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Substantial Research (substantial + research)
Selected AbstractsThe Reserve Capacity Model as a Framework for Understanding Psychosocial Factors in Health DisparitiesAPPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, Issue 1 2009Linda C. Gallo Substantial research has identified a robust, linear association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health, across many different populations and outcomes. Among myriad influences, psychosocial factors may contribute to SES-related gradients in health. In the current manuscript, we describe the Reserve Capacity Model (Gallo & Matthews, 2003) as a potential framework through which to examine psychosocial pathways in health disparities. The model posits that SES is connected to health, in part through associations with stress and concomitant negative emotions, and their subsequent links with bio-behavioral functioning. In addition, low SES may predict enhanced emotional and physiological reactivity to stress due to a deficiency in resilient psychosocial resources (i.e. "reserve capacity") and limited opportunities to replenish resource reserves. In addition, resources might represent a direct mediational pathway from SES to health. We describe several studies in which we have examined various tenets of the Reserve Capacity Model, and comment on future research directions to better understand the roles of psychosocial variables in health disparities. [source] Modeled Effects of Sagebrush-Steppe Restoration on Greater Sage-Grouse in the Interior Columbia Basin, U.S.A.CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Michael J. Wisdom Consequently, managers of FS,BLM lands need effective strategies to recover sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats on which this species depends. In response to this need, we evaluated the potential benefits of two restoration scenarios on Greater Sage-Grouse in the interior Columbia Basin and adjacent portions of the Great Basin of the western United States. Scenario 1 assumed a 50% reduction in detrimental grazing effects (through changes in stocking rates and grazing systems) and a six-fold increase in areas treated with active restoration (e.g., prescribed burning, native seedings, wildfire suppression) compared with future management proposed by the FS,BLM. Scenario 2 assumed a 100% reduction in detrimental grazing effects and the same increase in active restoration as scenario 1. To evaluate benefits, we estimated the risk of population extirpation for sage grouse 100 years in the future under the two scenarios and compared this risk with that estimated for proposed (100-year) FS,BLM management. We used estimates of extirpation risk for historical (circa 1850,1890) and current time periods as a context for our comparison. Under historical conditions, risk of extirpation was very low on FS,BLM lands, but increased to a moderate probability under current conditions. Under proposed FS,BLM management, risk of extirpation on FS,BLM lands increased to a high probability 100 years in the future. Benefits of the two restoration scenarios, however, constrained the future risk of extirpation to a moderate probability. Our results suggest that expansive and sustained habitat restoration can maintain desired conditions and reduce future extirpation risk for sage grouse on FS,BLM lands in western North America. The continued spread of exotic plants, however, presents a formidable challenge to successful restoration and warrants substantial research and management attention. Resumen: Los hábitats del urogallo (Centrocercus urophasianus) han disminuido a lo largo de la región occidental de Norteamérica, y la mayoría de los hábitats restantes ocurren en terrenos administrados por el Servicio Forestal de E.U.A. (SF) y el Buró de Administración de Tierras ( BAT ). Por lo tanto, los encargados de las tierras SF,BAT necesitan estrategias eficaces para recuperar los hábitats de artemisa (Artemisia spp.) de los cuales depende esta especie. En respuesta a esta necesidad, evaluamos los beneficios potenciales de dos escenarios de restauración sobre el urogallo en el interior de la Cuenca del Columbia y porciones adyacentes de la Gran Cuenca del occidente de los Estados Unidos. El escenario 1 supone una reducción del 50% en los efectos perjudiciales del pastoreo ( por medio de cambios en las tasas de aprovisionamiento y en los sistemas de pastoreo) y un incremento de seis veces en la superficie de las áreas tratadas con restauración activa ( por ejemplo, quemas prescritas, plántulas nativas, supresión de fuego no controlado) comparada con la administración futura propuesta por el SF,BAT. El escenario 2 supone una reducción del 100% en los efectos de pastoreo perjudiciales y el mismo aumento en la restauración activa que en el escenario 1. Para evaluar los beneficios, estimamos el riesgo de extirpación de la población de urogallos en 100 años bajo los dos escenarios y comparamos este riesgo con el riesgo estimado por la propuesta de manejo de SF,BAT (100-años). Utilizamos estimaciones del riesgo de extirpación en períodos históricos (entre 1850 y 1890) y actuales como contexto para nuestra comparación. Bajo condiciones históricas, el riesgo de extirpación fue muy bajo en los terrenos SF,BAT pero aumentó a una probabilidad moderada bajo condiciones actuales. Bajo la administración propuesta por SF,BAT, el riesgo de extirpación en los terrenos SF,BAT aumentó a una alta probabilidad 100 años en el futuro. Sin embargo, los beneficios de los dos escenarios de restauración constriñen el riesgo de extirpación a una probabilidad moderada. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la restauración expansiva y sostenida del hábitat puede mantener condiciones deseadas y reduce el riesgo de extirpación de urogallos en terrenos SF,BAT en la región occidental de Norteamérica. Sin embargo, la continua extensión de plantas exóticas representa un reto formidable para la restauración exitosa y justifica considerable investigación y atención de manejo. [source] Transition and sustainability: empirical analysis of environmental Kuznets curve for water pollution in 25 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent StatesENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2009Sandra O. Archibald Abstract This paper examines the effects of political, structural and economic changes on environmental quality in 25 Central and East European countries (CEECs) and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) using selected water pollution indicators and by testing the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). Despite substantial research on the transition effects from centrally planned economies and totalitarian political systems to democracy and free market economies, the literature is limited with respect to the short- and long-term environmental impacts. Considering the institutional and structural changes in these economies, rising per capita income and increased trade and investment openness, these countries can be characterized as early, late and non-liberalizers with respect to the start and continuation of liberalization processes , a critical element of the systemic transformation in the CEECs. While trends in selected economic and social indicators (based on the OECD pressure,state,response framework) show that early liberalizers enjoyed positive gains relative to late liberalizers, the selected environmental indicators do not indicate consistent trends with regard to surface water quality. Among early and late liberalizers, nitrate, orthophosphate and ammonium concentrations decline and converge over time. Phosphorus concentrations initially dropped but then increased again for both groups of countries. Using the indicator of biological oxygen demand (BOD) as the dependent variable and a set of structural and economic measures as the independent variables, our econometric regression model provides some evidence for the EKC hypothesis and estimates the per capita income turning point for industrial BOD effluents to be approximately 3800,5000 USD. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The ontogeny of cross-sex genetic correlations: an analysis of patternsJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2009J. POISSANT Abstract The independent evolution of males and females is typically constrained by shared genetic variance. Despite substantial research, we still know little about the evolution of cross-sex genetic covariance and its standardized measure, the cross-sex genetic correlation (rMF). In particular, it is unclear if rMF tend to vary with age. We compiled 28 traits for which ontogenetic trends in rMF were documented. Decreases in rMF with age were observed significantly more often than increases and the mean effect size for the relationship between rMF and age was large and negative. This suggests that sexual dimorphism (SD) may typically evolve more readily for phenotypes expressed later in ontogeny and that evolutionary inferences related to the evolution of SD should be limited to the ontogenetic stage at which rMF was estimated. Knowledge about ontogenetic variation in rMF should help improving our understanding of evolutionary patterns related to SD and the resolution of intralocus sexual conflicts. [source] Laboratory Models Available to Study Alcohol-Induced Organ Damage and Immune Variations: Choosing the Appropriate ModelALCOHOLISM, Issue 9 2010Nympha B. D'Souza El-Guindy The morbidity and mortality resulting from alcohol-related diseases globally impose a substantive cost to society. To minimize the financial burden on society and improve the quality of life for individuals suffering from the ill effects of alcohol abuse, substantial research in the alcohol field is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which alcohol-related diseases develop and progress. Since ethical concerns and inherent difficulties limit the amount of alcohol abuse research that can be performed in humans, most studies are performed in laboratory animals. This article summarizes the various laboratory models of alcohol abuse that are currently available and are used to study the mechanisms by which alcohol abuse induces organ damage and immune defects. The strengths and weaknesses of each of the models are discussed. Integrated into the review are the presentations that were made in the symposium "Methods of Ethanol Application in Alcohol Model,How Long is Long Enough" at the joint 2008 Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) and International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) meeting, Washington, DC, emphasizing the importance not only of selecting the most appropriate laboratory alcohol model to address the specific goals of a project but also of ensuring that the findings can be extrapolated to alcohol-induced diseases in humans. [source] Bodensystematik und Bodenklassifikation Teil I: GrundbegriffeJOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2005Christoph Albrecht Abstract Bodenordnungssysteme lassen sich meist nach zwei Prinzipien entwickeln: Entweder werden nur rein bodenkundliche Informationen als kategorisierendes Merkmal verwendet (pedogenetische Faktoren/Prozesse), oder die Kategorienbildung erfolgt problemorientiert anhand ausgewählter Parameter. Die meisten der weltweit verwendeten Bodenordnungssysteme lassen sich nach ihrer Grundausrichtung einem der beiden Typen zuordnen. Diese Betrachtungsweise ist nicht neu und wird in der Literatur mit unterschiedlichen Begriffen und Begriffsinhalten dargestellt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die verschiedenen Definitionen von Systematik, Klassifikation, Taxonomie und Identifizierung zusammengefasst und geordnet. Dabei fällt auf, dass Begriffe mit sehr unterschiedlichen Inhalten oft synonym verwendet werden. Grundgedanke unserer Überlegungen ist die Trennung von Systematik, Klassifikation und Identifizierung. Systematik ist die grundsätzliche wissenschaftlich-deduktive Gliederung von Objekten in systematische Einheiten. Dabei soll das gesamte Wissen eines Fachgebietes in eine überschaubare Form gebracht werden, im Mittelpunkt stehen sowohl die umfassende Beschreibung einzelner Objekte als auch die Beziehungen zwischen den Objekten. Im Gegensatz dazu ist eine Klassifikation die zielorientiert-induktive Gliederung von Objekten. Die entstehenden Klassen werden nur anhand ausgewählter Parameter abgegrenzt, womit ein schneller Überblick bei speziellen Fragestellungen ermöglicht wird. Die Identifizierung ist die Einordnung von neuen Objekten in eine bestehende Systematik oder Klassifikation. Eine zweifelsfreie Identifizierung erfordert die Messbarkeit der kategorisierenden Merkmale. Bei einer genetisch angelegten Bodensystematik sind die Merkmale die Boden bildenden Prozesse und Faktoren. Da sie beim gegenwärtigen Kenntnisstand oft nicht messbar sind, bleiben Versuche, einen Boden in eine Systematik einzuordnen, häufig hypothetisch und dadurch subjektiv. Die Ergebnisse einer Bodensystematisierung sind daher oft anfechtbar, weil sie nicht durch Messwerte verifiziert werden können. Im Gegensatz dazu erlauben Bodenklassifikationen objektive Profilansprachen. Da jedoch die Festlegung der Grenzwerte eher pragmatisch nach Zweckmäßigkeit geschieht und nicht wissenschaftlich anhand von Prozessintensitäten, ist die Verwendung als grundlegendes Ordnungssystem eines Wissenschaftsgebietes nicht möglich. Die Bodenkunde benötigt beide Arten von Ordnungssystemen, um wissenschaftliche und praktische Ansprüche gleichermaßen erfüllen zu können, jedoch erfordern die Vollendung und Verifizierung der Systematik umfangreiche Forschungsarbeiten. Kurzfristig ist dieses Problem nur durch die Entwicklung einer kennwertbasierten Klassifikation lösbar, mit der die Kategorien der bestehenden Systematik so gut wie möglich nachgebildet werden. Langfristig ist die exakte Erforschung und Modellierung der Boden bildenden Prozesse aber unumgänglich. Soil systematics and classification systems Part I: Fundamentals Soil-ordering systems are primarily based and developed on one of two underlying principles: They are either categorized according to soil-forming processes, or the formation of categories develops by chosen parameters. This perspective has already been established in the literature, though it is often confusing as many terms are defined and applied differently. In this contribution, the various definitions of systematics, classification, taxonomy, and identification will be clearly differentiated and summarized. The core of our work is to clearly define and contrast three terms: systematics, classification, and identification. Systematics is the fundamental scientific and deductive ordering of objects into systematic units. The purpose of this approach is to organize the entire spectrum of knowledge within a discipline into a transparent and manageable form. Classification, in direct contrast to systematics, is goal-oriented and an inductive ordering of objects. Thus, the ordering scheme consists of classes which are clearly parameterized. Identification is the ordering of new objects into an already existing systematics or classification system. Close attention is paid to both the differences and the similarities between a systematics and a classification system, especially pertaining to their practical applications. The identification requires that the category-forming characteristics can be measured (e.g., for soil systematics, these are the soil-forming processes and factors). Currently, it is unfortunately not feasible to objectively quantify most soil-forming processes. Thus, most attempts at categorizing soils by systematics are hypothetical and highly subjective in nature. The resulting identification derived from the soil systematics approach is open to questions and contestable, since a graded measuring system does not yet exist to verify these determinations. In contrast, a soil-classification system does allow an objective soil-profile identification, although such systems are conceived pragmatically and designed for a practical purpose (e.g., not scientifically based on process intensities). Unfortunately, such a classification system cannot be applied as a universal scientific categorization system due to this method of conception. Both categorization approaches are required in soil science in order to satisfy both the practical and the scientific aspects of the field. However, substantial research must be done to complete and verify systematics. The only viable short-term solution is through the development of a graded classification system where the categories of the system are directly derived from the current systematics approach. In the long run both the exact investigation and the detailed modeling of the soil-forming processes are inevitable. [source] Corporate discourse and environmental performance in ArgentinaBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2008Diego A. Vazquez Abstract There is substantial research and policy interest in the relationship between firms and the natural environment, including how this relationship is influenced by regulators, international pressures, rival firms and stakeholder demands. With some exceptions, the ,softer' dimensions of environmental aspect management , how attitudes, beliefs and perceptions and the human factors drive corporate behaviour , have been understudied. The work that exists tends to be informal, and allows little scope for the statistical validation that is required for robust inference. This paper examines whether corporate values towards the environment affect a firm's environmental performance. It uses survey methods as well as content and discourse analyses of interview text and corporate reports and web sites to explore the links between managerial ,mindsets' and the environmental performance of the firms of which they are a part. Though the application is Argentina, the lessons learned can be generalized to other developing and industrialized countries. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | |||||||||||||