The South African constitution and electronic commerce

In the world of electronic commerce individuals unwittingly impart their information to possible predators of personal information. For example, cookies are used to “tag” users accessing a specific web site. When the user accesses the same site again, a copy of the cookie alerts the remote server, who then knows whom the user is and that s/he visited the site before. Obtaining and dealing in data about web users have become everyday occurrences – in some instances such “data mining” forms the main focus of several businesses. It is common cause that the Internet may be and indeed is used quite frequently in manners that infringe various rights contained in our Bill of Rights. In many cases, what happens on the Internet may also attract criminal liability. As a result it often happens that two fundamental rights, namely the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy, come into potential conflict. In a democracy, freedom of expression is almost taken for granted. The press and other media, especially, rely heavily on this right. In South Africa, section 16(1) of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, which includes, among others, freedom of the press and other media; freedom to receive or impart information or ideas; freedom of artistic creativity; academic freedom and freedom of scientific research. As such, it may be that spammers have the constitutional right to commercial expression. The question is: Do spammers have the right to express themselves in private property? It is suggested that they be only allowed to do so after having obtained the consent of the individual to be included in a mailing list that would be used to send unsolicited e-mail advertising. Section 45 of the Electronic Communications Transactions Act of 2002 (ECTA) now prohibits the sending of unsolicited goods, services or communications. The right to privacy is protected by section 14 of the South African Constitution. In contrast thereto, section 32 of the Constitution guarantees the right to access to information. Neither of these rights are absolute rights, as they may be limited in accordance with section 36 of the Constitution. The ECTA prescribes that suppliers of goods on the Internet need to, amongst others, make its privacy statement available to users of its site. The ensuring of the right to privacy is not, however, a compulsory provision of ECTA. Section 50 of the ECTA provides for the voluntary compliance of the principles pertaining to the collection of personal information as set out in section 51 of the Act. Against this background, this paper addresses the South African legal background to privacy on the Internet

Empirical research and congregational analysis: some methodological guidelines for the South African context

Empirical research is an inescapable part of responsible congregational analysis. The first question pertains to the value and contribution that empirical research has made to the process of congregational analysis. This article will briefly refer to such contributions. Such analysis can be approached from many different angles and in many different ways. The question remains: Which principles and guidelines should be taken into account when we do such an analysis? On top of all of this is the challenge to do it within the South African context. What should a congregational analysis which will help South African congregations look like? In the search for some methodological guidelines for congregational analysis for the South African context there will, firstly, be a discussion of a number of theological points of departure for a congregational analysis. Following on that will be the methodological guidelines for congregational analysis and, thirdly, guidelines for the South African context will be discussed. The argument in the article ends with a critical reflection of the markers discussed, and a look at the road ahead

Phylogenetic analysis to define feline immunodeficiency virus subtypes in 31 domestic cats in South Africa

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a lentivirus, is an important pathogen of domestic cats around the world and has many similarities to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A characteristic of these lentiviruses is their extensive genetic diversity which has been an obstacle in the development of successful vaccines. Of the FIV genes, the envelope gene is the most variable and sequence differences in a portion of this gene have been used to define 5 FIV subtypes (A, B, C, D and E). In this study, the proviral DNA sequence of the V3-V5 region of the envelope gene was determined in blood samples from 31 FIV positive cats from 4 different regions of South Africa. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the presence of both subtypes A and C, with subtype A predominating. These findings contribute to the understanding of the genetic diversity of FI

MECHANICS OF AMPUTEE JUMPING – JOINT WORK

The purpose of this study was determine if dynamic elastic response (DER) prostheses could absorb energy in the eccentric phase of a vertical jump performed by trans-tibial amputees phase and return this energy in the propulsive phase. Further, given the active nature of the ankle, the study aimed to determine the mechanisms required at the remaining joints to compensate for the pathological ankle. Six amputee (AMP) and 10 able-bodied participants (AB) performed maximal vertical jumps on two force plates which were synchronised with a 9-camera VICON infra red system. The amputees did not jump as high as the AB participants. Only minimal negative work was recorded at the prosthetic ankle in the eccentric phase which resulted in minimal positive work at the ankle in the concentric phase. The intact side produced greater work than the affected side in the concentric phase. The amputees generally adopted a hip strategy to generate positive work. The work recorded at the knee was reduced on the intact and affected side and indicates the prosthesis influences the movement on both sides. To enable amputees to participate in activities which require jumping, prostheses need to be developed and amputees need to be taught how to adjust their biomechanics to store and release energy in the prosthesis

MECHANICS OF AMPUTEE JUMPING – CONSIDERATION FOR LOADING

Amputees must develop compensatory mechanisms to overcome the constraints imposed by a mechanical prosthesis. In completing a bilateral countermovement jump, amputees must accommodate the limited ankle dorsiflexion angle and adapt to the limited plantar-flexor moment that occurs at the prosthetic joint. The aim of this research was to determine the loading on the limbs and the joint kinetics adopted by transtibial amputees in order to achieve a jump. Six amputee (AMP) and 10 able-bodied (AB) participants performed maximal vertical jumps on two force plates while kinematic data was recorded using a 9-camera VICON infrared system. The amputees did not jump as high as the AB participants. The AMPs raised the prosthetic heel from the floor to compensate for the restricted motion at the ankle. Consequently, kinematic symmetry was maintained at the knee and the hip. The knee flexion places the prosthetic shank in a more horizontal position. This is a vulnerable position due to the reduced strength in the knee extensors as a consequence of the amputation. In order to reduce the instability and loading at the knee, the maximum propulsive vGRF on the prosthetic side was reduced and the intact limb assumed a dominant role. Until amputees can take the loading on the prosthetic side, it is not recommended that they participate in jumping

Continuing Conversations at the Frontier

Researchers involved or interested in the 500 Year Initiative (FYI) gathered at the University of Cape Town in June 2008 to explore how different disciplines engaged in historical studies may better communicate and collaborate within and between each other. Appropriately titled ‘Continuing Conversations at the Frontier’, participants in this conference challenged themselves to cross the theoretical and methodological borders separating archaeology, history, geography, anthropology and linguistics, in order to understand how and under what influence modern southern African identities have taken shape over the past 500 years. These conversations made it clear that new insights are not only reliant on new data, but that it is equally important to expose our methodologies and processes of gaining understanding. In addition to confronting disciplinary boundaries and methods, social and spatial frontiers were key loci for discussion, although it became apparent that historians and archaeologists have approached frontiers in different ways. We briefly explore the roots of these approaches

Should young adults with sore throat be treated with antibiotics?

The diagnosis of streptococcal sore throat on clinical grounds remains a problem. In this study the clinical prediction in a group of young adults corresponded with laboratory findings indicative of a streptococcal (group A or non-A) infection in 23% of cases. The culture of throat swabs was of little value, as the only group A culture-positive patient did not show an antibody response, indicating a carrier state. Ln 5 cases a streptococcal infection was diagnosed on rising antibody titres only, as culture remained negative. The value of rising antibody titres as a diagnostic tool is also questioned, since they occurred more frequently in the healthy controls than in the sore-throat group. Antibiotic treatment for sore throat was rarely supported by laboratory findings in the young adult population studied

The clinical utility and cost effectiveness of routine thyroid screening in adult psychiatric patients presenting at Stikland Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Objective: The use of thyroid tests to assess psychiatric patients remains debatable. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the utility and cost effectiveness of the current protocol used in thyroid testing in adult psychiatric patients presenting at Stikland Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Method: This was a retrospective chart review conducted at Stikland Hospital between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2005. The following data was recorded: demographic variables, clinical diagnoses at admission and discharge, number of days from admission to a thyroid test request, the reason for thyroid screening, number of thyroid tests, their yield and costs involved, as well as the action taken following an abnormal thyroid test result. Results: The mean age of patients (n = 1080: n = 364 male, n = 716 female) was 42.8 years (SD ±16.6). Pre-existing thyroid disease was documented in 70 (6%) of patients. Normal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test results significantly (p = 0.0001) increased, whilst abnormal TSH test results significantly (p = 0.0001) decreased from baseline to follow-up. Except for gender, the outcome of TSH screening was independent of demographic and clinical diagnoses. Only 16% of TSH tests yielded clinically significant results. Conclusion: The findings of this study do not support the early, routine screening for thyroid dysfunction in psychiatric patients at this facility. It is possible that thyroid screening may present with transient abnormalities of no particular clinical significance, and would therefore not be a cost effective practice.Keywords: Psychiatry; Screening; Thyroid abnormality; Thyroid stimulating hormon

The relative influence of competition and coevolution on the community structure of insectivorous bats in Southern Africa

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-142).Biotic filters rather than abiotic filters should influence the community structure of animals such as insectivorous bats with life histories characterized by low fecundity. low predation risk. long life expectancy, and stable populations. I investigated the relative influence of biotic filters on various parameters that define bat community structure, based on predictions from competition and coevolution hypotheses. Each of the competing hypotheses was considered from a number of different perspectives to provide multiple opportunities from which to uncover the mechanism that could result in non-random patterns of community structure. I used a battery of null model and multivariate analyses to test the deterministic or nondeterministic nature of phenotypic, trophic, and species composition patterns of insectivorous bat communities - which I called ensembles. I obtained data for these analyses by sampling the local and regional species richness of insecti vorous bats of southern Africa between 2001 and 2004. Rarefaction and species richness estimators indicated that species inventories of the fynbos, forest, and savanna ensembles, and the Cape Floristic Kingdom regional pool, were complete. As hypothesised, competition and coevolution filters strongly influenced parameters that define bat community structure. My results show that the phenotypic and trophic community structure of insectivorous bats at a local scale exhibit non-random patterns consistent with competition and coevolution hypotheses. Except for an even body size distribution, non-random patterns are not ubiquitous across ensembles. This is linked to multiple causations of competition and coevolution filters operating at a local scale. There was evidence that competition influenced body size distribution across ensembles, and echolocation and dietary patterns in ensembles with high species richness or abundance. At the same time, coevolution filters - mediated by prey defence - strongly influence dietary niche patterns. and to a lesser degree, echolocation patterns. Thus, the non-random phenotypic and trophic patterns of ensembles across southern Africa reflect competition and coevolution filters operating in tandem, or separately, at a local scale. Moreover, abiotic filters such as geographic distribution ranges of small and large-bodied species, extinction risk, and the physics offlight and sound probably also interacted at local and/or regional scales to influence the structure of coexisting bats at a local scale

Geskiedsfilosofie in 'n krisis: Die noodwendigheid en aktualiteit van die nasionale staatsidee

Philosophy of history in crisis: The actuality and necessity of the concept of the national state The aim of this essay is to explicate the thesis of an intrinsic relationship between the Enlightenment philosophy of history and the (ideological) war amongst world citizens in which we are entangled today. This is explained in terms of certain 'deficiencies' (philosophical, theological, political and historical) inherent in the Enlightenment view of history. It is argued that a truly modern approach to history (as opposed to the antimodern, eschatological and moralistic view of the Enlightenment) should take its bearing from the idea of the nation, thereby acknowledging the rise of a global network of national states as one of the most remarkable features of our age