Public sector facility management at military unit level: an exploratory study

The purpose of this research is to explore the scope and understanding of facility management (FM) in the public sector, and specifically at military unit level, and compare it to a normative model. The principles of applied research are used in a single exploratory and instrumental case study with a mixed-method approach of data gathering. The literature review studied secondary data to create context, and open-ended and closed-ended questions in a questionnaire produced primary data on the actual scope and understanding of FM. A sequential mixed research approach was used to discuss the five research propositions. The research found that FM policies do not extend to military unit level. Furthermore, that FM practitioners have some understanding and competencies but there is no consistency in and between units, and therefore, support is needed in some. Support is required in the form of training/education, career development, budgets and structures as identified by FM practitioners. The Department of Defence (DOD) needs to define and communicate FM; structure FM down to unit level; staff structures; train, educate, and promote FM practitioners as FM professionals; and fund FM activities. FM practitioners need to be informed and skilled, they should build networks, and be cost conscious. This research is limited by studying FM at only a few military units on the West Coast of South Africa, which limits statistical inference and the establishment of FM within the whole of the DOD. Although FM research has been done within the South African public sector, and the DOD has made contributions, no previous research has focussed on FM at military unit level. The value of this research is a consolidated and focussed effort towards FM, which ultimately contributes to state security and the cost thereof. Future research should find the optimal structure, staffing and competencies for FM in military units

Emulsifier and antioxidant properties of by-products obtained by enzymatic degumming of soybean oil

The enzymes used in degumming, called phospholipases, specifically act on phospholipids without degrading the oil itself. Degumming using a phospholipase C enzyme allows to meet all market specifications while it increases the oil yield. The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant and emulsifier properties of the recovered gum (RG) obtained by enzymatic oil degumming process of crude soybean oil subjected to modifications as deoiling (RG deoiled) or ethanol fractionation (RG soluble and insoluble). RG soluble allowed obtaining more stable O/W emulsions (30:70 w/w) in comparison with those by-products assayed at different concentrations (0.1?1.0%). Also, deoiled soybean lecithin (DSL) andRG deoiled had a similar behavior in relation to the kinetic destabilization (%BS profiles), despite the different degumming processes used to obtain these samples. The study on induction times (Metrohm Rancimat) showed a significant antioxidant effect (p<0.05) against a refined sunflower oil associated with all the by-products analyzed. However, RG soluble and DSL showed a strong effect on the oil stability at high concentrations (1000?2000 ppm). These results showed that the deoiled recovered gum and its derivates obtained by ethanol fractionation are a potential alternative for industrial application as additive.Fil: Cabezas, Dario Marcelino. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Diehl, B. W. K.. Spectral Service GmbH Laboratorium fur Auftragsanalytik. Cologne; AlemaniaFil: Tomas, Mabel Cristina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Financial literacy as core competency of South African military officers : a measurement instrument

Thesis (PhD (School of Public Management and Planning ))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since 1994, education and training in South Africa has experienced various changes, driven mainly by the Green Paper on Skills Development and the White Paper on Education which set objectives and outcomes and gave guidelines on how education and training should be approached, planned, and managed. The White Paper on Education necessitated change in SA tertiary institutions such as Stellenbosch University and its respective faculties. The Faculty of Military Science, which is situated at the South African Military Academy (SAMA) in Saldanha, accepted the challenge of contributing to the full personal development of students, by undertaking to shape people capable of organising and managing themselves and their human activities, including their financial activities, responsibly and effectively. The success of higher education institutions in empowering young people to be financially capable is questioned by various publications and surveys. Preliminary findings from surveys in 2004 and 2005 among students at the SAMA suggest that they are largely financially illiterate, thus potentially economically volatile. These findings introduce the research problem and serve as a foundation for the development of a scientific, socially relevant, valid and reliable financial literacy measurement instrument. A combined qualitative and quantitative research methodology is applied to develop a measurement instrument, which is then assessed for validity and reliability by applying it in a case study. The secondary objective of this research is the social study of the financial knowledge, financial behaviour and financial attitude levels of individuals. To ensure relevance between the case study and the measurement instrument, financial literacy is initially evaluated as a management competency. Financial literacy is stated as a key competency in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The financial literacy measurement instrument was constructed after an exploration of the contextual and conceptual nature of financial literacy. A questionnaire was selected as the ideal method of gathering the required information. The questionnaire’s validity and reliability were assessed as part of descriptive research in the development phase, as well as in the case study. The face and content validity were proven through input from respondents and subject experts. Reliability of the measurement instrument was assessed by calculating item difficulty, item discrimination, means, standard deviations and ultimately the internal consistency of the financial knowledge, behaviour and attitude sections of the measurement instrument. In the case study first-year students achieved an average of 50.17% for their financial knowledge although they rated their own knowledge levels to be 60.8%. The respondents struggled most with questions pertaining to investment, insurance, and inflation, and least with retirement and income and expenditure questions. This research underlines the importance of financial literacy as a management competency and its importance at a global, national, organisational and personal level. It produces a valid and reliable financial literacy measurement instrument that can be used by different stakeholders in South Africa to assess financial knowledge, behaviour and attitude, and thus indicate where intervention is required. Having a valid and reliable measurement instrument for measuring financial literacy creates opportunity for future research and development.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert 1994 het die opvoeding- en opleidingsteater in Suid-Afrika dramatiese veranderinge ondergaan met veral die die Groenskrif op Vaardigheidsontwikkeling en die Witskrif op Opvoeding, wat die doelwitte en uitkomste gestel het en die toon aangegee het in terme van hoe opvoeding en opleiding aangepak, beplan en bestuur behoort te word. Verandering genoodsaak deur die Witskrif op Opvoeding sou by assosiasie ook verandering noodsaak in SA tersiêre inrigtings soos Stellenbosch Universiteit en haar fakulteite. Die Fakulteit Krygskunde, gevestig by die Suid-Afrkaanse Millitêre Akademie (SAMA) in Saldanha, het die uitdaging aanvaar om by te dra tot die totale persoonlike ontwikkeling van studente deur te onderneem om mense te vorm wat in staat sal wees om hulself en hul aktiwiteite verantwoordelik en doeltreffend te bestuur, insluitend hul finansiële aktiwiteite. Hoër Onderwys se sukses met die bemagtiging van jong mense tot finansieel vaardige individue is deur verskeie navorsingsverslae bevraagteken. Voorlopige bevindinge van studies in 2004 en 2005 onder voograadse studente van die SAMA is dat hulle grootliks finansieel ongeletterd is en gevolglik ekonomies kwesbaar. Die bevindinge is die vertrekpunt van die probleemstelling vir hierdie studie, en vorm die basis vir die ontwikkeling van 'n wetenskaplik- en sosiaalrelevante, geldige en betroubare finansiële geletterdheidsmetingsinstrument. 'n Gekombineerde kwalitatiefkwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is toegepas in die ontwikkeling van 'n metingsinstrument, en die verbandhoudende bepaling van sy geldigheid en betroubaarheid deur die toepassing daarvan in 'n gevallestudie. Die sekondêre doelwit van hierdie navorsing is die sosiale studie van die finansiële kennis-, finansiële gedrags- en finansiële houdingsvlakke van individue. Ten einde relevansie tussen die gevallestudie en die metingsinstrument te verseker, is finansiële geletterdheid aanvanklik as 'n bestuursvaardigheid geëvalueer. Finansiële geletterdheid word in die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag (SANW), as kernvaardigheid aangedui. Die finansiële geletterdheidsinstrument is gekonstrueer na 'n verkenning van die konteksuele en konsepsuele aard van finansiële geletterdheid. 'n Vraelys is geselekteer as die ideale metode om die relevante data te bekom. Die vraelys se geldigheid en betroubaarheid is as deel van deskriptiewe navorsing in die ontwikkelingsfase, en ook tydens die gevallestudie, bepaal. Die gesigs- en inhoudsgeldigheid is bevestig deur respondentterugvoer en vakspesialisinsette. Betroubaarheid van die metingsinstrument is bepaal deur die berekening van itemmoeilikheidsgraad, itemdiskriminasie, gemiddelde, standaardafwyking en uiteindelik interne betroubaarheid van die finansiële kennis-, gedrags- en houdingsafdelings van die metingsinstrument. In die gevallestudie, het eerstejaarstudente 'n gemiddeld van 50.17% vir die kennisfaktor behaal, alhoewel hulle hul eie kennisvlakke gemiddeld as 60.8% aangedui het. Respondente het hoofsaaklik gesukkel met kennisvrae wat handel oor beleggings, versekering en inflasie. Hul het die minste gesukkel met kennisvrae wat handel oor aftrede en inkomste en uitgawes. Hierdie navorsing bevestig die belangrikheid van finansiële geletterdheid as bestuursvaardigheid, asook op 'n globale, nasionale, organisatoriese en persoonlike vlak. Hierdie studie het 'n geldige en betroubare finansiële geletterdheidsmetingsinstrument opgelewer; een wat deur diverse finansiële geletterdheidsaandeelhouers in Suid-Afrika aangewend kan word. Hierdie metingsinstrument sal empiriese inligting oor finansiële kennis-, gedrags-, en houdingsvlakke genereer en aantoon waar intervensie benodig word. Die belangrikheid van finansiële geletterdheid, sowel as die noodsaak vir 'n geldige en geloofwaardige metingsinstrument, is geleenthede vir verdere navorsing en ontwikkeling

Cytoreductive Surgery with the PlasmaJet Improved Quality-of-Life for Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients

Background: Knowledge of quality-of-life after cytoreductive surgery is important to counsel patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of the PlasmaJet Surgical device during cytoreductive surgery has an effect on the quality-of-life of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: Data included in this prospective observational study were derived from the PlaComOv study, in which patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer were randomly assigned to have cytoreductive surgery with or without adjuvant use of the PlasmaJet. Quality-of-life was measured before surgery and one, six, 12, and 24 months after surgery with three questionnaires: the EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-OV28, and EQ-5D-5L. Results: Between 2018 and 2020, 326 patients were enrolled in the trial. The overall response rate was high, with the lowest response rate at 24 months of 77%. At 6 months, quality-of-life was higher in the intervention group (95%CI 0.009; 0.081, p = 0.045). At 12 months, quality-of-life was higher in the intervention group with fewer symptoms of fatigue, appetite loss, and diarrhea (95%CI 0.6; 10,0, p = 0.027); similarly, patients in the intervention group reported a better body image (95%CI −14.2; −3.0, p = 0.003) and a higher score on the visual analog scale (95%CI 1.99; 11.15, p = 0.005). At 24 months postoperatively, no further difference was found between the two groups except for pain (95%CI −12.9; −0.8, p = 0.027) and body image (95%CI −13.808; −0.733, p = 0.029). A higher quality-of-life in the intervention group was partially explained by the mediator ‘surgery outcome’. Conclusions: This study demonstrated knowledge of patients’ quality-of-life until two years after cytoreductive surgery. The use of the PlasmaJet Surgical device during cytoreductive surgery leads to a higher quality-of-life than conventional surgery with electrocoagulation alone. Even after adjustment for the mediator of surgical outcome, a higher quality-of-life was seen in patients who had surgery with the use of the PlasmaJet device.</p

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the Bartholin gland is not HPV-related: A case report and review of literature

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the Bartholin gland is a rare gynaecological entity. Despite its slow growth and inconspicuous presentation, vulvar ACC has a propensity for perineural invasion and is therefore associated with high local recurrence rates. We report a case of vulvar ACC in a 61-year-old woman with a prolonged swelling of the Bartholin gland. This patient presented with pulmonary metastases at the moment of histological diagnosis. The vulvar and the pulmonary lesions showed identical histology. Despite a history of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related usual type vulvar intra-epithelial neoplasia and cervical squamous cell carcinoma, the vulvar ACC was negative for both p16 immuno

Alkyltributylphosphonium chloride ionic liquids: synthesis, physicochemical properties and crystal structure

[EN] A series of alkyltributylphosphonium chloride ionic liquids, prepared from tributylphosphine and the respective 1-chloroalkane, CnH2n+1Cl (where n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 or 14), is reported. This work is a continuation of an extended series of tetraalkylphosphonium ionic liquids, where the focus is on the variability of n and its impact on the physical properties, such as melting points/glass transitions, thermal stability, density and viscosity. Experimental density and viscosity data were interpreted using QPSR and group contribution methods and the crystal structure of propyl(tributyl) phosphonium chloride is detailed.This work was funded by Cytec Canada, Inc. G.A. would like to thank Dr Douglas Harris (Cytec) for fruitful comments and advice at the beginning of this work; Prof. Chris Strauss, Dr Markus Fanselow and Dr Giulia Fiorani for microwave assistance and helpful guidance, and Prof. P.R. Raithby for the X-ray diffraction data collection. L.P.N.R. thanks Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal, for support under grants PTDC/QUI-QUI/101794/2008 and PTDC/QUI/71331/2006.Adamova, G.; Gardas, RL.; Nieuwenhuyzen, M.; Vaca Puga, A.; Rebelo, LPN.; Robertson, AJ.; Seddon, KR. (2012). Alkyltributylphosphonium chloride ionic liquids: synthesis, physicochemical properties and crystal structure. Dalton Transactions. 41(27):8316-8332. doi:10.1039/c1dt10466gS83168332412

The development of vegetarian omega-3 oil in water nanoemulsions suitable for integration into functional food products

Global trends show that habitual omega-3 intakes are short of recommended guidelines, particularly among vegetarians and vegans. The potential health implications of low long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC3PUFA) intakes coupled with concerns about sustainability of fish stocks call for innovative approaches to provide food based solutions to this problem. Nanoemulsions are systems with extremely small droplet sizes that could provide a solution whilst improving the bioavailability of LC3PUFA. Oil in water nanoemulsion systems were successfully created using ultrasound with oil loads of up to 50 vol % using vegetarian LC3PUFA oils. Nanoemulsions containing 50 vol % flaxseed and algae oil were created with mean droplet size measurements of 192 and 182nm respectively using combinations of the emulsifiers Tween 40 and lecithin. This technique could be applied to create vegetarian LC3PUFA nanoemulsions suitable for integration into enriched functional food products with the potential to increase LC3PUFA intakes and bioavailability

Planning a Landscape That Qualifies for the Leed We Credit 1: Water Efficient Landscaping

The green building movement has recently gained strength and is becoming a major driver in a wide array of construction industries. The USGBC is a nonprofit organization composed of industry leaders who have developed a quantifiable rating system known as LEED®. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a point based ranking system that measures building performance based on a set of measurably sustainable criteria. A major point category set forth by LEED is water efficiency and has application for those in the landscape design, construction and maintenance industries. The focus of the project is to design a landscape based on LEED WE credit 1, Water Efficient landscaping, through following the instructions for attaining the credit as specified by the 2009 LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction. The project will serve as a guide explaining the LEED rating system and how it relates to landscaping and water efficiency