External management auditing of companies: a survey of bankers.

An external management audit is defined as an independent examination of an organisation resulting in a statement to external users on the performance of the management function. External management auditing has links with, but also important differences from external financial auditing, internal operational auditing and management consultancy. The reasons for conducting external management audits are considered particularly in relation to the accountability of corporate management in society and the interests of various potential user groups. External management auditing is not merely a proposal but a reality with examples such as the Indian cost audit.Given the lack of British empirical evidence on users' views of external management auditing, bankers were surveyed to determine whether or not they would express any demand for external management audit reports on companies. A postal questionnaire was sent to a sample of 466 branch managers and head office staff in the three Scottish joint -stock banks with a resulting 63% response rate. Over 85% of respondents agreed that they would find the external management audit report useful in their corporate lending decisions and would always or sometimes use the external management audit report as part of the information on which to assess corporate management. The respondents considered that the external management audit report should include assessments both of the general management function and of the individual business functions. The responding bankers did express a demand for external management audit reports.A sample of 354 bankers with experience of corporate overdraft decisions received a simulation exercise involving an overdraft decision. The response rate was 58% and the main conclusion of this simulation exercise was that the addition of an adverse external management audit report did have a statistically significant effect on the responding bankers' corporate overdraft decision outcomes. The results of both the questionnaire survey and the simulated overdraft decision show that bankers would be interested in receiving, and would use, external management audit reports on their customer companies

Strategies for the treatment of Hepatitis C in an era of interferon-free therapies: what public health outcomes do we value most?

Objective: The expense of new therapies for HCV infection may force health systems to prioritise the treatment of certain patient groups over others. Our objective was to forecast the population impact of possible prioritisation strategies for the resource-rich setting of Scotland. Design: We created a dynamic Markov simulation model to reflect the HCV-infected population in Scotland. We determined trends in key outcomes (e.g. incident cases of chronic infection and severe liver morbidity (SLM)) until the year 2030, according to treatment strategies involving prioritising, either: (A) persons with moderate/advanced fibrosis or (B) persons who inject drugs (PWID). Results: Continuing to treat the same number of patients with the same characteristics will give rise to a fall in incident infection (from 600 cases in 2015 to 440 in 2030) and a fall in SLM (from 195 cases in 2015 to 145 in 2030). Doubling treatment-uptake and prioritising PWID will reduce incident infection to negligible levels (<50 cases per year) by 2025, while SLM will stabilise (at 70–75 cases per year) in 2028. Alternatively, doubling the number of patients treated, but, instead, prioritising persons with moderate/advanced fibrosis will reduce incident infection less favourably (only to 280 cases in 2030), but SLM will stabilise by 2023 (i.e. earlier than any competing strategy). Conclusions: Prioritising treatment uptake among PWID will substantially impact incident transmission, however, this approach foregoes the optimal impact on SLM. Conversely, targeting those with moderate/advanced fibrosis has the greatest impact on SLM but is suboptimal in terms of averting incident infection

An assessment of the use of crown structure for the determination of the health of beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Considerable difficulties exist with the standardization and interpretation of assessments of crown defoliation, the most commonly used index of tree health in Europe. A variety of other measures of crown condition exist and one that has received considerable attention, particularly for beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), is crown architecture. Four stages of crown development are generally recognized, termed the exploration, degeneration, stagnation and resignation phases. An analysis of the available literature suggests that there are a number of problems surrounding the use of these classes to describe trees. Although the classes probably reflect the progressive deterioration of the crown of a tree, there are many factors that affect the assessment and interpretation of the scores, as is the case for defoliation estimates. Measurements of shoot elongation in the upper crown provide a more useful measure, but involve destructive sampling and are very time-consuming. Consequently, while crown architectural assessments should only be incorporated into large-scale inventories of forest health with great care, they may be useful for case studies involving the detailed examination of a small number of site

Dental Involvements in the Equine

On February 27, 1945, a 4-year-old mare was presented to the Stange Memorial Clinic. A swelling on the right side of the face had been noted the previous day. The tongue was swollen and she was unable to open her mouth. The temperature was normal and the general condition good

Effect of grazing on ship rat density in forest fragments of lowland Waikato, New Zealand

Ship rat (Rattus rattus) density was assessed by snap-trapping during summer and autumn in eight indigenous forest fragments (mean 5 ha) in rural landscapes of Waikato, a lowland pastoral farming district of the North Island, New Zealand. Four of the eight were fenced and four grazed. In each set of four, half were connected with hedgerows, gullies or some other vegetative corridor to nearby forest and half were completely isolated. Summer rat density based on the number trapped in the first six nights was higher in fenced (mean 6.5 rats ha–1) than in grazed fragments (mean 0.5 rats ha–1; P = 0.02). Rats were eradicated (no rats caught and no rat footprints recorded for three consecutive nights) from all eight fragments in January–April 2008, but reinvaded within a month; time to eradication averaged 47 nights in fenced and 19 nights in grazed fragments. A second six-night trapping operation in autumn, 1–3 months after eradication, found no effect of fencing (P = 0.73). Connectedness to an adjacent source of immigrants did not influence rat density within a fragment in either season (summer P = 0.25, autumn P = 0.67). An uncalibrated, rapid (one-night) index of ship rat density, using baited tracking tunnels set in a 50 × 50 m grid, showed a promising relationship with the number of rats killed per hectare over the first six nights, up to tracking index values of c. 30% (corresponding to c. 3–5 rats ha–1). The index will enable managers to determine if rat abundance is low enough to achieve conservation benefits. Our results confirm a dilemma for conservation in forest fragments. Fencing protects vegetation, litter and associated ecological processes, but also increases number of ship rats, which destroy seeds, invertebrates and nesting birds. Maximising the biodiversity values of forest fragments therefore requires both fencing and control of ship rats

Converting predation cues into conservation tools: The effect of light on mouse foraging behaviour

Prey face a conflict between acquiring energy and avoiding predators and use both direct and indirect cues to assess predation risk. Illumination, an indirect cue, influences nocturnal rodent foraging behaviour. New Zealand holds no native rodent species but has introduced mice (Mus musculus) that severely impair native biodiversity. We used Giving-Up Densities (GUDs) and observations of foraging frequency and duration to assess if artificial light induces risk avoidance behaviour in mice and could limit their activity. We found both captive (wild strain) mice in outdoor pens and wild mice within a pest fenced sanctuary (Maungatautari, New Zealand) displayed avoidance behaviour in response to illumination. In captivity, total foraging effort was similar across lit and unlit pens but mice displayed a strong preference for removing seeds from dark control areas (mean: 15.33 SD: +/-11.64 per 3.5 hours) over illuminated areas (2.00 +/-3.44). Wild mice also removed fewer seeds from illuminated areas (0.42 +/-1.00 per 12 hours) compared to controls (6.67 +/-9.20). Captive mice spent less than 1.0% of available time at illuminated areas, versus 11.3% at controls; visited the lit areas less than control areas (12.00 +/- 9.77 versus 29.00 +/-21.58 visits respectively); and spent less time per visit at illuminated versus control areas (8.17 +/-7.83 versus 44.83 +/-87.52 seconds per visit respectively). Illumination could provide protection at ecologically sensitive sites, damaged exclusion fences awaiting repair, fence terminus zones of peninsula sanctuaries and shipping docks that service offshore islands. We promote the hypothesis that the tendency of mice to avoid illumination could be a useful conservation tool, and advance knowledge of risk assessment and foraging under perceived danger

Resilience of New Zealand indigenous forest fragments to impacts of livestock and pest mammals

A number of factors have combined to diminish ecosystem integrity in New Zealand indigenous lowland forest fragments surrounded by intensively grazed pasture. Livestock grazing, mammalian pests, adventive weeds and altered nutrient input regimes are important drivers compounding the changes in fragment structure and function due to historical deforestation and fragmentation. We used qualitative systems modelling and empirical data from Beilschmiedia tawa dominated lowland forest fragments in the Waikato Region to explore the relevance of two common resilience paradigms – engineering resilience and ecological resilience – for addressing the conservation management of forest fragments into the future. Grazing by livestock and foraging/predation by introduced mammalian pests both have direct detrimental impacts on key structural and functional attributes of forest fragments. Release from these perturbations through fencing and pest control leads to partial or full recovery of some key indicators (i.e. increased indigenous plant regeneration and cover, increased invertebrate populations and litter mass, decreased soil fertility and increased nesting success) relative to levels seen in larger forest systems over a range of timescales. These changes indicate that forest fragments do show resilience consistent with adopting an engineering resilience paradigm for conservation management, in the landscape context studied. The relevance of the ecological resilience paradigm in these ecosystems is obscured by limited data. We characterise forest fragment dynamics in terms of changes in indigenous species occupancy and functional dominance, and present a conceptual model for the management of forest fragment ecosystems

Self-Rated Distress Related to Medical Conditions is Associated with Future Crashes or Traffic Offences in Older Drivers

Ageing is associated with the development of medical conditions, both acute and chronic. The aim of this study was to determine whether medical factors were associated with subsequent self- and officially-reported crashes and traffic offences in a group of cognitively healthy older drivers. We surveyed medical conditions, medications taken for these conditions, and the amount of subjective distress associated with medical conditions in a group of 56 drivers aged 72-85 years for a period of 24 months. We also compared exposure to driving at baseline to the number of crashes or offences at 24 months. We found no relationship between the number of medical conditions or medications taken and whether a participant had a crash or offence. However, those who reported more subjective distress associated with their condition/s were more likely to have a crash or offence during the study period. Drivers who had a crash or offence also had a higher mean driving exposure. However, there was no relationship between reported distress and driving exposure which indicates that these may be independent risk factors for experiencing a crash or traffic offence

Madagascar rosewood, illegal logging and the tropical timber trade

Although deforestation rates in the tropics are reportedly slowing, the loss of both forest area and forest quality remains a significant issue for many countries. This is particularly true of Madagascar, where recent government instability has enabled a significant increase in the incidence of illegal logging of Dalbergia species from National Parks such as Marojejy and Masoala. The logs are exported with relative ease as export permits are being made available. While attempts have been made to improve the management of tropical forests, in 2005, the International Tropical Timber Organization considered that only 7% of tropical production forests were being managed sustainably. Given the challenges associated with halting illegal logging at source, emphasis has shifted to the control of the trade in forest products. The Convention on the Internationa Trade in Endangered Species provides a mechanism to restrict such trade, but the Madagascan Dalbergia species are not listed. In the USA, the recent amendments to the ‘Lacey Act’ could provide a significant disincentive to the import of illegally logged wood products, but it remains to be seen whether this Act can be enforced effectively.RÉSUMÉBien que les taux de déboisement sous les tropiques seraient à la basse, il n’en demeure pas moins que la perte de la couverture forestière et de la qualité des forêts restent des sujets sensibles pour de nombreux pays. Cela s’est avéré d’autant plus vrai à Madagascar que de récents troubles politiques ont été accompagnés par une augmentation significative de l’exploitation illicite de bois précieux, dont les bois de rose et les palissandres (Dalbergia spp.) dans les parcs nationaux comme ceux de Marojejy ou de Masoala. Les bois sont exportés assez facilement avec la délivrance de permis d’exportation dans un cadre législatif changeant. Dans le monde, il y a bien eu des essais d’amélioration de la gestion des forêts tropicales mais en 2005, l’Organisation internationale des bois tropicaux considérait que seulement 7% des produits sylvicoles issus des forêts tropicales étaient exploités de manière pérenne. Compte tenu de la difficulté à s’attaquer aux sources de l’exploitation illégale pour y mettre un terme, une attention particulière a été portée sur le contrôle du commerce des produits forestiers. La convention sur le commerce international des espèces de faune et de flore sauvages menacées d’extinction connue par son sigle CITES constitue un mécanisme permettant de limiter un tel commerce mais les espèces malgaches du genre Dalbergia pour les bois de rose et les palissandres ou Diospyros pour les ébènes ne figurent pas sur les listes de la CITES. Aux États - Unis, le nouvel amendement au ‘Lacey Act’ pourrait permettre de freiner de manière significative l’importation de produits forestiers exploités illégalement mais il faut voir si cette Loi pourra effectivement être imposée