bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two-component energy spectrum of cuprates in the pseudogap phase and its evolution with temperature and at charge ordering
Authors: Gor'kov Lev P. , Teitel'baum Gregory B.
Published: February 2015

In the search for mechanisms of high-temperature superconductivity it is critical to know the electronic spectrum in the pseudogap phase from which superconductivity evolves. The lack of angle-resolved photoemission data for every cuprate family precludes an agreement as to its structure, doping and temperature dependence and the role of charge ordering. Here we show that, in the entire Fermi-liquid-like regime that is ubiquitous in underdoped cuprates, the spectrum consists of holes on the Fermi arcs and an electronic pocket. We argue that experiments on the Hall coefficient identify the latter as a permanent feature at doped hole concentration x > 0.08–0.10, in contrast to the idea of the Fermi surface reconstruction via charge ordering. The longstanding issue of the origin of the negative Hall coefficient in YBCO and Hg1201 at low temperature is resolved: the electronic contribution prevails as mobility of the latter (evaluated by the Dingle temperature) becomes temperature independent, while the mobility of holes scattered by the short-wavelength charge density waves decreases.
Distinct kinetics of molecular gelation in a confined space and its relation to the structure and property of thin gel films
Authors: Liu Yu , Zhao Wen-Jing , Li Jing-Liang , Wang Rong-Yao
Published: February 2015

Distinct kinetic feature of the molecular gelation in a confined or unconfined regime, and its relationship with the tailored fiber network structure and mechanical properties.
Quantitating membrane bleb stiffness using AFM force spectroscopy and an optical sideview setup
Authors: Gonnermann Carina , Huang Chaolie , Becker Sarah F. , Stamov Dimitar R. , Wedlich Doris , Kashef Jubin , Franz Clemens M.
Published: February 2015

Atomic force microscopy micro-indentation measurements in combination with an optical sideview setup to characterize the stiffness of blebbing and non-blebbing membranes in the same cell.
Rhodamine derived colorimetric and fluorescence mercury(ii) chemodosimeter for human breast cancer cell (MCF7) imaging
Authors: Kumari Babli , Lohar Sisir , Adhikari Sangita , Sengupta Archya , Chattopadhyay Ansuman , Brandão Paula , Vítor Félix Vítor Félix , Das Debasis
Published: February 2015

Condensation of rhodaminehydrazone with naphthalene-1-carboxaldehyde generates a colourless probe, RDHDNAP that can selectively detect Hg2+through generation of a pink color along with significant fluorescence enhancement.
Synthesis and photocatalysis of mesoporous titania templated by natural rubber latex
Authors: Li Junjie , Chen Yongjuan , Wang Yunan , Yan Zhiying , Duan Deliang , Wang Jiaqiang
Published: February 2015

The natural latex secreted by plants was used as a biotemplate to synthesize porous materials, and high photocatalytic activity was achieved by using this natural rubber latex templated titania under solar light.
Effective siRNA therapy of hepatoma mediated by a nonviral vector with MRI-visibility and biodegradability
Authors: Wang Jin , Ren Linglan , Li Jingguo , Huang Jinsheng , Cheng Du , Shuai Xintao
Published: February 2015

A biodegradable nanocarrier, PLI-SPION, was used to simultaneously deliver survivin-specific siRNA and MRI contrast agent SPIO.
Formation of N3− during interaction of NO with reduced ceria
Authors: Mihaylov Mihail Y. , Ivanova Elena Z. , Aleksandrov Hristiyan A. , Petkov Petko St. , Vayssilov Georgi N. , Hadjiivanov Konstantin I.
Published: February 2015

The first stages of interaction between NO and reduced ceria comprise the formation of azides, N3−, with simultaneous oxidation of Ce3+ to Ce4+.
Self-oriented β-crystalline phase in the polyvinylidene fluoride ferroelectric and piezo-sensitive ultrathin Langmuir–Schaefer film
Authors: Maji Subrata , Sarkar Piyush Kanti , Aggarwal Leena , Ghosh Sujoy Kumar , Mandal Dipankar , Sheet Goutam , Acharya Somobrata
Published: February 2015

Ordered β-phase PVDF showing ferroelectric switching and piezoelectric behavior is obtained by just increasing the number of Langmuir–Schaefer layers.
SnO2 nanocrystal-decorated mesoporous ZSM-5 as a precious metal-free electrode catalyst for methanol oxidation
Authors: Cui Xiangzhi , Zhu Yan , Hua Zile , Feng Jingwei , Liu Ziwei , Chen Lisong , Shi Jianlin
Published: February 2015

The synergetic catalytic effects between the mesoporous ZSM-5 matrix and the loaded SnO2 nanocrystals endow the precious metal-free electrode catalyst SnO2/m-ZSM-5 nanocomposite with high and stable catalytic activity for methanol oxidation.
Study of the effect of polymorphism on the self-assembly and catalytic performance of an l-proline based molecular hydrogelator
Authors: Díaz-Oltra Santiago , Berdugo Cristina , Miravet Juan F. , Escuder Beatriu
Published: February 2015

Polymorphs of a self-assembled proline-based catalyst lead to different catalytic results in a direct aldol reaction.
A convenient synthesis strategy for microphase-separating functional copolymers: the cyclohydrocarbosilane tool box
Authors: Rittscher V. , Gallei M.
Published: February 2015

Functional polyhydrocarbosilane-based homo and diblock copolymers are prepared by combination of anionic ring-opening polymerization and postmodification with functional vinyl compounds.
Switching the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4by homogenous surface chemical modification with nitrogen residues and vacancies
Authors: Wang Xue Lu , Fang Wen Qi , Yao Yefeng , Liu Porun , Wang Yun , Zhang Haimin , Zhao Huijun , Yang Hua Gui
Published: February 2015

A facile two-step homogenous approach is established to produce and control the nitrogen vacancies on the g-C3N4photocatalysts.
Ultralight and flexible supercapacitor electrodes made from Ni(OH)2nanosheets doped with Ag nanoparticle/3D graphene composite
Authors: Lan Wei , Sun Yaru , Chen Youxin , Wang Junya , Tang Guomei , Dou Wei , Su Qing , Xie Erqing
Published: February 2015

Ag nanoparticle doped Ni(OH)2nanosheets are deposited on flexible 3D graphene by a facile hydrothermal method. The electrode shows high specific capacitance with an increase of ~23% and excellent rate capability. The electrode also has good cycle stability.
Palladium modified magnetic mesoporous carbon derived from metal–organic frameworks as a highly efficient and recyclable catalyst for hydrogenation of nitroarenes
Authors: Dong Zhengping , Liang Kun , Dong Chunxu , Li Xinlin , Le Xuanduong , Ma Jiantai
Published: February 2015

Magnetic mesoporous carbon (Fe–MC) derived from MOFs as catalyst support to fabricate Pd nanoparticles based catalyst Fe@Pd–MC for hydrogenation of nitroarenes.
In situ light-assisted preparation of MoS2 on graphitic C3N4 nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production from water
Authors: Zhao Hui , Dong Yuming , Jiang Pingping , Miao Hongyan , Wang Guangli , Zhang Jingjing
Published: February 2015

In situ photodeposition of MoS2 on graphitic C3N4 surfaces for enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution from water.
Electronic properties of tin dichalcogenide monolayers and effects of hydrogenation and tension
Authors: Wen Shijie , Pan Hui , Zheng Yuebing
Published: February 2015

The band gap of semiconducting SnS2 monolayers can be tuned by hydrogenation and tension.
Improved modeling of two-dimensional transitions in dense phases on crystalline surfaces. Krypton–graphite system
Authors: Ustinov E. A.
Published: February 2015

This paper presents a refined technique to describe two-dimensional phase transitions in dense fluids adsorbed on a crystalline surface. Prediction of parameters of 2D liquid–solid equilibrium is known to be an extremely challenging problem, which is mainly due to a small difference in thermodynamic functions of coexisting phases and lack of accuracy of numerical experiments in case of their high density. This is a serious limitation of various attempts to circumvent this problem. To improve this situation, a new methodology based on the kinetic Monte Carlo method was applied. The methodology involves analysis of equilibrium gas–liquid and gas–solid systems undergoing an external potential, which allows gradual shifting parameters of the phase coexistence. The interrelation of the chemical potential and tangential pressure for each system is then treated with the Gibbs–Duhem equation to obtain the point of intersection corresponding to the liquid/solid–solid equilibrium coexistence. The methodology is demonstrated on the krypton–graphite system below and above the 2D critical temperature. Using experimental data on the liquid–solid and the commensurate–incommensurate transitions in the krypton monolayer derived from adsorption isotherms, the Kr–graphite Lennard–Jones parameters have been corrected resulting in a higher periodic potential modulation.
Material Parenting: How the Use of Goods in Parenting Fosters Materialism in the Next Generation
Authors: Richins Marsha L. , Chaplin Lan Nguyen
Published: February 2015

This research introduces the concept of material parenting, in which parents use material goods to express their love or to shape children’s behavior. Despite the common use of material goods for these purposes, possible long term effects of material parenting practices have not been studied. This article addresses this oversight by examining the potential effects of material parenting on the material values of children once they’re grown. This research proposes and tests a material parenting pathway, in which warm and supportive parents provide children with material rewards that in the long run foster materialism in adulthood. An insecurity pathway to materialism, previously proposed in the literature, is also examined. Results from three survey studies provide support for both pathways. Results also suggest that material parenting may influence children’s material values by (possibly unintentionally) encouraging them to use possessions to shape and transform the self.
Bremia lactucae Infection Efficiency in Lettuce is Modulated by Temperature and Leaf Wetness Duration Under Quebec Field Conditions
Authors: Fall M. L. , Van der Heyden H. , Beaulieu C. , Carisse O.
Published: February 2015

More than 80% of Canadian lettuce production is located in the province of Quebec. Yet most of our knowledge on the epidemiology of lettuce downy mildew (Bremia lactucae) is derived from controlled-condition experiments or field experiments conducted in subtropical climates and, thus, cannot readily be applied to Quebec lettuce production. The influence of temperature and leaf wetness duration on the infection efficiency (IE) of B. lactucae was studied for 4 years (2003, 2004, 2012, and 2013) under field and growth-chamber conditions. IE was defined as the ratio of the number of lesions/leaf to the airborne conidia concentration (ACC). B. lactucae ACC was measured with rotating-arm samplers three times/week. In addition, 72 lettuce trap plants/sampling day were exposed to the potential airborne B. lactucae inoculum and disease intensity was assessed after 7 days of incubation in greenhouse. Under growth-chamber conditions, an ACC of 1 conidium/m3 was sufficient to cause 1 lesion/leaf, and IE ranged from 0.25 to 1.00. Under field conditions, an ACC of 10 to 14 conidia/m3 was required to cause 1 lesion/leaf, and IE ranged from 0.02 to 0.10, except in 2004, when IE ranged from 0.03 to 1.00. IE increased with increasing leaf wetness duration but decreased with increasing temperature. Also, considering an observed average temperature range from 10 to 20°C in the area of Quebec, 2 h of leaf wetness was sufficient for infection by B. lactucae. Therefore, under Quebec lettuce production conditions, a leaf wetness period of 2 h and an ACC of 10 to 14 conidia/m3 can be used as risk indicators to facilitate disease management decisions. Also, under typical Quebec weather conditions, measuring both morning and evening leaf wetness events could be used to improve the reliability of leaf wetness duration as a downy mildew risk indicator. Further research is needed to validate these risk indicators for integration into management strategies.
Comparison of Next-Generation Sequencing Versus Biological Indexing for the Optimal Detection of Viral Pathogens in Grapevine
Authors: Al Rwahnih Maher , Daubert Steve , Golino Deborah , Islas Christina , Rowhani Adib
Published: February 2015

A bioassay is routinely used to determine the viral phytosanitary status of commercial grapevine propagation material in many countries around the world. That test is based on the symptoms developed in the field by specific indicator host plants that are graft-inoculated from the vines being tested. We compared the bioassay against next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of grapevine material. NGS is a laboratory procedure that catalogs the genomic sequences of the viruses and other pathogens extracted as DNA and RNA from infected vines. NGS analysis was found to be superior to the standard bioassay in detection of viruses of agronomic significance, including virus infections at low titers. NGS was also found to be superior to the bioassay in its comprehensiveness, the speed of its analysis, and for the discovery of novel, uncharacterized viruses.
Climate influences on the cost-effectiveness of vector-based interventions against malaria in elimination scenarios
Authors: Parham Paul E. , Hughes Dyfrig A.
Published: February 2015

Despite the dependence of mosquito population dynamics on environmental conditions, the associated impact of climate and climate change on present and future malaria remains an area of ongoing debate and uncertainty. Here, we develop a novel integration of mosquito, transmission and economic modelling to assess whether the cost-effectiveness of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) againstPlasmodium falciparumtransmission byAnopheles gambiaes.s. mosquitoes depends on climatic conditions in low endemicity scenarios. We find that although temperature and rainfall affect the cost-effectiveness of IRS and/or LLIN scale-up, whether this is sufficient to influence policy depends on local endemicity, existing interventions, host immune response to infection and the emergence rate of insecticide resistance. For the scenarios considered, IRS is found to be more cost-effective than LLINs for the same level of scale-up, and both are more cost-effective at lower mean precipitation and higher variability in precipitation and temperature. We also find that the dependence of peak transmission on mean temperature translates into optimal temperatures for vector-based intervention cost-effectiveness. Further cost-effectiveness analysis that accounts for country-specific epidemiological and environmental heterogeneities is required to assess optimal intervention scale-up for elimination and better understand future transmission trends under climate change.
Evidence that implicit assumptions of ‘no evolution’ of disease vectors in changing environments can be violated on a rapid timescale
Authors: Egizi Andrea , Fefferman Nina H. , Fonseca Dina M.
Published: February 2015

Projected impacts of climate change on vector-borne disease dynamics must consider many variables relevant to hosts, vectors and pathogens, including how altered environmental characteristics might affect the spatial distributions of vector species. However, many predictive models for vector distributions consider their habitat requirements to be fixed over relevant time-scales, when they may actually be capable of rapid evolutionary change and even adaptation. We examine the genetic signature of a spatial expansion by an invasive vector into locations with novel temperature conditions compared to its native range as a proxy for how existing vector populations may respond to temporally changing habitat. Specifically, we compare invasions into different climate ranges and characterize the importance of selection from the invaded habitat. We demonstrate that vector species can exhibit evolutionary responses (altered allelic frequencies) to a temperature gradient in as little as 7–10 years even in the presence of high gene flow, and further, that this response varies depending on the strength of selection. We interpret these findings in the context of climate change predictions for vector populations and emphasize the importance of incorporating vector evolution into models of future vector-borne disease dynamics.
Are you connected? Leadership in the era of social media
Authors: Phillip Tredgold Gordon
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This article aims to discuss the connection between Leadership and Social Media.

Design/methodology/approach

– Future Leaders will need to be adept with Social Media to achieve their full potent as leaders.

Findings

– Future Leaders will need to be adept with Social Media to achieve their full potent as leaders.

Originality/value

– This is an original piece of work written by Gordon Tredgold.
The future of leadership development: how can L&D professionals design and develop our next generation of leaders?
Authors: Meager Karen , McLachlan John
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to inform L&D Professionals of our research finding and the key highlights from our published book, so that they can use this information when reviewing or designing Leadership Development Programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

– We wanted to discover the common themes present in successful leadership. We researched over 60 leaders from businesses of various sizes and structures. They completed a set of multiple choice questions (personality profiling questions) and then we asked them a set of open question to identify their likes/dislikes, keys to success, areas for development, values and main issues they face.

Findings

– We found that the leaders profiled across a broad spectrum of personality types (from the multiple choice questions), and yet there were strong similarities in the themes in the open question answers. We concluded that successful leadership was not dependant on a personality type but could be developed and learnt while staying true to your own personality.

Research limitations/implications

– We would have liked to research more leaders and define the research specifically by type of organization. As the purpose of the research was to inform our writing of a useful and practical leadership development book, we did not feel it was essential for this purpose.

Practical implications

– We would like this to inform the shape of future leadership development towards a more “whole person” development and away from the traditional skills-based approach. This will support leaders to be healthier, more successful and better role models.

Social implications

– Leaders are one of the most important roles in the world, and we need healthier, more rounded, emotionally regulated, more focused leaders to be appropriate role models for future generations. It is also important that a diverse range of leadership styles is accepted and developed in organizations.

Originality/value

– What is new in our paper is the development of the idea, supported by our research that Leaders can be authentic and successful without the need for a personality transplant. We have brought together our research with our psychological qualifications and business experience to produce a leadership development approach that is deep in its thinking and construction but easy and practical to use and apply.
Nurse managers’ role in older nurses’ intention to stay
Authors: Armstrong-Stassen Marjorie , Freeman Michelle , Cameron Sheila , Rajacic Dale
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model of the underlying mechanisms linking perceived availability of human resource (HR) practices relevant to older nurses and older nurses’ intentions to stay with their hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

– Quantitative data were collected from randomly selected older registered nurses (N=660) engaged in direct patient care in hospitals in Canada. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

– The relationship between perceptions of HR practices (performance evaluation, recognition/respect) and intentions to stay was mediated by the perceived fairness with which nurse managers managed these HR practices and nurse manager satisfaction. When nurse managers were perceived to administer the HR practices fairly (high perceived procedural justice), older nurses were more satisfied with their nurse manager and, in turn, more likely to intend to stay.

Research limitations/implications

– The cross-sectional research design does not allow determination of causality.

Practical implications

– It is important that nurse managers receive training to increase their awareness of the needs of older nurses and that nurse managers be educated on how to manage HR practices relevant to older nurses in a fair manner. Equally important is that hospital administrators and HR managers recognize the importance of providing such HR practices and supporting nurse managers in managing these practices.

Originality/value

– The findings increase the understanding of how HR practices tailored to older nurses are related to the intentions of these nurses to remain with their hospital, and especially the crucial role that first-line nurse managers play in this process.
Organizing integrated care for older persons: strategies in Sweden during the past decade
Authors: Berglund Helene , Blomberg Staffan , Dunér Anna , Kjellgren Karin
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse ways of organizing integrated care for older persons in Sweden during the past decade.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data consist of 62 cases of development work, described in official reports. A meta-analysis of cases was performed, including content analysis of each case. A theoretical framework comprising different forms of integration (co-ordination, contracting, co-operation and collaboration) was applied.

Findings

– Co-operation was common and collaboration, including multiprofessional teamwork, was rare in the cases. Contracting can be questioned as being a form of integration, and the introduction of consumer choice models appeared problematic in inter-organization integration. Goals stated in the cases concerned steering and designing care, rather than outcome specifications for older persons. Explicit goals to improve integration in itself could imply that the organizations adapt to strong normative expectations in society. Trends over the decade comprised development of local health care systems, introduction of consumer choice models and contracting out.

Research limitations/implications

– Most cases were projects, but others comprised evaluations of regular organization of integrated care. These evaluations were often written normatively, but constituted the conditions for practice and were important study contributions.

Practical implications

– Guiding clinical practice to be aware of importance of setting follow-up goals.

Social implications

– Awareness of the risk that special funds may impede sustainable strategies development.

Originality/value

– A theoretical framework of forms of integration was applied to several different strategies, which had been carried out mostly in practice. The study contributes to understanding of how different strategies have been developed and applied to organize integrated care, and highlights some relationships between integration theory and practice.
A degradation model for maintenance improvement in respect of cost and availability
Authors: Letot Christophe , Dehombreux Pierre , Rivière-Lorphèvre Edouard , Fleurquin Guillaume , Lesage Arnaud
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for degradation data in order to improve the reliability and the mean residual life estimation of a specific item of equipment and to adapt the preventive maintenance tasks accordingly.

Design/methodology/approach

– An initial reliability model which uses a degradation-based reliability model that is built from the collection of hitting times of a failure threshold. The proposed maintenance model is based on the cost/availability criterion. The estimation of both reliability and optimum time for preventive maintenance are updated with all new degradation data that are collected during operating time.

Findings

– An improvement for the occurrences of maintenance tasks which minimizes the mean cost per unit of time and increases the availability.

Practical implications

– Inspection tasks to measure the degradation level should be realized at least one time for each item of equipment at a specific time determined by the proposed methodology.

Originality/value

– The introduction of a criterion which helps the maintainer to decide to postpone or not the preventive replacement time depending on the measured degradation level of a specific item of equipment.
From export entry to de-internationalisation through entrepreneurial attributes
Authors: Lafuente Esteban , Stoian Maria-Cristina , Rialp Josep
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine export behaviour from a broad perspective considering the influence of entrepreneurial attributes on export entry, export sustainability and de-internationalisation in Romanian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on theoretical underpinnings from the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and the Institutional Economics (IE) framework, the proposed hypotheses are tested with a rich survey data set of 319 Romanian SMEs. The data are analysed by means of a multinomial logit regression.

Findings

– The study reveals that exporting is not a single event and that variables commonly used to study export propensity linked to the entrepreneurial attributes have a differential influence over the export decisions. More concretely, export entry is positively impacted by the presence of management studies and an entrepreneurial team while sustainment in the international arena is strongly and positively influenced by decision-makers’ prior labour experience. De-internationalisation is explained by the entrepreneurs’ fear of business failure. The conclusions of this study point towards a holistic view of export policy making revealing relevant implications for SMEs’ internationalisation.

Originality/value

– This study enriches the international business literature by simultaneously examining different export decisions, namely export initiation, sustainability and de-internationalisation, at the SMEs’ level in a Central and Eastern European (CEE) emerging market. The paper also highlights the dynamic character of entrepreneurial resources and suggests that at distinct stages in the international development of a SME, different entrepreneurial attributes may play a significant role.
Contextual and cultural determinants of entrepreneurship in pre- and post-revolutionary Tunisia
Authors: Touzani Mourad , Jlassi Fahd , Maalaoui Adnan , Bel Haj Hassine Rabi
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations and inhibitions linked to the entrepreneurial act in Tunisia, a country belonging to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The findings of such a study help to better understand why new graduates are reluctant to create their own firms in spite of the political efforts made by the government.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative approach is adopted. It is based on 38 semi-directive in-depth interviews conducted with new graduates in entrepreneurship, some of them being young entrepreneurs, and others who did not go through the entrepreneurial process. On the basis of the data collected, a thematic content analysis has been carried out.

Findings

– A set of contextual and cultural factors has been highlighted by the analysis. When the context is characterised by poverty, mafia, corruption, or even by a popular revolution or a war in a neighbouring country, these factors may significantly affect new graduates’ decision to create their own firm. Besides, the entrepreneurial decision may be affected by cultural factors: the bureaucratic system, autocracy, and the existence of entrepreneurial milieus such as social class, region, and geographical regions.

Research limitations/implications

– The inductive qualitative approach adopted in a research study affects the generalisable character of the results. This study is also geographically limited to the great Tunis area (the capital and its suburbs).

Originality/value

– This study has been carried out in a context of an emergent country from the MENA region. This special setting leads to the valorisation of an understudied set of contextual and cultural motivations and inhibitors of entrepreneurship.
Governance, firm-level characteristics and their impact on the client’s voluntary sustainability disclosures and assurance decisions
Authors: Kend Michael
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to consider three distinct bodies of literature and uses stakeholder theory as the premise of this study. The first deals with corporate sustainability reporting and voluntary disclosure behaviour, and corporate governance at the firm level, the second deals with the decision to utilize assurance services (voluntary adoption) and the third relates to the choice of auditor/assurance provider.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study investigates these issues using archival data from some of the Top 200 listed companies in 2010 from the countries Australia and the UK. The final matched-pair sample consists of 220 listed companies.

Findings

– The study finds that audit client size and the strength of corporate governance structures are significant in explaining the decision to produce a standalone sustainability report. Whereas few of these variables provide any explanatory value on the voluntary decision to assure the sustainability report, the existence of an active and diligent audit committee does have positive significance. Finally, the existence of an active and diligent sustainability committee is significant in explaining the choice of assurance provider where a member of the auditing profession was selected by the firm’s management.

Originality/value

– Few studies (if any), have found a link between governance characteristics, sustainability report production, and assurance provider. The current study attempts to address this knowledge gap, and also considers the assurance work by professionals outside the auditing profession, and identifies which governance and firm-level characteristics may explain demand for their assurance services. This current study, assists to understand the low incidence of assurance and what might be necessary to increase demand for this type of assurance.
Five ways to hack and cheat with bring‐your‐own‐device electronic examinations
Authors: Dawson Phillip
Published: February 2015

Bring‐your‐own‐device electronic examinations (BYOD e‐exams) are a relatively new type of assessment where students sit an in‐person exam under invigilated conditions with their own laptop. Special software restricts student access to prohibited computer functions and files, and provides access to any resources or software the examiner approves. In this study, the decades‐old computer security principle that ‘software security depends on hardware security’ is applied to a range of BYOD e‐exam tools. Five potential hacks are examined, four of which are confirmed to work against at least one BYOD e‐exam tool. The consequences of these hacks are significant, ranging from removal of the exam paper from the venue through to receiving live assistance from an outside expert. Potential mitigation strategies are proposed; however, these are unlikely to completely protect the integrity of BYOD e‐exams. Educational institutions are urged to balance the additional affordances of BYOD e‐exams for examiners against the potential affordances for cheaters.
Across‐ecoregion analysis suggests a hierarchy of ecological filters that regulate recruitment of a globally invasive fish
Authors: Bajer P. G. , Cross T. K. , Lechelt J. D. , Chizinski C. J. , Weber M. J. , Sorensen P. W.
Published: February 2015

Aim

Even successful invaders are abundant only in a fraction of locales they inhabit. One of the main challenges in invasion ecology is explaining processes that drive these patterns. We investigated recruitment of a globally invasive fish, common carp (Cyprinus carpio), across three ecoregions to determine the role of environmental characteristics, predatory communities and propagule pressure on the invasion process at coarse and fine spatial scales.

Location

Lakes across Northern Forest, Temperate Forest and Great Plains ecoregions of North America.

Methods

We used data from 567 lakes to model presence or absence of carp recruitment using environmental conditions (lake clarity, area, maximum depth), native predatory fishes (micropredators, mesopredators, large predators) and propagule pressure (abundance of adult carp). We formed a set of alternative models and evaluated their support using an information theoretic approach. Once most supported models were identified, we used classification tree to determine how variables included in these models interacted to affect carp recruitment. Finally, we conducted a field experiment to test the predictions of the classification tree analysis.

Results

Carp recruitment was strongly regulated by processes associated with water clarity, which appeared to function as a broad‐scale ecological filter. Carp were unlikely to recruit in clear, oligotrophic lakes (Secchi depth > 2 m) despite the presence of adults in many such systems. Recruitment was more likely to occur in regions with turbid lakes, but abundant micropredators could inhibit it there.

Main conclusions

Carp recruitment and invasions across large geographic areas are attributable to a two‐layer ecological filter with lake clarity/productivity acting as a coarse‐scale filter and micropredators acting as a fine‐scale filter. This two‐layer filter might explain the complex patterns of carp invasions among and within different ecoregions. Ecological filters may also explain the success of other aquatic invaders that show similarly patchy spatial distribution patterns.
Feasibility and efficacy of outpatient therapy with intermediate dose cytarabine, fludarabine and idarubicin for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia aged 70 or older
Authors: Vives Susana , Oriol Albert , Piernas Sònia , Brunet Salut , Clapés Victòria , Guardia Ramon , Subirà Maricel , Sierra Jordi , Ribera Josep‐Maria ,   the CETLAM Group
Published: February 2015

Objectives

A multicentre prospective non‐randomised study of de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in patients aged ≥70 yr was designed to reduce toxicity and achieve acceptable complete remission (CR) rates.

Methods

The outpatient treatment included induction with oral fludarabine, subcutaneous cytarabine and subcutaneous filgrastim (FAG). The patients received more induction cycles according to the response achieved. If there was no response to induction with FAG, the following induction cycle included oral idarubicin, subcutaneous cytarabine and subcutaneous filgrastim (IAG). Patients achieving CR received one intensification (FAG on response to previous FAG or alternatively IAG) and one consolidation cycle (IAG).

Results

Thirty patients were enrolled from April 2004 to June 2007. The median age was 73 yr (range 70–77). Fifteen patients (50%) achieved CR. The 2‐yr DFS was 29% (95% CI, 5–47%), and the 2‐yr OS was 23% (95% CI, 12–35%). Twenty‐five of 69 cycles (36%) were managed on a completely outpatient basis. The median hospital stay per cycle was 10 d (95% CI, 3–25).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the tolerability and efficacy of a semi‐intensive treatment in elderly de novo patients with AML managed on an outpatient basis, without substantial toxicity.
The Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Remains High in African American and Hispanic Veterans
Authors: Nguyen Theresa , Ramsey David , Graham David , Shaib Yasser , Shiota Seiji , Velez Maria , Cole Rhonda , Anand Bhupinderjit , Vela Marcelo , El‐Serag Hashem B.
Published: February 2015

Background

Helicobacter pylori in the United States has been declining in the 1990s albeit less so among blacks and Hispanics. As the socioeconomic status of racial groups has evolved, it remains unclear whether the prevalence or the racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of H. pylori have changed.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional study from a Veteran Affairs center among patients aged 40–80 years old who underwent a study esophagogastroduodenoscopy with gastric biopsies, which were cultured for H. pylori irrespective of findings on histopathology. Positive H. pylori was defined as positive culture or histopathology (stained organism combined with active gastritis). We calculated age‐, race‐, and birth cohort‐specific H. pylori prevalence rates and examined predictors of H. pylori infection in logistic regression models.

Results

We analyzed data on 1200 patients; most (92.8%) were men and non‐Hispanic white (59.9%) or black (28.9%). H. pylori was positive in 347 (28.9%) and was highest among black males aged 50–59 (53.3%; 44.0–62.4%), followed by Hispanic males aged 60–69 (48.1%; 34.2–62.2%), and lowest in non‐Hispanic white males aged 40–49 (8.2%; 2.7–20.5%). In multivariate analysis, age group 50–59 was significantly associated with H. pylori (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 2.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21–4.45) compared with those aged 40–49, and with black race (adjusted OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.83–3.60) and Hispanic ethnicity (adjusted OR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.70–5.34) compared with non‐Hispanic white. Irrespective of age group, patients born during 1960–1969 had a lower risk of H. pylori (adjusted OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22–0.96) compared to those born in 1930–1939. Those with some college education were less likely to have H. pylori compared to those with no college education (adjusted OR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.37–0.69).

Conclusion

Among veterans, the prevalence of active H. pylori remains high (28.9%) with even higher rates in blacks and Hispanics with lower education levels.
Improved Inter‐calibration of Faraday Cup and Ion Counting for In Situ Pb Isotope Measurements Using LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS: Application to the Study of the Origin of the Fangshan Pluton, North China
Authors: Zhang Wen , Hu Zhaochu , Yang Lu , Liu Yongsheng , Zong Keqing , Xu Haijin , Chen Haihong , Gao Shan , Xu Lei
Published: February 2015

A laser ablation multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS) method was developed to obtain precise and accurate Pb isotopic ratio measurements in low‐Pb materials (< 10 μg g−1) using a combination of Faraday cups and ion counters (FC–IC). The low abundance 204Pb (~ 1.4%) was collected using an IC. A NBS 981 standard solution was used to cross‐calculate the FC–IC gain and to investigate the signal response characteristics of the IC. A significant, continuous and linear decrease in the FC–IC gain was observed within 1 hr, but this drift could be corrected using the calibrator‐sample‐calibrator bracketing method. In addition, a non‐linear response of the IC used in this study was observed and corrected by a non‐linear correction algorithm, which was established by measuring a series of gravimetrically prepared NBS 981 standard solutions (NIST SRM 981). Compared with the conventional arrangement, the use of the newly designed X skimmer cone and Jet sample cone improved the signal intensities from Pb isotopes by a factor of 1.9. Compared with only Faraday cups, using a combination FC–IC array was found to enhance the measurement repeatability (RSD) of 20xPb/204Pb by approximately one order of magnitude when the 204Pb intensity was < 8 mV. Eight natural glasses and the NIST SRM 612 reference material glass (as a calibration material) were measured to evaluate the new protocol for Pb isotope determination. The analytical results were in agreement with the reference values within 2s measurement uncertainties. For MPI‐DING ATHO‐G (5.67 μg g−1 total Pb), KL2‐G (2.07 μg g−1 total Pb) and ML3B‐G (1.38 μg g−1 total Pb), the typical accuracies of 20xPb/204Pb were 0.09% of preferred values with precisions of < 0.33% (2RSD). The Pb isotope ratios in feldspars from granodiorite and within mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) from the Fangshan pluton, North China, were measured using the present method. The Pb isotopic compositions of feldspars from the whole host granodiorite show that that are radiogenic in the margin zone and gradually become less radiogenic. For the MMEs, the Pb isotopic compositions of feldspars are highly variable and overlap with those of the whole host granodiorite. For single‐grain feldspar, the strong rim‐core‐rim variations of the Pb isotopic compositions and trace elements are interpreted to have been generated via magma mixing. These results suggest that the Fangshan pluton underwent magma mixing of mantle‐derived mafic magmas with felsic magmas, and the proportion of the mafic magma influx decreased over time.
Post‐ICU symptoms, consequences, and follow‐up: an integrative review
Authors: Svenningsen Helle , Langhorn Leanne , Ågård Anne Sophie , Dreyer Pia
Published: February 2015

Aim

To determine the symptoms seen in patients after discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU) and the follow‐up programmes offered to help patients deal with the problems that arise after an ICU stay.

Background

An increasing number of people are discharged from an ICU to continued treatment, care and rehabilitation in general hospital wards, rehabilitation facilities and at home. A prolonged stay in an ICU is associated with stressful memories that have long‐term physical, mental and social consequences for health‐related quality of life. We therefore conducted a data search to identify the programmes that have attempted to cope with these consequences.

Data sources

Searches of six online databases were conducted in December 2013.

Review methods

Qualitative or quantitative, original, empirical studies on symptoms and consequences associated with ICU stay and the follow‐up programmes offered were reviewed. Excluded were studies in ICU patients younger than 18 years published in languages other than Scandinavian or English. We analysed original empirical studies according to symptoms, consequences and follow‐up programmes and added a category ‘new ideas’. This was done to identify any possible evolution in the programmes offered to patients after ICU care. The review of the literature and the critical analysis were summarized in a figure in order to join the different parts together into a logical, coherent whole.

Conclusions

Patients discharged from an ICU are heterogeneous, with a wide array of physical, mental and social problems. They and their close relatives can benefit from returning together to the ICU or participating in follow‐up programmes. Little is known about the specific effects of the different types of follow‐up.

Relevance to clinical practice

ICU staff as well as other professionals should prepare patients and relatives for the fact that they may need various types of help for many months after discharge from the ICU, and an overview of national and local opportunities for help should be offered.
Freedom and Determinism: The Importance of Method
Authors: Leon Mark
Published: February 2015

The question of the relation between freedom and determinism elicits contrasting intuitions. It is clear to incompatibilists that freedom requires the falsity of determinism. And it is clear to compatibilists that freedom is compatible with (certain) forms of determinism. Compatibilists and incompatibilists differ not only with respect to the content of their accounts, but also with respect to their “method”. Whereas, compatibilists could be represented as (typically) elucidating our ordinary notion of freedom, incompatibilists could be represented as (typically) offering a revision of that notion. I argue that if we get the methodological point right, we can be free and determined.
Infringement of intellectual property in innovation partnerships
Authors: Schubert Torben
Published: February 2015

Using data from the German Community Innovation Survey (CIS) from 2008, we analyze whether innovation partnering increases the risk of experiencing infringement of intellectual property (IP). The results show that depending on types of IP innovation, partnerships increase the risk of infringement by up to 37% compared with the average risk in the sample. The results suggest that this massive increase can be reduced by IP rights and contracts to govern the partnerships. Yet, we show that formal protection mechanisms do not eliminate the sources of opportunistic infringement, because that infringement in innovation partnerships more commonly relates to the infringement of formally unprotected IP, such as tacit knowledge and know‐how.
Natural Law and Normative Inclinations
Authors: Crowe Jonathan
Published: February 2015

Natural law ethics holds that practical rationality consists in engaging in non‐defective ways with a range of fundamental goods. These basic goods are characteristically presented as reflecting the natural properties of humans, but the details of this picture vary widely. This article argues that natural law ethics can usefully be understood as a type of dispositional theory of value, which identifies the basic goods with those objectives that humans are characteristically disposed to pursue and value for their own sake. Natural law theories of practical rationality can then be understood as attempts to capture the principles that would govern engagement with the basic goods under ideal conditions. The article begins by offering an account of normative inclinations as human dispositions both to act in certain ways and to believe that the actions are worthwhile or required. It then explores the implications of this account for natural law ethics, discussing the role of the basic goods in practical rationality, whether the goods may change over time and the connection between the goods and human nature.
Evaluation of afforestation development and natural colonization on a reclaimed mine site
Authors: Laarmann Diana , Korjus Henn , Sims Allan , Kangur Ahto , Kiviste Andres , Stanturf John A.
Published: February 2015

Post‐mining restoration sites often develop novel ecosystems as soil conditions are completely new and ecosystem assemblage can be spontaneous even on afforested sites. This study presents results from long‐term monitoring and evaluation of an afforested oil‐shale quarry in Estonia. The study is based on chronosequence data of soil and vegetation and comparisons are made to similar forest site‐types used in forest management in Estonia. After site reclamation, soil development lowered pH and increased N, K, and organic C content in soil to levels similar to the common Hepatica forest site‐type but P, total C, and pH were more similar to the Calamagrostis forest site‐type. Vegetation of the restoration area differed from that on common forest sites; forest stand development was similar to the Hepatica forest‐type. A variety of species were present that are representive of dry and wet sites, as well as infertile and fertile sites. It appears that novel ecosystems may be developing on post‐mining reclaimed land in Northeast Estonia and may require adaptations to typical forest management regimes that have been based on site‐types. Monitoring and evaluation gives an opportunity to plan further management activities on these areas.