http://hdl.handle.net/11189/490 2026-10-14T23:15:07Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10919 Title: Cosmetic outcomes of the first bodybuilder using a low-cost modified culture technique for burn wound coverage: a case report and long-term follow-up Authors: Kleintjes, Wayne; Prinsloo, Tarryn Abstract: Cultured epidermal autografts (CEAs) serve as an alternative permanent skin replacement, though high costs often limit their use in resource-constrained settings and to life-saving cases. This case report presents the first documented cosmetic application of a modified CEA technique in a bodybuilder, demonstrating favorable aesthetic outcomes. A 28-year-old Black male with a 20% total body surface area burn sustained in a domestic fire exhibited superficial and deep partial-thickness burns to the face, arms, torso, and feet. Refusing grafts from visible donor sites, treatment using a low-cost modified CEA AcademicEditor: JeremyGoverman Received: 19March2025 Revised: 7May2025 Accepted: 16May2025 Published: 3 June2025 Citation: Kleintjes, W.G.; Prinsloo, T.K. Cosmetic Outcomesof the First Bodybuilder Using a Low-CostModified CultureTechnique for Burn WoundCoverage: ACase Report andLong-TermFollow-Up. Eur. Burn J. 2025, 6, 29. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ebj6020029 Copyright: ©2025bytheauthors. Published by MDPIon behalf of the EuropeanBurnsAssociation. Licensee MDPI,Basel,Switzerland. Thisarticle is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution(CC BY)license (https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/). approach was employed to minimize donor site morbidity. Keratinocytes harvested from a groin biopsy were cultured on Cutimed Sorbact® (Essity AB, BSN Medical (Pty) Ltd., Pinetown, RSA) dressings with autogenous plasma and hydrogel supplementation and incubated at 37 ◦C for two weeks. Xenografts provided temporary coverage before CEA transplantation. Graft take was 85%, with minor (15%) loss at 21 days, requiring small autograft coverage. At two months, the Vancouver Scar Scale score was 4, indicating optimal pigmentation, smoother texture, and minimal scarring. These findings align with limited studies on CEAs for cosmetic applications, suggesting this cost-effective technique may broaden the scope of CEAs beyond life-saving interventions to include aesthetic reconstruction, reducing both donor site morbidity and scarring. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10916 Title: Feasibility and preliminary findings of a bacterial diversity study in periodontitis: a pilot investigation from the Western Cape Authors: Kabbashi, Salma; Prince, Yvonne; Ngwa, Elvis Suh A.; holmes, haly; Davison, Glenda Mary; Chetty, Manogari Abstract: Introduction: Periodontitis is a significant health challenge caused by a complex interaction between bacterial infection, host immune response, and environmental factors, leading to tooth loss, bone loss, and potential associations with major systemic diseases and conditions. While the determinants of periodontitis have been extensively investigated in other populations, such studies are lacking in South Africa, which represents a high-risk population. Therefore, this study was conducted to characterize the subgingival bacterial biodiversity in the periodontal pockets of patients with periodontitis in a Western Cape population.Materials & methods: Pooled subgingival plaque samples were collected from the deepest pocket/crevices of five periodontitis cases and five controls using sterile paper points. Illumina MiSeq paired-end sequencing and QIIME2 software were employed for sequence filtration and analysis. Several alpha and beta-diversity metrics assessed biodiversity within-sample and population structure between different microbiota datasets, respectively. Statistical significance for alpha diversity was tested using the Kruskal–Wallis H test (p < 0.05), and beta diversity differences were evaluated using PERMANOVA. Data visualization, including beta diversity plots, was conducted with the Phyloseq package in R.Results: Beta-diversity measures revealed significant differences between periodontitis cases and controls (p-value = 0.04), whereas alpha-diversity was higher in cases, though without statistical significance (p-value ≥ 0.05). Cases group showed high relative abundance of Fusobacterium (16%), Porphyromonas (10%), and Treponema (9%), while the periodontally healthy controls were dominated by Streptococcus (20%), Fusobacterium (15%), and Veillonella (10%), with g_Streptococcus showing a significant difference (p-value = 0.008). Differential abundance analysis revealed distinct bacterial genera enriched in cases (Bulleidia, Peptoanaerobacter, Phocaeiola, W5053) and controls (Abiotrophia, Haemophilus, Lautropia, Rothia, Streptococcus). Sample-specific variations included higher levels of Porphyromonas (15%) in grade B and Fusobacterium (20%) in grade C.Conclusion: This exploratory study highlights distinct bacterial communities associated with periodontitis in a South African population. The findings emphasize the need for larger, population-based cohorts to validate these results and lay a foundation for future research into region-specific microbial profiles and their implications for personalized treatment strategies. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10906 Title: The role of e-consumer empowerment on personal data disclosure in the digital economy Authors: serubugo, ayub; Penceliah, Soobramoney Abstract: Digital transformation has improved online shopping from the beginning of the 20th century. Online businesses have exponentially expanded the level of service delivery with the help of decision support systems using user digital footprint. E-consumer online behavioural data is progressively becoming a valuable asset for precise, granular online targeting. Consumers are being monitored to predict real-time demand based on browsing behavioural surplus. This paper assessed the influence of electronic consumer (e-consumer) empowerment on, perceived trust, purchase intention, and the effects of data harvesting. A cross-sectional quantitative approach was used with an online survey of 400 respondents. Data was analysed using SPSS and R statistics with Structural equation modelling. The findings shown that electronic consumer empowerment influenced perceived trust, purchase intention, and the effects of data harvesting, which lead to online self-disclosures used in real-time predictions. The results reveal that while some e-consumers are aware of free data exploitation, most e-consumers do not notice that their online data is being harvested and exploited by online retailers. This paper illuminated the role of e-consumer empowerment in optimising data harvesting to improve personalised customer service in the data-driven digital economy. These findings may assist digitalised companies to initiate loyalty programmes to compensate e-consumers for data resource input. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10905 Title: Evaluating service quality and customer satisfaction at the DUT sports department: a GAP analysis approach Authors: Madondo, Elvis; Penceliah, Darry; Pather, Indresain Rama Abstract: Service quality is pivotal in determining customer satisfaction, especially in sports management contexts. This study investigates the gap between member expectations and actual service experiences at the DUT Sports Department. A quantitative approach was employed, surveying 322 out of 700 sports club members. The study utilized GAP analysis to assess five service quality dimensions: Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy. Results indicated an overall average gap score of -0.05, suggesting that actual service quality fell short of member expectations. The Tangibles dimension had the largest gap (0.10), indicating a need for improvements in facility aesthetics. Assurance and Empathy dimensions showed minimal gaps (0.01 each), reflecting satisfactory service in staff behaviour and personalized attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include investing in facility upgrades to enhance visual appeal, providing ongoing staff training to improve service efficiency, and implementing regular service quality assessments to address and close gaps. These measures are anticipated to enhance member satisfaction and align service delivery with expectations. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z