1,411 research outputs found
Board monitoring and judgement as processes of sensemaking
No full textWhen organizational scandals occur, the common refrain among commentators is: 'Where was the board in all this?' 'How could the directors not have known what was going on?''Why didn't the board intervene?' The scandals demonstrate that board monitoring or oganizational performance is a matter of great importance. By monitoring, we mean the act of keeping the organization under review. In many English-speaking countries, directors have a legal duty of care, which includes duties to monitor the performance of their organizations (Hopt and von Hippel 2010). However, statutory law typically merely states the duty, while providing little guidance on how that duty can be met. \u
Christine de Pizan: A Publisher's Progress
No full textIn recent years there has been a welcome revival of interest in Christine de Pizan,
both as author and as 'publisher', to use a deliberate anachronism. Thanks to the
work of a number of scholars, we now have a clearer understanding of the part
played by Christine herself in planning and preparing the presentation copies of her
works which were intended for patrons in France and abroad. The suggestion made
by Charity Cannon Willard in 1965 that Christine might herself have copied the text
of the Epistre a la reine Isabelle in Paris, Bibliothcque Nationale, f. fr. 580, has recently
been re-examined by Gilbert Ouy and Christine M. Reno who, in an important
article, show that three scribes, P, R, and X, were responsible for a large number of
the manuscripts thought to have been prepared under Christine's supervision. They
argue further that the scribe X is to be identified with Christine herself
Indian possession and playing: an American tradition from Tom Sawyer to today
No full textToni Morrison's deconstructionist analysis of the Africanist presence in nineteenth century texts is complemented by analysis of Nativist presence in the same time period and beyond. While the Africanist presence, or lack thereof, helped white authors express the venture for a democratic freedom, the Nativist presence has helped—and continues to help—white authors articulate an American identity which is romantic and distinctly their own, separate from Europe. A number of texts published in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries portray Native Americans in a paradoxical way: the figure is simultaneously the quintessential villain, savage and untrustworthy, and a romantic object of play, resistant to civilization and therefore a figure to be possessed and emulated. At the core of this paradoxical representation is Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). The novel's villain, Injun Joe, is the epitome of evil, yet the Native American is still the object of Tom's
imagination and infatuation. Even while Injun Joe is conveniently left to starve and die in an isolated setting, literally blocked from the rest of the civilization. Tom continues to "play Indian." Twain's novel appears at the transitional period between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and it captures the ideologies of playing Indian and more specifically, the American ideologies within children's literature. This perpetuation of playing Indian lessons in children's literature is one which should be challenged and critiqued. The project will begin with an interrogation of the literary-historical roots of this cultural tradition, as found in Moby-Dick, The Last of the Mohicans, and Hohomok Then, Tom Sawyer will be employed as the transitional piece between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, linking the
literary-historical accounts with more contemporary novels and films that exacerbate this trope, including Little House on the Prairie. The Catcher in the Rye, The Indian in the Cupboard, The Bean Trees, Disney's Pocahontas films, and Twentieth Century Fox's Night at the Museum. Rounding out the study is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which proves that the American fantasy continually permeates American children's literature and culture.M.A.Includes bibliographical referencesby Christine M. Pierucc
Non-invasive monitoring of microbial induced oil degradation in beach sediment under high conductivity conditions using the spectral induced polarization method
No full textMassive oil spills, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010, have prompted increased research and attention on the techniques available to monitor oil spills, including degradation processes, and have highlighted the limitations of existing monitoring methods. Previous research has shown the spectral induced polarization method (SIP) to be sensitive to the biogeochemical changes that occur as a result of microbial oil degradation; however, there is no research on the applicability of the SIP method under high conductivity conditions typical of coastal environments. The purpose of this study is to monitor natural attenuation of microbial oil degradation in brackish coastal sediment. Natural attenuation is of primary importance since in many instances, such as for remote and inaccessible areas, it is the only option available for remediation. This research is based on the hypothesis that biogeochemical changes due to microbially-induced processes can generate detectable SIP signals, even under high conductivity environments. Five different treatments of heavy oil contaminated sediment were run for 143 days. Results indicated that geophysical signals were more pronounced in the columns with conductivities close to the actual field conditions from where the sediments were collected. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry analysis showed decreased peaks in the chromatograms of active columns compared to control columns, as well as the appearance of metabolites, indicating degradation of the substrate (contaminant oil). The results show that SIP is sensitive to the biogeochemical changes occurring as a result of microbial oil degradation even under high conductivity conditions, indicating that it could be a useful tool to non-invasively monitor natural attenuation within brackish environments.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Christine M. Kima
Supply chain management research impact: an evidence based perspective
No full textThe purpose of this paper, using an evidenceî ̧based management theoretical lens, is to examine research impact to provide guidance to supply chain management academics in evidencing and exploiting the outputs, outcomes and impact of their research. Evidenceî ̧based management theory is examined and applied to types of academic research impact. The distinction between academic and nonî ̧academic impact is developed into a supply chain framework of research outputs, transfer, outcomes, impact and national/international benefits. Impact of supply chain management research is explored through a case study in the English National Health Service. Future opportunities and challenges for supply chain management researchers arising from increasing demand for and supply of evidence are discussed. Author academic impact and citations are found to be increasingly important building blocks of evidenceî ̧based evaluations of individual academics, journals, research quality assessments of groups and universities, and global rankings of universities. Supply chain management researchers can compare their impact with other areas of academia. Nonî ̧academic impact of research has been assessed by funders of research projects and has spread to research quality assessments of universities. Bibliometrics provide evidence of author and journal impact that can be used in human resource decisions, research quality assessments and global rankings of universities; this availability enables a debate on appropriate use of academic impact evidence. Supply chain management academics evidencing nonî ̧academic research impact on business, society and economy will enable governments and funders of research to evaluate value for money return on their investment. This perspective of evidenceî ̧based evaluation of research impact and its implications might encourage debate on academic and nonî ̧academic impact and encourage supply chain researchers to consider evidencing impact in their research design and methodology. © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limite
Ascertaining the relationships between the trajectories of specific categories of alcohol-related negative consequences and subsequent drinking behavior
No full textThe overwhelming majority of people who drink alcohol do so non-problematically. Nevertheless, approximately 17.6 million Americans have been diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), which can be severely debilitating and contribute to both increased morbidity and premature mortality. Irrespective of treatment approach, drinking behavior modifications are often short-lived and relapse is common. The first year following AUD treatment has been identified as a period of high risk for relapse, and thus an important timeframe for enquiry regarding alcohol-related behavior change and its maintenance. In addition, at least among individuals with a diagnosed AUD, alcohol use and negative consequences have been shown to be related reciprocally. A commonly used measure of alcohol-related negative consequences is the Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC) which has been supported empirically in several studies, although investigations of specific categories of alcohol-related negative consequences and their trajectories have been lacking. Given this background, the purpose of this dissertation was to conduct secondary data analyses to: (1) confirm the previously reported factor structure of the DrInC; (2) follow the course of the five DrInC categories of alcohol-related negative consequences across the first year post AUD treatment initiation; (3) investigate whether these trajectories vary by participant gender, age or assigned treatment condition; and (4) examine the relationships between these trajectories and subsequent drinking behavior. Data from the outpatient arm of Project MATCH (n = 952), to date the largest psychosocial alcohol treatment randomized clinical trial, were analyzed for this dissertation. Study results confirmed the DrInC factor structure and the trajectory of each DrInC category was indicative of improved alcohol-related problems across the first year post-treatment initiation period. Specific DrInC categories varied as a function of participant gender, age, and assigned treatment condition and these trajectories were predictive of subsequent drinking behavior. Specifically, higher intercepts during the three-month treatment period were associated with poorer drinking behavior one year later. Alternatively, steeper slopes were associated with improved drinking behavior and some of these relationships were modified by gender, age, and treatment condition. It was concluded that assessing alcohol-related negative consequences during the first year post-treatment initiation can have clinical utility.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Christine M. Davi
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism moderates the effect of antenatal stress on childhood behavioural problems: longitudinal evidence across multiple ages
No full textAim: The functional polymorphism Val158Met in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene was analysed to determine its association with maternal stress and childhood total difficulties.Method: Data were collected at birth from a group of infants who were born small for gestational age and a group who were born at an appropriate size for gestational age and had been enrolled in the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative Study. Children were followed up at the ages of 1 year, 3 years 6 months, 7 years, and 11 years. At the age of 11 years, DNA samples were collected from 546 children (270 females, 276 males): 227 children born small for gestational age and 319 children born at an appropriate size for gestational age. The main independent variable was perceived maternal stress at birth and at 7 and 11 years of age, assessed using the total difficulties scale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. IQ was assessed at the age of 7 years.Results: Met/Met homozygotes were at a significantly increased risk of behavioural and emotional problems at the ages of 7 (p=0.002) and 11 years (p=0.003), relative to either heterozygous or homozygous carriers of the Val158Met polymorphism, but only when they were exposed to maternal stress in utero. Met/Met homozygotes had, on average, IQ scores that were four points higher than those of Val/Val homozygotes (p=0.010).Interpretation: These findings emphasize the potential long-term consequences of prenatal stress for genetically susceptible individuals during neurodevelopment in utero. Our findings add to the general understanding of the aetiology and developmental nature of childhood emotional and behavioural problems.<br/
Children born small for gestational age are not at special risk for preschool emotion and behaviour problems
No full textDespite the wealth of literature examining long term outcomes of preterm low birthweight children, few studies have directly assessed the developmental impact of being born full term but small for gestational age (SGA). We aim to determine whether (i) being SGA increases preschool behavioural problems and (ii) other risk factors operate differently in SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) controls. 550 New Zealand European mothers and their 3.5 year old children participated in this study. All children were born at full term (> 37 weeks' gestation) and approximately half were SGA (? sex specific 10th percentile for gestation) the remainder were AGA controls. Extensive data were collected at the child's birth, 1 year and 3.5 years. Behavioural problems were measured when children were 3.5 years, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the associations between risk factors and behavioural problems; statistical weighting was used for analyses of the total study group. There was no significant difference in behavioural problems between SGA and AGA groups. In the total sample the significant predictors of behavioural problems included: mothers' school leaving age; smoking during pregnancy; maternal alcohol use during pregnancy; and absence of the father. Predictors of behavioural problems were found to be the same for SGA and AGA groups. These results do not support the view that SGA is a risk for behavioural preschool difficulties or that SGA children are sensitised to risks known to be associated with such difficulties in the preschool years.<br/
the Eloquence of Mary Astell
No full textThe Eloquence of Mary Astell makes an important contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the important role that women, and one woman in particular, played in the history of rhetoric. Mary Astell (1666-1731) was an unusually perceptive thinker and writer during the time of the Enlightenment. Here, author Christine Sutherland explores her importance as a rhetorician, an area that has, until recently, received little attention. Astell was widely known and respected during her own time, but her influence and reputation receded in the years after her death. Her importance as an Enlightenment thinker is becoming more and more recognized, however. As a skilled theorist and practitioner of rhetoric, Astell wrote extensively on education, philosophy, politics, religion, and the status of women. She showed that it was possible for a woman to move from the semi-private form of rhetoric represented by conversation and letters into full public participation in philosophical and political debate
the Eloquence of Mary Astell
No full textThe Eloquence of Mary Astell makes an important contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the important role that women, and one woman in particular, played in the history of rhetoric. Mary Astell (1666-1731) was an unusually perceptive thinker and writer during the time of the Enlightenment. Here, author Christine Sutherland explores her importance as a rhetorician, an area that has, until recently, received little attention. Astell was widely known and respected during her own time, but her influence and reputation receded in the years after her death. Her importance as an Enlightenment thinker is becoming more and more recognized, however. As a skilled theorist and practitioner of rhetoric, Astell wrote extensively on education, philosophy, politics, religion, and the status of women. She showed that it was possible for a woman to move from the semi-private form of rhetoric represented by conversation and letters into full public participation in philosophical and political debate
- …
