A taxonomy of testimonial smothering

Kristie Dotson formulates testimonial smothering as a form of testimonial oppression where a speaker truncates or removes the content of her testimony leaving the testimony empty from any content for which the hearers demonstrated testimonial incompetence. On Dotson’s account of smothering, the speaker empties her testimony from all content relevant to the domain of exchange. However, Dotson’s account does not include or cover instances where a speaker smothers her testimony, yet her smothered testimony contains some content relevant to the domain of exchange. In this thesis, I present a more detailed analysis of testimonial smothering to showcase different ways in which oppressed speakers interact in exchanges in which they are oppressed. I take Dotson’s notion of smothering to be one form of testimonial smothering, which I call smothering via emptying. I introduce two other types of smothering, smothering via altering and smothering via echoing, to encompass cases where a speaker’s smothered testimony is not empty from content relevant to the domain of exchange. Then I use the taxonomy of testimonial smothering to showcase ways in which oppressed speakers can contribute to conversations in which they are oppressed.https://www.ester.ee/record=b550775

Modélisation d'une analyse pragma-linguistique d'un forum de discussion

National audienceWe present in this paper, a modelling of an expertise in pragmatics. We follow knowledge engineering techniques and observe the expert when he analyses a social discussion forum. Then a number of models are defined. These models emphasises the process followed by the expert and a number of criteria used in his analysis. Results can be used as guides that help to understand and annotate discussion forum. We aim at modelling other pragmatics analysis in order to complete the base of guides; criteria, process, etc. of discussion analysi

Three Essays in Mergers and Acquisitions and Executive Compensation

Several studies in the finance literature (and other fields) focus on how compensation contracts of CEOs shape incentives and affect risk-taking behaviour. We examine how CEOs with varying risk appetites approach merger and acquisition (M&A) deals differently due to incentives driven by their compensation structure. Relying on VEGA, the sensitivity of executive’s portfolio to a one percent change in volatility of stock returns, we document that acquirers and targets behave differently vis-à-vis their compensation. We show that a longer time to completion is related to the target VEGA (and not bidder VEGA). We also find that a more risk-taking CEO (as encouraged by VEGA) selling his firm would delay completing a deal by a significant three weeks. We conjecture that target CEOs choose to delay deal completion to look for better bids that tally their need to change their portfolio of company holdings. Next, we link executive compensation, mergers and acquisitions, and environmental, social and governance in one framework that produces new insights into how CEO’s incentives yield sub-optimal investment decisions. Our sample consists of 1,280 mergers (M&A) from the period of 1993-2018 and uses the CEO’s wealth sensitivity to stock price volatility (VEGA) as a proxy for risk-taking behaviour. We establish that there is a shift in the relation between CSR rating and cumulative abnormal announcement returns of M&As deals. After 2008, the market for corporate control no longer rewards more commitment to CSR activities. We examine the performance of our sample of mergers in comparison with that of a matched sample of non-bidding firms vis-à-vis their environmental, social and governance (ESG) profiles over the long term. Our results indicate that more CSR commitment does not translate into better long-term returns for shareholders and stakeholders if the firms participate in M&As. Moreover, we investigate how the bidder and target CSR ratings, as well as management risk-taking incentives (proxied by VEGA), affect deals total synergy estimated around the announcement day. Our results show that firms with lower CSR ratings yield more synergy gains, which are not related to both bidder and target risk-taking incentives. Finally, we provide new evidence related to the debate whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies intrinsically benefit organizations and contribute to wealth creation after controlling for CEO compensation. We utilize a sample of M&A deals spanning the period 1993 to 2018 of target firms with different CSR ratings and investigate the effect of CEOs’ executive compensation driven incentives. Our main finding is that Low CSR firms becoming targets of M&A contests in the subperiod post-2008 record the highest cumulative average abnormal returns (compared to High CSR over the same period and other subsamples). We report that Low CSR firms with High VEGA target CEOs specifically perform better in corporate control contests in later years. We justify this as Low CSR firms are characterized by lower governance and more agency costs where management seeks benefit its own interests instead of being considerate for the stakeholders at large

FOOD SAFETY PRACTICES AMONG FOOD CARTS IN -NORTH LEBANON

Street food carts serve different types of popular and traditional foods; it is a common economic sector worldwide. In North Lebanon, food carts are mobile or centered in specific places serving common and well known RTE meals. In addition, the increasing incidence of foodborne illnesses associated with street foods sheds light on the importance of inspecting the practices of street vendors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the food safety in 30 food carts using an observational checklist and to perform microbiological analysis for the detection of foodborne pathogens namely; yeast, mold, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Enterohemorrhagic E.coli, B-glucuronidase E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium perfringens in 10 samples of orange juice, 10 samples of cheese caek and 10 samples of meat shawarma; moreover to investigate the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in RTE foods and street vendor’s hands. Out of 30 vendors, 100% were males, 80% with an age between 25-44, 80% of them had less than high school level and 66.7% had fixed stalls. When vendors were observed for food safety practices, 70% and 86.7% of them did not store raw materials separately nor in suitable form respectively, 43.5% cleaned their carts monthly, 96% shared utensils between many types of food, 70% did not clean the counter top surface before starting food preparation; moreover 96%, 76 % and 83% of vendors were not wearing net, gloves nor an appropriate uniform, respectively. Results showed that all tested samples were contaminated with at least one of the tested foodborne pathogens, unsatisfactory levels of yeast and mold were recorded in 10 and 9 orange juice samples, respectively. On the other hand, B-glucuronides E.coli exceeded standard limit in two samples of RTE food, one shawarma sample did not meet standard with respect to C. perfringens, Remarkably, unsatisfactory levels of S. aureus were detected in 55 % of RTE samples and in 30 % of vendor’s hands. S. aureus strains were susceptible to at least one of the used antibiotics, accordingly one isolated from vendor’s hand is considered as MRSA. Therefore, the unsatisfactory levels of yeast, mold and S. aureus in tested samples were induced by vendor’s violation of food safety practices. Consequently, the current proposes to improve the legislation needs to provide safe food for the end consumer

CD154: An Immunoinflammatory Mediator in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis are two major chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases with significant prevalence rates among the population. Although the etiology of these diseases remains unresolved, several evidences support the key role of CD154/CD40 interactions in initiating and/or propagating these diseases. The discovery of new receptors (αIIbβ3, α5β1, and αMβ2) for CD154 has expanded our understanding about the precise role of this critical immune mediator in the physiopathology of chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases in general, and in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in particular. This paper presents an overview of the interaction of CD154 with its various receptors and outlines its role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, the potential usefulness of various CD154-interfering agents in the treatment and prevention of these diseases is also discussed

The vulnerability of the girls to HIV/AIDS in conflicts : examining factors that increase girls vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in Darfur conflict - South Darfur

Sudan region of Darfur has been experiencing an internal war which has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions of the civilian population. The purpose of this study is to examine factors that increase the vulnerability of girls in Darfur‟s IDP camps to HIV/AIDS. In this thesis I have used a case study approach utilizing qualitative methods to examine how conflict gender, power and HIV/AIDS merge to create situations of risk and vulnerability for girls in a specific IDP camp in Darfur. In total 28 interviews were conducted with IDP girls in the camp, interviews with one member of the IDP camp committee, one lab technician and a head teacher of one of the IDP schools. This study highlights the experiences that the girls in the IDP camp in south Darfur go through and the factors that create risk conditions for them. The study found out that the factors which increase the vulnerability of the girls to HIV/AIDS in Darfur are mainly socio-economic and political ones, relating to situations existing on ground. The environmental problems resulting from the climatic change play a great role in the Darfur conflict, and in turn make people more vulnerable to disaster and disease. Daily activities such as farming and collecting of firewood exposed girls to the risks of being abducted or raped. Additionally, sexual harassment and female genital mutilation are areas of concern as they increase gender inequality and the domination of men. Knowledge about HIV/AIDS is also limited; due to a culture of silence where girls cannot ask for information about sex out of fears that they will be thought to be sexually active.Master in International Education and Development (NOMA

Oral cancer knowledge, attitudes and practices among dentists in Khartoum State, Sudan

>Magister Scientiae - MScThe aim of the present study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of dentists related to oral cancer prevention and early detection in public dental clinics in Khartoum State, Suda

Particle swarm optimization based proportional-derivative parameters for unmanned tilt-rotor flight control and trajectory tracking

This paper presents the dynamic modelling and control technique for a tilt-rotor aerial vehicle operating in bi-rotor mode. This kind of aircraft combines two flight envelopes, making it ideal for scenarios that require hovering, vertical take-off/landing and fixed-wing capabilities. In this work, a detailed mathematical model is derived using Newton–Euler formalism. Based on the obtained model, a new control scheme that incorporates six Proportional-Derivative (PD) controllers is proposed for the attitudes (roll (φ), pitch (θ), yaw (ψ)) and the positions (x, y, z) of the aircraft. Then, intelligent Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and conventional Reference Model (RM) techniques are applied for optimal tuning of the controllers\u27 parameters. The stability analysis is developed using the Lyapunov approach and its application to the tilt-rotor system in the case of intelligent and conventional PD controllers. Numerical results of two scenarios prove the efficiency of the controllers tuned using the PSO method. Indeed, its ability to track the desired trajectories is demonstrated through 3D path tracking simulations, even in the presence of wind disturbances. Finally, experimental tests of stabilization and trajectory tracking are carried out on our prototype. These testing showed that our tilt-rotor was stable and suitably follows the imposed trajectories

Sustainable Development Goals Disclosure Practices through Integrated Reporting: An Empirical analysis on European Financial Institutions

The goal of the study is to investigate the state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) disclosure in European financial institutions’ Integrated Reports. As a research approach, manual content analysis was adopted. The study developed a disclosure index as a research tool comprised of the 17 SDGs. The empirical analysis shows that the most disclosed goals were SDG13 (Climate Action), where all the reports disclosed the measures taken by the companies to achieve this goal, followed by SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), as 10 reports disclosed detailed information on this goal. Also, the results provide evidence that SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG14 (Life Below Water), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) came in the last place, respectively. Practically, the study encourages companies in all sectors to adopt the SDGs in their integrated strategy to create better value for stakeholders.The goal of the study is to investigate the state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) disclosure in European financial institutions’ Integrated Reports. As a research approach, manual content analysis was adopted. The study developed a disclosure index as a research tool comprised of the 17 SDGs. The empirical analysis shows that the most disclosed goals were SDG13 (Climate Action), where all the reports disclosed the measures taken by the companies to achieve this goal, followed by SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), as 10 reports disclosed detailed information on this goal. Also, the results provide evidence that SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG14 (Life Below Water), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) came in the last place, respectively. Practically, the study encourages companies in all sectors to adopt the SDGs in their integrated strategy to create better value for stakeholders

Cholecystectomy for Gallstone: Types and Findings

Gall stone disease remains a common and significant cause of suffering in most parts of the world. Gallstones are the most common biliary pathology. A descriptive study covered 80 patients underwent surgical treatment for gallstone diseases. Ultrasound study and plain abdominal X-ray were done to confirm the presence of gallstone. More than half of the sample 58.8% were in the oldest age group 50-69 year. Female were 68(85%) and the remaining 12(15%) patients were male. Most of patients 60(75.0%) operated upon by open cholecystectomy, laparoscope used in 18(22.5%). The main finding on exploring the abdomen was inflammatory adhesion in 54(67.5%) of the patients, thick wall gallbladder came next in 12 (15%) patients. Many complications and clinical findings associated with gallstone, some of them are serious other are even fatal. That is why cholecystectomy is highly indicated even for silent gallstone. Keywords: Gallstone, Jaundice, Cholecystitis, Surgery, Laparoscopy DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/71-09 Publication date: February 29th 202