A test on Ellenberg indicator values in the Mediterranean evergreen woods (Quercetea ilicis)

The consistency and reliability of Ellenberg’s indicator values (Eiv) as ecological descriptors of the Mediterranean evergreen vegetation ascribed to the phytosociological class Quercetea ilicis have been checked on a set of 859 phytosociological relevés × 699 species. Diagnostic species were identified through a Twinspan analysis and their Eiv analyzed and related to the following independent variables: (1) annual mean temperatures, (2) annual rainfall. The results provided interesting insights to disentangle the current syntaxonomical framework at the alliance level demonstrating the usefulness of ecological indicator values to test the efficiency and predictivity of the phytosociological classification

CSR and related terms in SME owner-managers' mental models in six European countries: national context matters

As a contribution to the emerging field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) cognition, this article reports on the findings of an exploratory study that compares SME owner–managers’ mental models with regard to CSR and related concepts across six European countries (Belgium, Italy, Norway, France, UK, Spain). Utilising Repertory Grid Technique, we found that the SME owner–managers’ mental models show a few commonalities as well as a number of differences across the different country samples. We interpret those differences by linking individual cognition to macro-environmental variables, such as language, national traditions and dissemination mechanisms. The results of our exploratory study show that nationality matters but that classifications of countries as found in the comparative capitalism literature do not exactly mirror national differences in CSR cognition and that these classifications need further differentiation. The findings from our study raise questions on the universality of cognition of academic management concepts and warn that promotion of responsible business practice should not rely on the use of unmediated US American management terminology

Brain energy rescue:an emerging therapeutic concept for neurodegenerative disorders of ageing

The brain requires a continuous supply of energy in the form of ATP, most of which is produced from glucose by oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria, complemented by aerobic glycolysis in the cytoplasm. When glucose levels are limited, ketone bodies generated in the liver and lactate derived from exercising skeletal muscle can also become important energy substrates for the brain. In neurodegenerative disorders of ageing, brain glucose metabolism deteriorates in a progressive, region-specific and disease-specific manner — a problem that is best characterized in Alzheimer disease, where it begins presymptomatically. This Review discusses the status and prospects of therapeutic strategies for countering neurodegenerative disorders of ageing by improving, preserving or rescuing brain energetics. The approaches described include restoring oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, increasing insulin sensitivity, correcting mitochondrial dysfunction, ketone-based interventions, acting via hormones that modulate cerebral energetics, RNA therapeutics and complementary multimodal lifestyle changes

Enterprise Risk Management: Review, Critique, and Research Directions

Many regulators, rating agencies, executives and academics have advocated a new approach to risk management: Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). ERM proposes the integrated management of all the risks an organization faces, which inherently requires alignment of risk management with corporate governance and strategy. Academic research on ERM is still in its infancy, with articles largely in accounting and finance journals but rarely in management journals. We argue that ERM offers an important new research domain for management scholars. A critical review of ERM research allows us to identify limitations and gaps that management scholars are best equipped to address. This paper not only identifies how management scholars can contribute to ERM research, but also points out why ERM research (and practice) needs management research for its development. (C) Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Enantioselective synthesis of proline derivatives by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions

Research devoted to the synthesis of highly substituted prolines, which are hepatitis C virus inhibitors, using 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions (1,3-DC) of azomethine ylides is described. In the first part, a diastereoselective approach using an inexpensive lactate-derived acrylate as dipolarophile is described. In the second part, our efforts using simple and easily accessible chiral silver(I) and gold(I) complexes as catalysts for enantioselective synthesis of proline derivatives are reviewed. In this case, chiral phosphoramidites and binap have been used as privileged ligands. Parallel to these experimental results, considerable effort was dedicated to run semiempirical density functional theory (DFT) calculations to explain and justify the stereoselectivity of each process.This work has been supported by the DGES of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) (Consolider INGENIO 2010 CSD2007-00006, FEDER-CTQ2007-62771/BQU, and by the Hispano-Brazilian project PHB2008-0037-PC), Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2009/039), and by the University of Alicante (GITE-09020-UA)