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The UN firearms protocol: considerations for the UN 2001 conference.
yesSince April 1998, the Vienna-based UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Commission
on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice has been negotiating the draft Protocol Against the
Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition
(hereafter referred to as the Firearms Protocol). This Protocol will be the first global measure
regulating international transfers of small arms and light weapons, and should have a tremendous
impact on both the legal and the illicit manufacture and trade in firearms.
The draft agreement seeks to combat and criminalise trafficking in firearms, through the
development of harmonised international standards governing the manufacture, possession
and transfer of commercial shipments of these weapons. While the final outcome of the
Protocol relies on the outcome of negotiations in February 2001, the draft agreement contains
provisions which commit states, among other things, to:
l Adopt legislative measures to criminalise the illicit manufacture, trafficking, possession
and use of firearms;
l Maintain detailed records on the import, export and in-transit movements of firearms;
l Adopt an international system for marking firearms at the time of manufacture and each
time they are imported;
l Establish a harmonised licensing system governing the import, export, in-transit
movement and re-export of firearms;
l Exchange information regarding authorised producers, dealers, importers and exporters,
the routes used by illicit traffickers, best practice in combating trafficking in order to
enhance states ability to prevent, detect and investigate illicit trafficking;
l Co-operate at the bilateral, regional and international level to prevent, combat and
eradicate the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms; and
l Consider developing systems to require arms brokers, traders and forwarders
to register and obtain licences for their transactions.
The Protocol places a premium on international co-operation, information exchange and
transparency. The provisions in the Firearms Protocol are an important complement to those
being developed for the UN 2001 Conference. Issues such as improving the ability to trace
small arms and light weapons through effective marking systems, regulating the activities
of arms brokers and building international norms on the responsible disposal of surplus small
arms are common to both initiatives
El papel de la teología en la promoción de una universidad liberal y pluralista
El estudio considera la cuestión de la presencia viva de la teología cristiana en la universidad secular. Se observa esta presencia viva y eficaz a partir de la fundación de la institución universitaria durante el medioevo, su declive a lo largo de la modernidad, hasta la ausencia generalizada de la teología en la universidad en los momentos actuales. El autor retiene que la teología–reflexión basada en la autoridad de la revelación–por su nativa apertura hacia la fuente infinita de todo el ser y la verdad, que es Dios, posee una fuerza integradora singular para todas las disciplinas científicas y humanísticas. La práctica de la teología hace posible que las disciplinas universitarias, cada una desarrollada según su método propio, se relacionen y puedan dialogar entre sí con un pluralismo que excluye toda hiperespecialización, apariencia de pluralismo y la amenaza actual más dañina para la vida intelectual y universitaria. Además la encarnación del Verbo eterno en Jesús de Nazaret no es obstáculo para ello, pues la encarnación no constituye un límite para Dios, sino que significa la accesibilidad de su palabra infinita para la mente humana finita
Influence in investor-state dispute settlement: a dynamic concept
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) plays an increasingly important role in international trade resolution. The decisions have significant financial and in many cases policy implications, yet little is known about the formation of the ad-hoc panels and the decision-making process. Drawing on empirical evidence from interviews with key actors in the ISDS system, this paper argues that influence plays a central role in both processes. The analysis further develops the framework for understanding influence in international decision-making to accommodate external factors (those visible to those appointing the decision-makers) and internal factors (those factors that become visible in the decision-making room). It draws our attention to the nuanced relationship and distinction between the characterisation of influence in both contexts and poses a challenge to the traditional focus of appointments based on power and prestige which neglects the group decision-making context and the multifaceted construction of influence in this increasingly important method of adjudication
Sirolimus Ointment for Facial Angiofibromas in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.
BACKGROUND:
Facial angiofibromas affect most patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. They tend to progress, can cause recurrent bleeding and facial disfigurement, and have significant psychological effects. We reviewed the effectiveness and safety of topical sirolimus ointment 0.1%. We also assessed the effect of treatment on quality of life.
METHODS:
We report our experience in using sirolimus ointment in 14 patients with TSC (9 children and 5 adults). The impact of sirolimus ointment was monitored with digital photography, dermatological review using a validated Facial Angiofibroma Severity Index (FASI), and quality of life assessments using the questionnaires PedsQL for children and SF36 for adults.
RESULTS:
The FASI scores were improved in 12/14 cases after six months' treatment, and improvement was more likely in children (median FASI scores of improvement after treatment were 3 points for children and 1 for adults). Proxy-reported PedsQL scores for the total psychosocial domain improved significantly in the children in the cohort with treatment.
CONCLUSIONS:
Sirolimus ointment 0.1% administered once a day was effective in treating facial angiofibromas. It appears to be safe and well tolerated and to have a positive impact on patients' quality of life. It appeared to be most beneficial when started in childhood
Chronic kidney disease: a large-scale population-based study of the effects of introducing the CKD-EPI formula for eGFR reporting
Objective To evaluate the effects of introducing the Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) reporting in the adult population in routine clinical practice with clinician-directed testing. Design Retrospective study of all creatinine measurements and calculation of eGFRs using Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and CKD-EPI formulae. Setting General population, Oxfordshire, UK. Participants An unselected population of around 660 000. Interventions Reporting of eGFRs using MDRD or CKD-EPI formulae. Primary and secondary outcome measures Evaluation of the effects of the CKD-EPI formula on the prevalence of different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Results The CKD-EPI formula reduced the prevalence of CKD (stages 2-5) by 16.4% in patients tested in primary care. At the important stage 2-stage 3 cut-off, there was a relative reduction of 7.5% in the prevalence of CKD stages 3-5 from 15.7% to 14.5%. The CKD-EPI formula reduced the prevalence of CKD stages 3-5 in those aged <70 but increased it at ages >70. Above 70 years, the prevalence of stages 3-5 was similar with both equations for women (around 41.2%) but rose in men from 33.3% to 35.5%. CKD stages 4-5 rose by 15% due exclusively to increases in the over 70s, which could increase specialist referral rates. The CKD classification of 18.3% of all individuals who had a creatinine measurement was altered by a change from the MDRD to the CKD-EPI formula. In the UK population, the classification of up to 3 million patients could be altered, the prevalence of CKD could be reduced by up to 1.9 million and the prevalence of CKD stages 3-5 could fall by around 200 000. Conclusions Introduction of the CKD-EPI formula for eGFR reporting will reduce the prevalence of CKD in a primary care setting with current testing practice but will raise the prevalence in the over 70s age group. This has implications for clinical practice, healthcare policy and current prevalence-based funding arrangements
Improved Food Safety through Sterility of Air in Food Processing and Packaging.
End of Project ReportThe aims of this research were to develop reliable methods for evaluating the level
of airborne micro-organisms in food processing facilities and to study the viability
and behaviour of micro-organisms in air filtration systems.
The main conclusions were as follows:
· Assessment of air quality involves monitoring both particulate and
microbial levels as there is no simple relationship between these phenomena in
a food process environment.
· The large fluctuations in microbial levels found in air in these studies
underline the necessity of frequent and regular air sampling in processing
facilities.
· It was established that micro-organisms can grow inside an air filter under
certain environmental conditions and give rise to intermittent microbial germ
contamination of the cleaned air.
· It was demonstrated that flowing air affects the survival of microorganisms
and the survival rate is dependent on filter class. Hence more
emphasis on filter design aimed at effective microbial control is advised.
· A combined system for filtering and sterilisation by ozone was
demonstrated to be an efficient technique for extending the microbial
separation efficiency of air filters.European Unio
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Regional initiatives and the UN 2001 Conference: Building Mutual Support and Complementarity.
yesAs the agenda for the United Nations (UN) 2001 Conference on The Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects takes shape, governments should begin to identify a set
of standards, mechanisms and specific agreements that will help consolidate, reinforce and
co-ordinate regional and national measures to address the problem of the proliferation and
misuse of small arms. An important element of this approach will be to build upon the wealth
of regional and national experiences and perspectives that illustrate the different contexts
in which efforts to combat the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons have
occurred. At the same time, agreements reached at the UN 2001 Conference should be
substantial, establishing an agreed comprehensive `international action programme¿ f o r
sustained global effort on this complex problem. However there remain issues and concerns
that are common to all regions: these should be identified and addressed internationally
within the context of the UN 2001 Conference.
This briefing, the second in the Biting the Bullet series, reviews some of the current regional
e fforts on small arms and light weapons. It identifies common approaches that have been used
in different regions to counter the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons,
these include: law enforcement and crime control; supplier restraint and transparency; national
legislation and regulation of arms; and arms reduction and control. The briefing analyses
initiatives using these approaches that are moving forward in West Africa, Eastern and
Southern Africa, the European Union (EU), and the development of cooperation between
EU Member States and other countries and regional organizations, including Cambodia
and the Southern African Development Community. The briefing identifies the impact and
priorities of these initiatives, suggesting ways in which the UN 2001 Conference is both
relevant to the region and what the region can contribute to the outcomes of the Conference.
The briefing concludes with recommendations on the ways in which regional processes can be
reinforced and further developed by the international community, focusing especially on the
contribution of the UN 2001 Conference. Experience is showing that much of what happens
nationally and regionally needs reinforcement and further development with assistance from
the international community. The UN 2001 Conference comes at an important time for providing
the framework ¿ through the international action programme ¿ to develop, reinforce and
c o-ordinate these national and regional processes, through developing appropriate international
norms, standards, programmes and mechanisms. Using the illustration of combating illicit arms
trafficking, this briefing outlines some of the processes that could be taken forward through
the UN 2001 Conference which would build upon and strengthen national and regional eff o r t s .
The briefing contains an annex, which provides background information on many current
regional and international initiatives, including those in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe
and inter-regionally, such as the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and
the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Improving the Quality of European Hard Cheese by controlling interactions between Lactic Acid Bacteria and Propionic Acid Bacteria (LAB/PAB) (Stimulation of Propionic Acid Bacteria by Lactic
End of Project ReportTeagasc acknowledges with gratitude grant aid under the EU Framework Programme (FAIR
96-CT-1024).In the manufacture of Swiss-type cheese two successive fermentations
occur. During manufacture, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), particularly
Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus and
Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, convert lactose to lactate while,
during ripening, propionic acid bacteria (PAB) convert lactate to
propionic acid, acetic acid and carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is
responsible for eye formation and propionic acid results in the typical
nutty flavour of Swiss-type cheese. There have been a few reports of
interactions between a small number of LAB and PAB but the
compounds involved have not been identified. A better
understanding of this phenomenon is necessary to select strains of
PAB for cheesemaking and improve the quality of hard cheeses.
Cheese cannot be used for such a study because of its complexity and
the length of time it is ripened. Hence, a simple whey-based model
developed by Piveteau et al (1995) was successfully used to study the
interactions between LAB and PAB. In this procedure, the LAB were
grown overnight in milk and the whey was collected by centrifugation.
After neutralisation and filter-sterilisation, the growth of strains of PAB
in this whey and in a control whey produced from the same milk by
acidification with lactic acid were compared.
The objectives of this study were to refine the model of Piveteau et al
(1995) to study the interactions between LAB and PAB and to
determine the nature of the stimulant(s) produced by the LAB. * Thirty-two combinations of different commercial strains of PAB and
LAB were evaluated in a modified whey model. None showed any
inhibition and all showed some degree of stimulation but the extent of the stimulation depended on the particular pair of PAB and LAB
used.
* An inhibitor of PAB was found in milk, which prevented the growth
of PAB from low (105 cfu/ml) but not from high inocula (107 cfu/ml).
The inhibitor was heat stable (to autoclaving for 15 min), of low
molecular mass and could be removed by pre-growth of some but not
all starter LAB in milk.
* Growth of P. freudenreichii DPC 3801 in control whey was
stimulated by peptone, tryptone, casein hydrolysed by the crude
proteinase of Lb. helveticus DPC 4571 and by pre-growth of the
lactobacillus in milk, but not by vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, PABA,
Ca panthothenate, biotin and nicotinic acid) or minerals (MgSO4,
MnCl2, CoCl2 and CuSO4).
* Growth of Lb. helveticus DPC 4571 in milk resulted in significant
increases in peptide and amino acid production but the amino acids
produced did not stimulate the growth of the PAB. Based on these
results it was concluded that the stimulation was due to production of
peptides by the LAB from casein.
* The whey model developed by Piveteau et al (1995) to study the
interactions between PAB and LAB was shown to be reproducible.
Adjustment of the pH of the whey to 5.4 rather than 6.0, incubation
at 24ºC rather than 30ºC and addition of 1% NaCl, to simulate
cheese ripening conditions allowed growth of all the PAB tested.
* Several chromatographic procedures, including ion-exchange, gel
permeation and reverse-phase, high-pressure liquid chromatography
failed to categorically identify the peptide(s) responsible for the
stimulation of the PAB. In some of these chromatographic systems,the stimulatory activity was shown to be present in several peaks
implying that different peptides were involved.European Unio
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