the quality of plant stocks in the nursery has proven to be a key determinant factor in precocity of fruit bearing period and the size of tree crops. the quality of these trees is related to growth strength of the applied rootstock, the tendency of the cultivars to produce branches, the growth season's weather conditions as well as the efficiency of different treatments stimulating branchi...

Shared decision-making (SDM) between physician and patient is an idea founded in ethics and the law and in some evidence of superior health outcomes. SDM is the practical reconciliation of respect for persons (autonomy) and the monopoly and power of physicians: a middle ground between “nanny-knows-best” paternalism and rampant consumerism. SDM includes the notion of a medical encounter as a “me...

Currently in Greece, the Operational Programme for the Information Society (OPIS) is promoting ICT in the public sector. However, a content study of Greek government websites reveals that at local level e-government has generally not progressed beyond the information presentation stage. The findings of an online survey of government employees and interviews with key government officials suggest...

Thrips were sampled from six nectarine orchards in the Dry Central Interior, British Columbia, Canada, between April and June 1993 using yellow sticky cards on posts spaced around the perimeter of each orchard. Although 12 identified species of thrips were captured, >90% of individuals were the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). The flight patterns and abundances of w...

Wide-ranging species cannot persist in reserves alone. Consequently, there is growing interest in the conservation value of agricultural lands that separate or buffer natural areas. The value of agricultural lands for wildlife habitat and connectivity varies as a function of the crop type and landscape context, and quantifying these differences will improve our ability to manage these lands mor...

Understanding how climate change can affect crop-pollinator systems helps predict potential geographical mismatches between a crop and its pollinators, and therefore identify areas vulnerable to loss of pollination services. We examined the distribution of orchard species (apples, pears, plums and other top fruits) and their pollinators in Great Britain, for present and future climatic conditio...

The present paper endeavors to evaluate the impact of e-government applications in basic infrastructure and public utilities for which a model is developed to show that e-government has its roots in democratic values where the two reinforce each other. The model is then tested in the power sector in India using qualitative analysis. A comparative analysis of two players in the power sector, one...