Property : an instrumental institution for environmental governance

Property in an elusive concept. In many respects it has been regarded as a source of authority to use, develop and make decisions about whatever is the subject matter of this right of ownership. This is true whether the holder of this right of ownership is a private entity or a public entity. Increasingly a right of ownership of this kind has been recognised not only as a source of authority but also as a mechanism for restricting or limiting and perhaps even prohibiting existing or proposed activities that impact upon the environment. It is increasingly therefore an instrument of control as much as an instrument of authorisation. The protection and conservation of the environment are ultimately a matter of the public interest. This is not to suggest that the individual holders of rights of ownership are not interested in protecting the environment. It is open to them to do so in the exercise of a right of ownership as a source of authorisation. However a right of ownership – whether private or public – has become increasingly the instrument according to which the environment is protected and conserved. This article addresses these issues from a doctrinal as well as a practical perspective about how the environment is managed. It does so in five ways: ●considering briefly property as a concept ●reviewing property in its historical context ●analysing property as a human right ●examining property in natural resources ●reviewing judicial approaches to property in natural resources.

Influence of environmental and instrumental variables on the non-invasive prediction of Brix in pineapple using near infrared spectroscopy

The Brix content of pineapple fruit can be non-invasively predicted from the second derivative of near infrared reflectance spectra. Correlations obtained using a NIRSystems 6500 spectrophotometer through multiple linear regression and modified partial least squares analyses using a post-dispersive configuration were comparable with that from a pre-dispersive configuration in terms of accuracy (e.g. coefficient of determination, R2, 0.73; standard error of cross validation, SECV, 1.01°Brix). The effective depth of sample assessed was slightly greater using the post-dispersive technique (about 20 mm for pineapple fruit), as expected in relation to the higher incident light intensity, relative to the pre-dispersive configuration. The effect of such environmental variables as temperature, humidity and external light, and instrumental variables such as the number of scans averaged to form a spectrum, were considered with respect to the accuracy and precision of the measurement of absorbance at 876 nm, as a key term in the calibration for Brix, and predicted Brix. The application of post-dispersive near infrared technology to in-line assessment of intact fruit in a packing shed environment is discussed.

Signifying Angels : Analyses and Interpretations of Rautavaara s Instrumental Compositions

The subject of doctoral thesis is the analysis and interpretation of instrumental pieces composed by Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928) that have been given angelic titles: Archangel Michael Fighting the Antichrist from the suite Icons (1955)/Before the Icons (2006), Angels and Visitations (1978), the Double Bass Concerto Angel of Dusk (1980), Playgrounds for Angels (1981)and the Seventh Symphony Angel of Light (1994). The aim of the work is to find those musical elements common to these pieces that distinguish them from Rautavaara s other works and to determine if they could be thought of as a series. I prove that behind the common elements and titles stands the same extramusical idea the figure of an angel that the composer has described in his commentaries. The thesis is divided into three parts. Since all of the compositions possess titles that refer to the spiritual symbol of an angel, the first part offers a theoretical background to demonstrate the significant role played by angels in various religions and beliefs, and the means by which music has attempted to represent this symbol throughout history. This background traces also Rautavaara s aesthetic attitude as a spiritual composer whose output can be studied with reference to his extramusical interests including literature, psychology, painting, philosophy and myths. The second part focuses on the analysis of the instrumental compositions with angelic titles, without giving consideration to their commentaries and titles. The analyses concentrate in particular on those musical features that distinguish these pieces from Rautavaara s other compositions. In the third part these musical features are interpreted as symbols of the angel through comparison with vocal and instrumental pieces which contain references to the character of an angel, structures of mythical narration, special musical expressions, use of instruments and aspects of brightness. Finally I explore the composer s interpretative codes, drawing on Rilke s cycle of poems Ten Duino Elegies and Jung s theory of archetypes, and analyze the instrumental pieces with angelic titles in the light of the theory of musical ekphrasis.

Capillary electrochromatography: a versatile instrumental technique for nanodomain interaction studies

This doctoral thesis describes the development of a miniaturized capillary electrochromatography (CEC) technique suitable for the study of interactions between various nanodomains of biological importance. The particular focus of the study was low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles and their interaction with components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). LDL transports cholesterol to the tissues through the blood circulation, but when the LDL level becomes too high the particles begin to permeate and accumulate in the arteries. Through binding sites on apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100), LDL interacts with components of the ECM, such as proteoglycans (PGs) and collagen, in what is considered the key mechanism in the retention of lipoproteins and onset of atherosclerosis. Hydrolytic enzymes and oxidizing agents in the ECM may later successively degrade the LDL surface. Metabolic diseases such as diabetes may provoke damage of the ECM structure through the non-enzymatic reaction of glucose with collagen. In this work, fused silica capillaries of 50 micrometer i.d. were successfully coated with LDL and collagen, and steroids and apoB-100 peptide fragments were introduced as model compounds for interaction studies. The LDL coating was modified with copper sulphate or hydrolytic enzymes, and the interactions of steroids with the native and oxidized lipoproteins were studied. Lipids were also removed from the LDL particle coating leaving behind an apoB-100 surface for further studies. The development of collagen and collagen decorin coatings was helpful in the elucidation of the interactions of apoB-100 peptide fragments with the primary ECM component, collagen. Furthermore, the collagen I coating provided a good platform for glycation studies and for clarification of LDL interactions with native and modified collagen. All methods developed are inexpensive, requiring just small amounts of biomaterial. Moreover, the experimental conditions in CEC are easily modified, and the analyses can be carried out in a reasonable time frame. Other techniques were employed to support and complement the CEC studies. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy provided crucial visual information about the native and modified coatings. Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation enabled size measurements of the modified lipoproteins. Finally, the CEC results were exploited to develop new sensor chips for a continuous flow quartz crystal microbalance technique, which provided complementary information about LDL ECM interactions. This thesis demonstrates the potential of CEC as a valuable and flexible technique for surface interaction studies. Further, CEC can serve as a novel microreactor for the in situ modification of LDL and collagen coatings. The coatings developed in this study provide useful platforms for a diversity of future investigations on biological nanodomains.

Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography: Instrumental and Methodological Development

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) offers enhanced separation efficiency, reliability in qualitative and quantitative analysis, capability to detect low quantities, and information on the whole sample and its components. These features are essential in the analysis of complex samples, in which the number of compounds may be large or the analytes of interest are present at trace level. This study involved the development of instrumentation, data analysis programs and methodologies for GC×GC and their application in studies on qualitative and quantitative aspects of GC×GC analysis. Environmental samples were used as model samples. Instrumental development comprised the construction of three versions of a semi-rotating cryogenic modulator in which modulation was based on two-step cryogenic trapping with continuously flowing carbon dioxide as coolant. Two-step trapping was achieved by rotating the nozzle spraying the carbon dioxide with a motor. The fastest rotation and highest modulation frequency were achieved with a permanent magnetic motor, and modulation was most accurate when the motor was controlled with a microcontroller containing a quartz crystal. Heated wire resistors were unnecessary for the desorption step when liquid carbon dioxide was used as coolant. With use of the modulators developed in this study, the narrowest peaks were 75 ms at base. Three data analysis programs were developed allowing basic, comparison and identification operations. Basic operations enabled the visualisation of two-dimensional plots and the determination of retention times, peak heights and volumes. The overlaying feature in the comparison program allowed easy comparison of 2D plots. An automated identification procedure based on mass spectra and retention parameters allowed the qualitative analysis of data obtained by GC×GC and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In the methodological development, sample preparation (extraction and clean-up) and GC×GC methods were developed for the analysis of atmospheric aerosol and sediment samples. Dynamic sonication assisted extraction was well suited for atmospheric aerosols collected on a filter. A clean-up procedure utilising normal phase liquid chromatography with ultra violet detection worked well in the removal of aliphatic hydrocarbons from a sediment extract. GC×GC with flame ionisation detection or quadrupole mass spectrometry provided good reliability in the qualitative analysis of target analytes. However, GC×GC with time-of-flight mass spectrometry was needed in the analysis of unknowns. The automated identification procedure that was developed was efficient in the analysis of large data files, but manual search and analyst knowledge are invaluable as well. Quantitative analysis was examined in terms of calibration procedures and the effect of matrix compounds on GC×GC separation. In addition to calibration in GC×GC with summed peak areas or peak volumes, simplified area calibration based on normal GC signal can be used to quantify compounds in samples analysed by GC×GC so long as certain qualitative and quantitative prerequisites are met. In a study of the effect of matrix compounds on GC×GC separation, it was shown that quality of the separation of PAHs is not significantly disturbed by the amount of matrix and quantitativeness suffers only slightly in the presence of matrix and when the amount of target compounds is low. The benefits of GC×GC in the analysis of complex samples easily overcome some minor drawbacks of the technique. The developed instrumentation and methodologies performed well for environmental samples, but they could also be applied for other complex samples.

Arcipreste de Talavera, parte I : las paremias en el esquema de los pecados capitales

Integran este número de la revista ponencias presentadas en Studia Hispanica Medievalia VIII: Actas de las IX Jornadas Internacionales de Literatura Española Medieval, 2008, y de Homenaje al Quinto Centenario de Amadis de Gaula.

Existencia y donación : tres momentos de una experiencia

Resumen: El trabajo trata de poner en evidencia ayudado por la obra de Edith Stein, una experiencia humana que ha sido formulada filosóficamente de diferentes maneras en tres momentos de la historia, el medieval, el moderno y el de nuestros contemporáneos: la experiencia de la existencia como donación. Señala también algunas derivaciones para la ética de esta experiencia y su comprensión filosófica en la articulación de la categoría del don con la de la presencia personal y la libertad

Ausência de política pública de cotas raciais para ingresso em instituições públicas de ensino superior no Brasil

Descreve o atual panorama normativo para as cotas raciais no Brasil com base em estudo realizado com utilização de a análise documental e bibliográfica. Os resultados indicaram que a ausência de uma norma federal implicou baixa adesão ao sistema de cotas, o que é ratificado pelo insignificante número de Instituições Públicas de Ensino Superior (Ipes) que adotaram norma de cota racial - apenas 17,79%. Verificou-se, ainda, que essa ausência cria lacunas na adoção de diretrizes nacionais para a interpretação e a compreensão das ações afirmativas. Tais lacunas refletem diretamente no ciclo da política pública, comprometendo a avaliação e o acompanhamento da efetividade e do sucesso da política, o que é extremamente perigoso para a segurança jurídica na área de direitos humanos e para a garantia da equidade de fato nos espaços político, econômico e social.

Reforma política no parlamento brasileiro : considerações a partir da rejeição política do Projeto de Lei 1210 de 2007

Com o objetivo de contribuir para a compreensão da reforma política como um fenômeno complexo, estudou-se a construção, tramitação e rejeição política do Projeto de Lei (PL) nº 1.210, de 2007, da Câmara dos Deputados, por meio do método de estudo de caso e de process tracing. Os resultados levaram a discussões sobre as principais variáveis que interferiram na trajetória do PL supramencionado, e à apresentação do conceito de rejeição política, fenômeno de descarte de uma matéria sem o enfrentamento da votação plenária, como recurso útil para a compreensão do processo legislativo.

Política de cotas raciais para ingresso em instituições públicas de ensino superior no Brasil : ausência de política pública

Descreve o atual panorama normativo para as cotas raciais no Brasil. Os resultados indicaram que a ausência de uma norma federal implicou na baixa adesão ao sistema de cotas, o que é ratificado pelo insignificante número de Instituições Públicas de Ensino Superior - IPES que adotaram norma de cota racial - apenas 17,79%. Verificou-se, ainda, que essa ausência cria lacunas na adoção de diretrizes nacionais para a interpretação e a compreensão das ações afirmativas. Tais lacunas refletem diretamente no ciclo da política pública, comprometendo a avaliação e o acompanhamento da efetividade e do sucesso da política, o que é extremamente perigoso para a segurança jurídica na área de direitos humanos e para a garantia da equidade de fato nos espaços político, econômico e sociais.

A atuação organizada do setor bancário e a regulamentação das tarifas bancárias

Analisa a questão do pressuposto da necessidade de regulação do sistema bancário e o lobby, como parte legítima do processo decisório político. Estas variáveis são fundamentais para a compreensão do estudo da atuação dos grupos de interesse envolvidos no processo de aprovação, pelo Conselho Monetário Nacional, da Resolução 3.518, de 06/12/07, que trata da tarifa bancária. A análise da regulamentação do setor bancário procura evidenciar os fatores que influenciam a escolha, por parte do órgão regulador, do grau de controle a ser exercido sobre as instituições financeiras, podendo ser enfatizado o caráter prudencial, fiscalizador ou liberal das normas bancárias, conforme política posta em prática pelo Banco Central. A abordagem acerca do lobbying evidencia a legitimidade de sua prática junto aos órgãos públicos, como também a possibilidade de sua regulamentação no Brasil. Em seguida, é analisado o comportamento da tarifa bancária antes, durante e depois da publicação da Resolução em questão, assim como as audiências públicas que a antecederam, a fim de investigar seus possíveis resultados, pois a partir deles, como também por intermédio das entrevistas concedidas, pode-se depreender a atuação dos grupos de influência na consecução de seus interesses.