Suchergebnisse

RESUMO: As doenças mentais são comuns, universais e associadas a uma significativa sobrecarga pessoal, familiar, social e económica. Os Serviços de Saúde Mental devem abordar de forma adequada as necessidades dos pacientes e familiares tanto ao nível clínico como também ao nível social. O presente estudo foi realizado num período de grande transformação nos sistemas de saúde primário e de saúde mental em Portugal, num Departamento de Psiquiatria desenvolvido com base nos princípios da OMS. Os objectivos incluem a caracterização: 1) das Unidades Funcionais do Departamento; 2) dos pacientes internados pela primeira vez no internamento de agudos; 3) da utilização dos serviços nas equipas comunitárias após a alta; e 4) da avaliação de alguns dos indicadores de qualidade do departamento, com recurso ao modelo de Donabedian sobre a articulação entre a Estrutura-Processo-Resultados. Metodologia: Foi escolhido um estudo de coorte retrospectivo. Todos os pacientes internados pela primeira vez entre 2008 e 2010 foram incluídos no estudo. Os seus processos clínicos e a base de dados do hospital onde são registados todos os contactos que estes tiveram com os profissionais de saúde mental foram revistos de forma a obter dados sociodemográficos e clínicos, durante o período do estudo e após a alta. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o WHO-ICMHC (Classificação Internacional de Cuidados de Saúde Mental), para caracterizar o Departamento, o AIESMP (Avaliação Inicial de Enfermagem em Saúde Mental e Psiquiatria) para recolha dos dados sociodemográficos, e o VSSS (Escala de Satisfação com os Serviços de Verona) de forma a avaliar a satisfação dos pacientes em relação aos cuidados recebidos. A análise estatística incluiu a análise descritiva, quantitativa e qualitativa dos dados. Resultados: As Unidades Funcionais do Departamento revelaram níveis elevados de articulação e consistência com as necessidades de cuidados psiquiátricos e reabilitação psicossocial dos pacientes. Os 543 pacientes admitidos pela primeira vez eram maioritariamente (56.9%) mulheres, caucasianas (81.2%), com diagnóstico de perturbações do humor (66.3%), internadas voluntariamente (59.7%), e uma idade média de 45.1 anos. Estas eram significativamente mais velhas, mais frequentemente empregadas, casadas/coabitar e tinham uma prevalência mais elevada de perturbações do humor, comparativamente aos homens. O internamento compulsivo era mais significativo nos homens (54.7%). A taxa de abandono no pós-alta (4.2%) e a taxa de reinternamentos (2.9%) na quinzena após a alta revelaram-se inferiores aos padrões na literatura internacional. De forma global, a satisfação dos pacientes com os cuidados de saúde mental foi positiva. Conclusões: Os cuidados prestados mostraram-se eficazes, adaptados e baseados nas necessidades e problemas específicos dos pacientes. A continuidade e a abrangência de cuidados foram difundidos e mantidos ao longo do processo de cuidados. Este Departamento pode ser considerado um exemplo de como proporcionar tratamento digno e eficiente, e uma referência para futuros serviços de psiquiatria. --- ABSTRACT: Mental health disorders are common, universal, and associated with heavy personal, family, social and economic burden. Mental health services should be aimed at adequately addressing patients' and families' needs at clinical and social level. The current study was carried out at a time of great transformation in the health and mental health systems in Portugal, in a Psychiatric Department developed taking in consideration the WHO principles. The objectives included characterizing: 1) the Psychiatric Department's different units; 2) the patients admitted for the first time to the inpatient unit; 3) their use of community mental health services after discharge; and 4) assessing some of the department's quality indicators, with resource to Donabedian's Structure-Process-Outcome model. Methodology: A retrospective cohort design was chosen. All the firstly admitted patients in the period between 2008 and 2010 were included in the study. Their clinical records and the hospital's database which registers all of the contacts the patients had with the mental health professionals during the study period, were reviewed to retrieve sociodemographic and clinical data and information on follow-up. The instruments used were the WHO International Classification of Mental Health Care (ICMHC) to characterize the department, the Initial Nurses' Assessment in Mental Health and Psychiatry (AIESMP) for patients' sociodemographic data, and the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale (VSSS) to assess patients' satisfaction with care received. Statistical analysis included descriptive, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data. Results: The Department's Functional units revealed high levels of articulation, and were consistent with patients' needs for psychiatric care and psychosocial rehabilitation. The 543 patients firstly admitted were mainly (56.9%) female, Caucasian (81.2%), diagnosed with mood disorders (66.3%), voluntarily admitted (59.7%), and with a mean age of 45.1 years. Female patients were significantly older, more frequently employed, married/cohabiting and had a higher prevalence of mood disorders when compared to males. Involuntary admission was more significant in males (54.7%). Dropout rates during follow-up (4.2%) and readmission rates (2.9%) in the fortnight following discharge were lower than standards in international literature. Overall patients' satisfaction with mental health care was positive. Conclusions: The care delivered was effective, adapted and based on the patients' specific needs and problems. Continuity and comprehensiveness of care was endorsed and maintained throughout the care process. This department may be considered an example of both humane and effective treatment, and a reference for future psychiatric care.

[eng] The general objective of the doctoral thesis is to evaluate the effects of macroeconomic policies on the economy and the environment. Chapter 2 examines the composition of fiscal policy and its transmission mechanisms on various macroeconomic aggregates in open economies. Chapter 3 examines the transmission mechanisms of conventional and unconventional monetary policies on the macroeconomic aggregates in open economies. Chapter 4 explores the interactions among macroeconomic policies, the energy market and environmental quality. The analysis of the effects of fiscal and monetary policies on the economy and the environment is conducted using the structural vector autoregressive (VAR) methodology. This procedure is suitable when the variables of interest are endogenous, which is typically the case with macroeconomic and environmental variables. Structural VAR models allow to examine the dynamic interactions among the variables and feedback effects, through the impulse response functions and the variance decomposition. Chapter 2 provides a detailed examination on the composition of fiscal policy and its transmission mechanisms on various macroeconomic aggregates for two Anglo-Saxon countries, the United States and the United Kingdom, over the period 1964-2017. While research on fiscal policy has been substantial, the study of the transmission mechanisms and effects of tax revenue and government spending components in an open economy framework has received less attention. This chapter contributes to the literature on the disaggregated analysis of fiscal policy in open economies. We examine the composition of fiscal policy by asking whether government spending disaggregation matters for the transmission of fiscal policy on the macroeconomic aggregates. In addition, the chapter explores the role of the exchange rate and the trade balance in the transmission of shocks to tax revenue and government spending components. We estimate the effects of disaggregated fiscal policy shocks on the macroeconomic aggregates. Using the recursive approach, we identify a tax revenue and a government spending component shock that rotates between (i) government non-wage consumption (ii) government wage consumption (iii) public investment. The conducted analysis reveals that the disaggregation of fiscal policy matters since each fiscal instrument implies different transmission channels and effects on the real economy. It therefore seems essential to disaggregate government spending into its main components to uncover significant and different patterns that an aggregated analysis cannot reveal. However, as expected, the effects of government spending components on certain economic variables are weak and insignificant. In addition, our findings suggest that fiscal policy can be operative, besides the interest rate channel, via an exchange rate and trade balance channels. Considering an open economy framework is therefore essential since a part of the fiscal stimulus propagates abroad through external channels. The results occurring from this chapter have several policy implications. First, government non-wage consumption increases could have contractionary effects on the real economy as observed in the countries and the period considered in our analysis. Our findings also indicate that, as expected, public wage policies have a greater impact on the labor market than changes in the other components of government spending, while they have a relatively small effect on the output. Moreover, government efforts to stimulate the real economy through the increase in public investment should be accompanied by other types of macroeconomic policy instruments in order to offset the crowding out effect on private activity. Besides, the examination of tax revenue reveals different implications. In the United States, tax revenue cuts can stimulate economic activity and increase prices in the short run. In contrast, tax revenue cuts do not seem to be effective in stimulating the United Kingdom economy. Chapter 3 examines the transmission mechanisms of conventional and unconventional monetary policies on the macroeconomic aggregates in open economies. While research on monetary policy has been substantial, less attention was given to the study of the role of stock prices and consumer expectations in the transmission of monetary policy. In addition, very few studies have analysed the effects of monetary policy in open economies outside the euro area. Taking this into account, the analysis is carried out for two non-EMU countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, over the period 1990-2017. First, we examine whether conventional monetary policy is operative, besides other well-known channels, via a stock price and consumer confidence channels. We then explore the role of long-term interest rates, exchange rates and stock prices in the transmission of unconventional monetary policy. The chapter proposes two distinct structural VAR models based on a novel specification. The baseline model for the case of conventional monetary policy covers the pre-2009 period and is estimated using quarterly data, while the baseline model for the case of unconventional monetary policy covers the post-2009 period and is estimated using monthly data. The official bank policy rate and central bank's reserve assets are used as instruments for conventional and unconventional monetary policy. Considering stock prices is of key importance since monetary policy decisions have an impact on financing conditions and market expectations, thus leading to adjustments of asset prices. If central banks are forward looking, the monetary policy instrument cannot be properly identified unless expectations are taken into account. Our modelling approach consists in augmenting the structural VAR model with a forward-looking informational variable of near-term development in economic activity and several foreign exogenous variables to control for international spillovers. For the case of conventional monetary policy, the consumer confidence indicator is used since it contains important information used by central banks about consumer expectations as regards future economic conditions. For the case of unconventional monetary policy, the long-term government bond yields are used to capture consumer expectations about future short-term interest rates. The conducted analysis reveals that the inclusion of a forward-looking informational variable of near-term development in economic activity and a financial variable such as the stock prices are of key importance for the monetary policy assessment. We provide evidence for the existence of a consumer confidence channel in the transmission mechanism of conventional monetary policy. An expansionary policy enhances households' perception with regards future economic conditions, which may result in a tendency to consumer more and save less. Thus, changes in consumer confidence can potentially amplify the effects of monetary policy on the real economy. Moreover, the results indicate that the long-term government bond yields have an important role in the transmission mechanism of unconventional monetary policy. Although these results have limited policy implications, they reveal the importance of considering these specific transmission channels and controlling for global supply and demand shocks in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of monetary policy. Overall, our findings indicate that conventional and unconventional monetary policies were effective in providing temporary stimulus to the economies of Switzerland and the United Kingdom during the considered periods. Chapter 4 examines the interactions among macroeconomic policies, the energy market and environmental quality. These interactions and channels among them are studied through structural VAR models based on a macroeconomic framework including the energy market. This chapter builds on the growing literature analysing the links between macroeconomic policies and environmental variables. It examines for the first time how the implementation of macroeconomic policies, that aim to stimulate the economy, may also affect the quality of the environment along the business cycle and the specific role of energy markets as transmission channels. On the one hand, the chapter evaluates the implications of macroeconomic policies on the price of non-renewable energy and the use of both renewable and non-renewable energy. On the other hand, it assesses the influence of fiscal policy components, conventional and unconventional monetary policies on greenhouse gas emissions generated by the energy sector. The empirical analysis is conducted for Switzerland and the United Kingdom over the period 1990-2016. The geographical and physical characteristics of these two countries make them particularly vulnerable to global warming. For the case of monetary policy, the analysis is explicitly made on sub-periods since the implementation of quantitative easing can be viewed as a new monetary policy regime. The results occurring from Chapter 4 reveals several policy implications. Fiscal policy, besides its primary role in stabilizing economic activity, can contribute to the achievement of environmental sustainability. Our findings indicate that public investment is more efficient than government consumption in reducing non-renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis of the composition of government spending seems crucial to establish how the different spending categories can complement the efforts to conserve natural resources, promote the use of clean energy and enhance environmental quality. On the other hand, the examination of monetary policy reveals that central banks should investigate the impact of their interventions on environmental quality through the renewable and non-renewable energy markets. In the United Kingdom, conventional monetary policy proves to be effective in promoting the deployment of renewable energies and reducing emissions. In Switzerland, central bank's efforts to stimulate the real economy through the decrease in interest rates should be accompanied by more strict environmental regulations in order to offset the rise in emissions. Moreover, the conducted analysis reveals that unconventional monetary policy can lead to enhancements of environmental quality. However, as expected, quantitative easing is not by itself capable of substantially reducing emissions and other types of environmental policies need to be implemented jointly. Although monetary policy cannot yet be considered as a policy instrument for climate change and energy, central banks should incorporate environmental issues in their welfare maximization problem.

A survey of official reactions from 11 Global South states outside the Middle East/North Africa region — Brazil, Mexico, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam — reveals a consensus on condemnation of Hamas' attacks. But their statements differ on who's to blame, what's the solution, and what to do next. Most of the states selected in this survey are among the Global South's key middle powers. Four smaller or less influential states — Bangladesh, Kenya, Malaysia, and Singapore — also included.In Latin America, Brazil said it "condemns the series of bombings and ground attacks carried out today in Israel from the Gaza Strip (and) expresses condolences to the families of the victims and expresses its solidarity with the people of Israel.""There is no justification for resorting to violence, especially against civilians," the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement. "The Brazilian Government urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalating the situation."Brazil also "reiterates its commitment to the two-state solution...within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders" and "reaffirms that the mere management of the conflict does not constitute a viable alternative for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and the resumption of peace negotiations is urgent."Brazilian President Luiz Inacio "Lula" Da Silva also expressed his "rejection of terrorism in any of its forms" and called for a two-state solution. Brazil, as the United Nations Security Council president for October, called a closed emergency session of the Council this weekend. The meeting failed to agree on a statement.Mexico's foreign ministry "condemns the attacks suffered by the people of Israel (and) calls for an end to this inappropriate violence...to avoid an escalation that (will cause) greater...suffering to the civilian population."The Mexican statement also argued that it is "essential to resume the process of direct and good faith negotiations between both parties...within the framework of the two-state solution...within mutually agreed upon and internationally recognized secure borders in accordance with (United Nations resolutions)."Turning to Africa, Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs "condemns, in the strongest terms possible, the unprovoked attack by Hamas militants" and called on both sides to "exercise restraint and seek a negotiated agreement" to the conflict.Nigeria, for its part, said it is "deeply concerned" at the "outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas" and "calls for de-escalation and ceasefire" and a "peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue."South Africa called for an "immediate cessation of violence, restraint and peace." "The new conflagration has arisen from...illegal occupation of Palestine land, desecration of Al Aqsa mosque & Christian holy sites and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people," the South African foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday, calling for a return to the "1967 internationally recognized borders with East Jerusalem as capital" and also mentioning "the right of return."Looking at Asia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quoted as saying he is "deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel, adding that he and his government "stand in solidarity with Israel." The Indian foreign ministry had not issued a press release on the crisis at the time of writing.Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it "denounces the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestine and deplores the resultant loss of innocent civilian lives (and) calls for an immediate ceasefire.""Living under the Israeli occupation and forced settlements in Palestinian territory will not bring peace," the statement continued, adding that Bangladesh "supports a two-state solution, Palestine and Israel, living side by side as independent states free of occupation following UN Resolutions No. 242 and 338."Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it "is deeply concerned with the escalation of conflict between Palestine and Israel.""Indonesia urges the immediate end of violence," the statement said. "The root of the conflict, namely the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, must be resolved, in accordance with the parameters agreed upon by the UN."Vietnam said it is "profoundly concerned" and called "on relevant parties to exercise restraint" and "refrain from taking actions that complicate the situation." Hanoi added that it calls on "relevant parties" to "soon resume negotiations to resolve disagreements through peaceful means, on the basis of international law and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council."Meanwhile, Singapore stated that it "strongly condemns the rocket and terror attacks from Gaza on Israel, which have resulted in deaths and injuries of many innocent civilians.""We call for an immediate end to the violence and urge all sides to do their utmost to protect the safety and security of civilians," said a spokesperson for Singapore's foreign ministry.Malaysia said it "is deeply concerned over the loss of so many lives due to the latest escalation of clashes in and around the Gaza Strip. At this critical time...parties must exercise utmost restraint and de-escalate.""The root cause must be acknowledged," the statement continued. "The Palestinians have been subjected to the prolonged illegal occupation, blockade and sufferings, the desecration of Al-Aqsa, as well as the politics of dispossession at the hands of Israel as the occupier.""There should be no...flagrant hypocrisy in dealing with any regime that practices apartheid and blatantly violates...international law," Malaysia's foreign ministry added. "Palestinians have the legal right to live in a state of peace within its own recognised borders based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."While each of these 11 states has, as one could expect, condemned the horrific attack by Hamas, their statements reveal different leanings on Israel. India (though an official foreign ministry statement is still not out) currently seems closest to the Israeli and American position, by invoking terrorism with no mention of de-escalation, the two-state solution, or key UN resolutions on Palestine. Singapore too invokes terrorism. Kenya mentions terrorism indirectly, but calls the Hamas attack "unprovoked." Though the official Brazilian statement does not mention the T word, Lula's comments clearly label the Hamas attacks as terrorism.The seven other states have not characterized the attack as terrorism. Nigeria however avoids criticizing Israel and couches its calls to peace in general terms. Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Africa criticize Israel and specifically cite the Israeli occupation as the root cause. Brazil, Mexico and Vietnam stay focused on restraint, the two-state solution and UN resolutions or relevant international law. If we were to project these reactions on a spectrum of the degree of alignment to U.S. and Israeli positions on the crisis (admittedly a challenging task due to the complexity of the issues involved and the early stage of the responses), India and Kenya seem to be at the end closest to the U.S. and Israel. They are followed by Singapore and Nigeria. Brazil, Mexico, and Vietnam appear to be next.At the other end of this spectrum, and thus relatively the least aligned with Israeli and U.S. positions, lie Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Africa. If the violence in the Middle East escalates much more, as seems likely, expect the diplomatic action to move to the United Nations. We will then know much more about where Global South states stand on the matter.

Facts and figures indicate a continuously increasing societal welfare. But what about its impacts on the environment? The growing wealth has been accompanied by environmental degradation, deforestation, losses in bio-diversity, global warming, air pollution, depletion of the ozone layer, and overfishing. Recent measurements have been performed related to the depletion of natural resources showing that humans currently use the resources of 1.25 Earths. At the current consumption levels of high-income countries, the world could only sustainably support 1.75 billion people, not the 6.5 billion living on Earth today. Fortunately ecological awareness is consensus today and reaches far more social levels than just greenies and do-gooders - see the LOHAS trend in this book as an example. Governments have recognized that environmental protection is a worldwide concern that can be solved solely through co-operation. Especially renewable energy has reached the top of the agendas of the United Nations, the G8, and other multilateral fora. At the last conference of the UN climate council the participants noticed that the technologies, required to limit the greenhouse gas emission, are available and affordable. Thus the framework for a change is established and available. It´s up to mankind to carry out the transformation. This book gives an insight into the current social transformation that is underway. Research indicates that societies are undergoing a decisive and formative value transformation, away from a pure materialistic and monetary mindset towards a lifestyle of health and sustainability and a better quality of life. Surveys also revealed that although people, especially in the developed countries, continuously got richer over the last 50 years they did not become happier. This finding was responsible that the science of happiness research experienced a tremendous increasing attention over the last 10 years and that even on governmental level the opinion became accepted that we have to go beyond GDP. Impacts of this value transformation are already visible today in several industries. Starting with a brief description of the historical evolution of the industries, followed by some critical words about welfare and environmental pollution vital signs indicating that societies worldwide are going through a change are highlighted. A deeper look will be taken into the powerful LOHAS trend, corporate social responsibility, governmental and non-governmental initiatives - especially the discussion to go beyond GDP and the mighty upcoming science happiness research - and the remarkable boom of the renewable energies. Before concluding with a short summary, the impacts of that transformation on several industries are identified and described.Juergen Mohr was born 1968 in Nuremberg. Based on his studies of Physics that he successfully completed in 1995 with the degree Diploma, Juergen Mohr decided to improve his professional qualifications in the area of business administration and corporate management. From October 2006 to January 2009 Juergen Mohr graduated an international part-time MBA studies in General Management at the Georg-Simon-Ohm Management-Institute in Nuremberg with distinction and best graduate of the year. During his studies he deeply looked into the science happiness research, the sustainable development, and the societal change currently underway, summarizing his results in the book at hand. In his private life Juergen Mohr supports several non-governmental organizations focused on social justice and environmental protection.

In an increasingly globalized world, it is obvious that digital technology has transformed the world. Modern society is immersed in a continuous process of information acquisition and new knowledge. Likewise, the process of globalization is not a uniform process. In turn, economic interdependence is increasing between areas and less developed regions are being left behind due to structural changes in the world economy. Nevertheless, the knowledge era will continue to offer new discoveries which bring value to economies. In this context, an adequate smart potential favour the adaptation, productivity and living standards of regions prior to change. Consistent with international influence the European Union, considers innovation the main course of action for smart and sustainable growth. Technological advances have revealed the significance of knowledge as the dominant intangible asset. In fact, knowledge creates smart potential, an asset that can provide a competitive edge to regions. Intelligent potential, therefore, should be considered a productive factor, the same as capital formation or labour. Thus, both structural and human factors are considered important for economic growth, as well as for improving competitiveness towards a better economic position, greater social welfare and prosperity. As a consequence, the aim of this thesis focuses on two areas: firstly, to understand the potential intellect, and its components: human; and technological and digital structural, in the European regional level from the perspective of intellectual capital; secondly, to analyse the relationship between these factors and traditional production factors in labour productivity. The empirical data used for this thesis is based on the information of 269 European NUTS 2 regions for the period 2009-2019 showing the distribution of the smart potential and its relationship to an increase in production. This thesis concludes that both components of intellectual capital (human; and technological and digital structural) allow European regions to improve their productivity results and wealth outcomes, taking into account the global and competitive context in which they develop. On the one hand, human capital (demography, education, health and market structure) increases the productivity of labour force more than other factors and with more impact in European regions which are lagging behind. On the other hand, structural R&D and technological capital (science technology, digital economy and society) has a positive influence on the labour productivity of regional economies, although dependant to a large extent on the volume of investment in physical capital. This factor has a greater relevance in advanced European regions. Finally, both capitals' strengths, i.e. knowledge and new technologies have a positive impact on wealth creation on a European level. It can be concluded that regional economic productivity must be accompanied, by the promotion of structural factors such as technological innovation to boost productive capital and, furthermore, that human factors such as training, health and the development of the workforce all support labour productivity. Policy issues are beyond the scope of this research, although the information derived from it could be valuable as source for the development of policy practices. It follows that there is an urgent need for governments to reconsider how they model various scenarios in which knowledge influences and may contribute to growth and development. Keywords: human capital, structural capital, intelectual capital, intelligent potential, productivity, regions, NUTS 2

The INSPIRE project was dedicated to the study of physical processes and their effects in ionosphere which could be determined as earthquake precursors together with detailed description of the methodology of ionospheric pre-seismic anomalies definition. It was initiated by ESA and carried out by an international consortium. The full set of key parameters of the ionospheric plasma was selected based on the retrospective analysis of the ground-based and satellite measurements of pre-seismic anomalies. Using this classification the multi-instrumental database of worldwide relevant ionospheric measurements (ionosonde and GNSS networks, LEO-satellites with in situ probes including DEMETER and FORMOSAT/COSMIC ROC missions) was developed for the time intervals related to selected test cases. As statistical processing shows, the main ionospheric precursors appear approximately 5 days before the earthquake within the time interval of 30 days before and 15 days after an earthquake event. The physical mechanisms of the ionospheric pre-seismic anomalies generation from ground to the ionosphere altitudes were formulated within framework of the Lithosphere-Atmosphere- Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) model. The processes of precursor's development were analyzed starting from the crustal movements, radon emission and air ionization, thermal and atmospheric anomalies, electric field and electromagnetic emissions generation, variations of the ionospheric plasma parameters, in particular vertical TEC and vertical profiles of the electron concentration. The assessment of the LAIC model performance with definition of performance criteria for earthquake forecasting probability has been done in statistical and numerical simulation domains of the Global Electric Circuit. The numerical simulations of the earthquake preparation process as an open complex system from start of the final stage of earthquake preparation up to the final point–main shock confirms that in the temporal domain the ionospheric precursors are one of the most late in the sequence of precursors. The general algorithm for the identification of the ionospheric precursors was formalized which also takes into account the external Space Weather factors able to generate the false alarms. The importance of the special stable pattern called the "precursor mask" was highlighted which is based on self-similarity of pre-seismic ionospheric variations. The role of expert decision in pre-seismic anomalies interpretation for generation of seismic warning is important as well. The algorithm performance of the LAIC seismo-ionospheric effect detection module has been demonstrated using the L'Aquila 2009 earthquake as a case study. The results of INSPIRE project have demonstrated that the ionospheric anomalies registered before the strong earthquakes could be used as reliable precursors. The detailed classification of the pre-seismic anomalies was presented in different regions of the ionosphere and signatures of the pre-seismic anomalies as detected by ground and satellite based instruments were described what clarified methodology of the precursor's identification from ionospheric multi-instrumental measurements. Configuration for the dedicated multiobservation experiment and satellite payload was proposed for the future implementation of the INSPIRE project results. In this regard the multi-instrument set can be divided into two groups: space equipment and ground-based support, which could be used for realtime monitoring. Together with scientific and technical tasks the set of political, logistic and administrative problems (including certification of approaches by seismological community, juridical procedures by the governmental authorities) should be resolved for the real earthquake forecast effectuation. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (published version)

The purpose of this study was to explore the development, implementation, and impact of a musical learning project in two middle school general music contexts. Specifically, this study sought to consider in what ways, if any, such a project supported critical reflection, created opportunities for border crossing, and encouraged multiple ways of knowing in the music classroom (Giroux, 2005). Co-designed by the researcher and two participating educators, the five-week project focused on the creation of digitally designed student soundscape compositions that aimed to help students draw connections between learning practice and in-the-world experience. Critical listening and dialogue were utilized as pedagogical approaches to help students build upon their diverse knowledges, challenge taken-for-granted norms and draw connections between personal experience, educational endeavors, and the social world. Both the project and study were grounded in the overarching theoretical framework of border crossing (Giroux, 2005) wherein "existing patterns of thought, relationship, and identity are called into question" and "juxtaposed with alternative ways of knowing and being (Hayes & Cuban, 1996, p. 6). This framework was complemented by those of dark and politicized funds of knowledge (Gallo & Link, 2015; Moll et al., 1992; Zipin, 2009), critical listening and mis-listening (Lipari, 2014; Schmidt, 2012b), authorial agency (Matusov et al., 2016), and self-authorship (Baxter Magolda & King, 2004) throughout the analysis. A critical, qualitative approach was utilized in order to consider the problem from the perspectives of the participants and to contextualize it within the realities of individual classrooms (Matsunobu & Bresler, 2014). A hybridized methodological framework of design-based research (McKenney & Reeves, 2012), critical educational action research (Kemmis, 2010), and case study (Yin, 2014) was employed. This framework allowed for the development of a learning project that was iteratively implemented alongside two music educators in order to critically explore and understand classroom practice. Data collection involved interviews with students and educators, focus groups, participant observation, and journaling. This study found that project-based approaches to middle school general music, when predicated on students' experiences and implemented in a way that promotes critical reflection, can help students engage in border crossing practices. Through this project, students in this study interrogated the strengths and limitations of their experiences, juxtaposed their own beliefs with those of others, and began to critically and creatively reimagine their role in and with the world. Cross-case data analysis uncovered themes related to both student and educator experience (Miles et al., 2014). For students, the creation of space for engagement with diverse perspectives, modeling of and practice in critical listening and reflection, and compositional prompts that encourage a critical view of the world emerged as important. For educators, opportunities for dispositional and pedagogical reflection, curricular self-authoring, and discourses based on the complexities of student funds of knowledge arose. Based on these findings, a conceptual model that places practices of border crossing into a creative musical setting was developed. This model, which focuses on the cultivation of critical artistic dispositions wherein students imagine, creatively generate, and artistically actualize ideas that interrogate and engage with local and global realities, was generated to help educators seeking to design critical curricula in the general music setting.

5 pages, 1 figure.-- The MME-T-MEDNet databased was published in the Digital.CSIC repository. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20350/digitalCSIC/8575. HANDLE: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/171445 ; Anthropogenic climate change, and global warming in particular, has strong and increasing impacts on marine ecosystems (Poloczanska et al., 2013; Halpern et al., 2015; Smale et al., 2019). The Mediterranean Sea is considered a marine biodiversity hot-spot contributing to more than 7% of world's marine biodiversity including a high percentage of endemic species (Coll et al., 2010). The Mediterranean region is a climate change hotspot, where the respective impacts of warming are very pronounced and relatively well documented (Cramer et al., 2018). One of the major impacts of sea surface temperature rise in the marine coastal ecosystems is the occurrence of mass mortality events (MMEs). The first evidences of this phenomenon dated from the first half of'80 years affecting the Western Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea (Harmelin, 1984; Bavestrello and Boero, 1986; Gaino and Pronzato, 1989; Voultsiadou et al., 2011). The most impressive phenomenon happened in 1999 when an unprecedented large scale MME impacted populations of more than 30 species from different phyla along the French and Italian coasts (Cerrano et al., 2000; Perez et al., 2000). Following this event, several other large scale MMEs have been reported, along with numerous other minor ones, which are usually more restricted in geographic extend and/or number of affected species (Garrabou et al., 2009; Rivetti et al., 2014; Marbà et al., 2015; Rubio-Portillo et al., 2016, authors' personal observations). These events have generally been associated with strong and recurrent marine heat waves (Crisci et al., 2011; Kersting et al., 2013; Turicchia et al., 2018; Bensoussan et al., 2019) which are becoming more frequent globally (Smale et al., 2019). Both field observations and future projections using Regional Coupled Models (Adloff et al., 2015; Darmaraki et al., 2019) show the increase in Mediterranean sea surface temperature, with more frequent occurrence of extreme ocean warming events. As a result, new MMEs are expected during the coming years. To date, despite the efforts, neither updated nor comprehensive information can support scientific analysis of mortality events at a Mediterranean regional scale. Such information is vital to guide management and conservation strategies that can then inform adaptive management schemes that aim to face the impacts of climate change ; MV-L was supported by a postdoctoral contract Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación (IJCI-2016-29329) of Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. AI was supported by a Technical staff contract (PTA2015-10829-I) Ayudas Personal Técnico de Apoyo of Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (2015). Interreg Med Programme (grant number Project MPA-Adapt 1MED15_3.2_M2_337) 85% cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund, the MIMOSA project funded by the Foundation Prince Albert II Monaco and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 689518 (MERCES). DG-G was supported by an FPU grant (FPU15/05457) from the Spanish Ministry of Education. J-BL was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the programme PT2020 ; Peer Reviewed

International audience ; La directive oiseaux Parmi les différents éléments de notre environnement, les oiseaux sauvages tiennent depuis le début une place particulière. La volonté de les protéger est ancienne et bien établie. Non seulement peu d'espèces ou de groupes d'espèces ont fait comme eux l'objet de réglementations qui leur soient spécifiquement et exclusivement consacrées, mais c'est encore en leur faveur que furent posés les premiers jalons du droit international, puis du droit communautaire de l'environnement. La Convention de 1902 relative à la protection des oiseaux utiles à l'agriculture fut la première convention multilatérale « conservationniste » dans le champ de la protection de la nature. De même, soixante-seize années plus tard, la directive européenne sur les oiseaux marque le début de la mise en place de la politique communautaire en faveur de la protection de la nature. L'adoption de la directive La Communauté économique européenne, devenue Union européenne en 2009, n'a pas à l'origine de compétence dans le champ de l'environnement. Lancée dans les années 1970, son action environnementale répond plus au souci d'éviter ou de limiter les distorsions de concurrence, qu'à celui de protéger l'environnement lui-même. Mais la Communauté évolue peu à peu ensuite vers une politique globale et préventive, axée davantage sur la conservation de la nature. L'adoption de la « directive 79/409/CEE du Conseil, du 2 avril 1979, concernant la conservation des oiseaux sauvages » dite « oiseaux » est le premier acte de cette nouvelle orientation. L'origine de la directive « oiseaux » peut être trouvée dans une forte préoccupation publique, notamment au sujet de la capture et la destruction d'oiseaux migrateurs dans certains États membres. Ce mouvement d'opinion est relayé par plusieurs ONGs comme BirdLife ou la puissante association britannique Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Différentes études montrent aussi la réduction du nombre d'espèces d'oiseaux vivant en Europe, ainsi qu'une diminution parfois importante de leurs populations. Le caractère partiellement migrateur des oiseaux les désigne pour amorcer la politique européenne de protection de la nature. En cela, comme le précise le préambule de la directive, les oiseaux « vivant naturellement à l'état sauvage sur le territoire européen des États membres (…) constituent un patrimoine commun ». Leur protection appelle une coopération européenne. Un texte ambitieux La directive est très ambitieuse. Elle offre une protection de principe à « toutes les espèces d'oiseaux vivant naturellement à l'état sauvage sur le territoire européen des États membres ». Cela concerne environ 500 espèces d'oiseaux, couvrant toutes leurs populations et individus, quelle qu'en soit la provenance. Elle s'applique aux oiseaux ainsi qu'à leurs oeufs, leurs nids et leurs habitats. Elle prévoit leur protection, leur gestion et leur régulation, et en réglemente l'exploitation, notamment la chasse, la capture, le transport et le commerce. Seules peuvent être chassées les espèces listées limitativement à son annexe II. Parce qu'elles sont vulnérables, menacées ou migratrices, les espèces mentionnées à l'annexe I font l'objet de mesures de conservation spéciale concernant leur habitat, afin d'assurer leur survie et leur reproduction dans leur aire de distribution. Les États membres doivent en particulier établir des « zones de protection spéciale ». Ces zones ont été intégrées au réseau européen « Natura 2000 » par la directive européenne « habitats » de 1992.

International audience ; La directive oiseaux Parmi les différents éléments de notre environnement, les oiseaux sauvages tiennent depuis le début une place particulière. La volonté de les protéger est ancienne et bien établie. Non seulement peu d'espèces ou de groupes d'espèces ont fait comme eux l'objet de réglementations qui leur soient spécifiquement et exclusivement consacrées, mais c'est encore en leur faveur que furent posés les premiers jalons du droit international, puis du droit communautaire de l'environnement. La Convention de 1902 relative à la protection des oiseaux utiles à l'agriculture fut la première convention multilatérale « conservationniste » dans le champ de la protection de la nature. De même, soixante-seize années plus tard, la directive européenne sur les oiseaux marque le début de la mise en place de la politique communautaire en faveur de la protection de la nature. L'adoption de la directive La Communauté économique européenne, devenue Union européenne en 2009, n'a pas à l'origine de compétence dans le champ de l'environnement. Lancée dans les années 1970, son action environnementale répond plus au souci d'éviter ou de limiter les distorsions de concurrence, qu'à celui de protéger l'environnement lui-même. Mais la Communauté évolue peu à peu ensuite vers une politique globale et préventive, axée davantage sur la conservation de la nature. L'adoption de la « directive 79/409/CEE du Conseil, du 2 avril 1979, concernant la conservation des oiseaux sauvages » dite « oiseaux » est le premier acte de cette nouvelle orientation. L'origine de la directive « oiseaux » peut être trouvée dans une forte préoccupation publique, notamment au sujet de la capture et la destruction d'oiseaux migrateurs dans certains États membres. Ce mouvement d'opinion est relayé par plusieurs ONGs comme BirdLife ou la puissante association britannique Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Différentes études montrent aussi la réduction du nombre d'espèces d'oiseaux vivant en Europe, ainsi qu'une diminution parfois importante de leurs populations. Le caractère partiellement migrateur des oiseaux les désigne pour amorcer la politique européenne de protection de la nature. En cela, comme le précise le préambule de la directive, les oiseaux « vivant naturellement à l'état sauvage sur le territoire européen des États membres (…) constituent un patrimoine commun ». Leur protection appelle une coopération européenne. Un texte ambitieux La directive est très ambitieuse. Elle offre une protection de principe à « toutes les espèces d'oiseaux vivant naturellement à l'état sauvage sur le territoire européen des États membres ». Cela concerne environ 500 espèces d'oiseaux, couvrant toutes leurs populations et individus, quelle qu'en soit la provenance. Elle s'applique aux oiseaux ainsi qu'à leurs oeufs, leurs nids et leurs habitats. Elle prévoit leur protection, leur gestion et leur régulation, et en réglemente l'exploitation, notamment la chasse, la capture, le transport et le commerce. Seules peuvent être chassées les espèces listées limitativement à son annexe II. Parce qu'elles sont vulnérables, menacées ou migratrices, les espèces mentionnées à l'annexe I font l'objet de mesures de conservation spéciale concernant leur habitat, afin d'assurer leur survie et leur reproduction dans leur aire de distribution. Les États membres doivent en particulier établir des « zones de protection spéciale ». Ces zones ont été intégrées au réseau européen « Natura 2000 » par la directive européenne « habitats » de 1992.

International audience ; La directive oiseaux Parmi les différents éléments de notre environnement, les oiseaux sauvages tiennent depuis le début une place particulière. La volonté de les protéger est ancienne et bien établie. Non seulement peu d'espèces ou de groupes d'espèces ont fait comme eux l'objet de réglementations qui leur soient spécifiquement et exclusivement consacrées, mais c'est encore en leur faveur que furent posés les premiers jalons du droit international, puis du droit communautaire de l'environnement. La Convention de 1902 relative à la protection des oiseaux utiles à l'agriculture fut la première convention multilatérale « conservationniste » dans le champ de la protection de la nature. De même, soixante-seize années plus tard, la directive européenne sur les oiseaux marque le début de la mise en place de la politique communautaire en faveur de la protection de la nature. L'adoption de la directive La Communauté économique européenne, devenue Union européenne en 2009, n'a pas à l'origine de compétence dans le champ de l'environnement. Lancée dans les années 1970, son action environnementale répond plus au souci d'éviter ou de limiter les distorsions de concurrence, qu'à celui de protéger l'environnement lui-même. Mais la Communauté évolue peu à peu ensuite vers une politique globale et préventive, axée davantage sur la conservation de la nature. L'adoption de la « directive 79/409/CEE du Conseil, du 2 avril 1979, concernant la conservation des oiseaux sauvages » dite « oiseaux » est le premier acte de cette nouvelle orientation. L'origine de la directive « oiseaux » peut être trouvée dans une forte préoccupation publique, notamment au sujet de la capture et la destruction d'oiseaux migrateurs dans certains États membres. Ce mouvement d'opinion est relayé par plusieurs ONGs comme BirdLife ou la puissante association britannique Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Différentes études montrent aussi la réduction du nombre d'espèces d'oiseaux vivant en Europe, ainsi qu'une diminution parfois importante de leurs populations. Le caractère partiellement migrateur des oiseaux les désigne pour amorcer la politique européenne de protection de la nature. En cela, comme le précise le préambule de la directive, les oiseaux « vivant naturellement à l'état sauvage sur le territoire européen des États membres (…) constituent un patrimoine commun ». Leur protection appelle une coopération européenne. Un texte ambitieux La directive est très ambitieuse. Elle offre une protection de principe à « toutes les espèces d'oiseaux vivant naturellement à l'état sauvage sur le territoire européen des États membres ». Cela concerne environ 500 espèces d'oiseaux, couvrant toutes leurs populations et individus, quelle qu'en soit la provenance. Elle s'applique aux oiseaux ainsi qu'à leurs oeufs, leurs nids et leurs habitats. Elle prévoit leur protection, leur gestion et leur régulation, et en réglemente l'exploitation, notamment la chasse, la capture, le transport et le commerce. Seules peuvent être chassées les espèces listées limitativement à son annexe II. Parce qu'elles sont vulnérables, menacées ou migratrices, les espèces mentionnées à l'annexe I font l'objet de mesures de conservation spéciale concernant leur habitat, afin d'assurer leur survie et leur reproduction dans leur aire de distribution. Les États membres doivent en particulier établir des « zones de protection spéciale ». Ces zones ont été intégrées au réseau européen « Natura 2000 » par la directive européenne « habitats » de 1992.

El desarrollo de la educación media superior en México y particularmente del bachillerato, ha estado asociado a los acontecimientos políticos y sociales de cada época. Las escuelas preparatorias en México fomentaban una educación para la paz, la democracia y la justicia a través de un modelo desarrollista teniendo como benefactor al Estado, con esta modalidad educativa de industrialización se pretendía favorecer al desarrollo del país y lograr movilidad social. El propósito era formar a los alumnos para integrarlos a la educación superior o para el trabajo. La EMS en México ofrece en este nivel educativo tres modalidades: el bachillerato general, el bachillerato tecnológico y la educación profesional técnica, la principal instancia es la Secretaría de Educación Media Superior, que fue conformada al publicarse el nuevo reglamento de la Secretaría de Educación Superior, en enero de 2005. Otras instancias que ofrecen formación son las instituciones de educación superior autónomas que atienden este nivel, así como las entidades federativas a través del Reconocimiento de Validez Oficial de Estudios (RVOE). (Lozano, 2015, p.112). La educación profesional técnica surgió a finales de los años sesentas y desde ese entonces ha sido primordialmente impulsada por el Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica (CONALEP). Esta educación se distingue de los otros dos modelos por proponerse formar a sus estudiantes para incorporarse al mercado de trabajo y por establecer vínculos formales con el sector productivo, priorizando el desarrollo económico nacional frente a los intereses internacionales y globales. La Reforma Integral de Educación Media Superior (RIEMS) surge en el ciclo escolar 2009-2010 diseñada para el cumplimiento de los seis objetivos planteados en el Programa Sectorial de Educación 2007-2012, en los que se enfatiza a grandes rasgos la necesidad de elevar la calidad de la educación para generar mayor bienestar y desarrollo nacional; una mayor igualdad de oportunidades; el uso didáctico de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación. El Sistema Nacional del Bachillerato (SNB) se establece como una de las principales metas de la RIEMS, que surge como un mecanismo para evaluar y elevar la calidad de los planteles del nivel medio superior del país, la finalidad consiste en que los diferentes subsistemas del Bachillerato existentes en México consoliden sus criterios de formación académica, conservando sus programas y planes de estudio. Asumiendo la amplia variedad de instancias que ofertan planes y programas de educación media superior y la carencia de criterios que las organicen, así como la necesidad de asegurar una formación de calidad a las nuevas generaciones de los estudiantes, la DGB impulsa dos acciones relevantes y de alcance nacional para mejorar el bachillerato general (DGB, 2016). El tema de los docentes es desafiante, porque uno de los retos principales es definir el perfil que deben tener, sobre todo crear mecanismos que aseguren que los nuevos maestros lo cumplan, así como esquemas para la actualización de aquellos que ya forman parte de la planta docente de las escuelas sobre todo en la EMS porque no es igual al de los de educación básica y superior. ; Tesis Univ. Granada. Programa Oficial de Doctorado en: Investigación Educativa para el Desarrollo del Currículo y de las Organizaciones Escolares (México)

In questa tesi si è posta in essere un'analisi di profondità circa la recente crisi finanziaria, attraverso lo studio e la rielaborazione di numerose fonti provenienti dalla letteratura di settore, maggior parte delle quali in lingua inglese, e di documentazioni rese disponibili da istituzioni statunitensi e internazionali. Prima di entrare nel vivo della trattazione, si è voluto evidenziare come quella immobiliare sia solo l'ultima delle numerose bolle speculative che hanno contraddistinto la storia dell'economia. In ognuna di queste l'individuo sembra essere affetto dalla "Sindrome dello Stolto". Interpretando la crisi finanziaria come una malattia che ha colpito l'economia mondiale, questo studio si contraddistingue per un approccio che ne vuole analizzare il contagio, il decorso e la cura. In merito al Contagio si è analizzato il passaggio dal tradizionale modello "originate to hold" all'alternativo "orginate to distribute", che ha determinato il transito del rischio dalle banche al mercato. Successivamente, ricercando gli agenti patogeni che hanno portato al contagio, si è percorso un itinerario che, procedendo dall'universale al particolare, ha analizzato lo Shadow Banking System; ha cercato di comprendere il ruolo dalle GSE e dalle Agenzie di rating; ha approfondito i subprime e gli strumenti di finanza strutturata maggiormente coinvolti. In merito al Decorso si sono esaminate le conseguenze dello scoppio della bolla immobiliare. Nello specifico si sono approfondite: l'acquisizione di Bear Stearns da parte di JP Morgan; il conservatorship di Fannie Mae e Freddie Mac; la bancarotta di Lehman Brothers; il bailout di AIG. Il capitolo si conclude con una disamina che tratta dei programmi di sostegno attuati dal Governo degli USA al fine di ricapitalizzare il sistema finanziario. In merito alla Cura si sono approfonditi gli interventi normativi attuati in seguito allo scoppio della crisi. Nella prima parte del capitolo si sono analizzati gli interventi attuati a livello globale. Dopo un excursus sull'evoluzione storica degli Accordi di Basilea, si sono approfonditi Basilea II.5 e Basilea III. Il primo, pubblicato nel 2009, si è posto l'obiettivo di garantire un trattamento più peculiare del rischio di mercato. Il secondo, in attuazione dal 2013, è un progetto di più ampio respiro che, da un lato, ha apportato una modifica rilevante ai requisiti patrimoniali, dall'altro, ha introdotto nuovi requisiti di liquidità. Nella seconda parte del capitolo, analizzando l'intervento a livello europeo, si è approfondito l'impianto normativo armonico di risanamento e risoluzione delle crisi bancarie introdotto dalla Direttiva 2014/59/UE, conosciuta col nome di Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD). L'entrata in vigore della BRRD, col suo approccio strategico "prevenzione-gestione-risoluzione", sancisce che la stabilità finanziaria non può essere perseguita appannaggio della disciplina di mercato e che, di conseguenza, nessuno in Europa potrà essere più considerato too big to fail. Nelle conclusioni si sono sviluppate alcune considerazioni circa gli scenari futuri, preso atto del basso livello di educazione finanziaria. Un'adeguata educazione finanziaria, integrata ai recenti interventi regolamentativi, porterebbe alla creazione di competenze utili a favorire un consumo responsabile di prodotti finanziari. A tal proposito, nonostante sia consapevole dei limiti imposti dall'articolo 165 del Trattato FUE, ritengo che il Legislatore europeo debba prendere in considerazione la possibilità di intervenire vincolando gli Stati membri a introdurre nei propri sistemi d'istruzione adeguati programmi di educazione finanziaria. Le argomentazioni della tesi sono sostenute da un'appendice contenente grafici e tabelle.

Presently Animal Law as a new branch of law is in an intense progress. The focus on animals and the endeavor to withdraw from the anthropocentric view makes the subject to something unique and unparalleled. The GJAL is participating in the development by publishing analyses both from a theoretical and practical point of view.Our fundamental understanding of animals as legal entities is changing. Inter alia, it is no longer given that animals are, or should be, recognized in legal terms as 'objects' or 'things'. This change is also noticeable in the articles in the current issue of the Global Journal of Animal Law (GJAL). Aleksandra Lis and Tomasz Pietrzykowski analyzes in the peer reviewed article Animals as Objects of Ritual Slaughter: Polish Law after the Battle over Exceptionalness Mandatory Stunning the statutory rules and demands in the Polish Constitution, the Polish Animal Protection Act and the EU Regulation 1099/2009, with the interpretation made by the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland concerning stunning before slaughter in relation to the freedom to exercise religious beliefs. The effects of the ruling, as explained by the Constitutional Tribunal, include the legality of ritual slaughter irrespective of the purpose and the final destination of the meat produced by this method. The authors underline that this does not only mean that ritual slaughter is an exemption from the mandatory stunning in Polish law, but it actually means slaughter performed by commercial companies to deliver kosher and halal meat abroad, which consequence goes far beyond the scope of the constitutional complaint advanced by the claimants. The authors argue that the judgment is based on a conception of sentient animals as objects (of religious rituals) without consideration of their subjective interests.In the peer reviewed article Puppy Farming and the Constitutionality of Breeder Regulation in Hong Kong, Eric KH Wong presents and analyzes comprehensively the legislation of puppy farming in Hong Kong. The author underlines that the law does not distinguish between the rightist position and the welfarist position, because they both aim to promote the rights and interests of animals. The problem, claimed by the author, is that animal welfare (the rights and interests of animals) is currently subsumed under a public health regulation. The topic highlight the tension between animal welfare and constitutional rights, touched on the property status of animals. The author argues that a number cap imposed through a properly drafted regulation should be constitutional. Additionally, animal welfare can validly justify restriction on property rights. The main question is the weighing of animal welfare against private ownership, when the former is neither regulated nor hindered by the Constitution. The author argues that both regulation and abolition of commercial breeding can be constitutional.The current issue contains also a short book review by Tara C. Zuardo, a Wildlife Attorney at the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington D.C.: What Can Animal Law Learn From Environmental Law. The book is edited by Professor Randall S. Abate and published in September 2015 by the Environmental Law Institute.The next issue of GJAL will be published in June 2016 and the dead-line for submissions is 31 March 2016.On behalf of the Advisory Board of GJAL:Season's Greetings with all good wishes for the New Year! Anna Birgitta WahlbergEditor-In-Chief

Australia's Defence procurement, planning and posture for the coming twenty years is set out in the Defence White Paper (DWP). This report examines how the DWP, currently being drafted for public release in mid 2013, can accommodate the domestic security threats presented by climate change. Climate change is not simply an environmental issue; it is a global force that has security implications at a domestic and international level. The security challenges compounded by climate change include mass human displacement, potentially causing as many as 150-200 million 'climate refugees', and the intensification of intrastate conflicts and growing regional instability as the struggle for resources becomes 'a major driver of war and conflict'. The last Defence White Paper of 2009 only fleetingly acknowledged the issue of climate security before suggesting that the implications 'will not be felt before 2030'. This time frame contradicts a diversity of scholarship ranging from reports published by the Pentagon to debates in the U.N Security Council, all of which have identified the reality and urgency of climate security. It is this contradiction, and the regional and domestic threats already faced by our defence forces, that triggered this examination of how the current development process of the DWP can be influenced so that the 2013 DWP incorporates an effective and practical analysis of climate security. This research draws upon academic writings and DoD publications, as well as practically applying parliamentary mechanisms and conducting interviews with experts, to construct a response to how the DWP development process can be influenced to accommodate climate security. This report finds that although there are some disputes surrounding the magnitude, definition and casual chains related to the security challenges of climate refugees and resource conflicts, they remain a palpable security threat in which climate change is a catalyst and they will impact upon Australia's national security in the short and long term. This research determines that the DWP process is in need of considerable reform if climate security is to be accommodated in the 2013 document. These reforms include the need to balance the power structure inherent in the DWP writing process, improve the way in which risk is assessed, increase transparency and reinstate a more effective form of public consultation. In order for these reforms to be implemented, parliamentary and nonparliamentary mechanisms need to be utilised. Taking into consideration the difficulties of time constraints and enforceability, this paper constructs a model to encourage the implementation of these reforms. At the centre of this model is a Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade References (FADTR) Committee inquiry into the DWP process, with parliamentary mechanisms, such as Senate motions, and non-parliamentary mechanisms, such as econsultation, coordinated to reinforce committee findings. There are two difficulties that have limited the ability of this research to comprehensively respond to the research question. The first is that this research uestion asked how t e DWP ---process can ensure that climate security is accommodated in the DWP. Whilst the suggested reforms could increase the likelihood that the DWP will accommodate climate security they cannot guarantee it. Secondly, the research question focuses on influencing the upcoming 2013 DWP process, however given that the process is being fast tracked by the government, effective reform opportunities are limited for impacting the 2013 DWP.