Refugees and Collective Action: A Case Study of the Association of Dispersed Guatemalan Refugees

The paper traces the organizational development of the Association of Dispersed Guatemalan Refugees (ardigua), a grassroots, self-settled Guatemalan refugee organization, in an attempt to understand the dynamics of popular mobilization in exile. It examines the challenges faced by the more vulnerable and institutionally marginalized self-settled refugees in their efforts to secure rights as refugees and as returning Guatemalans. It argues that the collective mobilization of self-settled refugees was facilitated by political opportunities external to ardigua, as well as by resources—material and discursive—that the association mobilized. The paper draws attention to the role that self-settled refugees can play as political actors in the wider process of peace and democratization, and argues that the impact of their efforts is significant (beyond their immediate material success) to the extent to which they articulate their traditionally marginalized concerns in politically and institutionally consequential forums. In this way, they contribute to the expansion and democratization of public discourse, and help to widen spaces in which the excluded can actively engage as social and political actors.L’article retrace le développement organisationnel de l’Asociación de Refugiados Dispersas de Guatemala (ardigua), une organisation populaire de réfugiés guatémaltèques auto-établis, dans le but d’essayer de comprendre la dynamique de la mobilisation de masse dans l’exil. Il examine les défis auxquels eurent à faire face les plus vulnérables et les plus marginalisés des réfugiés dans leur tentative d’obtenir des droits en tant que réfugiés et en tant que guatémaltèques de retour au pays. Il propose la thèse que la mobilisation de réfugiés auto-établis fut favorisée par des conjonctures politiques externes à ardigua, aussi bien que par les ressources matérielles et humaines que l’association parvint à réunir. L’article attire l’attention sur le rôle que peuvent jouer des réfugiés auto-établis en tant qu’acteurs politiques dans le processus élargi de paix et de démocratisation, et soutient que l’impact de leurs efforts est important et va bien au-delà de leur succès matériel immédiat. Cela est vrai dans la mesure où ils parviennent à exprimer clairement leurs préoccupations — qui sont traditionnellement marginalisées — dans des forums qui font réellement poids, politiquement et institutionnellement. Ce faisant, ils concourent à l’élargissement et à la démocratisation du discours public et aident à amplifier les espaces où les exclus peuvent prendre une part active en tant qu’acteurs sociaux et politiques

Review of harm-benefit analysis in the use of animals in research

This is the final version of the report. Available from the Home Office via the link in this recordReport of our review of the processes of harm-benefit analysis (HBA) carried out under the UK Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (A(SP)A).Report of the Animals in Science Committee Harm-Benefit Analysis Sub-Group chaired by Professor Gail Davies. The Animals in Science Committee Harm-Benefit Analysis subgroup, chaired by Professor Gail Davies, has produced a review of the harm-benefit analysis (HBA). This review is an analysis of the underpinnings and implementation of the HBA which remains a crucial step in the justification of the use of animals in science. It is published in response to a ministerial commission.Animals in Science Committe

Short-term social memory in the laboratory rat: its susceptibility to disturbance.

Short-term social memory in the laboratory rat: its susceptibility to disturbance

Globalisation

Summaries This article argues that the current phase of neoliberal globalisation presents a challenge to the prospects for equitable social development in developing and transition economies. This challenge flows partly from the unregulated nature of the emerging global economy and partly from the intellectual currents dominant in the global discourse concerning social policy and social development. In particular the article argues that a combination of the World Bank' s preference for a safety net and privatising strategy for welfare, the self interest of International NGOs in being providers of associated basic education, health and livelihood services, and the World Trade Organisation's push for a global market in health, education and insurance services, is generating a set of global conditions which undermine the prospects for any alternative scenario of equitable public social provision. This disturbing trend is taking place within the context of an apparent shift in the politics of globalisation from fundamentalist economic liberalism to global social concern

Overcoming Ex-Post Development Stagnation: Interventions with Continuity and Scaling in Mind

Project interventions are important vehicles for development globally. However, while there is often allocation of resources for new and innovative (pilot) projects—with varying levels of success—there is seemingly less focus on consolidating and/or scaling the positive impacts of successful larger interventions. Assuming an overarching development goal to have long lasting impact at scale, this approach seems somewhat contradictory. Scaling is often not integrated into project planning, design and implementation and rarely pursued genuinely in the ex-post. However, where demand for further development remains outstanding beyond project completion, opportunities may exist to build upon project platforms and extend benefits in a cost effective manner. This paper examines existing scaling typologies, before introducing “scaling-within” as a concept to promote greater continuity of development to a wider range of stakeholders. Scaling-within offers the opportunity to “in-fill” intervention principles and practices to both project and non-project communities within a broader strategic framework to address disparities and to promote sustainable development. The authors draw on research from case studies of large-scale integrated watershed rehabilitation projects and assess scaling-within against a contemporary scaling framework drawn from the literature. While the concept is tested with watersheds as the administrative unit, the authors anticipate applications for other project management units

Species-specific susceptibility to cannabis-induced convulsions

Background and Purpose. Numerous claims are made for cannabis' therapeutic utility upon human seizures, but concerns persist about risks. A potential confounder is the presence of both 9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( 9-THC), variously reported to be pro- and anti-convulsant, and cannabidiol (CBD), widely confirmed as anticonvulsant. Therefore, we investigated effects of prolonged exposure to different 9-THC/CBD cannabis extracts on seizure activity and associated measures of endocannabinoid (eCB) system signalling. Experimental Approach. Cannabis extract effects on in vivo neurological and behavioural responses, and on bioanalyte levels, were measured in rats and dogs. Extract effects on seizure activity were measured using electroencephalography-telemetry in rats. eCB signalling was also investigated using radioligand binding in cannabis extract-treated rats, and treatment-naïve rat, mouse, chicken, dog and human tissue. Key Results. Prolonged exposure to cannabis extracts caused spontaneous, generalised seizures, subserved by epileptiform discharges in rats, but not dogs, and produced higher 9-THC, but lower 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) and CBD, plasma concentrations in rats versus dogs. In the same rats, prolonged exposure to cannabis also impaired cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R)-mediated signalling. Profiling CB1R expression, basal activity, extent of activation and sensitivity to 9-THC suggested interspecies differences in eCB signalling, being more pronounced in a species that exhibited cannabis extract-induced seizures (rat) than a species that did not (dog). Conclusion and Implications. Sustained cannabis extract treatment caused differential seizure, behavioural and bioanalyte levels between rats and dogs. Supporting radioligand binding data suggest species differences in eCB signalling. Interspecies variations may have important implications for predicting cannabis-induced convulsions from animal models

Animal Research beyond the Laboratory:Report from a Workshop on Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs) in the UK

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Research involving animals that occurs outside the laboratory raises an array of unique challenges. With regard to UK legislation, however, it receives only limited attention in terms of official guidelines, support, and statistics, which are unsurprisingly orientated towards the laboratory environment in which the majority of animal research takes place. In September 2019, four social scientists from the Animal Research Nexus program gathered together a group of 13 experts to discuss nonlaboratory research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (A(SP)A) of 1986 (mirroring European Union (EU) Directive 2010/63/EU), which is the primary mechanism for regulating animal research in the UK. Such nonlaboratory research under the A(SP)A often occurs at Places Other than Licensed Establishments (POLEs). The primary objective of the workshop was to assemble a diverse group with experience across a variety of POLEs (e.g., wildlife field sites, farms, fisheries, veterinary clinics, zoos) to explore the practical, ethical, and regulatory challenges of conducting research at POLEs. While consensus was not sought, nor reached on every point of discussion, we collectively identified five key areas that we propose require further discussion and attention. These relate to: (1) support and training; (2) ethical review; (3) cultures of care, particularly in nonregulated research outside of the laboratory; (4) the setting of boundaries; and (5) statistics and transparency. The workshop generated robust discussion and thereby highlighted the value of focusing on the unique challenges posed by POLEs, and the need for further opportunities for exchanging experiences and sharing best practice relating to research projects outside of the laboratory in the UK and elsewhere

An in-vitro-in-vivo model for the transdermal delivery of cholecalciferol for the purposes of rodent management

The natural selection of anticoagulant resistant rats has resulted in a need for an alternative to anticoagulant rodenticides which differs in both active ingredient and in the method of dosing. Cholecalciferol toxicity to rodents using the dermal route is demonstrated using a variety of penetration enhancing formulations in two in-vitro models and finally in-vivo. A 1 ml dose of 50/50 (v/v) DMSO/ethanol containing 15% (v/v) PEG 200 and 20% (w/v) cholecalciferol was judged as 'sufficiently effective' in line with the European Union's Biocidal Products Regulation (No. 528/2012) during in-vivo studies. This dose was found to cause 100% mortality in a rat population in 64.4 h (±22 h)