Clostridium difficile is one of the UK’s most common hospital acquired infections and there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that the bacteria are sensitive to the antibacterial properties of tea. Surprisingly, little research has been undertaken to characterise the inhibitory activity of aqueous tea infusions that are representative of traditional drinking habits. The antibacterial properties of tea are thought to be due to a group of polyphenols called catechins. However, their contribution to the inhibitory activity of tea infusions and their mechanism of action is still subject to debate. An antimicrobial assay, developed using Staphylococcus aureus as a model organism, was used to determine the antibacterial activity of a range of tea infusions against 75 clinical isolates of C. difficile that represented all the major strain ribotypes over 11 years. Green teas demonstrated more potent antibacterial activity than black teas and their activity was positively correlated with antioxidant power, hydrogen peroxide production, and catechin content. Furthermore, the country of origin of the tea affected the catechin content and subsequent antimicrobial activity of the infusion. Detailed chemical analysis using high performance liquid chromatography and counter current chromatography suggests that the antibacterial activity of tea is probably the result of synergistic interactions between a number of catechins rather than the activity of an individual compound. With regards to the mode of action by which tea inhibits C. difficile, electron microscopy studies of the bacterium treated with green tea revealed distinct changes to the outer cell structures of the bacteria. These changes were indicative of cell membrane blebbing, thus supporting the theory that tea compounds interact with the bacterial membrane and/or cell wall. Overall, this investigation concluded that tea infusions have inhibitory activity against C. difficile in vitro and may be useful in the treatment or prevention of C. difficile infections in vivo.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2007. / Group analysis of homoeopathic remedies is a relatively new methodology, linking naturally related substances via their common symptomatology. At its very basic level of understanding, it is an attempt to identify a mechanism for understanding groups of related remedies according to the natural classification of various sources used in homoeopathic practice (Scholten, 1993). This not only offers new aspects to well known remedies, but illuminates the smaller, less well known remedies, resulting in a more comprehensive and rounded understanding of the materia medica / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2007. / Until recently the most important method of studying homoeopathic remedies has been to look at each remedy separately and not in the context of a particular group to which it belongs. Group analysis, as defined by pioneering authors such as Sankaran (2002) and Scholten (1993), is an attempt to identify a mechanism for understanding groups of related remedies according to natural classification of the various sources used in homoeopathic practice. / M

This mini-dissertation was submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005. xxvii, 153 p. / Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) remains a medically unexplained syndrome, with differing aetiological models, case definitions and treatment recommendations (Ranjith, 2005:13). Sharpe & Wessely (1997:179) state that the current case definition for CFS has assumed acceptance as representing nothing more than a working definition of a clinical problem, pending further understanding. CFS has subsequently become the focus of much research and debate (Wessely, Hotopf & Sharpe, 1999:13). Notwithstanding, the definition in terms of diagnostic criteria is adequate in meeting the needs of research studies (Rutherford, 2003). Anecdotal reports, espousing the effectiveness of homoeopathic treatment of CFS, points to the use of the similimum. (Bailey, 1995:189; De Schepper, 2001:6-7; Hardy, 2005:8-10). However, the limited research available on the subject suggests that more research needs to be conducted in this regard (Wessely, Hotopf & Sharpe, 1999:371; Walach, 2004:210-211). This double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of homoeopathic similimum treatment in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006. / Health care practitioners have known for some time that patients benefit from specific manual intervention effects, but also from the manner in which these are presented. The latter at times having as much impact on patient health as the former. Thus the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the clinical ritual during instrument assisted adjusting whilst managing mechanical lower back pain. The study was a randomized prospective study comprising of sixty participants aged 18-59. These individuals were randomly allocated into two groups of thirty and then further stratified to control for gender. Both Groups were diagnosed according to the Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique (AMCT), however the tension was set at maximum for group A, whilst the device was set to the minimum tension for group B. Each patient received three treatments and one follow up visit over a two-week period. Subjective data was collected at the first, third and follow up visit. Subjective data was recorded using the Visual Analogue Scale, the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, the Roland Morris Questionnaire and the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire. Outcomes were analysed through with the SPSS statistical package at a 95% level of confidence. After analysis of the collected data it was found that there was no statistical difference between the groups, but there was a non-specific trend suggesting a better outcome in the full tension activator group (Group A). Thus, the research indicated that patients perceptions, the patient-practitioner relationship, and the assumption of an outcome of success as well as the power of placebo or non-specific effects play a large role in the managing of lower back pain in a chiropractic environment. / M

A dissertation presented in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005. / Research indicates the sacroiliac joint (prevalence of sacroiliac syndrome ranges from 19.3% and 47.9% (Toussaint et al., 1999)) as being the primary source of low-back pain in 22.5% of patients with back pain (Bernard et al., 1987:2107-2130). Treatment options that are available for the treatment of low-back pain include allopathic (Hellman and Stone, 2000), and manual therapies such as hydrotherapy and traction (Cull and Will, 1995). It has been found that allopathic interventions have been less effective than spinal manipulative therapy, even with spinal manipulative therapy having various modes of application (e.g. side posture and drop piece manipulations) (Gatterman et al., 2001). Drop table thrusting techniques were found to be effective for patients with neuromuskuloskeletal problems such as facet syndrome (Haldeman et al., 1993), however, it is still not known which specific drop piece technique is the most appropriate for sacroiliac syndrome. Thus it is important to ascertain the clinical effectiveness of the technique as certain conditions prevent the patient from being positioned in the conventional side posture for treatment of sacroiliac syndrome (White, 2003; Pooke, 2003; Hyde, 2003; Pretorius, 2003; Haldeman, 2003; Cramer, 2003; Engelbrecht, 2003). Therefore this study aims at determining the efficacy of a maintained contact drop piece manipulation technique. / M

A dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for a Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology. Thesis, 2005. / In symptomatic sacroiliac syndrome, nociceptors located within the capsule and ligaments of the sacroiliac joint are said to be activated which in turn act on inhibitory interneurons that synapse with the motor neuron pool of the muscles of that joint (muscles responsible for hip flexion, extension, abduction and adduction fall within the sacroiliac motor neuron pool). These inhibitory interneurons relay information that decreases the recruitment ability of that motor neuron pool. This is termed Arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) and it has been stated that the number of motor units innervating a muscle relates positively to the strength of that muscle and hence may have an effect on the functional ability of that muscle. However, it has been proposed that spinal manipulation activates mechanoreceptors (Wyke receptors) from structures in and around the manipulated joint causing changes in motor neuron excitability through the altered afferent input and thereby causing an increase in motor neuron recruitment and a decrease in AMI. Furthermore, it has been found that sacroiliac joint problems have often been related to reduced or asymmetric range of motion (ROM) of the hip and / or lack of proprioceptive ability in the ipsilateral limb. In light of the above, manipulation has been found to cause a re-establishment of normal muscle tone and joint kinematics, therefore relaxing the muscles in that area and restoring normal ROM of the involved joint. This study presents the results of sacroiliac manipulation on objective hip measures (including peak torques, ROM and proprioception). / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Technikon Natal, 1998. / Mechanical neck pain is an extremely common condition. At any specific time, as many as 12% of the adult female population and 9% of the adult male population experience pain in the neck, with or without associated arm pain, and 35% of people can recall an episode of previous neck pain (Bland 1994:3). However, to date little research has been conducted to investigate which treatment protocolIs may be the most effective in the management of mechanical neck pain syndromes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the combination of chiropractic manipulative therapy and intermittent, mechanical cervical traction would be more effective in the treatment of mechanical neck pain than chiropractic manipulative therapy alone. It was hypothesized that chiropractic cervical manipulative therapy and the combination of chiropractic cervical manipulative therapy and intermittent, mechanical cervical traction would both be effective in the treatment of mechanical neck pain. Moreover, with reference to objective and subjective clinical findings, it was hypothesized that the combination of chiropractic cervical manipulative therapy and intermittent, mechanical cervical traction would be more effective in the treatment of mechanical neck pain than chiropracic manipulative therapy alone. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Technikon Natal, 1998. / Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of two seemingly different approaches to manipulation of the cervical spine in the treatment of cervical spine dysfunction. The researcher postulated that a manual manipulation would have a greater effect in reducing pain and increasing range of motion that accompanies cervical dysfunction than an instrumental, low force, high velocity thrust delivered by means of an Activator Adjusting Instrument. The reason for this is that it provides greater joint movement. Methods This randomised controlled trial consisted of two treatment groups. Each group consisted of 15 subjects, between the ages of 16 and 65 years, selected from the general population and randomly allocated to treatment group A or B. Group A received instrumental thrusts delivered by an Activator Adjusting Instrument (AAI), while group B received standard diversified manual manipulations to the dysfunctional joints in the cervical spine. Each subject was assessed by using subjective measures of the CMCC Neck Disability Index, Numerical Pain Rating Scale and McGill Short- Form questionnaire; and the objective measure of degrees of cervical range of motion obtained using a cervical goniometer (CROM). Two tailed statistical analysis was conducted at a = 0.05, using the non-parametric Wilcoxin Signed Rank Test and the Mann-Whitney U Test comparing intra-group and inter-group data respectively. Further assessment of the data was conducted using power analysis. This data as well as the descriptive statistics were presented in tables and bar charts. / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Technikon Natal, Durban, 2002. / The fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus was selected for this research project because of its similarity in appearance to a human kidney. It was initially thought that a connection to the Doctrine of Signatures could be proved, however, this was not the ultimate purpose of this research project. The purpose of this placebo-controlled investigation was to determine the effects of the thirtieth centesimal (30CH) potency of Pycnoporus sanguineus on individuals of average health; in order to discover the totality of symptoms produced by the remedy so that it may be prescribed according to the law of similars, as required by Homoeopathic science. It was hypothesised that this study would produce a list of symptoms associated with this substance, Pycnoporus sanguineus, which, can then be used Homoeopathically (according to the totality of symptoms produced by the drug so that it may be prescribed according to the law of similars) in the treatment of disease where no other remedy has yet acted precisely and thus be able to cure a class of cases that until then could only have been partially covered by existing remedies (Sherr 1994:58). This Homoeopathic drug proving of Pycnoporus sanguineus 30CH took the form of a double blind, placebo controlled trial on 30 subjects who met all the inclusion criteria. Fifty percent (15 of the 30) of the subjects received placebo in a randomised fashion, so that neither the provers nor the researcher knew who was receiving placebo or verum. As an added control measure, the provers were unaware of the substance, which they were proving or in which potency it was being proved. The study design consisted of two groups: one control group with placebo controls and the other experimental group, which also has intraindividual controls in which the prover serves as his or her own control i.e. the recorded state of the prover prior to the administration of the proving substance served as a control or baseline for comparison to the prover under the influence of the proving substance. (Stephenson 1960; Vithoulkas 1986:150). / M