Overlapping fiscal domains and effectiveness of environmental policy in India

The paper analyses the assignment systems and implementation aspects of environmental regulation in regard to water, air, and forests. The assignment of environmental functions and its overlapping is analysed in terms of not only the different levels of government, but also between the executive and judiciary. Specifically, the paper examines judicial intervention in environmental protection in India and argues that judicial activism although can be construed as a part of "checks and balances" in a federal system, it cannot be a substitute to the failure of executive in undertaking the task of environmental protection. The paper also analyses the implementation aspects of environmental policy, particularly the effectiveness of policies and institutions relating to environmental governance. Despite a reasonably clear assignment system, the implementation of environmental functions has not been satisfactory. In most cases, an important factor impeding effective implementation is seen in the structure of incentives to bureaucracy and policy makers and influence of polluters on them. Besides, the environmental regulators do not have access to modern technology and inadequate resources to measure and regulate pollution levels. The paper highlights overlapping roles of executive and judiciary in implementing environmental regulation. In other words, failure of the executive to regulate and monitor pollution levels as well as forest cover has led to the Supreme Court intervention. Interpreting that access to clean water and air as a fundamental right, the courts have pronounced several judgements on the implementation of environmental regulation virtually taking over the role of executive. This has helped to resolve the issues in the short term and in some cases has led to the improvement in environmental quality. However, the solution is ad hoc as the courts cannot undertake the task of implementation nor do they have the technical knowledge to deal with complex problems of environmental regulation. Besides, technology is not static and mandating a technical solution through a judgement such as the use of a particular technology or particular fuel for running of commercial vehicles can create serious problems in the long term. The solution lies in reforming the incentive structure and institutions of governance to make the executive much more sensitive and accountable to environmental issues.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection inhibits colonic thiamin pyrophosphate uptake via transcriptional mechanism.

Colonocytes possess a specific carrier-mediated uptake process for the microbiota-generated thiamin (vitamin B1) pyrophosphate (TPP) that involves the TPP transporter (TPPT; product of the SLC44A4 gene). Little is known about the effect of exogenous factors (including enteric pathogens) on the colonic TPP uptake process. Our aim in this study was to investigate the effect of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection on colonic uptake of TPP. We used human-derived colonic epithelial NCM460 cells and mice in our investigation. The results showed that infecting NCM460 cells with live EHEC (but not with heat-killed EHEC, EHEC culture supernatant, or with non-pathogenic E. Coli) to lead to a significant inhibition in carrier-mediated TPP uptake, as well as in level of expression of the TPPT protein and mRNA. Similarly, infecting mice with EHEC led to a significant inhibition in colonic TPP uptake and in level of expression of TPPT protein and mRNA. The inhibitory effect of EHEC on TPP uptake by NCM460 was found to be associated with reduction in the rate of transcription of the SLC44A4 gene as indicated by the significant reduction in the activity of the SLC44A4 promoter transfected into EHEC infected cells. The latter was also associated with a marked reduction in the level of expression of the transcription factors CREB-1 and ELF3, which are known to drive the activity of the SLC44A4 promoter. Finally, blocking the ERK1/2 and NF-kB signaling pathways in NCM460 cells significantly reversed the level of EHEC inhibition in TPP uptake and TPPT expression. Collectively, these findings show, for the first time, that EHEC infection significantly inhibit colonic uptake of TPP, and that this effect appears to be exerted at the level of SLC44A4 transcription and involves the ERK1/2 and NF-kB signaling pathways

Multiphase transport model for heavy ion collisions at RHIC

Using a multiphase transport model (AMPT) with both partonic and hadronic interactions, we study the multiplicity and transverse momentum distributions of charged particles such as pions, kaons and protons in central Au+Au collisions at RHIC energies. Effects due to nuclear shadowing and jet quenching on these observables are also studied. We further show preliminary results on the production of multistrange baryons from the strangeness-exchange reactions during the hadronic stage of heavy ion collisions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, espcrc1.sty included, presented at 15th International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (QM2001), Long Island, New York, January 200

Synthesis of 2-Substituted 9-Oxa-Guanines {5-Aminooxazolo 5,4-D Pyrimidin-7(6H)-Ones} and 9-Oxa-2-Thio-Xanthines{5-Mercaptooxazolo 5,4-D Pyrimidin-7(6H)-Ones}

Oxazolo[5,4-d] pyrimidines can be considered as 9-oxa-purine analogs of naturally occurring nucleic acid bases. Interest in this ring system has increased due to recent reports of biologically active derivatives. In particular, 5-aminooxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine-7(6H)-ones (9-oxa-guanines) have been shown to inhibit ricin. The preparation of a series of 2-substituted 5-aminooxazolo[5,4-d] pyrimidin-7(6H)-ones and related 5-thio-oxazolo[5,4-d] pyrimidines is described, including analogs suitable for further elaboration employing "click" chemistry utilizing copper-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. Two of the compounds prepared were found to inhibit ricin with IC(50) ca. 1-3 mM.Pharmac

Development of Kidung Jula-Juli as a media for children's literacy

Kidung Jula-Juli is known as a sustainable art in East Java which has its own uniqueness. This uniqueness becomes a cultural value to be introduced to students. Kidungan Jula-Juli is a song development reseach with good messages from local wisdom. This research was conducted with a qualitative type of R&D (Research and Development) from the use of the ADDIE flow which has 5 steps (analyst, design, development, implementation, evaluation). Data collection techniques were obtained from the needs of observations and questionnaires The results of the research material show that experts accumulated a score of 5 while linguists formed a score of 4,386. Questionnaire responses from teachers and students were conducted by two schools consisting of 2 classes, each involving 4 teachers and 139 students. From 13 assessed aspects, it is safe to indicate that media literacy is very good. Kidung Jula-Juli which was developed as a literacy media is a media that can fill literacy strengthening activities in elementary school environmental

Biotin Supplementation Ameliorates Murine Colitis by Preventing NF-κB Activation.

Background & aimsBiotin is a water-soluble vitamin that is indispensable for human health. Biotin deficiency can cause failure-to-thrive, immunodeficiency, alopecia, dermatitis, and conjunctivitis. We previously reported that biotin deficiency also can lead to severe colitis in mice, which is completely reversed with supplementation. Our aim in this study was to determine if high-dose biotin supplementation can provide a therapeutic benefit in a preclinical model for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify the molecular mechanism by which this occurs.MethodsMice were challenged with dextran sodium sulfate to induce colitis and were treated with 1 mmol/L biotin to induce or maintain remission. Clinical response was monitored by the Disease Activity Index and fecal calprotectin levels. The colon tissue was investigated for histology, length, as well as expression of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin 1β), intestinal permeability, tight junctions (zonula occludens-1 and claudin-2), and the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).ResultsBiotin therapy led to delayed onset and severity of colitis as well as accelerated healing. There was improvement in the Disease Activity Index, fecal calprotectin levels, colon length, and histology. In addition, biotin-treated mice had reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines, reduced intestinal permeability, and reduced activation of NF-κB.ConclusionsOral supplementation with biotin provides benefit for maintenance and induction of remission in the dextran sodium sulfate preclinical model for IBD. Biotin does this by reducing the activation of NF-κB, which prevents the production of inflammatory cytokines and helps maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Clinically, the NF-κB pathway is important in the development of IBD and this finding suggests that biotin may have therapeutic potential for patients with IBD

On the role of twisted statistics in the noncommutative degenerate electron gas

We consider the problem of a degenerate electron gas in the background of a uniformly distributed positive charge, ensuring overall neutrality of the system, in the presence of non-commutativity. In contrast to previous calculations that did not include twisted statistics, we find corrections to the ground state energy already at first order in perturbation theory when the twisted statistics is taken into account. These corrections arise since the interaction energy is sensitive to two particle correlations, which are modified for twisted anti-commutation relations

Future Importance of Maritime Activities in Bangladesh

Blue Economy is a concept of economic growth through the sustainable utilization of ocean resources with technological inputs to improve livelihoods and meet the growing demands for jobs without hampering the health of the ocean ecosystem. This paper offers an overview of current maritime key activities, major trends and scenarios, future blue economy development activities with economic and social importance, ecological importance and blue economy policy framework. This paper also focuses on the major constraints and challenges. The current maritime key activities include extraction of living and non-living resources, land based activities, trades and transportation, shipbuilding and ship breaking, tourism and recreation, man-made structures, energy production and, research and survey. The trend data show that the total fish landing and total export income from fisheries has increased over time. However, data on mangrove revenue suggest that in recent years, current revenues from this forest are comparatively less than they were in the 1980s and the 1990s. To expand its Blue Economy, Bangladesh must focus on marine fisheries, non-traditional species, marine biotechnology, oil gas and mineral mining, renewable energy, marine trade and transport, marine tourism and marine spatial planning. However, this paper finds that lack of implementation and enforcement, of management measures, limited planning and coordination are hinder the development of Blue Economic in Bangladesh. Thus a strategic management process integrating multiple stakeholders urgently needed for a sustainable Blue Economy maritime territory of Bangladesh