The Politics of Local Autonomy: Measuring Cantonal (De)Centralisation in Switzerland

In Switzerland, there are 26 systems of cantonal decentralisation because regulating municipal autonomy is an exclusively cantonal competency. Existing measures of local autonomy/cantonal decentralisation are confined to measuring the real or perceived distribution of functions. Alternatively, they weigh expenditures (Dafflon 1992) or tax revenues (Dlabac and Schaub forthcoming) of municipalities against those of the canton. Complementing these indices, this paper additionally measures the politics dimension of cantonal decentralisation. Seven aspects are measured: intra-cantonal regionalism, cumuldesmandats (double tenure of cantonal MP and mayoral office), territorial quotas for legislative and executive elections, direct local representation and lobbying, party decentralisation, the number and size of constituencies, and direct democracy (communal referendum and initiative). This results in a ranking of all 26 cantons as regards the politics of local autonomy within their political systems. The measure will help scholars to test assumptions held for decentralisation in general, be it as a dependent (explaining decentralisation) or as an independent variable (decentralisation—so what?), within but also beyond the Swiss context.

Practice Movements: The Politics of Non-sovereign Power

Practice movements, that is, forms of unorganized collective action, are a central site of politics. Their defining moments are that their goals are expressed in practices rather than in words, and that these “pre-ideological” practices aim at access to or redistribution of goods, whether material or symbolic, rather than at representation. They are transgression rather than resistance in that they transgress restrictions inherent in the material organization of space, property relations, status orders, and normative regulations, be they laws, morals, or customs. Practice movements are above all about access and participation rather than about autonomy, and thus have an ambiguous relation to the transformation of the status quo. Their politics are transformative and they can produce temporary or lasting changes in the material grounds or in the regulation of the everyday life of those who pursue them, and potentially of the normativity and the organization of the wider social order.

Strange Relations. Cultural Translation of Noh Theatre in Ezra Pound’s Dance Poems and W. B. Yeats’s At the Hawk’s Well

Drawing on the reception of Noh drama by Ezra Pound and William Butler Yeats, the article analyses both the literary and cultural ‘translations’ of this form of Japanese theatre in their works, focusing on Yeats’s play At the Hawk’s Well (1917). I conceptualize ‘cultural translation’ as the staging of relations that mark a residual cultural difference. Referred to as ‘foreignizing’ in translation theory, this method enables what Erika Fischer-Lichte has termed a ‘liminal experience’ for the audience –– an effect Yeats intended for the performance of his play. It evokes situations in which opposites collapse and new ways of acting or new combinations of symbols can be tried out. Yeats’s play will be used to sketch how an analysis of relations could serve as a general model for the study of cultural transfer as cultural translation in general. Keywords: cultural translation, translation theory, performance, William Butler Yeats, Itō Michio, Ezra Pound, At the Hawk’s Well

Appreciation of nature and appreciation of environmental protection: How stable are these attitudes and which comes first?

Introduction. – Attitude toward nature and attitude toward environmental protection are two separate but correlated attitudes. Little is known about the two attitudes’ stability/volatility over time, despite the practical value of such knowledge. Objectives & method. – Using longitudinal survey data from 251 adults in a cross-lagged structural equation model, we assessed the degree of spontaneous (i.e., unprompted) change in the two attitudes. We also considered whether such change could provide evidence regarding causal direction; causation could go in either of two directions between the two attitudes, or it could even be bi-directional. Results. – We corroborated the substantive connection between attitude toward nature and attitude toward environmental protection; however, the absence of change in the attitudes despite the passage of two years disallows reliable statements about causal direction. Conclusion. – It is possible to protect the environment by encouraging appreciation of nature, but change in attitude toward nature and attitude toward environmental protection may be difficult to achieve with mature individuals.

Quarks and a Unified Theory of Nature Fundamental Forces

Quarks were introduced 50 years ago opening the road towards our understanding of the elementary constituents of matter and their fundamental interactions. Since then, a spectacular progress has been made with important discoveries that led to the establishment of the Standard Theory that describes accurately the basic constituents of the observable matter, namely quarks and leptons, interacting with the exchange of three fundamental forces, the weak, electromagnetic and strong force. Particle physics is now entering a new era driven by the quest of understanding of the composition of our Universe such as the unobservable (dark) matter, the hierarchy of masses and forces, the unification of all fundamental interactions with gravity in a consistent quantum framework, and several other important questions. A candidate theory providing answers to many of these questions is string theory that replaces the notion of point particles by extended objects, such as closed and open strings. In this short note, I will give a brief overview of string unification, describe in particular how quarks and leptons can emerge and discuss what are possible predictions for particle physics and cosmology that could test these ideas.

Quarks and a unified theory of Nature fundamental forces

Quarks were introduced 50 years ago opening the road towards our understanding of the elementary constituents of matter and their fundamental interactions. Since then, a spectacular progress has been made with important discoveries that led to the establishment of the Standard Theory that describes accurately the basic constituents of the observable matter, namely quarks and leptons, interacting with the exchange of three fundamental forces, the weak, electromagnetic and strong force. Particle physics is now entering a new era driven by the quest of understanding of the composition of our Universe such as the unobservable (dark) matter, the hierarchy of masses and forces, the unification of all fundamental interactions with gravity in a consistent quantum framework, and several other important questions. A candidate theory providing answers to many of these questions is string theory that replaces the notion of point particles by extended objects, such as closed and open strings. In this short note, I will give a brief overview of string unification, describe in particular how quarks and leptons can emerge and discuss what are possible predictions for particle physics and cosmology that could test these ideas.

A Dynamical Tool to Study the Cultural Context of Conflict Escalation

The present article describes research in progress which is developing a simple, replicable methodology aimed at identifying the regularities and specificity of human behavior in conflict escalation and de-escalation prooesses. These research efforts will ultimately be used to study conflict dynamics across cultures. The experimental data collected through this methodology, together with case studies and aggregated, time-series macro data are key for identifying relevant parameters, systems' properties, and micromechanisms defining the behavior of naturally occurring conflict escalation and de-escalation dynamics. This, in turn, is critical for the development of realistic, empirically supported computational models. The article outlines the theoretical assumptions of Dynamical Systems Theory with regard to conflict dynamics, with an emphasis on the process of conflict escalation and de-escalation. Next, work on a methodology for empirical study of escalation processes from a DST perspective is outlined. Specifically, the development of a progressive scenario methodology designed to map escalation sequences, together with anexample of a preliminary study based on the proposed researcb paradigm, is presented. Implications of the approach for the study of culture are discussed.

Human 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency seems to affect fertility but may not harbor a tumor risk: lesson from an experiment of nature.

CONTEXT 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency (3βHSD) is a rare disorder of sexual development and steroidogenesis. There are two isozymes of 3βHSD, HSD3B1 and HSD3B2. Human mutations are known for the HSD3B2 gene which is expressed in the gonads and the adrenals. Little is known about testis histology, fertility and malignancy risk. OBJECTIVE To describe the molecular genetics, the steroid biochemistry, the (immuno-)histochemistry and the clinical implications of a loss-of-function HSD3B2 mutation. METHODS Biochemical, genetic and immunohistochemical investigations on human biomaterials. RESULTS A 46,XY boy presented at birth with severe undervirilization of the external genitalia. Steroid profiling showed low steroid production for mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and sex steroids with typical precursor metabolites for HSD3B2 deficiency. The genetic analysis of the HSD3B2 gene revealed a homozygous c.687del27 deletion. At pubertal age, he showed some virilization of the external genitalia and some sex steroid metabolites appeared likely through conversion of precursors secreted by the testis and converted by unaffected HSD3B1 in peripheral tissues. However, he also developed enlarged breasts through production of estrogens in the periphery. Testis histology in late puberty revealed primarily a Sertoli-cell-only pattern and only few tubules with arrested spermatogenesis, presence of few Leydig cells in stroma, but no neoplastic changes. CONCLUSIONS The testis with HSD3B2 deficiency due to the c.687del27 deletion does not express the defective protein. This patient is unlikely to be fertile and his risk for gonadal malignancy is low. Further studies are needed to obtain firm knowledge on malignancy risk for gonads harboring defects of androgen biosynthesis.