A Autorização por Representação é utilizada quando uma pessoa está impossibilitada - ou não habilitada legalmente - para consentir com um determinado procedimento assistencial ou com a participação em um projeto de pesquisa. Um dos diversos fatores que podem influenciar o representante durante o processo de autorização é a idade da pessoa representada. Com o objetivo de avaliar a diversidade no processo de obtenção da Autorização por Representação em situações assistenciais e de pesquisa em crianças e idosos foram desenvolvidos dois estudos. O primeiro foi um estudo transversal que visou avaliar o Desenvolvimento Psicológicomoral como um indicativo da capacidade para consentir em uma amostra de adolescentes e idosos. Não houve diferença entre o grupo de adolescentes e o de idosos em relação ao Desenvolvimento Psicológico-moral. O segundo estudo comparou o processo de obtenção da Autorização por Representação quanto ao grupo etário dos representados e a situação assistencial ou de pesquisa, através de uma simulação de um processo de autorização por representação. Os instrumentos utilizados foram Termos de Consentimento fictícios, compreendendo situações de assistência e pesquisa clínica em crianças e idosos. Do total de participantes, 97,0% responderam que autorizariam a realização do procedimento assistencial, 81,5% deles lembravam dos riscos do procedimento descritos no Termo de Consentimento e 78,0% lembravam dos benefícios. Em relação à participação em pesquisa, 23,5% dos entrevistados já haviam participado de projetos de pesquisa, sendo que 61,1% autorizariam a participação de seu familiar representado em um projeto de pesquisa. O fato de o maior índice de Autorizações por Representação corresponder ao procedimento assistencial provavelmente seja em razão da assistência representar uma necessidade e a pesquisa uma possibilidade. Quanto aos participantes lembrarem mais dos benefícios do que dos riscos provavelmente seja porque os benefícios vislumbrariam uma possibilidade de melhora da situação clínica em que supostamente o familiar encontrava-se. / Consent by proxy is obtained when a person is unable or legally unauthorized to provide consent for the performance of a medical procedure or participation in a research project. One of the several factors that may affect proxies during the consent process is the age of the person that they represent. The same procedure may be authorized for the elderly but not for a child, or vice-versa. A better understanding of the variables that make up the complex process of obtaining consent by proxy contributes to improving the management of these situations by the involved professionals. Two studies were conducted in order to evaluate several variables of the process of obtaining consent by proxy for medical care or clinical research involving children and the elderly. The first was a cross-sectional study to evaluate moral development as a marker of the competence to provide consent in a sample of adolescents and elderly people using a specific instrument. No differences were found in moral development between the groups of adolescents and elderly people according to the references used in the study. The second study compared the process of obtaining consent by proxy for medical care or clinical research in different age groups. The study was a simulation of the process of obtaining consent by proxy. The instruments were simulated consent terms for medical care or participation in research involving children or the elderly. Of all participants, 97.0% would authorize the medical procedure, 81.5% recalled the risks of the procedure described in the consent term, and 78.0% recalled its benefits. The analysis of participation in research showed that 23.5% of the respondents had already participated in research projects and 61.1% would provide consent for the participation of a family member in a research project. Medical procedures were mostly consented by proxies, which may be explained by the fact that medical assistance is a need, whereas research remains as a possibility. Participants recalled more benefits than risks, which may be assigned to the fact that benefits would indicate a possibility of clinical improvement of the condition that was simulated for their family member.

Está demonstrado em plantas atuais que níveis atmosféricos de CO2 e frequência estomática estão inversamente correlacionados. A utilização de dados estomáticos na calibração das curvas de CO2 paleoatmosférico do Fanerozoico tem sido eficiente não apenas para o Cenozoico, mas também apresenta excelente correspondência desde o Eodevoniano. Cutículas de glossopterídeas provenientes das jazidas de carvão de Faxinal (RS) e Figueira (PR), incluídas em níveis estratigráficos distintos da Formação Rio Bonito (Sakmariano e Artinskiano respectivamente), viabilizaram análises para floras desenvolvidas sob a vigência de megaciclo icehouse. Cabe ressaltar que o uso de glossopterídeas, classificadas dentro do grupo extinto das Pteridospermophyta, esbarra na impossibilidade de se estabelecer um equivalente ecológico atual, dada a ausência de relações taxonômicas, estruturais e ecológicas com grupos viventes. Portanto, optou-se por uma abordagem proposta por outros autores como alternativa para diferentes grupos de pteridospermas, que consistiu em comparar entre si resultados de análises estomáticas na morfo-espécie Glossopteris communis Feistmantel procedente de distintos níveis associados a carvões na Bacia do Paraná. O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi estabelecer possíveis relações entre os padrões estomáticos calculados e flutuações nos teores de CO2 paleoatmosférico. A metodologia consistiu em resgatar mecanica e quimicamente as cutículas da rocha matriz, clareá-las em solução de Schulze e montá-las em lâminas de gelatina glicerinada para observação em microscopia de luz transmitida. A observação deu-se com auxílio de filtro de contraste por interferência diferencial e as contagens foram feitas com o auxílio de programa para análise de imagens. As técnicas de estudo compreenderam cálculos de densidade estomática (DE- número de estômatos por unidade de área da folha) e índice estomático (IE- percentual de estômatos sobre o total de células epidérmicas). Os resultados obtidos foram de DE média= 234,73 e IE médio= 15,7 para a jazida de Faxinal (Sakmariano) e de DE média= 284,14 e IE= 18,9 para a jazida de Figueira (Artinskiano). Esses valores enquadram-se dentro da curva global de CO2 atmosférico para o Fanerozoico (modelo GEOCARB). As frequências estomáticas mais baixas das folhas do Faxinal com relação àquelas de Figueira foram relacionadas a processo de reversão temporária da tendência global de baixos teores de CO2 atmosférico para a base do Permiano. Essa reversão é atribuída à provável influência de fatores paleoecológicos locais relativos à grande extensão das turfeiras na parte sul da bacia, responsável pela emissão em larga escala de gases-estufa. Além disso, a flora de Faxinal está preservada em uma camada de tonstein, registro de atividade vulcânica que poderia ter afetado os níveis de CO2. Por outro lado, as turfeiras de registro muito esparso ocorrentes no nordeste da bacia, em intervalo mais jovem, por sua pequena extensão e ausência de indícios de vulcanismo, não alteraram o padrão paleoatmosférico. Estudos focados no final do Paleozoico têm especial relevância porque, nesse intervalo vigoravam, nas diferentes paleolatitudes, condições ambientais análogas àquelas ocorrentes na atualidade, como a existência de calotas de gelo nos pólos e períodos de aquecimento global. / In extant plants stomatal frequency and the concentration of the atmospheric CO2 have been shown to correlate inversely. The use of stomatal data to calibrate phanerozoic paleoatmospheric CO2 curves has been considered a reliable technique not only for the Cenozoic estimates but also for results obtained since the Early Devonian. Glossopterid cuticles from Faxinal and Figueira coalfields (respectively in Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná States) from distinct stratigraphic levels in the Rio Bonito Formation allowed stomatal counting for floras developed under icehouse megacycle. However, it is important to highlight that the efficiency of Glossopteris, classified in the extinct group of Pteridospermophyta, is restricted as paleo-CO2 proxy for the Paleozoic due to the difficulty of establishing a nearest living equivalent for it, given the lack of taxonomic, structural and ecological relationships with extant groups. Thus it was here adopted an alternative approach proposed by different authors analyzing other groups of pteridosperms, which consists in comparing results obtained from the morphospecies Glossopteris communis Feistmantel between two different coal levels in the Paraná Basin. The general aim of this study was to establish possible relations between the calculated stomatal patterns and the fluctuation in the paleoatmospheric CO2 levels. The methodology consisted in mechanically and chemically isolating the cuticles from the matrix rock, bleaching them with Schulze solution and then mounting glycerin jelly slides for observation in transmitted light microscopy. The microscopic observation was made using a differential interference contrast filter and the counting was carried out with the help of software for image analysis. The study techniques included the calculation of stomatal densities (SD- number of stomata per foliar area unit) and of stomatal indices (SI- a ratio of the number of the stomata to the total number of epidermal cells). The results were mean SD= 234.73 and mean SI= 15.7 in Faxinal coalfield (Sakmarian) and mean SD= 284.14 and SI= 18.9 in Figueira coalfield (Artinskian). These values agree with the curve of global atmospheric CO2 for the Phanerozoic (GEOCARB model). The lower stomatal frequencies detected at the climax of the coal interval (Faxinal coalfield, Sakmarian) when compared to the higher ones obtained in leaves from a younger interval (Figueira coalfield, Artinskian) could be attributed to temporarily high levels of atmospheric CO2. Therefore, the occurrence of an extensive peat generating event at the southern part of the basin and the consequent greenhouse gases emissions from this environment may have been enough to reverse regionally and temporarily the reduction trend in atmospheric CO2. Additionally, the Faxinal flora is preserved in a tonstein layer, which is a record of a volcanic activity that could also imply a rise in atmospheric CO2. During the Artinskian, the scarce generation of peat mires, as revealed by the occurrence of thin and discontinuous coal layers, and the lack of volcanism evidences would be insufficient to affect the general low CO2 trend. Studies focused in the Late Paleozoic are especially relevant because of the presently shared icehouse climate with glacial-interglacial cyclicity which includes times of global warming.

Orientadores: Raul Vinhas Ribeiro, Maria Silvina Medrano / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T21:31:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Giansante_Moacir_M.pdf: 31760626 bytes, checksum: 1c3f355aabddb68180939401b269973f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Este estudo apresenta uma metodologia para calcular os custos decorrentes de projetos de universalização de serviços de telecomunicações, conforme estabelece a legislação brasileira, denominados como custos líquidos em outras legislações. Tal conceito é baseado na obtenção dos custos evitáveis e para seu cálculo, os custos atribuídos ao cumprimento das obrigações devem ser alocados de forma a guardar relação com a atividade que o gerou bem como com a quantidade de serviços/produtos produzidos. A metodologia também deve ser capaz de capturar economias de escala e de escopo decorrentes de compartilhamento de recursos e de otimização das capacidades instaladas. Por isso, propõe-se um modelo que combine os conceitos de custos incrementais e de custos prospectivos de longo prazo de forma flexível e que permita a análise de diferentes projetos de universalização / Abstract: This study presents a methodology to calculate the net costs resulting from telecommunications universal services, in accordance with Brazilian legislation. Such a concept is based on the estimation of the avoidable costs due to universal obligations. In order to proceed with the calculations, the costs attributed to these obligations should be allocated to guard relation with the activity that generated them as well as with the quantity of service/productsproduced. ,The methodology also should be capable of capture scale and scope economies due to shared resources or capacities optimization. Theproposed model combines the concepts of incremental costs andforward-looking costs in aflexible manner to enable the analysis of different projects regarding universal service / Mestrado / Automação / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

Este trabalho objetiva identificar quais os sentidos e significados atribuídos pelos médicos pediatras à Síndrome de Munchhausen por Procuração (SMP), bem como o manejo que a equipe médica tem diante de sua suspeita, e as possibilidades de encaminhamento frente a esse tipo de violência infantil. Para tanto, foi feito um levantamento bibliográfico nas principais bases de dados, referente ao período de 1977 até 2013, e uma pesquisa de campo. Essa consistiu na realização de entrevistas semi-dirigidas com pediatras de um hospital público de São Paulo. As entrevistas foram transcritas, lidas e categorias foram levantadas. Essas categorias foram refletidas à luz da literatura especializada e analisadas sob o vértice de alguns conceitos psicanalíticos que pudessem enriquecer a discussão. A literatura define a SMP, denuncia as características do perpetrador como indícios a serem observados pelo clínico para sua identificação e revela que esse é um quadro pouco conhecido e subnotificado. A pesquisa de campo mostrou que, mesmo para pediatras dedicados e experientes, a SMP revela-se como um enigma: a noção de que uma mãe possa, deliberadamente, fabricar ou provocar sintomas de doença ou deficiência no filho, é algo difícil de aceitar. Nesse sentido, o exercício de dar um sentido e um significado para a SMP foi atravessado pela manifestação dos impactos desse quadro no pediatra: ele se indaga, se surpreende e se angustia com o fenômeno em si. Eles, também, acreditam que o quadro seja subnotificado. Possibilidades interventivas foram evidenciadas por eles: o reconhecimento precoce, o acompanhamento familiar, o encaminhamento da mãe (na maioria das vezes, quem perpetua a violência) para atendimento psicológico e psiquiátrico, e o acionamento do Conselho Tutelar. Contudo, tais profissionais estão certos de que a precocidade na identificação é algo difícil de alcançar, a adesão do perpetrador ao tratamento psicológico não depende exclusivamente de seu encaminhamento e o acionamento dos agentes de proteção à criança nem sempre resolve a questão. Assim, acabam, na maioria das vezes, experimentando um sentimento de impotência diante da ideia construída (idealizada) sobre o que vem a ser o médico e seu exercício clínico. Nesse sentido, considerando as contribuições da psicanálise, o pediatra precisaria relativizar suas certezas, considerar a transferência, sustentar os ecos que esta complexa condição humana pode causar e prestar atenção na relação mãe-criança, para conseguir que o manejo e o encaminhamento fossem mais rápidos e eficientes. Para que nosso entendimento da SMP pudesse ser ampliado, seria de fundamental relevância que a mãe (perpetradora) pudesse ser escutada por um psicanalista, que teria acesso às suas motivações inconscientes. Essas novas pesquisas poderiam trazer um novo saber acerca dessa complexa condição, favorecendo, então, o desenvolvimento de novas possibilidades de intervenção / This study aims to identify the directions and the meanings assigned by pediatricians to Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP or MBP), as well the handling of medical staff before its suspect and referral possibilities before this type of violence against children. Thus, a bibliographic research was done in major databases covering the period from 1977 to 2013, and a field research was conducted. This research consists of conducting semi-structured interviews with pediatricians of a public hospital in São Paulo City. The interviews were transcribed, read and categories were raised. These categories were reflected in the light of the literature and analyzed from the vertex of some psychoanalytic concepts that could enrich the discussion. The literature defines MSBP, reports the characteristics of the perpetrator as the evidences to be observed by the clinician to identify them and revels that this is an hardly known and an underreported medical framework. A field research showed that even to dedicated and experienced pediatricians, the MSBP is revealed as a puzzle: the idea that a mother can deliberately make or cause symptoms of illness or desability in her child is something hard to accept. Accordingly, the exercise of giving directions and meanings to MSBP was crossed by the manifestation of the impacts of this framework in pediatrician: he wonders, get surprised and grieves with the phenomenon itself. They also believe that this framework is underreported. Interventional possibilities were shown by them: early recognition, family monitoring, the referral of the mother (in most cases, who perpetuates violence) to psychological and psychiatric care, and contacting the Child Protective Council. However, such professionals are certain that early identification is a difficult thing to achieve, the acceptance of the perpetrator to the psychological and psychiatric treatment does not depend exclusively on their referral and the activation of the staff of the child protective council, does not always solve the issue. Thus end most of time, experiencing a feeling of powerlessness in the face of the constructed idea (idealized) about what is to be the doctor and his clinical practice. Accordingly in this sense, considering the contributions of the psychoanalysis, pediatricians need to relativize their convictions, consider transfer, sustain the echoes that this complex human condition may cause and watch the mother-child relationship, to achieve a faster and effective handling and referral. To expand our understanding of MSBP, it would be of fundamental relevance that the mother (perpetrator) could be listened by a psychoanalyst, who would have access to her unconscious motivations. These new researchs could bring new knowledge about this complex condition, then favoring the development of new opportunities for intervention

The aim of this work is to design an experiment, where client-server systems can be compared. They belong to the group of systems that are called component systems. Client-server systems are difficult to compare, because they are complex. The client-server systems are documented in different ways. Notations in the implementation of them are in different ways. There is a large difference in the communication between the client and server. The architectures between the client-server systems differ also, but they are not totally different. Therefore it is possible to construct an experiment for comparing them. Client-server systems that will be compared are Java RMI, Web Services, CORBA, and Enterprise JavaBeans. We are going to use Java as the programming language. Some of these systems, for example CORBA, can be implemented in other languages. The designed experiment is among other things going to answer how long time is needed to implement a specific application, how fast a specific client-server system is, and how long time is spent for learning about a specific system.

TLS is a vital protocol used to secure communication over networks and it provides an end- to-end encrypted channel between two directly communicating parties. In certain situations it is not possible, or desirable, to establish direct connections from a client to a server, as for example when connecting to a server located on a secure network behind a gateway. In these cases chained connections are required. Mutual authentication and end-to-end encryption are important capabilities in a high assur- ance environment. These are provided by TLS, but there are no known solutions for chained connections. This thesis explores multiple methods that provides the functionality for chained connec- tions using TLS in a high assurance environment with trusted servers and a public key in- frastructure. A number of methods are formally described and analysed according to multi- ple criteria reflecting both functionality and security requirements. Furthermore, the most promising method is implemented and tested in order to verify that the method is viable in a real-life environment. The proposed solution modifies the TLS protocol through the use of an extension which allows for the distinction between direct and chained connections. The extension which also allows for specifying the structure of chained connections is used in the implementation of a method that creates chained connections by layering TLS connections inside each other. Testing demonstrates that the overhead of the method is negligible and that the method is a viable solution for creating chained connections with mutual authentication using TLS.

This thesis contributes to the field of causal inference, where the main interest is to estimate the effect of a treatment on some outcome. At its core, causal inference is an exercise in controlling for imbalance (differences) in covariate distributions between the treated and the controls, as such imbalances otherwise can bias estimates of causal effects. Imbalance on observed covariates can be handled through matching, where treated and controls with similar covariate distributions are extracted from a data set and then used to estimate the effect of a treatment. The first paper of this thesis describes and investigates a matching design, where a data-driven algorithm is used to discretise a covariate before matching. The paper also gives sufficient conditions for if, and how, a covariate can be discretised without introducing bias. Balance is needed for unobserved covariates too, but is more difficult to achieve and verify. Unobserved covariates are sometimes replaced with correlated counterparts, usually referred to as proxy variables. However, just replacing an unobserved covariate with a correlated one does not guarantee an elimination of, or even reduction of, bias. In the second paper we formalise proxy variables in a causal inference framework and give sufficient conditions for when they lead to nonparametric identification of causal effects. The third and fourth papers both concern estimating the effect an enhanced cooperation between the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and the Public Employment Service has on reducing sick leave. The third paper is a study protocol, where the matching design used to estimate this effect is described. The matching was then also carried out in the study protocol, before the outcome for the treated was available, ensuring that the matching design was not influenced by any estimated causal effects. The third paper also presents a potential proxy variable for unobserved covariates, that is used as part of the matching. The fourth paper then carries out the analysis described in the third paper, and uses an instrumental variable approach to test for unobserved confounding not captured by the supposed proxy variable.

More than half a century after the liberation of the majority of African countries, Africa is facing major socio-economic challenges including unemployment, slow economic growth and inequality. With waves of violent service delivery protests over the last few years throughout South Africa, it is now more than ever vital to identify the key challenges to development and the ways to overcome these trials. The importance of plans for development, and that reliable data plays an essential role in development have been wildly discussed, especially as the legitimacy and reliability of plans are highly dependent upon the quality of the data utilised. Even though data plays such a significant role in development, quality up to date data is expensive, difficult to obtain and in many instances not available. Furthermore, South Africa and many developing countries do not have the luxury of such data, nor the skills and resources to develop high quality statistics on a regular basis. In the light of the importance of accurate up-to-date data for planning and the lack of the aforementioned data in South Africa, the dissertation explores means of ‘accessing’ high quality up-to-date data by the use of ‘proxy indicators’. The dissertation seeks to explore whether it would be possible to use proxy indicators to measure local economic conditions and to identify a set of proxy indicators that accurately portray the economy. The study commences with an analysis on the relationship between a number of proxy indicators and the national economy in order to identify a set of proxy indicators that accurately portrays the economy where after the accurate indicators is empirically tested to that of the local economy in three study areas. The study established that six proxy indicators can be used to measure the local economy in South Africa. These are the (1) number of middle class residential properties sold, (2) growth in residential building activity, (3) retail sales of durable goods including business profit, (4) hardware sales including business profit, (5) volume of sales of spare parts for vehicles and (6) fuel consumption. Apart from the fact that the indicators mirror the economy to a high degree, a number of trends with regards to the dynamics of the relationship between the indicator and the economy were revealed. The study demonstrated that there is merit in further studies regarding the use of proxy indicators in planning / Dissertation (MTRP)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Town and Regional Planning / unrestricted

Despite of the documented impacts of the so-called green revolution, food security in the world faces new challenges in terms of population growth, increases in no-agricultural land use (urbanization), and climate change. Trends in food security show that the world community is operating within two limits of food system: (i) the quantity of food that can be produced under a given climate; and (ii) the quantity of food needed by a growing and changing population. Therefore, taking food security successfully into the future requires novel approaches to boost agricultural productivity in order to balance food supply and demand without expanding the agricultural land. To date, progress in wheat yield has been largely the result of the development of dwarf varieties through introgression of reduced height (Rht) genes. The height reductions arising from the presence of these genes increased yield by alteration of partitioning of dry matter and nitrogen in favour of the spike. However, increased partitioning through additional reductions in plant height is not likely; as comparative studies indicate that wheat yield is reduced when plants are shortened beyond a threshold, and most of the modern cultivars have reached the optimal height. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to identify the physiological attributes able to produce yield increases in the Rht genotypes with the optimal heights. Approaches based on physiological understanding of yield are necessary for developing genotypes combining high yielding potential and agronomic traits of superior adaptation, and for understanding yield limiting factors. Yet, direct measurement of physiological variables is often difficult or expensive; as an example, measuring plant water status in the field is problematic, with techniques such as psychrometry generally only being suitable for laboratory studies. Therefore, proxy such as tissue RWC may be a good alternative measure of plant water status. We aimed to address these questions with three components of experimental research :(i) proxy-based screening to increased photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency in wheat; (ii) determinants of increased HI in lines with different Rht genes (b, c) when incorporated into contrasting background wheat genomes (B, D), and the relative effect on N partitioning during grain filling; (iii) analyses of stable isotopes (δ²H, δ¹⁸O, δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) in an agronomic perspective in alley cropping systems associated with adjacent N₂ fixing trees, in terms of hydraulic redistribution, N availability and crop yields. In this thesis, the proxy-based approach to crop selection was defined as a surrogate-based (proxy and surrogate used interchangeably) screening of cultivars for morphological, anatomical, and physiological traits of performance or crop environmental responses. The research proposed steps for conducting a proxy-based crop selection programme. A comparative screening of 23 Eps cultivars and ranking for traits of photosynthetic and water use efficiency showed the correlative relationships of SLA to An, WUEi, leaf N, Δ¹³C, Kh, leaf RWC, and IVD. Additionally, it was observed that IVD may influence WUE and Amax. It was suggested that these relationships of SLA to traits of photosynthesis possibly resulted from the association of SLA and the leaf biochemical characteristics. Attention was also given to examining the mechanistic foundations that determine the relationship between plant height and yield. The results showed the straw-shortening significantly correlated both with Amax and Kh; and SLA decreased with the level of dwarfing; and the Amax related both Kh and SLA. Therefore, it was proposed that the straw-shortening may affects Amax by exerting a controlling influence over Kh through SLA. Moreover, both the partitioning of N to spike and the flag leaf N were related to plant height and growth stage. Additionally, the increased post-anthesis partitioning of N to grain associated with high N uptake rate and high MRT of N were probably the traits behind increased NUE and NHI. The data also indicated that increased grain number per spike, kernel weight and reduced peduncle length might be the driver of the increased HI in this experiment. The test of the hypothesis that there might be practical application of the analyses of the natural abundance of stable isotopes (δ²H, δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C, and δ¹⁵N) and isotopic mixing model by IsoSource to understand plant interactions in terms of water redistribution and nitrogen transfer and uptake in agroforestry systems, indicated a consistent gradient in depletion of wheat xylem water δ²H, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹⁵N in leaf as moving further away from the tree line. The data also reflected a consistent pattern of isotopic values (δ²H, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹⁵N) in wheat in the proximity of the tree being similar to that of the tree, suggesting they were using the same source of water and N. Similarly, an isotopic mixing model data showed that the crops in the proximity of the trees accessed considerably amounts of the water and nitrogen redistributed by trees. The study also indicated the improvement in water use efficiency, chlorophyll content, grain number per spike, and grain yield for the crops nearest to the trees for a distance up to 5 m. In conclusion, selection for increased HI should shift focus from reduced plant height to include increased grain number and kernel weight, increased partitioning of N to spike, reduced peduncle length, and low SLA. Finally, the hypothesis that efflux of water and N in agroforestry system from tree roots in topsoil and influences a number of physiological functions of neighbouring crops was confirmed by isotopic and physiological data.

In recent years, the IRI has managed to increase its influence in the Middle East. The strategic use of proxy warfare has played a central role as surrounding countries have become destabilised. However, following the positivist logic of structural IR theories, the materially inferior IRI should not be a stronger player in the region’s conflicts than the US and its Arab allies. The Iranian success in proxy warfare, therefore, provides a paradox for the explanatory framework of reductionist IR theories which rely on rational and positivist epistemologies. I argue that this is because these perspectives do not endorse an adequate comprehension of the mutual embedded relations which have served the IRI a strategic advantage in proxy warfare. In a challenge to the parsimonious reductionism of structural IR and security studies, I adopt Feklyunina’s constructivist framework for analysing soft power as a relational identity. Thereby, I switch the focus from a top-down analysis of the IRI to a focus including Iraqi insurgencies’ acceptance or rejection of the IRI’s national identity and foreign policy goals. I argue that identity matter in proxy relations. Hence, I estimate the IRI’s strength in proxy warfare based on potential Iraqi insurgencies’ compatible identities. I employ a longitudinal historical research design tracing the development of collective identities within Iraq. The study finds that the Iraqi Shi’ites share important common facets of their identity with the IRI and have subsequently been willing to fight as proxies against American and Sunni forces in Iraq. However, identity and legitimacy structures in the Middle East are complex, multifaceted, constantly changing, and dependent on context. Iraqi Shi’ites still preserve some reservations and antipathy towards the Iranian regime due to a nationalist sense of community.