This study propagates a move away from the dominant practices of psychodrama with its emphasis on catharsis and insight as the main components of a therapeutic experience. It proposes a systemic orientation to psychodrama where protagonists may encounter the circularity of the systems in which they are embedded and through this process encounter new meaning. Case studies are presented which exemplify an evolutionary process of creating what the author refers to as "ecosystemic psychodrama". This ecosystemic psychodrama is based on second-order cybernetics and what is aimed for is that as a therapy it should present something of the balance between the aesthetic and pragmatic views of therapy that Keeney (1983a) describes as complementary. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

published_or_final_version / Biochemistry / Master / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Anaesthesiology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chinese Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

Within the last 15 years a large number of empirical investigations have explored the psychotherapeutic applications of meditative techniques. This research expands upon previous efforts in this area by comparing Kundalini Yoga with Progressive Muscle Relaxation, an attention-placebo control, and a no-treatment control on measures of anxiety (STAI Trait Form), personality development (Locus of Control Scale), and drug consumption. A total of 47 undergraduate student volunteers were randomly assigned to the four treatment conditions. Following a 2-week baseline phase to determine pretreatment drug consumption, subjects began a 6-week treatment phase during which time they attended two classes each week. Throughout the treatment phase subjects maintained detailed drug consumption diaries. Following this treatment phase, all subjects were readministered the aforementioned tests and questionnaires. Without exception, the research failed to find any significant treatment effects attributable to the practice of Kundalini Yoga. Moreover, none of the experimental treatment groups studied here displayed treatment gains over and above a no-treatment control group. There are at least two ways to account for this lack of significant differences. On the one hand, one could assert that the treatment groups were somehow impotent and incapable of effecting change any better than the nonspecific treatment factors working for the no-treatment group; or on the other hand, one could assert that the treatment groups were indeed therapeutic, but not significantly due to too brief of an intervention phase, and/or due to the highly variable treatment response of a nonpredisposed subject pool.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Africa, 1994.

Heart failure is a devastating disease which despite significant advances in therapy over the past two decades still results in a poor prognosis. Metabolic dysregulation is associated with heart failure; however, it remains unclear whether isoproterenol exerts deleterious effects through altered metabolic regulation. Whether metformin, a metabolic modulator, prevents isoproterenol-induced heart failure is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether metformin prevents functional and metabolic changes seen in the isoproterenol model of heart failure. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered isoproterenol and metformin for seven months. Thereafter, cardiac dimensions, metabolic gene expression and myocardial structural changes were assessed. Chronic administration of isoproterenol induced left ventricular dilatation and pump dysfunction and mitochondrial structural derangement. No changes were seen in metabolic gene expression. However, co-administration of metformin prevented isoproterenol-induced heart failure and retained mitochondrial structural arrangement. Therefore, cardiac dilatation and pump dysfunction induced by chronic administration of isoproterenol can be prevented by co-administering metformin.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Drama Therapy) November 2017 / The research consists of a practical arts-based research component and a research report that surveys the practice. This document serves as the written element of the research and investigates the key theoretical standpoints, methodologies applied and creative outcomes. The research aimed to explore the dynamics of adults and play within Drama Therapy by investigating the relationship between six adult women and their personal play histories. It questioned what play meant to the individual and invited her to share her most memorable playful moments through various forms of expression in a number of individual interview-discussions. Through a practical arts-based research approach, an ethnographic narrative inquiry unfolded about women, play, childhood memory and present adulthood. The research took these shared narratives and presented them back to the six participants through various playful methods. With the use of methodologies such as inter-subjectivity, playful listening, narrative enquiry and Playback Theatre, the research offered a series of representational reflections of the shared stories. The creative outcomes were presented in a storybook representation which used imagery and poetic rhyme to document each narrative, a stop-motion film that used moving image and voice, and an presentation-installation that invited each woman to engage with her playful inner-self reflected back to her. The report is written with these playful elements which attempt to mirror the creative representational outcomes, inviting the reader to access his or her playful self. Thematically, three key factors presented themselves throughout the five-stage research process. These include the emotional experience associated with play, the notion of an inner-child or childhood and play within context. All three elements are discussed in the research report, with the use of the contextual factor symbolised by road signs to represent the intersectionality of play and its relationship to the individual. The research presents a number of key contributing factors to the discussion of adults and play in Drama Therapy. It attempts to explore alternative ways of delving into therapeutic process while respecting individual perspectives and personal narratives. It highlights the fundamental value of play within a drama therapeutic paradigm and how the notion of play and play memories contribute to the adult self. It also affirms the role of arts-based practice as a powerful tool for validation and witnessing of clients. / XL2018

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister Technologiae: Chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2014 / The solid state modification of a given active pharmaceutical ingredient is a desired way to alter its physicochemical properties, such as solubility or bioavailability. The solubilitymelting point relationship of the ensuing co-crystal or salt is not fully understood. In this thesis, a series of model co-crystals and pharmaceutical co-crystals and salts of baclofen were investigated. The model co-crystals were prepared from 4,4’-bipyridine (BIPY) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (ETBIPY) used as host compounds which were combined with a series of carboxylic acids as co-formers, such as p-toluic acid (PTA), rac-phenylbutyric acid (racPBA), racemic and S-phenylsuccinic acid (racPSA and S-PSA, respectively). In the second part, six new multicomponent crystals of baclofen (BAC, (RS) 4-amino-3-(4- chlorophenyl)-butanoic acid), were prepared with mono- and dicarboxylic acids: two pharmaceutical co-crystals obtained with benzoic acid (BAC•BA) and p-toluic acid (BAC•PTA) and four pharmaceutical salts with 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, (BAC+)(HNA-), oxalic acid, 2(BAC+)(OA2-), maleic acid, (BAC+)(MA-) and p-toluene sulfonic acid, (BAC+)(PTSA-)•IPA. The compounds prepared were analysed by single crystal and powder X-ray diffractometry, differential scanning calorimetry and their solubility was measured in water and ethanol. From the analysis of the model co-crystals it was concluded that their aqueous solubility is inversely related to the melting point values and this can be explained by packing features. Also, the introduction of a chiral building block, compared to its racemic counterpart, is a valuable way to limit the formation of the intermolecular interactions in the new multicomponent crystal and thus decrease the efficiency of the packing which eventually leads to lower melting points and better solubility. The analysis of the baclofen crystals suggests that a strong, robust and predictable hydrogen bonding network with a combination of molecular building blocks which show acceptable molecular flexibility is a good recipe for successful co-crystal design.

by Wing-yu Tang. / Bibliography: leaves 129-138 / Thesis (M.Ph.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1985