Evidence from open primaries in a new Portuguese party

UID/CPO/04627/2013 SFRH/BD/87140/2012 SFRH/BD/92180/2013What affects the prospects of candidates in open intra-party elections? This research article examines the determinants of candidate performance in the first open party primaries conducted by LIVRE, a newly emerged Portuguese party, in 2015. This innovative process of candidate selection allowed individuals from outside the party not only to vote but also to run for office. Through the construction of an original dataset and the use of social network analysis, this study shows that centrality in the network of endorsements has a significant impact on the probability to be selected in party lists. Our findings shed additional light on the determinants of success in candidate selection and open new insights into the dynamics behind party primaries.preprintpublishe

Risk Factors for Coarctation of the Aorta on Prenatal Ultrasound: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Prenatal diagnosis of Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA) is still challenging and affected by high rates of false positive diagnoses. The aim of this study was to ascertain the strength of association and to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of different ultrasound signs in predicting CoA prenatally. METHODS: -Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane databases were searched. Random-effect and HSROC model meta-analyses were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: -794 articles were identified and 12 (922 fetuses at risk for CoA) were included. Mean mitral valve diameter z-score was lower (p<0.001) and the mean tricuspid valve diameter z-score was higher in fetuses with CoA compared to those without CoA (p=0.01). Mean Aortic valve diameter z-score was lower in fetuses with CoA compared to normal fetuses (p= <0.001), but the ascending aorta diameter, expressed as z-score or mm, was similar between groups (p= 0.07 and 0.47, respectively). Mean aortic isthmus diameter z-scores measured either in sagittal (p= 0.02) or in three-vessel trachea view (p<0.001) were lower in fetuses with CoA. Conversely, the mean pulmonary artery diameter z-score, the right/left ventricular and pulmonary artery/ascending aorta diameter ratios were higher (p<0.001, p=0.02 and p=0.02, respectively) in fetuses with CoA compared to controls, while aortic isthmus/arterial duct diameter ratio was lower in fetuses with CoA compared to those without CoA (p<0.001). The presence of coarctation shelf and aortic arch hypoplasia were more common in fetuses with CoA compared to controls (OR: 26.0, 95% CI 4.42-153, p<0.001 and OR: 38.2, 95% CI 3.01-486, p=0.005), while persistent left superior vena cava (p= 0.85), ventricular septal defect (p= 0.12) and bicuspid aortic valve (p= 0.14) did not carry an increased risk for this anomaly. Multi-parametric diagnostic models integrating different ultrasound signs for the detection of CoA were associated with an increased detection rate. CONCLUSIONS: -The detection rate of CoA may improve when a multiple criteria-prediction model is adopted. Further large multicenter studies sharing the same imaging protocols are needed in order to develop objective models for risk assessment in these fetuses

Populism in the age of the internet. The Five Star movement model as an Italian case study

The book chapter explores the impact of the Internet on political representation in the Italian context