The use of credit cards has become a way of life in many parts of the world. Credit cards have also created many new opportunities for criminal activity. It is in this light that organizations such as VISA International have explored a variety of security alternatives by constantly reviewing security measures that may be applied to cards and devote considerable resources to the maintenance of security systems and programmes. These programmes mandated by the association, include uniform card standards, security standards for manufactures, embossing and encoding of cards, standards for mailing the cards and credit background investigations of applicants. These standards assist investigators in examining counterfeit cards and distinguish a counterfeit card from a genuine card. The constant reviewing of security features and methods by the association is to create a card that is technically difficult to alter or counterfeit. / Criminology and Security Science / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation)

Thesis (D. Tech. (Biomedical Technology)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2015 / This study reviewed national and international literature to develop an audit-feedback instrument (AFI) to monitor adherence of South African oral health care facilities with compliance to infection prevention and control precautions. In a multi-phased literature search, existing infection prevention and control recommendations, guidelines and audit-feedback instruments were reviewed and broadened to include “dental audit tools”, as well as audit tools from other health care disciplines. Audit-feedback instruments were scrutinised for user friendliness, the use of simple language, electronic calculations and feedback possibilities. A new South African AFI was proposed, considering the differences between public and private oral health care facilities and also the diversity of training levels of oral health care personnel employed. Eleven focus areas supporting all aspects of infection prevention and control in oral health care facilities, including administrative controls; personnel protection controls; environmental- and work controls; surface contamination management; equipment maintenance, service or repair; air- and waterline management; personal protective equipment usage; personal and hand hygiene practices; sterilisation practices; safe sharps handling and waste management were included. The AFI was tested in a sample of 50 oral health care facilities. None of the participating facilities demonstrated 100% compliance. Personal- and hand hygiene practices and waste management performed the best, at respectively 75% and 63%, while administrative controls and air- and waterline management scored the lowest mean values; 31% and 36% respectively The general lack of compliance with infection prevention and control precautions in the participating oral health care facilities clearly poses a safety hazard to both patients and oral health care workers. Results indicate that adherence of South African oral health care facilities with compliance to infection prevention and control precautions need to be improved. The AFI should go a long way towards improving safety and the high expectations about providing quality infection prevention and control outcomes in oral health care.

The concept of sustainability has become imperative for any organisation in order to survive and prosper in the long term. As such, the management of fraud risk has become an important component for organisations in order to achieve this objective. The purpose of this study was to explore the management of fraud risk within the South African private hospital sector. The study endeavoured to ascertain how private hospitals in South Africa manage fraud risk. In this regard, problem areas in the management of fraud risk were identified, and recommendations are provided in order to improve the management of fraud risk in the South African private hospital sector. Primary data was collected by means of survey research, which involved management staff at head office level and at hospital level, as these two groups were identified to have the required expertise and experience with regard to risk management procedures and practices within South African private hospitals. The findings suggested that South African private hospitals could improve their current risk management practices, in particular with regard to fraud risk. By implementing the recommendations provided by the study, private hospitals will be able to manage fraud risk more effectively. These recommendations will not only be beneficial to private hospitals, but will also have a positive effect on numerous external stakeholders, because the effective management of fraud risk could lead to considerable cost savings. The public hospital sector of South Africa would equally find the research findings and recommendations of value because it could also be applied to their fraud risk management practices. / Business Management / MCOM (Business Management)

Submitted in fulfillment of requirements for the Degree of Masters in Technology: Nursing, Durban University of Technology. 2013 / This study investigated the factors that impact on the utilisation of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) service at a wellness centre in a higher education institution. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify factors that impact on the utilisation of VCT service in a higher education institution. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive survey research design was used to describe the phenomenon and to establish relationships between variables. Participants were selected randomly in order to obtain a broad representative sample in three strata. A formal structured close-ended questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire was designed to focus on variables such as demographic data, environmental factors, enabling factors, predisposing and behavioural factors. Findings: No significant relationship was identified between knowledge of HIV, AIDS and VCT and high school attended in rural, township and urban areas. There was no significant relationship between environmental factors and utilisation of VCT. There was no association between predisposing factors such as risk of VCT and perceived benefits of VCT utilisation. There was no relationship between knowledge and consistency of condom use and utilisation of VCT. The majority of respondents stated that the VCT service was not user friendly and the attitude of the staff toward students was poor. There was no significant relationship between accessibility of VCT service and utilisation of VCT. There was a lack of utilisation of campus VCT services and the majority of respondents utilised other services. Conclusion: The study showed that respondents who knew about availability of VCT were likely to have used the facility. Respondents who showed positive / Durban University of Technology

submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctoral Degree in Nursing, faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Globally antenatal care is advocated as the cornerstone for reducing children’s deaths and improving maternal health. The World Health Organization designed and tested a Focussed Antenatal Care model for the developing countries to improve their quality of antenatal care services. South Africa has not successfully implemented this approach, referred to by South Africa as the Basic Antenatal Care approach. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to assess how the Basic Antenatal Care approach was implemented in the eThekwini district. Data were collected from 12 Primary Health Care clinics using observations, retrospective record reviews and semi-structured interviews conducted with pregnant women. The quantitative data was analysed using version 21.0 of the Statistical Package of Social Services and qualitative data was analysed using Tech’s method of data analysis. The Basic Antenatal Care approach was not being successfully implemented in the Primary Health Care clinics. Several aspects of planning, people, processes and performance were not done according to the Basic Antenatal Care Principles of Good Care and Guidelines. Although good communication was observed between the clinic staff members and the referral institutions, communication problems existed between the Primary Health Care clinics and the Emergency Medical Rescue Services and also with the pregnant women. Antenatal care and delivery plans and the midwives’ counter checking of maternity charts were not recorded. Some pregnant women had positive perceptions about the antenatal care services but others had negative perceptions. Recommendations pertaining to institutional management and practice, nursing education and research were made. A tailored practice framework and an implementation guide were developed based on setting and client-specific factors to facilitate the implementation of the Basic Antenatal Care approach. The framework highlights the importance of cooperation between management and administration, in-service education and skills development departments/units and the operational level. Effective implementation of the Basic Antenatal Care approach could help to reduce South Africa’s high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Thus the tailored practice framework and implementation guide, developed as part of this study, could help to improve maternal and neonatal health-related outcomes in South Africa. / D

Thesis (MScMedSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / The efficiency in which HIV-1 can infect, spread and evade the attack of therapeutic agents can be attributed to a high mutation rate and frequent recombination events. These factors have collectively contributed to the diversity observed in HIV-1 and resulted in a multitude of subtypes, sub-subtypes, circulating recombinant forms (CRF’s) and unique recombinant forms (URF’s). The aim of this study was to investigate HIV-1 diversity in Cape Town using a small cohort of treatment naive patients being investigated for HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). Four different genomic domains: gag, pol, accessory and gp41 genes were sequenced to subtype the virus. HIV-1 tat was further investigated because the dicysteine motif has been reported to play a role in HAND. Viral RNA and proviral DNA was extracted from 64 patients and used for the amplification and sequencing of the genes. Rega and jpHMM online tools were used to identify HIV-1 subtypes and recombinants while Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees were constructed for phylogenetic analysis. The pol gene was further investigated using SCUEAL to detect possible intra-subtype recombination and was also screened for the presence of transmitted drug resistance. In addition tat sequence datasets retrieved from the Los Alamos sequence database were investigated and compared with the newly generated sequences for the detection of point mutations and amino acid signature patterns. Sequencing identified most of the samples as subtype C; however six inter-subtype recombinants (AE, A1G, A1CU and two BC) and 9 intra-subtype C recombinants were identified. In addition 13% of pol sequences were identified with resistance mutations. Signature pattern analysis identified a high level of variability in the tat sequences: 68% were identified with C30S31; 29% with the C30C31 mutation and a single sequence with a novel mutation C30A31. Functional analysis of these mutations indicated that all mutations investigated were capable of inducing apoptosis in cell culture. The C30C31 mutation generated the highest level of apoptosis, closely followed by the C30A31 mutation. However no statistical significance could be detected between tat mutations and the observed levels of apoptosis.

Thesis (MMed)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The vast majority of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections in infants and young children occur through mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT), either during pregnancy, labour or delivery or by breastfeeding. Without access to perinatal MTCT (PMTCT) programmes approximately 30% of all babies born annually will be infected with HIV. OBJECTIVES The aim was to implement and audit a quality improvement cycle at the Worcester Obstetric Unit, which comprises of Worcester Hospital, a regional hospital in the Western Cape Province and its level one midwife obstetric Unit (MOU), in order to improve the quality of the PMTCT programme. The intervention included the implementation of easy changes and tools in the Antenatal Clinic, Infectious Diseases Clinic and Labour ward. METHODS The files and antenatal records of all HIV positive patients and patients with an unknown HIV status, who delivered at the Worcester Obstetric Unit during January, February and March of 2010 and 2011, were reviewed. All HIV negative patients and patients that had stillbirths and miscarriages were excluded. The pre-interventional findings of 2010 were compared with the post-interventional findings of 2011. RESULTS At the Worcester Obstetric Unit, for the study time period, there were 907 deliveries in 2010, of which 102 (11.2%) patients were HIV positive and 4 (0.4%) had an unknown HIV status compared to 2011, with 865 deliveries of which 108(12.5%) patients were HIV positive and no patients had an unknown HIV status. Significantly more patients were diagnosed with HIV before they fell pregnant than during pregnancy in the 2011 group, when compared with the 2010 group. A CD4 count was done on 94% of patients who were newly diagnosed with HIV and those with an unknown CD4 count result in the 2010 group, compared to 92% in 2011. There was a significant improvement after the intervention in the time it took from when blood was drawn for a CD4 count until the result was followed up, the median time decreased from 34 to 8 days (p=0.000001). Significantly more patients qualified for highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) after the guidelines were changed and the CD4 cut off was increased to 350 cells/l (p=0.001). Prior the intervention 18 patients did not receive the correct management before delivery due to preventable reasons, compared to one at the MOU. After the intervention this decreased significantly to only one patient at Worcester Hospital and none at the MOU (p=0.000001). Before the intervention adherence to the PMTCT protocol at the MOU was significantly better than at the hospital (p=0.0005) and after the intervention there was no significant difference (p=1.0). CONCLUSION Although the audit and quality improvement cycle was performed at a single hospital, with specific changes geared towards their needs, the basic principles can be applied to any Unit in the country providing a PMTCT service. Educating staff, creating awareness and reminding staff of the basic principles of PMTCT, implementing small changes and streamlining processes and setting specific goals or timelines, can lead to significant improvements in care, which ultimately will lead to a decrease in PMTCT of HIV and HIV related maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die oorgrote meerderheid (>90%) van nuwe Menslike Immuniteitsgebreksvirus (MIV) infeksies in babas en jong kinders vind plaas deur middel van moeder-na-kind-oordrag, hetsy gedurende swangerskap, die kraamproses of borsvoeding. Sonder toegang tot perinatale voorkomingsprogramme (PMTCT) sal ongeveer 30% van alle babas jaarliks met MIV geïnfekteer word. DOELWITTE Die doel van die studie was om ‘n gehalteverbeteringsiklus by die Worcester Verloskunde Eenheid, wat bestaan uit Worcester Hospitaal, 'n streekshospitaal in die Wes-Kaapprovinsie en sy vlak een vroedvrou verlossingseenheid (VVE), te implementer en daarna te oudit, om sodoende die gehalte van die PMTCT-program te verbeter. Die intervensie het bestaan uit die implementering van eenvoudige veranderinge en prosesse in die voorgeboortekliniek, infeksiesiekte-kliniek en kraamsaal. METODES Die lêers en voorgeboorte rekords van alle MIV-positiewe pasiënte en pasiënte met 'n onbekende MIV-status, wat gedurende Januarie, Februarie en Maart van 2010 en 2011 verlos het by die Worcester Verloskunde Eenheid, is nagegaan. Alle MIV-negatiewe pasiënte en pasiënte met doodgebore babas en miskrame is uitgesluit. Die pre-intervensie bevindings van 2010 is vergelyk met die post-intervensie bevindings van 2011. RESULTATE By die Worcester Verloskunde Eenheid was daar 907 geboortes gedurende die studietydperk in 2010, waarvan 102 (11,2%) pasiënte MIV-positief was en 4 (0,4%) met ‘n onbekende MIV-status. In 2011 was daar 865 geboortes waarvan 108 (12,5%) pasiënte MIV-positief was en geen met 'n onbekende MIV-status. In die 2011-groep is beduidend meer pasiënte gediagnoseer met MIV voor as tydens swangerskap. In die 2010-groep is daar 'n CD4-telling gedoen vir 94% van nuut gediagnoseerde pasiënte en diegene met 'n onbekende CD4-telling, in vergelyking met 92% in 2011. Daar was 'n beduidende verbetering na die intervensie in die tyd wat dit geneem het vandat bloed getrek is vir 'n CD4-telling totdat die resultaat opgevolg is. Die mediane tyd het verminder vanaf 34 na 8 dae (p = 0.000001). Nadat die riglyne vir kwalifisering vir hoogs aktiewe antiretrovirale terapie (HAART) verander is na ‘n CD4 telling 350 selle/l het daar beduidend meer pasiënte gekwalifiseer vir HAART. By Worcester Hospitaal het 18 pasiënte voor die intervensie nie die korrekte behandeling intrapartum ontvang nie weens voorkombare redes, in vergelyking met slegs een pasiënt by die VVE. Na die intervensie was daar ‘n beduidende afname na slegs een pasiënt by Worcester Hospitaal en geen by die MOU (p = 0.000001). Voor die intervensie was die korrekte uitvoering van die PMTCT-protokol by die MOU beduidend beter as by die hospitaal (p = 0,0005) en na die intervensie was daar geen beduidende verskil (p = 1.0). GEVOLGTREKKING Alhoewel die oudit en gehalteverbeteringsiklus uitgevoer is by 'n enkele hospitaal, met spesifieke veranderinge gerig tot hul behoeftes, kan die basiese beginsels toegepas word in enige eenheid in die land wat ‘n PMTCT diens verskaf. Opvoeding van personeel en bewusmaking rakende die basiese beginsels van PMTCT, klein veranderinge en die vaartbelyning van prosesse by die voorgeboorte klinieke en die stel van spesifieke doelwitte of tydlyne, kan lei tot aansienlike verbeteringe in pasiënte sorg. Dit sal uiteindelik lei tot 'n afname in die MIV oordrag van moeder na kind, asook MIV-verwante morbiditeit en mortaliteit in moeders en kinders.

Thesis (PhD (School of Public Management and Planning ))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Among the multitude of problems that contemporary South Africa is faced with, is corruption. Corruption in contemporary South Africa has spread to a systemic level, as evidenced through national and international research, official government statements, and the media. The leakage of billions of Rand from government coffers to greedy individuals is alarming. Allegations of corruption are increasingly implicating top government and party officials. Some of government payrolls are invaded by ghost workers; government accounts are charged by over- and under-invoicing, phantom billing and ghost beneficiaries. Resources are diverted and leaked in the process of supply chain activities. Against these, ICTs are not well placed, despite their capabilities to counter administrative corruption. The dissertation focuses on exploring the answers to the following questions in the South African public sector. i. What is corruption and why is it still increasing, despite the availability of ICTs that can effectively assist in tracking and tracing irregularities in the financial system? ii. How sufficiently and effectively are ICTs designed to minimise susceptibility to corruption in financial transactions, HR issues, and the activities (elements) of the supply chain? iii. How cohesive and integrated are the sub-systems and systems in the anticorruption industry (organisationally, nationally and internationally) in order to close the loopholes for corruption? iv. Is there a nationally centralised database system that is used as a frame of reference in administrative decision making? v. What general problems are there in the anti-corruption system? 6 In the effort to move from the conceptual to the empirical level, these problems provide the main stimulus for exploring the status and role of information technologies in the anti-corruption system.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fear appeals are commonly used in the advertising of social issues, such as drunken driving. In general, researchers believe that there is a positive relationship between fear and persuasion (to adapt misbehaviour). However, there are disputes amongst fear appeal researchers about the level of fear appeal to be used. Fear appeals, like other advertising appeals employed in advertising, is dependant on the traits of the target audience. The effect of fear appeals differ for different target audiences as different people fear different matters. This study tests one of the contemporary models on the working of fear appeals, namely activation theory. Young adults are the target audience of social marketing in South Africa for anti-alcohol abuse issues, such as drunken driving. The effect of fear appeals on the target audience has never been empirically investigated in South Africa although social marketers often employ fear appeals to bring about a change in behaviour. The responses of a sample of young adults in South Africa were tested by means of a quasi-experimental design based on Thayer’s activation deactivation checklist as implemented by previous fear appeal researchers. Three television advertisements that depict three levels of fear appeal (low, medium and high) were presented to three sample groups. Significant differences in the responses of the level of fear appeal were observed after statistical analyses in terms of tension arousal, energy arousal, attitude towards the advertisement and intention to engage in drunken driving. A difference in how genders react to fear appeals was also found. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gebruik van vreesaanslae in die advertering van sosiale kwessies soos dronkbestuur is algemeen. Alhoewel navorsers glo dat ’n positiewe verhouding bestaan tussen vrees en oorreding (van ’n persoon om sy gedrag aan te pas), heers daar verskille oor die sterkte van die vreesaanslag wat gebruik moet word. Daar is bevind dat vreesaanslae, net soos ander aanslae wat deur die advertensiewese gebruik word, afhanklik is van die teikengehoor. Vreesaanslae se effek verskil, aangesien verskillende mense en gehore verskillende sake vrees. Hierdie studie toets een van die kontemporêre modelle van die werking van vreesaanslae. Jong volwassenes is die teikengehoor in die sosiale bemarking van anti-alkoholmisbruik kwessies soos dronkbestuur. Alhoewel sosiale bemarkers dikwels vrees aanwend om hierdie teiken gehoor se gedrag te verander, is dit nog nooit empiries in Suid-Afrika getoets nie. Die reaksies van ’n steekproef uit dié teikengehoor is getoets deur ‘n kwasieksperimentele ontwerp geskoei op Thayer se “aktivering deaktivering” kontrolelys, soos geïmplementeer deur vorige navorsing in vreesaanslae. Drie televisie advertensies wat drie vlakke van vrees (laag, medium en hoog) verteenwoordig is, aan drie eksperimentele steekproefgroepe getoon. Betekenisvolle verskille in die reaksie van die drie groepe is waargeneem ná statistiese ontledings. ’n Verskil in hoe geslagte reageer op vreesaanslae, is ook bevind.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation, and consequently there is an urgency to develop improved methods of diagnosis and treatment. Despite the current TB epidemic, the disease can be treated effectively using isoniazid (INH) in combination with other antibiotics. However, INH is inactivated in the body by certain drug metabolising enzymes, which may reduce the efficacy of TB treatment. The activity of these drug metabolising enzymes, called NAT, are in turn reduced by nucleotide changes (SNPs) in the gene. These genetic variants (alleles) have been correlated with the rapid- (FA), intermediate- (IA), and slow acetylation (SA) enzymatic activity, and one is therefore able to investigate potential phenotypic effects via genotypic analyses. We investigated these genetic changes in the NAT1 and NAT2 genes in individuals from the local Coloured community (SAC) since this group has one of the highest TB incidences in the country. NAT2 is primarily responsible for the inactivation of INH, whilst NAT1 metabolises para-aminosalicyclic acid (PAS) which is used in the treatment of drug resistant TB. The NAT2 results indicated that the NAT2 alleles were not equally represented in three local ethnic groups studied, and subsequently the rapid, intermediate and slow acetylation activity reflected these differences. However, the relative frequency of these variants in the SAC and Caucasian groups were relatively low. These differences require further investigation to determine their overall relevance to the NAT2 activity differences between groups. In the case of the NAT1 analysis we also observed differences in the relative frequency of various NAT1 alleles between Caucasian and SAC individuals. However, many of these NAT1 SNPs and alleles have not as yet been characterised, so effects of these variants are currently unknown. Interestingly, the NAT1*4 and NAT1*10 alleles were the most prevalent NAT1 alleles in both Caucasians and SAC. The NAT1*4 allele exhibits the rapid NAT1 activity, whilst the activity of the NAT1*10 allele is currently subject to ongoing debate. In this respect, the analysis of NAT1 continues to be a topic for ongoing research. These results, observed for the NAT genes, underscore the importance of doing genetic analyses in local ethnic groups, since these differences may vary significantly between the groups. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tuberkulose (TB) is deur die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie (WGO) tot 'n globale gesondheidsnood verklaar en derhalwe is dit noodsaaklik dat nuwe, verbeterde diagnostiese metodes ontwikkel word, wat tot meer effektiewe behandeling kan lei. Ten spyte van die huidige TB-epidemie, kan die siekte doeltreffend behandel word deur middel van isoniasied (INH), in kombinasie te met ander antibiotika. INH kan egter geïnaktiveer word deur sekere ensieme in die liggaam, met die gevolg dat INH nie meer effektief is nie in die behandeling van TB. Die aktiwiteit van hierdie ensiem, die sogenaamde NAT2 (Arielamien N-asetieltransferase 2) ensiem, word op sy beurt beïnvloed deur sekere nukleotied veranderings (SNPs) in die geen. Hierdie genetiese veranderings gekorreleer met ensiemaktiwiteitsveranderings (geklassifiseer as vinnig (FA) Intermediêr (IA) en stadig (SA)), wat mens in staat stel om potensiële fenotipiese effekte te ondersoek deur middel van genotipiese analise. Ons het hierdie genetiese veranderings ondersoek in die NAT1 en NAT2 gene in individue van die Kleurling-gemeenskap (SAC) omdat díe bevolkingsgroep die hoogste voorkoms van TB in die land het. NAT2 is primêr verantwoordelik vir die inaktivering van INH, terwyl NAT1 para-amienosalisilaat (PAS) inaktiveer, wat gebruik word in die behandeling van midel-weerstandige TB. Die NAT2 resultate dui daarop dat die allele van die NAT2 geen nie eweredig verteenwoordig wasin die drie etniese groepe nie en derhalwe word die vinnige (FA), intermediêre (IA) en stadige (SA) ensiemaktiwiteite deur hierdie verskille weerspieël. Hoewel die teenwoordigheid van hierdie variante relatief laag was in die SAC en Koukasiër gemeenskappe, is verdere studies nodig om die omvang van hierdie verskille te bepaal ten onsigte van NAT2 aktiwiteit tussen groepe. In die geval van die NAT1 analise het ons verskille waargeneem in die voorkoms van verskeie NAT1 allele tussen Koukasiese en SAC individue. Baie van hierdie NAT1 SNPs is egter nog nie gekarakteriseer nie, en derhalwe is die effek van hierdie NAT1 variante onbekend. Die NAT1*4 en NAT1*10 allele was die prominentste NAT1 alleel in beide Koukasiërs en SAC. Die NAT1*4 is betrokke by vinnige NAT1 aktiwiteit, terwyl die effek van die NAT1*10 alleel nog onderhewig is aan aktiefwe debat. In hierdie verband, is die studie van NAT1 steeds 'n onderwerp vir toekomstige navorsing. Hierdie resultate, wat vir die NAT gene waargeneem is, beklemtoon die belangrikheid van verdere genetiese analises in plaaslike etniese groepe, aangesien hierdie verskille beduidend kan wees tussen die verskillende groepe.