Efficacy of entomological method in estimation of postmortem interval: a comparative analysis

Sixteen insect-infested cadavers were examined and analysed to evaluate the reliability of the entomological method in estimation of time elapsed since death, in relation to other medico-legal approaches. The entomological method was found statistically more reliable and superior when compared to other prevalent methods.     

The impact of South Africa's new constitution on the organization of health services in the post-apartheid era

This essay evaluates the transformation of the health care system in South Africa in the five years following the end of apartheid. This period has witnessed dramatic and wide-ranging changes in the roles of the central and provincial governments as well as many of the same problems related to decentralization as have been seen elsewhere in the world. The importance of effective intergovernmental relations to the creation of a national health system is highlighted. Negotiation. contracting, and coordination skills and mechanisms need to be strengthened to ensure a more effective national health system within a decentralized political system.     

Participation in the Budgetary Process in Local Government

Direct democracy is seen as a means of reengaging citizens in the political process. However, it is a contested concept that requires further development by being grounded in a specific context. This article reports on research undertaken in Victorian local government where the New Public Management (NPM) has been in evidence for a number of decades which according to the literature has impacted on accountability to the broader community. The possibility of consultation and citizen participation in the local government budgetary process was examined. The results reported suggest that participation in the budgetary decisions in local government is possible.     

The Rule of Law and the New Egyptian Constitution

This article explores meaning of the rule of law for Egypt after Mubarak. In Egypt, the process of writing and ratifying a new constitution was overseen first by Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), then by the newly elected President Morsi and by SCAF again, when the army moved to depose Mr Morsi and the government of the Muslim Brotherhood party. The writing of the Egyptian constitution has undergone several iterations since 2011, each time slanted towards the interests of those in power. The successful implementation of the rule of law in any country must first be secured in the constitutional framework which should guarantee that everyone is equal before the law and that no person or group has a privileged status. Does the latest Egyptian constitution meet this most basic of criterion of the rule of law?     

Linear rate of change in the product of erythrocyte water content and potassium concentration during the 0-120-hour postmortem period in the rat

An accurate and reproducible technique was employed for measurement of water content (RBCH2O) and potassium concentration (RBCK) in rat erythrocytes post mortem. Coefficients of variation for determination of RBCH2O and RBCK, as estimated from the results of duplicate analyses (n = 36), were 1.21% and 1.17%, respectively. Erythrocyte water content and RBCK were directly and linearly related (r = +0.93 (P less than 0.001], while the product of RBCH2O and RBCK varied linearly and inversely (r = -0.89 (P less than 0.001] with postmortem interval (PMI) over the 0-120-h postmortem period. In addition, the standard deviations of the data points for (RBCH2O X RBCK) remained relatively constant and independent of PMI. Attention is drawn to the possibility of determining time elapsed since death from (sequential) measurements of (RBCH2O X RBCK) in individual cadavers.