Collaborative Livelihood Strategy: A Reflection of Social Network in Economic Activity (Case Study in Small Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesian)

Research was aimed to analyze the existence of household livelihood strategy and to identify agreements constituting livelihood strategy adopted by households in small island community. Data were collected from questionnaire given to 200 respondents who lived in five small islands, such as Ambon Island, Saparua Island, Gorom Island, Selaru Island, and Kisar Island. Respondents were selected with simple random sampling. Depth interview was also conducted with key informant in each island to verify questionnaire data. Some findings were then obtained. It was found that 83.5% respondents have built social network based on kinship, while 38.5% created network based on friendship and 48% was based on neighborhood. Agreement in network may take few forms such as borrow-lend activity (63%), output marketing (59.5%), and using farming output as collateral (42%). Therefore, it was concluded that kinship is the most influential base underlying the economic activity of community in small islands

Heritable Variation in Garter Snake Color Patterns in Postglacial Populations

Global climate change is expected to trigger northward shifts in the ranges of natural populations of plants and animals, with subsequent effects on intraspecific genetic diversity. Investigating how genetic diversity is patterned among populations that arose following the last Ice Age is a promising method for understanding the potential future effects of climate change. Theoretical and empirical work has suggested that overall genetic diversity can decrease in colonial populations following rapid expansion into postglacial landscapes, with potential negative effects on the ability of populations to adapt to new environmental regimes. The crucial measure of this genetic variation and a population's overall adaptability is the heritable variation in phenotypic traits, as it is this variation that mediates the rate and direction of a population's multigenerational response to selection. Using two large full-sib quantitative genetic studies (NManitoba = 144; NSouth Dakota = 653) and a smaller phenotypic analysis from Kansas (NKansas = 44), we compared mean levels of pigmentation, genetic variation and heritability in three pigmentation traits among populations of the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, along a north-south gradient, including a postglacial northern population and a putative southern refuge population. Counter to our expectations, we found that genetic variance and heritability for the three pigmentation traits were the same or higher in the postglacial population than in the southern population

Having a voice: a collaborative research project exploring the challenges and assets of people experiencing homelessness

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the lived experience of people who have experienced homelessness and professional stakeholders’ views about the challenges faced by this client group. The study sought to identify measures to improve the current situation for both individuals experiencing homelessness and professionals working with them. Design/methodology: Peer researchers with lived experience of multiple and complex needs conducted semi-structured interviews/surveys with 18 participants (eight individuals experiencing homelessness and street activity and ten professional stakeholders). The authors of the paper conducted a thematic analysis of the data. Findings: This paper offers insights into both the current challenges and assets for people who are or have been homeless in an urban setting. Key findings include the need for a coordinated partnership approach to address pathways to support, and the importance of developing opportunities for meaningful activity and building on local resources including giving homeless people a voice. These findings are discussed within the context of current policy (Housing First) and legislation (Homelessness Reduction Act 2017) and the impact on integrated care for people who have experienced homelessness. Research Limitations: The views explored in this study are specific to one city centre in the West Midlands; thus, generalisability may be limited. Originality/value: This study presents a participatory research approach with peer researchers exploring the perspective of individuals experiencing homelessness and wider stakeholders. The findings of this research are considered with reference to the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Analisis Kualitas Pelayanan Kantor Sar Kelas A Manado terhadap Kepuasan Masyarakat (Studi Pasca Banjir Bandang di Kecamatan Tikala Kota Manado)

Badan SAR Nasional (Basarnas) adalah Lembaga Pemerintah Non Kementrian Indonesia yang bertugas melaksanakan tugas pemerintahan di bidang pencarian dan pertolongan (Search And Rescue/SAR). Kualitas pelayanan merupakan perbandingan antara pelayanan yang diharapkan untuk diterima oleh seseorang ataupun beberapa orang dengan pelayanan yang diterimanya.Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui Pengaruh Tangibles atau Bukti Fisik, Reliability atau Keandalan, Responsiveness atau daya tanggap, Assurance atau jaminan dan kepastian, serta Emphaty Kantor SAR Kelas A Manado secara simultan dan parsial terhadap kepuasan masyarakat. Sampel yang digunakan sebanyak 210.Metode penelitihan yang digunakan Asosiatif dengan teknik analisis Regresi Berganda.Hasil penelitihansecara simultan ke empat variabel berpengaruh terhadap kepuasan dan pengujian secara parsial juga berpengaruh terhadap kepasan masyarakat yang kena bencana di Kec. Tikala Manado. Sebaiknya pimpinan SAR kelas A Manado meningkatkan aspek kehandalan dan empati dalam pelayanan, sehingga masyarakat yang terkena banjir akan menjadi lebih puas. Kata kunci: kualitas pelayanan, kepuasan masyarakat,basarna

Relationship between psychological and biological factors and physical activity and exercise behaviour in Filipino students

The aim of the present study was threefold. Firstly, it investigated whether a general measure or specific measure of motivational orientation was better in describing the relationship between motivation and exercise behaviour. Secondly, it examined the relationship between the four most popular indirect methods of body composition assessment and physical activity and exercise patterns. Thirdly, the interaction between motivation and body composition on physical activity and exercise behaviour was explored in a sample of 275 Filipino male and female students. Males were found to have higher levels of exercise whereas females had higher levels of physical activity. Furthermore, general self-motivation together with body weight and percentage body fat were found to be the best predictor of exercise behaviour whereas the tension/pressure subscale of the ‘Intrinsic Motivation Inventory’ (IMI) was the best predictor of levels of physical activity. However, significant gender differences were observed. That is, for the males only self-motivation and for the females only body weight and BMI predicted exercise behaviour. Also, tension/pressure predicted physical activity levels for the females but not the males. No inverse relationship was found between the four body composition measures and exercise and physical activity behaviour. The results support the notion that the psychobiological approach might be particularly relevant for high intensity exercise situations but also highlights some important gender differences. Finally, the results of this study emphasise the need for more cross-cultural research

City centre rough sleeping and street activity: project report

VOICES, Expert Citizens and Staffordshire University have collaborated on a research project which aims to help inform the debate locally about perceived city centre homelessness and anti-social behaviour. This is with a view to further inform the development of positive city centre solutions which recognise the needs of people who are engaged in street activity alongside those who live, work and shop in the city centre. This report presents and discusses the findings from stakeholders and core participants (those perceived to be homeless). It concludes with nine recommendations and a stakeholder action plan

Incidence and drug treatment of emotional distress after cancer diagnosis : a matched primary care case-control study

Notes This work is published under the standard license to publish agreement. After 12 months the work will become freely available and the license terms will switch to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Absence of system xc⁻ on immune cells invading the central nervous system alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalitis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to neurodegeneration and chronic disability. Accumulating evidence points to a key role for neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity in this degenerative process. System x(c)- or the cystine/glutamate antiporter could tie these pathological mechanisms together: its activity is enhanced by reactive oxygen species and inflammatory stimuli, and its enhancement might lead to the release of toxic amounts of glutamate, thereby triggering excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration. Methods: Semi-quantitative Western blotting served to study protein expression of xCT, the specific subunit of system x(c)-, as well as of regulators of xCT transcription, in the normal appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS patients and in the CNS and spleen of mice exposed to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an accepted mouse model of MS. We next compared the clinical course of the EAE disease, the extent of demyelination, the infiltration of immune cells and microglial activation in xCT-knockout (xCT(-/-)) mice and irradiated mice reconstituted in xCT(-/-) bone marrow (BM), to their proper wild type (xCT(+/+)) controls. Results: xCT protein expression levels were upregulated in the NAWM of MS patients and in the brain, spinal cord, and spleen of EAE mice. The pathways involved in this upregulation in NAWM of MS patients remain unresolved. Compared to xCT(+/+) mice, xCT(-/-) mice were equally susceptible to EAE, whereas mice transplanted with xCT(-/-) BM, and as such only exhibiting loss of xCT in their immune cells, were less susceptible to EAE. In none of the above-described conditions, demyelination, microglial activation, or infiltration of immune cells were affected. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate enhancement of xCT protein expression in MS pathology and suggest that system x(c)- on immune cells invading the CNS participates to EAE. Since a total loss of system x(c)- had no net beneficial effects, these results have important implications for targeting system x(c)- for treatment of MS