Suchergebnisse

La France est la première puissance agricole européenne et le troisième marché pour l'alimentation biologique. Pourtant elle ne se situe qu'au 25ème rang mondial en terme de pourcentage de la surface agricole consacrée à l'agriculture biologique, et importe plus de la moitié de sa consommation. Un fort développement de la recherche en ce domaine est réclamé par les associations afin de répondre aux défis écologiques, économiques, énergétiques et sociaux posés à l'agriculture du XXIème siècle. Quelle est exactement la place consacrée à l'agriculture biologique dans la recherche agronomique des différents pays européens ? La reconnaissance de la pertinence de l'agriculture biologique comme domaine de recherche par l'INRA depuis 1999 a-t-elle conduit à une meilleure priorisation de la recherche en agriculture biologique ? Une analyse bibliométrique par mots-clés des publications scientifiques recensées dans la base de données ISI Web of Science de Thomson Scientific permet de construire des indicateurs suffisamment pertinents pour une comparaison des efforts de recherche nationaux sur la période 2000-2006, et ainsi de juger du niveau de priorisation réel de la recherche en agriculture biologique. Les résultats obtenus confirment le retard de la France, et sont à mettre en relation avec le manque de soutien institutionnel, de moyens humains et financiers consacrés à l'agriculture biologique au sein des organismes en charge de la recherche agronomique française, et ce, malgré les ambitions affichées. ; France suffers from a large research deficit in most areas related to sustainable development and public health. The case of research on organic farming, within the framework of the broader sector of agronomic research, constitutes a largely under-investigated field. Even if the demand for organic products is rapidly growing in Europe, research in this field still suffers from a lack of funding and researchers. A bibliometric analysis based on key words from scientific publications (in English only) taken from Thomson Scientific's ISI Web of Science reference database made it possible to determine sufficiently relevant indicators for a comparison of national research efforts from 2000-2006, and to therefore assess actual research priorities in the area of organic farming. Beyond traditional specialisation analyses, the ratio between the world share of publications of a given country in organic farming and its world share of publications in specific disciplines and sub-disciplines (according to the nomenclature of the French Observatory for Sciences and Techniques) allowed us to obtain these prioritisation indexes that act as policy and priority (or prioritisation activity) indicators for research institutions involved in the concerned area. An index above 1 indicates an over-specialisation, whereas an index below 1 indicates an under-specialisation. For the period 2000-2006, the European Union obtained a specialisation index of 1.52 in the area of organic farming, compared to 0.68 for the US, 0.98 for Brazil and 0.18 for China. However, this seemingly satisfactory average for Europe as a whole hides important disparities between European countries. Moreover, France is at the very end of the classification for all indexes with only 0.47 specialisation, compared to Germany with 1.19, Italy with 1.39, Austria with 2.78, Sweden with 3.99, Finland with 4.46 and Denmark with 12.19. The prioritisation index for organic farming in comparison to the discipline, "Applied biology and ecology", is 1.65 for the EU27, 0.69 for the US, 1.7 for Germany, 3.98 for Austria, 3.84 for Finland, 9.45 for Denmark and 0.49 for France. In comparison to the subdiscipline, "Agriculture, plant biology" the index is 1.5 for the EU27, 0.98 for the US, 1.61 for Germany, 3.28 for Austria, 1.52 for Finland, 9.79 for Denmark, and 0.41 for France. Finally, for the sub-discipline, "Agro-food", it is 1.86 for the EU27, 0.73 for the US, 1.98 for Germany, 6.92 for Austria, 7.39 for Finland, 9.39 for Denmark and 0.58 for France. These results confirm that research on organic farming is largely under-prioritised in France. The French national research effort is therefore far from meeting the ecological and economic challenges facing agriculture in the 21st century.

To assess the effects of contamination at low organisation levels, several studies have focused on biomarker utilization as indicators of chemical exposure and early responses of aquatic organisms. However, to evaluate the various responses to pollutant mixtures in organisms, the usefulness of a set of complementary biomarkers has been demonstrated and is now applied in environmental biomonitoring programs. In this context, the selected sentinel species appears as a critical factor for an accurate description of pollution effects in organisms. The stickleback is a pollution-tolerant fish which inhabit most aquatic ecosystems in the northern hemisphere. It has been proposed as a suitable fish species for detecting endocrine disruption induced by environmental pollutants and appears as an interesting model fish species for environmental biomonitoring. However, few data describe biomarker responses in wild stickleback populations. In the present work, a set of biomarkers including biotransformation enzymes, oxidative stress parameters, neurotoxicity marker but also estrogenic and androgenic end-points was developed and validated. Firstly, biomarker assays were set up in the stickleback. Indeed, several biomarkers such as EROD and acetylcholinesterase activities are classically employed in various fish species but methodological adaptation is required. Moreover, specific immuno-enzymatic assays were developed to quantify endocrine disruption biomarkers such as vitellogenin and spiggin. Secondly, this set of biochemical biomarkers was validated in situ. Sticklebacks collected monthly in a reference was used to determine basal level of investigated parameters but also to characterise the effects of gender and sampling season on biomarker responses. According to the results of this experiment, male and female fish from sites sampled in Autumn and characterised by various contamination levels were analysed. This study showed that biomarker responses in stickleback are valuable parameters to describe the effects of contamination in aquatic organisms. Moreover, biomarkers appear as complementary tools with other environmental parameters including chemical analysis in water and sediment but also population disturbances. In the last step, an ecotoxicological indicator was set-up to summarize biomarker responses recorded in investigated sites. This indicator allows site ranking based on biomarker measurement and provides a complementary data to other environmental indicators. ; La directive européenne cadre sur l'eau (Directive 2000/60/CE) propose un cadre réglementaire pour la politique de l'eau au niveau communautaire afin d'améliorer, de protéger et de prévenir les dégradations de la qualité de l'eau en Europe. Cette directive fixe pour objectif de parvenir à un bon état écologique et chimique des eaux d'ici à 2015. Pour ce faire, elle prévoit l'établissement de programmes de surveillance de la qualité des eaux portant sur la détermination de paramètres chimiques et écologiques, afin de dresser un tableau cohérent et complet de l'état des eaux en Europe. Ces deux approches, bien que complémentaires, ne permettent toutefois pas de prendre en compte la complexité de la contamination et les effets précoces de celle-ci sur les organismes. Afin de combler cette lacune, un axe majeur de recherche en écotoxicologie au cours des 25 dernières années a consisté dans le développement de biomarqueurs. Les biomarqueurs se définissent comme un changement observable ou mesurable à différents niveaux d'organisation biologique qui reflète l'exposition d'un organisme à au moins un polluant. Ces outils biologiques permettent donc d'appréhender les effets précoces de la contamination sur les organismes en prenant en considération la biodisponibilité des contaminants, leur métabolisation et les interactions entre molécules. Toutefois, afin de prendre en compte la complexité de la contamination et de ses effets, il est nécessaire de recourir à un ensemble de biomarqueurs décrivant une large gamme d'effets. Les travaux menés à l'INERIS s'inscrivent dans une stratégie globale sur l'utilisation des biomarqueurs dans un contexte de multi-pollution. Ils visent plus particulièrement à développer un ensemble cohérent de biomarqueurs reflétant les effets de la contamination sur différentes fonctions physiologiques d'un organisme, et à déterminer les conditions et les limites d'utilisation de ces biomarqueurs dans un contexte de biosurveillance des milieux aquatiques.

Como una consecuencia del Tratado de Libre Comercio de Norteamérica se creó en 1992 la Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente orientada al cumplimiento de la normatividad ambiental en México. Esta agencia utiliza dos estrategias: una de comando-control de carácter coercitivo y las auditorías ambientales de carácter voluntario, del Programa Nacional de Auditorías Ambientales (PNAA), el cual certifica a las organizaciones que completan las acciones que los auditores establecen para el total cumplimiento de la legislación ambiental. El presente trabajo representa el primer análisis sistematizado de los 2,764 informes de los auditores ambientales generados en los primeros 10 años de existencia del programa. Contiene una propuesta metodológica mediante indicadores que evalúan las consecuencias del PNAA sobre el medio ambiente, la actuación administrativa, desempeño económico, operatividad e impacto social que las organizaciones lograron al invertir 2,155 millones de Dólares para cumplir con las auditorias ambientales. Además, se propone el uso en el programa de un índice de desempeño ambiental que oriente sobre los avances del mismo. Se analizan los alcances, orientación, metodología y criterios de aplicación de las auditorías como instrumento de política ambiental y su importancia en los contextos nacionales e internacionales. Se discuten, entre otras, las implicaciones de que en un programa ambiental nacional, solo el 9.3 por ciento de las observaciones de los auditores se refirieron directamente a disminuir la presión de las organizaciones sobre el medioambiente y que el 60 por ciento de las acciones de las organizaciones se orientaron a disminuir el riesgo industrial y seguridad laboral. Se comenta sobre el cumplimiento de las organizaciones y sobre los aspectos ambientales derivados de sus operaciones. Se discuten las implicaciones de la legislación ambiental y el papel de los auditores sobre el PNAA. Se dan recomendaciones y proponen mecanismos para mejorar la efectividad de las auditorias y reorientarlas hacia un mejor instrumento de protección ambiental. El trabajo es único en su tipo, por lo que se espera que su análisis produzca propuestas que mejoren las políticas públicas en materia ambiental así como el seguimiento posterior de las acciones de dichas políticas en México. ; As a consequence of the Free Trade Agreement of North America, the Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (PROFEPA) of Mexico was created in 1992 to assist in enforcement of environmental legislation. PROFEPA uses two strategies: (1) command-control, which includes inspections and penalties and (2) voluntary environmental audits called Programa Nacional de Auditorías Ambientales (PNAA). The second strategy uses auditors to certify companies and government agencies that have fulfilled a voluntary agreement with PROFEPA to completely comply with environmental law. This study represents the first systematic analysis of 2764 environmental audits generated in the first ten years of the PNAA, including a methodological proposal based on indicators that assess the impact of PNAA on the environment, administrative and economic performance, operability, and social impact that the companies and agencies were able achieve after investing US$2155 million dollars to comply with environmental audits. Additionally, this study proposes that an index of environmental performance be applied to provide guidance to PROFEPA on the environmental progress of the PNAA. It discusses the scope, direction, methodology, and criteria for the application of audits as an instrument of environmental policy and its importance in national and international contexts. The level of compliance of the organizations and their impact on environmental aspects are discussed. Among the findings, only 9.3% of the observations of the auditors directly relate to lessening the pressure of the organizations on the environment and that 60% of the efforts were directed toward reducing industrial risk and enhancing job security. Also discussed are the implications of Mexican environmental legislation and the role of auditors on the PNAA. Recommendations include a mechanism for improving the effectiveness of audits and redirecting it towards a better instrument for environmental protection. The study represented a unique opportunity to produce proposals to improve public policy and environmental monitoring under the PNAA in Mexico.

At present, when the building walls covered with a painted thin render are insulated by the mineral wool slabs from outside, the defects caused by the condensed moisture accumulated in the envelopes become more and more frequent. Water vapour permeability of the exterior finish (ie the paint), if compared with the water vapour permeability of the mineral wool slab, is rather small. That is why the paint coating may become the barrier for the water vapour diffusion and thus create favourable conditions for moisture accumulation in the exterior layers of the envelope during cold seasons. As a rule, to eliminate the defects, the exterior surface is repainted on the former paint coating because the render is thin and mechanically easily damaged. Repainting the thin render surface causes the following: 1) an increase of the exterior coating's vapour resistance; 2) a growth of the condensation intensity in the envelope exterior layers during the of moisture accumulation; 3) a decrease of the durability of the render‐paint system. The restrictions for the envelope exterior layersdhave already been recommended to employ in the European Union. Since moisture accumulation inside the wall is determined by the local climate, it is important to find out whether the recommendations concerning the givensdvalue might be applied for the exterior layers of the building walls in Lithuania. To find it out, the calculations of the envelope state and laboratory experiments have been carried out. The paper aims at the analysis of the impact of vapour permeability and its properties in the exterior layers of the wall on the envelope moisture state. It has been determined that the increase of thesdvalue is disproportionate to the number of the paint layers or the thickness of the paint coating. It has also been determined that the increase of thesdvalue forms the pre‐conditions for the increased moisture amount under service conditions caused by water diffusion and condensation. The experiments revealed that, under Lithuanian climatic conditions, in the exploited building walls thesdvalue of the exterior layer of the thin render should makesd<0,5 m andsd<0,6 m in the paint coating. Išorinės apdailos garinės varžos įtaka pastatų sienų drėgnumui Santrauka.Pastaruoju metu projektuojant iš išorės mineralinės vatos plokštėmis apšiltintas sienas su dažyto plonasluoksnio tinko apdaila, vis dažniau atsiranda defektų dėl atitvarose susikaupiančios kondensacinės drėgmės. Išorinės apdailos (dažų) vandens garų laidumas, palyginti su mineralinės vatos plokštės vandens garų laidumu, yra mažas, todėl dažų sluoksnis gali tapti barjeru vandens garų difuzijai ir sudaryti prielaidas drėgmei kauptis išoriniuose atitvaros sluoksniuose šaltuoju metų laiku. Bandant pašalinti atsiradusius defektus, paprastai išorės paviršius yra perdažomas, paliekant senų dažų sluoksnį, nes tinkas yra plonas ir mechaniškai lengvai pažeidžiamas. Dėl šios priežasties plonasluoksnio tinko paviršiaus perdažymas yra susijęs su: 1) paviršinio sluoksnio garinės varžos didinimu; 2) kondensacijos intensyvumo padidėjimu išoriniuose atitvaros sluoksniuose drėgmės kaupimo laikotarpiu; 3) sistemos tinku – dažais ilgaamžiškumui mažinti. Jau išorinio atitvaros sluoksnio sd apribojimai rekomenduojami taikyti Europos Sąjungos valstybėse. Drėgmę kauptis sienos viduje skatina vietovės klimatas, todėl reikia nustatyti, ar šios sd verčių rekomendacijos tinka Lietuvoje eksploatuojamų pastatų sienų išoriniams sluoksniams. Tam buvo atlikti atitvaros drėgminės būklės skaičiavimai ir laboratoriniai tyrimai. Šiame darbe išanalizuota išorinių sienos sluoksnių garų laidumo savybių įtaka atitvaros drėgnumui. Nustatyta, kad šios sd vertės didėjimas neproporcingas dažų sluoksnių skaičiui ar dažų dangos storiui. Taip pat nustatyta, kad išorinių apdailos sluoksnių sd vertės didinimas sudaro prielaidas šių sluoksnių padidintam drėgniui eksploatacijos sąlygomis atsirasti dėl vandens garų difuzijos ir kondensacijos reiškinių. Atlikus tyrimus nustatyta, kad Lietuvos klimato sąlygomis eksploatuojamų pastatų sienų plonasluoksnio tinko sluoksnio sd vertė turi būti sd < 0,5 m, o dažų dangos sd < 0,6 m. Reikšminiai žodžiai: dažytas plonasluoksnis tinkas, išorinio apšiltinimo sistemos, vandens garų laidumas, santykinė garinė sluoksnio varža, lygiavertis medžiagos vandens garų laidumui oro sluoksnio storis, drėgnumas. First Published Online: 21 Oct 2010

At present, when the building walls covered with a painted thin render are insulated by the mineral wool slabs from outside, the defects caused by the condensed moisture accumulated in the envelopes become more and more frequent. Water vapour permeability of the exterior finish (ie the paint), if compared with the water vapour permeability of the mineral wool slab, is rather small. That is why the paint coating may become the barrier for the water vapour diffusion and thus create favourable conditions for moisture accumulation in the exterior layers of the envelope during cold seasons. As a rule, to eliminate the defects, the exterior surface is repainted on the former paint coating because the render is thin and mechanically easily damaged. Repainting the thin render surface causes the following: 1) an increase of the exterior coating's vapour resistance; 2) a growth of the condensation intensity in the envelope exterior layers during the of moisture accumulation; 3) a decrease of the durability of the render‐paint system. The restrictions for the envelope exterior layersdhave already been recommended to employ in the European Union. Since moisture accumulation inside the wall is determined by the local climate, it is important to find out whether the recommendations concerning the givensdvalue might be applied for the exterior layers of the building walls in Lithuania. To find it out, the calculations of the envelope state and laboratory experiments have been carried out. The paper aims at the analysis of the impact of vapour permeability and its properties in the exterior layers of the wall on the envelope moisture state. It has been determined that the increase of thesdvalue is disproportionate to the number of the paint layers or the thickness of the paint coating. It has also been determined that the increase of thesdvalue forms the pre‐conditions for the increased moisture amount under service conditions caused by water diffusion and condensation. The experiments revealed that, under Lithuanian climatic conditions, in the exploited building walls thesdvalue of the exterior layer of the thin render should makesd<0,5 m andsd<0,6 m in the paint coating. Išorinės apdailos garinės varžos įtaka pastatų sienų drėgnumui Santrauka Pastaruoju metu projektuojant iš išorės mineralinės vatos plokštėmis apšiltintas sienas su dažyto plonasluoksnio tinko apdaila, vis dažniau atsiranda defektų dėl atitvarose susikaupiančios kondensacinės drėgmės. Išorinės apdailos (dažų) vandens garų laidumas, palyginti su mineralinės vatos plokštės vandens garų laidumu, yra mažas, todėl dažų sluoksnis gali tapti barjeru vandens garų difuzijai ir sudaryti prielaidas drėgmei kauptis išoriniuose atitvaros sluoksniuose šaltuoju metų laiku. Bandant pašalinti atsiradusius defektus, paprastai išorės paviršius yra perdažomas, paliekant senų dažų sluoksnį, nes tinkas yra plonas ir mechaniškai lengvai pažeidžiamas. Dėl šios priežasties plonasluoksnio tinko paviršiaus perdažymas yra susijęs su: 1) paviršinio sluoksnio garinės varžos didinimu; 2) kondensacijos intensyvumo padidėjimu išoriniuose atitvaros sluoksniuose drėgmės kaupimo laikotarpiu; 3) sistemos tinku – dažais ilgaamžiškumui mažinti. Jau išorinio atitvaros sluoksnio sd apribojimai rekomenduojami taikyti Europos Sąjungos valstybėse. Drėgmę kauptis sienos viduje skatina vietovės klimatas, todėl reikia nustatyti, ar šios sd verčių rekomendacijos tinka Lietuvoje eksploatuojamų pastatų sienų išoriniams sluoksniams. Tam buvo atlikti atitvaros drėgminės būklės skaičiavimai ir laboratoriniai tyrimai. Šiame darbe išanalizuota išorinių sienos sluoksnių garų laidumo savybių įtaka atitvaros drėgnumui. Nustatyta, kad šios sd vertės didėjimas neproporcingas dažų sluoksnių skaičiui ar dažų dangos storiui. Taip pat nustatyta, kad išorinių apdailos sluoksnių sd vertės didinimas sudaro prielaidas šių sluoksnių padidintam drėgniui eksploatacijos sąlygomis atsirasti dėl vandens garų difuzijos ir kondensacijos reiškinių. Atlikus tyrimus nustatyta, kad Lietuvos klimato sąlygomis eksploatuojamų pastatų sienų plonasluoksnio tinko sluoksnio sd vertė turi būti sd < 0,5 m, o dažų dangos sd < 0,6 m. First Published Online: 21 Oct 2010 Reikšminiai žodžiai: dažytas plonasluoksnis tinkas, išorinio apšiltinimo sistemos, vandens garų laidumas, santykinė garinė sluoksnio varža, lygiavertis medžiagos vandens garų laidumui oro sluoksnio storis, drėgnumas.

Improvements in on-farm water and soil fertility management through water harvesting may prove key to up-grade smallholder farming systems in dry sub-humid and semi-arid sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). The currently experienced yield levels are usually less than 1 t ha-1, i.e., 3-5 times lower than potential levels obtained by commercial farmers and researchers for similar agro-hydrological conditions. The low yield levels are ascribed to the poor crop water availability due to variable rainfall, losses in on-farm water balance and inherently low soil nutrient levels. To meet an increased food demand with less use of water and land in the region, requires farming systems that provide more yields per water unit and/or land area in the future. This thesis presents the results of a project on water harvesting system aiming to upgrade currently practised water management for maize (Zea mays, L.) in semi-arid SSA. The objectives were to a) quantify dry spell occurrence and potential impact in currently practised small-holder grain production systems, b) test agro-hydrological viability and compare maize yields in an on-farm experiment using combinations supplemental irrigation (SI) and fertilizers for maize, and c) estimate long-term changes in water balance and grain yields of a system with SI compared to farmers currently practised in-situ water harvesting. Water balance changes and crop growth were simulated in a 20-year perspective with models MAIZE1&2. Dry spell analyses showed that potentially yield-limiting dry spells occur at least 75% of seasons for 2 locations in semi-arid East Africa during a 20-year period. Dry spell occurrence was more frequent for crop cultivated on soil with low water-holding capacity than on high water-holding capacity. The analysis indicated large on-farm water losses as deep percolation and run-off during seasons despite seasonal crop water deficits. An on-farm experiment was set up during 1998-2001 in Machakos district, semi-arid Kenya. Surface run-off was collected and stored in a 300m3 earth dam. Gravity-fed supplemental irrigation was carried out to a maize field downstream of the dam. Combinations of no irrigation (NI), SI and 3 levels of N fertilizers (0, 30, 80 kg N ha-1) were applied. Over 5 seasons with rainfall ranging from 200 to 550 mm, the crop with SI and low nitrogen fertilizer gave 40% higher yields (**) than the farmers' conventional in-situ water harvesting system. Adding only SI or only low nitrogen did not result in significantly different yields. Accounting for actual ability of a storage system and SI to mitigate dry spells, it was estimated that a farmer would make economic returns (after deduction of household consumption) between year 2-7 after investment in dam construction depending on dam sealant and labour cost used. Simulating maize growth and site water balance in a system of maize with SI increased annual grain yield with 35 % as a result of timely applications of SI. Field water balance changes in actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and deep percolation were insignificant with SI, although the absolute amount of ETa increased with 30 mm y-1 for crop with SI compared to NI. The dam water balance showed 30% productive outtake as SI of harvested water. Large losses due to seepage and spill-flow occurred from the dam. Water productivity (WP, of ETa) for maize with SI was on average 1 796 m3 per ton grain, and for maize without SI 2 254 m3 per ton grain, i.e, a decerase of WP with 25%. The water harvesting system for supplemental irrigation of maize was shown to be both biophysically and economically viable. However, adoption by farmers will depend on other factors, including investment capacity, know-how and legislative possibilities. Viability of increased water harvesting implementation in a catchment scale needs to be assessed so that other down-stream uses of water remains uncompromised.

This article is part of the publication of contributions delivered at the 24th annual conference of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE), held at the University of Leipzig, 30.08.-05.09.1999. "A change of perspective has taken place in teacher education: It is no longer seen as the problem-solving agent of education but rather as just another source of educational problems. In this article, the author tries to trace the roots of such a negative image. The most obvious approach is a historical one. An enormous number of attempts have been made to reform teacher education. The most important and positive among these attempts has been the academic orientation of teacher education. Yet, seen from the educationalists' perspective, there have appeared a number of traps and false conclusions, possibly due to a misinterpretation of what the role of science in education should be. The reorientation of teacher education, i. e. the turn from purely didactical and practice-oriented courses at educational colleges to mainly academically oriented courses at universities, have brought up new problems that urgently need to be solved. The author discovers major problems in the fact that the great variety of research interests have to be brought in order to make them accessible to students. Didactics which are said to be the most important of all professional disciplines for teachers need to be applied to the structure of the educational discipline as a whole. An agreement on a fundamental canon of topics, methods and knowledge is necessary. This demand is, however, not meant to minimize the range of areas of study; instead, it should rather be considered to broaden specific fields of interest in order to avoid one sided academic points of view. The still unsolved problem of theory and practice is another point to be discussed. The author's question here is: "Where should educational knowledge be grounded - in the discipline or in the profession?" As it is not possible to make a clear distinction between theory and practice but rather to distinguish between the production and the application of knowledge, a curriculum is needed where those two aspects can be put together interactively. This seems to be a solution to many unsolved problems, as it would lead to a more specified target of academic teacher education. In Germany, the academic foundations for the teaching profession are laid in the initial phase of training at university. One should be careful not to ascribe tasks to academic studies that can realistically only be part of the probational second phase of teacher education. Yet, as education needs to be perceived as an action-oriented system of reflection, a significantly stronger combination of practical school experience and theoretical reflection is needed. Ideally, there would be greater stress on the combination of observation and analysis of school work which could be a means to reflect on professional practice. Also, the didactical aspects of teacher training, which are constantly being claimed as being of major importance to teachers, need to be rethought on the level of university teaching. This is a demand going with professionality on the side of academic teachers but it is also meant as a kind of compensation for the lack of practice-related teaching. Seminars and lectures would then be turned into didactical workshops. Another field of possible improvement is seen in an intensified form of investigative learning where school research is seen as a task for both students and teachers. For matters of quality ensurance university teachers need to be willing to co-operate and start to develop ideals and criteria which can later be evaluated. But as the great day of general consent on the national level can not be expected and as new regulations only will not bring real change, innovation can alone be expected by people bearing responsibility at the basis of different universities. The financial crisis of public households should not focus an saddening thoughts an economic efficiency that keep real innovation in the minds of idealists without being ever put to practice." (DIPF/Orig.).

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to air pollutants has been suggested as a possible etiologic factor for the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess whether prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with childhood autistic traits in the general population. METHODS: Ours was a collaborative study of four European population-based birth/child cohorts-CATSS (Sweden), Generation R (the Netherlands), GASPII (Italy), and INMA (Spain). Nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOx) and particulate matter (PM) with diameters of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤ 10 μm (PM10), and between 2.5 and 10 μm (PMcoarse), and PM2.5 absorbance were estimated for birth addresses by land-use regression models based on monitoring campaigns performed between 2008 and 2011. Levels were extrapolated back in time to exact pregnancy periods. We quantitatively assessed autistic traits when the child was between 4 and 10 years of age. Children were classified with autistic traits within the borderline/clinical range and within the clinical range using validated cut-offs. Adjusted cohort-specific effect estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 8,079 children were included. Prenatal air pollution exposure was not associated with autistic traits within the borderline/clinical range (odds ratio = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.10 per each 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 pregnancy levels). Similar results were observed in the different cohorts, for the other pollutants, and in assessments of children with autistic traits within the clinical range or children with autistic traits as a quantitative score. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to NO2 and PM was not associated with autistic traits in children from 4 to 10 years of age in four European population-based birth/child cohort studies. ; Funding was provided as follows: ESCAPE Project— European Community's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2011-GA#211250). CATSS, Sweden— Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE), Swedish Research Council (VR) Formas, in partner hip with FORTE and VINNOVA (cross-disciplinary research program concerning children's and young people's mental health); VR through the Swedish Initiative for Research on Microdata in the Social And Medical Sciences (SIMSAM) framework grant 340-2013-5867; HKH Kronprinsessan Lovisas förening för barnasjukvård; and the Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet. Generation R, the Netherlands—The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus University Medical Center in close collaboration with the School of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam; the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, Rotterdam; the Rotterdam Homecare foundation, Rotterdam; and the Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (STAR-MDC), Rotterdam. The general design of the Generation R Study is made possible by financial support from the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; the Erasmus University Rotterdam; the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw); the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) received funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment to support exposure assessment. GASPII, Italy—grant from the Italian Ministry of Health (ex art.12, 2001). INMA, Spain— grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176 and CB06/02/0041 FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, 11/01007, 11/02591, CP11/00178, FIS-PI041436, FIS-PI081151, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PS09/00090), PI13/1944, PI13_02032, PI14/0891, PI14/1687, MS13/00054, UE (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957, and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1); Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241; La Fundació La Marató de TV3 (090430); Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana; Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093 and 2009111069); and Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001). V.W.V.J. received an additional grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw 90700303, 916.10159). A.G.'s work was supported by a research grant from the European Community's 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2008–2013-GA#212652). A full roster of the INMA project investigators can be found online (http://www. proyectoinma.org/presentacion-inma/listado-investigadores/ en_listado-investigadores.html).

A better understanding of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) epidemiology will lead to improved intervention methods to combat CL outbreaks and prevent disease re-emergence. CL is endemic throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and new disease control tools are needed. In this thesis, I studied various aspects essential to the design of a new CL control strategy, including parasite species identification, patient response to anti-leishmanial drug treatment, sandfly species identification, assessment of sandfly biting exposure and risk of disease transmission, implementation of an integrated control strategy, and development of a potential new CL diagnostic tool for use in CL endemic setting. It was found that Leishmania major (responsible for zoonotic CL) and Leishmania tropica (responsible for anthroponotic CL) are the main causative agents of CL in KSA, with over 75% of all human cases caused by the former. The current national CL treatment regimen consists of application of topical clotrimazole/fucidine cream followed by 1-2 courses of intralesional sodium stibogluconate; however, treatment efficacy is highly variable and the reasons for this are not well understood. As part of this PhD study, tests to determine the efficacy of this standard CL treatment regime in several endemic regions of KSA were performed. Most L. major patients responded favourably to drug treatment, although treatment success varied greatly depending on geographical location. In contrast, 60% of L. tropica cases proved completely unresponsive to the same treatment protocol. Furthermore, the development of secondary infections (SI) around or within the CL lesion significantly favoured the treatment response of L. major patients, but had no effect on L. tropica cases. These findings indicate that there is an urgent need to implement alternative CL treatment protocols based on these parameters, and also indicate a possible increase in drug-resistant parasites. In this epidemiological study, the potential correlation between the type of immunity generated after exposure to sandfly bites and disease outcome was monitored by measuring anti-SP32 antibody levels. Constant exposure of the local residents to sandflies may help prevent development of severe CL disease outcomes. Notably, comparison of the levels of anti-saliva antibodies of local individuals with migrant labour indicated that the latter had significantly higher levels of anti-saliva marker and also developed a more severe pathology. This implies that the corresponding governmental sectors need to assess all transmission risk areas, as well as greatly improve housing conditions to minimize the risk of non-local construction workers contracting CL. This is essential as CL drug treatment is costly and currently non-local workers comprise around one third of the KSA population. Additionally, a disease control strategy based on a combination of vector and reservoir control methods was designed to combat zoonotic CL outbreaks. Construction sites at Al-Ahsa, known to be highly endemic for zoonotic CL, were monitored by a vector control team between 2012 and 2014. The control strategy was applied following the outbreak using mechanical, reservoir and vector control methods. No CL cases were reported after the control team's intervention. This case study suggests that implementation of a health impact assessment should be carried out, as well as a control strategy, in areas that share a similar CL ecology and environment in order to minimize incidence cases. As part of my PhD, I developed a potential new diagnostic tool by using an ELISA assay method to measure the levels of anti-α-galactosyl antibodies in human sera using synthetic neoglycoproteins (NGPs). The assay sensitivity was 96% for L. major (95% CI 94%–98%) and 91% for L. tropica (95% CI 86%–98%). In addition, the assay had higher sensitivity than microscopy analysis, which only detected 68% and 45% of L. major and L. tropica infections, respectively. Furthermore, improvement of the selectivity in recognizing different α-galactosylated NGPs suggests that this assay could potentially be developed into a rapid diagnostic test for use in resource-poor settings. Overall, this thesis should help set a basis for designing a national strategy for CL elimination in KSA.

Este artículo evidencia las dificultades metodológicas y teóricas en el uso deIndicadores sociales para evaluar la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático y de estaforma contribuye a refinar las estrategias metodológicas para el abordaje de estefenómeno. La mayoría de los estudios de vulnerabilidad al cambio climático ladefinen como una expresión de tres dimensiones: la exposición de los sistemas alos fenómenos climáticos, la sensibilidad a esas condiciones riesgosas, y su capacidadpara afrontar los impactos que los afectan. Estas tres dimensiones facilitanla operacionalización del concepto a partir de indicadores biofísicos y socialescuya principal finalidad es cuantificar el fenómeno y establecer relaciones de causalidad entre eventos y recursos. Frente a esta conceptualización, otra manerade entender el fenónemo es definirla como un proceso dinámico determinadoprocesos sociales, económicos, políticos, culturales e institucionales. Desdeeste enfoque el cambio climático impacta sobre una serie de vulnerabilidadesprevias y de largo plazo definidas principalmente por el acceso a los recursos.La vulnerabilidad se define entonces, como un proceso cuya complejidad noadmite cuantificaciones ni generalizaciones entre causas y efectos como las queproponen los sistemas de indicadores. A partir de una experiencia de investigaciónconcreta en las cuencas de los ríos Mendoza, en Argentina, y Chinchiná,en Colombia este artículo demuestra las limitaciones que el uso de indicadoresde vulnerabilidad social conllevan para la investigación social aplicada. Conbase en el análisis de datos estadísticos de uso público disponible en Argentinay en Colombia y de entrevistas en profundidad en las areas de estudio, los autoresreconstruyen las dificultades enfrentadas al momento de construir dichosindicadores para demostrar las debilidades de cada indicador para dar cuenta delcomplejo fenómeno de la vulnerabilidad. Se analizan en particular los indicadoresde nivel de ingresos, tenencia de la tierra, acceso al agua, infraestructuratecnológica, asistencia técnica, asociativismo y nivel educativo. Para finalizar, sepresenta una propuesta alternativa para dar cuenta de las complejidades propiasdel fenómeno de la vulnerabilidad. ; This article meets methodological and theoretical difficulties in using social indicators to assess vulnerability to climate change and contributes to enhance methodological strategies for addressing this phenomenon. Most of the studies of vulnerability to climate change define vulnerability as an expression of three dimensions: the exposures of the systems to climatic events, the sensitivity to these risk conditions and the adaptive capacity to cope with the impacts. These three dimensions enable the operationalization of the concept trough biophysical and social indicators whose main purpose is to quantify the phenomenon and establish causal relationships between events and resources. From a different wiew of this conceptualization, another way of understanding vulnerability is to understand it as a dynamic process strongly shaped by social, cultural, economic, political and institutional conditions. From this approach, climate change is suposed to impact on previous and long-term vulnerabilities mainly defined by access to resources. Vulnerability is then defined as a complex process which does not support quantifications or generalizations between causes and effects as those proposed in indicators systems. Based upon a research experience in Mendoza, Argentina, and Chinchiná, in Colombia this article demonstrates the limitations of the use of indicators of social vulnerability to applied social research. Through the analysis of public statistical data in Argentina and Colombia and in-depth interviews in the study areas, the authors reconstruct the difficulties faced in the building process of these indicators to demonstrate the weaknesses of each indicator to account the complexity of vulnerability. Income, land tenure, access to water, technology, infrastructure, technical assistance, education and associativism indicators particularly discussed. At the end, the authors presents an alternative proposal to adress the complexities of vulnerability. ; Fil: Mussetta, Paula Cecilia. Proyecto "Vulnerabilidad y Adaptación a los Extremos Climáticos en las Américas"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales; Argentina ; Fil: Barrientos Puliti, María Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Proyecto "Vulnerabilidad y Adaptación a los Extremos Climáticos en las Américas"; Argentina ; Fil: Acevedo, Erika. Universidad de Antioquia; Colombia ; Fil: Turbay, Sandra. Universidad de Antioquia; Colombia ; Fil: Ocampo, Olga. Universidad Autonoma de Manizales;

The Pentagon released its proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 this week. There were no major surprises, unless you're shocked by the fact we are continuing to over-invest in a strategy and a military force structure that is making the world less secure.If this budget goes through as requested, the Pentagon and related activities like work on nuclear warheads at the Department of Energy will come in at $894 billion. That's slightly less than the number being debated for this year, but far more than the levels achieved at other major turning points like the Korean and Vietnam wars or the peak of the Cold War. Meanwhile, Congress has shown little ability to provide adequate input or oversight of these huge figures. Over five months into the new fiscal year, it has yet to even pass a 2024 budget.What could possibly justify devoting these enormous sums to the Pentagon at a time of urgent national need to address other threats to our lives and livelihoods, from climate change to epidemics of disease to rampant inequality? The primary answer is the same one we have heard repeatedly in recent years: China, China, and China.But as I have noted in a recent paper for the Brown University Costs of War Project, by any measure the United States already spends two to three times as much on its military as China does, and outpaces it by far in basic military capabilities like nuclear weapons, naval firepower, and modern transport and combat aircraft. In the areas where there is room for doubt about the relative military power of the two rivals, from emerging technology to the likely outcome of a war over Taiwan, dialogue and diplomacy offer a far better chance of reaching a stable accommodation than spinning out scenarios for "winning" a war between two nuclear-armed powers, or by running a costly new arms race.Unfortunately, the rhetoric and resources underpinning the new Pentagon request are more consistent with arms racing than accommodation. The department remains firmly committed to its plan to build thousands of "autonomous, attritable systems" by August 2025, with the express purpose of developing the ability to overwhelm China in a conflict in Asia. In plain English, this means building swarms of drones and other high-tech systems controlled by artificial intelligence. And the plan is for these systems to be cheap and readily replaced if large numbers are destroyed in battle.The idea that the U.S. arms industry can produce large numbers of new systems quickly and affordably, and build replacements on short notice, runs contrary to the experience of recent decades. It's an exercise in wishful thinking that could result in the worst of both worlds — spurring China to increase its investments in next generation military technology even as it is unclear whether the United States can develop and integrate it successfully in any reasonable time frame.Far from increasing our security, once these new systems are developed and fielded they will almost certainly make the world a more dangerous place. This point is underscored in a new report from Public Citizen which notes that "[i]ntroducing AI into the Pentagon's everyday business, battlefield decision-making and weapons systems poses manifold risks."For example, although current Pentagon guidelines pledge to keep humans in the loop in decisions to engage in lethal force, once autonomous weapons are produced on a large scale the temptation to use them without human intervention will be great. This in turn will have a cascade of potential negative effects, from dehumanizing the targets of these systems, to making it easier to contemplate going to war, to risking mass slaughter caused by a malfunction in one of these complex systems.And as Michael Klare has written in an analysis for the Arms Control Association, the dangers of AI and other emerging military technologies are likely to "expand into the nuclear realm by running up the escalation ladder or by blurring the distinction between a conventional and nuclear attack."Klare also rings the alarm bell about the real risks of technical failures involving next generation technologies:"Non-military devices governed by AI, such as self-driving cars and facial-recognition systems, have been known to fail in dangerous and unpredictable ways; should similar failures occur among AI-empowered weaponry during wartime, the outcomes could include the unintended slaughter of civilians or the outbreak of nuclear war."These are all strong reasons to go slow and evaluate the consequences of applying AI to military operations, not engage in uncritical cheerleading that gives lip service to risk assessment while moving full speed ahead towards deployment of autonomous systems. To his credit, President Biden has pledged to promote talks with China on "risk and safety issues related to artificial intelligence." An analysis by Sydney Freedberg of Breaking Defense points out that "the Chinese have been showing signs they are receptive, particularly when it comes to renouncing AI command-and-control systems for nuclear weapons." More discussions of this sort are urgently needed before moving full speed ahead on AI-driven weapons.The urge to deploy AI and other emerging military technologies without adequate deliberation or scrutiny is just one of the troubling elements to come out of this week's Pentagon budget release. Staying the course on the Pentagon's plan to build a new generation of nuclear weapons and continuing to subsidize a policy of global military reach that has helped spark the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to fuel future conflicts than prevent them. And despite President Biden's recent, tougher rhetoric in response to Israel's slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, the White House fact sheet issued in conjunction with the Pentagon budget release provides a whitewashed, wildly misleading description of the U.S. role in enabling Israel's brutal attacks:"After Hamas's horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, the President has led the United States to support Israel's right to defend its country and protect its people in a way that upholds international humanitarian law, while ensuring the Palestinian people have access to vital humanitarian aid and lifesaving assistance."It is impossible to square these claims with the actual situation in Gaza, and attempting to do so makes a mockery of the administration's repeated references to supporting a "rules-based international order."The bottom line is that the United States is spending far too much on the Pentagon, much of it in service of goals that are likely to cause far more harm than good. It's time to reverse course, but neither the White House nor a majority in Congress are likely to do so of their own accord.We must pay closer attention to the consequences of the massive military spending and widespread military activities being carried out in our name, and stand up for more realistic policies that can set the stage for a future free of unnecessary conflicts and dangerous arms racing. We can't afford to let the Pentagon and the policies it underwrites continue on autopilot, promoting military approaches to problems that don't have military solutions, all too often with disastrous results.

La realización de esta tesis doctoral se ha contado con la financiación del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte del Gobierno de España mediante una Ayuda para la Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU15/03909) en el Área Científica ANEP de Ciencias Sociales. La intervención y apoyo familiar es una de las principales áreas de actividad en los Servicios Sociales. Las familias con menores a cargo en situación de riesgo o desprotección constituyen un objeto de intervención que requiere una perspectiva preventiva, específica y de tratamiento. Este proceso es realizado por profesionales de las áreas psicológica, social y educativa que, de forma interdisciplinar, crean, gestionan y evalúan de forma sistemática un proyecto de intervención familiar con carácter científico, único y dinámico. Su labor gira en torno a dos líneas de acción: los casos en situación de riesgo o desprotección y los que precisan reunificación familiar. La presente tesis doctoral tiene como finalidad el estudio del servicio de apoyo a las familias desde el Sistema Público de Servicios Sociales bajo la perspectiva de los Equipos de Tratamiento Familiar onubenses y sus familias atendidas, ambos insertos en el Programa de Tratamiento a Familias con Menores en situación de riesgo o desprotección de la Junta de Andalucía. Para ello, se establecen objetivos dirigidos hacia el análisis de las características de los casos, la interpretación de los genogramas familiares y la exploración de los discursos profesionales. Con base en los discursos, se diseña un mapa de propuestas para la toma de decisiones estratégicas que impulsen la eficiencia y eficacia del Programa. En la metodología empleada se han realizado análisis cualitativos y de redes de coocurrencias. Para los análisis cualitativos se crearon dos proyectos. El primero con 26 informes interdisciplinares y el segundo con 26 entrevistas a profesionales. Posteriormente, se han realizado los genogramas por medio del programa informático Genopro, explorando los 75 informes individuales. Finalmente, se establecieron estrategias de acción para la mejora del servicio por medio del análisis de redes causales. En primer lugar, los resultados giran en torno a la caracterización estructural y funcional de las familias. Dentro del aspecto funcional, se distinguen las dinámicas transgeneracionales, entre ellas el ciclo vital familiar, la repetición de pautas a través de las generaciones y los sucesos vitales y funcionamiento familiar. Aquí, también se encuentran las relaciones e interacciones, formando resultados sobre pautas vinculares y tríadas. En segundo lugar, los resultados de los genogramas versan sobre los equipos y las dimensiones familiares relacionadas con su estructura y función de una forma más detallada y precisa. En tercer lugar, los resultados de los discursos profesionales se presentan en cuatro grupos de datos: experiencia profesional, intervención técnica, perfiles familiares atendidos y percepción de los elementos de mejora del servicio. Dentro de su experiencia como profesionales, se han obtenido resultados de temporalidad y tipología de actividad. En relación a su intervención técnica, se han generado resultados sonbre las funciones y tareas que realizan de forma individual, interdisciplinar y en coordinación con otros agentes, además de la percepción de los aspectos que aparecen en su labor, comentando qué métodos de afrontamiento generan ante las dificultades y qué necesidades detectan. Los resultados sobre sus percepciones acerca de las familias, arrojan resultados sobre sus parámetros descriptores, necesidades detectadas, problemáticas y pautas vinculares. Referente a la mejora del servicio de tratamiento, se han logrado propuestas que tienen que ver con sus funciones y tareas. Por último, se alcanzaron resultados acerca de la centralidad, generando índices de rango, cercanía y grado de intermediación que nos dirigen hacia la posición sobre la que incidir para obtener cambios en el sistema. ; This doctoral thesis has been funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of the Government of Spain through a Grant for the Training of University Teachers (FPU15/03909) in the ANEP Scientific Area of Social Sciences. Family intervention and support is one of the main areas of activity in Social Services. Families with minors at risk or unprotected constitute an object of intervention that requires a preventive, specific and treatment perspective. This process is carried out by professionals from the psychological, social and educational areas who, in an interdisciplinary way, create, manage and systematically evaluate a family intervention project with a scientific, unique and dynamic character. Their work revolves around two lines of action: cases at risk or lack of protection and those requiring family reunification. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to study the family support service provided by the Public Social Services System from the perspective of the Family Treatment Teams in Huelva and their families, both of which are part of the Andalusian Regional Government's Programme for the Treatment of Families with Minors at risk or unprotected. For this purpose, objectives are established aimed at the analysis of the characteristics of the cases, the interpretation of the family genograms and the exploration of the professional discourses. Based on the discourses, a map of proposals is designed for strategic decision making to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the Programme. In the methodology employed, qualitative and co-occurrence network analyses were carried out. Two projects were set up for the qualitative analyses. The first with 26 interdisciplinary reports and the second with 26 interviews with professionals. Subsequently, genograms have been made by means of the Genopro software, exploring the 75 individual reports. Finally, action strategies for service improvement were established by means of causal network analysis. Firstly, the results revolve around the structural and functional characterisation of the families. Within the functional aspect, transgenerational dynamics are distinguished, including the family life cycle, the repetition of patterns across generations, and life events and family functioning. Here, relationships and interactions are also found, forming results on bonding patterns and triads. Secondly, the results of the genograms deal with teams and family dimensions related to their structure and function in a more detailed and precise way. Thirdly, the results of the professional discourses are presented in four groups of data: professional experience, technical intervention, family profiles attended and perception of the elements of improvement of the service. Within their experience as professionals, results have been obtained on temporality and type of activity. In relation to their technical intervention, results have been generated on the functions and tasks they carry out individually, interdisciplinary and in coordination with other agents, as well as the perception of the aspects that appear in their work, commenting on what methods of coping they generate in the face of difficulties and what needs they detect. The results on their perceptions of families show results on their descriptor parameters, needs detected, problems and bonding patterns. Regarding the improvement of the treatment service, proposals have been achieved that have to do with their functions and tasks. Finally, results were obtained on centrality, generating indexes of rank, proximity and degree of intermediation that direct us towards the position on which to influence in order to obtain changes in the system.

This survey examines the framework conditions of civil society in Austria. It was conducted at the Institute for Sociology and Empirical Social Research at WU. It builds on two previous surveys on the same topic, a Civil Society Index Rapid Assessment (More-Hollerweger et al., 2014) and an update of this Assessment (Simsa et al., 2019). In 2014, the development of public and private funding, democratic rights and performance of civil society organisations (CSOs) were particularly important; in 2019, the focus was on the impact on civil society of authoritarian policies. The current survey initially focused on an analysis of the impact of the change to a more civil-society friendly government at the beginning of 2020. In the course of the year, the effects of the Covid-19 crisis came to the fore. By civil society we refer to the sphere between the state, the economy and the private sphere, in which people collectively represent and try to shape their own concerns (Simsa, 2013). Civil society and its organisations have high benefits for society. In addition to producing services for the common good, they also strengthen diversity, participation and integration. The importance of a pluralistic civil society for democracy is undisputed. Democracy thus needs civil society, but civil society is not necessarily democratic. In the last year in particular, illiberal civil-society endeavours have also gained in importance, especially based on conspiracy-theories. Nevertheless, these were only a marginal topic in the present survey. Rather, in the tradition of previous surveys, the report focuses on those areas of civil society that meet Habermas´ requirements of plurality, tolerance and discursivity (Habermas, 1992). Political framework conditions are decisive for the functioning of civil society in many respects. Apart from general human rights such as freedom of association or freedom of expression, opportunities for participation in legislative procedures, the government's information policy, and the quality of the welfare state and the financial support of civil society organisations by the public sector play an important role. Following on from the 2019 study, the following topics will therefore be analysed: The social climate in relation to civil society; Participation, i.e. political involvement of civil society; Funding of civil society organisations; The human rights situation. While in 2019 a very homogeneous picture was drawn by respondents, currently the impressions and findings are highly diverse. Some respondents complain about the lack of dialogue with politicians, while others see it as much better and more intense than in 2019. The situation is similar with participation as well as with regard to the financial situation. It is a clear result that the general climate with regard to civil society has improved. There is hardly any devaluation or defamation on the part of politicians. The pan-demy has also made clear the high importance of services provided by civil society organisations, which are therefore increasingly appreciated. Currently, many respondents also perceive a better discourse with politicians, although there are major differences in the perception of the two governing parties in this respect. However, the improved climate and the communication that is now partly possible again has shown little effect on the possibilities of political participation. In the health and social sectors as well as in climate policy, the expertise of CSOs is explicitly requested by politicians and partly taken into account, but according to the respondents there is little participation in other areas. It is interesting that the situation in this regard has changed only slightly since 2019, but that civil society currently seems to accept this more than before. Firstly, this can be attributed to the pandemic. Especially in the first months of the crisis, there was more acceptance of quick, less inclusive and less transparent decisions due to the high level of uncertainty. Furthermore, during this time, organisations in the health or care sector were stretched to the limit in coping with the greatly increased work demands, leaving less time for advocacy or criticism. Secondly, the participation of the Green Party in government also has an impact on the critical potential. On the one hand, there is a certain "inhibition to bite" on the part of some CSOs due to political or personal proximity, and there is also increased participation in the Green-led ministries. On the other hand, however, the criticism of politics, for example of asylum policy, is more severe because expectations have been disappointed. As the pandemic progressed, however, deficits in participation became clearer and more strongly criticised. The shortening of review periods, for example, which limited the possibility of comments, transparency and trust, could no longer be argued with the urgency of the decisions. The Covid-19 pandemic is associated with severe restrictions on both fundamental and human rights and civil liberties. Exit restrictions and stand-off rules also affect freedom of assembly. In this respect, there was a difficult situation in 2021. On the one hand, events were restricted at the beginning of the pandemic with reference to the health situation, which was criticised by civil society. On the other hand, however, a series of large demonstrations against the pandemic measures, some of which were banned, took place towards the end of 2020 and in 2021 with the participation of radical right-wing groups, which showed a high degree of willingness to use violence and whose participants in some cases did not comply with the pandemic regulations. Regarding the financial situation of CSOs the previously seen politically motivated cuts in public funding for critical CSOs were no longer seen. However, the cuts made in 2018/2019 had hardly been reversed. A decisive factor regarding the public funding of CSOs was the Nonprofit-emergency fund of 700 million euros decided in June, which had contributed significantly to providing financial security for many of the CSOs. In terms of policy content, hopes of civil society were disappointed, especially for improvements in asylum, ecological and social welfare legislation. The last year was dominated by COVID-19 and the handling of the pandemic, leading to the postponement of other agendas important for the future. The COVID-19 pandemic and the actions of the federal government posed many challenges to civil society and CSOs and caused considerable strain on their actors. It is to be hoped that the projects planned by the government (e.g. initiatives for voluntary work in 2021) will be taken up and that expenditures for absorbing the side effects of the pandemic will not be sacrificed to a new austerity course at the expense of the CSOs. Also, a new awareness of the importance of freedom and assembly rights has grown in many sectors of society. This can lead to an increase in the importance of CSOs in the post-pandemic period, if more people can be mobilised for their causes. The methodological basis of this survey was firstly a literature and document analysis. Secondly, a total of 27 interviews with representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) were conducted between December 2020 and February 2021.

The article substantiates the peculiarities and expediency of influence of religious organizations on the processes of state formation in the conditions of contemporary socio-political changes in Ukraine. The historical and social nature of religion is analyzed. The main provisions on the socio-political orientation of the church's activity in the socio-historical context and in the present conditions are highlighted. The stages of becoming a church as a social institution in a democratic society, the distinction between subjective (attitude to God) and objective (historical reality) religions are considered. Approaches to the analysis of issues of interdependence of religion and politics are revealed. Possible variants of the relationship between the authorities and the church in the context of different political structures have been clarified. The importance and authority of the church in finding mutually acceptable solutions in many problematic situations in a hybrid war is emphasized.The concept of «legitimacy» is specified as an important sign of democratic power, a symbol of trust, beliefs that exist in the minds of citizens and are based on the legitimacy of the authorities, citizens' recognition of the rights and duties of both their leaders and their own. The types of legitimacy of state power are analyzed. The factors of influence of religious organizations on state formation in Ukraine are highlighted. The functions of the church as a social institution in a democratic society are considered. The main directions of optimization of influence of religious organizations on state formation are outlined: approval of the positions of the Autocephalous Ukrainian Local Church; overcoming interfaith conflicts; further positive resolution of the Ukrainian religious issue at the international level; legislative clarification of the status of the church in socio-political processes; formation of political and religious component of society. Effectiveness of interaction between religious and state institutions in the country's development, making important political decisions on a common basis were confirmed.Key words: state formation, religious organizations, state, legitimacy, church, politics, hybrid war. ; У статті обґрунтовано особливості та доцільність впливу релігійних організацій на процеси державотворення в умовах сучасних суспільно-політичних змін в Україні. Проаналізовано історично-суспільну сутність релігії. Виділено основні положення щодо суспільно-політичної спрямованості діяльності церкви в соціально-історичному контексті та в сучасних умовах. Розглянуто етапи становлення церкви як соціального інституту в демократичному суспільстві, відмінності між суб'єктивною (ставлення до Бога) та об'єктивною (історична реальність) релігіями. Розкрито підходи до аналізу питань взаємозалежності релігії та політики. Уточнено можливі варіанти взаємовідносин влади та церкви в контексті різних політичних устроїв. Наголошено на значимості та авторитетності церкви в пошуку взаємоприйнятих рішень у багатьох проблемних ситуаціях в умовах гібридної війни.Конкретизовано поняття «легітимність» як важливу ознаку демократичної влади, символ довіри, уявлення, що існують у свідомості громадян та ґрунтуються на законності влади, визнанні громадянами прав та обов'язків як її керівників, так і своїх. Проаналізовано типи легітимності державної влади. Виділено чинники впливу релігійних організацій на державотворення в Україні. Розглянуто функції церкви як соціального інституту в демократичному суспільстві. Окреслено основні напрями оптимізації впливу релігійних організацій на державотворення: утвердження позицій Автокефальної Української Помісної Церкви; подолання міжконфесійних конфліктів; подальше позитивне вирішення українського релігійного питання на міжнародному рівні; законодавчого уточнення статусу церкви в суспільно-політичних процесах; формування політично-релігійної складової суспільства. Підтверджено ефективність взаємодії релігійних та державних інституцій у розбудові країни, прийняття важливих політичних рішень на спільній основі.Ключові слова: державотворення, релігійні організації, держава, легітимність, церква, політика, гібридна війна. В статье обоснованы особенности и целесообразность влияния религиозных организаций на процессы построения государства в условиях современных общественно-политических изменений в Украине. Проанализирована историко-общественная сущность религии. Выделены основные положения по общественно-политической направленности деятельности церкви в социально-историческом контексте и в современных условиях. Рассмотрены этапы становления церкви как соціального института в демократическом обществе, различия между субъективной (отношение к Богу) и объективной (историческая реальность) религиями. Раскрыто подходы к анализу вопросов взаимозависимости религии и политики. Уточнены возможные варианты взаимоотношения власти и церкви в контексте различных политических строев. Отмечено значимость и авторитетность церкви в поиске взаимоприемлемых решений во многих проблемных ситуациях в условиях гибридной войны.Конкретизировано понятие «легитимность» как важный признак демократической власти, символ доверия, представления которые, существуют в сознании граждан и основываются на законности власти, признании гражданами прав и обязанностей как ее руководителей, так и своих. Проанализированы типы легитимности государственной власти. Выделены факторы влияния религиозных организаций на построение государства в Украине. Рассмотрены функции церкви как социального института в демократическом обществе. Определены основные направления оптимизации влияния религиозных организаций на государство: утверждение позиций Автокефальной Украинской Поместной Церкви; преодоление межконфессиональных конфликтов; дальнейшее положительное решение украинского религиозного вопроса на международном уровне; законодательного уточнения статуса церкви в общественно-политических процессах; формирование политико-религиозной составляющей общества. Подтверждена эффективность взаимодействия религиозных и государственных институтов в развитии страны, принятию важных политических решений на совместной основе.Ключевые слова: построение государства, религиозные организации, государство, легитимность, церковь, политика, гибридная война. The article substantiates the peculiarities and expediency of influence of religious organizations on the processes of state formation in the conditions of contemporary socio-political changes in Ukraine. The historical and social nature of religion is analyzed. The main provisions on the socio-political orientation of the church's activity in the socio-historical context and in the present conditions are highlighted. The stages of becoming a church as a social institution in a democratic society, the distinction between subjective (attitude to God) and objective (historical reality) religions are considered. Approaches to the analysis of issues of interdependence of religion and politics are revealed. Possible variants of the relationship between the authorities and the church in the context of different political structures have been clarified. The importance and authority of the church in finding mutually acceptable solutions in many problematic situations in a hybrid war is emphasized.The concept of «legitimacy» is specified as an important sign of democratic power, a symbol of trust, beliefs that exist in the minds of citizens and are based on the legitimacy of the authorities, citizens' recognition of the rights and duties of both their leaders and their own. The types of legitimacy of state power are analyzed. The factors of influence of religious organizations on state formation in Ukraine are highlighted. The functions of the church as a social institution in a democratic society are considered. The main directions of optimization of influence of religious organizations on state formation are outlined: approval of the positions of the Autocephalous Ukrainian Local Church; overcoming interfaith conflicts; further positive resolution of the Ukrainian religious issue at the international level; legislative clarification of the status of the church in socio-political processes; formation of political and religious component of society. Effectiveness of interaction between religious and state institutions in the country's development, making important political decisions on a common basis were confirmed.Key words: state formation, religious organizations, state, legitimacy, church, politics, hybrid war.

Accounting for the interactions and effects of fisheries targeting multiple species is a longstanding issue in management systems using single species quota allocations as output control of fish stocks, such as in the European Union (EU). An unfortuante sideeffect of such management is discarding, which is the act of returning catches to the sea for one or several reasons, including insufficient quota. To minimize discarding, the EU has gradually implemented a regulation making it mandatory for fishers to take (most) catches to port. This landing obligation aim at ending discards for most fisheries and fish stocks and at incentivising fishers to increase their selectivity. For mixed fisheries, the landing obligation has thus increased the importance of catch composition (the mix of species caught together), because the regulation takes away the mechanism by which fishers previously dealt with mismatches between quota allocations and actual catches in mixed fisheries; discarding. How to adapt the fisheries and fisheries control to the landing obligation is a question of practical options at-sea but also what expectations key stakeholders have to the landing obligation and how much they are ready to comply with it. In line with the intention of the landing obligation, improved selectivity is the main option for fishers to adapt to the landing obligation. Together with increased gear selectivity, increased spatial selectivity by identifying the spatial and temporal occurrences of unwanted catches are options for optimising the fishing effort to best target wanted catches and thereby increase selectivity. However, the current fisheries management and data collection systems in Europe do not include full coverage of at-sea fishing operations. New technologies like electronic monitoring with video (EM) and opportunistic data collected at-sea may provide the additional information necessary to address the fine-scale adaptations required to improve spatial selectivity. At the same time, these new technologies may well provide a better data basis to provide the scientific advice for the management of the European fisheries. This PhD investigated the expectations of Danish fishers and fishery inspectors towards the landing obligation, as well their opinions on EM as a compliance tool in the fisheries (Paper I). We found that the landing obligation is perceived as difficult to enforce by fishery inspectors and that the majority of fishers are negative or indifferent towards the landing obligation. We found that fishery inspectors favour at-sea monitoring and observers over EM but that EM in general is seen as an option among fishery inspectors to ensure compliance with the landing obligation. Fishers have a more negative opinion towards EM, although this is mainly the case for fishers with no experience of having EM on-board, whereas the majority of fishers with experience with EM are positive towards EM. As mentioned above, improved spatial selectivity is one of the main options for adapting to the landing obligation. Adding new data to the existing sources of fisheries dependent data, like onboard observers, logbooks and vessel monitoring systems, could potentially provide new opportunities for improving the daily fishery tactics of where and when to fish. During this PhD, a new source of fisheries dependent data already existing in the Danish fisheries came to our attention. This data source, called SIF, "Sporbarhed I Fiskerisektoren" [traceability in the fisheries sector] collects information on retained catches packed at-sea from on-board grading machines. The system is used for traceability requirements, where fishers pack and label their fish at-sea (sea-packing) which ensures buyers of the fish that the crates holding the fish are labelled correctly. In terms of information level, this voluntary system resembles what is already required in the electronic logbooks (which are mandatory for vessels above 12 meters in length). However, where logbooks for catch information record only the species and volume landed, SIF also records the size (commercial size categories) of the landed fish. As such, the spatial distribution of fish sizes can be extracted. Fish size is an important driver in fishing tactics because minimum sizes determine whether fish can be sold for human consumption and because for most species, the prices per kg are higher for fish with a larger body size. This sea-packing data has to our knowledge never been used for scientific purposes. Therefore, this PhD investigated the coverage and reliability of data from the vessels which sea-pack and use the SIF system (Paper II). It was found that the validity of sea-packing data in the SIF system is not only vessel specific; it can also vary depending on the species. No clear factors were found that could explain these variations. If using SIF as scientific data input, one has to validate the quality of the data for each vessel and species for which the analysis is to be run. Unlike the SIF system, EM is established as a control tool in the United States and Canada and European trials have used EM for several management purposes. Based on data from the largest and longest running Danish EM trial, the reliability and cost of EM was investigated (Paper III). It was found that the reliability of EM in the Danish trial has been increased by technical developments and simple practical fixes. This underpin EM as a feasible Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) tool. While automated image analysis is currently the main development, which can lower EM costs, it was found that video audit times and the corresponding running costs of EM have already decreased by optimising video audit routines. EM is not a silver bullet that by default is the optimal solution for compliance or data collection, but it is a cost-effective measure compared to the current alternatives like on-board observers or at-sea control. Finally, the analysed sea-packing and EM data was used as case study input to a book chapter as part of the Horizon 2020 project "DiscardLess" (Book chapter I). The aim of these case studies was to present support tools to fishers, which may assist them in optimising their spatial selectivity. In conclusion, EM and traceability systems like SIF do provide opportunities for improved data in fisheries management and fisheries science. Within the context of the landing obligation, EM and traceability systems has a dual applicability. On one hand, these systems can assists fishers with additional information to adjust their fishery and increase selectivity. On the other hand, these systems can be used as a control tool. The acceptance of such systems rely much on how they are used. While this is a policy decision, science plays an important role in advising decision makers and stakeholders. Bringing the work of this PhD into the advisory sphere and future publications is the next stage for my work on SIF and EM. 4