Marketing and the Common Good: Implications of \u3cem\u3eCaritas in Veritate\u3c/em\u3e

This paper extends the authors’ previous work on applying Catholic Social Teachings to issues in marketing to the specific question of the common good. Approaches to studying the social impact of marketing and the challenge of adequately defining the common good are discussed. Attention is next given to key vectors of Catholic Social Teaching and their application to ethical issues in marketing. The focus of the analysis is on specific sections in Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI’s recent encyclical devoted to providing principles for dealing with the ongoing global economic crisis. A discussion of how these principles might be applied to business and public policy follows. We close with an evaluation of this application

Ethical Marketing: A Look on the Bright Side

This article offers an alternative to conventional approaches to ethical analysis in business and marketing. We submit that studying companies with exemplary records of ethical conduct and social responsibility offers useful and compelling guidance to marketing students and managers. It provides another needed perspective beyond simply examining examples of misconduct or offering normative advice that may not reflect the specifics of corporate situations. Based on examples presented in a recent text by the authors and Better Business Bureau Torch Awardees, we present information on thirteen companies of varying size and from several different industries. That information includes ethics policies, management practices, environmental practices, and company reputation. From these examples, we draw lessons that should offer ethical guidance to marketing managers

Experimental Observations of Group Synchrony in a System of Chaotic Optoelectronic Oscillators

We experimentally demonstrate group synchrony in a network of four nonlinear optoelectronic oscillators with time-delayed coupling. We divide the nodes into two groups of two each, by giving each group different parameters and by enabling only inter-group coupling. When coupled in this fashion, the two groups display different dynamics, with no isochronal synchrony between them, but the nodes in a single group are isochronally synchronized, even though there is no intra-group coupling. We compare experimental behavior with theoretical and numerical results

Primordial nucleosynthesis as a probe of fundamental physics parameters

We analyze the effect of variation of fundamental couplings and mass scales on primordial nucleosynthesis in a systematic way. The first step establishes the response of primordial element abundances to the variation of a large number of nuclear physics parameters, including nuclear binding energies. We find a strong influence of the n-p mass difference (for the 4He abundance), of the nucleon mass (for deuterium) and of A=3,4,7 binding energies (for 3He, 6Li and 7Li). A second step relates the nuclear parameters to the parameters of the Standard Model of particle physics. The deuterium, and, above all, 7Li abundances depend strongly on the average light quark mass hat{m} \equiv (m_u+m_d)/2. We calculate the behaviour of abundances when variations of fundamental parameters obey relations arising from grand unification. We also discuss the possibility of a substantial shift in the lithium abundance while the deuterium and 4He abundances are only weakly affected.Comment: v2: 34 pages, 2 figures, typo in last GUT scenario corrected, added discussion and graph of nonlinear behaviour in GUT scenarios, added short section discussing binding of dineutron and 8Be, refs added, conclusions unaltered. Accepted for publication, Phys. Rev.

Diagnostic criteria for erosive lichen planus affecting the vulva: an international electronic-Delphi consensus exercise

Background: There is no defined set of criteria for diagnosing erosive lichen planus affecting the vulva (ELPV) and there is geographical variation in management. Objectives: To reach consensus on clinicopathological diagnostic criteria for ELPV. Methods: This was a three-stage international electronic-Delphi exercise with a subsequent formal feedback process. In the first two rounds participants were asked to rate the importance of a list of clinicopathological criteria. Responses from round 1 were summarized and presented in round 2, along with additional criteria suggested by participants. In round 3, participants were asked to rate the items that had reached consensus as ‘essential’ or ‘supportive’ features in diagnosing ELPV. Consensus was defined as being reached if 75% of participants agreed on the importance of an item. Results: A total of 73 experts representing dermatology, gynaecology, histopathology and genitourinary medicine participated; 69 (95%) completed all three rounds. Consensus was achieved for the following ‘supportive’ diagnostic criteria: (i) well-demarcated erosions/erythematous areas at the vaginal introitus; (ii) presence of a hyperkeratotic border to lesions and/or Wickham striae in surrounding skin; (iii) symptoms of pain/burning; (iv) scarring/loss of normal architecture; (v) presence of vaginal inflammation; (vi) involvement of other mucosal surfaces; (vii) presence of a well-defined inflammatory band involving the dermoepidermo junction; (viii) presence of an inflammatory band consisting predominantly of lymphocytes; and (ix) signs of basal layer degeneration. It was suggested that at least three supportive features should be present to make a diagnosis of ELPV, although this number is subject to further discussion. Conclusions: This study has identified a diagnostic dataset for ELPV that can be adopted into clinical practice and clinical trials

Complex Dynamics and Synchronization of Delayed-Feedback Nonlinear Oscillators

We describe a flexible and modular delayed-feedback nonlinear oscillator that is capable of generating a wide range of dynamical behaviours, from periodic oscillations to high-dimensional chaos. The oscillator uses electrooptic modulation and fibre-optic transmission, with feedback and filtering implemented through real-time digital-signal processing. We consider two such oscillators that are coupled to one another, and we identify the conditions under which they will synchronize. By examining the rates of divergence or convergence between two coupled oscillators, we quantify the maximum Lyapunov exponents or transverse Lyapunov exponents of the system, and we present an experimental method to determine these rates that does not require a mathematical model of the system. Finally, we demonstrate a new adaptive control method that keeps two oscillators synchronized even when the coupling between them is changing unpredictably.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. To appear in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A (special theme issue to accompany 2009 International Workshop on Delayed Complex Systems

The Jus Ad Bellum and the 1998 Initiation of the Eritrean-Ethopian War

From May 1998 to December 2000, Eritrea and Ethiopia engaged in an armed conflict that cost the lives of thousands of individuals, injured thousands more, and displaced tens of thousands of men, women, and children from their homes. In December 2000, the two sides concluded a comprehensive agreement that ended the war. Among other things, the agreement established the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission. Consisting of five arbitrators, the Commission’s mandate was to “decide through binding arbitration all claims for loss, damage or injury by one Government against the other” that were “related to the conflict” and that “resulted from violations of international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions, or other violations of international law.” The two countries filed claims with the Commission in December 2001 and from that time until August 2009, the Commission issued seventeen arbitral awards and eight decisions, covering a broad array of claims, including inhumane treatment of prisoners of war and civilian internees, abuse of enemy aliens in a belligerent’s territory or in occupied territory, wrongful seizure of the enemy’s public or private property, indiscriminate battlefield conduct or aerial bombing, harassment of diplomats and seizure of diplomatic property, and many other matters. The book LITIGATING WAR: ARBITRATION OF CIVIL INJURY BY THE ERITREA-ETHIOPIA CLAIMS COMMISSION seeks to integrate in discrete chapters the Commission’s findings on key topics, with each chapter organized into sub-sections that deal with the principal elements of that topic. The guiding emphasis is not on who-filed-what claim but is instead on what kinds of violations were addressed by the Commission, what kinds of evidence were relevant in establishing or defending against such violations, what legal conclusions emerged in addressing those violations, and what levels of compensation were deemed appropriate when a violation was found.The dominant area of international law upon which claims before the Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission were based was the jus in bello, or the law operating as between two belligerents after an armed conflict has arisen. One type of claim filed before the Commission, however, was quite different, in that it concerned an alleged violation of the jus ad bellum, or the law on when a state may resort to a use of military force against another state. As one of the most important norms for the international legal system, the Commission’s treatment of the jus ad bellum claim is of particular interest, and is addressed in the book’s Chapter IV on “Initiation of War.

Early recognition and detection of juvenile psoriatic arthritis: a call for a standardized approach to screening

Background: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend annual screening for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in all patients with psoriasis. Currently, no validated assessment tools have been recommended for screening for juvenile PsA (JPsA). Aim: To determine dermatologists' practice when assessing children's joints and explore the challenges dermatologists experience when looking for joint disease, in order to inform future strategies to improve early detection of arthritis. Methods: Structured telephone interviews were undertaken with dermatologists identified through the British Society of Paediatric Dermatology. Percentages for binary and categorized responses were calculated. Thematic content analysis was used to generate a set of core themes across the interview data. Results: Of the 41 consultant dermatologists contacted, 23 agreed to be interviewed. Of these, 78% (18/23) reported they routinely ask about joint disease. Only 13% (3/23) routinely examine the joints of children with psoriasis. Overall, assessment for JPsA lacked a structured, evidence-based approach. The average confidence rating for assessing joint disease was low (score of 3). The two key barriers described for detecting arthritis were a lack of experience and training, and subtle or difficult to detect signs. The two main suggestions for improving detection were the introduction of an assessment tool/guideline and increased clinical experience and training. Conclusion: There is a clear need for dermatologists to use a standardized approach for screening and to increase their confidence in paediatric musculoskeletal examination. In this article, we provide guidance on screening for psoriatic arthritis in children based on our clinical experience