Comparing Correlations Between Four-Quadrant And Five-Factor Personality Assessments

For decades,some of the most popular devices used in educating students and employees tothe values of diversity are those that are based on a four-grid identification of behavior style. The results from the scoring of the instruments provide individual profiles in terms of a person’s assertiveness, responsiveness, and preferred tone of interacting with his environment. In the past decade, a five-factor framework has gained in popularity as an assessment instrument. The scope of the current paper is a comparison of a four-factor instrument (questionnaire)to a five-factor instrument (questionnaire) to establish correlations between the two. If the information can be seen as being complimentary rather than disconnected, then users will benefit from synergy as they encounter different instruments throughout their careers. Also, duplication of effort in terms of using multiple instruments may be reduced

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Port Elizabeth

Objective: To survey the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae isolates. Design: This was a cohort analytical study.Setting Three clinics serving different areas in Port Elizabeth.Outcome measures Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant N. gonorrhoeae isolates. Results: Twenty-one of the 35 isolates (60%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin, while 28 (80%) showed resistance to erythromycin, 17 (48.6%) to penicillin, 3 (8.6%) to doxycycline, 11 (31.4%) to spectinomycin and 33 (94.3%) to tetracycline.Conclusion: To ensure effective treatment of gonorrhoea, continued surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility is necessary.South African Medical Journal Vol. 96(3) 2006: 225-22

Memorandum on a new financial architecture and new regulations

The financial crisis is global and is deeply rooted in a decade-long misuse of the financial market for rent-seeking. The financial industry has largely abandoned its role as a service industry, supposedly charging reasonable fees for the services of spreading risk and allocating capital and credit. Instead it provides a market for corporate control –mergers and acquisitions– and a casino for betting on or hedging practically any kind of risk –the derivatives market–.Publisher's Versio

Differential inhibition of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) by toll-like receptor ligands mediated by interferon-beta in human foreskin fibroblasts and cervical tissue

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be acquired sexually and is shed from the genital tract. Cross-sectional studies in women show that changes in genital tract microbial flora affect HCMV infection and/or shedding. Since genital microbial flora may affect HCMV infection or replication by stimulating cells through Toll-like receptors (TLR), we assessed the effects of defined TLR-ligands on HCMV replication in foreskin fibroblasts and ectocervical tissue. Poly I:C (a TLR3-ligand) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a TLR4-ligand) inhibited HCMV and induced secretion of IL-8 and Interferon-beta (IFNβ) in both foreskin fibroblasts and ectocervical tissue. The anti-HCMV effect was reversed by antibody to IFNβ. CpG (TLR9 ligand) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA, TLR2 ligand) also inhibited HCMV infection in ectocervical tissue and this anti-HCMV effect was also reversed by anti-IFNβ antibody. In contrast, LTA and CpG did not inhibit HCMV infection in foreskin fibroblasts. This study shows that TLR ligands induce an HCMV-antiviral effect that is mediated by IFNβ suggesting that changes in genital tract flora may affect HCMV infection or shedding by stimulating TLR. This study also contrasts the utility of two models that can be used for assessing the interaction of microbial flora with HCMV in the genital tract. Clear differences in the response to different TLR ligands suggests the explant model more closely reflects in vivo responses to genital infections

Disease prevention strategies for QX disease (Marteilia sydneyi) of Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata)

The Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) forms the basis of an important aquaculture industry on the east coast of Australia. During the 1970s, production of S. glomerata began to decline, in part as a result of mortalities arising from Queensland unknown (QX) disease. Histological studies implicated the paramyxean parasite Marteilia sydneyi in the disease outbreaks. Disease zoning was implemented to prevent the spread of M. sydneyi-infected oysters. This control measure hindered rock oyster farming, which historically has relied on transferring wild-caught spat between estuaries for on-growing to market size and has not prevented the subsequent occurrence of QX disease in the Georges and Hawkesbury rivers in central New South Wales. Management of QX disease has been hampered by the complicated life cycle of M. sydneyi, with outbreaks of QX disease likely to be regulated by a combination of the abundance of intermediate host of M. sydneyi, environmental stressors, and the immunocompetence of S. glomerata. The future of the Sydney rock oyster industry relies on understanding these factors and progressing the industry from relying on farming wild-caught seed to the successful commercialization of hatchery-produced QX-resistant S. glomerata

Consumer behaviour and the life-course: shopper reactions to self service grocery shops and supermarkets in England c.1947-1975

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this recordThe paper examines the development of self-service grocery shopping from a consumer perspective. Using qualitative data constructed through a nationwide biographical survey and oral histories, it is possible to go beyond contemporary market surveys which give insufficient attention to shopping as a socially and culturally embedded practice. The paper uses the conceptual framework of the life-course, to demonstrate how grocery shopping is a complex activity, in which the retail encounter is shaped by the specific interconnection of different retail formats with consumer characteristics and situational influences. Consumer reactions to retail modernization must be understood in relation to the development of consumer practices at points of transition and stability within the life-course. These practices are accessed by examining retrospective consumer narratives about food shopping

Determinants of impact : towards a better understanding of encounters with the arts

The article argues that current methods for assessing the impact of the arts are largely based on a fragmented and incomplete understanding of the cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural dynamics that govern the aesthetic experience. It postulates that a better grasp of the interaction between the individual and the work of art is the necessary foundation for a genuine understanding of how the arts can affect people. Through a critique of philosophical and empirical attempts to capture the main features of the aesthetic encounter, the article draws attention to the gaps in our current understanding of the responses to art. It proposes a classification and exploration of the factors—social, cultural and psychological—that contribute to shaping the aesthetic experience, thus determining the possibility of impact. The ‘determinants of impact’ identified are distinguished into three groups: those that are inherent to the individual who interacts with the artwork; those that are inherent to the artwork; and ‘environmental factors’, which are extrinsic to both the individual and the artwork. The article concludes that any meaningful attempt to assess the impact of the arts would need to take these ‘determinants of impact’ into account, in order to capture the multidimensional and subjective nature of the aesthetic experience

The influence of fictional narrative experience on work outcomes:a conceptual analysis and research model

Fictional narrative experience is assumed to have a profound impact on human behavior, but the possible outcomes and the processes through which fictional narrative experience influence behaviors have rarely been studied. This paper introduces a model of the consequences of fictional narrative experience through transportation and transformation processes. We discuss a framework for understanding the effects of fictional narrative experience, distinguishing affective and behavioral effects, and temporality of effects (short-term or persistent). Exemplary outcomes of fictional narrative experience are presented, including recovery, creativity and interpersonal behavior. Finally, we propose that the effects of fictional narrative experience are dependent upon a person’s frame of reference, as well the extent to which a reader can identify with the main characters, the perceived usefulness of a narrative, and degree of verisimilitude in the narrative

Recent acquisition of Helicobacter pylori by Baka Pygmies

Both anatomically modern humans and the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori originated in Africa, and both species have been associated for at least 100,000 years. Seven geographically distinct H. pylori populations exist, three of which are indigenous to Africa: hpAfrica1, hpAfrica2, and hpNEAfrica. The oldest and most divergent population, hpAfrica2, evolved within San hunter-gatherers, who represent one of the deepest branches of the human population tree. Anticipating the presence of ancient H. pylori lineages within all hunter-gatherer populations, we investigated the prevalence and population structure of H. pylori within Baka Pygmies in Cameroon. Gastric biopsies were obtained by esophagogastroduodenoscopy from 77 Baka from two geographically separated populations, and from 101 non-Baka individuals from neighboring agriculturalist populations, and subsequently cultured for H. pylori. Unexpectedly, Baka Pygmies showed a significantly lower H. pylori infection rate (20.8%) than non-Baka (80.2%). We generated multilocus haplotypes for each H. pylori isolate by DNA sequencing, but were not able to identify Baka-specific lineages, and most isolates in our sample were assigned to hpNEAfrica or hpAfrica1. The population hpNEAfrica, a marker for the expansion of the Nilo-Saharan language family, was divided into East African and Central West African subpopulations. Similarly, a new hpAfrica1 subpopulation, identified mainly among Cameroonians, supports eastern and western expansions of Bantu languages. An age-structured transmission model shows that the low H. pylori prevalence among Baka Pygmies is achievable within the timeframe of a few hundred years and suggests that demographic factors such as small population size and unusually low life expectancy can lead to the eradication of H. pylori from individual human populations. The Baka were thus either H. pylori-free or lost their ancient lineages during past demographic fluctuations. Using coalescent simulations and phylogenetic inference, we show that Baka almost certainly acquired their extant H. pylori through secondary contact with their agriculturalist neighbors

Utilising biological geotextiles: Introduction to the BORASSUS project and global perspectives

Field and laboratory studies indicate that utilisation of biological geotextiles constructed from palm-leaves and other selected organic materials are an effective, sustainable and economically viable soil conservation technique. The three-year plus (1 July 2005–28 February 2009) EU-funded BORASSUS Project (contract no. INCO-CT-2005-510745) evaluated the long-term effectiveness of biological geotextiles in controlling soil erosion and assessing their sustainability and economic viability. These studies progressed in ten countries, both in the ‘industrial north’ (in Europe) and in the ‘developing south’ (Africa, South America and South East Asia). The studied countries in the ‘developing south’ included Brazil, China, The Gambia, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. The ‘industrial north’ countries included Belgium, Hungary, Lithuania and the UK. The main findings of these studies are summarised in this paper and thematic information is presented in the other four papers in this Special Issue. Biological geotextiles offer potentially novel bioengineering solutions to environmental problems, including technologies for soil conservation, sustainable plant production and use of indigenous plants, improved ecosystem management by decreasing deforestation, improving agroforestry and cost-effective biogeotextile applications in diverse environments. Biogeotextiles may provide socio-economic platforms for sustainable development and the benefits for developing countries may include poverty alleviation, engagement of local people as stakeholders, employment for disadvantaged groups, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, earning hard currency, environmental education and local community involvement in land reclamation and environmental education programmes. These benefits are achieved through: (i) promotion of sustainable and environmentally friendly palm-agriculture to discourage deforestation, promoting both reforestation and agroforestry; (ii) construction of biogeotextiles enabling development of a rural labour-intensive industry, particularly encouraging employment of socially disadvantaged groups and (iii) export of biogeotextiles to industrialised countries could earn hard currency for developing economies, based on the principles of fair trade. Research and development activities of the BORASSUS Project have improved our knowledge on the effect of biogeotextile mats on the micro- and macro-soil environments and at larger scales through controlled laboratory and field experiments in diverse environments