Brazil: Military State and Vanishing Miracle

SUMMARY This paper was written under the impact of recent developments in Brazil. Since the military assumed power in 1964, the regime has been based on the dual principles of liberal rhetoric and authoritarian practice. The inherent contradictions have developed to such an extent that the hegemonic pact is now disintegrating. The article tries to trace the origins of this situation and discusses some possible alternative developments. RESUME Brésil: Etat militaire et miracle précaire Ce rapport a été rédigé sous l'influence des récents événements du Brésil. Depuis le coup d'état militaire de 1964, le régime s'est fondé sur le double principe d'une rhétorique libérale et d'une pratique autoritaire. Les contradictions inhérentes se sont développées au point que le pacte hégémonique est actuellement en voie de désintégration. L'article tente de remonter aux origines de cet état de choses et discute de quelques solutions de rechange. RESUMEN Brasil: El estado militar y el milagro que desaparece Este artículo se escribió bajo el efecto de acontecimientos recientes en el Brasil. Desde que los militares se apoderaron del poder en 1964, el régimen se ha basado en el doble principio de la retórica liberal y el pragmatismo autoritario. Las contradicciones inherentes han evolucionado hasta tal punto que se está desintegrando el pacto de hegemonía. En el articulo se trata de encontrar el origen de esta situación y se analizan algunas alternativas posibles en la evolución futura

La fuorviante utopia degli Stati Uniti d’Europa

The present European crisis is the consequence of a momentous world transformation to which the old European federalist doctrine has been unable to find adequate responses. We know that only by joining forces can the European countries face the globalization challenge: so as to manage to preserve not only their unique social model, but also the institutional and cultural achievements that are the most admirable heritage of their history and their distinctive contribution to world civilization. How is this task to be carried out? Not by the generous utopian proposal of the United States of Europe, for this requires a centralization of sovereignty at present unacceptable to the national States. Rather, by a new “material constitution” based on the only outstanding example successful in combining social justice and economic efficiency: the German model. Unified Germany has already been leading the path to these objectives by its principles of social market economy and by leaving its imprint on the European Central Bank

La fuorviante utopia degli Stati Uniti d’Europa

The present European crisis is the consequence of a momentous world transformation to which the old European federalist doctrine has been unable to find adequate responses. We know that only by joining forces can the European countries face the globalization challenge: so as to manage to preserve not only their unique social model, but also the institutional and cultural achievements that are the most admirable heritage of their history and their distinctive contribution to world civilization. How is this task to be carried out? Not by the generous utopian proposal of the United States of Europe, for this requires a centralization of sovereignty at present unacceptable to the national States. Rather, by a new “material constitution” based on the only outstanding example successful in combining social justice and economic efficiency: the German model. Unified Germany has already been leading the path to these objectives by its principles of social market economy and by leaving its imprint on the European Central Bank

Wer hat Angst vor Bad Godesberg? Zur Bedeutung einer in der italienischen Publizistik gängigen Metapher: Unter welchen Bedingungen kann die aktuelle Diskussion fruchtbar gemacht werden?

Das Thema 'Bad Godesberg', das schon in den vergangenen Jahren in der italienischen politischen Publizistik immer wieder auftauchte, ist wieder in die aktuellen Schlagzeilen zurückgekehrt und füllt nun sogar die Spalten angesehener Tageszeitungen. Hinter dieser erneuten Beliebtheit wirken augenscheinlich tiefgreifende politische Ursachen, die über die jeweiligen polemischen Anlässe hinausgehen. Aber es bleibt die Tatsache, daß 'Bad Godesberg' eine Metapher ist. Und diese Metapher muß in der italienischen Diskussion erst noch aufgelöst und präzisiert werden: in der vielfarbigen Tonleiter ihrer Inhalte und der (wie wir irp Folgenden zeigen werden) nicht immer klaren Bedeutung ihrer Anspielungen und ihrer historischen Bezugspunkte. Diejenigen, die heute die Metapher 'Bad Godesberg' verwenden, haben zwei Koordinaten der komplexen politischen Situation der europäischen Linken vor Augen: die schwierige Vermittler- und Schiedsrichterrolle, die heute die deutsche Sozialdemokratie im Felde der internationalen Spannungen übernimmt, einerseits; die politische Entwicklung der italienischen kommunistischen Partei im mühsamen Prozeß einer kulturellen und strategischen Neudefinition der italienischen Linken andererseits

Die deutsche Sozialdemokratie heute - oder die Paradoxa einer Geschäftsführung der Arbeiterklasse

Wenn die Erfahrungen der sozialdemokratischen Parteien Bestandteil des »Erbes der gesamten europäischen Linken« sind - um die gebräuchlichen rhetorischen Formeln zu verwenden-, dann folgt daraus, daß auch ihre Krise die Grundpostulate der gesamten politischen Kultur der europäischen Linken betrifft und in Frage stellt. Vor allem aber ist es notwendig, von vorneherein Abschied zu nehmen von übertrieben synthetischen Formulierungen (wie »Krise des Sozialstaates«, »Krise des Wohlfahrtsstaates« usw.), die schon allzu lange ihre geringe analytische Fruchtbarkeit unter Beweis gestellt haben - abgesehen von ihrer ideologischen Funktion, fehlende Analysen der Wirklichkeit zu überdecken - und stattdessen zu versuchen, präzise die Konturen dessen zu erfassen, das von und in der Regierungspraxis der deutschen Sozaldemokratie in die Krise geraten ist

Die Grünen: Farbenlehre eines politischen Paradoxes. Zwischen neuen Bewegungen und Veränderung der Politik

Die grüne Bewegung ist in der Bundesrepublik bereits zu einem stabilen Faktor des politischen Systems geworden: also zu einer Art Paradox. Sie hat in ein als 'hyperstabil' geltendes Parteiensystem einen beständigen Faktor der Unruhe und der Destabilisierung politischer Gleichgewichte eingeführt. Hat sie damit einen Wunsch konkret werden lassen, den die 'neue Linke' in der BRD seit ihrem Bestehen ebenso intensiv wie erfolglos hegte? Oder ist sie in einer Bundesrepublik, die von einigen schon als auf dem Weg zur 'Unregierbarkeit' angesehen wird, ein parteipolitischer Rettungsanker: möglicher Kandidat für »die Funktion spätkapitalistischen Krisenmanagements« (Tarozzi 1982, S.140) und damit, wie der SPIEGEL titelte, ein »Regierungspartner von morgen«? (Mettke 1982). Die Grünen selbst verwahren sich gegen solche Unterstellungen. Petra Karin Kelly, Mitglied des ersten grünen Bundesvorstandes und vielleicht bekannteste charismatische Politikerin der Grünen: »Wir sind die Antipartei-Partei.« (in: Mettke 1982, S.31

Behavioural and biochemical effects of an ICV injection of streptozotocin in old Lewis rats

Intacerebroventricularly (ICV) injected streptozotocin (STREP) decreases central glucose metabolism and energy metabolism, which has also been observed in patients with dementia. In the present study we examined the behavioral (open-field behavior and two-way active avoidance learning) and biochemical (hippocampal ChAT activity) effects of STREP treatment in old Lewis rats. The results suggest that hippocampal function was affected by STREP. STREP-treated rats acquired the two-way active avoidance task faster than the control rats, which indicates that STREP treatment does not lead to a general learning deficit. Hippocampal ChAT activity was decreased in STREP-treated rats. The present results suggests also that susceptibility to STREP amy not be related to age in Lewis rats

Ethnicity-specific factors influencing childhood immunisation decisions among Black and Asian Minority Ethnic groups in the UK: a systematic review of qualitative research

Background: Uptake of some childhood immunisations in the UK is lower among those from some Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. This systematic review of qualitative research sought to understand the factors that are associated with ethnicity that influence the immunisation decisions of parents from BAME backgrounds living in the UK. Methods: Databases were searched on 2 December 2014 for studies published at any time using the terms ‘UK’ and ‘vaccination’ and ‘qualitative methods’ (and variations of these). Included articles comprised participants who were parents from BAME backgrounds. Thematic synthesis methods were used to develop descriptive and higher order themes. Themes specific to ethnicity and associated factors are reported. Results: Eight papers were included in the review. Most participants were from Black (n=62) or Asian (n=38) backgrounds. Two ethnicity-related factors affected immunisation decisions. First, factors that are related to ethnicity itself (namely religion, upbringing and migration, and language) affected parents' perceived importance of immunisations, whether immunisations were permitted or culturally acceptable and their understanding of immunisation/the immunisation schedule. Second, perceived biological differences affected decision-making and demand for information. Conclusions: Factors related to ethnicity must be considered when seeking to understand immunisation decisions among parents from BAME backgrounds. Where appropriate and feasible, vaccination information should be targeted to address beliefs about ethnic differences held by some individuals from some BAME backgrounds

Ambiguities in the relationship between gonadal steroids and reproduction in axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in General and Comparative Endocrinology 176 (2012): 472-480, doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.12.034.Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are aquatic salamanders that are widely used in research. Axolotls have been bred in laboratories for nearly 150 years, yet little is known about the basic biology of reproduction in these animals. We investigated the effects of changing day length, time of year, and food availability on levels of circulating estradiol and androgens in adult female and male axolotls, respectively. In addition, we examined the effects of these variables on the mass of ovaries, oviducts, and eggs in females and on mass of testes in males relative to each individual's body weight, to calculate a form of gonadosomatic index (GSI). In both sexes, GSI was not correlated with levels of circulating steroids. In female axolotls, estradiol levels were influenced by food availability, changes in day length, and season, even when animals were held at a constant temperature and day length was decorrelated with calendar date. In addition, the mass of ovaries, oviducts, and eggs varied seasonally, peaking in the winter months and declining during the summer months, even though our animals were not breeding and shedding eggs. In males, levels of androgens appeared to vary independently of external conditions, but GSI varied dramatically with changes in day length. These results suggest that reproduction in axolotls may vary seasonally, as it does in many other ambystomid species, although both male and female axolotls are capable of reproducing several times each year. The physiological basis of this ability remains enigmatic, given the indications of seasonality contained in our data.The work described here would not have been possible without funding from the National Science Foundation (IOS 0817785), fellowships from the Marine Biological Laboratory, and undergraduate research support from Michigan State University