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This paper seeks to explain the historic importance to Catalan nationalism of the nineteenth-century poet and priest, Jacint Verdaguer. In order to do so, rather than focus on his contribution--and that of the wider cultural revival, the Renaixenca--to the development of the Catalan language as the basis for national political mobilization, this paper argues that we cannot fully understand Verdaguer's importance without reference to his role in constructing a geographical narrative linking nation and territory. At the same time, given that national meanings are always contested, the paper proposes a dialectical approach to nationalism that situates the work of writers within the context of power struggles between social groups. Consequently, Veradguer's centrality to Catalan nationalism is ultimately explained by his role in producing a geographical narrative capable of attracting important sectors of rural Catalonia to the hegemonic project of the industrial bourgeoisie. Keywords: Nationalism; nation; territory; Catalonia; Verdaguer; historic bloc. DOI: 10.1080/01419871003789887

Discusses between-species variation in adaptation of the photosynthetic mechanism to cope with wide fluctuations of environmental water regime. Describes models for water conservation in plants and the role of photorespiration in the evolution of the different pathways. (CW)

Either meeting the UNFCCC Paris agreement to limit global average warming below the 2-1.5 °C threshold, or going beyond it entails huge challenges in terms of institutional innovation and transformation. This research describes a participatory integrated assessment process aimed at exploring the options, opportunities, necessary capacities and implications for institutional co-operation and innovation in the Iberian Peninsula under High-End Climate Change (HECC). Using in-depth interviews and a novel participatory research approach, different scenario narratives and pathways about the future of Iberia have been identified using Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Special attention is given to the knowledge and policy options needed to implement cross-border organizational changes and co-operation mechanisms that would support the Integrated Climate Governance of the Tagus and Guadiana river basins. We show that a wealth of institutional innovation pathways and specific options and solutions exist not only to reduce GHG emissions (mitigation) and the negative impacts of climate change (adaptation), but, above all, to generate new forms of social-ecological system interactions aligned with sustainability (transformation). In particular, and depending on which scenario contexts unfold in the future in Iberia, different kinds of institutional and governance capacities and clusters of solutions may be needed in order to achieve transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medical practitioners face difficult decisions over whether to amputate or to salvage a lower limb that has undergone trauma. To our knowledge, there has been little evidence reporting the impact of different surgical decisions on functional and mental health outcomes following intensive rehabilitation that might inform decision-making.Methods: This study is a retrospective, independent-group comparison of rehabilitation outcomes from a U.K. military complex trauma rehabilitation center. There were 100 procedures examined: 36 unilateral amputations (11 immediate-below-the-knee amputations, 15 delayed below-the-knee amputations, and 10 immediate above-the-knee amputations), 43 bilateral amputations, and 21 single-limb salvages (including 13 below-the-knee limb salvages); the patients had a mean age (and standard deviation) of 29 ± 6 years and a mean New Injury Severity Score of 34 ± 15 points. The outcome measures at completion of rehabilitation included a 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre mobility and activities of daily living scores, screening for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]) and general anxiety disorder (General Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale [GAD-7]), mental health support, and pain scores.Results: On completion of their rehabilitation, the unilateral amputation group walked significantly farther in 6 minutes (564 ± 92 m) than the limb-salvage group (483 ± 108 m; p < 0.05) and the bilateral amputation group (409 ± 106 m; p < 0.001). The delayed below-the-knee amputation group (595 ± 89 m) walked significantly farther than the group with limb salvage below the knee (472 ± 110 m; p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the group with delayed below-the-knee amputation and the group with immediate below-the-knee amputation (598 ± 63 m; p > 0.05). The limb-salvage group was less capable of running independently compared with all amputee groups. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were reported in mean mental health outcomes between the below-the-knee injury groups, and depression and anxiety scores were comparable with population norms. At discharge, 97% of all patients were able to control their pain.Conclusions: After completing a U.K. military interdisciplinary rehabilitation program, the unilateral amputation group demonstrated a significant functional advantage over the limb-salvage and bilateral amputation groups. We found that patients electing for delayed amputation below the knee after attempted limb salvage achieved superior functional gains in mobility compared with patients who underwent limb salvage below the knee and experienced no functional disadvantage compared with patients who underwent immediate amputation. The mental health outcomes were comparable with general population norms, optimizing the prospect of full integration back into society.Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the most appropriate rehabilitation outcome measure for use in a young adult population with acquired brain injury. Methods: A 2-year prospective study of patients admitted to a UK military neuro-rehabilitation unit with acquired brain injury to compare the appropriateness of the Functional Independence Measure/Functional Assessment Measure (FIM+FAM) vs the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory Version 4 (MPAI-4) in assessing outcomes. Patients were assessed at admission, discharge and at 4-month follow-up using FIM+FAM and MPAI-4. Results: The FIM+FAM total motor score showed a marked ceiling affect, 42% of patients scored the maximum on admission rising to 80% at discharge. The MPAI-4 did not show significant ceiling effects. The other sub-scales of FIM+FAM and MPAI-4 were generally comparable, no more than 17% achieved ceiling at follow-up. Conclusions: This is the first comparative study of FIM+FAM and MPAI-4 in a young adult military population following acquired brain injury. All patients showed improvements in both outcome measures following intensive inpatient rehabilitation. However, the MPAI-4 did not show ceiling effects in motor scores. This measure was, therefore, found to be more appropriate in the cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors are known to play a key role in determining the progress of back pain patients. However, it is not known whether these factors are applicable to military personnel, who tend to be fitter than the general population. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to identify physical and psychological predictors in a prospective study of the outcome of back pain rehabilitation over 6 months and a longer follow-up time of between 15 and 32 months. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty military personnel reporting for a residential rehabilitation programme completed a battery of physical and psychological tests. The physical tests included 800 m run time and the Biering-Sorensen test. The psychological/psychosocial measures included items on fear avoidance, self efficacy, anxiety and depression and occupational psychosocial factors such as job satisfaction. RESULTS: Self efficacy and 800 m run time predicted self-reported functional ability at 6 months and medical discharge/return to full fitness at 15–32 months. Patients with 800 m run times of more than 3 minutes 31 seconds had a four times greater chance of medical discharge from the Armed forces. CONCLUSIONS: Eight hundred metre run time and self-efficacy were independent predictors of both self-reported functional ability at 6 months and return to full fitness/medical discharge at 15–32 months. Self-efficacy also predicted 40% of the variance in the intensity of back pain and 10% of other non-back pain. Rehabilitation should include greater emphasis on physical fitness and on improving self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nationalism can be understood as a doctrine of territorial political legitimacy, in the sense that demands for national self-government necessarily involve claims over a given territory. Such claims are ultimately justified by establishing a relationship of mutual belonging between the nation and 'its' territory. This makes nationalism intrinsically exclusionary and potentially violent, since purely civic nations become impossible in practice. Shared political and social values on their own fail to bind nation and territory together, and as such the nation's 'home' might be anywhere, and thus, in a world of competing political claims over territory, nowhere. Ethnic elements of national identity are therefore necessary if an exclusive relationship is to be established between the nation and 'its' territory. These arguments are illustrated by analysing a series of nationalisms that have been traditionally considered to be 'civic,' such as those found in the United States, Canada and England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooted cuttings of Salix caprea and of S. cinerea ssp. oleifolia were supplied with 0 to 320 mg Fe2+ dm-3 as sulphate dissolved in nutrient solution either at a constant concentration or supplied incrementally. Photosynthesis and respiration of the treated plants was monitored by infrared gas analysis for periods of 4 to 7 d. Control shoots, in air-bubbled or nitrogen-bubbled solutions, maintained constant rates of photosynthesis and dark respiration during the experimental period. S. cinerea was unaffected by a constant concentration of 160 mg Fe2+ dm-3 or incremental additions reaching 320 mg Fe2+ dm-3. S. caprea was unaffected by 10 mg Fe2+ dm-3, but a constant concentration of 40 mg Fe2+ dm-3 or incremental additions reaching 40 mg Fe2+ dm-3 caused almost total inhibition of photosynthesis and considerable reduction of respiration. Repeating these experiments using cuttings with excised roots increased the sensitivity of both species so that, even in S. cinerea, 10 mg Fe2+ dm-3 was inhibitory to photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clonally-propagated individuals of Dactylis glomerata L. derived from two contrasted habitats, respectively, moist soil with no grazing and drought-prone soil under intense grazing, were tested for tolerance of waterlogging in soil culture. The clone of dry soil unexpectedly proved much more tolerant than the clone of moist soil. Measurements of 24 populations of D. glomerata grown in an experimental garden showed that the grazing pressure in the original habitat is reflected very strongly in the morphology of the garden-grown plants. Adaptation to grazing comprises a short and narrow-leaved, prolific tillering habit with production of very short infiorescences. Heavy grazing, or the cutting regime imposed in the waterlogging trial, is likely to do more damage to the upright, long-leaved morphs of the ungrazed site. Measurements of carbon balance in intact plants and in defoliated tillers support this interpretation and also suggest that the larger oxygen consumption of the massive leaf bases of the ungrazed form might limit root penetration in oxygen deficient conditions. The greater length of roots in the dry soil clone is also discussed as a possible adaptation to water shortage in its cliff ledge habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses steps that small businessmen can take which will minimize the chances of running afoul of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 in the U.S. and make compliance with the law not overly burdensome. Things to look for in considering standards for the specific equipment or materials used and general hazards. Possible consequence of the failure to consider the requirements of OSHA. Standards are developed from many sources, including prior federal laws and professional standard-setting groups.