bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life and Its Correlates in Students of a University of the Third Age
Authors: Niedzielska Ewa , Guszkowska Monika , Kozdroń Ewa , Leś Anna , Krynicki Bartłomiej , Piotrowska Joanna
Published: June 2017

Introduction. The aim of the study was to determine the quality of life of students of a University of the Third Age (U3A) and examine its correlations with demographic variables, physical fitness, perception ability, and emotional well-being. Material and methods. The study involved 116 women aged 50 to 88 years who participated in U3A classes held at the University of Physical Education in Warsaw. Quality of life was assessed using an abridged version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Additionally the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test, a dynamometer hand grip strength test, and Romberg’s test were performed. The Attention and Perceptiveness Test (version 6/9) by Ciechanowicz and Stańczak, the UMACL Mood Adjective Checklist by Matthews, Chamberlain, and Jones, as well as the Geriatric Depression Scale by Yesavage were also used. Finally, data concerning age, marital status, economic status, chronic diseases, and medication use was collected with a specially designed questionnaire. Results. The U3A students who took part in the study perceived their quality of life as relatively high. The domain of quality of life which was found to be the most strongly correlated with demographic variables was the psychological health domain: scores in this domain decreased with the subjects’ age and increased with their level of education and economic status. Health satisfaction was directly proportional to economic status and inversely proportional to the level of education. Depression scores correlated significantly negatively with quality of life scores in all domains, the overall perception of quality of life, and health satisfaction, as well as predicting quality of life in the domains of psychological health and the environment. The predictors of the subjects’ perceived quality of life were the following: lower body strength, agility, flexibility, and aerobic endurance. Conclusions. The findings of the study confirm that demographic variables (age, education, and economic status), depression and mood, as well as physical fitness are important predictors of quality of life in women in late adulthood.
A Linguistic Evaluation of Rule-Based, Phrase-Based, and Neural MT Engines
Authors: Burchardt Aljoscha , Macketanz Vivien , Dehdari Jon , Heigold Georg , Peter Jan-Thorsten , Williams Philip
Published: June 2017

In this paper, we report an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of several Machine Translation (MT) engines implementing the three most widely used paradigms. The analysis is based on a manually built test suite that comprises a large range of linguistic phenomena. Two main observations are on the one hand the striking improvement of an commercial online system when turning from a phrase-based to a neural engine and on the other hand that the successful translations of neural MT systems sometimes bear resemblance with the translations of a rule-based MT system.
Pre-Reordering for Neural Machine Translation: Helpful or Harmful?
Authors: Du Jinhua , Way Andy
Published: June 2017

Pre-reordering, a preprocessing to make the source-side word orders close to those of the target side, has been proven very helpful for statistical machine translation (SMT) in improving translation quality. However, is it the case in neural machine translation (NMT)? In this paper, we firstly investigate the impact of pre-reordered source-side data on NMT, and then propose to incorporate features for the pre-reordering model in SMT as input factors into NMT (factored NMT). The features, namely parts-of-speech (POS), word class and reordered index, are encoded as feature vectors and concatenated to the word embeddings to provide extra knowledge for NMT. Pre-reordering experiments conducted on Japanese↔English and Chinese↔English show that pre-reordering the source-side data for NMT is redundant and NMT models trained on pre-reordered data deteriorate translation performance. However, factored NMT using SMT-based pre-reordering features on Japanese→English and Chinese→English is beneficial and can further improve by 4.48 and 5.89 relative BLEU points, respectively, compared to the baseline NMT system.
Comparing Language Related Issues for NMT and PBMT between German and English
Authors: Popović Maja
Published: June 2017

This work presents an extensive comparison of language related problems for neural machine translation and phrase-based machine translation between German and English. The explored issues are related both to the language characteristics as well as to the machine translation process and, although related, are going beyond typical translation error classes. It is shown that the main advantage of the NMT system consists of better handling of verbs, English noun collocations, German compound words, phrase structure as well as articles. In addition, it is shown that the main obstacles for the NMT system are prepositions, translation of English (source) ambiguous words and generating English (target) continuous tenses. Although in total there are less issues for the NMT system than for the PBMT system, many of them are complementary – only about one third of the sentences deals with the same issues, and for about 40% of the sentences the issues are completely different. This means that combination/hybridisation of the NMT and PBMT approaches is a promising direction for improving both types of systems.
Providing Morphological Information for SMT Using Neural Networks
Authors: Passban Peyman , Liu Qun , Way Andy
Published: June 2017

Treating morphologically complex words (MCWs) as atomic units in translation would not yield a desirable result. Such words are complicated constituents with meaningful subunits. A complex word in a morphologically rich language (MRL) could be associated with a number of words or even a full sentence in a simpler language, which means the surface form of complex words should be accompanied with auxiliary morphological information in order to provide a precise translation and a better alignment. In this paper we follow this idea and propose two different methods to convey such information for statistical machine translation (SMT) models. In the first model we enrich factored SMT engines by introducing a new morphological factor which relies on subword-aware word embeddings. In the second model we focus on the language-modeling component. We explore a subword-level neural language model (NLM) to capture sequence-, word- and subword-level dependencies. Our NLM is able to approximate better scores for conditional word probabilities, so the decoder generates more fluent translations. We studied two languages Farsi and German in our experiments and observed significant improvements for both of them.
Biomarkers in Community-Acquired Pneumonia Assessment
Authors: Voskresenska Natalja , Babikovs Sergejs , Voicehovska Jūlija , Šķesters Andrejs , Silova Alise , Voicehovskis Vladimirs , Aleksejeva Renija , Lejnieks Aivars , Karpovs Jurijs
Published: June 2017

The paper presents information on pneumonia (P) patients with features of oxidative stress (OS). Identifying features of OS in patients with P is of interest not only for diagnosis, but also for monitoring of treatment efficiency. We recruited 73 patients with community-acquired P (CAP), previously healthy adults, both males and females with mean age of 68.0 ± 15.2, hospitalised, and 61 healthy control patients matched for age. For quantitative evaluation of lipid peroxidation in CAP patients, the levels of aldehydic lipid peroxidation products like malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4- hydroxynon-2-enal (HNE) were quantified. Furthermore, concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and several antioxidant enzymes and selenium in plasma were determined. In CAP patients, decreased levels of GSH and plasma selenium were observed. Plasma levels of MDA, and HNE did significantly differ between patient and control groups. We also noted reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes, namely, glutation peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Low antioxidant enzymes activity was associated with a more severe CAP pattern. Both GSH and antioxidant enzymes may serve as markers for inflammation-related OS in CAP patients, and measurement of these biomarkers may be a valid indentifier for its management.
Risk Factors Affect Long-Term Compliance to Coumadin Treatment (Self-Reporting)
Authors: Tzivian Lilian , Folkmanis Valdis , Warshawsky-Livne Lora , Waldman Maor , Friger Michael , Reuveni Haim , Yerushalmi Ronit
Published: June 2017

Low compliance to a prescribed Coumadin treatment can result in negative health outcomes. In this study we aimed to evaluate risk factors affecting patient compliance to Coumadin. For this purpose, two study phases were performed: Phase 1: a retrospective eight-year follow-up of databases from health care services; and Phase 2: a cross-sectional study with telephone interviews. A Total Compliance Index was constructed using the number of Coumadin purchases (40%), international standardised ratio (INR) tests (40%), and average INR values (20%). Multiple models for the Total Compliance Index were constructed using socio-demographic, treatment-related, and health care utilisation variables, use of drugs, patient-physician relationships and patient’s quality of life. 78.5 ± 3.4% of patients in the total population were non-compliant in the retrospective phase of the study, and 53.2% in the second, cross-sectional phase. Total Compliance Index was significantly associated with older age, number of doctor visits, and drugs from group C. We suggest that the Total Compliance Index for other drugs can be utilised as well.
Visual Acuity in Myopes with Standard and Reversed Contrast Optotypes
Authors: Ikaunieks Gatis , Petrova Anete , Panke Karola , Krūmiņa Gunta
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to assess the visual acuity of myopes with standard and reversed contrast optotypes and to determine how the visual acuity of myopes is affected by optical defocus and the type of optical correction, either contact lenses or spectacles. Twenty-three myopic subjects (18 and 23 years old) with uncorrected vision had their visual acuity assessed with both standard and reversed contrast optotypes. The study also included 10 myopes with contact lens as well as habitual spectacle correction. The visual acuity for myopes with uncorrected vision was better with reversed than standard contrast optotypes. Better reversed contrast than standard contrast visual acuity was obtained also with spectacle and contact lens correction. This result could be due in part to low order aberrations (optical defocus) in myopes spectacle or contact lenses correction.
Performance of Eucalyptus Clones in Auto and Allocompetition
Authors: Martins Gustavo Salgado , Moura G. P. L. , Ramalho M. A. P. , Gonçalves F. M. A.
Published: June 2017

This study was performed to estimate the abilities of eucalyptus clones to exercise as well as to tolerate competition and to compare their behaviors under auto- or allocompetition. Six commercial clones, belonging to PLANTAR S/A enterprise were evaluated for breast height circumference (BHC), total height (TH) and volume (VOL). At three locations of Minas Gerais, Brazil (two in Curvelo and one in Felixlândia) the clones were planted in two spaces. At 36 months of age each clone was evaluated for exercising and toleration competition amongst each other. The design for each experiment was similar to that of the nine-hole system; the center clone being under competition and the eight surrounding the center clone exercising competition. Each clone under competition was repeated eight times; therefore, for each spacing and location, six contiguous experiments were conducted. From the mean values; the parameters of ability to exercise competition (ci), ability to tolerate competition (tj), the specific competitive ability (sij) and the performance per se of the clones (aj) were estimated using a model similar to that of diallel crosses. The clones differed as to their ci, tj and aj. No one clone exhibited high and positive ci and tj. Regardless of location, spacing, or clone, the performance of autocompetition is similar to that of allocompetition. This indicates that a mixture of clones, if advantageous from the management or industrial point of view, may be performed without harm to the volume of wood produced.
Clonal Variation of Eucalypts in Susceptibility to Bacterial Wilt Detected by Using Different Inoculation Methods
Authors: Wei Run-Peng , Luo Z. , Fang B.
Published: June 2017

Four inoculation methods were investigated for assessing the clonal variation of eucalypts in susceptibility to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum). The results showed that these inoculation methods obviously differed in the disease infection process, clonal variation and clonal mean repeatability in susceptibility of stock materials inoculated. For each inoculation method, the clonal effect was consistently significant over the assessment period. Root-collar suspension injection method (RSI) yielded the highest relative clonal variation (0.67±0.086) and clonal mean repeatability (0.92±0.038) in both disease infected incidence and severity at the end of assessment, attributable to the enhanced genetic variation or low environment effect. For a given inoculation method, an early assessment time might exist for maximizing relative clonal variation or repeatability. It is desirable in breeding to adopt an inoculation method and/or efficient assessment time with high clonal variance component, which would in turn improve the efficiency of clonal screening.
Experimental strategies for clonal eucalyptus
Authors: Mendes Matheus Henrique Silveira , Rosse Leonardo Novaes , Toledo Fernando Henrique Ribeiro , Ramalho Magno Antônio Patto
Published: June 2017

The success of any forestry operation depends on the careful choice of the clones to be planted. At existing yield levels, the differences among clones are becoming smaller, leading to the need to use experimental strategies for a more successful choice. To obtain information in regard to better experimental strategies, data from two clonal tests of eucalyptus were used. One of the tests consisted of 35 clones and another of 48 clones. In both tests, the experimental plot consisted of 100 plants at commercial spacing (12 m2 per plant). The trait wood volume was evaluated, taking the relative position of the plant in the plot as a reference. The data were evaluated by different means, and it was observed that the use of border plot in clonal tests in eucalyptus is not necessary. Experimental accuracy with 15 to 20 plants is similar in comparison to the plot with 100 plants.
Comparative assessment of SSR, ISSR and AFLP markers for characterization of selected genotypes of Himalayan Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) based on resin yield
Authors: Rawat A. , Barthwal S. , Ginwal H. S.
Published: June 2017

A set of 19 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats), 9 ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats) and 5 AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) primer combinations were used to evaluate the variability among 53 genotypes of Pinus roxburghii selected based on resin yield from the natural zone of occurrence of this species in Uttarakhand, India. The selected trees of pine varied in resin yield from 0.25 to 8 kg/year/tree. Based on the comparative assessment of SSR, ISSR and AFLP markers, SSR markers were found most polymorphic with an average PIC value of 0.327 and 2.42 alleles per marker, while ISSR markers showed the highest effective multiplex ratio (15.536) and marker index (4.958). AFLP markers showed the maximum resolving power (8.099) which was comparable to the resolving power (8.059) of ISSR markers. UPGMA-based dendrogram using SSR markers revealed more distinct grouping of genotypes on the basis of resin yield as compared to ISSR and AFLP markers. AMOVA by collection site revealed no significant variation among the populations. Whereas, AMOVA by resin yield using SSR, ISSR and AFLP markers revealed FSTvalues to be 0.1096, 0.0483 and 0.2422 indicating moderate, low and great genetic differentiation among the groups. This clearly indicated that the variation at the molecular level was attributed to the resin yield and not the site of collection.
Visible and near infrared hyperspectral imaging reveals significant differences in needle reflectance among Scots pine provenances
Authors: Danusevicius Darius , Masaitis G. , Mozgeris G.
Published: June 2017

Genetic diversity is an important indicator of forest sustainability requiring particular attention and new methods to obtain fast and cheap estimates of genetic diversity. We assessed the differences in visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) spectral reflectance properties of detached shoots of several distant Scots pine provenances aiming to identify the most informative spectral wavebands and the seasonal time for the genetic diversity scoring. Shoots of five trees per provenance were sampled at two week intervals during the active growth and fall. The samples were scanned using a hyperspectral camera, equipped with a highly sensitive spectrometer capable of covering the spectral range of 400-1000 nm with a sampling interval of 0.6 nm. The ANOVAs revealed significant provenance effects on the spectral reflectance at variable spectral intervals depending on the sampling occasion. During the active growth, PCA identified the most informative wavebands over whole spectral range investigated. During the shoot/needle hardiness development, NIR was the most informative. Provenance ranking in spectral reflectance returned geographically interpretable pattern. We conclude that there are significant provenance attributable and interpretable differences in spectral reflectance of Scots pine needles providing a good opportunity for detecting this spectral variation with the hyperspectral imaging technique.
Genetic analysis of European common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) populations affected by ash dieback
Authors: Fussi Barbara , Konnert M.
Published: June 2017

European common ash is an important component of mixed forest ecosystems in Bavaria and is considered a valuable tree species under climate change. The first aim of the present study was to assess the genetic diversity within and between ash populations in Bavaria in comparison with neighboring regions. Because ash stands have been heavily attacked by ash shoot disease in the last few years, the second aim of the study was to detect genetic differences between susceptible and less susceptible trees (trees with defoliation up to 30%) within populations. Altogether 41 populations were investigated using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites. The results showed high genetic variation within and high genetic differentiation between ash populations. Higher chloroplast microsatellite variation was detected instead populations from south-eastern Bavaria compared to other regions. The comparison of susceptible and less susceptible groups of individuals within each population revealed medium to high genetic differences in some cases. For the observed heterozygosity, higher values were found for the group of less susceptible trees compared to the group of all trees or to the group of susceptible trees within populations. This could be a first indication that individuals with a higher heterozygosity might be able to withstand ash dieback in a better way compared to homozygotic individuals. Within the group of less susceptible trees a relatively wide genetic base exists whereupon a future breeding programme can be built. Thus it is of utmost importance for the species to maintain less affected trees in order to keep the genetic potential for future adaptation processes within ash populations, seed production and regeneration.
Investigation of gas exchange and biometric parameters in isogenic lines of poplar differing in ploidy
Authors: Alía Lucía Atanet , Lüttschwager Dietmar , Ewald Dietrich
Published: June 2017

Three poplar clones of section Populus (Brauna 11 [Populus tremula], L447 [Populus canescens] and Esch 5 [Populus tremula × Populus tremuloides]) were used to analyse the effects of ploidy levels on primary productivity and water use efficiency. The clones were established in tissue culture (2N) and lines with different ploidy levels (2N/4N and 4N) were generated via colchicine treatment. Light response curves were modelled based on gas exchange measurements carried out three times during the growing season on the 1st fully developed leaf under controlled conditions. The plants were harvested in September to analyse biometric parameters. The photosynthetic capacity was greatest in May, decreased throughout the season and increased slightly again in September. The decrease in Brauna 11 and Esch 5 varied from 20-50% compared with values in May and it was not as pronounced in L 447. Photosynthesis and intrinsic water use efficiency differed between clones, but not among the single isogenic lines within each clone. The seasons in which the experiments were conducted influenced the rankings of the 9 variants in physiological measurements, but these rankings were not uniform during the growing period. Differences in biometric parameters were detected between the clones and variants, e.g.; leaf masses were greater in all of the polyploid variants and lowest in the diploid variants. All of the L 447 lines showed the highest wood densities, which were higher in the mixoploid and lower in the tetraploid variants within each clone. A compact wood structure could prevent damage to the water-conducting system under drought stress.
Five Years Performance of New Introduced Salt Tolerant Hybrid Poplar clones (Mofid and P. × albaeuphratica) In Iran (West Azar-Bayjan)
Authors: Mofidabadi Ali Jafari , Ghmeri-Zareh A. , Salari A.
Published: June 2017

In order to introduce new hybrids poplar clones (“Mofide” and P. × albaeuphratica) for commercial wood production in different part of country, ecological range of productivity have to be determined. Therefore, adaptability of two hybrid clones “Mofide”and its reciprocal crosses hybrid (P. × albaeuphratica), along with Populus alba L. as local clone (Kaboodeh) were tested in Rasol Abad Salty-soil Research station during 2004-2009. The experiment was conducted through randomized complete block design (RCBD). Twenty five individual cuttings of three clones (two hybrids and one local clone) planted in 100 square m as an experimental plot at spacing (2 × 2 m distance) and replicated three. Analyses of collected data have been done based on quantities and qualitative characters during five years. The results indicated that there were highly significant differences between clones at the 0.01 level. Populus euphratica Oliv. × P. alba L. hybrid (Mofid) showed highest diameter at breast height (11.30 cm), and total height (10 m) than the others two. Low level of breast diameter height (4.15 cm) and total height (5.5 m) were observed for Populus alba L. (Kaboodeh) clone as a local poplar clone.
Provenance by site interaction and stability analysis of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) provenances grown in common garden experiments
Authors: Stojnić Srđan , Orlović S. , Ballian D. , Ivankovic M. , Šijačić-Nikolić M. , Pilipović A. , Bogdan S. , Kvesić S. , Mataruga M. , Daničić V. , Cvjetković B. , Miljković D. , Wuehlisch G. von
Published: June 2017

Fifteen provenances of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) were evaluated for stability and adaptability by height growth at four test sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1), Croatia (1) and Serbia (2). Provenance trials were established in spring 2007 by planting 2- and 3-yearold seedlings and arranged in a randomized complete block design. The data from seven 6- year-old and eight 5-year-old provenances were obtained in 2009 and analyzed separately. Finlay and Wilkinson’s regression analysis and Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model (AMMI model) were used to assess provenance by site interaction (P × S) and to identify beech provenances that have high and stable performance in different environments, at the juvenile stage of development. Analysis of variance showed that effects of provenance, site, and P×S interaction are highly significant (p<0.001) in both age groups. Linear regression model evidenced that most of the provenances had regression coefficients not significantly different from unity (b=1.0), except for provenances Sjeverni Dilj Caglinski (HR24) and Vranica-Bistrica (BA59). The partitioning of the total sum of squares (SS) exhibited that the site effect was the predominant source of variation in both age groups of provenances (50.7% and 38.5%, respectively). Additionally, regression analysis explained 15.8% and 33.2% of provenance by site interaction terms, in provenances age six and five years, respectively, while the AMMI analysis accounted for 62.2% and 78.7% in P×S interaction. The results of AMMI showed that the first principal component (PC1) was statistically significant in both age groups. Adaptability and stability of provenances to the test sites were estimated with AMMI1 and AMMI2 biplots. Provenance Sjeverni Dilj Caglinski (HR24) showed constant performance over tested sites, characterizing with aboveaverage height growth at low yielding environments. Provenances HR25 and BA61 showed the opposite type of adaptation, being adapted to high yielding sites. Provenance Valkonya (HU42) was characterized by IPCA1 score close to zero and above average mean height growth, suggesting general adaptation to the tested environments. The implication of P×S was discussed in light of impact of climate change on beech and selection of most suitable provenances for future reforestation programs.
Effects of Light-Emitting Diode Therapy on the Performance of Biceps Brachii Muscle of Young Healthy Males After 8 Weeks of Strength Training: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Vieira Kamila V.S.G. , Ciol Marcia A. , Azevedo Paulo H. , Pinfildi Carlos E. , Renno Ana C.M. , Colantonio Emilson , Tucci Helga T.
Published: June 2017

Vieira, KVSG, Ciol, MA, Azevedo, PH, Pinfildi, CE, Renno, ACM, Colantonio, E, and Tucci, HT. Effects of light-emitting diode therapy on the performance of biceps brachii muscle of young healthy males after 8 weeks of strength training: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Strength Cond Res 33(2): 433–442, 2019—We assessed the effect of adding light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT) to an 8-week strength training of biceps brachii in healthy young males. Forty-five participants were randomized into training plus LEDT, training plus sham LEDT, and control groups (n = 15 each). Individuals in the LEDT groups participated in strength training performed in a Scott machine at their maximum number of elbow flexion-extension repetitions. The LEDT was applied to biceps brachii of dominant limb at the end of training sessions (device “on” for LEDT and “off” for sham LEDT). Training loads were re-evaluated every 2 weeks. Controls did not receive training during 8 weeks. All groups were evaluated for 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and fatigue at baseline and 8 weeks. Additionally, the 2 LEDT groups were evaluated every 2 weeks for 1-RM and number of elbow flexion-extension repetitions. The groups were statistically different in mean difference and mean percent change of 1-RM from baseline to week 8 (p < 0.001). Analyzing the 2 LEDT groups, we found an interaction between group and time (p = 0.02), with a slightly faster increase in 1-RM for the LEDT than the sham LEDT. Over time, both groups decreased the number of repetitions of elbow flexion-extension (differences not statistically significant), possibly because of the increase of load over time. We found no difference in change of fatigue index among the 3 groups. Our study showed potential benefits to 1RM when LEDT is applied after a strength training session. Future studies might assess whether different doses of LEDT can reduce fatigue in strength training.
Energy and Society
Authors: Grosse Corrie
Published: June 2017

These slides are intended to help students develop a justice-based lens for analysis of the relationship between energy and society. In particular, they explore the concepts of environmental justice and climate justice, drawing on the case of the No Dakota Access Pipeline movement by the Standing Rock Sioux and their allies. These slides were created by a sociologist to serve as an introductory set of slides for an environmental studies course on energy and society. They would also be well suited for a class period dedicated to themes of environmental justice and climate justice, especially for how these relate to energy extraction. To illuminate the social justice implications of energy extraction and resulting climate change, the slides include brief examples from the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe, who are climate refugees from Louisiana; women resisting mountain top removal coal mining in Appalachia; and Nez Perce experiences losing traditional food sources because of climate change. These slides include an 8-minute video on Standing Rock and 15-minute discussion-based activity.
Watershed Protection to Secure Ecosystem Services
Authors: Hanlon Jeffrey W.
Published: June 2017

In 1997, New York City and a group of smaller municipalities in the Catskills region of New York came to agree upon a novel and complex means of protecting water quality in the City's upstate reservoirs. The Memorandum of Agreement they authored tied previously uncooperating governments to a new shared goal: preserve the ecological integrity of the Catskill and Delaware watersheds so that the City could avoid chemically filtering its municipal water. The agreement represents a policy experiment in reaction to a stark choice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 1986 Surface Water Treatment Rule mandated that the City either filter its surface water supply or maintain a watershed control program to ensure the long-term protection of water quality in its source watersheds. The City decided to pursue a watershed control program in lieu of the more expensive filtration. The choice has led to a governing arrangement that has theoretical implications for how to simultaneously secure ecosystem services, promote rural livelihoods, and produce the critical public good of potable water to millions of people. The policy solution displays how cooperative institutions may provide low-cost and low-tech solutions to environmental dilemmas to protect ecosystem services. However, over time, governing entities have faced challenges that raise questions about the durability of the arrangement. This case study explores those challenges to better elucidate the possibilities and pitfalls of watershed governance to secure ecosystem services.
Why Does the Regulated Harvest of Black Bears Affect the Rate of Human-Bear Conflicts in New Jersey?
Authors: Raithel Jarod D. , Reynolds-Hogland Melissa J. , Carr Patrick C. , Aubry Lise M.
Published: June 2017

Humanity has a miserable track record in conserving large carnivores: from Paleolithic hunters skinning the enormous cave lion 15,000 years ago to the contemporary loss of the marsupial Tasmanian tiger. Today, several iconic members of the order Carnivora are on the brink of extinction (Amur leopards, Asiatic cheetahs), and over 75% of the world's 31 large carnivore species have experienced alarming population declines, often directly from human persecution. Yet, several species of large predators have dramatically rebounded (European gray wolf, American black bear) in the most unlikely of places: heavily human-dominated landscapes. For example, the black bear population in northwestern New Jersey (NJ), the state with the highest human densities in the United States, has exponentially increased over sixfold in just 15 years. During this period of unprecedented suburban sprawl in NJ there have been over 26,500 reported human-bear interactions including seven attacks on humans and one human fatality. Given accelerating anthropogenic landscape transformation, there simply are not enough large tracts of wildlands remaining to alone support expanding bear populations. Thus, American black bear conservation in the Anthropocene may ultimately depend upon society's tolerance for this large carnivore in areas where people live, work, and recreate. In an effort to curb bear population growth and reduce conflicts, the first regulated NJ black bear harvest in over three decades was held in 2003 resulting in an acrimonious public debate. How can objective population ecology help us make informed decisions about management actions that elicit such strong emotional responses among different stakeholder groups?
The Campus Wells Program: preserving and re-tasking
Authors: Cole Jennifer Rivers
Published: June 2017

I used existing groundwater monitoring wells in the Back Bay area of Boston, MA as an effective way to teach the applied aspects of integrating the natural world with the built environment. These wells were installed as part of engineering studies for construction and rehabilitation of campus buildings, and through their use in laboratory exercises, undergraduate students developed valuable, field-based insight into the physical meaning of environmental science, mathematical models of groundwater movement, and the practical knowledge of professional practice. I arranged ongoing permission to access these wells and prevent them from being plugged once construction was completed. I compiled the existing long-term well data from both the Northeastern University Physical Plant office and the geotechnical engineering firm who installed the wells, providing students with context for their field measurements in lab.

This project gave undergraduate students in introductory and upper division environmental science courses an opportunity to learn about water quality issues, construction and excavation issues, architectural retrofitting, and historical water table changes through analysis of the data. Close proximity of the wells to the classroom made possible many independent student projects.

Through the Campus Wells Program, I involved the working community - including the Physical Plant staff at multiple colleges, and professional geologists in the geotechnical engineering consulting firm - in the learning process. Students recognized that their class laboratory exercises contributed real data to a long-term study of the hydrogeology of the campus, giving students buy-in to the project. The Campus Wells Program is a virtually cost-free, practice-oriented teaching opportunity that any university undergoing construction or site cleanup can implement.
Algunas consideraciones sobre el marco jurídico de protección del inversor en derecho español
Authors: Valmaña Ochaita Maria
Published: June 2017

La protección del inversor y la eficiencia de los mercados de valores
son dos principios de política legislativa básicos dentro del Derecho del Mercado
de Valores, tal y como se refleja en el artículo 13 de la Ley del Mercado de Valores
de 1988. El legislador español, como en otros ordenamientos jurídicos de nuestro
entorno, ha considerado que la protección del inversor está conectada en gran
medida con la información. Por ello ha instaurado un sistema basado en la
información conocido como «transparencia informativa o full disclosure» que
encuentra sus orígenes en el Derecho anglosajón y se fundamenta en la
imposición de un sistema de carga informativa al emisor de valores acompañado
de un sistema de supervisión de dicha información, que en España se lleva a cabo
por la CNMV. Con ello se pretende garantizar la seguridad y confianza de los
inversores a través del acceso de los mismos a una información homogénea,
pública y obligatoria para los emisores y, en consecuencia, favorecer la eficiencia
de los mercados. Para determinar el grado de protección que el ordenamiento
jurídico debe conceder a cada inversor es necesario tener en cuenta las distintas
modalidades de inversor que existen en Derecho español y que han sido elevadas
a categorías legales. Asimismo, resulta conveniente a la hora de valorar la
eficiencia del sistema de protección del inversor conocer si a los mecanismos
informativos del sistema le acompañan otros de naturaleza sancionadora e indemnizatoria como sucede en países de nuestro entorno a efectos de potenciar
el cumplimiento de las normas sobre información.
El discurso del populista como reivindicación latinoamericana en el actual des-orden hemisférico
Authors: Giraldo Davila Andres
Published: June 2017

América Latina está viviendo una serie de antagonismos políticos auspiciados por discursos políticos que, al reproducirse por los medios masivos de comunicación, alimentan disputas y discordias que afectan la integridad de objetivos políticamente comunes para la región.
Principios democráticos en Atenas y en la república romana
Authors: Valmaña Ochaita Alicia
Published: June 2017

Atenas crea la demokratía y Roma la re publica. Ambos sistemas se sustentan básicamente en las mismas estructuras constitucionales en las que el dêmos o populus participa de la vida política en una relación más o menos estable de equilibrio con los demás órganos de poder (Senado o Areópago y magistraturas). La historia de ambas ciudades será la de la lucha por alcanzar cada vez cotas más altas de presencia y decisión del pueblo en todas las instituciones.
Análisis Sobre el Control Judicial de los Decretos Reglamentarios del Salario de los Fiscales
Authors: Patiño Cardenas Johhan
Published: June 2017

El control judicial de los Decretos expedidos por el Presidente de la República, en ejercicio de las funciones otorgadas por la Constitución y la ley 4 de 1992, por el cual estableció, entre otros, el régimen salarial y prestacional de la Fiscalía General de la Nación, debe responder a los nuevos criterios de aceptabilidad general y de argumentación jurídica, con el fin de que la traducción del ordenamiento jurídico Colombiano dentro del Estado Social de Derecho, se materialice, cumpliendo así con la meta de que “todo sea tal como el ordenamiento dice que debe ser, pese al desconocimiento o negación que en la práctica se haga de él
El carácter vinculante de la jurisprudencia constitucional en el derecho alemán
Authors: Palomares García Jorge
Published: June 2017

La implementación del sistema de precedente en Colombia implica no solo la resolución de cuestiones materiales, tales como la identidad del modelo jurídico colombiano o la reconfiguración del sistema de fuentes, sino también de cuestiones metodológicas, tales como la determinación de las técnicas de identificación, interpretación y aplicación de reglas de precedente. Por ello, el presente artículo analiza cómo, en el ordenamiento alemán, se han
construido unos criterios para la identificación del precedente, a fin de establecer cómo ellos pueden aportar a la construcción de una metodología de identificación de precedente en Colombia.
El pasaje del estado y el derecho a la postmodernidad
Authors: Rodriguez Martinez Eduardo
Published: June 2017

El presente artículo pretende explorar la génesis social que fue dando origen a la implementación
y constitución de lo que en nuestros días se conoce como el campo neoliberal y
neoinstitucional como fórmulas novedosas de regulación global de las relaciones sociales de
producción del capitalismo globalizado. La hipótesis que se defiende en estas líneas es que
estos campos son el fruto del agotamiento que sufrió el modelo Taylorista-Fordista-Keynesiano,
propio del denominado Estado de Bienestar, debido a la naturaleza de las luchas sociales
que se desarrollaron dentro de ese contexto. El objetivo general que se quiere mostrar en la
argumentación es que el tipo de Derecho asociado al Estado de Bienestar está íntimamente
asociado a las tesis que sobre el mismo desarrolló Max Weber, pero que en nuestros días ese
tipo de racionalidad cada vez más tiende a carecer de sentido. El artículo quiere introducirse
en la discusión contemporánea sobre el carácter y significado del Derecho en la sociedad del capitalismo globalizado para inscribirse en el plano teórico y político de su naturaleza de regulación y subordinación o de su naturaleza emancipatoria en el seno del movimiento social.
Del servicio militar obligatorio a la voluntariedad
Authors: Vásquez Hincapié Daniel José , Téllez Navarro Román Francisco
Published: June 2017

El presente artículo evidencia la necesidad de operar el tránsito de un servicio militar obligatorio
a uno voluntario y profesional, en consonancia con la nueva forma de Estado instaurada
a partir de la Constitución de 1991, cuyo fundamento es el respeto de la dignidad de la persona
humana. Muestra cómo existen al respecto países que ya han realizado esta transición
evidenciando que en los Estados modernos es innecesario el servicio militar obligatorio, ya
que con la abolición de este no se menoscaba la defensa de su seguridad, mientras que con la profesionalización de dicho servicio, las labores de defensa y seguridad son más efectivas. El
artículo refiere una fórmula con la cual puede solventarse la defensa y la seguridad del Estado
colombiano a partir de las reservas activas, las cuales, en caso de guerra, suplirían la ausencia
de los contingentes integrados por jóvenes obligados a prestar el servicio militar. Finalmente,
se presenta un análisis de los pronunciamientos de la Corte Constitucional frente a la exequibilidad
de la norma que establece el servicio militar como obligatorio, así como el primer
asomo de la terminación de esta imposición a partir de la objeción de conciencia y la ausencia
del legislador para regular esta voluntariedad, pese a la recomendación de dicha Corte
Experimental Evolution withCaenorhabditisNematodes
Authors: Teotónio Henrique , Estes Suzanne , Phillips Patrick C , Baer Charles F
Published: June 2017

The hermaphroditic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been one of the primary model systems in biology since the 1970s, but only within the last two decades has this nematode also become a useful model for experimental evolution. Here, we outline the goals and major foci of experimental evolution with C. elegans and related species, such as C. briggsae and C. remanei, by discussing the principles of experimental design, and highlighting the strengths and limitations of Caenorhabditis as model systems. We then review three exemplars of Caenorhabditis experimental evolution studies, underlining representative evolution experiments that have addressed the: (1) maintenance of genetic variation; (2) role of natural selection during transitions from outcrossing to selfing, as well as the maintenance of mixed breeding modes during evolution; and (3) evolution of phenotypic plasticity and its role in adaptation to variable environments, including host–pathogen coevolution. We conclude by suggesting some future directions for which experimental evolution with Caenorhabditis would be particularly informative.
Epistatic Networks Jointly Influence Phenotypes Related to Metabolic Disease and Gene Expression in Diversity Outbred Mice
Authors: Tyler Anna L , Ji Bo , Gatti Daniel M , Munger Steven C , Churchill Gary A , Svenson Karen L , Carter Gregory W
Published: June 2017

In this study, Tyler et al. analyzed the complex genetic architecture of metabolic disease-related traits using the Diversity Outbred mouse population

Genetic studies of multidimensional phenotypes can potentially link genetic variation, gene expression, and physiological data to create multi-scale models of complex traits. The challenge of reducing these data to specific hypotheses has become increasingly acute with the advent of genome-scale data resources. Multi-parent populations derived from model organisms provide a resource for developing methods to understand this complexity. In this study, we simultaneously modeled body composition, serum biomarkers, and liver transcript abundances from 474 Diversity Outbred mice. This population contained both sexes and two dietary cohorts. Transcript data were reduced to functional gene modules with weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), which were used as summary phenotypes representing enriched biological processes. These module phenotypes were jointly analyzed with body composition and serum biomarkers in a combined analysis of pleiotropy and epistasis (CAPE), which inferred networks of epistatic interactions between quantitative trait loci that affect one or more traits. This network frequently mapped interactions between alleles of different ancestries, providing evidence of both genetic synergy and redundancy between haplotypes. Furthermore, a number of loci interacted with sex and diet to yield sex-specific genetic effects and alleles that potentially protect individuals from the effects of a high-fat diet. Although the epistatic interactions explained small amounts of trait variance, the combination of directional interactions, allelic specificity, and high genomic resolution provided context to generate hypotheses for the roles of specific genes in complex traits. Our approach moves beyond the cataloging of single loci to infer genetic networks that map genetic etiology by simultaneously modeling all phenotypes.
Spatial evaluation of the multiple benefits of sustainable drainage systems
Authors: Morgan Malcolm , Fenner Richard
Published: June 2017

Traditional approaches to understanding the multiple benefits of sustainable drainage systems often rely on value transfer. This converts each benefit into a monetary value, which can then be compared with the cost of the project. The approach, while well-developed, is limited because it does not systematically incorporate the spatial nature of the benefits. This paper discusses the development of an alternative way of evaluating and comparing benefits, allowing spatial distribution and local context and circumstances to be taken into consideration. The suggested approach is to create a score for each benefit category, which is normalised against a defined initial condition state on a scale of 0 to 10. This approach allows a direct comparison of the relative magnitude of benefits for a given location and provides a clear understanding of how and to whom multiple benefits accrue. The approach allows a singular significant benefit to be compared against many minor benefits. It can also easily be modified to reflect local preferences by weighting each benefit category appropriately. The method is demonstrated by three case studies in Newcastle, UK.
A General Legislative Analysis of "Torture" as a Human Rights Violation in Zimbabwe
Authors: Chitimira Howard , Mokone Pontsho
Published: June 2017

Several challenges involving torture-related human rights violations have been reported in Zimbabwe from the late 1970s to date. Notably, these torture-related human rights violations were problematic during the liberation war era in Zimbabwe. Regrettably, such violations are allegedly still prevalent, especially prior to and/or during general political elections in Zimbabwe. Accordingly, this article investigates torture as a human rights violation in Zimbabwe, inter alia by focusing on the role of selected law enforcement agencies in the protection of human rights in Zimbabwe. The article also discusses the legal position on torture and the perpetration of torture against ordinary people prior to as well as after independence in Zimbabwe. This is done to investigate the adequacy of the legal framework in Zimbabwe with regard to the combatting of torture. In relation to this, selected regional and international legal frameworks against torture are briefly discussed in order to determine possible measures that could be utilised in Zimbabwe. The authors submit that although the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 20) Act, 2013 (Zimbabwe Constitution, 2013) prohibits torture, more may still need to be done to enhance the combatting of torture in Zimbabwe. For instance, apart from the prohibition contained in the Zimbabwe Constitution, 2013, there is no legislation that expressly outlaws torture in Zimbabwe. Moreover, Zimbabwe has not ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984 (UN Convention against Torture) to date. Lastly, concluding remarks and possible recommendations that could be employed to discourage torture-related human rights abuses in Zimbabwe are provided.