bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can non‐directional male mating preferences facilitate honest female ornamentation?
Authors: Chenoweth Stephen F. , Doughty Paul , Kokko Hanna
Published: January 2006

Recent studies have demonstrated male mate choice for female ornaments in species without sex‐role reversal. Despite these empirical findings, little is known about the adaptive dynamics of female signalling, in particular the evolution of male mating preferences. The evolution of traits that signal mate quality is more complex in females than in males because females usually provide the bulk of resources for the developing offspring. Here, we investigate the evolution of male mating preferences using a mathematical model which: (i) specifically accounts for the fact that females must trade‐off resources invested in ornaments with reproduction; and (ii) allows male mating preferences to evolve a non‐directional shape. The optimal adaptive strategy for males is to develop stabilizing mating preferences for female display traits to avoid females that either invests too many or too few resources in ornamentation. However, the evolutionary stability of this prediction is dependent upon the level of error made by females when allocating resources to either signal or fecundity.
Mixed biodiversity benefits of agri‐environment schemes in five European countries
Authors: Kleijn D. , Baquero R. A. , Clough Y. , Díaz M. , De Esteban J. , Fernández F. , Gabriel D. , Herzog F. , Holzschuh A. , Jöhl R. , Knop E. , Kruess A. , Marshall E. J. P. , Steffan‐Dewenter I. , Tscharntke T. , Verhulst J. , West T. M. , Yela J. L.
Published: January 2006

Agri‐environment schemes are an increasingly important tool for the maintenance and restoration of farmland biodiversity in Europe but their ecological effects are poorly known. Scheme design is partly based on non‐ecological considerations and poses important restrictions on evaluation studies. We describe a robust approach to evaluate agri‐environment schemes and use it to evaluate the biodiversity effects of agri‐environment schemes in five European countries. We compared species density of vascular plants, birds, bees, grasshoppers and crickets, and spiders on 202 paired fields, one with an agri‐environment scheme, the other conventionally managed. In all countries, agri‐environment schemes had marginal to moderately positive effects on biodiversity. However, uncommon species benefited in only two of five countries and species listed in Red Data Books rarely benefited from agri‐environment schemes. Scheme objectives may need to differentiate between biodiversity of common species that can be enhanced with relatively simple modifications in farming practices and diversity or abundance of endangered species which require more elaborate conservation measures.
Linking species–area and species–energy relationships in Drosophila microcosms
Authors: Hurlbert Allen H.
Published: January 2006

Resource availability is an important constraint on community structure. Some authors have suggested it conceptually links two of the most basic patterns in ecology, the species–area relationship and the latitudinal gradient in species richness. I present the first experimental test of this conjecture, by manipulating both the area and resource concentration of artificial larval drosophilid fly habitats and then allowing colonization from a natural species pool. Both the abundance and species richness of these habitats depended upon the total quantity of resources available, regardless of whether those resources were contained within smaller high‐quality habitats or larger poor‐quality habitats. While the intercepts of species–area relationships varied with resource concentration, they all collapsed onto the same species–energy curve. These results support the view that energetic constraints are of fundamental importance in structuring ecological communities, and that such constraints may even help explain ecological patterns such as the species–area relationship that do not explicitly address resource availability.
The impacts of climate change in coastal marine systems
Authors: Harley Christopher D. G. , Randall Hughes A. , Hultgren Kristin M. , Miner Benjamin G. , Sorte Cascade J. B. , Thornber Carol S. , Rodriguez Laura F. , Tomanek Lars , Williams Susan L.
Published: January 2006

Anthropogenically induced global climate change has profound implications for marine ecosystems and the economic and social systems that depend upon them. The relationship between temperature and individual performance is reasonably well understood, and much climate‐related research has focused on potential shifts in distribution and abundance driven directly by temperature. However, recent work has revealed that both abiotic changes and biological responses in the ocean will be substantially more complex. For example, changes in ocean chemistry may be more important than changes in temperature for the performance and survival of many organisms. Ocean circulation, which drives larval transport, will also change, with important consequences for population dynamics. Furthermore, climatic impacts on one or a few ‘leverage species’ may result in sweeping community‐level changes. Finally, synergistic effects between climate and other anthropogenic variables, particularly fishing pressure, will likely exacerbate climate‐induced changes. Efforts to manage and conserve living marine systems in the face of climate change will require improvements to the existing predictive framework. Key directions for future research include identifying key demographic transitions that influence population dynamics, predicting changes in the community‐level impacts of ecologically dominant species, incorporating populations’ ability to evolve (adapt), and understanding the scales over which climate will change and living systems will respond.
Ecosystem engineers as selective agents: the effects of leaf litter on emergence time and early growth in Impatiens capensis
Authors: Stinchcombe John R. , Schmitt Johanna
Published: January 2006

By physically modifying the abiotic environment, ecosystem engineers can have dramatic effects on the distribution and abundance of species in a community. However, ecosystem engineering can also change the selective environment and evolutionary dynamics of affected species, although this remains relatively understudied. Here, we examine the potential for an ecosystem engineer – oak trees – to affect the evolutionary dynamics of the herbaceous, understory annual, Impatiens capensis, through leaf litter deposition. Using a quantitative genetic experimental approach, we found that: (i) the presence of leaf litter significantly affected a suite of germination, growth and phenological traits in I. capensis; (ii) I. capensis does not exhibit performance trade‐offs across litter and bare soil environments in the form of negative across‐environment genetic correlations; (iii) the presence or absence of leaf litter significantly alters the pattern of natural selection germination timing and hypocotyl length; and (iv) the frequency of leaf litter environments can dramatically change which combinations of hypocotyl length lead to highest mean fitness across both bare soil and leaf litter environments. More generally, our results demonstrate the potential for ecosystem engineers to alter both the ecological and the evolutionary dynamics of the species they affect.
Early Cambrian food webs on a trophic knife‐edge? A hypothesis and preliminary data from a modern stromatolite‐based ecosystem
Authors: Elser James J. , Watts James , Schampel John H. , Farmer Jack
Published: January 2006

Here we use the theory of ecological stoichiometry to propose and provide a preliminary test of a novel hypothesis that the Cambrian ‘explosion’ may have been triggered by changes in circulating P availability in the biosphere. We exposed living stromatolites from a spring‐fed stream in Mexico to a gradient of P enrichment to examine subsequent effects on stromatolite C : P ratio and on the primary grazer, an endemic snail. Consistent with a previously hypothesized stoichiometric ‘knife‐edge’, snail performance was maximal at intermediate P‐enrichment, indicating in situ stoichiometric constraints because of high stromatolite C : P ratio along with high sensitivity to excessive P intake. These results are consistent with the idea that stoichiometric constraints may have delayed the evolutionary proliferation of animals in ancient stromatolite‐dominated ecosystems and also suggest that high food P content can significantly impair consumers. We propose that ecosystem P availability may have impacted both the expansion and decline of animal taxa in the history of life.
Rising variance: a leading indicator of ecological transition
Authors: Carpenter S. R. , Brock W. A.
Published: January 2006

Regime shifts are substantial, long‐lasting reorganizations of complex systems, such as ecosystems. Large ecosystem changes such as eutrophication, shifts among vegetation types, degradation of coral reefs and regional climate change often come as surprises because we lack leading indicators for regime shifts. Increases in variability of ecosystems have been suggested to foreshadow ecological regime shifts. However, it may be difficult to discern variability due to impending regime shift from that of exogenous drivers that affect the ecosystem. We addressed this problem using a model of lake eutrophication. Lakes are subject to fluctuations in recycling associated with regime shifts, as well as fluctuating nutrient inputs. Despite the complications of noisy inputs, increasing variability of lake‐water phosphorus was discernible prior to the shift to eutrophic conditions. Simulations show that rising standard deviation (SD) could signal impending shifts about a decade in advance. The rising SD was detected by studying variability around predictions of a simple time‐series model, and did not depend on detailed knowledge of the actual ecosystem dynamics.
Antagonistic effects of seed dispersal and herbivory on plant migration
Authors: Vellend Mark , Knight Tiffany M. , Drake John M.
Published: January 2006

The two factors that determine plant migration rates – seed dispersal and population growth – are generally treated independently, despite the fact that many animals simultaneously enhance plant migration rate via seed dispersal, and decrease it via negative effects of herbivory on population growth. Using extensive empirical data, we modelled the antagonistic effects of seed dispersal and herbivory by white‐tailed deer on potential migration rates of Trillium grandiflorum, a forest herb in eastern North America. This novel antagonistic interaction is illustrated by maximum migration rates occurring at intermediate, but low herbivory (< 15%). Assuming herbivory < 20% and favourable conditions for population growth during post‐glacial migration, seed dispersal by deer can explain rates of migration achieved in the past, in contrast to previous models of forest herb migration. However, relatively unfavourable conditions for population growth and increasingly intense herbivory by deer may compromise plant migration in the face of present and future climate change.
Anaerobic arsenite oxidation by novel denitrifying isolates
Authors: Rhine E. Danielle , Phelps Craig D. , Young L. Y.
Published: January 2006

Autotrophic microorganisms have been isolated that are able to derive energy from the oxidation of arsenite [As(III)] to arsenate [As(V)] under aerobic conditions. Based on chemical energetics, microbial oxidation of As(III) can occur in the absence of oxygen, and may be relevant in some environments. Enrichment cultures were established from an arsenic contaminated industrial soil amended with As(III) as the electron donor, inorganic C as the carbon source and nitrate as the electron acceptor. In the active enrichment cultures, oxidation of As(III) was stoichiometrically coupled to the reduction of NO3–. Two autotrophic As(III)‐oxidizing strains were isolated that completely oxidized 5 mM As(III) within 7 days under denitrifying conditions. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing results, strain DAO1 was 99% related to Azoarcus and strain DAO10 was most closely related to a Sinorhizobium. The nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) and the RuBisCO Type II (cbbM) genes were successfully amplified from both isolates underscoring their ability to denitrify and fix CO2 while coupled to As(III) oxidation. Although limited work has been done to examine the diversity of anaerobic autotrophic oxidizers of As(III), this process may be an important component in the biological cycling of arsenic within the environment.
Bacterial and archaeal phylotypes associated with distinct mineralogical layers of a white smoker spire from a deep‐sea hydrothermal vent site (9°N, East Pacific Rise)
Authors: Kormas Konstantinos A. , Tivey Margaret K. , Von Damm Karen , Teske Andreas
Published: January 2006

A diffusely venting chimney spire from the East Pacific Rise (9°N) was analysed by petrographic thin sectioning and 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing in parallel, to correlate microbial community composition with mineralogy and inferred in situ conditions within the chimney mineral matrix. Both approaches indicated a zonation of the chimney spire into distinct microhabitats for different bacteria and archaea. The thermal gradient inferred from the mineral composition and porosity of the chimney was consistent with the distribution of bacterial and archaeal phylotypes in the chimney matrix. A novel phylogenetic lineage of euryarchaeota was found that co‐occurred with clones related to cultured hyperthermophilic archaea. A few phylotypes related to mesophilic bacteria were found in the hot core of the chimney, indicating that seawater influx during retrieval and cooling of these highly porous structures can entrain microorganisms into chimney layers that are not their native habitat.
Microbial community dynamics in a humic lake: differential persistence of common freshwater phylotypes
Authors: Newton Ryan J. , Kent Angela D. , Triplett Eric W. , McMahon Katherine D.
Published: January 2006

In an effort to better understand the factors contributing to patterns in freshwater bacterioplankton community composition and diversity, we coupled automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) to analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences to follow the persistence patterns of 46 individual phylotypes over 3 years in Crystal Bog Lake. Additionally, we sought to identify linkages between the observed phylotype variations and known chemical and biological drivers. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes obtained from the water column indicated the presence of phylotypes associated with the Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, TM7 and Verrucomicrobia phyla, as well as phylotypes with unknown affiliation. Employment of the 16S rRNA gene/ARISA method revealed that specific phylotypes varied independently of the entire bacterial community dynamics. Actinobacteria, which were present on greater than 95% of sampling dates, did not share the large temporal variability of the other identified phyla. Examination of phylotype relative abundance patterns (inferred using ARISA fragment relative fluorescence) revealed a strong correlation between the dominant phytoplankton succession and the relative abundance patterns of the majority of individual phylotypes. Further analysis revealed covariation among unique phylotypes, which formed several distinct bacterial assemblages correlated with particular phytoplankton communities. These data indicate the existence of unique persistence patterns for different common freshwater phylotypes, which may be linked to the presence of dominant phytoplankton species.
Use of microcosms to determine the survival of the fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum in seawater
Authors: Avendaño‐Herrera Ruben , Irgang Rute , Magariños Beatriz , Romalde Jesús L. , Toranzo Alicia E.
Published: January 2006

The survival of the fish pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum in different seawater microcosms was investigated during 160 days. The persistence of culturable cells was greater in sterile than in natural seawater. Standard plate counts showed that T. maritimum survived in sterile seawater for more than 5 months at concentration around 103 cfu ml−1. However, T. maritimum proved to be very labile in non‐sterile seawater, rendering culturable cells no longer than 5 days. These results were confirmed when DNA‐based methods were applied. Regardless of the microcosms used, epifluorescence microscopy counts remained at about 106 cells ml−1 throughout the experiment, even though we can not distinguish T. maritimum in the case of non‐sterile microcosms. Resuscitation assays with addition of fresh medium to non‐sterile microcosms did not favour the recovery of T. maritimum on solid media. Although morphological changes from filamentous to spheres were observed after 3 days in the non‐sterile microcosms, in the case of the sterile microcosms this change was observed at the sixth day. The biochemical, physiological, serological and genetic characteristics were unaffected in the sterile microcosms. The overall results contribute to a better understanding of the behaviour of T. maritimum in natural seawater and suggest that the aquatic bacterial population play an important role in the survival of this fish pathogen.
Determinants of How Managers Cope with Organisational Downsizing
Authors: Armstrong‐Stassen Marjorie
Published: January 2006

201 cadres de deux services relevant du gouvernement fédéral qui ont été confrontés à une réduction d’effectifs ont constitué un panel en vue d’une étude longitudinale qui a porté sur la relation entre les ressources présentes avant la réduction du personnel (T1) et les contraintes et stratégies de traitement du problème évaluées pendant la période elle‐même (T2 et T3). Les contraintes en T2 (travail aliénant, absence perçue de succès professionnel à venir et conséquences jugées négatives de la contraction des effectifs) agissaient sur la relation entre les ressources disponibles en T1 et les stratégies déployées en T2. Les ressources relevant de l’individu (optimisme et sécurité perçue du travail) et celles relevant de l’organisation (le vécu du soutien apporté par le supérieur et l’organisation et l’implication affective dans l’organisation) étaient en relation avec une appréciation plus favorable des contraintes, ce qui, en retour, avaient des retombées sur la mise en œuvre des stratégies T2 de fuite et de contrôle. Les conduites T2 de contrôle étaient significativement corrélées de façon négative aux contraintes T3 tandis que les conduites de fuite T2 étaient significativement corrélées de façon positive à ces mêmes contraintes T3. Les futures recherches ne devraient pas seulement étudier le rôle des ressources exploitées par ceux qui affrontent victorieusement une contraction des effectifs, mais aussi identifier et tenir compte des contraintes qui peuvent contrecarrer ou inhiber l’usage de certaines stratégies de coping.

Managers (N= 201) in two federal government departments undergoing downsizing participated in a longitudinal panel study examining the relationship among pre‐downsizing (T1) coping resources and coping constraints and coping strategies assessed during the downsizing period (T2, T3). T2 coping constraints (work alienation, perceived lack of future career success, and perceived negative downsizing effect) mediated the relationship between T1 coping resources and T2 coping strategies. Individual‐related (optimism and perceived job security) coping resources and organisation‐related (perceived organisational and supervisor support and organisational affective commitment) coping resources were associated with a more favourable evaluation of the coping constraints which, in turn, influenced the use of T2 control‐oriented and escape coping strategies. T2 control‐oriented coping was significantly negatively related to T3 coping constraints whereas T2 escape coping was significantly positively related to T3 coping constraints. Future research should not only examine the role of coping resources in how survivors cope with organisational downsizing but also identify and examine coping constraints that may restrict or inhibit the use of certain coping strategies.
Meeting Deadlines in Work Groups: Implicit and Explicit Mechanisms
Authors: Gevers Josette M.P. , Rutte Christel G. , Van Eerde Wendelien
Published: January 2006

Nous nous sommes demandés, dans cette étude, si les groupes étaient mieux à même de respecter les délais quand leurs membres partageaient les mêmes cognitions temporelles, c’est‐à‐dire quand ils s’accordaient sur les dimensions temporelles de leur tâche. Dans une étude longitudinale portant sur 31 groupes, nous avons étudié l’effet des cognitions temporelles partagées sur le respect d’un délai et exploré deux antécédents des cognitions temporelles partagées: la cohérence des rythmes des membres du groupe et l’échange des rappels concernant le temps. Nos résultats montrent que ces deux facteurs ont un impact sur les cognitions temporelles partagées et cela à différentes étapes du travail collectif. De plus, il est apparu que les cognitions temporelles partagées pouvaient aussi bien faciliter que contrecarrer le respect des délais: cela dépend des rythmes des membres du groupe.

In this study, we examined whether groups were better able to meet deadlines when group members had shared temporal cognitions, that is, when they agreed on the temporal aspects of their task. In a longitudinal study involving 31 groups, we studied the effect of shared temporal cognitions on meeting a deadline and explored two antecedents of shared temporal cognitions: the similarity in group members’ pacing styles and the exchange of temporal reminders. Our findings suggest that both antecedents are relevant to shared temporal cognitions, be it at different stages of group collaboration. Furthermore, we found that shared temporal cognitions may either facilitate or impede meeting a deadline, depending on the content of group members’ pacing styles.
Applying a Modified Moral Decision Making Model to Change Habitual Car Use: How Can Commitment be Effective?
Authors: Matthies Ellen , Klöckner Christian A. , Preißner Claudia L.
Published: January 2006

Une intervention basée sur une théorie a été réalisée auprès d’un échantillon de 297 automobilistes pour tenter de lancer de nouvelles habitudes de déplacement (essayer de préférer les transports en commun plutôt que la voiture). Un modèle de modification d’une décision morale relevant de la théorie de Schwartz et Howard (1981) fut exploité dans la conception d’une intervention associant une technique de décristallisation des comportements antérieurs (remise provisoire d’une carte gratuite) avec une technique focalisée sur une norme (appel à l’implication). L’échantillon était constitué de 297 citoyens allemands pouvant utiliser facilement leur voiture et vivant dans des quartiers bien desservis par les transports en commun. Les participants ont été répartis au hasard dans quatre conditions (implication précédée par une carte gratuite, seulement l’implication, seulement la carte gratuite et groupe contrôle) et durent faire part de leur choix de transport pour un trajet précis et habituel (par exemple aller au travail) sur une durée de huit semaines suivie d’une période contrôle de deux semaines. En outre, les variables du modèle (la règle personnelle de réduction de l’utilisation de la voiture, les normes sociales, les coûts comportementaux ressentis et les habitudes) ont été enregistrées toutes les deux semaines. Bien que les effets globaux de l’intervention aient été faibles, les résultats montrent qu’une motivation morale est un prédicteur pertinent du choix d’un mode de transport qui peut être renforcé par une intervention portant sur l’implication précédée par un changement temporaire de la situation.

A theory‐driven intervention was carried out to initiate the try‐out of a new travel mode behavior (try out taking public transport instead of car) in a sample of habitual car users (N= 297). A modified moral decision making model based on the theory of Schwartz and Howard (1981) served as background for the design of an intervention combining a habit‐defrosting technique (temporary gift of a free ticket) with a norm‐focused technique (plea for commitment). The sample consisted of 297 German citizens with good car access and living in areas with a convenient supply of public transportation. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups (commitment preceded by a free ticket, commitment only, free ticket only, and control) and had to report their travel mode choice for a particular, regular trip (e.g. trip to work) for a period of 8 weeks and a 2‐week follow‐up period. Additionally, model variables (personal norm to reduce car use, social norm, perceived behavioral costs, and habit) were recorded every 2 weeks. Although overall effects of the interventions were small, results indicate that a moral motivation is a relevant predictor for travel mode choices and can be stabilised by a commitment intervention preceded by a temporary change of the situation.
Having to Wait for Service: Customer Reactions to Delays in Service Delivery
Authors: Groth Markus , Gilliland Stephen W.
Published: January 2006

Deux expériences ont évalué les conséquences d’informations portant sur la durée d’attente et d’explications concernant les raisons du délai sur les réactions de clients confrontés à un service remis à plus tard. Dans la première étude, 111 participants ont lu un scénario décrivant une attente dans un cabinet médical. Dans l’autre étude, 87 sujets ont vécu un réel retard dans un laboratoire. Dans les deux cas, les participants ont ensuite fait part de leurs réactions suite au retard et évalué le service. Les résultats montrent que la présentation d’une information innocentant celui qui fournit le service provoque les réactions les plus favorables de la part de la clientèle, tandis que l’absence d’explications entraîne des réactions plus positives qu’une explication mettant en cause le responsable. Donner une estimation de la durée d’attente n’a que des effets limités sur les réactions. Les résultats sont analysés à partir des théories du temps d’attente.

Two experiments tested the effects of providing wait duration information and explanations for the reason for a delay on customer reactions to a delayed service delivery. In Study 1, 111 participants read a paper‐and‐pencil scenario about a wait for service at a doctor's office. In Study 2, 87 participants experienced an actual delay at a research facility. In both studies, participants were subsequently surveyed about their service evaluation and reactions to the delay. Results indicate that providing a provider‐not‐at‐fault explanation led to the most positive customer reactions, whereas providing no explanation led to more positive reactions than a provider‐at‐fault explanation. Providing waiting duration estimates had only limited effects on customers’ reactions. Results are discussed from the perspective of wait time theories.
Thinking Deeply May Sometimes Help: Cognitive Motivation and Role Effects in Negotiation
Authors: Schei Vidar , Rognes Jørn K. , Mykland Solfrid
Published: January 2006

On étudie dans cet article la façon dont la motivation cognitive et le rôle de négociateur interagissent pour prédire les comportements et les résultats des négociations duelles. La motivation cognitive de 64 participants a été mesurée antérieurement à une simulation de négociation achatvente. Les résultats montrent que l’impact de la motivation cognitive sur la négociation dépend du rôle joué. Comme prévu, les paires pourvues de vendeur à la motivation cognitive élevée parvenaient bien plus facilement à un accord que celles dont le vendeur avait une motivation cognitive basse. Par contre, la motivation cognitive des acheteurs n’avait pas de retombées sur le déroulement de la négociation. L’analyse des transcriptions des négociations indiqua que l’information fournie avait une fonction d’interface entre la motivation cognitive des vendeurs et l’accord. On discute des conséquences théoriques et pratiques.

This article examines how cognitive motivation and negotiation role interact to predict behavior and outcomes in integrative dyadic negotiations. The cognitive motivation of 64 participants was measured prior to a simulated buyer–seller negotiation. The results suggest that the effect of cognitive motivation in negotiation depends upon the role of the negotiator. As predicted, dyads with sellers who were high on cognitive motivation achieved much better joint outcomes than dyads with sellers low on cognitive motivation. By contrast, the cognitive motivation of the buyers did not affect negotiation outcomes. Mediational analyses of negotiation transcripts illustrated that the giving of information was a mediating factor between the cognitive motivation of the sellers and joint outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Assessment of Functional Impairment in Spanish Children
Authors: Ezpeleta Lourdes , Granero Roser , Osa Nuria de la , Doménech Josep M. , Bonillo Albert
Published: January 2006

Le pressent travaux vérifie l’applicabilité et la validité du CAFAS, un instrument pour évaluer l’incapacité fonctionnel dans une population espagnole. L’échantillon est formé par 441 malades ambulatoires psychiatriques d’entre 8 et 17 années et leurs parents, et aussi par un échantillon de 74 malades ambulatoires pédiatriques. On a applique différents instruments pour évaluer l’incapacité fonctionnel, la psychopathologie, et autres variables psychologiques. La fiabilité intra observateur varie entre modérée et bonne. L’accord entre les ponctuations obtenues avec l’information des parents et des infants varie entre faible et modérée. Les corrélations avec autres mesures d’incapacité et du fonctionnement sont significatives mais modérée. Les ponctuations CAFAS différencient significativement les enfants avec et sans psychopathologie. Les résultats obtenus avalisent l’utilisation du CAFAS pour les études en psychopathologie, en incapacité fonctionnel et pour planifier interventions et services de santé mental.

The present work tests the applicability and validity of the CAFAS, an instrument for assessing functional impairment, in the Spanish population. The sample included 441 psychiatric outpatients from 8 to 17 years old and their parents, and a pediatric group of 74 outpatients. Different instruments for assessing functional impairment, psychopathology, and other related variables were used. Interrater reliability ranged from moderate to very good. Weak‐to‐moderate agreement between CAFAS scores based on information from parents and children was obtained. Correlations with other measures of impairment and functioning were moderate. CAFAS scores differentiated significantly between children with and without psychopathology. These results permit the use of the instrument for studies on psychopathology and functional impairment, and for planning intervention and mental health services.
Closeness and distance in the nurse‐patient relation. The relevance of Edith Stein's concept of empathy
Authors: Määttä Sylvia M.
Published: January 2006

Abstract  This paper emanates from the concept of empathy as understood by the German philosopher Edith Stein. It begins by highlighting different interpretations of empathy. According to the German philosopher Martin Buber, empathy cannot be achieved as an act of will. In contrast, the psychologist Carl Rogers believes that empathy is identical with dialogue and is the outcome of a cognitive act of active listening. The empathy concept of Edith Stein, philosopher and follower of Edmund Husserl's phenomenology, goes beyond these conflicting views and offers a more complex interpretation, with relevance for both healthcare and nursing education. When studying Stein's three‐level model of empathy, a field of tension between perspectives of closeness and distance becomes apparent. The paper concludes by suggesting Stein's model of empathy as a strategy to overcome the tension and meet the demands of empathy.
The aesthetic experience of nursing
Authors: Austgard Kitt
Published: January 2006

Abstract  This article highlights the distinction between the ‘art of nursing’ and ‘fine art’. While something in the nature of nursing can be described as ‘the art of nursing’, it is not to be misunderstood as ‘fine art’ or craft. Therefore, the term ‘aesthetic’ in relation to nursing should not be linked to the aesthetic of modern art, but instead to a broader and more general meaning of the word. The paper's main focus is the aesthetic experience, which is treated in a hermeneutic way and elucidated from classical sources and the philosophy of nursing and from Art. The paper argues that the pioneers used the term ‘art of nursing’ in a metaphorical way to say something more specific on the nature of nursing. The term illustrates the nurse's ability to practise at the highest possible level of excellence.
Wittgenstein's language games as a theory of learning disabilities
Authors: Timmons Stephen
Published: January 2006

Abstract  Sociological approaches to the understanding of learning disabilities are perhaps not as fully developed as they might be. Wittgenstein's notion of the language game is elucidated, and its relevance to the analysis of learning disabilities as a social phenomenon is explained. This gives some insight into an alternative conception of what learning disabilities might be, and why people who are classified as having learning disabilities continue, to some extent, to be excluded from full participation in society.
Towards understanding the unpresentable in nursing: some nursing philosophical considerations
Authors: Cameron Brenda L.
Published: January 2006

Abstract  While nursing practice embodies certain observable and sometimes habitual actions, much inheres in these actions that is not immediately discernible. Taking on Lyotard's exegesis of the unpresentable, I undertake an analysis of the unpresentable as it occurs in nursing practices. The unpresentable is a place of alterity often excluded from dominant discourses. Yet this very alterity is what practising nurses face day after day. Drawing from two nursing situations, one from a hermeneutic phenomenological study and the other from the literature, I elucidate the unpresentable from a nursing point of view. Evoking Lyotard as well as selected philosophers from the continental philosophical tradition, I also question whether nursing in its present discourse is capable of responding to the unpresentable in nursing situations. Through the philosophical stance of presentation and representation, I delineate the urgent need to bring the otherness of the unpresentable into our nursing discourse. Nurses in practice confront a wide array of human differences and diversities and come to the realization that no framework alone can ever really have primacy over the multiform presentations of human suffering that so strikingly evoke alterity.
Art as measure: nursing as safeguarding1
Authors: Wynn Francine
Published: January 2006

Abstract  In this paper I explore the possibilities of nursing as safeguarding through a phenomenological description of a small sculpture by the German artist Käthe Kollwitz. My discussion will be grounded in Heidegger's understanding of technicity as a pervasive systematizing and aggressive challenging‐out. The method is grounded in Merleau‐Ponty's and Heidegger's contention that strong artworks are truth‐disclosing and show up our precognitive contact with the world. Bringing nursing concerns to an encounter with single strong artworks can help us cultivate a more receptive openness to our patients.
Critical realism as emancipatory action: the case for realistic evaluation in practice development
Authors: Wilson Valerie , McCormack Brendan
Published: January 2006

Abstract  To provide rigour when preparing a research design, the researcher needs to carefully consider not only the methodology but also the philosophical intent of the study. This, however, is often absent from reported research and provides the reader with little evidence by which to judge the merits of the chosen methodology and its influence on the study. The purpose of this paper is to set out the case for critical realism as a framework to guide appropriate action in practice development and realistic evaluation for understanding the consequences of those actions.

It is evident that critical realism and critical social science share common ground. Emancipatory practice development (ePD) is based on the philosophy of critical social science and therefore by virtue is linked to the tenets of critical realism. Until now, the evaluation of ePD programme has been well served by 4th‐generation evaluation. However, this paper outlines the need for a different approach to evaluation, one that is based on critical realism, that is concerned with emancipation, and that can be used in the ever‐changing environment of clinical practice. Realistic evaluation not only links strongly to ePD programmes, but also serves as the basis for effective research questions that will test the outcomes of the research and inform the transferability of ePD mechanisms into differing contexts.
Range size‐abundance relationships in Australian passerines
Authors: Symonds Matthew R. E. , Johnson Christopher N.
Published: January 2006

Aim To investigate the relationship between geographical range size and abundance (population density) in Australian passerines.

Location Australia (including Tasmania).

Methods We analysed the relationship between range size and local abundance for 272 species of Australian passerines, across the whole order and within families. We measured abundance as mean and maximum abundance, and used a phylogenetic generalized least‐squares regression method within a maximum‐likelihood framework to control for effects of phylogeny. We also analysed the relationship within seven different habitat types.

Results There was no correlation between range size and abundance for the whole set of species across all habitats. Analyses within families revealed some strong correlations but showed no consistent pattern. Likewise we found little evidence for any relationship or conflicting patterns in different habitats, except that woodland/forest habitat species exhibit a negative correlation between mean abundance and range size, whilst species in urban habitats exhibit a significant positive relationship between maximum abundance and range size. Despite the general lack of correlation, the raw data plots of range size and abundance in this study occupied a triangular space, with narrowly distributed species exhibiting a greater variation in abundances than widely distributed species. However, using a null model analysis, we demonstrate that this was due to a statistical artefact generated by the frequency distributions for the individual variables.

Conclusions We find no evidence for a positive range size‐abundance relationship among Australian passerines. This absence of a relationship cannot be explained by any conflicting effects introduced by comparing across different habitats, nor is it explained by the fact that large proportions of Australia are arid. We speculate that the considerable isolation and evolutionary age of Australian passerines may be an explanatory factor.
Studying the British
Authors: Aspinwall Mark
Published: January 2006

The study of British politics has become markedly more professionalised in recent decades, representing a wide range of intellectual interests and methodological approaches. At the same time a sense of managerialism has overtaken what had been a self-regulated discipline. This article makes two claims. First, it is increasingly difficult to speak of a ‘British tradition’ of political studies, as distinct from an American one. The sense that British academia is ‘different’ and needs to hold American influence at bay is misguided. The second is that in the field of British-EU studies it is time to move beyond the idea that British history and tradition are the best explanations for 50 years of awkwardness. Academics have been prone to taking politicians' claims a little too seriously, and this has retarded careful evaluation of competing explanations.
The Problem of Political Science and Practical Politics
Authors: Donovan Claire , Larkin Phil
Published: January 2006

We reflect on the reasons why there is not a greater and more fruitful relationship between those who seek to understand policy and the political process from academia and those with a similar task in ‘practical politics’. We attribute this lack of engagement to three core factors: (1) from without, instrumental government visions of political science perpetuate the view that the discipline exists to serve those with power; (2) from within, scientism and abstraction diminish the discipline's stock of ‘usable’ product for ‘practical politics’; and (3) where relevant research exists, its uptake is hampered by limited communication between these spheres.
Gender and Politics: The State of the Art
Authors: Childs Sarah , Krook Mona Lena
Published: January 2006

Over the last two decades, but particularly in the last 10 years, research into sex, gender and politics has become an established sub-field of political science. This article opens with some reflections on the position of ‘women and politics’ scholars and research within the British political science community. It then moves on to reflect upon the burgeoning literature on women's political representation. In particular, it questions the way in which the relationship between women's descriptive and substantive representation has been operationalised and investigated in empirical research, namely through the concept of critical mass. Seeking to reframe these debates, the article suggests that future research should focus not on the question of when women make a difference, but on how the substantive representation of women occurs.
(Non)Comparative Politics in Britain
Authors: van Biezen Ingrid , Caramani Daniele
Published: January 2006

This article compares the state of the art of comparative politics in Britain with the US and continental Europe. Three main traditions are distinguished: a narrative single-country tradition, in which comparative politics is understood as the study of foreign countries, a methodology-oriented tradition, which is concerned with the development of the techniques of comparison, and an analytical comparative tradition, which understands comparative politics as a combination of substance and method. It is argued that comparative politics in Britain is dominated by single-country studies, while the methodology-oriented and the analytical comparative traditions are more strongly developed in the US and continental Europe respectively. A comparative analysis of research interests and teaching provision furthermore demonstrates that, in Britain, comparative politics is an underdeveloped sub-field in terms of both teaching and research. This currently results in the need to import comparativists trained outside the British system in order to sustain the discipline. The article concludes by stressing the potential for the development of comparative politics in Britain.
The ‘State of the Art’ in EU Studies: From Politics to Interdisciplinarity (and Back Again?)
Authors: Cini Michelle
Published: January 2006

This article explores the disciplinary (political) and interdisciplinary characteristics of the field of EU studies from a UK perspective. It makes the claim that, although EU studies has been dominated by political/IR approaches, it has not been well integrated into the discipline of politics. However, one cannot assume that this is because EU studies is an interdisciplinary research area. Retaining, at least in the UK, much of its original ‘area studies’ character, which has built upon the UK academic culture of empiricism, EU studies remains somewhat inward looking. The article argues that addressing this problem by strengthening EU studies' ties to the discipline may not be helpful if the aim is to create a more outward-looking research field. Rather, interdisciplinarity, or even a post-disciplinary approach, may be a preferable way forward.
Political Theory – The State of the Art
Authors: Kelly Paul
Published: January 2006

For much of its history political science has been political theory. As political science begins to establish a stronger sense of identity, political theorists have become more concerned about the point of their activity. In reviewing current trends and future prospects for political theory the author examines the current state of the art, including the undue significance attached to gurus such as Michael Oakeshott and Isaiah Berlin, the quest for normalisation in a preoccupation with theories of justice and the irrelevancy of permanent critique. The author concludes with a suggestion that political theory needs a much greater critical engagement with political science.
International Relations in the Post-Globalisation Era
Authors: Coward Martin
Published: January 2006

This article addresses the question of whether the traditional conceptual problematics that have defined the discipline of international relations (IR) are adequate to the contemporary global order. I propose that the sterile choice between the theoretical tropes of statism and globalisation which has defined recent IR scholarship prevents getting to grips with the ‘post-globalisation’ nature of phenomena such as al-Qa'eda terrorism and the war on terror launched in response. In this light it is necessary to ask whether the state of the art in IR needs critical re-evaluation. I examine the conceptual problematics that delineate IR as a distinct intellectual terrain. These are identified as the problems of morphology, governance and violence in the global order. I then outline the orthodox, statist resolution of these problematics. The inadequacy of such a resolution is noted and an outline proposal for recasting the discipline of IR is advanced. I conclude by noting that while the conceptual tropes historically deployed to understand global politics might be inadequate, it is not necessary to discard IR as a distinct intellectual terrain. Rather a revivification of this terrain beyond statism and globalism is required.
The Grimly Comic Riddle of Hegemony in IPE: Where is Class Struggle?
Authors: Morton Adam David
Published: January 2006

This contribution reflects on the current state of ‘critical’ international political economy (IPE) by contesting the prevailing dominance of liberal pluralist analysis and its overriding commitment to defining the social as an arena of multiple, competing and individuated identities. While ubiquitously invoked, what exactly does the ‘critical’ prefix represent? My argument is that much ‘critical’ analysis in IPE is a liberal pluralist flag of convenience, which is anti-historical materialism. By contrast, an historical materialist critical theory of capitalist unfreedom and exploitation is presented through a focus on social class identity, forms of capitalist state and state power, the social function of ideology and the prehistory of the modern international states-system.