When is personal data rendered anonymous? Interpreting recital 26 of Directive 95/46/EC.

Outlines the scope of Council Directive 95/46. Discusses whether the principles of data protection apply to data rendered anonymous. Examines the difficulty in applying sufficient protection to data once it has been rendered anonymous and stresses the importance of data controllers informing data subjects of any anticipated anonymisation

Inclusive governance over agricultural biotechnology: risk assessment and public participation

A public outcry opposing the use of genetic modification of rice has produced a governance deadlock in China, which threatens to undermine attempts to reap the benefits that modern agricultural biotechnology can offer to the Chinese people. It is argued that this opposition to the agricultural use of modern technology is, in large part, the result, not only of lack of public participation in the decisions involved, but of an over-reliance on conventional approaches to risk assessment that do not adequately take account of the interests of all who stand to be affected by the use of the technology. Public participation is necessary, but it must be guided by equitable principles that take proper account of the rights and interests of all stakeholders. It is argued that a governance strategy based on the Principle of Generic Consistency (PGC) of the American philosopher Alan Gewirth has promise to counter the distrust of the regulators that fuels the deadlock because the PGC can be justified from the perspective of Marxist and Confucian principles that dominate the Chinese political and ethical landscape

The social construction of systems applications products (SAP) R/3 by employees of a South African chemical industries company.

Many companies that have implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system do not reap the intended benefits of the potential inherent in these systems despite their exorbitant implementation cost. The reasons for this are numerous. This study is aimed at understanding the social impact a Systems Applications Products (SAP) R/3 implementation had on the end users of a South African Company in the Chemical Industry. A qualitative process evaluation study was undertaken to obtain a clearer understanding of the underlying organisational cultural factors that emerged from such an implementation. The objective was to provide a framework for companies considering such an implementation to ensure better system productivity and to assist companies already using an ERP solution with continuous improvement

Emerging Technologies, Extreme Uncertainty, and the Principle of Rational Precautionary Reasoning

This paper argues that, in a context of 'extreme uncertainty' (where it is believed that it is possible that an emerging technology might cause harm to humans, damage to the environment, or some form of moral violation; but where the likelihood of such harm can be expressed only as lying in the range >0<1), regulators should be guided by a 'Principle of Rational Precautionary Reason' (the PRPR). The PRPR, which is to be distinguished from the precautionary principle, is presented as a rational response to cases of extreme uncertainty that regulators might encounter in both their prudential and moral calculations. For illustrative purposes, the application of the PRPR is tested in relation to the Large Hadron Collider, nanotechnologies and food, and the application of neuroscience and neurotechnologies in the criminal justice system

Morality in Intellectual Property Law: A Concept-Theoretic Framework

This paper presents a ‘concept-theoretic’ position on the relationship between law and morality in any legal system that includes respect for human rights as a fundamental principle of the legal validity of its rules. With European Union law (EU law) as its central focus, this concept-theoretic position is premised upon the adoption by the EU of fundamental principles, which include human rights. Therefore, given the current status of human rights within the EU, the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), and, indeed, any EU law hence any EU Intellectual Property law (IP law)must be consistent with what follows logically and conceptually from the concept of a human right given by the UDHR. The paper will first present the concepttheoretic framework with reference to EU patent law arguing that some requirements need to be read into EU patent law even when not expressly stated. Furthermore, with reference to Article 6 of Directive 1998/44/EC we argue that this provision must be interpreted broadly to give full effect to human rights and human dignity. The second part of the paper looks at the CJEU ruling in Brüstle v Greenpeace (Case C-34/10 2011) as viewed from the concept-theoretic position. We argue that the CJEU reasoning is substantially sound on the requirements of the Directive and the CJEU had no option but to make the rulings it did. The third part of the paper looks at several objections raised by scientist and lawyers regarding the CJEU decision in Brüstle from the concept-theoretic position. We conclude that the CJEU has not misinterpreted the law. Finally, we conclude that the law governing the grant of patents must be read in line with the concept of human rights and human dignity

Taalseksisme as 'n vorm van eensydige leksikografie

Language Sexism as a Form of Biased Lexicography. As an interface between linguistics and society, the dictionary serves to open up linguistics to language users in a very special way. A pragmatic approach, however, is also expected from the lexicographer, in the sense that the guidance provided in a dictionary should reflect actual language usage. A dictionary therefore has both a normative and informative character. Add to this the fact that dictionaries are used as authoritative works of reference, and the possibility that they serve to reinforce and to maintain specific language patterns is not excluded. In a period characterized by an increased focus on the prejudiced categorizing of women, the dictionary, as a source of cultural authority, is also under suspicion. The possibility that dictionaries may contribute to stereotyped roles and sexist suppositions by means of biased lexicographic practices, is discussed in this article. Words under the letter M in both a bilingual and an explanatory dictionary were studied in order to determine whether these lexicographic works are indeed guilty of linguistic sexism

The dynamics of active learning as a strategy in a private Higher Education Institution

In South Africa, the Department of Education (DOE) via its South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) mandates lecturers particularly at higher education level to deliver students that should be able to think critically and solve problems by the end of their undergraduate journey at any Higher Education Institution (HEI), whether public or private. HEIs have each taken their own approach on how to develop these competencies in their undergraduate students. This qualitative inductive case study focuses on understanding how eleven lecturers teaching at a private HEI in Midrand South Africa facilitate Active Learning in their classes, how they measure the success of Active Learning strategies and the support they have available to them by using semi-structured interviews and class observation data. Some of the findings highlight that these lecturers know exactly what Active Learning is even though most have never been officially trained. Six groups of different Active Learning strategies were identified including different questioning techniques, engagement via reading, engagement via writing, hands-on activities, use of technology and interaction with peers. Even though lecturers believed in Active Learning, evidence substantiating the effectiveness of their teaching methodology was mostly subjective. It was also found that lecturers had more support requirements than current support available and that the majority of current support was in the form of the immediate lecturer community.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.Science, Mathematics and Technology EducationPhDUnrestricte

The use of active learning in a private higher education institution: The lecturer's perspective

Lecturers could potentially have different reasons why they would choose a specific teaching strategy including government policy, education institution policy or management directive.  Despite these factors lecturers could also choose to use Active learning strategies out of their own accord and not because they are being told so.  This qualitative interpretive case study sets out to understand the views of 11 lecturers teaching in three different faculties:  Faculty of Commerce and Law, Faculty of Social Science and Faculty of Applied Science, in a private higher education institute in South Africa on their motivation in using Active learning strategies in their classrooms.  The findings suggest that lecturers are using Active learning due to them believing that:  Active learning prepares students for the workplace by developing the required skills; supports learning in the classroom; changes boring passive learning classes into to engaging enjoyable active classes in which students want to participate; and their own experience as a student having had a lecturer that used Active learning strategies in their classes that worked for them

Interaction of nonstructural protein NS3 of African horsesickness virus with viral and cellular proteins

African horsesickness virus (AHSV) is a dsRNA virus that belongs to the Orbivirus genus within the Reoviridae family. Each of the ten viral dsRNA segments encodes one virus-specific protein. During its life cycle AHSV replicates both in an insect vector and in a mammalian host, but while it has no detrimental effect on insect cells the virus is highly pathogenic to mammalian cells. It is postulated that this relates to different viral release mechanisms. Currently the main candidate for mediating viral release in both insects and mammals is the viral nonstructural protein NS3. In bluetongue virus (BTV), the prototype virus of the Orbivirus genus, it has been shown that NS3 interacts with both the viral outer capsid protein VP2 and a cellular exocytosis protein. For AHSV, we investigated whether the same mechanism was involved in viral release. This study aimed to identify and map possible protein-protein interaction between AHSV NS3 and VP2, and AHSV NS3 and unknown insect cellular proteins. For investigating the NS3-VP2 interactions a eukaryotic expression system (yeast twohybrid), a column binding assay utilising bacterially expressed NS3 and recombinant baculovirus expressed VP2 as well as a membrane flotation assay utilising recombinant baculovirus expressed VP2 and NS3-GFP, were used. A number of problems were encountered and no conclusive results were obtained. For investigating viral-cellular protein interactions the yeast two-hybrid system was also used, utilising NS3 as bait to screen proteins expressed from a Drosophila cDNA library. Results showed an interaction between the N-terminal region of AHSV NS3 and ubiquitin, an essential protein for the trafficking and degradation of membrane proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum. It also acts as a sorting signal in both the secretory pathway and in endosomes, where it targets proteins into multivesicular bodies in the lumen of vacuoles/lysosomes. It has been shown that ubiquitin could play a role in the pinching off of budding vesicles. An AHSV infected cell could therefore potentially use ubiquitin in its vesicular budding pathway, therefore giving the opportunity for viruses to use this to release them from the cell. The Hsp70 was another protein identified that interacts with AHSV NS3. This protein plays a role in folding reactions, protein translocation across membranes of organelles and protein assembly. It has been reported in other studies done that both ubiquitin and Hsp70 play roles in regulating the bioavailability of viral proteins, which could explain the different levels of NS3, high in insect cells and low in mammalian cells, which indirectly control the viral exit pathway used, budding versus lytic release. These results lay the foundation for explaining the potential role of NS3 in the AHSV life cycle in insect cells.Dissertation (MS)--University of Pretoria, 2007.Geneticsunrestricte