Review of Human Coronaviruses and Other Respiratory Viruses and their Neurological Impact on the Central Nervous System

Comprehensive reporting shows that some pathogens, including COVID-19, influenza A and SARS-CoV have sometimes caused pandemics and were linked to more serious diseases and death. A number of respiratory viruses can travel from the respiratory tract to the central nervous system, causing alterations and damage and resulting in long-term neurological diseases.

Transnational transitional justice and reconciliation: the participation of conflict-generated diaspora in addressing the legacy of mass violence

This paper is a preliminary exploration of the role that conflict-generated diaspora communities can play in transitional justice and processes of reconciliation. The aim is to consider what potential there is for tapping into diaspora communities and the possible benefits this could have on diasporas themselves and on peacebuilding processes in the homeland. The goal is also to explore and reflect on ways in which reconciliatory attitudes can be encouraged among diaspora communities, as well as their participation in transnational activities. The paper begins by providing a brief overview of diasporas, followed by a discussion on relationships and attitudes within conflict-generated diaspora communities in the aftermath of violence. The paper then explores the various roles that diasporas can play in transitional justice, such as providing input to strategies and participating in established mechanisms; or mobilizing on their own to push for transitional justice measures. This is followed by a brief look at diaspora involvement in other processes of reconciliation, including dialogue and media initiatives. The paper then discusses how integration policies and outcomes in the hostland can influence the views of diasporas and their involvement with the homeland. The paper concludes with challenges related to diaspora participation and some overall reflections

China’s New Development Strategy: Environment and Energy Security

This paper analyzes China's development strategy by focusing on both global and regional approaches to solving problems of energy security and ecological imbalance by addressing specifically the problems of China’s energy security. PRC’s growing energy dependence has become a major concern for both economic and national security policymakers in that country. The ambitious goal of modernization of the economy along the lines of the other newly industrialized economies(NIEs) of Asia has succeeded only too well, and it is difficult to reorient economic priorities. If examined rigorously, such an economic strategic assumption can be seen to entail the goal of creating further technological capabilities. In particular, China seems to be firmly committed to the creation of a largely self-sustaining innovation system as part of a knowledge-based economy of the future . Such innovation systems, called positive feedback loop innovation systems or POLIS have been created by advanced countries, and NIEs such as South Korea and Taiwan are proceeding to create these as well. But this will add to its energy burden and further dependence on the US as the power which controls the key sea lanes. Only a strategic reorientation to building a self-sustaining POLIS and appropriate regional cooperation institutions can lead to the way out of the current dilemma for China. Fortunately, such a model of POLIS which is distributionally and ecologically sensitive can be built for China and applied strategically to lead towards a sustainable development trajectory. However, time is of the essence. Given the path dependence of development unless strategic disengagement from the existing path followed by a strategic engagement with the alternative strategy is begun within the next five years, it may well be too late. The stakes are indeed very high. A more detailed strategy paper based on the key ideas from the alternative strategy outlined here with concrete quantitative scenarios and feasibility studies along the lines of models sketched in the appendix ( and other, more detailed models) will go some distance towards giving the appropriate analytical foundations for the policy makers. The preliminary results confirm the predictions regarding fossil fuel-based energy shortage and lead towards a serious consideration of alternative energy sources. Achieving the twin goals of energy security and ecological balance are challenging but not impossible for China. Serious policy research can be used effectively if there is the political will to do so. The goal of regional cooperation is also achievable if patient negotiations in good faith can start in earnest. In particular, cooperation with other Asian economies, particularly Japan, Indonesia, Viet Nam and India will be crucial.This paper has sketched out the complexities of cooperation and conflict between China and Japan. Future work will address the problems of Regional cooperation for China in the East, South and South Asian context as well as in the context of Africa and Latin America.China, Development Strategy, Energy, Environment, POLIS, Innovation System, Regional Cooperation

Analyzing Poverty Impact of Trade Liberalization Policies in CGE Models: Theory and Some Policy Experiments in Agricultural and Non-agricultural Sectors in South Asia

The paper uses a dualistic, compact and “generic” (macroeconomic) computable general equilibrium (CGE) model specially constructed for the purpose of investigating the implications of trade liberalization for poverty reduction in South Asia. The model is a stylized representation of economies with large populations including large numbers of both urban and rural poor as in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. The current “generic” model uses CES production functions and Harris-Todaro type migration model together with representative data to generate economy wide results. It is found that a dualistic production structure with sufficient details on the labor markets and household side can capture some of the effects of trade liberalization on poverty reduction. The model’s general equilibrium results suggest that trade liberalization can complement other specific policy interventions for poverty reduction.Poverty, Trade Liberalization, Dualism, CGE model, Agriculture Informal, Urban Informal sector

Dialectical Logic and Self-consciousness: Some Preliminary Remarks on Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit and Science of Logic

The purpose of this note is to explore briefly the role that a dialectical development of logical understanding and consciousness plays in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit with some references to his Science of Logic. The role played by the logic of ontological development is emphasized. Furthermore, the role of human laboring activity in particular in Hegel is singled out as an area where thinking can redirect itself to return from the heights of speculative thought to a this-worldly development of freedom through a series of internal and dialectical contradictions. In line with this approach, Hegel's non-atomistic characterization of the individual in society can also be seen in a new light.Logic, Dialectics, Labor, Self-consciousness, Sociality

Using Genetic Algorithms to Develop Strategies for the Prisoners Dilemma

The Prisoner’s Dilemma, a simple two-person game invented by Merrill Flood & Melvin Dresher in the 1950s, has been studied extensively in Game Theory, Economics, and Political Science because it can be seen as an idealized model for real-world phenomena such as arms races (Axelrod 1984). In this paper, I describe a GA to search for strategies to play the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma, in which the fitness of a strategy is its average score in playing 100 games with itself and with every other member of the population. Each strategy remembers the three previous turns with a given player, by using a population of 20 strategies, fitness-proportional selection, single-point crossover with Pc=0.7, and mutation with Pm=0.001.GA, Crossover, Mutation and Fitness-proportional

Building an Innovative Economy through Managed Creative Destruction: A Theory with Applications to South Korea

This paper presents a somewhat novel theory of innovation in the economy wide setting. The starting point for this theory is the creative destruction process at the firm and industry level. However, an extension to an economy wide setting requires the explicit theorization of the role of the state as well as an interacting nonlinear market process. The direction in which the theory leads is a complex interaction between state policies and market processes that influence the decisions taken by specific firms in particular areas of innovative activities. The key concept that is developed in this context can be called a Managed Creative Destruction(MCD) process. In a national (or regional) MCD, the creative destruction process characterizing innovation is structured more consciously by the state (or the states in a particular region). It can be argued that China is now going through this process. In this paper the particular case studied is South Korea's recent historical experience. Following Schumpeter we assume that innovation in specific firms can have economy-wide effects. Models based on this idea can be shown to have multiple equilibria. The idea of a positive feedback loop innovation system or POLIS is formalized by picking an appropriate sequence of equilibria over time. It is shown that POLIS has empirical relevance by applying the formal model to an actual economy. Recent financial crisis in many Asian countries, most notably South Korea, seems to have reversed the conventional wisdom regarding the East Asian “miracle”. This paper applies the concept of a POLIS to show that neither the current view that the miracle was a mirage nor the earlier contrarian view that the growth was a result of factor accumulation only is correct. Ultimately technological transformation — in particular the creation of a positive feedback loop innovation system is what makes the difference between sustained growth and gradual or sudden decline. Although various problems remain in both the real and the financial sectors, it will be premature to dismiss the impressive achievements and the future possibilities of the South Korean economytechnological transformation, multiple equilibria, POLIS (positive feedback loop innovation system), Korea,South Korean POLIS, Managed Creative Destruction(MCD)