USA–China Trade War: Causes, Effects and Ethical Aspects

Rad donosi pregled nedavnih protekcionističkih mjera Sjedinjenih Američkih Država (SAD) prema Kini te daje uvid u dvogodišnji trgovinski rat između te dvije države. Analiziraju se postupci i posljedice na svjetsko gospodarstvo. Osim direktnih posljedica na Kinu i SAD, promatra se i neizravan utjecaj na druge zemlje. Promatra se svjetski trend nametanja trgovinskih mjera, njihove prednosti i nedostatci te etičke nedoumice povezane s međunarodnom trgovinskom razmjenom.At the beginning of 2018, the USA imposed a variety of tariffs and import duties. Since China was most affected by these taxes, the trade war began. The total value of US customs tariffs imposed on Chinese goods is worth US$550bn, while the total value of Chinese customs tariffs imposed on US goods amounts to US$ 185bn. Late in 2019, the end was looming — China committed to importing US$ 200bn worth of US goods over the next two years, while the US agreed to “halve” the tariffs on Chinese goods. One of the reasons behind the war is the fact that China exports much more to the US than it imports, while the reverse is true for the US. The US claims that China’s inadequate position in the WTO and manipulations of the RMB/USD exchange rate are to blame for its vast trade deficit. Another reason is the realization that through acquisitions and takeovers, China is acquiring advanced technology for which it has not been paying a fair corresponding price. However, higher import prices helped some USA corporations which compete with foreign exports, but at the same time increased domestic production costs and reduced the purchasing power of American households, thus negatively affecting consumption, investment and employment. This in turn amplified economic uncertainty and reduced potential economic growth in the long run. The ethics of the US decision to protect certain domestic companies from international competition, while at the same time inflicting greater costs on other economic entities (notably consumers) in the USA and around the globe are difficult to defend

Atomic force microscopy reveals new biophysical markers for monitoring subcellular changes in oxidative injury: Neuroprotective effects of quercetin at the nanoscale

Oxidative stress has been recognised as an important pathological mechanism underlying the development of neurodegenerative diseases. The biomarkers for assessing the degree of oxidative stress have been attracting much interest because of their potential clinical relevance in understanding the cellular effects of free radicals and evaluation of the efficacy of drug treatment. Here, an interdisciplinary approach using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cellular and biological molecular methods were used to investigate oxidative damage in P19 neurons and to reveal the underlying mechanism of protective action of quercetin. Biological methods demonstrated the oxidative damage of P19 neurons and showed that quercetin improved neuronal survival by preventing H2O2- induced p53 and Bcl-2 down-regulation and modulated Akt and ERK1/2 signalling pathways. For the first time, AFM was employed to evaluate morphologically (roughness, height, Feret dimension) and nanomechanical (elasticity) properties in H2O2-induced neuronal damage. The AFM analysis revealed that quercetin suppressed H2O2-provoked changes in cell membrane elasticity and morphological properties, thus confirming its neuroprotective activity. The obtained results indicate the potential of AFM-measured parameters as a biophysical markers of oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration. In general, our study suggests that AFM can be used as a highly valuable tool in other biomedical applications aimed at screening and monitoring of drug- induced effects at cellular level