Norms, Networks, Power, and Control: Understanding Informal Payments and Brokerage in Cross-Border Trade in Sierra Leone

Recent research has cast light on the variety of informal payments and practices that govern the day-to-day interactions between traders and customs agents at border posts in low-income countries. Building on this literature, this paper draws on survey and qualitative evidence in an effort to explore which groups are most advantaged and disadvantaged by the largely informal processes and norms governing cross-border trade. We find that understanding variation in strategies and outcomes across traders can only be effectively understood with reference to the importance of norms, networks, power, and the logic of control.Department for International DevelopmentBill and Melinda Gates Foundatio

The effects of melatonin prophylaxis on sensory recovery and postoperative pain following orthognathic surgery: a triple-blind randomized controlled trial and biochemical analysis

Post-surgical neuropathy is a known complication of many surgical procedures for which few remedies are effective. This study used neurosensory assessments and biochemical assays to evaluate the efficacy of melatonin on nerve healing following orthognathic surgery. Thirty randomly allocated orthognathic patients were prophylactically administered either oral melatonin or identical placebo for 21 consecutive days. Pre- and post-surgical clinical parameters included subjective pain, numbness, and objective neurosensory function. Pre- and post-surgical biochemical parameters were serum hydrogen peroxide and antioxidant enzyme levels. Melatonin was found to significantly reduce subjective pain perception by 50% in the early postoperative days. A 30% reduction in subjective numbness perception was observed at 1-week postoperative, increasing to an over 80% reduction by 3 months postoperative (P < 0.00001). Objective neurosensory testing showed a significant improvement in healing profile in the melatonin group. Postoperatively, the hydrogen peroxide concentration was lower in the melatonin group (P < 0.00001), and the levels of antioxidant enzymes were higher (P < 0.00001). The strong correlations between clinical outcomes and biochemical changes suggest a link between antioxidant effects and reduced postsurgical pain and sensory recovery. The study findings suggest that the prophylactic administration of melatonin confers significant clinical benefits in terms of reduced postoperative pain and opioid use and improved sensory recovery following surgery

Clinicopathologic features of BRCA-linked and sporadic ovarian cancer

Context Most hereditary ovarian cancers are associated with germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Attempts to define the clinical significance of BRCA mutation status in ovarian cancer have produced conflicting results, especially regarding survival.Objective To determine whether hereditary ovarian cancers have distinct clinical and pathological features compared with sporadic (nonhereditary) ovarian cancers.Design and Setting Retrospective cohort study of a consecutive series of 933 ovarian cancers diagnosed and treated at our institution, which is a comprehensive cancer center as designated by the National Cancer Institute, over a 12-year period (December 1986 to August 1998).Patients The study was restricted to patients of Jewish origin because of the ease of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genotyping in this ethnic group. From the 189 patients who identified themselves as Jewish, 88 hereditary cases were identified with the presence of a germline founder mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, The remaining 101 cases from the same series not associated with a BRCA mutation and 2 additional groups (Gynecologic Oncology Group protocols 52 and 111) with ovarian cancer from clinical trials (for the survival analysis) were included for comparison.Main Outcome Measures Age at diagnosis, surgical stage, histologic cell type and grade, and surgical outcome; and response to chemotherapy and survival for advanced-stage (III and IV) cases.Results Hereditary cancers were rarely diagnosed before age 40 years and were common after age 60 years, with mean age at diagnosis being significantly younger for BRCA1- vs BRCA2-linked patients (54 vs 62 years; P=.04). Histology, grade, stage, and success of cytoreductive surgery were similar for hereditary and sporadic cases. The hereditary group had a longer disease-free interval following primary chemotherapy in comparison with the nonhereditary group, with a median time to recurrence of 14 months and 7 months, respectively (

A review of evidence on the environmental impact of Ireland’s Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS)

peer-reviewedSince its inception in 1994, there has been strong demand for evidence of the environmental effectiveness of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS), which paid farmers in the Republic of Ireland over €3 billion by 2010. A variety of research projects have been undertaken that investigate the environmental effects of REPS through an examination of either specific environmental measures or specific geographical areas. A review of available publications confirmed the absence of a comprehensive, national-scale study of the environmental impacts of REPS. Because of this, there is insufficient evidence with which to judge the environmental effectiveness of the national-scale implementation of the whole scheme. For some specific measures, however, sufficient evidence is available to inform an objective assessment in some cases, and to help learn how to improve environmental effectiveness in most cases. The majority of the REPS payments are now dedicated toward biodiversity objectives. Thus, biodiversity measures and options should be a priority for any national-scale environmental assessment of the scheme. Such a study would help identify the environmental benefits of REPS, the specific elements of REPS that are performing adequately, and those elements that are in need of improvement. Given the considerable overlap between REPS measures and options and those included in the 2010 Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), assessment of REPS measures could also be used to inform the likely environmental performance of the AEOS

Transparency and the EU Legislator: 'Let He Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone'

Contrary to a deep-rooted belief, it is argued in this article that the principle of transparency as promoted at the European level needs to be extended beyond merely the right of access to documents. Considered as a precondition for effective accountability, transparency, of which access to documents is only one component, substantiates the right of information and represents an essential element of any democratic political system. A broader definition is therefore proposed and appropriate standards are generated to assess whether the EU institutions engaged in law-making are actually transparent. Empirical evidence shows that the principle of transparency is inconsistently respected by the EU legislator. Whilst the Commission meets the expected levels of compliance, practice in the Council turns out to be increasingly but not yet sufficiently satisfactory. Surprisingly, arrangements in the Parliament, given the restrictions on access to its activities, the 'misleading' public status of its sittings and the opacity of its voting system, prove inadequate. Copyright 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.