Search

GABAergic and cholinergic systems play an important part in autonomic pathways. To determine the distribution of the enzymes responsible for the production of GABA and acetylcholine in areas involved in autonomic control in the mouse brainstem, we used a transgenic mouse expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) neurones, combined with choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry. ChAT-immunoreactive (IR) and GAD67-GFP containing neurones were observed throughout the brainstem. A small number of cells contained both ChAT-IR and GAD67-GFP. Such double labelled cells were observed in the NTS (predominantly in the intermediate and central subnuclei), the area postrema, reticular formation and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus. All ChAT-IR neurones in the area postrema contained GAD67-GFP. Double labelled neurones were not observed in the dorsal vagal motor nucleus, nucleus ambiguus or hypoglossal nucleus. Double labelled ChAT-IR/GAD67-GFP cells in the NTS did not contain neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) immunoreactivity, whereas those in the reticular formation and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus did. The function of these small populations of double labelled cells is currently unknown, however their location suggests a potential role in integrating signals involved in oromotor behaviours., Highlights • A small number of neurones in the medulla oblongata contained the synthesising enzymes for both acetylcholine and GABA • Double labelled cells were found in the NTS, area postrema, reticular formation and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus • Dual labelled neurones in the reticular formation and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus could also express nNOS

Objective: A pilot study was conducted to determine whether untrained examiners could agree on palpatory findings in the cervical spine. Design: Fifty-three university students, (most of whom were chiropractic students), had their cervical spines examined by seven different chiropractors using their own clinical methods, of which motion palpation was a common, but not standard component. Setting: Chiropractic Centre in Macquarie University. Participants: Volunteer university students. Main Outcome Measures: Individual clinical methods, which included static and/or motion palpation, vertebral springing, range of motion and applied kinesiology. Results: Statistically, for the total group, there was poor interexaminer reliability. Of eight examiners, four did not disagree significantly, the next two examiners disagreed with each other but only at a single level and the remaining two examiners disagreed with most of the other examiners and each other. Conclusion: In the cervical spine, it appears that C6 is the level of highest contention, followed by C1 and C5. Essentially the results suggest that combinations of examiners show reasonable consistency at identifying the same entity while using their own typical examination techniques. The nature of these palpable findings, leading to a diagnosis of subluxation or vertebral dysfunction is ill defined. Several issues were considered as important: expectations of examiners, research design, subject compliance, role of asymptomatic subjects and what the examiners were actually detecting.

Sheep welfare is an emerging topic in research and food marketing, and recent studies suggest that farm labour is a key factor for both animal welfare and productivity in extensive sheep farming systems, although little research has been done into labour utilisation in these systems. This paper reports field data collection on two commercial farms and the use of a linear programming (LP) model to link labour economics and animal welfare analysis. The model maximises the number of ewes to clooked after over the lambing period, when constrained by labour availability for various key tasks and by a pre-determined level of sheep welfare. The results show a trade-off between welfare level and labour input per sheep. Dropping tasks with less significant welfare and productivity consequences is an effective way of increasing carrying capacity (from 977 ewes/shepherd to 1428), as is working longer hours (1174 ewes/shepherd) or only doing the legal minimum of welfare checking (labour reduced from 0.68 min/ewe to 0.44 min/ewe) . The field data suggest that farmers currently provide high welfare, and that, despite much time spent away from the flock (e.g. driving), they spend a large amount of time (39% of total) with their sheep.

This article explores the relationship between temporality, trauma and responsibility in the novel Catch-22. Borrowing from psychoanalytic theories of the drive, I develop a reading of the temporality of trauma in general, and as related to the drives. This involves a delayed-reaction, non-linear articulation of the trauma that is intimately linked in Catch-22 to the ways in which Yossarian is exposed to threats to his bodily integrity. In response to an exposure of the finitude of his bodily subjectivity, an initially passive attitude is engendered in Yossarian in response to his traumatic "primal scene," the death of Snowden. This article is concerned with demonstrating how Yossarian ultimately surpasses this sense of passivity and finitude in order to take responsibility for his own trauma and the fantasies surrounding it. Whilst the drives and trauma might be seen as ex-trinsic factors that serve to limit or curtail subjective agency, with a more nuanced understanding of the drives, trauma, and finitude itself, we can see in Catch-22 an example of the paradoxical freedom that is manifested in Yossarian in relation to his symptom. The manifest sense of responsibility that Yossarian owns to is, however, matched by a latent responsibility that is not broached in the text. The final part of this article shows how, in comparison with Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, Catch-22 elides further responsibilities that are left latent within the text. As such, the comparison between the two texts dramatises the contradictions and ambivalences involved in the act of representing war., Gramma: Journal of Theory and Criticism, Vol 16 (2008): Revisiting Crisis/Reflecting on Conflict: American Literary Interpretations from World War II to Ground Zero

Coconut-based intercropping (CBI) in Sri Lanka was introduced some 20 years ago to overcome the two main limitations of traditional coconut monocropping, inefficient land use and low incomes to farmers, but it has not been widely adopted. This study analyses the effect of farm-level resource constraints, and government policies on the intensity of adoption of CBI. A multiperiod linear programming (MLP) model was applied for three farmer groups - resource poor, medium endowed, well endowed - categorised using cluster analysis. Data was collected from a survey of randomly selected 113 intercroppers. Empirical results reveal that expansion of CBI is mainly constrained by seasonal labour shortages for all farmer groups, particularly the well endowed, and by the scarcity of cash in the case of resource-poor farmers. CBI policies aimed at subsidising inputs or intercrop prices are not likely to be efficient in raising adoption, but alternative policies aimed at alleviating resource constraints would be more effective. The study concluded that the low adoption of CBI is mainly attributable to the scarcity of different farm-level resources (other than land), at varying degrees among different farmer groups. Hence a targeted approach to alleviate them is suggested.

The gross and net margins for a representative sample of 53 Scottish potato producers classed as "Seed" (>80% of area grown for seed), "Ware" (>80% of area grown for Ware) and "Mixed" for the rest were obtained for the 1999 growing season according to the methodology of MAFF (1990,1999). The farms were arable. Yields were average but for seed growers for whom tuber number in the seed size is more important. Prices were the lowest for six years variable costs were high and gross margins are above the best for cereals. However fixed costs excluding seasonally rented land are considerable leaving negative net margins. Potato price fluctuates widely. Prices were high in 1998. Applying these prices to the 1999 data left good net margins. Average prices still left reasonable net margins. Break-even prices were £85/t for ware and £200/t for seed, which were not reached in three of the last six years. These results show the considerable investment in both fixed and variable costs and risk for this important Scottish crop.

The management accounts in Farm Account Scheme (FAS) format of two Scottish farms in Organic conversion are examined and compared to Scottish average data. Farm 1 is a family run mixed farm with cereals, seed potatoes, cattle and sheep. Conversion has been phased with conversion ground in grass and set-aside, while cereals and potatoes have been grown conventionally until they could be grown organically. Cereal area was reduced so that livestock numbers and potato area could be maintained. The phased conversion plus organic aid payments has maintained the above average profitability although good prices for organic malting barley and seed potatoes have helped but these premiums may not be maintained. Farm 2 is an all grass dairy farm with two 150 cow pedigree Holstein herds on a high input high output system now 9 months into conversion. The two herds were reduced and merged on to one site to form one 200 cow herd. This released capital and labour was reduced by one man saving fixed costs, while yield per cow increased with only the grass in conversion. The challenge will be to maintain yield and profitability on organic feeds. The results to date show that with organic aid and careful planning of conversion and structural changes profitability can be maintained.