bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Value of Children and Family Change: A Three‐Decade Portrait From Turkey
Authors: Kagitcibasi Cigdem , Ataca Bilge
Published: July 2005

L’étude turque sur la valeur conférée aux enfants a porté sur trois générations relevant de trois niveaux socio‐économiques dans centre métropolitain et deux zones rurales. Les résultats ont montré qu’il y avait sur les trois derrières décennies un net accroissement des valeurs psychologiques attribuées aux enfants et une chute correspondante des valeurs utilitaires et économiques. La préférence pour le fils a été remplacée par la préférence pour la fille, ce qui traduit un changement de la dynamique et des rôles familiaux. Des modifications analogues dans ce qui est attendu des enfants, les qualités que l’on souhaite trouver chez cux et les nombres réels, désirés et idéaux d’enfants sont cohérents avec les attentes; le modèle du changement familial proposé par Kagitcibasi est ainsi confirmé. Les comparaisons des valeurs attribuées aux enfants sur les trois décennies par génération et niveau social aide à comprendre l’évolution et le changement social de la société turque, voire de sociétés comparables.

The Turkish Value of Children Study consisted of three generations from three socioeconomic strata in a metropolitan center and from two rural areas. The findings showed a sharp increase in the psychological, and a corresponding decrease in the utilitarian/economic values attributed to children over the last three decades. Son preference has been replaced by daughter preference, pointing to changing family dynamics and family roles. Corresponding modifications in expectations from (adult) children, qualities desired in children, and actual, desired, and ideal numbers of children are in line with expectations, providing support for Kagitcibasi's Model of Family Change. Comparisons of values attributed to children over three decades and across generations and social strata provide insights for understanding social change and development in Turkish society and possibly in similar societies.
Values of Children, Parent–Child Relationship, and Social Change in Korea: Indigenous, Cultural, and Psychological Analysis
Authors: Kim Uichol , Park Young‐Shin , Kwon Young‐Eun , Koo Jaisun
Published: July 2005

Les recherches sur les valeurs que les parents attribuent aux enfants se demandent pourquoi les gens décident ou non d’avoir des enfants et s’intéressent au nombre d’enfants qu’ils choisissent d’avoir. On décrit dans la première partie de cet article la relation parents‐enfants traditionnelle, la structure familiale et les changements sociaux qui se sont produits ces cinquante dernières années en Corée du sud. On présente dans la deuxième partie les résultats de l’étude de 1972 sur les valeurs attribuées aux enfants réalisée en Corée du sud (Lee & Kim, 1975). Dans la dernière partie, on expose une recherche empirique sud‐coréenne portant sur un échantillon de 314 jeunes mères et 395 mères plus âgées. Il apparaît que les bénéfices psychologiques sont les raisons majeures qui justifient le choix d’avoir un enfant et que les contraintes personnelles et financières sont les motifs dominants de ne pas en avoir. Ces résultats mettent en défaut les modèles économiques et utilitaires et soulignent l’importance des facteurs psychologiques, relationnels et culturels.

Research on parents’ attribution of value to children examines why people decide to have children or not and the number of children they choose to have. In the first part of this paper, the traditional parent–child relationship, family structure, and social changes that have occurred in South Korea during the past 50 years are reviewed. In the second section, the results of the 1972 Values of Children Study conducted in South Korea (Lee & Kim, 1975) are reviewed. In the final section, an empirical study conducted in South Korea with a sample of 314 young mothers and 395 older mothers is reported. The results indicate that psychological benefits are the most important reasons for having a child and personal and financial constraints are the most important reasons for not having a child. These results challenge the economic and utilitarian models and suggest the importance of understanding the psychological, relational, and cultural factors.
Transmission of Family Values and Attachment: A French Three‐Generation Study
Authors: Sabatier Colette , Lannegrand‐Willems Lyda
Published: July 2005

Ce travail aborde la transmission de deux aspects de la solidarité familiale: l’accord sur les valeurs dans trois domaines (l’individualisme, l’esprit de groupe et les valeurs familiales) et les représentations de la relation à autrui (les modèles régissant les affinités). L’échantillon est composé de 95 triades englobant trois générations: des grands‐mères, des mères et des adolescentes. Les résultats mettent en évidence la spécificité des familles françaises modernes caractérisées pour toutes les générations par une certaine combinaison des valeurs d’autonomie et de solidarité basée sur un contrat social et le respect des hiérarchies. Les adolescents françaises montrent une forte adhésion aux valeurs familiales, mais aussi un individualisme affirmé. Les valeurs et les modèles régissant les affinités sont transmis de façon différenciée en fonction de leur contenu et selon des procédures variées. Cependant, les transmissions directe et indirecte débouchent rarement sur une copie parfaite. Des différences apparaissent avec les générations. Les données indiquent que les adolescentes sont plus proches de leurs mères que de leurs grands‐mères et que la transmission se fait clairement des mères vers les adolescentes. Les grands‐mères influencent les mères à travers leurs objectifs parentaux (obéissance et autonomie), la valeur attribuée aux enfants et les valeurs de groupe.

This study addresses the question of transmission among 95 triads of three generations (grandmothers, mothers, and adolescents) regarding two aspects of family solidarity: agreement on values in three domains (individualism, collectivism, and family values), and representations with regard to self–other relationships (working models of attachment). The results underscore the specificity of modern French families which is characterised for all generations by a certain combination of autonomy values and solidarity based on social contract and respect for hierarchies. French adolescents show a high level of endorsement of family values but also a high level of individualism. Values and working models of attachment are transmitted unequally depending on their content and through a variety of patterns. However, direct and indirect transmissions are seldom an exact replication. Some differences are observed along generations. Data indicate more proximity between mothers and adolescents than grandmothers and a clear transmission from mothers to adolescents. Grandmothers influence mothers through their parental goals (obedience and autonomy), value of children, and collectivist values.
Introduction: Investigating Form‐Focused Instruction
Authors: Ellis Rod
Published: July 2005

The Introduction has three main aims. First, it provides a historical sketch of form‐focused instruction research, documenting the origins of this branch of second language acquisition, the research questions that have been addressed, and current trends. Second, it seeks to define and conceptualize what is meant by “form‐focused instruction” by distinguishing it from “meaning‐focused instruction” and by describing three types of form‐focused instruction in terms of whether the primary focus is on form or meaning and whether the instructional attention to target forms is intensive or extensive. Various instructional options relating to each type are also described. Third, the Introduction offers a discussion of the main research methods that have been used to investigate form‐focused instruction in terms of a broad distinction between confirmatory and interpretative research. Methods of measuring “acquisition” in form‐focused instruction research are also considered.
Integrating Formal and Functional Approaches to Language Teaching in French Immersion: An Experimental Study
Authors: Day Elaine M. , Shapson Stan M.
Published: July 2005

This experimental study was designed to evaluate the effect on French language proficiency of an integrated formal, analytic and functional, communicative approach (experiential) to second‐language teaching in the immersion classroom. The impetus for the study arises from previous research indicating that immersion children show persistent weaknesses in their grammatical skills despite the fluent, functional proficiency they achieve in their second language. The experimental materials, which were custom‐designed for our study, highlight form‐function relations, promote noticing, encourage metalin‐guistic awareness, and provide opportunities for language practice and thus relate to some of the theoretical issues that Rod Ellis (this volume) has indicated are important in SLA in the 90s.

This classroom‐based study on the conditional is one of a series of studies undertaken in Canadian French immersion to investigate the effectiveness of form‐focused instruction in classrooms (see Swain, 2000). The results of our study, which was conducted in grade 7 early immersion, showed that the Experimental group performed significantly higher in writing than the Control group, in both the post‐ and the follow‐up testing. Although this was not found for speaking, an examination of the individual class data revealed greater and more consistent growth in speaking for the Experimental than for the Control classes, suggesting that they benefited somewhat from the experi‐ mental treatment in this domain as well. Although Ellis (this volume) notes that research on form‐focused instruc‐ tion in the 90s has tended to split pedagogy from theory, the immersion research in this area does not seem t o reflect this shift. In a recent article, Swain (2000) reviews the French Immersion (FI) studies and summarizes their re‐ sults as follows: “Overall, the set of experiments conducted in FI classes suggest that there is value in focusing on language form through the use of pre‐planned curriculum materials in the context of content‐based language learn‐ ing” (Swain, 2000, p. 205). Her reference to curriculum materials and to the specific context of content‐based lan‐ guage learning should signal to the reader the orientation t o pedagogical considerations that characterize this research.

As Ellis notes, hybrid research using both experimental and qualitative methods is becoming more common in SLA. Recently, the experimental materials in our study were implemented in a grade 8 immersion classroom, and the children's collaborative language activity was observed by a researcher working from a sociocultural theoretical per‐ spective (Spielman‐Davidson, 2000). The uptake of our research by a researcher working in another paradigm introduces another kind of hybridity that we hope will also shed further light on questions in form‐focused instruction and lead to appropriate changes in pedagogy and in the design of immersion curricula.
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH AND WORKER REALLOCATION*
Authors: Lentz Rasmus , Mortensen Dale T.
Published: July 2005

Productivity dispersion across firms is large and persistent, and worker reallocation among firms is an important source of productivity growth. An equilibrium model of growth and firm evolution designed to clarify the role of worker reallocation in the growth process is studied. We show that it explains the correlations between size measures and labor productivity found in Danish firm data. Conditions under which the reallocation of workers from less to more productive firms contributes to aggregate productivity growth in the economy modeled are derived. Finally, a proof of existence of an equilibrium solution to the model is also provided.
HOUSING AND THE BUSINESS CYCLE*
Authors: Davis Morris A. , Heathcote Jonathan
Published: July 2005

In the United States, the percentage standard deviation of residential investment is more than twice that of nonresidential investment. In addition, GDP, consumption, and both types of investment co‐move positively. We reproduce these facts in a calibrated multisector growth model where construction, manufacturing, and services are combined, in different proportions, to produce consumption, business investment, and residential structures. New housing requires land in addition to new structures. The model can also account for important features of industry‐level data. In particular, hours and output in all industries are positively correlated, and are most volatile in construction.
CORRUPTION AND THE SHADOW ECONOMY*
Authors: Choi Jay Pil , Thum Marcel
Published: July 2005

This article develops a simple framework for analyzing the links between corruption and the unofficial economy and their implications for the official economy. In a model of self‐selection with heterogeneous entrepreneurs, we show that the entrepreneurs' option to flee to the underground economy constrains a corrupt official's ability to introduce distortions to the economy for private gains. The unofficial economy thus mitigates government‐induced distortions and, as a result, leads to enhanced economic activities in the official sector. In this sense, the presence of the unofficial sector acts as a complement to the official economy instead of as a substitute.
A STOCHASTIC DYNAMIC MODEL OF THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN*
Authors: Davis Morris A. , Foster E. Michael
Published: July 2005

We estimate the parameters of a dynamic multiperiod model where parents with one child periodically decide whether their child uses mental health services. In this model, parents receive utility from household consumption and from their child's mental health. Mental health services may improve the child's mental health, but may be costly in terms of reduced household consumption and direct disutility. We find that mental health services can slightly improve a child's mental health, but the use of services accounts for a small fraction of the improvement of the mental health of the children in our sample.
SPECIALIZATION AND THE SKILL PREMIUM IN THE 20TH CENTURY*
Authors: Mitchell Matthew F.
Published: July 2005

The skill premium fell substantially in the first part of the 20th century and then rose at the end of the century. I argue that these changes are connected to the organization of production. When production is organized into large plants, jobs become routinized, favoring less‐skilled workers. A model is introduced that parameterizes capital's ability to do many tasks, that is, capital's flexibility. When calibrated to data on the distribution of plant sizes, the model can account for between half and two‐thirds of the movement in the skill premium over the century.
COMPENSATION FOR QUALITY DIFFERENCE IN A SEARCH MODEL OF MONEY*
Authors: Fong Yuk‐fai , Szentes Balázs
Published: July 2005

We study an economy in which there is always double coincidence of wants, agents have perfect information about qualities of goods, and there are no transaction costs. The hold‐up problem arises because efforts invested in improving quality prior to search may not be compensated in the market. Situations in which barter fails to motivate quality improvement are identified. With money, however, the extra effort in quality improvement will be compensated when high‐quality good producers trade with agents holding both the low‐quality good and money. Injection of money can induce almost all agents to produce the high‐quality good.
Anatomical and chemical defenses of conifer bark against bark beetles and other pests
Authors: Franceschi Vincent R. , Krokene Paal , Christiansen Erik , Krekling Trygve
Published: July 2005

Conifers are long‐lived organisms, and part of their success is due to their potent defense mechanisms. This review focuses on bark defenses, a front line against organisms trying to reach the nutrient‐rich phloem. A major breach of the bark can lead to tree death, as evidenced by the millions of trees killed every year by specialized bark‐invading insects. Different defense strategies have arisen in conifer lineages, but the general strategy is one of overlapping constitutive mechanical and chemical defenses overlaid with the capacity to up‐regulate additional defenses. The defense strategy incorporates a graded response from ‘repel’, through ‘defend’ and ‘kill’, to ‘compartmentalize’, depending upon the advance of the invading organism. Using a combination of toxic and polymer chemistry, anatomical structures and their placement, and inducible defenses, conifers have evolved bark defense mechanisms that work against a variety of pests. However, these can be overcome by strategies including aggregation pheromones of bark beetles and introduction of virulent phytopathogens. The defense structures and chemicals in conifer bark are reviewed and questions about their coevolution with bark beetles are discussed.ContentsSummary353I.Introduction354II.Integrating defense strategies354III.Constitutive defense systems: first tier of defense356IV.Inducible defense systems: second tier of defense363V.Genetics and physiology of bark defense365VI.Bark beetles: diminutive but deadly367VII.The arms race: coevolution of conifer defense and bark beetle strategies367VIII.Bark‐beetle‐vectored blue‐stain fungi: multiple attacks against multiple defenses369IX.Conclusions370Acknowledgements371References371
Measurement of beliefs about effectiveness of laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation
Authors: Latthe Pallavi M. , Braunholtz David A. , Hills Robert K. , Khan Khalid S. , Lilford Richard
Published: July 2005

To explore gynaecologists' ‘prior’ beliefs on effectiveness of laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA), a structured survey was used to gather information on the distribution of their prior beliefs regarding the effects of LUNA on pelvic pain, both numerically [on a 10‐point visual analogue scale] and by responses to a questionnaire. None of the 25 gynaecologists responding to the questionnaire stated that LUNA would increase pain, while two of the 25 gave numerical answers suggesting they believed that the intervention would worsen the pain. The most widely held ‘prior belief’, reflected in both questionnaire and numerical responses, was that LUNA would have a small beneficial effect on pain.
Domestic violence, lifetime trauma and psychological health of childbearing women
Authors: Mezey Gillian , Bacchus Loraine , Bewley Susan , White Sarah
Published: July 2005

Objective  Although histories of abuse are associated with psychiatric illness in women, health professionals rarely enquire directly about such experiences. This study examined the association between physical and sexual violence and lifetime trauma and depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in women receiving maternity care.

Design  Cross sectional study.

Setting  South London Hospital maternity services.

Population  Two hundred women receiving postnatal or antenatal care.

Methods  Two hundred women receiving postnatal or antenatal care at a South London maternity service were screened for lifetime experiences of trauma and domestic violence. Information was obtained about self‐harming behaviour, suicidal thoughts and attempts and psychiatric history. Women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PTDS).

Main outcome measures  Results  One hundred and twenty‐one (60.5%) women reported at least one traumatic event and two‐thirds of these had experienced multiple traumatic events. The most frequent (34%) was witnessing or experiencing physical assault by a family member. Forty‐seven (23.5%) women had experienced domestic violence. Physical and sexual abuse commonly co‐occurred. Thirteen (10.7%) women with a trauma history had current posttraumatic stress disorder. Severe posttraumatic symptoms were associated with physical and sexual abuse histories and repeat victimisation. Adult and childhood physical and sexual abuse histories were also associated with more severe depressive symptomatology. Significant social factors associated with depression were being single, separated or in a non‐cohabiting relationship.

Conclusion  Traumatic events are under‐recognised risk factors in the development of depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms in childbearing women. Childhood abuse creates a vulnerability to re‐traumatisation in adulthood. Awareness of the impact of trauma and abuse on psychological health may enable more appropriate targeting of clinical services and support for women receiving maternity care.
Gender differences of placental dysfunction in severe prematurity
Authors: Ghidini Alessandro , Salafia Carolyn M.
Published: July 2005

Objective  Rates of several obstetric complications have been reported to vary with fetal gender. We investigated whether a sex difference exists in findings at placental histology of extreme prematurity.

Design  Case–control study.

Setting  University Hospital.

Population  Four hundred and thirty‐seven consecutive deliveries before 32 weeks of gestation of singleton, liveborn, non‐anomalous infants.

Methods  Obstetric, neonatal and placental histologic findings were compared between male (n= 232) and female (n= 205) neonates.

Main outcome measures  Histologic evidence of acute placental inflammation, uteroplacental vascular pathology, intraplacental vascular pathology and chronic placental inflammation.

Results  Male fetuses had similar racial distributions, rate of nulliparity, maternal age, gestational age at delivery, placental weight and fetoplacental weight ratio as female fetuses, but higher birthweight centiles (41 [27] vs 33 [26]). Placental histology showed no association between fetal gender and lesions of acute inflammation (P= 0.08), intraplacental vascular pathology (P= 0.16) or uteroplacental vascular pathology (P= 0.83). However, lesions of chronic inflammation had a significantly higher score in male than in female fetuses (P= 0.001). When we examined the distribution of chronic placental inflammation, significantly more severe lesions were noted in male than in female fetuses at the implantation site (i.e. the area of interstitial trophoblast invasion of the maternal decidua and maternal endovascular trophoblast remodelling), than within the placental villi (chronic villitis) or in the amniochorionic membranes (where interstitial trophoblast invasion is minimal).

Conclusion  In premature deliveries at <32 weeks, male fetal gender is associated with placental lesions suggestive of a maternal immune response against the invading interstitial trophoblast. The immunologic basis of these findings deserves further studies.
The effect of tibolone in postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen after surgery for breast cancer: a randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Kroiss R. , Fentiman I.S. , Helmond F.A. , Rymer J. , Foidart J.M. , Bundred N. , Mol‐Arts M. , Kubista E.
Published: July 2005

Objective To assess the effects of tibolone on climacteric symptoms, endometrium and serum lipid/lipoproteins in postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen after surgery for breast cancer.

Design Double‐blind, randomised, placebo‐controlled, multicentre pilot study.

Setting Hospital outpatient clinic.

Sample Seventy postmenopausal women receiving tamoxifen following surgery for early breast cancer.

Methods Women received 20 mg/day oral tamoxifen plus either 2.5 mg/day oral tibolone or placebo for 12 months.

Main outcome measures Frequency and severity of hot flushes (diary cards); intensity of hot flushes and sweats (Landgren scale); interference of hot flushes and sweats with normal life; frequency and intensity of other climacteric symptoms; endometrial thickness and histology; vaginal bleeding; breast cancer recurrence and serum lipid/lipoproteins.

Results Daily card data showed no change in the daily number of hot flushes with either tibolone or placebo (P= 0.219) after three months. There was a significant reduction in the severity of flushes with tibolone compared with placebo (−0.4vs0.2,P= 0.031). The Landgren scale showed a mean change in the number of hot flushes of −0.6 with tibolone and +1.1 with placebo after 12 months (P= 0.022). Endometrial biopsies were normal and vaginal bleeding was similar in both groups. A significant decrease in triglycerides (−23%vs1.4%) and HDL (−12%vs19%) was seen with tibolone compared with placebo after 12 months.

Conclusions Tibolone prevented an increase in hot flushes in postmenopausal women given tamoxifen following surgery for breast cancer without untoward effects on the endometrium. Beneficial effects on serum lipid profile were noted.
Physical symptoms after childbirth: prevalence and associations with self‐rated health
Authors: Schytt Erica , Lindmark Gunilla , Waldenström Ulla
Published: July 2005

Objective  The aims of the present study were to describe the prevalence of a number of physical symptoms, as described by women themselves, two months and one year after childbirth in a national Swedish sample and to investigate the association between specific symptoms and women's self‐rated health.

Design  Cohort study.

Setting  Swedish antenatal clinics.

Population  A total of 2413 women recruited from 593 antenatal clinics in Sweden during three one‐week periods evenly spread over one year (1999–2000), representing 54% of women eligible for the study and 76% of those who consented to participate. The representativity of the sample was assessed by comparison with the total Swedish birth cohort of 1999.

Methods  Data were collected by means of questionnaires in early pregnancy, two months and one year after the birth and from the Swedish Medical Birth Register.

Main outcome measures  Self‐reported symptoms and self‐rated health.

Results  Tiredness, headache, neck, shoulder and low back pain were common problems at two months as well as one year after childbirth. At two months, pain from caesarean section, dyspareunia and haemorrhoids were frequent problems, whereas stress incontinence was often reported at one year. Ninety‐one percent of the women said self‐rated health was ‘very good’ or ‘good’ at two months after birth, and 86% at one year. Low self‐rated health was associated with symptoms that affected general physical functioning and wellbeing, such as tiredness, headache, musculoskeletal problems, mastitis, perineal pain, dysuria, stomachache and nausea. Complaints related to more specific situations, such as dyspareunia, constipation and stress incontinence were not associated with self‐rated health.

Conclusion  Despite the fact that physical symptoms were common two months and one year after the birth, the vast majority of women rated their health as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
Cardiovascular and endocrine effects of a single course of maternal dexamethasone treatment in preterm fetal sheep
Authors: Quaedackers Josine S. , Roelfsema Vincent , Fraser Mhoyra , Gunn Alistair J. , Bennet Laura
Published: July 2005

Objective  To determine the effects of a single course of maternally administered dexamethasone on preterm fetal sheep in utero.

Design  Prospective randomised controlled trial.

Setting  University laboratory.

Sample  Pregnant sheep at 0.7 of gestation.

Methods  Pregnant ewes at 103 days of pregnancy (term = 147 days) were given two intramuscular injections of vehicle (n= 7) or 12 mg of dexamethasone (DEX; n= 8) 24 hours apart. Fetuses were continuously monitored for five days.

Main outcome measures  Fetal mean arterial blood pressure, carotid and femoral arterial blood flow and vascular resistance, heart rate, heart rate variability, fetal plasma cortisol and ACTH and fetal body movements.

Results  DEX injections led to an acute increase in mean arterial blood pressure with a rise in carotid and femoral vascular resistance, a fall in femoral arterial blood flow, and a brief fall in fetal heart rate followed by significant tachycardia. From 24 hours after the injections, mean arterial blood pressure and vascular resistance returned to control values, however, a mild tachycardia [200 (3) vs 184 (4) bpm, P < 0.05] and loss of the circadian pattern of fetal heart rate variability persisted until the end of recording. Plasma ACTH and cortisol were markedly suppressed by DEX (P < 0.05), with values returning to control levels 32 and 72 hours after the first injection, respectively. There was no effect on basal fetal heart rate variability, body movements, carotid arterial blood flow, or the circadian pattern of fetal heart rate.

Conclusion  In contrast to previous experiments utilising direct fetal infusion of steroids, maternal administration of DEX was associated with only transient hypertension.
Comparison of digital and ultrasonographic examination of the cervix in predicting time interval from induction to delivery in women with a low Bishop score
Authors: Rozenberg Patrick , Chevret Sylvie , Chastang Claude , Ville Yves
Published: July 2005

Objective  To compare pre‐induction ultrasonographic cervical length and Bishop score in predicting time to delivery after labour induction with prostaglandins.

Design  Prognostic cohort study.

Setting  Tertiary referral maternity unit in a teaching hospital.

Population  Two hundred and sixty‐six women with singleton pregnancies at between 34+0 and 41+3 weeks of gestation requiring induction of labour with prostaglandins for medical indications.

Methods  A secondary analysis of a trial comparing two prostaglandins. Assessment of the Bishop score and measurement of the cervical length by transvaginal sonography were performed by two operators, blinded to each other's results. We estimated the predictive effects on the outcomes of ultrasonographic cervical length and Bishop score.

Main outcome measure  Time intervals from induction to delivery and to vaginal delivery.

Results  Cervical length and Bishop score were associated with the time interval from induction to delivery, based on univariable analyses. When considered jointly in a multivariable model, only the Bishop score was significantly related to the outcome: The higher the Bishop score, the higher the hazard to delivery [hazard ratio (HR): 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–1.3], illustrating that once the Bishop score is taken into account, further knowledge of cervical ultrasound length (HR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98–1.0) did not add any predictive information. Also, Bishop score was predictive of time interval between induction and vaginal delivery (HR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.4) while cervical length had no additional predictive value (HR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98–1.0) when both cervical length and Bishop score were introduced in the model.

Conclusions  The Bishop score appears to be a better predictor of the time interval from induction to delivery and to vaginal delivery than cervical length after induction of labour for medical reasons.
Palaeozoic tropical rainforests and their effect on global climates: is the past the key to the present?
Authors: CLEAL CHRISTOPHER J. , THOMAS BARRY A.
Published: July 2005

Wetland forests, known as coal forests, extended over large areas of the palaeotropics during the Late Carboniferous and the Permian Periods. They were initiated during the Serpukhovian Age as a response to lowering sea levels having exposed large areas of continental shelf. They expanded dramatically during the late Bashkirian Age, but then contracted by over one‐half during the Kasimovian Age. The estimated loss of carbon sink probably resulted in an annual increase in atmospheric CO2 of about 2–5 ppm, and coincided with clear evidence of global warming in both the northern and southern high latitudes. A return to cooler conditions in very Early Permian times coincided with an expansion of the palaeotropical coal forests in the Far East, but this was short‐lived and most of the rest of the Permian was a time of global warming. The Palaeozoic evidence clearly confirms that there is a correlation between levels of atmospheric CO2 and global climates. However, care must be taken in extrapolating this evidence to the present‐day tropical forests, which do not act as a comparable unsaturated carbon sink.
Three‐dimensional Raman imagery of precambrian microscopic organisms
Authors: SCHOPF J. W. , KUDRYAVTSEV A. B.
Published: July 2005

Two major difficulties have long hindered studies of ancient permineralized micro‐organisms: (1) accurate documentation of their three‐dimensional morphology at micron‐scale resolution; and (2) direct characterization of their molecular‐structural composition. Here we introduce a technique new to palaeobiology, the three‐dimensional Raman imagery that meets both of these needs, which is a nonintrusive, nondestructive technique that can provide data by which to accurately and objectively characterize, in situ and at micron‐scale resolution, the morphology and molecular‐structural composition of permineralized micro‐organisms and their associated matrices. Application of this new technique can provide information about the morphology, taphonomy and fidelity of preservation of fossil micro‐organisms unavailable by any other means.
Sleaze, constituency and dissent: voting on Nolan in the House of Commons
Authors: Johnston R J , Pattie C J , Rossiter D J
Published: July 2005

Summary
Dissension has become increasingly common within the UK House of Commons in recent decades. In November 1995, the government's position on recommendations regarding the disclosure of MPs' financial interests linked to their Parliamentary position was defeated because 22 of its backbenchers voted for a Labour amendment, which was carried. This paper looks at the pattern of voting on that issue, with particular reference to the constituency situation of MPs at a difficult time for many of them, just after a major review of boundaries had been promulgated. It shows that those backbenchers with unchanged seats were much more likely to dissent.
Common cause or common concern? The role of common lands in the post‐productivist countryside
Authors: Wilson Olivia J , Wilson Geoff A
Published: July 2005

Summary
The aim of this paper is to contribute towards a better understanding of the contemporary position of commons as a land resource, and to evaluate whether commons have a distinct role to play in today's ‘post‐productivist’ countryside. Following the government's recent recognition of the multi‐functional role of commons, the paper sets out to investigate whether this can be achieved through existing agri‐environmental schemes. A case study of commons in the Cambrian Mountains (Wales) enables an assessment of the compatibility of one recent agri‐environmental scheme, the ESA scheme, with commons management. It is concluded that new legislation and policy are needed, and that agri‐environmental policy may provide an opportunity to develop a framework within which the management of common land can be improved to meet conservation and amenity as well as farming objectives.
Time for a change?
Authors: Pepin Nicholas C.
Published: July 2005

Summary
This paper analyses the geographical variation in changes in lighting conditions at opposite ends of the working day which would arise from the proposal to align UK clocks with those in Europe. Strong spatial contrasts are illustrated, the pattern of benefit and disadvantage depending on the threshold times used to define darkness. In most areas disadvantage outweighs benefit. In addition, comparisons are made with mainland Europe.
The (re)making of the western ‘geographical tradition’: some missing links
Authors: Sidaway James Derrick
Published: July 2005

Summary
A brief investigation of certain missing links in the narration of the history of geography focuses on the need to consider the contribution of non‐western geographical and scientific knowledges to the making of ‘European discovery’ and therefore to the development of a putatively western geographical tradition.
Reconceptualising local community: environment, identity and threat
Authors: Dalby Simon , Mackenzie Fiona
Published: July 2005

Summary
Economic ‘development’ driven by global economic forces produces specific expressions of ‘community’ in places where large new economic projects are to be located. This paper draws on contemporary geopolitical literature to theorise community identity as partly formulated in response to external ‘threats’. A comparative study of community mobilisation in response to proposals to locate coastal superquarries on the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, suggests the applicability of this theoretical framework for extending geographical analysis of community identity and the politics of place.
Red‐light districts and Toleration Zones: geographies of female street prostitution in England and Wales
Authors: Hubbard Phil
Published: July 2005

Summary
Although female street prostitution is widely acknowledged to occur in specific spaces, characteristically referred to as ‘red‐light’ districts, geographers have been remarkably reticent in examining the nature and location of these spaces. Against a backdrop of mounting debate surrounding the legal status of prostitution in England and Wales, this paper considers the importance of such areas in the regulation and containment of street prostitution, and speculates as to how changing social and legal attitudes might result in very different geographies of prostitution.
Space, place and pollbooks: incorporating a neglected electoral geography
Authors: Dunham Phil
Published: July 2005

Summary
This paper calls for the incorporation of pre‐1872 (and especially early Victorian) elections into the electoral geography research agenda. It argues that early Victorian elections provide a rare opportunity to examine actual voting behaviour at the individual level and also constitute a valid focus of enquiry in their own right. The paper concludes by discussing some of the principal methodological implications of an historical electoral geography.
GIS for development: a contradiction in terms?
Authors: Dunn Christine E , Atkins Peter J , Townsend Janet G
Published: July 2005

Summary
Is it possible to make appropriate use of GIS for ‘development’ (here defined as change desirable for the poor) in countries where human and financial resources may be limited? We argue that it is, and should be taught, but that there are no quick fixes.
Racialised representations in British and American advertising
Authors: Taylor James
Published: July 2005

Summary
This paper discusses the relationship between advertising and ‘race’, using as its foundation the replication of a study conducted in the US which used content analysis to examine the representation of Black characters in television advertisements. The replication facilitates a comparison of the British and American cases, revealing significant differences in the frequency and perceived importance of such representations. It can also help draw out the specificities of the UK situation. The paper attempts to convey the complexity of the interplay between advertising and racialisation, and emphasises that while such quantitative, textual studies offer a useful basis for further research, they are limited by their failure to address the motivations of producers and how advertisements are read by different groups in different places.
Regional competitive specialization. Development agency sector initiatives in Wales
Authors: Huggins Robert
Published: July 2005

Summary
This paper provides evidence of the movement towards a sector‐based approach to regional development by the Welsh Development Agency, its effects on economic competitiveness and its role as a focal point for stimulating the development of specialized industrial clusters. The paper concentrates on the initiatives taking place in the electronics/IT, automotive and healthcare sectors in Wales, and the development of clustering through vertical linkages in the machine tooling sector.
‘Institutional thickness’ and industrial governance in Lowland Scotland
Authors: MacLeod Gordon
Published: July 2005

Summary
This paper draws on the ‘institutional thickness’ framework of Amin and Thrift to examine some recent policy responses to globalization within the Lowland Scotland regional economy. Although shown to be institutionally well endowed vis‐à‐vis the governance of economic development, Lowland Scotland suffers a shortfall in the networks, inter‐institutional synergy and ‘corporatization of economic life’ that are regarded as necessary to engender a diffused entrepreneurship, characteristic of more illustrious growth regions in mainland Europe.
Planning and landform: geomorphological authenticity or incongruity in the countryside?
Authors: Gray J Murray
Published: July 2005

Summary
The conservation movement has recently attempted to extend its remit from concern for ‘special’ sites/habitats or listed buildings towards embracing the value of the wider natural or historic environment. Geomorphological conservation has been the Cinderella of nature conservation, but has now added Regionally Important Geological/geomorphological Sites (RIGS) to the earth science related Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). However, it has yet to embrace the need for a wider perspective on landform conservation. Too many topographic changes in the countryside show little respect for local topographic distinctiveness or geomorphological concepts. This is illustrated by many recent golf course designs, low‐level pit restoration schemes, landraising schemes and screening by bunding. However, there are some signs of changes in policy and practice in designing within the existing topographical context, rather than undertaking incongruous land remodelling. The paper concludes by advocating a greater understanding of geomorphology amongst landscape architects, planners and the wider public, so as to achieve greater geomorphological authenticity in developments in the countryside.
From artificiality to authenticity? The development of dry ski‐slopes in England and Wales
Authors: Tivers Jacqueline
Published: July 2005

Summary
Many sports landscapes are said to have become increasingly ‘artificial’ over time. Landscapes of dry skiing have not exhibited this trend, but instead have become more ‘realistic’ or ‘authentic’.1 This paper discusses the results of a new study of dry ski centres in England and Wales.
Ethics in geography: giving moral form to the geographical imagination
Authors: Proctor James D
Published: July 2005

SummaryGeographers have become increasingly interested in questions of ethics. In this paper, I introduce the scope and major concerns of ethics, briefly reviewing recent literature as a means of situating geography's potential contribution. I then link ethics to the geographical imagination by developing a twofold schema representing geography's ontological project and epistemological process, an approach that unites existing professional and substantive ethical concerns among geographers. Examples of recent work by geographers in these areas are noted. I close with a set of broad questions at the interface of ethics and geography worthy of further reflection.
Respondents' evaluations of a CV survey: a case study based on an economic valuation of the Wildlife Enhancement Scheme, Pevensey Levels in East Sussex
Authors: Burgess Jacquelin , Clark Judy , Harrison Carolyn M
Published: July 2005

Summary
Environmental economists have developed a methodology for eliciting individual preferences by asking respondents to a contingent valuation survey how much they would be willing to pay for specified environmental ‘goods’. Contingent valuation generates considerable debate, not least because it is unclear how people arrive at a monetary value or whether the elicited monetary value bears any relation to how individuals actually value the environmental ‘good’. In this paper, we present preliminary results from a qualitative study of how respondents construct their responses to a CV survey, to suggest that the methodology does not measure what it purports to measure.
Mental health, ethnography and the body
Authors: Parr Hester
Published: July 2005

Summary
Covert ethnographic research materials are used to highlight different individuals’ embodied configurations of time and space (in this case people with mental health problems). Research relationships that revolve around body presentation and body movement are then examined. The problematic associations between covert ethnography and feminist methodologies are also addressed.
Voter turnout and constituency marginality: geography and rational choice
Authors: Pattie C J , Johnston R J
Published: July 2005

SummaryVariation in turnout between constituencies is often taken as an example of a contextual effect in electoral behaviour, with voters reacting to local factors such as the closeness of the competition in each seat. However, detailed analysis of survey data from the 1987 and 1992 British general elections suggests that turnout is not affected by local context.
You have to be twice as good to be equal: ‘placing’ women in Plymouth's Devonport Dockyard
Authors: Bartram Rob , Shobrook Sarah
Published: July 2005

Summary
This paper explores the dynamics of gender relations in Plymouth's Devonport Dockyard. It focuses on the day‐to‐day, lived experiences of working women in a male‐dominated workplace. Two issues are put forward for particular consideration: the first concerns the way in which social structures in the dockyard give rise to a set of gender relations specific to this workplace; the second concerns the relationship between space, place and the fluidity of gendered social boundaries.
The right to say: the development of youth councils/forums within the UK
Authors: Matthews Hugh , Limb Melanie
Published: July 2005

SummaryArticle 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child makes explicit reference to children's right to say what they think about matters relating to the quality of their lives, and to have those opinions taken into account in accordance with their levels of competence and maturity. Despite the commitment of the UK Government to this and other similar initiatives designed to empower young people, a culture of non‐participation is endemic within the UK in the context of environmental planning. Young people are seemingly invisible on the landscape. This paper reviews the case for children's active involvement in their environmental future and considers attempts to engage young people through an incipient structure of youth councils and forums.
Constructions of ‘whiteness’ in the geographical imagination
Authors: Jackson Peter
Published: July 2005

Summary
Following debates in geography and across the social sciences about the social construction of ‘race’, there has been a growing recognition that these arguments apply with equal force to dominant groups as well as to the categorization of so‐called ethnic minorities. This paper traces these developments through a brief review of recent work on the social construction of ‘whiteness’ in literary, historical and ethnographic research. It examines some specific constructions of ‘whiteness’ at the national scale (in the United States, Britain and Aotearoa/New Zealand) and concludes with some empirical evidence from fieldwork in North London, where it is suggested that constructions of ‘whiteness’ are articulated through discourses of Englishness.
Political change and local objectives: observations from rural Wales
Authors: Gallent Nick , Jones Rhys , Allen Chris B
Published: July 2005

Summary
In this article, we argue that the spatial reorganization of local government structures may pose a significant threat to fragile local cultures. A recognition at the national level that policy structures are culturally specific (and not converging) is not always conceded at the very local level. Drawing on observations from Wales, we show how political change brings the danger of cultural neglect.