Transparency, Protest, and Democratic Stability

Democratic rule is maintained so long as all relevant actors in the political system comply with the institutional rules of the game – democratic institutions must be self-enforcing. We examine the role of transparency in supporting a democratic equilibrium. Transparency improves the functioning of elections: In transparent polities, elections more effectively resolve adverse selection problems between the public and their rulers. Transparency increases popular satisfaction with democracy and inhibits challenges to the democratic order. We provide a game-theoretic model, test these claims, and find they enjoy empirical support. Transparency is associated with a reduction in both the probability of democratic collapse and of the irregular removal of democratic leaders. Transparency stabilizes democratic rule

Clinical evaluation of indoramin as the sole agent for the treatment of hypertension

An open-ended clinical trial of Indoramin (WY-21901), a new antihypertensive agent with both a-adrenergic blocking and cardio-inhibitory properties, was conducted on a group of 27 patients with mild or moderate essential hypertension. Blood pressures, erect and supine, were effectively lowered. In 70% of the patients the mean standing diastolic pressures were well controlled. Heart rate was not significantly lowe.red. Side-effects occurred in 80% of patients, but did not persist in most of them. Severe side-effects, necessitating withdrawal of Indoramin, were experienced by one-third of the patients. Proteinuria was observed in 3 patients and a slightly elevated serum urea in 1. No other biochemical tests were abnormal.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1569 (1974

Die Befreiung aus der wirtschaftlichen Not durch die Lösung der Kredit- und Bodenfrage

Digiteeritud Euroopa Regionaalarengu Fondi rahastusel, projekti "Eesti teadus- ja õppekirjandus" (2014-2020.12.03.21-0848) raames.https://www.ester.ee/record=b4202122*es

EBNA3C interacts with Gadd34 and counteracts the unfolded protein response

EBNA3C is an EBV-encoded nuclear protein, essential for proliferation of EBV infected B-lymphocytes. Using EBNA3C amino acids 365-545 in a yeast two hybrid screen, we found an interaction with the Growth Arrest and DNA-damage protein, Gadd34. When both proteins are overexpressed, Gadd34 can interact with EBNA3C in both nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. Amino acids 483-610 of Gadd34, including the two PP1a interaction, and the HSV-1 ICPγ34.5 homology domains, are required for the interaction. Furthermore, interaction is lost with a mutant of EBNA3C (509 DVIEVID 515→AVIAVIA), that abolishes EBNA3C coactivation ability as well as SUMO interaction[1]. In B-cells, Gadd34, and EBNA3C are present in a complex with PP1a using microcystin sepharose affinity purification, Using a lymphoblastoid cell line in which EBNA3C protein levels are conditional on hydroxytamoxifen, surprisingly, we found that (i) EBNA3C maintains phosphorylation of eIF2α at serine 51, and (ii) protects against ER stress induced activation of the unfolded protein response as measured by XBP1 (u) versus XBP1(s) protein expression and N-terminal ATF6 cleavage. In reporter assays, overexpression of Gadd34 enhances EBNA3C's ability to co-activate EBNA2 activation of the LMP1 promoter. Collectively the data suggest that EBNA3C interacts with Gadd34, activating the upstream component of the UPR (eIF2α phosphorylation) while preventing downstream UPR events (XBP1 activation and ATF6 cleavage)

Nuclear Polarizabilities and Logarithmic Sum Rules

The electric polarizability and logarithmic mean-excitation energy are calculated for the deuteron using techniques introduced in atomic physics. These results are then used to improve limits on the atomic-deuterium frequency shift due to nuclear polarization in the unretarded dipole limit, as well as confirming previous results.Comment: 7 pages, latex -- To appear in Phys. Rev. C -

Managed trade: The US–Mexico sugar suspension agreements

Under the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexican sugar producers were ultimately granted free access to the US sugar market, while all other suppliers, including US refiners, were subject to supply quotas. Following a surge in imports of Mexican sugar, the American Sugar Coalition initiated anti‐dumping and countervailing duty (ADCVD) proceedings against Mexico in early 2014. In December 2014, the ADCVD cases were halted as a result of two suspension agreements negotiated between the US and Mexico. This paper contributes to a small number of empirical studies that have estimated the impact of suspension agreements. We measure the impacts of the ADCVD filings and the suspension agreements on US domestic raw and refined prices, the raw‐to‐refined margin and the quantity and composition of sugar imports from Mexico. Results suggest US raw sugar prices increased by 3¢ per lb. (14%) under ADCVD proceedings, equivalent to an ad valorem tariff between 40% and 50%, while the suspension agreements increased US raw sugar prices by 5¢ (70% tariff equivalent). US refined sugar prices increased by similar amounts under the ADCVD proceedings and the suspension agreements (4.5¢ per lb.). Ultimately, both the ADCVD proceedings and the suspension agreements significantly reduced sugar imports from Mexico. US sugar refiner economic welfare hinges critically on the quantity and composition of raw sugar imports. As such, refiner revenue, following the ADCVD filings and suspension agreements, is estimated to have declined by 16%, relative to a free trade environment

Higher-Order Nuclear-Polarizability Corrections in Atomic Hydrogen

Nuclear-polarizability corrections that go beyond unretarded-dipole approximation are calculated analytically for hydrogenic (atomic) S-states. These retardation corrections are evaluated numerically for deuterium and contribute -0.68 kHz, for a total polarization correction of 18.58(7) kHz. Our results are in agreement with one previous numerical calculation, and the retardation corrections completely account for the difference between two previous calculations. The uncertainty in the deuterium polarizability correction is substantially reduced. At the level of 0.01 kHz for deuterium, only three primary nuclear observables contribute: the electric polarizability, $\alpha_E$, the paramagnetic susceptibility, $\beta_M$, and the third Zemach moment, $_{(2)}$. Cartesian multipole decomposition of the virtual Compton amplitude and its concomitant gauge sum rules are used in the analysis.Comment: 26 pages, latex, 1 figure -- Submitted to Phys. Rev. C -- epsfig.sty require

Autoantibodies to a 140-kd protein in juvenile dermatomyositis are associated with calcinosis

Objective. The identification of novel autoantibodies in juvenile dermatomyositis (DM) may have etiologic and clinical implications. The aim of this study was to describe autoantibodies to a 140-kd protein in children recruited to the Juvenile DM National Registry and Repository for UK and Ireland.Methods. Clinical data and sera were collected from children with juvenile myositis. Sera that recognized a 140-kd protein by immunoprecipitation were identified. The identity of the p140 autoantigen was investigated by immunoprecipitation/immunodepletion, using commercial monoclonal antibodies to NXP-2, reference anti-p140, and anti-p155/140, the other autoantibody recently described in juvenile DM. DNA sampies from 100 Caucasian children with myositis were genotyped for HLA class II haplotype associations and compared with those from 864 randomly selected UK Caucasian control subjects.Results. Sera from 37 (23%) of 162 patients with juvenile myositis were positive for anti-p140 autoantibodies, which were detected exclusively in patients with juvenile DM and not in patients with juvenile DM-overlap syndrome or control subjects. No anti-p140 antibody-positive patients were positive for other recognized autoantibodies. Immunodepletion suggested that the identity of p140 was consistent with NXP-2 (the previously identified MJ autoantigen). In children with anti-p140 antibodies, the association with calcinosis was significant compared with the rest of the cohort (corrected P < 0.005, odds ratio 7.0, 95% confidence interval 3.0-16.1). The clinical features of patients with anti-p140 autoantibodies were different from those of children with anti-p155/140 autoantibodies. The presence of HLA-DRB1*08 was a possible risk factor for anti-p140 autoantibody positivity.Conclusion. This study has established that anti-p140 autoantibodies represent a major autoantibody subset in juvenile DM. This specificity may identify a further immunogenetic and clinical phenotype within the juvenile myositis spectrum that includes an association with calcinosis