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The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in a mass migration of refugees. Poland, as a neighbour, took in those fleeing the war and deployed them in cities in different parts of the country. A large part of the population was taken in by towns and cities in the east of Poland, but Ukrainian citizens were leaving further west. One city that provided assistance was Poznań, which, in cooperation with many local institutions, created living conditions for the refugees. The article analyses the actions that the local government carried out to deal with the migration crisis and what goals guided them.

International audience; This article proposes three new decompositions of inequality measures, drawn from the framework of cooperative game theory. It allows the impact of players' interactions, rather than players' contributions to inequality, to be taken into consideration. These innovative approaches are especially suited for the study of income inequality when the income has a hierarchical structure: the income is composed of several primary sources, with the particularity that each of them is also composed of secondary sources. We revisit the Shapley-Owen value that quantifies the importance of each of these secondary sources in the overall income inequality. Our main contribution is to decompose this importance into two parts: the pure marginal contribution of the considered source and a weighted sum of pairwise interactions. We then provide an axiomatic characterization of each additive interaction decomposable (AID) coalitional value considered in this paper. We give an application of these decompositions in the context of inequality theory.

Hyper immunoglobulin M (HIGM) syndrome is a rare disorder of the immune system with impaired antibody functions. The clinical picture of the patients varies according to the underlying genetic variation. In this study, we identified two novel variants in AID and UNG genes, which are associated with autosomal recessive type HIGM, by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. A biallelic 11 base pair deletion (c.278_288delATGTGGCCGAC) in the coding sequence of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) gene was identified in a 36-year-old patient. Biallelic two base pair insertion in exon 7 of uracil nucleoside glycosylase (UNG) gene (c.924_925insGG) was identified in a 40-year-old patient. Both variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. HIGM, like many of the other primary immunodeficiencies, is a rare and difficult-to-diagnose entity with heterogeneous clinical phenotypes. It should be suspected in patients with a history of early-onset recurrent respiratory infections, enlarged lymph nodes, and autoimmune disorders. There might be a delay in diagnosis until adulthood especially in subtle cases or if HIGM is not included in the differential diagnosis due lacking of awareness. In this regard, genetic testing with NGS-based diagnostic panels provide a rapid and reasonable tool for the molecular diagnosis of patients with immunodeficiencies and hence, decrease the time to diagnose and prevent infection-related complications associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Sustained investment is required for economic growth. Investment however often experiences severe volatility in poor countries, making spending plans difficult to formulate, and diminishing growth potentials. Foreign aid serves as an important source of complementary financing for sustained investment. This paper thus studies the effect of aid inflows on total investment volatility in 19 heavily indebted poor subSaharan African countries over the period 1980–2018. Employing the cross-sectionally augmented distributed lag (CS-DL) estimation technique for long-run coefficients in dynamic heterogeneous panels with cross-sectional dependence along with bootstrap panel causality testing, we show that aid has an inverse relationship with investment volatility. We thus conclude that aid can be viewed as a dampening factor for investment volatility in poor countries. We also show that the ability of sudden reductions in aid inflows to trigger investment volatility is bigger than the ability of sudden increases in aid inflows to lower investment volatility.

Starptautiskā pārvaldība un diplomātija Socioloģija, politoloģija un antropoloģija International Governance and Diplomacy Sociology, Politics and Anthropology Krievijas iebrukums Ukrainā 2022. gada 24. februārī ir izaicinājums Ukrainas suverenitātei un Eiropas drošībai. Ukrainas drošība ir atkarīga no sabiedroto sniegtās militārās un nemilitārās palīdzības, kur viens no lielākajiem palīdzības sniedzējiem ir Amerikas Savienotās Valstis. Lai izprastu Ukrainas nākotnes izredzes, ir nepieciešams saprast, kāpēc ASV sniedz atbalstu Ukrainai un kādas ir iespējas nākotnē Ukrainai saņemt turpmāku ASV finansējumu. Lai izprastu Amerikas Savienoto Valstu ārpolitikas procesu, maģistra darba izpētē tiek izmantota neoklasiskā reālisma teorija. Darba autors pieņem, ka starptautiskā kārtība un relatīvā materiālā vara veido ārpolitikas parametrus. Taču atšķirīgās ārpolitikas reakcijas uz starptautiskās kārtības stimuliem tiek izskaidroti ar iekšzemes faktoriem. Neoklasiskajā reālismā valstu uztvere par draudiem un nacionālās drošības saglabāšanu ir mainīgais faktors, kas ietekmē ārpolitiku. Šajā darbā tiek izvērtēts, ka Baidena administrācija uzskata Krieviju par lielvalsti, kas piedzīvo lejupslīdi. Tomēr izaicinājums starptautiskajai kārtībai nevarēja palikt bez atbildes, jo pretējā gadījumā tādas revizionistiskas lielvaras kā Ķīna varētu pieņemt, ka Amerikas ietekme mazinās. Īsumā, daļa no ASV aizsardzības Ukrainā ir tās hegemona statusa saglabāšana. Šajā darbā ir identificēts un izskaidrots ASV finansējuma apjoms, kas sasniedz 113 miljardu ASV dolāru apjomu, ko Kongress apstiprināja četrās apropriācijās. Taču budžeta likumi tika pieņemti demokrātu kontrolētā Kongresa laikā. Pēc 2022. gada starpvēlēšanām republikāņu kontrole Pārstāvju palātā rada jaunus izaicinājumus Ukrainas palīdzības sniegšanā. Šajā darbā ir konceptualizētas četras frakcijas, kas vērstas uz Ukrainu: Konservatīvie, Nevienprātīgie, Liberāļu “vanagi” un Progresīvie. Darba turpinājumā tiek pētīts, vai Kongress pēc 2022. gada starpvēlēšanām ir Baidena administrācijas politikas ietekmējošais faktors. Pamatojoties uz administrācijas rīcību, pieprasot vienu lielu finansējumu Ukrainai 2022. gada beigās, bet 2023. gadā līdz šim nepieprasot nevienu, var secināt, ka ir mainījusies administrācijas pārliecība, ar kādu tā lūdz Kongresam papildu finansējumu. Darbā arī tiek vērtēts, vai konservatīvie vēlas palielināt Ukrainas finansējuma pārraudzību, taču secināts, ka patreiz esošā pārraudzība drīzāk ir iepriekšējās politikas turpinājums, nevis krasa iejaukšanās. Līdz ar ko var secināt, ka republikāņu vairākums Pārstāvju palātā ir ierobežots ietekmējošs faktors. Tomēr šā gada turpmākās budžeta diskusijas sniegs vairāk informācijas, lai novērtētu Kongresa ietekmi Ukrainas finansiālajam atbalstam. Šis darbs ietver tikai detalizētu Kongresa darbības analīzi ārpolitikas procesā. Turpmākajā pētniecībā var aplūkot arī citas valdības iestādes un interešu grupas. The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, challenged the sovereignty of Ukraine and European security. The survival of Ukraine is contingent upon the lethal and non-lethal aid contributed from allies, with the largest of contributors being the United States. To understand the future prospects of Ukraine, there needs to be an understanding of why the United States is funding the Ukrainian war effort and the future of American funding to Ukraine. The thesis uses Neoclassical Realism as a theoretical framework to understand the conveyor belt of United States foreign policy. The paper assumes that the international order and relative material power create the parameters for foreign policy, however the diverse foreign policy responses to stimuli from the international order is furthered explained by domestic unit level variables. Within Neoclassical Realism, the perception of nations to threats and maintaining national security is a variable in determining foreign policy. The thesis assesses that the Biden administration perceives Russia as a power in decline, however the challenge to the international order could not go unanswered, otherwise revisionist powers such as China would take notice of waning American power. In short, part of the U.S. defense of Ukraine is maintaining hegemonic status. The thesis identifies and explains the extent of U.S. funding, which totals $113 billion dollars approved by Congress over four supplemental appropriation acts. These acts were all passed under a Democratic controlled Congress. After the 2022 midterms, the Republican control of the House of Representatives creates new challenges in executing Ukrainian policy. The thesis conceptualizes four factions in Ukraine policy debate: Conservatives, Irreconcilables, Liberal Hawks, and Progressives. The thesis further explores if Congress after the 2022 midterms is an intervening variable in the Biden Administration policy. Based on the behavior of the administration in requesting one large appropriation for Ukraine at the end of 2022, while not asking for any appropriations thus far in 2023, there is a change in the confidence the administration has in asking Congress for further funding. The thesis also evaluates whether conservatives are looking to add more oversight to Ukraine funding but found that oversight currently is more of a continuation of previous policy rather than a dramatic intervention. Therefore, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is a limited intervening variable, however budget discussions further this year will give more evidence in assessing Congressional influence for Ukraine funding. The thesis is limited in that there is only close assessment of Congress in the foreign policy process and not other actors. Future scholarship can consider further government institutions, state structures, and interest groups.

This project is collaborative research between Oregon State University and University of Washington, Seattle.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the clinical value and safety of insulin pump therapy in type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes populations. However, the eligibility criteria for insulin pump coverage required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) discount conclusive evidence that supports insulin pump use in diabetes populations that are currently deemed ineligible. This article discusses the limitations and inconsistencies of the insulin pump eligibility criteria relative to current scientific evidence and proposes workable solutions to address this issue and improve the safety and care of all individuals with diabetes.

Background: In order to tailor treatment to the individual patient, it is important to take the patients context and preferences into account, especially for older patients. We assessed the quality of information used in the decision-making process in different oncological MDTs and compared this for older (>70 years) and younger patients. Patients and methods: Cross-sectional observations of oncological MDTs were performed, using an observation tool in a University Hospital. Primary outcome measures were quality of input of information into the discussion for older and younger patients. Secondary outcomes were the contribution of different team members, discussion time for each case and whether or not a treatment decision was formulated. Results: Five-hundred and three cases were observed. The median patient age was 63 year, 32% were >70. In both age groups quality of patient-centered information (psychosocial information and patient's view) was poor. There was no difference in quality of information between older and younger patients, only for comorbidities the quality of information for older patients was better. There was no significant difference in the contributions by team members, discussion time (median 3.54 min) or number of decision reached (87.5%). Conclusion: For both age groups, we observed a lack of patient-centered information. The only difference between the age groups was for information on comorbidities. There were also no differences in contributions by different team members, case discussion time or number of decisions. Decision-making in the observed oncological MDTs was mostly based on medical technical information. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Indeed, China’s ascent is significantly changing the landscape in aid-donor and aid-recipient relationship for African countries, despite the changes, empirical studies on the determinant and motive is lacking. Therefore, this paper examines the determinants of China’s financial aid to oil/ minerals exporting African countries. By using China’s loan data obtained from the China Africa Research Initiative, Johns Hopkins University and UN-COMTRADE product data classified into oil/ minerals, agriculture and manufacturing, this study employs fixed effects, generalised least squares and Pesaran dynamic fixed effects to analyse the motives. The results indicate that oil/minerals are not the motives behind China’s aid to Africa. However, China’s aid is driven by its manufacturing exports, suggesting that aid may be tied to trade. Also, the institutional structure enhances more financial aid to Africa. The findings of this study serve as recommendations for policymakers to improve trade policies that will enhance the sustainability of Africa’s engagement with China.

Examining how dignity and respect operate across the aid system, through survey experiments with US donors, US nonprofit professionals, and low-income Kenyans.

In violent contexts, humanitarians must contend with non-state armed groups to deliver aid to civilians, but armed groups vary in the extent to which they allow or hinder humanitarian access. Current understandings of humanitarian access assign little importance to the preferences or behavior of aid recipients. In contrast to previous research, I argue that the extent to which aid aligns with the preferences of aid recipients is central to whether or not armed groups obstruct humanitarian access. When projects align with the preferences of aid recipients, local leaders are more willing to put pressure on armed groups to allow humanitarian access. I propose a conjoint experiment of 1000 village heads in the DRC to test this argument.

Seven years have passed since the forgotten war in Yemen, as Western media called it. During these years, the Yemeni translator played a prominent role in promoting humanitarian work by accompanying international aid and medical staff their interventions and responses in an internally displaced person (IDP) camps, field hospitals, shelters, and food and drug distribution centres. This study aimed to examine the roles played by the Yemeni translators in promoting human actions and meet community needs. An interview was conducted with 10 Yemeni translators working in the field of relief and humanitarian actions in Yemen. The United Nations has classified Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. Therefore, to meet the needs of society and the huge number of internally displaced people because of the ongoing conflict. Several international organizations provided urgent assistance to affected families and IDP camps, which required bilingual translators and assistants to provide field support, monitor the needs of indigenous people. The study found that Yemeni translators have played a key role in promoting humanitarian work, despite the difficulties and risks facing their works in the field. Therefore, this study recommended training the local translators by provide an adequate and up to date training for local translators who are working in the field of translation to reach effective and professional results.Seven years have passed since the forgotten war in Yemen, as Western media called it. During these years, the Yemeni translator played a prominent role in promoting humanitarian work by accompanying international aid and medical staff their interventions and responses in an internally displaced person (IDP) camps, field hospitals, shelters, and food and drug distribution centres. This study aimed to examine the roles played by the Yemeni translators in promoting human actions and meet community needs. An interview was conducted with 10 Yemeni translators working in the field of relief and humanitarian actions in Yemen. The United Nations has classified Yemen as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. Therefore, to meet the needs of society and the huge number of internally displaced people because of the ongoing conflict. Several international organizations provided urgent assistance to affected families and IDP camps, which required bilingual translators and assistants to provide field support, monitor the needs of indigenous people. The study found that Yemeni translators have played a key role in promoting humanitarian work, despite the difficulties and risks facing their works in the field. Therefore, this study recommended training the local translators by provide an adequate and up to date training for local translators who are working in the field of translation to reach effective and professional results., Translation in Crisis

The adaptive immune system can diversify the antigen receptors to eliminate various pathogens through programmed DNA lesions at antigen receptor genes. In immune diversification, general DNA repair machineries are applied to transform the programmed DNA lesions into gene mutation or recombination events with common and unique features. Here we focus on antibody class switch recombination (CSR), and review the initiation of base damages, the conversion of damaged base to DNA double-strand break, and the ligation of broken ends. With an emphasis on the unique features in CSR, we discuss recent advances in the understanding of DNA repair/replication coordination, and ERCC6L2-mediated deletional recombination. We further elaborate the application of CSR in end-joining, resection and translesion synthesis assays. In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope it help to understand the generation of therapeutic antibodies.

The situation of Christians in Iraq and Syria has been problematic for many years. The article first deals with the issues of social tensions caused by religious diversity. The repercussions of these conflicts are presented, with an emphasis on the problems of immigration from regions affected by the war. The article then describes the forms of aid provided in Iraq and Syria, with an emphasis on medical and humanitarian aid. The work also includes reports from these places and outlines the problems of Christian clergy in persecuted communities.

Aquaculture is a promising sector in Ukrain e’s agricultur al economy and could contribute to the nation’s food security and assist in overcoming some of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For years , Ukrainian government ’ s policy towards aquaculture has been less than supportive , in part because the governmen t’s management of the sector has been tossed between different ministries . Legal regulation of the sector is overcomplicated , and producers face numerous difficulties with permits, rent of water bodies , inspections, customs, and feed importation. There are no specific approximation obligations related to aquaculture in the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. State aid to struggling aquaculture producers remains insignificant and difficult to get compared to the aid available to other agricultural businesses. This article analyzes the main policy and legal problems faced by aquaculture businesses in Ukraine and concludes with solutions that can improve the situation .

The article deals with the problem of China’s medical assistance to African countries and, first of all, of its participation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic on the continent. The author analyzes the features of Sino-African cooperation in the field of medicine as of important tool of Beijing’s “soft power” policy. The role of both the state and Chinese companies and private businesses in this cooperation, as well as the role of classical and traditional Chinese medicine in the fight against diseases such as malaria, HIV - AIDS, and the Ebola epidemic in Africa, is considered. The article examines the factors that allowed Beijing to cope with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country and to gain experience that has found application in the practice of Chinese assistance to African countries. The author analyzes the features of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent, where its spread is fraught with a serious threat. The focus is on the specifics of China’s medical assistance to African countries in the fight against this threat: sending medicines and protective equipment, doctors and medical personnel, and building and refurbishing hospitals. At the same time, the article analyzes the problem of eliminating the economic consequences of the pandemic for Africa and China’s participation in the recovery of the African economy, as well as the role that the global Chinese project “One belt, one road” is intended to play in these processes.

The international dimension of authoritarian resilience is receiving increased attention by scholars of comparative politics and international relations alike. Research suggests that autocratic states exploit regionalism to boost domestic regime security. This article explains how membership in regional organizations can help to strengthen survival chances of autocratic incumbent elites. It argues that membership provides additional material, informational, and ideational resources to autocratic incumbents that can be used to boost domestic survival strategies vis-a-vis internal and external challengers. The article provides qualitative case-based evidence to show how autocratic incumbents in Zimbabwe, China, and Bahrain have benefited from the involvement of regional organizations during moments of political instability to strengthen legitimation, repression, co-optation, and international appeasement strategies. The article thereby provides the first encompassing explanation linking regionalism and authoritarian survival politics that is applicable across regions and different types of authoritarian regimes.

During the post-war period, Australia became actively involved with two aid organisations – the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Foster Parents Plan (PLAN) – which focused on assistance to children in countries in Asia impacted by war and impoverishment. The history of PLAN and UNICEF in Australia has attracted very little, if any, scholarly attention. This article seeks to begin to fill this gap as a contribution to the history of Australian development and aid in the Asian region by considering how Australia became engaged in Southeast Asia through these two organisations. An examination of the significance of aid programmes focused on children offers an opportunity to pursue new lines of inquiry about the construction of the child in Australian aid programmes reflecting a Western imaginary based on paternalism. A study of these groups points to different cultural methods used to draw on constructions of the child through fundraising in the case of UNICEF and letter writing between donors and children in the PLAN scheme. This focus can glean new insights into the diversity of Australia’s role in promoting development in the region and its multiple layers of purpose and engagement when examined through UNICEF and PLAN.

Humanitarian disasters are highly dynamic and uncertain. The shifting situation, volatility of information, and the emergence of decision processes and coordination structures require humanitarian organizations to continuously adapt their operations. In this study, we aim to make headway in understanding adaptive decision-making in a dynamic interplay between changing situation, volatile information, and emerging coordination structures. Starting from theories of sensemaking, coordination, and decision-making, we present two case studies that represent the response to two different humanitarian disasters: Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the Syria Crisis, one of the most prominent ongoing conflicts. For both, we highlight how volatile information and the urge to respond via sensemaking lead to fragmentation and misalignment of emergent coordination structures and decisions, which, in turn, slow down adaptation. Based on the case studies, we derive propositions and the need to continuously align laterally between different regions and hierarchically between operational and strategic levels to avoid persistence of coordination-information bubbles. We discuss the implications of our findings for the development of methods and theory to ensure that humanitarian operations management captures the critical role of information as a driver of emergent coordination and adaptive decisions.

Background and Aim: One of the important issues in the process of codifying the Draft articles on the responsibility of international organizations 2011 was Responsibility of a State in connection with the conduct of an international organizations. Materials and Methods: The method of the present study is descriptive - analytical one. Ethical Considerations: Honesty and confidentiality have been observed. Findings: The commission in Draft articles allocated the fifth part (articles 58 to 63) to this issue and has considered exclusively some of the state’s acts as state’s responsibility like: Aid and assistance, Direction and control, Coercion, Circumvention of international obligations, Acceptance of responsibility and Committing the behavior that led the injured party to rely on its responsibility. Conclusion: The Draft articles on the responsibility of international organizations 2011 for various reasons like the lack of adequate support of the injured party suffered from international organizations’ acts and the lack of effective mechanism to prevent the states’ abuse of international organizations’ legal personality doesnchr('39')t have the necessary efficiency and effectiveness to systematize the Responsibility of a State in connection with the conduct of an international organization. Therefore reforming this Draft articles is necessary to resolve the existent gaps. Conclusion: According to the absence of some behaviors in Draft, such as persuasion and lure of international organizations and lack of accurate differentiation between the responsibilities of the member states, constitutional reforms are necessary to fill the gaps. Please Cite This Article As: Ahmadnia, H & Jalali, M (2020). “Responsibility of a State in Connection with the Conduct of an International Organization”. Interdisciplinary Legal Research, 1 (2): 1-22.

Objective: To evaluate long-term hearing-related quality of life (HRQoL) and device use in bone conduction (BCD) users. Furthermore, to assess differences between indications and changes in HRQoL over time. Study design: Prospective questionnaire survey. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Seventy-five patients with a percutaneous BCD. Main outcome measures: Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) at 3 and 12 months postoperatively, Glasgow Health Status Inventory (GHSI) preoperatively, and 6 and 36 months postoperatively, device use at 6, 12, and 36 months. Changes over time were assessed and outcomes were compared between indications. Results: After implantation, 97% of all patients reported a positive benefit on the GBI total. The GHSI total had improved with median 15 points (Interquartile range [IQR] 12). At 36 months, median device use was 15 hours/day (IQR 10) and one nonuser was reported. Patients with bilateral hearing loss (BHL) showed greater improvement on the GHSI total (median 18 vs 14, p < 0.0001) and used their devices more frequently (median 16 vs 8 h/day, p < 0.0001) than patients with unilateral HL (UHL). Postoperative GHSI and GBI scores were consistent over time, in the entire patient population and for every indication. Between 6 and 36 months, device use was stable over time, except for patients with single-sided deafness (SSD; median -6.4 h/day, p = 0.009). Conclusion: The BCD improves HRQoL in patients with BHL, in patients with unilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss and in patients with SSD. Patients with BHL experienced a greater improvement in hearing status compared to patients with UHL. Although use decreased over time in SSD patients, device use was high for every indication.

This paper explores and illustrates the diverse manifestations of the phenomenon of the ‘humanitarian alibi’, drawing upon historical and contemporary cases of violent conflict in order to identify substitutionary phenomena by governments and international actors. It affirms the existence of substitution process where humanitarian aid intervention substitutes for the prevention and resolution of violent conflict and the protection of civilian populations. The paper argues for expanding the humanitarian alibi, however, to take into account how international aid intervention compensates for both the systemic neglect of conflict related crises and for the systemic harm that exacerbates and perpetuates these crises. It also challenges the suggestion that the humanitarian alibi phenomenon is the product of a bygone era, and finds that the use of aid as a substitute for peacemaking can co-exist alongside the use of aid as a direct component of international intervention.

This chapter charts the DAC’s Cold War history. During this period the DAC established much of the institutional and intellectual scaffolding of international development cooperation. Moreover, participation in the DAC also orchestrated a quiet revolution in the identities of its members, forging them into an imagined community of donors in which the supply of development assistance came to be seen as a routine function of modern industrialised states. Although the Cold War provided the overarching backdrop, the chapter also teases out some of the other key features of the landscape inhabited by the DAC and how they constrained and enabled its influence. These include the North-South orientation of North-South development cooperation, the hegemonic role of the United States, disagreements amongst member states, and the DAC’s relationship with other component parts of the OECD.

Current models stipulate that B cells and antibodies function during atherosclerosis in two distinct ways based on antibody isotype, where IgM is protective and IgG is inflammatory. To examine this model, we generated ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice, which are unable to produce IgG antibodies due to the absence of activation-induced deaminase (AID) but maintain high plasma cholesterol due to the absence of apolipoprotein E (APOE). We saw a dramatic decrease in plaque formation in ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice compared to ApoE-/- mice. Rigorous analysis of serum antibodies revealed both ApoE-/- and ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice had substantially elevated titers of IgM antibodies compared to C57BL/6J controls, suggesting a more complex dynamic than previously described. Analysis of antigen specificity demonstrated that ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice had elevated titers of antibodies specific to malondialdehyde-oxidized low density lipoprotein (MDA-oxLDL), which has been shown to block macrophage recruitment into plaques. Conversely, ApoE-/- mice showed low levels of MDA-oxLDL specificity, but had antibodies specific to numerous self-proteins. We provide evidence for a hierarchical order of antibody specificity, where elevated levels of MDA-oxLDL specific IgM antibodies inhibit plaque formation. If the level of MDA-oxLDL specific IgM is insufficient, self-reactive IgM and IgG antibodies are generated against debris within the arterial plaque, resulting in increased inflammation and further plaque expansion.

In an interconnected world, economic and political interests inevitably reach beyond national borders. Since policy choices generate external economic and political costs, foreign state and non-state actors have an interest in influencing policy actions in other sovereign countries to their advantage. Foreign influence is a strategic choice aimed at internalizing these externalities and takes three principal forms: (i) voluntary agreements, (ii) policy interventions based on rewarding or sanctioning the target country to obtain a specific change in policy, and (iii) institution interventions aimed at influencing the political institutions in the target country. We propose a unifying theoretical framework to study when foreign influence is chosen and in which form, and use it to organize and evaluate the new political economics literature on foreign influence along with work in cognate disciplines.

Official development finance from China has risen tremendously in the past two decades across the globe, including in the world’s poorest continent Africa. How has this sudden increase in development resources affected the two major multilateral development banks (MDBs) in the region, the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB)? One might expect that the MDBs would compete with China to maintain influence in Africa. This study uses statistical tests and interviews with government officials in three recipient countries to see if this is the case. The results indicate that total MDB finance by country change little over time in response to Chinese activity. The sectoral allocation of concessional lending to the poorer countries does not show any responsiveness either. In contrast, shifts in levels and sector allocation can be observed for non-concessional countries. Overall, the study suggests that while China’s role in African development finance is indeed substantial and growing, it has not had the “game changing” impact on traditional development finance as popular perception might lead one to believe. This may change, however, once more recipient countries develop economically and move to non-concessional lending.

Work in yeast models has benefitted tremendously from the insertion of epitope or fluorescence tags at the native gene locus to study protein function and behavior under physiological conditions. In contrast, work in mammalian cells largely relies on overexpression of tagged proteins because high-quality antibodies are only available for a fraction of the mammalian proteome. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing has recently emerged as a powerful genome-modifying tool that can also be exploited to insert various tags and fluorophores at gene loci to study the physiological behavior of proteins in most organisms, including mammals. Here we describe a versatile toolset for rapid tagging of endogenous proteins. The strategy utilizes CRISPR/Cas9 and microhomology-mediated end joining repair for efficient tagging. We provide tools to insert 3×HA, His(6)FLAG, His(6)-Biotin-TEV-RGSHis(6), mCherry, GFP, and the auxin-inducible degron tag for compound-induced protein depletion. This approach and the developed tools should greatly facilitate functional analysis of proteins in their native environment.

Protein silencing is often employed as a means to aid investigations in protein function and is increasingly desired as a therapeutic approach. Several types of protein silencing methodologies have been developed, including targeting the encoding genes, transcripts, the process of translation or the protein directly. Despite these advances, most silencing systems suffer from limitations. Silencing protein expression through genetic ablation, for example by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, is irreversible, time consuming and not always feasible. Similarly, RNA interference approaches warrant prolonged treatments, can lead to incomplete protein depletion and are often associated with off-target effects. Targeted proteolysis has the potential to overcome some of these limitations. The field of targeted proteolysis has witnessed the emergence of many methodologies aimed at targeting specific proteins for degradation in a spatio-temporal manner. In this review, we provide an appraisal of the different targeted proteolytic systems and discuss their applications in understanding protein function, as well as their potential in therapeutics.

This study used a Two Groups, Random Selection Experimental Design to improved academic performance of Grade 9 learners of Silanga National High School Catbalogan City using Cloze Test Pocket Worksheet in Science. Its purpose was to seek answers to the following questions: (1) What is the pretest mean scores between the control and experimental group? (2) What is the posttest mean scores of the control and experimental group? (3) What is the mean gain scores of the selected experimental group before and after the conduct of the study? Based on the result, the following findings were formulated; (1) The pretest mean scores of the subjects using Cloze Test Pocket Woksheet and the pretest mean scores of those who did not used do not differ significantly. (2) The post-test means scores of subjects who were were using Cloze Test Pocket Woksheet and the posttest mean scores of the subjects who were not using Cloze Test Pocket Woksheet differ significantly. (3) There is a significant difference between the mean gain scores of the two groups of samples – experimental and control groups. The experimental group who used Cloze Test Pocket Woksheet performed significantly higher than the control group who were not using the Cloze Test Pocket Woksheet. Based on the findings cited, it is concluded that the developed material in reviewing Science can improve learners’ mastery of the concepts. Though the results of this study showed that learning took place in both groups, the subjects who were assessed by Cloze Test Pocket Worksheet performed significantly better than the subjects who did not use the material.

The increase in cancer incidences shows that there is a need to better understand tumour heterogeneity to achieve efficient treatments. Interestingly, there are several common features among almost all types of cancers, with chronic inflammation induction and deaminase dysfunctions singled out. Deaminases are a family of enzymes with nucleotide-editing capacity, which are classified into two main groups: DNA-based and RNA-based. Remarkably, a close relationship between inflammation and the dysregulation of these molecules has been widely documented, which may explain the characteristic intratumor heterogeneity, both at DNA and transcriptional levels. Indeed, heterogeneity in cancer makes it difficult to establish a unique tumour progression model. Currently, there are three main cancer models—stochastic, hierarchic, and dynamic—although there is no consensus on which one better resembles cancer biology because they are usually overly simplified. Here, to accurately explain tumour progression, we propose interactions among chronic inflammation, deaminases dysregulation, intratumor genetic heterogeneity, cancer phenotypic plasticity, and even the previously proposed appearance of cancer stem-like cell populations in the edges of advanced solid tumour masses (instead of being the cells of origin of primary malignancies). The new tumour development model proposed in this study does not contradict previously accepted models and it may open up a window to interesting therapeutic approaches.

The article deals with China’s policy in Africa in the last decade. As the analysis shows, China is increasing steadily its presence in Africa, not only in the countries rich in resources, although the resources, especially oil, remain of particular importance for the Chinese economy, but also in the poor in natural resources and little attractive from the strategic point of view states. The author analyzes the features of China’s diplomacy on the continent, China-Africa trade relations, the activities of Beijing as a donor and investor in Africa. Special attention is paid to “One belt – one road” initiative, which takes the important place in today’s China strategy, and to role, which African countries, located on the crossroads of the land and sea “silk roads”, play in this initiative. The Chinese strategy envisages the implementation of infrastructure projects, including the construction of railways and highways, aviation communications, energy projects, industrial parks, and construction of seaports in coastal countries. The growth of Beijing’s investments in African economy and the expansion of the spheres of its influence on the continent are the subjects of close attention of politicians, scientists and media. On the one hand, they link with China’s policy the economic growth of African countries, some of which have entered into the ranks of the fastest growing states of the world. On the other hand, they accuse Beijing in “neo-colonial policy”, claiming that China is guided by its own interests, far from the African interests, and violates human rights and environmental standards in struggle for resources. The author concludes that an objective analysis of the various aspects of Beijing’s activities in Africa in the last decade, as well as the assessment of this activity by Africans in the course of interviews, may allow to establish the truth.

Current models stipulate that B cells and antibodies function during atherosclerosis in two distinct ways based on antibody isotype, where IgM is protective and IgG is inflammatory. To examine this model, we generated ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice, which are unable to produce IgG antibodies due to the absence of activation-induced deaminase (AID) but maintain high plasma cholesterol due to the absence of apolipoprotein E (APOE). We saw a dramatic decrease in plaque formation in ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice compared to ApoE-/- mice. Rigorous analysis of serum antibodies revealed both ApoE-/- and ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice had substantially elevated titers of IgM antibodies compared to C57BL/6J controls, suggesting a more complex dynamic than previously described. Analysis of antigen specificity demonstrated that ApoE-/- Aid-/- mice had elevated titers of antibodies specific to malondialdehyde-oxidized low density lipoprotein (MDA-oxLDL), which has been shown to block macrophage recruitment into plaques. Conversely, ApoE-/- mice showed low levels of MDA-oxLDL specificity, but had antibodies specific to numerous self-proteins. We provide evidence for a hierarchical order of antibody specificity, where elevated levels of MDA-oxLDL specific IgM antibodies inhibit plaque formation. If the level of MDA-oxLDL specific IgM is insufficient, self-reactive IgM and IgG antibodies are generated against debris within the arterial plaque, resulting in increased inflammation and further plaque expansion.

The AID (activation-induced cytidine deaminase)/APOBEC (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic subunit) family with its multifaceted mode of action emerges as potent intrinsic host antiviral system that acts against a variety of DNA and RNA viruses including coronaviruses. All family members are cytosine-to-uracil deaminases that either have a profound role in driving a strong and specific humoral immune response (AID) or restricting the virus itself by a plethora of mechanisms (APOBECs). In this article, we highlight some of the key aspects apparently linking the AID/APOBECs and SARS-CoV-2. Among those is our discovery that APOBEC4 shows high expression in cell types and anatomical parts targeted by SARS-CoV-2. Additional focus is given by us to the lymphoid structures and AID as the master regulator of germinal center reactions, which result in antibody production by plasma and memory B cells. We propose the dissection of the AID/APOBECs gene signature towards decisive determinants of the patient-specific and/or the patient group-specific antiviral response. Finally, the patient-specific mapping of the AID/APOBEC polymorphisms should be considered in the light of COVID-19.

Aim To determine the effect of habits, traditions, and beliefs on seizure diagnosis and provide first aid in Taif city, KSA. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 297 participants from Taif, KSA. An Arabic self-administrated electronic questionnaire was used that included different parts to collect the information from participants; characters, previous history of seizures, habits, beliefs and traditions about the seizures and first aid. Results Most of the participants had an average level of knowledge by 20.88, 47.14 and 31.99% of the participants had a poor, average and good level of knowledge about seizures and epilepsy. 70.0% of our participants knew that seizure is a symptom associated with many diseases; 40.7% knew that hypoglycemia can cause a seizure, while 37 and 32.3% did not know seizure treatment and whether Hijama and Cupping therapy were enough to treat seizure; 26.9 and 35.4% of the participants responded by neither putting something hard on the patient's mouth nor opening the patient's mouth by force to protect him from swallowing his tongue, respectively. Only 17.2% agreed on not calling the ambulance for all seizure cases. Participants aged between 20 and 29 and single had a significant higher percent of good knowledge with no significant association between gender, income and educational level and the participant's level of knowledge. Conclusion There is a lack of knowledge and misconceptions about aspects related to seizures among the studied participants. It is recommended to raise awareness and correct false misconceptions about providing first aid to seizure patients.

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo principal el estudio de las diferentes ayudas a las que una mujer alicantina puede acudir en la búsqueda de financiación y su aplicación en el desarrollo del proyecto documental Vesprada amb la iaia . La financiación obtenida por ayudas de instituciones o por compras de derechos de antena en el panorama español es el motor principal en el desarrollo de un proyecto audiovisual. Sin embargo, la mujer sufre una discriminación en representatividad en el sector por lo que empiezan a aplicarse medidas en cuestión de igualdad de género a las ayudas a nivel estatal y autonómico. Mi aprendizaje parte de la escritura de un pre-guion, diseño de un dossier, incluyendo todos los aspectos técnicos que en él figuran, y los pasos a seguir a la hora de presentarse a convocatorias, adaptando el proyecto, recogiendo valoraciones y mejorándolo hasta conseguir el objetivo final: hacer asequible y viable el documental The main objective of this work is the study of the different types of aid that a woman from Alicante can apply for in the search for funding and its application in the development of the documentary project Vesprada amb la iaia . The funding obtained through grants from institutions or the purchase of broadcasting rights in Spain is the main driving force in the development of an audiovisual project. However, women are discriminated against in terms of representation in the sector, which is why gender equality measures are beginning to be applied to state and regional aid. My learning process starts with the writing of a pre-script, the design of a dossier, including all the technical aspects that appear in it, and the steps to follow when applying to calls for proposals, adapting the project, collecting evaluations and improving it until the final objective is achieved: to make the documentary affordable and viable

This article lays out the contours of a novel approach to social change and interactions, based on the organic interplay of individuals, institutions, countries and the global society. This approach is based on the POZE paradigm, which posits that change starts inside and is nurtured from the outside in – both for individuals and for durable social change. Such a holistic perspective is crucial to build society as it emerges from the Pandemic. COVID-19 is a reminder that humans around the World are fundamentally all the same; the result of 4 dimensions – soul, heart, mind and body, which find their expression in aspirations, emotions, thoughts and sensations. These 4 dimensions constantly interact and influence each other in ways that reflect the 4-dimensional dynamic that shapes our collective existence. Individuals are the micro dimension that stands at the center of everything else. Forming part of various institutions, from families to parties, individuals are constitutive components of the meso dimension. Individuals and institutions form countries and economies, the macro-dimension. These dimensions in addition to nature and supra-national institutions form the meta-dimension. A constant interplay connects and determines what happens in each dimension and what derives from it. To thrive in the post-pandemic world, we must understand and optimize this interplay. This is the point of departure for the argumentation laid out in this article. The prevailing systemic imbalance in which many lack the means to cover their basic needs can only be addressed by planting the C-Core (completion, compassion, creativity, cooperation) at the center of human interactions. When we bring risks, responsibility and real opportunities together in one coherent framework whilst applying the proposed twice 4-dimensional paradigm-shift a set of concrete recommendations appears. Looking at individuals, and institutions, the article concludes with suggestions to seize this moment and shape not merely a response to the crises, but to lay the ground for a new social contract. In the past the C in C-Suite stood for Chief, the upper part of the leadership ladder in an institution. In the future that C must represent C-Core qualities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42413-021-00110-0.

The structural adjustment programme imposed by the World Bank and IMF in the face of the serious economic crisis that confronted African states in the 1980s resulted in severe cuts in state spending on social services including health. State failure in the provision of social services led to the externalisation of responsibility for health and the proliferation of actors working in the field of health across the continent. Despite the positive and negative consequences of this development on Africa, the debate about the role of external actors in health care delivery in Africa has dwelt extensively on the degree they should participate neglecting the emphasis on how they participate, under what conditions and with what consequences. Using qualitative data techniques, this article examines the involvement of external actors in health care delivery in Africa illustrating the nature, pattern, dimensions, and dynamics of such engagements in the context of popular concerns with good governance. It found that governance challenges constitute a serious obstacle to better health outcome in Africa. It posits that African states can only maximise their gains from external assistance for health if they take leadership in coordinating health activities in their countries within the context of a comprehensive national health plan., O programa de ajuste estrutural imposto pelo Banco Mundial e pelo FMI diante da grave crise econômica enfrentada pelos países africanos durante a década de 1980 resultou em severos cortes nas despesas dos Estados com serviços sociais, incluindo gastos com saúde. O fracasso dos Estados em prover os serviços sociais levou à externalização da responsabilidade pela saúde e à proliferação de atores que trabalham no campo da saúde em todo o continente. Apesar das consequências positivas e negativas dessa expansão, o debate sobre o papel dos atores externos na prestação de serviços de saúde na África se concentrou amplamente no grau em que eles deveriam participar, negligenciando a ênfase em como eles participam, sob quais condições e com quais consequências. Utilizando técnicas de dados qualitativas, este artigo examina o envolvimento de atores externos na prestação de serviços de saúde na África, ilustrando a natureza, o padrão, as dimensões e a dinâmica de tais compromissos no contexto de preocupações populares com a boa governança. Constatou-se que os desafios da governança constituem um sério obstáculo para melhores resultados de saúde na África. Considera-se que os Estados africanos só podem maximizar seus ganhos com a assistência externa à saúde se assumirem a liderança na coordenação das atividades de saúde nos seus países no contexto de um plano nacional de saúde abrangente.

Bien que relevant a priori de logiques différentes, l’État et les associations se côtoient et collaborent dans le domaine social de l’aide aux plus démunis en Suisse. Les acteurs associatifs, que ce soit les intervenants sociaux de terrain ou les responsables, doivent agir en fonction de ces logiques d’aide et de l’imbrication avec l’État. Ce texte vise à explorer les manières de faire de ces acteurs à partir d’une étude de cas ethnographique dans une association d’aide en Suisse romande. Il s’agira de comprendre comment l’association s’inscrit dans une politique d’aide, dans l’articulation entre une grande diversité de dispositifs aux objectifs variés et une volonté de produire une action sociale unifiée et reconnue publiquement. Although their logic is different at first glance, the state and associations interact and collaborate in the social field of aid to poorest in Switzerland. The associative actors, from field social workers to the leaders, must deal with these logics of aid and in connexion with the welfare State. Based on an ethnographic case study in an aid association in French-speaking Switzerland, this article explores the practices of these associative actors. The aim is to understand how the association is part of an aid policy, while articulating a wide array of activities with various objectives and the will to produce a unified and publicly recognized social action. Aunque parezca a priori resultando de lógicas diferentes, el Estado y las asociaciones conviven y colaboran en el ámbito social de la ayuda a los más desfavorecidos en Suiza. Los actores asociativos, que sean trabajadores sociales de campo o responsables, deben actuar de acuerdo con estas lógicas de ayuda y de interrelación con el Estado. El presente texto pretende explorar las formas de hacer de aquellos actores a partir de un estudio de caso etnográfico en una asociación de ayuda en Suiza francófona. Se trata de comprender cómo la asociación forma parte de una política de ayuda, en la articulación entre una gran diversidad de dispositivos con objetivos variados y la voluntad de producir una acción social unificada y reconocida públicamente.

This thesis seeks to determine the cause of the different economic outcomes in Ecuador and Bolivia after the drop in hydrocarbon prices in 2014. Why was Bolivia, under the administration of Evo Morales, seemingly able to escape the resource curse in recent years, while under Correa, Ecuador’s economy collapsed when confronted with a bust in commodity prices? Using five characteristics of the resource curse from existing literature, this thesis examines the policies of Correa and Morales to determine whether the leaders avoided the pitfalls of resource wealth while attempting to achieve sustained socioeconomic growth in their respective countries. This thesis hypothesizes that the Correa administration’s heavy use of Chinese loans exacerbated the resource curse in Ecuador, while the Morales administration executed conservative macroeconomic policies to partially mitigate the resource curse in Bolivia. Major, United States Air Force Approved for public release. distribution is unlimited

Estrogen contributes to females' strong antibody response to microbial vaccines and proneness to autoimmunity, particularly antibody-mediated systemic autoimmunity, in females. We have hypothesized that this is due to estrogen-mediated potentiation of class switch DNA recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). As we have shown, estrogen boosts AID expression, which is critical for both CSR and SHM, through upregulation of HoxC4, which together with NF-κB critically mediates Aicda (AID gene) promoter activation. We contend here that additional regulation of Aicda expression by estrogen occurs through epigenetic mechanisms. As we have shown, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate and propionate as well as the pharmacologic HDI valproic acid upregulate miRNAs that silence AID expression, thereby modulating specific antibody responses in C57BL/6 mice and autoantibody responses in lupus-prone MRL/Fas lpr/lpr mice. Here, using constitutive knockout Esr1 -/- mice and B cells as well as conditional knockout Aicda cre/cre Esr1 flox/flox mice and B cells, we showed that the HDI-mediated downregulation of Aicda expression as well as the maturation of antibody and autoantibody responses is reversed by estrogen and enhanced by deletion of ERα or E2 inhibition. Estrogen's reversion of HDI-mediated inhibition of Aicda and CSR in antibody and autoantibody responses occurred through downregulation of B cell miR-26a, which, as we showed, targets Aicda mRNA 3'UTR. miR-26a was significantly upregulated by HDIs. Accordingly, enforced expression of miR-26a reduced Aicda expression and CSR, while miR-26a-sponges (competitive inhibitors of miR-26a) increased Aicda expression and CSR. Thus, our findings show that estrogen reverses the HDI-mediated downregulation of AID expression and CSR through selective modulation of miR-26a. They also provide mechanistic insights into the immunomodulatory activity of this hormone and a proof-of-principle for using combined ER inhibitor-HDI as a potential therapeutic approach.

Within the last decade, Russia and China have greatly expanded their presence in Latin America—often in ways deemed threatening to U.S. national interests. Partly echoing the first half of the Cold War, the U.S. aims to maintain influence in the region while these states seek to counter any advances. At the same time, the current administration has proposed major cuts to the foreign aid budget. Many experts worry that large cuts could diminish U.S. influence and harm bilateral partnerships. Accordingly, the two case studies contained in this thesis assessed the impact of U.S. bilateral aid on influence in LATAM during the 1950s and 1960s. They both relied on primary U.S. sources (e.g., embassy reporting, congressional hearings, and now-declassified documents), as well as LATAM officials' statements. The research found that bilateral U.S. aid is an effective means to gain influence in the region when it (1) meets needs of recipients, (2) is cooperative and encourages interaction between U.S. personnel and Latin Americans, (3) is somewhat altruistic, and (4) respects recipients' autonomy. Conversely, aid damages influence when these conditions are reversed. Other tools of U.S. foreign policy, as well as many other factors, also contributed to shifts in influence. These are briefly addressed in each chapter to highlight the complexity and fleeting nature of U.S. influence overall. http://archive.org/details/aidandinfluencet1094564900 Lieutenant, United States Navy Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Debates on the extent to which developing countries suffer from a brain drain often focus on the emigration of locally scarce health personnel. In this paper, we empirically examine how two potential determinants - aid for health and local income levels - affect the emigration rates of doctors and nurses from developing countries. Employing a standard gravity model of international migration, we show that aid for health has a negative effect on the emigration of both nurses and doctors. The quantitative impact is moderate but non-negligible: doubling the amount of foreign assistance received by developing countries in the health sector lowers the emigration rates of health personnel by around 10%. Our findings suggest that donors influence the emigration decisions of doctors and nurses through improvements in health infrastructure and health care services. Higher income per capita is also associated with lower emigration from developing countries for doctors and nurses alike. Given that nurses typically belong to the poorer segments of populations in the countries of origin, we can conclude that even at low initial income levels, on balance, economic growth provides an incentive to stay rather than enabling would-be migrants to finance migration costs and encouraging them to leave.

Objective: To compare the surgical outcomes of the Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) technique with those of the linear incision technique with soft-tissue preservation for bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS). Design: Sponsor-initiated multicenter, open, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Setting: Maastricht University Medical Centre, Ziekenhuisgroep Twente and Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden, all situated in The Netherlands. Participants: Sixty-four adult patients eligible for unilateral BAHS surgery. Interventions Single-stage BAHS surgery with 1:1 randomization to the linear incision technique with soft-tissue preservation (control) or the MIPS (test) group. Primary and Secondary Outcome Measurements: Primary objective: compare the incidence of inflammation (Holgers Index ≥ 2) during 12 weeks’ follow-up after surgery. Secondary objectives: skin dehiscence, pain scores, loss of sensibility around the implant, soft-tissue overgrowth, skin sagging, implant extrusion, cosmetic results, surgical time, wound healing and Implant Stability Quotient measurements. Results: Sixty-three subjects were analyzed in the intention-to-treat population. No significant difference was found for the incidence of inflammation between groups. Loss of skin sensibility, cosmetic outcomes, skin sagging, and surgical time were significantly better in the test group. No statistically significant differences were found for dehiscence, pain, and soft-tissue overgrowth. A nonsignificant difference in extrusion was found for the test group. The Implant Stability Quotient was statistically influenced by the surgical technique, abutment length, and time. Conclusion: No significant differences between the MIPS and the linear incision techniques were observed regarding skin inflammation. MIPS results in a statistically significant reduction in the loss of skin sensibility, less skin sagging, improved cosmetic results, and reduced surgical time. Although nonsignificant, the implant extrusion rate warrants further research.

中国においては、一人っ子政策の影響もあって、少子高齢化が急速に進んでいる。2016年までに一人っ子政策自体は廃止されたが、晩婚晩育政策などから、人工生殖も増加しており、その負の影響にも注目が集まっている。そのような中で、近時、中国における人工授精をめぐる法律問題について、AID子とその父の親子関係等について判断した最高人民法院の指導性事案50号が公表された。この案例の意義をより深く理解するために、この問題の初期の裁判事例を分析した。すなわち従来の裁判実務においては、人工授精子、特にAID子と父の法的関係について、婚姻の存続期間という事実を重視し、その意思ないし契約関係を基準として、日本の嫡出の推定ないし否認に相当する婚内子の推定ないし否認が運用されていることを明らかにした。また、議論の参考として「人類補助生殖技術管理辨法」を文末に付した。

The distributions of income and health within and across countries are changing. This challenges the way donors allocate development assistance for health (DAH) and particularly the role of gross national income per capita (GNIpc) in classifying countries to determine whether countries are eligible to receive assistance and how much they receive. Informed by a literature review and stakeholder consultations and interviews, we developed a stepwise approach to the design and assessment of country classification frameworks for the allocation of DAH, with emphasis on critical value choices. We devised 25 frameworks, all which combined GNIpc and at least one other indicator into an index. Indicators were selected and assessed based on relevance, salience, validity, consistency, and availability and timeliness, where relevance concerned the extent to which the indicator represented country’s health needs, domestic capacity, the expected impact of DAH, or equity. We assessed how the use of the different frameworks changed the rankings of low- and middle-income countries relative to a country’s ranking based on GNIpc alone. We found that stakeholders generally considered needs to be the most important concern to be captured by classification frameworks, followed by inequality, expected impact and domestic capacity. We further found that integrating a health-needs indicator with GNIpc makes a significant difference for many countries and country categories—and especially middle-income countries with high burden of unmet health needs—while the choice of specific indicator makes less difference. This together with assessments of relevance, salience, validity, consistency, and availability and timeliness suggest that donors have reasons to include a health-needs indicator in the initial classification of countries. It specifically suggests that life expectancy and disability-adjusted life year rate are indicators worth considering. Indicators related to other concerns may be mainly relevant at different stages of the decision-making process, require better data, or both. publishedVersion

This article studies the impact of the European Union (EU) on the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). While the literature thus far has focused on the external challenges for the DAC's role in international development, this study argues that the EU should be taken into account as well. By focusing on the cases of policy coherence for development and the concessionality of official development assistance (ODA) loans, we show that the EU poses a structural challenge for the DAC's role in international development given the strong overlap in membership between both institutions and the Union's changing nature as a development actor.

There is lively debate concerning the influence of development assistance (‘aid’) on corruption in recipient countries; however, to date, few studies have systematically examined the subject sub-nationally. This study estimates the association between sub-national aid levels and citizens’ perceptions and experiences of local corruption in Malawi. Overall, we find that individuals in districts receiving high amounts of aid are no more likely to view local leaders as corrupt than those in districts receiving lower amounts of aid. However, higher levels of aid are associated with more experiences of bribe solicitation. We also find evidence that aid channeled through NGOs may have different effects than government-implemented aid, as it is associated with better perceptions of local corruption and reduced bribe solicitation. The findings suggest that, in aggregate, corruption resulting from receiving aid may not be of sufficient magnitude or visibility to change citizens’ broader beliefs about government performance or legitimacy.

This paper questions the extent to which the (arguable) end of the liberal humanitarian order is something to be mourned. Suggesting that current laments for the decline of humanitarianism reflect a Eurocentric worldview, it calls for a fundamental revision of the assumptions informing humanitarian scholarship. Decoloniality and anti-colonialism should be taken seriously so as to not reproduce the same by a different name after the end of the liberal order.

ObjectivesMany workers in high-risk occupations, such as soldiers, are exposed to stressors at work, increasing their risk of developing mental health conditions and substance abuse (MHC/SA). Disclosure can lead to both positive (eg, support) and negative (eg, discrimination) work outcomes, and therefore, both disclosure and non-disclosure can affect health, well-being and sustainable employment, making it a complex dilemma. The objective is to study barriers to and facilitators for disclosure in the military from multiple perspectives.DesignQualitative focus groups with soldiers with and without MHC/SA and military mental health professionals. Sessions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was done using a general inductive approach.SettingThe study took place within the Dutch military.ParticipantsIn total, 46 people participated in 8 homogeneous focus groups, including 3 perspectives: soldiers with MHC/SA (N=20), soldiers without MHC/SA (N=10) and military mental health professionals (N=16).ResultsFive barriers for disclosure were identified (fear of career consequences, fear of social rejection, lack of leadership support, lack of skills to talk about MHC/SA, masculine workplace culture) and three facilitators (anticipated positive consequences of disclosure, leadership support, work-related MHC/SA). Views of the stakeholder groups were highly congruent.ConclusionsAlmost all barriers (and facilitators) were related to fear for stigma and discrimination. This was acknowledged by all three perspectives, suggesting that stigma and discrimination are considerable barriers to sustainable employment and well-being. Supervisor knowledge, attitudes and behaviour were critical for disclosure, and supervisors thus have a key role in improving health, well-being and sustainable employment for soldiers with MHC/SA. Furthermore, adjustments could be made by the military on a policy level, to take away some of the fears that soldiers have when disclosing MHC/SA.