scholarly journals A Long-Term Analysis of Demographic Processes, Socioeconomic ‘Modernization’ and Forest Expansion in a European Country

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerio Moretti ◽  
Luca Salvati ◽  
Massimo Cecchini ◽  
Ilaria Zambon
Keyword(s):  
Turning Point ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Forest Expansion ◽  
Socioeconomic System ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
The 1950S

This article investigates long-term forest decline and expansion vis-à-vis demographic processes in Italy, evidencing changes in the underlying socioeconomic context considering the ‘modernization theory’. An exploratory data analysis of 58 indicators assessing five basic research dimensions (territory, demography, education, trade and agriculture) and evolving rapidly over the study period (1862–2009), was run to ascertain similarity patterns among indicators and to identify time intervals characterized by homogeneous conditions in different analysis’ domains. Complementing indicators of forest expansion, changes in population structure and dynamics allow an empirical investigation of temporal coherence among demographic and forest transitions in Italy. The time window encompassing the two World Wars, approximately between 1931 and 1951, was identified as a turning point in the forest-socioeconomic system, being characterized by two groups of indicators that follow diverging (linear vs. nonlinear) time trends. A secondary turning point was identified at the beginning of the 1970s. Distinct temporal trends in the studied indicators were also identified using multivariate statistics (before the 1930s, between the 1930s and the 1950s, between the 1950s and the 1970s, from the 1970s onwards) and represent conditions of dynamic equilibrium between socio-ecological contexts, highlighting latent transitions in both population and environment conditions. Our work definitely contributes to an empirical understanding of economic, political and social forces associated with forest transition and demographic transition in advanced economies.

scholarly journals Demographic Transitions and Socioeconomic Development in Italy, 1862–2009: A Brief Overview

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Salvati ◽  
Margherita Carlucci ◽  
Pere Serra ◽  
Ilaria Zambon
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Demographic Transitions ◽  
Multivariate Statistical Approach

The present study investigates long-term population dynamics in Italy, 1862–2009, in light of Demographic Transitions (DTs). Under the assumption that DTs are multidimensional processes of change involving several aspects, including population structure and dynamics, an exploratory analysis was carried out in this study to verify temporal coherency of 15 indicators in Italy, identifying homogeneous time periods with distinct demographic characteristics. Indicators’ trends were identified using a multivariate statistical approach. The results of this study allow empirical testing of the assumption of temporal coherence between different aspects of a long-term DT, distinguishing distinctive population dynamics and the differential impact on population structure over two centuries. After a relatively long period of demographic stability, the time window encompassing the two World Wars—approximately between 1921 and 1951—was identified as a primary turning point of population dynamics in Italy; a second turning point was estimated at the beginning of the 1970s. These time intervals may represent conditions of dynamic equilibrium between demographic and socioeconomic contexts, highlighting latent system transitions. The study concludes by outlining the importance of a more effective integration of demographic transition theories into a broader sustainability framework, and implementing a diachronic analysis of political, economic, and social forces associated with population dynamics in both advanced economies and emerging countries.

37,000 Years and More in Tropical Australia: Investigating Long-Term Archaeological Trends in Cape York Peninsula

1997 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno David ◽  
Harry Lourandos
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Historical Antecedents

The prehistory of Cape York Peninsula, in tropical northern Australia, has been more intensively investigated than that of most other parts of the continent. As a result, a considerable database now exists by which long-term archaeological trends can be evaluated. In this paper we investigate temporal trends in occupational intensities and patterns of land use during the last 37,000 years by employing: 1, the temporal distribution of all radiocarbon dates obtained for the region; 2, the numbers of sites occupied through time; and 3, rates of establishment of new sites during the course of prehistory. These archaeological trends are then compared with the palaeo-environmental record of the region to determine its potential influence on the trends. We conclude that an initial, long period of regional occupation occurred (c. 37,000–4000 BP) when cultural trends varied in tandem with gross environmental fluctuations. This was followed by a late Holocene period (post 4000 BP) when cultural trajectories diverged significantly from environmental trends. This suggests that more complex Aboriginal demographic processes were set in train during the late Holocene, associated with social structures that were more dynamic than previously. We suggest that while changing patterns of land use may be apparent, their understanding requires an enquiry into periods of emergence — that is, their immediate historical antecedents. These results have broader implications for our understanding of Australian prehistory and the prehistory of other hunter-gatherer societies.

scholarly journals Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome: From Bench to Bed

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1264
Author(s):  
Nina Tyutyusheva ◽  
Ilaria Mancini ◽  
Giampiero Igli Baroncelli ◽  
Sofia D’Elios ◽  
Diego Peroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Hormone Replacement ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Androgen Receptor Gene ◽  
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome ◽  
Primary Amenorrhea ◽  
Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome ◽  
Androgen Insensitivity

Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) is due to complete resistance to the action of androgens, determining a female phenotype in persons with a 46,XY karyotype and functioning testes. CAIS is caused by inactivating mutations in the androgen receptor gene (AR). It is organized in eight exons located on the X chromosome. Hundreds of genetic variants in the AR gene have been reported in CAIS. They are distributed throughout the gene with a preponderance located in the ligand-binding domain. CAIS mainly presents as primary amenorrhea in an adolescent female or as a bilateral inguinal/labial hernia containing testes in prepubertal children. Some issues regarding the management of females with CAIS remain poorly standardized (such as the follow-up of intact testes, the timing of gonadal removal and optimal hormone replacement therapy). Basic research will lead to the consideration of new issues to improve long-term well-being (such as bone health, immune and metabolic aspects and cardiovascular risk). An expert multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to increase the long-term quality of life of women with CAIS.

scholarly journals Linking population size structure, heat stress and bleaching responses in a subtropical endemic coral

Coral Reefs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Lachs ◽  
Brigitte Sommer ◽  
James Cant ◽  
Jessica M. Hodge ◽  
Hamish A. Malcolm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Early Recovery ◽  
Size Frequency Distribution ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Community Organisation ◽  
Size Frequency ◽  
Eastern Australia

AbstractAnthropocene coral reefs are faced with increasingly severe marine heatwaves and mass coral bleaching mortality events. The ensuing demographic changes to coral assemblages can have long-term impacts on reef community organisation. Thus, understanding the dynamics of subtropical scleractinian coral populations is essential to predict their recovery or extinction post-disturbance. Here we present a 10-yr demographic assessment of a subtropical endemic coral, Pocillopora aliciae (Schmidt-Roach et al. in Zootaxa 3626:576–582, 2013) from the Solitary Islands Marine Park, eastern Australia, paired with long-term temperature records. These coral populations are regularly affected by storms, undergo seasonal thermal variability, and are increasingly impacted by severe marine heatwaves. We examined the demographic processes governing the persistence of these populations using inference from size-frequency distributions based on log-transformed planar area measurements of 7196 coral colonies. Specifically, the size-frequency distribution mean, coefficient of variation, skewness, kurtosis, and coral density were applied to describe population dynamics. Generalised Linear Mixed Effects Models were used to determine temporal trends and test demographic responses to heat stress. Temporal variation in size-frequency distributions revealed various population processes, from recruitment pulses and cohort growth, to bleaching impacts and temperature dependencies. Sporadic recruitment pulses likely support population persistence, illustrated in 2010 by strong positively skewed size-frequency distributions and the highest density of juvenile corals measured during the study. Increasing mean colony size over the following 6 yr indicates further cohort growth of these recruits. Severe heat stress in 2016 resulted in mass bleaching mortality and a 51% decline in coral density. Moderate heat stress in the following years was associated with suppressed P. aliciae recruitment and a lack of early recovery, marked by an exponential decrease of juvenile density (i.e. recruitment) with increasing heat stress. Here, population reliance on sporadic recruitment and susceptibility to heat stress underpin the vulnerability of subtropical coral assemblages to climate change.

scholarly journals Studies of insect temporal trends must account for the complex sampling histories inherent to many long-term monitoring efforts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen A. R. Welti ◽  
Anthony Joern ◽  
Aaron M. Ellison ◽  
David C. Lightfoot ◽  
Sydne Record ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Complex Sampling ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Term Monitoring

scholarly journals Reform in the international food aid regime: the role of consensual knowledge

1992 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond F. Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Epistemic Community ◽  
Food Aid ◽  
Local Production ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Food Imports

The principles and norms adopted by the regime governing food aid in the 1950s have changed substantially during the subsequent three decades. Explaining the changes necessarily includes analyzing the efforts of an international epistemic community consisting of economic development specialists, agricultural economists, and administrators of food aid. According to the initial regime principles, food aid should be provided from donors' own surplus stocks, should supplement the usual commercial food imports in recipient countries, should be given under short-term commitments sensitive to the political and economic goals of donors, and should directly feed hungry people. As a result of following these principles, the epistemic community and other critics argued, food aid often had the adverse effects of reducing local production of food in recipient countries and exacerbating rather than alleviating hunger. The epistemic community (1) developed and proposed ideas for more efficiently supplying food aid and avoiding “disincentive” effects and (2) pushed for reforms to make food aid serve as the basis for the recipients' economic development and to target it at addressing long-term food security problems. The ideas of the international epistemic community have increasingly received support from international organizations and the governments of donor and recipient nations. Most recently, they have led to revisions of the U.S. food aid program passed by Congress in October 1990 and signed into law two months later. As the analysis of food aid reform demonstrates, changes in the international regime have been incremental, rather than radical. Moreover, the locus for the change has shifted from an American-centered one in the 1950s to a more international one in recent decades.

scholarly journals Long-Term Temporal Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Their Controlling Sources in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 2838-2845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shizhen Zhao ◽  
Knut Breivik ◽  
Guorui Liu ◽  
Minghui Zheng ◽  
Kevin C. Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽  
Temporal Trends

scholarly journals More Than a Passive Interest

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-443
Author(s):  
NIALL PALMER
Keyword(s):  
Republican Party ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Presidential Leadership ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Black Voters

The defeat of the Dyer anti-lynching bill in 1922 was a turning point in relations between black Americans and the Republican Party. Little is understood, however, about the role played in the debates by President Warren Harding. This article contends that Harding's conflicted views on presidential leadership caused him to badly mishandle the bill. The President's inability to choose between a restrained and consensual “Whig” approach and a more active “stewardship” role on a wide range of issues resulted in an erratic and ultimately unsustainable style of leadership. The Dyer bill's failure was affected by this dilemma as the hopes of black and white reformers were alternately raised and dashed by Harding's apparent indecisiveness. Black resentment at the bill's ultimate defeat was thus heightened still further, with severe consequences for the Republican Party's long-term electoral relationship with black voters.

Annual Meeting of the Section on Pediatric Urology

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 1000-1003
Author(s):  
KENNETH I. GLASSBERG
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Annual Meeting ◽  
Testicular Torsion ◽  
Cell Damage ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Testicular Biopsy ◽  
Pediatric Urology ◽  
Prepubertal Boys ◽  
Histologic Changes

The Section of Urology of the American Academy of Pediatrics met for three days in conjunction with the 53rd annual meeting of the Academy in Chicago. Papers and panel discussions that would be of interest to the pediatrician are summarized herein according to topic. As there has been an increasing number of basic research papers presented in recent years, the Section, this year, initiated a prize for basic research. Also new to the meeting was the awarding of the first annual Pediatric Urology Medal, which was given to Harry Spence for contributions made to the field. TESTICULAR TORSION Recent reports of unilateral testicular torsion have suggested that adverse effects may occur to the contralateral testicle, if the ischemic testicle is treated by surgical detorsion and left in place rather than removed.1-4 Three authors addressed this problem by investigating animal models. Animal Models In prepubertal rats undergoing experimentally produced testicular torsion, Rabinowitz and associates found histologic changes in the contralateral testicle. The changes in the contralateral testicle were dependent upon the duration of torsion and were significantly greater when the ischemic testicle was detorsed and left in place. The degree of histologic changes in the ischemic testicle, especially the degree of germ cell damage, was the best prediction of long-term damage to the contralateral testicle. In the animal model, these changes could be averted by removing the ischemic testicle. Although not going as far to recommend orchiectomy as the treatment of choice for all cases of torsion, Dr. Rabinowitz did suggest that a testicular biopsy in prepubertal boys with testicular torsion may be a reliable index to subsequent long-term contralateral damage if the ischemic testicle is detorsed and pexed rather than removed.

Temporal trends in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Results from the COMPERA registry

2021 ◽  
pp. 2102024
Author(s):  
Marius M. Hoeper ◽  
Christine Pausch ◽  
Ekkehard Grünig ◽  
Gerd Staehler ◽  
Doerte Huscher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial ◽  
Early Combination Therapy

BackgroundSince 2015, the European pulmonary hypertension guidelines recommend the use of combination therapy in most patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, it is unclear to what extend this treatment strategy is adopted in clinical practice and if it is associated with improved long-term survival.MethodsWe analysed data from COMPERA, a large European pulmonary hypertension registry, to assess temporal trends in the use of combination therapy and survival of patients with newly diagnosed PAH between 2010 and 2019. For survival analyses, we look at annualized data and at cumulated data comparing the periods 2010–2014 and 2015–2019.ResultsA total of 2,531 patients were included. The use of early combination therapy (within 3 months after diagnosis) increased from 10.0% in patients diagnosed with PAH in 2010 to 25.0% in patients diagnosed with PAH in 2019. The proportion of patients receiving combination therapy 1 year after diagnosis increased from 27.7% to 46.3%. When comparing the 2010–2014 and 2015–2019 periods, 1-year survival estimates were similar (89.0% [95% CI, 87.2%, 90.9%] and 90.8% [95% CI, 89.3%, 92.4%]), respectively, whereas there was a slight but non-significant improvement in 3-year survival estimates (67.8% [95% CI, 65.0%, 70.8%] and 70.5% [95% CI, 67.8%, 73.4%]), respectively.ConclusionsThe use of combination therapy increased from 2010 to 2019, but most patients still received monotherapy. Survival rates at 1 year after diagnosis did not change over time. Future studies need to determine if the observed trend suggesting improved 3-year survival rates can be confirmed.

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