The comprehensive approach and European Union external action : focus on the EU official

A Abordagem Abrangente e a Ação Externa da União Europeia: Perspetiva de um Representante Nacional na UE O presente artigo foi concluído pouco depois do referendo no Reino Unido e do Conselho Europeu ter acolhido uma nova Estratégia Global da União Europeia para a Política Externa e de Segurança. A abordagem adotada nesta análise posiciona-se para além dos limites da abordagem abrangente aos conflitos e crises. Neste sentido dar-se-á atenção às condições funcionais presentes nos quarteis generais da União, em Bruxelas e no terreno. O autor debate a necessidade dos funcionários europeus adotarem uma abordagem abrangente, corajosa e ambiciosa, reconhecendo-a como um requisito, devendo igualmente as comunidades académicas e de analistas pertencentes a think-tanks corresponderem a este importante desafio.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Initial effects of forest N, Ca, Mg and B large-scale fertilization on surface water chemistry and leaching from a catchment in central Sweden

Highly increased use of biomass production is placing great demands on Swedish forests. Several silvicultural measures can be implemented to increase forest production and fertilization being addressed in this paper is one. Forest companies are now increasingly applying fertilizer, with the main nutrient needed for high forest growth being nitrogen (N). This study investigated how commercial N fertilization (150 kg N/ha, including also Ca, Mg and B) of the 45 ha forest catchment Risfallet in central Sweden affected chemical composition and runoff export in stream water during one year after the fertilization. This well-defined and long-term monitored catchment proved very suitable for studies of water quality and nutrient losses. The fertilizer consisted of ammonium nitrate (50/50 ammonium and nitrate, respectively), plus calcium (Ca, 22 kg ha (Mg, 12 kg ha boron availability. The study was carried out according to the paired catchment method using a control area and a calibration period. Data from the after treatment period were compared with previous 25-year monitoring data for the catchment and also data for a similar 83 ha control catchment, Gusseltjärn, in the same region. During the first year after treatment, the nitrate concentration in stream water increased from 0.05 mg L ammonium (300%), B (3-fold), Mg (80%), Ca (60%), potassium (K) (50%) and sodium (Na) (40%). The pH decreased in the first half-year by 0.2 pH-units. One year after treatment, 14% of the N applied had leached from the catchment.1) and magnesium1) to mitigate acidification and boron (B 1.1 kg ha1) to compensate for decreased1 to 3.3 mg L1 on average. Other elements showing increased concentrations were ammonium (300%), B (3-fold), Mg (80%), Ca (60%), potassium (K) (50%) and sodium (Na) (40%). The pH decreased in the first half-year by 0.2 pH-units. One year after treatment, 14% of the N applied had leached from the catchment

Peatland fertilization : short-term chemical effects on runoff water

In peatland forestry, fertilization is often needed to reach a good yield. Phosphorus and potassium are mainly used, but on nutrient poor fens and bogs nitrogen also has to be added. These fertilizers affect the environment and thereby influence the runoff waters. This essay concerns the first three months after fertilization, of which the first two weeks have been paid particular attention. As the mires of the sub-basins were sedge fens, partly poor fens, with a pine stand in some areas but mostly treeless, the fertihzers used were ammonium nitrate (100 kg N) rock phosphate (50 kg P) and potassium chloride (100 kg K). The fertilization was performed from the air. During the very first hours after fertilization, drastic changes in water chemistry were found. In one area pH dropped 0.3 units while at the other no immediate change was seen. For the whole three months of the investigation period the decreases in pH were in the range 0.1-0.5 units. Nitrogen concentration reached a peak of 260 mg/l, phosphorus 5 mg/l and potassium about 60 mg/l. These high values were of short duration but the concentrations were considerably increased during one week. Later, partly due to decreasing discharge, the water chemistry became almost similar to that measured under unfertilized conditions. The main loss of fertilizer occurred during th e first two weeks and amounted to 22% of the applied nitrogen, about 1% of the phosphorus and 5-9% of the potassium. High concentrations of ammonium and nitrate may occur after fertilization and together with drops in pH may be hazardous to fish. Increased concentrations of aluminium dissolved from stream bottoms due to decreased pH may also be toxic to fish. In this investigation no fish kill or changes in fish populations were found. In runoff waters with pH around 7 the high ammonium concentrations found in the Siksjöbacken study could cause lethal or sublethal effects on fish due to increased concentrations of ammonia (NH3)

Duration of forest fertilization effects on streamwater chemistry in a catchment in central Sweden

Demands for forest biomass production for energy, construction and carbon storage purposes are increasing, and therefore measures to increase tree growth are required. One potential measure is nitrogen (N) fertilization, as N is usually the most growth-limiting nutrient in boreal forests and partly due to decreasing atmospheric N deposition in northern Europe in recent decades. However, N fertilization can have adverse effects, such as soil acidification and N leaching, particularly nitrate leaching via streamwater flow. To mitigate the acidification risk, dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) is added to N fertilizer boron (B) as increased tree growth hamper tree uptake of this essential micronutrient. This study examined the effects of forest fertilization on streamwater chemistry in the 45 ha Swedish catchment Risfallet (RF), around 80% of which was treated with fertilizer. That was rather exceptional, as most previous catchments studied have had <50% treated area, which may give weaker treatment signals. A paired catchment method combined with the control area and calibration period technique was applied to evaluate leaching effects from forest fertilization. Effects over 7.5 years were compared with previously reported initial effects in the first year, in order to assess the duration of fertilization effects on surface water. High excess outflow of N over five years was detected, with 20% of the applied amount leached and with nitrate dominating total nitrogen. Excess outflow of Ca and Mg was highest in the first year. Effects on pH were limited, with calculated untreated pH on 5.9 being on average 0.4 units lower during the first six months and then remaining at 0.2 units lower. Recommended could be to mainly fertilize well-drained soil, avoid wet areas and open streams. Consider the hydrological conditions while weather would be more hazardous to foresee

Seeing ethnographically: teaching ethnography as part of CSCW

While ethnography is an established part of CSCW research, teaching and learning ethnography presents unique and distinct challenges. This paper discusses a study of fieldwork and analysis amongst a group of students learning ethnography as part of a CSCW & design course. Studying the students’ practices we explore fieldwork as a learning experience, both learning about fieldsites as well as learning the practices of ethnography. During their fieldwork and analysis the students used a wiki to collaborate, sharing their field and analytic notes. From this we draw lessons for how ethnography can be taught as a collaborative analytic process and discuss extensions to the wiki to better support its use for collaborating around fieldnotes. In closing we reflect upon the role of learning ethnography as a practical hands on – rather than theoretical – pursuit

Fall and Injury Prevention in Residential Care—Effects in Residents with Higher and Lower Levels of Cognition

Artikkelen omhandler en studie hvor hensikten var å evaluere effekten av et program for forebygging av fall og fallskade hos eldre med ulikt kognitivt funksjonsnivå.To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial fall and injury prevention program in older people with higher and lower levels of cognition. A preplanned subgroup comparison of the effectiveness of a cluster‐randomized, nonblinded, usual‐care, controlled trial. Nine residential facilities in Umeå, Sweden. All consenting residents living in the facilities, aged 65 and older, who could be assessed using the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE; n = 378). An MMSE score of 19 was used to divide the sample into one group with lower and one with higher level of cognition. The lower MMSE group was older (mean ± standard deviation = 83.9 ± 5.8 vs 82.2 ± 7.5) and more functionally impaired (Barthel Index, median (interquartile range) 11 (6–15) vs 17 (13–18)) and had a higher risk of falling (64% vs 36%) than the higher MMSE group. A multifactorial fall prevention program comprising staff education, environmental adjustment, exercise, drug review, aids, hip protectors, and postfall problem‐solving conferences. The number of falls, time to first fall, and number of injuries were evaluated and compared by study group (intervention vs control) and by MMSE group. A significant intervention effect on falls appeared in the higher MMSE group but not in the lower MMSE group (adjusted incidence rates ratio of falls = .016 and = .121 and adjusted hazard ratio < .001 and = .420, respectively). In the lower MMSE group, 10 femoral fractures were found, all of which occurred in the control group ( = .006). The higher MMSE group experienced fewer falls after this multifactorial intervention program, whereas the lower MMSE group did not respond as well to the intervention, but femoral fractures were reduced in the lower MMSE group

Ion Dynamics and Nanostructures of Diluted Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

Diluted ionic liquid electrolytes are promising candidates in next-generation batteries enabling the implementation of lithium metal anodes. The diluent should fully mix with the ionic liquid while not interacting with the Li ions to preserve the ionic liquid character, which is beneficial for Li-metal electrode stability. We report on the influence of a hydrofluoroether (HFE) diluent on ion dynamics and nanostructure of an ionic liquid electrolyte. We show that the ionic liquid and the diluent are fully miscible and that the solvation structure of the Li ions is not affected by the presence of HFE. The increase in the conductivity by the addition of the diluent is directly related to a decrease in viscosity with faster dynamics of all ionic species. However, the relative increase in mobility is considerably larger for the ionic liquid cation as a result of a preferred interaction with HFE. On the microscopic scale, more complex local non-Gaussian diffusive dynamics are found, faster than what is expected from the self-diffusion coefficient. The relative change of the dynamics with the addition of HFE on macro- and microscopic length scales correlates well, which underlines the connection between the motions probed on different length and time scales

Helicobacter pylori genome variability in a framework of familial transmission

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Helicobacter pylori </it>infection is exceptionally prevalent and is considered to be acquired primarily early in life through person-to-person transmission within the family. <it>H. pylori </it>is a genetically diverse bacterial species, which may facilitate adaptation to new hosts and persistence for decades. The present study aimed to explore the genetic diversity of clonal isolates from a mother and her three children in order to shed light on <it>H. pylori </it>transmission and host adaptation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two different <it>H. pylori </it>strains and strain variants were identified in the family members by PCR-based molecular typing and sequencing of five loci. Genome diversity was further assessed for 15 isolates by comparative microarray hybridizations. The microarray consisted of 1,745 oligonucleotides representing the genes of two previously sequenced <it>H. pylori </it>strains. The microarray analysis detected a limited mean number (± standard error) of divergent genes between clonal isolates from the same and different individuals (1 ± 0.4, 0.1%, and 3 ± 0.3, 0.2%, respectively). There was considerable variability between the two different strains in the family members (147 ± 4, 8%) and for all isolates relative to the two sequenced reference strains (314 ± 16, 18%). The diversity between different strains was associated with gene functional classes related to DNA metabolism and the cell envelope.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present data from clonal <it>H. pylori </it>isolates of family members do not support that transmission and host adaptation are associated with substantial sequence diversity in the bacterial genome. However, important phenotypic modifications may be determined by additional genetic mechanisms, such as phase-variation. Our findings can aid further exploration of <it>H. pylori </it>genetic diversity and adaptation.</p