The USe of ADR Involving Local Governments: The Perspective of the New York City Corporation Counsel

Alternative dispute resolution can sometimes be a very useful and powerful tool in resolving social problems in which local governments find themselves. But ADR is not the answer to resolving much of the litigation involving disputes over governmental policy. Generally, there are three different types of governmental disputes potentially susceptible to ADR treatment: Money disputes, land use and enironmental controversities, and claims by a particular group of people that a specific social policy being pursued or not pursued by the government is somehow illegal

Home Rule in New York: The Need for a Change

This article is intended to provide a practical lens into how Home Rule issues unfold in complex matters involving the City, and to suggest how a much-needed Home Rule constitutional amendment could re-shape or, at the very least, clarify Home Rule standards. Section II will provide some historical and legal background on Home Rule; Section III will analyze some of the more well-known Home Rule cases that the Law Department litigated during the Bloomberg Administration; and Section IV will discuss insights gleaned with respect to, and will offer several recommendations for, the future of Home Rule in New York

Pseudopaludicola ternetzi (Anura: Leiuperidae): two lectotypes for the same taxon

Pseudopaludicola ternetzi was described on the basis of an undefined number of syntypes, but involving males and females (Miranda-Ribeiro 1937). Since Miranda-Ribeiro described this species, several taxonomic considerations were made on it. First, Bokermann (1966) considered P. ternetzi as a synonym of P. ameghini (Cope 1887), without giving any evidence to support this decision. Although some authors followed this proposal (like Gallardo 1968), others continued considering P. ternetzi as a good species (e.g., Frost 1985; Lynch 1989). Haddad and Cardoso (1987) provided bioacustic and morphometric evidence to consider P. ameghini as a junior synonym of P. mystacalis (Cope 1887). In 1996, Lobo reviewed the type specimens of P. ameghini, P. mystacalis, and P. saltica described by Cope (1887) and housed at the ANSP (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia), and redescribed P. ternetzi based on four vouchers collected by Dr. Ternetz in December of 1923, deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (MNRJ). In coincidence with Haddad and Cardoso (1987), Lobo (1996) considered P. ameghini as a junior synonym of P. mystacalis, assigned a lectotype for P. ternetzi (MNRJ 5462, male), and designated as paralectotypes the vouchers MNRJ 477, MNRJ 5460, and MNRJ 5461 (all females). Lobo choose the only male syntype examined by him as lectotype considering that the detailed description by Miranda-Ribeiro (1937) of a male matched with the size and morphology of this specimen, while only reported some details of a female. Such taxonomic decision was based on the article 74 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1985). Without making reference to Lobo (1996), Caramaschi and Pombal Jr. (2011) recently designated a different specimen as lectotype for P. ternetzi (MNRJ 5460, female) and other specimens as paralectotypes (MNRJ 445, MNRJ 5442; MNRJ 5461 5462). However, as stated in article 74.1.3 of the ICZN (1999): The valid designation of a lectotype permanently deprives all other specimens that were formerly syntypes of that nominal taxon of the status of syntype [Art. 73.2.2]; those specimens then become paralectotypes . Consequently the valid lectotype of P. ternetzi is the voucher male specimen MNRJ 5462, and the female specimens referred by Lobo (1996), MNRJ 477, MNRJ 5460, MNRJ 5461, are paralectotypes. Finally, the article 61.1.3. of the ICZN (1999) states that "Once fixed, name-bearing types are stable and provide objective continuity in the application of names. Thus the name-bearing type of any nominal taxon, once fixed in conformity with the provisions of the Code, is not subject to change...". In conclusion, the specimen MNRJ 5462 is actually the lectotype for Pseudopaludicola ternetzi Miranda-Ribeiro, 1937, as designated by Lobo (1996). The specimen MNRJ 5460, erroneously designated lectotype for the same species by Caramaschi and Pombal Jr. (2011), is actually a paralectotype. Besides the specimens referred by Lobo (1996) as paralectotypes, all other specimens traced by Caramaschi and Pombal Jr. (2011) were correctly designated paralectotypes. The type locality for the species was up to dated and correctly defined by Caramaschi and Pombal Jr. (2011).Fil: Cardozo, Dario Elbio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Baldo, Juan Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucuman. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo. Fundación Miguel Lillo. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentin

Revisiting the Regional Growth Convergence Debate in Colombia Using Income Indicators

This paper investigates growth convergence across Colombian departments during the period of 1975 to 2000, following both the regression and the distributional approaches suggested in the literature, and using two income measures computed by Centro de Estudios Ganaderos (CEGA).We also discuss issues related to data provided by Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadısticas (DANE) used by previous convergence studies. Our results show no evidence supporting convergence using per capita gross departmental product, but rather persistence in the distribution. Using per capita gross household disposable income, we find convergence, but only at a low speed, close to one percent per year. Furthermore, we find no evidence of the existence of different steady states for the two variables considered.Colombia, regional growth convergence, growth regression, kernel density estimators

Regional Growth Convergence in Colombia Using Social Indicators

This paper investigates convergence in social indicators among Colombian departments from 1973 to 2005. We use census data and apply both the regression approach and the distributional approach (univariate and bivariate kernel density estimators). Using literacy rate as a proxy for education, we find convergence between 1973 and 2005, but persistence in the distribution between 1975 and 2000, when we use the infant survival rate and life expectancy at birth as proxies for health. Additionally, using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, we find convergence in the rate of children that are well-nourished between 1995 and 2005.Colombia, regional convergence, distribution dynamics, social indicators, kernel density estimators

Pro-Poor Growth Using Non-Income Indicators: An Empirical Illustration for Colombia

In this paper, we analyze how the distribution of selected non-income welfare indicators changed between 1997 and 2003 in Colombia. We use multidimensional pro-poor growth measurement techniques and create indices for assets, health, education, and subjective welfare using two alternative weighing techniques: polychoric principal components and normatively selected weights. Results show that while income and expenditures fluctuated according to economic growth, reflecting the effects of the 1999 economic crisis, non-income indicators had minor changes. While income and expenditures decreased for all income percentiles, and relatively more for the richest, the non-income dimensions stagnated and remained in 2003 as unequally distributed as in 1997.Pro-Poor Growth, Inequality, Welfare Measurement, Multidimensionality of Poverty, Latin America, Colombia

A theoretical framework for analysing the contribution of education to sustainable peacebuilding: 4Rs in conflict-affected contexts

This paper presents the theoretical and analytic framework for a Research Consortium on Education and Peacebuilding supported by UNICEF’s Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy (PBEA) programme which began in July 2014 led by the Universities of Amsterdam, Sussex and Ulster. The consortium seeks to build knowledge on the relationship between education and peacebuilding in conflict‐affected contexts and has emerged out of a long‐standing relationship between the authors, UNICEF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Netherlands that stretches back to 2006

Effect of pH and level of concentrate in the diet on the production of biohydrogenation intermediates in a dual-flow continuous culture

Milk fat depression in cows fed high-grain diets has been related to an increase in the concentration of trans-10 C-18:1 and trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in milk. These fatty acids (FA) are produced as a result of the alteration in rumen biohydrogenation of dietary unsaturated FA. Because a reduction in ruminal pH is usually observed when high-concentrate diets are fed, the main cause that determines the alteration in the biohydrogenation pathways is not clear. The effect of pH (6.4 vs. 5.6) and dietary forage to concentrate ratios (F:C; 70:30 F:C vs. 30:70 F:C) on rumen microbial fermentation, effluent FA profile, and DNA concentration of bacteria involved in lipolysis and biohydrogenation processes were investigated in a continuous culture trial. The dual-flow continuous culture consisted of 2 periods of 8 d (5 d for adaptation and 3 d for sampling), with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Samples from solid and liquid mixed effluents were taken for determination of total N, ammonia-N, and volatile fatty acid concentrations, and the remainder of the sample was lyophilized. Dry samples were analyzed for dry matter, ash, neutral and acid detergent fiber, FA, and purine contents. The pH 5.6 reduced organic matter and fiber digestibility, ammonia-N concentration and flow, and crude protein degradation, and increased nonammonia and dietary N flows. The pH 5.6 decreased the flow of C-18:0, trans-11 C-18:1 and cis-9, trans-11 CLA, and increased the flow of trans-10 C-18:1, C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, trans-11, cis-15 C-18:2 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA in the 1 h after feeding effluent. The pH 5.6 reduced Anaerovibrio lipolytica (32.7 vs. 72.1 pg/10 ng of total DNA) and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens vaccenic acid subgroup (588 vs. 1,394 pg/10 ng of total DNA) DNA concentrations. The high-concentrate diet increased organic matter and fiber digestibility, nonammonia and bacterial N flows, and reduced ammonia-N concentration and flow. The high-concentrate diet reduced trans-11 C-18:1 and trans-10 C-18:1, and increased C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA proportions in the 1 h after feeding effluent. The increase observed in trans-10, cis-12 CLA proportion in the 1 h after feeding effluent due to the high-concentrate diet was smaller that that observed at pH 5.6. Results indicate that the pH is the main cause of the accumulation of trans-10 C-18:1 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA in the effluent, but the trans-10, cis-12 CLA proportion can be also affected by high levels of concentrate in the diet