Suchergebnisse

The purpose of IPBES assessments is to depict how the natural world and human societies interact with each other on a conceptual level. Habitat degradataion, eutrophication, fishing and climate change are examples of drivers of change that affect Nordic coastal habitats. Policy and governance are principal indirect drivers that both could lead to decline and deteriorations, as well as improvements and recoveries environments. Climate change will affect Nordic marine biodiversity profoundly in the future by changes in, for example, bio-chemical cycles and in the distribution of biodiversity. Such changes might lead to increased oxygen depletion in many areas, leakage of nutrients, changed thropic structures and spread of pathogens. It is therefore of paramount importance that effective governance is developed to mitigate impacts on nature's contributions to people (NCP) and to build sustainability and strategies for sustainability. Less overfishing, less euthropication, fewer pollutants and better land-use and nature protection are measures that will improve the overall resilience of Nordic coastal environments.

In this chapter, essential ecological and societal aspects of the Nordic coastal environment are highlighted. These show that local communities and stakeholders need to be more involved in decision-making because their needs and their ecological knowledge are essentialto this process. This also relates to Aichi targets 14, 15, 16 and 18 (see Lucas et al., 2015). There is the need to improve the monitoring of all types of NCP or ecosystem services and to critically review existing indicators that may be used to track the development of biodiversity and NCP. Only by actively analysing data and creating syntheses, is it possible to understand changes in the ecosystem linking biodiversity and NCP.

The current report deals with the effect of transport time and associated transport conditions on animal welfare and meat quality. The work is part of the EU EU and Animal Welfare Agency /Swedish Board of Agriculture, funded project CATRA (QLK5—1999-01507: Minimising stress inducing factors on cattle during handling and transport to improve animal welfare and meat quality: www.bt.slu.se/catra/). The project was composed of eight work packages: Baseline survey, Effect of transport time (below 14 hours and long distance more than 14 hours), Effect of vibration and motion (to be conducted both in laboratory and field conditions), Optimising pre-and post-transport handling, Air quality in the vehicles, cattle transport logistics including route optimisation, and development of control system. The purpose of the project was to gather sufficient data and to develop methods for controlling and minimizing stress inducing factors during handling and transport of cattle; develop guide-lines and recommendation for end-users, such as meat and vehicle industries and the policy makers, to improve animal welfare and meat quality on the European level. This could be fulfilled through optimization of design of handling areas, transport vehicles, and transport-associated conditions, and by promoting an IT-supported effective logistic system. Hence cattle welfare and meat quality will be improved, thereby enhancing the economic competitiveness of producers and abattoirs. As part of CATRA, this part of the project is the work done in Sweden regarding the effect of transport time, with the objective of determining the effect of transport time (up to ll hours) on animal welfare and post mortem meat quality, when cattle are transported from farms to abattoirs by commercial vehicles. The ultimate objective is to optimise transport time in relation to welfare and meat quality taking into consideration other stress inducing factors. Animals on which the experiments performed were cows, heifers, bulls and calves. Response parameters that were considered were: blood parameters (cortisol, glucose, lactate, CK,), clinical parameters (heart rate, postural stability), meat parameters (bruising score, PH-24, tenderness), and ethological parameters. Input parameters considered were parameters for loading facilities (ramps, lifts), penning systems (stocking density, social group, standing orientation, design of loading compartment), air quality (air speed, relative humidity, evenness of temperature in the compartment, level of NH3, CO2), vibration, transport time, resting time, and feeding regimes. Simultaneous and continuous measurement of heart rate, body temperature, air quality parameters, and video recording was conducted from farm to the abattoirs. Blood samples were taken before and after transport, and also during resting. The results obtained indicated that the transport and handling events are stressful for the animals as a whole, and loading and un-loading are among the most stressful events in the studied conditions. Regarding transport time, the results showed that transport time after six hours is particularly stressful for the animals when transported with usual vehicles without special equipments. In this case, it was reported a significant correlation between transport time and animal stress evaluated by physiological parameters. However, less detrimental effect of transport time on meat quality has been observed. It may therefore be concluded that transport time has influences more on animal welfare than meat quality when transported in conventional vehicles. Transport preceding and initiating conditions and processes such as keeping system, preparation, loading, planning and management, as well as unloading and lairage at the end of the transport chain are important challenges bearing various possibilities to improve welfare and meat quality. Loading and unloading facilities (such as ramp, driveways, and side-block) and quality, of floor have significant influence on both welfare and meat quality. Cattle from tied housing systems are more stressed by transport than untied cattle and there is a greater risk to develop bad carcass- and meat quality. As regard to air quality, the concentration level of ammonia and carbon dioxide increase with transport time and it occasionally passes the acceptable level when only natural ventilation is used. During the field experiment no detectable methane has been found. To prevent thermal stress, the installation of mechanical ventilation system (both for cooling and heating purposes) is recommended. The conclusions deduced from the current studies are as follows: - Transport conditions, as a whole is stressful for animals and compromise their welfare. - Loading and unloading activities are the most stress inducing factors identified using the heart rate measurements and behaviour observations - Result of the analysis of blood parameters showed that level of stress correlates with transport time. Calves are most sensitive to transport time followed by bulls, and cows are relatively less sensitive to transport length. - Transport time after six hours is stressful for the animals when transported with usual vehicles without special equipments. However, less detrimental effect of transport time on meat quality has been observed, - The evenness of temperature in the loading pens depends on season and number of stops - Concentration level of ammonia and carbon dioxide increase with transport time and it occasionally passes the acceptable level.

Cases of high levels of public debt have mostly been reported in many developing countries part of which is debt borrowed abroad. Foreign debt is more preferable by many developing countries because it is cheaper to service in terms of interest costs. These countries tax their citizens heavily to raise enough finances to pay foreign debt. It was thus feasible to establish the influence of the foreign debt and taxation on expenditure of the Kenyan government. The study employed a causal research design. The period under study ranged from 2002 to 2017. The study used secondary data which was extracted from the National Bureau of Statistics, and National Economic Surveys which were available at the Government of Kenya website. Correlation statistics were conducted to establish the association between variables. Regression analysis was used to establish the effect of foreign debt and taxation on government expenditure in Kenya. The findings revealed that foreign debt and taxation influences government expenditure individually. However, on the test of the joint effect, only taxation was found to influence public expenditure significantly unlike foreign debts.

The purpose of this is to study scrutinizes the dispute of gender discrimination, and how discriminated female employees incline towards interpersonal and organizational deviance. With quantitative approach, the data is collected through close-ended questionnaires on the adopted instruments of the sample size of 332, and these questionnaires were distributed among female employees working in public organizations. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the multi path regression analysis by using Smart-PLS software. Results show that there is impact of gender discrimination on both, interpersonal deviance and organizational deviance, where as lack of trust plays mediating role in these relations. The study recommends devising more surveillance plans to hamper gender discrimination as it creates menace, in the shape of drastic deviance, in social and organizational set up.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly when an infected person is in close contact with another person. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of COVID-19 on different countries, using USA as comparism factor. Ninety four countries were selected based on their continents, countries and cases of infection. Data from each country were obtained from United Nations Geoscheme and WHO and were analyzed and compared to that of the United State of America (USA).Data analyzed revealed that most countries in Africa appears to be least affected by the virus. Data also revealed that many countries have been able to understand and manage the spread and infectivity of the virus compared to the USA. Result from the study also showed that the many countries have been able to improve on managing the infection when compared to USA mortality. This may be due to among other factors a more robust immune response, herd immunity and united approach in the management of the disease. The result also helps to provide insight as to how significant developing and providing vaccine may be to this part of the world. Result from the study suggests that while Africa has a better immunity for the virus, there seems to be improvement the management of disease by other continent.

Summary

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. is a troublesome weed, causing economic losses by reducing crop yield, increasing herbicide and tillage costs, and degrading soils due to increased tillage requirements. The major control method for C. arvense is herbicide application, but this poses socio-environmental and herbicide resistance risks. The European Union promotes reduced dependence and sustainable use of herbicides, combined with cultural and mechanical weed control. This thesis assessed the effects of integrated weed control on the population dynamics of C. arvense. For mechanical control, farmers are recommended to act when C. arvense is most sensitive to disturbance, i.e. at the point of minimum belowground weight, coinciding with 7-10 leaves per shoot. However, many farmers believe that this is too late. To estimate the compensation point (CP), defined as the minimum weight of the entire belowground structure of C. arvense, and identify links between initial root weight, planting depth and crop competition, three outdoor pot experiments were performed. For chemical control, farmers are recommended to spray when the majority of C. arvense shoots are 10-20 cm high. To assess the effects of timing and dose of herbicide application (MCPA), and crop competition on growth and development of C. arvense, one outdoor pot experiment and one field experiment were performed. The field experiment also assessed the effects of selective cutting. It was found that CP for C. arvense occurred before 3-leaf stage and that treatment effects were minor (<0.5 leaf stages). Depletion of planted root fragments ceased on average around leaf stage 3-4, indicating that CP occurs at early leaf stages. In the pot experiment, the strongest effect of herbicide treatment was obtained by spraying with the recommended dose in the presence of a crop when the largest C. arvense shoot had 3-4 leaves, corresponding to maximum height 13 cm and median height 6 cm. Crop competition reduced biomass, shoot height and leaf production of C. arvense regardless of herbicide dose. In the field experiment, herbicide treatment at 4-5 leaves or 8-10 leaves gave similar control effects as selective cutting. Herbicide application had a more immediate effect on growth and development of C. arvense while selective cutting depleted the below-ground structures more gradually. The results indicate that mechanical control of C. arvense should be performed earlier than previously recommended, probably before C. arvense reaches 3-4 leaves per shoot. Also early herbicide spraying seems to be as efficient as spraying later in the season.

Accountability is the responsibility of the obligation to account for the success or failure in carrying out the organization's mission in achieving the goals and targets that have been set through a media of accountability periodically. As a follow up in eradicating the practice of Collusion of Corruption and Nepotism as mandated by Law Number 28 of 1999, in the context of further improving the implementation of a more efficient, effective, clean and responsible government. Government Policy through Presidential Instruction No. 7 of 1999 issued regulations regarding the Accountability of Government Agencies' Performance so that good governance was created. The purpose of this study is to find out: (1) Implementation of Performance Accountability System of Government Agencies in the Regional Civil Service Agency of Musi Banyuasin Regency (2) Implementation of good governance in the Regional Civil Service Agency of Musi Banyuasin Regency (3) How much influence the implementation of Government Institution Performance Accountability System the application of good governance in the Regional Personnel Agency of Musi Banyuasin Regency. The method used in this research is analytical descriptive with survey approach. Whereas to analyze the data obtained used the moment Product Correlation Coefficient Analysis, Determinant Coefficient Test and Hypothesis Test using the Significance Test (t Test). The results obtained are: (1) Implementation of the Accountability System of Government Agencies' Performance in the Regional Civil Service Agency of Musi Banyuasin Regency, including very good classification. (2) the application of Good Governance in the Regional Civil Service Agency of Musi Banyuasin Regency is included in the very good classification. (3) The implementation of the Government Agency Performance Accountability System has a significant effect on the implementation of Good Governance in the Regional Personnel Agency office in Musi Banyuasin.

In this paper, we discuss the bridging potential of "interspecies" solidarity between the often incommensurable ethics of care and justice. Indeed, we show that the Environmental Communication literature emphasizes feelings of care and compassion as vectors of responsibility taking for animals. But we also show that a growing field of Political Animal Rights suggest that such responsibility taking should instead be grounded in universalizable terms of justice. Our argument is that a dual conception of solidarity can bridge this divide: On the one hand, solidarity as a pre-political relation with animals and, on the other hand, as a political practice based on open public deliberation of universalizable claims to justice; that is, claims to justice advanced by human proxy representatives of vulnerable non-humans. Such a dual conception can both challenge and validate NGOs' claims to "speak on behalf of animals" in policy following the Aarhus Convention, indeed underwriting the Convention by insights from internatural communication in solidarity as relation, and by subjecting it to rational scrutiny in mini-publics in solidary as practice.

The restriction on seed treatments containing neonicotinoid insecticides in the European Union has brought crop protection into focus for oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). In spring sown oilseed rape, neonicotinoid seed treatments have mainly been used for protection against flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.), and there is now a need to evaluate alternative control methods. We investigated the effect of reduced tillage and altered seeding date on flea beetle crop damage in spring oilseed rape in eight field experiments over three years in south central Sweden. The average proportion of cotyledon area damaged by flea beetles was not affected by the tillage treatment. Proportion of crop damage was, however, lower in early seeded compared to late seeded plots (0.21 compared to 0.28). We conclude that earlier seeding holds promise to be incorporated into an integrated pest management program for flea beetles in spring oilseed rape, whereas further research on reduced or zero tillage strategies for flea beetle control is warranted.