Subject:
Beaver habitats

Question:
I need to see a sketch showing me what a beaver lodge looks like when built in a pond and how a beaver lives in it. Is there an area in the lodge that has air so the beaver can breathe or does it have to come out of the lodge to breathe? I need to settle a bet. Pattib

This surely qualifies as one of the more interesting questions we've had. But, as true Canadians, we're experts in beaver lore.

You can get a great idea of the beaver's habitat on page 23 of the manual titled "Beavers & How They Live" found at: http://www.ecb.org/pdf/animalslive14.pdf

It is a document used primarily for teachers, and provides an excellent sketch of the beaver lodge. I'm not sure who bet what, but you will see the beaver does not have to emerge from the lodge to get air.

You can find other beaver-related information at the following web addresses:
www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/lessons/science.html
www.bancrueltraps.com/New/FurTradeToday040921.htm
www.ankn.uaf.edu/sop/SOPv7i5.pdf

So there you go for starters. Hope we've answered your question and, at the same time, proven that you can bet on YouAskUs.com
Regards,
Researcher One

Subject:
Ice Bridges

Question:
I work frequently in the Antarctic where we have nothing but salt water. I have read about the ice roads and ice bridges in Canada's arctic, which are created and maintained by the use of fresh water. My question is this: has anyone created ice roads and/or bridges with salt water on sea ice? To earn the price of this question I would like to know as much as possible about the Canadian and/or Alaskan experience in this area, complete with web sites I might visit to get more detailed information. Sonny

Ice roads and bridges are built using compacted snow (which is always freshwater as it is formed from water vapor) or from layers of ice made from frozen ice droplets that are formed when jets of water are sprayed high in the cold air. Using salt water as a jet spray is impractical. Salt lowers the freezing/melting point of water. Ice forms when the temperature of water reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). When you add salt, that temperature drops: A 10-percent salt solution freezes at 20 F (-6 C), and a 20-percent solution freezes at 2 F (-16 C). On a roadway, this means that if you sprinkle salt on the ice, you can melt it. The salt dissolves into the liquid water in the ice and lowers its freezing point. That means that you will need a much colder temperature to create and maintain an ice road or bridge using salt water.

A good website to go to to learn more about how and when they build ice bridges in Alaska and Northwestern Canada is: http://www.gov.nt.ca/Transportation/Programs/PublicAffairs/Documents/transporter/2003/transporter_janfeb03.pdf There's also a great article on the 1,600 km ice highway the US is building from giant US coastal base at McMurdo Sound to the South Pole: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3300. Another good website on ice road technology is: http://www.netl.doe.gov/scngo/Arctic%20Energy%20Center/Publications/AK%20Conference%20Proceedings%202000/PDF/lynch.pdf

I hope this article helps and that you will refer friends and family to YouAskUs.com.

Subject:
Price comparisons

Question:
I'm having real difficulty choosing digital camera options. What's the difference between a $200 camera and one that's worth $400? Judy

I realize the difficulty in finding a source for comparative data regarding electronic devices.

There are 2 sites that should fill your needs. Each includes reviews on various camera models available by brand name.

These sites are:

http://www.digitalcamerareviewspot.com/

http://www1.interactivereviews.com/browse/photo/499052/1

I trust this information will be useful in the search for your digital camera.

Should your require further information on this subject or any clarification , please feel free to contact me.

Thank you for your question. It was a pleasure to hear from you and I trust you will find the camera best suited for you.

Pianoman

Subject:
Film censorship

Question:
Question: Is it true that films and videos are no longer censored in Ontario (Canada)

Answer:
Hello Soda Pop,
Do I detect a note of optimism in your question?

Whatever, let me congratulate you on turning to YouAskUs for an answer to a particularly relevant question. Censorship has indeed been in the news and in the courts - over the past year. But the quick answer to your question is no.

In April 2004, the Ontario Superior Court ruled the Ontario Film Review Board (the provincial censor board) didn't have the constitutional right to ban films unless they're deemed obscene, and it struck down Ontario's movie rating system. But it gave authorities a full year to come up with an alternative set of rules. In response, the government of Ontario has devised a new Theatres Act of Ontario that omits censorship of film and video unless they are in violation of the Criminal Code. That s a fine point, Soda Pop; Canada s Criminal Code states that obscenity is essentially anything that mixes sex with violence, cruelty and a handful of other elements considered unsavory in proper company. Canadian courts have been somewhat lenient in dealing with such cases, often adhering to a 1992 Supreme Court decision known as the Butler case, so-called because of the defendant s surname. He was a Winnipeg video retailer charged with a number of obscenity-related offences. The High Court defined a number of categories considered obscene but, even so, an accused might go free if he/she could show, among other criteria, that the material in question has artistic merit or meets with the community standard of tolerance. The following is specific to pornography, and refers to the Butler case. They are the remarks of Supreme Court justice Beverley McLachlin, from http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca/aboutcourt/judges/speeches/ComparativeView_e.asp

Take pornography, for instance. Much of it is made in the United States. Some of it crosses the border and is sold in Canada. But there are limits to what Canadians will tolerate as protected speech in this area. In 1992, the Supreme Court of Canada in the Butler case upheld a section of the Canadian Criminal Code which banned the publication and distribution of obscene material. The law had been challenged on the ground that it infringed freedom of expression in a way that was not justifiable under s. 1 of the Canadian Charter. The Supreme Court disagreed. It unanimously held that freedom of expression was infringed by this section of the Criminal Code, but added that the state had a right to outlaw pornography which qualifies as an undue exploitation of sex, such as where the portrayal of sex is coupled with violence, involves children, or is degrading or dehumanizing. One of the key concerns was the risk that such pornography may be harmful to women and children and to society generally. In accepting generalized risk as a reasonable basis for limiting free expression, Justice Sopinka of my Court quoted approvingly this conclusion from a House of Commons Committee: The effect of this type of material is to reinforce male-female stereotypes to the detriment of both sexes. It attempts to make degradation, humiliation, victimization and violence in human relationships appear normal and acceptable. A society which holds that egalitarianism, non-violence, consensualism, and mutuality are basic to any human interaction, whether sexual or other, is clearly justified in controlling and prohibiting any medium of depiction, description or advocacy which violates these principles (R. v. Butler, 1992] 1 S.C.R. 452, at p. 494, citing the MacGuigan Report of 1978).

In essence, Soda Pop, Ontario will continue to wear its censorship hat; all that s changed is the tilt of the hat. I hope this helps, Soda Pop. And come back and see us when you need some more legal research.

Cheers,

Researcher Two

Subject:
History

Question:
How many wives did the first King Saud have? Onlyrudi

Of some truths, there is little doubt. One such truth is that King Saud, the first monarch of Saudi Arabia, was a very busy man. Coincidentally or not, women loved him (or vice versa).

Born in 1880, Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman ibn Faisal Al Saud set out (at age 21) to re-claim the lands of the House of Saud from the Rashidi. (we now refer to these lands as Saudi Arabia but they were then known as "Arabia."

He succeeded as a warrior and, as I'm sure you know, the victor tends to capture the spoils. Brad Pitt be damned! Among King Saud's spoils were (if history steers us right) members of the "fairer" sex. Put simply, King Saud excelled at killing enemies and bedding women.

King Saud fathered 52children, 27 of whom were boys. Obviously, fighting was just one of his skills. The mothers of these children - and the number of children they bore him - are as follows:

Wadhba bint Muhammad al-Hazzam (2)
Bazza (3)
Princess Jauhara bint Musaid Al Saud (3)
Jauhara bint Saad al-Sudairy (3)
Shahida (4)
Princess Haya bint Sa'ad al-Sudairy (5)
Hessa bint Ahmad al-Sudairy (8)
unknown (24)

Based on the above, he seems to have loved "unknown" more than all her competitors. Just imagine the confusion on Mother's Day! We hope this answers your question, Rudi. You can learn more about King Saud and his appetite from the following web sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud
www.msnbc.com/modules/Newsweek/ saudi_us_relations/nwk_saudi_int.swf
www.kff.com/english/kf/manvision.html
Langlit

Subject:
pumps

Question:
Why does a pump lose its prime? Target

Losing one's prime is a greater social ill than most might imagine. That said, finding a reason for a water pump prime to "go south" is more mechanical and scientific than it is social. Could it be you're distressed about the water pump on a boat? If so, the following site makes reference to the downside of placing a water pump above the water line: http://www.diy-boat.com/Pages/Archives/links/1_01/wetstart.html

On the other hand, maybe it's a motor home pump that's causing you grief. Go here: http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/cforum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/13588103.cfm

For a general discussion on water pump primes, you might try this: http://www.c34.org/faq-pages/faq-water-pump.html

So, Target, these are a few sites to aim at. Because we're not sure what type of pump you're referring to, we're tossing all of the above solutions at you. And we hope one of them springs forth solutions. If not, get back to us and we'll pump out some more answers. And thanks of thinking of YouAskUs.com
Researcher One

Question:
My wife has for the last few months complained of a dull ache in her vagina, this lately has led to some discharge (light) she did have an historectomy about 15 years ago. She is now aged late 56, over the last few days she has been in pain if she sits down and there fore has to lay one her side, or back. Tonight she felf inside her self and discovered a lump, on checking this out at her request I found that her rectum passage had what appeared to be a lump of about 3/4" about one inch long and a smaller size either side which was pressing on the inside vaginal cavity agacent to her back passage, is this serious. or would drugs cure to problem, she does not have any pains when moveing stools,
J Portland

Answer:
Hi J:

We’re pleased that you turned to youaskus.com for assistance.

That said, I will emphasize that we are not, repeat not, medical professionals. We are reasonably intelligent people who excel at finding answers and/or useful information. So please understand that what follows should not be taken as "expert medical advice." The only people who can deliver medical recommendations and guidance are qualified professionals. So it would be prudent for your wife to visit a medical doctor.

Based on the information you provided, our best guess is that your wife is suffering from an abscess referred to as "Bartholin’s Cyst."

To learn more about that – and see the similarities with your wife’s symptoms – go to the following web site (operated by the Mirror newspaper group in England):

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sexandhealth/slimmingandhealth/tm_objectid=16678545&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=what-s-that-lump--name_page.html

Scroll down the page and see the following:
"Around the vagina"

LIKELY TO BE: A BARTHOLIN'S CYST

What is it? If you have a fluid-filled lump on your vulva (vaginal lips), it's probably a blockage of one of the Bartholin's glands on each side. It affects two per cent of women and is normally caused by infection, injury or chronic inflammation.

What should I do? Soak in a warm bath. Hopefully it will go away without treatment but if it becomes infected, it needs to be drained.

When to worry: Persistent itching, changes in skin colour, ulceration and soreness could be a sign of vulval cancer, so see your GP. Also, warts around the genitals always need treating as they have been linked to cervical cancer."

So, J, the aforementioned symptoms seem to be in sync with what you describe. And, again, I will suggest you confirm this with a medical professional. It could be that soaking in warm water will see the end of it, but I would not take chances.

I will also recommend that you visit the following web site for additional information on abscesses and what they often mean. It’s a web site operated by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). By the way, it’s just coincidence that I’m sending you to two British sites. They happen to provide useful information. Go to http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.aspx?printPage=1&articleId=3, where you will find the following passage:

"Causes
Abscesses occur for several reasons. For example, skin abscesses may occur when the oil (sebaceous) glands or sweat glands become blocked, the hair follicles become inflamed (this is called a perifollicular abscess), or from minor wounds to the skin.

Germs get under the skin or into these glands, and are fought off by the body’s defences. This causes the area to become swollen and sometimes painful. The middle of the abscess containing the dead cells, bacteria, and other debris, turns to liquid and begins to grow, causing the surrounding tissue to become more swollen.

The usual cause of an abscess is an infection with bacteria. Certain bacteria are more likely to be pus-forming as they make toxins (chemicals) which can damage the body's tissues. These include: Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.

People with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop abscesses. These include people with AIDS, cancer, or diabetes, people who are having treatment such as chemotherapy or chronic steroid therapy, and those who have had serious trauma such as extensive burns."

There you go, J, I think we’ve given you a head start. Please read this material carefully and see where they, too, recommend checking these things with a medical professional. Never assume that written material alone will "cure" whatever ails you and/or your wife. It’s good to read but, when potentially serious outcomes are at play, always double check with people who know their business.

Good luck, and tell your friends about youaskus.com.
Regards,
Researcher One

Question:
What are the major arguments that have been raised for and against agrarian reform programs in the developing world?

The answer should consist of 100-150 words.

Answer:
Hi ahmed4000:

Great to see you back. This time, the subject is agrarian reform in the developing world. I’m assuming you need this information as soon as possible. But, if not, I want to recommend a great documentary film you can find at major video stores: "Life and Debt.” It speaks directly to your question.

Using Jamaica as its focus, the document shows how that Caribbean nation – in need of capital to deal with the everyday needs of its population – borrows many millions of dollars from the World Bank. If memory serves correctly, it was around 50 million dollars the nation wanted for education, medicine and other disciplines common to us all. Jamaica got the money, but in return, it had to open up its dairy industry to foreign competition. Thus followed an avalanche of powdered milk from the USA onto the Jamaican market. Because it was cheaper, Jamaicans started using powdered milk and, sadly, the local dairy farmers were forced to dump their fresh milk.

So reform comes in many guises. Some reform is counter-productive and even destructive. See http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/2001/w01v7n1.html for a thoughtful approach to the subject.

Among the quotes to be found there are the following:
"On July 26, 2000, I was one of fifty visitors from 24 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas to visit the 5000 hectare site of the former Regional Center for Military Training (CREM) in Colon, Honduras. During the 1980s the notorious CREM was used by the US military to train the Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Honduran militaries in counter-insurgency, and the Nicaraguan contras in counter-revolution. Here was where some of the world's worst violators of human rights learned their craft on the US taxpayers' tab. The CREM was reportedly the site of a secret prison for "disappeared" activists from Central America. The site contains a recently discovered clandestine mass grave where some of those political prisoners presumably ended up-and for which five former military officers, including former Honduran vice president General Walter Lopez, were charged in 1998.

With the end of the Cold War, this killing field was vacated by the US and Honduran armies; and in 1991 the Honduran Congress voted to make it available for distribution to landless peasants, whose numbers swelled over years of economic crisis and land grabs by the wealthy. The property transfer never happened, as titles to the land mysteriously appeared in the hands of military officers, politicians, and landlords-titles the government refused to annul despite multiple protests and legal challenges by peasant organizations.”

You’ll also find an enlightening treatment at http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/0,,contentMDK: 20634060~pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469382,00.html. Keep in mind the aforementioned is from the World Bank, and thus not entirely objective. Here’s a quote from the aforementioned site: "Between 1981 and 2001, the proportion of population living in poverty in China fell from 53 percent to just eight percent. However, this progress was not smooth. Significantly, half the reduction occurred in the first half of the 1980s, and the decline was not continual thereafter, with periods of some set-backs for China’s poor (such as the late 1980s and late 1990s).

Consider the specific situation in China at the time reforms began: the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution had left a legacy of severe, pervasive rural poverty by the late-1970s. Arguably, there were some important but relatively easy gains to be had by simply undoing failed policies, notably by de-collectivizing agriculture. Much of the rural population that had been forced into collective farming with weak incentives for work could still remember how to farm individually. Returning the responsibility for farming to individual households brought huge gains to the country’s poorest.

"Although we cannot offer a rigorous test against alternative explanations,” says Martin Ravallion, poverty expert at the World Bank, "we can hypothesize that the halving of the national poverty rate in the first few years of the 1980s was largely attributable to picking these ‘low-lying fruit’ of agrarian reform. But this was essentially a one-time reform.” And, finally, I recommend you visit http://www.brasilemb.org/embassy/letter_newsweek_embaixador.shtml, where you’ll see "reform” described as fable. One of the problems with agrarian reform is that it rarely comes without strings attached. And thgose strings all too often become a noose around a nation's neck.

I hope we’ve helped ahmed. Keep sending the questions and we’ll be pleased to answer.
Regards,
Researcher One

Question:
what are the essential elements of the Blanchard model.
How does the situational model work?

Answer:
Hi again, lukeruth99:

First, I suggest you go to where you will find the following quote relative to the Blanchard model:
"I first read Ray Blanchard's scientific papers on autogynephilia and transsexuality years ago. This was before Anne Lawrence web-published her first essay, "'Men Trapped in Men's Bodies': An Introduction to the Concept of Autogynephilia" on the topic and long before J. Michael Bailey published his book "The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender Bending and Transsexualism." That is, I am one of the few transsexuals who first formed an opinion of the scientific work surrounding this theory before any exposure to these more general-audience accounts. Thinking back, this probably has a more startling influence on my interpretations than you might imagine. " That’s only the intro, so please visit the site and allow it to shed further light on the subject matter.

Scroll down the page and see the essence of the model:

"Scientific Theory of Transsexuality Ray Blanchard proposes a scientifically-testable theory of transsexuality. Unfortunately there is little debate in psychopathology so the necessary theoretical work for building this theory has not happened. I hope to foster debate and encourage theory development. As theories develop, I hope they will incorporate many other aspects of transgenderism that I feel are equally, if not more important, than sexuality.

Blanchard's Model makes a claim about Causality? Some people equate Blanchard's term "autogynephilia" to the purely descriptive phrase "cross-gender fantasy". Yet it is only through claims about causality that Blanchard's model has the power to categorize and explain.

So Little Evidence for Blanchard's Theory? Advocates have gotten Blanchard's model recongized in the DSM-IV-TR and HB-SOC despite a lack of evidence. They do this by treating as evidence for Blanchard's model, studies that link sexual orientation and transsexuality. This is not appropriate because they neglect studies with null-results and fail to meet a basic standard of science, falsifiability.

Transsexual? Gender Identity Conflict? And how participant selection bias might influnce Ray Blanchards's Results about Autogynephilia. Blanchard chose participants by feelings of being a woman rather than for gender dysphoria. Excluding those transsexuals who's gender incongruence focuses on not being our biological sex is only likely to over-estimate the proportion of transsexuals who have especially strong longings (including sexual fantasies) of being our target sex. By using different criteria to create the core autogynephila scale than to compare "homosexual" and "non-homosexual" transsexuals, Blanchard assumes, perhaps incorrectly, that autogynephilia is a single unified construct in the minds of transsexuals.

Categories of Transsexuality? Are transsexuals who are "homosexual" categorically different from those who are "non-homosexual?" Ray Blanchard's own data is inconsistent with this possibility. When analyzing data, Blanchard assumed his categories were true even though statistical methods were readily available; he did not have to beg the question. This is not to say sexual orientation is unimportant. For example, sexual orientation may guide experiences of transsexuals before they "come out."

Need of Control Groups to Separate Sexual Orientation from Transsexuality In order to find out if transsexuals of different sexual orientations really have different sexual fantasies, we need to make sure we are looking for a difference between transsexuals instead of a difference across sexual orientation that we happen to find among transsexuals. Necesssary control groups were left out of Blanchard's analyses.

Correlation versus Causality: Is it sexual deviance, compensation, or just a fantasy? Blanchard believes that autogynephilic sexual fantasies cause gender dysphoria, but his evidence is only with correlations (technically the categorical equivalent). Alternately, the reverse causal direction could be true: gender dysphoria could cause cross-gender fantasies for compensation. Finally, a third possible factor may be the causal mechanism.

Sexual Orientation or Age? Does age or sexual orientation account for the different extent of cross-gender fantasies among transsexuals? It is surprising Blanchard did not covary age from his ANOVA because a previous theory distinguished primary and secondary transsexuality by age. I show that, assuming a fixed percent chance of a cross-gender fantasy per year, we can fully account for the differences between "homosexual" and "non-homosexual" transsexuals. Furthermore, the difference extent of cross-gender fantasies is likely an artifact of the design of the "Core Autogynephilia Scale."

Gender Dysphoria or Gender Euphoria: Operational Definition of Gender Dysphoria Ray Blanchard defines gender dysphoria as something more akin to gender euphoria. His "Pure Gender Dysphoria Scale" operationally defines gender dysphoria by asking 5 questions about wanting to be women. Since fantasizing is a more extreme form of wanting, it's possible Blanchard has simply defined phenomena so that his theory is correct.

Clinical Intuition & Identity Anne Lawrence asks us, "What force is powerful enough to make us give up our whole place in the world; to make us risk estrangement from our families, loss of our jobs, and rejection by our friends?" Perhaps the answer is a force powerful enough to also keep us living in abusive relationships and powerful enough to prevent us from preferring sight to blindness? Identity. "

So there you go, lukeruth99. Again we thank you for visiting, and I look forward to your return.
Regards,
Researcher One

Question:
Dear Sir or Madam,

I am currently doing an MBA, and I need to work on the "GenPharm International" case. I am sure that you already know of this company, so you will not need an overview of it.

The point is that I have been asked to write about the factors that GenPharm would consider in the decision to accept the acquisition offer by Medarex (the acquisition eventually took place in 1997), and what I would recommend to Mr Jonathan MacQuitty (GenPharm's CEO at the time).

Unfortunately, I do not have the time to work on this assignment, so I would urgently need to know if you could help me with that (2 pages would do), and how much it would cost me.

Answer:
Hi:

First, thank you for turning to YouAskUs for a solution to what seems to be a somewhat pressing problem. What follows is a narrative of GenPharm International’s rise to prominence in the field of biotechnology. As is inevitably the case, there are plenty of potholes on the way to the Promised Land.

The GenPharm International situation was this. In the early 1990s, its prospects were rosy; the result of a merger of two smaller companies, the new GenPharm International had become a pioneer in transgenic animal technology. (transgenic animals are animals that have had their genetic structure altered by introducing or deleting DNA).

Remember "Herman” the world’s first transgenic dairy calf? He was developed by a European GenPharm International subsidiary. The company’s US subsidiary also attracted positive attention by playing a key part in the development of the world’s first transgenic mice.

But to move forward, the company needed money. As a consequence of enjoying several successes in developing transgenic models, GenPharm sought money to launch clinical trials and establish manufacturing facilities. GenPharm had succeeded in private equity markets, but it needed even more money to attain its goals. The company directors decided that taking the company public would solve the money shortage. But just as it was preparing to go public, a competitor filed a suit that alleged GenPharm International was guilty of misappropriating trade secrets.

This turn of events led ultimately to cancellation of the IPO proposal. But it did not end the money shortage. So the decision was made to downsize and scale back. The European operation was sold and, in the same year (1995), the company cut loose its animal model business. A planned merger with a Scottish biotech company fell apart when the company was forced to cease operations, and GenPharm was not entirely sure it could avoid the same fate.

1997 was a better year. GenPharm reached a settlement on the aforementioned lawsuit, and the settlement included a cross-license agreement that gave GenPharm 37.5 million dollars. All this while, company directors were exploring the possibility of corporate partners with the financial muscle GenPharm needed to build its business. By this time, much focus was on the firm’s human monoclonal antibody products.

The underlying impetus was the use the aforementioned research and technology to create (with animals) human proteins that would address a host of diseases and ailments that have afflicted humans since the start of recorded history.

It is said that all things must pass, and this apparently applies to bad financial times. In the wake of several disappointing forays and attempts to secure financing, the psychological sun broke through.

April 28, 1997 was a momentous day in GenPharm history. Medarex, a publicly traded biotechnology company offered to buy GenPharm International for up to 65-million dollars.

Jonathan MacQuitty is CEO of GemPharm International. As such, he played a key role in the various negotiations and transactions involving his company. While this presentation does not cover the entire life of the company (for reasons of brevity), one should be aware the company won numerous awards in the biotech field, and its reputation among friend and foe was formidable. From 1988 – when the GenPharm arose from the merger of two smaller companies – Mr. Maquitty and his colleagues encountered a number of twists and turns, some good and others not so good.

Thus, when it came crunch time, there was no better informed individual than Jonathan MacQuitty who’d steered the GenPharm ship since its birth. He also had benefit of a Board of Directors which, presumably, was also knowledgeable.

In 1997, the Medarex offer was one of two from companies who MacQuitty and company had courted in previous months. Three days after the Medarex offer, a privately-held company delivered its own bid. It offered (1) 15-million dollars worth of common stock to be paid when GenPharm shareholders approved the transaction and (2) subsequent cash payments from net proceeds of third party income (license agreements etc.). The third part of that offer was the issuance of warrants allowing GenPharm shareholders to purchase common stock in the amalgamated company at a price to be determined later.

Ultimately, the GenPharm Board determined this latter offer was little more than a move to bolster the purchaser’s bid to take the private company public. It gave shareholders little liquid security. So the offer was turned down.

At that point, GenPharm suggested that Medarex sweeten its original offer. And it did, by offering up to 65-million dollars in Medarex common stock, up to 3,250,000 shares of Medarex common stock to holders of GenPharm preferred shares during 1997 and additional shares by the end of the following year.

When push came to shove, among MacQuitty and colleagues’ questions were the following:

Is GenPharm valued appropriately?
Are the offers to purchase providing fair value to shareholders?
Is the money being offered sufficient to carry out GenPharm’s business aspirations?
Will partnering with another company allow us to remain competitive in our chosen field?
Will the combined companies produce something greater than the sum of the two parts?

(Editor’s Note: I am not an MBA, so I leave it to smarter folk than I to provide answers.)

Again, thank you for visiting YouAskUs. If we can be of further assistance, please come back
Regards,
Researcher One

Question:
What does the mysterious symbol that is blinking in the center of my 1992 Chrysler T&C Electronic Instrument Cluster mean?

Last year when the Check Engine light came on I took it to the Chrysler dealer and asked him what it meant. He said they didn't know (but charged me $80.00). I asked him to at least tell me what codes it had and he said the only code was "Not commanded to be on." I asked him to at least clear it and turn off the the Check Engine light. He said they tried but couldn't. Some help, huh?

I have the 1992 Chrysler Service Manual for my van. If you will look on page 8E-1 you will see a picture of the electronic cluster (Fig. 3). Look very close and you will see a small symbol just to the right of TRIP and centered just above the odometer. This is the mysterious symbol I'm asking about. This is the exact same diagram that is in the operator's manual (p. 39). Nowhere in either book is there any mention of this symbol (just like they don't mention the asterisk used to indicate a replacement cluster). I guess Chrysler likes to keep secrets.

This mysterious little symbol started blinking on and off when the van died and continues to blink to this very day whenever the ignition is turned on. Do you know how to access a cluster repair facility (the same guys who insert that little secret asterisk)? Maybe they know what this blinking symbol is trying to tell me?

My current mechanic wants to replace the entire front wiring harness and I have purchased one (mail order from a Dallas wrecking yard - $150.00) but haven't got it yet. I think he's checked everything he could think of and is grasping at straws. I know he already replaced the engine controller, some relays and some wiring without success. I think its a good car and I really want to fix it. Like I said before, it cranks fine but doesn't even fire a lick. Any help would be appreciated.

-------------------------

Background to Question:

1.My 1992 minivan just shut itself off while traveling 50 mph. It will crank just fine but will not fire. Whenever the key is turned on there is a very small symbol blinking in the electronic instrument cluster. The symbol is centered above the odometer and looks something like a flower or asterisk. I do not have a diagnostic reader. Could you at least tell me what this blinking symbol is intended to mean? And, perhaps what I might do to get this damn thing to start so I can at least drive it back home?

2. The orange 'Check Engine' light at the top of the panel stays on all the time. When the ignition is turned off it fades off very slowly. My dealer told me that it was "Not commanded to be on." and that he could not clear it or turn it off. Does this indicate any problem needing attention or can I just ignore it like I have the past 20,000 miles?

Answer:
Hi Tom:

Thanks for turning to YouAskUs for an answer. Most of the time, we produce great answers. Other times, well ……

Yours is a tough question because (a) we don’t happen to have a manual for a 1992 Chrysler, (b) we have no particular mechanical aptitude and (c) we're likely hundreds or thousands of miles away. We answer questions by steering you to the people who do have the expertise.

But I’ll tell you what. If we’re not helpful here, you won’t have to pay a cent.

So let’s start with the word "blinking.” Based on discussions among people with car troubles, blinking in the electronic cluster almost always means the vehicle’s computerized system is trying to tell you something. And, again, as best I can tell, it’s often an overdrive indicator that’s blinking. See http://forums.vmag.com/pm-0702/

If you go to this aforementioned web site, and scroll down the page, you will come across the following messages from guys who share something in common with you – blinking in their clusters (sounds like it might be a dread disease!)

The following are direct quotes:

"Hey Jeff, the blinking light warns you that the computer is holding a DTC (diagnostic trouble code). You need to take your vehicle and have the DTC's pulled to determine what the problem is. Hope this helps.
-------

A few months ago i had my transmission rebuilt. Almost immediately i started having a problem with the O/D light blinking. It doesn't happen until the truck is warmed up (usually 1/2 hour of city driving). I can tell before it's going to happen because the truck skips 1st gear. It's difficult to excelerate from a stop. The only way to stop it is to disconnect the battery then reconnect, but that only helps for a short time. The shop that rebuilt the transmission has already replaced a solenoid that they thought was to blame, but it didn't help. I'm beginning to think the problem has nothing to do with the transmission. Any suggestions?”

Another guy on the same site was suffering the blinking thing too.

Trouble is, Tom, computerization has taken over the world. And the mechanics who once could look at a car – or listen to it – and tell you the problem have gone the way of the dodo. Having said that, I’ll suggest that the Chrysler dealerships you’ve been dealing with seem second-rate. There’s no way you should have to pay $80 and not get an answer. Are there no Chrysler district offices near you?

Maybe one possible approach is for you to embarrass these people. Tell your tale to the local newspaper, radio station or television outlet. Companies like Chrysler hate bad publicity, and something like you’re describing is pretty poor response on their part.

Another suggestion I have is that you visit http://mrwhizard.com/index.cfm, where they claim to have solutions for every electronic cluster you can mention. Maybe that’s where part of the solution lies.

I wish I could be more specific and precise. But diagnosing a car from a distance is like a doctor telling you what ails you from hundreds of miles away. I hope we’ve been of some help. Let us know if any of this works for you. And come back to see us when you’ve got a question we can be more precise about.

Good luck to you!
Regards,
Researcher One

Question:
Explain how the focus of research on gender in the developing world has moved from the study of oppression to the study of empowerment. Discuss the ways modernization has affected women of differing social status in distinct ways.

Answer:
Hi ahmed4000:

On the subject of women’s empowerment, I suggest you visit http://www.comminit.com/evaluations/st2003/thinking-300.html, where you will find fascinating and illuminating facts relative to research done in South Asia. Here’s a snippet of what you’ll find:

"There are three debates centering on micro credit, social capital, and feminization of poverty and women's empowerment. The first debate is on the potential and limitations of micro credit for women's empowerment, with one set of people holding the position that micro credit is the panacea for poverty reduction and women's empowerment, and another group arguing that this is far from true, and women's labour and time is infact exploited through such programmes. The second debate is on the potential and limitations of "social capital". One group believes that strengthening social capital-bonding, bridging and linking capital- can help people to come out of poverty and empower themselves, while another group posits that unless "physical capital" and "financial capital" is strengthened poverty reduction and women's empowerment will be a distant goal. A third debate has centered on whether focus on gender and poverty deflects attention from the more political agenda of women's empowerment. One position holds that poverty is feminized, and that donors and development agencies should focus on the interlinkage between gender, women and poverty. The other position is that evidence on feminization of poverty is weak, and conflating gender issues with poverty, takes attention away from the broader agenda of women's empowerment...”

You will also find valuable information at http://www.sdnp.undp.org/gender/resources/mono7.html where, among other approaches, you will find the following:

"The women's empowerment framework reconceptualizes the development objectives of gender-responsive programming. Rather than focusing on economic objectives, such as enabling women to be more productive or use their labour time more effectively in order to reap the benefits of development, it views women's equality and women's empowerment as central development objectives in their own right. The framework aims to provide tools for the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes and projects that explicitly contribute to women's empowerment and gender equality. This involves promoting a 'bottom up' approach to planning. The argument is that 'when development planners conduct a baseline survey and gender role analysis they can identify only practical needs, not strategic interests'. The objective is to provide 'a systemic and analytical understanding of the grassroots empowerment process by which the local community recognizes and pursues its strategic interests'. Included as a component of the Oxfam Gender Training Manual and CIDA's Gender and Development Briefing Module, 'What's Leading Edge?' the framework is incorporated into UNICEF's Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Package, on which this assessment is based.”

Let me also suggest you visit http://www.codesria.org/Links/conferences/gender/STEADY.pdf Among the insights found there are the following:

"Culture has valuable and positive assets and provide effective models for gender research that can lead to the empowerment and advancement of African women. African feminism as defined in 1981 outlined the value of African women in the ideological, institutional and customary realms. Women’s power bases are partly derived from cultural values that stress the potency of a female principle governing life and reproduction though motherhood and the centrality of children. Women can also control political and ritual spaces. Women’s indigenous groups can provide important leveraging mechanisms for women and are instrumental in promoting sustainable development projects. So rather than dismiss African cultures as archaic, we need to conduct more studies using culture as the paradigmatic framework that has the potential of producing action-oriented research capable of transforming society and empowering women.”

There’s much more there too. Happy hunting, ahmed4000, and remember YouAskUs.com when faced with your next pressing issue.
Regards,
Researcher One

Question:
Discuss the various types of relationships that exist between church and state in Islamic societies. Discuss why the Buddhist and Hindu religions have usually been less actively involved in national politics than Islam or Catholicism. How has that changed in India in recent years?

Answer:
Hi ahmed4000:

Welcome again to YouAskUs.com. You’ve certainly posed a challenging question but, then again, we’re in the business of answering tough questions.

The first part of your question deals with the relationship between church and state in Islamic societies. As I’m sure you can appreciate, there is no one-size-fits-all response, but perhaps there are some nuggets to be mined by the following material.

Let me quote from an article found at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2279/is_n151/ai_18314958

“The study of the life of the prophet Muhammad and the caliphate, and of Muslim juristic, political, literary and philosophical theory, nave all reinforced the notion that Islam does not have a church institution, that Islam encompasses all domains including law and the state, that the state and religious community are one and the same, and that state and religious authority are embodied in the same person. This is still the common view of many western and Muslim scholars of Islam.”

In short, there seems a consensus among followers of Muhammad that one should not distinguish between state and religion; religion is the state and vice versa. But, as with all things, the passing years generate different views.

The past century has seen the creation of new states and, with them, new approaches. Thus, we have (for example) nations such as Iraq that have existed largely as secular states, albeit with significant believers in Islam. Similar phenomena are seen in several other nations whose citizens are largely followers of Muhammad.

In today’s Diaspora, we also see a return of fervent Islamic belief and lifestyle – what is often categorized as “fundamentalism.” Presumably, this is certainly exemplified by the outcry that followed the publication of so-called cartoons in a Danish newspaper.

You will also remember that Afghanistan, during the Taliban’s rule, made few distinctions between state and religion. By all accounts, the state was religion. If you visit the aforementioned web site, http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2279/is_n151/ai_18314958, you will find some enlightening views into the subject matter. You will further benefit by looking at http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001116944

Now, as it pertains to Hindu political involvement, I’m not sure we can agree with your premise. Let me provide an example from http://www.chowk.com/show_article.cgi?aid=00000968&channel=university%20ave The following passages discuss the differences between the people of Pakistan (Muslim) and their mostly Hindu cousins in India.

“On the other side, the Indian leaders of the independence movement made a conscious choice in 1947 in favor of a secular, pluralist state and enshrined the concept of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious nationhood in the constitution of independent India. But with the weakening of the ruling Congress party, due mainly to its failure to solve the problem of persistent poverty and socio-economic inequalities, the marginal Hindu communal parties began to gain strength and push their exclusionist political agendas more stridently. The imposition of emergency by Prime Minister Indra Gandhi in 1975 became a turning point which led to a situation conducive to the politics of communal mobilization based on religion.

The 1980s and 1990s saw the rapid growth of Hindu nationalism on lines similar to the Islamic nationalism of Pakistan as the Sangh Parivar combine stepped up its activities to an unprecedented level. Endorsing the view of the Islamists that Hindus and Muslims living in the subcontinent were not just two religious communities, among others, but two distinct nations, they intensified their campaign to transform India into the Hindu rashtra (nation) of their vision. They too rejected the concept of a multi-religious, multi-ethnic state as a Congressite folly to be replaced by majoritarian Hindu rule.”

I will also beg to differ on the subject of political activism among Buddhists. Please visit http://www.anu.edu.au/thaionline/BUDDHISM%20AND%20POLITICS%20IN%20SOUTHEAST %20ASIA.doc, and you will see the following about southeast Asia politics:

“On the face of it, a quietist and meditative religion like Buddhism that advocates compassion for, but withdrawal from, the world of suffering would seem to have little to do with politics. But it was the Buddha himself who established the first link between Buddhism and political power in North India, through the accommodation he sought with the rising power of Magadha and its king, Ajatasattu. From its origins Buddhism was an urban phenomenon: it drew its support from householders from the ksatriya and vaisya classes (varnas). The Sangha established the sites of its Lenten retreats close to towns, where monks could obtain alms, or be supplied by wealthy patrons.

Though the organisation of the Sangha is believed to be based on the republican institutions of government of the Buddha’s own Sakya tribe, historically Buddhism has provided legitimation for political power, especially authoritarian political power in the form of absolute monarchy. The ideal Buddhist ruler is the cakravartin, or universal emperor, whose historical model is Asoka Maurya (ruled 268-239 BCE). Ideally the cakravartin creates his empire solely through ‘righteous, or dharmic, conquest’ (dharmavijaya); that is, through the example of his superior karma and rule as dharmaraja, in accordance with Buddhist moral precepts. Lesser rulers voluntarily acknowledge the moral superiority of the cakravartin and bring their kingdoms within the universal empire, whose justification lies in the opportunity it provides though just and ordered government for all individuals to pursue their spiritual path towards nirvana (liberation from the cycle of rebirth).

Asoka was proclaimed by Buddhist historians as the ideal king, because he turned away from bloody conquest after his Kalinga campaign to rule his extensive empire in accordance with Buddhist moral principles. In his edicts he praised the ‘three gems’ of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and established rules to ensure that the Sangha was ‘purified’, in the sense of not providing a refuge for rebels or criminals. He also gave generously to the Sangha, and is supposed to have assembled the third great Buddhist council, around 250 BCE. So was established the reciprocal relationship between ruler and Sangha that became characteristic of all Theravada kingdoms in Southeast Asia.”

You’ll find further examples of Buddhist political activism at http://www.iseas.edu.sg/vr32001.pdf

So you see, ahmed4000, politics is at the heart of human existence. Some of us are perhaps adept at sublimating our political bent, but stressful times and/or situations bring it to the fore.

I hope we've been helpful to you. Thanks for presenting YouAskUs with interesting work.
Regards,
Researcher One