Origins of Varying Understandings of Democracy

2021 ◽  
pp. 73-102
Author(s):  
Jie Lu

This chapter uses mixed-effect models to examine the origins of varying conceptions of democracy. Due to data limitations, we are only able to account for some key individual demographic, cognitive, and psychological features as we explore the impact of surrounding economic, political, and cultural contexts. Overall, our findings demonstrate the salience of surrounding economic, political, and cultural contexts in shaping popular conceptions of democracy. Short-term fluctuations (like economic growth vs. recession), mid-term changes (like democratic practices gauged by Freedom House ratings and economic development measured by per capita GDP), and long-term evolutions (like the history of personal dictatorships and Confucian political traditions) all play important roles in this regard.

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (43) ◽  
pp. 5609-5616
Author(s):  
Sarantis Livadas ◽  
Christina Bothou ◽  
Djuro Macut

Early activation of the adrenal zona reticularis, leading to adrenal androgen secretion, mainly dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), is called premature adrenarche (PA). The fact that adrenal hyperandrogenism in females has been linked to a cluster of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, even in prepubertal children, warrants investigation. Controversial results have been obtained in this field, probably due to genetic, constitutional, and environmental factors or differences in the characteristics of participants. In an attempt to understand, in depth, the impact of PA as a potential activator of CV risk, we critically present available data stratified according to pubertal status. It seems that prepubertally, CV risk is increased in these girls, but is somewhat attenuated during their second decade of life. Furthermore, different entities associated with PA, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia, heterozygosity of CYP21A2 mutations, and the impact of DHEAS on CV risk, are reviewed. At present, firm and definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. However, it may be speculated that girls with a history of PA display a hyperandrogenic hormonal milieu that may lead to increased CV risk. Accordingly, appropriate long-term follow-up and early intervention employing a patient-oriented approach are recommended.


Author(s):  
Balázs Égert ◽  
Peter Gal

This chapter describes and discusses a new supply-side framework that quantifies the impact of structural reforms on per capita income in OECD countries. It presents the overall macroeconomic impacts of reforms by aggregating over the effects on physical capital, employment, and productivity through a production function. On the basis of reforms defined as observed changes in policies, the chapter finds that product market regulation has the largest overall single policy impact five years after the reforms. But the combined impact of all labour market policies is considerably larger than that of product market regulation. The paper also shows that policy impacts can differ at different horizons. The overall long-term effects on GDP per capita of policies transiting through capital deepening can be considerably larger than the five- to ten-year impacts. By contrast, the long-term impact of policies coming only via the employment rate channel materializes at a shorter horizon.


Author(s):  
А.В. Лебедев ◽  
В.В. Кузьмичев

Сосна обыкновенная является одной из основных лесообразующих пород Европы, а ее древесина находит широкое применение в лесопромышленном комплексе. При оценке углерододепонирующих функций считается, что конверсионные коэффициенты являются константными по времени. Последние исследования показывают, что происходящие климатические изменения оказывают существенное влияние на прирост древесины и ее свойства. Цель данного исследования – выявление долговременных тенденций в изменении биомассы фракций деревьев сосны обыкновенной в Европе, происходящих с 1940 г. Для проверки гипотезы о влиянии календарного года на биомассу фракций деревьев проводился регрессионный анализ с применением линейных моделей смешанных эффектов. Проведенный статистический анализ позволил выявить достоверное влияние (при p < 0,05) календарного года только на биомассу стволов в коре. Наиболее сильно изменения проявляются для деревьев в молодняках и средневозрастных насаждениях, где происходит формирование наибольшего радиального прироста. Для крупномерных стволов, согласно результатам моделирования, снижение биомассы стволов в коре не прослеживается. В ближайшие десятилетия в результате продолжающихся климатических изменений процесс снижения биомассы и плотности древесины крупномерных стволов должен усилиться. Выявленные изменения биомассы сопровождаются снижением плотности древесины, что происходит в результате увеличения в структуре годичного прироста более рыхлой и менее плотной ранней древесины. Таким образом, в условиях ускоряющихся темпов роста древесных растений объемы стволов и запасы древесины не должны напрямую пересчитываться в депонированный углерод с учетом исторических значений конверсионных коэффициентов. Это также следует учитывать при мониторинге, моделировании и использовании углерода и биомассы в лесах в условиях глобальных изменений. Scots pine is one of the main forest-forming species in Europe, and its wood is widely used in the timber industry. When evaluating carbon-depositing functions, the conversion rations are assumed to be constant over time. Recent studies show that the ongoing climatic changes have a significant impact on the growth of trees and wood properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify long-term trends in the change in the biomass of Scots pine tree fractions in Europe since 1940. To test the hypothesis about the influence of the calendar year on the biomass of tree fractions, regression analysis was performed using linear mixed-effect models. The performed statistically analysis made it possible to reveal a significant effect (p < 0.05) of the calendar year only on the biomass of the trunks in the bark. The changes are most pronounced for trees in young and middle-aged stands, where the formation of the greatest radial growth occurs. For large-sized trunks, according to the simulation results, the biomass of the stems in the bark is not traced. In the coming decades, as a result of ongoing climate change, the decline in biomass and wood density of largesized stems should intensify. The revealed changes in biomass are accompanied by a decrease in wood density, which occurs as a result of an increase in the structure of the annual growth of looser and less dense early wood. Thus, in the context of accelerating growth rates of woody plants, the volume of trunks and wood stock should not be directly converted into deposited carbon, considering the historical values of conversion rations. This should also be considered when monitoring, modeling and using carbon and biomass in forests in the face of global change.


Author(s):  
Julia Evangelista ◽  
William A. Fulford

AbstractThis chapter shows how carnival has been used to counter the impact of Brazil’s colonial history on its asylums and perceptions of madness. Colonisation of Brazil by Portugal in the nineteenth century led to a process of Europeanisation that was associated with dismissal of non-European customs and values as “mad” and sequestration of the poor from the streets into asylums. Bringing together the work of the two authors, the chapter describes through a case study how a carnival project, Loucura Suburbana (Suburban Madness), in which patients in both long- and short-term asylum care play leading roles, has enabled them to “reclaim the streets,” and re-establish their right to the city as valid producers of culture on their own terms. In the process, entrenched stigmas associated with having a history of mental illness in a local community are challenged, and sense of identity and self-confidence can be rebuilt, thus contributing to long-term improvements in mental well-being. Further illustrative materials are available including photographs and video clips.


2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (4) ◽  
pp. 637-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Surial ◽  
Bruno Ledergerber ◽  
Alexandra Calmy ◽  
Matthias Cavassini ◽  
Huldrych F Günthard ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Replacing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) with tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) improves renal tubular markers in HIV-infected individuals but the impact on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remains unclear. Methods In all participants from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study who switched from TDF to TAF-containing antiretroviral regimen or continued TDF, we estimated changes in eGFR and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) after 18 months using mixed-effect models. Results Of 3520 participants (26.6% women, median age 50 years), 2404 (68.5%) switched to TAF. Overall, 1664 (47.3%) had an eGFR &lt;90 mL/min and 1087 (30.9%) an UPCR ≥15 mg/mmol. In patients with baseline eGFR ≥90 mL/min, eGFR decreased with the use of TDF and TAF (−1.7 mL/min). Switching to TAF was associated with increases in eGFR of 1.5 mL/min (95% confidence interval [CI], .5–2.5) if the baseline eGFR was 60–89 mL/min, and 4.1 mL/min (95% CI, 1.6–6.6) if &lt;60 mL/min. In contrast, eGFR decreased by 5.8 mL/min (95% CI, 2.3–9.3) with continued use of TDF in individuals with baseline eGFR &lt;60 mL/min. UPCR decreased after replacing TDF by TAF, independent of baseline eGFR. Conclusions Switching from TDF to TAF improves eGFR and proteinuria in patients with renal dysfunction.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gledson L. Picharski ◽  
Diancarlos P. Andrade ◽  
Ana Luiza M. R. Fabro ◽  
Luana Lenzi ◽  
Fernanda S. Tonin ◽  
...  

The association of FLT3 mutations with white blood cell (WBC) counts at diagnosis and early death was studied in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Publications indexed in databases of biomedical literature were analyzed. Potential publication bias was evaluated by analyzing the standard error in funnel plots using the estimated relative risk (RR). Mixed-effect models were used to obtain the consolidated RR. All analyses were conducted using the R statistical software package. We used 24 publications in the final meta-analysis. Of 1005 males and 1376 females included in these 24 publications, 645 had FLT3-ITD (internal tandem duplication) mutations. Information on FLT3-D835 mutations was available in 10 publications for 175 patients. Concurrent occurrence of the two mutations was rare. WBC count at diagnosis was ≥10 × 109/L in 351 patients. For patients with the FLT3-ITD mutation, RR was 0.59 for overall survival (OS) and 1.62 for death during induction. For those with FLT3-D835 mutations, the RR was 0.50 for OS and 1.77 for death during induction. RR for WBC count ≥10 × 109/L was 3.29 and 1.48 for patients with FLT3-ITD and FLT3-D835, respectively. APL patients with FLT3-ITD or FLT3-D835 are more likely to present with elevated WBC counts and poorer prognosis than those without these mutations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 587-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaise Gnimassoun

Regional integration in Africa is a subject of great interest, but its impact on income has not been studied sufficiently. Using cross-sectional and panel estimations, this article examines the impact of African integration on real per capita income in Africa. Accordingly, we consider intra-African trade and migration flows as quantitative measures reflecting the intensity of regional integration. To address the endogeneity concerns, we use a gravity-based, two-stage least-squares strategy. Our results show that, from a long-term perspective, African integration has not been strong enough to generate a positive, significant, and robust impact on real per capita income in Africa. However, it does appear to be significantly income-enhancing in the short and medium terms but only through intercountry migration. These results are robust to a wide range of specifications.


Heart ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-306
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Kamakura ◽  
Tetsuji Shinohara ◽  
Kenji Yodogawa ◽  
Nobuyuki Murakoshi ◽  
Hiroshi Morita ◽  
...  

ObjectiveLimited data are currently available regarding the long-term prognosis of patients with J-wave syndrome (JWS). The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term prognosis of patients with JWS and identify predictors of the recurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF).MethodsThis was a multicentre retrospective study (seven Japanese hospitals) involving 134 patients with JWS (Brugada syndrome (BrS): 85; early repolarisation syndrome (ERS): 49) treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. All patients had a history of VF. All patients with ERS underwent drug provocation testing with standard and high intercostal ECG recordings to rule out BrS. The impact of global J waves (type 1 ECG or anterior J waves and inferolateral J waves in two or more leads) on the prognosis was evaluated.ResultsDuring the 91±66 months of the follow-up period, 52 (39%) patients (BrS: 37; ERS: 15) experienced recurrence of VF. Patients with BrS and ERS with global J waves showed a significantly higher incidence of VF recurrence than those without (BrS: log-rank, p=0.014; ERS: log-rank, p=0.0009). The presence of global J waves was a predictor of VF recurrence in patients with JWS (HR: 2.16, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.91, p=0.0095), while previously reported high-risk electrocardiographic parameters (high-amplitude J waves ≥0.2 mV and J waves associated with a horizontal or descending ST segment) were not predictive of VF recurrence.ConclusionsThis multicentre long-term study showed that the presence of global J waves was associated with a higher incidence of VF recurrence in patients with JWS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 493-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin P. Riley ◽  
Michelle Bezanson

Field primatologists have ethical responsibilities that extend beyond study subjects to the local human communities living near primate populations and their surrounding ecosystems. In this review, we explore the history of ethical discussions within anthropological primatology and examine the best practices for an ethically engaged primatology that should be followed and role-modeled by primatologists. An increasing number of primates are showing reduced population sizes and are in imminent danger of extinction; thus, we need to carefully consider the ethics of intervening to ensure the survival of remaining populations, the impact of anthropogenic factors (e.g., climate change), and whether long-term field research results in conservation outcomes that consider local human communities. Because best practices change over time as theoretical frameworks and methodological tools advance and scientific goals change, field primatologists must continually reflect on what constitutes ethical practice and consider how research influences the overlapping dimensions of fieldwork: primates, people, and ecosystems.


ARTMargins ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-118
Author(s):  
Terry Smith

Change in the history of art has many causes, but one often overlooked by art historical institutions is the complex, unequal set of relationships that subsist between art centers and peripheries. These take many forms, from powerful penetration of peripheral art by the subjects, styles and modes of the relevant center, through accommodation to this penetration to various degrees and kinds of resistance to it. Mapping these relationships should be a major task for art historians, especially those committed to tracing the reception of works of art and the dissemination of ideas about art. This lecture, delivered by Nicos Hadjinicolaou in 1982, outlines a “political art geography” approach to these challenges, and demonstrates it by exploring four settings: the commissioning of paintings commemorating key battles during the Greek War of Independence; the changes in Diego Rivera's style on his return to Mexico from Paris in the 1920s; the impact on certain Mexican artists in the 1960s of “hard edge” painting from the United States; and the differences between Socialist Realism in Moscow and in the Soviet Republics of Asia during the mid-twentieth century. The lecture is here translated into English for the first time and is introduced by Terry Smith, who relates it to its author's long-term art historical quest, as previously pursued in his book Art History and Class Struggle (1973).


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