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Cohesion
Kinds of Cohesion Terms modified by Cohesion Selected AbstractsEXTENDING SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION THEORY: MODELING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COHESION, DISORDER, AND FEAR,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2001FRED E. MARKOWITZ In this study, we build on recent social disorganization research, estimating models of the relationships between disorder, burglary, cohesion, and fear of crime using a sample of neighborhoods from three waves of the British Crime Survey. The results indicate that disorder has an indirect effect on burglary through fear and neighborhood cohesion. Although cohesion reduces disorder, nonrecursive models show that disorder also reduces cohesion. Part of the effect of disorder on cohesion is mediated by fear. Similar results are obtained in nonrecursive burglary models. Together, the results suggest a feedback loop in which decreases in neighborhood cohesion increase crime and disorder, increasing fear, in turn, further decreasing cohesion. [source] RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF COHESION AND ADHESION FOR SENSORY STICKINESS OF SEMISOLID FOODSJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 6 2004B. DUNNEWIND ABSTRACT Sensory stickiness (sticky mouthfeel) was hypothesized to result from the viscoelastic and adhesive properties of a foodstuff. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relative importance of these two properties. Measurements consisted of compression , decompression cycles on a texture analyzer, with product, type of surface, the presence or absence of saliva and compression regime as variables. Products included commercial mayonnaises, custard desserts and warm sauces, varying in apparent viscosity (at shear rate of 10 s,1) between 0.3 and 18.3 Pa.s. Fairly good models were obtained, predicting sensory stickiness with R2 = 0.85,0.92. The predictive value of the mathematical models did not increase when the surface characteristics approached those of the human tongue (use of porcine lingual mucosa). Different surfaces or the use of saliva resulted in differences in the absolute values of the parameters, but their relative values when comparing different products did not change. The parameters appearing in the predictive models represented product characteristics only. The type of surface was not an important factor in determining differences in sensory stickiness between these samples. For the products used in this study, adhesion was large enough to prevent detachment of the sample from the surfaces, i.e., adhesion was not limiting. Variations in perceived stickiness could be explained with R2 = 0.86, based on only two product characteristics: consistency and ,long behavior' (the extent to which necking occurs during decompression). This was better than the correlation between sensory stickiness and apparent viscosity (R2 = 0.77),, confirming, the relevance of ,long behavior' for sensory stickiness. [source] Elite Consensus as a Determinant of Alliance Cohesion: Why Public Opinion Hardly Matters for NATO-led Operations in AfghanistanFOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2010Sarah Kreps Despite the increasing popularity of fighting wars through multilateral coalitions, scholars have largely been silent on the question of how public opinion in member states affects alliance cohesion. This article assesses public opinion data for states contributing to operations in Afghanistan. It finds that despite the unpopularity of the war, leaders have largely bucked public opinion and neither reduced nor withdrawn troops from NATO-led operations in Afghanistan. Theoretical expectations about international cooperation and evidence from case studies point to elite consensus as the reason why leaders are not running for the exits in Afghanistan when their publics would prefer that they do. As the article shows, operating through a formal institution such as NATO creates systemic incentives for sustained international cooperation. The result is that elite consensus inoculates leaders from electoral punishment and gives states' commitments to Afghanistan a "stickiness" that defies negative public opinion. A formal alliance such as NATO may therefore create more policy constraints than an ad hoc coalition but also increase the costs of defection and confer a degree of staying power that is unexpected given the adverse public opinion environment. [source] Cohesion among nurses: a comparison of bedside vs. charge nurses' perceptions in Australian hospitalsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 4 2001Wendy Chaboyer PhD RN Cohesion among nurses: a comparison of bedside vs. charge nurses' perceptions in Australian hospitals Aim.,This study examines the extent to which hospital nurses view their working environment in a positive sense, working as a cohesive group. Background.,Despite the fact that nursing in Australia is now considered a profession, it has been claimed that nurses are an oppressed group who use horizontal violence, bullying and aggression in their interactions with one and other. Methods.,After ethical approval, a random sample of 666 nurses working directly with patients and all 333 critical care nurses employed in three large tertiary Australian hospitals were invited to participate in the study in the late 1990s. A mailed survey examined the perceptions of interaction nurses had with each other. The hypothesis, that level of employment (either Level I bedside nurses or Level II/III clinical leaders) and area of work (either critical care or noncritical care) would influence perceptions of cohesion, as measured by the cohesion amongst nurses scale (CANS) was tested. Results.,In total 555 (56%) surveys were returned. Of these, 413 were returned by Level I and 142 by Level II/III nurses. Of this sample, 189 were critical care and 355 noncritical care nurses. There was no difference between Level I and II/III nurses in mean CANS scores. It is interesting to note that the item rated most positively was ,nurses on the units worked well together', however, the item rated least positive was ,staff can be really bitchy towards each other' for both Level I and II/III nurses. There was no difference in CANS scores between critical care and noncritical care nurses. Conclusions.,Nurses working in Australian hospitals perceived themselves to be moderately cohesive but, as would be expected in other work settings, some negative perceptions existed. [source] The impact of food hypersensitivity reported in 9-year-old children by their parents on health-related quality of lifeALLERGY, Issue 2 2008E. Östblom Background:, There are only a few studies on the impact of food hypersensitivity (FHS) in children on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The present study was designed to examine this impact in a population-based birth cohort (BAMSE). Methods:, A nested case,control study was performed within the cohort. The parents of 1378 nine-year-old children filled out a generic questionnaire with 13 subscales (Child Health Questionnaire Parental Form 28 , CHQ-PF28) supplemented with disease-specific questions concerning FHS. There were 212 children with report of FHS. Another 221 children with allergic diseases but not FHS were examined for comparison. Furthermore, the impact of pronounced symptoms of FHS and of increasing levels of food-specific IgE antibodies on HRQL was also analysed. Results:, The children with FHS exhibited significantly lower scores on the subscales physical functioning, role/social limitations , physical and general health in the generic instrument. Furthermore, children with food-related symptoms from the lower airways were scored lower on Self Esteem, Parental Impact , time and Family Cohesion. Sensitization per se did not alter these patterns, but high levels of food-specific IgE-antibodies affected mental health and general health negatively. A physician's diagnosis of food allergy did not affect any of the subscales negatively. Conclusions:, Parents reported that FHS exerts a negative impact on the HRQL of 9-year-old children, in particular in children with symptoms from the lower airways or if the FHS is associated with high levels of food-specific IgE-antibodies. Healthcare-givers must put major effort into improving and maintaining the HRQL of these children. [source] When Grammar Instruction Undermines Cohesion in L2 Spanish Classroom DiscourseMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004Paul D. Toth This article compares ordinary conversational topics and targeted second language (L2) forms for their effectiveness in building and maintaining classroom discourse cohesion. In this study, 16 learners participated in 2 lessons, 1 with teacher turns determined by a grammatical object of instruction, and the other with turns determined by conversation topics. Based on research by Sperber and Wilson (1995) and Vuchinich (1977), extended latency gaps and remedy sequences in learner turns were taken as evidence of poor cohesion. Both lessons were videotaped, transcribed, and coded. Of the 16 learners, 5 volunteers viewed the videotapes and offered written explanations for their extended latencies. Longer latencies and more frequent remedy sequences occurred during the grammatically-determined discourse, with volunteers likewise indicating greater difficulty understanding the instructor, than during the conversational lesson. It is argued that for grammar instruction to work effectively, a focus on form must be transparent as the instructional objective, and targeted L2 forms must themselves be properly treated as discourse topics. [source] New Tech, New Ties: How Mobile Communication is Reshaping Social Cohesion by Richard Seyler LingMUSEUM ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2009HEATHER A. HORST [source] Ethnicity and Politics: Cohesion, Division and British JewsPOLITICAL STUDIES, Issue 4 2001Laurence A. Kotler-Berkowitz Structural, cultural, psychological and materialist theories support the proposition that political cohesion and division in ethnic groups are a function of ethnic cohesion and division generally. The proposition is applied to British Jews, and data from the first nationally representative survey of British Jews are employed to test an empirical hypothesis linking strong manifestations of ethnicity to Conservative partisanship. Results from multinomial logistic regression analysis support the hypothesis, and transformations to probabilities demonstrate the strong effect of ethnic divisions on party divisions. Comparisons are drawn between British Jews and other British ethnic minorities, and between British and American Jews. [source] Correlates of the categories of adolescent attachment styles: Perceived rearing, family function, early life events, and personalityPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 1 2008Nao Tanaka phd Aims:, To identify the psychosocial correlates of adolescents. Methods:, Unmarried university students (n = 4226) aged 18,23 years were examined in a questionnaire survey. Results:, Four clusters of people (indifferent, secure, fearful, and preoccupied) identified by cluster analysis were plotted in 2-D using discriminant function analysis with the first function (father's and mother's Care, Cooperativeness, and family Cohesion on the positive end and Harm Avoidance and father's and mother's Overprotection on the negative end) representing the Self-model and the second function (Reward Dependence and experience of Peer Victimization on the positive end and Self-directedness on the negative end) representing the Other model. Conclusions:, These findings partially support Bartholomew's notion that adult attachment is based on the good versus bad representations of the self and the other and that it is influenced by psychosocial environments experienced over the course of development. [source] Managing Diversity? ,Community Cohesion' and Its Limits in Neoliberal Urban PolicyGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2008Julie MacLeavy The concept of ,community cohesion' has played a defining role in the institution of a new policy agenda for regenerating urban areas in many liberal welfare states. Its particular interpretation supports the installation of urban programmes that are based not on the improvement of the built environment, but rather investment in the social and cultural composition of cities. In particular, the economic and civic participation of individuals living within deprived urban areas is positioned as a key means of redressing situations of inequality and disadvantage. This article reviews the concept of ,community cohesion', its use in urban policy in the UK, and the recent literature on this subject. Through an indicative discussion of the New Deal for Communities programme, it explores the potential implications of ,community cohesion' for disadvantaged policy subjects and considers especially its provisions for ethnic minority groups: a constellation of community in which individuals are understood to experience a ,double disadvantage' as a result of their disproportionate concentration in deprived urban areas, and their subjection to the consequences of racial discrimination (as well as language and cultural barriers). [source] TEXTURE AND MOUTHFEEL OF SEMISOLID FOODS: COMMERCIAL MAYONNAISES, DRESSINGS, CUSTARD DESSERTS AND WARM SAUCESJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 2 2003H. WEENEN ABSTRACT Texture and mouthfeel sensations of three groups of semisolid foodstuffs (mayonnaises and dressings, custard desserts and warm sauces) were characterised, measured, evaluated and compared based on quantitative descriptive sensory analysis of commercial products. Six groups of texture attributes were generated and used by the sensory panel. These were related to: viscosity, surface feel, bulk homogeneity, adhesion/cohesion, wetness-dryness and fat. Two groups of nontextural mouthfeel attributes were found to be relevant, which were related to perceived temperature and oral irritation. The importance of the attributes for each product category is discussed. [source] Deformation Transfer to Multi-Component ObjectsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 2 2010Kun Zhou Abstract We present a simple and effective algorithm to transfer deformation between surface meshes with multiple components. The algorithm automatically computes spatial relationships between components of the target object, builds correspondences between source and target, and finally transfers deformation of the source onto the target while preserving cohesion between the target's components. We demonstrate the versatility of our approach on various complex models. [source] DIRECTLY INTERVENE OR CALL THE AUTHORITIES?CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 1 2007A STUDY OF FORMS OF NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL CONTROL WITHIN A SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION FRAMEWORK Informal social control is a central concept in the contemporary social disorganization literature, and much attention has been directed at examining community characteristics related to variation in the quantity of informal social control across communities. However, considerably less attention has been paid to variation in forms of informal social control. This study examines the extent to which neighborhood characteristics are related to residents'likelihood of using two different forms of informal social control: direct informal social control (i.e., through direct intervention) and indirect informal social control (i.e., through mobilizing formal authorities). Data for this study are based on surveys of residents in 66 neighborhoods. The analysis uses hierarchical modeling to examine whether neighborhood characteristics central to contemporary social disorganization theory have similar effects on these two forms of neighborhood social control. Findings indicate that social ties increase the likelihood of direct informal social control but not indirect informal social control, whereas social cohesion and trust decreases indirect informal social control but does not have a significant effect on direct informal social control. Faith in the police is not found to affect either form of informal social control. These findings are discussed in terms of current issues in contemporary social disorganization theory. [source] EXTENDING SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION THEORY: MODELING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COHESION, DISORDER, AND FEAR,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2001FRED E. MARKOWITZ In this study, we build on recent social disorganization research, estimating models of the relationships between disorder, burglary, cohesion, and fear of crime using a sample of neighborhoods from three waves of the British Crime Survey. The results indicate that disorder has an indirect effect on burglary through fear and neighborhood cohesion. Although cohesion reduces disorder, nonrecursive models show that disorder also reduces cohesion. Part of the effect of disorder on cohesion is mediated by fear. Similar results are obtained in nonrecursive burglary models. Together, the results suggest a feedback loop in which decreases in neighborhood cohesion increase crime and disorder, increasing fear, in turn, further decreasing cohesion. [source] POLICY AND INTERVENTION CONSIDERATIONS OF A NETWORK ANALYSIS OF STREET GANGS,CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 3 2005JEAN MARIE MCGLOIN Research Summary: This study details a network analysis of the street gang landscape in Newark, New Jersey. Using individual gang members as the unit of analysis and multiple layers of associations as the linkages within the networks, the results suggest that the gangs in Newark are loosely organized with pockets of cohesion. In addition, there is variation with regard to individual connectedness within the gangs, and certain gang members emerge as "cut-points" or the only connection among gang members or groups of gang members. Policy Implications: The results lend further credence to the notion that problem analysis should precede gang interventions. In particular, the findings suggest that particular groups of gang members may be amenable to the collective accountability tactic, whereas others may become more cohesive as a consequence. Indeed, an intervention focused on individuals may be more productive in Newark. The cut-points within gangs are particularly worthy of attention, both for their capacity to act as communication agents for a deterrence message and for their potential vulnerability to the pulling levers strategy. [source] Live-cell analysis of mitotic spindle formation in taxol-treated cellsCYTOSKELETON, Issue 8 2008Jessica E. Hornick Abstract Taxol functions to suppress the dynamic behavior of individual microtubules, and induces multipolar mitotic spindles. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which taxol disrupts normal bipolar spindle assembly in vivo. Using live imaging of GFP-, tubulin expressing cells, we examined spindle assembly after taxol treatment. We find that as taxol-treated cells enter mitosis, there is a dramatic re-distribution of the microtubule network from the centrosomes to the cell cortex. As they align there, the cortical microtubules recruit NuMA to their embedded ends, followed by the kinesin motor HSET. These cortical microtubules then bud off to form cytasters, which fuse into multipolar spindles. Cytoplasmic dynein and dynactin do not re-localize to cortical microtubules, and disruption of dynein/dynactin interactions by over-expression of p50 "dynamitin" does not prevent cytaster formation. Taxol added well before spindle poles begin to form induces multipolarity, but taxol added after nascent spindle poles are visible,but before NEB is complete,results in bipolar spindles. Our results suggest that taxol prevents rapid transport of key components, such as NuMA, to the nascent spindle poles. The net result is loss of mitotic spindle pole cohesion, microtubule re-distribution, and cytaster formation. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ethnic Inequalities in the Public Sector: A Comparative AnalysisDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2006Yusuf Bangura This article uses empirical data to discuss the links between ethnicity, inequality and governance in a framework that divides countries according to their levels of ethnic polarization. It makes three main arguments. First, types of diversity, not the existence of diversity per se, explain potentials for conflict or cohesion in multiethnic societies. Ethnic cleavages are configured differently in different social structures and are less conflictual in some countries than in others. Second, relative balance has been achieved in the public sectors of countries that are highly fragmented or those with ethnicity-sensitive policies, but not in those with ethnicity-blind policies. Third, the article is critical of institutional approaches to conflict management that underplay background conditions in shaping choices. Consociational arrangements may not be relevant in unipolar ethnic settings or fragmented multiethnic societies, where governments may be ethnically inclusive under democratic conditions. They seem unavoidable in ethnic settings with two or three main groups or in settings with strong ethnic/regional clusters. [source] Social Protection: Defining the Field of Action and PolicyDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 5 2002Andy Norton This article reviews recent developments in the concept of social protection, beginning with an attempt to establish a working definition of the term. This is set in the context of globalisation and new thinking on connections between the management of vulnerability, risk and poverty on the one hand and long,term economic and social development on the other. The article identifies aspects of the debate which require further development, by exploring the relationship between social protection, equality, social cohesion and rights. It also reviews contemporary definitions of social protection in the policies of donors and international organisations, and summarises lessons to be learnt from experience to date with civil society practices and state policies in the developing world. [source] A randomized controlled trial of the impact of therapeutic horse riding on the quality of life, health, and function of children with cerebral palsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2009E DAVIS PHD This randomized controlled trial examined whether therapeutic horse riding has a clinically significant impact on the physical function, health and quality of life (QoL) of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Ninety-nine children aged 4 to 12 years with no prior horse riding experience and various levels of impairment (Gross Motor Function Classification System Levels I,III) were randomized to intervention (10wks therapeutic programme; 26 males, 24 females; mean age 7y 8mo [SD 2y 5mo] or control (usual activities, 27 males, 22 females; mean age 8y 2mo [SD 2y 6mo]). Pre- and post-measures were completed by 72 families (35 intervention and 37 control). Children's gross motor function (Gross Motor Function Measure [GMFM]), health status (Child Health Questionnaire [CHQ]), and QoL (CP QoL-Child, KIDSCREEN) were assessed by parents and QoL was assessed by children before and after the 10-week study period. On analysis of covariance, there was no statistically significant difference in GMFM, CP QoL-Child (parent report and child self-report), and CHQ scores (except family cohesion) between the intervention and control group after the 10-week study period, but there was weak evidence of a difference for KIDSCREEN (parent report). This study suggests that therapeutic horse riding does not have a clinically significant impact on children with CP. However, a smaller effect cannot be ruled out and the absence of evidence might be explained by a lack of sensitivity of the instruments since the QoL and health measures have not yet been demonstrated to be sensitive to change for children with CP. [source] RhoA/ROCK and Cdc42 regulate cell-cell contact and N-cadherin protein level during neurodetermination of P19 embryonal stem cellsDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Isabel Laplante Abstract RhoGTPases regulate actin-based signaling cascades and cellular contacts. In neurogenesis, their action modulates cell migration, neuritogenesis, and synaptogenesis. Murine P19 embryonal stem cells differentiate to neurons upon aggregation in the presence of retinoic acid, and we previously showed that RhoA and Cdc42 RhoGTPases are sequentially up-regulated during neuroinduction, suggesting a role at this very early developmental stage. In this work, incubation of differentiating P19 cells with C3 toxin resulted in decreased aggregate cohesion and cadherin protein level. In contrast, C3 effects were not observed in cells overexpressing recombinant dominant active RhoA. On the other hand, C3 did not affect cadherin in uninduced cells and their postmitotic neuronal derivatives, respectively expressing E- and N-cadherin. RhoA is thus influential on cell aggregation and cadherin expression during a sensitive time window that corresponds to the switch of E- to N-cadherin. Cell treatment with Y27632 inhibitor of Rho-associated-kinase ROCK, or advanced overexpression of Cdc42 by gene transfer of a constitutively active form of the protein reproduced C3 effects. RhoA-antisense RNA also reduced cadherin level and the size of cell aggregates, and increased the generation of fibroblast-like cells relative to neurons following neuroinduction. Colchicin, a microtubule disrupter, but not cytochalasin B actin poison, importantly decreased cadherin in neurodifferentiating cells. Overall, our results indicate that the RhoA/ROCK pathway regulates cadherin protein level and cell-cell interactions during neurodetermination, with an impact on the efficiency of the process. The effect on cadherin seems to involve microtubules. The importance of correct timing of RhoA and Cdc42 functional expression in neurogenesis is also raised. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 60: 289,307, 2004 [source] Improving glycaemic control in children and adolescents: which aspects of therapy really matter?DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010T. C. Skinner Diabet. Med. 27, 369,375 (2010) Abstract In paediatric diabetes, the concept of intensive therapy in the post-Diabetes Control and Complications Trial period has become subverted by a pharmaco-technological paradigm at the expense of other aspects of care such as goal-setting and psychosocial support. This review examines which patients benefit most from intensive therapy in terms of glycaemic control (HbA1c). It also reviews published controlled trial and observational data relating to the impact of various insulin types and delivery systems on glycaemic control and canvasses the literature dealing with the impact of patient support, philosophy of care, goal setting and treating team dynamic on HbA1c. Taking into account the characteristics of those patients who benefit most from intensive therapy, the quantum of HbA1c change and the persistence of changes that have been reported in selected and non-selected patient groups, it appears that there is a clear hierarchy in aspects of therapy that improve glycaemic control for children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Prime issues appear to be patient support, team cohesion and goal setting. The reported glycaemic benefits achieved by an isolated emphasis upon a pharmaco-technological paradigm are limited in children and adolescents. It appears that only after the prime issues have been first considered will the potential benefits of the insulin types and regimens then be realized. [source] The significance of the diagnosis of atypia in breast fine-needle aspirationDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2004Jennifer C. Lim M.D. Abstract The diagnosis of atypia in breast fine-needle aspiration (FNA) continues to be an area of debate in cytology practice. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of this term and to evaluate potential morphological criteria, which would determine the patient's outcome. A computer-based search was carried out to retrieve breast FNAs performed between 1990 and 2000 that were diagnosed as atypical. Cases followed by surgical resection were reexamined for the presence of morphological features potentially differentiating benign and malignant lesions. Out of 1,568 breast FNAs, there were 64 cases (4%) with a diagnosis of atypia. Thirty-eight cases had surgical follow-up material that revealed malignancy in 14 cases (37%) and benign lesions in 24 cases (63%). The benign diagnostic categories included fibrocystic change (12/24), fibroadenoma (3/24), tubular adenoma (2/24), and nonspecific findings (7/24). The malignant diagnoses included ductal carcinoma (9/14), lobular carcinoma (3/14), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; 1/14), and tubular carcinoma (1/14). The evaluation of cytological criteria used to differentiate benign from malignant lesions (i.e., cellularity, loss of cohesion, myoepithelial cells, nuclear enlargement, nuclear overlap, prominent nucleoli) revealed significant overlap between benign and malignant cases, particularly in cases of fibroadenoma, tubular adenoma, and proliferative breast disease. The surgical follow-up of four hypocellular cases revealed lobular carcinoma in two cases and ductal carcinoma in the remaining two cases. Our study confirmed that the diagnosis of atypia is clinically significant because it is associated with a high probability of malignancy. No morphological criterion is able to reliably differentiate benign and malignant lesions in cases diagnosed with atypia. Diagnosis of atypia is particularly significant in hypocellular cases. We recommended that breast FNAs with a diagnosis of atypia be evaluated further histologically. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2004;31:285,288. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ritual dynamics in humanitarian assistanceDISASTERS, Issue 2010Paul Richards Those who intervene in crises must take care to ensure that assistance does not undermine the processes through which social cohesion is generated or restored. From a neo-Durkheimian analytical perspective, feeding creates social loyalties as well as saves lives. Humanitarian agencies provide practical assistance to livelihoods, but they need also to create space for the ritual agency on which social cohesion depends. Attention to the rituals of food distribution helps humanitarian actors to address a potentially damaging dissociation between social and material facts. A post-war food security project in Sierra Leone is used to illustrate the point. The lessons of this intervention have implications for the organisation of humanitarian assistance at all levels, both international and local. The paper argues that establishing space for ritualisation within humanitarian programmes is an obligation for those who wish to do no harm. [source] Modelling increased soil cohesion due to roots with EUROSEMEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 13 2008S. De Baets Abstract As organic root exudates cause soil particles to adhere firmly to root surfaces, roots significantly increase soil strength and therefore also increase the resistance of the topsoil to erosion by concentrated flow. This paper aims at contributing to a better prediction of the root effects on soil erosion rates in the EUROSEM model, as the input values accounting for roots, presented in the user manual, do not account for differences in root density or root architecture. Recent research indicates that small changes in root density or differences in root architecture considerably influence soil erosion rates during concentrated flow. The approach for incorporating the root effects into this model is based on a comparison of measured soil detachment rates for bare and for root-permeated topsoil samples with predicted erosion rates under the same flow conditions using the erosion equation of EUROSEM. Through backwards calculation, transport capacity efficiencies and corresponding soil cohesion values can be assessed for bare and root-permeated topsoils respectively. The results are promising and present soil cohesion values that are in accordance with reported values in the literature for the same soil type (silt loam). The results show that grass roots provide a larger increase in soil cohesion as compared with tap-rooted species and that the increase in soil cohesion is not significantly different under wet and dry soil conditions, either for fibrous root systems or for tap root systems. Power and exponential relationships are established between measured root density values and the corresponding calculated soil cohesion values, reflecting the effects of roots on the resistance of the topsoil to concentrated flow incision. These relationships enable one to incorporate the root effect into the soil erosion model EUROSEM, through adapting the soil cohesion input value. A scenario analysis shows that the contribution of roots to soil cohesion is very important for preventing soil loss and reducing runoff volume. The increase in soil shear strength due to the binding effect of roots on soil particles is two orders of magnitude lower as compared with soil reinforcement achieved when roots mobilize their tensile strength during soil shearing and root breakage. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Spatial and temporal variations in bank erosion on sand-bed streams in the seasonally wet tropics of northern AustraliaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2006M. J. Saynor Abstract Bank erosion rates and processes across a range of spatial scales are poorly understood in most environments, especially in the seasonally wet tropics of northern Australia where sediment yields are among global minima. A total of 177 erosion pins was installed at 45 sites on four sand-bed streams (Tributaries North and Central, East Tributary and Ngarradj) in the Ngarradj catchment in the Alligator Rivers Region. Bank erosion was measured for up to 3·5 years (start of 1998/99 wet season to end of 2001/02 wet season) at three spatial scales, namely a discontinuous gully (0·6 km2) that was initiated by erosion of a grass swale between 1975 and 1981, a small continuous channel (2·5 km2) on an alluvial fan that was formed by incision of a formerly discontinuous channel between 1964 and 1978, and three medium-sized, continuous channels (8·5,43·6 km2) with riparian vegetation. The bank erosion measurements during a period of average to above-average rainfall established that substantial bank erosion occurred during the wet season on the two smaller channels by rapid lateral migration (Tributary Central) and by erosion of gully sidewalls due to a combination of within-gully flows and overland flow plunging over the sidewalls (Tributary North). Minor bank erosion also occurred during the dry season by faunal activity, by desiccation and loss of cohesion of the sandy bank sediments and by dry flow processes. The larger channels with riparian vegetation (East Tributary and Ngarradj) did not generate significant amounts of sediment by bank erosion. Deposition (i.e. negative pin values) was locally significant at all scales. Bank profile form and channel planform exert a strong control on erosion rates during the wet season but not during the dry season. Copyright © 2006 Commonwealth Government of Australia. [source] A model of equilibrium bed topography for meander bends with erodible banksEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 10 2002Stephen E. Darby Abstract Channel curvature produces secondary currents and a transverse sloping channel bed, along which the depth increases towards the outer bank. As a result deep pools tend to form adjacent to the outer bank, promoting bank collapse. The interaction of sediment grains with the primary and secondary flow and the transverse sloping bed also causes meanders to move different grain sizes in different proportions and directions, resulting in a consistent sorting pattern. Several models have been developed to describe this process, but they all have the potential to over-predict pool depth because they cannot account for the influence of erodible banks. In reality, bank collapse might lead to the development of a wider, shallower cross-section and any resulting flow depth discrepancy can bias associated predictions of flow, sediment transport, and grain-size sorting. While bed topography, sediment transport and grain sorting in bends will partly be controlled by the sedimentary characteristics of the bank materials, the magnitude of this effect has not previously been explored. This paper reports the development of a model of flow, sediment transport, grain-size sorting, and bed topography for river bends with erodible banks. The model is tested via intercomparison of predicted and observed bed topography in one low-energy (5·3 W m,2 specific stream power) and one high-energy (43·4 W m,2) study reach, namely the River South Esk in Scotland and Goodwin Creek in Mississippi, respectively. Model predictions of bed topography are found to be satisfactory, at least close to the apices of bends. Finally, the model is used in sensitivity analyses that provide insight into the influence of bank erodibility on equilibrium meander morphology and associated patterns of grain-size sorting. The sensitivity of meander response to bank cohesion is found to increase as a function of the available stream power within the two study bends. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Synthesis and function of the fibrous layers covering the eggs of Siphlonurus lacustris (Ephemeroptera, Siphlonuridae)ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2001Elda Gaino Abstract Ultrastructural analysis (transmission and electron scanning microscopy) of the eggs of the mayfly Siphlonurus lacustris (Eaton) showed that they are wrapped in a thick coat composed of a network of tightly entwined filaments. Groups of twisted filaments form slightly uplifted buttons that are scattered on the coat surface. After experimentally induced egg deposition, egg,water interaction promotes marked cohesion of the eggs and their firm adhesion to the substrate. Egg masses include numerous gametes; the covering of those located close to the substrate greatly extends to anchor the whole mass. Eggs removed from the coat reveal a slightly punctuated smooth chorion and tagenoform micropyles (three to five). The coat increases egg size by about 20%. The lack of female reproductive accessory glands in Ephemeroptera transfers the synthesis of the adhesive coats to the follicle cells, which are typically competent for insect egg shell deposition (vitelline envelope and chorionic layers). This covering results from electron-dense granules that give rise to filaments progressively organized to form superimposed layers variously orientated around the egg. In addition to egg adhesion to the substrate, a trophic function and protection from shear stress are postulated for this covering. [source] Symbolic dynamics for identifying similarity between rhythms of ecological time seriesECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 9 2004Bernard Cazelles Abstract Explaining the associations between animal populations or between population and environmental signals is an important challenge. The time series that quantify animal populations are often complex, nonlinear, noisy and non-stationary. These characteristics may make it inappropriate to use traditional techniques when analysing these time series and their mutual dependencies. Here I propose to use symbolic dynamics and techniques from Information Theory to evaluate the degree of dynamic cohesion between time series fluctuations. The main idea is to check whether two (or more) signals tend to oscillate simultaneously, rising and falling together with the same rhythm. Based on synthetic and real time series, I demonstrate that this method is robust to the presence of noise and to the short length of the analysed time series and gives relevant information about the weak relationships between different series. Furthermore, this method appears as simple as classical cross-correlation and outperforms it in the analysed examples. [source] Population genetics of the European trout (Salmo trutta L.) migration system in the river Rhine: recolonisation by sea troutECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2005A. Schreiber Abstract , Allozyme genetics (34 loci) is studied in up to 1010 European trout (Salmo trutta) from the Rhine, Meuse, Weser, Elbe and Danube river systems in Central Europe. Population samples from single collection sites, chiefly small streams (GCG = 0.2126), rather than the divergence of the trout from Atlantic and Danubian drainages (GSG = 0.0711), contributed to the overall gene diversity of GST = 0.2824. Sea trout (n = 164) and brown trout (n = 767) in Atlantic rivers adhere to the same biogeographical stock, but anadromous trout from the Rhine and the Elbe display more genetic cohesion than resident brown trout from the Rhine system alone. Strayers from the Elbe could have founded the recently re-established sea trout population of the Rhine, after a few decades of absence or precarious rarity. Migrants may even connect the Rhine and Elbe stocks by ongoing gene flow. A release,recapture study confirms that all trout in the Rhine belong to one partly migratory population network: Six of 2400 juvenile sea trout released into a tributary of the Rhine were later recorded as emigrants to the Rhine delta, against three of 1600 released brown trout. One migrant had entered the open North Sea, but the other dispersers were recorded in fresh waters of the Rhine delta (Ijsselmeer, Amstelmeer). Stocking presumably elevated both heterozygosity and fixation indices of brown trout, but this effect is subtle within the range of the Atlantic population group. Improved sea trout management in the Rhine, and modifications to brown trout stocking in the upper Danubian area are recommended. [source] More power to the European Parliament?ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 35 2002Abdul G. Noury SUMMARY Many observers have expressed scepticism about granting more power to the European Parliament. The sceptics believe that Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) do not vote in a disciplined way and that they vote more often with their country group than with their European Party. Using a unique database consisting of all roll call votes by each individual MEP between 1989 and 1999 (over 6000 votes by over 1000 different MEPs), we show that the sceptics are wrong. Our data shows clearly that MEPs vote more along party lines than along country lines. Party cohesion is comparable to that of the US Congress and is increasing over time whereas country cohesion is low and declining. In short, politics in the European Parliament generally follows the traditional left,right divide that one finds in all European nations. These findings are valid across issues, even on issues like the structural and cohesion funds where one would expect country rather than party cohesion. In votes where the EP has the most power , those held under the so-called co-decision procedure , MEPs participate more and are more party-cohesive. In our opinion, this unique empirical analysis provides grounds for justifying a generalization of the co-decision procedure. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||