ABSTRACT A large number of biological indicators have been proposed over the years for assessing soil quality. Although many of those have been applied in monitoring schemes across Europe, no consensus exists on the extent to which these indicators might perform best and how monitoring schemes can be further optimized in terms of scientific and policy relevance. Over the past decade, developme…
Purpose – Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a vocational communication skill from the helping professions. Verbal skills in MI are summarized under the acronyms OARS and EARS (open-ended questions/elaborating, affirmations, reflections, and summaries). The purpose of this paper is to outline how MI provides important skills for engineers, and demonstrate skill assessment by using an observati…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework to support the embedding of social innovation education in existing academic programmes. Design/methodology/approach – By adopting Conole et al.’s (2004) methodological approach to reviewing, mapping and modelling learning theory, this study addresses four research questions: how can social innovation education be d…
A number of signifi cant legal challenges impede the attribution of liability to parent or porations for the overseas operations of their subsidiaries. The multinational reach of these entities’ activities raise questions as to which forum is appropriate to hear the case, under which state’s jurisdiction an action may be brought and as to which state’s domestic law should be applied. The …
Abstract: The quest for environmental protection alongside economic development has been one of the prominent themes of political and legal discourse for several decades. This article examines the extent to which the principle of sustainable development (introduced under the Rio Declaration 1992) as a conceptual framework for balancing these competing goals has been integrated within the intern…
Abstract: Agricultural water pollution is one of the most challenging environmental problems of our times, one which remains unresolved after 13 years of the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD). It is argued that the WFD is not defi cient; in fact, it provides both the environmental targets and the legal impetus for Member States to reduce pollution in their waters; Member States have simpl…
ABSTRACT: Throughout human history, people have coped with, and adapted to, their environment. This accumulated capacity at local level is increasingly recognized to be critical in improving resilience and transformation. Nevertheless, city dwellers’ coping and adaptive practices are little known, poorly documented and often not taken into account in the work of municipal authorities and ai…
ABSTRACT: The growth of informal settlements can intensify the risks of social and ecological harm to their communities and to the wider urban area. The unplanned and poorly serviced character of these settlements raises the probability of disasters occurring. The public sector can increase these risks through indifference and poorly conceived actions or it can help to build resilience throug…
Abstract: This paper reflects on how the city of Manizales, Colombia, is incorporating climate change adaptation into its plans, and how this can build on the foundations of the city´s long-established urban environmental policy (Biomanizales) and local environmental action plan (Bioplan) that have guided urban development and have developed incorporating disaster risk reduction into local dev…
Abstract: Resilience is receiving substantial traction as a concept to inform climate change and development policies and programmes. At the same time, a number of critiques have emerged that question its use as a framing concept for tackling urban climate change. This paper reflects on climate resilience and its critiques through an examination of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience N…
Abstract: In recent years, there has been an upsurge of interest by policy makers in high growth firms. Interest in these dynamic firms has primarily been driven by their prodigious ability to create new employment. Despite this, very little is known about the complex corporate geographies of these firms and their internationalisation processes. Using quantitative and qualitative data, this pap…
Abstract: The financial crisis of 2008 and associated recession caused significant permanent damage to the UK’s public finances: the UK economy is not expected to regain the economic growth trajectory that was predicted pre-crisis. In response, UK governments have planned and (so far, partially) implemented a significant fiscal tightening to cut borrowing from a post-war high of over 10 per…
ABSTRACT: A narrow technocentric focus on a few favored ecosystem services (generally provisioning services) has led to ecosystem degradation globally, including catchment systems and their capacities to support human well‐being. Increasing recognition of the multiple benefits provided by ecosystems is slowly being translated into policy and some areas of practice, although there remains a s…
Abstract: This article makes the case that speed has become significant, indeed central, as a social scientific category and focus of attention today. In particular, it engages with two contemporary theoretical currents that conceptualize the causes, consequences and manifestations of social speed as a fundamental feature of modernity. One key contribution is Hartmut Rosa’s interpretation of…
Purpose – More collaborative and open learning models are suggested as part of the paradigm shift in the way knowledge is produced, distributed, and used. The purpose of this paper is to explore a work-based learning (WBL) model, based on systemic negotiations between actors from the three parties: the academy, the industry, and the students. The purpose is to investigate how teachers,supervi…
Abstract: Richard Sennett can be interpreted as one of the more robust representatives of a current critique with regard to ethnic communities in urban areas, namely, that such ethnic enclaves are a proof of urban disintegration and failing citizenship. Firstly, I take issue with Sennett’s assumption that there is an inherent tension between in-group solidarity and the ability to deal with m…
Abstract: The principal aim of this article is to examine the capacity of existential analytic to suggest alternatives to entrenched dichotomies and dilemmas in practice theory, and more generally, in social theory. In this regard, the doctrine of trans-subjective existentialism is developed. The underlying aim is to inform hermeneutic engagement with social practices’ potentiality-for-being…
Abstract This article proposes complementing actor-network theory (ANT) with Niklas Luhmann’s communication theory, in order to overcome one of ANT’s major shortcomings, namely, the lack of a conceptual repertoire to describe virtual processes such as sensemaking. A highly problematic consequence of ANT’s actualism is that it cannot explain the differentiation of economic, legal, scienti…
Abstract: As Michel Foucault and others have shown, from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries, Western political discourse has perpetuated an art of governing aimed at societies and populations. This article argues that this modern art of governing is now coming undone, in the name of governance. The discourse on governance is taking us from an art of governing premised on producing…
Abstract: In liberal modernity, the democratic collective will of society was understood to emerge through the public and deliberative freedoms of associational life. Today, however,democratic discourse is much more focused on the formation of plural and diverse publics in the private and social sphere. In these ‘non-linear’ approaches, democracy is no longer seen to operate to constitute …
Abstract: We processed applesauce, tomato juice, and cranberries in pint jars in a boiling water canner to test thermal processing theories against home canning of highacid foods. For each product, thermocouples were placed at various heights in the jar. Values for fh (heating), fcl (cooling), and F82.2°C (lethality) were determined for each thermocouple location, and did not depend substanti…
Abstract: Although research on public service motivation (PSM) is vast, there is little evidence regarding the eff ects of PSM on observable behavior. Th is article contributes to the understanding of the behavioral implications of PSM by investigating whether PSM is associated with prosocial behavior. Moreover, it addresses whether and how the behavior of other group members infl uences this r…
Abstract: Ditaxis heterantha is a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family that grows in semiarid regions of Mexico. It produces yellow pigmented seeds that are used for coloring of foods. The seeds contain about 20% of proteins. Proteins of D. heterantha were extracted and fractionated on the basis of solubility. Three main protein fractions were obtained: glutelins, 488 0.5; albumins, 229 2; an…
Abstract: Nitrite-free and low-nitrite meat-curing systems were developed to eliminate or reduce nitrite in frankfurter-type sausages. Different composite meat-curing mixtures were formulated using cochineal and paprika as natural colorants, sodium hypophosphite (SHP) as antimicrobial agent, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as antioxidant and sodium nitrite. The treatment, which contained 0.015%…
Abstract: A methanol extract of lyophilized Brickellia cavanillesii was quantitatively analyzed using gas chromatographic (GC) techniques. The chromatographic methods employed were (i) GC-flame ionization detector (GC-FID), (ii) GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and (iii) purge and trap GC-MS (P&T GC-MS). Thirteen compounds were identified with a quality match of 90% and above using GC-MS. The com…
Abstract In cereals, the presence of soluble polysaccharides including (1,3;1,4)-b-glucan has downstream implications for human health, animal feed and biofuel applications. Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is a versatile crop, but there are limited reports regarding the content of such soluble polysaccharides. Here, the amount of (1,3;1,4)-b-glucan present in sorghum tissues was measured using a Me…
Abstract: This study compared the efficacy of a cinacalcetbased regimen with unrestricted conventional therapy(vitamin D and phosphate binders) for achieving Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) targets for dialysis patients. In this multicenter, prospective study, hemodialysis patients with poorly controlled secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) were randomized to receive a cinac…
Abstract: A simulation method for approximating spectral signatures of minced meat samples was developed depending on concentrations and optical properties of the major chemical constituents. Minced beef samples of different compositions scanned on a near-infrared spectroscopy and on a hyperspectral Imaging system were examined. Chemical composition determined heuristically and optical proper…
Abstract: Attrition of the dentition can negatively affect esthetics and function. When reconstructing patients with attrition who require restoration at increased occlusal vertical dimension (OVD), it is necessary to first evaluate the OVD using a removable interim prosthesis to ensure that the patient will tolerate the new position. The transition to fixed interim prostheses has to be carefu…
Abstract Aim: This study aimed to compare the hemodynamic profile and efficacy of carbetocin versus intra-umbilical oxytocin in the management of retained placenta following vaginal delivery. Material and Methods: In this randomized clinical study, women with retained placenta for more than 30min were assigned to receive either an i.v. bolus of 100-μg carbetocin (n = 38) or an intra-umbilica…
Abstract: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is an important predictor of cardiovascular events in the general population and also in hemodialysis (HD) patients. In the general population, cfPWV is strongly associated with age and blood pressure (BP). The best timing and method of BP measurement in HD patients is uncertain. Ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) have been used …
Abstract: Acute lung injury (ALI) in sepsis is characterized by an increase in microvascular permeability, resulting in pulmonary edema. Several studies have suggested that angiopoietin-1 and -2 play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of ALI. Polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column hemoperfusion is effective for sepsis-induced ALI. We investigated the angiopoietin levels before and after dire…
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to address the situation that although the theoretical benefits of using drama projects in the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) have been described in a number of studies, researchers have identified a lack of literature on their practical use, particularly in terms of different institutional settings, teaching styles, learning styles and…
Purpose – This paper aims to develop a multi-aspectual framework for evaluating locally prepared English language teaching (ELT) materials used for Iranian senior high school students. Many practitioners of the field assert that the inappropriate development of ELT materials would leave an adverse effect on the potential value of the realistic ways which translate the educational beliefs on l…
Purpose – Mastery of spoken English is a priority for many learners of English in Iran. Opportunities to acquire spoken English through the public school system are very limited, hence many students enroll in “conversation” courses in private institutes. The purpose of this paper is to report a study of how institute teachers address the teaching of spoken English. Design/methodology/appr…
Purpose – The purpose of the study is to look at Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ organizational strategy use in English writing at universities in Taiwan. One significant area that has been indicated in contrastive rhetoric studies spins around the notion of culturally constructed organizational patterns. It is claimed that second language (L2) writers may have implic…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on one UK secondary school English teacher and use his practice as a vehicle for exploring the classroom realities of dialogic assessment. Dialogic assessment, a term first proposed by Alexander (2004), is a position which seeks to synthesise the potentially powerful positions of both dialogic teaching and assessment for learning remains largel…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the teachers implemented innovative feedback approaches in their writing classroom and the extent to which the innovative feedback approaches impacted upon student attitude and performance in writing. In the writing classroom, teacher feedback serves as an assessment as well as a pedagogical tool to enhance the teaching and learning of wri…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the multiple anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) in Taiwan and their conflict resolution. The birth of the Agency Against Corruption (AAC) in 2011 created the unintended consequence of sibling rivalry with the elder Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB). Design/methodology/approach – A historical background of these agenc…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make recommendations to address the four limitations of Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins by attributing Singapore’s reputation as the least corrupt Asian country to the CPIB’s four strengths: its independence from the police; its adequate staffing and funding; its adoptio…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze several measures which the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has adopted to curb corruption and to make recommendations to curb the spread of corruption. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on the analysis of government policy documents and reports, and statistical data on anti-corruption measures in China. F…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze recent Japanese corruption prevention mechanisms and assess the efforts of the Japanese government in winning public trust. Design/methodology/approach – This paper discusses public sector corruption in Japan at an institutional level through a study of its features and current status. It then analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of corr…
b s t r a c t A naphthalo-1, 8-bis[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydrazone] sensor (K) was synthesized and characterized using UVevis, 1H NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy. The sensor showed strong colorimetric and spectral response upon the molar addition of acetate or fluoride ion (AcO or F) in acetonitrile. The complexed state (KF or KAcO) of the system showed significant reversibility properties, b…
a b s t r a c t: Infrared sample digestion technology has been rapidly developed in recent years and its application and digestion performance on a variety of ores of base metals was assessed in this study, using a 6-channel infrared digester. Digestion times of 10 min or less were achieved for all base metal ores investigated, including oxides, sulfides, and silicates of Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, M…
a b s t r a c t: This paper describes basic characteristics of the quartz crystal sensor with interdigitated electrodes (IDE quartz crystal sensor) which is for imultaneous monitoring of mass, viscosity, conductivity and dielectric changes of liquids or thin films. As the IDE quartz crystal sensor has three terminals for a pair of IDEs on the one side and a counter electrode on the other side…
a b s t r a c t: In this study, the organic polymer monolith was developed as a weak anion exchanger column in high performance liquid chromatography for DNA separation. Methacrylate-based monolithic column was prepared in microbore silicosteel column (100 0.5 mm i.d.) by in-situ polymerization reaction using glycidyl methacrylate as monomer; ethylene dimethacrylate as crosslinker; 1-propan…
a b s t r a c t A common problem in applying biosensors for the detection of genomic DNA is detecting short sequences in large amounts of long double stranded DNA. A gold electrode modified with a conductive nanocomposite, poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene), and gold nanoparticles was functionalized with 2,6- Pyridinedicarboxylic acid. Immobilization of a 20-mer DNA probe as the bioreceptor wa…
a b s t r a c t: In the present work, we have synthesized a new water soluble colorless chemical compound 7-O-tertbutyldiphenylsilyl- 4-methylcoumarin (TBDPSC) that releases fluorescent molecules imparting blue fluorescence to the solution, upon interaction with fluoride ions in water. The blue fluorescence can be visualized using simple hand held ultraviolet (UV) lamps. TBDPSC has excellent s…
a b s t r a c t: Nutritionally important minerals are more readily absorbed by living systems when complexed with organic acids, resulting in higher consumer demand and premium prices for these products. These chelated metals are produced by reaction of metal oxides and acids in aqueous solution. However, unreacted dry blends are sometimes misrepresented as metal chelates, when in reality the…
a b s t r a c t: The electrochemical behavior of kaempferol was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) at plane and multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified carbon paste electrode (MWCNTs/CPE). Kaempferol produces an anodic peak at MWCNTs modified CPE with a quasi-reversible nature in phosphate buffer of pH 7.73. The oxidized species of kaempferol was found to …