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Physical and mental health symptoms can reduce participation in physical activity. The current study assessed the impact of a bout of exercise on mood state in depressed participants with and without current physical pain. We enrolled a community sample of 147 participants (

Clinical phonetic transcription is regarded as a highly specialised skill requiring hours of practice for mastery. Although this skill is a critical part of students' clinical preparation to become speech-language pathologists, students often report feeling unprepared to apply the skill in clinical practice. Previous studies suggest that increased opportunities for practice and timely feedback on transcriptions are needed in order to develop skill confidence. However, providing more opportunities for practice can be impeded by the limited resources to manage the grading of additional assignments. The purpose of this study is to show the implementation of a web-based learning management system (LMS) designed in our labs for phonetics instruction. The Automated Phonetic Transcription Grading Tool (APTgt LMS) was developed to provide a platform for assignment delivery and automated grading of transcription assignments. The APTgt LMS has three embedded IPA keyboards (basic, advanced, and full IPA) and an automated edit distance algorithm modified by phonetic alignment principles, which allows for individualised scoring and visual course-level feedback in an interactive online environment. For pilot testing, student confidence was queried before and after practice opportunities using APTgt. A concurrent mixed methods research design was used to analyse four Likert scale and three open-ended questions. Student confidence in transcribing disordered speech was found to significantly increase (p 0.001) following additional practice. Students reported concerns related to accurate transcription of disordered speech and that additional practice is still needed. Tools like APTgt can aid in facilitating student learning and increasing student confidence in applied transcription.

This article assesses possible unintended consequences of a targeted funding model for school education by analysing a Scottish Government policy operationalized via the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) all...

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examined whether dietary nitrate supplementation attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and is reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. Medline and SPORTDiscus databases were searched from inception to June 2020. Inclusion criteria were studies in adult humans consuming inorganic nitrate before and after exercise and that measured markers implicated in the etiology of EIMD (muscle function, muscle soreness, inflammation, myocellular protein efflux, oxidative stress, range of motion) p = 0.01) and countermovement jump performance 24–72 h post-exercise (SMD range: 0.75-1.32, p < 0.03). Pressure pain threshold was greater with beetroot juice 48 (SMD: 0.58, p = 0.03) and 72 h post-exercise (SMD: 0.61, p = 0.02). Beetroot juice had no effect on markers of oxidative stress and creatine kinase (p > 0.05), but c-reactive protein was higher vs. placebo at 48 h post-exercise (SMD: 0.55, p = 0.03). These findings suggest that nitrate-rich beetroot juice may attenuate some markers of EIMD, but more large-scale controlled trials in elite athletes are needed.

Research, media sources, and polls have identified negative effects associated with presidential elections. The aim of this research was to investigate associations between US presidential election...

Zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) has been identified as a candidate ceramic wasteform for the immobilisation and disposal of Pu inventories, for which there is no foreseen future use. Here, we provide an ov...

In 1914, following the passage of Jim Crow segregation laws, over a dozen African American graves were exhumed from the primarily White Cedar Grove Cemetery in New Bern, North Carolina and reburied...

In this article, we examine how Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at a large private university in the western United States addressed the abrupt suspension of in-person mental health se...

Introduction: Tropomyosin receptor kinases (Trks) control processes in the fields of growth, survival, and differentiation of neuronal processes. They also play a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases as well as different types of cancer. Interest in developing Trk inhibitors to target NTRK fusion-driven cancers has escalated in the last decade, leading to the FDA approval of the pan-Trk inhibitors entrectinib and larotrectinib. The development of next-generation inhibitors that overcome resistance mutations arising from treatment with these first generation inhibitors has been the focus in recent years.Area covered: In this updated patent review for 2016-2019, patents covering inhibitors targeting the Trk family are discussed as a continuation of the previous reviews, Tropomyosin receptor kinase inhibitors: an updated patent review for 2010-2016 - Parts 1 & 2. The status of Trk inhibitors in clinical trials is also evaluated. For the identification of relevant patents and clinical trials, Web of Science, Google, Google Patents, and patent referencing were used.Expert opinion: The FDA approval of larotrectinib and entrectinib is a prime example of how basket clinical trial design targeting oncogenic drivers, regardless of tumor histology, is a viable approach to drug discovery and embodies the shift toward personalized medicine.

New large-scale linked data are revolutionizing quantitative history and demography. This paper proposes two complementary strategies for improving inference with linked historical data: the use of validation variables to identify higher quality links and a simple, regression-based weighting procedure to increase the representativeness of custom research samples. We demonstrate the potential value of these strategies using the 1850–1930 Integrated Public Use Microdata Series Linked Representative Samples (IPUMS-LRS)—a high quality, publicly available linked historical dataset. We show that, while incorrect linking rates appear low in the IPUMS-LRS, researchers can reduce error rates further using validation variables. We also show how researchers can reweight linked samples to balance observed characteristics in the linked sample with those in a reference population using a simple regression-based procedure.

The internal audit remit includes assessing budgetary compliance by departments, investigating fraud and error, appraising systems of control and undertaking consulting, the last including risk man...

Previous academic literature has criticised bond buyback as a ‘”boondoggle” benefiting a country’s creditors’—meaning that buybacks are a wasteful use of public money. This paper challenges the nar...

To determine the accuracy of critical power (CP) and W' (the curvature constant of the power-duration relationship) derived from self-paced time-trial (TT) prediction trials using mobile power meters to predict 16.1-km road cycling TT performance. This study also aimed to assess the agreement between functional threshold power (FTP) and CP.Twelve competitive male cyclists completed an incremental test to exhaustion, a FTP test and 4-5 self-paced TT bouts on a stationary bike within the lab, and a 16.1 km road TT, using mobile power meters.CP and W' derived from the power-duration relationship closely predicted TT performance. The 16.1-km road TT completion time (26.7 ± 2.2 min) was not significantly different from and was significantly correlated with the predicted time-to-completion (27.5 ± 3.3 min, r = 0.89, P 0.01). CP and FTP were not significantly different (275 ± 40 W vs. 278 ± 42 W, P 0.05); however, the limits of agreement between CP and FTP were 30 to -36 W.The findings of this study indicate that CP and W' determined using mobile power meters during maximal, self-paced TT prediction trials can be used to accurately predict 16.1-km cycling performance, supporting the application of the CP and W' for performance prediction. However, the limits of agreement were too large to consider FTP and CP interchangeable.

This essay assesses President Obama’s climate change record by looking at his success in translating policy goals into policy outputs (laws or regulatory action) during his time in office. It begins by using Obama’s campaign speeches to identify specific promises to take action on climate change, and then proceeds to examine whether, how, and with what success he managed to act upon these pledges. The essay shows that Obama set out a multi-pronged approach to dealing with climate change in his campaign speeches, and succeeded in translating many of his goals into policy outputs. The latter is a significant finding as the standard against which Obama is being judged is very high. The idea that an elected politician managed to fulfil many of the promises made on the campaign trail is worthy of note as the normal expectation is to find a gap between promises and performance. The finding also contributes to debates about Obama’s “green” credentials.

Higher education institutions are often concerned about retention rates, particularly among underprepared students. This study examines the effects of Counselors providing Resources, Integration, Skill Development, and Psychosocial Support (CRISP), which is a low-cost counseling model focused on increasing the academic success and retention of underprepared undergraduates (n = 273). Results indicated participation in CRISP was significantly related to higher first-year grade point average and retention to the second and third years of college.

TrkA/B/C receptor activation supports growth, survival, and differentiation of discrete neuronal populations during development, adult life, and ageing but also plays numerous roles in human disease onset and progression. Trk-specific inhibitors have therapeutic applications in cancer and pain and thus constitute a growing area of interest in oncology and neurology. There has been substantial growth in the number of structural classes of Trk inhibitors and the number of industrial entrants to the Trk inhibitor field over the past six years. Areas covered: In Part II of this two-part review, the discussion of recent patent literature covering Trk family inhibitors is continued from Part I and clinical research with Trk inhibitors is considered. Expert opinion: Trk has been molecularly targeted for over a decade resulting in the progressive evolution of structurally diversified Trk inhibitors arising from scaffold hopping and HTS efforts. Correspondingly, there have been a growing number of clinical investigations utilizing Trk inhibitors in recent years, with a particular focus on the treatment of NTRK-fusion positive cancers and chronic pain. The observed potential of Trk inhibitors to cause adverse CNS side effects however suggests the need for a more rigorous consideration of BBB permeation capabilities during drug development.

Tropomyosin receptor kinases (TrkA/B/C) play crucial roles in the development and maintenance of the nervous system, and aberrant expression of Trk has been implicated in neurological disorders as well as neural and non-neural neoplasms. Patent activity encompassing Trk inhibitors has grown substantially over the last 6 years, recognized by a rise in the number of pharmaceutical entrants to the field and the escalation of novel inhibitor chemotypes. Area covered: In Part I of this two part review, a biological and structural overview of Trk is provided in the context of Trk as a therapeutic target for cancer and pain, followed by the report of recent patent literature claiming small molecule inhibitors of Trk family kinases or which describe inhibitors developed for other kinase targets but include noteworthy Trk inhibition/application. The discussion of the patent literature continues in Part II of this review, which includes an in-depth view of the current clinical applications of Trk inhibitors. Expert opinion: Substantial synthetic efforts in Trk inhibitor development has propagated numerous and diverse inhibitor chemotypes, including TrkA-specific inhibitors. While many novel Trk inhibitors remain the original progeny of Trk-specific development programs, kinase inhibitors initially developed for other kinases have also been successfully repositioned for Trk.

Background Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) have the potential to support sociocommunicative interactions for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but little is known about the sense of presence participants feel in CVEs or how CVEs can be used to assess skills.Method Ten children with ASD and 10 typically developing (TD) children (aged 12–16 years) judged greeting behaviours of a human avatar and static facial expressions in a virtual gallery.Results There were no differences in presence reported by the two groups. The ASD group was less sensitive to a negative greeting from the human avatar than the TD group, and impaired in recognising static facial expressions.Conclusions Self-reported measures of presence are valuable for informing which kinds of tasks, and technology may provide more authentic contexts in which to identify and support social competence in participants with ASD.

This paper analyses agenda-setting for EU policy change in respect to public sector accounting harmonisation, adopting the garbage can model for its theoretical framework. It utilises qualitative research methods to determine what caused the window of opportunity to open, why it led to a proposal for compulsory public sector accounting standardisation for member states and why the International Public Sector Accounting Standards were not adopted by the EU. It concludes that harmonised accrual accounting is likely to be only a minor instrument of EU fiscal governance and its Excessive Deficit Procedure aiming to prevent governments running structurally unbalanced public finances.

This paper analyses the risk management challenges of shared service provision in Scotland and Finland. Policy context and institutional frameworks largely determine the local choice of organizational arrangements and so the risks that arise and the way they are shared. Finnish municipalities have developed joint municipal arrangements for sharing services, whereas Scotland's shared service challenges are related to the historical separation of health and social care services and the search for cost savings while improving service effectiveness.

While skilled migrants make influential contributions to development through remitting cash and exchanging knowledge, we argue for greater scrutiny of the role of language in the so-called ‘migration–development nexus’. Noting the transnational context within which the everyday life of many migrants proceeds, we develop a broader reading of language use which is attentive to its potential role in transforming social, cultural and spatial relations. Adopting a relational ontology to everyday practice, we describe how professional Zimbabweans used and experienced English, Shona and Ndebele in making various development contributions. While 82% of our respondents remitted, and most felt English was essential for employment success, our results also highlight how the placed nature of language use intensifies social and cultural vulnerabilities. We further explore how an emerging language practice addresses vulnerability through valuing a cross-cultural communicative competency which reworks spatial relations....

This paper argues that justifying lack of productivity improvements in public services by referring to Baumol’s Cost Disease (BCD) is conceptually confused, theoretically misspecified and empirically blind. BCD misconceptualizes public services as categorically distinct from manufactured goods and is based on a theory of productivity not directly applicable to many public services, therefore failing to recognize evidence of substantial scope for improving public services’ productivity. Analysis of the structural and behavioural unbundling of value creation and decomposition of professional skills in service provision leads this paper to conclude that public services are not as technologically non-progressive as BCD asserts.

The overarching objective of this article is to stimulate debate about how local authorities could and should manage their austerity measures because the speed, scale and aggregation of the UK public spending cuts risk adversely affecting already disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, exacerbating social exclusion and leading to higher costs for councils in the future. It presents the results of research conducted during 2011–2012 focusing on if and how five Scottish case study councils attempted to mitigate social risks. It found that they were using equalities impact assessment (EIA) procedures in their decision-making. However, EIAs are not fit for purpose as a risk mitigation tool and fail to take account of all groups which may also be adversely affected by service cuts. Hence, this article recommends a more innovative approach in local decision-making processes based on a social risk impact assessment (SRIA) model within a preventative approach to social policy.

This paper reports case study research, the results of which are used to consider whether councils have recognised the potentially substantially increased social risks they may create as they seek to reduce their spending in line with the UK Government’s programme of public sector austerity. It discusses the conceptual shift in the public sector risk management literature towards social risk management (SRM), presents empirical evidence of social risks and considers the approach to SRM developed by other organisations. It finds no evidence of SRM within the case study authorities and so advocates a shift in the public sector risk management culture from a preoccupation with defensive-institutional risk management practices to a more proactive social dimension. In so doing, it discusses the goals of SRM, the constraints limiting their achievement, metrics for measuring social risk, tools for mitigating social risk and the problems faced when operationalising SRM.

Between 1990 and the early 2000s, thousands of children were adopted into families in the United States from Eastern Europe. While most adoptions are successful, some children have difficulties. This qualitative study of 26 youth between the ages of 12 and 21 who were sent by their parents to an educational alternative setting or left their adoptive home prior to completing high school were interviewed regarding their experiences of adoption. The study found that the youth were appreciative of their adoptive parents, but saw the world through a different lens due to their lived experiences. Conclusions may assist prospective adoptive parents and professionals.

This paper considers the causes and consequences of the crisis in the public finances of EU member states and other countries. It critically appraises the proposed ‘cures’ and whether they are likely to be successful by analysing ‘structural gaps’ in the public finances. The paper theorizes the multifaceted causes of the crisis—these being financial, political, institutional, economic and cultural. It concludes that the proposed cures will not necessarily close structural gaps and that a sustainable long-term strategy for the public finances has to be much more holistic, creating symmetry between decisions to spend and liability to finance those decisions.

Three-dimensional imagery is rapidly transforming the reconstruction, visualization and conceptualization of ancient monuments. We report (and reflect on the value of) digital reconstruction of a third-millennium bc megalithic tower and surrounding landscape using a combination of architectural drawing, 3D photogrammetry and geographic information systems (GIS) mapping. Our results indicate that at least 181 metric tons of limestone (mean boulder weight 386kg) were hewn to create a monument 20m in diameter and at least 4m high. In addition to considering possible practical functions, including water extraction and a potential defensive purpose, we argue that this tower’s central significance lay in its monumentality. At least sixty comparable Umm an-Nar period towers are known; and, as much as the model itself, the process of planning and executing a 3D model led us to recognize that a community of skilled builder/architects used a sophisticated mental template (with variation on a theme) to desig...

Increasingly, grandparents are being called on to rear their grandchildren when parents are unable or unwilling to fulfill their parenting role. These grandparent caregivers often find themselves in an economic bind. Financially, most are at a stage in life where they are looking toward retirement and reduced family spending and are unprepared for their new economic reality as second-time-around caregivers. Here, we use a framework of family financial well-being to examine the economic consequences of rearing grandchildren. Based on family life interviews with 26 grandfamilies residing in Montana, we explore the challenges grandparents experience generating and shifting income streams in later life, the variability in received income, and the array of expected and unexpected expenses incurred as a result of taking in their grandchildren. As custodial grandparents strive for financial well-being, there are few resources—especially in rural areas—to help them navigate these new financial waters.

In recent years, the availability of sports nutrition supplements has expanded from niche to mainstream and online environments in a largely unregulated marketplace in Canada. For bodybuilders, consuming these products is a normative practice. In spite of the proliferation of supplements and diversity in which masculine ideal types are constructed, the experiences of male bodybuilders who use supplements have drawn little academic attention. This article examines the impact that lived experience has for 32 male bodybuilders in interpreting physical cues and assessing risks associated with these ergogenic aids sold legally in Canada. Examined through a phenomenological lens, male bodybuilders in this study developed an ethnopharmacological understanding of supplement consumption. They privileged not only their first-hand experiences with supplement consumption, but also those of other trusted bodybuilders over other sources of information including warnings issued by government about the ‘dangers’ of consu...

The objective of this research is to extend a geographic understanding of the diversity of contemporary migration through a case-study of return migration to Hong Kong. We explore how political economic and socio-cultural factors associated with globalization and transnationalization have place-specific implications for return migration. To better understand such interdependencies, we shift attention away from return migration as an isolated individual-level event and argue for a consideration of circuits of mobility and how migrants manage the lengths of these circuits. Such a longitudinal approach hypothesizes that there is systematic variation in the length of each circuits or spells of time spent living outside Hong Kong, and that discernible factors can be associated with such variation. We surveyed 1011 adult Hong Kong permanent residents to derive an estimate of the stock of residents who have returned to Hong Kong having been out of the SAR and to explore the diversity of mobility circuits. We fou...

Pianist finger movement contains information about note preparation, accent information as well as personal identifiers. However, no system for detailed finger tracking presently exists that can also be used ecologically: at an acoustic piano whilst also incurring acceptably low disruption to the performance. An optical motion capture system is described using a monocular camera setup to track passive UV paint markers placed directly onto pianists’ fingers. Tracking accuracy and 3D estimation algorithms are evaluated. This low-cost, efficient system maximizes its uses in performance analysis experiments which are most importantly not confined to laboratory environments.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent signalling molecule that influences an array of physiological responses. It was traditionally assumed that NO was derived exclusively via the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) family of enzymes. This complex reaction requires a five electron oxidation of L-arginine and is contingent on the presence of numerous essential substrates (including O2) and co-factors. Recently an additional, O2-independent, NO generating pathway has been identified, where nitrite (NO2 −) can undergo a simple one electron reduction to yield NO. NO2 − is produced endogenously from the oxidation of NO and also from the reduction of dietary nitrate (NO3 −) by facultative bacteria residing on the tongue. Recent data show that dietary NO3 − supplementation, which increases the circulating plasma [NO2 −], reduces the O2 cost of submaximal exercise in healthy humans. This finding is striking given that efficiency during moderate-intensity exercise has been considered to be immutable. There is evidence th...

Since 2004, governance and accountability arrangements for UK local government borrowing under the new Prudential Borrowing Framework (PBF) have been based on the professional discipline and control model of governance. It supplements the earlier centralised discipline and control model whereby municipal borrowing had to be specifically approved by central government and provides an alternative to Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for capital procurement. Incorporating a case study of the use of PBF by Glasgow City Council, this paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of the PBF as a control mechanism for borrowing.

This paper analyses Glasgow's use of the Prudential Borrowing Framework (PBF) for rationalisation and renewal of its primary schools and the additional borrowing costs to be met by the resulting efficiency savings and by sale of surplus school sites. Our findings reveal that the PBF has many perceived advantages compared with the Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership (PFI/PPP) route to capital procurement and modernisation. In particular, the link between policy and the use of resources is more transparent under PBF than for PFI/PPPs. However, the approach to risk management seems to have become more relaxed using the PBF even though the Council now retains all associated risks.

This research examines the experience of stakeholders of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The local authorities’ accounts of engaging stakeholders are compared against the stakeholders’ experience of being engaged. The findings suggest that the increasing procedures and tools used by local authorities to engage stakeholders do not necessarily lead to more positive experiences of the latter. Some stakeholders perceive engagement as merely an exercise by the local authorities to comply with central government policy guidelines and the stakeholders’ views have not had substantial impact on the overall decision-making process. The findings highlight the inadequacy of a compliance culture in public services.

Despite agreement that methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is an effective and safe option for treatment of heroin dependence, there have been controversies about its effect on heroin craving. A systematic literature review of the PubMed database was used to find studies eligible for inclusion in the study. The authors present the results of 16 articles that met all inclusion criteria. Overall, 7 studies reported that methadone could reduce heroin craving, 4 studies reported that patients in MMT are still at risk of having heroin craving, 1 study reported that methadone could increase heroin craving, and 4 studies reported that methadone has a neutral effect on heroin craving. One may speculate from these data that methadone may help with heroin craving, but patients in MMT may still be at risk of cue-induced heroin cravings. Methadone provides a helpful tool for reducing some components of craving and risk of relapse for patient receiving MMT.

Single-molecule tracking algorithms and analyses that use particle trajectory information rely on the accurate determination of particle positions to produce a meaningful interpretation of molecular dynamics. However, artifacts arising from vibration can sometimes distort or entirely mask the processes being studied. Here we describe a straightforward implementation of the Lucas-Kanade stabilization algorithm that can remove the impact of instrument-related vibrations on molecular diffusion measurements after a data set has been collected. Using fluorescently derivatized αHL on supported lipid bilayers in conjunction with computer simulations of 2D diffusion, we report that post-hoc stabilization can be effective in removing both simple and complex noise sources. The effectiveness of vibration mitigation is a function of the relationship between the vibration amplitude and the magnitude of the diffusion constant. For diffusion constants in the range of typical membrane proteins (e.g., 10−9 to 10−...

Neoliberal-parasitic economies currently blanket many low-income Latino communities across urban America. We deepen and nuance the thesis that space building is now a privileged instrument of these neoliberal economies. We unearth the everyday operations of this economy and how its manufactured spaces of human management and control are mediated and responded to by local workers to reshape this economy and local worker lives. Our focus, Chicago's poor Latino Southwest Side, advances understanding of the mechanics and impacts of this complex space building on this transnational population. Ethnographic research reveals complex contingencies where a neoliberal colonizing and producing of space tussle with worker perceptions of affliction and hope. We identify the production of a Latino oppression space that is simultaneously a site for human degradation, human struggle to survive, personal and ethnic hope and possibility, and ethnic enrichment. In this context, we reveal that human resistance and hope etche...

Guided by the Double ABCX Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation, this study explored the coping strategies and adaptation processes employed by grandparent caregivers as they moved from the initial crisis phase of taking in their grandchildren to settling down and carrying out the daily tasks of childrearing. Using qualitative methods, we analyzed data from in-depth family life history interviews conducted with 26 grandfamilies. Our analyses revealed five themes: capturing grandparents' adaptation processes or shifts in roles, identities, relationships, resources, and perceptions of the situation in order to cope with their family transitions and stressors. We conclude with considerations for future research that are needed to identify and support positive adaptations within these complex family constellations.

Climate change is the biggest issue for us to face this century. It’s manmade. The science is done. It’s complete. It’s a matter of political understanding Sir David King, UK Government’s Chief Sci...

This article considers the possibilities for widespread use of municipal bonds to finance public sector infrastructure, with particular reference to Scotland. Provided the various control measures recommended in this article are in place, there can be few objections either in principle or practice and they would be a highly desirable secure form of debt, so helping ease the current credit crunch.

Australia is the world's sixth largest country, has a relatively small population of 21.5 million, and a blended (public and private) health system. In this article, we explain the stroke rehabilitation infrastructure including consumer organisations, research networks, data collection systems, and registries. This represents a complex but fledgling set of organisations showing great promise for coordination of care and research. The article goes on to expose the inequalities in service provision by describing the paths of stroke survivors in three settings - in the city, in the country, and in remote settings. The complexities and difficulties in treating indigenous stroke survivors are described in a culturally sensitive narrative. The article then discusses the outcomes of the first Australian audit of post acute stroke services completed in December 2008, which describes the journeys of 2,119 stroke survivors at 68 rehabilitation units throughout Australia's 6 states and 2 territories. It demonstrates an average length of stay of 26 days, with 18% of survivors requiring nursing home or other supported accommodation. The article concludes with future directions for stroke rehabilitation in Australia, which include hyperacute rehabilitation trials, studies in 7-days-a-week rehabilitation, and the potential use of robotics.

This study was designed to test three competing hypotheses (impaired configural processing; impaired Theory of Mind; atypical amygdala functioning) to explain the basic facial expression recognition profile of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In Experiment 1 the Ekman and Friesen (1976) series were presented upright and inverted. Individuals with ASD were significantly less accurate than controls at recognising upright facial expressions of fear, sadness and disgust and their pattern of errors suggested some configural processing difficulties. Impaired recognition of inverted facial expressions suggested some additional difficulties processing the facial features. Unexpectedly, the clinical group misidentified fear as anger. In Experiment 2 feature processing of facial expressions was investigated by presenting stimuli in a piecemeal fashion, starting with either just the eyes or the mouth. Individuals with ASD were impaired at recognising fear from the eyes and disgust from the mouth; they al...

The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) of the European Union has come under fire for failing to rein in budget deficits and for the ineffectiveness of its sanctions. By examining trends in public debt and budgetary positions, this article examines whether the SGP has met its objectives and considers the extent to which implementation was affected by the accession of 10 new member states in 2004.

The definition of “family” has taken on multiple meanings in the larger social context in recent years. This qualitative study of 36 divorced nonresidential parents explores how their definition and meaning of family is affected post-divorce. Systems-level influences and past and present individual experiences appear to shape nonresidential parents' definition of family. A dialectical tension over the definition of family and boundaries surrounding family is created for nonresidential parents leaving some to question traditional definitions as they are faced with the reality of their current family configuration.