508 research outputs found
McGovern, International Trade Regulation
International Trade Regulation is a work with many strengths and few weaknesses. One could nitpick about certain aspects of its organization, but basically the organization is sufficiently logical overall that the book could be read cover to cover and be a coherent introduction to the subject of international trade regulation for a novice in the field. At the same time, within each section, the exposition of the basic international rules, followed by a discussion of the related United States and EEC rules, works well
Dispute Settlement in Gatt
This Article describes briefly the way in which the system now operates and the major complaints that have been lodged against it
European Integration: Reflections on its Limits and Effects
One of the principal goals of this journal is to evaluate the impact of the
globalization of law, politics, and markets. This article focuses on the
economic integration of markets in Europe, where one aspect of the
globalization process-the process by which laws, national economies, and
political systems are becoming ever more entwined and interdependent-has
occurred to the greatest extent, albeit at a regional level. I will first give an
overview of this process and consider the factors that the European
experience in regionalization suggests may limit economic and other forms
of integration at the global level. I will then speculate on how the
integration of markets in Europe will change European trade policies and on
how those changes might affect the United States
European Integration: Reflections on its Limits and Effects
One of the principal goals of this journal is to evaluate the impact of the
globalization of law, politics, and markets. This article focuses on the
economic integration of markets in Europe, where one aspect of the
globalization process-the process by which laws, national economies, and
political systems are becoming ever more entwined and interdependent-has
occurred to the greatest extent, albeit at a regional level. I will first give an
overview of this process and consider the factors that the European
experience in regionalization suggests may limit economic and other forms
of integration at the global level. I will then speculate on how the
integration of markets in Europe will change European trade policies and on
how those changes might affect the United States
Implementation in WTO Dispute Settlement: An Introduction to the Problems and Possible Solutions
To assess the effectiveness of the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it is necessary to evaluate whether WTO members promptly take the actions required to bring themselves into compliance with their WTO obligations, as those obligations have been defined or clarified in the dispute settlement reports issued by WTO panels and the Appellate Body. In this paper, the operation of the WTO dispute settlement system is briefly outlined, with particular emphasis on the overall time taken by the various stages. This is followed by an analysis of the implementation record for disputes brought under the WTO - both overall and on a member-by-member and agreement-by-agreement basis, with consideration of the types and disputes that have proved problematic. The conclusion of this paper is as follows: while overall record of implementation is relatively good, there are problem areas. Those problems could be mitigated with the modification of remedies provided for in the WTO dispute settlement so that (i) money payments could be substituted for the right to suspend concessions; (ii) such payments or suspension of concessions could be calculated on a retrospective basis; and (iii) such payments or suspension of concessions could be increased periodically over time in the event of continued non-implementation.
Understanding of research, genetics and genetic research in a rapid ethical assessment in north west Cameroon
BACKGROUND
There is limited assessment of whether research participants in low-income settings are afforded a full understanding of the meaning of medical research. There may also be particular issues with the understanding of genetic research. We used a rapid ethical assessment methodology to explore perceptions surrounding the meaning of research, genetics and genetic research in north west Cameroon.
METHODS
Eleven focus group discussions (including 107 adults) and 72 in-depth interviews were conducted with various stakeholders in two health districts in north west Cameroon between February and April 2012.
RESULTS
Most participants appreciated the role of research in generating knowledge and identified a difference between research and healthcare but gave varied explanations as to this difference. Most participants' understanding of genetics was limited to concepts of hereditary, with potential benefits limited to the level of the individual or family. Explanations based on supernatural beliefs were identified as a special issue but participants tended not to identify any other special risks with genetic research.
CONCLUSION
We demonstrated a variable level of understanding of research, genetics and genetic research, with implications for those carrying out genetic research in this and other low resource settings. Our study highlights the utility of rapid ethical assessment prior to complex or sensitive research
The Far-Ultraviolet Spectrum and Short Timescale Variability of AM Herculis from Observations with the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope
Using the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT), we have obtained 850-1850
angstrom spectra of the magnetic cataclysmic variable star AM Her in the high
state. These observations provide high time resolution spectra of AM Her in the
FUV and sample much of the orbital period of the system. The spectra are not
well-modelled in terms of simple white dwarf (WD) atmospheres, especially at
wavelengths shortward of Lyman alpha. The continuum flux changes by a factor of
2 near the Lyman limit as a function of orbital phase; the peak fluxes are
observed near magnetic phase 0.6 when the accreting pole of the WD is most
clearly visible. The spectrum of the hotspot can be modelled in terms of a 100
000 K WD atmosphere covering 2% of the WD surface. The high time resolution of
the HUT data allows an analysis of the short term variability and shows the UV
luminosity to change by as much as 50% on timescales as short as 10 s. This
rapid variability is shown to be inconsistent with the clumpy accretion model
proposed to account for the soft X-ray excess in polars. We see an increase in
narrow line emission during these flares when the heated face of the secondary
is in view. The He II narrow line flux is partially eclipsed at secondary
conjunction, implying that the inclination of the system is greater than 45
degrees. We also present results from models of the heated face of the
secondary. These models show that reprocessing on the face of the secondary
star of X-ray/EUV emission from the accretion region near the WD can account
for the intensities and kinematics of most of the narrow line components
observed.Comment: 19 pp., 12 fig., 3 tbl. To appear in The Astrophysical Journal. Also
available at http://greeley.pha.jhu.edu/papers/amherpp.ps.g
SOCS-1 regulates IL-15–driven homeostatic proliferation of antigen-naive CD8 T cells, limiting their autoimmune potential
Mice that are deficient in suppressor of cytokine signaling–1 (SOCS-1) succumb to neonatal mortality that is associated with extensive cellular infiltration of many tissues. T cells seem to be necessary for disease, which can be alleviated largely by neutralizing interferon-γ. Examining T cell receptor (TCR) specificity shows that even monospecific T cells can mediate disease in SOCS-1–deficient mice, although disease onset is substantially faster with a polyclonal T cell repertoire. A major phenotype of SOCS-1−/− mice is the accumulation of CD44highCD8+ peripheral T cells. We show that SOCS-1–deficient CD8, but not CD4, T cells proliferate when transferred into normal (T cell–sufficient) mice, and that this is dependent on two signals: interleukin (IL)-15 and self-ligands that are usually only capable of stimulating homeostatic expansion in T cell–deficient mice. Our findings reveal that SOCS-1 normally down-regulates the capacity of IL-15 to drive activation and proliferation of naive CD8 T cells receiving TCR survival signals from self-ligands. We show that such dysregulated proliferation impairs the deletion of a highly autoreactive subset of CD8 T cells, and increases their potential for autoimmunity. Therefore, impaired deletion of highly autoreactive CD8 T cells, together with uncontrolled activation of naive CD8 T cells by homeostatic survival ligands, may provide a basis for the T cell–mediated disease of SOCS-1−/− mice
Polarisation in spin-echo experiments: Multi-point and lock-in measurements.
Spin-echo instruments are typically used to measure diffusive processes and the dynamics and motion in samples on ps and ns time scales. A key aspect of the spin-echo technique is to determine the polarisation of a particle beam. We present two methods for measuring the spin polarisation in spin-echo experiments. The current method in use is based on taking a number of discrete readings. The implementation of a new method involves continuously rotating the spin and measuring its polarisation after being scattered from the sample. A control system running on a microcontroller is used to perform the spin rotation and to calculate the polarisation of the scattered beam based on a lock-in amplifier. First experimental tests of the method on a helium spin-echo spectrometer show that it is clearly working and that it has advantages over the discrete approach, i.e., it can track changes of the beam properties throughout the experiment. Moreover, we show that real-time numerical simulations can perfectly describe a complex experiment and can be easily used to develop improved experimental methods prior to a first hardware implementation
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