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Broad Sense (broad + sense)
Selected AbstractsSpain's greatest and most recent mine disasterDISASTERS, Issue 1 2008Flor Ma. On 25 April 1998, the mineral waste retaining wall at the Swedish-owned pyrite mine at Aznalcóllar (Seville, Spain) burst,2 causing the most harmful environmental and socio-economic disaster in the history of the River Guadiamar basin. The damage was so great that the regional government decided in May 1998 to finance a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research initiative with the objective of eradicating or at least minimising all of the negative social, economic and environmental impacts. This paper utilises a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis to identify eight strategic measures aimed at providing policymakers with key guidelines on implementing a sustainable development model, in a broad sense. Empirical evidence, though, reveals that, to date, major efforts to tackle the negative impacts have centred on environmental concerns and that the socio-economic consequences have not been completely mitigated. [source] Variability and divergence in Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre germplasm , a candidate tree for biodieselGCB BIOENERGY, Issue 6 2009N. SUNIL Abstract Three explorations were undertaken in South East Coastal zone of India covering parts of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Orissa states to collect Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre germplasm during March,June 2007. A total of 123 accessions were collected and seed data recorded were analyzed for morphometric traits viz., seed length, seed width, seed thickness, 100-seed weight and oil content. Variation in the collected germplasm was analyzed using anova, simple measures of variation and D2 statistics. Significant genetic variability between seed traits and oil content and association among the seed traits was recorded. Phenotypic variance was higher than genotypic variance for all the characters indicating dominant role of environment. High heritability (broad sense) for 100-seed weight (97.6%) and oil content (86.7%) indicated the reliability of these characters as selection criteria for plus trees. Genetic gain was maximum for 100-seed weight (62.6%) followed by oil content (30.5%). D2 analysis grouped the accessions into 12 clusters. Cluster XII and cluster IX were the most diverse based on the intercluster distance. Based on the observed diversity, Chittoor, Srikakulam and Adilabad districts of AP are most suitable for collecting diverse germplasm lines and also for in situ conservation. [source] Democracy and sustainable development,what is the alternative to cost,benefit analysis?INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006Peter Söderbaum Abstract Cost,benefit analysis (CBA) is part of neoclassical economics, a specific paradigm, or theoretical perspective. In searching for alternatives to CBA, competing theoretical frameworks in economics appear to be a natural starting point. Positional analysis (PA) as an alternative to CBA is built on institutional theory and a different set of assumptions about human beings, organizations, markets, etc. Sustainable development (SD) is a multidimensional concept that includes social and ecological dimensions in addition to monetary aspects. If the political commitment to SD in the European Union and elsewhere is taken seriously, then approaches to decision making should be chosen that 1st open the door for multidimensional analysis rather than close it. Sustainable development suggests a direction for development in a broad sense but is still open to different interpretations. Each such interpretation is political in kind, and a 2nd criterion for judging different approaches is whether they are ideologically open rather than closed. Although methods for decision making have traditionally been connected with mathematical objective functions and optimization, the purpose of PA is to illuminate a decision situation in a many-sided way with respect to possibly relevant ideological orientations, alternatives, and consequences. Decisions are understood in terms of matching the ideological orientation of each decision maker with the expected effects profile of each alternative considered. Appropriateness and pattern recognition are other concepts in understanding this process. [source] Indices of Drought Tolerance in Wheat Genotypes at Early Stages of Plant GrowthJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 1 2004S. S. Dhanda Abstract Thirty diverse genotypes of bread wheat were evaluated for seed vigour index, germination percentage, root length, shoot length, root-to-shoot length ratio, coleoptile length and osmotic membrane stability under laboratory conditions. Considerable variation was observed for all the characters. Discrimination among the genotypes on the basis of mean values was better under normal than under moisture stress conditions, indicating suppression of variability under moisture stress conditions. Comparison of mean performance under normal and osmotic stress conditions indicated that the seed vigour index was the most sensitive trait, followed by shoot length, germination percentage and root length. The root-to-shoot length ratio, however, increased under osmotic stress. The magnitude of genetic components of variance and heritability were, in general, lower under osmotic stress than under normal conditions. All the characters except germination percentage, shoot length and coleoptile length showed considerable genetic variability. Heritability in the broad sense was also moderate to high for all the characters under both environments. Due to high heritability and genetic advance great benefit from selection can be expected for the osmotic membrane stability of leaf segments and root-to-shoot length ratio. Moderate progress can be expected from root length and seed vigour index. Correlation studies indicated that the osmotic membrane stability of the leaf segment was the most important trait, followed by root-to-shoot ratio and root length on the basis of their relationships with other traits. [source] A novel epidermal nevus syndrome with congenital cylindromatous turban tumorJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 9 2003Jacinto J. Regalado Background:, Epidermal nevi (in the broad sense of epithelial nevi) may give rise to benign or malignant skin tumors. They may also be associated with anomalies of other organ systems in an epidermal nevus syndrome. Results:, This article describes a preterm infant with nevus sebaceus of the scalp and face, a large turban tumor with features of malignant cylindroma and multiple non-cutaneous defects. These included skeletal, hematopoietic, hepatobiliary, and urinary anomalies. Severe secondary lesions were present (pulmonary hypoplasia due to oligohydramnios; cerebral infarcts probably related to the turban tumor). Karyotype was normal, and family history was negative. Conclusions:, This unique case is unlike any reported epidermal nevus syndrome. Similarly, there is no prior report of a congenital cylindroma, certainly not as a turban tumor, which implies very rapid growth. The presence of both overgrowth and undergrowth phenomena (e.g. hypoplastic urinary tract and biliary atresia) may reflect dysregulation of paracrine growth factors, presumably due to genetic mutation. [source] Structure and function of "metalloantibiotics"MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 6 2003Li-June Ming Abstract Although most antibiotics do not need metal ions for their biological activities, there are a number of antibiotics that require metal ions to function properly, such as bleomycin (BLM), streptonigrin (SN), and bacitracin. The coordinated metal ions in these antibiotics play an important role in maintaining proper structure and/or function of these antibiotics. Removal of the metal ions from these antibiotics can cause changes in structure and/or function of these antibiotics. Similar to the case of "metalloproteins," these antibiotics are dubbed "metalloantibiotics" which are the title subjects of this review. Metalloantibiotics can interact with several different kinds of biomolecules, including DNA, RNA, proteins, receptors, and lipids, rendering their unique and specific bioactivities. In addition to the microbial-originated metalloantibiotics, many metalloantibiotic derivatives and metal complexes of synthetic ligands also show antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-neoplastic activities which are also briefly discussed to provide a broad sense of the term "metalloantibiotics." © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 23 No. 6, 697,762, 2003 [source] Quality of life and related concepts in Parkinson's disease: A systematic reviewMOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 11 2007Brenda L. Den Oudsten MSc Abstract Several studies have investigated the quality of life (QOL) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to review the conceptual and methodological quality of quality of life (QOL) studies among patients with PD and to identify factors associated with poor (HR)QOL. Computerized bibliographic databases were screened for publications from 1960 to January 2007. According to a list of predefined criteria, the methodological quality of the 61 studies, was moderate. The term ,QOL' was often used inappropriately. In fact, almost all studies in this review actually assessed health status (HS) instead of QOL. The functioning of patients with PD on physical, social, and emotional domains is affected by PD. Their HS seems to be lower when compared to healthy persons or patients with other chronic diseases. HS studies augment the insight in self-perceived functioning. Therefore, HS is conceived as a valuable construct. However, QOL is also an important factor in health care. Attention towards QOL is needed in order to draw valid conclusions regarding a person's subjective experience of well-being in a broad sense. In order to accomplish this, future studies should apply the QOL concept with more rigor, should use an adequate operational definition, and should employ sound measures. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society [source] Risiken im Lebenszyklus: Theorie und EvidenzPERSPEKTIVEN DER WIRTSCHAFTSPOLITIK, Issue 4 2005Axel Börsch-Supan Do we have the right institutions to cover these risks efficiently? We use the term "institutions" in a broad sense comprising individual saving, family help, private insurance and finally the state with its social insurance systems. Where and when do these institutions work efficiently and effectively? Where and when do they fail? What needs to be done to improve them? What does modern ,social risk management" look like? The article sketches the theoretical underpinnings of saving behavior, portfolio choice and insurance demand and collects the empirical evidence in order to draw economic policy conclusions. [source] Does It Make Sense to Restore Wildland Fire in Changing Climate?RESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Peter Z. Fulé Abstract Forest restoration guided by historical reference conditions of fire regime, forest structure, and composition has been increasingly and successfully applied in fire-adapted forests of western North America. But because climate change is expected to alter vegetation distributions and foster severe disturbances, does it make sense to restore the ecological role of wildland fire through management burning and related activities such as tree thinning? I suggest that some site- and date-specific historical conditions may be less relevant, but reference conditions in the broad sense are still useful. Reference conditions encompass not only the recent past but also evolutionary history, reflecting the role of fire as a selective force over millennia. Taking a long-term functional view of historical reference conditions as the result of evolutionary processes can provide insights into past forest adaptations and migrations under various climates. As future climates change, historical reference data from lower, southerly, and drier sites may be useful in places that are higher, northerly, and currently wetter. Almost all models suggest that the future will have substantial increases in wildfire occurrence, but prior to recent human-caused fire exclusion, fire-adapted pine forests of western North America were among the most frequently burned in the world. Restoration of patterns of burning and fuels/forest structure that reasonably emulate historical conditions prior to fire exclusion is consistent with reducing the susceptibility of these ecosystems to catastrophic loss. Priorities may include fire and thinning treatments of upper elevation ecotones to facilitate forest migration, whereas vulnerable low-elevation forests may merit less management investment. [source] Evolution of epiphytes in Davalliaceae and related fernsBOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006CHIE TSUTSUMI The evolution of epiphytes in Davalliaceae was investigated by field observations and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Field studies revealed that in Davalliaceae and related ferns, epiphytes in a broad sense are classified into climber, secondary hemi-epiphyte, and obligate epiphyte, based on combinations of the places (ground vs. tree) of inferred spore germination and sporophyte growth. Some species of Davalliaceae have multiple life forms, i.e. secondary hemi-epiphyte and obligate epiphyte, whereas others are obligate epiphytes. Phylogenetic trees obtained from rbcL and accD gene sequences supported that secondary hemi-epiphytic Oleandra is sister to the epiphytic Davalliaceae and polygrammoid ferns. Analyses of life form evolution based on the phylogenetic relationships suggested that obligate epiphytes of the Davalliaceae and polygrammoid ferns evolved from secondary hemi-epiphytes, or less likely from climbers. We hypothesized a scenario for the evolution of life forms in Davalliaceae and related groups that involves successive changes in rhizome habit, root function, and germination place. Rhizome dorsiventrality and scale morphology, shared by climbers, secondary hemi-epiphytes, and obligate epiphytes examined, may be other innovations for the ferns to have evolved into epiphytes. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 151, 495,510. [source] Distinctions in descriptive and instrumental stakeholder theory: a challenge for empirical researchBUSINESS ETHICS: A EUROPEAN REVIEW, Issue 1 2010Niklas Egels-Zandén Stakeholder theory is one of the most influential theories in business ethics. It is perhaps not surprising that a theory as popular as stakeholder theory should be used in different ways, but when the disparity between different uses becomes too great, it is questionable whether all the ,stakeholder research' refers to the same underlying theory. This paper starts to clarify this definitional confusion by distinguishing between three different ways in which different lines of stakeholder research are connected with descriptive and instrumental stakeholder theory. First, a distinction is made between research connected with descriptive and with instrumental stakeholder theory as defined by Donaldson & Preston in the narrow or broad sense. Second, a distinction is made between research that interprets descriptive and instrumental stakeholder theories as either hypotheses or research areas. Third, a distinction is made between research that interprets Donaldson & Preston's central concept of ,stakeholder management' as either behaviour or rationale. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of these differences for empirical research into stakeholder theory. [source] Our responsibility in a developing world: from ethics to pragmatismCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Jamie La Nauze FRANZCO MMedSci(ClinEpi) Abstract If development is defined as a process of enhancing human capabilities, that is, to expand choices and opportunities so that each person can lead a life of respect and value, then poverty is the deprivation of these capabilities. Nobel Laureate for Economics, Amartya Sen, states: ,as people who live , in a broad sense , together, we cannot escape the thought that the terrible occurrences that we see around us are quintessentially our problems'. This year's Council Lecture examines issues of individual and institutional responsibility in a developing world. Aspects of development relevant to ophthalmology are discussed and a review of Australian efforts undertaken. With a view to encouraging Fellows to take a more active role in development, it is demonstrated that there are a range of contributions that can be made. Appropriate practice models are explored and a strategy for College involvement presented. [source] | ||||||||||||||||