Strategic sustainability and industrial ecology in an island context, with considerations for a green economy roadmap: a study in the tourist accommodation sector, Grenada.

The purpose of this research is to show how business and enterprise can align sustainability and sustainable development to create strategic sustainability (SS) procedures, which can be used for planning towards sustainability in an island context. Even with the 3Ps depiction of sustainable development (SD), the idea continues to be difficult to make operational (Azar, Holmberg and Lindgren 1996) and has failed in many of its applications (Baumgartner and Korhonen 2010). Moreover, businesses wishing to operate in perpetuity are challenged by the socio-ecological system that constitutes sustainability. But all businesses have materials, energy and waste flows, (MEWFs) and a more strategic approach to managing these flows can assist businesses with the sustainability challenge. Firstly however, sustainability described as a successful socio-ecological system must be understood. Secondly the process of reducing the MEWFs within the business, referred to as sustainable development actions must be seen as separate but congruent to sustainability. By adapting the framework for strategic sustainable development and using a mixed methods approach, the necessary strategy content for the SS procedures are researched in the tourist accommodation sector-Grenada. It is shown that in an island context, defined as an isolated system with scarce resources, (Deschenes and Chertow 2004) the challenges of sustainability, especially for businesses such as the tourist accommodation sector, are exacerbated. The research concludes with three important groups of steps for the SS procedures: 1) visioning and vision linking; 2) developing sector strategic actions and 3) monitoring and evaluation. A tourism symbiosis was proposed as a critical action for reducing MEWFs. Considerations for implementing aspects of a proposed green economy roadmap using the SS procedures are addressed. The research can assist both policy makers and business leaders to operationalise sustainable development and to do so with some degree of certainty of achieving sustainability in an island context

Choosing Wavelet Methods, Filters, and Lengths for Functional Brain Network Construction

Wavelet methods are widely used to decompose fMRI, EEG, or MEG signals into time series representing neurophysiological activity in fixed frequency bands. Using these time series, one can estimate frequency-band specific functional connectivity between sensors or regions of interest, and thereby construct functional brain networks that can be examined from a graph theoretic perspective. Despite their common use, however, practical guidelines for the choice of wavelet method, filter, and length have remained largely undelineated. Here, we explicitly explore the effects of wavelet method (MODWT vs. DWT), wavelet filter (Daubechies Extremal Phase, Daubechies Least Asymmetric, and Coiflet families), and wavelet length (2 to 24) - each essential parameters in wavelet-based methods - on the estimated values of network diagnostics and in their sensitivity to alterations in psychiatric disease. We observe that the MODWT method produces less variable estimates than the DWT method. We also observe that the length of the wavelet filter chosen has a greater impact on the estimated values of network diagnostics than the type of wavelet chosen. Furthermore, wavelet length impacts the sensitivity of the method to detect differences between health and disease and tunes classification accuracy. Collectively, our results suggest that the choice of wavelet method and length significantly alters the reliability and sensitivity of these methods in estimating values of network diagnostics drawn from graph theory. They furthermore demonstrate the importance of reporting the choices utilized in neuroimaging studies and support the utility of exploring wavelet parameters to maximize classification accuracy in the development of biomarkers of psychiatric disease and neurological disorders.Comment: working pape

Assessing Avian Contribution of Escherichia coli and Nutrient Loads to Watersheds

The impairment of waterways by pathogens as indicated by the detection of high Escherichia coli (E. coli) levels continues to be a problem in Texas. Almost half of the assessed waterbodies designated for contact recreation in Texas are impaired by bacteria. In addition, Texas is in the process of developing nutrient criteria for waterbodies. Avian species such as herons and egrets frequently establish large heronries in close proximity to water. These heronries are potentially major contributors of nutrients and E. coli to watersheds. I enumerated E. coli in water and fecal samples from four heronries dominated by cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) during 2011, 2012, and 2013. I compared the fecal sterol profiles of feces to those of water associated with each heronry using sterol ratios, correlation analyses, and principal component analysis. I also analyzed total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and boron (B) in water and fecal samples and compared concentrations among sample types. I found that E. coli and nutrients deposited through feces from birds at heronries are influenced by the size and location of the heronry. The highest E. coli counts in water samples were collected at the two larger heronries, which were both located directly over water. In addition, the highest estimated E. coli loads generated by adults ranged between 2 x 1014 and 4 x 1014 Colony Forming Units (CFU) breeding season^-1. I also found positive correlations between E. coli counts and the sum of bird sterols from water direct under a heronry. N and P concentrations in water samples were as high as 62.4 mg/L and 4.69 mg/L, respectively. K, Ca, Mg, and Fe were most abundant in feces and/or water samples and when birds nested directly over water, concentrations of K, Ca, and Mg were significantly higher than concentrations in water adjacent to birds nesting on islands. The results obtained in this study contribute to furthering the understanding of the potential contributions of bacteria and nutrients from large heronries located on the edge of or near waterbodies

overcrowding on san andres, providencia and santa catalina and the controversy between the decree 2762 of the o.c.c.r.e., the sentence c-530 of 1993 from the constitucional court and the political constitution of colombia.

El Presente artículo de investigación de investigación tiene por objetivo determinar aspectos claves de la sobrepoblación de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina, con el motivo de establecer si existe una contradicción entre las diferentes tipos normativos, para lo cual: (i) se analizaran los diferentes decretos y actos administrativos expedidos por la rama ejecutiva en cabeza del gobierno para regular el tema de referencia, (ii) se indaga sobre la jurisprudencia emanada por parte de la Corte Constitucional Colombiana respecto el tema, utilizando como guía la Constitución Política de 1991 y en especial la sentencia C 530 de 1993.Universidad Libre -- Derecho -- Especialización en Derecho Penal y CriminologíaThe purpose of this research paper is to establish key aspects of overcrowding in San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina to define whether there is contradiction between different kinds of regulations. To do so, we will (i) analyses different decrees and administrative acts issued by the government intending to regulate the topic in question, (ii) have a look at the precedent of the Colombian Constitutional Court regarding our subject, including especial considerations of the sentence C-530 of 1993 and the Colombian Constitution

Observed Gender Differences in African American Mother‐Child Relationships and Child Behavior

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90334/1/j.1741-3729.2011.00688.x.pd

Controllability of structural brain networks.

Cognitive function is driven by dynamic interactions between large-scale neural circuits or networks, enabling behaviour. However, fundamental principles constraining these dynamic network processes have remained elusive. Here we use tools from control and network theories to offer a mechanistic explanation for how the brain moves between cognitive states drawn from the network organization of white matter microstructure. Our results suggest that densely connected areas, particularly in the default mode system, facilitate the movement of the brain to many easily reachable states. Weakly connected areas, particularly in cognitive control systems, facilitate the movement of the brain to difficult-to-reach states. Areas located on the boundary between network communities, particularly in attentional control systems, facilitate the integration or segregation of diverse cognitive systems. Our results suggest that structural network differences between cognitive circuits dictate their distinct roles in controlling trajectories of brain network function

On the Von Neumann Entropy of Graphs

The von Neumann entropy of a graph is a spectral complexity measure that has recently found applications in complex networks analysis and pattern recognition. Two variants of the von Neumann entropy exist based on the graph Laplacian and normalized graph Laplacian, respectively. Due to its computational complexity, previous works have proposed to approximate the von Neumann entropy, effectively reducing it to the computation of simple node degree statistics. Unfortunately, a number of issues surrounding the von Neumann entropy remain unsolved to date, including the interpretation of this spectral measure in terms of structural patterns, understanding the relation between its two variants, and evaluating the quality of the corresponding approximations. In this paper we aim to answer these questions by first analysing and comparing the quadratic approximations of the two variants and then performing an extensive set of experiments on both synthetic and real-world graphs. We find that 1) the two entropies lead to the emergence of similar structures, but with some significant differences; 2) the correlation between them ranges from weakly positive to strongly negative, depending on the topology of the underlying graph; 3) the quadratic approximations fail to capture the presence of non-trivial structural patterns that seem to influence the value of the exact entropies; 4) the quality of the approximations, as well as which variant of the von Neumann entropy is better approximated, depends on the topology of the underlying graph

Universal fractal scaling of self-organized networks

There is an abundance of literature on complex networks describing a variety of relationships among units in social, biological, and technological systems. Such networks, consisting of interconnected nodes, are often self-organized, naturally emerging without any overarching designs on topological structure yet enabling efficient interactions among nodes. Here we show that the number of nodes and the density of connections in such self-organized networks exhibit a power law relationship. We examined the size and connection density of 46 self-organizing networks of various biological, social, and technological origins, and found that the size-density relationship follows a fractal relationship spanning over 6 orders of magnitude. This finding indicates that there is an optimal connection density in self-organized networks following fractal scaling regardless of their sizes

An intestinal commensal symbiosis factor controls neuroinflammation via TLR2-mediated CD39 signaling

The mammalian immune system constitutively senses vast quantities of commensal bacteria and their products through pattern recognition receptors, yet excessive immune reactivity is prevented under homeostasis. Intestinal microbiome can influence host susceptibility to extra-intestine autoimmune disorders. Here we report that polysaccharide A (PSA), a symbiosis factor for human intestinal commensal Bacteroides fragilis, protects against central nervous system demyelination and inflammation during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis, through toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). TLR2 mediates tissue-specific expansion of a critical regulatory CD39+ CD4 T cell subset by PSA. Ablation of CD39 signaling abrogates PSA control of EAE manifestations and inflammatory cytokine responses. Further, CD39 confers immune-regulatory phenotypes to total CD4 T cells and Foxp3+ CD4 Tregs. Importantly, CD39-deficient CD4 T cells show an enhanced capability to drive EAE progression. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism by which an intestinal symbiont product modulates CNS-targeted demyelination