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The organization, functions and governing rules of the singular guild of overseers (bothroi) of the capital's equestrian trade market are examined. The overseers' task was to detect and point out animal defects to prospective buyers, serve as appraisers and brokers on request, recover stolen animals, and dispose of unsold animals. The head of the bothroi arbitrated financial disputes and was responsible for the maintenance of the marketplace. Trading in one location had discernible advantages: it forestalled animal diversion and stealthy transactions, provided on-site assistance to traders, prevented market fragmentation, and fostered aggressive bargaining and competitive pricing behaviour.

This article provides an in depth analysis of the organization, technology employed and functioning of the guild-organized leather manufacturing industry in the capital during the tenth century. Emphasis is placed on the internai organization and operations of the establishments; the technical processes employed; their business organization form and governing rules; the implications of the guild' s occupational exclusivity; the likely market structure, degree of exercisable market power, and their impact on price competition. The scale of operations and growth of firms was determined by entrepreneurial decisions based on market signais. Prices and wages were set by market forces - not by the guild. Pro-competitive regulations and unimpeded new entry fostered correct business conduct and maintained a level playing field. Occupational exclusivity did flot ensure market monopoly, as the guiid system did not aim to promote the members' economic interests, thwart intra-guild and external competition, or achieve equality of economic resuits.

The effect of cartilage proteoglycans on HA seed crystal growth was studied using a system providing constant supersaturation with respect to HA. The monomers were much less effective than the aggregates in reducing the rate of HA growth, which correlates with their affinity for the HA crystals. Hyaluronan, which is a normal constituent of the proteoglycan aggregates, behaved as a strong inhibitor of HA seed crystal growth and had an affinity constant similar to that of proteoglycan aggregates. The results indicate that inhibition of HA seed crystal growth is mediated throught the interaction of hyaluronan with HA crystal surface and that the proteoglycans add to the volume of the adsorbate causing steric hindrance.

This article analyzes the organization and functioning of the Byzantine salt monopoly. Saltworks were owned by the state, but some were also owned by monasteries and laymen. State-owned saltworks were not run as state enterprises; rather, their operations were auctioned to private individuals by competitive bidding conducted by provincial governors. Auctions of saltworks could be combined with concessions of the salt sales tax or other rights to sources of local revenue (e. g. fisheries, wharfage). Concessionaires of saltworks often were obligated to deliver salt free of charge and tax in perpetuity to influential monasteries because of long-standing local customs. The state had a fiscal, not a market monopoly on salt as the price of salt was determined by market forces. Still, topography and seasonality of production and trade could provide opportunities for exploitation of inter-spatial and intertemporal price differentials. Disaggregation of the salt market into definable producer-wholesaler wholesaler-retailer, and retailer-consumer submarkets evinces the varying impact that market structure can have on the degree of competition and on the firms' pricing strategies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate patient skin doses in the most frequent computed tomography-guided interventional radiology procedures. The study includes 14 abdominal biopsies and 15 radiofrequency (RF) ablations. Patient skin dose was assessed by slow verification films. The technical factors recorded were: tube kilovoltage (kVp), tube load (mAs), slice thickness and the total number of slices (S). The median value of maximum entrance skin dose (ESDM) in biopsy was 108 mGy (9.5-282 mGy). S had a range of 4-152 with a median of 44 slices. Significant correlation was found between S and dose (r = 0.80). Median ESDM in RF ablation was 238 mGy (104-500 mGy). S had a range of 108-175 with a median of 155 slices. No significant correlation was found between S and dose. The large range of results show that a more extensive investigation should be performed. In summary, diagnostic procedures such as biopsy present patient skin doses that are relatively low. On the other hand, patient skin dose in RF ablation can be high and can reach values higher than the value that a slow verification film is capable of measuring (1.2 Gy). For these procedures, an alternative method should be investigated. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

This paper examines the effect of military expenditure on the profitability of the Greek economy for the 1962-1994 period. In the theoretical debate on the role of military expenditures they have alternatively been viewed either as a "burden on growth" (i.e. an unproductive drain of resources) or as a stimulating factor for demand, profitability and economic performance. This distinction is reflected in the Marxist tradition as well where in different theories of crisis, military expenditures have been treated either as an unproductive burden or as a savior of the capitalist system, mainly through their effect on the rate of profit. Our empirical tests for the relationship between military expenditure, the general Marxian rate of profit and the net rate of profit indicate that those expenditures have had a contradictory effect on profitability, stimulating effective demand in the short run, but affecting negatively both rates of profit over the long run.

We describe the features of 13 cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis (eight of which occurred sporadically and five of which resulted from two family outbreaks) that developed subsequent to the use of commercial synthetic sponges for bathing, On the basis of O serogrouping and pyocin typing and subtyping, the strains recovered from the skin lesions were found to be identical to those isolated from household shower water and sponges. P. aetuginosa folliculitis is commonly caused by the serogroup O:11; The serogroups described in this study are rare causative agents of this type of skin infection. We believe that this is the first report of P. aeruginosa folliculitis due to serogroups O:3 and O:16.

The conviction that the equities market can be considerably relied upon to finance industrial growth has been widely entertained in Greece in recent years. Optimism in the practicability of such an expeditious upgrading of the equities segment of the capital market' derives mainly from the persistent accumulation of savings deposits,2 following the dramatic increase in the propensity to save the country has experienced during the past fifteen years or so.3 Indeed, the opinion is held that, fundamentally, there is no lack of potential savers willing to invest in industrial equities.4 The prevailing thin stock market should rather be

THE persistence of unexploited investment opportunities in developing countries, despite the availability of investible funds, is almost invariably taken to reflect a deficient demand for capital. The deficiency allegedly emanates from the lack of appreciation of new investment opportunities, the shortage of individuals capable and willing to seize them, or the want of technical and managerial competence in planning and operating an industrial enterprise.1 No consideration has been given so far to the possibility that the insufficient demand for investible funds may, in part, stem from the negative effects of the traditional financing methods employed by development banks to foster industrial investment. Although the matter defies quantification, there are good reasons to believe that bank lending practices have often unsuspectingly contributed to the prevailing aversion toward industrial ventures. Industrial development institutions-whether private or public-have a legitimate concern to ensure an impeccable performance and a high standing. Nevertheless, the fulfilment of these desiderata, not infrequently, has resulted in lending procedures which repel potential borrowers. The conditions the applicant must meet to establish his eligibility so dilute his entrepreneurial function and independence as to discourage him from carrying out his investment plans. This state of mind is further reinforced by the need to muster substantial matching funds due to the reluctance of development banks to invest in a particular project more than the owners themselves are willing to put up. Often, convenience motivates development banks to confine their lending activity to well-established firms, a policy which has been repeatedly criticized.2 Under such circumstances, and in view of the fact that recourse of the applicants to the capital market must normally be ruled out, conventional arrangements of financing the acquisition of fixed assets may unintentionally have deleterious effects on the propensity to invest and may even undermine the catalytic role of development banks in the private sector.