The Burden and Order of Proof in WTO Claims: Evolving Issues

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is one of the best dispute settlement mechanisms in the world. Under WTO rules, aggrieved parties must establish a “prima facie” case before the panel can call on the offending party to respond to the claims. The objective of the present study is to critically evaluate the application of the concept of burden of proof underWTOdispute settlement mechanism

Scattering regimes for underwater optical wireless communications using Monte Carlo simulation

Optical wireless communications has shown tremendous potential for underwater applications as it can provide higher bandwidth and better security compared to acoustic technologies. In this paper,  an investigation on scattering regimes for underwater links using Monte Carlo simulation has been presented.While the focus of this paper is on diffuse links, the simulation results of collimated links is also provided for comparison purpose. Three types of water namely clear, coastal and turbid water are being used in the simulation. It is shown that the effect of scattering on the path loss cannot be accurately modeled by the existing channel model; ie. Beers-Lambert (BL) law.  It has been shown that  the distance at which the unscattered light drops to zero can be used to estimate the transition point for the scattering regimes in case of diffuse links. The transition point for diffuse links in coastal water and turbid water can be estimated to be around 22 m and 4 m respectively. Further analysis on the scattering order probability at different scattering regimes illustrates how scattering is affected by beam size, water turbidity and distance. From the frequency response plot, it is estimated that the bandwidth of several order of GHz can be achieved when the links are operating in the minimal scattering region and will reduce to several hundreds of MHz when the link is operating in multiple scattering region

A D-Metric Analysis of the Denomination Structure of the Syrian Pound

In recent years, Syria experienced rising levels of inflation. This, accompanied by a high reliance on cash, led the Central Bank of Syria to put higher banknotes into circulation, the SP2000 in 2017 and the SP5000 in 2021. Rumors are now circulating that the SP10000 will be issued and put into circulation very soon. Higher denominations of the Syrian Pound have not been issued since 1997, when the SP1000 was introduced. This study aims to investigate whether the introduction of the SP1000, SP2000 and SP5000 banknotes was appropriate and done on the right timing and whether a higher banknote must be issued in the near future. To do so, the study uses the D-Metric model to analyze the changes in the denomination structure of the Syrian Pound during the period 1997 to 2022. The findings of the D-Metric model reveal that the introduction of the SP1000 was premature and should have been postponed until year 2005. The introduction of the SP2000 and SP5000 notes however was consistent with the predictions of the D-Metric model. The findings also reveal that it was appropriate to introduce the SP10000 since 2020 and that the introduction of the SP20000 should be done by 2024. <br/

Infection Control Measures in Private Dental Clinics in Lebanon

Purpose. Evaluate infection control knowledge, attitude, and practice in Lebanese private dental clinics. Materials and Methods. A survey including 46 questions related to routine safety procedures was sent to 1150 Lebanese dentists between July 1st and 2nd, 2015. The study sample was selected from the database of registered dentists based on a proportional random sampling ensuring equitable representation of the 5 geographic regions of Lebanon. A subset of 29 questions was used to generate an overall score of compliance (excellent, good, fair, and poor). Comparisons according to gender, type, region, and years of practice were performed. Results. 417 dentists returned the completed questionnaires. 96% expressed concern about infection transmission, 90.6% were vaccinated against Hepatitis B, and 61.8% asked routinely about patients medical history. Only 43% used protective eyewear. Although most dentists (65%) used autoclaves, dry heat was still used. Significant correlations were found between gender and use of personal protective equipment. Less compliance was shown by clinicians with fewer years of experience. In the overall compliance questionnaire, the mean percentage of correct answers was roughly 54% with <5% of the practitioners scoring “excellent.” Conclusions. The study found inadequacy of compliance in private Lebanese dental clinics necessitating improved educational training and sustained monitoring by regulatory bodies

KNOWLEDGE OF THE EFFECT OF SYNTHETIC PROTEINS ON THE OVERALL HEALTH IN LEBANESE ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of gym attendees on the effects of protein shakes on their health. A descriptive cross-sectional study involving a self-administered questionnaire was undertaken. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire in two ways. First method was googled form links which was sent out to acquaintances on social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) in both English and Arabic language. In addition, questionnaire was printed and distributed to four different gyms in Beirut. The coaches of the gyms took charge of distributing and completing the questionnaire. Reminders were issued every 2 days throughout the data collection period. The mean age of the study participants was 25.58 (SD=6.82) years. The majority were male participants (66.9%). The findings show that participants were not aware about the side effects of protein shakes consumption. Only 61.4% knew about kidney problems, 33.7% knew about its effect on blood pressure, 38% knew about its effect on breast enlargement and only 10% knew about its effect on fertility. As a conclusion, this study provided information about the knowledge base of gym attendees on the use of protein shakes. This information will help in raising and spreading awareness among people about the effect of protein shake on their health. Future studies should address other age groups

Small intestine perforation due to metastatic uterine cervix interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma: a rare manifestation of a rare disease

Interdigitating Dendritic Cell Sarcoma (IDCS) is an infrequent dendritic cell tumor which mainly affects the lymphatic system. Intestinal metastasis from uterine IDCS is extremely rare. Here we report a case of a 76-year-old female presenting with vaginal bleeding and acute abdomen. The final diagnosis revealed a small bowel perforation due to metastatic involvement from uterine cervix IDCS. In this paper, we report the clinical manifestation, computed tomography and histopathological findings helpful for the accurate diagnosis of this rare tumor

Genotypes and serotype distribution of macrolide resistant invasive and non- invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from Lebanon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study determined macrolide resistance genotypes in clinical isolates of <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>from multiple medical centers in Lebanon and assessed the serotype distribution in relation to these mechanism(s) of resistance and the source of isolate recovery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty four macrolide resistant and 21 macrolide susceptible <it>S. pneumoniae </it>clinical isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility according to CLSI guidelines (2008) and underwent molecular characterization. Serotyping of these isolates was performed by Multiplex PCR-based serotype deduction using CDC protocols. PCR amplification of macrolide resistant <it>erm </it>(encoding methylase) and <it>mef </it>(encoding macrolide efflux pump protein) genes was carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among 44 isolates resistant to erythromycin, 35 were resistant to penicillin and 18 to ceftriaxone. Examination of 44 macrolide resistant isolates by PCR showed that 16 isolates harbored the <it>erm</it>(B) gene, 8 isolates harbored the <it>mef </it>gene, and 14 isolates harbored both the <it>erm</it>(B) and <it>mef </it>genes. There was no amplification by PCR of the <it>erm</it>(B) or <it>mef </it>genes in 6 isolates. Seven different capsular serotypes 2, 9V/9A,12F, 14,19A, 19F, and 23, were detected by multiplex PCR serotype deduction in 35 of 44 macrolide resistant isolates, with 19F being the most prevalent serotype. With the exception of serotype 2, all serotypes were invasive. Isolates belonging to the invasive serotypes 14 and 19F harbored both <it>erm</it>(B) and <it>mef </it>genes. Nine of the 44 macrolide resistant isolates were non-serotypable by our protocols.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Macrolide resistance in <it>S. pneumoniae </it>in Lebanon is mainly through target site modification but is also mediated through efflux pumps, with serotype 19F having dual resistance and being the most prevalent and invasive.</p

Earnings Forecasts Disclosed in UK IPO Prospectuses: An Empirical Analysis of the Determinants and Implications of their Disclosure and Accuracy/Bias

Hughes (1986), and the 'no news, bad news' voluntary disclosure models posit that firms which voluntarily disclose a forecast have better news than firms that do not. On the contrary, Trueman (1986), Feltham and Xie (1992) and Arya and Mittendorf (2005) suggest that firms may disclose a forecast regardless of the nature of the news that they have. The empirical evidence on the voluntary disclosure motivations and implications is far from conclusive.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo