Thesis (MMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this pilot project was to determine whether mothers with laboratory confirmed or clinically suspected tuberculosis (TB) had evidence of TB in the placenta. A secondary objective was to correlate evidence of placental TB with neonatal outcome. A total of 56 placentas were examined to determine if there were any specific histopathological features predictive of tuberculosis together with Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. A total of 30 cases were positive for maternal TB and one case was a false positive maternal diagnosis of TB, whilst 25 cases were negative for maternal TB. Biopsies from these 56 placentas were collected for conventional PCR from the paraffin embedded tissue blocks. The performance of these two diagnostic modalities (histopathology and PCR) was assessed coll ectively and individually, and compared to the neonatal outcome (presence or absence of active clinical mycobacterial tuberculosis infection) and evidence of maternal pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis. The recognition of specific sites of lesions in the placenta (e.g. membranes vs. intervillous space) may lead to an understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in matern alfetal transmission of tuberculosis, and thereby pave the way for further studies in understanding the pathogenesis of congenital TB. Invaluable knowledge was obtained in the diagnoses of M.tuberculosis in the placenta as it was found that micro abscesses and intervillositis were strong indicators of TB infection in the placenta, however, ZN staining still remains the gold standard for diagnosing M.tuberculosis infection in the placenta. PCR is found to have limitations, because only M.tuberculosis DNA is amplified and does not distinguish live from dead bacteria. The conclusion reached is that PCR is of limited value in the diagnosis of active M.tuberculosis infection in the placenta using FFPE tissue, while certain histological changes may be indicative of such infection; however confirmation of the organism by ZN staining is still essential. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoelwit van hierdie projek was om vas te stel of moeders met bevestigde of vermoedelike TB enige indikasie van TB in die plasenta toon. ‘n Tweede doelwit was om die neonatale uitkoms teenoor die plasentale TB te korreleer. ‘n Totale getal van 56 plasentas is ondersoek om vas te stel of daar enige spesifieke histopatologiese indikasies is van tuberkulose met die hulp van die ZN spesiale kleuring. Die totale getal positiewe vir TB was 30 asook ‘n vals positiewe geval vir TB en daar was 25 TB negatiewe gevalle. Ses en vyftig biopsies is versamel van paraffien in gebedteerde weefsel vir die gebruik in PKR. Die uitvoering van hierdie twee diagnostiese modaliteite is elk individueel ondersoek asook gesamentlik om dit te vergelyk met die neonatale uitkoms (m.a.w die teenwoordigheid of aanwesigheid van mikobakteriale tuberkulose infeksie) asook die teenwoordigheid van moederlike pulmunere en ekstra-pulmunere tuberkulose. Die spesifieke ligging van die letsels in die plasenta (bv. membrane vs. intervillus spasie) kan lei tot verbeterde begrip van die patogeniese meganismes betrokke in die moeder fetale oordrag van tuberkulose en dit kan lei tot toekomstige navorsing. Waardevolle kennis is opgedoen in die diagnose van M.tuberkulose in die plasenta, want die letsels van mikro abbesses en intervillisitus gee ‘n goeie aanduiding van TB infeksie in die plasenta. Die ZN kleuring bly nog steeds die standaard metode om M.tuberculose in die plasenta te diagnoseer. PKR het baie limiete want dit kan slegs die M.tuberkulose DNA vermeningvuldig, maar dit kan nie onderskeid tref tussen lewendige en dooie bakterie nie. The slotsom in hierdie projek is dat PKR ‘n be pperkte waarde het in die diagnose van aktiewe M .tuberkulose in die plasenta, deur die gebruik van formalien gefikseerde paraffien ingebedteerde weefsel nie terwyl sekere histologiese veranderinge ‘n aa nduiding van sodanige infeksie kan wees maar dat dit deur die spesiale kleruring (ZN) bevestig moet word. / National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS)

En droit positif, la qualification de l’enfant à naître est incertaine et celui-ci ne bénéficie d’aucun statut. Pour autant, son intérêt est pris en considération depuis le droit romain à travers l’adage « infans conceptus pro nato habetur quoties de commodis ejus agitur » selon lequel l'enfant conçu est réputé né chaque fois qu’il en va de son intérêt. À l’origine, cet adage était exclusivement tourné vers la matière patrimoniale. Aujourd’hui, la préservation de l'intérêt de l’enfant à naître a connu des évolutions majeures dépassant largement cette maxime latine. Plusieurs facteurs ont été à l’origine de l’extension de la prise en considération de cet intérêt : la légalisation de l’interruption de grossesse, les techniques d’assistance médicale à la procréation, le développement de la recherche scientifique, l’évolution de la médecine prénatale et fœtale. La question de la préservation de l’intérêt de l’enfant à naître est aujourd’hui sans cesse renouvelée en raison du développement constant des pratiques médicales et scientifiques, et sous l’impulsion de la notion d’intérêt de l’enfant né.L'intérêt de l’enfant à naître entre en conflit avec d’autres droits et intérêts concurrents peu conciliables. Ces droits et intérêts font l’objet de revendications fortes dans la société et entraînent de vifs débats quant aux solutions de conciliation. L’antagonisme de ces droits et intérêts aboutit à d’importantes contradictions et incohérences difficilement surmontables. Aussi, appréhender l'intérêt de l’enfant à naître en droit positif consiste à analyser ses manifestations à l’aune de la conciliation avec les droits et intérêts concurrents. Notre étude vise à déterminer le contenu de l’intérêt de l’enfant à naître en droit français, afin de mettre en exergue les cohérences et les incohérences existantes, et ce dans une perspective de rationalisation / In positive law, the qualification of the unborn child is unclear and he has no status. However, his interest is taken into consideration since Roman law through the adage « infans conceptus pro nato habetur quoties de commodis ejus agitur » according to which the conceived child is deemed to be born whenever it is in his interest. Originally, this adage was exclusively focused on the patrimonial rights. Today, the preservation of the interest of the unborn child has undergone major changes far beyond this Latin maxim. Several factors explain this fact : the legalization of the termination of pregnancy, techniques of assisted procreation, the development of scientific research, evolution prenatal and fetal medicine. The question of preserving the unborn child’s interest is today constantly renewed because of the constant development of medical ans scientific practices, and under the impetus of the concept of the born child’s interest. The unborn child’s interest conflicts with other competing rights and competing interests. These rights and interests are the subject of strong demands in society and lead to intense debates over conciliation solutions. The antagonism of these rights and interests leads to important contradictions and inconsistencies that are difficult to resolve. Therefore, to apprehend the interest of the unborn child in positive law is to analyze its manifestations in termes of conciliation with competing rights and interests. Our study aims to determine the content of the interest of the unborn child in French law, in order to highlight the existing coherences and inconsistencies, and this in a perspective of rationalization

1 ABSTRACT The issue of births outside a medical facility is currently a controversial topic between specialists as well as in the public sector. While the specialists concur in refusing home births, the society is divided. There are voices that refuse home births but there are also plenty of people who support the right of mothers to give birth outside of a medical facility. Very sensitive topic is the legal and ethical aspects of the protection of unborn children and the issue of a safely conducted delivery. In the last decades, the life value of an unborn child has been seen as an ethical problem. The right to life is one of the fundamental human rights, which is enshrined in the constitutional system of the Czech Republic and also in the international human rights conventions. Because there are different opinions regarding this issue, it is necessary to establish a view that is widely accepted so that legal standards can be approved provided that the opinions of minorities are being respected. The main objective of this presented dissertation was to ascertain why are people losing confidence in a doctor's role during delivery and what is the reason for some of the mothers being unsatisfied with current institutional system of obstetrics. On the basis of these factual findings, which emerged during the...

La faiblesse est partout et touche tout le monde. Lorsqu’elle se trouve dévoilée serévèle la vulnérabilité. Et c’est dans ce moment là que la faiblesse doit être qualifiéejuridiquement. Or comme toute qualification, elle doit obéir à des règles. Ces règles s’imposentà la présente étude comme premier fondement analytique. C’est en effet en partant du droitprivé, celui de la personne, que de premières règles garantissant les droits de « l’Homme »peuvent être identifiées. Celles-ci ont pour objet ce qui fait l’être humain, dans sa faiblesse.Elles en donnent une forme de définition, juridique, mais sans toute la profondeur d’uneapproche autrement que systémique, voire parfois systématique, au sens d’une régulationadministrativiste des droits. C’est aux entrecroisements théoriques, qui fondent la règle dedroit, que l’on peut saisir des hypothèses faisant être la règle de droit. Toutefois, c’est dans lapensée sous-jacente, que seul un langage de philosophie du droit saura révéler, le lieu où lafaiblesse trouvera sa correspondance la plus exigeante. Là elle rejoint les langagesontologique et métaphysique, qui font qu’elle « existe » au-delà de toute qualification juridique.D’une approche de philosophie du droit on retiendra donc que le droit du plus faible obéit àplusieurs règles communes, relevant d’une forme d’universalité, et que celles-ci peuventtrouver une véritable traduction en droit positif. C’est une forme de typologie de la faiblesseque l’on retrouve le plus souvent en pratique dans le discours du juge. C’est en invoquant lasentence du juge, dans sa souveraine interprétation judiciaire, que la faiblesse prend sadernière forme, celle que la personne se doit d’accepter pour faire valoir un droit. / The weakness is everywhere and affects everybody. When she is revealed, showsitself the vulnerability. A this moment she must be legally qualified. Yet, as any qualification,her has to obey rules. So these impose upon the present study as first analytica l foundation.Indeed while leaving of the private law, that of the person, of first rules guaranteeing the rightsof " the Man " can be identified. These have for object what makes the human being, in hisweakness, in a way gives a shape of definition, legal, but without all the depth of an approachthan what systematism, even sometimes systematic, in the sense of a regulation“administrativiste” rights. It is in the theoretical intertwinings, that base the legal rule, whichwe can seize with hypotheses making the legal rule be. However, it is in the underlyingthought, that only a language of philosophy of the right/law will know how to reveal, that theweakness will find its most demanding correspondence. There she joins the ontological andmetaphysical languages, which make that she "exists". Of an approach of philosophy of theright/law we shall thus retain that the right of the weakest obeys several common rules, andbeing of a shape of universality, and that these can find a real translation in substant ive law. Itis a shape of typology of the weakness that we find most of the time in practice in the speechof the judge. While calling upon the judgment of the judge, in his ruler judicial interpretation,the weakness take its last shape, the one that the person owes accept to assert to right a“right”.

The thesis deals with philosophical aspect of Dzhgchen, which is the core of the Yungdrung Bon traditon. It is very special spiritual tradition because of it's very special nondualistic view of man and universe. First part deals with the history and division of it's teachings and it's Dzogchen lineages. Next part focuses on explanation of differences in views of sutra, tantra and Dzogchen, mainly from the standpoint of the view of base, path, fruit, emptiness, clarity, conscioussness and mind and it's nature. Next part provides translation of the text Twelve little tantras and it's deep explanation. Last part, and most important one, focuses on philosophical examination of some key aspects of Dzogchen, mainly on it's view of autenticity of mindnature. This part also compares Pramenides's fragments with some key points of view of Buddhism and Dzogchen, which may lead to some unexpected conclusions about man's thinking and the problem of it's intentionality.