bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic Court of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Authors: Douhan Alena
Published: September 2024

The Economic Court of the Commonwealth of Independent States (‘CIS Economic Court’) is a regional international court. It was established in 1992, shortly after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, with the purpose of settling economic disputes between the newly independent States (Art. 5 Agreement on the Measures to Ensure an Accounting between Enterprises of CIS States of 12 May 1992). The Agreement on the Status of the CIS Economic Court was signed on 06 July 1992 (‘CIS EC Agreement’). In fact, it has been designed as a substitute for the USSR Supreme Economic Court. In accordance with Art. 32 Charter of the Commonwealth of Independent States (‘CIS Charter’) the CIS Economic Court became a CIS organ. The Court is located in Minsk, Belarus.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Authors: Mechlem Kerstin
Published: September 2024

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (‘FAO’), alongside the → World Food Programme (WFP) and the → International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is one of the three Rome-based so-called ‘food agencies’. FAO was founded on 16 October 1945, eight days before the itself. The idea originated at the ‘United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture of 18 May to 3 June 1943 at Hot Springs, Virginia, USA, an initiative of President Franklin D Roosevelt.
Haya de la Torre Cases
Authors: Hailbronner Kay , Pohlmann Monika
Published: September 2024

Following an unsuccessful military rebellion in Peru on 3 October 1948, the American People’s Revolutionary Alliance (‘Alliance’), a political party, was banned and a decree was issued charging the Alliance with having organized and directed the military rebellion and ordering the prosecution of its leaders. Shortly thereafter, criminal proceedings were initiated in Peru against the Alliance’s leader, Victor Raul Haya de la Torre, and others in the Alliance for the crime of military rebellion. After three months in hiding, Haya de la Torre sought and obtained asylum in the Colombian Embassy in Lima on 3 January 1949 (→ Asylum, Diplomatic). Despite several months of diplomatic correspondence (→ Diplomatic Communications, Forms of), Colombia and Peru were unable to reach an agreement as to whether Colombia had the right to grant asylum and whether Haya de la Torre should be surrendered to the Peruvian authorities or granted a safe-conduct out of the country (→ Safe-Conduct and Safe Passage).
Conclusion
Authors: Kowol Kit
Published: September 2024

The chapter argues that, while Conservatives lost the 1945 general election, they ‘won’ the Second World War. It suggests that, compared to the revolutionary changes Conservatives feared in 1939 and 1940, changes to Britain’s economy, class system, Empire, and constitution were relatively mild. Moreover, it highlights how certain elements of British life, notably militarisation and the strengthened link between Church and State, were in fact welcomed by Conservatives. It argues that Conservative ‘success’ during the war was due to four main factors: the Party’s parliamentary advantage, the self-confidence provided by its particular interpretation of Dunkirk, continued support for the principles of liberal militarism, and Churchill’s success in limiting internal Party opposition.
The Wonder of Quantum Spin
Authors: Satija Indubala I.
Published: September 2024

The Wonder of Quantum Spin is a confection of the history and the science of quantum spin covering two centuries of the golden era in mathematics and physics. First glimpses of spin appeared nearly 200 years ago in the study of rotations where spinors emerged as a new entity that changes sign after a 360 degree rotation, reminiscent of the Mobius geometry. A century later, quantum spin described by the spinor was discovered in physics. Among many other things, it led to the discovery of antimatter, raised the possibility of parity violation, and gave the first warning that protons and neutrons are not elementary. The MRI—one of the most important medical advances of the twentieth century—is an application of quantum spin to humanity. As we approach the centennial of the discovery of spin in Nature, the spin mystique prevails as we have no clue of what exactly spinning is. On the other hand, the theoretical framework underlying the spin determines why we exist, explains the mysteries of the 3000 years-old phenomena of magnetism, is behind the precision measurements of electron and muon spin magnetic moments displaying a mindboggling confrontation between theory and experiment that serves as an ambassador to quantum physics. Some of the other frontiers of physics that revolve around spin-1/2 include exotic states of matter known as topological insulators and the qubit—the quantum bits for tomorrow’s computers.
Introduction
Authors: Satija Indubala I.
Published: September 2024

The central theme of this chapter is to highlight the mathematical beauty that pervades the laws of Nature and the astonishing predicting power of the mathematics in designing the world in which we live. Here is a description of the mass, the charge, and the spin as the three main attributes of fundamental particles. Even though the mass is a complex beast attributed to the Higgs field, the spin is perhaps the most mysterious property of elementary particles. It was discovered in physics about hundred years ago, however, its shadow can be seen in Euler’s identity which is the gold standard of mathematical beauty. The discovery of quantum spin in physics about a century ago was perhaps one of the greatest milestones in the history of scientific discoveries of the last century.
Pseudo-Spin-1/2 Models and Topological States of Matter
Authors: Satija Indubala I.
Published: September 2024

This chapter is a gateway to the exploration of the exotic states of matter—the topological insulators and superconductors within the framework of spin-1/2 models. The chapter introduces topological concepts and describes how topology manages to sneak into the description of the macroscopic states in view of energy gap underlying the spectral properties. Discussion includes models for quantum Hall, quantum spin Hall, and topological superconductors and the underlying topological invariant along with the central role played by the edge modes. Here is a description of Majorana fermions and zero Majorana modes exhibiting exotic properties, appearing as quasiparticles in condensed matter systems. Topics covered also include the ten-fold classification of topological states based on time reversal and particle-hole symmetries and the role of Clifford algebra in this classification.
Structural Injustice and the Two Faces of Vulnerability
Authors: Schiff Jade
Published: September 2024

In Chapter 7, ‘Structural Injustice and the Two Faces of Vulnerability’, Jade Schiff addresses vulnerability as a central problem of structural injustice. She identifies two dimensions of vulnerability: ‘precarity’ (the condition of having relatively weak social, economic and political supports) and ‘fragility’ (the condition of struggling to adapt to changes in social, political and economic environments)—both of which are social. Schiff argues that we ought to transform society from one that systematically makes many populations vulnerable into one in which ameliorating vulnerability is among its most important goals. Schiff is particularly interested in the ways in which structural injustice establishes entrenched relations of privilege and privation between dominating groups who are relatively insulated from vulnerability and oppressed groups who are relatively exposed to it. Schiff argues that, if we understand distribution as the circulation of relations, then we can understand the unequal distribution of vulnerability as a problem of structural injustice. Privilege is also relational and is also circulated. Crises expose the contingency of relations of vulnerability and privilege. In these moments of crisis, the vulnerability of the privileged is exposed and they seek to displace their humiliation onto subordinated populations. Exposing the ideology of precarity and fragility is necessary for the vulnerable to push for structural change but, as Schiff warns, will generate reactionary counter-movements by dominant groups intent on securing their threatened privilege.
Regulation of Public Life II
Authors: Nicholls Colin , Bacarese Alan , Maton James , Scott Rachel , Hatchard John
Published: September 2024

This chapter sets out the reforms in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, relating to the setting up of the Supreme Court, and the independence of the judiciary; judicial appointments, accountability, discipline and removal of judges, and the provisions in the revised Guide to Judicial Conduct published in 2020. The Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code, including business appointments and the relationship with lobbyists. Codes of conduct in local government, including the police and prison services and the accountability of Non-Departmental Public Bodies.
Outlier Aesthetics
Authors: Lopes Dominic McIver
Published: September 2024

Ideological beauty ideals are weaponized aesthetics because they stem from and compound social injustice around disability. They figure in concepts of the default or majority body, and they function to licence and normalize treatment of disabled people as incompetent. A case study of tactile images that can be made and used by blind people is presented. The case illustrates how some aesthetic injustice stems from and contributes to weaponized aesthetics. In particular, it illustrates how a failure to acknowledge the aesthetic competence of blind people in tactile imaging subverts an interest in the value diversity of aesthetic cultures.
Adoption, Personal Status, and Jewish Law
Authors: Broyde Michael J.
Published: September 2024

There are two basic models of adoption found in legal systems. One framework has a full legal category of adoption, by which children become—as a matter of law—as if they were born to the adoptive parents and the original biological relationship is severed; this is the modern American model. The second construct has no legal category of adoption at all and denies that children legally become as if they were born to the adoptive parents. The Jewish tradition (like Islamic law and the ancient common law) is in this second construct and instead views such situations as a form of raising the children of another, or long-term foster care. The differences between these two approaches are quite dramatic. This article will focus on Jewish law, and will allow the reader to see how Jewish law—with no legal category of adoption—addresses situations where children need a new home and allows a contrast with the modern American law.
Christian Perspectives on Prenatal Diagnosis
Authors: Peterson-Iyer Karen
Published: September 2024

With the development of ever-more precise technologies of prenatal testing and diagnosis, the experience of pregnancy has become increasingly complex for pregnant persons and couples. Ethical responses have tended toward either a single-minded promotion of individual autonomy (and free choice) on the one hand, or a decidedly traditionalist rejection of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion on the other. Navigating between these poles, Christian ethics, at its best, dictates a broader moral analysis, one that does honor personal freedom, but in the context of a more robust understanding of the human person. By examining several interconnected Christian theological themes—human dignity, the relief of suffering, a posture of radical hospitality, the meaning of parenthood, the common good, freedom as co-creation, and the fundamental goodness of nature—this chapter forges a moral path that both honors and pushes beyond an emphasis on individual autonomy in order to offer a more nuanced Christian perspective on prenatal diagnosis.
The Banking Sector in Zambia
Authors: Fundanga Caleb M.
Published: September 2024

The chapter defines the banking sector in Zambia. It looks at the history of banking in the country. Banking in the colonial period through to independence and post-independence developments are examined. The chapter further looks at private and state sector participation in the banking sector. The chapter then looks at the role of the Central Bank (Bank of Zambia) in the regulation and growth of the banking sector. The chapter examines the size of the sector in terms of its contribution to the GDP, the competitiveness of the sector, and the role that private banks continue to play in the economy, in particular with regard to financial inclusion in general and contribution to meeting the development objectives of the government in particular.
The Education Sector
Authors: Chama-Chiliba Chitalu Miriam , Funjika Patricia , Simunchembu Kangalu Besnart , Nsokolo Denny
Published: September 2024

This chapter examines the major changes, challenges, and achievements of the education sector in Zambia, post-independence to 2021 from an economic development perspective. The chapter shows that while access to education at all levels has improved, the quality of education is still lagging. General education has been characterized by an increase in enrolments and infrastructure developments, leading to universal access to primary school education, and gender disparities have reduced, particularly at the primary school level. However, most of the children in the school system are performing below par and not achieving desired competencies. The proliferation of private and public universities has increased enrolments, but access to tertiary education remains low, and skills mismatch persists, resulting in challenges in translating educational attainment to productivity and economic development. The chapter concludes that concerted efforts to improve the quality of education relevant to the Zambian economy, focusing on its intended outcomes, are crucial for sustaining economic progress.
Learning from the Land
Authors: Amundsen-Meyer Lindsay , Ayoungman Vivian
Published: September 2024

Archaeology as a discipline relies heavily on experiential learning within the landscape and through interaction with material culture. This fits well with Indigenous pedagogies, which are largely oral and rely on land-based learning and storytelling as teaching tools. Harnessing these synergies, the authors ran a pilot archaeological training program on the Siksika First Nation in 2020, a partnership between Old Sun Community College and the University of Calgary. The goal of this program was to engage Siksika students with a culturally meaningful curriculum to foster interest in heritage and to teach skills needed for successful employment in archaeology, increasing the capacity of this Indigenous community to study its own history. This chapter will explore the teaching pedagogy and describe the unique teaching and learning experiences created by this integrated approach, which allowed students to make connections between Siksika cultural knowledge and the archaeological record.
Researching Closed Fields
Authors: Badr Hanan
Published: September 2024

Communication studies cannot afford to dismiss studying closed contexts. Acknowledging the problematic ethical and safety dilemmas, this chapter critically explores the nuanced ways of doing field research in closed media contexts. Drawing on the concept of “closed contexts,” the chapter discusses the balance between safety and meaningful knowledge. Situating the debate within the critical research paradigm that calls to de-Westernize communication studies, the chapter details differences and dilemmas of investigating closed research realities and argues that a categorical dismissal is not productive for communication studies. Conducting meaningful scholarship under constrained conditions, inaccessible terrains, and invisible phenomena in disruptive settings raises a series of questions. The chapter raises awareness and calls for self-reflexive practices. Putting three suggestions forward, the chapter calls for nuanced research that transforms excellence criteria; pushes for cross-disciplinary fertilization between communication studies and area studies; and invites diasporic scholars, with their unique epistemic position, to take a stronger role in knowledge production.
Pedagogies of Resistance
Authors: Sartoretto Paola
Published: September 2024

Brazil’s history is marked by struggles between a White elite that has maintained political and economic power and marginalized groups who struggle for rights and material resources. This chapter discusses how communication has been strategically deployed for political resistance among different marginalized groups facing hostile political scenarios, from dictatorship in the 1970s, through the intensification of neoliberalism in the 1980s and 1990s, to the emergence of extreme right actors that culminated in the election of Jair Bolsonaro in 2018. In the face of hostile political scenarios, marginalized communities have succeeded in mobilizing collectively. Social movements have recognized communication as a strategic aspect of mobilization, consciously appropriating technologies and engaging in media politics. This has resulted in accumulated knowledge that has been circulated among social movements in constant dialogue with academia. Members of social movements in Brazil have become not only political actors in their own fields but also media activists.
Criminalization and Decriminalization of Same-Sex Sexuality
Authors: Constantinides Aristoteles
Published: September 2024

Almost a third of UN member states still criminalize private same-sex sexual conduct between consenting adults and many punish such conduct with severe penalties. Such criminalization—irrespective of enforcement—stigmatizes and discriminates against LGBTIQ persons, sustaining an intolerant social environment conducive to various forms of violence against them and denial of their human rights. The first part of this chapter focuses on the trajectory of criminalization: its religious roots in the Bible, the secularization of the crime of sodomy in England in 1533 and its worldwide expansion through (British) colonialism, and its contemporary defences in parts of the Global South, based on a combination of anti-Western/anti-colonial sentiment, cultural relativist arguments, and conservative narratives of traditional religious and family values. The second part tells the story of decriminalization: its liberal origins in the Enlightenment and in Mill’s harm principle, the evolving international human rights legal framework, and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and other international and regional courts and treaty bodies on the right to private life and non-discrimination, which has led to an ongoing wave of decriminalization through legislative reforms and especially domestic judicial decisions, particularly in commonwealth jurisdictions.
Queering International Criminal Law
Authors: Sauermoser Andreas
Published: September 2024

Sexual and gender minorities face various forms of human rights violations, ranging from laws criminalizing same-sex conduct to targeted attacks aimed at eradicating them. This chapter examines how sexual and gender minorities are protected under the regime of international criminal law. It reflects on progress in criminalizing violence against sexual and gender minorities and addresses the challenges of recognizing and understanding these crimes. It concentrates on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which for the first time enables an international court, the ICC, to prosecute core crimes against sexual and gender minorities. The chapter focuses on the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity, enshrined in Articles 6 and 7 of the Rome Statute. For gender persecution as a crime against humanity, this chapter argues that sexual orientation should be read into the term ‘gender’ as defined in Article 7(3) of the Rome Statute. However, when it comes to the persecution of intersex persons, the limits of the Rome Statute’s definition of gender are demonstrated.
Authoritarianism in South America
Authors: Roberts Kenneth M.
Published: September 2024

Although South America has a long history of pendular swings between authoritarianism and democracy, the region shifted decisively toward democracy in the 1980s, and has largely maintained democratic rule since. Over time, however, the institutional fragilities and social deficits of democratic regimes have left them susceptible to destabilizing forms of social mobilization and political polarization. In that context, authoritarian currents of varied political persuasions have reemerged, on both the left and right flanks of national political orders. In contrast to historical patterns of military coups and revolutionary armed struggle, contemporary manifestations of authoritarianism often compete in the democratic arena and make populist appeals to disenchanted mass publics to circumvent or dismantle the institutional checks and balances of democratic regimes. South America, therefore, despite its achievements during the Third Wave of democratization, is not immune to the patterns of democratic backsliding seen across much of the world in recent times.
Multisectoral Health Service Delivery and Disease Surveillance System in Malawi
Authors: Nyasulu Peter Suwirakwenda , Tamuzi Jacques Lukenze
Published: September 2024

Nearly 85% of the population in Malawi lives in rural areas, making access to health service delivery and protection from diseases difficult. Malawi’s health service delivery and disease surveillance heavily relies on a multi-sectoral approach paradigm, with the government, church, and traditional sector providing healthcare for the population. However, Malawi’s health sector is almost entirely focused on healthcare services, leaving the potential that comes with multisectoral collaboration untapped, leading to poor disease surveillance and service delivery and hence poor health outcomes. This chapter therefore assesses the health and economic benefits of disease surveillance in a multisectoral approach to boost the overall economic growth and development prospects. The chapter develops a framework to assess whether health has an impact on economic growth, and the role of multiple stakeholders in improving health and well-being. It also illustrates how disease surveillance can support disease interventions and how a disease-free society can boost economic growth.
Wetland Farming Systems in the Context of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Potential in Malawi
Authors: Makwinja Rodgers , Curtis Christopher J. , Tesfamichael Solomon G.
Published: September 2024

Malawi is endowed with wetland ecosystems that provide essential services to the country’s people and the environment. As in the rest of the world, however, the wetlands are facing a challenge to sustain their services due to, among others, a lack of research-based evidence to support a farming system that balances food production and efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This chapter critically analyses the link between Malawi’s dominant wetland farming systems and GHG emissions. It addresses the following research questions: To what extent will converting wetlands for aquaculture and rice production contribute to GHG emissions, and what could be the potential implications? Given the trade-offs in climate change mitigation efforts and food production, to what extent will the integration of the two farming systems mitigate GHG emissions? The chapter instigates debate to uncover much-needed data on how much GHG Malawi’s wetland farming has contributed to global emissions, its implications, and future interventions.
Drivers of Labour Productivity in Malawi
Authors: Shawa Ken Chamuva
Published: September 2024

The chapter utilizes quantile regression to decipher heterogeneous effects on labour productivity in Malawi. In general, the results show that labour productivity in Malawi is influenced by urbanization rate, gross capital formation, inflation rate, education expenditure, male labour force participation rate, trade, and foreign direct investment. Female labour force participation rate and elder dependency ratio were found to have no influence on labour productivity at any quantile level. Ordinary least squares regression results, on the other hand, show only gross capital formation, gross domestic saving, and education expenditure as significant drivers of labour productivity. The study proposes policies that harness employment dynamics in the urban sector, encourage domestic investment and improve the quality of foreign direct investment, enhance human capital development, boost labour force participation, and enhance trade. Further, there is the need to consider heterogeneous effects on labour productivity in the conduct of economic and labour market policies.
Digital Technologies and Economic Development in Malawi
Authors: Chavula Hopestone Kayiska
Published: September 2024

As is the case with many developing countries, especially in Africa, Malawi has not benefited from or capitalized on the opportunities brought about by the previous industrial revolutions, hence weakening its position with regard to its international competitiveness. Malawi has not made significant progress towards being a technologically driven economy as stipulated in its national development strategies and plans. This chapter develops an analytical framework to examine the evolution of ICT, science, and technology-related policy developments in Malawi and assess the extent to which these developments have put the country on a trajectory towards exploiting the potential that comes with the advent of new digital technologies underpinning the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Among others, the study emphasizes the need for policies that accelerate the growth of technology and a technology-driven economic ecosystem and spur innovation, automation, and digitalization, with the aim of scaling up existing businesses to create job opportunities.
Development Aid and Institutional Design
Authors: Chasukwa Michael , Dulani Boniface , Zuka Sane
Published: September 2024

The chapter engages qualitative research design to understand interests of actors in pooled funds and power games played in the institutional design of pooled funds with reference to the Local Development Fund (LDF) in Malawi. Furthermore, the chapter examines how formal and informal power games are played by actors in the development aid sector and how these games have shaped, and seek to shape, the institutional design of the LDF as a pooled fund. The chapter establishes that cooperation between and among development partners and domestic institutions is limited in terms of the extent to which they can work together without hindering each other in the process as they work to satisfy their respective formal and silent interests. The chapter argues that local actors play both formal and informal power games to influence institutional design, and development partners dominate through formal power games, but ultimately engage in informal power games too.
Regional Parties
Authors: Ziegfeld Adam
Published: September 2024

India’s regional political parties have long constituted an important component of the country’s party system. This chapter begins by defining regional parties based on their one shared characteristic: geographic concentration of electoral support. The chapter then describes India’s regional parties in two ways. The first examines how strikingly heterogeneous this group of parties is on virtually all dimensions other than the geography of their electoral support, including message and origin. The second charts their role in politics over time, from their initial prominence in a growing number of states (1951–89) to their substantial clout in national politics (1991–2009), and more recently their diminished role at the Centre but growing prominence in opposing the BJP (2014-present). Next, the chapter turns to scholarly treatments of regional parties, identifying three crucial empirical puzzles associated with India’s regional parties: their relative success in cross-national comparison, their rise in the 1990s, and their variation in success across India. Whereas scholars have made considerable progress explaining the rise of regional parties, these other puzzles have received less attention as has the question of regional parties’ impact on politics. The chapter concludes with suggestions on how future research might usefully proceed to better understand regional parties in India.
Women in Indian Politics
Authors: Spary Carole
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses developments of the last 20 years in women’s political participation and representation in India. It discusses India’s stalled progress in improvements to women’s descriptive representation, despite progress in local government since the 1990s. Recent milestones in women’s political leadership are discussed, including first appointments and elections to constitutional offices, and senior women political leaders’ party leadership. However, notable exceptions aside, senior women leaders’ presence has declined recently since the passing of a generation. On substantive representation of ‘women’s interests’, governments and political parties continue to invoke women’s diverse, intersectional political subjectivities as voters, citizens, clients, community members, workers, and more, and with recognition of women’s increasingly mobilised voting power. Nevertheless, women, especially among marginalised communities, are regularly still denied full agency, justice, rights, and entitlements, and experience continued, new, and re-worked forms of violence, including in electoral politics. Finally, research on women in Indian politics, an already rich inter-disciplinary field, has diversified further in recent years, aided by advancements in qualitative and quantitative data generation and accessibility. Considerations of women’s political agency have become more integrated in studies of Indian electoral politics. Global research communities, particularly European and North American research communities in gender and politics and democratic politics generally, who are beginning to respond to calls for greater inclusivity, could benefit from much-deserved attention to Indian women’s diverse political experiences. The chapter’s final section and conclusion highlights new challenges, directions, and questions for future research, acknowledging there is still plenty more to do.
Muslim Representation
Authors: Farooqui Adnan
Published: September 2024

This chapter investigates the political under-representation of Indian Muslims, focusing exclusively on the Lok Sabha. It dissects the spatial and institutional factors contributing to their limited presence in the legislative arena, specifically analysing nomination and election patterns. By unravelling the intricacies of this issue, the chapter provides insights into the challenges faced by Indian Muslims in securing adequate representation within the Lok Sabha and highlights the broader consequences of their under-representation in the political landscape.
Coercive Instruments of the State
Authors: Verma Arvind
Published: September 2024

India remains an open and democratic society but the government functions largely by coercion in the administration of the country. Policies and procedures are thrust upon the people with little consultation and engagement. The police, the de facto coercive apparatus of the state, is known for using brute force, and functions without any accountability to the citizens. The police are backed by a large number of laws which provide them discretionary powers to arrest or detain suspects. India remains one of the few democratic countries that retains preventive detention laws on its statute books. Additionally, the police-political nexus runs deep, and the politicisation of the police is now an accepted norm. There is also an alarmingly trend in officers eager to anticipate the desires of political leaders and to act sue motto against opponents or critics of the ruling party. Accordingly, violations of citizen rights are visible in every part of the country. This chapter examines the coercive apparatus created by the government and provides evidence of an organisational culture that promotes the misuse of force by officers. It also discusses the implications for the democratic functioning of society.
The Indian Cabinet
Authors: Mehra Ajay K.
Published: September 2024

The Cabinet, a key institution of governance in the Westminster model, was adopted by the framers of the Indian Constitution for independent Indian Republic. However, in over seven decades of its operation, the institution has evolved independently of the adopted and adapted model and developed its own characteristics. The debates on the Cabinet system in India have pointed out the during Nehru’s heydays between 1955–62, the system developed the characteristics of what Richard Crossman described as the Prime Ministerial system. Following Indira Gandhi’s consolidation in Indian politics since 1970, the same slide back took place. During the period of coalition governments, some semblance of the Cabinet System returned. The experimentation of governance during a decade long period of the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who led the United Progressive Alliance coalition, weakened the Cabinet System that had two centres of power. With the ascension to power of Narendra Modi, who leads a majority coalition government of National Democratic Alliance, there has again been return to the Prime Ministerial government. The Cabinet has been weakened as an institution.
The Changing Nature of Federalism in India
Authors: Saxena Rekha
Published: September 2024

The Indian Constitution is based on two ideas that seem to go against each other: federalism and parliamentarianism. Federalism is based on the idea that political power should be spread out, while the parliamentary system is based on legislation. India's choice of a parliamentary federal constitution was based on its large number of different groups, its history of the subcontinent being split up, the effects of British colonial rule, and the joining of the princely states. In India, federalism has changed a lot in the last sixty years, both in terms of what it is and how it works. Some of these changes have been caused by changes in the world around India. The use and abuse of executive and legislative powers have led to a number of changes to the Federal model, both on a theoretical and a practical level.
Political Leadership in India
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh
Published: September 2024

Political Leadership has remained an under-researched area in the discipline of Political Science, despite its criticality for the functioning of democracy. The chapter refers to the factors that explain the academic neglect. It discusses how the Leadership Study helps in understanding political and economic changes and developments during the political life of a particular leader. It also helps in understanding the processes of party formation, and policy agendas and symbolism, especially if parties and party systems are fluid and weakly institutionalised and partisanship is low, as is the case in India. In addition, the study of the social profile of political leaders also helps in analysing the shifting nature of political representation. The chapter discusses how the social and institutional complexity in India requires political leaders to mix and blend eclectically their political styles. The chapter notes a discernible shift in the language of politics used by the present day political leaders, especially at the state level, as compared to the ones who belonged to the ‘Congress era’ and attributes it to the different institutional and political ecology that now prevails in India.
POLITICS IN THE THIRD TIER
Authors: Mathew George
Published: September 2024

It is widely recognised that self-governing village communities characterised by agrarian economies had existed in India from the earliest times. Not only are they mentioned in the Rig Veda, which between 1500 and 1200 BCE, there is also definite evidence available of the existence of village "sabhas" (councils or assemblies) and "gramins" (senior persons of the village) until about 600 B.C. These village bodies were the lines of contact with higher authorities on matters affecting the villages. In course of time, these village bodies took the form of panchayats (an assembly of five persons) which looked after the affairs of the village. They had both police and judicial powers. Custom and religion elevated them to a sacred position of authority. Besides the village panchayats, there were also caste panchayats, to ensure that persons belonging to a particular caste adhered to its code of social conduct and ethics. If this was a general pattern in the Indo-Gangetic plains, in the south, village panchayats generally had a village assembly whose executive body consisted of representatives of various groups and castes. It will not be wide off the mark if we say that these village bodies, both in north and south India, had been the pivot of administration, the centre of social life, and, above all, a focus of social solidarity. Even during the medieval and Mughal periods, this characteristic of the village panchayats remained unchanged. Sir Charles Metcalfe, the provisional governor general of India (1835–36), had called the Indian village communities "the little republics." This article analyses the evolution of panchayats and municipalities as third tier since British times. How strong is the political party participation in the local governments in India today? How effective are the municipalities and panchayats in governance and service delivery? How are the political parties monitoring and participating in the municipalities and panchayats?
Comparative study about the therapeutic effect of cTBS and rTMS in the treatment of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia
Authors: Gao Xiaofeng , Ni Yanfei , Hu Weiming , Wang Guomin , He Xianyan
Published: September 2024

Objective

This study aims to compare the therapeutic effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) treatment in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs).

Methods

We enrolled 64 schizophrenia patients with AVHs who were treated with either rTMS (n = 32) or cTBS (n = 32), and we compared the clinical outcomes by evaluating parameters from motor evoked potentials, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS), and MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), as well as the changes of serum neurotrophic factors before and after the treatment.

Results

After the treatment, both treatments resulted in reduced PANSS scores, with the cTBS group showing more substantial symptom improvement across positive, negative, and general symptoms, highlighting the enhanced efficacy of cTBS. Cognitive functions assessed by MCCB also improved in both groups, with cTBS showing a generally higher therapeutic effect. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) increased following treatment in both groups, with a more notable increase after cTBS, while GABA and glutamate levels remained unchanged. Cardiovascular indices were unaffected by either treatment, suggesting no significant impact on cardiovascular health.

Conclusions

Our study found that both rTMS and cTBS treatment can exhibit therapeutic effects in the management of AVHs in patients with schizophrenia. However, cTBS treatment generally shows a higher therapeutic effect than rTMS treatment.
Socially Responsible Finance: How to Optimize Impact
Authors: Landier Augustin , Lovo Stefano
Published: September 2024

Can a socially responsible fund (SRF) improve social welfare while maximizing assets under management? We consider a two-sector model integrating financial intermediation, emissions’ negative externalities, and investors’ social preferences with regard to value alignment and impact. In scenarios with a high proportion of value-aligned investors, the SRF invests in clean sectors and compels recipients companies to use low-emission suppliers from the polluting sector, which appeals to both investor types. Alternatively, the SRF adopts a dual-fund approach, with one fund targeting clean sectors for value-aligned investors and another focusing on reducing direct emissions in polluting sectors to attract impact investors.
A rare disease with many faces: a multicentre registry of IgG4-related disease in children
Authors: Kaya Akca Ummusen , Kose Hulya , Kurt Tuba , Ulu Kadir , Guliyeva Vafa , Kılbas Gulsah , Arslanoglu Ceyda , Yildirim Deniz Gezgin , Demir Selcan , Sahin Sezgin , Kısaarslan Aysenur Pac , Kasap Demir Belde , Sonmez Hafize Emine , Koker Oya , Yardimci Gozde Kubra , Ekici Mustafa , Kilic Sara Sebnem , Celikel Acar Banu , Sozeri Betul , Aktay Ayaz Nuray , Yuksel Selcuk , Bakkaloglu Sevcan Azime , Kasapcopur Ozgur , Saglam Emine Arzu , Karadag Omer , Ozen Seza , Bilginer Yelda
Published: September 2024

Objectives

We aimed to report the characteristics of paediatric IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) through a multicentre registry, to assess disease clusters, and to evaluate the performances of the 2019 American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) classification criteria and the 2020 revised comprehensive diagnostic (RCD) criteria in this cohort.

Methods

Data of IgG4-RD patients in 13 paediatric rheumatology centres were recorded to a web-based registration system. The diagnosis of IgG4-RD was made according to the 2011 comprehensive diagnostic criteria.

Results

Thirty-five children (19 females and 16 males) with IgG4-RD were enrolled. The median age at diagnosis was 13.3 (25p-75p; 9.9–15.2) years. The most common organ involvement was the eye (n = 21, 60%), followed by lymph nodes (n = 12, 34.3%), musculoskeletal system (n = 12, 34.3%), and neurological system (n = 9, 25.7%). We identified three clusters in our study cohort: those with eye involvement (n = 11, 31.4%), those with eye involvement and neurological findings (n = 15, 42.9%), and those with pancreato-hepatobiliary disease and lymph node involvement (n = 9, 25.7%). Serum IgG4 levels were high in 19 out of 28 patients (67.8%). All patients except one received corticosteroid treatment, and azathioprine was the most preferred drug as a steroid-sparing agent. The sensitivities of the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria and the 2020 RCD criteria were 5.7% and 88.5%, respectively.

Conclusion

IgG4-RD has a wide variety of clinical manifestations; however, in children, the most common presentation was orbital involvement. The 2020 RCD criteria had a better performance whereas the 2019 ACR/EULAR classification criteria performed poorly in paediatric patients.
Partisanship and attribution of responsibility during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
Authors: Okamoto Kakeru , Zenkyo Masahiro
Published: September 2024

This study examines the attribution of responsibility for government failures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan—specifically, responsibility for the collapse of the healthcare system. The intent is to reveal which political actors Japanese voters hold accountable and how partisanship is associated with perceptions of responsibility. While there have been previous studies on retrospective voting in Japan, little empirical work has been done to shed light on the attribution of responsibility. Based on the results of an online survey conducted in four prefectures in August 2021, this study yields two main findings. First, Japanese voters tend to blame national politicians rather than local officials or government employees for the failures of the healthcare system, and are particularly likely to attribute responsibility to the prime minister as well as to politicians from the ruling and opposition parties. Second, both positive and negative partisanship are associated with attribution of responsibility, and negative partisanship is more strongly correlated with attribution of responsibility than positive partisanship. Thus, negative partisanship plays an important role in shaping voters’ perceptions of government failures in Japan.
Clinical profile and thiamine transporter gene (SLC19A2 and SLC19A3) variations in infants with thiamine-responsive pulmonary hypertension and acute respiratory infection
Authors: Shenoy Swathi , Deekshit Vijaya Kumar , Rao Swathi Sunil , Ashwini Prathibha Shankar , Shenoy Rathika Damodara
Published: September 2024

Maternal thiamine deficiency is prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Thiamine-responsive pulmonary hypertension (TRPHTN) in exclusively breastfed infants is reported in India. Thiamine transporter gene (ThTR) variations have not been studied. This study compared the presentation of exclusively breastfed infants with respiratory distress diagnosed as TRPHTN or acute respiratory infection (ARI). We investigated pathogenic variations in the SLC19A2 and SLC19A3 ThTr genes in a representative sample. Observational study. Tertiary care pediatric unit of a teaching hospital in southern India. Data collection was prospective. We included exclusively breastfed infants between 1 and 6 months of age with respiratory distress. Infants with PHTN in echocardiography and lactic acidosis (LA) received thiamine. TRPHTN was diagnosed based on response within 72 h. Infants with fever, chest findings, and positive microbiology were managed as ARI. The ThTr genes were sequenced and analyzed. Chi-square and stratified analysis were done to determine TRPHTN risk. Forty infants with TRPHTN and 42 with ARI were included. The median pulmonary arterial pressure in the TRPHTN group was 51.5 mmHg. Mild PHTN was seen in 65%, moderate in 22.5%, and severe in 12.5%. Cardiac failure (P < .001), stridor and aphonia (P < .001), encephalopathy (P = .024), LA (P < .001), and PHTN (P <.001) facilitated the diagnosis. The adjusted risk was 17.3 (95% confidence interval 7.8–38.3; P <.001). The ThTR sequencing showed wild-type genotypes. TRPHTN has a distinct, identifiable presentation. Lactate and pulmonary pressure estimations are useful investigations in thiamine deficiency endemic areas. We could not demonstrate a genetic variation that determines susceptibility.
Emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants and their impact on immune evasion and vaccine-induced immunity
Authors: Pandey Ramendra Pati , Kumar Sachin , Rao D N , Gupta Dablu Lal
Published: September 2024

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants harboring mutations in the structural protein, especially in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein, have raised concern about potential immune escape. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 plays a vital role in infection and is an important target for neutralizing antibodies. The mutations that occur in the structural proteins, especially in the spike protein, lead to changes in the virus attributes of transmissibility, an increase in disease severity, a notable reduction in neutralizing antibodies generated and thus a decreased response to vaccines and therapy. The observed multiple mutations in the RBD of the spike protein showed immune escape because it increases the affinity of spike protein binding with the ACE-2 receptor of host cells and increases resistance to neutralizing antibodies. Cytotoxic T-cell responses are crucial in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections from the infected tissues and clearing them from circulation. Cytotoxic T cells efficiently recognized the infected cells and killed them by releasing soluble mediator's perforin and granzymes. However, the overwhelming response of T cells and, subsequently, the overproduction of inflammatory mediators during severe infections with SARS-CoV-2 may lead to poor outcomes. This review article summarizes the impact of mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, especially mutations of RBD, on immunogenicity, immune escape and vaccine-induced immunity, which could contribute to future studies focusing on vaccine design and immunotherapy.