Major DAC donors are widely criticized for weak targeting of aid, selfish aid motives and insufficient coordination. The emergence of an increasing number of new donors may further complicate the ...coordination of international aid efforts. On the other hand, new donors (many of which were aid recipients until recently) may have competitive advantages in allocating aid according to need and merit. Project-level data on aid by new donors, as collected by the PLAID initiative, allow for empirical analyses comparing the allocation behavior of new versus old donors. We employ Probit and Tobit models and test for significant differences in the distribution of aid by new and old donors across recipient countries. We find that new donors (i) focus on closer neighbors, (ii) care less for recipient need, (iii) exhibit a weaker bias towards badly governed countries, (iv) respond to disasters, but with fewer resources than old donors, and (v) do not pursue commercial self interest.
The discussion of the effectiveness of foreign aid has reached a high pitch. This paper assesses the sorry past and present key arguments for a potentially more effective and sustainable method of ...aid delivery. A key ingredient is to shake off the vestiges of structural adjustment and move towards true recipient country ownership complete with “self-conditionality” with aid recipients formulating their own reform packages. This means donors become much more passive, act like a bank and respond to proposals which concentrate on a few critical areas over a three to five-year period. Policy-based program lending should respond to packages put together by the main domestic stakeholders with the help, if necessary, of independent third parties. There should be no compulsion to lend; indeed, an aid hiatus is an indication that the new system is effective. What is required is for donors to stop using aid as a short-term foreign policy tool and for recipients to accept the notion that aid provides the opportunity to reduce the inevitable adjustment pains caused by real reforms.
In this paper, we report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel
-allyl-l-cysteine (SAC) and gallic acid conjugate
-(4-fluorobenzyl)-
-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)-l-cysteinate (MTC). ...We evaluate the effects on ischemia-reperfusion-induced PC12 cells, primary neurons in neonatal rats, and cerebral ischemic neuronal damage in rats, and the results showed that MTC increased SOD, CAT, GPx activity and decreased LDH release. PI3K and p-AKT protein levels were significantly increased by activating PI3K/AKT pathway. Mitochondrial pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bim levels were reduced while anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 levels were increased. The levels of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 were also reduced in the plasma. The endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) was decreased, which in turns the survival rate of nerve cells was increased, so that the ischemic injury of neurons was protected accordingly. MTC activated the MEK-ERK signaling pathway and promoted axonal regeneration in primary neurons of the neonatal rat. The pretreatment of MEK-ERK pathway inhibitor PD98059 and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor LY294002 partially attenuated the protective effect of MTC. Using a MCAO rat model indicated that MTC could reduce cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and decrease the expression of proinflammatory factors. The neuroprotective effect of MTC may be due to inhibition of the over-activation of the TREK-1 channel and reduction of the current density of the TREK1 channel. These results suggested that MTC has a protective effect on neuronal injury induced by ischemia reperfusion, so it may have the potential to become a new type of neuro-ischemic drug candidate.
As Indonesia’s economy gradually improves, the government has been actively promoting its horizontal cooperation among developing countries by playing a prominent role as a non-DAC (Development ...Assistance Committee) provider. Though the country has been receiving aid over the past two decades, it has also been providing to other developing countries in the Pacific region. However, Indonesia’s relations with these countries face contention due to it being perceived as “big and aggressive.” This is evident in its decision to oppose the independence of Papua. After decades of seeking good relations, Jakarta has opened its Eastern door by creating a closer link with the Pacific countries through the provision of aid. As it moved from ignorance to awareness, Indonesia’s approach was aimed at solving domestic problems related to its national integration and territorial integrity in the east, particularly the issue of Papuan independence. The country made use of aid as its primary diplomatic tool in its “Look East” policy. This paper investigates the extent to which this policy has been instrumental in rebuilding, restoring, and improving Indonesia’s image among Pacific countries. It argues that the ethnic dimension is one of the critical determinants in diplomatic relations, and ignorance could lead to its failure. Furthermore, it shows that the use of aid has resulted in a constructive impact that has been evident in a decrease in support for Papua separatism in the South Pacific region.
Background
Fear is a recognized predictor of vasovagal reactions (VVRs) in blood donors. However, less is known about the role of other emotions, including positive emotions, that donors might ...experience. The aim of this study was to identify the emotions experienced in center that predict onsite VVRs, and to determine at what point during the donation appointment, the experience of these emotions is most influential.
Study design and methods
A sample of 442 first‐time whole‐blood donors (57.7% female; mean ± SD age 30.7 ± 11.7 years) completed a survey in the waiting area and before venepuncture in the donation chair to assess their current emotional experience. The survey data were matched with routinely‐collected demographic, donation, and donor adverse event information. A generalized estimating equations model was used to identify emotions associated with the occurrence of a VVR.
Results
A total of 56 (12.7%) participants experienced a VVR. The occurrence of a VVR was significantly associated with lower love/closeness/trust (OR: 0.53, 95%CI: 0.34–0.82) and higher scared/fearful/afraid (OR: 1.96, 95%CI: 1.18–3.25) states. Significant interaction effects suggested that the effect of scared/fearful/afraid decreased while stressed/nervous/overwhelmed increased from the waiting area to before venepuncture on the likelihood of a VVR.
Discussion
To effectively reduce donor VVR risk, blood collection agencies need to address a broader range of emotions at different points during the donation process.
Objective:
Voltage-gated sodium channel Na
v
1.5 encoded by the
SCN5A
gene plays crucial roles in cardiac electrophysiology. Previous genetic studies have shown that mutations in
SCN5A
are associated ...with multiple inherited cardiac arrhythmias. Here, we investigated the molecular defect in a Chinese boy with clinical manifestations of arrhythmias.
Methods:
Gene variations were screened using whole-exome sequencing and validated by direct Sanger sequencing. A minigene assay and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) were performed to confirm the effects of splice variants
in vitro
. Western blot analysis was carried out to determine whether the c.2262+3A>T variant produced a truncated protein.
Results:
By genetic analysis, we identified a novel splice variant c.2262+3A>T in
SCN5A
gene in a Chinese boy with incessant ventricular tachycardias (VT). This variant was predicted to activate a new cryptic splice donor site and was identified by
in silico
analysis. The variant retained 79 bp at the 5′ end of intron 14 in the mature mRNA. Furthermore, the mutant transcript that created a premature stop codon at 818 amino acids p.(R818
*
) could be produced as a truncated protein.
Conclusion:
We verified the pathogenic effect of splicing variant c.2262+3A>T, which disturbed the normal mRNA splicing and caused a truncated protein, suggesting that splice variants play an important role in the molecular basis of early onset incessant ventricular tachycardias, and careful molecular profiling of these patients will be essential for future effective personalized treatment options.
In this article, two novel donor polymers containing fluorine atoms at ortho-position of alkxoyphenyl group in benzodithiophene (BDT) units are constructed. Compared with the reference polymer(P1) ...without fluorine atom, the polymers with fluorine atoms (P2 and P3) show their great different electrochemical properties, optical properties, morphology and hole mobility. Most significant change is their photovoltaic performances. The devices formed by P2 and P3 show much higher power conversion efficiency (PCE), 5.44% and 6.12% ， respectively. The reasons should be that the incorporation of fluorine atom at ortho-position of alkoxyphenyl side chains increases the oxidation potential, decreases the highest occupied molecular orbit (HOMO) level of donor polymers, and thus increases the open circuit voltage (Voc) in device. Moreover, the linear hexyl side chain of P3 causes much higher PCE because it generates better molecular aggregation and hole transport in device.
As Indonesia's economy gradually improves, the government has been actively promoting its horizontal cooperation among developing countries by playing a prominent role as a non-DAC (Development ...Assistance Committee) provider. Though the country has been receiving aid over the past two decades, it has also been providing to other developing countries in the Pacific region. However, Indonesia's relations with these countries face contention due to it being perceived as ＂big and aggressive.＂ This is evident in its decision to oppose the independence of Papua. After decades of seeking good relations, Jakarta has opened its Eastern door by creating a closer link with the Pacific countries through the provision of aid. As it moved from ignorance to awareness, Indonesia's approach was aimed at solving domestic problems related to its national integration and territorial integrity in the east, particularly the issue of Papuan independence. The country made use of aid as its primary diplomatic tool in its ＂Look East＂ policy. This paper investigates the extent to which this policy has been instrumental in rebuilding, restoring, and improving Indonesia's image among Pacific countries. It argues that the ethnic dimension is one of the critical determinants in diplomatic relations, and ignorance could lead to its failure. Furthermore, it shows that the use of aid has resulted in a constructive impact that has been evident in a decrease in support for Papua separatism in the South Pacific region.
Carrier concentration profiles of p-type thin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers fabricated by oxygen ion implantation and wafer bonding are measured using spreading resistance analysis. SOI layers ...are almost fully depleted for the as-received wafers. With annealing at 1000 and 600 °C for 240 min, the carrier concentration profiles are not changed significantly, while with annealing at 700–800 °C for 240 min, carrier concentration in the SOI layer increases up to the order of 1
×
10
16 cm
−3. From current–voltage, capacitance–voltage and Hall measurements, it is found that the conduction type of the SOI layers annealed at 700–800 °C for 240 min are inverted into n-type and that the level of donor generated by the annealing is shallower than 0.03 eV below the conduction band.
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