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Internal Factors (internal + factor)
Selected AbstractsIs a Manipulator's Externality Paradoxical?JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 11 2009Economic Locus of Control, Economic Opportunism, The Relationship Between Machiavellianism Machiavellianism and economic opportunism are defecting strategies founded on manipulating information in order to maximize gain or power. This study investigated their relationship with economic internality. We hypothesized that individuals inclined to adopt defecting strategies would tend to have external economic locus of control (ELOC). A Greek sample of 175 participants completed the ELOC and Mach IV questionnaires and a scale of economic opportunism. Machiavellianism and opportunism were both positively correlated with the ELOC Chance factor. Opportunism was negatively correlated with the ELOC Internal factor. The findings confirmed the hypothesis and showed that this kind of defector overestimates the role of chance, uncertainty, and hazard as sources of economic reinforcements. [source] An Organizational Framework for Conceptualizing Resilience in ChildrenJOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 3 2000Barbara L. Mandleco PhD, J. Craig Peery TOPIC. An organizational framework for conceptualizing resilience in children. PURPOSE. To propose a framework based on relevant literature that clarifies, differentiates, organizes, and elaborates on pertinent factors associated with resilience in children. SOURCES. Relevant literature from developmental psychology, child psychiatry, and nursing CONCLUSIONS. Salient factors affecting resilience in children originate internally or externally to the individual. Internal factors include biological and psychological factors; external factors are reflected in the nature and quality of relationships established within or outside the family group. The influence and importance of each factor, however, may vary in individual situations. The framework can guide research efforts and facilitate interventions for practice. [source] ISO 14001 EMS standard registration decisions among Canadian organizationsAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2003Emmanuel K. Yiridoe This study characterized the costs and benefits associated with adopting ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) standard, based on a survey of ISO 14001-registered organizations in Canada. Decision makers are contemplating whether it is necessary to register to one or more of the ISO and other international standards and, if so, which ones. Furthermore, an organization that has registered separate departments to different standards and contemplates integrating such standards across the different units may be interested in attributes of particular units that will facilitate integration. Discriminant analysis was conducted to characterize the factors that distinguish between organizations that adopted ISO 14001 alone (single standard), versus those that registered to ISO 14001 along with other quality, health, and safety standards (i.e., multiple standards). The most important factor that motivated adoption to ISO 14001 was to establish a positive environmental profile, thereby promoting goodwill and integrity. Internal factors tended to dominate the motivations for adopting ISO 14001, supporting the hypothesis that external benefits may not be fully realized due to market and policy failure. Internal costs associated with registration depended on the size of the organization and ranged, on average, from CND$17,000 (for organizations with less than 100 employees), to CND$42,000 (for organizations with more than 500 employees). External costs depended more on the type (i.e., sector of the Canadian economy) than on size of the organization. The most important variable that distinguished between Canadian organizations that adopted ISO 14001 alone versus those that adopted ISO 14001 and other standards was whether the organization had an international orientation, that is, those with more than 50% of services or exports to other countries. [EconLit citations: L150, L200, Q290]. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 19: 439,457, 2003. [source] Factors influencing the publication of social performance information: an Australian case studyCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2005Tony McMurtrie Abstract Traditional research into the social responsibility information published by firms has concentrated on the information published in the annual report and has not considered closely the driving forces that have guided the identification and preparation of information that is to be included in that publication. This paper reports on a case study that has examined some of the internal factors that have driven the publication of social responsibility information, and shows that while the annual report is still a major publication medium the internet plays a very significant role in the dissemination of information. Factors that impact on the publication media and the content of the published information in these cases were seen to be the nature of the information system used, the intended audience and their perceived power, and the level of corporate conservatism that guided the companies' management. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Symptoms of hypoglycaemia in people with diabetesDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 9 2001V. McAulay Abstract The symptoms of hypoglycaemia are fundamental to the early detection and treatment of this side-effect of insulin and oral hypoglycaemic therapy in people with diabetes. The physiology of normal responses to hypoglycaemia is described and the importance of symptoms of hypoglycaemia is discussed in relation to the treatment of diabetes. The symptoms of hypoglycaemia are described in detail. The classification of symptoms is considered and the usefulness of autonomic and neuroglycopenic symptoms for detecting hypoglycaemia is discussed. The many external and internal factors involved in the perception of symptoms are reviewed, and symptoms of hypoglycaemia experienced by people with Type 2 diabetes are addressed. Age-specific differences in the symptoms of hypoglycaemia have been identified, and are important for clinical and research practice, particularly with respect to the development of acquired hypoglycaemia syndromes in people with Type 1 diabetes that can result in impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia. In addition, the routine assessment of hypoglycaemia symptoms in the diabetic clinic is emphasized as an important part of the regular review of people with diabetes who are treated with insulin. Diabet. Med. 18, 690,705 (2001) [source] Environmental carcinogens and p53 tumor-suppressor gene interactions in a transgenic mouse model for mammary carcinogenesisENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 2-3 2002Daniel Medina Abstract Mouse mammary tumorigenesis is greatly influenced by a variety of exogenous agents, such as MMTV, chemical carcinogens (i.e., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and radiation, as well as by endogenous/physiological factors, such as steroid hormones, tumor-suppressor genes (i.e., Brca1/2,p53), and gene products of modifier genes. In the mouse model, the most frequently used chemical carcinogen has been 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), which activates the Ha- ras gene but does not alter the p53 tumor-suppressor gene. However, on an existing background of p53 gene alteration, low doses of DMBA are strongly cocarcinogenic. Using a transgenic model system, in which the p53 gene was deleted in the mammary gland, we examined the carcinogenic effects of a variety of external agents and internal factors given at either low doses or physiological doses. These agents/factors included DMBA, ,-radiation, Brca2 heterozygosity, and steroid hormones. All agents/factors increased the tumorigenic response of the p53 null mammary cells, even under conditions where no tumorigenic response was observed in the p53 wildtype mammary cell. The strongest cocarcinogenic effect was observed with the steroid hormone progesterone. The majority of tumors were highly aneuploid and composed of nuclear igh-grade cells. The mechanism for the aneuploidy and secondary events associated with high tumorigenicity were examined using array technology. These results demonstrate that, on a background of underlying genetic instability, very low doses of environmental mutagens and mitogens can produce strong cocarcinogenic effects. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 39:178,183, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Temporal changes in replicated experimental stream fish assemblages: predictable or not?FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2006WILLIAMJ. Summary 1.,Natural aquatic communities or habitats cannot be fully replicated in the wild, so little is known about how initially identical communities might change over time, or the extent to which observed changes in community structure are caused by internal factors (such as interspecific interactions or traits of individual species) versus factors external to the local community (such as abiotic disturbances or invasions of new species). 2.,We quantified changes in seven initially identical fish assemblages, in habitats that were as similar as possible, in seminatural artificial streams in a 388-day trial (May 1998 to May 1999), and compared the change to that in fish assemblages in small pools of a natural stream during a year. The experimental design excluded floods, droughts, immigration or emigration. The experimental fish communities diverged significantly in composition and exhibited dissimilar trajectories in multivariate species space. Divergence among the assemblages increased from May through August, but not thereafter. 3.,Differences among the experimental assemblages were influenced by differences that developed during the year in algae cover and in potential predation (due to differential survival of sunfish among units). 4.,In the natural stream, fish assemblages in small pools changed more than those in the experimental units, suggesting that in natural assemblages external factors exacerbated temporal variation. 5.,Our finding that initially identical assemblages, isolated from most external factors, would diverge in the structure of fish assemblages over time suggests a lack of strong internal, deterministic controls in the assemblages, and that idiosyncratic or stochastic components (chance encounters among species; vagaries in changes in the local habitat) even within habitat patches can play an important role in assemblage structure in natural systems. [source] Role of active movement in place-specific firing of hippocampal neuronsHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 1 2005Eun Young Song Abstract The extent of external and internal factors contributing to location-specific firing of hippocampal place cells is currently unclear. We investigated the role of active movement in location-specific firing by comparing spatial firing patterns of hippocampal neurons, while rats either ran freely or rode a motorized cart on the same circular track. Most neurons changed their spatial firing patterns across the two navigation conditions ("remapping"), and they were stably maintained across repeated active or passive navigation sessions. These results show that active movement is a critical factor in determining place-specific firing of hippocampal neurons. This could explain why passive displacement is not an effective way of acquiring spatial knowledge for subsequent active navigation in an unfamiliar environment. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Decubitus ulcers: A review of the literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2005Cheryl Bansal BA Decubitus ulcers are a worldwide health care concern affecting tens of thousands of patients and costing over a billion dollars a year. Susceptibility to pressure ulcers comes from a combination of external factors (pressure, friction, shear force, and moisture), and internal factors (e.g. fever, malnutrition, anaemia, and endothelial dysfunction). Often, enough damage is done to create the basis for a decubitus ulcer after as little as 2 h of immobility, a situation which may be difficult to avoid if the patient must undergo prolonged surgery or remain bedridden. Damage owing to pressure may also occur hours before the patient receives medical attention, especially if the patient falls or becomes immobilized owing to a vascular event. Several classification systems for decubitus ulcers have been described, based on where injury first occurs. The histologic progression of decubitus ulcers is a dynamic process involving several stages, each having characteristic histologic features. A team-focused approach integrating all aspects of care, including pressure relief, infection control, nutrition, and surgery, may improve healing rates. With accurate risk assessment and preventative care, we can hope to minimize complications and mortality owing to decubitus ulcers. [source] Insecurity related to working life by age groups in Finland and Estonia in the 1990sINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 3 2000Raija Väisänen This article compares the reasons for insecurity related to working life in different age groups in Finland and Estonia, and the coping strategies evident in the two countries. Insecurity related to working life is more common in Finland than in Estonia. The differences between the two countries are more distinct with respect to experienced work-related insecurity than to an experienced lack of well-being linked to work. This shows that feelings of insecurity are affected not only by external factors, but also by internal factors linked to a person's earlier development. The most common causes of insecurity for people of working age are unemployment, mental strain and difficulties in interpersonal relationships at the work place. The individual's willingness to find means of coping at work is more clearly evident in Estonia than in Finland. People of working age in Finland are more likely to attempt to change the external conditions of work than are their Estonian counterparts. [source] Factors Influencing the Choice of Initial Qualifications and Continuing Development in Australia and BritainINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2001Linda Miller This article presents the outcomes of an exploratory study into the factors that influences individuals' choice of different types of qualification at stages throughout their employment history. The survey of individuals in Australia and Britiain sought information on individuals' training and education decisions between school and employment; after gaining employment; and of their future intentions for further study. There were few differences between Australians and British respondents at the school-leaver stage, but once in work differences emerged between the two countries. Few differences were observed between males and females. Comparison of those opting into academic and vocational programmes indicated that those who choose academic programmes are motivated by a cluster of mainly internal factors while those opting for the vocational route were more likely to have been influenced by their manager and the possibility of funding. Implications for the marketing of qualifications are discussed. [source] The Increasing Political Power of Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel: From Passive Citizenship to Active CitizenshipINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 1 2003Tamar Horowitz The immigrants in Israel from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) followed a different pattern of political growth than other immigrant groups. Their increased power began on the national level and moved down to the local level, rather than from the periphery toward the centre , the pattern followed by the Oriental Jewish immigrants. We can trace three stages in the development of their political power. The first stage was during the 1992 elections when the immigrants attempted to organize their own list. Though they failed, the results of the election strengthened them because they were given credit for the left's victory, giving them a sense of political effectiveness. The second stage came during the 1996 elections. It was a defining moment for the former Soviet immigrants' political power. In this stage external factors and internal factors reinforced each other. The change in the electoral system made it possible for the immigrants to vote for their community on the one hand and for a national figure on the other, thus resolving their identity dilemma. The local elections in 1998 marked the third stage in their political strength. They found the immigrant community better organized, with an improved understanding of its local interests, the capacity to put forward a strong local leadership, and a stronger link between the immigrant political centre and the local level. [source] Branch Network and Modular Service Optimization for Community BankingINTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2002G. Ioannou In the information society, what is clearly changing is the role and image of bank branches in order to satsify in a more efficient way customers' needs. This paper develops an integrated approach to assist the bank's management in reconfiguring a branch network according to the dictates of the market. We are seeking the optimum number of branches and the optimum mix of services that each branch should offer in order to maximize the revenue,generating measures of the branches within a community. The problem is modeled using a linear program that accounts for community performance as a function of performance variables that are explained by a set of external and internal factors, which reflect community characteristics and modular branch banking parameters, respectively. The relationships between factor and performance variables are identified using regression analysis. An iterative algorithm allows convergence to a solution that provides the best configuration of branches after all possible branch mergers and modular branch adjustments are accomplished. [source] PPF1 May Suppress Plant Senescence via Activating TFL1 in Transgenic Arabidopsis PlantsJOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Da-Yong Wang Abstract Senescence, a sequence of biochemical and physiological events, constitutes the final stage of development in higher plants and is modulated by a variety of environmental factors and internal factors. PPF1 possesses an important biological function in plant development by controlling the Ca2+ storage capacity within chloroplasts. Here we show that the expression of PPF1 might play a pivotal role in negatively regulating plant senescence as revealed by the regulation of overexpression and suppression of PPF1 on plant development. Moreover, TFL1, a key regulator in the floral repression pathway, was screened out as one of the downstream targets for PPF1 in the senescence-signaling pathway. Investigation of the senescence-related phenotypes in PPF1(,) tfl1-1 and PPF1(+) tfl1-1 double mutants confirmed and further highlighted the relation of PPF1 with TFL1 in transgenic plants. The activation of TFL1 expression by PPF1 defines an important pathway possibly essential for the negative regulation of plant senescence in transgenic Arabidopsis. [source] Three-Dimensional Representation of the Neurotransmitter Systems of the Human Hypothalamus: Inputs of the Gonadotrophin Hormone-Releasing Hormone Neuronal SystemJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 2 2006B. Dudas Abstract The gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) represents the final common pathway of a neuronal network that integrates multiple external and internal factors to control fertility. Among the many inputs GnRH neurones receive, oestrogens play the most important role. In females, oestrogen, in addition to the negative feedback, also exhibits a positive feedback influence upon the activity and output of GnRH neurones to generate the preovulatory luteinising hormone surge and ovulation. Until recently, the belief has been that the GnRH neurones do not contain oestrogen receptors and that the action of oestrogen upon GnRH neurones is indirect, involving several, oestrogen-sensitive neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems that trans -synaptically regulate the activity of the GnRH neurones. Although this concept still holds for humans, recent studies indicate that oestrogen receptor-beta is expressed in GnRH neurones of the rat. This review provides three dimensional stereoscopic images of GnRH-immunoreactive (IR) and some peptidergic (neuropeptide Y-, substance P-, ,-endorphin-, leu-enkaphalin-, corticotrophin hormone-releasing- and galanin-IR) and catecholaminergic neurones and the communication of these potential oestrogen-sensitive neuronal systems with GnRH neurones in the human hypothalamus. Because the post-mortem human tissue does not allow the electron microscopic identification of synapses on GnRH neurones, the data presented here are based on light microscopic immunocytochemical experiments using high magnification with oil immersion, semithin sections or confocal microscopy. [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] Think really different: Continuity and specialization in the English dual form adverbsJOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS, Issue 2 2002Sali Tagliamonte This paper analyses variation between -ly and -ø in English dual form adverbs by examining conversational data from York, U.K. Using multivariate analysis and the comparative method we assess the constraint ranking, significance and relative importance of external factors (age, sex, education level) and internal factors (lexical identity, function and meaning). The results show that -ly is dominant and has increased dramatically in apparent time. However, cross-tabulations with individual lexical items reveal that this correlation with speaker age is restricted to a single item,really. In conjunction with evidence from the history of English, we suggest that this does not reflect ongoing developments in English adverb formation, but is the result of continuous renewal in the encoding of ,intensity'. In contrast, separate analysis of the other adverbs shows that variation between -ly and zero is retained in part as a socio-symbolic resource, in particular for marking less educated male speech. Underlying this social meaning however, is a linguistic constraint which operates across all speakers. The zero adverb encodes concrete, objective meaning,a tendency which can be traced back 650 years or more. This provides yet another example of the interface between social and historical developments in language variation and change. [source] Managing organisations through a process-based perspective: its challenges and benefitsKNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 4 2005Ruth N. Kiraka The argument presented in this paper is that a process-based view is useful for identifying good management practices because of its holistic multidimensional view of organisations. A process-based view involves identifying both the external and internal factors of the organisation's environment that affect processes. With regard to the external environment two forces driving processes are discussed: (1) processes involve responding to the macro- and task-environment influences; (2) processes focus on stakeholder satisfaction. With respect to the internal environment, the relationship between processes and the internal environment is twofold: (1) processes drive or are driven by the strategy of the organisation; (2) processes determine or should determine organisational structure. The theoretical model developed provides a useful tool for managers to consider in their thinking about and planning for their organisations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Institutional Arrangements and the Dynamics of Agenda Formation in the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of AppealsLAW & POLICY, Issue 3 2006MARK S. HURWITZ The manner in which agenda change occurs demonstrates how institutional arrangements influence agenda priorities in the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals. A neo-institutional theoretic perspective is employed to examine the dynamics of agenda formation in these courts. The article finds that the Supreme Court's agenda choices influence the decisions of litigants, interest groups, and lawyers to appeal certain cases to the Courts of Appeals. While the Supreme Court's agenda primarily is influenced by internal factors, it is constrained by agenda changes in the appeals courts. Critically, it is shown that these federal appellate courts exist within an endogenous system with respect to agenda formation, as both courts respond to agenda changes made in the other over time. [source] What happens when things go wrong?PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 7 2004Retail sales explanations, their effects Not all marketplace interactions are initially successful, and often customer expectations are not met, resulting in dissatisfaction, which leads to complaint and redress-seeking behavior. In this process, the nature of the explanations and other aspects of the firm,customer interaction are critical. This study investigates the proposition that explanation adequacy plays a critical role in the resolution of unsatisfactory sales encounters. Data were collected from a sample of consumers and analyzed with the use of structural-equation modeling. The findings indicate that explanation adequacy is influenced by the style and content of the explanation and the timeliness of an organization's reaction. However, explanation adequacy appears to only influence the final perceptions (indirectly) of the severity of the incident and emotional reaction to it, and the perceptions of the extent of the justice of the resolution and the assignment of blame to external factors were found to be intervening variables. The results also indicated that the assignment of blame to internal factors was unrelated to the adequacy of an explanation, but did influence emotional reactions and the perceived severity of the incident. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] ,Pockets' of effective agencies in weak governance states: Where are they likely and why does it matter?PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2010David K. Leonard Abstract It is well established that even in countries that have poor governance and weak public sectors, exceptional well-functioning government and government-supported agencies do exist. What has not been established is where and why these ,pockets of effectiveness' are able to emerge. Some attribute their existence to exceptional leadership and good management. Others, while not doubting the importance of these internal factors, believe that these ,pockets' are generated by their place in the country's political economy. The literature on this subject is dominated by case studies and the consequence is that a very large number of hypotheses have been generated about what the political processes at work might be. This article inventories the array of available hypotheses and condenses them into five sets of meta-hypotheses. It also discusses how social scientists and practitioners ought to think about something whose occurrence is idiosyncratic. The future of development administration will be enhanced by more informed choice of strategic opportunities,avoiding both political determinism and a naïve faith that all is equally possible to those who will it. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analyzing the determinants of firm's absorptive capacity: beyond R&DR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2008Jaider Vega-Jurado This article proposes a new model for analyzing the determinants of absorptive capacity in companies. We suggest that absorptive capacity is determined not only by research and development activities, but also by a set of internal factors, which we group into three basic categories: organizational knowledge, formalization, and social integration mechanisms. In addition, we suggest that these factors may influence all components of the firm's absorptive capacity, and that the influence can be positive or negative depending on the applicability of the knowledge being absorbed. This paper thus advances the understanding of absorptive capacity by exploring a largely ignored aspect in the literature: the role of knowledge attributes. We show how the model can be operationalized and empirically tested and provide preliminary evidence supporting most of the propositions in the analytical model. [source] The Emergence of the Pentateuch as ,Torah'RELIGION COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2010Christophe Laurent Nihan The following article surveys the present debate on the redaction of the Pentateuch as a collection of various traditions on the origins of "Israel" and its establishment as "Torah," namely, the most authoritative body of revealed literature in second temple Judaism. In particular, the article addresses the following issues: the significance of the redaction of the Pentateuch in the current debate (§ 1); external and internal factors behind the redaction and publication of the Pentateuch (§ 2); the groups involved in this process (§ 3); the purpose and the function of the Pentateuch at the time of its redaction (§ 4); and the audience addressed (§ 5). [source] ASEAN in the Asia Pacific: Central or Peripheral?ASIAN POLITICS AND POLICY, Issue 4 2010Julio Santiago Amador III The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an enduring regional organization in the Asia Pacific. However, its claim of being central to any talks on regional architecture is challenged by a multiplicity of external and internal factors. This article assesses ASEAN's centrality by looking into the possible challenges facing it, which inevitably affect its claim to be the central organization in managing the direction of the wider region. It then offers possible ways forward so that ASEAN can retain its leadership and prove to be a credible driver for regional cooperation. [source] A unifying explanation for diverse metabolic scaling in animals and plantsBIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2010Douglas S. Glazier The scaling of metabolic rate with body mass has long been a controversial topic. Some workers have claimed that the slope of log-log metabolic scaling relationships typically obeys a universal 3/4-power law resulting from the geometry of resource-transport networks. Others have attempted to explain the broad diversity of metabolic scaling relationships. Although several potentially useful models have been proposed, at present none successfully predicts the entire range of scaling relationships seen among both physiological states and taxonomic groups of animals and plants. Here I argue that our understanding may be aided by three shifts in focus: from explaining average tendencies to explaining variation between extreme boundary limits, from explaining the slope and elevation (metabolic level) of scaling relationships separately to showing how and why they are interrelated, and from focusing primarily on internal factors (e.g. body design) to a more balanced consideration of both internal and external (ecological) factors. By incorporating all of these shifts in focus, the recently proposed metabolic-level boundaries hypothesis appears to provide a useful way of explaining both taxonomic and physiological variation in metabolic scaling relationships. This hypothesis correctly predicts that the scaling slope should vary mostly between 2/3 and 1 and that it should be related to metabolic (activity) level according to an approximately U-shaped function. It also implies that the scaling of other energy-dependent biological processes should be related to the metabolic level of the organisms being examined. Some data are presented that support this implication, but further research is needed. [source] Corporate engagement in processes for planetary sustainability: understanding corporate capacity in the non-renewable resource extractive sector, AustraliaBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 8 2007Neil Harris Abstract In recent years corporations have come under increasing pressure from governments, consumers, investors, competitors, business partners and communities to balance their pursuit of economic gain with environmental and social concerns. Non-renewable resource extractive corporations in particular, due to their profile, visibility and activities, have come under mounting pressure to embed the concept of ecological sustainability into strategic decision-making processes and operations. In this regard, there is a growing base of evidence that describes efforts, successes and failures in the sector to meet mounting societal expectations. However, to date there has been limited explanatory research into corporate capacity to engage in processes for ecological sustainability. This paper presents an emergent explanation of the internal factors mediating corporate engagement in ecological sustainability in non-renewable resource extractive corporations in Australia. It identifies the five factors of leadership, resources, structures, culture and understanding and conceptualizes these internal factors as capacity for engagement. While all of the factors are seen as interdependent and essential, leadership is identified as the most critical. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] ANABOLIC AGENTS FOR IMPROVING MUSCLE REGENERATION AND FUNCTION AFTER INJURYCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Gordon S Lynch SUMMARY 1In the present review, we describe how muscles can be injured by external factors, internal factors or during the performance of some actions during sports. In addition, we describe the injury to a muscle that occurs when its blood supply is interrupted, an occurrence common in clinical settings. An overview of muscle regeneration is presented, as well as a discussion of some of the potential complications that can compromise successful muscle repair and lead to impaired function and permanent disability. 2Improving muscle regeneration is important for hastening muscle repair and restoring muscle function and the present review describes ways in which this can be achieved. We describe recent advances in tissue engineering that offer considerable promise for treating muscle damage, but highlight the fact that these techniques require rigorous evaluation before they can become mainstream clinical treatments. 3Growth-promoting agents are purported to increase the size of existing and newly regenerating muscle fibres and, therefore, could be used to improve muscle function if administered at appropriate times during the repair process. The present review provides an update on the efficacy of some growth-promoting agents, including anabolic steroids, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and b2 -adrenoceptor agonists, to improve muscle function after injury. Although these approaches have clinical merit, a better understanding of the androgenic, IGF-I and b-adrenoceptor signalling pathways in skeletal muscle is important if we are to devise safe and effective therapies to enhance muscle regeneration and function after injury. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||