Stem cell Researches in Brazil: Present and Future Challenges

A bill allowing researches with human embryonic stem cells has been approved by the Brazilian Congress, originally in 2005 and definitively by the Supreme Court in 2008. However, several years before, investigations in Brazil with adult stem cells in vitro in animal models as well as clinical trials, were started and are currently underway. Here, we will summarize the main findings and the challenges of going from bench to bed, focusing on heart, diabetes, cancer, craniofacial, and neuromuscular disorders. We also call attention to the importance of publishing negative results on experimental trials in scientific journals and websites. They are of great value to investigators in the field and may avoid the repeating of unsuccessful experiments. In addition, they could be referred to patients seeking information, aiming to protect them against financial and psychological harm.

Using ecological niche modelling to infer past, present and future environmental suitability for Leiopelma hochstetteri, an endangered New Zealand native frog

Leiopelma hochstetteri is an endangered New Zealand frog now confined to isolated populations scattered across the North Island. A better understanding of its past, current and predicted future environmental suitability will contribute to its conservation which is in jeopardy due to human activities, feral predators, disease and climate change. Here we use ecological niche modelling with all known occurrence data (N = 1708) and six determinant environmental variables to elucidate current, pre-human and future environmental suitability of this species. Comparison among independent runs, subfossil records and a clamping method allow validation of models. Many areas identified as currently suitable do not host any known populations. This apparent discrepancy could be explained by several non exclusive hypotheses: the areas have not been adequately surveyed and undiscovered populations still remain, the model is over simplistic; the species` sensitivity to fragmentation and small population size; biotic interactions; historical events. An additional outcome is that apparently suitable, but frog-less areas could be targeted for future translocations. Surprisingly, pre-human conditions do not differ markedly highlighting the possibility that the range of the species was broadly fragmented before human arrival. Nevertheless, some populations, particularly on the west of the North Island may have disappeared as a result of human mediated habitat modification. Future conditions are marked with higher temperatures, which are predicted to be favourable to the species. However, such virtual gain in suitable range will probably not benefit the species given the highly fragmented nature of existing habitat and the low dispersal ability of this species. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Satisfaction in marriage and committed heterosexual relationships: past, present, and future

The article discusses the factors associated with satisfaction in marriage and successful heterosexual relationships. It is stated that a major focus in determining marriage satisfaction is by examining spousal personality characteristics associated with marital happiness. Thus, to understand adequately the play of factors related to marital satisfaction, it is important to recognize that different factors may impact different types of people in different situations.

Analysing Anzac Day: the past, the present and future?

The aim of this paper is to identify the challenges that a social marketing campaign, which is predicated on Anzac Day and its commemorations and aimed at developing nationalistic behaviour in Australians, might face in the future. Questions posed for this paper are: Is this a viable campaign to promote nationalistic behaviour in Australia? Are there risks associated with such a campaign? In this discursive and exploratory paper Anzac Day and its commemorations are examined using generic marketing tools available to social marketers, specifically the Product Lifecycle (PLC) and consumer profiling, namely generational research. The results indicate that it is possible to predicate a social marketing campaign on Anzac Day and its commemorations to develop nationalistic behaviour in Australia, but there are some inherent risks associated with such a campaign. Issues are raised with regard to the mono-cultural nature of such a campaign; which generational segment(s) might take ownership of the commemorations in the future; and the surrounding structural and community-based strategies that will enhance such a campaign.

Healthy settings : past, present and future

Based on previously published work and data from elite interviews, this thesis identifies four challenges for settings-based health promotion - clarifying theory; building bridges; reconfiguring for the 21st century; and promoting a culture of evaluation, learning and development. It concludes by mapping future directions for health settings research, policy and practice.

Environmental scanning literature - past, present and future research propositions

The purpose of this paper is to establish research propositions that can potentially fill research gaps in the literature of environmental scanning. Major databases such as ABI/INFORM, and Emerald have been searched to gather literature. The literature on environmental scanning is reviewed with an aim to identify patterns in scanning practices as well as research gaps in the extant literature. Three major phases of the development and three main characteristics of the literature have been identified. Four propositions are suggested to fill the research gaps in the literature of the environmental scanning practices; namely, firm characteristics, market orientation, and top management cognition perspective. Further empirical research is needed to test the four propositions in order to provide a full picture for the environmental scanning literature. The contributions of this paper are: 1) the revelation of the evolution of the environmental scanning literature; 2) the identification of research gaps in the environmental scanning literature; 3) the establishment of propositions through which future research can further the knowledge of environmental scanning.