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Minimum Requirements (minimum + requirement)
Selected AbstractsLegitimizing the EU: Is there a ,Post-parliamentary Basis' for its Legitimation?JCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 3 2001Christopher Lord This article argues that its character as a non-state political system makes little difference to how the EU ought to be legitimated. Minimum requirements for the legitimation of the liberal democratic state (performance, democracy and identity) also hold for the legitimation of Union power, both normatively and sociologically. This constrains the application of innovative legitimation strategies to the Union, requiring that post-parliamentary solutions be recast as complements, rather than substitutes, for a system of representative politics in the European arena, if the EU is to meet the core standard of democratic rule, which we take to be public control with political equality. [source] Minimum requirements for new dental materials,JOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 12 2007I. A. MJÖRArticle first published online: 21 NOV 200 Summary, A brief review of the development of standards for testing and certification of dental materials is presented. The tests employed in the standards are not correlated for the clinical use of the materials, nor to the reasons for failures of the materials. They are, therefore, of limited value for the selection of materials to be used in practice but they are important for quality control of the manufacture of the materials. Previous certification programmes are being discontinued. The responsibility for selecting safe and efficient materials is transferred to the clinicians whereas making safe and efficient materials still is the responsibility of the manufacturers. [source] IDENTIFYING MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AMONG RURAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLESAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2003Dein Vindigni ABSTRACT Objective: To critically review the methodological properties of previous musculoskeletal studies among Indigenous populations. In particular, non-rheumatic, musculoskeletal conditions of mechanical origin are examined as these appear to be commonly related to syndromes of pain and disability. Design: Systematic review. Setting: Rural, Indigenous communities throughout the world. Subjects: Indigenous peoples aged 16 and over living in rural communities. Main outcome measure: Minimum requirements for methodologically sound musculoskeletal health research according to previously published criteria. Results: Due to methodological limitations in the 14 studies reviewed, only five methodologically acceptable studies were found. Conclusion: Given the paucity of methodologically sound musculoskeletal studies among Indigenous populations, the true prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions in these communities remains largely unknown. [source] Reducing seabird bycatch in longline, trawl and gillnet fisheriesFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 1 2007Leigh S. Bull Abstract With an increasing number of seabird species, particularly albatross and petrels, becoming threatened, a reduction of fishery impacts on these species is essential for their future survival. Here, mitigation methods to reduce and avoid seabird bycatch are assessed in terms of their ability to reduce bycatch rates and their economic viability for longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries worldwide. Factors influencing the appropriateness and effectiveness of a mitigation device include the fishery, vessel, location, seabird assemblage present and season of year. As yet, there is no single magic solution to reduce or eliminate seabird bycatch across all fisheries: a combination of measures is required, and even within a fishery there is likely to be refinement of techniques by individual vessels in order to maximize their effectiveness at reducing seabird bycatch. In longline demersal and pelagic fisheries, a minimum requirement of line weighting that achieves hook sink rates minimizing seabird bycatch rates should be tailored with a combination of strategic offal and discard management, bird-scaring lines (BSLs) and night-setting, particulary in Southern Hemisphere fisheries. Urgent investigation is needed into more effective measures at reducing seabird interactions with trawl nets and gill nets. In trawl fisheries, a combination of offal and discard management, the banning of net monitoring cables, paired BSLs, and a reduction in the time the net is on or near the surface are likely to be the most effective in reducing seabird interactions with the warp cables and net. Few seabird bycatch reduction methods have been developed for gillnet fisheries, although increasing the visibility of the net has been shown to reduce seabird bycatch. Further studies are required to determine the efficacy of this technique and its influence on target species catch rates. [source] Protein intake, growth and lung function of infants with chronic lung diseaseJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 3 2009E. Cillié Background:, The increased survival rate of extremely preterm infants has not improved the incidence or outcome of infants diagnosed with chronic lung disease (CLD) (Riley, 2008). The relationship between optimal nutrition (particularly protein intake) and chronic lung disease has not been established. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between protein intake, growth and lung function in infants with CLD. Methods:, A CLD database, maintained for the past 10 years, was used to select participants that had reached 1 year of corrected age. Infants who were born during 2001,2006 with a birth weight of <1500 g, and who subsequently had a diagnosis of CLD, were included. Infants with evidence of intra-uterine growth restriction and abnormal cerebral pathology were excluded. Demographic, mean weight gain, protein intake and respiratory support data were collected retrospectively from the medical notes. Growth parameters and need for oxygen and inhalers up to 1 year of corrected age were collected from the CLD follow-up database. SPSS, version 15 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) were used for Pearson's or Spearmans correlation analysis and analysis of variance or the Wilcoxon test, as appropriate. Results:, Sixty infants were studied: 25 females and 35 males. The median (range) post-menstrual age at birth was 26 (22,31) weeks. The most common feed was breast milk; fortified breast milk was used for 37% of the total days studied. The mean (SD) protein intake was 2.28 (0.33) g kg,1 day,1 and the mean (SD) weight gain was 11.67 (1.77) g kg,1 day,1. There was a positive correlation between protein intake and weight gain (r = 0.32, P = 0.013), which was stronger in females (r = 0.51, P = 0.009). Protein intake was significantly associated with head circumference growth in females only (r = 0.47, P = 0.038). Protein intake was inversely related to the number of days spent mechanically ventilated (r = ,0.32, P = 0.015). There was no relationship between protein intake and growth at 1 year corrected age, time spent on continuous positive airway pressure, age weaned off oxygen, or the use of inhalers. There was an inverse correlation between total weeks of oxygen dependence and head circumference at 1 year (r = ,0.35, P = 0.022). Discussion:, The mean protein intake was <3 g kg,1 day,1, which is the minimum requirement for preterm infants (Tsang et al., 2005). This was associated with a sub-optimal weight gain in our participants of <15 g kg,1 day,1 (Steward & Pridham, 2002). The study demonstrates the known association between low protein intake and poor growth with ventilator dependence (Loui et al., 2008). Conclusions:, Low birth weight and low gestational age infants at risk of CLD should receive special attention to optimise their protein intake because sub-optimal protein intake potentially leads to poor growth when on a neonatal intensive care unit. References Loui, A., Tsalikaki, E., Maier, K., Walch, E., Kamarianakis, Y. & Obladen, M. (2008) Growth in high risk infants <1500 g birth weight during the first 5 weeks. Early Hum. Dev. 84, 645,650, Doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.04.005. Riley, K., Roth, S., Sellwood, M. & Wyatt, J.S. (2008) Survival and neurodevelopmental morbidity at 1 year of age following extremely preterm delivery over a 20-year period: a single centre cohort study. Acta Paediatr.97, 159,165. Steward, D.K. & Pridham, K.F. (2002) Growth patterns of extremely low-birth-weight hospitalised preterm infants. JOGN Nurs31, 57,65. Tsang, R.C., Uauy, R., Koletzko, B. & Zlotkin, S.H., eds. (2005) Nutrition of the Preterm Infant: Scientific Basis and Practical Guidelines. Cincinnati: Digital Educational Publishing. [source] Segregated targeting for multiple resource networks using decomposition algorithmAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010Santanu Bandyopadhyay Abstract A generalized decomposition technique is presented for determining optimal resource usage in segregated targeting problems with single quality index (e.g., concentration, temperature, etc.) through pinch analysis. The latter problems are concerned with determining minimal resource requirements of process networks characterized by the existence of multiple zones, each consisting of a set of demands and using a unique external resource. However, all the zones share a common set of internal sources. The decomposition algorithm allows the problem to be decomposed into a sequence of subproblems, each of which can in turn be solved using any established graphical or algebraic targeting methodology to determine the minimum requirement of respective resource. This article presents a rigorous mathematical proof of the decomposition algorithm, and then demonstrates its potential applications with case studies on carbon-constrained energy sector planning, interplant water integration, and emergy-based multisector fuel allocation. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010 [source] Essentials of Baccalaureate Nursing Education for Entry-Level Community/Public Health NursingPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 4 2010Education Committee of the Association of Community Health Nurse Educators ABSTRACT Community/public health nursing (C/PHN) educators and practitioners need a framework from which to plan, implement, and evaluate curriculum and community-based practice. The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) periodically updates the Essentials of Baccalaureate Nursing Education for Entry Level Community/Public Health Nursing to reflect changes in core knowledge, basic competencies, and practice. This update reflects relevance to 21st-century health care and to national trends influencing nursing education. The 2009 revision is based on critical analysis of key C/PHN literature and input from public health nursing educators and practitioners. A key assumption is that a baccalaureate nursing degree is the minimum requirement for professional C/PHN. Fifteen essential concepts for baccalaureate nursing education are delineated along with related competencies. Newly defined essentials include communication, social justice, and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. Issues related to didactic and clinical experiences are addressed. The ACHNE Essentials is an important guide for baccalaureate education curriculum planning and evaluation. The Essentials may be useful as a baseline from which to develop competencies of graduate nursing programs. The document is also useful for guiding practice setting orientation and professional development. [source] Small Format Digital Cameras for Aerial Survey: Where Are We Now?THE PHOTOGRAMMETRIC RECORD, Issue 96 2000R. W. Graham This paper introduces the subject of digital sensors for aerial survey by reviewing the use made of small format digital cameras in such an application. The major advantages and disadvantages of employing such consumer technology for aerial survey are highlighted. Finally, a specification is proposed for a minimum requirement for a digital solution based on a single area array sensor. [source] Effects of dietary protein to energy ratios on growth and body composition of juvenile Chinese sucker, Myxocyprinus asiaticusAQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 2 2010Y.C. YUAN Abstract A growth experiment was conducted to investigate effect of dietary protein to energy ratios on growth and body composition of juvenile Myxocyprinus asiaticus (initial mean weight: 10.04 ± 0.53 g, mean ± SD). Nine practical diets were formulated to contain three protein levels (340, 390 and 440 g kg,1), each with three lipid levels (60, 100 and 140 g kg,1), in order to produce a range of P/E ratios (from 22.4 to 32.8 mg protein kJ,1). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 20 fish in 400-L indoors flow-through circular fibre glass tanks provided with sand-filtered aerated freshwater. The results showed that the growth was significantly affected by dietary P/E ratio (P < 0.05). Fish fed the diets with 440 g kg,1 protein (100 and 140 g kg,1 lipid, P/E ratio of 31.43 and 29.22 mg protein kJ,1) had the highest specific growth rates (SGR) (2.16 and 2.27% day,1, respectively). However, fish fed the diet with 390 g kg,1 protein and 140 g kg,1 lipid showed comparable growth (2.01% day,1), and had higher protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV) and energy retention (ER) than other groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in survival were found among dietary treatments. Carcass lipid content was positively correlated with dietary lipid level, but irrespective of protein level and inversely correlated with carcass moisture content. Carcass protein contents increased with increasing dietary lipid at each protein level. The white muscle and liver composition showed that lipid increased with increasing dietary lipid level (P < 0.05). Dietary protein concentrations had significant effect on condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and viscerosomatic index (VSI) (P < 0.05). However, dietary lipid concentrations had no significant effect on CF, HSI (P > 0.05). Based on these observations, 440 g kg,1 protein with lipid from 100 to 140 g kg,1 (P/E ratio of 29.22 to 31.43 mg protein kJ,1) seemed to meet minimum requirement for optimal growth and feed utilization, and lipid could cause protein-sparing effect in diets for juvenile Chinese sucker. [source] Continuing professional development for veterinariansAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005IW CAPLE Continuing professional development for veterinarians is expected to commence in the year after graduation and continue until retirement. The World Organisation for Animal Health standard for veterinary services is based on principles of an ethical, organisational and technical nature, and a mix of regulation, self-regulation and quality assurance approaches are used. Few jurisdictions have made a minimum requirement of continuing professional development, measured in hours or units, mandatory in 2004, however, there is an increasing expectation of veterinarians to keep a personal record of their continuing professional development activities. Such records might assist in defending complaints about professional misconduct, and provide a basis for planning and monitoring personal professional growth. Continuing professional development can be obtained by a variety of means through structured and unstructured learning activities. The rapid advances in communication technologies and ready access to available electronic databases at the beginning of the 21st century is rapidly changing the way students learn in veterinary schools and how they will acquire continuing professional development during their careers. Universities, governments, professional associations and special interest groups all have roles to play in the delivery of continuing professional development to the veterinary profession and to ensure a structure is in place to monitor improvements in the delivery of quality veterinary services. [source] Untersuchung des Wärmeschutzes von Außenecken über unbeheizten Kellern in Wohngebäuden , die Achillesferse von massiven Außenwänden mit äußerer Wärmedämmung?BAUPHYSIK, Issue 4 2004Christoph Geyer Dr. rer. nat. Außenwände von Wohngebäuden werden häufig als massive Mauerwerkswände mit einer außenliegenden Wärmedämmung erstellt. Bei dieser Wandkonstruktion trennt aber der Mauerwerkssockel der massiven Außenwand im Erdgeschoß die Wärmedämmebene der Außenwand von der Wärmedämmebene der Kellerdecke über einem unbeheizten Keller. Hierdurch entsteht eine linienförmige Wärmebrücke. Die für den Mindestwärmeschutz kritischste Stelle tritt an der Außenecke im Erdgeschoß auf, wo sich je zwei dieser linienförmigen Wärmebrücken überlagern. Daher wird die minimale raumseitige Oberflächentemperatur an dieser Ecke für die Beurteilung des Mindestwärmeschutzes der Konstruktion herangezogen. Durch eine Vielzahl von dreidimensionalen Wärmebrückenberechnungen werden die Konstruktionseigenschaften der angrenzenden ebenen Bauteile herausgearbeitet, welche die minimale, raumseitige Oberflächentemperatur in der Außenecke über einem unbeheizten Keller und damit den Mindestwärmeschutz der Konstruktion beeinflussen. Es zeigt sich, daß eine minimale raumseitige Oberflächentemperatur in der Außenecke von 12, 6 °C erst mit Wärmedurchlaßwiderständen der Tragschale bzw. der gesamten Wandkonstruktion nachgewiesen werden kann, die wesentlich höher als 1, 2 m2K/W sind. Damit ist für diese Art von Außenwänden ein Mindestwärmeschutz nach Tabelle 3, DIN 4108-2 [1] mit einer Anforderung an den Wärmedurchlasswiderstand von R , 1,2 m2K/W nicht ausreichend, um den Mindestwärmeschutz auch für die Außenecke im Erdgeschoß rechnerisch nachweisen zu können. Es wird daher vorgeschlagen, ergänzende Hinweise in die Norm aufzunehmen. Examination of the thermal insulation characteristics of external corners above unheated basements in dwellings , the Achilles' heel of heavy-weight external walls with thermal insulation on the outside? External walls in dwellings consist often of a heavy-weight wall and a thermal insulation fixed outside. With this construction the insulation of the external wall is separated by the plinth of the external wall from the thermal insulation incorporated in the slab above an unheated basement. This results in a thermal bridge along the edge of the basement slab. The most critical point of the construction with regard to thermal protection occurs at the exterior corner at ground floor level, where two linear thermal bridges overlay. For this reason the minimum inner surface temperature of the corner is used to estimate the heat protection of the construction. A number of calculations of the minimum temperature at the interior surface of this three dimensional thermal bridge is performed to evaluate the parameters of the adjacent construction details which affect the minimum temperature at the inner surface of the corner. To reach the minimum temperature at he inner surface of the corner of 12.6 °C demanded by the German standard DIN 4108-2 as the minimum requirement of heat protection for thermal bridges, thermal resistances of the whole wall construction much higher than 1.2 m2K/W are necessary. For this construction type of exterior walls a thermal resistance of 1.2 m2K/W as demanded in table 3 of the German standard DIN 4108-2 as a minimum heat insulation for exterior walls can be shown to be insufficient to assure a minimum temperature of 12.6 °C at the inner surface of the corner at ground floor level. Thus it is proposed to add additional notes concerning this construction type in this standard. [source] Chiral interaction in peptide molecules: Effects of chiral peptide species on helix-sense induction in an N-terminal-free achiral peptideBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 5 2006Yoshihito Inai Abstract Noncovalent chiral domino effect (NCDE) has been proposed as terminal-specific interaction upon a 310 -helical peptide chain, of which the helix sense is manipulated by an external chiral stimulus (mainly amino acid derivatives) operating on the N-terminus (Inai, Y., et al. J Am Chem Soc 2000, 122, 11731,11732; ibid., 2002, 124, 2466,2473; ibid., 2003, 125, 8151,8162). We have investigated here a helix-sense induction in an optically inactive N-terminal-free nonapeptide (1) through the screening of several peptide species that differ in chiral sequence, chain length, and C-terminal group. Helix-sense induction in peptide 1 depends largely on both the C-terminal chirality and carboxyl group in the external peptide, in which N-carbonyl-blocked amino acids, "monopeptide acids," should be the minimum requirement for effective induction. N-Protected mono- to tetrapeptides of L -Leu residue commonly induce a right-handed helix. NMR study and theoretical computation reveal that the N-terminal segment of peptide 1 binds the N-protected dipeptide molecule through multipoint coordination to induce a right-handed helix preferentially. The present findings not only will improve our understanding of the chiral roles in peptide or protein helical termini, but also might demonstrate potential applications to chirality-responsive materials based on peptide helical fragments. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 82: 471,481, 2006 This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source] On the concept of a universal audit of quality and environmental management systemsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2002Stanislav Karapetrovic There is a definite trend in industry today toward the integration of internal management systems (MSs), including those for managing quality, environment, health and safety, and social accountability. The standards describing the minimum requirements for such systems have been made largely compatible, but are not yet fully aligned or integrated. Apart from several national standards for integrated quality, environment and safety MSs, the world has yet to see a corresponding and internationally accepted guideline. In contrast, integrative standardization activities in the realm of MS auditing are proceeding in full force, with the introduction of the pioneering ISO 19011 guideline for quality and environmental auditing expected soon. This paper focuses on the concepts, principles and practices of a truly generic audit, applicable for the evaluation of diverse aspects of organizational performance against the criteria stated in MS standards. A universal audit model based on the systems approach and several important questions regarding the compatibility and integration of the current auditing schemes are discussed. These issues include the ability of integrated audits to foster unification of supported MSs, as well as different strategies for the development of a universal audit guideline (UAG) and integration of function-specific audits. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment. [source] An adaptive min,max fair bandwidth allocation scheme for cellular multimedia networksEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Issue 5 2006Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam Depending on the flexibility in controlling the transmission rate and the differences between on-line (real time) and off-line transmission modes, multimedia applications can potentially include a wide range of services, with the traditional stringent quality-of-service (QoS) requirement at the extreme to the highly adaptive ones that can tolerate or smartly adapt to the transient fluctuations in the QoS parameters. Keeping the cellular multimedia networks efficient with low call dropping and blocking rates and high bandwidth utilisation while maintaining a fair distribution of bandwidth by synergistically addressing the differences among these services remains a significant challenge. This paper addresses this issue by developing a novel min,max fairness scheme where bandwidth is distributed with equal share only after ensuring the minimum requirements. Besides borrowing in-use bandwidth through redistribution, this scheme also allows for using the reserved bandwidth for the offline services. Simulation results confirm the superiority of this scheme against the rate-based borrowing and the max,min fairness schemes, the two most recent works addressing similar issues. Copyright © 2005 AEIT. [source] Selection Criteria for Emergency Medicine Residency ApplicantsACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2000Joseph T. Crane MD Abstract: Objectives: To determine the criteria used by emergency medicine (EM) residency selection committees to select their residents, to determine whether there is a consensus among residency programs, to inform programs of areas of possible inconsistency, and to better educate applicants pursuing careers in EM. Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 20 items based on the current Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) guidelines was mailed to the program directors of all 118 EM residencies in existence in February 1998. The program directors were instructed to rank each item on a five-point scale (5 = most important, 1 = least important) as to its importance in the selection of residents. Followup was done in the form of e-mail and facsimile. Results: The overall response rate was 79.7%, with 94 of 118 programs responding. Items ranking as most important (4.0-5.0) in the selection process included: EM rotation grade (mean ± SD = 4.79 ± 0.50), interview (4.62 ± 0.63), clinical grades (4.36 ± 0.70), and recommendations (4.11 ± 0.85). Moderate emphasis (3.0-4.0) was placed on: elective done at program director's institution (3.75 ± 1.25), U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) step II (3.34 ± 0.93), interest expressed in program director's institution (3.30 ± 1.19), USMLE step I (3.28 ± 0.86), and awards/achievements (3.16 ± 0.88). Less emphasis (<3.0) was placed on Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (AOA) status (3.01 ± 1.09), medical school attended (3.00 ± 0.85), extracurricular activities (2.99 ± 0.87), basic science grades (2.88 ± 0.93), publications (2.87 ± 0.99), and personal statement (2.75 ± 0.96). Items most agreed upon by respondents (lowest standard deviation, SD) included EM rotation grade (SD 0.50), interview (SD 0.63), and clinical grades (SD 0.70). Of the 94 respondents, 37 (39.4%) replied they had minimum requirements for USMLE step I (195.11 ± 13.10), while 30 (31.9%) replied they had minimum requirements for USMLE step II (194.27 ± 14.96). Open-ended responses to "other" were related to personal characteristics, career/goals, and medical school performance. Conclusions: The selection criteria with the highest mean values as reported by the program directors were EM rotation grade, interview, clinical grades, and recommendations. Criteria showing the most consistency (lowest SD) included EM rotation grade, interview, and clinical grades. Results are compared with those from previous multispecialty studies. [source] Intelligent control using multiple neural networksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 6 2003Lingji Chen Abstract In this paper a framework for intelligent control is established to adaptively control a class of non-linear discrete-time dynamical systems while assuring boundedness of signals. A linear robust adaptive controller and multiple non-linear neural network based adaptive controllers are used, and a switching law is suitably defined to switch between them, based upon their performances in predicting the plant output. Boundedness of signals is established with minimum requirements on the parameter adjustment mechanisms of the neural network controllers, and thus the latter can be used in novel ways to better detect changes in the system being controlled, and to initiate fast adaptation. Simulation studies show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Combined fair packet scheduling policy and multi-class adaptive CAC scheme for QoS provisioning in multimedia cellular networksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 2 2006Tarek Bejaoui Abstract In this paper, we propose a combined multi-class adaptive connection admission control algorithm and a new fair packet scheduling policy, based on an enhanced weighted fair queuing algorithm. It takes into account a realistic behaviour of traffic while considering the spatial variation of the system characterizing both the user mobility and the signal propagation impairments due to the surrounding effects. The proposed allocation scheme provides enhanced traffic performance in heterogeneous environments and achieves a good level of capacity gain. The new adaptive quality of service (QoS) oriented connection admission control (CAC) function is proposed to meet the rapidly increasing demand for providing multimedia services with diversified quality requirements. It decides whether the connection request is to be admitted into the system, on the basis of the generated interference level and the waiting time before access. This CAC scheme, based on service class differentiation, aims at maximizing the use of available radio resource and meeting the QoS requirement of higher priority users as much as possible while maintaining the minimum requirements of lower priority users, especially when the system suffers from congestion. The results indicate that significantly increased traffic performance can be achieved in comparison with other conventional investigated policies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Technical Barriers to Trade in the European Union: Importance for Accession CountriesJCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 2 2001Paul Brenton With trade in industrial products between the EU and the countries of central and eastern Europe (CEECs) now essentially free of tariff and non-tariff restrictions, the principal impact of accession to the EU on trade flows will be through access to the single market of the EU. A key element of this will be the removal of technical barriers to trade. In this article we try to highlight the potential importance of technical barriers to trade between the EU and the various CEECs, distinguishing between sectors according to the different approaches to the removal of these barriers in the EU: mutual recognition, detailed harmonization (old approach) and minimum requirements (new approach). We use two sources of information on technical regulations: a sectoral classification from a previous study of the impact of the single market and our own detailed translation of EU product-related directives into the relevant tariff codes. The analysis suggests that the importance of technical barriers varies considerably across the CEECs. The adjustment implications of access to the single market are likely to be greatest for those most advanced in their accession negotiations. [source] Long-term enhancement of agricultural production by restoration of biodiversityJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2007JAMES M. BULLOCK Summary 1Experimental manipulations have shown positive impacts of increased species richness on ecosystem productivity, but there remain some questions about this relationship. First, most studies last < 4 years, which raises issues about whether diversity,productivity relationships are maintained in mature communities. Secondly, the conservation relevance of many studies is debatable. We addressed both issues using long-term experimental studies of the agriculturally relevant hay yield of recreated species-rich grasslands. 2Grasslands were recreated within replicated experiments in ex-arable fields at two sites in southern England by using either species-poor or species-rich seed mixtures. The species-poor mixture comprised seven grasses as recommended for grassland creation in English agri-environment schemes. The species-rich mixture comprised 11 grasses and 28 forbs and was designed to recreate a typical southern English hay meadow. 3After 8 years the plots sown with species-rich mixtures resembled target diverse community types. The plots sown with species-poor mixtures had been colonized by a number of forbs but had lower numbers of grasses, legumes and other forbs than the species-rich plots. Increased hay yield of the species-rich plots in the first years of the experiments have been described in an earlier paper, and these differences were maintained after 8 years. 4In the eighth year the species-rich plots had an average 43% higher hay yield than the species-poor plots. Regression analysis showed that the variation in hay yield was related to differences in the number of non-leguminous forbs and showed no relation to grass or legume numbers. This suggests increased hay yield is an effect of the greater range of life forms exhibited by forbs rather than a simple fertilizing effect of legumes. 5The nitrogen content and phosphorus content of the hay showed complex treatment effects over time. However, the nutritional value of the hay was above the minimum requirements for livestock. 6Synthesis and applications. The aims of conservationists and farmers can often be in conflict. This study has shown that the recreation of diverse grasslands of conservation value can have a positive impact on hay yield, which benefits the farm business, and this is repeated across differing sites. Because the effect is maintained over time, farm income will be increased in the long term. [source] Nutrient requirements of ephemeral plant species from wet, mesotrophic soilsJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 3 2001Emiel; Brouwer van der Meijden (1996) Abstract. Nanocyperion plant communities occur on wet, more or less nutrient-poor and sparsely vegetated soils in temperate climates and are characterized by tiny, very shortlived plant species. Most of these have become locally extinct. It is generally assumed that drainage and eutrophication were the most important reasons for this decrease. However, chemical analysis of soil pore water from plots on growth sites of these ephemerals showed that phosphorus availability was relatively high. In a greenhouse experiment, the growth of ephemeral species was strongly limited by the amount of available phosphorus, whereas there was little or no limitation to the growth of other plant species from this habitat. At low phosphorus concentrations, the ephemeral species reached their reproductive phase within the same period, but showed a strong reduction in the amount of flowers that were produced. We concluded that ephemeral species in particular require a minimum amount of phosphorus for reproduction. Other species on nutrient-poor, wet soils have a longer life span and can postpone flowering in nutrient-poor soils. In contrast to other short-lived plant species from the same habitat, the growth of ephemeral species was barely stimulated by enhanced nitrogen availability. Apparently, the ephemerals are adapted to low nitrogen concentrations. The occurrence on nitrogen-poor and relatively phosphorus-rich soils suggests that this community may be very sensitive to nitrogen deposition. Reduced phosphorus availability below the minimum requirements of ephemerals, for example after acidification or the exclusion of human activities, has possibly contributed to the decrease of ephemeral plant species. [source] Parentage assignment in Haliotis midae L.: a precursor to future genetic enhancement programmes for South African abaloneAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 9 2010Nicol-Candice Van Den Bergb Abstract The establishment and evaluation of family lines using pedigree information provides an advanced understanding of the variability that exists for complex, economically valuable traits and is a necessary step in the execution of an effective breeding programme. The aim of this study was to assign parentage to mass-spawned Haliotis midae juveniles using species-specific microsatellite markers. Screening of wild abalone individuals revealed that the nine loci selected complied with the minimum requirements for parentage analyses: a null allele frequency <5% as well as a high number and frequency of alleles per locus. A total of 598 individuals were genotyped (198 breeding individuals and 400 F1 progeny) from two farms, with parentage results yielding 91% and 90% successful assignment for Farms A and B respectively. This study, therefore, provided the necessary pedigree information required for controlled breeding of individual adult abalone and indicated the usefulness of the panel of microsatellite markers selected for parentage assignment. [source] Water-soluble vitamins in fish ontogenyAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 5 2010Rune Waagbø Abstract Studies on vitamin requirement at early stages are difficult and vary in quality, both due to the scientific approach and vitamin analysis. Focus has been on water-soluble vitamins that cause dramatic losses of the offspring in practical farming situations or in wild life, like vitamin C and thiamine deficiencies respectively. Practical solutions including vitamin administration through brood stock and larvae diets have confirmed and corrected the vitamin deficiencies. For the other water-soluble vitamins, the situation is not so obvious. Descriptive studies of folate and vitamin B6 during fish ontogeny have shown a net loss of vitamin during endogenous feeding and a steady transfer of vitamin from the yolk sac into the body compartment, and finally, dramatic increases in body vitamin levels after the start of feeding. The kinetics of mass transfer with ontogeny appears, however, to differ between vitamins. Start of feeding of fish larvae with live or formulated feeds includes several challenges with respect to water-soluble vitamins, including aspects of live feed enrichment and stability, micro-diet leaching, variable feed intakes, immature gastrointestinal tract, variable bioavailability of vitamins and larvae vitamin storage capacity. Consequently, the exact minimum requirements are difficult to estimate and vitamin recommendations need to consider such conditions. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||