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The COVID-19 outbreak has cut China's supply of and raised the world's demand for face masks, disinfectants, ventilators, and other critical medical goods. This article studies the economic and political factors that are associated with China's exports of medical equipment during the first two months of the global pandemic. Regression results show that-controlled for demand factors-countries with stronger past economic ties with China import more critical medical goods from China at both the national level and the level of Chinese provinces. Friendly political relations, such as the twinning of provinces, appear to work as a substitute for pre-existing economic ties at the provincial level. These findings imply that, to secure access to medical equipment in crises, countries are well advised to either diversify their sources or to develop closer relations with Beijing and China's provinces.

The COVID-19 outbreak has cut China's supply of and raised the world's demand for face masks, disinfectants, ventilators, and other critical medical goods. This article studies the economic and political factors that are associated with China's exports of medical equipment during the first two months of the global pandemic. Regression results show that - controlled for demand factors - countries with stronger past economic ties with China import more critical medical goods from China at both the national level and the level of Chinese provinces. Friendly political relations, such as the twinning of provinces, appear to work as a substitute for pre-existing economic ties at the provincial level. These findings imply that, to secure access to medical equipment in crises, countries are well advised to either diversify their sources or to develop closer relations with Beijing and China's provinces.

China ist einer der weltweit wichtigsten Exporteure von Medizinprodukten wie beispielsweise Gesichtsmasken oder Desinfektionsmittel. Daher nahmen chinesische Unternehmen eine herausragende Rolle als Lieferant dieser Produkte während des globalen Ausbruchs der COVID-19-Pandemie im Frühjahr 2020 ein. Die Autoren untersuchen mithilfe monatlicher Handelsdaten, die von der chinesischen Zollverwaltung erhoben und veröffentlicht werden, die Veränderungen der Handelsströme für medizinische Güter während der Krise. Dabei unterteilen sie die Daten in kommerziellen Handel und Hilfslieferungen. Sie kommen zu dem Ergebnis, dass sowohl Handelsbeziehungen, die bereits vor der Krise bestanden, als auch politische Verbindungen zu den jeweiligen chinesischen Provinzen für importierende Staaten hilfreich waren, um Zugang zu den knappen Gütern während der Krise zu erlangen. ; China assumed an important role during the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 as the main exporter of critical medical goods such as face masks and disinfectants. We use official monthly trade data from China Customs to investigate the emerging trade patterns, both for commercial exports and donations of medical goods. We find that both existing trade linkages and political ties to Chinese provinces can help to attract Chinese medical goods.

RWTH Aachen University, III. Physikalisches Institut B, Aachen, Germany ; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) ; U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics ; Chinese Ministry of Education ; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie ; Spanish MINECO's Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion program ; Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad ; Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH ; National Natural Science Foundation of China ; Processo FAPESP: 2015/21550-4 ; U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics: DE-AC02-06CH11357 ; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie: 665919 ; Spanish MINECO's Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion program: IJCI-2016-30028 ; Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad: FPA2014-55613-P ; Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad: SEV-2016-0588 ; National Natural Science Foundation of China: 11275180 ; A continuum approach to the three valence-quark bound-state problem in quantum field theory is used to perform a comparative study of the four lightest (I = 1/2; J(P) = 1/2(+/-)) thorn baryon isospin doublets in order to elucidate their structural similarities and differences. Such analyses predict the presence of nonpointlike, electromagnetically active quark-quark (diquark) correlations within all baryons; and in these doublets, isoscalar-scalar, isovector-pseudovector, isoscalar-pseudoscalar, and vector diquarks can all play a role. In the two lightest (1/2, 1/2(+)) doublets, however, scalar and pseudovector diquarks are overwhelmingly dominant. The associated rest-frame wave functions are largely S-wave in nature; and the first excited state in this 1/2(+) channel has the appearance of a radial excitation of the ground state. The two lightest (1/2, 1/2(-)) doublets fit a different picture: accurate estimates of their masses are obtained by retaining only pseudovector diquarks; in their rest frames, the amplitudes describing their dressed-quark cores contain roughly equal fractions of even-and odd-parity diquarks; and the associated wave functions are predominantly P-wave in nature, but possess measurable S-wave components. Moreover, the first excited state in each negative-parity channel has little of the appearance of a radial excitation. In quantum field theory, all differences between positive-and negative-parity channels must owe to chiral symmetry breaking, which is overwhelmingly dynamical in the light-quark sector. Consequently, experiments that can validate the contrasts drawn herein between the structure of the four lightest (1/2, 1/2(+/-)) thorn doublets will prove valuable in testing links between emergent mass generation and observable phenomena and, plausibly, thereby revealing dynamical features of confinement.

The contributors to this forum all draw significantly from pragmatist philosophy and social theory for making sense of international politics. Collectively, we affirm the value of pragmatist work beyond metatheory and methodology, both politically and epistemically—that is, as both a moral project and an explanatory one. Indeed, we are especially united on the notion that pragmatism "bridges" the divide between these things, and several contributors focus their discussion on how. However, we differ in what exactly it means to offer a distinctly pragmatist explanation or a "substantive" pragmatist theory, as well as in how pragmatism allows us to navigate the analytical and ethical challenges of the field. Over ten years ago, an earlier forum in this journal helped establish that pragmatism had something to offer; with over a decade of scholarship and reflection since, we revisit and expand on the question of how to deliver on it.

Bedingt durch die gute Quellenüberlieferung konzentrierte sich die Forschung bislang weitgehend auf die institutionalisierte Armenpflege der Städte, wobei der ländliche Raum mit seinen Fürsorgeeinrichtungen weitgehend aus dem Blick geriet. In diesem Sammelband werden nunmehr erste Ergebnisse bei der Aufarbeitung dieses Forschungsdesiderats präsentiert. Mit den neun Beiträgen wird ein Themenbündel präsentiert, das unter anderem Aspekte wie Armenmentalität, Umgang mit Krankheit im Dorf, bettelnde Frauen und Überlebensstrategien von Nichtsesshaften beinhaltet. Darüber hinaus werden der Alltag in ländlichen Hospitälern, Fürsorgetransfer von der Stadt auf das Land sowie ländliche Armut im regionalen Vergleich fokussiert. Beiträge von Gerhard Ammerer, Helmut Bräuer, Martin Scheutz, Elke Schlenkrich, Sebastian Schmidt, Otto Ulbricht, Christina Vanja, Sabine Veits-Falk, Alfred Stefan Weiß.

For many, the history of German social policy is defined primarily by that nation's postwar emergence as a model of the European welfare state. As this comprehensive volume demonstrates, however, the question of how to care for the poor has had significant implications for German history throughout the modern era. Here, eight leading historians provide essential case studies and syntheses of current research into German welfare, from the Holy Roman Empire to the present day. Along the way, they trace the parallel historical dynamics that have continued to shape German society, including religious diversity, political exclusion and inclusion, and concepts of race and gender

BACKGROUND: For the preventive treatment of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) an unprecedented global research effort studied the safety and efficacy of new vaccine platforms that have not been previously used in humans. Less than one year after the discovery of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral sequence, these vaccines were approved for use in the European Union (EU) as well as in numerous other countries and mass vaccination efforts began. The so far in the EU approved mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 are based on similar lipid-based nanoparticle carrier technologies; however, the lipid components differ. Severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination are very rare adverse events but have drawn attention due to potentially lethal outcomes and have triggered a high degree of uncertainty. METHODS: Current knowledge on anaphylactic reactions to vaccines and specifically the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was compiled using a literature search in Medline, PubMed, as well as the national and international study and guideline registries, the Cochrane Library, and the Internet, with special reference to official websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert Koch Institute (RKI), and Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI). RESULTS: Based on the international literature and previous experience, recommendations for prophylaxis, diagnosis and therapy of these allergic reactions are given by a panel of experts. CONCLUSION: Allergy testing is not necessary for the vast majority of allergic patients prior to COVID-19 vaccination with currently licensed vaccines. In case of allergic/anaphylactic reactions after vaccination, allergy workup is recommended, as it is for a small potential risk population prior to the first vaccination. Evaluation and approval of diagnostic tests should be done for this purpose.

BACKGROUND: For the preventive treatment of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) an unprecedented global research effort studied the safety and efficacy of new vaccine platforms that have not been previously used in humans. Less than one year after the discovery of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral sequence, these vaccines were approved for use in the European Union (EU) as well as in numerous other countries and mass vaccination efforts began. The so far in the EU approved mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 are based on similar lipid-based nanoparticle carrier technologies; however, the lipid components differ. Severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination are very rare adverse events but have drawn attention due to potentially lethal outcomes and have triggered a high degree of uncertainty. METHODS: Current knowledge on anaphylactic reactions to vaccines and specifically the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was compiled using a literature search in Medline, PubMed, as well as the national and international study and guideline registries, the Cochrane Library, and the Internet, with special reference to official websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Robert Koch Institute (RKI), and Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI). RESULTS: Based on the international literature and previous experience, recommendations for prophylaxis, diagnosis and therapy of these allergic reactions are given by a panel of experts. CONCLUSION: Allergy testing is not necessary for the vast majority of allergic patients prior to COVID-19 vaccination with currently licensed vaccines. In case of allergic/anaphylactic reactions after vaccination, allergy workup is recommended, as it is for a small potential risk population prior to the first vaccination. Evaluation and approval of diagnostic tests should be done for this purpose.

Estimates of the direct radiative effect (DRE) from absorbing smoke aerosols over the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SAO) require simulation of the microphysical and optical properties of stratocumulus clouds as well as of the altitude and shortwave (SW) optical properties of biomass burning aerosols (BBAs). In this study, we take advantage of the large number of observations acquired during the ObseRvations of Aerosols above Clouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES-2016) and Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) projects during September 2016 and compare them with datasets from the ALADIN-Climate (Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement InterNational) regional model. The model provides a good representation of the liquid water path but the low cloud fraction is underestimated compared to satellite data. The modeled total-column smoke aerosol optical depth (AOD) and above-cloud AOD are consistent ( ∼0.7 over continental sources and ∼0.3 over the SAO at 550 nm) with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The simulations indicate smoke transport over the SAO occurs mainly between 2 and 4 km, consistent with surface and aircraft lidar observations. The BBA single scattering albedo is slightly overestimated compared to the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and more significantly when compared to Ascension Island surface observations. The difference could be due to the absence of internal mixing treatment in the ALADIN-Climate model. The SSA overestimate leads to an underestimation of the simulated SW radiative heating compared to ORACLES data. ALADIN-Climate simulates a positive (monthly mean) SW DRE of about +6 W m −2 over the SAO (20 ∘ S–10 ∘ N and 10 ∘ W–20 ∘ E) at the top of the atmosphere and in all-sky conditions. Over the continent, the presence of BBA is shown to significantly decrease the net surface SW flux, through direct and semi-direct effects, which is compensated by a decrease (monthly mean) in sensible heat fluxes ( −25 W m −2 ) and surface land temperature ( −1.5 ∘ C) over Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, notably. The surface cooling and the lower tropospheric heating decrease the continental planetary boundary layer height by about ∼200 m.

Estimates of the direct radiative effect (DRE) from absorbing smoke aerosols over the southeast Atlantic Ocean (SAO) require simulation of the microphysical and optical properties of stratocumulus clouds as well as of the altitude and shortwave (SW) optical properties of biomass burning aerosols (BBAs). In this study, we take advantage of the large number of observations acquired during the ObseRvations of Aerosols above Clouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES-2016) and Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) projects during September 2016 and compare them with datasets from the ALADIN-Climate (Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement InterNational) regional model. The model provides a good representation of the liquid water path but the low cloud fraction is underestimated compared to satellite data. The modeled total-column smoke aerosol optical depth (AOD) and above-cloud AOD are consistent (∼0.7 over continental sources and ∼0.3 over the SAO at 550 nm) with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The simulations indicate smoke transport over the SAO occurs mainly between 2 and 4 km, consistent with surface and aircraft lidar observations. The BBA single scattering albedo is slightly overestimated compared to the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and more significantly when compared to Ascension Island surface observations. The difference could be due to the absence of internal mixing treatment in the ALADIN-Climate model. The SSA overestimate leads to an underestimation of the simulated SW radiative heating compared to ORACLES data. ALADIN-Climate simulates a positive (monthly mean) SW DRE of about +6 W m−2 over the SAO (20∘ S–10∘ N and 10∘ W–20∘ E) at the top of the atmosphere and in all-sky conditions. Over the continent, the presence of BBA is shown to significantly decrease the net surface SW flux, through direct and semi-direct effects, which is compensated by a decrease (monthly mean) in sensible heat fluxes (−25 W m−2) and surface land temperature (−1.5 ∘C) over Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, notably. The surface cooling and the lower tropospheric heating decrease the continental planetary boundary layer height by about ∼200 m.