New Roles for Collective Bargaining

[Excerpt] In this article I will focus on some behaviors that are role-specific. In particular, I will examine the unique contributions of agents, subject matter experts, leaders, and facilitators

Does Where You Stand Depend on Where You Sit?

[Excerpt] In “New Roles for Collective Bargaining,” I concentrated on the bargainers—the agents who will be sitting at the table and, indirectly, their respective constituents. There are some additional considerations, less critical but not inconsequential, that may also improve your negotiations. These recommendations and innovations constitute more than a bin of odd parts; they all address environmental (structural or physical) accommodations to the strengths and limitations of human capability—the field of human factors engineering. After all, it is human beings (not principles, techniques, or structures) who fashioning solutions

Effect of organic and conventional cultivation techniques on yield, phenolic content, and sensory parameters in two carrot varieties

conference paperCarrots are one of the most important field grown vegetables in Ireland with a farm gate value of 16 million euros in 2007. They contain health promoting bioactive compounds including carotenoids, phenolics and polyacetylenes. Organically grown vegetables are often perceived as healthier and to have better flavour. The objective of this study was to determine levels of phenolics and flavonoids in organic and conventionally grown carrots, and to determine if they can be distinguished by taste.The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (FIRM 06/NITARFC6) is gratefully acknowledged for financial support of this wor

Light-At-Night and Mood: Examining The Role Of Sex In C57Bl/6 Mice

Rates of major depression have increased substantially in recent years, although it is not currently clear what are the factors behind such increases. Environmental factors may be important, and it has recently been postulated that dim nocturnal light may contribute to depression symptoms in humans and in rodents. Sex is also a very important factor in affective disorders, with prevalence rates of major depression twice as high in females than in males. We set out to test the hypothesis that dim-light would interfere with the circadian rhythm of C57Bl/6 mice and induce both depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviours and that there would be sex-specific differences. Animals were either singly or group housed for a three week period where locomotor activity was measured. After this period they were tested on a range of tests of emotional behaviours. Animals were subsequently placed into either 12 h light: 12h dim nocturnal light (~5 lux) cycle or a 12:12 light/dark condition and retested on the behavioural battery after three weeks. Brains of the same animals were used to measure stem cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus using the biomarker Ki-67. Exposure to dim light-at-night did not lead to significant circadian disruption nor to significant changes in any of the parameters examined. Apart from the Forced Swim Test no sex-dependent effects were detected. Levels of neural progenitor cell as measured by Ki-67 were significantly decreased in the dentate gyrus of light-at-night animals. In the context of previous research in this area our results indicate that species and strain differences may be important in assessing the potential impact of dim nocturnal light on circadian and affective systems in rodents

Light-At-Night and Mood: Examining The Role Of Sex In C57Bl/6 Mice

Rates of major depression have increased substantially in recent years, although it is not currently clear what are the factors behind such increases. Environmental factors may be important, and it has recently been postulated that dim nocturnal light may contribute to depression symptoms in humans and in rodents. Sex is also a very important factor in affective disorders, with prevalence rates of major depression twice as high in females than in males. We set out to test the hypothesis that dim-light would interfere with the circadian rhythm of C57Bl/6 mice and induce both depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviours and that there would be sex-specific differences. Animals were either singly or group housed for a three week period where locomotor activity was measured. After this period they were tested on a range of tests of emotional behaviours. Animals were subsequently placed into either 12 h light: 12h dim nocturnal light (~5 lux) cycle or a 12:12 light/dark condition and retested on the behavioural battery after three weeks. Brains of the same animals were used to measure stem cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus using the biomarker Ki-67. Exposure to dim light-at-night did not lead to significant circadian disruption nor to significant changes in any of the parameters examined. Apart from the Forced Swim Test no sex-dependent effects were detected. Levels of neural progenitor cell as measured by Ki-67 were significantly decreased in the dentate gyrus of light-at-night animals. In the context of previous research in this area our results indicate that species and strain differences may be important in assessing the potential impact of dim nocturnal light on circadian and affective systems in rodents

Tectonic Controls on Alluvial Fan Dissection in the El Paso Mountains

The localized dissection of alluvial fans along the western El Paso Mountains is under question. A relatively minor, south dipping normal fault, previously unmentioned in scientific literature, cuts across Quaternary terraces and alluvial fans in the piedmont of the El Paso Mountains. The linear trend of footwall uplift and the pattern of stream incision into the footwall adjacent to the linear trend of footwall uplift reveal that fan dissection is a result of base level fall caused by ongoing tectonism along the El Paso fault system. The regional importance is discussed as the timing of faulting reveals relatively recent uplift of the El Paso Mountains, and a model of extensional strain partitioning is argued for to account for this uplift in the tectonically complex Garlock Fault Zone

Effect of Genotype and Environment on the Glycoalkaloid Content of Rare, Heritage, and Commercial Potato Varieties

peer-reviewedPotatoes accumulate toxic steroidal compounds that could be harmful for humans if consumed in high quantities and must be controlled. In this study, we were interested in assessing the levels and variation of glycoalkaloid content in 60 varieties of potato planted in 2 trial sites over 2 y. Total glycoalkaloid levels ranged from 4 to 957 mg/kg of dry weight in the flesh and from 150 to 8133 mg/kg in the skin, with the latter accumulating generally more α-chaconine than α-solanine. Contents in the flesh were below the safe limit for all varieties, but were generally above in the skin. Maximum values in each site and year of cultivation were found for varieties “Beauty of Hebron,” “May Queen,” and “Arran Pilot” in the skin and “Beauty of Hebron,” “International Kidney,” and “Congo” in the flesh. Year of cultivation had a significant effect on total glycoalkaloid content (P < 0.0001), with interactions between variety and site of cultivation and variety and year of cultivation also significant (P < 0.0001), implying that environmental effects seem to act differentially and could induce high levels in genetically predisposed varieties.Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm

Comparison of phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in vitro among potato varieties.

Conference paperDiets rich in fruits and vegetables have been associated with a lower incidence of cancer and heart disease, which may be related to the antioxidant activity of bioactive compounds present in these foods. Phenolic compounds are potent antioxidants in vitro, of which flavonoids are of particular interest for their potential positive impact on health. Potatoes are one of the most consumed vegetables in the world and therefore an important source of phenolics. In Ireland they are the third most important crop with a farm gate value of approximately 45 million euros annually. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of methanolic solutions extracted from the skin and flesh of potato tubers against the stable radical DPPH and analyze its relationship to the content of total phenolics and total flavonoids.Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm

Using Blogs to Foster Inquiry, Collaboration, and Feedback in Pre-Service Teacher Education

This chapter presents a critical case study on the use of information technology in a pre-service teacher education program. The authors integrated Weblogs (blogs) into two constructivist-oriented teacher preparation courses with the goal of helping students learn to think like a teacher through enhanced inquiry, collaboration, and feedback. The authors found that, through the use of blogs, pre-service teaching candidates grew in their abilities to reflect on their own teaching and to provide constructive comments to peers. The authors’ experience also indicated that while instructor and peer feedback via blogs was valuable, it functioned best when paired with face-to-face meetings between the instructors and students. They discussed design principles for combining online and face-to-face environments and offer possibilities for the expanded use of blogs in pre-service teacher education