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This paper analyzes the way a family, a basic social unit, is presented in Zadie Smith's "On Beauty"(2005) and how core values are lost in two opposing families, one very liberal and the other very conservative. Despite having a completely different set of values, both families are similarly functional and dysfunctional, showing us they are only different on the outside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence and host associations of Russian wheat aphid were investigated in the wheat-growing areas of South Africa from 2009 to 2011. Most Russian wheat aphid samples were collected on dryland wheat, while few samples were collected on irrigation wheat. Volunteer wheat and rescue grass were the preferred alternative host plants to cultivated wheat for all three biotypes. NoRWASA1 samples were collected from oats, but RWASA2 seemed to be able to survive successfully on oats, with 12.26% of the total RWASA2 samples collected on oats and 2.83% RWASA2 samples on wild oats. The intrinsic rate of population increase (rm) has often been used as an index of herbivore performance, and alternative host suitability can be quantified using growth rate parameters, such as the intrinsic rate of increase. The rm was determined for the three South African biotypes--RWASA1, RWASA2, and RWASA3--on seven different host plants. Russian wheat aphid biotypes showed a positive intrinsic rate of increase on all host plants tested, indicating that these host plants were all suitable hosts to support populations of all three biotypes. The rm on TugelaDn, which is resistant to RWASA1 but susceptible to RWASA2 and RWASA3, was significantly higher for RWASA3 and lowest for RWASA1. The rm for RWASA2 and RWASA3 was significantly lower on TugelaDn5, which is resistant to these two biotypes. The rm for RWASA2 and RWASA3 was significantly higher than for RWASA1 on both oats and wild oats. Aphid infestation of winter wheat in the spring may be directly influenced by their success and abundance in noncultivated host plants between harvest and emergence of the cultivated wheat. Therefore, it is important to consider the success of different Russian wheat aphid biotypes on host plant alternatives to cultivated cereals when planning a management strategy for Russian wheat aphid in an area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the various aspects of fragment of a greek comedy play. The author mentions that the papyrus fragment contains the beginning of lines naming and describing Epitrepontes and that it may come from a copy of the play or from a collection of summaries such as that by Sellios in the first c. AD. Also tackled is the hypothesis of the play form act 1 to 4.

In this paper, we share an example of how community service learning (CSL) has been taken up within the framework of critical pedagogy in order to assist educators thinking about moving toward a more critical CSL. We draw from theoretical perspectives on critical pedagogy, data from a research study, and instructor and student experiences to explore the pedagogical dimensions of our experience with critical CSL. These dimensions include: course/placement integration, critical pedagogy in practice, the intricacies of recruiting and supporting activist placements, and ethical considerations. We conclude that while critical CSL requires careful design and consideration of the risks involved, it can be an effective approach for critical educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant tolerance to biotic stresses (mostly limited here to fungal pathogens and insects) is the ability of a plant to maintain performance in the presence of expressed disease or insect herbivory. It differs from resistance (the capacity to eliminate or limit pests and pathogens by genetic and molecular mechanisms) and avoidance (the ability to escape infection by epidemics). The ways to tolerance of pests and diseases are multiple and expressed at different scales. The contribution of organs to the capture and use of resources depends on canopy and root architecture, so the respective locations of disease and plant organs will have a strong effect on the crop's response. Similarly, tolerance is increased when the period of crop sensitivity lies outside the period within which the pest or pathogen is present. The ability of the plant to compensate for the reduced acquisition of resources by the production of new organs or by remobilization of reserves may also mitigate biotic stress effects. Numerous examples exist in the literature and are described in this article. Quantification of tolerance remains difficult because of: (i) the large number of potential mechanisms involved; (ii) different rates of development of plants, pests and pathogens; and (iii) various compensatory mechanisms. Modelling is, therefore, a valuable tool to quantify losses, but also to prioritize the processes involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a thick description of a gay squatting community in south London in the 1970s, this piece explores the ways in which local histories complicate broader accounts of gay life, politics, and culture. Such a focus alerts us to the impact of personal encounters, of local politics, and material circumstances, of coincident local communities, of jobs (or the lack of them), and of major local events (like the Brixton riots of 1981). The local focus and the oral history sources also illuminate the complex ways in which unspoken and often unconscious imperatives associated with ethnicity, class, and the familial, social, and cultural contexts of our upbringings are played out under new and changing circumstances. Taking this approach fractures homogenizing assumptions about gay identity and community—even of a self-identified gay community like this squatting collective. It can also decentre sexuality as a primary category of identity and analysis as other factors come into sharper focus and shed light on the ebb and flow of identification and on the ways in which broader histories are woven into everyday lives. The piece thus considers different scales of analysis, the limits of identification, the inclusions and exclusions enacted when communities come together and identities coalesce, the continuities and discontinuities between broader and counter cultures (especially in relation to ideas and lived experiences of home), and the way memories of the squats and of the 1970s are modulated by subsequent national and gay politics, by AIDS, and by a profound sense of loss. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The absolutist approach to politeness as pursued by Leech (1983) in his identification of politeness maxims, and Levinson and Brown (1987) in their discussions have been rejected by contextualists such as Gu (1990), Spencer-Oatey and Jiang (2003), Holmes (1995), Watts (2003), and Locher (2004). Fraser and Nolan (1981: 96), for instance, argue pertinently that 'no sentence is inherently polite or impolite'. From the contextual and social models of politeness, this paper looks at the English expression 'please' and its place in politeness discourse. It looks at the use of this expression in actual speech situations in Ghana, supported by discourse interactions from other communities. It looks at the expression in relation to the totality of the interaction in which it occurs, specifically, at the reactions which this expression invokes, and establishes that 'please' is used for politeness and impoliteness, or for face-enhancement as well as face-threat. Finally, whilst agreeing with Gu (1990), Spencer-Oatey and Jiang (2003), Holmes (1995), Watts (2003), Locher (2004) and Fraser and Nolan (1981) on the need for contextual approach to politeness, we argue on the basis of the findings that there is the need to categorize expressions into the cognitively and the functionally polite or impolite, to the extent that the employment of an expression in a domain of politeness other than its natural or cognitive has implications for its nature and depth of politeness or impoliteness. On the basis of 'please', the paper proposes the recognition of three levels of uses of naturally or cognitively polite expressions--the politic (neutral or the formal), the polite, and the non-politic (impolite). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat, the most important cereal crop in the Northern Hemisphere, is at-risk for an approximate 10% reduction in worldwide production because of animal pests. The potential economic impact of cereal crop pests has resulted in substantial research efforts into the understanding of pest agroecosystems and development of pest management strategy. Management strategy is informed frequently by models that describe the population dynamics of important crop pests and because of the economic impact of these pests, many models have been developed. Yet, limited effort has ensued to compare and contrast models for their strategic applicability and quality. One of the most damaging pests of wheat in North America is the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov). Eighteen D. noxia population dynamic models were developed from the literature to describe pest intensity. The strongest models quantified the negative effects of fall and spring precipitation on aphid intensity, and the positive effects associated with alternate food source availability. Population dynamic models were transformed into spatially explicit models and combined to form a spatially explicit, model-averaged result. Our findings were used to delineate pest intensity on winter wheat across much of the Great Plains and will help improve D. noxia management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slave-breeding is a topic that has long divided American historians. Since the late nineteenth century, historians have sought out empirical evidence to prove or disprove the idea that some slave owners deliberately bred slaves for sale or to augment their own labour force. As a result, the historiographical treatment of slave-breeding has become bogged down in what Herbert Gutman called 'the numbers game'. This essay re-examines the question of slave-breeding and challenges us to consider the broader historical meaning of such sensational accusations. It does this by focusing on the rhetoric of black and white abolitionists in the United States between 1830 and 1861. The author argues that slave-breeding discourse provided abolitionists with a narrative focal point with which to attract public attention to their concerns about the westward extension of slavery, the physical and emotional toll slavery wrought on enslaved women, and the trauma associated with the break-up of slave families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How might U.S. social work students' perceptions of HIV/AIDS differ from those of social work students in sub-Saharan Africa? Furthermore, what can students learn from hearing how students from other countries view them? Social work students in the United States, Botswana, and Malawi were video- recorded; they then viewed the videos of students at other sites and responded. The African students had personal experiences of HIV/AIDS, whereas those in the United States had little contact with people living with HIV/AIDS. Students in all locations revealed culturally constructed meanings and beliefs in associated myths regarding HIV/AIDS. The process of viewing students of different cultures is illustrated as an effective pedagogical approach toward increasing students' global learning and could be replicated using discussion of other international challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article undertakes a critique of the aims and objectives of Thinking Skills, one of the most widely and internationally used curricula in the teaching of thinking, offered by the University of Cambridge International Examinations. By engaging in a critical discourse analysis of how political and class biases are (re-)produced in the forms of thinking that are valued in the classroom, issues of power and ideology latent in curricular discourses of rationality are foregrounded. Specifically, it will be demonstrated that the text engages in the ideological project of shaping our commonsense understandings of what thinking and rationality is and should be, not only in instrumental forms that both connect to neoliberal commitments and privilege a particular fraction of the middle class, but also in ways that evacuate substantive notions of morality, social justice, and the common good from individuals’ deliberations. The article concludes by pointing to alternative conceptualizations of thinking curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread planting of crops genetically modified to express Bacillus thuringieusis ( Bt ) toxins for pest control may potentially affect nontarget pests and soil-borne disease. In this study, a field trial was conducted to explore the effects of habitat diversification, specifically an intraspecies mixture of genetically distinct cotton lines, on nontarget pests and soil-borne disease. It was hypothesized that the mixture would suppress disease severity and would alter pest and predator abundances. Results confirmed that a row-mixture of 75% insect-resistant cotton and 25% disease-resistant cotton suppressed Fusarium wilt and controlled cotton aphids. However, intercropping at the genotypic level increased mirid bug and sweetpotato whitefly densities in cotton. Moreover, the effect of the mixture on predator abundance ranged from neutral to positive and was highly variable among species and years. Species-specific pest responses to the crop mixture provide new insights for optimally sized and configured refuge construction in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of insect infestation in agricultural crops are of major economic interest because of increased cost of pest control and reduced final yield. The Russian wheat aphid (RWA: Diuraphis noxia) feeding damage (RWAFD), referred to as 'hot spots', can be traced, indentified, and isolated from uninfested areas for site specific RWA control using remote sensing techniques. Our objectives were to (1) examine the use of spectral reflectance characteristics and changes in selected spectral vegetation indices to discern infested and uninfested wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) by RWA and (2) quantify the relationship between spectral vegetation indices and RWAFD. The RWA infestations were investigated in irrigated, dryland, and greenhouse growing wheat and spectral reflectance was measured using a field radiometer with nine discrete spectral channels. Paired t test comparisons of percent reflectance made for RWA-infested and uninfested wheat yielded significant differences in the visible and near infrared parts of the spectrum. Values of selected indices were significantly reduced due to RWAFD compared to uninfested wheat. Simple linear regression analyses showed that there were robust relationships between RWAFD and spectral vegetation indices with coefficients of determination ( r) ranging from 0.62 to 0.90 for irrigated wheat, from 0.50 to 0.87 for dryland wheat, and from 0.84 to 0.87 for the greenhouse experiment. These results indicate that remotely sensed data have high potential to identify and separate 'hot spots' from uninfested areas for site specific RWA control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the ethnographic study of Estonian spiritual Internet forum The Nest of Angels, the article observes the process of sharing virtual social support and creating- confirming spiritual meanings. The forum, explicitly opposing the consumeristic side of new spirituality, has become popular and demonstrates the nature and various roles of contemporary spiritual angels. The study identifies two main modes in which the Nest and the presence of angels might be useful for users. Firstly, emotional support is shared, either by fellow users directly or by confirmations that angels will definitely help. Secondly, the Nest allows people to acquire knowledge both on spiritual and practical issues. As the Nest is dialogical, users can pose questions and find confirmations for their otherwise deviant experiences. Discussions in the Nest encourage everybody to interpret some situations and objects (like feathers) as signs from angels. This interpreting process might change people's perceptions of the world by adding a layer of positive emotions. The study demonstrates how the angelic presence (or at least endeavour towards the presence) helps to establish and keep the tonality of benevolence which functions as the cornerstone of this virtual space. The Nest supports a specific epistemological stance manifested in the angelic, traditional 'feminine' values of empathy, softness, and caring. Angels and the idea of angelic presence is the main factor helping to keep the 'high-vibrational' and benevolent atmosphere of the forum and empowering the users inside the traditional understanding of 'feminine softness'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley is one of the world's most important crops providing food and related products for millions of people. Diseases continue to pose a serious threat to barley production, despite the use of fungicides and resistant varieties, highlighting the impact of fungicide resistance and the breakdown of host plant resistance on the efficacy of control measures. This paper reviews progress towards an integrated approach for disease management in barley in which new methods may be combined with existing measures to improve the efficacy of control in the long-term. Advances have been made in genetic mapping of resistance (R) genes and in identifying novel sources of genes in wild barley populations and land races. Marker assisted selection techniques are being used to pyramid R genes to increase the durability of resistance. Elicitors to induce host resistance used in combination with fungicides can provide effective disease control in the field and could delay the evolution of fungicide insensitivity. Traits that may contribute to disease tolerance and escape have been identified and the extent of genetic variation within barley germplasm is being determined. Tools are being developed to integrate the above methods via an assessment of the risk of economic injury occurring from disease to guide decisions on the requirement for fungicide treatment. Barriers exist to the adoption of integrated management approaches from growers and end-users further down the supply chain (e.g. acceptance of variety mixtures) and policy incentives from government may be required for it to be taken up in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the applications of shear thickening fluids (STF) to enhance the impact resistance behavior of textile materials. The mechanism of shear thickening has been presented in the form of ‘order disorder theory’ and ‘hydrodynamic clustering’. The applications of different shear thickening fluids on fabrics made from high performance fibers and their contribution in improving the impact performance have also been presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of International Review of Education / Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Two studies investigated five- and six-year-old preschool children's narrative production in an attempt to show how LI may impinge on narrative production in measurable ways. Study 1 analyzed renderings of familiar stories for group (typical language development vs. language impairment), story content (Jungle Book/Goldilocks) and language (English/Hebrew) differences on a range of discourse (story grammar categories), lexical (e.g., words, word types), morphosyntactic (e.g., verb inflections, prepositions) and bilingual (code-switching) measures. It showed intact performance for narrative structure in both groups and in both languages despite differences in lexis, morphosyntax and bilingualism. Study 2 pursued bilingual code-switching as a means to examine differences between children with typical language development (TLD) and language impairment (LI) in a retelling task where each child retold three stories (from native language/L1, second language/L2 and bilingual contexts) to interlocutors with different language preferences. Both groups showed sociolinguistic sensitivity in code-switching behavior, but frequency and directionality of code-switching revealed group differences. The article argues for the use of a range of indicators of LI including those unique to bilingual children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A list of books related to Judaism is presented including "Philo of Alexandria's Views of the Physical World," "Ben Sira on Family, Gender, and Sexuality," and "Palaces of Time: Jewish Calendar and Culture in Early Modern Europe."

Background. Methods for teaching thinking may be described as out-of-context or infusion. Both approaches have potential to raise students' general cognitive processing ability and so raise academic achievement, but each has disadvantages. Aims. To describe and evaluate a theory-based learn to think (LTT) curriculum for primary school students, which draws on the strengths of both out-of-context and infusion approaches. Sample. One-hundred and sixty-six students in three classes of Grade 1 (6+ years old), Grade 2 (7+ years old), and Grade 3 (8+ years old) in a primary school in Shanxi province, China, randomly ascribed to experimental (90) and control (76) groups. Methods. All students were pre-tested for non-verbal intelligence and academic achievement. Experimental students followed the LTT curriculum (one activity every 2 weeks) for 4 school years. All were post-tested on three occasions for thinking ability and four times for academic achievement. Results. Grade 1 and Grade 2 students showed effects of LTT from 1 year after their start and increasing: on thinking ability d= .78-1.45; on Chinese d= .68-1.07; on maths .58-.87. Grade 3 students showed effects from 6 months after their start: on thinking ability .90-1.37; Chinese .77-1.32; maths .65-1.29. The effects were concentrated in students in the middle band of initial ability. Conclusions. A curriculum for teaching thinking based on a structured theoretical model that combines elements of out-of-context and infusion methods has been shown to have long-term far transfer effects on students' thinking ability and academic achievement. More work is needed to meet the needs of a wider range of abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bibliography of South African literature published in 2010 is presented which includes the book of poetry "These Are the Lies I Told You" by Kerry Hammerton, the novel "The Ice on Mars" by Sean Badal, and the nonfiction book "Zulu Boy Gone Crazy: Hilarious Tales Post Polokwane" by Fred Khumalo.

Annona (Annonaceae) is an important source of fruits in the Brazilian Cerrado and the Amazon Rainforest. Some Annona species are widely commercialized as fresh fruit or as frozen pulp. Seeds are accustomedly discarded. Our main goal was to analyze fatty acids profile from seeds of A. crassiflora and A. coriacea from Cerrado, A. montana from Amazon Forest, and three cultivars ( A. cherimola cv. Madeira, A. cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Pink's Mammonth and A. cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Gefner). The total oil yield ranged between 20 and 42% by weight of dry mass. The A cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Gefner has significantly higher total lipid yield than all other samples. 100 g of fruit of this species present 6-8 g of seeds. Considering the fruit production of Chile (over 221 ton of fruits/year), more than 1300 ton of seed/year could be obtained, which could provide at least 200 ton of seed oil. Oleic acid was predominant for most samples, but for A. montana linoleic acid was the most abundant FA. Phenotypic variation on FAME profile was observed. These new data are an urgent requirement for supporting conservation programs, mainly for Cerrado areas in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For centuries, philosophy has been considered as an intellectual activity requiring complex cognitive skills and predispositions related to complex (or critical) thinking. The Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach aims at the development of critical thinking in pupils through philosophical dialogue. Some contest the introduction of P4C in the classroom, suggesting that the discussions it fosters are not philosophical in essence. In this text, we argue that P4C is philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A powerful community of therapists changed occupational therapy in the United States between 1950 until 1980. These innovators, primarily women, strategically positioned themselves to market the emerging profession. These therapists, categorized as theorists and futurists, political movers and new and old guard sustainers, determined occupational therapy's direction. Participating in the 1950s rehabilitation, the 1960s equal rights, and the 1970s women's movements, the community of therapists separated from the male-dominated medical model to gain professional and scientific authority. An internal tension arouse between those therapists embracing an objective, and arguably male, science and those supporting a characteristically feminine caring philosophical base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I report a study that investigated ideas about critical thinking across three disciplines: Philosophy, History and Literary Studies. The findings point to a diversity of understandings and practices, ones that suggest the limitations of a more generic approach. I argue that a more useful conception of critical thinking is as a form of 'metacritique' - where the essential quality to be encouraged in students is a flexibility of thought and the ability to negotiate a range of different critical modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley is cultivated both in highly productive agricultural systems and also in marginal and subsistence environments. Its distribution is worldwide and is of considerable economic importance for animal feed and alcohol production. The overall importance of barley as a human food is minor but there is much potential for new uses exploiting the health benefits of whole grain and beta-glucans. The barley supply chains are complex and show added value at many stages. Germplasm resources for barley are considerable, with much potential for exploitation of its biodiversity available through the use of recently developed genomic and breeding tools. Consequently, substantial gains in crucial sustainability characteristics should be achievable in the future, together with increased understanding of the physiological basis of many agronomic traits, particularly water and nutrient use efficiency. Barley's ability to adapt to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses will be crucial to its future exploitation and increased emphasis on these traits in elite germplasm is needed to equip the crop for environmental change. Similarly, resource use efficiency should become a higher priority to ensure the crop's sustainability in the long-term. Clearly barley is a resilient crop with much potential which can be realised in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beer is a complex beverage. Beer flavour is a multisensory experience in which, in addition to aroma volatiles, CO, ethanol, bitterness (hop acids) and sweetness all contribute. To investigate the interactions between these fundamental components, a model beer system was developed using representative ingredients. Samples, selected according to a D-optimal design, were assessed by sensory profiling techniques by a trained panel. Predictive polynomial models generated from mean panel data described variations in the attributes as a function of design factors. Results show that CO significantly impacted on all discriminating attributes, including suppression of sweetness and modification of bitterness. A number of complex interactions with design factors showed the effects of CO to be dependent upon component concentration and level of carbonation. CO interacted with hop acids to increase carbonation and tingly perception, which increased linearly with hop acid addition but only at low levels of CO. Ethanol was the main driver of warming perception and complexity. In agreement with other studies, ethanol enhanced sweet perception and also formed some complex interactions with hop acids and CO to modify various attributes, illustrating its ability to interact with both gustatory and trigeminal stimuli. Whether the mechanisms behind these interactions originate at the gustatory periphery or at higher centres in the brain is an area for further investigation. This study provides an in-depth assessment of important flavour components in beer and advances the limited data available on the effects of CO on sensory perception using a commonly carbonated beverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the emergence of private universities in Meiji Japan (1868-1912). It begins by discussing the interrelationships of modernity projects with the emergence of state universities, and with the new state civil servants. Second, it reviews the processes through which forerunners of private universities emerged, considering academic freedom and political independence as linked in the thought of their founders. The third section offers case studies of Keio and Waseda Universities. Finally it explores the process of cultural transformation in four areas of social formation: how religion, gender, social stratification and political philosophy were affected by the state modernity projects and private universities' resistance. The conclusion summarises the combined effects of state and private universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Černý's conjecture asserts the existence of a synchronizing word of length at most (n - 1)2 for any synchronized n-state deterministic automaton. We prove a quadratic upper bound on the length of a synchronizing word for any synchronized n-state deterministic automaton satisfying the following additional property: there is a letter a such that for any pair of states p, q, one has p·ar = q·as for some integers r, s (for a state p and a word w, we denote by p·w the state reached from p by the path labeled w). As a consequence, we show that for any finite synchronized prefix code with an n-state decoder, there is a synchronizing word of length O(n2). This applies in particular to Huffman codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advocates for policy recognition of lifelong learning by institutions of higher learning and governments in Eastern Africa. Lifelong learning and lifelong education are two concepts that aim at widening access to and the participation of adult learners in the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. There are many reasons for advocating for lifelong learning and education in higher institutions of learning in Eastern Africa. Firstly, the demand for higher education in Eastern Africa has increased phenomenally. Secondly, the need to cope with this fast-changing world calls for a continuous acquisition of new knowledge, skills and attitude. This paper looks at the concepts of lifelong learning (LLL) and lifelong education (LLE) in relation to the changes that are affecting the provision of university-based learning opportunities for non-traditional students in Eastern Africa, with examples from Makerere University Institute of Adult and Continuing Education in Uganda. In looking at the concepts of LLL and LLE, other concepts of lifewide learning and the learning society are also discussed. Adult learning and adult education are discussed as concepts that are used by adult educators in Eastern Africa with very limited understanding of what they really mean. The confusion in the use of these emerging and popular concepts in Eastern Africa is discussed. The paper presents some recommendations for higher institutions of learning in Eastern Africa to develop a clear understanding of and embrace lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of xanthine oxidase (XO) in the defense response of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) against the Russian wheat aphid (RWA) ( Diuraphis noxia) was studied. Xanthine oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine to uric acid, and oxygen radicals that are formed as a by-product at both of these oxidation steps may participate in plant defense reactions. A resistant wheat cultivar ( Tugela DN), and a close isogenic susceptible cultivar ( Tugela), were infested with 20-30 aphids per plant before inhibiting xanthine oxidase by adding allopurinol as a soil drench to the resistant plants. Increases in HO content were detected early after infestation in the resistant wheat, and the downstream defense related responses, chitinase and peroxidase activities, were selectively induced by RWA infestation. These downstream defense responses were substantially inhibited in allopurinol treated-resistant wheat, presumably as a response to inhibition of XO, and superoxide dismutase (SOD). We conclude that the production of active oxygen species through the XO system plays an important role in the induction of defense reactions in wheat against the RWA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hispanic Research Journal 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.)

Socio-economic implication of the lifelong learning for all agenda is enormous. The very idea of lifelong learning frees learning from time and space constraints. It advocates learning to be an activity of a lifetime both within and without the formal education system. The assumption is that lifelong and life-wide learning will promote competitiveness, creativity, employability and social cohesion. Taking it in the context of developing countries such as Ethiopia, lifelong learning as an educational organising principle may play a vital role in supporting efforts to eradicate illiteracy and reduce poverty. Recently, Ethiopia has introduced the third phase of their education sector development programme, which underscores the importance of adult education, and a national strategy for adult education. This paper analyses the two documents to understand the extent to which non-formal and formal education are linked, and thereby to highlight the significance of institutionalising the recognition of prior learning (RPL) to promote lifelong learning for adults and working population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates government and foreign direct investment in influencing the formation and development of the electronics cluster in Guadalajara, Mexico. The organizational limitations and the lack of planning in the technological learning process aside, the triple helix paradigm has become critical in upgrading the electronics industry in Guadalajara. The study analyzes technology transfer and its adaptation through technical and research cooperation within national and international innovation systems. It also examines the role of multinational corporations within the triple helix model, and how they impact upon the formation, growth and development of an electronics cluster in Guadalajara. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the efforts of an academic and practitioners to work together to improve the care of people with a dual diagnosis within one acute mental health care ward. The project was informed by a practitioner action research approach. The group sought to build alliances between academics and practitioners to address problems in practice. The paper focuses on the outcomes for the nurses and trainers, as well as considering its impact on overall care delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

von Horn, A., Bäckman, L., Davidsson, T. & Hansen, S. (2010). Empathizing, systemizing and finger length ratio in a Swedish sample. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 31–37. The Empathy- and Systemizing Quotients (EQ and SQ, respectively; Baron-Cohen, 2003 ) were determined in a Swedish sample consisting mainly of university undergraduates. Females had significantly higher EQ than males, who in turn scored higher on the SQ inventory. Gender explained 12–14% of the variation. Males were strikingly overrepresented in the group defined by a high SQ/low EQ profile or by a large SQ – EQ difference; females dominated among people with a low SQ/high EQ profile or by a large EQ – SQ difference. Students majoring in the natural sciences had higher SQs than psychology majors, but in both groups the gender difference in SQ and EQ was strong. For each participant a weighted composite score was generated by multivariate processing of the EQ and SQ data (Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis). These scores were associated in a sex-linked fashion to a biometric measure reflecting prenatal testosterone exposure, i.e. the ratio between index (2D)- and ring (4D) finger lengths. In males a high (female-typical) 2D:4D ratio predicted an enhanced tendency to empathize and a reduced tendency to systemize; in women, by contrast, the 2D:4D ratio was unrelated to these traits. The present research confirms earlier work of a gender difference in EQ and SQ. The difference appears robust as it appears as large in Sweden (a country with high cultural gender-equality) as in countries with considerably lower gender-equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an exploration into the American scientific response to the socio-political campaigns of the Soviet agriculturalist Trofim Lysenko and the intellectual culture of the early Cold War in the U.S. regarding the relationship between professional societies and contemporary political controversies. Details are given highlighting the causes and influence of Lysenkoism, the general resistance to the spread of its ideology by the U.S., and the role of the Genetics Society of America (GSA) within the public sphere. Discussion is offered focusing on the dynamics of scientists and their personal or professional involvement in politics during the mid 20th century.

The purpose of this study is to provide a new focus to contribute, from the perspective of genomic evolution, towards a better understanding of the Valerianaceae evolutionary history. Chromosome numbers were determined by Feulgen staining in 24 populations of 18 species (first count for Valerianella multidentata, 2n = 2x = 14-16), and DNA contents were assessed by flow cytometry in 74 populations of 35 species (first assessments in all taxa but Centranthus ruber). A molecular phylogeny based on the trnL-trnF and including 41 new sequences was established, with the first DNA sequence for Centranthus nevadensis, Valeriana rotundifolia, V. saxatilis, Valerianella multidentata, and V. turgida. This work is the first large genome size study devoted to the Valerianaceae, showing a range of DNA amounts from 2C = 0.39 pg (Valerianella turgida) to 2C = 8.32 pg (Valeriana officinalis). At the family level, changes in basic chromosome number and genome size coincide with or precede major shifts in the evolutionary history of the group, such as those concerning stamen number and floral symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many facets of feminist creolisation within Zadie Smith's novel On Beauty (2005). This article locates and analyses the novel's feminist subtext by assessing the characterisations of black women and Smith's use of Vodou symbolism in the form of the goddess Erzulie. The argument is made that Smith's black women, imbued with aspects of Erzulie's diverse personae, defy their marginal positions in the narrative and become its driving force. After outlining the principles of creolisation and the attributes of the goddess Erzulie, this work identifies where and how Smith has incorporated both creolisation and feminist creolisation into the structure of her text. Glissant's notion of creolisation as, in part, being 'open to change' provides a rubric for understanding and analysing the relationships and the key differences between and amongst black women in On Beauty, in addition to their alignment with Erzulie. These overlapping threads are taken up in an analysis of Carlene Kipps, one of the text's most marginalised characters. In discerning the attributes of Erzulie (a syncretic, creolist figure) in Kipps, and to a lesser extent in Kiki Belsey, these women are revealed as multi-dimensional rather than simplistic, powerful rather than passive. An analysis of Smith's alignment of her black women characters with Erzulie causes the surfacing of a subtle erotics of friendship between Kipps and Belsey. As complex New World subjects, Smith's black women are not just shaped by creolisation, they also operate as its agents. In conclusion, the article maintains that Smith's feminist and creolist aesthetic not only structures the novel through form and characterisation, but also crucially shapes its standpoint and perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the fall of the communist regimes, we have been witnessing in Europe two phenomena that dominate the geopolitical scene: on the one hand there is integration, with the advance of the borders of the European Union (EU) towards the east through its two enlargements, and on the other hand there is disintegration, as expressed by social crisis, and latent tensions and conflicts in the countries found beyond the said border. This article focuses on the geopolitical changes that came about on the eastern border of Europe (Romania-Moldova-Ukraine) and the border relations between these three countries after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the integration of Romania into the EU. This is both a multidimensional and ethno-territorial border, associated with tensions and conflict.1 Using the territorial dialectic of the globalisation argument, we are able to analyse, describe and interpret from a theoretical-empirical standpoint, the two current discussions about that border: opening by means of cooperation, or closing by means of control and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the development of algorithms to search for Z-numbers and use them to determine lower bounds on such numbers. It explores the connections of some mathematical problems and some questions regarding iterated maps on integers. In addition, an approximate multiplication problem is presented.

Despite claims that prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) can act as a transformative social mechanism and a means of social inclusion, this study reports that PLAR has become a serious barrier to adult learning rather than a facilitator. Drawing from Foucault's concept of governmentality, the study examines the difficulties that immigrant professionals have experienced in having their foreign credentials and work experience recognized in the contexts of Canada and Sweden. Using document analysis and interviews, the study analyses how PLAR has created a system of governing through technologies of power and technologies of the self which work as dividing practices in discounting and devaluating immigrants' prior learning and work experience. The study concludes that PLAR has become a technical exercise and a governing tool rather than a form of social transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues. Substance use disorders are chronic relapsing disorders, leading to significant impairment in psychosocial functioning. Conventional therapies have not been able to alter the outcome of these disorders significantly and frequent relapses continue to occur, despite the development of newer medications, like baclofen, ondansetron, etc. Hence, there is a need to look at complementary and alternate systems of medicine. Approach. This article is a review of the evidence for complementary and alternate systems of medicine in substance use disorders. Articles were searched using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) database of the PubMed search engine and further non-indexed information was obtained from the Google search engine. The article is organised in parts, each reviewing a different system of medicine in the following order—alternate medical systems, biologically based therapies, energy-based interventions and mind–body interventions; as classified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, USA. Key Findings. The currently available evidence is limited and not very encouraging. At present only acupuncture, herbal therapies and mind–body interventions have shown some positive results in human trials and hold promise for the future. Implications. This review emphasises the paucity of research into this important field especially the lack of rigorous human trials. Conclusion. More systematic studies are required before these systems of medicine can be widely recommended in the treatment of substance use disorders.[Behere RV, Muralidharan K, Benegal V. Complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of substance use disorders—a review of the evidence. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of non-contact therapeutic touch on post-surgical pain in an elderly population receiving occupational therapy in an acute care hospital unit in the United States. Ninety participants were randomly assigned to three groups (experimental, control and placebo) using a three-group experimental pre-test–post-test design and a randomized clinical trial. The experimental group received the non-contact touch intervention, the control group received routine care and the placebo group received the sound of a metronome set at a steady slow pace. Objective measures included the Memorial Pain Scale, the Tellegen Absorption Scale, the Health Attribution Scale and measures of pulse rate and pupil size, which were performed as repeated measures. In the experimental group, 22 out of 30 (73%) demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in pain intensity scores from pre-test to post-test (t [7] = 7.24, p < 0.01) and were better able to participate in occupations. Further research is recommended to replicate this study. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the relation between experience and learning in the context of recognition of prior learning (RPL) and from an experiential constructivist perspective. The study is based on a case of in-service training, based on RPL, in the care sector for elderly people. The data consist of interviews with actors in this process, which have been analysed with a qualitative interpretative approach. The results show how prior learning plays a central role in the training process, both on an individual and a collective level. The participants’ prior learning is taken as the starting point, particularly in learning conversations where prior learning is made visible and used, and where participants learn from each other. Further, new learning is taking place as a consequence of the recognition process, and the study particularly highlights how prior experiences could be the basis of new learning in a process of reflection and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A minimal dynamical system which has completely positive entropy, and does not have uniformly positive entropy is constructed. This answers a question that has been open for a certain time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]