bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of biosocial variables on changes in nutritional status of rural Bangladeshi children, pre- and post-monsoon flooding
Authors: Choudhury Abu Yusuf , Bhuiya Abbas
Published: July 2008

This study examined the effects of biosocial variables on changes in nutritional status of rural Bangladeshi children, aged less than 2 years, pre- and post-1987 monsoon flooding. Nutritional status was measured by weight for age: variables included were age, sex, sickness during 2 weeks preceding the survey, intake of vitamin A capsules, socioeconomic status of household, and mother's education. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed an adverse effect of flood on nutrition and the effect was dependent on sex of child and intake of vitamin A. After the flood the proportion of severely malnourished children was significantly greater among those who had not taken vitamin A. For boys the proportion with severe malnutrition increased after the flood and the increase was greater than for girls; however, boys always had a lower risk of severe malnutrition than girls.
Differential mortality in rural Nepal
Authors: Tuladhar J. M. , Stoeckel John
Published: July 2008

This study reports the first analysis of mortality differentials in Nepal. Longitudinal survey data collected from four districts indicate infant mortality was lower and child survival higher in the hill than in the plains (Terai) region, but that the differential narrowed between 1975 and 1978. In addition, child survival varied directly with education and landholdings within both regions. Possible explanations for the findings include the presence of vertical and integrated family planning and maternal and child health programmes and differential access to and utilization of health care and health facilities.
Socioeconomic factors affecting mortality in rural Tanzania
Authors: Sembajwe Israel S. L.
Published: July 2008

In rural Tanzania, evidence is provided that socioeconomic development is more important in lowering mortality than the provision of health facilities and services. The impact of socioeconomic development on mortality is shown in the study.
Isonymy and the genetic structure of Sicily
Authors: Rodríguez-Larralde A. , Pavesi A. , Scapoli C. , Conterio F. , Siri G. , Barrai I.
Published: July 2008

The genetic structure of Sicily was analysed through the distribution of surnames of 758,793 users registered in the Italian Telephone Company, corresponding to 371 communes of the island. Estimates of the coefficient of consanguinity due to random isonymy, of Fisher'sa, an indicator of abundance of surnames, and of Karlin–McGregor'sv, an indicator of immigration rates, were obtained for each commune. Four different estimates of genetic distance between all possible pairs of communes within each province were also obtained, and their relationship with geographic distance was studied. The logarithmic transformation of Lasker's coefficient of relationship showed correlations with the log of geographic distance which range between −0·78 and −0·40; the strongest, for the province of Catania, was attributed to the presence of Mount Etna, and the weakest, for Palermo, to the high population density of this province.
The effect of price increases on contraceptive sales in Bangladesh
Authors: Ciszewski Robert L. , Harvey Philip D.
Published: July 2008

In April 1990, the prices of five brands of contraceptives in the Bangladesh social marketing project were increased, by an average of 60%. The impact on condom sales was immediate and severe, with sales for the following 12 months dropping by 46% from the average during the preceding 12 months. The effect on oral contraceptive sales was less dramatic: average sales in the year following the increases dropped slightly despite a previously established pattern of rapidly rising sales. There appears no reasonable combination of events other than the price increase itself to explain most of the difference.
Ethnicity and the use of health services in Belize
Authors: Stupp Paul W. , Macke Beth A. , Monteith Richard , Paredez Sandra
Published: July 2008

Data from the 1991 Belize Family Health Survey show differentials in the use of maternal and child health services between ethnic groups (Creole, Mestizo, Maya/Ketchi and Garifuna). Multivariate analysis is used to explore whether such differentials can truly be attributed to ethnicity or to other characteristics that distinguish the ethnic groups. Health services considered are: family planning, place of delivery (hospital/other), postpartum and newborn check-ups after a birth, and immunisations for children. The language usually spoken in the household is found to be important for interpreting ethnic differentials. Mayan-speaking Maya/Ketchis are significantly less likely to use family planning services or to give birth in a hospital. Spanish-speakers (Mestizos and Maya/Ketchis) are less likely to use newborn and postpartum check-ups, after controlling for other characteristics. There are no ethnic differentials for immunisations. Programmatic implications of these results are discussed.
Fertility, family size preferences and future fertility prospects of men in the western area of Sierra Leone
Authors: Campbell Eugene K.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the current fertility of men and women in the Western area of Sierra Leone and the prospects for future fertility behaviour. Probably due to the effect of rapid economic decline in Sierra Leone since 1980, the desired family size has fallen. But indications are that the preferred completed family size is lower than the desired family size
Reliability study of reporting of days since last sexual intercourse in Matlab, Bangladesh
Authors: Becker Stan , Begum Suraiya
Published: July 2008

The accuracy of responses to a question on the frequency of sexual intercourse in the 4-week period prior to an interview is expected to be low. This paper examines the reliability of an alternative question: ‘How many days since you last had sexual intercourse?’. This was a part of a larger longitudinal study of fertility dynamics in Matlab, Bangladesh. The response pairs of 61 women who were asked the same question by an interviewer and on the next day by a supervisor, were analysed. Refusals were more common among older women and among women who gave a response at the extremes of the distribution for the other interview. Of the pairs of two responses, 78% had a difference of 3 days or less. Further study and use of the question on days since last intercourse is recommended.
Ethnic differentials in child-spacing ideals and practices in Ghana
Authors: Benefo Kofi D. , Tsui Amy O. , Johnson Joseph De Graft
Published: July 2008

Postpartum sexual abstinence may be a major determinant of fertility and of maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the relationship between ethnicity and abstinence using data from the 1988 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. There is considerable diversity in the length of abstinence although only for one ethnic group, the Mole-Dagbani and other Ghanaians, is abstinence, both actual and ideal, very long. Respondents in most ethnic groups believe their abstinence to be adequate. A key motivation for abstinence is the unwillingness to have sexual intercourse with nursing mothers. Education, urbanisation, changes in marriage patterns and religious traditions are major factors shaping the ethnic differentials in abstinence. In comparison to breast-feeding, abstinence appears to have relatively little impact on the length of the birth interval and, for Ghana, has relatively few implications for fertility and child health.
Inbreeding in Ojeda and Pernia, 1875–1985, province of Palencia, Spain
Authors: Dobon L. Caro , Martinez J. Santo Tomas
Published: July 2008

The degree of isolation was assessed in two contrasting regions in Northern Palencia, Spain, one mountainous with small villages in the valleys (Pernia), the other lower and more open (Ojeda), with corresponding differences in economy. Using data from the parish and diocesan records, the frequencies of consanguineous marriages were calculated from the dispensation data, and the evolution of inbreeding compared. The more isolated region shows a greater degree of inbreeding, though not as high as in some other parts of Spain. Both regions show a decline in inbreeding with time, though in neither did the results indicate that geographic isolation was very outstanding. The most frequent types of consanguineous unions occur between second cousins.
The reproductive careers of a cohort of men and women following an HIV-positive diagnosis
Authors: Green Gill
Published: July 2008

This report examines the consequences of a positive HIV diagnosis upon the reproductive decision-making of 39 men and women in Scotland. Whilst the majority initially decide never to have any (more) children this sometimes changes as other factors gain ascendancy, such as a partner wanting ‘their’ child, and about one-third had had a child or were intending to do so. The motivations underlying such decisions are discussed and ways in which health services could intervene to support people with HIV in making reproductive choices and to minimise the risk of transmission to an HIV-negative partner and the child are suggested.
Religious affiliation and fertility in Liberia
Authors: Kollehlon Konia T.
Published: July 2008

This study examines fertility differentials by religious affiliation in Liberia, within the context of two competing hypotheses: the characteristic and particularised theology. Using a subsample of currently married women from the 1986 Liberian Demographic and Health Survey, the study examines the fertility of five religious groups: Catholic, Protestant, Moslem, traditional, and other women. Overall, the findings are more consistent with the characteristic hypothesis, because the small fertility differentials by religious affiliation are largely accounted for by differences in the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of these women.
Urban nuptiality patterns and marital fertility in Nigeria
Authors: Isiugo-Abanihe Uche C. , Ebigbola J. Akin , Adewuyi A. A.
Published: July 2008

This study indicates that urban marital patterns in nine Nigerian cities influence fertility. Fertility is also influenced by age at marriage, region of residence, ethnicity and religion; education and employment lead to marriage delay and tend to conflict with childbearing by enhancing the status of women.
Sex differences in primary cognitive abilities among blacks, Indians and whites in South Africa
Authors: Owen Ken , Lynn Richard
Published: July 2008

Sex differences are reported for samples of approximately 1000 16-year-old blacks, Indians and whites in South Africa on ten tests of cognitive ability. Males obtained significantly higher means on non-verbal reasoning, spatial and mechanical aptitude, and females obtained significantly higher means on perceptual speed and memory for meaning (except among the black sample). In general the sex differences in South Africa are consistent with those typically obtained in the United States.
Geographical variation and evolution of tertiary sexual equilibrium in the province of Jujuy (Argentina)
Authors: Dipierri Jose Edgardo , Alfaro Emma
Published: July 2008

The tertiary sex ratio, as measured by the masculinity index, was examined in four regions of the Province of Jujuy in north-west Argentina over a period from 1869 to 1991. The results showed that inter-regional, as well as age group differences in MI existed which could be related to changing social and economic conditions in this area over the last two centuries.
Influence of social class on the correlation of stature of adult children with that of their mothers and fathers
Authors: Lasker Gabriel W. , Mascie-Taylor C. G. N.
Published: July 2008

Studies of parent–child correlations in stature require data which can be viewed as random samples of some general population and which are large enough to allow partition of the variable and evaluation of non-genetic and genetic influences. In a sample of 4336 individuals drawn from a cohort of all persons born in England, Scotland and Wales in 1 week in 1958, the correlation of statures of the males with their fathers, the females with their fathers, the males with their mothers and the females with their mothers were 0·36, 0·43 and 0·41 and 0·47 respectively at age 16 of the offspring and 0·41, 0·41, 0·47 and 0·46 respectively at age 23. Allowance for the occupational social class of the fathers lowers the correlations, but in no case by more than 5%. Allowance for the occupational class achieved by the offspring by age 23 has little effect on the correlations.
Differential fertility and body build in !Kung San and Kavango females from northern Namibia
Authors: Kirchengast Sylvia , Winkler Eike-Meinrad
Published: July 2008

The study examines the impact of body build on differential fertility patterns in 93 !Kung San and 85 Kavango females from northern Namibia. In both groups shorter females had more offspring, but also more dead offspring, than taller females. The interaction between body weight and fertility was different in both groups and may be due to different nursing behaviour. There was a positive relationship between the typical pedomorphy and fertility in the! Kung San, and directional selection processes may be important.
Users of traditional methods of contraception in Bangladesh: 1981–91
Authors: Rahman M. Mujibur , Islam M. Nurul , Islam M. Mazharul
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the changing patterns of knowledge, attitude and use of traditional methods of contraception, compared to modern methods, over the last five contraceptive prevalence surveys in Bangladesh (1981–91). The results show that knowledge of at least one method of family planning is universal in Bangladesh and usage is higher at all ages for women who are using modern methods than for those who are using traditional methods. Educated women and those in employment are more likely to use modern contraceptive methods.
Variations in Vietnamese marriages, births and infant deaths by months of the Julian calendar and years of the Vietnamese and Chinese astrological calendars
Authors: Thang Nguyen Minh , Swenson Ingrid
Published: July 2008

The timing of births and marriages in Vietnam appears to have some statistically significant relationships with the signs of the Chinese and Vietnamese astrological calendars. Years considered to be good years have significantly more births and marriages than years that are not considered as desirable. Births and marriages also have some significant variations with seasons of the year. Infant deaths do not appear to have any significant relationships with the astrological signs although infant mortality has some significant relationships with seasons of the year. The findings indicate that there is some purposeful planning for marriages and births to coincide with optimal times defined in the astrological calendars.
Fertility and family planning in African cities: the impact of female migration
Authors: Brockerhoff Martin
Published: July 2008

This study uses data from thirteen Demographic and Health Surveys to examine effects of female migration on fertility in African cities. Contrary to expectations, migration from villages and towns in the 1980s and 1990s reduced total fertility rates in African cities by about one birth, from an estimated average of 5·55 in the absence of migration to 4·59. New arrivals experience much lower fertility in their first few years in cities than long term residents of similar age and parity. This results from the initial unmarried status of most migrants, high levels of spousal separation among new arrivals who are married, dramatic increases in use of modern methods of contraception after 2 years in cities, and continuation of traditionally long durations of postpartum abstinence. Accomodation of additional migrants thus appears consistent with efforts to reduce fertility in cities. Moreover, prospects for increased contraceptive prevalencein Africa may depend heavily on changes in population distribution that influence the demand for children, specifically movement to cities.
Dysgenic fertility for criminal behaviour
Authors: Lynn Richard
Published: July 2008

A sample of 104 British parents with criminal convictions had an average fertility of 3·91 children as compared with 2·21 for the general population. The result suggests that fertility for criminal behaviour is dysgenic involving an increase in the genes underlying criminal behaviour in the population.
Childbearing motivation and its measurement
Authors: Miller Warren B.
Published: July 2008

This paper conceptualises the motive force behind human childbearing as originating in two broad traits which have biological bases, are shaped by experiences during early life and are expressed through their effect on desires and intentions. An instrument for measuring childbearing motivation, the Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ), is presented. Using a sample of 401 married couples two main scales, nine subscales, and several independent items are described. Evidence for the reliability and validity of this instrument is presented. The versatility of the CBQ as a research instrument and the usefulness of the conceptualisation from which it is derived as a way of integrating social, behavioural, and biological science approaches to childbearing motivation are discussed.
Religious Fertility Differentials Among the Yoruba of Western Nigeria
Authors: Sembajwe I.
Published: July 2008

This study examines the influence of religion on fertility among the Yoruba of Western Nigeria. There is a distinct differential in fertility by religion. Fertility is lower for Moslems than for Christians. The difference is attributed to the traditional characteristics of Moslems as opposed to the relatively modern characteristics of Christians. For example, Moslems have low education and low occupational status. Consequently, Moslems rather than Christians are more likely to observe longer periods of post-natal abstinence, and to experience higher pregnancy wastage and sterility rates.
The Fertility Transition in the Non-Maori Population of New Zealand
Authors: Zodgekar A. V.
Published: July 2008

This investigation traces the evolution of non-Maori fertility in New Zealand from 1860 to the mid-1970s. The fertility transition took place in four distinct stages, and socio-demographic factors of differing importance in fertility are suggested. During the period 1860–80, an initial decline in fertility was achieved by postponing the age of marriage. The second stage, of increasing control over fertility within marriage and postponement of marriage, ended gradually by the 1910s. Between the world wars and until the 1950s, fertility control within marriage became more universal. Finally, from the 1960s, fertility has declined as a result of many complex changes in social and economic spheres, the major social change with demographic implications being undoubtedly the new rolesof women.

This paper also deals with the changing pattern of fertility by using both the period and cohort rates of fertility.
Trends of Isonymy and Inbreeding Among the Ahmadiyyas of Kashmir
Authors: Kashyap Lalit K.
Published: July 2008

The isonymic method has been applied in a study of temporal trends of inbreeding amongst the Ahmadiyyas of Kashmir valley. The results show a steady rise in total inbreeding and its random and non-random components over time. The validity of applying the method in a caste-structured population is examined, and it appears that while the complexity of the structure inhibits its application to many populations, there are others in whom the assumptions implicit in the method are met.
Repeat Abortion-Seeking Behaviour in Queensland, Australia: Knowledge and Use of Contraception and Reasons for Terminating the Pregnancy
Authors: Callan Victor J.
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the knowledge and use of contraception, and abortion decision-making of 212 Australian women who were seeking a repeat abortion in 1980. The analysis of questionnaires from a pregnancy and family planning clinic revealed that most women were seeking their second abortion. Single women were more likely to claim a slight knowledge of contraception and irregular use of contraceptives, and to attribute pregnancy to the failure of the pill. Women in de facto or cohabitation relationships were most likely to rate the abortion decision as difficult. Of the women who returned post-abortion questionnaires, almost all felt they had made the correct decision.
Inbreeding, Migration and Age at Marriage in Rural Toledo, Spain
Authors: Calderon R.
Published: July 2008

The natural region of the Jara, with an area of 2500 km2 occupies much of the south west of the province of Toledo, and extends into the provinces of Caceres and Ciudad Real. It is situated between the Tajo and Guadiana rivers, south of the town of Talavera de la Reina, the centre of the economic life in this region. Its highlands are covered with xerophytic vegetation, of which the most common plant is the jara (Cistus ladaniferus), from which this zone takes it name, (Fig. 1). It has been occupied from the neolithic period onwards by peoples of different origins, e.g. Romans, Muslims, Jews, Mozarabs (Jimenez de Gregorio, 1959) but the present population derives from settlement from the north of the Tajo river beginning in the 14th century following the upheavals of the Moslem–Christian wars.
Contraception, Marital Fertility, and Breast-Feeding in the Yemen Arab Republic
Authors: Goldberg H. I. , Anderson J. E. , Miller D. , Dawam O.
Published: July 2008

Major findings from an analysis of demographic information collected in a 1979 survey in the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) are that: levels of contraceptive use are extremely low in the rural areas that constitute most of the nation and considerably higher in the capital, Sana'a; fertility is very high and, until recently, was higher in Sana'a than in rural areas; mortality of children is very high with small urban–rural differentials; breast-feeding durations tend to be short, considering Yemen's extremely low level of development; and, female infants appear to be breast-fed longer than male infants in Sana'a, a phenomenon never previously documented. It is argued that the observed convergence between fertility levels in Sana'a and rural Yemen results from increased contraception in Sana'a, which offsets fertility differences introduced by longer breast-feeding in rural areas.
The double-diffusive modon
Authors: RADKO TIMOUR
Published: July 2008

Fully developed two-dimensional salt-finger convection is characterized by the appearance of coherent dipolar eddies which carry relatively fresh and cold fluid upward and salty and warm fluid downward. Such structures – the double-diffusive modons – are prevalent in the regime in which density stratification is close to neutral and the salt-finger instability is extremely vigorous. The structure and translation velocities of modons are discussed in terms of the asymptotic expansion in which the background density ratio approaches unity. It is argued that the vertical salt flux is driven primarily by double-diffusive modons, which makes it possible to derive explicit expressions for the mixing rates of temperature and salinity as a function of their background gradients. Predictions of the proposed mixing model are successfully tested by direct numerical simulations.
Dynamics of thin vortex rings
Authors: SULLIVAN IAN S. , NIEMELA JOSEPH J. , HERSHBERGER ROBERT E. , BOLSTER DIOGO , DONNELLY RUSSELL J.
Published: July 2008

As part of a long-range study of vortex rings, their dynamics, interactions with boundaries and with each other, we present the results of experiments on thin core rings generated by a piston gun in water. We characterize the dynamics of these rings by means of the traditional equations for such rings in an inviscid fluid suitably modifying them to be applicable to a viscous fluid. We develop expressions for the radius, core size, circulation and bubble dimensions of these rings. We report the direct measurement of the impulse of a vortex ring by means of a physical pendulum.
Convection due to an unstable density difference across a permeable membrane
Authors: PUTHENVEETTIL BABURAJ A. , ARAKERI JAYWANT H.
Published: July 2008

We study natural convection driven by unstable concentration differences of sodium chloride (NaCl) across a horizontal permeable membrane at Rayleigh numbers (Ra) of 1010 to 1011 and Schmidt number (Sc)=600. A layer of brine lies over a layer of distilled water, separated by the membrane, in square-cross-section tanks. The membrane is permeable enough to allow a small flow across it at higher driving potentials. Based on the predominant mode of transport across the membrane, three regimes of convection, namely an advection regime, a diffusion regime and a combined regime, are identified. The near-membrane flow in all the regimes consists of sheet plumes formed from the unstable layers of fluid near the membrane. In the advection regime observed at higher concentration differences (ΔC) across the membrane, there is a slow overturning through-flow across the membrane; the transport across the membrane occurs mostly by advection. This phenomenology explains the observed Nub~Ra2/Sc scaling of the Nusselt number. The planforms of sheet plumes near the membrane show a dendritic structure due to the combined influence of the mean shear due to the large-scale flow and the entrainment flow of the adjacent plumes. The near-membrane dynamics show initiation, elongation and merger of plumes; a movie is available with the online version of the paper. Increase in Ra results in a larger number of closely and regularly spaced sheet plumes. The mean plume spacing in the advection regime $\overline{\lambda}_b$, is larger than the mean plume spacing in Rayleigh–Bénard convection ($\overline{\lambda}$), and shows a different Ra-dependence. The plume spacings in the advection regime (λb) show a common log-normal probability density function at all Ra. We propose a phenomenology which predicts $\overline{\lambda}_b$ ~ $\sqrt{Z_w Z_{V_i}}$, where Zw and $Z_{V_i}$ are, respectively, the near-wall length scales in Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RBC) and due to the advection velocity. In the combined regime, which occurs at intermediate values of ΔC, the flux scales as (ΔC/2)4/3. At lower driving potentials, in the diffusion regime, the flux scaling is similar to that in turbulent RBC.
Strongly algebraic = SFP (topically)
Authors: VICKERS STEVEN
Published: July 2008

Certain ‘Finite Structure Conditions’ on a geometric theory are shown to be sufficient for its
classifying topos to be a presheaf topos. The conditions assert that every homomorphism
from a finite structure of the theory to a model factors via a finite model, and they hold in
cases where the finitely presentable models are all finite.

The conditions are shown to hold for the theory of strongly algebraic (or SFP) information
systems and some variants, as well as for some other theories already known to be classified
by presheaf toposes.

The work adheres to geometric constructivism throughout, and in consequence provides
‘topical’ categories of domains (internal in the category of toposes and geometric
morphisms) with an analogue of Plotkin's double characterization of strongly algebraic
domains, by sets of minimal upper bounds and by sequences of finite posets.
On the occasion of the inaugural conference of Environment and Development Economics
Authors: Uzawa Hirofumi
Published: July 2008

I feel greatly honoured to have been invited to participate in the inaugural conference of Environment and Development Economics. I should like first of all to congratulate Karl-Göran Mäler, Partha Dasgupta and Charles Perrings on the inauguration of the new journal and wish it to be successful in opening an entire new vista in economics.
Paying for the conservation of endangered ecosystems: a comparison of direct and indirect approaches
Authors: Simpson R. David , Sedjo Roger A.
Published: July 2008

A number of international conservation donors support efforts to encourage conservation indirectly by subsidizing commercial activities. Such plans beg two questions. First, if commercial ventures are expected to be profitable, why is external financing necessary for their initiation? Second, if commercial ventures are not expected to be profitable, could not greater incentives for conservation be generated by making direct payments? We examine these questions in detail. While we find that the practical impediments to instituting a direct payment programme may be substantial, the practical impediments to instituting any effective conservation programme may be substantial. On balance, there is a strong case to be made for greater experimentation with direct payment schemes than heretofore.
Wildlife management, land-use and conflicts
Authors: Schulz Carl-Erik , Skonhoft Anders
Published: July 2008

The paper analyses the conflict between wildlife conservation and its accompanying land-use in an East African context. In the model there are two agents. First, there is an agency managing the wildlife and the habitat of the wildlife, which is referred to as parkland. On the other hand, there is the group of agro-pastoralists living in the vicinity of the wildlife habitat, whose land-use is referred to as rangelands. The parkland is used for tourism production and hunting, while the rangelands are used for agro-pastoral production. Both agents will find it beneficial to expand their land-use, so there is a land-use conflict. This is analysed in two steps. First, social optimality is studied; then we study the utilization of the wildlife and its accompanying land-use when there is no unified resource policy and the park agency follows its self-interest. The effects on the two different management schemes of changing economic conditions, such as the recommendations of the CITES convention and a programme subsidizing agro-pastoral production, are discussed.
Resistance economics: social cost and the evolution of antibiotic resistance
Authors: Brown Gardner , Layton David F.
Published: July 2008

Daily and Ehrlich have described the current state of our epidemiological environment in chilling detail. While their point is that human beings interact and affect the epidemiological environment in a variety of ways, the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria strikes us as one aspect that we can begin to analyse immediately. The evolution of resistance to antibiotics is a function of their use by humans. The more we use, the more selective pressure is placed upon bacteria to develop resistance. This is further complicated by how they are used. Both the duration and the amounts used affect the change in the level of resistance. Finally, the primary feature driving the concern over the use of these drugs is that the evolution of resistance makes these ‘miracle’ drugs exhaustible. We can try to develop new and better antibiotics, but it is uncertain how successful we will be and how expensive they will be if we are successful.
In the dominion of artefacts
Authors: Gadgil Madhav
Published: July 2008

Evolutionary biology is above all concerned with the way life on earth and its setting change over time. The problem posed by Daily and Ehrlich, of how humans, the myriads of organisms that humans carry around in their bodies and the stage on which they interact have been changing over time, may then be viewed as one of the concerns of this discipline.
Analogy, Frequency, and Sound Change. The Case of Dutch Devoicing
Authors: De Schryver Johan , Neijt Anneke , Ghesquière Pol , Ernestus Mirjam
Published: July 2008

This study investigates the roles of phonetic analogy and lexical frequency in an ongoing sound change, the devoicing of fricatives in Dutch, which occurs mainly in the Netherlands and to a lesser degree in Flanders. In the experiment, Dutch and Flemish students read two variants of 98 words: the standard and a nonstandard form with the incorrect voice value of the fricative. Dutch students chose the non-standard forms with devoiced fricatives more often than Flemish students. Moreover, devoicing, though a gradual process, appeared lexically diffused, affecting first the words that are low in frequency and phonetically similar to words with voiceless fricatives.*
Cat and class
Authors: Sands Gillian
Published: July 2008

This article from Gillian Sands looks at the cat and class skills taught on information studies courses and the use these skills are to new legal information professionals. The article is based on the opinions of nine new legal information professionals from both academic and law firm libraries.
Law Librarians' Survey
Authors: Young Helen
Published: July 2008

Helen Young, the information Librarian (Law & Official Publications) at the University of Leicester, reports on the results of one extra element in the BIALL/SPTL Survey, designed to acquire further information about academic law librarians.
Human Rights: UK Effects
Authors: Poffley Susan
Published: July 2008

The Human Rights Act 1998 (the Act) incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention) into English domestic law for the first time since the Convention was signed in 1951. It does this by imposing a duty on public authorities to act in a manner which is consistent with Convention rights, unless legislation prohibits them for doing so.
Scottish Legal Material sine Devolution: A Practical Guide
Authors: Mclntosh Heather
Published: July 2008

Since the set-up of the Scottish Parliament, brought into being by the Scotland Act 1998, there are a number of areas of “legislative competence” within which the devolved Parliament has had the remit to legislate. This has resulted in the publication of a whole new series of statutes, statutory instruments and official publications which has made the sourcing of Scottish material more complex than previously.
Making Training Count–Skills for the Trainer
Authors:   The Bridge Partnership
Published: July 2008

The seminar was designed to be compatible with the theme of the conference. It therefore concentrated on facilitating the limited time available so that participants could discuss, practice and reflect on the effective training skills they are required to use in the workplace when training either individuals or groups. In particular the seminar recognised that more and more we are being asked to train our customers to use new tools and techniques, very often involving IT.
The Story of the Internet Newsletter for Lawyers
Authors: Venables Delia
Published: July 2008

The first issue of the Internet Newsletter for Lawyers came out at the end of 1995, and sprang out of the work I was doing on my Web site (http://www.venables.co.uk) as well as my work as an IT consultant for lawyers. Although the Web site is free to the user, I did hope that some money could be made from the Newsletter! Initially, the Newsletter went to just a few tens of clients and subscribers but I am glad to say that it has grown steadily since then and now has around 1,000 paid subscribers.
A Customer Care Charter: the theory and practice of customer care for law librarians as suppliers of services as well as customers
Authors: Byrne David
Published: July 2008

How does a supplier of information products, whether in an electronic or hardcopy format, go about keeping a customer happy when that customer happens to be a law librarian? The challenge of providing excellent service is of as much interest to the law librarian as a provider of services as it is to him or her as a consumer of services. For the session entitled “I can't get no satisfaction?” a panel of speakers was created consisting of David Smalley (Commercial Director at Lawtel), Paul Baker (Executive Director, Operations at Butterworths) and Pippa Hall (Customer Services Manager at Sweet & Maxwell). The panel was asked to focus on customer care and how it might be improved. As leading players in the field of customer care within the legal information sector how have they dealt with the issues of billing and customer support and how have they communicated with those customers that have raised problems? Do the speakers see a role for law librarians in the process of product development? How do the speakers see their products developing in the future and how do they expect future developments to be communicated to law librarians in the future?
Earnest of Success
Authors: Hill Sue
Published: July 2008

Undeniably the perception of success of an information unit or library in a law firm (or any other organisation for that matter) is down to two main factors. The level of support from the organisation is one, and often that could be interpreted as attitude and/or the level of the person who is responsible for allocating budget etc (ie the library partner) and/or how influential he or she is. The second: the way in which the Library or Information Unit Manager operates, their influencing and interpersonal skills, their general management of the information function, in particular creating the perception of being good value for money and invariably providing the right (quality) information in the right quantity at the right time.
The Dynamics of a South African Law Library
Authors: Stiebel Mark
Published: July 2008

The South African law library holds a similar function to that of its English counterpart. It provides a primary source to describe the law and how it has changed and grown over time. South African attorneys fulfil a similar role to solicitors and South African advocates can be equated with barristers. While attorneys have recently gained rights of audience in the High Court, most attorneys continue to brief advocates in complex matters due to their specialised knowledge and skills.
In Memoriam: Elizabeth Mary Moys 1928 to 2002
Authors: Tearle Barbara
Published: July 2008

Elizabeth Mary Moys, known to all her colleagues as Betty, was born on 26 June 1928 at Wickford, Essex. She was brought up in Kent where she spent most of her life when in the UK. She attended Chislehurst County Grammar School then went on to Queen Mary College, London, to read English and took a BA (Hons) degree in 1949. Her first job was in Crayford Branch of Kent County Library Service from 1949–50. After library school in 1950–51 (Northwestern Polytechnic School of Librarianship, where she was one of the leading spirits in starting a School of Librarian-ship Students' Association), Betty became reference librarian at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in 1951.
“And I still haven't found what I'm Looking for.”
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: July 2008

Does the following scenario sound familiar? You have an enormous amount of data that needs putting into some sort of coherent order. Your external Web site and company intranet contain vast numbers of documents and offer links to yet more information sources, all containing yet more data.

Your role in this deluge of information often leaves you feeling as though you are running to stand still. There are thousands of users (company employees as well as external browsers) searching for thousands of different documents and you have the unenviable job of making all of this information available to them in an efficient manner. Too much data, too little data, or data which is inaccurate are all potential problems to a user.
The Lawtel Takeover: 1
Authors: Celik Michelle
Published: July 2008

When news first arrived in my e-mail from a member of Lis-Law that Lawtel had been taken over by Sweet and Maxwell, I was concerned because I felt that one of our most useful services would be absorbed into the large corporate publisher's long list of products.
European Business Information Conference (EBIC) Madrid, March 2002
Authors: Worley Loyita
Published: July 2008

This was the first time that I had attended EBIC, so I didn't quite know what to expect. When I received the preliminary information on the conference I put it on one side wondering whether it warranted the expenditure required, but when I had a chance to look at it properly I really liked what I saw and realised that it would be very pertinent to my job as it is now. The conference appeared to be a nice balance between knowledge and information strategies, technology and information delivery and leadership and management – all areas in which I am very interested. Also, the structure appealed to me – a combination of panel, plenary and breakout sessions.
So what do you do?
Authors: Greenhalgh Moira
Published: July 2008

“I am an indexer” as the answer to the usual occupation enquiry is pretty much guaranteed to stop a conversation stone dead. It is much easier to say ‘librarian’, which was on my passport for 20 years, or even ‘information scientist’, which I was trained to be. Sometimes I get quite defiant. I am an indexer, and yes a human actually does prepare those pages at the back of books, and no, it is not all done by computer.
Creating Connections
Authors: Stevenson Valerie
Published: July 2008

One of the perks awarded to the BIALL Chair is the opportunity to attend the AALL Annual meeting in the summer. I had been once before, as a BIALL bursary recipient, to Washington DC in 1999 and knew that there would be a great deal to observe and learn apart from the main conference programme. The scale of the American conference is, of course, very different to ours: nearly 1800 delegates compared to the 400 we had in Liverpool in June; 74 scheduled conference sessions and several hundred business meetings, a conference centre over a mile long (!), and of course the whole “larger than life” experience of being in Orlando. I knew the heat would be a problem for me, so I opted to stay in the Peabody Hotel just across the road from the conference centre, with its twice-daily “Duck Walk” to the fountain in the hotel lobby.
Where Kiwis Dare!
Authors: Ward Ciarán
Published: July 2008

New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, in the windy city of Wellington in the Southern Hemisphere spring of early September was the venue for 2002's conference “Visible Justice - evolving access to the law”. This was my first overseas conference as a BIALL delegate and one I approached with trepidation, not really knowing what to expect, but my overall impression was without doubt a positive one. I was able to obtain a network of valuable contacts and gain an important insight into legal librarianship in the Country.
Current Awareness
Authors: Sands Gillian , Young Lesley
Published: July 2008

ThisCurrent Awarenesscolumn, and previousCurrent Awarenesscolumns, are now fully searchable in the newcaLIMdatabase (Current Awareness for Legal Information Managers). ThecaLIMdatabase is available on the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies website at: http://ials.sas.ac.uk/library/caware/caware.htm
Legal Information Provision in the Age of the Laptop
Authors: Doe Susan
Published: July 2008

This is very much a personal opinion on the potential demise of the traditional library (which some would argue has already gone). My aim was to reassure library and information professionals that there is a role left for our profession in the world of lawyers who are able to access information at their desks; a world which includes professional support lawyers and know how databases. This is no place for the fainthearted, and especially not for the stereotypical librarian – if such a creature exists. This article will only scratch the surface of some issues, so I welcome comments, feedback and downright disagreement – sdoe@sidley.com
What's new in Legal Information
Authors: Jannetta Victoria
Published: July 2008

Over the last six months there have been a number of developments in legal information provision. The major publishers have released new services, and have updated existing products. As a busy information professional it can be difficult to keep up to date with all the changes, and there is not always time to evaluate the benefits of one service over another.
Negotiating an Online Contract
Authors: Durrant Fiona
Published: July 2008

The subject of this article is not strictly limited to law librarianship but I do feel that it is a topic that a large number of us are exposed to and for which I myself initially had little guidance. In the hard financial climate that we have been experiencing recently, negotiating good contract renewals has become a vital skill for any legal information professional.
Practical Problems in Compiling the Copyright Audit form
Authors: Groom Claire
Published: July 2008

This is not intended to be a “how to do it” article as I am sure there are plenty of you out there who could do that, rather it is intended to be a description of the problems I ran into when attempting to complete a copyright audit form and to give you food for thought.
The Lawpaths Project
Authors: Carter Sarah , Bowden Melissa
Published: July 2008

The Lawpaths project >http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/lawpaths/< is a project to provide a resource bank of customisable legal information skills materials, based on best practice. It is funded by the JISC over three years, starting in August 2002 under the X4L (Exchange for Learning) programme. The project partners are the University of Kent, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the UK Centre for Legal Education, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the Institute for Learning & Research Technology
Free and Easy? The Development of Internet Access to Irish Legal Materials
Authors: Furlong John
Published: July 2008

Over the past decade, there has been a remarkable growth in the availability and use of Irish legal materials in electronic form (principally through the internet). There has been a transformation in the ease of access to legal materials – from a jurisdiction in which legal practitioners obtained up-to-date paper materials with difficulty to one where up-to-the-minute information is freely available online. It is now possible to access online the full text of Irish legislation, judgments, explanatory codes and memoranda, details of administrative procedures, parliamentary debates, certain secondary legislation, guidance notes and statements of practice. What has led to this remarkable transformation? What are the principal factors which have encouraged the continuing free flow of official legal materials onto the internet?
E-Product Review: Practicallaw.com
Authors: Bellegarde Celine
Published: July 2008

Editor's note: this review unfortunately had to be held over from the previous issue of LIM due to lack of space and because of the pace of change in electronic publishing it may not be completely up to date in tis description of the various features of the website.
The UK Centre for Legal Education: Enhancing Learning in Legal Education
Authors: Priestley Ann
Published: July 2008

The UK Centre for Legal Education (UKCLE) is the LTSN subject centre for law. LTSN, the Learning and Teaching Support Network, was set up by the Joint Funding Councils in January 2000 to promote high quality learning and teaching and transfer good practice across disciplines. It is made up a generic centre and 24 subject centres.
Library Management Systems in Legal Libraries
Authors: Duffield Emma
Published: July 2008

Legal libraries, by their very nature, have highly specialised requirements when it comes to library automation. A traditional library management system, which will simply catalogue books and provide the means to issue them to borrowers for a defined period, will not provide the flexibility required by a modern legal information centre. Serials management, direct links to web resources and the selective dissemination of information are of far more importance to a legal library than whether a loan is overdue. Access to information is crucial – the library catalogue needs to be available to researchers wherever they are, whether sitting at their desks or accessing the data via the internet.