Microwave-mediated synthesis of N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) boronates

A library of over 20, mainly aryl or heteroaryl, N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA) boronates have been synthesised. A rapid microwave-mediated (MW) method (5–10 min) has been developed using polyethylene glycol 300 (PEG 300) as solvent. However, acetonitrile (MeCN) and dimethylformamide (DMF) were found to be alternative solvents, the latter especially for 2-substituted aryl boronic acids

Why State Constitutions Differ in their Treatment of Same-Sex Marriage

Some states treat a same-sex marriage as legally equal to a marriage between a man and a woman. Other states prohibit legal recognition of same-sex marriages in their constitutions. In every state that has a constitutional restriction against same-sex marriage, the amendment was passed by a popular vote. The conventional wisdom about allowing voter participation in such decisions is that they yield constitutional outcomes that reflect attitude differences across states. We reexamine the attitude-amendment relationship and find it to be weaker than expected. In particular, we show that states vary in the costs they impose on constituencies that desire constitutional change. Some states impose very low costs (i.e., a simple majority of voters is sufficient for change). Other states impose very high costs (i.e., substantial legislative and voter supermajoriries are requires). We find that variations in the legal status of same-sex marriage across US states is better explained by these variations in costs than they are by differences in public opinion. Our method yields an improved explanation of why states differ in their constitutional treatment of same-sex marriage today. Our findings have distinct implications for people who wish to understand and/or change the future status of same-sex couples in state constitutions

Why State Constitutions Differ in their Treatment of Same-Sex Marriage

Some states treat a same-sex marriage as legally equal to a marriage between a man and a woman. Other states prohibit legal recognition of same-sex marriages in their constitutions. In every state that has a constitutional restriction against same-sex marriage, the amendment was passed by a popular vote. The conventional wisdom about allowing voter participation in such decisions is that they yield constitutional outcomes that reflect attitude differences across states. We reexamine the attitude-amendment relationship and find it to be weaker than expected. In particular, we show that states vary in the costs they impose on constituencies that desire constitutional change. Some states impose very low costs (i.e., a simple majority of voters is sufficient for change). Other states impose very high costs (i.e., substantial legislative and voter supermajoriries are requires). We find that variations in the legal status of same-sex marriage across US states is better explained by these variations in costs than they are by differences in public opinion. Our method yields an improved explanation of why states differ in their constitutional treatment of same-sex marriage today. Our findings have distinct implications for people who wish to understand and/or change the future status of same-sex couples in state constitutions.constitutions; same-sex marriage; political institutions; state politics

Beyond weight loss: A qualitative exploration of participant expectations and strategies for measuring progress during a weight management program

Objectives: Previous research with participants in weight management has primarily focused on participant weight-loss expectations. The purpose of this study was to explore participant expectations and strategies for measuring progress during a community-based weight management program. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were completed with 22 participants with overweight or obesity, who were currently enrolled in a 2-year weight management program in order to understand their expectations and strategies for measuring their progress. Results: Aside from weight loss, participants’ expectations included improved health, fitness, and mood, gaining support, and developing new habits. Participants discussed measuring their success by focusing on weight loss and changes to their body, improved health, mood, and fitness, creation of new habits, and gaining additional support. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that participant’s in a weight management program expected benefits beyond just weight loss

The changing governance of UK animal health policy 1997-2008

Animal health problems such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and foot and mouth disease caused significant problems for government in the last two decades of the twentieth century. The ministry responsible for animal health policy, MAFF, was replaced by a new department, Defra, which was given a wider role than simply agriculture and farming, and claimed that it would work in a new, more open and transparent way, with wider stakeholder participation. This thesis evaluates this claim and, in particular, asks how far Defra has adopted a way of working consistent with the ideas of ‘new governance.’ It argues that Defra does work in a new governance manner but that this approach is applied inconsistently in the animal health policy sector. Two recent animal health policies – the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy (AHWS) and the bovine tuberculosis strategy serve as case studies to illustrate the argument. The empirical work - interviews, observation and document analysis examines how Defra delivers these policies in practice. A policy network model is then used to examine and explain the extent of network change over time. Key findings are that a distinctive new governance approach can be seen in the case of the AHWS. However, in the case of bovine TB, the lack of stakeholder consensus has limited the opportunity for partnership working, stakeholder participation and open policy making

Policy Effects of International Taxation on Firm Dynamics and Capital Structure

I develop and calibrate an industry equilibrium model with heterogeneous multinational firms to study the impact of a potential policy change from the current U.S. worldwide taxation system to a territorial system on firm investment, capital structure, payout policy and tax revenues. Firms in the model make both intensive and extensive margin decisions in terms of overseas investment. They optimally choose dividend payments to shareholders, holdings of riskless debt securities and earnings repatriations from the subsidiary to the parent in each period. To estimate the impact of the policy change, I solve the model under both worldwide and territorial systems and compare the stationary equilibria. The results show that the policy change causes both domestic and overseas production by U.S. firms to rise. In addition, firms borrow more and pay larger dividends to shareholders. These effects on firm variables are coupled with a rise in U.S. Government tax collections

An epidemic model for an evolving pathogen with strain-dependent immunity

Between pandemics, the influenza virus exhibits periods of incremental evolution via a process known as antigenic drift. This process gives rise to a sequence of strains of the pathogen that are continuously replaced by newer strains, preventing a build up of immunity in the host population. In this paper, a parsimonious epidemic model is defined that attempts to capture the dynamics of evolving strains within a host population. The ‘evolving strains’ epidemic model has many properties that lie in-between the Susceptible–Infected–Susceptible and the Susceptible–Infected–Removed epidemic models, due to the fact that individuals can only be infected by each strain once, but remain susceptible to reinfection by newly emerged strains. Coupling results are used to identify key properties, such as the time to extinction. A range of reproduction numbers are explored to characterise the model, including a novel quasi-stationary reproduction number that can be used to describe the re-emergence of the pathogen into a population with ‘average’ levels of strain immunity, analogous to the beginning of the winter peak in influenza. Finally the quasi-stationary distribution of the evolving strains model is explored via simulation