Piophila megastigmata (Diptera: Piophilidae): first records on human corpses

Piophila megastigmata McAlpine, 1978, for many years only known from South Africa, was recently recorded in Spain. The present work reports for the first time the occurrence of P. megastigmata in human corpses in Portugal. The species was also collected in succession studies conducted with piglet carcasses, where it coexisted with Stearibia nigriceps (Meigen, 1826), showing similar periods of presence in the carcass. However, P. megastigmata was more abundant than S. nigriceps in autumn, with the opposite in summer. During winter neither species was able to colonize carrion and in spring, only S. nigriceps. This first record of P. megastigmata in human corpses confirms it as a potentially useful forensic species in Europe. The species, well established in the Iberian Peninsula, probably has a wider distribution but has been previously overlooked and possibly confused with Piophila casei (Linnaeus, 1758) in many studies.     

Morphology of preimaginal stages of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera, Calliphoridae): a comparative study

A comparative morphological study of preimaginal stages (larvae and pupae) of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 is presented. The entomological samples came from laboratory colonies bred under controlled environmental conditions (25°C and 60% relative humidity). In this study, a recently published technique to clear Diptera larvae for light microscopy and a standard protocol for scanning electron microscopy were used. For the morphological comparison of larval instars I, II and III, and pupae of C. vicina, different larval regions (cephalic, thoracic and abdominal, including anal division), as well the internal chitinised cephalopharyngeal skeleton, were considered separately. Our results focus on showing the changes observed throughout development for the most important structures in the cephalic region (sensilla of maxillary palpus, antennae and oral ridges), the thoracic region (the first segment and its anterior spinose band) and in the anal division of the abdominal region (posterior spiracles and shape of the papillae). In addition, some morphological structures are described or pictured for the first time, such as the ventral organ and the anterior spiracle of larva I and the antenna sensilla, Keilin's organ and wrinkled area of the anal division of all instars. The cephalopharyngeal skeleton is an important structure for the taxonomy of Diptera larvae in all instars, including Calliphoridae. Our observations in C. vicina indicate that an in-depth review of the sclerite composition is needed. Pupae and larvae stages can only be compared by following the segmentary spinose bands and the anal segment, where the morphology of the posterior spiracles and papillae can be observed, in some cases despite the reduced condition of the latter.     

Building indicators to address community sustainability: learning from the Mixteca region,Mexico

This article reports on an indicator model to assess sustainability at the community level that was developed by an interdisciplinary work group. We applied this model in a case study of the Mixteca region in Oaxaca, Mexico, and provided a tool guide to measure the effectiveness of community-based actions. Two innovative aspects are presented: an iterative process with the community to develop a locally appropriate set of indicators drawn from the literature, and a baseline diagnostic assessment of the community’s performance on these indicators. This assessment may serve as a basis for future research and community-driven projects.     

Campaign spending and office-seeking motivations: an empirical analysis

This paper presents econometric evidence on the relationship between campaign spending and office seeking motivations. Our results, using Spanish data, show that campaign spending per capita increases with the stakes for the winner, measured by the appointment power of the office. Moreover we find that campaign spending per capita increases with the level of self-government of the region. Our results concord with those reported for other countries with very different systems of campaign funding.     

Symbolic Power Without Violence? Critical Comments on Legal Consciousness Studies

In this paper I analyze the reception of constructivist social theory in these sociolegal studies. The hypothesis that I want to demonstrate is that despite the importance of their contributions to understanding of law, there is a theoretical ambiguity in these studies. This follows from the fact that they adhere to social theories which are premised on different presuppositions about social relations and thus irreconcilable. To illustrate this ambiguity I will contrast the way that the concept of symbolic efficacy is employed in the work of Pierre Bourdieu, who is frequently cited in the legal consciousness studies as an authorized theoretical reference. I will analyze the basic concepts that underpin the sociolegal studies considered here, discuss the idea of the symbolic in law, and provide a theoretical comparison between Bourdieu and legal consciousness studies.     

The Role of Interest Groups in the European Union Decision-Making Process

Most of the economic models that analyse the behaviour of interest groups in the policy making process uphold the idea that there are many organized groups that compete, with the aim of achieving their individual goals. The adoption of decisions is the result of a complex system of strategic interactions, and since different groups have different resources at their disposal this makes it easier for one or more groups to influence whether or not a policy is adopted. This research demonstrates that an institutional system such as the European Union (EU) should be able to protect us from the potential manipulation, which accompanies these channels of influence.     

Borda Count Versus Approval Voting: A Fuzzy Approach

In this paper we consider a fuzzy variantof the Borda count taking into accountagents' intensities of preference. Thisfuzzy Borda count is obtained by means ofscore gradation and normalization processesfrom its original pattern. The advantagesof the Borda count hold, and are evenimproved, providing an appropriate schemein collective decision making. In addition,both classic and fuzzy Borda counts arerelated to approval voting, establishing aunified framework from distinct points ofview.     

Hot spots policing in a high-crime environment: an experimental evaluation in Medellín

Journal of Experimental Criminology - Test direct, spillover, and aggregate effects of hot spots policing on crime in a high-crime environment. We identified 967 hot spot street segments and...     

Reform and regulation of electricity in colombia -uk experiences taken across the atlantic

The Colombian reform of its electricity industry was inspired in the British experience. The theoretical support and the actual application of the reform in the UK and Colombia are examined in this paper. Both theory and the British experience show the importance of designing an appropriate institutional framework for the sector that takes into account its specific features. The main challenges presented by the reform in Colombia are the control of the concentration of property, the introduction of antitrust and anticorruption mechanisms, as well as the development of new managerial skills that are required to confront the complex dynamics of the new environment.