Resumé Aj The purpose of my thesis is to provide a detailed view of prohibition of torture in contemporary practice of States. De iure is the absolute prohibition of torture unquestionable. However situation de facto is more complicated. States are very inventive in finding ways of circumventing this absolute prohibition. Their justification for circumventing the prohibition of torture may be called various things, such as diplomatic assurances, extraordinary rendition, interpretation of the definition of torture, national security, etc. Due to the limited scope of this work, I have selected the approaches of those States, which I find most worrisome and I will address them by presenting the practice of these individual States. This thesis has focused on an approach of certain European States, USA and Israel in their attempts to circumvent the absolute prohibition of torture. All examples support the topic of this thesis, however in different contexts. The thesis is composed of three core chapters. Chapter One deals with the legal status of the prohibition of torture. Chapter Two affirms the absolute prohibition of torture by case - law of ECtHR in cases Chahal v UK and Saadi v Italy. Chapter Three is subdivided into three parts. Part one reveals disturbing willingness of German courts as well as German...

Benzene is a leukaemogenic and mutagenic agent, which may pose a risk to the general public even at low levels of exposure. Since petrol fuel contains a high concentration (1-5%) of benzene, there is the potential for exposure to man during car journeys. The main aim of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive method to detect urinary t,t-muconic acid (uMA) following low level environmental exposures to benzene. Subjects potentially exposed to benzene were divided into petrol (n= 9) and diesel groups (n= 7). The control group (n=14) consisted of individuals who were not exposed to benzene inside the car. The uMA method developed during this study involved butanol extraction instead of the traditional solid phase extraction followed by DV (259nm) detection. The method was reasonably precise (CV=1.5%) with >80% recovery from urIne. Air samples were collected on charcoal tubes and analysed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes by GCMS following extraction with purified carbon disulphide. The benzene concentration of ambient air samples taken from inside the cabins of petrol fuelled cars (7.5 ppb) was about triple that found from diesel-fuelled cars (2.6 ppb)(P=O.Ol). The uMA of volunteers exposed to petrol increased (p<0.01) post-sample in compared to pre-exposure level (0.66mgMA/gCr and 0.38mgMA/gCr, respectively). There was no increase in uMA for volunteers exposed to diesel. The uMA level of samples collected from individuals 2h-7h after exposure to petrol showed a significant association with the air benzene (p=0.012) and toluene (p=0.042) concentrations taken inside the car cabins. Half of the 24h-profiles of individuals exposed to petrol had at least one urine with 1 mgMA/gCr or higher, while all of the profiles of controls were below 1 mgMA/gCr. The technique developed in this study for the determination uMA showed promise as a tool for monitoring levels of benzene arising from low-level environmental exposures to petrol.

Examination of the literature reveals a paucity of dedicated research into collisions and groundings involving UK fishing vessels. The aim of this research was to provide answers to fundamental questions regarding the factors that contribute to fishing vessel traffic losses. Data for this study were gathered from a broad range of sources and an eclectic range of techniques employed in their analysis. The recent development of the UK fishing fleet and the pattern of losses from all causes is investigated for the period 1975 to 1994. Fishing vessel collision and grounding losses are then set in relative perspective by comparison with those arising from other causes. Aspects of the macro-environment in which the UK fishing fleet has operated since 1975 are examined and the results interpreted in the form of a comparative regional analysis. The micro-environment prevailing in the fishing fleet is exemplified through combining an array of observations made at sea on board working fishing vessels with questionnaire responses drawn from representative samples of British fishermen in 22 fishing ports around the country. A previously unattempted composite analysis of the circumstances of fishing vessel collision and grounding losses is presented and this allows for a number of conclusions to be drawn. A causal analysis technique is applied to fishing vessel casualties for the first time and leads to the identification of human factors as a more significant contributor to traffic losses than either technical or environmental factors. A novel programme of cross-validated observations of fishing vessel watchkeepers in their working environment was pursued, providing data on how attention is allocated, workload levels at different stages in the fishing cycle and also on the watchkeeper's cognitive state while on duty. The thesis concludes with a wide ranging discussion and recommendations based on the research that could contribute to reducing loss of life and vessels in traffic events, made with due consideration for the physical and fiscal constraints that impinge upon the UK fishing fleet.

Safety is an increasingly important aspect of vehicle design. Legislation requires minimum levels of safety through full scale tests. Customers are provided with information regarding the safety performance of vehicles so that they can make an informed buying decision. Vehicle crashes were responsible for 40000 fatalities and 5.2 million non fatally injured patients in the US during 1994. The direct and direct cost of head injuries in the US is estimated at $25 billion per year. Injury criteria that can predict the severity of head injuries are important engineering tools for improving vehicle safety. At present the injury that the human head is subjected to is predicted by the Head Injury Criterion (HIC). This criterion is inadequate as it is not based upon a thorough understanding of the underlying head injury mechanisms. The important blunt or non-contact head injury mechanisms are diffuse axonal injury, bridging vein disruption and surface contact contusions. The severity of these injury mechanisms is hypothesised to be related to the level of motion of the brain with respect to the skull. Finite element modelling is used to analyse these head injury mechanisms. Models are developed which include all the relevant anatomical entities and detail. Accurate material property information and boundary conditions are used in the modelling to ensure that the head injury mechanisms can be accurately simulated. Tissue failure criteria are developed to link the various field parameters monitored during the simulations with injury severity. The models are then comprehensively validated with information obtained from pathological observations, cadaver experiments, accident reconstructions and volunteer data. These models are then used to determine the biomechanics of head injury and to develop improved head injury tolerance curves. The simulations demonstrate that head injury severity is dependent upon the magnitude, pulse duration and direction of the applied translational and rotational acceleration pulses.

Background: This is a Phase I trial demonstrating safety and tolerability of intravaginal curcumin for future use in women with cervical neoplasia. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of intravaginal curcumin in healthy women. Study design: We conducted a 3+3 dose-escalation Phase I trial in a group of women aged 18-45 years. Thirteen subjects were given one of four doses of curcumin powder (500 mg, 1,000 mg, 1,500 mg, and 2,000 mg) packed in gelatin capsules, which was administered intra-vaginally daily for 14 days. The primary end point for this study was safety based on severe adverse events regarding laboratory toxicity, clinical findings, and colposcopic abnormalities. We administered an acceptability questionnaire to assess product experience and attributes. Results: No dose-limiting toxicities (0/13) were experienced (95% confidence interval: 0.0%-22.8%) in this study. The pharmacokinetics data demonstrated that curcumin and curcumin conjugates were not measurable in the serum and negligible in the urine of the study participants. Although 23 adverse events occurred during the course of the trial, all events were grade I based on the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 and were resolved by the end of the study in an average of 9 days. Fifty-six percent of the adverse events were related to the study drug, which included genital pruritus (23% of subjects), vaginal discharge (100%), vaginal dryness (15%), abnormal prothrombin (23%), and hypokalemia (8%). Conclusion: Intravaginal curcumin was well tolerated by all subjects and safe. In this Phase I trial, there were no severe adverse events observed at any of the administered dose levels. All adverse events were grade I and did not result in early termination of the study. There was no evidence of systemic absorption or significant local absorption of intravaginally administered curcumin.

M.Com. (Business Management) / The chemical industry is associated with high risk to the safety and health of personnel and the environment. However, the macro-environment expects the safe operation of chemical plants. In particular, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act No. 85 of 1993, regulates safety in the industry. Management are exposed to the transgression of this law, even unwittingly, unless an integrated safety management system ensures the necessary planning, organising, leading and control for the safe operation of plants. While line management is ultimately responsible for the safety of chemical plants, the responsibilities of line management must be clearly defined to ensure continuity in the management of safety. Furthermore, the input of every worker is necessary to ensure that safety management is a process of continuous improvement. Knowledge of the processes associated with any specific plant is of primary importance for the safe operation thereof. This includes all information related to the operation of the plant, as well as design data and operational limits. The risks associated with the process and the operating procedures must be properly communicated to personnel. Plant operation must be within design limits, and the dangers associated with exceeding these limits must be well understood. As technology improves, process safety information must be updated regularly. While it is the objective to have an accident free record, it is imperative to identify possible emergency scenario's, and to give the necessary training to effectively control the impact that an emergency situation can have on the business and its staJceholders. Safety management includes the responsible operation of units with regard to the environment. In order to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for all personnel, the legal requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act No. 85 of 1993, and all the regulations in terms of the Machinery and Occupational Safety Act, Act No. 6 of 1983, must be met. The ever-changing needs and requirements within a chemical plant require control of all the changes that can result in unsafe acts and conditions. Maintenance work, work on protection systems, start-ups after major maintenance work and plant modifications arc considered changes with high enough risk factor to control these actions. The safety of persons other than persons at work, and in particular contractors, are the responsibility of line management. Effective training of contractors to ensure their safe conduct while performing their duty or during emergencies, are therefore necessary. Proper control systems are needed to ensure the correct and timeous fulfilment of safety requirements. Management information systems must be designed to audit deviations from standards, but also to point out the correctness of systems, thus providing proof of management participation in the improvement of safety standards. In order to have a competent and effective workforce, the necessary training of workers with regard to safety must be given. Line management must be appraised on their input to ensure an effective safety management program, and not only on the results. Rewarding the individuals for their contribution in this field, would ensure a strong and continuous effort toward a high safety standard. No safety management system can be successful unless strong leadership and a safety culture exists in the plant. Furthermore, the participation and involvement of every employee is needed to ensure continuous improvement in safety standards. Safety management must be a key performance area of every line manager, to protect both the business and its most valuable asset, namely the workers.

Examensarbetet bygger på en egen observation av brister som finns i de trygghetslarm som kommunerna använder sig av idag. Idén är att personer ska känna sig trygga på allmänna platser. Arbetet kommer att baseras på tre grundparametrar, position, fall och puls. Det är både teoretiskt fakta men även att testa olika system. Första fasen i arbetet är att strukturera ner grundparametrarna i mindre delar. Arbetet utförs genom att avläsa marknadens sortiment på trygghetslarm. Därefter utföra en egenskapad testanalys på komponenterna. Den andra fasen är att testköra och sammanfoga grundparametrarna till en produkt och att avläsa både marknaden och prisbilden. Även hur armbandet ser ut i dag och att tillverka en konstruktion som passar bättre dagens behov. Tredje fasen är en analys på vad som blev bra och vad som blev mindre bra, för att kontrollera att samtliga kriterier uppfyllts. En kontroll så att samtliga kriterier som har angetts uppfyllts. Produktens slutliga konstruktion för detta projekt ska ha en instruktionsmanual och en tillverkningsmanual. Konstruktion av ett nytt trygghetslarm genomfördes. Ett antal komponenter och analyser utfördes för att välja rätt komponenter till rätt grundparameter. Grundparametrarnas mål uppfylldes, ett av dem var trygghet på allmänplats.

This thesis is an exploration of the daily realities of childhood in the Johannesburg inner city, investigating how the children understand and negotiate the possible dangers and probable safeties of the inner city. Growing up in the inner city is an image few think is possible. However, throughout my research I will argue for a conceptualisation of childhood that speaks to the urban public spaces in the Johannesburg inner city and an inner city that speaks to the a new childhood in South Africa. I have used danger and safety negotiation as the bridge between studies of the Johannesburg inner city and studies of a South African childhood, and as a bridge in the gap between theories on childhood and theories on the city. I investigate the ways that the children negotiate the everyday dangers in the city and develop practices of safety, and how these practices and avoidance techniques speak to the reality of living in the inner city. The very nature of the congested inner city offers a freedom that many suburban childhoods lack, and that the children experience an independent mobility within an infamously dangerous space speaks to the changes within the inner city often hidden behind the skewed opinion of many of the Johannesburg inner city. I make a claim that the inner city offers more freedom of mobility that is expected. This mobility is a relatively simple and well practiced form of creating visibility within the pedestrian congestion of the city. These practises of visibility, I argue, is heavily reliant on the layout of the inner city and the ways in which children understand the dangers that face them. As such, their safety practices are a complex network of sharing cautionary stories and avoidance techniques. For most children, this environment is also the only space that they know and therefore, what to outsiders might seem a dangerous, chaotic and confusing space is to the children just their everyday experience. These are the stories about which I write.

Orbital rendezvous enables spacecraft to perform missions to service satellites, remove space debris, resupply space stations, and return samples from other planets. These missions are often considered high risk due to concerns that the two spacecraft will collide if the maneuvering capability of one spacecraft is compromised by a fault.<br>In this thesis, a passive safety analysis is used to evaluate the probability that a fault that compromises maneuvering capability results in a collision. For a rendezvous<br>mission, the chosen approach trajectory, state estimation technique, and probability of collision calculation each impact the total collision probability of the mission. This<br>thesis presents a modular framework for evaluating the comparing the probability of collision of rendezvous mission design concepts.<br>Trade studies were performed using a baseline set of approach trajectories, and a Kalman Filter for relative state estimation and state estimate uncertainty. The state covariance matrix following each state update was used to predict the resulting probability of collision if a fault were to occur at that time. These trade studies emphasize that the biggest indicator of rendezvous mission risk is the time spent on a nominal intercept trajectory.

Given the prevailing ethical crisis and subsequent collapse of a number of modern organizations, the lapse in leader ethics as a determining factor of the proliferation of corrupt practices has come to dominate leadership discourse. Ethical leadership has been linked not only to avoiding organizational destruction but to fostering healthy, productive organisations. In line with this, the current study aimed to assess the role of employee perceptions of ethical leadership in promoting employee engagement, via the mediating mechanism of employee perceptions of psychological safety.. Having distributed an email survey to administrative employees of a technological goods producer, Kalshoven et al.’s (2011) Ethical leadership at Work scale, Carmeli and Gittel’s (2009) psychological safety scale and the 17-item version of Utrecht’s employee engagement scale (Schauefeli & Bakker, 2003) were completed by 139 participants. Using structural equation modelling, the findings supported the linkage between ethical leadership and employee engagement and confirmed the role of psychological safety in mediating this relationship.