Europeanising Greens in an evolving European democracy: roles and limitations

"Built upon a methodological assumption that conventional theory of democracy and party politics after some modifications can be applied to analysing the EU politics, this article offers a case study of the European Green Party (EGP) by focusing on its three aspects-political programme, organisational structure and political participation. As the main conclusion, the author argues that the EGP has evolved into a Euro-party by the end of the EP's fifth term in terms of certain standards, yet its roles as a system-maker for the EU's democratic transformation are still very limited." (author's abstract

The know-do gap in quality of health for chronic non-communicable diseases in rural China

Proper management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a severe challenge to China's rural health system. This study investigates what influences the poor medical treatment of NCDs (diabetes and angina) by evaluating the “know-do gap” between provider knowledge and practice. To determine whether low levels of provider knowledge low quality of patient care is the primary constraint on the quality of NCDs diagnosis and treatment in rural China. Providers from Village Clinics (VC) and Township Health Centers (THC), and Standardized Patients (SP) were selected by a multi-stage random sampling method. Clinical vignettes were administered to 306 providers from 103 VCs and 50 THCs in rural Sichuan Province. SPs presented diabetes symptoms completed 97 interactions with providers in 46 VCs and 51 THCs; SPs presented angina symptoms completed 100 interactions with providers in 50 VCs and 50 THCs. Process quality, diagnosis quality, and treatment quality were assessed against national standards for diabetes and angina. Two-tailed T-tests and tests of proportions for continuous outcomes and tests of proportions for binary dependent variables were used to compare vignette and SP results. Differences between vignette and SP data calculated the know-do gap. Regression analyses were used to examine the providers/facility characteristics and knowledge/practice associations. THC providers demonstrated significantly more knowledge in vignettes and better practices in SP visits than VC providers. However, levels of knowledge were low overall: 48.2% of THC providers and 28.2% of VC providers properly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, while 23.8% of THC providers and 14.7% of VC providers properly diagnosed angina. With SPs, 2.1% of THC providers and 6.8% of VC providers correctly diagnosed type 2 diabetes; 25.5% of THC providers and 12.8% of VC providers correctly diagnosed angina. There were significant know-do gaps in diagnosis process quality, diagnosis quality, and treatment quality for diabetes (p < 0.01), and in diagnosis process quality (p < 0.05) and treatment quality for angina (p < 0.01). Providers in rural China display low levels of knowledge when treating diabetes and angina. Despite low knowledge, evidence of the know-do gap indicates that low-quality healthcare is the primary constraint on the quality of NCD diagnosis and treatment in rural China. Our research findings provide a new perspective for the evaluation of the medical quality and a technical basis for the development of new standardized cases in the future

Ochrona środowiska w Chinach w dobie Nowej Ery z perspektywy wdrażania Eko-cywilizacji

Under a particular context of China’ eco-civilization construction in the New Era after the 18th national congress of CPC, an interesting question is that the discourse of socialist eco-civilization and its practice can to what an extent reshape or change the relationship among eco-capital, green technology and public participation in achieving a better environmental governance. A field-study in Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province, shows clearly that there are both great hope for a radical reconstruction and multitudinous difficulties and challenges in front of the pioneering Green enterprises and the pilot areas of eco-civilization construction.W szczególnym momencie budowy eko-cywilizacji Chin w Nowej Erze po 18. kongresie narodowym KPCh interesującym jest, że koncepcja socjalistycznej eko-cywilizacji w praktyce może do pewnego stopnia przekształcić lub wręcz zmienić relacje pomiędzy eko-kapitałem, zieloną technologią i udziałem społeczeństwa w celu osiągnięcia lepszego zarządzania środowiskiem. Badanie przeprowadzone w mieście Fuzhou, w prowincji Jiangxi, wykazały, że wśród mieszkańców istnieje wielka nadzieja na radykalną przebudowę, zarazem jednak występuje mnogość trudności i wyzwań stojących przed pionierskimi zielonymi przedsiębiorstwami i pilotażowymi obszarami budowy eko-cywilizacji

Europeanising Greens in an Evolving European Democracy : Roles and Limitations

Built upon a methodological assumption that conventional theory of democracy and party politics after some modifications can be applied to analysing the EU politics, this article offers a case study of the European Green Party (EGP) by focusing on its three aspects-political programme, organisational structure and political participation. As the main conclusion, the author argues that the EGP has evolved into a Euro-party by the end of the EP's fifth term in terms of certain standards, yet its roles as a system-maker for the EU's democratic transformation are still very limited

Regional supervision centres for environmental protection in China: functions and limitations

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), has set up six regional Supervision Centres for Environmental Protection (SCEPs) in recent years. The creation of the SCEPs reflects the "green will" of Chinese government, to reverse the ever-worsening environmental situation throughout China by strengthening vertical supervision of the environmental laws and policies enforcement. A primary analysis focusing on the South China Supervision Centre (SCSC) has clearly shown, however, that the SCEPs today can only perform well in the concrete or "small" tasks – most of them designated or handed over by the MEP – rather than in the complicated or "big" issues. To make the SCEPs do more and better, the most desirable but radical policy choice is to reshape them into fully authorised regional "sub-bureaus" of the MEP

Regional Supervision Centres for Environmental Protection in China: Functions and Limitations

China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), has set up six regional Supervision Centres for Environmental Protection (SCEPs) in recent years. The creation of the SCEPs reflects the “green will” of Chinese government, to reverse the ever-worsening environmental situation throughout China by strengthening vertical supervision of the environmental laws and policies enforcement. A primary analysis focusing on the South China Supervision Centre (SCSC) has clearly shown, however, that the SCEPs today can only perform well in the concrete or “small” tasks – most of them designated or handed over by the MEP – rather than in the complicated or “big” issues. To make the SCEPs do more and better, the most desirable but radical policy choice is to reshape them into fully authorised regional “sub-bureaus” of the MEP

Regional Supervision Centres for Environmental Protection in China: Functions and Limitations

China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), has set up six regional Supervision Centres for Environmental Protection (SCEPs) in recent years. The creation of the SCEPs reflects the “green will” of Chinese government, to reverse the ever-worsening environmental situation throughout China by strengthening vertical supervision of the environmental laws and policies enforcement. A primary analysis focusing on the South China Supervision Centre (SCSC) has clearly shown, however, that the SCEPs today can only perform well in the concrete or “small” tasks – most of them designated or handed over by the MEP – rather than in the complicated or “big” issues. To make the SCEPs do more and better, the most desirable but radical policy choice is to reshape them into fully authorised regional “sub-bureaus” of the MEP

Vanadium Uptake and Translocation in Dominant Plant Species On An Urban Coastal Brownfield Site

This study, conducted at a brownfield site in New Jersey, USA, investigated factors controlling V uptake and translocation in naturally assembled plant species. Six dominant species were collected from 22 stations in the study area. We found that V concentration in the plants decreased in a sequence of root. \u3e. leaf. \u3e. stem. No significant differences were found among the six dominant plant species in terms of root V uptake efficiency (V BCF) and V root to shoot translocation (V TF). Although soil pH and TOC did not show significant impact on V accumulation in the roots, soil labile V content showed significant positive linear correlation (p. \u3c. 0.05) with plant root V. Non-linear regression analysis indicates that V translocation efficiency decreases with increasing concentration in the soil, implying that excessive V in the soil might inhibit its absorption by the plant roots. Leaf V concentration was constant in all the plant species regardless of the variation in soil V concentration. The study shows that the six dominant plant species on site had limited amount of V translocated to the aerial part of the plant. •Factors that control plant V uptake and translocation are evaluated.•Root uptake and translocation efficiency do not significantly vary with the species.•Root V concentration increases with soil potentially leachable V content.•Excessive V in the soil can inhibit plant root V absorption capacity.•Vanadium translocation to plant aerial parts depends on individual plant response