UWCScholar
This repository serves as a digital archive for the preservation of research / scholarly output / publications from the University of the western Cape.
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Recent Submissions
Attitudes and knowledge of cbd and non-medical cannabis amongst retail pharmacists in South Africa
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2023) Naik, Yugeshnee; Ebrahim, Naushaad
The recent changes in South African legislation have led to the reclassification of cannabidiol (CBD) as Schedule 0 and the decriminalization of non-medical (recreational) cannabis. As a result, CBD and recreational cannabis have become more accessible to the general public. This increased interest in cannabis has prompted individuals to seek guidance from pharmacists regarding cannabis products and their usage. For pharmacists to provide accurate advice, it's crucial to assess their confidence and knowledge when dealing with these products. Interestingly, no previous research of this kind has been conducted in South Africa. This study's main objective was to assess the attitudes and knowledge of pharmacists concerning the recommendation and counselling of CBD and recreational cannabis to their patients. This goal was pursued by investigating pharmacists' clinical knowledge, experiences, attitudes, and practices regarding CBD products. Additionally, the study aimed to identify factors influencing pharmacists' inclination to endorse CBD products, as well as explore how pharmacists perceive and approach the topic of recreational cannabis.
To explore the effect of prednisolone on blood-brain barrier endothelial cells treated with lipopolysaccharides.
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2024) Siebrits, Michaela Nicole; Makhathini, Khayelihle Brain
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is primarily regulated by highly selective endothelial cells. Inflammation of the brain capillaries can compromise the BBB’s functioning. Methylprednisolone (M-Pred), a synthetic glucocorticoid, is generally prescribed to treat inflammation, though little is known of its effect on inflamed brain capillaries. This study evaluated the effectiveness of M-Pred in ameliorating the LPS-induced inflammatory response in the in vitro BBB model. Cultured brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3) were exposed to LPS (500, 1000, 2000 ng/ml) and co-treated with selected concentrations of M-Pred (10, 20, 40 μM). Cell viability, cell toxicity, and cell proliferation, bEnd.3 monolayer permeability (Transendothelial Electrical Resistance) were investigated, while ELISA kits were used to quantify pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β.
Feasibility of an internationally recognized conformitè europëenne equivalent mark for medical devices in Africa: a review of current literature
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2024) Nkuku, Khanyisile Zachia; Egieyeh, Samuel
Medical devices are crucial to health systems and are critical to addressing the disease burden of African countries. In light of the importance of diagnosis and surgical intervention in healthcare, medical devices such as radiation emitting devices and devices incorporating a substance, are held to a high standard of quality and safety. Hence, the regulation of medical devices is required to optimize their use in healthcare within Africa. To successfully transition from the existing unregulated medical device sector to a thorough regulatory framework, many nations lack both the financial and technological resources. Consequently, organizations attempting to manufacture and market medical devices confront numerous obstacles, such as navigating the regulatory frameworks of various other nations and creating sustainable business models for imported medical devices. Many nations, including countries in Africa such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana, require Conformitè Europëenne (CE) marked products which can only be obtained in Europe, making it extremely costly for local African manufacturers of medical devices to bring their products onto the market in these African countries. This study examined the feasibility of establishing an African-based equivalent of Conformitè Europëenne mark (CE mark) with a similar standard to that in Europe for indigenous African medical device manufacturers. The study also explored how such African-based CE mark will encourage innovation and expand access to medical devices in Africa.
Development of gold nanoparticles based lateral flow assay for detection of food and water-borne pathogens
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2024) Mabhude, Yandiswa; Sibuyi, Nicole
Food and water are two of the necessities required for survival. With increasing global population, urbanization, and climate change, to name a few, the strain on these two precious resources puts pressure on health as well as the economic sector. Microbial contamination of food and water can lead to lethal infections that are detrimental to human health. More than 90% of reported food-borne illnesses were caused by bacterial species such as Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Bacillus etc. In the last decade, Salmonella was the leading cause of bacterial food-borne illnesses; followed by Campylobacter and Listeria. Listeriosis cases were reported in 2017 in Gauteng province, and the number of infected persons rapidly escalated nationwide prompting an investigation wherein a total of 937 cases were identified. Early detection of pathogens in food and water could prevent or slow down the spread of infections and deaths caused by consuming contaminated food and water. The laboratory and on-site approaches that are currently used for quality control technologies are precise and sensitive, but they have drawbacks such as being laborious and time-consuming. Therefore, there is an urgent need for approaches that may be utilized to detect microbial contaminations at a point-of-care (PoC), that are user-friendly, quick, robust, and sensitive. The use of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-based lateral flow assay (LFA) for the detection of these pathogens is gaining traction among researchers as an alternative to conventional methods for on-site testing in places where there is no proper infrastructure, particularly low-resourced areas. The current study aimed to develop an aptamer-AuNPs-based LFA for the detection of food and water pathogens at PoC.
Competition in the radioisotopes market: evaluation and analysis of drivers which affect mo-99 market share
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2023) Moremi, Lesedi Maiphepi; Kapp, Erika
This research aims to evaluate competition in the radioisotopes market and to analyze drivers that affect the market share of radioisotopes, particularly Molybdenum 99 (Mo-99), the most widely used radioisotope in medical procedures. Radioisotopes are safe radioactive substances used globally primarily for diagnosing and treating medical conditions (e.g. oncology, cardiology, thyroid disorders, and neurology). These radioactive substances include, but are not limited to Mo-99, Iodine-131 (I-131), Lutetium 177 non-carrier-added (Lu-177 n.c.a.) & Fluorine-18 (F-18)), that are used as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for the manufacture of radiopharmaceuticals. The most prevalent diagnostic radioisotope among these fission isotopes, Mo-99, which is used to create Technetium-99m(Tc-99m), is estimated to be utilized in roughly 85% of nuclear medicine diagnostic scans carried out globally (National Academies Press, 2009).