tests Faulty masks. Flawed tests. China's quality control problem in leading global COVID-19 fight By www.latimes.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 13:18:18 -0400 Chinese companies producing faulty testing kits and masks are marring Beijing's attempts to assert leadership in the fight against the coronavirus. Full Article
tests Three potential coronavirus vaccines moving ahead in tests By www.latimes.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:40:04 -0400 CanSino Biologics of China is in the second phase of testing a coronavirus vaccine candidate, and a U.S. shot by Moderna and the NIH isn't far behind. Full Article
tests Not all coronavirus tests are the same. These are the two main types By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:34:20 -0400 There are two main types of coronavirus tests. One tells you if you have an active infection, and the other checks to see if you were infected before. Full Article
tests California becomes first state to recommend coronavirus tests for some without symptoms By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:44:02 -0400 California is now giving coronavirus testing priority to asymptomatic people in high-risk settings such as nursing homes and prisons. Full Article
tests How will students take AP tests with schools closed? At home, College Board proposes By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2020 20:06:34 -0400 Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the College Board is proposing that AP tests could become take-home exams and has canceled the May 2 SAT test. Full Article
tests SAT wars: Report bolsters idea of dropping SAT, ACT tests for UC admission By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 08:00:20 -0400 As the University of California considers the role of the SAT and ACT in admissions, dueling reports offer opposite conclusions. Full Article
tests What about grades? Coronavirus school closures? AP tests? College? A student Q&A By www.latimes.com Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2020 15:55:32 -0400 Teenagers asked questions about coronavirus school closures, graduation, grads and their families' safety. We found the answers. Full Article
tests Antibody tests aren't always reliable or available. But businesses are racing to use them By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 5 May 2020 13:37:32 -0400 There's been talk of creating immunity passports for workers using coronavirus antibody tests, but they're in short supply and not 100% accurate. Full Article
tests Letters to the Editor: 'Liberate' protests show why Trump is such a dangerous president By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 17:01:54 -0400 Protesters violating every rule on fighting COVID-19, with the support of the president, show how badly we need competent leadership. Full Article
tests Former Lakers big man Tarik Black tests the market in Hollywood Hills By www.latimes.com Published On :: Mon, 6 Apr 2020 14:48:50 -0400 After two years in Hollywood Hills, former Laker Tarik Black has put his three-story home on the market for $2.195 million. Full Article
tests Chris Cuomo tests negative for COVID-19 but finds his antibodies 'confusing' By www.latimes.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 11:43:36 -0400 On the latest episode of "Prime Time," CNN's Chris Cuomo reveals he has recovered from COVID-19 and possesses antibodies. But what does that mean? Full Article
tests England cricket team delivers 'unanimous backing' to playing Tests behind closed doors By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 11:45:00 +0100 The England cricket team are ready to play Test matches behind closed doors this summer. Full Article
tests Ross Brawn details how F1 season can start with 'isolation bubbles' and coronavirus tests By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 18:42:00 +0100 Ross Brawn has uncovered the masterplan to get F1 going again in July. Full Article
tests Protests on the economic situation are global By www.globalissues.org Published On :: Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:50:00 GMT The global financial crisis has spawned a global protest movement campaigning against things like inequality, corporate greed, lack of jobs, etc. Although these protests have occurred for decades, they have typically been in the developing countries, or about the situation in developing countries. As such, many Western nations, who have strongly influenced the conditions in developing countries, have typically not paid much attention to such protests, no matter how large. However, this time, the global financial crisis has hit the ordinary citizens of Western nations quite hard, and inspired by the Arab Spring and protests in Spain, a global movement seems to have sprung up. The global protests page had not been updated since the end of 2003, but has not included a brief overview of more recent protests such as the so-called Occupy Movement. The older content remains because it is interesting to note some of the parallels too, and it is perhaps important to note that these protests are unfortunately not new. Whether this time it can make a difference is too early to tell but a lot of people in wealthy countries this time are also participating. Read full article: Public Protests Around the World Full Article Global Financial Crisis Free Trade and Globalization
tests Latest on global search for coronavirus vaccine: 1st US candidate set for Phase 2; WHO tracks 8 efforts; Pfizer tests in humans By rssfeeds.usatoday.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 16:24:48 +0000 As the all-out effort for a vaccine accelerates, USA TODAY is rounding up some of the week's most notable developments. Full Article
tests Protests held in response to a fatal shooting by police By rssfeeds.indystar.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:20:36 +0000 The protest was in response to two fatal police involved shootings that happened Wednesday, May 6, 2020 and in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 7, 2020. Full Article
tests Aide to U.S. Vice-President Pence tests positive for coronavirus By www.ctvnews.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 11:52:00 -0600 U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence's press secretary has the coronavirus, the White House said Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. Full Article
tests Pro-Trump Group Protests Des Moines Register By www.theiowastatesman.com Published On :: Tue, 06 Jun 2017 17:40:11 +0000 Christi Gibson June 5, 2017 A group of Iowans gathered at Capitol Square in Des Moines to show their unwavering support of President Trump’s policies & raise awareness for the liberal & biased reporting by the Des Moines Register. Signs, banners, American flags, & patriotic phrases were well received […] Full Article National
tests Group Counter Protests Paid Democrat Demonstration By www.theiowastatesman.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 22:21:19 +0000 Christi Gibson June 28, 2017 DES MOINES- With health insurance premiums on the rise and deductibles skyrocketing, not to mention the majority of insurance companies in Iowa abandoning the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), Iowans are growing increasingly concerned about healthcare for themselves and their family members. The impending vote on […] Full Article State
tests America Authorizes Its First Covid-19 Diagnostic Tests Using At-Home Collection of Saliva By rss.slashdot.org Published On :: 2020-05-09T03:30:00+00:00 An anonymous reader quotes CNN: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued an emergency use authorization for the first at-home Covid-19 test that uses saliva samples, the agency said in a news release. Rutgers University's RUCDR Infinite Biologics lab received an amended emergency authorization late Thursday. With the test, people can collect their own saliva at home and send their saliva samples to a lab for results... "Authorizing additional diagnostic tests with the option of at-home sample collection will continue to increase patient access to testing for COVID-19. This provides an additional option for the easy, safe and convenient collection of samples required for testing without traveling to a doctor's office, hospital or testing site," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen M. Hahn said in the FDA's press release on Friday... The test remains prescription only. Read more of this story at Slashdot. Full Article
tests Protests held in response to a fatal shooting by police By rssfeeds.indystar.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:20:36 +0000 The protest was in response to two fatal police involved shootings that happened Wednesday, May 6, 2020 and in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 7, 2020. Full Article
tests Indiana coronavirus cases: As testing sites open, state has 5,383 tests, 675 new cases By rssfeeds.indystar.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:28:21 +0000 Indiana coronavirus cases and newly reported deaths from COVID-19 for Friday, May 8. Full Article
tests Mike Pence aide tests positive for coronavirus, White House confirms By rssfeeds.indystar.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:14:37 +0000 A member of Mike Pence's staff has tested positive for coronavirus, the White House confirms. Full Article
tests Indiana coronavirus cases: 5,608 new tests, 606 new cases and 34 new deaths By rssfeeds.indystar.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 17:19:03 +0000 Here are the Indiana coronavirus cases, tests and newly reported deaths from COVID-19 for Saturday, May 9. Full Article
tests UFC 249: Jacare Souza tests positive for Covid-19 before Uriah Hall bout By www.bbc.co.uk Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 09:09:35 GMT UFC middleweight Jacaré Souza tests positive for Covid-19 and will no longer compete at the controversial UFC 49 show. Full Article
tests Coronavirus: Why did the UK need 100,000 tests a day? By www.bbc.co.uk Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 11:21:33 GMT What are the tests for coronavirus, who are they for and how do they work? Full Article
tests Fin24.com | WATCH: Amazon shuts New York warehouse after associate tests positive By www.fin24.com Published On :: Fri, 20 Mar 2020 14:21:20 +0200 Amazon.com said it's temporarily closing a small New York warehouse after one of its associates tested positive for the coronavirus. As Fred Katayama reports, it highlights the operational risk it faces as the disease spreads. Full Article
tests News24.com | CDC guidance ignored | Trump tests negative: WATCH the top world news videos for today By www.news24.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 06:10:06 +0200 As US states reopen, White House keeps CDC guidance on the shelf | Trump tests negative after valet contracts virus; here are the top world news videos for today. WATCH. Full Article
tests News24.com | Second White House staffer tests positive for coronavirus By www.news24.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 21:06:44 +0200 A member of US Vice President Mike Pence's staff has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, briefly delaying his Friday flight to Iowa and prompting some fellow passengers on Air Force Two to disembark, according to a White House official. Full Article
tests News24.com | US vice president's spokesperson tests positive for Covid-19 By www.news24.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 13:59:33 +0200 The US vice president's spokesperson became the second White House staffer this week to test positive for the coronavirus. Full Article
tests Sneak peak: BitTorrent expands live streaming tests By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 17:22:07 -0700 BitTorrent founder Bram Cohen and his company are moving forward with its P2P live streaming project, expanding field trials and courting indie bands to stress test Cohens algorithms. However, it could still take months before BitTorrent Live is ready for prime time. Continue reading on NewTeeVee. Tags: NewTeeVee, BitTorrent Full Article Misc
tests Pence aide tests positive for coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 09:33:05 PDT CNBC reports that an aide to Pence has tested positive for COVID-19. This follows yesterday's report that Trump's personal valet tested positive for the virus. A spokeswoman for Pence did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. Pence was scheduled to travel to Des Moines, Iowa, in the morning, but his departure from Andrews Air Force Base was delayed by nearly an hour as staff dealt with news of the diagnosis. Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff. Photo of Pence: Know Your Meme Read the rest Full Article Post coronavirus COVID-19 trump
tests President Trump’s Navy Valet Tests Positive for Coronavirus By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 17:48:38 +0000 The following article, President Trump’s Navy Valet Tests Positive for Coronavirus, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. One of President Trump’s personal Navy valets has tested positive for coronavirus. The valet, a member of the US Navy who works at the White House, had symptoms of the coronavirus Wednesday morning. He was tested, and his test came back positive for the virus. President Trump was reportedly informed about the situation and fake […] Continue reading: President Trump’s Navy Valet Tests Positive for Coronavirus ... Full Article Breaking Featured Politics
tests BREAKING: Vice President Mike Pence’s Press Sec Katie Miller, Wife of President Trump’s Sr. Advisor, Stephen Miller, Tests Positive For COVID-19 By 100percentfedup.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 20:22:49 +0000 The following article, BREAKING: Vice President Mike Pence’s Press Sec Katie Miller, Wife of President Trump’s Sr. Advisor, Stephen Miller, Tests Positive For COVID-19, was first published on 100PercentFedUp.com. Only moments ago, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed that a member of Vice President Mike Pence’s team tested positive for coronavirus. Watch: White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirms a member of Vice President Mike Pence's team tested positive for coronavirus pic.twitter.com/3VaUXbwMq7 — Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) May 8, 2020 Reuters White House Correspondent […] Continue reading: BREAKING: Vice President Mike Pence’s Press Sec Katie Miller, Wife of President Trump’s Sr. Advisor, Stephen Miller, Tests Positive For COVID-19 ... Full Article Featured Politics
tests Webinar – Analysis: Protests in Iraq and Lebanon By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 10:45:01 +0000 Invitation Only Research Event 3 December 2019 - 2:30pm to 3:00pm Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE Event participants Dr Lina Khatib, Head, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham HouseDr Renad Mansour, Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House Over recent weeks, widespread popular protests have engulfed Iraq and Lebanon. What began as calls for reform in the context of high unemployment and endemic corruption have evolved into direct challenges to the existing political order in both countries. How have the ruling elites responded to the popular uprisings? What do these developments mean for the future of the two countries and the region more broadly?Dr Lina Khatib and Dr Renad Mansour will discuss what is at stake for protesters and what are the obstacles to meaningful and sustainable reform in Iraq and Lebanon.Please note this webinar is for Middle East and North Africa Programme supporters only and will be taking place online. Department/project Middle East and North Africa Programme Reni Zhelyazkova Programme Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa Programme +44 (0)20 7314 3624 Email Full Article
Reni Zhelyazkova Programme Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa Programme +44 (0)20 7314 3624 Email
tests 'The Truth is, Chile is Unequal': What's Behind Chile's Protests By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Dec 2019 19:33:39 +0000 18 December 2019 Dr Christopher Sabatini Senior Research Fellow for Latin America, US and the Americas Programme @ChrisSabatini LinkedIn Lyndsey Jefferson Digital Editor, Communications and Publishing Department @LyndseyLdn As part of a series on global protests, Dr Christopher Sabatini tells Lyndsey Jefferson why Chileans are taking to the streets. GettyImages-1177498531.jpg A demonstrator waves a Chilean flag during a protest in Santiago on 21 October 2019. Photo: Getty Images. Why are these protests happening now?The truth is, Chile is unequal, even though it actually reduced poverty from 1989, the time of the democratic transition, until today, from 40% to 16%.There are a number of reasons for the protests. One is the most proximate cause, which is the increase in the subway fares, but that really doesn’t explain the underlying tensions.One of those tensions is despite reductions in poverty, social mobility remains a large problem in Chile. It remains a very elitist country with limited social mobility. So, poverty may be reduced, but the likelihood that someone in the working middle class would reach the upper middle class has always been a stretch.The second issue is a lack of political change. The last four presidents were the same two people.Chile’s been governed, with the exception of Piñera, basically by the same political coalition, La Concertación, which is a combination of the Christian Democratic and Socialist parties. Piñera came from the right, an outside party, but even he has remained. There has been no renewal of the political leadership which again reinforces that lack of social mobility. Do the protesters have any other demands or grievances? The demands are amorphous and that’s part of the issue – they’re going to be difficult to meet. People are expressing a genuine desire for change but what would that change mean?Chileans don’t necessarily want to change the economic model; they simply want more mobility. That’s difficult to do and these are untested demands. Chileans also want political reform. What Piñera offered is to rewrite the constitution, which was created under military government in 1980. Other than some changes here and there in terms of the electoral system and reduction of military power, it has pretty much remained intact.Will constitutional change really address these demands? It’s simply a document that may create the rules for how power is allocated and conducted, but it’s not going to dramatically remake Chilean society.You mentioned inequality as a key driver of the protests. Can you expand a bit more on the current economic situation of ordinary Chileans?Chile is going to grow at only around 2-3%, but it was growing at around 4-5% earlier. A lot of those funds were ploughed into social programmes that have since been reduced. Chile’s economy really boomed in the early 2000s because of Chinese demands of Chilean imports. But as with any sort of commodities-based economy, the jobs it provides tend to be lower wage.As a result, despite the fact that Chile tried to diversify its economy by investing in entrepreneurship and innovation, it hasn’t grown in a way that provides jobs that many associate with upward mobility. As Chile's economy cooled, its ability to lift people out of poverty lagged as well. Demonstrators hold placards depicting eyes – in reference to police pellets hitting demonstrators' eyes – during a protest in Santiago on 10 December 2019. Photo: Getty Images. Two major issues for the protesters are education and pensions – can you explain why this is?These are two issues of the economic and social model that was held up at one time as being a model for the region, the neoliberal models that are really coming under question and are in some ways at the heart of this.One is the privatized pension system which is failing to produce the returns that retirees need to survive. The second is the education system. Chile created a voucher system where parents can shop around and send their kids to the best schools. The idea was to create competition among schools to improve.The problem was like any market, it created a certain amount of inequality among schools. There was a problem of some schools underperforming and being relegated poorer performing students, or students being forced to go to those schools because the more successful schools were already spoken for. At the end of October, the government announced a series of social reforms. Will this be enough to satisfy the protesters’ demands?Social reforms may address some of the issues of insufficient pensions or lack of quality education, but it will take a while for them to have an effect.The second thing is, social reforms don’t address the issues of power. At the heart of this is this idea of closed economic, political and social power. That comes about through economic growth and how you break up concentrations of wealth. Social reforms aren’t going to do that, although they’ll help on the margins. We’re seeing horrific scenes of police violence against protesters and dozens of people have died. Has this deterred the protesters in any way? No, in many ways it has sort of inspired them. It has, I think, sustained the protests.We’re not talking massive repression and tanks rolling in like Tiananmen Square. We’re talking about tear gas, rubber bullets, some injuries and deaths, and even credible reports of torture.It’s funny you should mention this – a class I’m teaching today is about social media and protests. One of the central arguments is that successful social protests need a martyr; they need a rallying cry.The deaths and the repression sort of help sustain that, but moreover, social media helps communicate what’s happening through videos and pictures. It really helps maintain this sense of righteousness, disdain for the government, and this idea of the need to demand change.Where do you see this going next?I don’t think we know. In the 60s and 70s, the political scientist Samuel Huntington argued in Political Order in Changing Societies that as economies grow, political institutions often strain to contain and channel demands. I think we’re seeing this now.This social ferment over political, economic and social demands is uncharted water. I don’t know where this will go, but I think we’ll see a change in the constitution. We’ve already seen a fragmenting of the party system, which I think will continue. Hopefully, that will lead to new leadership that can help reflect a change in Chile itself. Full Article
tests Latin America’s Protests Are Likely to Fail By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Jan 2020 12:29:34 +0000 Source Foreign Policy URL https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/08/latin-americas-protests-are-likely-to-fail/ Release date 08 November 2020 Expert Dr Christopher Sabatini In the news type Op-ed Hide date on homepage Full Article
tests COVID-19 patient tests positive again By www.news.gov.hk Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 00:00:00 +0800 (To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.) A recovered COVID-19 patient has tested positive for the virus again, the Hospital Authority announced today. The authority’s Chief Manager (Quality & Standards) Dr Lau Ka-hin told a media briefing this afternoon that the patient was first admitted to Queen Mary Hospital on March 24 after having fever for a week. He subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. He was discharged on April 16 after two consecutive negative tests for the virus. Dr Lau said: "The patient presented to the Accident & Emergency Department of Queen Mary Hospital on May 5 because of some abdominal pain and diarrhoea. "He was admitted to our hospital and was found to have a positive result for COVID-19 in the throat saliva, but the cycle threshold value is very high - nearly 36. "The experts consider that this is the residual virus left in the patient’s body, which is not infective, and it is not likely to be a reinfection at this moment." He added that the patient is in a stable condition. Full Article
tests SED on student protests at universities campuses By www.info.gov.hk Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2019 08:22:58 Full Article
tests Genetic tests being done on dog By www.news.gov.hk Published On :: Thu, 05 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0800 (To watch the whole press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.) The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department today said genetic sequencing tests are being carried out on the pet dog of a confirmed COVID-19 patient which could reveal if the virus has mutated or not. The department's Assistant Director (Inspection & Quarantine) Dr Thomas Sit told a press briefing this afternoon that the coronavirus is what is known as an RNA virus which eventually mutates. “That is why the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health needs to do a genetic analysis to compare this dog’s genetic sequencing to the virus isolated from the patient so that they can compare. So if it is totally identical, then there is no mutation. The testing is still ongoing.” Dr Sit reiterated that international experts agreed that the dog has a low level of infection, despite its blood tests not being ready yet. “From the first sample to our last sample tested, it has already (been) six days. The dog’s nasal or oral mechanism, their secretion they should have - if contaminated - they should have a way to clean the virus, it would not stay for that long if it was just a contamination. “I think it will take at least five or seven days for the blood results because it is not an easy test, it is not a quick test. We need to grow a virus and then neutralise the serum, so it takes some time.” He added that it was too early to say whether animal-to-animal transmission was a possibility. “At this stage, we do not have enough data to have a 100% answer as to whether it is infectious to other dogs or not. But if the dog’s owner is positive, it is better to take precautionary measures to prevent onward transmission.” Dr Sit also advised dog owners to wash their hands, wear gloves and try to stop their dogs from licking their surroundings to prevent the virus from spreading further. Full Article
tests Dog tests positive for COVID-19 By www.news.gov.hk Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0800 The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD) today said a pet dog has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The case involves a German Shepherd dog whose owners live in Pok Fu Lam. This follows an earlier case in which a 17-year-old Pomeranian dog tested weak positive during repeated tests for the virus. When the German Shepherd's owner was confirmed with COVID-19, it was sent for quarantine with another mixed breed dog from the same residence to the animal keeping facility at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's Hong Kong Port yesterday. No positive results were obtained from the mixed breed dog and neither dog has shown any signs of the disease. The department will continue to closely monitor both dogs and conduct repeated tests on them. It strongly advises that mammalian pet animals including dogs and cats from households with people confirmed as infected with COVID-19, or close contacts of COVID-19 infected people, should be put under quarantine in AFCD facilities. The department emphasised that there is currently no evidence pet animals can be a source of COVID-19 for humans or that this virus can cause the disease in dogs. Pet owners are reminded to maintain good hygiene practices and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets. Full Article
tests NIH clinical trial tests remdesivir plus anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib for COVID-19 By www.eurekalert.org Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 00:00:00 EDT (NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) A randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a treatment regimen of the investigational antiviral remdesivir plus the anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib for COVID-19 has begun. The trial is now enrolling hospitalized adults with COVID-19 in the United States. The trial is expected to open at approximately 100 US and international sites. Investigators currently anticipate enrolling more than 1,000 participants. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is sponsoring the trial. Full Article
tests 'The Truth is, Chile is Unequal': What's Behind Chile's Protests By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Dec 2019 19:33:39 +0000 18 December 2019 Dr Christopher Sabatini Senior Research Fellow for Latin America, US and the Americas Programme @ChrisSabatini LinkedIn Lyndsey Jefferson Digital Editor, Communications and Publishing Department @LyndseyLdn As part of a series on global protests, Dr Christopher Sabatini tells Lyndsey Jefferson why Chileans are taking to the streets. GettyImages-1177498531.jpg A demonstrator waves a Chilean flag during a protest in Santiago on 21 October 2019. Photo: Getty Images. Why are these protests happening now?The truth is, Chile is unequal, even though it actually reduced poverty from 1989, the time of the democratic transition, until today, from 40% to 16%.There are a number of reasons for the protests. One is the most proximate cause, which is the increase in the subway fares, but that really doesn’t explain the underlying tensions.One of those tensions is despite reductions in poverty, social mobility remains a large problem in Chile. It remains a very elitist country with limited social mobility. So, poverty may be reduced, but the likelihood that someone in the working middle class would reach the upper middle class has always been a stretch.The second issue is a lack of political change. The last four presidents were the same two people.Chile’s been governed, with the exception of Piñera, basically by the same political coalition, La Concertación, which is a combination of the Christian Democratic and Socialist parties. Piñera came from the right, an outside party, but even he has remained. There has been no renewal of the political leadership which again reinforces that lack of social mobility. Do the protesters have any other demands or grievances? The demands are amorphous and that’s part of the issue – they’re going to be difficult to meet. People are expressing a genuine desire for change but what would that change mean?Chileans don’t necessarily want to change the economic model; they simply want more mobility. That’s difficult to do and these are untested demands. Chileans also want political reform. What Piñera offered is to rewrite the constitution, which was created under military government in 1980. Other than some changes here and there in terms of the electoral system and reduction of military power, it has pretty much remained intact.Will constitutional change really address these demands? It’s simply a document that may create the rules for how power is allocated and conducted, but it’s not going to dramatically remake Chilean society.You mentioned inequality as a key driver of the protests. Can you expand a bit more on the current economic situation of ordinary Chileans?Chile is going to grow at only around 2-3%, but it was growing at around 4-5% earlier. A lot of those funds were ploughed into social programmes that have since been reduced. Chile’s economy really boomed in the early 2000s because of Chinese demands of Chilean imports. But as with any sort of commodities-based economy, the jobs it provides tend to be lower wage.As a result, despite the fact that Chile tried to diversify its economy by investing in entrepreneurship and innovation, it hasn’t grown in a way that provides jobs that many associate with upward mobility. As Chile's economy cooled, its ability to lift people out of poverty lagged as well. Demonstrators hold placards depicting eyes – in reference to police pellets hitting demonstrators' eyes – during a protest in Santiago on 10 December 2019. Photo: Getty Images. Two major issues for the protesters are education and pensions – can you explain why this is?These are two issues of the economic and social model that was held up at one time as being a model for the region, the neoliberal models that are really coming under question and are in some ways at the heart of this.One is the privatized pension system which is failing to produce the returns that retirees need to survive. The second is the education system. Chile created a voucher system where parents can shop around and send their kids to the best schools. The idea was to create competition among schools to improve.The problem was like any market, it created a certain amount of inequality among schools. There was a problem of some schools underperforming and being relegated poorer performing students, or students being forced to go to those schools because the more successful schools were already spoken for. At the end of October, the government announced a series of social reforms. Will this be enough to satisfy the protesters’ demands?Social reforms may address some of the issues of insufficient pensions or lack of quality education, but it will take a while for them to have an effect.The second thing is, social reforms don’t address the issues of power. At the heart of this is this idea of closed economic, political and social power. That comes about through economic growth and how you break up concentrations of wealth. Social reforms aren’t going to do that, although they’ll help on the margins. We’re seeing horrific scenes of police violence against protesters and dozens of people have died. Has this deterred the protesters in any way? No, in many ways it has sort of inspired them. It has, I think, sustained the protests.We’re not talking massive repression and tanks rolling in like Tiananmen Square. We’re talking about tear gas, rubber bullets, some injuries and deaths, and even credible reports of torture.It’s funny you should mention this – a class I’m teaching today is about social media and protests. One of the central arguments is that successful social protests need a martyr; they need a rallying cry.The deaths and the repression sort of help sustain that, but moreover, social media helps communicate what’s happening through videos and pictures. It really helps maintain this sense of righteousness, disdain for the government, and this idea of the need to demand change.Where do you see this going next?I don’t think we know. In the 60s and 70s, the political scientist Samuel Huntington argued in Political Order in Changing Societies that as economies grow, political institutions often strain to contain and channel demands. I think we’re seeing this now.This social ferment over political, economic and social demands is uncharted water. I don’t know where this will go, but I think we’ll see a change in the constitution. We’ve already seen a fragmenting of the party system, which I think will continue. Hopefully, that will lead to new leadership that can help reflect a change in Chile itself. Full Article
tests Likelihood ratios in diagnostic tests By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:24:50 +0000 Andrew Elder, a professor at the University of Edinburgh talks about likelihood ratios in diagnostic testing, and how they’re helpful in thinking about how context changes the predictive value of a test. This is part of a wider discussion on the evidence behind clinical examination of the cardiovascular system... Full Article
tests Ancestry DNA tests can over or under estimate genetic disease risk By feeds.bmj.com Published On :: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 14:36:18 +0000 Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are sold online and in shops as a way to “find out what your DNA says". They insights into ancestry or disease risks; others claim to provide information on personality, athletic ability, and child talent. However, interpretation of genetic data is complex and context dependent, and DTC genetic tests may produce... Full Article
tests South Korea Carefully Tests the Waters on Immigration, With a Focus on Temporary Workers By www.migrationpolicy.org Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:00:05 -0500 Faced with labor shortages in key sectors of the economy, South Korea has moved carefully in recent decades toward accepting greater numbers of workers—albeit in temporary fashion. Its Employment Permit System, launched in 2003, earned international accolades for bringing order and legality to immigration in the country, although several challenges remain to be addressed as this Country Profile explores. Full Article
tests The Future of Enrichment: Math Contests or Math Circles? By blogs.ams.org Published On :: Mon, 13 Jan 2020 07:36:00 +0000 by Doug O’Roark Executive Director, Math Circles of Chicago The New York Times recently published an article entitled “The Right Answer? 8,186,699,633,530,061 (An Abacus Makes It Look Almost Easy)”. Its lead photograph features over 100 children seated at desks, facing … Continue reading → Full Article K-12 Education Mathematics Education Research Outreach Student Experiences extra-curricular math circles math contests math festivals
tests Elevated Liver Function Tests in Type 2 Diabetes By clinical.diabetesjournals.org Published On :: 2005-07-01 Elizabeth H. HarrisJul 1, 2005; 23:115-119Feature Articles Full Article
tests ADA urges HHS to federally recognize licensed dentists to administer point of service COVID-19 tests By www.ada.org Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 10:14:00 -0500 The ADA sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services April 17 asking the agency to “issue federal recognition that licensed dentists may administer point of service tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Article
tests Dental groups seek federal approval to administer COVID-19 tests By www.ada.org Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:14:00 -0500 The Organized Dentistry Coalition is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to “extend federal authorization for licensed dentists to conduct Food and Drug Administration-authorized, point-of-care testing” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Article