bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Considerations on the Standard Material Transfer Agreement Under the FAO Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Authors: Correa Carlos M.
Published: February 2006

The International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture established a system for the facilitated exchange of seeds for breeding, research and training for a number of crops that are essential for food security. A key element for the implementation of the system will be the adoption and putting into practice of a material transfer agreement (MTA) that, among other provisions, should contain and obligation to pay in cases where the further use of the materials received is limited. This article examines the complex legal and practical issues raised by the drafting of the MTA and suggests ways of addressing them consistently within the Treaty, interpreted in accordance with the principles of customary international law.
Basmati Rice: Geographical Indication or Mis‐Indication
Authors: Chandola Harsh V.
Published: February 2006

Indian farmers may not understand the Lockean or the Hegelian justification for intellectual property. Neither do they understand the politics (realpolitik) of the negotiations of the Agreement on Trade‐Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Many of them had no idea that in September 2003 their fate might have been decided in the Cancun Ministerial meeting of World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries. But they do understand simple economics, i.e. if the American company which has registered a patent for basmati rice continues to sell rice as American‐style basmati rice, it may hurt their exports. If the Indian Government had a key to the past, they would have definitely renegotiated‐TRIPS to protect $350 million export market of basmati rice. Even if we opprobrium TRIPS and characterize it as an instrument of exploitation used by developed countries to protect their own interest, the fact of the matter is, there is no escape from it. Withdrawing from TRIPS entails too many implications for the Indian economy, and it would be cynical to suggest such an idea. Developing and least developed countries have fallen to the economic and political pressure of the Developed countries, and the former group of countries will never be able to convince the latter to renegotiate TRIPS to bring a balance to it, even if their call is eloquent, justified and reflects reality. It would be like knocking on the lid of a coffin: knock, as much as you like, you will not wake him. Post‐Cancun (WTO Ministerial Meeting), it is vital for the Indian Government to formulate strategies to protect its interest in TRIPS. The strategy should focus on the options available within the TRIPS framework. We might have lost advantage in the field of patents to western pharmaceutical companies, but if a proper strategy is formulated we will be able to protect our basmati exports.
Histological and Histochemical Characterization of the Mucosa of the Digestive Tract in Flower Fish (Pseudophoxınus antalyae)
Authors: ÇInar K. , ŞEnol N.
Published: February 2006

The wall of the digestive tract is composed of the tunica mucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa. Lamina‐submucosa separation or any glands were not observed in tunica mucosa. Goblet cells were determined to constitute a much larger reserve at digestive tract mucosa. Histochemical analysis of the intestine of flower fish (Pseudophoxinus antalyae) showed that gastrointestinal mucous content included sulphate‐esters and/or carboxylic [Alcian blue (AB) 0.06+], glycogene and/or oxidable dioles [periodic acid/Schiff+ (PAS+)], neutral or acid‐rich (PAS/AB pH 2.5+), sialic acid residues (KOH/PAS) and strong acid sulphated [Aldehyde fuchsin+ (AF+)] glycoproteins (GPs). Except these mucosubstances to lower densities, densely sulphate (AB pH 2.5+), O‐sulphate esters (AB pH 1+) strong and weak sulphated (AB 0.3 M+), GPs were also determined.
Scanning Electron Microscopy Study of the Lingual Papillae in the European Mole (Talpa europea, L., Talpidae)
Authors: Jackowiak H.
Published: February 2006

The tongue in the adult European mole (Talpa europea L.) was examined by scanning electron microscope. The elongated tongue with a rounded apex is about 12–13 mm in length and 3–4 mm in width. On the apex the shallow median groove is present. On the dorsal surface of the lingual mucosa two types of mechanical papillae and two types of gustatory papillae were observed. Mechanical papillae are represented by numerous filiform papillae with a single process, covering the whole surface of the apex and body of the tongue, and massive conical papillae, found on the root of the tongue. The structure and density of filiform papillae varies in the anterior and posterior part of the tongue. A unique trait of the tongue in the European mole is the occurrence on the apex of the tongue of a single row of conical papillae. Gustatory papillae are represented by numerous fungiform papillae and one pair of vallate papillae. Dome‐shaped fungiform papillae in the anterior part of the tongue are arranged linearly along both margins of the tongue, whereas in the posterior part of the body of the tongue flat fungiform papillae are distributed evenly among filiform papillae. Oval vallate papillae are surrounded by a continuous furrow and a single pad. In the posterior part of the root behind conical papillae the surface of the mucosa is flat with numerous orifices of lingual papillae located there. Observations on the distribution and structure of gustatory papillae in the common mole did not show the existence of special traits, differing them from those in terrestrial insectivores. The comparison of the morphology of the tongue, the distribution and structure of the lingual papillae in the European mole with those in the other species of Insectivores, indicated of a general similarity of features within the family Talpidae.
Brood Parasitism and Nest Takeover in Common Eiders
Authors: Waldeck Peter , Andersson Malte
Published: March 2006

Conspecific brood parasitism (CBP) is an alternative breeding tactic that occurs in many brood‐tending animals and can have important fitness effects for both host and parasite. We use protein fingerprinting of egg albumen to distinguish the eggs from different females and to estimate the frequency, pattern and tactics of CBP and other forms of mixed maternity in a Hudson Bay population of common eiders (Somateria mollissima sedentaria). Mixed clutches, containing eggs from more than one female, occurred in 31% of the 86 nests studied that progressed to clutch completion. Other females than the host laid 8% of the eggs. In 11 (41%) of the mixed clutches another female laid before the host started laying, corroborating the hypothesis that takeover of nests started by other females accounts for many of the mixed clutches in this population. Our results also indicate that traditional non‐molecular methods of identifying foreign eggs may considerably underestimate the frequency of mixed clutches.
IL10 and IL12B polymorphisms each influence IL‐12p70 secretion by dendritic cells in response to LPS
Authors: Peng Judy C , Abu Bakar Sazaly , Richardson Michelle M , Jonsson Julie J , Frazer Ian H , Nielsen Lars K , Morahan Grant , Thomas Ranjeny
Published: February 2006

Dendritic cells (DC) are the main producers of the cytokine IL‐12p70, through which they play a direct role in the development of IFN‐γ‐secreting Th1 cells, costimulation of CTL differentiation and NK‐cell activation. In contrast, IL‐10, which is also produced by DC, negatively regulates IL‐12 production. IL‐12p70 production varies widely between individuals, and several polymorphisms in the gene encoding IL‐12p40 (IL12B) have been identified that influence susceptibility and severity of infectious, autoimmune and neoplastic disease. Here we show that polymorphisms not only of IL12B, but also in the IL10 promoter, influence IL‐12p70 secretion by monocyte‐derived DC in response to LPS. Although IL12B promoter homozygotes were prone to making more IL‐12p70, presence of the IL10 high genotype restricted IL‐12p70 production in these individuals. These observations provide a further genetic control of IL‐12p70 regulation and emphasize the complexity of production of this cytokine. They also suggest genotypes that might influence the outcome of DC immunotherapy.
Polymorphisms in the organic cation transporter genes SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 and Crohn's disease in a New Zealand Caucasian cohort
Authors: Leung Euphemia , Hong Jiwon , Fraser Alan G , Merriman Tony R , Vishnu Prakash , Krissansen Geoffrey W
Published: February 2006

Polymorphisms in the organic cation transporter (OCTN) genes SLC22A4 (OCTN1; polymorphism 1672C/T) and SLC22A5 (OCTN2; polymorphism −207G/C) at the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) 5 locus comprise a two‐allele haplotype (SLC22A‐TC) associated with increased risk for Crohn's disease (CD). In this study, we examined the contribution of the disease susceptibility haplotype SLC22A‐TC to CD in a New Zealand Caucasian population. The frequencies of the gene polymorphisms 1672C/T and −207G/C were examined in 182 patients with CD and 188 ethnically matched controls by PCR‐RFLP analysis. There was a significant difference in the allele frequency (0.444 vs 0.519; P = 0.041) of the 1672T polymorphism in the SLC22A4 gene between controls and patients with CD. In contrast, there was no significant difference (0.497 vs 0.552; P = 0.135) for the −207C polymorphism in the SLC22A5 gene. The homozygote SLC22A‐TC diplotype was significantly associated with an increased risk for CD (odds ratio 2.19), and the SLC22A‐TC haplotype was associated with increased risk (P = 0.0007) of ileocolonic involvement. The population‐attributable risk for the SLC22A‐TC haplotype is 15.1%. Thus, SLC22A‐TC is associated with an increased risk of CD and disease phenotype in our New Zealand CD cohort.
Neurogenic potential of progenitors derived from human circulating CD14+ monocytes
Authors: Kodama Hiroaki , Inoue Takafumi , Watanabe Ryuichi , Yasutomi Daisuke , Kawakami Yutaka , Ogawa Satoshi , Mikoshiba Katsuhiko , Ikeda Yasuo , Kuwana Masataka
Published: February 2006

We previously reported a primitive cell fraction derived from human circulating CD14+ monocytes, named monocyte‐derived multipotential cells (MOMC), that can differentiate along mesenchymal lineages, including bone, cartilage, fat, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. In this study, we investigated whether MOMC can differentiate into the neuronal lineage. MOMC were fluorescently labelled and cocultivated with a primary culture of rat neurons for up to 4 weeks. The protein and gene expressions of neuron‐specific markers in the human MOMC were evaluated over time using immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and reverse transcription followed by PCR. Shortly after cocultivation with rat neurons, nearly all the MOMC expressed early neuroectodermal markers, Mash1, Neurogenin2 and NeuroD, together with nestin, an intermediate filament expressed in neurogenesis. After 14 days of coculture, a subpopulation of MOMC displayed a multipolar morphology with elongated neurites and expressed mature neuron‐specific markers, including neurofilament, microtubule‐associated protein type 2, β3‐tubulin, NeuN and Hu. Transdifferentiation of monocytes into the neuroectodermal lineage was shown by the simultaneous expression of proneural markers and CD45/CD14 early in the differentiation process. The cocultivated MOMC retained their proliferative capacity for at least 16 days. Finally, the neuronal differentiation of MOMC was observed when they were cultured with neurons without cell‐to‐cell contact. The capacity of MOMC to differentiate into both mesodermal and neuroectodermal lineages suggests that circulating CD14+ monocytes are more multipotential than previously thought.
In silico simulations suggest that Th‐cell development is regulated by both selective and instructive mechanisms
Authors: Jansson Andreas , Fagerlind Magnus , Karlsson Diana , Nilsson Patric , Cooley Margaret
Published: February 2006

Th‐cell differentiation is highly influenced by the local cytokine environment. Although cytokines such as IL‐12 and IL‐4 are known to polarize the Th‐cell response towards Th1 or Th2, respectively, it is not known whether these cytokines instruct the developmental fate of uncommitted Th cells or select cells that have already been committed through a stochastic process. We present an individual based model that accommodates both stochastic and deterministic processes to simulate the dynamic behaviour of selective versus instructive Th‐cell development. The predictions made by each model show distinct behaviours, which are compared with experimental observations. The simulations show that the instructive model generates an exclusive Th1 or Th2 response in the absence of an external cytokine source, whereas the selective model favours coexistence of the phenotypes. A hybrid model, including both instructive and selective development, shows behaviour similar to either the selective or the instructive model dependent on the strength of activation. The hybrid model shows the closest qualitative agreement with a number of well‐established experimental observations. The predictions by each model suggest that neither pure selective nor instructive Th development is likely to be functional as exclusive mechanisms in Th1/Th2 development.
Pediatric anesthesia practice and training in Japan: a survey
Authors: SHIMADA YASUHIRO , NISHIWAKI KIMITOSHI , SATO KOSEI , SATO EICHI , MIYASAKA KATSUYUKI
Published: March 2006

Background:  Pediatric anesthesia in Japan is in the developing stage. The aim of this study was to review pediatric anesthesia training in Japan and to discuss the future prospects for this field.

Methods:  We sent questionnaires to assess current pediatric anesthetic practice and training to all 106 university hospitals [UHs; response rate, 66% (70/106)] and all 17 children's hospitals [CHs; response rate, 87.5% (15/17)] in Japan. We also sent questionnaires to assess attitudes towards pediatric anesthetic training, to all 280 representatives of the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists [JSA; response rate, 57.9% (162/280)].

Results:  The hospital survey revealed the number of pediatric anesthesia cases encountered in 15 CHs (25 009 cases) to be almost equivalent to that in 70 UHs (29 031 cases). In 19 of these UHs, there were no newborn surgical cases. Forty‐nine UHs reported that no special training program existed for pediatric anesthesia, and only five UHs mandated training at CHs. Sixty‐six percent of the representative JSA members considered it premature for pediatric anesthesia to become a subspecialty, but 87% considered experience in pediatric anesthesia mandatory for anesthesia board qualification.

Conclusions:  This survey revealed that although pediatric anesthesia training is considered mandatory, university hospitals lack adequate numbers of pediatric cases and children's hospitals suffer from a shortage of staff positions and anesthesiologists, and hence are unable to satisfy this demand. Most representative members of our society consider it too early to subspecialize pediatric anesthesia in Japan.
Dexmedetomidine decreases emergence agitation in pediatric patients after sevoflurane anesthesia without surgery
Authors: ISIK BERRIN , ARSLAN MUSTAFA , TUNGA ALPER DOGAN , KURTIPEK OMER
Published: March 2006

Background:  The purpose of the present study was to determine whether prophylactic use of 1 μg·kg−1 dexmedetomidine affected the incidence of emergence agitation (EA) after sevoflurane based anesthesia without surgery in children.

Methods:  In a double‐blinded trial, 42 children (ASA I‐II,18 months to 10 years) undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination were randomly assigned to receive dexmedetomidine 1 μg·kg−1 iv or placebo after induction of anesthesia. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) were monitored. Anesthesia was induced in all patients, irrespective of group, with 8% sevoflurane in 50–50% O2/N2O and maintained with 1.5% sevoflurane in 50/50% O2/N2O. Agitation parameters were assessed with a 5‐point scale and measured every 5 min. Delirium was defined as agitation score of ≥4 for ≥5 min. Anesthesia and procedure times and per‐ and postoperative side effects were recorded.

Results:  The HR, MAP, and SpO2, spontaneous arm or leg motion times and purposeful movement times showed no significant differences between the two groups. The time of removing the LMA, and the time of eye opening with verbal stimuli was shorter in group P than the group D (P = 0.007 and P = 0.01). The time of discharge to recovery room and the time of discharge from hospital were similar in the two groups. The mean agitation scores in the dexmedetomidine group were significantly lower than the placebo group except at 30 min (P < 0.0001, P = 0.001, P = 0.002, P = 0.013 and P = 0.001). The incidence of emergence agitation was 47.6% in group P, and 4.8% in group D (P = 0.002).

Conclusion:  We concluded that a 1 μg·kg−1 dose of i.v. dexmedetomidine reduces EA after sevoflurane anesthesia in children undergoing MRI.
Test of a Dynamic Stress Model for Organisational Change: Do Males and Females Require Different Models?
Authors: Kohler Jennifer M. , Munz David C. , Grawitch Mathew J.
Published: February 2006

Cette étude a opérationnalisé et mis à l’épreuve un modèle dynamique du stress adapté au changement organisationnel en tenant compte de l’impact du sexe sur le modèle. L’échantillon était composé de 804 employés de cinq centres médicaux pour anciens combattants. Le modèle, inspiré de celui de Mack, Nelson & Quick (1998) comprenait: l’importance des retombées du changement organisationnel sur le rôle professionnel, les relations et l’environnement de travail, les opportunités, la carrière, l’incertitude et l’évaluation des problèmes à résoudre, le stress perçu et les réactions de contrôle‐évitement. On est parti de l’idée que l’évaluation jouerait un rôle de médiateur entre l’importance du changement et le stress perçu et que les réactions agiraient directement sur les évaluations et le stress perçu. L’analyse en pistes causales confirma le modèle de changement proposé sous réserve de quelques modifications, mais montra que les hommes et les femmes pouvaient revendiquer leur propre modèle. Les différences dues au sexe apparaissent dans la relation entre la perception et l’évaluation du changement; et chaque sexe présente des sources spécifiques de stress. L’évaluation jouait un rôle partiel de médiateur entre l’importance du changement et le stress perçu. Le contrôle de la situation était une stratégie plus pertinente que l’évitement aussi bien pour les hommes que pour les femmes. On réfléchit aux conséquences de ce travail pour les chercheurs et les organisations.

The present study operationalised and tested a dynamic stress model for organisational change, including the interaction effect of sex on the model, on 804 employees at five VA medical centers. The model, an adaptation of Mack, Nelson, and Quick's (1998) model included: the amount of organisational change within job role, work relationships, job context, facility, and career; uncertainty and challenge appraisal; perceived stress; and control and avoidance coping. It was proposed that appraisal would act as a mediator between amount of change and perceived stress and that coping would have direct effects on appraisals and perceived stress. Path analyses supported the proposed change model with some modification, but indicated that males and females may require unique models. Sex differences emerged in relationships between perceptions and appraisal of change, and males and females had unique sources of stress. Appraisal acted as a partial mediator between amount of change and perceived stress. Control coping emerged as a more adaptive strategy than avoidance coping for both males and females. Implications for researchers and organisations are discussed.
Perceptions of Organisational Politics: Examination of a Situational Antecedent and Consequences among Nigeria's Extension Personnel
Authors: Ladebo Olugbenga Jelil
Published: February 2006

Ce travail fournit une évaluation empirique des effets de l’ambiguïté du rôle professionnel sur la perception de la politique de l’organisation (PPO) et de l’impact du sentiment de devoir sur la relation entre la PPO, la souffrance professionnelle et les comportements de citoyenneté organisationnelle (CCO). On a mené une enquête sur du personnel supplémentaire de deux programmes de développement agricole dans le sud‐ouest du Nigeria. 229 questionnaires traitables ont été récupérés. Une analyse de régression hiérarchique montra que l’ambiguïté de rôle prédisait la PPO. La PPO était corrélée négativement avec le sentiment de devoir et les CCO, mais positivement avec la souffrance professionnelle. La relation entre la PPO et les CCO était renforcée quand les employés présentaient plutôt des niveaux faibles du sentiment de devoir envers l’organisation. Cependant, il n’y avait pas d’interférence significative du sentiment de devoir sur la relation entre la PPO et la souffrance professionnelle.

This study provides an empirical assessment of the effects of job ambiguity on perceptions of organisational politics (POP) and the moderating role of an employee's felt obligation on the relationships between POP and job distress and organisational citizenship behaviors (OCB). A census of extension personnel in two Agricultural Development Programs (ADPs) in Southwestern Nigeria was undertaken. In all, 229 extension personnel returned useable surveys. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that job ambiguity predicted POP. POP was negatively related to felt obligation and OCB, and positively associated with job distress. The relationship between POP and OCB was stronger when employees reported lower rather than higher levels of felt obligation toward the organisation. However, there was no significant moderating effect of felt obligation on the relationship between POP and job distress.
Using “War Stories” to Train for Adaptive Performance: Is it Better to Learn from Error or Success?
Authors: Joung Wendy , Hesketh Beryl , Neal Andrew
Published: February 2006

On s’est demandé, dans cette recherche, si un séminaire exploitant les erreurs pouvait améliorer les performances. 59 pompiers expérimentés en formation sur les problèmes de commandement ont participéà cette étude. Des scènes de guerre ont été conçues à partir d’évènements réels pour illustrer des décisions hiérarchiques dont les suites furent heureuses ou malheureuses. Deux méthodes de formation ont été comparées et évaluées. Un premier groupe a été confrontéà des études de cas contenant des erreurs de management aux conséquences graves sur l’intervention contre l’incendie (formation avec erreurs) alors qu’un second groupe était soumis à la même série d’études de cas, sinon que les cas décrivaient des situations gérées correctement avec leurs conséquences (formation sans erreur). Les résultats confortent l’hypothèse qu’il vaut mieux apprendre à partir des erreurs des autres plutôt qu’à partir de leurs réussites. On analyse les leçons à en tirer pour la formation.

The study examines whether error exposure training can enhance adaptive performance. Fifty‐nine experienced fire‐fighters undergoing training for incident command participated in the study. War stories were developed based on real events to illustrate successful and unsuccessful incident command decisions. Two training methodologies were compared and evaluated. One group was trained using case studies that depicted incidents containing errors of management with severe consequences in fire‐fighting outcomes (error‐story training) while a second group was exposed to the same set of case studies except that the case studies depicted the incidents being managed without errors and their consequences (errorless‐story training). The results provide some support for the hypothesis that it is better to learn from other people's errors than from their successes. Implications for training are discussed.
Patterns of diversity in microscopic animals: are they comparable to those in protists or in larger animals?
Authors: Fontaneto Diego , Ficetola Gentile Francesco , Ambrosini Roberto , Ricci Claudia
Published: February 2006

Aim  General patterns of biodiversity, such as latitudinal gradients and species‐area relationships, are found consistently in a wide range of organisms, but recent results for protist diversity suggest that organisms shorter than 2 mm do not display such patterns. We tested this prediction in bdelloid rotifers, pluricellular metazoans smaller than 2 mm, but with size and ecology comparable to protists.

Location  A single valley in northern Italy was surveyed in detail and compared to all available faunistic data on bdelloids worldwide.

Methods  We analysed 171 local assemblages of bdelloid rotifers living in 5 systems of dry mosses and submerged mosses in running water and in lakes. We compared patterns of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, and nestedness of metacommunities, with those known from protists and larger organisms.

Results  Bdelloid rotifers showed low local species richness (alpha diversity), with strong habitat selection, as observed in larger organisms. The number of species differed among systems, with a higher number of species in dry than in aquatic mosses. There was no hierarchical structure or exclusion of species in the metacommunity pattern within each system. Local diversity for the entire valley was surprisingly high compared with worldwide bdelloid diversity, similar to observed patterns in protists.

Main Conclusions  Bdelloid rotifers have some of the peculiarities of protist biodiversity, although at slightly different spatial scales, thus confirming the idea of a major change in biodiversity patterns among organisms shorter than 2 mm. However, bdelloids show stronger habitat selection than protists. We suggest two possible explanations for the observed patterns: (1) dispersal is very rare, and not all bdelloid clones are arriving everywhere; and (2) dispersal is effective in displacing propagules, but environmental heterogeneity is very high and prevents many species from colonizing a given patch of moss.
The geographic distribution of mammal body size in Europe
Authors: Rodríguez Miguel Á. , López‐Sañudo Irene L. , Hawkins Bradford A.
Published: February 2006

Aims  To describe the pattern of mean body size of native mammals in Europe, and to investigate its relationships with environmental predictors related to four hypotheses: (1) dispersal; (2) heat conservation; (3) heat dissipation; and (4) resource availability.

Location  Continental western Europe and Great Britain.

Methods  We used range maps to estimate the mean body size (average log mass) of mammals in 386 cells of 12,100 km2 each. Environmental conditions in each cell were quantified using nine historical, climatic and primary production variables. We attempted to tease apart the effects of these variables using correlation, multiple regression and spatial autocorrelation analyses.

Results  In the part of the continent covered by ice during the Pleistocene, body mass decreases southwards, and annual average temperature explains 73% of the variance in body size, consistent with the heat‐conservation hypothesis. However, in warmer, non‐glaciated areas the best predictor is an estimate of seasonality in plant production, but it explains only 18% of the variance. Carnivores, omnivores and herbivores show similar relationships, but the pattern for herbivores is substantially weaker than for the other groups.

Main conclusions  Overall, the relationship between mean body size and temperature is non‐linear, being strong in cold environments but virtually disappearing above a temperature threshold.
Spatial patterns of plant richness across treeline ecotones in the Pyrenees reveal different locations for richness and tree cover boundaries
Authors: Camarero J. Julio , Gutiérrez Emilia , Fortin Marie‐Josée
Published: February 2006

Aim  To forecast the responses of alpine flora to the expected upward shift of treeline ecotones due to climatic warming, we investigated species richness patterns of vascular plants at small spatial scales across elevational transects.

Location  Richness patterns were assessed at local scales along the elevational gradient in two undisturbed treeline ecotones and one disturbed treeline ecotone in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Methods  We placed a rectangular plot (0.3–0.4 ha) in each treeline ecotone. We estimated and described the spatial patterns of plant richness using the point method and Moran's I correlograms. We delineated boundaries based on plant richness and tree cover using moving split windows and wavelet analysis. Then, to determine if floristic and tree cover boundaries were spatially related, overlap statistics were used.

Results  Plant richness increased above the forest limit and was negatively related to tree cover in the undisturbed sites. The mean size of richness patches in one of these sites was 10–15 m. Moving split windows and wavelets detected the sharpest changes in plant richness above the forest limit at both undisturbed sites. Most tree cover and plant richness boundaries were not spatially related.

Main conclusions  The upslope decrease of tree cover may explain the increase of plant richness across alpine treeline ecotones. However, the detection of abrupt richness boundaries well above the forest limit indicates the importance of local environmental heterogeneity to explain the patterns of plant richness at smaller scales. We found highly diverse microsites dominated by alpine species above the forest limit, which should be monitored to describe their response to the predicted upward shift of forests.
Identification of current ecosystem functional types in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Alcaraz Domingo , Paruelo José , Cabello Javier
Published: February 2006

Aim  To examine the geographical patterns of the interception of photosynthetically active radiation by vegetation and to describe its spatial heterogeneity through the definition of ecosystem functional types (EFTs) based on the annual dynamics of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a spectral index related to carbon gains.

Location  The Iberian Peninsula.

Methods  EFTs were derived from three attributes of the NDVI obtained from NOAA/AVHRR sensors: the annual integral (NDVI‐I), as a surrogate of primary production, an integrative indicator of ecosystem functioning; and the intra‐annual relative range (RREL) and month of maximum NDVI (MMAX), which represent key features of seasonality.

Results  NDVI‐I decreased south‐eastwards. The highest values were observed in the Eurosiberian Region and in the highest Mediterranean ranges. Low values occurred in inner plains, river basins and in the southeast. The Eurosiberian Region and Mediterranean mountains presented the lowest RREL, while Eurosiberian peaks, river basins, inner‐agricultural plains, wetlands and the southeastern part of Iberia presented the highest. Eurosiberian ecosystems showed a summer maximum of NDVI, as did high mountains, wetlands and irrigated areas in the Mediterranean Region. Mediterranean mountains had autumn–early‐winter maxima, while semi‐arid zones, river basins and continental plains had spring maxima. Based on the behaviour in the functional traits, 49 EFTs were defined.

Main conclusions  The classification, based on only the NDVI dynamics, represents the spatial heterogeneity in ecosystem functioning by means of the interception of radiation by vegetation in the Iberian Peninsula. The patterns of the NDVI attributes may be used as a reference in evaluating the impacts of environmental changes. Iberia had a high spatial variability: except for biophysically impossible combinations (high NDVI‐I and high seasonality), almost any pattern of seasonal dynamics of radiation interception was represented in the Peninsula. The approach used to define EFTs opens the possibility of monitoring and comparing ecosystem functioning through time.
COSTLY AGEING OR COSTLY DEATHS? UNDERSTANDING HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURE USING AUSTRALIAN MEDICARE PAYMENTS DATA*
Authors: JOHNSON DAVID , YONG JONGSAY
Published: March 2006

In health economics and health care planning, the observation that age cohorts are generally positively correlated with per capita health expenditures is often cited as evidence that population ageing is the main driver of health care costs. Several recent studies, however, challenge this view. Zweifel et al. (1999) and Felder et al. (2000), for example, find that individuals incur the highest health care costs around the time before their death. Thus, they argue, it is proximity to death rather than ageing that is driving health care costs. This paper examines the issue by estimating a two‐equation exact aggregation demand model using Australian Medicare payments data over an eight‐year period (1994–2001). The results suggest that once proximity to death is accounted for, population ageing has either a negligible or even negative effect on health care demand.
Thirty Years of Mergers and Acquisitions Research: Recent Advances and Future Opportunities
Authors: Cartwright Susan , Schoenberg Richard
Published: February 2006

The complex phenomenon that mergers and acquisitions (M&As) represent has attracted substantial interest from a variety of management disciplines over the past 30 years. Three primary streams of enquiry can be identified within the strategic and behavioural literature, which focus on the issues of strategic fit, organizational fit and the acquisition process itself. The recent achievements within each of these research streams are briefly reviewed. However, in parallel to these research advances, the failure rates of mergers and acquisitions have remained consistently high. Possible reasons for this dichotomy are discussed, which in turn highlight the significant opportunities that remain for future M&A research.
The Culture–Performance Relationship in M&A: From Yes/No to How
Authors: Teerikangas Satu , Very Philippe
Published: February 2006

Do cultural differences have an impact on the performance of M&A? Despite the widely accepted myth that they do, and in a negative way, a review of extant research provides contradictory findings. In this article, we explore reasons for this contradiction and propose solutions in the form of propositions and a theoretical framework. We begin with a brief overview of extant research on the culture‐performance relationship in M&A. In light of the contradictions emerging from this review, we move on to identifying three areas of complexity explaining this confusion, and for each one, we suggest propositions to guide future research. We then summarize our argument using a theoretical framework. Because of the long‐term and dynamic nature of the M&A process, we argue that instead of studying the simple performance impact of cultural differences in M&A, we should move on to thinkinghowcultural differences impact on the M&A process and its outcome.
Evaluating Circle Time as a support to social skills development – reflections on a journey in school‐based research
Authors: Canney Catherine , Byrne Alison
Published: February 2006

The authors of this article argue that deficit in socially skilled behaviour is often one of the distinguishing characteristics that sets people with intellectual disability apart from their non‐disabled peers. The need for social skills training to take place within the context of real life daily situations has been emphasised in more recent literature as essential in enabling people with an intellectual disability to generalise new skills. The researchers involved in this study, Catherine Canney, a senior educational psychologist, and Alison Byrne, a senior speech and language therapist, both work in a school for children with mild intellectual disability in Ireland as part of a multidisciplinary team. Analysis of teachers' referrals to the team indicated a significant and ongoing need for supporting social skills development among the students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the merits of Circle Time as a classroom intervention aimed at improving the social skills of students with a mild intellectual disability. The research is presented here as an evaluative case study reflecting this experience. Organisational and interactional issues arising are presented and discussed with the intention of supporting those involved in facilitating Circle Time with children who have special educational needs. The authors also identify avenues for future research.
Communication aids in the classroom: the views of education staff and speech and language therapists involved with the Communication Aids Project
Authors: Wright Jannet A. , Newton Caroline , Clarke Michael , Donlan Chris , Lister Claire , Cherguit Jasmina
Published: February 2006

The findings presented in this paper are part of an independent evaluation study of the Communication Aids Project (CAP). The study was carried out between July 2003 and April 2004 and looked at the impact of CAP on children receiving communication aids and evaluated the CAP strategy of assessment and delivery. In this paper the views of education staff and speech and language therapists who were working with communication aid users in school are presented. The professionals who were interviewed provided positive feedback on the existence of CAP, on the assessment for the communication aid, particularly where the use of the aid in the classroom was considered, and on the children's increased participation in classroom and learning activities since receiving the aid. They also highlighted the issue of managing parents' expectations regarding the use of aids and the value of and need for continued training for professionals working with communication aids in the classroom. The authors of this article, Jannet Wright, senior lecturer, Chris Donlan, senior lecturer, Caroline Newton, lecturer, and Michael Clarke, lecturer, from University College London; Claire Lister, from the Institute of Child Health, London; and Jasmina Cherguit, assistant psychologist, draw upon their findings to develop recommendations for future policy, practice and professional development.
Offshoring: Political Myths and Economic Reality
Authors: Smith David
Published: March 2006

Overseas outsourcing, commonly known as offshoring, is an aspect of globalisation that has attracted significant political and media attention. In this lecture David Smith discusses the phenomenon and examines the costs and benefits both to the companies and countries from which activities are being outsourced and to the host economy. He concludes from a review of the evidence that there are indeed significant benefits, and that they mainly accrue to the outsourcing country, in the form of lower inflation, faster growth in real incomes and an improved product‐ivity performance (the shift to higher value‐added activities). So why is there so much political sensitivity about offshoring? One is that, unlike in the case of manufacturing, the jobs being offshored are commonly seen as those in which advanced economies retain comparative advantage. Another is that the new, higher value‐added jobs that will be created are in areas and activities that barely exist at present. The biggest problem, he concludes, is that while the victims of offshoring can be easily identified, and have a political constituency, the gains are spread more thinly across the economy. This is the challenge for economists and pro‐free trade politicians.
Are Southern‐poor Countries’ Governments more Profligate than their Northern‐rich Counterparts? Fiscal Criteria and Impulse Responses
Authors: Uctum Merih
Published: March 2006

This study examines the health of public finances in different geographical regions by emphasising the discrepancies in North versus South and rich versus poor countries. The last decade's debt and deficit figures depicting a general fiscal consolidation across regions and income levels show signs of worsening. When the fiscal criteria are adjusted for cyclical factors, fiscal pressure appears in most countries since the end of the 1990s, but has been more persistent in poor countries, and in Asia. The dynamics of governments’ reaction to debt accumulation reveals, however, that most regions exhibit consistent anti‐debt policies to various degrees. The exception is the Latin American and Caribbean region where results suggest a lack of debt‐fighting policies. Among income categories, rich countries generate the highest primary surpluses when confronted with debt accumulation.
On the Link Between Exchange‐rate Regimes, Capital Controls and Monetary Policy Autonomy in Small European Countries, 1979–2000
Authors: Forssbæck Jens , Oxelheim Lars
Published: March 2006

We investigate international monetary‐policy transmission under different exchange‐rate and capital‐account regimes in eleven small, open economies during the 1980s and 1990s. We find no systematic link between ex‐post monetary‐policy autonomy and exchange‐rate regimes. Capital controls appear to have provided a degree of temporal insulation from foreign monetary policy shocks, though not strict autonomy. The results are consistent both with short‐term autonomy for small countries even under fixed exchange rates and an open capital account, and with long‐term dependence under flexible exchange rates and an independent stability target. Results also indicate that euro‐area market interest rates are significantly more responsive to the development of the corresponding US rate than were the previous national rates.
Predicting the Outcomes of Annual Sporting Contests
Authors: Baker Rose , Scarf Philip
Published: February 2006

Data from 20 sporting contests in which the same two teams compete regularly are studied. Strong and weak symmetry requirements for possible models are identified, and some simple models are proposed and fitted to the data. The need to compute the exact likelihood function and the presence of missing values make this non-trivial. Forecasting match outcomes by using the models can give a modest improvement over a naïve forecast. Significance tests for studying the effect of ‘match covariates’ such as playing at home or away or winning the toss are introduced, and the effect of these covariates is in general found to be quite large.
A Generalized Portmanteau Test For Independence Of Two Infinite‐Order Vector Autoregressive Series
Authors: Bouhaddioui Chafik , Roy Roch
Published: February 2006

Abstract.  In many situations, we want to verify the existence of a relationship between multivariate time series. Here, we propose a semiparametric approach for testing the independence between two infinite‐order vector autoregressive (VAR(∞)) series, which is an extension of Hong's [Biometrika (1996c) vol. 83, 615–625] univariate results. We first filter each series by a finite‐order autoregression and the test statistic is a standardized version of a weighted sum of quadratic forms in the residual cross‐correlation matrices at all possible lags. The weights depend on a kernel function and on a truncation parameter. Using a result of Lewis and Reinsel [Journal of Multivariate Analysis (1985) Vol. 16, pp. 393–411], the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic is derived under the null hypothesis and its consistency is also established for a fixed alternative of serial cross‐correlation of unknown form. Apart from standardization factors, the multivariate portmanteau statistic proposed by Bouhaddioui and Roy [Statistics and Probability Letters (2006) vol. 76, pp. 58–68] that takes into account a fixed number of lags can be viewed as a special case by using the truncated uniform kernel. However, many kernels lead to a greater power, as shown in an asymptotic power analysis and by a small simulation study in finite samples. A numerical example with real data is also presented.
Cosmopolitan political science
Authors: Grande Edgar
Published: February 2006

Until recently, the term cosmopolitism could rarely be found in modern political science literature. It was only in the 1990s that the term was rediscovered by political scientists in the critical discourse on globalization. In this article, I will explore the full potential of cosmopolitism as an analytical concept for empirical political science. I will argue that the concept of cosmopolitism should not be restricted to the analysis of global politics. Indeed, cosmopolitism has much more to offer for political scientists. Properly understood, it enables – and necessitates – a re‐invention of political science in the age of globalization, comparable to the behavioural revolution in political science in the 1950s. Such a paradigmatic shift should be based on a twofold transformation of existing disciplinary boundaries: A removal of the boundary between national (and comparative) and international politics on the one hand; and a re‐definition of the boundaries between empirical and normative approaches on the other. As a result, cosmopolitism may serve as a new, critical theory of politics based on the integration of hitherto separated fields and sub‐fields.
Visuality, mobility and the cosmopolitan: inhabiting the world from afar
Authors: Szerszynski Bronislaw , Urry John
Published: February 2006

In earlier publications based on the research discussed in this article (e.g. Szerszynski and Urry 2002), we argued that an emergent culture of cosmopolitanism, refracted into different forms amongst different social groups, was being nurtured by a widespread ‘banal globalism’– a proliferation of global symbols and narratives made available through the media and popular culture. In the current article we draw on this and other empirical research to explore the relationship between visuality, mobility and cosmopolitanism. First we describe the multiple forms of mobility that expand people's awareness of the wider world and their capacity to compare different places. We then chart the changing role that visuality has played in citizenship throughout history, noting that citizenship also involves a transformation of vision, an absenting from particular contexts and interests. We explore one particular version of that transformation – seeing the world from afar, especially in the form of images of the earth seen from space – noting how such images conventionally connote both power and alienation. We then draw on another research project, on place and vision, to argue that the shift to a cosmopolitan relationship with place means that humans increasingly inhabit their world only at a distance.
Managing the elephants of Kruger National Park
Authors: Whyte Ian , van Aarde Rudi , Pimm Stuart L.
Published: February 2006

The elephant population in Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa, is growing rapidly. To prevent damage to the Park's ecosystems, the management has culled about 7% of the population annually. Such culls are very controversial. At first glance, contraceptives seem an attractive alternative means of control. We examine contraception as a management option, review the relevant aspects of elephant reproduction, physiology and demography and conclude that this optimism is probably misplaced. First, contraceptives have a wide range of physiological and behavioural side‐effects that may prove to be damaging to the individual female and those around her. Second, the elephants in the Park have near‐maximal growth rates with inter‐calving intervals of less than four years. To achieve zero population growth, about three‐quarters of the adult female elephants would need to be on contraceptives. There are no simple alternatives. The smallest numerical target for controlling population numbers is to kill or sterilize females about to become pregnant for the first time. Such a solution is unlikely to appease those who consider killing elephants to be unethical. It may, however, be the one closest to the natural patterns of elephant mortality.