In the spirit of Bayanihan: Disaster Recovery from Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas

Canadian humanitarian interventions have been used to consolidate the country's imperialist interests in the times of humanitarian crises (Razack, 2007; Barry-Shaw and Jay, 2012; Albo, 2014). On the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (english name: Haiyan) in the Philippines, the strongest typhoon ever recorded to hit landfall on November 8, 2013, Canada was one of the countries to respond through the deployment of troops, disbursing aid through iNGOs, and temporarily expediting immigration applications from typhoon-struck areas. Canadian humanitarian interventions in post-Yolanda disaster recovery and rehabilitation signal attempts to strengthen its pre-existing geohistorical connections in the Philippines, namely labour migration, resource extraction and militarization. However, local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and People's Organizations (POs) in Eastern Visayas have found ways to assert agency over their own disaster recovery. Drawing from interviews, institutional mapping and review of news articles and reports, this paper documents how local organizations navigate the contradictions in the humanitarian aid industry by exercising prudence when selecting which iNGOs to partner with, specifically only collaborating with ones that respect their autonomy and working on joint projects that complement the priorities of the POs they work with. The POs, mainly in the form of peasant associations, and local NGOs, the Leyte Centre for Development (LCDE) and Eastern Visayas Rural Assistance Program (EVRAP), aim to foster local development through disaster recovery and rehabilitation projects, ultimately undermining neoliberal approaches to development. The spirit of bayanihan, meaning community unity, is evoked as a consistent motif in this paper: first, as the name of the counterinsurgency program that subjects POs and NGOs to military violence; second, as an Indigenous practice of labour exchange and communal farming that peasants return to, as a form of disaster recovery; third, as a virtue evoked through the humanitarian cooperation of iNGOs, local NGOs and POs in disaster recovery. This very unity with iNGOs that LCDE and its partner POs are able to establish, is what undermines the consolidation of Canadian imperialism in their region in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda. The research reveals how disaster survivors can act as active actors in recovering from not only from disasters caused by natural hazards, but from poverty and inequity that have made their communities vulnerable to disasters in the first place

Do Prices Influence Economic Growth? Estimating the Inflation Threshold of the Ethiopian Economy

The study empirically examines the relationship between changes in the general price and economic growth in Ethiopia. The relevant macroeconomic variables are used in a quarterly dataset from 1992Q1 to 2015Q4 obtained from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), Central Statistics Agency (CSA) , Ministry of Finance and Economic Corporation (MoFEC) and an international data sources including World penn Table and World Development Indictors (WDI). In assessing the relationship between prices and economic growth, an interesting policy issue arises. What is the threshold level of inflation for the Ethiopian economy? Real GDP growth used as a proxy for economic growth and general prices measured using the consumer price index (CPI), the study uses the Conditional Least Square (CLS) technique employed by Khan and Senhadji (2000). The estimation result suggests that 10% as the optimal level of inflation that facilitates economic growth. An inflation level higher than the estimated threshold level will affect the growth of the real GDP negatively. Likewise, if inflation rate is below the threshold level, it hurts the economy as real GDP could have grown more since inflation is positively related below the threshold point. Therefore, fiscal and monetary policy coordination is vital to keep inflation at its threshold level. This finding is useful for macroeconomic policy makers at the central bank as a guide for inflation targeting monetary policy. Keywords: Economic Growth, consumer price index, Conditional Least Squar

Language and sexuality: euphemism, dysphemism and discourse in Italian comedies

L

Mediterranee:pour une lecture geopolitique del’agriculture

La sécurité alimentaire doit redevenir un sujet prioritaire dans l'action multilatérale de la communauté internationale. C'est une problématique multidimensionnelle et intersectorielle qui conditionne à la fois le développement, la stabilité et le futur du Monde. Ce constat est particulièrement significatif en Méditerranée, zone où se polarisent toutes les tensions agricoles et alimentaires observables à l'échelle planétaire. Analyser ces enjeux et ces dynamiques requiert donc de croiser inévitablement les questions agricoles avec la géopolitique et la stratégie des acteurs qui s’opère dans la région.MOTS-CLEFS: Sécurité alimentaire, géopolitique, Méditerranée, stratégies, Brési

Diabetes and medical devices: which device for which patient

Introduction Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Insulin therapy is a pharmaceutical treatment used to lower blood glucose in all patients with diabetes type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D). Insulin therapy can be managed by different medical devices technologies such as insulin pumps and insulin pens. Aim To draw the profile of patients in insulin therapy with insulin pumps and insulin pens by identifying the variables that influence the choice of two different medical devices. Tools and Methods We developed a questionnaire to rate the lifestyles of these patients. Explorative Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed to define and to confirm the factors that describe the profiles of these patients. Regression Models were performed to estimate the effects of observed variables on the choice of medical device and its cost. Result General Characteristics, Employment Information and Eating Habit are resulted the factors that define the characteristics of people with T1D and T2D, independently by medical devices used. Conclusions The results provide supporting evidence that are useful to the appropriate choice of medical device for insulin treatment. Therefore, next development is to make the results more generalizable in order that they can be used by policy makers in healthcare for a better management of resources and the best appropriateness of the choice of two different medical devices

Mittelmeer: Frankreich ohne Kompass

Frankreich unterhält bis heute enge politische, ökonomische und kulturelle Beziehungen zu den südlichen Anrainerstaaten des Mittelmeers. Auch die Initiative der "Union für das Mittelmeer" unterstrich die französischen Ambitionen in der Region und sollte Frankreichs Wahrnehmung als Garant einer südlichen Dimension der europäischen Nachbarschaftspolitik festigen. Trotz großer politischer Entschlossenheit und auch einiger Erfolge leidet das Handeln Frankreichs im Mittelmeer-Raum unter einer strategischen Kurzsichtigkeit, von der nicht zuletzt die Lähmung Frankreichs angesichts der Umbrüche in Tunesien und Ägypten zeugt. Angesichts eines zunehmend erschwerten regionalen Dialogs setzt Frankreich immer häufiger auf bilaterale Strategien. Bis zur nächsten Präsidentschaftswahl im Frühjahr 2012 wird sich die französische Haltung kaum verändern. Es ist zu erwarten, dass im Wahlkampf die Zusammenarbeit Frankreichs mit den Mittelmeer-Anrainern thematisiert werden wird. Dabei werden die Herausforderer Nicolas Sarkozys zwar Kritik an der Union für das Mittelmeer und der strategischen Fehleinschätzung des Arabischen Frühlings üben, doch selbst kaum konkrete Handlungsalternativen aufzeigen können. Frankreich muss seine Beziehung zum Mittelmeer-Raum überdenken und eine klare sowie strukturierte Strategie erarbeiten, mithilfe derer Übergangsprozesse wirksam begleitet, die regionalen französischen Interessen gewahrt und Gefahrensituationen entschärft werden können. Dabei wird Frankreich zukünftig auf Alleingänge in dieser Region verzichten müssen, in der multilaterales Handeln geboten ist.La France entretient jusqu'à aujourd'hui d'étroites relations politiques, économiques et culturelles avec les pays riverains de la Méditerranée. Paris a toujours fait part d'une ambition dans la région et, comme en témoigne la priorité accordée à l'Union pour la Méditerranée, se présente comme le garant d'une dimension méditerranéenne importante dans l'action extérieure de l'UE. Malgré les politiques volontaires et certains succès, l'action française en Méditerranée est aussi marquée par des revers et par une myopie stratégique, qu'a rappelée la sous-réaction de la France aux révoltes tunisienne et égyptienne. Ne parvenant à freiner la détérioration du dialogue régional, Paris s'oriente de plus en plus vers des stratégies bilatérales. D'ici l'élection présidentielle du printemps 2012, l'approche française évoluera peu. Durant la campagne, qui abordera la coopération de la France avec les pays de la Méditerranée, il est probable que les opposants à Nicolas Sarkozy critiquent l'UpM et les erreurs d’appréciation stratégique sur les révoltes arabes sans pourtant être en mesure d'apporter des alternatives concrètes. Paris doit réviser sa relation avec la Méditerranée et élaborer une stratégie claire et structurée permettant d'accompagner efficacement les transitions politiques, de préserver les intérêts français dans la zone et de gérer les situations de risque. Ce faisant, il ne peut plus agir seul dans une région où s'impose la démarche multilatérale.Up until today, France enjoys close political, economic and cultural ties with the states bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Paris has always shown a particular ambition vis-à-vis the region and, as demonstrated by its priority given to the Union of the Mediterranean (UfM), France considers itself the guarantor of a strong Mediterranean dimension to EU Foreign Policy. Despite of a voluntaristic policy approach and certain successes, France's political activity in the Mediterranean is also characterized by strategic shortsightedness which has been demonstrated by the muted response to the protests in Tunisia and Egypt. Not being able to prevent further deterioration of political dialogue in the region, Paris now places more emphasis on bilateral strategies. France's attitude towards the region is unlikely to change until the presidential elections in spring 2012. During the election period, which will be dealing with questions of Mediterranean cooperation, Sarkozy's opponents will be likely to criticize the UfM as well as errors of strategic assessment with regard to the Arabic uprisings without being able to suggest concrete alternatives. Paris needs to rethink its relations with the Mediterranean and develop a clear strategy to effectively support political transitions in the region, preserve France's interests in the Mediterranean zone and manage risk. In doing so, France cannot decide to act alone in a region where states should take a more multilateral approach

Domestic Savings And Economic Growth in South Africa

This paper examines the causal relationship between domestic saving and economic growth in South Africa from the period of 1960 – 2013. The VAR based Johansen co-integration test is employed to check the long-run relationship and the Granger causality test is used to check the causal relationships. The Johansen co-integration test shows that there is one co-integrating vector where gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) is included in the model as an exogenous variable. This implies that having GFCF as exogenous variable in the saving-growth model, at least there should be one direction of causality in the tri-variate model. The granger causality test reveals the existence of 5% statistically significant unidirectional causality that runs from gross saving and economic growth to the gross fixed capital formation in both the second and the third lags of the estimation. This finding recommends economic policy makers of the country to focus on boosting economic growth and domestic savings to enhance the gross capital formation. Further studies should also be conducted to identify the major determinants of economic growth and national savings so that policy makers can work on these factors to encourage the capital formation process

Expression, purification, and characterisation of human soluble Epoxide Hydrolase (hsEH) and of its functional C-terminal domain

The human soluble Epoxide Hydrolase (hsEH) is an enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of endogenous anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective signalling mediators known as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). EETs’ conversion into the corresponding diols by hsEH generates non-bioactive molecules, thereby the enzyme inhibition would be expected to enhance the EETs bioavailability, and their beneficial properties. Numerous inhibitors have been developed to target the enzyme, some of which are showing promising antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory properties in vivo. Thus far, the preparation of the recombinant enzyme for enzymatic and structural in vitro studies has been performed mainly using a baculovirus expression system. More recently, it was reported that the enzyme could be exogenously expressed and isolated from E. coli, although limited amounts of active protein were obtained. We herein describe two novel methods to yield pure recombinant enzyme. The first describes the expression and purification of the full-length enzyme from eukaryotic cells HEK293-F, whilst the second concerns the C-terminal domain of hsEH obtained from the cost-effective and rapid E. coli prokaryotic system. The two methods successfully generated satisfactory amounts of functional enzyme, with virtually identical enzymatic activity. Overall, the protocols described in this paper can be employed for the recombinant expression and purification of active hsEH, to be used in future biomedical investigations and for high-throughput screening of inhibitors for potential use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease