSTRACT Bc. Markéta Pasdiorová The study of bacterial microflora at patients with spontaneous early delivery Diploma thesis Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Healthcare Bioanalytics - Specialist in Laboratory Methods Backround: Premature delivery and premature rupture of membranes have been associated with maternal genital tract infections or with altered vaginal microflora during pregnancy. This work discuses knowledge about vaginal microbiome, premature delivery and analysis options of vaginal microbiome using next-generation sequencing. The aim of the work was to evaluate the composition of the bacterial microflora at patients with spontaneous preterm delivery and compared with each other of vaginal and cervical samples. Methods: The study group consisted of 7 patients with diagnosed spontaneous preterm delivery. Samples were obtained on the basis of cooperation with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of University Hospital Hradec Králové. The evaluation of the vaginal microbiome was performed by pyrosequencing method using Genome Sequencer FLX+. Results: We have observed all typical patterns of the vaginal microflora in the samples tested. The most frequent species were Lactobacillus crispatus/casei and L. iners, which belong to the four most dominant...

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

A dissertation of limited scope submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Recreation and Tourism degree in the Centre for Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, 2008. / The study on die assessment of the development and promotion of a tourism delivery strategy, within the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve and surrounding, was conducted against the background that, in spite of the fact that South Africa is blessed with accessible wildlife, varied and impressive scenery, unspoiled wilderness areas; the country has not yet been able to realise full tourism potential. The failure of South Africa to realise a tourism delivery strategy for the benefit of the community and stakeholders, was a strong motivation for carrying out this research investigation. The subsequent result of this limited contribution is that some tourist destinations attract more tourists while other destinations attract few tourists. Notwithstanding the existence of the democratic government elected in 1994, tourism development in South Africa still focuses on urban areas and areas along scenic natural environments. It is also a serious challenge that the tourism industry is still dominated by the white population sector. The involvement of local indigenous communities in tourism related activities in the study area is almost non-existent. The study therefore, had specific objectives which are the following: (a) To reveal the extent to which the stakeholders are aware of the importance of tourism in the study area. (b) To find out whether the activities and facilities in the study area are adequately provided and are of good quality. (c) To establish the degree to which stakeholders participate in tourism activities in the study area. (d) To determine whether the level of utilisation and patronage of various resource facilities in the study area are of low or high order. (e) To investigate the adequacy and effectiveness of tourism management practices for benefiting the local communities in the study area. (i) To ascertain the adequacy of perceived community benefits coming from tourism activities in the study area. A number of hypotheses directly related to the objectives of the study were postulated. The hypotheses were duly tested in an attempt to uncover the underlying causes of the identified discrepancies in the study area. The testing of the hypotheses was done through the analysis and interpretation of the data collected from the population sectors that are directly or indirectly affected by the study area. There were various findings that emerge and were deduced from the research data analysed. The findings showed that the respondents from the study area: (a) community members are relatively aware of tourism facilities and activities in the study area; (b) the facilities were inadequately provided and thought to be ill-equipped; (c) there was a moderate to fair participation practice in tourism activities, mainly based on race and economics, where Whites and Indians showed a high level of participation; (d) levels of utilisation and patronage of facilities were not of a high order, that is, community members found utilisation to be inadequate in the study area; (e) the tourism management practices in the study area were inadequate and ineffective for benefiting the local communities; and (f) the tourism benefits for the local communities were found to be inadequate in the study area, in other word, community benefits coming from tourism activities are inadequate in the study On the whole, the study conclusively established that there were evidently negative perceptions of provision, participation, utilisation, management practice and community related tourism benefits in the study area. These findings lend themselves to the need for the development and promotion of a tourism delivery strategy at the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. Finally, the research study concluded by providing recommendations, which sought to ameliorate the negative outcomes of the investigation. It was further suggested that the development and promotion of a tourism delivery strategy would depend on mutual co-operation between all stakeholders: the government, the tourists, the nature reserve officials, the private sector tour operators and the local communities.

A dissertation submitted in the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Education Degree in the Department of Social Science Education at the University of Zululand, 2018. / Subject advisors encountered problems that affected curriculum delivery in the intermediate phase of schools in South Africa and other countries. There are factors influencing curriculum delivery in different countries ranging from what happens in and with the government to what takes place and is obtained in the classroom. If challenges or factors influencing curriculum delivery, such as political interference, social, economic, access to technology and environmental factors, are not addressed, this will have detrimental consequences not only to the delivery and implementation of curriculum but also to our education system. Teacher education curriculum, recruitment, training and retaining of teachers, non- professionalization of teachers, poor funding and insufficient ICT access; are the reasons for the challenges faced in the actual delivery of the curriculum. This quantitative research design was conducted in King Cetshwayo District in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province with the aim of finding out what the subject adviser`s perceptions are in curriculum delivery. The sample consisted of educators, SMT`s and subject adviser`s. Data was collected through questionnaires and quantitative research. The study revealed the need for the Department of Education to increase the number of Subject Advisers` with the purpose of educating more educators about the curriculum, through facilitated workshops and other refresher training. The study also divulged the need for the government to improve the existing infrastructures in the schools, in order to motivate educators and members of the school management team in the discharge of their duties.

M. Pharm., Dept. of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / Chronotherapy is a form of therapy where treatment is administered according to a schedule that corresponds to an individual’s biological clock. Research demonstrates that the body’s natural processes follow a 24-hour pattern, or circadian rhythm. In addition, symptoms of disease fluctuate according to this 24-hour pattern. These diseases, termed chronotherapeutic disorders may include amongst other disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and asthma. Common therapy for these disorders involves the use of controlled zero-order release formulations. Here, the same quantity of drug is released over a period of time. Although beneficial, these formulations are not ideal in the treatment of chronotherapeutic disorders. Treatment of these disorders aims to release drug at specific periods, only when it is required, such that therapy coincides with the body’s natural rhythm. Ideally, drug should be released in pulses with two or more pulses released from the dosage form. In this manner, the patient is exposed to drug only when required, reducing the number of dosages, reducing side-effects and ultimately increasing patient compliance. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a Multi-Layered Multi-Disk Tablet (MLMDT) that incorporates two drug-loaded disks enveloped by three polymeric layers. The proposed system, to be used in the treatment of chronotherapeutic disorders, is designed to provide a lag phase and then two pulses of drug release separated by a ‖switch-off‖ phase. During the ―switch-off‖ phase no drug is released from the system. Initially, preliminary screening studies were performed on various polymeric materials to assess their effectiveness to generate the desired drug release profile. Of the numerous polymer combination and ratios, only a few were relevant and were subsequently tested further. From the preliminary studies it was ascertained that the composition of disk 2 was critical in generating the ―switch-off‖ phase separating the two pulses. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN); a computational technique that simulates the thinking process of the human brain was employed for optimization. Results from this technique outlined the polymer combination suitable for the optimized MLMDT. The optimized formulations were subjected to friability, hardness and uniformity of mass analysis as well as swelling, erosion and magnetic resonance imaging techniques to observe and confirm the performance of the MLMDT during dissolution. In addition, textural analysis, computational modeling and temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry techniques were used to elucidate any incompatibilities or complexes formed. In vitro drug release analysis revealed that the MLMDT generated a lag phase followed by two pulses of drug release over the 24 hour period. The two pulses were separated by a ―switch-off‖ phase. To confirm data obtained during preclinical in vitro testing, animal studies were undertaken using the Large White Pig model. Pigs were dosed with conventional products and the optimized MLMDT. Blood samples collected over a 24 hour period were analyzed using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography to determine the drug concentration in blood. Drug concentration analysis from conventional products revealed increasing plasma concentrations up to 2 hours followed by a steady decline in concentration while the developed MLMDT displayed two pulse drug release separated by a ―switch-off‖ phase.

Oral drug delivery is perceived by many as the ideal method of drug delivery due to its versatility, ease and convenience. However, the bioavailability of drugs delivered via the oral route remains questionable. Typically, conventional marketed drug delivery systems release drugs in variable and erratic fashions, causing sub-therapeutic or even toxic doses. As a result, patient compliance is threatened, ultimately affecting the success of the therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, the harsh gastric environment further compromises oral bioavailability due to the presence of a highly acidic environment and proteolytic enzymes. A multi-component, membranous drug delivery system (MMDDS) was thus designed, formulated and evaluated for the site-specific delivery of two (or more) drugs in a prolonged release manner, ultimately easing complicated treatment regimens, and improving patient compliance. The MMDDS essentially comprises of a gastric-targeted and an intestinal-targeted component, each containing a protective coat, a drug-loaded layer incorporating the respective drugs, and a pH-responsive mucoadhesive layer for site-specific mucoadhesion. The MMDDS employs a combination of controlled and targeted drug release mechanisms, in addition to gastro-retentive or intestinal retentive mechanisms. Furthermore, the system physically protects the drug delivery system from acidic or proteolytic degradation within the human gastro-intestinal tract. The present study employed the use of pH-dependant mucoadhesion for site-specific, segregated and gastroretentive drug delivery while crosslinking was employed for rate-modulated drug delivery. Rifampicin and isoniazid were selected as the model drugs in this study as they are known for interacting when administered simultaneously (detrimentally affecting the bioavailability of rifampicin). Notwithstanding this interaction, rifampicin and isoniazid must be taken concurrently for successful TB therapy. Therefore these drugs would benefit from the site-specific drug delivery offered by the MMDDS. The primary aim of the pH-responsive mucoadhesive layer was to ensure prolonged adhesion of the MMDDS at a specific site within the human gastro-intestinal tract. The pH-responsive mucoadhesive layer was the fundamental aspect that promoted site-specific and segregated drug delivery. Preliminary in vitro investigations led to the identification of a combination of polymers best suited to develop the respective pHresponsive mucoadhesive layers. A central composite design was employed to determine the optimal ratios of the polymers selected which would impart the largest degree of mucoadhesion within the respective pH ranges. Each mucoadhesive layer was thereafter optimized and subject to various in vitro investigations to determine the effects of the GIT on the properties of the mucoadhesive layer, as well as determine the behaviour of the mucoadhesive layer when subject to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Electrospinning, a versatile technique employed in the fabrication of fibres in the nanometre size range, was employed to develop the drug loaded layer. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibres were thereafter crosslinked employing glutaraldehyde vapours to ensure controlled release of the incorporated drugs. The drug-loaded layer demonstrated good versatility in incorporating vastly different drugs, with only minor adjustments to the fabrication procedure. Furthermore, PVA demonstrated good loading of rifampicin and isoniazid, and near zero-order drug release was achieved after the crosslinking procedure. Prolongation of drug release fundamentally decreases the numbers of doses required to be taken daily, and as such, patient compliance is improved. Furthermore, in vitro analysis revealed that the developed MMDDS behaved superiorly in terms of controlling drug delivery in a site-specific and prolonged fashion in comparison to a marketed gold standard formulation, Rifinah®. These findings were further substantiated by in vivo analysis, which was conducted in a swine model. Results indicated that minimal release of isoniazid was observed in the stomach, based on the plasma concentrations of the drug. Release of isoniazid was initiated only when the intestinal-targeted component entered the intestine of the pig, corresponding to higher plasma concentrations of isoniazid. In this manner, the delivery of isoniazid and rifampicin was segregated, thus improving the oral bioavailability of rifampicin. To summarize, the MMDDS was able to overcome the many challenges associated with oral drug delivery, by easing complicated treatment regimens, and improving the bioavailability of drugs delivered orally. The benefits associated with oral drug delivery have clearly been exploited by the present study, producing a versatile drug delivery “tool” which can successfully be adapted to incorporate any number of drugs (including an entire treatment regimen in one dosage form!) for targeted delivery within the human gastro-intestinal tract in a prolonged manner.

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Interstitial laser photocoagulation (ILP) is a minimally invasive technique for destroying solid, localised tumours thermally by delivering infrared laser energy directly into the targeted volume via percutaneously implanted optical fibres. Using current treatment parameters, each fibre delivers sufficient energy to destroy a volume of one to two cm³; larger lesions may be created by using multiple fibres excited simultaneously. An efficient delivery system has been constructed consisting of several fibres bundled through a single cannula and splayed out through a specially designed tip. This delivery system is simple to use and provides accurate fire placement. By linearly superposing single source solutions to the bioheat transfer equation, a mathematical model for coalescent thermal lesions has been developed. It has been determined that large, clinically useful thermal lesions can be created by implanting four sources at the corners of a square. It has been demonstrated, through 𝘦𝘹 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘰 experimentation in bovine liver, that the model correctly predicts the dimensions of the thermal lesions. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)