Coalitions in the Uruguay Round: The Extent, Pros and Cons of Developing Country Participation 1,2

This paper both documents the involvement of developing countries in coalitional activity in the current GATT Uruguay round thus far, and provides a rudimenting evaluation of the pros and cons of the different options for them as far as coalitional strategies are concerned. The main conclusions are that much of the coalitional activity involving developing countries thus far in the round has been agenda-moving and joint proposal-making, rather than negotiating involving exchanges of concession. At the same time, however, coalitional activity by a larger group of mid-sized developed and smaller developing countries who see a major interest in preserving the multilateral system has been central to the process.

Iowa State In Transition

Iowa State is in the process of forming a strategic plan that will help direct the university\u27s future through the year 2000. The process of reviewing, thinking ahead, asking questions and looking at the university in its totality is very important. ISU President Martin Jischke said. It is a template for decision making, it creates a sense of community and confidence and it communicates internally and externally that we have a goal

Contact, attitude, and motivation in the learning of Catalan at advanced levels

The theoretical complexity of current understandings of second language (L2) identity has brought the study of language learning motivations from basic concepts of intrinsic, integrative, and instrumental motives to a more dynamic construct that interacts with background factors, learning contexts, and proficiency levels. This cross-sectional study examines the profile of the advanced non-native learner of Catalan as a means of understanding L2 contact, attitudes, and motivations that underlie the self-concept of this learner group as distinct from foreign language learners. Adult students in advanced courses (N = 90) in Catalonia responded to questionnaire items about the presence of the target language in their social network, attitude toward it, motivation for studying, and background information including age and length of residence, among others. Principle component analysis revealed four driving factors for language study, which are discussed in terms of learners' Ideal and Ought-to L2 Selves from the L2 Motivation Self System (Dörnyei, 2009), in addition to mediating L2 community factors found uniquely in second language study contexts. Through discussing these motivations, we hope to arrive at a better understanding of learners who, arriving in a multilingual community, form an advanced L2 self-concept and translate these push and pull factors into proficiency

Contact, attitude, and motivation in the learning of catalan at advanced levels

Màster de Lingüística Aplicada i Adquisició de Llengües en Contextos Multilingües, Departament de Filologia Anglesa i Alemanya, Universitat de Barcelona, Any: 2011, Supervisor: Dr. Raquel SerranoThe theoretical complexity of current understandings of second language (L2) identity has brought the study of language learner attitudes and motivations from basic concepts of intrinsic, integrative, and instrumental motives to create a more dynamic construct that interacts with background factors (such as first language, geographic origin, and employment), learning contexts, and proficiency levels. The present study examines the profile of the advanced non-native learner of Catalan (level C) as a means of understanding the target language contact, attitudes, and motivations that lead learners to persevere in their study of Catalan. Adult students in advanced level courses were drawn from several study centers directed by the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística (CPNL, Barcelona). Students responded to questionnaire items related to the presence of the target language within their social network (5 items), their attitude towards it (10 items), their motivation for studying (40 items, 8 scales), and background information including age, gender, and length of residence, among others. In this descriptive, multivariate study, a variety of interesting aspects of the level C Catalan learner profile has emerged. However, only one background factor (region of origin) interacted significantly with one dependent variable (motivation component Professional Use). Additionally, three small but significantly positive correlations were found between attitude and three other variables: contact, General Intrinsic Motivation, and Cultural Value. In this study, advanced non-native learners of Catalan proved to be a homogeneous, dedicated group displaying generally high levels of contact with the L2, favorable attitudes toward it, and several mutually reinforcing motivations

Integrated and Open Interpreter Education: The Open Educational Resource Reader and Workbook for Interpreters

https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/facbooks/1001/thumbnail.jp

HIV/AIDS Drugs for Sub-Saharan Africa: How Do Brand and Generic Supply Compare?

BACKGROUND: Significant quantities of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to treat HIV/AIDS have been procured for Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in their 20-year history. This presents a novel opportunity to empirically study the roles of brand and generic suppliers in providing access to ARVs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An observational study of brand and generic supply based on a dataset of 2,162 orders of AIDS drugs for Sub-Saharan Africa reported to the Global Price Reporting Mechanism at the World Health Organization from January 2004-March 2006 was performed. Generic companies supplied 63% of the drugs studied, at prices that were on average about a third of the prices charged by brand companies. 96% of the procurement was of first line drugs, which were provided mostly by generic firms, while the remaining 4%, of second line drugs, was sourced primarily from brand companies. 85% of the generic drugs in the sample were manufactured in India, where the majority of the drugs procured were ineligible for patent protection. The remaining 15% was manufactured in South Africa, mostly under voluntary licenses provided by brand companies to a single generic company. In Sub-Saharan African countries, four first line drugs in the dataset were widely patented, however no general deterrent to generic purchasing based on a patent was detected. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Generic and brand companies have played distinct roles in increasing the availability of ARVs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Generic companies provided most of the drugs studied, at prices below those charged by brand companies, and until now, almost exclusively supplied several fixed-dose combination drugs. Brand companies have supplied almost all second line drugs, signed voluntary licenses with generic companies, and are not strictly enforcing patents in certain countries. Further investigation into how price reductions in second line drugs can be achieved and the cheapest drugs can actually be procured is warranted

Blastocyst transfer in mice alters the placental transcriptome and growth.

Assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) are becoming increasingly common. Therefore, how these procedures influence gene regulation and foeto-placental development are important to explore. Here, we assess the effects of blastocyst transfer on mouse placental growth and transcriptome. C57Bl/6 blastocysts were transferred into uteri of B6D2F1 pseudopregnant females and dissected at embryonic day 10.5 for analysis. Compared to non-transferred controls, placentas from transferred conceptuses weighed less even though the embryos were larger on average. This suggested a compensatory increase in placental efficiency. RNA sequencing of whole male placentas revealed 543 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after blastocyst transfer: 188 and 355 genes were downregulated and upregulated, respectively. DEGs were independently validated in male and female placentas. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that DEGs represented expression in all major placental cell types and included genes that are critical for placenta development and/or function. Furthermore, the direction of transcriptional change in response to blastocyst transfer implied an adaptive response to improve placental function to maintain foetal growth. Our analysis revealed that CpG methylation at regulatory regions of two DEGs was unchanged in female transferred placentas and that DEGs had fewer gene-associated CpG islands (within ~20 kb region) compared to the larger genome. These data suggested that altered methylation at proximal promoter regions might not lead to transcriptional disruption in transferred placentas. Genomic clustering of some DEGs warrants further investigation of long-range, cis-acting epigenetic mechanisms including histone modifications together with DNA methylation. We conclude that embryo transfer, a protocol required for ART, significantly impacts the placental transcriptome and growth.This work was supported by grants from the Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR) (to EDW), Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine (to EDW), and Canadian Institutes for Health Research (to JCC). KM was funded by a Newnham College (Cambridge) studentship and A.G. Leventis scholarship. SJT was funded by a Next Generation Fellowship (CTR). GETB was funded by a Wellcome Trust PhD studentship in Developmental Mechanisms. RSH and MP were funded by the CTR

PSA testing for prostate cancer: an online survey of the views and reported practice of General Practitioners in the UK

BACKGROUND: The role of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing in the early detection of prostate cancer is controversial. Current UK policy stipulates that any man who wishes to have a PSA test should have access to the test, provided he has been given full information about the benefits and limitations of testing. This study aimed to determine UK GPs' current reported practice regarding PSA testing, and their views towards informed decision-making and PSA testing. METHOD: Online questionnaire survey, with a sample of 421 GPs randomly selected from a database of GPs across the UK. RESULTS: 95% (400/421) of GPs responded. 76% of GPs reported having performed a PSA test for an asymptomatic man at least once in the previous three months, with 13% reported having tested more than five men in this period. A majority of GPs reported they would do a PSA test for men presenting with a family history and requesting a test, for asymptomatic men requesting a test and also for men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms. Reported testing rates were highest for men with a family history. Amongst men with lower urinary tract symptoms and men with no symptoms, reported testing rates were significantly higher for older than younger men. The majority of GPs expressed support for the current policy (67%), and favoured both the general practitioner and the man being involved in the decision making process (83%). 90% of GPs indicated that they would discuss the benefits and limitation of testing with the man, with most (61%) preferring to ask the man to make a further appointment if he decides to be tested. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that PSA testing in asymptomatic men is a regular occurrence in the UK, and that there is general support from GPs for the current policy of making PSA tests available to 'informed' men who are concerned about prostate cancer. While most GPs indicated they would discuss the benefits and limitations prior to PSA testing, and most GPs favoured a shared approach to decision making, it is not known to what extent men are actually being informed. Research is needed to evaluate the most effective approach to assisting men in making an informed decision about whether or not to have a PSA test