bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DAYTIME CONTINUING EDUCATION
Authors: Spencer Douglas A.
Published: August 2010

At Meanwood Park Hospital, which has over 500 beds, evening classes for adult patients were introduced in September, 1965. These classes, run by the local education authority, covered remedial education, art and craft, cookery, drama, and physical education. They continued over the years, some 90 patients attending three classes each night on three nights in the week. It was always hoped that some form of daytime further education could be provided because, while evening classes were useful for mainly recreational pursuits, they could not give the intensive education required to achieve the rehabilitation of the residents.
The emergence of mental handicap registers
Authors: Cubbon John
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. An ever‐increasing number of registers is being set up. These are essentially planning tools which are more sophisticated than the records generally held by the welfare agencies. Their emergence is symptomatic of a greater emphasis on planning and the need to establish locally‐based services. Joint Funding has boosted the formation of registers by financing their establishment and that of a more localised service, and this is aided by the rapidly diminishing price of necessary computer facilities. The introduction of coordinated community services has provided a means of collecting and organising data, as well as constituting another reason for starting registers.
Communication and language in mental handicap 4. THE FOCUS ON MEANINGFUL PRODUCTION
Authors: Bell Ian
Published: August 2010

Some writers have recommended that work on comprehension should take precedence over production when facilitating communication and language in children who are mentally handicapped. In contrast, the second article of this series suggested that the communication and language curriculum for children with severe learning difficulties should focus on meaningful production. This article seeks to justify this position, by discussing the relationship between comprehension and production in development, and by describing some of the drawbacks of working on comprehension.
Normalisation in action
Authors: Healy Denis
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY. The socialisation patterns of 18 adults with mental handicaps and 32 adults without handicaps in Gort, a small town in the West of Ireland, were surveyed. The results indicate that although adults with mental handicaps living in a small town engage in most of the same activities as their non‐handicapped peers, they tend to do so in groups of three or more, often in the company of a houseparent or relative, whereas adults who are not mentally handicapped engage in the same activities either alone or with one other friend. This difference seems to result in the people with mental handicaps making less new social contacts than people who are not handicapped.
The MICROMATE project
Authors: Ager Alastair
Published: August 2010

The MICROMATE project aimed to provide a means for people with severe mental handicaps to engage in a range of microcomputer‐based activities, both educational and recreational. This involved the development of software (computer programmes written with regard to their special learning needs) and hardware (accessories to allow control of a programme for people unable to operate a standard microcomputer keyboard). A key feature of MICROMATE software is its ability to individualise activities – task difficulty being automatically adjusted in line with the level of performance of each individual – so providing an effective means of structuring learning and a mechanism for maintaining interest and attention over extended periods. The success of MICROMATE in a variety of settings has indicated that microcomputers are likely to become a powerful resource in work with people with severe mental handicaps.
Communication and language in mental handicap
Authors: Bell Ian
Published: August 2010

In the second of the two articles outlining the communication and language curriculum for children with severe learning difficulties (Bell, 1984b), it was suggested that imitation might be better included as a component in a learning skills core area rather than in the communication and language core area. This article and the previous one in the series explain this assertion: the previous article defined imitation and discussed its role in language acquisition; this article examines the problems with using imitation in communication and language intervention.
Services for parents of children attending special schools:
Authors: Linter Christine M.
Published: August 2010

The comments of parents on a range of support services, obtained by questionnaire, are reviewed. Despite the low response rate it is felt that the replies offer a useful perspective into parents' opinions of the services they receive.
COMMUNITY MEDICAL CARE OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HANDICAPS: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Kinnell Herbert G.
Published: August 2010

This article considers the need for appropriate and efficient medical care for people with mental handicaps living in the community. It calls for regular screening, improved GP services, and favourable hospital services. The role of the psychiatrist and the CMHT is explored. It concludes with a plea for retention of regional mental handicap hospitals, fully integrated with community services and university research departments, mandatory district handicap teams, specialised clinics and acute psychiatric units, and a cohesive community health service.
Challenging negative cognitions: developing confidence in adults by means of cognitive behaviour therapy
Authors: Lindsay William , Kasprowicz Martin
Published: August 2010

Negative self‐statements may undermine the confidence of people who are mentally handicapped in using the skills they possess. This paper describes a therapeutic approach designed to help such individuals challenge any negative self‐statements and develop confidence in their social and community living abilities. A case study is presented in some detail to illustrate the treatment methods.
Individual planning for adults with severe or profound mental handicaps in a community‐based service
Authors: de Kock Ursula , Saxby Helen , Felce David , Thomas Mair , Jenkins Judith
Published: August 2010

This study describes the systems used in planning and implementing a community‐based service for adults with severe or profound mental handicaps over a three year period. These systems were: a global method of individual programme planning; a formal structure for one‐to‐one teaching; and a more general form of opportunity planning for developing and practising skills. A content analysis of the type of goals set and the extent of their implementation and success is presented.
Group treatment of dog phobia in people with mental handicaps
Authors: Doherty Ingrid E. , Houston Julia C.
Published: August 2010

The present study describes the group treatment of dog phobia in people with mental handicaps. The method was based on that described by Dixon and Gunary (1986) and the aim was to see whether their procedure could be shortened and still remain effective. Eleven sessions were held with a group of six adults. The techniques used included graded exposure, modelling, and video feedback. Fear responses were rated during each session.

The results demonstrated that following the sessions all members of the group showed an increased ability to cope with the close proximity of a dog, despite the procedure having been shortened. Some disadvantages of working with a heterogeneous group, and problems of maintenance and generalisation, are discussed.
The denial of adolescence for people with mental handicaps: AN UNWITTING CONSPIRACY?
Authors: Baker Peter A.
Published: August 2010

This article addresses the issues concerning the experience of adolescence for young people with mental handicaps. A developmental model is presented, which states that various tasks need to be accomplished if they are to attain adult status.

Evidence is put forward which suggests that, for the great majority of adolescents with mental handicaps, these tasks are never accomplished. It is hypothesised that there is an unwitting conspiracy on the part of carers, both parents and professionals, to thwart the accomplishment of these tasks: unwitting in as much as there is no conscious conspiracy, but a communication through postures, attitudes, and styles of interaction. It is suggested that reform of service provision is the first step towards a more developmentally appropriate adolescence for people with mental handicaps and greater opportunities for the attainment of adult status.
An Alcohol Education Service for People With Learning Difficulties
Authors: Lindsay William R. , Allen Ronald , Walker Phyllis , Lawrenson Helen , Smith Anne H. W.
Published: August 2010

An Alcohol Education Service for people with learning difficulties is described. The service addresses the problems of low motivation, the fact that drinking in pubs is a highly valued activity, the low level of knowledge in relation to alcohol, and the psychological and physical sequelae of alcohol abuse. Assessments include: investigations into the reasons why people drink; their knowledge of alternatives to drinking; the nature of alcohol and psychological and physical symptoms; a daily diary recording alcohol intake; and assessment of drinking behaviour in pubs. Treatment sessions include: discussion topics about alcohol; giving clients information about alcohol; review of the psychological and physical symptoms of alcohol; roleplay of various alcohol‐related situations; problem solving tasks; and practice in pubs. Two case examples are presented to illustrate the way in which the service works.
Working Through Loss and Change With People With Learning Difficulties
Authors: French Jill , Kuczaj Ed
Published: August 2010

The following is a short account of a two day workshop run on the theme of Loss and Change for people with learning difficulties and their keyworkers/supporters. The workshop was arranged by The Workers' Educational Association and tutored by Jill French, Occupational Therapist and Ed Kuczaj, Art Therapist.
The Uses of a Special Needs Register for People with Learning Difficulties Looking Back Over Five Years
Authors: Dagnan Dave , Kroese Biza Stenfert
Published: August 2010

This paper describes a Special Needs Register (SNR) for people with learning difficulties, which has been operational in Dudley for over five years. The results of a user‐survey are included. They indicate that the SNR is accessible, well‐used, up‐to‐date, and integral to the services. Suggestions for future developments are made which may be of use to those in the process of developing a register.
Co‐occurring problems of early onset persistent, childhood limited, and adolescent onset conduct problem youth
Authors: Barker Edward D. , Oliver Bonamy R. , Maughan Barbara
Published: August 2010

Background:  It is increasingly recognized that youth who follow early onset persistent (EOP), childhood limited (CL) and adolescent onset (AO) trajectories of conduct problems show somewhat varying patterns of risk (in childhood) and adjustment problems (in adolescence and adulthood). Little, however, is known about how other adjustment problems differentially co‐develop with the EOP, CL and AO trajectories across the childhood and adolescent years.

Method:  Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, an epidemiological, longitudinal cohort of boys and girls, we estimated growth curves for parent‐reported hyperactivity, emotional difficulties, peer relational problems, and prosocial behaviors conditional on trajectories of conduct problems (i.e., EOP, CL and AO) from ages 4 to 13 years. At ages 7–8 years, DSM‐IV‐based diagnoses of conduct disorder, oppositional‐defiant disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression were examined by conduct problems trajectory.

Results:  Overall, the development of hyperactivity, emotional difficulties, peer relational problems, and prosocial behaviors mirrored the development of conduct problems, showing similar trajectories.

Conclusions:  Results indicated that the problems of EOP youth were persistent across domains, CL youth showed decreased behavior problems while increasing in prosocial behaviors, and AO youth increased in adjustment problems after 10 years of age.
The Irish question and the concept ‘identity’ in the 1980s1
Authors: GILLIGAN CHRIS
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT.This article critically investigates the social construction of ‘identity talk’ in relation to the Irish Question in the 1980s. Our contention is that the utilisation of ‘identity’ imagined people as bounded groups in a particular way – as the two traditions or communities in Northern Ireland – and that this way of imagining people was deployed against ‘will’‐based conceptions of politics. The first part of the article places the emergence of ‘identity’ as a concept in its historical context and suggests four phases in the use of ‘identity’. The second part focuses on ‘identity’ as a concept and locates its emergence within the meta‐conflict regarding Northern Ireland. The article concludes by reflecting onBrubaker and Cooper's (2000)analysis of ‘identity’ as a category of analysis in light of our case study of ‘identity’ as a category of practice regarding the Irish Question.
The ethnic majority: benign or malign?*
Authors: BROWN DAVID
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT. Since the consciousness of the ethnic majority frequently develops in the context of the formation of the nation‐state, its tendency to ethnocentrism is thereby inhibited by a commitment to the civic norms associated with the modern state. This gives a potentially benign character to its support for the national integration of ethnic minorities. It is then argued that ethnic majorities can also exhibit a more malign face which has its origin in disillusionment with democracy. The resultant feelings of marginalisation are resolved by the construction of a ressentiment nationalism which reassures the ethnic majority of its virtue and status as the ethnic core, by identifying demonised minorities against which it can mobilise. When this dark face of majoritarian ethnic nationalism is tapped by populist politicians, it sustains violence against ethnic minorities. The argument is illustrated through the example of Thai support for state violence against Muslim demonstrators in Southern Thailand.
Devolution, equity and the English question*
Authors: BRYANT CHRISTOPHER G. A.
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT. Following devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, does England need a stronger political voice and/or constitutional changes to safeguard its identity and interests? (the ‘English question’). Polling and other evidence suggests that it does, albeit more to redress inequities associated with voting in parliament (the ‘West Lothian question’) and the distribution of public spending (the ‘Barnett formula’) than to safeguard its identity. Although campaigners for English devolution have had little impact, and alternative institutional responses to the English question are all problematic, it would be imprudent of the major parties to do nothing. The least difficult course would be adoption of English votes on English matters and reform or replacement of the Barnett formula.
Idealisations of self and nation in the thought of diaspora intellectuals
Authors: KOSTANTARAS DEAN J.
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT. Diaspora intellectuals have often played prominent roles in the formation of national revival and independence movements. This article explores the factors that may help to explain this phenomenon through a survey of the literary responses of intellectuals from Eastern Europe, colonial Africa and Asia to their experiences in the capital cities of Western Europe over the early modern and modern era. These reactions, expressed through the writings of influential figures such as Adamantios Koraes and Leopold Senghor, reveal, in their thematic convergence, aspects of such encounters that have remained consistent over time. Portrayed throughout are the emotional hardships of talented individuals who found their status suddenly conditioned by the ideas associated with their places of origin in the host society's imagination. Unwilling, for reasons explored below, to submit passively to these affronts, the individuals studied here threw their energies instead into ambitious projects of national re‐imagination and rehabilitation. The article makes use, finally, of the rather visceral quality of the literature surrounding the experience of diaspora intellectuals to account for the complex weave of modern and traditional elements often exhibited in the new idealisations of self and nation that appear throughout their works.
NOTES ON BREEDING COLONIES OF THE RED‐BILLED QUELEA IN S.W. TANGANYIKA
Authors: VeseyFitzGerald Desmond Foster
Published: August 2010

At the end of the rains 1956, which were above average, large flocks of Quelea quelea nested at a density of about 5 per square yard in the Rukwa Valley, Tanganyika, in stands of long grass. The largest colony studied covered about 93 acres and contained about 2 J million nests. Observations were made on incubation, clutch‐size, hatching, feeding of young and the daily activity of the parent birds. The breeding was very successful and predators were scarce, though Buff‐backed Heron ate a lot of nestlings in one colony. A large number of juvenile birds were present in the colony, which suggests there had been earlier breeding. Five phases of the male plumage were collected in the colony, and it appears the Rukwa birds belonged to the race centralis. Rukwa breeding is therefore probably of more economic importance to East Africa than to Rhodesia and the Union of South Africa.
NOTES ON BIRDS IN THE ELBURZ MOUNTAINS OF NORTH PERSIA
Authors: Norton W. J. E.
Published: August 2010

A list is given of the species encountered 19 July‐23 August in the Elburz with habitat notes, comparisons with the findings of earlier observers and special reference to occurrences at over 9000 ft.
NOTES ON THE RINGING AND THE BREEDING DISTRIBUTION OF THE GIANT PETREL MACRONECTES GIGANTEUS
Authors: Stonehouse Bernard
Published: August 2010

Of approximately 800 Giant Petrel chicks banded at F.I.D.S. bases in 1956, fourteen were recovered later in the year from Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The results compare with similar records from A.N.A.R.E. sources and suggest that the young birds disperse northward and eastward on leaving the nest. The recorded limits of the breeding range are reviewed and the existence of a colony below the Antarctic Circle is reported.
SOME ASPECTS OF THE MUSOPHAGIDAE
Authors: Moreau R. E.
Published: August 2010

A somewhat revised classification of the Musophagidae, which is a by‐product of the general review, is offered first, with summarized reasons, in order to facilitate discussion. Eighteen species are recognized in five genera, Gymnoschizorhis being sunk in Corythaixoides, and Ruwenzorornis, Proturacus and Gallirex in Tauraco. T. corythaix is regarded provisionally as highly polytypic, including persa and fischeri among other allopatric forms; but the absence of intermediates may mean that they are actually a superspecies.

For each species the geographical and ecological ranges are defined as closely as possible, relying much on unpublished information and with special reference to cases of prima facie ecological overlap. The subspecific variation is also described.

The third part of the paper deals with general features, with particular reference to adaptation and relationships. Evolutionary problems are raised especially by the pigments (the green turacoverdin is now shown to be, like turacin, a copper compound), by the nature of the nostrils and by the head‐feathering.

Finally, problems are discussed that are connected with ecological radiation and overlap, with the geographical ranges of the species and with the numerous cases, mainly subspecific, that suggest convergence.
BREEDING BEHAVIOUR OF OSPREYS PANDION HALIAETUS IN SCOTLAND
Authors: Green Rhys
Published: August 2010

Ospreys Pandion haliaetus nested at a site near Loch Garten, Inverness‐shire continuously from 1959 to 1973. Each year the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has organized a continuous watch on the eyrie in the breeding season. The detailed records kept of the activities of Ospreys at the nest by those participating in the watch were analysed and the results presented here.

Ospreys are migratory and arrived in the breeding area in early April. Nesting material was usually added to an existing eyrie platform. The male collected more material than the female. The female lined the nest cup. The extent of nest building activity and the frequencies of mating and other activities prior to laying varied markedly from year to year. These differences may have been related to changes in the identity of the nesting female, but the birds were not individually marked. Both sexes incubated but the female took the greater share and normally incubated at night. When the young hatched they were brooded by the female. The female stayed in the vicinity of the nest for most of the time until the young fledged at about 53 days old. The male Osprey caught almost all the fish eaten by his mate and young during the breeding season. The number of fish caught per day increased markedly after the young hatched. Pike Esox lucius and Trout Salmo trutta were the main species taken, and some Rainbow Trout Salmo gairdnerii were identified. There were seasonal and diurnal changes in the size and the species composition of the catch. The effects of weather conditions on hunting are examined. The occurrence of Ospreys other than the resident birds at the nest site is described.

The behaviour of another pair of Ospreys which repeatedly failed to hatch eggs is described. There was an instance of egg eating in this pair, and some differences in behaviour were found between these birds and those at Loch Garten whose breeding success was good.

The breeding biology of Ospreys is compared with that of other British diurnal birds of prey. In other species the female leaves the young unguarded at some stage in the nestling period and hunts food for them, whereas female Ospreys do not usually hunt in the nesting period.
Does daylength explain the latitudinal variation in clutch size of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca?
Authors: SANZ JUAN JOSÉ
Published: August 2010

Geographical trends in breeding parameters were studied in the Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca in the western Palaearctic. Predictions arising from the hypothesis that daylength and/or energy requirements of the brood explain latitudinal clutch size variation were tested. The nestling period decreased with latitude, but nestling mass on day 13 after hatching did not show a trend with latitude. The length of the daily activity period (working day) at the time of peak brood demand showed a quadratic relationship with latitude and did not increase linearly with daylight hours. The present study supports the hypothesis that latitudinal clutch size variation is influenced by the duration of the working day and the energy requirements of the brood. The balance between the energy requirements of the brood and the parents, in relation to the duration of working day and ambient temperature, are proposed to explain the latitudinal variation in clutch size in the Pied Flycatcher.
Are there correlates of male Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen reproductive success in a population with high rates of extra‐group paternity?
Authors: DURRANT KATE L. , HUGHES JANE M.
Published: August 2010

The reproductive success of a male bird is often correlated with measurable traits that predict his intrinsic quality. Females are thought to base their selection of mates on the latter's ‘quality’ in order to gain their ‘good genes’. Male Australian Magpies Gymnorhina tibicen of the white‐backed race tyrannica were trapped in two breeding seasons. Measurements were taken of morphometric and other characteristics in order to discover whether particular traits of males were associated with: (1) percentage of offspring sired in the territory, (2) number of fledglings produced in the territory per season and (3) whether females select males for their ‘good genes’. There were no consistently significant correlations between any of the measured variables and male Magpie reproductive success within territories. In particular, none of the traits measured had any consistent correlation with the percentage of offspring sired in a territorial group. This was an unexpected result given that the species is strongly territorial but also engages regularly in extra‐group copulations. These findings appear contrary to the predictions of the ‘good genes’ hypothesis. The general lack of correlation between the variables and level of genetic paternity may in fact be due to females engaging in extra‐group mating primarily to avoid breeding with a close relative rather than to choose a high‐quality male. In this case, males would not have to be ‘high quality’, but merely genetically different from the female's social mate.
Nitrogen fertilizer requirements of cereals following grass
Authors: Withers P.J.A. , Sylvester‐Bradley R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract. The effect of increasing rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the yield response of 3 or 4 consecutive winter cereal crops after ploughing out grass was investigated at six field sites on commercial farms in England and Wales. Amounts of N required for an economically optimum yield (>3 kg of grain for each kg of fertilizer N applied) ranged from 0 to 265 kg ha−1 and were dependent on soil N supply, but not on crop yield. Optimum N rates were large (mean 197 kg N ha−1) at three sites: two sites where cereals followed 2‐year grass leys receiving low N inputs (<200 kg N ha−1), and at one site where a cut and grazed 4‐year ley had received c. 315 kg N ha−1 of fertilizer N annually. At the other three sites where 4 and 5‐year grass leys had received large regular amounts of organic manures (20–30 t or m3 ha−1) plus fertilizer N (c. 300 kg ha−1 each year), optimum N rates were low (mean 93 kg N ha−1) and consistently over‐estimated by the farmer by an average of 107 kg N ha−1. Optimum N rates generally increased in successive years after ploughing as the N supply from the soil declined. Determination of soil C:N ratio and mineral N (NO3N+NH4N) to 90 cm depth in autumn were helpful in assessing fertilizer N need. The results suggest there is scope to improve current fertilizer recommendations for cereals after grass by removing crop yield as a determinant and including an assessment of soil mineralizable N during the growing season.
Water quality implications of dairy slurry applied to cut pastures in the northeast USA
Authors: Stout W.L. , Weaver S.R. , Gburek W.J. , Folmar G.J. , Schnabel R.R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Nitrate nitrogen (NO3‐N) leaching from animal production systems in the northeast USA is a major non‐point source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. We conducted a study to measure NO3‐N leaching from dairy slurry applied to orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L., cv. Pennlate) using large drainage lysimeters to measure the direct impact of four rates of slurry (urine and faeces) N application (0, 168, 336, 672 kg N ha−1 yr−1) on NO3‐N leaching on three soil types. We then used experimentally‐based relationships developed earlier between stocking density and NO3‐N leaching loss and leachate NO3‐N concentration to estimate the added impact of animal grazing. Nitrate N leaching losses from only dairy slurry applied at the 0, 158, 336, and 672 kg N ha−1 yr−1 rates were 5.85, 8.26, 8.83, and 12.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively with corresponding NO3‐N concentrations of 1.60, 2.30, 2.46, and 3.48 mg l−1. These NO3‐N concentrations met the 10 mg l−1 US EPA drinking water standard. However, when a scenario was constructed to include the effect of NO3‐N leaching caused by animal grazing, the NO3‐N drinking water standard was calculated to be exceeded.
The effect of soil type on phosphorus sorption capacity and desorption dynamics in Irish grassland soils
Authors: Daly K. , Jeffrey D. , Tunney H.
Published: August 2010

Abstract. The phosphorus (P) sorption and desorption dynamics of eleven major agricultural grassland soil types in Ireland were examined using laboratory techniques, so that soils vulnerable to P loss might be identified. Desorption of P from soil using the iron‐oxide paper strip test (Pfeo), water extractable P (Pw) and calcium chloride extractable P (Pcacl2) depended on soil P status in all soils. However, soil types with high organic matter levels (OM), namely peat soils (%OM >30), had lower Pfeo and Pw but higher Pcacl2 values compared to mineral soils at similar soil test P levels. Phosphorus sorption capacity remaining (PSCr) was measured using a single addition of P to soils and used to calculate total P sorption capacities (PSCt) and degree of P saturation (DPS). Phosphorus sorption capacities correlated negatively with % OM in soils indicating that OM may inhibit P sorption from solution to soil. High organic matter soils exhibited low P sorption capacities and poor P reserves (total P, oxalate extractable P) compared to mineral soils. Low P sorption capacities (PSCt) in peat soils were attributed to OM, which blocked or eliminated sorption sites with organic acids, therefore, P remained in the soil solution phase (Pcacl2). In this work, peat and high organic matter soils exhibited P sorption and desorption characteristics which suggest that these soils may not be suitable for heavy applications of manure or fertilizer P owing to their low capacities for P sorption and storage.
Nitrate leaching from an organic dairy crop rotation: the effects of manure type, nitrogen input and improved crop rotation
Authors: Eriksen J. , Askegaard M. , Kristensen K.
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Four management systems combining high and low livestock densities (0.7 and 1.4 livestock units ha−1) and different types of organic manure (slurry and straw based FYM) were applied to an organic dairy crop rotation (undersown barley – grass–clover – grass–clover – barley/pea – oats – fodder beet) between 1998 and 2001. The effects of the management systems on crop yields and nitrate leaching were measured. In all four years, nitrate leaching, as determined using ceramic suction cups, was higher in the three crops following ploughing of grass–clover than under the barley or grass–clover. Overall, no significant differences in nitrate leaching were observed between the management systems. However, the replacement of the winter wheat crop used in the earlier experimental period (1994–97) by spring oats with catch crops in both the preceding and succeeding winters reduced nitrate leaching compared with the earlier rotation. Increasing the livestock density, which increased manure application by c. 60 kg total N ha−1, increased crop yields by 7 and 9% on average for FYM and slurry, respectively. Yields were 3–5% lower where FYM was used instead of slurry. The experiment confirmed the overriding importance of grassland N management, particularly the cultivation of the ley, in organic dairy crop rotations.
Experimental assessment of runoff and soil erosion in an olive grove on a Vertic soil in southern Spain as affected by soil management
Authors: Gómez J.A. , Romero P. , Giráldez J.V. , Fereres E.
Published: August 2010

Abstract.Three different management systems were compared in an olive grove on a Vertic soil, near the city of Cordoba, Spain. Rainfall, runoff and soil loss were recorded from experimental plots of 6×12 m for three years. Results indicated that the no‐tillage system, which was kept weed‐free with herbicides, gave the largest soil loss (8.5 t ha−1yr−1) and average annual runoff coefficient (21.5%), due to increased soil compaction, particularly outside the canopy projection area. A system that used a grass cover gave the lowest soil losses (1.2 t ha−1yr−1) and average annual runoff coefficient (2.5%) due to the protective effects of the cover and increased soil aggregate stability. The third system, conventional tillage, gave intermediate results, with a soil loss of 4.0 t ha−1yr−1and an average runoff coefficient of 7.4%. The search for alternative soil management to conventional tillage should consider occasional light tillage to establish a grass cover that would keep both soil erosion and runoff losses to a minimum.
The efficacy of three techniques to alleviate soil compaction at a restored sand and gravel quarry
Authors: Sinnett D. , Poole J. , Hutchings T. R.
Published: August 2010

Reinstated soil at restored sites often suffers from severe compaction which can significantly impede root development. Several methods, such as ripping and complete cultivation, are available to alleviate compaction that may occur as a result of soil reinstatement. This paper examines the effectiveness of the industry standard industrial ripper and a prototype modern ripper, the Mega‐Lift, in comparison with the recommended best practice method of complete cultivation. An investigation of the penetration resistance of the soil at a restored sand and gravel quarry was carried out using a cone penetrometer and a ‘lifting driving tool’ (dropping weight penetrometer) 3 years following cultivation. All the cultivation treatments reduced soil compaction to some degree compared with the untreated control. However, the penetration resistance values suggest that rooting would be restricted at relatively shallow depths in the plots cultivated using the industrial and Mega‐Lift ripper; penetration resistance exceeded 2 MPa within the first 0.33 m. Complete cultivation maintained penetration resistance values of less than 2 MPa within the depth limit of the penetrometer of 0.42 m. In addition, the results from the ‘lifting driving tool’ indicate that soils treated using complete cultivation remained significantly looser than those treated with the ripper to a depth of at least 0.80 m. The results demonstrate that complete cultivation remains the most effective method of alleviating soil compaction on restored sites, although it is recognized that its relatively high cost may restrict the uptake of the technique.
House Prices and Local Taxes in the UK
Authors: Rosenthal Leslie
Published: August 2010

In this paper, estimates of the effects of local domestic property taxes (rates) on local house prices are presented, and the effect of local taxes on owner‐occupied dwelling prices is calculated for a number of English cities for the period up to 1990. The methods used enable estimation to be made of the effect of the introduction, during 1990, of the Community Charge or poll tax in England, when the local tax base was moved from housing consumption onto individual residency. It is estimated that the reform could have increased house prices by around 15 per cent and contributed substantially to house price inflation.
Transfers in Spanish State Retirement Pensions
Authors: Bandés Eduardo , Cuenca Alain
Published: August 2010

A central issue in the recent reforms of state pensions in Spain has been to increase the proportionality between contributions and benefits along actuarially fair lines. The aim of this paper is to quantify the transfer component of social security retirement pensions, with transfer being understood as the difference between the pension effectively received and that which would be received under a system of actuarial fairness. The analysis is placed within a life‐cycle framework, with particular reference to the distributive effects by income level. The results show that, in the past, there was a marked bias in favour of the objective of intergenerational and intragenerational redistribution, to the detriment of the objective of income insurance. This paper examines the factors that determine the final value of the transfer component within the entire Spanish pensions system.
Alcohol taxes, tax revenues and the Single European Market
Authors: Crawford Ian , Smith Zoë , Tanner Sarah
Published: August 2010

This paper addresses the issue of whether tax revenue from alcohol lost through cross‐border shopping could be recouped by cutting excise duties. This in turn depends on the elasticity of demand for alcohol.

We use data from the Family Expenditure Survey 1978–96 to estimate own‐ and cross‐price elasticities of demand for beer, wine and spirits before and after completion of the Single Market. We find no evidence of a significant change in elasticities after the Single Market. The tax rates on beer and wine are currently below their revenue‐maximising rates, implying that a cut in the duty rate on beer or wine would lead to a decrease in indirect tax revenue from alcohol. We cannot reject that the current tax rate on spirits is at the revenue‐maximising rate, implying that further increases in the duty on spirits are likely to cause indirect tax revenue to fall.
Income Inequality: A Tale of Two Cycles?
Authors: Clark Tom , Taylor Jayne
Published: August 2010

Building on previous work, this paper documents the changes in income inequality that have occurred over the past 20 years, right up until the late 1990s. In particular, we are interested in whether or not the path of inequality in the most recent economic cycle differed from that observed in the 1980s. The robustness of the results is investigated using innovative statistical techniques, in an attempt to identify whether or not the observed changes represent real increases or decreases in inequality or whether they can be attributed simply to sampling variation between years. Finally, some preliminary results are presented which attempt to identify some of the reasons underlying the observed trends in income inequality, with a particular focus on the role of the labour market.
Tax Incentives for Extraction and Recycling of Basic Materials in Canada
Authors: Scharf Kimberley
Published: August 2010

This paper provides an empirical assessment of the overall incentives generated by taxes with respect to the choice between extraction and recycling of basic materials in Canada. We calculate measures of the overall impact of the Canadian tax system on the incremental cost of (i) producing virgin material or recycled material that is to be used as an intermediate input in the production of a final product and (ii) producing finished products. The sectors that we examine include producers of primary virgin material (forestry, mining, oil and gas), producers of recycled material (scrap dealers) and producers of finished products (metal, paper, plastic and glass). Our results indicate that the Canadian tax system significantly favours the use of virgin materials rather than recycled materials in the case of metal and glass products, but the reverse is true for plastic products. Features in the Canadian tax system contributing to these findings are not limited to corporate income and mining tax incentives at the exploration and extraction stages of the production of virgin materials, but also include provincial sales taxes on capital, which are borne more heavily by scrap firms than by resource and manufacturing firms, and provincial sales taxes that apply to business inputs, which also fall more heavily upon the recycling sector.
Public Investment, the Stability Pact and the ‘Golden Rule’
Authors: Balassone Fabrizio , Franco Daniele
Published: August 2010

The fiscal rules set in the Treaty of Maastricht and in the Stability and Growth Pact have sometimes been criticised as an excessively binding constraint for appropriate counter‐cyclical action. The risk that the rules may permanently reduce the public sector's contribution to capital accumulation has also been pointed out. In this framework, the adoption of a ‘golden rule’ has been suggested. Starting from the recent debate, this paper tackles two questions: (a) the implications of the Pact for public investment and (b) the pros and cons of introducing a golden rule in EMU's fiscal framework, given the objectives of low public debts and adequate margins for a stabilising budgetary policy. The analysis suggests that the rules set in the Treaty and in the Pact may negatively influence public investment spending. However, the golden rule, although intuitively appealing, does not seem to be an appropriate solution to the problem.
Evaluation Methods for Non‐Experimental Data
Authors: Blundell Richard , Costa Dias Monica
Published: August 2010

This paper presents a review of non‐experimental methods for the evaluation of social programmes. We consider matching and selection methods and analyse each for cross‐section, repeated cross‐section and longitudinal data. The methods are assessed drawing on evidence from labour market programmes in the UK and in the US.
The restructuring and privatisation of the electricity distribution and supply businesses in England and Wales: a social cost‐benefit analysis
Authors: Domah Preetum , Pollitt Michael G.
Published: August 2010

In December 1990, the 12 regional electricity companies — responsible for the distribution and supply of electricity in England and Wales — were privatised. For the first few years following privatisation, real prices, profits and costs in the industry rose. Following two Price Control Reviews, prices have now fallen sharply and there have been substantial reductions in costs and more recently in profits. This paper attempts to conduct a social cost–benefit analysis of the privatisation by examining actual and predicted falls in costs over the period to 2005. We conclude that the privatisation did yield significant net benefits but that these were unevenly distributed across time and groups in society. Relative to our preferred counterfactual, consumers experience slightly lower prices and the government gains £5 billion in sale proceeds and net taxes. However, consumers begin to gain only from 2000.
A Perspective on UK Productivity Performance
Authors: Crafts Nicholas , O'Mahoney Mary
Published: August 2010

The paper reviews recent UK productivity performance using insights from new growth economics and its embodiment in growth accounting techniques. The sources of the UK labour productivity gap are found to differ across countries; broad capital per worker plays a larger part with regard to France and Germany while innovation matters more compared with the USA. The role of incentive structures is examined and the importance of competition as an antidote to agency problems in UK firms is highlighted. Current UK policy is reviewed and the need to address government as well as market failures is stressed.
Public and private spending for environmental protection: a cross‐country policy analysis
Authors: Pearce David , Palmer Charles
Published: August 2010

OECD data are used to investigate public and private environmental expenditures and, although they are more complete and consistent than other datasets, they are still poor. This is important in the context of measuring the benefits of environmental protection, when little is really known about its actual costs. Despite these limitations, this study demonstrates that there has been no shift towards an increasing private sector burden relative to the public sector over time. The paper also finds little evidence to show that environmental expenditures negatively impact on economic growth, although there is inconsistency between the ‘no effects’ finding of the competitiveness literature and the ‘negative effects’ finding of most of the productivity literature. Finally, the elasticity of expenditure with respect to income is found to be 1.2, lower than would be expected if the ‘environmental demand effect’ is significant in explaining the downward slope of the environmental Kuznets curve.
The distributional impact of social transfers in the European Union: evidence from the ECHP
Authors: Heady Christopher , Mitrakos Theodore , Tsakloglou Panos
Published: August 2010

Social transfers vary enormously across the European Union, as has been demonstrated in earlier research. This paper analyses the comparative effects of these transfers on inequality and poverty, using consistent household data. The analysis shows that the distributional impact of these transfers is greater in countries that spend a higher proportion of their GDP on them, but that there are other important determinants, including the extent of means testing, the distribution of funds between different types of transfer and the degree of targeting for each transfer. It also shows that effective targeting can be achieved without high levels of means testing.
Unemployment and workers' compensation programmes: rationale, design, labour supply and income support
Authors: Meyer Bruce D.
Published: August 2010

I examine the unemployment insurance (UI) and workers' compensation (WC) insurance programmes, concentrating on labour supply, insurance and income redistribution. UI and WC increase the time employees spend out of work. Elasticities of lost work time that incorporate both the incidence and duration of claims are centred at 1.0 for UI and between 0.5 and 1.0 for WC. These elasticities are larger than elasticities typically found in studies of wage effects on hours worked by men, probably because UI and WC lead to short‐run variation in wages with mostly a substitution effect and the programmes alter the participation margin. Some good evidence suggests that UI smooths the consumption of the unemployed and more clearly indicates that UI progressively redistributes resources. There is substantial evidence that injured workers suffer material hardships even with WC programmes, but research has not provided an overall picture of the insurance and redistributive aspects of WC.
Accrual accounting and Australian fiscal policy
Authors: Robinson Marc
Published: August 2010

Australian governments have recently moved from cash accounting to accrual accounting. Accrual accounting has been accompanied at the national government level by the introduction of a new key fiscal policy measure: the ‘fiscal balance’. This paper explains and evaluates this new fiscal measure. It concludes that, given the present fiscal policy of the Australian government, fiscal balance is a superior fiscal policy measure to the ‘cash’ budget balance measure which it replaced. However, from the alternative ‘golden rule’ policy standpoint, fiscal balance is not a meaningful fiscal policy measure — although its stock counterpart, net financial liabilities, certainly is.
The Role of the Personal Tax System in Old‐Age Support: A Survey of 15 Countries
Authors: Keenay Gordon , Whitehouse Edward
Published: August 2010

This paper examines the tax treatment of pensioners in 15 industrialised countries. Using a standard methodology, it calculates the average and marginal tax rates of older people and compares them with those of people of working age. These are then combined with a model of pension entitlements in different countries. This shows that tax differentials play an important role in old‐age support. We discuss the appropriate way for the tax system to support pensioners and the implications for the tax treatment of private pensions.
Tax Amnesties and Income Tax Compliance: The Case of Spain
Authors: López‐Laborda Julio , Rodrigo Fernando
Published: August 2010

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the long‐term impact on Spanish individual income tax (IRPF) compliance of the amnesty measures granted in 1991 within the framework of the 1988–91 income tax reform programme. To that end, we combine time‐series techniques with outlier detection methods and the Bai and Perron (1998) test for the endogenous estimation of structural breaks. On the basis of the analysis of the monthly IRPF tax collection series from 1979 to 1998, we find that the amnesty had no effect on tax collection in either the short or the long term. By contrast, we find evidence of the permanent positive impact caused by the legislative and administrative measures linked to the IRPF reform process begun in 1988.