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Considerable Opportunity (considerable + opportunity)
Selected AbstractsLinkage disequilibrium estimates of contemporary Ne using highly variable genetic markers: a largely untapped resource for applied conservation and evolutionEVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2010Robin S. Waples Abstract Genetic methods are routinely used to estimate contemporary effective population size (Ne) in natural populations, but the vast majority of applications have used only the temporal (two-sample) method. We use simulated data to evaluate how highly polymorphic molecular markers affect precision and bias in the single-sample method based on linkage disequilibrium (LD). Results of this study are as follows: (1) Low-frequency alleles upwardly bias , but a simple rule can reduce bias to Beyond Kyoto: Climate Change Policy in Multilevel Governance SystemsGOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2007BARRY G. RABE Climate change policy has commonly been framed as a matter of international governance for which global policy strategies can be readily employed. The decade of experience following the 1997 signing of the Kyoto Protocol suggests a far more complex process involving a wide range of policy options and varied engagement by multiple levels of governance systems. The respective experiences of the United States and Canada suggest that formal engagement in the international realm of policy is not a good indicator of domestic policy development or emissions reductions. The different contexts of intergovernmental relations, varied resources available to subnational governments for policy development and implementation, and role of subnational leaders in policy formation have emerged as important factors in explaining national differences between these North American neighbors. Consequently, climate change increasingly presents itself as a challenge not only of international relations but also of multilevel governance, thereby creating considerable opportunity to learn from domestic policy experimentation. [source] Why Australian History MattersHISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2003Carl Bridge I have been teaching Australian history to students in the University of London on and off over the last fifteen years. Most of the class are young Britons, and there is a scattering of exchange students from other European universities, the Americas and Asia. It is a perennially popular subject and I often wonder why? One answer, better than it seems at first sight, is the mountaineer's: ,because it is there'. But there are certainly some things that attract students to Australian history more than others. There is a fascination with the exotic and the natural wonders. Students are particularly interested in the Aboriginal past and culture. And they are curious to explore what European and other immigrants and their descendants have achieved when they have a chance to invent a society de novo. There is also an interest in how a country of predominantly European traditions has negotiated its position permanently anchored as it is in Pacific Asia. As our London students all study Australian history along with courses on the histories of other countries and movements, there is also considerable opportunity for comparative work, and this offers perspectives that do not naturally occur to historians studying Australia from within. [source] Depression Treatment in a Sample of 1,801 Depressed Older Adults in Primary CareJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2003Jürgen Unützer MD OBJECTIVES: To examine rates and predictors of lifetime and recent depression treatment in a sample of 1,801 depressed older primary care patients DESIGN: Cross sectional survey data collected from 1999 to 2001 as part of a treatment effectiveness trial. SETTING: Eighteen primary care clinics belonging to eight organizations in five states. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand eight hundred one clinic users aged 60 and older who met diagnostic criteria for major depression or dysthymia. MEASUREMENTS: Lifetime depression treatment was defined as ever having received a prescription medication, counseling, or psychotherapy for depression. Potentially effective recent depression treatment was defined as 2 or more months of antidepressant medications or four or more sessions of counseling or psychotherapy for depression in the past 3 months. RESULTS: The mean age ± standard deviation was 71.2 ± 7.5; 65% of subjects were women. Twenty-three percent of the sample came from ethnic minority groups (12% were African American, 8% were Latino, and 3% belonged to other ethnic minorities). The median household income was $23,000. Most study participants (83%) reported depressive symptoms for 2 or more years, and most (71%) reported two or more prior depressive episodes. About 65% reported any lifetime depression treatment, and 46% reported some depression treatment in the past 3 months, although only 29% reported potentially effective recent depression treatment. Most of the treatment provided consisted of antidepressant medications, with newer antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors constituting the majority (78%) of antidepressants used. Most participants indicated a preference for counseling or psychotherapy over antidepressant medications, but only 8% had received such treatment in the past 3 months, and only 1% reported four or more sessions of counseling. Men, African Americans, Latinos, those without two or more prior episodes of depression, and those who preferred counseling to antidepressant medications reported significantly lower rates of depression care. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that there is considerable opportunity to improve care for older adults with depression. Particular efforts should be focused on improving access to depression care for older men, African Americans, Latinos, and patients who prefer treatments other than antidepressants. [source] Costing yield loss from acidity, sodicity and dryland salinity to Australian agricultureLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2005S. Hajkowicz Abstract Salinity, sodicity and acidity are three major soil constraints that limit crop and pasture yields in Australia. In this paper estimates are made of the potential benefits arising from their treatment by measuring and mapping their impact on agricultural profit. This is achieved by estimating the increase in profit for Australia's main commodities that would occur if the three soil constraints were costlessly ameliorated. These estimates reveal the upper achievable limit on investment returns. They are also indicative of each soil constraint's economic significance to Australian agriculture. It was found that costless removal of salinity would increase annual profits by A$187 million, sodicity by A$1034·6 million and acidity by A$1584·5 million. This equates to 2·9,per,cent, 15·8,per,cent and 24·2,per,cent of total net economic return. It was also found that worsening salinity extent and severity over 2000,2020 has a present value of A$496,A$712 million. Although soil salinity is currently the focus of much public attention, this analysis suggests that from a production viewpoint the correction of sodic and acidic soils may create greater private economic benefit. Opportunities vary considerably among industries. In particular, there is considerable opportunity for the horticultural and viticultural sector to address acidity issues. Whether gross benefits translate into net benefits is a complex question requiring access to context and location-specific information. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]
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