Suchergebnisse

En el Capítulo 1 se provee el marco teórico y los objetivos planteados en este estudio. En elCapítulo 2 se presentan las grillas de precipitación y temperatura hechas a partir de unarecopilación de datos mensuales en la región. Se compilaron 218 y 114 registros deprecipitaciónytemperaturarespectivamente,provenientesdeinstitucionesgubernamentales y privadas de la región. Estos datos fueron interpolados mediante latécnica de co-kriging para obtener grillas de precipitación y temperatura de 20 km x 20 kmcubriendo el norte de la Patagonia desde 63° a 75° longitud Oeste y 35° a 45° latitud Sur.Estas nuevas grillas (Grillado Climático para Patagonia Norte, o GCPN) representan lasvariaciones de los rasgos espaciales en los campos medios de temperatura y precipitaciónde una manera más realista que las grillas climáticas globales disponibles en la actualidad.También se comparó el desempeño de estas grillas con otras grillas climáticas globales deuso común en la región. A partir del trabajo realizado en este capítulo se ha publicado unartículo científico en una revista indexada (DOI:10.1007/s13351-015-5058-y).En el capítulo 3 se analizó la variabilidad espacial y temporal de la precipitación y latemperatura (utilizando las grillas presentadas en el capítulo 2) y su relación con fenómenosclimáticos de gran escala. La variabilidad espacio-temporal de los campos de precipitacióny temperatura a escala regional fue establecida aplicando un Análisis de ComponentesPrincipales (ACP) a los datos grillados. Una vez determinados los patrones dominantes, seexploraron los forzantes del sistema climático a escala hemisférica y global asociados a lavariabilidad en la temperatura y precipitación en el norte de la Patagonia. A grandes rasgos,el análisis de componentes principales aplicado a las series de precipitación y temperaturaidentificó cuatro grandes patrones de variabilidad temporal en la región. El patrón asociadoal sector noroeste de la región presenta un clima tipo mediterráneo. El patrón asociado alsector Este y Noreste coincide con el clima frio semiárido. El patrón asociado al sector Sury Sudeste coincide con el clima árido frio, mientras que el patrón asociado a la región Sur ySudoeste coincide con la región de clima oceánico. La comparación de estos patrones dominantes de variabilidad en la temperatura y laprecipitación sobre el norte de la Patagonia con índices de circulación océano/atmosferaarrojó algunas relaciones de interés. Por ejemplo, existe una relación negativa entre laprecipitación en el Oeste de la región de estudio (clima tipo Mediterráneo) durante laprimavera, el verano y el otoño y la Oscilación Antártica (AAO). El fenómeno El Niño-Oscilación del Sur (ENOS) está relacionado, en su fase cálida, a un aumento deprecipitación sobre la Cordillera de los Andes, particularmente al Oeste de esta durante laprimavera. En el invierno, los eventos cálidos ENOS están asociados a mayoresprecipitaciones en el sector Este de la región. Los índices del Océano Atlántico (SAODI yTSA) solo muestran una relación negativa con la precipitación en el Este de la regióndurante el invierno. La AAO resulta ser el principal forzante de las variaciones en latemperatura en el norte de la Patagonia. Muestra relaciones positivas con esta variable en elSur de la región durante el verano, el otoño y la primavera; y en el Este de la región duranteel invierno.En el capítulo 4 se analiza la variabilidad espacial y temporal del Índice de VegetaciónNormalizado (IVN) mediante el análisis de componentes principales, y se comparan lasregiones que resultan de este análisis con clasificaciones previas de la vegetación en laregión que tienen en cuenta atributos estructurales o funcionales de la misma. Lavariabilidad espacio-temporal del IVN derivado de sensores remotos fue analizada tanto anivel de Región Ecológica Homogénea o Tipo Forestal , como a escala regional aplicandoel Análisis de Componentes Principales (ACP). La variabilidad temporal se analizó a nivelintra-anual e interanual, filtrando el ciclo anual mediante el cálculo de los desvíosestandarizados. Se pudieron reconocer, a grandes rasgos, cuatro regiones donde lavariabilidad temporal del IVN se comporta de manera relativamente homogénea: 1) Regiónde Clima Mediterráneo, que se corresponde con los Tipos Forestales Araucaria, Coihue ?Raulí ? Roble, las Regiones Ecológicas de Pastizales Subandinos y de Sierras y Mesetas(en transición con el clima Frio Semiárido), y el Tipo Forestal Lenga, en transición con elclima Templado Oceánico; 2) Región de clima Semiárido Frío y Árido Frío, quecomprende a las Regiones Ecológicas de Sierras y Mesetas, Distrito central de Chubut yDistrito del Golfo (que a su vez conforman la Provincia Fitogeográfica Patagónica); 3) Región de climas Templado Oceánico y Subpolar Oceánico, que comprende a los TiposForestales Alerce, Siempreverde Valdiviano y Lenga adyacentes; 4) Región de Clima Friosemiárido, representada principalmente por la Provincia Fitogeográfica del Monte (MonteAustral y Monte Oriental). A grandes rasgos, se puede observar que el ciclo anual es elrasgo predominante de la variabilidad del IVN hacia el Noroeste de la región (zona declima mediterráneo). El ciclo anual pierde su amplitud hacia el Sur y hacia el Este, amedida que adquieren mayor importancia los ciclos intra- e inter-anuales.En el capítulo 5 se analiza la relación entre la variabilidad en el IVN y las variaciones en lasprecipitaciones y la temperatura, considerando diferentes escalas temporales en las que sepueden manifestar estas relaciones. La temperatura, particularmente al comienzo de laestación de crecimiento, parece ser el factor climático determinante del crecimiento de losBosques Templados y de algunas regiones ecológicas pertenecientes a la ProvinciaFitogeográfica de la Patagonia (Distritos del Golfo y Central de Chubut). Para la regiónecológica del Monte Oriental, la precipitación de verano es el factor determinante de ladinámica del IVN a escala intra-anual. Este acoplamiento entre la precipitación y el IVN enesta región no ha sido reportado en trabajos anteriores. Esta relación pareciera estarasociada a la mayor abundancia relativa de especies C4 en esta región. Las especies C4 sonparticularmente eficientes para aprovechar los eventos esporádicos de lluvia durante elverano. Este acoplamiento entre el IVN y la precipitación es evidente a diferentesfrecuencias temporales, particularmente en la escala interanual.En el capítulo 6 se abordó el estudio de la relación entre la variabilidad del IVN y lasvariaciones climáticas de gran escala. Los índices muestran diferentes asociaciones con lospatrones de IVN según la región y la época del año. En líneas generales, la AAO influenciatodos los patrones de IVN. Esto probablemente se deba a que su influencia en laprecipitación y la temperatura abarcan casi la totalidad de la región estudiada. El fenómenoEl Niño-Oscilación del Sur también muestra asociaciones con tres patrones, pero surelación más notoria con el IVN se observa en los Bosques Siempreverde y de Alercedurante la primavera y el verano. Por su parte, tanto los índices asociados a la circulacióndel Océano Atlántico, así como las TSM del Atlántico tropical, influyen las variaciones en los patrones que corresponden a las Regiones Ecológicas del Monte Austral y MonteOriental y la Provincia Fitogeográfica de la Patagonia. ; This doctoral dissertation is organized in seven chapters. Chapter 1 provides the theoretical framework and the main goals of this thesis. In Chapter 2, 218 and 114 precipitation and temperature records, respectively, were compiled from different governmental and private institutions to develop a gridded climatic data base across northern Patagonia. Based on a co-kriging methodology, these precipitation and temperature records were interpolated into 20 x 20 km-resolution grids covering northern Patagonia from 63º to 75º W longitude (from Atlantic to Pacific coast) and from 35º to 45º S latitude. These new grids (Northern Patagonia Climate Grids, NPCG) represent spatial variations of both temperature and precipitation fields in a more realistic manner than other global climate grids currently available for the region. The performance of NPCG was contrasted with other global climate grids commonly used in northern Patagonia. This work has already been published in an international, indexed journal (DOI:10.1007/s13351-015-5058-y). In Chapter 3, spatial and temporal variations in temperature and precipitation, based on NPCG (chapter 2) were analyzed, along with their relationships with large-scale climate forcings. The dominant modes of spatial and temporal variability in temperature and precipitation were determined by applying a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the gridded data sets. Once that the main patterns of temperature and precipitation variability were identified, they were compared with large-scale (continental, hemispheric to global) climatic drivers. Overall, the PCA analyses of the temperature and precipitation grids identified four different patterns of spatio-temporal variability in northern Patagonia. The northwestern Patagonia pattern shows the classical features related to the Mediterranean climate across Central Chile and the adjacent Cordillera de los Andes. The pattern associated with the cold semiarid climate prevails in the eastern and northeastern sectors of northern Patagonia. The spatial pattern related to the south-southeastern region in northern Patagonia encompass the dominant cold arid climate, whereas the southern and southwestern sectors in the study region coincides with the Pacific oceanic climate. The dominant patterns of variability in temperature and precipitation showed interesting links with several atmosphere/ocean circulation indexes. For example, negative relationships were recorded between precipitation in the Mediterranean sector during spring, summer and fall and the Antarctic Oscillation index (AAO). In contrast, the warm events of El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are associated with positive rainfall anomalies west of the Andes range during spring. In winter, warm ENSO events are related to above-mean rainfalls anomalies in the Eastern sector of the study area. The indices associated with the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean (SAODI and TSA) are negatively related to precipitation in the Eastern sector during winter. The AAO seems to be the main driver of temperature variability in northern Patagonia. The AAO shows positive relationships with temperature in the southern sector of northern Patagonia during summer, autumn and spring, and in the eastern sector during winter. The establishment of the spatio-temporal variations in the Normalized-Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), based on Principal Component Analysis, was the main goal of Chapter 4. The NDVI-based regions identified were compared with vegetation classifications based on structural or functional features of vegetation across northern Patagonia. The spatio-temporal variability in NDVI was estimated based on previously established ecosystems (from forests to dry steppe) and similarities in NDVI according to PCA analysis). Temporal variations were analyzed in both intra and inter-annual scales. The annual cycle in NDVI was removed from the original time series by computing the standard deviations in relations to the period 2001-2010. Four regions with relativehomogeneous temporal behaviors were identified: 1) The Mediterranean climate region, which shows similarities with the Coihue – Rauli – Roble, Lenga and Araucaria forest types, and the Pastizales Subandinos and Sierras y Mesetas grassland-upper steppe types; 2) The region with cold semiarid and arid climate, which spatially overlaps with the Sierras y Mesetas, Distrito Central de Chubut and Distrito del Golfo steppe regions; 3) The region of temperate and subantartic oceanic climates, which is associated with the Alerce, Siempreverde Valdiviano and Lenga forest types; and 4) The region of cold semiarid climate related to the Monte Austral and Monte Oriental ecological regions. Overall, a dominant annual cycle is the main feature of the temporal evolution of the NDVI in the Mediterranean climate zone. The amplitude of the annual cycle diminishes towards the south and the east where intra- and inter-annual cycles gain importance. In Chapter 5, the relationships between the variability of NDVI and temperature and precipitation are documented, taking into consideration the different temporal scales in which interactions between these variables occur. Temperature, mainly at the beginning of the growing season, seems to be the determinant factor for the growth of the temperate forests and the Distritos del Golfo and Central de Chubut grassland-steppe regions. For the Monte Oriental ecological region, summer rainfall is the most important factor related to the inter-annual dynamic in the NDVI. This strong temporal coupling between summer rainfall and NDVI in the Monte oriental has not been previously reported. This relationship seems to be associated with the abundance of C4 species in this ecological region. C4 species take advantages of the sporadic summer rainfalls more efficiently than C3 plants. This coupling between rainfall and NDVI is present at different timescales, particularly at the inter-annual scale. Relationships between NDVI variability and large-scale climate forcings were documented in Chapter 6. Linkages between NDVI and large-scale atmospheric circulation indices vary according to the seasons and different vegetation regions across northern Patagonia. Overall, the AAO influences most patterns of NDVI variability, in response to the pervasive influences of the AAO on temperature and precipitation regimens over most northern Patagonia. ENSO shows linkages with the Siempreverde Valdiviano and Alerce forest types during spring and summer. Finally, the indices associated with variations in the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean and Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) across the tropical Atlantic Ocean are related to NDVI patterns in the Monte Austral and Monte Oriental ecological regions. Finally, Chapter 7 discuss the results and provides directions for further research. ; Fil: Bianchi, Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera; Argentina

Importance: Both low and high gestational weight gain have been associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes, but optimal gestational weight gain remains uncertain and not well defined for all prepregnancy weight ranges. Objectives: To examine the association of ranges of gestational weight gain with risk of adverse maternal and infant outcomes and estimate optimal gestational weight gain ranges across prepregnancy body mass index categories. Design, setting, and participants: Individual participant-level meta-analysis using data from 196 670 participants within 25 cohort studies from Europe and North America (main study sample). Optimal gestational weight gain ranges were estimated for each prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) category by selecting the range of gestational weight gain that was associated with lower risk for any adverse outcome. Individual participant-level data from 3505 participants within 4 separate hospital-based cohorts were used as a validation sample. Data were collected between 1989 and 2015. The final date of follow-up was December 2015. Exposures: Gestational weight gain. Main outcomes and measures: The main outcome termed any adverse outcome was defined as the presence of 1 or more of the following outcomes: preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, preterm birth, and small or large size for gestational age at birth. Results: Of the 196 670 women (median age, 30.0 years [quartile 1 and 3, 27.0 and 33.0 years] and 40 937 were white) included in the main sample, 7809 (4.0%) were categorized at baseline as underweight (BMI <18.5); 133 788 (68.0%), normal weight (BMI, 18.5-24.9); 38 828 (19.7%), overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9); 11 992 (6.1%), obesity grade 1 (BMI, 30.0-34.9); 3284 (1.7%), obesity grade 2 (BMI, 35.0-39.9); and 969 (0.5%), obesity grade 3 (BMI, ≥40.0). Overall, any adverse outcome occurred in 37.2% (n = 73 161) of women, ranging from 34.7% (2706 of 7809) among women categorized as underweight to 61.1% (592 of 969) among women categorized as obesity grade 3. Optimal gestational weight gain ranges were 14.0 kg to less than 16.0 kg for women categorized as underweight; 10.0 kg to less than 18.0 kg for normal weight; 2.0 kg to less than 16.0 kg for overweight; 2.0 kg to less than 6.0 kg for obesity grade 1; weight loss or gain of 0 kg to less than 4.0 kg for obesity grade 2; and weight gain of 0 kg to less than 6.0 kg for obesity grade 3. These gestational weight gain ranges were associated with low to moderate discrimination between those with and those without adverse outcomes (range for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.55-0.76). Results for discriminative performance in the validation sample were similar to the corresponding results in the main study sample (range for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.51-0.79). Conclusions and relevance: In this meta-analysis of pooled individual participant data from 25 cohort studies, the risk for adverse maternal and infant outcomes varied by gestational weight gain and across the range of prepregnancy weights. The estimates of optimal gestational weight gain may inform prenatal counseling; however, the optimal gestational weight gain ranges had limited predictive value for the outcomes assessed. ; Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): Funded by grant 102215/2/13/2 from the UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome, core support from the University of Bristol, grant R01 DK10324 from the US National Institutes of Health, grant agreement 669545 from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013), award MC_UU_12013/5 from the UK Medical Research Council, and Dr Lawlor is a National Institute for Health Research senior investigator (NF-SI-0611-10196). Cohort of Newborns in Emilia Romagna (CoNER): No funding reported. Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC): The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre initiated and created the DNBC and this center was established by the Danish National Research Foundation via a major grant. Additional support was obtained from the Pharmacy Foundation, the Egmont Foundation, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, the Augustinus Foundation, and the Health Foundation. The 7-year follow-up study was supported by award 195/04 from the Lundbeck Foundation and award SSVF 0646 from the Danish Medical Research Council. Étude des Déterminants pré et postnatals du développement et de la santé de l'ENfant (EDEN): Supported by the French foundation for medical research, the French national agency for research, the French national institute for research in public health (IRESP: TGIR cohorte santé 2008 program), the French ministry of health, the French ministry of research, the INSERM bone and joint diseases national research and human nutrition national research programs, Paris-Sud University, Nestlé, the French national institute for population health surveillance, the French national institute for health education, the European Union FP7 programs (2007-2013; HELIX, ESCAPE, ENRIECO, and Medall projects), the French diabetes national research program through a collaboration with the French association of diabetic patients, the French agency for environmental health safety (now ANSES), the Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (a complementary health insurance), the French national agency for food security, and the French-speaking association for the study of diabetes and metabolism. Family and Children of Ukraine (FCOU): Supported by the Fogarty International Center at the US National Institutes of Health, the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. Genetica e Ambiente: Studio Prospettico dell'Infanzia in Italia (GASPII): Supported by the Italian ministry of health. Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity (GECKO Drenthe): Supported by an unrestricted grant from Hutchison Whampoa Ltd and funding from the University of Groningen, Well Baby Clinic Foundation Icare, Noordlease, the Paediatric Association of the Netherlands, and Youth Health Care Drenthe. Genetics of Glucose regulation in Gestation and Growth (Gen3G): Supported by operating grant 20697 from the Fonds de recherche du Québec en santé, operating grant MOP 115071 from the Canadian Institute of Health Reseach, a grant from Diabète Québec, and operating grant OG-3-08-2622-JA from the Canadian Diabetes Association. Generation R: The general design of the study received financial support from Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport, and the Ministry of Youth and Families. The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant 733206 (LifeCycle Project). Dr Jaddoe received grant ERC-2014-CoG-648916 from the European Research Council. Dr Gaillard received grant 2017T013 from the Dutch Heart Foundation, grant 2017.81.002 from the Dutch Diabetes Foundation, and grant 543003109 from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development. Generation XXI: Funded by Programa Operacional de Saúde–Saúde XXI, Quadro Comunitário de Apoio III and Administração Regional de Saúde Norte (Regional Department of Ministry of Health), by POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016837 through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education) under the project PathMOB, by FCT PTDC/DTP-EPI/3306/2014 (Risco cardiometabólico na infância: desde o início da vida ao fim da infância), by POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006862 and UID/DTP/04750/2013 (Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto), and FCT investigator contract IF/01060/2015 awarded to Dr A. C. Santos. Growth, Exercise and Nutrition Epidemiological Study In preSchoolers (GENESIS): Supported by a research grant from Friesland Hellas. German Infant Nutritional Intervention plus environmental and genetic influences (GINIplus): Supported for the first 3 years by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research, and Technology (intervention group) and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich (observation group). The 4-, 6-, 10-, and 15-year follow-up examinations were covered from the respective budgets of the 5 study centers (Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, LMU Munich, TU Munich, IUF-Leibniz Research-Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf) and by funding from the European Commission 7th Framework Programme (MeDALL project), Mead Johnson, and Nestlé and grant FKZ 20462296 from the Federal Ministry for Environment (awarded to IUF Düsseldorf). Norwegian Human Milk Study (HUMIS): Funded by award FP7/2007-2013 from the European Commission 7th Framework Programme, grant 289346 from European Union EarlyNutrition project, and by funds for project 213148 from the Norwegian Research Council's MILPAAHEL programme. INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA)-Sabadell: Funded by grant Red INMA G03/176 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain and grant 1999SGR 00241 from the Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT. INMA-Valencia: Funded by grants FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957 and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1 from the European Commission, grants G03/176, FIS-FEDER PI09/02647, PI11/01007, PI11/02591, PI11/02038, PI13/1944, PI13/2032, PI14/00891, PI14/01687, PI16/1288, Miguel Servet FEDER CP11/00178, CP15/00025, and CPII16/00051 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain, and grants UGP 15-230, UGP-15-244, and UGP-15-249 from the Generalitat Valenciana, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region. INMA-Gipuzkoa: Funded by grants FISFIS PI06/0867, FIS-PS09/0009 0867, and Red INMA G03/176 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain, grants 2005111093 and 2009111069 from the Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, and grants DFG06/004 and FG08/001 from the Provincial Government of Guipúzcoa. INMA-Menorca: This study was funded by grant Red INMA G03/176 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Spain. Child, parents and health: lifestyle and genetic constitution (KOALA): Data collection from pregnancy up to the age of 1 year was supported by grants from Royal Friesland Foods, the Triodos Foundation, the Phoenix Foundation, the Raphaël Foundation, the Iona Foundation, the Foundation for the Advancement of Heilpedagogie, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (2100.0090), the Netherlands Asthma Foundation (3.2.03.48 and 3.2.07.022), and the Netherlands Heart Foundation (2008B112). Krakow Cohort: Funded by grants R01ES010165 and R01ES015282 from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and by funding from the Lundin Foundation, the John and Wendy Neu Family Foundation, the Gladys and Roland Harriman Foundation, and the Anonymous Foundation. Influences of Lifestyle-Related Factors on the Immune System and the Development of Allergies in Childhood plus the influence of traffic emissions and genetics (LISAplus): Mainly supported by grants for the first 2 years from the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research, and Technology, the Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, the Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, and a pediatric practice in Bad Honnef. The 4-, 6-, 10-, and 15-year follow-up examinations were funded by the respective budgets of the involved partners (the Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, the Research Institute at Marien-Hospital Wesel, a pediatric practice in Bad Honnef, and the IUF–Leibniz-Research Institute for Environmental Medicine at the University of Düsseldorf), by grant FKZ 20462296 from the Federal Ministry for Environment (awarded to IUF Düsseldorf), and by support from the European Commission 7th Framework Programme (MeDALL project). LUKAS Cohort: Funded by EVO/VTR grants, grants 139021 and 287675 from the Academy of Finland, grant QLK4-CT-2001-00250 from the European Union, and funding from the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Foundation for Pediatric Research, the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, and the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland. Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa): Supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research, contract N01-ES-75558 with the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and grants UO1 NS 047537-01 and UO1 NS 047537-06A1 from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Nascita e INFanzia: gli Effetti dell'Ambiente (NINFEA): Partially funded by the Compagnia San Paolo Foundation and by the Piedmont Region. Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA): Supported by the Organization for Health Research and Development, the Organization for Scientific Research, the Asthma Fund, the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Housing, and the Environment, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport (all organizations in the Netherlands). Piccolipiù Project: Financially supported by CCM grants during 2010 and 2014 from the Italian National Center for Disease Prevention and Control and funding (art 12 and 12 bis D.lgs 502/92) from the Italian Ministry of Health. PRegnancy and Infant DEvelopment (PRIDE Study): Supported by grants from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, the Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, and the Lung Foundation Netherlands. Project Viva: Funded by grants R01 HD034568 and UG3OD023286 from the US National Institutes of Health. Polish Mother and Child Cohort Study (REPRO_PL): Funded by grants DEC-2014/15/B/NZ7/00998 and FP7 HEALS 603946 from the National Science Centre in Poland and grant 3068/7.PR/2014/2 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Exposure of Preschool-Age Greek Children (RHEA): Financially supported by European Commission projects FP6-2003-Food-3-NewGeneris, FP6-STREP Hiwate, FP7-ENV.2007.1.2.2.2, FP7-2008-ENV-1.2.1.4 Envirogenomarkers, FP7-HEALTH-2009-single stage CHICOS, FP7-ENV.2008.1.2.1.6, FP7-HEALTH-2012, and 211250-Escape and proposals 226285 ENRIECO and 308333 HELIX and by the Greek Ministry of Health. Slovak PCB Study: Support was provided by grants R01 CA096525, R03 TW007152, P30 ES001247, P30 ES023513, and K12 ES019852 from the US National Institutes of Health. STEPS: This study was supported by the University of Turku, Abo Akademi University, the Turku University Hospital, the City of Turku, the Juho Vainio Foundation, and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation and by grants 121569 and 123571 from the Academy of Finland. Southampton Women's Survey (SWS): Supported by funding from the Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, the University of Southampton, Dunhill Medical Trust, and the University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, FP7/2007-2013 from the European Commission 7th Framework Programme, and grant 289346 from the European Union EarlyNutrition project.

Completely revised and updated, this textbook continues to offer the most comprehensive resource available. Concise chapters from a diverse mix of established and emerging global scholars offer accessible, in-depth coverage of the history and theories of international organization and global governance and discussions of the full range of state, intergovernmental, and non-state actors. All chapters have been revised and rewritten to reflect the rapid development of world events, with new chapters added on: Chinese approaches to international organization and global governance The UN System The Global South Sustaining the Peace Queering International Organization and Global Governance Post-colonial Global Governance The Sustainable Development Goal the English School Inequality Migration Divided into seven parts woven together by a comprehensive introduction, along with separate introductions to each part and helpful pointers to further reading, International Organization and Global Governance provides a balanced, critical perspective that enables readers to comprehend more fully the role of myriad actors in the governance of global life.

Qatar's domestic and foreign policy since the 1990s has developed along three main lines: The emirate has expanded its gas production and supplies liquefied gas to as many countries as possible; it assures itself of US military protection by providing bases; and it conducts a "soft power" campaign in the form of investments in media and sports. During the Arab Spring, Qatar went on the offensive, marking a change in its regional policy. At the time, it aimed at nothing less than revising the regional order in the Arab world. Since Emir Tamim took office in 2013, however, Doha has scaled back its ambitions, yet it still wants to be recog­nised as a regional power. Qatar tries to defuse regional conflicts by positioning itself as a mediator. It maintains good relations with Iran, its allies in the region and with mili­tant groups such as Hamas and the Taliban. This, as well as its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, repeatedly provokes conflicts with Saudi Arabia and other neighbours. As a result, Qatar has identified Tur­key as its new protecting power. Qatar is an attractive partner for Germany and Europe and can become an important gas supplier that has shown a long-standing interest in the Euro­pean market; it is also more flexible in its deliveries than many of its competitors. It was a serious mistake for German policy not to focus on Qatari gas much earlier. Placing more long-term orders could rectify this mistake. If there really is going to be a "Zeitenwende" security policy, Germany must also prepare itself for security risks emanating from the Middle East (keywords: migration, terrorism, nuclear proliferation). This means that Germany and Europe need pro-Western allies - like Qatar. (author's abstract)

Katars Politik beruht seit den 1990er Jahren auf drei Grundlinien: Das Emirat baut seine Gasförderung aus und liefert verflüssigtes Gas in möglichst viele Länder; es versichert sich des militärischen Schutzes durch die USA, indem es Stützpunkte bereitstellt; es führt eine "Soft Power"-Kam­pagne in Form von Investitionen in Medien und Sport. Während des Arabischen Frühlings ging Katar in die Offensive, was einen Bruch in seiner Regionalpolitik darstellte. Damals zielte es auf nichts weniger ab als eine Revision der regionalen Ordnung in der arabischen Welt. Seit dem Amtsantritt von Emir Tamim 2013 hat Doha seine Ambitio­nen zwar zurückgeschraubt, will aber weiter als Regionalmacht an­erkannt werden. Katar versucht Regionalkonflikte zu entschärfen, indem es sich als Ver­mittler positioniert. Es unterhält gute Beziehungen zu Iran, zu dessen Verbündeten in der Region sowie zu militanten Gruppen wie der Hamas und den Taliban. Dies und seine Unterstützung der Muslimbruder­schaft provoziert immer wieder Konflikte mit Saudi-Arabien und anderen Nach­barn. In der Folge hat Katar die Türkei als neue Schutzmacht iden­tifiziert. Katar ist ein attraktiver Partner für Deutschland und Europa und kann ein wichtiger Gaslieferant werden, etwa wegen seiner Flexibilität bei Lie­fe­rungen und seinem Interesse am europäischen Markt. Es war ein schwerer Fehler deutscher Politik, nicht viel früher auf katarisches Gas zu setzen. Langfristige Bestellungen desselben könnten ihn korrigieren. Wenn es tatsächlich eine sicherheitspolitische »Zeitenwende« geben soll, muss Deutschland sich auch auf Gefahren einstellen, die aus dem Nahen Osten drohen (Stichworte: Migration, Terrorismus, nukleare Proliferation). Dazu gehört, dass Deutschland und Europa prowestliche Verbündete benötigen - wie Katar. (Autorenreferat)

"This book explores the political and social dynamics of the bilateral relations between Germany and Poland at the at the national and subnational levels, taking into account the supranational dynamics, across different policy areas (trade, foreign and security policy, energy, fiscal issues, health and social policy, migration and local governance). By studying the impact of the three explanatory categories: historical legacy, interdependence and asymmetry on the bilateral relationship, the book explores the patterns of cooperation and identify the driving forces and hindering factors of the bilateral relationship. Covering the Polish-German relationship since 2004, it demonstrates in a systematic way, that it does not qualify as embedded bilateralism. The relationship remains historically burdened, asymmetric and thus it is not resilient to crises. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European and EU Politics, German politics, East/Central European Politics, Borderlands studies, and more broadly for international relations, history and sociology"--

Introduction: Reviewing 2014, Welcoming 2017, and Envisioning 2020 -- Towards adverse spillover effect? the judicialization of the EU and the changing nature of judicial governance after enlargement / Mariusz Jerzy Golecki -- Europeanization of the Hungarian legal order : from convergence to cancellation? / Tamas Dezso Ziegler and Balazs Horvathy -- The use of referendum in Central and Eastern Europe after EU accession / Sergiu Gherghina -- Special economic zones in Poland : a black hole swallowing state budget or a messiah for regional development? / Hiroshi Kaneko -- (Dis)trusting the European Union? on the evolving variety of Euroskepticism in Central and Eastern Europe / Boyka Stefanova -- Vaclav Klaus as a driver of Czech Euroskepticism / Vratislav Havlik and Ondrej Mocek -- Poland and the re-categorization of the Eurozone entry : from a legal obligation to a political issue / Anna Visvizi and Pawel Tokarski -- Emerging European geographies : the Erasmus Program and its effect on the East-West divide in time of economic crisis / Amelia Hadfield and Robert Summerby-Murray -- Slovenian soft power capabilities in the European context : missed opportunities of cultural diplomacy and Erasmus student exchange / Ana Bojinovic Fenko and Jure Pozgan -- The harmonization of laws on same-sex unions in Post-Communist Post-Accession countries / Alar Kilp -- Poland and the common security and defense policy : potential leader? / Laura Chappell -- Prague on a mission : emphasizing democracy promotion within EU foreign policy / Marek Neuman -- The forgotten chapter? post-accession development policy of Central and Eastern Europe / Simon Lightfoot and Balazs Szent-Ivanyi -- Slovak Parliament's involvement in the EU agenda : Kosovo's independence and the policy of non-recognition / Katarina Lezova -- The European Union and Russia during the two waves of enlargement : new political and implementation rationales on old issues / Sandra Fernandes -- EU-Russia cooperation on energy efficiency : an unexpected benefit of regional interdependence between Russia and the CEE member states? / Olga Khrushcheva -- The European Union's influence over media discourse on renewable energy sources in Russia / Marianna Poberezhskaya

"China's rise is altering global power relations, reshaping economic debates, and commanding tremendous public attention. Despite extensive media and academic scrutiny, the conventional wisdom about China's economy is often wrong. Cracking the China Conundrum provides a holistic and contrarian view of China's major economic, political, and foreign policy issues. Yukon Huang trenchantly addresses widely accepted yet misguided views in the analysis of China's economy. He examines arguments about the causes and effects of China's possible debt and property market bubbles, trade and investment relations with the Western world, the links between corruption and political liberalization in a growing economy and Beijing's more assertive foreign policies. Huang explains that such misconceptions arise in part because China's economic system is unprecedented in many ways-namely because it's driven by both the market and state- which complicates the task of designing accurate and adaptable analysis and research. Further, China's size, regional diversity, and uniquely decentralized administrative system poses difficulties for making generalizations and comparisons from micro to macro levels when trying to interpret China's economic state accurately. This book not only interprets the ideologies that experts continue building misguided theories upon, but also examines the contributing factors to this puzzle. Cracking the China Conundrum provides an enlightening and corrective viewpoint on several major economic and political foreign policy concerns currently shaping China's economic environment. "--

Beyond the establishment of the European Union, in a context where nationalism of the nineteenth century continues to have real success in the twentieth century, debates about the historical past and the future of this important actor on the international scene are always present in the current political environment and the European academia and beyond. The analysis on the character of the EU, the essence of the European integration process, the many types of internal and external borders are in a constant change under the impact of numerous factors of influence of all kinds, and this is the very topic of this volume.
Not coincidentally chosen by the editors, this volume titled The European Space. Borders and Issues brings together a collection of articles and studies that combine, for a scientific purpose, the authors' concerns regarding the exceptional scientific work of Professor Ioan Horga. Complex analyzes of the European space are crowned by an overview of European realities, the capacity to see beyond the historical realities of European prospects. It took into account the historical perspective on European space, whether it was bent on present realities, Professor Ioan Horga vocation is leading the research, the ability to see both the general and the particular. Either that he has taken into account the historical perspective on the European space or he has been preoccupied with the present realities, Professor Ioan Horga's vocation is leading the research, the ability to see both the general and the particular.

'Demokratieförderung zählt seit vielen Jahren zu den Hauptanliegen westlicher Außen- und Entwicklungspolitik. Indien gilt als größte Demokratie und wird von deutscher, europäischer und amerikanischer Seite zunehmend als wichtiger internationaler Akteur wahrgenommen. Angesichts der gemeinsamen demokratischen Werte stellt sich die Frage, ob Indien ein Partner des Westens bei der Förderung demokratischer Regime sein kann. In der indischen Außenpolitik spielt Demokratieförderung nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Indiens nationale Interessen werden von sicherheitspolitischen Erwägungen gegenüber China und Pakistan, handels- und wirtschaftspolitischen Motiven sowie der Sicherung der Energie- und Rohstoffversorgung bestimmt. Indien hat nur ein geringes Interesse daran, Demokratieförderung im westlichen Sinne als außenpolitisches Instrument zur Transformation autoritärer Regime einzusetzen. Im Zuge der verbesserten Beziehungen zu den USA haben sich jedoch seit Ende der neunziger Jahre erste Ansätze zur Demokratieförderung entwickelt. Diese wird entweder in einen sehr breiten multilateralen Kontext propagiert oder aber in einer sehr engen bilateralen Form, als entwicklungspolitische Zusammenarbeit. Indien bleibt somit bei der Frage der Demokratieförderung ein schwieriger Partner für deutsche und europäische Politik. Dennoch sollte der Dialog mit Indien über diese Frage intensiviert werden, denn das administrative Know-How der indischen Demokratie kann für den Aufbau von neuen Demokratien genutzt werden.' (Autorenreferat)