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Abstract Background In many countries, not enough students are interested to work as general practitioners in rural areas. To solve this problem, several, sometimes partly extracurricular, programs have been developed. Most of these programs are based on continuity, which means that students stay in a rural region for an extended period of time, by completing clerkships. Although the effects of these programs are positive, it is often difficult to motivate students to participate. The purpose of the present study is to get insight into the reasons why students choose not to participate in these programs. Methods We carried out a questionnaire study among medical students in the clinical phase of the Technical University of Munich in Germany. First, we asked the students whether they actively informed themselves about the program which aims to reduce the shortage of general practitioners in rural areas in Bavaria. Furthermore, the questionnaire focused on the reasons for not participating in this program. Results Based on the answers of 442 students from study years 3–6, the most frequently chosen reason for not participating in the program is “identification with another discipline” with 61.0%, directly followed by “not willing to commit long-term” (56.1%). In third place is “personal connections to another region” with 30.5%. In the open comments, we find the same reasons: many students do not want to commit to a certain direction too early. In addition, students indicate that the number of regions where this program is offered is too limited for them. Conclusions Offering programs to prepare and motivate students for work as general practitioners in rural areas can contribute to increasing the pool of future general practitioners. To encourage students to participate in such a program, it is important to consider the motives of students. Many students who might be interested in general practice do not choose to take part in such a program because they do not want to commit to a particular specialty or region at an early stage. It is important to take these insights into account when designing and implementing these programs.

Current models of island biogeography treat endemic and non‐endemic species as if they were functionally equivalent, focussing primarily on species richness. Thus, the functional composition of island biotas in relation to island biogeographical variables remains largely unknown. Using plant trait data (plant height, leaf area and flower length) for 895 native species in the Canary Islands, we related functional trait distinctiveness and climate rarity for endemic and non‐endemic species and island ages. Endemics showed a link to climatically rare conditions that is consistent with island geological change through time. However, functional trait distinctiveness did not differ between endemics and non‐endemics and remained constant with island age. Thus, there is no obvious link between trait distinctiveness and occupancy of rare climates, at least for the traits measured here, suggesting that treating endemic and non‐endemic species as functionally equivalent in island biogeography is not fundamentally wrong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species exhibit a range of specialisation in diet and other niche axes, with specialists typically thought to be more efficient in resource use but more vulnerable to extinction than generalists. Among herbivorous insects, dietary specialists seem more likely to lack acceptable host plants during the insect's feeding stage, owing to fluctuations in host‐plant abundance or phenology. Like other herbivores, bee species vary in host breadth from pollen specialisation (oligolecty) to generalisation (polylecty).Several studies have shown greater interannual variation in flowering phenology for earlier‐flowering plants than later‐flowering plants, suggesting that early‐season bees may experience substantial year‐to‐year variation in the floral taxa available to them.It was therefore reasoned that, among bees, early phenology could be a more viable strategy for generalists, which can use resources from multiple floral taxa, than for specialists. Consequently, it was expected that the median dates of collection of adult specimens to be earlier for generalist species than for specialists. To test this, phenology data and pollen diet information on 67 North American species of the bee genus Osmia was obtained.Controlling for latitude and phylogeny, it was found that dietary generalisation is associated with significantly earlier phenology, with generalists active, on average, 11–14 days earlier than specialists.This result is consistent with the generalist strategy being more viable than the specialist strategy for species active in early spring, suggesting that dietary specialisation may constrain the evolution of bee phenology—or vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R&D activities by indigenous firms create new knowledge and technology in a region, while foreign-owned firms bring advanced knowledge and technologies from their home countries. This paper analyses the spillover effects of R&D-active or foreign-owned firms on total factor productivity of domestic non-R&D active firms. It combines two sets of literature: the one on spillover effects of intra-industry and inter-industry linkages and the other on the regional context in which these linkages occur. As measured through input-output tables, industry linkages reveal that R&D or FDI spillovers take on diverse roles in regions. Focusing on productivity spillover effects on domestic non-R&D active firms in three regions in Belgium between 2000 and 2017, we conclude that R&D spillovers generally occur more frequently than FDI spillovers. By focussing on two sources of spillovers, the paper offers a more nuanced picture of industrial transformation and regional path development. Region-specific analyses show that the effects on the productivity of domestic non-R&D active firms originate from different spillover sources. The impact of spillovers and their contribution to industrial transformation differs according to the regional development path characterised by the varying degrees of organisational thickness and specialisation of the regional innovation system. Linkages of R&D active or foreign-owned firms with domestic non-R&D active firms exert a heterogeneous impact on their productivity. Therefore, an adapted regional innovation policy, such as smart specialisation, should consider these region-specific spillover effects on productivity when establishing future regional development paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The K2-Mapungubwe settlement complex is widely regarded as the centre for the development of class-based society out of earlier ranked communities between c. AD 900 and AD 1300 in northern South Africa, southern Zimbabwe, and eastern Botswana. Beads made from ostrich eggs, the shells of Achatinidae snails, and freshwater bivalves formed an important part of the K2-Mapungubwe economy. Although thousands of shell beads have been excavated at the K2-Mapungubwe complex, this assemblage has never been analysed or even quantified in any meaningful manner. As such, only rough estimates of the distribution, use, and meaning of shell beads at these important sites were done. This article represents the first focussed research effort on this assemblage. The results demonstrate distinct spatial and chronological changes in the shell bead assemblage. Achatina beads are more common earlier in earlier phases, but after AD 1220, ostrich eggshell beads dominate. This could indicate access to new sources of raw materials. Our analysis took into account the spatial and social contexts of beads. This indicated that shell bead assemblage from the higher-status royal living areas remained morphologically constant over time, with a clear preference for smaller-sized beads. In contrast, beads from the lower-status areas could be grouped into distinct clusters of larger and smaller beads. The grouping of smaller bead on lower-status areas closely resembles elite assemblages. Smaller beads however become proportionally rarer outside elite areas over time. This may reflect changes in elite control and preferential access to shell beads. These results demonstrate how the use and manufacture of shell beads intersected with the socio-political changes that characterise the period. It also highlights the need for careful consideration of shell beads as a significant component of the political economy in the southern African Iron Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern furniture manufacturing began in the mid-18th century, when cabinet makers, following the English model, manufactured luxury furniture in box construction and for stock according to the principles of rationalization and specialization. Other companies are used as examples to trace the transition to industrial production, until furniture made entirely by machines came onto the market at the beginning of the 20th century and the question of good design became increasingly important. Therefore, the second part of the essay uses selected examples to examine how companies were influenced from the outside, by large customers, the state or artists, with the aim of producing high-quality and well-designed products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plants are one of the greatest threats leading to biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide. Understanding the responses of liana and tree communities as well as liana-tree interactions to plant invasion could be important in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning, but there is limited knowledge on this subject matter. We therefore sought to determine how the diversity, composition and structure of native liana and tree communities and liana-tree interaction networks responded to invasion by three tree species (Broussonetia papyrifera¸ Cedrela odorata, Tectona grandis) in two moist semi-deciduous forests in Ghana. Effects of plant invasion on native liana and tree community structure and liana-tree network structure were quantified by sampling liana species with diameter at 1.30 m from rooting base ≥ 1 cm, and tree species with diameter at breast height ≥ 5 cm in 20 20 × 20 m plots each in non-invaded and invaded sites. The findings of the study showed that plant invasion was associated with lower diversity and abundance of lianas and trees as well as shifts in species composition of the plants. Our results revealed that plant invasion influenced the patterns of liana-tree network structure, and tended to cause an increase in network connectance and nestedness, and a decrease in network modularity and specialisation. Plant invasion drove the topological roles of a few liana and tree species in the invaded sites. Generally, species abundance and specificity were important correlates of nestedness, and modularity and species roles of the networks. We conclude that the invasive tree species drove native liana and tree community structure, degree of liana-tree network structure, and species topological roles, all of which may have adverse consequences on biodiversity in the forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the procedural instrument of ‘competition-expert’ lay judges to ease damages calculations and private actions for damages for the violation of competition law in general. To this end, the paper analyses various forms of ‘expert’ lay participation that already exist in Europe. It concentrates, in particular, on commercial and intellectual property proceedings, but also delves into the few existing examples of competition-expert lay judges for private enforcement of competition law. It assesses their transferability for competition damages proceedings and attempts to test EU and national competition as well as procedural law boundaries more generally. The paper considers common grounds, advantages and disadvantages, as well as best practices in this context. It concludes with early proposals for including competition-expert lay judges in private enforcement of competition law.

Brief Background The various education bodies are keen on knowing the students' perspectives on choosing various career paths and their Attitude towards them. This study aimed to record the attitudes of dental undergraduates towards postgraduate specialization in VSPM Dental college and research centre and to recognize if there are any influencing factors. Materials and Methods A total of 300 undergraduate students were asked to participate in this cross-sectional survey, survey and a questionnaire were filled out using Google forms. Results The response rate was 100%, including almost 3/4th of female candidates. Students were more inclined towards oral and maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics as their first choice having maximum responses. Most students chose these subjects because of having interests in the field (28.3%) followed by financial reasons at 20.3%; however, the cost of specialization seemed to demotivate a major mass. Summary and Conclusions Most students did change their perception of pursuing postgraduation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for dentists of a particular field/specialization in any given area and benefits of post-graduation on financial stability. further studies are required on the topics mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a game-theoretic model that analyzes how a grocery store responds to the entry of a Walmart Supercenter using its store-format choice. By adopting a set of realistic assumptions, such as the cost advantage of Walmart and differentiated services of grocery stores, we find that the distance to a Walmart Supercenter is a key moderating factor in the store-format choice of grocery stores. Grocery stores would prefer to sell non-food items, but when sufficiently close to Walmart Supercenters they would specialise in food items, as consumers find it less costly to engage in two-stop shopping, making the gain from non-food items smaller. So an asymmetric equilibrium becomes feasible, wherein grocery stores carrying increasingly more non-food products and a new grocery store concept like Whole Foods and Wild Oats emphasising high-quality, organic foods can coexist. Our results yield important managerial implications. Under the specialisation strategy, the quality of its differentiated services should be sufficiently high, at least two to four times the disutility of two-stop shopping. Under the expansion strategy, grocery stores should engage in loss leadership, pricing non-food items below cost to lure large-basket consumers while earning higher margins from food items to compensate for the loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Green Deal policy will significantly affect the resilience and development of agriculture, which will be determined by the 2021–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms, entering into force in 2023. Therefore, the European Commission determines that at least 25% of the direct payments should be earmarked for eco-schemes, while 35% of the funding for rural development should be allocated to climate and environmental support measures. Support payments constitute a significant part of farmers' income and guide their decision-making for production development. Therefore, the goal of the research was set by analysing the existing CAP support payment system in 2019 to determine the possible impact of the reform envisaged for 2023 on farms of various specialisations and sizes in Latvia. The analysis revealed that in Latvia in 2019, 83% of the total number of farms received support, the amount of the support was EUR 5616 per year per farm on average, and within the Single Area Payment Scheme (SAPS), the support was higher by 24%. Among the funding recipient farms, the support accounted for 28% of the farms' income, calculated per 1 hectare. The detailed calculations carried out indicate that the possible base support payments as a result of the CAP 2023 reform are expected to be higher specifically in cattle breeding and dairy farming, which may contribute to even greater greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the future and thus reduce the likelihood of achieving the goals of the European Green Deal policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among European arms producers, MBDA represents the most advanced example of industrial integration and cross-border specialisation, thanks to a unique model of French–British centres of competence. However, it constitutes an exception inside the European defence technological and industrial base. It is therefore relevant to analyse why MBDA was able to achieve such consolidation process from fragmented competences of the European missile industry and to merge once competing companies despite the lack of a unique regulatory framework at the European level. This article presents the main features of MBDA today. It analyses the consolidation process in the European missile industry that created MBDA. It underlines how cooperative programmes provided a critical impulse in favour of industrial consolidation and the specialisation of MBDA sites across Europe. It explains how technological and industrial assets were reshuffled across European borders. It focuses on exports as a key dimension for MBDA's model. Finally, it concludes by exploring the limits that result from the lack of a unified regulatory framework in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In her early work, Suellen Shay argues that higher education tends to valorise objective notions of reality while downplaying the subjectivity of individuals. In Shay's view, this one-sided approach leads to a deficiency in the preparation of students for the holistic reality of the world they will experience beyond university. Taking Shay's provocation as a starting point, this paper explores a framework for both the design and analysis of educational assessment practices, with the aim of accounting for both objectivity and subjectivity in serving as legitimate bases for educational experiences. We follow Shay in adopting concepts from Legitimation Code Theory to achieve this, and, drawing on our own experiences and prior work, discuss how this framework may be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, prior research offers empirical support for the idea that audit industry specialisation is associated with higher audit quality in public sector organisations. A limitation in this literature, however, is that inferences are drawn from analyses confined to the audit firm level alone. In order to offer further insights into the relationship between audit industry specialisation and audit quality, and on whether such audit characteristics support the de facto harmonisation of accounting rules and regulations, this research includes both the audit firm and the auditor in charge of the financial audit as units of analysis. The results, based on an analysis of cross‐sectional data from Swedish municipalities, show interesting differences between the audit firm and individual auditor levels. It is only at the audit firm level that the results consistently support the idea that industry specialisation is associated with higher audit quality. Although there is no such evidence at the individual auditor level, it should be considered that the results, in part, indicate that audit quality is highest in a situation of joint specialisation. That is, in combination with specialisation at the audit firm level, specialisation at the individual auditor level seems to offer something over and above audit firm specialisation alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, special attention is paid to increasing the regional role in training personnel for the economy and social sphere, to implementing the “Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation”, and to balanced development of the entire territory of Russia. The purpose of the article is to study the regional economic features of the Russian Federation members in relation with a personnel training structure with higher education. The sectoral specialisation of the Russian Federation members is assessed in the article on the example of the Siberian Federal District. The assessment is based on a comprehensive analysis of the sectoral structures of the Russian Federation members, economic activities localisation, population employment. It is emphasised that a degree of sector production concentration, which characterise the sectors importance in a national scale, must be taken into account. This will make it possible to optimise the personnel training structure with higher education. A comparison of specialists graduation in terms of specialties and areas enlarged groups with the population employment structure has shown that the regions specifics are not sufficiently taken into account by the training areas of higher education institutions. The results of the study can be useful to the top management of higher education institutions in the Russian regions.

Despite the use of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton in Pakistan, the country is still far behind in farm harvest per unit compared to other cotton-producing countries such as China and Turkey. Cotton is a pest-sensitive crop, and inappropriate crop protection products contribute to lower agricultural sustainability. This issue attracts additional attention in developing countries such as Pakistan, where generic formulation/sub-standard crop protection products are easily and abundantly available. However, the impact of the application of crop protection products of multinational brands in contrast to generic formulation/sub-standard crop protection products on total farm revenue is explicitly not documented. We employ a stochastic frontier production framework using a survey of smallholder farming households in the cotton-growing zone in Pakistan (N=266). The estimates of stochastic frontier production models show a positive relationship between the use of crop protection products of multinational brands and total farm revenue. The estimates of technical inefficiency models show that specialisation and regional dummy, among others, emerge as the key to determining the smallholders’ technical inefficiency. To get higher farm revenue and technical efficiency, we propose the agricultural policy makers of Pakistan to explicitly focus on the quality of crop protection products. Moreover, agricultural policy makers are advised to revisit the cropping system in the study area. This revisit may positively contribute to agricultural sustainability.

The body size of an adult insect is strongly determined by the environmental factors to which it is exposed during growth and development. Insect species confronted with a high environmental variability across their geographical range (i.e. wide ecological niche breadth) may therefore reveal broader variation in body size than those species which are more specialised (i.e. narrow ecological niche). In this study, we aim to investigate whether characteristics related to the ecological niche breadth of a holometabolous insect species (i.e. its ecological specialisation) affect its intraspecific variation in adult body size. By using European geometrid moths as a model group, we specifically tested whether latitudinal range size, larval resource use and voltinism affect intraspecific body size variation. We hypothesised that body size variation will increase along with latitudinal range and larval diet breadth. We further expected that univoltine species reveal a lower body size variation compared to those with multiple generations per year. To test these hypotheses, we compiled a comprehensive trait database for 631 species of European geometrid moths from literature, including information on adult body size, life history and distribution. We further reconstructed a molecular phylogeny including all analysed geometrid species and applied phylogenetic comparative methods in order to test our predictions. In support of our hypotheses, we found that intraspecific size variation is positively related to latitudinal range size and larval diet breadth, and that multivoltine species reveal a higher heterogeneity in body size than taxa with a strictly univoltine life style. Based on our results, we demonstrated that intraspecific body size variation in geometrid moths is negatively related to ecological specialisation. We further suggest that increased variation in body size with increasing niche breadth is a general pattern, which likely applies to many other insect groups as well. This assumption, however, demands further empirical scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are important agricultural pollinators, and there is increasing demand for forage habitat for managed colonies. However, there is also evidence that pasturing honey bee colonies within natural landscapes may negatively affect wild bees through resource competition.To assess resource competition between managed honey bees and wild bees, we conducted repeated, short‐term deployments of honey bee colonies within Florida forests coinciding with seasonal wildflower bloom, and compared wild bee foraging with and without honey bee colonies present over multiple seasons.We recorded over 2000 bee visits including 196 pairwise bee–plant interactions. Deploying honey bee colonies was associated with a reduction in wild bee foraging rates, and honey bee and wild bee foraging rates were significantly, negatively correlated. Honey bees disproportionately visited resources with high floral density. Honey bee foraging preferences differed significantly from genera with small‐bodied (Lasioglossum, Perdita, Augochlorella), and/or specialist species (Perdita, Andrena), as well as with Megachile, but overlapped with genera including larger‐bodied (Bombus, Habropoda, Osmia, Xylocopa) and/or generalist species (Bombus, Xylocopa, Agapostemon). Deploying honey bee colonies did not significantly affect plant–pollinator network metrics.These results illustrate that short‐term honey bee colony deployment can negatively affect wild bee foraging and that competition may be greater for certain genera, particularly larger‐bodied bees or those with generalist diets though less for smaller‐bodied and/or specialist bees. Our short‐term, low‐density deployment treatments may have precluded significant effects on network metrics and likely underestimate the effects of typical higher density and longer‐term honey bee deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, various studies have demonstrated the significance and impact of universities on regional development. However, the determinants of their success are either economic performance, student enrolment, or issued patents. It is believed that universities have adopted the utilitarian paradigm too heavily, focusing primarily on the number of students or the students' skills while neglecting individual growth and the university's raison d'etre. Case studies, which depend on various other variables and biases, provide most examples of successful universities. According to scientists, universities became overly dependent on the economic system due to excessive involvement. This study employs a spatial regression model to examine the impact of universities and students on the qua lity of life and industry specialisation. According to the study, universities affect European regions' quality of life. The number of students at each level of education negatively influences the industry's presence. However, the population's lifelong learning share positively influences the regional economy. The study examines education indicators using a spatial approach, making it more generalisable than earlier case study research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In many countries, not enough students are interested to work as general practitioners in rural areas. To solve this problem, several, sometimes partly extracurricular, programs have been developed. Most of these programs are based on continuity, which means that students stay in a rural region for an extended period of time, by completing clerkships. Although the effects of these programs are positive, it is often difficult to motivate students to participate. The purpose of the present study is to get insight into the reasons why students choose not to participate in these programs. Methods: We carried out a questionnaire study among medical students in the clinical phase of the Technical University of Munich in Germany. First, we asked the students whether they actively informed themselves about the program which aims to reduce the shortage of general practitioners in rural areas in Bavaria. Furthermore, the questionnaire focused on the reasons for not participating in this program. Results: Based on the answers of 442 students from study years 3–6, the most frequently chosen reason for not participating in the program is "identification with another discipline" with 61.0%, directly followed by "not willing to commit long-term" (56.1%). In third place is "personal connections to another region" with 30.5%. In the open comments, we find the same reasons: many students do not want to commit to a certain direction too early. In addition, students indicate that the number of regions where this program is offered is too limited for them. Conclusions: Offering programs to prepare and motivate students for work as general practitioners in rural areas can contribute to increasing the pool of future general practitioners. To encourage students to participate in such a program, it is important to consider the motives of students. Many students who might be interested in general practice do not choose to take part in such a program because they do not want to commit to a particular specialty or region at an early stage. It is important to take these insights into account when designing and implementing these programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Aufsatz skizziert grob die Entwicklung der Spartentrennung zwischen Öffentlichen und wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken im 20. und 21. Jahrhundert Er beschreibt die strukturelle Konvergenz der Sparten ab Mitte der 1960er Jahre. Auf der Basis einer Diskursstrukturanalyse lässt sich feststellen, dass sich seit Mitte der 2000er Jahre der Abstand zwischen den Sparten wieder vergrößert. Es wird vorgeschlagen, die Unterschiede zwischen den Sparten unter dem Paradigma der Diversität umzuwerten und dann auf der Basis der Diskursanalyse nach Themen gesucht, die die Sparten im Dialog verbinden können. The paper illustrates how the relationship between the sectors of public and academic libraries in Germany developed in the 20th and 21st centuries. Following an initial period of strict separation in almost all respects and institutional structures, the two library sectors had started to gradually converge in the mid-1960s. On the institutional level, this process seemed to have come to an end by the year 2000, but quantitative discourse analyses show that the communication gap between the two library segments has been widening yet again since the mid-2000s. We propose a change in paradigm to capture the fact that the differences are indicators for an ever-expanding and more differentiated field. Discourse analysis will be used to identify topics and subjects that could serve as either 'boundary objects' or 'translatable objects' in the dialogue between the different library sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Despite published standards of care, inequities and variations in specialist care delivery in the UK have been identified. Using cleft lip and palate services as an example, this study aims to identify potential facilitators and common barriers to delivering an optimal specialist service. Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with 50 specialist clinicians, representing all 16 NHS cleft lip and palate services in the UK. Responses were analysed thematically. Results: A range of barriers to optimal care were identified, including working within a restrictive medical model, declining resources and an insufficient evidence base. To facilitate optimal care delivery, participants described a need to share best practice, partner with academics to demonstrate service effectiveness, use technology in clinic and authentically integrate patient-centred care. Conclusions: Commissioners need to work more closely with specialist teams to ensure that resources are allocated based on need, with the view of optimising service delivery and patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language teachers, yet on the other side, language enhancement is compromised for learners whose home language is not English. Further than that, for teachers lacking specialisation of other subjects allocated to them, besides English language teaching and learning becomes a monotonous activity that does not inspire learner attitudes more so that the greatest percentage of subjects underpinning the curriculum is offered in an English medium. This paper aims to explore if offering different subjects in varying classes has any significant impact on language development. The study is located within interpretivist paradigm using qualitative research appraoch and case study research design. 5 secondary school English language teachers were purposefully nominated and interviewed to study the problem’s complex phenomenon. Findings divulged that multi subject allocation in the site investigated seemed to be compromising subject specification, thus leading to a decline in enhancing language development. The study recommends that to re-build teacher and learner motivation, policies should be put in place to consider subject speciality when allocation of subjects is administered.

Selecting a Mediator: Parties considering the use of mediation will want to know who to engage as a mediator; who qualifies best to help them find a solution in the particular situation at hand; what makes a good mediator; and how to select the right mediator for the job. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology is the property of Issues in Ethnology Anthropology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Zwei alternative Zukunftsszenarien der Bibliotheksarbeit werden beschrieben. Eines zeigt den Weg der Bibliothek in eine hoch spezialisierte Arbeitsweise auf, in der die Institutionen vor allem Nischenfunktionen ausfüllen und keine ausgeprägte öffentliche Präsenz mehr haben – das zweite Szenario beschreibt Bibliotheken als öffentlich sichtbare und wichtige Einrichtungen in einer demokratischen Zivilgesellschaft. Two alternative future scenarios of library work are described. One shows the path of the library into a highly specialised mode of operation, in which institutions mainly fill niche functions and no longer have a distinct public presence – the second scenario describes libraries as publicly visible and important institutions in a democratic civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capital mobility has the potential of undermining the validity of Ricardo's theory of comparative advantage. Within this context, the tendency towards a uniform rate of profit makes absolute costs relevant for the analysis of specialisation patterns. A historical and analytical reconstruction is presented of a few significant contributions addressing this point, with a particular focus on the possibility of exclusion from trade and production "desertification" caused by a country's low profitability of capital. A generalisation of a result obtained by Parrinello is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecoscience (Ecoscience) is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ecosystem‐based fisheries management aims to ensure ecologically sustainable fishing while maximising socio‐economic benefits. Achieving this goal for mixed fisheries requires better understanding of the effects of competing fishing fleets on shared resources and economic performance. Proposed management strategies that promote either specialisation or diversification of catches may result in unintended consequences for ecosystem‐based management. Here, we ask the following questions: does increased or decreased competition among fleets lead to better ecological and socio‐economic fishery outcomes? How effective are currently proposed management strategies for achieving these outcomes?We integrated fleet dynamics into a multispecies size‐spectrum model and parameterised this model to represent Australian Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Mixed Fishery. We compared the fishery status quo to two extreme scenarios: no competition, where each species is fished only by one fleet (specialisation); and maximal competition, where all fleets catch all species (diversification). To answer our second question, we considered three more plausible scenarios resulting from proposed management strategies: decreased competition due to reduced bycatch, and increased competition due to increased catches of under‐utilised or valuable species. We used indicators to explore scenarios' outcomes.Our model reproduced observed trends in fishing effort and yield. Extreme scenarios showed that a fishery dependent on single species management structures is more likely to achieve ecosystem‐based management objectives if fleets do not compete, while maximal competition can lead to socio‐economic loss as management buffers the ecological impact of diversifying. The more plausible scenarios showed little improvement over the status quo, with mixed ecological and negative economic effects.Synthesis and applications. Our model can be applied to assess mixed fisheries ecosystem‐based management strategies. Our results show that, under single species management approaches, greatest outcomes can be achieved when fleets are specialised, whereas managing fleets that catch similar species is unlikely to be successful. They question the effectiveness of these management approaches in providing resilience for mixed fisheries facing changes and highlight the need to account for fleet interactions in the evaluation of management strategies to avert unintended risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an innovative approach to modelling trade specialisation of Slovakia and Czechia. These countries have a limited export structure concentrated mainly on machinery and transport equipment that require recent technologies and are subject to continuous automation. We aimed to identify factors that impact Slovakia's and Czechia's performance in the automobile industry on the EU-28 market using the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag Approach. The Vollrath indicator of the revealed competitiveness (Vollrath 1987) demonstrates specialisation, representing a modification of the Balassa index of revealed comparative advantages (Balassa 1965). The paper shows compelling evidence of long-and-short-run asymmetry between trade specialisation and the real effective exchange rate in Slovakia. The results suggest that the Czech competitiveness in the automobile industry does not fall with a higher effective exchange rate. Other factors such as human capital and country size bolster the theoretical assumptions and show the over specialisation of both countries and chances to be less specialised with higher population growth. This paper's findings have a broader context and application for countries focusing primarily on manufacturing road vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although online marketplaces for handmade products persist, little theoretical research has been undertaken to explain why firms choose a handmade strategy. In this paper, I develop a model that can explain the persistence through a handmade effect on the consumer side. I show that when consumers are willing to pay a sufficiently high handmade premium, the firm chooses production by hand over superior machine production. When the firm is part of a duopoly, the existence of consumers who care about the conditions under which a product is manufactured can explain the firms' specialisation and, thus, the observed co-existence of handmade and machine-made products in the economy. Such specialisation is efficient, and can be robust to collusion. The presence of shoppers who are uncertain about the appropriate behaviour may enable the monopolist to use a handmade strategy to signal a social norm of conscious consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edge disturbance can drive liana community changes and alter liana‐tree interaction networks, with ramifications for forest functioning. Understanding edge effects on liana community structure and liana‐tree interactions is therefore essential for forest management and conservation. We evaluated the response patterns of liana community structure and liana‐tree interaction structure to forest edge in two moist semi‐deciduous forests in Ghana (Asenanyo and Suhuma Forest Reserves: AFR and SFR, respectively). Liana community structure and liana‐tree interactions were assessed in 24 50 × 50 m randomly located plots in three forest sites (edge, interior and deep‐interior) established at 0–50 m, 200 m and 400 m from edge. Edge effects positively and negatively influenced liana diversity in forest edges of AFR and SFR, respectively. There was a positive influence of edge disturbance on liana abundance in both forests. We observed anti‐nested structure in all the liana‐tree networks in AFR, while no nestedness was observed in the networks in SFR. The networks in both forests were less connected, and thus more modular and specialised than their null models. Many liana and tree species were specialised, with specialisation tending to be symmetrical. The plant species played different roles in relation to modularity. Most of the species acted as peripherals (specialists), with only a few species having structural importance to the networks. The latter species group consisted of connectors (generalists) and hubs (highly connected generalists). Some of the species showed consistency in their roles across the sites, while the roles of other species changed. Generally, liana species co‐occurred randomly on tree species in all the forest sites, except edge site in AFR where lianas showed positive co‐occurrence. Our findings deepen our understanding of the response of liana communities and liana‐tree interactions to forest edge disturbance, which are useful for managing forest edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of career and speciality can be a complex process. It is unclear what influences career decisions within undergraduate radiographers and whether the curriculum provides sufficient support. An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken. All undergraduate diagnostic radiography students within one UK higher education institution were invited to participate. Questions were related to anticipated career choice, motivational factors and influences. The response rate was 67.6% (90/133). The most popular specialist area for career preference was general radiography. The top three motivational factors were work life balance, career development and job satisfaction. The most influential factors on career choice were clinical placements, radiographers on placements and formal teaching. Career guidance was predominantly sourced from the personal academic tutor and was informed by role models. Radiography academic teams and clinical placement providers must work together to ensure that students have access to high quality placements across specialities. The experiences received during undergraduate training are important in specialty choice. Career guidance is essential and should begin as early as possible. Clinical and academic radiographers need to appreciate the influence they have on students future career plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global cancer burden is on the rise and many more patients present for surgery or other oncological diagnostic or therapeutic interventions requiring anaesthesia. Oncology therapy is unique as it requires a multidisciplinary team of surgical, medical and radiation oncologists apart from palliative medicine (PM) specialists, and anaesthesiologists. Anaesthetic management can affect the outcome of oncology treatment both by ensuring early return to oncology treatment and some anaesthetic techniques being innately associated with recurrence. Hence, the time has come for a separate super-speciality of onco-anaesthesiology to cater to the complex unmet needs of cancer patients. PM is the fourth dimension of oncology care and so mandatory education and training should be included in the undergraduate curriculum.

Paediatric anaesthesia is an upcoming speciality which is gaining wide interest and can be a career choice for the new trainees. The need to develop paediatric anaesthesia as a speciality was realised with the progress in the field of paediatric surgery. The profile of the 'patient' encountered by a paediatric anaesthesiologist spans from an extremely premature neonate on the fringes of survival, to a full-grown adolescent equivalent to an adult. Perioperative morbidity and mortality are 2-3 times higher in infants and neonates compared to adults particularly in middle and low-income countries. The anatomical, physiological, pharmacological variations and presence of congenital cardiac, pulmonary and metabolic diseases in young children make perioperative management challenging. Special expertise and training are required for anaesthetic management of these preverbal children. In India, 3-years DM and 1-year Fellowship courses in paediatric anaesthesia are now available for specialisation. An ideal paediatric anaesthesia training centre should have substantial paediatric and neonatal patient load with exclusive intensive care facility. Paediatric anaesthesiologists, having knowledge of several facets of paediatrics and anaesthesia are capable of coordinating with health care professionals performing procedures outside the operating room. Paediatric anaesthesia, as a career thus offers a great opportunity to enhance quality and safety of anaesthesia in this high-risk surgical population. Persistent coordinated team efforts improve patient outcomes, reduce stress at work and increase job satisfaction.

Les enseignantes et enseignants primaires sont partout dans le monde en charge de la formation de base des élèves. Comment leur statut et leur travail évoluent-ils à mesure que s’intensifient les attentes sociales à leur égard ? Une enquête menée dans les sept cantons de la Suisse romande montre comment un plan d’études présenté comme ambitieux compose avec un métier et une formation de généralistes de leur côté tenus de modérer leurs prétentions. Les données récoltées révèlent des tensions et des compromis localement négociés entre, d’un côté les visées pédagogiques d’intégration, de l’autre la division observable du travail du corps enseignant dans chacun des cantons, voire de ses établissements. La comparaison permet de catégoriser quatre types d’envergures statutaires plus ou moins stabilisés : celles de la ou du généraliste respectivement sanctuarisé, concentré, stratifié, augmenté. De quoi interroger les ambivalences des acteurs, mais aussi documenter leurs débats et leurs futures décisions.

Morphological trait‐matching and species abundance are thought to be the main factors affecting the frequency and strength of mutualistic interactions. However, the relative importance of trait‐matching and species abundance in shaping species interactions across environmental gradients remains poorly understood, especially for plant–insect mutualisms involving generalist species.Here, we characterised variation in species and trait composition and the relative importance of trait‐matching and species abundance in shaping plant–Hymenoptera and plant–Diptera mutualisms in four meadows across an elevational gradient (2,725–3,910 m) in Yulong Snow Mountain, Southwest China. We also evaluated the effects of morphological traits of flower visitors and plant composition on their foraging specialisation (d' and normalised degree).There was a high degree of dissimilarity in the composition of Hymenoptera and Diptera visitors and their visited plants between communities. This variation was mainly driven by the spatial replacement of species. Both for plant–Hymenoptera and plant–Diptera networks, trait‐matching between nectar tube depth and proboscis length was a stronger predictor of the interactions between temporally co‐occurring plants and flower visitors than species abundance. Fourth‐corner analyses revealed statistically significant trait‐matching between nectar tube depth and proboscis length in plant–Hymenoptera networks at all sites, suggesting that Hymenoptera consistently foraged on plant species with nectar tube depths matching their proboscis lengths. By contrast, significant trait‐matching in plant–Diptera networks was only observed at the two lower elevation sites. The species‐level specialisation d' of flower visitors increased significantly as the proboscis length and the difference in nectar tube depth between the plant community and the plants visited by flower visitors increased.Our results highlight that the importance of trait‐matching in shaping pairwise interactions and niche partitioning depends on the specific features (e.g. species composition and trait availability) of the plant–pollinator system. For specialised plant–Hymenoptera systems, trait‐matching is an important determinant of species interactions, whereas for generalist plant–Diptera systems, trait‐matching is relatively unimportant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Rural generalist (RG) doctors are broadly skilled to provide comprehensive primary care, emergency and other specialist services in small, distributed communities where access is otherwise limited because of distance, transport and cost limitations. In Victoria, Australia, the Victorian Rural Generalist Pathway (VRGP) represents a significant state-wide investment in training and growing the next generation of RGs. The first step of the VRGP is well established through the Rural Community Internship Training program, which commenced in Victoria in 2012-2015; however, the second step (RG2) requires expansion by growing supervised learning in small rural communities where RGs will eventually work. This project aimed to explore enablers and barriers to the supervision of RG2 learners across a core generalist curriculum in distributed towns in three rural Victorian regions. Methods: Data were collected between June and August 2021 through semistructured, in-depth interviews conducted via Zoom or telephone with general practitioners (GPs) and health service executives from small and big health services in the Hume, Loddon Mallee and Barwon South West regions. Interview questions were shared prior to the interview to support reflective responses. Interviews were an hour in length and data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive thematic analysis process. The research team met regularly throughout the analysis process to refine theme development, test assumptions, and reduce any subjective biases. This study had ethical approval from Monash University. Results: Thirty-one participants, including 13 GPs working at RG scope in MMM 4-7 and 18 health service executives, engaged with RGs consented and participated. The supervision of RG2s was affected by multilayer enablers and barriers. Enablers that emerged were having a critical mass of fellowed doctors using viable models to supervise RG2s, funding for the supervision of RG2s, generalist learning opportunities, and coordination and case management. Barriers included insufficient doctors to supervise, the cost and risk of supervising RG2s, developing rural training but finding it was unattractive to trainees, and a reliance on rotational staff, which limited supervision on the ground. Different regions experienced enablers and barriers to different degrees. Conclusion: Building supervised training for RG2 learners across a generalist scope in distributed rural communities is a complex undertaking, with multilayered enablers and barriers at play. A range of issues are beyond the control of the VRGP and rely on advocacy and collaboration with stakeholders. The major themes suggest that supervised learning should be addressed at multiple levels of the system, the community, clinical settings, and clinicians. Expanding supervision of RG2s across core generalist curriculum in small rural communities will also require a regionally guided long-term vision and stepwise planning. With ongoing commitment to RG-led care, it is possible to achieve high-quality supervision at the RG2 stage, retain RGs on the pathway, and produce skilled RG trainees to serve Victoria into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Swiss Journal of Educational Research / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften is the property of University Library of Bern and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Swiss Journal of Educational Research / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften is the property of University Library of Bern and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)