Skin Lightening Treatments: A Review on the Effect of Intravenous Glutathione in the Disease States of Women

The skin bleaching industry is a global business with a vast array of anti-melanogenic choices including glutathione. Glutathione is synthesized in vivo but has been used as a bodily supplement by medical personnel to aid in preventative medicine. Known for its antioxidant properties, glutathione has been used for its anti-melanogenic effects. Intravenous glutathione requires more investigation to determine its safety for usage. It continues to be distributed to the cosmetic industry despite antagonism from the Philippine FDA. This study will research the potential effects of intravenous glutathione on women and it will propose the biochemical mechanisms of glutathione in induced disease states in women. The aim is to educate people about safer methods for skin lightening

Factors influencing autopsy consent for South African miners

A research report submitted to the School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Health. Johannesburg, April 2017Introduction Men and women working in the mines are exposed to health hazards that lead to disability and even death. The Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (ODMWA) provides compensation to families of deceased mineworkers with autopsy-diagnosed occupational lung disease(s). Written consent is required from the next kin before the organs are examined. In the last couple of decades, the numbers of autopsied miners has declined and this may be related to the manner in which consent is requested from families. This study described and compared consent processes autopsy uptake, processes for obtaining consent and the experiences and perceptions of personnel involved in these processes in selected South African mines. Methods A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted. Autopsy uptake was determined using NIOH and hospital records, followed by exploratory qualitative research investigating the processes for obtaining consent in three mining hospitals among relevant staff. Transcripts of 14 audio recorded interviews and one focus group were coded and analysed using ATLAS.ti 7. Thematic content analysis was applied using a deductive and inductive approach. Results and discussion There was an overall 38% decline in autopsy uptake from 183 in 2009 to 113 in 2012 among the participating hospitals. Over the five-year period, the average autopsy uptakes for two of the hospitals were low: 34% and 12%, respectively. The third hospital recorded a high autopsy uptake of 86%. Procedures for offering autopsies were similar among the three hospitals but differed in the categories of personnel performing the tasks. In one of the hospitals with poor autopsy uptake, autopsies were offered to families only if officials thought the deceased miner had a compensable disease. A receptionist who had other competing responsibilities was responsible for offering autopsies in the other hospital. In the hospital with good uptake, the offer of autopsies was done by a prosector who was also a mine union representative and therefore understood the autopsy process and was trusted by the families. Service providers identified lack of knowledge and awareness of ODMWA autopsies as an important factor that influenced family consent amongst a basket of many other factors including language barriers; distrust in the poorly functioning compensation system; traditional, religious beliefs and practices; and the lack of access to autopsy facilities especially in rural areas of South Africa. Some participants were dissatisfied or frustrated with the legal requirements for consent as it is a time consuming task that interfered with their other duties. Conclusion This study has shown that obtaining consent for ODMWA autopsy is a tedious and long process and can be a barrier to autopsy uptake. The personnel involved in offering autopsy play a very important role and need to understand the benefits and processes of autopsy compensation. The major recommendation of this study is the training of personnel involved in offering autopsies to improve their communication skills and, understanding of the purpose and provisions of the ODMWA in order to promote autopsy uptake.MT201

"Indoda" in the dawn of the HIV/AIDS epidemic: a study of masculine ideals, behaviors and practices among black heterosexual men living with HIV

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for Masters degree in Sociology March 2016Following a qualitative approach and using diaries and the anthropological tool of ethnography, the study engaged black heterosexual men living with HIV to explore and describe their masculine ideals, values and behaviors in the dawn of the HIV epidemic. The findings revealed that the fabric that made “Indoda” varied and changed over time but to be Indoda , a man had to have one’s own family and consequently be the head of the family “Intloko yo Muzi”.Indoda was also detailed as someone who was “iQhawe”,a warrior who fought many battles of invulnerability and endured hardships. The findings suggested that although participants strove to attain these specifications, they were also restricted and burdened by them; especially those who were under varying degrees of pressure as a result of the different social, economic and political transitions that were taking place. HIV was seen as a threat to the constructions of hegemonic masculine ideals and thus exposed a budding crisis of masculinity that men in this context were confronted with. While HIV seemed to alter ones identity for some of the participants, other participants revealed that HIV did not change their lives in anyway. Among these participants, multiple relationships with ‘roll ons’; secrets and low condom use were rife. The other group of men who differentiated themselves from those who were HIV negative challenged the dominant notions of masculinities and reconstructed their masculinities in more positive ways. In this way, these men inhabited a subjective position of agency by taking control of their lives and accepting and driving their Z3. The study concluded that masculine norms behaviors and values are fluid and it is through continuously engaging in critical examination of the discourses that construct masculinity that new constructions of what it means to be a man can emerge.MT 201

Perceived stigma and discrimination is the cause for employees not to participate on the HIV/AIDS work programme.

Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: What accounts for failure of employee to register on the workplace HIV/AIDS programme after testing positive? This could be associated with many things such as stigma and discrimination, fear of losing job because of HIV status, or even lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and about the workplace HIV/AIDS programme. A study within Edcon employees was designed to examine the cause of failure to register on workplace HIV/AIDS programme. Qualitative data were collected from four provinces, which are Gauteng, Empumalanga, North West and Limpopo. A 59 questions survey was given to 550 participants at different site during the morning briefing session. Participants were selected randomly irrespective of gender, age, cultural diversity, race, academic level, colour, creed or HIV status. Participants were briefed for five minutes and asked to answer questions based on the knowledge they had on HIV/AIDS. All questions were closed ended and was easy to answer and required fewer instructions and could be answered even by participants with lower educational level. Questionnaires were collected immediately after being filled and four hundred and twenty were correctly completed with no faults one hundred and thirty (130) were void because of errors. The levels of knowledge and attitudes held by the participants with regard to HIV/AIDS was high 69% but low with knowledge of workplace HIV/AIDS programme, which was 13.2%. According to results there was less or no discrimination in the workplace and even in the community in all participants this amounted to 10, 5%. Stigma is a serious problem which need to be addressed, fear of contracting HIV/AIDS, negative judgements about people living with HIV/AIDS and compounded stigma, is very high at 78%. Stigma creates barriers to HIV/AIDS, prevention and disease management, it makes people to be afraid of rejection and chose to keep their status to them self and not to seek help. The hypothesis of the study was not supported, even though there were respondents who said they could not stomach working, or living with HIV positive people, but it was difficult to measure the level of stigma and discrimination, the results were be weighed on the number of responses that indicated that there individual who have had secondary experience or directly involve with the acts of discrimination regard to stigma and discrimination. The level of stigma and discrimination could not be measured accurately.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: wat rekeninge vir mislukking van werker om te registreer op die werk plek HIV/VIGS program na toets positief? Hierdie kan geassosieer word met baie dinge hoe stigma en dikriminasie; vrees van verloor werk weens HIV status, of selfs tekort aan kennis omtrent HIV/VIGS en omtrent die werk plek HIV/VIGS program. 'n studie binne Edcon werkers was ontwerp om te ondersoek die oorsaak van mislukking om te registreer op werk plek HIV/VIGS program. Kwalitatief data was gekollekteer van vier provinsies, wat is Gauteng, Empumalanga, Noord Weste en Limpopo. 'n 59 vrae opname was gegee to 550 deelnemers tot verskillend werf gedurende die môre briefing sessie. Deelnemers was gekose wildweg afgesien van geslag, ouderdom, kultureel diversiteit, wedloop, akademiese vlak, kleur, geloofsbelydenis of HIV status. Deelnemers was saamgevat vir vyf minute en gevra om te antwoord vrae gebasseer op die kennis hulle het op HIV/VIGS. Almal vrae was gesluit op 'n end en was maklik om te antwoord en vereis minder instruksies en kan beantwoord word selfs|gelyk deur deelnemers met laer opleidings vlak. Vraelyste was gekollekteer onmiddellik nadat was gevul en vier honderd en twintig was reg voltooi met geen foute honderd en dertig (130) was leemte weens foute. Die vlakke van kennis en gesindhede gehou by die deelnemers met betrekking to HIV/VIGS was hoë 69% maar laemet kennis van werk plek HIV/VIGS program, wat was 13. 2%. Volgens uitslae daar was minder of geen dikriminasie in die werk plek en selfs|gelyk in die gemeenskap. In al deelnemers hierdie bygedra to 10.5%. Stigma is 'n ernstig (e) probleem wat benodig om te geadresseer wees, vrees van saamtrek HIV/VIGS, negatiewe veroordelings omtrent mense lewe met HIV/VIGS en het saamgestel stigma, is baie hoë tot 78%. Stigma skep hindernisse to HIV/VIGS, voorkoming en siekte hantering, dit maak mense om bang te wees van verwerping en verkies om te hou hul status hulle self en nie om te soek help. Die onderstelling van die studie was nie ondersteun, selfs alhoewel daar was repondente wie gesê hulle kan nie maag werk, of lewe met HIV positief mense, maar dit was moeilik om te meet die vlak van stigma en dikriminasie, die uitslae was wees geweeg op die aantal van antwoorde dat aangewys dat daar individuele wie het sekondêre ondervinding of direk omvat met die handelinge van dikriminasie betrekking to stigma en dikriminasie

The evaluation of the macrophyte species in the accumulation of selected elements from the Varkenslaagte drainage line in the west Wits, Johannesburg South Africa

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, University of the Witwatersrand. Johannesburg, 2016.Mining and associated anthropogenic activities have improved the livelihoods and economy of many countries but negatively impacted the environment and caused detrimental effects on fresh and ground water systems through the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD). The study evaluated three macrophyte species of P. communis, S.corymbosus and T. capensis for uptake of Mg, P, S, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, and Pb in acid mine drainage polluted water. The concentration of elements was also determined in sediments and water so as to calculate the bioconcentration and translocation factors in various parts of the macrophtes. The homogenised plant samples were milled using a Fritsch Pulverisette 6 Mill into pulverized powder and element analysis was done using Spectroscout Geo+ XRF Analyzer Pro. Sediment samples were digested with microwave assisted extraction and analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Water samples were analysed directly using ICP-OES after filteration with ICP-OES. The concentration levels of these elements in water were compared in all the sites to determine which section of the site (inflow, midflow and outflow) have high amount of the selected elements. The results indicated that elements distribution varied in all the points where the water samples were collected. The concentration level of sediment was compared to the concentration levels of elements in the roots, rhizomes and leaves to determine the translocation and bio concentration factor (TC and BCF). Drinking water quality standards by international organisations were also used as a guideline to compare the concentration levels of elements found in water. Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Manganese (Mn) and Copper (Cu) to determine whether their concentrations in the water were above or below the acceptable levels. the concentrations of Fe, Ni, Mn and Cu were found to be above the international water quality standards for drinking water and their average concentrations was 2230, 282, 5950 and 14080 μg/l respectively. The study found out that in autumn, Mg, S, P, and Mo were highly accumulated by leaves of T. capensis, S. Corymbosus leaves and rhizomes as well as the P. communis leaves and the highest concentrations were 6.61, 72900, 2.00 μg/g respectively. In autumn, Co was the only element highly accumulated by the roots of T. capensis with the highest concentration of 342.80 μg/g. On the other hand, Cr and Fe, was highly accumulated by S. corymbosus roots with the highest concentration of 279.20 and 10.03 μg/g in summer. In summer, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb were highly accumulated by the roots of P. communis and the concentrations were 279.20, 39390, 204.10, 299.50, 813.80 and 47.5 μg/g respectively. The results show that although the plant species accumulated the elements in various concentrations, there was no plant species that accumulated all the selected elements in higher concentrations than the other plant species. They all accumulated a variety of elements in varying amounts and stored them in their different parts. Finally, in all the three plant species analysed, the leaves were the best accumulator of Mg, S, and Mo, whilst the roots were the best accumulators of Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb. Since the translocation and bioconcentration factors showed that the macrophyte species accumulated higher concentrations of elements than water and sediments, they can be regarded as hyperaccumulators. Macrophytes species can uptake and accumulate in their different parts various elements and they have the potential to clean the heavy metal polluted sites due to their phytostabilisation and phytoextraction abilities.LG201

Towards an Effective Learning Organisation and the Role of Human Resources (HR) Department: The Case of a South African Finance Organisation

This study investigates the effectiveness of measures taken by a South African finance institution towards guaranteeing that it is a learning organisation and the supportive role of Human Resources (HR) in this regard. The business environment today is volatile, uncertain, and has become more complex and ambiguous. Organisations have to make fast and appropriate decisions in order to remain current and relevant. Given the rate of change in the global business environment, organisations which are still characterised by traditional bureaucratic and hierarchical structures will find it difficult to adapt to the ever-changing business environment. This institution’s environment is characterised by a high level of bureaucracy and hierarchy resulting in prolonged decision-making processes. The prevalent culture does not promote information sharing and synergies between employees and different departments. In this study, the quantitative research method was used due to the large sample and population. The probability sampling technique was used to collect data from a population of 388 stratified into different management layers. Using multiple regression analysis, the study proved that the ability to promote learning abilities is significantly influenced by HR in driving a culture of learning within the organisation. The study provided further evidence that the learning organisation concept is holistic in its approach and that HR plays a key role in laying the foundation for this concept to thrive. Finally, a recommendation is made in the study that management should review organisational structures in place to improve decision-making. HR should play a more visible role in providing guidelines for mentorship and encourage cross-functional training, knowledge sharing and transfer among departments and employees

Social-background factors affecting the academic success of first year sociology students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa

The objective of the research was to explore the role of social-economic factors in the academic achievement of first year students at a South African University. A survey was conducted with a sample size of 210 students. The influence of the following variables were examined with inferential statistics: having English as a home language; being a first-generation student; quality of high school attended; size of physical living/study space of a student and household structure. Chi-square tests showed that in this sample home language, type of high school and living/study space impacted on students' performance

Level of participation of small-scale crop farmers in agro-processing in Gauteng province of South Africa

Agro-processing is becoming more popular and practiced by farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, add value to farm products and increase farm income. This paper presents the small-scale crop farmers’ level of participation in agro-processing in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Data were collected from 255 small-scale crop farmers selected by random sampling using a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23 of 2015) was used to analyse data. Descriptive statistics (in form of percentages) were used to analyse the background characteristics of the farmers, whereas the multinomial logit model was further used to show the level of participation amongst the small-scale crop farmers. With respect to agro-processing, results indicated that 47.1% of the small-scale crop farmers participated partly, 40.8% of them participated fully while 12.2% did not participate at all. Results of the multinomial analyses indicated that, educational level (p<0.05), size of the field (p<0.05), distance to the market (p<0.01), and access to credit (p<0.01) had positive significant influence on small-scale crop farmers’ choice to participate fully in agro-processing. Gender, regarding male participation (p< 0.05), and age of farmer (p<0.01) had significant influence on farmers’ choice to fully participate in agro-processing. Furthermore, the results of the multinomial analyses showed that size of the field (p<0.01) owned by the farmer and access to credit (p< 0.05) had positive influence on the farmers’ choice to participate partly in agro-processing whereas older farmers (p< 0.05), widows (p< 0.1) and farmers with more number of fields (p<0.01) were less likely to participate partly in agro-processing activities. These results have implications for the development of smallscale farmers venturing into agro-processing in the Gauteng province. Young females should be encouraged to join the agricultural sector as they are likely to participate in agro-processing activities which in turn results in improved income and food security at the household level. Furthermore, new agricultural education programmes should be encouraged in the area households as educated farmers are more likely to participate in the value addition activities of agro-processing

Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO

Trust is a central feature in corporate-governance theory and practice. While trust is advanced as a motivational factor in dominant organisational theories and practices, it is conspicuously absent in corporate-governance literature. At one extreme, scholars discount trust, which leads to theories that characterise the relationship between governance actors as goal-conflicted and as something that potentially exposes organisations to distress. At the other, scholars approach trust as a given and characterise governance actors as locked in mutually beneficial relationships that inspire trust, even if organisational distress also occurs. Neither extreme characterisation has been useful in explaining how governance actors organise themselves to avoid or escape financial distress. Using a multiple-casestudy method, underpinned by a critical-realist perspective, this study provides an explicit exploration of trust and its complement—distrust—and explains the complexity of the trust relationship between governance actors such as chief executive officers, board chairmen, and board directors. This study seeks to demonstrate that distrust, as characterised within agency theory, and trust, as portrayed within stewardship theory, detract from understanding effective board task-performance. Some scholars have relied on proxy variables such as board composition and financial performance to assess board task-performance, but this often leads to weak theoretical explanations. Moreover, this study specifies how optimal levels of trust and distrust could explain effective board task-performance, which scholars have shown partially contributes to financial performance. This study proposes that optimal trust and distrust between governance actors occurs where levels of trust and distrust are simultaneously high. This study develops a theory of moderated-trust governance that is underpinned by generative processes with supporting propositions. Therefore, this study contributes to literature on both trust and corporate governance.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018.Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)PhDUnrestricte

Factors promoting and hindering sporting success among South African former Olympians from historically disadvantaged areas

There are various contributing factors to sporting success among elite athletes, including Olympians. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the enablers and/or barriers to sporting success among South African former Olympians from historically disadvantaged areas (HDAs) using the SPLISS framework. This would enable an understanding of the factors that lead to sporting success among athletes from HDAs. A qualitative research design was employed for this study, whereby semi-structured interviews were conducted among 15 former Olympians who represented South Africa between the 1992 and 2016 Olympic Games. The ATLAS.ti (version 22) software tool was used to analyse the data. The study found that athletes from HDAs attributed their sporting success to the functional competition structure, sports access at community level, access to scholarships and bursaries to elite schools/universities, good coaching support and mentorship, access to local and international competitions, as well as community and peer athlete support. The highest barriers reported by athletes were inadequate financial support, a dysfunctional school sport system, lack of sports facilities, equipment and transport system, poor post-career and scientific support. Elite athletes from HDAs need consistent financial support, school/foundation level sport access, quality sports facilities, equipment, and reliable transport to training and competitions, post-career, as well as scientific support to achieve their full potential and attain international sporting success.