122 research outputs found
Principales tendencias del siglo XXI en cuanto al crimen organizado, el narcotrĂĄfico y la democracia en la regiĂłn
Discurso principal de la conferencia TrĂĄfico de drogas en las amĂ©ricas: retos y desafĂos celebrada en la Universidad Icesi el dĂa 18 de septiembre de 2012
The evolution of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin america
This article analyses the evolution of illegal drug economy in the Americas over the past two decades. It identifies eight key trends that have characterized illicit drug trafficking and organized crime as of mid-2011. They are: (1) the increasing globalization of drug consumption; (2) the limited victories and unintended consequences of the U.S.-led âWar on Drugsâ; (3) the proliferation of cultivation areas and of drug smuggling routes; (4) the dispersion and fragmentation of organized criminal groups; (5) the failure of political reform and state-building efforts; (6) the inadequacies U.S. domestic drug and crime control policies; (7) the ineffectiveness of regional and international drug control policies; (8) the growing support for legalization debate.Este artigo analisa a evolução da economia ilegal de drogas nas AmĂ©ricas ao longo das Ășltimas duas dĂ©cadas. Identifica oito tendĂȘncias principais que caracterizaram o trĂĄfico ilĂcito de drogas e o crime organizado a partir de meados de 2011. SĂŁo estas: (1) a crescente liberalização do consumo de drogas; (2) as vitĂłrias limitadas e as consequĂȘncias nĂŁo intencionais da âguerra Ă s drogasâ liderada pelos Estados Unidos; (3) a proliferação de ĂĄreas de cultivo e de rotas de trĂĄfico de droga; (4) a dispersĂŁo e fragmentação dos grupos criminosos organizados; (5) o fracasso da reforma polĂtica e dos esforços de construção do Estado; (6) a insuficiĂȘncia das polĂticas domĂ©sticas dos EUA de controlo da droga e da criminalidade; (7) a ineficĂĄcia das polĂticas regionais e internacionais de controlo das drogas; (8) o crescente apoio ao debate sobre a legalização.Cet article analyse lâĂ©volution de lâĂ©conomie illĂ©gale de la drogue sur le continent amĂ©ricain au long des vingt derniĂšres annĂ©es. Il distingue huit tendances principales qui caractĂ©risent le trafic de drogue et le crime organisĂ© Ă partir du milieu de lâannĂ©e 2011, Ă savoir: (1) la libĂ©ralisation croissante de la consommation de drogue; (2) les victoires limitĂ©es et les consĂ©quences indĂ©sirables de la guerre contre la drogue menĂ©e par les Ătats-Unis; (3) la prolifĂ©ration de zones de culture et de routes de trafic de la drogue; (4) la dispersion et lâĂ©clatement des groupes criminels organisĂ©s; (5) lâĂ©chec de la rĂ©forme politique et des efforts de construction de lâĂtat; (6) lâinsuffisance des politiques internes des Ătats-Unis de contrĂŽle de la drogue et de la criminalitĂ©; (7) lâinefficacitĂ© des politiques rĂ©gionales et internationales de contrĂŽle de la drogue; (8) le soutien croissant au dĂ©bat sur la lĂ©galisation.Este artĂculo analiza la evoluciĂłn de la economĂa ilegal de drogas nas AmĂ©ricas a lo largo de las dos Ășltimas dĂ©cadas. Identifica ocho tendencias principales que caracterizaron el trĂĄfico ilĂcito de drogas y el crimen organizado desde mediados de 2011. Son Ă©stas: (1) la creciente liberalizaciĂłn del consumo de drogas; (2) las victorias limitadas y las consecuencias no intencionadas de la âguerra contra las drogasâ liderada por los Estados Unidos; (3) la proliferaciĂłn de ĂĄreas de cultivo y de rutas de trĂĄfico de drogas; (4) la dispersiĂłn y fragmentaciĂłn de los grupos criminales organizados; (5) el fracaso de la reforma polĂtica y de los esfuerzos de construcciĂłn del Estado; (6) la insuficiencia de las polĂticas internas de los EUA en relciĂłn al control de la droga y de la criminalidad; (7) la ineficacia de las polĂticas regionales e internacionales de control de las drogas; (8) el creciente apoyo al debate sobre la legalizaciĂłn
Is Plan Colombia a Model? An Analysis of Counternarcotics Strategies in Colombia
This article examines Plan Colombia, which began as a counternarcotics program in 2000. The U.S. has allocated more than $8 billion to the country via Plan Colombia from 2000 to 2012. The article examines some of the successes of Plan Colombia. Some experts and policymakers have touted Plan Colombia as a model for other countries facing problems with drug trafficking, organized crime, and insurgency. This work focuses on the lessons learned from Plan Colombia and provides a critical perspective of the concept of models
Sri Lankan tsunami refugees: a cross sectional study of the relationships between housing conditions and self-reported health
BACKGROUND: On the 26th December 2004 the Asian tsunami devastated the Sri Lankan coastline. More than two years later, over 14,500 families were still living in transitional shelters. This study compares the health of the internally displaced people (IDP), living in transitional camps with those in permanent housing projects provided by government and non-government organisations in Sri Lanka. METHODS: This study was conducted in seven transitional camps and five permanent housing projects in the south west of Sri Lanka. Using an interviewer-led questionnaire, data on the IDPs' self-reported health and housing conditions were collected from 154 participants from transitional camps and 147 participants from permanent housing projects. Simple tabulation with non-parametric tests and logistic regression were used to identify and analyse relationships between housing conditions and the reported prevalence of specific symptoms. RESULTS: Analysis showed that living conditions were significantly worse in transitional camps than in permanent housing projects for all factors investigated, except 'having a leaking roof'. Transitional camp participants scored significantly lower on self-perceived overall health scores than those living in housing projects. After controlling for gender, age and marital status, living in a transitional camp compared to a housing project was found to be a significant risk factor for the following symptoms; coughs OR: 3.53 (CI: 2.11-5.89), stomach ache 4.82 (2.19-10.82), headache 5.20 (3.09-8.76), general aches and pains 6.44 (3.67-11.33) and feeling generally unwell 2.28 (2.51-7.29). Within transitional camp data, the only condition shown to be a significant risk factor for any symptom was household population density, which increased the risk of stomach aches 1.40 (1.09-1.79) and headaches 1.33 (1.01-1.77). CONCLUSION: Internally displaced people living in transitional camps are a vulnerable population and specific interventions need to be targeted at this population to address the health inequalities that they report to be experiencing. Further studies need to be conducted to establish which aspects of their housing environment predispose them to poorer health
The mass-metallicity relation at z~1-2 and its dependence on star formation rate
We present a new measurement of the gas-phase mass-metallicity relation
(MZR), and its dependence on star formation rates (SFRs) at 1.3 < z < 2.3. Our
sample comprises 1056 galaxies with a mean redshift of z = 1.9, identified from
the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) grism spectroscopy in the
Cosmic Assembly Near-Infrared Deep Extragalactic Survey (CANDELS) and the WFC3
Infrared Spectroscopic Parallel Survey (WISP). This sample is four times larger
than previous metallicity surveys at z ~ 2, and reaches an order of magnitude
lower in stellar mass (10^8 M_sun). Using stacked spectra, we find that the MZR
evolves by 0.3 dex relative to z ~ 0.1. Additionally, we identify a subset of
49 galaxies with high signal-to-noise (SNR) spectra and redshifts between 1.3 <
z < 1.5, where H-alpha emission is observed along with [OIII] and [OII]. With
accurate measurements of SFR in these objects, we confirm the existence of a
mass-metallicity-SFR (M-Z-SFR) relation at high redshifts. These galaxies show
systematic differences from the local M-Z-SFR relation, which vary depending on
the adopted measurement of the local relation. However, it remains difficult to
ascertain whether these differences could be due to redshift evolution, as the
local M-Z-SFR relation is poorly constrained at the masses and SFRs of our
sample. Lastly, we reproduced our sample selection in the IllustrisTNG
hydrodynamical simulation, demonstrating that our line flux limit lowers the
normalization of the simulated MZR by 0.2 dex. We show that the M-Z-SFR
relation in IllustrisTNG has an SFR dependence that is too steep by a factor of
around three.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 41 pages, 20 figure
Identification of the Streptococcal M Protein Binding Site on Membrane Cofactor Protein (CD46)
The effectiveness, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for maltreated children and adolescents: an evidence synthesis.
BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment is a substantial social problem that affects large numbers of children and young people in the UK, resulting in a range of significant short- and long-term psychosocial problems. OBJECTIVES: To synthesise evidence of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of interventions addressing the adverse consequences of child maltreatment. STUDY DESIGN: For effectiveness, we included any controlled study. Other study designs were considered for economic decision modelling. For acceptability, we included any study that asked participants for their views. PARTICIPANTS: Children and young people up to 24 years 11 months, who had experienced maltreatment before the age of 17 years 11 months. INTERVENTIONS: Any psychosocial intervention provided in any setting aiming to address the consequences of maltreatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychological distress [particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety, and self-harm], behaviour, social functioning, quality of life and acceptability. METHODS: Young Persons and Professional Advisory Groups guided the project, which was conducted in accordance with Cochrane Collaboration and NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidance. Departures from the published protocol were recorded and explained. Meta-analyses and cost-effectiveness analyses of available data were undertaken where possible. RESULTS: We identified 198 effectiveness studies (including 62 randomised trials); six economic evaluations (five using trial data and one decision-analytic model); and 73 studies investigating treatment acceptability. Pooled data on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for sexual abuse suggested post-treatment reductions in PTSD [standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.44 (95% CI -4.43 to -1.53)], depression [mean difference -2.83 (95% CI -4.53 to -1.13)] and anxiety [SMD -0.23 (95% CI -0.03 to -0.42)]. No differences were observed for post-treatment sexualised behaviour, externalising behaviour, behaviour management skills of parents, or parental support to the child. Findings from attachment-focused interventions suggested improvements in secure attachment [odds ratio 0.14 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.70)] and reductions in disorganised behaviour [SMD 0.23 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.42)], but no differences in avoidant attachment or externalising behaviour. Few studies addressed the role of caregivers, or the impact of the therapist-child relationship. Economic evaluations suffered methodological limitations and provided conflicting results. As a result, decision-analytic modelling was not possible, but cost-effectiveness analysis using effectiveness data from meta-analyses was undertaken for the most promising intervention: CBT for sexual abuse. Analyses of the cost-effectiveness of CBT were limited by the lack of cost data beyond the cost of CBT itself. CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to draw firm conclusions about which interventions are effective for children with different maltreatment profiles, which are of no benefit or are harmful, and which factors encourage people to seek therapy, accept the offer of therapy and actively engage with therapy. Little is known about the cost-effectiveness of alternative interventions. LIMITATIONS: Studies were largely conducted outside the UK. The heterogeneity of outcomes and measures seriously impacted on the ability to conduct meta-analyses. FUTURE WORK: Studies are needed that assess the effectiveness of interventions within a UK context, which address the wider effects of maltreatment, as well as specific clinical outcomes. STUDY REGISTRATION: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42013003889. FUNDING: The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme
Eosinophil Survival and Apoptosis in Health and Disease
Eosinophilia is common feature of many disorders, including allergic diseases. There are many factors that influence the production, migration, survival and death of the eosinophil. Apoptosis is the most common form of physiological cell death and a necessary process to maintain but limit cell numbers in humans and other species. It has been directly demonstrated that eosinophil apoptosis is delayed in allergic inflammatory sites, and that this mechanism contributes to the expansion of eosinophil numbers within tissues. Among the proteins known to influence hematopoiesis and survival, expression of the cytokine interleukin-5 appears to be uniquely important and specific for eosinophils. In contrast, eosinophil death can result from withdrawal of survival factors, but also by activation of pro-apoptotic pathways via death factors. Recent observations suggest a role for cell surface death receptors and mitochondria in facilitating eosinophil apoptosis, although the mechanisms that trigger each of these death pathways remain incompletely delineated. Ultimately, the control of eosinophil apoptosis may someday become another therapeutic strategy for treating allergic diseases and other eosinophil-associated disorders
Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences
The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & NemĂ©sio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; NemĂ©sio 2009aâb; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported
by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on
18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based
researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016
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