Short Communication: Effects of temperature and chemical formulation on the acute toxicity of pentachlorophenol to Simocephalus vetulus (Schoedler, 1858) (Crustacea: Cladocera)

The influence of temperature on the acute toxicity of a technical formulation (86%) and pure formulation (99%) of pentachlorophenol (PCP) to less than 24-h-old Simocephalus vetulus neonates was determined with 48-h static toxicity tests. The technical grade PCP was significantly more toxic to S. vetulus than the pure PCP (P < 0.05). Sensitivity of S. vetulus to technical PCP also significantly increased with temperature (P < 0.05), but a significant temperature effect was not found with the pure PCP. The mean 48-h LC50 values for neonates exposed to technical PCP were 140 and 199 ug l⁻¹ at 22deg.C and 16deg.C, respectively, and for those exposed to pure PCP were 262 and 304 ug l⁻¹, respectively

Women and the press in British India, 1928-34: a window for protest?

Second prize winner of the Emerald Publishing Best Article of the Year award for 2011. Purpose: to understand how, in tough economic times, British-owned, English-language newspapers such as The Pioneer received and filtered news, especially gender-related and nationalist-related events and thinking. Design/methodology: using qualitative and quantitative methods to assess communications by and about pro - nationalist women, coverage of female activities was categorised into two groups: firstly educational, social and peaceful campaigns and secondly direct action such as strikes, burning of British cloth and business /land rent boycotts. Findings: direct action provided ‘bad news’ coverage, but it simultaneously gave a small window for publicity. Less threatening peaceful campaigns provided a bigger window – enhanced by the novelty value of female activism. Research limitations/implications: Historians need to look specifically at Indian newspapers during the struggle for independence for a counter-hegemonic discourse that reached a wide public. When evidence of women's activism is paired with financial news, it becomes clear that women had a negative impact on British business. Furthermore The Pioneer’ s own business dilemmas made the paper part of the economic and ideological maelstrom that that it reported on. Originality/value: this is the first time that the colonial press in India itself has been scrutinised in detail on the subject of the rising nationalist movement and women. Findings underline female influence on both economics and ideology – a neglected aspect of Indian gender scholarship and economic history

Defining the Indefinable: Descriptors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Cultures and their Links to Health and Wellbeing

This report was funded by the Lowitja Institute and is part of the development of Mayi Kuwayu: The National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing; a national longitudinal study exploring the relationship between Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander wellbeing and culture. This review was conducted to explore what cultural factors are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and gain an understanding of how these factors relate to health and wellbeing. We examined the Australian literature as well as publications from countries that have experienced similar colonisation events; primarily Aotearoa (New Zealand), Canada and the United States. Our main findings from this synthesis determined six main domains used to describe culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These domains were: Connection to Country; Cultural Beliefs and Knowledge; Language; Family, Kinship and Community; Expression and Cultural Continuity; and Self-determination and Leadership.The Lowitja Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Cooperative Research Centre funded this review under project 16-SDH-05-03

Cartoons

Comparative Reflections on Cartoons as Snapshot, Narrative and Source. Throughout the 20th century, cartoons relentlessly appeared in all sorts of newspapers. This paper argues that, in both Britain and Ireland, the range and impact of public sphere cartoons acting as a cultural record for researchers, is a diverse one that can be broken down into 3 functions: narrative, snapshot and context/voice – the latter representing a methodological approach that differs from historians’ traditional and sparing use of cartoons in a referential way. Some comparative analysis will also be offered of differing contexts and approaches in mainland Britain as opposed to Ireland during the periods featured. The chapter presents two original case studies to illustrate in more detail the vibrant culture of cartooning throughout the 20th century – sports cartoons from the Great War, and a discussion of cartoons from the Cold War – offering reflections on comparative style and content of the two case studies. In the case of World War One, types of truth enhancements indicate respective attachment to, or detachment from, Imperial institutions – a comparative point between mainland Britain and Ireland that reached a high point in 1916, the year of the Easter Rising, and reflected in cartoon discourses on national issues connected with conscription. Here, professional footballers are criticised for playing sport instead of joining the army to fight in the war, showing contrasting images of muddy fields - the football pitch and the battlefield. When turning to World War II, cartoon traditions in Britain marked a return in some respects to the acerbic traditions of James Gillray, most notably in the work of David Low. Works such as The Harmony Boys (1940) and, most famously, The Rendezvous, invoke the eighteenth-century illustrator's bitter commentaries on the Napoleonic Wars such as his depiction of Napoleon and Pitt dividing up the world in The Plum Pudding in Danger. Gillray, indeed, provides a recurrent reference point for the visual iconography of political and military struggle throughout the twentieth century, appearing in Leslie Illingworth's 1967 cartoon of the Cuban missile crisis, showing Lyndon Johnson and Brezhnev dividing up the world between them. In this second case study – of Cold War – examples demonstrate a feature that cartoons are strong on, namely the personalisation around a character or characters and the caricature process for leaders. Although the issues raised during the Cold War were actually more important politically than the personalities, cartoons adapted the discourse into a conflict between personalities. These characterisations continued through to the end of the 20th century: political satire, cartooning and comic strips still provided inspiration for diverse strands of creativity

Ryegrass Seeding Rate Alters Plant Morphology and Size--Possible Implications for Pasture Persistence

Poor persistence of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a major dairy industry issue in New Zealand and Australia. New ryegrass seed is often drilled at 18-30 kg/ha, although previous research indicated that pastures drilled at 10-12 kg/ha can be just as productive (Frame and Boyd 1986; Praat et al. 1996). High seeding rates increase competition between developing seedlings for light, water and nutrients, reduce plant size (Harris 1990) and potentially survival. The experiment reported here investigated the effect of plant density (created by differences in seeding rate) on plant morphology and survival. The hypothesis was that plants established from high seeding rates will be smaller and, therefore, less likely to survive the first summer; a period of substantial environmental stress (e.g., high temperatures, low soil moisture, insect attack)

Is there a choice to make? A pilot study investigating attitudes towards treatment in an Early Intervention for Psychosis Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate health care professionals’ (HCPs) and service-users’ (SUs) attitudes towards different treatment options in an Early Intervention for Psychosis (EIP) service as well as the topical issue of offering choice over treatment. Design/methodology/approach Seven SUs accessing an EIP service and nine HCPs completed qualitative surveys about treatment for psychosis. Data were analysed thematically. Findings Both HCPs and SUs appeared to have a generally positive attitude to the range of interventions offered by the EIP service and SUs talked about the importance of all treatment options being explored. There was variation in attitudes towards SUs having choice over their treatment and a number of factors were identified as crucial in influencing attitudes including mental capacity, risk and level of engagement. Research limitations/implications Small sample size, recruitment from only one EIP service and using a survey design limit generalisability and depth of analysis. Practical implications HCPs working in EIP services should explore different treatment options fully with SUs but be aware that they may feel unable to make the decision themselves. Such discussions should be revisited throughout an individual’s care as their ability and desire to make informed choices may change over time. Continuing Professional Development and clinical supervision should be used to help HCPs reflect on the choice agenda and the implications of this for clinical practice. Originality/value Few studies have examined attitudes towards treatments for psychosis. This is an evolving and important clinical area that remains under researched. Recommendations for service-development, future research and clinical practice are made. </jats:sec

Does stakeholder involvement really benefit biodiversity conservation?

The establishment of protected areas, such as Natura 2000, is a common approach to curbing biodiversity loss. But many of these areas are owned or managed by private actors. Policies indicate that their involvement should be encouraged to ensure long term success. However, to date there have been no systematic evaluations of whether local actor involvement in the management of protected areas does in fact contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, which is the expressed policy goal. Research incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data was carried out in three case studies in Scotland where local actor input was required in the development and/or implementation of Natura 2000 management plans. No relationship was found between the characteristics of the process of stakeholder involvement and stakeholders’ perceptions of future biodiversity outcomes. Social outcomes of increased stakeholder involvement, such as increased trust, did however increase the perceived likelihood of positive future biodiversity outcomes. The findings indicate that efforts aimed at increasing stakeholder involvement in the management of protected areas need to consider making processes more independent, and acknowledge and address underlying biodiversity conflicts. The findings also emphasise the need to evaluate multi-level conservation efforts in terms of processes, social outcomes and biodiversity outcomes

Expanding medical education in general practice

General practitioners are major providers of medical education, with recent expansion at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in rural areas. General practitioners not only teach general practice, but also provide access to patients well suited to other aspects of medical school curricula. Teaching demands on GPs, already high, may increase with the addition of extra medical school places, additional medical schools, and expanding vocational GP training. The challenge for this growth is the low morale in the GP workforce; a feeling of being under valued, a lack of trained GP teachers, and poor remuneration for teaching