U.S. PERSPECTIVES ON EAST ASIAN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

USA only major trade power with equal economic stakes in all regions, and will oppose Asian economic integration if it excludes USA. Charts show relatively declining US role, rising China role as key trade partner for Japan, Korea, ASEAN. Responding to China¡¯s lead, as in its ASEAN trade deals, and shaped by former USTR Zoellick, there is growing US support for bilateral trade agreements, including Korea-US FTA, though most economists oppose bilateral/regional approach as inconsistent with the WTO-multilateral trade format. From US perspective, prognosis for East Asian economic integration not good.Economic Integration, APEC, FTA, ASEAN, Asian Economy, CAFTA, WTO

St Thomas Aquinas on affectivity: A way forward for seminary formation

St Thomas Aquinas on Affectivity: A Way Forward for Seminary Formation, is a theological argument that St Thomas’ teaching can be applied to the affective formation of men preparing to be Catholic priests. St Thomas’ teaching provides a very helpful understanding of affective maturity and its integral importance for a truly Christian and priestly life in the service of others. It flows from a theological anthropology that recognizes proper affective growth as an integral part of human life and interpersonal relationships. Affective maturity is an essential attribute for the seminarian to acquire because he is preparing to be a priest who has to fulfill his responsibilities to others in a loving, mature and virtuous way. The thesis is divided into three major sections. The first section lays the theological and anthropological foundation for the thesis. Since Pope St John Paul II called for the promotion of affective maturity in seminary formation, the influence of St Thomas’ teaching on St John Paul II’s understanding of affectivity is analyzed. Then, it is argued that St Thomas’ teaching on affectivity in Christ gives a firm foundation for affective formation in the life and example of Christ. Finally, through a discussion of St Thomas’ teaching on the passions such as love, hope and anger, a set of principles is set before the seminarian to reflect upon and articulate his affective experiences so that he may be understood and guided by his formators. The second section argues that St Thomas’ teaching on the Cardinal and Theological virtues can be applied as principles of affective formation. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit are presented respectively as principles of affective development and a pattern by which affective maturity is recognized and assessed. The third section analyzes how St Thomas’ teaching on the capital vices, such as pride and vainglory, can help the seminarian to respond to his affective inordinateness. It also examines how St Thomas’ teaching on infused virtue can be applied as a principle of affective growth to order his desires and affections to the good. As a test case, chastity is examined as a virtue that enables him to properly form his sexuality in relation to others and responsibly love and care for others as a pastor. A significant finding of this thesis is that affective formation needs to be given a proper theological and Christological foundation. Only in this way can the seminarian become a man and a priest who reflects the life of Christ the Good Shepherd to those entrusted to his pastoral care

Cross-Border Valuation: The International Cost of Equity Capital

How does a firm in one country evaluate an investment in a firm in another country, or how does it evaluate a foreign project that the firm itself is undertaking? The firm must estimate future free cash flows just as in a domestic project, but choosing an appropriate discount rate is a particular challenge. This study examines the determinants of the discount rate for an international acquisition or project by examining the sources of risk in an international setting. These risks include stock-market price risk measured with various versions of the capital asset pricing model, as well as exchange rate risk and political risk. To measure stock market risk, both segmented and integrated models of the world equity markets are considered. The emphasis of the study is on some of the practical aspects of estimation, particular for markets where no comparable investments exist on which to base estimates of risk premiums. To show how each of these risks might be measured, the study reports estimates for a representative French firm, Thals. The estimates range widely depending on whether or not the equity market is globally integrated.

Statins for acutely hospitalized patients: randomized controlled trials are long overdue

From the earliest studies of statins for control of plasma cholesterol, observations have been made that the reductions in mortality observed occurred in a manner seemingly independent from what could be anticipated from cholesterol lowering alone. Over the last decade, the pleiotropic effects of statins have been increasingly elucidated. Perhaps most intriguing are the effects statins appear to have on the immune system, especially the modulation of diffuse or systemic inflammation. There is a growing body of observational literature suggesting that statins can actually reduce hospital mortality through mechanisms far beyond those that can be explained by reductions in cardiovascular events

The Marital/Separate Property Distinction in the District of Columbia

This article is part of Developments of the Law in the District of Columbia

The Marital/Separate Property Distinction in the District of Columbia

This article is part of Developments of the Law in the District of Columbia

Multilevel RTS in proton irradiated CMOS image sensors manufactured in a deep submicron technology

A new automated method able to detect multilevel random telegraph signals (RTS) in pixel arrays and to extract their main characteristics is presented. The proposed method is applied to several proton irradiated pixel arrays manufactured using a 0.18um CMOS process dedicated to imaging. Despite the large proton energy range and the large fluence range used, similar exponential RTS amplitude distributions are observed. A mean maximum amplitude independent of displacement damage dose is extracted from these distributions and the number of RTS defects appears to scale well with total nonionizing energy loss. These conclusions allow the prediction of RTS amplitude distributions. The effect of electric field on RTS amplitude is also studied and no significant relation between applied bias and RTS amplitude is observed

Gruach / The Dark Lady of the Sonnets (May 3, 1957)

Program for Gruach / The Dark Lady of the Sonnets (May 3, 1957) To view the photos from this production of Gruach / The Dark Lady of the Sonnets, please click here