Seasonal concentration of cruise tourism in the Mediterranean

This research delves into analyzing the seasonality of cruise tourism in the Mediterranean by using the decomposition of the Gini index, used in the field of cruise tourism for the first time in literature. This study specifically used the decomposition to evaluate the contribution degree of each port to the global seasonal concentration of each Mediterranean region. Moreover, a cluster analysis technique (bootstrapped bagged clustering) was applied to classify the ports into homogeneous groups according to their seasonal patterns given the significant heterogeneity revealed in the major regions of the Mediterranean. The methodology applied can serve as a control and monitoring tool for measuring seasonal concentration levels in cruise tourism, allowing for policies against seasonality to be tailored in the cruise tourism segment.

Europeanization beyond the EU: The case of Georgia.

320 p.

Governança de recursos de base comum e capacidade adaptativa de comunidades de fundos de pasto

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, 2015.

Evaluation of DUALEM, OptRx and Grassmaster II sensors for monitoring the spatial variability and the temporal stability of a Mediterranean pasture

Site-specific management (SSM) is a form of precision agriculture whereby decisions on resource application and agronomic practices are improved to better match soil and crop requirements as they vary in the field. SSM enables the identification of regions (homogeneous management zones) within the area delimited by field boundaries. These subfield regions constitute areas that have similar permanent characteristics. Traditional soil and pasture sampling and the necessary laboratory analysis are time-consuming, labour-intensive and cost prohibitive, not viable from a SSM perspective because it needs a large number of soil and pasture samples in order to achieve a good representation of soil properties, nutrient levels and pasture quality and productivity. The main objective of this work was to evaluate technologies which have potential for monitoring aspects related to spatial and temporal variability of soil nutrients and pasture green and dry matter yield (respectively, GM and DM, in kg/ha) and support to decision making for the farmer. Three types of sensors were evaluated in a 7ha pasture experimental field: an electromagnetic induction sensor (“DUALEM 1S”, which measures the soil apparent electrical conductivity, ECa), an active optical sensor ("OptRx®", which measures the NDVI, “Normalized Difference Vegetation Index”) and a capacitance probe ("GrassMaster II" which estimates plant mass). The results indicate the possibility of using a soil electrical conductivity probe as, probably, the best tool for monitoring not only some of the characteristics of the soil, but also those of the pasture, which could represent an important help in simplifying the process of sampling and support SSM decision making, in precision agriculture projects. On the other hand, the significant and very strong correlations obtained between capacitance and NDVI and between any of these parameters and the pasture productivity shows the potential of these tools for monitoring the evolution of spatial and temporal patterns of the vegetative growth of biodiverse pasture, for identifying different plant species and variability in pasture yield in Alentejo dry-land farming systems. These results are relevant for the selection of an adequate sensing system for a particular application and open new perspectives for other works that would allow the testing, calibration and validation of the sensors in a wider range of pasture production conditions, namely the extraordinary diversity of botanical species that are characteristic of the Mediterranean region at the different periods of the year.

Plant/Leaf traits and adaptive strategies of Cistus species to Mediterranean drought and insolation in southern Portugal

The effects of climate change can result in dramatic consequences in specific ecosystems such as montados that are seriously threatened by the absence of cork and holm oak (Quercus suber and Q. rotundifolia) natural regeneration. Shrubs of the genus Cistus, which are among the most important elements of encroached montados, seem to promote soil rehabilitation and enhance oak regeneration (Simões et al. 2009). In this context, we compared the life strategies and evaluated the potential ability of Cistus species to adapt to the increasing drought expected for the Mediterranean region, and thus their role on the sustainability of cork oak montados.

Identification of resistance factors to the main wheat diseases in the Mediterranean area

Several diseases challenge bread and durum wheat productions worldwide. The importance of these cereals requires adequate protection to pathogens that can cause strong yield and grain quality losses. The main work of this thesis was related to phenotype GDP (Global Durum Panel) in the Mediterranean region (Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Turkey) and Argentina across three years (2019-2021) for yellow rust resistance (infection type and severity). GWAS shows in particular, loci in chromosome 1B, 2B, 4B, 5A, 6A, 7B showed high significance across nurseries/years, with various patterns of GxE. The second chapter is about Zymoseptoria tritici, agent of STB (Septoria Tritici Blotch), a foliar pathogen that yearly causes high damages if not controlled. In recent years research in durum wheat breeding is focused on the identification of novel, underexploited resistance genes to be subsequently and conveniently moved into the pre-breeding and breeding stream. The plants were phenotyped for disease height characters, infection type at the flag leaf and infection type at the level of the canopy below the flag leaf. This experiment opens up a rich scenario of analysis and opportunities to investigate and discover new loci of resistance to STB. Third chapter is about Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease caused by pathogens belonging to the genus Fusarium. In particular, Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum species cause severe grain yield losses and accumulation of mycotoxins in wheat that compromise food safety. Over 250 QTL/genes for FHB resistance have been identified in bread wheat, such as Fhb 1 and Fhb 5 but only a small number of FHB resistance loci have been mapped in durum wheat. The aim of this work is to find loci of partial resistance to FHB already present in durum and bread wheat germplasm and therefore easily cumulative.

Nature-based solutions for urban heat island effect mitigation: the case study of Isla, Malta

Global population growth reflects how humans increasingly exploited Earth's resources. Urbanization develops along with anthropization. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the world's population lives in urban areas, which symbolize the denaturalized dimension of current modernity. Cities are artificial ecosystems that suffer most from environmental issues and climate change. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is a common microclimatic phenomenon affecting cities, which causes considerable differences between urban and rural areas temperatures. Among the driving factors, the lack of vegetation in urban settlements can damage both humans and the environment (health diseases, heat waves caused deaths, biodiversity loss, and so on). As the world continues to urbanize, sustainable development increasingly depends on successful management of urban areas. To enhance cities’ resilience, Nature-based Solutions (NbSs), are defined as an umbrella concept that encompasses a wide range of ecosystem-based approaches and actions to climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR). This paper analyzes a 15-days study on air temperature trends carried out in Isla, a small locality in the Maltese archipelago, and proposes Nature-based Solutions-characterized scenarios to mitigate the Urban Heat Island effect the Mediterranean city is affected by. The results demonstrates how in some areas where vegetation is present, lower temperatures are recorded than in areas where vegetation is absent or scarce. It also appeared that in one location, the specific type of vegetation does not contribute to high temperature mitigation, whereas in another one, different environmental parameters can influence the measurements. Among the case-specific Nature-based Solutions proposed there are vertical greening (green wall, façades, ground based greening, etc.), tree lines, green canopy, and green roofs.

Functional microarray analysis suggests repressed cell-cell signaling and cell survival-related modules inhibit progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Cancer shows a great diversity in its clinical behavior which cannot be easily predicted using the currently available clinical or pathological markers. The identification of pathways associated with lymph node metastasis (N+) and recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) may increase our understanding of the complex biology of this disease. Methods: Tumor samples were obtained from untreated HNSCC patients undergoing surgery. Patients were classified according to pathologic lymph node status (positive or negative) or tumor recurrence (recurrent or non-recurrent tumor) after treatment (surgery with neck dissection followed by radiotherapy). Using microarray gene expression, we screened tumor samples according to modules comprised by genes in the same pathway or functional category. Results: The most frequent alterations were the repression of modules in negative lymph node (N0) and in non-recurrent tumors rather than induction of modules in N+ or in recurrent tumors. N0 tumors showed repression of modules that contain cell survival genes and in non-recurrent tumors cell-cell signaling and extracellular region modules were repressed. Conclusions: The repression of modules that contain cell survival genes in N0 tumors reinforces the important role that apoptosis plays in the regulation of metastasis. In addition, because tumor samples used here were not microdissected, tumor gene expression data are represented together with the stroma, which may reveal signaling between the microenvironment and tumor cells. For instance, in non-recurrent tumors, extracellular region module was repressed, indicating that the stroma and tumor cells may have fewer interactions, which disable metastasis development. Finally, the genes highlighted in our analysis can be implicated in more than one pathway or characteristic, suggesting that therapeutic approaches to prevent tumor progression should target more than one gene or pathway, specially apoptosis and interactions between tumor cells and the stroma.

Modelling the potential distribution of the invasive tomato red spider mite, Tetranychus evansi (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Predicting the potential geographical distribution of a species is particularly important for pests with strong invasive abilities. Tetranychus evansi Baker & Pritchard, possibly native to South America, is a spider mite pest of solanaceous crops. This mite is considered an invasive species in Africa and Europe. A CLIMEX model was developed to predict its global distribution. The model results fitted the known records of T. evansi except for some records in dry locations. Dryness as well as excess moisture stresses play important roles in limiting the spread of the mite in the tropics. In North America and Eurasia its potential distribution appears to be essentially limited by cold stress. Detailed potential distribution maps are provided for T. evansi in the Mediterranean Basin and in Japan. These two regions correspond to climatic borders for the species. Mite establishment in these areas can be explained by their relatively mild winters. The Mediterranean region is also the main area where tomato is grown in open fields in Europe and where the pest represents a threat. According to the model, the whole Mediterranean region has the potential to be extensively colonized by the mite. Wide expansion of the mite to new areas in Africa is also predicted. Agricultural issues highlighted by the modelled distribution of the pest are discussed.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES OF ISPRM

This paper describes the history of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) Past achievements. and current challenges are outlined ISPRM has been successful In setting up a central office. attracting individual and national members,. holding International congresses, and establishing relations with the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine (JRM) as the organization`s official journal ISPRM is currently; In official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and collaborates closely, with WHO`s Disability and Rehabilitation team ISPRM, however also faces challenges with regard to its growth and the realization of its goals These Include boundaries of voluntary leadership. limited economic resources, the need for enhancing the central office. variations in membership. limits of the current congress bidding system and structure, relations with regional societies, and the need to further develop policies within the field of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) and In relation to WHO and the United Nations system is concluded that ISPRM must evolve from an organization, of which the main activities ay-e to hold a biennial congress hosted by a member nation and to provide input to WHO on request. Into a professional non-governmental organization (NGO) ISPRA should embark on assuming, a leadership role at the further development of PRM within the broader area of human functioning and rehabilitation

Application of biotechnology in breeding lentil for resistance to biotic and abiotic stress

Lentil is a self-pollinating diploid (2n = 14 chromosomes) annual cool season legume crop that is produced throughout the world and is highly valued as a high protein food. Several abiotic stresses are important to lentil yields world wide and include drought, heat, salt susceptibility and iron deficiency. The biotic stresses are numerous and include: susceptibility to Ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta lentis; Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum truncatum; Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum; Sclerotinia white mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum; rust, caused by Uromyces fabae; and numerous aphid transmitted viruses. Lentil is also highly susceptible to several species of Orabanche prevalent in the Mediterranean region, for which there does not appear to be much resistance in the germplasm. Plant breeders and geneticists have addressed these stresses by identifying resistant/tolerant germplasm, determining the genetics involved and the genetic map positions of the resistant genes. To this end progress has been made in mapping the lentil genome and several genetic maps are available that eventually will lead to the development of a consensus map for lentil. Marker density has been limited in the published genetic maps and there is a distinct lack of co-dominant markers that would facilitate comparisons of the available genetic maps and efficient identification of markers closely linked to genes of interest. Molecular breeding of lentil for disease resistance genes using marker assisted selection, particularly for resistance to Ascochyta blight and Anthracnose, is underway in Australia and Canada and promising results have been obtained. Comparative genomics and synteny analyses with closely related legumes promises to further advance the knowledge of the lentil genome and provide lentil breeders with additional genes and selectable markers for use in marker assisted selection. Genomic tools such as macro and micro arrays, reverse genetics and genetic transformation are emerging technologies that may eventually be available for use in lentil crop improvement.

Bringing people back in: Grassroots approach to peace in Bosnia-Nerzegovina

Peacemaking in Bosnia-Herzegovina is a controversial subject that engaged the political energies of the international community for several years without resolution. While international efforts at peacemaking warrant a critique in their own right, the assumptions that lie behind popular perceptions of peacemaking must also be examined. This article explores the proposition that the promotion of multi-ethnic contact between Bosnian people is at least as important as elections or the reconstruction of political institutions. Indeed, the restoration and development of inter-ethnic relationships, especially at grassroots level, is essential for the establishment of sustainable peace. This article thus focuses on the roles of NGOs (Non-governmental organisations) active at the grassroots level in Bosnia, such as the Centre for Drama Education in Mostar, Project Firefly in Brcko, and the CARE Welcome Project in Sarajevo, which represent a grassroots form of peacemaking that incorporates local knowledge and understandings of the conflict within peace projects.

Conselhos municipais de pol??ticas p??blicas: uma an??lise explorat??ria

Os Conselhos Gestores s??o f??runs h??bridos onde se viabiliza a participa????o popular no desenho das pol??ticas p??blicas, nas negocia????es de interesses da coletividade, na elabora????o de programas e projetos sociais e na fiscaliza????o das a????es governamentais. O significado e a dimens??o dos Conselhos para a democracia participativa s??o enormes, justificando a import??ncia da realiza????o deste estudo, que se baseou na an??lise explorat??ria de 12 Conselhos locais do munic??pio mineiro de Vi??osa, com o objetivo de avaliar o desempenho dos mesmos. A avalia????o do desempenho levou em considera????o os mesmos par??metros dimensionais, tanto para a coleta de dados prim??rios quanto para a coleta secund??ria. A coleta de dados prim??rios foi realizada a partir da aplica????o de question??rios semi-estruturados aos presidentes dos Conselhos em an??lise. Utilizou-se o programa SPSS, vers??o 15.0, para an??lise estat??stica das quest??es objetivas dos question??rios e a t??cnica de an??lise de conte??do para exame das quest??es abertas. Ap??s essa etapa, realizou-se um workshop com os presidentes dos Conselhos, visando ?? obten????o de novos dados e informa????es. Os Conselhos municipais analisados apresentaram resultados pouco discrepantes entre a teoria aplicada ao tema e a sua efetiva pr??tica no campo p??blico. Contudo, a pesquisa revelou que o grau de desenvolvimento institucional dos Conselhos n??o ?? homog??neo, ou seja, h?? alguns melhores gestores que outros. A escolha independente e democr??tica dos membros n??o-governamentais dos Conselhos em Vi??osa revelou o seu grau de independ??ncia do Poder Executivo. Por??m, a capacita????o de conselheiros precisa ser implementada para evitar uma desfigura????o dos Conselhos. No que tange ?? governan??a, destacouse em Vi??osa o seu grau e formas de aplicabilidade observadas na gest??o de v??rias pol??ticas. Da mesma forma, foi observado um n??vel de governabilidade que confere legitimidade ??s pol??ticas implementadas. Por fim, verificou-se que a efetividade da accountability societal tem sido instrumentalizada pelos Conselhos no ??mbito das diversas pol??ticas setoriais. J?? os dados secund??rios da an??lise foram obtidos por meio das s??nteses dos relat??rios de fiscaliza????o de munic??pios do Estado de Minas Gerais, realizadas pela Controladoria Geral da Uni??o. Foram identificados todos os registros pertinentes aos Conselhos Gestores Municipais do Estado de Minas Gerais, no per??odo de 2003 a 2006. Verificou-se que os maiores problemas se referem aos Conselhos Municipais de Sa??de e Assist??ncia Social. Entre as in??meras falhas apontadas, destacam-se problemas graves na constitui????o e operacionaliza????o dos Conselhos, resultando na inoper??ncia desses mecanismos nos munic??pios fiscalizados. A avalia????o do desempenho dos Conselhos locais de Vi??osa possibilitou concluir que esses mecanismos apresentaram um desempenho bem satisfat??rio na gest??o e controle das pol??ticas p??blicas no munic??pio.

Nem privado nem estatal: em busca de uma nova estrat??gia para a provis??o de servi??os p??blicos

A id??ia que anima este artigo ?? a de juntar argumentos que demonstrem a import??ncia de se reformar as rela????es do Estado com a sociedade para que a reforma do aparelho do Estado tenha sucesso. S??o discutidas as vantagens e desvantagens da provis??o dos servi??os p??blicos sociais por meio de organiza????es p??blicas n??o-estatais, como uma estrat??gia para superar a crise de governan??a do Estado contempor??neo e tamb??m como um caminho para reduzir a precariedade dos servi??os sociais. O esfor??o de supera????o da crise do Estado vem se traduzindo na redefini????o do modo de financiamento e da maneira de organizar a execu????o das pol??ticas p??blicas sociais, de forma a garantir efetividade na resposta ??s demandas sociais e maior efici??ncia na produ????o dos servi??os. A desestatiza????o da provis??o dos servi??os sociais coloca as sociedades democr??ticas diante do desafio de resolver como manter a responsabilidade do Estado frente ao interesse p??blico. Trata-se de responder como transitar do estatal para o p??blico, garantindo que a provis??o de servi??os p??blicos n??o dependa exclusivamente do Estado, sem que este abandone seu papel de financiador e regulador das atividades de interesse geral. O que n??o merece mais d??vidas ?? que a constitui????o de uma esfera p??blica que venha a atuar em simetria com o Estado e o mercado, como uma poss??vel solu????o duradoura e democr??tica para a produ????o de bens e servi??os sociais, atrav??s de organiza????es p??blicas n??o-estatais, passe a ser considerada como uma das principais tarefas te??ricas e pr??ticas que desafiam os atores sociais envolvidos com as quest??es da gest??o p??blica.

A complementariedade na PNAS : evolução das parcerias no município de Serra (ES) de 2001 a 2012

Este estudo analisa a evolução das parcerias na implementação da Politica de Assistência Social no município de Serra, Espírito Santo (ES), contribuindo para a discussão sobre a complementariedade das ações previstas na Política Nacional de Assistência Social (PNAS). Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, referenciado no método crítico-dialético. A estratégia metodológica baseou-se na pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Os dados empíricos resultam do levantamento e análise dos Relatórios das Conferências Nacionais de Assistência Social; dos Planos e Relatórios Municipais de Gestão na área da Assistência Social; dos termos de convênio estabelecidos com as entidades em 2013. O crescimento das parcerias para execução da PNAS tem relação com a tendência nacional de focalização, descentralização e privatização das políticas sociais. Isso ajuda-nos a compreender essa tendência a nível municipal. As ideias que justificam a realização das parcerias relacionam-se com o neoliberalismo e a reforma do Estado e, também, com a perspectiva de fortalecimento da participação social a partir do contexto do debate que antecede a conformação da Constituição de 1988. O próprio histórico da assistência no Brasil revela que muitas das entidades já executavam ações antes da Lei Orgânica da Assistência Social (LOAS) e apenas se adaptaram à nova legislação. No caso do município pesquisado, o crescimento registrado no número de entidades entre 2001 e 2012 foi de 133,3%. Observamos, ainda, que as entidades não governamentais tem se constituído como a forma primeira de prestação dos serviços socioassistenciais. A maior parte das entidades é de cunho religioso e atua em apenas um âmbito da proteção social. A pesquisa reforça a importância do monitoramento e avaliação das parcerias realizadas e a necessidade da garantia da transparência e publicização das informações na área da assistência, de modo a contribuir com o controle social.