Corporate Security Responsibility: Towards a Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Research Agenda

The political debate about the role of business in armed conflicts has increasingly raised expectations as to governance contributions by private corporations in the fields of conflict prevention, peace-keeping and postconflict peace-building. This political agenda seems far ahead of the research agenda, in which the negative image of business in conflicts, seen as fuelling, prolonging and taking commercial advantage of violent conflicts,still prevails. So far the scientific community has been reluctant to extend the scope of research on ‘corporate social responsibility’ to the area of security in general and to intra-state armed conflicts in particular. As a consequence, there is no basis from which systematic knowledge can be generated about the conditions and the extent to which private corporations can fulfil the role expected of them in the political discourse. The research on positive contributions of private corporations to security amounts to unconnected in-depth case studies of specific corporations in specific conflict settings. Given this state of research, we develop a framework for a comparative research agenda to address the question: Under which circumstances and to what extent can private corporations be expected to contribute to public security

Gastric transit and small intestinal transit time and motility assessed by a magnet tracking system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tracking an ingested magnet by the Magnet Tracking System MTS-1 (Motilis, Lausanne, Switzerland) is an easy and minimally-invasive method to assess gastrointestinal transit. The aim was to test the validity of MTS-1 for assessment of gastric transit time and small intestinal transit time, and to illustrate transit patterns detected by the system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A small magnet was ingested and tracked by an external matrix of 16 magnetic field sensors (4 × 4) giving a position defined by 5 coordinates (position: <b>x, y, z, and angle: θ, ϕ)</b>. Eight healthy subjects were each investigated three times: (1) with a small magnet mounted on a capsule endoscope (PillCam); (2) with the magnet alone and the small intestine in the fasting state; and (3) with the magnet alone and the small intestine in the postprandial state.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Experiment (1) showed good agreement and no systematic differences between MTS-1 and capsule endoscopy when assessing gastric transit (median difference 1 min; range: 0-6 min) and small intestinal transit time (median difference 0.5 min; range: 0-52 min). Comparing experiments (1) and (2) there were no systematic differences in gastric transit or small intestinal transit when using the magnet-PillCam unit and the much smaller magnetic pill. In experiments (2) and (3), short bursts of very fast movements lasting less than 5% of the time accounted for more than half the distance covered during the first two hours in the small intestine, irrespective of whether the small intestine was in the fasting or postprandial state. The mean contraction frequency in the small intestine was significantly lower in the fasting state than in the postprandial state (9.90 min^-1vs. 10.53 min^-1) (p = 0.03).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MTS-1 is reliable for determination of gastric transit and small intestinal transit time. It is possible to distinguish between the mean contraction frequency of small intestine in the fasting state and in the postprandial state.</p

A critical review and development of a conceptual model of exclusion from social relations for older people

Social exclusion is complex and dynamic, and it leads to the non-realization of social, economic, political or cultural rights or participation within a society. This critical review takes stock of the literature on exclusion of social relations. Social relations are defined as comprising social resources, social connections and social networks. An evidence review group undertook a critical review which integrates, interprets and synthesizes information across studies to develop a conceptual model of exclusion from social relations. The resulting model is a subjective interpretation of the literature and is intended to be the starting point for further evaluations. The conceptual model identifies individual risks for exclusion from social relations (personal attributes, biological and neurological risk, retirement, socio-economic status, exclusion from material resources and migration). It incorporates the evaluation of social relations, and the influence of psychosocial resources and socioemotional processes, sociocultural, social-structural, environmental and policy contextual influences on exclusion from social relations. It includes distal outcomes of exclusion from social relations, that is, individual well-being, health and functioning, social opportunities and social cohesion. The dynamic relationships between elements of the model are also reported. We conclude that the model provides a subjective interpretation of the data and an excellent starting point for further phases of conceptual development and systematic evaluation(s). Future research needs to consider the use of sophisticated analytical tools and an interdisciplinary approach in order to understand the underlying biological and ecopsychosocial associations that contribute to individual and dynamic differences in the experience of exclusion from social relation

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

NODAGATOC, a New Chelator-Coupled Somatostatin Analogue Labeled with [67/68Ga] and [111In] for SPECT, PET, and Targeted Therapeutic Applications of Somatostatin Receptor (hsst2) Expressing Tumors

A monoreactive NOTA (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid) derived prochelator (1-(1-carboxy-3-carbo-tert-butoxypropyl)-4,7-(carbo-tert-butoxymethyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (NODAGA(tBu)3)) was synthesized in five steps with an overall yield of 21%. It is useful for the coupling to the N-terminus of peptides on solid phase and in solution; it was coupled to [Tyr3]-octreotide (TOC) on solid phase, and the resulting peptide, NODAGA-Tyr3-octreotide (NODAGATOC), was labeled with the radiometals 111In and 67Ga in high yields and good specific activities. [67Ga]− and [111In]−NODAGA-Tyr3-octreotide appear to be useful to visualize primary tumors and metastases which express somatostatin receptors subtype 2 (sstr2), such as neuroendocrine tumors, because of their high affinity to this receptor subtype with IC50 = 3.5 ± 1.6 nM and 1.7 ± 0.2 nM, respectively. NODAGATOC could be used as a SPECT and PET tracer, when labeled with 111In, 67Ga, or 68Ga, and even for therapeutic applications. Surprisingly, [111In]−NODAGATOC shows 2 times higher binding affinity to sstr2, but also a factor of 4 higher affinity to sstr5 compared to [67Ga]−NODAGATOC. [67Ga]−NODAGATOC is very stable in serum and rat liver homogenate. There is no difference in the rate of internalization into AR4-2J rat pancreatic tumor cells; both radioligands are highly internalized, at 4 h a 3 times higher uptake compared to [111In]−DOTA-Tyr3-octreotide ([111In]−DOTATOC) was found. The biodistribution of [67Ga]−NODAGATOC in AR4-2J tumor bearing nude mice is very favorable at short times after injection; there is fast excretion from all nontarget organs except the kidneys and high uptake in sst receptor rich organs and in the AR4-2J tumor. Again it is superior to [111In]−DOTATOC in this respect. The results indicate an improved biological behavior which is likely due to the fact that an additional spacer group separates the chelate from the pharmacophoric part of the somatostatin analogu

L'Allemagne de Konrad Adenauer

Ce volume analyse la renaissance de la vie politique et sociale en Allemagne de l'Ouest au lendemain de la guerre et de la défaite. Les conditions de la reconstruction sont analysées dans deux contributions sur les problèmes démo­graphiques et économiques. Les études sur le Tribunal constitutionnel, sur la renaissance du SPD au lendemain de la guerre et sur la " politique à l'Est " éclairent certains facteurs et agents de la nouvelle vie politique.The revival of political and social life in West Germany after the war and the defeat, the «miracle» of its economy’s rapid recovery have raised many questions and controversies. Was it a mere attempt to restore some normality after the twelve years of the Nazi nightmare or a real renewal