Subjective indicators are often criticized since they are thought to be particularly affected by the phenomenon of adaptive preferences and social comparison. For social policy purposes, processes of downward adaptation in disadvantaged individuals are of particular importance, i.e., it is supposed that such people compare themselves with others who are in the same precarious situation or even worse off and, as a result, lower their expectations and adapt their aspirations and preferences to their material and financial constraints. Based on the 2006-2010 waves of the Swiss Household Panel study, this contribution examines whether, and to what degree, indicators of material deprivation, subjective poverty and subjective well-being are affected by such downward adaptations. Our empirical analysis demonstrates that the bias caused by adaptation processes varies considerably among different measures and that, although subjective indicators are indeed often affected by this phenomenon, there are also robust measures, notably Townsend's deprivation measure, Halleröd's proportional deprivation index and the subjective wellbeing measure of general life satisfaction.
A patient is described with the dermatological features of blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS), focal seizures, and lateralized neurological signs. CAT scan demonstrated a nonenhanced density in the region of the vein of Galen. Neuropathological examination showed that this density was a clot within a vein of Galen malformation. Hemangiomas that grossly resembled the skin lesions of BRBNS were seen on the cerebral surface. Many of these hemangiomas were thrombosed and overlay patchy zones of infarction. Numerous vascular malformations of varying histological types were also found within the brain and systemic organs. Bluish, compressible, often raised hemangiomas of the skin should alert physicians to the BRBNS and the potential for vascular malformations ot occur within the brain as well as systemic organs. Diagnosis of BRBNS involving the brain may assist in interpretation of radiographic findings. The tendency of these malformations to thrombose may account for focal neurological deficits.
The settlement of the external debt of insolvent sovereign borrowers has become one of the most important issues in relations between the north and south since the outbreak of the global debt crisis in the early 1980s. For the past eight years representatives of governments and international organizations, bankers, and scientists have suggested several proposals and plans to solve the present debt crisis. The most prominent schemes in this respect are the Baker Plan of 1985, which suggested massive new credits for the most highly indebted developing countries, and the recently adopted Brady Plan, which proposes partial debt discounts and reductions in interest rates. Both of these debt settlement proposals were initiated by the United States and are supported by the other principal creditor countries. However, despite the ten years of crisis management, world leaders have not yet agreed upon a longterm solution to the current debt problems. In the history of the capitalist world economy, the current problems of coping with a global debt crisis do not represent a unique event. Rather, recent empirical studies demonstrate that sovereign borrowers have experienced many instances of debt-servicing difficulties during the past 150 years (Eichengreen and Portes 1986; White 1986; Eichengreen and Lindert 1989; Marichal 1989; Suter 1989).
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