Both the dorsal hippocampus and the dorsolateral striatum are needed for rat navigation in the Morris water maze

The multiple memory systems theory proposes that the hippocampus and the dorsolateral striatum are the core structures of the spatial/relational and stimulus-response (S-R) memory systems, respectively. This theory is supported by double dissociation studies showing that the spatial and cue (S-R) versions of the Morris water maze are impaired by lesions in the dorsal hippocarnpus and dorsal striatum, respectively. In the present study we further investigated whether adult male Wistar rats bearing double and bilateral electrolytic lesions in the dorsal hippocampus and dorsolateral striatum were as impaired as rats bearing single lesions in just one of these structures in learning both versions of the water maze. Such a prediction, based on the multiple memory systems theory, was not confirmed. Compared to the controls, the animals with double lesions exhibited no improvement at all in the spatial version and learned the cued version very slowly. These results suggest that, instead of independent systems competing for holding control over navigational behaviour, the hippocampus and dorsal striatum both play critical roles in navigation based on spatial or cue-based strategies. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feelings of women regarding end-of-life decision making after ultrasound diagnosis of a lethal fetal malformation

Objective: this study investigated the feelings of women regarding end-of-life decision making after ultrasound diagnosis of a lethal fetal malformation. The aim of this study was to present the decision making process of women that chose for pregnancy termination and to present selected speeches of women about their feelings. Design: open psychological interviews conducted by a psychologist immediately after the diagnosis of fetal malformation by ultrasound. Analysis of the results was performed through a content analysis technique. Setting: the study was carried out at a public university hospital in Brazil. Participants: 249 pregnant women who had received the diagnosis of a severe lethal fetal malformation. Findings: fetal anencephaly was the most frequent anomaly detected in 135 cases (54.3%). Termination of pregnancy was decided by 172 (69.1%) patients and legally authorised by the judiciary (66%). The reason for asking for termination was to reduce suffering in all of them. In the 77 women who chose not to terminate pregnancy (30.9%), the reasons were related to feelings of guilt (74%). Key conclusions: the results support the importance of psychological counselling for couples when lethal fetal malformation is diagnosed. The act of reviewing moral and cultural values and elements of the unconscious provides assurance in the decision-making process and mitigates the risk of emotional trauma and guilt that can continue long after the pregnancy is terminated. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

E' possibile giustificare moralmente l'obiezione di coscienza in campo medico?

Scopo di questa tesi di dottorato è stabilire se l’obiezione di coscienza in ambito medico sia moralmente giustificabile. Esistono essenzialmente tre tipi di rifiuto motivati dall’obiezione di coscienza (1) rifiuto di informare un paziente relativamente alle opzioni terapeutiche come ad esempio l’uso di un contraccettivo di emergenza o l’interruzione volontaria di gravidanza (2) rifiuto di rinviare un paziente che chiede un particolare intervento (o terapia) presso un collega non obiettore (3) rifiuto di svolgere in prima persona una certa attività richiesta dal paziente Per rispondere a questo interrogativo si è svolta un’analisi filosofico-morale dei principali argomenti utilizzati dalla letteratura su questo tema per giustificare o per negare un diritto morale all’obiezione di coscienza degli operatori sanitari. Il diritto degli operatori sanitari all’integrità morale e a non essere complici di attività ritenute immorali dev’essere infatti confrontato con il diritto dei pazienti ad avere un’assistenza sanitaria efficiente, a poter compiere scelte autonome riguardo alla propria salute e ad essere informati relativamente a tutte le opzioni terapeutiche disponibili. Nel corso dell’intero lavoro è stato dimostrato come suddetti diritti dei pazienti sono facilmente e frequentemente violati a causa dell’incidenza dell’obiezione di coscienza in ambito medico. L’analisi condotta nel corso del lavoro di tesi si concentra fondamentalmente su quattro importanti aspetti del problema quali diritto all’integrità morale dell’ operatore sanitario, obblighi professionali, cooperazione al male e laicità dello stato. Alla fine del lavoro di analisi si è giunti alla conclusione che: le obiezioni di tipo (1) e (2) non sono mai moralmente giustificabili perché comportano sempre una violazione dei diritti fondamentali del paziente. Le obiezioni di coscienza di tipo (3) sono moralmente accettabili solo quando non impongono un peso eccessivo al paziente, vale a dire quando il rinvio presso un collega non obiettore è veloce, sicuro e agevole. Tuttavia le condizioni ideali in cui vengono rispettati i criteri minimi di ammissibilità dell’obiezione di coscienza di tipo (3) non si verificano quasi mai nella realtà dei fatti (per ragioni ampiamente spiegate nel corso del lavoro), per cui tali obiezioni risultano in pratica solo raramente accettabili da un punto d vista morale.

The abuse of intellectual property rights and regulations in China: a law and economic analysis

From the institutional point of view, the legal system of IPR (intellectual property right, hereafter, IPR) is one of incentive institutions of innovation and it plays very important role in the development of economy. According to the law, the owner of the IPR enjoy a kind of exclusive right to use his IP(intellectual property, hereafter, IP), in other words, he enjoys a kind of legal monopoly position in the market. How to well protect the IPR and at the same time to regulate the abuse of IPR is very interested topic in this knowledge-orientated market and it is the basic research question in this dissertation. In this paper, by way of comparing study and by way of law and economic analyses, and based on the Austrian Economics School’s theories, the writer claims that there is no any contradiction between the IPR and competition law. However, in this new economy (high-technology industries), there is really probability of the owner of IPR to abuse his dominant position. And with the characteristics of the new economy, such as, the high rates of innovation, “instant scalability”, network externality and lock-in effects, the IPR “will vest the dominant undertakings with the power not just to monopolize the market but to shift such power from one market to another, to create strong barriers to enter and, in so doing, granting the perpetuation of such dominance for quite a long time.”1 Therefore, in order to keep the order of market, to vitalize the competition and innovation, and to benefit the customer, in EU and US, it is common ways to apply the competition law to regulate the IPR abuse. In Austrian Economic School perspective, especially the Schumpeterian theories, the innovation/competition/monopoly and entrepreneurship are inter-correlated, therefore, we should apply the dynamic antitrust model based on the AES theories to analysis the relationship between the IPR and competition law. China is still a developing country with relative not so high ability of innovation. Therefore, at present, to protect the IPR and to make good use of the incentive mechanism of IPR legal system is the first important task for Chinese government to do. However, according to the investigation reports,2 based on their IPR advantage and capital advantage, some multinational companies really obtained the dominant or monopoly market position in some aspects of some industries, and there are some IPR abuses conducted by such multinational companies. And then, the Chinese government should be paying close attention to regulate any IPR abuse. However, how to effectively regulate the IPR abuse by way of competition law in Chinese situation, from the law and economic theories’ perspective, from the legislation perspective, and from the judicial practice perspective, there is a long way for China to go!

The Making of a Shiite Bourgeoisie in Lebanon Political Mobilisation, Economic Resources and Formation of a Social Group

The thesis analyses the making of the Shiite middle- and upper/entrepreneurial-class in Lebanon from the 1960s till the present day. The trajectory explores the historical, political and social (internal and external) factors that brought a sub-proletariat to mobilise and become an entrepreneurial bourgeoisie in the span of less than three generations. This work proposes the main theoretical hypothesis to unpack and reveal the trajectory of a very recent social class that through education, diaspora, political and social mobilisation evolved in a few years into a very peculiar bourgeoisie: whereas Christian-Maronite middle class practically produced political formations and benefited from them and from Maronite’s state supremacy (National Pact, 1943) reinforcing the community’s status quo, Shiites built their own bourgeoisie from within, and mobilised their “cadres” (Boltanski) not just to benefit from their renovated presence at the state level, but to oppose to it. The general Social Movement Theory (SMT), as well as a vast amount of the literature on (middle) class formation are therefore largely contradicted, opening up new territories for discussion on how to build a bourgeoisie without the state’s support (Social Mobilisation Theory, Resource Mobilisation Theory) and if, eventually, the middle class always produces democratic movements (the emergence of a social group out of backwardness and isolation into near dominance of a political order). The middle/upper class described here is at once an economic class related to the control of multiple forms of capital, and produced by local, national, and transnational networks related to flows of services, money, and education, and a culturally constructed social location and identity structured by economic as well as other forms of capital in relation to other groups in Lebanon.

Reparation and enforcement of judgments : a comparative analysis of the European and Inter-American human rights systems

The inter-American human rights system has been conceived following the example of the European system under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) before it was modified by Protocol No 11. However, two important differences exist. First, the authority of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to order reparation has been strictly limited by the principle of subsidiarity. Thus, the ECtHR's main function is to determine whether the ECHR has been violated. Beyond the declaratory effect of its judgments, according to Article 41 ECHR, it may only "afford just satisfaction to the injured party". The powers of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) were conceived in a much broader fashion in Article 63 of the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR), giving the Court the authority to order a variety of individual and general measures aimed at obtaining restitutio in integrum. The first main part of this thesis shows how both Courts have developed their reparation practice and examines the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Secondly, the ECtHR's rather limited reparation powers have, interestingly, been combined with an elaborate implementation system that includes several of the Council of Europe's organs, principally the Committee of Ministers. In the Inter-American System, no dedicated mechanism was implemented to oversee compliance with the IACtHR's judgments. The ACHR limits itself to inviting the Court to point out in its annual reports the cases that have not been complied with and to propose measures to be adopted by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States. The General Assembly, however, hardly ever took action. The IACtHR has therefore filled this gap by developing a proper procedure to oversee compliance with its judgments. Both the European and the American solutions to ensure compliance are presented and compared in the second main part of this thesis. Finally, based on the results of both main parts, a comparative analysis of the reparation practice and the execution results in both human rights systems is being provided, aimed at developing proposals for the improvement of the functioning of either human rights protection system.

Making Research Relevant to Development - Experience from the NCCR North-South

Making research relevant to development is a complex, non-linear and often unpredictable process which requires very particular skills and strategies on the part of researchers. The National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South provides financial and technical support for researchers so that they can effectively cooperate with policy-makers and practitioners. An analysis of 10 years of experience translating research into development practise in the NCCR North-South revealed the following four strategies as particularly relevant: a) research orientation towards the needs and interests of partners; b) implementation of promising methods and approaches; c) communication and dissemination of research results; and d) careful analysis of the political context through monitoring and learning approaches. The NCCR North-South experience shows that “doing excellent research” is just one piece of the mosaic. It is equally important to join hands with non-academic partners from the very beginning of a research project, in order to develop and test new pathways for sustainable development. Capacity building – in the North and South – enables researchers to do both: To do excellent research and to make it relevant for development.

Decision-Making Incapacity Among Nursing Home Residents: Results From the 1987 NMES Survey.

Recent legislative and regulatory developments have focused attention on older adults' capacity for involvement in health care decision-making. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA 87) focused attention on the rights of nursing home residents to be involved in health care decision-making to the fullest extent possible. This article uses data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) to examine rates of incapacity for health care decision-making among nursing home residents. Elements of the Oklahoma statute were used to operationalize decision-making incapacity: disability or disorder, difficulty in decision-making or communicating decisions, and functional disability. Fifty-three percent of nursing home residents had a combination of either physical or mental impairment and an impairment in either self-care or money management. The discussion focuses on the policy and practice implications of significant rates of incapacity among nursing home residents.

“Beneath the Starry Flag”: the Flags and Songs of the 1913-14 Michigan Copper Strike as Image-making in the American Labor Movement

The 1913-14 Michigan copper strike is unlike many American labor actions of the period in that it did not include red flags or socialist anthems. Many of the most familiar photographs of the strike involve American flags, not red ones. Similarly, the songs mentioned in journalistic accounts of the strikers are American Civil War songs, not popular labor songs of the period. The few newly-written songs about the strike, published in the local newspapers, seem cautiously polite and espouse values such as patriotism, liberty and human rights. During a time when sections of the "friendly" press were concerned with labor presenting the correct image and avoiding unfavorable associations, the Copper Country strikers, and the W.F.M., seem to have been attempting to create a fresh narrative regarding what this strike was (and what it was not). This paper will consider elements of the Copper Country strike in the light of media coverage, prior to July 1913, of several American labor topics that might have influenced the way the strike was presented. Particular attention will be given to photographs, songs, and accounts from the 1912 Lawrence textile strike, as well as contemporaneous critiques of labor song lyrics. Most of this commentary will be drawn from the labor and socialist press, demonstrating that the 1913-14 Michigan copper strike occurred during a period in which the labor movement was struggling to craft and image that would display it as it wished to be seen. This paper has not yet been submitted.

Shaping EU trade agreements to support human rights

Trade between Europe and developing countries should be shaped such that market shares are just and trade flows foster sustainable development. But this is not always the case. While developing countries have much to gain from trade, they can also suffer serious losses. This is especially apparent with regard to food security, which often depends largely on smallholders and informal markets in poorer countries. This policy brief sketches the link between trade and the right to food, and describes how integration of Human Rights Impact Assessments in EU trade policy can help ensure sustainable trade regimes that do not cause undue harm.

Human rights and international trade

Economic globalization and respect for human rights are both highly topical issues. In theory, more trade should increase economic welfare and protection of human rights should ensure individual dignity. Both fields of law protect certain freedoms: economic development should lead to higher human rights standards, and UN embargoes are used to secure compliance with human rights agreements. However the interaction between trade liberalisation and human rights protection is complex, and recently, tension has arisen between these two areas. Do WTO obligations covering intellectual property prevent governments from implementing their human rights obligations, including rights to food or health? Is it fair to accord the benefits of trade subject to a clean human rights record? This book first examines the theoretical framework of the interaction between the disciplines of international trade law and human rights. It builds upon the well-known debate between Professor Ernst-Ulrich Petersmann, who construes trade obligations as human rights, and Professor Philip Alston, who warns of a merger and acquisition of human rights by trade law. From this starting point, further chapters explore the differing legal matrices of the two fields and examine how cooperation between them might be improved, both in international law-making and institutions,in dispute settlement. The interaction between trade and human rights is then explored through seven case studies:freedom of expression and competition law; IP protection and health; agricultural trade and the right to food; trade restrictions on conflict WHO convention on tobacco control; and, finally, human rights conditionalities in preferential trade schemes.

Minors’ Rights as Parents

Many states require parental involvement in a minor’s decision to terminate a pregnancy. In sharp contrast, states overwhelmingly consider minors who are parents to be capable of making critical decisions affecting the health and welfare of their children without their own parents’ knowledge or consent. Nearly every state permits minor parents to place a child for adoption, although some require an adult to be involved in the process in some capacity. Moreover, most states authorize minor parents to make health decisions for their children, and some allow minor parents to authorize surgery.

A model of air transport passenger incidents and rights

This paper describes a representation of the legal framework in the air transport passenger's rights domain and the foremost incidents that trigger the top of consumer complaints ranking in the EU. It comprises the development of a small network of three ontologies, formalisation of scenarios, specification of properties and identification of relations. The approach is illustrated by means of a case study based in the context of a real life cancelled flight incident. This is part of an intended support-system that aims to provide both consumers and companies with relevant legal information to enhance the decision-making process.

Proceso metodológico para optimizar la toma de decisiones en el proyecto de envolventes arquitectónicas multicapa = Methodological process for the optimization of the decision making in multilayer building envelope projects

La presente tesis doctoral se enmarca dentro del concepto de la sistematización del conocimiento en arquitectura, más concretamente en el campo de las construcciones arquitectónicas y la toma de decisiones en la fase de proyecto de envolventes arquitectónicas multicapa. Por tanto, el objetivo principal es el establecimiento de las bases para una toma de decisiones informadas durante el proyecto de una envolvente multicapa con el fin de colaborar en su optimización. Del mismo modo que la historia de la arquitectura está relacionada con la historia de la innovación en construcción, la construcción está sujeta a cambios como respuesta a los fracasos anteriores. En base a esto, se identifica la toma de decisiones en la fase de proyecto como el estadio inicial para establecer un punto estratégico de reflexión y de control sobre los procesos constructivos. La presente investigación, conceptualmente, define los parámetros intervinientes en el proyecto de envolventes arquitectónicas multicapa a partir de una clasificación y sistematización de todos los componentes (elementos, unidades y sistemas constructivos) utilizados en las fachadas multicapa. Dicha sistematización se materializa en una hoja matriz de datos en la que, dentro de una organización a modo de árbol, se puede acceder a la consulta de cada componente y de su caracterización. Dicha matriz permite la incorporación futura de cualquier componente o sistema nuevo que aparezca en el mercado, relacionándolo con aquellos con los que comparta ubicación, tipo de material, etc. Con base en esa matriz de datos, se diseña la sistematización de la toma de decisiones en la fase de proyecto de una envolvente arquitectónica, en concreto, en el caso de una fachada. Operativamente, el resultado se presenta como una herramienta que permite al arquitecto o proyectista reflexionar y seleccionar el sistema constructivo más adecuado, al enfrentarse con las distintas decisiones o elecciones posibles. La herramienta se basa en las elecciones iniciales tomadas por el proyectista y se estructura, a continuación y sucesivamente, en distintas aproximaciones, criterios, subcriterios y posibilidades que responden a los distintos avances en la definición del sistema constructivo. Se proponen una serie de fichas operativas de comprobación que informan sobre el estadio de decisión y de definición de proyecto alcanzados en cada caso. Asimismo, el sistema permite la conexión con otros sistemas de revisión de proyectos para fomentar la reflexión sobre la normalización de los riesgos asociados tanto al proprio sistema como a su proceso constructivo y comportamiento futuros. La herramienta proporciona un sistema de ayuda para ser utilizado en el proceso de toma de decisiones en la fase de diseño de una fachada multicapa, minimizando la arbitrariedad y ofreciendo una cualificación previa a la cuantificación que supondrá la elaboración del detalle constructivo y de su medición en las sucesivas fases del proyecto. Al mismo tiempo, la sistematización de dicha toma de decisiones en la fase del proyecto puede constituirse como un sistema de comprobación en las diferentes fases del proceso de decisión proyectual y de definición de la envolvente de un edificio. ABSTRACT The central issue of this doctoral Thesis is founded on the framework of the concept of the systematization of knowledge in architecture, in particular, in respect of the field of building construction and the decision making in the design stage of multilayer building envelope projects. Therefore, the main objective is to establish the bases for knowledgeable decision making during a multilayer building envelope design process, in order to collaborate with its optimization. Just as the history of architecture is connected to the history of innovation in construction, construction itself is subject to changes as a response to previous failures. On this basis, the decisions made during the project design phase are identified as the initial state to establish an strategic point for reflection and control, referred to the constructive processes. Conceptually, this research defines the parameters involving the multilayer building envelope projects, on the basis of a classification and systematization for all the components (elements, constructive units and constructive systems) used in multilayer façades. The mentioned systematization is materialized into a data matrix sheet in which, following a tree‐like organization, the access to every single component and its characterization is possible. The above data matrix allows the future inclusion of any new component or system that may appear in the construction market. That new component or system can be put into a relationship with another, which it shares location, type of material,… with. Based on the data matrix, the systematization of the decision making process for a building envelope design stage is designed, more particularly in the case of a façade. Putting this into practice, it is represented as a tool which allows the architect or the designer, to reflect and to select the appropriate building system when facing the different elections or the different options. The tool is based on the initial elections taken by the designer. Then and successively, it is shaped on the form of different operative steps, criteria, sub‐criteria and possibilities which respond to a different progress in the definition of the building construction system. In order to inform about the stage of the decision and the definition reached by the project in every particular case, a range of operative sheets are proposed. Additionally, the system allows the connection with other reviewing methods for building projects. The aim of this last possibility is to encourage the reflection on standardization of the associated risks to the building system itself and its future performance. The tool provides a helping system to be used during the decision making process for a multilayer façade design. It minimizes the arbitrariness and offers a qualification previous to the quantification that will be done with the development of the construction details and their bill of quantities, that in subsequent project stages will be executed. At the same time, the systematization of the mentioned decision making during the design phase, can be found as a checking system in the different stages of the decision making design process and in the different stages of the building envelope definition.

Por causa do Reino dos Céus Uma leitura de gênero de Mateus 19,1-12 e 5,27-32

Há no Evangelho de Mateus material suficiente para se chegar ao discipulado de iguais porque seu conteúdo reflete uma prática igualitária de Jesus em relação às mulheres. Nesta tese tal prática pode ser verificada através da investigação de duas perícopes nas quais Jesus advoga a causa das mulheres discutindo o direito masculino do divórcio e o adultério: 19,1-12 e 5,27-32. No debate sobre a justa causa para se despedir a mulher, Jesus declara que a volta à criação original não mais concede tal prerrogativa aos homens. Essa discussão ocorre em terreno legal e isso se evidencia pelo termo aitia, cujo significado demonstra que na demanda do divórcio a lei concede ao homem o benefício de encontrar um motivo para acusação. Jesus, por sua vez, declara que pela sua lei todo motivo e acusação contra a mulher se transforma em motivo e acusação contra o próprio homem diante de Deus. O silêncio dos fariseus comprova que os argumentos de Jesus são irrefutáveis, mas o protesto dos seus discípulos revela que não lhes agrada a igualdade social entre os sexos. A resposta final e definitiva de Jesus encontra-se em Mt 19,10 onde pelo uso da metáfora eunuco ele encerra o debate dizendo que somente podem aceitar a sua causa os que abraçarem a causa do Reino dos Céus. Os temas divórcio e adultério permitem estender a discussão para o matrimônio que é a relação social e legal que fundamenta tais práticas, e buscar na Antigüidade as leis e costumes que regiam a vida sexual das mulheres naquele tempo, considerando os ambientes mais relevantes em relação ao mundo bíblico: o mundo greco-romano e o oriente próximo no período entre os séculos IV a.C. e IV d.C. para que, através da pesquisa sobre matrimônio, divórcio, adultério, dote, repúdio e outras sanções relativas à vida sexual das mulheres, se possa chegar aos mecanismos culturais da educação capazes de levar as mulheres à cumplicidade ou à resistência aos seus papéis sociais. Essa pesquisa se encerra com uma apreciação da história da renúncia sexual nos contextos judaico e cristão para projetar o ambiente e o horizonte sócio-religioso que foram palcos da recepção e transmissão de Mt 5,27-32 e Mt 19,1-12, de modo a demonstrar que os argumentos misóginos que se tornaram inerentes à interpretação desses textos são o resultado de uma mentalidade sexista que não corresponde à crítica literária do evangelho.(AU)