This paper revisits the conceptual history of the early Frankfurt School’s investigations into the authoritarian character, the set of sadomasochistic character traits that dispose an individual or group to seek their own domination. This research project, which produced Fromm’s Studies on Authority and Family and Horkheimer’s Egoism and Freedom Movements in 1936 and ended in 1939 with Fromm’s expulsion from the Frankfurt School, is generally held to have been a theoretically-unproductive and abortive endeavour. We dispute such a reading by reconstructing (...) the key concepts and methods of this research project, and demonstrating its breadth and coherence. In so doing we illustrate the centrality of Fromm’s contribution to the Frankfurt School early work on authority and indicate that the proper point of origin for those seeking to grasp the Frankfurt School’s research on the authoritarian character is 1930, the year in which Fromm joined the Frankfurt School. (shrink)

The ongoing efforts to establish biobanks in Africa envisage the availability of biological samples and data in accordance with relevant national legislation and ethical principles. Current literature has established that many African countries “do not have national legislation or guidelines on the use of stored biological samples” or if such guidelines are in place, then “disparities exist in relation to informed consent and export and import requirements.” In this regard, this article considers the extent to which the available legal and (...) ethical regulatory frameworks in South Africa are capable of governing the use of stored biological samples in a manner that facilitates health research while at the same time protecting the interests of sample donors. (shrink)

Receptor tyrosine kinases exhibit ligand‐induced activity and uptake into cells via endocytosis. In the case of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), the resulting endosomes are trafficked to the perinuclear region, where dephosphorylation of receptors occurs, which are subsequently directed to degradation. Traveling endosomes bearing phosphorylated EGFRs are subjected to the activity of cytoplasmic phosphatases as well as interactions with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The peri‐nuclear region harbors ER‐embedded phosphatases, a component of the EGFR‐bearing endosome‐ER contact site. The ER is (...) also emerging as a central player in spatiotemporal control of endosomal motility, positioning, tubulation, and fission. Past studies strongly suggest that the physical interaction between the ER and endosomes forms a reaction “unit” for EGFR dephosphorylation. Independently, endosomes have been implicated to enable quantization of EGFR signals by modulation of the phosphorylation levels. Here, we review the distinct mechanisms by which endosomes form the logistical means for signal quantization and speculate on the role of the ER. (shrink)

Medical law is not new in medical literature and can constitute an imperative component in medical education. Some medical schools include medical law as a compulsory component of the curriculum. In line with curriculum re-structuring at the University of Malaya, medical law was integrated in the medical curriculum and the feasibility of this integration into the Year 1 undergraduate curriculum was evaluated. Following implementation of a 4-week medical law module, an evaluation of the suitability of early integration of this module (...) was conducted using a ten-item, 4-point Likert scale questionnaire. Two open-ended questions were also included to gauge insights of the integration. All items were scored 3 points or more from the students’ responses. Using the open-ended questions, recommendations for future directions as well as constraints and issues related to the integration of medical law into teaching and learning was revealed. Overall, findings of the study indicated that integrating medical law into medical curriculum at an early stage was beneficial for the medical students. (shrink)

To study the static software defect detection system, based on the traditional static software defect detection system design, a new static software defect detection system design based on big data technology is proposed. The proposed method can optimize the distribution of test resources and improve the quality of software products by predicting the potential defect program modules and design the software and hardware of the static software defect detection system of big data technology. It is found that the traditional static (...) software defect detection system design based on code source data takes a long time, averaging 65 h /day. However, the traditional static software defect detection system based on deep learning has a short detection time, averaging 35 h/day. In this article, the detection time of the static software defect detection system based on big data is shorter than that of the other two traditional system designs, with an average of 15 h/day. Because the system design adjusts the operating state of the system, it improves the accuracy of data operation. On the premise of data collection, the system inspection research is completed, which ensures the operational safety of software data, alleviates the contradiction between system and data to a high degree, improves the efficiency of system operation, reduces unnecessary operations, further shortens the time required for inspection, improves the system performance, and has higher research and operation value. (shrink)

This essay examines how the disappointment of ex-resistance fighters can illuminate the grey zone of founding—the ambiguity of beginning anew against the background of systemic violence that eludes the predominant linear visions of transition. For a theoretical framework, I draw on Hannah Arendt’s insights into the ambiguity of beginning anew as a practice of attunement that takes oppressive practices as points of departure for democratizing political action. I explore how the ex-resisters’ stories of disappointment can invigorate this practice, focusing on (...) their ability to reorient political action towards reframing unjust relationships in a way that guards against systematic exclusions in the future. This essay demonstrates the political relevance of disappointment on the example of a South African ex-resister’s memoir, Pregs Govender’s Love and Courage. Govender’s narrative discloses how experiences of disappointment can orient the ex-resisters’ efforts to confront the complexities of founding obscured from the official story. (shrink)