Voucher Privatization in Russia: First results and experiences

The main political problem faced by architects of the Russian VPP was the question of satisfying the interests of all partners taking part in privatization: employees, management, citizens and potential strategic investors. Therefore, a very rigid procedure of shares distribution was introduced in the program. This procedure assumed three rounds: closed subscription round,voucher auctions round and investment tenders round. Length: 47 PagesVoucher, privatization, transition economies

Privatization in the Republic of Kazakhstan

In 1991 the Kazakhstan government has embarked on an ambitious economic reform program, in which privatization would be both the driving force and an important component for the successful transformation of the Kazakh economy. A fast transferal of government-owned assets and services to the private sector was regarded as the key to the success of all these transformation efforts. The paper provides an analyses of the first two phases of privatization process in Kazakhstan.Kazakhstan, Privatization, Transition

Fiscal Effects from Privatization: Case of Bulgaria and Poland (Part I)

This study constitutes part of the "Support for Economic Reforms in Bulgaria" project conducted by the Center for Economic and Social Research (CASE Research Foundation), Warsaw and financed by the Open Society Institute, Budapest. The aim of the project is to assist co-operation with Bulgarian counterparts in implementing structural reforms in the Bulgarian economy. At the request of the Bulgarian authorities, this assistance involves developing and carrying out reform programs, as well as evaluating their results in priority areas of structural and institutional reform, with particular reference to the process of ownership transformation. This includes providing an overall strategy for privatization and reporting its effects, monitoring the process of enterprise privatization, post-privatization contract enforcement and the restructuring of newly privatized companies. The purpose of this study is to: - describe and evaluate the fiscal dimension of the privatization process in Bulgaria and Poland, - conduct a cross-country comparison of the fiscal effects of privatization in Bulgaria and Poland, examining their respective approaches to the same, - identify the crucial factors in the privatization strategy and policies of both countries that affect their privatization revenues, - provide background information for the possible transfer of know-how concerning the best approach to maximizing the fiscal effects of privatization, by examining those positive and negative aspects of Poland's experience that could prove relevant to Bulgaria's economic environment. This study includes an evaluation of the fiscal effects of privatization in both countries in the period since the very beginning of the process, i.e. in the case of Poland since 1990 and in the case of Bulgaria since 1993. The crosscountry comparison of the fiscal dimension of privatization has been contingent on the privatization models, priorities and methods applied in both countries.privatization, Bulgaria, Poland, fiscal effect

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with a variant in low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality and has a significant heritability. We carried out a genome-wide association discovery study of 1866 patients with AAA and 5435 controls and replication of promising signals (lead SNP with a p value < 1 × 10-5) in 2871 additional cases and 32,687 controls and performed further follow-up in 1491 AAA and 11,060 controls. In the discovery study, nine loci demonstrated association with AAA (p < 1 × 10-5). In the replication sample, the lead SNP at one of these loci, rs1466535, located within intron 1 of low-density-lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) demonstrated significant association (p = 0.0042). We confirmed the association of rs1466535 and AAA in our follow-up study (p = 0.035). In a combined analysis (6228 AAA and 49182 controls), rs1466535 had a consistent effect size and direction in all sample sets (combined p = 4.52 × 10-10, odds ratio 1.15 [1.10-1.21]). No associations were seen for either rs1466535 or the 12q13.3 locus in independent association studies of coronary artery disease, blood pressure, diabetes, or hyperlipidaemia, suggesting that this locus is specific to AAA. Gene-expression studies demonstrated a trend toward increased LRP1 expression for the rs1466535 CC genotype in arterial tissues; there was a significant (p = 0.029) 1.19-fold (1.04-1.36) increase in LRP1 expression in CC homozygotes compared to TT homozygotes in aortic adventitia. Functional studies demonstrated that rs1466535 might alter a SREBP-1 binding site and influence enhancer activity at the locus. In conclusion, this study has identified a biologically plausible genetic variant associated specifically with AAA, and we suggest that this variant has a possible functional role in LRP1 expression

Effects of Privatization of Industrial Enterprises in Bulgaria. Report on Empirical Research

This Report presents the results of empirical research concerning the progress of privatization and its impact on the situation of privatized enterprises. The study is a part of the system of monitoring the processes of ownership transformations in the Bulgarian economy. The research was carried out in autumn 1998 by the Center for Economic Development (CED) in Sofia, the Agency for Economic Analysis and Forecasting (AEAF) in Sofia, and the Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE Foundation) in Warsaw. The research was a part of an advisory project "Support for Economic Reforms in Bulgaria", implemented by the CASE Foundation and financed by the Open Society Institute in Budapest. The research team consisted of: Julian Pankow (CASE) - project coordinator and research leader, Lubomir Dimitrov (AEAF) and Piotr Kozarzewski (CASE). Moreover, the following persons were involved in various stages of preparation and implementation of the project: Mariela Nenova (AEAF Director), Marinela Petrova (AEAF), Diana Hristozova (CED) and Boguslav Tatarevich (CASE). The fieldwork part of the research was completed in September and October 1998 by Vitosha Research company affiliated at the Center of the Study of Democracy in Sofia.privatization, industry, Bulgaria

Mississippi-Louisiana Estuarine Area Study: Salinity and Circulation at and near Bay Boudreau in Biloxi Marshes, Eastern Louisiana

Source: https://erdc-library.erdc.dren.mil/jspui/The US Army Engineer District, New Orleans, has conducted a long-term study concerning the feasibility of diverting fresh water into the Lake Pontchartrain and Borgne basins in order to increase fish and wildlife productivity. This report describes a statistical analysis and a selected portion of the data acquired in the Bay Boudreau area by the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station in support of the New Orleans District, The study approach, statistical analysis, spectral analysis and selected data are presented in this report

Cancer epidemiology in the last century and the next decade.

By the early 1980s, epidemiologists had identified many important causes of cancer. They had also proposed the 'multi-stage' model of cancer, although none of the hypothesized events in human carcinogenesis had then been identified. The remarkable advances in cell and molecular biology over the past two decades have transformed the scope and methods of cancer epidemiology. There have been a few new discoveries based purely on traditional methods, and many long-suspected minor risks have been estimated more precisely. But modern epidemiological studies often depend on genetic, biochemical or viral assays that had not been developed 20 years ago