Proceedings of the Ninth and Tenth U.S.-Japan Meetings on Aquaculture

The United States and Japanese counterpart panels on aquaculture were formed in 1969 under the United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR). The panels currently include specialists drawn from the federal departments most concerned with aquaculture. Charged with exploring and developing bilateral cooperation, the panels have focused their efforts on exchanging information related to aquaculture which could be of benefit to both countries. The UJNR was started by a proposal made during the Third Cabinet-Level Meeting of the Joint United States-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs in January 1964. In addition to aquaculture, current subjects in the program are desalination of seawater, toxic microorganisms, air pollution, energy, forage crops, national park management, mycoplasmosis, wind and seismic effects, protein resources, forestry, and several joint panels and committees in marine resources research, development, and utilization. Accomplishments include: Increased communications and cooperation among technical specialists; exchanges of information, data, and research findings; annual meetings of the panels, a policy coordinative body; administration staff meetings; exchanges of equipment, materials, and samples; several major technical conferences; and beneficial effects on international relations. (PDF file contains 98 pages.)

Turkey and the Iranian Nuclear Program. Challenges and Opportunities

In the article was analyzed Turkish policy to Iran. In the last decade Turkey established regular relations with increasing trade exchange volume. In 2010 Turkey and Brazil proposed a plan for solution Iran’s nuclear deadlock. Although, a plan was not accepted by the Western powers at present in dealing with Iranian nuclear crisis Turkish role as a reliable mediator should be greater.

Technology, work organisation and job quality in the service sector: an introduction’

This special issue volume is concerned with how technology is changing the nature of work and working conditions while generating new products and new forms of service delivery. The five articles included in this volume cover service work, from the routine and clerical through to highly credentialed and professional work. Although some of the established challenges concerning the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on work and workplaces are evident in the articles, it is also clear that new service delivery processes demand new skills and training to some extent. Overall findings indicate that while ICT competencies are important, they need to be supplemented by the soft skills that are crucial for effective customer interactions and more open work systems with greater autonomy and participation whereby flexible work teams can have a positive impact on job quality outcomes. This introductory article examines technology and the changing nature of work through three strands of interpretation, prior to introducing the five articles in this special issue.

Work-related training and the probability of transitioning from non-permanent to permanent employment

It is widely believed that work-related training increases a worker’s probability of moving up the job-quality ladder. This is usually couched in terms of effects on wages, but it has also been argued that training increases the probability of moving from non-permanent forms of employment to more permanent employment. This hypothesis is tested using nationally representative panel data for Australia, a country where the incidence of non-permanent employment, and especially casual employment, is high by international standards. While a positive association between participation in work-related training and the subsequent probability of moving from either casual or fixed-term contract employment to permanent employment is observed among men, this is shown to be driven not by a causal impact of training on transitions but by differences between those who do and do not receive training; i.e., selection bias.

The effect of literacy training on the self-concept of moderately mentally handicapped adults

In this single group, pretest/posttest design study the literacy level and self-concept of nine moderately mentally handicapped adults was assessed. The participants in the study were involved in reading lessons using the Ball-Stick-Bird reading system, a brainbased program. No significant differences were found in either literacy level or reading level after intervention. However, there were changes in reading behaviour. These changes occurred in the subskills ofdirectionality, letter-sound correspondence, wordreading, and use of reading materials.

Retrospective Exploration of the 3Rs Education Program: Systemic Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have historically been denied basic rights and thus have been subjected to abuse. The 3Rs: Rights, Respect and Responsibility Human Rights Education Program was implemented and researched through a partnership with Community Living Welland Pelham and Brock University initially and then cascade training on the program was provided to five developmental service sector agencies from across the Niagara Region. This research evaluated the role of the 3Rs education program on the shift to a rights-based service agenda across those five agencies. Interviews were conducted with the Executive Director and Liaison staff from each of the agencies and a thematic analysis was used to describe factors that facilitated organizational changes and a cultural shift. Systemic barriers to the change were also explored. The results indicated that the 3Rs education program provides the catalyst necessary for the shift to a rights-based service agenda and that the resultant changes in practices now embedded in the organizations are reflective of a shift to a rights-based service agenda.

CLIL : teacher training at the UPCT : present and future within the EHEA

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n

Training and the commitment of outsourced information technologies' workers: psychological contract fulfillment as a mediator

Outsourced workers in information technologies (IT) generally have high skills and a high value on the job market. Their IT outsourcing organizations are likely to provide them with training, in the first place for skill development, but perhaps also as a way to bind the workers to them. This can be understood along the role of the psychological contract. Outsourced IT workers may see training as a fulfillment of their psychological contract. Accordingly, we hypothesize that psychological contract fulfillment mediates the relationship between training and affective commitment to the IT outsourcer. This was tested in a sample of 158 Portuguese outsourced IT workers. The results showed that employees who considered that they were receiving good training opportunities felt a greater affective commitment to their IT outsourcers. This relationship was mediated by the fulfillment of the relational psychological contract.

Beneficial Effects of Physical Training on the Cardio-Inflammatory Disorder Induced by Lung Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats

Our laboratory demonstrated that training program attenuated the inflammatory responses in lung ischemia/reperfusion (IR). Considering the importance of the inflammatory responses on the cardiovascular system, we evaluate the effect of physical training on the vascular responsiveness and its underlying mechanism after lung IR. Male Wistar rats were submitted to run training and lung IR. Concentration-response curves for relaxing and contracting agents were obtained. Protein expressions of SOD-1 and p47(phox), plasma nitritre/nitrate (NO (x) (-) ) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were evaluated. A decreased in the potency for acetylcholine and phenylephrine associated with an upregulation of the p47(phox) expression were found after Lung IR as well as an increase in IL-6 and NO (x) (-) levels. Run training attenuated the vascular dysfunction that was accompanied by reduction of the p47(phox) protein expression and IL-6 levels. Our findings show the beneficial effect of training on the vascular function that was associated with reduction in inflammatory response in lung IR.

Degree projects improving co-operation between the teacher education program and schools : - Swedish experiences

In 1977, when teacher education inSwedenwas incorporated into the university system, the main reason was to transform it into an academic tradition. Now, nearly 30 years later, there is still tension between the academic and the vocational tradition; they show up as different and separated elements in a program that is meant to prepare students for a career as a teacher and for a possible future career as a researcher in this field. This tension gives rise to a risk of allowing parallel “tracks” to develop and of isolating the degree thesis work from other courses. On the teacher-training program in which we are involved, close co-operation with partner-schools, where the practical part of the program takes place, has been established. Here, the students´ degree theses are an important factor in making this co-operation work on a concrete level. Accordingly, the purpose of the degree thesis is both to reflect problems in schools and contribute to better teaching in the individual school, but also to offer relevant educational subject matter to the students, which may be adapted as an element in the university’s research environments. From these points of view, the degree thesis is an important part of teacher education and rather more than just a single course. The degree thesis should be an element that gives the students an opportunity to show that they have reached central goals in the teacher education program. It should also be an integral part in the development of critical and scholarly thinking, deepening pedagogical and didactic knowledge and giving the students an opportunity to apply research methods. We will here use two minor case studies: one that compares teacher education programs in five Swedish universities and one minor study at one of those universities, in order to elaborate on the questions: - What purpose has a degree thesis and what role does it play in teacher education? - What criteria are relevant to assessing a degree thesis and what qualities do the degree theses have? - Is it possible to assess a degree thesis fairly and what happens to students who do not pass? - How could the degree thesis be used to improve the contact between the teacher education program and its partner schools in order to contribute to the development of the individual school?

Influence of moderate physical training on the GH/IGF-1 axis in diabetic rats

The influence of moderate physical training on serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1) and binding protein ( IGFBP-3) in experimental diabetic rats was investigated. Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups, sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary diabetic (SD) and trained diabetic (TD). Experimental diabetes was induced of Alloxan (35mg/b.w.) the training program consisted by swimming 5 days/week, 1 h/day, supporting a load of 2.5% b.w., during 6 weeks. Then, the rats were sacrificed and blood was collected for determinations of serum glucose, insulin, GH, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. Samples of liver were used to evaluate glycogen, protein and DNA contents. The results were analyzed by ANOVA, and Bonferroni test and the significance level was set at 2.5%. Diabetes decreased serum GH, IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and liver glycogen stores in SD group. Physical training promoted increase in serum IGF-1 in both TC and TD groups (SC=82 +/- 15; TC= 1 03 +/- 13; SD=77 +/- 16; TD= 112 +/- 29 ng/ml) and liver glycogen store in TD group when compared to SD (SC=5.2 +/- 1.2; TC= 6.2 +/- 1; SD=2 +/- 0.5; TD=5 +/- 1.8 mg/100mg). Therefore, physical training contributes to the increase in liver glycogen content and to rise of insulin-like growth factor level in diabetic rats. It was concluded that moderate physical training promotes important adaptations related to GH-IGF-1 axis in diabetic organisms.

Effect of soccer training on the running speed and the blood lactate concentration at the lactate minimum test

Tegtbur et al. [23] devised a new method able to estimate the intensity at maximal lactate steady state termed lactate minimum test. According to Billat et al. [7], no studies have yet been published on the affect of training on highest blood lactate concentration that can be maintained over time without continual blood lactate accumulation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to verify the effect of soccer training on the running speed and the blood lactate concentration (BLC) at the lactate minimum test (Lac(min)). Thirteen Brazilian male professional soccer players, all members of the same team playing at National level, volunteered for this study. Measurements were carried out before (pre) and after (post) eight weeks of soccer training. The Lac(min) test was adapted to the procedures reported by Tegtbur et al. [23]. The running speed at the Lac(min) test was taken when the gradient of the line was zero. Differences in running speed and blood lactate concentration at the Lac(min) test before (pre) and after (post) the training program were evaluated by Student's paired t-test. The training program increased the running speed at the Lac(min) test (14.94 +/- 0.21 vs. 15.44 +/- 0.42* km(.)h(-1)) and the blood lactate concentration (5.11 +/- 2.31 vs. 6.93 +/- 1.33* mmol(.)L(-1)). The enhance in the blood lactate concentration may be explained by an increase in the lactate/H+ transport capacity of human skeletal muscle verified by other authors.

Beneficial Effects of Physical Training on the Cardio-Inflammatory Disorder Induced by Lung Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of swimming training at the intensity equivalent to aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition in alloxan diabetic rats

The present study was designed to determine the exercise intensity equivalent to the metabolic aerobic/anaerobic transition of alloxan diabetic rats, through lactate minimum test (LMT), and to evaluate the effects of swimming exercise at this intensity (LM) on the glucose and protein metabolism of these animals. Adult male Wistar rats received alloxan (SD, alloxan-injected rats that remained sedentary) intravenously (30 mg kg(-1) body weight) for diabetes induction. As controls (SC, vehicle-injected rats that remained sedentary), vehicle-injected rats were utilized. Two weeks later, the animals were submitted to oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) and LMT. After the tests, some of the animals were submitted to swimming exercise training [TC (vehicle-injected rats that performed a 6-week exercise program) and TD (alloxan-injected rats that performed a 6-week exercise program)] for I h day(-1), 5 days week(-1), with an overload equivalent to LM determined by LMT, for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the animals were submitted to a second LMT and oGTT, and blood and skeletal muscle assessments (protein synthesis and degradation in the isolated soleus muscle) were made. The overload equivalent to LM at the beginning of the experiment was lower in the SID group than in the SC group. After training, the overload equivalent to LM was higher in the TC and TD groups than in the SC and SD groups. The blood glucose of TD rats during oGTT was lower than that of SD rats. Protein degradation was higher in the SD group than in other groups. We conclude that LMT was sensitive to metabolic and physiologic alterations caused by uncontrolled diabetes. Training at LM intensity improved aerobic condition and the glucose and protein metabolism of alloxan diabetic rats. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.