bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distributions, the UK Companies Act of 2006, and the Miller and Modigliani (1961) dividend irrelevance argument
Authors: Paulo Stanley 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a viewpoint on the 1961 scientific method and research methodology used by Miller and Modigliani to derive the conclusion that dividends are irrelevant, with reference to the UK Companies Act of 2006, specifically Sections 829‐840 that concern distributions, and Section 172 that stipulates the duties of the directors in their promotion of the success of the company.Design/methodology/approachThe relevant sections of the UK Companies Act of 2006 concerning distributions and the duty of directors to promote the success of the company were studied. It was followed by a detailed analysis of the article by Miller and Modigliani, in particular the purpose, assumptions, the 30 equations that comprise their model, and their interpretive logic in drawing conclusions from their equations.FindingsIn effect, Miller and Modigliani exclude dividends as a determinant of share value, side‐step the purpose of their research, do not state assumptions upon which their analysis and interpretations are reliant, and disregard the conceptual difference between income and capital. On the basis of their interpretive logic not only is the dividend decision irrelevant but so too is the financing decision and important aspects of company law. Nonetheless, the erroneous doctrinal view that is presented by Miller and Modigliani continues to have obstinately resolute adherents, as evidenced by its uncritical presentation in authoritative textbooks on financial management.Originality/valueThis paper's view is that the continued uncritical presentation of Miller and Modigliani cannot be justified as an approach consistent with sound research methodology.
A reflective analysis of the “new audit” and the public interest
Authors: Fogarty Timothy J. , Rigsby John T. 
Published: September 2010

PurposePrior to the sudden collapse of large companies following the turn of the century and the implication that the auditing of these enterprises had failed, the large public accounting firms sought to re‐engineer the audit. A comprehension attempt to convert that which had been designed as a social good into one more aligned with a commercial logic was halted by the legislative response to this departure from classic professionalism. Recent developments suggest that change in this direction is regrouping. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflective analysis of the thoughts of the authors on the early development of the new audit approach.Design/methodology/approachMost of the information in the piece was garnered from conversations with public accounting partners during the era in question. Logical argumentation derived from the academic and theoretical literature is the primary method.FindingsAttributes of the firms' strategies during this period are outlined. Features of the new audit are developed, especially as they vary from the traditional audit. These techniques and approaches are analyzed in terms of their ability to serve the public interest. This paper argues that motivating factors of the new audit will continue to be a force even in the more hostile regulatory environment of today.Practical implicationsAn appreciation of the findings of the study is useful in maintaining a level of skepticism about changes to the audit that are advocated by audit firms. Users of audit services, regulators, and legislators would benefit from an appreciation of the recent past. The motivating factors underlying these changes to audit environment continue to operate over time as the social purposes of the audit are less likely to be converted by the firms to ones that can be commercially exploited.Originality/valueThe study contributes insights into the origins of the new business audit approach and related strengths and limitations. These factors should be considered as the approach is developed and moves forward into the future in order for the audit approach to be effective in performing its social functions.
Strategic performance measurement systems and managers' understanding of the strategy
Authors: Aranda Carmen , Arellano Javier 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to explore how managers change their strategic view so that they come with a better understanding of the strategy. It uses two proxies for such understanding: balance in beliefs (taken from performance measurement system literature) and consensus on strategic priorities (taken from strategic literature).Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal study is conducted in a financial institution during a strategic change communicated through a tailor‐made balanced scorecard (BSC). The changes are measured in the degree of understanding experienced by a set of 45 middle managers in each of the two phases in which the BSC implementation has been divided. The paper tests to what extent as the BSC implementation progresses there is a balancing in users' beliefs, an increase in consensus and alignment of managers' priorities; and finally, whether or not those proxies of managers' understanding are interchangeable.FindingsResults show that the implementation of this BSC brought about a change in managers' beliefs by increasing the importance given to measures located in the lower BSC perspectives (called balancing effect), as well as an increase in the degree of consensus on strategic priorities. However, in the paper more balance in managers' beliefs were not necessarily associated with a higher degree of consensus and alignment. The two proxies are not interchangeable and the balancing effect was found to be ineffective and insufficient in providing an explanation for the consensus formation process.Originality/valueThe paper provides empirical evidence on how middle managers change their mental models and improve their understanding of the strategy. The paper helps in aligning performance measurement systems literature and strategic literature.
Severe sepsis: patient management focusing on administration of drotrecogin alpha (activated) infusion
Authors: Riddell Caroline , Blackwood Bronagh 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThis article presents a case study of a 49‐year‐old male admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) via Accident and Emergency following a collapse at home with a diagnosis of severe sepsis. The pathophysiology of sepsis is discussed together with a physiological assessment of the patient's cardiovascular, respiratory and renal systems, coagulation and metabolic responses. The discussion focuses on the period from ICU admission to commencement of drotrecogin alpha (activated) treatment (also known as recombinant human activated protein C). The management of sepsis and the treatment the patient received are outlined with particular focus on the strategic and procedural issues of the drug administration. The article concludes by presenting nursing clinical guidelines which will provide helpful guidance for nurses when caring for patients receiving drotrecogin alpha (activated) treatment. This is especially welcome, as drotrecogin alpha (activated) is internationally recommended in the treatment of severe sepsis.
Intensive care nurses’ beliefs and attitudes towards the effect of open visiting on patients, family and nurses
Authors: Marco Laura , Bermejillo Iciar , Garayalde Nagore , Sarrate Isabel , Margall MaAngeles , Asiain Ma Carmen 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe policy of family visits to patients admitted into intensive care units (ICUs) has been liberalised in recent years. This change has been progressive in our unit from a restricted to an open visiting policy. We have carried out this study based on Ajzen and Fishbein reasoned action theory.The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between nurses’ beliefs and attitudes towards the effect of an open visiting policy on patients, family and nurses.A descriptive correlational design was used. The sample included 46 intensive care nurses from a teaching hospital in Spain, who completed two self‐administered anonymous questionnaires. One of them, derived from empirical results of Kirchhoff et al. (1993) and Simpson et al. (1996) studies, was a Likert‐type scale including 26 items divided in three subscales (patient, family and nurses). This scale was used to obtain the nurses’ beliefs regarding the effects of open visiting. The second questionnaire was a differential semantic scale (used by the previous authors), which analysed nurses’ attitudes towards visiting on the patient, family and nurses.Nurses’ beliefs about the effect of visiting were positive, achieving a mean value of 3·001 (patient 3·04, family 3·23 and nurses 2·78) on a scale with a maximum value of 4. The mean score obtained on the scale of attitudes toward an open visiting policy was 6·005 (patient 6·41, family 6·37 and nurses 5·22), with a maximum of 7. The correlation between beliefs and attitudes was significant and positive (r = 0·523, p < 0·0001). Comparison of sociodemographic variables with beliefs and attitudes disclosed no statistically significant differences, except for the two following variables: attitude and having children (t = −2·254, p = 0·03) which obtained a higher score.There is a correlation between nurses’ beliefs and attitudes regarding the positive effects of open visiting on patients, family and nurses.
Viola rupestris: molecular analyses to elucidate postglacial migration in Western Europe
Authors: Nordal Inger , Jonsell Bengt , Marcussen Thomas 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAim  Our aim was to elucidate the postglacial migration of Viola rupestris F.W. Schmidt, with its two subspecies, rupestris and relicta Jalas, in Europe, using molecular methods.Location  Norway, Sweden, Finland, England, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland.Methods  Isoenzymes were analysed from 49 populations of Viola rupestris s.lat. Based on former experience of variation in the taxon, the following were included: aspartate aminotransferase, leucine/aminopeptidase, and phosphoglucomutase, yielding a total of nine interpretable and six variable (putative) loci.Results  Six multilocus phenotypes were revealed (A–F). Phenotype A (only one individual) is restricted to northern Norway, B is shared by all populations in northern Norway and an isolated population on the west coast of southern Norway (Møre). Phenotype B comes close to C, co‐occurring with D in England, the latter also occurring in southern France. Phenotypes E and F occur in the rest of Europe.Main conclusions  Viola rupestris ssp. relicta Jalas, previously known only from northern Scandinavia (northern unicentric), was discovered on the west coast of southern Norway (Møre), making the taxon ‘bicentric’. Populations are connected through a putative migration route from the Grands Causses in southern France (Massif Central) via England and western Norway to northern Scandinavia. The Grands Causses might represent a glacial refugium.
Do gut symbiotes reflect the endemism of their host black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Caucasus of Armenia?
Authors: Nelder Mark P. , Adler Peter H. , Kachvoryan Eugenie A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAim  We tested the hypothesis that endemism of black flies in the Caucasus of Armenia is reflected in their gut symbiotes, i.e. trichomycete fungi and ichthyosporean protists.Location  The study area, Armenia, is a biodiversity hotspot, with high levels of plant and animal endemism. Located in the southern Caucasus, Armenia is a rugged, mountainous, landlocked country of 29,800 km2, with fast‐flowing rivers and little forested land. About half of the 51 species of black flies in Armenia are endemic to the Caucasus.Methods  The larvae of 22 species of black flies, including seven endemic to the Caucasus, were collected from 35 sites throughout Armenia, from 1998 to 2004, and assayed microscopically for gut‐inhabiting trichomycete fungi and ichthyosporean protists.Results  Nearly 68% of larval black flies in Armenia contained at least one species of gut symbiote, with a mean of 0.9 ± 0.04 species per host larva. Eight species of trichomycete fungi and two species of ichthyosporeans were found in larval guts. Seven of these species were recorded for the first time in Asian black flies. Species accumulation curves showed no additional species of gut symbiotes after 17 host species and 22 sites had been examined. All gut symbiotes were widely distributed, indicating an absence of endemic trichomycetes in the black flies of Armenia.Main conclusions  Although the Caucasus Region is noted for its high levels of endemism for plants and animals, including black flies, the gut symbiotes of black flies are all widespread species. The absence of endemic gut symbiotes in larval black flies might be explained by their lack of host specificity; an absence of host specificity would not constrain the geographical distribution of the symbiotes.
Conservatism of ecological niche characteristics in North American plant species over the Pleistocene‐to‐Recent transition
Authors: Martínez‐Meyer E. , Peterson A. T. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractAim  To provide a test of the conservatism of a species’ niche over the last 20,000 years by tracking the distribution of eight pollen taxa relative to climate type as they migrated across eastern North America following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).Location  North America.Methods  We drew taxon occurrence data from the North American pollen records in the Global Pollen Database, representing eight pollen types – all taxa for which ≥5 distinct geographic occurrences were available in both the present day and at the LGM (21,000 years ago ± 3000 years). These data were incorporated into ecological niche models based on present‐day and LGM climatological summaries available from the Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project to produce predicted potential geographic distributions for each species at present and at the LGM. The output for each time period was projected onto the ‘other’ time period, and tested using independent known occurrence information from that period.Results  The result of our analyses was that all species tested showed general conservatism in ecological characteristics over the climate changes associated with the Pleistocene‐to‐Recent transition.Main conclusions  This analysis constitutes a further demonstration of general and pervasive conservatism in ecological niche characteristics over moderate periods of time despite profound changes in climate and environmental conditions. As such, our results reinforce the application of ecological niche modelling techniques to the reconstruction of Pleistocene biodiversity distribution patterns, and to project the future potential distribution range of species in the face of global‐scale climatic changes.
Imaging the fluorescence of marine invertebrates and their associated flora
Authors: AINSWORTH T.D. , HOEGH‐GULDBERG O. , LEGGAT W. 
Published: September 2010

SummaryThe cells and tissues of many marine invertebrates and their associated flora contain fluorescent pigments and proteins, many of which have been utilized commercially and provide marker molecules in other systems for fluorescence imaging technology. However, in the study of marine invertebrates and their symbioses these naturally occurring molecules have been seen to limit or confound fluorescence microscopy analyses. Here we demonstrate the endogenous fluorescence associated with two marine invertebrates (coral and foraminifera) and describe how these qualities can be utilized in fluorescence microanalyses. Understanding and imaging the diversity of fluorescent molecules provide insight into how fluorescence microscopy techniques can now be applied to these complex systems.
Near‐field scanning optical microscopy detects nanoscale glycolipid domains in the plasma membrane
Authors: ABULROB A. , LU Z. , BRUNETTE E. , PULLA D. , STANIMIROVIC D. , JOHNSTON L.J. 
Published: September 2010

SummaryThe localization of asialo‐GM1 in ordered membrane raft domains in HeLa cells has been examined using a combination of membrane fractionation and fluorescence imaging. The glycolipid is enriched in Triton X‐100 insoluble membrane fractions that contain high concentrations of cholesterol and caveolin‐1 but is also found in detergent soluble membrane fractions. Near‐field fluorescence microscopy shows that a fraction of the asialo‐GM1 is localized in small nanoscale clusters that have an upper limit for the average diameter of approximately 90 nm and are partially colocalized with caveolae membrane domains. In addition to clusters, a diffuse, non‐clustered population of asialo‐GM1 is observed and is hypothesized to correspond to glycolipid isolated in detergent soluble membrane fractions.
In vivo imaging of neurodegeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans by third harmonic generation microscopy
Authors: GUALDA E.J. , FILIPPIDIS G. , MARI M. , VOGLIS G. , VLACHOS M. , FOTAKIS C. , TAVERNARAKIS N. 
Published: September 2010

SummaryIn this study, neurodegeneration phenomena were investigated, by performing third harmonic generation imaging measurements on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in vivo. The in vivo, precise identification of the contour of the degenerating neurons in the posterior part of the nematode and the monitoring, in real time, of the progression of degeneration in the worm, through third harmonic generation imaging measurements, were achieved. Femtosecond laser pulses (1028 nm) were utilized for excitation. Thus, the THG image contrast modality comprises a powerful diagnostic tool, providing valuable information and offering new insights into morphological changes and complex developmental processes in live biological specimens.
The polarized AB plot for the frequency‐domain analysis and representation of fluorophore rotation and resonance energy homotransfer
Authors: CLAYTON A.H.A. 
Published: September 2010

SummaryThe graphical representation of single‐frequency phase‐modulation fluorescence lifetime imaging data, referred to as the AB plot, is extended to take into account measurements of the polarized components of the fluorescence. For a hindered rotator model (characterized with a single excited‐state lifetime, a single rotational correlation time and limiting initial and final anisotropies) the rotational correlation time and the excited lifetime can be determined from the AB plot of any two of the following emission components: parallel, perpendicular, total emission or combinations thereof. A strategy for resolving the component hindered rotations and lifetimes for mixtures of two hindered rotators from measurements of the total, parallel and perpendicular components of the emission is developed. The analysis does not require prior knowledge of the initial limiting anisotropy or of the steady‐state anisotropy or of the excited state lifetime. Plots in polarized AB space derived for heterogeneous systems are constructed to aid interpretation of frequency‐domain dynamic depolarization imaging microscopy experiments. These plots can be used to distinguish spatially dependent rotational correlation time heterogeneity from heterogeneity in limiting anisotropies. The effects of noise and aperture depolarization are discussed. It is anticipated that the polarized AB plot will provide a useful adjunct to existing methods for visualizing and analysing dynamic polarization phenomena arising from molecular dynamics and homo‐energy transfer in single‐frequency microscopy applications.
Screening of platelets for bacterial contamination at the Welsh Blood Service
Authors: Pearce S. , Rowe G. P. , Field S. P. 
Published: September 2010

Background and Objective: This report details the results of the implementation of a bacterial screening system at the Welsh Blood Service and provides an estimate of the levels of bacterial contamination at the time of sampling. Materials and Methods: Apheresis (Caridian BCT) and buffy coat‐derived pooled platelet components were sampled on day 1 for bacterial contamination and the sample was monitored throughout the lifespan of the platelet component. Unused platelet components were re‐tested to determine the effectiveness of the screening. Results from the BacT/ALERT are uploaded to the in‐house Blood Establishment Computer System (BECS) every 12 min. Positive alerts are automatically sent to staff, facilitating a timely intervention. Results: Between February 2003 and March 2010 the screening system tested 54 828 platelets and detected 257 (1 in 213) initial positives of which 35 (1 in 1567, 0·06%) were confirmed [95% confidence interval (CI), 0·04–0·08%]. Additionally, screening of 6438 unused platelet components detected another 6 (1 in 1073, 0·09%) confirmed positives not detected during initial testing (95% CI, 0·02–0·16%). Analysis of the data suggests that on day 1 the number of bacteria in such platelet component packs was between 5 and 62 cfus total. Day 1 culture has a sensitivity of 40%. Conclusions: The bacterial screening system has removed a significant number, but not all bacterially contaminated platelet components from the supply. The sample volume is an important factor in sensitivity due to the low number of bacteria in a platelet component pack on day 1. An effective notification and recall system is a critical part of the bacterial screening system.
Asaccharolytic anaerobic gram‐negative coccobacilli (AAGNC) isolated from infected root canals and periodontal pockets
Authors: Djais A. , Nakazawa F. , Sato M. , Sato N. , Sundqvist G. , Hoshino E. 
Published: September 2010

Background/aims:  Culture‐difficult bacteria, including asaccharolytic anaerobic gram‐negative coccobacilli (AAGNC), may constitute a predominant group of organisms in oral sites. This study aimed to characterize phylogenetically 10 AAGNC isolated from endodontic lesions and periodontal pockets.Methods:  16S rDNA sequence and G + C content were determined. Strains sharing more than 98% sequence similarities and similar G + C content were considered the same bacterial species.Results:  One isolate resembled Dialister pneumosintes (the type species of the genus Dialister) with 35 mol% G+C content and 97% sequence similarity. Of eight isolates having 45–47 mol% G+C content, seven were identified as D. invisus and one resembled Dialister invisus with 97% sequence similarity. However the 16S rDNA sequence similarities with D. pneumosintes were relatively low, indicating the strains may belong to a new genus. The last isolate revealed 35 mol% G+C content, but had higher 16S rDNA sequence similarity with D. invisus than with D. pneumosintes.Conclusion:  The group of oral AAGNC isolates need to be reclassified.