The Humanitarian's Dilemma: The experience of international NGOs in North Korea

Until the drastic reduction in the flow ofinternational aid precipitated by US sanctions in 2005, International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) conducted significant operations in the Democratic People's Republic ofKorea (DPRK). The DPRK solicited assistance from the international community in 1995, after a major flood and subsequent chronic food shortage. Over subsequent years the country became increasingly dependant on international assistance. Given this dependence on foreign aid by one of the world's most isolated, repressive andpotentially dangerous regimes and the recent withdrawal of' many aid agencies, it is timely to examine the impact of NGO operations, not only in humanitarian terms but with regards to economic, political and social development. After discussion of the various theories relating to the role ofINGOs in economic, social and political development, including their potential to promote democratisation, the pdper examines the impact of the activities of international aid organisations participating directly or indirectly in the provision ofhumanitarian aid, assistance or development in the DPRK. Based on the findings of10 semi-structured telephone interviews with relevant INGO personnel, INGO documents and other economic and social data, the paper examines the impact of INGOs on three key areas: Humanitarian objectives, economic development andpolitical/ social development

Feeding the dictator or making a difference? The experiences of international aid and development agencies in North Korea 1995-2005

Since 2005 food aid to North Korea has been in steep decline, however, during the period 1995 to 2005 North Korea received more food aid from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and US government than any other country. Similarly, private relief aid to North Korea significantly increased, with approximately 130 organisations worldwide providing over US$2 billion in aid between 1995 and 2005. This article revisits this period marked by the most extensive engagement of humanitarian organisations since the establishment of the Democratic Peopleâs Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 1948. In the context of this dependence on foreign aid the article examines the impact of International Aid Agencies or International Nongovernment Organisationsâ (INGOs) operations, not only in humanitarian terms but with regards to political, social and economic development. We argue that due to tight operating restrictions there was no discernable impact on North Korean society or the polity. However, it is argued that longer term and unanticipated effects are likely due to the extensive diversion of aid to the emerging informal market economy

The molecular cloning and characterisation of cDNA coding for the alpha subunit of the acetylcholine receptor

The published version of this article is available at Oxford Journals in Nucleic Acids Research at http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/19/5809.full.pdf+htmlA rare cDNA coding for most of the α subunit of the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor has been cloned into bacteria. The use of a mismatched oligonucleotide primer of reverse transcriptase facilitated the design of an efficient, specific probe for recombinant bacteria. DNA sequence analysis has enabled the elucidation of a large part of the polypeptide primary sequence which is discussed in relation to its acetylcholine binding activity and the location of receptor within the plasma membrane. When used as a radioactive probe, the cloned cDNA binds specifically to a single Torpedo mRNA species of about 2350 nucleotides in length but fails to show significant cross-hybridisation with a subunit mRNA extracted from cat muscle

Factors influencing labour migration of Korean women into the entertainment and sex industry in Australia

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Application of T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis for the advancement of cancer immunotherapy

T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing has emerged as a powerful new technology in analysis of the host–tumour interaction. The advances in NextGen sequencing technologies, coupled with powerful novel bioinformatic tools, allow quantitative and reproducible characterisation of repertoires from tumour and blood samples from an increasing number of patients with a variety of solid cancers. In this review, we consider how global metrics such as T cell clonality and diversity can be extracted from these repertoires and used to give insight into the mechanism of action of immune checkpoint blockade. Furthermore, we explore how the analysis of TCR overlap between repertories can help define spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the anti-tumoural immune response. Finally, we review how analysis of TCR sequence and structure, either of individual TCRs or from sets of related TCRs can be used to annotate the antigenic specificity, with important implications for the development of personalised adoptive cellular immunotherapies

The language void: the need for multimodality in primate communication research

Theories of language evolution often draw heavily on comparative evidence of the communicative abilities of extant nonhuman primates (primates). Many theories have argued exclusively for a unimodal origin of language, usually gestural or vocal. Theories are often strengthened by research on primates that indicates the absence of certain linguistic precursors in the opposing communicative modality. However, a systematic review of the primate communication literature reveals that vocal, gestural and facial signals have attracted differing theoretical and methodological approaches, rendering cross-modal comparisons problematic. The validity of the theories based on such comparisons can therefore be questioned. We propose that these a priori biases, inherent in unimodal research, highlight the need for integrated multimodal research. By examining communicative signals in concert we can both avoid methodological discontinuities as well as better understand the phylogenetic precursors to human language as part of a multimodal system

Early Experience of Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair in Kenya

Background: Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is gaining  popularity amongst minimal access surgeons with numerous advantages over conventional open repair. We present the first local series of LVHR and analyse morbidity profile of the patients. Methods: Records of all patients who had LVHR were analysed in relation to hernia characteristics, operative, early and intermediate outcomes. Results: Twenty-seven patients (23 females, 4 males) had LVHR. Of these, four were primary hernias while rest were incisional. The age range was 16 to 76years. The mean size of the defect was 75 cm2. A composite mesh was used in all the patients except one patient who had a pure  prolene mesh. The mean operative time and hospital stay were 130 minutes and 3 days respectively. There were two conversions and no other major complication. With a follow-up period of 3-36 months, there was one recurrence at the fourth months. Conclusion: Our initial experience with this modality shows that LVHR is a feasible option with great potential in both treatment success and reduction  of surgical morbidity.Key Words: Laparoscopy, Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, Ventral herni