Displaying the future: Techno-nationalism and the rise of the consumer in postwar Japan

This paper explains how, in the aftermath of World War II, a type of techno-nationalism emerged that linked being Japanese to science and technology and the increased consumption of electrical appliances. By closely examining official exhibitions, we can see how the state and private sector strongly encouraged this techno-scientific dreaming. Dazzling displays highlighted how the peaceful atom would help lead the nation to achieve high economic growth. At the same time, through the judicious purchase of labor saving appliances, consumers could reconcile the need to spend with the need to save.

Brazil's rise on the international scene: Brazil and the World

Since Cardoso and during Lula's Administration, the international order has undergone significant changes. These changes have allowed the Brazilian foreign policy to mitigate internal effects of an order established by others and, at the same time, to become an active participant in the formulation of the new order. To democratize globalization became the mainspring of Brazilian foreign policy. In the scope, President Lula has maintained the tradition of formulating and programming foreign policy as a State policy, and also has fostered the logistic strategy of incorporation of Brazil into the international scene.

Japan and India: soft balancing as a reaction to China's rise?

What are Indian and Japanese reactions to China's rise in economic, political and military terms? According to realist tradition, their option would be between balancing and bandwagoning. Applying Stephen Walt's balance of threats approach, this work aims to analyze Indian and Japan responses to an increasingly powerful China; its conclusions point to an evolving relationship between India and Japan, in military terms, especially after 2005.

Peaceful rise and the limits of Chinese exceptionalism

Throughout the last thirty years of opening to the world Beijing has stressed that its rise will be peaceful and that, from a strategic point of view, China is exceptional. There are many challenges facing Beijing's response to the US rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific, but we consider that the ones with greater impact are, in point of fact, of a domestic nature and constitute limits to Chinese exceptionalism.

Rise and fall in ischemic heart disease mortality: it may have happened before

The rise in ischemic heart disease(IHD) mortality occurring mostly during the first half of the 20th century is usually associated with economic development and its consequences for people's lifestyles. On the basis of historical evidence, it is postulated that a previous IHD epidemic cycle may have occurred in England and Wales towards the turn of the nineteenth century. The implications of this on causal theories and current etiological research on atherosclerosis are discussed.

Caracterização e distribuição espacial da comunidade fitoplanctónica do banco submarino Condor (SE do Faial, Açores) : relação com os parâmetros oceanográficos adjacentes

Dissertação de Mestrado em Estudos Integrados dos Oceanos.

Optimisation and design of post-tensioning anchorage corner blisters in concrete box girder bidges

The design of anchorage blisters of internal continuity post-tensioning tendons of bridges built by the cantilever method, presents some peculiarities, not only because they are intermediate anchorages but also because these anchorages are located in blisters, so the prestressing force has to be transferred from the blister the bottom slab and web of the girder. The high density of steel reinforcement in anchorage blisters is the most common reason for problems with concrete cast in situ, resulting in zones with low concrete compacity, leading to concrete crushing failures under the anchor plates. A solution may involve improving the concrete compression and tensile strength. To meet these requirements a high-performance fibre reinforced self-compacting mix- ture (HPFRC) was used in anchorage corner blisters of post-tensioning tendons, reducing the concrete cross-section and decreasing the reinforcement needed. To assess the ultimate capacity and the adequate serviceability of the local anchorage zone after reducing the minimum concrete cross-section and the confining reinforcement, specified by the anchorage device supplier for the particular tendon, load transfer tests were performed. To investigate the behaviour of anchorage blisters regarding the transmission of stresses to the web and the bottom slab of the girder, and the feasibility of using high performance concrete only in the blister, two half scale models of the inferior corner of a box girder existing bridge were studied: a reference specimen of ordinary reinforced concrete and a HPFRC blister specimen. The design of the reinforcement was based in the tensile forces obtained on strut-and-tie models. An experimental program was carried out to assess the models used in design and to study the feasibility of using high performance concrete only in the blister, either with casting in situ, or with precast solutions. A non-linear finite element analysis of the tested specimens was also performed and the results compared.

The Rise of democracy in Europe and the fight against mass poverty in Latin America: the implications for marxist thought of some recent mainstream papers

Recently a number of mainstream papers have treated the rise of democracy in 19th century Europe and its instability in Latin America in an eminently Marxist fashion. This paper sets out their implications for Marxist thought. With respect to Europe, Marx's emphasis on political action backed by the threat of violence is vindicated but his justification for socialism is not. With respect to Latin America, the unequal distribution of wealth is the cause of political instability that is, in turn, the root cause of mass poverty. In addition it is possible to explain some of the paradoxical characteristics of neo-liberalism and to make a weak argument for socialism in spite of its rejection in Europe.