Medicines for human use worldwide are generated in part through the conduct of clinical trials. This is done to ensure safety and efficacy. The involvement of human subjects in drug trials has raised concerns for the protection of human rights. As a consequence of the medical misadventures, the Declaration of Helsinki was formulated in 1964 and revised up to 2002. Today, the International Conference of Harmonization of Good Clinical Practice of 1996 guidelines are used worldwide (including South Africa) in the conduct of clinical trials. This study took place in South Africa. The objectives of the study were to first develop an instrument to be used in identifying the current good clinical practice knowledge and training needs of clinical researchers / secondly identify the knowledge level and training needs using the designed instrument and thirdly, based on the findings, develop a Good Clinical Practice training model so as to facilitate the achievement of quality standards for the conduct of clinical trials in South Africa.

M.Sc. (Aquatic Health) / Sediments can contain a variety of organic and inorganic contaminants. These contaminants accumulate, resulting in extremely high concentrations even once the overlying water concentrations are at or below acceptable water quality guidelines. Any changes in the physical parameters'of the overlying water can cause these pollutants to be released back into solution. Accumulated contaminants can be released at even higher concentrations than previously detected. In recent years, sediment contamination has highlighted the need to monitor these previously overlooked pollutant sources that have accumulated in aquatic ecosystems. South Africa does not currently have standardised methods to assess sediment toxicity. Although international methods exist, they are largely untested in South Africa and the organisms needed to conduct these tests are not readily available. Over the years numerous culture methods have been develop globally for culturing organism to be used for water and sediment toxicity tests. In South Africa, the focus has mainly been on culturing organisms for water. toxicity testing. Sediment toxicity testing with indigenous organism however, was not developed. Established international culture methods from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Environment Canada were taken into consideration when developing the laboratory culture method for two (2)of the selected organisms (Chironomus spp. & Hydra sp.) from this study. A preliminary culture method was also developed for the third selected organism, Melanoides tuberculata (gastropod). The organisms cultured in this study were selected based on their extent of contact with the substrate, ease of handling, availability, culture maintenance as well as their reproductive cycle. The Hydra, Chironomids and M. tuberculata cultures were successfully breeding under laboratory conditions and remained stable. The Chironomus sp. and M. tuberculata maintain contact with the sediment making them suitable as ecologically relevant organisms for use in whole sediment toxicity testing in South Africa.

Medicines for human use worldwide are generated in part through the conduct of clinical trials. This is done to ensure safety and efficacy. The involvement of human subjects in drug trials has raised concerns for the protection of human rights. As a consequence of the medical misadventures, the Declaration of Helsinki was formulated in 1964 and revised up to 2002. Today, the International Conference of Harmonization of Good Clinical Practice of 1996 guidelines are used worldwide (including South Africa) in the conduct of clinical trials. This study took place in South Africa. The objectives of the study were to first develop an instrument to be used in identifying the current good clinical practice knowledge and training needs of clinical researchers / secondly identify the knowledge level and training needs using the designed instrument and thirdly, based on the findings, develop a Good Clinical Practice training model so as to facilitate the achievement of quality standards for the conduct of clinical trials in South Africa.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of visual skills training on the visual ability of elite rugby players. This study utilized a quantitative approach; and it employed a true experimental study design, in particular a pre-test-post-test randomized-group design. A total number of 26 participants (that met the specified criteria) were selected from the Eastern Province Rugby Academy squad. Those that met the criteria were then divided randomly into two groups (13 per group), which comprised the experimental and control groups, respectively. The control and experimental groups were tested on six visual skills, namely: accommodation, saccadic eye movements, speed of recognition, hand-eye co-ordination, visual memory and peripheral awareness. An optometric assessment was also conducted as a pre-test to ensure that the participant had “normal vision”, followed by a six week intervention (visual skills-training). The sessions were performed for thirty minutes three times per week for six weeks, followed by a post-test. Descriptive statistics were employed, both numerically, such as the mean standard deviation, and graphically by means of histograms. Inferential statistics were also used in the form of t-tests and Cohen’s d calculations to determine the statistical and practical significance of the mean score differences between the experimental and control groups. The pre- to post-test results indicated both statistical and practical significant differences in each of the visual skills tested among the experimental group; accommodation (hart near far rock test, p<.0005, d=2.34), saccadic eye movements (saccadic eye movement test, p<.0005, d=2.08), hand-eye coordination and peripheral awareness (accumulator test, p<.0005, d=2.20), speed of recognition (evasion test, p<.0005, d=1.14) and visual memory (flash program test, p<.0005, d=1.20). However, there were no statistically significant differences (p>.05) found when comparing the pre- and post-tests for the control group. It was concluded that the visual skills training program used had a significant positive impact on the visual performance of the Eastern Province rugby academy players.

Psychological tests are closely tied to the context in which they were designed. Within the South African context, the inequalities of apartheid played a major role in test development and use, and it relies on various international tests that may not be suitable to the context and on local tests that may not include all linguistic groups. There is a need for psychological tests that are in use to be reliable, valid and free from bias. Thus, this research examined the applicability of the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability-Second Revised British Edition (NARA II) in the South African context. Aspects of reliability, validity and bias were examined. A non-probability sample of 144 Grade Four first and second language learners attending one of four government schools in Gauteng were assessed on the NARA II. A non-probability sample of eight professionals (two teachers, one psychometrist, two educational psychologists, two speech therapists and one reading therapist and trainer) were interviewed for their views on the applicability of the NARA II. The research followed a mixed methods approach, namely a sequential explanatory strategy. The results demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability, although this was lower than in the normative sample and other studies. Face validity and concurrent validity were adequate. The content validity of the NARA II was questionable within the South African context, suggesting it should be adapted for use in this country. Some evidence of bias based on gender, home language, population group, educational level of parents and the school learners attended was found. The qualitative data supported findings from the quantitative data. A thematic content analysis identified nine themes namely Suitability of the NARA II to the South African context, Similarities between the NARA II and reading tasks in school, Differences between the NARA II and reading tasks in school, Comprehension skills, Assessment tools utilised for reading in South Africa, Learner errors on reading, Foundations of reading, Benefits and Affordability. The overall conclusion is that adaptation of the NARA II and norming on the South African population be undertaken.

The quality of the Bender-Gestalt performance of 22, normal, white South African male adolescents and 22, normal, Xhosa male adolescents, aged between 17 and 22 years, was investigated. The Pascal-Suttell scoring system was used. The mean score of the white adolescents was significantly below that of the Xhosa adolescents. It was found that while the mean score of the Xhosa adolescents was within one standard deviation of Pascal and Suttell's normative 'high school' mean, the mean score of the white adolescents was below that of the normative mean and not within one standard deviation of the mean. The results lend support to the findings that Bender performance is related to cultural background. It is suggested that the Pascal-Suttell tables may be in need of revision. The advisability of standardising tables, which are culture specific, for clinical use· in the Southern African context, is indicated. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

Despite the concept of twins and twinning being a highly explored area of research for many years, limited research has been conducted on the comparison of first and second born twin development. The nature of twins leads people to believe that twins will present with similar characteristics, however, this study explores the possibility that due to their ordinal position they could in fact present with differing characteristics and could differ developmentally. The early holistic development of a child influences the rest of their lives. Concerning twins, the development of individuality and self-knowledge is especially important. Theorists, such as Piaget (1950), propose that child development takes place in stages and that although the order in which children proceed through these stages is the same, the pace at which this takes place can vary. The necessity of monitoring the child’s journey through these stages highlights the value of child developmental assessment. This form of assessment needs to be holistic, needs to involve a multidisciplinary team of professionals and needs to utilize assessment measures that are valid, reliable, culture-fair and standardized. The Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) is one such measure. This study, focusing on twin development, aimed to contribute and provide valuable information to a larger research project that is currently under way aiming to increase the applicability of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) in the South African context. The primary aim of the study, however, was to explore and compare the performance of normal first born and second born twins, aged between 2 and 8 years 4 months old, on the GMDS-ER. The purpose of the study was to generate information on the relationship between first born twins’ general development and second born twins’ general development. An exploratory, descriptive quantitative design was used. Participants were selected through a combination of non-probability purposive, convenience and snowball sampling. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and dependent sample t-tests were employed to compare the General Quotients (GQ’s) of the first and second born twins in the sample. Results showed that no significant differences were found between the first and second born twins’ general development. Information generated from this study contributed to 1) child development research; 2) twin developmental research within a South African context; and 3) a greater group of studies on the GMDS-ER, currently underway in the United Kingdom and South Africa, aiming to contribute to the international credibility of this measure

M. Tech. Pharmaceutical Sciences / Following the discovery of an active pharmaceutical ingredient, attempts were made to improve its delivery to the site of action and thereby its effectiveness. Insulin and other therapeutic proteins are administered almost exclusively parenterally because of their poor absorption after oral administration, but this route is associated with disadvantages including pain, discomfort and lipohypertrophy at the site of injection. A suitable absorption enhancer which could effectively improve the absorption of poorly absorbable drugs from the gastrointestinal tract would contribute to the development of an effective oral drug delivery system for these drugs. One such attempt was the formulation of the active ingredient into an appropriate dosage form for a specific route of administration to improve other properties such as manufacturability, stability and bioavailability. Formulation studies led to the development of substances called excipients, which were incorporated into dosage forms, in addition to the active pharmaceutical ingredient, to improve the properties of the final product. Aloe vera gel previously showed the ability to increase the bioavailability of vitamins and to enhance the in vitro transport of a macromolecular drug across intestinal epithelial cell monolayers. However, the effect of leaf materials from aloes, indigenous to South Africa, on drug transport across intestinal epithelia has not previously been investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro drug transport enhancement potential of the gel and whole leaf extract of Aloe ferox, Aloe marlothii, Aloe speciosa and compare them with that of Aloe vera across Caco-2 cell monolayers, as well as across excised rat intestinal tissues.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On the basis of a literature review regarding effective leadership, coping with change and the assessment of effective leadership and coping, this study investigated the use of The Wheel, a free-format, projective technique, which lends itself to a qualitative and quantitative analysis. A group of (N=75) managers, within a large South African engineering organisation, were assessed during organisational change. Human Resource practitioners and supervisors evaluated participants' leadership effectiveness by using a six-point Lickert scale. Overall performance scores were calculated based on a gap analysis between perceived performance and required performance. High, Medium and Low performance groups were identified and compared in terms of The Wheel results. On a quantitative level significant differences were obtained with regards to Overall performance scores and the Number of Segments completed by participants. Furthermore, some of The Wheel constructs correlated with individual performance rating items and also appears to reflect the impact of organisational change on participants' Attitudes, Discrimination and Sense of Control towards key words "My Work". On a qualitative level, the contents of The Wheel profiles indicated themes that may be an indication of different approaches and lor problems experienced respectively by High and Low performance groups during organisational change. The Wheel may thus have predictive validity for assessing leadership effectiveness during organisational change, but due to limitations of this explorative study, further research is recommended. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Op grond van 'n literatuurstudie van effektiewe leierskap, hantering van verandering en die meting van effektiewe leierskap en probleemhantering, word die gebruik van The Wheel, 'n projeksietegniek wat kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe interpretasie behels, ondersoek. Vervolgens is 'n groep (N=75) bestuurders, vanuit 'n groot Suid-Afrikaanse ingenieurs organisasie, tydens organisatoriese verandering en herstrukturering geëvalueer. Prestasie beoordelings vir elk van die deelnemers is deur menslike hulpbronpraktisyns en supervisors gedoen op grond van 'n ses-punt Lickert skaal. Algehele prestasietellings is vir elke deelnemer bereken op grond van 'n gapingsanalise tussen waargenome prestasie en vereiste prestasie. Hoë, Medium en Lae prestasiegroepe is geïdentifiseer en vergelyk in terme van die The Wheel resultate. Op 'n kwantitatiewe vlak was daar betekenisvolle verskille tussen verskillende prestasiegroepe en die Getal Segmente ingevul deur deelnemers. Sommige van die The Wheel konstrukte het ook betekenisvolle korrelasies getoon met van die prestasiebeoordelingsitems. Die The Wheel resultate het ook die situasionele impak van organisatoriese verandering en herstrukturerinq gereflekteer in terme van deelnemers se Houdings-, Diskriminasie- en Kontroletellings behaal vir sleutelwoorde "My Werk". Op 'n kwalitatiewe vlak dui die inhoud van die The Wheel profiele daarop dat Hoë en Lae prestasiegroepe onderskeidelik verskillende temas meld tydens die vrye assosiasie oefening. Die The Wheel mag belofte inhou vir die met1ng van effektiewe leierskap, maar as gevolg van beperkings in hierdie eksploratiewe-studie. word verdere navorsing aanbeveel.

D. Phil. / The unit of analysis in this study is the reading competence of a selection of grade three learners in linguistically diverse schools in Gauteng Province. In a socio-cultural perspective on their reading competence (and logically also their English language proficiency), the findings indicate that their reading performance is linked to a variety of factors in the context of school and family. The inquiry was motivated by the need to understand and interpret the reading performance of learners who do not appear to benefit from early schooling, specifically in the area of reading literacy. The main premise of the study was that the young learners' reading could not be viewed in psychological isolation and that a broader picture of the pedagogical, the social, the cultural and the personal components interfacing with the action of reading would capture data that could inform both theory and practice of reading pedagogy. In the context of South African educational policy this is pertinent, because the learners in this country have a choice of the language of instruction (Department of Education, 1997), and parents often decide on English as the medium of education for their children — probably because of the assumed status of English as language of opportunity. Thus young children who do not know English as a primary language access the world of reading literacy though this often-strange medium. In addition, the teachers have mostly not been educated to practice a pedagogy of bilingualism or one that is suited to a typical ESL classroom. The research question posed in the study addresses this complex world of reading in a second/additional language, including the interaction between teachers, learners and the broader socio-cultural context. The study draws on literature in studies of socio-cultural research and concomitant pedagogies, arguing that Vygotsky's notion of mediated action is a viable perspective from which to try to understand problems in reading and reading instruction in a multilingual setting, with teachers ostensibly ill-equipped to practice effectively. The theoretical argument pertaining to reading as socio-culturally situated activity was woven into a research design that would capture both psychological and social components of reading action. To capture data that would reveal details of this action as well as the interrelatedness of various components of the action, I used multiple methods of data gathering, data analysis and data presentation of processed data. Methods of data gathering included language and reading evaluation instruments, evaluation of pre-literacy skills instruments, interviews with learners and educators, classroom observations and questionnaires. Data obtained from these research methods were described and interpreted qualitatively and/or quantitatively. The findings show that that both the learners' language and reading competence are not sufficiently developed for successful progress in grade three. An important finding is also that there is a relationship between the socio-economic background of the learners and their proficiency in English and also their reading and pre-literacy skills development. The findings have furthermore shown that reading development is influenced by pre-literacy skills development. Findings derived from the educators' interviews and classroom observations show that some of them, for whom English is not a primary language, use a pedagogic discourse that is generally ambiguous and that could confuse the young learners who have few other examples of English language use. It is furthermore evident that the educators do not have knowledge of reading pedagogy for the ESL classroom and that their theoretical knowledge does not get proceduralised. These findings were substantiated by the content of the teacher survey questionnaires. The significance of the findings is that reading pedagogy would have to be adapted in order to facilitate improved teaching practice and improved reading literacy of the learners, including the enhancement of pre-literacy skills development. I therefore recommend, again from the domain of socio-cultural research, that a model for teacher professional development be applied in the context of the six research schools. This model, which is essentially organic, is aimed at sustainable and dynamic professional development at grassroots level. It was originally designed by Lave and Wenger (Wenger et al, 2002) and has become known as the "communities of practice" model of work, learning and development. I present an application that can be used in the schools and which can include myself as co-founder of the community.