Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-146).

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 210-226).

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Microbiology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Escherichia coli is a bacterial species that lives in the gut of all warm-blooded animals, fish, birds as well as reptiles and is commonly used as an indicator of fecal contamination in water. This project assessed currently used culture based media for the detection of E. coli in irrigation waters used in Arizona and California, and will present recommendations towards the most reliable media for the evaluation of irrigation waters used for produce. Currently, no microbial indicator standards exist for irrigation waters used for produce production in the United States. The produce industry suggests that the recreational water standard guideline (126 E. coli/100 ml) established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) be used. There is concern that the false positive rate of E. coli detection may be high in these waters giving false indications of the level of risk from enteric pathogens. This project evaluated three commercially available media for E. coli detection to test irrigation waters from three agricultural areas (Yuma and Maricopa, AZ and Imperial Valley, CA) and then assessed false positive rates by utilizing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing of the bacterial isolates. The media that were chosen for evaluation were (1) MI Agar, (2) IDEXX Colilert Quanti-Tray® and (3) m-ColiBlue24® broth, all evaluation media accepted by the USEPA and widely used in the monitoring of irrigation water quality by the produce industry. Four hundred and fifty 1-L irrigation water grab samples were collected between March 2012 and November 2012. The samples were analyzed for both cultural counts and water quality parameters including temperature, salinity and pH. Isolates positive and negative for E. coli were then selected and assessed utilizing PCR and DNA sequencing. The false positive rate of each method was found to be high, with MI Agar, m-ColiBlue24® broth and the IDEXX Colilert Quanti-Tray® at an accuracy of 67%, 72%, and 51% respectively. A false positive result is reported when presumptive E. coli sub cultured from the media is found to be non-E. coli through molecular analysis. Overall the IDEXX Colilert Quanti-Tray® performed at a greater rate of accuracy than the other two media evaluated, however, high false positive rates may lead to inaccurate assessment of water quality.

South Africa has an estimated population of approximately 47. 9 million of which almost (51%) are female; according to the 2007 mid-year report of Statistics South Africa (Stats-SA, 2007). The availability of Antiretroviral (ARVs) that delay HIV progression and improve quality of life of HIV infected individuals and the roll-out of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) have brought renewed hope among many couples and individuals in South Africa. The four pillars of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme include prevention of HIV infection among young women, prevention of un-intended pregnancies among HIV infected women, prevention of HIV infection to the child and provision of care and support services. HIV-positive young women live by socially and medically constructed values that expect them to avoid becoming pregnant, but at the same time they are expected to marry and bear children. A more in-depth understanding of the reproductive decision making experiences of women below the age of 35 is needed because they are at reproductive age and most at risk of HIV infection in South Africa. The impact of a positive HIV diagnosis may be best understood when viewed within a social constructivist framework. A few studies in South Africa (Cooper et al, 2005; Harries et al, 2007; Myer, Morroni, and Rebe, 2007; Orner et al, 2007; Stevens, 2008) have been conducted on fertility desires of HIV positive individuals and couples although not specifically exploring young women who are mostly vulnerable to HIV infection. Recognizing the gap in the desired public health care objectives, such as preventing mother to child transmission of HIV and the lived experiences of young women living with HIV, this qualitative exploratory research was conducted in two South African Townships. The purpose was to explore the reproductive aspirations and intentions of the women below the age of 35, in the light of the higher HIV prevalence in this population, compared to other groups. The research explored two theories of human behaviour; the theory of planned behaviour and Erick Erikson’s human developmental theory. Eleven semi-structured in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted through support groups at clinics in Soweto and Attridgeville. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and all participants signed consent to participate in the research. Findings showed that women younger than 30 who did not have a child, desired and intended to have biological children. Health concerns such as CD4 count, concerns about HIV progression, early death and orphan-hood, previous loss of a child due to HIV and financial concerns were often cited. Tied to this were health workers’ attitudes towards pregnancy among women who knew their HIV status. Women said that a child brought joy, strength and courage to the mother and was seen as an image, when the mother dies, due to HIV. Almost all the women were in support groups that openly discouraged pregnancy among HIV positive women, especially those who already have a child or children. This research indicates that in practice, counselling and information around reproductive health and choices, is often offered in a quest to dissuade HIV-infected women from considering pregnancy. Health services, families and partners, as well as past experiences of motherhood, all play a role in decision making (Cooper et al, 2005). Sometimes policy guidelines alone are not enough to ensure that reproductive rights of women living with HIV are respected at the different levels. This research points out the population of women who have specific needs and who should not be treated as a homogenous group with all women. This recognition should go beyond policy recommendations into implementation and monitoring. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Researchers have struggled to define how to age well since the time of Roman philosopher Cicero in 44 BC, yet today it remains a mystery (Tate, Lah, & Cuddy, 2003). In the context of dealing with age-related declines that often accompany later life, it has recently been suggested that positive reinterpretation, a concept implicit to positive psychology, may be important (Ouwehand, de Ridder, & Bensing, 2007; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Positive reinterpretation has at times been referred to as “secondary control” in the psychological literature. In their seminal article of 1982, Rothbaum, Weisz, and Snyder theorized that there were multiple ways in which people could positively reinterpret outcomes and gain feelings of secondary control, including believing in the power of others and nature, as well as downgrading importance. These belief patterns become especially important in later life, when faced with age-related challenges. In the present study, secondary control beliefs were examined cross-sectionally in 2003 (n = 223) and prospectively in 2006 (n = 117) in a sample of older adults (M age = 85 years, 62% women) using a variety of outcome measures including severity of chronic conditions score, recent health, self-rated health, positive emotion, life satisfaction, and perceived stress. The unique contributions of this study are twofold. First, the findings suggest that some older adults may emphasize certain secondary control beliefs in combination. Second, the combined beliefs were found to relate cross-sectionally to measures of physical and psychological well-being. These exploratory findings have important implications in applied and theoretical contexts. In applied contexts, they may help to enhance physical and psychological well-being in the very old. In theoretical contexts, they extend contemporary thinking on secondary control.

Benign breast biopsy (BBB) can be a stressful experience for many women. Few studies have examined the specific aspects of the BBB more and less distressing. However, no research studies have examined demographic and clinical variables as they relate to distress associated with specific aspects of the BBB or the informational interests of women following a BBB. This study evaluated the magnitude of distress associated with each aspect of the BBB (additional mammography, waiting for the results of the mammography, being informed of needing a biopsy, etc.) as well as the clinical (family history of BC in first degree relative, history of BBB, and type of biopsy) and demographic (age and education) variables as correlates of distress associated with each aspect of a BBB. Additionally, we examined health information interests in women following a BBB and the manner in which women preferred to have this health information communicated.

The world of work has changed dramatically in the last decade and constant change has become the new normality. Employees are affected by possible re-organisation, retrenchments and downsizing which affects their behaviours and attitudes at work. Leaders have the responsibility of leading their followers through these difficult times to the best of their ability. A positive leader is seen as someone who recognises and focuses on the strengths and accomplishments of his or her employees. When a leader is positive and has a positive leadership approach, it may influence their followers’ feelings of psychological empowerment, work engagement and satisfaction with life. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between positive leadership, psychological empowerment, work engagement and satisfaction with life of employees in a chemical industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample (n = 322). The measuring instruments used were the Positive Leadership Measure, the Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire, the Work Engagement Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test whether the measures of the constructs were consistent with the understanding of the nature of the constructs and to test whether the data fitted the hypothesised measurement model. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the structural relationships between the constructs. The results show that there are statistically significant relationships between positive leadership, psychological empowerment, work engagement and satisfaction with life. Positive leadership has an indirect effect on work engagement and satisfaction with life via psychological empowerment. The implication of the results is that the work related aspects of positive leadership, psychological empowerment and work engagement has a positive effect on the non-work related aspect of satisfaction with life. Practical implications and directions for future research are offered. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

One of the great challenges for positive psychology is that academics, researchers and authors are yet to reach agreement on the terminology, constructs and methodology of the various positive psychological concepts and interventions. One such concept that has been ambiguously and often inconsistently conceptualised is happiness. Interventions that are structured around these conceptualisations have produced mixed results, which are attributable to various aspects such as the unidimensional conceptualisation of the concept, inconsistent measurement, psychometric measuring instruments that have not been validated for the population in question, and fragmented intervention methodologies. Research was, therefore, needed regarding happiness and the development of interventions aimed at increasing happiness. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the concept, manifestation, measurement and development of happiness and positive psychological interventions (PPIs) within a tertiary educational environment. A mixed method research approach was followed to reach the research objectives. The first study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of positive psychological assessment measures, and to determine the relationship between flourishing and academic performance within a tertiary educational institution. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to address this objective. The Mental Health Continuum Long Form, Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered and indicated acceptable levels of internal consistency. The MHC-LF would need to be adapted for future studies within the tertiary educational environment. No significant correlations could be established between academic performance and flourishing. However, cross-tabulation indicated some evidence of the impact that flourishing/languishing had on academic performance. Individuals with moderate levels of flourishing typically performed in the „above average‟ to „excelling academically‟ range. Languishing individuals performed at the lower levels of the academic performance spectrum. The results indicated that a large number of individuals within this tertiary educational environment were languishing. Flourishing students experienced higher levels of positive affect and satisfaction with life, as well as lower levels of negative affect than their languishing and moderately flourishing counterparts. The second study aimed to investigate the main streams of research on happiness, the approaches/models flowing from these philosophies and the methodology of happiness interventions. A quantitative meta-analysis of the literature was used to address the aforementioned research objective. Seeing that the literature presents with such incongruent findings regarding the effectiveness of PPIs, research was needed to establish how happiness should be conceptualised, which moderating factors should be addressed in this conceptualisation, and what the content of PPIs should be. A qualitative meta-analysis of the literature indicated that happiness is approached from either a hedonic, eudaimonic or integrated approach. These philosophies gave birth to a stream of scientific literature regarding happiness and its various conceptualisations, namely (a) Subjective well-being; (b) Hedonic well-being; (c) Eudaimonic well-being; (d) Psychological well-being; (e) Flourishing, and (f) Authentic happiness. Furthermore, the results highlighted three causes for failing interventions: (a) unidimensional models/approaches towards happiness, (b) targeting the concept of happiness instead of the mediating factors; and (c) fragmented methodological interventions. The study suggested a multidimensional model for happiness and happiness interventions. Furthermore, the study proposed a multifaceted methodology for happiness interventions, comprising self-administered intentional activities, group-administered interventions and individual coaching. The third study aimed to evaluate a PPI aimed at increasing happiness of students in a tertiary educational institution. A longitudinal pre-experimental research design was used to address the aforementioned research objective. Qualitative data were used to explore the findings further. The results indicated that the overall happiness of a student may be increased through developing individuals on both an emotional and psychological level. The results showed some scientific merit to a multifaceted approach towards PPIs. The PPI affected all the aspects conceptualised in this study except for two components of authenticity, namely authentic behaviour and relational orientations. / PhD, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012