This study explores the aesthetic dimensions of Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies in the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword. The study is an Art Historical research situated within the qualit...This study explores the aesthetic dimensions of Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies in the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword. The study is an Art Historical research situated within the qualitative research paradigm. It had a population of a defmed class of cultural policy makers, art historians, traditional rulers, nationalists, visual artists and Ghanaians resident both in and outside Ghana. The study examined how the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword were influenced by Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies and the cultural significance of the aesthetic interplay of ethnic insignias used in capturing the Ghanaian concept of Political authority. The study revealed that, Nkrumah recognised the cultural art forms and elements of ethnic Ghana as assets for national development. In line with his policy of building the Nation State of Ghana, he used ethnic cultural art forms and elements. At independence, Nkrumah commissioned some visual artist to create some artistic pieces （politico-cultural artefacts） for the Ghanaian political authority with inspiration or based on what pertains in the traditional authority （Chieftaincy） of Ghana. Politico-cultural artefacts as used in this study refer to the artefacts produced based on the cultural concepts of the ethnic states for the use of the political authority of the Republic of Ghana. Among these artistic pieces are the three Presidential Seats, The State Sword, The President＇s Personal Standard Pole and the State Mace.展开更多
AIM:To assess:(1)frequency and clinical relevanceof gluten sensitive enteropathy(GSE)detected by serology in a mass screening program;(2)sensitivity of antitransglutaminase(tTGA)and antiendomysium antibodies(EmA);and(...AIM:To assess:(1)frequency and clinical relevanceof gluten sensitive enteropathy(GSE)detected by serology in a mass screening program;(2)sensitivity of antitransglutaminase(tTGA)and antiendomysium antibodies(EmA);and(3)adherence to gluten-free diet(GFD)and follow-up. METHODS:One thousand,eight hundred and sixtyeight subjects recruited from an occupational health department underwent analysis for tTGA and EmA and, if positive,duodenal biopsy,DQ2/DQ8 genotyping, clinical feature recording,blood tests,and densitometry were performed.Since>98%of individuals had tTGA <2 U/mL,this value was established as the cut-off limit of normality and was considered positive when confirmed twice in the same sample.Adherence to a GFD and follow up were registered. RESULTS:Twenty-six(1.39%)subjects had positive tTGA and/or EmA,and 21 underwent biopsy:six Marsh Ⅲ(oneⅢa,fourⅢb,oneⅢc),nine MarshⅠand six Marsh 0(frequency of GSE 1:125).The sensitivity of EmA for GSE was 46.6%(11.1%for MarshⅠ,100% for MarshⅢ),while for tTGA,it was 93.3%(88.8% for MarshⅠ,100%for MarshⅢ).All 15 patients with abnormal histology had clinical features related to GSE.MarshⅠandⅢsubjects had more abdominal pain than Marsh 0(P=0.029),and a similar trend was observed for distension and diarrhea.No differences in the percentage of osteopenia were found between MarshⅠandⅢ(P=0.608).Adherence to follow-up was 69.2%.Of 15 GSE patients,66.7%followed a GFD with 80%responding to it. CONCLUSION:GSE in the general population is frequent and clinically relevant,irrespective of histological severity.tTGA is the marker of choice.Mass screening programs are useful in identifying patients who can benefit from GFD and follow-up.展开更多
Since the demise of colonialism as well as the cold war, Africa has battled to put democratic governments in place. The legacies of these two political and historical landscapes have had a hand in shaping and disfigur...Since the demise of colonialism as well as the cold war, Africa has battled to put democratic governments in place. The legacies of these two political and historical landscapes have had a hand in shaping and disfiguring the nascent governments that would be born in Africa with vanguard parties not tolerating opposition. In a bid to stay in leading positions, as founding fathers of revolution, incumbent governments have used different tools, some very unorthodox, from brute force, genocides, governments of national unity and violent elections to stay in power and destroy opposition. This paper seeks to trace how Zimbabwe has fared in establishing a democratic government from Lancaster to the 2013 March referendum. Zimbabwe, following a Lancaster House Agreement C1979）, like Kenya （1960）, held elections in 1980, making R. G. Mugabe the first black Prime Minister and C. Banana the President. Some scholars have argued that the 1980 elections have been the only free and fair elections in Zimbabwe＇s history of elections. To measure the level of democracy in Zimbabwe, the paper shall highlight the euphoria at 1980, read through gukurahundi of 1983, the unity accord of 1987, select parliamentary and presidential elections, the fast track land reform of 2002, the 2009 Government of National Unity as well as the 2013 constitution amendment. The study shall largely make use of desktop and interviews of ordinary Zimbabweans, politicians, and students in universities with regards to matters of governance. The paper concludes that post communist governments have struggled to establish democracy.展开更多
Since the Crimean crisis, the US has continuously tightened financial sanctions on Russia. In the short term, this doesn't appear to be working very effectively, but in the long run, it has indeed had an irreversi...Since the Crimean crisis, the US has continuously tightened financial sanctions on Russia. In the short term, this doesn't appear to be working very effectively, but in the long run, it has indeed had an irreversible impact on the Russian economy. Though the US has repeatedly upgraded its sanction plans, four puzzles have long remained unsolved: appropriate sanctions have avoided a humanitarian crisis, but raised moral dilemmas; actual enforcement of sanctions is getting more and more difficult; EU cooperation with the US is vital, but the two regions more often than not play different tunes; and the frequent use of sanctions weakens US legitimacy and integrity, leading to a degradation of the sanction mechanism. Sanctions have continued to be implemented since President Trump took office, but with some new adjustments.展开更多
The economic crisis of the last three years, which has hit the world, especially the Baltic States together with their ultraliberal way of economy, has forced to look for solutions to overcome the depression. A low le...The economic crisis of the last three years, which has hit the world, especially the Baltic States together with their ultraliberal way of economy, has forced to look for solutions to overcome the depression. A low level of taxation, the policy of＂thin state policy＂ and a small share of public sector have influenced the macroeconomics of Estonia since its re-independence. The indirect taxes, especially the consumption taxes, are dominating in Estonian taxation system. The increase of tax burden a little more than 2% in 2009 through the increase of value added tax （VAT） and excises, and the pruning of income taxation benefits did not enlarge state budget in the same amount. The pruning of budget did not just decrease the internal market of the state very rapidly, but also decrease the incomes of the future periods, due to a big dominant of consumption taxes. The economic depression, which began in 2008, has demonstrated a week orientation of Estonian economy, threaten its taxation system on innovation. The amount of investments has essentially decreased than the decrease of GDP and state budget.展开更多
文摘This study explores the aesthetic dimensions of Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies in the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword. The study is an Art Historical research situated within the qualitative research paradigm. It had a population of a defmed class of cultural policy makers, art historians, traditional rulers, nationalists, visual artists and Ghanaians resident both in and outside Ghana. The study examined how the creation of Ghana＇s Presidential Seats and the State Sword were influenced by Kwame Nkrumah＇s cultural policies and the cultural significance of the aesthetic interplay of ethnic insignias used in capturing the Ghanaian concept of Political authority. The study revealed that, Nkrumah recognised the cultural art forms and elements of ethnic Ghana as assets for national development. In line with his policy of building the Nation State of Ghana, he used ethnic cultural art forms and elements. At independence, Nkrumah commissioned some visual artist to create some artistic pieces （politico-cultural artefacts） for the Ghanaian political authority with inspiration or based on what pertains in the traditional authority （Chieftaincy） of Ghana. Politico-cultural artefacts as used in this study refer to the artefacts produced based on the cultural concepts of the ethnic states for the use of the political authority of the Republic of Ghana. Among these artistic pieces are the three Presidential Seats, The State Sword, The President＇s Personal Standard Pole and the State Mace.
基金Supported by"FundacióBanc de Sabadell"(Barcelona,Spain)
文摘AIM:To assess:(1)frequency and clinical relevanceof gluten sensitive enteropathy(GSE)detected by serology in a mass screening program;(2)sensitivity of antitransglutaminase(tTGA)and antiendomysium antibodies(EmA);and(3)adherence to gluten-free diet(GFD)and follow-up. METHODS:One thousand,eight hundred and sixtyeight subjects recruited from an occupational health department underwent analysis for tTGA and EmA and, if positive,duodenal biopsy,DQ2/DQ8 genotyping, clinical feature recording,blood tests,and densitometry were performed.Since>98%of individuals had tTGA <2 U/mL,this value was established as the cut-off limit of normality and was considered positive when confirmed twice in the same sample.Adherence to a GFD and follow up were registered. RESULTS:Twenty-six(1.39%)subjects had positive tTGA and/or EmA,and 21 underwent biopsy:six Marsh Ⅲ(oneⅢa,fourⅢb,oneⅢc),nine MarshⅠand six Marsh 0(frequency of GSE 1:125).The sensitivity of EmA for GSE was 46.6%(11.1%for MarshⅠ,100% for MarshⅢ),while for tTGA,it was 93.3%(88.8% for MarshⅠ,100%for MarshⅢ).All 15 patients with abnormal histology had clinical features related to GSE.MarshⅠandⅢsubjects had more abdominal pain than Marsh 0(P=0.029),and a similar trend was observed for distension and diarrhea.No differences in the percentage of osteopenia were found between MarshⅠandⅢ(P=0.608).Adherence to follow-up was 69.2%.Of 15 GSE patients,66.7%followed a GFD with 80%responding to it. CONCLUSION:GSE in the general population is frequent and clinically relevant,irrespective of histological severity.tTGA is the marker of choice.Mass screening programs are useful in identifying patients who can benefit from GFD and follow-up.
文摘Since the demise of colonialism as well as the cold war, Africa has battled to put democratic governments in place. The legacies of these two political and historical landscapes have had a hand in shaping and disfiguring the nascent governments that would be born in Africa with vanguard parties not tolerating opposition. In a bid to stay in leading positions, as founding fathers of revolution, incumbent governments have used different tools, some very unorthodox, from brute force, genocides, governments of national unity and violent elections to stay in power and destroy opposition. This paper seeks to trace how Zimbabwe has fared in establishing a democratic government from Lancaster to the 2013 March referendum. Zimbabwe, following a Lancaster House Agreement C1979）, like Kenya （1960）, held elections in 1980, making R. G. Mugabe the first black Prime Minister and C. Banana the President. Some scholars have argued that the 1980 elections have been the only free and fair elections in Zimbabwe＇s history of elections. To measure the level of democracy in Zimbabwe, the paper shall highlight the euphoria at 1980, read through gukurahundi of 1983, the unity accord of 1987, select parliamentary and presidential elections, the fast track land reform of 2002, the 2009 Government of National Unity as well as the 2013 constitution amendment. The study shall largely make use of desktop and interviews of ordinary Zimbabweans, politicians, and students in universities with regards to matters of governance. The paper concludes that post communist governments have struggled to establish democracy.
文摘Since the Crimean crisis, the US has continuously tightened financial sanctions on Russia. In the short term, this doesn't appear to be working very effectively, but in the long run, it has indeed had an irreversible impact on the Russian economy. Though the US has repeatedly upgraded its sanction plans, four puzzles have long remained unsolved: appropriate sanctions have avoided a humanitarian crisis, but raised moral dilemmas; actual enforcement of sanctions is getting more and more difficult; EU cooperation with the US is vital, but the two regions more often than not play different tunes; and the frequent use of sanctions weakens US legitimacy and integrity, leading to a degradation of the sanction mechanism. Sanctions have continued to be implemented since President Trump took office, but with some new adjustments.
文摘The economic crisis of the last three years, which has hit the world, especially the Baltic States together with their ultraliberal way of economy, has forced to look for solutions to overcome the depression. A low level of taxation, the policy of＂thin state policy＂ and a small share of public sector have influenced the macroeconomics of Estonia since its re-independence. The indirect taxes, especially the consumption taxes, are dominating in Estonian taxation system. The increase of tax burden a little more than 2% in 2009 through the increase of value added tax （VAT） and excises, and the pruning of income taxation benefits did not enlarge state budget in the same amount. The pruning of budget did not just decrease the internal market of the state very rapidly, but also decrease the incomes of the future periods, due to a big dominant of consumption taxes. The economic depression, which began in 2008, has demonstrated a week orientation of Estonian economy, threaten its taxation system on innovation. The amount of investments has essentially decreased than the decrease of GDP and state budget.
