Detection of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in East Turkey

A study was implemented to investigate the presence of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in East Turkey. This study was based on clinical surveillance in the field, surveillance at regional slaughterhouses and regular submission of suspected lesions to regional laboratories. The results showed that the agent of CCPP, Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp), could be detected by culture and specific polymerase chain reaction from 37.5% (12/32) of lung samples taken from goats of ten different herds. This agent was also isolated from two of 13 sheep samples (one from the lung and the other from a nasal swab). Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae was isolated in pure culture and characterised at a finer molecular level. The East Turkish isolate was found to be closely related to another strain of Turkish origin, as well as to Mccp strains isolated in Tunisia. The isolation of Mccp from sheep lung lesions brings the strict host-specificity of this pathogen into question. It may also indicate that Mccp presents a risk for wildlife in the region. Such results, the authors believe, demonstrate that adequate risk assessments should be undertaken in Turkey and neighbouring countries. (Résumé d'auteur

Not All Responses Are the Same: How CEO Cognitions Impact Strategy When Performance Falls Below Aspirations

This study integrates research on managerial discretion within the behavioral theory of the firm to examine how four CEO psychological traits serving as antecedents of managerial discretion—ambiguity tolerance, cognitive complexity, locus of control, and commitment to the status quo—moderate firm responses to poor performance. Using CEOs’ responses to questionnaires, CEO ambiguity tolerance is found to positively moderate the relationship between negative attainment discrepancy and strategic change when performance is slightly below aspirations, defined as average market return for the firm’s industry. Further, CEOs with greater cognitive complexity are found to engage in more strategic change when performance is farther below aspirations. Thus, this study begins to unpack the role of CEOs’ cognitive makeup on firm responses to performance shortfalls

Alloying of Surface Layers of the Fuel Claddings from Sponge Based E110 Alloy to Increase High Temperature Oxidation Resistance

The results of experiments of parts of cladding tubes from sponge based zirconium E110 alloy near-surface layers doping by means of ion-plasma technologies are presented in this paper. Alloying of material by method of pre-deposited Fe, Y, Mo, Al, Mg, Cr films ion mixing is performed on installation ILUR-03 by means of radialAr+ion beam 3-4 keV average energy. State of modified material layer and oxides, grown on the modified samples in argon-water steam mixture at 1200 ∘C studied by scanning electron and ion microscopy methods, X-ray analysis and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. It is shown that treating modes defined contribute to the barrier for oxygen penetration and material oxidation formation near ion-doped surface

Barriers to handpump serviceability in Malawi : life-cycle costing for sustainable service delivery

The implementation of handpumps has contributed to increased improved water access. However, 'universal access' as the metric for success within Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, potentially conceals fundamental barriers for sustainable services and hinders SDG 6 target success. Tariffs, in the form of household contributions, are the most common form of financial provision for the maintenance of rural water supplies. However, the annualised financial resources significantly vary across local contexts. Four tariff scenarios (collected per month, when required for repairs, per year and no tariff) were investigated across the life-cycle of 21 997 Afridev handpumps in Malawi. Known local costs for Afridev components from suppliers in Malawi were used to determine the potential shortfall in financial resources over the handpumps' 15 year design life. Domains that influence functionality, such as the operations, maintenance and quality of infrastructure, were also investigated to identify significant factors impacting the sustainability of the handpumps. Logistic regression indicates sub-standard installations (i.e. seasonality and poor water quality), structural damage to civil works, no preventative maintenance, lack of spare parts on site and a shortfall in potential financial resources were significantly associated with the poor status of infrastructure (broken or worn components) over the life-cycle of the Afridev. The findings highlight the burden placed on rural communities of maintaining inherently unsustainable assets that inevitably hinders lasting service delivery and benefits for rural communities in the SDG period and beyond. This journal i

The Board Committee Chair Effect: How Much Does It Contribute to Firm Performance?

Boards of directors rely on committees to perform important specialized monitoring and advising tasks. While there is general consensus that committees and their chairs influence board outcomes and, thus, firm performance, we know little about the magnitude of these effects on firm performance. Using variance decomposition, we show that audit, compensation, and nominating committee chairs explain a significant portion of variance in firm financial performance. Some of the performance variance attributed to committee chairs comes from the increased explanatory power of adding an important level of strategic leaders. However, most of the committee chair effect seems to stem from performance variance that prior research may have inaccurately attributed to firm executives and other influences. For example, our results show that committee chairs, collectively, have a stronger influence on firm performance than board chairs, illustrating a need for more research on the critical role committee chairs play in the functioning of committees, boards, and firms. Furthermore, in additional analyses, we find that committee chair effects can differ across board leadership structures and time periods

Helium Porosity Formation in Vanadium Alloys of V-Ti-Cr, V-W-Zr and V-W-Ta Systems in Comparison with Binary Alloys

Vanadium alloys are considered candidates for use as structural materials of fusion reactors. A large amount of helium will be accumulated in such materials. The presence of helium in the materials may result in gas swelling. This paper presents the results on helium porosity formation researches in V–Ti–Cr, V–W–Zr and V–W–Ta alloys obtained by means of TEM. Samples were irradiated by 40 keV Не+ ions up to dose of 5 ⋅ 1020m−2 at 923 K. Alloy V–4%Ti–4%Cr has a smallest helium swelling among the ternary alloys and its swelling is significantly lower than swelling of dual V–Ti and V–Cr alloys. The swelling of the ternary V–2%W–1%Zr alloy is more than 3 times less than the swelling of vanadium, several times less than that of V–W alloys and slightly lower than the swelling of V– Zr alloys. Swelling increases by a factor of 1.5 with increasing of Zr content to 2% in the ternary V–2%W–1%Zr alloy. Similarly, gas swelling of ternary V–2%W–1%Ta alloy is significantly lower than that for binary V–W and V–Ta alloys. Assumptions are made about the possible mechanisms of the effect of alloying elements in vanadium on helium porosity formation. Keywords: vanadium alloys, swelling, helium, radiation resistance

Board Committees in Corporate Governance: A Cross-Disciplinary Review and Agenda for the Future

The importance of board committees – specialized subgroups that exist to perform many of the board\u27s most critical functions, such as setting executive compensation, identifying potential board members, and overseeing financial reporting – has grown over time due to increased legal requirements and greater complexity of the environment in which firms operate. This has resulted in a large body of work examining board committees across the accounting, finance, and management disciplines. However, this research has developed rather independently within each discipline, preventing scholars and practitioners from developing a comprehensive understanding of board committees. To address this issue, we conduct a comprehensive review of the literature that: 1) summarizes and synthesizes antecedents and outcomes associated with board committees in publicly-traded firms in English common law countries; and 2) offers a critical analysis of existing research, providing recommendations for advancements and new directions in board committee research

Board Committees in Corporate Governance: A Cross‐Disciplinary Review and Agenda for the Future

The importance of board committees – specialized subgroups that exist to perform many of the board\u27s most critical functions, such as setting executive compensation, identifying potential board members, and overseeing financial reporting – has grown over time due to increased legal requirements and greater complexity of the environment in which firms operate. This has resulted in a large body of work examining board committees across the accounting, finance, and management disciplines. However, this research has developed rather independently within each discipline, preventing scholars and practitioners from developing a comprehensive understanding of board committees. To address this issue, we conduct a comprehensive review of the literature that: 1) summarizes and synthesizes antecedents and outcomes associated with board committees in publicly‐traded firms in English common law countries; and 2) offers a critical analysis of existing research, providing recommendations for advancements and new directions in board committee research

Behaviour of Ion-modified Cladding Tubes from E110 Alloy in High-temperature Water Steam

Beryllium materials are widely used in science and technology. They are of importance both for nuclear and thermonuclear energy applications. Additionally, metallic beryllium is transparent to x-ray radiation and used in the manufacture of X-ray windows and refractive x-ray lenses. SC “VNIINM” has developed beryllium materialsfor various purposes: for coating of the ITER’s first wall, for focusing and controlling X-ray radiation. Porous beryllium is of particular interest as it is an upcoming trend as a temper and neutron multiplier in blankets of thermonuclear facilities. A unique combination of X-ray optical properties also makes it possible to use porous beryllium in imaging devices in a synchrotron radiation beam (speckle suppressor)

Reflecting SDG 6.1 in rural water supply tariffs : considering 'affordability' versus 'operations and maintenance costs' in Malawi

Local tariffs in the form of household contributions are the primary financial mechanism to fund the maintenance of rural water supplies in Malawi. An investigation was conducted into the tariffs set by rural service providers to sustain drilled boreholes equipped with Afridev handpumps. A binary logistic regression analysis identified significant explanatory variables for the most common identified considerations when setting tariffs, ‘affordability’ and ‘operations and maintenance (O&M) costs’. The results demonstrate tariffs collected less frequently and usage above the design limit of the Afridev (300 users) had lower odds of considering affordability and higher odds of considering O&M costs, than those collected per month and within the design limit. The results further suggest a recognition by service providers of an increased maintenance challenge. High usage, acquiring spare parts, and the collection of tariffs when repairs are required indicate an increased likelihood of considering O&M costs, conversely to considering affordability. The balance of affordability and sustainable maintenance is a perpetual challenge under decentralised service delivery. Investment into ongoing support and supply chains is required for the financial and operational requirements of water supply, to ensure payments for services does not prevent access to clean water at the local level and to achieve the 2030 agenda