333 research outputs found
Warfare, Taxation, and Political Change: Evidence from the Italian Risorgimento
No full textWe examine the relationships between warfare, taxation, and political change in the context of the political unification of the Italian peninsula. Using a comprehensive new database, we argue that external and internal threat environments had significant implications for the demand for military strength, which in turn had important ramifications for fiscal policy and the likelihood of constitutional reform and related improvements in the provision of non-military public services. Our analytic narrative complements recent theoretical and econometric works about state capacity. By emphasizing public finances, we also uncover novel insights about the forces underlying state formation in Italy
Endogenous Constitutions
No full textWe present a theory of the choice of alternative democratic constitutions, a majoritarian or a consensual one, in an unequal society. We show that a consensual system turns out to be preferred by society when "ex ante" income inequality is relatively low, while a majoritarian system is chosen when income inequality is relatively high. We also find that consensual democracies should be expected to be ruled more often by centre-left coalitions while the right should have an advantage in majoritarian constitutions. The implications for the relationship between inequality and redistribution are discussed. Historical evidence and a cross-sectional analysis support our results. Copyright � The Author(s). Journal compilation � Royal Economic Society 2009.
Stable muscle atrophy in long-term paraplegics with complete upper motor neuron lesion from 3- to 20-year SCI.
No full textSpinal Cord. 2008 Apr;46(4):293-304. Epub 2007 Oct 23.
Stable muscle atrophy in long-term paraplegics with complete upper motor neuron lesion from 3- to 20-year SCI.
Kern H, Hofer C, Mödlin M, Mayr W, Vindigni V, Zampieri S, Boncompagni S, Protasi F, Carraro U.
Source
Department of Physical Medicine, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrostimulation and Physical Rehabilitation, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria.
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN:
Unrandomized trial.
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the structural and functional relationships and the progression of muscle atrophy up to 20 years of spastic paraplegia.
SETTING:
Clinical follow-up in Vienna, Austria; muscle biopsies analyzed by light microscopy in Padova and by electron microscopy (EM) in Chieti, Italy.
METHODS:
Force was measured as knee extension torque; trophism by computer tomography scan; tissue composition and fiber morphology by histopathology and EM.
RESULTS:
In the long-term group of patients (17.0+/-2.6 years), force and size of thigh muscles were only slightly different from those of mid-term subjects (2.2+/-0.5 years). Histology and ultrastructure confirm that the difference in average size of muscle fibers between long-term and mid-term paralyzed leg muscles is actually very small. In addition, muscle fibers maintain the striated appearance characteristic of normal skeletal fibers even after 14-20 years of paralysis. Ultrastructural alterations of the activating and metabolic machineries, and the presence of fibers with lower motor neuron denervation features, may explain the low-force output and the reduced endurance of paretic muscles.
CONCLUSION:
The stable muscle atrophy that characterizes long-lasting spastic paraplegia suggests that there are no upper-time limits to begin a training program based on functional electrical stimulation.
PMID:
17955034
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Management of Severe Wound Infections after Body Contouring Procedures in Post-Bariatric Surgery Patients with Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy with Instillation
No full text
32 Years of Ultrasonic-Assisted Lipoplasty (U.A.L.): From Aesthetic to Obesity
No full textIn this article, we tried to take stock of the state of the art in ultrasonic-assisted lipoplasty focusing on its most recent technologic advances and in the newest clinical applications, such as overweight, obesity, breast surgery and regenerative medicine. Great space was devoted to the analysis and clarification of the most common myths and legends related to this intriguing technique
New step forward in the understanding of Fluorescent Light Emission (FLE) effect on wound healing
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