Countermanding in rats as a practical model for investigation of adaptive control of behaviour, lifespan changes in behavioural control and neurotransmitter function

The countermanding paradigm was designed to investigate the ability to cancel a prepotent response when a stop signal is presented and allows estimation of the stop signal response time (SSRT), an otherwise unobservable behaviour. Humans exhibit adaptive control of behaviour in the countermanding task, proactively lengthening response time (RT) in expectation of stopping and reactively lengthening RT following stop trials or errors. Human performance changes throughout the lifespan, with longer RT, SSRT and greater emphasis on post-error slowing reported for older compared to younger adults. Inhibition in the task has generally been improved by drugs that increase extracellular norepinephrine. The current thesis examined a novel choice response countermanding task in rats to explore whether rodent countermanding performance is a suitable model for the study of adaptive control of behaviour, lifespan changes in behavioural control and the role of neurotransmitters in these behaviours. Rats reactively adjusted RT in the countermanding task, shortening RT after consecutive correct go trials and lengthening RT following non-cancelled, but not cancelled stop trials, in sessions with a 10 s, but not a 1 s post-error timeout interval. Rats proactively lengthened RT in countermanding task sessions compared to go trial-only sessions. Together, these findings suggest that rats strategically lengthened RT in the countermanding task to improve accuracy and avoid longer, unrewarded timeout intervals. Next, rats exhibited longer RT and relatively conserved post-error slowing, but no significant change in SSRT when tested at 12, compared to 7 months of age, suggesting that rats exhibit changes in countermanding task performance with aging similar to those observed in humans. Finally, acute administration of yohimbine (1.25, 2.5 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine (0.25, 0.5 mg/kg), which putatively increase extracellular norepinephrine and dopamine respectively, resulted in RT shortening, baseline-dependent effects on SSRT, and attenuated adaptive RT adjustments in rats in the case of d-amphetamine. These findings suggest that dopamine and norepinephrine encouraged motivated, reward-seeking behaviour and supported inhibitory control in an inverted-U-like fashion. Taken together, these observations validate the rat countermanding task for further study of the neural correlates and neurotransmitters mediating adaptive control of behaviour and lifespan changes in behavioural control.

The Mirage of the State: Why the West has failed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali and Central African Republic? Jean Monnet/Robert Schuman Paper Series Vol. 14 No. 15, July 2014

The state still matters. However, the members of the Euro-Atlantic community may be misinterpreting this crucial baseline prior launching their military interventions since 2001. The latest violence and collapse of the state of Iraq after the invasion of Northern Iraq by a radical Sunni Muslim terrorist group, so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), demonstrate once again the centrality and requirement of a functioning state in order to maintain violent forces to disrupt domestic and regional stability. Since 2001, the US and its European allies have waged wars against failed-states in order to increase this security and national interests, and then have been involved in some type of state-building.1 This has been the case in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, and Central African Republic (CAR). France went into Mali (2012) and CAR (2013), which preceded two European Union military and civilian Common Security and Defense Policy missions (CSDP), in order to avoid the collapse of these two states. The threat of the collapse of both states was a concern for the members of the Euro-Atlantic community as it could have spread to the region and causing even greater instabilities. In Mali, the country was under radical Islamic pressures coming from the North after the collapse of Libya ensuing the 2011 Western intervention, while in CAR it was mainly an ethno-religious crisis. Failed states are a real concern, as they can rapidly become training grounds for radical groups and permitting all types of smuggling and trafficking.2 In Mali, France wanted to protect its large French population and avoid the fall of Mali in the hands of radical Islamic groups directly or indirectly linked to Al-Qaeda. A fallen Mali could have destabilized the region of the Sahel and ultimately affected the stability of Southern European borders. France wanted to avoid the development of a safe haven across the Sahel where movements of people and goods are uncontrolled and illegal.3 Since the end of the Cold War, Western powers have been involved in stabilizing neighborhoods and regions, like the Balkans, Africa, and Middle East, which at the exceptions of the Balkans, have led to failed policies. 9/11 changes everything. The US, under President George W. Bush, started to wage war against terrorism and all states link to it. This started a period of continuous Western interventions in this post-9/11 era in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali and CAR. If history has demonstrated one thing, the members of the Euro-Atlantic community are struggling and will continue to struggle to stabilize Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali and Central African Republic (CAR) for one simple reason: no clear endgame. Is it the creation of a state à la Westphalian in order to permit these states to operate as the sole guarantor of security? Or is the reestablishment of status quo in these countries permitting to exit and end Western operations? This article seeks to analyze Western interventions in these five countries in order to reflect on the concept of the state and the erroneous starting point for each intervention.4 In the first part, the political status of each country is analyzed in order to understand the internal and regional crisis. In a second time, the concept of the state, framed into the Buzanian trinity, is discussed and applied to the cases. In the last part the European and American civilian-military doctrines are examined in accordance with their latest military interventions and in their broader spectrum.

The Ukraine crisis and the demise of the European Security order. EPC Policy Brief, 1 December 2015

The annexation of Crimea by Russia and the subsequent war in the Donbas have delivered a severe blow to the European security order, and have increased tensions between the West and Russia to a level unprecedented since the end of the Cold War. In this context, it would be difficult to start negotiating a new commitment to the principles of the European security order. In this Policy Brief, Paul Ivan analyses the Ukraine crisis and its effect on European security and calls for the EU and NATO to stand firm on their own principles, but also to engage carefully with Russia to develop mechanisms to contain risks and avoid escalation and military confrontation, whether in Syria, the Baltic, the Mediterranean or the Black seas. The recent shooting down of a Russian jet by Turkish forces makes clear the need to prevent such incidents with potential rapid escalatory dynamics.

Antiproliferative and phenotype-transforming antitumor agents derived from cysteine

Selective destruction of malignant tumor cells without damaging normal cells is an important goal for cancer chemotherapy in the 21st century. Differentiating agents that transform cancer cells to either a nonproliferating or normal phenotype could potentially be tissue-specific and avoid side effects of current drugs. However, most compounds that are presently known to differentiate cancer cells are histone deacetylase inhibitors that are of low potency or suffer from low bioavailability, rapid metabolism, reversible differentiation, and nonselectivity for cancer cells over normal cells. Here we describe 36 nonpeptidic compounds derived from a simple cysteine scaffold, fused at the C-terminus to benzylamine, at the N-terminus to a small library of carboxylic acids, and at the S-terminus to 4-butanoyl hydroxamate. Six compounds were cytotoxic at nanomolar concentrations against a particularly aggressive human melanoma cell line (MM96L), four compounds showed selectivities of greater than or equal to5:1 for human melanoma over normal human cells (NFF), and four of the most potent compounds were further tested and found to be cytotoxic for six other human cancer cell lines (melanomas SK-MEL-28, DO4; prostate DU145; breast MCF-7; ovarian JAM, CI80-13S). The most active compounds typically caused hyperacetylation of histones, induced p21 expression, and reverted phenotype of surviving tumor cells to a normal morphology. Only one compound was given orally at 5 mg/kg to healthy rats to look for bioavailaiblity, and it showed reasonably high levels in plasma (C-max 6 mug/mL, T-max 15 min) for at least 4 h. Results are sufficiently promising to support further work on refining this and related classes of compounds to an orally active, more tumor-selective, antitumor drug.

Intraspecific and intraspecific views of colour signals in the strawberry poison frog Dendrobates Pumilio

Poison frogs in the anuran family Dendrobatidae use bright colors on their bodies to advertise toxicity. The species Dendrobates pumilio Schmidt 1858, the strawberry poison frog, shows extreme polymorphism in color and pattern in Panama. It is known that females of D. pumilio preferentially choose mates of their own color morph. Nevertheless, potential predators must clearly see and recognize all color morphs if the aposermatic signaling system is to function effectively. We examined the ability of conspecifics and a model predator to discriminate a diverse selection of D. pumilio colors from each other and from background colors. Microspectrophotometry of isolated rod and cone photoreceptors of D. pumilio revealed the presence of a trichromatic photopic visual system. A typical tetrachromatic bird system was used for the model predator. Reflectance spectra of frog and background colors were obtained, and discrimination among spectra in natural illuminants was mathematically modeled. The results revealed that both D. pumilio and the model predator discriminate most colors quite well, both from each other and from typical backgrounds, with the predator generally performing somewhat better than the conspecifics. Each color morph displayed at least one color signal that is highly visible against backgrounds to both visual systems. Our results indicate that the colors displayed by the various color morphs of D. pumilio are effective signals both to conspecifics and to a model predator.

Normative influence and rational conflict decisions: Group norms and cost-benefit analyses for intergroup behavior

The present paper articulates a model in which ingroup and outgroup norms inform 'rational' decision-making (cost-benefit analysis) for conflict behaviors. Norms influence perceptions of the consequences of the behavior, and individuals may thus strategically conform to or violate norms in order to acquire benefits and avoid costs. Two studies demonstrate these processes in the context of conflict in Quebec. In the first study, Anglophones' perceptions of Francophone and Anglophone norms for pro-English behaviors predicted evaluations of the benefits and costs of the behaviors, and these cost-benefit evaluations in turn mediated the norm-intention links for both group norms. In the second study, a manipulated focus on supportive versus hostile ingroup and outgroup norms also predicted cost-benefit evaluations, which mediated the norm-intention relationships. The studies support a model of strategic conflict choices in which group norms inform, rather than suppress, rational expectancy value processes. Implications for theories of decision-making and normative influence are discussed.

Personality and goal orientation as predictors of performance in a learning context

The current study aimed to investigate and provide furthering evidence of individual differences as determinants of task performance. This research focused on the effects of the personality traits Openness to Experience and Neuroticism, and two goal orientation traits. Learning Orientation and Avoid Orientation, on task performance. The hypotheses addressed the predictability of the traits, the differential effects of personality and goal orientation traits, and the mediating effects of goal orientation on the relationship between personality and performance. The results were based on questionnaire responses completed by a sample of 103 students. Scores on a computerised Air Traffic Control (ATC) decision-making task were used as a measure of task performance. Learning Orientation was found to be a significant predictor of performance, whilst the effect of Neuroticism was 'approaching' significance. Results indicated strong support for the differential relationship between personality traits and corresponding goal orientation traits. The mediating relationship between Openness to Experience, Learning Orientation and performance was also found to be 'approaching' significance. Results were indicative of the influences of personality and goal orientation on consequent performance outcomes. Implications were discussed, as well as suggestions for possible future directions in research assessing the predictabilit)' of individual differences in learning contexts.

The influence of high contrast acuity and normalised low contrast acuity upon self-reported situation avoidance and driving crashes

The aim of this study was to determine the cues used to signal avoidance of difficult driving situations and to test the hypothesis that drivers with relatively poor high contrast visual acuity (HCVA) have fewer crashes than drivers with relatively poor normalised low contrast visual acuity (NLCVA). This is because those with poorer HCVA are well aware of their difficulties and avoid dangerous driving situations while those poorer NLCVA are often unaware of the extent of their problem. Age, self-reported situation avoidance and HCVA were collected during a practice based study of 690 drivers. Screening was also carried out on 7254 drivers at various venues, mainly motorway sites, throughout the UK. Age, self-reported situation avoidance and prior crash involvement were recorded and Titmus vision screeners were used to measure HCVA and NLCVA. Situation avoidance increased in reduced visibility conditions and was influenced by age and HCVA. Only half of the drivers used visual cues to signal situation avoidance and most of these drivers used high rather than low contrast cues. A statistical model designed to remove confounding interrelationships between variables showed, for drivers that did not report situation avoidance, that crash involvement decreased for drivers with below average HCVA and increased for those with below average NLCVA. These relationships accounted for less than 1% of the crash variance, so the hypothesis was not strongly supported. © 2002 The College of Optometrists.

Non-English-speaking defendants in the magistrates court:a comparative study of face-to-face and prison video link interpreter-mediated hearings in England

This study compares interpreter-mediated face-to-face Magistrates Court hearings with those conducted through prison video link in which interpreters are located in court and non- English-speaking defendants in prison. It seeks to examine the impact that the presence of video link has on court actors in terms of interaction and behaviour. The data comprises 11 audio-recordings of face-to-face hearings, 10 recordings of prison video link hearings, semistructured interviews with 27 court actors, and ethnographic observation of hearings as viewed by defendants in Wormwood Scrubs prison in London. The over-arching theme is the pervasive influence of the ecology of the courtroom upon all court actors in interpretermediated hearings and thus on the communication process. Close analysis of the court transcripts shows that their relative proximity to one another can be a determinant of status, interpreting role, mode and volume. The very few legal protocols which apply to interpretermediated cases (acknowledging and ratifying the interpreter, for example), are often forgotten or dispensed with. Court interpreters lack proper training in the specific challenges of court interpreting, whether they are co-present with the defendant or not. Other court actors often misunderstand the interpreter’s role. This has probably come about because courts have adjusted their perceptions of what they think interpreters are supposed to do based on their own experiences of working with them, and have gradually come to accept poor practice (the inability to perform simultaneous interpreting, for example) as the norm. In video link courts, mismatches of sound and image due to court clerks’ failure to adequately track current speakers, poor image and sound quality and the fact that non-English-speaking defendants in pre-and post-court consultations can see and hear interpreters but not their defence advocates are just some of the additional layers of disadvantage and confusion already suffered by non- English-speaking defendants. These factors make it less likely that justice will be done.

Beyond cultural values? Cultural leadership ideals and entrepreneurship

This paper offers a fresh perspective on national culture and entrepreneurship research. It explores the role of Culturally-endorsed implicit Leadership Theories (CLTs) – i.e., the cultural expectations about outstanding, ideal leadership – on individual entrepreneurship. Developing arguments based on culture-entrepreneurship fit, we predict that charismatic and self-protective CLTs positively affect entrepreneurship. They provide a context that enables entrepreneurs to be co-operative in order to initiate change but also to be self-protective and competitive so as to safeguard their venture and avoid being exploited. We further theorize that CLTs are more proximal drivers of cross-country differences in entrepreneurship as compared with distal cultural values. We find support for our propositions in a multi-level study of 42 countries. Cultural values (of uncertainty avoidance and collectivism) influence entrepreneurship mainly indirectly, via charismatic and self-protective CLTs. We do not find a similar indirect effect for cultural practices.

Nonlinear dynamics and chaos simulation system analysis for improved design

Small errors proved catastrophic. Our purpose to remark that a very small cause which escapes our notice determined a considerable effect that we cannot fail to see, and then we say that the effect is due to chance. Small differences in the initial conditions produce very great ones in the final phenomena. A small error in the former will produce an enormous error in the latter. When dealing with any kind of electrical device specification, it is important to note that there exists a pair of test conditions that define a test: the forcing function and the limit. Forcing functions define the external operating constraints placed upon the device tested. The actual test defines how well the device responds to these constraints. Forcing inputs to threshold for example, represents the most difficult testing because this put those inputs as close as possible to the actual switching critical points and guarantees that the device will meet the Input-Output specifications. ^ Prediction becomes impossible by classical analytical analysis bounded by Newton and Euclides. We have found that non linear dynamics characteristics is the natural state of being in all circuits and devices. Opportunities exist for effective error detection in a nonlinear dynamics and chaos environment. ^ Nowadays there are a set of linear limits established around every aspect of a digital or analog circuits out of which devices are consider bad after failing the test. Deterministic chaos circuit is a fact not a possibility as it has been revived by our Ph.D. research. In practice for linear standard informational methodologies, this chaotic data product is usually undesirable and we are educated to be interested in obtaining a more regular stream of output data. ^ This Ph.D. research explored the possibilities of taking the foundation of a very well known simulation and modeling methodology, introducing nonlinear dynamics and chaos precepts, to produce a new error detector instrument able to put together streams of data scattered in space and time. Therefore, mastering deterministic chaos and changing the bad reputation of chaotic data as a potential risk for practical system status determination. ^

Social and seasonal plasticity of the electric fish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio

The South American electric knifefish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio, uses weakly electric fields to see and communicate in the dark. Only one study to date has investigated natural behavior in this species during the breeding season; this study proposed that B. guarerio has an exploded lek polygyny breeding system. To test this hypothesis, artificial marshes simulating the native vegetation, temperature, and water conductivities of the South American subtropics were created to study seasonal variation in associative behavior of B. gauderio during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Mark/recapture methods were used to keep track of individual fish and their dispersion inside the experimental designs. The experimental design proved to be extremely successful at eliciting reproduction. Differences were found in seasonal variations of social behaviors between adult and juvenile populations. Although no apparent sex. differences in movement patterns were found during the breeding season; a trend for male-male aversion was found, suggesting male-male avoidance as a possible strategy guiding aspects of social behaviors in this species. Further, movement may be a tactic for mate seeking as the individuals who moved the most during the breeding season obtained the most opposite sex interactions. These findings support the exploded lek polygyny model. Social interactions are subject to complex regulation by social, physiologic and ecological factors; the extent to which these associations are repeatable may provide novel insights on the evolution of sociality as it has been shaped by natural selection.

Age and Life Course Location as Interpretive Resources for Decisions Regarding Disclosure of HIV to Parents and Children: Findings from the HIV and Later Life Study

Studies of disclosure among older people living with HIV (PLWH) are uninformed by critical social-gerontological approaches that can help us to appreciate how older PLWH see and treat age as relevant to disclosure of their HIV status. These approaches include an ethnomethodologically-informed social constructionism that explores how ‘the’ life course (a cultural framework depicting individuals’ movement through predictable developmental stages from birth to death) is used as an interpretive resource for determining self and others’ characteristics, capacities, and social circumstances: a process Rosenfeld and Gallagher (2002) termed ‘lifecoursing’. Applying this approach to our analysis of 74 life-history interviews and three focus groups with older (aged 50+) people living with HIV in the United Kingdom, we uncover the central role that lifecoursing plays in participants’ decision-making surrounding disclosure of their HIV to their children and/or older parents. Analysis of participants’ accounts uncovered four criteria for disclosure: the relevance of their HIV to the other, the other’s knowledge about HIV, the likelihood of the disclosure causing the other emotional distress, and the other’s ability to keep the disclosed confidential. To determine if these criteria were met in relation to specific children and/or elders, participants engaged in lifecoursing, evaluating the other’s knowledge of HIV, and capacity to appropriately manage the disclosure, by reference to their age. The use of assumptions about age and life-course location in decision-making regarding disclosure of HIV reflects a more nuanced engagement with age in the disclosure decision-making process than has been captured by previous research into HIV disclosure, including on the part of people aging with HIV.

Implementing a structural continuity constraint and a halting method for the topology optimization of energy absorbers

This study investigates topology optimization of energy absorbing structures in which material damage is accounted for in the optimization process. The optimization objective is to design the lightest structures that are able to absorb the required mechanical energy. A structural continuity constraint check is introduced that is able to detect when no feasible load path remains in the finite element model, usually as a result of large scale fracture. This assures that designs do not fail when loaded under the conditions prescribed in the design requirements. This continuity constraint check is automated and requires no intervention from the analyst once the optimization process is initiated. Consequently, the optimization algorithm proceeds towards evolving an energy absorbing structure with the minimum structural mass that is not susceptible to global structural failure. A method is also introduced to determine when the optimization process should halt. The method identifies when the optimization method has plateaued and is no longer likely to provide improved designs if continued for further iterations. This provides the designer with a rational method to determine the necessary time to run the optimization and avoid wasting computational resources on unnecessary iterations. A case study is presented to demonstrate the use of this method.

Renar och vindkraft II : Vindkraft i drift och effekter på renar och renskötsel

Utbyggnaden av vindkraft inom renskötselområdet har ökat markant det senaste decenniet, trots att kunskapen om påverkan av vindkraftsetableringar ännu inte är fullt utredd och dokumenterad. I den här rapporten beskriver vi framförallt hur vindkraftparker i driftsfas påverkar renarna och renskötseln i tre olika områden. I Malå sameby har vi studerat kalvningsområdet kring Storliden och Jokkmokkslidens vindkraftparker. I Vilhelmina Norra sameby har vi studerat vinterbetesområdet kring Stor-Rotlidens vindkraftpark, samt Lögdeålandets betesområde med Gabrielsbergets vindkraftpark som används av Byrkije reinbetesdistrikt från Norge. För att få en helhetsbild av hur renarna använder sitt betesområde är det viktigt att studera renarnas betes- och förflyttningsmönster långsiktigt och över hela deras betesområde och inte bara inom det lokala området nära parken. Det är också viktigt att ta hänsyn till att renarnas betesutnyttjande skiftar från år till år och mellan olika årstider beroende på väderlek och andra yttre förutsättningar. Vi vill också understryka vikten av att kombinera den traditionella kunskapen från renskötarna med vedertagna vetenskapliga analysmetoder för att besvara de frågor som är viktiga för att kunna bedriva en hållbar renskötsel. Vi har undersökt renarnas användning av områdena genom att utföra spillningsinventeringar under åren 2009-2015 (endast i Malå sameby), och genom att följa renar utrustade med GPS-halsband under åren 2005-2015. Datat är insamlat före och under byggfas och under driftsfas (för Gabrielsberget finns GPS-data endast för driftsfasen). Vi har analyserat data genom att utveckla statistiska modeller för val av betesområde för varje område där vi har beräknat hur renarna förhåller sig till vindkraftparksområdet före, under och efter byggnation, och på Gabrielsberget när parken varit avstängd under 40 dagar och under drift vid olika renskötselsituationer. Genom intervjuer, möten och samtal, samt information från Gabrielsbergets vindkraftparks kontrollprogram, har vi tagit del av renskötarnas erfarenheter av hur renarnas beteende, och därmed även renskötseln, påverkats av vindkraftsutbyggnaden i respektive område. Våra resultat visar att renarna både på kalvnings- och på vinterbetesområden påverkas negativt av vindkraftsetableringarna (Tabell a). Renarna undviker att beta i områden där de kan se och/eller höra vindkraftsverken och föredrar att vistas i områden där vindkraftverken är skymda. I kalvningsområdet i Malå ökade användningen av skymda områden med 60 % under driftsfas. I vinterbetesområdet på Gabrielsberget, när renarna utfodrades i parken och kantbevakades intensivt för att stanna i parkområdet under driftsfas, ökade användningen av skymda områden med 13 % jämfört med när de inte var utfodrade och fick ströva mer fritt. Resultaten visar också att renarna minskar sin användning av området nära vindkraftparkerna. I kalvningslandet i Malå minskar renarna sin användning av områden inom 5 km från parkerna med 16-20 %. Vintertid vid Gabrielsbergets vindkraftpark undvek renarna parken med 3 km. Våra resultat visar även att renarnas betesro minskar inom en radie på 4 km från vindkraftparkerna under kalvningsperioden och tiden därefter i jämförelse med perioden före byggfas. Exakta avstånd som renarna påverkas beror på förutsättningarna i respektive område, exempelvis hur topografin ser ut eller om området är begränsat av stängsel eller annan infrastruktur. Förändringarna i habitatutnyttjande i våra studieområden blev tydligare när parkerna var centralt belägna i renarnas betesområde, som i kalvningsområdet i Malå eller i vinterbeteslandet på Gabrielsberget, medan det inte var lika tydliga effekter kring Stor-Rotlidens park, som ligger i utkanten av ett huvudbetesområde. Oftast är snöförhållandena bättre ur betessynpunkt högre upp i terrängen än nere i dalgångarna, på grund av stabilare temperatur, vind som blåser bort snötäcket och mer variation i topografin. Därför kan etablering av vindkraftparker i höglänta områden försämra möjligheten att använda sådana viktiga reservbetesområden under vintrar med i övrigt dåliga snöförhållanden, vilka blir allt vanligare i och med klimatförändringarna. Våra resultat tyder inte direkt på att renarna påverkats negativt under dåliga betesvintrar men fler år av studier behövs för att ytterligare klargöra hur vindkraft påverkar renarna under dessa vintrar. Våra studier har visat att etablering av vindkraft har konsekvenser för renskötseln under både barmarkssäsongen och under vintern, men effekterna förmodas få störst inverkan inom vinterbetesområdet där det är svårt att hitta alternativa betesområden för renarna. Under sommaren är betestillgången oftast mindre begränsad och renarna kan lättare hitta alternativa områden. En direkt konsekvens av Gabrielsbergets vindkraftpark som är placerad mitt i ett vinterbetesområde har blivit att renarna behöver tillskottsutfodras och bevakas intensivare för att de inte ska gå ut ur området. När den naturliga vandringen mellan olika betesområden störs för att renarna undviker att vistas i ett område kan det leda till att den totala tillgången till naturligt bete minskar och att man permanent måste tillskottsutfodra, alternativt minska antalet renar. Annan infrastruktur som vägar och kraftledningar påverkar också renarna. Vid Storliden och Jokkmokksliden och vid Stor-Rotliden där data samlats in innan vindkraftparken uppfördes visar våra resultat att renarna undviker de omkringliggande landsvägarna redan innan parkerna etablerades. Vid Stor-Rotliden ökar dock renarna användningen av områden nära vägarna efter att parken är byggd. På Gabrielsberget, där vi endast har data under drifttiden, är renarna närmare vägarna (även stora vägar som E4) när renskötarna minskar på kantbevakningen för att inte hålla renarna nära parken. Detta ökar naturligtvis risken för trafikolyckor och innebär att renskötarna måste bevaka dessa områden intensivare. Sist i rapporten presenterar vi förslag till åtgärder som kan användas för att underlätta arbetet för renskötseln om det är så att en vindkraftpark redan är byggd. Några exempel på åtgärder som är direkt kopplat till parken är att stänga av vägarna in i vindkraftparken för att förhindra nöjeskörning med skoter och bil under den tiden renarna vistas i området samt tät dialog mellan vindkraftsbolag och sameby angående vinterväghållningen av vägarna till och inom vindkraftparken. Andra mer regionala åtgärder för att förbättra förutsättningarna för renskötselarbetet på andra platser för samebyn, kan vara att sätta stängsel längst större vägar och järnvägar (t.ex. E4:an eller stambanan) i kombination med strategiskt utplacerade ekodukter. Detta för att underlätta och återställa möjligheterna till renarnas fria strövning och renskötarnas flytt av renar mellan olika betesområden.