Financial liberalization and the capital account : Thailand, 1988-97

The authors examine Thailand's macro-economy and micro-economy for the period 1988-97 to assess the extent to which the country's mix of macroeconomic and financial sector policies contributed to its economic crisis in 1997. They conclude that the crisis was fundamentally one of private sector debt, rooted in private behavior that affected the magnitude and composition of investment and how it was financed. Unlike the Latin American debt crisis, the Thai crisis was not caused by excessive sovereign borrowing. Financial sector weakness--including inadequate regulation and supervision, implicit deposit insurance, concentrated ownership structures, and poor accounting and disclosure--combined with liberalization of the financial sector and capital accounts, increased vulnerability by creating incentives for risk-taking by financial institutions. Many macroeconomic fundamentals were strong, but the combination of tight monetary policy and an inflexible exchange rate created strong incentives for residents to expose themselves to excessive foreign exchange and liquidity risks. Weak corporate governance, including close corporate links to the banking sector, encouraged risky investments and over-diversification in the corporate sector.Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Financial Intermediation,Banks&Banking Reform,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Financial Intermediation,Economic Theory&Research,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Financial Economics

Influence of fungal morphology on the performance of industrial fermentation processes for enzyme production

Produktion af industrielle enzymer udføres typisk som vandige aerobe fermenteringer. Filamentøse mikroorganismer er udbredte som værtsorganismer i disse processer pga. adskillige fordele. Samtidig har de store ulemper som følge af den uundgåelige begrænsning i iltoverførselen pga. den høje viskositet af mediet de udvikler, og som menes at være relateret til biomasse koncentrationen, væksthastigheden og morfologien. Den sidste variabel er blandt de mest betydningsfulde egenskaber på grund af sin store kompleksitet, og den er blevet grundigt undersøgt i dette arbejde samt dens korrelation til viskositet og andre procesvariabler. En betydelig mængde forskning er blevet udført igennem årene i forbindelse med svampes morfologi og deres relation til produktivitet. Dog er bidragene i litteraturen kendetegnet ved mangel på relevante industrielle data. En platform er blevet udviklet, som giver anledning til høje enzymproduktiviteter sammenlignet med hvad der tidligere er rapporteret i litteraturen for fed-batch fermentering ved anvendelse af en opløselig inducer (lactose). Forskellige nitrogenkilder er blevet sammenlignet, og det blev konstateret, at sojamel muliggør en højere enzymtiter i sammenligning med hvad der er blevet rapporteret i litteraturen. Den udviklede platform blev anvendt til at undersøge indflydelsen af omrøringsintensiteten på morfologien, rheologien og proteinproduktionsevnen af Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30. Otte fed-batch fermenteringer blev udført i lab-skala fermentorer ved to forskellige mediekoncentrationer og fire forskellige omrøringshastigheder. Morfologien blev målt med laserdiffraktion og den 90. percentil af partikelstørrelsesfordelingen (PSD) blev valgt som den karakteristiske morfologiske parameter. Ingen signifikant forskel i biomassekoncentration, kuldioxidproduktionshastigheden og enzymproduktionen blev observeret som funktion af omrøringshastigheden, selv ved meget høj omrøringseffekt. Imidlertid blev morfologien og rheologien betydeligt påvirket. De indsamlede data blev brugt til at skabe en ny fremgangsmåde til at forudsige filamentøse svampes rheologi, baseret på simple målinger af biomasse og morfologi. Eftersom at morfologi er en vigtig variabel i industrielle vandige fermenteringer, er det vigtigt at forstå de faktorer, der påvirker den. En vigtig faktor er omrøringsinduceret fragmentering, da det vil afgøre størrelsen af partiklerne, som derefter vil påvirke rheologien. En veletableret state-of-the-art funktion, Energy Dissipation Circulation Function (EDCF), er blevet anvendt til at korrelere hyfe fragmentering over et område af reaktorskalaer og omrører typer. Denne korrelation (EDCF) blev dog udviklet til ikke-voksende systemer (off-line fragmentering), og der er ikke foretaget forsøg for at teste dens anvendelse på tværs af forskellige skalaer i egentlige fermenteringsvæsker. For at teste validiteten af denne korrelation, blev et nedskaleringsforsøg udført. En produktionsbatch fra Novozymes A/S, som blev kørt i en produktionsskala bioreaktor (≈ 100 m3) blev skaleret ned til pilotskala (≈1 m3) og lab-skala (≈0.001 m3). EDCF blev beregnet for hvert batch sammen med andre blandingsparametre, og de blev korreleret til den karakteristiske morfologiske parameter, den 90. percentil af PSD. Dataene viste, at andre mere enkle opskaleringsparametre er lige så gode til at forudsige mycelie fragmentering på tværs skalaer. Endvidere blev den morfologiske udvikling af en industriel stamme af T. reesei overvåget i pilotskalafermenteringer fodret med en hidtil ukendt strategi, udviklet i et parallelt projekt. Denne undersøgelse viste, at når morfologien overvåges med laser diffraktion, åbnes muligheden for at studere direkte fysiologiske reaktioner på vækstbetingelser i omrørte bioreaktorer. De opnåede resultater indikerer, at forbrug af næringsstofferne og de resulterende lave koncentrationer af næringsstofferne inducerede fouragering grundet sult, der forårsagede en stigning i hyfe længde. Endelig blev en ny, hurtig og nem metode til statistisk-verificeret kvantificering af den relative hyfe trækstyrke udviklet i den sidste del af dette ph.d.-projekt. Hyfestyrke af svampe er en vigtig fænotype, som kan have en dybtgående indvirkning på bioprocessens adfærd. Anvendeligheden af denne nye metode blev demonstreret ved en estimering af den relative hyfestyrke under vækst i kontrollerede forhold og rapamycin-induceret autophagy for to Aspergillus nidulans stammer. Begge stammer blev dyrket i rystekolber, og den relative hyfe trækstyrke blev sammenlignet. Resultaterne bekræftede anvendeligheden af den udviklede metode i udvælgelse af stamme og procesudvikling. Denne ph.d.-afhandling bringer mere viden til forståelsen af forholdet mellem vækstkinetik, vækstbetingelser og den morfologiske struktur af filamentøse svampe, som kan bidrage med at skræddersy morfologien af en given industriel stamme.Production of industrial enzymes is usually carried out as submerged aerobic fermentations. Filamentous microorganisms are widely used as hosts in these processes due to multiple advantages. Nevertheless, they also present major drawbacks, due to the unavoidable oxygen transfer limitations as a consequence of the high viscosity of the medium that they develop, which is believed to be related to the biomass concentration, growth rate and morphology. This last variable is one of the most outstanding characteristics of the filamentous fungi due to its great complexity and it was extensively studied in this work, along with its correlation to viscosity and other process variables. Considerable research work has been conducted through the years to study fungal morphology and its relation to productivity. However, the work reported in the literature lacks relevant industrial data. In this work, a platform was developed which was able to produce high enzyme titers in comparison with what has been reported thus far in fed-batch fermentation using a soluble inducer (lactose). Different nitrogen sources were compared, and it was found that soy meal allowed for higher enzyme titers compared to what has been reported in the literature. The developed platform was used to study the influence of agitation intensity on the morphology, rheology and protein production capability of Trichoderma reesei RUT-C30. Eight fed-batch fermentations were conducted in bench scale fermenters at two different media concentrations and four different agitation speeds. The morphology was measured with laser diffraction and the 90th percentile of the particle size distribution (PSD) was chosen as the characteristic morphology parameter. No significant difference in biomass concentration, carbon dioxide production rate and enzyme production was observed as a function of agitation speed, even at the very high power inputs. However, the morphology and rheology were considerably affected. The data produced was used to create a novel method to predict filamentous fungi rheology based on simple measurements of biomass and morphology. Thus, morphology is an important variable in industrial submerged fermentation since it highly impacts the broth rheology. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that affect it. One important factor is agitation-induced fragmentation since it will dictate the size of the particles, which will then affect rheology. A well-established state of the art function, the Energy Dissipation Circulation Function (EDCF), has been used to correlate hyphal fragmentation over a range of scales and impeller types. This correlation was however developed for non-growing systems (off-line fragmentation), and no attempts have been made for testing its application across different scales in actual fermentation broths. Thus, to test the validity of this correlation, a scale-down experiment was carried out. A production batch from Novozymes A/S operated in a production scale bioreactor (≈ 100 m3) was scaled down to pilot scale (≈1 m3) and to bench scale (≈0.001 m3). The EDCF was calculated for each batch along with other mixing parameters and they were correlated to the characteristic morphological parameter, the 90th percentile of the PSD. The data showed that other more simple scale up parameters are equally good at predicting mycelial fragmentation across scales, compared to the EDCF. Furthermore, the morphological development of an industrial strain of T. reesei was monitored in pilot scale fermentations. This study showed that the morphology monitored with laser diffraction also granted the possibility to study direct physiological responses to environmental conditions in stirred bioreactors. The obtained results indicate that the nutrient depletion induced foraging due to starvation, which caused the increase in hyphal length.   Finally, a novel, fast and easy method for statistically-verified quantification of relative hyphal tensile strength was developed in the last part of this PhD project. Fungal hyphal strength is an important phenotype which can have a profound impact on bioprocess behavior. The applicability of this novel method was demonstrated by estimating relative hyphal strength during growth in control conditions and rapamycin-induced autophagy conditions for two strains of Aspergillus nidulans. Both strains were grown in shake flasks, and relative hyphal tensile strength was compared. The findings confirmed the utility of the developed method in strain selection and process development. This PhD thesis brings more knowledge to the understanding of the relationship between growth kinetics, environmental conditions and the morphological structure of the filamentous fungi, which can help to tailor the morphology for a given industrial strain. <br/

The Impact Athletic Trainers Have on Post-Injury Mental Health Concerns with Secondary School Athletes

Mental health has always been part of an individual’s life concerns. Recently, it has become of a bigger topic as the stigma surrounding it has decreased and people have talked more openly about it. PURPOSE: As the knowledge of mental health has grown, it is important to analyze any impact that injuries have had on athletes. It is known that time-loss injuries may lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns in those who heavily identify with their athletic personality especially at the high school level. Of importance, is the role that having an athletic trainer may have in decreasing the level of mental health concern in the injured athlete. METHODS: This research surveyed former high school athletes that aged 18 and older. Consisting of 15 questions, this instrument collected data on participant demographics, opinions using Likert scale questions as well as open-ended options for a mixed method approach. RESULTS: 37 respondents reported having competed in secondary school sports including but not limited to volleyball, football, golf, swimming, softball, water polo, soccer, cheer, and dance. 100% state that they sustained an injury which resulted in them losing 24 hours of participation including game and/or practice time. These injuries ranged from simple sprains and strains to concussions, dislocations, as well as chronic injuries including tendinopathies with over 50% occurring in the lower extremity. 72% reported having a licensed or certified athletic trainer at their school with whom they worked to recover from the injury. While there was no statistical significance between those with and those without an athletic trainer (p=.273), 59%of all respondents noted that the time loss injury brought more stress upon themselves. 73% also stated that after the injury they found themselves thinking about what they would have done differently to prevent the injury. While 76% noted they felt lonely or like an outcast post-injury, there again was no statistical significance based on the presence of athletic trainer (p=.385). CONCLUSION: This study has highlighted the mental health concerns with secondary school athletes that have sustained a time-loss injury. While not noted statistically, having a licensed or certified athletic trainer on site to assist with rehabilitation of these injuries may impact the individual not only physically but mentally as well. This study lays the groundwork for further research as well as the establishment of mental health support for these athletes

Dibujando En Tent City: Art By Asylum Seeking Children in the U.S. - Mexico Border

The existing Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, have criminalized asylum and dehumanized asylum-seeking individuals. MPP requires asylum seekers who arrive at any U.S. port of entry across the entire southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. immigration courts. Using testimonio research, this study presents the artistic accounts of 7 Central American asylum-seeking children who are living in a “migrant camp” in Matamoros, Tamaulipas next to the Gateway International Bridge. Migrant camps are open-air tent encampments in which asylum seekers are living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions while they await their asylum interview. These hazardous conditions make them susceptible to respiratory diseases such as coronavirus (COVID-19). Sharing these experiences is critical to ensure that health professionals’ advocacy efforts reflect asylum seekers’ needs and life experiences. Given the violence inflicted by MPP and the risks associated with COVID-19, this manuscript demands the end of this policy to protect the psychological health of an already vulnerable community, asylum seeking children. Advocacy implications are also discussed

Tratamiento acoplado fisicoquímico-electrocoagulación para incrementar la remoción de la materia orgánica en un agua residual de rastro municipal

Tesis sobre Tratamiento acoplado fisicoquímico- electrocoagulaciónEn México existe un gran número de rastros municipales y la gran mayoría carece de un sistema de tratamiento efectivo, económico y de fácil manejo. Por tal razón, el objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es proponer una nueva alternativa que involucre dos diferentes tratamientos; precipitación química y electrocoagulación, los cuales favorezcan la remoción de materia orgánica (MO) que contiene este tipo de agua. Las muestras de agua residual fueron tomadas del efluente del rastro municipal de Toluca, Estado de México. En primera instancia se les analizaron parámetros físicos, químicos y biológicos con la finalidad de conocer la composición del agua en estudio; posterior a esto se procedió a encontrar las condiciones óptimas de los diferentes tratamientos, para poder llevar acabo el sistema acoplado. Y por último se realizó la cuantificación y caracterización de los lodos generados. Se encontró que utilizando el reactivo 110 para llevar acabo la precipitación química se obtienen buenas remociones en cuanto al color y turbiedad, además de incrementar la CE. La adición de 100 mg/L de este reactivo ayuda a tener una mejor remoción tanto de compuestos inorgánicos (sulfatos y fosfatos) como de orgánicos. En cuanto al tratamiento por electrocoagulación (EC) las condiciones óptimas de operación fueron utilizando 0.5 A, 5 g/L de NaCl como electrolito soporte, electrodos de cobre y pH de 4, durante 6 min de tratamiento, donde se obtuvo una remoción del 61% de DQO. El sistema acoplado se llevó acabo sin tener un efecto sinérgico en la remoción de MO, mostrando que los sistemas alcanzan mejores beneficios de manera independiente. Los lodos generados fueron caracterizados por Infrarrojo y Microscopia Electrónica de Barrido y Análisis Elemental, los cuales presentan elementos que podrían permitir su disposición como mejoradores de suelo, al contener Ca, Mg, P, C y micronutrientes como Cu, los cuales son esenciales para el desarrollo de los cultivos y podrían ser una alternativa para el uso agrícola. El tratamiento que más lodos generó fue el sistema acoplado, seguido de la precipitación química y por último la electrocoagulación.El trabajo que se presenta a continuación se desarrolló en el laboratorio de calidad del agua en el Centro Interamericano de Recursos del Agua (CIRA) de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México a través del proyecto CONACYT 219743 “Tratamientos avanzados y sustentables para la remoción de colorantes de origen textil”, así como la beca otorgada por el CONACYT 334010, y con el apoyo económico del COMECYT para la obtención del grado

Subacute combined degeneration due to nitrous oxide-induced vitamin B-12 deficiency

Background: Nitrous oxide also known as “laughing gas” is a naturally occurring gas that is colorless, odorless, nonflammable, and nontoxic. It has been used as an inhalant anesthetic in the medical field for more than 150 years for dental and surgical procedures. Due to its wide availability and ability to cause euphoria, recreational use is on the rise.1 Here, I will present a case of subacute combined degeneration in the setting of nitrous oxide induced vitamin B-12 deficiency. Case presentation: 23-year-old right-handed gentleman with no past medical history presented to the ED complaining of 1 week of bilateral lower extremity symmetric paresthesia, weakness, and difficulty with ambulation. He initially experienced paresthesia in the lower extremities. Two days later, he experienced difficulty ambulating which led to multiple falls at home. The patient stated sensation in both legs was reduced in addition to experiencing difficulty with positioning during movement and balance difficulty. Strength in bilateral lower extremities was also markedly reduced as he eventually noticed he was unable to stand by himself and after his most recent fall which prompted his visit to the emergency department. The patient denied trauma, fever, chills, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, vision changes. He denied alcohol use, tobacco use, or drug use. On neurological examination, the patient was alert and oriented to place, time, and situation, normal 5-minute recollection, normal mood, no aphasia, cranial nerves II-XII intact. Motor strength was 4/5 hip flexion bilaterally with eyes open, decreased to 3/5 with eyes closed. Dorsiflexion 4/5 bilaterally with eyes open, decreased to 3/5 with eyes closed. Deep tendon reflexes were 2+ in bicep reflex bilaterally, 3+ in patellar reflex with cross adductor response bilaterally, 3+ in achilles reflex. No clonus. Absent Babinski. On sensory exam, there was profound impairment in proprioception and vibration in bilateral lower extremities and decreased sensation to vibration in bilateral upper extremities. Proprioception preserved in upper extremities. Finger to nose, normal heal to the shin, normal rapid alternating movements. The patient had no tremor, and he was found to have an ataxic gait. Laboratory studies including complete blood count, complete metabolic panel, thyroid-stimulating hormone, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, folate levels were within normal limits. Serum vitamin B-12 was low at 78 pg/mL and vitamin D was low at 13.9 ng/mL. MRI of the cervical spine showed an abnormal T2 signal within the cervical spinal cord extending from the level of C2-C6, which appears to be centered posteriorly, without associated abnormal enhancement, potentially indicating evidence of myelopathy. In order to rule out Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders, aquaporin 4 antibody and anti-myelin oligodendrocyte antibody were ordered. HIV type 1 and 2 antibodies revealed no reactivity. Immunologic workup with ANA, dsDNA, SSA/Ro Ab, SS-B/La Ab, gastric parietal cell Ab was negative. Lumbar puncture was performed with CSF studies showing normal opening pressure, glucose, and white blood cell count, however, CSF protein was elevated at 243 mg/dL. Infectious workup with CSF culture, CSF acid-fast bacilli, CSF VDRL, CSF West Nile virus was negative. CSF oligoclonal revealed no bands. CSF cytology was negative for malignant cells. Aquaporin 4 antibody and anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody were negative. Workup revealed no evidence of infectious or immunologic underlying disease. While waiting for additional laboratory results, the patient was started on IVIG. On day 5 of hospitalization patient reported that he has been inhaling nitric oxide from whipped cream cans for recreational use for approximately a year. The patient was started on vitamin B-12 and vitamin D supplementation. He was also started on methylprednisolone IV 1000mg for 5 days. The patient’s condition improved progressively with vitamin B-12 supplementation and physical therapy enabling him to be transferred to inpatient rehabilitation to continue recovering. Conclusion: Patients presenting with neurological symptoms like paresthesia, numbness, weakness, and ataxic gait along with laboratory studies indicating vitamin B-12 deficiency should be questioned about nitrous oxide recreational use. Unfortunately, there is no test to screen for nitrous oxide use so this shows how essential it is to obtain a thorough complete history in regard to recreational drug use. Nitrous oxide inactivates vitamin B-12 making it unable to function as a cofactor for methionine synthase which normally converts homocysteine to methionine.2 Methionine is a precursor of S-adenosyl methionine which is used as a methyl donor required for the maintenance of the integrity of the neuron sheath. This will result in damaged myelin sheath by impairing the methylation of myelin basic proteins and lipids.3 Treatment consists of cessation of nitrous oxide use and vitamin B 12 supplementation. Vitamin B-12 supplementation should be started immediately upon suspected diagnosis since the response to treatment is associated with severity and duration of symptoms. Patients should be educated on the importance of the cessation of nitrous oxide for recreational use

Bitten to the bone: A case of anxiety-induced osteomyelitis

Background: Onychophagia is a habitual nail-biting disorder, usually associated with mental or emotional diseases. It affects 20–30% of the population in all age groups. Human bites have the potential to become serious injuries due to high virulence in the human oral flora and may often require hospital admission, antibiotics and even debridement in the operating room. Thus, repetitive nail biting has the potential to be limb-threatening if not treated early and appropriately. Case Presentation: Patient is a 49-year-old gentleman with a past medical history of severe refractory anxiety treated with hydroxyzine and scheduled alprazolam, after failing multiple other treatments, who was admitted to the hospital due to cellulitis of the right third digit after failing outpatient antibiotic therapy. On the initial physical exam, the patient had a lack of fingernails and multiple wounds at various stages of healing across all digits. The distal and middle phalanges of the 3rd right digit showing increased erythema and swelling and band tightening. Patient was started on broad spectrum antibiotics. Initial Xray of the right hand was concerning for osteomyelitis which was later confirmed with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Infectious disease agreed on a course of cefepime, vancomycin and metronidazole. Hand surgery did not see a need for amputation initially though patient did require fasciotomy of the flexor compartment of the right middle finger at day 6 of admission due to slow recovery. Hand surgery however was not convinced patient would make meaningful recovery and advocated for amputation of finger, but patient decided to continue non operative treatment. He was discharged to a skilled nursing facility where he was to continue intravenous antibiotics for 4 more weeks. Conclusion:The vulnerable patient population of south Texas is predominately Hispanic, Spanish-speaking and uninsured. It is imperative to treat psychiatric disorders early to prevent complications, however, given the few numbers of psychiatrist in the Rio Grande Valley and even fewer who speak Spanish it is not unusual find an appointment in more than 6 months out. In this case, we observe the limb-threatening complications a simple “bad habit” can lead to if not treated early and appropriately

Luchas contra la matriz colonial del poder: la liminalidad del inmigrante en Axolotl de Julio Cortázar y Everything, Everywhere All at Once de Daniel Kwan y Daniel Scheinert.

Throughout this essay, immigrant liminality and its connection to Anibal Quijano’s colonial matrix of power is highlighted. Literature and film, such as Axolotl and Everything Everywhere All at Once, illustrate the impact of colonialism on immigrant liminality. Decolonization, anti-colonial thought and culture, can empower marginalized communities by recognizing the ongoing impacts of colonialism. Such representations acknowledge the state of limbo immigrants face, which is disconnected from the mainstream representation of the immigrant experience and the American Dream. By exploring liminality, these representations can help dismantle the colonial matrix of power that shapes how immigrants are perceived in the Western world

Typology of Uncertainties in the Development Process of Product-Service Systems

This paper investigates uncertainty in the development of Product-Service Systems (PSS) – a complex combination of product and services. This research is important because practitioners struggle with managing the high uncertainties arising from the complexity of parallel product and service development in compound clusters of stakeholders. Yet, scholars have not analyzed these challenges extensively. Based on a combination of innovation management and servitization literature a conceptual framework is offered, detailing five uncertainty types relevant for PSS-development: environmental, technical, organizational, resource and relational uncertainty. This research contributes to the servitization literature by broadening the body of knowledge and deriving suitable management practices