Quality of Government and Poverty: Factors in Mexico Fueling Illegal Immigration to the United States: Lessons for Developing and Developed Nations based on the Chilean Experience

The kidnaping, rape, mutilation, and murder of more than 400 women and girls in Juárez, Mexico since l993 expose the dismal weakness of all the institutions responsible for criminal investigation, prosecution, prevention, and justice. If the inept handling of the femicides were confined to Juárez, that would be tragic enough. However, the 2007 report of Amnesty International suggests that this is a national situation, with implications for Mexican poverty and the pressure to illegally migrate. A theory of national poverty (political elasticity theory) is put forward to link injustice in Juárez to Mexican poverty and illegal immigration, suggesting that Mexico is politically inelastic, without the capacity to effectively decentralize (like a rubber band) and to influence and control national behavior (like a balloon). Corruption is therefore uncontrollable (i.e., secondary in nature) and forms of decentralization cannot be used to facilitate business and rural development. At the conclusion, a comparison with Chile is made, indicating that, because it is far less corrupt than Mexico, its globalization efforts have been far more effective than those of Mexico in improving living conditions for the majority of its population

Political Software: Understanding What Works

Public Administration (PA) is no longer considered as essential as it once was for students from developing countries. In regard to both PA and Public Management (PM), much of the difficulty stems from a lack of an acceptable overarching theory. This is the objective of Political Elasticity (PE) Theory, as here introduced, including the concept of “political software” (referring to the social relationships essential for effective governance). The usefulness of the theory is suggested by a series of American and Less Developed Country (LDC) urban case studies. At the conclusion, the analytical and foreign aid implications of using PE theory (emphasizing political software) are presented

The late ancient synagogues of southern Palestine

Following the failure of the Bar-Kokhba revolt in 135/6 C.E., the majority of the Jewish population of ancient Palestine migrated northward away from Jerusalem to join communities of Jews in Galilee and the Golan Heights. Although rabbinic sources indicate that from the 2nd c. onward the demographic center of Jewish Palestine was in Galilee, archaeological evidence of Jewish communities is found in the southern part of the country as well. Ten synagogues from the period after the Bar-Kokhba revolt are known from southern Palestine. They are located at the sites of Na'aran and Jericho in the Lower Jordan Valley, En-Gedi on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, Kh. Susiya, Eshtemoa, H. 'Anim, and H. Ma'on in the southern Hebron Hills, H. Rimmon in the Judean Shephelah, and Gaza-Maiumas and Ma'on-Nirim on the southern Mediterranean coast. The present study is a detailed analysis of these ten synagogues. The primary goals are to (a) review critically the excavation projects carried out at these sites, particularly the chronological conclusions of the excavators, and (b) determine what aspects of these synagogues, if any, serve to unite them as a distinct regional group. From the critical examination of the published finds and reports, this dissertation concludes that, despite the views of some of the excavators, none of these synagogues can be dated conclusively to before the mid-4th c. The dates of construction generally are fixed at no later than the 6th or 7th c. Therefore, these ten synagogues should be considered products of the Byzantine period. As a group, these ten synagogues do not display unifying features that are distinct from the synagogues in Lower Galilee. However, there are some notable differences between the southern synagogues and those of the Golan and Upper Galilee. Some of the southern synagogues bear evidence of inter-religious contact between Jews and Christians in the art, architecture, and religious concerns expressed in the material culture. Although the evidence for such contact does not differ significantly from the synagogues in Lower Galilee and the Beth-Shean region, the conclusion to this study highlights the importance of considering Jewish-Christian relations in the interpretation of late antique Palestinian Judaism by suggesting topics for further inquiry

Eagle Imagery in Jewish Relief Sculpture of Late Ancient Palestine: Survey and Interpretation

The following study examines the image of the eagle in the architectural relief sculpture of Palestinian synagogues as well as on Jewish sarcophagi. The buildings and sarcophagi on which these objects were displayed are dated between the third and sixth century C.E. Chapter one introduces the topic by presenting some general background to the state of research and by defining relevant terms for the study. Chapter two presents the primary evidence in the form of a rudimentary catalogue. Chapter three examines the so-called “Eagle Incident” described by the ancient historian, Josephus, in War 1.648-55 and Antiq. 17.151-63. Chapter four seeks to understand the meaning of the eagle-symbol within the literature familiar to Jews of late ancient Palestine. Chapter five presents the author’s interpretation of the eagle-symbol in both the sculptural remains and literary references. It considers the relationship of the image and meaning to Near Eastern and Byzantine art in light of the religious trends in late ancient Jewish society

Ethanol‐Lock Therapy for the Prevention of Central Venous Access Device Infections in Pediatric Patients With Intestinal Failure

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141158/1/jpen0067.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141158/2/jpen0067-sup-0001.pd

Squatter settlements and slums and sustainable development

Squatter settlement is defined as a low residential area, which has developed without legal right to the land or permission from the concerned authorities to build, and as a result, of their illegal status, infrastructure and services are usually inadequate (UN-Habitat 2003). On the other hand, slums are contiguous settlements where inhabitants are characterized by insecure residential status, inadequate access to safe water, inadequate access to sanitation and other basic infrastructure and services, poor housing quality, and overcrowding (UN-Habitat 2003). Both are form of informal settlements that are not formally planned

Intestinal Obstruction Syndromes in Cystic Fibrosis: Meconium Ileus, Distal Intestinal Obstruction Syndrome, and Constipation

Meconium ileus at birth, distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS), and constipation are an interrelated group of intestinal obstruction syndromes with a variable severity of obstruction that occurs in cystic fibrosis patients. Long-term follow-up studies show that today meconium ileus is not a risk factor for impaired nutritional status, pulmonary function, or survival. DIOS and constipation are frequently seen in cystic fibrosis patients, especially later in life; genetic, dietary, and other associations have been explored. Diagnosis of DIOS is based on suggestive symptoms, with a right lower quadrant mass confirmed on abdominal radiography, whereas symptoms of constipation are milder and of longer standing. In DIOS, early aggressive laxative treatment with oral laxatives (polyethylene glycol) or intestinal lavage with balanced osmotic electrolyte solution and rehydration is required, which now makes the need for surgical interventions rare. Constipation can generally be well controlled with polyethylene glycol maintenance treatment

Effects of Engineered Nanoparticles on the Assembly of Exopolymeric Substances from Phytoplankton

The unique properties of engineered nanoparticles (ENs) that make their industrial applications so attractive simultaneously raise questions regarding their environmental safety. ENs exhibit behaviors different from bulk materials with identical chemical compositions. Though the nanotoxicity of ENs has been studied intensively, their unintended environmental impacts remain largely unknown. Herein we report experimental results of EN interactions with exopolymeric substances (EPS) from three marine phytoplankton species: Amphora sp., Ankistrodesmus angustus and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. EPS are polysaccharide-rich anionic colloid polymers released by various microorganisms that can assemble into microgels, possibly by means of hydrophobic and ionic mechanisms. Polystyrene nanoparticles (23 nm) were used in our study as model ENs. The effects of ENs on EPS assembly were monitored with dynamic laser scattering (DLS). We found that ENs can induce significant acceleration in Amphora sp. EPS assembly; after 72 hours EN-EPS aggregation reached equilibrium, forming microscopic gels of ∼4–6 µm in size. In contrast, ENs only cause moderate assembly kinetic acceleration for A. angustus and P. tricornutum EPS samples. Our results indicate that the effects of ENs on EPS assembly kinetics mainly depend on the hydrophobic interactions of ENs with EPS polymers. The cycling mechanism of EPS is complex. Nonetheless, the change of EPS assembly kinetics induced by ENs can be considered as one potential disturbance to the marine carbon cycle

Personal Papers (MS 80-0002)

Postal card with letter from Rosella H. Werlin to Isaac H. Kempner informing him a news crew will be on the quads and attaching a letter containing some of the publicity Mr. Kempner and the Chamber of Commerce is receiving

Personal Papers (MS 80-0002)

Letter from Rosella H. Werlin to I. H. Kempner discussing Werlin being in Galveston but not being able to see Kempner due to him being out and Werlin asking for the address of A. H. Cawston