Collection and Use of Information by Counter-Intelligence in the Context of Human Rights Protection

Obtaining complete and reliable information during counter-intelligence activities is very critical. The extraction, analytical processing, and use of information regarding signs and facts of intelligence, terroristic, and other activities of special services of foreign states, as well as organisations, individual groups, and individuals to the detriment of the state security of Ukraine is legally established as its main task. One of the main tasks of intelligence and counter-intelligence is to collect information in the interests of national security on the facts and signs of activities that threaten the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order of the state, that is, its main system-forming component, using all possible sources. The purpose of such information collection is to assist the executive branch of government in developing internal and external policy, as well as to develop strategic and tactical decisions in the implementation of national policy. The purpose of this study was to identify the problems of collecting and using information by counter-intelligence, to develop a strategy to overcome such problems, and to investigate the legal principles of protecting human rights in the process of this activity. The results of the study will contribute to the development of the theory of national security, the obtained definition of the legal regime for collecting and using information about an individual or legal entity regarding which counter-intelligence actions are performed, will assist intelligence and counter-intelligence units in ensuring the protection of human rights during such activities

Cyclopentenyl ethylamines active on CNS

Two new cyclopentenylethylamines were prepared and were submitted to a pharmacological screening together with some others previously described and now reprepared. All compounds exhibited different degrees of depressive activity on CNS and good analgesic activity. Compound 5, bearing a phenyl group on the carbon atom to which the amino group is connected, appears rather interesting being the most active as analgesic and the least toxic. Compounds 2 and 3 are able to antagonize in a certain degree lethal doses of physostigmine and also, respectively, of pentylenetetrazole and strychnine

Legal aspects of civil-military cooperation in comparative context

The goal of the research paper is to study, with active reference to the comparative legal method, Ukrainian and foreign models of civil-military cooperation (CIMIC). The following scientific methods have been used to study chosen military-legal issues, substantiate the theses expressed by the authors, and formulate conclusions: historical-legal, system analysis, formal-logical and method of comparison. It has been determined that CIMIC concept remains novel for both Ukrainian military and civil society in general at the current stage of national, political and defense development; in fact, CIMIC doctrine is also a relatively new phenomenon in the military doctrine and standards of NATO member states. Based on the results of the study, it has been argued that Ukrainian CIMIC doctrine of the Central Command as a program document in a certain direction should further focus on the following areas: 1) development of a culture of mutual respect, trust and support between all involved military and non-military actors; 2) promotion of patriotic education in Ukrainian society, protection of the rights and freedoms of members of the Central Election Commission;  3) use of CIMIC units as a platform for civil-military contact and cooperation in eastern Ukraine, especially in the area of the Joint Forces Operation; 4) promotion of legal guarantees of gender equality and equal opportunities for men and women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Within- and between-person variability of exhaled breath condensate pH and NH4+ in never and current smokers

SummaryRecent studies have suggested that the collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) may be a viable method in occupational field studies to sample secretions of the lower airway because it is simple to perform and non-invasive. However, there are unresolved questions about whether certain laboratory conditions may influence the analysis of EBC biomarker measurements. A total of 12 subjects performed 116 EBC tests. The effect of short and long-term sample storage and sample volume on two biomarkers of acid stress, pH and NH4+, in EBC were investigated and did not significantly influence either marker measurement after argon deaeration. We also investigated the variability and the effect of smoking on the biomarkers by collecting six samples each from five adult never smokers and five adult current smokers over a period of 1 month (n=60 total). For pH, the within-person and between-person variability was larger in current smokers compared to never smokers. Similar results were found for NH4+. Cigarette packs smoked per day now was also associated with both pH (p=0.01) and NH4+ (p=0.04) using mixed effects regression analysis. The variability and smoking results suggest that repeated measurements of EBC pH and NH4+ from the same individual may accurately predict the biological state of the airways of current smokers when compared to never smokers

A review of equity issues in quantitative studies on health inequalities: the case of asthma in adults

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The term 'inequities' refers to avoidable differences rooted in injustice. This review examined whether or not, and how, quantitative studies identifying inequalities in risk factors and health service utilization for asthma explicitly addressed underlying inequities. Asthma was chosen because recent decades have seen strong increases in asthma prevalence in many international settings, and inequalities in risk factors and related outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A review was conducted of studies that identified social inequalities in asthma-related outcomes or health service use in adult populations. Data were extracted on use of equity terms (objective evidence), and discussion of equity issues without using the exact terms (subjective evidence).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 219 unique articles retrieved, 21 were eligible for inclusion. None used the terms equity/inequity. While all but one article traced at least partial pathways to inequity, only 52% proposed any intervention and 55% of these interventions focused exclusively on the more proximal, clinical level.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Without more in-depth and systematic examination of inequities underlying asthma prevalence, quantitative studies may fail to provide the evidence required to inform equity-oriented interventions to address underlying circumstances restricting opportunities for health.</p

Recent Contributions of Air- and Biomarkers to the Control of Secondhand Smoke (SHS): A Review

Since the publication of the US Surgeon General Reports in 1996 and 2006 and the report of the California Environmental Protection Agency in 1999, many reports have appeared on the contribution of air and biomarkers to different facets of the secondhand smoke (SHS) issue, which are the targets of this review. These recent studies have allowed earlier epidemiological surveys to be biologically validated, and their plausibility demonstrated, quantified the levels of exposure to SHS before the bans in various environments, showed the deficiencies of mechanical control methods and of partial bans and the frequently correct implementation of the efficient total bans. More stringent regulation remains necessary in the public domain (workplaces, hospitality venues, transport sector, etc.) in many countries. Personal voluntary protection efforts against SHS are also needed in the private domain (homes, private cars). The effects of SHS on the cardiovascular, respiratory and neuropsychic systems, on pregnancy and fertility, on cancers and on SHS genotoxicity are confirmed through experimental human studies and through the relationship between markers and prevalence of disease or of markers of disease risk

Impact of the Spanish Smoking Law on Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke and Respiratory Health in Hospitality Workers: A Cohort Study

A smoke-free law came into effect in Spain on 1st January 2006, affecting all enclosed workplaces except hospitality venues, whose proprietors can choose among totally a smoke-free policy, a partial restriction with designated smoking areas, or no restriction on smoking on the premises. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the law among hospitality workers by assessing second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and the frequency of respiratory symptoms before and one year after the ban