An analysis of the impact of privatisation and deregulation on the UK bus and coach and port industries

The main objectives of this dissertation are: (1) To analyse the pre and post privatisation and deregulation performance of two United Kingdom industries from the transport sector. (2) To analyse the earning and employment in these industries prior to deregulation and/or privatisation, and to examine what has happened to them after these changes. (3) To investigate any changes that have occurred in trade union density in these industries compared with what has happened in the rest of the economy. (4) To see if there was any evidence of rent sharing prior to privatisation and deregulation. If it did exist, did it continue after privatisation and deregulation, or was it substantially reduced or eliminated. The methodology of the dissertation is eclectic, so it examined these issues from a number of different perspectives, and its contribution to knowledge is incremental. In regard to the bus and coach industry in the newly competitive period following deregulation and privatisation, the major firms emerged almost solely through external rather than organic growth. This went against one of the main aims of privatisation, which was to create a competitive industry of many small-to-medium sized operations. Privatisation and deregulation also failed to stop the decline in passenger numbers, which was another objective of the programme. In the case of the UK ports, it is extremely difficult to conclude that the changing ownership constituted a significant factor in port performance and efficiency. Instead, factors such as geographical location and labour market deregulation seems to have had a greater influence on efficiency in the ports. That the measure of liberalisation most associated with privatisation, and that offered the most in terms of potential gains in efficiency, were those on which major concessions had to be made by the Government to win management support for the political process of privatisation. If managerial support for privatisation was absent then process was unlikely to occur. The underlying success of deregulation and privatisation in these industries has been in reducing the power of trade unions to obtain rent for their members, which was one of the main, if understated aims of the policy

Intimate Citizenship and the Tightening of Migration Controls in the United Kingdom

This article examines recent changes in British family migration policy. It explore the reasons for these policy changes. It highlights that these changes have affected the legal, financial, social and lived experiences of transnational couples. It uses primary research to exemplify these changes, For example, it highlights that the changes in policy has had some negative impacts on the ability of transnational families to have intimate relationships with each other. Some of these changes have led to the separation of couples. Other changes have led to what couples outline as an involuntary separation from the UK. This research has current and future relevance in the context of the focus of the current government, and the likelihood that policy will be tightened even further in the aftermath of Britain leaving the EU, post-Brexit

Comparison of grouper assemblages in northern areas of the wider Caribbean: A preliminary assessment

Groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) are important top-level predators in wider Caribbean, but have experienced significant exploitation, resulting in declines in abundance, size, spawning aggregations, and changes in species composition. Larger groupers are particularly vulnerable to intense fishing because of their longevity, slow growth, delayed reproduction, and aggregate spawning. Marine fishery reserves (MFR), areas permanently closed to consumptive use, offer a viable means to protect grouper resources. This study reports on fishery-independent surveys of groupers in four regions of the tropical western Atlantic during 1995 - 1997: Florida Keys, central Bahamas, southeastern Cuba, and Dominican Republic. The regions surveyed included two national parks and a national marine sanctuay, and were further categorized as: 1) intensively fished with little or no management for groupers (Cuba, Dominican Republic); 2) intensively fished with gear and effort limitations (Florida Keys); 3) lightly fished with some management (N. and S. Exuma Cays, Bahamas); and 4) a. MFR closed to fishing since 1986 (Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, Bahamas). From 10 - 20 strip transects (20 m x 5 m) were surveyed in shallow-water (l-20 m depth) hard-bottom habitats for grouper species composition, density, and size distribution. Nine grouper species (6 Epinephelus spp., 3 Mycteroperca spp.) were documented among all regions. Areas in which groupers were partially or wholly protected from fishing had greater grouper diversity, density, and biomass, particularly for targeted species such as Nassau grouper (E. striatus). Classification of groupers by three size classes (small, intermediate, large) indicated a distinct gradient from areas with intense fishing to the MFR. In three of the regions affected by intense fishing, one of which has several grouper fishery regulations, grouper abundance and biomass were dominated by non-targeted species such as the graysby (E. cruentatus) and coney (E. fulvus). This second-order effect of fishing probably indicates competitive or predation. MFRs represent a viable means to protect grouper resources, alleviating the complications of enforcement and partially the need to gather fisheries dependent data. The ability of groupers to recover in certain regions may be deterred because of reduced larval recruitment from upstream, heavily fished sources

The TPR-containing domain within Est1 homologs exhibits species-specific roles in telomerase interaction and telomere length homeostasis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The first telomerase-associated protein (Est1) was isolated in yeast due to its essential role in telomere maintenance. The human counterparts EST1A, EST1B, and EST1C perform diverse functions in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), telomere length homeostasis, and telomere transcription. Although Est1 and EST1A/B interact with the catalytic subunit of yeast and human telomerase (Est2 and TERT, respectively), the molecular determinants of these interactions have not been elaborated fully.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To investigate the functional conservation of the EST1 protein family, we performed protein-protein interaction mapping and structure-function analysis. The domain in hEST1A most conserved between species, containing a TPR (tricotetrapeptide repeat), was sufficient for interaction of hEST1A with multiple fragments of hTERT including the N-terminus. Two mutations within the hTERT N-terminus that perturb <it>in vivo </it>function (NAAIRS₉₂, NAAIRS₁₂₂) did not affect this protein interaction. ScEst1 hybrids containing the TPR of hEST1A, hEST1B, or hEST1C were expressed in yeast strains lacking <it>EST1</it>, yet they failed to complement senescence. Point mutations within and outside the cognate ScEst1 TPR, chosen to disrupt a putative protein interaction surface, resulted in telomere lengthening or shortening without affecting recruitment to telomeres.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results identify a domain encompassing the TPR of hEST1A as an hTERT interaction module. The TPR of <it>S. cerevisiae </it>Est1 is required for telomerase-mediated telomere length maintenance in a manner that appears separable from telomere recruitment. Discrete residues in or adjacent to the TPR of Est1 also regulate telomere length homeostasis.</p

ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PHYSICAL FITNESS PROFILES OF YOUTH ATHLETES

Mason Thieu1, Quincy R. Johnson1,Yang Yang1, Dayton Sealey2, Clay Frels2, Dimitrije Cabarkapa1, & Andrew C. Fry1, FACSM 1University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas; 2Department of Kinesiology and Sport Science, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska Youth sports participation, competitiveness, and training intensity continues to increase. However, more information is needed regarding the anthropometric and physical fitness profile of today’s youth athletes. Common strategies for profiling anthropometric and physical fitness characteristics of athletes across their lifespan include the sit and reach (SR), functional movement screen (FMS), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), and the countermovement jump (CMJ) tests. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess SR, FMS, IMTP, and CMJ performance of youth athletes. METHODS: Youth athletes participating in a community-based strength and conditioning program (male; n=15, age=10.7±0.9, height=157.7±9.2cm, weight=53.2±14.3kg, female; n=6, age=10.2±0.4, height=146.9±8.7cm, weight=40.4±8.2kg) participated in this study. Each athlete performed a SR test, FMS test, two maximum effort IMTPs, and two maximum effort CMJs. Mann-Whitney U Tests (p\u3c0.05) were performed using sex as the grouping variable. RESULTS: Among the variables analyzed, significant differences were found in SR performance (p=0.026), FMS total score (p=0.018), IMTP peak force (p=0.006), and CMJ peak propulsive power (p=0.016) between sexes. The mean ± SD is reported in Table 1. CONCLUSION: Significant differences in anthropometric and physical fitness were observed between male and female youth athletes. While sex differences in anthropometrics have been well reported, the present study provides novel insights on physical fitness data measuring muscular strength and power for youth athletes. These findings can be utilized by coaches, physical educators, strength and conditioning professionals, and sport scientists to better understand the youth athlete population and contribute to their long-term development of athletic qualities

Being an English academic:a social domains account

This paper considers the differential placements of social actors in the contemporary English university, as practices consistent with neoliberal ideologies become increasingly influential. It uses Layder's theory of ‘social domains’ and the first-hand experiences of the author to explore how the options available–to students, those on precarious conditions of employment, and those occupying more influential roles in the institution–change in relation to alterations in structured social relations. Examples are provided of interventions by people opposed to both the rhetoric and the reality of developments in the sector, and reasons for their limited effectiveness are also discussed

The Joy Project

Community Development for Social Change provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of community development and associated activities and discusses best practice from global experience and links that to the UK context. The book integrates the realities of practice to key underpinning theories, human rights, values and a commitment to promoting social justice. A range of practice models are described and analysed, including UK models, popular education and community organising as well as a range of practice issues that need to be understood by community development workers. For example, strategies to promote individual and community empowerment, challenging discrimination, building and sustaining groups, and critical reflection on practice. Finally, a range of case studies from the UK and overseas illustrates good practice in diverse contexts. These case studies are analysed with reference to the values of community development, the promotion of social justice and the underpinning theories. It is an essential text for those on community development courses as well as for a range of workers, including local government, national and local voluntary agencies, and community based organisations

Density, species, and size distribution of groupers (Serranidae) in three habitats at Elbow Reef, Florida Keys

We examined the density, size and species distribution of groupers in three habitats on an inshore-to-offshore transect across Elbow Reef, Florida Keys: high-relief spur-and-groove (4–9 m depth), relict spur-and-groove (10–20 m), and deep fore reef slope (21–30 m). Physical relief was greatest in the high-relief spur-and-groove (up to 3 m), lowest in the relict spur-and-groove habitat (30%). There were significant differences in the density, size, and species distribution of groupers among the three habitats. Graysby, Epinephelus cruentatus, was numerically dominant, constituting 82–91% of individual observed. Black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, and Nassau grouper, E. striatus, were more abundant in high to moderate relief habitats, whereas red hind, E. guttatus, was more abundant in the low-relief habitat. The size distribution was shifted towards smaller sizes in lowest relief habitat and towards larger sizes in areas with greater (\u3e0.5 m) vertical relief. We suggest that fishing pressure in the Florida Keys has resulted in an offshore grouper assemblage dominated by graysby, a small grouper species (length) which is not targeted by fishermen, and that habitat selection and biological interactions have significantly influenced the ecological structure of the grouper assemblage of this coral reef