Conceptualising the sexually explicit as free expression: The distinct legal and political challenges presented to a liberal feminist critique in a South African constitutional context

This article explores critically whether the liberal feminist understanding of women’s situation under conditions of patriarchy (in its critique of liberal philosophy) has the potential to uncover the complex nature of the (legal) harm inherent to gender-specific sexually explicit material. By virtue of the fact that liberal feminism has emerged from classical liberal theory, this school of feminism appears to struggle in balancing the interests of a free, equal and democratic society with the pressing interests of women to live in a society which is free from both direct and indirect gender-specific violence. Liberal feminism’s often uncritical acceptance of classical liberal principles would appear to render it virtually incapable of appreciating (female) sexuality as a social construct. And as a consequence, sexually explicit speech is not per se deemed sexist or harmful to women, because mere images are not understood to have the capacity to cause harm. Accordingly, to justify legal intervention, harm must either be imminent and directed against women specifically, or must constitute the advocacy of hatred that constitutes incitement to cause harm. Seen in this context, this article seeks to determine whether liberal feminism could conceptualise sexually explicit material as a violent mode of expression within a South African constitutional context

The impact of traditional sex practices on the construction of female sexuality: an African human rights perspective

‘The time has come to recognize that denials of individuals’ rights on the ground only that they are women are human rights violations, and to require state practices that expose women to degradation, indignity, and oppression on account of their sex to be independently defined, condemned, compensated, and, preferably, prevented. The purpose of changing ubiquitous state practice may appear ambitious, but it is not too ambitious for the needs of our time.’1 ‘[This Protocol] reaffirms the principle of promoting gender equality as enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union as well as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, relevant Declarations, Resolutions and Decisions, which underline the commitment of the African States to ensure the full participation of African women as equal partners in Africa’s development.’2 ‘The substantive realisation of equality is a precondition for transformative change in South Africa. Yet, inequality is still the biggest challenge facing development and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa.’

In our common interest: Liability and redress for damage caused to the natural environment during armed conflict

Although not generally accorded primary consideration during armed conflict, a vast number of provisions aimed at protecting the natural environment in times of war exist under international law. This article critically and comprehensively examines the challenges presented in terms of liability and redress for damage caused to the natural environment during armed conflict. In particular, the effectiveness of the various principles and rules that grant general, specific and indirect protection to the natural environment during warfare, coupled with the liability regimes established under the applicable international instruments, are scrutinised critically. The article argues that most international instruments dealing specifically with the means and methods of warfare, reveal serious inadequacies, and that some establish no liability regime whatsoever. Those instruments that do, however, contain a liability regime, reveal serious flaws to the degree that not all categories of armed conflict are attended to and only criminal sanctions (with no civil liability) are envisaged, coupled with the significant failure to extend liability to States Parties. Some international instruments fail to provide adequate mechanisms for legal redress or in instances where redress is provided, the mechanisms are flawed. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that customary international law has not yet developed to the degree that both adequate and comprehensive protection is available to protect the natural environment during armed conflict, irrespective of the nature of the conflict. This article therefore considers critically the adoption of an entirely new convention expressly intended to address all instances of environmental damage during (or as a consequence of) armed conflict, and concludes that such a step is preferred to the mere amendment of existing provisions or possibly even the drafting of yet another protocol to the four Geneva Conventions

Inductive Learning Approaches for Improving Pilot Awareness of Aircraft Faults

Neural network flight controllers are able to accommodate a variety of aircraft control surface faults without detectable degradation of aircraft handling qualities. Under some faults, however, the effective flight envelope is reduced; this can lead to unexpected behavior if a pilot performs an action that exceeds the remaining control authority of the damaged aircraft. The goal of our work is to increase the pilot s situational awareness by informing him of the type of damage and resulting reduction in flight envelope. Our methodology integrates two inductive learning systems with novel visualization techniques. One learning system, the Inductive Monitoring System (IMS), learns to detect when a simulation includes faulty controls, while two others, Inductive Classification System (INCLASS) and multiple binary decision tree system (utilizing C4.5), determine the type of fault. In off-line training using only non-failure data, IMS constructs a characterization of nominal flight control performance based on control signals issued by the neural net flight controller. This characterization can be used to determine the degree of control augmentation required in the pitch, roll, and yaw command channels to counteract control surface failures. This derived information is typically sufficient to distinguish between the various control surface failures and is used to train both INCLASS and C4.5. Using data from failed control surface flight simulations, INCLASS and C4.5 independently discover and amplify features in IMS results that can be used to differentiate each distinct control surface failure situation. In real-time flight simulations, distinguishing features learned during training are used to classify control surface failures. Knowledge about the type of failure can be used by an additional automated system to alter its approach for planning tactical and strategic maneuvers. The knowledge can also be used directly to increase the pilot s situational awareness and inform manual maneuver decisions. Our multi-modal display of this information provides speech output to issue control surface failure warnings to a lesser-used communication channel and provides graphical displays with pilot-selectable !eve!s of details to issues additional information about the failure. We also describe a potential presentation for flight envelope reduction that can be viewed separately or integrated with an existing attitude indicator instrument. Preliminary results suggest that the inductive approach is capable of detecting that a control surface has failed and determining the type of fault. Furthermore, preliminary evaluations suggest that the interface discloses a concise summary of this information to the pilot

On the Elastohydrodynamic Film-Forming Properties of Metalworking Fluids and Oil-in-Water Emulsions

Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions are water-based lubricants and used as fire-resistant hydraulic fluids and metalworking fluids (MWFs) in industry. The (elasto-)hydrodynamic film-forming properties of O/W emulsions have been studied extensively in literature. Typical elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) behaviors are revealed at low rolling speeds followed by a starved EHL regime at elevated speeds. These emulsions are self-prepared and mostly stable only for a limited time ranging from hours to several days. By contrast, the film-forming behavior of water-miscible commercial MWFs (long-term stable O/W emulsions) has rarely been reported. This restricts the understanding of the lubrication status of many tribological interfaces in manufacturing processes, e.g., the chip-tool contact in cutting. In this work, the (elasto-)hydrodynamic film-forming property of two commercial MWFs is investigated by measuring the film thickness on two ball-on-disc test rigs using different optical interferometry techniques. For comparison, two self-prepared simple O/W emulsions with known formulation have also been investigated. Experimental results from the two test rigs agree well and show that the two self-prepared emulsions have typical EHL behaviors as reported in literature. However, for the two commercial MWFs, there is almost no (elasto-)hydrodynamic film-forming ability over the whole range of speeds used in this study. This could be explained by the cleaning and re-emulsification effects of the MWFs. The lubrication mechanism of the two MWFs is mainly boundary lubrication rather than hydrodynamic lubrication. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Function and central projections of gustatory receptor neurons on the antenna of the noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis

Chemosensory information is crucial for most insects to feed and reproduce. Olfactory signals are mainly used at a distance, whereas gustatory stimuli play an important role when insects directly contact chemical substrates. In noctuid moths, although the antennae are the main olfactory organ, they also bear taste sensilla. These taste sensilla detect sugars and hence are involved in appetitive learning but could also play an important role in food evaluation by detecting salts and bitter substances. To investigate this, we measured the responses of individual taste sensilla on the antennae of Spodoptera littoralis to sugars and salts using tip recordings. We also traced the projections of their neuronal axons into the brain. In each sensillum, we found one or two neurons responding to sugars: one NaCl-responsive and one water-sensitive neuron. Responses of these neurons were dose-dependent and similar across different locations on the antenna. Responses were dependent on the sex for sucrose and on both sex and location for glucose and fructose. We did not observe a spatial map for the projections from specific regions of the antennae to the deutocerebrum or the tritocerebrum/suboesophageal ganglion complex. In accordance with physiological recordings, back-fills from individual sensilla revealed up to four axons, in most cases targeting different projection zones

Social consequences of advanced cancer in patients and their informal caregivers:A qualitative study

Purpose Cancer threatens the social well-being of patients and their informal caregivers. Social life is even more profoundly affected in advanced diseases, but research on social consequences of advanced cancer is scarce. This study aims to explore social consequences of advanced cancer as experienced by patients and their informal caregivers. Methods Seven focus groups and seven in-depth semi-structured interviews with patients (n = 18) suffering from advanced cancer and their informal caregivers (n = 15) were conducted. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and open coded using a thematic analysis approach. Results Social consequences were categorized in three themes: "social engagement," "social identity," and "social network." Regarding social engagement, patients and informal caregivers said that they strive for normality by continuing their life as prior to the diagnosis, but experienced barriers in doing so. Regarding social identity, patients and informal caregivers reported feelings of social isolation. The social network became more transparent, and the value of social relations had increased since the diagnosis. Many experienced positive and negative shifts in the quantity and quality of their social relations. Conclusion Social consequences of advanced cancer are substantial. There appears to be a great risk of social isolation in which responses from social relations play an important role. Empowering patients and informal caregivers to discuss their experienced social consequences is beneficial. Creating awareness among healthcare professionals is essential as they provide social support and anticipate on social problems. Finally, educating social relations regarding the impact of advanced cancer and effective support methods may empower social support systems and reduce feelings of isolation

Anxiety and depression mediate the association between chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and fatigue:Results from the population-based PROFILES registry

Objective Chemotherapy‐induced sensory peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is common among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. The aim of this study was to examine whether CIPN is associated with both psychological distress (ie, anxiety and depression) and fatigue and whether the relationship between CIPN and fatigue can (partly) be explained by psychological distress. Methods All CRC survivors diagnosed between 2000 and 2009 as registered by the population‐based Netherlands Cancer Registry (Eindhoven region) were eligible for participation. Chemotherapy‐treated survivors completed questions on CIPN (EORTC QLQ‐CIPN20), psychological distress (HADS), and fatigue (FAS) on average 5.6 years after diagnosis. Simple and multiple mediation analyses were performed to examine anxiety and depression as possible mediators in the association between CIPN and fatigue. Results Survivors with high (ie, upper 30% of scores) CIPN (n = 172) reported more anxiety and depressive symptoms and more fatigue compared with those with low CIPN (n = 299). Furthermore, among survivors with high CIPN, those who were anxious, depressed, or both reported more fatigue compared with those without psychological distress. These differences were clinically relevant. Finally, mediation analyses showed that while CIPN was directly associated with fatigue, the relationship between CIPN and fatigue was also significantly mediated by both anxiety and depression. Conclusions CRC survivors with high CIPN report more fatigue, especially those who are also anxious and/or depressed. More research is needed on the direction of the relationship between CIPN, psychological distress, and fatigue. For now, the treatment of fatigue should also focus on addressing psychological distress, as treating fatigue alone might not be sufficient

Cancer survivors who fully participate in the PROFILES registry have better health-related quality of life than those who drop out

Purpose Attrition and subsequent missing data pose a challenge in longitudinal research in oncology. This study examined factors associated with attrition in the PROFILES registry, and its impact on observed health-related quality of life (HRQOL) estimates. Methods Sociodemographic, clinical, and HRQOL data were collected annually from a cohort of 2625 colorectal cancer survivors between 2010 and 2015. Participant characteristics according to time of dropout were compared using analysis of variance and chi-square tests. Predictors of attrition were examined in logistic regression analysis. Multilevel linear mixed models were constructed to investigate associations between attrition and HRQOL over time. Results Participants who dropped out were more likely to be female (OR = 1.23, CI = 1.02–1.47), older (OR = 1.20, CI = 1.09–1.33), less educated (OR = 1.64, CI = 1.30–2.11), and to have depressive symptoms (OR = 1.84, CI = 1.39–2.44) than full responders, and less likely to have high socioeconomic status (OR = 0.74, CI = 0.61–0.94). Participants who dropped out earlier reported significantly worse HRQOL, functioning, and psychosocial symptoms, which declined at a steeper rate over time, than full responders. Conclusions Cancer survivors’ HRQOL may be overestimated in longitudinal research due to attrition of the most unwell participants. Implications for Cancer Survivors Cancer survivors with the poorest health are at risk of dropping out of PROFILES and possibly withdrawing from other activities. Optimizing participation in PROFILES—a potential mechanism for providing information and access to support—is an avenue for keeping this group engaged