Now, a small number of other researchers worldwide is beginning to study whether the biology of Long Covid, itself still poorly understood, overlaps with the mysterious mechanisms driving certain postvaccine side effects. The pullback caused bewilderment and dismay among patients who spoke with Science, who said the NIH researchers were the only ones helping them. NIH’s communications with patients faded by late 2021, though Nath says the work continues behind the scenes. But “an etiological association? I don’t know.” In other words, he does not know whether vaccination directly caused the subsequent health problems. ![]() The patients had “temporal associations” between vaccination and their faltering health, says Avindra Nath, clinical director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), who has been leading the NIH efforts. The research was small in scale and drew no conclusions about whether or how vaccines may have caused rare, lasting health problems. By January 2021, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began to hear about such reports and sought to learn more, bringing Brianne Dressen and other affected people to the agency’s headquarters for testing and sometimes treatment. Her husband, Brian Dressen, a chemist, began to comb the scientific literature, desperate to help his wife, a former rock climber who now spent most of her time in a darkened room, unable to brush her teeth or tolerate her young children’s touch.Īs time passed, the Dressens found other people who had experienced serious, long-lasting health problems after a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of the manufacturer. Her symptoms rapidly worsened and multiplied, ultimately including heart rate fluctuations, severe muscle weakness, and what she describes as debilitating internal electric shocks.Ī doctor diagnosed her with anxiety. By that evening, her vision blurred and sound became distorted-“I felt like I had two seashells on my ears,” she says. But that November, she’d received a dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine as a volunteer in a clinical trial. “For months, I just lurked there,” says Dressen, a former preschool teacher in Saratoga Springs, Utah, “reviewing post after post of symptoms that were just like my own.”ĭressen had never had COVID-19. ![]() ![]() In late 2020, Brianne Dressen began to spend hours in online communities for people with Long Covid, a chronic, disabling syndrome that can follow a bout with the virus.
0 Comments
You should usually prefer seed images with lots of repeated elements (see What makes a good seed image? above), so that PixPlant has enough variety to generate the image. If you can no longer access a computer to deactivate the license, please Contact Support, providing the Serial and, if possible, the Hardware ID, listed in the Help > About window.įor other errors, please Contact Support, providing the Activation Serial and your Hardware ID, which is listed in the Help > About window. Make sure you have a working Internet connection, which is needed for activation.Įrror "License was already activated in other computers, reaching the maximum activations for this license." To solve this and activate in a new computer, you'll need to first deactivate it from a previous one: this can be done in the Help Menu > Deactivate option of the old computer.If having to copy manually, take special care with capital I, lowercase l and numeral 1 characters which may be visually very similar, depending on the text font used. The activation serial was not correctly copied: if possible, please use Copy Paste to transfer the serial into PixPlant's activation window.The following causes may be preventing activation to work: More information is available at Microsoft. Please note that future Windows or driver updates may reset this value, so you may need to set it back, in the case TDR errors return. Exact case for the name is important.Ħ) Restart Windows for settings to take effect. Enter (exact case is important) the name TdrDelay, then double-click the created value, choose decimal and enter the number.ĥ) Do exactly the same as above, but to set or create a value named TdrDdiDelay, with the same number. This can have serious consequences, so proceed only if you know what you are doing or ask someone qualified to do it.ġ) Run regedit, the Windows Registry Editor.Ģ) Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers.ģ) If the value TdrDelay exists, double-click to change it to a higher number, like 5 or 10.Ĥ) But if the TdrDelay value does not exist, right-click in the area at the right and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. To do this, you'll need to change values in the Windows Registry. If you're getting this error, it may be a good idea to increase the TDR timeout value. Since PixPlant can operate in very large textures, it's impossible to know whether this error will occur. This is known as a TDR (Timeout Detection and Recovery) error and may crash PixPlant, or only disable its rendering while still allowing file saving. For system stability, Windows will freeze an app that uses the GPU continuously for more than a few seconds. This will allow you to customize your headset behavior through advanced settings and options. OPTIONAL Load Plantronics Hub for Windows and Mac by visiting /software.When not on a call the LED will be solid blue. When on a call, the LED on the USB adapter will flash blue. If you are wearing your headset you will hear “PC connected” to indicate the connection has been established. The USB adapter LED flashes blue and then turns solid blue to indicate the headset is connected to the USB adapter.Turn on your headset and insert the Bluetooth USB adapter into your laptop or PC.Your Bluetooth USB adapter comes pre-paired to your headset. Once successfully paired, you hear “pairing successful.” Select ” PLT V3200 Series.” If necessary, enter four zeros (0000) for the passcode or accept the connection.Android > Settings > Bluetooth > On > Scan*. ![]() Activate Bluetooth® on your phone to search for new devices.You hear “pairing” in the default language. NOTE If your phone supports Near Field Communication (NFC), go to NFC pairing. NOTE *Using a clip-on earloop may decrease sensor sensitivity. To adjust the fit, rotate the ear tip on the headset or add the optional clip-on earloop.*.With the headset powered off, replace the ear tip with an alternate size if it feels loose or tight in your ear.The loop of the gel ear tip tucks into the back curve of your ear for a stable fit. The LEDs indicate the battery status.īattery status LEDs for charge case and headsetīattery critical Recharge case/headset Fit The LEDs flash when charging.Ĭheck the charge case or headset battery status by touching/swiping either the case or headset icons. To wake up the charging case, plug it into a power source for a minimum of 1 minute. IMPORTANT The charging case is placed in deep sleep mode after manufacturing to save power and protect the battery. It takes 2 hours to fully charge the headset and charge the case together. It takes 90 minutes to fully charge the charging case. When not wearing the headset, tap the Call button and observe the headset LEDs.Ī fully charged case can supply an additional 10 hours of headset talk time. ![]()
![]() This result was achieved using preprocessing, blood vessel segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. This article used ensemble convolutional neural network (ECNN) to diagnose DR and DME automatically, with accurate results of 99 percent. The use of AI in diagnosing the disease has yielded promising and dependable findings in recent years, which is the impetus for this publication. The delays highlight the necessity for diagnosis to be automated, which will have a considerable positive significant impact on the health sector. Even though this procedure is reasonably accurate, it is quite pricey. Skilled doctors manually review digital color images to look for damage produced by vascular anomalies, the most common complication of diabetic retinopathy. Unfortunately, due to the time and arduous nature of the diagnosing process, it is harder to identify the prevalence of this condition. The damage can be reduced or avoided if it is recognized ahead of time. If not detected early, this illness might result in permanent eyesight loss. Among the essential elements at the top of the list are anxiety and long-term diabetes. Various factors have been discovered to play an important role in a person’s growth of this condition. This is among the most common cause of visual impairment in the working population. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are forms of eye illness caused by diabetes that affects the blood vessels in the eyes, with the ground occupied by lesions of varied extent determining the disease burden. ![]() System Cleanup removes any unneeded system files such as user and system caches, universal binaries, log files, broken preferences and login items and even iOS software update files. For more granular control, users can choose these categories individually on the menu interface. Selecting one of the menu options in this interface window presents the user with a more in-depth look at what’s being cleaned in that section.Īutomatic Cleanup will perform System Cleanup, iPhoto Cleanup and Trash Cleanup. The main interface consists of 8 main menu options, running down the left side. It’s easily the best looking Mac utility app I’ve come across – in both its fit and finish. The InterfaceĬleanMyMac 2 sports a very well-designed user interface. I install and uninstall apps with regularity, so I tend to run CleanMyMac once every few days – but for most users, once a month should be plenty. CleanMyMac 2 cleans these items and so much more. Over time Mac OS X builds up layers of what I call cruft, which includes system detritus, including outdated User and System cache files, system log files, broken preferences, broken login items, iOS software updates, iOS photo caches, Universal Binaries, language files, trash and developer junk. I’ve been running and testing this app for approximately two weeks now, so the time felt right to begin writing about my experiences with it. ![]() But purchasing CleanMyMac 2 at a great deal emboldened me to give it a fair shake. Initially, I was reluctant to try CleanMyMac 2 out, only because I’ve been served pretty well with a few standalone apps that perform similar functions (Onyx, Monolingual, TinkerTool, etc.). ![]() I’ve been aware of this application ( made by MacPaw) for at least a few years now, but it was only after purchasing it with a recent MacHeist bundle that I became more familiar with the program. CleanMyMac 2 is billed as the simplest, safest way to clean your Mac. But one of Strangeland’s most glaring missteps is borrowing too much from other inspirations instead of weaving together a new and unholy mythos, or at least finding an overlooked or interesting way of doing horror with familiar elements. There are some neat, satisfying puzzles that make up the bread and butter of any good point-and-click adventure. As expected, the organic linework, potent environments and moody palette are delightfully discomforting, and the voice acting is top-notch stuff. The build-up to the great rescue is at best patchy-there are moments of wry humor and fierce despair. There’s even a moment when the blonde, like Sarah Palmer in Twin Peaks: The Return, removes her face to reveal something sinister inside. There are flashes of grotesque imagery-bulging masses of flesh, inscrutable insectoid creatures, recurring shots of the blonde (whom I’d mentally dubbed “Laura,” thanks a lot Twin Peaks) trapped in an organic meat-nest peppered with bugs. On the road to Strangeland’s release, its creators posted glimpses of the world and details about its development-a dark, unsettling narrative inspired by the work of Ray Bradbury, Francisco Goya, and Mervyn Peake. But surely this tedious stereotype would unfold into something meatier-surely, the payoff would justify yet another boilerplate tale about a man propelled forth by a nameless woman’s suffering. ![]() To be fair, I’d like to think that if I saw someone in danger, I’d try and do something about it, creepy set dressing be damned. In this case, our straitjacketed hero can’t remember who he is or how he got to Strangeland, but the sight of a mysterious blonde in a hospital gown turns him into a man on a singular mission. Within moments of starting the game, our protagonist-an amnesiac marooned in a carnival-themed hellscape-takes on a rather familiar form: a man who sees a woman in peril and becomes consumed with the urge to save her. ![]() When Strangeland was announced, I was beyond excited to see what the team had created. In just over four hours of gameplay, the small, international indie team revealed an uncanny talent for worldbuilding and narrative design that shines through in its smaller projects Like A Raisin in the Sun is more like interactive microfiction, but it’s still a wonderful experience crafted with exquisite care and purpose. But when the badly burned and mentally broken Carlton Hendricks is taken from a state run mental hospital and off his medication by billionaire, media mogul, Morgan LaForce, leader of the body modification/fetish haven called “The Torture Garden”, the door swings wide open for each of Captain Howdy’s victims to find closure… and retribution.Before Strangeland, Wormwood Studios had one full-fledged game under its belt: the excellent Primordia. Their lives, destroyed by emotional torment and the media frenzy surrounding the crimes, Detective Mike Gage, his daughter Geneveve and vigilante Jackson Roth (Robert Englund) each have their crosses to bear. Last we heard, the plot for Strangeland 2 was as follows: “ One year after Carleton Hendricks aka Captain Howdy’s (Dee Snider) sadistic rampage, much more than the physical scars the schizophrenic, sexual sadist gave his victims are left behind. Feeling like this is gonna happen this time around – I’ve also said that before, so don’t hold me to this. ![]() And I hate even saying it out loud, cause you’ve had so many disappointments with this project. ![]() I know I’ve talked about this for twenty years. gearing up to hopefully go into production with Strangeland 2. Taking to Facebook over the weekend, Dee Snider posted a short video promoting some of his upcoming projects, and in it he provided an update on the Strangeland sequel: In fact, a sequel to Strangeland was originally given the green light before the first film even came out, which just goes to show how long it’s been in development! The charmingly dated film, directed by John Pieplow, has amassed a cult fanbase over the years, and many of those fans have been begging for a sequel that’s been talked about for a while now. Just as the internet was starting to take over the world, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider smartly capitalized by writing and starring in the horror film Strangeland, released in 1998. Nearly 20 years ago, we met Captain Howdy. ![]() ![]() Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "seek," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 5 This is why faster, accurate diagnosis is essential to offering patients the best possible outcome. 4 Because NETs can be misdiagnosed or where there is a delay in diagnosis, the tumour is likely to spread to other parts of the body. Alarmingly, of the approximately 12,000-15,000 Canadians with NETs, only 10% have a complete and accurate diagnosis. 3 The prevalence of neuroendocrine tumours (NET) is estimated at 35 per 100,000 but may be considerably higher if undiagnosed tumours are included. The increased incidence refutes the reference to these cancers as rare. These cancers are the second most common type of gastrointestinal malignancy and NETs are now the fastest growing class of cancers worldwide, accounting for approximately 2% of cancers. NETs can remain clinically silent for years thus delaying diagnosis. Neuroendocrine tumours, also known as NETs, are a group of tumours that can originate in the neuroendocrine cells of many different organs such as the stomach, intestines, pancreas, lungs and other locations. In addition, the approval reflects our ongoing commitment to the Canadian neuroendocrine tumour community, including patients, their families and the healthcare professionals dedicated to their care," said Lyndal Walker, General Manager of Advanced Accelerator Applications in Canada. "We are excited about the approval of NETSPOT ® as it offers physicians additional insight into the patient's disease burden, enabling them to optimize treatment and care. "We applaud Health Canada in approving the NETSPOT ® kit and this innovative technology as an important adjunct to helping physicians identify the precise location and extent of the tumour and plan staging and the best course of treatment," stated Jackie Herman, President & Director of Treatment Access & Health Policy of CNETS Canada. The availability of NETSPOT ® in Canada is expected to benefit NETs patients by reducing their exposure to radiation and alleviating the discomfort they experience by lowering the amount of time to conduct the scan. ![]() "NETSPOT ® represents an advance in diagnostic imaging that provides us with higher quality images, allowing for enhanced decision making when it comes to choosing amongst therapeutic options, potentially resulting in better patient management." Stephan Probst, Chief of Nuclear Medicine, Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. "The diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumours is often delayed by years, because the symptoms associated with NETs are also typical for dozens of other diseases and conditions," said Dr. Following this approval, NETSPOT ® will be available in Canada. ![]() This innovative technology supports a more accurate diagnosis and staging of NETs and a more tailored treatment plan. NETSPOT ® is the first and only kit for the preparation of gallium ( 68Ga) oxodotreotide injection, a radioactive diagnostic agent for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of somatostatin receptor overexpression in adult patients with confirmed or suspected somatostatin receptor positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) for localizing primary tumours and their metastases. (AAA), a Novartis company, today announced that Health Canada has approved NETSPOT ® (kit for the preparation of gallium ( 68Ga) oxodotreotide injection) for the evaluation of neuroendocrine tumours ("NETs"). SAINT-GENIS-POUILLY, France, April 7, 2020 /CNW/ - Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A.
![]() When we compared chimps and humans to muscle fiber type data for other species we found that humans are the outlier, suggesting that selection for long distance, over-ground travel may have been important early in the evolution of our musculoskeletal system." "The flip side is that humans, with a high percentage of slow-twitch fibers, are adapted for endurance, such as long-distance travel, at the expense of dynamic strength and power. Umberger says the advantage for chimps in dynamic strength and power comes from the global characteristics of whole muscles, rather than the intrinsic properties of the cells those muscles are made of. When all factors were integrated, chimp muscle produces about 1.35 times more dynamics force and power than human muscle. They combined individual measurements in the computer simulation model of muscle function to better understand what the combined effects of the experimental observations were on whole-muscle performance. O'Neill, Umberger and colleagues also measured the distribution of muscle fiber types and found it to be quite different in humans and chimps, who also have longer muscle fibers than humans. Umberger, whose primary scientific contribution was in interpreting how muscle properties will affect whole-animal performance, developed computer simulation models that allowed the researchers to integrate the various data on individual muscle properties and assess their combined effects on performance. ![]() In general, they found that chimp limb and trunk skeletal muscle fibers are similar to humans and other mammals and "generally consistent with expectations based on body size and scaling." They directly measured the maximum isometric force and maximum shortening velocity of skeletal muscle fibers of the common chimpanzee. However, we also found that chimps have about twice as many fast-twitch fibers as humans," he notes.įor this work, the team used an approach combining isolated muscle fiber preparations, experiments and computer simulations. "We found that within fiber types, chimp and human muscle fibers were actually very similar. He explains that muscle fiber comes in two general types, fast-twitch, fast and powerful but fatigue quickly, and slow-twitch, which are slower and less powerful but with good endurance. ![]() Such a difference would be surprising, given what we know about how similar muscle fiber properties are across species of similar body size, such as humans and chimps." Umberger adds, "There are nearly 100 years of accounts suggesting that chimpanzees must have intrinsically superior muscle fiber properties compared with humans, yet there had been no direct tests of that idea. But Umberger says reaching this value from such disparate reports "required a lot of analysis on our part, accounting for differences between subjects, procedures and so on." He and colleagues say 1.5 times is considerably less than anecdotal reports of chimps being several-fold stronger, but it is still a meaningful difference and explaining it could advance understanding of early human musculoskeletal evolution. The researchers began by critically examining the scientific literature, where studies reported a wide range of estimates for how chimpanzees outstrip humans in strength and power, averaged about 1.5 times over all. Details of this work, supported in part by a National Science Foundation grant to Umberger, appear in the current early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Umberger was part of the team led by Matthew O'Neill at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, and others at Stony Brook University, Harvard and Ohio State University. But now a research team reports that contrary to this belief, chimp muscles' maximum dynamic force and power output is just about 1.35 times higher than human muscle of similar size, a difference they call "modest" compared with historical, popular accounts of chimp "super strength," being many times stronger than humans.įurther, says biomechanist Brian Umberger, an expert in musculoskeletal biomechanics in kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the researchers found that this modest performance advantage for chimps was not due to stronger muscle fibers, but rather the different mix of muscle fibers found in chimpanzees compared to humans.Īs the authors explain, the long-standing but untested assumption of chimpanzees' exceptional strength, if true, "would indicate a significant and previously unappreciated evolutionary shift in the force and/or power-producing capabilities of skeletal muscle" in either chimps or humans, whose lines diverged some 7 or 8 million years ago. ![]() Looking for games that cost you nothing? We have got you covered with our free games list that includes free PC and Playstation games. Gamedeal is your one-stop shop to find all the best deals from your favorite retailers including Steam, Epic Games, Gamestop, and many more under one roof. Can’t afford the game you are looking for? Make sure to wishlist it and stay up-to-date with all the price changes in the future. Not sure what you looking for? Browse through our massive library of games from different genres to find epic deals for your favorite games from the biggest retailers in the market. Looking for something more specific? Search it on Gamedeal and find all the best deals and cd keys discount codes to make the most out of your bucks. We compare game prices on all the trusted storefronts and list game deals starting with the lowest price possible at the moment. However, you can skip through all the trouble by letting Gamedeal handle the price comparisons and grab only the best deal prices for you! PC Games Cheaper On Gamedeal | Find The Best Deals of Games Here!įinding the right place to get the best game deals can prove to be quite a hassle when comparing game prices on multiple sites. Stick Em Up features a large variety of weapons to use in your heists, some more serious than others. The combat system also features an intense gore system, which while doesn't overpower the scene provides an entertaining experience through dismemberment and an exaggerated physics-based combat system. Players can utilize different environments to take on tons of enemies, use hostages to pause fighting, and much more. Stick Em Up features a unique combat system that allows players to adapt the game to their style of gunplay. Observe your targets, build your arsenal, take your hostages, and escape with a fat bag of cash. The options for pulling off your heists are nearly endless, alert the police by coming in loud, manipulate your hostages and the clerks into giving you the valuables, use your hostages to keep the police at bay, or be swift and silence all the witnesses before anyone can be called to the scene. Watch as your skills take you from robbing lonely gas stations to the most massive banks. Stick Em Up, is a game in which you will use your skills, your wits, and your arsenal of guns and explosives to pull off cunning, exciting, and sometimes messy heists. Haga clic en el botón 'Obtener' para obtener las últimas mejores ofertas en GameDeal. Puede descargar Stick Em Up y los mejores juegos de Steam con GameLoop para jugar en la PC. Items must be returned unsoiled and unused and sent adequately packed and carriage paid.Stick Em Up, es un popular juego de Steam desarrollado por Nicholas Rizzo. We may refuse returns on products specially obtained or manufactured to order. We advise customers to use an insured method of shipping and to retain proof of despatch. Please contact our customer services for a "Returns Number" which must appear on the outside of the package or it will not be accepted. ![]() If an item is believed to be faulty it should be returned for inspection and it may be necessary to forward it to the manufacturers for testing before replacements or refunds can be authorised. *Due to legal requirements medicines may not be returned except to correct an error in despatch or in response to an "official recall". If not any item* can be returned to us within 14 days of receipt for exchange or refund Please give us a ring for a returns number on 01833 641112 or alternatively email to obtain a returns number. ![]() We want you to be completely satisfied with any purchase. We will contact you prior to despatch for your instructions. Refrigerated items will be sent by carrier or Royal Mail with coolpacks unless you pay for a premium for a Please ring us on 01833 641112 for more information. We offer a pickup service for orders placed over the phone. Prescription items will be sent on receipt of a valid signed and dated prescription. Otherwise your order will be delayed until the stock becomes available, which in most cases will only be 24hrs.Įstimated "Usually shipped in" information is shown against most products Please also check on the product page that the items ordered show 'In Stock' NB: Orders placed with faster delivery must be placed before 13:00 to ensure same day dispatch (excluding Most orders are despatched the same day and standard delivery is 3 to 5 working days from despatch. ![]() When they do that, they create a so-called customs union which is what the European Union is, it's a customs union. Now a third step that countries may take is to coordinate their external trade policy relative to countries that are not members of the bloc. And, as you know, tangible goods, merchandise can move freely from Mexico to the United States, from the United States to Canada, and vice versa. For example, the North American Free Trade Agreement is a free trade area among Canada, the US, and Mexico. And when they do that, they create a free trade area. Now, another thing that countries may do is to remove all internal trade barriers for all types of tangible goods, all types of merchandise. ![]() This is what the Europeans did back in the 1950s when France and Germany and Italy agreed to have a preferential trade area for coal and for steel. And when countries reach such an agreement, they create a so-called preferential trade area. At the very least, a bloc must agree to reduce tariffs on certain types of goods. That is to say, a group of countries that agree to one or more of the following things. The other approach is the one that is going to focus our attention here which is blocs. So in other words, this is one approach to free trade in the world. And then in red you see a handful of countries that have no membership at all in the World Trade Organization. One is a yellow category, which is 20 countries in the world that are observers members, so they're not quite members. And then there's two other categories of members here, or countries on the map. And the European Union, with 28 member countries, is also a member, but it just votes and negotiates as one bloc inside of the World Trade Organization. And you can see here on the map that most countries in the world, those in green, are members of this World Trade Organization. At the present time, the GATT, the General Agreement on Tariff and Trades, it's called the World Trade Organization. And that it was very difficult to deal simultaneously in negotiations that included more than 120 or 140 different countries. So in other words, what became readily apparent is that multilateralism had its limits. And the round, which once again started at the turn of the 21st century, has not yet been concluded. That was a long time ago, and more than 140 countries have been part to these negotiations. And, in fact, the most recent attempt at facilitating trade, especially in services around the world, was initiated as you can see on the table in the year 2001. Now what you can also tell from the information in the table is that each round of negotiations among an increasingly larger number of countries took longer and longer. And they committed to lowering barriers to trade, and, of course as a result of this, global trade expanded very, very quickly. As you can see on this table, over the years in the 1940s, and the 50s, and the 60s, and the 70s, more and more countries became members of these worldwide organization. And that sought to lower tariffs, that is to say taxes on trade, so as to promote more economic exchange around the world. It was launched in 1947, with an agreement that originally had no more than 25 countries. And it aimed at bringing to the negotiation table as many countries in the world as possible. The United States proposed an organization called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Which essentially involved not picking and choosing members of a trade bloc, but rather trying to agree on basic trade and investment matters with all countries in the world. First of all, the phenomenon of trade blocs has to be compared with the so-called multilateralism, which was the policy pioneered or sponsored by the United States after World War II. ![]() And what's the future of trade blocs because, obviously, over the last few years they have become extremely controversial, both from an economic and a political point of view. And then share with you some thoughts as to what are the effects that those trade blocs have on the global economy. So, I would like to share with you a definition, and some information about trade blocs first. That's associations of countries that decide to adopt some common policies regarding global economic exchange relative to other countries that are not members of the bloc. And that's the phenomenon of trade blocs. ![]() Let's now turn to another very important phenomenon in the global economy right now, which is also producing quite a bit of instability. |