What Should Lawyers Know About Economics

To find out what law-and-economics scholars and economists think lawyers should know about economics, we conducted surveys of random samples of members of the American Law and Economics Association and the American Economic Association. We posed two questions to both groups: What do you think are the five most important economic concepts law students ought to learn in a law-and-economics course? Law-and-economics courses sometimes include economics articles in their reading lists. If you could choose up to five articles for such a course, what would they be

Law and Economics and Tort Law: A Survey of Scholarly Opinion

Recent litigation brought against cigarette manufacturers, software companies over potential year 2000 computer problems, and a fast food restaurant for serving coffee that was allegedly too hot reminds us of the importance and dynamic nature of tort law in the United States. Judging from ongoing coverage by newspapers and television, tort law is newsworthy. Yet, as with other legal issues, it is within the covers of law reviews and specialty journals in economics that much of the debate over the social utility of various tort rules and their reform takes place. In that debate law and economics exercises great influence. Ever since the 1970s, the modem movement in economic analysis has been in full swing. That analysis has highlighted the deterrence function of tort law. Indeed, even in the works of mainstream scholars, deterrence has now assumed the role of a primary rationale for tort liability rules. One example of this influence is the impact of economic analysis of tort law on the revision of the Restatement of Torts (Second) sections on products liability. In spite of the significance of tort law and the economic analysis of it, the general public, practicing attorneys, and legislators often know little about the findings and informed opinions of those scholars specializing in law and economics. The purpose of this Article is neither to review contemporary issues surrounding tort law, nor to gauge the extent of the influence of specialists in law and economics; our purpose is to address whether a consensus exists among these scholars about a few fundamental doctrines of tort law. Because efficiency is a major concern in the field of law and economics, each proposition raises an issue of efficiency about a tort rule. We thus framed ten propositions about how efficiently tort rules achieve their purposes. In the following section we present our results as a whole. Next we discuss the results individually, offering brief resumes of the debates that inspired the particular questions. Finally, we offer some general conclusions based on the results taken together

What Should Lawyers Know About Economics

To find out what law-and-economics scholars and economists think lawyers should know about economics, we conducted surveys of random samples of members of the American Law and Economics Association and the American Economic Association. We posed two questions to both groups: What do you think are the five most important economic concepts law students ought to learn in a law-and-economics course? Law-and-economics courses sometimes include economics articles in their reading lists. If you could choose up to five articles for such a course, what would they be

DNA metabarcoding reveals introduced species predominate in the diet of a threatened endemic omnivore, Telfair's skink (Leiolopisma telfairii)

Introduced species can exert disproportionately negative effects on island ecosystems, but their potential role as food for native consumers is poorly studied. Telfair's skinks are endemic omnivores living on Round Island, Mauritius, a globally significant site of biodiversity conservation. We aimed to determine the dietary diversity and key trophic interactions of Telfair's skinks, whether introduced species are frequently consumed, and if diet composition changes seasonally between male and female skinks. We used DNA metabarcoding of skink fecal samples to identify animals (COI) and plants (ITS2) consumed by skinks. There were 389 dietary presence counts belonging to 77 dietary taxa found across the 73 Telfair's skink fecal samples. Introduced taxa were cumulatively consumed more frequently than other categories, accounting for 49.4% of all detections, compared to cryptogenic (20.6%), native (20.6%), and endemic taxa (9.5%). The most frequently consumed introduced species was the ant, Pheidole megacephala, present in 40% of samples. Blue latan palm, Latania loddigesii, was the most frequently consumed endemic species, present in 33% of samples but was only detected in the dry season, when fruits are produced. We found a strong seasonal difference in diet composition explained by the presence of certain plant species solely or primarily in one season and a marked increase in the consumption of animal prey in the dry season. Male and female skinks consumed several taxa at different frequencies. These results present a valuable perspective on the role of introduced species in the trophic network of their invaded ecosystem. Both native and introduced species provide nutritional resources for skinks, and this may have management implications in the context of species conservation and island restoration

Survey measurements of community norms on adolescent girls and young women's (AGYW) sexual behaviour and use of condoms for HIV prevention in Manicaland, East Zimbabwe

Background: Qualitative data suggest pre-marital sex stigma presents a major obstacle to AGYW's use of HIV prevention methods. Lack of social acceptability therefore is included as a barrier to motivation to use condoms in HIV prevention cascades. Representative survey data on community norms are rare but necessary to test the validity of this assumption and measure their contributions to gaps in prevention cascades. Methods: General-population survey participants in Manicaland (ages≥15,N = 9803) were asked if they agreed/disagreed with statements on social norms. AGYW were asked whether community views are an obstacle to their using condoms. Proportions agreeing/disagreeing with these statements were calculated, variations in community members’ views were investigated in multivariable logistic-regression models, and the association between AGYW's perceiving negative community norms and condom use was measured. Results: 93.5%(95%CI,93%-94%) of respondents agreed that ‘Many young women have sex before marriage these days’. 57%(56%-59%) of men and 70%(69%-71%) of women disagreed that ‘If I have a teenage daughter and she has sex before marriage, I would be ok with this’; and 41%(40%-43%) of men and 57%(56%-59%) of women disagreed that ‘If I have a teenage daughter, I would tell her about condoms’. Fathers but not mothers were more likely to disagree with their daughters having sex before marriage (Figure). Similar proportions of parents and other community members were against telling daughters about condoms. 68%(61%-75%) of sexually-active unmarried AGYW said negative community views were unimportant in decisions to use condoms. Condom use didn't differ between those who agreed/disagreed that negative community views are important (46.9% vs. 50.0%; AOR = 0.88, 95%CI, 0.48–1.62; N = 202). Conclusions: Community resistance to condom promotion based on pre-marital sex stigma may be weakening as a barrier to AGYW's motivation to use condoms in Manicaland. Community-led interventions to accelerate this dynamic in social norms and support AGYW's agency could reduce HIV incidence

ESA Venus Entry Probe Study

The Venus Entry Probe is one of ESA s Technology Reference Studies (TRS). The purpose of the Technology Reference Studies is to provide a focus for the development of strategically important technologies that are of likely relevance for future scientific missions. The aim of the Venus Entry Probe TRS is to study approaches for low cost in-situ exploration of Venus and other planetary bodies with a significant atmosphere. In this paper, the mission objectives and an outline of the mission concept of the Venus Entry Probe TRS are presented

The diet of red-throated divers (Gavia stellata) overwintering in the German Bight (North Sea) analysed using molecular diagnostics

In Europe, the German Bight is one of the most important non-breeding areas for protected red-throated divers (Gavia stellata). It is unclear what attracts the birds to this area, especially as the food composition of seabirds outside the breeding season is notoriously difficult to study. To obtain information on prey species composition of red-throated divers in this area, faecal samples from 34 birds caught alive were analysed using DNA metabarcoding. Prey DNA was detected in 85% of the samples with a mean number of 4.2 ± 0.7 taxa per sample (n = 29). Altogether, we found a broad prey spectrum with 19 fish taxa from 13 families dominated by five groups: clupeids, mackerel, gadoids, flatfish and sand lances with clupeids being the most frequently detected prey. Our results indicate that red-throated divers are generalist opportunistic feeders in the German Bight, but pelagic schooling fish that aggregate at frontal zones and have a high energetic value might be favoured. Atlantic mackerel appears to be a more important prey for red-throated divers in this area than previously thought. The precision achievable using metabarcoding has revealed a number of prey species that are consumed by red-throated divers in the German Bight, which helps to explain the selection of this area by divers in winter and spring

An Unified Approach To Pseudo Scalar Meson Photoproductions Off Nucleons In The Quark Model

An unified approach to the pseudo scalar meson ($\pi, \eta$, and $K$) photoproduction off nucleons are presented. It begins with the low energy QCD Lagrangian, and the resonances in the s- and u- channels are treated in the framework of the quark model The duality hypothesis is imposed to limit the number of the t-channel exchanges. The CGLN amplitudes for each reaction are evaluated, which include both proton and neutron targets. The important role by the S-wave resonances in the second resonance region is discussed, it is particularly important for the $K, \eta$ and $\eta^\prime$ photoproductions.Comment: 31 pages in Latex fil