This dissertation examines the most important developments and modern trends in the products liability law of the United States, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand. The United States has influenced international products liability forever. The European Union followed the United States, but learned from their mistakes. The lessons are reflected in the European Directive. In turm, Australia followed the European Directive but its close neighbour, New Zealand, managed to address products liability in their own unique way. In contrast, South African products liability law has not seen much development recently. Good guidelines can however be found from comparative law for the future development of products liability law in South Africa. In the conclusion of this dissertation, consideration will be given to the necessity of South Africa following the modern international trends in products liability. / Jurisprudence / LL. M. (Comparative Law)

M.B.A. / This study is an investigation on the return of investment for mass produced South African consumer products. It resulted from trying to address an issue that industrial designers in South Africa struggle to justify substantial fees, as their services are essentially intangible. Their clients, who are generally the management of manufacturing companies, have a choice of service consultants that provide some form of tangible benefit based on empirical evidence, in return for fees. Thus, the need arose for an empirical study on the return on investment of a consumer product, which is the tangible output of industrial design. This is a pilot case study. Its objective was to establish a base-case model for the return on investment gathered from empirical evidence in a single case study of a consumer product developed in South Africa. In addition, this model had to replicate the cash flow diagram of the investment and sales lifecycle of the product. Therefore, this study had to underpin the concepts of ‘return on investment’ and the ‘development of a consumer product’ with theory. The theory essentially confirms that the concept of profits from a shareholder perspective, regards maximising shareholder wealth because they provide the investment. However, the time value of money diminishes this wealth, thereby necessitating the use of discounted cash flow techniques. The investment decision based on these appraisal techniques follows a prescribed, sequential process. Unfortunately, the new product development process does not follow this process. Therefore, the innovative aspect of this research was to match the point of decision between the processes, as this has a direct effect on sunk costs and an implication on the research questionnaire. Thereafter, the questionnaire had to consider the system of innovation in order to determine the activities that have an incremental effect on cash flow. The research methodology for a case study design was used. A set of protocols was established to replicate this study in future studies. A focussed interview was conducted with industrial designers to confirm the issues, who in turn facilitated a meeting with their clients. A client with a consumer product from the security sector was selected. The research questionnaire was completed by the client and analysed by the researcher using Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Modified Internal rate of Return and the Discounted Payback techniques. The solutions showed a significant increase in shareholder wealth as a result of implementing the product. In addition, this information was translated into diagrams to make it simpler for management to understand. Thereafter, a report was submitted to the client. In conclusion, this study achieved its objectives within limitations. However, if the limitations were addressed, there is potential to replicate this as a multi-study and provide a substantial empirical case for industrial design in South Africa.

No description available.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

The effects of ambient temperature storage on the chemical and nutritional characteristics of phosphoric and sorbic acid-stabilized fish autolysates were determined. Variations in sample composition due to autolysis, deboning, and acidification were also evaluated. Autolysates of English sole (Parophrys vetulus), true cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus), and orange rockfish (Sebastodes pinniger) carcass wastes, whole Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) and dogfish shark (Squalis acanthias), and a hake/tuna viscera (70/30 wt/wt) mixture were utilized in the investigation. Samples were acidified to ca. pH 3.25 with phosphoric acid (85% w/v) and contained potassium sorbate at the 0.2% (wt/wt) level. Screen separation of bone reduced the ash levels of samples, with the exception of dogfish shark. Loss of bone minerals, specifically calcium and phosphorus, was responsible. Phosphoric acid addition elevated ash and phosphorus contents to higher levels than for raw materials. Acid-stabilized autolysates were stable to microbial outgrowth throughout 8 months of ambient temperature storage. Slight increases in pH levels were generally observed. Sorbate levels decreased at an apparently exponential rate with respect to time (r=-.9146, P [greater than or equal to] .005). Hydrolytic rancidity did not proceed during storage. Stability towards microbial outgrowth, inactivation of endogenous lipases during pasteurization, and maintenance of acidic environmental conditions enhanced fat stability. Oxidative rancidity, as measured by 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) numbers, progressed during storage. Carcass wastes showed higher rates and overall levels of oxidation. Initial free fatty acid levels correlated in a linear manner with 0 and 4 month TBA numbers (r=.9548, P [greater than or equal to] .005; r=.9187, P [greater than or equal to] .005, respectively). The regression of TBA numbers at 4 months on zero time values increased in a linear manner (r=.9346, P [greater than or equal to] .005). Proteolysis during storage, as monitored by free amino groups, was not detected. Inactivation of native proteases during processing and the microbial stability of samples were responsible. Levels of available e-amino lysine and tryptophan were stable throughout storage. The protein quality of acidified hake, dogfish shark, orange rockfish, and English sole autolysates, stored for 0, 4, and 8 months, was evaluated using protein efficiency ratio (PER) determinations. Protein quality was not affected by storage in samples of acidified hake, English sole, and orange rockfish (P=.05). Ratios for all samples of hake and the 0 and 8 month samples of dogfish shark did not vary significantly (P=.05) from the casein control. English sole and orange rockfish samples yielded PER values that were inferior to casein and round fish samples (P=.05). The regression of feed consumption and PER values on TBA numbers decreased in a linear manner (r=-.7999, P [greater than or equal to] .005; r=-.8424, P [greater than or equal to] .005, respectively). Higher contents of nutritionally inferior visceral proteins and increased rates of oxidative rancidity in the carcass waste samples probably were responsible for their reduced protein qualities. / Graduation date: 1978

The biochemical and organoleptic changes that took place in raw whole Pacific shrimp and in the cooked meat during eight days of iced storage were investigated. A steady increase of both microbial numbers on the raw shrimp and pH in the raw shrimp and cooked meat was observed. The levels of total and non-protein nitrogen and total carotenoid pigment decreased during the storage period. Tyrosine levels showed a. decrease in the raw shrimp, but a progressive increase in the cooked meat was observed. Although proteolytic and polyphenolase activity in the raw shrimp decreased during storage, the losses in nitrogenous components was probably related to a combination of the autolytic degradation of the shrimp coupled with the washing action of melting ice. Trimethylamine oxide levels were shown to decrease in raw shrimp daring storage due to the washing action of melting ice and its reduction to dimethylamine and formaldehyde and in lower amounts, to trimethylamine. The latter, probably is the result of bacterial activity, while the former is due to the action of enzyme systems in the shrimp. Levels of dimethylamine and formaldehyde increased in a parallel manner during the storage period. Trimethylamine levels also increased, but at a much slower rate. Organoleptic quality as shown by taste panel evaluations progressively declined during the storage period. Dimethylamine and formaldehyde levels appeared to be more sensitive indices of cooked shrimp quality than microbial numbers, pH and trimethylamine levels. / Graduation date: 1973

The objective of this study was to identify aroma volatiles in sweet whey powder. Volatiles were isolated by solvent extraction and solvent assisted flavor evaporation. Fractionation was followed to separate acidic volatiles from nonacidic volatiles. Gas chromatography/olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used for the identification ofaroma compounds. Osme methodology was applied to assess the relative importance of each aroma compound. Major free fatty acids detected were acetic, propanoic, butanoic, hexanoic, heptanoic, octanoic, decanoic, dodecanoic and 9-decenoic acids. Major non-acidic compounds detected were hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, l-octen-3-one, methional, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5- dimethylpyrazine, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, fiirfuryl alcohol, p-cresol, 2-acetyl pyrrole, maltol, furaneol and several lactones. The aroma of whey powder comprises mainly of curd fermentation products and compounds formed during further chemical processes such as lipid oxidation and Maillard reaction. / Graduation date: 2005