Balancing Developed and Developing State Interests under a Regulatory Framework for Foreign Direct Investment: The Potential of the GATS Model

This thesis examines the need for a multilateral regime for the regulation of foreign direct investment. The absence of such a regime has slowed the growth of foreign direct investment, as investment decisions are difficult to make because of the uncertainty of investment rules. Attempts to establish a multilateral framework for investment have failed due to disagreement between developed and developing countries on its scope. The major source of controversy has been the inclusion of the national treatment standard in the prospective agreement. This thesis analyses the position of both sides, and attempts to find a balance between the positive and negative effects of the multilateral framework for regulating foreign direct investment. It argues that an investment regime modelled after the General Agreement on Trade in Services could be beneficial, as it would provide security for investment, and flexibility for host countries to control the inflow of foreign investment

Predictive Strategies for the Determination of Sales and Advertising Expenditures in the Pharmaceutical Industry in Nigeria

Advertising budget setting continues to be a controversial topic. Theobjective of this study is too formulate a scientifically –based approach tosetting advertising budgets and correct the lack-lustre approach towards this.Secondary sources of data were used in this study. Data analysis was done byusing the SPSS statistical software package. This study was based on thepremise that little is known about how managers actually set advertisingbudgets and little attention is paid to this issue and managers are making less than optimal decisions on advertising budgets. It was identified thatoptimizing scientific methods were not the basis of many decisions onadvertising budget settings. It has also revealed the slowly increasing use ofquantitative models and the widespread use of heuristic such as percent-of-sales and competitive parity. Despite the controversies surrounding budgetsetting for advertisement, the study has been able to provide a leverage ofconfidence limits such that, regardless of whatever approach adopted, theconfidence limit is the guiding star towards achieving ‘optimum’ budget toreap the benefits of advertisement

KAPT (Kingsmill – Anterior Posterior Transverse) Block: A new innovative precision block for operative outpatient hysteroscopy.

To assess the effectiveness of a novel precision local anaesthetic block known as KAPT block in operative outpatient hysteroscopy especially in patients with pre-existing dysmenorrhea

Higher Frequency Band Beamforming Scheme for High Speed Train

AbstractWith the increasing popularity of high speed trains (HSTs) and the traffic forecast for future cellular networks, the need to provide very high data rates using higher frequency bands (HFBs) for train passengers is becoming crucial. In this paper, we present a timer-based beamforming selection algorithm for HST, which exploits the prior knowledge of the position and direction of the HST. A sequential and hierarchical codebook is designed based on the array response vectors and linked to the line-of-sight (LOS) angle-of-arrival/departure base station (BS)-HST link. The effect of velocity feedback errors on the throughput performance was analyzed. The antenna deactivation and the sub-array approaches were considered to mitigate the effect of velocity feedback errors. Evaluation of our proposed beamforming scheme indicates a close performance to the optimal singular value decomposition (SVD) scheme when no velocity feedback error occurs and with the occurrence of velocity feedback errors, the sub-array approach proved to be an efficient way to reduce the effect of the errors.Abstract With the increasing popularity of high speed trains (HSTs) and the traffic forecast for future cellular networks, the need to provide very high data rates using higher frequency bands (HFBs) for train passengers is becoming crucial. In this paper, we present a timer-based beamforming selection algorithm for HST, which exploits the prior knowledge of the position and direction of the HST. A sequential and hierarchical codebook is designed based on the array response vectors and linked to the line-of-sight (LOS) angle-of-arrival/departure base station (BS)-HST link. The effect of velocity feedback errors on the throughput performance was analyzed. The antenna deactivation and the sub-array approaches were considered to mitigate the effect of velocity feedback errors. Evaluation of our proposed beamforming scheme indicates a close performance to the optimal singular value decomposition (SVD) scheme when no velocity feedback error occurs and with the occurrence of velocity feedback errors, the sub-array approach proved to be an efficient way to reduce the effect of the errors

Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing Determination of Distinctive DNA Hypermethylated Genes in the Progression to Colon Cancer in African Americans

Background and Aims. Many studies have focused on the determination of methylated targets in colorectal cancer. However, few analyzed the progressive methylation in the sequence from normal to adenoma and ultimately to malignant tumors. This is of utmost importance especially in populations such as African Americans who generally display aggressive tumors at diagnosis and for whom markers of early neoplasia are needed. We aimed to determine methylated targets in the path to colon cancer in African American patients using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS). Methods. Genomic DNA was isolated from fresh frozen tissues of patients with different colon lesions: normal, a tubular adenoma, a tubulovillous adenoma, and five cancers. RRBS was performed on these DNA samples to identify hypermethylation. Alignment, mapping, and confirmed CpG methylation analyses were performed. Preferential hypermethylated pathways were determined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Results. We identified hypermethylated CpG sites in the following genes: L3MBTL1, NKX6-2, PREX1, TRAF7, PRDM14, and NEFM with the number of CpG sites being 14, 17, 10, 16, 6, and 6, respectively, after pairwise analysis of normal versus adenoma, adenoma versus cancer, and normal versus cancer. IPA mapped the above-mentioned hypermethylated genes to the Wnt/β-catenin, PI3k/AKT, VEGF, and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathways. Conclusion. This work provides insight into novel differential CpGs hypermethylation sites in colorectal carcinogenesis. Functional analysis of the novel gene targets is needed to confirm their roles in their associated carcinogenic pathways

Inflammatory polyps occur more frequently in inflammatory bowel disease than other colitis patients

Background: Colitis is generally considered a risk factor for colon neoplasia. However, not all types of colitis seem to have equal neoplastic transformation potential. Aim: To determine the prevalence of colorectal polyps in a predominantly African American population with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Non-IBD/Non-Infectious Colitis (NIC). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 1060 patients previously identified with colitis at Howard University Hospital, based on ICD-10 code. Among these, 485 patients were included in the study: 70 IBD and 415 NIC based on a thorough review of colonoscopy, pathology and clinical reports. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the risk of polyps in patients with IBD compared to those with NIC after adjusting for age and sex. A subgroup analysis within the IBD group was performed. Results: Of the 485 patients, 415 were NIC and 70 were IBD. Seventy-three percent of the NIC patients and 81% of the IBD patients were African Americans. Forty six percent of IBD and 41% of NIC cases were male. IBD patients were younger than NIC patients (median age of 38 years vs. 50, P < 0.001). The prevalence of all types of polyps was 15.7 and 8.2% in the IBD and NIC groups, respectively (P = 0.045). Among patients with polyps, the prevalence of inflammatory polyps was higher in the IBD group (55%) compared to the NIC group (12%). After adjusting for age, sex and race, odds ratio of inflammatory polyps in IBD patients was 6.0 (P = 0.016). Adenoma prevalence was 4.3% (3/70) in IBD patients and 3.9% (16/415) in the NIC patients (p = 0.75). The anatomic distribution of lesions and colitis shows that polyps occur predominantly in the colitis field regardless of colitis type. More polyps were present in the ulcerative colitis patients when compared to Crohn's disease patients (27% vs. 5%, P < 0.001) within the IBD group. Conclusion: Our study shows that inflammatory polyps are more common in IBD patients when compared to NIC patients. Most polyps were in the same location as the colitis

Korean Guidelines for Postpolypectomy Colonoscopy Surveillance

Postpolypectomy surveillance has become a major indication for colonoscopy as a result of increased use of screening colonoscopy in Korea. In this report, a careful analytic approach was used to address all available evidences to delineate the predictors for advanced neoplasia at surveillance colonoscopy and we elucidated the high risk findings of the index colonoscopy as follows: 3 or more adenomas, any adenoma larger than 10 mm, any tubulovillous or villous adenoma, any adenoma with high-grade dysplasia, and any serrated polyps larger than 10 mm. Surveillance colonoscopy should be performed five years after the index colonoscopy for those without any high-risk findings and three years after the index colonoscopy for those with one or more high risk findings. However, the surveillance interval can be shortened considering the quality of the index colonoscopy, the completeness of polypectomy, the patient's general condition, and family and medical history

Microbiome Analysis of Stool Samples from African Americans with Colon Polyps

Background: Colonic polyps are common tumors occurring in similar to 50% of Western populations with similar to 10% risk of malignant progression. Dietary agents have been considered the primary environmental exposure to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, the colonic mucosa is permanently in contact with the microbiota and its metabolic products including toxins that also have the potential to trigger oncogenic transformation. Aim: To analyze fecal DNA for microbiota composition and functional potential in African Americans with pre-neoplastic lesions. Materials & Methods: We analyzed the bacterial composition of stool samples from 6 healthy individuals and 6 patients with colon polyps using 16S ribosomal RNA-based phylogenetic microarray; the Human intestinal Tract Chip (HITChip) and 16S rRNA gene barcoded 454 pyrosequencing. The functional potential was determined by sequence-based metagenomics using 454 pyrosequencing. Results: Fecal microbiota profiling of samples from the healthy and polyp patients using both a phylogenetic microarraying (HITChip) and barcoded 454 pyrosequencing generated similar results. A distinction between both sets of samples was only obtained when the analysis was performed at the sub-genus level. Most of the species leading to the dissociation were from the Bacteroides group. The metagenomic analysis did not reveal major differences in bacterial gene prevalence/abundances between the two groups even when the analysis and comparisons were restricted to available Bacteroides genomes. Conclusion: This study reveals that at the pre-neoplastic stages, there is a trend showing microbiota changes between healthy and colon polyp patients at the sub-genus level. These differences were not reflected at the genome/functions levels. Bacteria and associated functions within the Bacteroides group need to be further analyzed and dissected to pinpoint potential actors in the early colon oncogenic transformation in a large sample size

Role of life events in the presence of colon polyps among African Americans

African Americans have disproportionately higher incidence and death rates of colorectal cancer among all ethnic groups in the United States. Several lifestyle factors (e.g. diet, physical activity and alcohol intake) have been suggested as risk factors for colorectal cancer. Stressful life events have also been identified as risk factors for colorectal cancer. The association between stressful life events and colon polyps, which are precursors of colorectal cancer, has yet to be determined. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between stressful life events and the presence of colon polyps and adenomas in African American men and women. In this cross-sectional study, 110 participants were recruited from a colon cancer screening program at Howard University Hospital. Participants completed an 82-item Life Events Questionnaire (Norbeck 1984), assessing major events that have occurred in the participants’ life within the past 12 months. Participants also reported whether the event had a positive or negative impact. Three scores were derived (total, positive, and negative). Total life events scores were higher (Median [M] = 29 and Interquartile range [IQR] = 18-43) in patients with one or more polyps compared to patients without polyps (M, IQR = 21,13-38; P = 0.029). Total, positive or negative Life Events scores did not differ significantly between normal and adenoma patients. Total, negative and positive Life Events scores did not differ between patients who underwent diagnostic colonoscopy (symptomatic) and patients who underwent colonoscopy for colon cancer screening (asymptomatic) and patients for surveillance colonoscopies due to a personal history of colon polyps. Linear regression analysis indicated that male gender is associated with 9.0 unit lower total Life Events score (P = 0.025). This study suggests that patients who experienced total life events may be at higher risk of having colon polyps and adenomas which indicates an association between stress and the development of colorectal polyps.https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-230X-13-10