Landschaftszerschneidung und Wiedervernetzung Instrumente und Konzepte zum Schutz der Biodiversit?t vor zerschneidungsbedingten Beeintr?chtigungen durch Bundesverkehrswege

Die Zerschneidung und Verinselung der Landschaft durch Infrastrukturanlagen wie Stra?en und Bahnlinien ist neben der direkten Zerst?rung und mechanischen Sch?digung des Lebensraumes eine der Hauptursachen für den Arten- und Lebensraumschwund. Die Bundesregierung hat sich deshalb in ihrer Biodiversit?tsstrategie zum Ziel gesetzt, bis zum Jahr 2020 die ?kologische Durchl?ssigkeit von zerschnittenen R?umen und bestehender Infrastruktur zu erreichen. Sie erarbeitet dafür derzeit ein Bundesprogramm zur Wiedervernetzung. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die M?glichkeiten zur Berücksichtigung der Landschaftszerschneidung in der Bundesverkehrswegeplanung sowie die Konzipierung von Wiedervernetzungsma?nahmen aus rechtlicher und planerischer Sicht.     

China in the Asia–Pacific Partnership: consequences for UN climate change mitigation efforts?

This article discusses China’s motives for participation in the Asia–Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP), and whether this has or will have consequences for its participation and efforts in the UN track of international climate governance. In order to discuss these issues, it also provides an outline of key national priorities and explains the nature of China’s involvement in both the UN track and the APP. It suggests that the APP is a complement to the UN process, not a competitor, in the case of China. APP participation represents a win–win situation in terms of the transfer of technology and know-how for solving challenges related to energy security and greenhouse gas emissions. For the Chinese leadership, this seems preferable to taking on UN commitments which it fears would impede economic development. The APP’s projects also seem to complement the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism project in China. This article argues that there is little indication that China would make less of an effort under the UN track.

Contradictions in Participatory Public Art: Placemaking as an Instrument of Urban Cultural Policy

This article addresses the current focus within urban cultural policy on using art as a tool in urban development. Based on theories of participation, democracy, and public art, the article sets out to investigate critically the concept of placemaking. The discussion is based on an analysis of the public art project Placemaking, which took place during 2015 in eight municipalities around Copenhagen in Denmark. I argue that, when used as a tool in urban development, participatory public art engenders contradictory encounters. These encounters challenge the cultural political effort to democratize art and culture.     

Differences in intimate partner homicides perpetrated by men and women: evidence from a Norwegian National 22-year cohort

Most of our knowledge about intimate partner homicide (IPH) is based on studies of men, as they outnumber women as perpetrators. From a total cohort of IPHs in Norway from 1990 to 2012 (N?=?177), we investigated differences between male (n?=?157) and female (n?=?20) perpetrators in terms of (a) IPH characteristics and sentencing issues, (b) sociodemographic, contextual and clinical factors, and (c) previous intimate partner violence. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that, in comparison to male perpetrators, female perpetrators were more often in intimate partnerships without mutual children, had a greater number of accumulated welfare deficiencies, and tended to be ascribed different motives (fear and revenge) for their crimes.     

An alternative approach to Computerized Tomography (CT) in forensic pathology

Computerized Tomography (CT) is used by some forensic pathology departments as a supplement to the forensic autopsy. Departments with a limited number of autopsies may find it relatively expensive to acquire and operate a CT-scanner. Furthermore, it requires a great deal of training and experience to interpret the radiological data. We are currently evaluating CT in order to decide whether the benefits match the efforts. In selected death-investigations the Department of Radiology at Aarhus University Hospital performs CT of the body on behalf of the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University and a skilled radiologist interprets the data. We present our radiological findings in the 20 cases where we have used CT and compare them to the autopsy findings. The cases include fatalities from beatings, stabbings, gunshots, fires and traffic accidents. CT is an excellent tool for documenting and illustrating certain lesions, such as gunshot wounds and bone fractures, where we can obtain information that possibly would have been missed at the autopsy. We believe, however, that further research is required before we can recommend CT as a part of a standard forensic autopsy. The cooperation between forensic and radiological departments is a good approach for smaller forensic departments that insures a skilled interpretation without having to divert a lot of resources to equipment and training.     

Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

This article presents a systematic literature review of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in the public sector. The findings show that although OCB is gaining more attention in the public sector, research often does not take specific public sector characteristics or concepts into account. Based on the available evidence, the authors develop a framework of antecedents, outcomes, mediators, and moderators of OCB. Three areas for future research are recommended: (1) regarding theory: link OCB to public sector concepts such as bureaucratic red tape, public leadership, and public service motivation; (2) regarding research designs: use stronger survey designs, experiments, and case studies and devote more attention to cross-sectoral and cross-country differences; and (3) regarding the consequences of OCB: address the gap in our knowledge of how OCB has an impact on public organizations, including negative impacts.