bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does alpine grazing reduce blazing? A landscape test of a widely‐held hypothesis
Authors: WILLIAMS RICHARD J. , WAHREN CARL‐HENRIK , BRADSTOCK ROSS A. , MÜLLER WARREN J.
Published: December 2006

Abstract  ‘Alpine grazing reduces blazing’ is a widely and strongly held view concerning the effects of livestock grazing on fuels, and therefore fire behaviour and impact, in Australia's high country landscapes. As a test of this hypothesis, we examined the patterns of burning across the alpine (treeless) landscapes of the Bogong High Plains in Victoria, following the extensive fires of January 2003. Data were collected from multiple transects, each 3–5 km long, with survey points located randomly at either 50, 200 or 500 m intervals. The transects traversed the major regions of the Bogong High Plains, both grazed and ungrazed. At each point, we recorded whether the point was burnt or unburnt, the vegetation type (closed‐heath, open‐heath, grassland or herbfield), the estimated prefire shrub cover, slope, aspect, and a GPS location. At burnt heathland sites, we recorded the minimum twig diameter (an a posteriori measure of fire severity) in a sample of common shrubs. In total, there were 108 km of transect lines, 419 survey points and 4050 twig measurements, with sample points equally distributed across grazed and ungrazed country. The occurrence of fire (i.e. burnt or unburnt) in grazed and ungrazed areas was analysed by logistic regression; the variation in twig diameters by anova. Approximately half of all points were burnt. There was no statistically significant difference between grazed and ungrazed areas in the proportion of points burnt. Fire occurrence was determined primarily by vegetation type, with the proportion burnt being 0.87 for closed‐heath, 0.59 for open‐heath, and 0.13 for grassland and all snow‐patch herbfield points unburnt. In both closed‐heath and open‐heath, grazing did not significantly lower the severity of fire, as measured by the diameter of burnt twigs. We interpret the lack of a grazing effect in terms of shrub dynamics (little or no grazing effect on long‐term cover of taller shrubs), diet and behaviour of cattle (herbs and dwarf shrubs eaten; tall shrubs not eaten and closed‐heath vegetation generally avoided), and fuel flammability (shrubs more flammable than grass). Whatever effects livestock grazing may have on vegetation cover, and therefore fuels in alpine landscapes, they are likely to be highly localized, with such effects unlikely to translate into landscape‐scale reduction of fire occurrence or severity. The use of livestock grazing in Australian alpine environments as a fire abatement practice is not justified on scientific grounds.
Sex‐biased dispersal and high levels of gene flow among local populations in the argentine boa constrictor, Boa constrictor occidentalis
Authors: RIVERA PAULA C. , GARDENAL CRISTINA N. , CHIARAVIGLIO MARGARITA
Published: December 2006

Abstract  The knowledge of dispersal is essential to understand the ecology of any species, since population dynamics, spatial distribution and genetic structure are closely tied to patterns of movement. In this paper we estimate dispersal patterns in natural populations of the endangered snake Boa constrictor occidentalis (Serpentes, Boidae), using allozymes as genetic markers. Blood samples were obtained from a total of 120 adult individuals of nine localities from two areas, Sobremonte and Pocho, in Argentina. Only four out of a total of 24 loci were polymorphic: 6‐Pgdh‐1, Cat‐1, Ldh and Hp. The values of expected and observed mean heterozygosities, the percentage of polymorphic loci and mean number of alleles per locus for each population confirm the low levels of genetic variability in this snake. FST and Nem mean values were 0.0089 and 46.1 for Sobremonte and 0.0379 and 7.46 for Pocho, indicating important levels of gene flow. A comparison of FST between genders in both areas suggests a male‐biased dispersal, which could be explained by the characteristics of the mating system: males carry out an active mate search of receptive females, and philopatry could be selected in females due to the benefits of the familiarity with the natal area in the use of local resources.
Combined effect of incubation and ambient temperature on the feeding performance of a small ectotherm
Authors: BILCKE JOKE , DOWNES SHARON , BÜSCHER IGNACE
Published: December 2006

Abstract Many ectothermic animals are subject to fluctuating environmental temperatures during incubation as well as post‐birth. Numerous studies examined the effects of incubation temperature or ambient temperature on various aspects of offspring phenotype. We investigated whether incubation temperature and ambient temperature have an interactive effect on offspring performance. Our study animal, the ectothermic vertebrateLampropholis delicata(common garden skink; De Vis 1888), experiences fluctuating environmental temperatures caused by differential invasion of an exotic plantVinca major(blue periwinkle). In the laboratory, eggs from wild‐caught females were assigned to different incubation temperatures that mimicked variation in natural nests. The feeding performance and digestion time of each hatchling was tested at ambient temperatures that represented environments invaded to different degrees by periwinkle. Incubation and ambient temperature interacted to affect a lizard's mobility, the time that it took to capture, subdue and handle a prey, and the number of handling ‘errors’ that it made while foraging. For a number of these characteristics, incubation‐induced changes to a lizard's mass significantly affected this relationship. Irrespective of size, no interaction effect was found for digestion time: lizards digested food faster at warmer temperatures, regardless of incubation temperature. Thus, temperatures experienced during incubation may alter an animal's phenotype so that the surrounding thermal environment differentially affects aspects of feeding performance. Our results also demonstrate that incubation environment can induce changes to morphology and behaviour that carry over into a lizard's early life, and that in some cases these differences in phenotype interact to affect performance. We suggest that the immediate removal of exotic plants as part of a weed control strategy could have important implications for the foraging performance, and presumably fitness, of ectothermic animals.
Population fluctuations of the house mouse in a Peruvian loma and the functional response of burrowing owls
Authors: ARANA MARGARITA , RUÍZ‐LUNA MARÍA LUISA , MARÍA SERGIO SANTA , RAMIREZ OSWALDO
Published: December 2006

Abstract  In this study, we show that the house mouse (Mus musculus) is the most abundant small mammal in the National Reserve of Lachay in central Peru, and that its large population fluctuations are independent of seasonality. Also, we found that M. musculus is the main small mammal prey of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in Lachay, and that owls respond functionally to mouse abundance. In addition, vegetation cover seems to have a strong effect on small mammal predation by burrowing owls, and possibly other predators such as eagles and foxes. We propose the hypothesis that burrowing owls in arid environments can survive several months eating only arthropods, but that their reproduction is synchronized with a highly nutritious diet, provided by small mammal consumption. The principal prediction of this alternative prey hypothesis is now supported by our data from a tropical ecosystem.
Propofol and remifentanil for deep sedation in children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy
Authors: ABU‐SHAHWAN IBRAHIM , MACK DAVID
Published: December 2006

Purpose:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a combination of propofol and remifentanil deep sedation in spontaneously breathing children less than 7 years of age undergoing upper and/or lower gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Methods:  The effect of propofol and remifentanil sedation was prospectively studied in 42 unpremedicated children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy. Anesthesia was induced with a combination of sevoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen. Anesthesia was maintained with an infusion of propofol (50–80 μg·kg−1·min−1) and remifentanil (0.1 μg·kg−1·min−1). Demographic data, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation were recorded every 5 min for each child. In addition, recovery and discharge times were recorded.

Results:  All 42 procedures were completed with no complications. The combination of propofol and remifentanil resulted in a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. There was no respiratory depression or oxygen desaturation in any child. A bolus of propofol (1 mg·kg−1) was necessary in one child for excessive movement. No patient experienced any side effects in the recovery period.

Conclusion:  The combination of propofol and remifentanil for sedation in children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy can be considered safe, effective and acceptable.
Level of sedation evaluation with Cerebral State Index and A‐Line Arx in children undergoing diagnostic procedures
Authors: DISMA NICOLA , LAURETTA DANIELA , PALERMO FILIPPO , SAPIENZA DANILA , INGELMO PABLO MAURICIO , ASTUTO MARINELLA
Published: December 2006

Background:  Monitoring of anesthesia depth is difficult clinically, particularly in children. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation existing between CSI (Cerebral State Index), or AAI (A‐line ARX) and a clinical sedation scale such as UMSS (University of Michigan Sedation Scale), during deep sedation with propofol in children undergoing diagnostic procedures.

Methods:  Twenty ASA I and II children, scheduled to undergo deep sedation for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS), were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to receive depth of anesthesia monitoring with CSI or AAI. The anesthetist administered repeated doses of propofol every 10 s to a UMSS score of 3–4. An attending anesthetist, not involved in drug administration, recorded time and doses of sedation medications, vital signs, UMSS score and CSI or AAI score. All the evaluations were recorded at awake state (baseline), every 10 s until an UMSS score of 3–4 and every 3 min until the children were awake.

Results:  We enrolled 13 males and seven females ranging in age from 8 months to 7 years. After induction of anesthesia CSI and AAI scores decreased and from the end of the procedure to emergence the two scores increased. The CSI data showed a strong correlation with the UMSS scores (r = −0.861; P < 0.0001); we found a similar correlation between the AAI data and the UMSS scores (r = −0.823; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:  Our study suggests that CSI and AAI may be two, real‐time and objective tools to assess induction and emergence during propofol sedation in children undergoing EGDS and MRI.
Tension chylothorax in two pediatric patients
Authors: WHEELER ADAM D. , TOBIAS JOSEPH D.
Published: December 2006

Although the accumulation of gas is the most common cause of an expanding interpleural space, the presence of other structures or substances (hydrothorax, gastrothorax, hemothorax, urohemothorax, pyothorax, and chylothorax) under pressure may be sufficient to cause hemodynamic and respiratory compromise. We present two pediatric patients that developed hemodynamic and respiratory effects secondary to a chylothorax. The first patient presented in respiratory distress and cardiovascular collapse 4 weeks after a Fontan procedure. Placement of a chest tube resulted in the release of chyle under pressure and prompt resolution of hemodynamic and respiratory symptoms. The second patient was a 2100 g neonate who developed a chylothorax during an episode of sepsis following gastroschisis repair. On two separate occasions, the development of the chylothorax was associated with tachycardia, oliguria, and increased requirements during mechanical ventilation. Chest tube placement resulted in the release of chyle under pressure and resolution of the symptoms. These two cases demonstrate that chylothorax like pneumothorax can have deleterious effects on hemodynamic and respiratory function.
AEP‐monitor/2 derived, composite auditory evoked potential index (AAI‐1.6) and bispectral index as predictors of sevoflurane concentration in children
Authors: IRONFIELD CRAIG M , DAVIDSON ANDREW J
Published: December 2006

Background:  Level of anesthesia may be predicted with the auditory evoked potential or with passive processed electroencephalogram (EEG) parameters. Some previous reports suggest the passive EEG does not reliably predict level of anesthesia in infants. The AAI‐1.6 is a relatively new index derived from the AEP/2 monitor. It combines auditory evoked potentials and passive EEG parameters into a single index. This study aimed to assess the AAI‐1.6 as a predictor of level of anesthesia in infants and children.

Methods:  Four infants aged less than 1 year, and five older children aged between 2 and 11 years were enrolled. They all had uniform sevoflurane anesthesia for cardiac catheterization. The AAI‐1.6 and bispectral index (BIS) were recorded after achieving equilibrium at 1.5%, 2% and 2.5% sevoflurane, and immediately prior to awakening. The prediction coefficient (Pk) for BIS and AAI‐1.6 was calculated and compared within each age group.

Results:  The Pk for the AAI‐1.6 was low in both 0–1 and 2–11 years age groups. In the 2–12 years group, the Pk for BIS was significantly higher than the Pk for the AAI‐1.6 (Pk for BIS: 0.89, Pk for AAI‐1.6: 0.53, P < 0.01). In contrast in the 0–1 year age group there was no evidence for a difference between the Pk for BIS and the Pk for the AAI‐1.6 (Pk for BIS: 0.74, Pk for AAI‐1.6: 0.53, P = 0.25).

Conclusions:  This preliminary study suggests AAI‐1.6 is a poor predictor of sevoflurane concentration in infants and children.
Postnatal development of canine axial globe length measured by B‐scan ultrasonography
Authors: Tuntivanich N. , Petersen‐Jones Simon M. , Steibel Juan P. , Johnson C. , Forcier Janice Q.
Published: December 2006

Objective The objectives of this study were to document the development of axial globe length (AGL) in normal mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs between 2 and 52 weeks of age, to determine a relationship between AGL and age, and derive an equation to predict AGL in normal mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs.

Animals studied and procedure The AGL of twenty normal mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs was measured at 12 time points from 2 to 52 weeks of age using B‐scan ultrasonography.

Results The mean (± SEM) AGL increased from 12.65 mm (± 0.18) at 2 weeks of age to 19.52 mm (± 0.18) at 52 weeks of age. The correlation between AGL and age was evaluated by fitting possible variables to a regression pattern. A linear model of natural logarithmic‐transformed value of AGL (mm) and age (week) was established. Side (left or right eye) and gender did not correlate with development of AGL.

Conclusions A reverse transformation of the formula can be used to predict AGL in mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs: AGL = 10.847 * age in weeks0.1653.
Endless minds most beautiful
Authors: Finlay Barbara L.
Published: December 2006

The marriage of evolution and development to produce the new discipline ‘evo‐devo’ in biology is situated in the general history of evolutionary biology, and its significance for developmental cognitive science is discussed. The discovery and description of the highly conserved, robust and ‘evolvable’ mechanisms that organize the vertebrate body plan and fundamental physiology have direct implications for what we should investigate in the evolution of behavior and cognition.
Comparative cognitive development
Authors: Matsuzawa Tetsuro
Published: December 2006

This paper aims to compare cognitive development in humans and chimpanzees to illuminate the evolutionary origins of human cognition. Comparison of morphological data and life history strongly highlights the common features of all primate species, including humans. The human mother–infant relationship is characterized by the physical separation of mother and infant, and the stable supine posture of infants, that enables vocal exchange, face‐to‐face communication, and manual gestures. The cognitive development of chimpanzees was studied using the participation observation method. It revealed that humans and chimpanzees show similar development until 3 months of age. However, chimpanzees have a unique type of social learning that lacks the social reference observed in human children. Moreover, chimpanzees have unique immediate short‐term memory capabilities. Taken together, this paper presents a plausible evolutionary scenario for the uniquely human characteristics of cognition.
‘Like me’: a foundation for social cognition
Authors: Meltzoff Andrew N.
Published: December 2006

Infants represent the acts of others and their own acts in commensurate terms. They can recognize cross‐modal equivalences between acts they see others perform and their own felt bodily movements. This recognition of self–other equivalences in action gives rise to interpreting others as having similar psychological states such as perceptions and emotions. The ‘like me’ nature of others is the starting point for social cognition, not its culmination.
TITIAN'S VEILS
Authors: HILLS PAUL
Published: December 2006

Narratives of veiling and unveiling are central to the trajectory of Titian's art. His arrival in Venice coincided with the publication of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a romance which anticipates his conflation of Christian and pagan symbols. Ever mindful of the tropes of Christ's flesh as veil and hymen as veil, Titian brought together body, veil and paint as the stuff and subject of representation. How this unfolded in practice depended upon a telling conjunction of traditions of symbolism, contemporary material culture and the fast‐developing practice of oil painting. Veils as a luxury commodity were a vital concern to the Venetian silk guild around 1510, yet they remained charged with significance beyond their mercantile value. Titian moved from precise description of veils towards a diffusion of veil‐like properties throughout the weave or facture of his paint. In his last works, the painter revealed veil and flesh as one, the personal creation of his brush.
ARCHITECTURE, GENDER AND POLITICS: THE VILLA IMPERIALE AT PESARO
Authors: KING CATHERINE
Published: December 2006

Factors addressed by art historians in interpreting and explaining the unconventional design of the new Villa Imperiale at Pesaro by Girolamo Genga (c1529‐38) have included functional questions of topography and aspect, the court year, court ceremonies and theatre, and its relation to the older villa beside it, as well as stylistic explanations associated with ‘Mannerism.’ However the new villa was inscribed on its façade as having been built by Leonora Gonzaga Duchess of Urbino for her husband Duke Francesco Maria I. This essay discusses gender decorum to understand more about the interplay of factors underlying the choice of its peculiar design. The evidence of contemporary texts addressing the proper feminine appearance and behaviour of the Duchess and other noblewomen is considered in relation to the unusually enclosed and private themes characterising the plan and elevation of this villa.
ASYMPTOTIC LIKELIHOOD APPROXIMATIONS USING A PARTIAL LAPLACE APPROXIMATION
Authors: Taylor Julian D. , Verbyla Arūnas P.
Published: December 2006

Elimination of a nuisance variable is often non‐trivial and may involve the evaluation of an intractable integral. One approach to evaluate these integrals is to use the Laplace approximation. This paper concentrates on a new approximation, called the partial Laplace approximation, that is useful when the integrand can be partitioned into two multiplicative disjoint functions. The technique is applied to the linear mixed model and shows that the approximate likelihood obtained can be partitioned to provide a conditional likelihood for the location parameters and a marginal likelihood for the scale parameters equivalent to restricted maximum likelihood (REML). Similarly, the partial Laplace approximation is applied to thet‐distributionto obtain an approximate REML for the scale parameter. A simulation study reveals that, in comparison to maximum likelihood, the scale parameter estimates of thet‐distributionobtained from the approximate REML show reduced bias.
A FULLY NONPARAMETRIC TEST FOR ONE‐WAY LAYOUTS
Authors: Elmore R. T. , Hettmansperger T. P. , Xuan F.
Published: December 2006

The use of a vector of sign statistics as the basis of a nonparametric test for equality of distributions in one‐way layouts is considered. An important feature of this test is its ability to detect a broad range of alternatives, including scale and shape differences. In this scenario, the data consist of several independent measurements on each treatment or subject. Presented here are a finite sample and asymptotic distribution theory for the test statistics and a discussion of a follow‐up clustering procedure based on a mixture model approximation. Finally, the methods are illustrated using two examples from the literature.
ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIC RHINOCONJUNCTIVITIS AND POLLEN COUNTS
Authors: Byth K. , Cox D.R. , Forder P.
Published: December 2006

The relationship between daily pollen counts during the peak pollen season and hay fever symptoms in known sufferers of pollen allergy was investigated in a Sydney hospital‐based study. This paper develops statistical models for both the short term (day to day) associations and the longer term relationships between these time series. Possible effects of asthma status are investigated. The analyses illustrate how different relationships between time series may be explored in a simple way by working on different time scales with suitably transformed variables.
No War, No Peace: Northern Ireland after the Agreement
Authors: Mac Ginty Roger , Muldoon Orla T. , Ferguson Neil
Published: December 2006

In 1998 a historic agreement, commonly known as the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement, formed the basis of a negotiated settlement for the future of Northern Ireland. Since that time the level of violence in Northern Ireland has reduced but many problematic issues related to governance, sectarianism, and community relations remain on the political agenda and have destabilized the post‐peace accord environment. Many of these issues can be viewed as either causes or consequences of the protracted conflict in Northern Ireland. This special issue examines some of these issues from a political psychology perspective. Economic, political, social, and psychological factors that have supported and hindered progress towards peace and stability are considered. While the paramilitary ceasefires have remained intact and certain aspects of life in Northern Ireland have been transformed, the road to peace has been hindered by both political and psychological intransigence. This paper offers an opportunity to reevaluate conceptualisations of conflict and its management in chronic situations, where divisions are deeply embedded within societal structures and relationships, and consider factors that may act as barriers to the development of a lasting peace.
Rebels' Perspectives of the Legacy of Past Violence and of the Current Peace in Post‐Agreement Northern Ireland: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Authors: Burgess Mark , Ferguson Neil , Hollywood Ian
Published: December 2006

Former members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and organizers of peaceful civil rights organizations were interviewed to assess how these individuals interpreted the current social conditions in Post‐Agreement Northern Ireland. Contrary to the intercommunity ideals of the Good Friday Agreement, our results suggest that people continue to exist in a society where political power is based on the division of communities, where ordinary people are not motivated to contribute to politics and where everyday life is fundamentally affected by the agreements of strongly opposed politicians. Analysis of transcripts revealed that people lived in a climate that presented violence as inappropriate yet effective. To that end, members of the community were negotiating a period of social psychological conflict and were described as living in a situation of unease rather than peace. Participants warned that conditions appear to be creating tensions that could lead to future violence.
ANALYSIS OF HOUSEHOLD LEISURE AND SHOPPING BEHAVIOR IN IBARAKI PREFECTURE, JAPAN
Authors: Tiwari Piyush , Doi Masayuki , Kawakami Tetsu
Published: December 2006

Understanding household leisure and shopping behavior is an important component of market research, shop location decisions, travel behavior, and consumer behavior studies. This paper estimates a gravity model of travel behaviors related to leisure and shopping trips in the Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, based on a 1998 survey data set by Poisson regression. The overall results indicate that GDP per capita of cities of origin and of destination, population, train stations, and store area of the destination city affect trip flow positively. Intercity distance, store areas in the city of origin, and higher density in the city of origin negatively affect trip flow. Different variables distinctly affect the shopping behavior for different commodities.
On Rates of Convergence for Bayesian Density Estimation
Authors: SCRICCIOLO CATIA
Published: December 2006

Abstract. We consider the problem of estimating a compactly supported density taking a Bayesian nonparametric approach. We define a Dirichlet mixture prior that, while selecting piecewise constant densities, has full support on the Hellinger metric space of all commonly dominated probability measures on a known bounded interval. We derive pointwise rates of convergence for the posterior expected density by studying the speed at which the posterior mass accumulates on shrinking Hellinger neighbourhoods of the sampling density. If the data are sampled from a strictly positive,α‐Hölderian density, withα ∈ (0,1], then the optimal convergence rate n−α/(2α+1)is obtained up to a logarithmic factor. Smoothing histograms by polygons, a continuous piecewise linear estimator is obtained that for twice continuously differentiable, strictly positive densities satisfying boundary conditions attains a rate comparable up to a logarithmic factor to the convergence rate n−4/5for integrated mean squared error of kernel type density estimators.
‘THEY KNOW HIM BY HIS VOICE’: NEWMAN ON THE IMAGINATION, CHRISTOLOGY, AND THE THEOLOGY OF RELIGIONS
Authors: PRAMUK CHRISTOPHER
Published: December 2006

Newman's gift to Catholic theology is the gift of ‘wisdom’: an ability to discern the shape of the whole, not by way of ‘generalized laws or metaphysical conjectures’ but through the ‘concrete’ and ‘living’ soil of the religious imagination. Newman's elemental trust in the religious sensibilities of non‐Christians and the revelatory roots of ‘natural religion’ proceeds from his view of the religious imagination as the experiential, pre‐verbal, and pre‐conceptual realm of contact between God and human persons always and everywhere. Above all Newman recognizes the salvific character of a life of personal holiness. In this respect the life of Christ exemplifies continuity and not radical interruption with countless human beings outside our usual ken who quietly lead lives of sacramental holiness. Bringing Newman into dialogue with contemporary theologians such as Jacques Dupuis, Roger Haight, Terrence Merrigan, and Thomas Merton, the author proposes four lessons for a theology of religions cast ‘under the light of Wisdom’.
Are There Economic Incentives for Non‐Traditional Students to Enter HE? The Labour Market as a Barrier to Widening Participation
Authors: Adnett Nick , Slack Kim
Published: December 2006

The expansion of higher education (HE) in the UK has disproportionately benefited young people from relatively rich families: the gap between rich and poor in terms of participation in HE having widened since the 1970s. We explore a neglected possible cause of this class difference: that the labour market fails to provide sufficient incentives for potential entrants from less advantaged backgrounds to enter HE. Most studies of the rewards from participating in HE in the UK suggest that the rates of returns are sufficiently high to provide clear economic incentives to participate. However, until recently, most studies generated estimates of the average rate of return to graduation, which could overestimate returns to marginal entrants, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this review we examine the methodological problems faced by more targeted studies of the rates of return to graduation and review their key findings concerning the economic returns to non‐traditional entrants.
Extra‐Curricular Activity and the Transition from Higher Education to Work: A Survey of Graduates in the United Kingdom
Authors: Tchibozo Guy
Published: December 2006

This paper focuses on the effects of extra‐curricular activity on graduates' transition from higher education to the labour market. The study is based on a survey of 119 graduates conducted in 2004 in the UK. The data gathered cover a large range of social and leisure activities that the graduates carried on while students at their universities. Several aspects of their transitional process from student to worker are also covered. Data were analysed by means of linear and logistic regression models. Results show that extra‐curricular activity has a significant influence on the transition process. First, extra‐curricular experience gives access to better occupational status but lengthens the period of unemployment preceding the first job. Second, as compared with the most frequently observed extra‐curricular behaviour, two profiles could be distinguished: the one better performing than average, and the other worse performing. Results suggest extra‐curricular strategies to better enable graduates' effective transition to work.
Hard Lessons for Lifelong Learners? Age and Experience in the Graduate Labour Market
Authors: Purcell Kate , Wilton Nick , Elias Peter
Published: December 2006

The expansion of the higher education system and widening access to undergraduate study has led to growing diversity within the graduate labour supply, including increasing numbers who studied for their degrees as mature students. Analysis of graduates entering the labour market prior to the major expansion in the early 1990s indicated that those over the age of 30 had considerably more difficulty than younger graduates in accessing the career opportunities for which their education had equipped them. Is this still the case for more recent graduates? Drawing on a major qualitative and quantitative study of a class of graduates who completed their undergraduate degree courses in 1995, this paper explores early career development and employment outcomes according to age at graduation. Although we find considerable diversity among all age groups, mature graduates were more likely than their younger peers to experience difficulty in accessing appropriate employment, had a lower rate of earnings growth and expressed higher levels of dissatisfaction with their jobs.
Localised agricultural knowledge and food production in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Séhouéto Lazare
Published: December 2006

In Benin localised agricultural knowledge is produced or taken on board by the farmers according to their specific cognitive frames and social logic. It is therefore important to analyse them in their complexity. The analysis of farmers' knowledge as to the choice of associating or not associating various crops shows that, while the reasons advanced in the first case are above all ecological (more than 80 per cent of the responses), those put forward in the second are at once economic and ecological. Yet the farming calendar is not merely an adaptation to weather and climatic requirements: it brings together the implications of politics, economics, religion, and natural constraints. In this article I argue that to promote this localised knowledge which helps the majority of men and women who live south of the Sahara to survive, scientists must make more rigorous descriptions and interpretations of localised knowledge, in order to avoid the risk of becoming trapped in folklore or the mystical.
Moken traditional knowledge: an unrecognised form of natural resources management and conservation
Authors: Arunotai Narumon
Published: December 2006

This article presents the traditional knowledge of an ethnic group of sea nomads generally known in Thailand as Chao Lay. The Moken once led a nomadic marine life. They have developed their traditional knowledge and belief system over several centuries. This practical knowledge has been obtained through interaction with local ecosystems and from observation and experimentation in everyday life. The Moken have intimate knowledge relating to the sea and the forest, and they have elaborated boat‐building skills and other technologies that allow them to make their living from the sea, coastal areas, and islands. This traditional knowledge and attendant practices represent a form of natural resources management and conservation. It comprises: 1) knowledge and skills that depend upon simple technologies that have minimal impact on the natural environment and its resources; 2) a nomadic life with frequent displacements that allow the Moken to rotate their foraging grounds and prevent overuse and degradation of specific areas; 3) knowledge about numerous forest and marine species – their characteristics, behaviour, habitats and eco‐niches – which enables the Moken to make use of a diversity of local ecosystems; 4) a hunter‐gatherer livelihood focusing primarily upon subsistence, with little accumulation of material goods, and finally 5) a philosophy and belief system that holds that natural resources are not individually owned, but rather are to be shared by everyone without restrictions on access. The sharing ethic is very strong in the Moken community and resources are shared not only with fellow humans but with supernatural beings as well. This system of traditional knowledge, know‐how and representations has never been recognised nor respected. Rather than a form of natural resources management and conservation, it has been misinterpreted as part and parcel of a “primitive”, underdeveloped, and materially poor livelihood. For mainstream society, development for the Moken necessarily requires the termination of their “primitive” life and the embracing of modernity. Through this pathway to development, however, the Moken are likely to lose their traditional knowledge and the sustainable livelihood that has ensured their physical and cultural well‐being for centuries.
Knowing and managing biodiversity in the Pacific Islands: challenges of environmentalism in Marovo Lagoon
Authors: Hviding Edvard
Published: December 2006

The Marovo Lagoon of the Solomon Islands in the south‐west Pacific covers some 700 square kilometres and is fringed by a unique double chain of raised barrier reefs and by the high volcanic islands of the New Georgia group. Since the 1980s foreign companies have been exploiting the resources of the reefs and rainforests of Marovo, while the lagoon and its surrounding lands have simultaneously attained international status as a hotspot for biodiversity. Over the past decades the tribal groups of Marovo who own the lagoon and the land through customary law have engaged with the fishing and logging companies and international conservation agencies in a multitude of ways, generally aiming to retain the privileges of control over resources embodied in ancient but highly adaptable systems of land and marine tenure. Chiefs and other leaders in Marovo have also initiated and supported academic research in the area by social and natural scientists, with the aim of documenting resource use, management institutions and traditional environmental knowledge. In this article the author discusses recent interactions in the Marovo Lagoon between local development agendas and introduced agendas of biodiversity management, and argues for increased dialogue between local and scientific ways of knowing and classifying biodiversity. The arguments emerge that in this field of encounter between local and non‐local knowledge, there is at least as much potential for convergence as for conflict.
ACBC: affirmation of cultures and biodiversity conservation
Authors: Saenmi Sakda , Tillmann Timmi
Published: December 2006

The Inter‐mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT), as an indigenous organisation based in Chiang Mai, is engaged in the recognition of the rights of the mountain peoples of northern Thailand to live decently on their land, to speak and learn their own language, and to maintain their own cultures. With its educational programmes directed to pre‐school, school, and youth, IMPECT is supporting the future capacity of indigenous leadership to keep the cultures and indigenous knowledge alive. IMPECT is also host of the indigenous knowledge and peoples network for capacity building (IKAP) network, which supports indigenous topic networks in six countries in mainland montane South‐East Asia. IMPECT is the leading support for the ethnic networks of Thailand, who take part in the activities of IKAP. IKAP has implemented the ACBC approach (the affirmation of cultures and biodiversity conservation) as a critical response to the stereotyped assumption of outsiders about the destructiveness of traditional mountain cultures. ACBC revives the testimonies of indigenous practitioners about their knowledge and wisdom and promotes the cultural and practical values of mountain societies as stewards of the environment. This approach does not come from a romantic love for something already lost: it deals with the core of human life, of identity, of a group's desire to survive and give a meaning to its own life which cannot be replaced by outside cultures or languages. IKAP's networking efforts address the issue of indigenous knowledge: indigenous peoples' intellectual heritage and practices that guarantee and protect local environments and the wealth of biodiversity, not only for the local communities but also for the survival of humanity as a whole.
Biodiversity and relevance of local practices in the Cévennes Biosphere Reserve
Authors: Crosnier Capucine
Published: December 2006

The Cévennes National Park is a regulated and inhabited area that attempts to reconcile environmental and socio‐economic issues. It must compromise with all the actors in the area who hold traditional, technical, and scientific knowledge. This learning process in co‐management is an invitation to dialogue, negotiation, and even the comparison of local practices. Since the creation of the Park in 1970, a scientific approach to local ecological knowledge has accompanied the evolution of social and ecological issues. The research or conservation programmes provide a valuable perspective on the position of local actors within the framework of environmental policies. Are traditional knowledge and know‐how relevant from the point of view of the preservation of biodiversity?
Increased Prevalence of Tension-Type Headache Over a 12-Year Period is Related to Increased Pain Sensitivity. A Population Study
Authors: Buchgreitz L , Lyngberg AC , Bendtsen L , Jensen R
Published: December 2006

We recently reported an increase in prevalence and frequency of tension-type headache (TTH) over a 12-year period in the young Danish population. The aim of the present study was to analyse whether this increase was related to increased pain sensitivity. The study was a cross-sectional replicate of a large Danish population study. It compared 113 subjects aged 25-36 years in 2001, with 221 comparable subjects in 1989. Tenderness was considerably higher in 2001 than in 1989. When stratified according to presence of headache, the increase in tenderness was clinically and statistically significant only in women with frequent TTH. The pressure pain threshold was significantly lower in 2001 compared with 1989 in women with frequent TTH. The increase in tenderness in the population may predict an even higher prevalence of TTH in future. The changes support the hypothesis of central sensitization in TTH.
Subdural Haematoma in Patients With Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension
Authors: Lai T-H , Fuh J-L , Lirng J-F , Tsai P-H , Wang S-J
Published: December 2006

The incidence and clinical relevance of subdural haematoma (SDH) in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) remain undetermined. We reviewed 40 consecutive SIH patients (18 female, 22 male) in a tertiary hospital. Eight (20%) of them had SDH and nine (23%), non-haemorrhagic subdural collections. The presence of SDH was associated with higher frequencies of male gender, recurrence of severe headache and neurological deficits. Outcomes were satisfactory after supportive care or epidural blood patches except for one SDH patient, who developed transtentorial herniation resulting in Duret haemorrhage and infarctions of bilateral posterior cerebral artery territories. In conclusion, subdural fluid collections were common in patients with SIH. SDH was associated with headache worsening or neurological deficits. Patients with SDH generally recovered well; however, serious sequela might occur.
A novel missense mutation L468Q of keratin 6a in pachyonychia congenita type 1
Authors: Zhou H‐L , Yang S , Gao M , Zhao X‐Y , Zhu Y‐G , Li W , Ren Y‐Q , Liang Y‐H , Du W‐H , Zhang X‐J
Published: December 2006

Background  Pachyonychia congenita is an autosomal dominant disorder that usually develops in early infancy. The major features of the syndrome are hypertrophic nail dystrophy, palmoplantar keratoderma and oral leucokeratosis, accompanied by other ectodermal defects, according to subtype.

Objective  To analyse the K6a gene mutation in a sporadic Chinese patient with pachyonychia congenita type 1 (PC‐1) and to explore the relationship between the genotype and phenotype of PC‐1.

Methods  Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of the patient with PC‐1 and 100 unrelated controls. The whole coding region of K6a gene was amplified using long‐range polymerase chain reaction (PCR); nested PCR was then used to amplify the mutation ‘hot‐spot’ of the K6a gene. The PCR products were directly sequenced to detect the mutation.

Results  A novel missense mutation L468Q in the helix 2B domain of the K6a polypeptide was identified in the patient but not in the healthy individuals from the family and 100 unrelated control individuals.

Conclusions  We describe this mutation for the first time, and provide further evidence that the helix boundary motif sequences of K6a are a mutation ‘hot‐spot’.
Skin problems in lower limb amputees: an overview by case reports
Authors: Meulenbelt HEJ , Geertzen JHB , Dijkstra PU , Jonkman MF
Published: December 2006

The stump in lower limb amputees is prone to skin problems because it is exposed to several unnatural conditions (shear and stress forces and increased humidity) when a prosthesis is used. This study reviews the literature on case reports of lower limb amputees with skin problems on the stump. In total, 56 reports comprising 76 cases were identified in the literature. The main disorders are acroangiodermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, bullous diseases, epidermal hyperplasia, hyperhidrosis, infections, malignancies and ulcerations.
Effect of piroxicam gel for pain control and inflammation in Nd:YAG 1064‐nm laser hair removal
Authors: Akinturk S , Eroglu A
Published: December 2006

Background  Laser‐assisted hair removal is a variably uncomfortable and painful procedure.

Objective  The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of piroxicam gel on pain control and subsequent inflammation in Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser hair removal in women volunteers.

Methods  Fifty women volunteers were enrolled in this prospective, randomised, placebo‐controlled study over a 6‐month period. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive piroxicam gel as Group P or saline as a control group. Topical analgesic and saline were applied to the treatment sites for 45 minutes. The pain scores (VAS) and side effects were recorded before the hair removal, during the hair removal, at the end of the hair removal, and after 1 hour, 2 hours and 24 hours after the hair removal.

Results  Subject characteristics and treatment settings in Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser were similar in both groups. The pain scores (VAS) were significantly lower in the Group P than those of the control group during the hair removal (p < 0.001). Inflammatory side effects such as erythema, edema, and folliculitis, were more frequent in the control group than those of Group P during the procedure (p < 0.001).

Conclusion  This study showed that piroxicam gel provided adequate pain relief after Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser hair removal in women volunteers. Piroxicam gel was associated with lesser inflammatory side effects when compared to placebo because of its anti‐inflammatory effect after the procedure.
A long‐term time course of colorimetric assessment of the effects of imatinib mesylate on skin pigmentation: a study of five patients
Authors: Brazzelli V , Prestinari F , Barbagallo T , Rona C , Orlandi E , Passamonti F , Locatelli F , Zecca M , Villani S , Borroni G
Published: December 2006

Background  Imatinib mesylate (IM), the first‐line treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets those proteins involved in BCR‐ABL signal transduction in CML, c‐kit (KIT) and platelet‐derived growth‐factor (PDGFR) receptor. The use of IM has been associated with cutaneous reactions. In the last 2 years numerous studies have focused the attention on hypopigmentations, depigmentations and photosensitivity developing after the initiation of IM therapy.

Objective  The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of IM therapy on the skin pigmentation of five patients affected by CML.

Methods  Skin pigmentation measurements were performed with a Minolta CR‐200 Chromameter.

Results  All the studied patients show the gradual lightening of the skin on unexposed areas over the treatment with IM. In particular, this explorative colorimetric study indicates the association between IM and skin depigmentation with a significant increase of luminance value (L*) (P = 0.001) and a significant decrease of the pigmentation value (b*) (P = 0.028).

Conclusion  Even if we do not know the clinical significance of the skin depigmentation caused by IM, the regulatory role of KIT and its ligand stem cell factor in melanocyte development and survival seems to suggest an objective mechanism of action for IM in the pathogenesis of this cutaneous depigmentation.
Impact of Extended Education/Training in Positive Behaviour Support on Staff Knowledge, Causal Attributions and Emotional Responses
Authors: McGill Peter , Bradshaw Jill , Hughes Andrea
Published: December 2006

Background  This study sought to gather information about the impact of extended training in positive behaviour support on staff knowledge, causal attributions and emotional responses.

Methods  Students completed questionnaires at the beginning, middle and end of a University Diploma course to measure changes in their knowledge of challenging behaviour, their causal attributions and their emotional responses.

Results  Students’ knowledge significantly increased across the three data points. Students became less likely to attribute challenging behaviour to emotional causes. Changes in respect of making more behavioural attributions varied across different measures. Negative emotional responses reduced especially those related to depression/anger.

Conclusions  The training course presented here was associated with changes in student knowledge, attributions and emotional responses that are likely to be associated with better staff performance and better outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities.