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Terms modified by Internal Selected AbstractsRandomized controlled trial of a brief intervention for problematic prescription drug use in non-treatment-seeking patientsADDICTION, Issue 1 2009Anne Zahradnik ABSTRACT Aims Dependence on or problematic use of prescription drugs (PD) is estimated to be between 1 and 2% in the general population. In contrast, the proportion of substance-specific treatment in PD use disorders at 0.5% is comparatively low. With an estimated prevalence of 4.7%, PD-specific disorders are widespread in general hospitals compared to the general population. Brief intervention delivered in general hospitals might be useful to promote discontinuation or reduction of problematic prescription drug use. Design A randomized, controlled clinical trial. Setting Internal, surgical and gynaecological wards of a general and a university hospital. Participants One hundred and twenty-six patients fulfilling criteria for either regular use of PD (more than 60 days within the last 3 months) or dependence on or abuse of PD, respectively, were allocated randomly to two conditions. Intervention Subjects received two counselling sessions based on Motivational Interviewing plus an individualized written feedback (intervention group, IG) or a booklet on health behaviour (control group, CG). Measurements The outcome was measured as reduction (>25%) and discontinuation of PD intake in terms of defined daily dosages (DDD). Findings After 3 months, more participants in the IG reduced their DDD compared to the participants in the CG (51.8% versus 30%; ,2 = 6.17; P = 0.017). In the IG 17.9%, in the CG 8.6% discontinued use of PD (,2 = 2.42; P = 0.17). Conclusions Brief intervention based on Motivational Interviewing is effective in reducing PD intake in non-treatment-seeking patients. [source] University Research Policy in Norway , Walking the Tightrope between Internal and External InterestsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 4 2000Ingvald Marheim Larsen First page of article [source] Some Things in Moderation: A Case Study of Internal AuditINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 1 2000A.J. Berry Abstract The development of a system of moderation of assessment procedures in a new University is examined in this case study. Internal and external moderation are equated with internal and external audit and the relationship between the audit of content and the audit of procedures (Power, 1994) is examined in the light of differing modes of accountability (Sinclair, 1995). [source] Development of a Korean version of the behavior rating scale for dementia (BRSD-K)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 7 2008Jong Chul Youn Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a Korean version of the behavior rating scale for dementia (BRSD-K) for evaluating behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Methods The BRSD-K was administered to the informants of 268 subjects with dementia. Internal, inter-rater and test,retest reliabilities were tested. To evaluate construct validity, exploratory factor analysis was performed. To evaluate concurrent validity, Pearson correlation coefficients between BRSD-K scores and the corresponding scores of the Korean version of the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI-K) were calculated. Results BRSD-K demonstrated substantially high levels of reliabilities. Factor analysis identified seven factors, i.e. depressive symptoms, irritability/aggression, psychotic symptoms, behavioral dysregulations, sleep disturbance, inertia, and appetite. Correlations between BRSD-K and corresponding NPI-K scores were statistically significant (p,<,0.05). Conclusions BRSD-K was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating BPSD. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Revelation, Scripture and Tradition: Some Comments on John Webster's Conception of ,Holy Scripture'INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Gavin D'Costa I argue that finally Webster's arguments fall short of what he wants to preserve: that in holy scripture we are confronted by God's Word, interpreted through his Spirit. It falls short precisely because the authoritative role of tradition is underplayed. Internal to Webster's argument the conceptual priority of sanctification to inspiration is called into question. I approach this criticism of Webster from a close inspection of his treatment of the Roman Catholic position on the matter. [source] Effects of Internal and External Pay Comparisons on Work Attitudes,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 10 2006Ted H. Shore The effects of internal and external pay comparisons on several work attitudes were assessed within an experimental design. Participants responded to hypothetical scenarios in which their pay was greater, less, or equal to an internal and external individual or group referent. As predicted, internal and external pay comparisons predicted pay satisfaction and perceived pay fairness. Also as expected, internal equity was the stronger predictor of work motivation and perceived organizational support, and external equity predicted turnover intention more strongly. Partial support was found for the hypothesis that work attitudes would be impacted more strongly when individuals made pay comparisons with a group referent than with an individual referent other. Implications for the design of compensation systems are discussed. [source] Boundaryless Mentoring: An Exploratory Study of the Functions Provided by Internal Versus External Organizational Mentors,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2005S. Gayle Baugh The changing nature of careers suggests that mentors and protégés may work in different employment settings. Little research has examined whether mentoring relationships that are interorganizational are as enriched, in terms of mentoring functions provided and received, as those that are intraorganizational. The present study examines the effect of the mentor's employment setting on both protégé and mentor reports of career support, psychosocial support, and role modeling received or provided. Data were collected via questionnaire from mentors and protégčs in 2 computer technology firms. Results from a MANCOVA controlling for protégé gender and duration of relationship indicate that protégés whose mentors work in the same employment setting as themselves reported more career and psychosocial support than did protégés whose mentors work in a different setting. Results are discussed in view of current career structures. [source] Head structures of males of Strepsiptera (Hexapoda) with emphasis on basal splitting events within the orderJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Rolf Georg Beutel Abstract Internal and external head structures of males of Strepsiptera were examined and the head of a species of Mengenilla is described in detail. The results suggest a reinterpretation of some structures. The head of basal extant strepsipterans is subprognathous, whereas it is strictly orthognathous in the groundplan of Strepsiptera s.l. The labrum and hypopharynx are not part of the mouthfield sclerite. The labial palps are absent in all strepsipterans. A very slightly modified mandibular articulation is preserved in Eoxenos, whereas it is distinctly reduced in other extant groups. A salivary duct, salivary glands, and a cephalic aorta are absent. The cladistic analysis of 44 characters of the head results in the following branching pattern: (Protoxenos + (Mengea + (Eoxenos + (Mengenilla [Austr.] + Mengenilla) + (Elenchus + Dundoxenos + Xenos + Stylops)))). Most apomorphies of males are associated with the necessity of finding females within a short time span and with a reduced necessity to consume food: large "raspberry" eyes, flabellate antennae with numerous dome-shaped chemoreceptors, Hofeneder's organ, an ovoid sensillum of the maxillary palp, and the simplified condition of the maxilla and the labium. Strepsiptera excl. Protoxenos are supported by the dorsomedian frontal impression, the dorsally shifted antennal insertions, a reduced number of antennal segments, absence of the galea, and probably by the presence of the mouthfield sclerite, which is a unique apomorphic feature. The balloon-gut combined with an unusual air-uptake apparatus is another possible autapomorphy of this clade. It is likely that the last common ancestor of Strepsiptera excl. Protoxenos did not process food. Strepsiptera s.str. are characterized by the strongly reduced condition of the labrum and the absence of the epistomal suture. Eoxenos is the sister group of the remaining Strepsiptera s.str. Synapomorphies of Mengenilla + Stylopidia are the advanced reduction of the mandibular articulation and the secondary absence of the ovoid sensillum. The monophyly of Mengenilla is confirmed, even though a small free labrum is present in Australian species. Derived features of Stylopidia are the absence of the coronal suture and the reduced condition of the frontal suture. Apomorphies that have evolved within Stylopidia are the membranization of parts of the head, the fusion of antennal segments, the increase or decrease of the number of flabellate flagellomeres, reductions and modifications of the mandibles, and modifications of the mouthfield sclerite. The monophyly of Stylopiformia is not unambiguously supported. A position of the mandibles posterior to the mouthfield sclerite (when adducted) is a possible synapomorphy shared by Xenos, Stylops, and other "higher Stylopidia." The blade-like distal part of the mandibles suggests a closer relationship of Elenchus with these taxa. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] How Attrition Impacts the Internal and External Validity of Longitudinal ResearchJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 7 2005Adam E. Barry [source] Internal and external motivation in phonetic change: Dialect levelling outcomes for an English vowel shiftJOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 1 2004Eivind Torgersen This article is a contribution to the debate about the primacy of internal versus external factors in language change (Farrar and Jones 2002; Thomason and Kaufman 1988). Taking Labov's Principles of Vowel Shifting (Labov 1994) as representing internal factors, we examine a vowel shift in Ashford, south-east of London. F1 and F2 measurements of the short vowels suggest a classic chain shift, largely following Labov's Principles II and III (though Labov's assumption that London short front vowels are rising is shown to be wrong). However, corresponding data from Reading, west of London, evidence no signs of a chain shift. The two datasets show identical targets for the changes in each town. Thus, there has been convergence between the two short vowel systems , from different starting points. We argue that a dialect contact model is more explanatory than internal factors in ,this case of regional dialect levelling in the south-east of England. [source] Internal and External Security in the Arab Gulf StatesMIDDLE EAST POLICY, Issue 2 2009Kristian Coates Ulrichsen [source] Communication in performance-based training and instruction: From design to practicePERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT, Issue 9 2009Josephine A. Larbi-Apau Communication is inextricably important to instructional design and performance-based training. Promoting effective communication as an integral part of the performance support system improves professional instructional design functions and offers greater avenues for meaningful discourse among end users of the instruction. In this article, we highlight communication in performance training and instruction for meaningful learning and effective exchange of knowledge. Internal and external communications are discussed as a means to promoting successful relationships, commitment, and ownership. [source] Evolution, Altruism and "Internal Reward" ExplanationsPHILOSOPHICAL FORUM, Issue 4 2002John S. Brunero First page of article [source] Knowledge and the Internal Revisited,PHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002JOHN MCDOWELL In "Knowledge and the Social Articulation of the Space of Reasons," Robert Brandom reads my "Knowledge and the Internal" as sketching a position that, when properly elaborated, opens into his own social-perspectival conception of knowledge (and of objectivity in general). But this depends on taking me to hold that there cannot be justification for a belief sufficient to exclude the possibility that the belief is false. And that is exactly what I argued against in "Knowledge and the Internal." Seeing that P constitutes falsehood-excluding justification for believing that P. That should seem common sense, but it is made unavailable by the inferentialist conception of justification that Brandom takes for granted. So far from realizing my aims, Brandom's social-perspectival conception of knowledge is squarely in the target area of my argument in "Knowledge and the Internal," which I restate here so as to bring that out. [source] In situ monitoring of residual strain development during composite curePOLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 3 2002Allan S. Crasto Internal (residual) stresses build up in a thermosetting composite as the matrix shrinks during cure, and again as the composite is cooled to ambient from its elevated processing temperature. These stresses can be significant enough to distort the dimensions and shape of a cured part as well as initiate damage in off-axis plies, either during fabrication or under the application of relatively low mechanical loads. The magnitude of these stresses depends on a number of factors including constituent anisotropy, volume fraction and thermal expansion, ply orientation, process cycle, and matrix cure chemistry. In this study, embedded strain gauges were employed to follow, in situ, the buildup of residual strains in carbon fiber-reinforced laminates during cure. The data were compared to those from volumetric dilatometer studies to ascertain the fraction of resin shrinkage that contributed to residual stress buildup during cure. Based on earlier studies with single-fiber model composites, the process cycle in each case was then varied to determine if the cycles optimized to minimize residual stresses for isolated fibers in an infinite matrix were applicable to the reduction of residual stresses in conventional multifiber composites. The results of these studies are reported here. [source] An examination of perceived behavioral control: Internal and external influences on intentionPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 7 2003Blair Kidwell We explore the dimensionality and structure of internal and external perceived behavioral control, extending research on the relationship between these control components. Two conceptual models were identified and tested in Study 1. External control was manipulated in Study 2 to further explicate hypothesized variation in perceived internal control. The results from both studies provide support for an antecedent relationship between control constructs with external control as an antecedent and internal control as the more proximate determinant of behavioral intent. Theoretical implications of findings are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Groupoid of orientational variantsACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 1 2006Cyril Cayron Daughter crystals in orientation relationship with a parent crystal are called variants. They can be created by a structural phase transition (Landau or reconstructive), by twinning or by precipitation. Internal and external classes of transformations defined from the point groups of the parent and daughter phases and from a transformation matrix allow the orientations of the distinct variants to be determined. These are algebraically identified with left cosets and their number is given by the Lagrange formula. A simple equation links the numbers of variants of the direct and inverse transitions. The equivalence classes on the transformations between variants are isomorphic to the double cosets (operators) and their number is given by the Burnside formula. The orientational variants and the operators constitute a groupoid whose composition table acts as a crystallographic signature of the transition. A general method that determines if two daughter variants can be inherited from more than one parent crystal is also described. A computer program has been written to calculate all these properties for any structural transition; some results are given for Burgers transitions and for martensitic transitions in steels. The complexity, irreversibility and entropy of fractal systems constituted by orientational variants generated by thermal cycling are briefly discussed. [source] Transformational Leadership and Organizational Innovation: The Roles of Internal and External Support for Innovation,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2009Lale Gumusluo Leadership has been suggested to be an important factor affecting innovation. A number of studies have shown that transformational leadership positively influences organizational innovation. However, there is a lack of studies examining the contextual conditions under which this effect occurs or is augmented. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of transformational leadership on organizational innovation and to determine whether internal and external support for innovation as contextual conditions influence this effect. Organizational innovation was conceptualized as the tendency of the organization to develop new or improved products or services and its success in bringing those products or services to the market. Transformational leadership was hypothesized to have a positive influence on organizational innovation. Furthermore, this effect was proposed to be moderated by internal support for innovation, which refers to an innovation supporting climate and adequate resources allocated to innovation. Support received from external organizations for the purposes of knowledge and resource acquisition was also proposed to moderate the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational innovation. To test these hypotheses, data were collected from 163 research and development (R&D) employees and managers of 43 micro- and small-sized Turkish entrepreneurial software development companies. Two separate questionnaires were used to collect the data. Employees' questionnaires included measures of transformational leadership and internal support for innovation, whereas managers' questionnaires included questions about product innovations of their companies and the degree of support they received from external institutions. Organizational innovation was measured with a market-oriented criterion developed specifically for developing countries and newly developing industries. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized effects. The results of the analysis provided support for the positive influence of transformational leadership on organizational innovation. This finding is significant because this positive effect was identified in micro- and small-sized companies, whereas previous research focused mainly on large companies. In addition, external support for innovation was found to significantly moderate this effect. Specifically, the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational innovation was stronger when external support was at high levels than when there was no external support. This study is the first to investigate and empirically show the importance of this contextual condition for organizational innovation. The moderating effect of internal support for innovation, however, was not significant. This study shows that transformational leadership is an important determinant of organizational innovation and encourages managers to engage in transformational leadership behaviors to promote organizational innovation. In line with this, transformational leadership, which is heavily suggested to be a subject of management training and development in developed countries, should also be incorporated into such programs in developing countries. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of external support in the organizational innovation process. The results suggest that technical and financial support received from outside the organization can be a more important contextual influence in boosting up innovation than an innovation-supporting internal climate. Therefore, managers, particularly of micro- and small-sized companies, should play external roles such as boundary spanning and should build relationships with external institutions that provide technical and financial support. The findings of this study are especially important for managers of companies that plan to or currently operate in countries with developing economies. [source] Urban-Rural Differences in Motivation to Control Prejudice Toward People With HIV/AIDS: The Impact of Perceived Identifiability in the CommunityTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2008Janice Yanushka Bunn PhD ABSTRACT:,Context:HIV/AIDS is occurring with increasing frequency in rural areas of the United States, and people living with HIV/AIDS in rural communities report higher levels of perceived stigma than their more urban counterparts. The extent to which stigmatized individuals perceive stigma could be influenced, in part, by prevailing community attitudes. Differences between rural and more metropolitan community members' attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS, however, have rarely been examined. Purpose: This study investigated motivation to control prejudice toward people with HIV/AIDS among non-infected residents of metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas of rural New England. Methods: A total of 2,444 individuals were identified through a random digit dialing sampling scheme, and completed a telephone interview to determine attitudes and concerns about a variety of health issues. Internal or external motivation to control prejudice was examined using a general linear mixed model approach, with independent variables including age, gender, community size, and perceived indentifiability within one's community. Findings: Results showed that community size, by itself, was not related to motivation to control prejudice. However, there was a significant interaction between community size and community residents' perceptions about the extent to which people in their communities know who they are. Conclusion: Our results indicate that residents of rural areas, in general, may not show a higher level of bias toward people with HIV/AIDS. The interaction between community size and perceived identifiability, however, suggests that motivation to control prejudice, and potentially the subsequent expression of that prejudice, is more complex than originally thought. [source] Feeling in Control During Labor: Concepts, Correlates, and ConsequencesBIRTH, Issue 4 2003AFBPsS, CPsychol, Josephine M. Green BA(Hons) Since not all studies conceptualize "control" in the same way or distinguish between "external" and "internal" control, the purpose of this study is to advance understanding of how these senses of control relate to each other. Methods:, Questionnaires were sent to women 1 month before birth to assess their preferences and expectations and at 6 weeks after birth to discover their experiences and assess psychological outcomes. Data are presented from 1146 women. Three control outcomes were considered: feeling in control of what staff do to you, feeling in control of your own behavior, and feeling in control during contractions. Results:, Women were less likely to report being in control of staff (39.5%) than in control of their own behavior (61.0%). Approximately one-fifth of the sample felt in control in all three ways, and another one-fifth did not feel in control in any of them. Parity was strongly associated with feeling in control, with multiparas feeling more in control than primiparas in all cases. In logistic regression analyses, feeling in control of staff was found to relate primarily to being able to get comfortable, feeling treated with respect and as an individual, and perceiving staff as considerate. Feeling in control of one's behavior and during contractions were primarily related to aspects of pain and pain relief, but also to antenatal expectations of control. Worry about labor pain was also an important antenatal predictor for primiparas. All three control outcomes contributed independently to satisfaction, with control of staff being the most significant; relationships with emotional well-being were also demonstrated. Conclusions:, All three types of control were important to women and contributed to psychological outcomes. Internal and external control were predicted by different groups of variables. Caregivers have the potential to make a significant difference to a woman's experience of childbirth. The ways in which women are helped to deal with pain will affect internal control; the extent to which they feel that they are actually cared about, rather than care being something that is done to them, will affect external control. Both contribute to satisfaction and emotional well-being. (BIRTH 30:4 December 2003) [source] Internal and External Corporate Governance: An Interface between an Organization and its EnvironmentBRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2010Igor Filatotchev Most corporate governance research focuses on a universal link between corporate governance practices (e.g. shareholder activism, board independence) and performance outcomes, but neglects how interdependences between the organization and diverse environments lead to variations in the effectiveness of different corporate governance practices. This paper develops an organizational approach to corporate governance and focuses on two dominant streams that analyse internal and external governance mechanisms. First, we explore governance practices aimed at dealing with a complex set of problems internal to an organization, such as conflicts of interest between managers and shareholders, different types of shareholders, and block-holder opportunism. Second, we discuss the importance of formal and informal governance arrangements that organizations use in managing their relationships with external parties, such as alliance partners, overseas subsidiaries and network members. We argue that an integrated approach bringing these two streams together helps to develop a more holistic view on the effectiveness and efficiency of various corporate governance mechanisms, and suggests a number of avenues for future research. This paper also sets the scene for this thematic issue on corporate governance, scopes the field and introduces 11 papers which make significant contributions towards our understanding of corporate governance. [source] ChemInform Abstract: One-Pot Synthesis of Internal Conjugated (Z)-Enynyltrimethylsilanes Possessing Aryl, Cycloalkenyl, (E)- or (Z)-Alk-1-enyl Moieties on the sp Carbon Atom via Two Types of Cross-Coupling Reaction.CHEMINFORM, Issue 13 2009Masayuki Hoshi Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] Palladium-Catalyzed Selective Cross-Addition of Triisopropylsilylacetylene to Internal and Terminal Unactivated Alkynes.CHEMINFORM, Issue 47 2007Naofumi Tsukada Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] On the head morphology of Tetraphalerus, the phylogeny of Archostemata and the basal branching events in ColeopteraCLADISTICS, Issue 3 2008Rolf G. Beutel Internal and external features of Tetraphalerus bruchi were studied using X-ray microtomography (µ-CT) and other techniques, and head structures were described in detail. µ-Ct is highly efficient for the assessment of anatomical data. A data matrix with 90 morphological characters of recent and fossil beetles was analyzed with different approaches (parsimony, Bayesian analysis). The results of the parsimony analysis resulted in the following branching pattern: (,Tshekardocoleidae + (,Permocupedidae, ,Rhombocoleidae + (,Triadocupedidae + ((Adephaga + (Myxophaga + Polyphaga))) + Archostemata s.str. [including Jurodidae]))). Sikhotealinia is placed as sister group of ,Jurodes (Jurodidae), and Jurodidae as sister group of the remaining Archostemata (Bayesian analysis) or of a clade comprising Micromalthidae, Crowsoniellidae, ,Ademosynidae, ,Schizophoridae and ,Catiniidae. The monophyly of Ommatidae and Cupedidae is well supported and Priacma is placed as the sister group of all other Cupedidae. Important events in the early evolution of Coleoptera are the shortening of the elytra and the transformation of the elytral venation (Coleoptera excluding ,Tshekardocoleidae), the formation of a closed subelytral space (Coleoptera excluding ,Tshekardocoleidae and ,Permocupedidae), the reduction of two apical antennomeres, and the loss of the broad prothoracic postcoxal bridge (Coleoptera excluding ,Tshekardocoleidae, ,Permocupedidae and ,Rhombocoleidae). Plesiomorphic features preserved in extant Archostemata are the tuberculate cuticle, the elytral pattern with parallel longitudinal ribs and window punctures, a mesoventrite with a transverse ridge, triangular mesocoxae with a distinct meron, and the exposed metatrochantin. The fossils included in the analyses do not only contribute to the reconstruction of character evolution but also influence the branching pattern. An understanding of the major evolutionary events in Coleoptera would not be possible without considering the rich fossil record of Permian and Mesozoic beetles. © The Willi Hennig Society 2007. [source] Self-Interest, Symbolic Attitudes, and Support for Public Policy: A Multilevel AnalysisPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Richard R. Lau This paper examines the role of self-interest and symbolic attitudes as predictors of support for two domestic policy issues,guaranteed jobs and incomes and national health insurance,in the American National Election Survey (ANES) between 1972 and 2004. As was the case in 1976 when Sears, Lau, Tyler, and Allen (1980) first explored this topic, symbolic attitudes continue to be much more important predictors of policy attitudes than various indicators of self-interest over the 30 years we analyze. We explore this finding further to determine whether any individual/internal and external/contextual variables affect the magnitude of self-interest effects on policy support. Five possible internal moderators of self-interest effects are examined: (1) political knowledge, (2) issue publics, (3) political values, (4) social identifications, and (5) emotions, but none are found to boost the magnitude of the self-interest effect. However, we do find some evidence that contextual variables representing the social/information environment moderate the impact of self-interest on public opinion. [source] Experience-dependent plasticity in hypocretin/orexin neurones: re-setting arousal thresholdACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 3 2010X.-B. Gao Abstract The neuropeptide hypocretin is synthesized exclusively in the lateral hypothalamus and participates in many brain functions critical for animal survival, particularly in the promotion and maintenance of arousal in animals , a core process in animal behaviours. Consistent with its arousal-promoting role in animals, the neurones synthesizing hypocretin receive extensive innervations encoding physiological, psychological and environmental cues and send final outputs to key arousal-promoting brain areas. The activity in hypocretin neurones fluctuates and correlates with the behavioural state of animals and intensive activity has been detected in hypocretin neurones during wakefulness, foraging for food and craving for addictive drugs. Therefore, it is likely that hypocretin neurones undergo experience-dependent changes resulting from intensive activations by stimuli encoding changes in the internal and external environments. This review summarizes the most recent evidence supporting experience-dependent plasticity in hypocretin neurones. Current data suggest that nutritional and behavioural factors lead to synaptic plasticity and re-organization of synaptic architecture in hypocretin neurones. This may be the substrate of enhanced levels of arousal resulting from behavioural changes in animals and may help to explain the mechanisms underlying the changes in arousal levels induced by physiological, psychological and environmental factors. [source] The Influence of Nonaudit Service Revenues and Client Pressure on External Auditors' Decisions to Rely on Internal Audit,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 1 2005WILLIAM L. FELIX Jr. Abstract This paper investigates how external auditor provision of significant nonaudit services and client pressure to use the work of internal audit influence external auditors' use of internal auditors' work. More specifically, we study how external audit evidence gathering choices are influenced by nonaudit fees and client pressure. Our research is motivated by an observation that the magnitude of nonaudit services provided to audit clients introduces the risk that client management may leverage its position with the external auditor and potentially affect the audit process. We address this issue by extending prior research and focusing on the importance of various explanatory variables, including nonaudit service revenues, client pressure, internal audit quality, and coordination, to the external auditor's decision to rely on the work of internal audit. We use data primarily obtained through surveys completed by internal and external auditors. The survey responses represent 74 separate audit engagements. Our findings reveal that when significant nonaudit services are not provided to a client, internal audit quality and the level of internal-external auditor coordination positively affect auditors' internal audit reliance decisions. However, when the auditor provides significant nonaudit services to the client, internal audit quality and the extent of internal - external auditor coordination do not significantly affect auditors' reliance decisions. Furthermore, when significant nonaudit services are provided, client pressure significantly increases the extent of internal audit reliance. Thus, external auditors appear to be more affected by client pressure and less concerned about internal audit quality and coordination when making internal audit reliance decisions at clients for whom significant nonaudit services are also provided. [source] A multicriterion classification approach for assessing the impact of environmental policies on the competitiveness of firmsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2007V. Hontou Abstract The key objective of the European Union's environmental policy is to successfully combine environmental protection with sustainable economic growth in the long term. Nowadays, it is increasingly recognized that environmental policies, besides increasing production cost, may at the same time give incentives to firms for undertaking innovative actions and/or developing and exploiting differentiation opportunities. Both differentiation capacity and cost increase are strongly dependent on a multiplicity of internal and external factors, such as energy intensity, type of technology used, characteristics of the competitive environment etc. The present paper presents a multicriterion approach for classifying firms into discrete categories of possible impact, according to their sensitivity to cost increases and their differentiation potential. The resulting environment,competitiveness matrix can be exploited for establishing sustainability strategies and designing effective policies in the industrial sector. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] The Global Reporting Initiative and corporate sustainability reporting in Swedish companiesCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2003Carl-Johan Hedberg With empirical evidence from Swedish companies, this paper analyses the phenomenon of corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) in general and the use of CSR guidelines developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in particular. The main questions at issue are why companies have chosen to use the GRI guidelines and how this has affected corporate social responsibility and environmental management. From interviews with all Swedish companies that use the guidelines, we have found that companies produce CSRs mainly to seek organizational legitimacy, and that the main reason for use of the GRI guidelines is an expectation of increasing credibility of the CSR, but also that it provides a template for how to design a report. Moreover, we have found that the CSR report and the GRI guidelines are of more help for internal than external communication at this stage of development. It could help corporations to learn about themselves and to see what has actually been done in the organization. In all, the GRI guidelines would have the potential for gaining visibility and control of the triple bottom line on a corporate level, but they are in need of further development, not least in relation to the issue of verification. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Corporate socially responsible (CSR) practices in the context of Greek industryCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2003Dr Constantina Bichta This paper sets out to describe the level of corporate environmental responsibility of the Greek industrial sector. While the level of corporate socially responsible behaviour has been widely explored in the context of Northern European industry, the theoretical work surrounding the level of CSR practices of Greek industry is underdeveloped. A qualitative study was designed to increase awareness about the level of environmental responsibility of two Greek firms, which represented the chemical/fertilizer and metal sectors. The empirical findings suggest that a number of factors, both internal and external, determine the level of environmental policy and performance of the two companies. The environmental policy of the companies appears also to relate to the sector of operation. The paper concludes that the Greek business actor should look at his workforce in order to accelerate the environmental activities of the organization. With regard to the theory of CSR, it is argued that the development of a model of CSR is aided by the study and identification of factors that support and/or undermine the socially responsible behaviour of the European corporate sector. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||