bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrophobicity of organic matter in arable soils: influence of management
Authors: CAPRIEL P.
Published: August 2010

The affinity of soil organic matter for water influences resistance to microbial degradation, the rate of wetting and adsorption processes. Such properties play key roles in organic matter and microbial biomass dynamics, aggregate stability, water infiltration, leaching of organic and inorganic pollutants, chemical composition and the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The hydrophobicity of the organic matter as a function of management have been studied in two soils with contrasting textures using diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). The results show that agricultural management clearly influences the amount of aliphatic C‐H units and implicitly the hydrophobicity of the soil organic matter. A decrease of organic C due to management is accompanied by a decrease of hydrophobicity as well as of soil microbial activity and aggregate stability. The hydrophobicity index is a sensitive quantity to characterize the‘quality’ of soil organic matter. DRIFT spectroscopy proves to be a rapid and reliable technique to determine quantitatively the hydrophobicity of soil organic matter.
Changes in solid‐ and solution‐phase phosphorus in soil on acidification
Authors: HARTIKAINEN H. , SIMOJOKI A.
Published: August 2010

There is confusion about the effects of acidification on soil P because its impact on sorption and on P dissolution have not been separated. We investigated these effects with two soils treated with H2SO4 by both percolation and batch titration methods. Repeated percolation with dilute acid removed less P than repeated percolation with water. In contrast, the more acid was added in the batch method the more P was released. The conflicting outcome was attributable to the differences in the closed and open systems; the solutions used to remove P differed in their ionic strength and composition. The Q/I plots and the fractionation analyses revealed that the P release and the changes in the dynamic relation between solid‐and solution‐phase P are a net effect of two coincident, but opposing reactions on oxide surfaces. As a result of acidification the sorption sites available on the Fe and Al oxide surfaces will diminish through the resorption of P dissolved by acid from the Ca‐bound fraction. This increase in the P saturation enhances the desorption tendency, which is counteracted by the protonation of the oxide surfaces enhancing the sorption affinity.
A modified method for the determination of quickly reacting aluminium
Authors: CLARKE N. , GUAN X. , GOBRAN G. R.
Published: August 2010

Calculation of [Al3+] is necessary to understand geochemical processes involving aluminium. Quickly reacting aluminium is a quantity from which [Al3+] can be calculated. We have modified the method used to determine quickly reacting aluminium in soil leachates. The modifications consist of changing the reaction pH from 5·0 to 4·5 and increasing the reagent concentration from 4 to 12 mmol 1−1. The range of concentrations for which Beer's law applies has been increased up to 40 mg Al l−1 using a 20 μl injection volume. The sample throughput is 69–88 injections per hour, depending on concentration. A slight improvement in the buffering capacity has been obtained. The fractionation obtained is similar to that of the original method, except that a clearer separation is obtained for the complex AlHPO4+, enabling easier calculation of [Al3+].
Soil structural quality, compaction and land management
Authors: BALL B. C. , CAMPBELL D. J. , DOUGLAS J. T. , HENSHALL J. K. , O'SULLIVAN M. F.
Published: August 2010

Soil compaction is a concern worldwide, particularly where compactible soils are used for intensive agriculture in a wet climate. We have investigated the impact of compaction and the associated changes in soil structural qualities on crop production and environmental pollution. The overall objective was to develop soil management systems that provide suitable conditions for crop growth and minimize environmental damage. We ran large‐scale field experiments studying the preservation of structural quality in arable and permanent grassland, using management systems such as the control or elimination of field traffic and the application of conservation tillage and zero tillage. We measured bulk density, shear strength, cone resistance, macroporosity, relative diffusivity, air permeability and water infiltrability to identify soil qualities that could be used for selecting suitable soil management. Along with crop yield, we measured environmental impacts, such as the emissions of nitrous oxide from the soil, which require the interaction of soil structure and water content near the soil surface. Soil structure influenced wetness, which affected trafficability, compaction and nitrogen retention. Measurement of properties that affect fluid storage and transport, such as macroporosity, provided soil quality indices that helped in recommending suitable soil management systems. Spatial variation of structure associated with wheel‐track locations could be estimated rapidly using a cone penetrometer. Variation was particularly important in determining crop yield consistency. Crop productivity and soil structural qualities were preserved best when field traffic was eliminated. A reduced ground‐pressure system successfully minimized compaction in grassland but was less effective in an arable rotation. Unless traffic is eliminated, good timing of operations is the most effective way to preserve soil structural quality.
Kinetically controlled release of uranium from soils
Authors: BRAITHWAITE A. , LIVENS F. R. , RICHARDSON S. , HOWE M. T. , GOULDING K. W. T.
Published: August 2010

Although trade element uptake on and release from solid phases are fundamental controls on the migration of the elements in the environment, the controls are incompletely understood. The extraction of uranium from two soils, both of which have been labelled naturally with uranium, was therefore studied using a cation resin exchange technique. One soil was a peat from the Needle's Eye natural analogue site, Scotland, and the other was a calcareous brown earth from Derbyshire, England. The effects of different exchanging cations, solution pH and the presence of complexing anions (Cl−, CO32−, SO42−) in solution on uranium extraction were assessed. The extraction could be described by a simple, first‐order kinetic model with up to three rate constants being identifiable in individual experiments. In both soils no single reaction pathway appeared to dominate, and extraction was slow, with rate constants of 10−3−10−4 h−1 in acid conditions and around 10−6 h−1 in neutral conditions. Half‐times for uranium release in the experiments were in the range 30–60 days in acid and around 10 years in neutral conditions; in the field they are therefore expected to be several years at both sites. Incorporation of kinetic factors into a simple one‐dimensional migration model illustrates that their overall effect is to retard migration. Ideally, therefore, reaction rates should be taken into account in predictive modelling of element transport.
The phosphorus composition of soil solutions and soil leachates: Influence of soil:solution ratio
Authors: CHAPMAN P. J. , EDWARDS A. C. , SHAND C. A.
Published: August 2010

Compositional differences between soil solutions obtained by different methods have frequently been reported; variations in the soi1: solution ratio may explain these results. In this study we compared the amount and composition of phosphorus (P) in soil leachates and soil solutions from a temperate grassland soil in northeast Scotland and determined the influence of soi1:solution ratio on P fractions in soil water extracts. Leachates were collected from intact soil cores over 6 months, the cores were then destructively sampled, and soil solutions obtained by centrifuging. Molybdate reactive P (MRP) represented 71% of the total dissolved P (TDP) in soil leachates but only 54% in soil solutions. The MRP component in soil water extracts increased from 71% to 92% as the soi1:solution ratio increased from 1:15 to 1:15·4, while the dissolved organic P (DOP) component decreased from 26% to 6%. As the soil:solution ratio increased the amount of MRP extracted increased; by contrast the amount of DOP and dissolved condensed P (DCP) extracted remained constant. While the MRP component is regulated by soil sorption processes, the supply and amount of DOP and DCP is probably related to biological activity. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracted at wide soi1:solution ratios contained a smaller proportion of P than that extracted at narrower ratios. The results indicate differences in the behaviour of P fractions in the soil at various soi1:solution ratios and that these are reflected in the P composition of soil solution and leachate.
Computer‐assisted tomography of macroporosity and its application to study the activity of the earthwormAporrectodea nocturna
Authors: DANIEL O. , KRETZSCHMAR A. , CAPOWIEZ Y. , KOHLI L. , ZEYER J.
Published: August 2010

In a pre‐alpine meadow in the Toggenburg (Switzerland), casts of the earthwormAporrectodea nocturna, initially detected 20 years ago around a newly planted hedge, now extend 170 m from the hedge. The abundance of A.nocturmadecreased between 140 and 170 m from the hedge from 237 (site: An+) to 0 (site: An−) individuals m−2. The worm's activity and the macroporosity it has created have been studied using CAT scanning followed by automated image analysis of pores from 1·5 to 9 mm diameter. Brightness values in images from CAT scanning showed distinct local frequency maxima for stones, soil matrix and macropores. Measured diameters of pores were strongly linearly correlated with diameters of needles used to produce artificial pores. Pores from 1·5 to 3 mm were most abundant. The maximum number of pores from 1·5 to 9 mm (about 1600 m−2) was larger than the maximum number of all earthworms (about 480 m−2). Modelling the cast production ofA. nocturnaindicated that 23·8 kg m−2were deposited on the soil's surface within 3 months. The measured macroporosity (1·5–6 mm) was one‐quarter to one‐sixth of the pore volume corresponding to the removed casts. Thus, net production of pores by earthworms was a result both of the burrowing activity and of the refilling with eroded cast material. Depth distributions of bulk density, total porosity and pores from 1·5 to 9 mm were different at An+ from those at An−. However, diffusion of butane was equal at An+ and An−. Three‐dimensional reconstruction suggested that the disposition (continuity, interconnectivity) of pores was more important for gas diffusion than the structure (size distribution, frequency) and bulk soil parameters.
Factors controlling the partitioning of pyrene to dissolved organic matter extracted from different soils
Authors: Marschner B. , Winkler R. , JÖdemann D.
Published: August 2010

The mobility of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in soils can be influenced by the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM). While numerous studies have determined interactions of HOCs with humic and fulvic acids, only few data exist on the partitioning of HOCs to natural, non‐fractionated DOM as it occurs in soil solutions. In this study, DOM was extracted from 17 soil samples with a broad range of chemical and physical properties, originating from different land uses. The partition coefficients of pyrene to DOM were determined in all soil extracts and for two commercial humic acids using the fluorescence quenching method. For the soil extracts, log KDOC values ranged from 3.2 to 4.5 litres kg−1. For the Aldrich and Fluka humic acids, log KDOC was 4.98 and 4.96 litres kg−1, respectively, thus indicating that they are not representative for soil DOM. After excluding these two values, the statistical analysis of the data showed a significant negative correlation between log KDOC and pH. This was also shown for one sample where the pH was adjusted to values ranging from 3 to 9. A multiple regression analysis suggested that ultraviolet absorbance at 280 nm (an indicator for aromaticity) and the E4:E6 ratio (an indicator for molecular weight) had additional effects on log KDOC. The results indicate that the partitioning of pyrene to DOM is reduced at alkaline pH, probably due to the increased polarity of the organic macromolecules resulting from the deprotonation of functional groups. Only within a narrow pH range was the KDOC of pyrene mainly related to the aromaticity of DOM.
Preferential flow and transport in soil: progress and prognosis
Authors: Clothier B. E. , Green S. R. , Deurer M.
Published: August 2010

Soil is the first filter of the world’s water; its buffering and filtering determine the quality and quantity of our reserves of subterranean and surface water. Preferential flow can either enhance, or curtail, the capacity of the soil to buffer and filter, and it can compromise, or boost, other ecosystem services. We ask ‘when do preferential flow and transport matter?’ We identify 12 of 17 ecosystem services that benefit from preferential flow and three that are affected detrimentally. We estimate by simple arithmetic the value of preferential flow to ecosystem services to be globally some US$304 billion (109) per year. We review the 1989 Monte Verità meeting on preferential flow processes and summarize the 2006 presentations, some of which are published in this issue of the Journal. New technologies and innovative experiments have increased our understanding of the conditions that initiate and sustain preferential flows. We identify contemporary exigencies, and suggest avenues for their resolution. We are progressing through observation‐led discovery. Our prognosis is that new data will enable us to develop better models, and more aptly to parameterize existing models, and thereby predict the impact, benefits and detriments of preferential flow in soil.
Monotypic immunoglobulin E plasma cells in an allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipient
Authors: SCHUURMAN H.‐J. , VERDONCK L.F. , GEERTZEMA J.G.N. , VAN DER LINDEN J.A. , DE GAST G.C.
Published: August 2010

A patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in first remission received a bone marrow transplant from his HLA‐identical brother. The patient had a remote history of asthma and the bone marrow donor had allergic asthma. The patient developed acute graft‐versus‐host disease and died 2 months after transplantation. At autopsy there were high numbers of plasma cells in lymphoid tissues. The majority of this cell population was of polytypic IgG, IgM or IgA origin, but there was a significant contribution by monotypic IgE‐γ‐containing cells, varying from 10% in the appendix to 35% in lymph node. The serum IgE level in the patient was less than 0.5IU/ml before transplantation, and 8.5IU/ml 1 month thereafter. In the donor the value was about 400 IU/ml. In the donor only, specific IgE antibodies to various allergens were detectable. The bone marrow of the donor contained 0.4% plasma cells, of which 36% were IgE positive (x/γ ratio 1/11). These findings are compatible with literature data on elevations in serum IgE level following bone marrow transplantation. We suggest that the IgE‐γ plasma cell population is of donor origin.
Is it necessary to embed bone marrow biopsies in plastic for haematological diagnosis?
Authors: GATTER K. C. , HERYET A. , BROWN D. C. , MASON D. Y.
Published: August 2010

With the increase in the use of bone marrow trephines for diagnosis have come numerous reports that traditional methods of preparation (by decalcification and embedding in paraffin wax) should be replaced by plastic embedding to avoid decalcification. It has been argued that only by this means can the high quality preparations needed for accurate haematopathological diagnosis be achieved. The present study challenges this viewpoint and argues that with a little extra care and attention conventional paraffin embedding techniques can give equally high quality preparations. Sections prepared in this way meet the diagnostic needs of the haematologist, without requiring a separate technique to be established in the pathology laboratory solely for bone marrow trephines.
The human placental bed: histology, immunohistochemistry and pathology
Authors: WELLS M. , BULMER J. N.
Published: August 2010

There has been much interest recently on local intra‐uterine materno‐fetal interactions particularly in the placental bed where cellular relationships between mother and fetus are at their most intimate. While few histopathologists are expected to interpret formal placental bed biopsy specimens, confrontation with tissue from this site is common following abortion, post‐partum haemorrhage or molar gestation. This review gives an account of recent advances in our knowledge of the histology, immunohistochemistry and pathology of the placental bed. It focuses particularly on extravillous trophoblast populations and their relationship to maternal cells and emphasizes the importance of vascular changes.
Malignant melanoma: a new mimic of colloid adenocarcinoma
Authors: NOTTINGHAM J. F. , SLATER D. N.
Published: August 2010

Myxoid stromal change is seen in a number of benign and malignant tumours in the skin and soft tissues but has not previously been reported in malignant melanoma. Myxoid change can occur in malignant melanoma and cause diagnostic confusion with colloid (mucinous) adenocarcinoma.
Gastric dysplasia: inter‐observer variation, sulphomucin staining and nucleolar organizer region counting
Authors: FALCK V.V. , NOVELLI M.M. , WRIGHT N.N. , ALEXANDER N.
Published: August 2010

Gastric dysplasia is regarded as a pre‐neoplastic lesion and is generally believed to have higher potential for malignant transformation with increasing grade. To obtain consistency in diagnosis and management, reproducible diagnostic criteria are needed. We have used the classification system of the International Study Group on Gastric Cancer—ISGGC and investigated the inter‐observer variation in histological diagnosis. A Kappa statistic of 0.579, which reflects moderate agreement, was obtained for variation between two experienced pathologists. The prevalence of type III intestinal metaplasia was studied and found to occur in 55% of dysplastic areas, but in only 9% of hyperplastic areas (P < 0.01). In addition, the correlation of mean nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) counts with diagnostic categorization was investigated. A significant inter‐observer variation was found between an experienced pathologist and a postgraduate student and only one of the observers obtained statistically significant separation of mean AgNOR counts between the categories of high‐grade dysplasia, low‐grade dysplasia, atypical hyperplasia, simple hyperplasia and normal.
Immunostaining of antral gastrin cells is quantitatively increased in Helicobacter pylori gastritis
Authors: SANKEY E.A. , HELLIWELL P.A. , DHILLON A.P.
Published: August 2010

The amount of gastrin‐like immunostaining in gastrin (G) cells of the antral mucosa was quantified using a computer‐assisted method of measuring immunoreaction product. Biopsies from 2 5 patients without Heliobacter‐like organisms and 60 patients with varying degrees of infection were immunostained for gastrin. Twenty‐five G cells from each patient were measured both subjectively and by image analysis. Gastrin‐like immunoreactivity was found to be significantly increased in the presence of Heliobacter‐like organisms.
Thymoma in childhood: a clinicopathological study of five cases
Authors: PESCARMONA E. , GIARDINI R. , BRISIGOTTI M. , CALLEA F. , PISACANE A. , BARONI C.D.
Published: August 2010

The histological and clinical findings in five cases of thymoma arising in paediatric patients have been studied. The age range was 11‐15 years and no patient was affected by myasthenia gravis. All tumours were macroscopically encapsulated, but two of them displayed evidence of microscopic capsular invasion. Histologically, four cases were of the predominantly cortical type (organoid thymoma) with prominent areas of medullary differentiation and Hassall's bodies; one case was of the cortical type. All patients are alive and disease‐free 3 months to 9 years after surgery. These findings suggest that thymoma in the paediatric age group may be characterized by fairly uniform clinicopathological features, with a low rate of association with myasthenia gravis and a favourable prognosis.
Pathological prognostic factors in breast cancer. II. Histological type. Relationship with survival in a large study with long‐term follow‐up
Authors: ELLIS I.O. , GALEA M. , BROUGHTON N. , LOCKER A. , BLAMEY R.W. , ELSTON C.W.
Published: August 2010

The histological tumour type determined by current criteria has been investigated in a consecutive series of 1621 women with primary operable breast carcinoma, presenting between 1973 and 1987. All women underwent definitive surgery with node biopsy and none received adjuvant systemic therapy. Special types, tubular, invasive cribriform and mucinous, with a very favourable prognosis can be identified. A common type of tumour recognized by our group and designated tubular mixed carcinoma is shown to be prognostically distinct from carcinomas of no special type; it has a characteristic histological appearance and is the third most common type in this series. Analysis of subtypes of lobular carcinoma confirms differing prognoses. The classical, tubulo‐lobular and lobular mixed types are associated with a better prognosis than carcinomas of no special type; this is not so for the solid variant. Tubulo‐lobular carcinoma in particular has an extremely good prognosis similar to tumours included in the ‘special type’ category above. Neither medullary carcinoma nor atypical medullary carcinoma are found to carry a survival advantage over carcinomas of no special type. The results confirm that histological typing of human breast carcinoma can provide useful prognostic information.
Characterization of the inflammatory infiltrate in ovarian dysgerminoma: an immunocytochemical study
Authors: STEWART C.J.R. , FARQUHARSON M.A. , FOULIS A.K.
Published: August 2010

The inflammatory infiltrate has been characterized in 10 cases of ovarian dysgerminoma using a panel of antisera to T‐cells, B‐cells and macrophages. The expression of Class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens and the distribution of interferons alpha and gamma were also examined. T‐lymphocytes were present in all tumours, often closely admixed with neoplastic elements. T‐cells in most areas were immunoreactive with gamma interferon. B‐cells were generally scanty although germinal centres were present in three tumours. Immunocytochemistry revealed greater numbers of macrophages than had been appreciated on routinely stained sections. Macrophages were closely related to both lymphoid and tumour cells, and many macrophages were immunoreactive for alpha interferon. Class II MHC expression was mainly restricted to macrophages and B‐cell areas although occasional T‐cells were also stained. Dysgerminoma cells did not express Class II MHC antigens.
Linking State and Non‐State Security and Justice
Authors: Baker Bruce
Published: August 2010

Until recently links between state and non‐state security and justice have been given scant attention, despite being an important part of safety and security provision in the South. This article examines the circumstances in which such linkages occur; the benefits enjoyed by the partners; and the problems encountered. It considers how their success is to be measured, and how and when they can be facilitated and made sustainable. It comes to the conclusion that, for all their limitations, states, donors and international agencies would be foolish to ignore links with non‐state security and justice providers.
National identity in Northern Ireland: stability or change?
Authors: COAKLEY JOHN
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT.This article addresses a set of fundamental, long‐term factors associated with the Northern Ireland conflict: the pattern of underlying values and attitudes, especially those related to identity, that have helped to shape the nature of intercommunal competition. Using all generally available public opinion data, the article explores in particular the nature of national identity and of related forms of belonging for political behaviour. It notes the mutually reinforcing character of political loyalties within the Protestant community (where national identity, communal affiliation, constitutional preference and party support tend to coincide in a ‘Protestant‐unionist’ package) and the failure of this to be matched within the Catholic community (where the components of the ‘Catholic‐nationalist’ package are less closely interrelated). It concludes by speculating about the implications of these value configurations for political development, suggesting that they are unlikely to contribute to any fundamental political change in Northern Ireland in the short or medium term.
Where is Chinese nationalism? The political geography of a moving project
Authors: FRIEDMAN EDWARD
Published: August 2010

ABSTRACT. Since the rise of Chinese nationalism at the end of the nineteenth century, different political groups have sought to mobilise regional support by identifying with the national agenda of regional preferences. There have been changing contestations appealing to north, south, center, west and east. By analysing these moving identities, one can escape a misleading homogenisation of actual multi‐strandedness and better understand the nature and potential consequences of ongoing political struggles using conflicting nationalisms on behalf of diverse political agendas, some more war‐prone than others.
Testing a Model of Women's Personal Sense of Justice, Control, Well-Being, and Distress in the Context of Sexist Discrimination
Authors: Fischer Ann R. , Holz Kenna Bolton
Published: August 2010

Popular media convey notions that the United States is a postfeminist culture, where sexism is a thing of the past and gender equality prevails. Empirical data suggest otherwise. Further, links between group-based discrimination and psychological distress have been well documented (e.g., in bisexual and gay Latino men, African Americans, Asian Americans). Less understood are mediating factors explaining these links. We hypothesized a theory-based, integrated path model of women's distress and well-being as predicted by sexist events, highlighting intermediate effects of women's beliefs about justice and control in their lives. Specifically, we hypothesized that the more a woman experiences sexist events, the less fair and just her life seems; in turn, she feels less control of her life and reports heightened mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, less well-being). Cross-sectional data from 264 women indicated that sexist events had indirect effects on all three mental health variables, as mediated by just world beliefs and personal control, in sequence. However, direct (nonmediated) effects of sexist events on mental health remained. Both mean levels and patterns of links among variables were similar for African American and European American women. Regarding intervention, a key feminist goal is connecting personal distress with power and context. Women's health may be enhanced by increasing awareness of links found here, supporting development of attributions for distress extending beyond personal problems to societal conditions, skills to enhance feelings of personal control in other areas of their lives, and connections to the history of women's empowered social action.
Motivation and Physical Activity Behaviors among Older Women: A Self-Determination Perspective
Authors: Stephan Yannick , Boiché Julie , Le Scanff Christine
Published: August 2010

Drawing upon Self-Determination Theory, the purpose of our study was to examine the motivational determinants of older women's dropout and participation in physical activity (PA). Older women who dropped out ( n = 242) or remained ( n = 332) in an organized PA program completed the Sport Motivation Scale as well as health and PA measures. We found that women who dropped out presented lower levels of self-determined motivations and higher levels of amotivation than persistent women. Cluster analyses revealed three motivational profiles among persistent participants: “High Combined” (high levels of self-determined motivation and introjected regulation as well as moderate levels of external regulation), “High Introjected” (moderate scores of self-determined motivation and high introjected regulation as well as low scores of external regulation), and “Moderate Introjected” (low levels of self-determined motivation, moderate levels of introjected regulation, and low levels of external regulation). Our study adds to our understanding of motivational processes and of older women's participation in and withdrawal from PA. It revealed that different motivations could drive active older women's engagement in PA, and it provided support for a person-centered approach in which distinctive combinations of motivations emerged among different groups of active older women. The messages delivered in order to promote PA may account for the multidimensionality of motivation and may be oriented toward different purposes, tapping into different forms of motivation and informing the design of interventions aimed at promoting women's health.
Genital Appearance Dissatisfaction: Implications for Women's Genital Image Self-Consciousness, Sexual Esteem, Sexual Satisfaction, and Sexual Risk
Authors: Schick Vanessa R. , Calabrese Sarah K. , Rima Brandi N. , Zucker Alyssa N.
Published: August 2010

Findings regarding the link between body image and sexuality have been equivocal, possibly because of the insensitivity of many body image measures to potential variability across sensory aspects of the body (e.g., appearance versus odor), individual body parts (e.g., genitalia versus thighs), and social settings (e.g., public versus intimate). The current study refined existing methods of evaluating women's body image in the context of sexuality by focusing upon two highly specified dimensions: satisfaction with the visual appearance of the genitalia and self-consciousness about the genitalia during a sexual encounter. Genital appearance dissatisfaction, genital image self-consciousness, and multiple facets of sexuality were examined among a sample of 217 undergraduate women using an online survey. Path analysis revealed that greater dissatisfaction with genital appearance was associated with higher genital image self-consciousness during physical intimacy, which, in turn, was associated with lower sexual esteem, sexual satisfaction, and motivation to avoid risky sexual behavior. These findings underscore the detrimental impact of negative genital perceptions on young women's sexual well-being, which is of particular concern given their vulnerability at this stage of sexual development as well as the high rates of sexually transmitted infections within this age group. Interventions that enhance satisfaction with the natural appearance of their genitalia could facilitate the development of a healthy sexual self-concept and provide long-term benefits in terms of sexual safety and satisfaction.
Avian nest predation, competition and the decline of British Marsh Tits Parus palustris
Authors: SIRIWARDENA GAVIN M.
Published: August 2010

Data from long‐term schemes monitoring abundance and breeding performance were used to investigate the patterns and causes of decline of the Marsh Tit Parus palustris in Britain. Data from the British Trust for Ornithology's Common Birds Census (CBC) showed that declines have occurred to a similar extent in both woodland and farmland. Novel analyses of CBC data with respect to the corresponding data on the abundance of potential avian nest predators and competitors provided no evidence that increases in the numbers of either group have had a deleterious effect on the species. There were no significant relationships with predator numbers and all significant relationships with potential competitors were positive, suggesting common responses to environmental conditions rather than any negative effects of increases in competitor populations. Further evidence for a lack of any effect of nest predation comes from the absence of any decline in breeding success and, specifically, in nest failure rates, over time: failure rates actually fell during the period of decline. The most likely cause of the decline is the degradation of woodland habitats, and the specific ways in which this may have affected Marsh Tits (as opposed to congeneric species whose populations are healthier) are discussed.
Migration and range use of Asian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii breeding in the Gobi Desert, China, revealed by satellite tracking
Authors: JUDAS JACKY , COMBREAU OLIVIER , LAWRENCE MARK , SALEH MOHAMMED , LAUNAY FREDERIC , XINGYI GAO
Published: August 2010

Four adult male Asian Houbara Bustards Chlamydotis macqueenii were caught on their breeding grounds in the Gobi Desert of China and tracked by satellite from July 2000 for from 5 months to > 3.5 years. Wintering areas were identified for two individuals, one on the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border in the Amur‐Darya valley, the second at the Iran/Turkmenistan border. One individual used the same wintering and breeding areas for three consecutive years. Overall departure dates from breeding grounds ranged from 29 September to 14 October, with arrival on wintering quarters from 23 October to 7 November. Birds left their wintering grounds between 2 and 21 March and reached their breeding areas between 11 and 21 April. The mean overall migration distance was 3935 km (sd = ± 229, n = 9). Houbara Bustards mainly followed steppe areas to migrate avoiding the highest elevations of the Himalayan massif and travelling 267 km/day on average. Pre‐breeding migration lasted longer than post‐breeding and included more and longer stopovers. The Taukum Desert and Jungar Basin are critical areas for migration of eastern Houbara populations. Breeding range, used for 5.5 months, was 274 km2 (sd = ± 53, n = 4), whereas wintering range, used for around 4 months a year, was 76 km2 (sd = ± 22, n = 3). Range use pattern appeared similar for Asian Houbara released in central Saudi Arabia, but differed from the African Houbara Bustard. More investigations are required to determine the effects of food availability and meteorological conditions on the migration pattern and on the use of stopovers by Asian Houbara Bustards.
Human Capital Formation and General Equilibrium Treatment Effects: A Study of Tax and Tuition Policy
Authors: Heckman James J. , Lochner Lance , Taber Christopher
Published: August 2010

Policies to promote human capital formation have been advocated as a remedy for reducing the economy‐wide problem of rising wage inequality. These policies are national in character and are designed to substantially alter the proportion of the work‐force that is skilled. Yet the methods used to evaluate these policies are partial equilibrium in nature and do not take account of the consequences of the changes in skill prices that are produced by the policies.

This paper summarises our research on general equilibrium evaluation of tuition and tax policies. We compare estimates of policy impact from our approach with those obtained from conventional partial equilibrium ‘treatment effect’ approaches to policy evaluation, and find substantial differences. Conventional partial equilibrium approaches present an overly optimistic view of what tax and tuition policy can achieve because they ignore the change in human capital investment levels induced by the change in prices due to the policy. In addition, conventional partial equilibrium approaches fail to provide an accurate assessment of the welfare consequences of these policies.
The Marginal Cost of Public Funds in Closed and Small Open Economies
Authors: Ruggeri Giuseppe
Published: August 2010

The efficiency cost of taxation has become an increasingly important consideration in the evaluation of alternative tax policy options. This paper provides a review of estimates of the efficiency costs of taxation and presents some new estimates for small open economies. The available studies suggest that, in closed economies, the distortions from taxation are highest for corporate taxes and lowest for wage taxes. This efficiency ranking of different taxes does not hold in small open economies. It is shown that, in a small open economy, this ranking is reversed. Personal income taxes are less distortionary than wage taxes primarily because the link between domestic saving and investment is severed. Corporate taxes are also less distortionary for a variety of factors, such as changes in depreciation levels, payments to foreigners and terms of trade.
Prospects for Co‐ordination of Corporate Taxation and the Taxation of Interest Income in the EU
Authors: Haufler Andreas
Published: August 2010

This paper evaluates the recent proposals for a co‐ordinated capital tax policy in the European Union, focusing on an EU‐wide minimum withholding tax on interest income and alternative ways to increase the effective tax rate on corporate profits. The analysis draws on current theoretical and empirical research and views the recent capital tax reforms undertaken by individual member countries as rational adjustments to changing conditions in capital markets. Special emphasis is placed on the constraints for EU tax policy imposed by the possibility of shifting capital income to third countries. The paper concludes that some aggregate efficiency gains can be expected from the EU co‐ordination proposals, but additional tax collections will be limited largely to the group of small savers while highly mobile large‐scale investors are likely to avoid the EU tax.
Some Implications of Changing the Tax Basis for Pension Funds
Authors: Atkinson Margaret E. , Creedy John , Knox David M.
Published: August 2010

Governments in many developed economies provide private pension plans with significant taxation incentives. However, as many retirement income systems are now being reviewed due to demographic, social and economic pressures, these taxation arrangements are also under scrutiny. This paper discusses some of the implications of the differences between the traditional taxation treatment adopted by most OECD nations and that adopted by Australia, where there is a tax on contributions, a tax on investment earnings and a tax on benefits. The results show that there are significant differences in the net value of the benefits received by individuals and the taxation revenue received by the government. On the other hand, it is shown that there is remarkably little to distinguish between the two tax structures in terms of summary measures of lifetime income, although the form in which the benefit is taken in retirement is significant in influencing intragenerational equity.
Government spending on research and development in the UK
Authors: Stoneman Paul
Published: August 2010

This paper explores the extent of current UK government spending on science and technology placed in its recent historical context. The allocation of this spending across the different arms of government, the primary purposes of the expenditures undertaken and the extent to which the government performs as well as funds R&D are also explored, with some international comparisons analysed. The political and institutional processes that determine the revealed patterns of expenditure in the UK, the rationales behind such spending and the aims and objectives of the main spending departments are discussed, as is the interaction with EU expenditures on science and technology. The effectiveness of or pay‐off to government support of this kind is also considered before future spending plans are addressed.
Public financing of the arts in England
Authors: Peacock Alan
Published: August 2010

The paper describes the method, amount and composition of public financing of the arts and heritage services in England during the 1990s. This offers the background to a discussion of how far the rationale for government financing for such services can rely on arguments derived from welfare economics. The presence of ‘market failure’ has been widely accepted by successive governments and their advisers, but attempts to remove it have encountered the familiar problems of ensuring allocative and technical efficiency when production subsidies are the main policy instrument. Special attention is devoted to the policy dilemmas that are likely to arise in the years ahead in the performing arts, heritage and broadcasting.
Comparing in‐work benefits and the reward to work for families with children in the US and the UK
Authors: Brewer Mike
Published: August 2010

The income transfer systems for low‐income families in the US and the UK try both to reduce poverty and to encourage work. In‐work benefits are a key part of both countries' strategies through the earned income tax credit and the working families' tax credit (and predecessors) respectively. But tax credits are only one part of the whole tax and welfare system. In‐work benefits, taxes and welfare benefits combine in both countries to provide good financial incentives for lone parents to do minimum‐wage work, but poorer incentives to increase earnings further. But direct comparisons of budget constraints hide important points of detail. First, not enough is known about what determines take‐up of in‐work benefits. Second, the considerable differences in assessment and payment mechanisms and frequency between EITC and WFTC mean that low‐income families in the US and the UK may respond very differently to apparently similar financial incentives.
UK policy coordination: the importance of institutional design
Authors: Bhundia Ashok , O'Donnell Gus
Published: August 2010

This paper considers the principles that underpin the design of the UK's macroeconomic framework, with particular emphasis on the importance of good institutional design in ensuring effective coordination of monetary and fiscal policy when an independent Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee has operational responsibility for setting interest rates. The theoretical literature on policy coordination finds that the cost of central bank independence is less monetary‐fiscal coordination. We argue that once account is taken of the institutional arrangements, this conclusion does not hold for the UK. In fact, the UK macroeconomic policy framework represents a significant improvement in policy coordination through mechanisms that allow for greater transparency and accountability in policy‐making. Among the measures discussed in the paper is the role of the Treasury Representative on the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee.
Pot of gold or winner's curse? An event study of the auctions of 3G mobile telephone licences in the UK
Authors: Cable John , Henley Andrew , Holland Kevin
Published: August 2010

Commentators have suggested that the winning companies in the UK 3G mobile telephone auction overpaid for their licences. However, event‐study method using the market model under ordinary least squares (OLS), robust and structural time‐series estimation yields no systematic evidence of the ‘winner's curse’. Positive as well as negative one‐day wealth effects are observed amongst both winners and losers, and there is no lasting adverse market reaction to the winners, taken as a group. We conclude there is no case for easing the regulatory stance in the industry on grounds that the winners paid too much.
The Distribution of Public Expenditure across the UK Regions
Authors: McLean Iain , McMillan Alistair
Published: August 2010

The distribution of UK revenue to the regional and territorial governments, administrations and authorities that spend the money is based on a hotchpotch of badly designed formulae. This is widely recognised. The Barnett formula, which allocates money to the devolved territories, has been attacked from all sides, its consequences described as ‘terribly unfair’ by its progenitor, Lord Barnett. The mechanism by which resources are distributed to local authorities within the English regions has been abandoned by the government, although its replacement has not yet been determined. This paper argues that a common basis for government spending across the regions and territories of the UK will be more equitable and efficient, and may even depoliticise the financial framework of the UK.
Multiple Chronic Conditions and Disabilities: Implications for Health Services Research and Data Demands
Authors: Iezzoni Lisa I.
Published: August 2010

Increasing numbers of Americans are living with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) and disabilities. Addressing health care needs of persons with MCCs or disabilities presents challenges on many levels. For health services researchers, priorities include (1) considering MCCs and disabilities in comparative effectiveness research (CER) and assessing quality of care; and (2) identifying and evaluating the data needed to conduct CER, performance measure development, and other research to inform health policy and public health decisions concerning persons with MCCs or disabilities. Little information is available to guide CER or treatment choices for persons with MCCs or disabilities, however, because they are typically excluded from clinical trials that produce the scientific evidence base. Furthermore, most research funding flows through public and private agencies oriented around single organ systems or diseases. Likely changes in the data landscape—notably wider dissemination of electronic health records (EHRs) and moving toward updated coding nomenclatures—may increase the information available to monitor health care service delivery and quality for persons with MCCs and disabilities. Generating this information will require new methods to extract and code information about MCCs and functional status from EHRs, especially narrative texts, and incorporating coding nomenclatures that capture critical dimensions of functional status and disability.
Data and Methods to Facilitate Delivery System Reform: Harnessing Collective Intelligence to Learn from Positive Deviance
Authors: Luft Harold S.
Published: August 2010

Researchers often focus on the data and methods to assess policy changes, but data and methods can also be policy tools. To improve, health care systems need mechanisms and incentives for continually gathering, assessing, and acting on data. This requires (1) more comprehensive data, (2) converting data into information, and (3) incentives to apply that information. Restructured economic incentives can encourage clinicians to increase value (higher quality and/or lower cost) for their patients. While necessary, incentives are not sufficient—information is also needed. Incentives can lead clinicians to demand better information. Much of the necessary data is already used in patient care and billing; some additional variables will come directly from patients. The notion builds on two concepts: collective intelligence and positive deviance. The former characterizes knowledge gained from observing the behavior of many independent actors adapting to changing situations. Positive deviants are those who achieve far better results than expected. By rewarding positive deviants, rather than trying to identify and “correct” those who are problematic, providers will voluntarily identify themselves and their methods for achieving superior outcomes.