bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated communications: from one look to normative consistency
Authors: Torp Simon
Published: May 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the diversity within integrated communication and to demonstrate how its scope has been broadened to include virtually everything an organization says and does and everyone who is affected by the organization's existence and activities. In the most ambitious interpretations of the concept the integration endeavour extends from the external integration of visual design to the internal integration of the organization's culture and “soul”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a critical and thematic reading of the integrated marketing communication (IMC) field. The review covers both theorists and practitioners and those who are in between: theoretical practitioners and practical theorists, since all parties contribute to the creation of the field and the phenomenon that are the object of analysis in this paper. The focus is on semantic and conceptual development in relation to the range and scope of integrated communication.

Findings

The ideal of integration in connection with marketing communication is not new. The analysis shows that the IMC field is marked by great diversity and disagreement. The ideal scope of integration has expanded. An attempt is made to “map” various approaches and perspectives within the IMC field, based on the distinctions between opponents versus advocates and theoretical versus non‐theoretical.

Research limitations/implications

The paper makes the claim that in many interpretations of the concept integrated communication is focused on control. It does not seek to demonstrate how more dialogical perspectives might be developed within the framework of integrated communication.

Originality/value

The focus in this paper is on the semantic and conceptual development in relation to the range and scope of integrated communication. It usefully asks, how far does the organization's effort at integration extend, and how deeply is it supposed to enter the individual's life: what, in short, is the extent of integrated communication's intervention and influence and outreach.
Influence of solution acidity on composition, structure and electrical parameters of Ni‐P alloys
Authors: Pruszowski Z. , Kowalik P. , Cież M. , Kulawik J.
Published: May 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to characterize electrical parameters of amorphous Ni‐P resistive layers used for fabrication of precise resistors.

Design/methodology/approach

Ni‐P resistive layers were produced by the chemical process in water solution using Ni2 +  and H2PO2− ions. The paper presents the results of the studies concerning the influence of bath acidity and conditions of thermal stabilization on the structure and temperature coefficient of resistance of Ni‐P alloy.

Findings

The temperature coefficient of resistance of amorphous Ni‐P layers was found to depend significantly on the parameters of chemical metallisation process. It was stated that the changes of through‐casing resistivity versus the acidity of technological solution have roughly parabolic characteristics.

Originality/value

In this paper, it was at first explained how the changes of the structure of Ni‐P resistive layers depend on their temperature coefficient of capacitance.
Polymer‐metal nano‐composite films for thermal management
Authors: Carlberg Björn , Wang Teng , Liu Johan , Shangguan Dongkai
Published: May 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel nanostructured polymer‐metal composite film providing continuous all‐metal thermally conductive pathways, intended to meet future performance requirements on thermal interface materials (TIMs) in microelectronics packaging applications.

Design/methodology/approach

Porous polymer structures with a thickness of approximately 100 μm were manufactured using electrospinning technology. Pressure‐assisted infiltration of low‐melting temperature alloy into the porous polymeric carrier resulted in the final composite film. Thermal performance was evaluated using an accurate and improved implementation of the ASTM D5470 standard in combination with an Instron 5548 MicroTester. Finally, a brief comparative study using three current state‐of‐the‐art commercial TIMs were carried out for reference purposes.

Findings

Composite films with continuous all‐metal thermally conductive pathways from surface to surface were successfully fabricated. Thermal resistances down to 8.5 K mm2 W−1 at 70 μm bond‐line thickness were observed, corresponding to an effective thermal conductivity of 8 W m−1 K−1, at moderate assembly pressures (200‐800 kPa), more than twice the effective thermal conductivity of the commercial reference materials evaluated.

Originality/value

A unique high‐performance nanostructured polymer‐metal composite film for TIM applications with the potential to meet the microelectronics industry's future demands on thermal performance and cost efficiency is presented.
The best‐practice supplier diversity program at Caterpillar
Authors: Min Hokey
Published: May 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to profile the successful implementation of a corporate‐wide supplier diversity program utilized by Caterpillar, Inc., one of the Fortune 500 companies. Caterpillar's supplier diversity program can be a blue‐print for other companies which would like to accomplish the corporate mission of promoting the free enterprise system by prohibiting restraints of trade, unfair practices, reciprocity, or abuse of economic power.

Design/methodology/approach

To comply with stricter government regulations demanding a diverse supplier base and match a supplier base to changing customer demographics, a growing number of purchasing organizations have launched supplier diversity programs. Despite such a trend and abundant theory about the supplier diversity program, there is a paucity of case‐based research that can explain what it takes to become a supplier diversity champion. To fill the void left by previous studies, the paper conducted an in‐depth analysis of Capterpillar's best‐practices and unearthed its secret behind the success.

Findings

Through Caterpillar's case, it was found that a supplier diversity program could not only help save sourcing cost, but also enhance quality at the source. Thus, it offers long‐term competitive advantages. Also, a key to the successful supplier diversity program is the buying firm's ability to adapt to new cultural change that breaks the ties with “good old boys networks”.

Originality/value

The paper elaborated on six different strategic initiatives that provided equal contractual opportunity to historically underutilized but qualified suppliers such as small, small disadvantaged, or women‐owned small businesses and leveraged such opportunity to create a strategic sourcing advantage. Other organizations that wish to develop supplier diversity programs may consider these strategic initiatives and emulate Caterpillar's success.
The effect of ranitidine versus proton pump inhibitors on gastric secretions: a meta‐analysis of randomised control trials
Authors: Clark K. , Lam L. T. , Gibson S. , Currow D.
Published: May 2009

Aspiration of acid into the lungs is an infrequent but potentially devastating complication of general anaesthesia. Routine practice often includes use of pharmacological agents to reduce gastric volume and increase gastric pH. The aim of this study was to compare the net benefit of proton pump inhibitors with histamine 2 blockers in a meta‐analysis. Electronic databases were searched for trials that compared ranitidine vs proton pump inhibitors in their effect on volume and pH of gastric fluid aspirates. We identified nine trials of which seven were suitable for meta‐analysis. Pooled outcomes suggest that premedication with ranitidine is more effective than proton pump inhibitors in reducing the volume of gastric secretions (by an average of 0.22 ml.kg−1; 95% confidence interval 0.04–0.41) and increasing gastric pH (by an average of 0.85 pH units; 95% confidence interval −1.14 to −0.28).
Communication skills for the anaesthetist
Authors: Cyna A. M. , Andrew M. I. , Tan S. G. M.
Published: May 2009

Anaesthetists have traditionally focused on technological and pharmacological advances when considering the provision of anaesthetic care. Anaesthetists are expected to be able to communicate effectively with peers, patients, their families and others in the medical community; however, few details are provided regarding how this might be achieved. Recent evidence suggests that communication practices should include a consideration of conscious and subconscious processes and responses. This model has potential relevance when learning and teaching how to communicate effectively in the stressful environment of anaesthetic clinical practice, and includes: reflective listening; observing; acceptance; utilisation; and suggestion. Understanding these processes could allow the development of a learnable framework for effective communication when the usual strategies are not working. This concept could also be used to facilitate communicating with surgeons and other colleagues, with potential benefits to patients.
Distinct roles for tetraspanins CD9, CD63 and CD81 in the formation of multinucleated giant cells
Authors: Parthasarathy Varadarajan , Martin Francine , Higginbottom Adrian , Murray Helen , Moseley Gregory W. , Read Robert C. , Mal Gorakh , Hulme Rachel , Monk Peter N. , Partridge Lynda J.
Published: May 2009

Members of the tetraspanin superfamily of proteins are implicated in a variety of complex cell processes including cell fusion. However, the contribution of individual tetraspanins to these processes has proved difficult to define. Here we report the use of recombinant extracellular regions of tetraspanins to investigate the role of specific members of this family in the fusion of monocytes to form multinucleated giant cells (MGC). In contrast to their positive requirement in sperm–egg fusion, previous studies using antibodies and knockout mice have indicated a negative regulatory role for tetraspanins CD9 and CD81 in this process. In an in vitro model of fusion using human monocytes, we have confirmed observations that antibodies to CD9 and CD81 enhance MGC formation; however, in contrast to previous investigations, we found that all members of a panel of antibodies to CD63 inhibited fusion. Moreover, recombinant proteins corresponding to the large extracellular domains (EC2s) of CD63 and CD9 inhibited MGC formation, whereas the EC2s of CD81 and CD151 had no effect. The potent inhibition of fusion and binding of labelled CD63 EC2 to monocytes under fusogenic conditions suggest a direct interaction with a membrane component required for fusion. Our findings indicate that the tetraspanins CD9, CD63 and CD81 are all involved in MGC formation, but play distinct roles.
Going with the flow? Threatened species management and legislation in the face of climate change
Authors: Adam Paul
Published: May 2009

Summary The potential impacts of climate change on threatened species, populations and communities are considered. It is suggested that minor changes to legislation will be required to address the consequences of movement of threatened species but that threatened species legislation will remain relevant as an important tool for prioritizing conservation actions. The importance of taking proactive steps now to permit future movement of species and communities across fragmented landscapes is emphasized.
Assessment of Eastern Bristlebird habitat: Refining understanding of appropriate habitats for reintroductions
Authors: Baker Jack
Published: May 2009

Summary  The cryptic Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is an endangered endemic of south‐eastern Australia. Its distribution is highly fragmented with only two populations exceeding 500 individuals. Consequently, recovery planning includes translocation to increase the number of viable populations. The Eastern Bristlebird is typically found in low, dense vegetation. The species occurs in 26 different plant communities throughout its range, which suggests that it might be considered a habitat generalist. However, two studies based on aural surveys have demonstrated that it was conspicuous at heath‐wood ecotones. Radiotracking was used to overcome reliance on aural surveys and to investigate the habitat of 12 Eastern Bristlebirds at 50‐m wide heath‐wood ecotones in two sites at Jervis Bay. Although individual birds appeared either to prefer or avoid the heath, ecotone or wood, there was no consistent pattern of habitat selection and there was no attraction to, or avoidance of, the heath‐wood edge at species level. The present study provides further evidence that although heath‐wood ecotones may provide suitable habitat for some individual Eastern Bristlebirds, the species is neither dependent on, nor confined to, heath‐wood ecotones. This knowledge was an important consideration in the selection of two host sites for recently conducted reintroductions of the species.
Weeds and biodiversity conservation: A review of managing weeds under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995
Authors: Downey Paul O. , Williams Moira C. , Whiffen Leonie K. , Turner Peter J. , Burley Alana L. , Hamilton Mark A.
Published: May 2009

Summary  In New South Wales, alien plants pose the second greatest threat to biodiversity behind land clearing and habitat loss, yet current weed management does not always address the biodiversity at risk or put in place mechanisms to ensure their recovery. The problem arises in part from an assumption that control programmes which focus only on the weed will result in a biodiversity benefit, rather than acknowledging the need for an assessment of the biodiversity at risk and subsequent incorporation of such information into management strategies. The New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) has been used as a tool to integrate weed control and biodiversity management through the listing of weeds as key threatening processes and the development and implementation of Threat Abatement Plans (TAPs). Through this process, weed management is forced to focus on actual biodiversity conservation outcomes by directing control to areas where the likelihood of a positive biodiversity response is maximized. Bitou Bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata) was the first weed species listed under the TSC Act as a key threatening process and to have a TAP prepared. Implementation of the Bitou Bush TAP is now potentially assisting the recovery of over 150 native plant species and 24 ecological communities at more than 160 sites. The TAP process is now being used for Lantana (Lantana camara) nationally and for all widespread weed species that threaten biodiversity within each of the 13 Catchment Management Authorities across New South Wales. By focusing the objectives of weed control on biodiversity protection and recovery, and ensuring that sites throughout the distribution of the weed are prioritized, threat reduction and conservation outcomes are more likely to occur at a landscape scale.
The interpretation, assessment and conservation of ecological communities
Authors: Keith David A.
Published: May 2009

Summary  Ecological communities are assemblages of species that occur together in space and time. Their properties include composition, structure, habitat, distribution, biological interactions and ecosystem functions. The community concept has a central role in conservation planning, and is a key approach for biodiversity conservation above the species level. The relatively recent application of risk assessment and regulatory systems to conservation of ecological communities has highlighted a number of challenges related to intrinsic uncertainties in the definition, diagnosis and assessment of ecological communities. In this review, I aim to elucidate some key conceptual issues essential to the interpretation of communities. Effective description, diagnosis and assessment of communities rests on an understanding of community theory in relation to environmental gradients and ecosystem dynamics. Continuum and discrete models can both contribute to interpretation of communities for conservation. Different sources of uncertainty are inherent in the key properties that characterize communities. Although some of these are reducible, remaining uncertainty must be incorporated into assessments and decision‐making processes for conservation. Protocols for assessing extinction risks of communities address rates of decline in distribution, size of distribution and rates of decline in ecological functions. Some protocols assess these factors in a manner that may be inconsistent with equivalent methods for assessing species. Communities may be viewed in a framework that distinguishes thematic, spatial and temporal scales. These scales influence the outcomes of risk assessment, the benefits and limitations of maps and how well communities perform their function in conservation planning. When applied effectively, ecological communities can be powerful tools for delivering cost‐effective outcomes for land‐use planning and biodiversity conservation.
The role of floristic survey data and quantitative analysis in identification and description of ecological communities under threatened species legislation: A case study from north‐eastern New South Wales
Authors: Kendall Penny , Snelson Brett
Published: May 2009

Summary  The concept of ecological communities play an important role in conservation planning and natural resource management. However, inherent uncertainties in the definition and identification of individual communities make it difficult to assess whether particular communities are present on particular sites and how they may be affected by proposed developments or management actions. If communities are poorly defined or misidentified, they may not perform their intended role as effective representations of biodiversity. We use a case study of forest communities dominated by Brown Barrel (Eucalyptus fastigata) in north‐eastern New South Wales to demonstrate the value of quantitative floristic survey data for resolving robust and effective classifications of communities. Numerical analyses of an extensive set of floristic data suggested a re‐configuration of a prior classification based largely on subjective interpretation. Although the general existence of assemblages dominated by Brown Barrel was confirmed, the new classification replaced three prior units with two assemblages that were more robust and better reflected the overall patterns in species composition. As only one of the two assemblages potentially warranted threatened status, the new classification allows scarce conservation resources to be targeted where they are most needed. The quantitative survey data also enabled a more detailed floristic description of the assemblages and provided a basis for maps of point locations and modelled habitat. These maps identified previously undocumented occurrences of the communities and helped to assess their extent of decline since European settlement. Improving the coverage of quadrat‐based floristic sampling is therefore a valuable and cost‐effective investment to inform better management of native vegetation and biodiversity.
Targeted control of widespread exotic species for biodiversity conservation: The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Mahon Paul S.
Published: May 2009

Summary  Widespread exotic species provide one of the greatest challenges to biodiversity conservation because they often have devastating impacts on native biota but are near impossible to eradicate. The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is established across most of mainland Australia, where it has been linked to severe declines and extinctions of a broad suite of native fauna. A targeted approach to reducing the impacts of Foxes on biodiversity was instigated in New South Wales in 2001 under the New South Wales Fox Threat Abatement Plan. It is based on three simple steps. First, explicit priorities for Fox control are established by identifying which native species are at greatest risk from Fox predation and at which sites Fox control for these species is most critical. Second, high‐frequency broad‐area Fox‐control programmes are established across all land tenures at these priority sites. Third, monitoring programmes are established to measure the response of targeted native fauna and Foxes to Fox control. Monitoring helps refine the priorities for control and the methods used over time. This approach provides a model for the strategic control of widespread exotic pests which threaten biodiversity.
Bright lines on fuzzy boundaries? How the law of New South Wales deals with the existence and extent of endangered ecological communities
Authors: Larkin Patrick W.
Published: May 2009

Summary  Endangered ecological communities are described in final determinations made under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). The boundaries of ecological communities usually involve ecotones, with a gradual transition from one community to another. Especially in the case of high‐level communities with wide geographical and climatic distributions, in the vicinity of any location, many species mentioned in final determinations may not be present, leading to debate as to whether the community exists on a site or not. In nature, there are often no bright lines or clear delineations.

The law is a logical system of rules which operate upon people, objects or events. It has developed a system of procedural rules to aid decision‐making. These rules have not been developed in ecological or environmental contexts. Nevertheless, they apply to the interpretation and application of final determinations made under the TSC Act.

The TSC Act, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act) and Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) have adopted as their objects a number of cardinal principles of environmental and ecological management, including the precautionary principle and principles of conservation of biological diversity, ecological integrity and ecologically sustainable development. Application of the ordinary procedural rules has meant that, where choices must be made concerning the interpretation and application of final determinations, interpretations which favour the advancement of these objects are to be preferred. In this manner, where decisions have to be made in a legal context concerning the extent and existence of endangered ecological communities, cardinal ecological principles influence the outcome of the choice.

This paper examines three recent decisions of the Courts concerning the interpretation and application of final determinations under the TSC Act. In these cases, the Court has interpreted and applied the determinations so that their provisions achieve the result which will best give effect to the purpose and language of the TSC, NPW and EP&A Acts, including the adopted cardinal ecological principles, while maintaining the unity of the language in the determinations and avoiding inconsistency. In this search for the meaning which best maintains the unity of the language of the determinations, the Court has been careful to examine in detail and apply all of the relevant terms of the determinations, rather than apply a reductionist approach which attaches too much significance to one aspect at the expense of others.
Breeding habitat use and the future management of the critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frog
Authors: Hunter David , Osborne Will , Smith Michael , McDougall Keith
Published: May 2009

Summary  The Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) is one of Australia's most critically endangered frog species. The species occurs entirely within Kosciuszko National Park, which has a history of cattle grazing (up to the 1970s). A consequence of cattle grazing has been a significant reduction in the extent of montane and sub‐alpine peat‐bog systems that the species uses as breeding habitat. Furthermore, climate change and associated increased wildfire frequency is expected to further reduce the extent and quality of peat bogs throughout the Australian Alps. In this study, we investigated habitat selection for breeding pools and nest sites within peat‐bog systems in order to inform the conservation management of the species and guide other management practices being undertaken in peat bogs where this species occurs. Occupancy of breeding males at bog pools was found to be positively associated with increasing pool area, water depth and mid‐day temperature, and negatively associated with extent of bare substrate. The majority of breeding pools identified were ephemeral. Nest sites within vegetation where males call and where females deposit their eggs were located at mid‐elevations in a range of vegetation types, with the majority of nests being within moss and sedge dominated by Sphagnum cristatum and Empodisma minor. We also found that male nest sites were not randomly distributed within the edges of pools, but were more often located in areas of loose vegetation. These results highlight the potential sensitivity of the Southern Corroboree Frog to predicted changes in peat‐bog systems resulting from climate change such as earlier drying and a possible reduction in the size of bog pools. A monitoring programme focused on key features of the breeding habitat should be undertaken to provide a basis for developing and assessing management actions implemented in peat bogs occupied by this species.
How Innovative are UK Firms? Evidence from the Fourth UK Community Innovation Survey on Synergies between Technological and Organizational Innovations
Authors: Battisti Giuliana , Stoneman Paul
Published: May 2009

Using data from the Fourth UK Community Innovation Survey this paper explores the diffusion of a range of innovative activities (encompassing process, product, machinery, marketing, organization, management and strategic innovations) across 16,383 British companies in 2004. Building upon a simple theoretical model it is shown that the use of each innovation is correlated with the use of all other innovations. It is shown that the range of innovations can be summarized by two multi‐innovation factors, labelled here ‘organizational’ and ‘technological’, that are complements but not substitutes for each other. Three clusters of firms are identified where intensity of use of the two sets of innovations is below average (56.9% of the sample); intermediate but above average (23.7%); and highly above average (19.4%). Distinctive characteristics are found to be common to the companies in each cluster. Finally, it is shown that innovativeness tends to persist over time.
Technological Diversification and Organizational Divisionalization: The Moderating Role of Complementary Assets
Authors: Lai Hsien‐Che , Chiu Yi‐Chia , Liaw Yi‐Ching , Lee Tai‐Yu
Published: May 2009

This study uses data on 582 electronics and information technology firms in Taiwan for the period 1997–2005 to investigate the hypothesis that technological diversification increases the extent of organizational divisionalization under firm growth. This study applies competence‐based theory to argue that firms spread the technological competence base to achieve firm growth. However, in the face of firm growth, managers of multi‐technology firms often utilize a multi‐division structure to manage their various technologies based on their operating characteristics or needs. Furthermore, the findings of this study indicate that complementary assets moderate the negative relationship between technological diversification and organizational divisionalization. For firms with specialized complementary assets, multi‐technology firms may be observed to consolidate related‐technology activities into fewer divisions, facilitating the utilization of these complementary assets in conjunction with other divisions.
King Canute and the ‘Problem’ of Structure and Agency: On Times, Tides and Heresthetics
Authors: Hay Colin
Published: May 2009

The story of King Canute (Cnut) is well known. Indeed, in perhaps its most familiar form it exists as an oral historical tradition passed from generation to generation. In this almost legendary account, King Canute is depicted as an arrogant ruler, so confident as to his own omnipotence that he takes on the forces of nature, pitting his own powers against those of the rising tide – his wet robes paying testament to his powerlessness in the face of potent material forces and to the triumph of (natural) structures over (human) agency. Or so it might seem. In this article I suggest that even in this, the simplest depiction of the story of Canute, the relationship between structure and agency is more complex and involved than it appears. This complexity is only accentuated if we turn from the legend to the historical evidence. Moreover, by reflecting on Canute's practical negotiation of the ‘problem’ of structure and agency we can not only gain an interesting political analytical purchase on a seemingly familiar tale, but we can also generate a series of valuable and more general insights into our understanding of the structure—agency relationship. In particular, the (various) stories of King Canute and the waves alert us to the need: (1) to maintain a clear distinction between the empirical and the ontological; (2) to resist the temptation to attempt an empirical adjudication of ontological issues (or, indeed, an ontological adjudication of empirical issues); (3) to differentiate clearly between the capacities of agents with respect to material/physical structures on the one hand, and social/political structures on the other; (4) to acknowledge the significance of unintended consequences; (5) to attend to the ‘performative’ dimensions of agency; and (6) to recognise the dangers inherent in an overly instrumental view of actors' motivations and intentions.
Discretization of Coupled Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations
Authors: Ohta Yasuhiro
Published: May 2009

The soliton solutions for discrete coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations are investigated by using bilinear formalism. Pfaffian expressions of the N‐soliton solutions of dark–dark and bright–bright types are explicitly given for the defocusing–defocusing and focusing–focusing cases, respectively.
WOLTERSTORFF, RIGHTS, WRONGS, AND THE BIBLE
Authors: Attridge Harold W.
Published: May 2009

According to Wolterstorff, an accurate genealogy of rights begins, not with the late Middle Ages and the Enlightenment, but with the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The Gospel of Luke, Wolterstorff says, provides especially important witness, and he gives it considerable attention. Wolterstorff's careful analysis of Luke is both lexical and narratological. This paper argues that the lexical data of the Gospel of Luke does indeed lend some support to Wolterstorff's case. But the support is qualified since, in Luke, a critical word group—the dikaio‐family—is used in a way that emphasizes relationship to God rather than obligations to neighbor. The most important narratives and teachings of the Gospel lend similarly qualified support to Wolterstorff's genealogy. The paper concludes that while nothing in the Gospel of Luke is incompatible with the observation and defense of human rights, the program Luke sketches has another focus that a comprehensive reading of that Gospel must keep in view.
GOD'S VELVETEEN RABBIT
Authors: Weithman Paul
Published: May 2009

This article lays out a central argument of Wolterstorff's book, which I call the Argument from Under‐Respect. That argument, I contend, is central to Wolterstorff's thought about wrongs and human rights. Close attention to the argument raises questions about whether Wolterstorff's account of rights can explain what a theory of rights must include: why violating rights wrongs the rights‐bearer.
AFTER LYNN WHITE: RELIGIOUS ETHICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Authors: Jenkins Willis
Published: May 2009

The fields of environmental ethics and of religion and ecology have been shaped by Lynn White Jr.'s thesis that the roots of ecological crisis lie in religious cosmology. Independent critical movements in both fields, however, now question this methodological legacy and argue for alternative ways of inquiry. For religious ethics, the twin controversies cast doubt on prevailing ways of connecting environmental problems to religious deliberations because the criticisms raise questions about what counts as an environmental problem, how religious traditions change, and whether ethicists should approach problems and traditions with reformist commitments. This article examines the critiques of White's legacy and presents a pluralist alternative that focuses religious ethics on the contextual strategies produced by moral communities as they confront environmental problems.
Judicial Responses to Bright Line Rules in Social Security: In Search of Principle
Authors: Laurie Emma
Published: May 2009

This article considers judicial responses to the use of ‘bright line’ rules in social security law. It analyses, within the framework of judicial deference, the receptiveness of the judiciary to an argument by the executive that a rule is justified as being administratively convenient to operate. The article questions the proposition that the judiciary is at its most deferential when complex issues of socio‐economic policy or resource allocation are raised in the context of social security law. A contrast is drawn between cases involving an issue of statutory interpretation and those applying a proportionality test. The article tests the presumption that a difference in approach should be discernable in these two situations. It concludes by criticising the courts for failing to articulate clearly the values at stake and by arguing for the need for greater transparency and a broader public debate concerning the use of bright line rules.
Constitutional Referendums: A Theoretical Enquiry
Authors: Tierney Stephen
Published: May 2009

In recent decades the use of referendums to settle major constitutional questions has increased dramatically. Addressing this phenomenon as a case study in the relationship between democracy and constitutional sovereignty, this article has two aims. The first is to argue that these constitutional referendums are categorically different from ordinary, legislative referendums, and that this has important implications for theories of constitutional sovereignty. Secondly, the article suggests that the power of these constitutional referendums to re‐order sovereign relations raises significant normative questions surrounding the appropriateness of their use. The article engages with these normative questions, enquiring whether the recent turn in republican political theory towards deliberative democracy may offer a model through which sufficiently democratic referendum processes can be constructed.
Debating ‘Democracy’ and the Ban on Political Advertising
Authors: Sackman Sarah
Published: May 2009

This note analyses the House of Lords decision in Animal Defenders International v Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. It argues that their Lordships' reasoning was premised on a narrow conception of ‘democracy as Parliament’ and seeks to challenge that view by suggesting the courts adopt a more participatory model of democracy.
Legislating Against Climate Change: A UK Perspective on a Sisyphean Challenge
Authors: Stallworthy Mark
Published: May 2009

The UK's Climate Change Act offers a framework for civil society to achieve ‘low carbon’ realignment through to 2050. The Act is reviewed for its coherence as a mechanism for directing future policy. The legislation establishes a carbon budgetary process, mandates greenhouse gas reduction targets and strategies, and imposes a novel range of duties supported by processes for ensuring transparency concerning progress. Following an overview of climate change risks and likely economic consequences, the analysis identifies selected regulatory strategies. It explores the main statutory features, with an emphasis upon the implications of imposing mandatory duties on decision makers. An evaluation of the key policy choice of emissions trading is informed by perspectives of environmental justice, in particular as to questions of equitable burden‐sharing in relation to impacts of climate change and related policies. A concluding section summarises reasonable expectations and ongoing challenges.
Article 53(b) EPC: A Challenge to the Novartis Theory of European Patent History
Authors: Pila Justine
Published: May 2009

The authoritative (Novartis/transgenic plant systems) interpretation of the Article 53(b) EPC exclusion from European patentability of plant and animal varieties, and essentially biological processes for the creation of plants and animals, is considered, and its significance for the trend of EPO jurisprudence and legitimacy of the EC Biotechnology Patenting Directive noted. The Enlarged Board of Appeal's justification for that interpretation in Novartis with reference to the exclusion's legislative history is challenged, and an alternative theory of that history proposed, based on a thorough analysis of the unpublished travaux préparatoires for the Strasbourg and European Patent Conventions. In addition to elucidating the framers' (actual and presumed) intent with respect to the Article 53(b) exclusion, that analysis offers an insight into post‐war legal unification methodology and its continued impact on one of the most contentious and technical areas of intellectual property law.
Headaches due to giant cell arteritis following herpes zoster ophthalmicus in an elderly patient
Authors: Kosa SC , Younge BR , Kumar N
Published: May 2009

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are two diseases more commonly seen in the elderly population. Each has potentially serious and preventable visual complications by differing mechanisms. Treatments for the two diseases differ. Antiviral medications are used in HZO and high-dose corticosteroids in GCA. These two entities could potentially coexist in the same patient, leading to a complicated diagnostic scenario where a potentially treatable disease could be overlooked. Here, we report a patient who was suffering from PHN following zoster ophthalmicus who developed GCA within a time frame suggesting a potential pathogenic association with the reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV). This association could be either direct with viral vessel infiltration leading to the arteritis or by an indirect dysimmune route. A pathophysiological association with VZV leading to the development of GCA is proposed.
A possible case of symptomatic hemicrania continua from an osteoid osteoma of the ethmoid sinus
Authors: Kim KS , Yang HS
Published: May 2009

We report a case of osteoid osteoma involving the ethmoid sinus, which presented as a unilateral fixed headache with some features suggestive of hemicrania continua.
A Hidden Curriculum in Language Textbooks: Are Beginning Learners of French at U.S. Universities Taught About Canada?
Authors: CHAPELLE CAROL A.
Published: May 2009

This study investigated a hidden curriculum in published language teaching materials by tabulating the number of instances that Canada was mentioned in 9 French textbooks and their accompanying workbooks and CD–ROMs. The materials were used at large public universities in the northern United States. For the present study, 2 raters, a Québécois student and an American student of French, found that, on average, 15.3% of the analyzed sections of the textbooks, 6.5% of the workbook sections, and 29.9% of the sections in the CD–ROMs contained Canadian content. Based on a transnational view of culture, which suggests that cultural content in language materials should be chosen in view of local issues (Risager, 2007), I argue that Canada should play a larger role in French teaching materials used in the northern United States. In particular, increased Canadian content might help to create needs for and interest in French, foster learning about the nonneutrality of language, and stimulate discovery of local historical linguistic and cultural diversity.
Cross‐Linguistic Influence on Referent Introduction and Tracking in Japanese as a Second Language
Authors: NAKAHAMA YUKO
Published: May 2009

This study investigates cross‐linguistic influence (CLI)—also known as first language (L1) transfer—on referent introduction and tracking in oral narratives in Japanese as a second language (L2) within the framework of functional approaches to language learning. Narrative discourse produced by two groups of learners of Japanese, one whose L1 is typologically parallel to and one whose L1 is distant from Japanese (Korean and English, respectively), was investigated at three different proficiency levels. The results showed that there were differing patterns in the development of referent introduction and tracking between the two groups, which seemed to be influenced by the learners' L1. Further, different linguistic forms generated the differing ways in which CLI was realized in the learner language. To explicate these findings, I argue that (a) the saliency of certain linguistic forms facilitated CLI to take place, (b) lower level learners could not fully take advantage of the shared linguistic features between the L1 and L2 due to linguistic constraints they experienced, and (c) the learners' “thinking for speaking” in their L1 transferred to their L2.
Thermodynamic Reassessment of ZrO2–CaO System
Authors: Wang Kun , Li Chong He , Gao Yong Hui , Lu Xiong Gang , Ding Wei Zhong
Published: May 2009

In this work, several thermodynamic assessments adopted widely for ZrO2–CaO system are reviewed and examined, the existing discrepancies are summarized, and a new assessment is carried out based on the formation enthalpy of two compounds (CaZr4O9 and Ca6Zr19O44) and experimental activity data concerning cubic solid solution. The thermodynamic parameters of all phases have been optimized by the least squares minimization procedure, a self consistent set of the optimized Gibbs energy parameters has been derived, which can be safely used to extrapolate into the multicomponent system. Compared with experimental data and the results in this work as well as the results reported previously, it is demonstrated that the present thermodynamic assessment is in better agreement with most of the experiments.
Preparation of Crystalline‐Oriented Titania Photoelectrodes on ITO Glasses from a 2‐Propanol–2,4‐Pentanedione Solvent by Electrophoretic Deposition in a Strong Magnetic Field
Authors: Kawakita Mamiko , Uchikoshi Tetsuo , Kawakita Jin , Sakka Yoshio
Published: May 2009

Crystal‐oriented and crack‐free thin TiO2 films with a good interfacial adhesion on indium–tin oxide glass substrates for photoelectrodes of dye‐sensitized solar cells were fabricated by the constant voltage electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method in a strong magnetic field of 12 T generated by a superconducting magnet. A binder‐free suspension for the EPD was prepared by dispersing TiO2 in a mixture of 2‐propanol and 2,4‐pentanedione (acetylacetone). The electrical conductivity, sedimentation rate, and the electrophoretic mobility were measured at varying ratios of the mixed solution. The optimized state of the suspension exhibiting the highest surface charge potential and producing deposits with the highest green density was obtained at the 50:50 mixing ratio. The TiO2 films were characterized by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic analyses.
The Effect of Conformation Method and Sintering Technique on the Densification and Grain Growth of Nanocrystalline 8 mol% Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia
Authors: Mazaheri Mehdi , Hesabi Z. Razavi , Golestani‐Fard F. , Mollazadeh S. , Jafari S. , Sadrnezhaad S. K.
Published: May 2009

Uniaxial dry pressing (DP) and slip casting (SC) were used to form green bodies of nanocrystalline 8 mol% yttria‐stabilized zirconia powder processed via the glycine‐nitrate combustion method. The SC method was shown to be a more efficient, yielding more homogenous green bodies with higher green density (60% theoretical density) which contained smaller pores with narrower distribution. Improved green properties resulted in lowering the sintering temperature of SC bodies by about 200°C compared with DP compacts. Consequently, the grain growth in sintered bodies formed by SC was relatively abated. By taking the benefits of the wet conformation method, the final grain size of nearly full dense (>97% TD) structures was reduced by 39% (i.e. from 2.15 to 1.3 μm). To reveal the effect of sintering technique, DP bodies were sintered via both microwave and two‐step sintering methods. While the grain size of two‐step sintered samples was <300 nm, sintering via microwave radiation yielded a nearly full dense structure with a mean grain size of 0.9 μm. The results show that conventionally sintered SC bodies posses higher indentation fracture toughness (FT) (∼3 MPa·m1/2) compared with DP samples (1.6 MPa·m1/2). Interestingly, it was shown that, without applying any modified sintering technique, the hardness and FT of SC bodies with coarser structures are completely close to those of samples sintered via microwave heating.
Fundamentals of Impedance Spectral Analysis Applied to Determine Permittivity of Dielectric Particles
Authors: Petrovsky Vladimir , Dogan Fatih
Published: May 2009

It is demonstrated that the permittivity (dielectric constant) of powders suspended in suitable liquids can be determined by impedance spectroscopy techniques. A prior knowledge on the solids loading of particles in the slurry, the permittivity, and the electrical conductivity of the liquid is not required to determine the permittivity of particles by this technique. Some theoretical considerations of this method supported with experimental studies are described toward understanding of the physical phenomena involved with the characterization of slurries, which implemented to determine the permittivity of particulate materials.
Synthesis of Er3+ Doped Y2O3 Nanophosphors
Authors: Venkatachalam Nallusamy , Saito Yu , Soga Kohei
Published: May 2009

The synthesis and characterization of yttrium hydroxyl carbonate (Y(OH)CO32−) and yttrium nitrate hydroxide hydrate (Y(OH)NO3H2O) precursor materials as well as Y2O3 nanoparticles are reported. The resultant precursor particle size is about 10–12 nm with a narrow size distribution by the enzymatic decomposition method, whereas the particle size was smaller than those acquired by the homogeneous and alkali precipitation methods. The formation of Y(OH)CO32− and Y(OH)NO3H2O species was also evident from the fourier‐transform infrared spectrometry (FT‐IR) analysis. Precipitated Y(OH)CO32− precursors have an amorphous nature whereas Y(OH)NO3H2O precursors have a crystalline nature, which was manifested from the XRD analysis. Moreover, precipitated Y(OH)NO3H2O precursors were found in the agglomerated form and Y(OH)CO32− was established in the monodispersed form, as determined from the FE‐SEM, TEM and DLS measurements. It was demonstrated that calcination of precursor materials at 900°C eventually removed the inorganic anions from the precursors and consequently produced crystalline Y2O3 nanoparticles, which was evident from the XRD and FT‐IR analysis. The EDS analysis confirms Er3+ doping in the Y2O3 nanoparticles. The morphology and the size of the Y2O3 nanoparticles are almost unchanged before and after the calcination.