1,927 research outputs found
Stages for the More Sustainable Farm
No full textCurrently, agricultural farm units are faced with a double and most times contradictory challenge, in order to be successful: on the one hand the invested capital has to be profitable and the economic performance has to be maximised. On the other hand, given the socio-environmental situation, it is necessary to preserve and to protect the environment and natural resources. Given the potential conflict of the two aims, since the satisfaction of one implies the underperformance of the other (and vice versa), the question then is: which is the solution to choose? We intend, in this work, to formulate a farm plan with the purpose of reconciling the criteria of environmental sustainability with that of economic competitiveness. For this achievement we proceed to the comparative study of sustainability of different groups of farms identified in the study area (first evaluation cycle) through MESMIS (“Marco para la Evaluación de Sistemas de Manejo de Recursos Naturales Mediante Indicadores de Sustentabilidad” - Framework for Evaluation of Natural-Resource Systems Handling through Sustainability Indicators) methodology, that allowed to select the more sustainable group of farms. Based on the found potentialities and weakness on these production systems, we stepped to the planning of a production unit of bovine meat, which obeys simultaneously to economic and environmental objectives, using Multicriteria Decision. We finished the work with the sustainability evaluation between groups of farms identified previously and the planned farms (second evaluation cycle), based, again, in the MESMIS methodology, to confirm (or not) the greatest sustainability of the last ones. Analyses of the results allow us to confirm the greatest relative sustainability of the planned farm, for the diverse traced scenarios.Decision taking, planning, sustainability, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management,
The treatment of Gulf War syndrome with cognitive behavioral therapy: a case comparison study
No full textSince the late 1990s, researchers have been focused on finding effective treatments for military veterans with Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), a multisymptom (cognitive and physical) illness whose roots have still remained largely unexplained. With the possibility that such war-related syndromes may affect as many as 45-60% of returning soldiers, researchers have recommended that future research on GWS prioritize qualitative work, which has been scarce, to deepen the understanding of this illness in the veteran population -- including their attributions, fears, and concerns -- so that more refined, suitable treatments may be developed to meet their needs. The following paper examines a prior treatment study which evaluated the efficacy of manualized cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to improve physical health and reduce psychological stress in military veterans with GWS. The current analysis is comprised of a cross-case comparison of two soldiers and considers the various factors that may have contributed to the success or failure of this particular CBT treatment for this population. In the original treatment trial, patients were given weekly individual outpatient therapy sessions over a three-month period and were monitored periodically for physical, cognitive, and emotional changes. Two cases were selected for analysis from the original study based on their opposing outcomes: Soldier 2 was successful in achieving a substantial increase in physical functioning, while Soldier 1 was not. Although the CBT treatment yielded positive changes in both patients’ level of self-awareness, and significant improvements in GWS-related psychological and physical stress in Soldier 2's case, the results indicate that additional factors, such as individual personality traits, states of cognitive functioning, and comorbidity need to be more closely examined and considered when designing treatments for veterans with Gulf War Syndrome.Psy.DIncludes bibliographical referencesby Charlotte Alexandra Laby
"Third Generation"-Type Functional Tris(2-pyridyl)borate Ligands and their Transition-Metal Complexes
No full textPhenyltris(2-pyridyl)borates (Tpyb) are a promising class of tripodal “scorpionate”-type ligands with potential utility in the development of transition metal complexes with interesting optical, electronic or magnetic properties, and as building blocks to metallosupramolecular polymers. We report here a new class of “third generation”-type Tpyb ligands that contain different functional groups attached to the boron-bound aryl moiety. The synthesis, characterization and metal ion complexation behavior of ligands with iodo and trimethylsilyl groups is discussed. The electrochemical and absorption characteristics of the corresponding low-spin Fe(II) and Ru(II) complexes are compared. We demonstrate the further elaboration of the iodo derivatives with alkynes via Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling, a process that proceeds with high yield for the Fe(II) and Ru(II) complexes, but not for the free ligand. The borylation of the silyl-substituted Ru(II) complex with BBr3 was also investigated. In addition to the expected borylation product, Ru(Tpyb-Bpin)2, the replacement of one (major product) or two phenyl groups is observed, suggesting that electrophilic borylation occurs at both the C(Ph)-Si and the C(Ph)-B aromatic carbons. The successful attachment of a range of different functional groups at the periphery of the Tpyb metal complexes is expected to provide opportunities to access new polymeric materials via C-C coupling or click-type reactions.Peer reviewe
A influência da tragédia na Alexandra, de Lícofron, e a questão da performance
No full textLycophron’s Alexandra is a Hellenistic poem in which a messenger reports the prophecies that he heard Cassandra pronounce within the cell where she was arrested by his father, Priam. In this poem we find a number of features that show that its author was greatly influenced by the Tragedy of the fifth century B. C. In this paper, I intend to examine the elements that characterize this influence in the poem and, in conclusion, I want to deal with the performance possibilities of such a composition. In the most recent texts of the critics, the prevailing idea is that the Alexandra would have been written for highly educated Alexandrian readers. However, I defend the idea that perhaps Lycophron has composed his poem thinking of a sort of recitation, even if it was for a highly prepared public.A Alexandra, de Lícofron, é um poema helenístico no qual um mensageiro relata as profecias que ouviu Cassandra pronunciar de dentro da cela onde tinha sido presa pelo seu pai, Príamo. Nesse poema encontramos uma série de características que mostram que seu autor foi muito influenciado pela tragédia do século V a.C. Neste trabalho, pretendo examinar os elementos que caracterizam essa influência no poema e, como conclusão, pretendo tratar das possibilidades de performance de tal tipo de composição. Nos textos dos críticos mais recentes, prevalece a ideia de que a Alexandra teria sido composta para leitores eruditos do período alexandrino. Porém, quero defender a ideia de que talvez Lícofron tenha composto seu poema pensando num tipo de recitação, mesmo que fosse para um público altamente preparado
Addressing the challenges of climate change risks and adaptation in coastal areas: A review
No full textClimate change is and will continue altering the world's coasts, which are the most densely populated and economically active areas on earth and home for highly valuable ecosystems. While there is considerable relevant research, in the authors' experience this problem remains challenging for coastal engineering. This paper reviews important challenges in this respect and identifies three key actions to address them: (a) refocusing traditional practice towards more climate-aware approaches; (b) developing more comprehensive risk frameworks that include the multi-dimensionality and non-stationarity of their components and consideration of uncertainty; and (c) building bridges between risk assessment and adaptation theory and practice. We conclude that the way forward includes numerous activities including increased observations; the attribution of coastal impacts to their drivers; enhanced climate projections and their integration into impact models; more impact assessments at the local scale; dynamic projections of spatially-distributed exposure and vulnerability; and the exploration of inherently adaptive options. Given the complexity of the possible solutions, more practical guidance is required.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Coastal Engineerin
Obituary − Emeritus Professor Dr John Davidson McCraw (1925−2014) MBE, MSc NZ, DSc Well, CRSNZ, FNZSSS.
No full textJohn McCraw was an Earth scientist who began working as a pedologist with Soil Bureau, DSIR, then became the Foundation Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, inspiring a new generation to study and work in Earth sciences . In retirement, John McCraw was an author and historian with a special emphasis on Central Otago as well as the Waikato region. Throughout his career, marked especially by exemplary leadership, accomplished administration, and commitment to his staff and students at the University of Waikato, John McCraw also contributed to the communities in which he lived through public service organizations and as a public speaker. He received a number of awards including an MBE, fellowship, and companionship, and, uniquely, is commemorated also with a glacier, a fossil, and a museum-based research room named for him. Emeritus Professor John McCraw passed away on the 14th of December, 2014. An obituary, entitled “Dedicated to earth science and his students”, was published in the Waikato Times on the 10th of January, 2015
$),B 1 THE ROLE OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR SUPPLIER SELECTION: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE
No full textCorresponding author. We gratefully acknowledge the comments on earlier versions of this paper of Henri Dekker, Alexandra Van de
Nikolai Evreinov and Edith Craig as Mediums of Modernist Sensibility
No full textNikolai Evreinov (1870-1953) was a Russian playwright, director, and theorist of the theatre who played a leading part in the modernist movement of Russian theatre. Evreinov's 1911 monodrama The Theatre of the Soul (V kulisakh dushi) was staged by the Crooked Mirror theatre in St Petersburg in 1912. It was also performed in London (1915) and Rome (1929), and inspired Man Ray to create his aerograph The Theatre of the Soul (1917). In this article Alexandra Smith links Evreinov's play to Russian modernist thought shaped by the atmosphere of crisis associated with the Russo-Japanese War and the first Russian Revolution. It demonstrates that Edith Craig's production of Evreinov's play suggests that the philosophy of theatricalization of everyday life might enable modern subjects to overcome the fragmentation of modern society. Craig's use of the montage-like techniques of Evreinov's play prefigures cinematographic experiments of the 1920s and Marinetti's notion of synthetic theatre. Alexandra Smith is a Reader in Russian Studies at the University of Edinburgh and is the author of The Song of the Mockingbird: Pushkin in the Works of Marina Tsvetaeva (1994) and Montaging Pushkin: Pushkin and Visions of Modernity in Russian Twentieth-Century Poetry (2006), as well as numerous articles on Russian literature and culture.</p
A common HLA-DPA1 variant is associated with hepatitis B virus infection but fails to distinguish active from inactive Caucasian carriers
No full textBackground and Aims: Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major health issue worldwide. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DP locus were identified to be associated with HBV infection in Asian populations. Most significant associations were observed for the A alleles of HLA-DPA1 rs3077 and HLA-DPB1 rs9277535, which conferred a decreased risk for HBV infection. We assessed the implications of these variants for HBV infection in Caucasians.
Methods: Two HLA-DP gene variants (rs3077 and rs9277535) were analyzed for associations with persistent HBV infection and with different clinical outcomes, i.e., inactive HBsAg carrier status versus progressive chronic HBV (CHB) infection in Caucasian patients (n = 201) and HBsAg negative controls (n = 235).
Results: The HLA-DPA1 rs3077 C allele was significantly associated with HBV infection (odds ratio, OR = 5.1, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.9–13.7; p = 0.00093). However, no significant association was seen for rs3077 with progressive CHB infection versus inactive HBsAg carrier status (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 0.6–11.1; p = 0.31). In contrast, HLA-DPB1 rs9277535 was not associated with HBV infection in Caucasians (OR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.4–1.9; p = 1).
Conclusions: A highly significant association of HLA-DPA1 rs3077 with HBV infection was observed in Caucasians. However, as a differentiation between different clinical courses of HBV infection was not possible, knowledge of the HLA-DPA1 genotype cannot be translated into personalized anti-HBV therapy approaches
The Heterogeneity of Family Firms in CSR Engagement: The Role of Values
No full textThis study addresses the heterogeneity of family firms in their engagement with corporate social responsibility (CSR). We build on stewardship theory and socioemotional wealth to explore the foundations of CSR in family firms and to examine whether the extent of engagement is based on values, and how and why this happens. We use the interpretative method of grounded theory to address these questions. Based on 12 case studies of Spanish family firms, this article illustrates the patterns of influence of family involvement and values in explaining the extent and scope of CSRThe author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: (a) Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation ECO2010- 21242-C03-02 Research Funding (Pilar Marques); (b) Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Research aid program for the Formation of University Researchers (FPU) (Alexandra Simon); (c) Autonomous Government of Catalonia 2009 SGR 577 Research Funding (Pilar Marques, Alexandra Simon
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