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The vast majority of travel behavior and sustainable transportation research has focused on urban areas. A rural perspective is lacking. In this study, we aim to dive deeper into understanding how people travel and their perceptions and opinions about various components of travel in a majority rural state. By speaking directly with Vermonters through in-person interviews, we obtain uniquely personal points of view and analyze them for commonalities and differences between urban, suburban, and rural Vermonters. We ask questions on day-to-day challenges of traveling, suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, responses to fuel prices, and opinions on electric vehicles. Some of our key findings incude that rural areas struggle most with traveling long distances to reach services, urban areas are more concerned with traffic, and opinions on electric vehicle (EV) ownership are consistent across the state, with people being likely to consider owning an EV if costs were to decrease. Our interviews identify additional questions that should be evaluated further to help states develop practical and effective policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions in rural areas. We also recommend further in-depth survey research to provide a more complete picture of the potential to shift travel behavioral, particularly in rural areas. This research adds to the body of knowledge in a historically understudied population, enabeling the reseach community to better understand and work more closely with small and rural communities to address climate change and achieve deeper GHG emission reductions.

Little is known about the current state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada, one of the countries with the greatest amount of surface waters in the world. To address this knowledge gap, we compiled a list of all available assessments of conservation status for freshwater species (over 3000 taxa) and further evaluated the overall status of six distinct taxonomic groups, focusing on organisms reliant on fresh waters (i.e., aquatic plants, invertebrates (with a focus on freshwater mussels), fishes, herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians), birds, and mammals). Overall, 11.7% of all freshwater species of plants and animals assessed were found to be “at risk” (i.e., listed as “Threatened”, “Endangered”, or “Extirpated”) and 17.9% identified as “Special Concern”. We found that 37.9% of species lacked sufficient data to enable their status to be assessed. Data gaps in Canada’s assessment of its freshwater species were most prevalent in invertebrates (excluding freshwater mussels). Given the alarming state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada, we conclude by providing recommendations that focus on evaluating temporal trends and informing conservation actions.

Anorexia nervosa and hysteria are two entities whose concepts have evolved through the ages, from "hysterical anorexia" to become distinct both in their presentations and in the representations within the community. Today, the psychiatric approach has been enriched by the contribution of neuroscience. Hospital treatment of anorexia nervosa allows intervention on the symptoms of the disease, but also takes into account the associated needs and disorders.

Rationale. The two most frequent early-onset restrictive food intake disorders are early-onset anorexia nervosa (EOAN) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorders (ARFID). Although the core symptoms of EOAN(i.e., fear of gaining weight and disturbed body image) are not present in ARFID, these symptoms are difficult to assess during the initial phase of hospitalisation. Objectives: (i) To identify restrictive food intake disorder subtypes in children using latent class analysis (LCA) based on information available at admission to hospital, and (ii) to determine the agreement between the subtypes identified using LCA and the final diagnosis: EOAN or ARFID. Method: We retrospectively included 97 children under 13 years old with severe eating disorders (DSM-5) at their first hospitalisation in a specialized French paediatric unit. LCA was based on clinical information, growth chart analyses and socio-demographic parameters available at admission. We then compared the probabilities of latent class membership with the diagnosis (EOAN or ARFID) made at the end of the hospitalisation. Results: The most parsimonious LCA model was a 2-class solution. Children diagnosed with EOAN at the end of hospitalisation had a 100% probability of belonging to class 1 while children diagnosed with ARFID had an 8% probability of belonging to class 1 based on parameters available at admission. Discussion: Our results indicate that clinical and socio-demographic characteristics other than the core symptoms of EOAN may be discriminating for a differential diagnosis.

Therapeutic touch body care in the management of eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa, aims to deepen the relationship of trust and the therapeutic alliance. Nursing research and the development of clinical nursing care, with nursing diagnoses as a support, have made it possible to provide new responses adapted to the patient's needs. This reassuring helping relationship favors the work around the patient's psychic and physical perceptions. The notion of the gender of the caregiver in the body approach care is a dimension to be taken into consideration.

The controversy over the taxonomic identity of the eggs exploited by Australia’s first people around 50,000 y ago is resolved. The birds that laid these eggs are extinct, and distinguishing between two main candidates, a giant flightless “mihirung” Genyornis and a large megapode Progura, had proven impossible using morphological and geochemical methods. Ancient DNA sequencing remains inconclusive because of the age and burial temperature of the eggshell. In contrast, ancient protein sequences recovered from the eggshell enabled estimation of the evolutionary affinity between the egg and a range of extant taxa. The eggs are those of a Galloanseres (a group that includes extinct Dromornithidae, as well as extant landfowl and waterfowl), Genyornis, and not of the megapode (Megapodiidae, crown Galliformes). The realization that ancient biomolecules are preserved in “fossil” samples has revolutionized archaeological science. Protein sequences survive longer than DNA, but their phylogenetic resolution is inferior; therefore, careful assessment of the research questions is required. Here, we show the potential of ancient proteins preserved in Pleistocene eggshell in addressing a longstanding controversy in human and animal evolution: the identity of the extinct bird that laid large eggs which were exploited by Australia’s indigenous people. The eggs had been originally attributed to the iconic extinct flightless bird Genyornis newtoni (†Dromornithidae, Galloanseres) and were subsequently dated to before 50 ± 5 ka by Miller etnbsp;al. [Nat. Commun. 7, 10496 (2016)]. This was taken to represent the likely extinction date for this endemic megafaunal species and thus implied a role of humans in its demise. A contrasting hypothesis, according to which the eggs were laid by a large mound-builder megapode (Megapodiidae, Galliformes), would therefore acquit humans of their responsibility in the extinction of Genyornis. Ancient protein sequences were reconstructed and used to assess the evolutionary proximity of the undetermined eggshell to extant birds, rejecting the megapode hypothesis. Authentic ancient DNA could not be confirmed from these highly degraded samples, but morphometric data also support the attribution of the eggshell to Genyornis. When used in triangulation to address well-defined hypotheses, paleoproteomics is a powerful tool for reconstructing the evolutionary history in ancient samples. In addition to the clarification of phylogenetic placement, these data provide a more nuanced understanding of the modes of interactions between humans and their environment.

SignificanceThe controversy over the taxonomic identity of the eggs exploited by Australia's first people around 50,000 y ago is resolved. The birds that laid these eggs are extinct, and distinguishing between two main candidates, a giant flightless "mihirung"

Anorexia nervosa and hysteria are two entities whose concepts have evolved through the ages, from "hysterical anorexia" to become distinct both in their presentations and in the representations within the community. Today, the psychiatric approach has been enriched by the contribution of neuroscience. Hospital treatment of anorexia nervosa allows intervention on the symptoms of the disease, but also takes into account the associated needs and disorders.

Refeeding in anorexia nervosa is a collaborative enterprise involving multidisciplinary care plans, but clinicians currently lack guidance, as treatment guidelines are based largely on clinical confidence rather than more robust evidence. It seems crucial to identify reproducible approaches to refeeding that simultaneously maximize weight recovery and minimize the associated risks, in addition to improving long-term weight and cognitive and behavioral recovery and reducing relapse rates. We discuss here various approaches to refeeding, including, among others, where, by which route, how rapidly patients are best refed, and ways of choosing between them, taking into account the precautions or the potential effects of medication or of psychological care, to define better care plans for use in clinical practice.Conclusion: The importance of early weight gain for long-term recovery has been demonstrated by several studies in both outpatient and inpatient setting. Recent studies have also provided evidence to support a switch in current care practices for refeeding from a conservative approach to higher calorie refeeding. Finally, the risks of undernutrition/"underfeeding syndrome" and a maintenance of weight suppression are now better identified. Greater caution should still be applied for more severely malnourished 70% average body weight and/or chronically ill, adult patients. What is Known: • Refeeding is a central part of the treatment in AN and should be a multidisciplinary and collaborative enterprise, together with nutritional rehabilitation and psychological support, but there are no clear guidelines on the management of refeeding in clinical practice. • The risk of a refeeding syndrome is well known and well managed in severely malnourished patients ("conservative approaches"). What is New: • There is evidence that early weight restoration has an impact on outcome, justifying an aggressive approach to refeeding in the early stages of the illness. • The risks of "underfeeding syndrome" and of a maintenance of weight suppression are now better identified and there is sufficient evidence to support a switch in current care practices for refeeding from a conservative approach to higher calorie refeeding. Graphical abstract.

Background Early-onset anorexia nervosa (EO-AN) represents a significant clinical burden to paediatric and mental health services. The impact of EO-AN on bone mineral abnormalities has not been thoroughly investigated due to inadequate control for pubertal status. In this study, we investigated bone mineral abnormalities in girls with EO-AN regardless of pubertal development stage. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study of 67 girls with EO-AN (median age = 12.4 [10.9–13.7 years]) after a median duration of disease of 1.3 [0.6–2.0] years, and 67 healthy age-, sex-, pubertal status- matched control subjects. We compared relevant bone mineral parameters between groups: the total body bone mineral density [TB-BMD], the lumbar spine BMD [LS-BMD], the total body bone mineral content [TB-BMC] and the ratio of the TB-BMC to lean body mass [TB-BMC/LBM]. Results TB-BMD, TB-BMC, LS-BMD and TB-BMC/LBM were all significantly lower in patients with AN compared to controls. In the EO-AN group, older age, later pubertal stages and higher lean body mass were associated with higher TB-BMC, TB-BMD, and LS-BMD values. Discussion Girls with EO-AN displayed deficits in bone mineral content and density after adjustment for pubertal maturation. Age, higher pubertal stage and lean body mass were identified as determinants of bone maturation in the clinical population of patients with EO-AN. Bone health should be promoted in patients, specifically in those with an onset of disorder before 14 years old and with a delayed puberty.

As a polygenic psychiatric disorder, the genetics of anorexia nervosa (AN) remains largely unexplored. Recently a large GWAS meta-analysis identified a significant SNP (rs6589488) as associated with AN. We suggested that rs6589488 might have gotten its association as being in linkage disequilibrium with unknown variants or functional intronic variants. In a selective cohort containing 51 patients diagnosed with restrictive subtype AN, we screened the whole coding region of the CADM1gene by Sanger sequencing and further investigated if these variants are associated with specific outcome. Only 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms, including 2 missense variants, 2 synonymous variants, 2 variants located at 5′-UTR and 7 intronic variants, including rs6589488, were identified in our AN cohort. The 2 missense variants, p.Val5Leu and p.Asp285Glu were not predicted to be deleterious. In conclusion, the intronic initial variant appears to be not associated with causative coding variant in the vicinity. If CADM1 is not the AN predisposition factor, the causative variant probably lies within 1 Mb of CADM1. Interestingly, among the 7 closest genes to CADM1, the nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) gene is known to be associated with obesity. We suggest that the intronic variant in CADM1 could be in linkage disequilibrium with other causative variants located in NNMT.

Puberty is a critical risk period for eating disorders, especially in girls. Previous reports showed that the association between puberty and eating disorders is mainly due to genetic factors, but the nature of these factors is unclear. To identify these genetic factors, we carried out exome analysis in 10 girls with anorexia nervosa compared to 10 unaffected women controls and identified low-frequency variants in genes among a list of 185 puberty-associated genes. After filtering data, 9 controls and 9 affected girls had at least one potential pathogenic rare (PPR) variant. In controls, 35 PPR variants were identified located (in 31 genes) whereas 52 PPR variants (in 38 genes) were identified in patients with AN. Among the genes identified only in the AN patients, we found a significant enrichment as compared to the general population and the control sample, in variants previously identified as associated with age at menarche (TNRC6A, LAMB2 and FAAH2). Two AN patients presented at least one rare missense variant in these genes. Moreover, nine patients with AN carried out missense/frameshift variants in puberty-associated genes previously identified by GWAS studies. Our results suggest that rare variants in genes involved in the timing of puberty such as TNRC6A, LAMB2 and FAAH2 may predispose to anorexia nervosa susceptibility during puberty.

Autism Spectrum Disorders subjects (ASD) are well known to have deficits in social interaction. We recorded simultaneously eye movements and postural sway during exploration of emotional faces in children with ASD and typically developing children (TD). We analyzed several postural and ocular parameters. The results showed that all postural parameters were significantly greater in children with ASD; ASD made significantly fewer saccades and had shorter fixation time than TD, particularly in the eyes, and especially for unpleasant emotions. These results suggest that poor postural control of ASD and their impaired visual strategies could be due to a lack of interest in social cognition, causing a delay in the development of the cortical areas, and thus could have an effect on their postural control.

Background Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have poor postural stability. The objective of our study was to explore further postural capabilities in ASD children by measuring spatial as well as temporal displacement of the center of pressure using wavelet analysis. Method Thirty children with ASD (12.1 ± 2.9 years) and 30 sex-, age- and IQ-matched typically developing children participated in the study. We recorded postural control using Multitest, also called Balance Quest, Equilibre from Framiral® in three viewing conditions (eyes open, eyes closed and with perturbed vision) and in two postural conditions (stable and unstable). Results Our results show that children with ASD displayed a deficit in postural stability in comparison with typically developing children, especially when sensory inputs are not all available. Conclusion Such poor postural control in children with ASD could be due to both an impairment in using sensorial inputs appropriately and a deficit in the ability to compensate for sensorial changes.

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex and multifactorial psychiatric illnesses that induce significant and sustained pathological disruption of food intake. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses (DSM-5) describes the clinical criteria of major disorders including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). The neurobiological basis of food intake is well characterized. Epidemiological studies reported a heritability about 70% in AN and 60% in BN, suggesting that genetic factors are involved in the vulnerability to EDs. The analysis of genetic regions and candidate genes identified several genes associated with AN, including the BDNF gene, encoding a neurotrophic factor and the ESR1 gene, encoding the α-receptor to estrogens. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS), carried out on several thousand patients versus controls, identify new candidate genes. Preliminary analyses of methylation levels, for candidate genes or on the whole methylome, suggest that epigenetic signatures are associated with EDs.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder presenting with dangerously low body weight, and a deep and persistent fear of gaining weight. Up to now, four genome-wide association studies of AN have been conducted to date and identified only few significant loci. However, both previous studies focused on common variation and on rare exonic variants. Currently, de novo variants are one of the most significant risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric disorders. We analyzed by whole exome sequencing a cohort of nine female AN individuals and their parents (mother and father), and focused our analysis on de novo variants. Here, we found seven de novo missense variants in potential genes in nine studied AN patients. Four of these genes (CSMD1, CREB3, PTPRD and GAB1) belong to a same signaling pathway involving neuron differentiation and dopamine pathway. This study provides a list of interesting genes such as CSDM1 and CREB3 that are candidates to be involved in the etiology of anorexia nervosa. basic research.

Natural history collections (NHCs) are the foundation of historical baselines for assessing anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. Along these lines, the online mobilization of specimens via digitization–the conversion of specimen data into accessible digital content–has greatly expanded the use of NHC collections across a diversity of disciplines. We broaden the current vision of digitization (Digitization 1.0)–whereby specimens are digitized within NHCs–to include new approaches that rely on digitized products rather than the physical specimen (Digitization 2.0). Digitization 2.0 builds upon the data, workflows, and infrastructure produced by Digitization 1.0 to create digital-only workflows that facilitate digitization, curation, and data linkages, thus returning value to physical specimens by creating new layers of annotation, empowering a global community, and developing automated approaches to advance biodiversity discovery and conservation. These efforts will transform large-scale biodiversity assessments to address fundamental questions including those pertaining to critical modern issues of global change.

Natural history museums are unique spaces for interdisciplinary research and for educational innovation. Through extensive exhibits and public programming and by hosting rich communities of amateurs, students, and researchers at all stages of their careers, they provide a place-based window to focus on integration of science and discovery, as well as a locus for community engagement. At the same time, like a synthesis radio telescope, when joined together through emerging digital resources, the global community of museums (the ‘Global Museum’) is more than the sum of its parts, allowing insights and answers to diverse biological, environmental, and societal questions at the global scale, across eons of time, and spanning vast diversity across the Tree of Life. We argue that, whereas natural history collections and museums began with a focus on describing the diversity and peculiarities of species on Earth, they are now increasingly leveraged in new ways that significantly expand their impact and relevance. These new directions include the possibility to ask new, often interdisciplinary questions in basic and applied science; inform biomimetic design; and even provide solutions to climate change, global health and food security challenges. As institutions, they are incubators for cutting-edge research in biology and simultaneously protect core infrastructure for present and future societal needs. In this perspective, we discuss challenges to the realization of the full potential of natural history collections and museums to serve society. After reviewing collections and types of museums, including local and global efforts, we discuss the value of specimens and the importance of observations. We then focus on mapping and modelling of museum data (including place-based approaches and discovery), and explore the main projects, platforms and databases enabling this. We also explore ways in which improved infrastructure will allow higher quality science and increased opportunities for interdisciplinary research and communication, as well as new uses of collections. Finally, we aim to improve relevant protocols for the long-term storage of specimens and tissues, ensuring proper connection with tomorrow’s technologies and hence further increasing the relevance of natural history museums.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe debilitating eating disorder. To date, only very few genes that predispose to AN have been identified. An alternative to association studies is to characterize ultra-rare variants in familial forms of AN. Here, we have implemented this approach to identify pathways that contribute to the development of AN through the analysis of a family with three members suffering from AN by exome analysis. We identified three ultra-rare deleterious variants in three genes (DRD4, CCKAR, NMS), already connected to the reward pathway, that co-segregate with AN, suggesting that this pathway might be playing a predisposing role in AN at least in familial forms.

International audience; Drugs are widely prescribed for anorexia nervosa in the nutritional, somatic, and psychiatric fields. There is no systematic overview in the literature, which simultaneously covers all these types of medication. The main aims of this paper are (1) to offer clinicians an overview of the evidence-based data in the literature concerning the medication (psychotropic drugs and medication for somatic and nutritional complications) in the field of anorexia nervosa since the 1960s, (2) to draw practical conclusions for everyday practise and future research. Searches were performed on three online databases, namely MEDLINE, Epistemonikos and Web of Science. Papers published between September 2011 and January 2019 were considered. Evidence-based data were identified from meta-analyses, if there were none, from systematic reviews, and otherwise from trials (randomized or if not open-label studies). Evidence-based results are scarce. No psychotropic medication has proved efficacious in terms of weight gain, and there is only weak data suggesting it can alleviate certain psychiatric symptoms. Concerning nutritional and somatic conditions, while there is no specific, approved medication, it seems essential not to neglect the interest of innovative therapeutic strategies to treat multi-organic comorbidities. In the final section we discuss how to use these medications in the overall approach to the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

This article presents a case study of how a business school has developed enterprise education to incorporate ethics and social responsibility. The authors describe the process of developing volunteering opportunities and embedding them in the curriculum, and outline the underlying pedagogy. They describe how existing approaches to project-based and problem-based learning may be applied to the different stages of learning and teaching development in enterprise, ethics and volunteering education. Finally, they offer their own adaptation of these frameworks to create an entrepreneurial volunteering-based learning, whereby student volunteering opportunities are embedded into enterprise education with a clear disciplinary knowledge base and explicit and assessed learning outcomes in both skills and knowledge.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how organizations use annual reporting for legitimacy purposes in the context of the ten recently privatised regional water companies in the UK. Although privatization required the water plcs to establish a distinctly different organizational legitimacy for themselves as customer‐focused companies commensurate with their new private sector status, it was clear from the nature of their privatization that they would experience difficulties in achieving this. Privatization did little to change their previous monopoly character, and this created discrepancy with the model of private sector companies operating in customer‐led competitive markets.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a content analysis of statements concerning customer service in annual reports. The analysis examines the variety of ways in which the ten water plcs deployed both assertive and defensive impression management techniques in their attempts to gain, maintain and repair their legitimacy as customer‐focused companies.FindingsThe analysis emphasises the importance of the role of corporate reporting as a resource in legitimacy management. The paper also argues that, despite sustained efforts, the water plcs did not wholly succeed in persuading all their customers that the privatization of water was “a good thing”.Originality/valueThe paper will be valuable to researchers and practitioners alike, as it attempts to take further one's understanding of how organizations use corporate reporting for legitimacy purposes by examining a much more extreme case of the legitimacy problem than has been previously considered in the literature: namely, the need for an entirely new basis for corporate legitimacy.

Drawing on a sample of interviews from an empirical research project this article examines the ways in which discourses of flexibility are ‘worked’ to produce complex and shifting identity positions in the workplace of further education in the United Kingdom. The analysis follows others in viewing the workplace as a ‘site of struggle’ in which identity positions are discursively constructed. However, this is not to suggest that new identities associated with discourses of the ‘flexible worker’ are unproblematically taken up. The analysis draws on Foucault's notions of discourse and power to suggest that college lecturers are actively working the discourses of flexibility to produce a kaleidoscope of new identities for new contexts, new circumstances and new purposes.

This article draws upon an empirical research project investigating the notion of flexibility in the context of UK further education, and explores some of the ways in which further education colleges are constituted through spatial modes of representation as particular kinds of places. Our analysis of this data explores a possible association of flexibility with a historical move from modernist 'spaces of enclosure' to the 'limitless postponements' of postmodern 'societies of control' (Deleuze, Postscript on the Society of Control , 1992). We also outline the dynamic conception of a spatiality that is 'constantly in the process of being made' in the intersection of social relations and social processes (Massey, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers , 24(3) 1999, pp. 261- 276). These ideas provide reference points for a discussion of place, and suggest a paradox when flexibility is treated as liberation from the constraints of time and place, while further education colleges are represented ...

Descriptions and definitions of flexible organisations and flexible learning programs seem to imply that the processes of teaching and learning can be liberated from the constraints of time and place. This flexibility results in a supply of lifelong learning opportunities where learners can learn at a time and in a place convenient to them. In this article we examine the spatial aspects of flexible learning. Drawing on the work of Foucault, Deleuze, Guattari and actor-network theory, we seek both to explore the significance of the spatial in the provision of learning opportunities and examine its significance for knowledge production and identity. For some, the notion of a deterritorialised lifelong learner, consuming learning opportunities where and when they desire, might have a certain attraction. We argue for a more cautious and analytical approach and the development of cartographical imaginations in continuing education research.

This article offers an introduction to both actor-network theories and the new literacy studies, assuming no prior knowledge of either, but referring to examples of empirical research in both areas of study. The article points to useful lessons for adult education research that might be derived from approaches developed in the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge. The goals of such research are to enhance our understanding of educational policy and practice as effects of power circulating in networks of human and non-human entities. There is a critical discussion of some of the concepts and assumptions underpinning both actor-network theories and the new literacy studies, and some of the problems are not resolved in this article, but identified as issues to be worked through in practice. An example of current government strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills in England is mapped onto a framework designed for researching four stages in the translation of complex networks into ‘facts...

This paper explores questions of accounting and accountability through three accounts of an empirical study of flexibility in two UK further education colleges. In this study, conceptions of flexibility and lifelong learning are being interrogated primarily through the analysis of interviews conducted with students and staff during the autumn term of 1999. In three parallel representations of this research, the authors present an algorithmic tale, a tale of strategic improvisations and a reflexive tale. A discussion of the performative value, or validity, of each account is linked to questions of accountability - to funding bodies, to participants in the research process, to the authors themselves, their peers and other potential beneficiaries. The paper concludes that writing about empirical research from a poststructural perspective can be a risky undertaking.

Recent years have witnessed an escalation in corporate social reporting (CSR) by UK companies (Gray, Kouhy and Lavers 1995). Whilst some elements of CSR reporting are required by law, much of it represents voluntary reporting. By investigating the non-mandatory reporting of two aspects of social responsibility, corporate community involvement (CCI) and environmental impact, this paper seeks to explore why companies choose to make such disclosures. It specifically asks whether companies are primarily motivated by the strategic need to manage their reputation and legitimacy rather than by the recognition of their ethical accountability, which is the stated purpose of reports produced by cutting edge companies (Clarke 1998).

Corporate community involvement is attracting increasing interest in Britain, but what do shareholders feel about this use of company assets? This timely survey of top UK corporate donors provides interesting data on current practice and explores the degree to which shareholders are consulted. The author is a member of the Department of Business Studies in the Faculty of Management and Business of The Manchester Metropolitan University, Aytoun Building, Aytoun Street, Manchester M1 3GH; e–mail j.clarke@mmu.ac.uk.

In all the literature about ethical dilemmas facing the accounting practitioner little attention has been paid to those which arise from the accountant's role in the process of accounting regulation. This treatment explores that role in the light of differing national modes of accounting regulation, economic impact issues in accounting regulation, some ethical principles and a number of different national illustrations. John Blake is Professor of Accounting in the Department of Accounting and Financial Services at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, in which Catherine Gowthorpe is Principal Lecturer, while Julia Clarke is a member of the Department of Business Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University, Aytoun Building, Aytoun Street, Manchester M1 3GH.

Company financial managers, when confronted with a change in accounting regulations, may face a change in their economic environment as a result of the reaction of users to the reported accounting information. In 1990 a requirement for lessees to capitalize finance leases was introduced in Spain. Reports the results of a survey in Spain of two key groups, company financial managers and bank financial analysts. The study concludes that leasing companies successfully lobbied for changes in the accounting rules which actually proved adverse to their economic interests; and company managers and bank analysts misunderstand each other′s reactions to the capitalization of finance leases. Indicates that managers can benefit from studying research on economic impact issues before determining their own response.

Recent studies support the idea that abnormalities of the reward system contribute to onset and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). Next to cues coding for overweight, other research suggest cues triggering the proposed starvation dependence to be pivotally involved in the AN pathogenesis. We assessed the characteristics of the cognitive, emotional and physiologic response toward disease-specific pictures of female body shapes, in adult AN patients compared with healthy control (HC) women. Frequency and amplitude of skin conductance response (SCR) in 71 patients with AN and 20 HC were registered during processing of stimuli of three weight categories (over-, under- and normal weight). We then assessed the role of the Val66Met BDNF polymorphism as a potential intermediate factor. AN patients reported more positive feelings during processing of underweight stimuli and more negative feelings for normal- and overweight stimuli. The SCR showed a group effect (P=0.007), AN patients showing overall higher frequency of the response. SCR within patients was more frequent during processing of underweight stimuli compared with normal- and overweight stimuli. The Met allele of the BDNF gene was not more frequent in patients compared with controls, but was associated to an increased frequency of SCR (P=0.008) in response to cues for starvation. A higher positive value of starvation, rather than more negative one of overweight, might more accurately define females with AN. The Met allele of the BDNF gene could partly mediate the higher reward value of starvation observed in AN.