Journal articles on the topic 'Abstention mechanisms'
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1
Katz, Gabriel, and Ines Levin. "A General Model of Abstention Under Compulsory Voting." Political Science Research and Methods 6, no. 3 (November 15, 2016): 489–508. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/psrm.2016.49.
Abstract:
Invalid voting and absenteeism are alternative sources of abstention under compulsory voting. Previous research failed to systematically study the mechanisms behind each form of non-voting and the relationships between them. We develop an analytical framework and an empirical strategy to jointly examine invalid voting and absenteeism in Brazil, the world’s largest democracy with mandatory voting. Using Bayesian inferential methods and analyzing both individual and district-level data, we show that less educated and politically knowledgeable citizens are less likely to vote and, when they do, they are typically unable to successfully complete their ballot. Unlike absenteeism, invalid voting also has a political dimension reflecting voters’ disenchantment with elections and democratic performance. Both sources of abstention coexist and, together, undermine electoral participation.
2
Svolik, Milan W. "Voting Against Autocracy." World Politics 75, no. 4 (October 2023): 647–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/wp.2023.a908772.
Abstract:
abstract: When and how do voters punish politicians for subverting democracy? To investigate the role of the public in democratic backsliding, I develop a conceptual framework that differentiates among three mechanisms: vote switching, backlash, and disengagement. The first mechanism entails defection by voters from a candidate who undermines democracy to one who does not; the latter two mechanisms entail transitions between voting and abstention. I estimate the magnitude of each mechanism by combining evidence from a series of original survey experiments, traditional surveys, and a quasi-experiment afforded by the rerun of the 2019 Istanbul mayoral election, in which the governing party, akp, attempted to overturn the result of an election that it had lost. I find that although vote switching and backlash contributed to the akp's eventual defeat the most, each of the three mechanisms served as a democratic check in some subset of the Istanbul electorate. Persuasion, mobilization, and even demobilization are all viable tools for curbing the authoritarian tendencies of elected politicians.
3
Wilkens, Trine Levring, Zabrina Ziegler, Violetta Aru, Bekzod Khakimov, Snædís Lilja Overgaard, Søren Balling Engelsen, and Lars Ove Dragsted. "1–2 Drinks Per Day Affect Lipoprotein Composition after 3 Weeks—Results from a Cross-Over Pilot Intervention Trial in Healthy Adults Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Measured Lipoproteins and Apolipoproteins." Nutrients 14, no. 23 (November 27, 2022): 5043. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14235043.
Abstract:
Alcohol consumption ranging from 1–2 drinks/day associates with a lower risk of coronary heart disease in some studies. The underlying mechanisms are unclear. The Metabolic Imprints of Alcoholic Beverages (MetAl) trial aimed to explore the short-term effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular biomarkers. A 2 × 3-week cross-over single-blinded intervention trial investigating the effect of 1–2 drinks/day (~12–24 g) compared with abstention on 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-measured main lipoproteins and subfractions was performed in 26 healthy adults. Volunteers were classified as occasional or habitual drinkers based on their habitual alcohol intakes (<2 or ≥2 drinks/week). Compared with abstention, 1–2 drinks/day increased HDL2a-C (p = 0.004), HDL3-C (p = 0.008), and HDL non-significantly (p = 0.19). Total apoA1 and apoA1 in HDL and its subfractions increased (p < 0.05). Novel findings were a decreased apoB/apoA1 ratio (p = 0.02), and increased HDL2a phospholipid content (p = 0.04). In women alone, the results were similar but attenuated, and LDL-P decreased. Thus, changes in apoA1- and HDL-related biomarkers occur within weeks in moderate drinkers. Compared with abstention, 1–2 drinks/day increased total apoA1 more strongly than HDL-C and increased the cholesterol, apoA1, and phospholipid content of several HDL subfractions. Whether this provides a cardiovascular benefit requires further study. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03384147.
4
Minzer, Simona, Ricardo Arturo Losno, and Rosa Casas. "The Effect of Alcohol on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Is There New Information?" Nutrients 12, no. 4 (March 27, 2020): 912. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu12040912.
Abstract:
The effects of alcohol on cardiovascular health are heterogeneous and vary according to consumption dose and pattern. These effects have classically been described as having a J-shaped curve, in which low-to-moderate consumption is associated with less risk than lifetime abstention, and heavy drinkers show the highest risk. Nonetheless, the beneficial effects of alcohol have been questioned due to the difficulties in establishing a safe drinking threshold. This review focuses on the association between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk factors and the underlying mechanisms of damage, with review of the literature from the last 10 years.
5
Braun, Daniela, and Markus Tausendpfund. "Electoral Behaviour in a European Union under Stress." Politics and Governance 8, no. 1 (February 13, 2020): 28–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/pag.v8i1.2510.
Abstract:
Is electoral behaviour affected by the current challenges of the EU and, if it is, through which channels and mechanisms? This study offers a cross-national analysis together with a broad understanding of both the crisis phenomenon and electoral behaviour. To investigate this research question appropriately, we first distinguish at the most general level between the two main behavioural alternatives at play when it comes to electoral behaviour, namely abstention and vote choice. Second, and no less important, we differentiate between the mechanisms that mediate the relationship between the ‘EU under stress’ and electoral behaviour, namely egocentric and sociotropic economic voting motivations. Drawing on data from the European Election Study 2014, our article provides important insights into the study of electoral behaviour in an EU under stress. First, we are able to show that the multiple crises that have hit the EU have the potential to determine both turnout and the decision to vote for a Eurosceptic party. Second, different mechanisms are in play for each of the two behavioural alternatives: Turnout is clearly related to egocentric determinants and thus depends on individuals’ personal exposure to the financial crisis. Conversely, the decision to vote for a Eurosceptic party is based on a different mechanism. Voters—without necessarily being personally affected by the crisis—have a higher propensity to vote for a Eurosceptic party if they perceive their country to be threatened by such an EU under stress. These findings add to a better understanding of the EU’s multi-level democracy.
6
Scussel, Fernanda, and Maribel Carvalho Suarez. "Consumer grief: understanding how consumers deal with the loss of extraordinary experiences." Cadernos EBAPE.BR 20, no. 3 (June 2022): 339–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1679-395120210046x.
Abstract:
Abstract Despite the interest in the role of consumption in the bereavement process, the concept of consumer grief and the process consumers experience when grieving remain undertheorized. This article aims to conceptualize consumer grief considering the disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to understand how consumers respond to this scenario, understanding the mechanisms consumers create to deal with loss. In view of the importance of extraordinary experiences due to their embodied, social, and transformational power, in this netnographic study, we explore marathon runners’ loss of an extraordinary experience. Consumers deal with the loss of an experience through a process composed of five mechanisms mediated by social media, which enable consumers to reverse, reframe, and reestablish the experience. The mechanisms of refutation, despair, abstention-compensation, transgression, and acceptance show how consumers behave in different moments of grief, allowing them to build their trajectories in the grieving process, individually and collectively. As a contribution, we expand the literature on consumer grief by focusing on the specific concept of consumer grief, explaining the processes consumers go through when they deal with the loss of an experience. Additionally, we present a collective perspective on the grieving process, shifting the analysis of the grief of an individual or a family unit to the socialization of grief.
7
Zeitzmann, Sebastian. "Towards an Ever More Differentiated Union? – Exit Strategies from Differentiated Integration." Zeitschrift für europarechtliche Studien 25, no. 4 (2022): 859–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.5771/1435-439x-2022-4-859.
Abstract:
In the past 25 years, differentiated policies and mechanisms of differentiated decision-making have rapidly gained prominence and relevance on EU level. It is not only well-known EU policies such as the euro currency or the Schengen area of borderless travel which fall within the scope of EU activity in which not all Member States participate in. Rather, also lesser known instruments exist, such as constructive abstention in Common Foreign and Security Policy, the enhanced cooperation procedure, or Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). A rapidly less homogenous circle of EU members and either the unwillingness or the unpreparedness on part of some of them to fully participate - if at all - in certain EU activity has resulted in an ever more differentiated EU. Is the Union destined to become one of ‘bits and pieces’? Or is there a solution to the conundrum of the incompatibility of simultaneously enlarging and deepening the EU, an incompatibility which has been one of the driving factors behind differentiations? In other words: Do strategies exist to eventually truly create the ever closer Union of fully integrated Member States?
8
Sholtz, Janae. "Bataille and Deleuze's Peculiar Askesis: Techniques of Transgression, Meditation and Dramatisation." Deleuze and Guattari Studies 14, no. 2 (May 2020): 198–228. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/dlgs.2020.0399.
Abstract:
This article explores the ethical imperative to dramatise in the work of Georges Bataille and Gilles Deleuze, two of the most radical thinkers in twentieth-century philosophy, as a peculiar kind of askesis. Whereas askesis is often associated with asceticism or self-denial, in the sense of self-regulation and abstention, Bataille and Deleuze advocate training the self towards intensification of the liminal and extreme (disruption rather than composure), which can rather be understood as a denial of self – its dissolution or laceration. Few attempts have been made to compare their work, even though both share a commitment to resisting the closures that bind our desires and inhibit our full participation in and confrontation with the ebbs and flows of an impersonal, immanent life. Through careful consideration and comparison of their work, I argue that both offer important methods for engendering modalities of ecstatic being characterised by sensitivity to immanence, which have important ramifications for our ability to address phenomena of ethical indifference and resist the constrictions of social control mechanisms that decimate our political imaginations and inhibit our resolve to invent a different future. In the final sections, I interrogate the differences in their invocation of affect and art.
9
Krauss, Scott, David E. Stallknecht, Richard D. Slemons, Andrew S. Bowman, Rebecca L. Poulson, Jacqueline M. Nolting, James P. Knowles, and Robert G. Webster. "The enigma of the apparent disappearance of Eurasian highly pathogenic H5 clade 2.3.4.4 influenza A viruses in North American waterfowl." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 32 (July 25, 2016): 9033–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1608853113.
Abstract:
One of the major unresolved questions in influenza A virus (IAV) ecology is exemplified by the apparent disappearance of highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 (H5Nx) viruses containing the Eurasian hemagglutinin 2.3.4.4 clade from wild bird populations in North America. The introduction of Eurasian lineage HP H5 clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 IAV and subsequent reassortment with low-pathogenic H?N2 and H?N1 North American wild bird-origin IAVs in late 2014 resulted in widespread HP H5Nx IAV infections and outbreaks in poultry and wild birds across two-thirds of North America starting in November 2014 and continuing through June 2015. Although the stamping out strategies adopted by the poultry industry and animal health authorities in Canada and the United States—which included culling, quarantining, increased biosecurity, and abstention from vaccine use—were successful in eradicating the HP H5Nx viruses from poultry, these activities do not explain the apparent disappearance of these viruses from migratory waterfowl. Here we examine current and historical aquatic bird IAV surveillance and outbreaks of HP H5Nx in poultry in the United States and Canada, providing additional evidence of unresolved mechanisms that restrict the emergence and perpetuation of HP avian influenza viruses in these natural reservoirs.
10
Kato, Gento. "When strategic uninformed abstention improves democratic accountability." Journal of Theoretical Politics 32, no. 3 (July 2020): 366–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0951629820926699.
Abstract:
The recent development in formal studies of elections produced two sets of findings that question the custom to treat voter information as a prerequisite for competent democratic decision-making. One argues that uninformed abstention is an effective strategy to approximate informed electoral outcome, and another suggests that uninformed voters may motivate strategic political elites to improve accountability. This article bridges and extends these two findings by analyzing strategic incentives in the comprehensive voting model with abstention and its connection with electoral accountability. The proposed model offers a contextual explanation for two contrasting logic in uninformed abstention, delegation and discouragement, and shows that uninformed voting with abstention sometimes improves accountability. Furthermore, uninformed abstention is more effective in generating democratically preferred outcome under delegatory than discouraged context. The results make a significant addition to the existing accountability literature by providing a more general mechanism by which less voter information improves policy outcomes.
11
Xu, Xizheng, Yunpeng Wu, and Senlin Zhou. "Social Support and Drug Abstention Motivation among Chinese Male Drug Addicts: A Moderated Mediation Model of Self-Control and Sensation-Seeking." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 10 (May 15, 2022): 6015. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106015.
Abstract:
The goal of this study is to examine how social support affects Chinese male drug addicts’ abstention motivation. To elucidate the mechanism as well as the boundary condition of the aforesaid influence, self-control and sensation-seeking were induced. Using the questionnaire method, the cross-sectional data were collected from 498 male drug addicts from one hospital and four compulsory isolation drug abstention centers in Central China region. The results indicated that social support has a positive direct and indirect effect on abstention motivation. The indirect influence is that the impact of social support on abstention motivation is mediated by self-control. The direct effect was moderated by sensation-seeking. Specifically, for individuals with low sensation-seeking, social support can significantly increase drug abstinence motivation, but this effect was not significant for those with high sensation-seeking. Theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed.
12
Yi, Jianxin. "Nash implementation via mechanisms that allow for abstentions." Theory and Decision 91, no. 2 (January 10, 2021): 279–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11238-020-09790-0.
13
Seddighin, Masoud, Mohammad Latifian, and Mohammad Ghodsi. "On the Distortion Value of Elections with Abstention." Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research 70 (January 29, 2021): 567–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1613/jair.1.12306.
Abstract:
In Spatial Voting Theory, distortion is a measure of how good the winner is. It has been proved that no deterministic voting mechanism can guarantee a distortion better than 3, even for simple metrics such as a line. In this study, we wish to answer the following question: how does the distortion value change if we allow less motivated agents to abstain from the election?
We consider an election with two candidates and suggest an abstention model, which is a general form of the abstention model proposed by Kirchgässner. Our results characterize the distortion ¨ value and provide a rather complete picture of the model.
14
Ghodsi, Mohammad, Mohamad Latifian, and Masoud Seddighin. "On the Distortion Value of the Elections with Abstention." Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence 33 (July 17, 2019): 1981–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v33i01.33011981.
Abstract:
In Spatial Voting Theory, distortion is a measure of how good the winner is. It is proved that no deterministic voting mechanism can guarantee a distortion better than 3, even for simple metrics such as a line. In this study, we wish to answer the following question: how does the distortion value change if we allow less motivated agents to abstain from the election?We consider an election with two candidates and suggest an abstention model, which is a more general form of the abstention model proposed by Kirchgässner (2003). We define the¨ concepts of the expected winner and the expected distortion to evaluate the distortion of an election in our model. Our results fully characterize the distortion value and provide a rather complete picture of the model.
15
Friesel, Ofra. "Fifty Years since the 1967 Annexation of East Jerusalem: Israel, the United States, and the First United Nations Denunciation." Journal of the History of International Law 20, no. 1 (January 31, 2018): 89–123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718050-19001039.
Abstract:
AbstractIsrael’s annexation of East Jerusalem was condemned for the first time by the un one week after it took place in unga Resolution 2253. The United States chose to abstain rather than join the denunciation of Israel’s application of its domestic law to East Jerusalem. The claim I wish to make is that the us abstention did not spring from indifference to the question of sovereignty over East Jerusalem, as has previously been contested. The us perceived the Israeli move as contrary to international law, and an obstacle to the possibility of achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Thus, the us abstention was in disregard of a un member state’s responsibility to ‘take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace’, and contributed to the failure of the un peaceful conflict resolution mechanism to achieve a peaceful resolution to the dispute over East Jerusalem.
16
Harikrishnan, R., P. A. Abhilash, S. Syam Das, P. Prathibha, S. Rejitha, Febi John, S. Kavitha, and M. Indira. "Protective effect of ascorbic acid against ethanol-induced reproductive toxicity in male guinea pigs." British Journal of Nutrition 110, no. 4 (January 21, 2013): 689–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0007114512005739.
Abstract:
The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of ascorbic acid on alcohol-induced reproductive toxicity and also to compare it with that of abstention. A total of thirty-six male guinea pigs were divided into two groups and were maintained for 90 d as control and ethanol-treated groups (4 g/kg body weight (b.wt.)). After 90 d, ethanol administration was stopped and animals in the control group were divided into two groups and then maintained for 30 d as the control and control+ascorbic acid groups and those in the ethanol-treated group as ethanol abstention and ethanol+ascorbic acid (25 mg/100 g b. wt.) groups. Animals treated with ethanol showed a significant decline in sperm quality (P< 0·001), decreased activity of steroidogenic enzymes (P< 0·05) and reduced serum testosterone (P< 0·05), luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, decrease in the activity of testicular succinate dehydrogenase, adenosine triphosphatase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and reduction in fructose content (P< 0·05). It also caused an increase in testicular malondialdehyde levels (P< 0·05) and decrease in the levels of glutathione content (P< 0·001) of testes. Ascorbic acid levels in testes and plasma were also reduced (P< 0·001) in ethanol-fed animals. Ascorbic acid supplementation altered all these parameters and produced a better and faster recovery from alcohol-induced reproductive toxicity than abstention. The mechanism of action of ascorbic acid may be by reducing the oxidative stress and improving antioxidant status, which eventually changed the microenvironment of testes and enhanced the energy needed for motility of sperms, improved the sperm morphology and elevated the testosterone and gonadotropin levels.
17
HUNTER, Kirsty A., Peter J. GARLICK, Iain BROOM, Susan E. ANDERSON, and Margaret A. McNURLAN. "Effects of smoking and abstention from smoking on fibrinogen synthesis in humans." Clinical Science 100, no. 4 (March 20, 2001): 459–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/cs1000459.
Abstract:
Cigarette smoking and hyperfibrinogenaemia are both significant risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. Two studies are described here which aimed to establish the metabolic mechanism responsible for the raised plasma fibrinogen concentration observed in smokers. Chronic smokers had a significantly elevated absolute rate of fibrinogen synthesis (ASR) compared with non-smokers (22.7±1.3 mg/kg per day versus 16.0±1.3 mg/kg per day; means±S.E.M., P < 0.01), with plasma levels of fibrinogen significantly correlated with fibrinogen synthesis (r = 0.65, P = 0.04). Unlike fibrinogen, plasma albumin concentrations were lower in smokers than in non-smokers (45±0.4 versus 47±0.7 g/l, P < 0.05), but there was no difference in rates of albumin synthesis between the two groups. Two weeks cessation from smoking by previously chronic smokers was associated with a rapid and marked fall in plasma fibrinogen concentration (from 3.06±0.11 g/l to 2.49±0.14 g/l, P < 0.001), and a significant reduction in ASR (a 33% reduction, from 24.1±1.7 to 16.1±1.0 mg/kg per day, P < 0.001). These studies suggest a primary role for increased synthesis in producing the hyperfibrinogenaemia associated with smoking. Moreover, abstention from smoking for a period of only 2 weeks induces a significant decrease in the rate of fibrinogen synthesis by the liver, with a concomitant reduction in the plasma fibrinogen concentration.
18
Prince, Eric W., Debashis Ghosh, Carsten Görg, and Todd C. Hankinson. "Uncertainty-Aware Deep Learning Classification of Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma from Preoperative MRI." Diagnostics 13, no. 6 (March 16, 2023): 1132. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13061132.
Abstract:
Diagnosis of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is predominantly determined through invasive pathological examination of a neurosurgical biopsy specimen. Clinical experts can distinguish ACP from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with an accuracy of 86%, and 9% of ACP cases are diagnosed this way. Classification using deep learning (DL) provides a solution to support a non-invasive diagnosis of ACP through neuroimaging, but it is still limited in implementation, a major reason being the lack of predictive uncertainty representation. We trained and tested a DL classifier on preoperative MRI from 86 suprasellar tumor patients across multiple institutions. We then applied a Bayesian DL approach to calibrate our previously published ACP classifier, extending beyond point-estimate predictions to predictive distributions. Our original classifier outperforms random forest and XGBoost models in classifying ACP. The calibrated classifier underperformed our previously published results, indicating that the original model was overfit. Mean values of the predictive distributions were not informative regarding model uncertainty. However, the variance of predictive distributions was indicative of predictive uncertainty. We developed an algorithm to incorporate predicted values and the associated uncertainty to create a classification abstention mechanism. Our model accuracy improved from 80.8% to 95.5%, with a 34.2% abstention rate. We demonstrated that calibration of DL models can be used to estimate predictive uncertainty, which may enable clinical translation of artificial intelligence to support non-invasive diagnosis of brain tumors in the future.
19
Cepaluni, Gabriel, and F. Daniel Hidalgo. "Compulsory Voting Can Increase Political Inequality: Evidence from Brazil." Political Analysis 24, no. 2 (2016): 273–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pan/mpw004.
Abstract:
One of the most robust findings on political institutions is that compulsory voting (CV) reduces the participation gap between poorer and wealthier voters. We present evidence that in Brazil, the largest country to use such a rule, CVincreasesinequality in turnout. We use individual-level data on 140 million Brazilian citizens and two age-based discontinuities to estimate the heterogeneous effects of CV by educational achievement, a strong proxy for socioeconomic status. Evidence from both thresholds shows that the causal effect of CV on turnout among the more educated is at least twice the size of the effect among those with less education. To explain this result, which is the opposite of what is predicted by the existing literature, we argue that nonmonetary penalties for abstention primarily affect middle- and upper-class voters and thus increase their turnout disproportionately. Survey evidence from a national sample provides evidence for the mechanism. Our results show that studies of CV should consider nonmonetary sanctions, as their effects can reverse standard predictions.
20
Hanrieder, Tine. "The false promise of the better argument." International Theory 3, no. 3 (September 20, 2011): 390–415. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1752971911000182.
Abstract:
Effective argumentation in international politics is widely conceived as a matter of persuasion. In particular, the ‘logic of arguing’ ascribes explanatory power to the ‘better argument’ and promises to illuminate the conditions of legitimate normative change. This article exposes the self-defeating implications of the Habermasian symbiosis between the normative and the empirical force of arguments. Since genuine persuasion is neither observable nor knowable, its analysis critically depends on what scholars consider to be the better argument. Seemingly, objective criteria such as universality only camouflage such moral reification. The paradoxical consequence of an explanatory concept of arguing is that moral discourse is no longer conceptualized as an open-ended process of contestation and normative change, but has recently been recast as a governance mechanism ensuring the compliance of international actors with pre-defined norms. This dilemma can be avoided through a positivist reification of valid norms, as in socialization research, or by adopting a critical and emancipatory focus on the obstacles to true persuasion. Still, both solutions remain dependent on the ‘persuasion vs. coercion’ problem that forestalls an insight into successful justificatory practices other than rational communication. The conclusion therefore pleas for a pragmatic abstention from better arguments and points to the insights to be gained from pragmatist norms research in sociology.
21
Calle Meza, Melba Luz, and José Ignacio Lacasta-Zabalza. "PLEBISCITOS POR LA PAZ Y DERECHOS FUNDAMENTALES EN COLOMBIA. UNA APROXIMACIÓN HISTÓRICA Y COMPARADA, 1957-2016." Revista Republicana 33 (July 31, 2022): 45–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.21017/rev.repub.2022.v33.a127.
Abstract:
This article analyzes the legal, political and historical nature of the plebiscite and its relationship with fundamental rights. The study has a comparative approach, of theoretical, conceptual and critical reflection on the plebiscite as a mechanism for legitimizing political power and, at the local level, on its connection with the search for peace. And he concludes that the comparison between the plebiscites of 1957 and 2016 is useful to show, on the one hand, that in Colombia the characteristic features of this mechanism in the universal history of the 20th century have also been revealed. That is, despite its foundation in direct democracy, due to the use that can be given to manipulate the popular will, the plebiscite can be useful for Bonapartist or Orléanist and presidential systems, as well as for interests contrary to republicanism and theories of democratic rights like those of Luigi Ferrajoli. On the other hand, in this country, with the lure of the end of violence as a background in both cases, while in 1957 the plebiscite was a complete success for its organizers (traditional political parties and military junta) who achieved overwhelming popular approval (with wide participation) of the exclusive political system called the National Front and one of the decisive factors of the armed conflict in the last century; In 2016, the real leader of the plebiscite was the then senator Álvaro Uribe, former president and head of the opposition to the government of Juan Manuel Santos, promoter of peace. Uribe thus obtained, with a weak victory of the No to the «Havana Agreements» and an abstention rate of more than 60%, a clear victory for his authoritarian and warmongering policy, a key approach to the electoral campaign that would lead his political party to the victory in the 2018 presidential elections and the consequent stagnation of peace objectives.
22
Safkaur, Terianus L. "The Analysis of The Youth Political Perception of 2019 General Elections in Jayapura City." International Journal of Social Service and Research 2, no. 11 (November 9, 2022): 983–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.46799/ijssr.v2i11.163.
Abstract:
Community participation in politics is an important indicator in measuring whether a country is democratic or not. The higher level of community participation results in the transparency of democracy. However, towards the 2019 elections, the absent of people in giving their voice was dominant in Indonesia. The apathetic groups who decided not to vote in elections have a variety of reasons. One of the reason is the distrust of the electoral system. Refers to the 2019 elections in the city of Jayapura, there was a tendency for some young people not to vote. In fact, elections are an important instrument in selecting leaders through democratic mechanisms. The two main objectives to be achieved through this research are first to find out the perspective of young people to view the general election. This is related to the understanding of the election as well as their hopes for the election and their political references if they decide to vote or not vote (abstentions). Second, this study aims to examine the models of youth participation in the election. Furthermore, this research will contribute to the gap of knowledge and studies related to youth their participation in general election, especially in the city of Jayapura. The city of Jayapura will become an important place of this case study because it’s social and political dynamics in analyzing youth perceptions.
23
Septiana, Anis. "Analisis Fungsi Partai Politik Pada Pilkada Musi Banyuasin 2017 (Studi Terhadap Partai Politik Pengusung Pasangan Dodi Reza Dan Beni Hernedi)." Jurnal Studi Sosial dan Politik 3, no. 1 (June 27, 2019): 28–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.19109/jssp.v3i1.4066.
Abstract:
Political parties are official organizations created by people who have interests and goals to control the government, by placing their members in the government through an election mechanism. The election process is inseparable from political parties, because political parties can channel the aspirations of the people, where the people can participate in it and have a strong influence on the election. The main function of political parties is to seek power, gain power and maintain it. In the 2017 Musi Banyuasin Local Election, the pairs of Dodi Reza and Beni Hernedi were carried out by 11 (eleven) political parties namely PDIP, Golkar, Democrat, Hanura, Nasdem, and PKB. As the party supporting the pair Dodi Reza and Beni Hernedi in the 2017 Musi Banyuasin Regional Election, political parties should fight in giving victory to the candidate pair that they carry by carrying out the functions of political parties as well as possible. Issues that will be discussed in this study include how the function of political parties in winning sub-regional elections and how the functions of political parties supporting the pair Dodi Reza and Beni Hernedi are assessed from the results of votes in the 2017 Musi Banyuasin Regional Election.This type of research is field research, while the type of research is qualitative, where the research procedure produces a description, which describes and describes matters relating to the problem of the function of political parties. The rationale that the researchers used in this study is the framework of thinking from Miriam Budiardjo to explain the function of political parties. The results of this study indicate that the function of political parties carried out by the party supporting the pair Dodi Reza and Beni Hernedi has not run optimally, this is evident from the high level of abstentions in the Musi Banyuasin elections in 2017.
24
Maryniv, Ivanna. "The European Union security policy." Law and innovations, no. 1 (29) (March 31, 2020): 80–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.37772/2518-1718-2020-1(29)-13.
Abstract:
Problem setting. In spite of the presence of numerous conventions, treaties and organizations in the world today, the issue of security is still a very acute issue for the world community. There are many reasons for this: the presence of nuclear powers, serious disputes between countries that are justly considered world leaders, the existence of numerous local conflicts and wars of a more global nature across the globe. These and other factors are pushing states around the world to allocate budget funds to ensure effective security policies. Given today’s realities, one can trace the tendency of several countries to pool their own efforts and resources to pursue a common security policy. The European Union is one of the clearest examples of this behavior. This intergovernmental organization is committed to maintaining peace, diplomacy, trade and development around the world. The EU also promotes cooperation with neighboring countries through the European Neighborhood Policy. Target research. The aim of the research is to study the role of the European Union’s institutional mechanism in the exercise of its powers to ensure the defense and foreign policy cooperation of the Member States. Analysis of recent research and publication. Many domestic and foreign scholars, including B. Tonro, T. Christiansen, S. Morsch, G. Mackenstein, and others. The institutional basis of foreign and security policy is analyzed in detail by J. Peterson, questions related to the European Union’s security policy. M. Shackleton. K. Gill, M. Smith and others study the general features of the development of a common EU security policy. Some contribution to the study of various problems related to European and Euro-Atlantic integration has been made by such national scientists as V. Govorukh, I. Gritsyak, G. Nemyrya, L. Prokopenko, O. Rudik, V. Streltsov, O. Tragniuk, I. Shumlyaeva, I. Yakovyuk and others. Article’s main body. The article examines the emergence and development of the European Union’s security policy from the date of the Brussels Covenant to the present. Particular attention is paid to the role of the European Union’s institutional mechanism in the exercise of its powers to ensure the defense and foreign policy cooperation of the Member States. A study of the officially adopted five-year global foreign and security policy of the EU is being done to improve stability in Europe and beyond, analyzing EU conflict resolution and crisis management activities. Conclusions and prospect of development. In view of the above, it can be concluded that the EU’s foreign and security policy institutional framework is an extensive system in which all the constituencies are endowed with a certain range of general and specific powers and are called upon to cooperate with one another to achieve a common goal. It cannot be said that such close cooperation puts pressure on Member States. Yes, a Member State has the right to refrain from voting for any decision that requires unanimity and such abstention will not prevent the above decision being taken. In this case, the mechanism of so-called “constructive retention” is triggered: the abstaining country is not obliged to comply with the decision, however, accepts the fact that it is binding on other Member States and takes this into account when concluding treaties, which should not contradict the said decision.
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Jones, Matthew I., Antonio D. Sirianni, and Feng Fu. "Polarization, abstention, and the median voter theorem." Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 9, no. 1 (February 2, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01056-0.
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AbstractThe median voter theorem has long been the default model of voter behavior and candidate choice. While contemporary work on the distribution of political opinion has emphasized polarization and an increasing gap between the “left” and the “right” in democracies, the median voter theorem presents a model of anti-polarization: competing candidates move to the center of the ideological distribution to maximize vote share, regardless of the underlying ideological distribution of voters. These anti-polar results, however, largely depend on the “singled-peakedness” of voter preferences, an assumption that is rapidly losing relevance in the age of polarization. This article presents a model of voter choice that examines three potential mechanisms that can undermine this finding: a relative cost of voting that deters voters who are sufficiently indifferent to both candidates, ideologically motivated third-party alternatives that attract extreme voters, and a bimodal distribution of voter ideology. Under reasonable sets of conditions and empirically observed voter opinion distributions, these mechanisms can be sufficient to cause strategically minded candidates to fail to converge to the center, or to even become more polarized than their electorate.
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Loku, Dr Sc Afrim, and MSc Lindita Mehmeti. "Improving the quality and impact of employees." ILIRIA International Review 1, no. 2 (December 31, 2011). http://dx.doi.org/10.21113/iir.v1i2.182.
Abstract:
"Estimates for the management of public institutions are a ma-tter which calls for very serious approach. For these are done mo-re research and studies, most assessments are focused on the ma-nagement but also the causes that have driven the need for chan-ge, but little attention was paid to sources which influence the changes. From the research we've done it appears that a signifi-cant contribution in this issue is the evaluation for commitment and support by the management, the effects of these phenomena and the opening of recommendations and strategies that mana-gers in public institutions can use to ensure continuation of the work in their organizations/institutions, of which in turn, organi-zational competence enables. Abstention fluctuation in Kosovo and also presents a major problem for public institutions and that additional factor of weigh financial standing. They lead new prob-lems especially given that public institution in Kosovo have not yet developed adequate mechanisms to deal with these pheno-mena.Therefore, this study examines the management assessment in relation to changes in institutions and their impact on the pheno-menon of fluctuation and Abstention , their effects on health and educational institutions.
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Chen, W. W., L. Wang, A. J. Zhou, C. Fan, Y. D. Zhang, Z. P. Wang, S. Rong, and T. Wang. "The benefits of intermittent fasting: A review of possible mechanisms on central neurological disorders." Acta Alimentaria, March 8, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/066.2022.00230.
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AbstractIntermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary strategy that involves alternating periods of abstention from calorie consumption with periods of ad libitum food intake and has been shown to have beneficial effects in many ways. Recent studies have shown that IF attenuates neurodegeneration and improves cognitive decline, enhances functional recovery after stroke as well as attenuates the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy in animal models. Furthermore, IF induced several molecular and cellular adaptations in neurons that overall enhanced cellular stress resistance, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. In this review, the beneficial effects of IF on central neurological disorders are discussed. The information summarised in this review can be used to help contextualise existing research and better guide the development of future IF interventions.
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Haas, Elisa A., Mario J. A. Saad, Andrey Santos, Nicola Vitulo, Wilson J. F. Lemos Junior, Aline M. A. Martins, Carolina R. C. Picossi, et al. "A red wine intervention does not modify plasma trimethylamine N-oxide but is associated with broad shifts in the plasma metabolome and gut microbiota composition." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 7, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac286.
Abstract:
Abstract Background Gut microbiota profiles are closely related to cardiovascular diseases through mechanisms that include the reported deleterious effects of metabolites, such as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which have been studied as diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Moderate red wine (RW) consumption is reportedly cardioprotective, possibly by affecting the gut microbiota. Objective To investigate the effects of RW consumption on the gut microbiota, plasma TMAO, and the plasma metabolome in males with documented coronary artery disease (CAD) using a multiomics assessment in a crossover trial. Methods We conducted a randomized, crossover, controlled trial involving 42 males (average age, 60 years) with documented CAD comparing 3-week RW consumption (250 mL/day, 5 days/week) with an equal period of alcohol abstention, both preceded by a 2-week washout period. The gut microbiota was analyzed via 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Plasma TMAO was evaluated by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The plasma metabolome of 20 randomly selected participants was evaluated by ultra-high-performance LC-MS/MS. The effect of RW consumption was assessed by individual comparisons using paired tests during the abstention and RW periods. Results Plasma TMAO did not differ between RW intervention and alcohol abstention, and TMAO levels showed low intraindividual concordance over time, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.049 during the control period. After RW consumption, there was significant remodeling of the gut microbiota, with a difference in beta diversity and predominance of Parasutterella, Ruminococcaceae, several Bacteroides species and Prevotella. Plasma metabolomic analysis revealed significant changes in metabolites after RW consumption, consistent with improved redox homeostasis. Conclusions Modulation of the gut microbiota may contribute to the putative cardiovascular benefits of moderate RW consumption. The low intraindividual concordance of TMAO presents challenges regarding its role as a cardiovascular risk biomarker at the individual level. This study was registered at clinical trials.gov, NCT03232099.
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Nehama, Ilan, Taiki Todo, and Makoto Yokoo. "Manipulation-resistant false-name-proof facility location mechanisms for complex graphs." Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems 36, no. 1 (January 22, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10458-021-09535-5.
Abstract:
AbstractIn many real-life scenarios, a group of agents needs to agree on a common action, e.g., on a location for a public facility, while there is some consistency between their preferences, e.g., all preferences are derived from a common metric space. The facility location problem models such scenarios and it is a well-studied problem in social choice. We study mechanisms for facility location on unweighted undirected graphs that are resistant to manipulations (strategy-proof, abstention-proof, and false-name-proof) by both individuals and coalitions on one hand and anonymous and efficient (Pareto-optimal) on the other. We define a new family of graphs, $$ZV$$ ZV -line graphs, and show a general facility location mechanism for these graphs that satisfies all these desired properties. This mechanism can also be computed in polynomial time and it can equivalently be defined as the first Pareto-optimal location according to some predefined order. Our main result, the $$ZV$$ ZV -line graphs family and the mechanism we present for it, unifies all works in the literature of false-name-proof facility location on discrete graphs including the preliminary (unpublished) works we are aware of. In particular, we show mechanisms for all graphs of at most five vertices, discrete trees, bicliques, and clique tree graphs. Finally, we discuss some generalizations and limitations of our result for facility location problems on other structures: Weighted graphs, large discrete cycles, infinite graphs; and for facility location problems concerning infinite societies.
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Rabie, Dina, Mohamed Rashwan, and Rania Miniesy. "Fasting and honesty: Experimental evidence from Egypt." Economic Inquiry, February 21, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecin.13208.
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AbstractThis paper examines the effect of religious fasting on truth‐telling using a laboratory experiment in Egypt. While fasting‐induced religiosity may promote truth‐telling, the physiological and psychological changes during fasting, due to alimentary abstention and self‐control exertion, may reduce honesty, especially when fasting is augmented with effort. We examine this question by tracing individual truth‐telling decisions, in the absence and presence of additional effort, both before and during Ramadan. We find that neither effort nor fasting alone affects honesty, but exerting effort while fasting reduces honesty. We provide suggestive evidence on the mechanisms potentially driving this negative effect on honesty.
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Papp, Bendegúz. "An Analysis of ASEAN’s Cyclone Nargis 2008 Disaster Diplomacy." Asian International Studies Review, April 26, 2023, 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2667078x-bja10024.
Abstract:
Abstract Cyclone Nargis in 2008 is remembered as one of the deadliest disasters of modern Southeast Asia. Myanmar suffered the greatest losses of the states in the region, with more than a hundred thousand deaths and millions affected. The present research examines the events of the storm in a disaster diplomacy context. The methodological framework of the study is the Complex Adaptive System, which is applied through four properties and three mechanisms. According to the results, Cyclone Nargis hit the region in a cold international environment, and its treatment ended with a (to some extent) successful regional diplomatic outcome after easing the initial abstention. Among the variables of the CAS method, nonlinearity and aggregation, as well as internal model and building blocks, determined regional cooperation. The present case study shows that an extremely severe natural disaster is capable of promoting regional cooperation despite the actual cold political environment.
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Perez, Hugo, Carlos Gracia-Lazaro, Fabio Dercole, and Yamir Moreno. "Cooperation in costly-access environments." New Journal of Physics, June 23, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ac7b9d.
Abstract:
Abstract Understanding cooperative behavior in biological and social systems constitutes a scientific challenge, being the object of intense research over the past decades. Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain the presence and persistence of cooperation in those systems, showing that there is no unique explanation, as different scenarios have different possible driving forces. In this paper, we propose a model to study situations in which voluntary participation involves an access cost to the cooperative interaction, besides the cost associated with cooperation. The proposed Costly-Access Prisoner's Dilemma, a symmetric donation game with voluntary and costly participation, breaks the symmetry between abstainers and participants of the Voluntary Prisoner's Dilemma. A mean-field approach shows that, in well-mixed populations, the dynamic always leads the system to abstention. However, depending on the return parameter, numerical simulations in structured populations display an alternating behavior between mono-strategic, multi-stable, and coexistence phases. This behavior is fully explained through a theoretical analysis of the strategic motifs, the transitions being determined by the change in stability of those motifs.
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McWhirter, Laura, Heather Smyth, Ingrid Hoeritzauer, Anna Couturier, Jon Stone, and Alan J. Carson. "What is brain fog?" Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, December 6, 2022, jnnp—2022–329683. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2022-329683.
Abstract:
BackgroundThe term ‘brain fog’ is increasingly used colloquially to describe difficulties in the cognitive realm. But what is brain fog? What sort of experiences do people talk about when they talk about brain fog? And, in turn, what might this tell us about potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms? This study examined first-person descriptions in order to better understand the phenomenology of brain fog.MethodsPosts containing ‘brain fog’ were scraped from the social media platform Reddit, using python, over a week in October 2021. We examined descriptions of brain fog, themes of containing subreddits (topic-specific discussion forums), and causal attributions.Results1663 posts containing ‘brain fog’ were identified, 717 meeting inclusion criteria. 141 first person phenomenological descriptions depicted forgetfulness (51), difficulty concentrating (43), dissociative phenomena (34), cognitive ‘slowness’ and excessive effort (26), communication difficulties (22), ‘fuzziness’ or pressure (10) and fatigue (9). 50% (363/717) posts were in subreddits concerned with illness and disease: including COVID-19 (87), psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, autoimmune and functional disorders. 134 posts were in subreddits about drug use or discontinuation, and 44 in subreddits about abstention from masturbation. 570 posts included the poster’s causal attribution, the most frequent attribution being long COVID in 60/570 (10%).Conclusions‘Brain fog’ is used on Reddit to describe heterogeneous experiences, including of dissociation, fatigue, forgetfulness and excessive cognitive effort, and in association with a range of illnesses, drugs and behaviours. Encouraging detailed description of these experiences will help us better understand pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive symptoms in health and disease.
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-, Shilpa J. "Exploring Couvade Syndrome: the Surprising Symptoms of Sympathetic Pregnancy." International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research 6, no. 2 (April 7, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i02.16654.
Abstract:
This study describes the pivotal developmental phase of pregnancy and impending parenthood, highlighting the distinct experiences encountered by both expectant mothers and fathers. Couvade syndrome, informally termed sympathetic pregnancy, emerges in soon-to-be fathers who display symptoms mirroring those of their pregnant partners. Despite being often trivialized, Couvade syndrome can provoke distress in men, exhibiting symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues, psychological strain, and behavioral modifications. Although not formally acknowledged as a medical condition, its widespread occurrence underscores the necessity for deeper explorations into its causative factors. The term "couvade" originates from the French "couvee," signifying incubation or nurturing, coined by anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor in 1865. Across diverse cultures, Couvade syndrome has piqued interest due to its intriguing resemblance to pregnancy symptoms in men. The proposed rationales for this occurrence encompass psychological, physiological, and societal dimensions, encompassing anxiety, hormonal shifts, and gender roles. Several predisposing factors, including socioeconomic status, first-time parenthood, emotional stressors, and cultural background, may heighten susceptibility to Couvade syndrome. Manifestations range from physical discomforts to emotional turmoil and behavioral alterations, reflecting a multifaceted reaction to the imminent fatherhood journey. While no standardized treatment protocol exists for Couvade syndrome, coping mechanisms such as stress management, regular physical activity, wholesome nutrition, and abstention from substances like alcohol and drugs are recommended. Additionally, alternative modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), yoga, and pharmacotherapy may offer relief from symptoms. Couvade syndrome typically dissipates postpartum as fathers shift their focus to the newborn. Despite its transient nature, further research is imperative to deepen comprehension and extend support to expectant fathers during this distinctive transition to parenthood.
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Bonaccio, M., A. Di Castelnuovo, S. Costanzo, M. Persichillo, A. De Curtis, C. Cerletti, M. D. Donati, G. de Gaetano, and L. Iacoviello. "Combined healthy lifestyle factors and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular first hospitalization." European Journal of Public Health 29, Supplement_4 (November 1, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.474.
Abstract:
Abstract Background We aimed to explore the association of combined healthy lifestyles with risk of first hospitalization for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke in a southern Italian population-based cohort. We also investigated several biological mechanisms possibly on the pathway between lifestyles and health outcomes. Methods Longitudinal analysis on 23,161 men and women (aged≥35 y) recruited in the Moli-sani Study (2005-2010). We defined 4 healthy lifestyle factors as abstention from smoking; high adherence to Mediterranean diet; physical activity; absence of abdominal obesity. First hospital admissions for any and CVD-related causes were recorded by direct linkage with hospital discharge form registry. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated by multivariable Cox-regression. Results Over a median follow up of 7.2 y, we ascertained a total of 9,482 hospitalizations, 3,556 CVD, 939 IHD and 589 stroke-related hospital admissions. Adherence to all four healthy lifestyles, compared with none or 1, was associated with lower risk of hospitalization for any cause (HR = 0.82; 0.74-0.90), CVD (HR = 0.81;0.69-0.95) and IHD (HR = 0.63; 0.44-0.90) and, to a less extent, with stroke hospitalizations. Inflammatory biomarkers (e.g. C-reactive protein) were likely to partly explain the association between lifestyles and all-cause (14%) or CVD (15%) hospitalizations, while inflammation played a leading role towards risk of IHD (30%) and stroke-related hospital admissions (21%). Conclusions The impact of combined 4 healthy lifestyles on first hospitalization risk was considerable. Inflammatory biomarkers explained a large proportion of this association. Key messages Improvements to lifestyle reduce the risk of hospitalizations in a general adult population. Achieving a greater number of healthy behaviours has the potential to reduce the burden of hospitalizations and the associated healthcare costs.
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Kaneda, Kazuhiro, Masami Miyamae, Shingo Sugioka, Chika Okusa, Yoshitaka Inamura, Anna Onishi, Naochika Domae, Vincent M. Figueredo, and Junichiro Kotani. "Abstract 3889: Persistent Cardioprotection by Regular Ethanol Consumption After Abstention Depends on eNOS but not iNOS Activity After Reperfusion." Circulation 118, suppl_18 (October 28, 2008). http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/circ.118.suppl_18.s_498-a.
Abstract:
We previously found regular ethanol consumption induces cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury with persistent protection after abstention. The mechanism of this continued protection remains unclear. We now determine how long ethanol cardioprotection persists after abstention and whether inducible and/or endothelial nitric oxide synthase (iNOS and eNOS) play a role in this continued cardioprotection. Isolated perfused hearts from control (CTL) and ethanol-treated (ETOH) guinea pigs were subjected to 30 min global ischemia and 120 min reperfusion. ETOH received 5% ethanol in their drinking water for 8 weeks. I-R was performed on ETOH hearts at 0, 4, 7 and 14 days after abstention. To determine whether iNOS and eNOS play a role in this persistent cardioprotection, a NOS inhibitor, L-NAME (100μM) was given before ischemia or during reperfusion. Contractile recovery was monitored by left ventricular developed (LVDP) and end-diastolic (LVEDP) pressures. Infarct size (IS) was determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Myocardial iNOS and eNOS were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemically. After I-R, ETOH at 0, 4 and 7, but not 14 days abstention, had significantly higher LVDP (62±5, 64±5, 54±4, 34±3 vs . 26±3 mmHg, respectively), and lower LVEDP (17±6, 21±3, 30±6, 43±1 vs. 59±5 mmHg, respectively) compared to CTL. IS was significantly reduced in ETOH at 0, 4 and 7, but not 14 days abstention, compared to CTL (24±3, 24±2, 30±3, 37±2 vs. 47±3%, respectively). L-NAME given during reperfusion, but not before ischemia, abolished cardioprotection at 0 and 7 days abstention ( IS: 42±3, 45±3%, N.S. vs. CTL, respectively). Western blot analysis demonstrated upregulation of eNOS expression up to 7 days, but not 14 days abstention. Expression of iNOS was reduced at 0 day. eNOS immunoreactivity was greater at 0, 4 and 7 days and iNOS at 14 days, compared to CTL. Chronic cardioprotection against I-R by regular ethanol consumption persists for at least 7 days after abstention. Increased eNOS activity after reperfusion plays a role in this persistent cardioprotection.
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Aloutmani, B., N. Ismaili, and N. El Ouafi. "Therapeutic inertia in the management of hypertension by moroccan general practitioners." European Heart Journal 44, Supplement_2 (November 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad655.2343.
Abstract:
Abstract Background Hypertension is an important and remediable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therapeutic inertia has been identified as one of the main factors associated with poor blood pressure control. Purpose This study aims to evaluate predictive factors of therapeutic inertia in the management of hypertension among moroccan general practitioners. Methods We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, from October 2021 to January 2022, involving moroccan general practitioners using a standardized, anonymous questionnaire, covering numerous areas; their socio-demographic characteristics, assessment of hypertension knowledge, reasons not to intensify therapy and clinical scenarios. A univariate analysis was performed using the Chi-square test for the comparison of percentages. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was also applied to study variables possibly associated with therapeutic inertia. Results A total of 130 physicians participated in our study. The majority of the practitioners were female (62.3%). The average age was 38.61 years (±13,95). The percentage of physicians who had practiced for 5 years or less was 51.5% vs. 48,5% having practiced for more than 5 years. The median number of patients seen per day was estimated at 30 patients with an interquartile range of [15, 50]. The average medical visit time was estimated at 11,88 ± 7,03 minutes. The overall frequency of therapeutic inertia among general practitioners was estimated at 78,5% CI 95% [70,4-85,2]. Furthermore, the two main reasons for therapeutic abstention reported by physicians were: the importance of improving patient compliance, lifestyle and dietary measures before intensifying treatment (81,5%), in addition to the fact that the office blood pressure does not reflect the patient's "true" BP and didn’t need any further ambulatory monitoring (43,8%). Multivariable regression showed that when the patient is diabetic, the general practitioners tend to be 4 times more ‘therapeutically inert’ [OR 4.42 (95% CI 1.2–7.23)]. A patient’s history of ischemic stroke was also positively associated with TI [OR 1.53 (95% CI 1.23–4.23)]. Conclusion This study revealed a significant frequency of therapeutic inertia in primary care. A good understanding of the determinants of this phenomenon will lead to better management of hypertension and therefore better blood pressure control. According to our study, a history of diabetes or stroke was positively associated with inertia, even though this would normally require exhaustive BP control. Thus, the development of operational and consensual definitions based on empirical data and the exploration of the intimate mechanisms underlying this inertia is of crucial importance.Table 1
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Mishra, Dr Charu C. "Practice of Abstinence: Evaluating Gandhi in Retrospect." SMART MOVES JOURNAL IJELLH 2, no. 7 (May 17, 2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.24113/ijellh.v2i7.199.
Abstract:
(International Seminar on Making of Gandhi, 10-12 March 2011, Shivaji Univ. Kolhapur) Abstinence is a voluntary act of restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to Sexual abstinence or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations. Abstinence has diverse forms. Commonly it refers to a temporary or partial abstinence from food, as in fasting. Because the regimen is intended to be a conscious act, freely chosen to enhance life, abstinence is sometimes distinguished from the psychological mechanism of repression. The latter is an unconscious state, having unhealthy consequences. Freud termed the channeling of sexual energies into other more culturally or socially acceptable activities through “sublimation”. Abstinence may also arise from an ascetic element, present in most faiths, or from a subjective need for spiritual discipline. In its religious context, abstinence is meant to elevate the believer beyond the normal life
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Liu, Wen, Linzi Liu, Zijing Deng, Ruina Liu, Tao Ma, Yide Xin, Yu Xie, Yifang Zhou, and Yanqing Tang. "Associations between impulsivity and fecal microbiota in individuals abstaining from methamphetamine." CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics 30, no. 2 (February 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cns.14580.
Abstract:
AbstractIntroductionMethamphetamine (MA) abuse is a major public problem, and impulsivity is both a prominent risk factor and a consequence of addiction. Hence, clarifying the biological mechanism of impulsivity may facilitate the understanding of addiction to MA. The microbiota–gut–brain axis was suggested to underlie a biological mechanism of impulsivity induced by MA.MethodsWe therefore recruited 62 MA addicts and 50 healthy controls (HCs) to investigate the alterations in impulsivity and fecal microbiota and the associations between them in the MA group. Thereafter, 25 MA abusers who abstained from MA for less than 3 months were followed up for 2 months to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and microbiota as abstinence became longer. 16S rRNA sequencing was conducted for microbiota identification.ResultsElevated impulsivity and dysbiosis characterized by an increase in opportunistic pathogens and a decrease in probiotics were identified in MA abusers, and both the increased impulsivity and disrupted microbiota tended to recover after longer abstinence from MA. Impulsivity was related to microbiota, and the effect of MA abuse on impulsivity was mediated by microbiota.ConclusionOur findings potentially highlighted the importance of abstention and implicated the significant role of the microbiota–gut–brain axis in the interrelationship between microbiota and behaviors, as well as the potential of microbiota as a target for intervention of impulsivity.
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Becker, Elisa, Stella Kozmér, Matthias B. Aulbach, and Natalia S. Lawrence. "The relationship between meat disgust and meat avoidance—A chicken-and-egg problem." Frontiers in Nutrition 9 (September 2, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.958248.
Abstract:
Feelings of disgust toward meat have been researched for at least 30 years, but so far the causal relationship that may link meat disgust and meat consumption has remained elusive. Two possible pathways have been proposed in previous literature: the more common pathway seems to be that meat disgust is developed after a transition to vegetarianism, potentially via the process of moralization and recruitment of (moral) disgust. Other accounts suggest the existence of a second pathway in which disgust initiates the avoidance of meat and this can be explained by existing theories of disgust functioning as a pathogen avoidance mechanism and meat serving as a pathogen cue. However, the evidence base for either relationship remains thin and to our knowledge no research has examined whether temporary meat abstention can lead to increases in meat disgust, as the first pathway suggests. We measured meat disgust and meat intake in n = 40 meat eaters before and after attempting a meat-free diet for 1 month (while taking part in the annual vegan campaign Veganuary). Although most participants lapsed to eating meat during this period, we found that reductions in meat intake during the month were predictive of increases in meat disgust afterwards. This supports the view that meat disgust is expressed as a result of meat avoidance in meat eaters. Implications for theoretical understanding of the relationship between meat disgust and meat avoidance, as well as the development of disgust based interventions are discussed.