177 research outputs found

    Kulturell-historische Kontexte aktueller chinesischer Kulturpolitik: Einblicke in das kulturelle SelbstverstÀndnis Chinas

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    Der bis heute fortwirkende Ausgangspunkt zum VerstĂ€ndnis der gegenwĂ€rtigen Kultur Chinas und seiner Kulturpolitik (inkl. des Bereichs kultureller Bildung) ist ein fundamentaler "Kulturbruch", ausgelöst durch die gewaltsame und als demĂŒtigend erlebte politisch-militĂ€rische, wirtschaftliche und kulturelle Konfrontation Chinas mit den europĂ€ischen ImperialmĂ€chten im 19. Jahrhundert. Der vorliegende Beitrag zeichnet die kulturhistorischen Kontexte seit 1949 nach und gibt Einblicke in SelbstverstĂ€ndnisse kultureller IdentitĂ€t im heutigen China. Er liefert dabei zugleich eine scharfe Gegenwartsanalyse zu aktuellen gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen im Land, dem Widererstarken traditionalistischer AnsĂ€tze in all ihrer WidersprĂŒchlichkeit und zur Bedeutung aktueller Tendenzen der Re-Ideologisierung durch einen vor allem in der jĂŒngeren Generation um sich greifenden Hyper-Nationalismus und China-Suprematismus

    Identifying predictors of attitudes towards local onshore wind development with reference to an English case study

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    The threats posed by climate change are placing governments under increasing pressure to meet electricity demand from low-carbon sources. In many countries, including the UK, legislation is in place to ensure the continued expansion of renewable energy capacity. Onshore wind turbines are expected to play a key role in achieving these aims. However, despite high levels of public support for onshore wind development in principle, specific projects often experience local opposition. Traditionally this difference in general and specific attitudes has been attributed to NIMBYism (not in my back yard), but evidence is increasingly calling this assumption into question. This study used multiple regression analysis to identify what factors might predict attitudes towards mooted wind development in Sheffield, England. We report on the attitudes of two groups; one group (target) living close to four sites earmarked for development and an unaffected comparison group (comparison). We found little evidence of NIMBYism amongst members of the target group; instead, differences between general and specific attitudes appeared attributable to uncertainty regarding the proposals. The results are discussed with respect to literature highlighting the importance of early, continued and responsive community involvement in combating local opposition and facilitating the deployment of onshore wind turbines. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

    Abnormal T-cell phenotype in episodic angioedema with hypereosinophilia (Gleich's syndrome): frequency, clinical implication and prognosis

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    BACKGROUND: Episodic Angioedema with eosinophilia (EAE, Gleich\u27s syndrome) is a rare disorder consisting of recurrent episodes of angioedema, hypereosinophilia and frequent elevated serum Immunoglobin M. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter nationwide study regarding the clinical spectrum and therapeutic management of patients with EAE in France. RESULTS: Thirty patients were included with a median age at diagnosis of 41 years [5-84]. The median duration of each crisis was 5.5 days [1-90] with swelling affecting mainly the face and the upper limbs. Total serum IgM levels were increased in 20 patients (67%). Abnormal T-cell immunophenotypes were detected in 12 patients (40%) among which 5 (17%) showed evidence of clonal TCR Îł gene rearrangement. Median follow-up duration was 53 months [31-99]. The presence of an abnormal T-cell population was the sole factor associated with a shorter time to flare (hazard ratio 4.15 [CI 95% 1.18-14.66; p=0.02). At last follow-up, 3 patients (10%) were able to withdraw all treatments and 11 (37%) were in clinical and biological remission with less than 10 mg of daily prednisone. CONCLUSION: EAE is a heterogeneous condition that encompasses several disease forms. Although patients usually respond well to glucocorticoids, those with evidence of abnormal T-cell phenotype have a shorter time to flare

    Why so serious? Theorising playful model-driven group decision support with situated affectivity

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    This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via the DOI in this record.An integrative approach to theorising behavioural, affective and cognitive processes in modeldriven group decision support (GDS) interventions is needed to gain insight into the (micro-)processes by which outcomes are accomplished. This paper proposes that the theoretical lens of situated affectivity, grounded in recent extensions of scaffolded mind models, is suitable to understand the performativity of affective micro-processes in model-driven GDS interventions. An illustrative vignette of a humorous micro-moment in a group decision workshop is presented to reveal the performativity of extended affective scaffolding processes for group decision development. The lens of situated affectivity constitutes a novel approach for the study of interventionist practice in the context of group decision making (and negotiation). An outlook with opportunities for future research is offered to facilitate an integrated approach to the study of cognitive-affective and behavioural micro-processes in model-driven GDS interventions.This work was supported in part by the EU FP7-ENERGY- SMARTCITIES-2012 (314277) project STEEP (Systems Thinking for Comprehensive City Efficient Energy Planning

    Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Changes Observed in Diabetes Prevention Programs in US Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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    Background: The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study showed that weight loss in high-risk adults lowered diabetes incidence and cardiovascular disease risk. No prior analyses have aggregated weight and cardiometabolic risk factor changes observed in studies implementing DPP interventions in nonresearch settings in the United States. Methods and Findings: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we pooled data from studies in the United States implementing DPP lifestyle modification programs (focused on modest [5%–7%] weight loss through ≄150 min of moderate physical activity per week and restriction of fat intake) in clinical, community, and online settings. We reported aggregated pre- and post-intervention weight and cardiometabolic risk factor changes (fasting blood glucose [FBG], glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c], systolic or diastolic blood pressure [SBP/DBP], total [TC] or HDL-cholesterol). We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov databases from January 1, 2003, to May 1, 2016. Two reviewers independently evaluated article eligibility and extracted data on study designs, populations enrolled, intervention program characteristics (duration, number of core and maintenance sessions), and outcomes. We used a random effects model to calculate summary estimates for each outcome and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI). To examine sources of heterogeneity, results were stratified according to the presence of maintenance sessions, risk level of participants (prediabetes or other), and intervention delivery personnel (lay or professional). Forty-four studies that enrolled 8,995 participants met eligibility criteria. Participants had an average age of 50.8 years and body mass index (BMI) of 34.8 kg/m2, and 25.2% were male. On average, study follow-up was 9.3 mo (median 12.0) with a range of 1.5 to 36 months; programs offered a mean of 12.6 sessions, with mean participant attendance of 11.0 core sessions. Sixty percent of programs offered some form of post-core maintenance (either email or in person). Mean absolute changes observed were: weight -3.77 kg (95% CI: -4.55; -2.99), HbA1c -0.21% (-0.29; -0.13), FBG -2.40 mg/dL (-3.59; -1.21), SBP -4.29 mmHg (-5.73, -2.84), DBP -2.56 mmHg (-3.40, 1.71), HDL +0.85 mg/dL (-0.10, 1.60), and TC -5.34 mg/dL (-9.72, -0.97). Programs with a maintenance component achieved greater reductions in weight (additional -1.66kg) and FBG (additional -3.14 mg/dl). Findings are subject to incomplete reporting and heterogeneity of studies included, and confounding because most included studies used pre-post study designs. Conclusions: DPP lifestyle modification programs achieved clinically meaningful weight and cardiometabolic health improvements. Together, these data suggest that additional value is gained from these programs, reinforcing that they are likely very cost-effective

    Search for Nearly Mass-Degenerate Higgsinos Using Low-Momentum Mildly Displaced Tracks in pp Collisions at sqrt(s)=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

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    Combination of searches for heavy spin-1 resonances using 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

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    A combination of searches for new heavy spin-1 resonances decaying into different pairings of W, Z, or Higgs bosons, as well as directly into leptons or quarks, is presented. The data sample used corresponds to 139 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions at = 13 TeV collected during 2015–2018 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Analyses selecting quark pairs (qq, bb, , and tb) or third-generation leptons (Ï„Îœ and ττ) are included in this kind of combination for the first time. A simplified model predicting a spin-1 heavy vector-boson triplet is used. Cross-section limits are set at the 95% confidence level and are compared with predictions for the benchmark model. These limits are also expressed in terms of constraints on couplings of the heavy vector-boson triplet to quarks, leptons, and the Higgs boson. The complementarity of the various analyses increases the sensitivity to new physics, and the resulting constraints are stronger than those from any individual analysis considered. The data exclude a heavy vector-boson triplet with mass below 5.8 TeV in a weakly coupled scenario, below 4.4 TeV in a strongly coupled scenario, and up to 1.5 TeV in the case of production via vector-boson fusion
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