The Multinational and the New Stakeholder : Examining the Business Case for Human Rights

Business managers who ignore these realities--the concerns of these new corporate stakeholders--do so at the risk of their company\u27s brand and their own careers. These are just a few examples of the new stakeholders of multinational corporations--workers, consumers, investors, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the media... The concerns of these new stakeholders embrace human rights. It is a much broader concept of human rights, however, than the civil and political rights that used to dominate the agenda. Former concerns centered on freedom from arbitrary arrest, detentions, and other due process rights, freedom of speech and association, and governmental abuses such as torture, disappearances, and extra-judicial executions. These new human right concerns focus on social and economic rights--the rights to live and work in a safe and healthy environment, the rights of workers to associate freely and bargain collectively, the cultural rights of indigenous people. The emergence of these new rights has marked important changes in the human rights agenda. Ten years ago the main players in the human rights drama were governments, the victims of governmental human rights abuses, and human rights NGOs. Now the major players include multinational corporations and a host of advocacy NGOs, representing causes ranging from the environment, labor rights, and women\u27s rights to the cultural rights of indigenous peoples

The role of TH17 cells in the gastrointestinal tract of patients with HIV-1 infection and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Increased levels of systemic immune activation are strongly associated with disease progression in HIV-1 infection, but the mechanisms causing it are not well understood. This work investigated the TH17 subset in the gastrointestinal tract of HIV-1 infected patients and looked for evidence that mucosal barrier breaches and microbial translocation contribute to peripheral immune activation. We found significant disruption in the expression of mucosal tight junction proteins in HIV-1 infection that only partially resolved on ART. This mucosal damage was positively correlated to plasma HIV viral load and 16s rDNA. Increased microbial translocation in viraemic infection correlated to elevated T cell activation and viral load. We found no evidence of reduced mucosal TH17-associated cytokines (IL-17a, IL-17f and IL-22) in our HIV cohort, but did observe reduced mucosal TH17 precursor cells (CD4+CD161+) in viraemic infection. Precursor TH17 loss was associated with increased tight junction breaches and T cell activation. To investigate the dual role of TH17 cells in promoting inflammation and maintaining barrier function in the gut mucosa we also studied inflammatory bowel disease. Tight junction disruption was observed in both active ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) and occurred at a similar level as in viraemic HIV infection. Unlike HIV patients we found no evidence of microbial products in the periphery of IBD patients. In active UC there was evidence of TH17 cytokine driven pathology with increased levels of blood and mucosal IL-22 and IL-17f production by CD4 T cells. Blood and mucosal IL-17f proportions were positively correlated to the ulcerative colitis severity score (UCSS) and blood CD4+ IL-17f levels positively correlated with T cell activation. In contrast to UC we found little evidence of TH17 dysregulation in the blood or mucosa of CD patients. In conclusion this work found that there was a reduction in mucosal integrity, loss of mucosal CD4 T cells and precursor TH17 cells in HIV-1 infection. Loss of mucosal integrity in HIV was associated with microbial translocation and systemic T cell activation. We identified a correlation between reduced levels of mucosal precursor TH17 cells and increased mucosal damage in HIV infection, supporting the theory that this subset has a role in HIV-1 pathogenesis. However in UC, the inverse observation - elevated levels of precursor TH17 cells associated with increased mucosal damage - was made, reinforcing the paradoxical theory that this subset plays directly contrasting roles in different pathogenic environments.Open Acces

The development of an integrated induction process

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-208).The demand for highly skilled staff and the focus on people as a competitive advantage in organisations has heightened the need for the effective integration of new staff members. This thesis addresses this need in the context of a petro-chemical company which recruited a diverse range of people in different countries. Using Action Research, Grounded Theory and Systems Thinking the study focused on the development and implementation of an integrated induction learning process to accelerate and assimilate the integration of new staff into the organisation. The process was designed around the business requirements, while aiming to ensure that the induction process was able to prepare members of staff for the expectations and performance requirements of their role and developing a skill-base to meet these and future requirements where possible

How Paranoid Are You?: Issues in Location Information of Ambient Systems

The prevalence of location-informing devices such as smart phones brings a lot of benefits, such as the ability to find the right services nearby. Nonetheless, there are also concerns that such devices might infringe our privacy and breach security. This paper discusses both viewpoints by outlining how location information might be obtained, what the location information can be used for, as well as the issues and problems that might be faced when location information becomes available too readily or in too much detail. We illustrate these with a case study using an iPhone application that we developed, which allows users to track the last known location of their “contacts” (such as friends or family), and to specify the granularity level of the information they are willing to share with each of their contacts in return

Modelling the behaviour of nutrients in the coastal waters of Scotland - an update on inputs from Scottish aquaculture and their impact on eutrophication status

A previous study estimated that salmon farming contributed approximately 6% of Scotland's nitrogen-nutrient input to coastal waters, and 13% of phosphorus (based on 2001 production figures). However, in some areas of the west of Scotland with small freshwater catchment areas and low levels of human habitation, aquaculture inputs represented greater than 80% of the total. In 2002, FRS published results from an ecosystem modelling study involving a collaboration with the Institute for Marine Research, University of Hamburg, and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen, to assess the eutrophication impact of various nutrient inputs to Scottish waters. The results suggested that a 50% reduction in aquaculture salmon production would have only a small impact on water quality which would be undetectable against the background of natural variability due to climate variations. Estimating aquaculture nutrient discharge is a difficult task. The 2002 study was based on data relating to the consented biomass of fish at farm sites in sea lochs. Since then, new data have become available on the actual harvest of fish at all sites in Scotland. In this report, we re-assess the salmon production in Scotland in 2001 and the consequent nutrient discharge, and repeat the ecosystem model runs to estimate the impact of reduction scenarios on eutrophication status. The new data indicate that the previous study had overestimated salmon production and nutrient discharge by approximately 18% Scotland wide. Production and discharge at Shetland and in the Southern Hebrides had been under-estimated, whilst that in the Minches had been over-estimated. New runs of the ecosystem model show that the original conclusions on eutrophication impact were sound. A scenario of 50% reduction in salmon production produced regional changes in water quality which were less than 25% of the natural variability due to climate. New runs simulating a cessation of aquaculture showed that even this extreme reduction scenario produced changes in water quality that were less than half the natural variability

Role competencies of first-line nurse managers in community health centres : a delphi study

Bibliography: leaves 166-194.This study was conducted to determine the role competencies required of first-line nurse managers of Community Health Centres (CHC) in South Africa with the implementation of the district health system and the corresponding delegation of authority and responsibility to lower levels of management. A Delphi technique was utilised, which involved a panel of 24 senior nurse managers

Towards the Implementation of an Internet-based Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

In this paper we discuss the current state of our work regarding the development and planned in-situ testing of a computer-based system to enhance community relations through the Neighbourhood Watch scheme. The system is intended for use in a community to help the residents interact with each other more easily and to encourage the reporting of suspicious behaviour or crime. We discuss some details of the system and how we plan to test it in the field using an iterative process. We also discuss the possible implications of the work for the future

Higher establishment success in specialized parasitoids: support for the existence of trade-offs in the evolution of specialization

Most animals do not feed on all the resources available to them, but the mechanisms behind the evolution of dietary specialization are still debated. A central but unanswered question is whether specialists generally gain fitness advantages on their resource compared to generalists, experiencing a trade-off between the ability to use a broad range of resources and the fitness reached on each single one.Empirical tests so far suffered from difficulties in measuring fitness; they were restricted to few species, and results were equivocal. This lack of support for the importance of trade-offs gave rise to theories explaining the evolution of specialization without such trade-offs.Using a large dataset of intentional biological control introductions of 254 species of parasitoids from 15 families to locations outside their native range, we show that establishment success, a measure of total fitness, is higher in specialized species. This result holds when controlling for possible confounding factors such as the number of introduced individuals (propagule pressure).The outcome of this study provides robust evidence that dietary specialization implies fitness advantages in an entire species-rich taxon, indicating that trade-offs might be widely involved in the evolution of specialization

How Can Retail Assist Exploit The Growth Opportunities Arising From New Technology Changes Driving Change Within The Retail Environment ?

This project aimed to discover if Retail Assist had the capabilities to exploit 2 opportunities arising from new technology driving change within the Retail IT market, how changes in the omni-channel supply chain model can be exploited, then how the movement of UK retailers into an overseas market can be supported, focusing on the Chinese market. Analysis has used strategic and economic theory to review Retail Assist’s external environment and internal capabilities, each step of the process has used direct observation and theory to reflect on the evidence gathered to define my final chosen strategy. Chapter 2 will explain the two market opportunities in detail, chapter 3 will critically analyse the strategic and economic theories used, chapter 4 will include the detailed application of these theories to the RA case study, finally, I will summarise my analysis in chapter 5 and define my strategic vision for RA’s future. Analysis has identified that Retail Assist are well placed to compete within their existing UK market, this is in stark contrast to the issues that would be experienced when trying to enter China, I do not believe that RA are prepared for this challenge. In contrast, Merret has already been developed to include detailed omni-channel functionality, this is a key strength that should be used to build market share. I have applied theory to the UK Helpdesk and Merret case studies to analyse that successful and well understood model, then reflected the overseas expansion and omni-channel case studies against this framewor

Cross inoculation of rumen fluid to improve dry matter disappearance and its effect on bacterial composition using an in vitro batch culture model

Environmental pressures of ruminant production could be reduced by improving digestive efficiency. Previous in vivo attempts to manipulate the rumen microbial community have largely been unsuccessful probably due to the influencing effect of the host. Using an in vitro consecutive batch culture technique, the aim of this study was to determine whether manipulation was possible once the bacterial community was uncoupled from the host. Two cross inoculation experiments were performed. Rumen fluid was collected at time of slaughter from 11 Holstein-Friesian steers from the same herd for Experiment 1, and in Experiment 2 were collected from 11 Charolais cross steers sired by the same bull and raised on a forage only diet on the same farm from birth. The two fluids that differed most in their in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD; “Good,” “Bad”) were selected for their respective experiment. The fluids were also mixed (1:1, “Mix”) and used to inoculate the model. In Experiment 1, the mixed rumen fluid resulted in an IVDMD midway between that of the two rumen fluids from which it was made for the first 24 h batch culture (34, 29, 20 g per 100 g DM for the Good, Mix, and Bad, respectively, P < 0.001) which was reflected in fermentation parameters recorded. No effect of cross inoculation was seen for Experiment 2, where the Mix performed most similarly to the Bad. In both experiments, IVDMD increased with consecutive culturing as the microbial population adapted to the in vitro conditions and differences between the fluids were lost. The improved performance with each consecutive batch culture was associated with reduced bacterial diversity. Increases in the genus Pseudobutyrivibrio were identified, which may be, at least in part, responsible for the improved digestive efficiency observed, whilst Prevotella declined by 50% over the study period. It is likely that along with host factors, there are individual factors within each community that prevent other microbes from establishing. Whilst we were unable to manipulate the bacterial community, uncoupling the microbiota from the host resulted in changes in the community, becoming less diverse with time, likely due to environmental heterogeneity, and more efficient at digesting DM