Saving the Other Amazon: Changing Understandings of Nature andWilderness among Indigenous Leaders in the Ecuadorian Amazon

This article examines a new set of policies embraced by indigenous leaders in the Upper Napo region of the Ecuadorian Amazon, driven, in part, by a growing appreciation for “wilderness” —large areas where humans exercise a very light touch. In the past few years, leaders have pursued wilderness conservation initiatives while simultaneously promoting petroleum extraction in their own backyards. Both political positions run counter to those pursued in previous decades, when opposition to both oil development and strict forms of conservation within their territory was strong. To address this reversal, I trace some of the development interventions and North-South collaborations that have contributed to the emergence of “nature” as a meaningful imaginary for Amazonian indigenous leaders and for a new generation of young people, drawing connections to William Cronon’s critical analysis of how wilderness conservation became a priority in the United States. I conclude that more than two decades of conservationist interventions in the Upper Napo region have led to some largely unintended consequences, as Amazonian leaders increasingly subscribe to Northern environmentalists’ romanticization of “the Amazon” as a wild place, one that therefore must be distant from the places where they work and live

Managing Vegetation to Restore Tern Nesting Habitat in the Gulf of Maine

Following catastrophic exploitation throughout the North Atlantic, breeding seabird populations have begun to recover thanks to regulatory protection and restoration and management efforts. As bird populations increase, new challenges emerge, including overgrowth of vegetation that limits the open nesting habitat favored by most tern species. Though managers have used a variety of measures to reduce vegetation cover, these techniques have rarely been quantified or compared experimentally. During the summers of 2009 and 2010, I applied two different techniques, controlled burning and artificial weed barriers (muslin fabric and artificial turf) to experimental plots on Eastern Egg Rock and Outer Green Island, near-shore seabird nesting islands in mid-coastal Maine. I then monitored vegetation regrowth and use by nesting terns to assess the effectiveness of these techniques for opening and maintaining Common Tern nesting habitat during a full breeding season, comparing treated plots to vegetated control plots and existing tern nesting habitat. Burned areas did not remain open for the full nesting season, but regrew shortly after laying, leading to near-complete nest failure in these plots. Tern nest and fledging success was similar in weed barrier (1.37 chicks/pair) and untreated tern nesting habitat (1.38 chicks/pair) plots. Replacement of existing vegetation, tested at a limited scale on Outer Green Island, did not succeed. These three techniques represent only a small fraction of vegetation management techniques used throughout the North Atlantic region. Through literature review and consultation with North Atlantic colony managers, I collected information on vegetation management on 34 tern nesting islands between 33 and 55° N latitude and developed a summary of different vegetation control techniques used. I identified 14 technique types suitable for use in nesting colonies: i.e., that can be applied before and after (but not during) the nesting period of May-July, that do not cause destructive impacts to the surrounding ecosystem, and that involve materials and labor that can be transported to inaccessible offshore islands. Of these techniques, 8 created usable tern nesting habitat for a full breeding season, and the most successful techniques required constructing habitat over existing vegetation. The success of different methods depended heavily on the plant communities and soil types involved. In general, vegetation management options were more limited and less successful for elevated, rocky islands than for low, sandy islands. Often, techniques that successfully removed one species or group of species (i.e., perennial grasses) failed due to rapid colonization by other species (i.e., herbaceous annuals). This review of past and ongoing vegetation management techniques used on seabird nesting islands, including their costs, methods for application, and effectiveness, provides seabird managers a reference when evaluating current and future vegetation management programs

Network Analysis of Scientific Research in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico ecosystem represents a significant management challenge in its 3,423-mile coastline and transnational regulatory setting, along five states from the United States, six states from Mexico, and Cuba which borders the southeastern quadrant. Providing various resources to the regional economies, the continued success of these resources depends on the collaboration among transnational participants in bringing together complementary skills and multidisciplinary approaches to producing, circulating, and utilizing scientific knowledge. Using bibliometric analysis of Gulf of Mexico-related published research over 18 years from 2000 to 2018 allows for identifying organizations, their connections, and trends in the production of scientific research about the region. The results reveal a robust network structure between government and academic institutions but a disjuncture in US-Mexico cross-border research, with organizations outside of the Gulf of Mexico region having a stronger relationship with institutions in each country. The database and findings provide potential information that can contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve transboundary collaboration in the Gulf of Mexico region

The Rejection of the Anti-Corruption Principle and its Effect on Human Rights at Home

21st century scholarship analyzing the Framers’ treatment of corruption asserts that their incorporation of anti-corruption means in the Constitution should be interpreted as a framework to inform contemporary judicial review and jurisprudence. Led by Zephyr Teachout’s article “The Anti-Corruption Principle,” this school of thought asserts that the anti-corruption principle should be on par with separation of powers and freedom of expression, a guiding lodestar in interpreting the Constitution. This article submits that the anti-corruption principle of constitutional interpretation is, in fact, a rights-based approach to corruption, equating freedom from corruption with the other rights and liberties enshrined in the Constitution. In that sense, the anti-corruption principle is not only in harmony with, but protects and enhances, the Constitution’s other provisions. Indeed, the anti-corruption principle itself can be regarded as a right. The conceptualization of freedom from corruption as a human right—distinct from the characterization of corruption as an impediment to the enjoyment of other human rights—has gained traction in recent years, in parallel with scholarship about the anti-corruption principle, as new constitutions and public international bodies invoke this rights-based approach. Nonetheless, in recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the anti-corruption principle, at least as a constitutional tenet. Instead, the Court has relegated case after case of self-dealing, trading in influence, and patronage to the realm of politics, not law. It has narrowed its working definition of corruption in violation of the public trust to quid pro quo bribery and kickbacks. It has simultaneously limited which official acts can be treated under the law as criminal quid pro quo and, earlier this year, narrowed whom the law considers a public official for the purposes of anti-corruption law. This article analyzes the Supreme Court’s increasingly narrow treatment of public corruption over the last twenty years and its effects not only on the law itself, but also on democracy and human rights in the U.S. The article concludes with a solutions-based analysis of a local anti-corruption intervention that furthers both the anti-corruption principle and a rights-based approach to corruption

Honest or Excluded? A Gender Analysis of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chicago City Council Defendants

This article analyzes two corruption data sets through the lens of gender: defendants convicted under the criminal anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corruption Practices Act, and defendants convicted of federal anti-corruption crimes while serving on the Chicago City Council. In both instances, the data points to a much larger number of convictions of men than women. While a single cause is difficult to pinpoint, perhaps the most compelling explanation is that social norms associated with gender provide women with fewer opportunities for corruption. By contrast, the homophily of patronage networks, long cited as breeding grounds for corruption, has for generations favored an old boys club that gives rise to more men engaging in corruption than women

Can donor aid for health be effective in a poor country? Assessment of prerequisites for aid effectiveness in Uganda

Background: Inadequate funding for health is a challenge to attaining health-related Millennium Development Goals. Significant increase in health funding was recommended by the Commission for Macroeconomics and Health. Indeed Official Development Assistance has increased significantly in Uganda. However, the effectiveness of donor aid has come under greater scrutiny. This paper scrutinizes the prerequisites for aid effectiveness. The objective of the study was to assess the prerequisites for effectiveness of donor aid, specifically, its proportion to overall health funding, predictability, comprehensiveness, alignment to country priorities, and channeling mechanisms. Methods: Secondary data obtained from various official reports and surveys were analyzed against the variables mentioned under objectives. This was augmented by observations and participation in discussions with all stakeholders to discuss sector performance including health financing. Results: Between 2004−2007, the level of aid increased from US$6 per capita to US$11. Aid was found to be unpredictable with expenditure varying between 174−360 percent from budgets. More than 50% of aid was found to be off budget and unavailable for comprehensive planning. There was disproportionate funding for some items such as drugs. Key health system elements such as human resources and infrastructure have not been given due attention in investment. The government’s health funding from domestic sources grew only modestly which did not guarantee fiscal sustainability. Conclusion: Although donor aid is significant there is need to invest in the prerequisites that would guarantee its effective use

EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF POLY HERBAL SIDDHA PREPARATION KARISALAI KARPA CHOORANAM

In recent years, there has been a great deal of attention toward the field of free radical chemistry. Free radicals reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are generated by our body by various endogenous systems, exposure to different physiochemical conditions or pathological states. A balance between free radicals and antioxidants is necessary for proper physiological function. If free radicals overwhelm the body's ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress ensues. Free radicals thus adversely alter lipids, proteins, DNA and trigger a number of human diseases. Hence the researchers are searching a potent antioxidant drug from natural resource. In ancient time it has been clearly mentioned in Siddha system of medicine as Kaaya Karpam Therapy (Rejuvenation). Karisalai Karpa Chooranam (KKC) is a powerful poly herbal Siddha preparation mentioned in ancient Siddha literature. This medicine is indicated for Paandu (Anaemia), Kaamalai (Jaundice), Kalleral veekkam (Hepatomegaly), Sobai (Generalized edema), Skin diseases and helps to enhance the immune system. It is a powerful rejuvenating medicine in siddha system and used as a Kaayakalpam. This study is aimed to screen the antioxidant effect of KKC. In this study DPPH, Nitric Oxide and ABTS radical scavenging studies were performed. The results of this study shows that the percentages of inhibition in DPPH, Nitric Oxide and ABTS radical scavenging studies are 48.4 % (standard drug Ascorbic acid -78.64%), 50.7 % (Gallic acid – 86.2%) and 60 % (Gallic acid – 91.16%) respectively and thus, our findings provide evidence that KKC could be a potential source of natural antioxidant and it may be used as rejuvenating medicine for vast therapeutic effects, gives a powerful body, mind and soul with long-lasting life

Review on Optic Disc Localization Techniques

The optic disc (OD) is one of the important part of the eye for detecting various diseases such as Diabetic Retinopathy and Glaucoma. The localization of optic disc is extremely important for determining hard exudates and lesions. Diagnosis of the disease can prevent people from vision loss. This paper analyzes various techniques which are proposed by different authors for the exact localization of optic disc to prevent vision loss

Microbial Effects in the Context of Past German Safety Cases (KIT Scientific Reports ; 7744)

This review describes the organic inventory in the wastes in German facilities, the microbial processes, such as aerobic and anaerobic processes, sulfate reduction, pH and ionic strength ranges and chaotropic effects on microbial activity. The microbial effects are discussed for resident and introduced microorganisms and the environmental conditions. The microbial population above the Gorleben salt dome and their effects of microorganisms on the retention of technetium and selenium are shown