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Bieler particularly identifies the environmental movement and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - presumably socio-political NGOs - as equally involved in the struggle, especially given 'capitalism's capacity to accumulate in the midst of the most blatant ecological destruction, [...]' (p. 20). As indicated by the nearly 30-page biography, Andreas Bieler's book is not the first to challenge privatization of water in Europe. [Extracted from the article]

Differences about fresh water rarely if ever lead to war between neighbouring nations. However, lack of agreement about equitable water use will sooner or later disrupt water management systems. Similarly, unless fresh water is managed sustainably by both nations, their social and economic development will lag, with ultimate effects on any peace agreement. This Viewpoint describes an existing proposal for joint approaches by Israel and Palestine to managing their transboundary water, as well as current unilateral actions by the two governments that work against equitable and sustainable water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giulio Boccaletti has an impressive record as a physicist and climate scientist, and here he presents a sweeping history of the management of water for human needs. Despite these deficiencies, Boccaletti has provided a worthy shelf-mate to other 21st-century considerations of the concept of water, such as those by Strang ([2]) and Linton ([1]). Those familiar with Egypt's dependence on the Nile might take great pleasure in Boccaletti's deft description of the Nile during the pre-historic period, balancing limited if biased pharaonic records and the equally biased stories in the Hebrew Bible. [Extracted from the article]

The beliefs underlying the water supply-management, demand-management, and soft-path paradigms are examined. Two questions are considered. First, can social psychology’s insights on mortality salience help explain the desire to control water and the dominant water supply-management paradigm? Second, can those insights also help explain the limited progress of demand management and water soft paths? We propose that mortality salience helps explain why individuals and societies seek to control water supply and, by extension, deny their connection to nature and limit consciousness of physical vulnerability. We briefly consider the implications of this perspective for water research, advocacy and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the implication of mining activities, the governance structure on its social and environmental impacts, and effect of mining on water use and distribution.

Water soft paths begin from the vision that future water management has more to gain from reducing demand than from increasing supply. This article reviews three case studies of water soft path analysis in small urban areas in Canada, and one study of an urban planning process incorporating soft path concepts. The analytical studies indicate how communities can avoid the need for expansion of water infrastructure with negligible impacts on lifestyles or livelihoods. The planning study demonstrates that it is possible to introduce water soft paths early in a review, and that this will stimulate more ecologically sensitive thinking among citizens, officials and political leaders. Similar conclusions can be expected from soft path studies in urban areas elsewhere in the developed world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical security cannot be considered a profession until its practice is based on a consensual body of knowledge and educational standards. Therefore, this study undertook a cultural domain analysis of physical security professionals' knowledge. The study applied a multiphase approach: conducting expert interviews, quantitative validation and group analysis. Study findings demonstrate that the physical security body of knowledge is a matrix, which is broad and ranges from facility contextualization to explicit aspects such as locks. Such knowledge has a hierarchical structure, organized on the tasks of diagnosing the security problem, inference to reach the optimal resolution and finally, treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We describe the development of two complementary priority species indicators (PSIs) to help the UK to report progress towards Aichi target 12 on the status of known threatened species. Based on species identified as national conservation priorities, the indicators present average changes in (i) 213 species for which trends in relative abundance are available from structured monitoring schemes, and (ii) 179 species for which trends in frequency of occurrence were modelled from data sets of unstructured biological records. Both indicators show substantial declines in priority species since 1970, of 67% and 40%, respectively, although the rate of decline in the relative abundance-based PSI may have lessened over the last five years (2007–2012). We discuss the biases and weaknesses of the indicators at present, and put forward suggestions as how these may be addressed, including through the development of a third PSI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many people think of transboundary water in terms of national security. However, water is not, nor is it likely to become, a cause of war. Rather, the need is for water security, which implies that water management must balance the goals of efficiency, equity, sustainability and implementability. This article suggests how a joint management structure for fresh water can be designed to promote ongoing resolution of issues, and do so in a way that de-nationalizes and de-securitizes transboundary water. Though designed with the Israeli–Palestinian case in mind, the approach is applicable wherever water divides rather than unites states or peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This abridged version of the proposal developed for Friends of the Earth Middle East presents the design for an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians to share water in a physically realistic, ecologically sustainable and socially equitable manner. Existing arrangements are, at best, inadequate and, in some cases, counterproductive. The proposal relies upon ongoing monitoring and mediation to achieve equitable and sustainable use. It presents why and how an agreement on water can be reached now, before resolving the full range of issues required in a Final Status Agreement between Israel and Palestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural bias will influence risk perceptions and may breed “security complacency,” resulting in the decay of risk mitigation efficacy. Cultural Cognition theory provides a methodology to define how people perceive risks in a grid/group typology. In this study, the cultural perceptions of Healthcare professionals to access control measures were investigated. Collected data were analyzed for significant differences and presented on spatial maps. The results demonstrated correlation between cultural worldviews and perceptions of security risks, indicating that respondents had selected their risk perceptions according to their cultural adherence. Such understanding leads to improved risk management and reduced decay of mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease estimated to cause about 230 million infections worldwide every year, of which 25,000 are fatal. Global incidence has risen rapidly in recent decades with some 3.6 billion people, over half of the world's population, now at risk, mainly in urban centres of the tropics and subtropics. Demographic and societal changes, in particular urbanization, globalization, and increased international travel, are major contributors to the rise in incidence and geographic expansion of dengue infections. Major research gaps continue to hamper the control of dengue. The European Commission launched a call under the 7th Framework Programme with the title of 'Comprehensive control of Dengue fever under changing climatic conditions'. Fourteen partners from several countries in Europe, Asia, and South America formed a consortium named 'DengueTools' to respond to the call to achieve better diagnosis, surveillance, prevention, and predictive models and improve our understanding of the spread of dengue to previously uninfected regions (including Europe) in the context of globalization and climate change. The consortium comprises 12 work packages to address a set of research questions in three areas: Research area 1: Develop a comprehensive early warning and surveillance system that has predictive capability or epidemic dengue and benefits from novel tools for laboratory diagnosis and vector monitoring. Research area 2: Develop novel strategies to prevent dengue in children. Research area 3: Understand and predict the risk of global spread of dengue, in particular the risk of introduction and establishment in Europe, within the context of parameters of vectorial capacity, global mobility, and climate change. In this paper, we report on the rationale and specific study objectives of 'DengueTools'. DengueTools is funded under the Health theme of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community, Grant Agreement Number: 282589 Dengue Tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study extends past work on water soft path analysis in breadth and in depth: in breadth by studying an area devoted to large-scale prairie agriculture, and in depth by adding direct interaction with water managers and citizens of the Pembina Valley Conservation District in the Province of Manitoba, Canada. The main conclusion from the study is that the region can continue to be a prosperous and attractive place in which to live and to farm for at least 30 years without a single additional drop of water. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Though most rules developed for governance of transboundary surface water will also apply to transboundary aquifers, adjustment is necessary to account for, among other things, paucity of data about aquifers, their sensitivity to contamination, and their potential to be treated as open access resources. This article explores those differences, and then suggests approaches to building institutions who can implement the rules. Experience shows that it is better to focus on future needs rather than past uses, to give priority to protection of the aquifer, and to use market instruments as tools to achieve rather than to propose results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the emerging role of water governance as applied to transboundary aquifers. To allow for important differences in governance principles from transboundary surface water, the authors suggest that greater attention be paid to the scale of the aquifer when developing interest-articulation and decision-making processes. The authors further introduce five objectives that, if met, would help realize equitable and reasonable use of these aquifers. Good governance can best be met through appropriate scales of interest articulation and decision making, and involvement of a broad range of non-state actors as well as formal agencies of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The best way to achieve a sustainable future for fresh water is to develop decision-making processes, institutions, and technologies that emphasize both efficiency and conservation. These two terms are commonly treated as synonyms, but, respectively, they reflect anthropogenic and ecological bases for making decisions. Recognizing that both perspectives are valid, this article outlines a new approach to water planning and management called the water soft path. This approach differs fundamentally from conventional, supply-based approaches. The article reviews the transfer of the original soft path concept from energy to water, and summarizes the first applications of water soft path analytics to specific geographic areas: one urban area, one province, and one watershed in Canada. The article concludes with suggestions for further research, as well as steps to improve recognition of the water soft path as a planning tool that can move management and policies towards economic, ecological, and social sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All aspects of the fresh water situation in the Middle East and North Africa are underlain by the scarcity of fresh water in the region compared with the demands for it. However, physical scarcity has been worsened by institutions that may once have been adequate but that are increasingly failing to meet modern needs for water to be extracted in ways that are ecologically sustainable, used in ways that are economically efficient, and distributed in ways that are socially equitable. Despite this discouraging picture, the thesis of this article is that, in response to both internal and external forces, water-related institutions in MENA are slowly changing in ways that seem likely to improve the situation. Of three key goals identified early in the article—greater attention to demand management, wider stakeholder participation, and adoption of pro-poor strategies—modest gains are evident on the first two, but little on the third. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on vegetarianism and veganism. The author relates that he and his wife are vegetarian who concerns animals, which is considered as sacred creatures, than for their own health. It argues that vegetarians are not popular and the Catholic Church is not certain regarding it. It also states that eating animals is a form of cruelty.

The “soft path” for water is a concept for long-range planning that includes quantitative and qualitative methods to design options for freshwater policy that are economically feasible, environmentally sustainable and socially responsive. A soft path approach offers the potential for greater water savings than conventional demand management because it challenges assumptions based on routine planning and neoclassical economics that limit demand management mainly to cost-effective efficiency measures. This article gives an overview of soft path analytics, including its potential and its limitations, as illustrated by case studies undertaken in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multi-system disorder. Mild cognitive deficits are present in a subgroup of non-demented patients with ALS. Detailed neuropsychological assessments reveal deficits of word retrieval including impairments on tests of verbal fluency and confrontation naming. The PET GABAA receptor ligand [11C]-flumazenil is a marker of neuronal dysfunction in ALS. This study used [11C]-flumazenil PET to identify correlations between cortical regions and impairments in word retrieval. Twelve patients with ALS underwent [11C]-flumazenil PET and neuropsychological assessment, including tests of written letter fluency and confrontation naming. Poorer performance on verbal fluency correlated with decreased [11C]-flumazenil binding in a region including the right inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and anterior insula. Poorer performance on a test of confrontation naming correlated with decreased binding in the left middle frontal gyrus (extending to Broca's area) and left cuneus. This study indicates that [11C]-flumazenil PET can be used to help localize cortical regions associated with cognitive deficits in ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients homozygous for the D90A mutation of the SOD1 gene (homD90A) demonstrate markedly slower progression of disease than those patients with sporadic ALS (SALS). PET studies have demonstrated a different cortical vulnerability in the two groups, reflected also in neurophysiological studies showing reduced cortical excitability in homD90A. Voxel-based morphometric analysis of magnetic resonance images (MRIs) enables the detection of regional differences in grey matter volume, and can be used to localize cortical atrophy in vivo. In this study, segmented, spatially normalized, modulated and smoothed grey matter portions of the MRIs from 23 SALS and seven homD90A patients with similar disability, were compared with those from 28 healthy control subjects. The SALS group showed bilateral areas of atrophy mainly confined to motor and pre-motor cortices. Cortical changes in the homD90A group were more pronounced within the frontal lobes when both were compared with healthy controls. This study provides further evidence for a different pattern of cortical neuronal vulnerability in homD90A versus SALS patients that may provide insight as to their slower rate of disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the long history and the multiple interpretations of water rights in the Middle East and North Africa, it is difficult to say anything new without being provocative. The danger is that, in the effort to be provocative, it is easy to become frivolous. Fortunately, it is not possible to deal with any aspect of water, and certainly not human rights to water, without at least passing attention to hydrology and geography, and to economics and political science. Although none of these disciplines gives exact answers, taken together they do impose boundaries to any commentary. Even so, the comments below are tentative. They should be taken in the context of a 'think piece', designed to stimulate thinking rather than to provide final answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002 and 2003, Canada's International Development Research Centre, in partnership with other donors, organized four regional Forums to facilitate the exchange of information, results and lessons learned on water demand management (WDM) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Over 500 decision-makers and water practitioners from 11 countries participated in Forums on wastewater reuse, water valuation, private-public partnerships, and decentralization. A large amount of valuable information on the above topics was gathered, and is available by entering www.idrc.ca/wadimena and clicking on WDM Forums. The WDM Forums demonstrated that water demand management is occurring in MENA, but without the breadth or strength that is required by the increasingly difficult water situation throughout the region. There is therefore great scope for further analytical work on water demand management and even greater scope for work on ways to promote its adoption in all nations and sectors. This review extracts lessons from the Forums, and suggests short- and long-term entry points for research and practice. The most striking conclusion is that in no MENA nation is WDM the main impetus for action. With wastewater the need to deal with growing volumes of sewage is the main force, and with the other three forums it is the need to reduce government budgets. Future work to promote water demand management in MENA must be oriented towards identifying and strengthening linkages to other water policies or programs, notably by distinguishing the role of WDM as a tool for greater water use efficiency from its role as a tool for greater water use equity. Equally important will be efforts to strengthen multi-stakeholder participation, transparency and accountability in policy-making processes and to promote dialogue with water-users, particularly women and the rural poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a new method to trisect angles. It discusses the method in angle trisection that was used by Archimedes of Syracuse nearly 2300 years ago, where he showed that he could trisect an arbitrary angle by making two marks on the edge of his ruler and by using virtual marks rather than physical ones. The new method developed by the author, which uses only a compass and an unmarked ruler, takes advantage of the fact that real rulers and straightedges have ends. Illustrations showing these methods and the proof for the new method are offered.

An operational definition of water demand management is proposed with five components: (1) reducing the quantity or quality of water required to accomplish a specific task; (2) adjusting the nature of the task so it can be accomplished with less water or lower quality water; (3) reducing losses in movement from source through use to disposal; (4) shifting time of use to off-peak periods; and (5) increasing the ability of the system to operate during droughts. This definition brings out the drivers of water saving and permits the tracking of gains by the source of the saving. It is applicable to nations at different stages of economic development. It also shows how goals of greater water use efficiency are linked to those of equity, environmental protection and public participation. Taken together, these goals make water demand management less a set of techniques than a concept of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that around one-third of inpatients in high secure units are in a level of security incommensurate with their actual need. In this article we show that in a cohort of 200 inpatients in low secure units in a region of England, one third were assumed to be in an inappropriate level of security; most of these were thought to require a lower level. The characteristics of this cohort are described. Logistic regression was used to find variables that could predict whether an inpatient required a lower level of security. Due to interactions between the two types of unit included in this study (mental health units and learning disabilities * units) two separate models were produced, showing different predictive variables for each type of unit. For those in mental health units, being female and not being a risk to others predicted a need for a lower level of security, and for those in learning disabilities units, being younger and being admitted on an informal basis were predictive. The results are discussed in relation to their implications for service development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on the Earth System Scientist Network project. Development of a research project for the participation of students; Identification of specific research questions that are interesting to students; Logical issues that need to be addressed.

Discusses the pros and cons of using imaging techniques in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Anatomical difficulties faced by imaging techniques; Magnetic resonance imaging; Positron emission tomography; Quantitative neuroimaging in ALS; Urgent need for techniques that have the sensitivity to assess neuronal damage in the spinal cord.

Analysis of classroom discourse shows that the classroom must be seen as a site of cultural production; children are transformed as they are introduced to a new subject position-that of "student." Children are not passive objects of this work; they actively adopt this new position and on occasion they, equally actively, breach the classroom order. We argue that a splitting is produced- a division between child as member-of-family and child as student-in-classroom. As the year goes by, breaches of the order become less frequent, as new cultural mediators (reading, writing, arithmetic) crystallize this division in the person of each child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The availability of water in the region between the Nile and the Euphrates Rivers varies widely in space and in time. Therefore, water management must focus on risk minimization, not maximum utilization. Water stress in the region stems from: (1) excessive demand for fresh water over the renewable supply; (2) pollution from growing volumes of waste; and (3) the natural flow of key water resources across (or under) international borders. The three forces interact, so any resolution must deal with all, together. Such resolution depends upon many changes, including reduction of the use of fresh water for irrigation, higher prices for water, charges for wastewater, greater efforts at water conservation, and institutions to promote joint, management of international water bodies, both surface and underground. Water may be the limiting factor for development throughout this region, but it is far cheaper to share water than to fight over it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jeffrey Friedman presents positive libertarianism as consisting of an objective morality, autonomy, and moral totalism. He then defines postlibertarianism as a consequentialist positive libertarianism. However, Friedman's claim that the choice of moral axioms is unjustifiable, and an equivocation in his use of the term “moral,” makes his presentation of positive libertarianism incoherent. Nor is Friedman successful in grafting consequentialism onto positive libertarianism. The autonomy of positive libertarianism renders consequentialism superfluous, and the ends of the two systems conflict, for positive libertarianism judges people, while the consequentialism of postlibertarianism judges actions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Late developers and the inequity of equitable utilization and the harm of do no harm," by Kai Wegerich and Oliver Olsson in the November 2010 issue.