Blackwell Publishing

A total of 165 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains that showed larval mortality above 75% were selected from 4459 isolates previously evaluated with respect to Spodoptera frugiperda activity. Molecular characterization was performed based on PCR using specific cry1 primers where 20% did not amplify the expected fragments; 62.4% amplified fragments corresponding to the presence of only one gene, and 15.2%, 1.8% and 0.6% presented a profile of two, three and four different cry1 genes, respectively. SDS–PAGE protein analyses were in accordance with the presence of cry1 genes. The most frequent gene (57.5%) was cry1D , whereas the least frequent genes were cry1Aa/cry1Ad and cry1C (1.2%). However, more than 60% of the evaluated strains had cry1B or cry1E genes. Analyzing cry1 genes and the larval mortality together, the range of activity from the most to least lethal to S. frugiperda was Bt strains with cry1C , cry1B , cry1E , cry1F , cry1A , cry1G and cry1D genes, respectively. The dist...

The association of bullying victimisation by siblings with a) involvement in bullying at school and b) behaviour problems among lower secondary school children in Israel was investigated. Self-report questionnaires of sibling victimisation, peer bullying experiences and behaviour problems were completed by 921 pupils aged 12-15 (mean age 13.7 years). Of the sample, 16.2% were directly bullied by their siblings at home and 11.9% were direct victims of bullying by peers at school every week. More than half of victims of bullying by siblings (50.7%) were also involved in bullying behaviour at school compared to only 12.4% of those not victimised by siblings, indicating a strong link between intrafamilial and extrafamilial peer relationships. Children with poor sibling and peer relationships were at a highly increased risk for behaviour problems. Ethnic (Israeli Jewish vs. Arab) and sex differences were small compared to the effects of sibling relationship on behaviour problems. Intervention strategies directed at reducing bullying in school should take into account pupils' experiences of victimisation by siblings at home.

Sesamia nonagrioides causes high yield losses in maize in northwestern Spain. Therefore, a recurrent selection programme to improve resistance against this pest has been carried out in a maize synthetic population. The main purposes of this investigation were to ...

ABSTRACT Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: This study investigates whether the existence of a separate risk committee and risk committee characteristics are associated with market risk disclosures. It also tests whether the role of a risk committee in affecting market risk disclosures varies for different firm life cycle stages. Research Findings/Insights: Using 677 firm-year observations of financial firms from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during the years 2007–2011, we find that firms with a separate risk committee are associated with greater market risk disclosures, an effect that is more pronounced for mature-stage firms. Furthermore, findings suggest that risk committee qualifications and size have a significant positive impact on market risk disclosures. Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsThis study complements the corporate governance literature by incorporating agency theory, legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, and the resource-based theory to provide more robust evidence of the impact of a separate risk committee and the firm life cycle on market risk disclosures. Our results support the monitoring effect of a separate risk committee and suggest that a separate risk committee can improve “firm-level corporate governance” in the GCC countries characterized with a poor informational environment. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Findings from this study provide evidence that risk committees’ existence, qualifications and size may be used as a channel to improve the disclosure level, suggesting a policy prescription for regulators and policy makers. Investors may also find these results useful in forming their own expectations about the firm level risk disclosure.

This study examines the effects of a church-based sex education program on sexual communication between adolescents and their parents and peers on such sexual topics as values sexual attraction and sexual identity. Sex education programs have recently focused on interpersonal aspects of sexuality including communication in an effort to provide thorough coverage of sexual issues as well as basic knowledge. In the current study a pretest posttest follow-up design including a control group was used to assess changes in communication about sexual topics to father mother best friend and dating partner. The advantages of church programs as well as directions for further development of such programs are discussed. (authors)