Thesis (MSc (Nursing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018 / Primary health care (PHC) is a frontline health care approach. It is the point of contact where people are kept well and where their quality of life is improved. All people diagnosed as HIV- positive are retested prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation to verify their serostatus. ART initiation is seen as a non-emergency treatment that provides many benefits if its initiation is accelerated, for example following up pregnant women after being diagnosed with HIV. However, accelerated initiation may lead clients to start treatment before they are ready to adhere to treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe the nurse support for young adults during a first antiretroviral therapy visit at an urban primary health care clinic in Malawi. A descriptive phenomenological design was followed at an urban setup in Zomba city, Malawi. The sample was selected through purposive sampling until data saturation was obtained. Individual semi- structured interviews were conducted with young adults aged 19 25 who have visited the clinic for their first ART according to an interview schedule and field notes for around 30 minutes in a private room. The data was analysed using distinctive process and a consensus meeting was held between the researcher and independent coder. The findings of the study could help the PHC services to retain and re-engage the young adults in HIV care and aid the Government of Malawi in achieving its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. Principles of trustworthiness and ethics were adhered to throughout the research process. Six themes, each with separate categories, emerged from the data analysis on the experience of young adults during their first visit for ART at an urban PHC clinic in Malawi. The results indicated the need for an environment that enhances a client-orientated approach with a focus on holistic well-being. Knowledge management should be used to provide relevant and sufficient information to a newcomer while maintaining ethics under difficult circumstances. The legal environment should have a focus on supporting clients that need comprehensive ART treatment. Motivation of the patient regarding taking antiretroviral treatment (ART) is thus essential. Young adults express the need to be supported by nurses with relevant information, privacy and confidentiality and the trusting client/nurse relationship which could help them to retain in ART care. Recommendations of this study was that nurses should be offered in-service training on youthfriendly programmes which focuses on the health care of young adults during their HIV/ART services. Nurses need to create trusting relationship for the young adults and providing in door game at the waiting area to keep them busy as they are waiting for the services. Nursing managers to lobby for funding to extend the clinic and be role models in providing relevant information to young adults. It was concluded that a first visit was both positive and challenging to the participant s; however, they experienced the health providers on the first visit to be caring and supportive.

Positive psychology is rapidly developing as a field in psychology. Many constructs associated with positive psychology have been developed but relationships have not been demonstrated to second language (L2) learning or L2 learning motivation. The main purpose of this study was to explore empirically some core constructs of positive psychology and L2 learning motivation by testing a structural model of the causal relationships among levels of self-concept, and L2 proficiency. In order to do that, it was first necessary to validate measurable components of each of the levels. The self-concept constructs were: a global positive self-concept, a domain-specific positive L2 self, and L2 skill specific self-efficacy. The various self-constructs were organized into finer levels of specificity, from the global to L2 domain to L2 domain skills. A structural model was created from three latent variables that were in turn created from measured variables at each level of specificity. For the latent positive self-concept the measured variables consisted of flourishing, hope, and curiosity. For the latent variable of positive L2 self the measured variables consisted of an interested-in-L2 self, passion-for-L2-learning self, and L2 mastery goal orientation. For the latent motivational variable of L2 self-efficacy the measured variables were L2 speaking self-efficacy, L2 listening self-efficacy, and L2 reading self-efficacy. The measured variables were based on adapted or newly created self-reports. To demonstrate that the model holds beyond self-reports, objective L2 proficiency measures were also modeled with the latent variables of positive self-concept and positive L2 self. To demonstrate the generalizability of the self-model with L2 proficiency, a cross-validation study was done with two different objective measures of L2 proficiency, TOEIC and TOEIC Bridge. The results for the study were all positive for the creation of composite variables and fit to causal models. Latent variables were created for a composite positive self-concept, a composite positive L2 self, and a composite L2 motivation variable. The positive self-concept and positive L2 self also fit a model that included an objective measure of L2 proficiency. Finally, structural equation modeling confirmed causal relationships among positive self-concept, positive L2 self with both L2 motivation and with L2 proficiency. This study showed how constructs from the rapidly expanding field of positive psychology can be integrated with second language motivation. This study showed one way positive psychology can be applied to second language learning and suggests that positive psychology might invigorate future L2 motivation studies. / Teaching & Learning

Evidence from multiple studies suggests that regulation of emotions and intensity of affect may be relevant to understanding disordered eating. Emotion regulation concerns the ways in which emotions are managed in daily life, whereas Affect Intensity (Larsen et al., 1986) refers to individuals‟ typical emotional reactivity. The thesis examines emotion regulation and affect in females with eating pathology (subclinical as well as clinical), and looks at ways dysfunctional regulatory strategies may be improved. The main objective of the present research was to look at the influence of experimentally-induced positive affect on the choice of emotion management strategies. Study 1 looked at typical Affect Intensity and emotion regulation in a sample of subclinically eating-disordered University of Edinburgh students. This study examined functionality of regulatory strategies, typical intensity of affect, and the effects of experimentally induced happiness and sadness on the two. Study 2 introduced the construct of creativity into the discourse on emotions and psychopathology, and looked at creative tendencies in relation to Affect Intensity, emotion regulation and psychopathology (anxiety, depression and sub-clinical eating pathology). Study 3 looked at the effects of Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) on emotion regulation, life satisfaction, anxiety and depression in a subclinically eating-disordered group and controls. Studies 4 and 5 were carried out in order to test and extend the results of Studies 1 and 3 with a clinical sample. In Study 4, emotion regulation, Affect Intensity and the immediate post-test effect of happiness on emotion regulation and life satisfaction were examined in females clinically diagnosed with eating disorders (i.e. anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and EDNOS). Study 5 looked at how longitudinal happiness induction influenced emotion regulation, eating behaviours and life satisfaction in eating-disordered individuals. One of the main findings across the studies was that females with subclinical and clinical forms of eating pathology tended to experience negative emotions of high intensity, and used predominantly dysfunctional regulatory strategies to manage them. Another important finding was that experimentally-induced positive emotions improved emotion regulation, and encouraged participants to choose healthier affect management strategies. The studies, their implications and contribution to theory and treatment of eating disorders are discussed.

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Bacteriophage (phage), virus of bacteria, has been proposed as a mean to inactivate bacteria that are pathogens of humans. Applied prophylatically to food, phage might decrease the numbers of potential pathogens we ingest. Much active research on using the phages of bacteria to control Gram negative foodborne pathogens are described in the literatures, but comparatively little research describes the phages of Gram positive bacteria and their use as biocontrol agents on food. In this work, previous undescribed phages, able to infect Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes, were isolated from soil and ruminants faecal material, respectively. As the first step in assessing their potential as biocontrol agents, the isolated phages were purified, concentrated and characterised (albeit to different degrees). The Bacillus phages had a narrow host range while the Listeria phages had a broad host range. Listeria phages also infected L. monocytogenes 2000/47, a strain which recurs in New Zealand clinical cases. Both Bacillus and Listeria phages appeared to be of the Myoviridae family judging by their structure in electron micrographs. The Bacillus FWLBc1 and FWLBc2 phages were lytic phages with a latent period of 106 and 102 min at 37°C, and an average burst size of 322 and 300 phages per infected cell, respectively. Moreover, they both had genomes of approximately 134 kb. All newly isolated and characterized phages were chloroform resistant and survived storage better at 4°C than at room or freezing temperatures. Bacillus phages significantly reduced the bacterial population in mashed potatoes within 24 h at room temperature, when applied at a phage to host ratio of 1000. Listeria phages rapidly inactivated the host population to a low optical density. The findings of this thesis will add to the current knowledge of phages in the context of various environmental conditions for different bacteria and will demonstrate the potential of phages as food safety biocontrol agents.

No description available.

According to the 2008 Statistics Canada report on the extracurricular activities of Canadian children and youth, approximate 76% of Canadians under the age of 17 participate in sport. As such, sport represents a significant developmental experience in many young peoples’ lives. Whether this experience is positive or negative depends on a number of factors related to the specific context in which sport participation occurs. In particular, interpersonal interactions are known to be a significant influence on athlete development and may vary greatly across sport contexts. In youth sport, there are two primary contexts of participation: coach-driven organized sport and youth-driven informal sport play. The purpose of the present program of research was to examine the predominant interpersonal interactions occurring in organized sport and informal sport play contexts and their relationship to athlete development. Study 1 was methodological and presents the development and validation of an observational coding system designed to capture the motivational tone of youth sport coaches’ interactions with their athletes. Motivational tone represents a theoretically relevant but previously unexplored dimension of coaches’ interactive behaviour. Study 2 used the newly developed coding system from study 1 to examine the motivational tone of coach-athlete interactions in competitive youth volleyball, an organized sport context. Using a person-centred analysis approach, these coach-athlete interaction were then linked to athletes’ longitudinal development trajectories over the course of the competitive season. Results revealed significant differences in the coach-athlete interaction profiles of athletes on a negative developmental trajectory compared to athletes on a positive developmental trajectory. Study 3 was an exploratory observational examination of peer interactive behaviour in an informal sport play context. These interactive behaviours were examined with respect to athletes’ developmental outcomes. Results pointed to the social nature of participation in informal sport play contexts and the critical relationship between athlete competence and peer interaction tendencies. Overall, the results of the three studies comprising this program of research offered new information to further our understanding of interpersonal interactions and athlete development in different youth sport contexts but also identified several avenues requiring further research. / Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-09-27 14:27:49.668

Empati är en grundförutsättning för människors interaktion, kommunikation och förståelse för varandra. Forskning har visat att individer med depression och olika personlighetsstörningar har en tendens till nedsatt empati. I en enkätstudie med 205 deltagare, varav 162 kvinnor, undersöktes om sinnesstämning har ett samband med empati. Deltagarna försattes i en sinnesstämning, de fick tänka på positiva eller negativa händelse. Sedan läsa en negativt riktad vinjett om en gripande händelse. Sinnesstämning mättes med The Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) och empati med hjälp av Batsons empatiskala. Studien avser att fylla luckan som finns om sinnesstämning och empati hos människor i allmänhet. Manipulationen gav inget signifikant resultat. Resultatet visar dock ett positivt samband mellan sinnesstämning och empati från självskattningsskalorna. Deltagarna med positiv sinnesstämning rapporterade mer empati. Kvinnor kände mer empati är män och de äldre mer än yngre. Studien relaterar till att högre välmående hos individer kan skapa mer empati i samhället.

Tetrodecamycin (1) is a novel α-(γ-hydroxyacyl) tetronic acid based polyketide antibiotic isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces nashvillensis MJ885-mF8 by Takeuchi et al. in 1994. Compound 1 shows potent inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus anthracis and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It was proposed that an Aldol reaction of trans-decalin core 2 and tetronic acid derivative 3 followed by a face selective epoxidation and a subsequent epoxide-opening reaction would deliver the 6,6,7,5-skeleton of tetrodecamycm (1). To investigate this proposal, the silyl enol ether 5 was prepared from cycloheptene 4 in 7 steps. An unusual domino silyl enol ether reaction sequence was observed when the silyl enol ether 5 was submitted to a Diels-Alder reaction. It afforded cycloadduct 6, which was converted to the key intermediate 2 after another 3 steps (Scheme 1). Concurrently, double functionalisation of simple cyclic silyl enol ethers was investigated. Because of some difficulties in reproducing good overall yields to the cycloadduct 6, a second synthetic route was proposed. It was envisaged that a palladium-catalysed oxidative cyclisation or an organoselenium-mediated cyclisation reaction of compound 8 would construct the 6,6,7,5- skeleton 7, which would be converted to tetrodecamycin (1) via dihydroxylation followed by an introduction of the exo-methylene group. The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of trienal 11 afforded trans-decalin 10, which was converted to β-keto ester 9 in 2 steps. A Dieckmann-type cyclisation of 9 afforded compound 8 in good yield. However, so far transformation to compound 7 has not been achieved (Scheme 2).

For this work, the decision was made to contrast two serological tests, that of the tube agglutination technique and the fluorescent antibody technique for correlation with the coagulase and other characteristics of Staphylococcus strains. This has been a preliminary survey in the hope that as further knowledge is obtained about the staphylococci, grouping of the organisms will become more routine and relatively less complex.