Locus standi is a Latin word for standing. Traditionally, it implies that a litigant must have sufficient interest to apply to the court for the enforcement of the right of another person, challenge the actions of the government, have a court declare a law unconstitutional or even to litigate in the interest of the public otherwise the application will not be successful. The interpretation of locus standi before the courts in most common law jurisdictions is liberal. Nigerian courts, however, interpret the principle of locus standi strictly, in the sense that standing is accorded the person who shows cause of action or sufficient interest. This position denies access to justice to many Nigerians who are poor or have no knowledge of their rights as the courts position on standing prevents NGOs or other individuals from applying to the courts on their behalf or litigating in the interest of the public. Presently, the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 regulate the practice and procedure for the enforcement of human rights before Nigerian courts. The Rules encourage the courts to ‗welcome public interest litigation in the human rights field‘ and not to dismiss or strike out human right cases for want of locus standi. However, it is doubtful if the courts will accept this invitation. This study looks at the context of the interpretation of the principle of locus standi by Nigerian Courts and its effect on access to justice and public interest litigation by NGOs and individuals. It also examines the impact of the provision for locus standi of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009. Finally, this study provides an analysis of the interpretation of this concept in other common law jurisdictions such as Kenya, India, United Kingdom and South Africa who once interpreted the concept strictly but now interpret it more liberally. This comparison is necessary to show that Nigerian courts are isolated in their position in the interpretation of locus standi and that there is need for the courts to conform to international best practice. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2014 / Centre for Human Rights / LLM / Unrestricted

Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Macrophages belong to the mononuclear phagocyte system and they perform fundamental roles to maintain homeostasis in the organism. Macrophage development, survival, proliferation and functionality depend upon the colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) and interleukin-34 (IL-34), which signal through the CSF1 receptor (CSF1R). CSF1R is a type III tyrosine kinase receptor that is present in the plasma membrane of monocytes and macrophages. Mutations in Csf1r in mice produce the loss of many tissue macrophage populations and multiple developmental abnormalities. In humans, abnormal enhancement of CSF1R expression has been correlated to adverse prognosis in a subset of carcinomas; and mutations in the human CSF1R are associated with an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease. CSF1R is encoded by the c-fms proto-oncogene and its expression is partially controlled by the fms-intronic regulatory element (FIRE). The FIRE sequence is highly conserved across species and contains binding motifs for multiple transcription factors, which are relevant for haematopoiesis. Previous results from murine Csf1r transgenes showed that FIRE is essential for driving Csf1r expression, and that interactions between FIRE and multiple myeloid transcription factors contribute to maximal regulatory activity. This project aimed to study the role of FIRE in its normal chromatin context, in vivo. A FIRE knockout (FIRE-/-) mouse model was generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and in mice. In ESCs, the deletion severely compromised the differentiation of macrophages from embryoid bodies generated in vitro. In mice, the frequency of the FIRE- /- genotype in the progeny does not follow a Mendelian distribution and about 5% of the offspring developed hydrocephalus. Unlike Csf1r -/-mice, which die before weaning, most surviving FIRE-/- mice grew normally and were fertile. The impact of the mutation on macrophage populations is selective. FIRE-/- mice are not monocyte deficient (identified as F4/80+ Csf1r+ cells in peripheral blood), although these cells have reduced levels of Csf1r mRNA and do not bind porcine CSF1 Fc fusion protein. The development of peritoneal macrophages and Iba-1+ microglia was abolished, but Adgre1+ (F4/80+) macrophage populations in liver and spleen were unaffected. Csf1r was greatly reduced in bone marrow progenitors, but about 30% of these cells were able to differentiate into macrophages in vitro, upon exposure to recombinant human CSF1 (rhCSF1). This study shows that FIRE is essential for the development of a subset of tissue-resident macrophage populations. In FIRE-/- mice, potential compensation from additional regulatory elements within Csf1r might underlie the development of unaffected tissue-resident macrophages.

In this dissertation, a high-level management strategy was developed for the museums and collections of the University of Pretoria. Specific areas where improvements to the current operations of the University museums can be made, were identified and solutions proposed. This analysis was based on a survey of the current operations of the University museums, as well as an analysis of the needs of all stakeholder groups. Proposals to improve the operation of the University museums include the following: - Rationalising collections to ensure that available technical and organisational resources are focused on the most valuable collections; - Improving the use and maintenance of collections to ensure that the needs of stakeholders are met; - Ensuring that sufficient financial and organisational resources are mobilised to support the operations of the museums. A brief overview of the steps needed to implement these proposals and to adjust the management strategy on an ongoing basis, is given. The author believes that the implementation of the proposals outlined in this report can contribute towards ensuring that the museums of the University of Pretoria help to fulfil the overall mission and vision of the University of Pretoria. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Historical and Heritage Studies / unrestricted