The effectiveness of the Therapeutic Sandstory Method as a focused intervention with a child: a descriptive single case study
- Authors: Francis, Staci
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424973 , vital:72198
- Description: This study explores and describes a phenomenological case study, illustrating a postmodern constructionist orientation to sandtray work with a South African child. The Therapeutic Sandstory Method (TSM) involves the innovative integration of a variety of tenets when working with children– constructing sandworlds, storytelling, the reflection of stories and coherent therapeutic documents in therapy collectively facilitating the healing process. This novel method enables children to translate and communicate their own personal experiences and traumas into a concrete form through storytelling and metaphoric connections constructed in their sandworld. It is anticipated that the TSM is a brief yet feasible, child-centered therapeutic engagement designed to continue the therapeutic process outside of the therapy setting, making it ideally suited for children and adolescents from under-resourced communities. The results of the study revealed improved interpersonal functioning and emotional wellbeing after eight sessions. Contextualized narrative and social constructionist findings are discussed and recommendations made pertaining to future research and practice using TSM with children in therapy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
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The effects of different shift patterns on nurses’ sleep-wake behaviours in selected, private healthcare facilities
- Authors: Bell, Emma Catherine
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424219 , vital:72134
- Description: Nurses are required to work shifts to provide 24-hour care, in which they complete physically and mentally demanding tasks. The length and type of shifts, particularly night shifts interfere with the natural sleep-wake behaviours, leading to extended wakefulness and overall reduced sleep, and increase the likelihood of sleepiness during subsequent shifts. This can in turn affected various cognitive processes such attention, vigilance and alertness, which are necessary during the care process. Sleepiness as a result of working shifts has also been associated with an increased risk accidents and error during the delivery of care. Given the unique demands and ways in which workplaces are structured, each context arranges its shifts in unique ways and thus, in order to determine how to manage the effects of shift work, it is important to understand how it affects self-reported fatigue and sleep, of, in this case, nurses. While there has been extensive research on this in the global north, to date, there has been limited research aimed at examining the effects of shift work on nurses’ sleep-wake behaviours and fatigue in the South African context. Therefore, the aim of this study is to characterise shift arrangements in selected private facilities and explore its effects on private healthcare nurses. This study adopted a cross-sectional, survey design using an amended version of Standard Shiftwork Index. The questionnaire included demographic and shift details and explored the impact of the shift systems on nurse sleep-wake behaviours and disturbances and fatigue and workload. It was distributed among shift working nurses registered with the South African Nursing Council across three selected, private, healthcare facilities in the Eastern Cape, over a two-month period. The responses were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics, with open-ended questions analysed using a thematic analysis. A total of 51 nurses completed the survey. Nurses worked 12-hour shifts which included night shifts and day shifts with fixed start and end times. Over time was commonly reported and generally, nurses reported having very little control over their shift arrangements. Overall, nurses slept less than what they reported they needed on duty days, with nurses working both day and night shifts reporting to sleep less than the globally recommended required sleep. This was compensated for by longer sleep durations during days off. The data collection revealed that three different shift arrangements were in use, including permanent day shifts, permanent night shifts and rotating shift work including nights, with permanent night nurses working significantly more consecutive shifts (seven) than the other two shift types and having significantly more days off (seven) as well. While there were no significant differences in self-reported sleep across the three shift types, permanent night nurses were found to have the shortest sleep. During days off, rotating nurse reported significantly longer sleep times compared to day shift workers which may point to the need to catch up from sleep debt. Rotating nurses experienced the greater total disturbances to their sleep than permanent day and permanent night shift nurses. While not statistically significant, it may point to the fact that rotating shift workers could not obtain regularly timed sleep (due to having to change their schedules) compared to permanent day and night nurses. Workload (physical, emotional, mental and time pressure) did not differ between the shifts (day or night) or the shift types, but did reflect a heavier workload, possibly due to the data collection occurring during the 5th wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. This study highlights that nurses in private healthcare facilities are working extended hours which were associated with reduced total sleep, irrespective of the nature of the shift, with rotating shift nurses experiencing some degree of greater disturbances to their sleep. The number, duration speed and direction of the shifts of rotating nurses needs to be explored further, whilst also exploring the influence of individual factors on sleep-wake behaviours of nurses. It may be beneficial for the healthcare facilities to implement fatigue management strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of shift work, given the impact that this may impact the delivery of care. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2023
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The ergonomic assessment of two different pipette models and their effects on biomechanical, performance, and subjective outcomes
- Authors: Masoka, Bonolo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424278 , vital:72139
- Description: While laboratory workers are essential in many industries, they are also at a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Manual pipetting has been identified as the leading cause of MSDs in laboratories because it exposes operators to high forces, repetition, static muscular loading, and awkward wrist postures for prolonged periods. The main contributors to the high risk associated with manual pipetting are the design of manual pipettes and how they are used. A laboratory-based study was conducted to assess and compare the biomechanical, subjective, and performance responses of an ergonomically designed pipette model to those of a traditional model. In a simulated laboratory workstation, 20 individuals performed 40 repetitions of pipetting tasks using each pipette model. Dependent variables consisted of muscle activity (of the Abductor Pollicis Brevis, Opponens Pollicis, Extensor pollicis longus, Abductor pollicis longus, Extensor pollicis brevis, and brachioradialis muscles), wrist postures, time to task completion, perceived muscular exertion (measured using the Borg RPE scale), perceived comfort and usability, and user preference. The results revealed that an ergonomic modification to pipette design has some effect on biomechanical and subjective outcomes. The ergonomic model significantly reduced muscular loading of the Opponens pollicis, and Abductor pollicis brevis muscles. The ergonomic model also reduced radial deviation and was associated with better subjective responses, while the time to task completion did not change. This study found that an ergonomic modification to pipette design can improve user comfort and well-being without compromising performance. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of addressing pipette design to reduce the MSD risk associated with manual pipetting, and the necessity for a user-centred approach to tool design. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2023
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The heterologous expression and in vitro biochemical characterization of the Hsp70 escort protein 1 and mitochondrial Hsp70 partner proteins of the Trypanosoma brucei parasite and humans
- Authors: Mahlalela, Maduma Ernst
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431832 , vital:72807 , DOI 10.21504/10962/431832
- Description: The 70 kDa family of heat shock proteins (Hsp70) plays a central role in the maintenance of cellular proteostasis, with paralogues occurring in all the major compartments of the eukaryotic cell. Hsp70s act in conjunction with proteins known as co-chaperones, as part of the larger molecular chaperone network. In the mitochondrion, Hsp70 (mtHsp70) is responsible for the import of proteins synthesized in the cytosol, protein folding in the matrix and the maintenance of the iron-sulphur cluster. In human cells mtHsp70 (HSPA9) is also referred to as mortalin, as the knockdown of the protein leads to cell mortality. Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals. In the T. brucei parasite there are three identical mtHsp70 (TbmtHsp70) proteins that are produced, forming part of the Hsp70 machinery that is essential for parasite survival. In humans, the levels of HSPA9 are often elevated in non-communicable diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Despite their vital cellular roles, mtHsp70s are characteristically prone to self-aggregation. The binding of the Hsp70 escort protein (Hep1) is required to prevent the aggregation of mtHsp70 proteins, enabling the proteins to function. In many non-communicable diseases, mtHsp70 and other molecular chaperones such as heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) are being investigated as potential drug targets. Existing anti-trypanosomal drugs for treating sleeping sickness are toxic, having adverse side effects that are potentially lethal. Investigations into Hsp70s, and other molecular chaperones, form part of the research into the discovery of novel and efficacious therapeutics. This is the first study to characterise Hep1 and investigate its partnership with mtHsp70 in T. brucei. The overall aim of this study was to comparatively assess the T. brucei and human mtHsp70/Hep1 partnerships. The putative T. brucei Hep1 (TbHep1) orthologue was analysed in silico, and it was found to possess a zinc finger domain consisting of anti-parallel β-sheets that are characteristic of canonical Hep1 proteins, whilst the N-terminal domain was unstructured. Based on sequence analysis, the regions outside of the zinc finger domains lacked conservation. Despite the lack of sequence conservation, the N- and C-terminal regions of TbHep1 shared segments of similarity with Hep1 orthologues of other kinetoplastid and trypanosomal orthologues. The same held true for the N- and C-termini of human Hep1 (HsHep1) when compared to other Hep1 orthologues of mammalian origin. Biochemical analysis revealed TbmtHsp70 and HSPA9 to be prone to self-aggregation, which was reduced by co-expression with TbHep1 and HsHep1, respectively. Recently Hep1 proteins have been determined to be present in the cytosol. In this study, TbHep1 and HsHep1 also interacted with the cytosolic Hsp70s, HSPA1A and TbHsp70, by preventing their thermally induced aggregation and stimulating their ATPase activities. TbHep1 and HsHep1 also suppressed the thermally induced aggregation of the model substrates malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase, independently of Hsp70. To date, only two Hep1 orthologues, HsHep1 and LbHep1, have been found to function in a similar manner to a J-protein co-chaperone by stimulating the ATPase activities of their partner mtHsp70 proteins. In this study, TbHep1 stimulated the ATPase activity of TbmtHsp70. HsHep1 also stimulated the ATPase activity of TbmtHsp70. However, the mechanism of action still needs to be determined. This study also explored the potential of the Hep1 orthologues to be functionally activated by oxidative stress, which is prevalent in mitochondria. The abilities of TbHep1 and HsHep1 to reduce the thermally induced aggregation of malate dehydrogenase were enhanced under oxidative conditions. Disrupting the function of Hep1 has been found to eventually lead to cell death, and given the critical role played by mtHsp70 in the cell, this partnership could be exploited as a potential drug target. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that TbHep1 and HsHep1 functionally interact with mtHsp70s, whilst also possessing independent chaperone activities that are also potentially influenced by the environmental redox state. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biotechnology Innovation Centre, 2023
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Wildlife-vehicle collisions mitigation measures using road ecological data and deep learning
- Authors: Nandutu, Irene
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431907 , vital:72814
- Description: Access restricted. Expected release in 2025. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Mathematics, 2023
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“How do you feel about the abortion?”: pre-termination of pregnancy counselling in the public health sector in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Du Toit, Ryan Rudolph
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/437238 , vital:73355 , DOI 10.21504/10962/437239
- Description: Pre-abortion counselling, as an aspect of abortion provision, has received growing research interest in various contexts. Much of the research has primarily focused on whether abortion counselling takes place, the experiences of women and/or counsellors (usually through retrospective interviews and surveys), and the content discussed during the counselling session (often policy regulated). Such research has proven vital to addressing the various reproductive issues facing women seeking an abortion worldwide. However, little research has focused on how pre-abortion counselling as an everyday institutional practice is conducted at a conversational level in the medical setting. By drawing on both conversation analysis and discursive psychology, this study explored how pre-abortion counselling was conducted in the public health sector in South Africa. The study involved recording the conversation during pre-abortion counselling and analysing it in terms of its content, in particular, the discourses drawn on by all parties involved, and its structure and delivery. The data were collected from three public hospitals in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and involved the audio recording of pre-abortion counselling sessions as part of abortion services. In total, 28 counselling sessions were recorded: 21 were individual sessions, and 7 were group counselling sessions. At two of the sites, counselling was conducted by registered midwives who worked at the hospital. At one site, an external Christian organisation volunteered trained counsellors to counsel women at the hospital free of charge. Using conversation analysis, counselling sessions were analysed in terms of the main projects. Seven key projects were identified: (1) Context setting, (2) History taking, (3) Establishing reason for abortion, (4) Presenting options, (5) Providing procedural information, (6) Obtaining verbal informed consent, and (7) Discussion of family planning. Each project is explored in terms of what discourses and subject positions featured when speakers were orienting to a specific project. This process highlighted how the conversational projects and their respective goals enable the deployment of certain problematic discourses and interactive/reflexive positionings. Discourse analysis revealed a clustering of discourses around two central themes. In the first clustering, the discourses were primarily used to discuss the (1) medically related issues underpinning the abortion procedure [medical discourse, responsibilization discourse, risk discourse, and discourse of support]. Talk using these discourses positioned women as patients needing medical intervention, responsibilised women for conceiving, playing an active role in their termination, and navigating all the psychological and physical risks “associated” with abortion. The discourse of support illustrates how support was spoken about in the interaction whereby patients were constructed as subjects who required support and nurses/counsellors as the ones who offered the support. In the second clustering, the discourses (2) focused on women and the foetus. These discourses [reproductive choice, religious, pronatalist, and foetal personhood discourses] positioned women as being responsible for making a choice regarding their pregnancy and the consequences that may result. In addition, a religious discourse coupled with a pronatalist discourse was used to construct the pregnancy and motherhood as desirable and part of “God’s plan”, whereas the foetus was spoken about as a “gift from God”. The foetal personhood discourse was used to construct the foetus as a living and functional human. This research provides evidence of how abortion counselling is problematic at various levels. At a practical level, there is a lack of standardisation in the delivery of abortion counselling (e.g., variation in key projects, where the counselling is mandated, time taken, nurse/counsellor training, content and format – group vs. individual counselling). At a discursive level, the use of certain discourses works to render the counselling directive through : (1) awfulizing abortion by providing misinformation about the abortion procedure, foetus and post-abortion psychological distress, (2) chastising and responsibilising women for conceiving, (3) constructing abortion as immoral, the ending of life and not in line with God’s plan, (4) constructing parenthood as the preferred choice, (5) delegitimising abortion as a resolution for pregnancy when compared to the other options (e.g., parenting or adoption), and finally (6) providing counselling that does not take into account the broader socio-political contexts. Recommendations for future research are put forward, and a call to move to a reparative justice framework is made by highlighting how it can be used to identify and understand reproductive injustices as they occur along four intersecting dimensions: (1) Individual material, (2) Collective material, (3) Individual symbolic, and (4) Collective symbolic. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
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