Die strafregtelike aanspreeklikheid van regspersone: Lesse uit Kanada

This contribution investigates the basis for the criminal liability of juristic persons in Canada in an attempt to gain lessons for South Africa. The Canadian position acknowledges both the fragmented nature of corporate decision-making and the reality that the collective efforts of a number of corporate role players may cause criminal conduct. Furthermore, the conduct and fault elements of corporate criminal misconduct do not have to be found in one individual. The conduct of a representative of the corporate entity may be regarded as the conduct of the corporation, whilst the fault requirement may be found to be the level of management. This approach, although not entirely ‘realistic’, takes into account the nature of modern corporate entities much better than traditional individualistic approaches to corporate criminal liability

Onderwysersopleiding*

In die geskiedenis kom die verskynsel telkens voor dat besondere aandag aan die onderwys geskenk word in krisistye wanneer materiële teëslae ondervind word of wanneer ’n lewensbeskouing wat lank gehuldig is, teleurstel. Dit is dan ook begryplik dat die onderwys in die huidige tydstip van die dreigende verval van Westerse gesag deur toonaangewende lande aan indringende ondersoek onderwerp word. Bloot as verteenwoordiger van die Westerse beskawing in Afrika sou die Republiek van Suid-Afrika dus al dringende aandag aan die vraagstuk moes skenk van hoe die onderwys en opvoeding ten voordeligste aangewend kan word om die toenemende verval te help stuit en ’n nuwe periode van vooruitgang en beskawingsgroei teweeg te probeer bring. Maar die blanke volk hier te lande verkeer nog in ’n veel eiesoortiger en kwesbaarder posisie as die meeste Westerse nasies van wie hy afstam. Die feit bly staan dat ons ons vorm van beskawing nog nie onomkeerbaar in hierdie land gevestig het nie. Meer as enige land van Europa of die Nuwe Wêreld staan ons in gevaar van oorrompeling deur barbarisme wat van buite dreig. Om die rede kan ons miskien minder as enige ander land bekostig dat daar interne onsekerheid is oor wat ons as enkelinge en as volk nastreef, want dit kan in sy konsekwensie slegs tot twyfel en gebrek aan eenheid lei. As ons hierby voeg die noodsaaklikheid om binne dekades oor te skakel na ’n nog gekompliseerder nywerheidsamelewing, om ’n nuwe en menswaardige bedeling uit te bou vir die saambestaan van rasse van Europese, inheemse en Asiatiese oorsprong, elk met sy eie kulturele en tradisionele agtergrond, en om die volgehoue en toenemende internasionale druk op ons beleid die hoof te bied, dan is die omvang wat die onderwystaak in hierdie land aanneem duiselingwekkend

Myocardial Insulin Resistance: An Overview of Its Causes, Effects, and Potential Therapy

Abstract: Insulin resistance ensues when normal physiological concentrations of insulin are unable to induce effective cellular insulin signalling and glucose uptake by insulin sensitive tissues. It is caused by several abnormalities that include; 1) an overabundance of circulating free fatty acids (and dyslipidaemia), 2) systemic inflammation caused by increased tissue and circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, and, 3) over activation of the systemic and organ specific renin-angiotensin systems. Although usually associated with obesity, insulin resistance is not a condition that only afflicts obese individuals. Dyslipidaemia which is implicated in the aetiology of insulin resistance can be caused by adipose tissue expansion (obesity) or the increased consumption of lipogenic fructose which has profound effects on liver metabolism and serum lipid profiles. The primary reason fructose is implicated in insulin resistance is because it induces hepatic lipogenesis which would directly contribute to dyslipidaemia and increased lipid deposition in adipose tissue, muscle (heart and skeletal) and the liver. These changes in tissue lipid content and utilisation are thought to compromise tissue insulin signalling and induce insulin resistance. Myocardial insulin resistance not only influences myocardial metabolism and mechanical function in the normoxic heart but also compromises myocardial tolerance to ischaemia/reperfusion and post-ischaemic outcomes. Once insulin sensitive organs become insulin resistant, their substrate metabolism is altered and in the case of the heart, cardiac mechanical function is compromised which could potentially contribute to heart failure. Insulin resistance also decreases myocardial tolerance to ischaemia and reperfusion by compromising myocardial metabolism during ischaemic/reperfusion. Recently emerged evidence also suggests that insulin resistance reduces myocardial tolerance to ischaemia and reperfusion by altering the functionality of the intrinsic pro-survival Reperfusion Injury Salvage Kinase (RISK) pathways that protect against ischaemia/reperfusion injury. The authors and others have demonstrated strong links between reduced expression and activation (phosphorylation) of components of the RISK pathway and increased myocardial susceptibility to ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Lifestyle changes are known to improve insulin sensitivity while several pharmacological interventions using metabolic modulators and insulin sensitizer are currently being investigated and have shown promise in the treatment of animals and patients with myocardial insulin resistance. This review will identify and highlight some of the proposed causes of insulin resistance with particular reference to the role of dyslipidaemia, inflammation and the rennin-angiotensin system in the aetiology of this condition. We will also explore the possible effects of high dietary fructose consumption on circulating lipids and inflammation and the implications of these changes on skeletal and cardiac muscle insulin sensitivity. We will briefly reflect on the adverse effects of myocardial insulin resistance on myocardial metabolism and mechanical function and assess the effects of insulin resistance on myocardial tolerance to ischaemia and reperfusion. The proposed cellular causes of this decreased myocardial tolerance to ischaemia will be identified and current lifestyle and pharmacological interventions utilised to alleviate these adverse effects of insulin resistance will be reviewed. Keywords: Insulin resistance, Dyslipidaemia, Lipotoxicity, Adipocytokines, Renin-angiotensin system, Myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion.Griffith Health, School of Medical ScienceFull Tex

The forensic autopsy as a teaching tool: Attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate medical students at the University of Pretoria, South Africa

BACKGROUND. Numerous articles have been published on the use of autopsies in training medical students in anatomy and different branches of pathology. Some authors have described the emotional response of students who attend such postmortem sessions. Forensic pathology is an important subdivision of pathology. In some countries undergraduate medical students are expected to attend postmortem examinations on persons who died from traumatic causes. OBJECTIVE. To determine the attitudes and perceptions of 5th-year medical students with regard to forensic postmortem examinations at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. METHODS. A questionnaire was voluntarily completed by medical students on the last day of the practical rotation. RESULTS. The overall rating of the practical rotation was 82%. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis indicated the following as strengths: record keeping, legislation review and traumatology description; as weaknesses: emotional trauma and nightmares; as opportunities: the attendance of autopsies; and as threats: physical dangers. CONCLUSION. The current study was similar to international studies with regard to students’ emotional response to attending autopsies. The autopsy remains a valuable teaching tool for undergraduate students. Emotional support is currently available for all students to assist them in overcoming their fear of attending forensic autopsy sessions.http://www.ajhpe.org.zaam2016Education InnovationForensic Medicin

Which test is best for diagnosing peanut allergy in South African children with atopic dermatitis?

Background. Diagnosing peanut allergy based on sensitisation alone leads to an unacceptable rate of overdiagnosis.Objective. To define parameters that may help differentiate peanut allergy from asymptomatic sensitisation in a cohort of South African (SA) children with atopic dermatitis (AD). It is the first study in SA to utilise oral food challenge tests and analyse peanut component patterns.Methods. This was a prospective, observational study at a paediatric university hospital in Cape Town, SA. Children with AD, aged 6 months - 10 years, were recruited randomly. They were assessed for sensitisation and allergy to peanut by questionnaire, skin-prick tests (SPTs), immuno solid-phase allergen chip (ISAC) tests, ImmunoCAP component tests to Ara h 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9, and incremental food challenges.Results. One hundred participants (59 Xhosa (black Africans) and 41 of mixed race, median age 42 months) were enrolled. Overall, 44% of patients were peanut sensitised and 25% had a true peanut allergy. SPTs and ImmunoCAP Ara h 2 produced the highest areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting peanut allergy in peanut-sensitised patients. The ISAC test was less sensitive, more specific and produced significantly lower median values than ImmunoCAP tests. Ara h 2 was the most useful component in differentiating allergy from tolerance in both ethnic groups, being positive in 92% of allergic and 40% of sensitised but tolerant children (p<0.001). There was little additional contribution from Ara h 1 and 3. Ara h 8 and 9 were associated with tolerance. Commonly used 95% positive predictive values (PPVs) for SPTs, peanut-specific IgE and Ara h 2 levels fared suboptimally in our population. Maximum PPVs for this study population were found at SPT 11 mm, peanut IgE 15 kU/L and ImmunoCAP Ara h 2 of 8 kU/L, but these adjusted levels still had suboptimal PPVs in Xhosa subjects. Severe peanut allergy was associated with increased median peanut IgE and Ara h 2.Conclusions. The component Ara h 2 was useful for differentiating allergy from tolerance in both ethnic groups in this SA cohort. Ninetyfive percent PPVs for peanut allergy tests may need to be revised, especially in Xhosa patients. An SPT result ≥11 mm as well as Ara h 2 ≥8 kU/L had the best predictive value for peanut allergy

WAT-A-GAME: sharing water and policies in your own basin

40th Annual Conference, Int. Simulation And Gaming Association, Singapour, SGP, 29-/06/2009 - 03/07/2009International audienceAfter having designed and used various games for learning and supporting water management and governance, many similarities appear. However, the components, topologies, and social and political setting of the basins are different. Therefore we have started designing andvalidating a new generic game platform, WAT-A-GAME, alias AMANZI. This new game aims at facilitating exploration and transformation of water management and water use at the small catchment scale. It gives a simple but enlightening view of the various consequences of individual and collective choices, including regulation policies. After comparing it with some previous games, we discuss its main rationales and features. We show how it can be adapted to very different settings, how players can usefully contribute to designing an instance, and how it can especially address dialogue between multi-level stakeholders. We describe an application in South-Africa, in the Inkomati basin and the preliminary results of this instance