Enlargement and the European Union’s Absorption Capacity: ‘oft-forgotten’ condition or additional obstacle to membership?

The Austrian government may have failed in its efforts in 2005 to have ‘privileged partnership' inserted into the European Union's framework for accession negotiations with Turkey, but this did not prevent the country's Chancellor, Wolfgang Schussel, from claiming that ‘for the first time ever, we have set an extra condition which will yet be very important in the future for Europe, namely the ability of the Union to take in new members'. Indeed, since its inclusion in the framework for negotiations, the EU's ‘capacity to absorb' new members is referred to as a new criterion for further enlargement of the European Union (EU). When opponents of Turkey 's membership, like Schussel, celebrate the emphasis on the EU's ‘absorption capacity', Turks generally regard it as specially-designed extra obstacle to their membership aspirations even if the EU's ‘absorption capacity' is a permanent agenda item whenever the EU discusses enlargement. This article explores the origins of this – supposedly new – condition and argues that the increased emphasis on the EU's ‘absorption capacity' can be explained by the shifts in the dynamics of EU enlargement.

Assessment framework for construction supply chain relationships: Development and evaluation

The change of supply chain relationships from the traditional adversarial to the collaborative has been increasing in the UK construction industry. To reflect this change, some attempts have been made to establish models for measuring and improving supply chain relationships in construction. However, there are obvious deficiencies in these existing models. This highlights the need for a systematic model for the assessment of construction supply chain relationships. Based on a review of the literature and an expert group discussion, an assessment framework is developed in this paper, which consists of assessment criteria, relationship levels, detailed descriptions, assessment classes and assessment procedures. The proposed framework is evaluated through expert interviews and case studies. This framework provides a roadmap for the improvement of supply chain relationships. It can help construction organisations to position their current relationship and identify key areas for relationship improvement in the future.

Apolipoprotein E genotype is associated with macular pigment optical density.

PURPOSE: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in older people in developed countries, and risk factors for this condition may be classified as genetic and environmental. Apolipoprotein E is putatively involved in the transport of the macular pigment (MP) carotenoids lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) in serum and may also influence retinal capture of these compounds. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and ApoE genotype. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 302 healthy adult subjects. Dietary intake of L and Z was assessed by food frequency questionnaire, and MPOD was measured by customized heterochromatic flicker photometry. Serum L and Z were measured by HPLC. ApoE genotyping was performed by direct polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA nucleotide sequencing from peripheral blood. RESULTS: Genotype data were available on 300 of the 302 (99.3%) subjects. The mean (+/- SD) age of the subjects in this study was 47.89 +/- 11.05 (range, 21-66) years. Subjects were classed into one of three ApoE genotype groups, as follows: group 1, epsilon2epsilon2 or epsilon2epsilon3; group 2, epsilon3epsilon3; group 3, epsilon2epsilon4 or epsilon3epsilon4 or epsilon4epsilon4. All three groups were statistically comparable in terms of age, sex, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and dietary and serum levels of L and Z. There was a statistically significant association between ApoE genotype and MPOD. Subjects who had at least one epsilon4 allele had a higher MPOD across the macula than subjects without this allele (group 1 MPOD area, 0.70 +/- 0.40; group 2 MPOD area, 0.67 +/- 0.42; group 3 MPOD area, 0.85 +/- 0.46; one-way ANOVA, P = 0.014. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ApoE genotype status is associated with MPOD. This association may explain, at least in part, the putative protective effect of the epsilon4 allele for AMD and is consistent with the view that apolipoprotein profile influences the transport and/or retinal capture of circulating L and/or Z.

Study of the transamidative ring expansion of N--halogenoalkyl--lactams of alkyl chain lengths 2–12 in liquid ammonia and other liquid amines: syntheses of 7-, 8- and 9-membered 1,5-diaza cyclic ketones, including routes to (±)-dihydroperiphylline and (±)-celabenzine

N-(3-Halogenopropyl)-4-phenylazetidin-2-ones undergo amination in liquid ammonia followed by transamidative ring expansion to give the eight-membered 4-phenyl -1,5-diazacyclooctan-2-one in excellent yield. Ring expansion of the amines in liquid ammonia is found to be much more effective than in hydrocarbon solvents. Formation of 7-, 8-, and 9-membered azalactams from the requisite -halogenoalkyl--lactams is an excellent synthetic process, though it is not applicable to 10membered rings. In the cases of rings of 13-, 15- and 17-members, although amination and apparent expansion takes place, the large rings appear not to be stable to ammonia and the final products are acyclic amides. N-[4-Halogenobut-2(Z)-enyl]-4-phenylazetidin-2-one satisfactorily forms a 9-membered (Z)-olefinic azalactam, but the (E)-isomer gives an acyclic amino amide. By using alkyl-substituted -lactam side-chains, C-substituted medium rings can be obtained; the relative instability of N-acyl -lactams to ammonia, however, leads to acylamino amides rather than expanded rings.Employing ethylamine in place of ammonia, it is shown that N-ethylated azalactams are formed satisfactorily, and using allylamine, N-allyl medium rings capable of further elaboration are obtained. The chemistry of these systems is discussed. Using transamidation in liquid ammonia, a short synthesis of the 9-membered spermidine alkaloid (±)-dihydroperiphylline is reported. Synthesis of key intermediates, whose transformation into the 13-membered alkaloids of the celabenzine group has already been effected, has been carried out.X-Ray single-crystal structure determinations for 4-phenyl-1,5-diazacyclononan-2-one, trans-4-phenyl-8-methyl-1,5-diazacyclooctan-2-one and (Z)-4-phenyl-1,5-diazacyclonon-7-en-2-one are reported, and comment is made on certain conformational features.

Maturity Model for Supply Chain Relationships in Construction

This study explores the special characteristics of the construction industry and develops a maturity model for measuring and improving the relationships between the key players of a construction supply chain. The model adopts the capability maturity methodology and defines four maturity levels of construction supply chain relationships. It is in a matrix format, consisting of 24 assessment criteria in eight categories at each maturity level. It also provides three different ways of using the model. The model is evaluated through a series of expert interviews. A case study is also presented to demonstrate the application of this model in practice.

Establishing ex ante public construction supply chain guidelines in the public procurement of Schools' estate

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the formative development of construction supply chain guidelines or proposals in a UK region’s schools’ estates procurement process to more effectively address a forthcoming increase in investment.

Design/methodology/approach – The research approach is interpretive. Using an action research approach, repeated semi-structured interviews and focus groups with a range of stakeholders are conducted.

Findings – The current construction supply chain in schools’ estate procurement has many difficulties, not least given the highly fragmented and disconnected nature of the projects. Synergies are being missed and there is little or no continuous improvement. Drawing on these findings, the research iteratively develops a range of proposals and guidelines to address this situation.

Research limitations/implications – This research adds weight to the current focus on pressing for change in the construction industry. It presents potentially valuable insights into the benefits of partnering arrangements and how these might usefully be incorporated into schools’ estate supply chain.

Practical implications – A set of guidelines is developed to guide the public procurement of schools’ estate in a UK region. These guidelines are set within the context of the Modernising and Rethinking Construction agenda.

Originality/value – The action research approach enabled the researchers to gain a unique insight into how public procurement and contractor personnel interact and to establish effective practical guidelines.

Density-dependent prophylaxis and condition-dependent immune function in Lepidopteran larvae: a multivariate approach

1. The risk of parasitism and infectious disease is expected to increase with population density as a consequence of positive density-dependent transmission rates. Therefore, species that encounter large fluctuations in population density are predicted to exhibit plasticity in their immune system, such that investment in costly immune defences is adjusted to match the probability of exposure to parasites and pathogens (i.e. density-dependent prophylaxis).

Doxorubicin In Vivo Rapidly Alters Expression and Translation of Myocardial Electron Transport Chain Genes, Leads to ATP Loss and Caspase 3 Activation

Background: Doxorubicin is one of the most effective anti-cancer drugs but its use is limited by cumulative cardiotoxicity that restricts lifetime dose. Redox damage is one of the most accepted mechanisms of toxicity, but not fully substantiated. Moreover doxorubicin is not an efficient redox cycling compound due to its low redox potential. Here we used genomic and chemical systems approaches in vivo to investigate the mechanisms of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, and specifically test the hypothesis of redox cycling mediated cardiotoxicity.