The chief of staff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been so close to him for so long, functioning as his alter ego and enforcer, that he is sometimes called "Lula's Shadow".
Shenyang has long functioned as the education and cultural centre of the Northeast.
Revered for its editorial excellence and its visual panache, the magazine has long functioned as a bible for anyone worshiping at the altar of luxury, celebrity and style.
Anyone, prince or peasant, could understand this image, which had culturally transformative implications in China, where art had long functioned as a powerful social divider.
If S Paulo has long functioned as the brains of Brazil, Rio currently serves as something like the pelvis.
They have long functioned without his complete attention, even as they have grown in prominence and quality under his leadership.
Hosni Mubarak's Egypt has long functioned as a state where wealth bought political power and political power bought great wealth.
Mali has long functioned as a crossroads between northern and western Africa and has thus developed a rich cultural tradition.
In addition, he has modernized the federal bureaucracy: government banks and development agencies that long functioned as patronage machines have been separated from political control, reducing opportunities for corruption and cutting the cost of delivering social services nearly in half.
