Value Choice of Russia in the Reform Process: The Sociological Aspect

The transition in Central and Eastern Europe since the late 1980s has provided a testing ground for classic propositions. This project looked at the impact of privatisation on private consumption, using the Czech experiment of voucher privatisation to test the permanent income hypothesis. This form of privatisation moved state assets to individuals and represented an unexpected windfall gain for participants in the scheme. Whether the windfall was consumed or saved offers a clear test of the permanent income hypothesis. Of a total population of 10 million, 6 million Czechs, i.e. virtually every household, participated in the scheme,. In a January 1996 survey, 1263 individuals were interviewed , 75% of whom had taken part. The data obtained suggests that only a small quantity of transferred assets were cashed in and spent on consumption, providing support for the permanent income hypothesis. The fraction of the windfall consumed grows with age, as would be predicted from the lower life expectancy of older consumers. The most interesting deviation was for people aged 26 to 35, who apparently consumed more that they would if the windfall were annuitised. As these people are at the stage in their lives when they would otherwise be borrowing to cover consumption related to establishing a family, etc., this is however consistent with the permanent income hypothesis, which predicts that individuals who would otherwise borrow money would use the windfall to avoid doing so.

The theological aspect of reformed judaism

by Max L. Margolis

Subcellular distribution of FTY720 and FTY720-phosphate in immune cells - another aspect of Fingolimod action relevant for therapeutic application

FTY720 (Fingolimod; Gilenya®) is an immune-modulatory prodrug which, after intracellular phosphorylation by sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) and export, mimics effects of the endogenous lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate. Fingolimod has been introduced to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. However, little has been published about the immune cell membrane penetration and subcellular distribution of FTY720 and FTY720-P. Thus, we applied a newly established LC-MS/MS method to analyze the subcellular distribution of FTY720 and FTY720-P in subcellular compartments of spleen cells of wild type, SphK1- and SphK2-deficient mice. These studies demonstrated that, when normalized to the original cell volume and calculated on molar basis, FTY720 and FTY720-P dramatically accumulated several hundredfold within immune cells reaching micromolar concentrations. The amount and distribution of FTY720 was differentially affected by SphK1- and SphK2-deficiency. On the background of recently described relevant intracellular FTY720 effects in the nanomolar range and the prolonged application in multiple sclerosis, this data showing a substantial intracellular accumulation of FTY720, has to be considered for benefit/risk ratio estimates.

Percutaneous embolization of arteriovenous malformations at the plantar aspect of the foot

Peripheral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) remain most challenging among various congenital vascular malformations to be treated. Here we present three illustrative patients with Yakes type IIIb and type IV AVM at the plantar aspect of the foot who were successfully treated by minimally invasive embolization. The value of the Yakes AVM classification system to guide the therapeutic decision making by directing specific therapeutic procedures to specific AVM types defined by their angioarchitecture is demonstrated. Direct percutaneous AVM puncture with coiling of aneurysmal outflow vein and subsequent ethanol embolization is shown. Finally, the report illustrates that several AVM types can coexist.

L'aspect linguistique des fusions-acquisitions d'entreprises

In the business world, mergers can also be seen as the joining of two or more "company-speaks". Contrasts between different "speaks" are brought out when the communities are together and this can be observed in the spoken and written language. This situation can be compared to that of languages in contact from the sociolinguistic and dialectological points of view. Terminology offers an adapted perspective on descriptive, historical and cultural levels.