18 research outputs found
Type II spiral ganglion afferent neurons drive medial olivocochlear reflex suppression of the cochlear amplifier.
The dynamic adjustment of hearing sensitivity and frequency selectivity is mediated by the medial olivocochlear efferent reflex, which suppresses the gain of the 'cochlear amplifier' in each ear. Such efferent feedback is important for promoting discrimination of sounds in background noise, sound localization and protecting the cochleae from acoustic overstimulation. However, the sensory driver for the olivocochlear reflex is unknown. Here, we resolve this longstanding question using a mouse model null for the gene encoding the type III intermediate filament peripherin (Prph). Prph((-/-)) mice lacked type II spiral ganglion neuron innervation of the outer hair cells, whereas innervation of the inner hair cells by type I spiral ganglion neurons was normal. Compared with Prph((+/+)) controls, both contralateral and ipsilateral olivocochlear efferent-mediated suppression of the cochlear amplifier were absent in Prph((-/-)) mice, demonstrating that outer hair cells and their type II afferents constitute the sensory drive for the olivocochlear efferent reflex
The modern corporation statement on economics
SSRN papers, 8 p.From the early decades of the twentieth century, a dominant characteristic of the modern "capitalist" corporation, especially in the United States, was the separation of asset ownership in the form of publicly traded shares from allocative control over the corporationâs resources by salaried managers. By the 1950s some depicted managerial-controlled large enterprise as the "soulful" corporation in which the allocation of resources resulted in enhanced social welfare. In the 1960s, however, some conservative academics looked to market forces, dubbed the "market for corporate control", to ensure that managers as employees would give primacy to shareholders in the allocation of corporate resources. This market for corporate control could enable hostile takeovers in which shareholders who accumulated large public equity stakes in a company could discipline managers to allocate resources in ways that "the market" deemed to be efficient. The notion that market allocation could control managerial organization was then developed theoretically based on the conceptualisation that the corporation (and indeed any firm) could be conceptualised as a "nexus of contracts" or a "collection of assets". Rather than view the corporation as a social organization with its unique history and competitive capabilities in which public shareholders had come to play a peripheral role, neoclassical economists conceptualised the corporation as a set of voluntary contracts among owners of resources and as a portfolio of assets with different market-determined rates of returns. This conceptualisation of the corporation to fit with the dominant neoclassical theory of the market economy had implications. We provide this Summary of certain fundamentals of economics in an effort to help prevent analytical errors which can have severe and damaging effects on corporations
Gambling partners? The risky outcomes of workplace partnerships
This article analyses the motivations and dynamics of unionâmanagement partnership at two manufacturing plants located in the industrial region of South Wales in the UK. Each plant was a subsidiary of an international parent corporation: one in the aluminium sector and one in autocomponents manufacture. For meaningful partnership to be achieved, it is assumed that both union and management partners engage in reciprocal elements of risk in the hope â or gamble â that mutually beneficial outcomes will be forthcoming. But this article will argue that the causal association between partnership and substantive outcomes is contested. It suggests that analysis of partnership should focus on the context in which it is found, the motivations of key actors, and the nature of reciprocal risk for labour and management, in order to gain optimum insight into modern industrial relations and illuminate the political implications for the collective representation of labour's interests in contemporary capitalist society
VariabilitĂ© spatio-temporelle des nutriments et du carbone et flux associĂ©s le long dâun continuum terrestre-aquatique tempĂ©rĂ© (Marais poitevin â Baie de lâAiguillon â Pertuis Breton)
 Les zones cĂŽtiĂšres en raison de leur statut dâinterface entre les continents, les ocĂ©ans et lâatmosphĂšre constituent un environnement particuliĂšrement actif et impliquĂ© dans les cycles biogĂ©ochimiques. Elles sont le rĂ©ceptacle de molĂ©cules particulaires et dissoutes vĂ©hiculĂ©es par les riviĂšres et impliquĂ©es Ă la fois dans la chaine trophique et dans les phĂ©nomĂšnes dâeutrophisation ou de toxicitĂ©. Cette Ă©tude a pour objectif dâĂ©tudier la dynamique des nutriments et du carbone au niveau dâun continuum terrestre-aquatique formĂ© par le Marais poitevin (MP), la Baie de lâAiguillon (BA) et le Pertuis Breton (PB). LâĂ©tude a Ă©tĂ© rĂ©alisĂ©e sur deux annĂ©es (2017 et 2018) contrastĂ©es en terme de pluviomĂ©trie. Au total, huit sites (deux estuaires, trois chenaux et trois points cĂŽtiers) ont Ă©tĂ© Ă©chantillonnĂ©s (bi)mensuellement afin dâintĂ©grer au mieux les variations spatio-temporelles et facteurs de contrĂŽle associĂ©s. En terme de quantitĂ©, une annĂ©e pluvieuse a engendrĂ© une augmentation des apports en nutriments en carbone vers la zone cĂŽtiĂšre (e.g. 1051 et 17139 de tonnes de NID.an-1 en 2017 et en 2018 respectivement). Les apports ont Ă©tĂ© directement liĂ©s aux dĂ©bits de la SĂšvre et du Lay qui prĂ©sentent les plus grands bassins versants et constituent les deux plus grands exportateurs vers la zone cĂŽtiĂšre de la Baie de lâAiguillon et du Pertuis Breton (entre 43 et 74 % pour la SĂšvre ; 15 et 51 % pour le Lay). Les dĂ©bits plus importants ont engendrĂ© une augmentation des concentrations en nitrates et en CO2 principalement pour tous les cours dâeau de lâĂ©tude, du fait du lessivage des sols (agricoles). La qualitĂ© de lâeau a Ă©tĂ© dĂ©gradĂ©e dâune annĂ©e Ă lâautre du fait de lâaugmentation de la concentration en nitrates (valeurs maximales de 950 ”mol.l-1 en 2018; 818 ”mol.l-1 en 2017). La SĂšvre, le CurĂ© et le Canal de Luçon dont les bassins versant sont majoritairement constituĂ©s de terres arables ont dĂ©montrĂ© par ailleurs les plus fortes concentrations en azote inorganique dissous (NID) en pĂ©riode hivernale (591 ± 214 ; 783 ± 248 et 479 ± 377 ”mol.l-1 respectivement). De fortes mais ponctuelles concentrations en NID, associĂ©es Ă des Ă©pisodes de dessalure ont Ă©tĂ© par ailleurs observĂ©es dans la zone cĂŽtiĂšre tĂ©moignant de lâinfluence des apports terrestres. Les substrats gĂ©ologiques des bassins versants influencent Ă©galement la qualitĂ© de lâeau retrouvĂ©e dans les exutoires mais aussi dans la zone cĂŽtiĂšre. Les sols carbonatĂ©s et calcaires associĂ©s au Bassin Aquitain ont engendrĂ© de fortes concentrations en CID et une hausse de lâalcalinitĂ© dans la SĂšvre, le Canal de Luçon et du CurĂ© (moyennes hivernales en CID de 4,3 ± 0,3 et 4,2 ±1,0 et 5,1 ± 0,4 mmol.l-1 en 2018 respectivement). Au contraire, le lessivage des roches riches en silice des bassins versants du Lay et du Chenal vieux ont entrainĂ© un apport en silice en pĂ©riode pluvieuse. TrĂšs peu de phosphates sont apportĂ©s par le MP.  La pĂ©riode estivale a Ă©tĂ© marquĂ©e quelle que soit lâannĂ©e par une chute des apports en nitrates, bien que des blooms de Lepidodinium Chlorophorum aient Ă©tĂ© recensĂ©s. Durant cette pĂ©riode, les estuaires (et surtout la SĂšvre) ont Ă©tĂ© caractĂ©risĂ©s par des concentrations en matiĂšre en suspension Ă©levĂ©es (moyennes estivales en MES de 3000 ± 1813 mg.l-1 en 2017 ; 6430 ± 3973 mg.l-1 en 2018 pour la SĂšvre), et des pressions partielles en CO2 élevĂ©es (pCO2 3384 ± 394 ppm et 3402 ± 1180 ppm) du fait de la minĂ©ralisation intense de la matiĂšre organique, associĂ©e Ă la prĂ©sence dâun bouchon vaseux. A contrario, les chenaux ont Ă©tĂ© caractĂ©risĂ©s par des pCO2 plus faibles (e.g. 501 ± 541 ppm et 477 ± 264 ppm au chenal Vieux) probablement dues Ă la production primaire (e.g. chlorophylle a au chenal vieux en Ă©tĂ©Â : 32 ± 24 ”g.l-1 en 2017 et 25 ± 16 ”g.l-1 en 2018). Le schĂ©ma saisonnier dans la limitation des nutriments nâa pas Ă©tĂ© modifiĂ© par les changements climatiques entre les deux annĂ©es. Les nutriments apportĂ©s par le MP nâont Ă©tĂ© que rarement « rĂ©ellement limitants » dans la zone cĂŽtiĂšre du fait des apports en eau douce. ConjuguĂ© Ă la faible capacitĂ© Ă diluer les apports (indice LUSI), lâĂ©cosystĂšme cĂŽtier (BA, PB) a Ă©tĂ© dĂ©fini comme vulnĂ©rable Ă lâeutrophisation et Ă lâefflorescence dâespĂšces phytoplanctoniques nuisibles (indice ICEP). Cependant suite Ă la prolifĂ©ration de diatomĂ©es, la silice a pu devenir « rĂ©ellement limitante », comme observĂ©e au point filiĂšre en 2018. Enfin, cette Ă©tude a permis dâestimer pour la premiĂšre fois les apports en CO2 vers lâatmosphĂšre. Ceux-ci ont Ă©tĂ© plus importants dans les exutoires influencĂ©s par les cultures (i.e. SĂšvre, Luçon, CurĂ© avec une moyenne annuelle de 51 ; 41 et 49 103mmol.m-2.an-1) et lorsque les cumuls de pluies annuels a augmentĂ© (1277 et 5793 t.an-1 en 2017 et en 2018 respectivement)
Empowerment of Whom and for What? Financial Literacy Education and the New Regulation of Consumer Financial Services
Financial regulators in many states recently have obtained statuory mandates to enhance consumer financial literacy. This paper investicages the development of policy pursuant to such mandates in the UK and Canada to identify how national regulators in both countries represent financial market place. It finds that regulators in both countries represent financial education as empowerment and responsible consumer behaviour. The paper rekates the tension between empowerment and responsibilization aspects of literacy enhancement to policy goals of expectations of protection. It raises questions about regulators' use of consumer education to responsiblize consumption of financial products and calls for further research on the international growth of financial literacy education as a regulatory project