Miami’s marketers have a long and successful history of creating and recreating imagery that draws visitors towards the "magic city" or the "tropical playground". This thesis investigates Miami’s marketing and its roots by analyzing the role and legacy of segregation in order to examine how tourism and its image relate to issues of exclusion and inequality. An inclusive rethinking of the definitions and usage of culture is then advocated as an important theoretical shift that could benefit development and revitalization in the city’s economically poorest neighborhoods. Analysis (through case studies, semi-structured interviews and GIS analysis) then shows how historic patterns of exclusion and adverse incorporation, especially in regard to tourism, are reproduced in much of Miami’s contemporary marketing, with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) playing an important role in this process. The Black community especially suffers greater levels of exclusion from Miami’s tourism and marketing and therefore has the most to gain from a shift in policy and perception. Community-based cultural tourism has functioned in various US cities as a tool to assist urban revitalization however Miami has yet to implement such a program. The results of this research suggest a number of recommendations for cultural tourism’s implementation in Miami, emphasizing the need for a community-based coalition of non-profit organizations utilizing governmental, marketing and creative/artistic partnerships.

M.S. / Bio-organic Chemistry / Single doses of tetrachlorobiphenyls, shown to be free of any chlorinated dibenzodioxins or dibenzofurans to a level of 1 ppm, were given to rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and the hepatic microsomal enzyme response measured periodically for 32 days. Liver biopsies, obtained by a closed needle technique, provided the tissue samples. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (measured as benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase), aminopyrine - N - demethylase and cytochrome P-450 were measured on each sample. Animals treated with 25 mg/kg body weight of 2,5,2' ,5'- tetrachlorobiphenyl showed a marked increase in the demethylase activity, which peaked at 1 to 2 days after treatment, and had no effect on the x hydroxylase activity or the position of the absorption maximum of the CO difference spectrum of cytochrome P-450. This is phenobarbital like inductive behavior. The animals treated with 1 mg/kg body weight of 3, 4, 3’, 4’-tetrachlorobiphenyl showed a 3-methylcholanthrene type inductive profile. The hydroxylase activity was significantly increased and peaked at 2 days after treatment. The demethylase activity was not changed. The position of the cytochrome P-450 difference spectrum absorption maximum was shifted to 448 nm. The control animals received just the acetone / corn oil vehicle and showed no changes in any of the biochemical activities measured in the course of this experiment. This data supports the structure activity relationships, established in rats, for chlorobiphenyls as inducers of hepatic microsomal enzyme activity in rhesus monkeys.

Genetically determined differences in drug metabolism and disposition and drug targets play a pivotal role in the interindividual variability in the clinical outcome of antipsychotic treatment. The aim of this thesis was to study the impact of polymorphisms in genes involved in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antipsychotics, with special focus on their extrapyramidal and metabolic adverse effects. Polymorphisms in serotonin 2A and 2C receptor coding genes (HTR2A and HTR2C) were found to be associated with the risk to develop extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) in patients on short term perphenazine treatment. A further study in a larger group of patients on long term treatment with various classical antipsychotics confirmed the association between occurrence of EPS and HTR2C polymorphisms. In another study, dose corrected steady state serum clozapine and N-desmethylclozapine concentrations (C/D) and insulin elevation during clozapine therapy were found to correlate with CYP1A2 but not with CYP2D6 polymorphisms. Furthermore, HTR2C and HTR2A polymorphisms were found to have significant influences on BMI and C-peptide levels in patients treated with olanzapine and clozapine. Evaluation of the impact of polymorphisms in genes encoding CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) in addition to CYP2D6 on the steady state plasma levels of risperidone, 9-hydroxyrisperidone and their active moiety revealed a significant influence of ABCB1 genotype on 9-hydroxyrisperidone and active moiety C/Ds, while CYP2D6 genotype associated with risperidone C/Ds but not with 9-hydroxyrisperidone or active moiety C/D. We have shown that polymorphisms in genes involved in the pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of antipsychotic drugs play a role in the occurrence of adverse effects, both EPS and metabolic disturbances, induced by antipsychotic treatment. Genotyping for HTR2A, HTR2C, CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and ABCB1 polymorphisms may therefore potentially provide useful information to identify patients at higher risk to develop EPS or metabolic adverse during schizophrenia treatment with antipsychotic drugs.

Clinical characteristics of idiosyncratic drug reactions (IDRs) suggest that they are immune mediated. Penicillamine-induced autoimmunity in Brown Norway rats was used as a tool for mechanistic studies of this type of IDR. It has been shown that T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a central role in many types of autoimmune diseases. This study was designed to test whether Th17 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of penicillamine-induced autoimmunity. In sick animals, interleukin (IL) 6 and transforming growth factor-β1, known to be driving forces of Th17 differentiation, were consistently increased following penicillamine treatment. IL-17 and IL-22, characteristic cytokines produced by Th17 cells, were increased in sick animals. Furthermore, the percentage of IL-17-producing CD4 T cells was significantly increased, but only in sick animals. Retinoic acid, which has been reported to inhibit Th17 cell development, made the autoimmunity worse, increased IL-6 production, and did not decrease the number of Th17 cells. An infiltration of CD8 cytotoxic T cells in the liver suggests that they may be the key player in causing liver toxicity induced by D-penicillamine. Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the major causes of morbidity, mortality, and drug candidate failure. Recently, it has been suggested that Th17 cells may play an active role in inflammatory human liver diseases. In a study of patients being treated with isoniazid, some patients developed mild liver injury. The percentage of Th17 cells in the blood of these patients significantly increased when the ALT increased, and this suggests that they play a role in the mechanism of this liver injury. Furthermore, IL-10-producing T cells also increased and this may have prevented the development of severe liver injury. In another study, two hours after treatment of mice with acetaminophen there was a significant increase in Th17 cells in the liver. This rapid response suggests that Th17 cells can be part of the innate immune response to liver injury. Our data provided evidence that Th17 cells are involved in both “toxic” and idiosyncratic liver toxicity. This pathway could be a new target for the therapeutic interventions to treat DILI.

An animal model of nevirapine (NVP)-induced skin rash was used to test the hypothesis that sulfonation of 12-OH NVP, a metabolite of NVP proven essential for rash development, is the link between 12-OH NVP and the skin rash. Female Brown Norway (BN) rats were co-treated with NVP or 12-OH NVP and sulfation inhibitors dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and salicylamide. Co-treatment with salicylamide markedly decreased formation of the sulfate conjugate but did not prevent development of the rash suggesting that the sulfate is not involved. However, it is not known whether the sulfate formation in the skin was affected. Co-treatments with DHEA decreased the sulfate formation and prevented the rash but also had other effects on NVP metabolism. This implies that the sulfate metabolite is responsible for the rash. Additional studies will be required to resolve these conflicting results.

An animal model of nevirapine (NVP)-induced skin rash was used to test the hypothesis that sulfonation of 12-OH NVP, a metabolite of NVP proven essential for rash development, is the link between 12-OH NVP and the skin rash. Female Brown Norway (BN) rats were co-treated with NVP or 12-OH NVP and sulfation inhibitors dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and salicylamide. Co-treatment with salicylamide markedly decreased formation of the sulfate conjugate but did not prevent development of the rash suggesting that the sulfate is not involved. However, it is not known whether the sulfate formation in the skin was affected. Co-treatments with DHEA decreased the sulfate formation and prevented the rash but also had other effects on NVP metabolism. This implies that the sulfate metabolite is responsible for the rash. Additional studies will be required to resolve these conflicting results.

Essay One examines the asymmetric information problem between primary insurers and reinsurers in the reinsurance industry and contributes uniquely to the separation of adverse selection from moral hazard, if both are present. A two-period principal-agent model is set up to identify the signals of adverse selection and moral hazard generated by the actions of the primary insurer and to provide a basis for corresponding hypotheses for empirical testing. Using data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and A.M. Best Company, the empirical tests show that the problem of adverse selection exists in the reinsurance market between the affiliated insurers and non-affiliated reinsurers, and even between closely related affiliated insurers and reinsurers. There is no evidence indicating the presence of moral hazard in the reinsurance market. To address the issue of soaring property insurance premiums and coverage availability in states that are subject to hurricane risks, state and federal governments have not only regulated the private insurance market but have also intervened directly into markets by establishing government-funded insurance programs. With coexisting public and private insurance mechanisms and price regulation, the risk of cross subsidization and a subsequent moral hazard problem may arise. By using data from the Florida Citizens Insurance Corporation, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, the Flood Insurance and the private homeowner insurance market in Florida from 1998 to 2007, the second essay examines the moral hazard problems arising from government regulation and involvement in the private insurance sector. In sum, the provision of national flood insurance is found to be positively related to the population growth in the state of Florida, which shows that state immigrants can take advantage of the lower cost of flood insurance when relocating in higher-risk areas. Further, we find that national flood insurance and the catastrophe fund complement the development of the private insurance sector, while the residual market hinders the development of private property insurance market.

Three independent models are built based on information asymmetric to analysis discipline effects brought by banks` issuance of subordinated debts. The research results offer the theory of subordinated debts discipline effects. First, an adverse selection model is built to examine banks¡¦ policies when issuing subordinated debts based on the banks¡¦ credit risks. The result shows that banks with lower credit risks are more likely to issue subordinated debts, since after the issuance, the yields of these debts are lower. When depositors observe the lower yields of the subordinated debts, they would presume that these banks have lower credit risks. As a result, banks with lower credit risks can decrease their operational costs by issuing subordinated debts. This model has demonstrated that the market can discipline banks indirectly through the issuance of subordinated debts. Second, a moral hazard model to show that issuing of subordinated debts by banks can bring direct market discipline and indirect market discipline to make their loans less risky. The direct market discipline means that the risk level of bank will be evaluated by professional investors. The investors will require that the yields accord to the banks risk. For lowering the cost of issuing subordinated debts, banks will make their loans less risky. The indirect market discipline means that the depositors would take the yields of these debts as a significant signal indicating banks risk levels. The depositors will decide to withdraw their savings when the bank signals a higher risk, and keep their saving when the bank signals a lower risk. I prove that issuing of subordinated debts by banks can bring about these two kinds of market discipline. The model has also demonstrated that if the bank supervisor can utilize the information of issuing subordinated debts effectively, they will achieve higher supervisory goal. Third, a reputation model is built to show that for reputation concerns, a bank would change its monitoring decisions if it issues subordinated debts. Reputation effect in banks is different in different scenarios. When the good banks probability of success is very high, reputation effect would induce the bad bank to start monitor it`s borrowers, and the efforts of bad banks monitoring would be increased by time. When the bad banks probability of success is very low, reputation effect would induce the good bank start monitoring its borrowers. and the efforts of bad banks monitoring would be decreases by time.

If a quote contains information as formulated in theory, then it is possible to elicit the information from each quote. We offer a simple method to extract the private and the public information elements from the quote revision. The extraction is only required to know the trade direction of the previous trade. We then present empirical evidence that our estimates are informational pertinent by showing that they are highly correlated with transaction returns. Furthermore, contrasting to the pattern of the bid-ask spread, we show that the intraday private information elements are converging as trading progresses. This phenomenon is consistent to the prediction in the theory. Our public information elements also have a similar declining pattern as that of the private information element only with a different reason.

This paper examines the properties of the perfect Bayesian Nash equilibrium or equilibria in a model where the new car market coexists with the lemon market which has adverse selection problems. Under such a setting, it is shown that the price of a new car will be affected indirectly by the problems of adverse selection in the lemon market.