Treatment, diagnosis--or just testing the water?

The Gowers Review of IP was published in early December. Nowthat its contents have been revealed, the IP community in Britainand elsewhere is coming to terms with its contents. Althoughthe Review proposes relatively few changes to the IP systemas we know it, many are wary of its potential impact. One reason for the wariness lies in the approach taken by theReview. The most natural avenue for investigation is that whichtackles IP rights in turn: patents,     

Working for Criminalization of Economic Offending: Contradictions for Critical Criminology?

While economic crime and itscontrol deserve the scrutiny of criticalcriminology, there are problems in being acritical economic crime criminologist. The conclusion that criminal law in this areabe strictly and consistently enforced seemsinconsistent with critical criminology'swarnings regarding the dangers ofcriminalization as a response to socialproblems. This article reports upon thisdilemma in the specific context of research ona recent Finnish initiative to combat economiccrime that resulted in the authors engaging inpolicy-debates to argue for even greatercriminalization of such crime. The articledescribes and reflects upon thispro-criminalization strategy. It provides anoverview of the research project and some ofthe dangers associated with the advocacy ofgreater criminalization that emerged from it,and which is raised more generally by criticalcriminologists. It concludes by justifyingwhy, in the particular context within whichthis project was conducted, the approachadopted towards conducting the research,disseminating findings, and advocatingcriminalization.     

Redefining the roles of environmental NGOs in Africa

The article summarises issues identified in a study undertaken on behalf of the HIVOS Foundation of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Development Division, which included a field study of 45 environmental NGOs in seven African countries. This generated an institutional database to support the aid strategies of the agencies commissioning the research, and forms the basis of an analysis of some of the broader issues concerning the role and behaviour of various types of NGO.     

Investigation of the between-gel and within-gel variation in fragment size determinations found when using single locus DNA probes.

Measurement variation in the sizing of DNA fragments has been assessed, examining within-gel and between-gel variability. Also, measurement variation detected between two different laboratories, using both manual and automated measurement techniques, has been investigated and discussed.     

Diabetic control in children and adolescents: Psychosocial factors and therapeutic efficacy

Forty-two insulin-dependent latency and adolescent age diabetics were studied over a four-month period. Half of the population received a multicomponent intervention designed to enhance diabetic regulation. Psychological and demographic variables and glycosylation of hemoglobin were correlated in order to investigate the interaction between personality factors and metabolic control. Number of life event changes predicted initial values of glycohemoglobin, while ego development predicted the magnitude of improved diabetic control.