Social Democracy and Distributive Conflict in the UK, 1950- 2010

In the last three decades, two questions have been central for the Left. Is there a future for electoral socialism and social democracy? And, is it any longer possible to promote a significant redistribution of income in favour of labour? Political and economic events seem to suggest negative answers. In his influential work, Adam Przeworski suggests that this is an irreversible trend that makes it impossible in the long-run to promote genuinely socialist objectives in capitalist democracies. In particular, the structural dependence of labour on capital severely constrains feasible income distributions. In this paper, a detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the post-war UK economy is provided which casts doubts on the structural dependence thesis. A short run pro.t-squeeze mechanism seems to exist, but income shares are more variable than the structural dependence argument suggests, and the power resources available to the two main classes in the economy are among the key determinants of distributive outcomes, different political-economic equilibria corresponding to different configurations of the balance of power between the two classes

The limitations of the structural dependence thesis: class, power, and distributive conflict in the UK since 1892

Can political parties, social movements, and governments shape the functioning of a capitalist economy? Is it possible for social democratic parties to promote a significant redistribution of income in favour of labour? According to proponents of the structural dependence thesis, the answer is negative, because the structural dependence of labour upon capital severely constrains feasible income distributions. Carlo V. Fiorio, Simon Mohun, and Roberto Veneziani cast doubts on this thesis. Their historical analysis of the UK finds some evidence of a short-run profit-squeeze mechanism, but also that income shares are much more variable than the structural dependence argument suggests, and the power resources available to social classes are among the key determinants of distributive outcomes

Pandemic experiences and psychopathological aspects in individuals with mood disorders and other mental disorders

Individuals with different personality traits, temperaments, and psychological symptoms have different attitudes toward the pandemic experiences and restrictive measures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations between the psychological factors and the attitudes toward COVID-19, experienced during the third pandemic wave in Italy, in a sample of individuals with psychiatric disorders. Between March and September 2021, 53 patients with mood disorders and other mental disorders completed a survey composed of self-report questionnaires that assessed sleep quality, depressive and hypomanic symptoms, and temperament and personality traits. Positive and negative attitudes toward the pandemic experience were assessed using an ad hoc questionnaire. The results showed that individuals with more severe depressive symptoms were less prone to adhere to government guidelines, and were more convinced that the pandemic was not a real problem. Reduced sleep quality was associated with increased skepticism toward official explanations concerning the causes of COVID-19. Lastly, negative affect and cyclothymic temperament predicted the disposition toward COVID-19 vaccines. In conclusion, these findings highlighted that some psychological aspects and psychiatric symptoms could influence the beliefs about COVID-19 and compliance with government recommendations. Further research is needed to provide indications on how to improve the current healthcare policies

Safety at high altitude: the importance of emotional dysregulation on pilots’ risk attitudes during flight

IntroductionAviation psychology is very interested in understanding how personological and psychological variables influence flight performances. Indeed, risk attitudes have been considered as a risk factor for aviation accidents. In this context, emotions and coping style are key variables which could influence concentration by affecting cognition and attention. In addition, the specific training backgrounds seemed to be associated with differences in in-flight accident rates. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between age, sex, flight experience, emotional dysregulation, coping styles, flight licenses, and pilots’ risk attitudes.MethodsEighty pilots completed an online survey composed of ad hoc questionnaire for sociodemographic and work-related information’s and self-report questionnaires that assessed emotional dysregulation, coping styles, and risk attitudes.ResultsResults showed that older age and emotional dysregulation were associated with higher risk attitudes in pilots. Moreover, emotional dysregulation seemed to promote worse self-confidence. Ultralight pilots appeared to be more risk-oriented and less self-confident than civil pilots, while more flight experience appeared to favorite greater self-confidence.DiscussionIn conclusion, the study suggests the importance of promoting interventions based on sharing pilots’ difficulties and emotions and promoting safe attitudes with special attention to ultralight pilots, age, and sex differences

Observing the Evolution of the Universe

How did the universe evolve? The fine angular scale (l>1000) temperature and polarization anisotropies in the CMB are a Rosetta stone for understanding the evolution of the universe. Through detailed measurements one may address everything from the physics of the birth of the universe to the history of star formation and the process by which galaxies formed. One may in addition track the evolution of the dark energy and discover the net neutrino mass. We are at the dawn of a new era in which hundreds of square degrees of sky can be mapped with arcminute resolution and sensitivities measured in microKelvin. Acquiring these data requires the use of special purpose telescopes such as the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), located in Chile, and the South Pole Telescope (SPT). These new telescopes are outfitted with a new generation of custom mm-wave kilo-pixel arrays. Additional instruments are in the planning stages.Comment: Science White Paper submitted to the US Astro2010 Decadal Survey. Full list of 177 author available at http://cmbpol.uchicago.ed

Class, power and the structural dependence thesis: distributive conflict in the UK, 1892–2018

Can political parties, social movements and governments influence market outcomes and shape the functioning of a capitalist economy? Is it possible for social democratic parties, and the labour movement in general, to promote a significant redistribution of income in favour of labour? According to proponents of the structural dependence thesis, the answer to both questions is negative, because the structural dependence of labour upon capital severely constrains feasible income distributions. This article provides a long-run analysis of the UK, which casts doubts on the structural dependence thesis. There is some evidence of a short-run profit-squeeze mechanism, but income shares are much more variable in the long-run than the structural dependence argument suggests, and the power resources available to social classes are among the key determinants of distributive outcomes

Idrossiapatite sintetica e di origine bovina: impianto comparativo nel femore di coniglio

Scopo di questo studio preliminare è l’analisi istologica comparativa del comportamento di idrossiapatite bovina (IA-B) e idrossiapatite sintetica nanocristallina (IA-S) dopo riempimento di difetti ossei critici prodotti sperimentalmente in entrambi i femori del coniglio. Lo studio verrà condotto sui segmenti scheletrici inclusi in metacrilato senza alcuna decalcificazione e la valutazione effettuata su microradiografie e preparazioni convenzionali di sezioni dei campioni inclusi. Materiali e Metodi: In 5 conigli New Zealand (maschi del peso di 3,5 kg circa), un foro di Ø di 3 mm e di 8 mm di è stato prodotto nel condilo mediale, in direzione medio-laterale, tramite trephine sotto getto di fisiologica. In ciascun coniglio, il foro prodotto nei due femori era riempito in modo randomizzato con IA-B o con IA-S. I conigli sono stati sacrificati dopo 2 mesi e i campioni prelevati analizzati istologicamente mediante sezioni spesse (microradiografie) e sottili. sono state analizzate su microradiografie o istologicamente con colorazione di Blu di toluidina, Gomori , Congo rosso/Solocromo cianina. Risultati: Nessun coniglio innestato ha manifestato problemi clinici e si sono mantenuti in buona salute fino al sacrificio. Le radiografie dei segmenti scheletrici recisi, contenenti il biomateriale innestato, permettevano di discriminare solamente il lato contenente l’IA-B Nelle sezioni l’IA-B riempiva ancora completamente la cavità prodotta chirurgicamente Il foro era richiuso dall’accrescimento di un esile corticale che, in genere, non incorporava granuli. I granuli erano circondati da tessuto osseo neoformato dopo rimozione del tessuto preesistente lesionato dalla trephine. L’analisi istomorfometrica evidenziava la presenza di IA-B 59,4%, osso neoformato 6,8 %, tessuto molle 33,8%. Le sezioni di femori contenenti l’innesto di IA-S il foro era chiuso da una esile corticale e da uno strato di osso trabecolare neoformato L’IA-S riempiva gran parte del foro prodotto chirurgicamente ma mostrava gradi di degradazione variabili. Osso neoformato era comunque in contatto con tutta la superficie dell’innesto che, frequentemente, in questa sede mostrava il grado di radiopacità originale. L’analisi istomorfometrica indicava la presenza di IA-S 78.5%, osso neoformato 8,5%, tessuto molle 13,0%. Conclusioni: i risultati preliminari di questo studio pilota indicherebbero una sostanziale identità di comportamento delle due idrossiapatiti nel brevissimo termine. La prosecuzione con tempi più lunghi potrà in seguito indicare quale dei due materiali sarà in grado di promuovere la maggior crescita ossea

Condizionamento radicolare EDTA nel trattamento dei difetti intraossei mediante MIST.

Vedi allegat