Institutional interests and the politics of constitutional amendment

Institutional interests are often the main determinant of day-to-day politics. However, do they also matter in the more consensus-oriented field of constitutional politics? To answer this question, this article examines the success and failure of constitutional amendment drafts. We reassess a hypothesis proposed by Donald S. Lutz more than 20 years ago, according to which the initiator of an amendment is a significant determinant of its success, that is, of its passing or not passing. This study is based on a unique dataset of successful and failed constitutional amendments, covering 18 post-socialist countries in Central and Eastern Europe (1990–2014). We demonstrate that the chances of success for a given constitutional amendment are clearly driven by institutional interests: cabinet and presidential proposals have significantly higher chances of success than parliamentary and public initiatives. Additionally, success or failure also depend on the level of democracy and the rigidity of the amendment process.Peer Reviewe

International short‐term placements in health professions education : a meta‐narrative review

Introduction: In order to be prepared for professional practice in a globalised world, health professions students need to be equipped with a new set of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Experiential learning gained during an international placement has been considered as a powerful strategy for facilitating the acquisition of global health competencies. The aim of this review was to synthesise the diverse body of empirical research examining the process and outcomes of international short‐term placements in health professions education. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using a meta‐narrative methodology. Six electronic databases were searched between September 2016 and June 2022: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Education Research Complete and Web of Knowledge. Studies were included if they reported on international placements undertaken by undergraduate health professions students in socio‐economically contrasting settings. Included studies were first considered within their research tradition before comparing and contrasting findings between different research traditions. Results: This review included 243 papers from 12 research traditions, which were distinguished by health profession and paradigmatic approach. Empirical findings were considered in four broad themes: learner, educational intervention, institutional context and wider context. Most studies provided evidence on the learner, with findings indicating a positive impact of international placements on personal and professional development. The development of cultural competency has been more focus in research in nursing and allied health than in medicine. Whereas earlier research has focussed on the experience and outcomes for the learner, more recent studies have become more concerned with relationships between various stakeholder groups. Only few studies have looked at strategies to enhance the educational process. Conclusion: The consideration of empirical work from different perspectives provides novel understandings of what research has achieved and what needs further investigation. Future studies should pay more attention to the complex nature of the educational process in international placements

Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis Who Score Highly on the PainDETECT Questionnaire Present With Multi-modality Hyperalgesia, Increased Pain and Impaired Physical Function

Objectives: PainDETECT is a self-report questionnaire that can be used to identify features of neuropathic pain. A proportion of patients with knee osteoarthritis score highly on the PainDETECT questionnaire. This study aimed to determine whether those with a higher “positive neuropathic” score on the PainDETECT questionnaire also had greater pain, hypersensitivity and reduced function compared to individuals with knee OA with lower PainDETECT scores. Methods: 130 participants with knee OA completed the PainDETECT, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Pain Quality Assessment Scale (PQAS) questionnaires. Quantitative sensory testing was carried out at three sites (both knees and elbow) using standard methods. Cold and heat pain thresholds were tested using a Peltier thermode and pressure pain thresholds using a digital algometer. Physical function was assessed using three timed locomotor function tests. Results: 22.3% of participants scored in the “positive neuropathic” category with a further 35.4% in the unclear category. Participants in the “positive neuropathic” category reported higher levels of pain and more impaired function based on the WOMAC questionnaire (P<0.0001). They also exhibited increased levels of hyperalgesia at the knee and upper limb sites for all stimulation modalities except heat pain thresholds at the OA knee. They were also slower to complete two of the locomotion tasks. Discussion: This study identified a specific sub-group of people with knee OA who exhibited PainDETECT scores in the “positive neuropathic” category. These individuals experienced increased levels of pain, widespread, multi-modality hyperalgesia and greater functional impairment than the remaining cohort. Identification of OA patients with this pain phenotype may permit more targeted and effective pain management

Review of 1,447 Breast Augmentation Patients Using PERTHESE Silicone Implants

Introduction A survey of surgeons in Brazil on their experience with PERTHESE silicone breast implants was performed. Materials and methods Surgeons that used PERTHESE implants between 2002 and 2008 were surveyed on the shape and volume of the implants used, surgical incision site, surgical plane of insertion, key postoperative complications, and surgeon and patient satisfaction. Results The survey had a response rate of 20%, with ten surgeons reporting data on 1447 patients. The majority of the implants used were 200-300 cc, round, and high profile. Preference for the traditional inframammary incision site (47% of patients) was favored over transaxillary (33%) and periareolar (19%), and both subglandular (55%) and submuscular (44%) planes of insertion were used. Over 97% of surgeons and patients were satisfied with the results and surgeons indicated that the implants were easy to use. Conclusions This review demonstrates that these implants are safe, maybe easier to introduce than other implants, and result in a high level of surgeon and patient satisfaction.341111

The Butterfly Fauna Of The Italian Maritime Alps:Results Of The &#171;Edit&#187; Project

Bonelli, Simona, Barbero, Francesca, Casacci, Luca Pietro, Cerrato, Cristiana, Balletto, Emilio (2015): The butterfly fauna of the Italian Maritime Alps: results of the EDIT project. Zoosystema 37 (1): 139-167, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n1a6, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/z2015n1a

Sorption-Desorption Behavior of Atrazine on Soils Subjected to Different Organic Long-Term Amendments

Sorption of atrazine on soils subjected to three different organic amendments was measured using a batch equilibrium technique. A higher K(F) value (2.20 kg(-1)(mg L(-1))(-)N) was obtained for soil fertilized with compost, which had a higher organic matter (OM) content. A correlation between the K(Foc) values and the percentage of aromatic carbon in OM was observed. The highest K(Foc) value was obtained for the soil with the highest aromatic content. Higher aromatic content results in higher hydrophobicity of OM, and hydrophobic interactions play a key role in binding of atrazine, On the other hand, the soil amended with farmyard manure had a higher content of carboxylic units, which could be responsible for hydrogen bonding between atrazine and OR Dominance of hydrogen bonds compared to hydrophobic interactions can be responsible for the lower desorption capacity observed with the farmyard manure soil, The stronger hydrogen bonding can reduce the leaching of atrazine into drinking water resources and runoff to rivers and other surface waters

Multi-physics modelling and experimental validation of electrovibration based haptic devices

Electrovibration tactile displays exploit the polarisation of the finger pad, caused by an insulated high voltage supplied plate. This results in electrostatic attraction, which can be used to modulate the users' perception of an essentially flat surface and induce texture sensation. Two analytical models of electrovibration, based on parallel plate capacitor assumption, are demonstrably taken and assessed by comparisons with experimental results published in literature. In addition, an experimental setup was developed to measure the electrostatic force between the finger pad and a high voltage supplied plate in a static and out-of-contact state in order to support the use of parallel plate capacitor model. Development, validation, and application of a computational framework for modelling tactile scenarios on real and virtual surfaces rendered by electrovibration technique is presented. The framework incorporates fully parametric model in terms of materials and geometry of the finger pad, virtual and real surfaces, and can serve as a tool for virtual prototyping and haptic rendering in electrovibration tactile displays. This is achieved by controlling the applied voltage signal in order to guarantee similar lateral force cues in real and simulated surfaces

Peripheral neuropathic pain : a mechanism-related organizing principle based on sensory profiles

Patients with neuropathic pain are heterogeneous in etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical appearance. They exhibit a variety of painrelated sensory symptoms and signs (sensory profile). Different sensory profiles might indicate different classes of neurobiological mechanisms, and hence subgroups with different sensory profilesmight respond differently to treatment. The aim of the investigation was to identify subgroups in a large sample of patients with neuropathic pain using hypothesis-free statistical methods on the database of 3 large multinational research networks (German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (DFNS), IMI-Europain, and Neuropain). Standardized quantitative sensory testing was used in 902 (test cohort) and 233 (validation cohort) patients with peripheral neuropathic pain of different etiologies. For subgrouping, we performed a cluster analysis using 13 quantitative sensory testing parameters. Three distinct subgroupswith characteristic sensory profileswere identified and replicated. Cluster 1 (sensory loss, 42%) showed a loss of small and large fiber function in combination with paradoxical heat sensations. Cluster 2 (thermal hyperalgesia, 33%) was characterized by preserved sensory functions in combination with heat and cold hyperalgesia and mild dynamic mechanical allodynia. Cluster 3 (mechanical hyperalgesia, 24%) was characterized by a loss of small fiber function in combinationwith pinprick hyperalgesia and dynamic mechanical allodynia. All clusters occurred across etiologies but frequencies differed. We present a new approach of subgrouping patients with peripheral neuropathic pain of different etiologies according to intrinsic sensory profiles. These 3 profiles may be related to pathophysiological mechanisms and may be useful in clinical trial design to enrich the study population for treatment responders.Peer reviewe