11 research outputs found
The monitoring of the rights of the child: a child rights-based approach
No full textPhDDue to the lacunae between legal obligations to human rights and the actual situation,
monitoring is an essential component of the international and national human rights system.
Monitoring illuminates the situation of human rights commitments and ensures the relevancy
of instruments. The thesis explores monitoring in relation to the rights of the child and
submits that a child rights-based approach is essential. Monitoring should not only consider
the status and nature of child rights, but a child rights-based approach should also guide
efforts so that they improve as well as reflect and respect children's rights.
The study defines monitoring and describes a child rights-based approach. As a subject of
legal investigation, the thesis then addresses several questions. How do international and
national monitoring efforts respect child rights? How have the supervision of international
conference agreements supported child rights? Furthermore, how do different countries
monitor? National activities are examined through case studies of two Commonwealth
countries: Canada and South Africa. Then, analysis is presented about how actors interpret
and execute monitoring and the significance of different approaches. Lastly, the rationale,
challenges and existing support of a child rights-based approach are discussed. In sum, a
child rights-based approach is not generally utilised and the implications of child rights upon
the monitoring process are not yet realised. Most monitors, whether international, regional
or domestic, inadequately consider the demands of child rights upon the process of
ascertaining the situation of children's rights. Proposed guidelines are appended to support
a child rights-based approach to monitoring
Ensuring quality in vocational education and training. Vocational Training No. 15, September-December 1998
No full textA comparison of economic development projects that utilize arts and cultural tourism
No full textIncludes bibliographical references
Managerial Safety and Soundness and Maximization of Shareholder Interests: Sifting Through Bifurcated Governance Strands over Managerial Conduct of United States Banking Organizations
No full textPhDThe recent trend reflecting the erosion of the traditional boundaries between banking and other
financial businesses by virtue of financial deregulation and liberalization has resulted in a more
complex and dynamic risk-profile for banking institutions. One upshot of this transformation is,
whilst promoting safe and sound banking still remains the overriding hank regulatory objective,
the focal point shifts more and more to managerial function and responsibility, a subject
traditionally more generally associated with the corporate-law domain but now being recognized
as a core subject-matter for banking regulation and supervision. This text will analyze the
subject of managerial function and responsibility in the context of United States banking
institutions, specifically the national hank, the bank holding company and the financial holding
company.
The primary thesis to be presented and supported is in banking the governance order
concerning the "control and direction" mechanism over managerial conduct can only be fully
appreciated by not only looking into the economy specific dimension, as informed primarily by
applicable corporate law standards addressed generally to and among the shareholder, the board
and the senior management as they interact with the corporate entity, but also by investigating
the industry specific dimension (in the instant case as to banking institutions), as reflected by
required regulatory standards enshrined in statutes, regulations and other regulatory
pronunciations addressed specifically to their industrial particularities and their derived
implications on the society as whole. In the context of the United States, the governance order of
banking institutions, as such, is placed in the applicable (i) state law corporate governance
framework tinder the Delaware General Corporate Law and related Delaware case law and (ii)
federal statutes and the prudential regulations and practices of federal banking regulators.
As will be seen, these two regulatory strands that impact the U. S. hank governance order
have separately evolved tinder separate statutory and regulatory frameworks with separate
policy underpinnings. Traditionally, banks as corporate entities have been treated under general
corporate governance principles developed under corporate statutes and case law. For lcdcral
banking institutions, the federal regulators have generally deferred to the fiduciary standards
under Delaware corporate law. The policy of the Delaware statute and case law directs corporate
directors and officers towards maximizing corporate value fier the shareholders: the law
recognizes that corporate management is engaged in business risk-taking and grants corporate
management considerable leeway as to their good-faith decisions and activities, while placing
constraints on grossly negligent, illegal, had taith and sell-dealing decisions and activities. The
U. S. federal bank regulators' primarily are concerned with the "satcty and soundness" of'
banking institutions and the stability of the U. S. banking system. In pursuing the prudential
objective, the U. S. Congress and these bank regulators have externally imposed numerous
regulatory requirements on bank management, backed by intensive supervision and vigorous
enforcement. This text will argue that these federal banking laws and regulations have
significantly intruded- in depth and in breadth- into the traditional state law domain of corporate
governance of banking institutions, and, as a result of which, the ensuing contusion and
inconsistence in governance standards to be addressed. This intrusion refers to a stand-alone
bank, as well as a bank held by a corporate parent.
An appreciation of this "push and pull" tension between these two bifurcated strands
influencing the governance structure facing bank management is critical as management plans
its prudent profit-seeking strategies. Whilst a needed, comprehensive reform able to bring about
a set of uniform and industry-specific governance standards is outside the scope of this work,
this text will consider possible ways to reconcile conflicts generated and will make some modest
recommendations in this connection as conclusions thereof
Genetic predisposition to coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetes
No full textBackground: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is accelerated in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Methods: To test whether this reflects differential genetic influences on CAD-risk in subjects with T2D, we performed a systematic assessment of genetic overlap between CAD and T2D in 66,643 subjects (27,708 with CAD and 24,259 with T2D). Variants showing apparent association with CAD in stratified analyses and/or evidence of interaction were evaluated in a further 117,787 subjects (16,694 with CAD and 11,537 with T2D).
Results: None of the previously characterised CAD loci was found to have specific effects on CAD in T2D individuals and a genome-wide interaction analysis found no new variants for CAD that could be considered T2D specific. When we considered the overall genetic correlations between CAD and its risk factors, we found no substantial differences in these relationships by T2D background.
Conclusions: This study found no evidence that the genetic architecture of CAD differs in those with T2D compared to those without T2D
The regional geopolitics of the strait of Gibraltar
No full textSecurity of passage of the Strait of Gibraltar is an imperative for the world community. To achieve this, there must be stability on the northern and southern shores of the Strait. Peace in the region is currently threatened by the "creeping jurisdiction" which both Spain and Morocco wish to exert over the waters of the Strait. Other factors which threaten stability are the historical rivalry which exists between Spain and the Islamic southern shore; the legacy of disputed sovereignty in the Crown Colony of Gibraltar and the Spanish Plazas in North Africa; the economic divide betwen the EC and Maghreb along the Strait axis; and the possible threat of militant Islam. Contentions also exist between Morocco and Algeria, eg the Western Saharan War. The re-establishment of a strong "power hierarchy" in the area must be supported by such international instruments as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982). The Crown Colony and the Spanish Plazas must be decolonized once Spain is firmly integrated into the EC and NATO, and once Morocco has reached a level of economic and political development that is condusive to closer ties with Western institutions
Chromosome segregation and recombination in human meiosis: Clinical applications and insight into disjunction errors
No full textChromosome copy number errors (or aneuploidy) of gametes and embryos occurs in humans more frequently than in any other studied species, with a spectrum of manifestations from implantation failure to affected live births. It is predominantly problem arising in maternal meiosis with at least 20% of oocytes being aneuploid, a proportion that increases dramatically with advancing maternal age. Currently the only intervention to reduce the chances of transmitting aneuploidy is by invasive embryo biopsy procedures in high-risk groups (mainly patients with advanced maternal age) undergoing in-vitro fertilisation. Despite the severity of this problem, aneuploidy of the human preimplantation embryo is relatively poorly understood. With this in mind the purpose of this thesis is to explore the premise underpinning the use of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) in human embryos and investigate its clinical applications and current methodologies. A series of published works demonstrate what I believe to be a significant contribution to the development of applications for studying human preimplantation aneuploidy, also providing insight into its origins and mechanisms at the earliest stages of human development.
Specifically, I present a novel standard set of protocols as a general reference work from practitioners in the fields of embryo biopsy and array comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH - the current ‘gold standard’ for preimplantation aneuploidy screening). I present a summary of work encapsulated in three published clinical papers using a linkage based analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) karyotypes (Karyomapping). Karyomapping was designed as a near-universal approach for the simultaneous detection of chromosomal and monogenic disorders in a PGS setting and these results demonstrate the utility of the technique in three separate scenarios.
In order to study the underlying mechanisms of female meiosis I present my findings on the use of a calcium ionophore to activate human oocytes artificially. An algorithm based on Karyomapping (termed MeioMapping) is demonstrated for the first time specifically to investigate human female meiosis. By recovering all three products of human female meiosis (oocyte, and both polar biopsies – herein termed “Trios”) using calcium ionophore, I present a novel protocol (commissioned by Nature Protocols) to allow exploration of the full extent of meiotic chromosome recombination and segregation that occurs in the female germline. Finally I present a published set of experiments using this protocol to provide new insight into meiotic segregation patterns and recombination in human oocytes. This work uncovers a previously undescribed pattern of meiotic segregation (termed Reverse Segregation), providing an association between recombination rates and chromosome mis-segregation (aneuploidy). This work demonstrates that there is selection for higher recombination rates in the female germline and that there is a role for meiotic drive for recombinant chromatids at meiosis II in human female meiosis.
The work presented in this thesis provides deeper understanding of meiotically derived maternal aneuploidy and recombination. More importantly it provides a vehicle within an ethical framework to continue to expand our knowledge and uncover new insights into the basis of meiotic errors that may aid future reproductive therapies
Does Culture Matter? The Relevance of Culture in Politics and Governance in the Euro-Mediterranean Zone. ZEI Discussion Paper: 2002: C 111
No full text[Table of Contents]: Culture and Governance in the Mediterranean – A Rationale and Overview, by Indra de Soysa and Peter Zervakis; The Relevance of Culture in Democratic Governance – Lessons from the Western Hemisphere, by Lawrence E. Harrison; Culture in Politics and Governance – European Experiences, by Klaus von Beyme; Penser L’Espace Mediterranean, by Mohammed Arkoun; Muslim and Western Civilization – Is Co-Prosperity and Peace Possible?, by Erich Weede; Political Culture and Democracy in Turkey, by Ergun Özbudun; The Crisis of Political Culture in the Arab World – A Conflict of Paradigms, by Paul Salem; Euro-Mediterranean Formations – Cultural Imperatives of System Change, by Dimitris K. Xenakis and Dimitris Chryssochoou; Cross-cultural Currents in the Mediterranean – What Prospects, Stephan Calleya; Politics and Governance in the Mediterranean, by Franck Biancheri; The Mediterranean - New Directions of Research and Policy-Making, by Ludger Kühnha
Reproductive health human rights : women's knowledge, attitude, and practices toward their reproductive health rights in Palestine
No full textDhaher E. Reproductive health human rights : women's knowledge, attitude, and practices toward their reproductive health rights in Palestine. Bielefeld (Germany): Bielefeld University; 2008.Reproductive health rights ensure that people are able to have satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capacity to reproduce with freedom to decide, when and how often to do so. Reproductive health rights also include the access of women to high quality health care services that help in protecting women during pregnancy and childbearing and providing the couples with the best chances of having healthy. In addition, reproductive health rights might be an important indicator for women's health.
Studies that were conducted in Palestine before had not focused on assessing women's perception on their reproductive health rights while receiving the health care. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, perception, attitude, and practices of reproductive health rights among the Palestinian women of reproductive age (15-49). Specifically, the objective was to assess women's perception of their reproductive health rights while receiving their reproductive health care (in particular: reproductive health rights concepts and meaning, family planning, antenatal care, delivery care and postnatal care). In addition, the present study aimed to assess women's perception towards wife beating and the best marriage age for women.
In order to achieve this purpose, a cross sectional study was conducted in 2006 at three clinics that provide Mother and Child Health Care in the West Bank. The clinics were located in the three largest cities in the West Bank: Jenin in the north, Ramallah in the center, and Hebron in the south. A total of 450 women (150 women in each site) in reproductive age (15-49) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed several issues related to reproductive health such as: understanding of reproductive rights, knowledge and use of family planning methods, antenatal care, delivery care, postnatal care, attitudes towards domestic violence and age at first marriage. Response rate of the study was 99.4 percent.
Generally, the results of this study revealed that women had positive understanding of their reproductive health rights. Women mentioned the right to have good access to health care during and after the course of pregnancy as their first important right. The majority of women were able to identify the modern contraceptives and most women mentioned that they made the fertility decision together with their husbands. Women started antenatal care at a relatively early stage of their pregnancy (before 4-month pregnancy), and 78.2 percent of women made six or more antenatal care visits during their entire pregnancy. Almost all women delivered their last child in medical institutions and under medical supervision. Women were most likely more satisfied from the private health facilities than from the governmental facilities. Although the majority of women considered postnatal care necessary (66.1 percent), only 36.6 percent of women obtained postnatal care. Sixty-five percent of women agreed with at least one reason for wife beating. The mean age of first marriage among the 450 women was 20 years old and the median was 19, while half of the women perceived the best age of their daughter's marriage between 17 and 20 years old.
Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to consider these results when planning for any women's health programs and projects. In order to improve health care services based on women's needs and priorities, we also recommend setting new policies and regulations that protect women against violence and organizing public education programs to change women's perception towards intimate partner violence and age at first marriage. Empowering women through education and open employment opportunity might help women in making decisions regarding their fertility and taking an active role when they experience any reproductive health rights violation. Future research should expand to include Gaza Strip and to include men, adolescent, health care providers, health policy makers and key law and religious leaders
Understanding internal migration in Britain at the start of the 21st century
No full textAlong with changes in fertility, mortality and international migration, internal migration acts
to affect population change in almost all areas of Britain. As well as changing the numbers of people in localities it will alter the structure and composition of populations, impacting upon the planning and allocation of resources to local communities. In order to plan effectively,
knowledge of the flows of people within the country is essential, but with almost ten percent of the population of Britain changing their permanent place of residence every year, a complex system of flows between a multitude of origins and destinations is presented.
There is a long history of studying internal migration in Britain; a history which owes much to the system of flows continually evolving. Monitoring this system can be problematic as unlike births and deaths, there is no compulsory mechanism to record the movements of people
within the country. Data are accessed from different sources, each with their own idiosyncrasies which pose challenges for those wishing to build a complete understanding of the flows taking place.
This thesis tackles the problem of building an understanding of internal migration in Britain where data are limited and patterns and processes complex. New methods for estimating incomplete data are presented, along with new techniques for analysing available datasets. Central to the understanding of internal migration patterns is the association of types of migrant with origin and destination areas; therefore one of the central contributions of this piece of work is the development of a new internal migration-based geodemographic area classification
framework, designed to both assist in the analysis of internal migration data from the census used to build it and to offer a parsimonious system for the analysis of temporally rich but attribute poor non-census datasets
