Hydrogen and deuterium diffusion in vanadium alloys

Hydrogen and deuterium diffusion coefficients were measured^between 473 and 230 K in alloys of vanadium containing titanium or^niobium. Boltzmann-Matano techniques allowed the measurement^of the hydrogen concentration dependence of the diffusion^coefficient. In addition, one of these techniques permitted a^determination of the terminal hydrogen solid solubility which was^greatly increased by alloying. Both the hydrogen and deuterium^diffusion coefficients were found to decrease with hydrogen isotope^concentration in all alloys at all temperatures. The effect of niobium^additions was to markedly reduce the rate of hydrogen migration to^a minimum in the 75 at. pct. Nb alloy. The rate of hydrogen migration^decreased with titanium concentration up to 30 at. pct. Ti, the^highest concentration examined in that alloy system. The diffusion^coefficients exhibited an Arrhenius temperature dependence and the^resulting diffusion activation energy and D(,o) values both increased^with titanium and with niobium concentration to a maximum of 75 at.^pct. Nb. Deuterium diffusion activation energies were larger than^corresponding hydrogen values in all alloys. The diffusion behavior^found in these alloys is not well represented by current local deep;trapping models;(\u271)DOE Reports IS-T-1000. This work was performed under ContractW-7405-Eng-82 with the Department of Energy

Changing organizational reputation in management consulting

Despite a growth of work on building, managing and rehabilitating organizational reputation, we know relatively little about how organizations can effectively change their reputations. Through studying the case of a global management consulting firm, we show how firms with positive reputations can change their reputations despite resistance from different stakeholders. We find that particular organizational factors comprising of legitimated expertise, relevant celebrity and strong relationships as well as institutional conditions such as the knowledge of clients, competition environment and firm history can enable organizations to change their reputations. A significant contribution of this paper is to show how firms with established reputations can overcome the burden of reputation stickiness through satisfying certain organizational factors and institutional conditions

Changing organisational reputation in management consulting

Despite a growth of work on building, managing and rehabilitating organizational reputation, we know relatively little about how organizations can effectively change their reputations. Through studying the case of a global management consulting firm, we show how firms with positive reputations can change their reputations despite resistance from different stakeholders. We find that particular organizational factors comprising of legitimated expertise, relevant celebrity and strong relationships as well as institutional conditions such as the knowledge of clients, competition environment and firm history can enable organizations to change their reputations. A significant contribution of this paper is to show how firms with established reputations can overcome the burden of reputation stickiness through satisfying certain organizational factors and institutional conditions

Supporting Newly Qualified Diagnostic Radiographers: Are We Getting It Right?

The NHS is facing a rising demand in services and consequently, newly qualified practitioners are required to possess a much wider set of skills than ever before. In diagnostic radiography, this pressure is underpinned by the expanding role that diagnostic imaging now plays in many patient pathways. Despite the need for structured support for graduates which has been acknowledged by a range of studies and the introduction of the Preceptorship Framework for Newly Registered Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (Department of Health, (DoH), 2010) the uptake in radiography is limited. A longitudinal study employed an interpretive phenomenological methodology collating data from nine participants during their first year as band five radiographers. Each participant was interviewed at three, six and twelve months. Six main themes were identified during a wider PhD study Being and Becoming a Diagnostic Radiographer (Harvey-Lloyd, 2018). This article explores one of the key sub themes ‘structured support’ which strongly featured in the three- and six-month interviews. Two of the nine participants received a structured support programme during their first 12 months of transition as newly qualified radiographers. These programmes focussed on the completion of tasks and were mechanistic in approach. This type of support ignores the process of transformation into the role of a diagnostic radiographer and fails to adequately support those from Generation Z. A model of preceptorship is proposed which combines skills and competence development, supporting transition and personal and professional development; thus, providing the newly qualified radiographers with a holistic range of support

Integrated System Health Management Development Toolkit

This software toolkit is designed to model complex systems for the implementation of embedded Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) capability, which focuses on determining the condition (health) of every element in a complex system (detect anomalies, diagnose causes, and predict future anomalies), and to provide data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) to control systems for safe and effective operation

Responding to identity and reputation dissonance in a management consulting firm

Research on reputation building suggests that it is linked to an organization’s identity. For example, Fombrun (2012) argues that companies with strong identities are more likely to gain attention and appreciation. While it is accepted that identity and reputation differ, we know little about how organizations manage the tensions that this may create. How, therefore, do organizations respond when identity claims are inconsistent with reputation? To examine this question we focus on a large management consulting firm. We contribute to reputation theory by identifying three mechanisms focused on work winning and execution that, collectively, help employees to bridge the gap between claimed identity and reputation. We suggest that these mechanisms help sustain the organization’s identity in the face of conflicting reputational evidence

Alterations in GABA-related Transcripts in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Subjects with Schizophrenia

Alterations in GABA-related Transcripts in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Subjects with SchizophreniaHarvey M. Morris, Ph.D.University of Pittsburgh, 2009Besides the financial burden upon society, families undergo a substantial emotional burden when presented with a loved one affected by schizohprenia. Elucidation of the pathophysiology underlying the core features of schizophrenia is necessary for the development of more effective treatment targets. Cognitive deficits are regarded as a core feature of schizophrenia and are thought to arise from alterations in ã-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing interneurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Specifically, postmortem studies have demonstrated decreased levels of the mRNA encoding the 67 kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), an enzyme that synthesizes GABA, and this alteration seems to be specific to certain subsets of GABA neurons. For example, parvalbumin and somatostatin mRNAs, which are expressed in separate subsets of GABA neurons, were decreased, whereas calretinin mRNA, expressed in a third subset of GABA neurons, was unchanged in schizophrenia. The studies in this thesis examined the compartmental and cellular expression of and the potential causal mechanisms of reductions in SST mRNA expression; furthermore, the disease and cellular specificity of and post-synaptic consequences of reductions in SST mRNA expression were examined. We found that reductions in the levels of SST mRNA appear to be restricted to SST interneurons that do not contain NPY mRNA in the gray matter and are due to reductions in expression per neuron. These alterations appear to be a consequence of impaired neurotrophin signaling through the trkB receptor. Also, the profile of alterations in GABA-related mRNA expression is specific to schizophrenia. Finally, a post-synaptic receptor of SST, SST receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2), mRNA is reduced in schizophrenia. Since the SST protein is putatively inhibitory and SST-containing interneurons target the distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons, these data suggest reduced inhibition of pyramidal neurons and may represent a compensatory mechanism to increase excitatory drive. We conclude that reductions in SST and SSTR2 mRNA represent a downstream consequence of a neuropathological entity in the DLPFC of individuals with schizophrenia and contribute to cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia

Journal rankings and the ABS Journal Quality Guide

The purpose of this paper is to provide an outline of the arguments for and against different types of journal ranking lists, and, against this background, an account of the development of the Association of Business Schools' (ABS) Journal Quality Guide. The paper identifies recent trends in academic journal publication that have increased the need for mechanisms to assess the overall quality of academic journals. Six approaches to ranking are outlined and evaluated including the hybrid approach adopted in producing the ABS Journal Quality Guide. The ABS Journal Quality Guide provides wide journal coverage; has high levels of internal and external reliability; is sensitive to small variations in the ratings of journals, and is generally accepted as a fair means of ranking journals within its user community. This paper focuses on developments in the UK, and while the findings of this study may be of interest to researchers in other countries, the implications for policy and practice will be felt most keenly in British business schools. This paper describes a hybrid, iterative and consensual approach to developing and validating a journal quality guide that is likely to be of value to researchers, academic managers, subject librarians and research auditors