An evaluation of the main elements in the leading proposals to phase out the Multi-Fibre Arrangement

Two approaches took the lead in the negotiations to dismantle the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA): (a) a phaseout with the framework of the MFA, proposed by developing countries, the European Community, Japan, and the Nordic countries; and (b) a new transitional structure relying on global quotas with country allotments for current quota holders, suggested by the United States and Canada. Under both scenarios, accelerated quota growth is the main device for phaseout. Country quotas, in the first approach, and global quotas in the second, will have to expand in such a way to avoid a"shock"when they are abolished at the end of the phaseout. The second most important element in the phaseout proposals, besides expanding quotas and abolishing them at the end of the phaseout period, is scrapping them along the way according to some predetermined criteria and scheme. In the proposals, this is defined in terms of country characteristics, specific products, product characteristics, or some criterion pertaining to the historical record, such a quota use. The historical record reveals that growth in highly utilized quotas was significantly lower compared with unfilled quotas. There is one important virtue in a phaseout based on the current structure of the MFA. Not only are the mechanisms in place familiar to the negotiating parties, but so are the magnitudes of most of the parameters: current quota levels, quota growth rates over the last few years, and their use ratios.Achieving Shared Growth,Economic Conditions and Volatility,Economic Theory&Research,Governance Indicators,Environmental Economics&Policies

Effects of the multifibre arrangement on developing countries'trade : an empirical investigation

This paper addresses two issues: (i) the extent of the restrictiveness/effectiveness of the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA) with respect to the developing country suppliers of textile products during the 1980s, and (ii) the extent to which these restrictions yield trade gains for the less established developing suppliers. After analyzing data, the author's made the following conclusions. Rather than ease up, the MFA became more restrictive. Proportionately more shipments were subject to quotas and volume generally grew less where quotas were binding. The unit value of shipments subject to binding quotas also increased substantially more than the unit value of unconstrained items. Developing countries that were new exporters of textile products also hoped to capture a larger share of the textile market as a result of quotas for other developing countries. However, the needy countries have benefited little from the MFA, and countries whose exports grow soon find themselves on the restricted list. Finally, domestic producers in the United States have benefited most from the MFA.Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Markets and Market Access,Access to Markets,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT

Interpretive Habit Is Strengthened by Cognitive Bias Modification

We investigated the nature of the memory mechanisms underlying cognitive bias modification by applying Jacoby’s (1991) process-dissociation procedure to responses during the transfer task. In the two training conditions (negative and benign), students imagined themselves in 100 ambiguous scenarios, most with potentially negative resolutions; the ambiguity was resolved in a consistently negative or benign direction by completing the fragment of a final word. Control participants completed nonambiguous, nonemotional scenarios. Next, all participants responded on a final training block, where half of the scenarios were completed negatively and half benignly. Transfer was assessed by examining choices in the completion of test scenarios when participants were instructed to respond in the same way as they had to a final-block training scenario that was situationally similar. Benign training facilitated correct responding to benign analogs and impaired correct responding to negative analogs. Performance in the negative-training and control conditions was similar. Process-dissociation procedures revealed that this newly established habit and not controlled recollection provided the basis for transfer

Valuing Adjuncts as Liaisons for University Excellence (VALUE) Program

Adjuncts are increasingly becoming more important in higher education and make up nearly onethird of VCU’s teaching faculty. While VCU has made strides in increasing the number of tenuretrack and term professors, the size and needs of certain departments will always make adjunct instructors necessary. A number of schools on both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses utilize professionals from the Richmond community to enhance experiential learning, thereby making a university investment in adjunct faculty a means by which to elevate VCU’s strategic mission. Adjuncts often provide a community perspective that comes from the professional work they do outside of the university setting and as a whole are reflective of VCU’s diverse student population. As a result, they serve a critical role in student success and diversity initiatives. Keeping adjuncts connected with campus resources and engaged with the larger VCU community is also an important step in making the university more inclusive. This project will study opportunities associated with the orientation and support of adjunct faculty at VCU on both Monroe Park and MCV campuses. This project is research-oriented and will serve as an important foundation for developing and implementing a plan for institutionalized adjunct support. To develop a detailed proposal for implementation, our team consulted with several key stakeholders including: academic leaders who hire and support adjuncts in the current decentralized process students who have taken classes with adjunct instructors adjunct faculty who have recently taught at VCU Through a combination of methods, we aim to determine how adjuncts are utilized across the university, identify resources currently provided, and assess additional resource needs in an effort to inform a new orientation and support program for adjunct faculty at VCU

Simultaneous Nasal Carriage by Methicillin-Resistant and Methicillin Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus of Lineage ST398 in a Live Pig Transporter.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sequence type (ST)398 is a livestock associated (LA) lineage with zoonotic potential, especially in humans with live pig contact. The objective of this study was to characterize two S. aureus strains of lineage ST398 (one methicillin-resistant (MRSA), one methicillin-susceptible (MSSA)) isolated from the same nasal sample of a patient admitted in the Intensive-Care Unit of a Spanish Hospital, and with previous occupational exposure to live pigs, by whole-genome-sequencing (WGS). The sample was obtained during routine surveillance for MRSA colonization. Purified genomic DNA was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2000 and processed using conventional bioinformatics software. The two isolates recovered were both S. aureus t011/ST398 and showed similar resistance-phenotypes, other than methicillin susceptibility. The possession of antibiotic resistance genes was the same, except for the mecA-gene located in SCCmecV in the MRSA isolate. The MSSA isolate harbored remnants of a SCCmec following the deletion of 17342bp from a recombination between two putative primases. Both isolates belonged to the livestock-associated clade as defined by three canonical single-nucleotide-polymorphisms, and neither possessed the human immune evasion cluster genes, chp, scn, or sak. The core genome alignment showed a similarity of 99.6%, and both isolates harbored the same mobile genetic elements. The two nasal ST398 isolates recovered from the patient with previous occupational exposure to pigs appeared to have a livestock origin and could represent different evolutionary steps of animal-human interface lineage. The MSSA strain was formed as a result of the loss of the mecA gene from the livestock-associated-MRSA lineage

A experiência de si: o sentir/pensar no contexto da pandemia

 La investigación “Formación Cultural y Educación inclusiva: ampliando horizontes y disminuyendo barreras”, basada en la perspectiva de la Teoría Crítica, creó el Portfolio “Escrita de Si” a partir de producciones culturales, que provocan el pensamiento crítico y el abordaje sensible de la vida, con vistas a la formación de sí. Se trata de un producto teórico-metodológico que engloba la formación de subjetividades inclusivas ancladas en las dimensiones de accesibilidad y sensibilidad. Así, tiene como objetivo aprehender los sentidos y los significados experienciados  por todas las vidas humanas, independientemente de sus especificidades, en el contexto de la pandemia de la COVID -19. Operando con la contingencia de esta crisis humanitaria, el Portfolio se configura como un instrumento de resistencia, por posibilitar experiencias de sentir/pensar, que configuran un proceso de entendimiento, de conocimiento y de formación, posibilitando que las experiencias sean significativas y reverberan en acciones, dando sentido a lo que somos y a lo que nos acontece.   A pesquisa "Formação Cultural e Educação inclusiva: ampliando horizontes e diminuindo barreiras"[1], baseada na perspectiva da Teoria Crítica, criou o Portfólio “Escrita de Si” a partir de produções culturais, que provocam o pensamento crítico e a abordagem sensível da vida, com vistas à formação de si. Trata-se de um produto teórico-metodológico que engloba a formação de subjetividades inclusivas ancoradas nas dimensões de acessibilidade e sensibilidade. Assim, tem como objetivo apreender os sentidos e os significados experienciados por todas as vidas humanas, independentemente de suas especificidades, no contexto da pandemia da COVID-19. Operando com a contingência desta crise humanitária, o Portfólio se configura como um instrumento de resistência, por possibilitar experiências de sentir/pensar, que configuram um processo de entendimento, de conhecimento e de formação, possibilitando que as experiências sejam significativas e reverberem em ações, dando sentido ao que somos e ao que nos acontece.   [1] Pesquisa contemplada com bolsa de iniciação científica da Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - FAPERJ

Trans-Atlantic Engagement: a Novel Dental Educational Exchange

Introduction Newcastle University School of Dental Sciences (NUSDS) and Indiana University School of Dentistry in the United States of America (IUSD) are like-minded institutions committed to civic engagement. Over the last 15 years, both universities have built civic engagement into the dental curricula, however each institution operates within significantly different healthcare systems. Aim Co-development of unique collaborative dental education; the first UK/US educational exchange programme engaged with the dental student community. Design A dental educational exchange was developed enabling NUSDS and IUSD students to learn alongside each other within dental and community settings in both countries. Students participate in a unique face-to-face collaborative and interdisciplinary education programme within respective dental schools and by a series of video conferences scheduled before on-site visits. They gain mutual awareness of delivery, access to care and possible barriers facing patients relating to the oral healthcare systems in England, the state of Indiana and the USA. Logistical considerations were significant, aided by scoping visits to the respective partner school and video conferencing. Planning encompassed timetable restrictions, scheduling student video conferences, students' clinical access/observerships, occupational health clearances, overall educational content, student/staff evaluation and potential areas for education research. Conclusions Currently in its fourth year, this is a unique example of a collaborative educational exchange between the UK and USA