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General Acceptance (general + acceptance)
Selected AbstractsEnforced Standards Versus Evolution by General Acceptance: A Comparative Study of E-Commerce Privacy Disclosure and Practice in the United States and the United KingdomJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 1 2005KARIM JAMAL ABSTRACT We present data on privacy practices in e-commerce under the European Union's formal regulatory regime prevailing in the United Kingdom and compare it with the data from a previous study of U.S. practices that evolved in the absence of government laws or enforcement. The codification by the E.U. law, and the enforcement by the U.K. government, improves neither the disclosure nor the practice of e-commerce privacy relative to the United States. Regulation in the United Kingdom also appears to stifle development of a market for Web assurance services. Both U.S. and U.K. consumers continue to be vulnerable to a small number of e-commerce Web sites that spam their customers, ignoring the latter's expressed or implied preferences. These results raise important questions about finding a balance between enforced standards and conventions in financial reporting. In the second half of the 20th century, financial reporting has been characterized by both a preference for legislated standards and a lack of faith in its evolution as a body of social conventions. Evidence on whether this faith in standards over conventions is justified remains to be marshaled. [source] Rock albedo and monitoring of thermal conditions in respect of weathering: some expected and some unexpected resultsEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 7 2005Kevin Hall Abstract Broadly speaking, there is, at least within geomorphic circles, a general acceptance that rocks with low albedos will warm both faster and to higher temperatures than rocks with high albedos, reflectivity influencing radiative warming. Upon this foundation are built notions of weathering in respect of the resulting thermal differences, both at the grain scale and at the scale of rock masses. Here, a series of paving bricks painted in 20 per cent reflectivity intervals from black through to white were used to monitor albedo-influenced temperatures at a site in northern Canada in an attempt to test this premise. Temperatures were collected, for five months, for the rock surface and the base of the rock, the blocks being set within a mass of local sediment. Resulting thermal data did indeed show that the dark bricks were warmer than the white but only when their temperatures were equal to or cooler than the air temperature. As brick temperature exceeded that of the air, so the dark and light bricks moved to parity; indeed, the white bricks frequently became warmer than the dark. It is argued that this ,negating' of the albedo influence on heating is a result of the necessity of the bricks, both white and black, to convect heat away to the surrounding cooler air; the darker brick, being hotter, initially convects faster than the white as a product of the temperature difference between the two media. Thus, where the bricks become significantly hotter than the air, they lose energy to that air and so their respective temperatures become closer, the albedo influence being superceded by the requirement to equilibrate with the surrounding air. It is argued that this finding will have importance to our understanding of weathering in general and to our perceptions of weathering differences between different lithologies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A meta-analysis of biotic resistance to exotic plant invasionsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 10 2004Jonathan M. Levine Abstract Biotic resistance describes the ability of resident species in a community to reduce the success of exotic invasions. Although resistance is a well-accepted phenomenon, less clear are the processes that contribute most to it, and whether those processes are strong enough to completely repel invaders. Current perceptions of strong, competition-driven biotic resistance stem from classic ecological theory, Elton's formulation of ecological resistance, and the general acceptance of the enemies-release hypothesis. We conducted a meta-analysis of the plant invasions literature to quantify the contribution of resident competitors, diversity, herbivores and soil fungal communities to biotic resistance. Results indicated large negative effects of all factors except fungal communities on invader establishment and performance. Contrary to predictions derived from the natural enemies hypothesis, resident herbivores reduced invasion success as effectively as resident competitors. Although biotic resistance significantly reduced the establishment of individual invaders, we found little evidence that species interactions completely repelled invasions. We conclude that ecological interactions rarely enable communities to resist invasion, but instead constrain the abundance of invasive species once they have successfully established. [source] The evolving classification of soft tissue tumours: an update based on the new WHO classificationHISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2006C D M Fletcher Tumour classifications have become an integral part of modern oncology and, for pathologists, they provide guidelines which facilitate diagnostic and prognostic reproducibility. In many organ systems and most especially over the past decade or so, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications have become pre-eminent, partly enabled by the timely publication of new ,blue books' which now incorporate detailed text and copious illustrations. The new WHO classification of soft tissue tumours was introduced in late 2002 and, because it represents a broad consensus view, it has gained widespread acceptance. This review summarizes the changes, both major and minor, which were introduced and briefly describes the significant number of tumour types which have been first recognized or properly characterized during the past decade. Arguably the four most significant conceptual advances have been: (i) the formal recognition that morphologically benign lesions (such as cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma) may very rarely metastasize; (ii) the general acceptance that most pleomorphic sarcomas can be meaningfully subclassified and that so-called malignant fibrous histiocytoma is not a definable entity, but instead represents a wastebasket of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas, accounting for no more than 5% of adult soft tissue sarcomas; (iii) the acknowledgement that most lesions formerly known as haemangiopericytoma show no evidence of pericytic differentiation and, instead, are fibroblastic in nature and form a morphological continuum with solitary fibrous tumour; and (iv) the increasing appreciation that not only do we not know from which cell type(s) most soft tissue tumours originate (histogenesis) but, for many, we do not recognize their line of differentiation or lineage,hence an increasing number of tumours ar placed in the ,uncertain differentiation' category. [source] The Tudor polity and the pilgrimage of graceHISTORICAL RESEARCH, Issue 207 2007M. L. Bush A striking feature of the pilgrimage of grace was its concern for lost or threatened rights and liberties. This article considers the light that this throws on the revolt itself and on early Tudor attitudes towards state and society. It examines the nature of the pilgrims' constitutional concerns and their relationship with the law, the manorial system, the society of orders and the concept of the body politic. It questions the view that the constitution was not in contention at this time by analyzing the concept of tyranny that the pilgrims used. It also suggests that society's general acceptance of the manor and the society of orders did not necessarily result in social cohesion and harmony because commons and gentlemen were inclined to place conflicting interpretations upon the differential rights and obligations that they warranted. It finally proposes that, in spite of being sanctioned by reference to tradition, the rights claimed were far from static but could undergo revision and renovation. [source] Kavut, a traditional Turkish cereal product: production method and some chemical and sensorial propertiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Mehmet Murat Karao Summary Kavut is a cereal-based product made from wholemeal wheat and barley flour, milk or milk powder, fat and sugar. In this study, the best processing method and formulation were investigated by analysing different formulations and processing methods for the kavut. Four different flour combinations (100% wheat without barley, 75% wheat + 25% barley, 50% wheat + 50% barley, 25% wheat + 75% barley), two shortening (butter and margarine) and three different roasting periods (1, 1.5, 2 min) at 250 °C were used in the study. Significant changes were observed in the physical and chemical properties of the cereal by heat treatment in the kavut production. Increase of barley flour in the mixture decreased protein content, softness, altered L colour values, appearance, texture, mouth-feel, and general acceptance and increased ash content, +a and the absorbance value of kavut. While the longer roasting period resulted in reduced softness and colour (L-value) of kavut, roasting period did not significantly affect the general acceptance of kavut. Kavut made from only whole wheatflour was most preferred by the panellists. [source] Virtual colonoscopy: Issues in implementationJOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2005R Mendelson Summary The following issues and requirements related to the implementation of a CT colonography (CTC) service are important: (i) policies are needed regarding the indications for CTC. Concomitant with this is the need for education of potential referrers and patients. Expectations of the procedure, particularly by general practitioners, may be unrealistic and indications for referral may otherwise be inappropriate. At present there is not general acceptance of CTC for screening asymptomatic persons; (ii) a flexible approach to CT protocols is useful, dependant on the indication for and clinical context of referral, the age and body habitus of the patient; (iii) attention to the issues related to the special skills required by the reporting radiologist. While there is a temptation to regard CTC interpretation as an extension of skills used in interpreting other cross-sectional images, there is a need to realise that there are skills required specific to CTC and there should be adequate provision for training; (iv) matters related to reporting, such as reporting format, and lesions that will be reported/not reported; and (v) informed consent from the patient. Information should be provided with regard to the limitations of CTC, the implications of a positive finding and radiation dosage. [source] A survey of the year 2002 literature on applications of isothermal titration calorimetryJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 6 2003Matthew J. Cliff Abstract Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is becoming widely accepted as a key instrument in any laboratory in which quantification of biomolecular interactions is a requisite. The method has matured with respect to general acceptance and application development over recent years. The number of publications on ITC has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, reflecting the general utility of the method. Here all the published works of the year 2002 in this area have been surveyed. We review the broad range of systems to which ITC is being directed and classify these into general areas highlighting key publications of interest. This provides an overview of what can be achieved using this method and what developments are likely to occur in the near future. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Intentions and beliefs in students' understanding and acceptance of biological evolutionJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2003Gale M. Sinatra We examined the intersection of students' understanding and acceptance of evolution and their epistemological beliefs and cognitive dispositions. Based on previous research, we hypothesized there would be a relation between understanding and acceptance. We also hypothesized that students who viewed knowledge as changing and who have a disposition toward open-minded thinking would be more likely to accept the scientific explanation of human evolution, and that beliefs and dispositions would not be related to acceptance of a topic that is generally perceived as noncontroversial. Ninety-three undergraduate students enrolled in a nonmajors biology class completed measures of their (a) content knowledge of evolution and photosynthesis and respiration; (b) acceptance of theories of animal evolution, human evolution, and photosynthesis; and (c) epistemological beliefs and cognitive dispositions. Although our findings did reveal a significant relation between knowledge and reported acceptance for photosynthesis, there was no relation between knowledge and acceptance of animal or human evolution. Epistemological beliefs were related to acceptance, but only to the acceptance of human evolution. There was no relation between students' epistemological beliefs and their general acceptance of animal evolution or photosynthesis. Three subscales, Ambiguous Information, Actively Open-Minded Thinking, and Belief Identification, were significantly correlated with understanding evolutionary theory. We argue these findings underscore the importance of intentional level constructs, such as epistemological beliefs and cognitive dispositions, in the learning of potentially controversial topics. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 510,528, 2003 [source] Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni (1756,1827) and the origins of modern meteorite researchMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue S9 2007Ursula B. Marvin These ideas violated two strongly held contemporary beliefs: 1) fragments of rock and metal do not fall from the sky, and 2) no small bodies exist in space beyond the Moon. From the beginning, Chladni was severely criticized for basing his hypotheses on historical eyewitness reports of falls, which others regarded as folk tales, and for taking gross liberties with the laws of physics. Ten years later, the study of fallen stones and irons was established as a valid field of investigation. Today, some scholars credit Chladni with founding meteoritics as a science; others regard his contributions as scarcely worthy of mention. Writings by his contemporaries suggest that Chladni's book alone would not have led to changes of prevailing theories; thus, he narrowly escaped the fate of those scientists who propose valid hypotheses prematurely. However, between 1794 and 1798, four falls of stones were witnessed and widely publicized. There followed a series of epoch-making analyses of fallen stones and "native irons" by the chemist Edward C. Howard and the mineralogist Jacques-Louis de Bournon. They showed that all the stones were much alike in texture and composition but significantly different from the Earth's known crustal rocks. Of primary importance was Howard's discovery of nickel in the irons and the metal grains of the stones. This linked the two as belonging to the same natural phenomenon. These chemical results, published in February 1802, persuaded some of the leading scientists in England, France, and Germany that bodies do fall from the sky. Within a few months, chemists in France reported similar results and a new field of study was inaugurated internationally, although opposition lingered on until April 1803, when nearly 3,000 stones fell at L'Aigle in Normandy and transformed the last skeptics into believers. Chladni immediately received full credit for his hypothesis of falls, but decades passed before his linking of falling bodies with fireballs received general acceptance. His hypothesis of their origin in cosmic space met with strong resistance from those who argued that stones formed within the Earth's atmosphere or were ejected by lunar volcanoes. After 1860, when both of these hypotheses were abandoned, there followed a century of debate between proponents of an interstellar versus a planetary origin. Not until the 1950s did conclusive evidence of their elliptical orbits establish meteorite parent bodies as members of the solar system. Thus, nearly 200 years passed before the questions of origin that Chladni raised finally were resolved. [source] Contemporary issues in dental education in AustraliaAUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010TJ Freer Abstract Australia has witnessed a proliferation of dental workforce training opportunities over the last 15 years, including dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists and prosthetists. The reasons for this have not been examined critically. Universities have welcomed the opportunities to increase the student base but do not seem to have examined the advisability of continued expansion or its impact on the delivery and costs of health services. Nor have they enquired expressly whether they have any responsibility in these matters. Public health benefits should constitute a significant element of curriculum design. There seems to have been a general acceptance of the premise that more is necessarily better. Ironically, these developments have occurred in the face of significant recurrent cost increments and serious academic staff shortages. The schools have responded with alterations to curriculum content. Student cohort composition, course structures, educational focus, postgraduate training and research have been affected. The primary purpose of this review is to highlight the issues which currently drive workforce training and curriculum content and to suggest that some current practices should be re-examined as a starting point for setting defined common objectives within the Australian dental educational spectrum. Salient issues which require examination include course standards and accreditation, workforce mix, dental health demands, public service obligations and staffing profiles. [source] The Industry View on Long-Term Toxicology Testing in Drug Development of Human PharmaceuticalsBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2000Herman Van Cauteren The 1990's have seen a general acceptance that studies with a maximal duration of 6 months in rodents are all that is required for adequate safety assessment of developmental pharmaceutical agents. However, controversy has arisen concerning the most appropriate duration for chronic toxicity testing in non-rodents. Initial suggestions that 6 months duration was sufficient have been countered by findings noted in 12-month studies that were not seen in shorter-term studies. Retrospective analysis of available data eventually lead to a subsequent ICH recommendation that studies of 9 months duration would be now acceptable. However, until recently the FDA position on this recommendation was unclear and an analysis of industry practices since the ICH recommendation was made in 1997 has shown that the 9-month guideline is not widely applied. Recent clarification by the FDA will probably result in a continued but limited use of this alternative. An industry view on the future of chronic toxicology testing in rodents and non-rodents is presented. [source] Rapid changes in clonal lines: the death of a ,sacred cow'BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 1 2003HUGH D. LOXDALE It is well established that asexually reproducing viruses and prokaryotes mutate rapidly. In contrast, the eukaryotic clone is often still treated as if it is genetically homogeneous within and between populations, i.e. that it is assumed to show genetic fidelity. However, such fidelity has rarely been tested empirically using the range of high-resolution molecular markers now available, culminating with direct sequencing of the DNA. If such a biological entity as a ,clone' really did exist, it would be a fantastic entity, differing from everything else known in biology, i.e. it would possess a population mean but no variance for any particular trait. It would not be amenable to selection and adaptive variation and would thus be unchanging in time and space. In this paper, we argue that the general acceptance of clonal fidelity is a scientific convenience, since the rate of asexual reproduction of eukaryotes is not as fast as that of bacteria and hence it is easier to accept fidelity as a ,fact' rather than test for it. We propose that part of the acceptance of fidelity may have a cultural basis and thereby is a kind of ,pre-Darwinian relic'. Instead, a clonal genotype is perhaps largely a function of marker resolution, i.e. dependent on the number and type of markers employed. If this is so and were enough of the genome explored, perhaps each individual within a clone would be found to differ genetically at particular regions of the chromosomes. The question of what constitutes a clone is not just a semantic one and impacts directly on recent attempts to understand and produce ,artificial' clones, especially of mammals. New research is already confirming that mutations and epigenetic influences play a crucial role in the success of cloning attempts. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 79, 3,16. [source] Forging the links: (de)constructing chains of behavioursCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 3 2006Heather Piper Abstract This paper will discuss an article by Becker and French (2005) in this Journal which proposed the general acceptance of correlations or the ,links' between child abuse, animal abuse and domestic violence. Becker and French claim this topic has ,seen a growth of interest' (p. 399) over the past two decades and they suggest that organizations across the UK should ,institutionalize the "links" within policy and practice' (p. 410). In this paper we question the appropriateness of linking different forms of violence in such a mechanistic and predictive way by drawing on and extending arguments we have made elsewhere. We consider the proposed ,links' in terms of assumptions, de,nitions, methods and logic, and raise concerns for a prospective practice which is based on retrospective (and ,awed) research. We aim to appeal to in,uential doubters (social workers, child care workers, animal welfare workers, vets, educators and policy-makers) in a language of ,reason', and we propose that the identi,ed reluctance of professionals in the UK to adopt the rhetoric of ,links' can be viewed as an informed and re,ective response. Throughout, we offer a corrective commentary to the ,awed assumptions of the ,links' argument and seek to encourage others to remain sceptical about these claims and the suggested implications for practice. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||