bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)–Infested Rangeland after Wildfire
Authors: Pokorny Monica L. , Mangold Jane M. , Hafer James , Denny M. Kirk
Published: June 2010

Invasive plants need to be managed after wildfire to suppress the invasive plant and to maintain or restore a desired plant community. Our study tested treatments that influence species availability and performance following a disturbance (wildfire). The overall objective was to determine the ability of herbicide and revegetation treatments to restore spotted knapweed–infested areas to desired plant communities after wildfire. The study consisted of a factorial combination of three herbicide application treatments (broadcast application, spot application, and no herbicide) and three seed mixture treatments (grass-only seed mix, a grass and forb seed mix, no seeding). Picloram was used for the herbicide. Both the broadcast and spot picloram application methods decreased spotted knapweed cover and density up to 80% while increasing desired grass cover and density up to 20% compared with the control. However, broadcast spraying picloram decreased species richness from 5.7 to 3.6 species 0.1 m−2 and decreased desired forb density and cover compared with spot-applied picloram treatment. Spot spraying resulted in an increase in other undesired forbs compared with broadcast spraying. Seeding with desired species had no effect on spotted knapweed cover or density. Spot spraying may help maintain desired species richness while managing spotted knapweed.
Trained Dogs Outperform Human Surveyors in the Detection of Rare Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)
Authors: Goodwin Kim M. , Engel Rick E. , Weaver David K.
Published: June 2010

Invasive plants have devastating effects on ecosystems and biodiversity that early intervention can prevent. Eradication or containment of new invasions is difficult to achieve because of constraints posed by the low density and detectability of individuals. Domestic dogs trained to cue on distinctive scents might provide an effective method to detect spotted knapweed. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy and detection distances of dogs to humans in locating new spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) invasions. Three dogs, trained to detect knapweed using scent discrimination and tracking techniques, were compared with human surveyors. Seven sampling units (0.5 ha [1.2 ac]) were delineated in a grazed dryland pasture. Dogs, with their handlers, and human surveyors performed line-transect surveys in fall 2005 and spring, summer, and fall 2006. Dog accuracy for large-size knapweed targets (infestations 0.52 m3[18.4 ft3]) was similar to human accuracy and better than humans (94 vs. 78%) for medium-size targets (infestations 0.13m3). Dog accuracy (67%) was greater (> 81% probability) than humans (34%) for small targets (plants; 0.02 m3). Overall dog accuracy (81%) andF-measure scores (86%) were better than human scores, 59% and 74%, respectively. Human precision was greater (100%) than dogs at 94%. Dogs detected a larger percentage of small targets (80%) at distances greater than 7.9 m (26 ft) compared with humans at only 20%. Our results indicate dogs are more accurate than humans are, especially at critical detection of small spotted knapweed plants, and from greater distances. Invasive plant monitoring using detection dogs can provide greater overall accuracy of plant detection.
Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria): A Threat to Woodland Habitats in the Northern United States and Southern Canada
Authors: Axtell Annie E. , DiTommaso Antonio , Post Angela R.
Published: June 2010

Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) is an ephemeral perennial introduced to North America from Europe for ornamental use. This species is becoming widespread in shady, moist woodlands and lawns in the northern United States and southern Canada. Despite its invasive attributes, lesser celandine continues to be marketed by the nursery sector. A hardy and easy plant to grow, lesser celandine has a dense compact growth form that makes it ideal for border plantings and showy flowers that make it a desirable garden species for early spring color. The species easily escapes cultivation, colonizing primarily moist woodland habitats. Once established, lesser celandine creates a monoculture and is purported to displace native ephemeral species. Several factors make control of lesser celandine difficult, including a large root structure, which facilitates clonal reproduction and spread. The ephemerality of lesser celandine results in a relatively brief window in which to apply control measures. Land managers need to be aware of this common garden species as a potentially invasive weed and need to be able to differentiate it from the similar native marsh marigold. Effective management strategies are needed to protect native woodland understory species and biodiversity in natural and seminatural areas of affected regions.
Soil Microbial Communities and Function in Alternative Systems to Continuous Cotton
Authors: Acosta-Martínez V. , Burow G. , Zobeck T. M. , Allen V. G.
Published: June 2010

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) monoculture under conventional tillage has been the predominant cropping system in the Southern High Plains region of the United States since the 1940s. This study evaluated other cropping systems and land uses for their potential to increase soil quality and enhance soil functioning compared with continuous cotton (Ct‐Ct), including a mixture of grasses in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a pasture monoculture [Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz) S.T. Blake] and a cotton–winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–corn (Zea mays L.) rotation (Ct‐W‐Cr). Soil microbial communities were evaluated according to microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiling, and molecular cloning techniques. Soil MBC was higher under the alternative systems at 0 to 5 cm (CRP > pasture = Ct‐W‐Cr > Ct‐Ct), 5 to 10 cm (CRP = Ct‐W‐Cr > pasture > Ct‐Ct), and 10 to 20 cm (CRP = pasture = Ct‐W‐Cr > Ct‐Ct). Soil DNA concentration was correlated with key soil quality parameters such as microbial biomass (r > 0.52, P < 0.05), total C (r = 0.372, P < 0.1), and total N (r = 0.449, P < 0.05). The 16S rRNA gene banding patterns (0–5 cm) of undisturbed systems (CRP and pasture) were more similar to each other than to Ct‐Ct and Ct‐W‐Cr. Fungal/bacterial FAME ratios were higher under CRP and pasture than under Ct‐Ct at 0 to 5 and 5 to 10 cm. This study found increases in sensitive soil quality parameters under alternative management compared with cotton monoculture.
Particulate Organic Matter at the Field Scale: Rapid Acquisition Using Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Bornemann L. , Welp G. , Amelung W.
Published: June 2010

Modeling global C cycles requires in‐depth knowledge about small‐scale C stocks and turnover processes, yet different soil organic C (SOC) pools reveal considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity at the field scale, which is scarcely known due to the considerable workload associated with traditional fractionation procedures. We investigated the potential of mid‐infrared spectroscopy combined with partial least squares regression (MIRS‐PLSR) for rapid assessment of different particulate organic matter (POM) pools and their spatial heterogeneity at the field scale. Locally calibrated prediction models estimated the contents of SOC, POM of three size classes (POM1: 2000–250 μm; POM2: 250–53 μm; and POM3: 53–20 μm), and lignin contents for 129 locations in a 1.3‐ha test field. Relations between the parameters were described using correlation analysis and fuzzy‐ κ statistics. All parameters were predicted successfully by applying local calibrations for MIRS‐PLSR (R2 = 0.77–0.96). The prediction model for POM1 chiefly relied on specific signals of lignin and cellulose; contents of POM2 were estimated by spectral bands assigned to degradation products as aliphatic C–H groups and aromatic moieties; carboxylic groups essentially contributed to the prediction of POM3. There was a close spatial relation between the coarse POM1 and POM2 fractions and lignin (κ = 0.77), which largely also explained variations in bulk SOC. In contrast, POM3 exhibited a less deterministic pattern in the field, thus contributing little to the spatial variation in SOC content.
Relationships among Mineralizable Soil Nitrogen, Soil Properties, and Climatic Indices
Authors: Dessureault-Rompré Jacynthe , Zebarth Bernie J. , Burton David L. , Sharifi Mehdi , Cooper Julia , Grant Cynthia A. , Drury Craig F.
Published: June 2010

Soil N mineralization is an important N contributor to crop uptake; however, the soil and climatic controls on soil mineralizable N are poorly understood. Soil samples from 56 sites across Canada were used to determine the potential to predict the size of mineralizable N pools through simple soil properties and through simple climatic indices and the re_clim indices. Mineralizable N was determined using a 24‐wk aerobic incubation at 25°C. Potentially mineralizable N (N0) was estimated by curve fitting using N mineralized from 2 to 24 wk, and Pool I, a labile mineralizable N pool, was determined as the N mineralized in the first 2‐wk period. Soil properties were relatively effective predictors of N0 with soil organic N (SON) and sand explaining 40 and 34% of the variability, respectively. Particulate organic matter N (POM‐N) and pH explained 18 and 25%, respectively, of the variability in Pool I. Simple climate normals were generally poor predictors of pool size except for potential evapotranspiration (PET), which predicted 24% of the variability in Pool I. The re_clim indices, normally applied to the activity of soil decomposers and applied here for the first time to explain soil mineralizable N pool size variability, performed better than simple climate indices and explained up to 26% of the variation in N0 By including soil and climatic parameters in a multiple regression model, it was possible to explain about 63 and 40% of the variability in N0 and Pool I, respectively, across a wide range of arable soils in Canada.
Conversion of Wheat–Maize to Vegetable Cropping Systems Changes Soil Organic Matter Characteristics
Authors: Lei Baokun , Fan Mingsheng , Chen Qing , Six Johan , Zhang Fusuo
Published: June 2010

We investigated the effects of land use conversion from cereal grain fields (GF) to greenhouse vegetable fields (VF) on total soil organic C (SOC) and total N (TN) and the labile soil organic matter pools dissolved organic C (DOC), permanganate‐oxidizable C (POC), dissolved organic N (DON), mineral N, and microbial biomass C (MBC) in the top 30 cm of the soil profile. The soil samples were collected in 20 sets of paired soils (greenhouse vegetable vs. wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]–maize [Zea mays L.] rotation fields) in northeast China. Compared with those in GF, the SOC and TN concentrations in VF increased by 28 and 58%, respectively. The accumulation rate of TN vs. SOC, however, led to a significant decrease in soil C/N ratio in VF compared with GF systems. The greatest difference in C/N ratios between GF and VF was observed in the large macroaggregates (>2000 μm). Conversion to VF led to increased DOC, POC, and DON concentrations and an increase in the percentage of SOC as DOC and POC. The pH, MBC, and percentage of SOC as MBC, however, were lower in the VF than GF systems. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between pH and MBC in the VF systems, while MBC was positively related to total SOC and POC in the GF systems. In conclusion, the results show tradeoffs between increasing SOC sequestration when agricultural land is converted from wheat–maize to vegetable systems and decreased C/N ratios and soil acidification. Improvements in soil and crop management for vegetable production systems in China, particularly the avoidance of excess N fertilizer and manure applications, are recommended.
Nitrogen and Sulfur Fertilization and Dynamics in a Brazilian Entisol under Pasture
Authors: De Bona Fabiano Daniel , Monteiro Francisco Antonio
Published: June 2010

Nutrient dynamics in tropical soils sustaining forage grasses are still poorly understood. We conducted a study to evaluate the effect of combined N and S fertilizer rates on the growth of ‘Marandu’ palisade grass [Brachiaria brizantha(Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf], uptake of these elements from the soil by plants, soil organic matter concentration, soil pH, and the mineral and organic fractions of N and S in an Entisol. Combinations of five N rates (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 g N m−3) with five S rates (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 g S m−3) were evaluated in a partial 5 × 5 factorial in a pot experiment, with and without plants. Nitrogen and S were supplied as NH4NO3and CaSO4·2H2O, respectively. The N addition in excess did not enhance the palisade grass production due to low plant‐available S in the soil. The supply of low rates of S with N greatly improved the overall N uptake efficiency by the forage plant. The contents of total N, NO3−–N, and NH4+–N in the soil varied with N rate and with N uptake by the plants. The association of palisade grass with S fertilization increased the ester‐bonded S fraction in the soil. The results suggest that soil residual S could be a potential source of S for plants. Proper N and S fertilizer rates promoted increased grass production due to increased uptake of these nutrients and the dynamics of the organic N and S fractions and mineral fractions in this tropical soil.
Simulated Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Alters Actinobacterial Community Composition in Forest Soils
Authors: Eisenlord Sarah D. , Zak Donald R.
Published: June 2010

Anthropogenic N deposition can slow the decay of plant detritus, leading to an accumulation of soil organic matter and the production of phenolic dissolved organic C (DOC), which can leach from soil to ground and surface waters. Actinobacteria are one of the few groups of saprotrophic microorganisms that oxidatively depolymerize lignin, producing substantial soluble polyphenolics in the process. In combination, these observations present the possibility that lignolytic Actinobacteria may become more important agents of lignin decay as atmospheric N deposition continues to increase during the next decade. To test this idea, we quantified actinobacterial abundance and community composition in a well‐replicated field study in which atmospheric N deposition has been experimentally increased since 1994. Actinobacterial abundance was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction of 16S rRNA and community composition was evaluated using clone libraries and phylogenetic community analyses (i.e., LIBSHUFF and UniFrac). Contrary to our expectation, experimental atmospheric N deposition had no effect on actinobacterial abundance in the forest floor (∼1010 gene copies kg−1); however, it significantly decreased actinobacterial abundance by 47% and total DNA by 31% in surface soil. Our analyses revealed that experimental N deposition further elicited a significant membership change in forest floor and surface soil communities, as well as significant differences in the phylogenetic diversity of forest floor Actinobacteria This shift in community composition occurred in concert with a slowing of plant litter decay, accumulation of soil organic matter, and a greater production of phenolic DOC. These observations are consistent with the idea that changes in actinobacterial community composition may underlie biogeochemical responses to experimental N deposition.
Influence of Electrostatic Field from Soil Particle Surfaces on Ion Adsorption–Diffusion
Authors: Li Hang , Li Rui , Zhu Hualin , Wu Laosheng
Published: June 2010

Despite the fact that soil is electrically neutral at a macroscopic scale, the potential gradient in the electric double layer (EDL) adjacent to the solid–liquid interface is not zero. The driving forces, therefore, must include the concentration gradient as well as the potential gradient for the adsorption or diffusion of charged ions in the soil. The purpose of this study was to theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the electrostatic field in the EDL originating from surface charges will strongly influence cation adsorption and diffusion. The generalized linear theory for describing nonlinear diffusion was applied to a miscible displacement experiment in this study. Both theoretical analysis and experimental data showed that the electric field in the EDL exerted a significant influence on ion adsorption and diffusion. Calculation based on the generalized linear theory clearly demonstrated how the electric field from surface charges of soil particles affected the kinetics of adsorption. The experimental results of Mg2+ adsorption in soil and pure clay samples showed that the experimental data can be well represented by the new diffusion model that accounts for the influence of the electrostatic field from a charged soil particle surface. In contrast, the models established based on Fick's diffusion laws failed to give a theoretical interpretation for why ion distribution in the soil should obey Boltzmann distribution when equilibrium is reached and why a great discrepancy existed between Fick's laws and the experimental data. This study indicated that the exchange and diffusion processes occurring in the external electric field of the EDL are essentially the same process.
Deformation and Shrinkage Effects on the Soil Water Release Characteristic
Authors: Gregory Andrew S. , Bird Nigel R. A. , Whalley W. Richard , Matthews G. Peter , Young Iain M.
Published: June 2010

The soil water release characteristic is controlled by the soil pores and so alteration of the pore system will have an effect. We sought to examine the effects of various pore deformations in a range of arable and grassland soils from the UK. Sieved topsoil materials were compressed to 50 or 200 kPa, or remolded to simulate shear deformation at the plastic limit. They were then subjected to matric potentials from 0 to ‐1500 kPa using conventional tension and pressure plate apparatus. Volume changes were monitored to assess shrinkage. Further samples in the compressed state were subjected to x‐ray computed tomography scanning to nondestructively characterize the soil pore system. Increasing the compression from 50 to 200 kPa mainly affected the >30‐μm pores, changing a dual porous system of inter‐ and intraaggregate pores to one mainly dominated by intraaggregate pores, as confirmed by gravimetric water release characteristic data and the scans. Shear‐deformed soils retained more water than the compressed soil and shrank more, such that they remained tension saturated at low (negative) matric potentials. We developed a function to predict the soil saturation state as a function of matric potential and porosity. This explained 28 to 63% of the variance, irrespective of the initial structural state, but up to 94% of the variation when one of the fitted parameters was allowed to vary for the different initial states. This was sufficiently systematic to suggest that a general model of the effects of soil deformation and shrinkage on the water release characteristic may be possible.
Estimating Relative Hydraulic Conductivity from the Water Release Characteristic of a Shrinking Clay Soil
Authors: Gregory Andrew S. , Bird Nigel R. A. , Whalley W. Richard , Matthews G. Peter
Published: June 2010

To understand the hydraulic properties of soils, accurate prediction of the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is needed, which is commonly derived from the soil water release characteristic. In fine‐textured soils, the modified Mualem–van Genuchten (MMVG) function has been used extensively to predict the change in relative conductivity with changes in matric potential, but this assumes that the soil is rigid with a constant porosity (CP), which is unrealistic for shrinking soils. We used a triaxial cell apparatus to accurately monitor soil volume changes during water release in a clay soil. From this we derived relative hydraulic conductivity functions based on either MMVG (CP), or based on geometrically similar shrinkage (GSS) of all pore sizes by a constant factor as calculated from the measured shrinking porosity (SP). The MMVG (CP) function predicted a decline in relative conductivity of up to three orders of magnitude from 0 to −400 kPa matric potential. This was similar to published data on the response of conductivity in the same soil to consolidation of larger pores. Based on SP, however, the soil remained effectively tension saturated (>0.97) down to a matric potential of −85 kPa due to normal shrinkage. The corresponding GSS (SP) function predicted only a modest decrease in relative conductivity from 1 to 0.85 across this range. In this case the larger pores, although reduced in size, are assumed to be still water filled and conducting. The GSS function was probably the most realistic portrayal of hydraulic functioning in a tension‐saturated shrinking clay soil.
Cultivation and Reseeding Effects on Soil Organic Matter in the Mixed Prairie
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu , Willms Walter D. , Hao Xiying , Zhao Mengli , Han Guodong
Published: June 2010

This study investigated how disturbances from cultivation and haying altered the soil organic C (SOC) at two sites: one (Lethbridge) in a Stipa–Agropyron–Bouteloua community (49°7″ N, 112°57″ W) and a second (Onefour) in a more xeric Stipa–Bouteloua community (49°3″ N, 110°27″ W). Seven disturbance treatments were established on previously uncultivated native grassland to assess their effect on SOC 12 or 13 yr after establishment. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used. Soils were sampled in the fall of 1995, 1997, and 2006 at two increments (0–15 and 15–30 cm) and a third (30–90 cm) was sampled in 2006. The soils were all analyzed for their SOC and, in 2006, also for their light fraction organic C (LF OC) and mineralizable C. Breaking and immediate establishment of perennial grass monocultures had no effect on SOC, LF OC, or mineralizable C. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping (either fallow or continuous) resulted in a 19% loss of SOC after 13 yr. The rate of loss varied from an average of about 1.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in the first 4 yr to about 0.32 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in the subsequent 9 yr. These results are consistent with a more rapid loss of SOC in the first decade of cropping virgin soils, a slowing rate of loss, and a new steady state within a few decades.
Trade Policy, Health, and Corporate Influence: British American Tobacco and China's Accession to the World Trade Organization
Authors: Holden Chris , Lee Kelley , Gilmore Anna , Fooks Gary , Wander Nathaniel
Published: June 2010

Tobacco market liberalization can have a profound impact on health. This article analyzes internal documents of British American Tobacco (BAT), released as a result of litigation in the United States, in order to examine the company's attempts to influence negotiations over China's accession to the World Trade Organization. The documents demonstrate that BAT attempted to influence these negotiations through a range of mechanisms, including personal access of BAT employees and lobbyists to policymakers; employment of former civil servants from key U.K. government departments; use of organized business groups such as the Multinational Chairmen's Group and the European Round Table; and participation and leadership in forums organized by Chatham House. These processes contributed to significant concessions on the liberalization of the tobacco market in China, although the failure to break the Chinese state monopoly over the manufacture and distribution of cigarettes has ensured that foreign tobacco companies' share of the Chinese market has remained small. World Trade Organization accession has nevertheless led to a profound restructuring of the Chinese tobacco industry in anticipation of foreign competition, which may result in more market-based and internationally oriented Chinese tobacco firms.
“Medical Tourism” and the Global Marketplace in Health Services: U.S. Patients, International Hospitals, and the Search for Affordable Health Care
Authors: Turner Leigh
Published: June 2010

Health services are now advertised in a global marketplace. Hip and knee replacements, ophthalmologic procedures, cosmetic surgery, cardiac care, organ transplants, and stem cell injections are all available for purchase in the global health services marketplace. “Medical tourism” companies market “sun and surgery” packages and arrange care at international hospitals in Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, and other destination nations. Just as automobile manufacturing and textile production moved outside the United States, American patients are “offshoring” themselves to facilities that use low labor costs to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. Proponents of medical tourism argue that a global market in health services will promote consumer choice, foster competition among hospitals, and enable customers to purchase high-quality care at medical facilities around the world. Skeptics raise concerns about quality of care and patient safety, information disclosure to patients, legal redress when patients are harmed while receiving care at international hospitals, and harms to public health care systems in destination nations. The emergence of a global market in health services will have profound consequences for health insurance, delivery of health services, patient-physician relationships, publicly funded health care, and the spread of medical consumerism.
Assessment of cost-efficiency for wood production in poplar plantations in Ravan Srem, based on internal rate of return
Authors: Keca Ljiljana
Published: June 2010

The paper presents the commercial cost efficiency analysis of poplar plantations, according to project evaluation indicator in agriculture and forestry - internal rate of return (IRR). The analysis was performed for planting poplar clone I-214 in the area of Ravan Srem, planting space 6?6 m, with different rotations and on different soil types. The methodology, used in this paper refers to the implementation of the dynamic method of economic research, which explains the discount rate, according to which, the current value of cash flow will be equal to the current value of the cash outflaw. The research goal was to check the justifica?tion of funds invested in wood production in poplar plantations, based on revenues and cost analysis in different plantation ages, using the IRR. The research showed that the IRR for 12 sample plots varied in interval 4.32-6.94% with average rate of 5.63%. The internal rates are larger for plantations on good quality soil types, regarding of poplar plantation (aluvial semigleyic soil), and for shorter rotations and vice versa. The IRR values higher than 12% were not found in researched framework of cost-revenues changes rate. The sensitive analysis proved that the project is very easily affected by cost-revenues changes. .
Gendered Post-Compulsory Educational Choices of Non-Heterosexual Youth
Authors: Lehtonen Jukka
Published: June 2010

Gender and socio-economic background are widely acknowledged factors influencing the educational choices of young people. Following their compulsory education, young people in Finland choose between academically oriented general upper secondary schools and vocational upper secondary schools. Gender and class intertwine in these choices in many ways. This is particularly visible in vocational education, which is highly gender-segregated. This article focuses on the post-compulsory educational choices of non-heterosexual young people. It argues that, in addition to class and gender, sexuality is another relevant factor affecting processes related to educational and career choices. Based on interviews and stories produced with young non-heterosexual people, it analyse how gender, class and sexual orientation were constructed as meaningful in the educational choices these young people made. Young non-heterosexual people take part in processes where they are expected to construct educational and labour-market citizenship. They are often expected to be and act heterosexual; their non-heterosexuality is neither visible nor considered relevant when they consider their educational paths. However, many of these youth resist the gendered expectations forced on them and choose differently.
Teachers' Collective Actions, Alliances and Resistance within Neo-Liberal Ideas of Education: The Example of the Individual Programme
Authors: Dovemark Marianne
Published: June 2010

The education system in Sweden has taken a strong neo-liberal turn over the past 15 years. This article uses ethnographic research from an Individual Programme (IP) in a Swedish upper secondary school to explore how alliances, collective actions and resistance can be materialised within the changed system. According to the author, the teachers in the study tried to implement consciousness-raising work in three ways: through ‘encouraging critical awareness’, ‘encouraging students' collective actions' and ‘working towards a collective’. This view of education stood in sharp contrast to a dominant ideology of education, which was characterised by self-regulation, self-governance, personal choice and other self-monitored activities.
Discourses on Inclusion, Citizenship and Categorizations of ‘Special’ in Education Policy: The Case of Negotiating Change in the Governing of Vocational Special Needs Education in Finland
Authors: Hakala Katariina
Published: June 2010

This article deals with the negotiation process deciding the institutional organization of vocational special needs education and training in Finland. Traditionally, the state has been a strong actor in organizing vocational special needs education in Finland. At the beginning of 2009, however, all five state-maintained vocational special schools were administratively merged with vocational special schools of non-governmental not-for-profit organizations. Three of these former state schools are institutions that have long traditions in organizing care, education and training for people with intellectual disabilities, which is the starting point for the study that this article is based on. The article focuses on research that has documented the change process in these three schools by visiting the schools, gathering ethnographic data and interviewing the head teachers about the process. The article analyzes discursive meanings of the concept of inclusion and different categorizations of ‘special’ constructed in the data. The results of the analysis show that there is ambivalence in the formulation of ideas of inclusion and exclusion in the educational policy of vocational special needs education and training, as the policy on the one hand supports full inclusion and, on the other, legitimates the separated vocational special schools.
The Power of Time: Teachers' Working Day — Negotiating Autonomy and Control
Authors: Steen-Olsen Tove , Eikseth Astrid Grude
Published: June 2010

This article focuses on teachers' repeated complaints of lack of time. The theme is explored within data material collected in a research and development project in a Norwegian primary school (2006–09), including observations from development work together with a teacher team, and interviews with their principal, a representative of the teacher union and a representative of the local education authority. The aim of the article is to study in what way teachers' autonomy and utilisation of time is debated when teachers experience that new reforms exert more demands and external control on their professional work. The material is analysed within the framework of critical discourse analysis with a focus on how social practice and power relations are constructed, maintained and negotiated in the education arena. The findings indicate that the teachers' working day is an arena for constant political and discursive negotiations, and two discourses — professional and economic — contribute to conflicting views regarding teachers' autonomy and utilisation of time.
Effects of Combined Ezetimibe and Simvastatin Therapy as Compared With Simvastatin Alone in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Ruggenenti Piero , Cattaneo Dario , Rota Stefano , Iliev Ilian , Parvanova Aneliya , Diadei Olimpia , Ene-Iordache Bogdan , Ferrari Silvia , Bossi Antonio C. , Trevisan Roberto , Belviso Antonio , Remuzzi Giuseppe ,   for the Ezetimibe and Simvastatin in Dyslipidemia of Diabetes (ESD) Study Group
Published: June 2010

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effects of inhibited gastrointestinal cholesterol absorption in statin-treated dyslipidemic patients.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a multicenter prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, we primarily compared by ANCOVA the effect of 2-month ezetimibe (10 mg/day) or placebo therapy on LDL cholesterol serum levels in 108 type 2 diabetic patients with albuminuria <200 μg/min and total cholesterol concentrations >135 mg/dl despite simvastatin treatment (40 mg/day).

RESULTS

Unlike placebo, ezetimibe decreased LDL cholesterol from 99 ± 31 to 66 ± 22 mg/dl, total cholesterol from 162 ± 36 to 124 ± 30 mg/dl, and apolipoprotein B from 83 ± 22 to 64 ± 18 mg/dl (P < 0.0001 for all changes versus placebo). A total of 72 and 17% of patients on ezetimibe or placebo achieved LDL levels <70 mg/dl, respectively (P < 0.0001). Treatment was well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding ezetimibe to simvastatin therapy helps to improve the pro-atherogenic lipoprotein profile in type 2 diabetic patients who fail to reach recommended lipid targets with statin therapy alone.
Numerical modelling of hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes during storm events in a non-perennial river
Authors: Ramsankaran Raaj , Maerker Christian , Malcherek Andreas
Published: June 2010

Numerical modelling of hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes during storm events in a non-perennial river

This article presents the numerical modelling of hydrodynamics and sediment transport processes in the seasonal Pathri Rao River, which flows in the Northern part of India. Modelling is made by the coupled application of the hydrodynamic model called TELEMAC-2D and the morphodynamic model called SediMorph. The hydrodynamic model results are validated with the observed data and it has been found that the present model provides reasonable predictions. Likewise, the validation of the morphodynamic model is also presented. For this purpose, the suspended and bed load transport modules are validated separately for four runoff events observed during the investigations. The validation of the former is approached by comparing the depth-averaged suspended transport concentrations against experimental measurements made at the make-shift gauging station and subsequent comparison against experimental measurements. On the other hand, due to non-availability of the observed values on bed load sediment transport, the bed load sediment transport and bed evolution numerical results could not be validated quantitatively and was approached only on qualitative basis. In general, both validations present an acceptable agreement with measurements and scientific facts. Further, this study demonstrates that the coupled TELEMAC-2D/SediMorph system could be used with confidence for practical applications in the Pathri Rao River.
Assessing Cognition Following Petrol Sniffing for Indigenous Australians
Authors: Dingwall Kylie M. , Lewis Matthew S. , Maruff Paul , Cairney Sheree
Published: June 2010

Background: Chronic petrol inhalation can be associated with significant cognitive impairment. While rehabilitation programs can rely on such skills to educate clients and achieve treatment outcomes, cognitive function is rarely assessed on admission. This is particularly true for Indigenous populations where standard assessments are not appropriate. This paper describes a process for assessing cognition in Indigenous Australians. Two studies investigate firstly the demographic factors impacting on cognition for healthy Indigenous Australians and secondly the utility of the assessment process for detecting petrol sniffing related cognitive impairments.

Methods: Study One assessed a naturalistic sample of healthy Indigenous Australians from the Northern Territory ( N = 206; mean age = 28.03) on computerised tests of psychomotor speed, visual attention, memory, learning, spatial awareness and executive functions. Multiple regression analyses determined the unique contributions of six factors (age, education, gender, familiarity with computers, regular long term cannabis use and locality) to the variance in performance for this group. Study Two examined group differences in cognitive performance on the same tests between healthy Indigenous Australians ( N = 96) and Indigenous petrol sniffers ( N = 50; both age restricted to < 26 years) while controlling those factors found to impact on performance from Study One.

Results: Age, computer familiarity, and education significantly contributed to the variance in performance measures. While controlling these factors, petrol abuse was associated with poorer performance on complex tasks of psychomotor, visual attention, memory, learning, spatial awareness and executive function.

Conclusions: This assessment process is useful for detecting substance abuse related impairments in Indigenous Australians and when using this assessment process, age and computer familiarity in particular should be controlled for.
Distress Levels and Self-Reported Treatment Rates for Medicine, Law, Psychology and Mechanical Engineering Tertiary Students: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Leahy Catherine M. , Peterson Ray F. , Wilson Ian G. , Newbury Jonathan W. , Tonkin Anne L. , Turnbull Deborah
Published: June 2010

Objective: The aim of this research was to assess tertiary student distress levels with regards to (i) comparisons with normative population data, and (ii) the effects of discipline, year level, and student characteristics. Self-reported treatment rates and level of concern regarding perceived distress were also collected.

Method: Students from all six years of an undergraduate medical course were compared with samples from Psychology, Law and Mechanical Engineering courses at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Students participated in one of three studies that were either web-based or paper-based. All studies included Kessler's Measure of Psychological Distress (K10), and questions pertaining to treatment for any mental health problems and concern regarding distress experienced.

Results: Of the 955 tertiary students who completed the K10, 48% were psychologically distressed (a K10 score ≥ 22) which equated to a rate 4.4 times that of age-matched peers. The non-health disciplines were significantly more distressed than the health disciplines. Distress levels were statistically equivalent across all six years of the medical degree. Of tertiary students, 11% had been treated for a mental health problem. Levels of concern correlated with the K10 score.

Conclusion: The results from this research suggest that high distress levels among the tertiary student body may be a phenomenon more widely spread than first thought. Low treatment rates suggest that traditional models of support may be inadequate or not appropriate for tertiary cohorts.
Mapping Phalaris minor under the Rice-Wheat Cropping System in different Agro-Ecological Regions of Nepal
Authors: Ranjit JD , Bellinder RR , Hobbs P , Rajbhandari NK , Kataki P
Published: June 2010

A survey was conducted in order to map the spread of Phalaris minor in wheat in nine districtsin the mid-hill, Terai and inner Terai areas of the rice-wheat cropping system in Nepal during1998/99. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 540 farmers and P. minorwas recorded in all of the nine surveyed districts. Percent summed dominance ratio (SDR) andaverage number per unit area (m2) of P. minor was compared to different districts of mid-hills,inner Tarai, and Tarai belts along with other weeds in the wheat crop. P. minor ranked as thefirst and second important weed of wheat that reduced the wheat yield from 10 to 50 percent. Itspopulations varied from district to district. However, the infestation appeared to be in increasingtrend. Future strategies need to consider in increasing growers' abilities to identify P. minor atearly growth stages when it is particularly difficult to differentiate from wheat seedlings. It issuggested that frequent monitoring of weeds in different tillage and weed management practicesshould be initiated. Besides farmers' training in the future there needs to be emphasis placed onincreasing farmer's awareness on the serious negative impact of P. minor on wheat yield andquality.Key words: Agro-ecology; Phalaris minor; survey; weeds; wheatDOI: 10.3126/narj.v7i0.1869Nepal Agriculture Research Journal Vol.7 2006 pp.54-63
Management of Leaf Blight (Bipolaris sorokiniana) Disease of Wheat with Cultural Practices
Authors: Chaurasia PCP , Duveiller E
Published: June 2010

An experiment was conducted at agronomy farm of Agriculture research Station, Tarahara,Nepal for three consecutive years viz 2000/2001,2001/2002, and 2002/2003 to evaluate theeffects of different cultural practices on leaf blight diseases of wheat caused by Bipolarissorokiniana under terai conditions. The experiment was conducted in factorial RandomizedComplete Block Design with four replications. Four factors, two wheat verities RR-21 andNepal 297,two number of irrigations (two and three irrigations), two doses of Nitrogen fertilizerviz. 60kg N/ha and 120 kg N/ha and two dates of sowing of wheat were examined. Differentyield components, grain yield (kg/plot) and disease severity were recorded to judge the effects ofthese factors on severity of leaf blight of wheat. Nepal Line 297 had significantly less AUDPCbased on flag leaf infection and whole plan as compared to RR-21. Number of irrigations had nosignificant effect on AUDPC, as there was frequent rain during experimental period. Doses ofNitrogen fertilizer had significant effect on AUDPC based on flag leaf infection. It was higher incase of 60 kg N/ha. The third week of November sowing of wheat had lower value of AUDPCas compared to December sowing. Plant height, panicle lengths were highly significantly higherin case of RR-21 as compared to Nepal-297. Thousand kernel weight, and grain yield kg/ha weresignificantly higher in Nepal-297. All agronomic parameters except thousand kernel weight andnumber of tillers/plan were significantly higher in 120kg N/ha. The third week of Novembersowing of wheat had less plant height and panicle length, higher thousand kernel weight andmore grain yield. Leaf blight severity was highly significantly less in case of Nepal-297. Dosesof Nitrogen fertilizer had significant effect on plant height, panicle length, thousand kernelweight, percentage flag leaf infection and AUDPC based on flag leaf infection. Based on theresults of three years of experimentations, it can be concluded that Nepal-297 had less disease,number of irrigations had no effect on disease severity, higher doses of nitrogen fertilizer hadless flag infection and late sowing of wheat also had less disease. Numbers of irrigation's effectswere inconclusive as there were frequent rains during experimentation period. Based on aboveconclusion, it is recommended that growing wheat verity like Nepal-297, use of higher doses ofnitrogen fertilizer and sowing of wheat / first week of Dec help in minimizing the severity of leafblight. However late sowing had lowered grain yield.Key words: AUDPC; culture practices; disease management; leaf blightDOI: 10.3126/narj.v7i0.1870Nepal Agriculture Research Journal Vol.7 2006 pp.63-69
ABUSE OF JOINT DOMINANCE IN CANADIAN COMPETITION POLICY
Authors: Iacobucci Edward M. , Winter Ralph A.
Published: June 2010

The Canadian Competition Bureau has recently offered new draft guidelines on the abuse of dominance that, in the area of joint dominance, depart from the existing guidelines in two ways: first, the bureau no longer considers as a potential abuse of joint dominance the adoption of practices that facilitate supra-competitive pricing in an oligopoly; second, while in the past some form of explicit coordination was required for an assessment of joint dominance, the bureau now considers parallel abusive conduct by jointly dominant firms as potentially infringing the abuse provisions. The first change, which we attribute to case law rather than to the bureau, is undesirable. The adoption of facilitating practices can lessen competition, and is practically remediable. Facilitating practices should be considered potential abuses of joint dominance. On the other hand, the second change is sensible: oligopolists may profitably adopt exclusionary practices in parallel without coordination. Parallel exclusionary practices may lessen competition even when no single firm has a dominant market share, and this problem is amenable to a practical remedy. The bureau's new approach is welcome on this front.
IDEAS, INTERESTS, INSTITUTIONS AND THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN BANKRUPTCY LAW, 1867–1880
Authors: Telfer Thomas G.W.
Published: June 2010

Michael Trebilcock's scholarship has long recognized the importance of ideas, interests, and institutions in shaping policy. Taking the same analytical approach that Michael Trebilcock and Ninette Kelley use in their ground-breaking book on the history of Canadian immigration, which focuses on economic interests, contested ideas, and institutions, this article examines the Canadian historical experience to gain an understanding of the ideas, interests, and institutions that have been influential in shaping the evolution of Canadian bankruptcy law. Specifically, the article addresses the rise of Canadian bankruptcy legislation in the early post-Confederation period and its ultimate repeal in 1880. Bankruptcy law represented both a conflict of ideas over the morality of the bankruptcy discharge and a distinct divergence of interests between local and distant creditors over the advantages and disadvantages of a pro rata distribution. Institutional factors such as federalism, courts, and the emerging regulatory state also had an independent effect.
Putting the Folk in Their Place
Authors: Kockel Ullrich
Published: June 2010

The folk, who have been exorcised from contemporary academic concern, are now replaced with the populace. Simultaneously, places as ecological loci of meaning and social relations have been discarded in favour of globalised spaces. Arguably, the contemporary obsession with proving the inauthenticity of tradition is itself an essentialising discourse. This obsession has helped destroy places and their ecological relationships. European ethnology originated in the Enlightenment pursuit of good governance and social improvement, which rendered it an instrument of political control - putting the folk in their place. By critically reconstructing the public role of ethnology, we can redirect the ethnological searchlight. Should not the responsible ethnologist, rather than colluding in evictions of the folk from their place, cultivate a respectfully critical understanding of social, economic, political and ecological contexts, working with the folk reflexively, to help reclaim their place.
Intangible Cultural Heritages
Authors: Craith Máiréad Nic
Published: June 2010

Heritage has traditionally been associated with material objects, but recent conventions have emphasized the significance of intangible culture heritage. This article advocates a holistic approach towards the concept and considers key challenges for Europe's heritage at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Reflecting on the notion of 'European', it considers the question of how one defines European heritage and which European heritage is to be protected. It explores links between national and European conceptions of identity and heritage and queries issues of ownership, language and representation. A number of ethical issues are raised - such as the role of women in the transmission of heritage and the implications of information technology for copywriting traditional practices. The author also asks how one ensures that the process of globalisation facilitates rather than eliminates local cultural heritages? How does one enhance the local so that it becomes glocal and not obsolete?