Synergistic Relations Research Articles

Finding Synergy Networks From Gene Expression Data: A Fuzzy-Rule-Based Approach

Genes interact among themselves directly as well as indirectly, and thereby, a gene regulates the expression levels of other genes. In this work, our objective is to identify a special type of network called “synergy network.” We want to find synergistic gene pairs that interact via collaboration with respect to a disease and form a network of such synergistic genes. First, we discuss some issues related to existing information-theoretic methods of finding synergy networks and, then, propose a fuzzy-rule-based approach for discovery of synergy networks. We justify that fuzzy rule base is a natural choice to realize all the desired attributes of synergistic relations. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to exploit fuzzy modeling for finding synergy networks. The system uses a set of human understandable rules that is generated at a low cost for every pair of genes. We apply our method on two prostate cancer datasets. We show that the proposed method is capable of discovering gene pairs that collaborate with each other with respect to prostate cancer. We demonstrate that our results are statistically significant. We also discuss the relevance of the identified genes to cancer biology.

Building Democracy from Below: Lessons from Western Uganda

How to achieve democratisation in the neo-patrimonial and agrarian environments that predominate in sub-Saharan Africa continues to present a challenge for both development theory and practice. Drawing on intensive fieldwork in Western Uganda, this paper argues that Charles Tilly’s ‘democratisation as process’ provides us with the framework required to explain the ways in which particular kinds of association can advance democratisation from below. Moving beyond the current focus on how elite-bargaining and certain associational forms may contribute to liberal forms of democracy, this approach helps identify the intermediate mechanisms involved in building democracy from below, including the significance of challenging categorical inequalities, notably through the role of producer groups, and of building trust networks, cross-class alliances and synergistic relations between civil and political society. The evidence and mode of analysis deployed here help suggest alternative routes for supporting local efforts to build democracy from below in sub-Saharan Africa.

Aerobiology of the built environment: Synergy between Legionella and fungi.

The modern built environment (BE) design creates unique ecological niches ideal for the survival and mutual interaction of microbial communities. This investigation focused on the synergistic relations between Legionella and the fungal species commonly found in BEs and the impact of these synergistic relationships on the survival and transmission of Legionella. A field study was conducted to identify the types and concentrations of fungi in BEs. The fungal isolates purified from BEs were cocultured with Legionella to study their synergistic association. Cocultured Legionella cells were aerosolized in an air-tight chamber to evaluate the efficacy of ultraviolet (UV) to inactivate these cells. Aspergillus, Alternaria, and Cladosporium were the most common fungi detected in samples that tested positive for Legionella. After coculturing, Legionella cells were detected inside fungal hyphae. The microscopic observations of Legionella internalization in fungal hyphae were confirmed by molecular analyses. UV disinfection of the aerosolized Legionella cells that were cocultured with fungi indicated that fungal spores and propagules act as a shield against UV radiation. The shield effect of fungal spores on Legionella cells was quantified at >2.5 log10. This study provides the first evidence, to our knowledge, of Legionella cell presence inside fungi detected in an indoor environment. This symbiotic relationship with fungi results in longer survival of Legionella under ambient conditions and provides protection against UV rays.

Systems ecology and environmentalism: Getting the science right. Part II: The Janus Enigma Hypothesis

Aspects of ecology-based environmentalism may run counter to how nature works; it is important to get the science right.The Janus Enigma Hypothesis is formulated as a flow–storage network approach to holistic ecological understanding. It proceeds from primary energy–matter consumption toward maximization of throughflow. When transferred material is energy, the goal function is maximum power (energy flow).The Janus Hypothesis has the following line of development:1.The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics requires that the environments of aggrading (anti-entropic) processes become themselves degraded. To restrict such degradation is to limit life's processes.2.A maximum power conjecture holds that aggrading systems self-organize to maximize power generating work. Maximal resource use, work production, and environmental degradation necessarily follow. This applies also to material flow in generalized energy–matter (throughflow) processing.3.In maximizing power (throughflow), biota perform work to maximize their fitness (Type I, biological), but at the expense of degraded environments. Zero-sumness of conservative, consumptive transfers produces a proximate life–environment relationship that is win–lose.4.But covert mechanisms also operate such that maximizing throughflow also maximizes a system-wide, nonzero-sum, network property—dominant indirect effects.5.These maximize another property of network organization, network synergism. This transforms proximate, tangible, zero-sum, agonistic, (+, −) transactions into ultimate, intangible, nonzero-sum, mainly positive (+, +) and synergistic relations. The proximate transactions lead by network processes to ultimate nonzero-sum benefits>costs, which is network synergism.6.By the indirect line from maximum power (throughflow) to network synergism, biotic work maximizes both biological and ecological fitness (Type II), and the life–environment relationship becomes win–win. This cannot be seen from pure empiricism because it plays out diffusely as limit processes in networks that are virtual.Three lines of evidence are presented in support of the Janus Hypothesis: (1) “Building a biosphere” by progressively adding nodes and links in simple compartment models shows throughflow and network synergism to be positively correlated. (2) Decomposing the utility measure of network synergism in these models into its constituents shows them to be largely made up of throughflows; maximum network synergism likely follows from the maximization of throughflow. (3) Comparing total system throughflow with network synergism in 31 food webs described for Ukrainian pasturelands shows the two measures to be positively correlated in this large empirical database.The Janus Hypothesis has a built-in paradox. Because the positive benefits derived from the nonzero-sum maximum throughflow→network synergism→Fitness-II line exceed the negative costs generated by the zero-sum maximum throughflow→Fitness-I line, applied programs designed to reduce environmental degradation will reduce not only Fitness-I, but also Fitness-II by foregoing the implicit benefits of network synergism that inherently exceed the explicit costs of maximizing throughflow. This is the Janus Enigma. It means that well-meaning but misguided environmental programs may actually, in fact must, induce a lose–lose relationship between life and environment. If the Janus Hypothesis proves scientifically valid, environmentalism must resolve and manage the apparent conflict, and ecology as its parent science must expand its dimensions and become a complex systems science competent in understanding and methodology to meet the challenges of complex, intractable, non-obvious holism in nature's living networks.

Immigration and the interplay of parenting, preschool enrollment, and young children's academic skills.

This study tested a conceptual model of the reciprocal relations among parents' support for early learning and children's academic skills and preschool enrollment. Structural equation modeling of data from 6,250 children (Ages 2 to 5) and parents in the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort revealed that parental support for early learning was associated with gains in children's academic skills, which, in turn, were associated with their likelihood of preschool attendance. Preschool experience then was associated with further gains in children's early academic competencies, which were then associated with increased parental support. These patterns varied by parents' nativity status. Specifically, foreign-born parents' support for early learning was directly linked with preschool enrollment, and the association between the academic skills of children and parental support was also stronger for foreign-born parents. These immigration-related patterns were primarily driven by immigrant families who originated from Latin America, rather than Asia, and did not vary by immigrants' socioeconomic circumstances. Together, these results underscore the value of considering the synergistic relations between the home and school systems, as well as "child effects" and population diversity, in developmental research.

On chaos control in hierarchical multi-agent systems

The paper is focused on the problems of chaos control in multi-agent hierarchical systems similar to the environment of the realization of automated factory projects. The research is based on a unique database of empirical studies of human faults and mistakes at the design and commissioning of factory automation systems. It is shown that for primary chaos control it is appropriate to use Design Structure Matrix (DSM) technology tools, enabling to describe synergistic relations between all teams' members on the basis of the frequency and amount of information interchange. For further chaos control an effective system is proposed to track and hinder different human shortcomings spreading in the hierarchical teamwork system. As a basis for it an advanced simulation technique, discrete event modelling, is used. The proposed methodology of suppressing the influence of human shortcomings allows us to increase the synergy in teamwork and to substantially reduce the losses of resources at starting up new factories.

Determinants of Internet Banking Adoption in Jordan

The primary purpose of internet banking research is to investigate the factors that influence the E-Banking adoption of clients who have internet access. To develop a theoretical framework model in the context of this study, the literature that relates to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion of Innovations (DOI), Technology Readiness Index (TRI) and their various adaptations were undertaken. Internet banking has been considered an innovative service, whose potential adoption by clients will be investigated. The model of this research purposes an extension to the latter models, which account for essential factors that affect the adoption of E-Banking services in Jordanian commercial banks. The study population was identified as banking clients who regularly use their online banking system account. The study used the questionnaire survey method in order to test the hypotheses and to explore its implications. 350 questionnaires were disseminated to the research sample. Multiple Regression and One Way ANOVA tests were applied to test the research hypothesis. The results show that compatibility, perceived ease of use, security and perceived usefulness positively affect internet banking adoption. Furthermore, this research adds a new component by studying the effect of all the independent factors together and identifies a positive relationship between them and internet banking adoption. Hence, synergistic relations between these factors should be secured in order to ensure their higher effect on internet banking adoption. In addition, the research demonstrates that all demographic categories studied have influenced internet banking adoption, indicating that they should be used to build the correct segmentation for consumers in order to develop proper marketing strategies. Based on the findings of the research, a number of recommendations are presented to increase internet banking adoption among the Jordanian consumers. First, to enhance internet banking adoption, banks should combine the concepts of compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and security into the online banking services concept in the stage of market planning and ensure proper synergy between these variables in order to increase the level of internet banking adoption. Moreover, both marketers and banks can utilize the demographic variables in order to improve their marketing activities for online banking. Finally, since the Jordanian financial system is going through a period of extensive change, the development process should not be linked to one specific bank or another, but instead all banks under the Central Bank of Jordan should try to build long-term strategies that include an awareness component in order to raise internet banking adoption awareness amongst Jordanian banking clients.

The role of process analysis and expert consultation in implementing an electronic medical record solution for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Background: Process analysis and expert consultation help streamline and optimise processes, but these are underutilised. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends migration to electronic data collection by 2015, partly in response to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). We explore the influence of process analysis and iterative expert consultation, on shaping health information solutions to MDR-TB programmes.Methods: The study employs a two phase design. Phase one involves a process analysis of the South African National Tuberculosis Programme and an electronic medical records (EMR) solution and the generation of a detailed process model grounded in the fit between individual task and technology (FITT) theoretical framework using ‘business process modelling notation’. Phase two involves a two round Delphi study in the clinical management of tuberculosis and implementers of EMR solutions. Expert opinion is analysed according to emergent thematic content. Analyses and graphical model representation are performed using Microsoft Excel® and Visio® software.Results: A detailed process model is constructed which reveals 54 break points, 12 gaps, 3 risks, 5 wastes. Five participants are included in the Delphi study which support the findings of the process analysis. Thematic analysis identifies five themes: the individual, the process, technology, capacity, and collaboration. The opportunity to include synergistic relations across programmes emerges as a strong theme.Conclusions: Overall, the findings highlight inefficiencies, risk and gaps in the current process and the need for an operational excellence intervention. The study demonstrated the value of process engineering with iterative expert consultation toward developing a meaningful EMR solution consultation in a resource constrained, developing world context.

Inter-limb coordination and control in boys with and without DCD in ball catching

The purpose of the study was to examine the nature of inter-limb coordination and control, exhibited by ten boys with (M=10.5years, SD=1.0) and without Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), in a ball catching task across different ball speeds. In line with the predictions of coordinated structure theory boys who were typically developing preserved strong and effective temporal relations when catching balls in baseline and fast conditions. Boys with DCD exhibited temporal symmetry in baseline but not in fast attempts, where the decoupling was uniformed across the group, coinciding with failures on ≥50% of the attempts. In terms of stability, no differences in intra-individual variability were observed between the groups. The analysis of spatial and temporal adaptations showed that boys who were typically developing, in essence, covered the same “ground” by decreasing their movement time. The opposite was true for boys with DCD who contacted the ball closer to the body, while failing to adapt the velocity of their hands. Taken together, both groups exhibited strong and stable coordinative relations, in a steady-state but not in a fast condition, where all boys with DCD failed to preserve the desired symmetry. This decoupling also coincided with different and less effective spatio-temporal adaptations at the effector level. Thus, it appears that movement control, hence flexibility of their synergistic relations, represents a movement limiter for boys with DCD who exhibit specific balls skills issues, at inter-limb level of organization. It should be noted, however, that large intra-group variance observed across some variables warrants caution when interpreting the aggregate data.

An exploratory investigation of an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for estimating hydrometeors from TRMM/TMI in synergy with TRMM/PR

The authors have investigated an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for the estimation of hydrometeors from the TRMM microwave imager (TMI). The proposed algorithm, named as Hydro-Rain algorithm, is developed in synergy with the TRMM precipitation radar (PR) observed hydrometeor information. The method retrieves rain rates by exploiting the synergistic relations between the TMI and PR observations in twofold steps. First, the fundamental hydrometeor parameters, liquid water path (LWP) and ice water path (IWP), are estimated from the TMI brightness temperatures. Next, the rain rates are estimated from the retrieved hydrometeor parameters (LWP and IWP). A comparison of the hydrometeor retrievals by the Hydro-Rain algorithm is done with the TRMM PR 2A25 and GPROF 2A12 algorithms. The results reveal that the Hydro-Rain algorithm has good skills in estimating hydrometeor paths LWP and IWP, as well as surface rain rate. An examination of the Hydro-Rain algorithm is also conducted on a super typhoon case, in which the Hydro-Rain has shown very good performance in reproducing the typhoon field. Nevertheless, the passive microwave based estimate of hydrometeors appears to suffer in high rain rate regimes, and as the rain rate increases, the discrepancies with hydrometeor estimates tend to increase as well.

Motor unit properties from three synergistic muscles during ramp isometric elbow extensions

Many tasks require synergistic activation of muscles that possess different architectural, mechanical, and neural control properties. However, investigations of the motor unit (MU) mechanisms which modulate force are mostly restricted to individual muscles and low forces. To explore the pattern of MU recruitment and discharge behavior among three elbow extensors (lateral and long heads of the triceps brachii, and anconeus) during ramp isometric contractions, recruitment thresholds of 77 MUs in five young men were determined and corresponding MU discharge rates were tracked in 1-s epochs over forces ranging from 0 to 75% of maximal voluntary isometric force (MVC). Across all forces, MUs in the lateral head discharged at higher rates than those in the anconeus (p<0.001, Δ=0.23). When all MUs were considered, recruitment thresholds in the long head of the triceps brachii were higher than the lateral head (p<0.05,Δ=0.70) with a trend (p=0.08,Δ=0.48) for higher recruitment thresholds in the long head compared with the anconeus. Together, these data indicate a potential mechanical disadvantage of the long head of the triceps brachii at 0° shoulder flexion. However, among low-threshold MUs (<10% MVC), recruitment thresholds were lower in the anconeus than in both heads of the triceps brachii consistent with the expected twitch contractile and fibertype differences among these muscles. These findings illustrate the importance of considering synergistic relations among muscles used for a coordinated task, and the sensitivity of synergies to muscle architectural, mechanical, and possibly specific synaptic input factors.

Determining factors in body mass index of Spanish schoolchildren based on the National Health Surveys

Abstract Introduction Spanish National Health Surveys do not establish synergistic relations between variables. The purpose of this study was to perform a deeper historical analysis of body mass index (BMI) and its relation to other parameters included in the questionnaire for children. Material and methods Data from interviews conducted (between 1987 and 2006) to parents and guardians of schoolchildren aged 9–15 years were analyzed. Height and weight reported by parents were selected and used to calculate BMI. Subjects were stratified by age, gender, time spent sleeping and watching television and, finally, frequency of physical activity. The historical trend of BMI and its dependence on the above factors were analyzed using ANOVA tests. Results and conclusions Significant weight and height increases were seen, which were more marked in boys aged 12–15 years. Influence of physical activity on BMI was shown, but decreased ( p p p p

Competing together: Assessing the dynamics of team–team and player–team synchrony in professional association football

This study investigated movement synchronization of players within and between teams during competitive association football performance. Cluster phase analysis was introduced as a method to assess synchronies between whole teams and between individual players with their team as a function of time, ball possession and field direction. Measures of dispersion (SD) and regularity (sample entropy – SampEn – and cross sample entropy – Cross-SampEn) were used to quantify the magnitude and structure of synchrony. Large synergistic relations within each professional team sport collective were observed, particularly in the longitudinal direction of the field (0.89±0.12) compared to the lateral direction (0.73±0.16, p<.01). The coupling between the group measures of the two teams also revealed that changes in the synchrony of each team were intimately related (Cross-SampEn values of 0.02±0.01). Interestingly, ball possession did not influence team synchronization levels. In player–team synchronization, individuals tended to be coordinated under near in-phase modes with team behavior (mean ranges between −7 and 5° of relative phase). The magnitudes of variations were low, but more irregular in time, for the longitudinal (SD: 18±3°; SampEn: 0.07±0.01), compared to the lateral direction (SD: 28±5°; SampEn: 0.06±0.01, p<.05) on-field. Increases in regularity were also observed between the first (SampEn: 0.07±0.01) and second half (SampEn: 0.06±0.01, p<.05) of the observed competitive game. Findings suggest that the method of analysis introduced in the current study may offer a suitable tool for examining team’s synchronization behaviors and the mutual influence of each team’s cohesiveness in competing social collectives.

Factores determinantes del índice de masa corporal en escolares españoles a partir de las Encuestas Nacionales de Salud

IntroductionSpanish National Health Surveys do not establish synergistic relations between variables. The purpose of this study was to perform a deeper historical analysis of body mass index (BMI) and its relation to other parameters included in the questionnaire for children. Material and methodsData from interviews conducted (between 1987 and 2006) to parents and guardians of schoolchildren aged 9-15 years were analyzed. Height and weight reported by parents were selected and used to calculate BMI. Subjects were stratified by age, gender, time spent sleeping and watching television and, finally, frequency of physical activity. The historical trend of BMI and its dependence on the above factors were analyzed using ANOVA tests. Results and conclusionsSignificant weight and height increases were seen, which were more marked in boys aged 12 to 15 years. Influence of physical activity on BMI was shown, but decreased (P<.001) as exercise time increased. By contrast, BMI increased (P<.001) as time spent watching television increased. On the other hand, the role of sleep as modulator of body size was confirmed, since schoolchildren aged 9-11 years who slept over 9h had lower BMIs (P<.001). In subjects aged 12 to 15, BMI decreased (P<.001) from 6h of sleep.

Applying Electromagnetic Field Theory to Study the Synergistic Relationships Between Technology Standardization and Technology Development

Science and technology are the primary drivers of the nations’ economies. Advanced technologies play an irreplaceable role in modern societies, industrial enterprises and public services. Advanced science and technologies make it possible to integrate number of simple systems into a large‐scale complex system, where the behaviours of system components must be highly coordinated and collaborated to achieve optimized system performance of integrated systems. The perquisites of system coordination and collaboration are interoperability and standardization of system components. To meet these requirements, it is of great significance to clarify the interaction mechanism between technology standardization and technology development. In this paper, the characteristics of technology standardization and technology development at different stages are analysed; the synergistic relations between these two factors are elaborated with the consideration of external driving forces. Moreover, the electromagnetic field theory is applied to analogize the interactions and develop a new model for the representation of the dynamic mechanisms of technology standardization and technology development. The reasonableness of the analog of the interactions by the electromagnetic field has been illustrated through theoretical analysis and case studies. Finally, the directions of the study on technology standardization and technology development are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Adrenergic agonists do not modify in vivo cholinergic eccrine sweating dose‐response relations

Muscarinic and α‐ and β‐adrenergic receptors have been identified on secretory clear cells of human eccrine sweat glands. Potential interactions of these receptor populations in an intact in vivo model are unclear. To probe for subadditive, additive, or synergistic multiple agonist relations, 15 healthy subjects had 6 intradermal microdialysis probes placed in dorsal forearm skin perfused with: 1 &amp; 2) 6 log M doses of acetylcholine (ACh); 3 &amp; 4) ACh doses plus 200 or 80 μM isoproterenol; 5) ACh doses plus 3.16 μM norepinephrine and 1 mM propranolol; 6) ACh doses plus 100 μM phenylephrine. Sweat rate was measured via capacitance hygrometry and dose causing ½ maximal response (ED50) was identified by logistic modeling. ACh alone produced dose‐response relations with ED50 of −1.2±0.2. The addition of a β‐adrenergic agonist did not significantly alter the ED50 (200 μM = −1.3±0.1 and 80 μM = −1.1±0.3). Neither the addition of an α1‐adrenergic agonist nor α1‐ and α2‐adrenergic agonists co‐perfused with a β‐adrenergic antagonist significantly affected ED50 (−1.2±0.1 and −1.4±0.1, respectively). Combined, these data indicate that functional doses of adrenergic agonists do not modify the in vivo cholinergic eccrine sweating dose‐response relations. These results do not provide evidence for multiple agonist combinations causing augmented sweating responses in vivo.Funding: Osteopathic Heritage Foundation

Clustering Research, Education, and Entrepreneurship: Nanotech Innovation at MINATEC in Grenoble

OVERVIEW:This article presents a case study on MINATEC, a regional innovation cluster in Grenoble, France, encompassing several entities: applied and basic research institutes, a university, and incubation and technology transfer facilities. MINATEC was created to foster development in the field of micro- and nanotechnologies. It is organized in a systemic way intended to make the most of interactions among its institutions to create synergistic relations. Established in 2006, MINATEC operates under an organizational model that connects basic and applied research, higher education, and support for start-ups and technology transfer. These features make MINATEC a relevant case study for both public and private innovation managers.

生态系统服务竞争与协同研究进展

生态系统服务作为生态系统评估的核心领域,是生态学的研究热点。生态系统提供服务的形式与能力受人类活动强烈影响,反之,生态系统服务的变化又影响着人类相关决策的制定。不同生态系统服务之间很难甚至不可能同时达到利益最大化,即存在着不同程度此消彼长的竞争关系。此外,不同生态系统服务之间也可能形成相互促进或抑制的协同作用。探讨不同生态系统服务的相互关系(竞争与协同作用),有利于揭示不同尺度利益相关方与生态系统服务之间的作用与反馈机制,避免生态系统服务的重复估算;同时可为制定与实施生态补偿、提高人类福祉提供科学依据,优化生态系统服务管理。综合研究了近期国外生态系统服务竞争关系与协同作用的相关文献,在简述当前生态系统服务研究若干问题的基础上,以生态系统服务竞争与协同为视角,厘清了生态系统服务竞争与协同的基本内涵,总结了生态系统服务竞争与协同的主要类型,探讨了生态系统服务竞争与协同的空间与时间尺度效应;介绍并总结了生态系统服务竞争与协同两种主要研究方法(生态-经济综合模型方法、基于土地利用的情景分析法)的特点与适应范围。;Being the core of ecosystem assessment, studies on ecosystem services have been becoming a focus in the field of ecology. The formation and provisioning capacity of ecosystem services are tremendously affected by human activities. Conversely, the magnitudes of ecosystem service changes also influence the preferences of human being's daily decision-making. Investigation into the dynamics of the trade-offs and synergistic relationships of regional ecosystem services will shed light on interactions and feedbacks between ecosystem services and the stakeholders at different spatial and temporal scales, and avoid double-counting issue in ecosystem services assessment. In addition, information and progress on trade-offs and synergies in the delivery of ecosystem services will provide scientific basis for designing and implementing eco-compensation schemes and optimize the management behavior of ecosystem services, and finally improve human well-being associated with trade-offs and synergies among different ecosystem services.<br>It is revealed from this review that in the last decades, the valuation of ecosystem services has been received lots of attentions in the decision-making and scientific research communities. However, the double-counting issue during the valuation process usually leads to insufficient or biased guidance in the management of ecosystem services. Since ecosystem service is benefit that human receives from the natural ecosystems, the stakeholders' demand for ecosystem services from different spatial and temporal scales often causes competitions and conflicts among ecosystem's various goods and services. The interactions between human being and ecosystem services often give rise to trade-offs and synergies which in turn directly affect human welfare.<br>With regard to the terminologies, trade-offs between ecosystem services refers to the enhancement of one ecosystem service locally in a short term is at the cost of other ecosystem services locally or at a large spatial scale (e.g., globally) in the future. It can be simplified as the win-lose mode. The term synergies means the synchronous changes between two or among many different ecosystem services, including the win-win mode and the lose-lose mode. The trade-offs and synergistic relationships exist not only within different categories of provisioning services, but also among different ecosystem services and like provision services, regulation services, cultural services, and supporting services. Findings from about 12 literatures has shown specific examples of such kind of trade-offs and synergistic relations, for instance, among provisioning services, between regulating services and cultural services, between provisioning services and supporting services, among regulating services, and between provisioning services and regulating services. The spatial scale of trade-offs and synergies contain various scales, for instance, from ecological scale to institutional scale. The temporal scale could be short-term to long-term based.<br>This paper indicates that so far, trade-offs and synergies analysis of ecosystem services is still at its early stage. However, we identified and summarized two research approaches which have already been commonly used for the analysis of ecosystem services' trade-offs: (1) the Integrated Ecological-Economic Model: it is a traditional approach which is often used to quantify trade-offs. The Model consists of several ecological and economic models. The ecological models are mostly used to analyze the magnitudes of the changes of ecosystem services, while the economic models to evaluate the impacts of the change on human welfare. Since land use and land cover change serves as a direct driving factor of the ecosystem services' trade-offs and synergies, it will become even more extensive due to intensification of interactions between the two in the future. (2) Scenarios Analysis based on Landuse is attracting more and more attention in scientific literature. Remote sensing data and management policies of ecosystem services provide strong data basis for the scenarios formulation and analysis. It could provide more objective and spatially-explicit information on the trade-offs and synergies for optimizing ecosystem services management.

Social capital and human development: an empirical investigation across European countries

Abstract:In this paper, we offer an empirical investigation of the relationship between social capital and human development across European countries for the post-war period. We argue that social organizations contribute directly to broader welfare aspects of development as part of the third sector of the economy, which undertakes the provision of public goods, such as health and education, in synergy with state institutions. This is counter to views that associate social organizations with anti-growth rent-seeking and lobbying activities. We begin with a multivariate regression analysis, which reveals that membership in social organizations is positively associated with human development, along with state institutions of public expenditure and the quality of governance. We then conduct a case study analysis to explore further the historical and cultural contextual factors of European welfare systems that determine the capacity of third sector organizations to enhance generalized co-operation, synergistic relations and social welfare against particularist interests.

The biodegradability and mechanical strength of nutritive pots for vegetable planting based on lignocellulose composite materials

Considering the mild degradation strength and the fact that it may be an organic matter reserve for the soil, in the past years lignocellulosic materials have been used as fibrous raw materials in the manufacture of biodegradable nutritive pots for the seedling in vegetable containerized production. This paper analyses the behavior of the nutritive pots madefrom biodegradable composites for the vegetable seedling production process, focusing on their mechanical strength properties and biodegradability. It was found that the biodegradability of composite materials obtained from a mixture of secondary cellulosic fibers, peat, and additives, is strongly influenced by the presence or absence of the rhizosphere effect and the synergistic relations set in the culture substrate between the plant roots and microorganisms, which develop permanently the recycling and solubilization of mineral nutrients. The results showed that the presence in the substrate of some complex populations made by heterotrophic bacteria favors full degradation of the pulp and lignin contained in the substrate and pots composition. Therefore, unlike the reference sample (plant-free), cultivated versions exhibited an intense biodegradation on the account of rhizosphere effect.