Beyond prospective accountancy : reassessing the case for British membership of the single European currency comparatively

The fact that Britain will, at most, be a late signatory to the single European currency means that the strategic deliberations it faces in deciding whether to enter EMU are rather different to those of earlier entrants. However, this crucial point is lost in almost all discussion of the subject. To date, the academic debate has been dominated by what we term 'prospective accountancy', in which a series of abstract counterfactuals ostensibly inform a stylised cost–benefit analysis. This article moves beyond such an approach by combining conjectures about the specificities of the British case with a concrete analysis of the experiences of the Eurozone member whose economy appears most closely to resemble Britain's: namely, Ireland. The comparative dimension of our work facilitates more empirically-based analysis of the merits and demerits of British entry into EMU. Yet, it is important not to lose sight of the limits of an exclusively comparative approach, for the British growth model is qualitatively different to that of other European Union economies. British growth since the early 1990s has been consumption led, and this in turn has been fuelled to a considerable degree by the release of equity from the housing market. The likely impact of EMU on the British economy will be determined to a significant extent, then, by its effect upon this key catalyst of British growth. Sadly, no retrospective comparison can inform such an assessment

Electromembrane extraction of methotrexate and its metabolites

Within pharmaceutical analysis, sample preparation is essential to make a sample compatible with the chosen analytical instrument, prevent contamination and damage of the instrument, and to avoid interference from matrix substances in biological samples. Electromembrane extraction (EME) was developed in the mid-2000s, and has proved to be an efficient sample preparation technique for several analytes. It is based on transfer of electrically charged analytes from an aqueous donor solution, across an organic solvent (SLM), and into an aqueous acceptor solution. There are several advantages with EME, including the possibility of rapid extractions, high sample clean-up and enrichment, high selectivity, low consumption of organic solvents, and pre-concentration of the analyte. To this date, most studies on EME have been performed with non-polar, basic analytes. In the present study, EME was for the first time used for sample preparation of methotrexate (MTX) and its metabolites 7-hydroxymethotrexate (7-OH-MTX) and 2,4-diamino-N10-methylpteroic acid (DAMPA). These are polar, acidic, and zwitterionic analytes, all physicochemical properties that are little explored with EME. For MTX method development, a range of different conditions were tested and optimized in order to yield high analyte recoveries. The extracted samples were analyzed using HPLC-UV during method development. MTX was extracted as either positively or negatively charged, with subsequent adjustments of pH in the donor/acceptor solutions and composition of the SLM. Due to the polarity of the analyte, an ionic carrier was added to the SLM. The highest recovery (79.6%) was achieved when MTX was extracted as an anion, using a 40 mM phosphate buffer with pH 7.4 as the donor solution, 10 mM NaOH with pH 12 as the acceptor solution, and peppermint oil + 1% aliquat 336 as the SLM. The same method yielded recoveries of 59.0% 7-OH-MTX and 32.4% DAMPA in the acceptor solution. This method could not be applied to a donor solution containing a physiological concentration of Cl-, due to an interaction between the chloride ions and the cationic carrier aliquat 336. Therefore, MTX was extracted as a positively charged analyte from plasma, using an anionic carrier for transport across the SLM. The extracted plasma samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS, and the method yielded 5.5% recovery of MTX in the acceptor solution. Taken together, MTX should be extracted as an anion to achieve high recovery, and the addition of an ionic carrier is essential for transport across the SLM. Of all the conditions tested, results pointed towards the most optimal donor/acceptor solutions, SLM, ionic carrier, and settings for voltage, time, and agitation. However, further experimental work is required in order to improve EME of biological samples, particularly to identify an ionic carrier which has low interference with anionic electrolytes in plasma.Masteroppgave i FarmasiFARM399/05HMATF-FAR

La jeunesse dans la crise du CPE, un an avant l’élection présidentielle de 2007 : protestation, politisation, défiance, distance ?,

La mobilisation contre le CPE a mis une fois de plus une partie de la jeunesse sur le devant de la scène politique française. Depuis une vingtaine d’années, quel que soit le type de réforme touchant au système éducatif ou aux dispositifs d’articulation entre le système de formation et l’emploi, et quels que soient le gouvernement ou le camp politique qui en soient à l’origine, une opposition systématique menée par les mouvements étudiants et lycéens, plus ou moins organisés au sein de coordinations autonomes ou de représentations syndicales, bloque le processus et conduit au retrait du projet. Après deux mois de manifestations qui ont mis dans la rue plusieurs centaines de milliers de jeunes, pour la plupart étudiants, et vu s’exprimer des formes de contestation assez radicales, le gouvernement de Dominique de Villepin a fini par s’incliner, et ce d’autant plus que l’opinion publique était très largement ralliée à la protestation. Les deux tiers des Français étaient pour le retrait de la réforme et près de huit jeunes sur dix (...)

Incontinence-specific quality of life measures used in trials of treatments for female urinary incontinence: a systematic review.

This systematic review examined the use of incontinence-specific QOL measures in clinical trials of female incontinence treatments, and systematically evaluated their quality using a standard checklist. Of 61 trials included in the review, 58 (95.1%) used an incontinence-specific QOL measure. The most commonly used were IIQ (19 papers), I-QoL (12 papers) and UDI (9 papers). Eleven papers (18.0%) used measures which were not referenced or were developed specifically for the study. The eight QOL measures identified had good clinical face validity and measurement properties. We advise researchers to evaluate carefully the needs of their specific study, and select the QOL measure that is most appropriate in terms of validity, utility and relevance, and discourage the development of new measures. Until better evidence is available on the validity and comparability of measures, we recommend that researchers consider using IIQ or I-QOL with or without UDI in trials of incontinence treatments

Political Participation of Young People in Europe – Development of Indicators for Comparative Research in the European Union (EUYOUPART)

The European Commission White Paper on Youth Policy 2001 emphasizes the importance of involving young people in the process of a new European governance. Reliable tools for measuring political involvement of young people are needed, to achieve detailed information referring national and regional differences. These instruments are still missing. The development and evaluation of international comparable indicators and benchmarks for the political participation of young people throughout Europe is the main aspect of this project and should therefore contribute to a better understanding of Youth in international field surveys. It will contribute to the integration of young people in the process of participation inside the European Union and also in their involvement in the process of the Enlargement as an important event in the first decade of the twenty- first century (5th FP, chapter 4, 3.2; theme 3)

La participation politique des jeunes en France

Rapport d'enquête. Commission européenne dans le cadre du programme de recherche européen EUYOUPART (Political of Young People in Europe, Development of indicators for Comparative Research in the European Union

Physical and metaphysical zones of transition : comparative themes in Hittite and Greek Karst landscapes in the Late Bronze and Early Iron ages

English, Afrikaans and Zulu summariesWhile there is increasing interest in the effect of landscape on ancient imagination, less attention has been paid to the impact of restless karst hydrology on ancient beliefs. By identifying shared themes, this study compares and contrasts the way Hittites and Aegean people in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages reshaped peripheral karst landscapes into physical and imagined transitional zones. Karst geology underpins much of the Aegean and Anatolian landscape, allowing subterranean zones to be visible and accessible above ground via caves, springs, sinking streams, sinkholes and other unusual natural formations. In both cultures, certain dynamic landscapes were considered to be sacred porous points where deities, daemons, heroes and mortals could transit between cosmic realms. Evidence suggests that Hittites and Aegean people interpreted dramatic karst landscapes as liminal thresholds and spaces situated between the world of humans and the world of deities. Part One investigates physical zones of transition via the karst ecosystems of rural sanctuaries. Part Two considers the creative interpretation in myth and iconography of karst phenomena into metaphysical zones of transition. The examples reveal the way in which Hittites and Aegean people built their concept of the sacred on the extraordinary characteristics of karst geology. Numinous karst landscapes provided validity and a familiar reference point for the creation of imagined worlds where mortal and divine could connect.Vandag is daar toenemende belangstelling in die effek van die landskap op die verbeelding van die mensdom in die oudheid - maar minder aandag word bestee aan die impak van die rustelose karst landskap op die mens se gelowigheid in die oudheid. Deur die identifisering van sekere gemene temas, vergelyk hierdie verhandeling die manier waarop die Hetiete en die Egeïese volkere in die Laat Brons- en vroeë Ystertydperke die omliggende karstlandskap herskep het in fisiese en denkbeeldige oorgangszones. Die Egeïese en Anatoliese landskap bestaan grotendeels uit karst geologie, met tot gevolg dat ondergrondse zones bo die grond sigbaar en toeganklik is in die vorm van grotte, bronne, sinkgate en ander uitsonderlike natuurlike formasies. In beide bogenoemde kulture is sekere landskapstonele beskou as heilige en poreuse punte waar gode, demone, helde en sterwelinge tussen die kosmiese zones kon beweeg. Die getuienis van die tyd suggereer dat die Hetiete en die Egeïese volkere die dramatiese karst landskappe as grense of drempels tussen hulle wêreld en dié van die gode beskou het. Deel Een ondersoek die fisiese oorgangszones deur te kyk na die karst ecostelsels waarin plattelandse heiligdomme hulle bevind het. Deel Twee beskou die kreatiewe gebruik van karst verskynsels as voorstellings van metafisiese oorgangszones in die gekrewe bronne en ikonografie. Die geselekteerde voorbeelde dui aan die manier waarop die Hetiete en Egeïese volke hulle konsepte van heiligdom gebaseer het op die buitengewone verskynsels van karst geologie. Numineuse karst landskappe het hulle idees gestaaf en ‘n bekende verwysingspunt uitgemaak waar die menslike en die goddelike met mekaar in kontak kon kom.Ngenkathi intshisekelo ekhulayo yethonya lokwakheka komhlaba emcabangweni wasendulo, kunakwe kancane umthelela we-karst hydrology engenazinkolelo ezinkolelweni zasendulo. Ngokukhomba izingqikithi okwabelwana ngazo, lo mqondo uqhathanisa futhi uqhathanise indlela amaHeti nabantu base-Aegean kweLate Bronze kanye ne-Early Iron Ages abuye abuye abumbe kabusha imigwaqo ye-karst yomngcele ibe yizingxenye zesikhashana zomzimba nezicatshangwe. I-Karst geology isekela kakhulu indawo yezwe i-Aegean ne-Anatolian evumela ukuthi izindawo ezingaphansi komhlaba zibonakale futhi zifinyeleleke ngaphezu komhlaba ngemigede, iziphethu, imifudlana ecwilayo, imigodi yokushona nokunye ukwakheka okungokwemvelo okungajwayelekile. Kuwo womabili amasiko izindawo ezithile eziguqukayo zazithathwa njengezindawo ezingcwele zokungena lapho onkulunkulu, amademoni, amaqhawe nabantu abafayo bengadlula phakathi kwezindawo zomhlaba. Ubufakazi bukhombisa ukuthi amaHeti nabantu base-Aegean bahumusha imidwebo emangazayo yekarst njengemikhawulo yemikhawulo nezikhala eziphakathi komhlaba wabantu nezwe lonkulunkulu. Ingxenye yokuqala iphenya izindawo eziguqukayo zomzimba ngokusebenzisa imvelo ye-karst yezindawo ezingcwele zasemakhaya. Ingxenye Yesibili ibheka ukutolikwa kokudala kunganekwane nakwizithonjana zezinto ze-karst kube izingxenye eziguqukayo zenguquko. Izibonelo ziveza indlela abantu abangamaHeti nabantu base- Aegean abawakha ngayo umqondo wabo ongcwele ngezimpawu ezingavamile ze-karst geology. Amathafa amahle we-karst ahlinzeka ngokusebenza kanye nephuzu elijwayelekile lesethenjwa lokwakhiwa kwamazwe acatshangelwe lapho abantu abafayo nabaphezulu bangaxhuma khona.Biblical and Ancient StudiesM. A. (Ancient Near Eastern Studies

Genomic properties of variably methylated retrotransposons in mouse

Background: Transposable elements (TEs) are enriched in cytosine methylation, preventing their mobility within the genome. We previously identified a genome-wide repertoire of candidate intracisternal A particle (IAP) TEs in mice that exhibit interindividual variability in this methylation (VM-IAPs) with implications for genome function. Results: Here we validate these metastable epialleles and discover a novel class that exhibit tissue specificity (tsVM-IAPs) in addition to those with uniform methylation in all tissues (constitutive- or cVM-IAPs); both types have the potential to regulate genes in cis . Screening for variable methylation at other TEs shows that this phenomenon is largely limited to IAPs, which are amongst the youngest and most active endogenous retroviruses. We identify sequences enriched within cVM-IAPs, but determine that these are not sufficient to confer epigenetic variability. CTCF is enriched at VM-IAPs with binding inversely correlated with DNA methylation. We uncover dynamic physical interactions between cVM-IAPs with low methylation ranges and other genomic loci, suggesting that VM-IAPs have the potential for long-range regulation. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a recently evolved interplay between genetic sequence, CTCF binding, and DNA methylation at young TEs can result in inter-individual variability in transcriptional outcomes with implications for phenotypic variation

Teaching Inquiry-Based STEM in the Elementary Grades Using Manipulatives: A SySTEMic Solution Report

Young learners come to school holding myriad conceptions about how the world works, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.1-3 Further, young students\u27 conceptions are commonly based on fragmented knowledge or naïve perspectives that contribute to the importance of early exposure to and practice with scrutinizing situations scientifically.1,3 An important part of helping children gain the skills necessary to approach situations scientifically involves preparing them to conduct scientific inquiry.3 The development of critical thinking skills and scientific approaches to problem solving should begin early in education.4 However, lack of elementary teacher comfort and familiarity with inquiry may be a significant barrier hindering early learner experience with and development of inquiry skills.5 Additionally, although engineering topics are particularly well suited for teaching inquiry, most teachers, like the general public, are not well versed in engineering. Therefore, teachers are excellent candidates for participation in professional development that enhances their knowledge and comfort with teaching inquiry-based STEM curriculum and engineering content in particular