Neoliberal Governmentality, Corporate Responsibility, and the Governing of Citizens in Nigeria: The case of ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron

This thesis investigates how oil corporations in Nigeria govern citizens through the implementation of certain corporate responsibility initiatives. The examination of ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron, and how each corporation governs individuals through various capacity-building initiatives will be discussed. From a governmentality perspective, this thesis examines how, under neoliberalism, private actors utilize certain governance \u27\u27techniques\u27\u27 that render individuals to be responsible and self-sufficient. By focussing on the \u27\u27responsibilization\u27\u27 of Nigerian citizens, the oil corporations have minimized their own responsibility to respect the environment, life-styles, forms of subsistence, and human rights of the population effected by their oil explorations. This thesis concludes that the various capacity-building projects undertaken by ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron in order to govern Nigerian citizens, with their focus on building self-sufficiency and responsibility, have been indicative of the shifting power relations within the modern era of governance

Preventivní aktivity polských škol v oblasti závislostí

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Der strukturelle Einbau von Eisenionen in Alkali-Erdalkalisilikat- und Alumosilikatgläsern sowie die Charakterisierung der Eigenschaften der Gläser

In dieser Arbeit wird der Einfluss von höheren (bis 9 Ma.%) Eisenoxidgehalten auf die Struktur und Eigenschaften von zwei Typen der Silikatgläser untersucht. Die Aufklärung der Struktur erfolgte durch den Einsatz der Mössbauer- und der Lichtspektroskopie. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass Eisen unabhängig von der Wertigkeit in Alkali- Erdalkali-Silikatgläsern bei oxidierenden Bedingungen in tetraedrischer Koordination vorliegt, während unter reduzierenden Bedingungen die oktaedrische Koordination bevorzugt wird. Bei Alumosilikatgläsern liegt Fe2+ stets 6 fach-koordiniert vor, während Fe3+ die Koordination von 4 zu 6 ändert. Auf Grund ihrer Bedeutung für die Schmelze und Verarbeitung der Gläser wurden die Viskosität in zwei Bereichen, der Transformations- und Einsinkpunkttemperatur, die Wärmedehnung, die Mikrohärte, die Dichte, die Kristallisation und die elektrische Leitfähigkeit der Schmelze näher untersucht. Mit Hilfe der Strukturuntersuchungen konnte die Änderung erklärt werden

Processing of molten solid residues

An alternative way of recovery, recycling and re-integration of solid wastes on a laboratory scale is demonstrated. The analysed synthetic slags belong to the System SiO2-Al2O3-CaO-MgO-Fe2O3-K2O-Na2O. Α polynomial model has been developed by means of a computing program in order to calculate some important technological features directly from a variable oxide concentration and to determine a processable composition. Furthermore, a concept of maximum application of the residues is suggested for slags from waste incineration and other industrial processes with relative low volatile components. Rolling has been chosen as the most suitable forming technique, because recycling melts show a short forming interval and an aggressive behaviour towards refractory materials. It is possible to form plates or tiles which afterwards can additionally be shaped e.g. to create profiles or breaking points. Because of their affmity to crystallization the glassy end-products can be devitrified at the surface (into semicrystalline products, i.e. glass-ceramics) to receive a better resistance. The present results show the possibility of using well known forming and treating processes to make high value products from low-value by-products, with a considerable economical advantage

Rola oceny technologii medycznych w refundacji leków w Polsce

The role of health technology assessment in pharmaceuticalsreimbursement in PolandThe methodology of health technology assessment has been introduced into Polish health care system officially in 2005, and practically in 2006. It is provided by the Agency for Health Technology Assessment (AOTM, AHTAPol), the institution which role is advisory for the Minister of Health. AOTM collects evidence, performs analysis and independently delivers recommendations on financing health care benefits of public funds. The main part of AOTM tasks concerns drug technologies. We describe Agency’s procedures fulfilling the processes of the assessment of drug technologies, their background according to actual legislation as well as methodology. We explain the directions and the strength of potential impact of AOTM recommendations on the final administrative decision on financing the drug of public funds

Wstęp

"Wzrost długości życia, do którego w znaczącym stopniu przyczynił się postęp medycyny, zwiększył zainteresowanie okresem starości zarówno w aspekcie osobniczym, ekonomicznym, jak i społecznym. Jednocześnie nastąpiło wyraźne przeformułowanie podejścia do kwestii osób w podeszłym wieku na poziomie makro i przyjęcie nowej strategii na poziomie mikro. (...)" (fragm.

Home based versus centre based cardiac rehabilitation: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To compare the effect of home based and supervised centre based cardiac rehabilitation on mortality and morbidity, health related quality of life, and modifiable cardiac risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease

Piezoelectric and elastic properties of relaxor-like PZT:Ba ceramics

The solid solutions of PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) are the most known and widely applicable piezoelectric ceramic materials. The influence of different dopants on PZT properties has been studied for many years. Some of such compositions have revealed a behavior typical for ferroelectric relaxors. In the case of Pb0.75Ba0.25Zr0.70Ti0.30O3 ceramics (abbreviation PBZT 25/70/30), prepared by mixed-oxide processing technique elastic, it was found that macroscopic piezoelectric activity is present far above the temperature at which structural changes and maximum of permittivity occur in unpoled samples (~ 200 °C). Anomalies of the elastic and piezoelectric properties have been observed very clearly near the temperature of 152 °C. Within the temperature range of 152–220 °C, unstable piezoelectric properties have been detected due to the existence of polar micro/nano-clusters and non-trivial elastic-electric interactions between them, through the non-polar paraelectric matrix. The origin of such interactions could be lattice instabilities, dynamic change in polar cluster sizes, and fluctuations in chemical composition. Based on the results of the research, it can be said that PZT ceramics of such composition is a relaxor-like material and it is not a ferroelectric relaxor

Ultimate stability of active optical frequency standards

Active optical frequency standards provide interesting alternatives to their passive counterparts. Particularly, such a clock alone continuously generates highly-stable narrow-line laser radiation. Thus a local oscillator is not required to keep the optical phase during a dead time between interrogations as in passive clocks, but only to boost the active clock's low output power to practically usable levels with the current state of technology. Here we investigate the spectral properties and the stability of active clocks, including homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening effects. We find that for short averaging times the stability is limited by photon shot noise from the limited emitted laser power and at long averaging times by phase diffusion of the laser output. Operational parameters for best long-term stability were identified. Using realistic numbers for an active clock with $^{87}$Sr we find that an optimized stability of $\sigma_y(\tau) \approx 4\times10^{-18}/\sqrt{\tau [\mathrm{s}]}$ is achievable.Comment: 15 page