45 research outputs found
How does scientific risk assessment of GM crops fit within the wider risk analysis?
No full textThe debate concerning genetically modified crops illustrates confusion between the role of scientists and that of wider society in regulatory decision making. We identify two fundamental misunderstandings, which, if rectified, would allow progress with confidence. First, scientific risk assessment needs to test well-defined hypotheses, not simply collect data. Second, risk assessments need to be placed in the wider context of risk analysis to enable the wider ‘non-scientific’ questions to be considered in regulatory decision making. Such integration and understanding is urgently required because the challenges to regulation will escalate as scientific progress advance
Transferability and genome specificity of a new set of microsatellite primers among Brassica species of the U triangle
No full textThe definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comWe present a new set of 12 highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat primer sequences for use with Brassica species. These new primers, and four from A.K.S. SzewcMcFadden and colleagues, were tested in four Brassica species (B. rapa, B. napus, B. oleracea and B. nigra). Most primers successfully amplified products within all species and were polymorphic. Due to the risk of gene flow from GM oilseed rape to its wild relatives, hybrid formation in the Brassicaceae is of great interest. We identify six primer pairs as specific to the A, B or C genomes that could be used to identify such hybrids.Andrew J Lowe, Alexandra E Jones, Alan F Raybould, Martin Trick, Carolyn L Moule, Keith J Edward
Response to Bagavathiannan and Van Acker's “Transgenes and national boundaries – The need for international regulations”: Biotechnology developers and regulators already consider transgene movement across national boundaries and the environmental risks posed by adventitious presence of unapproved events are overstated
No full textBagavathiannan and Van Acker propose greater international cooperation and information sharing in risk assessment for
biotechnology-derived crops because pollen- and seed-mediated gene flow across political boundaries may lead to the adventitious
presence of unapproved transgenes at sites along the borders of neighboring countries. However, they fail to convince us that something
is wrong with the current situation and provide no details of how it could be improved
Encouraging desistance through resettlement: an exploration of voluntary sector practice
No full textThis study is an exploration of voluntary-sector resettlement practice and the encouragement of the desistance process through resettlement work. The author discusses how desistance theory ties in
with resettlement practice. This exploration is important because of the current political context of
resettlement and the Government’s pledge to revive the rehabilitative ideal. Through this revival, the
Government has focused their efforts towards resettlement support, both in custody and on release, with a view to supporting offenders to lead lives free from crime. The voluntary-sector has been given an important role within this agenda and they have been encouraged to become major
providers of resettlement services through Payment by Results contracts. Therefore, this research aims to address how effectively voluntary-sector organisations can support desistance through resettlement.
The author uses thematic analysis and a deductive ‘top-down’ process to analyse a series of in-depth interviews sourced from staff, volunteers and service-users of a voluntary-sector resettlement
project. The author analysed the data in accordance with the literature surrounding resettlement and desistance with particular emphasis on whether voluntary resettlement practice accords with desistance research and theory. The author then uses those findings in order to shed light on the implications of the implementation of desistance in resettlement practice.
The author concludes that voluntary-sector resettlement practice did not accord with desistance due to the incorrect utilisations of practices. Underpinning this was a lack of understanding, on an
organisational level, of desistance in resettlement work and it was found that this was either a
possible consequence of, or made worse by, the traditional model of resettlement which voluntary-sector organisations work within which, by their nature, militate against a desistance-based
approach to resettlement. The collective findings, therefore, led the author to question whether
desistance theory and research is useful for voluntary-sector organisations to implement due to the complex nature of desistance and the difficulty in retrofitting it into traditional ways of voluntary-sector workings. Thus, these implications and findings provide a foundation for, and indicators of, future research into how resettlement services can support desistance through resettlement
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The East Midlands in 2010
No full textThe East Midlands in 2010 is the updated evidence base that supports the regional economic strategy, A Flourishing Region. It presents a statistical portrait of the region covering demography, housing, economy & productivity, the labour market, deprivation & economic inclusion, transport, infrastructure & development, the environment and the spatial structure of the economy along with a series of sub-regional profiles
Aging, Gender and Neighbourhood Determinants of Distance Traveled: A Multilevel Analysis in the Hamilton CMA
No full textThe objective of this study is to investigate the determinants of mean trip distance traveled by different mode types. The study uses data from the Hamilton CMA in Canada, and multilevel models to investigate demographic aging factors, gender differentials, and neighbourhood attributes on distance traveled. The results of the study validate previous findings regarding the decline in distance traveled as age advances. In addition, it is found that: 1) While this effect of age is present for all modes analyzed (car-driving, car-passenger, and bus) it is considerably more marked for car-driving; 2) There are significant gender effects compounded by the interrelated factors of employment constraints, household dynamics, and greater reliance on travel modes other than car driving; and 3) Neighbourhoods with high commercial and residential mix showed a negative relation with distance traveled only in the case of car-driver.distance traveled, aging, elderly, gender, neighbourhood influence, multilevel analysis
