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Strict Regulation (strict + regulation)
Selected AbstractsMumbai's Development Mafias: Globalization, Organized Crime and Land DevelopmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008LIZA WEINSTEIN Abstract For over a decade, researchers have analyzed the effects of liberalization and globalization on urban development, considering the local political implications of shifts at the national and global scales. Taking the case of Mumbai, this article examines how the past 15 years of political reforms in India have reshaped property markets and the politics of land development. Among the newly empowered actors, local criminal syndicates, often with global connections, have seized political opportunities created by these shifts to gain influence over land development. The rise of Mumbai's organized criminal activity in the 1950s was closely linked to India's macroeconomic policies, with strict regulation of imports fuelling the growth of black market smuggling. Liberalization and deregulation since the early 1990s have diminished demand for smuggled consumer goods and criminal syndicates have since diversified their operations. With skyrocketing real estate prices in the 1990s, bolstered by global land speculation, the mafia began investing in property development. Supported by an illicit nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and the police, the mafia has emerged as a central figure in Mumbai's land development politics. The article examines the structural shifts that facilitated the criminalization of land development and the implications of mafia involvement in local politics. Résumé Depuis plus d'une décennie, les chercheurs ont analysé les effets de la libéralisation et de la mondialisation sur l'aménagement urbain en étudiant les implications politiques locales de transformations effectuées à l'échelle nationale et planétaire. Prenant le cas de Mumbai, cet article examine comment les réformes politiques des quinze dernières années en Inde ont reconfiguré les marchés immobiliers et les politiques d'aménagement foncier. Parmi les nouveaux acteurs, les syndicats du crime locaux, opérant souvent dans des réseaux internationaux, ont saisi les occasions politiques créées par ces changements pour gagner en influence sur l'aménagement foncier. A Mumbai, l'activité accrue du crime organisé dans les années 1950 était étroitement liée aux politiques macroéconomiques de l'Inde, une réglementation stricte des importations alimentant l'essor de la contrebande sur le marché noir. Depuis le début des années 1990, libéralisation et déréglementation ont réduit la demande pour les biens de consommation de contrebande, poussant les syndicats du crime à diversifier leurs opérations. Face à la montée en flèche des prix de l'immobilier dans les années 1990, aidée par la spéculation foncière mondiale, la mafia a investi dans la promotion immobilière. Soutenue par un réseau illégal de politiciens, bureaucrates et policiers, elle est donc devenue un personnage central des politiques d'urbanisme à Mumbai. L'article étudie les transformations structurelles qui ont facilité la criminalisation du secteur foncier, et les implications de la présence de la mafia dans la politique locale. [source] Thalidomide as an anti-cancer agentJOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE, Issue 2 2002S. Kumar Abstract Thalidomide is a glutamic acid derivative initially introduced as a sedative hypnotic nearly forty years ago. It was withdrawn following numerous reports linking it to a characteristic pattern of congenital abnormalities in babies born to mothers who used the drug for morning sickness. It has gradually been re-introduced into clinical practice over the past two decades, albeit under strict regulation, since it was found to be useful in the management of erythema nodosum leprosum and HIV wasting syndrome. Recognition of its anti-angiogenic effect led to its evaluation in the treatment of various malignancies, where angiogenesis has been shown to play an important role. Numerous clinical trials done over the past four years have confirmed the significant anti-myeloma activity of this drug. It has also shown promise in preliminary trials in the treatment of a variety of different malignant diseases. The mechanisms of its antineoplastic effects continue to be the focus of ongoing research. It has become clear that even though its anti angiogenic effects play a significant role in the anti-tumor activity, there are other properties of this drug which are responsible as well. It also possesses anti-TNF alpha activity, which has led to its evaluation in several inflammatory states. In this concise review, we briefly describe the historical background and pharmacological aspects of this drug. We have concisely reviewed the current knowledge regarding mechanisms of its anti-neoplastic activity and the results of various clinical trials in oncology. [source] Inflammation: A new candidate in modulating adult neurogenesisJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2008Sulagna Das Abstract Any pathological perturbation to the brain provokes a cascade of molecular and cellular events, which manifests in the form of microglial activation and release of various proinflammatory molecules. This eventually culminates in a profound neuroinflammatory reaction that characterizes the brain's response to stress, injury, or infection. The inflammatory cascade is an attempt by the system to eliminate the challenge imposed on the brain, clear the system of the dead and damaged neurons, and rescue the normal functioning of this vital organ. However, during the process of microglial activation, the proinflammatory mediators released exert certain detrimental effects, and neural stem cells and progenitor cells are likely to be affected. Here we review how the proliferation, maturation, and migration of the neural stem cells are modulated under such an inflammatory condition. The fate of the noncommitted neural stem cells and its differentiation potency are often under strict regulation, and these proinflammatory mediators seem to disrupt this critical balance and finely tune the neurogenesis pattern in the two niches of neurogenesis, the subventricular zone and the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. Moreover, the migration ability of these stem cells, which is important for localization to the proper site, is also affected in a major way by the chemokines released following inflammation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Positive health-care effects of an alcohol ignition interlock programme among driving while impaired (DWI) offendersADDICTION, Issue 11 2007Bo Bjerre ABSTRACT Aims To compare the costs of hospital care and sick leave/disability pensions between two groups of driving while impaired (DWI) offenders: participants in an alcohol ignition interlock programme (AIIP) and controls with revoked licences, but with no comparable opportunity to participate in an AIIP. Setting As an alternative to licence revocation DWI offenders can participate in a voluntary 2-year AIIP permitting the offender to drive under strict regulations entailing regular medical check-ups. The participants are forced to alter their alcohol habits and those who cannot demonstrate sobriety are dismissed from the programme. Participants are liable for all costs themselves. Design Quasi-experimental, with a non-equivalent control group used for comparison; intent-to-treat design. Based on the number of occasions/days in hospital and on sick leave/disability pension, the health-care costs for public insurance have been calculated. Finding Average total health-care costs were 25% lower among AIIP participants (1156 individuals) than among controls (815 individuals) during the 2-year treatment period. This corresponds to over ,1000 (SEK9610) less annual costs per average participant. For those who complete the 2-year programme the cost reduction was more pronounced; 37% during the treatment and 20% during the post-treatment period. Conclusions The positive health-care effects were due apparently to reduced alcohol consumption. The social benefit of being allowed to drive while in the AIIP may also have contributed. The reduction in health-care costs was significant only during the 2-year treatment period, but among those who completed the entire AIIP sustained effects were also observed in the post-treatment period. The effects were comparable to those of regular alcoholism treatment programmes. [source] Insider Trading, Earnings Management and Corporate Governance: Empirical Evidence Based on Hong Kong FirmsJOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTING, Issue 3 2007Bikki Jaggi We document positive association between earnings management and insider selling after the fiscal year-end for Hong Kong firms. This positive association is especially evident before the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Our findings suggest that Hong Kong executives manage reported earnings to maximize their private benefits from insider selling. Additionally, we find that a higher proportion of independent directors (INED) on corporate boards moderate the positive association between insider selling and earnings management. Stricter monitoring of earnings management by INED is especially evident when no member of the family with majority ownership is present on corporate boards as a director. This suggests that the presence of family members with majority ownership on corporate boards significantly reduces INED's monitoring effectiveness. Our findings suggest that strict regulations are needed to control insider trading, and independence of corporate boards is important for monitoring of earnings management associated with insider trading. Furthermore, appointment of family members with majority shareholdings should be avoided to enhance independence and to monitor effectiveness of corporate boards. [source] MICROALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA: FOOD FOR THOUGHT,JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Miroslav Gantar In non-Western civilizations, cyanobacteria have been part of the human diet for centuries. Today, microalgae and cyanobacteria are either produced in controlled cultivation processes or harvested from the natural habitats and marketed as food supplements around the world. Cyanobacteria produce a vast array of different biologically active compounds, some of which are expected to be used in drug development. The fact that some of the active components from cyanobacteria potentially have anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and other effects is being used for marketing purposes. However, introduction of these products in the form of whole biomass for alimentary purposes raises concerns regarding the potential toxicity and long-term effects on human health. Here, we review data on the use of cyanobacteria and microalgae in human nutrition and searched for available information on legislature that regulates the use of these products. We have found that, although the quality control of these products is most often self-regulated by the manufacturers, different governmental agencies are introducing strict regulations for placing novel products, such as algae and cyanobacteria, on the market. The existing regulations require these products to be tested for the presence of toxins, such as microcystin; however, other, sometimes novel, toxins remain undetected, and their long-term effects on human health remain unknown. [source] | |||||||||||||