Deaths in Wars and Conflicts Between 1945 and 2000

Cornell University Peace Studies Program, Occasional paper # 29Deaths in Wars and Conflicts in the 20th Century The monograph contains: - A data section, tabulating both civilian and combatant deaths due to all causes for 157 events between 1945 and 2000 in 72 countries, grouped in seven geographic regions; - An itemized total sum of deaths in wars and conflicts "killed or allowed to die by human decision" of approximately 231 million for the 100 years of the 20th Century. The separate components of this sum are provided. The reference to the consequence of political decisions by governments includes massive starvation resulting from government campaigns and not natural causes, major loss of life in internment or work camps systems, and instances of genocide. - The monograph then includes summaries of the events that took place in Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1990, and since 2003 in the Darfur province of Sudan. It analyzes the nature of the response or non-response to these by the international community. These sections demonstrate that by far the greater portion of loss of life in these events could have been prevented by different international policies both prior to and during the crisis phases of these events. - Finally, the monograph concludes with an analysis of the problem of international intervention

Assessing the Biological Weapons and Bioterrorism Threat

This is an expanded version of a paper prepared for an international conference "Meeting the Challenges of Bioterrorism: Assessing the Threat and Designing Biodefense Strategies

Biological Weapons Arms Control

Project on Rethinking Arms Contro

Amiodarone hydrochloride: enhancement of solubility and dissolution rate by solid dispersion technique

Amiodarone HCl is an antiarrhythmic agent, which has low aqueous solubility and presents absorption problems. This study aimed to develop inclusion complexes containing hydrophilic carriers PEG 1500, 4000 and 6000 by fusion and kneading methods in order to evaluate the increase in solubility and dissolution rate of amiodarone HCl. The solid dispersion and physical mixtures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectra, water solubility and dissolution profiles. Both methods and carriers increased the solubility of drug, however PEG 6000 enhanced the drug solubility in solid dispersion better than other carriers. Different media were evaluated for the solubility study, including distilled water, acid buffer pH 1.2, acetate buffer pH 4.5 and phosphate buffer pH 6.8 at 37 ºC. Based on the evaluation of the results obtained in the study phase solubility carriers PEG 4000 and PEG 6000 were selected for the preparation of the physical mixture and solid dispersion. All formulations were prepared at drug-carrier ratios of 1:1 to 1:10(w/w). The results of in vitro release studies indicated that the solid dispersion technique by fusion method in proportion of 1:10 (w/w) increased significantly the dissolution rate of the drug. X-ray diffraction studies showed reduced drug crystallinity in the solid dispersions. FT-IR demonstrated interactions between the drug and polymers.Cloridrato de amiodarona é um agente antiarrítmico que possui baixa solubilidade aquosa e apresenta problemas de absorção. Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver complexos de inclusão contendo carreadores hidrofílicos PEG 1500, 4000 e 6000 através dos métodos de fusão e amassamento para avaliar o aumento da solubilidade e taxa de dissolução do cloridrato de amiodarona. As dispersões sólidas e misturas físicas foram caracterizadas por difração de raios-X, espectroscopia no infravermelho com transformada de Fourier, solubilidade em água e perfis de dissolução. Ambos os métodos e carreadores aumentaram a solubilidade do fármaco, no entanto o PEG 6000 aumentou a solubilidade do fármaco na dispersão sólida mais que os outros carreadores. Diferentes meios foram avaliados para o estudo de solubilidade, incluindo água destilada, tampão ácido pH 1,2, tampão acetato pH 4,5 e tampão fosfato pH 6,8. Com base na avaliação dos resultados obtidos no estudo de solubilidade de fases, os carreadores PEG 4000 e PEG 6000 foram selecionados para a preparação das misturas físicas e dispersões sólidas. Todas as formulações foram preparadas nas razões fármaco-carreador de 1:1 a 1:10 (p/p). Os resultados de liberação in vitro que a técnica de dispersão sólida pelo método de fusão na proporção 1:10 (p/p) aumentou significativamente a taxa de dissolução do fármaco. Estudos de difração de raios-X mostraram redução da cristalinidade do fármaco na dispersão sólida. Análise por espectroscopia no infravermelho mostrou interações entre o fármaco e o carreador

Editorial: Disarmament and Development – the International Context

The interconnections between international economic recession, the new Cold War and militarisation in the South provide the context for the articles in the IDS Bulletin 'Disarmament and World Development: Is There a Way Forward', from October 1985. Contributors were asked to reassess four key reports on development, disarmament and security issues. All were undertaken during a period of transition in the global economy and the Cold War (1979–83). Despite differences of emphasis they all advocate an integrated global approach to world economic and military problems, the restructuring of North-South economic relationships, strengthening of detente, and reductions in the allocation of resources for military purposes. But why, then, have they had so little impact on policy and still less on the march of events? Contributors to the Bulletin were also asked to address how disarmament and development could be put back on the international agenda. For instance, is there an adequate political case for linking disarmament to development and does military spending in fact entrench underdevelopment

Men Presenting With Sexual Thoughts of Children or Coercion: Flights of Fancy or Plans for Crime?

Introduction. There is limited evaluation of clinical and theoretical claims that sexual thoughts of children and coercing others facilitate sexual offending. The nature of these thoughts (what they contain) is also unknown. Aims. To examine the relationship between child/coercive sexual thoughts and sexual offending, and to determine the nature of these thoughts and any differences between sexual offending (SO), non-sexual offending (NSO) and non-offending (NO) men. Methods. In a cross-sectional computerized survey, anonymous qualitative and quantitative self-reported sexual thought and experience data were collected from 279 adult volunteers, comprising equal numbers of SO, NSO and NO men recruited from a medium-security UK prison and a community sample of 6081 men. Main Outcome Measures. Computerized Interview for Sexual Thoughts and Computerized Inventory of Sexual Experiences. Results. Three analytical approaches found child sexual thoughts were related to sexual offending; sexual thoughts with coercive themes were not. Latent class analyses identified three types of child sexual thought (primarily differentiated by interpersonal context: the reporting of own emotions, emotions of others or both) and four types of sexual thoughts of coercing others (chiefly discriminated by the other person’s response: no emotional states reported, consent, non-consent, mixed). Type of child sexual thought and participant group were not significantly related. Type of coercive sexual thought and group were marginally related; the consensual type was more common for the NO group, the non-consensual type more common for the SO group, than expected statistically. Conclusions. Child sexual thoughts are a risk factor for sexual offending and should be assessed by clinicians. Generally, sexual thoughts with coercive themes are not a risk factor, though thought type may be important (i.e. thoughts where the other person expresses an enduring lack of consent). Exploring the dynamic risk factors associated with each type of child/coercive thought may lead to more targeted treatment