Thesis (MTech (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / Initiatives that are directed towards improving power management by a utility provider have to consider technical feasibility, socio-economic and the environment. Patterns of power consumption world over indicate that demand for electricity has over the years been on the rise due to increase in activities that demand usage of electricity. Such activities include construction and property development, development of industries and infrastructure. These activities have strained the power production, whose development does not match the increase in demand. ESKOM, a government authority mandated to generate, transmit and distribute power in South Africa has seen demand surpassing its generation capacity, hence resorting to load shedding actions. Load shedding imposes inconveniences to the consumers who are completely disconnected from the grid, translating to unpredictable periods of darkness. Utility providers have an option of constructing new peaker plants which lie idle most of the day, to take care of high demand during the peak periods, hence, avoid effecting load shedding actions. Various ways of managing load have been presented in this research. In particular, the research investigated possible ways utilities use in managing their capacity with an aim of developing an alternative method and tool for Demand Side Management applications that can be used by energy utility to improve reliability, manage and control consumption of electrical energy through selective shedding of the load connected to the consumer when the demand surpasses the utility's safe capacity.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common and should be reported to the CSM, particularly for newly marketed drugs. There is under-reporting of ADRs by doctors. Involving the patient in self-reporting, particularly when initiated by pharmacists is feasible and could help to improve reporting rates. This study investigated a comprehensive checklist questionnaire listed symptoms in all body systems to facilitate patient self-reporting using both established and new 'black triangle' centrally-acting drugs. Symptoms reported were compared to their documentation in medical notes and for new drugs to reports from other sources. A novel classification system for ADRs was developed to take account of the minimal data available and used to evaluate the potential accuracy of symptom attribution by patients. An external comparison of a sample of symptom classifications by an ADR expert was also obtained. The questionnaire was sent to 464 patients prescribed carbamazepine, sodium valproate, trazodone, doxepin and co-proxamol from three participating medical practices in a pilot study. Subsequently, it was sent to all patients (n=2307) prescribed tramadol, fentanyl patch, venlafaxine, nefazodone, citalopram, moclobemide, gabapentin, lamotrigine and topiramate from 79 participating medical practices in Grampian during January-March 1997. The overall response rates were 44.6% (n=207) for the pilot study and 36.3% (n=837) for the main study. The most frequently reported symptoms were: drowsiness for carbamazepine, unusual tiredness for sodium valproate, constipation for co-proxamol, dry mouth for trazodone, doxepin, tramadol, venlafaxine, nefazodone, moclobemide and citalopram, weight gain for gabapentin, loss of memory for lamotrigine, weight loss for topiramate and constipation for fentanyl patch. Overall only 22.4% (522/2330) of symptoms reported by patients were recorded by GPs in the 310 medical notes accessed. In general, common symptoms were reported more frequently by patients than in CSM reports and PEM data. Patients tended to report minor and known ADRs which bothered them, while CSM and PEM reports received were of more severe ADRs. Respondents were more likely to report symptoms (6040/8630,70%) potentially caused by the study drugs than those not to be caused by the study drugs. Moderate agreement (Kappa = 0.4-0.5) was found between expert and researcher classifications of symptom causality. It is suggested that interpretation by pharmacists of patient self-reporting using the checklist questionnaire could result in much higher ADR reporting rates, in particular for new drugs.

JavaScript is today’s most common client-side programming language for the web. Choosing the most adapted framework for each and every project can optimize the development process and increase profits. Developers often lack knowledge about what to prioritize when choosing a framework and very little previous research regarding this subject area is available. This thesis investigates two JavaScript client-side frameworks and answers the questions of why you should use a framework when developing applications. This thesis also investigates why a company should develop a new framework, when equivalent open-source alternatives are available. To be able to answer the questions interviews with developers were conducted. The results are that using a framework can optimize the development process regarding time and complexity, but learning a new framework can be difficult. In rare cases it is a great idea to develop a new framework for a certain project, but it is often not worth it. Developers also seem to choose experience of using a framework over performance.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Conscious sedation or moderate sedation and analgesia is an effective and popular alternative option for procedures outside the operating theater. If conscious sedation is a viable alternative to general anaesthesia then we as sedation practitioners must use safe sedation techniques in facilities that meet all the requirements for safe practice. Three studies were done to determine the safety and efficacy of conscious sedation outside the operating theatre. In the first study post sedation satisfaction in one hundred children aged 3-9 years was evaluated. It was extremely important to determine whether the combination of midazolam, ketamine and propofol, called an advanced sedation technique (SASA, 2015), can be safely used for paediatric sedation outside the operating theatre. The incidence of side-effects after conscious sedation using multiple drugs were documented. It is clear that intravenous sedation with midazolam, ketamine and propofol is safe and effective to use. There may be side effects but they are not long lasting and usually not life-threatening. In the second study intravenous sedation was administered to 447 adults (aged 18 years and older) using fentanyl (sublimazeR), ketamine (ketalar), midazolam (dormicum) and propofol (Diprivan) (FKMP) called an advanced sedation technique. Post sedation satisfaction, post sedation recovery on arrival home, and the relationship between side effects and different dental procedures were evaluated. The results of the study show that side effects are possible, and can be expected, when we use sedative and analgesic drugs for sedation. However, we report a low incidence of side effects when we compare it with other studies in literature as mentioned. It is known that the use of combinations of drugs may cause unforeseen synergistic pharmacological effects which can be lifethreatening. Our results show that the drugs used can be safely used for advanced sedation techniques. In trying to demonstrate the safety of sedative and analgesic agents used during sedation we looked at the haemodynamic parameters, duration of sedation, pulse rate and systolic blood pressure, in the third study. The sedation records of 335 patients for dental surgery were assessed for the period 2010 – 2011. Our results show the mean Duration of sedation is substantially and statistically significantly greater with combination FKMP than with the other combinations. The mean duration of sedation is not significantly different between ketamine and propofol (KP) and fentanyl, ketamine and propofol (FKP) (Figure 10). The use of polypharmacy regarding the combination of drugs, specifically FKMP, will cause a longer duration of sedation. This has implications for safety, as well as the side effect profile during and after sedation. When we use combinations of drugs patients were more comfortable which shows that we do not yet have a single drug that has all the characteristics of an ideal drug for sedation. Different combinations of drugs are used by other practitioners with a higher incidence of side effects. It is difficult to explain the higher values of blood pressures when all four drugs were used. It may have been a ketamine effect, although one would not expect this when using propofol with ketamine. In clinical terms the higher blood pressures are no reason for concern as all our patients were classified as ASA I and II. Our research study support the view that ketamine can be used safely outside the operating theatre with exciting possibilities for Third World countries for procedures outside the operating theatre. Sedation can be considered a reasonable alternative to general anaesthesia for certain surgical procedures in the Third World. Sedation will be an attractive option not only as far as costs are involved but also the availability of sedation providers. The important lesson from all the results is that sedation providers must be trained in procedural sedation as defined by all international sedation guidelines. We proved in this research study that sedation can be done safely, however we need to make a contribution to train sedation providers. Sedation will become an attractive alternative to general anaesthesia because of the low side-effect profile and high patient satisfaction. It is interesting that few studies are available that looked at this aspect of sedation. It is clear that a high side-effect profile can contribute to an unsafe sedation technique. Severe nausea and vomiting can cause numerous haemodynamic disturbances and dehydration. Our research study support the findings of the study by Lapere et al., (2015) that there is a high rate of patient satisfaction, and a low side-effect profile during and after sedation. This is an extremely important research study and the results are crucial as far as an option for healthcare in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is a densely populated and resource poor subcontinent that provides unique challenges in patient care. These challenges include a lack of facilities and staff for the performance of operative as well as non-operative procedures. In conclusion, we feel that we are part of Sub-Saharan Africa with all the problems mentioned as far as provision of healthcare is concerned. This research study can make a crucial contribution to safe and cost-effective management of healthcare in Africa for procedures outside the operating theatre.

We investigate to which degree one could trace Bitcoin transactions and characterize purchasing behavior of online anonymous marketplaces by exploiting side channels. Using a list of addresses found by the FBI on Silk Road servers, and information on the marketplace's official guides, we infer the role played by each address in the list and classify them based on heuristics. We then attempt to trace Bitcoin transactions and show that the anonymity set size is greatly reduced using product review data and the address classification performed on the previous step. Finally, using clustering techniques based on transaction graph analysis, we assign addresses into user wallets, then group these wallets together based on spending patterns, to be able to characterize purchasing behavior.

In this thesis I describe state directed transformation through urban regeneration policy in the context of Moss Side, Manchester in the North West of England. The thesis explores connections between the state project of urban regeneration and the lives of residents’ who were targeted by strategies. The thesis therefore moves from economic and political contexts that informed the policies of urban regeneration to how they were implemented and by whom, and then into the personal lives of residents in order to demonstrate connections between these. The latter half of the thesis focuses particularly on residents who were associated with the gang “GCG” who were often the targets of regeneration strategies. The thesis deals with a variety of themes: global cities, governance, constructing race, recognition politics, localities, simulations and violence. These are grounded in detailed ethnography describing Moss Side through residents lives which transformed as a result of regeneration policy. The thesis argues that urban regeneration strategies do not (as is often argued by regeneration practitioners) relieve the difficulties existing residents experience and yet often have far reaching consequences. I demonstrate this through a variety of examples: new governing structures, consultation processes, anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), gang members strategies opposing displacement, pirate radio disc jockeys searching for legitimacy, and the threat of sexual violence.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / Despite recent advances in radiotherapy, some tumours have shown to be resistant to treatment and patients still experience long term side effects. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been identified as effective radiosensitizers when employed concurrently with kilovoltage X-rays, which could selectively increase the dose delivered to a patient's tumour. The clinical application of proton radiation has gained renewed attention due to the lower integral body dose of protons compared to traditional X-ray based therapy. While extensive research has been formed on the behaviour of AuNPs in photon beams, limited information is available on the combination of AuNPs and proton radiation. Several questions remain regarding the interaction of protons with the AuNPs and possible dose enhancement effects at different depths along the Spread Out Bragg Peak (SOBP).

MPH / Department of Public Health / South African HIV epidemic remains the largest in the world with an estimated 7.7 million people living with HIV in 2018. It accounts for a third of all new HIV infections in southern Africa. In 2018, there were 240,000 new HIV infections and about 71,000 South Africans died from AIDS-related illnesses. To meet the 90 90 90 targets by the end of 2020, patients are subject to uncompromising and long-term commitments of taking at least 95% of their treatment as prescribed. Evidence shows that patients are not adhering to treatment regardless of the systems that the government has initiated. The purpose of this study was to identify factors contributing to non-adherence levels to antiretroviral therapy amongst adults living with HIV and AIDS in Makhado Municipality. A quantitative, descriptive approach was adopted. Data was collected using a questionnaire with closed ended questions. The targeted population was made up of males and females between the ages of 18 to 59. Validity and reliability were ensured in the study. Pretesting was done in Kulani Gateway clinic and 10 respondents were selected. A sample of 225 respondents was selected from the targeted population using convenience sampling. Data analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0.The analysed data were presented in tables/percentages and charts. The findings revealed that most respondents(80%) who have been on treatment for less than six months adhere more to treatment than respondents who have been on treatment for more than 24 months (57%). The studies also revealed that about 57.9% of respondents forget to take treatment when they have taken alcohol and 42.1% took their treatment even when they have taken alcohol. Side effects were identified as barriers to adherence. The study indicated most respondents (73.3%) experienced side effects especially in the first few months of commencing treatment. and about 26.7% did not report any side effects. In conclusion, Non-adherence to ART poses a major challenge in most regions of the world and in all stages of HIV infection. When patients adhere to treatment the virus will suppress, quality of life will improve and patients will also prevent cross infections. The study revealed factors contributing to nonadherence to ART that includes alcohol intake and side effects. The study also indicates a strong association between waiting times as a factor to improve on adherence. Therefore the study recommends that an intervention to address alcohol intake and side effects should be carried in Makhado Local Municipality. / NRF

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Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biological and medicinal sciences Candidate Karolína Arnošová Consultant doc.MUDr. Josef Herink DrSc. Title of thesis Adverse effects of epilepsy medication in children The aim of this thesis was to determine the most commonly used antiepileptics in children, its adverse effects and to compare these results with the adult epileptology. In the theoretical part there are etiopathogenesis, pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, types of the seizures and epileptic syndromes described. The specifics of epilepsy treatment in children, not only pharmacotherapy, but also non-pharmacological treatment options, were documented as well. In the study there was exact half of patients treated with monotherapy and the other half with combined therapy which is not in line with the original hypothesis that assumed a predominance of monotherapy. The most commonly used antiepileptics in children were valproate (62,5 %), lamotrigine (25 %), topiramate and levetiracetame (both in 18,75 %). The hypothesis assuming a higher incidence of adverse effects in combination therapy has been confirmed. The most common adverse effects in children were the effects on total daily activity, occuring in 83,33 %, even with the mildest score on average....