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For most organisations, a tenth anniversary session is a time for dwelling on the significance of past achievements while resolutely insisting that the best is yet to come in terms of new initiatives. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (E.C.A.) proved to be no exception when it met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during late January and early February 1969. Yet, behind the formal façade of celebration, one sensed an anxious attempt to overstate the results of past efforts in order to enlist support for a dynamic future which seems highly improbable. Because E.C.A. as an institution faces a serious crisis of confidence, its secretariat and its supporters seemed to seize on the tenth anniversary celebrations almost as if this were the last chance to change radically the Commission's role and image in the eyes of both Africa and the world. Indeed, the 1969 Commission session marked the culmination of an attempt by Robert K. A. Gardiner – the Commission's able Executive Secretary – and his associates to reverse the downward trend of E.C.A.'s influence and prestige since those halcyon early days of 1958–9 when Africans had such great hopes for their Commission.

Public involvement in healthcare is a prominent policy in countries across the economically developed world. A growing body of academic literature has focused on public participation, often presenting dichotomies between good and bad practice: between initiatives that offer empowerment and those constrained by consumerism, or between those which rely for recruitment on self-selecting members of the public, and those including a more broad-based, statistically representative group. In this paper I discuss the apparent tensions between differing rationales for participation, relating recent discussions about the nature of representation in public involvement to parallel writings about the contribution of laypeople's expertise and experience. In the academic literature, there is, I suggest, a thin line between democratic justifications for involvement, suggesting a representative role for involved publics, and technocratic ideas about the potential 'expert' contributions of particular subgroups of the public. Analysing recent policy documents on participation in healthcare in England, I seek moreover to show how contemporary policy transcends both categories, demanding complex roles of involved publics which invoke various qualities seen as important in governing the interface between state and society. I relate this to social-theoretical perspectives on the relationship between governmental authority and citizens in late-modern society.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is among the most significant health care burdens. Disappointing results from clinical trials in late-stage AD persons combined with hopeful results from trials in persons with early-stage suggest that research in the preclinical stage of AD is necessary to define an optimal therapeutic success window. We review the justification for conducting trials in the preclinical stage and highlight novel ethical challenges that arise and are related to determining appropriate risk-benefit ratios and disclosing individuals' biomarker status. We propose that to conduct clinical trials with these participants, we need to improve public understanding of AD using unified vocabulary, resolve the acceptable risk-benefit ratio in asymptomatic participants, and disclose or not biomarker status with attention to study type (observational studies vs clinical trials). Overcoming these challenges will justify clinical trials in preclinical AD at the societal level and aid to the development of societal and legal support for trial participants. ; The research leading to these results has received support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement no 115736, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) and EFPIA companies' in kind contribution.

This evidence- and consensus-based guideline was developed following the methods recommended by Cochrane and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. The conference was held on 1 December 2016. It is a joint initiative of the Dermatology Section of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the EU-founded network of excellence, the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA²LEN), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF) and the World Allergy Organization (WAO) with the participation of 48 delegates of 42 national and international societies. This guideline was acknowledged and accepted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Urticaria is a frequent, mast cell-driven disease, presenting with wheals, angioedema, or both. The lifetime prevalence for acute urticaria is approximately 20%. Chronic spontaneous urticaria and other chronic forms of urticaria are disabling, impair quality of life and affect performance at work and school. This guideline covers the definition and classification of urticaria, taking into account the recent progress in identifying its causes, eliciting factors and pathomechanisms. In addition, it outlines evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the different subtypes of urticaria.

Inclou supplemental material ; The rapid decrease in absolute poverty across the developing world has received much attention. However, there have been few systematic attempts to analyse the political consequences of these developments. This article builds on the improved availability of household income data from developing countries to document a small but statistically significant impact of lagged poverty rates on a range of democracy indicators. The results hold across a battery of sensitivity and robustness tests. I also show that poverty reduction has a stronger effect on democracy than alternative predictors that are more widely used in the democratic regime transition and consolidation literature, such as average income and relative inequality (the Gini index). However, I find weaker effects of poverty on indicators of government quality and a declining influence of poverty reduction on democracy over time. These results point to more structural obstacles to democratic consolidation in lower-income regions, such as a tendency by populist leaders to exploit the economic grievances of vulnerable lower-middle classes. ; This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO) through its Academic Excellence and Societal Challenges initiative [grant number CSO2017-87350-P].

Includes supplementary material ; To examine the early development of humanitarian norm cascades, the author focuses on the processes that led to the adoption of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Even though major military powers like the United States, Russia, and China opposed these initiatives, the latter set in motion quick norm cascades that brought about international legal norms stigmatizing land mines and cluster munitions. It is conventionally asserted that international norms emerge either due to great power backing or despite great power opposition, but the author argues that new norms can also take off because of great power opposition. When ngos and leading states actively foster normative change, a particular type of norm cascade is engineered—one generated by different mechanisms and starting earlier than postulated in the literature. Early norm cascading is driven not by emulation of peers and ngo naming and shaming of laggard states, but rather by leadership aspirations and naming and praising. ; I gratefully acknowledge the support from a research fellowship by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (MEIF-CT-2006-039741).

This update and revision of the international guideline for urticaria was developed following the methods recommended by Cochrane and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group. It is a joint initiative of the Dermatology Section of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA²LEN) and its Urticaria and Angioedema Centers of Reference and Excellence (UCAREs and ACAREs), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF; EuroGuiDerm), and the Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology with the participation of 64 delegates of 50 national and international societies and from 31 countries. The consensus conference was held on 3 December 2020. This guideline was acknowledged and accepted by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Urticaria is a frequent, mast cell-driven disease that presents with wheals, angioedema, or both. The lifetime prevalence for acute urticaria is approximately 20%. Chronic spontaneous or inducible urticaria is disabling, impairs quality of life, and affects performance at work and school. This updated version of the international guideline for urticaria covers the definition and classification of urticaria and outlines expert-guided and evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the different subtypes of urticaria.

Operating an international archive for digital information resources by a relatively small organization as the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) asks for a firm foundation of its policy. Continuing research and development efforts to secure permanent preservation and access to electronic information on a national and international scale require substantial financial, technical and staffing commitments. Cooperation in sharing resources and knowledge is called for. In the national context of the Netherlands the KB recently took the initiative to build the National Coalition for Digital Preservation. All relevant sectors of Dutch society are represented. Its aim is to develop a national infrastructure and to assign clear responsibilities. In the European arena the KB, together with the British Library, started the European Alliance for Permanent Access to the Records of Science. The Alliance works towards the widespread and joint responsibility for maintaining the records of science by all major stakeholders, including national governments and the EU. In the global context the KB developed the concept of the 'Save Places Network'. This Network will include a limited number of institutions with certified digital archives for scientific publications, sharing responsibility for complete, world-wide coverage and allocate tasks accordingly.

Siguiendo las diversas iniciativas que han dilucidado las afinidades temáticas existentes entre la teoría crítica de la sociedad y los movimientos franceses del estructuralismo y el postestructuralismo, en el presente ensayo se busca desentrañar en qué convergen y en qué divergen los modos de la crítica de Theodor W. Adorno y Michel Foucault. Para ello, se realiza un contrapunto entre los perfiles de ambos autores. Se procede entendiendo que las obras de Adorno y Foucault pueden ser reconstruidas como unidades intencionales determinadas por sus contextos políticos e intelectuales. ; Following the diverse initiatives that have elucidated the thematic affinities between Critical Theory and the French movements of Structuralism and Post-Structuralism, in the present essay I attempt to figure out what are the convergences and divergences of Theodor W. Adorno and Michel Foucault's critiques. In order to accomplish this aim, I sketch a counterpoint between the profiles of both authors. I proceed understanding that Adorno and Foucault's works could be reconstructed as intentional unities that are determined by their political and intellectual contexts. ; Fil: Roggerone, Santiago Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina

Las espontáneas pulsiones hacia procesos cooperativos en el espacio del Río de la Plata experimentaron desde el inicio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial hasta el fin de los gobiernos peronistas en 1955, un paréntesis pleno de conflictos y recelos que no hizo más que demorar las vías efectivas de integración entre Argentina y Uruguay. Intervinieron entonces tanto las tensiones generadas en la región por las políticas de USA, como las simplificaciones ideológicas producto de la guerra y las mutuas percepciones de las dirigencias platinas sobre el rol de cada nación. ; Ironically, from 1940 to 1955, cooperative diplomatic initiatives between Uruguay and Argentina did more to generate conflict and fear than to bring about friendly bilateral relations. Among the sarces of discord were US interventionist politics around Americas, wartime ideological simplifications, and the varied Uruguayan and Argentine perceptions of their nations regional and international roles. ; Fil: Figallo, Beatriz Josefina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de Los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales del Rosario. Instituto de Historia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de Estudios Históricos, Económicos, Sociales e Internacionales. Instituto de Historia; Argentina

The phenomenon of Scandinavians joining Salafi-jihadi groups in the Syrian civil war is high on the political agendas of Scandinavian countries. To counter the phenomenon, authorities are increasingly focused on the inclusivity of families in efforts to counter violent extremism. However, research on the topic is limited. This article seeks to remedy this, by investigating the insights that can be gained from the lived experiences of relatives of three Scandinavian women who have joined Syrian Salafi-jihadi groups, primarily the Islamic State, based on ethnographic fieldwork. Through a narrative analysis of family members' stories, this article critically discusses two different ways that family members' lived experiences are used within the field of violent extremism. Firstly, media and researchers use the lived experiences of family members to explain why European Muslims join Salafi-Jihadi groups. Secondly, political initiatives increasingly emphasise that families should be involved in efforts to stop young men and women from becoming foreign fighters. This article employs these insights to discuss how the narratives of family members can be used to understand why people become foreign fighters, and to consider the role of the family in countering violent extremism efforts.

Understanding radicalization in the West is more important than ever. Since the onset of the Syrian civil war, there has been increasing media and academic attention on the radicalization process of individuals and foreign Muslim fighters, leaving the comfort of their homes to join ISIS. Numerous initiatives, governmental as well as community-based, were created to combat and prevent this phenomenon. This inquiry sets out the core components to developing a critically reflective approach to Islamic schooling in the West for the purposes of preventing behavioral radicalization of Muslim youth.Extensive research on Islamic education in North America is lacking; in fact, it is scarcer in Quebec. This paper examines the role of Montreal's Islamic schools in countering or encouraging radicalization. I seek to address two main questions: (1) Do Islamic schools advance radicalization by providing cognitive radical platforms to students? And (2) how and why do certain parents consider these schools a safe haven from the radicalization of their children? I conclude that modern Islamic schooling, at least in part or in some cases, can be regarded as itself a preventive measure to Islamic behavioral radicalization. Indeed, such schooling can help in creating balanced western Islamic identities that are functional from both western and Islamic worldviews.

Until now, the United Nations Capital Development Fund's (UNCDF) Gender Equitable Local Development (GELD) programme has not been presented within an explicit human rights framework. This is strange given that the human rights based approach to development (HRBAD) aims to ensure that all human beings can live their lives fully and with dignity. HRBAD is fundamentally about the healthy and full development of individuals and communities. In addition, one of human rights' central concerns is that people have equal access to the benefits of society. Initiatives to realize human rights therefore give priority to the most marginalized - the poorest - in a society. It is those individuals who have most difficulty in securing the basics that are essential to living their lives with dignity. Women in all communities are disproportionately represented among the poor. Thus, human rights have gender equity as a central focus. Put another way, we are dealing with the feminization of poverty. We are dealing with the concept of equal access (to development). In short, we are dealing with those who need (and deserve) greater priority in access to infrastructure and supporting services in order to reach a point of equality.

The economic and political influence of China in the Asian region is growing amidst global geopolitical challenges. Economic corridors such as the new Silk Road have been identified as enablers of strategic growth and geo-economic power development in a context of significant political instability. Beijing's strategic approach and the importance of Pakistan and Iran to its aspiration to realise China's dream through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are examined in this comparative study. The rising role of China in the region and its engagement with Iran and Pakistan and the part that these two countries can play need careful attention. Political and economic joint interests have brought together these three countries with significant links to China's economic corridor and energy projections. But the future of the partnership is very fragile as it is characterised by historical hostilities between Iran and Pakistan that can act as a major impendiment to China's ability to progress. In addition, economic and trade figures show an unbalanced relationship that clearly favours Chinese interests. The BRI and the Chinese plans for those territories still remain blurry as any long-term crisis that characterises fragile and complex international alliances.

The laboratory rat is one of the most extensively studied model organisms. Inbred laboratory rat strains originated from limited Rattus norvegicus founder populations, and the inherited genetic variation provides an excellent resource for the correlation of genotype to phenotype. Here, we report a survey of genetic variation based on almost 3 million newly identified SNPs. We obtained accurate and complete genotypes for a subset of 20,238 SNPs across 167 distinct inbred rat strains, two rat recombinant inbred panels and an F2 intercross. Using 81% of these SNPs, we constructed high-density genetic maps, creating a large dataset of fully characterized SNPs for disease gene mapping. Our data characterize the population structure and illustrate the degree of linkage disequilibrium. We provide a detailed SNP map and demonstrate its utility for mapping of quantitative trait loci. This community resource is openly available and augments the genetic tools for this workhorse of physiological studies. ; This work was supported by European Union grants LSGH-2004-005235 and LSHG-CT-2005-019015. D.G. is supported by a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Science (057733/Z/99/A). M.-T.B. and D.G. acknowledge support from the Wellcome Cardiovascular Functional Genomics Initiative (066780/Z/01/Z)