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A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in the branch of Anaesthesiology Johannesburg, 2019 / Background Anaesthesia frequently involves administration of refrigerated intravenous drugs to patients. Often overlooked, maintenance of the cold chain forms a key component of pharmacovigilance for anaesthetists. However the South African national Department of Health guidelines on: “Cold Chain and Immunisation Operations Manual”, does not detail specific requirements for medically validated cold boxes. Consequently the risk of iatrogenic harm to patients from heat-sensitive pharmaceuticals in inappropriately temperature regulated cold boxes exists. Methods The research design was that of a descriptive, prospective and contextual study. Part I study population comprised the ambient air temperatures of the refrigerator and cold boxes used for storage of heat-sensitive pharmaceuticals in theatre at CHBAH taken at one minute intervals over eight hours. Part II study population was newly purchased cold boxes and cold packs for the purpose of assessing individual cold box thermal performance over eight hours. Results In Part I, only a single cold box (polystyrene box number 19) was able to maintain the recommended temperature range of 2 − 8°C for the eight hour period (4.35%). The refrigerator temperature time plot showed a significant deviation of temperature at approximately 30 minutes. In Part II, only fabric and polystyrene cold boxes with three cold packs in situ were able to maintain the recommended temperature of 2 − 8°C. Conclusion This study highlighted the failure of non-medically validated cold boxes to reliably maintain the temperature of heat-sensitive pharmaceuticals. / E.K. 2019

The advent of democracy brought about changes in the cultural heritage landscape. Cultural heritage used to be a preserve of the rich and experts. Heritage of places is not found lying around for it to be discovered, but it is continually reproduced to suit the needs of that particular society. Reproduction of heritage is due to it being amenable to be used and reused to suit the needs of that grouping. Cultural heritage in South Africa offers is used as an economic tool as it offers easy access for participants to the cultural tourism industry. The capital outlay is usually minimal. Politicians also use cultural heritage to create new identities. In South Africa, during the early stages of democracy, heritage was used to promote national reconciliation and nation-building. Robben Island was used as a flagship institution to open up the cultural heritage space and give voice to those previously denied access or whose heritage was distorted or misrepresented. Robben Island, a place of atrocity stemming from the colonial period, was seen as a beacon of hope and promoted as a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. The site's positioning as an economic tool and fostering notions of national unity invariably leads to selecting a layer that will resonate with the nationalist ideals. The exploratory study uses interviews with tour guides and heritage experts to examine the message told to visitors. The results obtained are contrasted with the national legislation, the site's conservation management plans, and UNESCO's requirements for listed sites. At an international level, UNESCO is concerned with preserving the outstanding universal value of sites. The preservation of the heritage at a local level is done through national legislation.

This research expands the theoretical concept of human adjustment to floods established by Gilbert F. White and incorporates his adjustment concept to examine the range of adjustments in business operations adopted by Texas' natural and/or cultural resources sites during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study consisted of an online survey with a follow-up semi-structured phone interview. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the interview data was inductively coded for thematic analysis as well as quantitative and qualitative content analyses. Specifically, this study identifies the adjustment measures undertaken by these entities to maintain business operations while reducing the virus spread; analyses the direct and indirect factors influencing adjustment measures; examines new business opportunities that emerged from these adjustments; and evaluates whether the impact of COVID-19 on these entities varied in terms of entity characteristics. Findings indicate that cultural and/or natural resource sites implemented adjustments to maintain their fiscal stability and/or to protect human health; these serve as direct underlying motivating factors for these entities. To support these direct measures, indirect factors influenced the operations thus required adjustments such as staffing, volunteers, technology, funding, and donations. Additionally, new opportunities in business practices emerged while implementing these adjustments such as networking, maintenance, and virtual options. Across all entity types, virtual programs was a key adjustment addressing both fiscal and health concerns. From these adjustments, this study provides recommendations for cultural and/or natural resource sites to implement to improve resilience to future extreme events.

Food loss and waste represent a significant challenge to global sustainability. In a world where the number of people suffering from hunger has been rising, approximately 1.3 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted each year. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources used to produce it, including water, land, energy, labor, and capital, are also lost. In addition, it is estimated that the disposal of food in landfills generates 11% of all greenhouse gas emissions, thereby contributing to climate change. Food loss and waste can also have a negative impact on food security and prices. This dissertation introduces non-invasive and chemicals-free solutions for the shelf-life extension and quality monitoring of fresh foods. First, we propose the creation of a sterilized anaerobic storage environment using UV-C irradiation and vacuum sealing for increasing the shelf-life of perishables. The proposed combination was tested on fresh strawberries and quartered tomatoes and has successfully increased the shelf-life by 124.41% and 54.41%, respectively, while acceptable sensory characteristics were maintained throughout the storage period. Second, the proposed combination was tested on fresh beef, chicken and salmon fillets, where a shelf-life increase of 66% was achieved. The shelf-life of strawberries, tomatoes and meats were determined by monitoring the organoleptic qualities and counting the microbial populations of various bacteria, which includes aerobic bacteria, Lactic Acid Bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., yeast, mold, Salmonella and E-coli in addition to pH measurements. In the third part, we propose an IoT-enabled electronic nose system for rapid beef quality monitoring. The e-nose system includes carbon dioxide, ammonia, and ethylene sensors to measure the volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) concentrations. Microbial population quantifications of various bacteria were conducted to identify the concentrations of VOCs that are associated with raw beef spoilage. The production of VOCs was correlated with the proliferation of bacteria using linear regression, and it was discovered that aerobic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. play a significant role in the production of VOCs in raw beef, as opposed to LAB. This system demonstrates how the IoT-enabled e-nose system can be an effective tool for monitoring the quality of perishables.

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