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Selected AbstractsThe release of genetically modified crops into the environmentTHE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Part I. Overview of current status, regulations Summary In the past 6 years, the global area of commercially grown, genetically modified (GM) crops has increased more than 30-fold to over 52 million hectares. The number of countries involved has more than doubled. Especially in developing countries, the GM crop area is anticipated to increase rapidly in the coming years. Despite this high adoption rate and future promises, there is a multitude of concerns about the impact of GM crops on the environment. Regulatory approaches in Europe and North America are essentially different. In the EU, it is based on the process of making GM crops; in the US, on the characteristics of the GM product. Many other countries are in the process of establishing regulation based on either system or a mixture. Despite these differences, the information required for risk assessment tends to be similar. Each risk assessment considers the possibility, probability and consequence of harm on a case-by-case basis. For GM crops, the impact of non-use should be added to this evaluation. It is important that the regulation of risk should not turn into the risk of regulation. The best and most appropriate baseline for comparison when performing risk assessment on GM crops is the impact of plants developed by traditional breeding. The latter is an integral and accepted part of agriculture. [source] Expenditure on the NHS in PerspectiveECONOMIC OUTLOOK, Issue 3 2000Martin Chalkley In the wake of the recently-announced increases in health spending, Martin Chalkley reviews the record of health spending in the UK both historically and comparatively. It is clear that prices paid by the NHS have increased more than prices in general, and once this is allowed for then it appears that real health spending today is only twice that of 50 years ago as compared with the fourfold increase suggested when using a general price deflator. Such differential inflation is obviously not a problem which is confined to the UK, and it does add considerably to problems in making proper comparisons between levels of health spending in different countries. In spite of these difficulties, it seems that compared with many other developed countries, health spending in the UK as a proportion of GDP is modest. So, looking ahead, there is some way to go before the UK attains the levels of spending achieved in many other countries. But understanding the reasons for relative price changes is vital if any proposed increases in spending is to be translated into increases in the quantity and quality of services provided. [source] The history of eating disorders in NorwayEUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW, Issue 4 2001Finn Skårderud Abstract The history of eating disorders in Norway is described in four phases: (1) early case histories of eating disorder symptoms in the late 19th century Norwegian medical literature, (2) the pioneers of the post-World War 2 decades, (3) the 1980s when eating disorders became visible to the public and a focus of interest among professionals, and (4) the consolidation of professional networks and the emergence of a national policy for treatment. In contrast to many other countries, the official Norwegian policy is to improve clinical competence and knowledge about eating disorders at all levels of health care rather than establishing special clinics. Beside arguing for such a policy, we suggest that discussing the balance between general and specialist services is an important future issue. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [source] Gender-based voting in the parliamentary elections of 2007 in FinlandEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2010ANNE MARIA HOLLI In contrast to many other countries, the Finnish open-list proportional representation (PR) system with its mandatory preferential voting provides an opportunity to study gender-based voting empirically. Using the 2007 Finnish national election study, the article presents an analysis of the grounds for same-gender voting, including motivations related to descriptive and substantive dimensions of representation. None of the motivations is able to account men's higher propensity to vote for a candidate of their own gender. The motivations linked to securing the descriptive and substantive representation of one's own gender in politics play a more decisive part on women's vote choice of same-gender candidates. Voting for a same-gender candidate is connected to younger age among both women and men, while the propensity to vote for female candidates increases with support for the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Swedish People's Party. Finally, gender, party choice, and descriptive and substantive motivations seem to be related to gender-based voting for both parliamentary and presidential elections. [source] MUNICIPAL CONTRACTING OUT: GOVERNANCE CHOICES, MISALIGNMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN SWEDISH LOCAL GOVERNMENTFINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY & MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Tobias Johansson In this paper we apply a Transaction Cost Theory framework to analyse the use and effects of contracting out in Swedish local government. During the last decade Swedish local authorities, like in many other countries, have, to a larger extent, started to contract external subcontractors to fulfil their responsibilities towards its citizens. It is not only in the traditional subcontracting sectors such as housing, infrastructure, and technical services that this trend is evident, but also in policy areas like education, social care, and elderly care. In fact, very little is known about the overall effects of, and the mechanisms underlying, governance choices. The overall results corroborate transaction cost reasoning. Supplier competition and specificity have anticipated effects on municipal de-integration. Too little, but not too much, use of contracting out, in relation to theoretical predictions, worsens performance. The latter aspect is not fully in accordance with TCE-propositions. [source] Monetary Policy Design: Institutional Developments from a Contractual PerspectiveINTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 3 2000Carl E. Walsh Twenty years ago, most industrialized economies were just starting the costly process of disinflation. There was little consensus that these disinflations would be successful, or that low inflation once achieved could be maintained. While the USA achieved low inflation without changing its policy making institutions, many other countries did reform their central banking institutions, making them more independent of political influences. In this paper, I address three questions. First, is independence enough? Second, how do the details of an institution's structure translate, through their impact on incentives, into different policy outcomes? And third, can institutions serve as commitment mechanisms? [source] The Market for Professional Services in IndonesiaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 2 2004Ilias G. Basioudis This paper reports the results of a study which investigates the market for professional services in Indonesia, a country which has not been investigated in the by audit fee literature prior. A well-developed research model used in the prior literature has also been applied in this study, and the empirical findings suggest broad similarities in the pricing of professional services in Indonesia and other countries previously studied. In addition to extending the results of prior research to a country not previously studied, this paper examines whether the large auditors fee premium documented in other countries exists in Indonesia, especially after the major Asian financial crisis of 1997/98, since then almost all companies in this geographical area exercise tight budget controls. The results suggest that no audit fee premium is accrued to Indonesian Big 5 auditors, in contrast to the large audit firm fee premium documented in many other countries. [source] The Role of Small Towns in Regional Development and Poverty Reduction in GhanaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008GEORGE OWUSU Abstract Ghana, like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, lacks a clearly articulated urban development strategy. Urban growth has been rapid but largely uncontrolled. Ghana's adoption of a decentralization programme in 1988 focused some attention on small towns. The country's more recent adoption of the Millennium Development Goals and other specific poverty reduction strategies requires more concerted state promotion of small towns. Improved service provision and delivery through small towns is a necessary component of any successful poverty reduction or regional development strategy. Résumé Le Ghana, comme de nombreux autres pays de l'Afrique subsaharienne, manque de stratégie d'aménagement urbain claire et explicite. L'expansion urbaine a été rapide et généralement non maîtrisée. Le Ghana ayant lancé un programme de décentralisation en 1988, les petites villes ont bénéficié d'un certain intérêt. L'adoption plus récente des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement, ainsi que d'autres stratégies de réduction de la pauvreté, implique davantage de concertation dans la promotion gouvernementale des petites villes. Une amélioration de la mise à disposition des services dans les petites villes constitue un élément nécessaire à toute réussite en matière de réduction de la pauvreté ou de stratégie de développement régional. [source] Reporting a research project on the potential of aged care nurse practitioners in the Australian Capital TerritoryJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2009Paul Arbon Aim., This paper reports a project investigating the potential role of the nurse practitioner in aged care across residential, community and acute care venues in the Australian Capital Territory. Background., Australia, like many other countries, faces unprecedented challenges in the provision of health care. Escalating health care costs, an ageing population, increasing prevalence of comorbidities and chronic illnesses, inefficient health care delivery, changing models of health care and shifting professional role boundaries are factors that have contributed to the development of advanced practice roles for nursing. Design., This was a mixed methods study using multiple data sources. Methods., Student aged care nurse practitioners were examined across the continuum of care in the acute, community and residential aged care settings. The potential role of the nurse practitioner in these areas was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively to identify a model of care to enhance the delivery of efficient and effective health care. Results., The project findings have demonstrated that there is potential for significant improvement in client outcomes arising from a transboundary aged care nurse practitioner model. The improved outcomes are associated with a decrease in acute hospital admissions for residential care clients, timely intervention for a range of common conditions and strengthened multidisciplinary approaches to care provision for older people. Conclusions., Overall the project findings strongly support the potential of a transboundary aged care nurse practitioner role. This role would focus on skilled assessment, timely assessment and intervention, brokering around access to care and clinical leadership and education for nurses. Relevance to clinical practice., This paper offers further evidence of support for the role of nurse practitioners in complementing existing health services and improving delivery of care. [source] MICROBIAL ANALYSIS AND TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF CANTONESE SAUSAGEJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2010YANTAO WU ABSTRACT Cantonese sausage is one of the traditional meat products in China. In the present study, eight Cantonese sausage samples from different manufacturers were collected. Their microbial and textural properties were characterized. The chemical compositions were determined as follows: moisture, 15.18 ± 3.40%; protein, 33.75 ± 7.26% (expressed in dry matter); fat, 42.12 ± 6.64% (expressed in dry matter); total carbohydrates, 9.11 ± 3.73%; sodium chloride, 6.13 ± 0.41%; and sodium nitrite, 35.55 ± 6.69 mg/kg. The pH was determined to be 6.22 ± 0.14, while the acid value was 2.02 ± 0.71 mg potassium hydroxide/g lipid, and the peroxide value was 0.03 ± 0.04 g potassium iodide/100 g lipid. The total viable counts were 5.55 ± 1.48 log10 cfu/g, lactic acid bacteria were 3.59 ± 0.68 log10 cfu/g, staphylococci/micrococci were 3.96 ± 0.54 log10 cfu/g and yeasts/molds were 3.55 ± 0.47 log10 cfu/g. Staphylococci/micrococci were the dominant microbial group in Cantonese sausage. This was different from other sausages. The textural profiles of Cantonese sausage were determined as follows: average values of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness were 3,066.56 g, 0.96 mm, 0.57, 1,736.76 g and 1,658.26 g × mm, respectively. Analysis of between-variable relationships indicated that the pH value of Cantonese sausage was significantly correlated to its microbial and textural properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Cantonese sausage has gained much popularity and acceptance in China and many other countries. Commercial products from different manufacturers were collected in this work. The microbiological and textural characteristics of Cantonese sausage as well as the chemical compositions were evaluated. It is helpful to understand this type of sausage in order to improve its quality. [source] Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma complicating chronic hepatitis CJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Yoshiyuki Ueno Abstract Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection accounts for most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan and is the second major cause in many other countries. Development of HCC takes a considerable time after onset of HCV infection, between 20,40 years in most cases, and usually develops after cirrhosis is established. Although only a minority of HCV infections reach this stage, the high prevalence of chronic HCV infection in many countries (1,3%) is such that HCC related to HCV infection poses a significant public health issue 20,50 years after the onset of HCV epidemics. Due to advances in testing, and accessibility of clean, disposable medical apparatus including syringes and needles, and particularly screening of donor blood for anti-HCV and by nucleic acid testing, new cases of HCV infection have decreased in most countries, except for continued transmission by injection drug users (IDU). A key difference between HBV and HCV infection is that HCV can be eradicated by effective antiviral treatment. Sustained eradication of HCV reverses hepatic fibrosis, thereby preventing progression to cirrhosis and risk of HCC. Further, it has been well demonstrated that interferon-based antiviral therapy suppresses development of HCC in high-risk patients, particularly when sustained viral response (SVR) is obtained. In summary, the two key approaches to prevent development of HCV-related HCC are primary prevention of HCV infection (adequate programs to screen donor blood, universal precautions to stop medical transmission of blood-borne viruses, curbing transmission by IDU) and potent antiviral therapy of chronic HCV infection. [source] Income and Life Satisfaction After Marital Disruption in GermanyJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2007Hans-Jürgen Andreß Divorce in Germany and in many other countries is often instigated by the wife, even though marital disruption has much more negative economic consequences for women than for men. Both observations, however, are not necessarily a contradiction. Women may gain something that makes up for the economic loss. On the one hand, using data on income and (general) life satisfaction from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study, this article shows that negative economic changes, as measured by data on household income, are real in the sense that they are reflected in subjective assessments of economic well-being. On the other hand, these changes are relative because other aspects of life improve after marriage dissolution, and this is especially true for women. [source] Youth Justice in New Zealand: Restorative Justice in Practice?JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, Issue 2 2006Gabrielle Maxwell The Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 put in place new objects, principles, and procedures for youth justice in New Zealand. Both the philosophy underpinning this system and the use of family group conferences exemplify a restorative justice approach that has now been adopted in many other countries. This article describes these changes and presents some of the results of recently published research that examines the extent to which young offenders have been diverted from courts and custody, held accountable for their actions, and had their wellbeing enhanced. It suggests that the New Zealand youth justice system has achieved many but not all of its goals, and that there are still aspects where improvement is possible. [source] The Structure of Wages in the Netherlands, 1986,98LABOUR, Issue 3 2003Bas Ter Weel For many OECD countries an increase in wage inequality has been documented since the early 1980s. This is often attributed to a general rise in the demand for skilled workers resulting from recent technological change. Using the Organization for Strategic Labour Market Research (OSA) Labour Supply data, this paper studies the wage structure in the Netherlands over the period 1986,98 and demonstrates that wage inequality did not increase to any significant extent in the Netherlands. Using the accounting framework proposed by Juhn et al. (Journal of Political Economy 101: 410,442, 1993), it is shown that the relatively stable wage structure until at least the late 1990s can be attributed mainly to returns to observable components, such as education and experience, while residual wage inequality is found to be of minor importance in explaining the Dutch wage structure. These estimates suggest that the demand for skill in the Netherlands is likely not to have been rising to the extent it did in many other countries over this period. [source] From the state to the family: reconfiguring the responsibility for long-term nursing care at homeNURSING INQUIRY, Issue 1 2002Kristin Björnsdóttir From the state to the family: reconfiguring the responsibility for long-term nursing care at home This paper discusses the implications of the shift in the location of the provision of healthcare services from healthcare institutions to the home, which has occurred or is projected to occur in coming years. It is argued that the responsibility for the provision of care and assistance needed by the elderly living at home and people with long-term conditions living at home has shifted from public services to the family. Studies of care-givers have shown that in many situations they experience tremendous burdens, financial difficulties and health problems. Their social lives have been confined to the home, and contacts with friends and neighbors have been significantly reduced. This situation needs to be addressed by nurses, who in many cases serve as the bridge between the home and the official healthcare system. Using Foucault's exploration of power, particularly his idea of governmentality, a genealogy of care-giving in the home in Iceland's health-care has been constructed. The main findings were that, although this is occurring somewhat later than in many other countries, the state is withdrawing from its previously defined responsibility for the health and well-being of the nation. At the same time the citizen's responsibility for maintaining health is emphasized. Based on these findings, the argument is made that nurses in Iceland can have a profound influence on policy-making in relation to the organization of services provided in those homes. Suggestions are made as to how this can be done, which may be of interest to nurses in other countries. [source] REVIEW: An overview of the role of potatoes in the UK dietNUTRITION BULLETIN, Issue 3 2010E. Weichselbaum Summary Potatoes are widely consumed in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. They provide energy, mainly in the form of starch, as well as other nutrients including vitamin C, folate, some B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Potatoes are naturally low in energy and provided that little or no fat is used when cooking them, they can decrease the energy density of a meal. As potatoes are high in starch and as they are usually eaten as a side dish replacing other carbohydrate rich foods, they are found in the starchy food section of the UK's Eatwell plate model and do not officially count towards the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. However, potatoes can help consumers to meet their daily requirements for some nutrients, including micronutrients for which there is evidence of low intakes in some groups in the UK, such as potassium. This paper gives an overview on the role of potatoes in the UK diet, including their consumption and their contribution to nutrient intakes in the UK. [source] Rosuvastatin safety: a comprehensive, international pharmacoepidemiology programme,,§PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 7 2006Saga Johansson MD Abstract Results from clinical trials and clinical practice have shown statins to be generally well tolerated with a low frequency of clinically relevant side effects. Nevertheless, there are rare occasions when adverse events (AEs), sometimes serious, may occur. Rosuvastatin is the newest statin to be approved in the USA and many other countries. As part of the continued assessment of the benefit-risk profile of rosuvastatin, AstraZeneca has developed a progressive, comprehensive pharmacoepidemiology programme to complement safety data obtained from randomised clinical trials and spontaneous reporting systems, which have demonstrated that rosuvastatin has a safety profile in line with comparator statins. This programme comprises nine studies conducted in recognised centres of excellence assessing over 50,000 patients treated with rosuvastatin. It consists of three components: patient characteristics studies (four studies), safety evaluation studies (four studies); and review of data generated from the Prescription-Event Monitoring (PEM) study, designed and run by an independent third party. Patient characteristics studies are designed to describe the characteristics and drug utilisation patterns of new users of rosuvastatin compared with new users of other statins in automated databases. Safety evaluation studies will examine the rates of specific AEs in different cohorts of statin users and determine risk factors for these events using data recorded prospectively in automated databases with case adjudication via medical record review. The independent PEM study will monitor any significant events recorded by general practitioners since starting rosuvastatin treatment. This article is an overview of the rationale and methodology of the rosuvastatin pharmacoepidemiology programme. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Civil Service Law in the People's Republic of China: A Return to Cadre Personnel ManagementPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 3 2007Hon S. Chan Despite the outward appearance of depoliticization, the civil service in China today is actually being repoliticized. This paper compares the 1993 Provisional Regulations on State Civil Servants with the Civil Service Law approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in April 2005. The 2005 reform formalized what had been a historical pattern,the Communist Party holds tight control over leadership change and management at various levels. The Civil Service Law has turned the Communist Party of China into a political institution that has become the source of both civil service empowerment and control. Although civil service reform in China differs markedly from approaches adopted elsewhere, China is clearly expanding its political control to ensure greater leverage over the bureaucracy. In this regard, China is in line with the global trend. That said, civil service reform in China has focused on structural elements and formal reorganizations, whereas most industrialized democracies have engaged in a dialectic between individualist and corporate responses to managerial questions. An understanding of the Chinese ability to adopt reforms,while strengthening its traditional hold,provides key perspectives not only on the world's largest nation and a rapidly emerging force in global political and economic relationships but also on the Chinese experience with important public sector reforms that have occurred in many other countries over recent decades. [source] Legal Implications Regarding Self-Neglecting Community-Dwelling Adults: A Practical Approach for the Community Nurse in IrelandPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2010Julianne Ballard ABSTRACT This paper explores the current literature related to legal issues encountered by the public health nurse in Ireland in visiting clients exhibiting self-neglecting behavior. Nurses working in community settings where home visiting of clients is required will at some point encounter situations of client self-neglect. Possession of a clear legal framework for the local area that addresses both the nurse's professional responsibility and the client's rights is needed. Because a high incidence of depression and dementia seen in self-neglecting adults has prompted calls for wider screening of the agreeable client, an understanding of the definition of competence and capacity in the national legal system for that client becomes critical. In Ireland, as in many other countries, refusal of care or screening is the right of any competent adult. However, issues of mandatory reporting, confidentiality, and trespass may differ from other areas. Nursing care delivered at the community level to a client exhibiting self-neglecting behavior involves a delicate balance of trust and support. Through this overview of the legal implications for self-neglecting clients in Ireland, nurses have the opportunity to begin an exploration of similarities and differences in approach on a global level. [source] Evaluation of Needle Exchange ProgramsPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 2 2004Cheryl Delgado M.S.N. Abstract Needle exchange programs exist in every major population area in the United States and in many other countries. Some operate legally under emergency health decrees issued by local departments of health, with the stated intention of risk reduction through the removal of used injection equipment from use by injection drug users. It is theorized that this results in a reduced transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis, and, possibly, other blood-borne diseases. Needle exchange programs also offer access to drug treatment programs for the participants. It is a difficult but necessary task to evaluate these programs. This article examines examples of evaluations attempted in the past and discusses the challenges of such evaluations. Experimental evaluations, economic program analysis, legal aspects, and risk,benefit assessment along with ethical aspects are considered. An outline of program evaluation is proposed. Needle exchange programs offer an opportunity to encourage risk reduction and to offer counseling and access to health care for individuals at high risk. It is essential that such programs demonstrate their effectiveness. Assumptions of efficacy are insufficient for health care in the twenty-first century. [source] The cognitive interview: the efficacy of a modified mental reinstatement of context procedure for frontline police investigatorsAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Coral Dando The current investigative interview framework for police officers in England and Wales (and many other countries) recommends the use of the cognitive interview (CI). One of the primary components of the CI is the mental reinstatement of context (MRC) instruction. However, research has consistently indicated that police officers do not regularly use this component and when they do it is often poorly applied. Thus the question arises as to whether some adjustment of the MRC component might enhance its forensic practicability. An initial investigation was conducted as to the efficacy of a more succinct and less complex MRC technique, namely a sketch plan mental reinstatement of context (Sketch MRC). Twenty-four hours after having viewed a crime film, adult mock witnesses were interviewed employing the traditional MRC instruction, a Sketch MRC instruction or no mental reinstatement of context (No MRC). Analysis of overall memorial performance revealed the Sketch MRC to be as effective as the MRC and more effective than No MRC. Thus, for less serious crime the Sketch MRC technique may be a viable, less complex and less time consuming alternative. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Winner's Curse in Initial Public Offering Subscriptions with Investors' Withdrawal OptionsASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF FINANCIAL STUDIES, Issue 1 2010Dennis K. J. Lin G24; G38 Abstract Contrary to fixed-priced initial public offering (IPO) subscribers in many other countries, IPO subscribers in Taiwan own the option to withdraw from their IPO allocations after learning the allocation rate (ALLOC). Investors' option to withdraw reduces the information asymmetry between informed investors and uninformed investors but increases the firm-commitment underwriting risk. We show that under investors' option to withdraw, uninformed investors can improve their performance by learning from the ALLOC and/or the withdrawal rate. Consequently, firm-commitment underwriters will absorb more overpriced shares. Unless underwriters are compensated directly by issuers, IPOs should be more underpriced to compensate underwriting activities under investors' option to withdraw. [source] Compliance of Dunedin school playground equipment with the New Zealand playground standardAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2001David J. Chalmers Objective: Injuries resulting from falls from playground equipment are a public health concern in New Zealand. Like many other countries, New Zealand has a safety standard aimed at reducing the incidence and severity of these injuries by limiting the height from which children can fall from playground equipment and requiring the provision of impact-absorbing surfaces beneath equipment from which falls are possible. The purpose of this study was to examine progress towards achieving compliance with these requirements in Dunedin school playgrounds. Methods: Sixty-two schools were audited over the summer of 1997/98 and information recorded on equipment type, maximum fall height, surface type, and depth of loose-fill surface materials. Comparisons were made with audits conducted in 1989 and 1981. Results: Substantial increases in the amount of playground equipment and in the provision of impact-absorbing surfaces were observed. A small increase in compliance with the requirement that the maximum fall height of equipment not exceed 2.5 metres was also observed. Conclusions: Any gains in safety achieved through increased compliance with the height and surface requirements of the New Zealand Standard have been counteracted by the substantial increase in the amount of equipment available in playgrounds. Implications: A more drastic measure is needed to achieve a meaningful reduction in the incidence of injury following falls from playground equipment. [source] The costs and benefits of land fragmentation of rice farms in Japan,AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2010Kentaro Kawasaki Land fragmentation, in which a farm operates multiple, separate plots of land, is a common phenomenon in Japan and many other countries. Usually, land fragmentation is regarded as a harmful phenomenon as it increases production costs and reduces the advantages of scale economies. However, it is also known that fragmentation may have beneficial effects in reducing risk through spatial dispersion of plots. Thus, land fragmentation has both costs and benefits, and whether it is beneficial or harmful is determined by the magnitude of these costs and benefits. This article investigates the costs and benefits of land fragmentation empirically using panel data from Japanese rice farms. The empirical results reveal that fragmentation increases production costs and offsets economies of size, and these impacts strengthen as farm size increases. Moreover, although fragmentation does reduce production risk, its monetary value is far below the cost of land fragmentation. From these findings, we conclude that land fragmentation is an impediment to efficient rice production in Japan. [source] Research to realisation: the challenging path for novel pest management products in AustraliaAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Peter C Gregg Abstract In this Overview, we explore the linkages between basic research and the commercial development of novel pest management products in Australia. Despite the large volume of research in fundamental and applied aspects of entomology, very few new pest management products are developed and commercialised in Australia. Reasons for this include demanding and expensive regulatory requirements which (as in many other countries) mean that commercial development is the province of large multinational agrochemical companies. We describe the Australian regulatory system and the opportunities and difficulties it can present, using examples from recently registered Australian products, Magnet® moth attractant and the MOOV® range of insect repellents. The science behind these products is described in a series of papers in this issue of Australian Journal of Entomology. We also explore some of the commercial imperatives in novel product development, and aspects of the interactions between researchers and commercial partners. Finally, we discuss potential advantages of Australia as a locale for commercial development of novel products. [source] Genetic analysis of canine parvovirus from dogs in AustraliaAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 10 2007J MEERS Objective To determine the genetic variants of canine parvovirus-2 (CPV) present in domestic dogs in Australia and to investigate 26 cases of apparent vaccine failure. Design Thirty-three samples of faeces or intestinal tissues and 16 cell culture virus isolates collected over a period from 1980 to 2005 from five Australian states were analysed. Procedure DNA was extracted from the samples and a 1975 bp fragment of the VP1/2 gene of CPV was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Sequences were compared to published strains of CPV-2, CPV-2a, CPV-2b and CPV-2c. Results Forty-one of 43 PCR-positive samples contained CPV-2a viruses. One sample collected in 2002 from a pup in northern NSW contained a CPV-2b virus. One sample that had been included in the study as a CPV-antigen negative control sample contained a CPV-2 virus. Conclusion CPV-2a remains the predominant genetic variant of CPV in dogs in Australia and has not been replaced by CPV-2b or CPV-2c as in many other countries. The vaccine failures investigated in the study were likely caused not by genetic variation of field viruses but by maternal antibody interference in the response of pups to vaccination. [source] Rhodiola rosea: A Versatile AdaptogenCOMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY, Issue 3 2005Farhath Khanum ABSTRACT Rhodiola rosea (rose root) belonging to the family Crassulaceae is a popular medicinal plant in Russia, Scandinavia, and many other countries. Extracts of the roots of this plant have been found to favorably affect a number of physiological functions including neurotransmitter levels, central nervous system activity, and cardiovascular function. It is being used to stimulate the nervous system, decrease depression, enhance work performance, eliminate fatigue, and prevent high-altitude sickness. Most of these effects have been ascribed to constituents such as salidroside (rhodioloside), rosavins, and p-tyrosol. It has also been found to be a strong antioxidant and anticarcinogen due to the presence of several phenolic compounds. Adaptogens are plant extracts that allow an organism to counteract adverse physical, chemical, and biological stressors by generating nonspecific resistance. Adaptogens are known to increase the availability of energy during the day, reduce stressed feelings, increase endurance, and increase mental alertness. This multipurpose medicinal plant (R. rosea), with adaptogenic properties that increase the body's nonspecific resistance and normalize functions, has been traditionally grown and used in Russia and Mongolia. Due to increasing consumer demands toward natural health products and the growing interests in the secondary metabolites of plants and their application in biotechnology and therapy, much focus has been put on the rose root and its medical properties. The rose root imparts normalizing influences on adverse physical, chemical, and biological disturbances but is otherwise innocuous. In India, the plant has been growing wild in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. The Defence Research and Development Organization in India has taken on the responsibilities of its conservation, as well as the development of multiple management practices and the development of health foods, supplements, and nutraceuticals in India. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||