Maastricht University - Open Journals
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CHINA’S GROWING ROLE IN REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS: Application of institutional realism to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
Get PDFAbstract: China’s ever growing importance in world affairs and politics has not gone by unnoticed. However, conventional IR theories fail to explain how the emerging superpower has been expanding its role in regional institutions. The rather novel theory of scholar Kai He of institutional realism will be applied to China’s involvement in the formation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). His theory combines traditional neorealism with elements of the neoliberal interdependence theory in an attempt to provide a holistic approach to the PRC’s foreign policy decisions.
Protective mechanism in NPC1 – the role of oxLDL
No full textThe Niemann Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a mutation in the NPC1 gene. The mutation disrupts the normal cholesterol traficking and induces cholesterol accumulation in cells of the liver and the brain. Till now, no therapy exists for NPC1 patients. But recently, pneumococci immunization has shown to reduce inflammation in Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), another lipid storage disorder. Therefore, pneumococci immunization was also tested on NPC1mut mice. The results indicate an improved pathology in the NPC1 mice after the immunizatio
The Problematic Alleviating Suffering Argument: Why genetic Engineering Is Unnecessary
Get PDFFew topics are as controversial today as genetic engineering, which would allow parents to screen and subsequently modify the genome of their unborn children. Advocates commonly argue that genetic engineering is desirable because it could prevent diseases and dis- abilities and in this way alleviate suffering. However, this argument relies on a simplistic and one-sided view of health. By adopting a more relational perspective, it becomes clear that genetic engineering is unnecessary, firstly because the amount of suffering asso- ciated with the genetic conditions it could prevent is much lower than one might expect, and secondly because the suffering that might nevertheless be present can also be alleviated by other means, which are to be preferred
Lucid Dreaming: Neural Correlates and Practical Applications
Get PDFLucid dreaming refers to realizing that one is dreaming while still in the dream. The prevalence is at least 17%, however little is known about the neural correlates and the practical utility of lucid dreams. The present review aims to fill this gap by reviewing evidence regarding these two areas of research. During lucid dreaming the frontal cortex becomes reactivated, which is not the case in normal REM sleep. This leads to executive functioning being present to some extent while asleep. There is more power in high frequencies and more coherence, which might make lucid dreaming a different brain state. It can be useful for solving creative problems, practicing skills, self-development and improving mental well-being. Many limitations need to be addressed in further research, such as small sample size and some neglected distinctions. As we will learn more about lucid dreaming, we will be able to study the link between neural correlates and applications, learn more about the brain and consciousness, and perhaps use it in therapy
Investigating the Influence of a Time-based Incentive on Choice Blindness Detection Rates
Get PDFChoice blindness is the striking failure to notice mismatches between intention and outcome in decision-making. This counterintuitive phenomenon has proven itself robust against a range of external influences and, despite numerous investigations, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that the occurrence of choice blindness would decrease if detection is facilitated through the provision of a time-based motivational incentive (i.e., “leaving early”). Participants (N=72) were randomly allocated to incentive or no-incentive conditions. All participants performed a computer-based general knowledge quiz with binary answer options, in which their answers were reversed for four questions. Detection rates were generally high and varied greatly between questions (range: 23-67%, M=44.7% concurrently; range: 32-88%, M=64.0% retrospectively). However, contrary to our expectations, the motivational incentive appeared not to affect detection rates. Possible interpretations, implications and limitations of our findings are discussed, including the possibility that high intrinsic motivation of our sample population overshadowed the incentive
Hungry or Stressed? Relationship between Stress and Attention for Food-related Words
Get PDFObesity is a major health problem in western society and caused by different factors. Stress-induced eating is widely thought to increase the risk for obesity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of stress on attention for food. We hypothesized that stress creates an attentional bias for high-caloric food, which can be assessed by an adapted Stroop task. This is measured by comparing reaction times for food-related words and non-food related words before and after stress. Against our expectations, we found that stress had no significantly different effect on the food word list compared to the neutral word list. Stressed and non-stressed participants turned out to be significantly slower on the food-word list than on the neutral-word list and participants were generally faster on both lists after stress. Taken together, our results show that the attentional bias for high-caloric food is not influenced by stress
MODERN CATHOLICISM AND FEMALE IDENTITY
Get PDFThis research explores the experiences of young Catholic women in contemporary Western European society. Using qualitative research methods, several in-depth interviews reveal how young Catholic’s idenity are structured and negotiated within an increasingly secularized society. It shows that young women today emphasize values of tolerance and indiscriminate love over traditional Catholic teachings. Furthermore community serves as important frame of reference for their religious engagement. The findings offer interesting comparisons and contradictions to the existing literature in the field
Locating Two Public Bads in an Interval
Get PDFPublic bads are facilities that are necessary for the whole society, but unfortunately, entail negative externalities for the social-economic welfare in the surrounding areas. The main objective of the present thesis is to find optimal locations of two public bads in a region given the preferences of two agents located there. Based on lexmin preference as the joint preference of each of the agents for locating pairs of public bads, the present thesis has defined and proved eleven lemmas determining the implications of strategy-proofness, anonymity and unanimity properties on the decision rule. As an extension to the traditional approach, this thesis has determined complete characterization of a set of strategy-proof, anonymous and unanimous rules, and shows that combination of these properties allows for inner solutions for optimal locations of two public bads in an interval given the preferences of the agents in the region
\u27That didn\u27t happen\u27: Memorial Consequences of False Denials for Neutral and Negative Material
Get PDFThe current experiment assessed the memorial consequences of false denials (i.e., denying an event had happened) for neutral and negative material. 86 participants viewed neutral and negative pictures and their memory and belief for these pictures was tested. Specifically, participants were randomly assigned to three conditions: (1) Internal Denial, participants were instructed to falsely deny questions related to the pictures; (2) External Denial, participants received negative feedback from the experimenter; or (3) Control, participants were instructed to provide answers to questions they are completely sure about, and were told not to guess. A day later, participants had to rate their memory and belief once more. The most important finding was that internal denial resulted in participants falsely denying they had talked about a certain detail with the experimenter, when in fact they did. The current results indicate that denying an experienced event may adversely affects memory for the interview itself
Stigma on the Homeless in the USA and Hungary: An Essay on the Interplay of Prejudice with the Sociocultural Environment
Get PDFHomelessness is an increasingly severe problem in many countries around the world. The homeless are often stigmatized by the rest of society. This essay explores how several contextual factors can moderate the expression of prejudice towards the homeless in two countries with different backgrounds, Hungary and the USA. Ambivalent opinions of the homeless exist in both societies, and prejudice is present to some extent in both, but especially in Hungary. Differences and similarities in public attitudes are related to specific challenges of a Western capitalist system, present in both countries, and of the legacy of Communism, unique to Hungary. Psychological mechanisms and cultural values also influence prejudice, such as the perception of threat towards the ingroup, a need for stability, individualism and belief in a just world. It is hoped that this essay can contribute to a complex and dynamic understanding of prejudice