With or without force? : European public opinion on democracy promotion

A Large part of the education provided at colleges and universities of today requires for thestudent to be more independent in their studies. This demands that the physical space,where the students choose to study, is designed in a way that can encourage and supportlearning. It seems as though that many of the learning spaces of today don’t always meetthe students’ needs. The university library at the University of Umeå is currently planningto design new learning spaces for the students. The aim of this study is to examine how thephysical learning space can be designed to engage and encourage the students in theirlearning process. Based on literature describing learning spaces we have initially identified three mainareas to examine- Learning, Information Technology and Learning space design. Theseareas are all important features in the design of new learning spaces. With informationdrawn from that literature we conducted an empirical study at the library of the Universityof Umeå. The empirical study was carried out through observations and focus groupinterviews. To give us more insight about the students’ thoughts about the learning spacewe also compared our findings with a survey conducted by the library personnel in 2008and 2010. The result of our study shows that there are some areas to be improved in theexisting learning space. The students are working more collaboratively which requiresmore group areas. Our study also shows that flexibility, more student interaction and asocial and engaging environment are all important features in the design of new learningspaces

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Determination of quantum numbers for several excited charmed mesons observed in B- -> D*(+)pi(-) pi(-) decays

A four-body amplitude analysis of the B − → D * + π − π − decay is performed, where fractions and relative phases of the various resonances contributing to the decay are measured. Several quasi-model-independent analyses are performed aimed at searching for the presence of new states and establishing the quantum numbers of previously observed charmed meson resonances. In particular the resonance parameters and quantum numbers are determined for the D 1 ( 2420 ) , D 1 ( 2430 ) , D 0 ( 2550 ) , D ∗ 1 ( 2600 ) , D 2 ( 2740 ) and D ∗ 3 ( 2750 ) states. The mixing between the D 1 ( 2420 ) and D 1 ( 2430 ) resonances is studied and the mixing parameters are measured. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.7     fb − 1 , collected in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV with the LHCb detector

Updated measurement of decay-time-dependent CP asymmetries in D-0 -> K+ K- and D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-) decays

A search for decay-time-dependent charge-parity (CP) asymmetry in D0 \u2192 K+ K 12 and D0 \u2192 \u3c0+ \u3c0 12 decays is performed at the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb^ 121. The D0 mesons are required to originate from semileptonic decays of b hadrons, such that the charge of the muon identifies the flavor of the neutral D meson at production. The asymmetries in the effective decay widths of D0 and anti-D0 mesons are determined to be A_\u393(K+ K 12) = ( 124.3 \ub1 3.6 \ub1 0.5) 7 10^ 124 and A_\u393(\u3c0+ \u3c0 12) = (2.2 \ub1 7.0 \ub1 0.8) 7 10^ 124 , where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The results are consistent with CP symmetry and, when combined with previous LHCb results, yield A_\u393(K+ K 12) = ( 124.4 \ub1 2.3 \ub1 0.6) 7 10^ 124 and A_\u393(\u3c0+ \u3c0 12) = (2.5 \ub1 4.3 \ub1 0.7) 7 10^ 124

Updated measurement of decay-time-dependent CP asymmetries in D-0 -> K+ K- and D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-) decays

A search for decay-time-dependent charge-parity (CP) asymmetry in D-0 -> K+ K- and D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-) eff decays is performed at the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb(-1). The D-0 mesons are required to originate from semileptonic decays of b hadrons, such that the charge of the muon identifies the flavor of the neutral D meson at production. The asymmetries in the effective decay widths of D-0 and (D) over bar (0) mesons are determined to be A(Gamma)(K+ K-) = (-4.3 +/- 3.6 +/- 0.5) x 10(-4) and A(Gamma) (K+ K- ) = (2.2 +/- 7.0 +/- 0.8) x 10(-4), where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The results are consistent with CP symmetry and, when combined with previous LHCb results, yield A(Gamma) (K+ K-) = (-4.4 +/- 2.3 +/- 0.6) x 10(-4) and A(Gamma) (pi(+)pi(-))= (2.5 +/- 4.3 +/- 0.7) x 10(-4)

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

Saggi sulla valutazione d'impatto e governance nelle Filippine e sul Social Banking in Italia

I Parte. Saggio sulla valutazione d’impatto e governance nelle Filippine. Titolo: Può l’informazione sulla performance del governo locale indurre la partecipazione civile? Riscontri dalle Filippine. (Journal of Development Studies, in fase di pubblicazione). La domanda se la popolazione sia motivata a impegnarsi in attività civiche una volta informata della performance dei loro governi locali è rilevante per molti paesi in via di sviluppo che hanno adottato la decentralizzazione. Applicando la tecnica del propensity score matching su un originale dataset di famiglie intervistate nelle Filippine, gli autori trovano che la conoscenza dell’indice di performance del governo locale ha un impatto positivo e statisticamente significativo sulla probabilità di partecipare ad organizzazioni civiche e progetti locali. In questo modo, i risultati supportano le politiche a favore di una più grande trasparenza nella governance locale per rafforzare il senso di cittadinanza.Titolo: Che differenza può fare il performance rating? Stima della capacità del governo locale delle Filippine di rispondere alle esigenze della comunità locale usando la metodologia difference-in-difference. In molti paesi che hanno attuato la decentralizzazione, si enfatizza sempre di più la volontà di migliorare la credibilità degli amministratori locali al fine di renderli più sensibili ai bisogni dei loro cittadini. Questo articolo dimostra con evidenze empiriche che la comunicazione pubblica degli indici di performance possono indurre i governi locali a diventare più ricettivi. I risultati sono basati sull’applicazione della metodologia difference-in-difference su di un originale dataset di famiglie intervistate durante un progetto pilota di 3 anni che riguardava un sistema di valutazione amministrativa in 12 municipalità e città delle Filippine. I risultati sono consistenti con quanto previsto dai modelli sugli organismi politici riguardo al comportamento dell’utente. Si traggono alcune linee guida sui canoni da rispettare per disegnare ed implementare indicatori di performance.Parte II. Saggi sulle Banche Etiche in Italia. Titolo: Credit rationing e credit view: evidenze empiriche da dati sui prestiti. La letteratura empirica ha provato a identificare il credit rationing e le sue determinanti usando dati di bilanci o di indagini sulle imprese. In questi studi ci sono però forti problemi di equivalenza dell’osservazione, d’identificazione e di bias nelle interviste. L’articolo analizza le determinanti del credit rationing direttamente sui files di credito guardando alla differenza tra l’ammontare richiesto e quello erogato a ciascun creditore da dati bancari ufficiali. Usando modelli di scelta discreta, i risultati micro econometrici trovati supportano l’ipotesi del credit view, dimostrando che il tasso di rifinanziamento della Banca Centrale Europea è significativamente e positivamente correlato con una parte (ma non tutto) il fenomeno del credit rationing. Questo risultato è consistente con l’ipotesi che tale variabile abbia un’influenza sul volume totale dei prestiti bancari.Titolo: Le teorie sul collateral funzionano anche per le banche etiche? Gli autori studiano le determinanti della collateralizzazione di un insieme di file di credito di persone giuridiche in una banca del tipo “Grameen” (Banca Popolare Etica) che cerca di riconciliare la sostenibilità economica con il perseguimento di fini sociali. La percentuale molto alta di prestiti non collateralizzati (circa il 42 percento) appare consistente con un approccio multi stakeholder (orientato al cliente) che internalizza i costi sociali di un fallimento dei creditori collateralizzati. Facendo uso di un’approccio multinomial logit, i risultati trovati documentano che la collateralizzazione dipende positivamente dal rischio ex ante del creditore (individuato con una proxy dai record di passata insolvenza) e, negativamente, dal rapporto con il prestatore. L’effetto dell’incentivo sembra funzionare dato che i creditori colletarizzati sono ex ante, ma non ex post, più rischiosi.Part I. Essays on Impact Evaluation and Governance in the Philippines. Title: Can information about local government performance induce civic participation? Evidence from the Philippines (Journal of Development Studies, forthcoming) The question of whether people are motivated to engage in civic activities once informed of their local government’s performance is relevant to many developing countries that adopted decentralization. Applying propensity score matching technique on a unique household-level dataset from the Philippines, it is found that the knowledge of an index of local government performance has positive and statistically significant effects on the likelihood of membership in local organizations and participation in local projects. Thus, the results support policies for greater transparency in local governance to deepen citizenship.Title: What difference can performance ratings make? Difference-in-difference estimates of impact on local government responsiveness in the Philippines. In many countries that have decentralized, improving the accountability of local officials is increasingly emphasized to make them more responsive to their constituents’ needs. This paper provides evidence that the public announcement of performance ratings can induce local governments to become responsive. The evidence is based on application of a difference-in-difference method on a unique household-level dataset collected during the three-year pilot test of a rating system in 12 municipalities and cities in the Philippines. The results are consistent with the predictions of political agency models of incumbent behavior. Some policy guidelines on the design and implementation performance benchmarks are made.Part II. Essays on Social Banking in Italy. Title: Credit rationing and credit view: empirical evidence from loan data. The empirical literature tries to identify credit rationing and its determinants by using balance sheet data or evidence from corporate surveys. Observational equivalence, identification problems, and interview biases are serious problems in these studies. The paper analyses the determinants of credit rationing directly on credit files by looking at the difference between the amount demanded and supplied to each borrower from official bank records. Using discrete choice models, the findings provide microeconomic evidence in support of the credit view hypothesis showing that the European Central Bank refinancing rate is significantly and positively related to partial (but not total) credit rationing. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that such variable affects the total volume of bank loans.Title: Do collateral theories work in social banking. We study the determinants of collateralization on the universe of credit files of non individual borrowers in a “Grameen’s type” Bank (Banca Popolare Etica) which aims to reconcile economic sustainability with the pursuit of social goals. The extremely high share of uncollateralized loans (around 42 percent) appears consistent with a multi stakeholder (customer oriented) approach which internalizes the welfare costs of default of collateralized borrowers. Using multinomial logit approach, the findings document that collateralization depends positively on ex ante borrower’s risk (proxied by non performing past track record) and, negatively, on relationship lending. The incentive effect seems to work since collateralized borrowers are ex ante, but not ex post, riskier