1,551 research outputs found

    The Egyptological afterlife of Colin Campbell

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    Do the benefits of international policy commitments outweigh the burdens for small island states? : a case study of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Federated States of Micronesia

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    The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a small island developing state (SIDS) comprising four semi-autonomous states. The country faces a number of environmental challenges, not least of which is the loss of biodiversity upon which it relies for subsistence and economic development. The FSM is a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and must develop and deliver a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan as a way of implementing the convention and protecting its biodiversity. For a SIDS like the FSM, being a party to the CBD presents a notable burden: fielding personnel to global meetings, crafting necessary policies and legislation and implementing such policies. This article explores the perceptions of what being a signatory to the CBD brings to those in countries such as the FSM who are responsible for, or involved in, developing and implementing biodiversity conservation policy and actions. It highlights specific perceived benefits and challenges, and considers these in relation to the status of biodiversity in the FSM today.peer-reviewe

    Use of a root bioassay to indicate the phosphorus status of forest trees

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    SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:D83004 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

    Increasing uptake of influenza vaccine by pregnant women post H1N1 pandemic: a longitudinal study in Melbourne, Australia, 2010 to 2014

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    Background: A Melbourne (Australia) university affiliated, tertiary obstetric hospital provides lay and professional education about influenza vaccine in pregnancy annually each March, early in the local influenza season. Responding to a 2011 survey of new mothers' opinions, the hospital made influenza vaccine freely available in antenatal clinics from 2012. We wished to determine influenza vaccination uptake during pregnancy with these strategies 5 years after 2009 H1N1. Methods: Face to face interviews based on US Center for Disease Control and Prevention Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System with new mothers in postnatal wards each July, 2010 to 2014. We calculated recalled influenza vaccine uptake each year and assessed trends with chi square tests, and logistic regression. Results: We recorded 1086 interviews. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy increased by 6% per year (95% confidence interval 4 to 8%): from 29.6% in 2010 to 51.3% in 2014 (p < 0.001). Lack of discussion from maternity caregivers was a persistent reason for non-vaccination, recalled by 1 in 2 non-vaccinated women. Survey respondents preferred face to face consultations with doctors and midwives, internet and text messaging as information sources about influenza vaccination. Survey responses indicate messages about vaccine safety in pregnancy and infant benefits are increasingly being heeded. However, there was progressively lower awareness of maternal benefits of influenza vaccination, especially for women with risk factors for severe disease. Conclusions: We observed improving influenza vaccination during pregnancy. There is potential to integrate technology such as text message or internet with antenatal consultations to increase vaccination coverage further

    A Review of Psoriasis, a Known Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease and Its Impact on Folate and Homocysteine Metabolism

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    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This risk has been attributed to an association with many independent risk factors including obesity, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia. Psoriasis patients also have lower levels of folate and conversely higher levels of homocysteine, which in itself is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It has been postulated that low folate levels in this group may be a direct cause of hyperhomocysteinemia and therefore a treatable risk factor by folate supplementation. This paper looks at the literature published to date on the relationship between psoriasis, homocysteine, and folate levels

    William Burroughs: Subversion of the Word Machine

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    Most critical approaches to Burroughs' work seem to have concentrated on his hell-vision content, seeing his use of and attitude to, language simply as a means to such thematic ends. This essay begins from the opposite angle, contending that he is, more than anything else, a writer about language, who sees the use and abuse of language as the most powerfully suppressive and potentially subversive of social weapons. Thus Burroughs' apocalyptic visions of the totalitarian chaos of the Twentieth Century and his use of metaphor of addiction as a framework for the abuse of power will be seen principally in the context of how language is used to express them. The starting point of the essay was the curiously mixed reaction I had on an initial reading of Burroughs. While his indictments of modem society invited empathy with the text, the emerging persona of Burroughs seemed uninvitingly aloof. My confusion and wariness seemed echoed in the radically divergent critical responses to his work and I hope to cover some ground toward answering those questions often asked of Burroughs: are his images necessarily purging processes or merely perverted indulgence? Is he a powerful satirist or a diseased crank? Is there a sophisticated structure behind his imagistic whirlwind to justify the literary chaos as the product of an intelligent 'modernist' author, or is he a science-fiction writing hack? Is his philosophical·political content childishly irresponsible or refreshingly avant-garde? Is he a revolutionary or a literary cheat

    Primary school boys' narratives about masculinity

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    Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.BibliographyENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue of masculinity is complex, and many theories on how gender is constructed exist. The central premise of this study is that gender construction is the result of dynamic social interaction and, as such, a post-structuralist paradigm is ascribed to. The concept of multiple masculinities exists to explain the influences different contexts have on how masculine ideas are constructed. This is not a passive process and individuals are considered active creators of their own identity. However, research demonstrates that not all masculinities are equal. Hegemonic masculinity maintains its leading dominant position status through using strategies of power and dominance to maintain the pinnacle position of status in the hierarchy of masculinities. The purpose of this study is to listen to the narratives of pre-adolescent boys about masculinity. Post-structuralist and social constructivist ideas that meaning is fluid and open to change, is influenced by culture and the individual meanings that people make. This understanding provides the theoretical framework for this qualitative study. Through a narrative-inquiry design, meaning was made of the individual experiences of six boys within the context of a single-sex preparatory school. The narratives of these participants, purposively selected, were obtained using the data-collecting methods of interviews, a focus group and the construction of a collage. The analysed data was presented both in the form of the narratives of the participants and through a thematic analysis. The findings indicate that within this private, single-sex preparatory school context, multiple constructions of masculinity are formed, and they all appear to be constructed in relation to hegemonic notions of masculinity. It was found that fathers play an important role in the way in which boys construct their masculine identity. However, their peers and the school context also play a significant role. Further, the findings revealed that although hegemonic notions of masculinity in this context had a powerful impact on these participants’ construction of masculinity, there are indications some are challenging overt expressions of hegemonic masculinity and, as such, hold more complex, transitional constructs of masculine identity.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kwessie rondom manlikheid is kompleks en daar bestaan baie teorieë oor hoe geslag gebou word. Die sentrale uitgangspunt van hierdie studie is dat die konstruksie van geslag ‘n resultaat van dinamiese sosiale interaksie is en dus aan 'n post-strukturalistiese paradigma toegeskryf word. As sodanig bestaan die konsep van verskeie vorme van manlikheid om te verduidelik hoe verskillende kontekste manlike idees beïnvloed. Dit is nie 'n passiewe proses nie. Individue word as aktiewe skeppers van hulle eie identiteit beskou. Navorsing toon egter dat nie alle vorme van manlikheid gelyk is nie. Hegemoniese manlikheid hou 'n dominante posisie in stand deur die gebruik van strategieë van mag en oorheersing; die hoogsteposisie van status in die hiërargie van manlikheid word dus gestaaf. Die doel van hierdie studie is om na die narratiewe van pre-adolessente seuns oor manlikheid te luister. Post-strukturalistiese en sosiale konstruktivistiese idees wat aandui dat bedoelings vloeibaar en veranderbaar is, afhangende van kultuur en die betekenis wat deur 'n individu daaraan geheg word, voorsien dus 'n teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie kwalitatiewe studie. Deur die gebruik van ‘n narratiewe ondersoek-ontwerp, is die betekenis van die individuele ervaringe van ses seuns in die konteks van 'n enkel-geslag voorbereidende skool geevalueer. Die verhale van hierdie deelnemers, wat doelgerig geselekteer is, is verkry deur gebruik te maak van onderhoude, 'n fokus groep en die konstruksie van 'n collage as data insamelingsmetodes. Die geanaliseerde data is beide in die vorm van verhale van die deelnemers sowel as 'n tematiese analise aangebied. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat binne hierdie private, enkel-geslag voorbereidende skoolkonteks, verskeie konstruksies van manlikheid gevorm word en het telkens beblyk in verhouding tot hegemoniese idees oor manlikheid gebou te word. Daar is bevind dat vaders 'n belangrike rol speel in die wyse waarop seuns hul manlike identiteit konstrueer. Eweknieë en die skoolkonteks speel egter ook 'n belangrike rol in die konstruksie van geslag. Die bevindinge het verder aan die lig gebring dat, alhoewel hegemoniese idees oor manlikheid in hierdie konteks 'n kragtige uitwerking op hierdie deelnemers se konstruksie van manlikheid het, daar aanduidings is dat sommige van die deelnemers openlike uitdrukkings van hegemoniese manlikheid uitdaag en sodoende meer komplekse oorgang-konstrukte van manlike identiteit het

    Social media for international students:It's not all about Facebook

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    PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discover which social networking sites international students prefer for information dissemination activities. As more libraries experiment with social networking to inform and connect with students, there is a need to determine the effectiveness of this strategy for reaching international students. The paper seeks to address three questions: what social networking sites do international students prefer and why? Which sites do they use to socialise and which do they use to gather and distribute information? How can libraries leverage this information to enhance the international student experience?Design/methodology/approachInformation on social networking preferences and usage was gathered from 13 per cent of students at Bond University via an online survey.FindingsThe findings confirm that for some international student populations, social networking preferences differentiated between the domestic students' preferences. In addition to social activities, international and domestic students are using particular social networking sites for a wide range of educational purposes, including group work and sharing and gathering information. Although Facebook is still the predominant choice for the majority of students, the findings suggest particular sites such as Twitter and YouTube should be considered by libraries as a means to engage both international and domestic students. Institutions with large Chinese student populations should consider the use of Renren.Originality/valueAs of yet there have been no studies that have investigated and compared international students' social networking preferences to domestic students. The study connects the findings to practical implications for academic library use of social networking sites.</jats:sec
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