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Barrie Rathbone,1 Janusz Jankowski,2 Michael Rathbone31University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, 2Sir James Black Professor Queen Mary University of London, 3St George's University of London, London, United KingdomAbstract: Esophageal cancer is the sixth commonest cause of cancer death worldwide. It predominantly occurs in two histological types, ie, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, each with its own distinct geographical distribution and natural history. The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is rising, as is that of its precursor lesion, Barrett's esophagus, which consists of metaplastic change in the squamous mucosa of the esophagus in response to damage by gastroesophageal reflux disease. The principal risk factors for esophageal cancer are cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, reflux disease, and obesity. In tumors without local invasion or distant metastases, surgery remains the treatment option of choice, although there are considerable differences of opinion regarding the roles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A wide variety of endoscopic treatments are available for dysplastic lesions and palliation. Despite the availability of increasingly complex imaging modalities and expensive and possibly ineffective attempts at screening, the evidence base is conflicted and the prognosis remains poor. However, from a recent large systematic review, three clear recommendations can be made, ie, use of endoscopic resection for high grade dysplasia, use of radiofrequency ablation for residual premalignant lesions, and, finally, prevention of risk factors for cancer, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity.Keywords: cancer, Barrett's, esophagus, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma

The purpose of this article is to critically discuss the tragedy that occurred between 11 and 16 August 2012 at the Lonmin Mine in Marikana, South Africa. Although the events leading up to the Marikana massacre were complex and not one single factor was responsible for the tragedy we will focus on the philosophical and anthropological aspect that may have influenced the breakdown of engagement between the management of Lonmin and workers. It will be argued that this breakdown may have been the result of reductionist anthropological trends that arise in capitalism. These trends selectively utilize modern economic principles to advance the profit motive of business and dehumanises workers. This dehumanisation is clear in the view of workers by the Lonmin management and breakdown of communication. In order to provide an alternative anthropology the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur with special reference to his work Fallible man (1986) is explored and applied as an alternative anthropology for the reductionist trends related to labour that sporadically arise in capitalism. This offers a balanced view that incorporates the aim of responsible business to make profit with that of a sustainable labour market. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om 'n kritiese bespreking te doen van die tragedie wat tussen 11 en 16 Augustus 2012 afgespeel het by die Lonmin-myn in Marikana, Suid-Afrika. Hoewel die gebeure wat aanleiding gegee het tot die Marikana-slagting kompleks is en nie gereduseer kan word tot een enkele faktor wat verantwoordelik was vir die tragedie nie, sal ons fokus op die filosofiese en antropologiese aspekte wat gelei het tot die ineenstorting van die kommunikasie tussen die bestuur van Lonmin en die werkers. Daar sal aangevoer word dat hierdie ineenstorting die gevolg kon wees van reduksionistiese antropologiese neigings wat binne die raamwerk van kapitalisme ontwikkel. Hierdie neigings maak op 'n selektiewe basis gebruik van modern ekonomiese beginsels om die winsmotief van besighede te bevorder, en dit lei tot die ontmensliking van die werker. Hierdie ontmensliking is duidelik sigbaar uit die oogpunt van die werkers teenoor die agtergrond van die Lonmin-bestuur en die ineenstorting van kommunikasie tussen die partye. Om 'n alternatiewe antropologie voor te stel, word ondersoek ingestel na die filosofie van Paul Ricoeur, met spesifieke verwysing na sy werk Fallible man (1986) en dit word toegepas as 'n alternatiewe antropologie vir die reduksionistiese neigings wat saamhang met arbeid soos wat dit sporadies in kapitalisme opduik. Dit bied 'n gebalanseerde gesigspunt wat die doel van verantwoordelike besighedspraktyke (om wins te maak) inkorporeer met 'n volhoubare arbeidsmark.

Biblical scholarship from the African context provides possible new and creative perspectives for the interpretation of the Tower of Babel narrative because of uniquely African questions that structure the interpretative process. These unique questions relate to the cultures of African people, the injustice of colonialism, apartheid and so forth. The problem is that some of these new perspectives are influenced by rationalism that may result in reductionist interpretations of the Tower of Babel narrative. This is clear in the African cultural hermeneutics of Solomon Avotri and Black African hermeneutics of emeritus arch-bishop Desmond Tutu. The contemporary move among some biblical scholars from the African context that focus on the interaction between scholarly and non-scholarly interpreters of the Bible is an attempt to address the problems associated with rationalism. The art of Azaria Mbatha will be used to illustrate the potential of this contemporary move.