232 research outputs found
A nationless state? Malta, national identity and the EU
No full textThis article discusses the relationship of Malta with the European Union in the light of Malta's status as an example of a 'nationless state'. The article first develops the relevance of this under-researched concept by locating it within the discussion of postcolonial, small island nationalism. It then provides a historical critique of the emergence of the Maltese nationless state and of its various integrationist attempts with France, Italy, Britain and, most recently, the EU. Finally, the article explores the possible dialectics of an emerging nationalism with an entrenched two-party political system and its totalising discourse.PT: J; CR: *UNICE, 2002, COMM MALT 2002 REP C, P1 ANCKAR D, 1995, SCANDINAVIAN POLITIC, V18, P220 ANDERSON B, 1983, IMAGINED COMMUNITIES BALDACCHINIO G, 1998, ASIA PACIFIC VIEWPOI, V39, P267 BALDACCHINO G, 1989, HYPHEN MALTA, V6, P98 BALDACCHINO G, 2000, LESSONS POLITICAL EC BARTMANN B, 2002, QUEST SOVEREIGNTY UN BEETHAM D, 1984, IDEA MODERN STATE, P209 BOISSEVAIN J, 1974, FRIENDS FRIENDS NETW BUTTIGIEG J, 1997, J FACULTY EC MANAGEM, V8, P53 CHRISTIANSEN T, 1996, PUBLIUS J FEDERALISM, V26, P93 COHEN R, 1987, POLITICS DEV SECURIT, P212 CONNOR AW, 1994, ETHNONATIONALISM QUE, P208 DUCHACEK IV, 1988, PUBLIUS J FEDERALISM, V18 ERIKSEN TH, 1992, US THEM MODERN SOC E, P24 ERIKSEN TH, 1993, ETHNICITY NATL, P99 FALZON MA, 2001, BANK VALLETTA REV MA, V24, P73 FRENDO H, 1972, BIRTH PANGS NATION M FRENDO H, 1988, BRIT COLONIAL EXPERI, P210 GELLNER E, 1964, THOUGHT CHANGE, P169 GELLNER E, 1983, NATIONS NATL GOFFMAN AE, 1961, ASYLUMS GOTTLIEB G, 1994, FOREIGN AFF, V73, P100 GRILLO R, 1980, NATION STATE EUROPE, P1 HACHE JD, 1998, COMPETING STRATEGIES, P60 HIRCZY W, 1995, EUROPEAN J POLITICAL, V27, P258 HOEFTE R, 1991, EUROPE CARIBBEAN, P71 HOUBERT J, 1985, ROUND TABLE, V74, P146 HOUBERT J, 1992, J MOD AFR STUD, V30, P465 HUNTINGTON SP, 1996, CLASH CIVILIZATIONS, P137 KELLAS JG, 1991, POLITICS NATL ETHNIC KING R, 1999, SMALL WORLDS GLOBAL, P3 LAFFAN B, 1997, EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, V1 LAITIN DD, 1997, POLIT SOC, V25, P277 MILES WFS, 1985, ELECTRIONS ETHNICITY MITCHELL J, 2001, AMBIVALENT EUROPEANS NAIPAUL VS, 1972, OVERCROWDED BARRACOO, P254 PIROTTA GA, 1997, MALTA PUBLIC SERVICE PIROTTA J, 1987, FORTRESS COLONY FINA, V1 PREMDAS R, 1990, SECESSIONIST MOVEMEN, P12 SCHAFFER AB, 1975, DEV POLICY SMALL COU, P25 SCHLESINGER P, 1994, NATIONALISM, P316 STREETEN PP, 1993, WORLD DEV, V21, P201 SULTANA RG, 1994, MALTESE SOC SOCIOLOG WARNES AM, 1998, INT J POPULATION GEO, V4, P113 WEALE D, 1992, ISLAND J, V8, P81 WINCHESTER S, 1985, OUTPOSTS JOURNEYS SU ZAMMIT EL, 1984, COLONIAL INHERITANCE, P41; NR: 48; TC: 3; J9: WEST EUR POLIT; PG: 16; GA: 612ZESource type: Electronic(1
Ethnic identity, political identity and ethnic conflict: simulating the effect of congruence between the two identities on ethnic violence and conflict
No full textThis thesis outlines and presents an alternative hypothetical process to the emergence of ethnic conflict. Ethnic conflicts, rather than being dependent upon pre-existing 'ancient hatreds', are instead the result of a congruence between ethnic and political identity which grants individuals the ability to use ethnicity to identify and eliminate political threats. This hypothesis is formed by the examination of three case studies of ethnic conflict: Lebanon, Northern Ireland and Croatia. This hypothesis is then formalised and tested using an agent based simulation in which agent interactions are dependent upon ethnic and political identity and the congruence between the two. As predicted there was a strong positive correlation between how accurately ethnic identity reflected political identity and the level of ethnically motivated violence in the simulation, although the relationship was not linear. Furthermore the effect of a shift in congruence was found to be roughly comparable to the effect of initialising agents with a moderate level of pre-existing ethnic antagonism
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How is corporate social responsibility adopted by managers? The contribution of ethnography
No full textThis short paper details the ethnographic research processes of access and rapport that are outcomes of PhD research on the topic of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The reason for detailing these processes is twofold. Firstly, I argue that the contribution of ethnography to CSR research is simply the question: how is CSR adopted by managers? Secondly, an ethnographer must convince in their interpretation that the research is valid and useful to the subject of research. In this particular case, that the method of research and how it is communicated are significant for the better understanding of CSR. This paper inductively concludes that one (or the first) contribution of ethnography to CSR is simply that the causes of individual action in the 'institutional and structural order of society' (Webb, 2006 p.4) are over-looked and under-researched
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The need for a holistic approach to sustainability in new product development from the designers perspective
No full textThere are a growing number of tools available to the Product Designer to assist them in making informed decisions on the implications of the choices they make in specifying materials and manufacturing processes for their designs in terms of carbon impact.
Unfortunately some can be misleading, indicating for example that a particular material has a low potential environmental impact, but failing to inform on the reality of the economic viability in its use or how readily available it might be for that use. These tools also have their limits, for example few can cater for the huge variety of company type and address the varied environmental interests of their owners (or lack of it).
There is a need for designers to be fully aware of the broader issues relating to the environmental impact of their work beyond those that can be evaluated by a tool; highlighting the need for the complex range of issues associated with reducing environmental impact to be addressed along with and as creatively as all other design parameters.
This paper takes as a case study, the design of a digital cordless phone undertaken by the author for a major UK telecoms service provider, where a holistic approach to sustainability from the designer’s perspective was a fundamental project requirement and uses this as an example of how designers can set their own holistic approach to sustainability in New Product Development (NPD), placing ecotools in perspective and hopefully providing an inspirational example for student designers
The outward-facing conformation contains D-galactonate occluded within the substrate recognition site.
No full text(A) Close-up stereo view of the substrate recognition site. Residues Q164, Q264, S370, and N393 form hydrogen bonds (orange dashes) with the 5 hydroxyl groups in D-galactonate. Y44 and Y79 form hydrogen bonds, and Arg47 forms a salt bridge with the carboxyl group of D-galactonate. The Fo-Fc density map of D-galactonate (green mesh) was contoured at 3σ, and the 2Fo-Fc density map (gray mesh) of DgoT residues was contoured at 1σ. (B) The overall structure of DgoT in cylinder representation defines the views shown in panel A (black rectangle), panel C (purple), and panel D (orange). N- and C-terminal domains are shown in blue and green, respectively. ICH1 is shown in cyan and ICH2 is shown in bright green. D-galactonate (yellow) is shown in stick representation. (C) Hydrophobic gating residues F137 and W373 interact with the substrate while forming contacts between N- and C-terminal domains. N141 forms a cytoplasmic gate by hydrogen bonding with the backbone carbonyl of W373 and the hydroxyl of S377. (D) Tripartite interactions between TM1, TM5, and ICH1. This view is rotated 190° as indicated for clarity. (E) Cylinder representation of the N- and C-terminal domains separated and rotated 90° (left) and 90° (right) show the extent of structural change between inward-open (green) and outward-occluded (yellow) states. With substrate bound, TM7 bends approximately 20° to partially occlude the substrate from the periplasmic side. The helical discontinuity of TM4 in the outward-occluded state and of TM10 in the inward-open state are indicated by black arrows. Arg47, arginine-47; DgoT, D-galactonate transporter; Fo-Fc, difference map; ICH, intracellular helix; TM, transmembrane.</p
Membrane mobility and microdomain association of the dopamine transporter studied with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching
No full textUdgivelsesdato: 2007-Sep-18To investigate microdomain association of the dopamine transporter (DAT), we employed FCS (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy) and FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching). In non-neuronal cells (HEK293), FCS measurements revealed for the YFP-DAT (DAT tagged with yellow fluorescent protein) a diffusion coefficient (D) of approximately 3.6 x 10(-9) cm2/s, consistent with a relatively freely diffusible protein. In neuronally derived cells (N2a), we were unable to perform FCS measurements on plasma membrane-associated protein due to photobleaching, suggesting partial immobilization. This was supported by FRAP measurements that revealed a lower D and a mobile fraction of the YFP-DAT in N2a cells compared to HEK293 cells. Comparison with the EGFP-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and the EGFP-beta2AR (beta2 adrenergic receptor) demonstrated that this observation was DAT specific. Both the cytoskeleton-disrupting agent cytochalasin D and the cholesterol-depleting agent methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (mbetaCD) increased the lateral mobility of the YFP-DAT but not that of the EGFP-EGFR. The DAT associated in part with membrane raft markers both in the N2a cells and in rat striatal synaptosomes as assessed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Raft association was further confirmed in the N2a cells by cholera toxin B patching. It was, moreover, observed that cholesterol depletion, and thereby membrane raft disruption, decreased both the Vmax and KM values for [3H]dopamine uptake without altering DAT surface expression. In summary, we propose that association of the DAT with lipid microdomains in the plasma membrane and/or the cytoskeleton serves to regulate both the lateral mobility of the transporter and its transport capacity
) and their implications for understanding human and nonhuman primate birth evolution
No full textObjectives The birth process has been studied extensively in many human societies, yet little is known about this essential life history event in other primates. Here, we provide the most detailed account of behaviors surrounding birth for any wild nonhuman primate to date. Materials and Methods Over a recent similar to 10-year period, we directly observed 15 diurnal births (13 live births and 2 stillbirths) among geladas (Theropithecus gelada) at Guassa, Ethiopia. During each birth, we recorded the occurrence (or absence) of 16 periparturitional events, chosen for their potential to provide comparative evolutionary insights into the factors that shaped birth behaviors in humans and other primates. Results We found that several events (e.g., adopting standing crouched positions, delivering infants headfirst) occurred during all births, while other events (e.g., aiding the infant from the birth canal, licking infants following delivery, placentophagy) occurred during, or immediately after, most births. Moreover, multiparas (n=9) were more likely than primiparas (n=6) to (a) give birth later in the day, (b) isolate themselves from nearby conspecifics while giving birth, (c) aid the infant from the birth canal, and (d) consume the placenta. Discussion Our results suggest that prior maternal experience may contribute to greater competence or efficiency during the birth process. Moreover, face presentations (in which infants are born with their neck extended and their face appearing first, facing the mother) appear to be the norm for geladas. Lastly, malpresentations (in which infants are born in the occiput anterior position more typical of human infants) may be associated with increased mortality in this species. We compare the birth process in geladas to those in other primates (including humans) and discuss several key implications of our study for advancing understanding of obstetrics and the mechanism of labor in humans and nonhuman primates
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Executive Functioning in Middle Childhood: The Role of Early Adversity
No full textabstract: This study examined whether early adversity at 30-months moderated the heritability of common and individual components of EF at 8 years. It was hypothesized that early adversity would not moderate the common EF factor, but instead moderate individual EF components. The sample included 208 twin pairs from the Arizona Twin Project. Early Adversity, assessed at 30 months of age, included Parenting Daily Hassles, low perceived MOS social support, punitive punishment (Parental Responses to Child Misbehavior), home chaos (Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale), CES-D maternal depression, and low maternal emotional availability. EF at 8 years included the Eriksen Flanker Task, Continuous Performance Task, Digit Span Forward and Backward, and parent-reported Attentional Focusing and Inhibitory Control (Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire). For both early adversity and EF, the first principal components were extracted as composites. A confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted to index common EF. Genetic analyses were tested on the common EF composites as well as each individual task using umx. Univariate models revealed genetic influences on all individual measures and common EF, with broad sense heritability from .22 (Digit Span Backwards) to .61 (parent-reported inhibitory control). Shared environmental influences were found for the Flanker Task (.13) and parent-reported inhibitory control (.24), and E was moderate to high (.40-.73) for all measures except parent-report inhibitory control (.15) and attentional focusing (.31). Moderation of heritability was not observed in for Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward, and Attentional Focusing. However, the nonshared environment was moderated for Common EF, and the Flanker Task, and additive genes and the nonshared environment were moderated for the Continuous Performance Task and Inhibitory Control. Generally, total variance decreased as early adversity increased, suggesting that homes with low levels of adversity may allow children to interact with more proximal processes that can promote EF development.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Psychology 201
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Diversity of function and mechanism in a family of organic anion transporters
No full textOriginally identified as transporters for inorganic phosphate, solute carrier 17 (SLC17) family proteins subserve diverse physiological roles. The vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) package the principal excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate into synaptic vesicles (SVs). In contrast, the closely related sialic acid transporter sialin mediates the flux of sialic acid in the opposite direction, from lysosomes to the cytoplasm. The two proteins couple in different ways to the H+ electrochemical gradient driving force, and high-resolution structures of the Escherichia coli homolog d-galactonate transporter (DgoT) and more recently rat VGLUT2 now begin to suggest the mechanisms involved as well as the basis for substrate specificity
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