Regional disparities and economic growth in Russia: new growth patterns and catching up

The regional disparities in Russia are increasing since transition started in the 1990s, as result of the structural processes of reorganisation and reallocations of resources taking place in the territory. The scopes of this contribution are two folds: to clarify the theoretical and policy background in analysing regional development in the transition and in particular in Russia, and to analyse the specificity of the spatial development and the regional disparities patterns in Russia. The economic geography is recognised among the different theories, very useful for helping to understand in particular the recent phenomena of new concentration pattern in Russia, giving a key of analysis of new polarisation trends: new trends toward urban concentrations in the Western regions, de-population of the Eastern regions, rural decline in those regions faraway from large urban agglomerations. In fact the empirical analysis indicates two dominant phenomena in the up-surging of regional disparities: the increasing weight of the capital city, Moscow as agglomeration effects brings the polarisation phenomena; and the strengthening of the natural resources and energy endowed regions. There is the question whether Russia, at this stage of development, can pursue an active regional policy toward equity targets or whether, for the target of sustaining macro-economic growth, there is the urgency to keep selected priorities based on the best performing poles. A difficult balance between the two targets would be the most suitable answer.     

Minority women and the experiences of migration

This article addresses the theme of minority relations and the intensification of gender oppression. We adopt a comparative perspective to examine women’s experiences of migration in two diverse locations. The recent focus on difference in feminist writing renders problematic such comparative enterprises through the contemporary concern with questioning the universality of the category “woman.” However, we suggest that the concept has been deconstructed to the point that it raises the possibility that feminism becomes an inadequate theory and methodology for explaining the status of women. Through a comparative analysis of minority women in different social and cultural contexts, we explore this dilemma for feminism. We examine how gender relations reconfigure in reconstituted relations of class, race, and ethnicity and emphasize the necessity of recognizing both the dynamics of migrating feminisms and the centrality of gender in structuring power relations in diverse contexts.     

Harvesting experience: A reappraisal of the U.S. Climate Change Action Plan

For mitigating climate change and adapting to whatever impacts we cannot avoid, there are no politically feasible alternatives to improvements in the U.S. Climate Change Action Plan at this time or for the foreseeable future. Yet improvements in the Action Plan have been obstructed by the diversion of attention and other resources to negotiating a binding international agreement, to developing a predictive understanding of global change, and to documenting the failure of the Action Plan to meet its short-term goal for the reduction of aggregate greenhouse gas emissions. Continuous improvements depend upon reallocating attention and other resources to the Action Plan, and more specifically, to the many small-scale policies that have already succeeded by climate change and no regrets criteria under the Action Plan. Sustaining the effort over the long term depends on harvesting experience from these small-scale successes for diffusion and adaptation elsewhere on a voluntary basis.     

McCloskey versus McIntyre: Implications of Contested Elections in a Federal Democracy

The 1984 election in the Eighth Congressional District of Indianaproduced an unclear result. Election night totals gave the victoryto the Democratic incumbent Francis McCloskey. Subsequent recountsby state and local officials gave the victory to RepublicanRichard McIntyre. A further recount by the U.S. House of Representativesreturned the victory to McCloskey by a four-vote margin. Partisanshipwas important in all phases of deciding the outcome of the election,in part, because unclear rules and inconsistent counting procedurescreated ample opportunities for partisan interpretations ofelectoral rules. This contested election raised questions aboutthe legitimacy of the outcomes produced by various countingrules and about the problems of assuring majority rule wherecounting rules are inconsistent. The election also raised questionsabout the propriety of U.S. House intervention into local electoraladministration and about the roles of local, state, and federalofficials in deciding the outcome of a federal contested election.     

Event Studies and the Law: Part II: Empirical Studies of Corporate Law

This article is the second part of a review of the event studymethodology, which has proved to be one of the most successfuluses of econometrics in policy analysis. In this part we focuson the methodology's application to corporate law and corporategovernance issues. Event studies have played an important rolein the making of corporate law and in corporate law scholarship.The reason for this input is twofold. First, there is a matchbetween the methodology and subject matter: the goal of corporatelaw is to increase shareholder wealth, and event studies providea metric for measurement of the impact upon stock prices ofpolicy decisions. Second, because the participants in corporatelaw debates share the objective of corporate law, to adopt policiesthat enhance shareholder wealth, their disagreements are overthe means to achieve that end. Hence, the discourse can be empiricallyinformed. The article concludes by sketching the methodology'suse in evaluating the economic effects of regulation. Whileevent studies' usefulness for policy analysis is by now familiarin the corporate law setting, we hope that our two-part reviewwill suggest appropriate applications to other fields of law.     

Hair and urine testing to assess drugs of abuse consumption in couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART)

For the first time in Europe hair and urine testing have been applied to assess drugs of abuse consumption in couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology and the eventual association of toxic habits with other lifestyle, health status and sociodemographic factors was also investigated. Couples attending five assisted reproduction centers in Rome were invited to join the study. When they presented at the Centre for the visit, they were asked to answer a structured questionnaire concerning sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle habits, and at the same time to provide hair and urine samples. Hair and urine testing for drugs of abuse, urinary profile of principal endogenous steroids involved in fertility process (testosterone, epitestosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone and dehydroepiandrosterone) and of alcohol and tobacco smoke biomarkers were performed with validated methodologies. Of the 594 enrolled individuals (297 couples), 352 (164 couples and 24 single individuals from the couple) completed the questionnaire and gave both hair and urine samples, apart from 3 bald men, who only gave urine samples. Urine testing showed an overall 4.8% (17 individuals) positivity to drugs of abuse: 4.2% to cannabinoids, 1.4% to cocaine and 0.85% to both drugs. Results of 4cm segment hair samples testing matched those from urine samples. Thus, taking together, results of urine and hair testing confirmed repeated use of cannabis, cocaine and both drugs in 3.7, 0.85 and 0.57% examined individuals, respectively. Drug consumers were in a statistically higher percentage active smokers and alcohol drinkers, less prone to physical activity and with a trend towards higher weight than non consumers. Finally, repeated drug consumption was associated with significant lower concentration of urinary testosterone in males and of urinary dehydroepiandrosterone in females. The findings of the present study confirm the suitability of urine testing to disclose recent drugs of abuse consumption and of hair analysis to verify repeated consumption. Association between different toxic habits and sedentary lifestyle is also substantiated by the obtained results in our cohort of couples attending assisted reproduction centers.     

Strengthening Canadian Law Enforcement and Academic Partnerships in the Area of Online Child Sexual Exploitation: The Identification of Shared Research Directions

This article outlines the law enforcement response to online child sexual exploitation and identifies two key areas of research that would benefit from an academic focus—the link between online and offline child sexual exploitation offending, and the psychological health and wellness of online child sexual exploitation investigation employees. While there are several areas in need of research, these two areas demonstrate a unique opportunity for collaborative work. Also highlighted is a joint international research partnership among law enforcement, practitioners and academia that demonstrates the benefits of linking academic research interests with the practical needs of law enforcement. Last, are several suggestions for operationally relevant collaborative research in this area. Such opportunities bring together various areas of expertise, which will advance our understanding of the needs of victims, and improve victim support services.