The complete plastome of Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard ex Rothm. (Asparagaceae)

The whole plastome sequence ofHyacinthoides non-scripta, was assembled and annotated in this study.This is the first complete plastid genome for the genusHyacinthoides. The plastome is 155,035 bp longand consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region spanning 83,947 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) regionspanning 18,496bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions, each of which is 26,296bp in length. Thereare 132 genes annotated in the plastome, of which the protein-coding geneinfAhas pseudogenized

Immaterial animals and financialized forests: Asset manager capitalism, ESG integration and the politics of livestock

This article uses interviews with responsible investment professionals to examine the extent to which institutional equity investors, and specifically ‘universal owners’ with highly diversified shareholdings, engage with public issues associated with livestock agriculture. As share ownership becomes increasingly concentrated, and the market for Environmental, Social and Governance investment products grows, these investors are increasingly involved in governing the activities of publicly traded corporations (including leading agribusinesses). This paper brings together political economy and marketization studies research to explore how universal owners become concerned about particular environmental and ethical problems, why they overlook other public concerns, and in what ways their selective engagement with ethico-political issues might be altering the content of food politics. Comparing universal owners’ engagements with farm animal welfare issues and with tropical deforestation within animal feed supply chains, we argue that these institutions engage with tropical deforestation because it presents a financially material risk to firms across multiple industries. By contrast, the specificity of farm animal welfare issues to agribusinesses means that they do not pose a material risk to the overall performance of universal owners’ highly diversified asset portfolios. Efforts to concern universal owners about livestock agriculture's social, environmental and health impacts thus generate a food politics which focuses primarily on risks to global economic systems and renders animals themselves distinctly immaterial

Additional Marine Fishes New or Rare to Carolina Waters

Twenty marine fishes are reported for the first time from the waters of North or South Carolina, and seven additional species considered rare in these waters are also recorded. Gonadal condition and stomach contents of the largest known female Scyliorhinus meadi, a rare scyliorhinid shark, are described for the first time. Many additional records of Fistularia petimba from throughout its distributional range are included, and food habits of 15 North Carolina specimens are examined. Nine additional adults and subadults of the uncommon prlacanthid Cookeolus boops are reported, and coloration of a subadult is recorded

The search for the self in the fiction of Malcolm Lowry.

This thesis has the following objectives: (1) to discover and establish the nature and the value of Lowry's fiction; (2) to do so by developing a method that fruitfully combines literary and psychological approaches to literature; and (3) to demonstrate the particular suitability of this method to this material. The thesis combines certain Jungian concepts with conventional methods of literary evaluation, in its attempt to discover the most significant patterns of symbols in key works by Lowry, and to show that a Jungian interpretation of these patterns leads to the heart of Lowry's fiction. It attempts to avoid a mechanical and therefore arbitrary imposition of Jungian concepts upon Lowry's work, by consistently interrelating Lowry's symbols and interpreting them in their contexts and in terms of their intrinsic qualities. Literary criticism (and in particular close textual analysis) provides the method for these analyses; Jungian psychology brings together "materials for comparison and offers a terminology for discussion". From this discussion emerges a view of Lowry's fiction as, essentially, the embodiment and revitalisation of an universal myth, the myth of the hero. This, it is argued, is Lowry's major achievement, and an achievement of great value to twentieth century culture. The thesis is divided into three parts, preceded by a General Introduction. Part One discovers in Lowry's first novel, Ultramarine, a pattern of symbols corresponding to the first stage of "The Myth of the Hero", through which this 'hero' moves most reluctantly and confusedly towards "separation or departure". In Part Two, Lowry's major novel, Under the Volcano, is found to embody (and to revitalize) the second main stage, "The Stage of Trials"; and it is here that the nature and value of Lowry's achievement is most fully discussed. Part Three examines Lowry's claims that "The Forest Path to the Spring" is concerned with "human integration" and could serve as the "coda" to his work as a whole. This story is seen as corresponding (perhaps rather more ambiguously than Lowry intended) to the final stage of the hero myth, "return and reintegration". The thesis, therefore, is intended to demonstrate the value of relating certain Jungian concepts to appropriate works of literature and to show that this approach contributes to an understanding of the essential nature of Lowry's achievement

Student Risk Factors Identified by School Counselors and Student Achievement

The increasing emphasis in the United States on high-stakes testing for students and schools generates a great deal of quantitative data, but these data are less frequently linked to other data that are more difficult to obtain such as data on risk factors that may affect how students do on these tests. To make such comparisons, a group of counselors and counselor educators targeted a small urban school district to conduct a quantitative study of the relationship between grades, standard achievement test scores, and risk factors for K-12 students. Students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 9 were randomly selected and data were gathered from school counselors on relevant descriptive information and student risk factors. More than 50% of the students in this sample were affected by at least one risk factor. Students experiencing higher numbers of risk factors tended to have lower achievement test scores and lower grade point averages (GPAs) and were also likely to be male, Hispanic, or Black; to be receiving special education services; to have high rates of absent or tardy days; to have many suspensions or discipline reports; to have single, deceased, or stepparents; and/or to have free or reduced-price lunch status. This article discusses the research process, findings, and implications for educators, particularly in the light of other findings that the effects of some risk factors may be mitigated by the actions of school counselors.Aux États-Unis, l’importance croissante que l’on accorde aux évaluations à enjeu élevé pour les élèves et les écoles produit beaucoup de données quantitatives. Cependant, ces données ne sont pas souvent mises en rapport avec d’autres données plus difficiles à obtenir telles que celles sur les facteurs de risque pouvant affecter la performance des élèves à ces examens. Dans le but effectuer de telles comparaisons, un groupe de conseillers et d’enseignants-conseillers ont entrepris une étude quantitative dans un district scolaire urbain. Ils se sont penchés sur le rapport entre les notes, les résultats aux tests de rendement et les facteurs de risque pour les élèves de la maternelle à la 12e année. On a sélectionné au hasard des élèves des 4e, 6e, 8e et 9e années et recueilli, auprès des conseillers, des données descriptives et de l’information sur les facteurs de risque pour les élèves. Plus de 50% des élèves de l’échantillon étaient affectés par au moins un des facteurs de risque. De façon générale, les élèves qui étaient touchés par le plus grand nombre de facteurs de risque avaient des résultats aux tests de rendement et une moyenne pondérée cumulative inférieurs; étaient mâles, hispaniques ou noirs; recevaient des services d’éducation spécialisée; affichaient un taux d’absentéisme ou de retard élevé; avaient souvent été renvoyés temporairement de l’école ou fait l’objet de rapports disciplinaires; provenaient d’une famille monoparentale ou reconstituée; et recevaient le repas du dîner gratuitement ou à un prix réduit. Cet article présente le processus de recherche ainsi que les résultats et leurs conséquences vis-à-vis des enseignants, surtout par rapport à d’autres recherches indiquant que les conseillers scolaires peuvent atténuer les effets de certains facteurs de risque

Integrating horizon scanning and strategic risk prioritisation using a weight of evidence framework to inform policy decisions

Poor connection between data on emerging issues and credible policy decisions continues to challenge governments, and is only likely to grow as demands on time and resources increase. Here we summarise recent efforts to integrate horizon scanning and risk prioritisation approaches to better connect emerging issues to the political discourse on environmental and food-related issues. Our categorisation of insights including potential future risks and opportunities to inform policy discussions has emerged from a structured three-year programme of horizon scanning for a UK pan-governmental futures partnership led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Our efforts to integrate horizon scanning and risk prioritisation, utilising a qualitative weight of evidence framework, has created a systematic process for identifying all signals of potential future change with significant impact for the strategic mission and underlying values of policy actors. Our approach encourages an exploration of factors out of the control of organisations, recognising that resilience depends on the flexibility of management strategies and the preparedness to deal with a variety of unexpected outcomes. We discuss how this approach addresses key cultural and evaluative challenges that policy actors have had in embedding horizon scanning in evidence-based policy processes, and suggest further developments to build confidence in the use of horizon scanning for strategic planning

How much do delayed health care seeking, delayed care provision and diversion from primary care contribute to the transmission of STIs

Objectives: To explore the changing pattern of condom use from 1990 to 2000; to identify sociodemographic and behavioural factors associated with condom use; and reasons for condom use in 2000. Methods: Large probability sample surveys administered among those resident in Britain aged 16–44 (n = 13 765 in 1990, n = 11 161 in 2000). Face to face interviews with self completion components collected sociodemographic, behavioural, and attitudinal data. Results: Condom use in the past year among sexually active 16–24 year old men increased from 61.0% in 1990 to 82.1% in 2000 (p<0.0001), and from 42.0% to 63.2% (p<0.0001) among women of the same age, with smaller increases among older age groups. Among individuals reporting at least two partners in the previous 4 week period, approximately two thirds reported inconsistent or no condom use (63.1% (95% CI 55.9% to 69.8%) of the men and 68.5% (95% CI 57.6% to 77.7%) of the women). Conclusions: Rates of condom use increased substantially between 1990 and 2000, particularly among young people. However, inconsistent condom use by individuals with high rates of partner acquisition may contribute significantly to the recent resurgence in STIs. This group is an important target for intensive and specific sexual health interventions

Transition from a maternal to external nitrogen source in maize seedlings

Maximizing NO3− uptake during seedling development is important as it has a major influence on plant growth and yield. However, little is known about the processes leading to, and involved in, the initiation of root NO3− uptake capacity in developing seedlings. This study examines the physiological processes involved in root NO3− uptake and metabolism, to gain an understanding of how the NO3− uptake system responds to meet demand as maize seedlings transition from seed N use to external N capture. The concentrations of seed‐derived free amino acids within root and shoot tissues are initially high, but decrease rapidly until stabilizing eight days after imbibition (DAI). Similarly, shoot N% decreases, but does not stabilize until 12–13 DAI. Following the decrease in free amino acid concentrations, root NO3− uptake capacity increases until shoot N% stabilizes. The increase in root NO3− uptake capacity corresponds with a rapid rise in transcript levels of putative NO3− transporters, ZmNRT2.1 and ZmNRT2.2 . The processes underlying the increase in root NO3− uptake capacity to meet N demand provide an insight into the processes controlling N uptake

Magna Carta: History, context and influence: Papers delivered at Peking University on the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta

This book examines the history and influence of Magna Carta in British and American history. In a series of essays written by notable British specialists, it considers the origins of the document in the political and religious contexts of the thirteenth century, the relevance of its principles to the seventeenth century disputes that led to the Civil War, the uses made of Magna Carta to justify the American Revolution, and its inspiration of the radical-democratic movement in Britain in the early nineteenth century. The introductory essay considers the celebration of Magna Carta's 800th anniversary in 2015 in relation to ceremonials and remembrance in Britain in general. Given as papers to a joint conference of British and Chinese historians in Beijing in 2015, these essays provide a clear and insightful overview of the origins and impact of a medieval document that has shaped the history of the world

Transmission of HIV-1 infection in sub-Saharan Africa and effect of elimination of unsafe injections

During the past year, a group has argued that unsafe injections are a major if not the main mode of HIV-1 transmission\ud in sub-Saharan Africa. We review the main arguments used to question the epidemiological interpretations on the lead\ud role of unsafe sex in HIV-1 transmission, and conclude there is no compelling evidence that unsafe injections are a\ud predominant mode of HIV-1 transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. Conversely, though there is a clear need to eliminate\ud all unsafe injections, epidemiological evidence indicates that sexual transmission continues to be by far the major\ud mode of spread of HIV-1 in the region. Increased efforts are needed to reduce sexual transmission of HIV-1