Morphological changes in the shape of the non‐pathological bony knee joint with age: a morphometric analysis of the distal femur and proximal tibia in three populations of known age at death

This study examines possible morphological variation in the knee joint of Homo sapiens with increasing age in ostensively healthy and non‐pathological distal femora and proximal tibiae. Throughout the lifetime of each individual, the hard tissue of the knee undergoes considerable remodelling as a response to biomechanical stresses, changes in bone microarchitecture and reduction of bone mineral content as a concomitant of ageing. The knee is also subject to greater levels of degenerative joint disease than any other joint. If death occurs whilst such diseases are in the earliest stages, initial bone changes may not be visually obvious in museum specimens. If such specimens are used for comparative analyses, it is hypothesised that changes might render it problematic if all ages are conglomerated into discrete samples. This study therefore investigates the degree to which the distal femur and proximal tibia change shape during ageing and, if changes are present, whether they are expressed similarly in males and females. It also examines whether changes are of greater magnitude than those morphological differences which might exist between populations. In an example population of African‐Americans, results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in shape between age groups and those differences become progressively greater between the youngest and oldest adults. Results also show that although morphological variation caused by ageing is apparent, those shape differences attributable to sexual dimorphism are more powerful. When two additional populations are analysed jointly with the African‐Americans (Caucasian Americans and the European Spitalfields sample), results indicate that inter‐population shape differences are considerably greater than differences caused by increasing age. Results imply that it is justifiable to combine specimens of all ages into discrete samples for comparative purposes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

西汉县级行政首长略论

西汉县令长及其在西汉行政系统中的特殊地位问题,在传世文献资料与尹湾汉简的材料中都有反映。如董仲舒言：“今之郡守、县令,民之师帅,所使承流而宣化也;故师帅不贤,则主德不宣,恩泽不流。”通过分析西汉基层行政,可进一步了解西汉县令长行政类别,行政权限以及县令长与地方王候的微妙关系。     

采光权侵害之法律思考

近几年来,我国司法实践中有关采光权的纠纷层出不穷,索要采光权的案件越来越多,从城市到乡村,邻里之间的采光权争议时有发生。一方面,这反映出人们越来越注重生活质量;另一方面,也显示出法律对于采光权的问题未给予足够的关注,相应的法律法规还不够健全。本文拟对产生采光权侵害的原因以及解决此类纠纷的方式作一探讨。     

可持续发展文化是科学与人文融合的必然选择

“科学”与“人文”的关系表现为“分立”与“融合”,二者的分立所导致的严重后果直接表现为科技的异化和人类价值观的扭曲,间接导致了生态环境的极度恶化和日益严重的生态危机,不利于人类社会的可持续发展。从科学与人文分立的历史追溯,发现既有科学对人文的压制,又有人文对科学的反抗。随着全球性生态危机的日益凸现,科学与人文的融合是必然选择,这既是理论发展的趋势又是现实的要求。可持续发展文化融合了科学与人文的内涵,体现了人文关怀,营造了“科技人性化”发展的氛围。科学与人文必将伴随着可持续发展文化的发展而不断融合。     

现代企业财务治理中存在的问题及其对策

财务治理是公司治理结构中一个非常重要的组成部分。企业财务治理效率的高低,直接影响着公司治理的好坏以及企业的生存和可持续发展。针对现代企业财务治理的现状,优化股权结构、建立共同治理的财务决策机制、完善激励与约束机制以及强化监事会独立的监督权利,是完善现代企业财务治理措施的必然选择。     

Does graduate human capital production increase local economic development? An instrumental variable approach

Using a survey on Italian graduates, we investigate whether universities' degree production affects the economic development of the regions where academic institutions are located. To deal with suspected endogeneity between human capital development and economic growth, we employ an instrumental variable approach, using a global lump sum transferred to each university as an instrument for human capital production. Once we control for the regional flow of mobile students and graduates, the findings reveal the beneficial effect of the university system on local economic development through the gain in human capital.     

Canadiana Abroad: The Department of External Affairs' Book Presentation Programmes, 1949–1963

This article examines one aspect of Canada's early cultural diplomacy. During the late 1940s, the Department of External Affairs frequently received requests for Canadian books from foreign libraries. At the same time, many officials were eager to promote Canadian culture abroad. The Annual Book Presentation Programme was inaugurated with the intention of creating “repositories of Canadiana” which might stimulate interest in Canada among foreign readers. Although the budget for the program was always modest, over the years the department's book gifts did fulfill their aim, creating a basis for the later growth of Canadian studies in universities abroad.     

Makarios cultural diplomacy legacy in the republic of Cyprus

ABSTRACT

The article explores the cultural diplomacy initiatives undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) during Makarios presidency (1960–1977) in order to strengthen the state acknowledgement and visibility in the international scenery and promote a nation brand focused mainly on the Hellenocentric aspect of the Greek-Cypriots’ cultural identity. Cyprus, a recently independent state (1960), shaped its cultural diplomacy practices according to the political developments; on the escalation of bi-communal conflicts internally and the international insecurity provoked by the Cold War rhetoric. This paper aims to map certain state cultural initiatives in an attempt to make connections between the internal identity-building process and the external projection of cultural identity and gain a better understanding about how a small-sized state can pursue and project a nation brand abroad by practicing the diplomacy of culture.     

Human–animal relations and the celebration of place‐identity: A case study of the Scone Racing Carnival,New South Wales

Festivals and carnivals are social‐cultural assemblages of human and non‐human entities. This paper investigates interactions between humans and animals by focusing on the Scone Racing Carnival, a key event in the Scone and Upper Hunter Horse Festival. This paper contributes to existing studies of non‐metropolitan festivals and animal–human relations by questioning how and why non‐humans are enrolled in these cultural events, and the impact this has on place identity. The central argument is that the relationship between humans and thoroughbred horses, in particular, has played a significant role in the creation of a distinctive landscape, a regional identity for the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, and a local identity for Scone. In turn, the carnival has assisted in maintaining an ‘eque‐cultural’ identity through the marketing and annual public celebration of human–horse relationships.