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Background & aims: Mental disorders are today the major diagnosis behind newly granted disability pensions (DP) in the Western world. Yet, studies of risk factors for DP due to mental diagnoses are scarce, are often based on small or selective samples, and have a cross-sectional design, or short follow-up. Moreover, previous studies of this topic, based on unrelated individuals, have not been able to account for familial confounding (i.e., genetic and shared environmental factors), which is an issue that can be handled by investigating a population-based twin cohort. The aims were to study risk factors for DP (in general, and due to mental diagnoses), and to consider whether familial confounding explained any associations found. The following kinds of risk factors were investigated: socio-demographic (Study I & II), work- (Study III), and health-related (Study IV). Further, sex differences in relation to occurrence of DP and socio-demographic factors were considered (Study I & II). Methods: Prospective cohort studies were conducted, using twins identified in the Swedish Twin Registry (STR) (N=55 875; 51% women). To the twin cohort, information of DP, including diagnoses, and other background factors was linked from national registries. Survey data on self-rated health (SRH), health behaviours, etc. were also available in the STR. Logistic regression or Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted for the whole cohort and for discordant twin pairs. Results: The average annual prevalence of DP from 1992 to 2007 was 10%. The incidence rate of DP for the period 1993 to 2008 was 1.4%. There were significant sex differences in both occurrence of DP and in the socio-demographic risk factors for prevalent and future DP (Study I & II). Female sex, and older age (≥45) were found to be associated with risk of prevalent or future DP, irrespective of extent and diagnosis (Study I & II). Low educational level (≤12 years), being unmarried, and living outside the capital Stockholm were associated with increased risk of prevalent or future DP in general, independent of familial confounding (Study I & II). High educational level (≥12 years), being unmarried, living in Gothenburg & Malmö region, not being self-employed and having high SES were associated with risk of DP due to mental diagnoses, independent of familial confounding. Each one unit increase in job demands, and working in 'health care & social work' or 'service & military work', were found to increase the risk of DP due to mental diagnoses, while each one unit increase in job control decreased the risk of such DP, independent of familial confounding and other background factors (Study III). Poor or moderate SRH, under- or overweight, former use of tobacco products, and abstention from alcohol increased the risk of DP due to mental diagnoses, independent of familial confounding and other background factors (Study IV). Conclusions: The socio-demographic risk factors of future DP, and the influence of familial confounding on the associations, tended to vary between DP in general, and DP due to mental diagnoses. Some work- and health-related factors, e.g., job control and SRH, seem to be strong direct (i.e. being independent from familial confounding) predictors of future DP due to mental diagnoses. However, indications exist that some associations between risk factors, e.g., social support and leisure-time physical activity, and DP due to mental diagnoses may be influenced by familial factors.

Twin studies have revealed political ideology to be partially heritable. Neurological research has shown that ideological differences are reflected in brain structure and response, suggesting a direct genotype-phenotype link. Social and informational environments, however, also demonstrably affect brain structure and response. This leads to a "chicken-and-egg" question: do genes produce brains with ideological predispositions, causing the preferential absorption of consonant information and thereby forming an ideology, or do social and informational environments do most of the heavy lifting, with genetic evidence the spurious artifact of outdated methodology? Or are both inextricably intertwined contributors? This article investigates the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to ideological development using a role-play experiment investigating the development of opinions on a novel political issue. The results support the view that the process is bidirectional, suggesting that, like most traits, political ideology is produced by the complex interplay of genetic and (social/informational) environmental influences.

The African Union (AU) has embarked on a substantial twin policy project in the fields of peace/security and democracy. However, at least until very recent implementation of both the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the complementary African Governance Architecture (AGA) has been fairly slow. In this article two factors are discussed that might help to shed some light on what could be named a difficult "implementation environment" for APSA and AGA: First, the inability or unwillingness of AU member states to provide stable and substantial finance and, second, resistance to the reform agenda by some member states. After a discussion of the high levels of donor dependence as well as failure of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to implement AGA compliance mechanisms, more recent developments – the African Union looking for alternative sources of finance and reforming its governance – are assessed to gauge the Union's chances to overcome financial dependence and member states' resistance. In the end it is argued, that there is reason for some cautious optimism that the African Union Commission, but also a sufficient number of member states are getting serious about establishing control over the continental reform process and the twin APSA/AGA agenda.

Looking closely at borders in South-East Asia reveals the existence of adjacent townships of different nations that develop across the border with varying degrees of parallelism. Such cross-border twin cities act as production, trade, logistics and border nodes, shaping cross-border value chains and concentrating economic activities, industries, resources, labour forces, knowledge and infrastructure in geographical spaces connected by multimodal transport networks. Literature assessing the development of cross-border twin cities generally reveals cross-cutting socioeconomic benefits for the border zones, indicating strong potential for sustainable and inclusive development. This study hence attempts to build a theoretical framework of cross-border twin cities. Cross-border twin cities are defined as two urban centres that: (i) are closely located across an international border; (ii) are accessible through transport and information networks and urban amenities; (iii) are subject to the structural reconfiguration of the border economies, economies of scales and a common integration into cross-border value chains; (iv) facilitate the development of complementary industries through key policies shaping industries and promoting trade and investment; and (v) collaborate at several levels in policies and projects. Both hardware dimensions and software dimensions are considered to capture the complexity and the various policy implications of the phenomena. Three case studies of existing cities located across the Thai-Myanmar and Thai-Lao PDR borders additionally validate and verify the consistency of the framework with people's first-hand experience and real-life situations. Qualitative studies based on academic, governmental and corporate literature reveal the existence of cross-border twin cities along the Thai-neighbour borders. Although multimodal transport and logistics networks and attractive economic policies effectively have increased trade and industrial activities, urban infrastructure and cooperation between neighbouring cities generally remain insufficient to tap the full potential of these cross-border twin cities. Before concluding, the study derives policy recommendations for the practical policy framework fostering cross-border twin cities in South-East Asia.

Penelitian ini berusaha menjawab apa perlu sebuah kajian MNCs-INGOs yang terkonsolidasi? sejauh mana studi hubungan internasional menyediakan dasar bagi suatu kajian MNCs-INGOs yang terkonsolidasi ? Sejauhmana suatu kajian MNCs-INGOs yang terkonsolidasi perlu dikembangkan setelah ini? Dengan menggunakan metode library research dengan analisis data kualitatif ditemukan bahwa pengembangan suatu kajian MNCs-INGOs yang terkonsolidasi dalam studi hubungan internasional tidak hanya mendesak untuk diketengahkan tetapi lebih jauh juga sangat mungkin dilakukan. Sementara urgensi bagi konsolidasi keduanya disediakan oleh kebutuhan-kebutuhan baru transasionalisasi sector privat yang kian massif, visibilitasnya sebagai sebuah kajian yang mandiri dalam studi hubungan internasional secara prospektif disediakan oleh pertautannya yang erat dengan diskursus internasionalisme dalam studi hubungan internasional. Akan tetapi, alih-alih berhenti sebatas kajian atas dinamika internasionalisme, kajian MNCs-INGOs yang terkonsolidasi lebih jauh menyedikan ruang bagi penyelidikan komprehensif atas transformasi dan permutasinya yang kian privat dewasa ini. Oleh karena itu, tidak cukup dikembangkan sebatas studi tentang dinamika internasionalisme baru dalam kaitan dua actor internasional privatnya yang paling sentral yakni MNCs dan INGOs; kajian MNCs-INGOs yang terkonsolidasi diharapkan juga menyediakan dasar lebih lanjut bagi eksplorasi prinsip-prinsip dan strategi-strategi dasar tatakelonya yang melintas batas selama ini

This paper studies the impact of the state-dependent risk of a government default on the correlation of the scal balance and current account. We use a small open economy model where nonlinear risk premia arise endogenously when the government operates close to its scal limit, i.e. the maximum capacity of a country to repay its debt. The presence of the possible sovereign default leads to dynamics of sovereign debt which cause taxes to rise and increase the dispersion of resulting tax levels. In line with data for industrialized countries household saving increases at high debt-to-GDP levels and the correlation of the scal balance and current account decreases. We calibrate the model to Greece and simulate the debt crisis as a result of negative TFP shocks and nd that the model dynamics t to the data.

This article outlines the growth and character of media and communication studies in the UK. It sets out the history and development of the field, and explains its twin origins in both humanities and social sciences contexts. The article also presents some descriptive data about the scale and nature of teaching and research in the field in UK higher education, and explains the evolution of relevant subject associations. The public, political and professional reception of and response to the field are described, and the continuing debates about its value and salience examined.

Overweight and obesity has increased in Sweden and worldwide in recent decades. Lifestyle and environmental changes, genetic susceptibility and interactions between these factors are believed to be important. A theoretical framework often referred to, as the fetal origins hypothesis has been extensively debated over the last 15 years. According to this controversial hypothesis, overweight and other components of the metabolic syndrome - such as high blood pressure - might be long-term consequences of impaired fetal growth. The overall objectives of the studies were to investigate the epidemiology of body mass index and overweight among young men in Sweden and to explore relationships between growth in fetal life on the one hand and overweight and systolic blood pressure in young adulthood on the other. Specific aims were to: 1) study time trends and socio- economic differences in body mass index and overweight among young men over the last decades; 2) study the occurrence of overweight among male international adoptees; and, 3) test the fetal origins hypothesis by analyzing relationships between aspects of fetal growth and overweight, and also between fetal growth and systolic blood pressure among singletons and twins in young adulthood. This thesis is based on nationwide data sets created by record linkages between the Medical Birth Register, the Military Service Conscription Register and several other national registers. The twin studies include additional information collected by a mailed questionnaire. The prevalence of overweight among 18-year-old men increased two-fold over a 25-year period. The results show large socio-economic differentials in overweight, with higher prevalence among young men from loweducated families. Socio- economic differentials did not change over time. The prevalence of overweight was 2-3 times higher among young men adopted from Latin America in early childhood than among non-adopted individuals of the same ages. By contrast, the risk of overweight was not higher among adoptees from the Indian subcontinent or the Far East than among non-adopted individuals. The results show a positive relationship between gestational-age-adjusted birthweight and overweight at 18 years of age among singletons. Clearly, this finding does not support the fetal origins hypothesis. However, the hypothesis was further tested in a population-based twin study. A weak positive association was uncovered for the within-pair effects of birthweight on body mass index at the age of 18 among monozygotic twin pairs. The twin brother with the highest birthweight had a slightly higher risk of overweight at age 18 than his co-twin. No between-pairs effect of birthweight on body mass index was observed for monozygotic pairs of twins. And no relationships were observed among dizygotic twin pairs. Neither of these findings supports the fetal origins hypothesis. When studying fetal growth and systolic blood pressure among singletons, a clear inverse association was found between gestational-age-adjusted birthweight and systolic blood pressure at 18 years of age. That there was an independent inverse association between gestational age per se and systolic blood pressure is a novel finding. For monozygotic twins the results show an inverse between-pairs effect of birthweight on systolic blood pressure at age 18. There was an inverse within-pair effect of birthweight on systolic blood pressure among monozygotic twins, although the effect was not significant. No relationships were found among dizygotic twins. Although the results of the singleton study are in accordance with the fetal origins hypothesis, the twin study does not provide substantial support. In sum, the results show a strong increase in overweight over the last decades among young men, and also demonstrate large socio-economic differentials in overweight. Large and unexplained differences in over-weight among international adoptees compared with non-adopted young men were found. The studies addressing the fetal origins hypothesis showed mixed results with clear support for an inverse association between birthweight and blood pressure in the singleton study, weak support in the twin study, and no clear-cut support in either of the two other studies.

This paper analyses the possibility of the twin deficits hypothesis existing in the context of Bangladesh. The novelty of this paper lies in its approach to link and check the validity of the twin deficits hypothesis in light of the Ricardian equivalence hypothesis and the Feldstein-Horioka puzzle based on annual time-series data stemming from 1990 to 2017. Fully-Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) estimator, Vector Error-Correction Modeling and Granger causality estimating techniques are applied to provide statistical evidence regarding the nature of the simultaneity of the twin deficits. The corresponding results, although refuting the Ricardian equivalence hypothesis in the country, suggest in favour of rejection of the twin deficits hypothesis as perceived from a negative unidirectional reverse causality running from current account deficit to Bangladesh's fiscal shortfalls. Thus, our results impose key challenges and policy implications for the government to take into consideration with respect to simultaneous reduction in these two macroeconomic deficits.

The paper demonstrates the first attempt in Russian political studies to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the "twin city" movement as a form of cross-border cooperation in the Baltic region. This phenomenon emerged as a result of a global tendency towards more active involvement of municipal units in international cooperation, on the one hand, and aspirations of frontier cities and towns in the Baltic region to solve common problems together, on the other hand. This work is based on a comparative analysis method and a case study methodology. The authors consider four examples (city pairs): Tornio Haparanda, Valga Valka, Narva Ivangorod and Imatra Svetogorsk.The article specifies the terminological framework used in this field of research. The authors analyse achievements and failures of this type of international inter-municipal cooperation and emphasise that for twin cities it served not only as a means of survival in the difficult situation of the 1990s, but also as an experimental ground for new forms of crossborder cooperation.The authors arrive at the conclusion that this model proves to be promising for further development of integration processes in the Baltic region. This practice can be applied by Russian municipal, regional and federal authorities in promotion of cross-border cooperation not only in the Baltic region, but also in other regions of the country. Thus, influenced by the successful experience of Baltic frontier cities and towns, the Russian city of Nikel and the Norwegian city of Kirkenes decided to adopt this model for further development of their cooperation.

Annotated bibliography of Brownsville history / George Gause -- The Coahuiltecan legacy of South Texas / Roberto M. Salmon and Juanita Elizondo Garza -- Cihuacoatl is alive and well in Brownsville / George K. Green -- The Valley's first settlers / told by San Juanita Vela de Lozano to Peter Gawenda -- The watermaidens / told by 'Jefe' in the Market Square barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- The Indian maidens / told by Felipe Lozano recorded by Peter Gawenda -- Brownsville's Santanderino strain / Milo Kearney -- Steamboats on the Lower Rio Grande in the 19th century / Robert B. Vezzetti -- The man-eaters / told by Felipe Lozano in his barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- The black cat / told by Josefa Vela de Lozano, recorded by Peter Gawenda -- The three-master / told by John Garreu on Padre Island, written down by Peter Gawenda -- El perro negro / told by Felipe Lozano in his barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- Desertion on the Rio Grande / Jere C. Light -- The bells of Brownsville / Henry G. Krause, Jr. -- The Espiritu Santo grant / Ruby A. Woolridge -- When the Navy was stationed at Fort Brown / Bruce Aiken -- The Twin Cities: a historical synthesis of the socio-economic interdependence of the Brownsville-Matamoros border community / Antonio N. Zavaleta -- The bagpiper / told by Felipe Lozano in his barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- The devil's rock / told by Father Dan Laning at a first communion in Mission, Texas, in May 1960, written down by Peter Gawenda -- La curandera / told by Felipe Lozano in his barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- The black mare / told by John Garreau on Padre Island, written down by Peter Gawenda -- Brownsville, model city of Texas in 1879 / contributed by Peter Gawenda -- Brownsville's public schools one century ago (1875-1905) / Peter Gawenda -- The 1891 Rio Grande Railroad robbery / Ruby A. Woolridge -- A brick-throwing ghost / a newspaper story of 1879, noted by Peter Gawenda -- El pasto de la almas / told by Felipe Lozano in his barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- La abuela / told by Felipe Lozano in his barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- The man with the shovel / told by "Jefe" in the Market Square barbershop, written down by Peter Gawenda -- The Brownsville Raid: a historical assessment / Wally Pierce -- Temple Beth-El, 1931-1981 / Harriet Denise Joseph -- What ever happened to the good old days? / Robert S. Lewis -- The family history of Senator Hector Uribe: a study in Mexican-American heritage / Karen E. LeFevre. ; https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/regionalhist/1000/thumbnail.jpg

Almost 40 years ago, evidence from large studies of adult twins and their relatives suggested that between 30 and 60 % of the variance in social and political attitudes could be explained by genetic influences. However, these findings have not been widely accepted or incorporated into the dominant paradigms that explain the etiology of political ideology. This has been attributed in part to measurement and sample limitations, as well the relative absence of molecular genetic studies. Here we present results from original analyses of a combined sample of over 12,000 twins pairs, ascertained from nine different studies conducted in five democracies, sampled over the course of four decades. We provide evidence that genetic factors play a role in the formation of political ideology, regardless of how ideology is measured, the era, or the population sampled. The only exception is a question that explicitly uses the phrase "Left–Right". We then present results from one of the first genome-wide association studies on political ideology using data from three samples: a 1990 Australian sample involving 6,894 individuals from 3,516 families; a 2008 Australian sample of 1,160 related individuals from 635 families and a 2010 Swedish sample involving 3,334 individuals from 2,607 families. No polymorphisms reached genome-wide significance in the meta-analysis. The combined evidence suggests that political ideology constitutes a fundamental aspect of one's genetically informed psychological disposition, but as Fisher proposed long ago, genetic influences on complex traits will be composed of thousands of markers of very small effects and it will require extremely large samples to have enough power in order to identify specific polymorphisms related to complex social traits. ; Nature, nurture, and political orientations

Despite considerable research, effective and safe treatments for human pain disorders remain elusive. Understanding the biology of different human pain conditions and researching effective treatments continue to be dominated by animal models, some of which are of limited value. British and European legislation demands that non-animal approaches should be considered before embarking on research using experimental animals. Recent scientific and technical developments, particularly in human neuroimaging, offer the potential to replace some animal procedures in the study of human pain. A group of pain research experts from academia and industry met with the aim of exploring creatively the tools, strategies and challenges of replacing some animal experiments in pain research with ethically conducted studies of human patients and healthy volunteers, in combination with in vitro methods. This report considers how a range of neuroimaging techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography and positron emission tomography, singly and combined, can address human pain conditions. In addition, microdialysis in human subjects; genome-wide association research, twin studies and other epidemiological approaches; and in vitro cell and tissue research, are examined for their replacement potential in combination with neuroimaging. Recommendations highlight further opportunities to advance the replacement of animal studies with robust methods of relevance to understanding and treating human pain.

This qualitative research study primarily explored the lived experiences of international students studying at three community colleges in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. As a phenomenological research, its primary purpose was to examine the commonality of experiences and barriers encountered by international students studying at these three institutions. The researcher conducted the study on a wide range of students from a number of nations around the world such as Peru, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia, The Gambia, Kenya, Pakistan, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While it is a fact that this study explored challenges and barriers encountered by nearly all international students studying in the United States, there are limitations to the findings since it only covered international students at three institutions in the Twin Cities. As a result, opinions, and thoughts, conclusions provided by the participants may not necessarily be the experiences of international students at other institutions or countries. Therefore, data collected in this study was not generalizable, because it is limited to the three institutions where the participants constituted part of the study. However, previous studies indicated similar outcomes of international students. The researcher would like to acknowledge these previous studies as the basis for the problem statement and significance of this study. It is also the hope of the researcher that this study will serve as a guide and tool for graduate students doing a qualitative research, by providing them opportunity to have an understanding of the process and nature of qualitative research especially qualitative phenomenological research. Students conducting qualitative research should also be able to use this tool because it is rooted in the application of the American Psychological Association (APA) style of writing. This cogent writing style is easy to comprehend because it is user-friendly and convincingly provides clear in-text citations, which are relatively easy to follow.

Historia de Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas / por Ernesto Escribano Gómez -- How the teachers of Matamoros formed la Union Tamaulipeca / by Alma Ortiz -- The 1971 "Pharr Riot" / by Ned Wallace -- Memoirs of Brownsville politics / by Loddell Batsell -- Economic changes in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas: a bibliographic review / by David J. Mycue -- A short history of land titles in South Texas / by Joseph E. Chance -- The prehistoric peoples of the Rio Grande Delta and their connections with the cultures of Mesoamerica / by Rolando L. Garza -- Peyote: sacred sacrament of the Rio Grande Valley / by Thomas Britten -- Twin cities on a river: a reminiscence and comparison / by Anthony Knopp -- The signs of Brownsville / by Mimosa Stephenson -- Charrería en Matamoros / por Oralia Garcia -- German immigrants in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 1850-1920: a demographic overview / by Gerhard Grytz -- A history of the Muslim community in the Rio Grande Valley / by Milo Kearney and Mark Hanson -- From old to new: the alteration, restoration, and preservation of historical Fort Brown buildings of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College / by Javier R. García -- Brownsville and "The Herald" in the 1940s / by Cipriano A. Cárdenas -- Brownsville's Casa Petrina / by Milo Kearney -- Recent Valley literature: the South Texas Mexican set / by René Saldaña, Jr. -- Israel B. Bigelow: from Connecticut to the Rio Grande / by Bill Young -- Menton Murray Sr. and Betty Murray of Harlingen: a legacy of public service / by John Hawthorne -- Mayor and commissioner Henry Gonzalez / by James W. Mills -- Porfirio Díaz in the Lower Rio Grande Valley during the rebellion of Tuxtepec / by John D. Kearney -- Coronel Eleuterio Reyna García: vida de un revolucionario Matamorense / por Miguel Rubiano -- Stephen Powers: master Mason, master citizen / by Douglas Collins -- The Chiltons: eighty years in the Valley / by Carl Chilton, Jr. -- From the inside out: truancy to prison on the streets of Brownsville / by Joe Garcia -- Colored death: the tragedy of black troops on the Lower Rio Grande 1864-1906 / by Antonio N. Zavaleta -- Dr. William C. Gorgas and yellow fever at Fort Brown / by Charles M. Robinson III -- José M. Lopez: un hombre valiente / by Manuel Medrano -- The clay dunes of eastern Cameron County / by Norman L. Richard. ; https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/regionalhist/1005/thumbnail.jpg