Assessing in-vivo clearance of colorectal cancer-targeting peptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles
- Authors: Xakaza, Hlumisa Belinda
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Nanoparticles , Gold Nanotechnology -- Health aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44323 , vital:37153
- Description: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been proved as a possible diagnostic tool to target CRC by peptides conjugated to gold nanoparticles (p-AuNP). According to previous reports, AuNPs accumulate in internal organs and have raised serious concerns on toxicity and safety. Understanding their fate in the body and the physiology underlying their clearance is crucial for toxicological evaluation and clinical translations. Six groups of rats were intravenously injected with a single dose of 100μg/kg body weight of citrate-capped (c.c-AuNPs), PEG-coated (PEG-AuNPs), and peptide functionalized gold nanoparticles (p.L-AuNPs, p.C-AuNPs, and p.14-AuNPs), to assess their physiologic clearance over a short-term (over sequential time-points: day 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14) and long-term period (three months). The inductively coupled optical-electron spectrometry (ICP-OES) showed accumulated c.c-AuNPs in the liver tissue. Moreover, a rapid and decreasing pattern of concentration of AuNPs was observed in urine and feces, with total excretion at day 7. Elevated levels of urine urea nitrogen (UUN) and urine creatinine (UCREA) reported an impaired kidney function for the c.c-AuNP group, while H&E staining indicated chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN) in all groups, 3 months post-injection, which is in all probability related to aging. Signs of inflammation were observed in rats treated with c.c-AuNPs, 2 weeks post-injection. The overall findings showed that the clearance of c.c-AuNPs’ clearance is compromised, which can have side-effects, while the excretion profiles of the p-AuNPs were consistent with the reducing long-term retention in the excretory organs. The p-AuNPs were found to be non-toxic and therefore show promise for CRC diagnostics and therapeutic purposes.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The challenges of the child support grant as a poverty alleviation strategy
- Authors: Damba, Ntombethemba
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Economic assistance, Domestic -- South Africa -- Uitenhage , Income maintenance programs -- South Africa -- Uitenhage , Social security -- South Africa -- Uitenhage
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6193 , vital:21048
- Description: South Africa is a democratic country since 1994 and transformation brought policies that aimed to address the inequalities and poverty situation countrywide. During apartheid era the existence of social assistance was more focused on minority group. Hence the eroded social inequality cannot be ignored as poverty takes its toll in our communities. It was the previously termed state maintenance grant that was phased out with the introduction of Child support grant (CSG). The purpose of CSG was to reduce child poverty; however a long list of challenges regarding the aims and objectives of the CSG surfaced. This study was about the challenges of child support grant as poverty alleviation strategy in waNobuhle community in Uitenhage. The purpose of the study was also to investigate the value CSG adds in the beneficiaries’ lives in terms of poverty alleviation and what is mostly hindering the CSG from alleviating poverty. The research design for the study could be classified as mixed designs which include qualitative and quantitative approach, taking a form of action research. A sample of 30 participants was drawn from SASSA beneficiaries. The sampling method for the study was purposive, which is a non-probability sampling. Semi structured questionnaires and semi structured interviews were utilized to collect data and the data collected was analysed thematically and descriptive statistics analysis was undertaken as well. Questionnaires to collect data from the thirty (30) CSG beneficiaries’ from KwaNobuhle community and semi structured interviews was undertaken. The most important findings that emerged from the study were that participants appeared to have a clear understanding of the fact that CSG represented a government strategy to support children, fight poverty and uplift the standard of living for the poor. However, majority of the participants were not satisfied with CSG as poverty alleviation strategy, participant’s wants government to increase the amount of CSG and to create employment opportunities. The CSG was pointed as inadequate due to the fact that all family members of the beneficiaries are dependent on the CSG. The conclusion drawn was that CSG paid to KwaNobuhle beneficiaries seemed to be achieving their aims even though the CSG is announced to be inadequate, employment is a necessity and the gap between departments serving the community. The findings of the study are discussed as suggestions to SASSA and the Department of Social development.
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- Date Issued: 2015