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Past Literature (past + literature)
Selected AbstractsBoard Structure, Process and Performance: evidence from public-listed companies in SingaporeCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2005David Wan Past literature in board research has centred on board structure and company performance. Over the years, empirical studies do not reveal a conclusive relationship between these two variables (Dalton and Daily, 1999. Across the Board, March, 28,32). Until recently, the literature on board processes has been sparse. The reason for insufficient empirical work on board processes possibly is due to the difficulty of gaining access to boards. In this paper, we propose a conceptual model and tested the model on publicly listed companies in Singapore. Based on a sample of 212 company responses and 299 directors, we conclude that board structure does not affect board process while board process is related to board performance. In terms of individual parameters, effort norms, cognitive conflict and the presence and usage of skills are positively related to board roles and board transparency. Also, affective and process conflicts are negatively related to board roles and board transparency. Finally, board process does not mediate the relationship between board structure and board performance. [source] Economic Sentiment and Yield Spreads in EuropeEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2008Eva Ferreira G12; E43 Abstract According toHarvey (1988), the forecasting ability of the term spread on economic growth is due to the fact that interest rates reflect investors' expectations about the future economic situation when deciding their plans for consumption and investment. Past literature has used ex post data on output or consumption growth as proxies for their expected value. In this paper, we employ a direct measure of economic agents' expectations, the Economic Sentiment Indicator elaborated by the European Commission, to test this hypothesis. Our results indicate that a linear combination of European yield spreads explains a surprising 93.7\% of the variability of the Economic Sentiment Indicator. This ability of yield spreads to capture economic agent expectations may be the actual reason for the predictive power of yield spreads about future business cycle. [source] Nonconscious influences of religion on prosociality: a priming studyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Isabelle Pichon Past literature on the automaticity of social behavior indicates that priming a concept automatically activates related behavioral schemas. In the two present studies we examined the impact of religion on prosociality. In the first study, we tested the impact of subliminal priming of religious concepts on prosocial behavior intentions. We found a main effect of this priming, moderated by valence: prosocial behavior tendencies were stronger when positive religious words had previously been subliminally primed. In the second study, we examined the accessibility of prosocial concepts, after the supraliminal activation of religion. Indeed, we found that not only were religion-related attributes more accessible when primed, but positive religious primes were also able to activate prosocial concepts. While previous research has shown the religion-prosociality link at the explicit level and in terms of the role of individual religiousness, these results indicate that religious concepts by themselves can nonconsciously activate prosocial behavioral schemas. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Aroma profile of Niagara grape juice contaminated with multicoloured Asian lady beetle taint using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/olfactometryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Carolyn F. Ross Summary The objective of this study was to determine the odour-active compounds present in Niagara grape juice tainted with multicoloured Asian lady beetle (MALB: Harmonia axyridis: Coleoptera: coccinellidae). Niagara grape juice was made with (2.5 MALB/L) and without MALB and evaluated using solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC/MS/O) to tentatively identify compounds. Compared to the control juice, phenol, described as musty/mouldy, was found to be unique to the MALB-tainted grape juice. The four odourants significantly higher in the MALB-tainted grape juice were described as fruity, asparagus, stagnant water/chemical and musty/mouldy, tentatively corresponding to octanal, 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine (SBMP), 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol and decanal, respectively. Three of the five compounds found in the MALB-tainted juice have been reported to be produced by live MALB. While past literature has focused on the contribution of 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines to MALB-taint, the present study suggests other compounds, in addition to SBMP, may contribute to the aroma profile of MALB-tainted grape juice. [source] Consumer recycling: role of incentives, information, and social classJOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2007Easwar S. Iyer More and more communities have instituted recycling programs and consumer recycling is no longer a new fad; it is here to stay. However, consumer commitment to recycling and participation rates have leveled off. Whereas lack of access to recycling facilities was cited as a key inhibitor to participation in the early days of recycling, that is generally not the case anymore. Thus there is an imperative to revisit consumer recycling by focusing on behavioral issues that reflect today's context. In this study we review the past literature and propose a comprehensive model of consumer recycling. We identify two intervention mechanisms , incentives or information , that are believed to increase recycling participation. We, then, describe a longitudinal field experiment to evaluate the relative merits of these intervention programs. We conclude that either intervention program is effective, although informational programs appear to have more long-term effects than incentive programs. We also create a new measure of social class, one that includes other influential actors' characteristics, and show its relationship to recycling attitudes and behaviors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The oldest fungicide and newest phytoalexin , a reappraisal of the fungitoxicity of elemental sulphurPLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2004J. S. Williams Elemental sulphur (S0) is man's oldest fungicide. In biological systems it is formed by certain specialized prokaryotes but the element has rarely been found in eukaryotes. The recent discovery that certain plant species from diverse families produce S0 as a localized component of active defence to vascular pathogens, and that S0 is constitutive in some crucifers, led to this review. Because of the age and relative inaccessibility of some of the past literature and the inconsistency in the methods used, the spectrum of activity and the toxicity of S0 are reassessed here. Interpretation of bioassays of this and other hydrophobic compounds are offered. Also, brief coverage is given to the history of S0 use and its suggested mode(s) of action. The element's possible role in defence and the form, location and levels in planta are considered. Sulphur is one of many S-containing defence-related compounds and it is ironic that sulphur deficiency has recently become a widespread nutrient disorder in crops, largely due to restrictions on fossil fuel burning. The problem is being addressed by sulphur application, but the future manipulation of genes for sulphate uptake and sulphur biosynthesis are likely goals. [source] Desmoid Tumor: A Case of Mistaken IdentityTHE BREAST JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005Alicia Privette BS Abstract: Desmoid tumors are rare tumors accounting for only 0.03% of all neoplasms. Mainly occurring in the fourth and fifth decades of life, these tumors originate in musculoaponeurotic tissues of the limbs, neck, trunk, abdominal wall, and mesentery. We present a rare case of a chest wall desmoid tumor that was mistaken for breast cancer on both physical examination and mammography, which highlights the unique risk these tumors present for confusion with other malignant processes. Although past literature contains numerous reports of other misdiagnoses, this case is unique in reporting the potential for misdiagnosis between chest wall desmoid tumors and breast cancer. In cases where suspicious breast findings do not correlate to usual diagnostic measures, such as fine-needle aspiration or core needle biopsy, the possibility of another pathology such as a chest wall desmoid tumor mimicking breast cancer should be considered in the differential diagnosis. [source] An application of Routh stability criterion to derive the necessary conditions for multiplicity of a CSTRTHE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2009Yu-Shu Chien Abstract It is well known that the Routh stability criterion (RSC) is a powerful method for analyzing control system stability. A new RSC finding that can aid the tangent analysis method (TAM) to determine the necessary conditions for multiplicity is presented. Adding RSC to TAM can find the bifurcation start point which cannot be obtained using TAM alone. To the author's knowledge, the above new RSC application has not been discussed in past literatures. Our results are helpful for chemical reactor design. We used two examples of the binary reaction in a non-adiabatic CSTR to demonstrate the merit of our methods. Il est bien connu que le critère de stabilité de Routh (RSC) est une méthode puissante pour l'analyse de la stabilité des systèmes de contrôle. On présente un nouveau résultat de RSC pouvant aider la méthode d'analyse des tangentes (TAM) à déterminer les conditions nécessaires pour la multiplicité. L'ajout de RSC à TAM permet de trouver le point de départ de la bifurcation qui ne peut pas être obtenu uniquement avec TAM. À la connaissance de l'auteur, cette nouvelle application RSC n'a pas été examinée dans la littérature scientifique antérieure. Nos résultats sont utiles pour la conception des réacteurs chimiques. Nous utilisons deux exemples de réaction binaire dans un CSTR non adiabatique pour démontrer le mérite de nos méthodes. [source] | |||||||||||||