31325 research outputs found
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From “rule of law revival” to “rule of law backsliding”: Possible explanations
No full textGezielte Angriffe auf die rechtsstaatlichen Elemente konstitutioneller Demokratie sind ein zentraler Bestandteil des weltweit zu beobachtenden „democratic backsliding“. Teilweise lassen sie sich als Reaktion auf die mitunter unreflektierte, mechanistische Rechtsstaatsgläubigkeit der Demokratisierungsforschung und -politik der vergangenen 20 Jahre erklären. Allerdings missbrauchen autoritär-populistische Anti-Demokraten, die selbst in (noch) konsolidierten Demokratien gegenwärtig an Einfluss gewinnen, diese berechtigte Kritik, um ihre anti-pluralistischen Vorstellungen von einem angeblich homogenen Volkswillen und einer unumschränkten Mehrheitsherrschaft zu propagieren. Gegen diese Gefahren des „rule of law backsliding“ hilft nur eine klare Benennung des oft negierten Spannungsverhältnisses zwischen Rechtsstaat und Demokratie und die konstruktive Suche nach einer Balance zwischen beiden Prinzipien im Rahmen des demokratischen Verfassungsstaates.Targeted attacks on the rule of law-side of constitutional democracy form a core part of the worldwide trend of “democratic backsliding”. To a certain degree, this may be interpreted as a response to the sometimes ill-considered, mechanistic belief in the blessings of rule of law, prevalent in democratization research over the past 20 years. However, authoritarian, populist anti-democrats, who are currently gaining influence even in (still) consolidated democracies, are instrumentalizing this justifiable criticism in order to promote their anti-pluralist ideas of an allegedly homogeneous will of the people and unrestricted majority rule. The only way to counter these dangers of “rule of law backsliding” is an open and constructive debate on the often-times denied tension between rule of law and democracy, seeking a fair balance between these principles within the framework of constitutional democracy.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (1034)Peer Reviewe
A register approach to negative concord versus negative polarity items in English
No full textNegative concord (NC) is used in many English varieties but usually considered ungrammatical in ‘standard’ contemporary English, where negative polarity items (NPIs) are used. In this paper, we take a novel experimental approach to the use of NC versus NPI constructions in relation to register, i. e., sets of speech repertoires linked to specific situational and functional parameters. We report on two rating experiments with American and British English participants using interlocutor relations as a formality manipulation. Results show that (i) across both samples, NC constructions were rated as less appropriate than NPI associates, and (ii) there was a register effect in the American English data in that NC was rated less appropriate in formal than informal contexts. Our study is the first to provide experimental evidence for the register-sensitivity of NC constructions in American English.Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftPeer Reviewe
Dormancy in Stochastic Population Models
No full textOpen Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main (1022)Peer Reviewe
Comparing lying behaviour of young riding horses on days in an individual indoor box, on an outdoor paddock alone, or in pairs and in the following night
No full textBackground: Horses must lie down to go into vital rapid‐eye movement (REM) sleep. If they are not lying down for sufficiently long periods they can become so sleep‐deprived that they collapse uncontrollably, which results in a risk of injuries. Objectives: To investigate how recumbency as a prerequisite to REM sleep on the experimental days and the following nights was influenced by changes in social and spatial environment throughout the day. Study design: Cross‐over design in which subjects experienced each experimental condition twice. Methods: Observations were conducted on a horse farm. Ten young horses in training were observed on days when they were alone indoors in a box, on an outdoor paddock alone, on the same paddock in pairs, and in the following night stabled alone. The number of lying bouts and the total lying duration throughout the day and night were assessed automatically using 3D‐accelerometers and data were evaluated using mixed‐models.
Results: Horses had a higher number of lying bouts during the days ( p = 0.05, by a factor of 1.21 [95% CI: 1.00–1.45]) and longer lying duration at night ( p < 0.001, by a factor of 11.25 [6.47–18.40]). On average, the number of lying bouts and the duration of lying increased from being indoors alone, to being outdoors alone, and outdoors in pairs although this could not be statistically supported (bouts: p = 0.5, by a factor of 1.08 [0.84–1.36] and 1.17 [0.91–1.48]; p = 0.6, duration: by a factor of 1.39 [0.73–2.93] and 1.38 [0.68–2.78]). Main limitations: A small number of horses were observed and there was large variability between days within horses. Conclusions: We found some indications that open space and a social companion throughout the day increased time lying down in the day as well as during the following nights thus allowing for more REM sleep.Peer Reviewe
Pronounced spatial disparity of projected heatwave changes linked to heat domes and land-atmosphere coupling
No full textHeatwaves are projected to substantially increase at a global scale, exacerbating worldwide heat-related risks in the future. However, understanding future heterogeneous heatwave changes and their origins remains challenging. By analyzing the output of various climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, we found pronounced spatial disparity of projected heatwave increases in the Northern Hemisphere, even outstretching seven-fold inter-regional differences in extreme heatwave occurrences, attributed primarily to future changes in heat-dome-like circulations and soil moisture–temperature coupling. Specifically, we found that by the end of the 21st century, the modulations of combined Pacific El Niño and positive Pacific Meridional Mode on magnified heat-dome-like circulations would be translated into summertime hotspots over western Asia and western North America. Amplified soil moisture–temperature couplings then further aggravate the heatwave intensity over these two hotspots. This study provides support for formulating impact-based mitigation strategies and efficiently addressing the potential future risks of heatwaves.National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Peer Reviewe
Climate change from an ectotherm perspective: evolutionary consequences and demographic change in amphibian and reptilian populations
No full textUnderstanding how natural populations will respond to contemporary changes in climate is becoming increasingly urgent and of fundamental importance for the preservation of future biodiversity. Among vertebrates, amphibians and reptiles are more sensitive to environmental perturbations than endotherms and ectotherm diversity will likely be disproportionally impacted by climate change. Notwithstanding concerns surrounding the climate change resilience of ectotherm populations, accurately predicting future population trajectories based on contemporary ecological and physiological data alone remains challenging and much can be learnt by studying how populations have responded to climate change in the past. Genomic approaches can now assay the genetic diversity of contemporary population at an unprecedented scale but to date have been relatively underutilised when studying the demographic history of amphibians and reptiles. In this review, we first summarise how changing climatic conditions may influence the ectotherm phenotype and how this can translate to changes in fitness and population dynamics. We then discuss how the relative role of past climate in shaping ectotherm diversity has traditionally been approached in a phylogeographic context and how expanding genomic resources for ectotherm species can be leveraged to improve the study of past demography for many amphibian and reptilian groups. An integrative approach that links known proximate effects on phenotype due to climate change, with past changes in demographic trajectories will ultimately enable us to generate more accurate models of future population change and improve our ability to assess climate change resilience for many ectotherm groups.Peer Reviewe
Fertilizer Addition Modifies Utilization of Different P Sources in Upland Rice on Strongly P-fixing Andosols
No full textAims: High Phosphorus (P) efficiencies such as internal P utilization efficiency (PUE) and P acquisition efficiency (PAE) are crucial for upland rice production, particularly on highly P-fixing soils like Andosols. While the effect of root traits associated with high PAE in upland rice has been studied intensively, less attention has been given to the origin of P (native soil-P versus fertilizer-P) taken up by plants when evaluating differences in P efficiency. Here we aim to evaluate the efficiency of different upland rice genotypes to acquire native soil-P and fertilizer-P. Methods: Four upland rice genotypes with varying PAE were grown in an Andosol at low- and high-P fertilization level and harvested 9 and 34 days after emergence. Fertilizer-P was labeled with 33 P to distinguish between the efficiency to acquire P originating from native soil and fertilizer by measuring plant P uptake. Results: Increased fertilizer supply enhanced native soil-P uptake. Under low-P conditions the genotype DJ123 showed a superior PAE and an increased acquisition of native soil-P while AB199 was identified to have a superior internal PUE under P deficient conditions. Differences between genotypes in overall PAE under high-P conditions were not significant but the distinction of P sources showed that genotype DJ123 acquired significantly more native soil-P per unit root than all other genotypes. Conclusions: Our results indicate that variations in PAE among genotypes are associated with their ability to access native soil-P. DJ123 emerged as the most adept genotype in acquiring sparingly soluble native soil-P and future studies should unravel the rhizosphere processes underlying increased PAE of native soil-P.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Austrian Science Fundhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002428Bundesministerium für Verbraucherschutz, Ernährung und Landwirtschafthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100020631Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e.V. (3493)Peer Reviewe
Future perspectives of Brazilian beef production: what is the role of Silvopastoral systems?
No full textAgainst the backdrop of changing production conditions and market requirements, it seems time has come to rethink Brazil’s beef production systems. We analyse the economic and environmental performance of three beef production systems: classic beef production system (CB), and two types of silvopastoral systems: the integrated crop-livestock-forestry system (ICLFS) and the natural regeneration system (NR) in a comparative case study analysis. We find that, though costs of production are the lowest for CB, only the ICLFS and NR case studies are generating long-term profits. While greenhouse gas emissions per kg live weight added are lowest in ICLFS, followed by NR and CB, per hectare (ha) emissions are highest in NR, followed by ICLFS and CB. Considering the system’s carbon removal, NR and potentially ICLFS are sequestering more than releasing. Additionally, the land required to produce beef is lowest in NR, followed by ICLFS and CB. Considering the additional outputs produced by ICLFS and NR, they showcase the potential of multifunctional production systems for future scenarios, where land scarcity puts land-demanding production systems, such as beef, under pressure. The three production systems perform differently depending on the indicators analysed. How they will reply to future challenges depends on the location and the specific environment. Yet, from the analysed systems, CB is the least sustainable, economically and environmentally.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Johann Heinrich von Thünen-InstitutFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Geraishttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004901Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológicohttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003593International Atomic Energy Agencyhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004493global networks gUGJohann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei (4249)Peer Reviewe
Lewis Caerleon and the equation of time: tabular astronomical practices in late fifteenth-century England
No full textThe manuscripts and writings of the fifteenth-century astronomer and physician Lewis Caerleon (d. c. 1495) have been largely overlooked. To fill this gap, this article focuses on his writings and working methods through a case study of his canons and table for the equation of time. In the first part, an account of his life and writings is given on the basis of new evidence. The context in which his work on the equation of time was produced is explored in detail by reviewing the three key periods of his scientific production. His heavy reliance on Simon Bredon’s Commentum super Almagesti is also analyzed. The article also provides editions of Lewis Caerleon’s canons for calculating his table for the equation of time and a critical edition of Simon Bredon’s Commentum super Almagesti, III, 22–24. In the second part of this article, we analyze the table for the equation of time derived by Lewis around 1485. In addition to the final table, there is a unique table with intermediate results that records every step of his derivation. By following and discussing the details of this derivation, we shed a new light on tabular practices in mathematical astronomy. Following Lewis in his historical mathematical procedure, we argue, offers a novel historiographical approach that allows us to identify different sources and practices used by historical actors. Therefore, beyond the exchange of parameters residing in modern mathematical analysis, this novel approach offers a promising refinement for the analysis of the transmission of knowledge across space, time, and culture.Peer Reviewe
Life-Course-Sensitive Analysis of Group Inequalities: Combining Sequence Analysis With the Kitagawa–Oaxaca–Blinder Decomposition
No full textProcesses that unfold over individuals’ life courses are often associated with inequalities later in life. The literature lacks methodological approaches to analyze inequalities in outcomes between groups, for example, between women and men, in a life-course-sensitive manner. We propose a combination of methods—of sequence analysis, which enables us to study the multidimensional complexity of life courses with Kitagawa–Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition. This approach allows us to distinguish the share of inequalities between groups that is due to group-specific life courses from the share that is due to group-specific returns to similar life courses. We illustrate the combination of the two methods by analyzing work–family life courses and gender pension gaps in Italy and Germany. Our contribution is to systematically compare possible core analytical choices when combining typologies derived using sequence analysis with the Kitagawa–Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition. For future applications, we propose a set of practical guidelines for sequence analysis–Kitagawa–Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschafthttps://doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Economic and Social Research Councilhttps://doi.org/10.13039/501100000269Peer Reviewe