M.Phil. (Optometry) / Different representations of dioptric power and their relative coordinate systems are summarised. The transition matrices required to switch from one coordinate system to another are provided. Three sets of data are analysed; a sample of 205 refractions, a sample of 205 keratometric readings and a sample of 790 autorefractive excesses of 790 autorefractions over 790 subjective refractions. Brief mention is made of emmetropisation. In the event that such a driving force exists, the possible effects on the distributional characteristics of refractive error are noted. Normality and the assessment thereof are discussed qualitatively and quantitatively. The univariate marginal and multivariate joint distributions .of the samples are examined using the coordinate system introduced by Deal and Toop (1993): their vector is represented by d=(d 1 d 2 d3)~ Departure from normality is determined in three ways; assessment of the linearity of the chi-square probability plots, measures of skewness and measures of kurtosis. Marginal normal probability plots are included for completeness. The statistical procedures and some of the theory involved in the implementation of these techniques are described briefly to assist in the interpretation of the distribution analysis. Marginal transformations are employed to improve the normality of the marginal distributions in an attempt to reduce the multivariate departure from normality. Power transformations and shifted power transformations are described and applied to the data.

In South Africa the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination is the capping external examination taken at the culmination of twelve years of schooling. Levels of success in the examination offer examinees access to a variety of career options. High levels of success in the mathematics examination are a pre-requisite for entry into studies linked to so-called elite careers. However, performance of examinees in the NSC Mathematics examination is not of a requisite standard and only a few examinees achieve results that fall within the high levels of the achievement bands. In order to give mathematics teachers and others insight into performance in the NSC Mathematics examination, various forms of feedback are provided. One purpose in doing so is to provide teachers with an understanding of the examinees' ways of working in order for them to adjust their classroom practice to address mistakes displayed in the work of the examinees. The feedback provided is primarily of a superficial kind with the mere listing of such mistakes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not it is possible to analyse the production of the responses of examinees in the NSC mathematics examinations more meaningfully.

M.Sc. (Optometry) / The difference between objective automatic and subjective clinical refraction is studied using new statistical techniques. The question, by how much the two refraction techniques differ, is investigated by subtracting the subjective refraction finding from the auto refractory finding and then examining the distribution of the difference or excess as it will be called here. Computerized procedures were developed to automate mathematical and statistical methods of analysis. The methods were applied to two different samples: one of patients visiting an ordinary optometric practice (the clinical sample) and the other of children refracted in a screening program (the sample of school children) . The clinical sample, consisting of mainly older patients, is examined first. The difference between the autorefractor and subjective findings is studied and described. This difference could be used to compare different types of auto refractors assuming that the subjective refraction is correct. For the purpose of this study, however, the results of eight autorefractors are grouped together, combining left and right eyes, to serve as basis for studying the older population. The study shows that on the average there is no clinically significant excess. This means that there is on average no clinically significant difference between the automatic and clinical refraction for this population.

Master's thesis deals with the formation of business and marketing strategy with application to specific four-star hotel in Prague. First part is focused on basic definitions and importance of accommodation in tourism industry, followed by summary of theory needed for development of quality strategy. Practical part is dedicated to analysis of external and internal environment of the hotel, analysis of its competition and proposals to supplement the current business and marketing strategy.

The thesis sought to explore the experience of caring for an individual with an eating disorder. It is comprised of three standalone papers. Paper one and two have been prepared for submission to a journal and in accordance with the journal guidelines. Paper one is a systematic literature review synthesising qualitative studies relating to the experience and impact of caring for, or living with an individual with an eating disorder. Databases were systematically searched and twenty studies were included in the review. Nine core themes emerged from the meta-synthesis. Eating disorders were found to have a pervasive impact on family members mediated by a number of factors. Cognitive appraisals affected the caregiving experience and responses to the individual. The experience of caregiving was continually reappraised leading to a process of adaptation over time. Paper two is a qualitative study which sought to examine caregivers’ accounts of managing Anorexia Nervosa with an emphasis on accommodation responses. Eight participants were interviewed and transcripts were analysed using a grounded theory approach. A theory of the processes by which accommodation responses operate was developed which emphasised the importance of caregivers’ emotional resources in mediating responses. Difficulty managing anorexia nervosa led to low perceived efficacy and diminished resources. Subsequently caregiving aims shifted in line with accommodation responses. Carers recognised accommodation as counterproductive to recovery and experienced internal conflict (dissonance) which was reduced using a number of cognitive and behavioural strategies. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed with reference to existing literature. Paper three is a critical review of the research process, focusing on the experience of undertaking qualitative research. Personal reflections of the process, as well as the implications of the research for the researcher’s professional practice and for the wider profession are discussed.

Over the past decade, the demand for student housing in the Hatfield Student Village, situated between the Hatfield and Hillcrest campuses of the University of Pretoria, has grown to a point, where the demand greatly overshadows the supply. Local developers, who recognised the need for housing among students, have made great progress in filling this gap. It has come to a point, where the University of Pretoria has the second largest supply of student housing in South Africa, after the University of Cape Town. This study has sought to determine whether there is still development potential for student housing in the Hatfield area, and also to develop a 10-year masterplan for the future development of accommodation in the Hatfield and Hillcrest areas. Prominent development companies in the student-housing industry were contacted; and interviews were conducted with 8 high-ranking individuals in 8 different companies. The interviews determined the developers’ appetites for the further development of student accommodation in an area, which is already highly competitive. Interviews were also conducted with various role-players in Hatfield, such as the CEO of Hatfield CID, as well as prominent Estate Agents working in the area. Further data were collected on the various occupancy levels in the existing student accommodation, in order to determine the need for future development. The results showed that developers have developed the area to supply about 11 315 beds to the market. With 4 178 beds in line to enter the market within the next 5 to 10 years, the supply will be much larger than the demand. Opportunity must be given to the economy to recover; and thereafter, further development of student accommodation must concentrate on providing units for low-income students. A 10-year masterplan, divided into short-, medium- and long-term time periods, provides a potential road-map to follow, for the future of student accommodation in the Hatfield Student Village. The plan elaborates on future development and the type of development, which would ensure a successful student community for the University of Pretoria. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Construction Economics / MSc (Real Estate) / Unrestricted

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with substantial impairment across a number of life domains. Recently increased interest has been focused on the bi-directional relationship between OCD and family processes, particularly a subset of family reactions to OCD symptoms that are termed "accommodation." Accommodation consists of any changes in family members' behavior aimed at preventing or reducing the patient's rituals or their distress related to OCD symptoms. For example, family members may provide patients with supplies they need to ritualize (e.g., extra soap), or may engage in rituals themselves (e.g., excessive washing). Previous research has indicated high levels of accommodation are associated with more severe OCD symptoms and functional impairment on the part of patients, and may interfere with the first line psychosocial treatment for OCD, a form of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) consisting of exposure (to cues provoking obsessions) and ritual prevention (ERP). Thus, the aims of this research project were to develop and test a brief intervention focused on reducing accommodation in the family members of adult OCD patients with the aim of facilitating the implementation of ERP. Eighteen patient and family member dyads participated in the study. All patients received a course of standard individual ERP for OCD. Family members were randomized to either the intervention group or a control group that did not receive any intervention. The goals of the two-session intervention were to identify current accommodation behaviors and provide alternative ways of responding to OCD symptoms. Patients and family members were assessed at baseline and regularly throughout the 25-week study. Results revealed that the intervention successfully reduced accommodation with a large effect size. Patients whose family members received the intervention showed greater levels of symptom reduction than patients whose family members had not. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that change in family accommodation from baseline accounted for a significant amount of variance in later OCD symptoms. These results suggest that this intervention successfully enhanced the outcomes of standard CBT including ERP for adults with OCD. The findings support further exploration of this intervention in larger samples and in other diagnostic groups where accommodation is likely to occur.

Tourists seldom experience a destination with just one company, yet they often encounter a destination as a coherent entity. This results from the effort of different stakeholders who work together to develop a destination, despite often being competitors. These efforts make the tourism industry fertile for coopetitive relationships.  The high presence of coopetition has inspired researchers to study this phenomenon in the tourism sector. There is a solid academic understanding of the rationales behind coopetition and the factors influencing the level of coopetition within a destination. However, despite the academic interest, there is only limited research dedicated to the impacts of coopetition on destination development. This study responds to this shortcoming and investigates the impacts of coopetition between accommodation companies on the destination development of Saaremaa, Estonia. Given the exploratory nature of this study, a qualitative case study approach focusing on collecting original data required from primary sources has been used as the research method. The qualitative research is carried out via semi-structured interviews with two sources of data. The interviews were conducted with six representatives of accommodation companies and one representative of the local DMO. The study results provide supporting evidence that coopetitive relationships between accommodation companies have several impacts on the destination development of Saaremaa. Namely, these relations are impacting the economic development and strengthening the image of Saaremaa. Furthermore, the results show that coopetition increases the diversity and the quality of offered products and services. However, given the case study approach and the size of the research, caution is required in interpreting the study's results, especially when applying the results to other destinations.

The problem of inclusivity in the workplace has been globally acknowledged as a challenge for employees living with disabilities. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of employees living with disabilities in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Globally, there has been a lot of research conducted on diversity in the workplace; however, research on inclusivity is a rather new phenomenon. A theoretical model on inclusion and diversity in work groups is presented as a framework, which offers insight into the experiences that contribute to feelings of inclusion for a diverse workforce. This model identifies potential contextual factors and outcomes of inclusion. This study further defines inclusion and disability and provides literature on the barriers employees living with disabilities encounter once employed, as well as support structures that could enhance inclusivity for these employees. The study used a qualitative, explorative approach. Fifteen employees of the SAPS were selected for participation, based on their disability type as per the research criteria. A purposive convenient sampling approach was used to identify employees with disabilities, taking into consideration hearing, visual, physical and mobility impairments. Participants varied in age, gender and race and came from stations mostly situated in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, with one participant from George and one participant from Paarl East. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and provide insight into how employees living with disabilities perceive inclusion in the SAPS. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify which negative and positive experiences of inclusion were identified. Irrespective of the provision of disability policies and legislation, which clearly stipulate that no person may be unfairly discriminated against on the grounds of their disability, the findings from this study indicate that employees living with disabilities still experience discriminatory attitudes in the workplace. While some participants had positive experiences of inclusion, other employees reported negative experiences relating mostly to a lack of management support, non-conducive workplaces, lack of disability awareness, as well as negative attitudes towards disability in the workplace. The results of this study indicate that the general feeling of inclusion in the SAPS is, to a certain degree, fair, and that management and co-worker support, together with reasonable accommodation, played an important role in contributing to making employees living with disabilities feel included. This study shows that more research is required in terms of disability awareness, and an understanding of the needs of employees living with disabilities in the workplace, to create an enabling environment of growth for employees living with disabilities. It is proposed that this study be used to provide employers and employees with a greater understanding of how to effectively include and retain employees living with disabilities.

Purpose. It has been documented previously that the push up (PU) and pull away (PA) methods overestimate accommodative amplitude (AA), while the minus lens-to-blur (MLB) method underestimates it. It also has been shown that the PU and PA methods produce similar results. We sought to compare data obtained from these three clinically used methods to determine AA in children and young adults with base-line normative data predicted by Hofstetter. Methods. Ninety healthy subjects (mean 11.7 years, range: 6-36 and 50F/40M), split into two groups, children (mean 9.8 years, range: 6-13 and 38F/22M) and young adults (mean 25.5 years, range: 21-36 and 16F/14M), were recruited from the patient and student populations of two schools of optometry. The subjects completed three accommodative tests presented in a random order: PA, PU, and MLB methods. Results.Findings from the MLB technique varied significantly from Hofstetter's normative values (P Conclusions. As compared with Hofstetter's normative values, this study demonstrates that the MLB technique gives a lower AA in children, while the PU and PA methods yielded consistent findings with each other and with Hofstetter's normative values. The PU method yielded values that compared closest with Hofstetter's normative data for the oldest subjects 4 tested in this study and indicates that the most consistent methods to measure AA in children is either the PU or PA methods, and the PU method for adults.