By a tracer study, using ⁸²Br, it is demonstrated that bromine is bound to serum proteins in vivo. ⁸²Br⁻ of high specific activity was injected into rabbits and serum removed one day later. Approximately ½% of the total ⁸²Br in the serum was found to be protein-bound at this stage. The application of various separation methods (electrophoresis, bromide exchange, denaturation followed by desalting) showed that one-third of the protein-bound bromine is loosely attached whereas two-thirds are firmly bound. After partial and complete enzymatic hydrolysis the bromine was found in the amino acid fraction. On the basis of the elution pattern of the amino acids on calibrated cation exchange resin columns it is concluded that the main portion of the radioactivity appeared to be associated with 3-bromo-L-tyrosine. Little, if any, bromine was observed in the serum lipids and in the thyroxine fraction isolated from serum proteins. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This research used the tracer study method to determine more accurate disinfectant contact times in the City of Carbondale Water Treatment Plant. In this investigation, three clarifiers were selected to be the experimental segments. Water samples coming from each clarifier and the confluence of the three clarifiers were analyzed to obtain the disinfectant contact times. Based on a continuous source of infinite duration model and the tool "Solver" in Microsoft Excel, this study optimized the experimental data. The experimental data and the optimized data were then analyzed to determine the disinfectant contact times using the graphical method and the numerical method. The disinfectant contact times obtained between using the experimental data and the optimized data, and between using the graphical method and the numerical method were then compared. The results from the numerical method on the optimized data were most accurate and reliable according to these comparisons. The results suggested that the disinfectant contact times were 192.7 min for the first clarifier when its flow rate was 5.72 ML/d; 161.46 min for the second clarifier when its flow rate was 5.99 ML/d; 156.06 min for the third clarifier when its flow rate was 6.26 ML/d; and 168.48 min for the confluence of all clarifiers when its flow rate was 17.5 ML/d, respectively. The feed flows increase down the distribution manifold changing the disinfectant contact times for the clarifiers.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Curriculum review can ensure that nurses develop appropriate competencies to respond to market demand. Regular revision and updating of curricula are in line with recommendations of the WHO to scale-up health professionals' education and training. Introducing transformative changes in education provides an opportunity to review the strengths and weaknesses of the current systems. The nursing profession was the first of the health professions in South Africa to transform its legislative framework, which led to the development of new qualifications.

No description available.

Magister Artium - MA (Psychology) / The present study aimed to determine the employment and employability profiles of alumni from structured professional Masters programmes in psychology. Issues of low enrolment rates and high attrition rates are at the fore of transformation efforts in the South African higher education sector. The concern of graduate employability and the relevance of skills training received to the labour market are of international concern. Graduate tracer studies have been successfully implemented internationally to attempt to understand these issues. Training relevance is of particular concern for the field of psychology in South Africa, as there is a significant shortage of mental health professionals. Understanding where graduates from professional Masters degrees in psychology find employment, as well as understanding their employability, may lead to greater absorption of graduates from these programmes into the workforce. Permission to conduct the present study and ethics clearance was obtained from the Senate Research Committee of the University of the Western Cape, and all relevant ethics principles were adhered to. An incentivised, online survey was conducted with a sample of 29 Masters-level graduates from two professional psychology programmes at a historically disadvantaged university. The study used a modified version of the Standard Instrument for Graduates. The survey had a 50% response rate (29 of 58) after at least four electronic reminders. Respondents graduated between 2008 and 2013, 13 from the clinical Masters programme and 16 from the research Masters programme. Descriptive statistics were used to depict the employment and employability profiles of the alumni. Most of the respondents were female (n=21), and about a third were first generation students (n=11). Most of the respondents were currently employed (n=25). They were employed in a variety of fields, predominantly health (n=10) and higher education (n=7), and largely clustered in the public sector (n=17). This suggested a transferability of skills. The training received was perceived to be relevant, in terms of accessing employment and conducting current work. Most of the clinical graduates were registered as clinical psychologists (n=12) with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa. There were varied registrations held by graduates from the research programme and some were not registered. The respondents held generally positive attitudes towards their alma mater. These descriptive results were interpreted through the use of McQuaid and Lindsay's (2005) framework of employability, based on the interaction between their individual factors, personal circumstances and external factors. Through this frame, the results highlighted the complex nature of the employability of these graduates.

Magister Artium - MA (Psychology) / The present study aimed to determine the employment and employability profiles of alumni from structured professional Masters programmes in psychology. Issues of low enrolment rates and high attrition rates are at the fore of transformation efforts in the South African higher education sector. The concern of graduate employability and the relevance of skills training received to the labour market are of international concern. Graduate tracer studies have been successfully implemented internationally to attempt to understand these issues. Training relevance is of particular concern for the field of psychology in South Africa, as there is a significant shortage of mental health professionals. Understanding where graduates from professional Masters degrees in psychology find employment, as well as understanding their employability, may lead to greater absorption of graduates from these programmes into the workforce. Permission to conduct the present study and ethics clearance was obtained from the Senate Research Committee of the University of the Western Cape, and all relevant ethics principles were adhered to. An incentivised, online survey was conducted with a sample of 29 Masters-level graduates from two professional psychology programmes at a historically disadvantaged university. The study used a modified version of the Standard Instrument for Graduates. The survey had a 50% response rate (29 of 58) after at least four electronic reminders. Respondents graduated between 2008 and 2013, 13 from the clinical Masters programme and 16 from the research Masters programme. Descriptive statistics were used to depict the employment and employability profiles of the alumni.

Mit zunehmender Meereshöhe werden die Wachstumsbedingungen in tropischen Bergregionen im Allgemeinen ungünstiger, was sich in einer sinkenden Nährstoffverfügbarkeit, sinkenden Temperaturen und sinkendem CO2-Partialdruck zeigt. In tropischen Bergregenwäldern führen verminderte Abbauraten in größeren Höhen einerseits zu dicken organische Auflageschichten und andererseits in Kombination mit verminderten Mineralisierungs- und Nitrifizierungsraten zu Veränderungen in der Verfügbarkeit der verschiedenen Stickstoffformen, und es gibt Nachweise einer Limitierung der Produktivität dieser Wälder durch Stickstoff. Auf welche Weise sich die Photosynthesekapazität (Amax) tropischer Bäume einerseits und die Stickstoffaufnahmekapazität und Präferenz für einzelne Stickstoffformen andererseits an die veränderten Umweltbedingungen entlang von Höhengradienten adaptieren ist nicht genau bekannt. Die vorliegende Untersuchung wurde in drei tropischen Bergregenwäldern durchgeführt, die entlang eines Höhengradienten auf 1000, 2000 und 3000 m ü. NN in Südequador liegen. Das Ziel war es, (1) die Photosynthesekapazität ausgewachsener tropischer Bäume entlang eines Höhengradienten mit Hilfe von Gaswechselmessungen zu bestimmen und die Effekte von Temperatur, CO2-Partialdruck und Nährstoffverfügbarkeit auf die Photosynthese zu quantifizieren und (2) Veränderungen in der Verwendung von Nitrat, Ammonium und organischen Stickstoffquellen durch tropische Waldbäume mit der Meereshöhe mittels einer Tracer-Untersuchung mit stabilen Isotopen an Jungpflanzen zu untersuchen. Mittelwerte der lichtgesättigten Photosyntheserate (Asat) auf Bestandeseben betrugen 8.8, 11.3 und 7.2 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1, die der Dunkelatmung (RD) 0.8, 0.6 und 0.7 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 jeweils auf 1000, 2000 and 3000 m Meereshöhe, ohne einen signifikanten Höhentrend. Die Einordnung unserer Daten in den Kontext eines pantropischen Asat-Datensatzes von tropischen Bäumen (c. 170 Arten an 18 Standorten unterschiedlicher Meereshöhe) zeigte, dass das flächenbezogene Asat in tropischen Bergen im Mittel 1.3 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 pro km Höhenzunahme abnimmt (bzw. 0.2 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 pro K Temperaturabnahme). Die Abnahme von Asat trat auf, obwohl die Blattmasse je Fläche mit der Höhe zunahm. Eine verminderte Photosyntheserate und eine reduzierte Bestandesblattfläche bewirken gemeinsam eine Verringerung der Kohlenstoffaufnahme des Kronenraums mit der Meereshöhe in tropischen Bergregionen. Der Phosphorgehalt pro Blattmasse war der Faktor, der Amax entlang des Höhengradienten hauptsächlich beeinflusste, während die Effekte von Blattstickstoff, Temperatur und CO2-Partialdruck nicht signifikant waren. Amax erfuhr einen teilweisen und RD einen vollständigen homöostatischen Ausgleich als Reaktion auf die Verminderung von Temperatur und CO2-Partialdruck in größeren Höhen, was hauptsächlich durch eine stark reduzierte spezifische Blattfläche (SLA) und die daraus entstehende Zunahme von Blattstickstoff und -phosphor je Blattfläche bedingt war, während keine Zunahme der Karboxylierungseffizienz festgestellt wurde. Wir schlussfolgern, dass die Verminderung von SLA und Gesamtblattfläche mit der Meereshöhe die Kohlenstoffaufnahme von tropischen Wäldern in großen Meereshöhen deutlich stärker bestimmen als adaptive physiologische Modifizierungen des Photsyntheseapparates. Jungpflanzen von sechs Baumarten unterschieden sich hinsichtlich ihrer Präferenz für verschieden Stickstoffformen, allerdings schienen weder das Amonium- und Nitratvorkommen im Boden noch die Meereshöhe die Präferenz zu beeinflussen. Zwei Arten (jeweils die, mit den höchsten Wachstumsraten) bevorzugten Amonium gegenüber Nitrat, während die restlichen vier Arten Nitrat und Amonium mit ähnlichen Raten aufnahmen, wenn beide Stickstofformen verfügbar waren. Nach der Gabe von 15N13C-Glyzin zeigte sich bei drei Arten eine signifikante Akkumulierung von 13C in der Biomasse (zwei Arten mit arbuskulären Mykorrhiza und eine Art mit Ektomykorrhiza) zusätzlich zu einer signifikanten Akkumulierung von 15N, was darauf hindeutet, dass Bäume in tropischen Bergregenwäldern organische Stickstoffverbindungen unabhängig vom Typ ihrer Mykorrhizierung aufnehmen können.