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Greater Consideration (greater + consideration)
Selected AbstractsCommunity responses to contaminants: Using basic ecological principles to predict ecotoxicological effectsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2009William H. Clements Abstract Community ecotoxicology is defined as the study of the effects of contaminants on patterns of species abundance, diversity, community composition, and species interactions. Recent discoveries that species diversity is positively associated with ecosystem stability, recovery, and services have made a community-level perspective on ecotoxicology more important than ever. Community ecotoxicology must explicitly consider both present and impending global change and shift from a purely descriptive to a more predictive science. Greater consideration of the ecological factors and threshold responses that determine community resistance and resilience should improve our ability to predict how and when communities will respond to, and recover from, xenobiotics. A better understanding of pollution-induced community tolerance, and of the costs of this tolerance, should facilitate identifying contaminant-impacted communities, thus forecasting the ecological consequences of contaminant exposure and determining the restoration effectiveness. Given the vast complexity of community ecotoxicology, simplifying assumptions, such as the possibility that the approximately 100,000 registered chemicals could be reduced to a more manageable number of contaminant classes with similar modes of action, must be identified and validated. In addition to providing a framework for predicting contaminant fate and effects, food-web ecology can help to identify communities that are sensitive to contaminants, contaminants that are particularly insidious to communities, and species that are crucial for transmitting adverse effects across trophic levels. Integration of basic ecological principles into the design and implementation of ecotoxicological research is essential for predicting contaminant effects within the context of rapidly changing, global environmental conditions. [source] Brain Metabolite Concentrations and Neurocognition During Short-term Recovery from Alcohol Dependence: Preliminary Evidence of the Effects of Concurrent Chronic Cigarette SmokingALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2006Timothy C. Durazzo Background: Longitudinal studies of brain tissue metabolite recovery in short-term abstinent alcoholics have primarily investigated the frontal lobes and cerebellum with variable results. Preliminary proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H MRSI) suggested that chronic cigarette smoking exacerbates alcohol-induced brain injury in 1-week abstinent alcoholics. However, the potential effects of chronic cigarette smoking on the recovery of alcohol-induced brain injury have not been studied. Methods: Multislice short-echo time 1H MRSI was used to measure longitudinal changes in common brain metabolites in 25 recovering alcohol-dependent individuals (RA), retrospectively assigned to smoking (n=14) and nonsmoking (n=11) subgroups. Recovering alcohol-dependent individuals in longitudinal analyses were studied after approximately 7 and 34 days of abstinence from alcohol. In cross-sectional analyses, 36 RA (19 smokers, 17 nonsmokers) with approximately 34 days of sobriety were compared with 29 light drinkers (LD). Relationships between neurocognition and metabolite concentrations in abstinent RA were also examined. Results: Over 1 month of abstinence from alcohol, RA, as a group, showed significant increases of regional N -acetylaspartate (NAA; marker of neuronal viability) and choline-containing compounds (Cho; marker of cell membrane synthesis/turnover) primarily in frontal and parietal lobes. These increases appeared to be driven by nonsmoking RA. Cross-sectional results indicate that metabolite levels in RA at 35 days of sobriety are not significantly different from those in LD in most regions, except for lower NAA and Cho in parietal WM and subcortical structures. However, metabolite levels at that time appear to be strongly modulated by smoking status. The patterns of metabolite,neurocognition relationships were different for nonsmoking and smoking RA. Conclusions: Within the first weeks of sobriety, regional brain NAA and Cho levels increased, but metabolite levels did not normalize in all brain regions after 35 days of sobriety. Neurobiologic recovery in RA appeared to be adversely affected by chronic smoking. Greater consideration of the effects of continued cigarette smoking on the neurobiologic and neurocognitive recovery of alcohol-dependent individuals is warranted. [source] Effects of Coastal Lighting on Foraging Behaviorof Beach MiceCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004BRITTANY L. BIRD comportamiento de forrajeo; iluminación artificial; polución por luz; ratones de playa (Peromyscus polionotus leucocephalus) Abstract:,Introduction of artificial light into wildlife habitat represents a rapidly expanding form of human encroachment, particularly in coastal systems. Light pollution alters the behavior of sea turtles during nesting; therefore, long-wavelength lights,low-pressure sodium vapor and bug lights,that minimize impacts on turtles are required for beach lighting in Florida (U.S.A.). We investigated the effects of these two kinds of lights on the foraging behavior of Santa Rosa beach mice ( Peromyscus polionotus leucocephalus). We compared patch use and giving-up densities of mice for experimental food patches established along a gradient of artificial light in the field. Mice exploited fewer food patches near both types of artificial light than in areas with little light and harvested fewer seeds within patches near bug lights. Our results show that artificial light affects the behavior of terrestrial species in coastal areas and that light pollution deserves greater consideration in conservation planning. Resumen:,La introducción de luz artificial al hábitat de vida silvestre representa una forma de intrusión humana que se expande rápidamente, particularmente en sistemas costeros. Durante la anidación, la polución por luz altera el comportamiento de tortugas marinas; por tanto, para la iluminación de playas en Florida (E. U. A) se requieren luces de longitud de onda larga , luces de vapor de sodio de baja presión y contra insectos , que minimizan impactos sobre las tortugas. Investigamos los efectos de estos dos tipos de luces sobre el comportamiento de forrajeo de ratones de playa de Santa Rosa ( Peromyscus polionotus leucocephalus). Comparamos el uso de parches y las densidades de rendición de ratones en parches alimenticios experimentales establecidos a lo largo de un gradiente de luz artificial en el campo. Los ratones utilizaron menos parches de forrajeo cercanos a ambos tipos de luz artificial que en áreas con poca iluminación y cosecharon menos semillas en parches cercanos a luces contra insectos. Nuestros resultados muestran que la luz artificial afecta el comportamiento de especies terrestres en áreas costeras y que la polución por luz merece mayor consideración en la planificación de la conservación. [source] The World Has Changed,Have Analytical Procedure Practices?CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010GREG TROMPETER M1; M42 Analytical Procedures (APs) provide a means for auditors to evaluate the "reasonableness" of financial disclosures by comparing a client's reported performance to expectations gained through knowledge of the client based on past experience and developments within the company and its industry. Thus, APs are fundamentally different than other audit tests in taking a broader perspective of an entity's performance vis-ŕ-vis its environment. As such, APs have been found to be a cost-effective means to detect misstatements, and many have argued that a number of prior financial frauds would have been detected had auditors employed effective APs. With several dramatic and far-reaching developments over the past decade, the current study examines whether and how APs have changed during this period. In particular, we focus on the impact of significant "enablers" and "drivers" of change such as technological advancements and the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We also compare our findings to an influential study of the practices of APs by Hirst and Koonce (1996) that was conducted over 10 years ago. We interview 36 auditors (11 seniors, 13 managers, and 12 partners) from all of the Big 4 firms using a structured questionnaire. The data reveal some similarities in findings when compared to prior research (e.g., auditors continue to use fairly simple analytical procedures). However, there are a number of significant differences reflecting changes in AP practices. For instance, as a result of technology auditors now rely more extensively on industry and analyst data than previously. Further, auditors report that they develop more precise quantitative expectations and use more non-financial information. They also appear to rely more on lower level audit staff to perform APs, conduct greater inquiry of non-accounting personnel, and are willing to reduce substantive testing to a greater extent as a result of APs conducted in the planning phase. Finally, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has had an impact in greater consideration and knowledge of internal controls, which is seen as the most important factor driving the use and reliance on APs. [source] Alcohol policy in South Africa: a review of policy development processes between 1994 and 2009ADDICTION, Issue 8 2010Charles D. H. Parry ABSTRACT Background Implementation of effective policies to reduce harmful alcohol consumption requires both a good understanding of the policy development process and which strategies are likely to work. Aims To contribute to this understanding by reviewing four specific policy development initiatives that have taken place in South Africa between 1994 and 2009: restrictions on alcohol advertising and counter-advertising, regulation of retail sales of alcohol, alcohol taxation and controls on alcohol packaging. Methods Material was drawn from a record of meetings and conferences held between 1994 and 2009 and a database of reports, newspaper clippings and policy documentation. Findings When the policy process resulted in a concrete outcome there was always a clear recognition of the problem and policy alternatives, but success was more likely if there was an alignment of ,political' forces and/or when there was a determined bureaucracy. The impact of the other factors such as the media, community mobilization, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the liquor industry and research are also discussed. Future avenues for policy research are identified, including the need for more systematic studies that give greater consideration to economic factors. Conclusions Alcohol policy development in South Africa takes place in a piecemeal fashion and is the product of various competing influences. Having a comprehensive national alcohol strategy cutting across different sectors may be a better way for other developing countries to proceed. [source] Spatial and temporal hotspots of termite-driven decomposition in the SerengetiECOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2010Bernd P. Freymann Ecosystem engineers are organisms that directly or indirectly control the availability of resources to other organisms by causing physical state changes in biotic or abiotic materials. Termites (Insecta, Isoptera) are among the most important ecosystem engineers in tropical ecosystems. We used a field experiment in the tall grasslands of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, to investigate 1) the consumption by termites of grass litter and dung baits along the landscape gradient of catena position, and 2) seasonal variation in litter and dung removal. Our maps of termitaria and patterns of bait removal revealed clear spatial and temporal hotspots of termite activity. In the dry season termites removed more baits at the top-catena positions than at the bottom positions, but there was no effect of catena position in the wet season. Spatial hotspots of termite activity overlapped with those of both mammalian herbivores and predators. Within the framework of ecosystem engineering, this study suggests that intraspecific aspects of spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability deserve much greater consideration. [source] Recent Perspectives on Leprosy in Medieval Western Europe1HISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5 2010Elma Brenner Responses to leprosy in medieval Western Europe were complex and often contradictory. Recent scholarship has challenged the predominant earlier view that lepers were excluded and stigmatized, suggesting instead that lepers were believed to have been chosen by God to be redeemed, and were thus the objects of sympathy and compassion. Research in the fields of history, archaeology and literature has addressed the social and religious status of lepers, the clinical identity and prevalence of medieval leprosy, and the medieval medical understanding of the disease. Much research has also focused on the endowment and functioning of leper hospitals (leprosaria). Although these institutions were situated outside towns and cities, they were still connected to mainstream society as a key focus of charity. The study of leprosy in the Middle Ages has been a vibrant field of scholarship in recent years , yet much still remains to be discovered about medieval lepers, leprosy and leprosaria. The field would benefit from studies comparing the situation of lepers in different regions, and from greater consideration of leprosy in its broader cultural, political, iconographic and ethical context. Such work would contribute not only to our understanding of leprosy, but also to the wider social, medical and religious history of the medieval West. [source] Undersampling bias: the null hypothesis for singleton species in tropical arthropod surveysJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Jonathan A. Coddington Summary 1Frequency of singletons , species represented by single individuals , is anomalously high in most large tropical arthropod surveys (average, 32%). 2We sampled 5965 adult spiders of 352 species (29% singletons) from 1 ha of lowland tropical moist forest in Guyana. 3Four common hypotheses (small body size, male-biased sex ratio, cryptic habits, clumped distributions) failed to explain singleton frequency. Singletons are larger than other species, not gender-biased, share no particular lifestyle, and are not clumped at 0·25,1 ha scales. 4Monte Carlo simulation of the best-fit lognormal community shows that the observed data fit a random sample from a community of ~700 species and 1,2 million individuals, implying approximately 4% true singleton frequency. 5Undersampling causes systematic negative bias of species richness, and should be the default null hypothesis for singleton frequencies. 6Drastically greater sampling intensity in tropical arthropod inventory studies is required to yield realistic species richness estimates. 7The lognormal distribution deserves greater consideration as a richness estimator when undersampling bias is severe. [source] The epidemiology of the sea lice, Caligus elongatus Nordmann, in marine aquaculture of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in ScotlandJOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 7 2002C W Revie Although Caligus elongatus is one of two major species of sea lice that parasitize farmed salmon, its epidemiology has not been extensively studied. In this communication, the abundances of the adult stage of C. elongatus in salmon populations from 33 farms in the West of Scotland between 1997 and 2000 have been analysed for evidence of seasonal and annual patterns. The findings indicate that the pattern of C. elongatus is remarkably consistent from year to year, and directly opposed to that reported for Lepeophtheirus salmonis, the other major caligid species. In particular, adult infestations rapidly increase from the start of July each year, and are more prevalent on salmon in the first year of production than the second year. Treatment is seen to have an effect on levels of infestation but it is not clear why this species should have significantly lower levels of abundance in the second year of production. There is also evidence that fallowing has no effect on abundance. Strategic management programmes for the control of sea lice on salmon farms, which are increasingly effective in controlling L. salmonis, may also have to give greater consideration to C. elongatus. [source] Views of People with Intellectual Disabilities of Their Present and Future Living ArrangementsJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 3-4 2004Roy McConkey Abstract, To determine personal perceptions and preferences of present and potential living arrangements, 180 adults with intellectual disabilities were recruited to participate in 20 focus groups held across Northern Ireland. About half were living with family carers and the balance in a range of other types of accommodations. Verbal probing and video clips were used to elicit views on four different living options (residential homes, small group homes, supported living, and living with a nonrelated family). Four personal preference themes emerged that were common to all participants irrespective of where they lived: having their own bedroom, participating in household activities; having access to community activities, and maintaining contact with family and friends. Adults living on their own or in supported housing valued their independence and having access to support staff, whereas adults living in residential homes spoke of the importance of relationships with co-residents and staff. Overall, most of the adults were content with their present situation, although small group homes and supported living arrangements were the most popular alternatives to living with their families. The discussion group process was useful in eliciting comments and offering participants a chance to reflect on their personal perceptions of housing options. Overall, the findings point to the need for greater consideration of personal preferences in home option choice-making by housing and services providers. [source] EMBEDDED CONTRASTS IN RACE, MUNICIPAL FRAGMENTATION, AND PLANNING: DIVERGENT OUTCOMES IN THE DETROIT AND GREATER TORONTO,HAMILTON REGIONS 1990,2000JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2009A. J. JACOBS ABSTRACT:,Since the early 1980s, scholars have debated whether or not the converging forces of globalization have disembedded city-regions from their national contexts. This study explored this question through a comparison of post-1990 growth trends in the Detroit and Greater Toronto Area,Hamilton regions (GTAH), two urban areas within the same natural region and closely linked by industrial production flows, yet politically situated within two separate Federalist states. Guided by Nested City Theory, it reveals how their dissimilar contexts for race, local autonomy, and multilocal planning have helped foster divergent spatial patterns in the two regions. In particular, provincial controls governing municipal fragmentation, Ontario's Planning Act, and subregional/microregional planning have been key embedded structures helping to limit population decline and disinvestment in GTAH core cities. In the process, this article shows how urban trajectories have remained nested within multilevel spatial and institutional configurations. Its findings also call for greater consideration of nested state/provincial factors in cross-national comparisons of cities within Federal states. Finally, its conclusion offers a starting point toward a more nuanced specific version of Nested Theory to be called the Contextualized Model of Urban,Regional Development. [source] Effect of hiatal hernia on proximal oesophageal acid clearance in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease patientsALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 6 2006S. EMERENZIANI Summary Background Proximal acid reflux is common in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and is a determinant of symptoms. Patients with hiatal hernia complain of more symptoms than those without and are less responsive to proton-pump inhibitors. Aim To evaluate the role of hiatal hernia on spatiotemporal characteristics of acid reflux. Methods Thirty seven consecutive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease patients underwent endoscopy, videofluoroscopy, manometry and multichannel 24-h pH test. Data were compared with those of 15 asymptomatic controls. Multivariate linear regression was used for statistical analysis. Results At videofluoroscopy, hiatal hernia was found in 16 of 37 patients. The mean size of hiatal hernia was 3.4 cm. Patients showed significantly prolonged acid clearance time, both at proximal and distal oesophagus, compared with controls. Hiatal hernia patients showed a significantly delayed acid clearance, along the oesophageal body, compared with non-hiatal hernia patients. The prolonged acid exposure was maintained during upright and supine position. The presence of hiatal hernia significantly predicted acid clearance delay in the distal and proximal oesophagus [at 10 cm below upper oesophageal sphincter: , + 2.5 min (95% confidence interval: 0.4,4.5); P < 0.02]. Conclusions The presence of hiatal hernia is a strong predictor of more prolonged proximal oesophageal acid exposure and clearance. Hiatal hernia is likely to play a role in the pathophysiology of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms, and should be taken into greater consideration in the treatment strategies of the disease. [source] Anthropological race psychology 1820,1945: a common European system of ethnic identity narrativesNATIONS AND NATIONALISM, Issue 4 2009RICHARD McMAHON ABSTRACT. This article examines ethnic stereotypes in biological race classification of Europeans between the 1830s and 1940s as part of political discourse on national identity. Anthropologists linked physical-psychological types to nations and national character stereotypes through ,national races', achieving an often quite enduring international consensus on each race's mentality. The article argues that race mentality narratives were therefore partly dictated by their place within a dynamic interlocking European system. I focus on two key interacting elements that structured this system: the central role of the Germanic-Nordic blond and the geographically uneven process of modernisation. I consider the spatiality of socio-cultural and political factors ,external' to the stereotype system, such as geopolitics and modernisation, but also emphasise that discursive relationships between national stereotypes helped structure the international stereotype system. My conclusion argues for greater consideration of the influence of both scientific and international systemic factors in research on national identity. [source] Using emotional benefits as a differentiation strategy in saturated marketsPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 11 2009Ramo Barrena The high level of product substitution in most consumer markets often makes it difficult to match supply with demand, especially in sectors with mature, saturated markets with intense competition and a high degree of product differentiation. The difficulty of using technical characteristics such as quality and/or price to differentiate products suggests that marketers could profit from gaining more insight into the way in which consumers' purchase decisions are influenced by their perceived emotions. This paper investigates this issue in the wine market, a highly saturated market with homogeneous supply, obtaining results that appear to support the notion that emotions do indeed play a part in consumer choice structures, which show a higher degree of abstraction in those segments that report a greater number of perceived emotions. This considerably complicates the task of creating a differentiated marketing strategy, in the sense that suppliers need to give much greater consideration to consumers' self-awareness. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Do temperature and social environment interact to affect call rate in frogs (Crinia signifera)?AUSTRAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Bob B. M. Wong Abstract Acoustic displays are pervasive and conspicuous forms of sexual advertisement used by animals to attract mates. Evidence suggests that individuals may use environmental cues and/or the presence of other displaying animals to select the best times for display to optimize the chances of mating. Less well-known is how the physical and social environment might interact to affect the actual content of the display itself. We examined the effects of social environment and temperature on calling rate in a frog Crinia signifera. We found that both variables interacted to affect call rate but only among continuous callers. Call rate increased with temperature in individuals calling continuously on their own but no relationship was found in frogs calling continuously in the presence of others, either in a duet or in a group calling situation. We suggest that the temperature sensitivity of calling rate in frogs could depend on the social environment of the caller. As such, we suggest caution in generalizing about the way temperature affects calling rates in frogs and encourage greater consideration of how physical and social environments might interact to influence the signal content of acoustic displays. [source] Parental substance misuse and child care social work: research in a city social work department in EnglandCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 1 2004Carol Hayden Abstract This research set out to establish evidence about the scale and impact of and response to parental substance misuse in child care social work teams in a city social services department in England. The article draws on some aspects of the data collected in the research, which includes: a snapshot survey of all child care social work caseloads in the city; group interviews with practitioners and parents in recovery; individual interviews with parents using a pilot project that focused on parental substance misuse. The research provides evidence of parental substance misuse as a key factor that needs greater consideration within child care social work assessments and as an issue to target in developing preventative responses to child welfare concerns. Child care social workers are shown to need specialist support in undertaking this task to best effect. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||