Whither the push and pull for integration : taking stock of Latin America’s declaratory regionalism

Repeated setbacks to a regional project in Latin America have given rise to a narrative portraying the region’s integration endeavor as a succession of failed attempts. Analysts concordantly highlight that Latin America’s institutional development and actual policy output do not live up to the integrationist discourse sustained in the region, and point to a series of obstacles standing in the way of deep integration. Such a perspective misses out, however, on an intriguing persistence of Latin American regionalism both in discourse as well as in repeated attempts to induce new impetus into the regional project. In an attempt to map out the basis for a more rigorous, theoretically guided approach to the subject, this paper brings the debates on the different push and pull factors of Latin America’s regionalist project together. Based on the premise that forces pushing towards integration are present within the region, it is argued that the dominant hypotheses in the study of regional integration do not address Latin America’s declaratory regionalism in a conclusive manner. The key to the broader picture of the region’s integration gap lies with a lack of determination to let the word follow the deed, and needs to apprehend of the political function declaratory regionalism has come to fulfill in the Latin American international system

Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3

Background: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 or 3 have sustained virologic response rates of approximately 80% after receiving treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin for 24 weeks. We conducted a large, randomized, multinational, noninferiority trial to determine whether similar efficacy could be achieved with only 16 weeks of treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin. Methods: We randomly assigned 1469 patients with HCV genotype 2 or 3 to receive 180 μg of peginterferon alfa-2a weekly, plus 800 mg of ribavirin daily, for either 16 or 24 weeks. A sustained virologic response was defined as an undetectable serum HCV RNA level (<50 IU per milliliter) 24 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: The study failed to demonstrate that the 16-week regimen was noninferior to the 24-week regimen. The sustained virologic response rate was significantly lower in patients treated for 16 weeks than in patients treated for 24 weeks (62% vs. 70%; odds ratio for 16 weeks vs. 24 weeks, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.54 to 0.84; P<0.001). In addition, the rate of relapse (a detectable HCV RNA level during follow-up in patients who had undetectable HCV RNA at the end of treatment) was significantly greater in the 16-week group (31%, vs. 18% in the 24-week group; P<0.001). The sustained virologic response rates in patients with a pretreatment serum HCV RNA level of 400,000 IU per milliliter or less was 82% with the 16-week regimen and 81% with the 24-week regimen. Among patients with a rapid virologic response (an undetectable HCV RNA level by week 4), sustained virologic response rates were 79% in the 16-week group and 85% in the 24-week group (P=0.02). Conclusions: Treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin for 16 weeks in patients infected with HCV genotype 2 or 3 results in a lower overall sustained virologic response rate than treatment with the standard 24-week regimen

Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3.

BACKGROUND: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 or 3 have sustained virologic response rates of approximately 80% after receiving treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin for 24 weeks. We conducted a large, randomized, multinational, noninferiority trial to determine whether similar efficacy could be achieved with only 16 weeks of treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin. METHODS: We randomly assigned 1469 patients with HCV genotype 2 or 3 to receive 180 mug of peginterferon alfa-2a weekly, plus 800 mg of ribavirin daily, for either 16 or 24 weeks. A sustained virologic response was defined as an undetectable serum HCV RNA level (<50 IU per milliliter) 24 weeks after the end of treatment. RESULTS: The study failed to demonstrate that the 16-week regimen was noninferior to the 24-week regimen. The sustained virologic response rate was significantly lower in patients treated for 16 weeks than in patients treated for 24 weeks (62% vs. 70%; odds ratio for 16 weeks vs. 24 weeks, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.54 to 0.84; P<0.001). In addition, the rate of relapse (a detectable HCV RNA level during follow-up in patients who had undetectable HCV RNA at the end of treatment) was significantly greater in the 16-week group (31%, vs. 18% in the 24-week group; P<0.001). The sustained virologic response rates in patients with a pretreatment serum HCV RNA level of 400,000 IU per milliliter or less was 82% with the 16-week regimen and 81% with the 24-week regimen. Among patients with a rapid virologic response (an undetectable HCV RNA level by week 4), sustained virologic response rates were 79% in the 16-week group and 85% in the 24-week group (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin for 16 weeks in patients infected with HCV genotype 2 or 3 results in a lower overall sustained virologic response rate than treatment with the standard 24-week regimen. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00077636 [ClinicalTrials.gov].)

Contribuições da Sociologia na América Latina à imaginação sociológica: análise, crítica e compromisso social Sociology's contribution in Latin America to sociological imagination: analysis, critique, and social commitment

O artigo aborda o papel desempenhado pela Sociologia na análise dos processos de transformação das sociedades latino-americanas, no acompanhamento do processo de construção do Estado e da Nação, na problematização das questões sociais na América Latina. São analisados seis períodos na Sociologia na América Latina e no Caribe: I) a herança intelectual da Sociologia ; II) a sociologia da cátedra; III) O período da "Sociologia Científica" e a configuração da "Sociologia Crítica"; IV) a crise institucional, a consolidação da "Sociologia Crítica" e a diversificação da sociologia; V) a sociologia do autoritarismo, da democracia e da exclusão; VI) a consolidação institucional e a mundialização da sociologia da América Latina (desde o ano de 2000), podendo-se afirmar que os traços distintivos do saber sociológico no continente foram: o internacionalismo, o hibridismo, a abordagem crítica dos processos e conflitos das sociedades latino-americanas e o compromisso social do sociólogo.<br>The article focuses on the role played by Sociology in the analysis of processes of change in Latin American societies, in the process of construction of Nation and State, in the debate of social issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Six periods in Sociology in Latin America and the Caribbean are examined: I) sociology's intellectual legacy; II) sociology as a cathedra; III) the period of "Scientific Sociology"; IV) the institutional crisis, the consolidation of "Critical Sociology", and the diversifying of sociology; V) sociology of authoritarianism, democracy and exclusion; VI) institutional consolidation and globalization of Latin American sociology (since 2000). It may be said that the distinctive features of sociological knowledge in the continent were: internationalism, hybridism, the critical approach to processes and conflicts of Latin American societies, and the sociologist social commitment