Financial Constraints, the Distribution of Wealth and International Trade

We develop a simple theoretical model to examine the impact of the distribution of wealth on the patterns of trade when capital markets are imperfect. Our model predicts that the dispersion of wealth can be a determinant of comparative advantage for low-income countries with poor financial institutions. We find support for these prediction using export and financial panel data from a large sample of countries.

Capital flows, trade and the role of the financial system

In this study, we examine the crucial role played by financial development in the relationship between trade and capital flows. We examine this relationship for 130 countries from 1980 to 2005 for different types of capital flows. We show that the relationship depends on the type of capital flows and the level of financial development. We observe a positive interaction between trade liberalisation and financial development for portfolio flows. In the case of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), we observe an insignificant relationship. The FDI flows bypass the financial system as it flows into such countries because of other factors as side the level of the financial development

Identification of a novel cytochrome P450 cDNA in rat oesophagus: Relevance to carcinogenic N-nitrosamine metabolism

Oesophageal cancer is an invariably fatal form of cancer with about 7000 deaths per annum in the UK alone. Evidence from the epidemiology and the mutation spectrum in the p53 gene suggests that the more common form of this cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, is caused by exposure to carcinogens. The N-nitrosamines are candidate carcinogens for this cancer in man. N-nitrosamines are metabolically activated by cytochromes P450 (P450s) and their organotropism is largely dependent on the distribution in the body of the particular nitrosamine and the P450s capable of metabolising it. The rat oesophagus is particularly susceptible to methylation and tumour formation by asymmetric N-nitrosamines, many of which selectively induce oesophageal tumours. This suggests that the oesophagus may contain a P450 that is absent or rare in other organs. The nature of this nitrosamine-metabolising P450 was investigated. A combination of Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Rapid Amplification of Cohesive Ends-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RACE-PCR) and oesophageal cDNA library screening showed the expression in the rat oesophagus of a novel P450 of the 2B subfamily. The deduced amino acid sequence of this P450 shows 84%, 83% and 77% identity to those of CYP2B1, CYP2B2 and CYP2B12 respectively. The catalytic activity of this new P450 is not yet known but metabolism and methylation studies in vivo using rats treated with phenobarbital, a CYP2B1/2B2 inducer, confirmed that these members of the 2B subfamily can metabolise the oesophagus selective nitrosamine, N-nitrosomethyl-n-butylamine, and that a major part of this metabolism was activating hydroxylation of the a-carbon of the butyl group. This supports the view that the novel P450 identified in rat oesophagus may be responsible for the metabolic activation and carcinogenicity of nitrosamines in the oesophagus. Further in vivo metabolic studies of N-nitrosomethyl-n-butylamine using untreated rats showed that it is metabolised in rat liver by CYP2E1. However, in this case 75% of the metabolism is detoxifying. An increase in methylation of oesophageal DNA by the nitrosamine after ethanol administration showed that CYP2E1 is not involved in the oesophageal metabolism of this nitrosamine

A Framework for Executable Systems Modeling

Systems Modeling Language (SysML), like its parent language, the Unified Modeling Language (UML), consists of a number of independently derived model languages (i.e. state charts, activity models etc.) which have been co-opted into a single modeling framework. This, together with the lack of an overarching meta-model that supports uniform semantics across the various diagram types, has resulted in a large unwieldy and informal language schema. Additionally, SysML does not offer a built in framework for managing time and the scheduling of time based events in a simulation. In response to these challenges, a number of auxiliary standards have been offered by the Object Management Group (OMG); most pertinent here are the foundational UML subset (fUML), Action language for fUML (Alf), and the UML profile for Modeling and Analysis of Real Time and Embedded Systems (MARTE). However, there remains a lack of a similar treatment of SysML tailored towards precise and formal modeling in the systems engineering domain. This work addresses this gap by offering refined semantics for SysML akin to fUML and MARTE standards, aimed at primarily supporting the development of time based simulation models typically applied for model verification and validation in systems engineering. The result of this work offers an Executable Systems Modeling Language (ESysML) and a prototype modeling tool that serves as an implementation test bed for the ESysML language. Additionally a model development process is offered to guide user appropriation of the provided framework for model building

Assessment of institutional health and safety practices of early years schools in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana: a mixed methods approach

Objective: Early years schools by their nature present peculiar challenges for infection control and injuries. This study aimed at assessing the health and safety practices of these institutions and find explanations to challenges faced in meeting the recommended standards.Design: Sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used in the study.Methods: The quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire. The study involved all early years schools in Cape Coast Metropolis totalling 160. Follow-up interview was conducted using eight Heads and Coordinators of these schools.Results: Early years schools met majority of the health and safety practices. Chi-square analysis revealed that, school auspices was associated with keeping records of doctor’s report [χ2 (1, N = 160) = 7.27, p = .007, ɸ = .227, odds ratio = 2.79, 95% CI (1.4, 5.7)] and having immunization records up to date [χ2 (1, N = 160) = 4.35, p = .037, ɸ = .184, odds ratio = 2.88, 95% CI (1.2, 7.7)]. Private early years’ schools were almost 3 times likely to meet recommended health and safety practices. Two themes identified as explanations to why most early years schools were not requiring copies of doctor’s reports were: “We don’t bother to ask” and “Rare cases, they do bring”.Conclusion: Though early years schools were meeting the recommended standards; they were not previewed to doctor’s report of children’s previous illnesses. This implies that these institutions may not be readily prepared to assist in meeting certain health care needs of the children in their care.Keywords: health, safety, early years schools, Cape Coast Metropolis, GhanaFunding: None declare