Bioethics: Preparing for the Unknown - Conference Program

On March 17-18, 2016 at Western Michigan University a conference was held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the WMU Ethics Center. The conference was on Bioethics: Preparing for the Unknown and this is the conference program

Bioethics: Preparing for the Unknown- Abstracts

Abstracts from the March 17-18, 2016 conference on Bioethics: Preparing for the Unknown. This was the 30th anniversary conference for The Center for the Study of Ethics in Society at Western Michigan University

Dengue Fever in Travelers to the Tropics, 1998 and 1999

Dengue fever (DF) has become common in western travelers to the tropics. To improve the basis for travel advice, risk factors and dengue manifestations were assessed in 107 Swedish patients for whom DF was diagnosed after return from travel in 1998 and 1999. Patient data were compared with data on a sample of all Swedish travelers to dengue-endemic countries in the same years. Only three of the patients had received pretravel advice concerning DF from their physicians. Hemorrhagic manifestations were common (21 of 74 patients) but caused no deaths. Risk factors for a DF diagnosis were travel to the Malay Peninsula (odds ratio [OR] 4.95; confidence interval [CI] 2.92 to 8.46), age 15–29 years (OR 3.03; CI 1.87 to 4.92), and travel duration >25 days (OR 8.75; CI 4.79 to 16.06). Pretravel advice should be given to all travelers to DF-endemic areas, but young persons traveling to southern and Southeast Asia for >3 weeks (who constituted 31% of the patients in our study) may be more likely to benefit by adhering to it

Cross Border Innovation Economies: The Cascadia Innovation Corridor Case

In the recent literature on economic geography, cross-border regions have been highly heralded as potential sources for reaping the benefits of innovation (OECD, 2013). In fact, those regions have gained a reputation as being endowed with comparative advantages to compete in global markets (Vance, 2012). However, the types of processes that are occurring in the region, which act as hindrances (or barriers) to cross-border knowledge flows, have remained a significant but understudied topic in the academic literature. The same lack of understanding is widespread among the policy makers engaged in cross-border issues, specifically in terms of improved Cross Border Cooperation (CBC) management. This research project addresses this timely topic by evaluating the effects of the international border between Washington State, U.S. and British Columbia, Canada. This cross-border region, also known as “Cascadia,” possesses a unique combination of assets, including human capital, universities, investments, and financial capital, that enable the cross-border region’s innovation economy to compete globally (Andersen & Wenstrup, 2016). These assets have been supported by local public and private actors (Brunet-Jailly, 2008) and targeted innovation policies aimed at promoting the region as a world-class innovation hub. The object of this study is the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, a current innovation initiative in the region. I adopt a multidisciplinary approach to this case study, combining an economic geography perspective (different forms of proximity have been evaluated in the region), the border policy standpoint (governance implemented in the region) and a regional planning viewpoint (legacy of the Corridor and improvements to the overall strategy to strengthen the collaboration across the border). The research focuses on how tech economies are driving local economic development in Cascadia. This in-depth analysis pursues two goals, both of which are timely contributions to regional efforts: first, identifying the main drivers and hindrances affecting cross-border innovation linkages in the region; and second, developing policy recommendations that will support tighter cross-border economic cooperation. This project is based on primary data collected through a survey and interviews as well as secondary data gathered by official documents (e.g. Memorandum of Understanding further recalled), local newspapers and organizations’ reports. The work empirically gauges the ongoing degree of economic interactions in Cascadia on both sides of the border, examining the networks that exist between organizations and actors involved in the cross-border ecosystem, as well as the missing links that impede stronger collaboration. The final part of the analysis digs into the regional planning practices in the cross-border context and establishes a set of policy recommendations targeted at the cross-border cooperation process in Cascadia. This analysis confirms that the Cascadia innovation ecosystem possesses the key assets needed to ensure long-term growth. Moreover, it sheds light on the role of multinational companies which play a pivotal role in the Cascadia innovation ecosystem, which in turn still appears very ii fragmented. The analysis of the hindrances confirms that transportation infrastructure represents a shortcoming for regional development. From a policy standpoint, the federal-level U.S. political climate does create a burden impacting the economic linkages across the border in Cascadia. Finally, the analysis suggests that the role of local (city) governments is advocated to be more efficient in creating “horizontal” relationships across the border

欧米小売大手の中国市場における販売方策の特徴

1．はじめに 2．三社の販売方策の特徴 2．1中国進出の動機と参入方式 2．2品揃えの方針と実態 2．3売場作り 2．4価格政策の特徴 2．5販売促進策 2．6組織体制 2．7中国市場の商習慣に関する認識 3．販売思想の視角から見た三社の特徴 3．1販売の各側面の特徴 3．2販売思想の考察 4．おわり

欧米小売大手の日本における販売方策の特徴

はじめに 1．三社の販売方策の特徴 1．1日本進出の動機と参入方式 1．2品揃えの方針と実態 1．3売り場作り 1．4価格政策の特徴 1．5販売促進策 1．6組織体制 1．7日本市場の商習慣に関する認識 2．販売思想の視角から見た三社の特徴 2．1販売の各側面の特徴 2．2販売思想の考察 おわり

AGENDA: Water, Climate and Uncertainty: Implications for Western Water Law, Policy, and Management

The swollen creeks of Boulder, Colorado provided a fitting backdrop for the “Water, Climate and Uncertainty” conference at the Natural Resources Law Center of the University of Colorado in June 2003. Recognizing the importance of providing a forum for discussions between water managers, lawyers, policy makers, and scientists, Doug Kenney, the conference\u27s organizer, assumed the responsibility of master of ceremonies, providing thoughtful transitions between speakers and sessions while throwing some humor into the mix. Under his direction, luminaries in the fields of science, law and policy engaged a wide range of issues related to the future of water management. The twenty-fourth annual conference was divided into five sessions. Session One was given the thought-provoking title “The Future Isn’t What It Used to Be,” echoing the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra; the wisdom of the baseball legend with a penchant for paradox was repeatedly invoked during the conference. This first session was further divided into two parts: Western Climate History and Western Climate Future. Session Two, entitled “Science, Policy, Law and Extra-Strength Tylenol,” considered current and future applications of science in policy and law, as well as the headaches attending these applications. The simple title of Session Three, “Basins and Borders,” belied the complexity of issues facing communities from the municipal level up to the international level. The Keynote Lecture that served as an intermission was delivered by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science, Bennett Raley. Session Four, “Additional Perspectives,” aimed at identifying oft’ overlooked voices and issues with respect to water management decisions. Finally, the ambitiously named Fifth Session, “Tying It All Together,” promised as much as it delivered. -- Steve Bailey, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) See also Mark Shea, Conference Reports: Water Climate and Uncertainty: Implications for Western Water, Law, Policy, and Management, 7 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 226 (2003)

The analytical framework of water and armed conflict: a focus on the 2006 Summer War between Israel and Lebanon

This paper develops an analytical framework to investigate the relationship between water and armed conflict, and applies it to the ‘Summer War’ of 2006 between Israel and Lebanon (Hezbollah). The framework broadens and deepens existing classifications by assessing the impact of acts of war as indiscriminate or targeted, and evaluating them in terms of international norms and law, in particular International Humanitarian Law (IHL). In the case at hand, the relationship is characterised by extensive damage in Lebanon to drinking water infrastructure and resources. This is seen as a clear violation of the letter and the spirit of IHL, while the partial destruction of more than 50 public water towers compromises water rights and national development goals. The absence of pre-war environmental baselines makes it difficult to gauge the impact on water resources, suggesting a role for those with first-hand knowledge of the hostilities to develop a more effective response before, during, and after armed conflict