Human Development and Human Rights: South African Country Study

human development, human rights

Evaluation of near-infrared spectroscopy in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing on and off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Thesis (M. Tech. (Clinical technology)) - Central University of technology, Free State, 2012The objective of this study was to investigate whether intra-operative regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (NIRS) and hemodynamic monitoring in patients with Acute Coronary syndrome (ACS) during coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG on-pump vs. off-pump) can predict clinical outcomes and complications. Data from 60 CABG patients (30 on-pump and 30 off-pump) were analyzed. The regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation was monitored by using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The sensors were positioned in the middle of the patient's forehead and the cables were connected to the sensors and to the INVOS 5100C® Oximeter. According to NIRS values obtained, patients were subdivided into two groups. Patients in Group 1 had absolute NIRS values more than 50 or less than a 20% drop from the baseline value. Patients in Group 2 had absolute NIRS values of less than 50 or a drop of more than 20% from the baseline value. The lowest value recorded during the procedure was recorded for this purpose, irrespective of the time this value was obtained. Intra-operative hemodynamic monitoring was captured by a computer software program (Supplier Datex Ohmeda, South Africa). In order to describe surgical outcomes several parameters were analysed and compared. This included a Pre- and Post-operative Mini-Mental state examination that was performed to identify neurological outcomes or impairment. The NIRS values and trends in relation to renal function (U&E and creatinine, urine output, and urine electrolytes), as well as clinical outcomes were analyzed post-operatively for the different groups. Clinical outcomes were described using the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database (STS database) data fields, and specifically the recording of complications. The overall clinical outcomes were analysed between the on-pump and off-pump groups as well as the NIRS results between the two groups. In order to elucidate the predictive role of NIRS the patients were divided into groups with either impaired /reduced NIRS values or acceptable NIRS values according to published results where a reduction of more than 20% from baseline or absolute values of less than 50 were associated with inferior outcomes. Finally, the predictive value of NIRS was evaluated within the on- and then the off-pump groups. In this analysis the outcomes of patients with reduced NIRS values was compared to those of patients with acceptable NIRS values. The study demonstrated that by far the majority of patients with reduced cerebral flow/oxygen delivery as reflected in cerebral NIRS, had on-pump CABG procedures (84% fell in risk group 2). It also showed that a NIRS reduction of more than 20 % from baseline and values of less than 50, has an impact on post–operative renal function. Monitoring of cerebral oximetry intra-operatively by using near-infrared spectroscopy during cardiac surgery (especially in on-pump cardiac surgery patients) allows the perfusionist and anaesthesiologist to detect cerebral desaturation and to intervene as necessary. This study also showed a tendency towards less renal function impairment in patients with absolute NIRS values > 50 or where there was < 20% drop from baseline. It is probably important to consider studying the time spend below 50 or a drop of more than 20% from baseline NIRS values, or the “area under the curve” as a specific factor contributing to the increased risk for post-operative complications applied on an increased study population. The study supports the routine use of NIRS as a non-invasive trend monitor of cerebral saturation and certainly initiated interventions by both anaesthetic and perfusion staff which contributed to excellent clinical outcomes in this research study

Russia's Heroes 1941-45/Albert Axell

CITATION: Liebenberg, I. 2011. Russia's Heroes 1941-45/Albert Axell. Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, 39(2):152-159, doi:10.5787/39-2-118.The original publication is available at http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pubIt is seldom that one comes across a work where history-writing and qualitative research meet succinctly. Add to this an author who communicates crisply and relates real-life narratives that capture and hold the reader’s attention. This is such a work. The author read history but did more than that. Since 1960, Axell has interviewed dozens of veterans of all genders, from soldiers to marshals, who took part in the battles on the Eastern Front. Through his reading of history, close acquaintanceship with the Soviet Union and Russian-speaking society, and multiple interviews, Axell brings the experience of the individual and group up close and personal.http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/118Publisher's versio

Analyticity: Boghossian on Quine

Abstract Analyticity: Boghossian on Quine In the wake of scepticism over the lucidity of the analytic/synthetic distinction, Paul Boghossian defends the distinction, albeit, the distinction between those statements which are synthetic, and those statements which are analytic in a specific kind of way. Boghossian holds that analytic statements are either metaphysically analytic (where the meaning of the terms in the statement determine the truth of the statement), or epistemically analytic (where knowledge of the meaning of the terms in the statement justifies our knowledge of the truth of the statement). Boghossian’s claim is that Quine is ambiguous regarding which kind of analyticity is the target of his attack in “Two Dogmas of Empiricism”, and that his failure to draw a distinction between different types of analyticity leads to his erroneous dismissal of both kinds of analyticity and their concomitant theories. His thought is that Quine was correct to dismiss the metaphysical notion of analyticity, and thus the linguistic theory of necessary truth; but mistaken in dismissing the epistemic notion of analyticity, and hence the analytic theory of the a priori. Within this paper, I offer an exposition of Quine’s arguments, as well as Boghossian’s replies, before critically discussing Boghossian’s arguments against metaphysical analyticity, as well as purported separation of metaphysical and epistemic analyticity

Cytotaxonomic studies in Themeda triandra. I. Chromosome numbers and microsporogenesis

Metaphase I pairing associations and chiasmata, as well as anaphase I laggard and chromatid bridge data were collected from 53 collections of Themeda triandra Forsk. The distribution pattern of the diploids, tetraploids, pentaploids and hexaploids confirms that which was found by previous authors. Diploids occurred mainly in the eastern and southern coastal areas, hexaploids on the highveld and tetraploids in between, but with some overlap. The meiosis analysis suggests that the majority of the polyploids are segmental allopolyploids and that different homeologous genomes occur in this polyploid complex. It is likely that a certain amount of karyotype differentiation must have occurred between different diploid populations of this species

South African Agricultural Research and Development: A Century of Change

The 20th Century saw substantive shifts in the structure of agriculture and agricultural production in South Africa. Farm size grew, farm numbers eventually declined, and production increasingly emphasized higher-valued commodities, notably a range of horticultural crops. The real gross value of agricultural output grew steadily (by 3.32 percent per year) from 1910-1981, but declined thereafter (by 0.21 percent per year from 1982-2008). These long-run sectoral changes provide a context to present and assess an entirely new data series on public agricultural R&D (and related regulatory and extension) spending and associated scientist trends. South African agricultural R&D has been affected by a series of major policy changes. These are also documented and discussed here, along with the associated institutional changes regarding the conduct and funding of public agricultural R&D in South Africa. We reveal a number of disturbing trends, including an effective flat lining of the long-run growth in total agricultural R&D spending that took hold in the 1970s, an erratic path of funding per scientist, and a loss of scientific personnel in recent decades. Moreover, South Africa has lost ground relative to its competitors in international commodity markets such as the United States and Australia in terms of the intensity of investment in agricultural R&D. These developments are likely to have long-term, and detrimental, consequences for the productivity performance and competiveness of South African agriculture. They deserve serious policy attention as the 21st Century unfolds, with a firm eye to the long-run given the long lags (often many decades) that typify the relationship between agricultural R&D spending and productivity growth.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,