Gender and collective action: A conceptual framework for analysis

"This paper presents a framework for investigating the intersection of collective action and gender; i.e. how gender-oriented analysis can foster more effective collective action in the context of agriculture and natural resource management and how collective action can be used as a vehicle for gender equity. We begin with definitions of the key concepts and then present three entry points for a gendered analysis of collective action-motivations, effectiveness, and impact on gender equity- vis-à-vis the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework(Oakerson 1992; Ostrom 1991). At the heart of this framework is the action arena, which is shaped by a host of initial conditions, including asset endowments, vulnerabilities, and legal and governance systems that influence a range of outcomes. Applying a gender lens to this framework, we present an analysis of how women and men experience the initial set of conditions differently and thus, have different motivations and capacities for engaging in collective action. Next, we look at how the gender composition of groups affects theeffectiveness of collective action, and finally, at the impact of collective action on gender equity and women's empowerment. We conclude with a discussion of how this framework can improve our understanding of gender and collective action in order to facilitate more effective collective action while fostering gender equity." Author's AbstractGender, Collective action,

Decentralization, pro-poor land policies, and democratic governance:

"Decentralized approaches to development are gaining increasing prominence. Land tenure reform policy has been affected by many different types of decentralization. However, the literature on land tenure reform rarely explicitly addressed the implications of decentralization, and vice versa. This paper provides a review of how the issues of decentralization are linked to land tenure reform, in theory and practice. Both decentralization and land tenure reform each encompass a number of different, but related concepts and approaches. We begin with clarifying some key terms related to these different approaches, then look in more detail at contending perspectives on decentralization, and how these relate to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) pillars of democratic governance. We then review the different types of land tenure reform in terms of the role of centralized and decentralized institutions, illustrating the strengths and weaknesses, gaps and challenges with experience from a range of developing countries. The final section turns to conclusions and policy recommendations, considering how decentralized approaches to land tenure reform can contribute to goals such as gender equity, social cohesion, human rights, and the identity of indigenous peoples." authors' abstractDecentralization, Land, Tenure reform, Democratic governance, Rights, Registration, Redistribution, Restitution, Recognition, Devolution,

La défense de l’Etat de droit peut-elle (re)devenir l’enjeu central de la lutte contre le terrorisme ?

Cet entretien a été réalisé avec Dick Marty qui a maintes fois été activement confronté – au long de sa carrière de Parlementaire mais également de magistrat – à la défense de l’Etat de droit et des libertés civiles. Cet entretien porte notamment sur les suites de son action en tant que rapporteur pour le compte du Conseil de l’Europe sur l’affaire dite des prisons secrètes de la CIA en Europe dans le cadre de la « guerre contre le terrorisme » depuis les attentats du 11 septembre 2001 , ains..

Atrazine degradation patterns: the role of straw cover and herbicide application history

In Brazil, atrazine (ATZ) is widely applied to maize (Zea mays L.) fields for weed control. The presence of ATZ and its metabolites in soil and water matrices has become a matter of some concern for governmental authorities as well as for society at large. This study evaluated the patterns of ATZ degradation (mineralization, extractable and non-extractable ATZ residues, and metabolite formation) in a Brazilian Typic Paleudult. Soil samples from a cultivated area under a no-tillage system with a history of ATZ application were incubated with 14C-ATZ in both the presence and absence of straw cover on the soil surface, and the evolved 14CO2 was determined by liquid scintillation. Samples from an area with native vegetation, adjacent to the cultivated area, were also incubated as a control. A higher mineralization of ATZ was observed in the cultivated soil (> 85 %) in comparison with the native soil (10 %) after 85 days of incubation. In addition to the higher mineralization and hydroxyatrazine (HA) formation, a rapid decrease in the water-extractable residues was observed in the cultivated soil. When the cultivated soil was covered with straw, mineralization was reduced by up to 30 % although a small amount of remobilization to the soil occurred within the 85 days. Straw cover hindered the degradation of ATZ in cultivated soils; whereas an accelerated biodegradation was due to repeated applications of ATZ, which may have selected microbiota more skilled at biodegrading the herbicide

Ethics roundtable: 'Open-ended ICU care: Can we afford it?'

The patient is a 27-year-old previously healthy male with a diagnosis of viral encephalitis with a lymphocytic pleocytosis on cerebrospinal fluid examination. For 3 months, he has been in status epilepticus (SE) on high doses of barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and ketamine and a ketogenic feeding-tube formula. He remains in burst suppression on continuous electroencephalography (EEG). He is trached and has a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube. He has been treated several times for pneumonia, and he is on a warming blanket and is on vasopressors to maintain his blood pressure. His vitals are stable and his lab work is within limits. The sedation is decreased under EEG guidance every 72 hours, after which he goes back into SE and heavy sedation is resumed. The latest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows edema but otherwise no obvious permanent cortical damage. The family wants a realistic assessment of the likely outcome. The neurologist tells them the literature suggests the outlook is poor but not 100% fatal. As long as all of his other organs are functioning on life support, there is always a chance the seizures will stop at some time in the future, and so the neurologist recommends an open-ended intensive care unit (ICU) plan and hopes for that outcome. © 2010 BioMed Central Ltd

Urinary Albumin Excretion and Its Relation With C-Reactive Protein and the Metabolic Syndrome in the Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—To investigate urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and its relation with C-reactive protein (CRP) and the metabolic syndrome in the prediction of the development of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We used data from the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End Stage Disease (PREVEND) study, an ongoing, community-based, prospective cohort study initiated in 1997 in the Netherlands. The initial cohort consisted of 8,592 subjects. After 4 years, 6,894 subjects participated in a follow-up survey. Subjects with diabetes at baseline or missing data on fasting glucose were excluded, leaving 5,654 subjects for analysis. The development of type 2 diabetes, defined as a fasting glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l and/or the use of antidiabetic medication, was used as the outcome measure. UAE was calculated as the mean UAE from two consecutive 24-h urine collections. Logistic regression models were used, with the development of type 2 diabetes as the dependent variable. RESULTS—Of the 5,654 subjects for whom data were analyzed, 185 (3.3%) developed type 2 diabetes during a mean follow-up period of 4.2 years. UAE, CRP, and the presence of the metabolic syndrome at baseline were significantly associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes (P < 0.001 for all variables). In a univariate model, the odds ratio (OR) for UAE was 1.59 (95% CI 1.42–1.79). In our full model, adjusted for age, sex, number of criteria of metabolic syndrome, and other known risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes (including fasting insulin), the association between UAE and type 2 diabetes remained significant (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.25–1.88, P < 0.001). There was a significant interaction between UAE and CRP (P = 0.002). After CRP was stratified into tertiles, the ORs for the association between baseline UAE and the development of type 2 diabetes were 2.2 (1.47–3.3), 1.33 (0.96–1.84), and 1.04 (0.83–1.31) for the lowest to highest tertiles, respectively. CONCLUSIONS—UAE predicts type 2 diabetes independent of the metabolic syndrome and other known risk markers of development of type 2 diabetes. The predictive value of UAE was modified by the level of CRP

Sulfide enrichment at an oceanic crust-mantle transition zone : Kane Megamullion (23°N, MAR)

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2018. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here under a nonexclusive, irrevocable, paid-up, worldwide license granted to WHOI. It is made available for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 230 (2018): 155-189, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2018.03.027.The Kane Megamullion oceanic core complex located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (23°30′N, 45°20′W) exposes lower crust and upper mantle directly on the ocean floor. We studied chalcophile elements and sulfides in the ultramafic and mafic rocks of the crust-mantle transition and the mantle underneath. We determined mineralogical and elemental composition and the Cu isotope composition of the respective sulfides along with the mineralogical and elemental composition of the respective serpentines. The rocks of the crust-mantle transition zone (i.e., plagioclase harzburgite, peridotite-gabbro contacts, and dunite) overlaid by troctolites are by one order of magnitude enriched in several chalcophile elements with respect to the spinel harzburgites of the mantle beneath. Whereas the range of Cu concentrations in spinel harzburgites is 7–69 ppm, the Cu concentrations are highly elevated in plagioclase harzburgites with a range of 90–209 ppm. The zones of the peridotite-gabbro contacts are even more enriched, exhibiting up to 305 ppm Cu and highly elevated concentrations of As, Zn, Ga, Sb and Tl. High Cu concentrations show pronounced correlation with bulk S concentrations at the crust-mantle transition zone implying an enrichment process in this horizon of the oceanic lithosphere. We interpret this enrichment as related to melt-mantle reaction, which is extensive in crust-mantle transition zones. In spite of the ubiquitous serpentinization of primary rocks, we found magmatic chalcopyrites [CuFeS2] as inclusions in plagioclase as well as associated with pentlandite [(Fe,Ni)9S8] and pyrrhotite [Fe1−xS] in polysulfide grains. These chalcopyrites show a primary magmatic δ65Cu signature ranging from −0.04 to +0.29 ‰. Other chalcopyrites have been dissolved during serpentinization. Due to the low temperature (<300 °C) of circulating fluids chalcophile metals from primary sulfides have not been mobilized and transported away but have been trapped in smaller secondary sulfides and hydroxides. Combined with the Cu deposits documented in the crust-mantle transition zones of various ophiolite complexes, our results indicate that the metal enrichment, increased sulfide modes, and potentially formation of small sulfide deposits could be expected globally along the petrological Moho.This research was funded by a Diamond Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (DI2012 2057 42 to J. Ciazela), and partly supported by grants of the U.S. National Science Foundation (OCE1434452 and OCE1637130 to H.J.B. Dick), and the German Science Foundation (Bo2941/4-1 to R. Botcharnikov)