Legal evidence: a realistic approach

The issue of the veracity of legal claims and its consequences is based, first and foremost, on the study of legal philosophy. This article explores the substantivity of judicial evidence from the perspective of classical legal realism, as a key mechanism against claims of truth and the different models of truth from different positions. Judicial decisions go through ontological and definitive interpretations of what is fair and right, in relation to judicial evidence, through the exercise of legal science by the jurist.El problema del potencial de verdad de las afirmaciones jurídicas y de sus consecuencias tiene como sustrato primero y primordial los problemas de la filosofía del derecho: su objeto de estudio. Se explora aquí, desde la perspectiva del realismo jurídico clásico, la sustantividad de la prueba judicial como mecanismo decisivo frente a las distintas posiciones respecto a las "pretensiones de verdad" en el derecho y los distintos modelos de verdad. Por ello, la decisión jurídica pasa por una interpretación ontológica y definitiva de lo "justo", lo debido, en relación con la prueba judicial, por medio del ejercicio de la ciencia práctica del "derecho" por parte del jurista

Adaptação transcultural: tradução e validação de conteúdo da versão brasileira do Commitment Exercise Scale

BACKGROUND: The Exercise Commitment Scale (CES) evaluates commitment, attitude and behavior regarding exercise in eating disorders patients. OBJECTIVE: Translation and cultural adaptation of the CES for Portuguese (BRA), content validation and analysis of internal consistency. METHODS: This study involved five steps: (1) translation, (2) re-translation, (3) technical review and evaluation semantics, (4) content validation by professionals - judges, (5) assessment of the instrument in a sample of students, by assessing the degree of understanding and analysis of internal consistency by Cronbach's a coefficient. RESULTS: The scale was translated and adapted. It was considered easy to understand (degree of understanding from 4.3 to 4.9) and showed acceptable consistency coefficients (Cronbach's a: 0.60 to 0.79). DISCUSSION: Satisfactory results of this adaptation process allow the recommendation of the CES Brazilian version. Analysis is needed of construct and factorial validation, and of reproducibility.CONTEXTO: O Commitment Exercise Scale (CES) avalia o comprometimento, o comportamento e a atitude de pacientes com transtornos alimentares em relação ao exercício físico. OBJETIVO: Tradução e adaptação transcultural do CES para o idioma português (BRA), validação de conteúdo e análise da consistência interna. MÉTODOS: Envolveu cinco etapas: (1) tradução; (2) retradução; (3) revisão técnica e avaliação semântica; (4) validação de conteúdo por profissionais da área - juízes; (5) avaliação do instrumento por uma amostra de estudantes, por meio da avaliação do grau de compreensão e análise da consistência interna do instrumento pelo coeficiente a de Cronbach. RESULTADOS: A escala foi traduzida e adaptada, sendo considerada de fácil compreensão (grau de compreensão de 4,3 a 4,9), e demonstrou valores do coeficiente aceitáveis (a de Cronbach: 0,60 a 0,79). CONCLUSÃO: A partir do processo de adaptação transcultural, os resultados satisfatórios possibilitam a recomendação da versão brasileira do CES. São necessárias análises de validação de construto, fatorial e de reprodutibilidade

¿Qué significa tener derechos?

En el presente trabajo daremos a conocer el concepto y la importancia de los derechos humanos en la vida de cada persona desde un punto de vista reflexivo y analítico, tomando como referencia los aportes de algunos filósofos y escritores influyentes de diferentes épocas, los cuales serán de gran ayuda para tener una percepción más clara de estos términos y comprender las raíces de estos. El punto de partida al abarcar temas como la realidad jurídica en el derecho no siempre será la razón, por lo que para definir “derecho” encontramos diferentes alternativas; si nos ubicamos en el concepto de derecho natural logramos observar una gran cantidad de tesis contradictorias las cuales nos introducen en un debate, partiendo de las diferentes posturas que toman los autores que serán citados. Por otra parte, los derechos humanos, hacen referencia a aquellos principios o normas que tienen la intención de proteger e identificar el valor humano y a consecuencia de esto son parte de la dignidad intrínseca e inherente del ser humano. El Estado actúa sobre las personas, por lo que tiene el deber de asegurar que toda la sociedad goce de estos y que en ninguna circunstancia se vean vulnerados. Es esencial tener en cuenta la interpretación que le daremos a los derechos humanos, lo cual es fundamental para no abusar en ningún momento de dichos privilegios; sin una buena interpretación se incrementarían las problemáticas sociales. La interpretación va ligada a la comprensión, por lo que se requiere un razonamiento lógico para entender en qué momento termina la libertad de un individuo para iniciar la de otro, así como lo deja claro el filósofo Jean Paul-Sartre “Mi libertad se termina dónde empieza la de los demás”

Estigmatização e cuidado de doenças neurocognitivas e de saúde mental em idosos

The aging of the national and world population has awakened interest in documenting events related to older adults’ health and disease processes, which are prevalent in this population group. According to the World Health Organization, 20% of older people suffer from some form of mental illness resulting from the physical, psychological, and social processes of aging, as well as neurocognitive disorders. One resulting situation is the stigmatization of older people with mental illness or neurocognitive disease (Alzheimer-Parkinson’s). According to different authors, at least 40% of people with dementia feel excluded from society; their caregivers and family members are also concerned about social rejection. In order to identify the scientific literature related to stigmatization and care of neurocognitive and mental health conditions in the elderly, the following topic review was proposed.El envejecimiento poblacional nacional y mundial ha despertado el interés por evidenciar los eventos relacionados con el proceso de salud y enfermedad de la persona mayor que son prevalentes en este grupo poblacional. De acuerdo a la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el 20 % de las personas mayores presentan alguna enfermedad mental, derivada de los procesos físicos, psicológicos y sociales del envejecimiento, así como de las enfermedades neurocognitivas. Una situación derivada es la estigmatización de las personas mayores con enfermedad mental o con enfermedad neurocognitiva (Alzheimer-Parkinson). De acuerdo a diferentes autores se encuentra que por lo menos el 40 % de las personas con demencias consideran que son excluidas de la sociedad; también sus cuidadores y familiares se preocupan por situaciones de rechazo social. Con el fin identificar la literatura científica relacionada con la estigmatización y el cuidado de las enfermedades neurocognitivas y de la salud mental de la persona mayor se propuso realizar la siguiente revisión de tema.O envelhecimento populacional nacional e mundial tem despertado interesse em evidenciar os eventos relacionados ao processo de saúde e adoecimento dos idosos que são prevalentes neste grupo populacional. Segundo a Organização Mundial da Saúde, 20% dos idosos apresentam alguma doença mental, decorrente dos processos físicos, psicológicos e sociais do envelhecimento, além de doenças neurocognitivas. Uma situação derivada é a estigmatização de pessoas idosas com doença mental ou doença neurocognitiva (Alzheimer-Parkinson). De acordo com diferentes autores, verifica-se que pelo menos 40% das pessoas com demência consideram-se excluídas da sociedade; seus cuidadores e familiares também se preocupam com situações de rejeição social. A fim de identificar a produção científica relacionada à estigmatização e aos cuidados com as doenças neurocognitivas e saúde mental do idoso, propôs-se a realização da seguinte revisão temática

Controlled laboratory test for the investigation of LNAPL contamination using a 2.0 GHz ground penetrating radar = Prueba de laboratorio controlada para la investigación de contaminación por LNAPL usando un radar de penetración terrestre de 2.0 GHz

Abstract: This paper presents a scale-laboratory test where a 2.0 GHz ground penetrating radar (GPR) is used to assess a controlled-fuel oil injection in a shallow sand tank setup. The test examined several scenarios involving different levels of water saturation and fuel oil contamination. The increase of water content produces a reduction of EM wave propagation velocity, moving some fixed/reference targets to higher reflection times. We use simplified relations to obtain approximated dielectric permittivity values, where the inverted results are consistent with those available in the literature for similar scenarios. Rather than suggesting a true quantitative procedure, these observations could be exploited in a qualitative long-term monitoring strategy in common field situations where a contaminant enters a soil matrix and moves through its pore spaces. Finally, the integration of GPR measurements with other monitoring techniques could increase the reliability of the interpretation and the sensitivity to the contaminant concentration. Reseña: Este artículo presenta una prueba de laboratorio a escala donde se usa un radar de penetración terrestre (GPR) de 2.0 GHz para evaluar una inyección de aceite combustible en una configuración de tanque de arena poco profunda. La prueba examinó varios escenarios que involucraban diferentes niveles de saturación de agua y contaminación con aceite combustible. El aumento del contenido de agua produce una reducción de la velocidad de propagación de la onda EM, moviendo algunos objetivos de referencia a tiempos de reflexión más altos. Utilizamos relaciones simplificadas para obtener valores aproximados de permitividad dieléctrica, donde los resultados invertidos son consistentes con los disponibles en la literatura para escenarios similares. En lugar de sugerir un verdadero procedimiento cuantitativo, estas observaciones podrían explotarse en una estrategia cualitativa de monitoreo a largo plazo en situaciones de campo común donde un contaminante ingresa a una matriz del suelo y se mueve a través de sus espacios porosos. Finalmente, la integración de las mediciones de GPR con otras técnicas de monitoreo podría aumentar la confiabilidad de la interpretación y la sensibilidad a la concentración de contaminantes

Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis

Artículo de revisión1094-1108Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multi-systemic autoimmune disease that mainly affects the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidneys. Pulmonary disease in patients with SSc is strongly associated with mortality. The mechanisms involved into its pathophysiology include the activation of autoimmune cells and hyperplasia of fibroblasts with an increased capacity to produce collagen and diminished collagen breakdown. Although pulmonary biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease in SSc, the most commonly used method is high-resolution computed tomography due to its high sensitivity and specificity. Herein, a comprehensive review on the pulmonary involvement in SSc is presented highlighting the radiologic-pathologic correlations. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Duress: Postulates and application in the Ongen case

El 6 de septiembre de 2016, la Unidad de víctimas de la CPI puso a consideración ante nosotros la siguiente pregunta que buscaremos responder en este memorial: The Defence of Mr Ongwen has indicated that it will raise at trial grounds for excluding the individual liability of the Accused under article 31 of the Rome Statute and notably the defences of mental disease or defect and duress. Which elements of the two defences must be proven in order to exclude individual liability? How said defences could impact on the interest of victims in the proceedings? Este documento pretende responder la primera pregunta planteada por la Unidad de Víctimas sólo en cuanto a la defensa por duress, de ahora en adelante “Estado de Necesidad”. Para ello se dividirá en dos partes, de manera que se aborde el problema desde la teoría y la práctica: en la primera, explicaremos la defensa de Estado de Necesidad y de cada uno de sus elementos conforme al artículo 31 del Estatuto de Roma, siguiendo las fuentes aplicables según el artículo 21 del mismo , todo esto conforme a las reglas de interpretación de los tratados de la Convención de Viena de 1969. En la segunda parte analizaremos el caso de Dominic Ongwen y la posibilidad de aplicación del Estado de Necesidad como defensa, para posteriormente concluir que como clínica jurídica, estamos de acuerdo con los argumentos de la SCP para rechazar la defensa de estado de necesidad, pues en el caso del Dominic Ongwen no se satisfacen los elementos requeridos para dicha la defensa.On September 6 of 2016, the ICC Office of Public Counsel for the Victims (OPCV) sent the following question that we will attempt to answer in this memorial: The Defense of Mr. Ongwen has indicated that it will rise at trial grounds for excluding the individual liability of the Accused under article 31 of the Rome Statute and notably the defenses of mental disease or defect and duress. Which elements of the two defenses must be proven in order to exclude individual liability? How said defenses could impact on the interest of victims in the proceedings? This document aims to answer the question posed by the Victims Unit only with regard the defense by duress. Therefore, it will be necessary to divide the work in two main parts, in order to have a theoretical and practical approach of the issue: First, we will explain the defense of duress and each of its elements according to Article 31 of the Rome Statute and the applicable sources under Article 21 of the same statute, in accordance with the rules of treaty interpretation of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969. Secondly, we will analyze specifically the situation of Dominic Ongwen and the possibility of applying duress as a defense; to subsequently conclude, as a legal clinic, that we agree with the arguments given by the PT.Ch to reject the alleged defense of duress, as in the case of Dominic Ongwen the required elements for such a defense are not successfully met

Association between breakfast frequency and physical activity and sedentary time : a cross-sectional study in children from 12 countries

BackgroundExisting research has documented inconsistent findings for the associations among breakfast frequency, physical activity (PA), and sedentary time in children. The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations among breakfast frequency and objectively-measured PA and sedentary time in a sample of children from 12 countries representing a wide range of human development, economic development and inequality. The secondary aim was to examine interactions of these associations between study sites.MethodsThis multinational, cross-sectional study included 6228 children aged 9-11years from the 12 International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment sites. Multilevel statistical models were used to examine associations between self-reported habitual breakfast frequency defined using three categories (breakfast consumed 0 to 2days/week [rare], 3 to 5days/week [occasional] or 6 to 7days/week [frequent]) or two categories (breakfast consumed less than daily or daily) and accelerometry-derived PA and sedentary time during the morning (wake time to 1200h) and afternoon (1200h to bed time) with study site included as an interaction term. Model covariates included age, sex, highest parental education, body mass index z-score, and accelerometer waking wear time.ResultsParticipants averaged 60 (s.d. 25) min/day in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), 315 (s.d. 53) min/day in light PA and 513 (s.d. 69) min/day sedentary. Controlling for covariates, breakfast frequency was not significantly associated with total daily or afternoon PA and sedentary time. For the morning, frequent breakfast consumption was associated witha higher proportion of time in MVPA (0.3%), higher proportion of time in light PA (1.0%) and lower min/day and proportion of time sedentary (3.4min/day and 1.3%) than rare breakfast consumption (all p0.05). No significant associations were found when comparing occasional with rare or frequent breakfast consumption, or daily with less than daily breakfast consumption. Very few significant interactions with study site were found.ConclusionsIn this multinational sample of children, frequent breakfast consumption was associated with higher MVPA and light PA time and lower sedentary time in the morning when compared with rare breakfast consumption, although the small magnitude of the associations may lack clinical relevance.Trial registrationThe International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) is registered at(Identifier NCT01722500).Peer reviewe

Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth : Visions of future systems and how to get there

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent.Peer reviewe