Home About us Contact | |||
European
Kinds of European Terms modified by European Selected AbstractsHEDGING STRATEGIES AND MINIMAL VARIANCE PORTFOLIOS FOR EUROPEAN AND EXOTIC OPTIONS IN A LÉVY MARKETMATHEMATICAL FINANCE, Issue 4 2010Wing Yan Yip This paper presents hedging strategies for European and exotic options in a Lévy market. By applying Taylor's theorem, dynamic hedging portfolios are constructed under different market assumptions, such as the existence of power jump assets or moment swaps. In the case of European options or baskets of European options, static hedging is implemented. It is shown that perfect hedging can be achieved. Delta and gamma hedging strategies are extended to higher moment hedging by investing in other traded derivatives depending on the same underlying asset. This development is of practical importance as such other derivatives might be readily available. Moment swaps or power jump assets are not typically liquidly traded. It is shown how minimal variance portfolios can be used to hedge the higher order terms in a Taylor expansion of the pricing function, investing only in a risk-free bank account, the underlying asset, and potentially variance swaps. The numerical algorithms and performance of the hedging strategies are presented, showing the practical utility of the derived results. [source] ,Going out': the growth of Chinese foreign direct investment in Southeast Asia and its implications for corporate social responsibilityCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005Stephen Frost Abstract Analysts have finally started to pay increasing attention to the rapidly rising levels of Chinese investment abroad. Deals such as Lenovo's purchase of IBM's PC production arm have sparked interest in a quiet revolution. The story now is not just about the flow of foreign investment in China, but also of the flow of China's investment into other countries. However, most interest so far has concentrated on big ticket investments in the West and the consequences for European and particularly US geopolitical interests. Of less concern thus far have been the implications of Chinese investment on corporate social responsibility. This paper is a preliminary assessment of the potential implications of Chinese investments: in particular, the effect on sanctions designed to improve human rights (with specific reference to Myanmar), and whether pressure can be maintained on foreign investors to comply with international standards and norms in the face of Chinese investment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Environment and Modernity in Transitional China: Frontiers of Ecological ModernizationDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2006Arthur P. J. Mol The process of institutionalizing environmental interests and considerations in Western (especially, but not only, European) industrialized societies has been reflected and theorized upon by social scientists, many of whom have adopted the ,ecological modernization' framework. One of the key questions on the research agenda of ecological modernization is its appropriateness for developing or industrializing countries in other parts of the world. This contribution analyses to what extent environmental reforms in contemporary China can be interpreted as ecological modernization. It focuses on the similarities and differences between Chinese and European modes or styles of ecological modernization with respect to the role of state institutions, market dynamics, civil society pressure and international integration. [source] The prevalence of depressive symptoms in a white European and South Asian population with impaired glucose regulation and screen-detected Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a comparison of two screening toolsDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 8 2010N. Aujla Diabet. Med. 27, 896,905 (2010) Abstract Aims, To compare the identification of prevalent depressive symptoms by the World Health Organization-5 Wellbeing Index (WHO-5) and Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for South Asian and white European people, male and female, attending a diabetes screening programme, and to explore the adequacy of the screening tools for this population. An additional aim was to further explore associations of depressive symptoms with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type2 DM). Methods, Eight hundred and sixty-four white European (40,75 years old) and 290 South Asian people (25,75 years old) underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), detailed history and anthropometric measurements and completed the WHO-5 and CES-D. Depressive symptoms were defined by a WHO-5 score , 13, and CES-D score , 16. Results, Unadjusted prevalence of depressive symptoms with the WHO-5, for people with Type2 DM was 42.3% (47.4% in white European; 28.6% in South Asian) and for IGR 30.7% (26% in white European; 45.8% in South Asian). With the CES-D, the prevalence in Type2 DM was 27.2% (25.4% in white European; 31.8% in South Asian) and for IGR 30.7% (27.8% in white European; 40.7% in South Asian). Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms for sex or ethnicity were not identified. Odds ratios adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity showed no significant association of depression with Type2 DM or IGR, with either WHO-5 or CES-D. Agreement was moderate (, = 0.48, 95% confidence intervals 0.42,0.54), and reduced when identifying depressive symptoms in people with Type2 DM. For this group, a WHO-5 cut-point of , 10 was optimal. Conclusions, Depressive symptoms, identified by WHO-5 or CES-D, were not significantly more prevalent in people with Type2 DM or IGR. The WHO-5 and CES-D differed in their identification of depressive symptoms in people with Type2 DM, though discrepancies between sex and ethnicity were not identified. [source] Pentecostals: The Power of the PowerlessDIALOG, Issue 1 2002Lene Sjørup Many researchers interpret Pentecostalism in terms of external factors such as European and North American history or economics. In this article Pentecostalism is examined from below, through qualitative interviews with women living in poverty in Santiago, Chile. The analysis shows how Pentecostalism led to a new theology where the believer became the subject of her own life. Social ascent was made through ecstatic experiences of the spirit in a caring community which directed the individual towards "a female ethos." This subjective change affected social changes in Chile under dictatorship but not in state politics because parts of the Pentecostal hierarchy collaborated with Pinochet. [source] Geographical segregation in Dunlin Calidris alpina populations wintering along the East Atlantic migratory flyway , evidence from mitochondrial DNA analysisDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 5 2008Ricardo J. Lopes ABSTRACT Dunlin Calidris alpina is one of the most abundant shorebirds using coastal habitats in the East Atlantic migratory flyway, that links arctic breeding locations (Greenland to Siberia) with wintering grounds (West Europe to West Africa). Differential migration and winter segregation between populations have been indicated by morphometrics and ringing recoveries. Here, we analyse the potential of genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA , mtDNA) to validate and enhance such findings. We compared mtDNA haplotypes frequencies at different wintering sites (from north-west Europe to West Africa). All birds from West Africa had western (European) haplotypes, while the eastern (Siberian) haplotypes were only present in European winter samples, reaching higher frequencies further north in Europe. Compilation of published results from migrating birds also confirmed these differences, with the sole presence of European haplotypes in Iberia and West Africa and increasingly higher frequencies of Siberian haplotypes from south-west to north-west Europe. Comparison with published haplotype frequencies of breeding populations shows that birds from Greenland, Iceland, and North Europe were predominant in wintering grounds in West Africa, while populations wintering in West Europe originated from more eastern breeding grounds (e.g. North Russia). These results show that genetic markers can be used to enhance the integrative monitoring of wintering and breeding populations, by providing biogeographical evidence that validate the winter segregation of breeding populations. [source] Introduced plants of the invasive Solidago gigantea (Asteraceae) are larger and grow denser than conspecifics in the native rangeDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 1 2004Gabi Jakobs ABSTRACT Introduced plant species that became successful invaders appear often more vigorous and taller than their conspecifics in the native range. Reasons postulated to explain this better performance in the introduced range include more favourable environmental conditions and release from natural enemies and pathogens. According to the Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability hypothesis (EICA hypothesis) there is a trade-off between investment into defence against herbivores and pathogens, and investment into a stronger competitive ability. In this study, we conducted field surveys to investigate whether populations of the invasive perennial Solidago gigantea Ait (Asteraceae) differ with respect to growth and size in the native and introduced range, respectively. We assessed size and morphological variation of 46 populations in the native North American range and 45 populations in the introduced European range. Despite considerable variation between populations within continents, there were pronounced differences between continents. The average population size, density and total plant biomass were larger in European than in American populations. Climatic differences and latitude explained only a small proportion of the total variation between the two continents. The results show that introduced plants can be very distinct in their growth form and size from conspecifics in the native range. The apparently better performance of this invasive species in Europe may be the result of changed selection pressures, as implied by the EICA hypothesis. [source] Exotic plant species invade diversity hot spots: the alien flora of northwestern KenyaECOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2000J. Stadler We analysed the distribution of native and alien plant species across 20 ecogeographic zones of northwestern Kenya. The source pool for the majority of aliens was Europe and America. Thus, the source pool has a biogeographic bias which explains the low proportion of aliens in the tropics: most species in the European or American source pool are not well adapted to tropical conditions. As expected, native and alien plant species showed an area effect. Correcting for this area effect. species rich zones showed a higher proportion of alien plant species in their flora. At the analysed scale, species richness of native plant communities does not increase the resistance to invasions and alien plant species invade diversity hotspots. Compared to the other ecogeographic zone, the urban area around Nairobi showed an increased richness in alien and native plant species. This is very similar to findings in Europe, although the history of urbanisation is much shorter in Kenya. The species turnover between zones (,-diversity) shows a similar pattern in native and alien plant species. Within a very short time scale the alien plant species mapped the biogeographic patterns of natives, although the geography of human activities influences the propagule pressure. [source] CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION, POLICY, AND THE EDUCATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHEDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 4 2008Naomi Hodgson Hodgson begins by analyzing educational researchers' response to the recent introduction of citizenship education in England, focusing specifically on a review of research, policy, and practice in this area commissioned by the British Educational Research Association (BERA). She argues that the BERA review exemplifies the field of education policy sociology in that it is conducted according to the concepts of its parent discipline of sociology but lacks critical theoretical engagement with them. Instead, such work operationalizes sociological concepts in service of educational policy solutions. Hodgson identifies three dominant discourses of citizenship education within the BERA review, the academic discourse of education policy sociology, contemporary political discourse, and the discourse of inclusive education , and draws attention to the relation of citizenship education to policy initiatives, and thus to educationalization. She then discusses Foucault's concept of normalization in terms of the demand on the contemporary subject to orient the self in a certain relation toward learning informed by the need for competitiveness in the European and global context. Ultimately, Hodgson concludes that the language and rhetoric of education policy sociology implicate such research in the process of educationalization itself. [source] Merits of a more integrated approach to environmental assessmentsENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2010Elke Weingarten Abstract Under the maxim of ,better regulation', the European Commission is aiming to simplify and improve the European regulatory framework in order to reduce bureaucracy and to foster economic growth. Against this background, the integration of requirements presents one option for responding to the challenge of carrying out various environmental assessments stipulated by a number of European environmental directives. Although integrative, cross-sectional approaches have been established by some European directives, such as the Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment, the member states currently make little use of these options when implementing the directives into national law. Based on a review of European directives as well as related German regulations, this article outlines an approach for an integrative environmental assessment that aims to enhance the integrative effects and reduce duplication resulting from different environmental assessments. The investigation shows that the different assessment procedures as outlined by European and German legislation can be successfully integrated without necessarily lowering the standards set by these regulations. Given that the relevant directives are binding for all member states, the proposed assessment structure can easily be applied to other member states and, where necessary, modified to suit national requirements. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Sustainable development strategies in France: institutional settings, policy style and political discourseENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2004Joseph Szarka The sustainable development (SD) strategies of two successive French governments, led by Prime Ministers Jospin (1997,2002) and Raffarin (from 2002), are compared and analysed in relation to three debates: (i) the influence of institutional settings and levels of continuity between international, European and national policy frameworks; (ii) compatibility between SD policy frames, national policy style and institutional capacity and (iii) relationships between traditional political discourses and SD discourse. Difficulties in achieving a good ,fit' are identified in each of these areas, explanations are offered and implications for future developments outlined. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Environmental and economic development issues in the Polish motorway programme: a review and an analysis of the public debateENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2002E. J. Judge This paper examines the development of the Polish motorway programme, though the lessons apply generally throughout the central and east European (CEE) region. This has particular significance for European transport policy as three major corridors of the Polish motorway network also form crucial links of the Trans European Network (TEN). Thus, until recently, motorways have been presented on the one hand (by the Polish government and its supporters) as a boost to national and regional development, and on the other (by its detractors, principally the environmental lobby) as a threat that will suck development out of the country, while saddling it with substantial environmental costs. Environmental pressure groups have sought to refute economic development arguments using Western research, and have seen such research as influential in public debate and decision making. Based on evidence drawn from official reports and documents and a content analysis of the public debate on motorway development using the media archive of the Polish Motorways Agency, this paper suggests that these arguments have so far in fact been overshadowed by environmental considerations, and even more by financing issues. However, the future direction of policy is uncertain because of political changes after the September 2001 election. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Exposure assessment of 17,-ethinylestradiol in surface waters of the United States and Europe,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2009Robert Hannah Abstract An evaluation of measured and predicted concentrations of 17,-ethinylestradiol in surface waters of the United States and Europe was conducted to develop expected long-term exposure concentrations for this compound. Measured environmental concentrations (MECs) in surface waters were identified from the literature. Predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were generated for European and U.S. watersheds using the GREAT-ER and PhATEÔ models, respectively. The majority of MECs are nondetect and generally consistent with model PECs and conservative mass balance calculations. However, the highest MECs are not consistent with concentrations derived from conservative (worst-case) mass balance estimates or model PECs. A review of analytical methods suggests that tandem or high-resolution mass spectrometry methods with extract cleanup result in lower detection limits and lower reported concentrations consistent with model predictions and bounding estimates. Based on model results using PhATE and GREAT-ER, the 90th-percentile low-flow PECs in surface water are approximately 0.2 and 0.3 ng/L for the United States and Europe, respectively. These levels represent conservative estimates of long-term exposure that can be used for risk assessment purposes. Our analysis also indicates that average concentrations are one to two orders of magnitude lower than these 90th-percentile estimates. Higher reported concentrations (e.g., greater than the 99th-percentile PEC of ,1 ng/L) could result from methodological problems or unusual environmental circumstances; however, such concentrations are not representative of levels generally found in the environment, warrant special scrutiny, and are not appropriate for use in risk assessments of long-term exposures. [source] Review of carrot fly control in Northern Europe , 2009,EPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2009R. Collier In February 2009, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) held a workshop to discuss the management of carrot fly (Psila rosae) within Europe. Prior to the workshop, participants completed a questionnaire about carrot fly and current control methods and some of the information is summarised in this paper. In general, this pest is controlled adequately at present, but there is a heavy reliance on insecticides. The responses to the questionnaire highlighted a number of issues, in particular: the limited range and efficacy of the insecticides available at present, concerns about the availability of effective control measures in the future and a need for improvements in the targeting of treatments through forecasting and monitoring and the use of treatment thresholds. [source] Hosts and symptoms of Plum pox virus: fruiting Prunus speciesEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2006G. Llácer A description of plum pox (sharka) symptoms on European and Japanese plum, apricot, peach, sweet and sour cherry and almond is presented. Plum pox is a serious disease mainly because it produces severe symptoms on fruits of numerous cultivars of Prunus species, causing fruit to fall or making them unfit for consumption. [source] Mating Call Discrimination in Female European (Coturnix c. coturnix) and Japanese Quail (Coturnix c. japonica)ETHOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Sébastien Derégnaucourt Each year, thousands of domestic Japanese and hybrid quails are released within the breeding range of the European quail. We showed recently that no post-zygotic isolating mechanisms have yet been established between these subspecies. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pre-zygotic mechanisms are strong enough to prevent hybridization. We tested the level of subspecies selectivity in females of European and Japanese quail respectively using playbacks of European, hybrid and Japanese male mating calls. European quail females emitted the greatest number of rally calls in response to mating calls by conspecific males. Their responses were the weakest to mating calls produced by males of the other subspecies and intermediate to mating calls by hybrid males. In contrast, Japanese quails produced similar responses to all types of mating calls. These results suggest that mixed pairs could form in the wild. The European quail could thus become one of the most endangered galliforms of the Western Palearctic. [source] European Food Marketing: Understanding Consumer Wants , The Starting Point in Adding Value to Basic Food Products La commercialisation des aliments en Europe : comprendre des désirs des consommateurs , point de départ pour ajouter de la valeur aux produits alimentaires de base Lebensmittelhandel in Europa: Das Verständnis der Kundenwünsche ist Voraussetzung für zusätzliche Wertschöpfung bei GrundnahrungsmittelnEUROCHOICES, Issue 3 2009David Hughes Summary European Food Marketing: Understanding Consumer Wants , The Starting Point in Adding Value to Basic Food Products European consumers have been in sombre mood as they battle to make ends meet in an economic recession. Yet, for many countries, the past 50 years or so has been a halcyon period of economic growth and, in real terms, declining food prices. Apart from lower food prices, attributes of convenience, health, pleasure and more esoteric social elements such as animal welfare-friendliness and environmental sustainability are increasingly important to consumers in their food choices. With higher household incomes has come an increasingly segmented food market, as businesses seek to differentiate their products from competitors to earn a premium above the basic commodity price. In an increasingly competitive European and global market, whether the firm is small or large, the first step in successful product differentiation requires an insightful understanding of the drivers of consumer purchase and consumption behaviour. These have fundamental commercial importance in the marketing strategy of any business. Yet, a surprising number of businesses in the food and beverage industry know very little about who buys and consumes their products. In the 21st century, the primacy of consumers and citizens will be substantially more ,front and centre' than in the previous 50 years of production-driven agricultural and food policy. Les consommateurs européens font grise mine depuis qu'ils peinent à joindre les deux bouts dans un contexte de récession économique. Pourtant, dans de nombreux pays, les cinquante dernières années ont formé une période en or de croissance économique et de baisse des prix alimentaires en termes réels. Outre des prix plus bas, les consommateurs accordent, dans leurs choix alimentaires, une importance de plus en plus grande à des attributs en termes de commodité, de santé, de plaisir et d'éléments sociaux plus ésotériques comme le bon traitement des animaux et la durabilité environnementale. La hausse des revenus des ménages a entraîné une segmentation accrue des marchés des produits alimentaires car les entreprises cherchent à différencier leurs produits de ceux de leurs concurrents pour obtenir une prime en sus du prix du produit classique. Dans un marché européen et mondial de plus en plus concurrentiel, que l'entreprise soit petite ou grande, la première étape d'une différentiation de produit réussie consiste à bien comprendre les motivations des consommateurs en termes d'achat et leur comportement en terme de consommation. Ces considérations ont une importance commerciale primordiale dans la stratégie de commercialisation de toute entreprise. Pourtant, un nombre surprenant de firmes de l'industrie des aliments et boissons savent très peu de chose sur les clients qui achètent et consomment leurs produits. Au vingt-et-unième siècle, la primauté des consommateurs et des citoyens sera nettement plus ,,frontale et centrale" qu'elle ne l'était dans les cinquante dernières années durant lesquelles la politique agricole et alimentaire était axée sur la production. Gedrückte Stimmung hat sich unter den europäischen Verbrauchern breit gemacht, da sie in der Rezession über die Runden kommen müssen. Dabei konnten viele Länder in den vergangenen etwa 50 Jahren auf eine glückliche Zeit wirtschaftlichen Wachstums und real rückläufiger Lebensmittelpreise blicken. Einmal abgesehen von den geringeren Lebensmittelpreisen, richtet der Verbraucher sein Hauptaugenmerk bei der Auswahl seiner Lebensmittel zunehmend auf Kriterien wie Verbraucherfreundlichkeit, Gesundheit, Genuss sowie esoterischere soziale Elemente wie Tierschutzfreundlichkeit und Umweltverträglichkeit. Höhere Haushaltseinkommen führten zu einem immer stärker segmentierten Lebensmittelmarkt, da die Unternehmen danach streben, ihre Produkte von denen der Konkurrenz abzuheben, um einen Aufschlag auf den Grundwarenpreis zu erzielen. Ob es sich nun um ein kleines oder großes Unternehmen handelt: Auf einem zunehmend wettbewerbsorientierten europäischen Markt und Weltmarkt und auf dem Weg hin zu einer erfolgreichen Produktdifferenzierung ist es zunächst einmal erforderlich, die Triebfedern für die Kaufentscheidung und das Konsumverhalten des Verbrauchers zu verstehen. Diese spielen eine wichtige wirtschaftliche Rolle in der Marketingstrategie eines jeden Unternehmens. Dennoch wissen erstaunlich viele Unternehmen aus der Lebensmittel- und Getränkeindustrie nur sehr wenig darüber, wer ihre Produkte kauft und konsumiert. Im 21. Jahrhundert werden die Wünsche der Verbraucher und Bürger wesentlich stärker Vorrang haben als dies in den vergangenen 50 Jahren produktionsorientierter Agrar- und Lebensmittelpolitik der Fall war. [source] Cross-cultural differences in the macronutrient intakes of women with anorexia nervosa in Australia and SingaporeEUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 6 2008Nerissa Li-Wey Soh Abstract Aim To compare the macronutrient intakes of women with and without anorexia nervosa (AN) across cultures. Method Participants were women with AN (n,=,39) and without AN (n,=,89) of North European and East Asian backgrounds recruited in Australia and Singapore. Energy and the percentage energy contributed by protein (%protein), fat (%fat) and carbohydrate (%CHO) were assessed from participant's diet histories and analysed in terms of cultural group, acculturation, socio-economic status (SES) and education level. Results AN status was associated with lower energy and higher %CHO. Greater %protein was associated with greater acculturation to Western culture and lower SES, but not AN. Greater %fat was associated with lower SES and lower acculturation in women with AN, but with higher acculturation in controls. Greater %CHO was also associated with higher SES. Conclusion The findings may represent Western diets' higher protein and fat contents, ,Western' knowledge of weight-loss diets, and affordability of low fat foods. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source] Financial Integration and EMUEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005Franklin Allen G21; G34; F23 Abstract This paper investigates the effect of European Monetary Union on the integration of the financial services industry within European using data on the announcements of M&A's within the industry. We find some evidence that EMU has helped financial integration within the euro area. In addition, financial institutions in EMU countries became more active in initiating integration between EMU and non-EMU partners, which also contributed to overall regional integration within European. The more active role of EMU institutions suggests that institutions residing in the eurozone became stronger players in the corporate control market. However, EMU does not facilitate the entry of non-European institutions into European. [source] Differences between European and American IPO MarketsEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2003Jay R. Ritter G24; G32; G14; G15 Abstract This brief survey discusses recent developments in the European initial public offering (IPO) market. The spectacular rise and fall of the Euro NM markets and the growth of bookbuilding as a procedure for pricing and allocating IPOs are two important patterns. Gross spreads are lower and less clustered than in the USA. Unlike the USA, some European IPOs, especially those in Germany, have when-issued trading prior to the final setting of the offer price. Current research includes empirical studies on the valuation of IPOs and both theoretical and empirical work on the determinants of short-run underpricing. [source] Self-Regulated Learning in a TELE at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne: an analysis from multiple perspectivesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 3-4 2006PHILIPPE TRIGANO Self-regulation has become a very important topic in the field of learning and instruction. At the same time, the introduction of new technologies in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has made it possible to create rich Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments (TELEs) with multiple affordances for supporting self-regulated learning (SRL). This study was conducted within the framework of the TELEPEERS project where we wanted to identify TELEs that seemed to have a potential for supporting SRL. For the last ten years, our University has been deeply involved in research, innovation, and exploration of digital technologies for training (initial and continuous). Local, regional, national, European and international projects were conceived and developed, so that a very significant knowledge base exists today. Our study focuses on a course called ,Introduction to Algorithms and Programming' (NF01) which our University is offering and on the perception of different stakeholders (experts and students) of its affordances for supporting SRL. [source] The five-factor personality inventory: cross-cultural generalizability across 13 countriesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 5 2003A. A. Jolijn Hendriks In the present study, we investigated the structural invariance of the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) across a variety of cultures. Self-report data sets from ten European and three non-European countries were available, representing the Germanic (Belgium, England, Germany, the Netherlands, USA), Romance (Italy, Spain), and Slavic branches (Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia) of the Indo-European languages, as well as the Semito-Hamitic (Israel) and Altaic (Hungary, Japan) language families. Each data set was subjected to principal component analysis, followed by varimax rotation and orthogonal Procrustes rotation to optimal agreement with (i) the Dutch normative structure and (ii) an American large-sample structure. Three criteria (scree test, internal consistency reliabilities of the varimax-rotated components, and parallel analysis) were used to establish the number of factors to be retained for rotation. Clear five-factor structures were found in all samples except in the smallest one (USA, N,=,97). Internal consistency reliabilities of the five components were generally good and high congruence was found between each sample structure and both reference structures. More than 80% of the items were equally stable within each country. Based on the results, an international FFPI reference structure is proposed. This reference structure can facilitate standardized communications about Big Five scores across research programmes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Immigration and the new politics of inclusion and exclusion in the European Union: The effect of elites and the EU on individual,level opinions regarding European and non,European immigrantsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001LAUREN M. MCLAREN Within European politics, a distinction is currently being made at the elite level between internal and external immigration, with individuals from EU countries being given special rights and privileges when they migrate within the EU. This paper addresses the question of whether individual EU citizens also view the two types of immigrants differently and what structures their beliefs regarding these two sources of migration. The findings indicate that (a) the vast majority of EU citizens view internal and external migration as identical and (b) elite cues and debates regarding immigration within each of the countries are helping individuals form their opinions regarding the two different types of immigration. These findings and their implications are discussed in the body of the paper. [source] The European Judicial Organisation in a New Paradigm: The Influence of Principles of ,New Public Management' on the Organisation of the European CourtsEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 6 2008Elaine Mak Recent reforms regarding the European Courts raise the question in which way do ,new public management' principles influence the European judicial organisation and how is a balance struck between these principles and classic ,rule of law' principles? The article first presents a classification of these types of principles in the framework for discussion regarding the European judicial organisation. Starting out from two paradigms, an inquiry is made into the status of the two sets of principles in the present-day European ,constitutional' framework. Second, the interaction of principles is investigated with regard to a number of current dilemmas, including the demarcation of the judicial domain, the management of the Courts and the distribution of judicial competences. [source] From European Integration to European Integrity: Should European Law Speak with Just One Voice?EUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2004Samantha Besson According to the European integrity principle, all national and European authorities should make sure their decisions cohere with the past decisions of other European and national authorities that create and implement the law of a complex but single European legal order. Only by doing so, it is argued, can the European political and legal community gain true authority and legitimacy in the eyes of the European citizens to whom all these decisions apply. Although European integrity is primarily a product of European integration, it has gradually become one of the requirements of further integration. The article suggests that the principle of European integrity would help dealing with the growing pressure for common European solutions under conditions of increasing diversity. It places disagreement at the centre of European politics, as both an incentive and a means of integration by way of comparison and self-reflectivity. It constitutes therefore the ideal instrument for a pluralist and flexible further constitutionalisation of the European Union. [source] Acquiring a Community: The Acquis and the Institution of European Legal OrderEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 4 2003Hans Lindahl The emblematic manifestation of this passage, in the framework of the European legal order, is the acquis communautaire: what is the nature of the process that leads from acquired community to acquiring a community? In a first, preparatory, step, it will be argued that determinate conceptions of truth, time and the giving and taking of reason underlie the process of acquiring a European community. These findings are confronted, in a second step, with Antonio Negri's theory of the multitude as a constituent power, which opposes revolutionary self-determination to representation. Deconstructing this massive opposition, this paper explores three ways in which representation is at work in revolutionary self-determination. As will become clear in the course of the debate, instituting (European) community turns on the interval linking and separating law ,and' disorganised civil society. [source] RAPID ADAPTIVE DIVERGENCE IN NEW WORLD ACHILLEA, AN AUTOPOLYPLOID COMPLEX OF ECOLOGICAL RACESEVOLUTION, Issue 3 2008Justin Ramsey Adaptive evolution is often associated with speciation. In plants, however, ecotypic differentiation is common within widespread species, suggesting that climatic and edaphic specialization can outpace cladogenesis and the evolution of postzygotic reproductive isolation. We used cpDNA sequence (5 noncoding regions, 3.5 kb) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs: 4 primer pairs, 1013 loci) to evaluate the history of ecological differentiation in the North American Achillea millefolium, an autopolyploid complex of "ecological races" exhibiting morphological, physiological, and life-history adaptations to diverse environments. Phylogenetic analyses reveal North American A. millefolium to be a monophyletic group distinct from its European and Asian relatives. Based on patterns of sequence divergence, as well as fossil and paleoecological data, colonization of North America appears to have occurred via the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene (1.8 MYA to 11,500 years ago). Population genetic analyses indicate negligible structure within North American A. millefolium associated with varietal identity, geographic distribution, or ploidy level. North American populations, moreover, exhibit the signature of demographic expansion. These results affirm the "ecotype" concept of the North American Achillea advocated by classical research and demonstrate the rapid rate of ecological differentiation that sometimes occurs in plants. [source] TEMPORAL PATTERN OF AFRICANIZATION IN A FERAL HONEYBEE POPULATION FROM TEXAS INFERRED FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNAEVOLUTION, Issue 5 2004M. Alice Pinto Abstract The invasion of Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the Americas provides a window of opportunity to study the dynamics of secondary contact of subspecies of bees that evolved in allopatry in ecologically distinctive habitats of the Old World. We report here the results of an 11-year mitochondrial DNA survey of a feral honeybee population from southern United States (Texas). The mitochondrial haplotype (mitotype) frequencies changed radically during the 11-year study period. Prior to immigration of Africanized honeybees, the resident population was essentially of eastern and western European maternal ancestry. Three years after detection of the first Africanized swarm there was a mitotype turnover in the population from predominantly eastern European to predominantly A. m. scutellata (ancestor of Africanized honeybees). This remarkable change in the mitotype composition coincided with arrival of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, which was likely responsible for severe losses experienced by colonies of European ancestry. From 1997 onward the population stabilized with most colonies of A. m. scutellata maternal origin. [source] DIFFERENT CELL SIZE AND CELL NUMBER CONTRIBUTION IN TWO NEWLY ESTABLISHED AND ONE ANCIENT BODY SIZE CLINE OF DROSOPHILA SUBOBSCURAEVOLUTION, Issue 3 2003Federico C. F. Calboli Abstract Latitudinal genetic clines in body size occur in many ectotherms including Drosophila species. In the wing of D. melanogaster, these clines are generally based on latitudinal variation in cell number. In contrast, differences in wing area that evolve by thermal selection in the laboratory are in general based on cell size. To investigate possible reasons for the different cellular bases of these two types of evolutionary response, we compared the newly established North and South American wing size clines of Drosophila subobscura. The new clines are based on latitudinal variation in cell area in North America and cell number in South America. The ancestral European cline is also based on latitudinal variation in cell number. The difference in the cellular basis of wing size variation in the American clines, which are roughly the same age, together with the similar cellular basis of the new South American cline and the ancient European one, suggest that the antiquity of a cline does not explain its cellular basis. Furthermore, the results indicate that wing size as a whole, rather than its cellular basis, is under selection. The different cellular bases of different size clines are most likely explained either entirely by chance or by different patterns of genetic variance,or its expression,in founding populations. [source] Relationships in Taraxacum section Arctica s.l. (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) and allies based on nrITSFEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 1-2 2009I. Uhlemann nrITS sequences of 19 Taraxacum -species as well as four outgroups of Asteraceae-Cichorieae were analysed using Bayesian and parsimony analyses in order to establish their systematics. The Arctica s.l. clade together with T. bessarabicum is sister to all derived European and South American taxa. The division of Arctica s.l. into smaller units (sections: Antarctica, Arctica s. str., Australasica) is supported. Within the remaining taxa, Taraxacum farellonicum, a species from the Chilean Andes which is described as new, is supposed to be a hybrid of T. gilliesii and an introduced Ruderalia -species. Section Erythrosperma is well separated and supported. With the exception of T. patagonicum and T. bracteatum which are sister to the other representatives of the European taxa two groups are distinguished: first the Ruderalia/Hamata alliance (including T. tenebricans with some exceptional characters) of predominantly ruderal species and second an assemblage of the sections Celtica, Fontana, Macrodonta, Palustria and Taraxacum prefering a lesser ruderal habitate. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) Molekulare Systematik der Gattung Taraxacum Sektion Arctica s.l. (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) und verwandter Arten auf der Basis von nuklearer ribosomaler DNA (nrITS) Die Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse von 19 Arten der Gattung Taraxacum und vier Außengruppen aus den Asteraceae-Cichorieae wurden mit Bayesischen und Parsimonieanalysen der nrITS Sequenzen rekonstruiert. Die Sektion Arctica s.l. bildet zusammen mit T. bessarabicum die Schwestergruppe zu den abgeleiteten europäischen und südamerikanischen Taxa. Die Klassifizierung der Arctica s.l. in die Sektionen Antarctica, Arctica s.str. und Australasica wird von den Analysen unterstützt. Die in dieser Studie neu beschriebene Art, Taraxacum farellonicum, aus den chilenischen Anden ist wahrscheinlich ein Hybrid aus T. gilliesii und einer neophytischen Art der Sektion Ruderalia. Die Sektion Erythrosperma erscheint als gut gestützte Gruppe. Mit Ausnahme von T. patagonicum und T. bracteatum, die Schwestergruppen zu den anderen Vertretern europäischer Taxa bilden, können zwei größere Komplexe unterschieden werden: erstens die Ruderalia/Hamata -Gruppe (einschließlich T. tenebricans mit einigen besonderen Merkmalen), welche vorwiegend Arten der ruderalen Standorte umfasst und zweitens ein Verwandtschaftskreis aus den Sektionen Celtica, Fontana, Macrodonta, Palustria und Taraxacum, die an weniger stark ruderalisierten Standorten vorkommen. [source] |